Tag Archives: Rock N Roll

HEMI HEMINGWAY: The Lonely Hunter EP.

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There’ve been some remarkable records released this year so far, and one in particular that stands out is the debut EP by Shaun Blackwell aka Hemi Hemingway. It’s a gorgeous and romantic EP, and it explores every emotion possible in the most open way possible. If you’re looking for a record that will break your heart, comfort you and just leave you in awe; then The Lonely Hunter is for you.

The record opens with the euphoric Burnin’ Blue. It’s a sad one, but one to really love. You get a 60s Wall of Sound feel from this record, and Burnin’ Blue captures it so well. It is such a strong way to open the record with. These six songs are just a pleasure to listen to, and you cannot help but get lost in Shaun’s voice.

If you’ve heard Shaun’s previous projects such as Night Shades, then you’ll just be stunned by his change in style. His vocals as part of Night Shades gives you a feel of The Cramps but his new project is something else. He just combines everything I love about music, and makes something you’ve never heard before.

I love the sadness in It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye. It reminds me of a cross between Ezra Furman and Shannon and The Clams. Then you get right into the titled track, and you cannot help but gently sway your body side to side in time with this precious love song. I adore the way Shaun shares his influences on this record, but also makes it so current and so relatable. It’s a different side to him, but the same passion. It is just such a joy to listen to and to just soak up these hypnotic sounds that will become part of you. The titled track is just a heartbreaking one, and the pining in Shaun’s voice is remarkable. There’s a desperation there, but not in a way that makes you shy away from it. If anything, it just makes you relate to it even more. It is a perfect record.

Hemi’s Lament has a touch of Leonard Cohen on it, but what I love about this record is that you could easily think you’ve found a record from decades ago. It does feel current but at the same time it feels like you’ve been thrown way back in time. It is such a poetic and vulnerable record. I love the way Shaun has explored what influences him and has also experimented so much on this record. In just six songs, he has made something that stands out. It is such a pure record and it’s one that you feel you’ll keep going back to. For me, it’s the kind of record you have playing in the background as you sit in your favourite chair whilst nursing as cup of tea or a whiskey. It’s got something about it that would sound perfect in a film. You know the film Lucky that starred the great Harry Dean Stanton? This record would have been perfect for it. Shaun could easily soundtrack a film, and this record justifies this perfectly.

Move Over Darling reminds me a tiny bit of Johnny Tillotson (if you don’t know who he was, you are missing out. Underrated- severely!) There’s a gentle nod to the late 50s/early 60s on this record, and it is done in such a careful but divine way. I think it is just one of the most beautiful records to have come out this year. My Lover, A Strange Her closes the EP and it is such a wonderful, wonderful song. For me it really shows us just how great Shaun is as a writer. He writes poetry that comes from the soul. Aside from the sax on the record, Shaun plays everything on The Lonely Hunter. His all has gone into this record and all it entails. It is a masterpiece, there’s no denying that.

Shaun explores his emotions and general human curiosities on this record, and he does it in a way that makes you feel he’s gone into your head and let your secrets out. If I could force the world to listen to this record, I bloody well would.

Tonight, Shaun will be treating the Shacklewell Arms (best venue in London) to the sounds of Hemi Hemingway and supporting him will be the exceptional Big Dipper. A dream line-up! The show is sold out, but hopefully these two rascals will take this show around the country soon!

The Lonely Hunter is out now via PNKSLM Recordings (and also Rough Trade.)

SYLVAIN SYLVAIN: A tribute to a New York Doll.

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Sylvain Sylvain of New York Dolls starts GoFundMe as he battles cancer - Noise11.com

When writing about influential bands, it is so easy to reel off our typical Punk heroes such as Ramones, Dead Boys etc. But before they cast themselves beautifully upon the world, we had the New York Dolls. For me, they were the ultimate band. Not just Punk, not just a typical Rock ‘n’ Roll band. Nothing typical or conventional at all. They were the coolest of the cool. Outsiders who didn’t care that they were being gawped at. They were unapologetically themselves and made music for a generation that would continue to speak to other generations to come. Every single member of the Dolls had something about them that just lured you in, and that was that. Nothing was the same since.

