New single/video for Brandy Row on No Front Teeth Records. You might have heard of him through his 77 punk band The GAGGERS, and more recently through the excellent BRANDY ROW & THE TRUEBADOURS.
“Decline Of a Better Man” displays a quieter, but darker side (see video below) of Brandy’s music: Johnny Thunders kind of vocals, acoustic guitars, street folk vibe and mariachi trumpets.
The second song, “Crazy World” has a more STONES/Gospel feel, and manages to make you want to dance to the absurdity of the modern world we live in. I’m now looking forward to hearing a full album!/Laurent C.
Month: June 2014
The Jones “S/T” EP
The JONES are a new rock’n’roll band from Paris, France, but these guys are no newcomers since Thierry Jones played in BAD LOSERS, Laurent Ciron used to be in the DOGS and the rhytm section Gerard Coulondre and Rudy Serairi also shared stages with quite a few rock bands!
4 songs on black vinyl with a nice Rocky Horrror-ish art-work. On side 1, “Weapons of Mass Distraction” is a catchy 70s rock’n’roll song with glammy vocals and rhythm’n’blues horns while “Bee Sting & Bankruptcy” is a rock and rollin’ STONES/QUIREBOYS kind of tune!
Side 2 takes us somewhere between “Sympathy For The Devil”, DR. FEELGOOD and MINK DEVILLE with “I Want Your Lips”, and offers us a great cover of HUEY “Piano” SMITH‘s “Sea Cruise” (mostly known because of 1959’s FRANKIE FORD‘s version.)
The JONES are not only gentlemen with good tastes, they must also be quite entertaining to watch live since every member in the band sings, but before being able to see them (if you haven’t yet), you should definitely get this fine piece of vinyl./Laurent C.
The DeRellas “Slam! Bam!”
The DERELLAS are back with Danny Fury (LORDS OF THE NEW CHURCH, ROGUE MALE, KILL CITY DRAGONS…) behind the drum kit, what a great choice!… And as soon as the first song “Rock n Rollercoaster”, you can hear that the band sounds tighter, heavier now, bringing The RAMONES or ZODIAC MINDWARP to mind.
Songs like “Kids Wanna Slam” and “She Kissed The Gun”remind me of the TRASHCAN DARLINGS (one the best glam punk bands ever!), while “Don’t Go” will make every RAMONES fan in the universe raise their hands.
The DERELLAS remember London’s rock’n’roll glory days (remember that some of these guys played in the VIBRATORS and in HEARTBREAK ANGELS!) in “London A Go-Go” and gives us a bit of hope about the current British rock scene at the same time with their glitter anthem”Stick It To The Man.”
If you’ve seen the band live before, then you know that their version of “Be My Baby” is always a great moment of their set, well you’ll get it on this record too! I guess the last song on here, “Mutha Fucker” must also be a killer live glam punk’n’roll number!
The DERELLAS have never sounded that good, and since it’s only my opinion, I can only advise you to check out yourself!/Laurent C.
Smash Fashion – Purveyors of Decadent Psychedelia and Atomic Power Pop
SMASH FASHION are bringing back 60s/70s dandyism in the L.A. scene. We knew that former QUIREBOYS member Nigel Mogg used to be in the band, and that former members of SMACK and ROCK CITY ANGELS are also part of the gang, but we wanted to know a bit more about SMASH FASHION. Roger Deering (vocals/guitar) answered our questions…
Can you tell us about Smash Fashion’s history?
Smash Fashion was formed around 10 years ago as a reaction to the boring local music scene that we were seeing. We wanted to have a show band that had great songs bring back the entertainment factor that seem to be missing. We were a bit more psychedelic and 60s obsessed in the beginning although we always had a yen for power pop and glam rock, 70s glam rock. The original lineup had Bruce Duff on-base Jamie Patrick on guitar and Mark contento on drums …this lineup lasted about three years. This was also the lineup that recorded our first album “A Gentleman’s Guide to Sophisticated Savagery.”
There are strong British rock ‘n roll influences in your music, do you think ex-Quireboys’ Nigel Mogg played a big role in that, or was it just natural for you to write such songs?
