Watts – ‘Shady Rock & Rollers’ (Rum Bar Records)

Watts – ‘Shady Rock & Rollers’ (Rum Bar Records)

Having just completed Doug Brod’s excellent ‘They Just Seem A Little Weird’ book, this third album for Rum Bar Records from Boston based rockers Watts couldn’t have dropped in my review stack at any more appropriate moment.

 

Why?

 

Well just like Brod’s book took me back to the magical days of discovering the likes of Cheap Trick, Starz, Aerosmith and KISS for the first time and making me go all gooey eyed in the process, this all new ten tracker celebrates that same glorious era of musical creativity whilst giving it an adrenalin booster shot just right for the 2020s.

 

‘Loud & Fast’ kicks things off in fine style conjuring up a kind of Blackhearts meets Motorhead vibe with vocalist/guitarist Dan Kopko’s instantly recognisable gravelly roar front and centre hammering home the song’s huge hook. ‘Queens’ is where the band’s underlying KISS influence really does get turned up to eleven, and it’s better than anything the New York glam veterans have written in the last four decades, plus it’s delivered with a Judas Priest lyrical nod that has me grinning from ear to ear every time I hear it. This is how I want MY rock ‘n’ roll that’s for sure.

 

The other great thing about Watts is that three of the four members can sing lead, so when bassist Tim McCoy takes the microphone for ‘Breaking Glass’ this leaves Kopko to deliver some soaring Lizzy-esque duel harmony guitar with his counterpart John Blout, plus when drummer John Lynch delivers ‘The Night The Lights Went Down’ his cleaner vocal delivery lends this Black Crowesy roots rocker a more power-poppy sheen and band in the process offers up a potential breakthrough radio hit.

 

Elsewhere ‘Shady’ would not sound out of place on a post-Bowie intervention Mott The Hoople album, whilst ‘Heavy Metal Kids’ has an instant “in his prime” (as in prior to 1985) Bryan Adams charm to it, that if this world has any justice to it will see it being sung in karaoke bars worldwide for decades to come, and I really do not mean that as a put down. Then there’s the incredible ‘Shocking Pink’, a song Blout/Kopko (who write seven of the ten tunes here) surely must have written whilst listening to Jellyfish, albeit here the glorious vocal hooks are all played out by a band who really are hooked on a Heartbreakers (Tom Petty version) trip rather than Supertramp and Wings.

 

And talking of breaking hearts, the sleazy Thunders/Dolls vibe of ‘Seventeen’ is a hellraising, fag in the corner of the mouth kind of rocker driven along by some brass stabs that will have you straight up and stomping your creepers, and if you’re looking for the perfect morning after soundtrack to counter that then ‘When the Party Ends’ is just what the doctor ordered for your hangover from hell (even if to my ears at least it’s got a bit of Stereophonics thing going on). Which just leaves the only track on here that has been previously available, the prophetic and Cars-like ‘All Done With Rock & Roll’, which kind of takes us full circle, ensuring as the final chords chime out you just have to press play again.

 

The world needs ‘Shady Rock & Rollers’ like Watts right now, and believe me when I say you need this record in your life.  It’s out now via Rum Bar Records and really is essential listening!!!!!

 

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Author: Johnny Hayward

 

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Trucker Diablo – ‘Tail End of a Hurricane’ (Self Release)

Trucker Diablo – ‘Tail End of a Hurricane’ (Self Release)

Irish rockers Trucker Diablo’s latest release presents us with a much more muscular sound to their brand of Celtic tinged pop/hard rock, with a vibe not dissimilar to Black Stone Cherry et al they have really upped their game with a strong album of catchy, upbeat and  sometimes mindless (‘Rock Kids of the 80s’ particularly) tunes that will sound great at your socially distanced summer BBQ.

Opening track BTKOR has a nice fist-pumping, head-banging groove and lyrics about big trucks and beer. What more could you possibly want? ‘I Am Still Alive’ has a fine chugging riff and a Celtic feel that wouldn’t go amiss on a Ricky Warwick solo album. Don’t Hold onto Hate is another decent slab of pop-rock with another catchy chorus which is reminiscent of Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons and has some great twin lead guitar work.

