Suche:saints

A resurgent Dog Meat Records is thrilled and proud to release a new album by a resurgent rock'n'roller and an old friend, PAT TODD and his band THE RANKOUTSIDERS. The seventh album by LA's finest rock'n'roll band comes some 36 years after the label's first dalliances with Pat, back when he fronted the legendary Lazy Cowgirls. The new album shows that Pat has lost none of his spark, that his voice and songwriting have only gotten stronger, and that he's got another killer band behind him, one that mixes classic '70s punk rock roots with country, blues and rock'n'roll in a manner that sits somewhere between Exile on Main Street and LAMF. The new album is highlighted as usual by Pat Todd's fantastic songs. A prolific writer with an eye on life in the margins - whether they be in small towns or the big sprawling city he has called home for 40 years - Todd routinely hits the mark where youth and the advancement of age find common ground in alienation and wilfulness. Pat knows that rock’n’roll is not necessarily a young person's game, and nor is it a glamourous one; the name he gave this band accurately points to where he and they are coming from. New originals like 'All We Have To Show', the horn-riffing rocker 'Living In A World of Hurt' and the raucous country-folk punker 'Goodbye to the World' are up there with anything he has ever written, and the Rankoutsiders play them even better than ever. Indeed, a couple of choice covers - a version of 'Hi Ho Silver Lining', sung by guitarist Nick Alexander and cut before Jeff Beck's unfortunate passing, and a version of David Johansen's old heartbreaker 'Donna' cut before word of Martin Scorsese’s Johansen documentary got out - shows by comparison to the original versions just how well these guys can crank it out. *** For over 20 years - from the early 80s to the early 00’s- Pat Todd fronted the undisputed Los Angeles roots-punk kings: THE LAZY COWGIRLS. Having landed in LA from the mid-west-meets-the south outpost of Vincennes, Indiana early in the decade, the Cowgirls sparked a new LA punk scene; their live album Radio Cowgirl was the first release on scene prime mover SFTRI -and ultimately inspired a resurgence of classic 1976 Ramones/Saints/ Heartbreakers-style punk that stretched across the US into Europe, Japan and elsewhere, inspiring bands like the New Bomb Turks, Oblivions, Teengenerate, Onyas and countless others. THE LAZY COWGIRLS were but a memory in 2006 when PAT TODD and the RANKOUTSIDERS’ 28 song double-disc debut, The Outskirts of Your Heart was released. Where most bands would have exhausted their creative gas to fumes with such an ambitious first release, this was only the beginning for the RANKOUTSIDERS. Prior to the new album Sons of the City Ditch, the RANKOUTSIDERS have released six full-length albums (yes, some are double discs) and over a dozen singles and EPs and have more releases queued up. Each and every one of them is a testament to Pat’s personal vision of raw, high energy rock’n’roll infused with elements of country and rhythm & blues, and documentary proof that the RANKOUTSIDERS are one of the hottest rock'n'roll bands on the planet. Indeed, it must be said the RANKOUTSIDERS truly are a band: energetically flanking Pat stage left is long-time guitarist and vocalist Kevin Keller; to the right is guitarist and founding member, Nick Alexander- the cool, calm and collected eye of the storm; bassist Steven Vigh holds the lower frequencies in check with steadfast authority, pushing the chorus to the next harmonic level, while drummer Walt Phelan drives the engine hard while keeping the band on the rails.

Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation, in partnership with Rambler Sparkling Water, introduce ‘Texas Wild’, a standout album featuring Texas musicians as they pay tribute to classic Texas tunes showcasing that untamed spirit found only in Texas music.

Produced by Texas singer songwriter Walker Lukens (The Song Confessional, Golden Dawn Arkestra, Darkbird, Coco Zandi), ‘Texas Wild’ is a standout album that blends the sounds of traditional Texas genres like blues, cumbia, and country with modern sounds like hip-hop, R&B and electronica, sure to please old school country fans
and new listeners alike.

Block print album art created by Texas artist, Mishka Westell.

Featuring covers of classic Texas songs by Texas musicians including Toadies, Fat Tony, Shaky Graves and Sir Woman.

