Last Train to Tokyo - New Michael Monroe video

The second single of the upcoming Michael Monroe Album One Man Gang was just released. Last Train to Tokyo is accompanied with a cool video with footage shot on their recent Japanese tour. 

One Man Gang will be released Oct 18.

Pre Order here.

Monthly Mixtape #2

It’s been about a month since the first Mixtape, that means it’s time for the second one. Man can I count or what?!

01. Michael Monroe - One Man Gang (One Man Gang 2019)

Monroe opened last months mixtape as well. The latest Michael Monroe single is so hot I had to do it again. Plus, this one’s got Captain Sensible on it!

02. The Tough Shits - Hombre de la Cocaina (The Tough Shits 2015)

“I’m Waiting For The Man” for a new generation. This song is cooler than wearing sunglasses indoors. Quiero mucho las Mierdas Duras!

03. The Hip Priests - Nihilist twist (Deja F.U./Nihilist Twist Single 2019)

This track is more badass than slam dancing while pissing into the wind. If it’s the end of the world we might as well make a party out of it. The perfect bang before the whimper.

04. The Ponys - Let’s Kill Ourselves (Laced With Romance 2004)

Staying on the subject of nihilism, no one is as poetic about it than the Ponys were. “I'm full of rage / The song of violence sings inside of my mind / And it will tell me things / About the pain of life and how the sad will die.”

05. The Dahmers - Blood on My Hands (Down in the Basement 2018)

Sweden’s favorite horror themed punks The Dahmers rip through your eardrums with this 60’s flavored garage punk track. The catchy chorus will be stuck in your head for years to come. 

06. Crystal Pistol - XXIII (Crystal Pistol 2006)

My favorite CP track, as mentioned before. Gets you off your ass and hopefully makes you stop complaining. 

07. The Cruel Intentions - Borderline Crazy (No Sign of Relief 2018)

The best voice in Scandinavian sleaze is back. First single released by the band, a fun straight-up rocker. Turn up to 11 for full effect.

08. Last Joint - The Tip (The Tip 2015)

I shamefully admit I only found out about The Tip the day I started writing my two-cents on them. What I’m not ashamed of is that I fell head-over heels for this band after the first song I heard. This was that song. It’s about smoking dope. 

09. Criminal Kids - Little Bitch (Criminal Kids 2018)

Criminal Kids lay down another track with their signature “nasty riffs and an attitude problem”. 

10. The Dead Tricks - Don’t Get High (Without Me) (You Should Have Worried About It 2011)

The Dead Tricks is one of those perfect buried gems. This track, as I mentioned before, is a perfectly written and executed instant punk classic, the struggles and drags of getting high and going through withdrawal often make for great songs

11. The Wildhearts - Let ‘Em Go (Renaissance Men 2019)

This year The Wildhearts gloriously returned with Renaissance Men. This track is my favorite of the album. “Let ‘em go, let 'em go / Let the shit filled rivers flow / While your belly burns in anger no one ever needs to know” ‘Nuff said.

12. Trashcan Darlings - I Just Wanna Die (On a Chemical High) (Real Fucking Make-Up 2008)

11 years ago Norway’s legendary Trashcan Darlings released a compilation of their singles and E.P.’s. The same year the band broke up after singer Strange? Gentle said he wanted to quit due to lack of inspiration. Which is the best reason to quit a band I’ve ever heard. This was their first single.

13. The Kids Don’t Want No Rock N’ Roll - The Sharp Lads (Blackout Offensive 2015)

From the Sharp Lads last album Blackout Offensive. Perfect gut-punching punk n’ roll. In one of my latest articles I brown-nosed the band enough for me not to feel obliged to write more about them here.

14. Born to Raise Hell - Bad Mother (Gone 2017)

Chicago’s Bad Mother released their first E.P. 2 years ago, 4 tracks of pure down n’ dirty rock n’ roll. To me, Born to Raise Hell is the best song on the E.P. Hope these guys are still kicking around somewhere.

