Ever since we found the dial to Slumlord Radio through their Tokyo Roadhouse Sonic Sex Castle EP back in 2013, the Grand Rapids hailing trio has had us relishing and devouring each slice of their dirt encrusted, attitude fuelled punk bred sound. Each subsequent release has only seen the band’s sound grow more striking and irrepressible and our enjoyment more intense and with the release of their new single, Gonna Be A Riot, the trend continues.
The release consists of two tracks, the voraciously rousing Gonna Be A Riot and a just as irritably animated cover of The Stooges’ I Wanna Be Your Dog. It has been four years since Slumlord Radio hit the spot and drew rich acclaim with the uncompromising, bruising, and incessantly dynamic Too Pretty For Tijuana EP, time which has seen their sound find even more belligerence, instinctive aggression, and rebel rousing enterprise as proven by Gonna Be A Riot.
Though bred on the raw seeds of punk rock, Slumlord Radio’s rock ‘n’ roll embraces essences of stoner rock, sludge, metal, and garage punk in its roar. Gonna Be A Riot epitomises the recipe behind their songs whilst casting a whole fresh incitement in its craft and devilry. The track springs an initial blast of noise before strolling through ears with a mischievous catchiness. The beats of drummer “Rattlesnake” Matt Claucherty echo that devilment in their senses rapping swing, the bass of Michael “The Westside Wolfman” Todd a matching encouragement as the dirty tones of vocalist/guitarist Tommy “Capt. Hollywood” Erickson share their grouchy goading.
With every twist adding bold unpredictability to the equally fluid stomp of the song it is the crazed enticement of the gang vocals seeing Myron (Dirty Americans/Workhorse/The Workhorse Movement), Christian Cooney (MOTO), Joseph Henry (The Holy Warheads) and Alicia Adams among the holler, which add the final infectious layer to the quickly proving irresistible encounter.
As much as the band stay true to the heart of the original, Slumlord Radio adds their particular predacious touch and prowling threat to I Wanna Be Your Dog, the song’s intent as toxic as it is submissive. It is a superb version of the classic and as its companion sees Cooney provide a guitar solo, the track also welcoming a similar contribution from Jeff Piper (Dirty Americans/Workhorse/Workhorse Movement) and a great piano teasing from Jeremiah Pilbeam who also produced the single.
Though we as a great many wish for more regular encounters with Slumlord Radio when they come around they are moments which so far have had us gripped in rock ‘n’ roll rebellion; Gonna Be A Riot one more great trigger.
Gonna Be A Riot is available now via White Elephant Records on vinyl and as a name your price download @ https://slumlordradio.bandcamp.com/
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Pete RingMaster 08/01/2020
Copyright RingMasterReview: MyFreeCopyright
The Room in The Wood is centred round the creative union of guitarist Paul Cavanagh and vocalist Dave Jackson, the pair back writing and playing together again since the demise of their post-punk band The Room in 1985; a band whose single, Things Have Learnt to Walk That Ought to Crawl still finds an eager place in our ears. That alone sparked real anticipation as what The Room in The Wood might offer and as Charmed reveals, it is pure captivation.
Creighton, Scott Campbell, and Rob Campanella. Crying All The Time is taken from Brilliant Failures, the quartet’s new album planned for release mid-2020 and no finer a teaser for the full-length are you likely to hear.
The final single we urge you to go explore is The Delicate Balance of All Things from Beauty in Chaos featuring Wayne Hussey. The song is the first appetiser for the LA-based collective’s new album, The Storm Before The Calm, a release due February 21st via 33.3 Music Collective which as its predecessor sees the project formed/led/curated by guitarist Michael Ciravolo (Human Drama/ Michael Aston’s Gene Loves Jezebel) uniting with the craft and talent of numerous musicians.
The Killers has been suggested as a reference to the band’s music but straight away as What For? strolls through ears and especially as it settles into its eager almost teasing temptation an Inspiral Carpets like hue rises to the fore. Even so it is simply a single flavouring in the band’s indie rock audacity as the guitar and vocals of John Hewitson swing across the rhythmic enticement of bassist Craig Morrison and drummer Robert Lang. There is a great grumble to that bass which earths the loftier melodic threads which spring from the guitar while Lang’s beats just enjoyably nag throughout.
Microcosms is the creation of guitarist/vocalist Andrew Tschiltsch, an initial solo project which after a few years saw the addiction of bassist Bryan Emer and drummer Jered Pipenbrink. Musically its alternative rock nurtured sound welcomes the inspirations of artists such as Arctic Monkeys, Bully, Cage the Elephant, Courtney Barnett, Portugal. The Man, and Wolf Alice and emerges as “music to question your beliefs to”. Debut release, the Know My Body EP, enticed well-receiving attention in 2017, its impact soon eclipsed by that of the Fairytale EP a year later. They are successes we expect to be once more surpassed by, given the chance, that surrounding Forget Us.
