Curated by Monk
Welcome to the second of what was originally intended to be the second of two special back-to-back editions of the Singles Club, focusing exclusively on acts and artists from right here in the Über Kingdom of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Yes, such is the wealth of talent, and the absolute tsunami of new releases, covering almost every imaginable genre and sub-genre, from this particular corner of the Überverse that we are now having to run this special feature over THREE consecutive weekends! And, with the rate that submissions continue to come our way, I reckon we might be planning a further edition in the not too distant future… So, without further ado, let’s get those discs a spinning and jump straight into our eclectic playlist, shall we?
Our first destination on our whirlwind tour is Falmouth, where we meet some Holiday Ghosts, who are taking us on a trip aboard their ‘B Truck’, on which the mine a rich vein of British pop and rock legacies, from The Kinks to Alex Chilton to produce an unadulterated, unclean, unabashed, uncompromising, lean and primitive rock n roll spirit:
A change in location and mood as we head to Yorkshire, where we are ushered into the company of the HOST, the new darkwave project from Nick Holmes and Greg Mackintosh of Paradise Lost. The pair have just released a remix of their debut single ‘Tomorrow’s Sky’ by US synthwave producer GOST, which surges with a brooding, yet irresistibly danceable energy:
With it being Remembrance weekend, post-Britpop psychedelic rockers Kula Shaker have taken the opportunity to release their first one-off single in 15 years, a powerful cover of John Lennon’s protest anthem ‘Gimme Some Truth’. The band originally wanted to update the song’s lyrics to make them more relevant to the current climate, but Lennon’s estate refused to sanction the new version, and so we have chief Shaker Crispin Mills adding his own twist to the original words:
We’re heading north to Tyneside next, where Newcastle noisemakers Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs are inviting us to book a trip to the ‘Land Of Sleeper’ – which just happens to be the title of their new album, which is due next February. As a taster, they are introducing us to ‘Mr Medicine’, with this short, sharp shot of adrenaline to the system:
Things are getting steadily louder, as we find ourselves Hellfekted. These young thrash-infused death dealers (or should that be death-dealing thrashers?) are celebrating the ‘Death Of Iron’ with their just-released new single, their first new material since 2020’s highly promising ‘Woe To The Kingdom Of Blood’ debut album:
Originally hailing from Yorkshire but now based in south London, Deadletter walk a punk-rope tightrope that runs from Gang Of Four to Talking Heads, with elements of fuzzed out nu-wave prog thrown in for good measure: no wonder they’ve just finished a successful run with Placebo, who are another band they strongly reference:
There’s an element of post-punk to our next selection, along with psychedelia-inflected power pop sensibilities interspersed with synthwave grooves. Big Slice are throwing everything ‘Up In The Air’ with the very retro-feeling lead single from their forthcoming second album:
Liverpool’s Real Terms have been doing it on their own terms, and making some pretty damn big waves in the process, as evidenced that they have been picked up by mathcore specialists Delta Sleep as one of the first signings for their new Sofa Boy Records venture. The first fruit of the collaboration is proof that the ‘Veil Is Thinner’ when you amalgamate alt-rock with folk influences:
Next up, one of the hottest bands in the ÜK at the moment is undoubtedly Employed To Serve, and they once again are proving that their star is most definitely, and defiantly, in the ascendancy as the plot the angst-filled journey many of us face from ‘Sun Up To Sun Down’:
Our next stop on our trek around the Über Kingdom is the ever-fertile breeding ground of Manchester, where gutter punks The Battery Farm are sharing their tale of ‘Poet Boy’ with this ferocious slice of old-school punk, Krautrock and pure, unadulterated, enjoyable noise:
Norwich is our next destination, where post-hardcore combo Other Half are inviting us to enjoy some ‘Jollies With The Boys’ with this sonic assault that draws on the likes of Sonic Youth, the Pixies and Converge to produce a gloriously lughole-bothering slice of joyous noisesomeness:
We return to ÜR’s birthplace next, to hook up with Cardiff punks Penny Rich, who have invited to share their ‘Last Meal’. And we’re tucking into this slice of Idles-infused, grunge-inflected sonic deliciousness with relish:
