Pat Todd & The Rankoutsiders - The Past Came Callin'

Can it be that Pat Todd's "new" band has now been around for 15 years? Well, the math sure doesn't lie! Pile a couple of decades of the Lazy Cowgirls on top of that, and you're talking about a guy who's been one of our finest rock n' roll songwriters for 35 years and counting. And here's the thing: Pat Todd in 2019 isn't resting on his laurels. With the Rankoutsiders, he's been making some of the best records of his life. And new album The Past Came Callin' is a perfect case in point. It's the fifth album from Pat Todd & the Rankoutsiders - and the second to be released on Hound Gawd! Records. Like any top-notch songwriter, Todd will go to great lengths to preserve his musical inspirations. A few of the songs on this release were written many years ago but for varying reasons were never recorded. With this album, Todd found the perfect spot for these old songs to fit. And together with some terrific new material, they showcase one of the great overlooked treasures in American rock n' roll. As always, Todd and his band-mates stick to the tried-and-true blueprint of roots rock n' roll and country. There's nothing fancy going on here: just tremendous songwriting and first-rate playing from the best damn bar band you could ever hope to hear. Backing Todd on this release are Nick Alexander on guitar, Kevin Keller on guitar, Steven Vigh on bass, and Walter Phelan on drums.

Kicking off with the quintessential Rankoutsiders rocker "If Only I Could Fly Backwards In Time", The Past Came Callin' is not without its scorching moments. "The Ballad Of Crystal Valladares" is a raucous barroom blaster that brings to mind kindred spirits Supersuckers. "Goin' Nowhere" was resurrected from the 14th & Nowhere sessions and packs the expected punch. But many of the album's finest tracks veer from the frenzied punk rock n' roll you might associate with this band and label. I love hearing the Rankoutsiders take the foot off the pedal and show total mastery of country/western, ballads, and middle of the road heartland rock. "Call You On Sunday Night" sounds like it ought to already be a fixture on dive bar jukeboxes all across middle America. "Run" is a song you can play for your Jimmy Buffett loving friends in hopes of turning them to the light side of the force. "Yeah, Ya Had A Bad Night" is finally seeing the light of day after two decades, and I can't listen to it without imagining crowds singing along in unison as they hoist their beers. And one thing I respect about Todd is his willingness to put his own spin on existing songs. "Down In Old Boerne" is an old Texas folk song receiving the Rankoutsiders treatment. The band's version of William Bell's 1962 Stax side "Any Other Way" might be my favorite track on the whole album. "Idle Time", written by Dale Hollon of Sons of Hercules, is breezy country rock fit for 1970s radio. "Somewhere Down The Line" is, of course, an old Lazy Cowgirls song. It was re-recorded because of how perfectly it fits this particular band.

Working again with producer Earle Mankey, Pat Todd has crafted yet another stellar addition to his catalog. The man is one of our great American songwriters, and he's backed by a band that can rock the hell out of even his most reflective material. The Past Came Callin' is such a fitting album title because it reflects both the life experience that inspired a lot of these lyrics and the fact that some of these songs had been lingering in Todd's mind for years. This is just a brilliant album from start to finish - an essential purchase for both longtime fans and anyone who enjoys good, solid rock n' roll with a country influence.

  
-L.R.

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New Lovesores 10-inch!

How do they do it?! The Lovesores, the reigning kings of full-fury punk rock n' roll, keep blowing me away with every new record they make. It's got to be hard to start at such a high level yet somehow find a way to continually raise the bar. But we are talking about a true force of nature! Rock and Roll Animal, the band's sixth release to date, is easily the best thing it's turned out yet.

Out today on Germany's Hound Gawd! Records, Rock and Roll Animal is already the third 10-inch record in The Lovesores' discography. Clearly they love this format, and with good reason! A ten-inch gives you a little more than a 7-inch - but with the same all-killer, no-filler quality standard. Hell, "all-killer, no-filler" might as well be The Lovesores' motto! I've never heard a sub-par track from this band, and this time they've come through with four more songs that could have been formidable singles in their own right. Scott "Deluxe" Drake - already a hall of fame punk howler - has never sounded better. Saul Koll and Thee Adam Kattau have quickly blossomed into one of the hottest guitar tandems out there - a true modern day Thunders/Sylvain or Kramer/Smith. Boz Bennes and Alex Fast make up the kind of rock solid rhythm section that's the backbone of any truly great rock n' roll band. Stylistically, there are no surprises here. This is The Lovesores doing what they do best: filthy and ferocious '70s punk sleaze forged from the fire of the original era of rock n' roll. Drake brings it on lead vocals with a conviction and urgency that put men half his age to shame. And who wouldn't be excited to sing rock n' roll songs with a band this electrifying backing him?! Simply put, Rock and Roll Animal kicks all kinds of ass! The title track is the perfect way to start off the EP - bringing New York Dolls inspired trashy goodness that's impossible to resist. It's got a great sing-along chorus, and that lead guitar work just smokes! If you're craving something harder and meaner, "The Erotic Adventures of Coca-Cola Jones" is a fast and furious shot of fireball rock n' roll that's over before you even know what hit you. "This Wicked World" is a '77 style head-bobber that showcases Koll and Kattau as a dual guitar force to be reckoned with. And to finish, "When The Lights Go Out" is what you might call "vintage" Scott Drake - a sleazy mid-tempo number bridging the gap between the degenerate ferocity of the Dead Boys and the Rolling Stones at their grittiest. What's not to love?!

