5.THE LEN PRICE 3 - "Nobody Knows" The best kept secret in Britrock today? Quite possibly. Now on their fourth album, "Nobody Knows" saw the LP3 remind us all exactly why they're such a damn good band. Tight and focused garage rock (with the odd '60s psychedelic moment thrown in) this is retro rock with power, enthusiasm and some damn fine tunes and riffs (check out the video for "Swing Like A Monkey" below for proof). The anti-Black Stone Cherry if you like and, really, what more a recommendation do you need?
4.THE BERMONDSEY JOYRIDERS - "Flamboyant Thugs" The Bermondsey Joyriders' third album was everything you'd want from them at this stage - a good reminder of what they're capable of with some cracking tunes into the bargain. Veering from the spit 'n' sawdust rock 'n' roll of opener "Sonic Underground" through the sly humour of "It's Nice To Be Important" to the epic political closer of "The Message" (which you can listen to below), this was proof positive that the Bermondsey Joyriders were still out there and with plenty to say in 2014.
3.SILVER SUN - "A Lick And A Promise" Yes, this technically came out in 2013 but sod it, it got that badly publicised at the time that I didn't even hear it until this summer so it's going in here. And the fact that it got released with hardly a peep was criminal if you ask me because this was arguably Silver Sun's best album since their debut - stadium sized glam rock anthems with a deceptively warped undercurrent bubbling away beneath (check out the glam-synth rock of "She's With The Band" below). Go check it out now and get it the listens it deserves.
2.KORY CLARKE - "Payback's A Bitch" Quite simply, no-one was expecting this. Although lyrically "Payback's A Bitch" was just as sharp as anything Kory's done with Warrior Soul, musically it saw him turning his hand to every genre from lonesome country rock through Pleasures-style German Eurodisco and Quireboys style bar room blues (take a listen to "The Last Hand" below) to the beautiful epic closer "Meet Me In Las Vegas" and carry it all off with style and panache. You really need to add this one to your CD/mp3 collection now if you've not done so already.
1.ELECTRIC RIVER - "The Faith And The Patience" It could only be this one really. Electric River's second album saw them well and truly outgrow their ska-punk past to create a truly incendiary album which veered from the sheer joie de vivre of "Keep The Engine Burning" (video below) to the smalltown blues of "This Garden Will Grow". While there's plenty of political fire on the likes of "The Fixer" and "Leap Of Faith", the message is always that there's a light at the end of the tunnel no matter how dark it may seem as evidenced on "Queen Of Hearts" and the quite lovely closer "Water Song". Quite simply, this is a document of our time in 2014 and doesn't have a weak track on it and that's why it's top of my pile this year. And the fact that Electric River can hopefully only keep getting better from here should hopefully mean that by the time of their next album they should deservedly be a group firmly in the national spotlight.
10.DEADCUTS - "Dark Is The Night" Take various reprobates from the Senseless Things, the Wonder Stuff and the Skuzzies and put them together and you'd maybe be expecting some spit 'n' sawdust indie punk, right? Wrong. "Dark Is The Night" was a throwback to when goth rock really was majestic, swooping and fascinating by equal turns instead of the horrible whining of emo - just listen to "DK" below for proof. Credit to the Deadcuts for pulling off such an accomplished record at the first time of asking.
9.THE URBAN VOODOO MACHINE - "Love, Drink & Death" Still as wonderfully unpredictable as ever three albums in, "Love, Drink & Death" saw the Urban Voodoo Machine taking a more epic approach to their music with the likes of "Loretta's Revenge", "Crazy Maria" and "Jimmy Cuba" being the sort of twisted odes to the downtrodden in society that Paul-Ronney Angel and co do so well while the raucous likes of "Pipe And Slippers Man" (video below) and "Hid The Bottle" prove that they can still do polka'd up party anthems as well as always. Another very worthwhile addition to the UVM canon.
8.ZOMBINA & THE SKELETONES - "Charnel House Rock" Back after an extended break, it's a pleasure to report that the Skeletones' fourth album finds them just as wonderfully warped as ever and not afraid to throw everything including the kitchen sink into making an album. "Charnel House Rock" saw them putting demented hellbilly hoedowns, ferocious Misfits style horror punk and tribal drum chantalongs all alongside each other with no regards given to conformity. A true treasure of a band and an album and one you really should check out if you've not already - if you need further proof then listen to "Tonight There Will Be No Survivors" below.
