DOG PARTY - LOST CONTROL REVIEW

I stumbled across this album by accident after reading a brief resume of the band and thought to myself sounds worth a listen.  (the Giles sisters are a two piece rock n roll band from Sacramento - on Guitar-17 Lucy on Drums-15

And I am so glad I did. 

Lost Control bristles with an energy and sound that you very often don’t get from full bands with members in more senior years. 

Comparisons are obvious, White Stripes (that duo / two instruments thing) Ramones (that heads down no nonsense simple lyrics/ catchy riffs thing) but there is more.   They sound like the Runaways should have sounded!

There’s an enthusiasm here that you just don’t get with some bands.  Sure a catchy tune can make you forgive dumbass lyrics (Ramones anyone?) and there is some of that here, but the tunes are extra catchy at times (My Best Friend), and the lyrics sometimes belie the age of the band.  The album finishes with a couple of real highlights, The World is Not A Game and the very different sounding Alright.  They also thrown in a cover of X’s Los Angeles which shows they have more than scratched the surface of the punk rock time line.  

If you like your punk rock catchy as hell but with more than just a no nonsense approach buy this album now.  Dog Party may have already secured a place in my top ten albums of the year!

JOHN COOPER CLARKE 17th SEPTEMBER 2013, THE ARTRIX BROMSGROVE

I’ve been lucky enough to catch John Cooper Clarke many times over the years.  Sometimes as support to some of the greats such as Joe Strummer, the Only Ones or the Fall, other times playing solo or as part of a joint bill with the likes of John Otway or Atilla The Stockbroker.  I have yet to leave one of his shows feeling less that entertained (okay there was one show in Wolverhampton where he didn’t show up, apparently he had checked into his hotel, gone for a walk and nobody could get hold of him!).  He’s a true showman, mixing poems (old and new these days) usually told at breakneck pace with his humorous take on the world seen through his …. shades, even throwing in hilarious jokes and one liners.  Sometimes I wonder why he is not one of the biggest names in stand-up comedy in the country.  The shows have varied from the chaotic, sometimes with hardly any new material, despite being several years apart, to a couple of much more polished shows last year featuring mainly new material – The Leamington Spa gig was among the best I’ve ever seen, a load of new material, delivered in an more ordered but still edgy performance and the slightly more upmarket Birmingham Town Hall gig (reviewed here) later in the year with an even more polished set.  But as I said earlier, all of them never less than entertaining.  John has seen somewhat of a resurgence in recent years, with tracks featured in the Sopranos, collaborations with Plan B, TV documentaries and radio shows on 6Music.  Not to mention the recent chip advert??  This has resulted in a couple of more high profile tours over the last couple of years in larger venues.

 

And so to tonight’s sold out in Bromsgrove.   First night of the tour at the intimate 300 seater Artrix Theatre (it’s the first time I had visited the Artrix and was so impressed with the venue). 

First on was Luke Wright, a youngish (31 is young right?) Essex poet who told a few humorous tales of everyday life that led up to equally humorous poems.  The audience quickly warmed to his often self-depreciating humour and JCC has obviously been a massive influence of his poetic delivery, which was no bad thing. 

Next up was Mike Garry whom I’d been lucky enough to catch once before.  Mike has a totally engaging and almost hypnotic quality to his performance (he described himself as a youngster being captivated by the melody of the human voice) and although his poems took us to some dark places, leaving us feeling like onlookers, apprehensive and unable to intervene, you felt compelled to follow.  Unlike his previous performance he did intersperse the poems with a smattering of humour (often dark too) and little insights into his life.  It was a brilliant performance and he was spot on when he described the show so far as a balancing act, with the two poets offering something from each end of the spectrum, complimenting each other beautifully.  If you get the opportunity, check him out and especially look out for his tribute piece, Saint Anthony. 