Sales from the album will benefit Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation.

"With this solo piano performance, he romps, he stomps, he lays back, he makes the keys cry and he makes them jump for joy" - Randy Lewis (Los Angeles Times).

This double CD treasure takes The Legendary Sessions Vol 1 and adds five unissued cuts to the bounty, including two cuts exclusive to this CD version!

FÜR FANS VON: Gamma Ray, Helloween, Edguy, Blind Guardian, Stratovarius, Rhapsody, Primal Fear Auf ins höllische Metal-Vergnügen: Nach ihren bisher vier erfolgreichen Alben ‚The Unity‘ (2017), ‚Rise‘ (2018), ,Pride‘ (2020) und ‚The Devil You Know – Live‘ (2021), europaweiten Tourneen als Headliner bzw. im Gefolge von Bands wie Sinner, Edguy, Axel Rudi Pell oder Rhapsody Of Fire,
umjubelten Shows beim ‚Masters Of Rock‘, ‚Knockout-Festival‘ oder auf dem, Bang Your Head‘ zeigen sich The Unity auf ihrer fünften
Veröffentlichung ‚The Hellish Joyride‘ spielfreudig und variantenreich wie nie zuvor. „

Wir waren immer schon stilistisch breit aufgestellt, aber mit‚The Hellish Joyride‘ dehnen wir die Grenzen des melodischen Power Metals nochmals ein Stück weiter aus“, erklärt Michael Ehré und verweist auf die zwölf abwechslungsreichen Songs des Albums, die von temporeich bis balladesk reichen. Zudem hat Neuzugang Tobias „Eggi“ Exxel (Bass, Edguy) frische Energie in die Band gebracht und verstärkt die Gamma Ray-Mitglieder Henjo Richter (Gitarre) und Michael Ehré (Schlagzeug), Sänger Gianba Manenti, Gitarrist Stef und Keyboarder Sascha Onnen unüberhörbar. Veröffentlicht wird die neue Scheibe am 25. August 2023 über Steamhammer/SPV, bereits eine Woche später startet die Europatournee mit Primal Fear. Als erste Vorabsingle inklusive „sportlichem“ Videoclip gibt es am 14. Juli 2023 den Song ‚Always Two Ways To Play‘, fünf Wochen später folgt die zweite Auskopplung ‘Saints And Sinners‘. Die Spritztour kann
beginnen!

Miles Davis created just one studio album with his original sextet: Milestones. And he made every moment count. Pairing with Cannonball Adderley, John Coltrane, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones, Davis not only laid the groundwork for the modalism that immediately followed but tailored a genuine modern-jazz masterwork laden with performances among the most explosive of his distinguished career. Sandwiched between the more famous 'Round About Midnight and the epochal Kind of Blue, Milestones remains a seminal work of art.

Sourced from the original master tapes and pressed on dead-quiet SuperVinyl, Mobile Fidelity's numbered-edition 180g LP grants each musician their own space amid broad soundstages. Afforded the benefits of a nearly non-existent noise floor and supreme groove definition, this vinyl reissue doubles as a time machine back to the February-March 1958 recording sessions.

Colors, shapes, and dimensions appear in the manner that resembles what you'd glean from behind a studio control room's window. Davis' burnished trumpet is rendered in three-dimensional perspective and seemingly coaxes the band to play with unburdened zest. Coltrane's trademark saxophone teems with lifelike tonality and images with specificity; his solos work in tandem with and against the driving rhythms. Garland's swaggering piano lines? Visualize the keys as he hits full stride, the chords and fills slithering around skeletal frameworks.

Inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and selected as a "Core Collection" record by the Penguin Guide to Jazz, Milestones is as famous for its title track – widely considered ground zero for modalism and bolstered by Jones' hallmark "Philly Lick" rim shot – as the players that produced it. The launching pad for many of Davis' improvisational flights, the album teases the explorations Coltrane would soon chase. Davis' own solo work broaches territories that far exceed what he had done in his bop-rooted past. Every song is a highlight.

