"As I Try Not To Fall Apart" is the sixth full-length release for British trio WHITE LIES was produced by Ed Buller and Claudius Mittendorfer. Released 18th February 2022.
WHITE LIES have been known for their moody and anthemic songs, where the tunes mostly were melancholy and brooding and somehow this feels different to previous outings, but I have heard it to few times to make a review but I will share the title track.
The album had four singles released ahead of its release: the title track, "I Don't Want to Go to Mars", "Am I Really Going to Die", and "Blue Drift".
Fifty years and counting since singer Danny Bowes met guitarist Luke Morley, and three decades since they founded the British rock giants THUNDER, the south London fivesome are releasing their magnum opus. The band’s first double album, "Dopamine", delivers 16 new tracks that cover a world of musical territory. Too vital to be simply labelled veterans, too varied in style to be just another classic rock band, THUNDER are at their very peak of their considerable form, as evidenced by the wealth of light and shade on "Dopamine".
"Dopamine" follows on from 2021’s return to the full-throttle sound of THUNDER, "All The Right Noises" which continued their consecutive Top 10 UK Album Chart run at No.3, since their ecstatically received comeback seven years ago. It is another chapter in the band’s incredible history that has seen them create a succession of some of the most highly regarded rock albums of the past 30 years. The key to their renown: brilliantly conceived top-drawer material. THUNDER is the last of the true British rock giants.
The line up on this album is Luke Morley, Danny Bowes, Chris Childs, Ben Matthews and Harry James. The record was recorded at Rockfield & Vada studios and mixed by Mike Fraser.
Today's tune "The Western Sky" is taken from THUNDER’s new album "Dopamine". Which will be released on 29th April 2022 on BMG.
If we continue in the Neo-Psychedelia and Space Rock and offers the South East London’s favourite psychedelic darlings, BLACK MARKET KARMA that with fifth studio album "Upside Out Inside Down". A swirling album with a great portion of sixties psychedelia and garage rock.
As the band’s vocalist and songwriter "Stan" says. “Our sound is mainly created with guitars, organs, synthesisers, drums, percussion and Indian instruments such as the sitar and harmonium. We do, however, use many other sounds in different places throughout our music”.
Today's tune "Heady Ideas", taken from the album "Upside Out Inside Down". Enjoy!
West London five-piece CHUBBY AND THE GANG are balanced by two energies – a casual “fuck it” on one side, an active “fuck off” on the other. For every moment of punk imperfection, there’s an intricate flurry of detail. For every enraged statement about modern life as war, there’s a lyric like “Hello heartbreak, my old friend” that catches you off guard. Made up of musicians from across the consistently thriving and criminally overlooked UK hardcore scene (ft. THE CHISEL, BIG CHEESE and more), CHUBBY AND THE GANG marinate its characteristic speed and sick-of-it-all energy in a mixture of 50s pop sounds. The result is a prickly take on the older, more melodic genres that punk derives from, chewing them up and spitting them out into something mangled but revitalised.
They have cited influences including the RAMONES, DR. FEELGOOD, COLOURED BALLS and IRON VIRGIN. In reference to the band's choice of sound, Manning-Walker stated "I wanted to put in an organ, a handclap, a harmonica, a tambourine and the quick element of it comes from me only experiencing hardcore for 15 years. Because of where I come from it all ended up being 200mph." Their music also often makes use of vocal samples from television series and movies such as the Jimmie Rodgers Show.
I really like what I hear and I will try to get a copy of the new album "The Mutt's Nuts", so maybe a review will come soon.
Fronted by Charlie Manning Walker (aka Chubby Charles) and backed by Tom ‘Razor’ Hardwick, Meg Brooks Mills, Ethan Stahl and Joe McMahon (aka the Gang), the band tell stories of modern London.
Today's tune "Coming Up Tough" is taken from the bands second and latest release "The Mutt's Nuts", enjoy!
"Call Me" is a song by the American new wave band BLONDIE and the theme to the 1980 film "American Gigolo". Produced and composed by Italian musician Giorgio Moroder, with lyrics by BLONDIE singer Debbie Harry, the song appeared in the film and was released in the United States in early 1980 as a single. "Call Me" was No. 1 for six consecutive weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it became the band's biggest single and second No. 1.
