Ah, Reef! You may be known to many for only Place Your Hands but to me you're one of the first bands I ever properly fell in love with. Because of that, I've eagerly awaited 18 years for this, the band's 5th studio album. The album's title track gets Revelation off to a promising start. That raw live sound the band are known for is still there but musically it feels too much like Free (of which their name is famously an anagram). Even with Gary Stringer's Somerset accent sneaking through as always, it's as if he's trying to sound more "classic rock" than ever before. Similarly, songs like Just Feel Love and Precious Metal conjure up strong Zepplin and Sabbath vibes. They are still catchy and groovy, acting as nice homages to their musical roots, but it's all just missing that Reef "grittiness" that initially grabbed my attention.
As well as classic rock, Reef also revisit their more bluesy side. When listening to country ballad My Sweet Love (featuring Sheryl Crow), the soulful Provide and their cover of gospel song How I Got Over one after the other, it makes you think if Revelation is in fact a born-again Christian album. The songs' uplifting nature fit with organs, choirs, enticing rhythms and beautiful melodies are thoroughly exciting. In particular, Provide is quite possibly one of the best songs on the record, whether being with intentional religious undertones or not. It's sort of like a follow up to Sweety from third album Rides...and I'm totally down with that! Like A Ship (Without A Sail) is similarly a gloriously joyful and epic ending to the record. Revelation, as interesting a collection of songs as it is, is not quite the album fans like myself have been waiting for. It's more what you'd expect a new Black Crowes' album to sound like (which is not necessarily a bad thing). It might just be one of those records that needs a few more listens to really appreciate it. One positive note is that Reef have at least stuck to some form of rough blueprint throughout their discography. The songs on here even feel like they continue on from the previously unreleased songs on the 2003 Together compilation. There's no pointless experimentation into hip hop or edm to "get down with the kids". The classic rock, the gospel, the blues...it's all been there in some form of another, only now they've been brought further forward. Reef are simply a band who have matured and want to write songs they themselves would want to listen to. You got to admire that! 3.5/5
Continuing with trying to venture outside of Tel Aviv for shows, I got a lift down to Maaxan 7 in Beer Sheva (South Israel) to celebrate the release of their 2nd EP by post-punk rock trio, Jeronimo. Two classic rock trios, MAGA and Lion's Den, and experimental rock duo, Elephant Hive, have also come along for the fun on the evening that also happens to be Lailah Lavan (White Night - not a racist thing) in Beer Sheva.
MAGA
Starting off the proceedings as soon as they arrive, Tel Aviv's MAGA play through their set of classic style blues-rock. Taking in elements of late 60s/early 70s bands like Creedence Clearwater Revival, Cream and even Black Sabbath, the trio play catchy numbers with all the energy of their predecessors. With some songs being more uptempo and simply structured (e.g. Did You?) and others introducing more groove and experimental tangents (e.g. Again), they have a varied enough repertoire to be considered entertaining. It's incredibly difficult in this day and age to play this style of music and come off as original, so there are no real surprises here. However, they are convincing enough, both in look and in sound, to make one believe that you are somehow watching an actual 70s band.
3.5/5
Elephant Hive
This is either my second or third time seeing Elephant Hive. I can't remember, although I've definitely already reviewed them. Having set themselves up with their own drum kit in a position more central of the venue, the Tel Aviv duo still play short blasts of experimental, jazz-tinged rock but with some different songs to their previous set(s). They seem to have added pieces with more structure. The drumming and guitar riffs sit perfectly well together and everything sounds more controlled and song-like. One song in particular is reminiscent of Primus' Shake Hands With Beef. It has a similar low-tuned, funky groove and even the same quirkiness. They certainly have impressed me more this time than before but I still think they currently cater to a pretty niche demographic. 3/5
Jeronimo
Although it's meant to be their night, Jeronimo hit the stage as the penultimate act. As the band plays a few tracks from their first EP (the ORANGE one), all 3 tracks from their latest EP (the PURPLE one) and some as yet unreleased tracks, it's obvious to hear how their sound has matured.
They are a band that states to have a Fugazi influence but it's the side of Fugazi that I, personally, don't quite connect with. I like the Fugazi with funky bass lines and angry punky vocals, whereas Jeronimo take more from the intense, progressive side of Fugazi's post-punk sound. It is still enjoyable and really showcases their musicianship. Bassist Auriya provides us is with some groovy yet subtle licks on tracks like Lions Suspended in Air and their self titled track. It is drummer Itamar who especially shines through; his overall steady timekeeping and ridiculously tight drum fills are impressive and a joy to watch. Guitarist and co-vocalist Yonatan also gives a great performance, even going amongst the crowd during solos.
The band do have a few good riffs and some fun moments but, sadly, I think it just goes over my head a little. They are doing very well for themselves and working incredibly hard and that deserves great respect. 3.5/5
Lion's Den
Finishing off the night is hairy Tel Aviv trio, Lion's Den; one of those few bands whose look reflects their name. The band tends to be closely linked to the previous mentioned MAGA but their styles are actually quite different. Although there is a hint of similar classic rock and blues influences, the likes of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden come to mind as I watch and listen to them. There's a mixture of laid back and funky grooves met with some low, grunge-like outbursts. Along with the bare chests and long curly hair, I can't help but think that these guys would've been great on the Seattle scene.
