We all know that Lester is a man of taste. He is proving it again with this new album featuring 13 songs inspired by 13 titles of genius American filmmaker John Carpenter. Each song is introduced with a movie sample and of course, it’s starting with “Halloween”, Carpenter’s most famous horror movie here turning into a horror punk song MISFITS style. “Christine” is given a 60s rock’n’roll treatment while “Prince Of Darkness” (famous for ALICE COOPER‘s role) offers us some fine punk powerpop flirting with 80s heavy rock. “Vampires” is a good punk rock song à la The BOYS and “Assault Of Precint 13” and “The Thing” both bring the RAMONES to mind. You’ll also hear a LORDS OF THE NEW CHURCH touch in the very catchy and 80s flavoured “They Live” and a CARS one in “In The Mouth Of Madness” as well as a FUZZTONES one in “Village Of The Damned.” On the glam punk side, “Big Trouble In Little China” has a bit of a PEPPERMINT CREEPS feel to it in the guitar melody. “Escape From New York” is a catchy hard rock’n’roll punk song, “Ghosts Of Mars” is a killer and epic dark punk tune that could have been on a DAMNED album and “The Fog” puts an end to this album with the spirit of STIV BATORS wandering around. This is a great album full of cinema and music references that shows more variety in its songs than the band’s previous records. Are you looking for a sci-fi/horror punk present for Christmas? This one is definitely for you!/ Laurent C.
Tag: Lester Greenowski
Lester Greenowski “Kover All Over”
Another KISS tribute album? Well this one was made by a true fan for true fans. Lester even took his name from the first name of the band WICKED LESTER… He was also involved in the “”Keep On Shoutin’ – Not Your Average KISS Tribute”, a fundraising project in memory of Rock’n’Roll Photographer Alex Ruffini. Here, Lester has teamed up with a bunch of friends and guests to record these songs during the pandemic and it turned out to be a great idea. The choice of the songs is particularly interesting since they often are some fans’ favourites although they aren’t singles. “Radioactive” or “Got To Choose” (featuring Faz La Rocca of FAZ WALTZ) will make every KISS fan sing along from the first note to the last one! You’ll also hear a really cool punked-up version of “New York Groove” (featuring Irene from VIBORAS) as well as an explosive NEW YORK DOLL-ed version of “Kissin’ Time”. “Cold Gin” also gets a punk rock treatment and “Strutter” almost sounds like a BLONDIE song here, Debbie Harry should have been a guest on this one! “Parasite” is faster than the original version too but still manages to keep the heaviness and loudness of the song while “It’s My Life” alsmost sounds powerpop and “Getaway” sounds like a song from The HELLACOPTERS. One of the most surprising versions is “I Love It Loud”, turning this heavy monster into a punk rock anthem. Well, a good song is a good song! The cherry on top is the Italian version of “Radioactive” (“Radioattiva”) featuring Paul Del Bello (DOBERMANN.) This records will make you want to rock and roll all night and party every day, obviously! /Laurent C.
Lester Greenowski “Let’s Get F***ed Up” Video Out Now
Lester Greenowski “Out Of Tune, Out Of Key”
Opening on an 80s sax note, this new album gets on fire from the start with the RAMONES influenced “Let’s Get Fucked Up” which already sounds like an anthem! Then, “The Perfect Time To React” and “Until Wrong Turned Right” (with some cool piano and killer sax solo) bring back a bit of a 00s glam punk flavour, when energy, melody and style were all getting along perfectly in rock’n’roll. “Love Me (A Stalker’s Song)” and “Maybe” are typical LESTER songs with catchy choruses while “Voices In Her Head” would be on every radio station in a perfect world. Punk rock fans will enjoy “Here She Goes To The Top” and “If You Want To Stay The Night”, and “Poor’s Men De Niro” is not only a great song title, it seriously rocks! Lester has a great voice for ballads and you can hear this in the intro of “Out Of Tune, Out Of Key”, another song that should be a hit single! There’s some 70s grandiloquence in this song. You’ll find two bonus tracks: “All These Dreams Could Kill”, a killer up tempo song, and “Coo Ca Choo”, a glammy punk pop tune. Don’t tell me you won’t find anything to your taste in this new record! /Laurent C.
