The Accidents - Dead Guys 7" (Bootleg Booze)
Get liquored up! These Swedes' brand of rowdy punkrock'n'roll is the perfect soundtrack to any drunken party. As the title reveals this slap o' wax is a tribute to some of their faves that passed away. Buddy Holly's "Oboy" gets roughed up and knocked around in true Accidents-style; fast, catchy and furious but played with respect, probably my fave cut. "I Wanna Be Loved" will surely put a smile on Johnny Thunders up there in the unknown where I bet he's creating magic with Nolan, Dee Dee and Joey. "Tonight" (Eddie Meduza) shows a more melodic, dare I say, sensitive side of the band. The single comes in black coffin shaped cardboard, which looks mighty nice besides my Coffin Joe dvd box. Check my previous Lowcut interview with'em for further info. A another winner from Bootleg Booze Records.
http://www.theaccidents.net
http://www.bootlegbooze.com

Jens

AntiSeen - Badwill Ambassadors LP (Scarey Records)
You want bad? I mean REALLY vicious unadjusted un-MTVsugarcoated soaked-in-blood BAD? Well, the bad boys of brutalsville have returned, and its my kinda poison against the flood of celebs who's cashing in on the Tsunami disaster on TV right now. Jeff Clayton & Co. have been making evil primitive punkrock noize for nearly 20 years, based in South Carolina and raised on wrestling, guns and alcohol, these fuckers ain't the ones to fuck around with. I've seen'em twice, believe me! GG Allin once used them as his backing band!! "Badwill Ambassadors" is their best album since the classic "Southern Hostility"; the production rips, the songs are stronger and the lyrics are as hateful as ever. Just check out "Pledge Allegiance To The Bomb", "F.T.K" (Fuck The Kids) and "10 Pounds Of Shit In A 5 Pound Bag" for further proof. Some tunes also have a southern rock feel like "Q - Pid". "From Parts Unknown" (also a single) is probably the best song they've ever done, full-on rude divine speedpunk. There's also lotsa humour as guys like The Dean Of Sod and The Cosmic Commander Of Wrestling introduce songs, "Dear Abby" a tribute to a Sudanian wrestler, is especially funny. The leaders of The Confederacy Of Scum are back with a vengeance, now turn up the speakers and annoy the hell out of the neighbors!
http://www.antiseen.com
http://www.scareyrecords.com

Jens

Bandvivil - Juneakissei ( Musea MP-3042 AR)
Another very cool Japanese band. Musea really finds some great bands. This three piece really explore all kinds of styles in this great mix of instrumental music. The band is lead by guitarist Issei Takami and cites influences from Jimi Hendrix to Frank Zappa to Brand X and King Crimson. This is very intense stuff but I loved it. The band is very adventurous and not afraid to take a chance. The CD is split into two sections each of 8 tracks (Vivid and Evil). While some of the guitar playing is pretty wild (like Seven that Spells), they bring it under control and play some really cool stuff. I would love to see this band live. I hope that they release a live DVD or tour Europe! This is some really great stuff.
http://www.bandvivil.com

Scott

Joe Bataan - Call My Name LP/CD (Vampisoul)
The re-issue business is a relatively safe one, in that the records you put out will already have qualified for classic status, and if not so, at least a recording date sometime in the 60s and 70s and the very fact of it being re-issued automatically grants the record status as being worthy (as would be the case with Luv N' Haight's re-issues of the positively mindblowing Pharoahs LPs). Another aspect of it is that you're can be pretty sure to keep your cool digging it, since the artist will most likely be long gone or retired and thus not able to fuck it up, or even if he did later on (like Marvin Gaye) everyone agrees that doesn't really count; only in the case of those still performing will you have to watch your step: If someone like Solomon Burke or Andre Williams have aged with dignity (well, relative in the latter case), James Brown, who made a bunch of good sides in the 60s and 70s - every month, that is! - today is something of an embarrassment.
And then there's the comeback. Oh, the comeback! In the case of Spanish Harlem's Joe Bataan it's been a couple of decades since he last recorded so much as a vocal take, but with Vampisoul Records having re-issued his "Young, Gifted & Brown" and "Latin Funk Brother" and just the right collaborator found in Daniel Collás, the one-time streetfighter, car thief, and King of Latin Soul has deemed it reasonable to return now, at the same time marking the first new release from Madrid's Vampisoul. And thus we actually have to appreciate a funk record that doesn't come with classic status to tell us it's cool: Luckily, Bataan's return is nothing if not dignified. A few somewhat dull, run-of-the-mill funk cuts like "Call My Name" and "Secret Girl, My Superfraud" set this album in the 2000s, where funk has a tendency towards sounding too clean and strained in its loosenes; but the two breathtakingly intimate rhumbas "I'm the Fool (Part 1)" and "Ernestine" are worth the whole album, while the Arthur Lee-esque psychedelic moments in "Cycles of You" and "I'm the Fool (Part 2)" do theirs to place this album way out of time.
For the sake alone of adding a funk album to your collection that's neither re-issue nor collector's item, you should get this album; for the above-mentioned 4 tracks you'll have to.
http://www.vampisoul.com

