Heatwave Magazine - Issue # 6 - Spring/ Summer 2018 by Heatwave Magazine

Issue 6 - Spring / Summer 2018

Heatwavemag.com

Issue 6 Spring/Summer 2018 Welcome to Issue 6 of Heatwave Magazine! Summer is almost here and what better way to welcome the sunshine than with a wild party and a good read. We have a lot of new beats in store for you, so check out our first few pages to find some bands you’ll fall in love with. In this issue we feature the mighty Mummies, Metz, Miscalculations and Radioactivity, among others and some really amazing artwork. We also visit Brooklyn, speak to some cool people, review some great films and check out some sick top records. But we ain’t going to spoil everything for you, go ahead and find out for yourself. We hope you have a blast reading this issue. It was made with sweat, tears and lots of uppers. -The Editorial Team

Contents New Beats From The Street -More Kicks -The Scaners -Savage Beat -The Jack Cades -Corner Boys Metz Miscalculations Mujeres The Phantom Four

7 9 12 14

Radioactivity Vitamin C (Jamie Morison) The Mummies Women of Colour in Music Popcorn Chokers Bad Sports Static Shock Records Brooklyn Scene The Number Ones Top Ten Records from Teenadelic Records

18 19 22 25 27 29 31 34 36 38

Editorial Department Founder/Managing Director—Neus Ruiz Editors—Victoria Holford & Linsey McFadden Creative Director—Adrian Alfonso Contributors Olivia Cellamare Carmen Guillen Nick Kuzmack Daisy Lee Marko Petrovich Frieda Strachan Illustrators Lluís Fuzzhound George Katapodis Ika Lesniak Christophe Lopez-Huici Ruth Mora Songe Riddle Francisco Salvado Cover Design “Bad Sports” Ika Lesniak Layout Design Adrian Alfonso Special Thanks to Harry Portnof from greenway records, Teannadelic Records and Jamie Morirson for contributing his artwork to our magazine.

Printed by Mortons 3

New Beats from the Street More Kicks Adrian Alfonso

ore Kicks are a brand spanking new band from London. Founded in late 2017, they’re an explosion of top-notch power pop that comes across like the illegitimate offspring of The Ronettes and The Buzzcocks.

Having seen them live I know these boys deliver on all fronts. I was literally blown away by how good all of the songs were, not to mention just how tight they delivered them!

With an artillery of clever and catchy songs filled to the brim with crunchy guitars, hook laden choruses, perfect vocal harmonies and a solid pulsing beat driving the whole thing along.

The band is comprised of Sulli, of Suspect Parts, on vocals and guitar, Marco, of Eliphant, on bass, and Kris, of Los Pepes, on drums, so these guys are far from new to rock n’ roll, but don’t fall back on the reputation or sound of previous projects and have their own approach. ©Chris Almeida

The band do what many newer bands try, but few manage to pull off. They hit that sweet spot between punk and pop without leaning too heavily on either side, or falling into the territory of modern pop-punk, whilst also sounding quite fresh.

In a seemingly short amount of time the band have gotten a lot done, with several gigs played since their formation, and I was elated to find out they have a single recorded called It’s a Drag, coming out soon and I’ll be sure to buy a copy as soon as it does. But for now, the B-side ‘What a Mess You Make,’ is already on Bandcamp for you to listen to. They have quite a few gigs booked this summer, so be sure to check them out in one way or another.

straight into a freaky celestial journey in the stratosphere on their kitschy 1980s-inspired punk ‘Spacecraft.’ “You want a story, count one, two, three,” cries out a cosmic

The Scaners

Carmen Guillen

he Scaners use their inaugural LP to marry the fun vivacity of punk with nostalgic, extramundane storytelling.

If you can’t haul yourself out of bed in the morning, there’s no greater rocket up your arse than throwing on The Scaners’ new intergalactic LP. From the first banging chords of ‘Abduction,’ we too are abducted

Heatwave

lo-fi voice, and what a story we get – namely the story of what it would be like if The Ramones and The Dickies were transported into a garish sci-fi B-movie. The spooky harmonies of ‘No Place in Space’ along with the sweetly sinister organs weaved through this energetic garage punk fairy tale make you feel like crowd surfing with ET through a supernova. With catchy lyrics, songs like ‘Flying Fuck’ will help the heartbroken as they scream “I don’t give a flying fuck… I don’t need your rotten love” while songs like ‘Enjoy Your Flight’ will not fail to elicit a smile upon hearing a sardonic

French voice telling you to “relax, enjoy your flight,” over headsplitting punk drums. In true 1980s fashion, the year of this ‘Levitation Train’ is set alarmingly close at 2077, a mere 49 years from now. So listeners would be advised to hold onto their VCRs and listen to The Scaners on repeat until ‘The Dries’ come for us all.

Savage Beat

Neus Ruiz

he brainchild of the song writing bass player, Rogier Heumakers of The Shining, the band started as a project channelling his love of early Oi! and street punk sounds.

Scouting among his like-minded musical peers, he pieced together a line up consisting of Lionn and Paul, formerly of Wanderlust, on drums and guitar respectively, Steven of Lords of Altamont on second guitar, with his old band mate from The Works, Marko, on lead vocals.

While the street flavour is still there, the songs have evolved, incorporating different influences that the band members all dig. Balls out punk rock with a hint of pub, glam and garage rock. In other words… Street Boogie!

Their debut 12-inch Trench Warfare is out on vinyl on French Armed with a bag full of riffs, they churned out a handful of label, Evil Has Landed Records. The CD is on Dutch label, tracks in Steven’s Studio Mono and then decided to record Rebellion Record and the tape version on German label, Fuck the them earlier this year. Mainstream, We are the Mainstream Records.

The Jack Cades Victoria Holford

he Jack Cades, of Dirty Water Records, play the kind of music that makes you want to jump around with all your best mates in a dimly lit, sweaty basement in Camden Town. It’s the kind of stuff that gets everyone stomping on the dance floor and shaking their heads wildly to the rhythm. If these beats don’t make you want to get up and dance, then I don’t know what will! With an ‘in your face’ R&B, freakbeat type of sound, The Jack

Cades – who have only been playing together for a heartbeat, take a retro 60s Garage vibe and bring it crash, bang up to date with bags of raw energy and excitement. From the songs I have heard so far, ‘Get a Life,’ really stands out and never fails to get my feet tapping. You might recognise a few of the faces Mike, on guitar and vocals, hails from The Baron Four, Elsa on guitar and vocals, is a member the mighty Missing Souls, with Alexandra on bass and Mole, who is also from The Baron Four, on the drums.

They seem to be playing all over the place this summer with dates including June 9 with The Scaners at The Finsbury, in London, and June 28-30 at Franklinfest in Leith, Edinburgh.

If the tracks they have released The band is named after the so far are anything to go by, leader of a famous rebellion then their live show will also be and if feeling rebellious is what one not to be missed. you are looking for, then these guys won’t disappoint. So put on your very best shiny, dancing shoes and try to catch them playing live. 5

Corner Boys

orner Boys are a new Vancouver based band, crafting exciting, infectious pop songs delivered with enough bile and sincere juvenility that when you first hear them you’ll be surprised to find out that you’ve not just unearthed a rare single from 1979.

Taking their name from a 50s slang term for ‘hoodlum,’ their sound definitely suits their name. The band consists of Patrick, of Chain Whip, on drums and lead vocals, Joel, of Nervous Talk, on Bass, and Wade, of Puritans, on guitar. The band started when Wade approached Patrick, knowing that he had played drums before and also loved late 70s power pop and first wave punk. While trying out a few different lineups, Patrick started on lyrics and would sing while playing drums simply for lack of better options. They talked a reluctant Joel into playing bass. Luckily he stuck with them and the band’s lineup was set.

Though the band’s original goal was to take after many of those great punk/power pop bands from the late-70s – to release one 45 and fade away, it seems the band had more steam than they anticipated. In 2017 they released their debut single Just Don’t Care on Stoke-On-Trent’s label, Drunken Sailor Records. It somehow captures the poppy sound of releases from the Good Vibrations back catalogue, while also the snot-nosed sounding attitude of bands on Dangerhouse Records. Luckily for us, there’s no stopping the band just yet, as a second single, Love Tourist, is set for release on Portland’s Dirt Cult Records this summer.

Heatwave

Adrian Alfonso

The band’s song writing formula is simple, Wade writes a pop song on guitar and then the band plays as fast as Patrick can sing it. Joel is a bit of secret weapon as a great singer and songwriter too, adding important revisions when necessary. The band’s plans for this year will include an LP on Drunken Sailor Records, followed by a tour of the UK, and the occasional quick jaunts from Vancouver to California. It seems that 2018 will provide plenty of chances to check out the Corner Boys, so don’t be a fool and check them out!

New Beats from the Street

METZ

Olivia Cellamare

METZ have been around for a few years now and they are easily one of the best bands around. They’ve got the backbone of punk in their sound, but they add something a little tougher to it. Their sound is everything you’d want from a band progressing from punk, while also giving the middle finger to music genres. METZ do not need to be defined by generic labels. Strange Peace shows exactly that, it’s such a brilliant record that shows us all what they are made of. While they are only three records into their career, they are most certainly the best at what they do. Considering there are only three people in the band, they have this grand sound that makes you feel as if there are double the amount of members in the band. Alex is a phenomenal guitarist, who makes you feel as if his guitar is his weapon and his vocals are his bullets. Chris is an exceptional bassist, who creates this rhythm among the brutal sounds that Alex gives off. Hayden is just a beast on the drums and adds to the fury in the METZ sound. All three of them have a bond that truly comes out in their music, and the music is played with such urgency. You connect with music differently when in a live setting and they’re the kind of band that comes alive on stage. METZ are an easy band to connect with and their live shows heighten this greatly. METZ are a band that make you want to make your own noise. Their admirable DIY approach to their sound is something that enhances just how excellent they are. Their debut record was one of my most played in 2012, and I hopedthat everything that followed would be just as brilliant. Of course it was! METZ are just consistently amazing and they do it so effortlessly.

anada has given us some amazing musicians and bands. It gave us the irreplaceable genius, Leonard Cohen, and more recently given us two bands I’m obsessed with – Flesh Rag and METZ. Both bands are criminally underrated, so I’m going to use this space to ramble on about why METZ are so great and how amazing last year’s release, Strange Peace was.

