Rainy Days & Mondays

Rainy Days & Mondays

First up this cold and wet UK morning is Autogramm, a synth-driven power-pop band from Seattle, Chicago and Vancouver. They have just announced their latest LP ‘Music That Humans Can Play’ with an advance single and video for the track “Plastic Punx”.

Their first album in over two years will be released on vinyl and digital formats world-wide on November 17th via Stomp Records and Beluga Records EU.

Autogramme – Bandcamp

New York City guitarist, singer-songwriter Steve Conte has released the music video for his latest single “Girl With No Name.”

The clip was shot on the streets of NYC & in studio by Natborn Productions’ Peter Perenyi & son Orion Perenyi, with motion graphics, lyrics & final touches by David Provan at 12 Inch Media.

The song follows the summer release of his single “Fourth Of July” (co-written with Andy Partridge of XTC).

Conte says, “This is a song of regret…about missed opportunity and lack of skills in meeting someone you’re attracted to.

When putting my new album together, I was looking for songs that would fit nicely alongside the songs that Andy Partridge and I had written for it and I kept thinking of this one. I wrote it back in 1984 and never forgot it – which was a good sign.

Because it came to me so long ago I can’t exactly remember my process for writing it, except that since I was young & single at that time I was probably experiencing these kinds of situations & feelings on a daily basis!

Musically, I can hear what was influencing me back then; mid 60s Beatles, mid 80s XTC, and that beloved Motown groove from a certain Diana Ross & The Supremes song…”

A follow-up LP to Conte’s acclaimed 2021 solo album Bronx Cheer, is expected in Spring 2024 via Steven Van Zandt’s Wicked Cool Records.

Philip Seth Campbell – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds – 12th October 2023

Philip Seth Campbell – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds – 12<sup>th</sup> October 2023

Phil Campbell has seemingly come full circle since leaving both The Temperance Movement and The Byson Family, by continuing on the singer/songwriter solo journey he started before joining one of the UK’s new breed of bluesy classic rock artists back in 2011.

While it’s a shame The Temperance Movement never reached the dizzy heights their early material and magical live gigs promised, the singer seems comfortable and content with his current status, and the release of his first solo album under the name Philip Seth Campbell.

Playing more intimate venues than he has been used to for many years, Philip is promoting ‘City Lights’ with a series of low-key dates, just the man and his guitar, with just a bassist and a keyboard player backing him.

Taking to the stage of the smaller community room at The Brudenell Social club, on this the second date of a UK tour, you would be forgiven for thinking the Glaswegian singer had come straight from a do. Wearing an open dress shirt, trousers and trainers Philip Seth Campbell looks like the dishevelled, cool uncle at a family wedding. He and his band then proceed to run through a selection of choice cuts from the new album, older solo material and a couple of tracks each from his former bands.

Opener ‘Magical West’ was the euphoric first single released, and it loses none of its power in this stripped back format. The ever-animated Campbell may be restricted in his movements with a guitar strapped on, but his voice is on point, full of vigour and soul as he rasps his way through each high energy chorus. By the time the trio hit the gospel-tinged third track ‘Revelation’ his voice and the sound mix has certainly hit the sweet spot.

Yet there’s a sense that the singer must work for it tonight, he is certainly not going through the motions. Starting fresh, playing new songs to an audience who may be unfamiliar with the material can be a trial by fire, and while the meagre and polite audience need some well-spirited goading from the singer into breaking the unnerving silence between songs, the whole thing seems to go swimmingly well. He certainly has the stagecraft, the songs and the voice to carry them. But it is nice to see a performer who is nervous and doesn’t know what to expect, deliver in spades.

The anthemic Springsteen vibes of ‘Hasta Luego’ shine strong in a live environment, and the slower soulful moments such as the autobiographical ‘Sober Boy’ sound great. The new songs all fit well with the older material whether that be The Temperance Movement, The Byson Family or older solo stuff such as the sweet ‘Wrecking Ball Nights’, a song he introduces while strumming the opening chords

“Sometimes there’s nothing else for it but to get fucked up!” he declares. He may be a sober and happier boy these days, but he reminds us that things can easily change.