The chemistry between guitarist/lead singer Yoni and bassist Yoav is strong however drummer, Itay, is not always quite on the same wavelength. He still does a great job, playing with full energy. I'm definitely glad I've finally seen Lion's Den, as their mix of Seattle grunge and classic blues rock has pleasantly surprised me. 3.5/5
Rival Sons from Long Beach, California, are one of those few modern bands who are doing classic absolutely right. They manage to do pure, sexy rock with a hint of stoner without sounding cliché. After the big success of their last album, The Great Western Valkyrie, Rival Sons are set to release their 5th album, Hollow Bones, through Earache Records on 10th June. From it, Earache preview the track Hollow Bones Pt.1 on YouTube and the track is available for download on iTunes. Hollow Bones Pt.1 is more of what one comes to expect from the heavier, dirtier side of Rival Sons. With its groovy rhythm, low, heavy riff and haunting vocals, no fan should be disappointed by this nod to Led Zepplin style rock. The drum break near the end is something that would have been repeatedly sampled by hip hop acts and DJs all over if it had come out decades ago. Can't wait to check out the whole album.
True - this blog is called Punkalovich. True - I mostly write about punk and hardcore. However, every now and then I will just write about something I want to write about. Maybe a band close to my heart for whatever reason. Brit rockers Reef are precisely one of those bands. Like many people of my generation, and actually a little bit older, I was blown away by Reef's Place Your Hands; a hard rock song with a gospel flavour. That Glow album was just my favourite record for ages. Their debut Replenish and the soulful Rides also got excessive play on my cd player back in the day and I also got to appreciate Getaway in its entirety quite a bit later in life. They've just always had something about them that I found refreshing yet also familiar at the same time. They're basically RHCP meets Black Crowes and I've always dug it. Although still touring every so often and having side projects (front man Gary Stringer and bassist Jack Bessant's acoustic duo, StringerBessant, and their sister band, Them Is Me), Reef finally return with some new music, first single being a cover of Aretha Franklin's version of the Clara Ward penned gospel song, How I Got Over. I'll admit, I was not initially aware that this was a cover if it wasn't for reading a YouTube comment, so I had to look it up. This version is a tad less "gospel" in lyrical content as the original, omitting "Jesus" and "God" to make the song a little more relatable to all, but the musical structure is practically exactly the same. The real difference is Stringer's unique voice. It would have been nice for it to have been a lot more different but sometimes there are songs that don't need to be touched and just played as they are, which Reef do perfectly. It's the same with their I Just Walked In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) cover, although their cover of The Jam's That's Entertainment had more of a Reef bounce and their energy to it which makes it more interesting. When looking at the YouTube comments, there are a few people saying that it's a "different direction" for Reef. I think these people may not have actually listened to them before. Even their biggest hits had a gospel feel. Judging by some of the other songs they have previewed in live shows (that I've seen online, as I haven't seen them live since 2010), they've got other material which sticks to a more stoner rock-like sound as heard on Replenish and parts of Glow. Being a hard rock band, they're always going to have that blues/soul influence in them. It is certainly interesting to hear how soulful a few white West Country blokes can be. All in all, I am still stoked they are back and I will certainly be checking out the new album. The single will be released on 11th March, as will the Live at St. Ives album which features new songs Just Feel Love and Ball & Chain amongst a mostly Glow filled set.
Who are Kula Shaker, you ask? Well, I'm guessing you weren't an indie/rock kid during the 90s, then.
Kula Shaker are a band from London, UK, fronted by Crispian Mills, son of award winning actress Hayley Mills and director Roy Boulting, who had great success in the late 90s with their throwback Indian inspired psychedelic rock. I was quite into them as a pre-teen, having liked their classics such as the more Indian influenced Tattva and Govinda and the more classic rock songs Grateful When You're Dead, Hey Dude and their cover of Deep Purple's Hush (although admittedly unaware for a while that it was a cover). The band split in 1999 but came back in the mid '00s. I'm actually pretty sure I won tickets to and went to see them at the ICA in London but it's all a bit hazy. 2016 sees the release of their long awaited 5th album, entitled K 2.0, in honour of their massive debut, K. The band have treated fans to a new track, Infinite Sun. Whereas the Indian influence was a little lost in later records, it seems to be back, as Infinite Sun uses sitars and chanting as well as pure rock to create a catchy song which harks back to the band's old sound. From this song alone, the new album sounds promising. Kula Shaker might still be playing a style which can be considered dated by some, but good music is good music!
My brain works in such a weird way, sometimes. A few days ago, I was listening to the new album by The Prodigy and was wondering what the Ibiza video would look like and hey presto...I find out there is one. A couple of days ago, I was listening to Rival Sons' Great Western Valkyrie album and decided to check yesterday if there was any new music videos from that album. Lo and behold, they released just yesterday a video for album opener Electric Man. The weird thing is it was released as a single last year. I'm not sure if they are re-releasing it or not but hopefully more people are going to see the video, giving the single and the album more exposure. It's basically a performance video with the band playing in front of scientists, for some reason. There is also something to do with martial arts; not entirely sure of the connection there but it's aesthetically pleasing. The song itself has a great groove, sexy verses and a catchy chorus. For those who are not familiar with Rival Sons, it's rock straight from the school of Led Zepplin et al. They know how to write both hard rocking anthems and sexy slow jams. Check out Electric Man below and buy the album Great Western Valkyrie now.