Debbie Harry said the lyrics were inspired by her visual impressions from watching the film and that "When I was writing it, I pictured the opening scene, driving on the coast of California." The completed song was then recorded by the band, with Moroder producing. The bridge of the original English-language version also includes Harry saying "call me" in two European languages: Italian: Amore, chiamami, lit. 'Love, call me' and French: Appelle-moi, mon chéri, lit. 'Call me, my darling'.
Today's version is made by the London-based band THE DUST CODA, enticingly riffs, gravel-soaked vocal soul, and richly rugged groove transform the classic tune into a real smoker!
The band's cover is taken from their latest album "Mojo Skyline". Enjoy!
PART CHIMP are a noise rock band from London. Founder members, Tim Cedar and Jon Hamilton formed the band from the embers of LIGAMENT in 2000 and were joined by Iain Hinchliffe (SAWYER), Joe Mclaughlin (KLING KLANG) and more recently, Robin Freeman (HAG). They have released 4 albums on Glasgow's Rock Action Records
The new album "Drool" is made during lock up and burned-out amplifiers, heavy riffing, noisy sound with stoner alike vibe. Check up today's tune and be captivated.
Today's tune "Back From The Dead" is taken from the bands fifth album "Drool". Release date: June 4th, 2021 by Wrong Speed Records (UK) and Learning Curve (US)
Born in a Dalston basement, "Quatermass Seven" by Little Barrie & Malcolm Catto could only have been produced in the colourful streets of sprawling London. Driven by the three contributing musicians’ 25-year plus journey through multiple genres and inspirations, what you hear within its seven tracks is the ‘60s British blues explosion colliding with a mid ‘70s Bronx block party; Haight Ashbury acid rock mashed up with Manchester’s summer of love circa ’88; or a prime slice of UK freakbeat broadcast from New York’s jazz underground, emerging kicking and screaming above London city tower blocks.
This meeting of minds between guitarist Barrie Cadogan, bassist Lewis Wharton and drummer Malcolm Catto represents a re-birth of sorts for Little Barrie, with these their first recordings since 2017’s critically received Death Express album, and the sad and untimely passing of friend and drummer Virgil Howe. Following a difficult period of soul searching for both Barrie and Lewis, they made the decision to record again: knowing they weren’t looking for a replacement for Virgil, or to replicate past glories, alleviated some of this inherent pressure. “I’ve never seen the point in making ‘Death Express’ or ‘Surf Hell’ again, and we said quite clearly to Malcolm that we wanted to do something different”, states Lewis. “I just saw it as me, Barrie and Malcolm running through some ideas – as the mixes evolved and shaped up, it made sense that it became the next Little Barrie record.”
What "Quatermass Seven" delivers is a darker, deeper and more expansive set of grooves, layered with frazzled and flawless guitar lines and flowing melodies, as well as pointing toward a future of exciting new musical opportunities. “Still here, so fine, just a little darker state of mind” sings Cadogan on ‘Steel Drum’: words which sum up hope in times of uncertainty, whilst (maybe) unintentionally offering a perfect description of the music contained herein.
Today's tune "Rest In Blue", taken from "Quatermass Seven", released October 16, 2020
Here's a video of Barrie, Lewis & Malcolm with a guest appearance from Shawn Lee, playing "Rest In Blue". Enjoy!
Monday, new week and it's time for us to present this weeks "Record Of The Week".
