THE DROWNS AND THE LAST GANG ANNOUNCE 7” SPLIT TO BE RELEASED ON JUNE 30th

Emeryville, CAMay 25, 2023 – Two of the west coast’s top punk bands, The Drowns and The Last Gang, have teamed up for a long-awaited split 7” which will be released on June 30th via Pirates Press Records!

“We’ve been friends with The Last Gang for years and we love their music just as much as we love them as people. We were touring Europe together when we all agreed that a split would just make sense, and we couldn’t be more stoked with how it came out!” says The Drowns co-frontman Rev.

Each band contributed a new track to this split with The Drowns offering the song “Subculture Rock ‘N Roll” and The Last Gang contributing the track “Pleaser.”

“‘Subculture Rock ‘N Roll’ is our tribute to the music we love, and the modern sounds that have been coming around the last few years from other peers of ours. It’s just straight up no filter rock n roll,” says Rev.

The Last Gang explains about their track: “Pleaser explores the symbiotic relationship between our culture’s obsession with impossible beauty expectations and the audience who binges on that flawless delusion, that unattainable dream. When we’re left without a filter and followers can’t fill in for self-worth, we come out of this illusion alone and feeling empty. We recorded the track on a rainy February day at Buzzbomb Studios in Orange, CA, with Paul Minor and it is the first song we wrote and recorded with our new drummer, Sam.”

Tracklisting:
Side A:
1. “Subculture Rock ‘N Roll” (The Drowns)

Side B:
1. “Pleaser” (The Last Gang)

The Drowns also recently teamed up with Suzi Moon for a cover of “Ballroom Blitz” (The Sweet):

For more information on The Drowns:
https://www.facebook.com/thedrowns/
https://www.instagram.com/thedrowns/

For more information on The Last Gang:
https://www.thelastgang.com/
http://www.facebook.com/thelastgangmusic
http://instagram.com/thelastgangmusic/

TAFKAVince “Magazine Pages” video premiere

Chicago, IL, May 19, 2023. The video was created and edited by Vince and features live footage shot by Jason Grigsby and still photos taken by David Sameshima, Di Kulka Piteo, Deb Sonzo, and Greg Matherly. The track “Magazine Pages” appears on the band’s album A Problematic Opera, which will be released on Friday, May 26.

The Artist Formally Known as Vince Band (or TAFKAVince Band for short) formed in 1996 and began playing out regularly upon the release of 2002’s At Last CD. Other notable releases include 2007’s Welcome To The Show, the 2011 vinyl release On Display, and the singles “NYC” and “Luck,” which were released in 2014 and 2016, respectively.

TAFKAVince Band features Vince on vocals and guitar, Lauren Kurtz on vocals, Brian Chinino on drums, percussion and backing vocals, Chris Geisler on bass, percussion and backing vocals and Vee Sonnets on guitar, backing vocals and keys.

The band plays a heady mix of glam, punk, and rock n’ roll and has built a reputation as a fierce live act who have graced stages at the Empty Bottle, Beat Kitchen, Liar’s Club, Subterranean, Reggie’s, The Hideout, and Double Door in their hometown of Chicago and have performed at the esteemed venues Berlin (NYC), Plain Dealer Pavilion (Cleveland) and Slash Run (Washington DC) while on tour.

TAFKAVince Band has opened for (and held their own against) Michael Monroe of Hanoi Rocks, The Fleshtones, The Undead featuring Bobby Steele of The Misfits, Hunx & His Punx, The Dollyrots, The Melismatics, Scott Lucas and The Married Men, Prima Donna and many other celebrated bands from the indie underground.

The Artist Formally Known as Vince Band will be releasing the six-track album A Problematic Opera, featuring guest performers Brian Smith, Joe Vitti, Yoko Schmadeke, and Maureen Grady, digitally and as a limited edition CD on Friday, May 26 with to a run of 200 10″ vinyl records to follow. The album was produced by Tony SanFilippo & TAFKAVince Band, recorded and mixed by Tony SanFilippo at Oxide Lounge in Bloomington, IL, and mastered by Carl Saff at Saff Mastering. Album art and design is courtesy of Darrick Elia.

Available for pre-order at

https://theartistformallyknownasvince.bandcamp.com/album/a-problematic-opera

Spotify pre-save

https://show.co/pQffTv6

Celebrating ten years in business, Chaputa! Records mark the occasion with the release of The Jackets’ latest single release of 2023, entitled “Life’s Not Like The Movies.”

