Tag: london

The Speedways “Talk Of The Town”

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Following their cover 10′ “Borrowed & Blue” record and their two LPs “Just Another Regular Summer” (2018) and “Radio Sounds” (2020), “Talk Of The Town” offers us 13 new songs by London’s finest powerpop band The SPEEDWAYS. “Dead From The Heart Town” opens the record in a BITERS way before “Secrets Secrets” make us dive into 60s powerpop. The TOM PETTY influences can still be heard in “Shoulda Known”, “Strange Love” or in “A Drop In The Ocean” but the band also tried new things on this new album since guitarist Mauro sings on two songs (the sunny “Kiss Me Goodbye” and the poppy “Summer’s Over”) and you’ll get more various influences in songs like “Weekend 155” and its post-punk touches or in the epic “Monday Was The Start Of The Stars (To Forgive & Forget”) as well as in “Talk Of The Town” and its 80s funky vibe. You’ll still get the typical powerpop ingredients like vocal harmonies, teenage themes and 70s rock’n’roll guitars but with more spice thrown in. The SPEEDWAYS know how to write a catchy song, just listen to “A Song Called Jane And A Lie Called Love” and isn’t it one of the most important things when you play powerop? The release date is November 21st (CD/Digital) and December 9th (vinyl.) /Laurent C.

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https://thespeedways.bandcamp.com/music

Paradise Alley “Bad Timing And Silver Linings” EP

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Just in time before their show at HRH Sleaze festival, this 4 track EP celebrates the 30th anniversary of the band! “Soho Daze” actually takes us back to the times when the band started, when London was witnessing a glam revival mixed to 80s sleaze rock and when flamboyant rock’n’rollers used to hang out at The Marquee, The Fox, The Ship and Gossips. The song really sounds like it’s from the late 80s/early 90s, a kind of mix between The DOGS D’AMOUR and The THROBS! “Backstabber” was written around 2008 and rocks in a STIV BATORS way while “Walk Away” is a heavy rock song with some good STONES guitar riffs thrown in. Finally, the title track of the EP “Bad Timing & Silver Linings” brings back the “Beatutiful Losers” theme in style and makes you want to listen to more. Well done! /Laurent c.

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The Duel “Soundtrack To The End Of The World” (The Zak Splash Story)

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“Soundtrack To The End Of The World” is a concept album originally written in 2012 featuring Max Splodge from SPLODGENESSABOUNDS on narration duties. Zak Splash being a fictional artist from the 70s who has a comeback hit in this millennium. The opening track “Zak Splash opens on a quite heroic note reminding me a bit of The WANDERERS or The DAMNED. This is punk rock with girl vocals and a post-apocalyptic atmosphere. The keyboard touch adds an interesting new wave touch to the songs while “Invicible” sounds more like a mix of punk rock, post-punk and 80s heavy rock, quite an original mix! You’ll also get a bit of pop in “Less Every Day” or in “Fake Like You”, a touch of goth rock in “Splash On You” and almost post rock vibes in “You Can Do It.” It sometimes sounds as a jam between BLONDIE and SIOUXSIE & The BANSHEES so it can’t be bad, right? The Fire Goes Out” is a kind of futuristic ska putting an end to this uncommon album. “Soundtrack To The End Of The World” is not your typical punk rock record and might not be the easiest album to get into but it’s definitely worth it. Keyboardist Andy Thierum was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2014 and Proceeds from this release go to the MS Society. The album is out on FFR UK.
/Laurent C.

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Steve Vincent “Recovered From My Past”