Losing Sylvain Sylvain today is a painful reminder that our heroes don’t live forever. Well, physically they don’t. But they do in other ways. New York Dolls have always been hugely underrated, and I don’t think people realise just how influential their style was and always will be. Sylvain and Johnny were two of the most hypnotising guitarists ever. There will never ever be anyone else like them, and I will always cite them as the greatest. Both had this magnetic style, and this attitude that just made you wish you were as cool as them. Let’s be honest though, no one in the world could ever be as cool as the Dolls.

New York Dolls were one of the first bands I remember my mum playing to me when I was a tot. That debut record is EASILY one of the greatest of all time. The greatest debut record ever, and if a record doesn’t make me feel like that one does- then my attention span goes down the shitter. It was ahead of its time. It was the future; and it always will be. Nothing in this world can touch it. It was pure Rock ‘n’ Roll but with something else that only the Dolls had. A huge part of that was Sylvain’s energy and just the way he would play. My god it was fascinating. There was something about hearing him play that was so comforting. Johnny would have you on edge, but Sylvain would kind of bring you back down but still throw you off into another world. Everything about the Dolls was just so effortlessly slick and a masterpiece every single time.

Subway Train is my favourite song by the Dolls- I love the sorrow in the song, I love the honesty and the lyrics are just so gorgeous. They just hit you right in the soul, and for me, just sums up the genius of the band. Sylvain’s solo work and other projects are equally as vital as his time with the Dolls. Everything he did just showed us how remarkable he was. From interviews I’ve watched, you can just see that he was the sweetest guy ever, and lived for music. From watching videos of him playing the shit out of the guitar whilst wearing high heeled shoes, you can just see the passion in him for music. Although the New York Dolls were no more after 2011, knowing that we won’t see Sylvain anymore just really hurts. He had his Rampage of Songs page on Facebook where he would share the music he loved. It was such a beautiful way to see our hero interact with fans of all ages, and share all kinds of tunes. He loved music, and in return we just adored him.

Whatever I write about Sylvain will not do him justice. It won’t sum up just how remarkable he was, it won’t bring him back. The art he gave us will live forever; that’s the beauty of music. It will outlive us all, and in 20, 30 years’ time- maybe some kid will hear Lonely Planet Boy or Trash for the first time, and create their own noise. Maybe they’ll study Sylvain’s way of playing, his lyrics, his vocals and will just be utterly inspired to make something of their own. If we hold onto that, then maybe the loss won’t hurt as much in time. For now, it will hurt. I’m absolutely gutted, and feel so heartbroken about this. New York Dolls were one of the first bands I remember hearing. They were a band I could speak to my mum, my uncle, my girlfriend about for hours on end- because they love them just as much. Music goes beyond being just music. It is something that becomes your world.

Safe trip Sylvain, and thank you x

MAD DADDY.

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A few weeks or so I wrote about a band from the Isle of Man called Voodoo Bandits. As I am missing home, my family and friends- I thought I’d make myself even more homesick by writing about THE coolest band on the Isle of Man. They’re called Mad Daddy. Fun fact- the singer is the brother of my best pal’s partner. Small world? Oh you have no idea!

In May, Mad Daddy released their 3rd EP. I was going to just focus on that, but when the music is this good you cannot ignore the greatness at all. If you’re looking for some straight up Rock’n’Roll with that filthy style that The Cramps had- then you’re going to love Mad Daddy. There aren’t many bands around that sound like this now- a lot have come and gone. Left their mark and that’s it. With Mad Daddy, you can hear something else. You feel like you’re in Nashville in the 60s- not the Isle of Man at all!

They released 2 EPs back in 2018, and let me tell you, you’ll be wanting more and more after listening to EP #3. As you go back and listen to their previous releases, you can definitely hear a band that has been influenced by so many bands but have most certainly created something of their own and done the Isle of Man so proud. EP #1 has all the makings of a great band, and by the time we get to EP #2 you know full well that this band isn’t to be messed with at all. The passion is infectious, and it makes you want to dig out some old records too and just have a great old time. They’ve had a bit of a lineup change over the past couple of years, with Matt Twist now as the drummer (he’s a BEAST!) but regardless of who is in the band, you simply cannot deny how tight the sound is and how perfect every damn song is.

