Infernal Overdrive - Last Rays Of The Dying Sun (Small Stone Records 2012)

 Debut album of classic rock riffage from New Jersey's hard rocking quartet.

Having recently reviewed a couple of their releases for www.audioscribbler.co.uk, I've recently become an admirer of Small Stone Records, a record label that's based in Detroit, Michigan. Home to an ever growing roster of classic rock, hard rock, blues rock, metal, and stoner rock bands, they're purveyors of a sound that wouldn't cut it with your Shoreditch fashionista but has a loyal and discerning worldwide audience. Defiantly anti-fashion, it's a label that does what it likes and likes what it does.

I also like the label's tradition of fantasy fuelled album covers. Each illustrated cover harking back to hard rock's golden era, usually featuring some sort of mythical beast emerging from the earth, sky or sea to endanger the lives of your humble rock band and fan. The cover of Last Rays Of The Dying Sun, the debut album from New Jersey's Infernal Overdrive is no exception; a horned, winged, red-skinned monster/devil peers over a hillside, his fiery tongue merging with the road on which our hapless heroes travel along in their souped up automobile. The inside sleeve shows a burning road sign declaring it “Route 666”. Crikey! Shall we go for a ride then?

Click over the jump for more on Infernal Overdrive

The Story Of Rock 'n' Roll Comics DVD

 

This fascinating documentary gets a DVD release on April 24th. It tells the story of Todd Loren, the man behind the San Diego publishing house Revolutionary Comics. Loren was born in 1960 and grew up with a love for both comic books and the burgeoning rock music bursting forth from both sides of the Atlantic. After amassing a considerable amount of money from hosting comic book and record conventions, aged 18 he went on to open a shop and mail order business selling mostly bootleg music memorabilia. This in turn led to the formation of Revolutionary Comics where he was to combine his two passions with the "Rock 'n' Roll" series of comics, producing comic book biographies of rock's biggest hitters. Their inflammatory tagline was "Unauthorized And Proud Of It".

Click over the jump for more on Rock 'n' Roll Comics along with the official movie trailer.

The Best Of Perception & Today Records

Due for release on BBE Records in April is this double CD, (or 2x2LP with 2x7" vinyl) featuring the best output from Perception Records, a label which was operational from the late '60s until 1974. A strangely and admirably eclectic roster presided over by label president Terry Phillips and Boo Frazier. Although overshadowed at the time by more renowned labels such as Motown and Philadelphia International, (perhaps because unlike such labels it didn't have an instantly recognizable in-house production style), its time has come for a re-appraisal. Ranging in genre from soul and funk, through to proto-disco, latin, jazz and rock. It represents the best of Manhattan's then dancefloor orientated musical output. Sounds great already doesn't it!

To read my full album review click here. If you'd like to hear a taster check out this beauty - "Surrender" by Black Ivory.

Muzicons.com

Small Faces 4 classic album deluxe reissues ... (and the best gig I never went to.)

On May 7th Universal Music will be releasing deluxe editions of four Small Faces studio albums. Namely Small Faces (Decca 1966), From The Beginning (Decca 1967), Small Faces (Immediate 1967) and the classic Ogden's Nut Gone Flake (Immediate 1968). All releases will be expanded into 2-disc editions (3 in the case of Ogden's).

There are people who claim The Small Faces to be a greatest band of the '60s, better than The Who, The Rolling Stones and even The Beatles. These people mostly populate the Medway towns though so such claims should be taken with a contrary pinch of salt.

(Click over the jump for more on The Small Faces and the best gig I never went to)

Young Astronaut debut LP Fawn - Free Download

In these strange times when music has little monetary value, the world is awash with free MP3s, usually as a taster for full length albums that you may be then tempted to buy. Or as a thank you for signing up to a band's mailing list. If you were of the mind you could actually amass a half decent music collection, legally, and without having to break into your piggy bank. Of course as any shellac dealer can tell you the value is in the format baby; rare, coloured and collectable vinyl is where the money is.