15. The Humpers - Plastique Valentine (Plastique Valentine 1997)

Starting with a bassline that will make your heart race followed by piano tinkering so fast it will de-age Jerry Lee Lewis. The Humpers are here to make you (slam) dance.

The Sweet Things

If ever there was a Rolling Stones and New York Dolls love child, it would be The Sweet Things.

This is one of those rare instances that I found a new place at the right time. Right around when they started teasing the recording of their first album. With about 5 songs released on Spotify, I played the shit out of them for months, hungry for more. 

First thing I listened to was the Slather/Dustianne release. From the guitars to the handclaps to the organs by Rob Clores to the awesome guest vocals by Liza Colby, the boogie in the drum & bass and the instantly recognizable vocals of Dave Tierney, I couldn’t believe how complete these songs sounded! This is rock n’ roll at its best.

But what did I know? I hadn’t heard first single Love to Leave yet! Again I was blown away by the sheer brilliance of the Sweet Things. You can actually hear the smoke and whiskey on this song, like the classic 70’s bands before they either started to suck or got old. There’s pure joy dripping of this record. If whiskey and smoke wasn’t enough, there’s cocaine to be found on footstompin’ b-side Cocaine Asslicker Blues. 

Then in May this year debut album In Borrowed Shoes, On Borrowed Time was released. As far as debut albums go, this is one of the best ever in my opinion. There’s not one weak song or moment to be found here. 

When opening track Liquor Lighting starts you know you’re in for a good time, baby. The clinging of bottles and Chuck Berry-esque guitars sits you down and prepares you for the ride of a lifetime. Dead or Worse has a lot of things going on and it’s perfectly arranged. The harmonica, slide guitar and organs make for an instant classic rock n’ roll song that wouldn’t feel misplaced on Exile on Main Street.

Title track In Borrowed Shoes, On Borrowed Time slows things down for a bit. A melancholy blues ballad to listen to while you cry into your Jack Daniel’s at your local watering hole. The beautiful horns here and on other songs are provided by legendary The Uptown Horns (The Rolling Stones & Robert Plant are among the names on their resumé).

The party pick up again with Almost Faded, a dirty rocker 

Dr. Crazy Girl takes you to a whole new world of cool, if you thought only the Dolls could pull this off, you thought wrong. Heavy use of wah pedals over a tight as fuck backbeat and a 60’s doowhop backing choir added for extra flavor, and speaking of the Dolls, the spirit of Johnny Thunders is alive and well on the guitar solo here.

They keep up the booze-fueled rock n’ roll goodness with Drained, Coke’n (featured on my first Mixtape) the epic Through the Cracks of the City and the cocksure snotty Fix to Kick. 

The record closes with the melancholy masterpiece that is Feed My Dog. Not only does Feed My Dog feature guest vocals by Alejandro Escovedo, the arrangements here are spot on, harps, slide guitars and organs are all perfectly placed. This song will make a Hell’s Angel cry.

Long story short, The Sweet Things is one of the best band around these days and everyone should keep a close eye on them as they will soar to unprecedented heights in the coming years and records. 

Buy their records here.

Listen to In Borrowed Shoes, On Borrowed Time on Spotify:

ShouldaWouldaCoulda #4 - The Sharp Lads

Playing their own brand of bone-snappingly loud in-your-face punk n’ roll The Sharp Lads kicked ass and took names from 2009 until 2015. Released 3 records and made friends and enemies everywhere they played. I think this excerpt of their bio describes the band better than I ever could:

“Dave Tierney leads the charge with schizo vocals alternating between desperate screams and genre bending melodies. Rob Fudge shreds alien riffs that make you feel like your first time all over again while Kurt Wahlstrom holds down the bowel shaking bottom end playing a bass carved from a Jamaican treehouse. Driving the beat like a hell spawned hot rod with its brake lines cut, Steve Dios is blasting these songs with a frightening fury all the way to their grisly finish. 

Surrender your sons and daughters. It’s already too late.”

