Beat Devils "Dig My Beat"

(JetNoise Records 2018)

Dig My Beat

Andy The Frog

Dynamite Eyes

Baby's Got Me Wrong

Murder Of The Snowman

Bad Boy

Just A Little More Fun

Headless Horseman (The Polecats Tribute)

I Don't Care If You Care About Me

My Gal (The Ratmen Tribute)

Lonely Boy (Wigsville Spliffs Tribute)

Night Falls Down

Dancing On My Bones

The Beat Devils are a class act. There's no two ways about it. They're the kind of band that never disappoint with their releases and this is no exception. The boys play that perfect blend of neo rockabilly and psychobilly that I instantly love! Good songs can be let down by shit production when it comes to anything with "billy" on the end of it. Especially the slap bass sound. The bass sounds excellent here and drives each song in a way that makes it impossible not to slap your leg in time and have a big satiated grin on your gob. The guitar is clean, reverby in all the right places and played faultlessly. The drums are blended into the mix to perfection adding to the infectious beat. The vocals are reminiscent of The Stringbeans (especially in the pronunciation department). It's blatantly obvious that the boys are steeped with influences from the neo/psycho outfits that came out of Europe in the mid-80s but instead of trying to recreate that sound, they take the essence of it and add their own energy and take it off in a direction that's both refreshing and contemporary. There are three neo covers on here which really prove the point I made about those influences. Absolutely excellent versions of songs by the Polecats, Ratmen and Wigsville Spliffs. The boys have written some instant classics on here but they haven't rested on their laurels and just flung in a few note-for-note covers to fill out the album. They've put (Tribute) beside the song titles because they've reworked those songs and made em so Beat Devils-esque that if you didn't already know the songs you'd think that they penned them. They work seamlessly with the Beat Devils originals. I could wax lyrical about this album for another three paragraphs such is my enthusiasm for what the band have produced here but I think you get the gist of it. Plainly put, "Dig My Beat"? Too fuckin' right I do!
The O'Prez

The album is available to pre-order now on both vinyl and CD and a whole gamut of different packages/colours are available. It's available on all the streaming/download sites too for all you futuristic/impatient/lazy bastards. You can check out the Beat Devils Facebook page for links but I might add some here because I'm nice that way. 

Beat Devils Official

Beat Devils on Facebook

Buy the vinyl, CD, vinyl and CD..buy all sorts of Beat Devils goodness in various colours!
Dig My Beat on Google Play
Dig My Beat on Deezer
Dig My Beat on Spotify
Dig My Beat on iTunes
Hellacious Harmonies on Facebook

The Goddamn Gallows "The Trial"

(Crazy Love Records 2018)

Grassmuncher

Blackened Soul

It's Gonna Be OK (No It's Not)

Shitwish

When No One's Around

The Trial

City Of Fools

Honeyhole

Dreadful Sinner

Down With The Ship

The ever-prolific Goddamn Gallows are back with another album of genre-mixing mayhem. The hobocore quintet seamlessly blend all manner of musical influences whilst maintaining their dark carnival bluegrass essence. Tempo-wise it's a more sombre affair when compared to the more ballistic beats I generally associate with the Gallows. They say you can't judge a book by its cover but you can certainly judge this album by its cover. It sums up the sounds within perfectly. The boys have crafted 10 songs that are dark, menacing and just plain evil sounding. Not death metal evil. Backwoods rustic evil! I have it on good authority though from a Rhode Island friend of mine that the lads are actually nice as pie off stage. Well their on-stage doppelgängers are the anti-pie! The Goddamn Gallows prove once again with the release of The Trial that if you want to hear real American roots music, delivered with underpant-soiling menace, then steer clear of The Grand Ole Opry and get your arse down to one of their shows. They're on tour now!

The O'Prez

The Goddamn Gallows on Facebook

The Goddamn Gallows Official

Buy the CD

Hellacious Harmonies on Facebook

The Toxenes "Hot Rod"

(Killjoy Records 2017)

Hot Rod

Green Room

Caveman

Alley Cats

I was in Minneapolis a (good) few years ago. The Toxenes were probably running around in their nappies causing all sorts of mayhem down the crèche back then. But fast forward a (good) few years and the trio of Twin Cities temptresses are unleashing their blend of garage punk with a big whack of toughness and a side order of seduction. This is the follow-up 45 to their début album which came out on cassette a while ago on Killjoy. I don't have a tape deck but I do have a sexy turntable so this is my first introduction to the band. Snarling guitars, tight bass lines and crunching drums abound. Add to this concoction vocals that exude attitude and throat-slitting sexiness and you just know these girls are the rock'n'roll real deal. Three self-penned ditties and a cover of The Pandoras' (I Want My) Caveman. As usual for Killjoy Records, it's limited to 500 pieces (400 black vinyl, 50 purple...only available from the band, and 50 turquoise only available from Killjoy). The song Alley Cats is also the title song of a short film by Nyala Sarita which you can find out more about here and here! The Toxenes are the perfect musical choice given the premise for this film and the tracks on this EP are testament to that fact. Our very own mini-girl gang. Pleasing on the ear and eye but not so much on the jaw if you so much as look at em crooked.
The O'Prez

The Toxenes on Facebook

The Toxenes on bandcamp

Buy the EP