Pete Shelley, the lead singer of the English punk rock band Buzzcocks, has died, as BBC reports via the band’s management. Shelley reportedly died at age 63 of a suspected heart attack in Estonia, where he was living at the time. On 6th December 2018, Buzzcocks singer and songwriter Pete Shelley died at the age of 63.
The Buzzcocks were formed in Bolton, England, by singer/songwriter/guitarist Shelley and singer/songwriter Howard Devoto, after the two met at the Bolton Institute of Technology (now known as the University of Bolton) and traveled to London to see a Sex Pistols gig. Buzzcocks then debuted in 1976 and opened for the Sex Pistols in Manchester.
Buzzcocks released their first EP Spiral Scratch in 1977, and went on to record nine studio albums. Devoto then left Buzzcocks in 1977, and Shelley became the frontman. Their most recent album, The Way, was released in 2014. The band is known for hits such as “Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve)?” and “Why Can’t I Touch It?”
A re-issue of the Buzzcocks’ first two albums, Another Music In A Different Kitchen and Love Bites, is due for release on January. 25th, 2019.
The band’s Twitter account posted the following statement:
Pete’s music has inspired generations of musicians over a career that spanned five decades and with his band and as a solo artist, he was held in the highest regard by the music industry and by his fans around the world.
Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash had been circling each other for the better part of a decade before finally joining forces in the studio. The Man In Black had made the first move, writing the young troubadour a fan letter shortly after Dylan came on the scene in 1962. When they met in person at the Newport Folk Festival two years later, he gave Dylan one of his guitars as a sign of respect.
In February 1969, Dylan was in Cash’s hometown recording his ninth album, the country-imbued “Nashville Skyline”. By chance, JohnnyCash happened to be working in the studio next door. Dylan paid him a visit, and on February 17th and 18th, the pair recorded more than a dozen duets together. Of the bunch, only one of them – an update of the Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan track “Girl From the North Country” – made the finished album. The rest would languish in the tape vaults until being liberated by enterprising bootleggers.
The collection is a fascinating study of two musical heavyweights revisiting their respective legacies. Dylan’s “One Too Many Mornings” is given a run-through, as are Cash’s hits “I Walk the Line,” “Ring of Fire” and “Big River.” Early Sun Records tracks like “That’s All Right” and “Matchbox” are also dusted off, with Carl Perkins himself backing the men on guitar. Judged as a loose, informal meeting of two giants, it’s very pleasurable listening, though more for Cash’s contributions than Dylan’s. With full band backing (including Carl Perkins on electric guitar), the pair run through easygoing, rockabilly-tinged versions of Dylan songs, Cash songs, old Sun rockabilly chestnuts
“Of course, I knew of him before he ever heard of me,” Dylan wrote shortly after Cash’s death in 2003. “In ’55 or ’56, ‘I Walk the Line’ played all summer on the radio, and it was different than anything else you had ever heard. The record sounded like a voice from the middle of the Earth. It was so powerful and moving.”
A few weeks after the release of Nashville Skyline, Dylan and Cash performed “Girl From the North Country” on The Johnny Cash Television Show. It was taped on May 1st, 1969 at the Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville. A rough video clip (around the 30 minute mark) captures the moment. Despite Dylan’s reported nervousness, the performance was well-received. “I didn’t feel anything about it,” Cash said later. “But everybody said it was the most magnetic, powerful thing they ever heard in their life. They were just raving about electricity and magnetism. And all I did was just sit there hitting G chords.”
COLUMBIA Studio’s – Nashville TN 2-17-1969 1- MOUNTAIN DEW 2- I STILL MISS SOMEONE 3- CARELESS LOVE 4- MATCHBOX 5- THAT’S ALRIGHT MAMA 6- BIG RIVER 7- I WALK THE LINE 8- YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE 9- RING OF FIRE 10- GUESS THINGS HAPPEN THAT WAY 11- JUST, A CLOSER WALK WITH THEE 12- BLUE YODEL 13- BLUE YODEL #5 ~THE JOHNNY CASH SHOW:~ 05-01-69 14- I THREW IT ALL AWAY 15- LIVING THE BLUES 16- GIRL, FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY
Strange Ranger (fka Sioux Falls) is a band from Montana, now based out of Philadelphia, PA. in the spirit of the new year, here’s a lil EP comprised of stuff that’s been floating around for a while. we’re trying to tour a lot and do a bunch of cool stuff but our van won’t start (amongst other issues) so basically if you’ve got a bit of change to spare, It seems Strange Ranger change their sound every year now, it shows how talented Isaac and Fred are that they can write such different music all the time.
Hash Redactor is a four-piece from Memphis that has roots in Ex-Cult and Nots, but on their full-length debut “Drecksound” there is a little bit more freedom and room to breath than those bands previous works. Drecksound features some fantastic bass work from Meredith Lones that powers many of the tracks through a strong bottom end or elastic and bouncing runs interspersing crisp distortion laced guitar work. Though grounded in familiar post-punk structures Hash Redactor breathe and flow as one and mix chaotic energy with a studied yet free aesthetic that refuses to be contained.