It was a bit of a surprise to hear him break into ‘Chinese Lanterns’. To be fair, I wasn’t really expecting that. It’s always been a favourite TM track since those early shows where Philip would sing it acapella, off-mic to a stunned crowd. Tonight, with an acoustic guitar as accompaniment it is just as special. Another TM classic ‘Lovers & Fighters’ closes a sweet set that satisfies fans both old and new.

I saw The Temperance Movement in this very same venue 10 years ago on their way up, and now it seems quite fitting to see their ex-singer continue his musical journey in fine form. A mesmerising and rewarding set from one of the best singer/songwriters we have to offer and one of the best gigs of the year for me. This could be the start of something special.

Author: Ben Hughes

THE LIBERTINES New album and live shows

THE LIBERTINES New album and live shows

‘All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade’ (8th March)

NEW SINGLE – Run, Run, Run (Out Now)

Plus intimate shows in Margate (9th/10th December)  

If you want the night to lastThe Libertines are excited to announce the release of their fourth studio album entitled, All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade out 8th March 2024. The release marks the band’s first new album in nine years and opens with the infectious new single, Run Run Run out today Listen Here.

‘All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade’ is available to preorder from: https://TheLibertines.lnk.to/AQOTEEPR
Anyone who preorders the album will be offered the chance to purchase tickets for “All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade’ two days of special acoustic & electric live shows by The Libertines, at the 500 capacity Lido in Margate on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th December. Also available both nights are VIP after party tickets at the Albion Rooms and Justine’s nightclub, which will include full band DJ sets.


Opening All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade is the firstsingle Run, Run, Run, a huge singalong punk rock anthem, Carl says, “It’s about being trapped, and trying to escape your dismal life, a bit like the man in Bukowski’s ‘Post Office’. The worst thing for The Libertines would be to get stuck in a ‘Run-run-run’ rut, constantly trying to relive our past.”


On All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade, the quartet of unlikely lads have gathered from their new-found homes in France, Denmark, Margate and London to solder a strongest-ever internal bond, and scale new creative heights resulting in the best music of their extraordinary career so far.
Featuring eleven new sparkling Libertines songs with songwriting credits shared among the four band members, the album was produced by Grammy-nominated producer Dimitri Tikovoï (The Horrors/Charli XCX/Becky Hill) and recorded at The Albion Rooms in Margate. Recorded in just four weeks earlier this year during February and March and finished over seven days at La Ferme de Gestein Studios in Normandy, with additional production and mixed by Dan Grech-Marguerat (Lana Del Rey/Liam Gallagher/Paul McCartney).


The story of the making of All Quiet On The EasternEsplanade goes like this – in September ’22 Libs glimmer twins Doherty and Barât decamped to Geejam in Port Antonio, Jamaica. Away from any distraction the chemistry between the infamous songwriting partnership began to bubble in earnest.
Fast forward to February ’23 and Peter and Carl regrouped with rock solid knaves to the rhythm, John and Gary, at The Albion Rooms, and, says Doherty, “we really came together as a band. It was a moment of rare peace and unity, with all the members contributing.”For Carl, the whole Libertines journey has been leading to this moment. “Our first record was born out of panic, and disbelief that we were actually allowed to be in a studio; the second was born of total strife and misery; the third was born of complexity; this one feels like we were all actually in the same place, at the same speed, and we really connected.”
Peter proclaims: “We’re over the moon, and the ball is in the back of the net… and I’m chuffed for the lads!” He adds, more seriously, “I feel like we’ve completed a cycle of some kind as a band, and finally now we can add these songs to the set list, because we’ve got some bangers in there. Now we’ve opened the hotel and used the studio ourselves and it’s all worked out – more Libertines records? I should hope so!”
The album – named All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade as a nod to their hotel’s street address and their enduring love of Erich Maria Remarque’s landmark anti-war novel – is an unequivocal triumph.
All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade will be available on CD, deluxe CD, 12” vinyl in limited edition coloured variants, deluxe double vinyl cassette and digital download.

