The Uber Rock Singles Club – May 2016
Written by Dom Daley & Gaz Tidey
Sunday, 29 May 2016 03:20
Uber Rock Singles Clubs seem to be coming thick and fast these days but every month just as soon as I think the 45s are drying up I’m hit by a deluge of singles to spin and in ever increasing formats from the wonderful plastic 7″ pieces of wax to digital only releases to ones on memory sticks. We’re a broad church here at URHQ and as long as new music is coming we’ll keep writing. As to what has become the norm around these parts those loveable scamps The Hip Priests hit us up with not only one single but two!! And believe it or not but the latest release is possibly better than anything previously released by these reprobates we kid you not! So here’s Dom Daley to get the ball rolling with Gaz Tidey adding some old school glam rock rear-guard action….
The Hip Priests – ‘Golden Black’ (No Balls Records)
Single number “God knows how many” from The Hip Priests and if it’s actually possible for these reprobates to get any better just wait until you wrap your lugholes around these two mother fucking tunes! ‘Golden Black’ has some exceptional backing vocals to just sort of stamp that exclamation mark on what is one hell of a song. From the end of days bass sound on the intro through to the breakdown to those saucy backing vocals this is da bomb kids! As good a single as these thugs have ever penned. If the A side wasn’t enough though they only went and penned a B side, ‘Livin’ Breathin’ Lightnin” that’s rocket fuelled pure 100% rock n roll oxygen. From Lee Love’s bass, that doesn’t so much poke you in the chest as more like stamp on the fucker to Austin Rocket’s fluid finger blastin’ solos this song sees singer Von Cruz boss proceedings like a raging lunatic and their new secret weapon that is the fresh flesh – Joe hammers it on the drums. As good as a single can get. Join the Spasm Gang by clicking this link and pick up the limited edition but be quick!
Lucifer Star Machine – ‘Your Love Remains’ (Self Destructo Records)
A brand new offering from the now German based Lucifer Star Machine on Self Destructo sees a rather sprightly opener in the shape of brand new song ‘Your Love Remains’ with a very nice pace about proceedings it’s got a great hook on the chorus and is more evidence that Lucifer Star Machine has got it going on. The B side is their interpretation of the Youth Brigade song ‘Breakdown’ and a mighty fine take it is. If you want in with the cool kids this is another that should be on your buy now list!
Imperial State Electric – ‘Read Me Wrong’ (Psychout Records)
The first glimpse at what’s to come next from Imperial State Electric is this three track 12″ that features two originals and the band’s take on The Contours’ classic ‘Just A Little Misunderstanding’ which fits ISE so well and is such a blast. Available on coloured vinyl the lead track on this 12”,‘Read Me Wrong’, is a great song with a real retro vibe that’s really well written and arranged with great vocals both lead and harmonies. I look forward to hearing the new album when it gets released if this is going to be the strength of songs on it. To pick up your copy hit this link!
Razorbats – ‘This High’ (Self Destructo Records)
There are a lot of people waiting on this bad boy and right here, right now, I can confirm it’s not going to disappoint anyone who thought that ‘Camp Rock’ the debut long player from Razorbatswas all killer and no filler. ‘The Hurricane’ is a ballsy rocker with a stomping verse and if Giuda thought they ruled the scene then think on….. this has balls and a great arrangement. ‘This High’ on the other hand has that familiar Razorbats feel on the chorus and distant echoes of The Undertones within some of the lyrics but it’s the sound of a band that is growing in confidence and one that knows just how good it is and how much better they could be. To finish up this three track offering there’s a dreamy ballad in the shape of ‘Born In The Fast Lane’. Doesn’t it make you sick when a band has everything in their armoury and are as good as they are when rocking out plus then when they take their foot off the gas they can cruise better than most with a perfect summer EP. Beg, steal or borrow, you need to get on the page with Razorbats – like yesterday!
City Slang – ‘Sonic Crime Wave’ (No Front Teeth Records)
Lo-fi is the new hi-fi and Chicago’s City Slang kick up a veritable shit storm on this 7″ No Front Teeth release. What a fantastic slice of raucous rock ’n’ roll. ‘Sonic Crime Wave’ is a slab of super cool punk rock ‘n’ roll as it channels the heart and soul of The Dead Boys and conjures up all sorts of mental images of a bygone era when as the sun went down our cities came alive. ‘No Love In War’ is more of the same basically, and there’s no denying that City Slang have a fire in their bellies and their only weapons are their instruments and songs. ‘My Degeneration’ is also a blast from start to finish with gang vocals, slashing solos that just blast off when they feel like, and a truly thunderous rhythm section to wrap it all up. Oh and there’s some cool handclaps on the breakdown to make this a mighty fine single. Buy it HERE!