Time to enjoy the ‘Milk’ of musical kindness next, as we head into the black heart of Camden town (see what we did there?) for a pint of the white stuff with Bones UK and this acerbic, hip hop-infused anthem about the desire to live your life as freely as you can:
Darkness is closing in fast, ‘For Horror Eats The Light’ as doom duo Fvnerals provide us with the first taster of their third album, ‘Let The Earth Be Silent’, which is due at the beginning of February. It’s a dense listen, encompassing themes of depression, isolation and despair, as well as the inevitability of fate. One thing is for certain, and this is that this Brighton-based partnership will be far from silent for some time to come:
One band determined not to go silently are prog legends Uriah Heep, who will be creating soundscapes of ‘Chaos & Colour’ at the beginning of 2023 with the release of their 25th album. Lead single ‘Save Me Tonight’ sees Mick Box and co. once again collaborating with Jeff Scott Soto to prove that, even after 50+ years, there is still plenty of life in their musical bones:
We return to the south coast, where the Lambrini Girls are celebrating their signing to the wonderful Big Scary Monsters label with the appeal ‘Help Me I’m Gay’, which pokes a viscerally-defiant finger at the misguided conversionist movement. This is the song which singer/guitarist Phoebe Lunny used to come out to her mum during a live show in their home town of Brighton… well, what better way to do it than with a driving punk anthem for the new generation:
We’re traversing the country faster than an intercity express, as we head north again, this time to hook up with 21-year old Halifax songstress Ellur, who continues to build the momentum she has generated in recent months with the declaration ‘Now I’m Alone’, via this affecting and deeply personal ballad about growing into adulthood and isolation. The vulnerability of the subject matter is reflected in the melancholic and stark instrumentation, which is made-up of lightly effected piano and atmospheric electronics, which weave and contort around Ellur’s emotive lyrics:
We’re staying in Yorkshire but making the short trip to Macclesfield, where Between Thorns are declaring that they ‘Can’t Let Go’ with this latest track from their debut EP. It sounds like this quintet won’t be letting go of our aural cortexes, or being ‘Left Behind’ any time soon, as said EP has already racked up 1.5 million streams on Spotify:
It’s a hop, skip and a jump up to Hull now, where noise punks Bug Facer have been ripping things up for a while now, and look set to continue to do so with new single ‘Horsefly’, which is described by the band as conjuring up images of being trapped in a medieval prison or stuck in a box. The result is a suitably claustrophobic but ultimately hopeful sound:
We’re moving at such pace I think I’m about to ‘Lose It’ – and I can think of no better soundtrack than this, the immersive and hypnotic third single to be lifted from ‘9’, the latest album from the ever talented and innovative Takeaway Thieves… just leave my pastie supper alone guys, or you’ll have the wolf to answer to!
“Nobody ever found love waiting for you” is the background premise to another change in mood, with this melancholic break up song from Jemma Freeman and The Cosmic Something, which truly will tug at the heartstrings of those a bit less emotionally concreted-in that your ÜR team. A damn fine wee song nonetheless:
We’re into our final straight now, and we’re turning back the rock ‘n’ clock once more, this time with old-school punk legends Ruts DC, who once again that they remain a constant and vibrant force with a brand new album, released this very weekend, celebrating our ‘Counterculture’. Want to know what to expect? Well, here’s the title track…
For our penultimate offering, we’re delving deep into a ‘Grave Mind’ with the latest offering from the recently revamped Dissonants. A line-up change has given the band a new sense of purpose and direction, as this excellent track more than clearly demonstrates:
For our final track this week, we welcome back a regular visitor to the URHQ bar, in the former of the inimitable and ever hard-working Stevie R Pearce, who has also brought along his latest band of Hooligans for a few beer-soaked old-school riffs… You don’t need to be an ‘Educated Guesser’ to figure out that there’s no better way to round off this edition of the Singles Club:
Well, that’s yer lot for this week. We’ll be back in just seven short days with another selection of the finest tunes from this ‘ere Über Kingdom of Rock ‘n Roll. Until then, keep ‘er lit, keep ‘er between the hedges and keep on rockin’ with the website that tickles the parts of the trolls no other can dream of reaching \m/
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