This London-based five-piece heavy rock band GREEN LUNG, released their debut album "Woodland Rites" in 2019, read the review (https://tuneoftheday.blogspot.com/2019/04/green-lung-woodland-rites.html) and have been praised highly here at Tune Of The Day. A band that has been denied to tour around the world and support their debut album, they just had to sit this over and during that time they worked on how to make a greater follow-up record, "Black Harvest", now it's here, steaming fresh directly from the press. Serval spins over the weekend and I'm completely floored. "Woodland Rites" was a remarkably good record, with "Black Harvest" we get everything from the previous one and some more, well thank you, this is even better than its predecessor, across its forty-three minutes and ten tunes the band serves us heavy rock with classic 70s psychedelia with some SABBATH infused riffs in a bigger and more epic atomsphere, marvelous harmonies with a more sharper and deeper picture, all this is perfectly balanced and I can only lift my hat and say thank you!. Excellent mixed by Wayne Adams. Recorded at Giant Wafer Studios and St Padarn's Church, Llanbadarn Fynydd
The album opens up with an introductory number in "The Harrowing", an occultist spoken word from a priest standing in the deep forest of England. Slowly it builds up in an atmospheric and bombastic intro that makes up the field for the "Old Gods" to enter the scene. Huge riffing by Scott Black and big powerful rhythm section signed bassist Andrew Cave, organist John Wright, and drummer Matt Wiseman along with the unique vocals by Tom Templar. Followed by another powerful tune "Leaders Of The Blind", standout organs, big riffs, catchy melody, and an amazing guitar solo peaks this track. "Reaper's Scythe" serves is with some beautiful guitars in the intro that transformed into a real heavy stomper with a lot of energy that bursts out from every conceivable corner. "Graveyard Sun" is another beauty that with its laidback, softish start shows its fragile side, which is incredibly beautiful. The tune changes shape a bit here and there, where the cork on the bottle blows and the tempo increases but soon returns to the slightly more withdrawn way. The title tune "Black Harvest" follows the same path as the intro and gives us a powerful instrumental jam. Heavy riffing opens up "Upon The Altar", marvelous guitar playing with a doomish but still yet very fresh sounding. "You Bear The Mark" is a very melodic piece where the beginning part almost gives a wink to the Swedish GHOST. "Doomsayer" follows the same road, magic organs, heavy riffing that almost reminds me of later PURPLE, marvelous vocals. The album ends with an elegant piece of "Born To A Dying World" that wraps up this grandiose monster of a release. With masterly handed songwriting, I'm very impressed with the end result, and it glads me to see that GREEN LUNG has a bright future ahead. And just like with "Woodland Rites", "Black Harvest" will earn its spots on the best-of lists when it's time to summon up the year.
Sum: If there is anything to worship these days then "Black Harvest" could be the best option.
Today's tune "Graveyard Sun", Video by Billy Howard Price
The British heavy metal flagbearers SEVEN SISTERS have brand new album in the pipeline.
"Shadow Of A Falling Star Pt.1" is the follow up to 2016’s "The Cauldron And The Cross", a release which earned rave reviews over here, but I never catached them on tour as they did so extensively in Europe with HAUNT. Hopefully next time as they are starting to book some dates now.
The band have also been confirmed for Desertfest in 2022.
"Shadow Of A Falling Star Pt.1" is out 22nd October via Dissonance Productions. The vinyl version we have to wait abit for, it's set to be released on April 22, 2022. Recorded, mixed and produced by Kyle McNeill (Wizard Tower Studios, UK),
Drums recorded by Tim Kramer (Signal House Studios, UK), Mastered by Michael 'Miro' Rodenberg (Gate Studios, Wolfsberg, Germany)
SEVEN SISTERS are a band that encapsulates melodic, twin guitar driven Heavy Metal. Taking the essence of the 80’s. infusing it with progressive song structures and an effortless command of dynamic, their take on metal is both familiar and unequivocally their own.
SEVEN SISTERS are:
Kyle McNeill - Vocals/Guitar
Graeme Farmer - Guitar
Gaz Martin - Bass
Sammy Christou - Drums
Today's tune "Shadow Of A Fallen Star" is the title track from the upcoming album "Shadow Of A Fallen Star Pt.1". Enjoy!
"Birth, School, Work, Death" is the title tune from the alternative rock band THE GODFATHERS, released in 1988.
THE GODFATHERS are an English alternative rock/new wave band from London, England, with strong influences from R&B and punk. They were formed by Peter and Chris Coyne after the demise of THE SID PRESLEY EXPERIENCE in 1985, joined by Mike Gibson (guitar), Kris Dollimore (guitar) & George Mazur (drums). Fellow TSPE member and later GODFATHER, Del Bartle, went on to form THE UNHOLY TRINITY with drummer Kevin Murphy.