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This is the debut solo album of PARADISE ALLEY‘s frontman Steve Vincent. Steve is also the host of Steve Vincent’s Mystery City, a great radio show with lots of glam punk and sleaze rock. This album was recorded the DIY way from demos that could have been used for PARADISE ALLEY with the help of a few musician friends from around the world (Steve Conte, Ben Marsden, Andy Christie, Matthias Joannsen, Rhoades D’Ablo, Alex Holmes, Danny McCormack, Miqu December and Matt “JD” Connor”) “Yesterday’s Man” opens the album in a STIV BATORS way before “All I Wanna Do” delivers straight rock’n’roll with a cool catchy chorus. It sounds a bit like a heavier version of The QUIREBOYS. “Last Train To Babylon” is about Steve’s experiences in New York while touring in the US and it has a bit of a THROBS flavour and “Can’t Bring Me Down” is a dark rock’n’roll song about psychological and physical abuse. “Falling” reminds me of late 80s/early 90s British glam bands while “Life Ain’t No Bed Of Roses” brings HANOÏ ROCKS to mind. Miqu (PLASTIC TEARS) shares vocals on “Fortune Wheel”, one of the catchiest songs on the album and “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (Again)” is not a power ballad despite its title but a heartbroken heavy rock’n’roll song. The STIV BATORS influence is also obvious in “Sleepwalking” and the record ends with a beautiful heartfelt tribute to PARADISE ALLEY‘s first drummer Richie Hale who passed away in 2012. Sometimes solo albums are just ego trips but “Recovered From My Past” is the kind of solo album in which you’ll find lyrics and music from the heart, a real rock’n’roll therapy! /Laurent C.

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The Speedways release new video/single “Shoulda Known”

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British power pop band The SPEEDWAYS have released a new video for their new song “Shoulda Known.” The video was shot & produced by Jez Leather and filmed on location at ‘The Lexington’ in London.

Taken from the forthcoming LP ‘Talk Of The Town’ available on Snap!!/Hurrah Musica & Beluga Records November 2022.
The single “Shoulda Known/A Drop In The Ocean” is available on Bandcamp.

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Girls In Synthesis “Konsumrausch” EP

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British trio GIRLS IN SYNTHESIS are hard to describe, evolving somewhere between noisy rock and post-punk. Embracing the DIY ethics since 2016 the band is also more a collective than a traditional group, think CRASS for instance! This new EP is out on German label Hound Gawd Records and opens with “Pulling Teeth”, a 9 minute song with a repetitive krautrock beat and aggressive distortion. The second part of the song sounds a bit like a spoken word mixed to SUICIDE and ATARI TEENAGE RIOT. “Enveloped” brings out industrial elements to the dark party with vocals reminding a bit of PIL while “Bypassing” mixes dark techno to noisy rock in a very interesting way. Then, right after the cold and post-apocalyptic “Interlude” you’ll dive into frozen post-punk with “The Engine” which is described as “A nauseous blend of high anxiety in the modern age.” Quite a good soundtrack for today’s society! /Laurent C.

Buy from Hound Gawd! Records

http://girlsinsynthesis.co.uk/

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Hard Times “Little Satan” EP

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Members of SUICIDE GENERATION, SICK BAGS and DESPERATE FÜN have united to bing us four songs out of Covid lockdown boredom. As you can guess, this is not a jazz record. “Little Satan” opens in a DEAD BOYS way, young, loud and snotty! Then “Oh Let It Go” brings us some trashy glam à la NEW YORK DOLLS. Speaking of The DOLLS, the JOHNNY THUNDERS influence can be heard in “She Ain’t Here No More” while “Do Ya Feel Like Lovin'” puts an end to this EP with some explosive punk rawk’n’roll.
Make London dirty again! /Laurent C.

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Buy from Spaghetty Town Records

The DeRellas “Something’s Got To Give”

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The DERELLAS offered us a glimpse of the new version of the band last year with “Highrise Supersize” and “Inner City Rock’n’Roll”, two early MANICS influenced amphetamine songs that you’ll also find on this brand new album. The band describes the tracks of the new abum as “songs of defiance and hope, fear and LUV for the 21st Century” which is quite an appropriate description. Opening with “Don’t Tell Me What I Did Last Night”, a heavy rock’n’roll/punk song with a slight ZODIAC MINDWARP touch in Timmy’s vocals, the band then offers us some razor-sharp ’77 punk with “Underground LUV.” Speaking of “LUV” you’ll hear a bit of NEW YORK DOLLS in “Emergency 2020” and you’ll find quite a few good decadent anthems like “Soho Hotel” and “Life’s Crashing”. “Pressure Gonna Get You” brings a touch of 90s noise rock to the album, “Sweet Fatal Attraction” is a pretty good glam punk tune and Timmy’s voice gets to the edge in “Sonic Detonator”, you’ll even hear a bit of DEAD BOYS in “Our World Tomorrow”! This is spray-painted rather than polished and you’ll probably luv it! /Laurent C.

https://www.derellas.com/

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