Hound Gawd! Records recently announced the new album by The Cutthroat Brothers and Mike Watt. Titled ‘The King is Dead’, the album will be available as vinyl LP on Record Store Day, June 12th, 2021, followed by a digital release on July 9th. The venomous blues-punk, swamp-rock sounds of The Cutthroat Brothers and Mike Watt conjure bands like The Gun Club, The Cramps, The Stooges and The Hives. You can check out a new single called “Wrong” now and download/stream the album for review below…
No Echo says “Basically, if you love bands like The Cramps and X, you’ll be an instant fan of what these fellas are cooking up.” adding, “Mr. Watt’s mind-fucking bass lines colors the material in a beautiful way that makes you go, “Yeah, this is sick.”
This collaboration began when Mike Watt interviewed Jason and Donny on The Watt from Pedro Show. When the real-life barbers casually asked Watt to play bass on their next album, they didn’t expect to hear ‘yes’.
Mike Watt added his magic and is now an honorary Cutthroat Brother barber by blood. Watt’s gritty, powerful playing will blow your greasy black pompadour back like a jet engine.
Hailed as ‘the Sweeney Todd’s of punk’, The Cutthroat Brothers and Mike Watt are a mean and murderous match made in hell.
World-renowned visual artist Raymond Pettibon (Black Flag, Sonic Youth) contributed the cover art, making ‘The King is Dead’ packaging hotter than a wet shave and twice as slick.
Take this blood-soaked bash-a-thon and file it where it fits: right next to punk rock greats like Misfits or The Damned.
Jack Endino (Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney) produces, mixes, and masters again (his 4th collaboration with The Cutthroat Brothers in only 2 plus years since the band was formed), honing ‘The King is Dead’ to a razor sharp point.
‘The King Is Dead’ opens with the aforementioned ‘Killing Time’, an anthem for miscreants everywhere. Up next is the rockabilly and drug influenced ‘Medicine,’ finding Mike Watt in a fuzzed up bounce reminiscent of The Minutemen’s ‘Corona’.
The third and title track ‘The King is Dead’ is a spooky blues burner that slips into the room like a night stalker, then slashes everything into a brash, bluesy bloodbath. The rest of the album pummels forward in the gritty, grimy, grinning fashion that leaves the listener sliced, shaking and twisting on the barbershop floor wanting more.
The Brothers and Watt enjoyed working together so much that you can expect further collaborations in the future!
Whilst the world is still in the grip of this Pandemic it’s always great to have a distraction from the daily grind of life currently under restrictions and social distancing and not being able to get out there and spend time with like-minded music lovers. However, one thing this damn virus hasn’t stopped is the release of great rock and roll records and one of 2021’s most impressive releases so far is without a doubt the awesome new album from Swedens The Boatsmen so with our masks on we made contact with the self-confessed kings of Party Rock and Roll and fist-bumped before we engaged in the chatter that matters. Welcome to your new favourite band kids please be upstanding for The Boatsmen…
Give us a bit of background to the band? You formed in or around 2008 when the first demo came out but didn’t get around to releasing the debut album in 2013 right?
That’s right, we started out wanting to be a contrast to a lot of the other bands around at the time. The Boatsmen is about letting loose and doing exactly what you feel like, just for the fun and the thrills with no boundaries. Stop taking yourself so seriously, stop overthinking and psychedelick my ass. During our first years, the focus was more on partying than recording. After a while, though we had mastered the art of partying to its full extent and got to work with our first album.
Where is the band from in Sweden? What’s it like for music there?
Yes, the band is from Örebro in the middle of Sweden and we grew up with a great music scene with bands like The Accidents, The Peepshows, The Strollers and The Pricks. When we started the band however the scene had been losing some action and we felt the responsibility to show the kids how it’s done.
I’m curious as to where the name comes from?
The band is named after the dog “Båtsman” (“Boatsman”) in the Swedish 70s kids show Saltkråkan. We thought a logo with a big anchor as the T in the middle would look cool.
Who were your influences?
We have a big mix of influences but we have a steady ground in the old 60s garage music with band such as The Sonics and Music Machine but with the rock action from MC5 and The Stooges, some boogie from The Hurriganes and Eddie Meduza, and a whole lot of punk approach from bands like GG Allin, The Damned and Ramones. But the main influence is good songs in general. Of course, we listen to and love the Scandinavian rock scene with bands such as Turbonegro, The Hives, and The Hellacopters. Reigning Sound and Henry Fiats Open Sore are two other favorite bands.
