Jeremy Porter’s 2016 EP ‘Barrel of Tears’ was a three track gem. Its two original cuts shared some great guitar driven rock pop that harked back to the slightly rootsier end of the 90s, and the big hooks showed a huge love for material from the Soul Asylum and Kevin Salem catalogues. Best of all though, the release shared a superb cover of ‘Blue Letter’, a tune best remembered in its Fleetwood Mac incarnation from ’75, given slightly more of a country rock twang, and showing off Jeremy and The Tuco’s gifts for tight melodies with ease.
Tag Archives: i94 recordings
ZERO BOYS – Don’t Shoot Can’t Breathe / Long Way To Go
Active since 1980, Zero Boys emerged from the US hardcore punk scene, but the sounds on this twin tracker owe almost nothing to the influences and styles most readily associated with that vein of musical history. They have a retro and punky spirit that can’t be ignored, but the Zero Boys of 2023 present have a brilliantly melodic core that draws as much from garage rock and punk ‘n’ roll, and does so in a way that appears to create a sound that pre-dates most actual punk.
THE BELLRAYS – Ball Of Confusion / I Fall Down
The eighth release in i-94 Records’ Detroit covers series is an absolute belter. On this 2023 7”, rock ‘n’ soul duo The BellRays take The Temptations’ classic ‘Ball of Confusion’ and shake it up rather dramatically. Coupled with their self-penned (and previously unreleased) ‘I Fall Down’, it results in a fiery double whammy that’s a great showcase for a massively underrated act.
DANY LAJ & THE LOOKS – You Should Know / I’m So Glad
Dany Laj & The Looks’ fourth album ‘Ten Easy Pieces’ was a masterpiece of pop-rock goodness. One listen to the They Might Be Giants inspired single ‘Don’t Keep Me Guessin’’ was enough to reel in a prospective audience with the catchiest hook of 2021, but the record’s musical gold ran far deeper. Between the energised harmonies of ‘Smoke In The Sun’, the almost Beatle-esque ‘In Other Words’, and the new wave throw back ‘Pick It Up’, the album darted effortlessly between some fairly disparate styles, but Laj’s strong gifts for a melody always acted as the glue holding everything together. Even with ‘Don’t Keep Me Guessin’’ towering above a couple of the album’s lesser cuts, it managed to be one of the year’s best long players.