Archives for posts with tag: New York Dolls

NervousTwitch

Mastering Nervous Twitch “Don’t Take My TV” on Odd Box Records.

Taken from Louder Than War:

Odd Box Records give the second Nervous Twitch album the vinyl reissue treatment. Glenn Airey is first in the queue for Louder Than War.

Don’t Take My TV, the second long-player from fun-loving Leeds four-pieceNervous Twitch, was first released in cassette form back in February. Odd Box Records have now seen fit to grant this vital indie-pop document the status it undoubtedly deserves, and reissued it on instantly collectible clear vinyl.  Twitch-watchers of any vintage are likely to agree that the album constitutes the finest collection of the band’s material to date, nicely summarising their ability to have fun with a range of cool-as-fuck influences like punk-pop, rockabilly, girl-groups and surf, while retaining a charm and consistently appealing bedrock sound that’s all their own.

From the stop-start sarkiness of So Rock’n’Roll to the climactic Cramps-meet-the-Dolls blowout of A Little Self Discipline, Don’t Take My TV includes eleven stormers clocking in at a petite twenty-six minutes with barely a dip in the smile count. Having said that, the subject matter isn’t all fun and froth. Emblematic frontwoman Erin, she of the technicolour wigs and mightily impressive lung capacity, slips in stories of sleazebag stereotypes, self-doubt and suicide amongst the punk pop rush and melodic melee.

Some genuinely nasty characters stalk these songs. Lurking In The City starts with a proper rock riff worthy of Motorhead, if ever played through Marshall stacks the size of tower blocks, then warns us to stay indoors and avoid the wrath of psychopathic David, all in all a fine addition to the killer-on-the-loose mini-genre. Meanwhile, John Power describes a go-getting, materialist trustafarian, presumably not the John Power out of Cast, although if you’ve ever heard that terrible Anfield Road record he made, you could forgive anybody for having a pop.

Guitarist Jay lays down a sound that’s just fuzzy enough (as punk-pop fans of course, we expect this as birthright) but that knows when to jangle and knows when to twang. Even Though I Have Regrets is a fine example of the former, its semi-acoustic loveliness providing an ideal backdrop to a classically-structured girl-group mini-drama. And the twang’s definitely the thang in East Coast Rumble which, as the title suggests, references the band’s longstanding love affair withLink Wray but also can’t help calling to mind the godlike Duane Eddy. As someone who lives in a house where Twenty Terrific Twangies rarely goes a week unplayed, I’m naturally a sucker for this stuff.

Erin’s keyboard skills also get a fair old workout on tracks like Something Wrong With Me, where she cleverly balances vocalising the dumpee-blues with some neat, Mysterians-style 60s organ showboating. Throw in the odd rockabilly scramble like Can’t Find The Words For How I Feel, and a great lost Ramones song title in I’m An Idiot Babe, and you have one of the great multi-faceted indiepop records of the last few years. One hopes they are now safely back in their garage with their bullshit detectors, working on the next one. Long live the Twitch.

Buy it here!

Sticky Valnetines

Mastering Sticky Valentines “S/T” EP.

Taken from Uberrock:

“Somebody once sang, “who will save rock and roll?” Well I could give you a list as long as an elephant’s trunk of bands who are flying the flag for good old Rock and Roll and I’ve just added another name to the illustrious list. Sticky Valentines is their name and playing dangerous sloppy rock and roll is their game.

Don’t despair kids, Rock and Roll is in rude health if you only scratch the surface, or failing that check out some of the bands I get to review on Uber Rock. Imagine the Rolling Stones around the time of ‘Exile…’ jamming with a prime time Thunders and Sylvain and add a dash of Hanoi Rocks when they were entering Mystery City that’s where these pirates of glunk sit comfortably. Hell, for good measure throw in some Replacements and a few Chuck Berry licks and Izzy Stradlin when he was on top of his game, oh and don’t forget the booze.

Kicking off quite literally is ‘Bored On The Boardwalk’ – with its heaving, sloppy swagger it’s like one huge barroom brawl is only one swig away and these vagabonds are gonna mess with anyone and everyone. With a fantastic guitar solo that Johnny would have been proud of the song just ends and gets the hell out of dodge. Superb stuff.

There are many pretenders who have a go at Rock and Rolling but can’t pull it off. Sticky Valentines were born to Rock and Roll and I see it as my duty to offer them up to you as paragons of taste: it’s only right you join me in saving rock and roll by supporting this band of rock and roll gypsies. Now can I get a “Fuck yeah!?” Stay alive, stay out of jail and Rock and Roll! Fuck Yeah!!!”

Sticky Valnetines

Mastering Sticky Valentines “S/T” EP.

Taken from Uberrock:

“Somebody once sang, “who will save rock and roll?” Well I could give you a list as long as an elephant’s trunk of bands who are flying the flag for good old Rock and Roll and I’ve just added another name to the illustrious list. Sticky Valentines is their name and playing dangerous sloppy rock and roll is their game.

Don’t despair kids, Rock and Roll is in rude health if you only scratch the surface, or failing that check out some of the bands I get to review on Uber Rock. Imagine the Rolling Stones around the time of ‘Exile…’ jamming with a prime time Thunders and Sylvain and add a dash of Hanoi Rocks when they were entering Mystery City that’s where these pirates of glunk sit comfortably. Hell, for good measure throw in some Replacements and a few Chuck Berry licks and Izzy Stradlin when he was on top of his game, oh and don’t forget the booze.

Kicking off quite literally is ‘Bored On The Boardwalk’ – with its heaving, sloppy swagger it’s like one huge barroom brawl is only one swig away and these vagabonds are gonna mess with anyone and everyone. With a fantastic guitar solo that Johnny would have been proud of the song just ends and gets the hell out of dodge. Superb stuff.

There are many pretenders who have a go at Rock and Rolling but can’t pull it off. Sticky Valentines were born to Rock and Roll and I see it as my duty to offer them up to you as paragons of taste: it’s only right you join me in saving rock and roll by supporting this band of rock and roll gypsies. Now can I get a “Fuck yeah!?” Stay alive, stay out of jail and Rock and Roll! Fuck Yeah!!!”