It's full-on, pedal to the metal with first track proper 'Hawks' on The Greasy Slicks debut full-length release. Lovers of straight-forward, riff-heavy blues-based rock will find plenty to enjoy here.

Whether the trio are that exciting live is though rapidly called into question on 'Eyes Wide Black', which for me's too heavy on the blues before getting into a messy, self-indulgent guitar repetition. 'The Willows' wanders further into boredom territory. Whilst in no way a country song it brought to mind the kind of US bar you see on film where line-dancing is still the staple entertainment, as if the 21st century hasn't touched down there yet.

It then just gets harder & harder to take this act seriously. It would be a lie to say they do what they do by the numbers - there are obvious innovative elements that make the sound very much their own. The problem for me is the general lack of excitement they elicit. Wandering in to see them at the likes of Incubate or some other festival I don't imagine I'd stay for more than a couple of songs.

Looking so young & fresh faced as they do (and fair enough, everyone has to start somewhere) it's difficult to imagine they've suffered the disappointments covered in such songs as 'Let Me Down'. And do their mothers really have so strong an influence over them? Maybe not, if they have in fact blethered with a 'Street Queen'

I recently overheard someone stating that times need to be really bad for really good music to be generated. Whilst in part I'd disagree with that on the lines that if you look hard enough you'll always find some, The Greasy Slicks are certainly on the whole a pretty safe band in a time of record employment etc.

Technically competent then The Greasy Slicks are definitely for you if you're needing a fix somewhere between Dire Straits & RHCP.

The Greasy Slicks is available from iTunes. 

Fuzz Evil are a trio comprised of members of Powered Wig Machine - brothers Wayne & Joseph Rudell handle bass and guitar & vocals respectively and Daniel Graves drums. The Austin-based group have been around for a couple of years and prior to this release have two 7"s to their credit.

On the evidence presented across the six tracks that make up Fuzz Evil they're not pushing the stoner/power trio dynamic in any new directions. The inclusion of Unida's Arthur Seay on opening track 'Good Medicine' fails to elevate the song to any great height but, at least until it's messy ending, second number 'My Fuzz' rocks along well. Perhaps it's just the production to blame.

Thereafter the group make a good fist of things despite kind of weak vocals on 'Killing The Sun'. Pace-wise the songs are more often than not under-driven for my taste but generally they have a good guitar sound and when they have a good riff between their teeth they don't easily give it up. The fact that the songs are arranged largely so each is longer than the one before gives you an idea of the level of thought put into the overall construction of the release.

Full-on fans of desert stoner rock will though no doubt find a lot more to love here than I did & maybe getting baked before playing it would be an idea for the future. Final track 'Black Dread', clocking in at just under seven minutes and with the inclusion of keyboards, seals things off well and shows there's more in the band's arsenal than a cursory listen would have you believe. Nothing new then but neither is it the same old story either.

Fuzz Evil is available from Battleground Records.

God Damn are the Wolverhampton duo of screamer and guitarist Thom Edward and tub-thumper Ash Weaver. They formed in 2010 and have already played with Foo Fighters, Slaves, Funeral For A Friend and Eagulls. Everything Ever is their second album following 2015’s Vultures.

NME described them as “louder than Black Sabbath having a screaming row with Nirvana” and it’s a valid comparison as the Black Country ancestry of Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Napalm Death and Judas Priest have obviously had an influence on the pair. They frequently namecheck The Jesus lizard and the Pixies, as well as Nirvana and that ‘90s noise is ever-present in their music.

Thom Edward says he’s trying to sing more these days rather than just scream and ‘Sing This’ is a great way to showcase his singing ability. It makes the screaming chorus all the more powerful. The opening track and ‘Ghost’ have a Muse feel to them, though without the prog aspirations.

God Damn display a strong britpop influence particularly on ‘I’ll Bury You’ and ‘Oh No’ where Edward sings like Brett Anderson. His vocal style has yet to settle down. His screaming is like Bring Me The Horizon’s Oli Sykes or Kurt Cobain but his clean singing varies greatly from song to song; on ‘Six Wires’ he channels Shaun Ryder as Weaver takes his cowbell to the Christopher Walken SNL meme degree.

‘Dead To Me’ typifies the dichotomy between how the band play and what they play. It’s a mid-tempo tune with a descending swaying chorus written in a very basic poppy manner but the myriad layers of both vocals and guitars obscure the simplicity of the tune and it all comes out as a muddy, directionless mess.

Everything Ever has been compared to Nirvana’s Nevermind but while the production and overall sound is quite similar, God Damn haven’t the songwriting nous of Cobain. The mood swerves unevenly from screaming hardcore to Mansun-esque britpop and the disparity is discomfiting. The songs are invigorating while listening but are difficult to recall once they are finished. If God Damn can harness that energy into some decent tunes they will be one to watch.

Everything Ever is available from amazon.

Catch God Damn on tour with Red Fang and Torche at the following dates:-

September

23 London, Boston Music Rooms

26 Brighton, Concorde 2

27 London, Koko

28 Bristol, Bierkeller

29 Leeds, Stylus

30 Manchester, Manchester Academy 2

October

02 Birmingham, Institute 2

03 Glasgow, Garage

04 Newcastle, Riverside

05 Southampton, Engine Rooms

My Band Is A Computer is the debut album from New York City based singer-songwriter Charles Griffin Gibson AKA Chuck. Gibson is a multi-instrumentalist who has been releasing his bedroom recordings online for about five years. This is a thirteen track compilation of his best works, remastered for release by Audio Antihero subsidiary, Old Money Records. Chuck’s self-produced, jangly shambles is a mix of the lo-fi aesthetic of So Cow and the world weary insight of Big Monster Love.

Gibson started making electronic music in high school before his mother bought him an acoustic guitar. The quirky electronica and indie-pop sounds have endured and the guitars come in layers but the most prominent aspect of Chuck is Gibson’s voice. His vocals could be a deal-breaker for many listeners. Their high, nasal quality can sound whiny like an uncertain Wheatus, but the same weakness lends fragility and emotion to the songs. The inexpertly recorded tunes are in the vein of Daniel Johnston and Jonathan Richman, and fans of that aesthetic will find much to admire on My Band Is A Computer.

The album starts with ‘Happy New Year Babe’ sounding like a lo-fi Flaming Lips while ‘The Internet’ has a Moldy Peaches feel. ‘Bushwick Girl’ is the most complete song on the album. The structure is pure pop and the chorus soars. Longer tracks like ‘Phoebe’s Lips’ and ‘Let’s Make Out’ get repetitive. With some tracks over six minutes long, it is overkill for a performer of this milieu. Gibson’s musical style isn’t suited to epic songs.

‘Death’ is a highlight with a mid-tempo sway that builds over the course of the song and a memorable vocal melody. ‘Wipe Out’ sees out a strong finish to the album but you can’t escape the feeling that this would have made a far stronger EP. The better tunes are saved for the end and by that point many will already have stopped listening. But if the last few tracks are an indication of Chuck’s latter work then the next release will surely be more coherent.

My Band Is a Computer may not be for everyone but Gibson’s homemade, idiosyncratic, bockety pop has found an audience across the world. With the instruments going in and out of time, and falling all over each other in the mix, Chuck sounds childlike and primitive. Perhaps a bit Hipster-y. Maybe both. Check out his bandcamp page and see for yourself.