Glenn Robinson - "Get You Down"

I last wrote about Glenn Robinson way back in 2015. Since then he released a terrific album called Unimpressed that I regretfully never got around to reviewing. Now at work on his third LP, Robinson just released a sneak peak in the form of the digital single "Get You Down". It's a name-your-price download over at his Bandcamp, and it's well worth checking out if you enjoy punky power pop. A quick recap on Glenn Robinson: he hails from Rhode Island and plays guitar, drums, and bass. He has released two albums on Jolly Ronnie Records as well as several singles. He sure knows how to write a catchy pop tune with some punch to it. "Get You Down" is no exception, and it has really strong lyrics to boot. The track was recorded in March with Chris Piquette at No Boundaries Studios in Providence. The new album has no title or release date at this point, but I'm definitely looking forward to it based on "Get You Down". I know you all might be going broke with all of the new releases I've been urging you to buy lately. So here's a freebie that's very much in keeping with the rest of the great stuff that's been coming out this summer!

  
-L.R.

https://glennrobinson.bandcamp.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/GlennRobinsonYeah/ 

Ryan Roxie - Imagine Your Reality

Review by Mike Kimmel

Through lo these many years I've been fortunate enough to listen to a metric buttload of music, there have been two factors that have presented themselves as actual factual predictors.

First, live albums are highly anticipated, quickly forgotten efforts that rarely live up to what was expected.

Second, band members spinning off and releasing their own solo albums or an entirely different band effort. Sometimes that "entirely different band effort" sloughs off to an entirely different genre as well.

Of course there are exceptions to just about any rule you can cite. For live albums, well, check these to shoot my idea that live albums never live up to expectations: Rare Earth – In Concert; The Who – Live at Leeds; Pat Traverse Band – Go for What You Know; Cheap Trick – Live at Budokan; Frampton Comes Alive; Bob Seger – Live Bullet; Humble Pie (yes, the band from whence Frampton emerged multiplatinum-victorious) – Rockin’ the Fillmore; Lou Reed – Rock and Roll Animal; The Kinks – One For the Road; KISS – Alive!, and several more.

Now to solos. I've been an on again/off again Stones fan for years – more off than on, I have to admit. Then individual members started putting out solos. Didn't like Jagger's or Wyman's solo stuff. I liked Ronnie Wood's stuff quite a bit, and I love Keith Richards's efforts.

In 1978 when the four members of KISS each released their own solo album, I enjoyed bits and pieces. But the four pieces apart fell decidedly short of the group combined as a whole.

And there are a bunch of other examples to point to, but I've already wasted too much time before getting to the root of the issue – and that is Ryan Roxie's new solo release Imagine Your Reality, which is a 10-track rock-and-roll dustup* from start to finish.
* - hockey term. 

Released on June 1, 2018, Imagine Your Reality is already sold out at Amazon.com and the price has jumped three bucks from when I preordered it.

From the rocking opener - "Big Rock Show" (which reminded me a bit of Faster Pussycat at first. No, that's not a bad thing) to the much slower closing track "God Put a Smile Upon Your Face" and all points in between, Roxie's first honest to goodness solo release shows why he belongs.

Only four songs into the disc, there are already three really memorable ones. It's not that "Over and Done" is bad (in fact, it has some of the album's better lyrics) – just that the opener, "Big Rock Show", the cover of "California Man" (featuring Robin Zander), and "To Live and Die in L.A." overshadow it somewhat.

For the last several years, Roxie has been Alice Cooper's guitarist and collaborator. For an interesting example, check out Alice Cooper (with Ryan Roxie) – "Suffragette City"

In "Over and Done", he wants to make sure the relationship is over. "I'm half the man I thought I was. Single now but twice as lost. I don't think I'll be coming home tonight."

Ryan Roxie – "Over and Done"

The song title "California Man" might look familiar to you. Well, Roy Wood wrote it, and The Move did do the tune years and years and years ago.

Cheap Trick covered the tune years and years ago. Ryan Roxie invited Cheap Trick lead vocalist Robin Zander to guest on Roxie's take of the Roy Wood track.

With Cheap Trick as one of his major influences, it's not surprising that Roxie's version is really good and fairly true to that of Cheap Trick. Roxie and Zander trade vocals at points, and it's a really good remake of a really good song.

Ryan Roxie – "California Man"

"To Live and Die in LA" is another excellent cut, chronicling how you live and die while trying to make it. A perceived quick way is to cut the throats of the people you've worked with and stab those who helped you in the back. This official lyric video will explain it better.

Ryan Roxie – "To Live and Die in L.A."

"The Uh-oh Song" is fun. He just wants to hear his companion "…say these words; Uh-oh!" And if you bought the vinyl rather than the CD, side one just ended for you. Not to worry. Side two kicks off with my Alternate Favorite**.
** - my adaptation of a hockey term, since there's no more hockey till late September. Gotta get a fix somehow. 

Listen closely to track six, and you'll find out he doesn't "…give a damn about the Me Generation." "A bunch of little punks who need to take their medication."