In 2011 the Sharp Lads gave the world the self-released debut album Something to Scream About. The opening track might be one of the heinously funny things ever put on record. The nefariously titled Drugs, Booze and Your Little Sister is as juvenile a punk song as it gets. I love it. You Don’t Have to Join a Traveling Freakshow has guitars that could make Johnny Thunders blush, Machine Separated Man has some great JT style riffs as well. The wonderfully weird Spatula is a song about a spatula. Now I have to admit that these are the only four songs of Something to Scream About I’ve heard (via their youtube chanel).

Second album Death By Misadventure was released in 2014 after a line-up change and touring the States. Kicking off with Tierney yelling “Baby baby baby” as band goes straight into full gear with screaming guitars a full use of all the frets on the bass and what can only be described as a demon playing the drums. The dust kicked up by opening track Inventing the Future has barely settled down when the band floors it even more on title track Death By Misadventure. Guitar licks flying all over the place and Dave Tierney screaming out nihilistic lyrics with the grace of a Tasmanian Devil. St. Mark’s Hotel is another banger with a bit of a Ramones feel to it. They don’t really slow down on the rest of the album, with more awesome riffs, weird lyrics and bpm to be found.

Final album Blackout Offensive was released a year later, featuring more wild punk n’ roll and even 2 songs passing the 6 minute mark! In Motorbike Brain Fuel ’s case it’s because of an awesome near 3 minutes jam culminating in repeating the frantic chorus. No slowing down there. Follow the Buzzards is the Sharp Lads being a bit more experimental, slowly starting off with bluesy guitar solo’s followed by the band banging the hell out of their instruments and Tierney basically ripping his vocal chords to shreds. 

Phist Phight With Fil Anselmo is so heavy it could’ve up a comatose deaf person and the Sharp Lads sound like they would actually win such fist fight. Opening track The Kids Don’t Want No Rock N’ Roll, New Orleans (Seems Like a Nice Place to Die) and Bury Me At Sea are my favorite tracks by the band and are perfect punk n’ roll tracks in my book. The whole album is great and sounds like a band on the verge of perfecting their craft. 

But the band called it quits the same year. 

Fear not though, talking about perfection, there were sweet things (pun definitely intended) on the horizon for anyone who loves rock n’ roll. 

Buy their records here.

Listen on Spotify:

ShouldaWouldaCoulda #3 - The Dead Tricks

From the Universal Church of Bators came The Dead Tricks. These New York punks released an E.P. and two singles before going on an indefinite hiatus in 2014.

From what I can find on the web, singer James Donovan is a bonafide old-school rock n’ roll wild-man onstage, thrashing around until he bleeds and eating snot all while screaming his lungs out. 

2011’s E.P. “You Should Have Worried About It” (great title btw) was produced by Agnostic Front’s Mike Gallo. The Dead Tricks released the record themselves and pretty much nailed it. It’s kinda Undertones meet the Dead Boys but so much more than a 70’s revival band, eardrum blistering guitar solo’s with big hooks and catchy choruses. Tight and loose at the same time, if that makes any sense..

While “Worm Travesty” is delightfully weird and feral, “Don’t Get High (Without Me)” is a perfectly written and executed instant punk classic, the struggles and drags of getting high and going through withdrawal often make for great songs. “Chocha Wave” is The Vaselines on steroids, a cool snotty song that invites you to yell along with the chorus. Funny story, with me being from the Netherlands, I had to look up what chocha means, thanks for that. More walls of guitars, bassrumble, drum pounding, weirdness and outrageousness are to be found in opening tracks “Heat Burns the One-Eyed Monster” and “Go-Go the Bone Mobile”.   

Two years later the band released two more adrenaline rushes of songs. “The Despicable Summer” & “Serf” show the band had gained momentum and started writing even better songs. Donovan especially is on fire here, switching between cool and absolutely berserk like Jeckyll and Hyde with a microphone. The guitars on “The Despicable Summer” have an awesome Cheetah Chrome vibe to them, the whole band is freaking tight. This is should’ve been a breakthrough hit if anything.