2013 brought on a critical Portuguese connection to the modern garage punk world with Rui Themoteo and Esgar Acelerado releasing the Black Box single from Nordic punks, The Maharajas, thus officially opening up Chaputa! Records for business. Fifty-eight releases later, Chaputa! still thrives and will mark a decade releasing records in the fringe circuit with the new 7″ single from lauded Suisse garage punks The Jackets, entitled “Life’s Not Like The Movies”/”Attracted,” which will see release on May 26th, 2023.

 

“Life’s Not Like The Movies”/”Attracted” is the second partnership between the Portuguese label and the Swiss trio, with a split 7″ between The Jackets and The Courettes marking their first production together. This new release is the band’s follow-up to their “Pie In The Sky”/”Misery of Man” 7″ debut on Wild Noise Records from early Spring. The recording was handled by Sebastian Zwahlen at Shirt-Off Studio in Bern, with the notable Jim Diamond on the mixing and mastering helm. Graphics work concept and realization stems from Mathieu Desjardins of Méconium éditions.Since the band’s Wild Noise debut earlier this year, The Jackets have entertained crowds across Italy, Switzerland, and Spain, culminating with a performance at The Wild Weekend in Mallorca. The Jackets have announced new tour dates in the Netherlands, Switzerland, France, Germany and a return to Spain with more in the works. 

“Life’s Not Like The Movies”/”Attracted” will be available in both black and yellow vinyl, with pre-orders now available through Chaputa! Records. 
The Jackets Upcoming Tour DatesJune 16th: Bone Fest! (Amsterdam, NL)June 30th: Espina Fest (León, ES) w/The Maharajas, Kate Clover, and more.June 28th-July 1st: Spain Tour TBAJuly 7th: Technikum (Winterthur, CH)July 8th: Murrayfield Pub Festival (Chiasso, CH)August 6th: Celebration Days Festival (Clermont, FR)September 2nd: Gravepit Open Air (Schüpfen BE, CH)September 9th: Berlin Beat Invasion (Berlin, DE) w/Los Peyotes

https://www.thejackets.ch/

Baltimore’s Ravagers announce first European Tour

Ravagers are self described as street Rock’N’Rollers from the wastelands of Baltimore, and they have just announced their first European tour. Nearly 30 shows in countries including Austria, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, France and Spain.  Now Europe can witness what America has already known, Ravagers are the real deal.  No more watching videos on youtube, experience the rabid rock’n’roll first hand.


European Wasteland Tour 2023

31.03 Vienna – AT- Chelsea

01.04 Munich, DE – Glocke 

02.04 Hof, DE – Punkrockcity

03.04 Berlin, DE – Schokoladen

04.04 Erfurt, DE – Tiko  

05.04 Dresden, DE – Chemiefabrik

06.04 Hamburg, DE – Indra Club   

07.04 Groningen, NL – Gideon   

08.04 Münster, DE – Heile Welt  

09.04 Lichtenfels, DE – Paunchy Cats 

10.04 Arlon, BE – l’Entrepôt       

11.04 Saarbrücken, DE – Tante Anna

12.04 Essen, DE – Anyway 

13.04 Bochum, DE – Wageni  

14.04 Hanover, DE – Bei Chez Heinz     

15.04 Hameln, DE – K3   

16.04 Karlsruhe, DE – Alte Hackerei

18.04 Geneva, CH – Dig It Records

19.04 Bern, CH – Rössli

20.04 Orleans, FR – Dropkick Bar

21.04 Mont de Marsan, FR – Mad Jack

22.04 Vitoria-Gasteiz, ES – Helldorado (early show)

23.04 Barcelona, ES – Butyklan

25.04 Valencia, ES – La Esskombrera 

26.04 Madrid, ES – Funhouse

27.04 A Coruña, ES – Mardi Gras

28.04 Serria, ES – Buril Acde

29.04 Valladolid, ES – Cientocero

Spotify
Youtube
Ravagers Website

Rachel Stamp unveil new video “Brand New Toy”

Brit glam legends RACHEL STAMP have unveiled a ‘new’ video ahead of the reissue of their classic debut album.

‘Brand New Toy’ is taken from Hymns For Strange Children, originally released in the year 2000, and now set to see the light of day on vinyl for the first time ever through Easy Action Records.

“‘Brand New Toy’ is the archetypal Rachel Stamp rocker,” states singer/bassist David Ryder Prangley. “Part of the riff is a tri-tone, aka the ‘Devil’s interval’ which, back in medieval days, was said to drive whoever heard it crazy. I kind of stole the song title from the name of a friend’s band and the lyrics are pretty regular Stamp fare for the time – sex, insanity and Jesus Christ. The video is a new mash up of various live footage taken around 1998-2000. The gigs were always a riot, as you can see…”

Fully remastered, Hymns For Strange Children is set for release on 14 April and is available to pre-order on limited edition 12″ vinyl and expanded CD now.

