Sleeper Hits 2014, Vol.1

The videos we've collected here have been around for some time now but unless you're already a fan of these bands, there's a strong chance you might have missed them. Hit play below and sample some excellent tracks, handpicked from some of the best rock records we've listened to in the first five months of the year:

Cloud Nothings - I'm Not Part Of Me (from "Here And Nowhere Else" LP)

The Men - Different Days (from "Tomorrow's Hits" LP)

Protomartyr - Come & See (live @ Viva Radio - from "Under Color of Official Right" LP)

Blank Realm - Reach You On The Phone (from "Grassed Inn" LP)

Hospitality - Going Out (from "Trouble" LP)

Marissa Nadler - Dead City Emily (from "July" LP)

Finale with the brand new video for "Blackt Out", the epic track that closed last year's "Last Night On Earth" album by Lee Ranaldo and the Dust - "a movie of a song in a dream of a movie":

1975 - 1979: Top 30 Albums of the Punk Era

Time for a flashback to the late ’70s, the era that gave birth to punk rock and all its various mutations that, in one way or another, have influenced all guitar music we’ve been listening to in the last 40 years.

The trigger for this flashback was the recent Soul Jazz Records compilation "Punk 45 - Kill the Hippies! Kill Yourself! The American Nation Destroys Its Young Vol.1 1973-1980" which chronicles the rise of underground punk in the USA with a series of excellent singles released between 1973 and 1980. The Punk 45 series continues with a new release this month with the self-explanatory title "Sick on You! One Way Spit! After the Love & Before the Revolution Vol.3: Proto-Punk 1969-77" (see also here).

Before we get our hands on that one as well, time to revisit our 30 favorite albums of the punk and post-punk years. By including only one album by each artist or band (and leaving out compilations or EPs), we came up with this formidable list:

1975 - 1979: Top 30 Punk & Post-Punk Albums

1.   Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols - THE SEX PISTOLS
2.   Live At The Witch Trials - THE FALL
3.   Unknown Pleasures - JOY DIVISION
4.   Entertainment! - GANG OF FOUR
5.   London Calling - THE CLASH
6.   All Mod Cons - THE JAM
7.   Ramones - RAMONES
8.   Fear Of Music - TALKING HEADS
9.   This Year's Model - ELVIS COSTELLO
10. Pink Flag - WIRE
11. Suicide - SUICIDE
12. Marquee Moon - TELEVISION
13. Second Edition - PUBLIC IMAGE LTD
14. The Scream - SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES
15. Damned Damned Damned - THE DAMNED
16. (I'm) Stranded - THE SAINTS
17. The Modern Dance - PERE UBU
18. Horses - PATTI SMITH
19. Parallel Lines - BLONDIE
20. Cut - THE SLITS
21. Germ Free Adolescents - X-RAY SPEX
22. Real Life - MAGAZINE
23. Three Imaginary Boys - THE CURE
24. Radios Appear - RADIO BIRDMAN
25. Young Loud And Snotty - DEAD BOYS
26. The Undertones - THE UNDERTONES
27. Drums And Wires - XTC
28. Specials - SPECIALS
29. The B-52's - THE B-52'S
30. Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! - DEVO

Listen to our Top 30 on Spotify:



What else should be in there? I leave the comments to you…

Die! Die! Die!, live @ Six D.O.G.S (Athens, May 10, 2014)

New Zealand noise rockers Die! Die! Die! made their long overdue live debut in Athens this Saturday giving us a welcome alternative to staying home and watching the Eurovision Song Contest! Add to the equation local noisemakers Rita Mosss and what you get is the perfect recipe for intense, ear-damaging punk rock.

Unfortunately, it turns out that very few were in the mood for noisy rock'n'roll on this particular Saturday night, so the gig in the intimate surroundings of the tiny Six D.O.G.S club felt more like attending an open to the public band rehearsal.

