This is the latest EP from Billy Childish’s CTMF on Damaged Goods. The title song is about a scene based around a club called the Wild Western Rooms in the ‘90s. Billy’s then band, Thee Headcoats, used to play a monthly spot there - hence the cover. I feel immensely nostalgic. It’s always difficult reviewing my favourite artists - having grown up during that period with Thee Headcoates. It all seems like yesterday, and yet ...

'A Glimpse Of Another Time' - is thus a commentary thereof, and what I recognise as the classic Childish garage sound. Childish reminisces about the various other bands around the aforementioned scene: Armitage Shanks / Fire Dept / Guaranteed Ugly / CB Beaumont and ‘the Riot Grrls with boy cut hair’, not to mention the PA on the table. 

Nurse Julie takes to the mic with two self-penned songs; Folky C86-esque 'Ode To Citrus Heights', and the catchy '60s beat of 'Throwback'.

As for 'Sq1'; it’s the place to be.

A 4th CTMF album is due for release in March 2016.

A Glimpse Of Another Time is available from amazon.

This is the 2nd single from The Missing Souls, this time on the fabulous US label Hidden Volume Records. What we have here are another two choice stompers from one of the hottest garage bands around at the moment; and it's a well earned title. ‘Gotta Have Your Lovin’' originally by Oscar & The Majestics is a monumental ‘60s garage classic. I mean, it really is. When I first heard The Missing Souls perform this cover, in a small French bistro as part of the 2015 Cosmic Trip Festival, I was gobsmacked for two reasons; 1) their choice of covers and 2) at the exuberance and intensity with which they performed. It was a pure and unadulterated celebration of the more obscure ‘60s garage classics. But be warned, don’t let the fact that these are covers distract you. These are their versions thereof, and they OWN it. The sound is live, raw, and captures the energy and urgency of the original, maybe even supersedes it. Boogaloo.

Flipside 'You Ain’t Tuff Baby' is the most. I know of a couple of versions from ‘66 by Lindy Blaskey & The Lavells, and The Uniques but again they put their own stamp (or stomp) on this by adding some space noises - along with some cool, cool organ.  

Garage Punk is dead, long live Garage Punk! 

Available from Hidden Volume Records FIRST 100 copies sold will be on 'milky clear' vinyl and include a hot Missing Souls mini poster! Served up in a heavy duty Stoughton tip-on jacket designed by X10 and custom jukebox styled download card.

(COLORED VINYL IS SOLD OUT 25/1/16) 

Includes unlimited streaming of 'Got To Have Your Lovin'' via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more... 

'Vanity Loves Me' is the debut single from all-female Bristol three piece, IDestroy, who formed in early 2015. After building up a big local following in their hometown, the band then went on to play at the Anfi Rock Sound festival in Spain and even supported Cherie Currie at Bristol’s famous music venue The Bierkeller.

The band's quick rise to this level of notoriety and extensive live performance experience lead me to expect quite a lot from this single and the level of talent was indeed high. With its strong, hard bass line, over driven guitar and simple yet driving drums, 'Vanity Loves Me' has a very blues-infused indie rock feel to it, reminiscent of bands like the White Stripes with undertones of Joan Jett in lead singer and guitarist Bec Jevons' mature vocals.

I was, however, disappointed by the extremely clean sound of the recording itself; it lacked a general bluesy “dirtiness” that I had imagined the track to be laden with. Whilst I don’t believe the recording has captured their full sound, this is still an extremely well-produced piece of work that makes me want to hear the rest of the EP.

Chloe Baker, who goes by the musical moniker Bitter’s Kiss, is a precocious young singer-songwriter hailing from New Jersey. In just one short year Baker has amassed over 100,000 followers on Facebook, an extraordinary feat in a ruthlessly competitive industry, but after hearing her songs, there’s no surprise as to why she’s turning so many heads.

‘Love Won’t Make You Cry’ is the lead single off Baker’s debut album. With the charm of Regina Spektor and the deep-felt honesty of Carole King, Baker sings: “Love won't feel alone when the night falls/Won't find your fingers on the windowpane.Love won't make you worry if he's coming home/Or leave you wondering whether you're to blame”. 

In her palpably, youthful voice resounds emotional wisdom years beyond her age. Baker’s words are strung together with an eloquent vulnerability that is both deeply clever and straight-from-the-soul simple. The track is an intimate conversation between Baker, a guitar, piano and strings; an arrangement that feels warmly reminiscent of Randy Newman. 

There’s an air of timelessness in Chloe Baker’s music, perhaps indebted to her poetic way with words that emanate a soft fragility yet a very real strength. Whimsical indie-pop has become such a trend in modern music that it’s sounding more and more stale with every new artist to try their hand at the minimalistic sound, but Baker’s talent is truly something out of the ordinary. If this is the kind of thing she’s producing as a teenager, then there’s a very bright future ahead of the young artist.

Love Won't Make You Cry is available from Amazon & iTunes.