There’s no one quite like Wonk Unit, and with the release of ‘Good Good Glad to Hear It’ their eighth studio record to date (and first for new label Pirates Press) they are back to prove it all over again.

I really don’t think there’s any other band out there that can deal with the subjects of; the downward spiral of addiction, the thrill of watching late night horror films, the reality of 14 years of right-wing politics in the UK (“SodaStream fuck off”), and the joys of being a father, within the first four songs on their record, and still have you guessing what might be next (it’s another song about horses just in case you were wondering). Then again, that’s exactly why each new Wonk Unit record is such a unique event on the release calendar.

It’s been four years since ‘Uncle Daddy’ so ‘Good Good Glad to Hear It’ has been a long time coming, and the fact that it’s being released in the run up to Christmas actually makes me feel like this year is perhaps going to be one the best in many a year.

That’s because Wonk Unit are a band that can connect with their audience on so many different levels, be it the rage of those opening trio of tunes the (debut single from the record ‘Rapidly Declining Dignity’, ‘Now That I’ve Grown Up’ and ‘Luxury Flats’) or the fragile vulnerability of ‘Overwhelmed’ (the song about fatherhood), there is pretty much something for everyone on ‘Good Good Glad to Hear It’.

Now settled as a six piece with guitarists Ryan and AJ along with drummer Max locking in with keyboardist Vez and Wonk Unit lifers Alex and Pwoison this time around the gang switch effortlessly from the country honk of ‘Shiny Horses’ to the double time synthy powerpop of ‘The Thickest Skin’ before the almost music hall lament of ‘Complicated Girl’ brings to mind Madness at their chart bothering best, and all within the space of eight minutes on a record packed full of  Wonkness.

Longtime co-producer/engineer Andy Brook once again works his EQ magic within the groves of ‘Good Good Glad to Hear It’ helping the band to retain an underlying pop edge on tunes as they flip between musical styles as the jaunty cockney knees up of ‘True To Who I Am’ followed by my favourite song on the record ‘The Oldest Chiche’ fully illustrates.

In saying that, I get a new favourite song with each new listen to ‘Good Good Glad to Hear It’, so just like with the last few Wonk Unit LPs there’s more than just the mosh pit bangers for you to get your teeth into, and in album closer ‘Stage Fright’ the band have written perhaps their most audacious tune to date.

As I said at the top of this review there’s no one quite like Wonk Unit, now what I wouldn’t give to hear St Winifred’s School Choir singing that, at this time of year, eh? Perhaps we could have them doing it on the next Wonk album – what do you think Alex? If you can get them out of the crack house that is.

Either way, ‘Good Good Glad to Hear It’ is out now on CD and vinyl, and you can buy it here

Author: Johnny Hayward

NEW SINGLE LAUNCH SHOW LONDON WATER RATS MAY 20TH

It’s shaping up to be another busy year for New Zealand born, London based rockers Desperate Measures. Following their mini album ‘Rinsed’ on Easy Action Records and a full UK tour with Paul Cook’s post-Pistols rockers The Professionals at the end of last year, Desperate Measures have started recording their debut full length album, due early 2023. Working once again with Andy Brook (who has produced, engineered, and toured with the like of Status Quo, Ginger Wildheart, Wonk Unit, Hayseed Dixie…) at The Brook Studios in Wallington, Surrey, Desperate Measures have completed work on a new single titled ‘Thinking Of England’ that lyrically captures the yearning to escape from a place or a situation you might not want to be.

The single will be released in time for the Queens Jubilee on June 3rd. Desperate Measures will play a single launch show at London’s Water Rats Theatre on May 20th to coincide. Says Eugene Butcher, “we’ll be showcasing a few songs from our forthcoming album, plus the new single which has just happened to coincide with the Queens Jubilee. And we’ve got The Duel and Seven Days and Doesn’t Die along for the ride so expect a right Royal knees up!”

Tickets for Water Rats May 20th available HERE:

See Desperate Measures in 2022!

