Glorious MoonRockets

Here's another one from that seemingly inexhaustible pipeline of awesomeness that is Ottawa. And just in case you thought all those Ottawa bands kinda sounded the same, Glorious MoonRockets will set you straight. In simplified terms, GMR play some dirty rock n' roll. And when I say dirty, I mean filthy. They're close enough to the garage/punk thing to fit within the general parameters of this blog. But in an entirely good way, they're way more "rock" than most of the stuff I usually write about. Think Detroit rock meets stoner sludge meets old school garage racket. These longhairs play the kind of music that you might have called "grunge" back when the term actually meant something. More Other Stuff is the name of their latest EP. And the music, like the title, is nothing fancy. These dudes play loud, with dense riffs that hit harder than a Chris Neil punch to the face. "Down On Their Luck" is a sludgy heavy rock dirge that channels both the MC5 and The Nuge. "3 Dollar Dinner" brings to mind that slice of late '80s indie noise rock that worshiped at the altar of Sabbath and Blue Cheer. "4 Corners" is bruising proto-grunge with a hint of psychedelia. Good stuff - I can't help turning up the volume and wishing I were at the wheel of a '78 Camaro Z28! I will be interested to hear what's next from GMR. In the meantime, you can check out both of the band's EPs via Bandcamp. I bet their amps go to 11.



-L.R.

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

Miscalculations!

I do realize that in the vast and chronically under-publicized world of independent punk rock music, even the best of us will remain unaware of many incredible bands and remarkable records. Even if I sat here eight hours a day and did nothing but work on this blog, I still wouldn't catch every gem that's out there. Nonetheless, I view my lack of Miscalculations coverage in 2013 as a massive and indefensible failure. I mean, come on! I'm supposed to be the '77 punk guy! How did I miss a 7" and an LP from a band featuring members of the Gaggers, Disco Lepers, Ladykillers, Shanghai Wires, and Electric Cocks? Worse yet, how did I miss one of the best albums of the entire year? Am I losing my touch? Should I be switching brands of energy drinks? Let's be honest, dear readers. I totally let you down!

The driving force behind North London's Miscalculations is the duo of Marco Palumbo Rodriges (Gaggers lead singer) and Shaun Clark (Ladykillers bassist). Marco and Shaun collaborated on all the songwriting and production for the band's debut album. Released this past November by Dead Beat Records, this 12-song LP takes that classic '77 U.K. punk sound I've always loved and melds it to the dark sensibilities and jagged guitars of synth/post-punk. I'm reminded an awful lot of the Buzzcocks - but with additional echoes of Wire, Warsaw, The Adverts, and Screamers. If I have a frequent objection to post-punk, it's that the "punk" part is too often missing. But in the case of Miscalculations, I hear a band that would have fit in perfectly with the early U.K. punk scene. Improbably, this band manages to take songs of a bleak and troubling nature and actually make them catchy. The lyrical tone ranges from cynical to downright sinister, and the album almost plays like a soundtrack to a highly disturbing apocalyptic art film. That may sound like a bit of a downer, but actually it's not. The band's melodies are consistently alluring, and there's more than enough vocal snot here to please fans of all these guys' other bands. This is that rare record that succeeds as both a work of art and a killer slab of punk rock.

While Miscalculations' debut definitely brings to mind the art-damaged Brit-punk classics of yesteryear, by no means is this a band stuck in the past. And like any truly good band, Miscalculations are far more than the sum of their influences. They've truly made an album for contemporary times - with songs seemingly inspired by both the industrial squalor of their immediate surroundings and the generally woeful state of the world today (you may have guessed that "Asbestos City" is not a love song). Had I heard this release before the end of 2013, it would probably have been my #2 or #3 album of the year. It's fucking brilliant, and you absolutely need to own it. Oh, and the band just put out a split 7" with the almighty Stitches! Given my track record, I'll have that one reviewed by Christmas. 