Jon A

The Blacklist - Electric And Evil CD
The press release for this Melbourne combo lists Zeke, The Hookers & Venom as inspirations which gave me a good indication of we sure as hell ain't takin' bout no new cleancut Jet from down under, haha. Lead screamer Goodtime Gemmill sounds like he's singin' kareoke with Lemmy over Poison Idea's "Feel The Darkness" while drinkin' a pint of lit gasoline! Just listen to "We Want Blood" and the cover of Venom's "Live Like An Angel" and start bangin' what's left of yer brains into the fuckin' wall - THIS IS SOME VICIOUS SHIT! 11 blasts of unashamed gutsy metallic punk rawk that'll leave ya crippled and beggin' for more. Slayer-fanatic Simon will love this. The Blacklist will tour Europe in April/May - BE THERE!
http://www.spookyrecords.com
http://www.eletricandevil.com

Jens

The Bondage Corporation - Haywire Gospels CDS
With a name like this I thought; oh no, not another pierced limpdicked s&m Gothic techno metal outfit. Thankfully the Copenhagen based combo deals in dirty mean take-no-prisoners rock'n'roll mutated with blues, punk and rootsy southern r'n'r. "Roulette" is a speedy piledrivin' rocker with some awesome slide guitar mayhem goin' on, while the more mid-tempo "The Single" sports some serious groovy hardrock wonderfully guided by lush female T.Rex-like backing vocals. Pure class. "Tin Man Steps Out" picks up the pace again with ferocious cutthroat energy. Man, these fuckers are tight musicians, the production rips and Sgt. Frank Flavour's voice is totally unique. 2004 was a bit slow for Danish r'n'r releases but with newcomers Bondage Corporation (which has a debut album out in the fall) a much needed breath of fresh air has been infused in the scene. WELCOME ABOARD! See live review elsewhere in this issue.
http://www.bondagecorp.com

Jens

Bowfinger - S/T Promo CD (Latent Lemon)
From Luton in England comes Bowfinger, the new hope for a British invasion. After having released their first album a while back, they are now back with this 2 track promo CD. My first impression was, that they were very British. Maybe not my brightest moment, but still. Their first track starts out with a Ceasars Palace style organ intro, then goes bananas in a retake on the classic britpop song composition. Simple riffs and two chord song progressions form the basics for the song, and an almost too traditional organ chord progression furnishes the song with that indescribable funky beat. I don't like it, its too simple, you know - yucky. But it manages to bite me right where it hurts, my stomping foot. And the drinks and organ do their job, exactly as I was afraid, I'm stomping like a mad man. I don't like it when bands steal my foot like that, it happens though. It's the kind of music where you stomp your foot, not because you like it - but because what's left of your brain can't help it. And this is truly brainwash music. A poppy take on punk/rock/psych, with a fast riff here and there - but with the organ pumping out its nice chords, making me forget everything else. Especially the lyrics, which might actually be on purpose. I still say this isn't anything special (I hope they don't invade), but it has that British stomping quality, the kind of band you can stay indifferent about, and then suddenly they explode into, I dunno - Blur or something.

Kristian

The Chuck Norris Experiment - S/T LP (Scarey Records)
I guess it was just a matter of time before someone named themselves after this stoneface action star. CNE comes off as a less stoner-ish more straight forward rockin' Monster Magnet, maybe due to singer Chuck Ransom's (yep, all five member are named Chuck) great hollerin'. I really like the last punky track, "Speedfever", which I'm positive that Lemmy'd approve of, its also the shortest tune, some of the others are a tad too long for my taste. You probably heard this kinda r'n'r mayhem before, but if ballsy crunchin' Detroit/Aussie-style hardrock-fuzz gets yer pecker up then you'd invest in these Swedes' debut album. CD available from Bad Attitudes Records. Hmm...any bands out there named after Segal, Van Damme, or what about The Lorenzo Lamas?
http://www.chucknorrisexperiment.com
http://www.scareyrecords.com

Jens

Dwarves - "The Dwarves Must Die" LP/CD
(Sympathy for the Record Industry)
To me, Dwarves has always been one of these names I've heard around, but for some reason I've never picked up their records, however enticing the nude chicks on the covers or the wrestler masks. A sudden Wednesday afternoon craving for punkrock and the particularly shoddy womenfolk sacrificing a dwarf on the cover however, made me take this one home to check it out, and shit, now I guess I'll have to get hold of the backcatalogue, because this is sooo cool. Cleverly stupid (oh yes), grim and dirty, yet at the same time extremely hummable, Dwarves blend a 60's garage inspired straight out melodic punkrock (as in "Salt Lake City", "Runaway #2" - "Suzy's smeared with lipstick, tastes like daddy's cum") with psychedelic Butthole Surfers-esque moments ("Bleed On", "Massacre", "Christ on a Mic"), straightout hardcore ("Blast", "Relentless" - complete with boys choir - or "Go!" - as in "fuck that bitch and go!"), and superheavy stonerrock in the vein of the mighty Queens of the Stone Age ("Demented", "FEFU" - as in "fuck, eat, and fuck you up"), whose ex-bassist Nick Olivieri used to be a Dwarf and also did "Like You Want" on his Mondo Generator "A Drug Problem That Never Existed" album. Judging from the two other Dwarves albums I've since gotten my hands on - "Horror Stories" and "How to Win Friends and Influence People" - this is even Dwarves at their more accesible, still: If you need it dirty, heavy, and not half dumb, "The Dwarves Must Die" should be your fix.

