Do you remember a time when music fans adorned their bedroom walls with posters of their heroes? Larger-than-life rock stars who seemed untouchable to a wide-eyed teen? Gyasi does. The West Virginia born and raised singer channelled those very same idols: Bowie, Bolan and Zep to the max on his debut album ‘Pronounced Jah-See’ back in 2022, unapologetically wearing his influences on his satin sleeves for all to see. We here at RPM fell for him, hook, line and sinker.

Now he follows up last year’s killer live opus ‘Rock n’ Roll Sword Fight’ with his sophomore studio album ‘Here Comes The Good Part. So, let’s dip right in and see if Gyasi hits the spot second time around.

Opener ‘Sweet Thing’ sets the scene with a Ziggy stomp and a laid back, bluesy Black Keys like groove. The instant hook of a chorus makes a b-line for your brain and Gyasi is well and truly back in business with a sure-fire anthem of self-expression.

The thing I dig about Gyasi is his ability to mix up the sound of his influences to great effect. 70’s glam rock is the order of the day, add to that a smattering of west coast 60’s psychedelia and a shot of Brit Pop for good measure, and we’ve got a good thing going. This is evident on the swaggering ‘Lightening’ and the more bluesy, high-energy stomp of ‘She Says’.

‘Snake City’ has cool dynamics and a stomper of a chorus, ‘Cheap High’ is high octane rock n’ roll done just right. A sleazy, low-slung Aerosmith riff and a cocksure demeanor makes it an early album standout. As is previous single ‘Baby Blue, a shameless T Rex stomp with a chorus to die for. Yes, you know exactly where he’s pilfered it from as much as I do, but fuck me, what a tune!

Some might say there’s blatant Bowie plagiarism going on here. Yes, that arpeggiated riff to ‘Sweet Thing’ certainly carries a passing resemblance to ‘Ziggy Stardust’, ‘American Dream’ with its regimental snare beat, acoustic guitar and sexy sax has a ‘Lady Stardust’ feel to it and stunning CD only bonus cut ‘Apple Tree’ is Gyasi’s ‘Oh! You Pretty Things’. But surely, he’s just embracing his influences, and it never hurt Noel Gallagher, right?

The piano led ‘23’ sees our sequin-suited hero banging to the beat of a different drum. With its laid-back, sexy sax accompaniment and dreamy vibes, its veering towards 80’s new age pop in a good way, hints of Roxy Music come to find here. And then album closer ‘Grand Finale’ comes on like some glam rock musical reprise. Picked acoustic chords, soaring strings and a self-assured vocal performance build with cleverly produced drums to give that authentic 70’s analogue feel.

With just the right amount of sleazy riffs & power chords, a good dose of lipstick & glitter and enough dirt under the fingernails, ‘Here Comes The Good Part’ straddles Bowie in his Hunky Dory/Ziggy Stardust years, it embraces Marc Bolan between ‘Electric Warrior’ and ‘The Slider’ and brings us right up to date for the kids by digging the sounds of Jack White and The Black Keys. It would all be so laughable and throwaway if the songs weren’t up to scratch, but guess what? The songs are good, they are very good.

I’ll tell you one thing for sure, if I was a wide-eyed teen discovering rock n’ roll right now, I’d proudly have Gyasi’s poster on my bedroom wall and this sophomore-long player would be blasting from the speakers day and night.

An eagerly anticipated album from a rising star, and an essential purchase for 2025. Get it on, pre-ordered and demand a UK tour quick sharpish.

Buy Here

Author: Ben Hughes

Keeping it short and sweet. This month’s singles club is made up of a broad church of entries from raging Glam Rock to some Synth pop and the usual mix of Garage fuzz n hard rockin, one thing is for sure the digital pool of entries is never boring and we like to think we know a top tune or two so have this half dozen for starters…

Gyasi – ‘Sweet Thing’ (Alive Records) Unapologetic 70s Glam stomper from Gyasi. What a thumping beat it is too. Just the way a single should sound in 2024. Teetering around in stack heels and with a Bowie-soaked chorus it’s memorable and easy to sing along to. I expect big things from the new album when it drops and shall be shouting it out from the rooftops (or RPM HQ at least) Feb 2025 write it in your diaries kids and use your best lipstick.