Other highlights include the punky ‘Insects’ and the punchy ‘Slow Dance’ with a riff that reminiscent of the Eagles classic ‘Life in the Fast Lane’. There are some throw away tracks like ‘The Edge of Tonight’ which sounds like a lackluster Nickleback B side. ‘Woodstock to Vietnam’ is a story of two friends from the 60s who follow different paths in life, more impressive guitar work gives the track some substance. The album closes with ‘Bury the Ocean’ which has a Maidenesque jig.

Trucker Diablo aren’t looking to change the world with their knuckleheaded beer and party style of New Wave of Classic Rock. They just want to have a good time and for everyone else to do the same. Get down the front and bang your head. Easy.

Buy Trucker Diablo Here

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Author: Kenny Kendrick

 

The Shrieks – ‘Ode To Joe’ (Self Release)

The Shrieks – ‘Ode To Joe’ (Self Release)

New York rock ‘n’ rollers The Shrieks are led by Italian/Venezuelan shrieker Luis Accorsi. After treading the beer & sweat drenched boards of CBGB’S fronting he likes of Manslaughter and Cracked Latin, Luis teamed up with producer Raphael Sepulveda to channel big guitars and even bigger choruses in The Flux Machine. Their masterful ‘Louder’ album came out in 2016 and is well worth checking out if you dig arena rock from the likes of Velvet Revolver and My Chemical Romance.

Fast forward a few years and The Flux Machine have evolved into The Shrieks, and following last year’s ‘Toxygen’ album, Accorsi returns with a new bunch of cool cats and some even cooler tunes to digest.

 

Opener ‘ T.Rex’ carries a ramshackle sound straight from the heart of Johnny Thunders. From the retro guitar riff that sounds like a car horn, to the junkie-like vocal drawl, it exudes the sounds of the streets (or should I say the gutters) of 70’s New York City.

Yeah, you could say The Shrieks shake it loose with the best of ‘em! It’s Lo-fi garage rock to the max on the likes of ‘Love Or Lust’ and the ultra cool and funky ‘Give Love’, where Luis channels Iggy to a soundtrack of soulful backing vocals and Hammond organ runs. Yeah, this is quality stuff.

The edgy title track is ‘Ballad Of Dwight Fry’s funky, punky older brother. A full on Alice meets Iggy run through that lyrically deals with mental health issues. A posthumous tribute to his friend Joe, who worked as a caregiver in a hospital. The singer takes on the roll of doctor, reeling off a list of drug dosing instructions for some hapless patient, over Strokes-like guitar stabs before breaking into a wah-wah infused jam out. Its dark, its quirky and its damn fine too.

‘Notre Dame Is Burning’ takes things down with acoustic countrified vibes and spoken word, poetic vocalisin’. Just lay back and chillax, as the singer takes us on a heady, tripped-out ride to question life, death and everything. As it builds, the vocal harmonies transport us into Pink Floyd territories. Spoken word seems to be a bit of a thang for our man Luis, as it pops up at various places to great effect.

The Shrieks mix it up nicely veering between retro, garage rock, bluesy jams and laid back, countrified sentiment. At all times sounding like the soundtrack to a Starsky & Hutch episode.

The funky ‘Collision’ with its scratchy, wah-wah guitars and pumping NY groove, is a cool tune for sure. Elsewhere, the mournful guitars and tinkling of the ivories add depth to the almost jammed out, countrified ballad that is ‘Let Me Go’. Country style slide guitar and soul sister backing vocals take the more upbeat rock ‘n’ roller ‘Lie To Me’ further into Rolling Stones territory.

Closer ‘Legs’ is a classic rock blues jam of the highest order. Coming on like a young Steven Tyler shrieking over a bad ass Sabbath riff, Luis delivers his most schizophrenic vocal performance as he descends, seemingly into madness for the duration of the song.

 

The Shrieks deliver a solid rock ‘n’ roll record that harks back to a different time. Eclectic and diverse in its own way ‘Ode To Joe’ soaks up 70’s rock nostalgia to great effect. A heady melting pot of what made The New York Dolls, Lou Reed, The Stones and Iggy so damn exciting, and why they still remain a great influence on great rock ‘n’ roll bands today.