After independent single releases produced by Vic Maile, and collected on their debut album, "Hit By Hit", they signed to Epic Records in 1987. Extensive tours of the UK, Europe and the United States followed. Single and title track of their first album "Birth, School, Work, Death" made the U.S. Billboard Top 40 in 1988 after college radio and MTV airplay but the band were less commercially successful in the UK.
Albums "More Songs About Love and Hate" and "Unreal World" followed, with Chris Burrows replacing Kris Dollimore on guitar in time for the latter, after which THE GODFATHERS left Epic and released two albums on German label Intercord in the early 1990s. The band ceased activity in 2000.
In 2003 Peter Coyne and Kris Dollimore played briefly in a band called THE GERMANS with Rat Scabies, formerly of THE DAMNED.
Enjoy today's classic "Birth, School, Work, Death", a tune that MANHEAD covered in 2004 and LOCAL H in 2003.
The British heavy metal flagbearers SEVEN SISTERS have released the new track "Horizon’s Eye", taken from their next upcoming album, "Shadow Of A Fallen Star Part 1", which will be released 22 October 2021. The album is a follow-up to "The Cauldron And The Cross", which was released in 2016.
The album is a sci-fi concept album that tells a story dreamt up by frontman Kyle McNeill, and "Horizon’s Eye" is an excellent piece in a typical SEVEN SISTERS style and gives a great heads up on what to come.
“The story follows a young woman who uncovers some grim secrets about the operation of the planet, and after being contacted by the alien through her dreams, she decides to set it free. The album ends at the part when she leaves The Great Library along with the alien. The next album will deal with the second half of the story.”
Recorded, mixed and produced by Kyle McNeill (Wizard Tower Studios, UK)
Drums recorded by Tim Kramer (Signal House Studios, UK)
Mastered by Michael 'Miro' Rodenberg (Gate Studios, Wolfsberg, Germany)
Album Artwork by Ryan T Hancock
Single Artwork by Kyle McNeill
Enjoy "Horizon's Eye" that is taken from the upcoming album "Shadow Of A Fallen Star Part 1"
Alexis Korner, was a British blues musician and radio broadcaster, who has sometimes been referred to as "a founding father of British blues". A major influence on the sound of the British music scene in the 1960s, Korner was instrumental in the formation of several notable British bands including The Rolling Stones and Free.
Today's tune "I'd Rather Go Blind" is recorded live on 29. April, 1983. This superb concert performance celebrating the 25th anniversary of London s Marquee Club is a testament to Korner s talents as he is joined on stage by some famous friends including Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts, and Ruby Turner. Enjoy!
The latest signing to Prosthetic Records is London’s CALLIGRAM - a multi-national quintet charging into 2020 intent on making their presence felt. Their first release for the label is "The Eye Is The First Circle" - an eight-track pummelling of raucous guitars, d-beat rhythms, and lyrics sung entirely in Italian.
With members from Brazil, France, Italy, and the UK, CALLIGRAM is a unique amalgam of cultural, musical, emotional, political, and social reference points and influences. Each member brings their own experience to the table to create one unified and distinctive emission. Their uncompromising sound draws from punk rock and the bleak soundscapes of black metal. All of the above combine on "The Eye Is The First Circle" to create a compelling and electrifying communique.
The album title derives from a Ralph Waldo Emerson essay titled Circles which starts: "The Eye Is The First Circle: the horizon which it forms is the second, and throughout nature, this primary figure is repeated without end".
"The Eye Of The First Circle" is a perfect storm; a mixture of elements and experiences that combine in a one-off lightning bolt of serendipity and is is an abrasive, relentless ball of energy, designed to short circuit nerves upon first listen.
Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Lewis Johns at The Ranch Production House during October 2019.
The British thunderous GRUT, that plays some kind of sludgedoom, it's down-tempo and down-right sexy with demonic vocals and down-tuned guitars.
