Doug Tuttle - It Calls On Me In WAV - Scans are included 1A Place For You 2It Calls On Me 3Make Good Time 4These Times 5Painted Eye 6Falling To Believe 7On Your Way 8Saturday/Sunday 9Where You Will Go
Sophomore album of New Hampshire-native Doug Tuttle (ex-MMOSS). Written in 2014-2015 in Somerville, MA, ”It Calls On Me” hints at the skewed, wide-eyed ‘60s folk-pop of Lazy Smoke or Ithaca’s, mysterious, fulgent Brit-folk rock, and the ‘70s soft-rock, neatly winding in and out through Tuttle’s panoply of hallucinatory effects, buzzes, and unshakeably haunting harmonics to create a richly-textured album of sonic jewels. Tracks like "Falling To Believe" and "On Your Way" are, alone, worth the price of admission. Absolutely brilliant.
1. Fractured 2. You Turn The Hex On Me 3. Takamatsu Twist 4. C'mon And Swim 5. Believe Me Little Girl 6. Feelin' The Humidity 7. No Time To Lose 8. Doin' The Montague 9. Catch A Tiger 10. Love Is Such A Vise 11. Up On The Rooftops 12. V.I.P. 13. Bleedin' Me Down 14. Kingdom Of Nye
The Woggles in their own words :"Fractured's release in 2000 combined a number of longtime favorite songs from the Woggles live set, plus a slew of recent tunes road hardened over the past few months prior to recording. Finally making its way onto album is the show finale "Doing the Montague," in which the Gue calls out to the initiated to, "Get together and form a line, make it quick don't waste my time!" It ain't right to keep the big man waiting, especially a man with an appetite. Like he says,"Steak and chicken in breaded suits. Both of these are my favorite food groups!" While touring Japan in 1999, the Woggles were fortunate to play in Takamatsu. While there, the kids turned the band onto a new version of the number one dance craze of all time with a new twist, the "Takamatsu Twist," that is! Other highlights include rockin' and rollickin' numbers like "Believe Me Little Girl," "Love Is Such A Vise," "You Turn the Hex On Me," plus the Dan Electro penned anthem "No Time To Lose." On the dancin' side Buzz wants to let all the people know about true southern comfort in "Feelin' the Humidity." The Professor lectures on the proper treatment for celebrities, like the Woggles, in "V.I.P." and all the boys give the great Bobby Freeman a run for his money with a killer version of "C'mon and Swim." The album winds up with what should be the theme song to Art Bell's radio show "Coast to Coast." Titled the "Kingdom of Nye," the song takes you on an alien abduction through cattle mutilations and ends up in a seperate dimension!"
Paul Collins' Beat - The Beat CD Vinyl Replica Deluxe In WAV - scans are included 1. Rock N Roll Girl 2. I Don't Fit In 3. Different Kind Of Girl 4. Don t Wait Up For Me 5. You Won't Be Happy 6. Walking Out On Love 7. Work-A-Day World 8. U.S.A. 9. Let Me Into Your Life 10. Working Too Hard 11. You And I 12. Look But Don't Touch
The main selling point of this excellent CD reissue is the amazing
packaging which features a professionally reproduced mini replica
of the original full size LP jacket originally released in 1979 on
Columbia. The sound is crisp and near-perfect, demonstrating how
well these classic recordings have held up through the years. Most
hardcore fans of The Paul Collins Beat are aware that many of the
songs on this album were originally written and recorded as demos
during the existence of Paul Collins' previous bands, The Nerves
and The Breakaways. For example, Collins wrote songs such as
Working Too Hard and Across The USA while touring and
performing in The Nerves. Many of these songs were first
introduced to their respective audiences. With music videos on
MTV and international albums and tours, The Paul Collins Beat
reached a higher level of recognition than The Nerves or The
Breakaways.
Sonny Vincent - 2014 - Spiteful In Flac - Scans are included 1Dog On The Subway 2Disinterested 3Now That I Have You 4Bad Superstition 5Sidewalk Cracks 6Silver 7Beg For Love 8Macon 9Shameless Face 10Not The Same 11Wait 12Borders 13Thief Of Words 14Clouds
Fourteen Slices of sloppy rock'n' roll featuring Rat Scabies and Glen Matlock!
