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Recommended Listening - September 2011

These are the latest albums reviewed by Scootering Magazine.

We have teamed up with Amazon UK to allow you to purchase them online, where you see the 'Buy from amazon.co.uk' button, just click and you will be taken straight to the album on the Amazon UK website where you can purchase that album as well as view their catalogue of over 25,000 bargain CD's.

Smoke Like A Fish – Blood, Fish & Bone (Do The Dog)

On MySpace

One of Do The Dog’s longest lasting bands finally wrap up their career with their fourth and final album.

No sadness here though, just kick-arse ska, falling somewhere between 2-Tone and Third Wave style. If you’ve heard Smoke Like A Fish before, then you’ll know what to expect. Keyboards and brass riff their way through 12 tracks, while rock and roll tinged guitars run their way through the songs in a manner reminiscent of Roddy Radiation at his Specials peak.

The band aren’t really known for their laid back approach to ska, and this album is no exception –pretty much all the tracks are played at a goodly lick.

Stand out tracks are hard to pinpoint – Perfect World and Top Of The Hill are perhaps about the best pure ska tracks, Manufactured Messiah has perhaps slight nods to late era Madness, while Crazy is a purely typical Smoke Like A Fish track. Bouncy, catchy and driving with tempo changes to keep it interesting, this would be the best track on the album for me if it wasn’t for the ska/punk stormer Blow The Whole Thing Up that closes the album, after their two minute musical goodbye that is Just One More.

Okay, there is their usual cover version of a non ska track hidden away at the end – in this case a completely changed The Levellers’ Fifteen Years – but that doesn’t really count, no matter how reconstructed it is.

If you’re going to go out, go out on a high. Available now from Do The Dog Records.

Nik

Listen to: It can only be, Blow The Whole Thing Up

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Pressure 28 - Unified

On MySpace

Legendary old school Oi! band Pressure 28 release their first album in what seems like forever. Twelve tracks of classic styled street punk, focusing on how they see the state of the nation today.

Menacing vocals, hard guitar and a driving, incessant drum line propel the album along in a ‘proper’ manner and show that Oi! never went away, it just took a rest to get its breath back.

A 50/50 mixture of new material and material from their last two limited availability releases, the album brings to mind the usual suspects – Cock Sparrer, 4-Skins, Last Resort and The Business. Shout-along choruses over three chord punk guitars, the band have never changed and hopefully never will.

The topics covered are a little predictable, but that doesn’t stop them from being well written and ‘fair comment’, and isn’t that largely the appeal of the street punk sound? You know what to expect, and you get it delivered here in style.

There is a somewhat unexpected cover version on there – If I told you what, then it would spoil the fun! – and their Christmas song is somewhat unseasonable, but still an enjoyable tune.

Carry on Oi!? Damn right.

Nik

Listen to: Dodging the Bullets

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UK Subs - Complete Punk Singles Collection (Captain Oi!)

An extended guitar chord together with crashing drums heralds the introduction of the UK Subs’ CID, guitar chops rhythmically following to entice you in.

From 1978 the UK Subs’ first single leaves you in no doubt this band are full of the true essence of punk; simple tunes through which they vent their anger, on this occasion against the undercover cops that were busy gaining themselves a bad reputation at the time.

Stranglehold was the Subs’ love song, singer Charlie Harper dancing around in a rather subdued way during their Top of The Pops TV appearance while a semi-bemused crowd tried to work out what to do with this addictive little ditty. They reappeared on TOTP with Teenage, singing about wanting to be teenage between heavy guitar solos, and a verse about wanting a scooter; ‘You can be my Lambretta lover’. The single’s cover showed a lad in a tank suit holding a brick, crouching among the debris of what appears to be a riot zone...

Tomorrow’s Girls peaked at number 28 in the charts back in 1979 apparently, still raw and angry sounding, it’s easy to draw parallels with the likes of Sham 69 rather than the Sex Pistols or The Damned of the time. A cover of The Zombies’ She’s Not There is full of punk essence though; almost rushed, slightly off-key vocals, fast ’n’ furious, it’s all of one minute and 38 seconds long. In fact only one song of the 15 on disc one breaches the four minute minute barrier, few passing the three minute mark either. One which does is the anthemic chant-along Warhead, as heard in This is England. Another is the live version of New Barbarians, which I remember buying on red vinyl back in the day.

Disc two contains another 13 tracks and kicks off in 1988 with Motivator, followed by a wicked guitar heavy version of the orchestral piece Sabre Dance; truly fast ’n’ furious, but how many old punks can keep up the pace to dance to that today? War On The Pentagon is true punk in both its aggressive delivery and lyrics, the Subs still successfully delivering a message in anger in 1997. Cyberjunk follows a similar vein with its own message, the UK Subs do not conform to anything more than punk. They do however offer a couple of light-hearted covers; Kevin ‘bloody’ Wilson’s Santa Claus as well as a take on the classic Drunken Sailor. And if you needed another reason to purchase yourself some classic punk rock music from the last 30 years, then the double CD pack includes a booklet with track by track info, and a beer mat too.

