CUIR – ‘ALBUM’(Rockstar Records)

CUIR – ‘ALBUM’(Rockstar Records)

Well, here’s a late contender for one of my favourite albums of the year. I love finding things by accident. I saw a Facebook post on my local venue’s page for a gig next January. The photo alone grabbed my attention. As you can see. A strong image, I was intrigued, so I searched out the album via Bandcamp. Eleven tracks, only two that run over two minutes. A short, sharp shock.

From the off, it gets under the skin, with ‘Maniac’ setting the tone. Gloriously basic drum machine, punk riffs aplenty, 80s synths and barked vocals in French. Don’t panic! You really don’t need to know what’s going on. Whether it’s ‘Blouson Noir’ or ‘Cut Cut’, this is gonna have you pogoing around in no time.

While it’s not ‘OFF’, he has a similar approach in brevity; if you can’t do it in two minutes, forget it. Somewhere between a demented, sped-up Sigue Sigue Sputnik and Spunk Volcano, there’s not much more I can add. If it’s your thing, you’ll love it immediately. How it transfers to the stage remains to be seen. I’ll find out next month. Stay tuned, punk-pop pickers. Not arf!

Buy Here

Author: Martin Chamarette

Iron Lizards – Hungry For Action’ (The Sign Records)

Iron Lizards – Hungry For Action’ (The Sign Records)

There is a lot to be angry with in the world today, particularly the last 14 months, 2 weeks, and 6 days…… But hey! Who’s counting? Although, saying that, sometimes the things that you really want might actually be there if you just reach out and grab them (no this isn’t pyramided selling). Do you want Raw Power? You got it! Do you want something Young, Loud & Snotty? You got it! Do you need something raging with the strength of a bag of amphetimin to keep you up with Lemmy on a weekend binge? You got that too! If Iron Lizards are ‘Hungry For Action’, all I can say is that it must be a pandemic in itself as I too have picked the metallic reptile’s insatiable appetite.

The record kicks off with lead single ‘It’s About Time’; I don’t know what the speed limit is in France but the pace of the tracklisting is relentless and I am here for every breakneck second of it! The seamless, relentless, and hi-octane from song to song with powerful garage punk laced riffs, the pneumatic rhythm section, all combined with the vocal delivery of James William Oesterburg giving a sermon on the mount. This rock’n’roll Jim, but not as we know it.
Four songs in we’re finally given the chance to catch our collective breath in the form of the incendiary breakdown towards the end of the ironically titled ‘no escape’. Effortlessly guiding us into the next track ‘obey/annihilate’; the band really displays its chops here in the form of their songwriting sensibilities, showing the fire and intensity of previous material but with an overall more grandiose setting and effects. From this, we’re lead even further down the genre rabbit hole with ‘death ride’, Cramped to the rafters with Lux Interior swagger.
‘Confusion blues’ takes us back on the straight and narrow of speed laced Punk’n’Roll, barely giving the punters a chance to recoup their cognitive thoughts of a world that doesn’t beat to the drum of Iron Lizard’s brutal yet beautiful onslaught.
You may have gathered whilst reading that I’m quite fond of this record, do yourselves, your friends, and your family a favour; buy this record, keep your eye on potential tour dates, and basically spend your time and money on this band. They definitely deserve it.
Buy Here
Connect with Iron Lizards: Facebook / Instagram
Author: Dan Kasm

Guttercats – ‘Eternal Life’ (Take The City Records (Spain), Sweet Grooves Records (Spain) & Wishing Well Records (France))

Guttercats – ‘Eternal Life’ (Take The City Records (Spain), Sweet Grooves Records (Spain) & Wishing Well Records (France))

Parisian Rock and Rollers Guttercats continue on their pursuit of the Rock and Roll dream of making music they clearly love and live.

Constantly gigging in France, Guttercats released their first album “Pandora’s Box” in 2009. They took their laid-back Stonesy, Thunders gypsy-like tones around Europe living it as they played it – carefree and doing just what they wanted like fellow soul mates Kusworth, Sudden and Honest John Plain who they shared the road with. through France, Spain, Germany & Belgium.

‘Eternal Life’ was recorded in Paris & continues in the band’s vein of acoustic and electric Rock and Roll lovely dreamy balladeering and from the heart Rock n Roll.  The opener ‘Wild Animal’ begins with some atmospheric slide layered guitar fading in and out over some gentle acoustic guitars as the song builds as it ebbs and flows. adding more textures with various strings its got a cool feel to it.  

