Category Archives: Recommended
Shoraiders – Shoraiders [EP]
The last few years have seen a renaissance in traditional-sounding rock ‘n’ roll, most of it coming out of Scandinavia. Shoraiders, like countless others before them, have modelled themselves on AC/DC, Blue Cheer, Queens of the Stone Age… You’ve heard this fuzzed-out approach before, but it’s the nicotine-fuelled pipes of Maria Morjes – a sassy, unrepentant presence – that makes this an essential purchase.
Mail Order Englishmen – Mail Order Englishmen [EP]
In time-honoured tradition, Mail Order Englishmen is, quite simply, just a name. This Nashville trio, who have no direct links to Britain, have sewn together a psychedelic patchwork that takes its fabric from rock’s golden age – There are elements of the Allman Brothers, Free and Neil Young in this hearty debut – and rather than feeling like a history lesson, this warm and woozy collection is as good as any of its obvious influences.
Slim and the Greeks – Slim and the Greeks [Self-Release]
Slim and the Greeks like to keep a low profile: Apart from their album-streaming page, there’s no information out there regarding their members, influences or whereabouts. Lack of key facts aside, this 10-track debut – we assume it’s a debut, anyway – is packed with gorgeously retro, sun-dappled indie-pop that pays homage to illustrious recordings, and despite its ephemeral nature, you’ll be constantly reaching for the repeat button. Quite simply, it’s a work of insidious beauty.
Dinosaur Eyelids – Conflagration [Servis Road]
Dinosuar Eyelids’ aversion to post-millennial life prompted a defiant tagline: “alternative rock for a new generation,” – you could almost hear the ostracized members of society screaming in unison. For one reason or another, the band has yet to capitalise on their intent: Winter Solstice came and went, while the reaction to Down a River was minimal, to say the least.
Conflagration, the band’s third full-length, is worthy of such a malevolent title. Evan Staats, a brazen vocalist, who treats his record collection as an extension of personal politics, hasn’t lost any of his intensity; telling the listener to “kill your idols,” to a backdrop of powerful, grunge-like riffage. Like a ‘90s trio who got caught in a zeitgeist whirlwind, Conflagration is a manifestation of emotions: The maniacal and melodic contrasts add complexity and depth – the latter being vital in their pursuit of “change”. Whether this will be enough to start a revolution, however, remains to be seen.
The Exxtras – Waiting For You [Water Under The Bridge]
By Simon Hadley
The Exxtras are the type of band that restores your faith in music: Gone are the over-the-top theatrics; the endless social-media assaults – although, they do have a Facebook account – and the need to appear on billboards. Hell, even their choice of format, the cassette, embodies their do-it-your ethic; offering a tangible listening experience, as well as a two-fingered salute to cultural trends. Limited to 250 copies, Waiting for You is crammed with charmingly indelible gems.
Megachurch – Megachurch 2: Judgment Day [Stressed Sumo]
By Simon Hadley
The minds of Megachurch draw similar comparisons with inner-city suburbs; they are nice places to visit, but you wouldn’t want to live there: Where the outcasts of society find solace in their distorted, psychological well-being, the rest of us simply pass through.
Megachurch, on the other hand, are perfectly at ease with their macabre residency – they even have a senator in Rick Santorum. What the band aren’t at ease with, however, is the rest of the world: More specifically, American culture. Judgment Day, as the title suggests, is the final reckoning for long-standing ideologies and 21st Century ideals.
Before that, like in any reputable work of fiction, is the unleashing of fury – or in this case, the ‘Resurrection’: 90 seconds of chaos where driving stoner-metal offsets cries of sinister, political frustration; a concept that is prevalent throughout.
Despite the Cleveland trio’s dissatisfaction with modern culture, there are moments of satirical brilliance: ‘Speaking in Tongues,’ for instance, builds to a mind-warping crescendo, while ‘My Father’s Dignity’ includes the juxtaposing thoughts of a sadistic pastor; it’s this unorthodox, anything-goes approach, that makes Judgment Day so captivating.