I know they’ve probably been compared to The Cramps a stupid amount of times, but to be honest with you, it isn’t a lazy comparison at all. You can hear in Dolyn’s vocals that Lux has played a huge part in his style but by no means does it come across as a replica. What you hear is someone who has been influenced by the greatest band of all time, then gone on to create their own band, with their own style. Pretty sure if Lux was around still he’d love them. How could you not! Songs like One More Time (taken from EP #2) have that signature harmonica sound that makes you feel like a train is about to steamroll into your body then catapult you into the delirious and magical world of Mad Daddy. For me, their first 2 EPs are a solid way of showing the world what Mad Daddy can do but it’s EP #3 that shows us exactly who they are and again, makes you want to hear more and more from them. 

EP #2 has a more Blues feel to it, a little like EP #1 but I’m all about EP #3 because it has a more raw sound to it. Everything about EP #3 is tougher and has way more attitude. It has more of a Punk feel to it, and you’ve just to keep on hitting the repeat button on these songs! The coolest thing about EP #1 and #2 is that they were recorded live at one of the most sacred places on the Isle Of Man- Ballagroove Recording Studios (I think my uncle has  recorded there too with his band/bands.) Knowing they were recorded in this way makes you feel even more so that you’re right there in the room with them. The atmosphere on all 3 EPs is electric and just a real pleasure to listen to.

To sum up, Mad Daddy are one of the coolest bands around and their current lineup is super strong. I’m sure whatever comes next after EP #3 (maybe a full record? World tour? A national holiday named after them?) it’s going to blow us all away. Mad Daddy are a bunch of pals making straight up Punk/Rock ‘n’ Roll music to obliterate your eardrums in the most beautiful way imaginable. So if you like your music fast and like a Glaswegian kiss to the soul, then Mad Daddy are the band for you.

https://maddaddy.bandcamp.com

L.A. WITCH: Play With Fire.

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Play With Fire | L.A. WITCH

One of the few things I’ve been super excited about is the brand new record by the finest band from L.A. A band who I have been obsessed with, in love with since the very start. A band who perfectly capture everything I love and want from music. A band that have been the soundtrack to my days- good and bad. A band that are just the coolest. A band that everyone should fall in love with.

This Friday, L.A. Witch’s second record, Play With Fire will finally be released. I’ve had a copy for a couple of months, and I’ve been dying to write about this record. Now I can finally do it, I’m not sure if my words will make sense but hopefully you will be able to make sense of my love for the record and get yourself a copy on Friday.

The record opens with the tougher than leather anthem, Fire Starter. It perfectly sets the mood for this record. It’s a record that you can imagine listening to whilst on the open road, the wind blowing in your face and slowly, every worry you carry is falling away from you. This follows right into the anthemic Motorcycle Boy- which is beautiful ode to a loved one in a way that only L.A. Witch can do. There is no room for comparisons here- whether it be to other bands or to their debut record. Play With Fire is the record of the year; that’s all you need to know.

Sade, Irita and Ellie have hugely excelled themselves on this record and have given us that holy water we desperately need to cleanse our mind, body and soul right now. The record is a masterpiece, and everything about it just oozes something so raw, so cool- it’s such an exciting record and they have truly gone above what we thought we were going to get on this record. Forget what you’d previously heard- Play With Fire is where it is at.

Dark Horse is a song I really need to praise. I know I said NO comparisons, but this song gives me serious Jim Morrison vibes. The poetry in the words, the way Sade’s vocals on this are just unreal. On some songs her vocals are distorted, but here we can really hear how strong her voice is. It also shows us how Ellie and Irita have tightened their sound, and along with Sade’s guitar- it’s just the perfect song. If you want a song that shows you how far the band have come and how they have perfected their art once more, then this is the song. Easily.

