Join us, good peoples, as we dive face-first into another selection of new rock’n’roll treats – here to be judged by you. Unsigned newbies, established veterans, everyone in between… if it rocks, it’s welcome here. Last week you picked this lot as your top three:
3. Blacktop Mojo – Underneath
2. Monster Magnet – Mindfucker
1. Black Stone Cherry – Burnin’
Who will sway your vote this week? Tune in, absorb, then vote for your favourite at the foot of this page. But first, let’s have a spin of last week’s first prize winners Black Stone Cherry. Enjoy!
Thunder – Backstreet Symphony
We kick things off this week with this punchy new live recording from Thunder – as delivered to a mass of delighted fans in Cardiff. Now a resounding classic of theirs (with excellent reason, as we see here) it’s taken from forthcoming live album, Stage, which comes out on March 23.
Blackwater Holylight – Sunrise
The album art and typography might initially say ‘dark retro bunch from somewhere Scandinavian’, but there’s much more to this lot from Portland, Oregon. In Sunrise they mesh elements of doom, Krautrock and atmospheric indie (the latter propelled by grungy waif-like lead vocals) into one bewitching rock whole. Ones to watch out for…
Royal Blood – Look Like You Know
These boys have gone totally massive since we first came across them a few years ago, but happily they’ve not slacked on the musical front. This new cut from latest album How Did We Get So Dark? showcases how much bigger their production budget must be (backing singers, big-ass light show…) while grooving and thumping its way into our skulls.
Hell’s Addiction – We’re On Fire
Propelled by a lead vocal shriek straight from the Halford/Hughes/Dickinson/etc school of banshee howling, Leicester five-piece Hell’s Addiction might literally be on fire – if the carnivorous urgency and falsetto-hitting joie de vivre here is anything to go by. A rollicking shot of macho riff-mongering bravado, this’ll set you up for the weekend like a punch in the face. In a good way.
Boy Azooga – Loner Boogie
If Gaz Coombes (post-Supergrass) were trapped in a swamp with a really good DJ, it might’ve sounded like this one from Boy Azooga (brainchild of Cardiff dude Davey Newington). The sound of a heady limb-shaking rave, with groovy guitar fuzz instead of glowsticks.
The People The Poet – Where The Dandelions Roar
A prettily poetic, organic piece of balladry from these Welsh rockers, floral lyrical imagery included. True, the chorus does fall into more predictable ‘woah-woah’ territory, but that doesn’t stop this from being a lovely mesh of heartland, alt and folksy rock.
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats – Hey Mama
Now for a tasty bowlful of warm soul, roots and road-worn emotion now, courtesy of Mr Rateliff and his night sweats. Taken from upcoming album Tearing At The Seams (on sale March 9) Hey Mama is a soothing cocktail of 21st century Americana charms.
Life of Agony – Dead Speak Kindly
Channelling the dense, swaying weight of Alice In Chains (with a sprinkling of Sabbath-esque doominess) Dead Speak Kindly is an grungily appetising taste of LoA’s latest album A Place Where There’s No More Pain.
Happy Friday everyone, may your weekends be righteous in every way.