 
-L.R.

http://miscalculations.bandcamp.com/ 

Love So Deep

Having waited many years for a proper singles collection from Jake and the Stiffs, I was more than thrilled when one finally arrived in January. It was a glorious moment - like the time I threw for four touchdowns in one game (wait, that was Al Bundy). Now I find myself doubly graced in the wake of the reissue of the debut full-length from Delaware's all-time greatest band. Released on cassette in 1992 and limited to somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 copies, Love So Deep had all but disappeared from the face of the earth. Now it's back as part of Randy America's quest to digitally remaster and reissue all of his band's old recordings. It goes without saying that the group's singles collection is a mandatory purchase for any individual who appreciates quality music. But to my mind, the thing that made Jake and the Stiffs the most criminally overlooked band of their time was that they had so much more than just a handful of great songs. In the case of a lot of old bands, you probably only need to hear the hits. But it is my contention that Jake and the Stiffs have an entire catalog worth buying. If you don't yet own any of their releases, Love So Deep would be a perfectly good place to start. And at just $5.49, it's cheaper than an adult magazine or a foot long hoagie. What are you waiting for? Download this thing now!

How many bands were playing powerpop/punk back in 1992? Not many! Sure, the whole Lookout! Records pop-punk scene was at its zenith. But Jake and the Stiffs were doing their own thing entirely - with inspirations running the gamut from Detroit rock to power pop to '70s punk to hard rock. Love So Deep goes all the way back to the band's Randy/Steve Funk/Zach Hansen lineup. Listening to the album, you realize the band was still figuring out its "sound" at this point in its history. So there's a pretty decent variety of material to be heard. Songs like "Scrappy Come Home", "Because", and "All I Said" are true Jake and the Stiffs classics. But a lot of the lesser known numbers have held up just as well over 22 years. The staying power of this album evidences what I've been saying for a very long time: Randy America is one of the great unheralded songwriters of my generation. The awesome "Million Miles Away" is an early example of his knack for mixing humorous lyrics with personal and genuinely profound ruminations. "Back In The Day" isn't just a nostalgic look back at the early '80s - it's an indictment of how popular culture and life in general changed for the worse over a single decade. It rings as true today as ever. The thundering power ballad "Walk Away" might come off cheesy if it weren't so righteously epic. Even the album's "deep cuts" (pun fully intended) offer unearthed treasures- like the super weird "I Went Walking" (one of the first songs the band ever wrote) and a beautiful piano piece from the late Steve Stiers.

While I would have been happy with any reappearance of all these old Jake and the Stiffs releases, I'm especially pleased that Randy is doing it the right way. He really took the time to get the remastering perfect, and these old recordings (taken from the original reels) have never sounded better! Whether you're a longtime fan of these First State stalwarts, a nostalgist for the '90s underground, or simply a connoisseur of old school pop/punk (Ramones, Buzzcocks, Dickies), Love So Deep will make a fine addition to your music collection. 

 
-L.R.

http://randyamerica.blogspot.com/
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/jakethestiffs 
https://www.facebook.com/jakeandthestiffs 

The Top Ten 2014

One year ago, I started what I intended to become an annual tradition. On the occasion of my 42nd birthday, I decided to list my ten favorite bands of all-time. I wanted to explore how my musical tastes had changed over the years - or if they had changed at all. In my younger years, I never dreamed I'd still be listening to mostly the same bands two decades later. But in spite of the fact that I've continued to broaden my horizons and educate myself about the rich history of popular music, the list of bands I love the most has changed minimally between my 20s and my 40s. This isn't to say that punk rock is the only music I ever listen to. But it's still the stuff that is nearest and dearest to my heart, and clearly it's not something that I'll ever "outgrow". I suppose this is indicative of how I live my life. No matter how many double IPAs or oatmeal stouts or Belgian tripels I drink, nothing will ever hit the spot for me like a classic German lager. While other guys in the gym go for newfangled circuits or cutting edge machines, I'm only interested in the heavy iron. I have the same thing for lunch every day: a mixed greens salad with broccoli, rotisserie chicken, Newman's oil and vinegar dressing, and a side of Greek yogurt. I wouldn't say I fear change as much as I find it totally unnecessary.