You know when you hear a record, and you just imagine how it will sound live? That’s what L.A. Witch give you here, and more. I’m not talking dingy and sweaty basement bars here- I’m talking big stadiums where the front row is made up of kids who will cite it as their first show, then go on to form their own bands and change the world. That’s how great this record is. The riff on I Wanna Lose blows my mind every single time, and with Ellie’s drumming and how Irita brings this urgency with the bass, and you’ve got Sade unleashing hell with her guitar- come on! What more could you ever need?

Play With Fire is the record we all need right now, and for eternity. It’s got this seedy road trip feel to it, it makes you feel like you’ve tripped up into an underworld that no one else has discovered yet. You also feel like you’ve joined a cult and L.A. Witch are now your guides. Do what they say, and you’ll be fine. The attitude on this record is on point, songs like Sexorexia (please god make this a single!) is empowering. It’s tough and my god Sade’s vocals will give you goose bumps and make you feel like you’ve found your own nirvana. It is INCREDIBLE. There’s something about this record that feels nostalgic but also unheard of. It is a proper magical record, and every single song on this record will take you over completely. Every single song deserves its place here, and the way the songs are placed is perfect. Listen to it in order first, then do whatever you want with it. Play each song 5 times before the next if that’s what you want to do. Blast it as loudly as you can. Knock on your neighbour’s door to tell them how great it is! Tell anyone who will listen that THIS is the record of the year. Play With Fire is one of those records that we will be talking about in years to come- it’s got a timeless feel to it, and it’s unlike anything you will have heard before. It is a truly mind-blowing listen from start to finish. If you want songs to waste away the day to, to escape to or to even heal parts of you- LA. Witch have got you covered, always.

The record feels like the best acid trip imaginable (I’ve never done drugs, but I’d imagine this record is how it feels.) You are taken into a different world, and what I adore about Play With Fire is that is stands for something. It’s a courageous record, and it gives you something to believe in; and it makes you feel like an outlaw on the run whilst listening to it. This record could easily be the soundtrack to a film, and I hope one day L.A. Witch create the soundtrack for a film because it would just be insane! For me this record fully justifies why I adore the band so much. Ellie is the best drummer around. Irita is the best bassist you’ll hear and Sade is ferocious on guitar, and her vocals are just as powerful. L.A. Witch are a band that are going to get better and better with everything they do- that’s obvious.

I’ll wrap this up with a quote from Sade about the record: “Play With Fire is a suggestion to make things happen. Don’t fear mistakes or the future. Take a chance. Say and do what you really feel, even if nobody agrees with your ideas. These are feelings that have stopped me in the past. I want to inspire others to be freethinkers even if it causes a little burn.”

Play With Fire is out this Friday via Suicide Squeeze Records.

THEE WINDOM EARLES: Mai Tai Pink Eye.

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If you’re looking for something extra creepy, and extra trashy- then you’ve GOT to listen to Manchester’s finest Thee Windom Earles. They are a fascinating band that make you feel like you’ve stepped into some weird Horror B-Movie. They are off the wall, in your face and just brilliant. Think along the lines of Captain Beefheart and The Cramps, then you’ll get it.

 Where do you begin with a band like this? I know nothing about them, all I know is that they are from the greatest city in the world (Manchester) and they make the kind of music that would even move us fellow introverts. They’ve got a really cool style, and this Psychobilly sound is just exceptional. You cannot help but move when you listen to them, and you cannot help but play their music super loud.

 Their debut record, Mai Tai Pink Eye came out in February this year. I know, I’m late with this one. But it’s such a great record. You don’t feel like you’re listening to a band from 2019. There is something nostalgic about this record- they’ve got every essence of The Cramps, but they don’t do it in a rip-off style at all. They take this creepy Rock ‘n’ Roll sound and make it theirs. If The Cramps came from Manchester, they’d probably sound like this. Songs like Sex Pizzeria are MADE to be played super loud and Oom Sha Cha too. Just play the whole record loud at least 5 times a day. You’ll feel better for it.

