Boston rock ‘n’ rollers Watts dropped their second full length LP ‘On The Dial’ in 2010. Its selection of trashy tunes that by and large sounded like a collision between mid-70s Stones and New York Dolls overseen by Tommy Stinson and the band were more than happy to wear the influences proudly upon their collective sleeve. A few years on, ‘Flash of White Light’ essentially brings more of the same, though it’s obvious from the outset that the hooks are bigger and the general swagger comes with more confidence than before. The core of the Watts sound, however, remains unchanged.
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ROXIE 77 – The Ameriswede EP
Ryan Roxie has been an important figure on the hard rock/glam rock scene since the mid eighties. He first became a cult figure as a member of Candy, a power pop band he joined just before their demise and whose sole album – ‘Whatever Happened To Fun’ – was given a belated CD release in 2012 (stick with your vinyl though – the “remastered” CD sounds genuinely horrible). As Candy morphed into the underrated Electric Angels in 1990 he remained as guitarist, before forming the cheekily titled Dad’s Porno Mag – a Cheap Trick/Enuff Z’Nuff hybrid with some great tunes – nearer the end of the decade. A huge chunk of his work in the noughties and beyond has been devoted to his own bands Roxie 77 and Casablanca, as well as time spent with the Alice Cooper band. Following the release of Casablanca’s second album ‘Riding a Black Swan’ – a really solid hard rock affair – Roxie resurrected the long-rested Roxie 77 to record a single. The writing sessions were fruitful and what was intended as a single quickly became a six track EP. ‘Ameriswede’ is the result – and it’s a corker.
JIZZY PEARL – Crucified
In terms of consistency Love/Hate kind of fizzled out after the release of the somewhat under-rated ‘Let’s Rumble’ in 1993. The band soldiered on for another six years (with varying line-ups, issuing another three records), but despite best efforts from those later years (and the band almost blowing Gilby Clarke off stage in London during a 2002 tour), for most people, Love/Hate will always be best-loved for the tunes on 1990’s ‘Blackout In The Red Room’ debut.
BLOODLIGHTS – Stand Or Die
Coming almost ten years after Gluecifer’s swansong ‘Automatic Thrill’, this third album from guitarist Captain Poon’s Bloodlights is a record which could match his previous outfit’s claim to be the kings of rock. Not in a stadium filling, household name way, you understand; more in a bringing it back to the sweaty clubs sense. Far rougher around the edges than Gluecifer in their later days, Bloodlights are ugly, mean and fully charged.