 

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Author: Ben Hughes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

D-A-D – ‘A Prayer For The Loud’ (AFM Records)

D-A-D – ‘A Prayer For The Loud’ (AFM Records)

Being together as a band for almost 40 years now – I guess it’s safe to say that D-A-D would have to be very comfortable in their own skins to have survived quite so long.
It’s hardly surprising then that ‘A Prayer For The Loud’ the band’s first new studio record in eight years is grounded in this ethos, the band having graduated from their humble Disneyland After Dark cow-punk beginnings into major label arena rock contenders who then, through their own hard work and helpyourselfishness, managed to survive the onset of grunge when most hard rockers perished through to eventually becoming the band they are today and have been since the release of ‘Everything Glows’ back in 2000. An album which coincidently not only saw the band change their name to D-A-D but also saw the band’s newest member Laust Sonne join the core trio of the band (singer/guitarist Jesper Binzer, bassist Stig Pedersen and guitarist Jacob Binzer) behind the drum kit.
So, what does almost two decades of being (this version of) D-A-D actually sound like?
Well, remember those days when new albums by the likes of Aerosmith and AC/DC used to leave you thrilled and wanting more? That’s instantly how I felt about ‘A Prayer For The Loud’, as both those hard rock giants sprung to mind during the first couple of spins, but of course this is always going to be a D-A-D record what with the instantly recognisable rich and raspy vocal tones of Jesper Binzer ever present and ready to strike.
Of the eleven new cuts on offer here at least nine of them are total bangers, pure four to the floor rock n roll music, with even glimpses of the mighty Gluecifer and The Cult (circa ‘Electric’/’Sonic Temple’) creeping into the mix during the simply immense ‘The Real Me’.

The album itself gets off to a blazing start with ‘Burning Star’ and the throbbing ‘A Prayer For The Loud’ and I challenge anyone to listen to either of these tracks and not draw an immediate arc back to the band’s commercial peak (here in the UK) of ‘No Fuel Left For The Pilgrims’ and ‘Riskin’ It All’, two albums that any connoisseur of quality guitar-driven rock music will have had in their collections for decades now.

Elsewhere with ‘Musical Chairs’ which crops up just past the halfway mark, the guys have written the song Airbourne have been searching for since they floundered for a sound to take them to the next level, whilst ‘Nothing Ever Changes’ and ‘The Sky Is Made Of Blues’ are the perfect soundtrack for top-down summer driving.

Of the two slower moments on ‘A Prayer For The Loud’ album closer ‘If The World Just’ is my preferred choice over ‘A Drug For The Heart’ purely because the latter sails a little too close to a certain Backyard Babies track for its own good, albeit with Jesper at the mic this is much more Aerosmith than Social Distortion ballad territory.

Kudos must also be given here to the production team of Nick Foss and Rune Nissen Petersen who have taken heavy hitters like ‘No Doubt About It’, ‘Time Is A Train’ and ‘Happy Days In Hell’ and given then an enormous sound that instantly fills your head with rock ‘n’ roll melodies that will live with you for days, no make that years, to come.
I’m not entirely sure why I’m so surprised by how amazing ‘A Prayer For The Loud’ is because D-A-D have always produced quality albums, it’s just this one is right up there with their very best work and is as a said at the beginning of this review the sound of a band very comfortable in their own skins.

Hands down this is the best classic/traditional (label it what you will) album I’ve heard in 2019.
BUY IT!!!!

Author: Johnny Hayward

Buy ‘A Prayer For The Loud’ Here

IDLES CONFIRM 2019 WORLD TOUR

IDLES CONFIRM 2019 WORLD TOUR

After a wrapping up sell-out UK and US tours, IDLES have confirmed a 2019 world tour, headlining their biggest venues yet. The run will include two London headliners at The Electric Ballroom and their first ever run of dates in Australia. Tickets go on public sale this Friday, Nov 9th at 10 am local time, with tickets available at www.idlesband.com, full routing below.

