That Was The Week That Was

That Was The Week That Was

Seven days in Rock and Roll can be a long time or if you like us then it’ll fly by.  With some exclusive interviews and a whole lot of records reviewed we hope we’ve at least shone a little light into a corner of the entertainment world we think houses the best of the best and having the likes of Rich Jones give an interview with some snippets about the new Michael Monroe album revealed ‘One Man Gang’ is now out of the bag and having the likes of Nasty Suicide and Captain Sensible playing on the record 2019 is shaping up nicely or as someone here at HQ said “that’s album of the year sorted for 2019”.

We also brought you Paul Collins interview who is the self declared king of power pop although I did get a call in to HQ saying that wasn’t quite true as Rags now holds that title but I’m not getting involved in that debate but we did announce that Rich Ragany is holding an album launch in London Town in January and the line up is a very impressive set of bands that shouldn’t be missed details can be found on RPM online News section.

There were live reviews from Japanese Garage legends King Brothers as well as acoustic platinum seller Eric Martin and on Friday we brought you a review of The Feelgood Band playing in London which rounded up a pretty diverse bunch from around the globe I’m sure you’ll agree?

For our bread and butter album reviews, we had some old new um very old and one turkey so a festive collection of records were covered by a crack team of scribes.  We previewed Black Friday RSD must own – Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers ‘DTK’ as well as newcomers Estrons that went down extremely well here.  We took a trip to New York for Palmyra Delran and her doppelgangers and whilst we were there Beechwood were heading out the door to Europe for a tour but left us their new long player which is also an impressive second album this year from the three-piece.  The Turkey well we couldn’t sit Idol let Billy off without mentioning his revisited best-of collection that has been given the dance remix treatment which could have worked but cutting edge it isn’t.  90’s dated Ibiza dance off it might have been but disappointing is what it is and we can only bring you the truth here at RPM even though we love William Broad we’re excited for Generation Sex but not his new collection of remixes. There were the likes of the excellent Bitterlicks and Dave Kusworth records reviewed before they hit the shops as well as Thomas Silvers much anticipated solo album.

 

Not wanting to finish on a downer we look forward to the coming week where you have to keep it RPM online because we’re bringing you The Hip Priests and He Who Cannot Be Named live and where else are you getting that and Junkyard bookending Cowboy Junkies?  Nowhere that’s where. Also, we have albums from Honest John Plain, Australians Civic, New York Sick OF It All and Europeans like Youth Avoiders and Fertile Hump.  So remember to keep it RPM online and as Lux would say Stay Sick.

 

 

King Brothers/Black Mekon/Bones Shake – York, The Fulford Arms – 22nd October 2018

King Brothers/Black Mekon/Bones Shake – York, The Fulford Arms – 22nd October 2018

Ben Hughes.

Japanese garage rock legends King Brothers are probably one of the greatest live bands you could ever clap your eyes on, their incendiary live shows are legendary.  Hell, they have even been banned from venues in Osaka. Yet tonight, in York’s finest music venue, they play to less than 30 people.

Even my 19-year-old son couldn’t entice his gig going buddies away from their TV’s and computer screens on a Monday night. It’s a damn shame, but it’s their loss because King Brothers played like their lives depended on it as I’m sure they do every night.

 

More of that later, as we have two very fine bands to check out before we get some Japandemonium going. Opening tonight are Manchester based scuzzy blues trio Bones Shake. Now, these guys are mighty special, a guitar and drum set up with a difference. They immediately come on like The Cramps meets The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, it’s raw and sleazy, just the way I like my rock ‘n’ roll.

Dressed head to toe in black with a mop of unkempt hair, singer David cuts an imposing figure. He struts the stage and howls his lyrics to all who will listen. Part Nick Cave, part Stiv Bators, he has the moves and his band have the grooves. With an interesting style, a mix of fingerpicking and slide, guitarist Andy brings the blues to their gritty primal sound, as drummer Davey keeps it all together with frantic beats. It’s not long before the sweat is literally dripping from the guitarist’s arms as he jams out riff after riff. The set culminates with the singer in the crowd, on the floor gyrating like he is having a seizure.

Their primal brand of garage rock goodness is bluesy and ballsy in equal measures, and they enthrall from start to finish. You should certainly be checking them out, I know I will.

Tonight’s the night of the three-piece band it seems. The mysterious Black Mekon hail from Birmingham, they wear superhero masks and dress in matching black shirts. Up front, you have a pair of Mekons, the singer, who is a leftie and plays a right-handed strung guitar upside down, (if you catch my drift), and the guitarist, who just plays the damn thing normally! The drummer has a massive beard and dresses like an extra from Peaky Blinders…he doesn’t need a mask.

The songs are short, sharp and quirky. They sound like a 50’s rock ‘n’ roll band with the erratic moves of Franz Ferdinand. Although I’m unfamiliar with their songs, I sure do dig their grooves, there is something mesmerising about this unusual trio. The back catalogue beckons methinks.

 

“York people, we are King Bruthaaas from Japaaan!! “ Shouts frontman  Keizo from the stage for the first of many times as an introduction prior to his band laying waste to The Fulford Arms. Dressed in black suits and ties the trio play like men possessed in a show with no let up from start to finish.

There may not be many people here tonight, but King Brothers play like they are destroying a stadium crowd. 2 guitars, 2 voices and a shit-kicker of a drummer who plays the first song with a Jason Vorhees mask on.

They play a host of garage rock classics from their back catalogue and choice cuts from excellent new LP ‘Wasteland’. Including a killer version of ‘No Thanks’ with audience participation, even though we have no idea what Keizo is trying to get us to sing.