Take the bravado "Dr. Jackle," featuring a hot-foot pace and bebop strains, or "Sid's Ahead," which continues the album's blues theme while juggling edgy harmonics and inside-out structures. On "Billy Boy," distinguished with an arco bass solo from Chambers, Garland gets a turn in the spotlight and channels the openness practised by one of his heroes, Ahmad Jamal. Even more instructive is the band's reading of Dizzy Gillespie's "Two Bass Hit." Three years removed from the version Davis and company recorded for the trumpeter's Columbia debut, this interpretation demonstrates the extent to which the group had jelled in a relatively short amount of time.



Then there's "Straight, No Chaser," the definitive rendition of Thelonious Monk's signature piece. Coltrane's marbled playing pulls at the tune's borders, Adderley takes liberty with solos, and Davis dances around his mates, at one point quoting "When the Saints Go Marching In" while demonstrating his knowledge of tradition and casting an eye towards the future.

About that future. Garland already had one foot out the door during the Milestones sessions to the extent Davis spells him on "Sid's Ahead." Jones would stick around for a bit longer but soon plot his exit. History proves Davis navigated the changes with visionary aplomb. Yet the chemistry, excitement, and beauty the sextet achieves on Milestones cannot be overstated. This reissue helps put the album in proper perspective – and presents the music the fidelity it deserves.

Swami John Reis celebrates his 100th year in rock ’n’ roll with a brand new band and record! “Ride The Wild Night” is neither completely similar nor dissimilar to his previous bands (Hot Snakes, Night Marchers, The Sultans, Rocket From The Crypt, Drive Like Jehu, etc).

Yet the sound is immediately familiar and assuring (like an old friend you lost touch with that comes back into your life only to ask to borrow money).

The music is an amalgam of ’60s folk-punk, ’70s punk-punk and pre-Vietnam War rock ’n’ roll, filtered through the Reis’ unregistered, trademark sensibilities. “I wanted to celebrate some of my favorite rock n roll in its transitional periods. Flaming Groovies, Paul Revere and the Raiders, The Kinks, The Saints and others created some of the most exciting recordings while also connecting the musical past to its future. That really appeals to me”.

Although titled a “solo” record it is predominantly in name only. The record is built on stentorian bedrock of savage drumming by J. Sinclair K. of Hot Snakes and the pounding acoustic piano of Joe Guevara. Also adding their expertise to the mix is Chris Prescott (Pinback) Gar Wood (Hot Snakes), Glen Galloway (Truman’s Water), Jacob Turnbloom (Mrs. Magician) and Jordan Clark (PLOSIVS). With this backing, Swami John Reis finalizes it with his throaty basso and weaponizes the files with roaring electric guitars, rapid acoustic guitar strum and bass.

Hear his defiant, croak-howl in what might be his most autobiographical work yet. “All of these stories are real. They just might not be completely true.” Reis adds, ”The words come from what I overhear through my fence, what I see across the street, pictures I see in my head, experiences that I can’t forget or am grateful to remember.” If there is a loose theme throughout the record he offers, “Musically and lyrically there is a motivation to surrender to a restless and impulsive spirit that can only be satisfied by breaking things. Creating rubble for better or worse. “

Music critics and fans alike have long referred to Reis’s signature voice as “The Velvet Yawn” and never has that description been more apt. “Ride The Wild Night” was recorded by Reis at City Of Refuge (Night Marchers, Black Lips, The Spits) and mixed by Ben Moore (Hot Snakes, Diamanda Galas) at Singing Serpent.

Der Geruch des Todes kriecht aus den Gräbern...
...aus der Türkei kommend, begrüßen wir die klassische Death Metal Truppe ABOLISH im Roster von FDA Records. Ohne Demo oder EP-Veröffentlichung beginnen wir mit dem Debüt-Album '...From The Depths'.
Verdorbener und morbider Female Fronted Death Metal für Fans von CEREBRAL ROT, GRAVE MIASMA oder DISMA.
'...From The Depths' wurde von Ozan Yildirim-Atakan Güçlü im Deadhouse Studio aufgenommen, gemischt und gemastert, Coverartwork von Ozan Yildirim.