This excerpt from their biography sums it up best: 

“This is a gang that obsesses over The Dead Boys, Johnny Thunders, The Dictators, as well as The Stooges, The Damned, MC5, Link Wray, The Cramps, The Gun Club, Hanoi Rocks, Dead Kennedy’s, and The Misfits, but also realizes, hey it’s 2012— best way to show you love your influences is to try to equal them in songwriting quality and musicianship. It’s called inspiration.”

I can’t believe these guys didn’t pop up on my radar sooner. Indefinite hiatus means there’s hope though, right..?

Buy their records here.

Listen on Spotify:

Open up and let The Tip in.

There’s a party going on and everyone’s invited, and once again I’m late to the party, but this time not too late. These guys from Nashville fucking rawk! They look and sound the part, walk the walk and talk the talk.

Formed in the summer of 2014. releasing first album and going on tour the next year, and second album the year after that, The Tip isn’t fucking around. 

Singer Benny Carl sounds like he’s put on this planet to be a rockstar, his raw roaring voice is astounding. In fact this entire band sounds like they were born for this purpose, each and every song is played with so much pizzazz and wild abandon, it’s hard to comprehend this band is from this decade. 

“Rock N’ Roll Man” from their S/T debut record pretty much says it all. From the Hey Ho gang chants and Benny screaming his heart out claiming he’s “Just a Rock n’ Roll man in a Rock n’ Roll band”. Nothing wrong with that. “Outta Control” is pretty self-explanatory, a stompin’ rocker to lose your shit on.  Beautifully juvenile lyrics about sex, drugs, rock n’ roll and fast cars. Nothing wrong with that either. As opening track welcomes us to the night, I can’t help but think about another band that welcomed us to the jungle on their opening track on their debut album. Like GN’R before them, the Tip invites us to come party and never look back, and I don’t think I ever wanna look back on my existence before I found The Tip.

2016’s sophomore album “Sailor’s Grave” is another great rock n’ roll record. Opener “Struttin’” has a great groove to it and just hearing it makes you cooler than you actually are. After taking you to “Rock N’ Roll Heaven” the band assures us, rather unnecessarily that they “Ain’t Fakin’ It”. The band gets down and dirty on blues stomper “Corner Bag Blues”, the riff, piano tinkerin’ and harmonica gel together perfectly resulting in a thick, thick wall of sound that’d blow the roof off of any sleazy honky tonk they play in.

“Whiskey and Coke” starts with an intro reminiscent of Motörhead’s “Rock ’N’ Roll”, I wasn’t checking the track-listing while listening and first thought it was a cover. Seeing the title, maybe it’s a tribute to Lemmy, I don’t have a physical copy yet so maybe it’s in the liner notes or something. If it is, it’s a fitting one, if it isn’t, it’s still a cool song.

Closing the album is title-track “Sailor’s Grave” a lament for all who died at sea. The sing-along chorus sounds like an actual 1700’s pirate song. The beautiful guitar arrangements and haunting outro make this the perfect album closer. 

There’s one thing that bothers me about this record, it’s too short. But then again, maybe they made the right choice by not putting 2 or 3 filler tracks in there.

Can’t wait too hear what they’re gonna put out next.

The Tip is: Benny Carl - Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica. Myles Baker - Guitar. Robby Bote - Bass. Dixie Carl - Drums.

Buy their records here.
Sailor's Grave on Spotify:

I love Criminal Kids

Whoever said punk is dead clearly never heard these guys from Chicago. 

Criminal Kids say they play punk rock “With nasty riffs and an attitude problem”, and I found out that they ain’t lyin’. Last year they released their first E.P. on Spaghetty Town Records (USA) & God's Candy Records (Canada).

The self-titled release is a blast. Imagine Bryan Johnson era AC/DC on speed with a bit of Circle Jerks added for extra flavor, these tracks are tight, fast and need to be played at outrageously high volumes.

They went for quality over quantity on this disc, as it’s just over a quarter of an hour long. It’s fine though because for 16 minutes Criminal Kids take you out of your own boring little life and lets you free-fall through a wall of guitar violence, screaming vocals, pounding drums and a rumble of high speed bass lines. If you think it’s too short you can easily leave it on repeat for a while because I’ve been doing it for the past 2 hours or so and I haven’t got bored of it yet. 