Let’s get up to date with the new album just released on Ghost Highway and Spaghetty Town. How did that arrangement come about did you tout the new record around or specifically target these guys?
We have worked with Ghost Highway before and we really like the stuff they put out and the way we work together. They also got American Spaghetty Town on this boat and we like many other bands dream of the US so we are really happy about that.
Where was the new record recorded?
We recorded ourselves in our rehearsal room/studio, Super Studios, that we have together with our friends in V8 Interceptor.
How has it been since Covid hit the globe? Sweden didn’t strictly enter a lockdown is that right? We there live shows then?
The main difference in Sweden compared to most other countries is probably that the lockdown is more about “recommendations” than laws. No public gatherings with more than 8 people allowed so no shows.
Who writes the songs in the band and how do you come to the finished record? Is everything done before you enter the studio? Did any of the writing get changed much when you started recording?
The last record we rehearsed a lot before we went into the studio and recorded everything live, all songs in one weekend. This time we pretty much recorded every song as soon as it was made, less rehearsing. We jam the music up together and all the lyrics/poetry are written by lead singer Håkan.
What about how long it took to get it finished from the start of the process?
Martin the drummer moved to another city so we just met during weekends and partied and recorded. It took almost two years because we really like to party. Also, we were waiting and hoping for the pandemic to be over before putting the record out, but eventually, we had teased ourselves too much and had to release it.
Live shows. Are there any plans to come to Plague island the UK and bring the noise?
We would love to bring our rock’n’roll circus to the UK as soon as we can!
The Boatsmen profess to have a good time all the time. What constitutes a good night out with The Boatsmen and where do we sign up?
Just write to us on Facebook, Instagram or theboatsmen@mail.com and we´ll start out with pizza and beer and end with beer and pizza.
I can’t get a copy of ‘City Sailor’ on vinyl any chance of a repress? I’m sure when people hear the new album the back catalogue will be in demand.
There´s a discussion about a repress and we hope we can get it done soon.
What has the band done differently from album to album? The new one is so good you seem to have hit a rich vein of form did it feel good when the songs were finished? Having had some distance from finishing recording and releasing is there anything you’d have done differently? What’s the process for The Boatmen.
For every record, we have had a different approach just to keep it fresh and not to do the same thing over again expecting a different result. This record we did everything ourselves, even the cover design, so maybe next record we’ll do nothing ourselves.
Talk us through the songs on the new album. Obviously, there are some reoccurring themes but are there any hidden depths we need to know about?
First off is the track “Action Delivery” and it’s about the anxiety and excitement of playing in a rock band that believe they´re the best. Next up is “Friday Night Forever” and that song is summed up in one of the lines of the lyrics: “Close your eyes and close your ears, be shitfaced don’t face your fears”. “Blame It On Me” was the first single from the album and it’s about the fact that everyone already thinks we are fucked up drunks, so if you do anything bad you might as well blame it on us. “Thirst Song” is a love song about a drunken relationship. “Saved By Rock” is about the fact that rock’n’roll saved us from boredom, sobriety, and virginity. “Even The Good Times Were Bad” is about how the times you thought then were good times can look like from behind. “I Don’t Wanna Lose This Time” is about not wanting the weekend to end. “When I’m Drunk” is about the superpowers you get when you’re drunk. Everything good that I have achieved in life I have done while being drunk. “Big Waves” is about remembering that you are the captain of your own ship. “Clap Canon” is a Swedish expression that describes when someone is really drunk. We have with our magic linguistic capabilities turned it into a story about making the audience clap their hands to keep the band on fire. “Gimme Your Money” is about the fact that alcohol is very expensive in Sweden. “Better Man” is what I keep telling my wife every day that I’m going to be. After Party In Hell is about the fact that if you end up in hell for doing the things you like I’d rather go there already.
What next for the band?
We would like to tour the world, but since the world is closed down right now we’ll release a bunch of music videos and do stuff online to keep the people’s thirst and hunger up until we can bring our exploding rock’n’roll chaos to your town! Cheers and thanks for the interview man, keep up the good work!
