Curated by Monk
Welcome to another edition of the Über Rock Singles Club, which we have managed to keep up-and-running despite the numerous Covidications which we all have had to endure over the past 20 months, in order to bring you the hottest new sounds around. And once again we have another hitlist of superb sonic experiences to tickle you sonic senses, with 17 of my favourite tunes to have found their way on to the ÜRHQ deathdecks over the course of the past fortnight…
It’s blowing a gale outside the Club doors, but we’re taking our life in our hands by heading over to the Windy City, and America’s second city when it comes to downright sleazy garage glunk. The Poison Boys introduced us to their Stones-worshipping take on the genre earlier this year, when they related us the tale of a ‘Speedway Girl’; now they’re back, with the title track of their forthcoming second album – but why would we turn our backs on damn fine rock ‘n’f’n’ roll such as this? Precisely…
We’re boarding the Amtrak and heading east to Detroit for a dose of the sort of power blues for which the city is famed. This time it is delivered by The Lucid Furs, who have invited us down to their local ‘Five Finger Disco’ with this funked-up, soul-infused psyched-out latest sample from their just released third album. ‘Damn! That Was Easy’. Oh sorry, that’s the title of the album…
We’re back in the Über Kingdom next, and DQ is running for cover, as she’s arachnaphobic and the renascent Black Spiders have just rocked up to the death decks with their latest single, on which they relate how they were ‘Stabbed In The Back’… wasn’t us, honest lads…
A total change in mood now, as power metal heroes DragonForce are back on the attack – and sticking their tongues even further into their cheeks with the wonderfully hair metal-infused ‘Strangers’, which comes with a suitably in(s)ane retro video that perfectly matches the fun, Eighties-invoking feel of the track:
Time to get inside your heads next, and that is exactly what Death Blooms do with the latest single from their fuck-off/fuck-you heavy as fuck debut album, which pummelled its way onto our death decks at the end of last month. This is another example of why DB are one of the most shit-hot and fastest rising bands on the ÜK circuit at the moment… life is certainly a lot less painful with bands like this around:
Irish post-punks M(h)aol may be complaining that no one ever talks to them, but we’ll gladly listen to what they have to say if they continue to produce beautiful noise such as this and the accompanying EP, the sublime ‘Gender Studies’, which was written and recorded in just three days:
We’re heading back across the Irish Sea, from one black pool to another, to hook up with emo crüe Boston Manor, who prove that the desperate times of the past two years have resulted in some ‘Desperate Pleasures’ with this sample from their newly released “comeback” EP:
We’re all too painfully aware of the excesses of capitalism, but if we needed any reminding then French grindcore proponents Massive Charge have done just that, with typically aggressive brevity, on the lead single from their forthcoming, and wonderfully dedicated, ‘For Those We Hate’ album…
Another change in pace but an equally declarative challenge, as MMA fighter turned blues-rock superhero Kris Barras tells us to fall in line or get out of his way as he parades his way onto our hitlist who comes off the back of his recent tour with Black Stone Cherry with the anthemic first single from his latest album – next March is a long way away, but we’re sure it will be worth the wait if this track is anything by which to judge:
The Ghosts Of Sunset have haunted the Club on a couple of previous occasions, and now they’re back to do so again, with their invitation to look them up if we’re down their way… well, they’ve come to us, so they’ve saved us a trip and at the same time treated us to their latest slice of catchy, retro pop-rock:
We’re staying on the other side of the pond, and returning to the home of quality garage pop, Boston, where the ever charming The Shang Hi Los are marking Thanksgiving weekend by recalling the spirit of ‘Plymouth Rock’ on their latest slice of poptastic goodness:
We’re graced with some true heavy metal royalty now, as the mighty Vardis, who’ve played more gigs than many of us have had double JDs, are still proving that they have plenty of fire in their bellies and fuel in their tanks after almost 50 years of banging heads and ripping the roofs off venues, as they show as they go again on this preview of their forthcoming live album:
One album that is definitely, and defiantly, going to be standing loud and proud in the upper reaches of my #AOTY list in a few short weeks’ time is the towering ‘Infernum In Terra’ by New York doom mongers A Pale Horse Named Death. One of the highlight tracks is the dark, morose and brooding ‘Slave To The Master’, which has just been released as the latest single:
OK, let’s lift the mood a bit – although how someone named Grim Deeds could do might seem a bit strange… but then, this enigmatic ‘90s pop-punk nerd is the driving force behind The Gungans… yes, like me, he also loves the much-dissed Jar Jar Binks, to whom he once again pays tribute on the hilariously brilliant ‘Ode To Naboo’. What’s that? It’s a parody, you say… well, knock me over with a landspeeder, I never would have guessed! 😊
Another one-man project next, this time in the immersive Celldweller, who combines doom with drum and bass, scratching and djent to show how the ‘Blind Lead The Blind’ into what could have been a chaotic blend but instead holds itself together, albeit with a sense of impending implosion:
Our penultimate offering sees us turning more or less full circle, with another slice of Seventies-evoking glitter rock, this time from the Dangereens, who are teaching us the steps to the ‘Love Jive’ with a lovely little ditty which is guaranteed to have us dancing out the door and down the street… Cheers bais…
Kevin has been furiously ringing the bell for last orders, so it’s time to get the fuck outta here, and who better to send us on our way than Sweden’s premier glunksters, Crazy Lixx, who once again proving that they’re ‘Street Lethal’ with the title track of their latest album? Yes, I thought so…
Well, that’s your lot for another week. We’ll be back again in a fortnight with another selection of the finest tunes to have tickled our eardrums between now and then, so in the meantime all that remains for me to say is keep ‘er lit, keep ‘er between the hedges and keep on rockin’ with your favourite website \m/
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