Album Review: New Rocket Union - "Twin Cities Breakdown"

 

Hailing, as the album title suggests, from Minneapolis, New Rocket Union are back-to-basics garage rock duo. But just let me reassure you that if that description is bringing back bad memories of the White Stripes' tediousness, this is a much more fired up and feral take on the genre, crashing through 11 tracks in just under 24 minutes and hardly pausing for breath on its way.

Similar to Winnebago Deal if they'd been raised on the Ramones rather than Black Flag, New Rocket Union crash through the likes of Waitin' For You and Upside Down in a gleefully clumsy race-to-the-finish cavalcade of guitars and drums. There's the odd twist thrown into the formula like the way Outta Sight adds a touch of Elvis style rockabilly into the equation, the Dead Boys style fury of Dirty Little Lies or Outta Mind which brings the Streetwalkin' Cheetahs' no-nonsense chug to mind but mostly this is unapologetically simple four-to-the-floor garage punk.

And that's the rub - there's something undeniably enjoyable about the simple no-frills simplicity here. The songs are hammered into your brain with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer but they contain riffs and hooks that'll have your head nodding along and your mouth breaking into a smile. And despite how simple it may appear at first, that's a much harder trick to pull off than you'd maybe think. All in all, this is good fun no-brainer "get in, say what you gotta say and get the hell out again" rock 'n' roll and comes highly recommended.

Bandcamp Link

NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑 (8/10)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Garbage Days Revisited #67: Jason & The Scorchers - "Still Standing" (1986)

Image
  "And though you are so far away, ten thousand miles of sorrow/This prison cannot, will not kill our blessed free tomorrow"  - Jason & The Scorchers  - Good Things Come To Those Who Wait Like a lot of Britrockers my age, it's probably Ginger Wildheart 's fault that I became a Jason & The Scorchers fan. They're a band who the G-man has never made any secret of his admiration for and the Wildhearts even covered the Scorchers classic White Lies  as a B-side to Anthem  many years ago. Most people who've heard them will happily tell you that the group's 1983 EP Fervor  and their 1985 debut full length*  Lost & Found  are classics of the cowpunk genre, the perfect missing link between Johnny Cash and the Ramones and you can add me to that list as well. The follow-up, 1986's Still Standing though? Now that one seems to be a bit more divisive. And that's why it's the one we're covering here on Garbage Days Revisited... (* - well, sort
Read more

Album Review: Steve Vincent - "Recovered From My Past"

Image
  Best known as the frontman of Brit sleaze perennials Paradise Alley, this is the first solo album from Steve Vincent. I have to be honest, Steve's day job band are one of those who I've heard of but don't recall hearing anything by but the general signs here appeared to be promising with a guest list including the Wildhearts' Danny McCormack, ex-Dolls and current Mike Monroe guitarist Steve Conte and McCormack's old Main Grains bandmate (along with several others) Ben Marsden. The first thing to be aware of here though is that if you're expecting a Soho sleaze by numbers affair then you might just be in for a bit of a surprise. If anything, Recovered From My Past  sails closer to the shores of power pop or the vintage strain of '80s Brit-glam (the Babysitters, Soho Roses, Torme, Marionette etc) with a healthy dash of early Hanoi Rocks in there as well. Certainly the harmonica honking likes of Yesterday's Man , Last Train To Babylon  and Can't Bring
Read more

Album Review: The Wannabes - "Monster Beach"

Image
The Wannabes are the musical brainchild of Nottingham resident Wayne Zenith and from looking at the guy's  Bandcamp page , I think it's fair to say he's a somewhat prolific feller with over 50 releases under various incarnations on there. Musically, as the title and artwork probably suggest, it's pretty straightforward Ramones style three-chord headbanger territory (including a competent cover of Rockaway Beach ) with a touch of the Cramps' gleefully sicko gorehound tendencies as songs with titles such as I Was There At The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Stuff Cindy In The Incinerator  suggest. There's a few little tricks in there to ensure this doesn't fall into one trick pony territory though with the keyboards over the top actually adding a bit of a '60s Nuggets  style feel to some of the songs especially opener Somehow  which even has an extended piano-led break in the middle - brave move but it works. The more moody mid-paced Drag You Down  (whic
Read more