Sami Yaffa – ‘The Last Time’ Video

Sami Yaffa – ‘The Last Time’ Video

SAMI YAFFA, best known for his work with New York Dolls, Michael Monroe Band and Hanoi Rocks has released “The Last Time”, it’s the first single taken from his first solo album “The Innermost Journey to Your Outermost Mind”, out on September 22nd, 2021 via Livewire/Cargo Records. ‘The Last Time‘ can be streamed on Spotify

“The Last Time is one of the first songs I wrote for this album when still living in Brooklyn NY back in 2015. It’s a story about two people whose communication is stuck. How hard it is to change one’s habits, no matter how much one wants it. It’s about the frustration and distress of addiction” – Sami Yaffa

Line Up:

Sami Yaffa – Vocals, Bass Guitar (Hanoi Rocks, Michael Monroe, New York Dolls)
Rich Jones – Guitars (Michael Monroe Band)
Christian Martucci – Guitars (Stone Sour)
Rane Raitsikka – Guitars (Smack)
Timo Kaltio – Guitars (Izzy Stradlin, Cheap And Nasty)
Janne Haavisto – Drums

Produced by Sam Yaffa. Mixed by Erno Laitinen. Mastered by Pauli Saastamoinen At Finnvox Studios. Recorded by Erno Laitinen / Sam Yaffa / Janne Haavisto / Jose “Puter” Puigserve.

Sami Yaffa has had a unique career as a musician. He joined the punk band Pelle Miljoona Oy at the tender age of 16 and played on the bands now legendary album Moottoritie On Kuuma. Pelle Miljoona Oy was Finland’s number one band at the time, but Yaffa and his future cohorts were aiming higher: as an original member of the band Hanoi Rocks, he spent the first half of the 80’s as an international rock musician with all its ups, downs and trappings. The band influenced many of the acts that would later become huge in the world of Rock n’ Roll – including Guns n` Roses.

After the break-up of Hanoi Rocks, Yaffa was asked to join some of the most notable artists in R’n’R history such as Joan Jett and The Blackhearts 2002-04, as well as one of Hanoi Rocks’ major influences, the New York Dolls 2004-10. In 2009 he started a band with the Hanoi Rocks singer Michael Monroe. This collaboration continues to this day, but now Yaffa is also releasing music under his own name.

“The idea for the solo album started to take shape a few years back. Previously I had written music for the New York Dolls and the Michael Monroe Band, but now some of the songs that I was writing and had written, started to sound more and more like my own stuff instead of what I would write for those bands.”

What kind of music does Yaffa release under his own name then? Versatile. “I’ve always loved bands like The Clash and Rolling Stones. They could write country, funk, reggae, rock`n`roll or jazz without fear and make it their own. I wanted to have that same kind of versatility and freedom for my own record.”

The album has wide influences, but that is hardly surprising to those who have followed Yaffa’s career: in addition to his own musical career, he has been getting to know the musical traditions from different parts of the world as the host and co-creator for the Sami Yaffa: Sound Tracker TV series. “However, my roots are deeply in punk and rock`n`roll. I don’t shy away from that.”

Even though it’s a solo record, Sami has always been a member of bands and because of that, a team player. Yaffa mentions a couple of names without whom the record would not have come to completion – at least the way it finally became. The first to mention is a childhood friend, drummer Janne Haavisto with whom Sami made his first forays into the world of music. Sami and Janne created the basic tracks together and invited valued friends and musicians to collaborate on the album. Rich Jones, the guitarist from the Michael Monroe band helped pull together a lot of the songs lyrically, Christian Martucci from the band Stone Sour played guitar on half of the album, the other half was played by another old friend Rane from the cult band Smack and Sami’s old bro from the Hanoi days, Timo Kaltio.

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Black Spiders – ‘Black Spiders’ (Cargo Records)

Black Spiders – ‘Black Spiders’ (Cargo Records)

Back around a decade or so ago those trusted and true Sons Of The North, otherwise known as Black Spiders, really could do wrong. Seamlessly blending low slung Desert Rock riffs with effortlessly cool hooks all wrapped up in live shows packed full of punk rock energy, they were the band the website I wrote for at the time (Uber Rock) had been waiting for, and to top it all off they then went and released an absolute stonker of a debut album in 2011’s ‘Sons Of The North’. This folks really was a band that ate thunder and shit lightning.

 

Somewhere down the line though, after recording their Pledge funded second album ‘This Savage Land’ and taking that record out on the road, by the time I caught up with them again at Hellfest in France in the summer of 2013, something just didn’t feel right, and whilst the band still turned in an amazing live show if you’d asked me if they looked like they had enjoyed it…I’d probably have had to say “no!”

 

Black Spiders carried on for a further four years after that (releasing just the ‘Rat Mansion’ EP via digital platforms after the ‘Savage’ campaign ended) before they eventually called it a day in 2017 via a couple of emotionally and sonically charged farewell shows.

