CD REVIEWS
Reviews By: Jaime Pina, louise Swift, James G. Carlson, Glass Onion
East Bay Ray and The Killer Smiles
Raising The Stakes
Vinyl Review by Jaime Pina
This release comes at an odd time for Ray. With the unfortunate death of longtime Dead Kennedy’s drummer D.H. Peligro, Ray’s main music gig with Dead Kennedys may now be in jeopardy. Ray has had the Killer Smiles project going for some time and they released a record in 2011. The band includes Skip, the guy who has been singing for the DKs for the longest tenure since Jello. But if you are looking for DKs style thrash rock you will not find it here. One thing you might notice is the difference in Ray’s signature guitar tone. That stinging, instantly identifiable tone is not here. While the guitar is still somewhat distorted it is a much cleaner and clearer tone than he is known for. And while the music can still be filed under the banner of “punk rock” these songs have a straightforward rock and pop sound. On songs like Area 51 and It’s Broken there are guitar parts and arrangements that recall songs from the DKs middle period without coming off like trying to sound like them. A song like The Runner has an early Chris Isaak feel to it and yes, I am a fan of Chris Isaak so I have no problem with this. Heck, they even dabble with reggae on Safe And Sound.
The songs and playing on this record are all top shelf and the band draws from a lot of influences of pop and punk including contemporary punk, early Brit punk and British Invasion, 60’s US garage punk, and psychedelia to add flavor and give the songs their own distinct personalities. If you are looking for something that is fun just for the escapism of good music, this record will sound great at the beach or a backyard party this summer. The album ends with a cover of the coal miner classic ! 6 Tons. And news flash! At press time the DKs played a show with a new drummer.
Angel - Once Upon A Time
CD Review by Jaime Pina
After disbanding in the early 80’s the band Angel released a record called In The Beginning in 1999 that was to be their comeback release with original members Frank DiMino on vocals and Barry Brandt on drums, but it didn’t quite work out. In 2019 DiMino reconnected with original guitarist Punky Meadows, and they put together a new lineup and released Risen. The band toured and the record and tours did well. Now they are back with another release of new Angel music.
The album starts like classic Angel with a synth introduction and then the band breaks into a song that recalls an early Angel big rocker like The Tower. It’s a powerful opening track with Dimino and Meadows sounding like mature versions of their former selves. They’ve grown up but they haven’t lost their enthusiasm as far as their ability to function as key members of this band. There is a certain kind of vibe that goes with a band like this. While the new members certainly pull their weight just fine, without the commitment and awesome of DiMino and Meadows none of this would work.
As a band that was always known for being over-the-top, the second track introduces female backing vocals to the mix and it sounds pretty good, but it is a little out of character even for this band who flirted with disco rhythms before Kiss did. There are songs on this disc that go for a contemporary rock sound mixed with the rockers but it’s not something this band is a stranger to. The song Rock Star even cribs the guitar signature from Journey’s Wheel In The Sky. In cases like Without You and Liar, Liar, Meadows starts the songs with heavy guitar riffs that lead to catchy, radio-friendly choruses, unlike a song like Daddy’s Girl which was obviously written to be friendly on family ears from beginning to end.
It appears there are more middle-of-the-road style rock songs on this record compared to the previous one. Or maybe it was just the experience of listening to a new Angel recording. There is a lot of pop here but not the winning Angel pop of That Magic Touch. As a fan, I can give them some room, and to another fan, I would recommend this record. As far as trying to appeal to the same audience as Aerosmith or Journey, we shall see how the story unfolds.
The Armed – ULTRAPOP
Review by James G. Carlson
While 2020 was a political shitshow, the first half of 2021 proved a social disaster, with many of us cooped up in a maddening quarantine, cut off from the world we had taken for granted. One of the few things that made this experience somewhat tolerable was those artists – musicians and authors and filmmakers – that didn’t let the pandemic stop them from creating and releasing material. For me, one of the albums that has been on repeat in my house is The Armed’s ULTRAPOP. In truth, it is probably my favorite album of the year so far.
My first exposure to The Armed was through their revolutionary 2018 album Only Love. I’d never heard anything quite like it, and I thought I’d heard it all. It was punk, it was hardcore, it was synth-driven pop, all peering through a veil of artful noise. There was something so unique and alluring about it. So when I saw news of the Detroit collective’s new release, ULTRAPOP, I got my hands on it as quickly as I could.