In fact so omnipresent are the words free MP3 that they usually fill me with a sense of dread, nothing makes me feel more jaded and cynical. Which is why this week I've been pleasantly surprised to come across Fawn, the debut album from Young Astronaut. The band are giving the whole album away via their website (www.youngastronaut.co.uk) It's a heartfelt blend of folk and indie, with fine playing and strong songs. It has in no small way restored some of my faith in the future of music and youth culture in general. I've listened to it a couple of times this week at work and it's fair to say I was transported. That's emotionally, not carted off against my will! Anyway I reckon you should check it out via the stream below or click on the cover art above to download from the band's website. Enjoy!

Interview with author Richie Unterberger

The next best thing to rock 'n' roll is reading about rock 'n' roll. There's a whole feast of music books out there with more and more big names lining up to release autobiographies. One of the finest music books I've read recently is Richie Unterberger's Wont Get Fooled Again. An insightful, thoroughly researched account of a fascinating period of The Who's history. There are not many writers who could have done such a sterling job. Based in San Francisco, Unterberger has been at the coalface of music journalism for over 25 years, having contributed to publications such as Ugly Things, Mojo, Record Collector and Pulse among others as well as penning books on The Velvet Underground, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, The Byrds along with two books celebrating lesser known artists (Unknown Legends of Rock'n'Roll, and its sequel, Urban Spacemen & Wayfaring Strangers: Overlooked Innovators & Eccentric Visionaries of '60s Rock). On top of this he's also written many liner notes and is a much  respected travel writer.

I recently contacted Richie to see if he'd be willing to answer some questions for my humble blog. Good guy that he is, he said yes.

Click over the jump to read for the interview.

2011 - Closing Thoughts and A Little Reading For The Holidays

As 2011 draws nearer to its end, the music writing world and list compilers appear to be divided about whether or not it was a good year for music. You'll all have your own opinions about that I'm sure. I'm not going to bore you with another list but I thought there were some cracking albums this year. In terms of new releases The Amazing's Gentle Stream was a revelation, Meg Baird's Seasons On Earth will no doubt grace my stereo for years to come, but my favourite album of the year is People Changes by Nat Baldwin. An incredible blend of emotionally charged songs, free jazz, and unique and intimate arrangements. It stood out above most everything else I've heard. And there were some amazing re-releases and compilations along the way too, for example the collection of 60's/70's Thai pop from the Soundway Record label, (though that may have come out in 2010 I only got round to it this year.)

Click over the jump to continue reading this article.

Matt Deighton - Villager (1995)

Out of step with Britpop, pre cool-folk, definitely due a re-appraisal. This album was part of my soundtrack back in the mid 90's and I've been meaning to write a piece about it for some time. It's recently been re-issued so now is as good a time as any. Proof indeed that there was more to the 90's than Britpop, post-rock, boy bands and bling.

Click over the jump for more on Matt Deighton's Villager LP.

Riffs Recycled #1 - Louie Louie

Duh duh duh....duh duh....duh duh duh....duh duh....

Yeah man, you knows it, that simple but effective ten note riff. We all know it best from The Kingmen's frat-party anthem Louie Louie, written by Richard Berry with supposedly obsene lyrics resulting in the FBI opening a case on the song. But the tune and its rhythmic riff has a history both before and after The Kingsmen's landmark 45. Read on punks...

Click over the jump for more riffs recycled...

White horses in music - A Video Playlist

Waves crashing, pagan symbolism, drug reference, spiritual redeemer, or maybe just a horse. If you look back over rock and dance music's history there's a fine tradition of the old white horse appearing out of the mist. A loaded metaphor in so many ways. A shame then that perhaps the greatest horse song, The Byrds' Chestnut Mare doesn't feature a white horse! No mind, for our purposes we're sticking with the white ones. The LP cover above is XTC's English Settlement. It seemed to sum up the mystical vibe of at least some of the tracks in this list. Until the next white horse comes along, feast your eyes on the playlist. Saddle up and let's ride!

Click over the jump for my video playlist.