Pic courtesy of Ed Cook

BILLY LIAR DEBUTS NEW SONG ‘OBLIVION’ & NEW ALBUM ‘CRISIS ACTOR’

BILLY LIAR DEBUTS NEW SONG ‘OBLIVION’ & NEW ALBUM ‘CRISIS ACTOR’

Listen to ‘Oblivion’ Here

Edinburgh, Scotland – October 06, 2023 – Following up the announcement of BILLY LIAR’s new album “Oblivion,” he has just dropped his first single “Oblivion” on all streaming platforms! CLICK HERE to listen to the song. Additionally, his album “Crisis Actor” is available for pre-order on the Pirates Press Records website.


“Billy Liar is one of my favorite songwriters. Powerful and honest.” – Tim Armstrong (Rancid)

That’s one hell of a statement coming from Armstrong, a guy who knows his way around a tune as one of the most beloved songwriters in punk rock history.

A single listen to Billy Liar’s new album “Crisis Actor” will have any listener agree with Armstrong. With this album, Billy Liar showcases his outstanding talent for storytelling and his ability to capture raw, unfiltered emotions that resonate with listeners on a deeply personal level. These songs are bold, brash, and destined to be played loud in any size venue Billy steps into, from a solo show at a DIY space to a full-band set on a giant festival stage and everywhere in between…all with fans screaming back every word!

From the outset of “Crisis Actor,” Billy Liar commands the listener’s attention. From the opening track “Oblivion,” he pulls no punches when he sings “The only way I win is by not giving in to oblivion.”

Throughout the album, Billy intricately weaves anecdotes, scathing social commentary, and self-realization to craft a record that will please old and new punks alike. Drawing the inevitable comparison to the legendary punk troubadour Billy, Mr. Liar shares Mr. Bragg’s ability to address society, politics, and the world at large through the lens of lived experience and deeply personal, confessional emotion.

And just to put “Crisis Actor” over the top, a friend turns up to lend his familiar voice to one of the record’s highlights: the one and only Frank Turner joins Billy on “Negroni,” adding his trademark powerhouse grit to Liar’s boundless, exuberant energy.

With “Crisis Actor,” Billy Liar is poised to step up as a central voice in a new wave of singer-songwriters ready to tell their tales to listeners across the world. Clocking in at just 28 minutes, this album is a proverbial uppercut to the jaw. It hits you hard and fast, but it is intricate enough to reward close repeat listens. This is fortunate, because you’ll find yourself dropping the needle on this one again and again!

Whether armed only with his guitar or backed by a full band, Billy Liar will be traveling the globe, commanding stages of pubs, clubs, and arenas alike with this new set of tunes ready to catapult him into the hearts – and record collections – of punks worldwide!

For more information on Billy Liar:
https://www.billyliarmusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/official.billy.liar/
https://www.instagram.com/officialbillyliar/

John J. Presley announces UK headline tour dates for February 2024

<strong>John J. Presley announces UK headline tour dates for February 2024</strong>

John J. Presley announces UK headline tour dates for February 2024

Tickets available HERE:


New album ‘Chaos and Calypso’ due October 20th via God Unknown Records

Album launch show confirmed for October 18th at Third Man Records, Blue Basement in Soho, London. Tickets HERE:

Pre-order the album HERE:

Listen to new single ‘Silhouettes’ HERE:

“This is so good, a brooding, bluesy work out which would sound quite good in a Peaky Blinders-esque epic, perhaps we should also pass that on to that nice Cillian Murphy fellow…” Steve Lamacq, BBC6 Music

“What a return, sounding so good…superb stuff.” John Kennedy, Radio X

“Beauty in the songwriting, with John J. Presley displaying Nick Cave-esque levels of vocal intensity.” CLASH

“A ferocious, belly-deep sound, but somehow tender with it.” The Guardian (Laura Barton)

Brighton based multi-instrumentalist John J. Presley returns with a new album ‘Chaos and Calypso’, due October 20th via God Unknown Records. Following a period of activity in May of this year, John broke a three-year hiatus with the brooding, hypnotic single ‘Sinnerman’ (a collaboration with friend Laura-Marty Carter from Blood Red Shoes), and live shows with Radiohead’s Philip Selway and Gaz Coombes (Supergrass).

