Happy Monday! The weather's kinda gone to crap again but what better to brighten spirits than a big, fat wedge of brand new rock bangers to stick directly into your ears? Plus, as always, you can vote for your favourite!
Before we get underway with this week’s new selection of rock tunes, congratulations are in order for last week’s victors Volbeat, as well as second prize winners H.e.a.t., and Ricky Warwick, who rolled up in third place. Top work all round, people.
And now on to new musical business: a fresh batch of Tracks Of The Week contestants, fighting to the death for the top spot armed with big fuck-off riffs, earworm melodies and nerves of steel. Who will triumph? You decide. Check ‘em out, judge accordingly and vote for your favourite at the foot of this page.
But first, how about a victory spin for last week’s winning song? Oh go on then…
The Southern River Band - Fuck You, Pay Me
It’s invariably a good day when these Aussie dudes release a new single, and with the gloriously titled Fuck You, Pay Me it’s no exception. Glistening with that irresistible blend of raw shitkicker rock’n’roll and Thin Lizzy-evoking sweetness that made last year’s D.I.Y album such a corker, it does that wonderful thing of slipping down a treat without losing its edge. No big surprises, no bullshit – just rock’n’roll done bloody well.
Kaviani - Switch It Up
Originally dreamed up as a hat-tip to the late, great Dusty Hill – and co-masterminded by latter-day Def Leppard producer Pete Woodroffe – this Sheffield-bred (with Iranian heritage) singer/guitarist’s new single sounded pretty damn appetising on paper. Happily, we can confirm, it does not disappoint in real life. A sleek, sassed up feast of ZZ Top-style Texan swagger with a glossy Sunset Strip paint job, it’s like the 80s never ended. Guilty pleasure, or just...well, a pleasure?
![Kaviani - Switch It Up [Music Video] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/QSFZBCZknB0/maxresdefault.jpg)
Witch Fever - Dead To Me
Back with a new, heavier sound – and their first new music in two years – Manchester’s Witch Fever stir up a commanding maelstrom of dark noise and menacing guitars, building to a gear-changing chorus charged with manic screams. “We really wanted to sound bigger,” says bassist Alex Thompson, whose deep, ominous rumbles play a huge part in Dead To Me. “We wanted to push our sound in ways that we wouldn’t be able to do if we were just playing in a room together.” Mission accomplished.
Cardinal Black - Keep On Running
Back with a new record deal and a new album (Midnight At The Valencia, coming in May), the Welsh-formed trio are on flying form on this soulful rocker, complete with the sort of cool, classy blues rock solo we expect from six-stringer Chris Buck. Vocalist Tom Hollister was inspired by a friend he knew at university who was pursued by a stalker – here, in the lyrics, he takes on the role of the villain. “It’s a darker track, absolutely,” Hollister says, “but unfortunately I think it will also be very relatable for a lot of our fans.”
Dinosaur Pile-Up - ‘Bout To Lose It
Now that’s how you start a comeback song: with a pummelling, riff-munching barrage of guitars, matching drums and one big ‘arrghhhhh!!!’. Back from the brink after six years and some extremely challenging life experience, Dinosaur Pile-Up sound totally pumped to be making music again on this rousing ode to resilience in the face of serious adversity. Alt. rock at its beefiest and catchiest, with punked up teeth and a fiery case to make.
Black Honey Cult - Dead In Me
Groovy, fuzzy dark psych with a gothic streak is the order of the day on this deliciously hypnotic number from LA post-punks Black Honey Cult. Feverish and Velvets-esque in a way that you can dance to (albeit in a very spaced out, head-spinning sort of way) – with former and current Lords Of Altamont members in their 60s-charged ranks. Like the sound of all that? Their self-titled debut album comes out in May.
Dirty Blonde - Adore Me?
“‘Adore Me?’ is probably the most honest we’ve ever been when writing a song,” explain DB’s core duo Ailis Mackay (vocals, guitar, drums) and Hayley Tait (guitar, backing vocals), of this honeyed alt.rock ode to heartbreak at its rawest. “It was written at a time when we had both gone through breakups at a similar time, and had a lot of shared experiences from the breakups. We were basically angry and upset and threw it into a song. It was the quickest we’ve ever written a song.”
Ashes Of Billy - Without You
Don’t be fooled by the plonky opening notes of this grungy young Danish trio’s new ballad – it quickly grows into something bigger and richer. Once again sounding older than their years, AOB showcase a thoughtfully crafted melody with a catchy, bittersweet chorus. “Without You is one of our few ballads,” singer/songwriter Daniel Aabenhus Hermann explains. “It reflects the frustration of waiting for promises to be fulfilled, waiting endlessly while nothing changes. As time passes, the disappointment grows, and you begin to realize that you’re better off moving forward without those who let you down.”
