As far as debut gigs go, it always helps to have some music out there in the ether and maybe make it a hometown show with another band on the up this time in the shape of Bambees from Merthyr. With a near capacity turnout, it’s Friday night in the canteena from Star Wars, where cans of Red Stripe or Stella are the cocktails of choice. With the band not hitting the stage until 10PM, it was a wise move to get everyone loosened up for the pop show.
It was a joy to see Darren and Ginge on stage again after a lengthy hiatus. As the band took to the stage and struck up their intro as the ringmaster marched on to signal that it was time for the audience to join in with the backing vocals of ‘I Want Something I Don’t Care About’, and we were up and running. The band sounded tight, and the songs sounded upbeat and full of energy. Sitting somewhere between early Manics, 60 ft Dolls married with a healthy dose of Sorry & The Sinatras punk n Roll for good measure and top melodies turned up a notch or two and pretty much everything sitting on the shelves of Ginge’s record collection (apart from his copy of Jimmy Nails ‘Crocodile Shoes’) it was hook after hook, swapping songs about darkness and self loathing for songs of love and nice things, funnily enough a track entitled ‘L-U-V’ was an excellent tune and a real highlight alongside ‘I Was A Teenage Arsonist’ something Ginge openely admitted was a true story, these alongside the already released pair of songs these were right in the pocket of catchy, sleazy rock n roll that’s been missing from the scene and some real immediate earworms. Going home singing the woah ohs! can drive you nuts but what a way to go. The audience was loving it, and the joy was infectious, but having the band sound in such a great place was a bonus I’m glad I was part of. Bring on the EP and the next show Lithium Kicks have arrived boys n girls substance and alcohol free and all the better for it, straight edge punk n roll its the bloody future I’m telling you.
Being their debut show I’m sure they’ll find places to tighten up and sharpen, but from a punter’s point of view they were right on the money, and it was infectious with people singing along with unfamiliar choruses like they were well worn songs they’ve been listening to for years, which is always the sign of a top tune wrapping itself around you and making everything alright.
Being the beginning of the journey the set was short and oh so sweet with the music being the real highlight on display sure it was great to see Ginge back on stage making music but it has to be quality and to be fair with the new material he’s knocked it out of the park thus far and the other new songs that were played there’s no sign of it stopping quite yet this train is bound for glory baby and I’m sitting in first class. Hop on board as they stop in a town near you, because this should gather pace, and it’s always cool to say you were there at the beginning. Bring on the Lithium Kicks, we all need some rock n roll highs.
Lovely to see a local venue packed to the gills on a school night in anticipation of three very fine bands all flying the flag for independent music. First up, Positive Reaction were a no-show, the reason unknown. So it is the trimmed-down but always ferocious and captivating Bad Sam. Now down to a two piece of Guitar and voice and a laptop, meaning there are only two people to disagree with, rather than a band of 4 with all that equipment.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that Bad Sam have lost any of their edge or ferocity because that simply wouldn’t be true. With a brand new album to peddle, this was ‘Trauma’ time for Beddis as he climbed down off the stage and right into the thick of the packed audience. ‘Popcorn and Blood’ set the tone for the brief set. Rich was in charge of the laptop (prob for the best) and his guitar up on the rather high Bunkhouse stage whilst Dean prowled the audience barking out the lyrics. Of all the new songs, ‘Tupperware Death Party’ brought all those in attendance of a certain age to a nostalgic tear or two, but the noticeable thing was the fact that there were only two of them they lost none of the punch or power the music needs to tear Swansea a new one.
Alas their time is too short so there isn’t any reworking of a ‘Snake With Tits’, ‘Mr Trump’ perhaps a ‘Dicks With Dogs’ or ‘I Love The Port’ but that’s ok like I said this was Trauma time and hearing new Bad Sam music is always a pleasure and hopefully with the reception they got this won’t be the last time they head down west maybe for a headline set where they can work in some of the old magic with this new found direction. Awesome stuff.
