The Nite Songs Singles Bar - December 2022

 

Well then, here we go - last Singles Bar of the year. It initially looked as if disappointingly we weren't gonna have any festive singles this year but I'm happy to confirm that a few of them have snuck in here and we've even got a couple of mini-albums for your delectation. Eggnog anyone?

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Anyway, let's get the non-festive stuff out of the way first eh? And it doesn't come much better than Primal Scream and Dexy's coming together with Enough Is Enough (🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕), a musical ode to the new protest movement and it's a proper old school Billy Bragg folk anthem for the struggle which should inspire every single one of us to go out and man those barricades (aye, if only it worked like that?). But still, pretty much a must-get for anyone with a conscience. You know what to do - let's try and get this one to the Christmas number one spot aye? Bandcamp Link

I can't remember the last time I had a Neil Leyton single turn up in my review pile but suffice to say it's been too long. Anyway, (I Got A Call From) Michael Maker (🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗) is an excellent comeback from the guy, a heartfelt ode to past heroes no longer with us which packs a killer chorus and thoughtful lyrics before gently slipping away into a blissed out piano outro. Touch wood there'll be a new album on its way soon.

Our old mates from Rum Bar Records seem to have almost single-handedly been responsible for the festive portion of this month's Singles Bar but first here's something non-Xmassy from them in the form of Walk Away (🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑), the new single by Eddie Japan (a band not a person just to get that one cleared up from the start) with the duelling male and female vocals conjuring up the odd image of what might happen if Meatloaf and Sparks decided to meet up for a jam. Which is a good thing, I promise you. Bandcamp Link

Laurie Wright has been getting some good press in recent weeks and you certainly can't argue with the sentiment behind his new single Rock 'n' Roll Ain't Dead While We're Living (🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑). It's an odd one for sure - imagine if the Libertines had grown up being into Slade rather than the Only Ones. Hence we get the Pete Doherty style barrow boy vocals but backed up with a stomping riff which could almost be early Oasis. Not a bad effort at all.

The arrival of a new Poison Boys single is never going to be something you'll hear us complaining about and Rubber Band (🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑) is certainly another good effort from these Chicago reprobates. A bit more melodic than their usual throttle to the bottle approach, this actually reminds me a bit of something ol' Stiv might have done on his power-pop Disconnected album and that's not a bad place to be at all. Bandcamp Link

The Empty Page literally missed the cut off point for the November Singles Bar by a couple of days but I'm happy to report that Dry Ice (🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑) is a strong comeback from them, almost like a 21st century goth club anthem which describes a warts 'n' all night out at one of the old Manchester rock clubs like Jilly's. Another good song from a very underrated band. Bandcamp Link

Anyway, on to the festive part of the Singles Bar this month as Rum Bar records, clearly annoyed that no-one else on our list has bothered this year, have put no less than three festive singles out this month! First up is Cindy Lawson whose excellent New Tricks album we reviewed earlier this year, with Hey Santa (not a cover of the old the UK Subs/Kevin Bloody Wilson standard sadly!) (🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑), a sugar sweet slice of power-pop wishing for a better more caring world for Christmas. Can't argue with that sentiment really. The B-side is a well handled cover of the old '60s number Mr Scrooge and is worth a listen too. Bandcamp Link

Ms Lawson also features on the B-side of the festive effort from Beebe Gallini. However, the A-side You Ain't Gettin' Nothin'! (🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑) is a fun slice of Nuggets style garage rock which kicks out the festive jams to good effect while the B-side cover of That's What Christmas Means To Me is a proper toe-tapper as well. Bandcamp Link

And the final part of our Rum Bar festive trilogy comes care of the excellently named Boston-based pub rockers Stop Calling Me Frank with Say It Ain't So, Santa (🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑) which imagines a world where Santa has given up on his Christmas rounds to sit down in front of the telly with a beer instead. It's got a cocksure strut to it which is good enough but the B-side, C'mon All Ye Boys, a rollicking slice of Thin Lizzy style rock is the stronger cut to these ears. Bandcamp Link

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...and just before we wrap up the Singles Bar until 2023, not one, not two but THREE EP's to take a look at. Blimey, you can tell it's Christmas, I don't think we've had that many in the last six months...

EP/MINI ALBUM REVIEWS

THE DEAD BEATS - "Monsters Prefer Blondes EP"

We first ran into Mancunian monstermen the Dead Beats via their rather good Die Screaming Marianne! album last year and this new EP from them is another fun slice of horror-punk like the Misfits and the Stray Cats meeting up for a dust-up behind the local cinema on horror movie night. The opening title track kicks in at a full on Ramones style pace before going all doo-wop on our arses towards the end when we're least expecting it.

The standards remain refreshingly high throughout with particular highlights being the creepy crawly guitars on Wanted Undead Or Alive (which I bet Wednesday 13's kicking himself for not thinking of as a song title!), the sinister almost trip-hoppy Your Last Breath and the closing riff-fest of Suburban Chainsaw Action.

The Dead Beats ain't big or clever but they're certainly a whole load of good unclean fun and for those with a sicko streak and a love of good psychotic rock 'n' roll, Monsters Prefer Blondes comes highly recommended.

Bandcamp Link

NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑 (8/10)

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HARD WAX - "Don't Stop The Beat"

Bootboy glam revivalists Hard Wax have appeared in this blog before way back in its very early days with their This Is The Sound album. Don't Stop The Beat is an eight track mini-album and from the sound of the breakneck opening semi-instrumental title track, there's been a bit of progress since then as this seems to have a bit of a fuller sound than the album did.

To be honest, I don't quite see the glam rock side of Hard Wax, if anything this album sounds more like an Oi! band who've taken a more melodic approach as evidenced on the stomping likes of This Town and the frenetic Sinkhole and No Mess No Fuss which sound like the Babysitters and the Cockney Rejects going for a few pints together in some grimy Soho back alley boozer while the soaring closer Shadows Of The Night is probably the strongest track here.

It doesn't quite hit the target every time but Hard Wax are definitely moving forward at a decent pace and they've certainly staked out an area of the music scene to call their own. It'll be interesting to see where they go next on this evidence.

NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑🌑 (7/10)

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VICE SQUAD - "The Winter Of Discontent EP"

Well, we might as well finish 2022 with something festive and luckily here are Beki Bondage and co to oblige us. Although the opening track You Don't Fool Me definitely isn't a festive one but it's still well worth a listen, a vitriolic slice of defiance from Beki which shows that forty years on from Vice Squad first breaking on the scene, they've still got plenty of the fire of old the way that a fair few of their one time compadres probably wish they still had. Christmas Has Been Cancelled is an angry look at spending the festive season on the breadline and is probably the most depressingly accurate festive tune you'll hear in 2022.

A Dog Is For Life (Not Just For Christmas) sees the group ramping up the tempo to almost Out Of Reach levels for probably the most identifiable Vice Squad sounding song on here leaving the humorous Band and the doomy piano-led End Of Story to round this off. An enjoyable EP from one of punk's unsung mainstays which shows off a lot more versatility than they're often given credit for and definitely deserves your attention.

Bandcamp Link

NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑 (8/10)

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And there we go, another year of Singles Bars is finished and we can all sit back and have a nice quiet after hours drink. Have a lovely Christmas and New Year everyone and we'll see you in 2023! Don't overdose on Noddy Holder.