‘Chaos and Calypso’ features the first new music from Presley since his debut album ‘As The Night Draws In’ in 2019 and the vinyl only lockdown release ‘Albany Sessions’, which were both released to great acclaim. Presley’s music is hard to categorize but that is its strength – from folk blues noir moments to tasteful post rock walls of sound, – classic songwriting to improvised, experimental moments, Presley is constantly creating a tapestry that will engage, challenge, and inspire.

A diary piece that echoes a period of ill health, of spiralling vertigo and misdiagnoses, ‘Chaos and Calypso’ shows Presley’s trademark guitar tone in full effect with enough space in the mix to weave in a new palette of textures from drum machines and synths throughout. Presley plays guitar, bass and pedal steel on the new record and is an in-demand player too – Nadine Shah, Duke Garwood, Laura-Mary Carter, Juanita Stein and Smoke Fairies have all had him join their line ups.

Finally free of the confines of the studio, Presley is ready to bring ‘Chaos and Calypso’ to life in venues across the UK and following a special album launch show at Third Man in London on October 18th, will undertake a headline UK tour in February 2024.

Tickets are available HERE:

Full dates below:

18th October Third Man, London (special album launch show)

31st October The Prince Albert, Brighton

2024

1st February Edge of the Wedge, Portsmouth

4th February Strings Bar and Venue, Isle of Wight

9th February Ramsgate Music Hall, Ramsgate

22nd February Adelphi, Hull

23rd February The Golden Lion, Todmorden

24th February Le Pub, Newport

25th February Hare and Hounds, Birmingham

‘Chaos and Calypso’ album launch show confirmed for October 18th at Third Man Records, Blue Basement in Soho, London. Tickets HERE:

Pre-order ‘Chaos and Calypso’ HERE:

Follow John J. Presley online:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

INSTAGRAM

BANDCAMP

Swm Festival Announce Final Names For 2023

Swm Festival Announce Final Names For 2023
SWN FESTIVAL

ANNOUNCE FINAL NAMES FOR 2023 EDITION

TAKING PLACE ACROSS CARDIFF – OCT 20th-22nd
49 NEW ACTS ANNOUNCED INCLUDE:
HAK BAKER
PICTURE PARLOUR
WILLIAM DOYLE
FLAMINGODS
TAPIR!
ZZZAHARA
OUR GIRL
ACID KLAUS
VIJI
THE UTOPIA STRONG

JOINING THE LIKES OF:
THE LAST DINNER PARTY, PIGSx7, SKINNY PELEMBE, BILL RYDER-JONES, MANDY INDIANA, BC CAMPLIGHT, DIVORCE, OPUS KINK, JESSICA WINTER, LYNKS, ETHAN P FLYNN, WESTERMAN & MOREDAY TICKETS + FINAL TIER WEEKEND TICKETS
ON-SALE NOW: 
https://swnfest.com/“There’s something for everyone at this charming festival – the only problem is deciding who to watch.” – The Guardian, 4/5

“Sŵn Festival is setting the benchmark for festival line-ups and really hammers in a ‘no more excuses’ approach when it comes to diversity on line-ups… A perfectly run event, glued together by beautiful, kind and community-driven people.” – Clash
Hot off the heels of the successes of its 2022 edition – and the announcement of their 20 For 23 highlighted artists earlier this year – Sŵn Festival today shares the latest and final batch of additions to complete the line-up for this year’s event, taking place across multiple venues in Cardiff from October 20th-22nd. An unmissable highlight of the live calendar, the award-winning tastemaker festival once again returns with a jam-packed bill full of established and upcoming artists, a celebration of the diverse, exciting nature of both British and Welsh music and beyond. It promises to be another year of nurturing the best local, national and international artists and offering a platform to bigger and better things.

Bringing the kitchen-sink realism of working-class life on the Isle of Dogs to the Welsh Capital is Hak Baker. The East London troubadour, with his street-level stories and confessionals of youthful nihilism and male vulnerability, has been described by Vice as “subverting what a British folk singer can be“. A vital, inimitable voice for those often denied one, Baker’s set promises to be a life-affirming wonder brought to you from the edge of armageddon.