Aside from having punk roots in their sound, they also possess a wonderful noise that is similar to the heaviness of The Pixies and Big Black. I’ve seen some comparisons to Nirvana, but I honestly think METZ go way beyond that lazy comparison. I totally get it, but for me METZ have something else and something more to offer. I love the pure rawness in their music and how it can spur you on. You could be having a really shit day, but as soon as you play a METZ record you feel recharged, like you can take on the universe and whatever it may chuck at you. Something to be impressed by is the fact that Strange Peace was recorded straight to tape. This links into their inspiring DIY approach to music and overall sound. METZ are a massively hard-working band who constantly seem to be on tour. I think that’s something that has honed their style and made them a band that you just need to see live. They capture that real rugged sound so well. They make you feel like you are at their show when you blast out their records. You can throw your limbs about and scream the words in the comfort of your bedroom while pretending you are right in the front row. I feel with each record they have produced, METZ have got progressively louder. Their debut was such a heavy record that it felt like a smack in the kisser. Their second had that same heaviness and bite – recently I’ve found myself playing this record the most.

‘Wait In Line’ is such a massive song. The vocals are astounding and you can just pick up on how vital this song really is. Strange Peace feels totally different. It has a different kind of heaviness and rawness.

Their second record, II, sounds a little louder than their debut. With Strange Peace they’ve ramped up their sound even more. At no point do they repeat themselves.

One thing that is consistent with the band is that they always make you feel as if you are discovering them for the first time. It’s such a grand feeling to possess and there’s no better band than METZ to feel that way about.

For me, METZ are unlike any other band. They really do go beyond being whatever they’ve been labelled as musically. They easily have it in them to be one of the bands future generations name as an influence.

There is something really rare about METZ. They have a firm grip on what Grunge once was, but add something else to it. Sure, like I’ve already mentioned, there are lazy Nirvana comparisons, but METZ are next level.

There is this fascinating raucous sound going on, which is delivered with such an incredible urgency to it. The songs, quite simply put, need to be heard. They need to be heard as loud as possible and as often as possible.

METZ are the sort of band that you just hope make records for the rest of their time on Earth. There is something so unique and important about their sound. Scratch beneath the surface and you will realise that METZ are nothing short of mind-blowing.

Strange Peace is such a fantastic record, so I’m going to focus on that for a little bit. Going back to the heaviness of this record, you’ve got songs like ‘Lost in the Blank City,’ which have a sort of industrial feel to them. If you’re a fan of Pop. 1280 like I am, then you’ll love this song.

It’s the kind of song that would work well in a thriller film or something to do with serial killers. I mean a proper film, none of that made-for-TV movie nonsense. It is definitely one of the most experimental moments on the record.

You can keep your boundaries and your weak comparisons, METZ are a band that are evidently unafraid of pushing themselves and musical boundaries.

Every single time METZ release a new song or record I can feel my love for music being kick-started all over again, because I know I’m going to hear something that will flip my world upside down.

If you have the chance to see them live, go! Don’t worry about not having someone to go with you. Go on your own and be among people who treasure this band as much as you do.

I wish I discovered METZ by seeing them live first. Can you imagine your first introduction to them being at one of their shows? That face-melting noise… oh man! It would have been the best musical discovery ever.

If you’ve never listened to METZ before, I hope my love for them has made you want to check them out. The best way to start, as clichéd as it sounds, is to begin with their debut record and work your way up to Strange Peace. Go in order and you will see the progression of their sound. It’s a beautiful thing to hear.

They make you want to start a band, they make you want to play their music as obnoxiously loud as possible, they make you want to throw your body around to the crashing of the drums. Most importantly, they make you want to listen.

Heatwave

ÂŠ Fisher

A Clairvoyant Stare: Interview with Miscalculations Nick Kuzmack (DJ Nix Beat)

iscalculations started while Shaun Clark and Marco Palumbo-Rodrigues, of No Front Teeth Records, were in The Gaggers. At the time they were both heavily listening to Scandinavian punk such as Masshysteri, Invasionen, The Vicious, Tristess and Regulations. 9

We filmed the videos in December, because we wanted it to be genuinely cold and grey outside, but that was pretty much all we’d planned - just us walking about and then playing. Heatwave: Miscalculations’ latest album Echolocation was released on August 21, 2017. There is a certain maturity in the sound and style, but it retains your iconic sound of electro-punk desperation. How did your approach differ when making Echolocation in comparison to Kill The Whole Cast?

Marco: The progression with each album is intentional – musically the sound and style evolves and lyrically the focus develops far further than I have even taken my words before. It’s like mirror-psychology for me when I’m writing and I push myself very hard to be able to express exactly what I want to, the way I want to.

Inspired, Shaun began writing material in the same vein and invited Marco to add vocals to an instrumental that became ‘Live With Myself.’ This collaborative project soon accumulated enough material for the Miscalculations’ debut album, released in November 2013. Since then Miscalculations have put out four albums and a host of singles. Admittedly the studio version of Miscalculations is different from the live one. This is partly because Shaun now collaborates with Marco from his new home in LA. His touch is still keenly felt on every album, though. The live band now consists of Marco, Mauro Venegas of The Godfathers and Duncan Reid and the Big Heads, Bobby Person of The Scraps and Kris Hood of Los Pepes. In August 2017, Miscalculations released their fourth album Echolocation and in February 2018, they toured Spain. They remain ever busy and are said to be releasing their fifth album in the near future. Catching them while they take a breath, Heatwave chatted with Marco about Echolocation, touring, the power of music and their increasingly bright future. Heatwave: I first got into Miscalculations by seeing the music video for ‘Severing the Spine of Confidence.’ The music video was filmed and edited by Luke Baker. Visually it’s almost got a ‘London Calling’ like feel to it. What were you drawing from for the song? Marco: The ‘London Calling’ comparison has been brought up before, but it wasn’t something we planned. I love that Clash video, so I’m really happy that people make that comparison even though it wasn’t intentional. It’s actually a two-part video that begins with ‘Pain as a Language’ with us walking through the woods with our instruments and into a mausoleum where we set up our instruments just as the video ends. Then ‘Severing the Spine of Confidence’ starts at the very point where the last video ended. We wanted to do a series of adjoining videos, but we abandoned the idea. I still think of those two songs as being one long video.

Heatwave

I have very specific themes that I am very strict about sticking to. The one main difference with Echolocation was that it was recorded partly in Los Angeles, but our approach is always the same – evolve the Miscalculations sound with each album. Heatwave: Miscalculations recently put out the ‘Petrol Sea’ music video. It has a neo-noir feel to it, highlighting the Miscalculations electro-post-punk sound. During the video you’re featured writhing about in bathtub filled either with petrol or some other sinister liquid. What’s going on here and what inspired ‘Petrol Sea?’ Marco: My vision was to juxtapose the dark aesthetics of our electro post-punk sound with one of our more conventional non-electro songs. The subject matter of ‘Petrol Sea’ is very sinister, but it is presented in a very melodic fashion through the music. The petrol sea is a metaphor for being controlled and restrained with no opportunity of release, sort of like an ant being burned by the sun’s rays through a magnifying glass. No matter where the ant goes those rays will follow. I wanted my vocal segment to be completely separate to the band segments, to amplify the idea of isolation and total submersion in the ‘sea,’ this was represented by the liquid, which was coloured black to intensify it and to give the impression of infinite depth. Heatwave: Miscalculations recently toured Spain. What was the craziest thing that happened? Marcos: Probably the time that Bobby thought his contact lens was stuck to his eye, so I was trying to pinch it out. I was pouring saline solution into his eye and then eventually I had a few goes at trying to pinch it out while Bobby was holding his eye open when I suddenly realized there was no lens in there so we were basically pinching his eyeball… I’m surprised we didn’t take some of his cornea off! Heatwave: In an interview with Heatwave Magazine in 2016, you suggested that you were not a fan of going on tour. After touring Spain, has your attitude changed toward this? Marco: I’m just a massive fan of writing and recording music. That will always be number one for me. Perhaps that comes from being an artist, where I start with a blank canvass that undergoes a journey to eventually become a complete painting. That’s where the excitement lies for me – creating something from nothing. Touring is essentially attempting to recreate that impulsive invention over and over again. I enjoyed Spain a lot and we will, of course, tour again but it will never excite me as much as writing and recording does.