Jon A

Enola Gay - 1982-1984 LP (Kick n' Punch)
A nostalgic timecapsule of early Danish punkrock. The album consists of two recordings from 1982/83 by Enola Gay which sounds like your average politically charged punkcore of those days. I've picked my wasted brain if I've ever seen them but I think they broke up the year I moved to Copenhagen in '84 so I reckon I missed them, but there sure was a lot of bands who played this kind of fast noisy Crass/Varukers-like punk. Can't say it aged that good (the production is so-so), but the Danish lyrics really captures the tense coldwar mood then of warmongers like Reagan, Thatcher, and Brezhnev. The songs also take on fashion punks etc. Come to think of it, I don't think we're better off now, haha. Some of the band members later played in bands like Misanthropic Charity, Squirm, President Fetch, and Heatfarm. Kick n' Punch deserves credit for diggin' up this piece of history for a new generation, a recent interview with guitarist Anderz is included, but if I've to be completely honest, this kind of Brit-style angst punk doesn't mean that much to me now as it did then.
http://www.kicknpunch.com

Jens

Floorian - What The Buzzing CD (Bomp)
A very diverse release here. When Florian from Cleveland are best they have a sound resembling a mix of Days Of Wine And Roses-era Dream Syndicate and a less commercial Dandy Warhols on a bad psychedelic space rock trip. Songs like Or So They Say and Symptoms Alone are really cool and although they are very long they keep your attention. When Florian sucks they excel in unbelieveable long and boring droning that doesn't seem to go anywhere….at all! I want songs and not spaced out soundscapes, damn it. If Florian put on their rocking boots this could get really interesting. http://www.floorian.com
http://www.bomp.com

Don K

Gentle Bob And His Sensitive Side - The Beginning Of The End CD
(Spooky Records)
This is without a doubt the most relaxed, and yes, gentle release I had to review for this issue. Atmospheric, witty, romantic and wellcrafted semi-twangy songs that recall the works of Calexico, Johnny Cash, Lee Hazelwood, Pixies, Nick Cave and Tom Waits. I'm surprised I dug it as much as I did since its not the usual testosterone-driven overkill noize that rampage my stereo, but its just so damn well done. Easy listening, but not shallow or sugarcoated, there's real heart and emotions behind these adult alt/americana cuts - music that'll get ya laid? haha. Anyway, a bonafide gem from the always eclectic Spooky Records. Gentle Bob hails from Brisbane, Australia.
http://www.sensitiveside.com
http://www.spookyrecords.com

Jens

Johnny Casino's Easy Action - We've Forgotten More Than You'll
Ever Know CD
This scorchin' Aussie/Yankee outfit include members of Asteroid B-612, The Egos, Limecell and the Cosmic Commander Of Wrestling who's howlin' on some tracks. Cosmo, who reminds me of Circle Jerks' Keith Morris, is also featured on AntiSeen's latest. The reason for this unholy alliance? Topnotch shitraw pelvis shakin' Swagger trash'n'roll, baby! Take some Faces, Dictators and Radio Birdman and tosh it in a punky hardrock cocktail, and get loaded on some primo über rawk. Besides MC5's "Black to Comm" there's a delicious soul cover, "Expressway To Your Heart", that brings some neat variation to an already excellent album. This seems to be a selffinanced cd with no mention of any label!?! Thats a goddamn crime since Johnny Casino's Easy Action obliterates most of their r'n'r peers with this flawless release!!
johnnycasino@bigpond.com.au
cosmicommander@msn.com

