German hardcore legends, Ryker's, drop their latest album, Never Meant To Last, on 16th October. From it, they have released a video for the song High Five In Your Face With A Chair, which has to be one of the hardest song titles EVER!!
The track is angry tough guy hardcore with a bounce in the chorus that those familiar with the band and the style will expect. This is a perfect song for anyone who has ever been angry enough to want to bring physical harm onto someone in such a way. (I do not condone such actions, but the feeling is all too familiar.) You can buy the album on iTunes or through Beatdown Hardwear (bandcamp link).
For those who don't know, especially if you're not American, Mark McGrath is the leading face of alternative pop rockers, Sugar Ray, famous for such hits as Fly, When It's Over and, my first introduction to the band back in '99, the radio smash Every Morning. I remember the latter hit but didn't actually like it at the time. A little later on in life, I discovered that the band had heavier beginnings with the likes of Lemonade and Brownies, which is still one of my favourite albums. As well as still touring with Sugar Ray, McGrath has essentially established himself as a very pretty man over the years. His looks (and, yeh ok, his personality, too) helped him get into TV presenting, including Killer Karaoke, and acting, including Shaknado 2. I'm unsure if the latter is much to be praised for. This year, McGrath has dropped his FIRST EVER solo offering in the form of the Summertime's Coming EP. For anyone familiar with Sugar Ray, this is actually not too much of a stretch from their sound. In a similar way to Gwen Stefani's solo work, McGrath has gone down the route of his band's more poppy and sunny anthems to produce a five song summer soundtrack.
There's been many an act who have released summer anthems and it has either made them or broke them. Canadians LEN, another favourite of mine, made a name for themselves out of nowhere with the poptastic smash hit Steal My Sunshine, despite being initially an alt rock and shoegaze influenced band. On the other hand, saxophone wielding hardcore punk outfit Dog Eat Dog (looove theeeem) had the song Summertime on their Walk With Me album. Via it's music video on Youtube, the band got ridiculed for having "sold out" and having generally made a "shit song". (I like it.) Seeing as Sugar Ray, like LEN and also bands like Smashmouth, made their muller out of songs to cruise beside the beach to, these songs on here should be no real surprise to dedicated fans and I for one am not all that disappointed on the whole. Opening song, title track and leading single (I think?), Summertime's Coming, gets you in a barbecue mood right from the start. We've got happy acoustic guitar strumming, a laid back hip hop beat, hand clapping, lahs, ohs and a catchy as hell chorus. Out of all the sunny pop songs that Sugar Ray has ever done, and maybe that anyone ever did, this has to be the most formulaic song to date. This doesn't mean that it's bad. It might be cliche and, to some, even cheesy, but, damn, it's uplifting. That "Summertime's coming, lala lala" chorus is totally infectious. Upon research, this song has actually been in Sugar Ray's live repertoire since 2013 when they were working on new songs. This begs the question: Why has this come out as a McGrath solo track and not on a brand new Sugar Ray album? Also, why is there no new Sugar Ray album? Are there band issues right now? Last track, It's Always Sunny, has the same vibe as the first song. It starts off as if it is going to be old fashioned and doo wop-like, but then it becomes happy and upbeat with a chorus you might end up singing for days afterwards. What The World Needs and Again and Again have more of a reggae/ska flavour that, for some reason, just don't get me all that pumped. They're both beautiful with a sweet sentiment. What The World Needs sort of reminds me of NOFX's pure reggae/ska version of Rancid's Radio; it has that same sort of pace and the same joyous sing-along, but really just seems cheesy in comparison. It's heavily Marley