Hash Redactor truly shine in some of the less compact tracks that allow the band to stretch out a little and feature some fantastic rhythmic interplay laying the groundwork for Alec McIntyre’s reverb drenched vocals. “In the Tank” is a perfect example of how the band manipulates space to fantastic effect as Lones’ bass slides and dives around alternating blasts of distortion and well placed relatively clean guitar leads. The contrasts the band mixes in create an extremely interesting soundscape that is made even more effective by McIntyre’s gravelly croak. “Floral Pattern” is a loping exercise where Lones’ bass is pushed to the fore bouncing out a playful and incessant melody that the drums of Charlotte Watson weave in and out of exceptionally well as the guitars throw out distortion to bring another layer of noise.
Drecksound is also full of intense and tightly coiled punk bursts that recall some of the finer moments of the member’s other projects that will lend a sense of familiarity to the record. “Open Invite” is a ferocious burst of energy and drive that has some fantastic rapid-fire drum fills. There is a bit of an early Big Black/Touch and Go feel with Lones firing off well placed runs that intertwine with Watson’s fills that speaks to a fantastic musical connection. “Down the Tubes” features some screaming guitar work blanketing McIntyre’s forceful howl that is a blast of very controlled impressive chaos.
Hash Redactor have managed to find a balance between ferocious burst of punk energy and the ability to expand and play off each other in entertaining fashion. Drecksound manages to vary its musical approaches so things never get tiresome or overworked which creates a welcoming atmosphere that is greatly appreciated. McIntyre and company manage to add some more space and spontaneity than fans of their other projects may be accustomed to but lose none of the ferocity and energy in their performances.
This LP is a welcome entry into the catalogue of Goner Records and it’s fierce yet playful pummeling record that serves as a great introduction to a relative newcomer to the Memphis music scene.
Technically this album is a re-release. But the very rare 1971 original was so poorly mixed—and trashed up with obviously ersatz crowd noise from bullfights, no less—that Jimmy Page had it deleted. (With help from Peter Grant’s The Song Remains the Same mobster hit squad perhaps?) Page’s mega-potent remix is revelatory: a reminder of the wrecking-ball force that original Yardbirds Chris Dreja, Jim McCarty, and Keith Relf put behind Page’s white-hot and unhinged Telecaster flurries, and a startling peek at Zep’s origins. (“Dazed and Confused,” for example, is well on it’s way to becoming the Zeppelin version, but more feral here). There’s heaps of raging Telecaster and Tone Bender fire. (The sickest Page tone, in my book.) A second disc of abandoned studio sessions reveals other possible Yardbirds tangents later made whole by Zep, including a beautiful, breezy, California canyon-tinged take on “Tangerine.” This was easily the rock record I listened to most this year—especially on Friday and Saturday nights, when the neighbours had no reasonable expectation of quiet.
Setlist :
LIVE AT ANDERSON THEATER (DISC 1) Train Kept A Rollin’ 00:00 Mr, You’re A Better Man Than I 03:05 Heart Full Of Soul 08:08 Dazed And Confused 09:55 My Baby 16:05 Over Under Sideways Down 18:54 Drinking Muddy Water 21:11 Shapes of Things 24:07 White Summer 26:39 I’m A Man (contains Moanin’ And Sobbin’) 30:26
STUDIO SKETCHES (DISC 2) Avron Knows 40:45 Spanish Blood 44:36 Knowing That I’m Losing You (Tangerine) 47:52 Taking A Hold On Me 50:46 Drinking Muddy Water (Version Two) 53:49 My Baby 56:38 Avron’s Eyes 59:38 Spanish Blood (Instrumental) 1:02:34
Is this Jack’s White strangest album? Definitely. It’s also his bravest. He’s a known oddball, but there is no stylistic blueprint for this record. Listening to it is an adventure, like a contact sport for one’s ears, and while some find it difficult to digest robot synths, sirens, and shrieks alongside piano dub, there are songs like “Over and Over and Over” that are undeniably fierce rock drenched in scuzzy riffs and pummeling drums. I personally enjoy being sonically assaulted in this way. The track “Corporation” is good point of reference. White emotes a narrative about starting an entrepreneurial endeavor and taking over the world while his guitar schizophrenically fuzzes and freaks in the background. If White’s business is creating a haven to feel free enough to take risks while staying true to his core, then my answer to that shouting chorus line of “Who’s with me?” is a resounding, “I am!”
Music video for “Over and Over and Over” from Jack White’s new album BOARDING HOUSE REACH, Third Man Records.
Interesting that this record was among my list of most-anticipated releases last year. Happily, Quiet and Peace shows that the Buffalo Tom formula works as well as it did 20 years ago, when their music made up a big chunk of the soundtrack . Through incredible cohesiveness as a power-indie-pop trio, thoughtful and emotional lyrics, and rock-solid musicianship, the album’s 11 tracks ooze the energy, catchiness, and timelessness the band’s music is known for—not to mention frontman Bill Janovitz’s unique style and mastery of an SG pushing a Marshall. From the anthemic spirit of the first track, “All Be Gone,” to the band’s beautiful take on Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Only Living Boy in New York” closing it out, Quiet and Peace exceeded my quite high expectations.