Jens

Johnny Jones and the Suffering Halos - s/t (Wizards and Blow 2004)
Johnny Jones and the Suffering Halos hail from Long Beach California and play really in your face rock and roll with a stoner influence. The band features Greg Coatez (Master of Reality) on bass, Billy Blaze (TSOL) on drums and Bryan McIntyre (Wonderlove) on lead guitar and of course Johnny on vocals and madness. The opening number Jesse James is a real stoner rock and roll track. Overloaded is a much more melodic rock track and probably gets played on the radio in the LA area. Who'd you let in? follows and has a bit of mysterious guitar riff to start before the hypnotic groove kicks in. The Deuce is another quite melodic hard rocker. Wouldn't Mind It (Jack Kelly Blues) is one of the best tracks on the CD with a cool blues and hard hitting riff. Enjoyed this one. Toad Mind is a slow heavy track with a cool guitar solo and ending to the track with some organ. This is one of the only tracks where the band appears to jam a bit. The Tastiest Bite is a really cool laid back ballad with some great songwriting. Hussy is a foot stomping rocker like the good old 70's sound. Kickin' ass! Icarus Wax begins with a heavy bass line before the killer guitar riff comes in and takes the track away. This sounds great when you crank this one up loud! Strangleroot is another pretty damn cool track. Give me what you Got, is perhaps one of the heaviest tracks on the CD but also one of the least interesting. The CD closes with Snakecharmer, which is very AC/DC influenced. Quite a damn good debut CD. Must be a pretty ass kickin' live band!
http://www.johnnyjones.com

Scott

Loudness - Racing (Tokuma Japan Communications TMCA-72813)
This is Loudness's 22nd record and their 6th in the last 5 years. Most people will remember this band for their work in the 80's but this is a band that have really moved forward and become heavier than ever. It is the original line up of members who laid down this heavy 80's thrash style CD, with amazing drumming and guitar playing. The CD opens with the guitar freakout by Akira called Racing. Exultation, which is mostly sung in English with some Japanese lyrics is very fast and heavy. I love the mid sections of all these songs where Akira really experiments and has an amazing guitar sound. The solo on this track is totally insanely fast like Buckethead and Zakk Wylde play but a really cool sound. I don't know what pedals he uses but he has one of the coolest guitar sounds around. The band only slows down for a few moments on this speedy CD. Lunatic is very much like a riff you heard in the 80's by Slayer or Exodus. Again, when it is solo time, Akira plays some freaky stuff and then rips it up! Misleading man, a very doomy number followed by the amazing Don't know Nothing are my favourite tracks on this CD. The riff is very heavy for the heavy part of this most melodic track. Phew…. If you are a fan of heavy metal guitar playing and solos, you will dig this CD. http://www3.live.co.jp/loudness

Scott

Nervous Shakes - Seperate Beds? I Don't Think So CD
Brussels is mostly known for being the powermad EU metropolis of corporate parasites and a graveyard of has-been politicians. Well, this sensational combo is about remove some of that foul stain with this outrageously good album. There's not a flaw in sight, just perfect classic punkrock packed with hooks'n'attitude and some of the most catchy choruses. The 'Shakes get extra bonus for covering The Infections' (one of my ALL TIME fave bands) "Be A Man". And the ballsy singin' of guest star Reagan Kirkbride is beyond awesome, love her voice! The only bad thing about this record is that it ends, haha. Gotta spin it one more time. ADDICTIVE SHIT! Fans of Johnny Thunders, Devil Dogs, The Damned, The Boys and The Real Kids should embrace this instant modern punkrock classic.
Contact: www.musicblink.com

Jens

Nifters - Allein CD-EP (Black Juju Records UJUJ 13)
This is a very short 2 track (7 minutes) EP from this Swedish 4 piece outfit. The band were formed as a punk rock band in 1999 and these roots are still there in these recordings which are much more like an aggressive early Nirvana like vocals (rough yet melodic at times) but a melodic guitar (even some guest keyboards) meets the poppy Soundtracks of our lives. Clearly the band is going for a radio friendly sound. Allein even reminds me of Metallica a little at times. Reality will Kill Me, is a more aggressive song with a sing along like backing vocal, like the old punk anthems, but this is much more metallic sounding in nature, yet melodic. They keyboard line in this track gives the track a sort of gothic flavour (Cult of Luna??). This was pretty cool and interesting. I look forward to hearing the new full length CD!
http://www.nifters.com

Scott

OJM - The Light Album CD (Go Down)
Well, here's one for those of you who thought Italy was all charm and wine. As it turns out, they also have both balls, and psych - who could have known! Supposedly, these are Italy's premiere Psych Rockers. I'm not gonna beat around the bush here: I don't know them. But then again, I'm not an authority on Psych Rock either, especially not from Italy! There is a problem though. Their sound is cool, and analogue in the true sense of the word. Their guitar riffs are often cool, and fit nicely into the song, but the sound of it all shifts very rapidly, making each track very different. For some, that's a good thing - and I often claim that artists don't have enough diversity on their albums - but I also like to have a little thread of purpose. So on nine tracks, they manage to go from classical Psych like The Pretty Things might have done it if they were from Italy, and had modern day distortion. But they also manage to do a bit of heavy rock blues - which they suck at by the way - and that makes for a little confusing listen, on my part anyway. But they have all the other treats you would expect from a psych rock band. They have their rock riffs, their freaky vocals, and distortion - and they have the all important final feedback, which is: instead of the blank 4 second break between each track, they have an 8 second break, where half of it is filled with weird blurps and guitar feedbacks. Makes you wonder actually. It's a nice album though, I just cant seem to put my finger on these guys. There are both good and bad songs, some played well and some played shitty. Give it a spin.