Next up was local(ish) lads Only Fools And Corpses that are part Newport part Swansea lads with their Helmet meets NomeansNo meets a brick to the temple punk /alt-hardcore noise they peddle, and to be fair, they do it oh so well. This isn’t my first encounter with these gentlemen because we met at a chaotic performance in the tight surroundings of Afan Ales many moons ago but this was a much nicer experience with a decent and very loud PA and packed house the two guitarists traded vocals as they thumped their way through their set sadly for the last time as they’ve decided that tonight was the night to call it a day for Only Fools And Corpses but Cameron did announce that he’d been writing new material so hopefully it wont be long before they are back all be it under a new name and different guise again something different to Bad Sam but equally excellent which only meant it was time for the headliners to make their Swansea debut. Considering they’ve been at this since 1980 and played every village and venue under the sun around this spinning rock its quite remarkable that this was their first visit to this fair city, something that wasn’t lost on Dick.
Now, considering this was a midweek show, it was great to see the place packed to the rafters, and for such an occasion, it was great to see the reliably good Subhumans deliver a set of top-notch anarcho punk. Anyone who’s seen the band perform will know that anything less that 100% isn’t an option and if you were to see them play more than once in a run of shows you wont get the same set twice however you will obviously get ‘Micky Mouse IS Dead’, ‘Rats’ and ‘No’ but its always great to hear newer songs like ‘99%’ it wouldn’t’ seem right if you didn’t have a mixed set because Dick Lucas was born to do this and gives nothing short every performance as he flits across the stage not pausing or stopping for breath for a second of the hour plus they are on stage. The band sounds tight as and looks like they’re enjoying the rapturous applause they’re getting from the very appreciative venue.
Twenty-plus songs in an hour from gentlemen of a certain age giving it large, showing people a fraction of their age how it’s done with passion and purpose. That, my friends, was a wonderful evening in the company of three exceptional bands absolutely smashing it. Less than £15 a ticket, all for charity, I believe, which is unbelievable value for money in these tough times. Please, whoever books shows in this city, let’s have all three back sometime in the not-too-distant future and seeing an audience that was a very healthy mix of teenagers to us older me, it was heart-warming to see and be part of. Uppa Punx!
“No kings, No masters / Kick against fascist bastards”
“We write a song, a year later it’s more relevant than the day we wrote it. That keeps happening, and to be honest, it fills me with dismay.”
Backstage at the Camden Underworld, minutes before his band Dead Pioneers take the stage and devastate a capacity crowd with all the pain, power and primal energy of a classic punk-rock show, Gregg Deal exhales slowly. He’s been warming to his theme for almost an hour now, in much the same way an acetylene torch warms to the metal it must burn through. That theme is America, and there are few voices in punk-rock so uniquely qualified to speak on the country’s moral, social and political degradation, especially in the era of the orange despot.
Being Native American, however, Deal knows the systems he fights against, the history of injustice he chronicles, stretch back further than the Trump era, back past Nixon and segregation and the KKK and all those other white stains on the canvas of American history, to the very ‘birth’ of a nation that existed and was populated for millennia before Columbus ‘discovered’ it. It’s been the very text of all the work he did before Dead Pioneers began to form in 2020, motivating the activism he’s undertaken and the art he’s created, tackling the centuries-old culture wars against Indigenous people.