Making a colossal entrance into the music scene – and what will be an even greater entrance into the streets of Cardiff – is the widely-lauded Picture Parlour. Observing their ravenously watchable live set that is fast becoming one of the hottest tickets in their native London, you might wonder if you’ve found yourself back in July 1976 awaiting a neo-noir screening. Be prepared for an interlude of mini motion pictures that vow to lure audiences with the lyrics of a born thespian, accompanied by a generous dose of spellbinding guitar and sleazy bass lines.Joining them for this year’s line-up is Acid Klaus, the moniker of cultural agitator and electronic innovator Adrian Flanagan – the man behind the curtain of The Moonlandingz and Eccentronic Research Council, and many more trailblazing sounds born from the North of England. Acid Klaus’ performance celebrates the “conceptual, alter ego-driven spectacular” (Loud and Quiet) that is his second album, Step On My Travelator: The Imagined Career Trajectory of Superstar DJ & Dance-Pop Producer, Melvin Harris. It’s a phenomenal vortex of excess, hedonism and vampires of clubland culture, and in Cardiff it all awaits you. 

A firm favourite on the festival circuit across the UK and Europe, London quartet Flamingods are in town bringing with them their distinctive take on psychedelia, new wave, electronica and punk, blending in influences from their unique cultural heritages and a shared penchant for 70s British rock ‘n’ roll. As The Guardian aptly put it when writing about them recently: “prepare to be bombarded with bliss!”

William Doyle, fka East India Youth, comes to town with one of the most critically acclaimed back catalogues of the last decade in his pocket. From his 2014 Mercury-nominated debut album, Total Strife Forever, right through to his 2021 art-pop masterpiece Great Spans of Muddy Time, Doyle has been one of the most innovative sonic auteurs in British music in recent memory. Expect a suitably wondrous set from him in Cardiff.

Immensely charming, folk-tinged sextet – and recent Heavenly signings – Tapir! join in the festivities and promise to bring a touch of whimsy to proceedings, while LA’s Zzzahara – a frequent collaborator with Eyedress – will scratch the itch for anyone in need of reverb-laced break-up bangers. In the mood for some grunge-tinged dynamism? Brighton trio Our Girl have you covered. Psychedelic, motorik meanderings that clash with techno-tinged beats? You’ll be wanting to catch the inimitable The Utopia Strong. Alt-pop full of hefty guitar lines and infectious RnB energy, that’s as influenced by Fugazi as it is Frank Ocean? Rising Speedy Wunderground artist Viji might just be the one for you.

Today’s additions join an already jam-packed line-up that includes the abundantly hyped The Last Dinner Party, the one-man maelstrom that is Skinny Pelembe, British indie treasure Bill Ryder-Jones, brutally abrasive post-punk noire crew Mandy, Indiana, Manchester-via-New-Jersey auteur BC Camplight, filth-funk merchants Opus Kink, explorative Turkish-Sri Lankan experimental pop game-changer BODUR, Nottingham indie heavyweights and new Gravity/EMI signees Divorce, futuristic rock ‘n’ roll quintet Fat Dog, Dutch singer-songwriter Pip Blom, YALA! mainstay and much-loved indie staple Willie J Healey, and London mutant disco meets post-punk trio MADMADMAD.

Earlier this year, the festival announced their 20 For 23, in which Sŵn highlighted a selection of the country’s most promising newcomers in its first line-up reveal of the year.

Artists announced as part of 20 For 23 included pop disruptor Jessica Winter who crafts a world of gothic, dance-driven cabaret, the near-mythical Lynks whose your hook-up for ear-splitting bass with a queer punk ethos, subversive alt-pop visionary Ethan P. Flynn and the ever-fascinating Westerman, as well as hotly-tipped local talent including the romantic, driving post-punk of Slate and ascendant rapper Luke RV, a real gem at the centre of Wales’ burgeoning hip-hop scene.Speaking on the latest batch of names to join the 2023 edition of the festival, Sŵn head of music Adam Williams shares: “One thing that makes Sŵn so special and exciting to us is that we’re able to book the artists across the course of a full year. It means by wave three the focus is on those artists who have emerged in the past few months leading up to the festival like Viji, Picture Parlour, Trout and Flip Top Head. We also welcome better-known artists like Our Girl who make their long-awaited Sŵn Festival debut.”Keep your eyes peeled for more from Sŵn Festival as October approaches, but for now head to swnfest.com for more information and ticket pricing options. From today, single day tickets as well as two-day ticket bundles are available at the following prices: Friday – £20, Saturday – £40, Sunday – £30, Friday + Saturday – £55, Saturday + Sunday – £65. Early bird and tier one weekend tickets sold out before a single artist was announced, with tier two weekend tickets still on-sale.

