We’ve whittled down the best new rock’n’roll of the week to this appetising list – and it’s a good ‘un, we reckon. Last week you voted the following bands into your top three, and - excitingly - there was a tie for second position.
2= The Kut - Hollywood Rock And Roll
2= Steven Page - White Noise
1. Walking Papers - This Is How It Ends
But who will you go for this week? The new Alter Bridge live track? Or a brand new newbie like The Blinders? Or any of the other artistes listed here? Listen in, then vote for your favourite. But first let’s have another listen to last week’s winners Walking Papers. Enjoy....
Alter Bridge – Words Darker Than Their Wings (live)
Last year Alter Bridge played two nights at London’s Royal Albert Hall with a full orchestra. It was a stunning collaboration, made all the more rousing by the delighted crowd soaking up every last note – not least when they cracked out this impassioned, lesser-played favourite. ‘“I’m gonna man up!” laughs Myles, referring to The Big Note at the end that apparently deterred him for a while. He hits said note perfectly … of course he does. Gorgeous stuff.
Black Moth – Pig Man
This part-Leeds, part-London collective have been compared to the lofty likes of Black Sabbath and L7, and this reflects why. Something of an oddity on latest album Anatomical Venus (sonically it’s closer to their earlier material), it’s a deliciously menacing yet mischievous, more-ish number, inspired by a book that frontwoman Harriet Bevan read called, rather brilliantly, Perv. “He [writer Jesse Behring] talks about the witch hunts of New Haven and these guys they called ‘Pig Men,’” she told Metal Hammer, “which were farmhands or people who had been caught having sex with barnyard animals. The belief was that they were trying to spawn satanic offspring that would then bring Satan to Earth…”
The Blinders – Brave New World
Manchester-based (Doncaster-born) three-piece The Blinders have already raised a lot of impressed eyebrows. Based on this hard-hitting, hooky yet super-cool piece of ballsy rock’n’roll, it’s not hard to see why. They were originally inspired by local heroes Arctic Monkeys, but Brave New World goes quite a way beyond that; with nods to the smoky anarchy of early BRMC alongside their own topically infused snarl. Like what you hear? Check out this and more on debut album, Columbia, which comes out September 21.
Joe Bonamassa - King Bee Shakedown
And now for something different – like, completely different. But we welcome variety here at TOTW, and this toe-tappin’ new cut from Joe Bo’s forthcoming album, Redemption, goes down a treat. He rocked things up a bit more on previous LP Blues Of Desperation, and this combines the driving, gung-ho grooviness of that record with tight, brass-laden sass. And of course there’s an expertly crafted, highly lovable guitar solo that’s good enough to eat; if sweet slidey guitar is your thing.
Ann Wilson & Warren Haynes – You Don't Own Me
The Heart singer takes on Lesley Gore’s anthem with Govt Mule/Allmans axe-wielder Warren Haynes to classy, swaggery effect. Taken from Wilson’s new album Immortal, it’s a weighty but dulcet, heartfelt shot of swingin’ ‘60s empowerment – beefed up by the intertwined hard soul and rock layers of Wilson’s voice (and about twice as long as the original, courtesy of fuller rock orchestration, and some lead guitar showmanship from Haynes).
Bad Touch – Skyman
Next up, five hirsute dudes from Norfolk (aka 21st century classic rockers Bad Touch) play board games in the back of a camper van; while showing off their riffy brand new single. Inspired by the late great Duane Allman (his nickname was “Skydog”), this is chunkier and more hard rocking than much of what Duane did, but it’s clear that they’ve been soaking up his charismatic slide prowess. Check out more on their upcoming new album, Shake A Leg, which goes on sale on October 5.
LTNT - Whitey
The hooky alt metal trio have already polarised some audiences with their cross-dressing flair. But as we see in this new video, they’re not afraid to be original or even downright weird in the process. “It’s not about challenging masculinity so much as challenging the idea of ‘normal’,” frontman Liam Lever told our friends at Metal Hammer earlier this year. “Besides, if you wear the same jeans every show they start to smell fuckin’ bad!” Well, quite. For our part we’re thoroughly enjoying the gnarly mix of industrial grooves, electronic hints and hard rocking bite, as shown here.
Gin Annie – Chains
We’ll leave you today with the new single from these Black Country rockers. The band’s founding core - singer Dave Foster and guitarist Byron Garbett (they’re cousins as well) - has recently acquired a new guitarist and bassist, but they’re off to a promising start with this brooding mesh of hard rock and atmospheric acoustic guitar, which breaks out into a nicely choppy chorus riff. They’re just about to go on tour with the Graham Bonnet band. We reckon they’ll pick up a few new fans along the way…
