Keen power pop fans and garage rock aficionados who’ve been following the Rum Bar label since their early days will know how seriously they take their music. For head honcho Malibu Lou, the label has been an ongoing labour of love, and his bands are his family. Those bands, in turn, appear to look out for each other, and their social media often shows musicians hanging out at each others’ shows. The Rum Bar ethos values heart over perfection, and often feels as if its giving something back to the Boston music scene. The aspect of “giving back” is also why the label has never been shy of issuing free downloads: their album length samplers aren’t just a way of attracting new listeners to great, DIY music they might not have otherwise found, they’re also a celebration of the scene as a larger construct. The label’s Summer ’21 download – ‘XOXOXO Volume One’ – was one of the best free downloads ever. By rounding up a lot of the label’s better known bands and previewing things to come, it felt like a complete experience, enjoyable for committed followers and the curious alike, but this even bigger selection of Rum Bar wares – orchestrated by the guys at Knyvet PR – is pretty much its equal.
Category Archives: Album & EP Reviews
THE HOLY NOTHING – Vol. 1: A Profound And Nameless Fear
On this debut EP, The Holy Nothing wield some genuinely enormous riffs. Creating a sound that takes a huge influence from stoner metal and mixes that with a few grungy influences and a pinch of hardcore, their sound shifts between crunchy, sludgy and the groove laden, ensuring this musical trio are often more interesting than your average Orange Goblin, Fu Manchu and Kyuss wannabes.
ROWSIE – Rowsie
Rowsie’s 2022 EP ‘Searching’ presented four tracks of solid sounding roots rock with noisier overtones. Somewhere between the solo works of Dan Baird, Boston bar room rockers Watts, the angrier end of the John Hiatt catalogue, a full blown Crazy Horse and Grant Lee Buffalo, the release’s four songs sold an enthusiastic DIY sound with relative ease.
This full length felt like a long time coming, but it does not disappoint. Working to Rowsie’s previous formula, its ten songs mix different elements of raw rock and Americana in a way that’s wholly natural, and the songwriting occasionally throws a sly humour into the mix, resulting in a collection of tracks that could’ve have been spawned at any point after the late 70s.
THE UPPERS – Manic Melodies EP
The Uppers’ debut EP ‘Get Down With…’ introduced garage rock fans to a high energy band whose stock sounds often sounded like a souped up version of The Real Kids. Armed with a 60s twang and a CBGB’s punk energy, the St. Louis four piece immediately sounded ready to take on the world.
HATRED REIGNS – Awaken The Ancients
Released five years after their well received ‘Realm I: Affection’ EP, Canadian death metallers Hatred Reigns’ ‘Awaken The Ancients’ is a full length, full throttle, intensive slab of brutality that genre fans won’t want to miss. In a little over half an hour, the band shares a speed driven approach that shares strong DNA with a few of the greats. Drawing from the pioneering works of Suffocation and Death, through to the more technical aspects of bands like Imperium, and even taking in the death/thrash crossover sound of early Sepultura in a few places, the eleven tracks convey a huge sound that reminds the listener why well played death remains so vital. However, beneath the relentless rhythmic assault and oppressive vocal stance, you’ll also experience musicianship which explores deep textures and tautly played solos that rank among some of the underground’s best.