Deal was born in Tennessee, where his father grew up, but landed in Utah when he was two years old and grew up there; he says that “‘pioneer heritage’ is a big thing in Utah, meaning our band name is very pointedly irreverent”. He later relocated to Washington, DC and studied art, going on to work as a graphic designer. Throughout those years, he began another, parallel career as a visual and conceptual artist, creating powerful, political works like The Last Indian On Earth, a performance piece confronting the racism behind how white US society perceives Indigenous people; Redskin, an installation tackling the Washington NFL team’s racist name; and Supreme Law Of The Land – which Deal performed at the Denver Art Museum in 2016, shortly after moving to Colorado – exploring how Trump’s enabling of the Keystone oil pipeline in North Dakota, in the face of protest by Indigenous campaigners, contradicted treaties signed centuries earlier. “The line of work and its social awareness goes from racism, stereotypes and cultural appropriation, all in a socially aware lens, to the more specific politics of Native people as a whole and the way it’s engaged both socially but also through power structures managing these things, like the federal government,” Deal explains.
Dead Pioneers is rooted in a 2020 piece called The Punk Pan-Indian Romantic Comedy, a deeply personal work that dealt with Deal’s upbringing. Following an embryonic performance of the piece, Deal secured a grant to expand it to include music created especially for the work. “The idea was to mix spoken word with punk music,” explains Deal, who hooked up with drummer Shane Zweygardt and guitarist Joshua Rivera during lockdown and began kicking the concept around. “Josh is Mexican-American,” says Deal. “He is also inherently Indigenous, under a different set of circumstances within colonialism. But I consider him to be my Indigenous brother. We spend a lot of time trying to figure out how all of this fits together.”
But what became Dead Pioneers didn’t truly take shape until Deal connected with bassist Lee Tesche, who you may know from righteous Atlantan post-punks Algiers. Unlikely as it sounds, a wide-ranging conversation between Tesche and Deal about music (with Tesche clueing Deal into the righteous noise of future Dead Pioneers collaborators Sleaford Mods) evolved into a creative connection that’s now three albums deep; the arrival of guitarist Abe Brennan made the quintet quorate.
A miraculous, natural chemistry made this supposed one-off project an actual band almost as soon as they cut what became their 2023 eponymous debut album (“We approached it like I approach my visual art: execute quickly, first thought is best thought,” Deal says), but they didn’t necessarily take it seriously until, unexpectedly, the outside world did. “I was like, we’ve made this record – what should I do with it? Put it online?” Deal remembers. The response was vigorously positive, and soon came demands to commit this noise to vinyl. A first thousand-copy pressing sold out in minutes. “So then we pressed another thousand,” he adds, still marveling at it all. “And then they were gone, too.”
“Coming from bands that typically don’t make money,” grins Tesche, “I was like, ‘Gregg – what have you started??’”
What followed was “a series of strange accidents” that led to the group signing to Hassle, befriending Jello Biafra and touring with kindred spirits like Pennywise, Propaghandi, even Pearl Jam. “Punk-rock had made everything seem so accessible when I was a kid,” says Deal. “Like, simply having the balls to get up on stage and stage dive and then be carried off by people that become your best friends once they get your feet back on the ground.” Now, punk-rock was reaching out its hands to Dead Pioneers and pulling them onto larger and larger stages. The group returned that favour by simply getting better and better: their second album, 2025’s PO$T AMERICAN, was sharper, angrier, funnier than the debut, a riot riveted with punch-a-Nazi thrills.
And now, Wagon Burner, their fearsome third album. Described by Deal as “more collaborative”, it’s a heavier, harder but also more accessible set, vicious hooks scattered among the punk-rock melee and guest appearances by kindred spirits Cheap Perfume (on the righteous ‘Nazi Teeth’), The Interrupters (on the shout-a-long anthem ‘Never Alone’) and, bringing it back to the group’s beginnings, Sleaford Mods (on the searing slow-burn of ‘The Worst Among Us’). The world might be darkening by the day, but Dead Pioneers are rising to that miserable occasion, casting their empowering light into the gloom.
“The record was influenced by watching the political climate become more and more exacerbated, and feeling the responsibility that comes along with that,” says Deal. But of course, he’s under no illusion that the horrorshow of America in 2026 is anything new. “Reagan set the stage; Trump is the star of the show, the encore,” Deal says. “He’s a really terrible person. But the stage was set for him.”
What’s happening now, then, is a culmination of centuries of the same bullshit. “As a Native person, the past and the present and the future all exist in the same space,” Deal says. “My kids can probably school just about anyone on all the historical narratives, because we understand, as Indigenous people, that education and knowledge are tools of survival. Every Native person understands you might actually save your skin if you express and articulate something that helps people understand enough to shut their mouths. 40% of Americans believe that Native people no longer exist, that we’re completely extinct. We’re fighting to make sure that people know we are not foreigners in our own homelands, that we are here despite what history has told you. We speak our language, and white people need to hear it, because then you’re hearing the power of our words on our homelands, where our people have existed for thousands and thousands of years. It’s a responsibility that I understand.”
Their battle is our battle, on a landscape where, as Deal bellows on ‘Circle Jerk The Wagons’, “bootlicking cucks for billionaire bastards” and “fascist fucks abound”. On our side, we have Dead Pioneers, as fearsome, whip-smart and beautiful a noise as punk-rock ever mustered. The fascists and the Nazis and the white supremacists don’t stand a chance.
Cleveland was recorded, mixed, and shaped entirely by the band in studios, lockups, and living rooms, with only the final mastering handed to Graham Thompson at Soundschitty. The fact that it’s on Serial Bowl is something of a badge of honour, and these guys fit in perfectly with Diaz Brothers and Dealing With The Damage. It’s a post-punk landscape mixed with a caustic garage rock thump. It’s got a thick Bass sound that fits right in with that abrasive, slashing guitar that sounds like a low-slung, battered Telecaster being given no respect. Think Hot Snakes, Minor Threat mixed with the New Wave CBGB scene, early Talking Heads, and that alt punk scene the Americans do oh so well, but the Brits have caught up and, to be fair, are delivering it in spades with a twist of originality.
‘Cleveland’ is packed with songs that move between anxiety, joy, protest, and how to make a cup of tea and some disco biscuits to dunk in to said tea, no doubt. The bottom line is it’s brimming with energy and well-constructed songs of everyday life, bristling with raw energy.
I can imagine a sweaty room with ‘Peaceful Protest thumping through a workhorse PA coming on like a cross between Fugazi and Jane’s Addiction is something special. It’s not all one pace or style either because the northern ‘Wishing Wellaye’ is taking on Hot Snakes and winning with its muscular thump, complete with some excellent screams. I’d even say something like ‘Carpool’ is influenced by the sparse bleakness of Joy Division in full flow.
Every song is a twist to the left or right. This record isn’t at all one-dimensional or bland, it packs a hefty punch and creates some mega colours with its brutal soundscape and smooth lows to complement those soaring highs. With most songs being served in your rapid, perfect couple of minutes, there is one curveball in the shape of the epic six-plus minutes of ‘Suburban Dreams’ with its lengthy intro before breaking out into a garage rock fever dream that Australia has captured the market of. Lurching one way then the other its a bit of a sleeper – stick with it, you shall be rewarded in spades.
Fast-paced, edgy, and frantic, Cleveland is an album full of twists and turns and doesn’t disappoint at all. Hit the link and get involved, this is one smart as fuck album full of top tunes.
From the nighttime, neon city wastelands of East London, there came a group, a collective of soul divas and rock n’ roll musicians led by the mysterious and enigmatic guitarist/producer Alex McGowan (aka Captain Future). This man without a tan has worked with the likes of Primal Scream, Jah Wobble, The Urban Voodoo Machine and Jim Jones. His band The Future Shape Of Sound could be the perfect festival band and over the years have been seen plying their trade at the likes of Red Rooster, Womad, Boomtown and even the Glastonbury festival. You can catch them occasionally, where society rejects frequent, dark, seedy bars and the occasional hometown Gypsy Hotel gig. They follow up their 2018 album ‘Shakedown Gospel’ with the long-awaited ‘Heavy Load’.
Keeping with tradition, ‘Heavy Load’ features several lead vocalists over the 10-track album, but predominantly it’s James Brown’s widow, Tomirae Brown, who not only takes the lead but also co-wrote most of the material with Alex.
Opener ‘I Want A Little Slow Blues’ is a low-key affair, a mid-paced groover featuring former Jim Jones Revue man Henri Herbert tinkling the ivories, backed by The Future Sisters gospel trio. This leads nicely into killer single ‘I’d Rather Be Alone’, where the band fully hit their groove. Tomirae adds raunchy Tina Turner vibes to the foot-stompin’ rock n’ roll party anthem. Co-written by The Urban Voodoo Machine mouthpiece Paul-Ronney Angel, it’s a surefire album highlight.
Claire Allen of The Guerilla Street gospel choir takes us to church on ‘Ain’t Standing By’ and Geraldine ‘Gee Gee’ Reid of The Divettes takes over for a couple of numbers too; the rhythmic gospel laced blues of ‘Ride’ sounds like an old forgotten traditional song and the more funky jam ‘You Can Change Your Mind’ showcases the tight and groovy rhythm section of bassist Duncan DeMorgan and drummer Doc Johnson.
Elsewhere, you’ll find a couple of beauties that encapsulate The Future Shape Of Sound vibe; the funk rock explosion of ‘Take The Money’ is trashy in a good way, it fits the Tomirae vocal delivery nicely, and the wah-wah guitars give added cool factor. Tomirae & The Future Sisters return for the swampy blues anthem ‘Oh Mama’, and there is no surprise that it was a single. The slide guitar, the harmonica and the soulful backing vocals give depth to the catchy melody and footstompin’ vibes. You’ll add it to your playlist if you’re that way inclined. Me? I’ll just buy the record and play the whole damn thing the way the artist intended.
Recorded at Alex’s own Space Eko East studio in East London, ‘Heavy Load’ captures the soulful rock n’ roll blues of a band that thrives in a live environment. With his congregation of multi-national and multi-talented musicians and singers, he takes the sounds of the streets and the dives of old London town, turns it into a celebration and takes us to pray at the church of rock n’ roll once again. It’s good to have them back. Now, where’s that vinyl pre-order button?
OHIO THRASHERS THORNS HIT THE UK IN JULY – TOUR DATES CONFIRMED INCLUDING AN APPEARANCE AT 2000 TREES FESTIVAL
NEW EP ‘READY TO STRIKE’ TO BE RELEASED 26TH AUGUST VIA THESE GO TO ELEVEN RECORDS
US thrash upstarts Thorns have erupted out of an Ohio basement and into the global metal conversation, becoming one of the fastest-rising new forces in heavy music. Armed with the same uncompromising DIY spirit that fuelled Black Flag and D.O.A., they skipped the industry queue entirely — building their own studio, self-recording and self-releasing two albums and multiple singles and rallying a worldwide following in under a year.
Tapping into the same high-velocity energy surge that spawned the first wave of 80s thrash metal with the likes of Exodus, Nuclear Assault, Anthrax and early Metallica etc, Thorns are a much needed, turbo charged, heads down, head banging assault to the senses. Their new four song EP ‘Ready To Strike’ is set for release August 26th via These Go To Eleven Records and Thorns have come straight out the traps with new single ‘Bad Business’. Coming in at just under two and a half minutes, ‘Bad Business’ is short and fast and lean and mean!
“It’s the standout track from our original demo, but we re-recorded it to fit the vision we originally had. Faster, tighter, and heavier than before… ‘Bad Business’ is the definition of Thrash,” state the band.
“As a band, we’re looking to bring back elements of Metal that we feel have been forgotten over time. Not just heavy riffs but catchy hooks, meaningful lyrics, impressive solos, and the old school energy of it all. We want to put our music in front of as many people as possible.”
That relentless work ethic has paid off: 3.5+ million streams, a rapidly growing international fanbase, and a reputation for resurrecting the ferocity of peak-’80s thrash with a modern edge. Their new EP ‘Ready to Strike’ drops across four monthly singles from May to August, setting the stage for a breakout summer. July sees the band hit the UK for a full run of shows, culminating in their festival debut at 2000 Trees.
Catch Thorns on tour in the UK at the following dates in July:
A couple of years ago I was introduced to Ultrabomb for the first time by being recommended their album Dying to Smile “Chris this is right up your alley, you will love it” and oh how DD was right, turns out that it ended up being one of my albums of the year, roll on a couple of years and Ultrabomb are back with album number three the absolute banger “The Bridges That We Burn”
Legendary Hüsker Dü bassist Greg Norton has been on fire now for the last few years with three fantastic albums. This time, however, the supergroup has had a few lineup changes, now on lead vocals and guitar is Ryan Smith (Soul Asylum) and the man with the sticks, Derek O’Brien (Social Distortion, Adolescents). For any fan of the alternative punk scene, there is no chance this was going to disappoint and that, my friends, it does not.
Opening the album, we have a mega riff and thundering bassline into the extremely catchy “Darwin Awards” I’ll be amazed if there’s a better opening song on an album this year.
Straight away, I know that even though the line-up has changed, the quality hasn’t at all, the production here is very clean and loud, and the band are on fire. “Divert/Deflect” is a pounding beast that will have fists pumping during the chorus.
Next album is the first single off the album and one of the many album highlights, “Artificial Stars”. This could be taken right out of a Soul Asylum classic, the Melodies are everywhere throughout, it’s nearly impossible to get the guitar licks out of your head on this one.
My favourite song on the album is just around the corner with the excellent “No Cap” with verses that Dave Pirner would be proud of before exploding into a prime Supersuckers-like chorus at breakneck speed. This will have audiences jumping around like lunatics, no doubt about it.
With a resume from these three musicians it should be no surprise that this album is so good but yet somehow it does, Greg had been away from the music business for so long to have come back this strongly is no joke, his songwriting here is on top top form, Ryan really shines here as well as his voice is so infectious with guitar harmonies all over the place and Derek keeps everything so tight, fantastic stuff.
We’re on the flip side of the album now and we get another few album highlights the absolute brilliant “Checked Out” which boasts a anthemic chorus followed with a stunning guitar solo and then we go straight into a pounding bassline from Greg in the equally fantastic “Look Forward In Anger” another one that will get fans off their feet around venues (hopefully in the UK as well please).
We’re coming close to the end now, and we are given the smile-raising “BSS” which stands for Bull Shit Song, which had me grinning from ear to ear, and to close out the album, we have the brutal “Mosquito Crucifixion” which is a monster of a song with a huge riff throughout to end a brilliant album on a massive high note!!!
There we have it, Ultrabomb album #3 ‘The Bridges That We Burn’ in the bag, it’s safe to say it will be high up on my end of year list, give it a listen and make sure to buy it!!!
Cyanide Pills could be the greatest punk band in the world; they’re surely the greatest punk band to drag their arses outta Leeds. A self-proclaimed “gang of cunts from a desolate land” consisting of Phil Privilage on vocals, Sy Pinkeye on guitar, Alex Arson on another guitar, Alarick on bass and Chris Wrist beating the drums. These lively lads from Leeds have been exciting audiences across Europe and beyond for the past 17 years, and with 5 albums under their studded belts and a whole bunch of single releases, it’s about time they released a greatest (s)hits record, right?
Well, here you go, you lucky fuckers! Here’s a tasty treat courtesy of Damaged Goods for ya. ‘Singled Out’ is all their 7” releases and the corresponding B sides (plus a couple of new unreleased singles) on double vinyl and shiny CD. That’s 33 tracks to devour. Are you excited yet?