© J Javier Filo Martin Heatwave: In that same interview, you also suggested a record could travel farther and last longer than a tour. Could you elaborate on why you believe that? Marco: In my opinion, when a band releases a record they are presenting themselves to the world how they want to be perceived. On record is where you will hear a band in their most complete and perfect form. Even bands that tour a lot will not reach every place that a record will reach – people from literally anywhere in the world can order an LP and be into a band that they will never see live. The Gaggers sold far more records in the US than we did in Europe and we never played there. I’ve never seen, and never will see, some of my all-time favourite bands live, like Teenage Head, yet the records made their way into my life and had a huge impact on me. Also, records are permanent. Long after a band has broken up the music still lives on through these records, rather than just in the memories of people who saw them live. Heatwave: In another interview in Audio Ammunition from July 2014, you mentioned that music is one of the most powerful things that will never go away. Could you elaborate on why that is? Marco: Even without the staunch commitment to listening to or creating music, it will always be a huge part of popular culture and especially youth culture. Oddly enough, I think more kids are listening to music now through YouTube and Spotify than ever before because it’s just so easy. I have three boys and I make a point of not trying to shape and control the things that they like. They listen to tons of punk rock in my studio and in my car when they’re hanging out with me, but I want them to have their own identity. My soon-to-be 12-year-old eldest son likes hip-hop and I’m cool with that. He’s found that route on his own and I’m happy for him to investigate it. He’s into stuff like Tyler, The Creator, ASAP Rocky, NWA, 11

Nas, Eminem, CASisDEAD, and stuff like that. He has definitely started is musical journey. Heatwave: What’s next for the Miscalculations? Marco: We are finishing up our fifth LP, but we’ll be releasing a 12inch before that comes out. We just recorded an exclusive song for the Peter P. Trash tribute, which will be coming out around the summer. More videos, more shows… more of everything!

Mujeres Daisy Lee

ujeres are three Barcelona-based guys who met during film school and have been making fuzzified upbeat 60s surf-garage music together ever since, although they added a different drummer and lost a guitarist along the way. When the band’s frontman, Yago Alcover, isn’t playing guitar or singing – or touring, there’s lots and lots of touring going on, he teaches at a film school. Drummer, Arnau Sanz, is a freelance illustrator and has had a few graphic novels printed by various publishing houses. Bassist, Pol Rodellar, the one-time owner of the cool old school record shop, Luchador Records; whose low ceilings didn’t deter crowd surfing during the gigs held there, now seems to be pretty content as a staff writer for VICE Spain. Their first release was a CD demo that crammed five songs into 13 minutes, followed by the 7-inch Yella (Black Dog Inside My Soul, 3 Canciones de Muerte y Sudo). Consisting of three highenergy tunes in both Spanish and English, it flows seamlessly from bratty-garage to reverberant cowpunk. Even before their first LP came out they had the good fortune to score travel grants to the US and Canada. This was to be the first time of three that they would play SXSW in Austin, Texas alongside a lot of American bands, who later influenced their eponymous LP/CD release in 2009 – Bands such as Shannon and the Clams, The Black Lips and Thee Oh Sees. “The first record was recorded in the studio and we felt like we never had enough time,” Yago said. “When we released it, it was like we put out all the things we had… it was like a collection of all the music we’d written at the time. It was just us and that’s why it was self-titled.“ The dizzying song, ‘LA,’ is a completely swinging and catchy ditty from their first LP that showcases the band’s film background. It was stuck in my head for days… In a good way, of course, not in a ‘Final Countdown’ way. Their second LP, Soft Gems, was made at a rental house in the countryside. I’d compare it favourably to one of my fave Burger Records bands, Dead Ghosts, from Canada, due to its jangly-echoing sound. Heatwave

“For this album, we just made all the songs together in the practice space. There was more improvising and working together,” he said. “We were thinking that you don’t really need to have that hi-fi sound, you don’t need to have it all be perfect, so we just took our gear and hired a friend of ours to do the engineering and everything.” The music clip, ‘Soft Gems Pt 1,’ was shot in 16mm. It is fun and hectic, and uses clips of footage shot at SXSW (among others). One can only imagine how much fun they must be to experience live. “It was made with material recorded live in Vic, which is near Barcelona. Also with shots of tours and from Austin. It’s like a party video, Yago said. “We really believe in rock n’ roll music with only a couple of chords. ‘Soft Gems’ was a couple of chords, basically melodic music for a party. It’s not conceptual with a message or anything – more of a sound concept.” Taking a gander at their Discogs page, it would appear that they are pretty prolific, but don’t actually release that much stuff. “We normally take two years to record a new album and we think that’s too much time,” Pol said. “We do release tapes and EPs in between, but some are just compilations. We normally tour a lot and focus on playing live gigs, so we don’t have much time to record new material.” Un Sentimiento Importante, their newest release, comes in a red and a blue version. The red version was release in Spain and includes a poster, while the blue one was released in France/ Belgium and includes a CD. Most importantly, of course, is how relentlessly warm and upbeat the tunes are. It brings to mind 60s girl groups and Phil Spector from time to time. The melodic ‘Piedra de Sal’ starts with an excellent catchy bass riff. ‘Dije Facil’ is bound to get stuck in your head. ’Suenan Espadas’ and the title song, ‘Un Sentimiento Importante’ with its Mark Sultan-style 60s guitar riffage, are all A-sides. No filler here! It tells the story of friendship between the band members, or so we’re told, since I’m too lazy to ever have bothered learning Spanish and can’t verify it myself… Do yourself a favour and watch the accompanying clip. It’ll dispel any high-tech CGI you may have come into contact with recently. What the heck, while you’re at it, watch ALL of their clips.

Also irresistibly cute and lo-fi is the acoustic ‘Aquellos Ojos,’ recorded in a bathroom… A small bathroom, at that. ”We felt it was good to picture us as we are, not shooting big budget videos in which we act like a band,” Pol said. “It’s like, this is us and we don’t want any rock star masks or anything, just filming us during our day-to-day. Obviously, having studied film, we have a clear idea of what we want and how we want it, but when working with other directors, we let them do what they want (if it doesn’t suck a lot).” Playing Primavera Sound, arguably Europe’s best European indie fest, which takes place in Barcelona, Spain and Porto, Portugal between the end of March and beginning of April, is undoubtedly less daunting now, after their third gig as openers to 4000 Stranglers fans. Mujeres are preaching the garage rock religion in Belgium at the end of April, then rolling into France after the summer holidays. “We’d like to play Mexico, lots of people ask us to go there,” Pol said. Also Japan and Australia are on the to-do list, in part since so many bands they love are from Australia. The Netherlands are on that list too, hopefully giving us enough time to learn enough Spanish to be able to sing along really loudly when they get here.

The Phantom Four Nicholas Kuzmack (DJ Nix Beat)

he Phantom Four first took to the stage in November 2004. Founded by Frank Gerritsen, aka Phantom Frank of The Treble Spankers, they brought the exciting sounds of surfexotica and psychedelia with eastern influences to the forefront of the Netherlands rock n’ roll scene. Over 14 years, they have released a host of EP’s and albums, and have become one of the Netherlands most sought after groups. In 2017, Phantom Frank’s longtime friend and coworker, Gilian Profundo P of The Anomalys and DJ Profundo P, joined The The Phantom Four and debuted by playing the Live at Pacific Parc release party on December 16, 2017. The show was a massive success, not only did The The Phantom Four demonstrate their awe-inspiring musicianship, but they left their audience swaying to their alluring instrumentals. It was almost as though the audience had a spell cast upon them. To say that it was anything less than brilliantly captivating would be a lie. Heatwave sat down with Phantom Frank to learn about The The Phantom Four’s dastardly secrets and their diabolical plans.

Heatwave

Heatwave: The Phantom Four boasts members from several prominent rock n’ roll groups such as The Anomalys and The Treble Spankers. Would you elaborate on your musical backgrounds and how you came to form The Phantom Four?

That’s where I learned to compose and play guitar instrumentals. In those days instrumentals were not popular and we couldn’t find a booker or gigs. All of a sudden Pulp Fiction was released and Dick Dale became very popular again.

Phantom Frank: Although I was trained as a classical guitar player, I started playing in punk bands in the 70s and 80s. I did some country music as well and in the beginning of the 90s I played instrumentals in a band called The Treble Spankers.

We were a tight band and could make a living from playing instrumentals. People finally had a reference and would call it ‘Pulp Fiction Music’.

We don’t believe in studios with vintage gear. We just record and mix everything in the computer.

The band split up in 1998 because of my injured right arm, then in 2004, after a rest of six years, I missed playing guitar again and started The Phantom Four.

Phantom Frank: Actually I’m not a great fan of surf music. All those surf bands sound the same to me and it’s like they are all playing the same songs over and over again.

In those six years, I made a lot of dance remixes, catwalk music and tunes for movies and advertising. I mastered the computer, the sampler and the synthesizer, but missed the guitar and the contact with the audience after a while. So I asked some friends to form a new band and The Phantom Four was a fact. Heatwave: Where does the name ‘The Phantom Four’ come from? Phantom Frank: I was once playing in a country band called The String Phantoms and my nickname was Phantom Frank, or Phantom, because I looked like a dead corpse on stage. Well, I’m still called Phantom, so I called the band The Phantom Four. Heatwave: What promoted Gilian Profundo P to get involved with The Phantom Four? Phantom Frank: Gilian and I have been working at the same place for over 10 years now. The venue is called Pacific Parc. He works as a DJ and I’m the bouncer. So I know all about his musical taste, there are a lot of similarities, and I saw him perform as a guitar player in The Anomalys many times. When our rhythm guitar player left the band we asked Gilian to take his place. Heatwave: The Phantom Four mixes infectious elements of psychedelia with surf rock - kind of like music that could be heard in a Quentin Tarantino film. What are you drawing from to create this sound? Phantom Frank: I always loved psychedelic bands from the 60s and sitar music from India. I guess that’s why you can hear those influences in my compositions for The Phantom Four. Heatwave: How would you describe the evolution of your sound from Madhur (2006) to Mandira (2014)? Phantom Frank: I don’t think there’s a difference between the songwriting on those two albums, but the sound of Mandira is better because I have learned to make better mixes now. Both albums were recorded in my bedroom, by the way.

Heatwave: Who are your favourite surf artists?

