Archive for the ‘CLASSIC ALBUMS’ Category

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Talk about turning a negative into a positive. When in 2012 David Le’aupepe’s then-wife received the news that the cancer she’d beaten into remission had returned, the singer turned to music as a coping mechanism. Enlisting the help of his best friends, he started writing and recording songs, some of which would end up on Gang of Youths’ debut album, The Positions. At times heartbreaking (“Knuckles White Dry”), at points uplifting (“Magnolia”, easily the most upbeat song you’ll hear about a near-suicide attempt), and always affecting, its 10 songs heralded the arrival of a songwriter who could distil love, hate, life, pain, heartache and joy into a song, and with him a band capable of bringing that vision to life in incendiary fashion. Together they took an album cloaked by the spectre of death and turned it into a celebration of life.

Cleverly contrasting the sarcastic social media presence of frontman and founding member David Le’aupepe, Gang Of Youths debut full-length The Positions is a deadly serious affair, brimming with the pure honesty and emotional weight behind Le’aupepe’s rollercoaster of a relationship with a girl diagnosed with terminal cancer.

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Whether it’s the brief but eclectic synth leads of ‘Restraint & Release’ or the subtle orchestral elements of ‘Kansas’, each of the album’s ten tracks bring forth something that make it stand out, all of which are only further accentuated by Le’aupepe’s gloriously diverse vocal range and attention to detail. The Positions is one of the most promising debuts to come out of Australia in a while; not only does each song drive such melody and emotion, but also the dedication and raw talent is simply undeniable

There’s not enough English lo-fi twee pop out there anymore. This Newcastle, U.K.-based duo’s release includes romance, politics and the politics of romance, all with drums, guitar and boy/girl back-and-forth vocals. Songs like “Heterosexuality is a Construct” use a Billy Bragg-like electric guitar plaintiveness. “Girl in Brackets” is the story of trying to figure out what you call that person you’re sleeping with. This album is for the pop-punk anglophile in you

Milky Wimpshake return with a brand new album of melodic punk indie-pop, splattered with Pete Dale’s wry lyrics and simple, direct guitar riffs. The album features several duets with Sophie Evans, who sings on over half the songs, adding both a sweetness and a sassyness to their sound. These duets show different sides to relationships from shyness to bickering and from lust to indifference.

The album also sees a return to “political” (as opposed to purely romantic) concerns on songs like ‘Le Revolution Politique’ – Pete’s first ever song written in French, calling for political revolution, ‘Coming Soon’ – a hymn to the messianic arrival of anarcho-socialist revolution, proposing that there can be no war but the class war, and the cover of Onsind (featuring members of Martha)’s ‘Heterosexuality is a Construct’. As Pete explains: “The song is pretty unambiguous: love is not a crime and homophobia should never be tolerated. Ever.”

The album title Encore, Un Effort! is an old Marxist slogan popular in France and used by, for example, Situationist René Viénet in his 1977 film Chinois, Encore Un Effort Pour Etre Révolutionnaires (One More Effort, Chinese, If You Want to be Revolutionaries). To some extent, though, the ‘encore’ is Milky Wimpshake’s: who would have thought they would still be going some twenty odd years since the first tape and 7” singles? This LP is an added extra for the die-hards who’ve stuck with the band – or, continuing with our french, a port manteaux for those who have never come across the band before.

Milky Wimpshake were formed by Pete in 1993 with Christine Rowe joining the band on bass in early 1994. A number of drummers have appeared over the course of half a dozen LPs, but the latest drummer Mike Walsh will hopefully be a permanent addition. The newest member of the band, Sophie Evans, wasn’t even born when the band played their first gig but she is not the only one who has grown up coming to Milky Wimpshake shows: the band has a small but enthusiastic cult following.

The band have now been recording for Fortuna POP! for 15 years and they love the label more and more as the years pass: Pete recently declared that “Fortuna POP! is the best label in the UK, bar none!” and went on to say; “it is obvious that the likes of Spook School, Martha and Joanna Gruesome are amazing, thus it is an honour for the band to stay on Fortuna POP!”

To which we say, nous vous aimons trop Milky Wimpshake!

Frampton Comes Alive!

40 years ago today, Peter Frampton released “Frampton Comes Alive!” and it became the best-selling album of 1976.

The ’70s were the era of the live album. the ’70s were the live album’s golden age.

The gauntlet was thrown down in May 1970 by a pair of future live classics released only a week apart. The Who‘s Live at Leeds and the triple live album Woodstock soundtrack brought the show into kids’ bedrooms better than anything that had come before, and both were rewarded with stellar sales and critical praise. A format that was once reserved for contractual filler or stopgap releases was suddenly fashionable. Before the year ended, the Rolling Stones released “Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out!”; before the decade ended, we had live releases from the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Ted Nugent and Aerosmith. It was a status symbol, an indicator of commercial clout: The bigger you were, the more likely your discography sported a live album.

