The Nomads - Live at Liseberg, Gothenburg.

 As most regular readers are aware, I don't normally do live reviews, the reason being is that I get so indulged I usually forget the set list and last night was no exception, I also forgot my camera (I did have my iphone though!) but it was such a great evening I thought I would share it.

Heading out on a hot and sunny Wednesday evening to see The Nomads playing at Gothenburgs theme park, Liseberg, I wasn't really sure what to expect, but having listened to their records for more years than I care to remember and not having had the privilege of seeing the band play before, I didn't want to miss the show.
I arrived shortly before the show began and took a seat at the Taubscenen stage.  Looking around me I was heartened to see that it wasn't just a load of middle aged folks sitting around waiting for a trip back to younger times and old memories, there was a healthy mix of the young, the old, the knowledgeable and the curious.

 

The Nomads formed back in 1981 and released their 18th album last month entitled "Solna" which is the name of the town that the band hail from in Sweden. I have to say that I wasn't expecting these guys to put on a great show 31 years into their career, they only play a few shows every year now but judging by their performance you would have thought they were playing every night of the week!

 

"Can't Go Back" from the new album "Solna."

The Nomads are one of those legendary bands that have spawned imitators galore on their home soil, but none have yet surpassed the original Swedish outfit, not that this is an issue, the band themselves are moulded from the stylings of bands such as The Stooges, MC5, Roky Erikson and The Cramps to name a few and they do a great job, cranked up guitars are the order of the evening here with Hans Östlund playing staggering guitar riffs with a seemingly ease and a coolness more suited to a twenty something axe man, but hey ho, if you've got it!

All those years of sonic style screams don't seem to have affected vocalist/guitarist Nick Vahlberg either who delivers a virtually note perfect set which from experience I know isn't easy on a hot, sunny day.

These two original members of the band are supported perfectly by Björne Fröberg (bass) and Jocke Ericson (drums) who both play with fiery passion.

This was a flawless set with a mix of old and new numbers delivered with real passion and conviction and the band shows no signs of giving up anytime soon, much to the delight of this fan, and to all the other cheering, whistling and clapping fans who I shared the evening with last night.

All photos by Wayne Lundqvist Ford.

Befriend, Like and Love The Nomads here: FACEBOOK

(The new album is available to buy here in their "shop" section)

Official Website: http://www.thenomads.se

The Semis - High On Pop

A little while back I ran a feature on The Semis - Decapitator Blues and now they are back with another 5 track mini album which sounds just as sweet as one would expect from these craftsman tunesmiths!

The Semis are a superior rock n roll band with a mid-fi beachy garage-pop vibe. They meld solid gold songcraft with pure rock n' roll id. And theyre ok with that.
The Semis music has been featured in regional commercials, the movie Dropped Frames and the Bravo series Flipping Out

They are constantly writing and recording. And swimming... and slaying.

Download "High On Pop" (Name your price) here:BANDCAMP

The Semis have four essential albums;

Route 666 ( 2004 )
White Powder Black Power (2007)
Back To The Beach (2010)
Decapitator Blues (2011)

all of which can be found here:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/the-semis/id45392330
and here:
http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/TheSemis

other earlier demos can be found here:
http://thesemisrock.bandcamp.com/album/upper-middle-trash

Follow, befriend and like the band: FACEBOOK

The Smoggers - Shame On You SINGLE NOW AVAILABLE

The Smoggers serve up a "smoggersboard" of rip-roaring garage punk for your delight on their latest release "Shame On You."  This is as true to sixties garage punk as a band could be, great farfisa organ, guitar distortion turned up to 11 a solid bass and percussion section with the whole scenario set on fire by vocalists Jesus and Fernando Smogger.

 The Smoggers are:

 Fernando Smogger - Vocals Guitar, Harmonica

 Jesus Smogger - Vocals and Guitar

Gusti Smogger - Bass Guitar

 Ana Smogger - Drums, Farfisa and Vocals

This new 7” contains three gripping tunes under an impressive artwork by scene ace Darren Merinuk, who brings his own insightful view of the genre. The songs were analogically recorded by Mike Mariconda and Maxi Holler at The Hollers Analog Studio in Málaga in April 2012. The original A side, entitled “Shame on You”, is definitely one of the Smoggers’ best songs ever, with its doses of piercing farfisa and gorgeous fuzz guitar. The cover of the 1980s Texan band The Delinquents, “It’s Just Not the Same”, brings a punk new wave song into a new original dimension of dark rock and roll. The third tune is informed by wild guitar riffs, hypnotic vocals and bursting rhythmic energy.
The Smoggers then, like a good diamond mine, are both dazzling and prolific. Their music is one of the best veins of 60s roots discovered recently. All but without a break, they surprise us with stunning gems from the core of rock and roll. Find out for yourself with this exciting single, published by a new label, KOTJ, whose production, based on the excellent criterion of its main factotum, is bound to impress you both in Spain and abroad. (AlexMagicpop2012)
http://magicpopcat.blogspot.com.es/

The single is available from:

KOTJ RECORDS
P.O.BOX 4042 47080 VALLADOLID SPAIN EMAIL : KOTJ.Records@yahoo.com http://kotjrecords.blogspot.com.es/

The Smoggers album "Chinese Food" is also available at Bandcamp for a mere €5, go take a listen!