I’m much more influenced by European bands like The Shadows and The Spotnicks and I like Link Wray and Jimi Hendrix a lot, as well as gypsy music, classical music and flamenco. I’m very into world music and always loved Arabian, Greek and Turkish tunes. That’s probably why people call me a surf guitarist, because those influences were heard a lot in old school surf music from the 60s. To me The Phantom Four is just a band playing guitar instrumentals and not surf instrumentals. Heatwave: In 2011 The Phantom Four collaborated with the Arguido (Patrick Rudeboy Tilon of Urban Dance Squad) for The Obscure EP. How did that partnership come about? Phantom Frank: Our drummer Niels Jansen and I always loved the voice and the energy of Rudeboy. Rudeboy sometimes visited our concerts and he and Niels already knew each other. So we just asked him to do some songs together. We were a little bit bored of playing instrumentals anyway. It all resulted in a complete album with Rudeboy and all of a sudden we could do 60 gigs in one year. Heatwave: In the release you recorded covers of The Cure’s ‘A Forest’ and New Order’s ‘Leave Me Alone.’ What about these songs inspired you to re-work them? Phantom Frank: Music from the 80s is a great influence as well. And sometimes those old songs sound great when played as instrumentals. We’re doing covers of Kraftwerk and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark as well. People just don’t expect those covers from an instrumental guitar band and the audience is often surprised in a positive way. John Peel, for instance, was a great fan of the song ‘Das Model’ from my former band The Treble Spankers. He played it a lot on his show. sHeatwave: What was the process in creating Live at Pacific Parc? 15

©Mart Arkink Phantom Frank: We recorded our very first gig in a bar called De Diepte and made a CD out of that called Live at De Diepte. After ten years we thought it was time to record a new live album again, but because the microphones were placed near a bin where they dropped empty beer bottles you could hear the sound of breaking glass in almost every song. Although that’s a great sound, it was just too much and we had to record another gig and that took time. Eventually, three years after our 10-year anniversary the album was released, I think our fans liked it. Heatwave: Live at Pacific Parc was released on December 16, 2017 at a show at Pacific Parc. How was the turnout at that show and how was the album received by your fans? Phantom Frank: That show was also the introduction of our new member Gilian, and we hadn’t played for more than a year, so we were all very nervous. We only did five or six rehearsals with Gilian, but I think the evening was a success and a great video was made of the event. Heatwave: Does The Phantom Four have plans for another record? Phantom Frank: We don’t know what to do next yet. Releasing a CD is somewhat out of fashion these days, but there are a lot of new songs waiting to be recorded, so we will probably release those songs on vinyl and Spotify only. Heatwave: What’s next for The Phantom Four? Phantom Frank: After finishing our tour in Holland, we are going to concentrate on playing abroad. We’re going to play in Italy, Spain,

the UK, Brazil and Mexico in the near future.

Heatwave

Rehearsal and Recording studios are now in Homerton We have 17 years experience and are here to help. · Brand new rehearsal rooms with air replacement system– no more stale sessions · Solid soundproofing with spectrum analyzed acoustics · Great price 3 hour evening slots · Really affordable- book on the day rates · Large 7x7m multi use room · Recording studio with 12 channel Neve desk Give us a ring for a chat 0207 923 9533 or have a look on our website http://www.gunfactorystudios.com

rom the man that brought you the signature sound of The Marked Men, comes the electro-punk sensation, Radioactivity. This quartet of punk veterans brilliantly blends power pop melodies with the charged desperation of punk. Now based in Denton, Texas, the initial formation of the band was in Japan and was known as ‘The Novice.’ They were founded by Jeff Burke, of The Marked Men, while he was living in Mito, Japan. When he returned to the States he renamed and reformed the band under the name Radioactivity. “I left Japan because my work contract was ending and I decided it would be a good time to head back home,” Burke said. “We didn’t record much as The Novice, but we were a very active live band in Japan. It seemed weird to use that name in the US since we were already a fairly established band with those members, at least in Japan.” Heatwave

Apart from playing in Radioactivity, the band members are also involved in a number of side projects. Singer and guitarist, Burke, also plays in Lost Balloons, bassist, Mark Ryan, plays in Mind Spiders, guitarist, Daniel Fried, and drummer, Greg Rutherford, are both in Video and Bad Sports, while Rutherford also plays in Wiccans. In the States Radioactivity signed with Dirtnap Records. Originally they were slated to be a two album project. “When I first talked to Ken (Cheppaikode) at Dirtnap Records about doing a record, I had plans to record the first two albums back to back and then have them released close together,” Burke said. “He announced them both at the same time because of that, but it ended up taking a lot longer than expected on our end to finish the second record.” The first record, Radioactivity, was released on October 29, 2013. The songs for this

self-titled album were written in a one to two year period several years before the album was actually recorded. Working with a deadline, Burke used demo versions of the tracks to teach the new band the material for the record. In contrast, the material on their second album, Silent Kill, was written over a longer period of time. The process of recording Silent Kill required cutting down an impressive list of 20 songs into the 12 on the record. “Some of them were written before the songs of the first LP and some were written the year of the recording,” Burke said. “We had been playing most of the songs live for months before recording Silent Kill, so I think each member’s individual style helped solidify the feel of the songs and the album. Also, there was no strict deadline so it gave us more time to decide which songs fit together the best to make the album.”

©Ika Lesniak

Radioactivity: Razor Sharp

Nick Kuzmack (Nix Beat)

Got Vitamin C: Art of Jamie Morrison Neus Ruiz & Linsey McFadden

amie Morrison of the Welsh/American noise punk band, Pale Angels, has been making art since he was a child. As a teenager he discovered the Toy Machine Jump Off a Building skate video, which put him on the path to discovering one of his biggest artist influences – Ed Templeton. Aside from being a professional skateboarder, Toy Machine’s founder, Ed Templeton, is a well-known photographer and artist. “He was a huge influence and a gateway to a whole new world of art and approach,” Jamie said. As an artist, Jamie works under the pseudonym, Vitamin C. Just like with his band, Pale Angels, Jamie also splits his artistic work between the UK and the US. When it comes to Pale Angels, they are primarily based between Swansea, Wales and New Jersey.

©Jamie Morrison

Radioactivity have already released two albums, however they have plans for future records. Even some of the unused tracks meant for Silent Kill may see the light of day. In 2017, Radioactivity released their Infected / Sleep Single through Wild Honey Records. Like previous releases, their new single captures the punchiness of punk with the tenderness of power pop. With two solid releases behind them, Radioactivity continues to tour extensively and play in many places across North America, Japan and Europe. In each city they play, Radioactivity is exposed to various punk scenes with their own unique environment. Shows in cities like Milwaukee, Minneapolis and Chicago have a home-like feel, while others bring on new experiences. “Cities like Toronto and Austin usually mix bills up more and we often play with hardcore bands, which is always fun,” Burke said. “Some scenes have better luck with DIY venues than others, but we have great shows in clubs and bars as well. That all being said, nearly every punk show just feels like a punk show. If someone is coming to see us play then they likely grew up in a punk scene. So no matter what city I’m in I always feel that I’m playing for people that could have been my friends if I had grown up there.”

Jamie’s artistic bases on the other hand seem a bit more fluid. His most recent exhibition was part of a group showcase The inspiration for this particular piece in the Skid Row area of LA, which he comes from a wall mural outside of a arranged with a friend. The showcase church in Jamie’s hometown, Swansea. concentrated on the issue of homelessness. “I thought it was funny how cosmic “We put together an event to showcase and otherworldly the image seemed, art in response to the homeless crisis in almost space-aged,” he said. “I like the LA County, mainly concentrating on the juxtaposition between those connotations Skid Row area,” he said. “We called it Light and ideas of how unnatural and non& Noise, in hopes to start a ball rolling in human organised religion seems to me.” terms of communicating with each other If you’re interested in learning more about that there is an obvious issue that shouldn’t Jamie’s various projects, Pale Angels’ feel as ignored as it does down there.” music, including their most recent album, Up next, Jamie and his friend plan to 2017’s Live in San Pedro, is on their repeat their Skid Row model in a few more bandcamp. To view more of his artwork cities. They plan to use their art to raise please visit gotvitaminc.blogspot.com awareness about the homeless community in London next, and New York after that. “Raising awareness and starting a conversation is the main objective,” he said. “But we also are trying to raise money for the local shelters and services in the cities we’re focusing on, by selling art and taking donations at the events.” If you’re looking for a quick peak at Jamie’s artistic aesthetic, just flip the page and take a gander at his mosaic-inspired piece, Strange Powers, on pages 20-21. 19

ÂŠ Christophe Lopez-Huici

The Mummies Olivia Cellamare

round 30 years ago, one of the greatest bands in the world was formed in California â&#x20AC;&#x201C; San Bruno to be exact. Some may never have heard of The Mummies, but those who know them, like me, absolutely love them. Some may regard them as a gimmick, but those who get it know exactly what this band is about.

Heatwave

They go beyond meaningless labels. They go beyond music. They’re out of this world, and damnit after 30 years you better listen up! The Mummies are said to have been the inventors of the ‘Budget Rock’ sound. If you’re into labels, then this one might get you off. Who knows?

©The Mummies

The Mummies aren’t your typical garage rock band and they’re not a straight up punk band. They are something else.

