Janis Joplin - eternal star

If you like this, can I please recommend Saint Jude.
I have a thing for soulful vocals over big tunes.

You just don't get raw talent exuding from modern music TV in the UK. The closest is Jools Holland's Later show on BBC, but something just a little younger, about real music, would be perfect.

I tweeted The Sea, who are doing well in Europe and USA with their authentic massive rocking pop sound that straddles both centuries. They have recommended a Danish band, Thee Attack. I recommended Popskull and Hedoniacs back to them. The rise of timeless sounds with muscle in their riffs, can only be a good thing.

I woke up this morning and needed to hear guitars sing...

went and found me some Buddy Guy making love instrumentally...

it also makes me smile, thinking of one of my favourite films ever, The Blues Brothers.

OK. I'm set up for the day now. Yesterday had a fantastic conversation about how a lot of youngsters are turning away from sure-to-get-noticed neat hair cut, afro beat dub step indie grindie in Skins cast wear, to the 20th century rootsy rock n roll sounds. Its something really different from what is everywhere else now, I guess. So come on, baby don't you wanna go...

Sister Rosetta Tharpe - Up Above My Head

THIS

is rock n roll

Sister Rosetta Tharpe makes me feel like summer time.

The kind of rock n roll that apologetic "indie" could never be, but the spirit that lives on as independence. Go guitar queen, go.

Saint Jude - Sweet Melody

Beatles, Marner Brown, Rolling Stones, John Lee Hooker, Rainbow, Cab Calloway, Kinks, Led Zeppelin videos.

Star Soaked will be one month old on Christmas Day. I am especially happy about the videos that have been posted up. Dear BBC4 if ever you need somebody to make up playlists for you I can be paid in cava. Thank you. www.twitter.com/starsoakedmusic : 


25 Nov 


Ray Davies curating Meltdown, that's gotta be worth a Kinks video!
Appropriattly, You Really Got Me http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2GmzyeeXnQ


Rock n roll hardness and swagger from The Dandies and Marner Brown. Interviewed the former, and here is a beautifully soundgtracked grolsch advert featuring 'Open Road' by the latter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNM5Y8SaArE


Led Zep - Whole Lotta Love. Naturally http://t.co/aco1c57


Blues rock explosion 21st Century style courtesy of Popskull singing the tasty sounding Rat Sandwich http://t.co/KuEnTff 


26 Nov


Rainbow - Since You Been Gone http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mSkZU8IkjE 


John Lee Hooker and Bonnie Raitt - 'I'm In The Mood' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT-FoZt95D4 


29 Nov


Cab Calloway doing 'Reefer Man' http://t.co/kWoYnYl  


30 Nov


Steve Lamacq played Marner Brown!


1 Dec


Rolling Stones - Lets Spend The Night Together  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqQ9FCVmPaI


And a legendary moment of vintage English Rock Star behaviour courtesy of fabulous role model, Keith Richards http://t.co/RUWCMZC 


5 Dec


The Darkness - 'Get Your Hands Off My Woman' http://t.co/BwtAMN0


Mona - new rock and roll tipped everywhere, eventually by MTV too


9 Dec


Spear Of Destiny - Prisoner of Love http://t.co/pcq90SP


The Beatles- Twist n Shout (Official Video) http://t.co/UIOuwAu


That would be Star Soaked Music TV mixed in with the new passions.


Indie. Just say no, kids.

Warehouse Republic, single release, 'Revolver'

'Revolver' 

A new single turning music around by  Warehouse Republic

Its time for 2010 music critic quotas "of the year" etc, plus this weeks releases include Plan B, Kylie Minogue, Micheal Jackson and Kings Of Leon to name but few. They have no competion from interest-stirring new artists profile wise, but their game needs to stay raised against young pretenders to the throne. 

Star Soaked got excited recently about the youth culture rock epitomised by Warehouse Republic. Their debut single, Revolver, is available now for 79p from Amazon, iTunes and more. It turns todays mainstream sounds - urban, pop, indie and electronic - around. A revolution in other words, in that its timeless bluesy hard edge contains a howled call to every decade of popular music obsession. Classic Rock can be young and new too, it's in the composition.