In the middle of the decade, another pair of live albums changed the paradigm. Both featured artists whose recording careers were floundering but who did well on the road. With one last chance to catch on with the record buying public. The first was the September 1975 release of Kiss Alive! Three months later (and also sporting an exclamation point), A&M Records released former Humble Pie guitarist Peter Frampton‘s concert masterpiece, “Frampton Comes Alive!”

Frampton was a prodigy who counted David Bowie among his childhood friends. By age 18 he’d already tasted success with the Herd and had formed Humble Pie with Steve Marriott . Together they would record four studio albums before jumping on the ’70s live LP bandwagon with another classic live album “Performance Rockin’ the Fillmore” at the end of 1971. It would be Humble Pie’s most successful album, but the band’s hotshot guitarist was gone before it was even released.

At the tender age of 21, Frampton had two successful bands in his rear-view mirror and a limitless road ahead of him. His first solo album, 1972’s Wind of Change, eschewed the muscular boogie of Humble Pie for a more acoustic, singer-songwriter vibe . Songs like the album’s title cut introduced the new, mellow Frampton while “It’s a Plain Shame” and a cover of the Stones’ “Jumpin’ Jump Flash” seemed tailored for his established fan base. In other words, the album was neither fish nor fowl, and sales were disappointing.

Jack White to Release Live Albums From His '90s Detroit Bands

Jack White is set to Release Live Albums From His ’90s Detroit Bands
Live performances recorded in 1998 and 1999 from Two Star Tabernacle, the Go, and Jack White and the Bricks
Its all in the latest installment of Third Man’s Vault subscription series is centered around live performances from three of Jack White’s early bands: Two Star Tabernacle, The Go, and Jack White and the Bricks. The performances, which are contained on three LPs, were recorded at Detroit’s Gold Dollar venue in 1998 and 1999.

Above, you can listen to three snippets taken from the release.
All of the performances feature songs written by White. The Two Star Tabernacle LP includes early versions of the White Stripes’ “Hotel Yorba” and “Now Mary,” while the Jack White and the Bricks LP includes versions of the White Stripes’ “Dead Leaves & The Dirty Ground,” “Candy Cane Children,” and “You’ve Got Her in Your Pocket.” The LPs also come with reproductions of flyers, setlists, and more.
The Vault package will also include the Dead Weather’s “Let Me Through” b/w “Be Still” 7″, as well as a “Third Man Records Challenge Coin,” which gives its bearer 10% off any purchase made at the label’s Nashville or Detroit stores in 2016. It also works as a large hole 45 adaptor for a record player.

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It’s never a dull day at the Jack White news desk, even as the musician himself appears to be on hiatus following his lengthy Lazaretto world tour and the release of The Dead Weather’s Dodge and Burn. Today, Third Man Records has detailed the latest package for members of its Vault subscription service, and included is music from two of White’s very early bands.

Two Star Tabernacle was White’s short-lived punk rock band with Dan John Miller, who later formed the band Blanche. Several of the songs White originally wrote for Two Star were later altered and recorded for The White Stripes’ third album White Blood Cells, specifically “Hotel Yorba” and “Now Mary”. The Vault package offers a live recording of Two Star from January 16th, 1998, featuring “twangier older siblings” of these two songs, as well as an unreleased track called “Itchy”.

Less than a year later, White played a handful of shows fronting a band called The Bricks, which featured his future Raconteurs bandmate Brendan Benson. This recording, which has been enchased from the original multitrack masters, features early versions of White Stripes songs like “Candy Cane Children” and “You Got Her in Your Pocket” along with an unreleased track called “One and Two”.

Each of these gold LPs come in their own custom stylized jacket and are housed in a soft touch telescoping box highlighting the Gold Dollar, the Detroit music venue where all three performances took place. The box is filled with facsimile reproductions of setlists, flyers, band ephemera, and more.

Additionally, the forthcoming Vault package includes a yellow and black 7-inch of The Dead Weather’s Dodge and Burn tracks, “Let Me Through” and “Be Still”.

Those interested in obtaining this package can sign up for Third Man’s Vault here.

G.L.O.S.S.

When an “alternative” genre gets storied and historied to the extent that hardcore punk has, it starts to get difficult to weed through imitators or impressionists to find the real thing. But G.L.O.S.S. (Girls Living Outside Society’s Shit) are the real deal. In less than nine minutes, their demo rips through five lo-fi d-beat anthems seeping with palpable, contagious fury. This demo’s simple formula and rage-filled execution make it one of the most memorable and relevant punk records of the year, with a focus on capturing the energy and ambiance of the group’s live set (which, I assure you, is quite fucking fantastic). And all this rowdy fun goes to serve a much higher purpose—taking down the patriarchy one jabbing lyric at a time.

