JD & The FDC's - Recognise (2012)

Genre - Hard Rock / Pop / Punk / Powerpop
Label - Delerict Records


Track listing -

01. Recognise 
02. Ujpest Dozsa
03. Mirrors & Wires
04. Burn This City Down 
05. From the Shadows 
06. The Secret
07. No Way Out
08. This Town of Infamy 
09. Never Gonna Stop 
10. Anti-Destination League

Based in the East Midlands in the UK, JD & the FDCs are a rock ‘n' roll band. And then some.… Comprising Panic, Teenage Casket Company, The Dangerfields, Patchwork Grace and DIP alumni, the quartet released their award-winning debut “The FDCCDEP" in August 2010, with Recognise being their debut full length album, and its a stonker!
 Ten yes I said ten great songs, performed by a band that really know what they are doing. Its fun to spot the influences throughout this album, aside from the obvious comparisons to the band members "other" bands, there are also moments reminisent of The Wildhearts, Beastie Boys, Michael Monroe, Green Day, Offspring, Kitty Hudson, well the list goes on.
Any song on this cd could hold its own against any of the major mainstream acts out there today, with the band having an knack for finding a catchy melody, whilst injecting the songs full of life and energy.
This album is full of potential radio friendly hits such as Mirrors & Wires, Recognise, Burn This City Down, The Secret, yet all the while the songs maintain their independant integrity.
A great debut album, showcasing the fact that these guys really could conquer the world!


Check this one out!

Rating 10/10

Website - http://jdandthefdcs.com/

Obsessive Compulsive - Dreams Of Death and the Death Of Dreams

Genre - Gothic / Punk / Metal / Hard rock
Label - Vociferous Records

Track listing -

01.$$
02.Man Vs Machine
03.The Decay of Hope
04.A Cocktail of Toxins
05.Spit The Medicine
06.Virago
07.Autopsy
08.Future Closing In
09.Exit
10.Hell is a Circle
11.27½

"Obsessive Compulsive Are A Gothic/Punk Band From Manchester, UK. Signed To Their Own Label Vociferous Rocords. They've Released Two EPs, June 2004's 'A Demon For Every Occasion' & 'The Corpses Of Thought' In January 2007. As well as this their debut full length album, 'Dreams Of Death & The Death Of Dreams'."

Imagine a modern day Die Cheerleader (from the early 90's) , with a more sophisticated and polished sound, then you'll be on the right tracks to understanding Obsessive Compulsives sound.

On this album the band have produced 11 great songs, that really showcase the terrific vocals of lead vocalist kelii's voice. (The line up is completed by Pete - Bass, Giz - Guitar and Dani - Drums.) Their sound is familiar angst-ridden, guitar-driven punk rock complemented by Kelii’s dirty, gutteral growls and creamy crooning. The music and composition is not particularly complex, but it works, and it works well. This is a refreshing album, and nothing like I expected it to be which can only be a good thing!
Id like to see the band try to push their musical boundries a little further on their next release but saying that this, their debut album is a great album well worth a few repeated listens!


Website - Obsessive Compulsive
Rating - 9/10

Eureka Machines - Champion The Underdog

Genre - Rock / Pop / Punk / Powerpop
Label - Wraith Records

Track listing -

01 - Champion The Underdog
02 - These Are The People Who Live In My House
03 - (I'm) Wasting My Time (Yet Again)
04 - Magnets
05 - Godot's Arrived
06 - Professional Crastinator
07 - Everything's Fine
08 - The Best Night Of My Life
09 -Beginning Of The End Of The World
10 - Zero Hero
11 - A Ballad To Finish

Chris Catalyst and the Guys of Eureka Machines Return with the follow up to 2008’s amazing debut, Do Or Die, with Champion The Under Dog.
Once again the lads have managed to attain power pop perfection, there just simply isn’t a bad track anywhere in sight on this cd.
Produced by Chris and Jase Edwards (Wolfsbane), and filled to the brim with eleven littler gems and sure to be future rock classics.
This album has it all, from the pure pop of These Are The People Who Live In My House, to the heart tugging ballad, A Ballad To Finish. Throw in there some nice pop / punk / rockers like Magnets and Professional Crastinator and you have a fantastic album,
You really can hear the bands influences here too, especially the Ginger / Wildhearts / Honeycrack / Willie Dowling / Queen (especially in the vocal harmonies), and this makes the songs seem even stronger.
If there is any justice in the world then this band would be huge, and here’s to hoping for that to happen!

Very highly recommended,check it out when its released on May 2nd!!