7.CJ WILDHEART - "Mable" Back after a lengthy absence, CJ's comeback album saw him taking the events of the last two years of his life and using them to create a focused and tight slice of pop-punk - listen to "Kentucky Fried", "Down The Drain" (video below) or "Next To You" for proof that Ginger isn't the only accomplished songwriter in the Wildhearts. The follow-up is hopefully due in 2015 and hopefully it can keep up the high standards of this album.
6.THE QUIREBOYS - "Black Eyed Sons" Rapidly following up last year's "Beautiful Curse", the Quireboys' seventh album saw them very much in business as usual territory but when business is this good, why the hell would you want to change that? Ten tracks of whiskey-soaked bar room blues that will get your toe tapping and a smile on your face from the Stonesy "Lullaby of London Town" (which you can listen to below) to the lovely closing ballad "Monte Cassino". And they even threw a free acoustic CD and live DVD in with it - talk about value package of the year!
15.THE ROUGHNECK RIOT - "Out Of Anger" Second album from these Warrington folk-punk firebrands and it carries on nicely from where their debut, 2012's "This Is Our Day" left off. Fired up, furious and with the sort of undeniable energy that the Levellers used to have back when they were good (listen to first single "Parasites" below), this album saw them cement their place as one of the best punk bands in the UK today.
14.DIRT BOX DISCO - "Bloonz" Fired up on a diet of wrestling masks, face paint and cheap 'n' nasty beer, this was a catchy-as-hell third effort from these Midlands madmen. While powered up Ramones/Buzzcocks indebted thrills were in plentiful supply, elsewhere they conjured up memories of the late '80s Soho glam scene and bands like the Soho Roses and the Babysitters. Really, how can you possibly dislike an album with a song including the lyrics "I'm the king of the castle and you're a f**kin' b*st*rd!"
13.EVIL SCARECROW - "Galactic Hunt" There's an old saying that those who the Gods destroy, they first make mad. If that really is the case then Derby's Evil Scarecrow should probably be very worried indeed. This is 50 minutes of utterly insane thrash metal with songs about giant crab robots ("Crabulon", video below), Cyclopses dancing with their shirts off and losing the Necronomicon after borrowing it from the library. And it references "Knightmare" and "Red Dwarf" - really, what more of a recommendation do you need?
12.THE HIP PRIESTS - "Black Denim Blitz" Filthier than a night on the town with Frank Bough, the Hip Priests' third album saw them cement their position as the most catchily debauched rock 'n' roll band in Britain today. One part Stooges, one part Motorhead, one part Turbonegro, the ferocious likes of "Motherfucker Superior" and the awesome "Jesus Died So We Can Ride" (video below) are the sort of songs that are the best kind of bad fun, usually as a precursor to waking up in a strange place the next morning...
11.GINGER - "Albion" Ginger's fifth solo album saw him throwing everything but the kitchen sink into the mix (actually, thinking about it, the kitchen sink probably is in there somewhere if you listen hard enough) to create an album that you could happily lose yourself for weeks in. Often taking in several musical genres in the space of the same song, it's the sort of album you'll still be listening to and noticing new things about several months later and that's the mark of a good album. I've put the video for "Body Parts", probably the most easily accessible song on the album below. Treat it as an earworm then go check this bugger out.
20.ELECTRIC SIX - "Human Zoo" It's often been said that if you're looking for the answers to life then don't expect to find them on an Electric Six album. But if it's a simple good time with plenty of oddball twists and turns that you want then Dick Valentine and co are still pretty hard to beat as the likes of "Karate Lips", "It's Horseshit!", "Who The Hell Just Called My Phone?" (link below) and "I'm The Devil" testify. Eleven albums in and there's no sign of them running out of steam.
19.TYLA J PALLAS - "Another Day Wasted In Pursuit Of Pleasure" Possibly the only man with a musical output that makes Ginger Wildheart look relatively relaxed, Tyla put out no less than three albums in 2014 with this and the re-recording of "The State We're In" being the pick of the bunch. Grizzled dark balladry (have a listen to the sinister "Charmed" below) with a tender edge, the man's still got it after all these years.