influenced, even incorporating the "woy yoy yoy" melody of Buffalo Soldier (or it could be the Banana Splits theme tune) near the end of the song. Again and Again has more of a 311 (great band) feel about it but the kind of 311 that I tend to not like so much. Just a little too slow and, frankly, a tad boring. It's nice and chill and would be great to lie in the sun to but could easily put you to sleep. The guitar parts add a little Santana feel but the song generally lacks power most of the time. Ease My Mind is somewhere between the two styles; the bouncy alt pop with a hip hop beat and the slow pop reggae. It's slow and chilled with a bit of a Latin vibe. The hip hop rhythm and the vocal melodies work well together to make it another sunshiny hit. I am almost certain that there is also a deliberate nod to Green Day as McGrath sings line like "It all comes back to you.." in the style of "It all keeps adding up..." from Basket Case. Could be coincidental, but it's a BIG coincidence. If you've ever liked Sugar Ray, or similar acts like Smashmouth, LEN or Fastball, and, of course, if you simply like Mark McGrath, this is worth checking out and is definitely great for a sunny day. Personally, I would have liked to have seen more effort put into a new Sugar Ray album as opposed to this EP. At least three of the five songs here would have worked just as well on an album amongst more rocky numbers; a mix that always pleases me when done right. I hope there technically still is a band right now... 3/5
I just happened to click on this video while roaming around Youtube. Previously unfamiliar with the Scottish-Swiss power metal band, it turns out that, in a similar fashion to bands like GWAR, Gloryhammer actually play in character and dress in armour on stage and not just in their videos, like in most recent video for Rise Of The Chaos Wizard. Gloryhammer play power metal a la Dragonforce but with a little bit more of an electronica touch to it in parts. Both the video and the song are enjoyable. Many might find it cheesy but with the added ancient Latin backing vocals, this is pretty creative and just good clean fun!
This was originally meant to be a post of his latests video, but I've decided to simply make the a general post of how great I think singer/songwriter Ryan Hamilton is.
Formally of indie band Smile Smile and later teamed up with Jaret Reddick of successful pop punk band Bowling For Soup to form People On Vacation, Hamilton released his solo album last month. I had the honour of reviewing it for TOXIC Online, and one of my tag lines has even made its way on to a poster for the album (pictured above). It is simply a very cleverly written album with relatable songs, all wrapped up in a mixed alt. pop/classic coating. You can read more about it in my review here. From that album, Hamilton has released two singles and videos, both you can see below. Both Karaoke With No Crowd and 4 Letter Verb are bouncy rock numbers with a classic sing-along feel. It's hard not to be taken in by the "ooh la la"s on Karaoke.. or tap your feet to 4 Letter Verb's main riff. Whereas pop punk bands of today express their feelings in an angsty and pretty whiny way, Hamilton manages to wear his heart on his sleeves with pride and deliver uplifting music all at the same time.
He has just finished a house party tour in the UK and is planning on going back again in March of next year. Although I don't think he yet performs with a full band like on the record, the songs are strong enough to get a great atmosphere going without the big production. If you missed him this time around, check him out on these dates:
As a side note, I just want to check something. Am I the only person who sees a resemblance between Hamilton and British Radio DJ and latest judge of X Factor UK, Nick Grimshaw?
Tonight sees me at Tel Aviv's Barby Club, one of the main venues for big acts just below stadium status, to see an acoustic set by Jimmy Eat World's Jim Adkins. Although only properly getting into Jimmy Eat World's back catalogue recently, I decided that this would be too much of an opportunity to miss out on.