Catch the guys live on tour at one of the following dates –

Champion The Underdog tour:

Thursday 5 May 2011 - The Bittersuite, Preston
Friday 6 May 2011 - Retro Bar, Manchester
Saturday 7 May 2011 - The Belle Vue, Blackpool
Sunday 8 May 2011 - The Leopard, Doncaster
Wednesday 11 May 2011 - The Thunderbolt, Bristol (TBC)
Thursday 12 May 2011 - The Borderline, London (with The Dead Identities and Tecnoctitlan)
Friday 13 May 2011 - Wight Rock Bar, Isle of Wight
Saturday 14 May 2011 - The Mill Inn, Deal, Dover
Wednesday 18 May 2011 - Academy 2, Sheffield
Thursday 19 May 2011 - Stereo, York
Friday 20 May 2011 - The Lamp, Hull
Saturday 21 May 2011 - The Marrs Bar, Worcester
Sunday 22 May 2011 - The Asylum, Birmingham
Thursday 26 May 2011 - Black Flag, Wakefield (with UK Subs)
Friday 27 May 2011 - The Brudenell Social Club, Leeds (with The Scaramanga Six, Black Moth and Circles)
Saturday 28 May 2011 - The Parish, Huddersfield (with The Scaramanga Six)
Sunday 29 May 2011 - The Maze, Nottingham
Thursday 2 June 2011 - The Hyem, Newcastle (with Supercharger
Friday 3 June 2011 - The Railway, Bolton
Saturday 4 June 2011 - Puzzle Hall, Sowerby Bridge
Sunday 5 June 2011 - BBC Introducing Raw Talent radio session
Saturday 2 July 2011 - Bladefest, Fleckney (with Goldblade)


website - Eureka Machines
Rating - 10/10

The Martinets - Comeback Tour

Genre - Pop / Punk / Rock / Indie
Label - Tornado Ride Recoreds

Tracklist:

01.COMEBACK TOUR
02.BACK TO NOWHERE
03.SHAKE IT LIKE A MAN
04.TELL YOUR FRIENDS
05.SHE’S A WHIRLPOOL
06.CAN’T…LET…GO
07.LEARNING ANNEX
08.I STAND CORRECTED
09.PAST PERFECT
10.SWEET LIFE
11.TAKING A LONG TIME
12.TOO MUCH
13.YOUR WAR
14.SO ROMANTIC
15.TOO PROUD TO CRAWL
16.WE GOT POSSESSION
17.HIDDEN BONUS TRACK

The Martinets return with their rd album in the form of Comeback Tour.
With a lineup of veterans including, Eamonn Bowles: vocals, guitars, Daniel Rey: guitars, Dave Rick: bass, Roger Murdock: drums, you'd expect a solid and strong record. Sound wise The Martinets have their roots firmly planted in the New York Club scene sound from the late 70's, Think New York Dolls, The Ramones, and Dead Kennedys etc. In fact Daniel Rey provides a strong link with the Ramones, having written and produced for them towards the end of their recording career, on albums such as Brain Drain, Mono Bizaro and Adios Amigos’.
The Martinets surly don’t offer up anything new, but what they do do, they do well. The songs come in short blasts, many below 3 minutes in length, and always come in high quality. (Plus great value for money with 17 tracks here!)
A good solid album very much in the same vein as later day Ramones, highly recommended.

Website - The Martinetsrating - 8/10

Lester And The Landslide Ladies - Estranged In Ladyland

Genre - Pop / Punk / Rock
Label - Tornado Ride Records

Track Listing -

01. Eat It Up
02. A Drug I Can’ t Deny
03. From The Start
04. Margarida
05. Nothing Left To Borrow
06. Answering Machine
07. Estranged In Ladyland
08. Who Do You Think You Are
09. Dead And Gone
10. Me, Myself And I
11. 1 2 3 Arriba
12. Fraulinen Broderline
13. Bleeding In Style
14. For The Ramones

Described as being lost somewhere between Kiss and The Ramones, Lester And The Landslide Ladies deliver a high quality pop / punk rock that warms the soul.
These degenerates offer up a great dose of love, hate, pain, blood, power! For fans of The Ramones, D.A.D., Kiss, AC/DC, Hanoi Rocks, Bowie, Cult, N.Y. Dolls.
A great little album, thoroughly enjoyable!

website - Lester And The Landslide LadiesRating - 8/10

Mournblade - Anthology Vo1

Genre - Punk / Metal / NWoBHM
Label - Angel Air Records

Track listing -

01 - Anthem Of Chaos
02 - Servants Of Fate
03 - The Stairway
04 - The Machinery Of Joy
05 - Science Fiction
06 - Desolation
07 - In The Arms Of Morpheus (live)
08 - Eternal Champion (live)
09 - Hunter Killer (live)
10 - Battlezone (live)
11 - Titanium Hero (live)
12 - Sidewinder/The Sorcerer (live)
13 - Servants Of fate(live)
14 - Titanium Hero (remix)

Once hailed as the future of heavy metal by the likes of Kerrangs Derek Oliver, things never quite panned out for Mournblade.
This Anthology is a collection of early demos and live tracks taken from their 1984 / 1985 era, collected together here by one of the Uk's most prestigious heritage labels, Angel Air Records.
One thing that makes this collection of interest to me is that lead singer, Dunken Mullet would go on to briefly handle vocal duties in the early incarnations of one of my favorite bands, The Wildhearts.
Now the sound quality is not the best on this cd, but then again it is primarily a collection of demo and live tracks, some recorded on a simple 4 track way back in 1983 / 1984, so that’s to expected I guess, but I’m not too sure where Mr. Oliver was getting his impressions from.
Mournblade's sound is a kind of cross of NWoBHM and 70’s punk, but also heavily influenced by prog rock bands such as Hawkwind ect.
Another thing about this band, is that like many of their contemporaries they weren’t afraid of hard work, the band gigged the London club circuit to death and later the regions- throughout 1984 and 1985 alone clocking up no less that 400 shows including regular headlining slots at London's MARQUEE, 100 CLUB and DINGWALLS, building themselves a healthy fan base, but lineup changes and the shifting tide in musical tastes meant it was all for nothing.
Anthology is a great reminder of a band that could have been big, if not massive, and fans of the the band will surely appreciate finally having the many hard to find tracks together on one cd at last. Fans of NWoBHM will find this album interesting, other than that I’m not sure how relevant this cd will be in today’s musical climate.