Thankfully, the low attendance didn't stop the New Zealand trio from putting on a  strong show, playing a powerful 50-minute set which included new material from their upcoming fifth album "Swim" (you can listen to "Sister", a song about being good to your mother as they introduced it to us, on their bandcamp page) as well as several good selections from their extensive back catalog (check out "Harmony", the title track of their previous album, below).

Die! Die! Die! ended their show with singer Andrew Wilson performing in the middle of the club surrounded by the few faithful who came to see his band and who undoubtedly will feel obliged to start spreading the word to those that missed out: Kiwi rock is back with a vengeance!

Die! Die! Die! - Harmony, live @ Six D.O.G.S

New Releases: April 2014

Round up of the most interesting albums and singles released in April 2014 including some of the best Record Store Day releases:

Albums

THE AFGHAN WHIGS - Do to the Beast
PROTOMARTYR - United Color of Official Right
EMA - The Future’s Void
HTRK - Psychic 9 - 5 Club
WYE OAK - Shriek
BRODY DALLE - Diploid Love
PIXIES - Indie Cindy
WOVENHAND - Refractory Obdurate
THEE OH SEES - Drop
PINK MOUNTAINTOPS - Get Back
SMOKE FAIRIES - Smoke Fairies
DAMON ALBARN - Everyday Robots
EELS - Eels Perform The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett
WOODS - With Light and With Love
AVEY TARE'S SLASHER FLICKS - Enter the Slasher House
FEAR OF MEN - Loom
RINGO DEATHSTARR - God's Dream
A VICTIM OF SOCIETY - Distractions
BABY GURU - Marginalia
OFF! - Wasted Years
TWEENS - Tweens
ELLIS ISLAND SOUND - Regions
DEAD FADER - Blood Forest / Scorched
MARIA MINERVA - Histrionic
CHAD VANGAALEN - Shrink Dust
RAMONA LISA - Arcadia
THE FAINT - Doom Abuse
CHAIN & THE GANG - Minimum Rock N Roll
BE MY WEAPON - Greasy
DAN SARTAIN - Dudesblood
PURE X - Angel
THOUGHT FORMS / ESBEN & THE WITCH - Split LP

Singles & EPs 

PARQUET COURTS - Sunbathing Animal
THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART - Eurydice
PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING - Elfstedentocht
MAZZY STAR - I'm Less Here
THE BLACK ANGELS - Clear Lake Forest EP
WHITE DENIM - A Place To Start
CONOR OBERST - Hundreds Of Ways / Fast Friends
JULIA HOLTER - Don't Make Me Over / Hello Stranger
THE JULIE RUIN - Brightside / In the Picture
KIM DEAL - The Root
PIXIES - EP3
BRODY DALLE - Don't Mess With Me
HOWLING BELLS - Slowburn
FEAR OF MEN - Luna
BROKEN BELLS - Holding on for Life
THE NOTWIST - Run Run Run
TEMPLES / JAGWAR MA - Shelter Song (Jagwar Ma Jono's Wrong Mix) / Man I Need (Temples Remix)
DAMON ALBARN - Hollow Ponds / Lonely Press Play
PAUL WELLER - Brand New Toys / Landslide
JEFFREY LEE PIERCE SESSIONS PROJECT - Zonar Rose
BLACK LIPS - Funny
FUCKED UP - Year of the Dragon
OFF! - Learn To Obey
OF MONTREAL - Jigsaw Puzzle 
WITCHING WAVES - Concrete / Chain Of Command
GIRL ONE AND THE GREASE GUNS - No Longer Spellbound / The Nightmare Room
JUCE - Braindead
CHVRCHES - We Sink
METRONOMY - Love Letters (Soulwax Remix)
DJANGO DJANGO - Porpoise Song
GARBAGE - Girls Talk / Time Will Destroy Everything
BLACK BANANAS - Physical Emotions
DAN SARTAIN - Pass This On
HAMILTON LEITHAUSER - Alexandra
YUCK - Southern Skies EP

Cute cat alert! Here's the video for Parquet Courts' new single:

Parquet Courts - Sunbathing Animal

Have a listen to our April 2014 new releases playlist on Spotify: