The Scottish five-peace The Vapour Trails have released a mini album with seven new songs. As in their previous work, on Underneath Tomorrow you hear chiming guitars and beautiful harmonies again (the alternative jangle / pop / psych / rock band is influenced by The Byrds, Teenage Fanclub and 90’s Brit stuff). Give it a listen below. A CD and digital album are out now through Futureman Records.
Add to wantlist: Bandcamp
In 1966 The Paragons recorded the ebullient, melodic, infectious, and danceable song Abba (no, it’s not about the Swedish pop group ABBA). At the time it wasn’t a national (or international) hit, but it’s now seen as one of the best garage rock classics. The track is still played by DJs with taste, and countless bands have covered it (The Satelliters, The Cynics, The Rosalyns, The Madd, etc.). For a copy of the original 45 you have to pay a ridiculously high amount, but the German independent music label Altercat comes to the rescue with the first official reissue of the 7″, an affordable one. The single comes with a 12-page info booklet with liner notes and previously unseen pictures.
Despite the corona pandemic, showcase festival Eurosonic Noorderslag (ESNS) has not been canceled this year. Understandably not as usual live with an audience in Groningen, the Netherlands, but online short performances by around 350 European artists can be streamed online these days. Yesterday Drens provided one of the most fun concerts, which can be viewed below. The surf punk four-piece from Dortmund played two songs from their EP Pet Peeves and their new single M vs. D. The show was also released today as a digital album (name your price download). Can’t wait to see some real live shows again, but for now this is a commendable alternative.
Add to wantlist: Bandcamp
I’m still hoping that the Made Violent EP (2016) will be released on vinyl someday, but right now I’m especially happy that there is a new full-length album from the American rock band Made Violent. Wannabe rocks hard and old-fashioned, at the same time it swings smart and melodic in a modern way, convincingly played and sung – like The Strokes on speed. The LP is out today through Sakers. Yeah!
Add to wantlist: sakersland.com
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When I saw the name The Fragments, I was expecting another garage rock revival band. That turns out not to be the case: the four-piece from Calgary (Canada) say they play quirky indie pop. And for the variety between all those screeching guitars over here that is quite nice. If I count correctly, Get Lost is the seventh LP in eight years from the band, with sixteen sympathetic songs that make you nod your head. The new album is available digitally on Bandcamp, but there is also vinyl; you can send a message to fragmentsinfo@gmail.com if you would like to order a copy.
Add to wantlist: Bandcamp
Times like these, you need a drinkin’ song. That thought of the guys from The 40 Acre Mule led to the new (digital) track Dear Jen – out now through State Fair Records. It’s all there: a first line like ‘She was drunk when she said it’, the mighty voice of J. Isaiah Evans, the howling baritone sax of Chris Evetts, and the concentrated looks of the other band members, filmed in the appropriate environment from Bar & Grill Lakewood Landing. Unfortunately without an audience, while you should actually see this roots rock & roll 5-piece from Dallas, Texas live, which is not possible at the moment. Times like these, you need a drinkin’ song.
Add to wantlist: Bandcamp
Swedish musician Henrik Appel played in the bands Martin Savage Gang and Lion’s Den and released his first solo record Burning Bodies in 2018. Now there is the strong successor Humanity, guitar music that automatically moves your feet. The LP evokes all kinds of associations and influences without being able to pinpoint exactly which ones (does the artist’s pleasant sneering voice sometimes really remind me of Noel Gallagher?), but that makes it a captivating listening session. The album is out now through PNKSLM Recordings, both digitally and on vinyl.
Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || PNKSLM Store
This debut single by Johnny Ruiz & The Escapers offers a summery combination of sweet soul and rocksteady, but also a story of the harshest realities of saying goodbye after an evening of maximum joy. After the release of Stay through Bang! Riddims / Mango Hill Records in November 2020, a first and second run of vinyl 7″ singles quickly sold out, but as of today a video of the song by the American sextet is online. Frontman ‘El Diamante’ Johnny Ruiz behind the microphone in combination with atmospheric images from 11th Street Records and Chops Barbershop & Shave Parlor in Las Vegas. What’s not to like?
By now I thought I knew most of the last of the garage punk unknowns, but The Treez’s 60’s track You Lied To Me Before was new to me. Discovered thanks to a nice cover by the Scottish garage rock band The Nettelles on their debut album Do You Believe In …. – released last month through Back to Beat Records, both digital and on vinyl. The LP contains a few more covers, but most of them are own songs, all equally fun. The band members have been around for a while in different other bands, but this music is played with audible enthusiasm and enjoyment as if they had just started. I particularly enjoy the organ and the choirs. RIYL Thee Headcoatees, Have You Ever Seen the Jane Fonda Aerobic VHS?.
Add to wantlist: The Nettelles Shop || Bandcamp || Discogs
PS Very sad to read that the band’s co-founder / lead songwriter / vocalist / guitarist Clare Scrivener died of cancer way too young last August. All proceeds made from these record sales go to two charities: Maggie’s Center Edinburgh and Girls Rock School Edinburgh.
American songwriter Aaron Frazer rose to fame as drummer with the golden voice behind Durand Jones. You can hear his falsetto on fan favorite Is It Any Wonder?, for example. Before that, he played and sang with the blues rock band Charlie Patton’s War, who made one – hard to find – album (Rock ‘N’ Roll House Party is on my wantlist for years; anyone have a copy available?). You can recognize him out of thousands in a video of an old street performance, but both his drumming and singing were a lot rougher then than nowadays. What a contrast to Introducing…, Aaron Frazer’s debut solo album, produced by Black Keys guitarist Dan Auerbach and recorded with a crew of heavy session players, including members of the Memphis Boys. The 12 new tracks offer a mix of classic soul, disco, gospel and doo-wop, all pretty smooth and radio / bedroom friendly. Introducing… is co-released today on Easy Eye Sound and Dead Oceans. It might be too slick for our taste, but it could just become a soul classic that you put next to your Curtis Mayfield and Smokey Robinson records.
Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs || Aaron Frazer Store
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