Singles Club – Easter Eggs

Singles Club – Easter Eggs

It’s the season to be jolly… oh shit wrong season. Never mind this sitting of the singles club is choc-o-bloc with great songs for you to check out whilst you demolish your kids easter eggs so fill yer boots why doncha

Kurt Baker & Bebe Buell – ‘Blood & Roses’ (Wicked Cool Records) This is a cover of The Smithereens’ 1986 hit, ‘Blood & Roses’, which hit #14 on the US singles chart this time it’s given the Kurt Baker and Bebe Buell treatment.  This is their first musical collaboration between the pair with Buell complimenting Baker on his music. It’s fitting that this is a tribute to one of their mutual favorite bands, The Smithereens.  Baker says, “The Smithereens were an integral part of my rock n roll education growing up…without [their] music I wouldn’t be where I am today”  Both artists inject their unique musical styles into a track and the finished product is outstanding.  It’s a no-brainer for us here at RPM we love Kurt’s music and Wicked Cool doesn’t release bad records. Get on it kids – Here

The Sweet Things – ‘Brown Leather’ (Spaghetty Town Records) Wooh easy tiger the Sweet Things just turned up the heat on that sloppy exile on main st tip and flipped the Black Crowes the bird with this authentic sleazy barroom rocker ‘Brown Leather’. This is the real deal kids 100% kicking ass and taking names. from that honky tonk to the horns this is as exciting as you can get. Whilst the Quireboys implode The Sweet Things get back in the game and throw this bad boy boogie right in the ring and step to the top of the pile. Make no mistake kids this is the record of the month. The album is gonna slay.  Find more about THE SWEET THINGS online at: FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM


Bitch Queen / Scumbag Millionaire – ‘Split’ (Lux Noise Records/JanML Records / Maja von Lobeck) As you know we do love ourselves a split and when it’s containing two-band we fucking love it’s always a win/win. With limited pressings on these they’ll sell out pretty damned quick so don’t muck about kids – you snooze you lose. Bitch Queens offers up ‘2000 & Late’ and as it builds like a forest fire into a thumping, raging mosh pit happy slice of death rock. It’s uncompromising and further proof that its an outrage that Bitch Queens aren’t on the cover of the alt press magazines and headlining festivals.

Teaming up with Swedens Scumbag Millionaires is a great pairing as they bring the rage of ‘Fast Bob’ and with that seal of Scandinavia Quality its a blistering song from the six-string licks that Chuck Berry would be proud of to the tempo in the engine room holding this rager together – it’s a single you need to hear. Now off you fuck and order it before they’re gone! Buy here:

ELECTRIC BOYS – ‘Into The Midnight Sun’ (Mighty Music)  ELECTRIC BOYS  decided to release a couple of new tracks. These are songs that the Swedish band recorded during the ‘Ups!de Down’ sessions. A classic, psychedelic Bloom-riff over a hard shuffle beat, not usually associated with the band. Martin (Thomander) and Andy (Christell) are singing lead in the verses. In 2018 the return to studio albums finally happened and since lockdown, the band has managed to record ‘Ups!de Down ‘ bringing different shades to the Electric Boys sound. The band adds plenty of swing to their classic rock roots and along with some big guitar solos, this makes for an excellent new sound and songs. If you don’t believe us check it out here

Dub War – ‘War Inna Babylon’ The rousing ragga-punk cover of the Max Romeo and the Upsetters’ classic “War Inna Babylon”, features guest vocals from the legendary Ranking Roger of The Beat in his last ever recording before his sad passing in 2019. The vivid reimagining of the track sees the band deliver angular guitars, frenetic rhythms, and powerful and uplifting vocals from the band’s frontman Benji. What you’d call a banger right there kids.

Snuff – ‘Green Glass Chippings’ (SBAM Records) the second SBAM offering this edition of the singles club sees punks Snuff deliver the goods via moped with a great chest-beating slab of punk rock that will have them singing along in the bars and mosh pits everywhere. Lifted from their upcoming album “Crepuscolo Dorato Della Bruschetta Borsetta Calzetta Cacchetta Trombetta Lambretta Giallo Ossido, Ooooooh Così Magnifico!” yeah go on you say it. Pick it up here

The Darts – ‘Love Sunami’ (Beluga Records co-released with Adrenalin Fix, Dirty Water Records, Ghost Highway Recordings). Fantastic keyboard twitching psyche garage rock and roll from The Darts. Man, this single has an attitude from the hypnotic beat to the mind-altering chorus this is a great single for sure. It doesn’t end there because ‘Shit Show’ is almost as good. A cooler backbeat yeah! this EP is freakin awesome and the more I play it the louder I want to hear it and those retro keys are superb. Then to twist your melon a little more the third track is a psychotic romp through some great fuzzy bass guitar and lead guitar and ‘Underground’ is bouncing with energy. I would have this at number one in this bunch of pop choons kids but the Sweet Things have it by the single thread of a molting afghan coat fringe but when the album drops from these ladies I’m all over that!

Bottlekids – ‘NOWT’ (SBÄM Records) Three mates from Chepstow, South Wales announcing their brand new EP ‘ZILCH!’ to be released by SBÄM Records on May 27th lead it with ‘Nowt’ a raging slab of punk rock with obvious influences from Stateside punk like Green Day and Bad Religion and why the fuck not? Its excellently delivered and a real contender. ITs got the vital ingredients to take them far and if the rest of the EP is as good as this then why not. Love the bass line and tone it sets this up to go for it and give the Anti Flag bands a real run for their money. Quality song.