Kristian

The Pocket Gods - Green Fairy Tales (Nub Country Records)
This UK artist (Mark Lee) has created an interesting lo fi collection of singer songwriter songs about strange things, going to the bar, and lots of booze, particularly, Absinthe. The CD opens with Weekend Revulers, which will remind you of the Beatles. Verlaine Corner reminds me a bit of the early Bevis Frond material with a more psychedelic flavor to it. Green Fairy is a very bluesy based song with a drunken feeling. With the flowers and with women has a French woman talking and is a strange organ based thing you might hear on the street in Paris. Absinthe Frappe and You are my Frankenstein reminds me of the late 60's slow stoned blues. Godless in my wormwood is a more upbeat rock song with some cool effected guitar and a strange keyboard line. Tracks like Talking to Lamposts beg for them to be extended into some sort of cool psych jam.. Not here.. All songs on this CD are between the 1-4 minute range with only The Decadents extended into nearly 9 minutes. Drunk again in Nub Country, is a piano based drunken blues. Funny lyrics. Jug is a 30 second rant about children of the revolution before going into the fast paced Fonder about Absinthe. L-Absinthe has a French speaking woman speaking about Absinthe and some nice psychy guitar to start the track but this fades into some noise as a cool bass line builds it up again and this is repeated. Decadents, the only extended track is also a psychy number with cool guitar (acoustic and electric layered) and a rant by Mark. The CD ends with Underworld. Pretty cool and interesting psych-folk-blues material. I enjoyed this CD a lot. Available for £7.00 from Nub country Records, 11 Britannia Rd, Milnsbridge, HD3 4QQ, UK. Chqs made payable to: the pocket gods contact: thejacula@hotmail.com
http://www.thepocketgods.com

Scott

Pyroman - s/t CDS.
Whambam thank you ma'm hard stompin' primitive noise motherfucking dark punk simpel blues fuzz fuck you all in-your face rock'n'roll sweet pain bootlickin' ass kicking scream metalmachine angry anxiety butt shaking & fucked-up noise! Boom boom BOOOOM!
http://www.pyroman.dk

JT

Rosetta West - X Descendant CD (Alive)
Oh I can see the light! Who am I kidding, I see darkness, only darkness - and its all because of these guys. If there is a more Gothic blues band out there, don't let me listen to it! This shit is depressing. Rosetta West are from the Mid-West, USA, and boy howdy did they get beat up by their pop when they were young gun slinging boys. It's a four piece psych-blues band, with issues. Not that they play bad, but their songs are depressing - not just in the groovy blues kind of way, no this is really depressing. If I were to play a CD on my way to hells gates, this would be it - and I'm not even sure it would even keep my hopes up. There's one cover track on there, Shaking all over - which is a nice track, and not as goth as their own compositions, but I still say the vocalist manages to scare me, I'm convinced if you play this stuff back-wards, you'll get a slow bluesy chant to Lucifer himself - and I'm not a fan. But the blues is tight, and even though I feel like burning the CD just to get the voices out of my head, its still tight music. If it wasn't for the feel of this scratchy raw music, I'd be enthusiastic....

Kristian

Satan's Pilgrims - Plymouth Rock: The Best 2 x CD (Musick)
The Satan's Pilgrims haunted the surfwayes from 1994 to 1999 and released all together 5 albums on labels like Estrus and Empty. For me they stood out as one of the coolest instrumental bands in the 90's with a unique blend of reverbed exotica, ski-fi, agent movies music and surf - a sound that have since been emulated by many bands but was pretty new to me in 1994 when I got their debut album. I still like "At Home With…" and songs from that album are also highlights on Plymouth Rock, a double CD Best Of kinda thing where disc one is compiled from the 5 albums and disc two holds a video montage, rarities and 4 brand new songs. One can argue that surf music is boring on record and otherwise (let alone a double CD full of it) and I have since then developed a weariness towards instrumental music of this sort…..but still, songs like Spanish Head are really top notch and if Tarantino knew about these guys I am sure he would have included them in one of his early flicks. Satan's Pilgrims were one of the top dogs 10 years ago and this is a pretty good introduction although I would recommend to start out with At Home With…
http://www.musickrecords.com

Don K

Sewergrooves - Constant Reminder CD (Wild Kingdom/Kick)
My only album with these Stockholm rockers is "Guided By Delight", which sadly didn't do much for me, just your average substandard Hellacopters-like dime-a-dozen r'n'r. "Constant Reminder" is definitely an improvement, the songs are better and catchier with a neat 60s flavor mixed with some swaggy southern rock licks. Not bad.
http://www.sewergrooves.com
http://www.wildkingdom.se
http://www.kick.dk