Hailing from London, England and since their creation in January 2010 GURT has released 2 LPs, 5 EPs, 3 splits (With DOPEFIGHT, LIMB & TRIPPY WICKED) 2 Christmas Singles and a number of sludgy covers.
Relentless touring across the UK and Europe has seen GURT perform with some truly great bands. Highlights include a 23 day European tour with Canadian sludge legends DOPETHRONE, a 7 day Euro tour with our bros in DIESEL KING, a 10 day UK tour with our BFFs BONG CAULDRON and PIST, supporting WEEDEATER in Paris, THE SWORD in Salzburg, RED FANG at the Black Heart and BLACK TUSK in Paris, as well as performing to packed out audiences at Desertfest 2013 & 2016, opening the 2nd stage at Bloodstock 2014 and triumphantly returning to Bloodstock for another 2nd stage appearance in 2017, playing the main stage of Stonerhead Festival in Salzburg and also laying waste to Hammerfest in North Wales, In Flammen in Germany, FOAD fest in Manchester, Massafest in Holland and Riff Fest in Bolton.
The band's latest release "Bongs Of Praise" is a filthy album, with classic 70´s rock mixed up with some nasty doom and sludge from hell. Just check up today's tune "Rolling Stoned", a down-tuned piece with some nasty wicked demonic vocals and heavy riffage.
GURT is:
Vocals: Gareth 'Growth' Kelly
Guitar: Rich 'Sedulurt' Williams
Bass: Dave 'Spicy' Blakemore
Drums: Bill 'The Scorpion' Jacobs
Today's tune "Rolling Stoned" is taken from the bands latest release "Bongs Of Praise", released September 6, 2019, enjoy!
Monday, new week, time to present this week "Record Of The Week".
London's ELEPHANT TREE has slowly but steadily taken new ground since its start in 2013. Mainly through hard work and well-executed album releases. Marrying the sonic density of doom à la PALLBEARER with the vivid psychedelia of contemporaries such as ELDER. , 2020 and beyond is somewhat of a coming of age moment for ELEPHANT TREE as they move from a band in their infancy to magisterial mongers of their world within and outside of genre confines.
In "Habits" they follow the same ground as they have laid out on previous releases where the focus is on lazy and glorious harmonies with heavy syrup-thick riffs, compact sludgy grooves in a midway pace that are floating out in majestic psychedelic landscapes. This is all tied together with sublime harmonic vocals that possess a charming hedonism to their timbre, which is sure to win over the lush in all of us. Some of "Habits" delights would be the single tunes "Sails" and "Bird" that with huge catchy choruses and big music harmonies hit you right in the stomach. The powerful and dramatic "Wasted" is just marvelous, epic stunning riffage in "Faceless", the catchy and groovy "Exit The Soul", the amazing folkish guitar piece "The Fall Chorus" and the beautiful and dark closer "Broken Nails". This is their most expansive and well-crafted album so far. I just want to play it over and over again. If there’s any justice, 2020 will be the year ELEPHANT TREE bloom out of best kept underground secret into a household name.
"Habits" was released on April 24, 2020 via Holy Roar Records.
Sum: "Habits" is a stoner doom masterpiece.
ELEPHANT TREE is:
Jack Townley - Guitar/Vocal
Peter Holland - Bass/Vocal
Sam Hart - Drums
Riley MacIntyre - Producer/Extra Instrumentation
John Slattery - Synth/Guitar
Nathan Hickey - Guitar/Hariboo
Emloin Stevie - Fixer
"fly
rising
die
trying"
Is the chorus from today's tune "Bird", enjoy this beauty.
Fifty years after his debut album was released on Deram Records, the British singer-songwriter Bill Fay returns with his third album for Dead Oceans, "Countless Branches".
The album was produced by Joshua Henry, who oversaw Fay’s extraordinary previous recordings for the label: "Life Is People" and "Who Is The Sender?"
Sounding more sparse and succinct than his previous records, "Countless Branches" collects compositions drawn from the trove of material Fay has amassed over 40 years, but with newly written words and melodies on his recurring themes: nature, the family of man, the cycle of life and the ineffable vastness of it all.
