The Uber Rock Singles Club – April 2015
Written by Dom Daley & Johnny H
Saturday, 11 April 2015 03:20
Welcome back ladies and germs. I like nothing more than a slab of thick wax in my hands and 7″ is just about the perfect size, eh readers? It’s the perfect format for discovering new bands and it’s tactile and collectible as hell, especially if you treat it right. This month brings out some regulars and a few we’ve crammed in even though they have broken the golden rule (and released their product on bloody CD or worse…digitally!) but those who also clearly love the vinyl format once again don’t disappoint with an exceptional standard of releases covered this time around by ‘Spinmaster’ Dom Daley and (as always bringing up the rear) Johnny H-Bomb.
The No Tomorrow Boys – ‘Who Killed Johnny’ (Hound Gawd Records)
Oh yeah what a great sleazy way to get this Singles Club up and running. Portland is rock and rolling with this fantastic tune from The No Tomorrow Boys. I don’t think we do ever find out who did kill Johnny but if this is the soundtrack then I’m all up for re-opening the case. This is cool as you like as this old school crew get down to it and rock and roll over with a fantastic overdriven slice of rawk ‘n’ roll. Pressed on clear vinyl it also contains the Chuck Berry influenced Bob Seger cover the hyper sped up ‘Get Out Of Denver. C’mon kids you don’t need me to tell you this is the nuts, just get your mom’s credit card out and head over to Hound Gawd and pick up your copy. Whilst you’re at it you could do a lot worse than go for double trouble and get the latest 7″ from Born Loose.
Born Loose – ‘I Loathe You’ (Hound Gawd Records)
“Fucking hell!” I think I’ve burst an ear drum as Born Loose are most definitely in the house and thrashing it out like maniacs. The lead track of this two track single is the ultimate nihilistic, bombastic kick to the temple you’re likely to get this year. There is no time for messing as Born Loose simply don’t have the time to fuck about, it’s hell for leather bullshit free sped up glunk rock par excellence. The screams are the icing on the cake. “Nurse, Nurse, the Valium please”. If you thought the A side was a belter then side two might not be quite so frantic but ‘Today’s The Day’ has some of the best screaming I’ve heard on any record in a long long time. Simply fantastico just buy it!
Cyanide Pills – ‘Government’ (Damaged Goods)
Like a punk rock peacock Leeds’ favourite sons Cyanide Pillscome out of the traps with their pre-election ode to the UK coalition government as they strut with some super groovy guitar riff-a-rama all wrapped around another catchy chorus and razor sharp lyrics. I’ve yet to hear this band make anything less than an excellent record, they just seem to have the ability to release quality after quality after quality tune and this is no exception. For a B side ‘Hit It’ gets the Chuck Berry book of guitar licks out and dishes up a sumptuous instrumental number. Sure you read that right, I like an instrumental, because there are no lyrics to this beauty but there is the odd homage to Johnny Thunders in the style of the guitar run down and Chuck himself would approve of those string bending licks. Again the high standard of singles to grace my wheels of steel this month is immense. You can get your copy via Damaged Goods.
The DeRellas – ‘Rock N Rollercoaster’ (Crushworld Records)
The opening track off their Uber Rock approved Second album, The DeRellas release their first single that just happens to be the opening track off ‘Slam! Bam!’ The trashy anthemic ‘Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster’ is a floor tom, hand clap classic. It aint about sophistication baby its about having a great time and this certainly delivers. Flip it over for the B side of first albums version of ‘She’s A Pistol’ and brand new tune ‘Day Of The Dead’ which is almost an instrumental apart from some backing vocals and a chorus of the title. It’s a ghoulish slab of trashy glunk and I love it. The DeRellas are great at what they do and if you fancy a quick sample of what they’re about then this is a great introduction into their world and one I’d highly recommend. Available soon from http://thederellas.bigcartel.com/
Zex – ‘Wanderlust’ / ‘Escape This Life’ (No Front Teeth Records)
Ottawa punks Zex have their latest single released on the ever reliable No Front Teeth so it was a no brainer that I was going to get a copy. When it arrived however what I wasn’t expecting was it to come accompanied by a brick weight piece of plastic that has the band logo cut into it. From a label that is always innovative and always excellent if you like trashy punky power pop then Zex are a band you’ll most definitely want to hear. ‘Wanderlust’ skips along nicely with a catchy hook on the chorus and suitably lo-fi production. But flip it over for the old school ‘Escape This Life’ coming across like a trashy Joan Jett meets X Ray Spex whilst jamming a Ramones song they don’t know the actual chords for. Most excellent noise it is too. You know the drill, head over to NFT via the link above and tell ‘em Uber Rock sent you.
Michael Jackson -Unofficial – ‘Self Titled’ (No Front Teeth)
Ha… what a fantastic band name. Coming in on heavy black vinyl this bunch of reprobates kick out the jams motherfuckers with ‘Airport’. In a blur of frantic rock and fucking roll Michael Jackson – Unofficial deliver the biz big time, but it’s the second track that gives you the rush with its fantastically sloppy punkola these bad boys are having it and the guitar solo is a thing of real beauty. Bucking the punk rock trend of no solos this one is a monster. Featuring three tracks, not the advertised two my limited edition had printed on the green acetate cover, and featuring the great artwork of Santiago Parendes this is a thing of real beauty and as wild as you want it to be. Featuring members of The Ricky C Quartet, The Tumbitas and Vertices this record will leave you in a heaving mess it’s that good. Jump on it via No Front Teeth before they all go and remember the name, and what a quality way to end my little stint this time around.
