Tuesday, March 14, 2017

New one from Tommy and The Rockets!

At this very moment, I can look out the window and witness the full wrath of Winter Storm Stella. In a few hours, I will have the rare pleasure of shoveling 18 inches of snow. But there's no convincing me that summer isn't right around the corner. And with that we get THE summertime record of 2017 from Tommy and The Rockets! This intercontinental supergroup featuring Danish singer/guitarist Thomas Stubgaard (The Lingertones, The Hitchcocks) and New Trocaderos songwriter Michael Chaney released a terrific debut album last year that was warmly received by fans of early Beach Boys and classic era Ramones. It was a really tough act to follow, but Tommy and The Rockets have definitely topped it with a brand-new EP called Rock 'n' Roll Wrecking Machine. This is the band's best stuff yet- and the upbeat, goodtime vibe is a surefire prescription for any lingering winter blahs that might ail you.

With its hopped-up beat, nifty backing vocals, and smoking lead guitar, "Rock 'n' Roll Wrecking Machine" more than lives up to its title. I'm telling ya, it's a stone cold smash hit! You will play it on repeat! "Hey Daisy" is pure, bubbly pop for all of us who are eternally 16 and girl-crazed. "Get Ready" makes me wanna climb in my car and drive real fast with no obvious destination besides a really great time (I might need to wait a few days before attempting such an adventure). And "Gonna Be Alright", a duet teaming Tommy with Julie Jean, is the perfect way to bring this 7" slab of joy to a close. The odes to wistful longing and broken hearts will surely return, but with this record it's all about the high hopes of new love and the unlimited possibilities of youth! Isn't that what rock n' roll is all about? If you love Ramones albums like Rocket To Russia and Road To Ruin, that's precisely the sweet spot that Tommy and The Rockets hit with this release. Once again, Brad Marino and Kris "Fingers" Rodgers rip it up as "session" players. And kudos to Christian Jakobsen for the killer guitar solos! Download is available today, with a vinyl release from Europeans labels Ghost Highway, KOTJ, and Beluga Records due at the end of the week. This review arrived right on time courtesy of me getting a snow day!



-L.R.

https://tommyandtherockets.bandcamp.com/album/rock-n-roll-wrecking-machine 
https://www.facebook.com/tommyandtherockets 
http://www.ghosthighwayshop.com/es/ 
http://oscarkotj.blogspot.com/p/kotj-records.html 
http://punkrecords.se/ 

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