Peter Zaremba's Love Delegation - Spread The Word In WAV - Scans are included 1Let's Have A Good Time 2I'm Gonna Knock You Out 37 Minutes In Heaven 4Some Velvet Morning 5Turn Me On Again 6After Midnight 7Love Delegation 8Chained To Your Heart 9Shama Lama Bing Bang 10I've Been Around 11Save Me 12I'm Gonna Knock You Out (12" Remix) 13Love Delegation (7" Remix)
In 1986 and in 1988, Peter Zaremba released two albums with his side project the Love Delegation. This is the best one of the two. You'll get the second later this week!
The Byrds - The Columbia Singles '65-'67 (vinyl rip) In WAV - Scans are included
A1.Mr.Tambourine Man A2.I Knew I'd Want You A3.All I Really Want To Do A4.I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better A5.The Bells Of Rhymney A6.Chimes Of Freedom A7.She Don't Care About Time B1.It's All Over Now, Baby Blue B2.The Times They Are A-Changin' B3.Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season) B4.She Don't Care About Time B5.Set You Free This Time B6.It Won't Be Wrong B7.He Was A Friend Of Mine C1.Eight Miles High C2.Why C3.5D (Fifth Dimension) C4.Captain Soul C5.Mr. Spaceman C6.What's Happening?!?! C7.So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star C8.Everybody's Been Burned D1.My Back Pages D2.Renaissance Fair D3.Have You Seen Her Face D4.Don't Make Waves D5.Lady Friend D6.Old John Robertson D7.Goin' Back D8.Change Is Now The AMAZING Byrds in glorious MONO ripped by yours truly! What else needs to be said???
Remember where you saw it first!
"Dead End", the debut full length by Finnish rock'n' roll guitarslingers THE HUNTERS was released recently on STUPIDO RECORDS. This is certainly one of the best, rawest and sweatiest shot of sleazy rock'n'roll to come out off the Nordic countries since decades. This five piece got it all in spades: the energy, the swagger, the guitars riffs and the sing a long choruses that stick in your head for weeks. If you are looking for the twin brother to "L.A.M.F" by Johnny Thunders and The Heartbreakers, don't look any further, you just found it!! Yours truly had a little chat with lead singer EKI and Lead guitarist SONNY to know more about this band:
1) What can you tell about The Hunters? Who is playing what in the band? How long are you guys together as a band? Were you in other bands previously?
-Hunters is a standard five-piece rock and roll band consisting of Eki Hunter : vocals, Sonny Dawoud :lead guitar, Samu Skinnari : rhythm guitar, Olavi Pietiäinen : Bass and Akseli Aro : Drums. We’ve been playing together since 2007. Lead guitarists have come and gone, but when Sonny joined the band in 2009 things just clicked.
-The idea to create a band came to Eki and Samu after a night of drinking, despite Eki and Olavi hadn’t played in bands before. Previously Akke played in Third Man Down. Samu played bass in Caroline. Sonny played guitar in Ace Up The Sleeve.
2) About the debut full length record "Dead End", can you explain the choice of the title and the lack of information mentioned on the cover? Do you -on purpose- intend to stay a mystery for everybody?
-After we were done with the studio and heard the masters, the band felt like “Dead End” was the title track for us. The lack of info on the album covers is because we wanted to keep it as simple as possible. From the inner sleeve you can find the information you need.
3) To what kind of music did you listen to as a teenager and does it still influence your today
work? What was your favorite band as a teenager? Name 3 bands that you consider still have a influence on your own work today.
The influences haven’t change that much, from our work you can still hear those teenage kicks.
I’ll bet you know what I mean…If we had to name 3 bands that influenced our music today… Okay, all time favorites, not in any particular order: Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers; T.REX and The Undertones
4) Is there a main composer in the band or is everybody involved in one way or another?
-Most of the ideas are by Eki and Sonny, but all the songs are arranged by the whole band.
5) The Hunters are often compared to Hanoi Rocks, which I can agree with to a certain extend, but would it not be more accurate to say that you guys are the true heirs of the Hurriganes? Their gig in Tavastia in 1974 is a classic. Do you agree with both these comparaisons or do you consider there is way more than that?
-It’s always an honor to be compared to any band that we look up to. But if Hanoi and ‘Ganes had a child that bastard would be us. We just play straight forward rock and roll, so the listeners can make up their own minds.
6) Do you have a video on youtube featuring a track from the LP??
-We have four videos from the LP. “Dead End”, “Shivers” ,“Radio” and “Get Wrecked”
You can find them all and more from Youtube by user name HuntersRockAndRoll.
7) What can concert goers expect at a The Hunters gig? Are you playing any famous cover songs?
-Lot of energy. Lot of melodies. No samples. No playbacks, just sweat and pure rock and roll.
