People growing up in the internet age have access to a wider range of musical styles than ever before. As a result of that, at least in part, music scenes have become less tribal — artists and fans don’t cling on so doggedly to one style and are often comfortable to extol, say, Napalm Death and Billie Eilish in the same breath.
Alt-rock legends Local H have shared an awesome cover of 1970s classic Looking Glass’s track “Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl” from their forthcoming covers album: Local H’s Awesome Quarantine Mix-Tape #3. The album is releasing October 8th 2021 on Brutal Panda. The album is the third in the series of covers and gives a nod to the mixtapes in Marvel’s Guardians of The Galaxy! The new album features two different covers of Prince’s “When Doves Cry,” and they’ve also taken on songs from Fountains Of Wayne, Blondie, the Kinks, Mark Lanegan, Eurythmics, and Robert Plant. The band is hitting the road with fellow 1990s icons Soul Asylum, and Juliana Hatfield. Check out “Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl)” right now!
During this time of self-isolation and quarantine, we are all just looking to keep entertained and our minds busy. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame thankfully is answering the call, sharing their treasure trove of content from their history. They have shared their Punk and New Wave Collection to watch their YouTube playlist and archival stories from Ramones, Talking Heads, Blondie, Patti Smith Group, The Clash, The Stooges, The Sex Pistols, Lou Reed, and Green Day. The Rock Hall also has history lessons on the genre for rockers of any age!Continue reading
If you are like us, you spent the weekend binge-watching Season 2 of the amazing Mindhunter series on Netflix. The followup to the Emmy Award-winning 2017 series is a drama based on the real events of the founding of the Behavioral Science Unit of the FBI in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Produced and sometimes directed by David Fincher (S7ven, Fight Club, Zodiac) and starring Jonathan Goff, Holt McCallany, and Anna Torv, the main characters are FBI profilers and they interview serial killers and investigate cases during the show. As they did in season one, the music of the time plays a huge role with the soundtrack, sound design, songs heard in the show. Music in season two features artists such as Blondie, The Doobie Brothers, Peter Gabriel, Talking Heads, Willie Nelson, Marianne Faithful, Pretenders, The Brothers Johnson, Boston, Joan Armatrading, Kenny Rogers, Red Rider, The Police, Patti Smith Group, Christopher Cross, Sammy Davis Jr., Gary Numan, Pat Benatar and more. Even a Charles Manson song is heard in Episode 5 which features Manson himself portrayed by Damon Herriman, who also plays Manson in Quentin Tarantino’s current film Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. Jam out to this playlist!Continue reading
Riot Fest 2018 approaches next weekend and the bill looks stacked! The lineup features Weezer, Blink-182, Beck, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Run The Jewels, Incubus, Young The Giant, Interpol, Blondie, Alkaline Trio, Father John Misty, and Jerry Lee Lewis. Tickets are on sale now at the link below. Now. Riot Fest takes place September 14th-16th at Douglas Park in Chicago, IL.Continue reading
Riot Fest had their big reveal last night, announcing the first and main wave of bands for this coming September in Chicago. Held September 14th-16th at Douglas Park in Chicago, IL the headliners include Blink-182, Beck, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Incubus, Young The Giant, Interpol, Blondie, Alkaline Trio, Father John Misty, and Jerry Lee Lewis. Tickets are on sale now at the link below. Continue reading
News has come down that award-winning music producer Kato Khandwala died yesterday in a motor-cycle crash. No other information is available at this time. Khandwala was known best for his work with bands such as The Pretty Reckless, Pop Evil, Blondie, Breaking Benjamin, Papa Roach, Drowning Pool and Pierce The Veil. Some of the bands he worked with released comments, upon the breaking news of his death. Continue reading
Rotterdam quintet Gold’s pounding yet warmly-produced, Post-heavy bent is faithful to that freedom of expression and unconstrained creativity so expected from Dutch artists. Milena Eva’s androgynous tones assist the Indie feel driving sophomore album, No Image (Ván / Profound Lore): opener ‘Servant’ having a laid-back, Pop vibe coursing through the cocooning weight of the instrumentation. The psychedelic bleeps, whistles and squalling lead spiralling through the ensuing ‘Old Habits’, meanwhile, coupled with the determinedly-intoned yet almost angelic vocal, nearly disguise a fuzzing brute of staccato rhythm.