April 30                 Angel Weekender, Coalville

May 13                 London Powerhaus (*with Nashville Pussy)

May 14                 Westworld Weekender, Wolverhampton

May 20                 London, Water Rats

June 3                   Strummercamp Fest, Oldham

July 1                     229 Club, London (*with UltraBomb)

July 8                     Bedford Esquires (* with The Rose Of Avalanche)

July 9                     Manchester, Night People (* with The Rose Of Avalanche)

July 22                   Hope & Anchor, London (* with Sick On A Bus)

August 4              Blackpool, Rebellion Festival

August 20            Unity Festival, Corby

September 3      Banfest Festival, Banstead

Find Desperate Measures online at:

FACEBOOK

BANDCAMP

Status Quo legend Francis Rossi is taking up his acoustic guitar to bring you a selection of well-known hits and some previously not-performed-live-before tunes.  He will be undertaking a massive 101 date tour next year that kicks off on 24 March 2023 in Wimborne and closes on 11 November 2023. 

For full details and ticket sales please visit francisrossi.com

It’ll be a unique evening in which Francis will reprise fan favourites from a remarkable 50+year career.  Expect original-style, acoustic versions of Quo classics, threaded together with chat in this music based evening.

Tickets go on sale Today Friday 15 April. VIP packages are available for those wishing to meet Francis before the show.

Rich Ragany & The Digressions release new video for the title track of the critically acclaimed debut album ‘…Like We’ll Never Make It…’.  RPM has been a big supporter of Rags and the band and we first interviewed the vocalist and songwriter when the site began (Here)  The album also featured in the writers top ten releases of 2019 (Here)  Check out the awesome video and the dates for the Status Quo tour Below.

Rich Ragany & The Digressions have been announced as support for Status Quo’s Nov/Dec Winter ‘Backbone’ tour of the UK.

27 Nov – Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
28 Nov – Leicester De Montfort Hall
30 Nov – Cardiff St. David’s Hall
1 Dec – Birmingham Symphony Hall
3 Dec – Brighton Centre
5 Dec – London Eventim Apollo
6 Dec – Bournemouth BIC

The band is currently gearing up to go into the studio with celebrated UK producer Andy Brook and Grammy Award-winner Mario J McNulty (David Bowie, Glen Matlock, Raveonettes) mixing. RPM asked Rags for a quote about the awesome news of the Quo tour and he had this to say, “Woohoo, Yeah Allllright, settle down”  Get your tickets quick  before they all sell out.

 

RPM Online Album Of The Year

Well, we’ve reached that time of year again where the writers of RPM were forced into the voting both given a blunt pencil and forced to vote for their album of the year.  Unlike a certain General Election result this time I don’t think people were too disappointed with the final result and by a landslide rock and Roll won.

 

Interestingly this years winner didn’t win any single writers vote but featured very heavily throughout the writers lists more than any other artist or artists so its a fair cop guv and, to be honest, had the live show count been anything to go by it was a landslide and another good year all around. With writers coming from several continents and five different countries there might be a few miles between us but we all have some things in common and one of those is a love for Rock and Roll. I’m sure had it been a Top 20 people would have still had a headache as to what to put in.  Don’t let anyone tell you that it’s been a shit year for new music as there were plenty of records released and many of them reviewed on RPM Online and with over 50 albums getting a mention from the team of writers (that’s just their top 10!).

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank not only all the artists who’ve released new records in 2019 and to all the excellent press departments and Labels especially the independent ones who’ve worked tirelessly to bring us the music and obviously to the songwriters and musicians whose work we’ve had many many hours of enjoyment listening to and raving about you know who you are many of whom it’s been a pleasure to get to know throughout the year.

What we’ll do is give the top ten a rundown in reverse order then each individual writers ten albums in no particular order so here goes.

Number 10

Duff McKagan – ‘Tenderness’ (UMC)

Review 

 

Number 9

Jim Jone & The Righteous Mind – ‘Collectiv’ (MaSonic Records)

Review

 

Number 8

Jesse Malin – ‘Sunset Kids’ (Wicked Cool Records)

Review

 

Number 7

Redd Kross – ‘Beyond The Door’ (Merge Records)

Review 

 

Number 6

Rich Ragany & The Digressions – ‘…Like We’ll Never Make It!…'(Glunk Records)

Review

 

Number 5

Andy McCoy – ’21st Century Rocks’ (Ainoa Productions)

Review

 

 

Number 4

Hunt Sales Memorial – ‘Get Your Shit Together’ ( Big Legal Mess Records)

