RPM at The Movies Episode 1- Stiv: No Compromise, No Regrets (Weinerworld)

RPM at The Movies Episode 1- Stiv: No Compromise, No Regrets (Weinerworld)

It’s been a busy few weeks for those who love their flicks with a heavy dose of music relevance.  well, its no secret that we love our rock docs and our biopic movies especially when they’re about subjects that we hold dear. When we saw a glut of watchable music-related movies we just had to pick up the popcorn and sit back and wait for the action.  This roundup is of four movies that have just been released or are about to hit the high street on DVD and we begin with punk Rock n Roll Royalty none other than Stiv Bator.  We’d interviewed the maker and reviewed the soundtrack so it would be rude not to give our take on the much-anticipated movie ‘Stiv’: No Compromise, No Regrets.

Stiv: No Compromise, No Regrets (Weinerworld)

Now I know there are a lot of opinions (sure everyone has one) but we have to agree that any Stiv movie no matter where you stand on how good it is is better than NO movie about Stiv right?

Sure it would have been nice had The Likes of Brian James, Michael Monroe or Cheetah included  but they have to agree and signed off their involvement and they didn’t so should the film not be made?  does it fall without their inclusion? Hell no – on with the show kids. there were plenty of pivitol people who did agree and thats what makes ‘Stiv’ a really well-researched movie and the inclusion of some decent footage I’d not seen before made it a must see.

Sure there is other footage out there that might have worked well and it might not have taken too much to get it included but thats for nerds to bicker over and that’s the beauty of debate.  This is one man’s movie and that’s it, I might have done it differently as would the next big Stiv fan but the general consensus is that it’s a good movie and one that is clearly done with much love and respect, oh, and the soundtrack isn’t too shabby either (lets not mention the lack of lords songs, etc etc this wasn’t a bottomless money pit of a project).

whilst time plays tricks with the memory and the old grey matter might not be what it used to be there are a few things I noticed when watching this movie back. One, Stiv as funny engaging and likable as he might be – he always put Stiv first second and third when entering a music project.  He’d use the bands as a vehicle for Stiv and when it was time to move on he would (the wanderers, Dead Boys, Lords).

Maybe there could have been a little more in-depth look at his time in Dead Boys and the timeline could have been clearer but that’s nitpicking because I also appreciate this film in order to appeal to a wider audience has to fit into a certain length restraint otherwise it would be volume 1 volume two etc.  I love the talking heads all speaking fondly of the guy and his contribution to music especially tales from the likes of Dave Tregunna and the punk and post-punk scene Stiv was a rare talent, his legacy is a back catalogue of quite exceptional music from the solo stuff he was working on just before he died through the Bomp stuff and The Dead Boys ’77 punk. Stivv had the midas touch and didn’t make any bad records (not in my eyes anyway) we can argue about the more experimental side of the Lords as they developed from the Punk Rock and Roll of the first album through the more experimental poppier ‘Is Nothing Sacred’ and then the rock of ‘Methods’.

Stiv is a really enjoyable rounded movie of one of Rocks real characters whos talent is understated and often misunderstood it looks great on the TV and I’m grateful it’s been made. It took quite a while but now it’s here embrace it.  there is extra footage, in fact, there are twenty minutes of extras.  to please everyone I guess a movie would need to be about four hours long with another three hours of bonus material.  Lets not split hairs over what’s not here let’s celebrate what is here.  thanks, Danny and Chip Baker films for Stiv now go pick up a copy asap.

Buy Stiv Here

Author: Dom Daley

Beechwood – Trash Glamour (Alive Records)

Beechwood – Trash Glamour (Alive Records)

Wow, what a year it was for these New York Rock n Rollers. Two original albums that set the bar to be fair and then this year to follow it up so soon with album number one with a rebadge and a new set of clothes so to speak.  To make it clear this is recordings Gorden Lawrence wrote in his folk’s basement when he was 17 years old and they were recorded using one microphone on a steady diet of ‘Raw Power’ (Iggy) and ‘Exile On Main Street’ (Stones).  To be fair if you’re 17 years old and getting into music that’s about as good a starting point as any – no its a better starting point than many and if you want to have reference points then those two can only lead to good things oh and some booze, drugs, and girls for good measure. Wow, you go for it guys.

Just because it was recorded as I say using the one mic doesn’t mean it’s going to be a hipster nightmare and sound so abominable that only fools would listen (or the aforementioned hipsters) from the opening Crash, Bang Wallop, of ‘(I’m Your) Other Man’ you can instantly tell that ‘Raw Power’ and ‘Exile’ were the perfect choice to go make a cellar recording of some Rock n Roll songs you have penned with its groove  and almost hypnotic rhythm the production values don’t matter I’m sure we’ve all heard albums recorded using tens of thousands of pounds of pro tools and kit and don’t have a fraction of the heart and soul that a record like this has and that’s a fact.