A prime Fay song is often a deceptively simple thing, which carries more emotional weight than its concision and brevity might imply. There are ten of these musical haikus on Countless Branches, as pointed and as poignant as anything he’s ever recorded, as if songs waiting for their time have finally found their rightful place within our current zeitgeist.
The cast list has slimmed down from previous sessions. Guitarist Matt Deighton remains as Fay’s trusted MD and the musicians have mostly all played on Fay’s albums in the past. But both Henry and Fay thought that, this time, there should be more of Bill on his own at the piano, or with minimal accompaniment.
Unique to his work is the voice and worldview of a venerable musician and writer who went unheard for nearly 30 years.
“21 years ago, Colin Miles of See For Miles Records dropped a pebble in a pond”, he says. It was Miles who, on a gut instinct, reissued Bill Fay’s albums for Deram – records made in 1970 (Bill Fay) and 1971 (Time of the Last Persecution), and deleted shortly afterwards. These were records Miles had always admired and he issued them in a two-for one CD package, telling the story of an artist of rare promise who had simply vanished from the scene 27 years earlier. A rave review in MOJO magazine was seen by Jim O’Rourke who heard the albums and was struck by their quality. He alerted Jeff Tweedy of Wilco and David Tibet of Current 93, both of whom would subsequently play significant roles in Bill’s eventual return to recording. Miles had inadvertently planted something that would bear fruit many years in the future.
Fay, now 76, still marvels at how all that all worked out. He has an extraordinary recall of conversations that took place all those years ago, with Colin Miles and the journalists who wrote about his music, each of whom he called up to thank. It turned out Fay was not exactly the hermit of legend. He had continued to make music almost every day in the intervening decades. In the mid 1970s, he’d accepted an approach from a band offering to back him on another studio album. Titled “Tomorrow Tomorrow and Tomorrow,” it was completed but lay unreleased for many years.
His newest material retains the awestruck, inquisitive feel of those early songs. They often evoke landscapes, ancient and sacred places, as their author traverses the outdoors to marvel at it all. He doesn’t wish to proselytize or impart any particular belief system in his work, but his songs have a powerful spiritual component. He sings of family trees and the mysteries of the natural world. He considers childhood, human grace, good and evil, the passage of time, and powerful forces we don’t yet understand.
Today's tune "Salt Of The Earth" is taken from the latest album "Countless Branches", enjoy!
The British countryman Honey Harper did release his first EP "Universal Country" in 2017, an intrinsically honest, pure, celestial cosmic universal country EP. It was released on digital formats and as a limited edition run of transparent 10" records, lathe cut by hand by Zac DeCamp at Chestnut Street Records in Montreal, Quebec.
So check up this laidback piece.
Today's tune "Secret" is taken from 2017’s critically-acclaimed "Universal Country" EP, the tune is filmed live at Jam in the Van Headquarters in Los Angeles, CA 2019
In July 2014, JUNGLE released their self-titled debut album. Featuring the singles' "Platoon", "Busy Earnin", "Time", "The Heat and Julia", neo-soul classics all, it was the aspirational sound of young London, a soundtrack of escapism, an unmistakable JUNGLE sound, and a unique, vivid, visual JUNGLE world. The whole thing was dreamed up by Josh “J” Lloyd-Watson and Tom “T” McFarland, a production and multi-instrumentalist duo who never expected to leave their bedroom studios, far less become the core of a talent-filled seven-strong collective that morphed into a killer live outfit. Cue online word-of-mouth and IRL buzz, ravereviews, a Mercury Music Prize nomination, songs of the summer (two summers, even), viral videos, Noel Gallagher declaring the album “fucking amazing”, half a million sales, burgeoning DJ careers, a global tour that lasted two solid years. It all just happened. Last year, the band returned with equally stunning For Ever – get ready to dance when JUNGLE takes the stage in Slottsskogen.
JUNGLE will perform at Way Out West on Friday 9th at Azalea 14:00
Today's tune "Heavy, California" is taken from the second studio album "For Ever" by British neo soul band, JUNGLE. The album was released on 14 September 2018 through XL Recordings.
