The Jessica Fletchers - What Happened to the?

Jessica Fletchers show a lot more imagination and style than many of the bands mining the rich load of neo-psychedelia, certainly more than the bands on their label, Rainbow Quartz. The group hails from Norway and is firmly stuck back in the mid-'60s about where the Kinks meet the Small Faces, just down the lane from where the Marmalade and the Move hang out. They aren't strict recreationists on What Happened to the ?; however, there is a thoroughly modern dose of Elephant 6-style cuteness on songs like "Early Monday" and "Do You Know What She Hides." They also take some elements from garage rock (pounding tempos, simple chords changes) on songs like "Let's Go" and "Beatbox." Throw in some Beach Boys (the cuddly "You Can Have Japan"), Beatles (the dreamy "Shoot"), and the Spencer Davis Group ("I Got News") and you have quite the comprehensive, not to mention entertaining, tour of the mid-'60s. They also pay a lot of attention to arrangements, making sure to stuff each song full of interesting sonic details. This keeps the similarly written songs from all sounding the same. And it helps the band claw its way through the crowd of bands trying to do similar things and make What Happened to the ? one of the more interesting debuts of 2003. It's just a shame that the cover design is so uninteresting. Rainbow Quartz should have used the original cover that the record had when it was released in Norway. It would be too bad if the amateurish look turned away prospective fans. If you are one of those fans, please don't judge this book by its cover. -AMG

Listen:HERE

The La's - BBC in Session.

 

 It's quite possible that the La's showcased on BBC in Session is the closest to the ideal sound Lee Mavers had in mind when he sweated over the group's debut. The group is so lean and clean in these 17 radio sessions that their pop sparkles. It sounds genuinely out of time, hearkening back to the golden age of British pop and pointing toward the golden age of Brit-pop, especially when stripped of the lightest production flair Steve Lillywhite imposed on the band's debut. This doesn't necessarily make for a revelation -- there's no change on the arrangement, not even on the funky outtake "Come In Come Out," the tunes are just brought down to the bone -- but that doesn't make BBC Sessions any less valuable for die-hard La's fans: this is the group at their purest, arguably at their best, and it's as addictive as the classic studio LP.  AMG

Listen:Here

Redd Kross - Show World 1997

Kicking off with an exuberant version of the L.A. power pop-classic-that-almost-wasn't, "Pretty Please Me" -- and unsurprisingly Steve and Jeff McDonald and company rock the bastard to the ground with a smile this time around -- Show World is yet more fun from a band who dedicates themselves to a smart good time. In ways, Redd Kross had found history catching up to them by this time -- any number of bands had stumbled across the loud and brash- '70s pop-punk approach that was the group's raison de etre. But the fact that they hadn't gotten the attention they deserved for it didn't keep them from still going at it with gusto; Bless their hearts. If songs like "You Lied Again" and "Vanity Mirror" didn't introduce any curveballs to the basic sound, they still sounded pretty damn fantastic, singalong energy overdriven up to ten and beyond. Slightly slower tracks like "Girl God," the mega-orchestrated ballad "Secret Life," and the handclap crazy "Follow the Leader" showcase the band's calmer side well enough -- again, no surprises, but none were expected or needed. Best song title of the bunch this time around: "One Chord Progression," which lives up to its name just so. "Teen Competition" lets them cock rock out with the best of them, but doesn't forget the sugar in the chorus even as the distortion completely screws with the mix at one point, while "Get Out of Myself" has one brilliant moment with so much hyper-flange that why the speakers don't melt upon contact is a mystery. Source: [AMG]

Listen:HERE

The Uprising Tour Bristol

Here is a great gig if you are in Bristol tomorrow night.  The Gaurdian said British Rock ,N, Roll is dead....obviously they know nothing about music!

Thee Vicars - I Wanna Be Your Vicar ALBUM RELEASE

 

This album fell through the letterbox today (well, the in mail) and it is exactly what we expected from Thee Vicars....wall to wall kick arse rock'n''roll..... if you only buy one album this year, buy this one and dance until December!!!!!!

Fall down to your knees because Thee Vicars are about to deliver another chunk of garage punk gospel!

