Curated by Monk
So, here we are at the halfway point of the year, the busiest yet here at the club with hundreds of new releases profiled and exposed to the public domain via both our main openings – of which this is the third this month – and our hugely popular #DailyPick feature, which has allowed us to bring so much more quality music into the spotlight of aural appreciation…
OK, that’s enough of the twat-waddling, let’s get down to the serious business of blasting some quality tunage (and washing them down with a pint or three of ice cold cider or maybe an IPA or four), shall, we? Well, if you insist…
Sarah And The Safe Word ‘Pornstar Martini’ (Take This To Heart Records)
Coining the phrase “cabaret punk” to describe their mix of vaudeville, musical theatricality and 70s style garage attitude, transporting the spirit of a smoky speakeasy into a sweat-soaked basement, SATSW deliver with aplomb and panache, never once losing site of the need to back up the entertainment value with that of a catchy riff and memorable hook. It is indeed a heady cocktail:
VCS ‘Pharmakeia’ (Self-Released)
These LA punk rock newcomers may be #ViolatingCommunityStandards (to give them their full name) of other media outlets, but certainly not ours when it comes to this uncompromising, full-throttle potent blend of old-school hardcore punk, skatepunk and crossover thrash. These guys can violate our standards, and our eardrums, any fucking time they want:
The Funeral Portrait ‘Suffocate City’ (Better Noise Music)
The first band paying a return visit to the Club’s death decks, these theatrical emo rockers have teamed up with Ice Nine Kills frontman Spencer Charnas for this suitably claustrophobic yet enervating latest slice of what we can expect from their new album, due later this year:
For Closure ‘Careful What You Wish For’ (Mindpower Records)
Despite their warning, we could not be less careful when it comes to wishing for quality power poptasticness, which is exactly what this LA combo, fronted by Gizz Lazlo (former drummer of U.K. Subs, Dr. Know and The Freeze) deliver on this potent lesson in the longevity of the artform we all know and love so passionately:
Party Dozen ‘The Big Man Upstairs’ (Temporary Residency Ltd)
Anyone fancy a dose of saxcore? Hang on there buddy, have we just invented a new subgenre? Probably not, but we don’t give fve flying ones as this Nick Cave-approved Sydney duo continue to push boundaries and extrapolate new expressions with this suitably turbulent reflection on a seismic-shifting period in Australia’s history:
Pretty Ltd ‘I Get So Excited’ (Sel-Released)
We’ve a trio of acts from the Emerald Isle up next. We first came across this Dublin trio in April when they proved it was #Easy to introduce us to their self-styled brand of “velourcore”. This time around they once again are trading on their tongue-in-cheek late ‘90s pop aesthetic and a typically razor sharp Irish craic with another slice of suitably retrospective college pop rock a la Weezer et al:
Longstryde ‘Superhuman’ (Self-Released)
Family is a red thread that runs throughout the veins of this brotherhood of Ricky and Tommy, brought back together after years apart to take this new musical journey which undoubtedly will see them taking massive steps forward in the not too distant future:
Huntings ‘Doom’ (Self-Released)
The third and final contribution in our Irish triptych comes from another pair of brothers who weave melody amongst the crashing drums and swathes of distortion in a way that evokes the grunginess of Nirvana as much as it does the dank gothic electronics of nascent Joy Division into a powerful blend of dark and brooding alt-punk misanthropy:
The Toshers ‘Beating Wild’ (Bishop Street Records)
We keep the Celtic themem(well, kinda loosely) going as these German punk ‘n’rollers get our hearts a pumpin’ and our feet a tappin’ with this infectious debut offering:
Shiva May Care ‘Falling Down’ (Self-Released)
These multi-cultural punk ‘n’ roll Manchester groovers draw from The Hives, QOTSA and The Hellacopters definitely, and defiantly, won’t be living up to the title of this delicious taster from their forthcoming second EP, due later this year… we’re already liking our lips with anticipation:
The Cocktail Slippers ‘I Still Dream You/’Jungle’ (Wicked Cool Records)
Another of the fantastic young bands being championed by the wickedly cool (sic) Steve Van Zandt (who also co-wrote both the songs on this old school double A-side release), these Norwegians deliver an electrifying concoction of classic-style retro rock mixed with an ABBA-esque pop sensibility and a garage blues edge:
No Motiv ‘Pieces’ (Wiretap Records)
It’s hard to believe that it’s been 13 years since we had any new music from these SoCal post-hardcore/punk/emo vets, but even though it was recorded remotely by the individual members it’s good to have them back recording together and resetting the bar for the genre:
Mad Painter ‘Empty Bottles’ (Self-Released)
We’re turning the clock back to the heady days of the early Seventies, when glam rock, proto-punk, heavy metal and psychedelia sat comfortably side-by-side, just as they do on this latest offering from these crazy artists (sic) who definitely have their collective feet planted very firmly in the past yet manage to apply a fresh coat of acrylic/oil/watercolour (whatever your choice of medium may be):
Creeping Jean ‘Always At My Door’ (Mature Charlton/Townsend Music)
These Brighton beys have been kicking their cowboy boots against the Club doors for some time now, and we’ve finally let them in to share their fiery brand of southern England-infused retro rock, as this track – inspired by a weird woman who stalked them during the recording of their upcoming debut album. plying them with nutmeg, sardines and candles in the process – exemplifies. The band are currently finishing a European run with Rival Suns and can be seen at Steelhouse, Tramlines and Kendal Calling festivals over the summer, as well as a hometown headline show on 7 August.
