JULIANA HATFIELD - IT'S A SHAME ABOUT RAY

Juliana Hatfield - It's A Shame About Ray

 

THE ANGRY ITCH EP



Angry Itch are back with a new self titled EP and this time they mean it maaannnn!

For just over 12 months Angry Itch have been gigging in and around Birmingham, and up and down the country, gathering support and getting quite a few rave reviews along the way.  To celebrate their debut appearance at the recent Rebellion festival in Blackpool they managed to find time to get into the studio and record another four songs for this, their second EP.

And boy have they upped the bar this time.  The four choice tracks here proudly display just how far they have come in a really short time. 

It kicks off with the frantic I Hate You More, a melodic thrash of a song (from day one I've always found comparisons with the melodic hardcore of early Husker Du, only with a trademark Birmingham punk element stamped right through their sound). 

I Hypocrite is in the same mould, and why not? 

The brilliant Rise Again, with the audience participation closing refrain "They got kicked out... they're gonna start a riot" really shows just how savvy these guys are at putting together great songs that will just get engrained in your brain at the first listen. 

Closing song 1st Floor is my choice track, starting slower than most of their songs, it's a call to grab a beer and enjoy the company of great friends, before really kicking into life - if this doesn't have you singing along by the end, then I think we probably need to call the crash trolley and check for a pulse.

Angry Itch - 1st Floor

12 months ago I thought this band were amazing.  I've been lucky enough to catch them quite a few times since and I'm always left feeling like I've just witnessed something a little bit special (their appearance on the new band stage at Rebellion was astounding and one of the highlights not just of that stage but of the whole festival). 

Definitely one of the releases of the year so far - start spreading the fucking word - ANGRY ITCH are coming!

Check out their Facebook page for regular updates on forthcoming gigs including an appearance at Birmingham Punx Picnic at the Wagon & Horses on 6th September.  And I'm sure if you speak to John, Richard or Luke nicely they'll be able to hitch you up with a copy of the E.P.

https://www.facebook.com/AngryItch?fref=ts

https://twitter.com/angryitchband 
   

THE INTERRUPTERS FEAT TIM ARMSTRONG - FAMILY

The rather spiffing Interrupters from their recently released self titled album on Hellcat records.

 

The Interrupters feat Tim Armstrong - Family

 

EIGHT ROUNDS RAPID - CHANNEL SWIMMER

Taken  from debut album Loss Leader and featuring the son of Wilko Johnson on guitar.

 

 

Eight Rounds Rapid - Channel Swimmer

 

SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES - PLAYGROUND TWIST

 

Released in what was probably one of the best years for music ever - 1979!

 

Siouxsie & The Banshees - Playground Twist

 

PETE BENTHAM AND THE DINNER LADIES - I HEART HERE

Pete Bentham & The Dinner Ladies - I Heart Here

 

 

The Kings & Queens of Kitchencore return with what is probably their strongest album yet.  This is a proper punk protest record.  Bristling to the brim with party and social politics, never preaching, often humorous,  all wrapped up in a DIY punk rock n roll that will have you singing along in seconds.

  

Proceedings kick off with opener Marcel Duchamp, a song celebrating the French-American painter, sculptor, chess player, and writer whose work is associated with Dadaism and conceptual art.  He also collaborated with John Cale and one of his most famous pieces of art, Fountain, was an upturned urinal.  It’s not everyday you hear subject matter like this in a punk song  but like all of the greatest punk songs it’s all packed into an explosive spiky two minutes.  And this encapsulates what is so great about Pete and the Dinner Ladies -make no mistake these guys are punk as fuck, but there’s a cleverness in the songs, never condescending, but often addressing important issues from slightly left of field and celebrating the truly unusual.     

 

Next up is the gender busting Can A Boy Be A Dinner Lady? Questioning how society pigeon holes and labels us all into what is deemed acceptable based on sex, age or other preferences.  And the protest songs just keep on coming, A New Way Of Living literally tells of everyday folks taking up the Power to the People call.  Dead’s Not Punk is a clever ditty stating it’s actually not clever, cool or punk to wind up a casualty of the many vices often associated with the scene.

 

On I Spy For The DIY, Pete proudly wears his DIY credentials on his sleeve questioning whether biting the hand that feeds is hurting the man, with the answer coming back ‘I’d sooner keep it in my hands’. 

 

The album is full of these gems.  Clever, thought provoking and sometimes humours lyrics all housed in a punk rock n roll with a hint of eastern folk and country thrown into the mix.  There is no major change in direction from the previous two albums, but this time out there is an added spikeyness to the songs and a consistency throughout – there is no room for any filler here!  And a saxophone has not sounded this good on a punk record since X-Ray Spex’ Germfree Adolescents!    

 

It’s a shame John Peel is not with us any more as Pete & The Dinner Ladies would certainly have been taken to the great mans heart and been regular favourites of the twilight airwaves.  This album has pretty much been on constant repeat for the last month and protest has never sounded so great.  This should feature highly in the end of year best of albums that we so love to compile and read about. 

 

Make sure Pete Bentham & the Dinner Ladies are top of your must see acts this weekend at Rebellion.  Catch them on the 8^th August getting a well-deserved headline slot on the Pavilion Stage.

 

https://www.facebook.com/dinnerladiesliverpool
http://imadinnerlady.blogspot.co.uk/
 

LOUISE DISTRAS - LOVE ME THE WAY I AM

Here's a brilliant recent live clip of Louise performing one of the tracks from her forthcoming double A sided 7" single Love Me The Way I Am / Bullets.  To order the single click on the link below.

 

http://www.louisedistras.co.uk/audio/love-way-bullets-7-single/

 

 

Louise Distras - Love Me The Way I Am

 

THE SPECIALS - DOESN'T MAKE IT ALRIGHT

One of the best anti-racist songs ever taken from one of the greatest albums ever! 

And a nice live clip from 2013 too!

 

 

The Specials - Doesn't Make It Alright

 

ROGER MANNING - THE SICILIAN TRAIN BLUES

Don't know much about Roger Manning apart from him being some part of an anti folk hero.  This song was the kick off track off from an SST Acoustic compilation from 1991.



Roger Manning - The Sicilian Train Blues 

 

UK Decay - For My Country

3rd single by UK Decay. And I'm pretty sure Rodney from Only Fools wore one of their t-shirts once.

 

 

UK Decay - For My Country