In more sane times perhaps the world at large wouldn’t be sat at home losing their shit on social media about which no hope celebrity it is singing autotuned bollocks whilst dressed up as some comic creature. No, maybe, just maybe they’d all be sat at home losing their shit over the fact that legendary punk rocker Sonny Vincent and doom metal pioneer Bobby Liebling have somehow managed to record perhaps one of the best albums of their careers in ‘Caveman Logic’, the soon to be released debut album from their supergroup The Limit.
Also along for the thrill in this perhaps most unlikely of unions are guitarist Hugo Conim and drummer João Pedro Ventura from Portuguese band Dawnrider plus on bass Jimmy Recca once of the Stooges and Ron Asheton’s New Order, and together, boy oh boy do these guys kick up one hell of a glorious racket.
Opening track ‘Over Rover’ perfectly sets the scene for what’s on offer here, somehow seamlessly blending doom laden Sabbath-y guitars with Liebling spitting out a soulful variation on his distinctive vocal style and in turn sounding not a million miles away from the singer’s singer, Scott Morgan. It’s exciting stuff that’s for sure, the band sounding very much like it’s on a mission to prove that great rock music really should have no boundaries, or in fact genres, and in ‘Black Sea’ the lead single from the record, they somehow also manage to add to a tinge of gothic attitude to the type of amazing music that should have made the likes of Radio Birdman (other great garage punk bands are available) superstars a hundred times over.
‘These Days’ and ‘Human Vs Nature’ continue with the frantic in your face born in a garage style that The Limit quickly adopts as their own before ‘Fleeting Thoughts’ slows things down to let Vincent shine on a guitar chug that Steve ‘Guitar Hero’ Jones would have been proud to have penned.
Elsewhere the album’s title track sees The Limit pushing the button marked Stooges on the control desk, whilst ‘Sir Lancelot’ sees Liebling deliver yet another fantastic soul charged vocal that wouldn’t seem out of place amongst The Hydromatics or The Sonics back catalogues.
At one minute thirty five seconds in length ‘Life’s Last Night’ is perhaps the band’s defining musical statement, a total middle finger to convention, and a joyous celebration of everything great about this band. Likewise ‘When Life Gets Scorched’ and ‘Kitty’s Gone’ are tunes set to take the eyebrows off anyone who might be sitting too close to their speakers at the time, and it’s only during the more pensive ‘Death Of My Soul’ and the swaggering album closer ‘Enough’s Enough’ where you finally get a chance to draw breath and reflect on what has gone before.
Album-wise 2021 has certainly got off to a fantastic start and with the thirty six minutes of music The Limit are about to gift us all with ‘Caveman Logic’ it’s definitely reached one of its most interesting and surprising points yet. Make a date in your diary for 9th of April 2021, get your copy of ‘Caveman Logic’ via the links below, then on the date in question pour yourself a well-deserved libation, drop this bad boy on the stereo, and then prepare to fall in love with great rock ‘n’ roll music all over again. Essential!!!!
GROUNDBREAKING FIRST SOLO ALBUM ‘TAKE IT TO THE VERTICAL’ FEAT. THE STOOGES’ SCOTT ASHETON AND RADIO BIRDMAN’S CHRIS MASUAK REISSUED ON 19TH MARCH VIA WILD HONEY RECORDS
Garage rock legend Radio Birdman founder Deniz Tek has announced the reissue of the groundbreaking album ‘Take It To The Vertical’. The album will be released for the first time on vinyl, digitally and on DSP’s on 19th March via Wild Honey Records.
‘Take It To The Vertical’, originally released by Redeye/Polydor Records Australia in 1992, was Deniz Tek’s first solo album. Recorded at historic SugarHill Studios in Houston, Texas, the album features Radio Birdman’s Chris Masuak on guitar and keyboards; and The Stooges’ Scott Asheton on drums. There are extensive liner notes, never before seen photos, and a bonus track that was not on the original release.
This amazing album has been long out of print, rare, and nearly impossible to find. It will now be available worldwide from Wild Honey as part two of a series of archival releases of Deniz Tek’s work.
