Joe Normal & The Anytown’rs “From Anytown in the USA”

You’re probably familiar with JOE NORMAL if you ‘re a regular on here or if you like The ZEROS. After releasing tons of singles, Joe finally took the time to gather 11 songs and release a full album opening with a great cover of The FOUR TOPS‘ classic “I’ll Be There” before delivering some catchy garage power pop with “Into The City Tonight”. A song like “Anytowns” has a BOB DYLAN on speed flavour while “This Is Your Life (And Your Desitiny’s Calling)” and “Living With Me” bring The ROLLING STONES to mind. You’ll also get a bit of americana with “Even Now (The Future’s Looking Brighter Every Day” and some guitar riffs sounding like real 70s classic rock (“Take Me With U”, “Going Mobile”). Joe is a great storyteller and working class themes can be found in “Stuck In A Job” and in the catchy “Nuthin’ (I’ve Got Nohing)” but he sometimes get more personal (“Don’t Hurt Me”). Whether you like TOM PETTY, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN or glammy powerpop, there’s something for you on this album! /Laurent C.

https://joenormalusa.com/

Sister Morphine “Ghosts Of Heartbreak City”

SISTER MORPHINE had a first life from 1989 to 1991 in South Wales. They even got a deal with South Bank Studio who released the MANIC STREET PREACHERS‘ “Suicide Alley” 7″. After those pandemic times, the members of the band decided it was the right time to give life to some of their long lost songs and they even gave birth to four new songs including high energy opener “Holy City Zoo” and the power pop hit “8 Tracks and Zodiacs”. Sometimes band reunions are a bit scary after a long time but SISTER MORPHINE haven’t lost their rock’n’roll edge since songs like “Do You Wanna Get Wasted?”, “Nothing Dirty In The Truth” or “Ghosts Of Heartbreak City” sound like some good late 80s/early 90s sleazy rock’n’roll. Names like QUIREBOYS (especially on “Get Back Home”) or GUNFIRE DANCE come to mind and songs like “Cry The Rain” or “Days Of Wine & Roses” could have been mix tape favourites in rock’n’roll high-school. The ROLLING STONES influence is obvious in songs like “Waiting On Salvation” or in “Living With Snakes” and you’ll even get a glam punk fix with “Red Eye Juice.” Sometimes the band even takes you deep into the glorious 70s with the catchy “Sea Of Love” and even though the music is pure rock’n’roll, the vocals sometimes remind me of WEDNESDAY 13 (“Black Hearts & Bruised Egos”.) 15 songs usually sound like too much for me but when the last song (“Seven Long Years”) stops, I tend to get back to it for a couple more. High quality rock’n’roll ! /Laurent C.

Buy from Big Egg Records

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Ryan Roxie makes guest appearance on new Torpedohead video “All Those Wasted Years”

Rock n’ roll power trio Torpedohead kick off the new year with the brand new single All Those Wasted Years. Featuring Ryan Roxie (Alice Cooper) on guitar and Michael Butler (Rock and Roll Geekshow) on add. vox. The video showcases the band performing in front of a one shot angle enviroment in a vinyl record store delivering a stompin’ rock n’ roll anthem with a sticky chorus in classic Torpedohead style.

The new single “All Those Wasted Years is available on all music download and streaming services January 26 !

Combining a riff oriented hard edged sound with melodic supercatchy choruses and fast and furious punk n’ roll while transforming this into their own modern rock sound, Germany’s power trio Torpedohead lives the imagination of a 70s stadium rock n’ roll tape coming through a trashy 90s stereo, digitally remastered today for speeding down the autobahn !

Watch „All Those Wasted Years“ here:

Follow Torpedohead:

http://www.torpedohead.de

http://www.instagram.com/torpedohead_official

http://www.facebook.com/torpedohead

http://www.twitter.com/torpedohead

Confessions of an Ex-Zine Editor (Pre-Order)

Alison’s first zine in 11 years!

32 pages. A4 size. Colour cover. Fake fur heart on back cover for pre-orders. Ships January 2023.

‘Confessions…’ tells the story of what happened after Alison published the 38th and final issue her previous zine, Bubblegum Slut’, in 2011.

It’s a perzine about Zines, Drugs, and Forsaking Rock ‘n’ Roll, It’s split into three acts.

ACT ONE is about why Alison stopped writing, and what she did when she didn’t write zines. There’s a banishing spell, some Adult Pleasant Activities, and the first of two bingo games.

ACT TWO is about rediscovering zines and music. It’s about finding out that making stuff and telling stories is magical and healing. It features Delilah Bon, Of Herbs and Altars, Die Booth, and another bingo game.

ACT THREE is a surreal reviews section, which seeks to find out what happened while Alison was away. It features contributions from two former Bubblegum Slut writers, Sexy Dave and Bison, plus cameos from several artists who were regulars in the Bubblegum demos column, Images show front cover, contents page, and inside back cover.

Every item you see on the back cover symbolises something you’ll find in the zine. The key to the numbers will be printed inside.