8) Does Helsinki, Finland have a long history of rock bands, that goes way back to the 60's? Today it seems your country is best known for its metal bands of all kinds, ain't it?
-We’ve had lots of good rock and roll bands since the 60’s, but most of them are in Finnish, with a few exceptions. Seems like Finns dig darker kinda music like metal, probably because of the depressing darkness.
9) The album is released on "Stupido records", is this a famous label in Finland??
It’s not that famous label, it is more popular among the underground music.
10) What are the plans for 2017? Are the Hunters gonna tour Europe soon?
We are writing new material constantly and our second album is bound to come. We’ve had some good reviews from the States and U.K. No booked dates yet, but we have some connections that we hope will work out. If anyone wants to see us play in their town, feel free to contact us.
The CHESTERFIELD KINGS - Here are .... (vinyl rip) In WAV -Scans are included A1.The Hustler A2.You Better Look Now A3.Outside Chance A4.I Told Those Little White Lies A5.Won't Come Back A6.I'm Coming Home A7.Expo 2000 B1.No Way Out B2.Come With Me B3.Fluctuation B4.Satisfaction Guaranteed B5.99th Floor B6.Time To Kill B7.60 Second Swinger http://www.mediafire.com/file/a3ln5o9p1d1yf1p/CHESTERFIELD_KINGS_-_Here_are_the.rar
Hailing from Montreal, Quebec, The Pale Lips is an amazing all-girl rock'n'roll quartet blending together its own brand of Bubblegum Punk/ Power Pop/ Rock n' Roll. The girls describe it very aptly as "Drippy mascara slopped rock n roll with sprinkles!"
The band's debut album, "Wanna Be Bad" was released last month on Resurrection Records from Spokane, Washington. The CD version is available from Waterslide Records (Japan). Of course this blog wanted to know a little more about these young ladies and yours truly had a nice chat with them:
1) Girls, we would like you to tell the viewers of this blog the full story of The PALE LIPS. The origins of the band, how did you meet, who is playing what, your first release "Got A Sweet Tooth"; We want to hear it all from you!
Lynn started the band in 2013, anxious to hone her drumming skills. Her buddy Jamie played bass, and Ilona joined after some cajoling from Lynn. Our friend and local karaoke queen Jackie Blenkarn was an obvious for a singer! We all bonded instantly and have been having a real hoot ever since!
2) About your full length debut "Wanna Be Bad", can you explain the choice of the title and the choice of artwork? Do you want to be seen as a band that people better not mess around with or is this all pure fun?
The title is a track from side A, and seemed the best fit for an album title. It's all for funzo! We're good bad! The cover was done by our good friend Ken MacLaurin of Ottawa, who's also done album art for the Barreracudas, First Base, a Joneses reissue from Full Breach Kicks Records (RIP), and his own band Mother's Children to name just a few. He's quite prolific, and a greatly talented dude. The illustrations on the insert were drawn by another great talent and friend, tattoo artist Vinny Ramone.
3) To what kind of music did you listen to as a teenager and does it still influence your today work? What was your favorite band as a teenager? Name 3 bands that you consider still have a influence on your own work today.
Ilona: I listened to a lot of easily accessible Epitaph and Hellcat records bands as a teenager until one day a Cramps cassette tape changed my life. After that I was able to trace the punk rock lineage back. From the record collection of teenage Ilona, three artist that still influence me would be The Cramps, New York Dolls, and Hasil Adkins.
Jackie: I went through many different phases from my early teenage years through my later ones, listening to everything from skate punk like Millencolin and Screeching Weasel, to emo bands like Saves the Day and The Get Up Kids, to Canadian indie bands like the Constantines and Death From Above 1979, to political punk like Propagandhi and Strike Anywhere. Also a huge Elliott Smith phase. But the only band that I listened to then that I still listen to with any regularity is the Ramones and maybe Nirvana (Bleach is one of my all time favourite records). Also, Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables by the Dead Kennedys was one of the very first LPs I bought and I still love and listen to it regularly. I also liked the Cramps then and now!
Jamie: I used to listen to a lot of Green Day, Rancid and skate punk too! (I secretly still do...)! And now I listen to a lot of different music, from King Tuff, Black Lips and Shannon and the Clams to all my old high school classics. There is definitely a sprinkle of influence from all of them in what we produce!
Lynn: During high school there was a lot of grunge happening so Nirvana was indeed a band I enjoyed and could listen over and over any day and still learn a lot from. My brother was into heavy metal so I have to say I pretty much listened to many styles of music. And hung out with many hippies so I got to listen to all the classic hits. Such as Kinks, CCR and the list can go on.