IDLES’ new record ‘Joy As An Act Of Resistance’ debuted at no.5 in the UK charts, breaking Rough Trade’s all-time record for most pre-orders and sales in a day. It is currently the no.1 best-reviewed record of 2018 (average rating of 88 across 25 reviews) at Album Of The Year and in the Top 10 on Metacritic. The band saw not only singles but the album itself A-listed at 6 Music and earned major features, amongst others, with the likes of Q, Mojo, The Guardian and covers with DIY, Loud & Quiet, So Young and NME. They’ve arrived internationally too with only last week NPR Music declaring “I am an IDLES addict. It’s like mainlining an uplifting and unifying assault on nationalism, racism, intolerance, and class inequality.”

The band won Best Breakthrough at the Q Awards last month following their Jools Holland debut which NME called “history in the making…incomparably brilliant,” likening it to Arctic Monkeys and Kanye West’s first appearances on the show. Watch here. La Blogothèque also just filmed the band performing a couple ‘Joy’ standouts, watch them do stripped down versions of “I’m Scum” and “Gram Rock”.

“No hyperbole needed; IDLES are the most important band we have right now.” – DIY Magazine (cover story)

“Everything about Joy As An Act Of Resistance is just so perfectly realised. An instant classic, one that people will turn to in times of need for years to come.”
10/10 – NME

“This album is a heart-breaking but jubilant exploration of joy, honesty, fragility and expression as our most powerful means of human resistance.”
9/10 – Classic Rock

“IDLES have released the most relevant and at times gut wrenching album of the year.” – Drowned In Sound

“IDLES make sense of modern chaos on the utterly essential Joy as an Act of Resistance.” – The Line Of Best Fit

“Idles take their rightful place as not Britain’s, nor Europe’s, but the world’s most vital band. It’s a fist-clenched celebration of the full spectrum of phenomena – inexplicable, crushing and totally joyous – that divides and unites us all.” – The Quietus

“IDLES deliver a thunderous and sharp state-of-the-nation address.” – The 405

“Across its 40-odd minutes, Joy As An Act of Resistance makes you want to laugh and cry and roar into the wind and cradle your nearest and dearest. It is a beautiful slice of humanity delivered by a group of men whose vulnerability and heart has become a guiding light in the fog for an increasing community of fans who don’t just want, but need this.”
5/5 – DIY

“The power of ‘Joy As An Act Of Resistance.’ is how it shows society itself in a mirror. Sometimes it’s a bathroom mirror in the morning too bright and over exposed, another time it’s a makeup mirror in a car you struggle just to catch a glimpse of yourself and other times it’s a fairground mirror and everything is distorted and grotesque. But each time you have look yourself in the eye and take stock for your actions.

This is a band to get excited about. Very, VERY, excited about!”
9/10 – Clash

“This album announces IDLES as one of the most exhilarating and necessary punk bands of right now.” – Kerrang!

“…this isn’t good-time, aspirational, radio-friendly pop. But for anyone in need of music that articulates their concerns or helps them to work through their troubles–or anyone who simply appreciates blistering, intelligent punk – they might just be Britain’s most necessary band.” – The Guardian

“Over a visceral torrent of motorik punk-pop pummels recalling prime Pixies or mclusky, Joe hails his “beautiful immigrant” blood brother “Danny Nedelko” and celebrates his “mongrel” upbringing on “I’m Scum” – in a world run by bullish right-wing sex pests, his aggressive compassion is a potent antidote.” – The Independent

“This feels indispensable, as both bereavement therapy and Brexit-era protest.” – Q

“Britain’s most cult-worthy band have a raging vitality.” – GQ

“Joy as An Act of Resistance is a record that bristles with the political and emotional energy of punk’s very best.”
9/10 – CRACK

“One of the most vital albums of 2018.”
5/5 – Dork

“‘Joy…’ is a self-confessed parade. It’s a punch-up and it’s a bear hug.” – Loud & Quiet

“Their follow-up sees them crank everything up to the next level. No band is better equipped to document the here and now, warts and all.” – Mojo

“This must surely win the award for most intense album of the year. An exorcism of sadness and rage, with a burning commitment to honesty of expression throughout.” – The Times

“Bristolian punk – brutally loud, brutally honest.” – Uncut

“IDLES is the best 21st century punk-ish band I’ve heard.” – NPR Music (Bob Boilen)

“Visceral, joyous, and honest — lightning rods for collective rage, forged from love.” – Noisey

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