Review

 

Number 3 

The Hip Priests – ‘Stand For Nothing’ (several independent labels)

Review 

 

Number 2

The Wildhearts – ‘Renaissance Men’ (Graphite Records)

Review 

 

Number 1

Michael Monroe – ‘One Man Gang’ (Silver Lining Music)

Review 

 

 

So congratulations to all the bands who made the RPM Online top ten.  Especially Michael Monroe for taking top spot in the hotly contested category as well as all the ones that didn’t there were dozens and dozens of albums released in 2019 that we reviewed.  We managed to catch up with a few of the bands who made it onto the pages of RPM Online in 2019 to find out what made it onto their turntables this year and to find out any highlights they might have had.  Here is some beginning with Jeff from The Brothers Steve…

 

Jeff Whalen (Guitar /Vocals – The Brothers Steve)

“I don’t think I listened to any records that came out in 2019!  So I picked my top 5 records that were new to me in 2019!”

 Tiny TimGod Bless Tiny Tim
The BeaglesHere Come the Beagles
White ReaperThe World’s Best American Band
The SpeediesYou Need Pop
The MillenniumBegin
Rich Jones Guitarist (Michael Monroe/Black Halos)
Pup – Morbid Stuff
The Wildhearts – Renaissance Men
Jeff Rosenstock – Thanks, Sorry! / Sorry, Thanks!
Berlin Blackouts – Nastygram Sedition
The Menzingers – Hello Exile
BEST RE-ISSUE: The Replacements – Dead Man’s Pop
Duncan Reid – Duncan Reid & The Big Heads
Starcrawler – ‘Devour You’ (especially the track No More Pennies)
2 Albums which spoke to my Country Side:
The long Ryders – ‘Psychedelic Country Soul’ (especially Greenville)
Kim Lenz – S’lowly Speeding’
Not an album but the single ‘Fire Ready Aim’ by Green Day which was superb
And The Baby shakes  ‘Cause a Scene’  (especially the title track)
As for Highlights, there were Many highlights of 2019 especially Rebellion which went superbly for us and I’m really looking forward to the release of our new album early 2020 as well as playing the Kubix Festival.
Steve Coulter – (Drums) The Brothers Steve 
The Gold—T’he Gold’
The Armoires – ‘Zibaldone’
The Cutthroat Brothers – ‘Taste For Evil’
The Coolies – ‘Uh Oh! It’s…The Coolies’
The New Pornographers – ‘In The Morse Code Of Brake Lights’
As for the highlights of 2019 it has to be making the Brothers Steve ‘#1’ & The Go All The Ways as well as writing about music ‘Go All The Way A Literary Appreciation Of Power Pop!

Lee Love (The Hip Priests)

Clowns – ‘Nature/Nurture’

TV Crime – ‘Metal Town’

Bitch Queens – ‘City Of Class’

The Drippers – ‘Action Rock’

Schizophonics – ‘People In The Sky’

 

Melchior Quitt (Bitch Queens)

Clowns – ‘Nature / Nature’

Amyl & The Sniffers – ‘Amyl & The Sniffers’

The Hip Priests – ‘Stand For Nothing’

Saint Agnes – ‘Welcome To Silvertown’

The Schizophonics – ‘People In The Sky’

As for the Highlight of 2019, There are several. Two for Bitch Queens were to put out our brand new album ‘City Of Class’ and to finish our new recording studio to keep on doin’ what we are doin’ far away from the big business.

The Best event this year was Sjock. “What could be better than hanging out with my boys from The Hip Priests and seeing the best Action Rock bands from all around the world! I am looking forward to touring with Bitch Queens in Europe next year and to record a shitload of new singles and split 7“ And of course, there are two of the probably best records 2020 in the pipeline – The Good, the Bad & the Zugly and Kvelertak. 2020 is gonna be good!