The band have lined up a special album launch show on the release date at the O2 Islington Academy, London. Tickets are on sale here.

Two of The Sweet Things take a crack at Bo Diddley’s “Crackin’ Up”

(Atlanta, GA) As a young rocker Sam Hariss (The Sweet Things) heard Izzy Stradlin doing “Crackin’ Up” and it stuck with him like an earworm.  He later discovered Izzy himself was doing a cover of “Crackin’ Up” by Bo DIddley (1959).  So he decided to get together with Tobin Dale (The Sweet Things), head into the studio and do their own version.  To round out the song, they enlisted an army of stars to play on their nod to Bo Diddley.

Appearances including
Taime Down (Faster Pussycat)
Danny Nordahl (Faster Pussycat, Motochrist, The Throbs)
Ricky Vodka (Motochrist)
Joey Huffman (Georgia Satellites, Drivin’N’Cryin, Soul Asylum)
Charlie Paxson (has recorded with James Blunt, Ricky Lee Jones and many more)

Produced by Matt Chiaravalle

https://spaghettytownrecords.bigcartel.com/

Into The Valley Of Death Releases New Video “Reject”

Californian trippy heavy machine Into The Valley Of Death has released a new video for their song “Reject” from their EP “Ruthless” out on Doomsayer Records. A real spacey experience and as far as the aesthetic is concerned, imagine David Lynch working with Wendy O. Williams!:

https://doomsayerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/ruthless

RACHEL STAMP “Hymns For Strange Children” classic debut reissued on Easy Action Records

Pic by Nigel Crane

It’s fair to say that when Rachel Stamp emerged on London’s rock scene in the mid-90s, nobody had seen anything like them in many years. Grunge had taken root at the start of the decade, while the metal scene had delved into new extremes of darkness. Real glamour was conspicuous by its absence. Fronted by the unashamedly gorgeous David Ryder Prangley, Rachel Stamp to the rescue!

Formed in 1994 by singer/bassist Ryder Prangley and guitarist Will Crewdson, the band went through a number of changes, making a name on the London circuit, before signing to WEA to record their debut album. As luck would have it, that album went unreleased when their A&R champion left the label. This would derail many young guns, but not to be deterred, they recruited new drummer Robin Guy, and set out on their own, crashing the lower reaches of the national charts with ‘My Sweet Rose’ on their own Bitch Vinyl imprint.

With the ‘classic’ line-up completed by keyboard-player Shaheena Dax, Rachel Stamp were the ones to watch, picking up serious media coverage from the likes of Kerrang!Melody MakerMetal Hammer and even the soaraway Sun, who were suitably outraged by the band’s ‘gender bender’ image.

Recorded and mixed in just seven days with producer John Fryer (Nine Inch Nails, Love And Rockets, White Zombie, HIM), Hymns For Strange Children was released in February 2000. Propelled by a swathe of rave reviews, a Kerrang! front cover, and the radio hit ‘Didn’t I Break My Heart Over You’, a major tour in support of the album climaxed in the band’s biggest ever headline show at the 2,000-capacity London Astoria, where they’d supported No Doubt, Korn and Cheap Trick just months previously.

Now, while all about us is doom and gloom, the world need Rachel Stamp more than ever! Twenty-three years on from its original release, Easy Action Records are releasing Hymns For Strange Children fully remastered and repackaged, for the first time ever on limited edition pink vinyl while a new CD edition adds six bonus tracks.

“We paved the way for a whole generation of fans to be themselves and not to blindly conform to what someone else told them they should be,” says Ryder Prangley today. “It was really tough to walk around looking the way we did back then. There was a lot of verbal and physical abuse directed towards us and I’m sure it was the same for our fans, but we all lived through it and came out the other side for the better.

“I meet a lot of musicians who used to come and see us play when they were teenagers and were inspired by us,” he adds. “But I don’t think there has really been a band since Rachel Stamp that mixed heavy, distorted guitars with synths and melodic vocals like we did. We’re still unique in that way and I’m very excited that Hymns For Strange Children is being re-released and hopefully reaching a whole new audience.”

Fans will get the chance to catch the band live with a special launch show at Islington O2 Academy on Friday 14 April, tickets on sale here https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/event/1F005E2DE27235FF

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/rachelstamppage