Today, on the occasion of my 43rd birthday, I update last year's list of my all-time favorite bands:

1. The Clash
2. AC/DC
3. Husker Du
4. Dictators
5. Material Issue
6. Ramones 
7. Sex Pistols
8. Stiff Little Fingers 
9. Replacements
10. Generation X

I tried to base my rankings on both the frequency that I listen to these groups and the importance their music has played in my life. As you can see, this year's list is only marginally different from last year's. The Dictators, who would have been just outside my top ten a year ago, jumped the whole way to #4 (I've been listening to them a lot!). Gen X bumps out the Buzzcocks. Otherwise, it's essentially the same list. '70s punk still dominates my musical world, and my "big three" at the top remain locked in place. Next year's list, I'm betting, will be very similar. But you never know. I feel a polka phase coming on.

-L.R.

The fabulous Jenny Dee!

I've always believed that when it comes to incredibly talented people in music, they can truly excel in almost any genre you can name. Such is the case with Jenny "Dee" D'Angora - long a fixture of the Boston garage/rock n' roll scene as a singer/guitarist in The Downbeat 5 and The Dents. A few years back, she started Jenny Dee & The Delinquents to indulge her love for the girl groups of the '60s - issuing one of the great neo R & B albums of recent memory in 2010's Keeping Time. Last year's collaboration with Several Men of Mystery proved her equally adept in the realm of traditional country music. Just when you think you've got Jenny Dee figured out, she will surprise you in an entirely pleasant way. That's exactly what's been happening with her last couple of singles with The Delinquents. 

On last year's "Get Away", the band's musical time machine traveled from 1963 all the way to the dawn of the '80s - an era that is near and dear to me because it's when I discovered popular music. It's one thing to go for a "late 70's Blondie meets the Xanadu Soundtrack" vibe. It's another thing to totally nail it. D'Angora and co. delivered a solid hit with "Get Away". But on their new single "Don't Tell Me", they've crushed one out of the park! I close my eyes, and it is 1980 again. Everything about this track is class: the production, the musicianship, and of course the lead vocal. The band is crazy good, led by D'Angora's husband Ed Valauskas (The Gravel Pit, The Gentleman). Valauskas, who has played with everyone from Graham Parker to Peter Gammons and produced Boston greats such as Andrea Gillis and Muck and the Mires, knows a thing or two about how to make a good record. So the attention to detail in the playing and production is no surprise whatsoever. The blending of keyboards and strings is flawlessly executed, and those harmonies are completely insane. If Jeff Lynne had produced a Blondie record in 1979, it would have sounded a lot like this. Yet D'Angora is clearly the star here, and all that lush instrumentation merely supports her formidable vocal prowess rather than overshadow it. The B-side is a cover of The Sweet's "Fox On The Run"- completely transformed into a vintage '79 synth pop style, yet very much in the spirit of the original. If you enjoyed the band's bubbly interpretation of the Undertones' "Teenage Kicks" on the B-side of "Get Away", you'll love this new wavey take on a glam rock classic. 

"Don't Tell Me" is just the first in a series of digital singles due from Jenny Dee & The Delinquents in 2014. I don't know exactly what to expect from the next one - but I can just about guarantee that it will be great. Plain and simple, Jenny Dee is one of the best singers out there. 

 
-L.R.

http://jennydee.bandcamp.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/jennydeemusic 

Giuda does it again!

What do you do for an encore when you've already made one of the greatest glam/pub rock albums of all-time? If you're Giuda, you simply go bigger. As the title suggests, new album Let's Do It Again does not mess much with a winning formula. These handsome and charming Italians continue to replicate that classic early '70s glam pop sound fortified with the proto Oi! wallop of early Cock Sparrer. But this time around, they've gone for a beefier sound with even better production and slightly more ambitious songwriting. If they had just done a straight copy of their extraordinary debut Racey Roller, it surely would have fallen short. But by upping the '70s arena rock quotient (think Thin Lizzy and Bon Scott era AC/DC), Giuda have managed to deliver a slightly different but equally great sophomore LP. Just issued in the United States by TKO Records, Let's Do It Again recalls a time when fun rock n' roll was king and massive hooks permeated the airwaves (and roller rinks!).