Sŵn Festival is an award-winning multi-venue music festival based entirely in Cardiff’s city centre, which has been running since 2007. Since its inception, the festival has been focused on new music, emerging artists and homegrown acts.
Sŵn Festival – 2023 line-up (so far):Acid Klaus | Alaw | Alffa | Ani Glass | Artshawty | Baba Ali | Babymorocco | Banshi | BC Camplight | Bill Ryder-Jones | BODUR | Bonny Doon | Butch Kassidy | Car Boot Sale | CATTY | Cerys Hafana | Chilli Jesson | CHROMA | Cloth | Corella | Conchúr White | Crimewave | DasRADIAL | Death Cult Electric | Divorce | Elanor Moss | Ella Lockert | Ellur | Esther | Ethan P. Flynn | The Family Battenberg | Fat Dog | Ffenest | Flamingods | Flip Top Head | Frozemode | Getdown Services | Gillie | Grey FLX | Gwcci | Hak Baker | Half Happy | Hands Off | Hemes | Hex Girlfriend | Honesty | Hyll | The Itch | Jack Valero | Jasmine Jethwa | Jessica Winter | KEG | Lande Hekt | The Last Dinner Party | Living Body | Los Blancos | Luke RV | Lynks | MADMADMAD | Magugu | Malgola, No | Mandy, Indiana | Maria Uzor | Max Rad | Mercy Rose | Mickey Callisto | Minas | Moin | Monet | Morgan Harper-Jones | Murder Club | Muriel | The New Eves | New Wave Sound.Ent | Nookee | O. | Opus Kink | Oscar Browne | Oslo Twins | Our Girl | Pale Blue Eyes | Parisa Fouladi | Picture Parlour | Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs | Pip Blom | Rosie Alena | Safari Gold | Sage Todz | Salti | Shelf Lives | The Shunkos | Skinny Pelembe | Saloon Dion | Slaney Bay | Slate | Sleep Outside | Sophie Jamieson | Tapir! | Thord1s | Tiny Camels | Treeboy & Arc | Trout | The Tubs | TVAM | Twst | The Utopia Strong | Vanity Fairy | Viji | Waterpistol | Westerman | William Doyle | William The Conqueror | Willie J Healey | Y Dail | Ziyad Al-Samman | Zzzahara

Philip Seth Campbell – ‘City Lights’ (Assai Records)

Philip Seth Campbell – ‘City Lights’ (Assai Records)

The former frontman of The Temperance Movement returns after a tumultuous period in his life with a solo album that has been decades in the making. Musical differences and personal issues saw the gravelly-throated singer leave not only The Temperance Movement in 2020, but also last year he parted ways with The Byson Family, the band he left to form and concentrate on.

But following a series of acoustic shows and a recent EP release, Philip has exorcised whatever demons he was carrying and is back stronger than ever with his debut long player.

Seeking redemption and filled with retrospection ‘City Lights’ is a journey of a storyteller who explores new territories while tipping his worn and tattered hat towards his past glories throughout its 12-track length. There’s a self-assured confidence and a sense of rejuvenation to leading track and first single ‘Magical West’ that sees Philip shed the heavy rock and americana leanings of his previous bands and embrace a more commercial and eclectic direction. Upbeat and euphoric in equal measures, it has a Springsteen style power and delivery with a rousing chorus that will excite the listener and induce goosebumps as well as repeated plays.

‘City Lights’ is an album filled with unexpected directions that take you on a definite journey. The liberating ‘Hasta Luego’ is a tale of eloping to Mexico, and you are with him on the road as he invites you to “get away through LA and San Diego”. Sound wise, with urgent beats and stabs of keys it builds like Hothouse Flowers to a rousing chorus worthy of Butch Walker.