Then to the main event.  This was the first night on quite a long tour and as a result the show perhaps was not quite as polished as it will be by the end of the tour.  A few forgotten lines here and there,  going off at tangents and sometimes never coming back to the main thread, but that slight chaotic undercurrent doesn’t detract any from the evening’s entertainment.  I’m not really sure what exactly I love about JCC.  It could be his spot on comedic delivery.  His off kilter wry observations of the world around him.  The poems, usually humorous, often told at breakneck pace.  He looks as cool as fuck, a punk rock n roller mixing sharp jackets, drainpipes and Chelsea boots with the shades and a bouffant to kill for like he invented the look!  The show is the usual mixed bag.  Older poems such as Beasley Street (and it’s modern sibling, the upmarket Beasley Boulevard) Hire Car (can’t be considered as new anymore) and I Wanna Be Yours as featured on the Arctic Monkeys recent number 1 album, (Alex Turner has long declared his love of JCC), sat comfortably with the newer ones, Deco Beach (making its debut) and his second poem about incarceration (36 Hours being the first) told from the perspective of a schizophrenic inmate.  But for me it’s his delivery when talking about the minutiae of everyday life.  The tale of bumping into the Manic’s James Dean Bradfield in a Manchester hotel over breakfast while eating eggs benedict and trying to break in a new velvet jacket had me crying.  I won’t reveal any more detail but suffice to say it was another great night in the company of the bard of Salford and we left the venue with Evidently Chickentown still ringing in our ears..

JCC - Evidently Chickentown

CLIFF BURTON - A TRIBUTE

 

Cliff Burton

1962-1986

 

On September 27, 1986 Metallica was out promoting their “Master of Puppets” album with a world tour. It was a Saturday morning, the band asleep in their tour bus when the bus skidded off the road and flipped onto its side. Cliff Burton died from the crash.

We all know Metallica as the metal behemoth it is today: headlining Big 4 concerts and selling countless albums across the world. All of this is built on the foundation of the band’s early days and the three albums that in the same amount of years turned them from exciting new band to greatest band in the world.

On Kill ‘Em All, Ride The Lightning, and Master Of Puppets, Cliff Burton’s basslines are there for all to hear – not buried under the steam train of noise from his bandmates but just as loud, proud, fast, and heavy as them. He was an exceptional talent, one that disappeared all too soon.

Burton brought something different to the band, both musically and aesthetically. In photoshoots, next to his spandex and high-top sneaker wearing bandmates stood Burton in full denim and leather boots, often with his ‘Misfits’ arm tattoo on display.

Burton’s musical body of works may be in relatively short supply, but it’s quality that counts. With those three classic metal albums to his name, quality was assured and a new benchmark was raised.

As good and great as Cliff’s replacement Jason Newsted and his subsequent replacement Robert Trujillo are, Burton’s leather boots have never been filled.

Cliff Burton, gone but never forgotten.

 

Read the book ‘To live is to die’.

 

Watch the film ‘Hesher’.

 

Listen to his music

Blake Devonport

GET DEAD - KEROUAC'S TEETH

 

Get Dead - Kerouac's Teeth

 

 

On the road like Kerouac, packed in a van full of Bukowski's
In the desert in November, there's so much out there I'd like to see
But the silence in the canyon, feels just fine with electricity
And in this harsh environment well, even the devil gets his sympathies

So I dig on down into the dirt,
Past the surface, and the hurt, just to see what we've been building on
Past the love regret and fire, childish dreams and downward spirals
Then all I found was, were these songs
Just old songs, they're never quite right but they're never quite wrong
Old songs, just old songs
They might lead you astray or they might just lead you home

And the city lights and stars just fight, so in the dark is where I'd rather be
Far away from all the left and the right wing televised tragedy
And it's easy not to pick a side, when it's just all a compromise to me
But ain't it all just a fucking lie, when you come to find they put a price on free

So I dig on down into the dirt,­
Past the surface, and the hurt, just to see what we've been building on
Past the love regret and fire, childish dreams and downward spirals
Then all I found was, were these songs
Just old songs, they're never quite right but they're never quite wrong
Old songs, just old songs
They might lead you astray or they might just lead you home

We’re throwing grenades in small spaces just to save face for an argument
But it's all just a brass polish on a sinking ship the point has missed my friends
And I've been holding my breath for longer than I'd like to state
So I exhale a bitter smoke of just about well everything.

