In August ’17, Boston rockers Justine and Unclean unleashed their debut single via Rum Bar Records. A double A-sided download, ‘Love Got Me Into This Mess’ and ‘Passive Aggressive Baby’ delivered an adrenaline-shot of good old r’n’r, mixing the sounds of Ramones with something a little sweeter. The tracks retained a punky enough edge to thrill the pop-punk crowd and yet retained a little something to suggest their forthcoming album might just be a touch more varied.
DIG DEEPER – In Central European Time
Taking cues from late 60s psych and various trippy Americana bands from more recent times, Norway’s Dig Deeper are a curious hybrid of Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Pink Floyd, Richmond Fontaine and a half remembered garage band from eons past. ‘In Central European Time’, the band’s third full length release, often plays like a dark road movie for the head and should appeal to fans of the aforementioned, possibly even those familiar with fellow Scandinavians The Bloakes, Trevor & The Joneses and King Black Acid.
Tom Petty (October 20, 1950 – October 2, 2017)
On 2nd October 2017, Tom Petty died following a heart attack. His unexpected passing marked one of the blackest days of the year, since Tom always felt like someone who would always be there and always be part of life’s fabric. The fact that he left behind a marvellous body of work – most of which never seems to age – means that in some way, he’ll always be a part of millions of lives, but the idea that we’ll never hear a new Tom Petty album is very hard to comprehend, especially so soon after critically acclaimed works like ‘Hypnotic Eye’ and ‘Nobody’s Child.
Those last records featured tracks that were potentially as solid as anything Petty had ever recorded, lending weight to the fact that he was one of the finest and arguably most consistent songwriters of his generation.
THE FATHER OF SERPENTS – Age Of Damnation
The Father of Serpents is a six headed beast comprised from members of various Serbian extreme metal bands. The combination of their talents hoped to recreate the sounds of classic doom with a melodic death metal edge, taking the mantle from established bands like (early) Paradise Lost, (early) My Dying Bride and Cathedral. It doesn’t take too long after hitting the play button on their 2017 release ‘Age of Damnation’ before it’s obvious that the vision they’d hoped for has been reproduced in a spectacular fashion.
ELLEN AND THE DEGENERATES – Herb Alert EP
When picking up something from US DIY label What’s For Breakfast? Records, there’s more than a fair chance you’ll encounter something in the garage rock mould, some riot grrl anger, or even something punky. All good staple sounds for listeners who like their sounds authentically rough and ready, but the 2017 EP from Ellen and The Degenerates goes a step further and combines all of the aforementioned with some great hooks and a decent recording. All things considered, it’s easily one of the best things the label has released.