Singer-songwriter Josh Ritter has a new album out at the end of April. Recorded in collaboration with Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, ‘Fever Breaks’ is one of his finest records to date. Taking in a couple of rockers, a track heavily indebted to moody Springsteen and a whole world of Ritter’s own alt-country charm, it’s a record we think fans will love.
The Church to make rare UK visit
Australian rock band The Church will be making a rare visit to UK shores in June 2019. The handful of scheduled gigs are to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their best known album, 1989’s ‘Starfish’, home to the cult hit ‘Under The Milky Way’.
More info about these reunion shows can be found in the press release below.
***
Watch the video for Banshee’s ‘Bubble’
Banshee are an alt-rock band from Glasgow. Taking influences from Paramore, they’ve been creating a very radio friendly pop-rock sound since 2016.
Released to digital platforms at the end of March, their second EP ‘Bubble’ finds the band crafting tighter and even more commercial sounding songs without losing the root of the music that first gained them fans.
THE RADIO BUZZKILLS – Get Lost!
At the beginning of 2018, St. Louis punkers released ‘Get Fired!’, a fully formed pop-punk masterpiece that applied the band’s usual spiky style to some great choruses. The disc was so popular, the first pressing sold out in quick time and a repress was also quickly snapped up. It even managed to get the expanded deluxe treatment; the addition of various period rarities to an already great disc made the reissue a must-have for any self-respecting punk fan. Given that ‘Get Fired!’ was so well received, The Buzzkills could’ve followed it with more of the same, but instead – perhaps wisely – realised that anything too similar would run the risk of coming up short, so instead, they chose to take a musical side-step…
THE GLORIOUS REBELLION – Scholars Of War EP
Five years into a career of pummelling audiences with riffs, Orlando’s Glorious Rebellion present a mini masterpiece with their 2019 EP ‘Scholars of War’. Its three tracks offer a world of glorious and sludgy wonderment that’s as quirky as it is genuinely heavy.
Lead track ‘Turn Around, Bright Eyes’ quickly raises a wry smile with a reference that instantly calls to mind an 80s evergreen hit from Bonnie Tyler and Jim Steinman, though any kind of musical pomposity or video clips of spinning ninjas really couldn’t be further from the band’s collective mind. Within seconds, they launch into something that sounds like the best thing you’ve heard from Helmet since the release of the ‘Betty’ album about a hundred years ago. The repetitive, sledgehammer riff not only feels like something derived from brilliant Helmet songs of yore, but guitarist Billy Myers also absolutely nails that Page Hamilton tone, giving everything a really distinctive sound; one that refuses to hide such a chief influence. Add to this a terrifically gruff vocal and a pounding rhythm section that’s a match for any within arty metal circles and things get off to an absolutely blazing start. The heaviness of the riffs actually takes so much priority, you might not find any instant lyrical hooks but, of course, the heaviness is the hook and by the time a near-perfect Helmet tribute descends into squalls of feedback with Myers repeatedly bellowing “I am the fucking problem” as a repeated refrain, there’s absolutely no doubt you’re in the presence of a band that truly means business.
Continue reading