 

With frontman/guitarist Pete ‘Spider’ Spiby then going on to record and release his eclectic and expansive solo outing ‘Failed Magician’ (a double album no less) in 2018 and then undertake a well-received tour with MC50 to support it’s release, if you’d have told me then that Black Spiders would soon be back together and releasing album number three in the midst of a global pandemic, I’d probably have asked you for some of what you’d been smoking.

 

But that’s exactly what I’ve got here folks, thirteen brand new tracks from four of the original Spiders (Spiby being joined once again by guitarists Andrew ‘Ozzy’ Lister and Mark ‘Dark Shark’ Thomas plus bassist Adam ‘The Fox’ Irwin) complete with new drummer Wyatt Wendel (yup he of Planet Rock radio fame) making this (alongside the awesome debut album from The Limit) perhaps one of the most welcome surprises 2021 has yet to deliver.

 

With new boy Wendel immediately taking front of stage via his colossal drum sound on the intro to lead single ‘Fly In The Soup’ the thing that immediately knocks me off my feet is that Black Spiders have never sounded more like the Black Spiders of those early days, and any fears of the band writing disparately might make it something of a miss match of styles and ideas can immediately be thrown out the window.

 

Case in point is up next, with ‘Stabbed In The Back’, a proper three-minute banger if ever there was one and a tune that wouldn’t have been out of place on an early QOTSA album if the truth be told.

 

Likewise, ‘Give Em What They Want’ pays a similar kind of Hommage with Spiby delivering some of his finest and perhaps most understated vocals to date and is truly fabulous stuff, whilst for those of you who might like the idea of your Black Spiders being cut through with just a touch of Australian rock please do make sure to check out the band’s retelling of the Easybeats’ ‘Good Times’, which has much more in common with the INXS/Jimmy Barnes’ version included on the Lost Boys soundtrack than the ‘60s original. Yup it’s basically a cover of a cover but it actually fits in well with the overall tone of the album, no worries.

 

For those of you longing for some of the more straight-ahead Black Spiders doom-laden riffage, there’s plenty for you to get stuck into too with the likes of ‘Death Comes Creepin’, ‘Down To The River’ and ‘Wizard Shall Not Kill Wizard’ all three delivering total low-end satisfaction whilst also allowing the band themselves breathing space to take in their total awesomeness.

 

For me though its when ‘Black Spiders’ throw me a slight curveball that I get really excited about them being back again, like on the slow-burning ‘Rock N Roll’ where Spiby once again shines, delivering a vocal that has me thinking I might not have been the only one listening to Vinnie Dombroski and Sponge back in the nineties. Meanwhile in album closer ‘Crooked Black Wings’ there’s enough old school metal on offer to have every available drinking horn raised worldwide once we can all get back to some sort of normality and go see live music once again.

 

So, if the prospect of listening to an album designed to make you smile from ear to ear sounds appealing, why not click on the link below and pre-order your copy of ‘Black Spiders’. You most certainly will not regret it!

 

Oh, and let’s not forget – FUBS!!!!

 

Buy ‘Black Spiders’ Here

Author: Johnny Hayward

 

 

Tyla’s Dogs D’amour – ‘In Vino Veritas’ (King Outlaw)

Tyla’s Dogs D’amour – ‘In Vino Veritas’ (King Outlaw)

Gerald Stansbury

Wow… I mean… just wow. This album is a wonderful and tremendous addition to a Dogs D’amour discography that began with ‘The State We’re In’ 35 years ago. There will be those that may refuse to give this a chance, and that is really unfortunate for them. I would consider this the first proper album under the Dogs D’amour name by Tyla, Gary, Matty, and Simon even though they have been recording together for several years now. This album is truly made to feel like a Dogs D’amour album as opposed to a Tyla solo album or the Tyla J Pallas Band. It is not a secret that the last two new studio albums ‘When Bastards Go to Hell’ and ‘Let Sleeping Dogs’ were not everyone’s cup of tea, a bottle of jack…. or maybe I should now say bottle of red. Those albums really reflect a different moment in time where this feels much more like the follow up to ‘Happy Ever After’ in terms of style, sound, and approach. For me, this love affair started back at ‘In the Dynamite Jet Saloon’ which remains my favorite album of all time. The band was refreshing among the wave of hair metal bands that often blended together thanks to the other influences they incorporated such as the Stones, Faces, Hanoi Rocks, etc. Tyla’s lyrics were much more relatable to people like me who would try our best only to find out that sometimes the bad guys win despite our best efforts. Albums such as ‘Errol Flynn’ and ‘More Unchartered Heights of Disgrace’ are part of my DNA at this point. Over the years, Tyla has released a tremendous number of solo albums and projects as well as a couple of albums with Spike from the Quireboys. There has always been a difference between that work and Dogs D’amour albums which is partially where the lines got blurred in my mind on ‘Let Sleeping Dogs’ and ‘When Bastards Go to Hell.’ What we have here though is an album that has its very own identity but captures a true band effort and sounds like a Dogs D’amour album…. A damn awesome one too.