As for today the bands that influence me a lot today would have to be Vacation, The Spits (wayne's drumming), and definitely can't forget Ramones
4) Is there a main composer in the band or is everybody involved in one way or another?
Ilona and Jackie took the reins on most of the compositions on Wanna Be Bad. Moving forward, we are all composing!
5) Is there any video made to promote one of the songs of the albums?
Yes! You can check out videos for Wanna Be Bad and Mary-Lou Sniffin' Glue on the Youtube. We will be premiering a video for Queen of Spades shortly, so stay tuned for that!
6) What can concert goers expect at a PALE LIPS gig? Are you playing any famous cover songs?
They can expect to have a lot of fun. We always have a little **something special** for every show. We try to keep it fresh and change a little for every show.
7) Is there a new rock'n' roll scene in Montreal with JONESY and you and maybe some other bands?
There is a lil' rock n' roll scene here now, and it rules! We have the pleasure of being surrounded by SO MANY talented people and bands. Bands like Dany Laj and the Looks and Les Deuxluxes are definitely worth mentioning in the city at the moment!
8) What are the plans for 2017? Are the PALE LIPS coming over to Europe soon?
why, yes! We are coming to Europe in May and June of 2017. No details yet but you can expect to see our mugs in Spain, Germany and Italy.
9) Anything you want to add?
Thanks, eh?! And y'all can expect our next EP "Should've Known Better" out in early 2017 from the lovely folks at Surfin' Ki and Resurrection Records. We are really stoked on the songs and the artwork for this one... we can't wait to share it with you!
The Vindicators (vinyl rip) In WAV - Scans are included A1.If I Were You A2.24 Hours Everyday A3.Early In The Morning B1.I'm Gone B2.No Worries B3.Searching For My Baby
The VINDICATORS were Canada's second-best-known 60s-garage trash teens. They formed in Calgary, playing farfisa-driven 60s covers and originals. They were singer-guitarist Chris Carlson, guitarist Daaren Boreham, organist Colin Forsyth, bassist Ben Sherazi, and drummer Bryce Dunn.
This 12" was the last release by Montreal's Og Music.Og Records played a seminal role in Canadian independent music history by setting up a truly national network of bands through their It Came From Canada compilations, of which they released one a year between 1985 and 1990. Resisting modern trends, Og bands drew from traditions from country to blues to garage punk to '60s pop, all approached with originality and goofy enthusiasm. Along with the establishment of campus radio across the country, and the crucial CBC radio programs Brave New Waves and Night Lines, Og paved the road for the indie explosion of the early '90s.
Hailing from Providence, Rhode Island, The Atlantic Thrills are a fantastic rock'n'roll band blending together their own brand of garage rock filled with fuzzy psychedelic riffs, reverb drenched surf anthems and raspy 50's inspired doo-wop punk ballads.
The band was formed in 2010 by Eric Aguiar, Daniel Tanner and Mark Ferrara. Their self-titled debut album was released February 4, 2014 on Brooklyn's Almost Ready Records and their sophomore record, "Vices" was released last year. The band is currently working on its third album.
Yours truly had a very interesting chat with Eric and Daniel:
1) What can you tell about Atlantic Thrills? How long are you guys together as a band? Were you in other bands previously? Who is playing what in the band? Eric- I think we started in 2010... or at least thats when we played our first show. Dan plays guitar / vocals, Ref plays drums and I play bass / vocals. When we go out on tour we sometimes get our friend Rafay (from Ravi Shavi) to play rhythm guitar. We've all had other projects. I did hip hop before this.
Daniel-Yeah, we're definilely a group of complicatedly silly and soiled characters... I played drums and/or guitar in a few bands as a teenager.. Mostly punk and indy shit. I've also been djing for 20 years or so. A lot of turntablist / weird bass heavy music..
Ref (a.k.a. The Minister of Reference) was also a hip hop mc before drumming for us. We all met through hip hop. I believe ref also played drums in a metal band or two in his early years.
2) To what kind of music did you listen to as teenagers and does it still influence your today work? What was your favorite band as a teenager? Name 3 bands that you consider still have a influence on your own work today. Eric- I listened to mostly punk and hip hop early on and got into 60's garage punk/psychedelic rock in my later teens. Beastie Boys have always been one of my favorites. Beastie Boys, Wu Tang Clan, Velvet Underground / Lou Reed still influence me a lot.
