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:

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.