Yotam Ben Horin
Due to not expecting the show to start on time and having to come to the Barby straight after work, I end up missing a good percentage of Useless Id's Yotam's acoustic set. I walk in to the sounds of Yotam's calming soothing vocals and gentle strumming to find the rock venue transformed into a vegas night club, with people seated around circular tables under the Barby's huge chandelier. I have a feeling that the set itself was not too different to that of a few days ago at the Not On Tour show (see review). However, there is less of the local punk scene here tonight, besides Useless ID bandmates and some who may have liked the band "back in the day". There's not as much singing along to hits such as Blood Pressure and Symptoms but there is still a good response and enthusiastic cheers as Yotam screams "Take, take, TAAAKE" during Blood Pressure. There's basically no-one else more perfect to support the solo outing of a popular band's front man than that of a local popular band's front man. I am pretty sure they are both equally honoured. 4/5
Jim Adkins
I'm not going to lie. Despite knowing the big hits from the Bleed American era, I pretty much overlooked Jimmy Eat World all these years. I didn't even realise that they were active a lot longer before that album. I tried to brush up on their material for tonight's show, but theirs so much it was impossible. Instead, I come into this show with an open mind as if I am watching a new act. As Jim Adkins graces the stage, he is greeted by a warm welcome from the surprisingly small turnout. Jim is a very presentable man and comes out onto the stage looking and behaving very refined. His set starts with what seems to be a new track no-one really knows, Love Don't Wait. The beautiful ballad helps to set the scene that this tonight is going to be something special. Despite being a new song for many, his strong vocals encourage cheering from the crowd as he reaches high notes. After some polite words, Jim continues his set with a good deal of oldies from 1999's Clarity, as well as a few songs from 2004's Futures, 2007's Chase This Light and their last album, 2013's Damage. There seems to be some old school Jimmy fans dotted around the room, cheering when they recognise intros and singing along to a good number of the songs, but the crowd in general just seem to be pleasantly and quietly enjoying the sultry tones of all the songs played tonight. Due to having done a bit of homework and listened mainly to Clarity prior to the show, I recognised the infectious On A Sunday and the sub-pop-like Lucky Denver Mint, which has people joining in on the "You're not bigger than this.." chorus as Jim joyfully strums away. Other songs that catch my attention include the song that is played in between the aforementioned oldies, Please Say No, Damage and You Were Good, all of which happen to be from the Damage album. Where both Please Say No and Damage are quite emotionally intense, You Were Good is bittersweet, being a tale of lost love sung over a bouncy melody. These three acoustic versions alone proved to me that I definitely need to give that record a listen. Sounds like it must be a great break-up album.
Among the Jimmy Eat World classic, Jim also plays brand new songs and covers, some of which he previously released through his "weekly single series" online. Hell and Get Right have more of that rocking Jimmy Eat World vibe whereas I Will Go is more reminiscent of 60s pop rock like Sunny Afternoon (The Kinks). The crowd get excited when hearing covers like Cyndi Lauper's Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (originally by Robert Hazard) and Only Girl (In The World) by Rihanna. I'm personally all for men covering songs by women and vice versa and it seems to also satisfy many others here tonight. He also plays some really old covers that go over my head, such as The Book Of Love (The Magnetic Fields), Make The World Go Away (Hank Cochran) and Give Me A Sweetheart (The Everly Brothers), but he still plays them with precision and gusto. He also plays Beautiful Is, which is a Jimmy Eat World b-side from the Chase This Light era. It sounds just as sweet and beautiful acoustically as it does on the original recording. The sing-alongs start up again as Jim plays Big Casino from Chase This Light, with the crowd joining in on the "Get up!" back up vocals, The Authority Song from Bleed American and Work from Futures. Personally, I wasn't expecting him to play anything from Bleed American, judging by what I had read on setlist.fm (more homework that I did.) Not only did he play The Authority Song but he then treated us all to what has to be the most famous Jimmy Eat World song there is; The Middle. As you'd imagine, this had people, especially the young women, up on their feet clapping and singing along. Let's face it, it's impossible not to enjoy this song. It would have been nice to have heard Your House or The Sweetness from the same albums, as those two are perfect for acoustic renditions. The fact he even played The Middle at all is a nice enough surprise. Although originally not knowing what to think of seeing an acoustic set of songs I am not all too familiar with, Jim Adkins deserved a much bigger audience tonight as it was definitely worth going. Hopefully, anyone who came here tonight just to hear The Middle also absorbed his writing brilliance and were then compelled to look through the band's back catalogue. His solo work is also impressive but I'm not too sure if it's anything I'd want to strictly follow. This was definitely a show for Jimmy Eat World super fans but anyone who appreciates when structured songs and a faultless performance, he is worth checking out. 4/5
My God, it's been a while! Not On Tour have, ironically, been on tour quite a lot as of late in honour of latest album, Bad Habits (see review). The rise in popularity has seen them touring Europe, playing headline shows, gaining support slots for big bands and playing some great festival line-ups. Tonight sees the female led pop punkers back on home soil. Along for the ride, is the legend that is Yotam Ben Horin, who is still stripping things down to basics playing an acoustic set.