Deniz has now shared the first track from the album. ‘Press On’, a ripping rock and roll anthem about air combat, was recorded live in the studio during the “Vertical” album sessions. This rare, unreleased track features Deniz and Chris Masuak, veteran Radio Birdman guitar slingers doing what they do best, and a smoking hot rhythm section led by the legendary Scott “Rock Action” Asheton on drums.
AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME ON VINYL, DIGITALLY AND ON DSP’S
Punk & Doom originators go straight to the soul of heavy rock on their new album Caveman Logic to be released via Svart Records on the 9th of April 2021. New single Black Sea out the 22nd of January 2021. Video out now!
More than a super-group, The Limit goes over the edge, to deliver real-deal, soulful Rock and Roll. Consisting of members of legendary Punk instigators The Stooges, the founders of Doom Rock Pentagram, legendary NYC Punk originators Testors and infamous Portuguese metal band Dawnrider, The Limit break out from the foundations of heavy rock and defy all expectations, to show a new generation what doom and punk really means. On the new album Caveman Logic, Bobby Liebling, singer and main-man of Pentagram, one of the originators of early Doom Rock and an inspiration for generations of Heavy Rock fans, on vocals, gives the performance of his career, singing like his life depended on it. Sonny Vincent, enigmatic legend of the early NYC Max’s Kansas City, CBGB Punk scene with his band Testors, having been on the road and recording with members of The Velvet Underground, lays down the guitar driven songs, his writing bearing all the hallmarks of ground-breaking Rock history in it’s filthy DNA. Phenomenal bass playing from Jimmy Recca, ex- The Stooges, and Ron Asheton’s New Order, gives The Limit the intense and world-class, speaker-destroying bottom end. Joined by Hugo Conim on Guitar and João Pedro Ventura on Drums from Portugese band Dawnrider, The Limit fuses star-dust pedigree with an organic incendiary chemistry that’s instantly raw and real. A dream come true to those that know their Doom/Punk history, The Limit brings the past right up to date on Caveman Logic, with an essential, burning passion at the heart of their songs. Seldom has a collaboration of well known stars in music sounded so vigorous and frenzied as The Limit’s caveman-like roar. The Limit is an astoundingly fresh and hot-blooded shot to the veins that Heavy Rock needs in this day and age. Conjured forth by stone-age pioneers, Caveman Logic goes to the heart of impassioned Heavy Rock and Punk, to deliver the basic and vital elements often missing in so much of today’s music. If you want primitive and straight to the soul primal rock, fresh from the grave and exhumed for a new unwitting future, look no further than Caveman Logic. This is it. This is as far as it goes. The Limit!
Governess are a sleazy bunch of sexy sailors playing a glunky blend of all action rock n’ roll that would bring a tear of pride to the guy lined eyes of Johnny Thunders and Happy Tom. Hailing from Buffalo, NY in the late great USA, Governess share the balls of their mid-west neighbours and the guts of their NYC cousins. We had a word with guitar player Handsome Erik, an all American guy with an unhealthy love for UK 90’s indie bands.
Compete the following sentence “Governess sound like a cross between………..”
A cross between deathpunk, glam, and Scandi/action rock. Big riffs, flamboyant swagger, sick guitars, and one hand gripping your crotch. Our influences include Hanoi Rocks, NY Dolls, Turbonegro, The Hellacopters, and the Dead Boys, to name a few, and I think that comes out in our musical style.
It’s been 4 years single the debut album “Let Me Be Your Governess”. What have you guys been up to????
Writing songs, and hitting the road, mostly. Getting out there, grinding, playing shows has always been at the forefront of our minds. We didn’t really want four years to pass before putting out another record; it just kind of worked out that way. The luxury of taking that time gave us a lot of material to choose from – the best we have from the last four years!
You’ve just unleashed new tune “Grime Time” what’s the response been like?
Oh man, the response has been great! Choosing the first single is a tricky thing. We wanted to put a song out that gives the audience an idea of what the record sounds like, but we didn’t want to blow our load early and use the strongest tune(s). I think we made the right decision; the song rips, and there’s still plenty of gems on the record. Every lyric in that song is true, by the way. It’s about our best bud, and 6th Governess – “Grime Time,” Matt. Without blowing his head up too much, he’s become some sort of quasi-fabled legend. He travels with us, partying his ass off the whole time. Once he learned that we wrote a song about him, shit really popped off!
What can the world expect from the new album “Never Coming Home”?
