ROSCOE VACANT & THE GANTIN' SCREICHS - Reckurdt - *A Review*

I was reading this weeks NME on the bus to work the other day (Journey time ½ Hour, reading time 10 minutes) I buy it each week, fuck knows why, it aint what it used to be, and it seems to be getting worse, more adverts, uninteresting writing and new bands every week, saying nothing, doing nothing and going nowhere, just trying to kiss the arse of the music biz, and I thought….this is shite, I need something to excite me musically. I got home from work and found the postman had delivered a package….A promo copy of Roscoe Vacant and The Gantin’ Screichs debut album Reckurdt. Available in August on Newtown Products on CD and Digital Download. If the name Roscoe Vacant sounds familiar, it may be because I posted a couple of his earlier recordings a while back, several which have been reworked for this album. It would appear that these were/are just tasters for the main course….A rich and tasty plate full of…. for want of some better words Alternative-Punk. Reckurdt is a brutal, beautiful and brilliant record by West Scotland’s finest.
The guitars are spikier than a hedgehog on heat, and more scratchy than scabies, vocals are delivered with a feral howl of Scottish passion. This is fast, frantic and furious stuff. Twelve tracks that range from the skiffle folk-punk of Non Repentant, to the Punkabilly of Dehydration Blues, via the Bass Punk Funk of Pins and Needles, to the anthem for the barricades Nothings Gonna Change, then there’s the almost Pop Punk of Shortbread Tins and Tartan Hats.
The songs and sounds on Rekurdt tear into yer brain, then rip out yer spine before giving you the kiss of life. Painting by numbers, but using the wrong colours, tunes that tick all the boxes, before jumping on the box and flattening it. A great album that kicks arse rather than kissing it, and keeps the flames of insurrection burning bright. People should be listening to this, not those bastard Mumford and Sons.
Roscoe Vacant is a songwriter, that shouldn’t be housed in some Alt- Punk ghetto, because this stuff is diverse enough for people that like Bloc Party and The Gaslight Anthem, and those that remember the sounds of 80’s Post Punk bands like Scars and Gang of Four. This is some New Music that’s got me Excited. Highly and hugely recommenced!

What's the Story? Scandal or Saga?

"Well the people must have something good to read, on a Sunday" - The Clash

THE ALARM - Live in Liverpool 2000

Right then, it's been a while since there's been any music on this here blog, haven't got the caperbilities on the laptop to zip it up and upload it, and with my pending Windows re-install I'm currently transferring stuff to an external hard drive. but I did check out my MediaFire page and found a couple of things that I hadn't got round to posting, so here's a little something for yer.

The Alarm were one of those bands often maligned by the critics as a Welsh Clash, when by rights they were The Alarm, “the Sex Pistols taught ‘em how to play, and the Clash how to dress.“ They were one of those bands that as they matured some of their songs started sounding a bit pompous and overblown and went of into extended guitar solo rock histronics territory, those ones like Moments In Time, Rain In The Summertime for example sent me running to the hills. Their earlier tunes Marching On, Majority and The Stand were of a far better short sharp shock quality. The Alarm re-formed in 2000, I say reformed, but it was really just Mike Peters resurrecting the name and reigniting the old songs with a fresh spark, helped out by James Stevenson from Chelsea, Gen X and Gene Loves Jezebel on Guitar, Craig Adams from The Mission on bass and Steve Grantley from Stiff Little Fingers on Drums. This two disc download captures the band in Liverpool, blasting through a mighty fine and powerfull greatest hits set, with some songs sounding better than the originals. If yer an Alarm fan I'm sure you'll enjoy this, if not....I'm sorry but that's all there is....All cards have been delt. Disc 1 / Disc 2

Can't read all about it....