Wrex ‘Heaven’s Gate’ (Self-Released)
We stay in Brighton as the south coast once again proves that it is producing some of the most exciting and innovative music around at the moment, and this young duo add to that energy and excitement with this invigorating slice of noisy post-punk with a surprisingly ethereal feel:
Fucked Up ‘Another Day’ (Fucked Up Records)
We’ve had extended sojourns in Ireland and Brighton, now we have the first of two contributions from the vibrant and eclectic Canadian scene, as this Toronto combo with the most spam filter unfriendly name we’ve come across in some time celebrate the virtues of the planet’s favourite plant on this addictive title track from their upcoming new album:
Turbo ‘No Savior’ (Self-Released)
You can’t beat a bit of good old-fashioned pissed-off (and pissed-up) thrash metal, and that is exactly what this Nova Scotia quartet serve up on this anthemic warning shot from their imminent, and declarative, second album, due in less than two weeks’ time:
Pollyanna Blue ‘Vultures’ (Self-Released)
We’ve been championing this Bristol alt-rock trio for quite a few months now, and this third release of 2024 makes it something of a triple whammy for Zoe Collins and the beys, following on from their two previous #DailyPick selections, and they certainly keep the momentum building for a hugely successful year:
The Petal Falls ‘Will The World Stop Turning’ (Self-Released)
The answer to the question asked in the title of this late offering from persistently hard-working London singer-songwriter Keith Leahy is definitely not, at least not any time soon, as he once again draws on his love of the late Eighties/early Nineties guitar-driven pop scene,as evinced by the likes of Simple Minds, INXS, Big Country and The Alarm for this pleasant and suitably radio-friendly offering:
Electric Temple ‘Big Black Hole’ (Self-Released)
The constituent members of this new “supergroup” may have played the corporate game for many years but this project sees Andrew Freeman (Last in Line, Lynch Mob, Offspring), Mike Duda (W.A.S.P.), Matt Starr (Ace Frehley, Mr. Big, KIX) and Tony Childs (Shanghai) ploughing a defiantly independent path with this impressive debut offering which showcases their individual talents to superb collective effect:
Bones Owens ‘Summer Skin’ (Black Ranch Records/Thirty Tigers)
What better way to round off this edition of the Club than with a soothing shot of balmy summer reminiscence, washed down with a smooth blend of vintage agave-infused avant-garde pop retrospective restoration? No, we can’t think of one either, which is why we’re leaving you in the company of this charismatic Nashville troubadour, who will be making #LoveOutOfLemons when he releases his debut album next month:
Well, that’s us for the first half of this Über Rockin’ ‘n’ Rollin’ year. We’ll see you next month – well, tomorrow – for another #DailyPick, and we’ll be back behind the bar in two weeks’ time, with both the barrels and optics brimmed full of top shelf tunes for your aural delectation. In the meantime, don’t forget that all of our selections are available to stream, without the distraction of my random ramblings, on our YouTube channel. So, until we meet again on the third stool on the left, keep ‘er lit, keep ‘er between the hedges and keep on Über Rockin’ in the free world \m/
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