 

 

 

Mai Tai Pink Eye is not only probably the best name for a record you’ll hear this year, but it’s also got a such a tight sound. The production is flawless, and the sound is beautifully unruly. It is the best form of chaos possible- it’s basically a band making a lot of noise and having a great time doing so. I’m having a great time listening to it! It is such a thrilling record. Bands like Thee Windom Earles and Night Shades who are making their own style of Rock ‘n’ Roll right now; I’d love to see both play a show together. It would be insane. To hear a sound so refreshing on this record just makes you fall in love with music over and over again. Songs like Lunchtime Munchtime and Freight Elevator are just these incredible pieces of real Rock music. There’s the Garage Rock thrown in, there’s the effortlessly cool and weird style that lures you in. The vocals are delivered with this infectious energy that is happening throughout the whole record. I cannot praise this monster of a record enough! You cannot help but play every single song to death. It’s only 9 tracks long, but those tracks are enough to have you hooked in every single way. You’ll be having dreams about this record.

 Lick The Flipper has this awesome Surf Rock feel to it, but it also has something a little eerie/sinister about it. I just love how the band mess with your head. The only thing that’s consistent is how brilliant they are- everything else is a pleasant surprise. You just have no idea how the next song is going to hit you. I think this is the song I’m obsessed with the most (for now) it’s definitely a stand-out song on this record, but truth be told, the whole record is an underrated masterpiece. Manchester is truly home to some amazing musicians and bands- Thee Windom Earles absolutely back this notion up for sure.

 When you listen to this record you cannot help but let it take over your soul. You feel like it has corrupted you in the best way, and all good music makes you feel this way somehow. Imagine being about 14/15 years old, and finding a band like Thee Windom Earles and just letting this sound blow your mind, and you end up starting your own band? That’d be so cool. Instead, as a 32 year old, I’m just in awe of the band and I’m so glad they exist. I’m so glad I found them. Just when I think I couldn’t love this city even more, something like this happens! I think it is safe to say that Mai Tai Pink Eye is probably the year’s most underrated record. It’s got everything you could possibly want from a pure Rock ‘n’ Roll record.

 

 

 

So, there you have it- if you’re looking for something to shake them bones of yours or to just blow your mind, Thee Windom Earles are 100% the band for you. Let them take you on a weird trip- it’s on you if you come back down to earth or not.

SHEER MAG: A Distant Call.

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If you’ve never listened to Sheer Mag before, then where have you been? Start wherever you want in their discography, but please PLEASE get your hands on their new record A Distant Call immediately because it is the purest Rock ‘n’ Roll record you’ll hear all year. It’s got that 70s Glam Rock feel to it- it’s basically like the New York Dolls but with the absolute heaviness of Motorhead. Tina has the most powerful voice you’ll ever hear. No one else has this utter power she posses in her voice, and it’s the kind of voice that just makes you stop you in your tracks.

Her vocals on A Distant Call are better than ever, and she truly gives it to you on the opener Steel Sharpens Steel. I hope that they open their shows with this because it has got this energy to it that just makes you want to go completely nuts. There are two bands that have this immediate energy to them right not- Sheer Mag and Amyl and The Sniffers. These bands have a raw and unapologetic sound, and the heaviness and strength in their sound and vocals just makes you not want to listen to anything else but them. When listening to this record, it is so important to pay close attention to the lyrics. They are heartbreaking, but also give you comfort. It’s a record made up of loss and strength, and how it can shape you in whatever way you wish. Sometimes though, you have no control over it. A Distant Call came out the day my Grandma died; it’s taken me a month to properly listen to this record and there are some lyrics on this record that hit really hard. It is truly a powerful record, and one to really cling to.

 

 

A Distant Call is of course Sheer Mag’s best record to date, and I’m likely to say this with every record they do. I love how their songs sound like they could be in some off the wall 80s teen film (Dacre Montgomery can be the lead as the rebel who just fucks shit up beautifully, you’re welcome.) Tina’s vocals give you this solid reassurance, that you feel like someone has your back and can voice those feelings you can’t quite shake- Blood From A Stone is a prime example of this. What they did in 2017 with Need To Feel Your Love, they have evidently done again with A Distant Call. They’ve given us songs to just lose our shit to, and to just have a great time listening to. I’ve never seen Sheer Mag live but I can honestly say that their songs are made to be witnessed live. They’ve clearly got that about them, and I cannot help but be in awe of that. I love the vulnerability in the lyrics, and I love how the heaviness of the music compliments it so well. You can’t help but feel these songs were made for you. Be the loner, be on the outside, be whatever you want- Sheer Mag will guide you.