Throughout 2022, The Wedding Present’s ‘24 Songs’ series saw the legendary indie band release two new tracks a month as double A sided 7”s, ultimately creating a much-sought-after box set. David Gedge has now re-curated full-length versions of all twenty-four tracks for a new compilation album that will also comprise five bonus recordings including one featuring The Wedding Present’s first guitarist, Peter Solowka.

‘24 Songs’ was a doff of the cap to The Wedding Present’s ‘Hit Parade’ project of 30 years previous. That series proved to be a real milestone for the band with them becoming only the second-ever artist to achieve twelve Official UK Top 40 hits in a calendar year – at the time something that only Elvis had achieved!

David Gedge says: “When it came to compiling the ‘24 Songs’ album, I decided not to sequence the tracks in chronological order. With six sides of vinyl, you have six ‘beginnings’ and six ‘ends’ to play with, and I felt that the opportunity to build some kind of a musical journey was too good to miss! Listening back to this collection, I have to say that I genuinely believe that, for this project, The Wedding Present have recorded some of the best tracks in our history. I loved releasing the singles, but it’s satisfying to have them all rounded up together.”

“The idea of releasing another collection of twenty-four tracks did initially seem quite daunting,” admits David Gedge in the deluxe-CD sleeve notes but, with Jon Stewart (also of Sleeper) having joined the band at the end of 2019 and their subsequent writing partnership flourishing, he began to feel confident that they would be able to produce a year’s worth of music. And, with one of the UK’s most influential independent record labels by their side in Clue, a key partner to EMI North who will be distributing the record - there was no looking back.




























[xa] 27. Jump In, The Water’s Fine [Japanese Edit]
[xb] 28. We All Came From The Sea [Utah Saints Remix]

Blackened thrash veterans LEGION OF THE DAMNED slay on new studio album The Poison Chalice The LEGION slays again! Dutch thrash veterans LEGION OF THE DAMNED have once again entered into an alliance with the devouring depths of black and death metal and unleash another angry beast, The Poison Chalice, on May 26, 2023 via Napalm Records. The shredding monster delivers the most delicious pitch-black brew and tortures dark souls into demonic underworlds. Founded in 1990 as Occult, the thrash machine around founding members Maurice Swinkels and Erik Fleuren was reborn as LEGION OF THE DAMNED in 2005. On The Poison Chalice, the band unites with Fabian Verweij as second guitarist besides Twan van Geel and hails together with bassist Harold Gielen performing as a five piece for the first time ever on a studio album. Conquering the European charts for decades, the LEGION crowned itself at #17 in the Official German Album Charts with predecessor Slaves Of The Shadow Realms (2019). For almost 35 years, they have formed their aggressive signature sound from the most horrific ingredients of thrash and death metal, combined with brutal blackened influences, resulting in one of the most defined and unique sounds in the scene. The Poison Chalice comes to life by spreading its eerily beautiful wings within the first few seconds, then dives headfirst into a hellishly furious storm before the second song ""Contamination"" absolutely kills. In classic LEGION OF THE DAMNED manner, there is no escape as the track relentlessly drives into the abyss. The album spreads brutal and ice cold thrash soundscapes through relentless attacking drums and incredible guitar harmonies from both lead guitarists, underlined by angry bass lines. Infectious thrash treasures such as “Progressive Destructor”, and the almost seven-minute berserk “Behold The Beyond” break necks with hammering guitar riffs and bloody double bass infernos. “Beheading of The Godhead” delivers what the song title promises, before the past 48 minutes of hate closes with a final deep gulp from “The Poison Chalice” - leaving no one behind. Together with producer Erwin Hermsen, the band has closed the gates of the underworld in Toneshed Studio and demonstrates that they remain the unchallenged masters of brute and unrelenting death-thrash metal in 2023

Mit Hits wie “Rock Around The Clock” , “See You Later Alligator”, “Shake Rattle And Roll” hat sich Bill Haley in die Geschichtsbücher des Rock’n’Roll geschrieben.

Für alle Vinylliebhaber gibt es ab sofort eine Zusammenstellung mit allen Hits der Rock’n’Roll Legende.

