Formerly The Bitter Sweethearts, the Aussie/Irish rock band Flickertail first appeared under their rebranded moniker in 2018. Their debut EP, ‘Hurry Up & Wait’ was loaded with classic rock riffs and very strong vocal performances, promising even bigger things to come.
SCATTERED HAMLET – Stereo Overthrow
Formed in 2010, Scattered Hamlet are a band who combine the old style southern rock riffs heaviness of stoner, and more than occasionally, are keen to attack with the force of Motorhead’s hard edged, mid-tempo tracks. Wavering between elements of Black Label Society and no nonsense rock ‘n’ roll, whilst often sounding like they could drop into ‘Killed By Death’ at any moment, you could certainly say that, in terms of a hard driving outfit, they’ve got most bases covered.
Astro (1957-2021)
For those not old enough to experience Bob Marley in his prime, UB40 provided a very important introduction into contemporary reggae music. Their earliest material, powered by massive basslines and even bigger social/political messages really got to the heart of early 80s Britain. Their first ten years, in particular, presented the work of a band that seemed almost infallible. They could shift from political anger, into 70s influenced dub, through to a deftly played cover tune without missing a beat. Their show from the Hammersmith Odeon in 1983 – still denied a DVD release – is a near perfect example of the early UB’s in full flight.
AFFINITY – Affinity
Back in those pre-internet years, it was often difficult to hear really rare albums. There were a whole world of psych, jazz rock and proto-hard rock LPs that were regularly mentioned in Record Collector magazine that seemed shrouded in mystery. Often issued on the Philips, Deram, Major Minor and Vertigo labels, discs by Head Machine, Elias Hulk, The Open Mind and Second Hand – all now available on CD – were almost the vinyl collector’s equivalent of the Holy Grail.
Another such disc, the one and only album by Affinity, was another highly praised gem from the dawn of the 70s that, at one time, seemed destined to languish in the hazy, distant past. In the mid 90s, a decent vinyl pressing could fetch £40-£50; hardly an impulse purchase, should you stumble across one. A CD repressing from Repertoire Records in 1993 finally meant the album became accessible to an audience who missed the band during their brief lifetime, but a lack of UK release meant this disc was almost as elusive. It wasn’t until 2002 that the Affinity LP was given a long overdue CD release on home turf, but that eagerly awaited edition on Angel Air Records was sourced from under par materials.
Blue Carpet Band present ‘B Movie Boogie’ and NSFW video
Featuring members of Demented Are Go!, Blue Carpet Band serve up some ferocious rockabilly noise on their new singe ‘B Movie Boogie’. With it’s accompanying video including suitably trashy b-movie elements (inspired by ‘Demons’ and ‘Evil Dead 2’) and performance footage from the band themselves, it’s a perfect snapshot into their horror themed world.