Looking back, the three years between the disco and pop oriented sounds of 1976 and the majestic jumble of influences that fill 1979 are a huge gulf. By 1979, disco was on it’s last legs, punk had firmly given airtime to what we now think of as new wave and the pop music of the day was about as strong as it had been since 1975.
Monthly Archives: July 2017
THE DIRTY TRUCKERS – Tiger Stripes EP
Aah, Boston. How we love you. Home to Buffalo Tom. Home to The Russians. Home to Aerosmith, The Lemonheads, Pixies, Mission of Burma, ‘Til Tuesday and countless other great bands. Boston is probably second only to New York as the US’s spiritual home of great rock music.
Boston is also home to The Neighborhoods, Watts, Tom Baker & The Snakes and Worshipper, all of whom have connections to The Dirty Truckers.
REAL GONE GOES OUT: Bash & Pop, Ramsgate Music Hall, Ramsgate, Kent 30/06/2017
It’s Friday night in Ramsgate. In the harbour, people are going about their usual Friday night business, drinking Belgian beers and eating tapas. On the other side of town, at the Ramsgate Music Hall, something far more unexpected is about to happen. Tommy Stinson is about to take the stage with his band Bash & Pop. For those still unaware, Tommy is a cult hero, possibly even a legend. Between the early 80s and 90s, he played bass with The Replacements, a garage rock/punk band who gained a devoted following and became influential to a future generation of musicians. He’s been a member of both Soul Asylum and Guns N’ Roses. In between those musical ventures, he’s put out a couple of great solo records and two releases with a largely overlooked band, the ironically named Perfect.
Listen to a new track by Kris Rodgers
Kris “Fingers” Rodgers has been called “rock ‘n’ roll’s secret weapon”. The pianist has recorded as sideman with a truckload of underground bands in the US over the past decade and been a regular fixture with Kurt Baker, Mono In Stereo and the excellent Bullet Proof Lovers. In 2011, he started his own band, The Dirty Gems, as a throwback to old-school piano rock and by 2014, the Gems had become a fully fledged recording outfit.
At the end of July 2017, Rodgers releases ‘Losing The Frequency’, a high octane homage to the old days of AM radio. Expect huge hooky choruses and summer vibes with the piano out there, front and centre.
If you can’t wait until then, you can stream the excellent ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Radio’ below.
Watch the new video from Funeralglade
Scandinavia has never been short of extreme metal bands, but there’s always room for more! Funeralglade is a new melodic death metal/deathcore band from Finland, trading in huge riffs and a fearsome bottom end. With the members all still in their teens, their debut release ‘May The Funeral Begin’ (released via Inverse Records on August 18th) very much marks the beginning of a musical journey for these musicians, but the presence and weight of their riffs is well beyond their years.