So I dig on down into the dirt,
Past the surface and the hurt, just to see what we've been building on
Past the love regret and fire, childish dreams and downward spirals
Then all I found was, were these songs
Just old songs, they're never quite right but they're never quite wrong
Old songs, just old songs
They might lead you astray or they might just lead you home
All these old songs

BABES IN TOYLAND - BRUISE VIOLET

In celebration of the top 11 female 90's vocalists check out Babes In Toyland

 

Babes In Toyland - Bruise Violet

 

 

You got this thing that really makes me hot

You got a lot and more when you get caught
You got this thing that follows me around
You fucking bitch well I hope your insides rot
Liar
Liar
Liar
You see the stars through eyes lit up with lies
You got your stories all twisted up in mine
You got this thing that follows me around
You were born with glue instead of spine
Liar
Liar
Liar
Ha ha ha, I knew I, wha ha ha ha, tied to her
You got this thing that follows me around
You got this thing that really makes me hot
You got a lot and more when you get caught
Bruise Violet
Bruise Violet
Bruise Violet
Yeaiiih....! Yeah...
You got this thing that follows me around
You got this thing that really makes me hot
You got a lot and more when you get caught
Liar
Liar
Liar

The 10 + 1 Best Female Rock/Alternative and Punk Vocalists of the 90's by Frida Kahlo

The 10 + 1 best female Rock/Alternative and Punk vocalists of the 90's by Frida Kahlo

 

I've complied an admittedly subjective list of the top 11 Punk and Rock Female vocalists of the 90's. It should probably be named "my favourite female singers from the 90's" list and includes a few people who are far more towards the alternative side of the scale rather than strictly Rock and Punk, as well as cheating slightly with my definition of "90's" (i'm talking more about the 90's sound more than anything else). Then again, Rock and Punk is quite a broad category of music anyway, so here goes:

 

Brody Dalle - The Distillers

Australian Dalle fronted arguably one of the best bands from the late 90's and early 2000's. Dalle's deep voiced, gravelly style, lent itself perfectly to punk. Hits like Seneca Falls, City of Angels, Drain the Blood and The Young Crazed Peeling showcase her best work. Although the vast majority of the Distillers hits where from the early 2000's, they did form in 1998, so they are in.

Dolores O'Riordan - The Cranberries

Originally form Limerick, The Cranberries were more Alternative Rock bordering on pop rock than serious punk, and in the end a lot of their songs start to sound the same, but the short haired Dolores O'Riordan's softer Celtic sound worked well on the heavier tracks they produced. Best heard on hits Zombie and Linger

Courtney Love - Hole

You could argue that Courtney Love only got her break because she married Kurt Cobain, and there probably isn't much to distinguish her from a number of the other Grunge/Riot Grrrl bands from the early to mid 90's, but after getting her lucky break, she did release with her band Hole a few impressive attempts. Sounding not that dissimilar to the slightly manufactured bands of the era such as Veruca Salt and Smashing Pumpkins, who got their breaks thanks to the success of the likes of the Pixies, Nirvana and Sonic Youth, her best records are probably Celebrity Skin and Doll Parts.

 

Shirley Manson - Garbage

Another alternative rock band to make the list, Garbage's Shirley Manson, born in Edinburgh, is one of the best singers, male or female to come out of the 90's. Only Happy when it Rains, Subhuman and Stupid Girl are all worth a listen from their early period, although past their first album, their sound did start to edge more and more into mainstream pop.

 

Skin - Skunk Anansie

 

English band Skunk Ananse's Skin has more than a good shout of being among the very best vocalists of the 90's. With the trademark skinhead look, she is one of the best live performers around, tracks like Weak show Skin's powerful range, while the likes of Feed and Selling Jesus showed her rockier edge. 

 

Kim Deal - The Pixies and The Breeders

Usually backup vocalist rather than the lead in the Pixies, Kim Deal nevertheless was a huge part of their sound. Black Francis had a great voice, but Kim Deal could and should have been used far more than she was as a lead singer. Her tracks like Gigantic and Isla De Encanta are among their most memorable songs. She later found success with the Breeders with songs such as Cannonball.

Gwen Stefani - No Doubt

The rock tracks that No Doubt released such as Just a Girl showcased her rock credentials, while the likes of Don't Speak and It's my Life are still alternative classics. Gwen Stefani is a weird choice for this sort of list, but listening to music from their début self titled album, the unusual and brave sound on songs such as Trapped in a Box are actually quite good (and weird) new wave ska-pop-rock. 

