Curated by Monk
It’s feckin’ warm outside, but it’s even hotter in the ÜRHQ dungeon, where the sounds are so feckin’ hot the smoke alarms are going off every 30 seconds and the local fire brigade are on 24 hour standby… Yes,, here we are, batterin’ and breezin’, poundin’ ‘n’ pummellin’, stompin’ ‘n’ strollin’ our way into the dirty heart and soul of another busy rockin’ ‘n’ rollin’ month here in the Überverse…
We’ve the death decks fully cranked up, and the amps set so loud that the Trumpinator is threatening to declare them a weapon of mass distraction and launch a tactical strike on the dank back alleys of Belfast… but, we know he secretly struts around the Oval Office in his tightest orange spandex, bangin’ along to each and every playlist, so we invite you to join him (and us), grab a chilled beer or three, turn your woofers and tweeters up to neighbour-enlightening volume, settle into your favourite studded leather armchair and enjoy our latest selection of the hottest aural delights to have come our way over the past seven days:
Bees Made Honey In The Vein Tree ‘Departure’ (Magnetic Eye Records)
We kick off with our award for “best band name of the week” thanks to this first taste of the upcoming new album from the German shoegaze quartet, which will see them marching ‘In Between Strides‘ when it is released in mid-September:
Dance Commander ‘Coming Alive’ (SODEH Records)
Their name may evoke images of a Seventies disco throwback, but these Swedish alt-rockers blend gritty, sleazy rock energy with polished Scandinavian precision and a shit tonne of ÜR-approved swagger, and they’re definitely living up to the title of their latest offering:
Downturn ‘Bloodshot’ (Self-Released)
Just six weeks after kicking off our playlist with their last offering, this melocore mob once again kick in our heavily secured studio doors with this latest sonic attack:
First Fifty Feet ‘Mirrors’ (SODEH Records)
The Californian psychological post-metal heavyweights confront generational inheritance and address how we turn into our parents on thihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDxwuD6TxMEs latest standalone offering, which marks their second appearance on the Club playlist in less than as many months:
Frequency Overload ‘Sunburn’ (SODEH Records)
While it’s title may suggest a risk we’re all running during the current heatwave, this grunge-inflected slice of hardcore/thrash crossover tells the deeply personal story of a 30+ year long search by the New York groovers’ frontman:
Mad Max ‘Silver’ (ROAR)
The first in a pair of back-to-back classic German melodic rock offerings sees these veterans playing with the hands of time as they unite both their new singer and their original one, reuniting with the band after a 45-year gap, on this first taste of their upcoming 15th studio album, due at the beginning of September:
Mob Rules ‘Balance Of Power’ (ROAR)
The German melodic power metal veterans will be reciting ‘Stories From The Verdant Vale‘ with the release of their new album next month:
Neil James Parkinson ‘Alive’ (Self-Released)
The Scottish songwriter returns to our playlist after an extended absence with another example of his southern nu-rock-infused blend of acoustic folk rock:
Rezn ‘Aerial Birth’ (Sargent House)
The Chicago cosmic psych-doomsters will be taking us through the journey that is ‘Cycles In The Infinite Dream‘ with the release of their latest album at the tail end of this month:
Richie Cross ‘By Design’ (SODEH Records)
The Las Vegas alt-punker continues the build up to the release of his debut solo album, which will see him ‘Bridging The Gap’ when it is released this time next month:
Wealthy Women ‘Shit Breaks’ (Self-Released)
Our final offering comes from this new post-punk duo who deliver powerful statements on the world as they see it, in this case addressing the issue of spousal abuse on this lead track from their upcoming debut album, due early next month:
So, there you have it, our latest selections to both kick off a new rockin’ ‘n’ rollin’ month in… well, rockin’ ‘n’ rollin’ style. We’ll be back same time, same place next week, with another selection of the finest tunes which will have been embracing our eardrums in the intervening period. And don’t forget to check out our daily picks as well… In the meantime, keep ‘er lit, keep ‘er between the hedges and keep on Über Röckin’ in the free world \m/