Never Coming Home sounds HUGE. Don’t expect some weak-ass, lo-fi, art-punk crap that was recorded on an old mixtape, or something. There’s a lot of guitars, a lot of sing-a-longs, cool lyrics, and upbeat songs. No snoozers. It’s dark, it’s fast, and it’s loud. In a lot of ways, we feel like Let Me Be Your Governess was kind of like our Ass Cobra, and this new one is our Apocalypse Dudes moment. The band has evolved so much in four years.
Have you got a label lined up or will you set up your own label to get it out there?
We are currently doing everything ourselves, but we are definitely looking to shop this around and get label support.
What’s your plan, post-pandemic battle plan?
Staying in lock-down has everyone really dying to get out play shows. Once we’re able to do that again, we’ll be pounding the pavement hard. This pent up energy is going to make for some wild times ahead! We’re trying to get this record released, in physical form, by the end of the year/early 2021. We haven’t discussed an early digital release, but that’s a possibility as well.
Are there still any great undiscovered bands out there? Give your mates’ bands a push.
Absolutely! Punk’s not dead, it’s just down on the floor… Through the years, we’ve met some great bands, and have made some great friends. Without a doubt, the best band in our scene is Hot Blood, from Asbury Park, New Jersey. If you’re into hardcore punk, there’s no one doing it better. They have two guitar players that shred, their lyrics are on point, and their hooks are strong as fuck. In early 2019 they put out Fear of a Unified Public, and we’re still all talking about it! Another great Asbury band (now in Los Angeles) is The Battery Electric. These beautiful babies are the hardest working band in the business. 100% rock n roll, sweet hooks, and another Jersey guitar shredder! I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Rotten UK (Rochester, NY) and the Cheats (Pittsburgh, PA). Both bands are incredible and should be way bigger than they are. I hear the Hot Blood guys a Rotten boys don’t get along, though….
What five albums should no home be without?
I find it curious that you’re asking for five records, and it just so happens that those first five Oasis releases are pure fire! Coincidence??? For real though, my favorite bands/records change on a daily basis, depending on my mood, or what Kinks record I’m listening to at the moment, so this is a tough question. How about I tell you the five records that are getting the most spins in the Handsome household?
Greater Than Ever, by Baseball Furies – Buffalo punk legends. I discovered this record about two years ago, and its been in regular rotation since. I’m mad at myself for not discovering it sooner.
Off the Rails, by Gino and the Goons – I just discovered these guys too! Their entire catalog is great. I thought I was a huge Heartbreakers fan; these guys really love them, L U V!
Funhouse, by The Stooges – This record blows me away. It’s so loud, raw, and loose. Plus Ron Asheton is fucking MENTAL!!
Crystal Gazing Luck Amazing, by Compulsive Gamblers – I love that 60s vibe. The singer has a sweet voice, and that song Two Thieves always makes me want to cry. I DON’T THOUGH!!!!!
Algorithm & Blues, by The Good, the Bad, and the Zugly – Jesus Christ! What can I say? Its not only the best record of 2019, but it’s going in the Deathpunk Hall of Fame.
Governess are –
Robot Rob: Vocals & Bass
Handsome Erik: Lead Guitar
Fast Teddy Clarke: Lead Guitar
Jon Swayze: Rhythm Guitar
Matty Wild: Drums
Here we have one of many compilations coming out in 2020 from Australian rock’n’roll journeyman Johnny Casino. The material here stemming from his earlier days in Asteroid B-612 to some additional tracks from the turn of the Millenium in Johnny Casino’s Easy Action. This is the 90—00 addition of his retrospective deep dives lovingly titled Hits & Misses.
Always incredibly underrated in international terms, the contribution of the land from down under to the metamorphosis of punk rock and it’s reactionary genres. Whether you are looking at their garage rock bands of the seventies, Melbourne’s post punk scene and even New Zealand’s Dunedin alternative rock sound. All highly influential on European and American acts alike but never getting a lot of the name checking it deserves.
I first came across Asteroid B-612 on a garage rock/psyche compilation years ago, I’d originally thought that they must of been a part of the original 70s wave of bands because their sound is so authentic without sounding dated. Not at all unlike contemporaries such as The Hellacopters and New Bomb Turks but at times with a harder edge like Mudhoney or Tad, particularly on 9 minute opus ‘chainsaw’ and album opener ‘moody’.
