The Dealers - Turning Upside Down EP

(This review first appeared in issue #74 of Shindig! magazine.)

Action Weekend/Bickerton 7"

This three-tracker from the Basque country quartet is a black vinyl time-capsule that mixes '60s British blues boom with a hint of freakbeat. Very 1965. It captures the band at full throttle, their lean, mean sound delivered at a pace that'd make Lewis Hamilton want to pull off the track and have a good cry. 'Wearing A Frown (Again)' is a souped-up rhythm 'n' blues stomper which manages to fit a catchy chorus, wailing harmonica and and a couple of guitar solos into its two minute span.

'My Little Gem' is a mod dancefloor filler - call and response vocals, frantic bass line, with a smidgeon of backwards guitar. It's a track worth any mod's jukebox money. 'Got No Gouda' may be a throwaway jokey tale about lacking some Dutch cheese but it's played with conviction and an attitude that would rival those rum punks from '77. Neat, neat, neat!

The Galileo 7 - Tear Your Minds Wide Open!

Ex-Prisoners! Medway's best kept secret return with their best album yet!

We've covered The Galileo 7 before - the False Memory Lane LP from 2014 and most recently the Live-O-Graphic Sessions LP from 2016. There was also a storming 7” on State Records - 'One Lie At A Time', limited to 500 copies. If you missed out on the 7” both its A and B-side are included on this latest long-player.

Quick history lesson – Allan Crockford is one of the architects and mainstays of the Medway sound. A founding member of The Prisoners, JTQ, The SolarFlares and The Prime Movers. (I won't go into too much detail, you have Google don't ya?!) Anyway, he's never one to rest on any laurels as latest band The Galileo 7's run of releases shows. It's shaping into a body of work that easily matches the output of his previous bands.

While False Memory Lane played to that line-up's psychedelic strengths, this latest effort sees them go for a more driving freakbeat sound, aided in no small measure by the addition of drummer Mole, a man who plays like he's aided by any number of exhilarants. Though it's more likely sheer talent and ability! He can be heard on the bands previous LP, the “nearly live” Live-O-Graphic Sessions. It's that strain of up-beat mod-rock stomp that's continued into the the band's latest effort Tear Your Minds Wide Open! which is available now on good old vinyl on Damaged Goods Records.

Fans of The Move, The Small Faces, The Who, Blossom Toes, The Creation, The Fleurs de Lys and the like will find much to love here. It's that mod-into-psych sound of 1966 but made now! Crunchy and crashing guitar chords, genuinely memorable melodic songwriting bolstered by organ chords and a truly special rhythm section. Crockford's knack of songwriting shows no sign of diminishing either, he still turns out cracking songs.

I'm a little late to the party with this one, the album came out late last year and quickly sold out its initial vinyl pressing. Thankfully there's a second pressing so you should be able to track down a copy. Go on, you won't be disappointed.

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The Slow Slushy Boys - Whelk Time!

(This review first appeared in issue #66 of Shindig! magazine.)

Larsen LP

Slow and slushy by name, not by nature. This French band have helped popularise revivalist beat music not only by the many sides they've released since their 1990 debut, but also via Larsen, the record label and magazine started by the band's leader Denis Oliverès. This collection collates the best of the band's releases from 1994-97, twelve tracks previously only available on limited-run 7” singles and 10” LPs. Firmly rooted in hip-shaking garage-y R&B, the band pay homage to their inspirations with covers of The Real Kids ('Do The Boob'), The Sevens ('Seven'), Shindiggers ('Say You Will') and Dutch band The Outsiders ('Won't You Listen'). The original tracks are equally as taut and snappy and contain a contender for the best song title ever with 'Can The Poseur Do The Whelk?'

With ace sleeve notes by Shindig!'s own Lenny Helsing this is a fine introduction for uninitiated toe-dippers and a handy collection for long-time fans.