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The introductory demo by Girls Living Outside Society’s Shit might be the finest hardcore record to come out this year, and the leadoff track makes vocalist and transwoman Sadie Switchblade’s intentions pretty clear: “Now they tell us we aren’t girls, our femininity doesn’t fit. We’re fucking future girls, living outside of society’s shit.”

COREY – DRUMS JULAYA – BASS SADIE – VOCALS TANNRR – GUITAR JAKE – GUITAR

 

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In addition to contributing his own brand of Southern grit to indie rock collective Dead Confederate and lo-fi glitz to side project Diamond Rugs, T. Hardy Morris has been busy crafting a solo catalog. Hardy & the Hardknocks: “Drownin’ On a Mountaintop” represents his most recent work to date. Backed by the aptly named Hardknocks, Athens, Georgia-based Morris delivers a collection that includes slow-simmering, cinematic ballads (“Just Like the Movies”) as well as ramshackle CBGB-era rockers (“My Me”) and Dixie-fried garage tunes (“Starting Gun”). Here, Morris conjures sonic visions of Marc Bolan fronting the Flying Burrito Brothers. Drownin’ On a Mountaintop explores how it feels to be an “old soul” trapped in a society obsessed with youth (“Young Assumption”). Mountaintop is alternately a Saturday night party record and a Sunday morning dirge

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The Smash Hits EP, which features six songs that clock in at 13 minutes, is all killer and no filler. Bay Area-based singer-guitarist Tim Brown and bassist Donna McKean offer a passing nod or two to Guided By Voices, and blast away with their edgy, sweet power-pop, punctuated by grins and sneers. This EP hits overdrive from the first note and doesn’t let up until the last

Lunchbox’s comeback album, “Lunchbox Loves You”, was very highly praised when it came out last year, and now we’re pleased to present an EP of six new songs! Taking their special brand of bubblegum pop a step further, these songs have a bit of a punkier edge, sounding a bit like Boyracer, classic Beatnik Filmstars or our beloved Faintest Ideas. In just over 13 minutes, these songs speed by, leaving behind a trail of memorable melodies and hummable hooks! You can either call this a really long EP or a really short LP, but irregardless, this is a very strong batch of songs from one of the best noise-pop bands around today!

Lunchbox - Lunchbox Loves You cd/lp

Same again for Pittsburgh synth, bass and drums horror-blizcore duo Steve Moore and Anthony Paterra and quite frankly we can’t get enough of it. Compulsive, thrilling and despite it’s barbarity it’s an infectious listen.

After the lengthy break that followed the band’s beloved last album ‘Escape Velocity’, 2015 sees Zombi ready to reclaim their rightful role as space-rock overlords with their sixth full-length ‘Shape Shift’. The album was self-produced by the band and recorded at Machine Age Studios in Pittsburgh, PA and Steve Moore’s private studio in central New York. Darker, heavier and more dynamic than their more recent works, Shape Shift sees the duo in “live band” mode, a fitting return to their roots after their successful North American tour with the legendary Goblin in 2013 and a triumphant headlining appearance at the prestigious Roadburn Festival in April, 2015. Whether you’re an adventurous listener or die-hard fan, delving into the latest chapter of Zombi’s expansive and ever-progressive oeuvre will never disappoint.

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It’s incredibly rare to find an album where you can say there’s not a bad song on it. Well, All We Are have accomplished this and made it sound effortless. The amalgamation of backgrounds and influences of the three musicians results in numerous highlights; the goose-bump-inducing sign off to Keep Me Alive, the slick bass riff on Utmost Good, and the simplistic beauty of Something About You which epitomised their set on the main stage at Liverpool Sound City are just a handful.

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 A sign of how remarkable the album is lies in the fact that we’re unable to put our finger on a favourite track – this prestigious title has changed hands at least half a dozen times. Single Honey is a pretty good starting point for newcomers but on an album rife with high points it’s best to digest it all in one hugely palatable portion.

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Straddling the commercial comfort-zone and progressive out-rock world, Aussie’s Holy Holy are another of the year’s awesome breakout bands – a big stand out at Sound City and Liverpool Music Week there’s much more to come from this lot. Any discerning Floyd fan should immediately seek out You Cannot Call For Love Like A Dog and bask in that riff.

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Holy Holy is a musical project that brings together two composers from two different cities: award-winning singer/songwriter Timothy Carroll from Brisbane and guitarist/composer Oscar Dawson from Melbourne. The pair crafted their debut EP while living in Stockholm and Berlin in 2011, demoing tracks in the apartments, stairwells and snow covered studios of those two great cities. The pair have since returned to Australia and have been recording with reclusive producer and collaborator Matt Redlich (Emma Louise, The Trouble With Templeton, Ball Park Music). The band released “The Pacific EP” in Australia in 2014 and in the UK/EU in May 2015, which features singles “Impossible Like You” & “House Of Cards”, Their most recent single “History” shot straight to #2 most played song on Hype Machine,

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