They became a fascinating force based on their image – bandages like a mummy, obviously, and by using dirt-cheap, battered instruments. It wasn’t just to seem ‘cool’ or something similar. They created the same sound with their bashed-up guitars as a band with a Les Paul, or whatever. They were, and are strictly about the music. The music is off the wall, absolutely insane and like nothing else you have heard before. It is unlike anything else you will ever hear. The Mummies have been around for close to three decades now, so it’s about time we all properly appreciated this brilliant band. I first discovered The Mummies in my teens. I heard a John Peel session they had done a few years after it had been recorded. John Peel was my gateway to the weird, the wonderful and a better world for my ears. If it wasn’t for him I’d have never discovered The Fall – and for that, I am eternally grateful. I owe John Peel a hell of a lot, and having The Mummies do a Peel Session was easily one of the best moments of his show. The Mummies have a way of bringing carnage to their shows and recordings. Nothing they produced ever sounds like it has been re-recorded over and over to get a certain sound. It always sounds like they recorded it once, then left. I love that about them. They have an effortlessly independent sound and approach to their music, which for me is something I always look for. I want my music to occasionally be loud and to sound like it doesn’t have a plan. The Mummies go beyond all of this. As we approached Christmas 2016, I told my girlfriend that I had spent a lot of hours in record shops and online trying to find a record by The Mummies, but it always ended in my own take on heartbreak. Either the shipping costs were stupid or the price of the record was equally as shameful. One of the many things I love about my girlfriend is that she doesn’t give up – and it proved to be a great moment on Christmas Day in 2016 when one of her presents to me was a record by The Mummies. I wanted to question how and where she got it from, but it would have ruined the moment. She went above and beyond to get me this record. As much as I love The Mummies, I try my best not to play it too much because I want to treasure it for as long as possible. But when I do play it, I make sure none of my housemates are home, so I can blast it as loud as possible! Sometimes I throw my caring nature aside and just play it super loud anyway. Everyone needs to know The Mummies! By the time you read this, The Mummies will have played

their London show. I bought a ticket, but I had also booked a flight home for Easter. Oh, and moved out of London finally, so I couldn’t go. This was, again, my take on heartbreak. I think I have slowly resigned myself to the fact that I may never catch a show by The Mummies, but my ticket to the show has gone to a good home with Heatwave’s very own Penelope. I’ve constantly been intrigued by their live shows and the way they pretty much try to annihilate the crowd. I also wonder, how often they change their bandages? The way they throw their instruments around, and how Trent plays the organ and just goes totally nuts on it. They are just such an influential band and I reckon they hate that. For me, I can hear a lot of what they did in other bands that fall into the garage rock sound. Some have credited them, others haven’t. Some try to be like them, but it just doesn’t wash at all. There will never ever be a band quite like The Mummies. Some are just too afraid to push boundaries and the buttons of music. The Mummies just didn’t give a shit. They still don’t. So sure, it may be a shame that they’ll probably never do a full tour and oneoff shows are all we have to cling to, but it’s better than nothing. Their music is something that will give them the legacy that they truly deserve as one of the greatest bands of all time. With their respectable DIY approach and their dislike for CDs, they never made music just to be different for the sake of it. They knew what they wanted to do and they knew exactly how they wanted to sound. Some may have called them a joke based on their costumes and the fact they used dirt cheap instruments, but the joke is on those who called them that. The Mummies are one of the most underrated bands of all time. If you’ve never seen it, I urge you to go on YouTube and search for The Mummies show, from Counter Culture Cable Access TV in 1991. The presenter said they were the best band you’ll ever see, and he wasn’t wrong. The set is about half an hour long and it is a beautiful mix of chaos and destruction. It is just a hint of what their live shows are like. Trent pretty much launches himself at the entire band by the end of the first song. I’ve seen it so many times. 23

I can only imagine what it must have been like to have actually seen it back in 1991. There is one thing in particular that I respect The Mummies for – their lack of social media presence. It is explicitly stated on their website that they do not use it. This keeps up the mystery surrounding the band and their lack of presence online is so refreshing. All too often we are exposed to too much from others on social media. Sure, it’s nice to see a band dicking about on tour, but sometimes it is really nice to know nothing about a band. Most of the bands I love and write about, I know nothing at all about them. All I know is the music and how much I love it. For me, that’s the only way to be. I know that some want to be open and accessible, but can you really live your life the best way knowing that your every move is caught on camera and broadcast immediately? It’d be enough to tip me over the edge. The Mummies have constantly maintained this mystery about them that just makes you fully invest in their music. If I had the money, I’d go to their one-off shows they do all over the world. I’d also have to take every sleeping tablet imaginable to put my mind at ease about flying too! The Mummies once told Sub Pop to “fuck off,” when they approached them to see if they could release a 7-inch single as part of their then, Monthly Singles Club… a typical response by The Mummies? Probably.

If a band did it now then they’d probably be lynched for it. However, I respect Sub Pop for trying to do this. I’m pretty sure it is obvious that The Mummies would have said no in their own way. There really aren’t that many bands around that have the guts and approach that The Mummies do. They are such a rare band, and nothing and no one can define them. The interviews they have done (mainly Trent) show a band that may not take themselves too seriously. They’ll rip anyone apart who comes at them in a hilarious manner. You kind of almost want them to lay into you. We all have our own views on what makes a band great and why we love certain bands or what makes a band become our favourite. The fact that The Mummies are never consistent or ‘typical’ is something that cemented my love for them years and years ago. They formed two years after I was born and have been a constant love of mine for so long. So sure, I may never see their show, but they turned me on to other bands and exposed me to music I probably never would have found if it wasn’t for them. And that for me, will last a lifetime. VIVA LA MUMMIES!

Carving out Space: Women of Colour in Music

ur music scene is often presented as a white man’s playground with women and people of colour sitting in as background characters. While underground music scenes still tend to lean white, cis and male, people from all intersections have been pushing the boundaries and making room for themselves. Lexis Afifi from Ultrasound Bookings started her femme-centric music promotion venture in Amsterdam two and a half years ago. To date, all of the lineups for her bookings have included women, except for one. “Some of the most positive experiences have been feedback from people picking up on the fact that I try to showcase female talent and create a space for women in the music industry,” she said. “Meeting inspiring people, having people get enthusiastic and wanting to help, support and get involved, receiving kind messages…”

Linsey McFadden

It’s not uncommon to go months without seeing female representation at an underground music show, let alone representation from women of colour, making Lexis’ presence as a woman of Egyptian descent in the predominantly white Netherlands a bit of a statement. “I guess you could call me pretty political, after all, being a woman of colour makes you a political instrument,” Lexis said.

Like many others in her shoes, Lexis often feels like she’s not being political enough and that she should be doing more. The reality is simple – the ability to not feel the need to take on extra Ultrasound is primarily a one-woman show. Lexis does all of labour in any setting is a privilege. the work on her own and often ends up doing much more free “It’s so hard not to, because I feel like if I don’t… Who will?” Lexis work than paid work. said. “I started doing a radio show with a friend of mine and If she feels like she needs help with any of her events she wanted to mention the Women’s March, and she is a white Dutch prioritises reaching out to other women. That includes the woman, and said she would rather not get political. It baffled me fliers for her gigs, which she sometimes uses as a means to as I thought ‘you can AFFORD not to be political’.” showcase female artists’ work. Misconceptions about what it does and doesn’t mean to be a “I think it’s about time people start understanding that feminism feminist and the weaponisation of the term against women and helps everyone and should be intersectional,” she said. allies can often make people hesitant to align themselves with more radical thinking bands, artists and organisers, as well, but The promotion company got its start in the DIY punk scene, Lexis does feel that things are changing a bit for the better. but has shifted to be punk, post-punk and new wave over time. However Lexis is up for booking other kinds of bands as “I am happy to see a shift in music, I think the Weinstein long as she enjoys them, of course, and has even recently case definitely allowed some women in music to speak up,” booked a doom metal band. she said. “I also feel that a lot of people are put off by feminism because they assume a lot of women are ‘too radical.’ What “Hopefully it will inspire more women to carve out that space does that even mean?” for themselves,” she said. 25

Aside from more diverse demographics, she also felt that radical politics were more encouraged by members of the community, creating a more welcoming atmosphere for people that don’t fit into the dominating white patriarchal social norms.

In comparison to her experiences in Europe, Lexis notes that whenever she has spent time in California, she felt that the underground music scenes are more diverse and put more emphasis on DIY ethics.

“It’s funny because I have spoken to a lot of Arabs/people from mixed backgrounds and they say the same,” Lexis said. “They all feel more at home in California than in Northern Europe.” While all countries have widely varying population demographics for many reasons, an important aspect of creating a more diverse scene lies in cultivating an atmosphere in which people genuinely feel safe and welcome. “Amsterdam is pretty diverse, but still a very ‘white’ society,” she said. “This country has a horrible colonial past and the remnants of that are still omnipresent throughout the city. I think acknowledging it is the first step.” Booking shows in general can be quite difficult, let alone booking shows aimed specifically at giving women in music a platform. The city’s scene is small and Lexis feels like the younger generation is more interested in techno and dance nights than live bands. However, while underground music scenes may not be making the strides towards inclusivity we might hope for, there are still bands and activists with varying backgrounds operating in the city. “I feel that activism nowadays is more political in different ways, there is this guy I like, Bo Hanna, he is Egyptian, Swedish and queer, and writes a lot about the experience of gay people of color in Amsterdam,” she said. “Mounir Samuel, who recently transitioned, also Egyptian and Dutch, and has addressed a lot of these issues. I feel like the writers and intellectuals have a broader reach.” In addition to booking shows, for the last year Lexis has been hosting a monthly radio show in which she highlights female “Women are so multi-dimensional and interesting and I like to artists and interviews band members. The radio show shares the think that my musical taste reflects this,” she said. same name as her booking company, Ultrasound. As for the future, she plans to take things easy for the summer, The show is broadcast on Red Light Radio and past episodes can but she is planning a small yet-to-be announced festival be found on the online station’s Mixcloud. Live episodes can be sometime in December. found at redlightradio.net Hopefully Lexis will continue to be surrounded by friends and Lexis has received a lot of positive feedback regarding her women who appreciate and support her and her work, while radio show and has had people tuning in, despite not having she continues to pave her way and help make space for the next generation of women in punk. advertised it much. “That is why I keep doing it, and out of responsibility towards the “I think it’s about time people start understanding that feminism scene,” she said. “At first the men in punk were complaining about helps everyone and should be intersectional,” she said. none of the younger generation putting on shows and then when I did they’d be like, ‘how do you know this band,’ as if women only find out about bands through men/boyfriends. Super frustrating.” Lexis is a big fan of bands like Priests, Downtown Boys and Cat Power, but she’s also incredibly enthusiastic about emerging female artists in the Middle East, citing the Egyptian musician Nadah El Shazly as a current favourite. Heatwave

kerosvic o h C n r o c p o P trachan & Marko Petr Frieda S

Debbie Harry wrote a song about Harry and when they later met sparks went off. Longtime friends and collaborators like David Lynch, Wim Wenders and Sam Shepard shed light on him as an actor - an immensely talented and dedicated professional who does not shy away from being brutally honest and vulnerable.