SSM not alone in checking out the WR scene early. Similarly anticipating music fans stepped inside The 100 Club a few weeks ago. Because of it being under threat there was an element of pilgrimage to the evening. Sadly, it may be just another Oxford Street basement soon. For now, breaking artists strut their stuff on the same stage as household names. 

They're not heard of but Warehouse Republic must have virtually sold it out. I joined the crush around the entrance, then was packed in again downstairs. That crowd were really loud as well as moving around. Sometimes for new bands they just watch. It sounded like some of them were on the point of screaming. That was slightly ironic considering the punk energy fizzing with elements of early Kinks / Animals chords from the stage. It could have been the 60s or 70s again with the 100 Club at the start of something. That would be iconically ironic.

The single 'Revolver', was a stand out of a great and noisy set. The song has that catchy title chorus and guitar licks that would be at home in a New Orleans music bar. The four band members looked like they were returning heroes and it felt like they were loving it too. 

Star Soaked recently commented in a news story about Warehouse Republic that they were a bit like "a young shambolic Rolling Stones and a lot of fun". Every word was meant. Their fresh faced nervous energy and one or two moments that seemed created on the spot,  made it all the more engaging an EVENT.  They were far from perfect but they can play and this ability held the balancing act together right up to the swaggering, sweat soaked, stage invaded finale.

In Warehouse Republic I think The Beatles fans of all ages may have something new to rejoice in, beyond the homage of the single's title. The may have a long way to go but this is the kind of racket that used to thrill Hamburg underlaid with a new colour to the chord changes. 

I dont know how they managed to entice Rachel Hurd-Wood, an actress who has appeared in movies with Dustin Hoffman,  Colin Firth, Alan Rickman etc to be in the film noir Revolver video but its a string to their bow. So then, a special rock band to discover (and the 100 Club show was undoubtedly one of 2010's best gigs that you wont find in a list of 2010's best gigs.).

www.warehouserepublic.com

Little Devils - New Song, New Shows, New Debate!

Following from the last article, Oranges, Greens and Blues, some more 
Little Devils;
London dates, 2011 European tour, Christmas release and the opinion starts here.


Caught up with Graeme from the band. "Apart from supporting the Pogues on 21st Dec - we are doing a lot of London gigs in December into the new year"

Saturday Dec 4              Hooper’s Bar, Ivanhoe Road, Dulwich, SE5

Wednesday Dec 8          Power’s Bar, 332 Kilburn High Road London NW6 2QN

Saturday Dec 11            Skehan’s Bar, Kitto Road, SE14

Saturday Dec 18            The Cell, 333 Old Street, Hoxton, EC1V 9LE

Tuesday Dec 21              The Pogues Xmas Party @ The Jamm, Brixton, SW2

Friday Jan 7                   Urban Golf, Tube Station, Kensington High St, W8 5SF

Wednesday Feb 16        Power’s Bar, 332 Kilburn High Road London NW6 2QN

Thursday Feb 24            Bar Music Hall, 134 Curtain Road, Shoreditch , EC2A 3AR

"We have a single out at the moment - "Let's All Hear The Christmas Cheer" - a punky country song cut with a slap and tickle of Benny Hill  available on itunes and all good download sites. Be playing it live at the shows, bringing a little light into everyone's lives with a simple tale of the over indulgence, mass comercialsm, marketing frenzy and "X"-cess that sums up the magic of Christmas these days!

We are touring Europe in May 2011 and hope after that to continue work on our new album and further consolidate plans for world domination."

With Central London turning into a no go zone for live music fantatics (aside from Tin Pan Alley and The Social) it was a shame when the West End's best blues bar was the latest venue to shut recently. What a shame, it was aural gold for the ears and a favourite haunt of those in the know. The 100 Club is under threat if it can't raise enough to save itself by Christmas. Star Soaked asked the Little Devils opinion.

"Charlotte Street Blues appeared to fall foul of Camden Council - we played there earlier this year - and had a great time - it's a shame to lose a central London venue - the Council must have their heads up their a**es - for God's sake - aren't times hard enuff for people - we need places like this - during summer there were loads of tourists in the place all really enjoying the music - it's embarassing to think of places like Chicago and Memphis that are not a patch on London - but have much better blues music venues - that are not restricted, constricted and otherwise screwed by the councils. People travel to Chicago from England just to go to the blues bars! Why can't we do things properly?