Original material on the record is backed up with an excellent array of covers spanning from Alice Cooper to Per Ubu. A particular stand out here is their ‘down on the street’ Stooges cover which has the ferocity of Dead Moon, it’s sonic fury making up for any production shortcomings.
Overall this is a great beginning to a career retrospective that has left me wanting to here part two and three that are also available. As well as that we have a new solo album to look forward to, you can check out country-tinged single ‘trouble weighs a ton’ which is out now. We’re just over the halfway point of 2020 and Johnny Casino is more productive than most artists are in the space of five years, pandemic or not, nothing is going to slow him down. Head over to his Bandcamp page and check him out, you won’t be disappointed.
August the 8th 1970. The last time the original powerhouse machine that is The Stooges took to a stage. August 2020 sees it hit the shelves on record and a nice slab of heavyweight vinyl it is too without all the finer niceties of modern recordings this is straight from the desk loud as fuck! With Iggy being the last man standing I bet that wasn’t something many people would have uttered 50 years ago.
With a $15 to $20 price tag on tickets for this festival that would have had Savoy Brown, Jethro Tull, Joe Cocker, Chicago and Alice Cooper on the bill way above The mighty Stooges. it must have been a bummer to have had to go on after this aural assault had long left the stage. Whilst it might not be the finest soundboard mix ever you get the emotion of the band playing as both Brothers Asheton are kicking up a shitstorm of rage and intense musicianship especially on songs like ‘TV Eye’ and an inspirational performance on ‘Dirt’ but you keep being sidetracked by Alexanders bass as it takes a wobble especially through the amazing solo it might be hindsight knowing what happened but his falling apart does happen, It must have been a jaw-dropping spectacle yet little did the punters know this would be the last time this five would take the stage with Dave Alexander being fired.
In a day when bands play albums in their entirety and sell out venues, the Stooges were doing it in 1970. By the time you get to the title track that huge throbbing hypnotic bassline but the reality is its a mess, and you can see why Iggy might have been pissed, seeing as there were a reported 200K in attendance and it must have been mindblowing hearing this as Mackay’s saxophone is causing hypertension on what I would say is one of the finest song ever penned, by anyone, anywhere at any time it’s a royale maelstrom of noise here, a beautiful noise by the way and with Mr. Pop barking out the words over the top the PA sounds like it’s about to ignite at any minute. as the sax and guitar duke it out even if the tape goes a bit wobbly which is such a shame it sounded magnificent.
Its believed that this performance was almost the cause of a full-on riot and hundreds charged the stage and began dismantling it after the Stooges left the stage it’s not hard to see how that could be on this performance and having the plug pulled on your set only enhances The Stooges legend anyway. Thanks to Jack White and his label for making this release possible as it’s believed that MR Pop isn’t enamored but hey its been worth the wait and even MR Pop would have to agree that for a document in musical history this needed to be preserved and something he could and should be immensely proud to be a part of.
If the Funhouse complete is way out of your price range and you love that record and the band then this is a no brainer and well worth the price of admission in anyone’s book. Awesome.
In the mid to late 90’s it seemed that bands in Scandinavia had sold their collective souls at the Cross Roads found at the Three-Country Cairn, where each member was given the complete discography of the Nomads, The Stooges and the MC5 and told to go away and learn them.
Paving the road were the three horsemen of the apocalypse; The Hellacopters, Gluecifer and the Flaming Sideburns. Following on in their wake were the just as important and influential second wave, never quite making it to the Arenas but packing out clubs across their home Countries, Europe and even as far afield as North America. One such band was the “DEMONS”. Strangely enough, the States, notably the Pacific Northwest, embraced the Scandinavian Invasion and for a while, “DEMONS” were the uncrowned Kings of it.
To celebrate the band’s 25th Anniversary a live album called “No Loitering” that was recordedbetween their second album “Stockholm Slump” and third “Demonology” on the 5th March 2004 at The Crocodile Cafe in Seattle is being released via Vitriola Recordings.