More info:

https://ko-fi.com/s/46266a0d38

https://bubblegumzinearchive.blogspot.com/2022/12/contents-page-reveal.html

“Nuits Blanches” V/A

Lollipop Records have been running their label and record shop for long now in sunny Marseille, France. This new compilation was originally an idea from T.Boy (LULLIES) so it’s not surprising to hear Les LULLIES opening the record with “Dernier Soir” a catchy powerpop rock’n’roll song in French. Then you’ll hear the very good “Electric Fear” by PARADE who are more influenced by British indie rock and post-punk followed by SCANERS and their ’77 punk rock/new wave on speed from outer space influenced by The BRIEFS. ALVIDA offers us some fun candy powerpop with a French yéyé touch on “Moustique” while FOOD FIGHT seem to be more influenced by The CLASH in their song “Permanent Departure Master.” On the dirty garage side, you’ll find HOLESHOTS, POGY ET LES KEFARS from Marseille and LA FLINGUE (with some ex-HATEPINKS members) with a brilliant poetic song title “A genoux dans la pisse.” Side B starts with a good dose of punk rock : “Red Signal” by BOSS mixes 70s British punk with early 80s American new wave and BART AND THE BRATS brings the original DEAD KENNEDYS spirit back to life. Then, a bit of French powerpop with “Epluchure” by ASPHALT and some American influenced powerpop meets TEENAGE FANCLUB in a very catchy “Find Out (feat. Pogy)” by ALMOST LOVERS. 60s garage, powerpop and LOU REED mix quite well in “This Love In Me” by PLEASURES and The SUTTLES offer us a pretty good bubblegum song with “Lucy.” Marseille brings us more powerpop with FLATHEAD and “Sunset Girl” before TEENAGE HEARTS put an end to this album with their bootboy glam bovver rock song “Simple Needs.” They say this album should become a cult record in 15 years and maybe it will but the great thing about it is that you’ll hear a lot of new French bands and none of them suck!/Laurent C.

http://lollipop.records.free.fr/

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Kevin K “Cadallac Man”

KEVIN K is back with a double album (number 33!) that he describes as his own “Exile On Main Street”. “Cadallac Man” was written during the Covid lockdown while Kevin was grieving the loss of his beloved father (a World War 2 veteran.) The world has gone mad and the opening song “Dum Days” tells us about it rocking to a guitar riff sounding somewhere between early KISS and The STONES before offering us a chorus full of melody. Kevin has always been great at writing simple powerpop songs about girls and this album is no exception, just listen to “Girl Of My Dreams”, “Village Girl” or “High Over You”. “No Respect” is a typical KEVIN K song but this time with a serious topic since it is about the restrictions during the pandemic while “Every Night I’m Dreaming” sounds a bit like a mix of HANOÏ ROCKS and KISS “Unmasked” era. 1989 was a great year and Kevin celebrates it with a song offering us one of the catchiest choruses on the album and the song “Angelyne” was actually written in 1989 with Kevin’s Brother Alan while they were both playing in ROAD VULTURES. The acoustic THUNDERS/STONES influence can be heard on “I Miss You” and you’ll also find some glam rock boogie beats on “Pendleton”. While Kevin definitely knows how to write feel-good songs, he also knows how to bring melancholy in songs like “Tear Drops Don’t Stop”, “Start Me Down” or “Let Me Down” and you’ll be surprised by the JOHN LENNON influenced “Forgotten Boy”. Of course you’ll also hear traces of IGGY POP in “All Strung Out”, “Ride On”, “Zombie Heat” or in “Wrong Feels Right” and a tribute to the RAMONES (“No Ramones”) that Kevin used to play as a slow song. “A New Life” ends this new album mixing positivity with a need for a new start with melancholy. I can’t say that I’m a big fan of long albums but “Cadallac Man” is now in my exception list. Good job, Mr. K! /Laurent C.

Vicious Kitten Records

https://viciouskitten.bandcamp.com/album/cadallac-man

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Rob Moss And Skin-Tight Skin “Now With More Rockets”

Rob Moss played in GOVERNMENT ISSUE and in a bunch of other hardcore/punk bands in the 80s. Then looking for new things to explore, Rob stopped playing music before coming back in 2016 writing 70s glam/Proto-punk rock’n’roll songs that ended up on his first album “We’ve Come Back To Rock’n’Roll.” ” His new album “Now With More Rockets” was made with the help of 17 guest musicians and continues to explore the rock’n’roll path. Opening song “A Rocket Ship To You” is a gothy rock’n’roll song reminding of some of PETER MURPHY‘solo albums, then “A Donkey” and “Bloody Shoes” rock in a STOOGES way and songs like “Red Beans And Gasoline” or “Rock’n’Roll Ralphs” (a tribute to Hollywood’s famous grocery store!) are good rock’n’roll tunes with a bit of a RAMONES meets 50s rock’n’roll vibe . You’ll also hear a bit of psyche with “Richard Jewell”, “Two Slices Of Bread” or “All Over Town”. and a touch of NEW YORK DOLLS in “RIP Van Wrinkle ’85”. “Ink Blue Smoke” has a good 70s groove and then turns into an up tempo punk rock song while “I’m On A Rocket Ship (Heading My Way Back Home)” leaves us with some addictive proto-punk/glam. “No More With Rockets” is not only a tribute to Rob’s musical influences but also a genuine rock’n’roll record. /Laurent C.

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The Speedways “Talk Of The Town”

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