If there’s anything that compiling this list has taught us, it’s that if you give a band a video budget, they’ll use it to explore the outer reaches of the galaxy.
Lionize - Space & Time
There isn’t much that excites us as much as bands we like going into space, and Maryland riff-wranglers Lionize are this week’s spectral travellers. Space & Time is a rather joyful romp, and is accompanied by a video in which our heroes find themselves performing on board a cartoon spaceship while some kind of hideous space entity threatens them from outside. Yikes!
Steven Tyler - Red, White & You
This might just be the most jubilantly American thing we’ve ever heard, as Steven Tyler heads to Nashville and returns with a cookie-cutter country anthem that namechecks Tom Petty, American Girls, Summertime Blues, dreams coming true, the 4th of July, Momma’s apple pie and troubling levels of obesity. OK, we made those last two up, and the song is a little faceless, but Red, White & You is still terrific fun. If you gave up on Aerosmith after Night In The Ruts you’ll probably hate it, but there’s something here to enjoy if you like the more recent, shinier version of the band.
RNDM - Stray
Holy smokes, it’s Jeff Arment from Pearl Jam and new music from his band, RNDM. “‘Ghost Riding’ embodies what we went after on this record,” says Jeff. “Pushing ourselves creatively with new songwriting approaches, unique sounds, groove and uncomfortable instrumentation.” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
SOTO - Freak Show
There’s something of an industrial hue to the beginning of Freak Show, as if Nine Inch Nails decided to record a song after listening to Metallica’s greatest hits, before coming to their senses in time for a rousing chorus. There’s an awful lot going on.
Wolfmother - Victorious
In part two of this week’s roundup of bands heading into the outer reaches of the known universe to make their videos, Wolfmother set of on a cosmic adventure featuring some strange creatures with beaks, a Barbarella-style space babe, and at least three riffs so powerful it’s exactly like a galaxial thunderstorm inhabiting your loudspeakers.
The Cadillac Three - Graffiti
Penned by drummer Neil Mason, this new single sees TC3 embracing their sweet, Springsteen-y side – proving there’s more to them than Southern-fried rock romps about girls and whiskey (great though those are). Could they be about to make a Kings Of Leon leap to wider audiences? Quite possibly…
Lords Of Black - Everything You’re Not
A chance to hear Ritchie Blackmore’s new singer before he clambers on board the good ship Rainbow, Everything You’re Not is a thumping piece of classic hard rock which starts in brooding fashion before launching into the kind of epic, towering brute that suggests Ronnie Romero might well have a big future once this summer’s commitments are over. There’s no doubt about it: the boy can sing.
Last In Line - Starmaker
Lots of nice things have been said about Jimmy Bain this week, and while his most fondly remembered work will always be the albums he made backing Ronnie James Dio way back in the day, it’s somehow fitting then he ended his days enjoying playing with a band formed to capture the spirit of those great records. R.I.P. Mr Bain.