So then, some peoples sacred cow The News Of The World has been sacrificed on the alter of bullshit, in a bid by Rupert Murdoch to keep his dream of global media domination alive. In true dictatorial fashion, the innocent are paying for the crimes of the guilty, with journalists who weren't working for the paper at the time of the crime losing their jobs. This man is evil and rotten, so it's no wonder that some of those who worked for News Of The World, behaved in the way they did. If truth is the sword, then Murdoch, his son James and the ghastly Rebbecca Brookes need their heads chopping off! as does every politician that's kissed their arses, in a bid to keep their popularity alive, their actions over the years have just increased the power of News International, to the point when it's unelected profiteers like Rupert Murdoch that actually run the country and dictate Government policies by shaping public opinion, and as we have seen their methods are just as deplorable as the politicians. So what can people do if they aint happy with someone like Murdoch? He might not have been voted into power, but the consumers have elected him through their purchase power, so they can vote by canceling their SKY TV Subscriptions, stop buying The Sun and The Times and having anything to do with his organisation, other than decrease its profits.

On the subject of money, with the news that energy prices are gonna be rising, perhaps people should burn all the useless shit that they bought but didn't need, the new kitchen, the new sofa etc, etc, or cut down on their use of their electrical gadgets, it's no wonder peoples energy consumption has risen in the Wee-Fi Play Box 360 flat screen world they are living in. Failing that, stock up on copies of the last edition of The News Of The World, and burn them to keep warm this winter. The truth is that just like Murdoch's organisation, the energy providers need to be held to account, when they're putting the price up on supplies they bought at a cheaper price two years ago. Can't pay? Don't pay! or at least spread the payments at a price you can afford, not at the price they tell you you can afford!

Hacked Off.

My computer's back, it had more viruses than an NHS Hospital ward, they've all been erased, but it still aint running right so it looks like I'm gonna have to re-install windows at some point very soon, so the sporadic nature of the recent weeks postings; lack of music and visuals will be continuing for the foreseeable future.

On the subject of viruses and unwanted infections....It looks like the News Of The World really is The Scum, with all the phone hacking furore that's going on, these latest revelations about families of murder victims and war dead really are unbelievable, on one level, yet totally believable on another and it's more ammunition to use against Rupert Murdoch in his bid to take control of the mass media market. The Police and The Politicians are no better, the former accepting money from the paper for information and the later sucking up to the paper. Then there's the public, who didn't give a shit about phone tapping/hacking when it was The Celebrities or Politicians who were the targets, now it's 'real people' well all, of a sudden everyones got an opinion, and they're the fuckers who've been buying the papers and in part justifying the journalists actions in obtaining 'the story' because the public like gossip and scandal and living other peoples lives, rather than their own. Just one final thought....What if these latest allegations against Murdoch's foot soldiers aren't true? and it turns out that News International are just carrying on the pretence in order to show just how much people believe what they are told by the media! Highly unlikely I know, but like I said it's just a thought and who knows who or what to believe in their world of double speak.

Don't Rattle My Cage.

Fucking arseholes everywhere. Left, Right and Centre, all full of shit. Self obsessed and self absorbed with their own self rightousness and self importance....Fuck 'em all!

I'M STILL HERE....

....but my computer aint,

The Olympic Games tickets. Tax payers fund the games to the tune of £10million, and then have to enter a lottery which sounded like a whole game in itself to apply for tickets. Millions are disappointed and get no tickets, when all the 'cheap seats' are gone, others end up spending more for the must have events, which leaves people with tickets to the events that no one wants to see. A fucking con if you ask me.

The whole London Olympics is a case of the emperors new clothes, we are being sold some great big historic spectacle, that we must take part in at any cost. I dread to see what the media coverage is gonna be like....Olympics this, Olympics that when the reality is it's just a bunch of people running, jumping and throwing things, in order to prove they are the best, and their Country's the best, just like a World War without all the killing, well apart from the killing that's gonna be made through the sale of cheap made in China merchandising.

Talking of China, they've been in town recently with their offers of a Billion pounds worth of economic investments, but shush! don't mention Tibet or other Human Rights abuses the regime are guilty of. The former Communists seem to have taken to Capitalism like (Peking) ducks to water.