18.SPUNK VOLCANO & THE ERUPTIONS - "Injection" Fronted by Dirt Box Disco's masked guitarist, the titular Mr Volcano, "Injection" was a second slice of boozed up glam-punk to go side by side with Dirt Box Disco's "Bloonz". Rocket science it very much ain't but sometimes it's something big, dumb and singalongable after a few pints that you need and rest assured that "Injection" very much fits the bill. The "Buzzcocks on Special Brew" "Platform Three" below is one of the highlights.
17.SUPERSUCKERS - "Get The Hell" A welcome return to form for the 'Suckers following their slightly disappointing previous effort "Get It Together". Simple, heads down rock 'n' roll with riffs and singalong choruses aplenty that you can see working perfectly in the live arena. Essentially, it's the sort of album that works perfectly for sinking a few beers to and, for a Supersuckers album, what else do you need really? Have a butchers' at the video for "Pushin' Thru" below and crack open a cold one as you do so for added effect.
16.IMELDA MAY - "Tribal" Imelda May just seems to keep getting better with each album and "Tribal" may just be her strongest effort yet. Just take a listen to "Hellfire Club" (acoustic version below), "Five Good Men" or the storming title track for some awesome red hot rockabilly to sing and dance along to. The plaudits for this one were well deserved, no doubt about it.
25.DRAGSTER - "Dead Punk" While it's a departure from the sci-fi scuzz-punk of their debut, Dragster's second album saw them getting a new political fury to their sound which grows on you with repeated listening. The likes of "Skull Ring" (live video below) and "Death By A Thousand Cuts" could almost be Obsessive Compulsive which is definitely a good thing. Angry punk music with something relevant to say in 2014 - who'd've thunk it?
24.MFC CHICKEN - "Solid Gravy" Old school '60s indebted garage rock with an unhealthy fixation on chicken, MFC Chicken turned in a clucking good album with their debut (sorry but I should warn you - listening to this may leave you prone to making bad chicken puns as well). Music to shake your backside and tap your toes to, this is fun, catchy and eminently listenable. Personal choice here had to be the excellent "Get Outta The DJ Booth" which you can listen to below.
23.THE DOWLING POOLE - "Bleak Strategies" There's something about this album by Willie Dowling (ex-Honeycrack, Jackdaw 4) and Jon Poole (ex-Wildhearts, Cardiacs) that reminds me of XTC for some reason - quirky off the wall pop music with a definite summery feel to it. Maybe not one you'll get straight away but it definitely grows with repeated listening into something you can happily lose yourself in for hours at a time. And that's the mark of a good album in my book. Just listen to "The Sun Is Mine" below and let some sunshine back into your life.
22.MING CITY ROCKERS - "Ming City Rockers" Raw as you like garage punk from just outside Scunthorpe, Ming City Rockers were the genuine sound of teenage smalltown angst in 2014 (the fact that the song below is entitled "I Wanna Get Out Of Here (But I Can't Take You Anywhere)" should provide proof if needed). Although they're arguably still at a developmental stage, this is an impressive debut with a tip of the hat to Iggy and the Stooges and riffs and firepower by the bucketload. Where they'll go next with their imminent breakout into the big wide world remains to be seen but it'll be an interesting journey, no doubt about it.
21.THE PECKHAM COWBOYS - "Ten Tales From The Gin Palace" Single-handedly keeping the brewers of South London in profit in 2014, the Peckham Cowboys came back with an album which properly showcased their sound (their debut, while it showed promise, was sunk a bit by bad production). Driven along by Dale Hodgkinson's scuzzy riffs and powered by Marc Eden's louche barrow boy charm (check out "Bromley Girls" below), this is the sort of lovably shambolic rock 'n' roll that there's sadly too little of nowadays.
30.IMPERIAL STATE ELECTRIC - "Reptile Brain Music" Album number three from former Hellacopters frontman Nicke Andersson's current project, "Reptile Brain Music" is 12 tracks and 30 minutes of lean, fat-free garage punk with the occasional nod to Social Distortion style cowpunk and creepy early Alice Cooper dynamics. Essentially, it gets in, says what it's got to say and gets out again nice and quick to leave you saying "Hey, that was a bit good, wasn't it?" Have a listen to "Eyes" below and see for yourself.
