The Hyperjax "March To Your Own Beat"

(Lime Digital Music 2015)

Staring Out The Old Guard

Hard Knock Chops

Blood And Sand

City Of Broken Rain

Three Sheets To The Wind

Whatever Happened To The Krewmen?

Blast Me Into Outer Space

Sweet Solitary

Burn In Your Own Flame

It's The Nature Of The Beast

Angry Young Man

Carats, Briefs And Boils

The Hyperjax eh? One of those bands that seem to have been on the periphery of the scene for many years. But which scene? Too clever for psychobilly, too ballsy for rockabilly and too rockin' for punkabilly. The boys are a law on to themselves. Perhaps as the album title suggests, they definitely march to their own beat. And what a fuckin' beat it is. It's an enigma of sorts. There's pounding drums and slap bass accompanied by that Holy Grail of guitars, the Gretsch. Nothing different about that ensemble of musical tools when it comes to things with "billy" stuck on the end, but it's what the lads do with their tools (oooooh matron) that makes the sound instantly recognisable as The Hyperjax. They're like a sub genre on to themselves. Thedogsbollocksabilly! Yes, that's it. This is some powerful stuff. Power mixed with melody. Some bands have either one or the other (some neither) but The Hyperjax have both. They're fuckin' hyper alright. And I had to run to the jacks* in between songs as the sounds within loosened my sphincter. (*jacks is Irish slang for toilet...hyper...jacks...did you see what I did there? ....tough crowd!). But anyway, the lads have a fairly sparse back catalogue given the fact they've been playing together in various incarnations for almost 20 years. I of course own all the stuff they've released prior to this and it's self-evident that the boys have really honed their skills in the studio/production department. That's by no means disparaging towards their previous output. It simply means that the production values on this album hits a new pinnacle of perfection for the trio. It just oozes quality...sonically and lyrically. The album is currently available as digital download from over 200 sites (Amazon, iTunes, 7digital etc.) with both CD and vinyl releases to follow. Fine, I'll stick up some links ye lazy shower of shites! Usually I add a sample song at the end of these reviews but it's hard to pick just one so you can sample em all on the download sites below. What a guy!

The O'Prez

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MARCH TO YOUR OWN BEAT ON AMAZON

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Beat Devils "Night Falls Down" (music video)

Bit of an unusual one this time around. Unusual as in it's not a record review but a video review. The Beat Devils...a name that instantly conjures up tones of power neo rockabilly and psychobilly have made their first music video for their song Night Falls Down. And...it's not what you'd expect at all. The boys have ventured in to the country...perhaps gothic country field and the result is something that is sure to have Johnny Cash tapping on his coffin lid with glee. Filmed at dusk, with some gorgeously dark scenery, the footage lends itself perfectly to the lyrical content. The chorus reverberates in your head long after the song has finished. The ponces in Nashville could take a leaf out of the Beat Devils book when it comes to writing country. Why's that? Because the shite they're passing off as country in Nashville these days isn't fucking county...it's soft rock sung with a southern accent. That's why. Anyway, the Beat Devils have given us some excellent projects in the past and this is no different. Proving once again that they are no one-trick ponies. It gets on my tits in one way that the talent the boys possess gets ignored by the major players in the record industry but with that said, in another way I'm glad that these moguls remain clueless as fuck knows what kind of homogenized watered down piss they'd turn it in to. But I digress, have a look and a listen. It's not for the cringe-worthy line dancing brigade but for the true connoisseurs of good music.
The O'Prez

Smell Of Kat "A Dream Of One Thousand Katz"

(Smell Of Kat 2015)

A Dream Of One Thousand Katz

Close To Me

The Man Who Cannot Die

Razor

Neo Rockabilly stalwarts Smell Of Kat are back with a limited edition 7" EP in various colours and it's a top notch release from the boys. Stylistically it's right on the border between neo rockabilly and old school psychobilly. Whereas a lot of bands try to emulate that classic 80s sound, the lads don't have to. It is their sound. It's exactly what you'd expect from Smell Of Kat. Their past catalogue is brimming with psycho rockin' treats and this is no different. Clean echo-laden guitar driven along with a tight slap bass and drums back beat. The quintessential ingredients for a night of aural sex. This is one of those releases where 4 songs just aren't enough. The teasing Spanish feckers! Hopefully a full album is imminent as they've left me with blue ears....yeah that's right, blue ears..the auditory version of blue balls. You'd want to snap this one up fast as it's almost sold out. Imagine the life of regret and dismay you'll live if you don't heed my words. This EP is sure to become a classic on the scene and a collector's item. Put yer hands in yer pockets ye miserable shower o'bastards and support one of the best bands on the circuit.

