The ever prolific Devin Townsend has announced a series of new releases that he says will be “interesting” but not necessarily something he’d want to present as “a major release”. The Devolution Series will give fans access to various live materials and more and begins with with an acoustic live set from 2019.
The Fierce And The Dead share surprise new live EP for Bandcamp Friday
Things are busy behind the scenes with The Fierce And The Dead. The British post-rock band have had live shows cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but they’ve taken a lot of time to work on home demos and ideas for album number 4, which they’ve more than hinted will be as different from ‘The Euphoric’ as that album had been from 2013’s ‘Spooky Action’.
Free Download: Grab another sampler from Rum Bar Records
It’s been barely three weeks since the good guys at Rum Bar Records gave you a free album length sampler. In an attempt to cheer up your February and fill the hole left by cancelled gigs and a lack of social interaction, they’re offering a truckload more music…and it won’t cost you a penny!
VARIOUS ARTISTS – Staring At The Rude Boys: The British Ska Revival 1979-89
In the summer of 1979, several young bands with a political conscience and an ear for the Jamaican sounds of the late 60s began to storm the UK charts. The British music scene subsequently experienced one of its most exciting post-punk movements when bands like The Specials and The Selecter became the “new cool” with their brand of energetic ska music. By October, the new movement had reached fever pitch when no fewer than three bands associated with the 2-Tone label appeared on a single edition of Top of The Pops. Decades on, it’s still possible to understand the incendiary effect these bands had when revisiting that footage. Much has been said about Madness’ abilities to give the studio a party atmosphere, but it’s The Selecter’s first appearance playing ‘On My Radio’ which, perhaps, best sums up the pure energy of ska’s second wave in a little over two minutes, with Pauline Black, Arthur ‘Gaps’ Hendrickson and Charley Anderson giving it the full on skank throughout.
URIAH HEEP – Salisbury
While it may not always be seen as favourably as some of 1970’s heavyweight hard rock discs, ‘Very ’Eavy Very ’Umble’ marked a more than credible beginning for British rockers Uriah Heep. While the release never troubled the UK album chart, its mix of blues, rock and occasional psychedelic leanings met with a devoted group of music fans. Having found an audience, it would have been easy for Mick Box and his merry band of musicians to knock out a near carbon copy for their second release, but the album that eventually emerged in February 1971 couldn’t have been any more different.