29.FOXY SHAZAM - "Gonzo" Teaming Foxy Shazam up with Steve Albini might just be the weirdest combination of the year but the results made for a much stronger effort than their rather overblown previous album "Church Of Rock 'n' Roll" with the veteran punk producer giving the band a new energy and fizz to make "Gonzo" a strong effort. Unfortunately, it appears to have been their swansong as the band announced this autumn that they were going on an indefinite hiatus. Still, if it does turn out to be their final album then it was a good way to go out. You can see the video for "Tragic Thrill" below.
28.TRIOXIN CHERRY - "Let's Take Off And Nuke The Site From Space" Fired up punk-metal from Nottingham, Trioxin Cherry have been doing the rounds on the live circuit for some time now and "Let's Take Off And Nuke The Site From Space" is definitely the sound of a band who've taken their time over things to hone their live set into a good solid album. They're very much a punk band (as the likes of "Fly Bill Murray!" which you can listen to below and "Ratbiter" show) but they're not afraid to introduce some heavier riffs and rhythms into the mix and even end this album with a light-hearted ska-punk song about punk festivals. Keep an eye on this lot, on this evidence there should be plenty more good things to come from them in the future.
27.GAGGERS - "Blame You" Snotty street punk in the Dead Boys/Heartbreakers mould, the Gaggers' debut album is a pure blitz of attitude and scuzzy Keef style riffs which'll appeal to anyone who likes their rock 'n' roll with a bit of dark swagger to it. It blitzes into the party, drinks all yer booze, cops off with the best looking girl and then swaggers out again less than half an hour later leaving you wondering what the hell just happened. Just give "Steal Your Girl" (in its live version) a listen below for proof.
26.TONY WRIGHT - "Thoughts 'n' All" Possibly the darkest thing Tony Wright's ever put his name to, "Thoughts 'n' All" was a stripped down acoustic album which saw the former Terrorvision frontman laying his demons out on the table. It may not be as catchy as the band he made his name with but this is still an enchantingly dark set of songs for rainy day listening. As a former Bradford resident myself, "Great Horton" (video below) is my personal favourite off the album so I've put the video for that 'un below.
35.THE MUTANTS - "Rhythm & Punk Review" Looking at the cast list on this album almost reads like a who's who of the best old school punk bands around today - Neville Staple (the Specials), Jake Burns (SLF), Charlie Harper (UK Subs), TV Smith and Texas Terri to name but a few. And it keeps it simple and to the point, 12 tracks, 28 minutes of straight up punk energy with some ska and reggae influences chucked in to keep the pot well stirred. Unfortunately I couldn't find any song clips on Youtube but here's a bit of a background video to tell you a bit more.
34.TV SMITH - "I Delete" Old-skool punk in 2014 then. It's been a bit of a mixed bag to these ears if I'm honest. Some bands came back with disappointing efforts (sorry Buzzcocks), some came back with solid but unspectacular efforts (sorry SLF). And then there's TV Smith. "I Delete" was pretty much a straight continuation of his last few efforts but the difference is that there's an energy and spite to it that suggests he's doing much more than just going through the motions and makes it a good thought provoking album. Give "Replay", the opening track from the album, a listen below and see for yourself.
33.THE PIXIES - "Indie Cindy" It could have been a disaster and, no two ways about it, that album title has to be one of the worst of 2014 but Frank Black and co deserve credit for making a comeback album that, rather than a tired retread of past glories, was a welcome reminder of everything that made them such a great band in the first place. Off the wall but with energy and some great cheesewire guitar lines care of Joey Santiago (listen to "Silver Snail" below for proof), this was the return to form that everyone was hoping for. Well done guys.
32.GIUDA - "Let's Do It Again!" Technically this came out in the dying days of 2013 but given that a) I didn't get my paws on a copy until January and b) Giuda's first album was in my best of list last year, it's going in this time around. A good follow-up album for the Italian glammers which takes a bit of T-Rex, a bit of Suzy Quatro and a bit of the Sweet, gives 'em a bit of a 21st century sheen and chucks 'em at you for a half an hour of good fun foot-stomping times. Have a listen to their glamtastic footy terrace anthem "Get That Goal!" for proof.
31.AC/DC - "Rock Or Bust" Well...it sounds like AC/DC, dunnit? What were you expecting me to say? Quite simply, 40 years into their career, the veteran Aussies are very much sticking to what they know best and given how well it's worked for 'em up until now you can't really blame them. If you like it (as, let's be honest, most of us do) then "Rock Or Bust" will certainly leave you with a big smile on your face and sometimes that's all you can ask for. First single "Play Ball" below should prove that to you and then some.