The Grim Imperials – ‘Sounds Of Lost America’ (Self Released)
San Diego baby, it’s the place that’s happening for The Grim Imperials and their uber cool garage punk sounds. This four track EP is available from Bandcamp as are their previous recordings and I urge anyone with the slightest taste in rock ‘n’ roll to hot foot it over there to check ‘em out. ‘Goin Down (Big Red Cloud)’ Is like a modern day Gunfire Dance with added organs. The riff is sleazy as are the vocals and the song is a driving grinding rhythm machine that whets the whistle perfectly for ‘Gotta Job’ which is a more traditional garage workout with some great lyrics about Shitsville USA, which is something we can all associate with. These cats beg steal and borrow riffs, licks and grooves from the good and the great and that’s cool with me as long as the end product is as good as these four thumping tunes. Appealing to that degenerate corner of your head, The Grim Imperials play loud, greasy rock ‘n’ roll with a blatant disregard for the status quo!
The Hip Priests/King Mastino/The Chuck Norris Experiment/Bitch Queens – ‘Alice Cooper Split’ (Ghost Highway/442eme Rue/Beluga Records/Woimasointu/Lux Noise/Strange Magic)
Phew that’s some heading right there but then it’s some split. Four bands all paying homage to Alice Cooper in the best possible way by picking a song and giving it a unique make over. Chuck Norris Experiment take on ‘Keepin’ Halloween Alive’ whilst King Mastino give ‘Be My Lover’ a good seeing too. I’m afraid though that it’s the fork tongue side that has this judge’s decision by a knockout as those kings of the 7″ format, The Hip Priests, freshen up ‘Is It My Body’ and own the bloody classic. Then their tour buddies and flip side friends Bitch Queens take ‘I’m Eighteen’ to Basel and make it their own for what has to be heard to be believed. To be fair though all four bands play a blinder and make this an absolute must own single. These will be available in several colours, mine just happens to be serpent blood red, but there are other colours and collectors will soon be hunting them down to make them extinct, so go pick one up before they’re all gone.
Rough Kids – ‘Lights Out’ (Episode Sounds)
A Japanese release sees Rough Kids put out a 7″ single with exclusive track on the B side. ‘Lights Out’ is taken from the new LP and Tsubasa handles vocals on what is a great single. With a stomping beat it’s a real flash of punk rock n rollin’ power pop anthem with a great hook on the chorus some top riff-age and guitar hook, These Los Angeles based boys are kicking ass and you’d be a fool to miss out. Taken from the bands new long player the B side is exclusive to this single release. You can pick up a copy – HERE!
The Alfas – ‘A Feather From Yesterday’ (Beluga Records)
A psychedelic slab of wax from Sweden courtesy of those lovely people at Beluga Records.
The Alfas have a flared cuban heeled boot on the monitor wedge as they rock and roll through these two tracks. ‘Slide Machine’, the B side here, being a cover of the 13th Floor Elevators done exceedingly well I must say.
The Branded – ‘Angry v’s Brickwall’ (Beluga Records)
How about another slab of 60s inspired garage rock with plenty of grunt to finish off my selection of 7”ers for this edition of The Uber Rock Singles Club? It was only a few months ago we first featured The Branded, and well they’re back with something that would make a great bedfellow of Dr Feelgood. Well that’s certainly what the short but sweet side ‘Angry’ reminds me of. This sickly sweet yellow(ish) vinyl also throws up the fiery ‘Brickwall’ that is well worth checking out if only for the kick in the guts bass rumble and the cool guitar solo. Another great 45 from Beluga Records!
(Dom Daley)
Easy Action – ‘Drop The Bomb’ (Monty Music)
Legendary Swedish glam outfit Easy Action reunited for an appearance at Sweden Rock 2006 and laid down tracks for a new album, to be called ‘Looking Up Your Old Address’, in 2009. The album remains unreleased, but ‘Drop The Bomb’, the song close enough to completion to warrant release, is now available as a single. Only singer Zinny Zan and guitarist Kee Marcello remain, but the song, originally written in 1984 for the band’s second album, smacks of prime Scandinavian cock rockin’ sleaze. Poison will rip it off immediately.
Diamond Rexx – ‘Dead’ (Pavement Music)
Oft-forgotten Chicago metal crew Diamond Rexx have actually been releasing records since regrouping at the turn of the Millennium. A full-on reunion show where 1986 debut album, ‘Land of the Damned’, will be played in its entirety has been announced, a new single, ‘Dead‘, released to coincide. The single hits hard in a style reminiscent of Wednesday 13’s ‘Monsters of the Universe’ album, the subject matter only adding to the ghoulish darkness of the track. These dudes always rocked harder than their glam look hinted at – expect nothing different here.
(Gaz Tidey)
And there we must leave it for another edition of the Uber Rock Singles Club. See you all next month for another vinyl packed edition of the show you hope will never end.