With hits like „Rock Around The Clock“, „See You Later Alligator“, „Shake Rattle And Roll“, Bill Haley made his mark in the annals of rock‘n‘roll. „See You Later Alligator“, „Shake Rattle And Roll“, Bill Haley has made his mark in the records of rock‘n‘roll.

For all vinyl lovers, a compilation with all the hits by the rock‘n‘roll legend is now available.

Black vinyl pressing 2022! "Funny to think there was a time not so long ago when Stiff Richards was a name that required explanation - but not to you, of course, o punk connoisseur. This is your territory, after all. Music is your oxygen and the sound of the underground is your clarion call. You can explain the distinction between 'Know Your Product' and 'No, You're Product'. Hey, you're probably pretty good-looking too. You know your shit, either way. So no wonder you're drawn to this relative holy grail of modern garage rock - the 2017 self-titled debut album by the aforementioned Stiff Richards. Originally released on their own Stiff Records (and again by Legless in 2020), it lays down all the elements that made last year's mighty 'State of Mind' LP such an instant classic. OK, we've established you know the drill, but let's recap: scintillating Aus-punk that recalls the heroic high-speed riffs of their countrymen The Saints and Radio Birdman. It sounds like Royal Headache covering Motörhead, or maybe the other way around. It's a full-on riot in 30 minutes - the rawest of rock'n'roll bleeding into the grimiest of power chords with hooks for days. You already know you're gonna love it. Whether going full-throttle and aiming straight for the nerve receptors that get your head a-nodding and your toes a-tapping - like on sub-three-minute highlight 'Strung Out' - or sludgin' their way through groovier cuts like 'Bustin' Out', they're never less than a treat that's guaranteed to get your serotonin flowing and your speakers up to 11 (or beyond). As a certain similarly-named record label once said, if it ain't Stiff, it ain't worth a fuck. Frightfully rude, but that's rock music for you, I suppose. Get it in your ears." - Will Fitzpatrick.

Ziegen zu Tode starren! Die psychedelischen Agenten, die von ARSGOATIA aufgespürt wurden, mögen unterschwellig geglaubt haben, sie starrten den Teufel an. Aber der Teufel lebt im Spiegel und versteckt sich immer noch unter den Menschen. Eingeschworen auf den fauligen Samen und die lebensfeindliche Schöpfung, atmen ARSGOATIA 2021 in Salzburg/Österreich ihre Zungen aus, aus dem Gefolge der Funkenfluggesellschaft und den Bewohnern der mystischen Neudegg Alm. ARSGOATIA zelebriert das goldene und heilige Metall des Todes, das sich mit Blutrausch, Antiklerikalismus, Perversion, rasender Gewalt und Grausamkeit schnell nähert!

Dies ist die Kunst der Schöpfung der Ziege. Es ist die Darstellung der Obszönität und ARSGOATIA ermöglicht den Zugang zu ihrer musikalischen Phantasie jenseits dieser Welt. Der erste Ausbruch des kommenden Fluches "Hiding Amongst Humans" trägt den Titel "In The Veins Of The Saints" und bietet eine atemberaubende Färbung voller Heuchelei und Verwünschungen. Eine Täuschung, um andere Menschen auf einen anderen Standard zu bringen, als den, auf den sie sich selbst bringen. Es geht nicht darum, dass man seine Regeln nicht einhält, sondern darum, dass man für andere andere Regeln hat als für sich selbst.

Physcial release from The Wedding Present of "24 Songs" whch were all previously released digitally as singles.