Mathius Engelbrekt Carlsson – “Demons”  – 
 All right. My top picks for 2019.
Jeff Dahl – ‘Electric Junk’
Guitar Wolf – ‘Love & Jett’
Amyl & The Sniffers – ‘Amyl & The Sniffers’
The Hip Priests – ‘Stand for Nothing’
Bitch Queens – ‘City of Class’
The Drippers – ‘Action Rock’
Dead Furies – ‘Stay Gold Ponyboy’
“One of few highlights of 2019 was getting ‘Kiss Off’ off the ground. This has been one of those years. For music it has been a great year though and especially for Rock’n’Roll.
Next year it’s the 25th anniversary for “DEMONS” and we hope that we can tour as much as possible starting with Japan in January. A new record will be out as well as some old stuff. Hopefully our first unreleased album and possibly a Demonology II. See you on the other side.”

Ahead of a Headline show in London, that in the past with his band Role Models has sold out RPM caught up with Rags who was under his duvet sucking on some Honey and Lemons throwing off Manflu before Friday nights showdown with More Kicks, The Speedways and The Spangles. Friday night in London Town is always a special show and this one looks set to sell out again and with that line up its going to be memorable (Tickets Here

So Rags first things first – Friday night.  what a fantastic lineup. It must be great to get the support of some really excellent bands for what will be one hell of a nights entertainment right? I know! And the best thing is that all those bands sharing the stage with us are also really close pals! It’s gonna be a crazy party!

Who’s playing in the band Friday?  Is it the same line up that appeared on the recordings?  It’ll be the full lineup on Friday. While it is the kinda band that can play in various incarnations, acoustic duo, piano and vocals and all the way to full volume and huge sounding, we are trying to do as many as we can with all of us.

You recently shot a video for one of the tracks.  Care to elaborate on that for us? When can we see it?
 It’s for the song “Your Distance” and it’s in the editing stages right now. Shot by our good pal Craig Temple. What I’ve seen looks great so far! Can’t wait to share it! I don’t even look like a goblin in it! Loook out!
The BBC has aired a few tracks off the album as well which must be great. Finally, the word is spreading?  what have they had to say about the tracks? Now if Radio two or six would like to jump on board that would be good right?  Yes! It really is a thrill to hear your song on the radio! They have been playing “Your Distance” and “That World”. The latter was the “Track Of The Week” last week as well! There is also really cool news concerning the BBC that I’m afraid I will have to wait on, but I can say we are super excited about it!
What else is planned for The Digressions with Rich Ragany? how about some TV? more live dates?  More live dates and we are working on our second album. I have pretty much written it and the band is putting their incredible touches on it as we speak. Having said that, I think we are gonna let the ideas breathe a bit and not rush. I have done four full-lengths in 4 years now, and, while proud of the accomplishment, I feel I have jumped quick, not letting the previous release have a chance, ya know. But don’t worry! I can’t sit still. And the band is firing on all cylinders creatively.
Do you approach this band the same as Role Models?  I know its a different lineup and different feel to the songs but they share the same DNA and a lot of the personnel is the same will there be any of your other songs played in the set?  I’ll leave that for a surprise.
I’m really excited to hear the full band play the songs off ‘…Like We’ll Never Make It…’  those guys seem to have such a positive energy about them it must be a lot of fun to be around those very talented guys it must be said.  Yes! The chemistry is so wonderful. Nothing like making music with people ya love! I bet it is showing through. I am pretty lucky to be in two situations where the members are family! We are gonna tear it up!
Will you be looking for dates around the UK and maybe some festival dates this coming summer?  Yes sir! Like I said more live dates and chances to drink other bands under the table! I love that our band has this open, jangly positive sound, yet, and this is pretty common knowledge, we are a bit more nuts than most hahahahaha! All good clean fun kids. Leave it to the pros!
 
The Black Heart is sort of your home turf with some pretty memorable shows there with Role Models what are people going to get on the night? They are gonna get us playing and singin’ our hearts out and smilin’ and shots and jokes and tears and… You get it!
You must be stoked with the feedback for the album so far.  The press and bloggers and websites have loved it and really jumped on board with the music which must be pleasing? I am very pleased. A lot of people say reviews and such don’t matter, but I think they do. Especially when they’re coming from a wide cross-section of the media. Blogs and online magazines to print mags from the United States to Europe to the UK. The fact the songs have been received warmly, and have had people that far and wide champion it, means a whole lot to me. To us.
Well, there you have it folks, Rich Ragany & The Digressions live on Friday the 25th January  @ The Black Heart Camden Town London. See you down the front
Buy Rich Ragany & The Digressions and Role Models Here