Getting the album started is a stomping version of ‘111,’ which will be familiar from Tyla’s solo work. This version though packs more venom and punch. This is a great opener along the lines of ‘Drunk Like Me’ and ‘What’s Happening Here.’ The guitars burn sharply in the mix with the outside production evident at the outset. The album transitions to the gorgeous ‘Black Confetti.’ The use of the saxophones here is perfectly placed, and the way they arrive after a brief pause at the beginning of the song is sublime. This is not your typical single by any Dogs D’amour incarnation and all the better for it. This is an opportunity for these Dogs to flex some musical chops and create a magical moment. For those of us that pledged, we got to hear just a bit of the up-tempo ‘Bloodline’ that rocks in a similar manner to ‘What You Do’ and ‘Lie in This Land.’ The bass by Matty has some added pop in the mix which really stands out at the beginning of the song. Tyla sounds sensational here. He would never win on any of those reality singing shows, but his vocals have always been more about character, heart, soul, and distilled from the finest blend of rock n roll spirits. I will take that everytime. I really love the guitar solo here by Gary as well.

‘Bottle of Red’ stands out as a future standard in the live show where everyone is singing along at the top of their lungs. Lyrically, I would say that it is like the uplifting cousin of ‘Satellite Kid’ as the music creates much more of a ‘Singin’ vibe from ‘Happy Ever After.’ The band adds some awesome saxophone here which creates some additional depth in the music. A Tyla spoken word ad-lib at the end is another very nice touch. I should mention again here that the mix and production on this album is excellent and truly showcases how great these songs are. Since I am reviewing the vinyl version, the midtempo ‘Everything to Me’ represents the end of Side One. Matty’s bass lines get a chance to stand out here as well as the tasteful guitar lines by Gary and Tyla. With a strong vocal hook carried by Tyla already in the chorus, the band adds some background ‘ooh Sha la la’s’ for good measure. What really stands out is just how happy Tyla sounds as these two songs feel like celebrations. Something I have not mentioned is that this album steers clear of the traditional ballads and acoustic numbers. This is a rock album through and through.

Flipping the record over, the uniquely titled ‘Chicago Typewriter’ begins with gunshots and sirens. Musically, this is a hard blues number driven incredibly well by Simon (drums) and Matty (bass) so that Gary and Tyla can add some great bluesy riffs to the mix which are complemented by a simple and highly addictive vocal hook. In some ways, this song recalls the best of where Tyla had gone on ‘Let Sleeping Dogs’ or ‘When Bastards Go to Hell’ but with a much more listener-friendly production style and mix. It provides a great rocking start to the second half of the record. The single in waiting ‘I Don’t Love Anyone’ follows with its tasteful piano and saxophone sounding amazing in the mix. This song should come with a warning label or two as I can’t help but find myself smiling when it plays and singing along. The loving message shows that even though good guys don’t win all the time; they can win from time to time so let’s take a few minutes to celebrate finding the love of our lives while we can. Up next is the title track ‘In Vino Veritas’ where the band brings in some more tasteful saxophone as Tyla tells us a tale as only he can. This is one song where I do wonder if these gentlemen revisiting Tyla’s ‘Nocturnal Nomad’ album recently added some new ingredients that had never really been on a Dogs’ record in the past. Lyrically, this song feels more like the characters and stories from that album as opposed to the characters we met in ‘Hurricane’ or ‘Baby Glass.’

As we approach the end of the vinyl version, ‘Monster’ slithers and struts out on a biting sustained blues riff. Over the course of these songs, the band really explores multiple musical avenues and back alleys with ‘Monster’ creating an awesome groove with added harmonica and organ. I love the guitar riffs and licks throughout this one with it becoming more and more of a favorite with multiple listens with a wonderful howl added at the end for good measure. ‘Movie Star’ serves as an epic finale that brings everything together over the course of its nearly 5 minutes. There are multiple vocal hooks that can kill at a long distance, great guitar work, rocking piano, and a great beat. The extended musical outro is not to be missed as the song eventually slows down for one last vocal before we hear the arm raise and the vinyl come to a stop.

Some people may approach this album with reservations, but I would urge you to check them at the door. This album exceeds every expectation I had and makes me hope that we don’t have to wait too long before we get a follow up from these guys based on how awesome this is. Tyla’s Dogs D’amour acknowledge the long history of the Dogs in many ways but more importantly, add to the band’s magical history with an album that can stand proudly with every record from their past. With two additional songs ‘Empire’ and ‘Fuck Off Devil’ added to the CD and download versions of the album, there really is no reason to not check out this album. Quite simply, this is a magical record.

‘In Vino Veritas’ is unleashed November 16th

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