Congratulations to Yellowell, who were voted no.1 last week. They were followed by Biters in second place and Royal Thunder in third. Excellent tuneage from all three, bravos all round. This week we’ve got another spread of melodious, rocking delights for your delectation, but which is your favourite? Listen, ingest, then vote like a boss. Go forth, peace out, and have fabulous weekends y’all.
Chris Shiflett – Sticks & Stones
Punks have a history of going to the country; Dave Hause did it, Greg Graffin swerved that way earlier this year, and now Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett has joined the party. And guess what? It sounds really good. He hasn’t gone too ‘yeehaw’, but rather streamlined countrified soul into a feelgood rock’n’roll framework.
Airbourne – It’s All For Rock And Roll
Astutely avoiding the fourth chord since 2003, Airbourne are something of an antidote to strange times. On this new video they pay tribute to the late Lemmy, and we sense he’d have approved; the Marshalls are stacked high, there is Jack and Coke onstage, the main riff sounds a bit like the title track on AC/DC’s Rock Or Bust, and the crowd leaps in unison like rock’n’roll’s the only damn thing that matters (even if only for a few minutes). All for one, and one for all. Yeah.
Seafoam Green – Down The River
Ahhh it’s just like Rich Robinson swerved into another tasty (post-Black Crowes) project and helped make some sweet, Creedence Clearwater-esque noises! Oh no, wait, that’s exactly what’s happened here… Spearheaded by Dublin-born songwriter Dave O’Grady, the dulcet swampiness of Down The River suggests Seafoam Green is a side-project worth watching out for.
Justin Townes Earle – Champagne Corolla
Son of country hero Steve Earle, Justin has an enticing swirl of rockabilly-meets-Southern rock’n’roll all ready for you this fine Friday afternoon. The lyric video isn’t quite the rootsy, 50s affair one might expect – it’s a yellow corolla driving in the dark – but the tune will put a spring in your step. His new album, Kids On The Street, is out in May.
Seether – Let You Down
There’s a moody hint of Tool, mixed with Foo Fighter-esque grunginess, in this fist-punching new one from Seether. The alt-metal South Africans popped up in the US charts during the mid-00s – most prominently with ballad Broken, which featured Evanescence singer Amy Lee – but Let You Down has a slightly more straight-ahead riffy quality that we rather like.
Troubled Horse – Hurricane
Some heavy, noisy garage rock now from Swedish rabble-rousers Troubled Horse. Accompanied by a video that culminates in a big old brawl (with sledgehammers and aggressively pointed fingers leading up to it), it’s music you can fight to – in a good way.
Desert Mountain Tribe – Enos In Space (Top of The World)
Every second, two new records are produced by Youth. OK so that *might* not be a totally accurate statistic, but christ you can’t fault the man’s work ethic. Anyhoo, one of the latest fruits of his labour is this number from psych rock Londoners Desert Mountain Tribe – which, under the Killing Joke bassist’s production wizardry, acquires a stylish new sheen.
Metallica – Master Of Puppets (Live in Singapore)
Oh go on then, let’s have some class A Metallica to round off the week. After all these years Master Of Puppets is still an absolute killer live, and you can still hear the iconic assurance that’s inspired so many youngsters to pick up guitars.
