“Music should strike fire from the heart of man,” said the great composer Ludwig van Beethoven, “and bring tears from the eyes of woman.” We’re not sure about his gender stereotyping, but the man knew a thing or two about composing a tune, and we’d like to think that this week’s selection of tracks will do both.
The White Buffalo - I Got You (feat. Audra Mae)
A man with a baritone voice as rich as treacle mixed with molasses mixed with honey mixed with golden syrup, The White Buffalo has contributed a number of tracks to Sons Of Anarchy. He specialises in tales of loss and regret and dark times, and here he is with with his first duet, a tune sung with Judy Garland’s great-great-niece. And very good it is too.
Radkey - Glore
Wondered how this frantically charged Missouri sibling trio would look in play-doh form? Wonder no more, and check out this colourful, incredibly trippy two-and-a-bit minutes of fast n’ furious punky rock’n’roll.
Simple Minds & The Stranglers - (Get A) Grip (On Yourself)
What happens when The Stranglers and Simple Minds get together in a Battersea studio to record a live version of the former’s debut single? Magic happens, that’s what. These men may not be as youthful as they once were, but Grip zips along like the Energizer bunny on a supercharged Segway. Punk’s not dead, pass it on.
Blurred Vision - Dear John
A Dear John letter with a difference, as Blurred Vision write a song to celebrate John Lennon’s 75th birthday. It’s suitably Beatle-ish, and watch out for cameo performances from the likes of Geddy Lee, Donovan, members of The Yardbirds and too many others to mention.
Shining - Last Day (Live At Trolltunga)
Blackjazz pioneers Shining filmed their new video on a vertigo-inducing mountain ledge called ‘Trolltunga’, 700 metres above Lake Ringedalsvatnet in the Norwegian municipality of Odda. ‘Trolltunga’, of course, translates as ‘The Trolls Tongue’. We especially like the saxophone section, which sounds like a metal version of Morphine (the band, not the popular opiate).
Rocket From The Tombs - Strychnine
What’s that, you say? A cover version of The Sonics’ garage classic Strychnine, performed by influential Cleveland proto-punks Rocket From The Tombs, backed by a video in which aliens land and are confronted by jitterbugging beach babes? Step right this way…
Guida - Roll The Balls
This sounds like mid-seventies AC/DC covering mid-seventies Status Quo, filmed for a long-lost mid-seventies edition of Top Of The Pops. And that’s probably all you need to know.
Chris Holmes - Get With It
When people feature buildings being demolished in their videos, they usually slow down the footage, so that viewers may revel in the solemn beauty of the destruction. No so Chris Holmes. He uses the same footage, but speeds it up. Because Chris Holmes is a law unto himself. A renegade. An outlaw on the hard rock trail, with grit in his hair and thunder in his pants. And a new single.