Canto A Lo Divino is the unique musical expression of the Chilean peasant world - a conversation with the divine nourished by Biblical and other sacred texts. It is communal music, played in packed rooms throughout the night on the 25-string guitarron, its ancient melodies transmitted through the 10-line decima form originating in Spain and found across the Caribbean, South America, and even into the Mississippi Delta. Rooted in the remote Central Valley of Chile at the skirt of the mountains and following the slopes of the major rivers, the Canto tradition has persisted for centuries in the voices of hundreds of men and women who sing of saints, divine images, and angelitos (very young children who have died). The verses are also centered around daily life in the valley - labor and drought, family, animals, and plants. There are countless entonaciones (melodies) that define this region, its communities, and its unique worldview. Mississippi Records is privileged to work with the Museo Campesino En Movimiento and their archive of hundreds of hours of intimate field recordings of the Canto - music rarely, if ever, heard outside of the region. Artwork is provided by another inhabitant of Chile's Central Valley, a baker called Frederico Lohse, who brought divine visions from the Cantos to life, painted on reused flour bags. Canto A Lo Divino celebrates the complexity and solemn, stunning beauty of this nocturnal, communal form of musical devotion. Double vinyl LP comes housed in deluxe gatefold jacket with 8 pages of lyric translations and liner notes about the Canto tradition by researcher Danilo Petrovich.

In 1980, Genesis P-Orridge and Peter 'Sleazy' Christopherson (then of Throbbing Gristle renown) travelled to New York City to meet up at the fortified apartment, known as The Bunker, of famed beat writer and cultural pioneer William S. Burroughs and his executor James Grauerholz to starting the daunting task to compile the experimental sounds works of Burroughs, which, up until that point, had never been heard. During those visits, Burroughs would play back his tape recorder experiments featuring his spoken word 'cut-ups', collaged field recordings from his travels and his flirtations with EVP recording techniques, pioneered by Latvian intellectual Konstantins Raudive. Throughout the next year, P-Orridge, Christopherson and Grauerholz would spent countless hours compiling various edits, each collection showcasing Burroughs sensitive ear and keen experimental prowess for audio anomaly within technical limitations. By the time 1981 came through, Burroughs had relocated to Lawrence, KS in which to escape the violence and mania of New York City life. It is in Lawrence that P-Orridge and Christopherson put the finishing touches on the record that would be known as 'Nothing Here Now but the Recordings'. The album would come out in the Spring of 1981 as the final release for the shuttering Industrial Records, brought about by the dissolution of Throbbing Gristle. The album remained out of print until 1998 when John Giorno and the Giorno Poetry Systems included the album on a multi-disc retrospective CD box set compiling the majority of Burroughs seminal recordings.

In 1980, Genesis P-Orridge and Peter 'Sleazy' Christopherson (then of Throbbing Gristle renown) travelled to New York City to meet up at the fortified apartment, known as The Bunker, of famed beat writer and cultural pioneer William S. Burroughs and his executor James Grauerholz to starting the daunting task to compile the experimental sounds works of Burroughs, which, up until that point, had never been heard. During those visits, Burroughs would play back his tape recorder experiments featuring his spoken word 'cut-ups', collaged field recordings from his travels and his flirtations with EVP recording techniques, pioneered by Latvian intellectual Konstantins Raudive. Throughout the next year, P-Orridge, Christopherson and Grauerholz would spent countless hours compiling various edits, each collection showcasing Burroughs sensitive ear and keen experimental prowess for audio anomaly within technical limitations. By the time 1981 came through, Burroughs had relocated to Lawrence, KS in which to escape the violence and mania of New York City life. It is in Lawrence that P-Orridge and Christopherson put the finishing touches on the record that would be known as 'Nothing Here Now but the Recordings'. The album would come out in the Spring of 1981 as the final release for the shuttering Industrial Records, brought about by the dissolution of Throbbing Gristle. The album remained out of print until 1998 when John Giorno and the Giorno Poetry Systems included the album on a multi-disc retrospective CD box set compiling the majority of Burroughs seminal recordings.

