Royal Oi! – Bootboys and Hooligans

Getting fed up of a punk roar is never a possibility, especially when it comes in the oi fuelled shape of the debut album from Scottish incitement Royal Oi!, a quartet creating street punk anthem after anthem. The release is a passion driven riot of sound and intent, uncaged by a band which, in their own words, just write and sing “songs about their passions and everyday struggles.” There is no agenda to their music, just the want to create a rebellious revelry for all to get personally engaged in; that an undoubted success found by their first full-length.

Hailing from Glasgow and drawing on inspirations from the likes of Bonecrusher, Perkele, and Cock Sparrer, the foursome of vocalist/guitarists Dave and Ana, bassist James, and drummer Jim first gave attention a healthy nudge with a four track demo in the December of 2014, its presence backing up a live presence already causing stir. Now it is Bootboys and Hooligans doing the contagious badgering and raucous persuading, a thick persuasion set to put Royal Oi! firmly on the punk map.

The album erupts with its title track, the opener a virulent stomp of punk riffs and spicy hooks driven by cantankerous rhythms. It is instantly a marker of things to come within Bootboys and Hooligans, an anthem setting the scene and the first great taster of the twin attack vocals from Dave and Ana. The former leads the track here with the pair alternating to some extent across the release, but always it is a dual incitement that hits the spot as resourcefully and potently as the grooves and hooks igniting ears.

Skinhead Warrior keeps the impressive start going, Ana’s snarling tones, backed by scything beats and grouchy riffs, alone an inciting call. Great backing shouts only add to the drama and catchiness of the track too, with the bass and its throaty bait another heftily compelling element before Docs and Tattoos takes over, sauntering in on a tasty groove spearing a charge of insatiable energy. Like a mix of 4 Past Midnight and Angelic Upstarts with a scent of dragSTER to it too, the song further whips up energies and an already awoken appetite with its punk ‘n’ roll devilry.

Both In My Heart, with its antagonistic passion and enterprise, and the fist in the air call of Punx and Skins ‘Football, Oi! and Rock n Roll’ keep body and emotions energised and greedily content; the first as a sing-a-long anthem no one could refuse. Its successor is more of a bruising confrontation but no less infectious as it draws the listener into full involvement of its rowdy adventure. The same can be said of all tracks within the album, Skinhead Loyalty swift proof with its inviting canter of sound and voice. Though the song is a less intensive proposal and without the extra spark of other songs around it, it still leaves ears, feet, and contentment enjoyably busy.

Musica Oi! enters ears on a great shadow lit predation, guitar and bass a prowling temptation leading to an eyeballing charge led by the thumping rhythms of Jim. Ana vocally growls and entices with typical prowess and energy as the track proceeds to twist and evolve through a varied landscape of imagination, intimidation, and enthralling enterprise. It is a mighty slab of punk matched in success by the old school bred Survive, a track rocking and rolling with prickly hooks and rapacious rhythms as vocals brawl with ears. It is another gem amongst only treats within Bootboys and Hooligans, a lingering protagonist keeping a firm hold on memory and provoking a hunger for more just like the outstanding Together. A chest beating call to arms, the song is glorious, a punk rock infestation stirring up the passions with an honest and open heart.

Bootboys and Hooligans ends on the raw onslaught of Violence, a challenging and tenacious roar on the state of the world today, and a highly pleasing and formidable way to end one thoroughly thrilling release. We cannot tell you how long Royal Oi! has been around but to our, and we suspect a great many others, their album is an introduction and wake up call to their rousing bellow. So for us there is a new and fresh oi incitement in town which excites and incites in impressive manner.

Bootboys and Hooligans is out now as a co-release between LastPunkRocker Records (150x Scottish Flag Blue), Crowd Control Media (150x White /w Blue Splatter), and Rebel Sound (150x Scottish Flag White) with an additional albums pressed in 50x Classic Black.

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Pete RingMaster 22/11/2015

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Hub City Stompers – Caedes Sudor Fermentum: The Best of Dirty Jersey Years

It never takes much of a reason to get our stomp on here, any excuse to fling limbs and energy around like a headless chicken devoured. One band which has perpetually been a spark is Hub City Stompers but in collecting a horde of their horniest ska bred tunes for their latest album, the band has set the fuse to global skanking like no other.

     Caedes Sudor Fermentum: The Best of Dirty Jersey Years is an irresistible bundle of songs personally chosen by band founder Rev Sinister and taken from previous releases Dirty Jersey, Blood Sweat & Beers, and Mass Appeal. It is also offers a long awaited outing on vinyl from the band, its songs re-mastered by David Perez of Memphis Street Studios for the format.

