Nite Songs

  We're into the top half of this list now so let's get going and breach upon the Top 30... *** 30.     KID KAPICHI - "There Goes The Neighbourhood" Kid Kapichi are simply one of the best punk bands in the UK today and while some of their contemporaries have put out sadly underwhelming albums this year (Idles and Pet Needs to name but two), these Hastings natives are continuing to go from strength with There Goes The Neighbourhood  introducing a new more melodic feel to their material without losing the fury varying from the anger of Can EU Hear Me  to the more reflective Tamagotchi  and the wistful stripped-down closer Jimi . Difficult second album? Nah, this is anything but. *** 29.     MARC VALENTINE - "Basement Sparks" Following up 2022's excellent Future Obscure  was always going to be a difficult task but in Basement Sparks , former Last Great Dreamers frontman Marc Valentine has delivered a worthy sophomore effort. Packed full of the r...

  So we're almost there now and getting into the stuff we really  liked from the last 12 months. Top 10 tomorrow but first let's see what made the Top 20... *** 20. JANUS STARK - "Face Your Biggest Fear" Safe to say that Britrock mainstays Janus Stark well and truly exceeded our expectations with this album. Built on a band with a rock solid tightness, it has a good mix of full throttle punk assaults ( Clusterfuck ) and more melodic moments ( One More Ghost ) and sees Giz Butt and co well and truly casting off their tag of being one of the genre's second division bands to well and truly announce their arrival at the big boys' table. *** 19. STENFORS - "The Family Album" The brainchild of former Hanoi Rocks guitarist Nasty Suicide, Stenfors' debut was a supremely self-assured album which mixes in a ton of well-established influences (rock 'n' roll, blues, country, even the odd bit of jazz-pop) but does so in a way that you don't expect...

  It's good to see Frank Turner back in our midst again - in recent years, the guy has often been there with a welcome arm around the shoulder in hard times on recent albums such as the mournful Be More Kind  and the eye-opening No Man's Land . But with FTHC , he's definitely come up with something of a curveball as he returns to his punk roots. It's there right from the instant that the ferocious two minute opener Non Serviam  knocks you right across the room with its sheer anger. There's little sign of the acoustic-led reflection we've come to expect from Frank down the years, here he's fully plugged in and going for the jugular. Second track The Gathering  is an almost exorcistic outpouring of the frustrations of the lockdown and the anticipation of finally being able to get out there and start playing again. Lead-off single Haven't Been Doing So Well  sees a bit more melody returning with an ode to the hardships a lot of us have been feeling in recen...

  Well it seems oddly apt that we're visiting the Singles Bar the day before Valentine's Day for February, doesn't it? Pull up a stool, order a drink and who knows, you might just get lucky tonight. Let's take a peek and see what joys lie within this month... Definitely the most anticipated release of this month is a new single from Rich Ragany & The Digressions   ahead of their second album due in the spring and I'm pleased to report that Marionette  (🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑) is another good offering from Rags and co with a driving verse merging into a big soaring chorus. In a just world, of course, it would be a chorus that would be being bellowed from stadium rafters by hordes of adoring fans rather than this group being a well-respected cult outfit but who knows, on this evidence, they may yet change that. Either way though, this is a fine effort and well worth your attention. Bandcamp link here . It's a generally acknowledged fact that Frank Turner  is one of rock ...

  It's always nice to see some new music from Frank Turner crop up in your review pile especially in trying times such as these. Buddies II is a follow up to the original Buddies  which was a collaboration between Turner and Americana singer-songwriter Jon Snodgrass way back in 2010. It's a short and sweet ten track album which is the sound of two friends knocking about and having fun in the studio as evidenced by Retractions , a musical apology for any factual inaccuracies on the first album and the humorous between song chat between the two of them (although I do get the impression this could start to grate upon repeated listening!). It's an enjoyably varied beast as well from the chilled West Coast shuffle of S-Bar  (just try to put images of Jimmy Buffett out of your head while you're listening to it) through the downbeat folk lament of The Fleas  to the short sharp pop-punk blast of Stephen Plays The Drums . Bad Times Good Vibes  takes this whole principle ...