Since the turn of the millennium, The Dollyrots have been an important fixture on the pop punk scene. In an era where so many “punk” bands took a more emo route, vocalist Kelly Ogden and friends constantly served up classic pop punk riffs – 90s style – injected with a little power pop sugariness, which often put the band somewhere between peak blink-182 and the noisier elements of Letters To Cleo. Naturally, their often buoyant and fun approach to everything attracted Jaret Reddick and his band Bowling For Soup. Strong bonds were made in the name of friendship, and over the years, the two bands could often be found sharing a stage or three.
Author Archives: Real Gone
Terry Hall: 1959-2022
Terry Hall will always be best remembered as being the on/off frontman with The Specials. His deadpan wit and dour delivery made him unique among the punk era’s performers with his ability to inject passion and spite into socially charged lyrics, sometimes without even putting in any effort.
THE PRIZE – Wrong Side Of Town EP
Formed during the pandemic restrictions of 2021, The Prize are promoted as a power pop band, but those looking for a world of Jellyfish and McCartney inspired throwbacks should be forewarned that this band really don’t indulge in that kind of perfection or sugariness. There is a power pop heart to their sound, but it’s far more indebted to bands like The Nerves (of ‘Hanging On The Telephone’ fame) and The Real Kids, occasionally fused with the more melodic end of The Buzzcocks’ output. With a pinch of early Flamin’ Groovies and the occasional nod to fellow Aussies The Saints to be discovered along the way, this debut EP stirs up a world of energy, but matches the spiky riffs with massive, catchy hooks at every turn.
CINDY LAWSON – Hey Santa / Mr. Scrooge
Back in the dim and distant past of the mid 80s, at a time when The Cars were still chart toppers and The Replacements hadn’t quite made the jump to a major label deal and full-blown melodies, there was a rock ‘n’ roll band called The Clams. That name has since been hijacked by a surf rock band, but the original Minnesota Clams were a great vehicle for garage rock riffs and massive hooks. A lot of people have only really caught up with them via the Rum Bar Records compilation ‘The Complete Clams’ (issued in May 2022), but it’s clear that decades after they disbanded, The Clams were a band with a huge potential. At the very tip of their musical iceberg, ‘He’s Like Heroin’ presented them like a huge-voiced, female fronted Stooges; ‘Give Me A Reason’ served up sixties garage pop loaded with bubblegum sweet melodic hooks and ‘The Dangerous Kind’ showed them dabbling with something much punkier, but with equally cool results. The Clams were a band that often sounded great, no matter what.
ALEX MEISTER – Rock And A Hard Place
Much like the works of Frontiers Records signing Michael Palace, guitarist Alex Meister is very happy to celebrate a big haired rock and metal past. Throughout ‘Rock And A Hard Place’, his song writing is rooted in a pre-grunge landscape, and his playing is swamped in influences that pull from melodic metal, AOR and trashy hard rock in almost equal measure. Those who like that sort of thing will definitely find something to enjoy on this solo debut, since Meister’s love for the style comes through with ease, and even when the record’s production values aren’t quite as big as the musical ideas, his knack with a chorus is more than evident.