Die Zusammenarbeit zwischen NEIL GAIMAN und dem FOURPLAY STRING QUARTET startete 2010, als das Sydney Opera House's Graphic Festival FOURPLAY beauftragte, einen Soundtrack zu NEILs Novelle "The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains" für eine Live-Performance mit ihm zu schreiben. Diese Zusammenarbeit führte zu einer anhaltenden Freundschaft und kreativen Zusammenarbeit, bei der NEIL und FOURPLAY das Konzept einer Reihe von Original-Werken rund um das Konzept des Tierkreises erarbeiteten, wobei die traditionellen Zeichen durch eine neue Sammlung von Wörtern und Objekten ersetzt wurden, die Aspekte des Lebens erkunden. Sie nannten diese Zusammenarbeit Signs. Einige der Arbeiten in "Signs Of Life" wurden für dieses Projekt entwickelt. Neben diesen Original-Werken gibt es neue Gedichte und Geschichten von NEIL, die mit der Musik von FOURPLAY verwoben sind, zwei Covers von Songs aus NEILs früheren Projekten und ein Instrumental-Stück, das von NEILs Arbeit inspiriert ist. Da sich alle Beteiligten in ihrer Kreativität immer geweigert haben, sich in eine Schublade stecken zu lassen, haben sie mit "Signs Of Life" etwas Bemerkenswertes und Einzigartiges geschaffen. Das Album ist eine großartige, bahnbrechende und genreübergreifende Zusammenarbeit zwischen einem großartigen Autor und einem einzigartigen Musik-Ensemble. Es ist teils Songwriting, teils Poesie, teils Storytelling; allumfassend schön. NEIL GAIMAN ist einer der beliebtesten und am meisten gefeierten Schriftsteller unserer Zeit. Sein Werk ist genre-, alters- und formatübergreifend und spannt einen Bogen über Romane, Fernsehen, Film, Kurzgeschichten, Comics, Hörspiele, Theater und mehr. Kürzlich wurden seine Romane "Good Omens" (gemeinsam mit Terry Pratchett geschrieben) und "American Gods" als Fernseh-Serien von Amazon Prime adaptiert. Seine revolutionäre und bahnbrechende Comicserie "The Sandman" wurde auf Netflix und Warner Bros. Television veröffentlicht und war mehrere Wochen lang weltweit die Nummer 1 auf Netflix. Das FOURPLAY STRING QUARTET ist in der Welt der Streichquartette etwas ganz Besonderes. FOURPLAY, die eher eine Band als ein klassisches Ensemble sind, improvisieren, jammen mit Ideen und verwenden außergewöhnliche Instrumental-Techniken und Effekte, um verblüffend originelle Klänge zu erzeugen. Nachdem sie zunächst durch ihre Interpretationen der Musik von Künstlern wie METALLICA, THE STROKES, RADIOHEAD, THE BEASTIE BOYS und CHARLES MINGUS weltweit bekannt geworden waren, konzentrierten sich FOURPLAY auf die Entwicklung ihres eigenen Repertoires und auf die Zusammenarbeit mit hybriden Medien und Projekten.

First things first - you don't need me to tell you about the significance of Australia in the history of punk. I mean, what am I, Jon Savage? Google it yourself, FFS. Instead, let's just agree that the speedy, feral racket thrown together by the likes of The Saints, Radio Birdman and The Scientists in the mid-late '70s is AT LEAST as deliriously entertaining as anything concocted by their UK/US counterparts, sowing the seeds for seemingly endless garage-inflected noisemakers in the land down under. No one likes using words like 'tradition' or 'heritage' here - the punk rock clusterbomb is far too messy for any of that business - but also emerging from Australian rock's primordial soup is the addictive sneer of Stiff Richards. Like their predecessors, the band are a gleefully wracked mess of full throttle energy and barrelling power chords, with songs like 'Kids Out On The Grass' and 'Point of You' proving at least the equal of '(I'm) Stranded' or 'Aloha Steve And Danno'. Nine tracks in less than 30 minutes, all winners and all determined to leave you flipping over couches and smashing your TV set. And let's face it, you may as well; there's nothing good on. It all builds towards frantic closer 'Fill In The Blanks', which rattles around your speakers like the UK Subs trying to play Ed Kuepper riffs at the centre of an earthquake, before grinding to a halt as a voice says, "That's the one." Does it sound self-satisfied? Hey, it's got good reason to - this is the best no-frills garage rock party since Gino & The Goons' 'Do The Get Around', and the only appropriate response is to declare yourself betrothed to Stiff Richards because you can't imagine your life without 'em. Don't believe me? Sort out your ears and get 'State Of Mind' in 'em. Rock'n'roll as it's supposed to be played. Will Fitzpatrick.