I love the L.A.M.F. inspired spray-paint letters on the cover, I love the high energy rock n’ roll inside, I love the Criminal Kids.

Criminal Kids are: Ryan - Guitar/Vocals, Mike Van Kley - Guitar, Chris - Bass/Vocals, Anthony - Drums

Buy their E.P. here.

Listen on Spotify:

ShouldaWouldaCoulda #2 - Crystal Pistol

Whatever the fuck happened to Crystal Pistol?

Their self-titled album is one of the best debuts I’ve ever come across and I remember thinking they were the best thing since sliced bread when 16 y.o. me first heard it in ’06. My opinion hasn’t changed much 13 years down the line.

Founded in Vancouver in 2000, Crystal Pistol is/was one of those sleaze bands that was actually good. Sure they had the guy-liner and dyed black hair like many glam punk bands in the 2000’s, but this band went beyond the looks and image. CP had a rare sense of honesty in their music.

Mik Ireland’s raw and snotty singing and primal screams are the perfect fit with the fast and blasting guitar riffs and solos being thrown at you like a blitzkrieg of squealing notes while the bass and drums drive you forward like a locomotive. 

From opening track “Watch You Bleed” until the final notes of “No Fun City”, Crystal Pistol takes you on a drug fueled joyride that appropriately ends with Mik Ireland screaming he wants to burn the city down. In between there are the delightfully arrogant proclamations of being a rockstar in, well, “Rockstar”. Of course there’s a song about everybody’s favorite Colombian brand of powdered sugar, if you don’t know what kind I’m talking about they spell it out in the intro of “Line It Up”.

The only point the band slows down is on “Salt of the Earth”. Once again Crystal Pistol differentiated themselves from their peers here. Though the song is something of a ballad, it’s not the clichéd obligatory copy-paste attempt at Poison’s “Every Rose Has It’s Thorn” for extra radio play. They kept their integrity here and recorded something that doesn’t feel forced.

 “XXIII” is my favorite Crystal Pistol track. The perfect anthem for someone like me, growing up in the economic crisis of the last decade, working shit jobs for shit pay, “XXIII” was and still is often necessary kick in the ass for me. “You sit around and you always complain / That life is boring and it’s always the same” always hit home & inspired me to get off my ass and stop waiting around for someone to solve my shit for me.

Songs like “Locomotive”, “Shake”, “All The Freaks” and “Live Fast” are Crystal Pistol at their best. Straight up balls-to-the-walls rockers about sex, drugs and rock n’ roll”

In 2007 the band released a 3 track E.P. called “Serpentine River”, another collection of loud n’ fast glam punk and a taste of more to come. 

Then things get a bit quiet, I’ve been searching around on the web for a while now and can’t figure out whether they broke up or not. They do seem to do some shows every once in a while though. I’m still holding out hope for more releases, I stumbled upon Mik Ireland’s Soundcloud the other day and it features 3 awesome Crystal Pistol demos and I would love to hear them finished along with more new songs on a long awaited follow up to their classic debut album.

When, by some miracle, Crystal Pistol comes through your town make sure you cancel any plans you might have the next day because one thing’s for sure, the party ain’t over until they say so.

Crystal Pistol is: Mik Ireland - Vocals, Brian Bresset - Guitar, Pinto - Guitar, Dave Troutman - Drums, Greg Laikin - Bass

Buy their record here.

Listen on Spotify:

Wildhearts release new video and announce new mini album Diagnosis

2019 is turning out to be a great year for Wildhearts fans. New shows, an awesome new album "Renaissance Men" (first new release in a decade) and today Classic Rock Magazine announced another new release, 6 track mini album "Diagnosis".

Diagnosis will be released on Graphite Records on October 4th and will feature 5 brand new tracks.

Diagnosis tracklist:

1. Diagnosis
2. God Damn
3. A Song About Drinking
4. The First Time
5. That’s My Girl
6. LOCAC

To make us even happier they also released a new video for "Renaissance Men"

This got me even more hyped for their show in Amsterdam October 24th. 