The mellower, more soulful moments such as ‘Revelation’ and ‘Break The Curse’ nod their heads to Van Morrison with gospel-tinged backing vocals, brass and stabs of piano to accompany the stunning vocal delivery.

The needle drops on side two for the funky title track with a blast of horns, crisp drum beats and gospel harmonies, coming on like an outtake from The Black Crowes sophomore long player meets Paolo Nutini, and that ain’t a bad place to be. But if there is any one song that would be a showcase for Phil’s vocal prowess on this album, I would probably go for the celebration that is ‘Soul Fire’. The performance here exudes confidence, power and depth and just seems to flow perfectly. A killer guitar solo adds some fire. It’s worth noting that considering he plays most of the instruments and self-produced this album, it has a very ‘live in the studio’, full band sound.

Elsewhere, ‘Silent Symphony’ mixes up americana and soul with sweeping strings and gospel backing to create a heart-wrenching, cinematic soundscape. And that is something that continues on the honest and confessional ‘Sober Boy’.

He may have left TTM to get away from the screamers, but closer ‘Gut City Blues’ leaves us with a reminder of his past. Killer riffs and even more killer vocals give us a whiff of AC/DC meets Ike & Tina goodness, plus the addition of founding TTM guitarist Luke Potashnick, who turns of to lay down a tasty solo. A glorious rocker that is sure to be a live favourite when he hits the road later this year.

While I was saddened when he left TTM and The Byson Family, Philip Seth Campbell has risen like a phoenix from the flames and delivered an album that exceeds all expectations. ‘City Lights’ is an instantly familiar album that is hard to not fall in love with from the very first listen. With enough rockers, ballads and ravers to satiate his fanbase, it exudes the confidence and charisma of a songwriter who has been around the block and has lived to tell the tale.

Buy Here

Author: Ben Hughes

Christmas ‘Eff It Up’ in style Video

Christmas ‘Eff It Up’ in style Video

After the start of the pandemic and Brexit, Christmas were perhaps the first punk band back on tour in the UK in 2021. To capture the experiences on video, the band captured the tour in a small clip in 2022. Enjoy ‘Fuck It Up’ from the current album ‘Hot Nights In Saint Vandal’ (released in 2020 on Kidnap Music and TNS Records) you can watch the band from the ferry to Quadrophenia Alley!

Buy Christmas Merch Here

C.O.F.F.I.N – ‘Australia Stops’ (Bad Vibrations)

C.O.F.F.I.N – ‘Australia Stops’ (Bad Vibrations)

If you prefer the US re-dubbed version of Mad Max, George Miller’s 1979 post-apocalyptic vision of the future, then hit the homepage button now, because C.O.F.F.I.N are about as Australian as every millimetre of Mick “Two Fingers” Simpson’s beer belly. Just take one look at the front cover of ‘Australia Stops’, the band’s fifth album to date, and there’s no disputing these madmen from the Northern Beaches of Sydney really do suffer for their art. I mean who has a mullet in 2023? Well, other than the members of Rough Gutts, obviously. (Ha!)

Yeah, these four guys are like a Cosmic Psychos and Asteroid B-612 jam band playing Bea Smith’s birthday bash at Boggo Road Jail, that’s how bloody Australian they are, and they sound totally bloody bonza too! Just take one listen to the album’s opening track (and lead video) ‘Give Me A Bite’ and tell me I’m wrong.  The opening guitar licks of this track slap you straight across the face before vocalist and drummer Ben Portnoy (no relation…I hope) literally spits the song’s lyrics in it too. There’s something very Hip Priests-like about the “spit in my wounds” refrain too, and that’s certainly no bad thing, eh pop pickers? 

I must admit that when the band released their ‘Children In Finland Fighting In Norway’ (think about it) album a few back, I was already balls deep into a playlist featuring the likes of Stiff Richards, Private Function and Civic, so that record’s dozen tracks kind of passed me by, but here in 2023 with no such distractions to take my (bonk) eye off the C.O.F.F.I.N shaped prize, I’m all about the mullet maaaaan.