Jens

Super Galore - Let It Out CD (ESP/KICK)
The quality of the Danish underground rock scene is a constant puzzle for me. Only a few years back there were only a handful of cool bands but in recent years that has changed dramatically as we have documented here on Lowcut. Why this change came along I am not sure, maybe it's because we have this asshole government and counter culture is cool again or maybe all the new bands are really aliens looking for the worst place to start a rock band and Denmark has turned into giant magnet for talented E.T's. Whatever the reason, Super Galore is a duo from Copenhagen formed in early 2003 and Let It Out is their debut album. I am happy to report that that the alien magnet is still in function since Super Galore have made a fine garage rock album which doesn't sound like anything else on the Danish rock scene. Actually it's hard to compare them to anyone specific which is always a good sign. The bio compares them to Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and White Stripes but I am not sure about that. There's a lot of energy here and it was quite a scoop to get Ed Stasium (Ramones. Motörhead a.o.) to mix the album. What I miss is those melodies that really sticks to your brain but maybe they have them up their sleeves for future releases. For now this is a promising debut album.
http://www.supergalore.com
http://www.kick.dk

Don K

Suzy y los Quattro - Ready to Go! LP/CD (No Tomorrow Records)
Shit, it's not like we're gonna be awfully original with the titles here, are we? Neither with the music, truth be told: Powerpop in the vein of Blondie, Ramones, and 80's girl groups. I think I dissed powerpop as a genre heavily in a Boss Martians review a year ago and was told off by Jens afterwards for not taking into concern Ramones, whom I'd always though of as punkrock; but I guess there is a point there, even though the tag "powerpop" stinks. Lack of originality aside though, Suzy y los Quattro do anything but suck: The barceloneses' debut album is as fun as punkrock should be (Fugazi aside), with great craftsmanship in the songwriting and playing, and with one of the best young female singers I've heard around. Suzy Chain can do that quavering, off-tone Debbie Harry/Patti Smith-thing without sounding a bit strained or painful (like Sleater-Kinney, Kaito), and that's a nice thing. Those old men initially attracted by the name-play on their 70's wet dream queen can safely venture on here; for their pleasure there's even a cover of Go-Go's "Vacation".
http://www.notomorrowrecords.com

Jon A

Sweatmaster - Maggots CD (Bad Afro Records)
They recently released a garage tribute (Song with no words) with a two track taste of their new album. Now these Finnish madmen are back, with two more (one album song) on this single "Maggots". And I must admit, this new album will be a pretty good investment, if the other songs are anything like the four we've heard. Sweatmaster have always been tight, and this demo is absolutely no exception. Drums, vocals and guitar all blend into a perfect mixture of modern and antiquated rock and roll. It goes without saying that these Finnish boys have that indescribable sound, as with all other Finnish bands lately. They must be the new Sweden of pop. Only problem is, however, that I found myself having difficulty telling the two tracks apart after a while. But then again, I have the same problem with their last album, and I still think it's a Scandinavian masterpiece. This is definitely a glimpse of the future, and Sweatmaster haven't lost their touch as far as composing goes. Still makes me pissed they are Finnish though! Of the two previews, I like the first one the most - probably because it had more tracks... I'm looking forward to spending time with more upbeat Finnish vodka rock in the near future. The new album is scheduled for release in April 2005, and daddy is excited!
http://go.to/sweatmaster

Kristian

The Sweetbacks - S/T CD (Nicotine)
Swedish Rock has always had a certain indescribable quality about it. There is no discussing that Swedish Pop music has always been top of the line, and I suppose some of that melodic quality has drifted into their Rock rebels. Bands like TSOOL, The Hellacopters and even The Sounds, are (Psych) Rock of good calibre, but still with that indescribable pop feeling to it. I'm not the kind of person who hates poppy rock, in fact - I applaud it if the band manages to fuse the two, especially seeing as Rock evolved into exactly that - the peoples music. Why does pop have to be a bad thing?
The Sweetbacks, being from Sweden obviously, have managed to do just that. Create a CD with nine old school rock tracks, obviously inspired by very late 60s and middle 70s genres, such as late beat, glam - and even a little psych in there. Classical vintage setup with guitar, organ (w. Leslie), etc. etc. It's all getting a little old perhaps, but it still works - better than what you might think. And even though the comparison may be a little overkill, I still cant help but think of late 70s Rolling Stones when I listen to this CD. The band themselves claim to be inspired by The Faces, but those traces must have been wiped out a long time ago - this is a little too hard to be Faces. What it is however, is another example of how fucking fantastic the Swedish music scene is, spitting out one talented band after the other. It's scary, kind of like a horny bunny fucking with every single musical style it can think of, and then spitting out a rock band you can listen to for ever, and ever. It is now a good time to mention that I opted not to see them live when they were in Copenhagen last year? I'm kicking myself for that now.