Head Noise – ‘I Was A Teenage Video Nasty’ (Self Release) The brand new single ‘I Was A Teenage Video Nasty’ came out on 31st October (Obvs)! A love letter to the banned BBFC video nasty movies of the 70s/ 80s, also with b-side ‘80% Proof Apparition’ a song about people in the early 20th Century, holding seances at parties but only seeing ghosts because they are so hammered. It’s a synth throbbing slice of 80s synth scuzz but don’t be fooled by the quaint keys or gang vocals its a sleazy old school to rival SSS (or Sigue sigue Sputnk if you didn’t know) To coincide with the new single they will be releasing a LIMITED run of 7” singles on white vinyl with a special b-movie cover, inserts and label. Some bands do things properly and Head Noise certainly do that loud through a pumping PA this is the mutts nuttz.

The Briefs – ‘High Society’ (TKO Records) Been doing this for a quarter of a century The Briefs are elite top-tier punk rockers. That’s it folks in a nutshell they write banging tunes and they have the energy and suss to never put a foot wrong. Imagine that kids being that fuckin good well, that’s the Briefs. High Society is rapid with barking guitar solos and uber cool riffs and another perfect single. Released to coincide with a support tour it’s three awesome tunes. But if you think the A side or lead track is good wait til you hear ‘You Can Move Me’ in all its swaggering sleazy glory. Power Pop Punk n roll is the sound and these cats have got a tonne of swing to go with it. The final track is a rough mix of Ramones mid-paced punk rock, ‘I Gotta Go’ is cool as fuck and I hope it’s the precursor for the following long player because ‘Platinum Rats’ was awesome and the next is gonna be just as good. Buy It!

Chuck Norris Experiment – ‘The Knife’ (Self Release) The latest single release from the 2024 THE CHUCK NORRIS EXPERIMENT album “20”. The album version has this old-school almost trash metal-sounding acoustic intro but this edit comes straight in with the riff before breaking out old school with guitar noodling exploding everywhere. The band stay true to their wall of noise with big Riffs everywhere and a sonic overload CNE keep rotating the wheel not reinventing it but managing to sound fresh on every record. A top tune from a top album.

Thee Headshrinkers – ‘Sunday Driver’ (Property Of The Lost records) Buckle up kids this odd bod trio are about to head out on a garage rock scuzz outing and you’re invited along for the ride. from the album ‘Head Cheese’ this is a swaggering slab of Garage rock fuzziness with a heap of The Fall to boot it shifts through the gears very nicely and hits the breaks hard just to mess with your head. Get involved kids it’s a banger folks and the album is due in a few short weeks as well.

Gene Champagne – ‘Rock N Roll Boy’ (Rumbar Records) Sounding like a cross between ‘end-of-the-century’ Ramones and classic Boys this is an end-of-summer banger. Lifted from the album ‘Let’s Jet’ it’s got plenty of authentic swagger and a retro-tastic backbeat. Get on board boys n grrrls it’s happening. With a name like that, we raise a glass to his success and excess without his unteens this kinda tune always makes me happy.

West Virginia born and raised and unleashed in the sweaty clubs of Nashville, Gyasi has been treading the boards and wowing audiences for the past couple of years following the release of his mighty fine debut album ‘Pronounced Jah-See’.  

Channelling the flamboyancy of Bowie and Bolan, the rock n’ roll swagger of Led Zep, and even hints and nods to more modern Brit Pop influences, that debut was a pre-digital age tour-de-force of rock power and a statement of intent from an artist who is here to take over the world. Hey, wouldn’t it be great if he released a cool live album like all his heroes did back in the 70’s? If only he could show the world how to channel the rock power of The Stooges, Led Zep and T Rex… 

“Rock n Roll Sword Fight was recorded absolutely live in the USA” it says in the press blurb, and I absolutely believe it. A ten-track affair taken from several gigs. Recorded at Carnegie Hall (the Art Centre in West Virginia, not the famous concert Hall in New York), The Basement East, Nashville and the Bonnaroo Music Festival, this album is raw, unadulterated and in yer face! 

