Month: January 2014

Booze & Glory – As Bold As Brass

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© 2014 Sailor’s Grave Records

[rating:8/10]

booze_and_gloryFresh off the presses! (as of 01/28/2014) “As Bold As Brass”, the brand new LP from London’s hard working Oi! band Booze & Glory. It’s a rollicking and rowdy one indeed and sure to be a hit with all you street punks and Oi! fans out there. To be honest, this is my first listen to the band, but I like what I’ve heard thus far.

Seriously though, as fans of Oi! and street punk know, any self-respecting band of the genre is going to have driving rhythms, blue collar themes, a whole lot of loyalty to friends and fans, and of course, choruses that are chock full of, “Oi! Oi! Oi!”. “As Bold As Brass” doesn’t disappoint in that department at all.

The songs are solid and well played. This is a band that, while admittedly crafts simple, straight-forward songs, does what they do well. You know what? There’s nothing in the world wrong with that. I like my rock and roll to have a little bit of street edge and a chorus that I can scream along with at the top of my lungs to the point where the next day I’m so hoarse that you can barely understand a word that I’m saying. That’s what the fun’s all about, isn’t it?

Speaking of “about”, as a sidebar, the band’s vocals and syncopation reminds me subtly of Scottish/Canadian punk rockers the Real McKenzies. Odd perhaps, but I guess not entirely out of the vein. At any rate, this an album worth checking out for fans of both Oi! and punk rock.

Cheers!
Jerry Actually

Tracks:
1. Off We Go!
2. Leave The Kids Alone
3. Down and Out
4. Waiting For Tomorrow
5. One of Them
6. Julie
7. Only Fools Get Caught
8. Sick of You
9. Farewell Goodbye
10. I Hope You Still Remember
11. Cock & Bull Story
12. We’ll Stick Together
13. Always on the Wrong Side (Bonus Acoustic Track)

Booze & Glory – Only Fools Get Caught

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[youtube 6HtoYVkbQks]

BOOZE & GLORY suffer no curiosity towards anything but their tried and true brand of hook-laden, red-brick sidewalk stompin’, Skinhead Oi! Rock ‘N’ Roll. They have no interest in detouring into awkward metal riffs, compromising mainstream tendencies or any other fraudulent leanings.  BOOZE & GLORY stick to who they are, what they know, and what they love — working class Oi!
They herald their love of their favorite football team, West Ham United. They recant the tales of pub sessions with good friends and cold booze and the struggles of being a drinking man on a workingman’s wage. And they tell the stories of friends gone wrong and life gone astray. Influenced by their English forefathers such as The Cockney Rejects, The Business and the 4-Skins, BOOZE & GLORY are poised to charge forward hard and far as the primary contemporary carriers of the British Oi! torch.
Follow BOOZE & GLORY for upcoming news and information at http://boozeandglory.com.

 

Gold Daggers

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[rating:8.5/10]

gold_daggersHere’s an interesting one. Gold Daggers are a two piece self-described “alternative/punk/shred” band from Los Angeles, CA. The new self-titled release is largely as described: “drums, bass, and yelling, which is rad.”

I’ve got to tell ya, I was both concerned and intrigued by the description. I’m glad I took the chance to give it a listen. The combination of sludging distorted bass and frenzied drums really works. I’m also happy to report that despite the description, there yelling isn’t omnipresent. The band mentions Fugazi, Deftones, Mastodon, Black Flag and Retox as references, but at the moment, I’m really thinking a more punkish Sonic Youth (with considerably less Kim Gordon), Helmet, and definitely some Motorhead bass influence.

Sometimes working with a minimal palette yields incredible results. By forcing the medium, the overly derivative and trite can sometimes be overcome. Not to gloss over things, but I’m writing this as I listen, and trying to play catch up (as always), so I’ll keep it to this: Great stuff with a refreshingly different sonic profile. Bass heavy with some amount of yelling, albeit less yelling than anticipated.

Check out the new self-title release from Gold Daggers here: golddaggers.bandcamp.com

Looters – s/t 45

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(c) 2013 Full Tilt Recordings

lootersI’ve got my hot little hands on some new vinyl; the self-titled 45 from Brooklyn New York’s Looters. The band is a four piece consisting of Eliot Pride on guitar/vocals, Shane E. Kerton on drums/backing vocals, Gerard Smith on bass/backing vocals, and Dante Tuxedo on guitar. As mentioned, the band is outta Brooklyn NYC. The 45 showcases two tracks of Looters chops, with Fall Alone on the A-side and Looters on the flip.

The cuts on the record are very heavy rock influenced as much by punk as by 60s garage and 70s heavy metal. The 70s can be distinctly heard in both the bass lines and the guitar solos. Perhaps oddly, the vocals, at least in the way words are drawn out and certain line breaks, I find reminiscent of Danzig. Not the style/tone mind you, just a certain approach. Combined, it adds up to a pretty decent sound. It’s fresh and new. Not in a new car smell sort of way, but in a full on restoration way. New paint on old parts if you will.

If you’re interested, you can listed to seven full tracks on their Bandcamp site.

Cheers,

Jerry Actually

Tim Armstrong Solo Art Show in Los Angeles

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TIM ARMSTRONG PRESENTS FIRST EVER SOLO ART SHOW IN LOS ANGELES

Tim Armstrong: Avenues & Alleyways

Presented by SUBLIMINAL PROJECTS / Shepard Fairey

Opening Reception: Friday, January 24
Exhibition Dates: January 24 – February 22, 2014
Special live performance by Tim Timebomb & Friends on opening night

Tim Armstrong is having his first ever solo art show in Los Angeles at SUBLIMINAL PROJECTS, a gallery founded by Shepard Fairey and Blaze Blouin, January 24 – February 22, 2014. Opening night is January 24, and will feature a special live performance by Tim Timebomb & Friends.

SUBLIMINAL PROJECTS is proud to present Avenues & Alleyways, featuring never before seen artwork. The raw, hard-edged spontaneity in Armstrong’s art mirrors his approach to music making, exemplifying a “passion is more important than precision” aesthetic that speaks to the creative rebellion dwelling inside us all.

Avenues & Alleyways features drawings, paintings, watercolors, and mixed media works on found materials that have been collaboratively selected by Armstrong and Shepard Fairey. The range in medium, size, and subject matter provide a well-rounded presentation of Armstrong’s honest and unrefined artistic charm. The imagery includes figures in Armstrong’s life, tools of his trade, album covers for deceased musicians, and poetic ruminations scrawled across simple line drawings.

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