Kat Bjelland - Babes in Toyland


A more pure punk choice, Kat Bjelland's Babes in Toyland had a far more hardcore sound. Bjelland's raw voice worked well with the bands grunge sound and saw her tour with Sonic Youth as well become a big favourite of John Peel. Their 1990 album Spanking Machine is a good example of the early Grunge sound that would go on to dominate American rock music over the early to mid 90's.

Donita Sparks - L7

Known more for her controversial behaviour, such as dropping her trousers on live TV and throwing used tampons into crowds, L7's Donita Sparks was one of the poster girls and best examples of the early 90's "Riot Grrrl" movement. Look up songs such as Pretend That We're Dead and Shitlist (featuring on the film Natural Born Killers).

Alanis Morissette

Canadian Morissette's album Jagged Little Pill is one of the seminal albums of the 90's. You could argue this was her only real rock album, and her best songs Ironic, You Oughta Know and Hand in my Pocket are all from the album.

 

And the plus 1

 

Bjork

Bjork's eclectic sound strays quite often into the realms of Alternative rock, and that is enough for me to include her in this list (I didn't really need much of an excuse). The Icelandic singer originally started off in Icelandic punk bands before finding her Jazz-Rock-Electronic-Punk-Pop sound. The majority of her music sounds more like Madonna however she did influence some of the better Electronic bands around today such as the Asteroid Galaxy Club. It's oh so quiet as well as her early work as parts of bands such as KUKL are her heaviest sounds.

Frida Kahlo

PUBLIC IMAGE LTD - POPTONES

 

Public Image Ltd - Poptones

 

Video taken from the Old Grey Whistle Test live performance

 

Drive to the forest in a Japanese car
The smell of rubber on country tar
Hindsight done me no good
Standing naked in this back of the woods

The cassette played poptones

I can't forget the impression you made
You left a hole in the back of my head
I don't like hiding in this foliage and peat
It's wet and I'm losing my body heat

The cassette played poptones

This bleeding heart
Looking for bodies
Nearly injured my pride
Praise picnicking in the British countryside

Poptones

THE VAPORS - NEWS AT TEN

 

The Vapors - News At Ten

 

Time's gonna make you a man someday
And you won't want to go out and play with your friends
You'll just sit at home and watch News At Ten
And the pubs'll be closed and you won't have been with your friends

And he picks up the paper and appears to be quite serious
And you smile at him and agree 'cus he's your old man

But still I can't hear you (still I can't hear you)
You make no sense to me
Still I can't hear you (still I can't hear you)
When the time comes I'll disagree with your policy... with your policy

 

When you get home from work about half past six
You've been working real hard and you feel real sick with the whole world
And your dinner's in the oven and it's all dried up
And your mom don't like it 'cus you messed her up for the evening

So you pick up a paper and appear to be quite serious
And you smile at him and agree 'cus he's your old man

 But still I can't hear you (still I can't hear you)
You make no sense to me
Still I can't hear you (still I can't hear you)
When the time comes I'll disagree with your policy... your policy...

with your policy... your policy

 

Time's gonna make you a man someday
And you won't want to go out and play
You'll just sit at home and watch News At Ten
And the pubs'll be closed and you won't have been
When you get home from work about half past six
You've been working real hard and you feel real sick
And your dinner's in the oven and it's all dried up
And your mom don't like it 'cus you messed her up

 But you don't wanna sit tight you don't wanna play it cool
You don't wanna whole life like the first day at school
And I wanna fight wars and I wanna die young
So don't keep saying like father like son
I can't hear you (still I can't hear you)
You make no sense to me
I can't hear you (still I can't hear you)
When the time comes I'll disagree
But still I can't hear you (I can't hear...)
I said you make no sense to a boy like me
I can't hear you (still I can't hear you)
Still I can't hear you (still I can't hear you)
Still I can't hear you (still I can't hear you)
Still I can't hear you (still I can't hear you)

 

THE HOLD STEADY - WE CAN GET TOGETHER

 

The Hold Steady - We Can Get Together

 

She played "Heaven Isn't Happening", she played "Heaven Is a Truck"
She said Heavenly was cool, I think they were from Oxford
I only had one single, it was a song about a pure and simple love
There's a girl on Heaven Hill, I come up to her cabin still
She said Husker Du got huge, but they started in St. Paul
Do you remember "Makes No Sense At All"?
And heaven is the whole of the heart and paradise is by the dashboard light
Utopia's a band, they sang "Love Is the Answer," and I think they're probably right,
Let it shine down on us all, let it warm us from within