We get glimpses of relationships that went wrong and feelings hurt. In the end Harry chose the life of a loner and a bar fly, but enriched the hell out of everybody else’s lives with his no holds barred portrayals of human weakness, melancholy, and the strength to face up to whatever comes your way.

The scenes with Harry and David Lynch together on the sofa are as hilarious as they are illuminating. Wenders talks a lot about giving Harry his breakthrough-leading role in Paris, Texas, a part in which Harry invested a lot of his own personal demons.

Shot in black and white and interspersed with wonderful scenes from his long career, this is an astonishing portrait of a cinematic legend and one of the last great character actors of our time.

Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction (2012) Marko Petrovic

hen I went to see this documentary I had no real expectations. I love Harry Dean and was prepared for a labour of love project with a slew of clips and talking heads, but it turned out to be an impressionist gem of a film. Harry Dean doesn’t say much, but when he does it’s funny, moving and thoughtful. However, what he does do for almost half the time he’s on the screen is sing – beautiful, h e a r t f e l t , g u t - w re n c h i n g love, loss, longing and the full renditions of country classics spectrum of emotion. and Mexican mariachi songs. Kris Kristofferson sheds a light on During the film we come to their friendship and professional realise that music was his relationship - Harry got Kris his great passion, a vehicle for first acting job and Kris let Harry him to express his feelings of play with his band.

Rolling Stone: Stories from the Edge (2017 Frieda Strachan

tories from the Edge is a two part documentary about the legendary US music magazine, covering its 50 years of existence. It’s directed by Alex Gibney, a liberal American documentary filmmaker known for, among others, Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, Enron: the Smartest Guys in the Room and Sinatra: All or Nothing at All. A few things are certain about a Gibney documentary, they are well researched and produced with access to A-list interviewees, they are politically progressively tinged and featuring an infectious soundtrack. On the other

hand, his style is conservatively conventional, with mostly talking heads and fancy montage sequences. That being said, the subject matter is always interesting and topical. 27

As a magazine they had arrived. They totally locked in on the zeitgeist and the culture of the day, something that the purely music orientated British magazines, like NME, failed to do. Another major breakthrough was when they hired Dr. Gonzo himself, Hunter S. Thompson, to cover the 1972 elections.

The Ramones rejuvenate the music industry by stripping it to its bare essentials. It’s telling that Jann Wenner, although he was never a fan of The Ramones, could sense the shift in culture and sniff out young, hip journalists that could immerse themselves into the newest trends and had the finger on the pulse of the generation. So nothing earth-shattering here folks, but a well-made chronicle of a crucial music and pop culture magazine.

It’s at the epicenter of the hippie Revolution was still in the air movement, anti-war and antiand they seriously believed establishment. When guitars that they could move the were cool and the sex was safe. critical mass of the youth What’s fascinating about movement into changing that period is the dichotomy America and the rest of between the massive appeal of the world. That part of the the music on one side and the documentary is recycled relatively amateurish business from the above mentioned around it. It was still a few years film on Thompson and is before armies of managers and one of the highlights. lawyers surrounded the rock As the story moves further stars of the day; hence the into the 70s, boring corporate massive scoop of interviewing rock and the suits take over. John Lennon and taking That is until Springsteen, at intimate photos of him and least spiritually and lyrically Yoko Ono. The blasting Beatle taps into the real lineage of mania and the cult of celebrity early rock n’ roll and then was a culture shock.

The story starts in San Francisco in 1967, where Jann Wenner, an affluent young radical and rock n’ roll aficionado, decides to start a music magazine, which submerges itself into youth counter-culture. With a loan from his parents and the help of his wife, they start a little operation and get some local notoriety.

Neus Ruiz

ad Sports are a Texas band formed in 2007 by Orville Neeley, of OBN III’s, Daniel Fried, of Mind Spiders and Wax Museum, and Gregory Rutherford, who also plays with Wax Museum.

In 2008, they started scattering their 7-inch around record labels, until their self-titled debut album was released by Atlanta-based label, Douchemaster in 2009. But it wasn’t until August 2011, when Portland´s Dirtnap Records released their second LP Kings of the Weekend, that their fastpaced garage punk sound took off and spread around like wildfire. They have been described as a ‘mix of sneer and swagger, mirrored with Ramones-style pop,’ as well as ‘a band with pedigree.’ Their latest release has been cooking for months and will be out soon worldwide on Wild Honey Records. Their single Open That Door has been depicted by two of our illustrators, Ruth Mora and Songe Riddle, in the following pages. Heatwave

Â© Songe Riddle

Heatwave

Â© Ruth Mora

STATIC SHOCK RECORDS

f you live in London, or Europe for that matter, and you haven’t heard of Static Shock yet, you’re definitely missing out. As a label, they boast releases from current American cult favourites such as Krimewatch, as well as Canadian hardcore legends, Career Suicide.

Linsey McFadden

Their annual weekend-long festival is growing into the stuff that legends are made of, with people travelling from all over the world to catch Static Shock’s impressive lineups.

That year Static Shock first started doing LPs, and of course they didn’t limit themselves to what was available in the UK. One of their first LPs was for Brain f≠ from North Carolina.

But for those of us that live in London, we’re lucky enough to get the chance to catch Static Shock’s regular gigs, while catching up with the man behind it all – Tom Ellis.

From then on, Tom started doing a record every few months. Today, Static Shock has put out close to 60 releases.

Static Shock started in May 2008. Before that Tom had another label, but he won’t dish too much on the details or bands he worked with, because he doesn’t think it was very good. “I was really excited about trying it out and I was like ‘yeah, yeah, yeah, I’ll do your band, I’ll do your band!’ and I made a ton of mistakes,” Tom said. “It didn’t go very well and I finally realised I wanted to make a fresh start.” After that, he started working under the label’s current name, ‘Static Shock,’ and released the first record. Static Shock’s first release was a 7-inch called Young Pretender by the Canadian band, Dangerloves. He also used Static Shock as a way to put out music for his band at the time and kept the label’s growth at a pretty slow and steady pace for the first few years. Up until around 2011-2012 Static Shock was only releasing two to three records a year, but by 2012 Tom decided to throw himself into the label. “It was just again, there’s this band I want to see coming through, I’ll do a show for like Nobunny, I’ll do a show for whatever hardcore bands I wanna see,” Tom said “Then around 2011-2012 it got to the point where most of the bands I wanted to see started asking me to put them on, which was really nice.”

As for the promotion side of Static Shock, that’s got a much longer history. Tom started booking shows when he was 18 in his hometown of Guildford, 45-minutes outside London. “I started going to shows around London at the time, and then I wanted to try it in my hometown,” he said. “So we started doing shows in this youth centre in Guildford, and it actually got to the point where it started doing really well and we could do 25 shows a year. After a while they started attracting touring bands and it got to the point where some bands would play Guildford over London, which was kind of ridiculous looking back on it” Luckily for us Londoners, Tom moved to London in 2009, bringing the foundation for what would become Static Shock with him. When he first moved into the city he didn’t really see a need to book shows like he had in Guildford, because there were already shows on every night, but eventually he started to miss putting gigs on and got back to it. “We started numbering all the shows, that was mainly from seeing old Japanese punk fliers and every show had ‘gig volume this, gig volume that,’ and it just seemed kind of ridiculous,” Tom said. “At one point I wanted to give every show a name as well, cos you see fliers like ‘All Crusty Spinning Loud Night Volume 26’ or something like that, I was like, ‘yeah we could do this,’ but I never got that far.”

The over-the-top gig name idea may have never taken hold, but the gig number system stuck and Static Shock’s up the Volume 152 now. If you count the gigs Tom put on back in his hometown, he’s already reached 300. He started booking shows at the Grove in Stockwell, and eventually moved to Power Lunches in Dalston and now books a great deal of his shows at New River Studios in Haringey.

Thankfully Static Shock’s shows have found a bigger venue, with larger options for festivals. When they held their weekender in November 2017 they were able to make use of not only New River’s standard showspace, but also of the neighbouring Ex Fed warehouse. Static Shock Weekender 2018 will be held in the same place. “London’s always had this thing where shows or scenes were centred around one venue at any given time,” Tom said. You might be surprised to hear it, with the acoustics you’d expect from a warehouse, but the bands that played in Ex Fed actually sounded amazing, and they definitely needed the space! I tried to go inside when Rata Negra played the New River stage and it was packed from the stage to the doors, but luckily, when the bigger bands like Haram, Exit Order and Limp Wrist took the stage it was in Ex Fed. Having Limp Wrist play Static Shock Weekend was definitely a bucket list moment for Tom as a promoter, but he probably couldn’t have seen that happening when he started the weekenders in 2012. “I was like, oh I kinda wanna do a weekender in London, because no one was doing it, so I booked it… It didn’t go very well,” Tom said. “All of the bands I wanted to play couldn’t play and the first night was, Heatwave

I think 40 people showed up and the Sunday night was a gig for a show I had no intention of seeing, and it kinda made me step back a bit and realize that’s not how I didn’t really want it to be, so next time lets do it really well.” In order to get a better grasp of the kinds of fests he wanted to put on, Tom attended a few in North America, such as Not Dead Yet, in Toronto. These fests were basically what Tom had in mind for London. The second Static Shock Weekender in 2014 was the first ‘proper’ one in Tom’s eyes. For that one he brought over bands like Rakta, from Brazil – who also played again this past year, SHIIT from Toronto, Hank Wood and the Hammerheads from New York, as well as a bunch of bands from Europe. “I remember one night after I announced it, I did all the costings, I was literally just lying in bed asking myself ‘what the fuck have I done, like you’re an idiot, how are you gonna do this’,” Tom said. “And somehow it worked out. It broke even… So we did it again the following year.” The best part about Static Shock gigs, releases and crowds is the general diversity – diversity in people, diversity in taste, diversity in music, etc. Music scenes in London are very segregated in terms of subgenres, in comparison to the North American cities I’ve lived in and spent time in, but Static Shock gigs have much more ebb and flow, in my opinion.