Andy

Listen to: Classic Subs, CID

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Jeramiah Ferrari - The Mighty Sparrow

On MySpace

Lancashire’s breakthrough act continue their assault on the ska and reggae scene with their second release, coming hard on the heels of their killer debut EP.

Arguably following in the footsteps of their 1979 predecessors Madness, they kick off their vinyl releases with a song about a fairly obscure artiste, in this case the King Of Calypso, The Mighty Sparrow. Although the subject matter may be that of a calypso singer, the style is pure reggae. Lilting along gently, it forms a pleasing counterpoint to the rock edged sound of their debut. That’s not to say that it’s lazy, there is a lot of top grade musical skill on show on this release.

A track to get your breath back to in the middle of a set of upbeat monsters, or a relaxing tune for the stereo on a lazy summers afternoon, this number hits the spot. Available on good old 7in vinyl, and backed with Butterfly Sex Bong from the Cactus Killers EP, the release comes with a digital download code so that you can rip it to CD or play it through an MP3 player.

Nik

Broken Vinyl Club - One Way Street (Acid Jazz)

On facebook

The debut single from a new Welsh mod/psych band that have recently signed to the Acid Jazz label, One Way Street is pure 1960s magic. On 7in vinyl we’re going back to early Pink Floyd, a hint of Zombies and some Beatles harmonies yet somehow BVC add a modern touch to their sound yet still retain the mellow vibes and a psychedelic feeling . Together with catchy chorus and mystical middle break, they have created a mid-pace floor filler here.

The flipside is Day Too Long which suggest inspiration from across the Atlantic, namely The Byrds and The Monkees. More jangley, more bpm yet just as well structured and presented. Due for the release on August 29, this single serves as a great taster for their forthcoming album that’s due in October.

Andy

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The Simmertones - Everything’s Comin’ Up Ska (Windrush)

Brand spanking new four track CD/EP from South West based authentic sounding ska outfit. Consisting of two Simmertones originals and a brace of lesser known classics given The Simmertones treatment, with the added bonus of an ‘appearance’ by guest lead guitarist Steve Cradock. Also Island records legend Richard Digby Smith features on the production credits.

Opening track Bring Your Love To Me, the first of the duo penned by the band themselves, is drenched in good time sounding brass surfing effortlessly over the chopping bass with solid staccato, rimshot laced, pounding beats of the rhythm section. Although very much retro sounding, it’s an ideal soundtrack for the hot
days and hazy nights of the summer months.

Sandwiched between their own compositions are ascorching take of The Valentines’ Blam Blam Fever plus their version of Desmond Dekker’s standard King Of Ska. Last but by no means least is the rock steady flavoured, early ska inclined A Little Time. All in all a tasty four tracker that gives a real taste of what The Simmertones are about.

The Simmertones EP can be obtained on CD from www.rootscd.com mail order and as a download from both iTunes and Amazon. Additionally, Phil ‘Jimmy’ Daniels provides the voice over for their video advert, which includes footage of scooters in motion, for Bring Your Love To Me.

Watch it yourself at www.myspace.com/thesimmertones

Sarge

Listen to: Bring Your Love To Me

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The Upper Fifth - 3 Of The Best (Vectra)

On MySpace

Mod, blue-eyed soul, power posters The Upper Fifth issued the awaited and anticipated follow up to their acclaimed Claiming The 5th a month or so ago. Deadline and publication dates being what they are, at the time of writing the maxi single is brand new, literally hot off the press.

Incidentally, Syd, who is on Burns guitar and vocals for The Upper Fifth started his illustrious career alongside Fay Hallam and Martin Blunt in he cult second wave of mod outfit, Making Time.

A pair of Upper Fifth’s own songs are accompanied by a bonus track, which is their reworking of the late Ronnie Lane’s The Poacher.

Back in the days when good old vinyl was the only music format, this single would’ve been regarded as a double ‘A’ side. She Sells hooks you in with its infectious keyboard riffs that drive the song along, reviving the pysche-pop era of the late 1960s with an aura that takes you on a trip (sic) back in time.

A mini homage to Stevie Wonder with snippets of Nothing’s too Good For My Baby and Uptight popping up briefly towards the end of the track certainly put a smile on my face! Taken at a more frantic tempo, albeit again with a hint of psyche-pop is You Should Know Me Better, swirling keyboards, jangly guitars complete with three part harmonies. A trio of summery sounding numbers, of which She Sells just shades it as my pick.

For mail order and download details please visit www.myspace.com/theupper5th

Sarge

Listen to: She Shells (live)

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