If you're a Lovesores fan, this latest slab of vinyl is everything you're hoping for and then some. And if you're not a Lovesores fan, then what in the hell is wrong with you?! Order Rock and Roll Animal on blue or black vinyl from the Hound Gawd shop!



-L.R.

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New Born Loose album!

Hot damn! Born Loose has a new album out on Hound Gawd! Records, and the thing will totally destroy anything in its path! Prepare to be bruised and battered in the best way imaginable! The one-sheet for this release describes it as the "soundtrack for your backyard fight club". Oh my god, that's brilliant! And it's so very true! If ever there were an album perfectly suited to accompany extreme recreational violence, this would be it! Hot on the heels of the great "I Loathe You" single and that smashing split 7" with the almighty Lovesores, Blowout! is precisely the beer-soaked blood and guts punk rock n' roll masterpiece I was hoping for. It's gonna take a serious run at punk rock album of the year honors!

Born Loose, of course, is the New York City outfit featuring the legendary Larry May (Candy Snatchers) on lead vocals. He's joined by guitarist Suke (Iron Prostate), bassist Shane Konen (Live Ones, Ghetto Ways), and drummer Eric Robel (Heroin Sheiks, Nova Express). Blowout! is the band's second LP, and every track is a swift and violent kick to the teeth. May, an all-time great punk front man, has never sounded more deranged or pissed-off. He and his band mates are in no mood for screwing around. From start to finish, they're on the attack - mixing scorching garage-punk with elements of Detroit rock, scuzzy '70s punk, light speed early '80s hardcore, and hints of the Chuck Berry gone wild stylings of Bon Scott era AC/DC. Suke's lead guitar is on fire, and that rhythm section is as primal and relentless as they come. You see song titles like "Waste Me", "Fair Warning", and "Ain't That Swell (Baby Go To Hell)" and expect a certain kind of band. And that is exactly what you'll get! At a time when punk music is rarely as dangerous and thoroughly unwholesome as it ought to be, it's great that we can still count on bands like Born Loose to stand for excessive drinking, questionable life choices, and ill will towards men. If you long for the heyday of the Dead Boys and Stooges (or even Candy Snatchers and New Bomb Turks), Blowout! is an album you need to own. Grab an adult beverage, crank the volume way up, and enjoy pissing off the neighbors. My European friends should check out the band's upcoming tour dates!



-L.R.

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New single from The No Tomorrow Boys!

Can you believe this is my fifth time reviewing The No Tomorrow Boys?! It seems like only yesterday that I wrote about these Portland heartthrobs' first single. But actually, that was nearly three and a half years ago. And since then, NTB have proven to be one of the best bands in the punk/rock n' roll universe - turning out two more killer singles and a scorching debut album. With such a perfect track record, I was wondering what these fellas could possibly do for an encore. Well, now I know! For their fourth single, NTB have again hooked up with Germany's Hound Gawd! Records. This is the band's second release on Hound Gawd following the European issue of its LP. And while "Who Killed Johnny?" is as great as expected, it's also very surprising. The title track - a hypothetical look at the mysterious death of Johnny Thunders - trades in the band's usual punked-up '50s rock n' roll sound for something much closer to proto punk. And, boy, does it freaking rip! Imagine Iggy & The Stooges on a Back From The Grave kick, with Mr. Thunders himself joining in on guitar. I'm used to NTB really pushing the tempo, but here they hit you with a four-minute slow burn full of primal howling and epic guitar slinging. Brilliant! 

On the B-side, NTB continue their tradition of amazing cover songs. This time, they take on "Get Out Of Denver" - from Bob Seger's 1974 album Seven. The original is pretty formidable in its own right, but this version takes it to another level. It's fast, furious, and crackling with energy - a rendition Chuck Berry might have done if his band mates had gobbled amphetamines and set the recording studio on fire. This, my friends, is rock n' roll!

Hound Gawd! Records has been wowing me with its excellent taste in punk rock n' roll and uncanny knack for securing top-shelf material from all of its bands. This release is no different - by far the best single yet from The No Tomorrow Boys. Don't miss it!



-L.R.   

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Hot new Born Loose single!