He wasn't just the drummer, he was the singer's younger brother
I still spin that single, but it don't sound that simple
Let it shine down on us all, let it warm us from within
He wasn't just the drummer, he was someone's little brother
I still spin that single, but it don't sound that simple anymore

Heaven is whenever we can get together
Sit down on your floor, and listen to your records
Heaven is whenever we can get together
Lock your bedroom door, and listen to your records

Heaven is whenever we can get together
Heaven is whenever

THIS MORTAL COIL - SONG TO THE SIREN

This Mortal Coil - Song To The Siren

Long afloat on shipless oceans
I did all my best to smile
'til your singing eyes and fingers
Drew me loving to your isle
And you sang
Sail to me
Sail to me
Let me enfold you
Here I am
Here I am
Waiting to hold you

Did I dream you dreamed about me?
Were you hare when I was fox?
Now my foolish boat is leaning
Broken lovelorn on your rocks,
For you sing, 'touch me not, touch me not, come back tomorrow:
O my heart, o my heart shies from the sorrow'

I am puzzled as the newborn child
I am troubled at the tide:
Should I stand amid the breakers?
Should I lie with death my bride?
Hear me sing, 'swim to me, swim to me, let me enfold you:
Here I am, here I am, waiting to hold you'

NEW MODEL ARMY - MARCH INTO SEPTEMBER

 

New Model Army - March Into September

 

New Model Army have a new album this month, Between Dog and Wolf and this great track is taken from it.  Brilliant video too.

 

BIS - WE ARE SO FRAGILE (TUBEWAY ARMY COVER)

 

Bis - We Are So Fragile (Tubeway Army cover)

 

I was looking for the Tubeway Army original and came across this rather spiffing cover by Scottish indie popsters Bis so thought would post this instead!!

 

We are so fragile
Advertising lies that are whiter than yours
We are so fragile
They could give us a war just to keep us amused

We are so fragile
I could stay here inside and say it's all been done
We are so fragile
Just pretend I never tried, I'll leave it up to you

 We are still so young
And it must be wrong but I'd do it all the same
We are really so shy
There's nothing I can do except believe in you

 We could always go home
But everyone says this is the place to be
We are so unnatural
But you wouldn't understand, you only deal with men

WAH! HEAT - SEVEN MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT

 

Wah! Heat - Seven Minutes To Midnight

 

So many great Wah offspins and Pete Wylie linked songs but this will do nicely.

 

 

 

 

DOG PARTY - BEST FRIEND - LIVE

 

Dog Party - Best Friend - live version

 

Just heard the Dog Party album, Lost Control, totally brilliant, for such a young band (it's actually a duo and it's their third album).  This is a pared down acoustic version.  Hear the kicking studio version on the album

 

FUGAZI - WAITING ROOM

 

 

Fugazi - Waiting Room

 

I am a patient boy
I wait, I wait, I wait, I wait
My time is water down a drain

Everybody's moving
Everybody's moving
Everything is moving,
Moving, moving, moving

Please don't leave me to remain
In the waiting room

I don't want the news
(I cannot use it)
I don't want the news
(I won't live by it)

Sitting outside of town
Everybody's always down
(Tell me why)

Because they can't get up
(Ahhh... Come on and get up)
(Come on and get up)

But I won't sit idly by
(Ahhh...)
I'm planning a big surprise
I'm gonna fight
For what I want to be

And I won't make the same mistakes
(Because I know)
Because I know how much time that wastes
(And function)
Function is the key
Inside the waiting room

I don't want the news
(I cannot use it)
I don't want the news
(I won't live by it)

Sitting outside of town
Everybody's always down
(Tell me why)

Because they can't get up
(Ahhh... Come on and get up)
Up from the waiting room

Sitting in the waiting room
(Ahhh...)
Sitting in the waiting room
(Ahhh...)
Sitting in the waiting room
(Ahhh...)
Sitting in the waiting room
(Ahhh...)

(Tell me why)
Because they can't get up

DRIVE BY TRUCKERS - RIGHTEOUS PATH

 

Drive By Truckers - Righteous Path

 

Superbly pared down live soundcheck version, love the lyrics of this song.