It’s not long before guitarist Marya is in the crowd. In fact, the band spends as much time in the crowd as they do on stage. They are drenched with sweat after only a few songs. Someone places a beer by each member; they don’t touch a drop as they are in the zone, too busy rocking the fuck out!

It culminates with Keizo helping drummer Taichi drag his kit onto the dance floor while Marya removes his shirt, and gets a ton of distortion from his guitar on stage. He then takes over vocals as the band bash out an intense punk fuelled jam. Marya shakes and screams like an extra from ‘Train To Busan’. He ends up crowd surfing around the whole venue, which was pretty impressive considering there were 30 people here!

A high energy, chaotic show with enough insanity to appease even the most hardcore of gig-goers. The King Brothers should be high on everyone’s list to catch live. Tonight, it was 6 quid for 3 excellent bands, that’s value for money any day of the week, but I’m still left with the question “Where were you York?”.

 

 

Buy King Brothers Here

Wasteland review Here

Photo credit to Martin Frank

King Brothers – ‘Wasteland’ (Hound Gawd! Records)

King Brothers – ‘Wasteland’ (Hound Gawd! Records)

Ben Hughes.

In another dimension in space and time Jon Spencer Blues Explosion comes from Japan, the only English word they know is “yeah!” and they are called King Brothers. We must all hail their trashy brand of Japandemonium!

Unless you can read Japanese you will be hard-pressed to find any information on the interweb about King Brothers. Formed in Nishinomiya City in 1997, the band is known for their hyperactive and destructive live shows, they have even been banned from performing at several venues in Osaka. From what I can make out they have a dude called Keizo on vocals and guitar, a guy called Marya who shouts and plays the guitar too, and a hard hitter called Taichi. They did have a bassist, but I believe he imploded due to rocking out too hard!

 

‘Wasteland’ is the sound of raw, live energy pumping on your stereo. The King Brothers live show distilled into 11 hard hitting blasts of noise that will have you shaking like a loon and fighting the desire to stage dive from any given object.

From the cool as you like opening title track with its swathes of Hammond and blues harmonica workout, to the closing bastardisation of a Stones classic lovingly re-titled ‘Sympathy For The XXXX’, they garagify ( I made a new word!) everything they touch. And there’s a sort of post-apocalyptic feel to the whole thing.

The “Oh Yeah” refrain of ‘No Want’ was enough to draw me in. Check out the video, now that’s a band you wanna see live right? Yeah, I’m sold hook, line and sinker baby!  With surf guitar licks aplenty and urgent beats, it’s over before you can order a round of Sake, a veritable smorgasbord of high energy musical chaos.

What you hear is what you get with King Brothers, two guitars, pounding beats and undistinguishable shouting make up their marvellous trashy noise. Sure, they also throw in a mean, bluesy harmonica now and then to break up the monotony (yeah right, monotony is not a word in the King Brother vocabulary!)

‘Odorushikabane’ with its full-on harmonica intro takes the garage rock blueprint right down to a steady groove, it has a New York Dolls thing going on which is always a bonus in my book. The overly cool ‘Kick-Ass Rock’ channels Blues Explosion with fuzzy bass and indie beats aplenty and ‘No No No’ is ‘My Generation’ on crack and a sugar buzz fix, a riotous cacophony of noise.

Mental instrumental ‘Bang Blues is cool and the repetitive strains of ‘No Thanks’ sorta sounds like The Strokes with a rocket shoved up their collective skinny arses!

 

The power of rock ‘n’ roll defies the language barrier and ‘Wasteland’ proves music truly is a universal language. I don’t have a clue what they are singing about and I couldn’t care less, because when the needle hits the groove of a King Brothers album you will think of nothing else but losing your shit! Bring on the live show.

Buy It

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That’s the week that was

That’s the week that was

That week went quickly.  No sooner did we bring you the finest alternative album reviews but we also ushered in some welcome reviews from the best live bands breezing through the United Kingdom.

You had Canadian rockers The Dirty Nil turning up their master volume last weekend and we also went loco over power-pop royalty Paul Collins and his new album Out Of My Head.  If those two didn’t tickle your fancy then you should try out some UK hardcore in the shape of Welsh upstarts Social Experiment and their stunning debut ‘Rumours of Our Demise Are Not Greatly Exaggerated’.

We brought you Commies who played with Tommy, Some Italians who just rock like fuck in the shape of some Peawees, German sleazy rock n rollers in the shape of Hell Nation Army. and as the week drew to a close we took on board The Virginmarys new record that is a must hear any day of the week.

We also got to have a chat with Alvin Gibbs and get the low down on his soon to be released debut solo album and the UK Subs bass player also had some amusing tales about his band and what he spends his time doing when not on stage.

All that was last week when we also announced details of some great tours and shows and new records being released.

 

To prove that we should be the bookmark site for all the best reviews, news and interviews over the coming seven days we’ve got exclusive reviews and interviews that you won’t find anywhere on the internet beginning today when we have Tyla spilling the beans about his new record and over the next seven days. Reviews from Deathtraps, Nicotene Pretty, King Brothers, and Bottle Rockets but we also go balls deep into some fantastic live show reviews from the likes of Glenn Hughes and Jesse Malin to name two so you know where to go and click when you’re skiving in work – Oh and Nev just gave you his tips on the shakers and movers in the 2018 ska/punk scene with a few just about to head out around the UK if you’re quick there might still be tickets left for The Interrupters / Bar Stool Preachers Tour.  So skive a bit more with us and keep up to date with what’s what.  As Lux used to say – Stay Sick! Luv

RPM Online

Turbocharged Rock and Roll writing.