Like a lot of music seeing the light of day it was written in lockdown it’s about kicking out the jams and all that pent-up aggression had to come out in the music and to my ears, Bottlekids made some great choices. With a sparkling production, this ‘Zilch’ EP could be time for the band to blow up!

Supersonic Deuces – ‘Bored & Stoked’ (Devil’s Beat Records) We’re all about the quality in the Singles Club and it’s often a great gateway into an album or EP that’s coming down the track. To celebrate the first year of activity, Supersonic Deuces just released the ‘Hey Now!’ ep. It includes the single “Hey Now!” plus the previously released singles “Haze the Hides” and “Bored & Stroked”, and “Strutter” from the upcoming Kiss tribute album on Devil’s Beat Records. If you don’t dig this slab of garage punk n roll then we won’t be friends for long. Banger no doubt about it and you can join the cool kids by checking out www.supersonicdeuces.com and tell em RPM sent you.

Sons – ‘Nothing’ (Pias) Having landed the support slot with Jack White the future looks bright for Belgium garage ragers Sons. Here’s their latest video for ‘Nothing’ taken from their album ‘Sweet Boy’ released in the week. It’s a loud, aggressive slice of post-punk garage rock, (if you like your pigeon holes) not a million miles from Idles, and ‘Fontains DC this is set to blow up everywhere.

KOMBI KILLERS -‘Sick World’ (Riot Records) Old school 82 fuck you punk rock from Kombi Killers. Pulling no punches a direct slice of social commentary about the pandemic and their succinct feelings about lockdowns and covid. Brisbane heat and lockdowns must have got to them because they make no bones about their feelings here and let the world know in an old-school assault. Batten down the hatches Kombi Killers are on the loose again spreading their disease – punk as fuck!

Stream/Buy ‘Sick World’ HERE

More Kicks – More Kicks (Wanda Records, Adrenalin Fix, Dirt Cult, Snap Records,Beluga Records)

More Kicks – More Kicks (Wanda Records, Adrenalin Fix, Dirt Cult, Snap Records,Beluga Records)

I love a band who love Rock and Roll.  More Kicks clearly are in love with Rock and Roll so its a no brainer when they knock out tunes full of melody and crafted guitar licks that jolt and shake and are like wrapping a silk scarf around the listeners neck to pull them closer to the speaker to catch the hooks that are just falling nonchalantly out of the speakers.  It can’t be this easy to pen an album full to bursting with great songs, can it? Maybe it can pop pickers or maybe More Kicks have the gift.

More melodies than you can shake a tambourine at – groovy rhythms at ever middle eight and chorus. With members known to the London scene who also ply their trade in other most excellent bands (it makes you sick I know)  its garage power pop with a huge fuckin’ smile – I don’t know if they’re smiling because they know how good they are or because they don’t give two hoots what you or I think because they’re doing what they want to do on nobodies terms except their own.  It really is a beautiful thing.  Sulli, Kris and Paolo sound like they’ve been playing together forever

It is a melting pot of the finest 60s garage – pop – mixed with some 50s melodies and some 70s attitude it’s gritty and sharp.  These cats have a strut like they just invented Rock and Roll and they want everyone to know it.

Twelve songs (including the first which is entitled ‘Intro’) we’re off and running with ‘What A Mess You Make’ and a rip-roaring opener it is too. The songs are short storiesand this one after a bit of doing the boxer beat on the drums we’re off and its never looking back from there on in.  The melodies wash over you as Sulli makes that guitar sing like a tree full of larks. Was that really only two minutes?  I could have hit repeat and just played that all damn day but wait ‘You Left A Stain On Me’ slinks in with some great BV’s.

The songs pile in one after the other and you get the feeling you might have heard it before somewhere.  ‘Shes A Reaction’ feels like the LAs mixing it up with some classic Bluetones but with added psychedelic edge with those keys in the background. The two singles follow ‘I’m On The Brink’ and ‘It’s A Drag’ but there are eleven singles on here, they could and probably should all be hits in a just society.

The tunes are short and oh so sweet and on ‘Rock And Roll Again’ you even get a tutorial on how to get dressed.  the way the tune builds is a joy. Lots of records get front-ended with the best songs but More Kicks don’t need to do that because this record is like a diamond throughout however you look at it from the 50’s breakdown of ‘Aint That Just The Way’ with another immaculate chorus. Topping all that has gone before it is the standout track on a standout album for me has to be ‘Blame It On the Satellite’ with its punchy rhythm before the guitar picks away on the fringe of the second verse and it just builds from there. Bloody brilliant! The lyrics pretty much epitomise where More Kicks is, they’ve taken the best bits of their record collections and thrown them into their own more kicks melting pot and poured out the result into the grooves of this here album. It’s fresh – it’s exciting and first and foremost it’s a bloody triumph.  Whilst the worlds is hellbound in a handcart More Kicks are kicking against the norm with a record that makes me want to smile and just fall in love with Rock and Roll all over again. There’s even a wicked guitar solo on ‘What You thinking Of’ and the amps do go up to eleven on ‘Young Enough’ and the albums closer ‘Your Vibration’.

Listen, You don’t have to take my advice but give this record a listen and turn the bugger up loud and have a party on your stereo.  One of the finest Garage – power pop albums I’ve heard in a long long time. It makes me happy to play More Kicks and in these dark times thats no easy task. Buy It!

 

Buy ‘More Kicks’ Here

Facebook