As the crowd cheer fades in and a bass riff rumbles, the band kick straight into ‘Cheap High’, a choppy, low slung riff and Ziggy Stardust wail from our illustrious frontman and we are off and running. This is how a live album should sound, I want to feel the sweat on my brow, the guitars reverberating in my ears and the electricity in the atmosphere. The band blast in to ‘Tongue Tied’, that signature 70’s glam rock stomp is created, there’s a sleazy swagger that owes as much to Jack White and The Black Keys as it does to 70’s glam rock.  

With a singer who looks like Mick Ronson meets Hedwig and wears platform boots and satin catsuits in 2024, I can only applaud the return of glamour to rock n’ roll. And when you have songs as good as ‘Fast Love‘ and ‘Godhead’ in your repertoire, then I don’t know how Gyasi can really fail. Close your eyes and you can just imagine the jaws dropping around you as the crowd witness this skinny-framed, satin-wearing dude, ripping on a Les Paul and showing them how rock n’ roll should be delivered. The aforementioned ‘Godhead’ sounds killer here. The guitars are raw and in your face, the vocals delivered with intent. The band sounds on fire. 

Turn the record over and side 2 kicks off with the recent single ‘Baby Blue’, a killer hook and a familiar riff that both reek of T Rexstacy., and that ain’t a bad place to be. ‘Sword Fight’ is as raw as you like, as our hero stretches his lungs over fuzzy, distorted riffs and pummelling bass. ‘Kiss Kiss’ brings boogie-woogie to the party and everyone is dancing by now. Licks are peeled off like the ghost of Johnny Thunders has entered the room, and c’mon…that hook is sublime, right? 

They end with ‘All Messed Up’ which is jammed out as an extended medley with a bit of Lou Reed and The Doors thrown in for good measure. 

Live albums can be hit & miss affairs. The intention should be to capture the feel and energy of the band in a live environment, maybe give the listener a glimpse of what it’s like to see the band live. Kiss’ ‘Alive’, Hanoi’s ‘All Those Wasted Years’ and Ramones ‘It’s Alive’, those are the benchmarks. And while Gyasi has a long way to go before he hits that legendary status, ‘Rock n’ Roll Sword Fight’ is one of those live albums that captures lightning in a bottle. A band on fire, who sound tight and energised, but still raw and punky, and more importantly they have the songs to match.  

This is one that is gonna get played a lot on my stereo, that’s a given. And it only makes me wanna see Gyasi live even more, The UK is waiting.   

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Author: Ben Hughes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v436kL4rD-g

For those who miss the fun, brash and ballsy, unapologetic rock ‘n’ roll of the early ’70s, fear not, as Gyasi is here to deliver the goods. Following his 2022 album for Alive, Pronounced Jah-See, the Nashville singer/guitarist/songwriter is releasing his new single Baby Blue today, with a full EP out later this month. With heavy riffs, stinging leads and a cocksure swagger, the four tracks manage to tap into the true essence of rock ’n’ roll, while also channelling the flamboyant likes of Bolan and Bowie in equal measure.

Stream it Here

Marc Valentine – ‘Mornington Avenue’ (Arcane Wires Records) Its the second track lifted from July’s album release ‘Futures Obscure’ and the second absolute banger, it has to be said, courtesy of Mr. Valentine. The single features a guest appearance from the legend that is Matt Dangerfield for extra kudos. Marc said of the record that it was semi-autobiographical, and stories and memories from youthful misadventures. It’s the perfect antidote for what’s going on in the real world with a fantastic melody and feel power-pop perfection.

A left hook on the chorus, a right hook on the melody the vocals are carried on and a KO for the breakdown. You’ll have this song in your head for days – exactly what a single should sound like. Brilliant!