That’s no doubt thanks to Tom’s own diverse taste in music, as well as his approach to booking bands. He goes out of his way to make all people feel welcome and aware of not only his events, but also other shows he thinks they might be interested in. “One thing I’ve noticed from working in record stores as well, is that so many people come in that you wouldn’t expect to buy punk records, Tom said. “Lots of people are into it, so I’ve always tried to be like ‘oh yeah, you should check this out or come to this show in two weeks time,’ and from that I think a lot more people have picked up on it.” In a smaller town, like the one Tom comes from, there’s not a lot going on and people are more likely to go check out just about © Joe Briggs

“Power Lunches was great because it was the one place that would let you do whatever you wanted and got it, but it was so fucking small,” Tom said. “They were always very inconsistent about the capacity, which in a way was very, very over eager. They were like yeah, yeah there’s a basement downstairs, you can let 100 people in, but that would turn into, we got a hundred people in, we can let in another ten.”

‘oh yeah, a lot of bands playing shows were all men’,” Tom said. “To be honest, I hadn’t really thought about it that way before and it didn’t necessarily make me feel uncomfortable, but I definitely wanted to make sure it wasn’t a thing where people were thinking ‘ah, well it’s just men playing, so why would that appeal to me’.” Recently, Tom’s been trying to cut back on how heavily he books shows. Now he wants to make sure that every line up is perfect and that he’s actually enjoying every event he puts on. “I guess I got a little bit burned out with gigs last year,” he said. “I had like three in a row, where I was sitting at the door and I was like, ‘am I having a good time tonight?’ And it’s like, if I’m even thinking that it’s time to step back.” For now, Tom is only planning on doing six shows this year, aside from the annual Static Shock Weekender, of course. One of those, The Number Ones on St Patrick’s Day, has already happened, and the next one isn’t until SHIIT play in June, but only time will tell if Tom sticks to his plans of cutting back.

anything, because there just aren’t as many gigs to choice from. The idea of being open to different kinds of music seems to reflect Static Shock’s booking style.

As for Static Shock Weekender, no bands can be announced just yet, but keep your ears peeled, because if last year’s event is anything to go by, it’ll definitely be worth attending.

“One thing I was always worried about with shows being inclusive is that you wanna make everyone welcome, but there’s also a thing about people going the other way, where people try and book something, which didn’t work on the venue and it’s like ‘oh no’ we’re trying to be inclusive, it’s almost insulting to the people playing,” Tom said. “Like oh yeah, we’re gonna book a night of like all these raging hardcore bands and put an indie band halfway through just so we can feel like we’re covering our bases. It’s almost tokenism at that point.” Tom’s general take on a line-up is that is should be open enough to expose attendees to new bands, without alienating people or bands at the same time. Static Shock wants the bands to compliment each other in a general sense, with everyone feeling good about the bill. If you’re a music promoter trying to make something like punk or hardcore seem more open and less alienating, that’ll obviously include trying to seek out more bands formed of members with varying intersections. It’ll never be hard to find an all cis white male lineup in punk and hardcore, but fortunately more and more great bands with femme, queer and poc members are forming. “I think about five or six years ago someone pointed out to me like 33

A Day in the Life of Greenwa – A Brooklyn Indie Label

y Records

Harry Portnof, Founder of Gr eenway Records

rooklyn is an insanely big, diverse place with so much going on every single day. From music to art, food and pretty much anything you can imagine, this city is a thriving hub.

Brooklyn’s own Dirty Fences, at The Loft at Elsewhere, a chill new venue with its own coffee shop. We chat about their upcoming EU/UK tour this summer and plans to continue the push on their latest LP Goodbye Love.

I’ve been diving into the music scene here for most of my life, constantly in search of new music and the best up-and-coming bands, keeping my ear to the ground and trying to find magic before anyone else.

A band like Dirty Fences is constantly touring, which is the absolute best way to promote a record. Even though we live in a digital, “15-seconds of fame,” world where everything’s expected instantaneously, there’s only so much an online premier does for a band, no matter how big it is.

Naturally, this path led me to the idea of creating a record label, trying my hand at getting these great new bands heard outside of our Brooklyn and NYC bubble. Since the formation of Greenway Records every day has been an exciting new chapter and challenge. To better understand the evolution of Brooklyn and its indie rock n’ roll music scene, here is a look at a ‘typical’ day walking in my shoes: 9am – Wake up, usually hung over from the previous night’s show. Instead of hooking myself up to a coffee drip, I head to my favourite coffee shop, The Hungry Ghost. The coffee’s great, and its relatively quiet, with space for me to set up shop and start my work day. 10am – First priority is diving into the hundreds of emails in my overflowing inbox. The subjects range from music submissions to press releases. Heatwave

Recently, Greenway signed a worldwide distribution deal with The Orchard, which opened up a lot of incredible opportunities. I check in with my label manager and get to business coordinating my new release schedule. Most of the time it’s making sure the product can be made in time for deadlines, so whatever record I’m working on is available for its targeted release date. Before the myriad of daily meetings start, I check in with my main pressing plant to see where they’re at in the pressing process and make sure we’re keeping everything on track. 11am – As the morning rolls on, I meet up with Max Roseglass, guitar player for

The most endearing way to build up a fan base is the tried-and-true method of getting out on the road and playing your ass off for new people night after night. 12pm – Come noon, I’m heading over to Rough Trade in Williamsburg. We’ve lost so many celebrated record stores and music venues over the last few years in Brooklyn and the rest of NYC. Record shops like Other Music, Rebel Rebel and venues like Death By Audio, Shea Stadium, Cake Shop and 285 Kent are all long gone (RIP) – victims of rising rents and the everchanging landscape of the city. We are lucky that new spots are popping up to fill the void, one of my favourites being Rough Trade.

It’s a massive space that stocks a ton of great, new records, including all of Greenway’s new releases, which is always surreal to see in person. Rough Trade also has an incredible venue with great sound and a coffee shop. Overall, the spot has the vibes to help keep things alive when we need it most. 1pm – At lunchtime, Brooklyn’s Las Rosas band rolls into Rough Trade. We just released a 7-inch for their single ‘Christa’ and we check out some of the copies that are available at the shop. The 7-inch is a lead-in for our upcoming LP together, Shadow By Your Side. Greenway’s whole aesthetic is making a product that’s as artistically beautiful as the music that’s on it and Las Rosas’ pink vinyl 7-inch is no exception.

2pm – By 2pm, I hit the road to New Jersey, where a pressing plant I work with on a lot of Greenway’s projects is located. It’s a small plant and there’s both positives and negatives to working with them. The major advantage is its proximity to the city. I’m able to be there in person while they are pressing my records and actually lend a hand in the process. Artistic vinyl is Greenway’s calling card, so the ability to get really creative, like hand-pouring a crazy splatter record, is priceless. Most of the larger pressing plants aren’t able to do this, since it’s not considered efficient or cost effective, so I try to take advantage of the opportunity as much as possible. On the flip side, the disadvantage of working with such a small, niche plant is that we rely on a mere two machines. If there’s a technical issue, which happens more often than you’d think, it pushes production back by a week or so, which can be super stressful since deadlines for distribution are very tight with costly fines and late fees. 5pm – After visiting the plant, I head back to Brooklyn to meet up with my visual artist, Dan Curran, for a quick bite at Calexico in Park Slope. I’ve been so lucky to connect with someone as brilliant and artistically talented as Dan. We’re genuine friends who spend much of our time together hashing out ideas for new cover art and show poster art for upcoming releases. Dan has the ability to turn the random, fleeting ideas in my head into reality, while I’m stuck drawing stick figures. He’s a never-ending river of ideas who has helped define Greenway’s visual aesthetic. 7pm – As night time approaches, I mentally prepare myself or tonight’s shows. First up is a record release show for Acid Dad’s self-titled debut LP. At the moment, their debut LP is my main focus. Before the show, I meet up with my publicist Dana, of High Voltage PR, to chat about the press rollout of the record. She always she’s lined for tonight’s

does her best for Greenway and up some interesting industry people gig, including The New York Times.

