THE VIBRATORS: ALBUMS 1979-85 reviewed!

Here in the U.S., veteran British Punk band The Vibrators are not held in the same high esteem as bands like The Clash, Sex Pistols, Buzzcocks, and a few other of their contemporaries. And I must say that is an oversight that must be corrected. Is it because they were too British? Were they too raw? Did they challenge the listener with stylistic changes to their core sound? Were they too Pop to Punk purists? So many questions, so few answers… […]

By | August 21st, 2018|News|Comments Off on THE VIBRATORS: ALBUMS 1979-85 reviewed!

999/The Albums 1977- 80 (4CDs) reviewed by THE CHANCELLOR

When talking about the original late ‘70s UK Punk scene, 999 seem to be one of the most overlooked bands of the era. Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Damned, Buzzcocks, The Jam, and The Stranglers are usually the bands that many folks think of first when praising the virtues of Punk and how it levelled and changed the musical landscape. While those bands grabbed the headlines, there were plenty of equally-worthy bands that deserved fame and fortune. As you would probably guess, 999 was one of those bands. 999 made music fueled by Punk yet firmly rooted in classic Rock ‘n’ Roll. The music they recorded may have been born during the Punk era but 40 years later, it remains timeless and essential.  If you need proof of that statement, Captain Oi/Cherry Red’s four CD box set THE ALBUMS 1977-80 is exactly what you need to make you believe. Again. […]

By | June 19th, 2018|News|Comments Off on 999/The Albums 1977- 80 (4CDs) reviewed by THE CHANCELLOR

KING/Remixes & Rarities reviewed by THE CHANCELLOR!

During the ‘80s, it seemed like you had to have a gimmick or make a unique fashion statement in order to attract the attention of Pop Music fans. Videos and TV performances were just as important as radio play and no matter how great your song was, if you didn’t stand out in a sea of Pop wannabes, you were very rarely noticed. However, once you grabbed everyone’s attention, you had to have the songs and talent to keep their attention. Pop quartet King may have had a short shelf life but they actually had more than enough talent to keep it going had they been given the chance to.  With Paul King’s soulful voice, colorful outfits and fancy Doc Martens footwear, King (the band) released a pair of albums in a chart career that lasted merely two years, but their talents ensured that they are still remembered today. Not quite Synthpop, Rock or Soul, King combined a few different genres and ended up sounding like… King! […]

By | June 18th, 2018|News|Comments Off on KING/Remixes & Rarities reviewed by THE CHANCELLOR!

AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: RUBY BOOTS/DON’T TALK ABOUT IT

Born in Australia and now  residing in Nashville, TN, singer/songwriter Bex Chilcott – better known as Ruby Boots – creates music that slightly betrays both her homeland and her adopted city. In fact, she manages to cross genres with ease, rarely standing still long enough to adopt any genre as her own. Her 2018 album DON’T TALK ABOUT IT that supports that claim. […]

By | February 9th, 2018|News|Comments Off on AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: RUBY BOOTS/DON’T TALK ABOUT IT

Five MUST-HAVE releases on Wounded Bird Records!

 For nearly 20 years, Guilderland, NY-based Wounded Bird Records has been quietly reissuing a plethora of CD titles that are generally geared for collectors but most definitely appeal to causal music lovers as well. Not a label to focus on one genre, Wounded Bird has just about every musical style covered – from OC punks Agent Orange to Jazz legend Joe Zawinul. In between, you’ll find releases by the golly-ricious Jim Nabors, Hard Rock heroes Montrose, former Eagles members Don Felder, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmidt and way too many others to list. In the early days, Wounded Bird was a straight reissue label – no bonus tracks or liner notes. However, over the years, they’ve started adding bonus material to some of the releases, which makes them even more exciting. Sadly, most every release on the label is limited so when they are gone, they are gone – no re-pressings! What does this mean to you? It means that you should buy whatever you can RIGHT NOW because it won’t be around forever. And you know what happens when Wounded Bird CDs go out of print, right? The prices skyrocket and you end up kicking yourself because you didn’t pick it up when it was affordable. Well, I’ve done you a favor and I’ve gone through the active Wounded Bird catalog and I’m going to tell you about five currently in-print titles that you seriously need to pick up right now before they get deleted and up up trading for beaucoup bucks online! You can thank me later. […]

By | June 13th, 2017|News, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Five MUST-HAVE releases on Wounded Bird Records!