Sure, they have the good sense to mimic a beloved era of popular music. But what really separates Giuda from the rest of the glam/punk pack is their talent for writing incredible songs and their ability to imbue these classic sounds with their own signature style. Even with blatant nods to the likes of T. Rex ("Yellow Dash"), The Sweet ("Teenage Rebel"), and Gary Glitter ("Roller Skates Rule O.K".), Giuda's own personality shines through even more so on this album. These fellas have come to party - and you're totally invited! And in keeping with this band's m.o., every song is a hit! Let's Do It Again offers an awesome mix of throwback glam gems, meaty riff rockers, and chant-worthy football anthems. And the songs that show a progression in Giuda's repertoire are some of the best on the album. Tracks like "Get That Goal" and the leadoff smash "Wild Tiger Woman" suggest a less over-the-top Turbonegro, while "Rave On" echoes with the pub-punk inflections of bands like The Vibrators. Top to bottom, the hooks on this thing are gigantic!

Giuda, at this point, just might be the best band in the world. And that's no joke! I could tell, based on title alone, that closing track "Hey Hey" was going to be an anthem. And that pretty much tells you everything you need to know about Giuda. If their songs were any catchier, we'd have a worldwide health epidemic on our hands. Remember when all the great bands were about writing killer songs, rocking hard, and making sure everyone had a good time? Sadly, such values have generally disappeared from rock music over the past 20 years. Giuda may single-handedly revive them. I just can't relate to all the "edgy" gloom and heavy seriousness that the kids are digging these days. But "Wild Tiger Woman"? Now that speaks to me! Long may these mighty Romans reign!



-L.R.

http://giuda.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Giuda/162619653788119
http://www.tkorecords.com/
https://www.facebook.com/tkorecords

That's right - a new Shattered Faith 7"!

Here's one you won't want to miss. You've got Hostage Records - hands down the greatest California punk record label of the last 20 years. And you've got Shattered Faith - one of a handful of bands that truly defined the Orange County punk rock sound. Out now on Hostage is just the band's second 7" ever (hard to believe, eh?). It includes "Power To The Kids" - the first new recorded song from Shattered Faith since 1985! That's right: the last time these guys put out a new song, Ronnie Reagan was still president. Some of you weren't even born yet! If you're expecting this release to pale in comparison to the band's prior recordings, clearly you don't know a whole lot about Shattered Faith or Hostage Records. As anyone who's seen the band recently will gladly attest, Shattered Faith is still on top of its game and representing proudly for O.C. punk. It's not often that bands go 33 years in between singles without missing a beat. But this record is classic Shattered Faith all the way. In addition to the aforementioned ripper, you get the "lost" 1981 track "Suburban Boredom" and the previous live-only number "Mirrors Reflection". That signature style is still in tact - driving melodic punk with killer lead guitar work and lyrics that really have some something to say. "Power To The Kids" looks to the youth of today to fix this mess we've made of the world. "Suburban Boredom" is short and scathing and as relevant now as it was three decades ago. "Mirrors Reflection" is upbeat and tuneful and a nice switch-up from the band's more worldly statements. If you read the liner notes, it's obvious how humbled these guys are by all the love they still get from fans after all these years. They are grateful that they are remembered and hopeful that future generations will know of the music they're making now. Shattered Faith waited a long time to get a new 7" out, and clearly they've made the most out of the opportunity. This record, like the band that made it, is pure class. Great songs, great sound quality (it was pressed at the legendary Rainbo Records!). It's limited to 700 hand numbered copies. Get one before this release goes out of print in two blinks of an eye!

-L.R.

www.hostagerecords.com
https://www.facebook.com/ShatteredFaithBand
http://shatteredfaith.bandcamp.com/