 

 

I got a brand new car that drinks a bunch of gas
I got a house in a neighborhood that's fading fast
I got a dog and a cat that don't fight too much
I got a few hundred channels to keep me in touch
I got a beautiful wife and three tow-headed kids
I got a couple of big secrets I'd kill to keep hid
I don't know God but I fear his wrath
I'm trying to keep focused on the righteous path

I got a couple of opinions that I hold dear
A whole lot of debt and a whole lot of fear
I got an itch that needs scratching but it feels alright
I got the need to blow it out on Saturday night
I got a grill in the backyard and a case of beers
I got a boat that ain't seen the water in years
More bills than money, I can do the math
I'm trying to keep focused on the righteous path

I'm trying to keep focused as I drive down the road
On the ditches and the curves and the heavy load
Ain't bitching bout things that aren't in my grasp
Just trying to hold steady on the righteous path

There's this friend of mine I've known all my life
Who can't get it right no matter how hard he tries
He's got kids he don't see and several ex-wives
And a list of bad decisions bout eight miles wide
Trouble with the law and the IRS
And where he'll get the money's anybody's guess
He's a long way off but if you was to ask
He'd say he's trying to stay focused on the righteous path

Trying to keep focused as we drive down the road
Like we did back in High School before the world turned cold
Now the brakes are thin and the curves are fast
We're trying to hold steady on the righteous path

We're hanging out and we're hanging on
We're trying the best we can to keep keeping on
We got messed up minds for these messed up times
And it's a thin thin line separating his from mine

Trying to hold steady on the righteous path
80 miles and hour with a worn out map
No time for self-pity or self-righteous crap
Trying to stay focused on the righteous path 

SNUFF - EFL

 

Snuff EFL

 

I saw you pass down headstone road
my heart raced on behind you
the years were stripped away
and you were mine
you looked so different now
but looks can be deceiving
heartbeat the same
same blood through your veins
the grassy knoll has long since vanished under concrete
the oak is gone
there's a record shop on the memories of days gone by
another year pops up the old one slips behind me
land bought and sold new traffic through the old
a glimpse of you could bring a bright spark of reminders
the years just slipped away
and you were mine
new traffic through the old to multi-story car parks
a disused office block two roundabouts an underpass
five lighters for a pound echoes down the walkway
the oak is gone
there's a record shop on the memories if days gone by
last night on the tiles
last night in the car-park
what would it mean to a sad old git like me

CROWNS- STICHES IN THE FLAG

 

So we came to jazz it up

“The Cornish self-styled ‘fish-punk’ four-piece released their debut LP Stitches In The Flag in November, and it was a catchy-as-fuck collection of ramshackle folk-rock that lodged in the head like a hammer”

May 2013,  Download line ups released. 40+ metal bands, 2-4 Punk bands.   A lot of bands I knew, a few I didn’t.  Every band i didn’t know of, I sampled.  Of all the bands I checked out, none caught my ear as much as Crowns.  I was in love at first note.  I listened to one song, and then another and then another and before I knew it, I had listened to every song from the album Stitches In The Flag, it was only Saturday and I had already made out my playlist for the week.   It was Stitches In The Flag on repeat.  Was now looking forward to Download more than ever.  I had to change my schedule around to fit Crowns in, but the way I was feeling that week, if Metallica and Rammstein had both been on at the same time as Crowns, I may have been the only man at the Pepsi Max stage getting my punk on.

With Indie folk becoming more popular in the last few years, Crowns are set to top the latest trend.  With their debut album out on their own label ‘Ship Wreckords’, Crowns are on a mission to set up themselves with a unique sound nobody can turn a nose up to.

Hailing from Cornwall, their nod to traditional Cornish folk music is clearly evident throughout their album. From the first track this album lays down what this band are all about.  After that this album gets catchier and catchier with every song. 

The album is full of reference to their hometown of Launceston which can be heard on tracks such as ‘China Clay’  – “people live here more than twice a year” is a clear dig at the nature of Cornwall as a second home location and is a standout song on the album with single written all over it.

The album is full of short, punchy tracks which really give us an idea what Crowns are about.  Although not necessarily a band I would immediately be drawn to, ‘Stitches in the flag’ has impressed me and leaves me wanting to experience their live shows again and again.