This record is made up of 10 songs that flow so perfectly into each other. In half an hour, Sheer Mag take you on several journeys. Part of you feels like you’re an outcast at a school prom which then transforms into a total badass who has stopped giving a fuck about what anyone thinks. There is so much growth in this record, and if you listen to their two records, one after another you will truly hear how much they have grown and how they aren’t afraid to push themselves. By pushing themselves they have really created one of the strongest records of the year, by far.

Hardly To Blame is my favourite right now but I’ll probably change my mind because this record is way too perfect to have one cemented favourite. I think with A Distant Call you immediately do fall in love with it but, it is so important to just listen to it over and over to pick up on different moments on the songs to fall in love with. The guitars on this record are something else, and tower right above Need To Feel Your Love. The growth is just beautiful, and you really cannot help but be proud of what they have done on this record. Cold Sword is a song that you know is going to be a real delight when/if they do it live. I love how Tina delivers her vocals on this, but everything on this song is so complimentary. I know that Cold Sword will be one I end up going back to and obsessively playing over and over. Also, you’ve GOT to get obsessed with The Right Stuff. Play it through headphones, and take in how amazing Kyle, Hart and Matt are on this. They give the listener everything you’d want from a piece of music, and Tina’s vocals are tougher than ever on this. Again, this is one I’d love to see live. It’s a masterpiece.

 

 

A Distant Call will make you feel like the toughest person out there. Put on your boots and go cause some trouble. It’s a record that has some gorgeous moments and it is just such a rowdy record that you need to play loud and often. Chopping Block is the one you need to turn up a little louder than the others- take in the heaviness of the vocals and guitar on this one, then let every other element in this song take you over. It is phenomenal. Sheer Mag ARE phenomenal, and this record justifies this 100%.

 

BIKES: s/t III

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About three years ago I wrote about BIKES. I went on about how I love their rugged Garage Rock sound, and how they just moved me with their sound. A few years later, I’m happy to be writing about their new (okay, it came out in April…) record. A record that is effortlessly cool, and firmly cements my love for this exceptional Berlin band. This record is not short of powerful and raucous moments that you just cannot get enough of.

Ten songs make up this record, and it just below the half hour mark. But  as someone with a bit of a crappy attention span- it works just fine! Sure I want the record to go on forever, but what they’ve created with this record is something that you have on repeat all the time. I adore everything they offer up on this record. I love how the sound is slightly more refined now, but at the same time it is still raw.

 

 

With no apologies (and why should they anyway!?) BIKES give you songs that hit you in the gut. There’s something about this record that has more boldness to it, and the song Friday Night was made to be played whilst alone, and bored. Just to get some feeling out, you know? It’s got a bit of a Bluesy feel to it, and I really love how they’ve taken this early sound that The Rolling Stones had, but dug really deep into the lyrics with it. It’s one of my favourites on the record and will probably be the one I gravitate to the most.

Something else I love about this record is that it has been put out via Alien Snatch!Records. They’re the best at what they do, so it is no surprise that they got their hands on this record and put it out. It’s the label that will cause me to be endlessly broke, but it’s fine! This is the kind of record that ruin your speakers to. You can’t help but play it super loud, that’s the only way to listen to a band like BIKES. You’ve just got to really push yourself with how loud you (and your neighbours) hear this record. It’s a wild record, and these songs are just a glimpse into how phenomenal the band are. Go back and listen to their records, and you’ll hear that this is a band that are focused and aren’t afraid to push themselves, and their fans/anyone who listens to this record.

There’s a relaxed feel to this record, and it kind of makes you feel that the best way to play this is without anyone else around you. Sometimes you need that, and records like this are perfect to do it to. All you can do is play it loud and sing along as loud as you can. All the best records make you feel this way, and BIKES most certainly give you that feeling.