Utah – Utah [Self-Release]
By Simon Hadley
When they started making ear-shattering sludge, Utah wasn’t anything remarkable: Just two guys raping and bleeding their equipment to death in a studio. Two years on, however, a lot has changed: Utah has doubled in size, leading to a welcome change in direction; the band is more ambitious, more accomplished and simply better. Here, the ideas Utah have offered since Here They come – Bombastic, full-throttle swamp-metal – are realized spectacularly.
The Georgia four-piece juggles motifs and ideas, leading to a refined and more complex assault. ‘Bisontennial’ opens with a space-age swell; launching into a crushing mid-tempo kick-and-tom gallop, before changing tact one more: syrupy, psychedelic hooks swerve and tease, culminating in a slow-burning finish. Elsewhere, ‘Ambian,’ is ostensibly intended as an early breather, while ‘Kneecaps’ is a Southern-sounding sprawl that Zakk Wylde would be proud of. Utah is the first great metal album of 2013, and is sure to gain the band a Mastodon-sized legion of devotees. Seriously, it’s that good.
Black Cat Trail – Storm on the Forecast [EP]
By Simon Hadley
If you were expecting a mind-warping excursion into psychedelic-rock, then you’re going to be disappointed: gorgeous voodoo artwork that hints at challenging subject matter usually ends up falling into one of two categories: a philosophical interpretation of time, space and the future, or the reworking of a lost novel.
Storm on the Forecourt, the debut release from Black Cat Trail, is neither. Instead, this is the sound of three men on a nostalgia-filled journey: spaghetti Western guitar licks, roots-chewing grooves and country balladry. ‘Dark Night’, for instance, is under-the-cover-of-darkness prison blues, covered by Safe As Milk-era Captain Beefhart, while you can almost smell the stench of dried ale in ‘Harlot’: “Where has the time gone?/I’d do it over again,” muses Jeff Collins. Only the blues can soak firming into your heart.
Green Desert Water [EP]
If you think that denim and leather represents the very apex of Western civilisation, Green Desert Water will fill you joy. Paying homage to the warmth and soul of ‘70s blues-rock, these vinyl-obsessed Spaniard’s groove their way through prog-inspired jams (‘The Hermit’) and Skynyrd-tinged ballads (‘Into The Wild’) with West Coast nonchalance.
The Kamals – The Kamals [EP]
By Simon Hadley
Since the world has finally recognised the Black Keys’ as a damn fine blues-duo, we’re now in the midst of a revival: nearly every town and city across the States has a young, bearded ensemble with a plug-in-and-play ethic, smearing the lines of rock, R&B – yes, rhythm and blues, as oppose to what it stands for today – and soul. The Kamals’ are no different.
For a record that rummages so excitedly through rock history, there’s plenty to digest: opener ‘Tell Me’ invokes the spirit of stadium-rock titans during a festival jam, while ‘Hands in the Water’ is a 15-minute epic, steeped in summertime country and soul – think Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers jamming round a bong: trippy, seductive and magic. Finding new ways to shake up that old-school blues-rumble is tough. For The Kamals’, it’s the easiest thing in the world.
Trippy Wicked & the Cosmic Children of the Knight – Going Home [Superhot]
By Simon Hadley
Maybe there’s a movement happening; the Blue Screen of Death, Grifter, Stubb and now Trippy Wicked & the Cosmic Children of the Knight – easily the most outrageous moniker – are flying the flag for British rock: Sabbath-steeped heaviness that is powerfully concise. From the opening groove-tickling title track, to the orchestral reprise of ‘Home’, the St Albans-based trio, along with their underground playmates, are a reminder that in amongst the mainstream lust for electronica and dubstep, rock and metal will always reign supreme.
The Blue Screen of Death – Leave The Future Behind [Self-Release]
By Simon Hadley
The Blue Screen of Death is welcome flush of energy to Britain’s stagnant rock scene. The Southampton five-piece have been exhausting local venues and bars for best part of two years; hoping for a record label hotshot to fill them with beer, and produce an album of serious quality.
While the contract is yet to materialise, in producer and jack-of-all-trades supremo, Ben Turk, the band have found a kindred spirit: Turk’s persistent for getting the most out of stoner-rock riffs with pop-savy melodies, has resulted in a timeless collection of sure-fire hits.
