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.
Justin Kline returns with Dungeon of Skeletons
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.
RYAN ALLEN – What A Rip
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.