Yamata no Orochi is the name of a legendary eight-headed Japanese dragon. Tracks of the Week is kind of the same, but made out of Rock Music, and on the internet. We hope you enjoy this week’s heads.
Gwyn Ashton feat Don Airey - For Your Love Welsh-Australian guitarist Ashton is from Adelaide, but relocated his carcass to the UK the best part of 20 years ago. Since then he’s played in trios with former members AC/DC and Rose Tattoo, but For Your Love comes across as the kind of thing that George Harrison might have come up with had he turned to lost rock legends Brainticket instead of Hare Krishna. Deep Purple’s Don Airey is on the Hammond organ. Groovy, man.
Ovenizer – Satan’s Washing Machine This may well be the greatest video we’ve ever seen, and we’ve seen literally dozens. It features Ovenizer — great name — playing Satan’s Washing Machine — great title — deep in a snowy forest, surrounded by flame-twirling man-woman beasts. Even the drum kit is on fire… and yet the drummer plays on! They’re signed to Norwegian Pope Records, and we suspect they may have been ripped from the very bowels of The Earth simply to perform for us.
Left Lane Cruiser - Tres Borrachos Scuzzy bluesy rock’n’roll, straight from the Mississippi swamp, via a punk club. Now on their fifth album, Left Lane Cruiser have mastered the art of “hillbilly punk-blues” that “roars like a modal, tweaking chainsaw”. No actual chainsaws were involved in the making of this, as far as we know, but it’s a gratifyingly raw, yet soulfully-minded ‘choon.
Lee Baines III & The Glory Fires - Sweet Disorder Ahead of their UK live debut in May, Lee Baines and co have unveiled this scuzzily warming single. Part-friendly punk, part-fuzzy Southern rock’n’roll, whatever ‘sweet disorder’ they’re singing of, it must be most agreeable – given the upbeat, homespun bounce at work.
Animal House - Figure It Out Imagine what fun The Strokes could have had if they went to Australia, and exchanged New York hassle for sun, surfing and koala-cuddling. You sense the outcome may have sounded like this delightedly ramshackle, garage pop stomp. Step inside the Animal House, it’s a fun place…
Vant - Do You Know Me? This video was directed by photographer Steve Gullick, who made his name conjuring up magic from moody shots of Kurt Cobain, so he clearly knows a thing or two about making things look good in black and white. Vant will remind the listener of those heady days, coming on like Pixies tooling around with Nirvana on the way to Sugar’s house.
Inglorious - Fool For Your Loving This frisky lot tweeted us early in the week, demanding we watch their youthful take on the Whitesnake classic, and because we’re gullible and follow every link we’re ever sent, we did. And we’re glad! For instead of the usual Rick Astley video we found a group of young men attacking Fool in exactly the sort of way it ought to be attacked, full of raw blues bluster and thrust.
Raven – Battle March/Tank Treads (The Blood Runs Red) Fact: Raven’s career has lasted over four times longer than the gap between The Beatles’ first album and the release of Let It Be, yet the Geordie metallers are still to headline Shea Stadium or take a career break at a Transcendental Meditation in Northern India. What does this mean? We have no idea, but The Blood Runs Red is certainly rowdier than anything the so-called “fab four” released during their brief moment in the spotlight, rocking forth like a truck driving a train over a cliff during a storm.
