See – here’s the thing with remixes: I almost feel kinda guilty if I like one better than the original.
I always think a band wouldn’t have released the version they did if they felt it could be improved upon.
But I obviously tend to overthink things.
Until about ten minute before writing this post, I thought that the track ‘Nocturnal,’ from the Membranes‘ latest album (June 2019) ‘What Nature Gives … Nature Takes Away) was as good as it gets.
But I was wrong. THIS is as good as it gets!
The Kitty Lectro remix is brilliantly dark, broody and moody. It has a retro ‘goth’ feel to it and is almost like a new track entirely.
It’s never been enough for me, a band just producing excellent music; there needs to be more for them to make it onto my ‘favourites’ list.
In the case of Bandaid Brigade, the first criteria is easily fulfilled. Just listen to their latest offering, ‘Break the Grid,’ and their debut track, ‘Travel Light,’ (both below.)
But why are they my new favourite band? Their debut album is not due until the turn of the New Year, and they certainly haven’t played here in Glasgow.
I’ll tell you why – it’s precisely because I can’t put my finger on what they offer! There’s an air of mystery about them, but a real punk attitude, harking back to the fun punk of the early 2000s. The music seems based on punk, but then isn’t what you’d call ‘punk.’
Their music and attitude makes me smile. They make me wanna dance … though you really don’t wanna see that.
Heck! Who cares what label is put on Bandaid Brigade. They have fun – we have fun. Everyone’s a winner.
Tampa Bay punks, Television Supervision have recently signed with the excellent Standby Records, present home ofWaco, and a label that once counted Black Veil Brides among its roster.
Their debut album ‘Waldo‘ will be released on January 17th next year, but ahead of that, the lead single ‘Gimme A Girl’ has just been made available.
This track takes me back! It’s classic good-time ‘second wave’ punk, harking back to the early to mid 2000s.
The band themselves have said their aim is to ‘ give people a much-needed break from the stresses of their daily lives and to renew their hope in today’s vapid rock scene.’
It may be a rather cheezy thing to say – a PR bite, if you like, but ‘Gimme A Girl,‘ does exactly meet the mission statement. Sometimes, I think, musicians can get lost in their art. Sometimes bands take themselves and their music, that bit too seriously.
Listening to this track, I felt confident in predicting where their musical influences lie. Blink 182, Box Car Racer, Jimmy Eat World, Good Charlotte and Lagwagon can all be heard here. The video even reminds me of early Green Day.
My personal collection of music is both expansive and varied. But there are certain styles and sounds that I return to more than others, and this is one of them. I’m sure I’m not alone in that.
This is so very liberating, running LOUD HORIZON on a purely selfish basis.
I said I’d keep the blog open and write what I fancied, when I could be arsed to do so.
And so here I am, day #3 of the re-resurrected blog …. and writing the third post. And buying my second album via Bandcamp.
Poison Boys are another band I’ve just discovered, and know very little about. They are a punk / sleaze rock band from Chicago and look to have been making and releasing music these past five years. Sadly have been touched by tragedy, with the death of founding member Mike Lippman and friend Jenna Carlisle who both passed away following an accidental drugs overdose. This album, ‘Out Of My Head‘ is dedicated to them.
If you like your music, loud, scuzzy and in your face, then these lads are for you. Mixing garage with punk, pub and sleaze rock, they come across as a mix of The Pretty Things, New York Dolls and of course, a little bit of The Ramones – because, well, it’s the law, isn’t it?
There are twelve tracks on this album, covering roughly forty minutes, I’d say. So, great value, for sure. Being a bit of a boring old punk traditionalist, my first reaction was that a few of these tracks could perhaps outstay their welcome, so to speak. Both ‘Empty Heart,’ and ‘Up to the Sky’ run to over five minutes. But as I listened through on subsequent plays, and got over myself and my preconceptions, I realised my feet were still tapping away at the end of the tracks – the riffs are so strong and interspersed with rocking guitar solos. Five minutes flash by!
Track #7 on the new ‘Out Of My Head’ album.
‘Desperado,’ features a beefy saxophone backing which adds further depth to the sound – I’d like to see / hear more of this actually. Closing track ‘Been Here All Night,’ dare I say, sounds like Oasis backing The Dead Boys. And at various points throughout the album, vocalist Matt Dudzik reminds me a little of Mick Jagger … just the way he hold on to that final nasal note in a stanza. Probably Johnny Thunders is more accurate though. (I could argue with you about the Thunders / Jagger comparisons as well, if you like?)
This one one really strong album – not a ‘filler’ in sight, with powerful, uplifting riffs to get your fist punching the air and your feet stomping the floor.
I found, and bought, this when skipping through Bandcamp. Explosive and sounding slightly unhinged punk from New York. Other than featuring members of Mommy, Hank Wood, LOTION, and Pharmkon. I know nothing aboutDollhouse.
This demo was just released at the end of June there, so hopefully there is more to come soon.
I love it! There’s so much collision of styles, sounds and ideas within less than four minutes of video, that right now I bear the expression of a labrador asked to solve a rubik’s cube puzzle.
Firstly, the title attracted my attention. For a few months back in the day, I stayed in digs within the village (small town really) of Fallowfield which bordered Levenshulme, a larger suburban town in Greater Manchester, England.
That’s just ‘FYI’ as they say.
Waco are a London based four-piece punk band though I think I may detect a north-western accent in the vocals.
They have so much going on in their music. They have been described as ‘cosmic punks,’ whose music is ‘ … laced with metaphysics, conspiracy theories and spirituality.’
Work that one out, if you will.
Me? I’m a bit more shallow and uncomplicated and in this particular single, I hear: a big shouty, sing-a-long ‘Oi’ styled opening; street punk; gypsy punk and all delivered with a distinct sense of fun. So let’s just say they are are fun-loving punk band, eh? And I’m tempted to say, no I’m going to say (and it’s mean’t as a compliment) the spoken word piece at a minute and a half sounds like sumat from The Lancashire Hotpots’ book of song presentation.
These guys look a riot to be around, and I get the feeling their shows could be wild. My kind of band!
Waco’s new full length album, ‘Human Magic,‘ will be released through Standby Records, on November 1st 2019. The following track, ‘The Jersey Devil‘ will also appear on that LP.
