Category: Music

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Adolescents

“Fastest Kid Alive”
Concrete Jungle

adolescents_Fastest Kid AliveWhen it comes to the essential North American Hardcore Punk recordings, The Adolescents debut album is easily a requisite. Originally released in 1981 (on Frontier Records) these kids from Orange County, California totally nailed the pent up teenage angst of living in a conservative and sterile environment where they felt total alienation. The snotty frustrated message they unleashed in those songs has persisted in connecting with subsequent generations of outsiders, and remains as fresh and relevant sounding 3 decades later.

The bands subsequent history has been a turbulent ride of bust ups, break ups, make ups, line-up changes… and occasional new recordings… the last full length being 2007’s very credible “O.C. Confidential”…. and now the long threatened new album has finally landed. And was it worth the wait? Oh yes!

Original singer and bassist Tony ‘Reflex’ and Steve Soto are still firmly at the helm. Clearly, they are no longer adolescents, and the subject matter of their latter day material is reflective of that; with families of their own, the politics at the forefront of their consciousness are more global than personal. Their Governments war fuelled agenda does not rest well with the modern day Adolescents and forms an overriding theme to a big chunk of the songs (“Wars Aren’t Won, Wars Are Fought”, Peace Don’t Cost a Thing”, Babylon by Bomb”, “One Nation Under Siege”) but there’s a constant theme of hope and belief that this world could be a better place. And California might brand itself as the ‘Golden State’, but the barrelling “Serf City” paints a different picture, of a place that’s politically and socially stagnant…. “stare down the mighty coast, as you dive in to the pills, take another ride… it’s a roller coaster thrill”.

Tony’s pipes sound mighty good for a guy that’s been hollering his lungs out for over 3 decades! And the songs are awash with the bands signature surf laden hooks and loaded with a rush of fancy rocking rifs that will be sure to satisfy dedicated OG’s and groms alike… my wife just called out “this sounds like The Adolescents”… sure does…!!

Pete Craven

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Live Reviews

Rick Ross – Live

Forum, London
20.06.11

Rick Ross has achieved near-God like status of late in the US, named as The Source’s Man of the Year 2010 and gathering together his Maybach Music label with the signings of Wale, Pill and Meek Mill. His return to London’s Forum saw a packed venue drenched in sweat welcome him with open arms, chanting his name before the big man had even appeared on stage. When he did, gun fingers shot up in adoration, howls of support echoed all around and the party had well and truly started.

Ricky Rozay has many, many hits and whilst his set wasn’t the longest [something those who had paid £35 complained about] it was certainly one of the most entertaining rap shows I’ve witnessed in a long time. Without a hype man on stage with him, it could have been hard between tracks, but he was ably supported by his DJ who stood behind the decks on a pedestal that bore the legend “Rick Ross / The Boss / Maybach Music / Kiss The Ring Tour” and made sure the crowd’s response to his calls were nothing short of deafening.

Running through his bangers Hustlin’, B.M.F. and MC Hammer whilst bellowing out his guest spots on Meek Mill’s Tupac Back and Lil Wayne’s John, he allowed the crowd to be as much a part of the proceedings as he was, nodding his head at the choruses being chanted back at him, wiggling his ample frame to the beat and generally exuding an aura of total control and enjoyment. He even made sure the locals [who had been told to rep their hood] were looked after by bringing out Estelle for a track, though her mic hardly allowed her voice to flourish.

By the time the show was over and the steam was rising from the crowd, there was little doubt that the man who threw his shirt off for the final track, showing off his huge belly much to the surprisingly large delight of the women in the crowd is exactly what he refers to himself as: THE BAWSE.

Abjekt.

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Music News

Paul Harries’ Slipknot exhibition opening in London

Celebrated photographer Paul Harries is opening his Slipknot exhibition gallery on July 12th.

Sponsored by Kerrang! and Relentless Energy Drink, the gallery features work by Harries at the Strand Gallery in Central London. Harries has travelled the globe with the masked metallers from their Iowan roots to Australia and back and with over sixty photographs on display, including some that have never been seen before, it is a great opportunity for fans to see their heroes in a new environment.

The exhibition is completely free and runs from July 12th to July 24th at the gallery which can be found at 32 John Adam Street, London, WC2N 6BP and is open from 11am – 7pm Monday to Saturday and 11am – 6pm on Sundays. On the 16th, from 3pm til 7pm, Paul will be in attendance and will be answering questions and discussing his work.

Paul’s work is second to none so we know this exhibition is going to be first class, make sure you get down and see it!

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Music News

Nirvana’s 20th Anniversary ‘Nevermind’ boxset

nevermind_sleeveNirvana’s 20th Anniversary of Nevermind will be celebrated on September 19th with the release of a Super Deluxe Edition box set from Universal. The 4-CD/1-DVD package will include previously unreleased tracks, rarities, b-sides, BBC radio appearances, alternative mixes, rare live recordings and an unreleased concert in its entirety on DVD.