You should be, just check out that track list. The A sides are worth the entry price alone. Spikey, power pop-infused punky goodness with buzzsaw guitars and choruses to die for, that is the signature Cyanide Pills sound, and they’ve got the songs in spades. From The Clash meets The Toy Dolls sound of debut single ‘Break It Up’ to the pogoing power pop of newbies ‘Amalia’ and ‘Second Best’, it’s a wild and melodic ride.
You’ll laugh along at the tongue-in-cheek lyricism, from the tale of forbidden love that is ‘Suicide Bomber’ to the political diatribe of ‘Government’, the band remain confidently relevant and humorous in equal measures. You may even ponder if Johnny Thunders did actually live in Leeds.
Highlights include the killer earworm ‘Conquer The World’, the ridiculously catchy ‘Big Mistake’ and recent single ‘Hope You’re Having Fun’. Songs that prove this band ages like a fine red wine.
Then we get to the really tasty stuff. If you’re a fan, but like me don’t collect 7” records, disc 2 is the place to begin. ‘Mail Order Bride’ and ‘Stick Em Up’ were on the flip side of the debut single, and to be fair, either of them could have been the chosen A side. High energy punk n’ roll with distorted riffs and choruses that most bands would die for. Elsewhere, the standouts are plentiful. For me, the ska-infused ‘Lock Me Up’, the Green Day-esque ‘Hooked On You’, and the 70’s glitter stomp of ‘I’m Celebrating’ are winners. These songs go a long way to show Cyanide Pills B-sides stand tall against the A-sides. And just wait until you hear ‘My Mind’s On Strike’, the flip side of the upcoming new single ‘Amalia’. With a verse that pummels the senses and a killer gang vocal chorus, it’s up there with their best.
It is said that true music fans don’t buy ‘best of’ albums, but this collection is a great starting point if you are new to the band, and is essential if you are a fan but don’t collect 7” records. Sequenced in release order, it’s an album that flows well and shows the progression of a band who get stronger song by song. ‘Singled Out’ is a worthy addition to any music lover’s collection from a homegrown band who are up there, standing tall against their contemporaries.
Denver, Colorado — In a sense, this record has been overdue for a long time, ” shares MICAH AND THE MIRRORS frontman Micah Morris, who might be familiar around here because his former day job was fronting Fast Eddy, but alas, his world got turned upside down after ending his marriage, losing his job, and his band breaking up.
The day after Fast Eddy broke up, He played the last show in Tokyo alone on a Friday night. He called Dan Dixon the next day and booked studio time for this record. What is it they say about clouds and silver linings?
Micah recounted that when he got home, though, he hit an all-time low and felt like he could see myself burning alive on a chair that people had propped up for me. He spent many late nights alone, looking out his window towards the radio towers in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, staring into a void. He played piano and guitar until the bright hours of the morning, and at times did nothing but sit there and think.
Friends and family came through, and with their support, he regained his mojo and found the strength to start over and not give up on my lifetime of work with music.
Less than a year since Fast Eddy broke up,’ I’m now sitting on ‘Liar’s Chair’ is out in the wild, and with the speakers turned up, it’s time to walk the walk. You’re eased in with the sound of the wilds as an acoustic guitar is picked gently, as ‘Opus’ sets the mood. ‘You’ll See’ follows with Micah’s voice and a strummed acoustic guitar before the bass and drums ease in and the slower, measured intro builds. The song weaves a thoughtful melody, less bombast and dare I say it, more mature and reflective Micah.
The title track is again a dusty morning on the porch with acoustic guitar strumming towards the chorus. Not a million miles from Ashcroft post Verve in style and feel. ‘Condolences’ is more uptempo with the electric guitar sitting proudly in the centre of the mix. A midtempo slice of modern rock n roll with a lot going on from the horns to the rolling tempo, it’s a top tune and melody with excellent vocals that lift the track out of the darkness.
