Big Blast Records - The Big Singles Vol. 1

Today I'm featuring a really cool label out of Chicago that you ought to check out if you haven't done so already. Big Blast Records describes itself as a "Chicago based community record label bringing you sticky, hooky, crunchy, smart, big guitar melodic rock and roll". Well there you go - that sure sounds like a label I'd be into! It's hard to go wrong when you work a love for Cheap Trick and Material Issue into the ideology of your label! 

I recently featured one of Big Blast's bands, Golden Richards. Joining Golden Richards on the Big Blast roster are The Bishops Daredevil Stunt Club, The Glad Machine, Mark Watson Band, The Peeves, and the legendary Phil Angotti. All of these artists are a little different, but they all share a similar vision for hooky guitar rock. The Big Singles Vol. 1 is the perfect showcase for Big Blast's collection of talent. It conveniently compiles new singles from all of the label's artists onto one nifty digital EP. Golden Richards, fresh off their new wave-ish pop gem "Borg Vs. McEnroe", take a more modern power pop approach on the punchy and melodious "Honey West Kung Fu". The song references the first female TV private eye as metaphor in a tale of a couple guys encountering the girl of their dreams in the middle of the summer. Man, it doesn't get any more "power pop" than that! "When Two Still Feels Alone" by the Mark Watson Band brings a crunchy power pop/alternative sound that practically screams "90s" while delivering an absolutely HUGE chorus. On the louder side of things, The Bishop's Daredevil Stunt Club tear into "X Play", a guitar heavy big hook rocker that ought to be coming soon to an arena near you. The Peeves come on with a punkier pop sound on the very catchy "Radio", while the The Glad Machine's "Slow Motion July" is more in a laidback indie pop vein with melodies for days. It's not often that a single can get away with a running time exceeding five minutes. But "Slow Motion July" builds by degrees and never bores. It's the textbook definition of a well-crafted pop song. Last but not least, Phil Angotti turns out a wonderfully charming Beatles-inspired number called "The Lamp". 

The Big Singles Vol. 1 serves as a perfect introduction to Big Blast Records. Just as importantly, it's a huge treat for fans of power pop, loud pop, hooky rock and roll, or whatever you wanna call it. All of the tracks would (and do) stand alone as singles. But it's kind of neat to have them compiled together like this. If you like what you hear, be sure to give Big Blast a like on Facebook so you can stay up to date on all future releases. You know I'll be having a lot more to say about Big Blast in the very near future!

-L.R.

https://bigblastrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-big-singles-vol-1

https://www.facebook.com/bigblastrecordsrocks/

The Jacklights - "Winter"

The Jacklights, the newest addition to Justine Covault's Red on Red Records, have released a song about winter at the most appropriate time. "Winter", released this week on Red on Red, takes me back to the '90s era of melodic punk rock. It could be seamlessly slotted into a playlist between Jawbreaker and Discount. It's funny how most songs about winter are associated with Christmas and thus disregarded after January 1. Well now The Jacklights have given us a true winter song to get us through the next several weeks! I appreciate how songwriter Nilagia McCoy articulates the way so many of us feel during the coldest months of the year - when the frigid weather adversely impacts the soul and just getting out of bed can be a challenge. Pairing this concept with the theme of loneliness, she's crafted a powerful and extraordinarily human song. We used to call this "emo" back in the day. But given the connotations that term has taken on in recent times, I'll just describe this as thoughtful, heartfelt punk rock. It's the kind of song that you'd listen to on your headphones while you were walking alone in the cold and reflecting on your life. McCoy (vocals, guitar) forms a tight trio with drummer Steve Patton and bassist Michael Allen. "Winter" quickly follows up the band's debut EP that was released this past October. Be sure to check out Red on Red's virtual showcase on February 12th where you can catch all-new exclusive music videos from The Jacklights and the rest of the bands on Red on Red!

-L.R.

https://thejacklights.bandcamp.com/track/winter
https://www.facebook.com/thejacklights/
https://redonredrecords.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/redonredrecords/

Brad Marino - "What Do You Know?"

