Rock & Indie 474 Items

“This album [sorcs 80] was a self imposed ambitious project for us [osees]. Something to kick in the creative flow. The last few years, having been a challenging time in general, felt like a good time for a pivot. The last two albums were so guitar and keyboard centric, I wanted a weird and fun set of parameters for us to work with. I demo’d everything at home on cassette four track (harkening back to simpler times) using drum loops, and just had at it ’til I had a pile of ‘songs.’

“Tom [Dolas] and I chose one sound each using synths and created a range of three octaves of that sample, then loaded them into Roland Spd-sx samplers and learned the transcribed songs using drum sticks. The idea was to change the way we wrote and to have four people along the front of the stage essentially playing percussion. So no guitar, no keys.

“As we were recording I kept thinking how the sounds, when paired up, sounded a bit like brass. So, we added a saxophone horn section to round out the horniness of the sound with a bit of reedy bell tones. Thanks to Cansfis Foote and Brad Caulkins on tenor and baritone saxophones.

“Sort of a Dexy’s Midnight Runners meets Von LMO meets The Flesh Eaters meets the Screamers kinda punk junk. Poppy and hooky, heavy at times. Sort of vacuous and maybe a bit sci-fi in sound. Boneheaded in riff and heady in lyrics. Recorded at Stu-Stu-Studio by me on eight track 1/4-inch tape. So pretty hot and raw. Lots to write about today. A lot of these lyrics were taken from things people said in passing about taking on life right now that stuck with me. Things that made me reflect. Things that made me laugh. Things that made me WTF. Some folks are kind, genuine and give you love and energy. Some are greedy manipulative ghouls who hang off your veins. You must be strong, composed and take care of yourself. Be self aware and check your mind for cracks. Learn to relax and be well. There are moments of beauty and redemption. It’s not all bad news and there’s always hope. People continue to surprise me one way or another. Anyhow, hope you enjoy and good luck out there.” —John Dwyer

“Thru The Years” is a compilation album of music by John Mayall released in October 1971 by Decca Records in the U.K. and London Records in the U.S.A. The album was the second compilation to be issued by Decca/London with Mayall's blessing and it features a mixture of previously unissued songs or non-album tracks that had only been released as singles. A grab bag of rare tracks from the '60s, some of which stand among Mayall's finest. His debut 1964 single "Crawling Up a Hill" is one of his best originals. The eight songs featuring Peter Green include some top-notch material that outpaces much of the only album recorded by the Green lineup (A Hard Road), particularly the Green originals "Missing You" and "Out of Reach," a great B-side with devastating, icy guitar lines and downbeat lyrics that ranks as one of the great lost blues-rock cuts of the '60s. The set is filled out with a few songs from the Mick Taylor era, the highlight being the vicious instrumental "Knockers Step Forward."

The Loyal Cheaters are returning with their sophomore studio album 'And All Hell Broke Loose.' It’s more than just a collection of songs; it’s fuel against the fast-paced, love-deprived society we find ourselves in. Their raspy vocals and high-voltage guitars serve as a sonic rebellion, channeling the raw energy of punk souls that refuse to be silenced. Memories of the past mingle with a sense of uncertainty about the future, and they offer no answer for living in the present. Through their music, they challenge the status quo, daring to confront the harsh truths of our reality head-on.

The complete collection of Lion's Law tracks in French, with two excellent new songs and a previously unreleased version of their classic "Lafayette", recorded for the occasion. A truly coherent album that traces all the band's eras and influences, and it works!

Reissued for first time on vinyl the demo-tape "…Al Servicio" by the Chilean Punk/Oi! band Ocho Bolas! Since its formation in the late '80s, Ocho Bolas has been an emblem of the Punk scene in Valparaíso (Chile). The band was formed in 1988 and they gave their first concert that same year at the Mauri Theater (Valparaíso) when the Punk scene was still a resistance to the fierce Pinochet dictatorship. A year later in 1989 they recorded their first demo-tape "…Al Servicio" which contained 8 songs that were released on cassette by the band themselves (today it is almost impossible to find copies of that first edition). "…Al Servicio" is the closest thing in that corner of the world had to the spirit of the first Hardcore/Punk with direct lyrics and enormous honesty, without any pretension other than to shout about what bothered them and what was different a lot to what was done in Santiago at that same time, both in terms of lyrics and music. Ocho Bolas were much more aggressive and direct than other bands of the time. Already in 1991, they recorded their best-known 12” through the German label DIM Records. 1000 copies were pressed of the Mini-LP "Trabajo Duro" which also included a version of Cock Sparrer converted into “Yo Quiero a Mi País”. But that is another story… Deluxe edition with gatefold cover and insert including lyrics, cuts and old photos. For the EU version of the album 300 copies have been pressed on black vinyl and 100 on baby blue vinyl (this colour version includes an A2 poster as extra).

Ed Askew, NYCs legendary singer-songwriter / painter is back with another collection of haunting ballads. Last year's '2020' pretty much summed what the world was going through with incredible torch songs filled with hope and mystery. 'Sleeping With Angels' is no less, a tear-inducing album of elegiac and fragile melodies with Ed's unmistakable voice and his 1964 Martin tiple. Recorded mostly in May 2019 this is an extraordinary document of a songwriter at the top of his game, an album of hope and joy.