Kristian

Urrke T. & The Midlife Crisis - Ask Not What You Can Do For Your Country 7" (Bootleg Booze)
Members of Hellacopters, Backyard Babies, Maggots and Maryslim declare their love to late classic 70s punkrock. And I must confess this Stockholm project succeed with these superb covers of "The American In Me" (The Avengers), "Center Of Lies" (Warheads) and The Users' "Sick Of You". The last song is probably my fave on the "Killed By Death vol. 1" comp, and these Swedes totally do justice to the track. Of course the production is slicker, there's now a twin guitar attack, but the essence is kept intact. AWESOME! Guys, why not make a full album? The single is in white/blood spattered vinyl. http://www.bootlegbooze.com

Jens

The Volcanics - Nothin' For You CD (Out Of The Loop)
Wanna get Rose Tattooed with Johnny Thunders and the Dead Boys? Then this 5 track debut is an explosive ticket to punkrock heaven, buddy! Fierce sonic outbursts from guitarist Mick Whitby are mixed with the wonderful snotty I-having-too-fun-so-fuck-you vocals of John 'JT' Phatouros. The EP is the best of two worlds; from the superclassic junkie rock swagger of "Nothin' For You" and "Foldline", to fast amped-up no-frills punk FUCKIN' rawk of "Wreck Myself", "Light The Fuse" and "Baby Soul" - these Aussies are a credit to their nation's proud history of hardass no-bull rock'n'roll! Cum on and get VOLCANIZED!
http://www.outoftheloop.com.au
the_volcanics@yahoo.com.au

Jens

Wonderfools - Future Classics CD (Wild Kingdom/Kick)
I dug these Olso rockers' previous "Doing Their Duty To The Nightlife" album. This is more of same; good time catchy punky hardrock'n'roll of the Scandinavian school of rawk. Unfortunately its a tad too slick (the backing vocals are too sugarcoated) and well produced for my taste this time around. Turn down the mainstream poppunk flavor, and get more dirty and aggressive would be my advice for this hugely talented combo. Fans of Turbonegro's "Scandinavian Leather" should check it out.
http://www.thewonderfools.com
http://www.wildkingdom.se
http://www.kick.dk

Jens

YOB - The Illusion of Motion (Metal Blade Records)
This is a band I have read about but never have heard until now. This is a band that is into long journeys and you must be a patient person otherwise you will find this very boring. YOB, many say are the new holders of the throne when it comes to DOOM metal (rock). This is new DOOM and nothing like the classic bands like Candlemass, Solitude Aeternus, and Count Raven! Anyway, you have 4 tracks which includes the shortest song the band have ever written (Doom #2 at 6:09) and the longest track (The Illusion of Motion 26:10). The CD starts off with Ball of Molten Lead. Some wind, some low rumbling noises and then finally the slow motion guitar that slowly comes to the front as the drums and bass kick in! The lyrics start off as spoken words before going through various vocal phases in this long track. The melodic vocal delivery is really cool. I like the atmospheric guitar at the beginning of the track, it gives it a great feel before the onslaught begins. Heavy pounding stuff! No guitar solos is my main complaint with this stuff. Next up is Exorcism of the Host at nearly 13 minutes, this track is a heavy mutha, like stuff by Electric Wizard, Ufomamut, and Warhorse. Doom #2 is for sure fast for this CD and very aggressive and dark. At least 3 very different vocal styles in this track. Phew…. The CD ends with the 26 minute, very slow The Illusion of Motion. The title tells it all. Be prepared for a pretty cool journey if you can handle it. Impressed…..
http://www.yobdoom.com

Scott

Zamarro - Lust In Translation CD (Supermodern)
"Lust In Translation" is a midtempo stonerrock-ish deal with fat guitar licks, but unfortunately it didn't connect with me. I love Nebula and Fu Manchu but this left me cold for some reason, maybe due to Markus Gisin's voice and the semi-grunge approach to some of the songs. They are ace musicians and will probably sell tonsa records since they toured all over USA, still I was pretty bored to say the least. Produced by Jack Endino.
http://www.zamarro.com
http://www.supermodern.com

Jens

Zombina And The Skeletones - I Was A Human Bomb For The F.B.I. CDS
These Liverpool powerpop ghouls want the airwaves and they want it now! And with these sexy three bubblegum hymns of insane catchiness they more than deserve it with this outstanding debut. Imagine The Revillos, The 5.6.7.8's and The Pandoras wrecking a pajama party at Dracula's castle and you get the idea. Lyrics include lines like; fought my share of ninjas in Japan, tell you how I got my atomic tan!
File under F for FUN!!!
http://www.zombina.com