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Mad Brother Ward – ‘Ugly Life’ (Ruined Records) Two tracks on one side and a nice etched piece on the reverse all pressed on a nice blue wax. More than twenty-five years after releasing two widely acclaimed 7″ eps. legendary underground provocateur MAD BROTHER WARD returns with a two-fisted blast of straight-ahead punk rock. A true legend of the underground, Mad Brother Ward is currently known best for successfully stepping into the shoes of Joe Young in ANTiSEEN after Young died. This single is his first new record in almost thirty years. Lo-Fi production, its a crash and burn slab of nuclear punk rock. ‘Ugly Life’ be fucked, buckle up kids this is a blast.

‘I Just Wanna Die’ is an altogether slower more looking down the sight of a sniper’s rifle. It’s a catchy bugger that’s for sure with some neat neat neat guitar licks to fire it along. Punk as fuck! go get a copy before they’re all gone gone gone! Buy Here

Rock N Roll Manifesto – Vol Two (Rock n Roll Manifesto/NFT Records/Stamp Out Disco/ Hyperloop Records Loved the last 7″ from Rock N Roll Manifesto and love to see a four-way split especially when its new songs from bands I happen to love like this one. Sonny Fuckin Vincent ladies and Gentlemen opens up side one with a new and exclusive track entitled ‘Over A Cliff’. Of course it’s all killer. awesome guitar breaks, catchy melody, a stonking rhythm, and tempo but I knew it was going to sound great and that’s just one of the four – worth it for this one track alone) Sharing side one is The Manakins from Sweden with their tub-thumper ‘Dark Time For The City Lights’. What a killer chorus! Record of the month is here already and I’ve not even played side two yet!

Flip this over and you have London towns Miscalculations with their angular monochrome punk with the blitzkrieg that is ‘Controlling My Shadow’ leaving The Judex to close this sucker down with their unique sound of psychobilly vocals over some sharp chopping guitar chords. ‘Step Off Sucker’ is a one-take live in the studio banger with a cool as guitar break. Three out of four are unreleased and all four never on vinyl so don’t delay kids get this right Now!

Buy on Bandcamp from the USA Here / Stamp Out Disco (Australia) Here / NFT Records UK Here / Hyperloop Records UK Here

Gyasi – ‘She Don’t Care’ (Alive Records) Channeling the spirit of the good and the great of 70’s Glam from Bowie and Bolan to Mott The Hoople and T Rex Gyasi has bloody well nailed it (we’ve heard the album so…) This is another taster lifted from the long-player and another perfectly executed slab of Glam Rock that packs a punch and has such a flamboyant attitude to carry this off in 2022.

This guy deserves to break through and become a superstar from those platform boots alone never mind his exquisite taste in tunes. Stream the shit out of this and get a hold of that long-player when it comes out. Its a banger with twelve more Rockers to boot!

Stream Here

Stepmother – Stepmother EP (Legless Records) Wow, Hang on a minute, Australia is churning out Garage and punk rock by the bucket load and Stepmother from Melbourne are the latest to grab our attention. This three-track banger of an EP is proto-punk mana from the Gods. ‘Fade Away’ is the introduction before we get our breath taken away with the brilliant ‘Take Our BReath Away’ as it races towards the guitar break and shakes its shit all over our speakers.

A power trio to sit up and take notice of. This is a primal slab of Rock n Roll with a groove and plenty of boogie to let it all hang out to now its fair to say that on another round-up this would be record of the month – No doubt about it.

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The Boppers – ‘Motorbikin’ (Wild Kingdom Records) Yeah you read that right. Chris Spedding’s Motorbikin’ gets a slick release from the Boppers. Lifted from their upcoming album ‘White Lightning’. When the band performed as secret guests at The Hellacopters’ release party, the success was instant. Hear “Motorbikin’” and pre-order the album here: https://orcd.co/motorbikin

Automatics – ‘Cold Steel Serenade’ – with a galic leaning The Automatic release this their new single ‘Cold Steel Serenade’ and to be fair it does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s a late-night lament with rousing guitar breaks and big chorus’.

Mean Jeans – ‘Hits From The Bog’ (Fat Wreck Chords) Heading out with Australian punks The Chats Mean Jeans drop a new digital release. Hits from the Bog features three unreleased tracks from their debut FAT release, ‘Tight New Dimension‘ . Head to your preferred digital platforms to hear it now!
 