At their first attempt, Crowns had me searching in my collection for other folk punk albums. It’s not easy to put a description on the songs, feel good punk maybe? Makes you smirk as you sing down your nose punk maybe? Somebody knew what that feeling was, Spider Stacy from the Pogues.  Who after hearing the magic, invited Crowns to join them on their Christmas tour.  After that it seems to be a rollercoaster of punk fame for the boys from Cornwall. Joining King Blues and the Cerebral Ballzy on tour was just another step on the stairway to stardom.

Warning – Make sure you have at least a free 30 minutes before entering this album into your CD player. So those who are either heavily pregnant or have a problem which means you have to leave the room on call, stay away. This album will not let you go quietly.

 

Blake

THE CLASH - HITS BACK / SOUND SYSTEM

 

This week the Clash have two separate and quite different pieces of merchandise out.  I haven't got either of them (yet) but here are a few observations.

Firstly there is the Clash - Hits Back, a two CD compilation featuring studio versions of the 23 song set list from the 1982 Brixton Fairdeal show, plus 8 additional 'iconic' tracks (and a reproduction of the original setlist, handwritten by Joe Strummer). 

The second release is The Clash Sound System, featuring the first five albums (it excludes The Clash Mark II's Cut The Crap) all remastered and various other odds and sods all packaged in a replica boom box designed by Paul Simonon. 

The question is do we really need either of these reissued products?

There have been plenty of Clash reissues and compilations over the years.  All the albums were remastered several years ago and the various compilations have all been fairly comprehensive, Singles, The Story of, The Essential, On Broadway, Hits, there's five right off the top of my head, not to mention the singles boxed set a few years back.

The Clash Hits Back intrigues me, it's not your typical greatest hits, so will it appeal to the casual fan? It's a nice concept (I do like the look of the packaging and the repro Joe set-list) but anybody who is more than a casual fan will already have all the tracks,  So maybe a live album of the gig may have been more appealing but we've already got Live at Shea Stadium and From Here To Eternity not to mention the 100s of live bootlegs readily available.

The Sound System is a bit meatier.  It's got the first five albums, remastered by the remaining members (London Calling is now spread over two disks, Sandinista three).  A further three discs featuring , non-album singles, B-sides, rarities, demos, and live tracks most of which has been previously available.  There is also a DVD with previously unseen footage by both Don Letts and Julien Temple, original promo videos and live footage.  It also includes a "Service Manual" (a hardback guide to the contents of the box set), Dog Tags, 5 Badges, 3 DIY Stickers, The Clash Paperback Book (blank!), The Clash Folder, Armagideon Times Special Edition (36 pages), Armagideon Times 1 (Reprint - 24 pages), Armagideon Times 2 (Reprint - 24 pages), 2 Bumper Stickers, The Clash Vintage Sticker Set and a 15" x 15" Poster. Most fans will have most of the CD content already.  Most non fans will be discouraged from topping up their collections by the hefty price tag - not much change from a hundred quid (but price wise it is still cheaper than box set reissues by The Pistols and other rock stars) .

So just who is this aimed at?  Well I guess it's aimed at people like me.  We all know there is very little unreleased material worth getting hold of (The Vanilla Tapes released with the 25th anniversary version of London Calling were intriguing but there was no long term appeal for me - I tend to skip over most of those tracks these days) I still play the Clash every week.  The remastered versions are supposed to offer something new which does sound appealing.  If I thought the revenue from these releases were going purely into the pockets of the remaining members then that would soften the blow somewhat but we all know that won't be the case. 

But there is still something alluring about all of this.  They were the greatest rock n roll band of all time and to this day they continue to have a massive impact on my life. The cynical part of me (maybe the more realistic part of me) knows I don't need either of these products.  I can't afford them and if I could I'd be wiser to blow the cash on new bands.  But I am a sucker for a box set and those badges and stuff make me feel about 15 again.

So do we need these reissues?  Probably no.

Do I want one?  Fuck yes!

And you've got to admit, it looks fucking great?

Dear Santa...

28TH SEPTEMBER 2013 AT THE WAGON & HORSES - BIRMINGHAM

 

Six bands for five quid. Sounds like a bargain to us. Get your arses down there!