 

It’s fair to say the band stick to the mantra of if it’s not broken don’t fix it and plow on just writing songs they trust will carry them forwards.  The more uptempo and traditional rocker of ‘Keep The Flame’. There’s no point in taking big risks or adding textures to your music for the sake of it so do what you do but do it well has served Guttercats and its that dedication to their style that will indeed keep pushing the band forwards and it also means that they will continue to release quality records like ‘Eternal Life’.  the balladeering is and has always been excellent and tracks like the of beat and poetic ‘Farewell’ are excellent and mystical as the song wafts into the ether creating a twisted melody that is engaging and beautiful.

 

‘Dark Room’ is a brooding darker number with a throbbing bassline is a sidestep and a great addition to the flow of the album. ‘End Of Times’ has a romantic edge to it with the violin adding yet more texture to the record. ‘Know Your Roots’ is something of a twisted blues as the pace speeds up and falls back its a trip of a song with the screaming slide lurking in the mix rather than in your face.

As we head off into the tail end of the album ‘If I Had A Loaded Gun’ is a heaving five-plus minute epic that flys by and a real high point of the record with its layered acoustic backbone and the piano stabs and electric guitar jabbing away creating a really good song with Guts vocals making the listener lean in and hang off his every word – excellent song.

 

Closing the album off with the title track is another five-minute plus beast of a song. Encapsulating everything that Guttercats do to perfection like some gothic-tinged slice of ragged Rock and Roll Guttercats carry the torch forward for all the fallen like Thunders, Kusworth, Bators, Sudden.  If you want a record to accompany the late-night red wine sessions that you crave then look no further than Guttercats they still do Rock and Roll and do it very well.  ‘Eternal Life’ is a mighty fine record that deserves to be heard and loved buy it!

 

Buy Here

Facebook

Author: Dom Daley

Badass Mother Fuzzers – ‘On The Run’ (6Tone Records)

Badass Mother Fuzzers – ‘On The Run’ (6Tone Records)

 One of the best things about doing this website is hearing new music you possibly would never have come across if you’re not being sent emails, speaking to people who suggest a band they’ve come across or a band they’ve heard live somewhere around this beautiful globe. Besides during this lockdown whilst everything seems to have hit pause or slowed right down it has given us time to sniff out some great new bands and records getting released and one of those bands and records has to be this lot from Toulouse.

 

whilst that name didn’t exactly strike me as a grat name as soon as the sounds hit the ether I sat back and listened and inevitably turned it up,  then turned it up a bit more.  sure they use Rickenbackers and wear rollnecks and Winkel pickers because these cats play Garage Fuzzed up Rock and Roll and do it exceedingly well and it came as no surprise to find out they shared the stage with the likes of RPM favs The Lords Of Altamont and toured the States a few years ago with the likes of The Real Kids and were due to play with The Sonics.  So they demand to be taken seriously.

The album was recorded and produced by Jim Diamond (White Stripes, Bellrays, The Sonics, The Fleshtones…) and they have that slightly reverbed production that’s raw and savage and has all that fuzzed up charm you want to hear from a Garage Rock record.

To see they shared a stage with the likes of The Lords Of Altamont will come as a good yardstick for people who’ve never come across the guys before because I’m reminded of them on songs like ‘No No No’ with its energy and sound. Another band I’m reminded of would be some of the earlier recordings from The Hip Priests they may not be as fast and certainly not as potty-mouthed but that attack is there on tracks like ‘Breaking Down’ and ‘Run Run Run’.  They really get on a groove for a lot of the songs and tub thumpers like ‘Don’t Need You’ are more traditional garage maybe steering clear of that classic Hammond or Farfisa organ whirling would be too much for these punks whist with one Cuban heel in the garage the other is in snotty fuck you loud Rock and Roll the likes of MC5 peddled and that’s always going to go down well around here. You can lob in a grenade of Motorhead to proceedings but only when they were a three-piece with Philthy and Fast Eddy as ‘Don’t You Try’ will testify its a formidable racket when you turn up those amps and just go for it.

From top til the bottom, this is a pretty relentless record where you’ve not got a slowie just to break it up its full-tilt zero bullshit and the sleazy ‘Fall For You’ is a great groove to set up the finale on and that finale is the cliched ballad,  Oh no it’s not.  Of Course it isn’t ‘Gonna Get You’ is a fine sign off of energy being expelled before the smoke finally gets wafted from the speaker that will smoke long after this has finished.  Take a break, lie down in a darkened room then get back on it.  Turn it up and kick out those jams motherfuckers!

 

Buy ‘On The Run’ Here

Facebook

Author: Dom Daley