Jens

V/A - Organelle CD (Save your Servant Records SYS-T-SB C 01)
This is a joint venture between 3 record labels from the Cincinnati and Kentucky region of the USA (Save your Servant Recordings, State Bird Records and Tiberius Records). The 14 bands (the majority of which are 3 piece bands on the first half and 4 pieces or duos on the 2nd half of the CD) on this compilation have created a really cool web site where you can find info on this project and the bands themselves. Theraphosa start the CD off with the longest track on the CD (5:16). It has a demo quality to it (especially the drum sound) but I quite like that. Cool song, hard to describe. The Ralph Jones band is next with a melodic floating, not particularly interesting song. Caterpillar Tracks, have a much hard hitting sound yet melodic. A bit like Fugazi??? Thistle continue along this line but with a slightly more twangy pop track that was not very interesting. Hover changes things completely with a strange and very cool track with electronic songs, piano and drums. Cool… Hilltop Distillery follows with an instrumental track (2 guitars and drums), which is experimental, noisy but really grabs your attention. Covington come out of the starting gates are full force and fast and furious but with a nice melodic line. Humans Bow Down is next and I was really taken by surprise and the vocals really sound female to start but morph clearly into male vocals. Anyway, this is a melodic very conscious lyric driven track. Raw and hard hitting. Ampline are another instrumental band with that motor car attitude in the way the track races along and either you follow or you are lost. The Light Wires create a pretty boring dreamy pop-love song of sorts. The Strongest Proof bring back the rock but the track just never really grabbed me. Melodic with a raw production and sound. Cameron Martin Cochran, presents the only acoustic track on this CD and is quite a nice change. I really liked the guitar playing and thought that the drums actually got a bit in the way of the sound. The Defrost Star follows with one of the heaviest tracks on the CD with the fast paced melodic wall of sound. The CD ends with El Gigante, a melodic pop track with a hard guitar riff. If you like melodic slightly commercial rock music and would like to hear what the folks in this part of the world are doing, I think you will enjoy this compilation.
http://www.organellecd.com

Scott

V/A Bad Machine/V8 Wankers - Sounds Of The Drags! 7" (Bootleg Booze)
Never owned a custom car, had a tattoo or watched a drag race (though I been to a couple of drag shows, haha), but I sure like motorpunk and this battle with 2 songs each is highly listenable. Vehicle 1: Bad Machine's speedy "Deathrace" brought back memories of Puffball, and "Thunderbeat" is a fine kickass rocker. Vehicle 2: V8 Wankers blast through the Motörhead/Zeke rager "Iconoclast" but loses energy with the monotonous "El Camino". I've heard better tunes by V8 Wankers on other comps.
Still, a pretty decent release.
http://www.bootlegbooze.com
http://www.badmachine.tk
http://www.v8wankers.com

Jens

V/A - Chicago Soul. Electric Blues, Funk & Soul - The New Sound of Chicago in the 1960's LP/CD (Soul Jazz Records)
V/A - Midwest Funk.Funk 45s from Tornado Alley LP/CD (Jazzman Records)
By now, you would believe the vaults of obscure 60's and 70's funk &b soul had been mined dry by the endless slew of compilation series. London's Harmless Records blazed the way in the late 90's with the "Pulp Fusion" series and the following series of "Stand Up and Be Counted", "I'm a Good Woman", "The Breaks", "Mellow Mellow" a.o., while Berlin's Crippled Dick Hot Wax! and Florence's Dagored dug into the raregroove gems hidden in 60's Italian erotic movie soundtracks, and Strictly Break Records released a line of records in the "Dusty Fingers" series containing obscure, weird, at times downright spooky, television soundtracks.
Still it seems there are veins left to be tapped: London's Soul Jazz Records have already impressed with their ska collections and 2000's "New Orleans Funk: The Original Sound of Funk 1960-75" awash with swampy classics by Aaron Neville, The Meters, Professor Longhair, and Dr. John. With "Chicago Soul" they go straight to source with a whole album dedicated to the mighty Chess Records, resulting in a set that's positively bursting with tight grooves a askew funk. Some of the tracks here are downright psychedelic, like Rotary Connection's eerie "Memory Band" with Minnie Riperton's soprano floating on top of the ghostly music, or the harpist (!) Dorothy Ashby's equally bone chilling "Soul Vibrations". Meanwhile Howlin' Wolf, Bo Diddley, and Muddy Waters provide a black proto-r'n'r that would surely make Jon Spencer's little, white willy tingle with pleasure. If you're gonna buy just one funk compilation in 2005, this should be your pick!
If as a label you don't have the financial power or goodwill to compete with Harmless or Soul Jazz, an alternative is to find yourself a niche to cover, which is exactly what London's Jazzman Records have done with "Midwest Funk". While the twin epicentres of soul and funk in the 60's and 70's were Chicago and Detroit, with New York a runner-up, a bunch of local groups would be making their own noise in less-than-illustrious cities like Milwaukee, Dayton, Minneapolis, and Cincinnati. Naturally, there is a reason why most of these bands never made it out of the Midwest and broke through nationwide, and while the four sides are all festive and energetic to boot, there's not much in the way of originality to be found here. Standout tracks are Fred Williams & the Jewels Band's Otis Redding-ish "Tell Her" and The Soul Toronado's pensive "Boot's Groove", while Markus Kelly & the Impassions' "Pushin' to the Top" and Epitaph's "Epitaph Movement" are over-the-top frenetic amphetamine funk. So even if most selections on "Midwest Funk" aren't likely to blow your mind, it'll none the less serve perfectly as the soundtrack to some of the finer moments in daily life.
http://www.souljazzrecords.co.uk
http://www.jazzmanrecords.co.uk

Chicago Soul Midwest Funk

Jon A