XTC - COMPLICATED GAME

 

XTC - Complicated Game

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_QFMuieWiI

 

I ask myself should I put my finger to the left, no
I ask myself should I put my finger to the right, no

It doesn't really matter where I put my finger
Someone else will come along and move it
And it's always been the same
It's just a complicated game
It's just a complicated game

 

A little girl asked me should she part her hair upon the left, no
A little girl asked me should she part her hair upon the right, no

I said, it doesn't really matter where you part your hair
Someone else will come along and move it
And it's always been the same
It's just a complicated game
It's just a complicated game

 

A little boy asked me should he put his vote upon the left
A little boy asked me should he put his vote upon the right

I said, it really doesn't matter where you put your vote
'Cause someone else will come along and move it
And it's always been the same
It's just a complicated game
It's just a complicated game

 

They wanted Tom, they wanted Joe
To dress 'em up and stick 'em out on show
There were holding arrows in a very bad aim
It's just a complicated game

 

God asked me should he ought to put his world on the left, no
God asked me should he ought to put his world on the right

I said, God, it really doesn't matter where you put your world
Someone will come along and move it
And it's always been the same
It's just a complicated game

It's just a complicated game
It's just a complicated game
Just a complicated game

BRUM PUNX PICNIC 2013 - SUNDAY

This was my debut at the Brum Punx Picnic and I’m not really sure why I have not been before.  

The Wagon and Horses in Digbeth is ideally suited to host, with an undercover outdoor stage at the rear of the pub and a second indoor stage upstairs on the first floor with bands alternating between the two.  The Punx picnic is usually a charity event with this year being in aid of Casa Alianza (an international, non-governmental organisation dedicated to the rehabilitation and defence of street children in Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico and Guatemala). 

Sunday saw 10 bands playing and at only £5 entrance fee you don’t need to be mathematically gifted to realise what great value for money this DIY event is. 

First up were Eastfield, Urban rail punks who eat, breath and live the DIY ethos.  I’d never seen Eastfield live before but they immediately engaged with the crowd delivering a frenetic but catchy set that had most of the crowd singing along by the end.  Feel like I have really missed out not getting into these guys (and gal) earlier, definitely worth checking them out if you get the chance and I’ll be ordering a CD or two from their website. 

 

First on the outdoor stage were Thirteen Shots, a bit pyschobilly, a bit punky rock.  Although the crowd was relatively small they played with plenty of gusto and another band work checking out, second album Tales That Start As A Whisper is out now.

 

Fear Insight were next in the upstairs room, I know very little about these guys other that I think they formed in Birmingham last year from various other bands and although their intense hardcore sound may not be to everyone’s taste I thought they were pretty good and seemed to go down well with the smallish crowd.

The Rutherfords from Nottingham were up next.  They exist in the same short song , pop punk world as the Ramones and early Undertones, and I am put in mind of more recent bands like Thee Spivs and The Cute Lepers.  They sounded great and went down a treat, finishing with a crowd pleasing cover of Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue. 

Next were Crashed Out, a Street Punk band from Jarrow, Tyne and Wear.  I’ve seen Crashed out a couple of times before and have always thought they were pretty good but they seemed to have grown in stature delivering a powerhouse of a sound.  Not afraid to wear their influences on their sleeves (the Angelic Upstarts’ Police Oppression was dedicated to Mensi, arrested the day before for breach of the peace while defending a photographer from the EDL) they seem to have elevated themselves to stand along side their Street Punk peers.    

Geoffrey Oicott were up next with their cricket themed punk rock.  With song titles that feature cricket play on words (She’s A Dickie Bird, LBW, Get The Runs) as well as the odd Darts ones too, the not too serious lyrics don’t detract from their great punk /Oi! catchy noise they make.

Then it was on to headliner time, anti fascist skinhead band Hardskin.  It’s really difficult not to fall for the sheer entertainment value of Hardskin.  Massive singalong tunes and lyrics that range from the self depreciating, to the nonsensical (Sausage Man – you are what you eat) every song sounds like an anthem.  If you have seen Hardskin before you will know the audience as well as anyone else associated with the scene are all fair game for the tongue ever so slightly in cheek in between song banter.  And it is this that makes them such an entertaining watch and great pick for headlining the final night of the Brum Punx Picnic
 
Best picnic I've ever been to.