Daniel- I'v always listened to all types of music..Anything from Doo-wop to electronica to hip hop and anything in between. I was really into The Beastie Boys and Dead Kennedys when I was a teenager. But, I also liked a lot of indy and idm. Like Shellac and Squarepusher. I take a lot of influence today from Chuck Berry, Hendrix, and Wu-tang..
3) Is there a main composer in the band or is everybody involved in one way or another?
Eric - I do a lot of writing on my own, but everyone has their own ideas and puts their own touch on the final product.
Daniel - Eric and I both have our own songs that we write, but , we write a lot of the stuff together.
4) About the new record "Vices", can you explain the title? And what's the connection with the artwork on the front cover? Eric - We chose the title "Vices" because it summed up both the process of making the album and and its content. The album art was inspired by the Tibetan book of the dead. There's a whole story behind the enlightened skeletons dancing - it's called Kinkara I believe... I always really loved the image. I didn't want to literally show what most people think when they hear the word vices, so this image seemed to fit well.
Daniel- To me it's about the things that both hold you together and tear you apart at the same time.
5) The Atlantic Thrills are described by some people as a "garage" band. Do you agree with
this label or do you consider there is way more than that? Eric - I guess it depends on your definition of "garage". For me garage is a very loose term and can include a lot of different styles of music - surf, blues, psychedelic, punk, folk, doo wop, etc. We draw inspiration from all those styles and "garage" is kinda what glues it together.
Daniel - I'm not a big fan of labels. To me, I just play what comes naturally and what ever comes out, comes out... But, usually it falls somewhere on the "garage" spectrum.
6) Do you have a new video on youtube featuring a track from the new LP?? Eric - Yeah, the title track VICES is up. Our friend Rafay Rashid shot/directed/edited it. There's also a video for Bed Bugs which we did ourselves. We were able to pull off both video's with zero budget.
7) What can concert goers expect at a The Atlantic Thrills gig? Are you playing any famous cover songs? Eric - Lots of bourbon, bodily fluids, occasionally psychedelic cookies, piñata guts flying everywhere... Things have a tendency to get wild and belligerent at our shows. We often play Los Saicos at the end of our set. It's one of our favorite bands and always a great way to end the party.
Daniel - Yeah, we like to have fun.. Sometimes we play something silly but rockin'. Like Beastie boys or Steppenwolf. It's all about the mood of the party.
8) Does Providence, Rhode Island have a long history of garage bands, that goes way back to the 60's? Eric - I've stumbled across a few while digging around online, but I'm definitely not an expert on the history. The Barbarians were from Cape Cod which isn't too far from Providence. We covered "Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl " at one of our first shows.
9) Anything you wanna add?
Eric- I think that pretty much covers it. We are currently working on our 3rd album - likely to be released before the end of 2017, and hopefully we'll tour Europe by then as well.
The Hollywood Brats - 2016- Sick On You In FLAC - Artwork is included
Disc One: Sick On You 1-1Chez Maximes 1-2Another School Day 1-3Nightmare 1-4Empty Bottles 1-5Courtesan 1-6Then He Kissed Me 1-7Tumble With Me 1-8Zurich 17 1-9Southern Belles 1-10Drowning Sorrows 1-11Sick On You
DISC TWO: A BRATS MISCELLANY 2-1I Need You 2-2Little Ol' Wine Drinker 2-3Son Of A Wizard 2-4Red Leather 2-5Sweet Little Sixteen (Live) 2-6Borgia Street 2-7I Ain't Got You 2-8She Got Class 2-9Hootchie Cootchie Man 2-10Trucker's Lament 2-11St Louis Blues 2-12Mic Mac Blues 2-13Oh What A Show 2-14Suckin' On Suzie 2-15It's Not Funny
Born out of the imagination of singer Andrew Matheson and his musical ally and partner in crime Casino Steel, the band went on to lay the foundations of what would become punk rock, guzzling up every gallon of glitter juice they could blag and leaving no stiletto unturned along the way. London’s hottest nightspots became their playground, Keith Moon their cheerleader and every record label in town detested them.
•The classic ‘lost’ debut from London proto-punk legends and masters of disorder The Hollywood Brats
•Newly remastered by keyboardist Casino Steel and now resplendent with a second disc of previously unheard outtakes, rarities, live tracks and curios.
1)The Cheap Cassettes - 'All Anxious, All The Time'!! The Cheap Cassettes are a rock and roll band formed out of the ashes of the Dimestore Haloes. Their three chord rumble encompasses elements of punk, power pop, glam, and classic, timeless mid century rock and roll music. The Haloes thrived during the mid to late 90's punk explosion, and were very much disciples of the Clash. After releasing four full length records and multiple singles, as well as sharing stages with the world class elite of underground punk rock, the Haloes called it a day in 2003.