“We just unearthed some recordings that got lost in the bog somewhere along the way.  Listening back, I have to wonder what we were smoking at the time, cuz there’s definitely some saxophone, a single jazz chord, and we’ve betrayed the ‘4 chords per song’ rule. Still, I think they’ll appeal to anyone feeling possessed by junk food and/or slime.” this is a fair assessment from the band. Sounds like it’s going to be an absolute blast on this tour Its sunshine pop-punk leaning heavily on the likes of Da Ramones (obviously) with an eye on what Evan Dando achieved. It’s goofy and inoffensive and live? It’ll be a blast Go get some!

The Venomous Pinks – ‘Apothecary Ailment’ ( SBÄM Records) second single from their upcoming album “Vita Mors” – out June 3, 2022 on SBÄM Records: https://shop.sbam.rocks Pre-save it here: https://bfan.link/vita-mors

Simon Juliff – ‘Stars’ (Dog Meat Records) The first new Dog Meat release in over a quarter of a century is the new single “Stars”, taken from the forthcoming album of the same name,  from reticent Melbourne pop-rock singer/songwriter Simon Juliff. Juliff, who was singer/guitarist/songwriter for Melbourne band The Roys in the ‘00s, was a friend of many of the ‘90s Melbourne bands on Dog Meat and nearly a Dog Meat signing with his first band The Evil Dead. Bonkers how these twists of fate happen. Happy recording for himself it’s taken until now to release some tunes and well worth the wait it is too. A great teaser for what’s to come on the album later this year. Facebook

Jaguero – Worst Weekend Ever (Epidemic Records) Five-track EP from Italian punks Jaguero kicks off with a really rounded production that fills the air with a warmth that I wasn’t really expecting. Influences from some of the big American pop-punkers and Alt smash acts to the Nirvana like ‘Negative, Awesome!’ and the excellent mash-up that is ‘Get Along’.

With a range of influences yet making a cohesive end product will see Jaguero do well when they can find their niche impressive EP to be getting on with.

Bandcamp Here Digital Here

 

You can forget about your boot boy Glam of Guida or any other pretenders who think they have their finger on the pulse of ’70s glam rock vibe because there can be only one at the top of the pile and quite frankly that’s Gyasi. From the opening intro and lyric come the wise words “if you can’t hide it hang bells on it, Baby!” Hell yeah! we’re off.

With a trashy tempo ‘Colourful’ is up and running. The title track is up next with its big strumming acoustic guitar holding the rhythm along with handclaps and some sweet organ toots its glam alright like when the 60s turned into the 70s and it was all about the music.  Excellent stuff.

As the record goes from a fruity early Joe Perry like riff or the Zep inspired ‘Young Love’ to the out and out glam of ‘Tongue Tied’ the band kick back and mix up some classic Lower East Side rock and roll al a Lou Reed stylings on ‘Blackstrap’ its got some lush horns and matching riff which makes for an interesting and enjoyable cocktail for sure.

To be fair this album has ten really good tunes it might not necessarily make album of the year it is full of solid rock and roll songs that are well written and well played and borrow bits and pieces from the good and the great from a bygone era – given a dust down and remodeled with extra feathers is always going to go down well around here.  I do like what they bring on ‘Bring Your Love’ mixing up the acoustic and electric guitars and summoning the spirit of prime time Robert Plant draws on some classic trippy rock as well. ‘Nightcrawl’ has a cool organ rasping away on the intro like John Lord in platforms and feathers with a nice line in nail polish and listening to classic Iggy Pop when he went to Berlin for inspiration.

Saving the best until the end ‘Kiss Kiss’ is a piano tonkin’ sax blowing romp that the Dolls would have been proud of and ‘Little Tramp’ is sitting crossed legged with only ‘Hunky Dory’ for companionship atop of a mountain.  great record go pick it up glam slammers.

Author: Dom Daley

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With a bunch of fantastic album reviews coming up this week heres a taste of whats coming up as we review the new Dead Furies album but heres something off their last album just to tide you over.