I didn't see the 'highly visible' protest against U2 during the BBC's state sanitised coverage of the event, perhaps you had to actually be there in the mud rather than in the comfort of your arm chair. I did however see a clip on The BBC's Politics Show of security getting a bit heavy handed deflating the giant 80ft balloon with the slogan U PAY TAX 2 written on it.

So U2 haven't done anything illegal and broken the law. No, but what they have done is broken an unwritten moral law. 'Gross Hypocrisy' . Making Global Poverty History while increasing their own wealth, at the expense of their own country. U2 are guilty as charged, and just how do they deal with these accusations? like an African or Arab dictator, by silencing their critics through force.

The BBC's coverage....well I've never seen or heard such a bunch of bland boring middle of the road dross, not that I did hear or see much, cos as soon as it was announced what was in store over the weekend, you just knew....U2, Coldplay, Mumford and Sons, Fleet Foxes, Jessie J, Large Tantrum and Colonel Ghadaffi favourite Beyonce. Time to hit the remote....with a hammer!

Anyone who thinks Glastonbury is some alternative needs to think again, there is no alternative, everything has been sucked from the streets and spat back to the people, whose purchasing power has propelled the good, the bad and the ugly all into the mainstream. Aaah! The beauty of capitalism.
I'm sure there were some good bands playing, but like I said earlier, you probably had to be there, but at £190 a ticket? Fuck That! perhaps if I paid less tax I might have been able to afford it.
As I'm typing this up, there's some Breaking News coming through on the BBC's 24 Hour News Channel. It appears that a man has been found dead in the backstage VIP area. YES! there is a god....BONO'S DEAD!....no wait up it looks like it's someone called Christopher Shale....shouldn't laugh, but apparently he's the chairman of David Camerons Conservative Constituency Party. Like I said.... "So mainstream." I wonder if he died of boredom?

A week since my last post. PC still not done, it's gone to someone who knows more than me. Cheers Keithy, whose gonna hopefully get it fixed up. Haven't been able to use the laptop until now, and all I can think to write about at the moment is the shit fest that is Glastonbury, and those shit fucks U2 and that fuckin' holier than thou Bono cunt....Yeah save the planet fight poverty across the world and don't pay any tax in your home country, Ireland, one of those EU countries struggling with the Euro. I'm sure they'd appreciate some of your hard earned penny's, but no, you've taken it offshore. Well here's hoping that those at Glastonbury shower U2 with bottles of piss and lumps of mud, or better still it chucks it down with rain and Bono and co get electrocuted. These wankers need telling just like the politicians and profiteers. FIGHT THE CUNTS!

Right then, still no PC, but on one level I'm finding it quite liberating not being sucked into the monitor and glued to the keyboard, gives me time to do things I've neglected since the advent of the internet, like reading....just finished Nick Kent's 1970's memoirs Apathy For The Devil, a great no holds barred read of his adventures with Iggy Pop, The Rolling Stones and The Sex Pistols amongst others and his descent into drug dependency. On another level, it feels like I'm missing something by not being able to access the means to rant and rave on a regular basis, and visit other blogs, forums and sites. Have I/we become slaves to the machine?

June 30th, a day of action. Strikes, The Summer of Discontent, or whatever the media label it as. It looks like the Unions haven't felt threatened by the government and it's We'll change the Law if there are any strikes in the public sector ultimatum a few weeks ago. So what's it all about? Pensions it would seem, and having to work till you're older, pay more and receive less when you retire. Well I wish I had enough income left at the end of the month to be able to pay into a pension plan, not that I would anyway. Let's face it, the government only want our money so they can spend it, or invest it to make themselves money. I wonder if the public sector workers are those who are earning £25,000 a year and consider themselves? and what about those who work in the private sector, where pension payouts are and always have been less generous.

Hats off and fists in the air to the Greek people for taking a stand against their governments actions. Don't believe the bullshit that the protesters actions are gonna put the whole world financial stability at risk. The only people putting anything at risk are the politicians across the world with their lust for power and their greed while claiming to represent the people when all they represent are themselves and their capitalist values, that divide and rule nations,create poverty and war, and generally make the world a poorer place. We don't need the shit they sell us, they just make us think we do!