Dom Daley
The Bar Stool Preachers – ‘Self Titled’ EP (PledgeMusic)
From one self titled release to another, and for me this time around my first slab of wax is the debut release from hotly tipped Brighton ska punks The Bar Stool Preachers, something that has certainly been a long time coming. So just as it starts to feel like winter is possibly finally over the news that the 3 track multi coloured vinyl will be reaching us shortly is as welcome as a blast of the ole currant bun on me loaf of bread. I seriously cannot recommend this band highly enough largely because the music they play puts an instant sixty mile smile on my boat, and let’s face it if the likes of ‘One Fool Down’ had been penned by Rancid, instead of five guys from the South Coast of England, then the mainstream music press worldwide would be declaring the wolves as being well and truly out once more. Stand out track for me though is the band’s signature tune ‘Bar Stool Preacher’ which has a drive and energy that means you simply can’t sit still whilst listening to it. There’s also the skanking horn driven blast of ‘My Own Worst Enemy’ to get through too, and to top it all off there’s also some wonderful die cut sleeve art to make this a near perfect debut offering from a band who really are looking to be destined for big things. If you want yourself a slice of history in the making you better order yourself a copy now via the band’s PledgeMusic site.
The Slit Plasters – ‘Quick Dynamite Party’ (Chorizoloco/Roxploitation Music)
It’s been a fair few Singles Clubs since I last had a new 7” from Vatican City mentalists The Slit Plasters to review, however true to form they return with this three track red vinyl 7” going under the banner of ‘Quick Dynamite Party’. Lead track ‘The Dung Fly’ is lyrically a song all about a shit pile whilst it sounds like Jon Spencer Blues Explosion doing a ‘70s glam cover, so sonically it is anything but shit. In fact this is a white hot slab of guitar rock. A theme that continues into the cranky as fuck garage rock of B Side ‘Prof. Krazor’, which just leaves the size-ist yet sexy as fuck ‘UR Short’ to play out the EP. The single is available as always from the band via their Bandcamp page and I seriously cannot think of a better way of spending 4 Euros.
Anzi – ‘I Let You Dive’/ ‘Revival’ (Chemistry Music Enterprises)
This double A side download only single from Anzi is approximately seven days too late for it’s true spiritual home, as lead track ‘I Let You Dive’ is a throbbing piece of uber electro pop with a razor sharp alt-rock edge. Lifted, as is the B side ‘Revival’, from the Finnish born London based artiste’s soon to be released debut album ‘Black Dog Bias’ I can’t help but draw an immediate comparison to underrated US electro shock rockers gODHEAD, largely because the ex-Stereo Junks frontman bares a startlingly vocal similarity to ‘HEAD main man Jason C. Miller. I’ll be intrigued to hear the full album when it is released on June 22nd, but until then I have this excellent digital taster to keep me dancing.
Last Great Dreamers – ‘Supernature Natural’ (Self Released)
For those of you who perhaps missed out on ‘Crash Landing In Teenage Heaven’, the magical second album from glunk rock dandies Last Great Dreamers, when it was released late last year. Here is your chance to redeem your street cred by taking an almost risk free punt on a real winner of a track from the aforementioned album, available for just 99p via download only. Remember those hours you spent as a teenager staring at the gatefold of ‘Alive II’ wishing you could be in the band, well ‘Supernature Natural’ really is the stuff of teenage boys and girls dreams because with Slyder, Marc, Ian and Ginge they operate an all-inclusive kind of band code where everyone is invited to join the party…you just have to get it to be in it. So with the boys also currently touring the UK you hopefully won’t have to look too far to getcha rocks off with the Last Great Dreamers, otherwise there’s always ITunes and Amazon.
Electric River – ‘BeSides The Faith & Patience’ (Self Released)
I could probably write 5,000 words on just how fantastic Electric River are, so trying to sum up this four tracker in about 100 is not going to easy, however I’ll give it a go. Originally only intended to be available at their recent shows supporting SLF, there is now a very limited amount of these beauties available from the band themselves. ‘BeSides The Faith & Patience’ then is not so much an EP of leftovers from their superb ‘Faith & Patience’ album as more of a companion piece to that record, the ER trio holding so much faith in the songs contained herein that they included two of them (‘Low Light’ and ‘32’) within their set on the aforementioned UK tour. Personally, I’d go so far as to say that the strength of the four songs on offer on this release simply further illustrate why Electric River are one of the best new bands in the UK right now, and when rock music is this good there is no way it will ever die, never mind how much the mainstream will tell you otherwise.
Johnny H
By the next time we convene for our vinyl round up there will have been another Record Store Day been and gone but those of us in the know at Uber Rock know every day is a record store day and vinyl isn’t just for EBay it’s for the turntable and it needs to be played and loved. See you next time!