The press release says that “It by no means is pretty”, I’m not even sure if this is off the Soundboard or a very well recorded audience recording but it’s what we want, no scrub that, it’s what we need; fast, sweaty and furious without any compromises.The original classic four piece line-up kicking an eleven song set off with “Undertaker’s Lament” from the aforementioned “Stockholm Slump” but before you have time to register that fact the band are already ripping through “Devil In Me” but it’s not all past glories as the band road test the as yet unreleased “Lost Dog” and “What’s This Shit Called Love”, that both sit perfectly well in the set.The gig is the perfect length for us old school TDK 90merchants coming in at just under 40 minutes.
Back in the day if I did have this on a cassette on the other side would be the Ramones “It’s Alive”. The only gripe I have is no “Electrocute”. Over here in Dear olde Blighty gigs still seem a long way off. This is why “No Loitering” is so important;not only is it a band firing on all cylinders but it is a reminder of how good live gigs are.
If you suddenly have the desire to collect The Hip Priests 7 inchers, just forget it already! That’s tantamount to saying you are gonna start collecting Star Wars figures or Kiss merchandise…there’s just too damn many, they’re too expensive and you won’t find ‘em all! But lucky for you, those fuckin’ boys have saved you the trouble and gathered together the lost gems, the hard to find cuts and the curios for all The Hip Priest fanboys and fangals to salivate over.
Yes, if you are a fully-fledged member of the Spasm Gang or even just a casual fan, (ie you don’t wear black denim every fuckin’ day!) then you probably already own the comprehensive double album ‘A Decade Of Disdain’. An album that brought together the best of The Hip Priests singles released over 2 pretty coloured records. And if you don’t, then give yourself a slap and get it sorted before we have words!
Well, ‘Solid Gold Easy Option’ is The Hip Priests strike back! 17 hard to find tracks from singles and EPs released between 2017-2019. That’s 6 cover versions bastardised by the band, sandwiched between 11 glorious original jams previously unavailable to mere mortals until now.
If quality, high octane garage rock is your thing, if you dig sonically seductive sounds delivered with more filth and fury than a Johnny Depp/Amber Heard weekend bender, then ‘Solid Gold Easy Option’ is right up your street. The dirty, the clean and the truly obscene rub sweaty shoulders and bloody knuckles in a defiant “fuck you!” to society, with no hint of socially distancing going on.
The epic ‘No Time (Like Right Now)’ is present and correct. Clocking in at just under 10 minutes, it’s their punk rock masterpiece, channelling the power of the MC5 with the horns and suss of Rocket From The Crypt, while they rant a diatribe about political skulduggery and post Brexit fuckery. It’s a punk rock anthem for right now. The other 3 tracks from that EP are present and correct, but the punk and belligerent ‘All My Rowdy Friends Are Dead’ and album closer ‘I’m Too Good’ seems to pale in comparison to the overly cool ‘She’s A Queen’. It sounds like Ian Astbury jamming with The Hellacopters, with one finger piano stabs, overly fuzzy guitars and vocals delivered straight from the crotch. It could be my favourite Hip Priests song right now.
Covers-wise, the likes of Motorhead’s ‘The Hammer’ and Demons ‘ Hot Running Blood’ are perfect Hip Priests fodder and stay pretty true to the originals. The Stooges ‘Loose’ is suitably ramshackle, sped up and delivered with guts and glory. Saxon’s ‘Play It Loud’ follows the same path and sounds epic. It’s only Adam & The Ants classic ‘Press Darlings’ that doesn’t really benefit from the Hip Priests rough n’ ready, punk rock treatment for me.
Just because this is a b sides compilation, it doesn’t mean the quality has to suffer. ‘Nihilist Twist’ is a brutal, chanting 2 minute assault on the senses. ‘Dead By Sunday’ literally out ‘copters The Hellacopters and ‘I’m In Exile’ is all killer no filler. Wah-wah infused guitars fight with power chords as newest recruit Gentle Ben fills the right speaker and Austin the left, or is it the other way round? Who knows! But what I do know is the twin guitar attack sounds mighty.
27 singles, 3 EPs and 4 albums since their inception in 2007. It’s true to say that ‘Solid Gold Easy Option’ is more than just a stop-gap collection of odds and sods to keep their fanbase happy until album number 5 drops later this year. This is a quality collection of songs from shit island’s best-kept secret, and any self-respecting punk rock junkie should have it in their collection. The only trouble is do you choose green or blue vinyl?
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