‘Cut You Off’ reminds me of just how great Airbourne used to be before they recorded the same album four times over, mixing the Rose Tattoo riffage with Motorhead attitude to absolute perfection. ‘City Sun’ meanwhile appears to be an ode to a man with the head of a horse, so I’m always going to love it aren’t I?

‘Keep It Dark’ and ‘Lovers Leash’ quickly follow and continue this four to the floor approach before ‘Beasts’ chugs its harp beating black heart past the record’s midway point, and I can’t help but think of Stevie Young’s old band Starfighters and their classic debut album every time I hear this one.   

For the second half of ‘Australia Stops’ the album’s title track introduces us to a further five song knuckle sandwich of punch drunk rock ‘n’ roll, the highlight of which (for me anyway) is the blistering one – two of ‘Through The Sewer’ and ‘Faceless’ a fine duo of tunes for the children of Generation Z to truly lose their shit over, just like they have been to the likes of Amyl & The Sniffers and The Chats.

Hotter than a rollin’ dice, C.O.F.F.I.N will hopefully be back soon to rule the roads of the UK (they did a run of shows back at the start of the summer) and promote ‘Australia Stops’ to the max, In the meantime we can all get excited about this mighty fine record hitting the record shop racks on September 15th.

Play it loud folks, PLAY IT LOUD!

You can pre-order ‘Australia Stops’ via the following link; http://coffin.lnk.to/AustraliaStops

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Author: Johnny Hayward

The Hangmen – ‘Stories To Tell’ (Acetate Records)

The Hangmen – ‘Stories To Tell’ (Acetate Records)

I always get excited when I hear news trickling through the grapevine that Californias Bryan Smalls has assembled The Hangmen to record some new music and when I got the PR to say ‘Stories To Tell’ was indeed done and in the can, I couldn’t wait to get me some.

Getting straight to business, ‘Broken Heartland gets ‘Stories To Tell’ off to a flier with its solid tempo and some cool slide driving this Rocker onward and upwards. With some really nice solo work. With very little fanfare it’s on with the show and always a band who simply let the music do their talking. As far as openers go this is a thumper, no messing about just good honest Rock n Roll with a decent hook sweet playing and a melody on the chorus that locks in to your good vibe receptors of your brain making this addictive and oh so sweet.

Play on. With a nice round ten tracks on offer Smalls laid back exterior and style is no more aparent than ‘Midnight Riders’ with its widescreen vision as the sun drops out of the sky its such a quality tune. You’ve gotta love the melody as it battles with the music for what grabs you most but this is where The Hangmen sit best for me – it sounds effortlessly cool as you’re drawn in. They turn up the amps for ‘Last Time I Saw You’ as the riff chimes the band are rockin out here just cruising through the gears.

Another shift in tempo sees the laid back ‘On The Outside’ go country roots rock. The acoustic guitars are out and its time to sip a beer on the porch whilst the Rock n Roll eases back. Four songs deep and four sides to The Hangmen painting broad strokes with a thread throughout thats totally recognisable which isn’t easy to do. That Hangmen tone is what captures your attention. It’s raw as a seeping wound but sweet as honey, ‘Sinister Purpose’ hangs its melody on a big riff thats classic and modern but always quality. The cowbell is out on ‘Bayou Moon’ as Smalls leads his troops down a Stones rabit hole that oozes class. As the groove takes hold I’m gazing into the sky hoping we can all get some of this ‘Bayou Moon’. In fact The Stones are lurking in the DNA of Stories To Tell as the acoustic rocker of ‘Behind The Wheel’ will testify.

With a title track being a mid paced mid day rocker stretching itself out building to the chorus its just classic Hangmen and if you get it you’ll dig it and admire their class. Its a very impressive album with variety and moments left right and centre that purr with quality from the rockin opener to the almost baladlike ‘Runnin Kind’ that brings the curtain down on this excellent album. Don’t take my word for it. Head out there and pick up a copy or if you’re modern and like to stream then get on and pre save it so you can also marvel in the majesty that is the most excellent Hangmen. Winner!

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Author: Dom Daley