Tag Archives: The Black Crowes

Jackson Firebird – Shake the Breakdown

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Jackson Firebird are an Australian hard-rocking duo who crashed onto the scene in 2012 with their debut album Cock Rockin’. Now they are ready to misplace our socks again with their second album Shake the Breakdown (both Napalm Records).

Although the album opener ‘Mohawk Bang!’ seems to lodge this album in the Stoner genre, with its heavy, dirty riffs and slightly distorted vocals over a small range, by the fourth song, ‘High Love’, Jackson Firebird shows their true colours combining the best of both worlds with the cheer and riffs of Rock n’ Roll and the hard crunchiness of Hard Rock in a combination that you can either dance or bang your head to. While it may not have quite the raw swing of, say, Cold Chisel’s ‘Yakuza Girls’, Jackson Firebird throw a whole lot of modern sound into the mix.

Vocally the styles range from stoner, through a lot of Rage against the Machine in songs like ‘Sick n Tired’, to a style I normally associate with bands like The Black Crowes in the verse of ‘Shake the Breakdown’.

The album also contains two splendid covers, the first being a somewhat Stoner version Queen’s ‘Fat Bottomed Girls’, the second a really fast paced and swinging cover of ‘The Clapping Song’, originally by Shirley Ellis in 1965.  In both cases the songs are arranged and performed in a way that makes it sounds exactly right for this band; adaptations rather than covers.

This is a very strong album where the sound is excellent, the songs are great fun, danceable, and well composed. Australia has a vibrant music scene and bands like Jackson Firebird, and Airbourne before them, prove that the Aussie combination of Rock n’ Roll with something harder is definitely alive and worth spreading.

 

8.5/10

 

LORRAINE LYSEN


Buckcherry – Rock n’ Roll

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Predictability is underrated. There is something that hits the spot about songs doing what you want them to, when you want them to, when you know you can trust a band not to throw you a curve ball, but in the process spit out a bourbon flavoured selection that will tick all the boxes it needs to, and guarantee nothing but a good motherfucking time. It’s album seven, and you know what you’re getting from Josh Todd and the Buckcherry boys. The title, Rock n’ Roll (F-Bomb/Caroline) even confirms it.

Making their (makers) mark swigging from the bottles marked Guns n’ Roses, Love/Hate and Aerosmith this album really does what it says on the tin, as opener ‘Bring It On Back’ teases ‘Welcome To The Jungle’ before swaggering into aural view, Todd’s effortless trademark vocals planting the seed of a chorus that’ll take root and grow.

‘Tight Pants’ is this years tongue-in-bum, dick-tapping, ass-slapping, stuck-in-your-head as brassy as the parps that enhance the chorus rump-shaker; it’s bum-chum ‘Wish To Carry On’ brings an overwhelming desire to whap your arm-round your mate and sing along to the optimistic boogie-rock while ‘The Madness’ brings the 4/4 power-stomp, banging its head to Velvet Revolver. ‘Wood’ is as wood does; as simple and recognisable Aerosmith worship as it’s oh-so-obvious double-entendre lyrics (I’m not even sure they’re double meaning, pretty upfront, so to speak…), and when they slow things down, effortless flecking ‘The Feeling Never Dies’ and its jangly blues rock, the Black Crowes shuffle of ‘Rain Falling’ and ‘Crazy,’ with swathes Americana and sitting-on-the-porch hooks, the depths and changes of pace are welcome.

While ‘Crazy Bitch’ from 2005’s 15 (Universal/Eleven Seven) is the anthem that the band will forever be known for due to being the most infectious earworm of all time ever and their self-titled début (Dreamworks) will never be surpassed as Buckcherry’s go-to moments, Rock n’ Roll joins a growing repertoire of credible, worthwhile and fun rock albums that continues the legacy of yesteryear. There’s usually a reason the big boys are the big boys, and since reforming  a decade ago the ‘cherry have managed to keep their pecker up, and the Rock n’ Roll a-rollin’.

 

7.5/10

 

STEVE TOVEY


The Black Crowes Call It Quits

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The Black Crowes has disbanded, founding member and guitarist Rich Robinson announced. He and his brother Chris founded the band in 1989 in their hometown of Marrieta, GA.

Said Rich in his statement:

“It is with great disappointment and regret that after having the privilege of writing and performing the music of THE BLACK CROWES over the last 24 years, I find myself in the position of saying that the band has broken up.”
He continued: “I hold my time with THE BLACK CROWES with the utmost respect and sincerest appreciation. It is a huge swath of my life’s body of work. I couldn’t be more proud of what we accomplished and deeply moved by the relationships people created and maintained with my music. That alone is the greatest honor of being a musician.
“I love my brother and respect his talent, but his present demand that I must give up my equal share of the band, and that our drummer for 28 years and original partner, Steve Gorman, relinquish 100% of his share, reducing him to a salaried employee, is not something I could agree to.”

“There are so many people who have helped and supported us along the way.

“I want to give a heartfelt thank you to all of our fans, our friends behind the scenes, and to everyone who was a part of THE BLACK CROWES.”