The Guilty Hearts – ‘The Guilty Hearts’ (Voodoo rhythm Records)

The Guilty Hearts – ‘The Guilty Hearts’ (Voodoo rhythm Records)
The re-release of this overlooked early noughties debut, that wouldn’t look out of place alongside the rougher more streetwise garage rock that littered the era, imagine Eighties Matchbox after the acid trip or Black Rebel Motorcycle Club if they were inclined to get into more bar fights.
The Los Angeles group certainly know their stuff, this record is a brutal melting pot of garage, psych and cow punk from the getgo. ‘Too far down’ kicks off the affair with a classic psychobilly rhythm and vocals full of hypnotic drones. ‘She’s trouble’ lives up to it’s mantra with savage Cramps style guitar lines but with a pumped up bass line laced with steroids.
The album ticks all the boxes for me like a winning bingo card, the guitars are scuzzy, the organ sounds are plentiful and the only real downer is that some of the songs pass by too quickly but there is the real genius where it leaves you wanting more!
Whether you are a revival fan of the genres represented here or a sixties purist it’s hard to deny that this is a treasure trove of Nuggets from any era. If you’re like me and this debut is a new discovery for you, make up for lost time and get it on heavy rotation straight away.
Buy The Guilty Hearts Here
Author: Dan Kasm

Bandcamp Friday

Bandcamp Friday

For those wanting a distraction from the news and the world in general, Bandcamp Friday is a welcome addition to lockdown life. For those not familiar, these monthly events are a great opportunity for music fans to spend whilst being safe in the knowledge that 100% of the cash goes straight to the artists. This is achieved thanks to Bandcamp forgoing their cut for 24 hours and allowing acts to maximise their income. At present Spotify, Amazon, Apple etc do not offer anything similar to this scheme…….

This month I’m putting forward 10 new releases, all of which are absolute bangers! This is how I plan on spending my cash this Friday, check out these releases and all your favourite artists Bandcamp pages and support them in these trying times.
The Dry Retch – 12,000 miles from new
 
The new single from Scouse/Antipodean garage punk rockers the Dry Retch. A crunchy slab of psyched out proto punk channelling all the best parts of Mudhoney, with vocals reminiscent of SY Thurston Moore. This for me is rounding out to be their best track so far. All of this for the more than reasonable sum of £1. The guys have a selection of stellar albums available also.
Buy Here
Graveyard Party – Lady Lazarus
A special Halloween release here from Tulsa’s own Graveyard Party. A tranquil yet scuzzy single with a wonderfully slow and drawn out bass intro sounding like a dark post punk tinged Pavement. The single is available for download for the very agreeable price of $1 as well as a range of other solid material to purchase.
Buy Here
Mom – Pleasure Island
For those of you looking for something on the sweeter side, check out power pop swedes Mom. This album release will take you back instantly to your carefree youth, a much needed endless summer as winter sets in. This record is a must for bubblegum fans of Cheap Trick, Warm Soda etc. The full album is at a recession proof price of $6.
Buy Here
Taffee – Have taste in your own bad faith
This stripped back EP is the latest work by the Berlin post punkers. Hypnotically simple with an approach sounding like a Siouxie led Fall. Made available generously at name your price, this EP is well worth parting with your money.
Buy Here
Lee Bains & the Glory Fires –  2-4-6-8 Motorway EP
The new EP from Americana tinged punks LB & the Glory Fires is headed off by Tom Robinson Band classic Motorway but the rest of the release is a much softer and more poignant affair. Although all acoustic numbers on the 3 remaining tracks, the songs certainly don’t lose their lyrical bite. All yours for $3.99.
Buy Here
The Lotts – we are the Lotts
Debut EP from Warrington’s own garage punk rockers the Lotts, released back in July but definitely worth a mention on this list. With a sound leaning towards the cleverer side of the early 00s garage revival, the Lotts have great lofi swagger reminding me of D4 and the Black Lips. This EP has a lush sounding production and is certainly worth £4 for the privilege.
Buy Here
Black Country New Road – Science Fair
 
This is the latest track and taster for the debut album from the London post rockers. Please be warned that this is definitely not to everyone’s taste, and to be honest not always to mine but the sheer frenetic verousity of the vocals and the melding of the horns and distorted guitars hit a jazz like crescendo that you really have to admire. This quasi single is out now and available for $1.30.
Buy Here
Lowlives – Gravity
This track dropped last month from the LA based quartet and further showcases their hard yet accessible alternative rock sound. Lowlives have been bubbling under for a while now thanks to some solid releases and a few well placed support slots. Gravity is a straightforward ballsy 3 minute rock song that will definitely be enjoyed by 3 Colours Red fans but the B-side Hate, Greed, Liars, Thieves expands their sound further with very epic post grunge meets Deftones feel. This release is $1.99. Buy it, these guys are going to be massive.
Buy Here
Static Fur – Sorry Future
 
