Justin Kline returns with Dungeon of Skeletons

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Those of you with long memories will remember Justin Kline.  The Nashville based singer songwriter built upon his cult following with an excellent power pop EP, ‘Triangle’, back in 2010.  By 2012, he’d reinvented himself in a rockier guise as frontman of the short-lived Weezer-esque Origami Hologram.

Justin seemed to be one of those people that showed a natural flair, regardless of whatever musical subgenre he approached, but following a release of home demos and a self-depreciating EP ‘Doormat’ in 2013, he seemed to disappear.

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RYAN ALLEN – What A Rip

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Following a handful of ragged but enjoyable albums with his band Extra Arms, Ryan Allen released his most personal work to date in 2019 when ‘Up From Here’ documented his emotional regrouping following a divorce. Essentially punk pop’s answer to Dylan’s ‘Blood On The Tracks’, the record had introspective qualities, but had enough musical clout to entertain the kind of listener that doesn’t listen to lyrics. In short, almost everything about it suggested that Allen had reached full potential as both a songwriter and musician. Then, in quick succession, Allen threw out three more releases containing a barrage of cover tunes and scrappy songs which, in his own words, were “written in a flurry during life in lockdown”. Aside from being keen to move on, it almost seemed as if he wanted to cast aside ‘Up From Here’s musical maturity.

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BLACK TARPOON – The Thad EP

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First impressions can be deceiving. Just one look at Black TarPoon and you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d be about to experience an intensive stoner rock band, or maybe a massive riff-based juggernaut not too dissimilar to The Workhorse Movement. Nothing could be further from the truth. On their 2021 release ‘The Thad EP’ these Texan musicians go deep into a roots based sound where drawling vocals mesh with a country-blues groove. Their choice of band name – an anti-heroin reference – lends a certain sense of unease and Their cutting lyrics lend a further edge, but otherwise, their acoustic based sounds are surprisingly accessible. …And very retro in a 90s style.

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The Pineapple Thief to release 4CD box set of acoustic recordings in April

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The last few years have seen continued critical acclaim for Bruce Soord. The last couple of Pineapple Thief albums were largely well received by fans and critics alike, and his Wisdom of Crowds side project with Jonas Renkse cemented his popularity.

The Covid pandemic put an end to live performances, but Soord kept himself busy by performing acoustic sets from home during lockdown. Fans will finally get the opportunity to own all of these recordings in April when KScope Records issues The Pineapple Thief’s ‘The Soord Sessions, Vol 1-4’. Full details on the new box set can be found below.

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BLACK PISTOL FIRE – Look Alive

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Somewhere near the beginning of their career, blues duo Black Pistol Fire released ‘Big Beat ’59’, a raw as hell album that cast them in a musical mould somewhere between The White Stripes and The Dead Exs. It didn’t always show a lot of invention in terms of garage blues, but it had a lot of balls, resulting in the kind of rough and ready record that should’ve appealed to all lovers of the style. The albums which followed showed a slight musical progression each time, along with a slightly slicker sound and the suggestion of a slightly bigger budget. This culminated in the release of 2017’s ‘Deadbeat Graffiti’ where the expected Black Pistol Fire raucousness was tempered by far more of an indie rock/blues hybrid sound in places. It was a sound that suited the band well, and on tracks like ‘Fever Breaks’ and ‘Bully’ they even appeared to give Arctic Monkeys a run for their money.

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