Lester Greenowski/The Empire Strikes Split 7″
LESTER GREENOWSKI just celebrated his 15 years on the road, spreading the glam punk word around Europe since the LANDSLIDE LADIES glittery days. It’s no surprise that the first song “Mantra (Another Ramones Rip Off)” is a RAMONES tribute since the gang of New York always had a big influence on LESTER‘s music. This song could have been on a KEVIN K album too. “Wasted Mary Ann” is a catchy glammy punk rock’n’roll tune with Steve Jones influenced guitars and great backing vocals.
I didn’t know The EMPIRE STRIKES before, but listening to the first notes of “Enter The Denim” is enough to make you think that these guys are from Scandivavia (Helsinki, Finland.) The late HELLACOPTERS influence is quite obvious, but they add a pretty interesting poppy touch to it, you’ll even hear a bit of CHEAP TRICK in “Ms Mrs. Andersson.”
Behind this fun cartoon cover, you’ll get some of the best contemporary Euro rock’n’roll around! This 7″ is out on Area Pirata Records../Laurent C.
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The Crybabys/Lester Greenowski “Split” 7″
Lester was The CRYBABYS‘ bass player on their last European tour, so the idea to join forces for a split record probably just came out naturally, and it seems like it wasn’t a bad idea at all.
After a 15 years hiatus, The CRYBABYS are back with original members Honest John Plain (The BOYS), Darrell Bath (VIBRATORS, DOGS D’AMOUR…) and Robbie Rushton (GUNSLINGERS, MANNISH BOYS…), and they sound better than ever! “Scars” is a song that was already released on “Dirty Laundry”, but they re-recorded it for this 7″, and since the STONES influence is quite obvious, they also decided to cover “Tell Me”, and it just makes us want to hear more!
On the other side, LESTER GREENOWSKI offers us two new songs, “On The Autobahn”, a RAMONES kind of punk rock song which was probably inspired by touring in Germany, and “Again”, a catchy old-school rock’n’roll tune.
Add a killer cover by Guillaume Sellier (Teenage Lust Prod) which was also the poster for their Parisian gig on the last tour, and you have a great rock’n’roll record!/Laurent C.
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Lester Greenowski “It’s Nothing Serious Just Life”
LESTER has been releasing records since the early 00s Euro glam punk wave, when his band The LANDSLIDE LADIES (later known as LESTER & The LANDSLIDE LADIES) used to share stages with international acts such as FASTER PUSSYCAT, BACKYARD BABIES or The VIBRATORS… More recently, LESTER hit European roads as a bass player for The BOYS‘ HONEST JOHN PLAIN, and since our Italian friend always has something to cook for us, he’s now back under his own name LESTER GREENOWSKI to offer us his first solo album wrapped up in a great looking colourful digipack.
On “It’s Nothing Serious Just Life”, LESTER mixed all his favourite styles, from glam punk (“Trail Of Graffiti”, “It’s Gonna Be Wrong”, “Ritalin Baby”, “Pussy Galore”…) to catchy sparkly power pop (“Such a Shame” or the CHEAP TRICKish “Angela (A Space Odyssey)”) and 70s glam rock’n’roll (“Electric Blue” and its cool sax hooks. The quality of the songwriting is impressive as usual, songs like “Beautiful”, “Carrie Nation” and its New Orleans touch, or “Say Bye Bye” could have been 70s classics, and the ending song “Bittersweet” is a powerful anthem full of melancholy.
If you’tre into The RAMONES, early KISS, CHEAP TRICK or AMERICAN HEARTBREAK, then big chances are you will love this album, and don’t trust the over, LESTER is not ready to shut up yet!/Laurent C.