US noise pop band Nightspell made an impressive sound on their ‘Pegasus’ single back in June 2021. The US trio really captured the best elements of a very 90s sound, and the track whipped up a welcome nostalgic element of old shoegaze, but was able to give that a modern twist.
Madfish announces a massive Al Stewart box set
If you think Cherry Red had been spoiling Al Stewart fans with their reissue campaign, think again. The UK label’s 3CD/DVD box sets of both ‘Year of The Cat’ and ‘Time Passages’ were very smart, and a massively expanded ’24 Carrots’ appeared to be fairly comprehensive, but they’ve got nothing on the planned box set that’s due for release in June 2022.
THE HALLINGTONS – Hop Til’ You Drop
Between 2013 and 2019, The Hallingtons released a string of EPs that slowly found them perfecting their own homage to Ramones. Hundreds of bands had recorded in a similar style before, but few had managed to capture the early sounds from Joey and Johnny quite as perfectly as The Hallingtons’ ‘Hexed’, proving the world was more than ready for the Norwegian punks to deliver a full length musical assault.
GRAMMA VEDETTA – Hum Of The Machine
Somewhere around the peak of the first UK pandemic lockdown, Gramma Vedetta released their second EP. More than just another short collection of rock tracks, the London based outfit’s ‘A.C.I.D. Compliant’ actually acted as a snapshot in time, with the brilliant ‘Lucid Dream’ providing a musical diary of those tumultuous days in a very direct fashion. Backing up that obvious highlight, listeners were also reminded of their psychedelic and stoner influences, leading to a short but very effective listen.
REAL GONE GOES OUT: Venus Grrrls – Ramsgate Music Hall, Ramsgate, Kent 13/5/2022
It’s 8:30 on a Friday night and Venus Grrrls have just taken to the stage at Ramsgate Music Hall. The Leeds band are unknown to most of the audience, but it’s great to witness the venue already packed to the rafters. If this were a London gig, most of the paying crowd would still be in a nearby pub, or standing in the venue bar talking, and paying the musicians very little attention. The seaside crowd are often more thoughtful and, looking at the gathering tonight, this is no exception. It actually feels even more crowded than when Electric Six and Red Snapper played at the small venue at the end of 2021. At a time when people are still concerned about Coronavirus, or the cost of living has made casual nights out difficult for many, it’s a sight that really restores hope.