Stiletto Farm-January Sales

Self-Release/Independent
2014

Here it is boys and girls. Let me be the first to welcome you to the party that is Stiletto Farm's "January Sales"! This eleven track album is the cumulation of everything that is right about the rock and roll scene right now rolled up snugly into 42 minutes and 11 seconds worth of music and for members Stel (bass and vocals) Davyd (guitar) and Newt (drums) all I can say is well done lads, you've more than outdone yourselves! Featuring several numbers that I had previously fallen in love with ("Adrenaline TV",  "Strawberry Sundae Red" and "Decimation Baby") and a truck-load of new favorite moments ("Revenge", "Dead To You", "Covered Bruises" and, well, pretty much every other new song here!), "January Sales" not only continues the fine tradition of drawing upon this band's vast array of influences (everyone from Elvis to The Damned!) it actually one-ups the likes of Guns N' Roses, Mötley Crüe, Faster Pussycat and Poison in places! Those particular bands (as well as anyone else coming down the pipeline who might be looking to blend punk's "Don't give a crap!" attitude with classic rock's "It's all about the sweet licks ladies and gents!" outlook!) would do well to take note as this English trio knows exactly how to get it done! This album is a textbook example of how to get the best out your Dead Boys and Cheap Trick influences without resorting to dressing in drag like the twats in Poison! Furthermore there is no way humanly possibly that someone as lame as C.C. DeVille can claim that "Talk Dirty To Me" is the greatest punk rock song of all time when a number like "January Sales" exists! And yes folks, C.C. did at one point in time make that stupid ass comment, but to be fair how could he have possibly foreseen a cool as shit band like this trio? I know I sure as hell didn't! I mean here we are talking about a young band that could be punk's own take on Hanoi Rocks! Need proof? Try on "Charisma" for starters. That one's a real doozy! Wait, what is that you say? That's not enough for you? How about taking a stroll with the slick cut "The Redeemer" then? These two wicked little numbers pay homage to not only G N' R, Hanoi Rocks and Faster Pussycat, but punk bands that dared to break out of the same old song and dance routine. In a very real and very good way it's not just The Damned that a band like Stiletto Farm recalls, but two bands in which the late great Stiv Bators was involved, The Dead Boys and The Lords of the New Church. If you want to really get down to the bottom of what Stiletto Farms is all about then draw a straight line from those greats to this relativity young outfit. That speaks volumes about what this trio is packing talent-wise! But just in case you don't think this trio can get serious there's the number "Princess". Talk about a sucker punch! Unfortunately we all know that sex is used to sell everything these days and along the way it's selling out our youth. Here on "Princess" the band touches on the topic in sobering fashion. It's only after "Adrenaline TV" kicks in that you are shaken out of this cold brush with reality. Wow.  Anyway, "Strawberry Sundae Red" and "Decimation Baby" we're mentioned earlier and here on "January Sales" it sounds as if they have been given a tune-up as these too numbers rage! Straight-up rock and roll is what we're looking at and along with the album's "attitude is everything" closing cut, "So Yesterday", you're talking about swagger-worthy material that simply must tear the roof off of establishments when performed live! If they sound this good here on tape then why wouldn't they? Band's like Stiletto Farm are made for the live setting as is road-ready punk rock and roll music that explodes out of your speakers once you hit play on first cut "Revenge"! In case I have not been clear enough "January Sales" is a damn fine album and one that I'll becoming back to time and time again! Just as God gave rock and roll to you and I he gave us bands like Stiletto Farm to carry that beautiful message across the landscape for all to hear and absorb. So, if you find that your friends or family can't seem to appreciate the joy of real rock and roll anymore then simply slide "January Sales" out and tell them that they can thank you later!


Stiletto Farm's official website can be found here: http://www.stilettofarm.com/index.html Meanwhile, all kinds of pieces that I've done about Stiletto Farm can be found here:
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/search?q=stiletto+farm

Miracle Master-Tattooed Woman

GoldenCore Records/ZYX Music
2014

Truthfully this one peaked my interest based solely on the album artwork. Does that reflect poorly on me? Or is it my admission that there is just something about a beautiful woman with tattoos and a smoking gun that will be my undoing? Granted, none of that is at all relevant to the music at hand. Even if I do have to hand it to these Danish/German rockers when it comes to their talent! Yes, it's Friday so that means bad puns aplenty, but when your week has been spent fighting household germs and dealing with your own sickness and that of a child what more do you want? Well, how about rather stealthy hard rock and roll that borders on (sleazy/hair) heavy metal? Formed out of the ashes of Pump (yeah, you got me as I've never heard of the lot either even if they did release three albums during their time alive!) Miracle Master features lead vocalist Oliver Weers (ex-Oliver Weers Band, Ripe, D.I.M), guitarists Marcel 'Selly' Bernhardt (ex-Pump, Tales Of Sorrow, Unfroynd) &  Axel 'Aki' Reissmann (ex- Pump, Hazy Shade, Downspirit), bassist Michael Vetter (ex-Pump, Chinchilla, Watch Me Bleed)  and drummer Andreas Minich (ex-Pump). With "Tattooed Woman", which was released at the start of March, we're generally talking about music that should appeal to those of us who were old enough to appreciate this sort of thing the first time around (read: late eighties/early nineties). Even if it's nothing that's going to rock the world with any sort of originality it's at least a collection of tracks that are catchy and fairly enjoyable in their own right. If I could pinpoint the sound I would, but honestly twenty or so years now of hard rock, hair metal, sleaze metal and pop metal has made it all blur together in my mind so I'll leave such duties to those who follow this kind of thing and nothing else. Otherwise I'd expect this lot to be heading towards those hard rock festivals that seem to pop up every summer or so in the mid-west. That would seem about right....