Extreme Metalheads could find the album falling between two stools: a harsh Rock sound, tempered by the voice and attitude of their guilty ‘chillout’ secrets. Those who stick with this will, however, find unexpected thrills in each track which have you hooked before you realise. There’s no shortage of atmosphere here: shimmering pedal effects complement Eva’s moving delivery in ‘The Controller’, and preface a Blondie-style Punk explosion; whilst the early synth and sample work of ‘D.I.R.’ is the prologue to a thudding New Wave structure. It’s here where the production really emphasises the power and weight underpinning Eva’s soft lilt, reminiscent of a happy Brian Molko.
Bitterness and despair travel freely within these walls despite both emotions being delivered in an energetic and, in the case of ‘The Waves’, febrile manner, with lead and backing vocals seeming to sound simultaneously pained and carefree. The heavy, Joy Division-infused shoegaze of ‘Shapeless’ is driven by a seedy, sexy rhythm section, while the early swerve and bludgeon of ‘Tar And Feather’ threatens a Black / Grind influence, before delicacy briefly tempers an anger conducted by Igor Wouters’ phenomenal stickwork. Only the nevertheless brooding and occasionally sensual closers ‘Don’t’ and ‘Taste Me’ mar things somewhat, having a Saint Etienne-like lethargic drift which allows the interest to wander.
It takes no little courage and confidence to put together such opposing shades of light and dark, and to do so with such youthful vitality is joyfully uplifting. No Image is a “something different” that unifies many styles and, in doing so, proves capable of engaging devotees from across the heavy spectrum.
7.0/10.0
PAUL QUINN
Ever think you could compare 70s New wave to Savannah Psych-Sludge outfit Kylesa? No, me neither…
A new Kylesa album used to be a huge event in the Quinn household until 2010’s Spiral Shadow (Season of Mist) showed a mellowing of the lambent, crushing anger, introducing more of the band’s progressive drift. Two albums later and it’s sadly obvious that the band is continuing the journey further from their harsh roots.
Exhausting Fire (Season of Mist) isn’t devoid of bulldozing riffs: opener ‘Crusher’s entrancing verses displaying the customary steel which fires up a laconic, Blondie ballad-style chorus highlighting the increasing melody in Laura Pleasants’ voice. The ensuing ‘Inward Debate’ is Philip Cope’s first foray into action, immediately infusing the sound with a buzzing anger: yet his performance in ‘Moving Day’ is more indolent, an almost spoken-word delivery, Pleasants’ honeyed backing and jangling hookline giving way to a fuzzed coda.
This is a less inventive, softer Kylesa, seemingly happy after all these years to plough a furrow without traversing the path of discovery. Briefly howling leads and a growling riff awaken the dreamy, drifting ‘Falling’, the kind of track the band are becoming more well-known for. The Talking Heads-esque ‘Night Drive’ is a cool evocation of the cosmic violence of the Spiral Shadow era, a lazy Prog infused with swelling, pulsing power. ‘Blood Moon’ however, is more indicative of the second half of the album, its blend of Asian-influenced MOR and bludgeoning Punk feeling tired and occasionally flaccid: a tiredness which the insouciant, Nirvana-like ‘Growing Roots’, only occasionally tempting with spiralling swells, further highlights.
Closer ‘Out of My Mind’ sees more of those terribly wearisome vocals – in all honesty, the biggest problem here – destroy a gradual pogo-fest. It’s by no means dire, just desperately disappointing and lacklustre. Here, it seems, we have a once-crushing colossus now older, battered by tough times, and content to peddle uninspired stodge which eclipses many other bands’ output, but insults Kylesa’s legacy and name. Intermittent flashes of dazzling, indelible former glories save us from a worse fate. Exhausting Fire? Exhaustion seems not a million miles away…
5.5/10.0
PAUL QUINN
The Melvins are without a doubt one of the most influential bands within the rock, grunge and metal scene. Their latest musical exploit is an album full of covers, entitled Everyone Loves Sausages. Mat Davies sat down with drummer Dale Crover and they discussed the new record, their sense of humor and curating festivals.Continue reading