Track seven – "Look Me in the Eye" -  is what you always want someone you suspect is lying to you to do, right?

Number eight offers a bit of advice to the lovelorn in the audience; "When your brain is on vacation your heart's in trouble."

Only two tracks from the finish line now (in deference to the Triple Crown winning horse Justify).

"Somethin' you said, baby. It's stuck in my head, baby. We can be friends someday. Never. Never. Nevermind Me." Another one of the rockers.

The finale starts out much more slowly than the rest of the CD, with just an acoustic guitar and Roxie's vocals. Then it kicks into a bit more of a rocker than you probably expected from the start of the tune.

Listen to the album all the way through one time, and when the last cut "God Put a Smile Upon Your Face" kicks into gear, so does the bass. As soon as that happens, I realized that the bass had been really cool throughout the release. I guess it's just not "in your face" enough to drive that point home until the last song when it DOES jump a bit into your face.

It's definitely worth the time and effort to pick this one up. You'll see why Cooper hangs onto Roxie as a band member/guitarist.

 -Mike Kimmel

https://ryanroxie.bandcamp.com/
https://ryanroxie.com/

Brad Marino - Four Track Attack

I've been teasing it for a while, and now it's finally here! Out on Beluga Records, Four Track Attack is the debut solo release from Connection singer/guitarist Brad Marino. Naturally I was enthused to receive new music from one of my favorite singers. And the bonus is that two of these songs were contributed by New Trocaderos songwriter Michael Chaney! 

Four Track Attack is a solo effort in the truest sense: all instruments and vocals are by Brad Marino. With Marino breaking out on his own for this EP, there was always the possibility of him doing something way different from The Connection. I would have been perfectly okay with that, but at least on this release Marino is keeping it in his wheelhouse. If you've loved all of the Connection and New Trocaderos records, you'll love Four Track Attack as well. "Should've Known" hits that sweet spot where power pop intersects with good old rock n' roll. It's got it all: a great hook in the chorus, stellar backing vocals (imagine: an army of Brad Marinos!), and a fade-out ending tailor made for radio. Chaney wrote "Hey Girl" especially for this project, so it's no surprise that this Stonesy number suits Marino's talents so well. Marino absolutely rips it on guitar - recalling Keith Richards AND Mick Taylor all at once! Lyrics about a fellow finally giving the heave-ho to his shamelessly unfaithful lady are timeless in a way that we've come to expect from Michael Chaney. This song could easily have been written by a blues man 60 years ago, yet it's no less relevant today. "On The Brink" hints at a Ramones influence, but really it's vintage Brad Marino hard-driving rock n' roll. That "things are changin', and I'm on the brink" refrain is gonna be stuck in my head for weeks! To finish, the Chaney-penned "Special Friend" has that Dave Edmunds type feel that should appeal to any fan of Marino's bands. Again, that guitar work is smokin'!

What I'll say about this four track attack is that none of 'em are throwaways! All four of these songs are top-notch rockers. And serving as his own rhythm section, Marino more than holds his own. Even when you already play in the best band in the world, I think it has to be super fun to go into the studio and make a record that's entirely yours. I was definitely keen on the idea of a Brad Marino solo record, and Four Track Attack does not disappoint. I dare Mick Jagger to make a solo record this good! 



-L.R.

https://bradmarino.bandcamp.com/album/four-track-attack 
https://www.facebook.com/bradmarinomusic 
http://punkrecords.se/ 

Moron's Morons - Indecent Exposure

With releases now on both No Front Teeth Records and Slovenly Recordings, Moron's Morons are rapidly ascending to the forefront of the modern-day garage punk scene. I'm a fan of almost anything having to do with the great nation of Poland, and this band is no exception. Honestly, I've loved this Warsaw-based outfit since I first learned the singer was named Philo Phuckphace. The dude is a first-rate screamer! He's joined by drummer Turd Awesome, guitarist John Pauly Shore II, bassist Debbie Lee Moron, and lead guitarist Lance Romance. Issued on Slovenly this month, Indecent Exposure is the band's second EP and first American release. If you're on the Make Garage Punk Trashy Again bandwagon like I am, these four tracks will be music to your ears. I'm talking fast, wild, and gloriously unwholesome noise played savagely and recorded cheaply. What more could you possibly desire? This definitely falls on the Reatards/Sick Thoughts side of the garage punk spectrum, and that's exactly what we need more of these days. If you're so inclined, you can read the song lyrics over at the Moron's Morons Bandcamp. I'll just warn you that they're not for the faint of heart. Would you expect anything else from a band that writes a song called "Devil Sucks My Cock and Swallows" (sure to be the feelgood hit of the summer!)? You can probably surmise that "Rate Your Teacher" is not an ode to instructional excellence. "SS Girls" seems to be a live recording, but it's hard to tell since there's almost zero drop-off in fidelity. That pretty much sums up what makes Moron's Morons so great. If you like the idea of '90s garage punk, GG Allin, and Killed By Death comps all rolled into one, this is the band for you. Play loud and make the neighbors very uncomfortable!