Brand new release from the West Virginian post punks. With an almost Birthday Party tribilistic sound with bleak dystopian synths thrown in for good measure. This first outing is a strong collection of songs and at $6 this mini album is a steal.
Buy Here
SUA – You Don’t Care
 
And finally we have Spanish alternative rockers SUA blending a poppier side of post punk with riot grrl swagger, reminiscent of mid to late 90s British indie girl groups Fluffy, Kenickie and Elastica. Great lyrics and great price of 1 Euro this track is definitely worth checking out.
Buy Here
Author: Dan Kasm

Bandcamp Friday – some recommendations for August

Bandcamp Friday – some recommendations for August
One of the few good things to come out of Lockdown is Bandcamp standing by their toiled artists and offering the consumer a day to purchase to their heart’s content knowing that their money is going straight into the artist’s pocket. These events have been highly successful and a much needed financial assistance to musicians whose income has taken a potentially massive dent. There is a lot of content on Bandcamp and this can intimidate all of us, not knowing where to invest our hard-earned cash. Here are a few of my recommendations to consider if you are looking to get involved.. 
‘Exile Parlour’ – the latest release from Merseyside’s Post Punk rising stars Eyesore & The Jinx. Hypnotic basslines, beautifully distorted guitars and targeted concise lyrics giving them the make-up of a coherent Fall. Released on Eggy records. Currently, on Bandcamp, the bands discography is available on digital format for the bargain price of £6.19. What are you waiting for?

 

Neonic Sunrise
‘Lies Paradise’ – Debut LP from Moscow based Neonic Sunrise. Very hard to categorise this group with the sound changing and adapting track to track, with influences coming in the form of Garage Rock, Post Punk and Shoegaze. Stand out tracks for me being Heal and single Taste Your Lips being my favourite single of the year so far.

 

 

 

 

 

Bambara
‘Stray‘ (Wharf Cat Records) – Finally we have the third outing by the Southern gothic trio Bambara. This LP came out in February and was criminally overlooked but its not too late to get it on your album of the year list. Often compared to Nick Cave, although I feel they are an intimidating mix of both the Bad Seeds and the harsher Birthday Party with excellent Cow Punk chops giving a nod to the Gun Club at the same time.

 

 

 

 

Author: Dan Kasm

 

JSK & The Lockdown Lovers – ‘Lockdown Lover’  A late call up comes in the shape of Johny Skull Knuckles and his Kopek Millionaires who’ve recorded a special track for this special Friday on Bandcamp.  He’s also promised a special video to accompany it as well so get stuck in ya rock and rollers. Of course it’s good. Its got plenty of heart and exactly what you’d expect from Johny, great chorus and all the sleazy Rock and Roll chops you could want. the second track sees Skull Knuckles reach lofty notes he’s not reached in a while I’d guess? but he’s riffin like a good un here and turning up the Rock! go Johny and go good people of RPM Online world and support these artists on this Friday seeing as Bandcamp have done the right thing and given a bit more back to the artists who underpin their success.  (Take note Spotify and other streaming sites) Bandcamp

The Blinders – ‘Fantasies Of A Stay At Home Psychopath’ (Modern Sky)

The Blinders – ‘Fantasies Of A Stay At Home Psychopath’ (Modern Sky)

Here we have the second outing from The Blinders, definitely one of the brighter stars of the modern day Post Punk revival. ‘Fantasies Of The he Stay At Home Psychopath’, the follow up to the fantastic 2018 debut ‘Columbia’.

The band are often compared to contemporaries Idles and more recently Fontaines DC, though this does not do them justice. The band themselves are quite young but certainly have something to say, as a result showing the others on the scene to be almost juvenile and of their time rather than timeless.

For me, the songs on this release give off a rare quality where the listener can already envisage what they’ll be like live. First track ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’ sends me somewhere mentally akin to being a teenager at a festival experiencing these songs first hand with an ultimate sensory thrill.
If track one was euphoria the next, ‘Forty Days & Forty Nights’ is a call to arms ending it’s barrage as quick as it started. As the album goes on more and more I’m hearing riffs comparable to eighties Cow Punk, differing somewhat from their first album but adding further dimensions to what was already a solid sound.
The trio offers us a brief ‘Interlude’ to catch our breaths. A laid back Cool Jazz number that wouldn’t be out of place alongside Pulp’s ‘This Is Hardcore’. You have very limited time to dust yourself off before you’re back in the throng again with recent single ‘Mule Tracks’. This is certainly the standout song on the record, even with no apparent chorus it grabs the listener with vigor.
The second half of the record continues at this pace, never faltering the listener even for a moment. ‘Black Glass’, another remarkable single with almost ‘Heroin’ esque Velvet Underground guitars hitting you with a desolate psychedelia.
Final track ‘In this Decade’ opens as you have awoken from a surreal dream, entering a beautiful new tomorrow in the form of this early Dylan style number. It leaves you reflective of the fanatical decadence that has preceded it and wondering timidly whether you dare put yourself through it again….. but can you resist?

buy ‘Fantasies Of A  Stay At Home Psycopath’ Here