Fast forward to the present day, and two former Dimestore Haloes (Chaz and Kevin) with the addition of fellow Boston to Seattle transplant Mike Isberg on bass have formed a vital new rock and roll band. Recording long distance from several different states from 2011-2015, "All Anxious All the Time" is an album born of a long period of living, writing and recording rock and roll. Finally settling in Seattle in 2014, Chaz and Kevin began playing out on the energetic Seattle underground rock and roll scene. Joining the ranks of like minded power pop/punk rock Pacific Northwest bands like The Exploding Hearts or The Briefs. The Cheap Cassettes play high energy, lo-fi garage pop in the tradition of bands like the Replacements, the Buzzcocks and Cheap Trick. Grab yourself a copy of "All Anxious, All The Time" on Rum Bar Records!
2)The Connection - Just For Fun
Hitting their home studio as the year came to a close, Brad Marino, Geoff Palmer and the boys in the band, including a slew of special guest veterans from the hey day when pop punk ruled the fanzines, record shelves, and airwaves, featuring Chris “B-Face” Barnard on bass (The Queers/Groovie Ghoulies), The Connection have gone back to their roots, crate digging, paying homage to their heroes in this 10 song collection “Just For Fun”. Produced by Brad and Geoff, mixed by Mike Kennerty (All American Rejects), and mastered by Mass Giorgini (who has had a hand in everything pop punk from Green Day to Screeching Weasel, The Queers, Groovie Ghoulies, and more), “Just For Fun” cranks out a set list that could have been spun in your favorite DJ’s set, heard on your favorite bar’s jukebox, or hummed in your head for weeks on end. Taking a refreshing, straight ahead, all thrills ride, The Connection nail it on the rock n roll song book with “Teenage News” (Sylvain Sylvain), “Get Of Denver” (Bob Seger), “No Expectations” (Rolling Stones), “Southern Girls” (Cheap Trick), and the ferocious, scorching lead single “Stay With Me” (The Dictators).
Hailing from the Richmond District of San Francisco, The Richmond Sluts are a revved up rock n roll band guaranteed to make you move, sweat, dance, and shake. The band was started in 1997 by founding members Chris Beltran (bass) and Shea Roberts (guitar/ vocals) and is currently featuring Justin Lynn on keys as well as new additions Jesse Nichols (guitar) & John Tyree (drums).
The Richmond Sluts recently released their new album, the long awaited "60 Cycles Of Love", on their very own label ROCK BOX RECORDS. Shea Roberts reveals everything you ever wanted to know about The Richmond Sluts but were afraid to ask:
1) We would like you to tell the viewers of this blog the full story of The Richmond Sluts. The origins of the band, your first release in 2001; the Big Midnight episode that you formed in 2003 with Chris Beltran; how the Richmond Slut got back together again and finally the release of "60 Cycles Of Love". We want to hear it all from you!
Chris and I met in the mid to late 90's we were both into the same shit and quickly became friends. He said he was starting a band and he needed a guitar player (I only played drums at the time) so I said what are you looking at me for ? He said you would be perfect, I then reminded him that I don't know how to play the guitar and he said it doesn't matter you'll figure it out, so he showed me a few chords. After playing for a couple years and adding Justin on keys we finally had our own distinct sound.
First Album Remastered with bonus song (Sweet Somethin')
I knew Duane Peters since I was a kid so I sent him some demos. He said "kid this is great and I have my own label through Alive/Bomp records now (Disaster Records), I want to put it out". So that was that. We played constantly for the next few years. I think people got burnt out and that's why things fell apart, we were always burning the candle at both ends if ya know what I mean. Chris and I didn't stop playing music together though. We started writing new songs and I was working at a recording studio so we had the opportunity to start recording again. A music attorney by the name of Jeff Saltzman had an office across the hall from the studio and we became friends cause he was interested in what I was doing and had the money to help back us. He said he was retired and was getting into music production so we started working together on those recordings. Within 6 months we had a new record done, now the problem was what do we call it? Chris said it wasn't the sluts without Justin and Jeff didn't like the name, I didn't give a shit either way so I said how about Big Midnight? and that was it.
We tried to do the major label thing (Jeff's idea) we played for Warner Brothers, Capital.... blah, blah, blah. Doing that just bummed me out and I wasn't doing very well mentally or physically at the time. We ended up putting it out on Alive records and started playing. It was fun for awhile but my drug use destroyed my friendship with Chris and when he left the band I got someone else but it just wasn't fun anymore, so that ended. (I consider it the second sluts record, musically that's where we were headed anyway. I poured my guts out on that thing).