Having recently released the Lovesores' phenomenal 10" Focke-Wulf Vs. Spitfire, Germany's Hound Gawd! Records has returned with yet another essential slab of real deal punk rock n' roll. It's like 1996 never ended! "I Loathe You" is the fourth single from Born Loose - by many accounts the best band going in New York City these days. Seeing a lineup comprised of Larry May (Candy Snatchers/The Crums), Suke (Snuka/Iron Prostate/Candy Snatchers), Shane Konen (Live Ones/Ghetto Ways), and Eric Robel (Heroin Sheiks/Nova Express), you'd assume that Born Loose has to be an incredible band. And you'd be completely correct! "I Loathe You" is an absolute ripper - a veritable hurricane blowing through your speakers. And the B-side, "Today's The Day", could have been a monster single in its own right!

If you long for the days when the likes of The Humpers, New Bomb Turks, and Candy Snatchers tore apart beer-soaked dives from coast to coast, "I Loathe You" will have you rejoicing in a great new era of Stooges/Dead Boys inspired punk rock sleaze. Hound Gawd is quickly establishing itself as a label that gets the best material from the best bands, and that's certainly the case with this fireball of a single. Larry May - in my opinion one of the greatest punk vocalists to ever shout into a mic - has never sounded better. If you're going to sing a song called "I Loathe You", you have to really mean it. And, boy, does he ever! Right off the bat, he lets out a scream that will have you questioning his mental state and/or the immediate safety of anyone in his vicinity. Then he launches into his vocal and proceeds to rip someone a new asshole. Ya gotta love it! Meanwhile, you've got lead guitars going crazy and a rhythm section propelling the action like a reckless driver aiming for a pole at 100 miles per hour. This, my friends, is the gold standard of pissed-off punk rock!

"Today's The Day" dials back the pace a little but hits just as hard - with Larry turning out another raging vocal and Suke employing his guitar like a weapon of mass destruction. I'm pretty sure that that chorus could inspire even the most mellow soul to start breaking shit and knocking heads! The song doesn't even reach two minutes, yet it leaves you out of breath and wondering what in the hell just hit you.

To the point: this is the best punk rock single I've heard in a couple of years. Procure it by any means necessary.



-L.R.

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Ten more inches of Lovesores!

Lately I've been thinking that this has probably been my favorite year for new music since the fabled 1997. Yeah, really! And if I needed one last release to take it over the top and certify the all-out supremacy of 2014, now I've got it! Portland's Lovesores - whom we haven't heard from since around this time last year - are back and killing it as always! Focke-Wulf Vs. Spitfire, out on Germany's Hound Gawd! Records, is the band's second ten-inch EP. That's a very underrated format, don't you think? Perhaps the only thing cooler than ten-inch vinyl is Scott "Deluxe" Drake himself - who continues to lead the greatest punk rock n' roll band on the planet. Lovesores welcome new guitarist Saul Koll and do not miss a beat - continuing to power out sweaty, high-energy rock n' roll with the snarl and sleaze of '70s punk. As a guitar tandem, Koll and Adam Kattau are absolutely red-hot. If you like a heavy dose of rock n' roll guitar in your punk music, you're gonna go nuts for this release! And in the event you were expecting signs of mellowing out from Drake after a quarter century of slugging it out in the scene, you will be pleased to discover that he's still a wild man on the mic. I'm telling you, folks: he hasn't lost anything!

If there's a plus side to Lovesores having not yet released an album, it's that the quality of their recorded material has been consistently high. These guys haven't turned out a single song that I didn't think was great. If you combined all of the band's EP tracks into one collection, you'd have an album every bit as good as those early Humpers classics. And the trend continues here - with four more smashers that will have you screaming in delight if you've been lamenting the near-extinction of real rock n' roll. Hearing Drake shout, "You better stop...before somebody gets SHOT!" gives me chills - because I know there's no other person alive who can pull off that line quite the way he does. It's clear that he's having the time of his life fronting this phenomenal band - and these days he's giving us some of the most exciting and inspired music he's ever put his name on. And the addition of sax man Graham Coslett infuses another element of awesome into this fine EP. The title track will just about melt your face off, while "Desperation Now!" is the latest and greatest testament to the immortality of Johnny Thunders. And "Get Off" is my cup of tea all the way: snotty '77 punk with scathing fuck-you lyrics. I would bet the house that crowds go totally crazy for this one.

The question of whether or not two ten-inches are better than one 12-inch is impossible to pose without opening a Pandora's box of dirty jokes. But as far as I'm concerned, Lovesores can plan releases on 8-track, reel to reel, or any format they want if they continue to make music this great! Focke-Wulf Vs. Spitfire, like all the band's prior recordings, is a 100 percent essential purchase. And if next year does bring us a full Lovesores LP, 2015 has a chance to be an even better year than 2014!



-L.R.

http://lovesores.bandcamp.com/album/focke-wulf-vs-spitfire-ep
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