The O'Prez

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Rockabilly Mafia "ROW!"

(Crazy Love Records 2015)

Now

Cutaway Bob

Tu' Was

Beat Up A Lady

Sentenced To Rock

ROW!

Michael's Last Ride

Verirrt

Since We Ain't Together

One Note

Doch

Maltman's Razor

Straße Nach Elmshorn

Neorockabilly

Ich Weiß Bescheid

Ah yes. Rockabilly Mafia. They look like a Ted band but sound like an early 80s neo rockabilly band. This isn't a love em or hate em kind of band. Everyone loves Rockabilly Mafia. So here they are again with an album full of primal neo rockabilly beats. The drum and bass sound on this album have a kind of jungle sound going on...a bit like Batmobile's Bambooland album. Loads of tom-tom drums (the snare even sounds like a tom) and that all-important woody resonance on the slap bass. Whereas by no means a psychobilly outfit, some psychobilly bands could take a leaf out of Michel "Ted" Harbeck's book and actually sing but sound psychotic at the same time. The lads have always had a crossover appeal. They could quite easily feel right at home at a Ted, Rockabilly or Psychobilly festival. This was never as true as it is on this album. It's rockabilly done right. Not some safe museum piece with a rule book included. Fuck me I hate that shit. Rockabillies in the 50s weren't trying to sound safe. Some of the stuff they recorded sounded like shite because the recording equipment they had was shite. Why replicate that? Rockabilly Mafia have no interest in sounding "authentic" as is obvious on this album. Rockabilly is supposed to be wild, right? The Mafia boys obviously think so. Never taking themselves too seriously and just having a good time which in turn emanates from the recordings. Crazy Love have done an excellent job on the packaging. The album comes in a digipak with 20 page booklet for added sex appeal. But we'd expect nothing less from our Guido, the dirty label-owning fecker. Look at him there. Teasing us with his big booklets! ..........................But anyway, an excellent release from Rockabilly Mafia which will appeal to just about any facet of the rockin' scene. Coming soon on vinyl too if you please!!
The O'Prez

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Restless "Originals"

(Bluelight Records 2015)

Don't Say It Unless You Will

Get Away

I Wanna Get With You

The Fool

Maraca Man

Rat-A-Tat-Tat

Runaway Train

I Want It All

Travellin' Man

You Drive Me Insane

You Know It Ain't Right

Some Folk

Restless! The band synonymous with the term "Neo Rockabilly". I love neo rockabilly and psychobilly in equal measure. However, neo rockabilly outfits are few and far between in comparison to the profusion of psychobilly combos currently doing the rounds. So, quality not quantity, right? Of course it also means a neo rockin' ensemble will really have to set the bar high for us hard-to-please listeners who have an expectation that can so often be deflated. This is especially true when a band like Restless release an album of all original material (hence the album title...and the fact that it's the original line up from 100 years ago!). Expectations are beyond high. Having Ben Cooper back in the fold and penning some of the songs is the equivalent of having Mark Denman back in the Long Tall Texans flexing his musical biro. You know what I mean right? With this line up we're all expecting that classic Restless sound. Do we get it? YES! Yes we DO!! I remember as a teenager, I'd take days off school or leave early as I'd be gagging to hear albums I'd bought at the weekend and just couldn't be arsed staying in school when all that was reverberating through my head were songs that I just couldn't wait to listen to again. This album makes me want to go back to school..so as once again I can't be arsed going as I'd much rather be at home being filled with aural pleasure. This is Restless. It's like a glorious concoction of all the best stuff they released on Nervous, ABC and Madhouse. Classic Restless and all brand new putting the naysayers to shame. The album's production values also give it that all-too-rare element of it not sounding like their previous output whilst maintaining the trademark Restless sonance, where if you hear a song it's instantly recognisable as being from that album. But I was almost bitterly disappointed. I'd listened to 11 tracks of pristine Restless up-tempo perfectly formulated neo rockabilly but there was one missing ingredient. A Mark Harman ballad. They've always been my secret pleasure, like a treat after the main course. And then there it was. Track 12. Thanks Mark. Perfect placement too given my dessert analogy. 