I’d also throw the Dolls and VU into the mix at this point as ‘Milk’ has New Yawk Cool all over its laid back undertones but next up is the pure strut of ‘I Can’t Stop It’.  Man, they must have been mainlining the spirit of Jagger and Richards on this bad boy.  As the album progresses it swings from one influence to the other and ‘City Boy Blue’ taps up that Stooges groove as does the super fuzz wig out of ‘Genocide’ its got a tonne of fire inside the band that’s captured perfectly here no doubt about it. I’m also reminded a little of bands like The Jesus And Mary Chain here as well more with the spirit than actually sounding like them especially on ‘Don’t Walk Away’.

‘Bleach Blonde’ is the only non Lawrence penned song and is a more pop tune complete with loose chord changes and handclaps whilst ‘Run Away’ reminds me of one of those demos released by Kurt Cobain’s estate after his passing and they raided his vault.

‘Rich Cunt’ is a rapid smash and grab as you might imagine it to be.  No finesse just turn up the amps and go for it play the solo like you feel it and don’t worry about hitting any bum notes it matters not. Then to close this thing off its the albums title track with all the Noo Yawk swagger of the Dolls at full tilt which sounds magnificent and a real attitude statement and as I listened I glanced down at the sleeve notes and read that the final sentence is that they don’t regret a single thing and so they shouldn’t.  Its a piece of work as it is and had they messed with it it wouldn’t have captured that drive – that attitude – that raw emotion and inevitably wouldn’t have been half as good as what it is.  Beechwood are demanding your attention and this is only going to enhance their reputation.  Beechwood rock like fuck in the right way it is pure of heart and a band who you should be adding to your collection if you truly believe in Rock and Roll as I know you should.  Trash and Glamour two of our favourite things – Buy it!

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Beechwood – Inside The Flesh Hotel (Alive Naturalsound)

Beechwood – Inside The Flesh Hotel (Alive Naturalsound)

Dom Daley.

When a term gets hijacked and used for bad things or at least if I were to say retro many would already have turned off but if I were to say T Rex, 60’s pop and walking on the darker side of the road inspired Noo Yawk Rock and Rollers from the shady recesses of the lower east side who tap into some of musics historic veins and draw inspiration then it means the same thing right? To me it does but not to others it would seem but when I drop a track from the new Beechwood record I hear ghosts from some of my favorites drifting through the laid back chilled out airwaves.  T Rex, for example, is all over ‘Bigot In My Bedroom’ and as good as Marc was he wasn’t Noo Yawk cool though was he as he strutted around Barnes and Roehampton.

‘Over On Everyone’ has a fantastic melody that could have been written by a pop-savvy Boys rather than their boys in the bar style and had hung out in the lofts with Andy and co. Beechwood ooze style and a laid-back class on this record (their second in less than a year) Clearly these cats can rock out and I wouldn’t mind betting Keith and Mick features heavily in their collection but so would The Beach Boys and the Everleys as some of the melodies are forged in the past.  Take ‘Nero’ and its biting guitar riff that shows a doff of the cap to Ron Asheton and his Stooges for sure and me not being a fan of the instrumental I love this and its groove.

There is a darkness that hits upon the likes of the Jesus And Mary Chain on ‘I Found You Out’ from the roaring chords to the hushed tones on the lead vocals to the clean picked guitar lick its certainly got style and substance and then as it crashes to its conclusion its followed up with the 60’s pop of ‘Up And Down’ and before we’re done here the beautiful ‘I Don’t Blame You Anymore’ is a killer tucked away nicely at the death and it kinda falls into the country-tinged drink up its time to go home of ‘Our Love Was Worth The Heartbreak’ that sounds like the Dolls jammin with Keith n mick and shooting the breeze with Bukowski whilst he’s observing these barflies.

Another day another great band falls out of the club and onto my ever-expanding list of bands to keep an eye on, on the basis of them making great records that look good and sound better.  Get yourselves some Beechwood I’m serious you be glad you did.  Remember kids you snooze you looze!