Contact the Smoggers: smoggers @ hotmail.com

Get the single from: KOTJ.Records@yahoo.com

Download Chinese Food: BANDCAMP

Befriend, Like and Love The Smoggers: FACEBOOK

Los Immediatos - 4 Tickets To Wonderland

Another great Spanish band hailing from the Sunny Day Records band camp, Los Immediatos deliver a heady album of mid to late sixties stylings with a touch of psychadelia thrown in for good measure.
I don't know if they add something to the water in Spain to continue producing these bands or if it is the healthy dose of Vitamin D the bands get, and to be honest, I don't really care as long as they continue to maintain this standard of output.
Los Immediatos are really at the top of their game and if there was a music event at this summers Olympics, these guys would be making a slow trip back to Toledo weighted down in gold!

No doubt one of the most talented bands in Spanish pop scene in the last three decades, perfect embodiment of teen beat spirit, creators of amazing pop melodies and with a creative curriculum not many could equal.

Los Immediatos have become an important brand in the Spanish 60′s scene in the last decade due to their hard-working ethos, they have performed in every corner of the country and have even taken their shows to in-famous partys such as the Primitive Festival (Holland) and Festiva Beat (Italy). They shared stages with well-known names such as The Pretty Things, The Trashmen, The Fleshtones, Dr. Explosion and a long etcetera... yeah, they are real veterans ready to get on their van at any chance to play their instruments!

If you like The Shakers, Los Brincos, The Hollies, The Squires, Beau Brummels or Powder this is your band, this is your record. 

 Stream the album here: BANDCAMP

Buy the album here: Sunny Day Records 

(Los Immediatos back catologue available too)

Befriend, Like, Love and Follow Los Immediatos here: FACEBOOK 

 

 Sunny Day Records
 

Phenomenal Cat - 'Electricity & Volts' single FREE DOWNLOAD

'Electricity & Volts' is the 5th single from 'Postcards from the British Empire: 12 Singles in 12 Months'

Phenomenal Cat are back with their 5th single release of the year, and once again, true to form, they deliver another delectable slice of power pop for our listening pleasure all neatly packaged up nicely in their best cover to date.....looking great guys!!!


 

Get the free download: HERE 

(If you haven't done so already, download the first 4 singles FREE as well!)

Befriend, like and love Phenomenal Cat here: FACEBOOK

ÁNGEL KAPLAN - PICTURES FROM THE PAST

Arriving just in time to set the scene for summer, Ángel Kaplan's album is everything you need for a warm sunny day, bright, breezy, poppy, sensitive, beautiful!

Ángel Kaplan comes from the north of Spain (Asturias). Well-known among good pop fans, Angel Kaplan has been showing his talent as a composer and musician up front cult powerpopppers Bubblegum, as well as playing the bass for Spanish garage kings Doctor Explosion and the legendary Pittsburgh band The Cynics.

Picture by Pablo Lorenzana, 2008

In the last few years he has started a brilliant solo career self-releasing a mini-lp and a 45 for Get Hip Rds, acclaimed on both sides of the Atlantic. 

"Pictures From The Past" really is a summer classic, so warm that if it is raining you will think the sun is shining, the songs are beautifully crafted and delivered with passion and conviction.
From the first few grooves of the opening track, "Like a ragged old puppet" you know you are in for something special.  The ten tracks on this album are so good that each and any of them could be released as a single, but don't take my word for it, go and buy it and enjoy a summer of love, falling in love with Angel Kaplan that is!!



Angel Kaplan comes from the "Sunny Day Records" camp (Perfect label for this artist and album) and I shall be featuring a few more of their signings here in the coming days and weeks.
http://www.sunnydayrecords.es/

Listen to the complete album: Bandcamp

Buy the album: Sunny Day Records

(Limited edition of 500 vinyl with insert)

Contact: angelkaplan@gmail.com

Bryan Estepa - Vessels. Review

Vessels by Bryan Estepa – reviewed by Marlene Lipson

I’ve been away from writing for a few months, but there’s nothing like an affable pen pal, a good album, and a healthy dose of self-administered guilt to bring one back from wandering.  The friendly and fun Wayne Lundquist Ford (of the blog Ice Cream Man 1967) asked me to listen to a record and give it my review.  The album, Vessels by Bryan Estepa, is also friendly and fun.  With all these good vibrations, how could I not then hop back to the keyboard and say a few words?

Bryan Estepa is a singer-songwriter who has been around the Australian music scene for several years, and has been a part of a few bands.  He’s brought in some of what and who he knows on his recent solo album, Vessels, and the result is good.  The album plays to Estepa’s strengths.  Opening with the optimistic “Won’t Let You Down” sets the listener up for the best, and the sunnier tunes are all the better ones.  I appreciate a record that sounds both familiar and new, and Vessels has that quality. 

 I know about arrangements and styles, but I’m also a lyrics person, and I have a few quibbles with some of the songs (for example: demerit for hackneyed use of the rhyming dictionary on “Hard Habit”).  Most of the time, however, the familiar themes of love and loyalty make this album feel like a refuge when other music seems just too dark, sharp-edged, or jarring.  There are times for music that evokes a dark room or an artistic enjoyment of bitterness or solitude, but there are other times when it’s good to be told even when we struggle that we’ll be all right, on tunes such as “Pull Ourselves Together.”  The best of Vessels is on the tracks that bring that sentiment across.  The songs that don’t do that overtly still get by on the strength of their craftsmanship.

The production values of this album are solid, and all the musicians have a certain ease and the sound of experienced players.  I think I’d like to go see them all at a modest-sized club on a summer’s night.

Marlene Lipson is a writer and editor in New York City. Her arts and entertainment work often carries the handle Downpourblue, and you can follow her on Twitter @downpourblue or check out her posts on Storify at www.storify.com/downpourblue (and just starting off with Google+).

  http://downpourblue.wordpress.com/

Official Website: http://www.bryanestepa.com/

Twitter: @bryanestepa

Befriend, Like, Love and follow on Facebook:Bryan Estepa