Standout tracks include, Servants of Fate, Desolation, and the 2009 remix of Titanium Hero


Rating 6/10

Website - Mourneblade

No Strings Left - La Pris De La Bastille

Genre : Rock / pop / /punk
Label : Upton Records / New Model Label
Tracklist:
1. Avant la bataille
2. No strings left
3. East of the sun
4. Campaign
5. November
6. Manage your beauty (olvidate)
7. Wastin' time
8. Little song to dance to
9. The eternal promise of charm
10. Un istante prima
11. Get me out
12. Outro

Italian rockers, No Strings Left, offer up their debut album, a great mix of high energy pop punk / rockers and psychadelic 60's inspired soundscapes. The band are heavily influenced by the sounds of the late 70's and 80's, and an ear for a punky pop rock track such as No strings Left and Manage Your Beauty. Wasting Time is one hell of a track too.
A great album to drive too, and a band that are well worth checking out!

Website - http://www.myspace.com/nostringsleft
Rating - 8/10

Deluded By Lesbians - The Revolution of Species

(Genre - Alternative / Pop Punk / Rock Label - NEW MODEL LABEL - PIRAMES)
Track Listing -

01 - The Origin Of Delusion
02 - She Do Wanna
03 - Ringo Starr
04 - Dont Laugh For Me Argentina
05 - Nobody Knows
06 - Pompei
07 - C'mon Get In
08 - Crystal Balls
09 - Bird Watching
10 - Love Is Blind
11 - Revolution / Primary Needs
12 - We Dont Care
13 - United States Of Dekusion

Milan (Italy) based power trio, Deluded By Lesbians, have a kind of pop punk / NWoBHM feel about them. Every song is absolutley solid, filled with great riff and killer solos, and perfect meoldies. Lyrically these guys conjure up some pretty wierd images, but hey its rock n roll!
At times the band walk the fine line between humour and bad taste, like on Love Is Blind, but always manage to stay on the right side of cheesey and never quite become as offensive as they may seem to be heading.
You get an album filled with great tunes by a band showing lots of promise, well worth checking out. Fans of early Green day should check these guys out, and fans off Offspring and NWoBHM could do far worse than giving these guys a spin!

Website - myspace.com/deludedbylesbians
Rating - 8/10

Eagle Scout - New Hands

Hailing from the Rockwell-Esq Greenville, IL, Missouri bordering Midwesterners Eagle Scout do nothing less than shake up their sleepy small town with their big sounds. New Hands is the second full album from Eagle Scout and continues to see them blend elements of post-punk, indie and pop,


The five piece deliver high energy well crafted poppy punk tunes with well though out lyrics.

Well worth checking out!

website - http://www.myspace.com/eaglescoutmusic

rating 8/10

The Slackers - The Great Rocksteady Swindle

The Slackers return with their new album, The Great Rocksteady Swindle, which see's the veterans of the New York Ska scene return to their Rocksteady roots. The Great Rocksteady Swindle is The Slackers 12th studio album and is a credit to the bands continuing vitality and longevity in the music scene. The songs are all well thought out and have a rhythm that can't be denied. The Slackers are one of those that bands don't need to change direction


to remain fresh and relevant. After 20 years they're still managing to deliver the goods.
The Great Rocksteady Swindle isn't going to set the world on fire, or even break ska into the mainstream, but it will serve to remind the mainstream that ska, and very good ska at that, is alive and well on the underground!

website - http://www.myspace.com/theslackers

rating 9/10

Call The Doctor - Call The Doctor mini album

Call The Doctor are a female fronted Bristol (uk) based jerky pop / punk / dance band, blending so many different elements together its unbelievable.

This mini album was recorded and mixed over 10 days by Paul Tipler (idlewild/placebo/elastica) which is amazing considering the quality of the songs on display here.
Vocalist Patti Aberhart has great and distinctive voice, which really add an extra spark to the six tracks on offer here.
The stand out tracks for me are ' For Your Leisure' and 'Little Bones'
Call The Doctor have all the ingredients needed to be huge given that they get the right exposure, and have already been featured on Steve Lamacq's unsigned band of the week, BBC Bristol Introducing's Record of the Week, been on Gill Mill's (NME Radio) Best Of Myspace podcast, and had their track, 'Gregory, You're a Star' daytime playlisted on BBC Bristol, it looks like they're on the right track and knocking on the right doors!

Check em out

website - http://www.myspace.com/ctdoctor

rating 9/10