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BEECHWOOD upcoming European tour dates :
November 13 @ Merleyn — Nijmegen, NL
November 14 @ Paard — Den Haag, NL
November 15 @ Patronaat — Haarlem, NL
November 16 @ Q Factory — Amsterdam, NL
November 17 @ Espace B — Paris, FR
November 18 @ Kesaco — Puymirol, FR
November 19 @ Stereolux — Nantes, FR
November 21 @ Blah Blah — Torino, IT
November 22 @ Arci Taun — Findenza, IT
November 23 @ Cox 18 — Milano, IT
November 24 @ Super Bock Under fest — Lausanne, CH
November 27 @ Les Pavillons Sauvages — Toulouse, FR
November 28 @ Amperage — Grenoble, FR
November 29 @ Le 106 — Rouen, FR
November 30 @ La Bulle Cafe — Lille, FR
December 1 @ La Grange à Musique — Creil, FR
December 2 @ Le Galion — Lorient, FR

Paul Collins Interview Exclusive

Paul Collins Interview Exclusive

With a brand new album out and in the shops the king of power pop took up our invitation to have a chat about his career and the new record.  He shouldn’t need an introduction but seeing as I’m here I’ll give him one for those of you not familiar with any of his work.  He began his recording career with The Nerves back in the early 70’s and weaved his tapestry through the halls Of Power Pop N Roll playing with his band The Beat and as a solo artist he’s penned many a classic tune and continues to this day recording records and playing shows he’s taken the stage with the likes of The Ramones and Green Day over the years and just put out one of the years best power pop albums ‘Out Of My Head’.

Back in the early days of The Nerves How come the three of you didn’t co-write the songs together back then?  
When I joined The Nerves I had not begun to write songs yet, it was only after hearing what Jack and Peter were writing that I decided I had to try too. Jack was the main writer at the time and he was adamant about keeping everything separate. Each of us were to write and sing our own songs. He was very helpful to me though. He spent a lot of time listening and critiquing my songs. He was a great mentor in that respect.
Did you ever imagine you’d be part of the band that spawned such a classic song as ‘Hanging On The Telephone’?  
I knew Hanging on the Telephone was a hit the moment I heard it. It was the first day that I had met Jack Lee, he played me the acetate of the demo he had made and it blew my mind!
Did you think your original version was the best?  
I am very proud of our version it stands up to the test of time.
Have you heard the Def Leppard version or L7’s?  
Yes, and I like the credit Def Leppard gave it on their record. 
After you settled on the west coast was it easy putting the band together?
Back then, The West Coast was a better environment for me and the kind of music I was trying to do. After The Nerves, I had the very good fortune to meet Steve Huff. He became my main songwriting partner for many years. Writing with people is a very personal thing, it has never been easy for me to do. I’m that regards I was very happy to meet Paul Stingo who I worked with on the last record, Out Of My Head.
Bomp have done a great job of reissuing all the older stuff that was pretty hard to get hold of and you managed the and sorted out the tours and stuff did that set you in good stead for later on trying to negotiate the deals?
I have been DIY now for many years, there isn’t a lot of hard negotiating really mostly verbal agreements with people who are more or less friends.
They put out the comp in the noughties with bonus unreleased previously songs is that it now the well completely dry or is there more to eventually come?
There might be a few odds and ends but most of the recorded unreleased tracks have been used.
Moving onto more recent times, were you contacted by Green Day for them to include a track on the American Idiot play?
They never contacted me, they just played the song quite frequently but they always told the audience who it was by, I really appreciated that.
Didn’t you join them on stage as well?  that must have been so cool.
Yes, I played ‘Walking Out Of Love’ with them (2 times in a row!) onstage at the Bowery Electric here in New York for the end of show party they had when ‘American Idiot’ closed. Billy Joe was extremely gracious to me, I will never forget how nice he treated me!
You played with a lot of influential punk bands back in the day when it was all fresh and new, how did the audiences take to the difference in sound from say the Germs and the Weirdos compared to your more melodic power pop.
At the time it seemed to me that the audience related more to The Germs and The Weirdos. We always seemed to be on the outside.
You’ve always championed bands and artists in a business that doesn’t always reward the best; hardest working bands or the most talented, who in your opinion were the ones who fell through the cracks are there any noticeable bands you were convinced were going to be stars?
It such a relative question, nowadays my idea of success has changed. If you can somehow make your living doing what you love then you are a success. I think if you can stay in the game that’s a big part of it. That’s what I am trying to do.
From the king of power pop until this year’s release you’ve released three albums with Alive is it as enjoyable making records as it sounds?
Actually making a record is always a pretty gut–wrenching experience. I am constantly ripping it apart and building it up again in an effort to make it as good as possible.
Your records always sound like they were made with a smile on your face and you are totally happy with what your doing would that be a fair assumption?
No, but that is the trick, you have to make it sound effortless even though you drive yourself nuts trying to do it!
How do you find recording now compared to back in the 70’s is it easier with technology or not?
It has never been easy and hopefully, it never will. I think you have to make a big effort to create something worthwhile.
In fact, it seems like everyone is trying to get back to recording as we did back in the 70’s!
You’ve also recorded with some exceptional players like Chuck Prophet, Greg and Cyril from the Flaming Groovies to name a few do you get a bigger buzz now making a record or touring?
I enjoy what I am doing a lot now mainly because I think I am more in the present. It was a great experience making the Paul Collins record in SF I got to record with so many fantastic musicians, that record will always be a special one for me!
You also do your own management and play an active role with new bands trying to break through.  Is that still exciting for you or is the industry still a massive ballache.
It’s a tough business that is for sure! Being DIY has its pros and cons, the pros are you pretty much get to do what you want. I have come to accept my position in the business and I’m ok with it. I do what I love to do, more or less on my own terms.
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received
From Jimmy the Greek who owned The Downbeat in SF. “You gotta have tight beginnings and tight endings and everyone will think you’re great!”
What advice would you give to a hungry young band looking to someone of your skill and status for advice and guidance?
Work your ass off and never give up!
Finally, when do you begin work on the next album?
Still basking in the afterglow of this one!
and what about some shows in the UK?
Love too, it’s just a matter of working out the logistics.
so until he hits the road and someone in the UK offers him some dates I guess we’ll have to make do with the records which is no bad deal.  So thanks to Paul for taking the time to chat to RPM now go check out the new album at the link.