For those new to Hub City Stompers, the band was as mentioned, formed by Rev Sinister, the former vocalist for NJ Ska band Inspecter 7. When that band went into a kind of hibernation around 2001, Sinister searched out to like-minded musicians and by the following year, Hub City Stompers, with a line-up consisting of ex-members of bands such as Inspecter 7, Bigger Thomas, Professor Plum, Predator Dub Assassins, Bomb Town, and The Heavy Beat, was unleashing irrepressible creative romps. Infusing essences from styles such as reggae, punk, oi!, and hardcore amongst a few others into an array of ska flavours from the 60’s through to the 80’s, the band quickly bred a unique voice to their music which took little time in awakening greedy appetites, as shown by the success of 2004 debut album Blood Sweat and Beers and the Mass Appeal EP a year later. Both the Dirty Jersey and Ska Ska Black Sheep full-lengths of 2006 and 2009 followed suit before the band took a year out on hiatus as Rev Sinister members returned to help revive Inspecter 7. Last year though saw the frontman quit the band and return to Hub City Stompers, bringing it back to raucous new life as evidenced by their last album Life After Death which came out last December. It was of course a heftily welcomed return with their new compilation alone holding all the reasons as to why.

The twelve-track escapade opens with the epic sounds of Wtfiu, ears instantly under a cascade of roving rhythms and sultry brass whilst keys seduce and romance the imagination. Soon into a trampoline like gait, every beat and riff a bold bounce, the track is quickly the puppeteer to the body and soul of the listener, its contagion and energy aural addiction and merciless incitement. Uncaging a scuzzy intensity in its climax, the glorious opener sets release and ‘victim’ off in insatiable style before Bumbl-B is allowed to swarm over ears with its choppy stride and infesting key bred melodies. Vocals snarl and invite whilst the bassline coring it all, is heavy nectar, just two aspects colluding to stir up air around and the passions of all in close proximity in an encounter reminding of the UK’s own King Prawn at times.

Both the smooth skinned, Scarlet & The Harlots meets The Beat like Skinhead Boi and the ska ‘n’ roll canter Johnny Date Rape, captivate with their individual swaggers, both enticing as masterfully through the voice of Jenny Whiskey as they do with their ever tenacious weave of sounds whilst Chatterbox swings with reggae hips as the flirtatious clipping of the guitar aligns with hypnotic beats and another juicily moody bassline. Again the two tone elegance of The Beat comes to mind as the song seduces feet and sparks thick attention but once more Hub City Stompers employ all spices in their own renowned inventive and hungry adventure.

Trojan Night lifts bodies and dance-floors with its insatiable infection of sound and revelry next, early Specials a scent within its romping body, whilst a great Hub City Stompers infested version of The Cure’s Boys Don’t Cry hits the passions in the form of Skins Don’t Cry which hounds and brawls with ears; its punk toned sound and words twisted with Hub City Stompers warm irreverence.

A sixties smooch comes with the lively dance of Leave Me the F**k Alone after that thrilling pair, its own body a mischievous and flirty tempting sure to ignite everything from toes to voice in all to fall under its spell. Another exciting physical workout is guaranteed by band and song, a promise pretty much applying to all songs on teh album let us be honest, the following I’ve Got a Boot even in its belligerent and rawer ramble, a tonic to enliven the body, its relaxed and resourceful hooks and boozy brass lures especially intoxicating.

The magnetic punk irritability of F**k You, You’re Irish hits the spot with ease, its Dropkick Murphys like bar-room tromp a grin inciter matched in fun and unique persuasion by the jazz lined, blues charmed Little Julie Swatstika before the album is closed off by Mass Appeal and one last undiluted swing of sound and energy.

     Caedes Sudor Fermentum: The Best of the Dirty Jersey Years  is the cream of Hub City Stompers in the ears and thoughts of the band. Sometimes it is easy to forget the power of a band in consistency and evolving adventure over time and a good Best Of as here, can bring that home. This is simply a brilliant compilation which excites whilst igniting even greater and eager anticipation of the band’s exploits ahead.

Caedes Sudor Fermentum: The Best of Dirty Jersey Years is available from September 30^th as a co-release between Rebel Sound on 150x White Riot Vinyl, Crowd Control Media on 150x Clear Vinyl, and Not Dead Records on 150x Green Goblin Vinyl, each colour exclusive to the individual label with 50x Classic Black Vinyl versions also available.

