Over the last decade or so, Rum Bar Records has grown to become one of the great independent labels. For lovers of grubby sounding retro rock, power pop and even melodic punk, it’s become a one-stop shop for some superb underground sounds. They’ve even diversified to bring their audience bits and pieces from the alternative country scene, and via artists like Jittery Jack and Mozzy Dee, some top quality rockabilly, old school rock ‘n’ roll, and a whole different retro vibe.
The label’s 2023 sampler, ‘The Nice Price’ – promoted by Knyvet PR – ranks an essential freebie, but this selection of tracks (yours, again, for absolutely nowt) runs it pretty close. ‘Second Shot’ gives the label’s fans, and those with a more inquisitive ear, a fantastic round up of the Rum Bar wares released over the prior twelve months or so. In short, it’s a very interesting overview of where the label stands at the time of issue.
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An immediate hit, Richard Deguay & The Beautiful Decline supply a riff-laden treat with the brilliant ‘Guaranteed O.D.’, a number that stokes up a blue collar rock sound with a semi-punky guitar to create an 80s throwback that wouldn’t feel entirely out of place on Soul Asylum’s ‘Hang Time’ LP, or The Replacements’ ‘Let It Be’. Along with The Dirty Truckers, this is a band who typify the Rum Bar “sound”, and despite re-sharing a piece of an alternative past, there’s an energy here that is utterly captivating. Showing off their tougher side, power pop heroes The Shang Hi Los drop in with the harmony drenched ‘Morganatic Panic’ – a single from the summer of ‘24 – that blends tight power pop with rock ‘n’ roll basslines to hit the listener with an energy driven tune that really shows off the cool blend of Danny The K and Jen D’Angora’s complimentary talents. Then, once you’re attuned to the Shangs’ sound, they turn the track on its head by firstly dropping in a Thin Lizzy inspired lead break, and then by including a part that’s an unashamed tribute to early 60s pop. It’s a brilliant track – worth the effort it takes to click that download button.
Another essential hit comes via The Hellflowers’ ‘Come On Let’s Dance’, a sugar coated Ramonescore banger where power chords and pop-ish vocals meet to create a tune that would’ve been absolutely massive in those Lookout Records days of 1994, and for even bigger pop punk thrills The Yum Yums’ repetitious and insanely catchy ‘Falling’ revisits those glory days sporting a huge amount of confidence, and The Cretins – a proper blast from the past, and still trucking – offer a re-recorded ‘I Don’t Know Why’, a tune that tips the hat to the more melodic 60s pastiches from the Ramones catalogue. Its deliberately by-numbers approach allows for a pleasingly chunky rhythm guitar to tap into a great sound and for a broader vocal to beef up a strong chorus hook, much in the way the great Ramonescore bands of the mid 90s made their forte. In a change of mood, Jittery Jack with Amy Griffin On Guitar serve up a whole universe of lo-fi, reverb heavy twang on ‘Stomp’, the missing link between Dick Dale, The Ventures and The Polecats. The vocals sound like something pulled from a mid 60s rockabilly cut; the loud guitars hint at a love of early 80s rockabilly revival sounds. The end result is as catchy as hell – a recording that proudly raises two fingers in the face of fashion.
The Glimmer Stars some late 70s inspirations and power pop gold on ‘Pictures of You’, a tune where a jubilant guitar riff cuts through the rhythmic track with such coolness, it’s easy to forgive the kind of vocal that could split opinion. Armed with an aggressive bassline and a world of punk ‘n’ roll guitars, The Legendary Swagger’s ‘Stand’ wastes no time in clearing those metaphorical cobwebs, and the Long Beach lads sound absolutely furious when hammering a world of sharp riffs. In terms of retro garage punk, this is a genuine winner: the blend of raw guitar work and gravel tinged vocal captures a rough and ready musical stance perfectly. By direct comparison, The Mochines sound a little slow, but there’s a lot of charm to be found in their grubby garage rocker ‘Killer Woman’ which flaunts a terrific drum sound against a wall of twang, and features a muscular lead vocal that’s defiantly old school in a way that genuinely works. Some listeners will hear an influence from Dictators, others will hear elements of the UK based proto punk scene. Whichever way you slice it, it’s the kind of track that invites further investigation, and the band’s ‘Modern Information’ EP (released via Rum Bar in 2023) is recommended listening.
Among this set’s more familiar faces, you’ll find The Dogmatics. ‘Library Girl’ is top drawer Doggo fare with its array of sharp edged guitar chords – falling squarely between tight garage rock and melodic punk – peppered with siren-like lead work. It offers another cast-iron reason to hit that download button. A Rum Bar regular, Cindy Lawson presents something a bit more melodic with ‘What If She Followed Him To Nashville’, a pleasingly simple 60s homage with a gentle Americana twang that allowscthe vocalist to share a fairly broad performance, resulting in the kind of tune extant fans will love. Celebrating several years as part of the underground, Stop Calling Me Frank share an absolutely banging cover of The Stones’ ‘Off The Hook’, which has been sped up admirably, making it sound a little more like an early J. Geils Band deep cut, and the addition of saxes really adds to the recording’s trashy aesthetic. If you already like the Franks, you’ll love this; if you’re not familiar, it’s the perfect primer.
There’s more garage punk from the hands of The Whynotts and Joe Jennings MVP’s, both showing how a tried and tested approach needn’t ever sound stale, and elsewhere, the ever-reliable Pavid Vermin adds a pop punk edge to a full scale Spector tribute on ‘Brutalizer of My Soul’, a number with enough “ba ba ba”s to rival Mr. T Experience’s ‘Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba’. On top of that, you’ll find cult heroes Muck & The Mires, whose ‘He’s Not The One’ is a pleasant enough 60s derived tune where garage rock bluster meets beat group tightness. It comes a little close to retro by numbers in comparison to some of the band’s best material, but a well arranged vocal and busy harmonica put in some hard yards to hold things together.
Dirty Truckers man Tom Baker strikes solo gold with ‘Category 5’, a garage pop number that harks back to the early Nick Lowe and Rockpile, whilst still sharing that classic Baker sound. The mix of chiming guitars and swirling organ here is a little lighter than the Truckers at full pelt, but fans will still find plenty to love. …And the same crowd will probably get a massive kick out of hearing The Dogs hammering their way through British pub rock classic ‘Do Anything You Wanna Do’ – previously a hit for Eddie & The Hot Rods, and shared here with an extra layer of gruffness. You want novelty? You get that too, with The Slamdanistas and ‘Santa Is A Punk Rocker Now’, a festive tune that fuses melodic punk guitar work and sneered vocals with an uplifting hook drowning in falsetto vocals for that ultimate 60s Beach Boys pastiche. For a perfect homage to the past, though, ‘Tropicana Joe’ by The Carnavals runs rings around everyone. It’s as if Rum Bar had unearthed an unreleased gem from the sessions for one of the many Elvis-inspired pop music movies of yesteryear.
With a massive selection of almost forty tracks featured, this one of the biggest Rum Bar/Knyvet giveaways to date. By showcasing a world of retro rock and power pop with a wave of punk and a little good old rock ‘n’ roll, ‘Second Shot’ gives the listener an incredibly strong overview of the label’s chief interests. It would’ve been even better if Angela Tini and Mozzy Dee could’ve propped up this huge selection with their massive vocal charms, but you can’t have everything…and settling for what’s offered, this is already a compilation that goes above and beyond in terms of quantity and value!
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November 2024