On a side-note...Bluelight Records always package their releases beautifully opting for super jewel cases as opposed to the standard jewel cases. Aesthetics are important to me too. 

So, Restless fans rejoice. THIS is what you've been waiting for. Now Restless have the unenviable task of penning a follow-up album that reaches the same heights or surpasses this one. 

The O'Prez

The album is available online on both CD and vinyl formats from all purveyors of the finest rockin' sounds. My go-to guy is Howard at Raucous Records. Also, the CD has two tracks not available on the vinyl...and the vinyl has two tracks not available on the CD!!

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The Intolerants "100% Of Nothin'"

The Western Star Recording Company 2015

Number One
Crawlin' Back
The Bitterness That Lasts
While You Were Out
Ten To Two
Can't Be Arsed
Red Dress
So Long Baby Goodbye
The Next Time I See You
Do You Hate Me?
Without You
Why Do I Do It
Coal Miner's Son
En Gång Till

So what have we here then? Fucked if I know! First I thought it was a crackin' new release on Alan Wilson's Western Star label by a garage band I wasn't familiar with called The Intolerants. But then I thought no, they're actually a psychobilly band...no wait....a rockabilly band? A country band? A neo rockabilly band?? Jaysus these lads are hard to pigeon-hole. Diversity is order of the day on this album. 14 ditties, 13 of which are self-penned with the cover coming by way of  that old Blasters classic So Long Baby Goodbye, which while still retaining that rootsy feel is delivered with more of a punk rock sensibility than the roots rock original. The self-penned stuff, while all fits under the big umbrella of all things rockin', is where things grab hold of your scrote (or front bottom) and refuse to let go. It's everything great about all the different sub-genres that have "billy" stuck on the end all in one place. The album can go from Luther Perkins-esque stylings to Poison Ivy infused goodness, straight through to Mark Harman inspired neo-rockin' and end up with moody slow-set material where you try and feel a girl's arse before the lights come on down at the local nightclub. Quality stuff that encapsulates everything I love about the broad spectrum of music that can be deemed simply rock'n'roll as I'd be here all day listing the more precise definitions of the music these guys play. There's even a song about Maggie Thatcher for fuck sake! Top that!!

The O'Prez

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Thee Flanders "Graverobbing 2"

(Halb 7 Records 2015)

Intro (Featuring Tom Toxic)

Enjoy The Silence

You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) (Featuring Bela B)

Dein Vampyr (Featuring Brigitte Handley)

Red Light Spells Danger

Pet Sematary (Featuring Teddy Taste)

Ich Brauch Keinen Grund

Comeback And Stay

She Bop (Featuring Ramon Sitoci)

Don't You Want Me (Featuring Pattsy)

Dirty Lies

Junk

Deja Vu

Outro (Featuring Achim Mentzel)

It's been 8 years since Thee Flanders unleashed their first instalment of against-the-grain psychobilly covers under the guise of their 2007 Graverobbing album on Halb 7 Records. That album was good. This one is great. In the 8 years between that album and this one, it's immediately obvious that the boys have really honed their skills for arranging, or in this case rearranging songs and in the words of Louis Walsh..."making them their own". (I will NEVER reference Louis Walsh in a review EVER again. I apologise profusely). It could have been all too easy for the band to go in to the studio and just do psycho renditions of songs known to the mainstream by speeding them up and applying some sore throat vocals. Naturally the Flanderesque versions are going to have a lot more balls and attitude than the originals...this is a psychobilly band after all...but it's balls and attitude with a gamut of great ideas and recording techniques. All the songs have been completely re-imagined by the band with stellar results. (Speaking of stellar, there's a stellar line up of guests on this album too as you can see from the song titles above). The album was recorded by Teddy Taste and mixed by Ramon Sitoci and fuck me pink the sounds they got from Thee Flanders are nothing short of astounding. For example the sound of the snare on some of the songs is really catchy. It's not too often you'll hear of a snare drum being catchy but such is the production quirks to be heard all over of this album. You'll just have to buy it and listen to it to know what I'm talking about. That's another atypical trait of this album. If you actually listen you pick up on all sorts of different things going on in the songs with each additional play. Thanks Thee Flanders for the early Christmas present. To sum up, I fuckin' love this album because...it's great...and I'm great...and I'm always right! And that's all that counts!!
The O'Prez

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