When I got my shit together I made amends with my old friend probably around 2008? Chris, Justin and I started talking about getting together to play some music and rehash the old days. After about five minutes of playing together we were having a blast so we booked a show at a tiny place in SF thinking maybe 50 people would show up and we would have a laugh and move on. About 200 people showed up from all over the west coast and the place only holds 100 max! The people there were all in their early 20's so we were like what the fuck, how do you know about us? Thanks to our songs being used in skateboard videos and the Internet we have more fans now than we ever did without playing for 12 years, so here we are, what's in store for us next?
2) In 2001, at the release of the first album you were often seen as a garagey punk rock'n'roll band and the true heirs of the New York Dolls. Your new release is -in my opinion- closer to the "Beggars Banquet" era Rolling stones. Do you agree to both of this statements and is this a conscious choice?
Ya we have always just called ourselves a garage rock n roll band. We have never tried to be anything but ourselves. We all listen to so many different types of music I couldn't put my finger on any one thing and say "that's what our next record is going to sound like". Yes the new album has a different vibe but it is unmistakably the Sluts !
3) About the new record "60 Cycles Of Love", is this the record of the big come back? can you explain the choice of the title and the very "biker tribute" artwork?
There weren't any real plans to make another record, I had some new songs I was messing with so we recorded them and a few covers and it just kinda went from there. Jesse (guitar) came up with the title. Do you know what a 60 cycle hum is ?(well it's 50 in EU cause of voltage differences) but It's the sound of electricity buzzing, letting you know it's there and can sting you at any time ! That's the 60 cycles of love, to respect that power and use it !
I've always loved motorcycles since I was a kid. I also love old movies, the first time I saw "the wild angels" with Peter Fonda and Nancy Sinatra it blew my mind ! The Harley choppers, the style and the sound track of that movie are amazing ! I don't know I just wanted to do something along those lines, and it kinda plays into the title "cycles". Ha ! there honestly wasn't that much thought put into it.
4) To what kind of music did you listen to as a teenager and does it still influence your today work? What was your favorite band as a teenager? Name 3 bands that you consider still have a influence on your own work today.
I don't even know where to begin. I listened to metal, punk rock, rock n roll, garage rock. new or old it didn't matter, whatever I could get my hands on from the older guys I hung out with.
Man I could never choose only 3 bands that influence me now, I'm influenced by more music now than ever !
5) Are you the main composer in the band or is everybody involved in one way or another?
On the first record Chris B and I wrote most of the songs together. The new album I wrote the songs Except for two I had some help on, Justin (keys) contributed and my friend Rob Easson also helped out on another.
6) Who directed the very Psychedelic clip of "MOTEL BOOGIE" and the very Russ Meyer like "Don't Need You" clip?
Our friend Alberto Mendoza, he is very talented with video editing and really knows how to translate the songs visually. When he asked me what I wanted, I just said "60's biker freak out" and he took care of the rest. https://www.facebook.com/ alberto.mendoza.31508
7) What can concert goers expect at a The Richmond Sluts? Are you playing any famous cover songs?
Honestly you can never know what to expect. The only thing you can count on is, it won't be boring haha ! Ya we've been doing "don't need no doctor" by Ray Charles the last few years. We recently started doing a Gene Clark song too "so you say you lost you're baby".
8) Are you still playing live songs from the first record?
Ya we always play some older songs, even some off the Big Midnight record once in a while.
9) Is ROCK BOX RECORDS your very own record label?
Ya I started it this year, I've had my production company (rockbox productions) for over a decade. I decided to start the label to release whatever I want, wether it's my music or a band that I have recorded / produced.
10) Anything you wanna add? Just hope people dig the new record and we aren't going to disappear again for 12 years. You will be hearing much more from us! See you on our 2017 EU tour.
BREAKING NEWS: There is a French release coming out on colored vinyl with a slightly different cover. It is a joint release with mauvaise foi records / beast records it will be out this month.
Doghouse Records recently released "Exorcism Rock", the sophomore full length of Josh Berwanger. Hailing for Kansas, the man knows how to write perfect power pop gems that stick in your head for days and his new album, recorded in 7 straight days and produced by Doug Boehm, is brilliant from start to finish and highly recommanded!
Here is Josh Berwanger in his own words:
1) For those who don't know you, What can you tell about yourself? You Were in other bands previously, and then you choose a solo career: had you the feeling these bands were going nowhere fast or did you want a radical change?