Well, what do we have here? A new single from Brad Marino? Well that's always a cause for celebration! "What Do You Know?" is the first teaser for Marino's new album Looking For Trouble - due out this spring on Rum Bar Records, Spaghetty Town Records, Beluga Records, and Ghost Highway Recordings! It has been almost two years since Marino released his brilliant solo debut long player Extra Credit. And if "What Do You Know?" is any indication, he just might top himself with Looking For Trouble! Backing Marino on this track is a crack unit comprised of a couple of his bandmates from The Connection (Craig Sala on drums and Bobby Davis on guitar) along with the legendary Chris "B-Face" Barnard on bass. "What Do You Know?" meets at the intersection of straight-forward rock and roll and the poppier side of the Ramones - which has always been a sweet spot for Marino. In my fantasy world where millions of people still buy rock and roll records, this tune is a hit! If you dig rockin' two-minute pop songs, you need to be all over Looking For Trouble - and every other record that Brad Marino has ever been a part of!

-L.R.

https://bradmarino.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/bradmarinomusic
https://www.facebook.com/RumBarRecords
https://www.facebook.com/SpaghettyTown/
https://www.facebook.com/punkrecords.se/
https://www.facebook.com/GhostHighwayRecordings/

Slow Faction - "Culture War"

As you see the name Slow Faction, you know exactly where this review is headed. If music with a political conscience either bores or annoys you, read no further. Slow Faction doesn't write songs about bubblegum and pretty girls (And for the record I am very much a proponent of songs about bubblegum and pretty girls). "Culture War", the London outfit's latest track, is vintage Slow Faction. It's the punk rock sound of 1977 U.K. updated with lyrics that speak to the serious issues of our modern-day world. In particular, "Culture War" addresses the media's role in the spreading of misinformation and divisiveness - which ultimately benefit those holding power. Any time I hear a Slow Faction song, I'm struck by the similarity between what's going down on their side of the pond and what's going down on mine. References in this song to cult of personality and gaslighting the people might even make you think this was coming from an American band! The line "So what are we going to do now?" is a clear callback to The Clash, and I applaud Slow Faction for carrying on the fight. "Culture War", like all of Slow Faction's anthems, is so tuneful and rousing that it would be a great song even if they weren't singing about political issues. But come on: what fun would that be? 

-L.R.

https://slowfaction.bandcamp.com/track/culture-war-demo

https://www.facebook.com/slow.faction

The False Positives - "Closed​-​Circuit TV Romance"

My first reaction to Rochester, New York's False Positives was that they've got a "Boston" sort of sound. That actually makes sense given that songwriter/guitarist/vocalist Dave Harrison was a founding member of late '80s/early '90s garage rockers The Voodoo Dolls (a band that also featured Evan Shore, later of Muck and the Mires). With The False Positives, Harrison digs into his garage rock roots but also adds elements of power pop and straight-forward rock and roll. He's been releasing digital singles on Bandcamp since December of 2018. And since early last year, he's been working with a full band consisting of Paco Vives on drums, Brian Murray on bass, and Don Blair on keyboards. The latest single, "Closed​-​Circuit TV Romance", is a humorous yet quite poignant tale of two individuals trying to sustain a relationship via remote technology. While it's easy to take a cynical view of people making romantic connections long distance, there's a hopeful sentiment to this song that I find very sweet and reassuring. Given the events of the last ten months, there have to be a lot of people who will relate to this song. Harrison specifically cites The Kinks, Velvet Underground, the MC5, Randy Newman, and the Flamin’ Groovies as influences. On this track, I'm hearing a little Jonathan Richman/Modern Lovers influence. I'd definitely recommend this tune if your tastes gravitate toward the garage/DIY end of the power pop spectrum. The False Positives now have seven singles available via Bandcamp, and they're all name-your-price downloads. Check 'em out!

-L.R.

https://thefalsepositives.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/falsepositivesband
https://linktr.ee/the_false_positives

The Shang Hi Los - Kick It Like A Wicked Bad Habit

Boston's The Shang Hi Los were without question my favorite new band of 2020. Needless to say, the band's debut EP was poised to be one of my most highly-anticipated releases of 2021. The good news was that I didn't have to wait very long. Kick It Like A Wicked Bad Habit is out today on your home of the hits, Rum Bar Records! The even better news is that The Shang Hi Los have not disappointed on their first extended play release. Kick It Like A Wicked Bad Habit is a most-own for any fan of rock and roll steeped in harmonies and pop melody!