40.MANIC STREET PREACHERS - "Futurology" The Manics seem to have become a bit infamous for throwing curveballs of late and "Futurology" is another one. Abandoning the mellow acoustics of last year's "Rewind The Film" which was actually recorded at the same time, "Futurology" was a weird mix of post-punk and Euro-beat influences but somehow it works and, with some of the usual quality thoughtful lyrics present, it lifts what could have been a major mis-step into a pretty good album. Personal favourite track - "The Next Jet To Leave Moscow" which you can have a listen to below.
39.THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM - "Get Hurt" A much darker album than previous efforts, the Gaslight Anthem's fourth effort saw them abandon the Springsteen references of old for a much darker sparser sound. Opener "Stay Vicious" has an almost grungy feel to it (have a listen below) while elsewhere the sound is much more sparse than before. The key though is that they've carried off a change of sound without losing any of their listenability which is what makes "Get Hurt" worth a listen.
38.AGAINST ME! - "Transgender Dysphoria Blues" Definitely not the most accessible album on this list by a long shot, it's very tempting to write Against Me! off as a band who people like more for Laura Jane Grace's background than their actual music but there's a brutal ferocity to "Transgender Dysphoria Blues" that makes it well worth a listen. The nearest thing I can really think to compare this to is the Manics' "Holy Bible" - pure white hot tirades of alienation and confusion (listen to "Black Me Out" below which sums it up pretty well). Definitely not an album you'll get on first listen but in terms of something to listen to when you need a loud primal howl of anguish to let your anger out to, this is definitely up there.
37.BILLY IDOL - "Kings And Queens Of The Underground" Largely given a poor reception in the music press, I think the main problem facing Mr Broad with this release is just how good his last effort, 2005's "Devil's Playground" was. This isn't up to the same standard and the fact that seven of the eleven tracks are ballads might be a bit much for some to stomach but if you can just accept it for what it is then it's a good solid effort with plenty of worthwhile tunes on there. Such as the title track below for example.
36.THE BLACK TAMBOURINES - "The Black Tambourines" In a year which saw the Jim Jones Revue sadly go their separate ways, at least there's the small consolation that this Falmouth trio could be their heirs to the fuzzbox-drenched garage rock throne. This debut album is incredibly raw but there's an impressive Jesus & Mary Chain style ferocity to it which suggests that they're gonna get even better with age. Definitely ones to watch in the years ahead. Have a listen to "Bodies" below and see for yourself.
So it's that time of year again when I take a look back through 2014. I'll be putting a blog up here next week about my highs and lows of 2014 but first, here's my traditional run through some of the music that's rocked my proverbial boat this year. Rather like last year, there was a lot of stuff I've listened to either in my job as a reviewer for Pure Rawk or just independently. You can read a few of the mini-reviews here on that website also but in the end the list came to 40 albums (okay, actually 41 - after much deliberation, I axed "Sonic Highways" by the Foo Fighters off the list to chop it down to a nice round number. In the extremely unlikely event that Dave Grohl's reading this, sorry dude). The criteria for this list was that the albums had to be new material so no re-recordings or live albums. This did lead to another two being disqualified but I'll give 'em a quick summation (with the customary video link) here as they're both well worth a listen. First, "Lords Take Altamont" by the Lords of Altamont. I've always liked these guys and this was a great little collection of covers of songs by bands who played at the festival which they took their name from. Trust me, it takes a hell of a lot of skill to cover a Stones song from the late '60s/early '70s (when they were at their creative peak in my opinion) and do it justice but hopefully a listen to the version of "Gimme Shelter" below should persuade you that this is well worth a listen.
Secondly, "Re-Licked" by James Williamson. This was a collection of latter era Stooges songs (ie the two years between "Raw Power" and the band's extremely messy demise) which Williamson, the band's guitarist at the time, put together an all star cast to re-work. And credit to him, he did a damn good job of it. Guest vocalists included Bobby Gillespie, Jello Biafra, Mark Lanegan, Lisa Kekaula (the Bellrays) and Alison Mosshart (the Kills). For me though, the highlight was this version of "Open Up And Bleed" featuring the vocal talents of Carolyn Wonderland. Think a soul-based Iggy cover could never work? Prepare to be amazed...
Anyway, let's get on to the main list shall we? Just click here and we'll get started...