As much as I love Nigel he’s got absolutely zero influence on me as far as my songwriting. This band had been around for quite a while before Nigel came aboard. Although it was natural for him to fit in as he likes to same kind of music we do and yes there is a big English rock influence on what we are doing and what I write. Beatles, Who, Stones, Queen, Zeppelin Thin Lizzy , Sex Pistols, The Damned, The Buzzcocks all huge influences on my songwriting in my approach to music …and The Clash of course! Then again The Velvet Underground, Cheap Trick, Alice Cooper, Mc5, Jane’s Addiction …there’s plenty of American rock ‘n roll what we do also.
How have the reactions to your album “Big Cat Love” been so far in the US and abroad? where did you record it, and how much time did it take?
The response to this record has been overwhelmingly great. We’ve been getting rave reviews from all over the world! Japan, Sweden, Brazil, Italy, UK. We recorded it here in Los Angeles at three different studios in three different sessions so it took a little while as it was recorded over over a longer time span. We are quite happy with the song selection as well as the actual sound of the record but the best is yet to come from us!
Is the album out on vinyl?
Not yet, but we do hope to have it out on vinyl soon. We are also considering having a different song selection as there are quite a few really good outtakes that were left off the CD version.
What bands have you opened for? Have you played in Europe yet?
We’ve done shows with a lot of great and legendary artists. Ian Hunter quite a few times. Arthur Lee and Love. Who in my opinion is one of the greatest rock stars of all time. The Psychedelic Furs. Cheap Trick. The Alarm ..Missing Persons… Jet..The Zombies…Electric Prunes..We were in the UK 2 years ago playing shows…hope to get to Europe in the next year.
Five of your favorite albums?
It really depends on the mood and then but I guess I do have some favorites that I’ve never turn my back on. The Damned “Machine Gun Etiquette” is definitely one. Led Zeppelin “Physical Graffiti”‘s definitely another. Cheap trick’s first album is also a constant in my world. Alice Cooper “School’s Out” is another. I also like a lot of newer stuff I’m not stuck in the past I really loved The Libertines “Up The Bracket” record.
Last book you read?
The Devil All The Time by Donald Ray Pollock… A powerful and disturbing book highly recommended.
Last movie you’ve seen?
How about last good movie I’ve seen? Which was Beasts of the Southern Wild, loved it and yes I cried.
Favorite places to buy clothes?
Thrift shops!
Favor clubs and places to hang out in LA?
I like a lot of the usual old-time places like The Troubadour, The Whiskey, The Rainbow, but I also love the Redwood bar and Grill, but I don’t hang out that much I’m more about hanging out with my two dogs and playing guitar. I’m a bit of a loner that way and I’m totally fine with it.
What’s next for Smash Fashion?
Well we’ve got shows booked for August and like I said earlier in the interview we are trying to get over to Europe to do some touring there … And in my humble opinion we have yet to make the definitive Smash Fashion record so stay tuned!
http://www.smashfashionmusic.com
https://www.facebook.com/smashfashion?fref=ts
The Irradiates “Revenge Of The Plants”
Watch out! France’s best cosmic surf punk band is back with 12 new songs recorded and mixed by Jim Monroe (CJ Ramone, The ADOLESCENTS, etc.) in Besançon, France (Cube Studio.)
“Revenge Of The Plants” is mixed in a more old-school (trad-surf rock) way than the band’s previous releases (Their 2010 release “Audio Mental Manipulation Device” was recorded by Steve Albini, and thus had a more “indie/punk rock sound”), here guitars from Dick Den’s and Arno DeCea are orgasmically fighting with each other (“Locked In The Chromatic Spectrum”, “Malherbologie”, “Audrey Jr.”) while Buanax and Macst’s groovy punky rhythm section solidly stands in the back.
You’ll hear some raw guitar riffs mixed to moody ones in songs like “Shut Up. Let’s Grow” or “Parola 12345678(9)”, some classic rock’n’roll guitars and punk rock vocals (“Jack-In-The-Pulpit”, or the amazing “Tales Of A Poisoned Seed” and its DEAD KENNEDYS vocal touches), and clever tributes to the pioneers of surf music (Link Wray, Dick Dale, etc.) in songs like “Caulerpa Taxifolia”, “Unidentified Wild Flower”‘ or “Sap Rain.”
Ending on a dramatic note with a track called “Herbivore” (not too surprising for a vegetarian band, right?), “Revenge Of The Plants” will drown your mind in a colourful Sci-Fi, B-Movie sea while your feet won’t do anything but dance!/Laurent C.
Distribution: www.dirtywebshop.com
www.productions-impossible.com
Veglam 