To recap: The Shang Hi Los were formed back in 2019 by a couple of my favorite voices and songwriters. Jen D'Angora (Jenny Dee & The Deelinquents, The Dents, The Downbeat 5) and Dan Kopko (Watts) have been featured on this blog many times in the past. As collaborating songwriters, they've created a band that touches on their shared and combined influences. Thus The Shang Hi Los bring together the best elements of the last six decades of rock and roll. Particular inspirations are '60s girl groups, '70s glam and classic rock, '80s new wave, and '90s indie/alternative rock. The band is rounded out by a couple of all-stars from the Boston scene: bassist Lee Harrington (The Neighborhoods) and Boston's "drummer about town" Chuck Ferreira (Eddie Japan, Lonely Leesa & The Lost Cowboys). While sometimes "super groups" sound better on paper than they actually do on record, The Shang Hi Los are an example of a dream team that truly clicks. Kick It Like A Wicked Bad Habit highlights the talents of D'Angora and Kopko both individually and as a duo. "Stay" sounds like it could have been a Jenny Dee song, and "Skipping Records" could pass for a Watts tune. But on "Sway Little Player", "Funeral Home Mint", and an amazing cover of "Saturday In the Park", D'Angora and Kopko merge both their voices and their musical identities. I've already said plenty about "Sway Little Player", my pick for the #1 single of last year. The rest of the EP proves to be just as good. "Stay", masterfully produced by the incomparable Ed Valauskas, is an absolutely beautiful pop song that mixes old school Blondie vibes with a modern rock aesthetic. "Skipping Records", the second single from the EP, is a feelgood rocker that will have you up from your desk chair and dancing around the house in no time flat (I have this mental image of Malibu Lou hearing this song for the first time and totally flipping out!). "Funeral Home Mint" is new wave rock that actually rocks (that guitar solo is everything!). And to cap off the EP, that "Saturday In the Park" cover is nothing short of magical! It's spiritually faithful to the original and could not sound more "'70s". Yet it's also injected with the essence of The Shang Hi Los. The mixing work on this track by Dan Kopko & Pat DiCenso is top notch. 

My only criticism of Kick It Like A Wicked Bad Habit is not a criticism at all: it left me wanting more! Five songs from The Shang Hi Los is just not enough! Kudos to this band for getting this debut made during a pandemic. It took some coordination with tracks being recorded at four different studios, but it all came together swimmingly. I will cross my fingers for a debut album next year, and let's all hope for a time when The Shang Hi Los can get up and play these rockin' tunes in front of people who will be dancing and singing along! If you love rock and roll, you need some Shang Hi Los in your life.

-L.R.

https://rumbarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/kick-it-like-a-wicked-bad-habit
https://theshanghilos.bandcamp.com/album/kick-it-like-a-wicked-bad-habit
https://www.facebook.com/ShangHiLos
https://www.facebook.com/RumBarRecords

The Dictators - "God Damn New York"

Yeah, that's right: we've got ourselves a brand new Dictators tune! "God Damn New York", the first new Dictators song in 20 years, features three-quarters of the band's original lineup (Andy Shernoff on vocals and bass, Ross the Boss on lead guitar, and Scott Kempner on guitar) along with Albert Bouchard (Blue Öyster Cult, Brain Surgeons) on drums. And as you'd expect after a two decade absence, the mighty Dictators have come roaring back with a bona fide anthem! "God Damn New York" is both a love letter to New York and a lamentation on how corporations and billionaire scum have brought ruin to so much of what once made this beloved city so great. I put this song at the same level as more recent Dictators classics like "Who Will Save Rock 'N' Roll?" and "Avenue A". Andy Shernoff has written another perfect song, which absolutely blasts thanks to mixing by the legendary Ed Stasium. This is one of the greatest bands ever in top form. Hail the mighty Dictators! 

-L.R.

http://www.thedictators.com/
https://www.facebook.com/thedictators
https://twitter.com/TheDictators
https://open.spotify.com/album/4nFUB9r7iyNZlyck8ptK7H
https://music.apple.com/us/album/god-damn-new-york-single/1548337104
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08SNSTXHC/ref=dm_ws_sp_ps_dp