Christian Martucci - Negative Balance

Christmas came early yesterday as Christian Martucci (Guitarist Stone Sour, Black Star Riders) released his first solo E.P. “Negative Balance”.  It features Acey Slade (Dope, Misfits, TrashLight Vision) on bass and Karl Rockfist (Michael Monroe, The Chelsea Smiles) on drums.

“Negative Balance” is a cool metal & punk hybrid, songs “Black Dust” and Give Me Fire” have that in-your-face Motörhead feel to them. “Give Me Fire” grabs you by the nuts and drags you along a strip of burning coals, what a thrill! Lemmy would be proud.

There is a mournful country spiced song “Bad Ghosts” with a Gun Club taste to it, hauntingly beautiful slide guitars sway back and forth on top of a tight country beat.

“Sounds and Silences” gets personal, dealing with depression & suicidal tendencies. Martucci tells us the music and quiet helps to break free of pain, “Keeps the hell at bay” and “Talks me off the ledge”. Powerful stuff that will hopefully inspire lonely and disconnected kids to pick up instruments and make badass rock n’ roll like this.

Martucci’s delivers his lines with frantic raw power and powerful howls. Great riffs, cool solo’s and you can’t go wrong with a drum n’ bass team like Slade & Rockfist. I bet these guys had a blast making this record, I know I’m having a blast listening to it. Definitely hoping there’s more where this came from.

Buy on iTunes here.

Listen on Spotify: 

The Cruel Intentions

Vains of Jenna fans around the world breathed a sigh of relief and excitement in 2015 when original singer Lizzy Devine announced something big was-a-coming in the form of a new band called The Cruel Intentions. Soon after that, first single “Borderline Crazy” was released and I was hooked.

The riff is infectiously exciting and has you bopping your head instantly. Lizzy Devine has the Midas Touch in his vocal chords, his unique voice is what drew me to VoJ and what set them apart from a lot of the other Scandinavian sleaze bands of the 2000’s for me way back when and it’s awesome to hear him fronting a sleazy glam punk band again.

The next 2 years the band released video’s and singles for a couple more cool songs culminating in last year’s release of debut album “No Sign of Relief”. It’s hard not to compare The Cruel Intentions to Vains of Jenna but this release proves Devine’s new band is not a case of copy/pasting, of-course there’s still the big hooks and choruses in “Sick Adrenaline” and “Genie’s Got a Problem” but songs like “Jawbreaker”, “Reckoning” and “Chaos in a Bombshell” shows VoJ’s big brother has a bit more balls and edge to it.

Their I-don’t-give-a-fuck attitude shines and the fast and loose early GN’R style playing makes this record feel unpredictable and exciting. Devine shows growth in his songwriting without the dull pitfall of trying to be deep.

This is music made to party to, loads and loads of riffs and solo’s, lyrics about getting wasted and going crazy and going crazy because of getting wasted too much. Who cares about self righteous douche bags singing about stopping world hunger or ending wars while cashing in on it when you can listen to a crazy Swede singing about a girl throwing up in the shower?

“No Sign of Relief” is an awesome first offering and it fills a void I didn’t notice I’ve been carrying with me since 2010. I’m sure The Cruel Intentions will be around to kick our asses for a long time and I can’t wait to hear more stuff.

The Cruel Intentions are: Lizzy Devine - Lead Vocals and guitar. Kristian Solhaug - Lead Guitar. Mats Wernerson - Bass. Robin Nilsson - Drums

Buy No Sign of Relief here.

Listen on Spotify:

Monthly Mixtape #1

Too Late for 78 proudly presents: Monthly Mixtape #1!

The first collection of songs by bands I have or want to write about. For this first edition I wanted to start and end with tracks that inspired me to start this blog.

01. ’78 - Michael Monroe (Sensory Overdrive 2011)

I took inspiration for my blogtitle from this song, it’s a piledriver of a track where Mr Monroe tells us “It’s time to take that middlefinger out your ass”. From critically acclaimed debut album Sensory Overdrive of then newly formed Michael Monroe band.