PAUL COLLINS BEAT “Out of My Head” EURO TOUR 2019 – Buy tickets here
This tour will be done completely by train, a new model for the new millennium of touring! Arrive alive and on time!

Feb 7 Stockholm Melodybox
Feb 8 Malmo Folk å Rock
Feb 9 Hamburg Nochtwache
Feb 12 Mannheim Altes Volksbad
Feb 14 Berlin Cortina Bob
Feb 15 Essen Freak Show
Feb 16 Kortrijk Den Trapp
Feb 17 Utrecht dB’s
Feb 18 Brussels CHAFF
Feb 19 France Orleans Blue Devils
Feb 20 France TBA
Feb 21 Clermont-Ferrand Bombshell
Feb 22 Saint-Etienne Le Clapier
Feb 23 France TBA
Feb 25 Alicante Sala Stereo
Feb 27 Valencia Loco Club
Feb 28 Madrid Fun House
Mar 1 Spain TBA
Mar 2 Spain Segovia

Handsome Jack – Out Today. ‘Baby Be Cool’ taken from New Album available on Alive

Handsome Jack – Out Today. ‘Baby Be Cool’ taken from New Album available on Alive

Hailing from Lockport NY, Handsome Jack plays a powerful and emotional fusion of boogie soul rock n roll that has earned the admiration of fellow rock travelers such as Chris Robinson (CRB, Black Crowes), Zachary Gabbard (Buffalo Killers), and Ben McLeod of All Them Witches, who produced their new record.

On “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” the trio digs deeper into its soulful influences, brilliantly bringing back to life the classic sounds of Chicago, Memphis and Muscle Shoals, all rolled into one timeless record of American rock music for a new generation.

Handsome Jack is Jamison Passuite (guitar/vocals), Joey Verdonselli (bass/vocals), and Bennie Hayes (drums/vocals).

Buy Vinyl Here.

UPCOMING TOUR DATES
Oct 20 Buffalo Ironworks Buffalo, NY
Oct 26 Bug Jar Rochester, NY
Oct 30 Northside Tavern Cincinnati, OH

DATES W/ ALL THEM WITCHES:
Oct 31 Saturn Birmingham, AL
Nov 1 One Eyed Jacks New Orleans, LA
Nov 2 White Oak Music Hall: Upstairs Houston, TX
Nov 3 Antone’s Austin, TX
Nov 4 Club Dada Dallas, TX
Nov 7 The Rebel Lounge Phoenix, AZ
Nov 8 Beauty Bar Las Vegas, NV
Nov 9 Echoplex Los Angeles, CA
Nov 10 The Casbah San Diego, CA
Nov 13 The Independent San Francisco, CA
Nov 15 Wonder Ballroom Portland, OR
Nov 16 Freakout Festival Seattle, WA
Nov 17 Rickshaw Theatre Vancouver, Canada
Nov 19 Neurolux. Boise, ID
Nov 20 The State Room Salt Lake City, UT
Nov 21 Bluebird Theater Denver, CO
Nov 23 The Riot Room Kansas City, MO
Nov 24 Blueberry Hill Duck Room St. Louis, MO

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