Press is always a dice roll, but I’ve found that it’s invaluable to find

The record industry is such an interesting landscape. I feel strongly that a cool, physical product can turn someone who’s on the fence about getting into a band into a lifelong fan.

someone who believes in the records we release and goes to bat for Greenway every time they pitch. 9pm – Showtime, baby! I head to Baby’s All Right for Acid Dad’s show. Baby’s has become a home base for Brooklyn’s indie scene. It’s a fun venue with a great stage and sound and it’s personally one of my favourites. Shows at Baby’s are spent meeting key players in the indie scene, including artists, photographers, musicians, managers and other labels. We all come together to check out the next big thing. I’ve been lucky enough to work with great local photographers, like Devon Bristol Shaw, Kelsey Wagner, Justin Aversano, and Sabrina Hamady, who come out to every show and brave the front lines on a nightly basis. Tonight’s celebration packs the place out, which is a great sign for any local band. A release show is the culmination of hundreds of days of hard work to get to this point, but for the audience its day one. 3am – Many shots of tequila later and a location move to Birdy’s, a Bushwick dive bar, and it’s time to call it a night. I’ve lost track of half of the band and my bed is calling me. I call an Uber and peace out. I hope you’ve enjoyed walking in my shoes for a day. It may sound like a lot of fun, and it definitely is, but there’s so much hard work, blood, sweat and tears that goes into running a label as well. The key for me has been remaining focused and never forgetting why I decided to do this in the first place. The hunt for the next great band, the next great song, and the next great record constantly inspires and drives the Brooklyn music scene and me. 35

Another Side of The Number Ones Linsey McFadden

ublin-based power pop/punk band, The Number Ones are back again with a four-track 7-inch Another Side of the Number Ones.

I had no idea they had a new release coming out, until I saw it on the wall in All Ages Records. It’s been three years since their debut LP came out on Static Shock, so their recent release was a pleasant surprise. The band consists of, Eddie Kenrick on guitar, Seán Goucher also on guitar, Cian Nugent on bass, and Conor Lumsden on drums. Vocals are shared across the band, which is part of what makes them work so well, in my opinion.

the fold naturally enough, we were probably still in college together at that point and it just made sense. We played some gigs with different drummers then mine and Cian’s teenhood pal Conny completed the family.

Conor: The latest 7-inch is called Another Side of The Number Ones because, where before the songs were written primarily by Eddie and Sèan, these new ones were written by Cian and myself. I had the two songs written and kind of didn’t know what I was going to do with them, and Cian kind of pushed to do them with The Number Ones. So we did! But it’s hard to get that across so I think the title’s a little lost on people. I still laugh at it every time.

Heatwave: I didn’t even know you had a new 7-inch until I found it in the store one Conor: We’re an old band. day. How long were you Eddie: We ain’t young anyway. working on it for? Done fuckall though, so kinda Eddie: It was a bit of a slog feels new. to get it out, there were lots I think that’s when LP came out of hiccups along the way. (2014) and we did our first tour. We recorded it a long time ago, Standard two week UK tour. so it coming out of nowhere Shoutout to Charlie Martin. was more because of that Heatwave: Did Charlie Martin than any kind of considered break or anything. book the tour?

Conor: Cian asked me at a party, and I asked, “Playing what, drums?!” He said, “Yeah!” and I said, “But I don’t play Eddie: Nah, Tommy Elvis (Ellis) drums!” And that explains the booked it. Chas drove it. He first few 7-inches. was a male model in the 60s Eddie: I remember mailing and is still gorgeous. Wears Oi Goucher very excited saying, Polloi t-shirts, loves samosas.

We caught up with Eddie and Conor to hear about the other side of the band and their plans “This cat’s a fuckin natural,” Heatwave: Tom said to turn Static Shock into a pop so you must’ve shown promise something about you lot label with their various projects. early on. doing a tour in the US in the fall? Hope your US tour driver Heatwave: How did the band Heatwave: I discovered you guys after I moved to the can live up to him. get its start? UK in 2014, but how long Conor: We’ve been blessed Eddie: Seán and I kind of has the band been around so far! Our other captain Mila knew each other to see for, exactly? the Italian took over for our last around town and had some European tour. Who knows mutual friends, I think we Eddie: The tape came out who we will have in America. gradually noticed each other in 2011. The tape is just me, Maybe me?! posting similar stuff online Seán and Seán’s brother, or something and eventually Gerard though. We recorded Eddie: I think we’re doing a awkwardly arranged to it in their attic, Ger was week in US/Canada, so short play some music together. wearing his school uniform. and sweet, nothing’s confirmed Weird tape in retrospect. yet though so can’t say much. I was living in a lodge by the beach and he came out on I guess it was a while after Heatwave: Ya’ll were pretty the train and we wrote the first that before we really started quiet for a while so the new tape over the following weeks. treating it like an actual band… release seemed to come out I think Cian kind of just entered Not that we really do that now. of nowhere. When did you Heatwave

decide to make new music?

Conor: We recorded it quickly I think. We recorded it in our practice space on a tape recorder. Then we had a big load of hiccups, so we drank a glass of water upside down. Eddie: We recorded all the music ourselves and that only took a few days, it was more all the other bits and pieces that come after that delayed us. Didn’t help that recording to a broken tape machine makes it sound like someone’s running a fuckin’ hairdryer over it either, but hey. Conor: Yeah it sounds like someone letting the air out of a balloon really slowly. Eddie: The first test press sounded like heavy rain on the roof of a tent. Tom Elvis went fuckin’ mad, but it’s fine now. I actually love how it turned out.

Tenterhooks closed down, I’m a little out of touch with the more indie/pop side of things. I kind of have mixed feelings on really varied line-ups but when it works it can be great. Heatwave: Are you guys popular over there? Eddie: I’ve no idea. Our launch was nuts, but we had Protex play and it was BYOB soooo… Heatwave: What are some of your favourite bands in your music scene right now? Conor: Davy Kehoe, Brigid Mae Power.

Stephen

Star,

Cryboys,

Pacifics,

Eddie: Dinah Brand are my favourite Irish band, but they never play. I love Fiend from Galway. Extravision, Soft on Crime, Surge, Music City, Cian Nugent. Leigh just told me Sissy will have an LP out at some point, so there ya go. Heatwave: What do you think you’ll do next as a band? Conor: Change the face of rock n’ roll. Or at least fatten it. Heatwave: How did you end up sorting the sound out?

Eddie: Yeah with Conor on that one. Honestly though, I’ve no idea. I guess write a bunch more songs!

Eddie: Plugged the hoover out. Conor: Mikey Young - audio wizard worked his magic. Eddie: Yeah we tweaked the mix a lil, Elvis went with a different plant and we managed to squeeze it onto 45. Conor: Recording to cassette and pressing on a 33rpm 7-inch is not a hi-fi approach. Eddie: Live and Learn, which will be next LP title. Conor: Big Fat Number Ones. Heatwave: What projects do you have in the works? Eddie: Cian and I play in a band called Cryboys, Goucher and I play in the Pacifics, and Conor’s about to be a world famous troubadour. Conor: Cian has his solo career, Eddie has Nite Club. I have a 7-inch coming out in July for my band Music City on Static Shock. Eddie: Yeah, keep an ear out for Nite Club in 2018! But yeah honestly the Music City record is fucking insane, so everyone buy that or at least hit me up for the MP3s. Conor: We’re turning Ellis’ punk label pop. One release at a time until it’s exclusively bubblegum reissues. Heatwave: So what’s the music scene in Dublin like? Seems like ya’ll have fairly diverse music taste and Tom was saying you’ll share bills with bands like Disguise and stuff pretty regularly. Conor: We’ve only played once in the last 2 years, but there are loads of great bands! Dublin is small enough that you can have pretty eclectic line up, which is great. Eddie: Things are pretty quiet here at the moment on the more punk/hardcore end of things since the DIY venue 37

Maxime from Rixe was feeding me chips during our set in Paris. They were gorgeous. Conor: My drumsticks get smaller every set because they’re hot dogs that I eat in between songs.

TEENADELIC RECORDS’ TOP TEN RECORDS 1. Elevators – Your I’s Are Too Close Together 7-inch (Koala Records, 1980) This is the single that we began to dream with in the early days of Teenadelic. For a while we also thought about reprinting it. The guitar on this track is just killer!

3. Fast Cars – The Kids Just Wanna Dance 7-inch (Streets Ahead Records, 1979) A Bunch of English kids who came out with this generational anthem in 1979! Since the start it’s been the one and only motto of Teenadelic Records, and besides what else would the boys want to do if they did not dance? 5. Chunky – Albatross Baby 7-inch (Orange, 1973) One of the most obscure singles of the Glam era and one of the best songs ever. No one knows who the singer is or which musicians played it. They simply seem to have disappeared over the years! This single sends me into to the fantastic world of junkshop glam. 7. The Little Roosters – The Little Roosters LP (Polydor, 1981) Clearly the interests of Gary Lammin of Cock Sparrer and Teenadelic are the same – football, working class and rock n’ roll. The 11 tracks on this album, produced by Joe Strummer for the French market, sound as strong as The Rolling Stones.

4. MC5 – Back In The USA LP (Atlantic, 1970) Well, not too much to say on this. MC5 was just one of the greatest bands ever. Their pure rock n’ roll energy was made just to kick your ass out! In my opinion, this is the best album they made because contains one of my favourite songs ever, ‘Looking at you.’ The World still desperately needs bands like MC5.

6. Tartan Horde – Rollers Show / Allorolla pt.1 7-inch (United Artists, 1977) The one and only Nick Lowe made this single for the Japanese market as a Bay City Rollers fan band. Our idea of a fan club starts here.

8. The Kursaals – Television Generation 7-inch (CBS, 1977) From the Kursaal Flyers experiment to make a song for the “kids,” a perfect pub rock/ punk rock track comes out.

9. Rockin’ Horse – Yes It Is LP (Philips, 1971) This is pure pop at its best, an incredible album rediscovered in 2012 by the American label, Sing Sing Records (a role model for Teenadelic). Over the years of their activity they have pulled some real cool hidden gems out of the 70s box. Heatwave

2. Real Kids – All Kindsa Girls 7-inch (Sponge, 1977) It’s impossible not to mention this quartet from Boston. This was their first single and the first power pop song I ever heard. Singer, John Felice, was also a Ramones roadie. Without that track, maybe I would never have been involved with power pop!

10. Big Star – Any of their Albums. If there’s infinite love, then it’s impossible not to love Big Star!