Even though this was Nirvana’s most pop moment, Nevermind put a swift end to cock rock and blew the faggots out of the rock music zine almost overnight. Bands left, right and centre were running around cutting their hair, buying lumberjack-off shirts and cutting holes in their jeans whilst pretending to know who The Melvins were when this was being played on every radio station around the world.

The only negative from this news today is that I have just remembered how old I am. Press play on this for some good, old fashioned memories and get hyped on Nirvana’s most punk moment from Nevermind with Territorial Pissings.

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Music News

Courtney Love sings at the Venice Biennial

Courtney Love is Caught in the Crossfire this week as she appears on video singing at a private function in Venice, Italy. She is filmed singing a Rolling Stones cover after being introduced by some fat twat who doesn’t even know who she is!

The footage was recorded with The Orchestra del Teatro Olimpicoat a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years called the Venice Biennial. Beware, this is one of the saddest videos you will ever see for so many reasons if you are Hole fan.

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Album Of The Week Album Reviews Buzz Chart Music Reviews

White Fence

whitefenceisgrowingfaith

Is Growing Faith
Woodsist Records

whitefence_isgrowingfaithIf you have been following our albums of the year in the last few years then you would remember that Darker My Love albums have always made it into the Top 10. Tim Presley, the songwriter from that band cannot stop writing and it’s his latest album project on Woodsist that is this week’s recomendation if you dig your psychedelic folk and nuggets rock.

Presley has an ability to drag your attention back into the golden days of classic songwriting and warm production values, taking hits with the greats from past generations such from Pink Floyd and 13th Floor Elevators, to Love and The Remains. White Fence is his 3rd project following Darker My Love and The Strange Boys which dips its laid back, rock and roll roots into a warped world of reverbed guitars, psychedelic noise and lo-fi, dream streams.

The album kicks off with the tweaked guitar riffs of ‘And By Always’ that conjures the very best of Westernised, (a band fronted by songwriter Colin MacIntyre more famous for his Mull Historical Society project) mixed with the sounds of old Santa Cruz Skateboards video soundtracks. It’s fascinating just how prolific this guy is, year in year out. It’s like he doesn’t sleep and instead, sits up, smokes bongs and becomes the 5th Beatle when it suits. Presley delves into Beatles-esque dittys that feel like they have been forced through a blender with a bunch of 70’s flowers and Tame Impala’s reverb-splashed vocals. The end result takes you back in time, but only to the goodtimes. The ones that you only remember when the sky’s are awash with sunbeams, captured on 8mm tapes and look burnt at the edges.

The haters out there who reckon Presley just wants to live out the John Lennon and Paul McCartney phenomenon can be heard all over the internet but once you get past the obvious influences on this record, it’s hard to not give credit where it’s due. Mainly because Is Growing Faith is another well crafted production from a man who obsesses on delivering some darn good tunes that always have a plethora of musical surprises.

If you dig the likes of Ganglians, Deerhoof, The Shutes, Kelley Stoltz and obviously Darker My Love then give this a spin. It oozes psychedelic delight and would be accompanied well with a double dip tab of the best sheets in town. Have a taster from this fan made video clip.

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Album Reviews Buzz Chart Music Reviews

Jehst

Dragon of an Ordinary Family
YnR

Waiting six years for an album isn’t ideal and with every passing year, the expectation of being underwhelmed grows tenfold. Such was the trepidation that came with opening the new album from Jehst, the best rapper in the UK bar none, but thankfully the wait was well worth it as this is a serious contender for album of the year.

When it was revealed that he wouldn’t be producing the entire album itself, another seed of doubt was sown, but having heard the album, it’s clear that the beatmakers he’s working with know exactly the style Billy Brimstone needs to work with whether they be upbeat bangers like ‘Thinking Crazy‘ and ‘Old Number 7‘ or the laid back vibes of ‘Camberwell Carrots‘ [shout out to my place of birth!] and ‘The Illest‘. A perfect balance is struck between the two, allowing the rhymes of the MC to take centre stage.

Jehst has always been something of a genius with his words. Not only does he deliver quotables in every line, he raps them in a style that is completely his own, often changing pace or structure mid-line whilst still not missing a beat and this is something that appears in spades on the new album. Whether he is talking about killer rap zombies or introspectively dissecting his feelings, Jehst’s confidence and untouchable delivery exudes brilliance throughout the album.

Standout track ‘England‘ is a real tour-de-force and harks back to his 2001 EP Return of the Drifter, it’s dusty beat laying under his diatribe about the state of the country he lives in, opening with “You gotta stack chips and that’s the way it is yo / living in this city is turning Billy schizo phrenic / it’s a blood money epidemic / kids rock Academiks but they’re not academic” before finishing up with the boldest of all full stops, saying “It’s hardcore but that’s life in England / And it goes for the whole United Kingdom / And I still got love for the place that I’m living / But right now there ain’t nothing Great about Britain“.

Six years is an age to wait for an album, but when it comes as complex, deep and enjoyable as this, it doesn’t seem quite so long.