Yotam Ben Horin
After his return to the US trying out his acoustic stuff on the road, Useless ID frontman, Yotam Ben Horin, returned to Israel a while back and has basically been playing solo shows non-stop, as well as a few shows with his more hardcore band, SPIT. He starts off tonights proceedings playing in front of the stage as everyone else stands around in a semi circle; standard. Whereas one of the last shows of his that I reviewed mostly consisted of slow ballads, tonight Yotam plays some Useless ID classics, like the uplifting Bring Me Down, the beautiful Symptoms and the rocking sing-along Blood Pressure, as well as new solo tracks and possible new Useless ID tunes, such as the catchy California Sounds and the highly political State Is Burning. Yotam is a captivating performer and it is certainly a great warm up set, with people singing along and smiling, but I'm sure everyone is eagerly awaiting Useless ID's return to the stage. 4/5
Not On Tour
After a brief break in proceedings, local legends, Not On Tour, finally take the stage and the Koro quickly starts to fill up as people hear the all familiar sounds of a band warming up. With enough people in the room, the band tease us with the intro to Hanged, Drawn and Quartered by friends Kids Insane. The intense build-up of said intro then leads into IWanna Be Like You (not a jungle book cover), where front woman Sima sweetly greets us over the extended intro. The song gets everybody singing along from the start. The band, as always, is on top form, with Sima's voice cutting through the air like a knife and Valer (guitar), Nir (bass) and Gutzy (drums) putting their hearts and souls into it. Due to being the first "home show" in quite some time, tonight's set is very long, as I can tell by looking at the setlist by Nir's feet. As the band rock out through their set, we get treated to an array of songs from the band's back catalogue, including a good percentage of new songs from Bad Habits. Opening act, Yotam, joins the band on stage for the first new song of tonight, No Communication. The thrashy, shouty number makes the place erupt as the band plays super fast and the two vocalists alternately spit politically tinged venom. Bad Habits is still a bit new to some people, so only a few have forced themselves to learn the lyrics and join in, but songs such as Sick Of This Mess, Different Kind Of Weather and Waiting In Line get a great response from the crowd. Songs like Write It Down and Gut Feeling might not have everyone chucking their weight around and falling over the place, but those who aren't afraid to have a little bit of a boogie. The material that gets the most response tonight are songs off of the band's N.O.T On Tour EP and All This Time album. The poppy sing-alongs, such as Just Forget It, All This Time, Fine and Did You Get Enough get everyone joining in and going a bit crazy on the dance floor. During Did You Get Enough, a guy standing next to me down the front actually loses his glasses due to the crowd's utter force. Upon seeing the aforementioned crowd member and myself eagerly searching on the floor, the band kindly stop and ask for all of us to help. As people get their phone lights out to search underneath and by the front of the stage, we hear some voices behind us. The glasses had somehow flown backwards about a meter to where some people were standing underneath the AC. Now that's skill! The now internationally covered to buggery, Darling, still gets the same enthusiastic reception as always, with almost the entire crowd pushing forward to have the voices picked up on Sima's mic. My personal favourite, Journey To The Ocean, is one of those songs that can make me break shit! This doesn't always go down too well with the local Tel Aviv crowd who are not too familiar with the "ninja" style of dancing, so tonight I contain myself to the best of my ability while still having to let out my aggression with a few air punches.