 

This week we also have the brand new Starcrawler album for review and its a banger trust us.  so heres a teaser from that

To round it off try Gyasi for size with their new album reviewed these cats have got it going on

This album release snuck up on me, and I put it on my radar as soon as I saw when it was dropping. While eager to hear it, I did not have this one as something I had to hear right away as I enjoyed the first EP but wasn’t blown away by it. Then, I gave this album a listen… and another… and another… and well you see where this is going. This album is a gamechanger for future expectation (when we get there), but let’s invest a lot of time into the present as this album gives us 10 songs in less than 30 minutes with not one second wasted. With influences ranging from glitter glam, 70’s blues hard rock, and rock n roll. Gyasi, currently based in Nashville, has followed up his first EP with a classic, timeless feeling album that will likely be on many end of the year best album lists as the number of people who hear it.

The lightning guitar riff by Gyasi that launches ‘Colorful’ tears a hole in the soul and immediately gets the body moving. ‘I’m not normal; I was born colorful’ is not just a lyric; it is a statement of intent from an artist who has invested blood, sweat, and tears into finding out who he is. The guitar solo allows a reprieve before an epic race to the finish of the song and one final chorus. We change gears immediately with the acoustic power pop jangle of ‘Androgyne’ affirming that you can be anything you want to be. In a world of bullies, this can serve as an anthem for those that don’t fall into the society ordained categories and give them a voice. The bluesy ‘Young Love’ takes some Led Zeppelin influences with Gyasi using a higher vocal here to create an awesome hook in the chorus.

One of the early singles follows with ‘Tongue Tied’ shaking and grooving down the back alley with another addictive chorus. The added harmonica showcasing another element we have not heard. This one recalls some Rolling Stones vibes. The bluesy ‘Blackstrap’ brings some horns into the mix and creates an even stranger musical refrain. This song has proven to be an incredibly fast grower as I was not initially blown away by it and now think it is one of many favorites from the album. The chorus comes from early glitter glam and attaches itself to your brain.

‘Wilde Childe’ starts us down the back half of the album with a straight forward beat giving way to an almost robotic refrain in the chorus. This song might actually be the one that grabs me the least, but I am still singing it and not wanting to skip it when I play the album so maybe I call it the runt of a very strong litter. Some acoustic and slide guitar introduce ‘Bring Your Love’ which again recalls a bit of Led Zeppelin especially with that vocal hook in the chorus making me think of something like ‘Ramble On.’

The final trio begins with the upbeat ‘Nightcrawl’ which shimmies and shakes on an addictive beat that with the piano riding on top of it feels part Bowie and part musical number. The guitar cuts through at all the perfect times, and the hook is cut deep into my brain at this point. When I think about my favorite songs of the year, this one will be on the list. It segues into the glam glitter rocker ‘Kiss Kiss’ which features some more awesome piano work as well as some saxophone. The chorus is perfect and would make a perfect partner with something like ‘Almost Faded’ by the Sweet Things. Similar to ‘Nightcrawl,’ this one will likely garner a lot of attention from me for my favorite song of the year. Closing number ‘Little Tramp’ is an acoustic strummed rocker that is part T.Rex and could have fit seamlessly into the soundtrack for ‘Almost Famous.’ The gentle acoustic outro allows for a breath and provides one of two options. You either go right back into the beginning or allow it to transition to Gyasi’s first EP. Either way, you are a winner.

While Gyasi handles most of the instruments here, I do want to recognize the following who also play on the album:

Ammed Solomon and Gaelen Mitchell- drums

Dylan Whitlow- bass on ‘Young Love’

Don Steck-harmonica on ‘Tongue Tied’

Stefan Forbus- sax on ‘Kiss Kiss’

This album exceeded all my expectations and has left trails of glitter all across my favorite albums of the year. I would love to see a Gyasi/ Sweet Things tour happen where everyone can forget what year it might be and just celebrate for an evening. I cannot recommend this one enough if you want some enjoyable rock n roll that has a reverence for the past as well as a passion for the here and now to create 10 timeless songs.  2019 became even more awesome when we got this treasure of an album.

‘Androgyne’ is available Here.

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Author: Gerald Stansbury