I was in a band called The Anniversary that formed in 1998. We signed to Vagrant Records and put out two albums in 2000 and 2003. We toured Europe twice as well as countless tours in the States. We toured with Modest Mouse, Guided By Voices, Get Up Kids, Mars Volta, Superdrag, Cheap Trick and many other cool bands. We ended up imploding and going our separate ways. After The Anniversary broke up I started a band called The Only Children. We put out two albums called Change Of Living and Keeper Of Youth in 2004 and 2007. After touring on the Keeper Of Youth album I was burned out and hung up the guitar for a while. I wanted as far away from playing music as possible and of all things I started coaching High School basketball.
After some years of coaching I started picking up the guitar here and there and slowly began writing songs that would eventually turn into the Strange Stains album. I guess you can't escape from what you love. Since Strange Stains came out I've been touring and have put out 2 7"s and an e.p. called Demonios and am now touring on Exorcism Rock.
2) When I listen to Your debut full length "Strange Stains" it seems to me you had much in common with 70' bands like The Paley Brothers or the Dwight Twilley Band. But in 2 years time, the sound has become more powerful and fierce. Do you agree and can you comment on this evolution?
When writing Strange Stains I had taken a long break from making an album and I wanted to make a fun sounding record very much like the Paley Brothers. To be honest I recorded most of it in my basement with the intent of it never coming out. I was just making it for me. Yes, I agree in the sound changing up a bit. I am always trying to evolve as an artist and I never want to put out two of the same sounding albums. I am almost done with the 3rd album and it has a different sound and feel than these first two.
3) About the new record "Exorcism Rock", is this the record of the big break through?
We'll see. It would be nice.
4) can you explain the choice of the title and the very intriguing artwork?
Charles Wilkin is the artist who did the cover. The name of the piece is "The Waiting" and for those who haven't seen the cover it has a woman looking into a skull on it. To be honest I'm not really into skulls on album covers since it is something that is done so much, but the piece as a whole really represented and spoke to me and I felt represented the sound and lyrics of the album, which is mainly about a walk in the park.
5) To what kind of music did you listen to as a teenager and does this music still influence your today work? What was your favorite band as a teenager? Name 3 bands that you consider still have a influence on your own work today.
I still listen to the music I listened to as a kid and as a teenager and am constantly looking for to find out about new albums both old and new. As a kid I got really into Alice Cooper, Guns N' Roses, Ozzy and I have always loved those bands. As a younger teenager I started getting a lot more into bands like The Doors, Gram Parsons, Davy Graham, Beatles, Dinosaur Jr., Ramones, and was really starting to explore the local Kansas City and Lawrence music scene with bands like Vitreous Humor, The Breakups, Butterglory, Micronots, The Embarrassment.
3 bands from my youth that still influence me would be Bob Dylan, Beatles, and Rolling Stones. Pretty obvious, but they are the best.
6) The rant at the end of "Oh Bis!", is this a true story or total bullshit? Anyway, it's quite funny.
Ha! Totally a true story. The funniest part about it is not so much the guy messing up and calling my friend a "bis" instead of a "bitch" but calling him a dipstick. 7) What can concert goers expect at a Josh Berwanger gig? Are you playing any famous cover songs? Do you still play "Back of my hand"- that I personally consider as one of the best covers ever.
I love The Jags! Thank you. We haven't been doing any covers live. Ricky and I play covers when we are just playing guitars and messing around like ELO or some Ozzy stuff, sometimes "Crazy Horses" by the Osmonds. Our live shows as of late have been very Exorcism Rock heavy. Concert goers can except a pretty rocking set with not much time in-between songs.
8) Does Kansas (the state, not the band!*;) Clin d’œil) have a long history of rock bands, that goes way back to the 60'or 70's?
My favorite band to come out of Kansas/KC area is a band called The Leopards, they had two amazing records called Kansas City Slickers and Magic Still Exists. Kansas City Slickers is in my top 10 records. I think to get a really a good sense of the music from KS, KC, and a few of the other states that surround the Midwest is to go and buy the Titan Records box set the Numero Group put out. It is absolutely amazing!
9) Are you guys coming over to Europe soon?
We would absolutely love to and it is a goal for us to do this. We just don't know how to do that right now. We don't have any contacts over there.
10) Anything you wanna say to the viewers of this blog?
Thanks for taking some time from your day to read this and I hope you get a chance to listen to some of our music. Please feel free to message me and say hi and we hope to play for you one day. Thanks!