02. Stray Doll - Prima Donna (After Hours 2008)

These guys know how to rock n’ roll and it sounds like they like it. Awesome New York Dolls style song played with wild abandon. 

03. She’s Like Heroin to Me - The Gun Club (Fire of Love 1981) 

Jeffrey Lee Pierce was one of those pioneers in rock n’ roll that never really got the credit he was due. Self sabotage and substance abuse kept his band from success but it didn’t stop them from making some classic records.

04. Glore - Radkey (Dark Black Makeup 2015/Delicious Rock Noise 2016)

Radkey is firing on all cylinders on this one. Also check out the awesome claymation video on youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaVpWb0kYiU

05. Sleeping Aides and Razorblades - The Exploding Hearts (Guitar Romantic 2003)

The sky seemed to be the limit for The Exploding Hearts, their debut album was getting great reviews and they were being hailed as the best punk band since 1977. A few months after the release of Guitar Romantic their van crashed and tragically killed 3/4 of the band. “Sleeping Aides and Razorblades” is a perfect piece of power pop.

06. Get Back to New York City - Dr. Boogie (Gotta Get Back to New York City 2005)

Like I wrote before, I instantly fell head over heels for Dr. Boogie after hearing this track. I L.U.V. love it. 

07. Kicked in the Teeth - Crank County Daredevils (Feed the Beast 2017)

I first heard C.C.D. about a decade ago and loved their stuff. It bummed me out when they broke up in 2010. A while ago I checked up on the Kings of Sleaze and was pleased to find out they were not only playing again but released what I think is their best record to date. “Kicked in the Teeth” is litterally that, a kick in the teeth. In a good way. 

08. Coke’n - The Sweet Things (In Borrowed Shoes, On Borrowed Time 2019)

The Sweet Things just released their debut album and it’s insane how much it rocks. Fuck this band is good. Think Exile era Stones mixed with the attitude of the Dolls. These guys are going places. 

09. Cigarette Spit - Sick Bags (Cigarette Spit 2018)

High voltage garage punk from Richmond, Virginia. Fuzzed up guitars & a beat that you can’t help but bang your head to. Sick Bags released their first E.P. last year and it left me hungry for more.

10. Buzzsaw - Brower (Buzzsaws 2018)

The spirit of Marc Bolan is alive and well and it lives on in Nat Brower. Buzzsaw is a 70’s style glam rocker that’s refreshing like a cold beer on a hot day.

11. Mary, Are You Livin’? (I Kill Me 1990)

First song from the first Jeff Dahl solo album. Dead Boys’ Cheetah Chrome goes full throttle on this one. “Mary, Are You Livin’?” is a classic any self respecting punk rocker oughta know.

12. F.Y. I’m Free - Mondo Generator (A Drug Problem That Never Existed 2003)

Oliveri’s voice thunders with anger as he sings about the effects of drinking Drano. He was really going through some stuff at the time. There’s just something exhilarating about hearing someone scream Fuck Yeah I’m Free

13. C.U.N.T. - PUSSYLIQUOR (C.U.N.T. 2018)

What’s even more exhilarating is hearing PUSSYLIQUOR screaming profanities for two minutes and eight seconds. These girls from brighton are, and I quote, putting the amp in tampon. It’s like Nina Hagen had a quintuplet, awesome. 

14. Liquor Store Romance - Sex Slaves (Wasted Angel 2009)

This is the perfect tragic love song. The Sex Slaves are brilliant and the world sucks a bit more because they went on hiatus. This year they played a couple reunion shows but I want more. These guys have a special place in my heart. they saved my ass when I got beat up after their show for wearing guy-liner.

15. The History of Rock ’n’ Roll - Supersuckers (Suck It 2018)

Eddie and co. clearly share my sentiments as they sing and praise a long list of great bands that are wrongly being pushed towards obscurity. They call it a footnote in the history of rock n’ roll, it is the exciting third act in my eyes.

Blistering new Michael Monroe single "One Man Gang" + Press release about album.

Finally! 