Heralded as the “heirs to The Horrors” only with a better cut of suit, this Bury St Edmunds band won’t think twice about dragging your favourite indie chart toppers down an alley and kicking them “kung fu style” into orbit before setting their hair straighteners alight. Their words, not ours.
Now cut down to a three piece of Mike Whittaker, Chris Langeland and Alex De Renzi, they’ve never sounded better. This, their third album, still retains much of the mod-influenced garage-punk sound of their previous work but gives it a good dunk in the Mississippi until echoes of Memphis legends The Oblivians can be heard.
Upholding the garage-rock tradition of full throttle non stop gigging, Thee Vicars are constantly touring Europe and the UK, as well as having made a jaunt to the USA. They’ve opened for the likes of The Horrors, Black Lips and everyone’s favourite bandage clad punks The Mummies, and it shouldn’t be long before these clergymen are taking centre stage themselves.
The Guardian says “They might dress smartly, all suited and booted, but Thee Vicars create an unholy, unruly row. They are much like the Cribs’ new favourite proponents of back-to- basics rifferama, the Strange Boys... Together they create a decent fuzzy racket, full of energy and heavy on the treble, with a low-end throb that does the job.”
Meanwhile, writing about their second album Clash Magazine said, “Ironically, in displaying barely a drop of originality, Thee Vicars actually sound fabulously fresh when set against the current crop of synth-pop bunnies.”
Indeed, when the next big thing consistently looks and sounds like it was just spawned from Topman HQ, Thee Vicars couldn’t have picked a better time to unleash their rock‘n’roll attack. They may not be holy, but they sure as hell give a reason to be thankful!

 

Album available from: Dirty Water Records

Contact, Like and follow: Facebook

Follow this link for a pre release special price order: DW Discount 

The Jags - Evening Standards

The Jags are a fondly remembered one-hit wonder of the late-70s U.K. power pop explosion. The quartet was formed in 1978 by the Yorkshire-based songwriting team of Nick Watkins (vocals) and John "Twink" Adler (guitar), with Steve Prudence (bass) and Alex Baird (drums). In July of 1978, they signed to Island Records and released a promising four-track EP. Their debut LP in 1980, Evening Standards, included the memorable, though highly derivative, "Back of My Hand," which had reached the U.K. Top 40 the previous fall. The follow-up, "Woman's World" barely scraped its way on to the charts. Though Evening Standards featured a really solid set of punchy power pop songs, critics focussed instead on Watkins' Costello-like delivery, writing the band off as merely mimics. As steam ran out of the power pop craze, the band attempted to change their sound a bit. 1981's No Tie Like the Present featured a slightly new direction, but it was generally overlooked. By 1982, the Jags had disbanded for good, though "Back of My Hand" had a revival of sorts in the '90s, appearing on several compilations. AMG

Listen:  HERE

England Road - Memory Lane EP

Formed in 2011, England Road are one of the youngest bands currently playing in the south coast. Aged just 14-17 they have musical ability well beyond their years. Playing their own compositions as well as recognised Indie and hard rock classics, they are held in high regard by all bands they have played with.

December the 18th 2011 saw them become the youngest band in history to have their own headline night (at the average age of 15!!) at the legendary venue “The Joiners Arms” in Southampton.

England Road have a strong following in both Southampton and Portsmouth and regularly play big venues across the region. They are fast gaining a reputation in the local area as the 'ones to watch'.

 When I first heard "England Road" on the  Glory Boy radio  show I envisaged a band that had been doing a long apprenticeship on the boards of venues all over the country, so to discover that they were so young and had played a handful of gigs was a complete surprise!

They have, quite obviously, wasted no time in mastering their instruments and honing their stage presence, so much so that they have already been compared to some of the bigger bands that have been plying their trades for 20 years plus, we won't name any names so as not to embarrass anyone.


England Road are a hard working band too with gigs lined up well into the summer, all in the south of England at the moment, but I am sure it won't be long before they spread their wings for ventures across the land.

Check out the upcoming gigs list: England Road Live

Listen to samples from the EP: Memory Lane EP

England Road Official Website: OFFICIAL

Contact, follow and LIKE:  Facebook

England Road continued their rise for 2012 in style. They followed up their recent success in the Hampshire Youth Music Services ‘Battle of the Bands’ semi final, in which they stormed into the final on 5^th May at The Fernham Hall, Fareham, Hampshire, with a live audition for a major UK competition.

They sailed through to the regional finals of this years Live and Unsigned UK (which is later to be screened on SKY TV). February 25^th saw the young band from Southampton (aged 14-17) take on the adults and show them how its done. Belting out a 2 minute rendition of ‘You Chose Your Fate’ taken from their forthcoming first EP, England Road prompted a spontaneous round of applause from the judges and ticked all the right boxes.

England Road are held in high regard by all bands they have played with and are fast gaining a reputation in the local area as 'ones to watch'. They already have a strong following in both Southampton and Portsmouth and are regularly playing big venues throughout the region.

They will return to Highlight, Unit R04, Blvd Buildings, Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth, PO1 3TW on the 22^nd April to compete in the regional final along with 17 other bands from the first auditions. If successful, they will go on to compete in the area final and will be one step away from competing in the UK Final at the O2 in London.