Right then, got access to a laptop for a short while, tried getting mine sorted, but just started getting stressed with it, so I'm gonna enlist the help of a mate at work who knows more about it than me, so until the Wolf Station's up and running, It's gonna be short posts whenever I can access another PC/Laptop about whatever....not spoilt for choice, but not enough time to do justice to things like why our government is increasing it's involvement in Libya, yet ignores the increased violence by the Syrian government against it's own people. Then there's the drought warnings, why do they always announce them when the weather turns cooler and gets wetter? Once again nature strikes....the lack of April showers and long period of warm weather during spring has resulted in problems with production of crops etc, leading to increased prices in wheat....Knock on effect....food prices may rise. We are not in control. There is a greater force than humankind which appears to be going through a change. Not enough time to mass debate about the cash cow that is 'climate change' other than to say that the seasons are changing, and the answer might not be blowing in the wind.

I have just got time....that's if I can concentrate, as I keep getting distracted by the CD I'm listening to while typing this...it was given to me by a chap called Mark Astronaut, a musician who's been plying his trade for the past 30 years in bands like The Astronauts, Restricted Hours, The Otters, and it's of some of his more recent work; 8 tracks of Dub/Punk/Folk magic with lyrics that are shear poetry. Anyway where was I?....that's it....Letchworth Garden City in Herts at their Street Festival yesterday (Sat 11th June) I went over to check out THE TRAILER TRASH ORCHESTRA, who were playing on a stage in the street, outside a pub that wouldn't serve people who were wearing a hat, I kept my hat on and went elsewhere for a beer (don't let anyone tell you that just because Britain is a democracy, it's a free country!) before going back to check out the Trailer Trash Chaps, which is when I bumped into Mark, haven't seen him for a couple of years chatted about his musical ventures, then he gave me the CD, which is causing me so much distraction. This was a Knox less factor performance from the Trailer Trash Orchestra, they were also one Guitarist down, so their set was slightly less electric, but still a stomping slamming foot tapping blast of Cow Punk Rock'n'Roll. These reprobates should really be playing to festival crowds, not to the drinkers and curious onlookers on the damp concrete out side a pub, yep, it started raining half way through their set, not that this dampened the bands enthusiasm or humour, and those that stuck out the shower had a good time, what more can you ask from a band....They're playing again on Thursday 16th June at The Farmers Boy in St Albans, free entry, and I believe Knox will be joining them, If yer in the area I strongly and highly reccomend you go and check 'em out, they'll put a smile on yer face and a song in yer heart. Which is just what's needed in this fucked up world. Anyway, gotta go now, or as the Buzzcocks said...."Times up"

The people are struggling with the cost of living, while their government has no difficulty with the price of killing!

IMPOTENT NOTICE, yep that's right, not important, but impotent. I'm powerless to carry on posting as my PC is fucked! First it was raped by some pisshing cunts trying to sell viagra and other shit to everyone in my email address book. Then yesterday after I logged on a pop up appeared informing me that my security subscription had unsubscribed itself, either that or I forgot to renew it, but I don't remember forgetting. In the time it took me to read the pop up my PC was penetrated by some unwanted software that is now squatting on the hard drive refusing to be removed. Stress levels are rising, so I'm gonna sort it out when I sort it out, but I can't be fucked at the moment. Fuck this technology! It's fucking great when it works, but when it fucks up, or you fuck up then you're fucked....BOLLOCKS! Fortunately I've managed to post this using someone elses laptop that's in better health than my PC.