I hope the 100 Club doesn't go the same way - but we have to re-evaluate how music is presented in London.

There are a few things I would like to see discussed:

Open Mic nites - free entertainment / money for landlords - sod all for musicians - discuss!

Pay to play - bring 30 people to gig or do gig for nowt - discuss!

Bands playing for nothing - no cover charge - musicians selling themselves cheap - discuss!

Over exposure, over saturation, over kill - and no quality control - you can see a band playing most nights for free - good idea? What place has live music in today's society - we have over saturated the market - why pay to see a band? Why buy a band's album?

I am all for bands creating their own music and retaining control and creating their own cottage industry - building fan base thru playing - and little devils busk, play un-plugged, semi plugged and bloody loud! We can make friends everywhere we go - that's how we want it - but the world is awash with music pouring out of every hole - and it devalues the word "music" - it's a cheapened worthless commodity when it is everywhere. I would love to see some ideas on how we can claw back the value of music - it has to start with musicians - tho where and how it ends - i dunno!

Wow, did i say that?  

Got to be starting something...."Graeme - little devils
news of gigs, songs, pix and friends www.myspace.com/littledevilsmusic

videos of the band - busking, live, odds and sods www.youtube.com/littledevilvideos

THE FOLD - FriendsOf Little Devils

I think Graeme might have really started something. These are opinions that will make up further Star Soaked articles. Tune back. Many thanks to Graeme and Little Devils for the interview.

The Rock n Roll Revolution Is Not Being Televised

"God gave rock n roll to you."

Argent

Saint Jude, Marner Brown, Popskull, Mona, Hedoniacs and more in the vanguard of the rock n roll hard blues revolution.

Whats exciting me isn't on TV. There is no Snub, Old Grey Whistle Test today. Let alone Ready Steady Go or Top Of The Pops. Don't live in the past, but some cutting edge music for the future wouldn't go amiss. On everything broadcastable at the moment, Pixie Lott is very pretty and has a nice voice. Tinie Tempah is really cool. Beyonce, Kanye West and Lady Gaga etc  are genuine 21st century mega stars and the Warpaint, O Children, Everything Everything wave of music press tips are more than worth checking out. Must be having a female editor for NME that's making it readable again. N Dubz, well they are just nasty in every way but hey they're famous so tongue those butt holes. So yes, admittedly, modern music TV is sparkly, weakly witty, young and stylish. In the mean time, there's a stark side to the bleak future of real life. Raving and rocking are the down to earth escapism that doesn't come into, so therefore ever go out of, fashion.


This Autumn some of the most geniune audience and artist exchanges have been courtesy of Rock n Roll. That is the soul infused, sweat drenched, sex faced ROCK you can only see on BBC 4 in some documentary celebrating legends.


The thing is, at the time they were just the kind of excited exchanges that you can experience for yourself right now off the beaten trail of national music press radar. Having said that, Mona, a band recommended some time ago by one of the Rock Chick Institute, are getting noticed, so who knows? 2011 may actually ROCK!


They've been likened to Janis Joplin fronting The Faces but that just touches on the adoration for Lynne Jackaman's vocals and the might of Saint Jude live. Now very much in demand on the European circuit and more at home in venues like Bush Hall these days, these organically growing stars played an intimate set at The Bull & Gate recently with up and coming Swiss (garage rock n) rollers, The Dandies. Both bands raised the roof and kicked it in the crotch with a total rock show. Ronnie Wood of Rolling Stones is really on the ball and has not only given Saint Jude the thumbs up, but also Marner Brown. Five musicians made for young girls to throw their knickers at. They rock HARD and TIGHT live.


Jon Spencer Blues Explosion are back, and in timely fashion, the uber-groovy Hedoniacs and Popskull are ones to watch getting shows in Camden and The West End. London may be bleeding venues like a slashed wrist but what a soundtrack for Westminster to allow the capital's world live music scene to die to. Or www.savethe100club.co.uk 

Love for Saint Jude (October 2010) Kentish Town, London.

Like raving, rock n roll is for everybody. No limits. Get away from it all. You gotta roll with it.