HAIRCUT 100/Paint And Paint (Deluxe Edition) review!

Haircut 100 was quite the band in 1982. Their debut album, PELICAN WEST, was the product of six very different personalities that came together to create one fantastic album. From Latin to Funk to Pure Pop, the album blended the band members’ musical influences perfectly. The thought that the album was created by a group of kids just barely into their 20s was quite astounding. Even today, that timeless album is just as thrilling as it was when it came out 35 years ago. The lads in H100 were in the midst of recording their second album when lead singer/songwriter Nick Heyward left to pursue a solo career. For a brief moment, it seemed like that was the end of the line for H100 members Marc Fox, Les Nemes, Phil Smith, Graham Jones and Blair Cunningham. Thankfully, the lads still had something to say… […]

By | June 9th, 2017|News|Comments Off on HAIRCUT 100/Paint And Paint (Deluxe Edition) review!

THEATRE OF HATE: An EXCLUSIVE Q&A with KIRK BRANDON

ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST(WORLD): As the leader of British outfit The Pack, singer, songwriter and guitarist Kirk Brandon’s unique musical vision was far too adventurous to be constrained by the limits of Punk Rock so he folded that band and moved forward with new ideas. By 1980, he had formed Theatre Of Hate, which included bassist Stan Stammers, saxophonist John Lennard, guitarist Steve Guthrie and drummer Luke Rendle. During their first two years of existence, the band released a few studio singles as well as a live album, HE WHO DARES WINS. By the time the band entered the studio to work on their debut full length, Guthrie had departed and Brandon took over all guitar duties. With The Clash’s Mick Jones in the producer’s chair, TOH began work on what would become a milestone in Post Punk history – WESTWORLD! With a mix of tribal rhythms, Spaghetti Western riffs, Post Punk guitar slashing and Brandon’s passionate wailing, Theatre Of Hate was a band unlike any other. While the band was known for their live performances, they took on a different form in the studio. Pre-dating his Big Audio Dynamite recordings, Mick Jones brought a lot of his experimental ideas to the sessions, which worked extremely well with Brandon’s vision. The end result is still being talked about today… While TOH folded in 1983 – making way for Kirk’s next project, Spear Of Destiny – their musical legacy lives on. The band has reformed with various line-ups over the years and are now making waves again with both a new album (KINSHI) and a deluxe three CD edition of WESTWORLD. This excellent reissue on Cherry Red includes a remastered version of the album alongside non-album singles, Peel Sessions, alternate mixes and a live concert taped during the WESTWORLD tour. Still sounding fresh and invigorating, this expanded edition is the definitive version of an album that helped pioneer Post Punk in the UK. Stephen SPAZ Schnee sent off a few questions to Kirk Brandon, who was gracious enough to take the time to respond… […]

By | November 17th, 2016|News|Comments Off on THEATRE OF HATE: An EXCLUSIVE Q&A with KIRK BRANDON

HAIRCUT 100: An EXCLUSIVE Q&A with guitarist GRAHAM JONES!

Favorite Shirts:  HAIRCUT 100 Revisited Haircut 100’s debut album Pelican West remains one of the truly great albums of the ‘80s. Inspired by everything from Jazz and Latin music to ‘60s Pop and Post-Punk, the 1982 album was a breath of fresh air at a time when pretentious ‘Popstar’ posing was more important than making music. From Bob Sargent’s warm and crisp production and singer/guitarist Nick Heyward’s Pop smarts, to the inventive horn arrangements, Pelican [...]

By | March 25th, 2016|News|Comments Off on HAIRCUT 100: An EXCLUSIVE Q&A with guitarist GRAHAM JONES!