This record has hints of The Gruesomes and The Rolling Stones in it, and that’s nothing short of an excellent mix. There’s a real Rock ‘n’ Roll feel, and the rawness of Garage Rock. Everything I adore about music is in this record, and in BIKES. They are a band that once you listen to, you’re just hooked for eternity.

If the inside of your head feels like a warzone at times, then this record will soothe it slightly. Or that’s just my personal take. I could have this record on repeat and feel alright, which is strange but always needed.

 

 

This is definitely one of the best records we’ll hear this year; it’s got everything you could possibly want from a record. And if you’re someone who likes the odd catchy bop or two, then you’ll find them for sure on this record.

Play it loud, block out everything around you and maybe, play it a little louder.

PS: Can someone PLEASE book these guys on a UK tour (specifically Manchester)

 

LOVERS CLUB: Empty Ballroom Blues

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One of the most exciting bands to emerge from London, Lovers Club has just released their phenomenal EP Empty Ballroom Blues. It excels everything they have done to date, and it truly shows how great they are and undoubtedly, 2018 will be their year.

There is only one criticism of the EP-it’s not long enough. I want, I need more songs. This is a band that leaves you needing more. The need is greater than the want here. Everyone seems to follow certain “buzz” bands without giving a thought to those who are making something worth listening to. Lovers Club are that band. They are massively underrated and effortlessly cool. Alec’s vocals are nothing short of eerie and gripping. They make you feel like you are being chased down a dark alleyway with no hope of survival. They fill you with this dark excitement that takes you back to hearing The Cramps and The Mummies for the first time. That might just be me, but it’s alright. Lovers Club have this sound that makes you just want to totally immerse yourself in all that they do and hope they never ever call it quits. It’s a beautifully creepy sound that takes you over in the best way imaginable.

The opener, Empty Ballroom Blues truly sets the tone for the EP. It has this grand sound to it that is found in bands that have been at it for decades, but Lovers Club have this magnetic confidence in their sound that just makes you feel and believe that this is a band who have been around for decades. It’s a proper established and powerful sound that as I’ve said, just leaves you wanting more. Needing more. Alec’s guitar skills remind you of part Poison Ivy and part Johnny Thunders. The band has this raw Rock N Roll feel to their sound that is lacking in music right now. Are they are saviours? If you want them to be.

The Barge is just under 2 minutes and again, it isn’t enough. But it is taster of what Lovers Club is capable of and what is to come. It feels completely right to just keep on hitting repeat with this EP. Nothing can touch it. I truly feel that this is going to be one of my favourite things I hear all year, and will most definitely be one of my most played. The Barge has this brilliant distorted sound to it. It feels like it could have been in a Vincent Price film- it’s got this brutality to it that comes through effortlessly in Alec’s voice. Everything about this song just goes so well together. When the chorus kicks in, you can really hear just how great Alec, Oliver and Matt are. Towards the end the song has this energy to it that makes you think it’ll go on forever. It makes you want it to go on forever. Then it ends making room for the closer, Dark Country.

Dark Country is a heavy song. It carries something quite sinister to it, and I think that’s why I really love this one. I love the whole EP but Dark Country has this really heavy feel to it which just oozes a shade of evilness that makes you want to be part of it all. The whole EP feels as if it was made for a Horror film. The atmosphere they create in their music is something which I absolutely adore, and I really cannot wait to see and hear what they do this year because they really are the best new band around. Sure it is a biased opinion, but I’m not going to waste anyone’s time by writing in a negative manner. That’s just pointless. I love finding new bands and writing about how much I love their music, and how exciting they are. Lovers Club are one of those bands that make me want to keep writing about music- and recently that love has been fading. It’s back again. I think. I hope.

Anyway, you can buy/listen to the EP right here: https://loversclub.bandcamp.com/album/empty-ballroom-blues-ep

They are playing a few dates in London over the next couple of months at:

23rd February- The Black Heart

1st March- The Lock Tavern

See you at the front!