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Pete RingMaster 30/09/2015

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Los Brigands – Nothing’s Clean

We had limited knowledge of Los Brigands up to this point in time but that is about to change and for a great many others no doubt, thanks to the might of their debut album Nothing’s Clean. Co-released with Crowd Control Media, the sixteen track stomp is an incendiary brawl of punk rock in its varied forms and devilry. It is quite simply rousing undiluted rock ‘n’ roll which just hits the sweet spot and can only push the band to greedier, broader spotlights hereon in.

Hailing from Los Angeles, the trio of vocalist/bassist Aroldo, guitarist/vocalist Hector, and drummer Keith have become one of the staples of the LA punk scene since forming in 2009. Inspirations come from the depths of hardcore but as their first full-length shows, the band is unafraid to add and twists things to embrace a host of distinctive styles and flavours within their songs. Back home they are a loyally supported outfit renowned for their high energy shows and catchy incitements of sound. Now with the unleashing of the sabre like charge of Nothing’s Clean, sixteen songs in thirty four minutes, Los Brigands look set to become a name on a much broader expanse of enthused lips.

     The Haters’ Circle starts things off, the track a thickly enticing instrumental slice of psychobilly/punk which alone has body and emotions ignited and ready to feast, which they greedily do on its successor. Like Dead Kennedys meets Tiger Army, the opener brings its two minutes plus to the boil perfectly, making way for the similarly bred but hardcore driven 8 50. Hooks and rhythms are a hungry enticement whilst the vocals roar and brawl to match the addictive impact of the sound around them. For less than a minute and a half, the track incites ears and appetite, and for that same length whilst embracing familiar inspirations and essences, the punk rock passions are aflame, burning greedily for what is to follow.

   10 Times Worse is the first to step up with pulsating beats and a throbbing bassline aligned to ska bred enterprise. The song continues to swing along with infection lining its thick lures and chorus, its body an irresistible mix of UK band The Vox Dolomites and [Spunge] and leaving lips licked and a ripe want for more. The following Robbie does not provide more of the same flavour but is instead a highly agreeable Los Brigands take on Johnny B Goode which leaves rich satisfaction in its wake before the Spanish sung Algun Dia provides a Clash like stirring of ears and energy; its hard bounce another lifting the listener to feet amidst anthemic calls.

Things only get tastier as the belligerent ska brawl of Cold Cold City escapes the album next, it’s bruising attitude and prowess another spark to ignite the passions for the release with a success emulated and indeed eclipsed by the outstanding Dead American Dream. With a feisty tinge of street punk to its tempestuous swagger and defiance fuelled attitude, the song is as spiky as it is infectiously virulent whilst On The Wall straight after, dips into some raw pop punk revelry with a Rancid meets The Bouncing Souls proposition to outshine much around it as impressive though they all are.

The opening volley of beats from Keith straight away puts Downtown Nights on a pedestal to expect big things from, the swiftly rapacious riffs which swoop in not letting anyone down, or the snarling vocals and energy flooding the great confrontation. It is a raging force continuing in the excellent blaze of Fight Fire With Fire and true to form anthems come one after another within Nothing’s Clean but few incite participation as effortlessly as this excellent aggression.

As you will have guessed, variety across the album is rife and provides another colourful shade of adventure through the caustic ska romp of Broke, guitars and sax especially fruity against the growl of the vocals and the brooding bass tone cast by Aroldo. That fluid diversity creates another appealing contrast as the grouchy bellow of First 48 springs its contagious old school punk irreverence on the passions before it has to make way for Bumming Cigs and its bluesy rock ‘n’ roll canter which has all bouncing in their chairs, on their feet, and in the streets on personal experience.

Denver Ave has a feel of Russian punk rockers Biting Elbows to its more relaxed but spicy and increasingly agitated presence next, its magnetic tenacity and creative bait getting body and soul excited ready for Bad Vibes to exploit with its furious tempest of boisterous riffs alongside antagonistic rhythms, they bounding around another steely bass sound to get lusty over. It is the home straight on the album and both tracks are nothing less than impressive and addictive as they steer ears towards the finale that is Last One, a last bracing arousal of ears and enjoyment honed into a tangy and furious anthem.

Major surprises on Nothing’s Clean are not dramatic or regular but with a freshness and passion few bands can contemplate let alone match, Los Brigands has provided one of our favourite slabs of rock ‘n’ roll this year. After this the band deserves to be a big blip on all punk rock radars of fans and media alike.

Nothing’s Clean is available now through Crowd Control Media.

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Pete RingMaster 29/09/2105

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

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