Abjekt.

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Music News

Malice to release solo mixtape

Malice has announced a new mixtape will be dropping.

The rapper, one half of Virginia’s Clipse along with his brother Pusha T, will release a solo mixtape called Hear Ye Him soon. Speaking of the release he said:

“I do street hip-hop, and I think my mixtape is just going to be one of the hardest that you’ve heard. It’s still Malice, it’s still that lyric-driven, thought-provoking, food for thought style that I’ve been doing over the years…I’m just going all the way in now with it.”

Check out an interview he did with Karmaloop below:

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Live Reviews

Set Your Goals live

Bristol O2 Academy 2
16/05/11

Before their appearance at the punk rock shindig of SLAM DUNK, Set Your Goals rolled up into Bristol bringing along some friends and hopefully some fresh tracks to entertain the masses that have ascended upon the venue.

The fresh faced horde crammed up against the barrier seemed quiet unresponsive tonight and was quite noticeable for the support bands. I managed to miss Decade, who opened up the night, but caught the start of This Time Next Year who despite churning out some cheery and buoyant pop-punk failed to lift the atmosphere.

Massachusetts’ quintet A Loss For Words were up next and faired a tad better. AL4W have been on the scene for a while and with the band being added to Rise records roaster it seems they are now getting some reverence from their peers. The band possesses an abrasive edge that is flawlessly surrounded by huge melodies and really stands out on ‘stamp of approval’. Their performance tonight AL4W have potentially gained some new fans. Its tonight’s headliners the crowd are eagerly waiting for and Set Your Goals finally take to the stage to a boisterous reception.

Opening up with a brand new track, Set Your Goals blast into action and soon enough front men Jordan and Michael immediately charge towards the front, clambering on the monitors and getting right up against the crowd in unified force. Several times I had to dodge Jordan as I was crammed in the nonexistent photopit space between the monitor and barrier while also trying to photograph the band. Being so close I experienced the full force of the band, and I wasn’t surprised when they exploded into ‘Look Closer’ that it really took off, with both the front men thrusting their mics to the crowd who were enthusiastically singing word for word.

The bands energy sustained further playing old favourites such as ‘Goonies’, and from Mutiny! ‘Work in Progress’ that seamlessly progressed into ‘We Do It for the Money, Obviously!’. It was infectious to see the contrasting figures of Jordan and Michael, synchronising the vocals seamlessly, switching from mellifluous melodies to hardcore shouts, and conveyed perfectly when the band went through tracks from ‘This Will Be The Death Of Us’ such as the fiercely sharp ‘The Fallen’, the singalong anthem ‘SummerJam’, and the dynamically potent ‘Our Ethos: A Legacy To Pass On’. With the eminent release of their new album ‘Burning at Both Ends’ Set Your Goals played another new track titled ‘Start The Reactor’ which on the surface may lack the same punch that the band are known for in previous releases, however it did still retain that contagious melody so prevalent so many of their songs.

Their penultimate and heaviest song ‘Gaia Bleeds’ we even get to see guitarist Audelio Flores stepping to roar out Jon Gula’s part. The band finally ends with crowd favourite ‘mutiny!’ which gets the best cheers tonight, and also the most raucous reaction. Even with the timid atmosphere at the start of the show, it was the sheer energy of Set Your Goal’s delivery that really shined through tonight.

Words and photos Lionel Taplin

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Music News

Fucked Up launch great competition

A competition is running for all Fucked Up fans.

To celebrate the release of their third album, David Comes To Life, Matador Records are running a competition to win some rare goodies “compiled with love by the band”.

In keeping with this, the band are asking people to create something inspired by love, be it through writing, drawing or other ingenius mediums. Five ‘character’ designs have been distributed across a number of independent record stores and if you find a postcard, you should put your creation on the left and post it to the address below.

The band will judge all entries and the winner will get a signed, framed poster plus a goodie bag full to bursting. So, here are the record stores and the address to send your entries to. Get going!

DAVID COMES TO LIFE
MATADOR RECORDS
17-19 ALMA ROAD
LONDON, SW18 1AA

Remember to add your email address and your chosen record store, otherwise we can’t get your prizes to you. The participating stores:
ACTION RECORDS – PRESTON
AMULET – (MAILORDER)
AVALANCHE – EDINBURGH
BANQUET – KINGSTON
BOOMKAT – (MAILORDER)
CRASH – LEEDS
DRIFT – TOTNES
HEAD – BIRMINGHAM
JUMBO – LEEDS
MONORAIL – GLASGOW
NORMAN RECORDS – (MAILORDER)
ONE UP – ABERDEEN
PICCADILLY RECORDS – MANCHESTER
RESIDENT – BRIGHTON
RISE – BRISTOL
ROUGH TRADE EAST – LONDON
ROUGH TRADE WEST – LONDON
ROUNDER – BRIGHTON
SISTER RAY – LONDON
SPILLERS – CARDIFF