ST. JAMES & THE APOSTLES – Via Delarosa

apostlesOn ‘Via Delarosa’, the third release from Philadelphian blues rockers St. James & The Apostles, their heavy guitar and organ driven sound ensures plenty of old style chops are at the forefront of almost everything, allowing listeners with a retro ear a chance to really let their hair down.   In terms of grittiness, the analogue sound of this LP’s ten heavy rollers just couldn’t be improved: if you like music to have a live in the studio feel, then look no further…

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GREASY HEARTS – Greasy Hearted EP

greasy hearts epIn March 2014 lo-fi garage rock combo Greasy Hearts released their self-titled debut EP.  Recorded on a meagre budget, the six numbers captured the band in raw form, driven by self-belief and pure adrenaline.  Live shows quickly followed and the New Jersey based quartet began to pick up a greasy following.  Within months, they were back in the studio recording a follow up release.

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Cassette Store Day 2014

As every music fan is aware by now, Record Store Day is held every April supposedly to encourage music buyers to visit their local independent store. In practice, this is a great idea – but the reality often means frustration for many. For every fan who seeks that special edition issued to mark the occasion, the event is often spoilt by chancers and dealers buying stuff up to hock on ebay later in the day. In some cases, these items appear on the world-famous internet auction site hours before the stores open, hours before the event has even begun, leading to the question of how many stores are even playing by the rules.

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¡VAMANOS! – EP

vamanosAs blusterous as Jon Spencer’s Blues Explosion yet accessible in their slide guitar fixated approach, The Dead Exs were just one of many blues duos to take the stage in the wake of The White Stripes’ popularity. Their debut release ‘Ressurection’ was raw yet focused…possessing power and groove, in short, everything garage blues should be.   If The Dead Exs channelled the power and charm of the Blues Explosion’s classic work, then King Pizza signings ¡Vamanos! are almost the ugly Pussy Galore by default – their brand of garage blues making all but the very rawest noisemakers sound like major label puppets.

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