ULTRAPOP is an exercise in sound evolution. The Armed take what they did with Only Love and go even further with it, making their already full, complex, and forward-thinking sound even fuller, more complex, and more progressive. In doing so, they have decidedly become something new – a genre unto themselves. Shredding guitars, heavy bass, hard-hitting drums, melodic synths and keys. Combined with all of this are the vocals – sometimes screamed, sometimes sung, somethings both – conveying interesting, meaningful lyrics.
This is one album that I listen to in its entirety, rarely skipping tracks. But if I had to choose the standouts, I’d have to go with “All Futures,” “An Iteration,” “Average Death,” and “A Life so Wonderful.” Check the band out on YouTube – they have videos for three of these songs.
ULTRAPOP is available now from Sargent House and The Armed.
THE KVB Artefacts ( Reimaginings From The Original Psychedelic Era) With Mesmerizing New Music Video!
Review by Glass Onion
After weeks of anticipation, the brand new album from Manchester-based post-punk duo, The KVB, is finally released today! Artefacts (Reimaginings From The Original Psychedelic Era), as the title suggests, features 11 tracks of unique interpretations from the groundbreaking and influential psychedelic rock explosion of the 1960s. Fans have already tuned in to the album’s first two singles, a fantastic version of Status Quo’s “Pictures Of Matchstick Men” as well as a slowly throbbing, dark wave take on 13th Floor Elevators’ tripper “Reverberation,” and now, just as the full album is being released to all digital platforms as well as CD, The KVB share another side of their new project.
Today, the band has released a phenomenal visual interpretation of the album set to the sounds of their “Matchstick Men” cover. Filmed in the gorgeous rolling hills of the English countryside, the music video captures the candid, meditative nature of The KVB’s musical alchemy, crafted by Nicholas Wood and Kat Day. Whether focusing on natural objects like the exposed bedrock of the otherwise verdant country landscape, or turning the camera (literally) on themselves, The KVB showcase the cosmic depth of the seemingly mundane material world.
Featuring superb cover versions of many more tracks from Them to The Troggs to The Pretty Things to The Who, Artefacts (Reimaginings From The Original Psychedelic Era) is released today on digital and CD with the vinyl version following a bit later in the year.
Mick Rossi’s Gun St Album
Review by: Louise Swift
Mick Rossi, musician and one of the founding members of Manchester Punk Rock band Slaughter and the Dogs, turned actor, writer, and producer of the new album Gun St. was released on 23 February via Secret Records. The CD includes a booklet featuring all the lyrics and a detailed background behind Mick’s inspiration for the album and why he chose the title. Gun Street, the narrow cobbled thoroughfare, behind Great Ancoats Street, in Manchester where his Italian grandparents lived. He cites his main influences as being David Bowie, Mick Ronson, and Lou Reed.
The album opens with Give Me Life, with an organ intro that leads into a driving rhythm section and features an uplifting guitar solo from The Cult’s Billy Duffy, who also grew up in Manchester.
Ride starts off gently before building in both tempo and volume and has some interesting licks, I heard elements of Ram Jam’s version of Black Betty in the guitar solo. Brightest Star is a heartfelt ballad, with added keys, which Mick explains (in the booklet*) is about a relationship with that one special person.
Telegram Sam‘s a stomping cover of the T Rex classic in which, I felt, Mick had cleverly intertwined the rhythm from their song Bang a Gong (Get it On)! Followed by another stomper in Love Life with its Last Great Dreamers vibe and searing riffs.
High High Low Low starts with a marching beat and guitar licks which seem to be speaking to you, think Yankee Rose by David Lee Roth. Anticipation has roots in T Rex. The final track I’ll Never Love Again is a gentle song with the vocals sounding similar to those of David Bowie in places and put me in mind of the Everly Brothers Let It Be Me. A beautiful song to end the album.
Mick, himself says that he never wanted to sing, he ‘just wanted to be that blonde guy with the Les Paul‘* but this great follow-up to his earlier album All the Saints & all the Souls shows his versatility, he not only sings but has written all the songs (except Telegram Sam). There’s a good balance of ballads and stompers! I’m using the analogy of a rainbow with its beautiful colors throughout which reach a peak in the middle before gently coming back down to that pot of gold at the end.
Band Members:
Mick Rossi – Lead Vocals/Lead Guitar
Dan Graziano – Bass Guitar
Mark Reback – Drums.
Track List:
Give Me Life
You Got Something to say to Me
Ride
Brightest Star
The Reckoning
Telegram Sam (T Rex cover)
Love Life
High High Low Low
Anticipation
Dancing with a Dead Man
I’ll Never Love Again
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