Tag: london

Rachel Stamp unveil new video “Brand New Toy”

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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.

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

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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 Maker, Metal 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

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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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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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