-L.R.

https://slovenly.bandcamp.com/album/morons-morons-indecent-exposure-ep 
https://moronsmorons.bandcamp.com/album/indecent-exposure 
https://www.facebook.com/moronsmoronspunk/ 

Trash Culture - Just A Ride

I love it when a band describes itself far more profoundly than I ever could. London's Trash Culture says it's "playing music because we have to, for if we don't we will kill our work colleagues". That's brilliant, and I don't doubt those words for a second! On its debut release, Trash Culture tears into eight tracks of fantastically pissed-off punk rock. Cunha on lead vocals sounds like he's fed up with everything and everyone, and for damn sure we're all gonna hear about it! (You can surmise that "I Wanna Die" is not a ballad). Musically, this is just straight-up ripping punk that recalls everyone from the Zero Boys to Anti-Nowhere League to the Dead Boys to GG Allin. Cunha is a real deal screamer, and these are songs you'll want to shout along with loudly while you pogo into the night. Ben Perrier from Los Pepes recorded and mixed this album, and it sounds crackling! Trash Culture likes to joke about being the opening band that nobody gets to see, but I have a feeling they'll be ascending to headliner status in short order. Here's hoping they someday come to the States and play with The Hot LZ's. Imagine the havoc they'd wreak!



-L.R.

https://trashculture.bandcamp.com/album/just-a-ride 
https://www.facebook.com/trashcultureband/ 

Firestarter - First Album and Livin' On The Heat

Can you believe it has been 18 years since Firestarter released its debut album? That was a release that helped define punk/powerpop as the genre we know today. That and the band's 2003 followup Livin' On The Heat are stone cold classics - two of the greatest albums released this century. Would you have expected anything less from 3/4 of Teengenerate? In commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Firestarter, Secret Mission Records has re-released both of the band's albums on vinyl. The bummer is that the label has already sold out of copies of the self-titled album (although you still might be able to snag it from some distributors). And supplies of the Livin' On The Heat reissue are very limited! If you're a huge fan of modern day punk/powerpop and have somehow never heard Firestarter, you at the very least need to acquire the digital versions of both albums. This is the first time that these two LPs have been released outside of Japan, and it seems only right that a whole new generation of punk and power pop fans will have the chance to enjoy them.

Given that the marriage of garage punk and power pop is so common today, it can be easy to forget that it wasn't always that way. Along side the Marked Men (Mark Ryan and Jeff Burke have remastered these two albums for vinyl), Firestarter paved the way for a new era of hooky but still tough as hell punk music. Listening today, I'm struck by how well both Firestarter albums have held up. It's a wonderful thing that Secret Mission has brought this essential music back into circulation. Move fast if you want a vinyl copy of Livin' On The Heat!



-L.R.

https://secretmissionrecords.bandcamp.com/album/firestarter-first-album-lp 
https://secretmissionrecords.bandcamp.com/album/firestarter-livin-on-the-heat-lp 
https://www.facebook.com/secretmissionrecords/ 
http://www.secretmissionrecords.com/ 

Wassup Rocker Radio Presents: Sick Sounds

You know what I love about being into music in the digital age? There are so many ways to hear cool tunes. That's why I don't waste a single second bitching about mainstream music. Who cares what they're playing on commercial radio? You can go onto The Internet anytime you want and hear totally rippin' music. In particular, Internet radio is thriving. One of the best programs going is Alex Kish on Wassup Rocker Radio out of Toledo, Ohio. WRR plays the best in garage rock, punk, glam rock, and rock n' roll. I would strongly recommend it to anyone who likes the music I cover on this blog. You can listen every night of the week on various Internet radio outlets or stream/download episodes at your convenience. Today I'm featuring a very special project from Wassup Rocker Radio: a free digital compilation featuring 32 of the hottest bands from the world of punk/powerpop/garage. It's called Sick Sounds, and it is stacked with killer tunes! Check out this lineup: The Connection, Geoff Palmer, Brad Marino, Devious Ones, Lucy and the Rats, Küken, The Crazy Squeeze, Teenage Frames, Criminal Kids, Faz Waltz, BBQT, Gino and the Goons....and that's not even the half of it! This is a great way to snag some free tracks from a whole lot of amazing bands. And perhaps, like me, you'll discover some groups you've not heard before. After hearing The Matt Truman Ego Trip, Black Heartbreakers, and The Exbats for the first time, I will surely have a lot more to say about those bands going forward!

If you buy a ton of music, you might already have a lot of these songs in your digital collection. Otherwise, Sick Sounds is a great way to sample some of the truly excellent punk, garage, and rock n' roll music that's out there right now. And the Gino and the Goons track "Lay With Me" is previously unreleased! This compilation also gives you a good idea of the type of stuff you'll hear if you tune into Wassup Rocker Radio. Check out the WRR web site or Facebook page for lots more info!



-L.R.

https://wassuprockerradio.bandcamp.com/ 
http://wassuprockerradio.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/wassuprockerradio