The single off the album ‘Yokohama Mama’ is like the Kinks meets Roxy Music in vibe, late 70s early 80s groove racing off on a great tempo to be followed out of the traps by the jarring punchy ‘Lady Blue Eyes’ before the barroom rocker ‘Hungry Hungry Heart’ is fired off like a swinging boxer who fancies his chances windmilling and dancing feet its got a hint of prime time Hives for good measure.
‘They Might Say’ is a sidestep with the piano stabs like a late-night, early-morning walk of shame, wondering where you got that feather boa from, but hey, this mellow slice of 70s glam is very welcome, adding another texture to an already most excellent record. Before the album signs off, we walk on the wild side with the bass-heavy rhythmic ‘Tortilla Chip’ coming on like a late 80s Jagger Richards thumper breaking out on the chorus.
We sign off with some ” Oh La La “, “After I Die’ which was only missing the honkin new orleans marching band for the last verse. Welcome back, Mr Morris. With a record this good, I can only see brighter days ahead. Go check it out, you won’t be disappointed.
You could say ex-Wildhearts six-string shouter CJ is more prolific than main Wildhearts mouthpiece Ginger right now. Since stepping away from the band, CJ has kept himself busy and upped the ante with his own solo career. Recent tours with Michael Monroe and Ricky Warwick now lead to the release of his 8th solo album ‘DEViL’, an album that was apparently a true labour of love and could well be his musical swan song.
CJ is a true DIY artist in every sense of the word. On ‘DEViL’ he has recorded and played all the instruments himself, bar drums, which are more than ably handled by long-time compadre Jason Bowld, and mixing duties are once again by go-to-guy Dave Draper. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!
Lead single ‘One Of The Boys’ is a great starting point. Lyrically, it’s introspective and tackles the doubts and questions of an uncertain future. Musically, it aims for the stadiums with a chorus so uplifting that the ensuing goosebumps will contradict the lyrical message. It’s up there with his best work.
‘DEViL’ follows the blueprint of CJ’s solo career to date, in-yer-face powerful punk ‘n roll, dripping with memorable hooks and killer choruses, no slow songs and no acoustic guitars. Opener ‘Nein Nein Nein’ is a punchy assault to the senses, a wall of urgent beats and distorted guitars leads the way for gnarly vocals. The following, ‘The Art Of Being Free’, is a glorious and instant earworm with a euphoric refrain that is just what the doctor ordered. Mark my words, you’ll be singing along from the opening chorus, and it’s a song that demands the replay button.
But don’t hit that button just yet, as there is more great ear candy to devour. You could say some artists mellow with age, and some bellow with rage, CJ is firmly in the latter camp. He has perfected that vocal sneer over the years, and ‘SOB’ sees our man firing on all cylinders with a track that could be a Wildhearts B-side from 20 years ago (and we all know how good those are, right?). Elsewhere, the regimental rifforama of ‘No More’ bridges the gap between punk and metal nicely, leaving those pop melodies by the wayside, it’s the perfect conduit for a punk vocal delivery. Yet it is bookended by ‘Rotten’ and ‘Twenty Two’, a pair of ridiculously catchy tunes that walk a familiar, catchy and more commercial path. Album closer ‘Fade’ then sees our man in an introspective mood again as he soul-searches one last time.
As it becomes increasingly difficult for artists of all levels to tour and release music, you can forgive CJ for feeling it’s time to step away from the music business and move on to other things. And with the recent sad loss of former Wildhearts bassist Scott Sorry and Ginger’s recent health diagnosis, it feels like we are coming to the end of an era for fans of all things Wildhearts.
But don’t feel sad just yet, Wildhearts fans, as CJ has given us a winner with ‘Devil’, and if it is his musical swansong, then so be it, it’s a fine way to bow out in style.
Now, go pre-order the thing and maybe bag some Devilspit hot sauce for your bacon butty while you’re at it.
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