Pennsylvania two piece Advocaat are a punk band who truly value melody and hooks. The core of most of the songs from their debut EP ‘Yikes!’ call back to the early days of Face To Face, Down By Law and the rockier – less Ramones-y, less skate-oriented – end of the US punk scene, and each of those highlights both great playing and songwriting. What’s more, their songs don’t just recycle these influences in the same old way: as offbeat as their choice of name, the duo seem unafraid to inject these punky sounds with a couple of adventurous alternative quirks.
KURT BAKER – After Party
Following the release of a couple of superb albums and a slew of EPs celebrating a classic late 70s/early 80s power pop sound, Kurt Baker relocated from Portland, Maine to Madrid. New horizons brought new inspirations and Baker joined pop punk/power pop band Bullet Proof Lovers and also formed a new band, The Kurt Baker Combo. Although the Combo still worshipped good old power pop, their sound was a little harder around the edges than the previous Kurt Baker Band, injecting Baker’s songwriting with a touch of garage rock. This was most obvious on the Combo’s second release – 2018’s ‘Let’s Go Wild’ – where a desire for fuzzy energies sometimes came at the expense of some great melodies.
SHADOW PEOPLE – Washing In Soap Opera EP
Blending elements of metal, noise rock, art rock and pure sludge, Baton Rouge’s Shadow People bring a whole new meaning to the word “intense”. Contrasting sludgy riffs, grinding sounds and retching vocals against unexpected bursts of melody within three tracks that seem to blend into each other, their 2020 EP ‘Washing In Soap Opera’ is as a careening ten minute noise-fest. Its music is almost as frustrating and broken as the era in which it was created. …And yet, there’s something about this wanton ugliness that’s potentially brilliant.
Watch: Places Around The Sun share new video for ‘Rising Sun’
Following their well received debut album, Places Around The Sun have shared a new video clip for their third single ‘Rising Sun’.
DELUXE EDITION DREAMLAND: Chris Rea – Tennis
Chris Rea’s extensive catalogue has never been given the credit it fully deserves. While many of his albums have remained available in various territories, only a few have been reissued in a deluxe format. In many cases, that’s not even because there isn’t a lot of non-album material. There are live shows sitting in Euro TV archives, which could be used for both audio and visual extras alongside various b-sides and other material. With a few of the bigger albums receiving 2CD editions in 2019, it would be a real treat to see Rea’s third album, 1980s ‘Tennis’, afforded an expanded reissue. Continue reading