If ever an album title was created with the subconscious aim of getting my attention it’s Doom Folk (Exile On Mainstream Records), the fourth solo album from multi-faceted German troubadour Conny Ochs. More famed in Metal circles for his collaborations with Scott ‘Wino’ Weinrich, Ochs’ own output is equally as relevant – perhaps more so.Continue reading
1968 was a big year for Rock, seeing the release of The Beatles’ White Album, The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s Electric Ladyland and The Rolling Stones’ Beggars Banquet. Not to mention the formation of bands such as Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Free and one of America’s premier Rock n’ Roll bands, Creedence Clearwater Revival. To celebrate their 50th anniversary Craft Recordings have compiled The Complete Studio Albums (Half-Speed Masters) 7 LP Deluxe Box Set, containing all seven albums remastered and restored onto 180g vinyl alongside an 80 page book containing archival photos and new liner notes by music journalist Roy Trakin.Continue reading
Last night the Rock N And Roll Hall Of Fame held their annual Induction Ceremony at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. Among the inductees were Peal Jam, Tupac Shakur, Yes, Joan Baez, Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), Nile Rogers, and Journey with Steve Perry. Geddy Lee of Rush inducted Yes and played with the band in place of Chris Squire who died in 2016. The event also included a special tribute to Prince by Lenny Kravitz, tributes to Chuck Berry by ELO, Shakur, who died in 1996 and the all-star jam. Watch some videos below from the ceremony!Continue reading
The music world was rocked last night as news of the death at age 90 of iconic originator Chuck Berry spread over the internet. Berry’s monumental influence on generations of guitarists and bands is hard to measure, but not to quantify in importance to music. Chuck personally led to the wide-spread love and understanding of rock and roll through a string of hit songs and other anthems championing the nascent genre in the early 1950s. He died near his home of St. Charles County, MO and his death was confirmed by the St. Charles County, Mo., police department.
Despite the Sci-fi, almost Yes like, album cover created by Frank Franzetta, Lecherous Gaze are a punk band from Oakland, California. Lecherous Gaze have been around since 2009 and have an E.P. and a couple of albums under their belt, with One Fifteen (TeePee) being their third.Continue reading
When the band began life as Annihilation Time, a punk/hardcore band from California 13 years ago, there would have been few people that could have predicted its progression to Lecherous Gaze and Zeta Reticuli Blues (Tee Pee). While the band still retain their attitude, the music took a radically different path, with the band more aptly describing it as ‘psycho-delic shred-tastic ultra-hyphened rock-punk heavy jams’. The album has a serious throwback sound, taking heavy inspirations anywhere from the rock n roll of the 50s to psychedelic rock and punk from the 60s and 70s, all tied together perfectly with the rasped vocals of Zaryan Zaidi.
The album opens on ‘End Rising’ diving straight into huge riffing with a distinctly retro sound. The myriad of influences ensure that each song has its own distinct sound, with ‘Animal Brain’ screaming Chuck Berry meets the Ramones, while ‘Zeta Reticuli Blues’ steps back for a hazy psychedelic Hendrix style instrumental. The music may dance between genres, but it’s Zaidis vocals that really highlight the straight up punk attitude to the music with his distinctly graveled tones.
While you could endlessly pick out and analyze the genres and painstakingly list each of the influences you’d be missing what this album is really about. The music is the culmination of decades of drug-fueled, mind-altering and downright sleazy musical endeavors. It is the lovechild of everyone from Motorhead to Black Flag to MC5. This is drinking and whisky music. This is trashed motels and vomit stained carpets. This is a record for those looking for a solid injection of partying straight back into punk.
8.0/10.0
CAITLIN SMITH