Besides Yotam, local legend, former You're Next front man and founder of the You're Next Records distro, Smiley, takes the stage, for what seems like the first time in years, to join the band on one of their heaviest tracks to date, Dirty Envelopes. He may not have sung it in a while, but the intensity in his voice is still their as he shouts "I WON'T PARTICIPATE IN YOUR DECAPITATION!" As well as this cameo, the band's punk take on the Grease classic You're The One That I Want and hearing songs from the self titled album are other personal highlights from tonight's performance. The musical cover has almost everyone around singing along and dancing, whether they intended to or not. Some of the early songs haven't really been played in a while. In addition to show staples such as the amazingly angry OK, What Now? and the brilliantly stupid/stupidly brilliant crowd pleaser, Don't Touch My Stuff, the band also play the punchy Baby You Such A Ho followed by the high octane Split The Earth. As with Journey To The Ocean, these songs make me explode, zooming through people without a care in the world. To those I may have bumped a little too hard, I'm sorry (not sorry.) It may be because everyone else was just a blur to me, but I didn't really see that many other people singing along or moving to these songs. Either they're not into the old stuff so much or just haven't listened to it.
After ending the main part of the set with other sing-along favourite, Oded, the band then starts an encore with the mental Silly Thoughts, the first song and video of theirs I ever heard/saw, which made me grin like a loon and join Sima on "DON'T STOP THINKING! USE YOUR HEAD!" This was followed by the bouncy titular track off the new album, Bad Habits, True Illness, with its infectious "Cover your ears with glue and stick to the plan" ending, and last song of the night, 90% Out. They play a little something for everyone tonight and I don't think anyone is disappointed. There are no major stuff-ups, not notes out of place and everything basically sounds as it does on record. The new songs will take a little getting used to but there's some crowd pleasers in there. I would personally love to hear more of the debut, some time, but considering this was the band's first show here since the official release of Bad Habits, it's good that they managed to squeeze some oldies in. Although not totally into the latest record, Not On Tour will never get boring live and are a must-see if they ever end up in a town near you. All photos courtesy of Beeran Production's video footage. 5/5
Some of you may have read recently about the filming of Slayer's Repentless video. The movie style filming took place at Sybil Brand Institute, a former county jail for female inmates. Not only did Tom Araya (vocals/bass), Kerry King (guitar), Gary Holt (guitar) and Paul Bostaph (drums) play to a boisterous crowd of "inmates" in the prison yard, but the site was also the scene to some pretty gruesome activity, played out by the likes of Machete himself, Danny Trejo, and legendary Halloween villain Tony Moran.
As people would expect from a Slayer video, there's a lot of blood involved. Directed by BJ McDonnell, the whole filming process apparently had a very film set like vibe about the whole thing, and the results prove it was worth it. Although Metallica played in a prison to real inmates for St Anger, not only is Repentless a much better song, but having the whole prison riot/murder spree concept is so much more interesting than a simple performance video. It's good to see that the band back on form!
I remember when Skindred's Babylon came out; I had never heard that mix of reggae, metal and punk rock done in such a way. Then again, I was too young and missed out on Dub War and wasn't yet that familiar with Bad Brains. Nevertheless, I still consider that debut and second release, Roots Rock Riot, great records. However, the records since then have been questionable and just lacked that punch in the balls that they had before. The band will release their sixth studio album, Volumes, through Napalm Records on 30th October. From it, comes Under Attack. Both the song itself and the video brings back memories of the Babylon era. The riff, although nothing special, is heavy and the whole vibe in general is energetic and tough. Benji's vocals have always been interesting and HR-like (Bad Brains), but in recent years, it just hasn't quite been the same. Here, that extra venom is back, especially in his rapping near the end. The auto-tune in the middle parts might be off putting to some but I think Skindred are one of those bands who can get away with it.
The video itself reminds me of the first time I saw the Nobody video; it's a similar concept. The band plays in a dark room to an audience of both moshers and dancehall/hip hop dancers. That to me is what Skindred was and I am glad that ethos of bringing those two worlds together is still intact.