Quiet and Peace is a compelling 11-song set that finds the trio—singer-guitarist Bill Janovitz, bassist-vocalist Chris Colbourn and drummer Tom Maginnis—simultaneously mining their best-known sonic elements while breaking new ground on emotionally resonant new tunes such as “All Be Gone,” “Roman Cars,” “Freckles” and “CatVMouse.” Buffalo Tom’s first collection since 2011’s Skins, Quiet and Peace was mixed by John Agnello (Kurt Vile, Sonic Youth, The Hold Steady) and marks the band’s first collaboration with producer and fellow Boston alt-rock legend David Minehan, renowned ex-leader of the Neighborhoods.
Singer-guitarist Bill Janovitz explains more about the video: “The idea came from the song lyric. Rachel wanted to depict a real woman at various points in her life, from childhood into motherhood. She had some of her own Super 8 footage of her mom Susan. When Rachel loaded it with the music, it just seemed to synch up perfectly. There was this footage of her mom from childhood to motherhood, all Super 8, which has to be a fairly rare case for someone of that generation. So it is all real vintage footage of one person’s pivot points, from young childhood to young adulthood.
The video was directed by Rachel Lichtman from Network77.com (an absurdist music-and-comedy sketch web series). It was edited by drummer Tom Maginnis’ daughter Marlena.
Buffalo Tom performing “All Be Gone” live in the KEXP studio. Recorded March 1st, 2018.
In one of the most impressive stylistic pivots of the year, indie-emo vets Now, Now returned with drum machines and synths in tow for their third LP Saved, one of the most pleasing and unique pop records of the year. After the opening guitar notes of “SGL,” the Minnesota duo of Kacey Dalager and Brad Hale fill out their sound by weaving in swelling electronic soundscapes and catchy dance-pop hooks. The differences between Saved and previous album Threads are immense. Mostly, they’ve expertly traded in their garage-y rawness and emo leanings for a more polished dream-pop vibe – without sacrificing any of the poignancy or intimacy of their songwriting. Shimmering dance-pop jam “MJ” mixes Michael Jackson references with flickering synth textures and emotions that stir an aura of bittersweet, childlike wonder.
There’s also the nostalgia-soaked “AZ,” with its ticking acoustic guitar and flurry of lo-fi synths that beautifully crescendo during the song’s dramatic outro. The album explores the disillusionment of adulthood and the tangled nature of spirituality, with religious imagery complementing Dalager’s pleas for love and affection, or in her case, emotional salvation: “Oh my God I’m saved!” she proclaims on the trippy, seismic title track. Meanwhile, album highlight “Yours” is the sort of earnest and maximalist alt-pop tune that should’ve been a huge hit in this streaming era. With Saved, Now, Now reveal a stunning new side of themselves, and pull off one hell of a creative left turn.
New Luna are a young four-piece band with only a handful of releases so far, but an abundance of promise. They released their self-titled debut EP back in 2016 and a string of new singles this year—“Opinionated,” “Knew Too” and “Red Music.” New Luna play a blend of noisy alternative rock, hazy dream pop and transportive post-rock, and their frontman Tommy Deedigan’s spirited vocals are the warm, benevolent ying to their frenetic guitar yang. They’ve supported bands like Happyness, Her’s and Sløtface, and their latest single “Red Music” was self-produced and mastered by Pete Maher (Jack White, Pixies). “Red Music” has a steady, taut build up of tension, but the payoff is monumental. Deedigan’s vocals are numinous and earnest ,while Zack Bamber’s guitars radiate with so much humanity—you’ll find withering pain, intensifying joy and reckless abandon all within the same coda.
Yet another Australian band that made one of the year’s finest records. Though Parcels have since relocated to Germany, they got their start in the same continent that’s supplied us with some of 2018’s best music. But while fellow Aussies like Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever and Hatchie lean more indie rock, Parcels are an entirely different animal: Parcels is the long-awaited dance party from the funk-friendly quintet of Daft Punk protégés, proof that disco isn’t dead and never was. Their debut is tremendous fun, and it truly doesn’t sound like anything else happening in music today. That’s a huge accomplishment in itself, considering the broken dam of music constantly rushing our way through channels both digital and natural. Parcels feels miraculously out-of-place, conjuring ghosts of music movements past. But, with its perpetuation of millennial angst and ability to offer release through dance, it does so in a way that feels both necessary and relevant to our present day. Parcels aren’t the only Aussies making musical waves right now, but who else is bringing this much funk to the table? No one. “And that brings to the end of what we hope has been a beautiful trip for you and yours,” Dean Dawson sings in the album’s flight-inspired credits.
Daft Punk-approved dance-rock from Australia via Berlin, Parcels make blissed-out tunes for a life of sunshine, cocktails, discoballs and hijinks. Creating what should certainly be one of the year’s most enduring debuts, five slick-but-cheeky surf dudes arrived in style with collection of playful but considered poolside pop. It’s got a magpie approach to the music of the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘Random Access Memories’ by their robot friends, but feels fresh, vital, and completely human.