We get a snippet of new Michael Monroe album "One Man Gang" in new title track single. With breakneck speed riffs and verses and a gang vocal chorus that will piss off neighbours around the world. Punk rock guitar hero Captain Sensible of The Damned beautifully guest stars on lead guitar. The lyrics "Well..  I know that I ain't no Elvis or Jesus but I got a pretty face" are among the best I've heard in a while.

This is just a taste of what's to come, 11 more songs will be released on "One Man Gang" October 19th, available for pre-order August 9th.

There's also a press release in the video's description:

Michael Monroe's dirty and dangerous new album "One Man Gang" is set for release on October 18th 2019.  The title track is the 1st single to be released.

A genuine rock star since birth, Michael Monroe innately knows exactly how to sing, swagger and walk the most glamorous and colourful of walks. One Man Gang, the former Hanoi Rocks man’s brand new offering on Silver Lining Music, is all about the fun of Friday nights, seven days a week, letting your hair down (or up!) for a dirty, dangerous, damn good time, and embracing a total escape into the rock ‘n’ roll dream.

Recorded and mixed by Petri Majuri at E-Studio in Sipoo, Finland over three weeks in March 2018, the 12-song record was mixed that following Autumn with Monroe and band-mates Rich Jones and Steve Conte on production duties. 

With stunning presence, Monroe’s vocals blaze their unique trail across catchy, low-slung guitars mixing with saxophones, harmonicas and trumpets, plus a smorgasbord of exciting hooks and melodies. One Man Gang is old-skool strut with rudely fresh vigour. 

The title-track’s bombastic bar-room blitz (featuring a guest appearance by Captain Sensible of The Damned) is a valuable reminder that even if born in the gutter, you must always look to the stars.

“It sometimes seems like everybody’s pissing on their own parade,” says Monroe, “whether that’s voting stupid people into power and then complaining about them or whatever, but I’m all about living with a P.M.A. – positive mental attitude – and I’ll never allow myself to be forced away from that.”

Then there’s “Last Train To Tokyo”, with the sort of sticky-yet-crispy riff that was designed to take over radios from Japan to Jamaica.

“In the ‘80s, Hanoi Rocks had a very special relationship with Japan,” explains Monroe, “and it will always be one of my favourite countries.  Plus, they still live for rock ‘n’ roll as it should be celebrated, they still have physical product, they still make it crazy, exhausting and really exciting every time you go there, which I am really grateful for.”

With the further electric likes of “Junk Planet”, “Hollywood Paranoia” and “Wasted Years” on board, One Man Gang is going to smash down doors and give the rock ‘n’ roll scene a swift, and necessary, kick up the ass. 

Michael Monroe will soon be striding back towards the arenas he was born to be in, and everything you see is everything you get.

“I do what I do and I’ll never change,” says Monroe, “I don’t dress any different on or off stage because this is who I am… this is the real me.”

ONE MAN GANG TRACK LISTING:

1.      One Man Gang

2.      Last Train To Tokyo

3.      Junk Planet

4.      Midsummer Nights

5.      The Pitfalls Of Being An Outsider

6.      Wasted Years

7.      In The Tall Grass

8.      Black Ties And Red Tape

9.      Hollywood Paranoia

10.    Heaven Is A Free State

11.    Helsinki Shakedown

12.    Low Life In High Places

Available on CD, Coloured Vinyl, Digital formats and as special D2C editions, pre-orders available from Aug 9th 

RECORDED AND MIXED AT: E-Studio in Sipoo, Finland 

PRODUCED BY: Michael Monroe, Rich Jones and Steve Conte. 

RECORDED, MIXED AND ENGINEERED BY: Petri Majuri 

BAND LINE-UP: 

Michael Monroe - vocals, sax and harmonica

Rich Jones - guitar and vocals 

Steve Conte - guitar and vocals 

Sami Yaffa - bass 

Karl Rockfist - drums

Guest appearances from Captain Sensible (lead guitar on “One Man Gang”), Nasty Suicide (lead guitar on “Wasted Years”), Eicca Toppinen (cello on “Low Life In High Places”) and Tero Saarti (trumpet on “Heaven Is A Free State”).