TV SMITH'S CHEAP - Live In Uxbridge 1990

I found this on my hard drive t‘other day, forgot I had it, dunno where I got it from, might have been from MrMagoos sadly defunct Running Riot in 2000 whatever blogspot. It was originally one long MP3, but I’ve separated the tracks. The photo I used came from someone over at the mighty fine TV Smith Forum, their name however escapes me, I’ve just messed about with the colour of it, and added some lettering. Right then now that’s all done with, lets get on with the rest of it. After The Adverts and The Explorers both split up TV Smiths next venture was gonna be done….“Just For Fun! A few mates travelling around the country in a couple of estate cars, with all the equipment piled in the back: mobile compact, above all CHEAP.” After five years of no one noticing them Cheap called it a day
Ironically their only album RIP Everything Must Go was released after the band had broken up and TV had released his March Of The Giants album. Anyway now it’s time to take a trip back to Dec 1990 when Cheap played in Uxbridge, dunno where in Uxbridge this recording is from, but a mighty fine one it is, amongst others you get their brilliant Margaret Thatcher baiting single Third Term, and it’s b-side Buried By The Machine, there’s also a track that maybe familiar to lovers of The Lords of The New Church, The Lords Prayer. Here’s a bit of useless Rock’n’Roll trivia for yer….What connects TV Smith to Bruce Springsteen? Well….When The Lords Of The New Church recorded The Lords Prayer, a TV Smith track, that I believe, or though I maybe wrong he wrote for the band, it was produced by Little Steven, Guitarist in Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band. Anyway here’s a blast of vintage TV Smith; Rough, Raw and Ready. It’s No Time to be 21, 31, 41, or 51.

Swearing in The Streets.

No Swearing in public! What a load of fucking bollocks! Yeah it’s not big and it’s not clever, but there are other things some people do in public that offend me more….like breathing!! Apparently in one town, the business leaders reckon swearing ’yobs’ are putting off the shoppers, funny when I ever I have to go into my Town Centre, it’s the shoppers that not only put me off, but piss me off! Bags full of shit they don’t need, not looking where they’re going bumping into you because they’re to busy talking or texting on their mobile phones, and then look at you like it was your fault. It’s enough to make you fucking swear.

DR MARTINS and NME Promo Download.

This was available last year through NME.Com to mark the 50th Anniversary of Dr Martins shoes/boots. A promotional thang uniting footwear with Rock’n’Roll, for those readers/listeners “aspiring to be the brand”. Readers of this blog should approach this download with extreme caution, cos what you get are ten tracks of cover versions. A definite case of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Noisettes should be put on trial for crimes against music for what they’ve done to The Buzzcocks classic Ever Fallen In Love, the same goes for Verbal and Yoon for their treatment of The Runaways Cherry Bomb. The jury’s out on what the Duke Spirit have done to Sham 69’s If The Kids are United, which is to turn it into a synth/guitar drone akin to Suicide if they were fronted by Siouxsie Sioux on downers. Not that it’s all criminal. Black Rebel Motor Cycle Club put in a haunting version of The Pogues Dirty Old Town, but the highlight of it all, and the only reason I posted this is Michael Davis from the MC5 taking Canadian politico-punkers DOA’s Something Is Not Right With Me and giving it even more balls than it had before, if that’s possible. There’s also a bunch of wannabees, mightbees and will neverbees covering tunes by Human League, Jeff Buckley, Stone Roses and Max Romeo, but I’ve no idea who they are, nor do I want to know. Life’s full of enough shit without adding to it! But hey don’t just take my word for it. Here have a blast for yerself.

So after 16 year of being ‘in hiding’ (he lasted longer than Bin Laden) Ratko Miladic The Beast/Butcher of Bosnia has either been captured or Serbia have given him up to be tried for war crimes. It seems a coincidence that Serbia are looking at joining the EU. Whatever….at least another inhuman being is gonna face justice, Miladic was responsible for the genocide of 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica in 1995 when Yugoslavia was at war with itself, it was as if the holocaust had never happened. The biggest atrocity is that this ethnic cleansing took place as hapless and hopeless UN Peace keepers looked on. I wonder if this historic UN failure to ‘protect innocent citizens’ explains its gung ho actions in trying to ousted Ghadaffi, and what about Osama Bin Laden, who was ‘brought to justice’ for less. Yet Ratko Miladic is gonna be able to drag his case through the War Crimes Court that no doubt he will refuse to recognise, in a length trial. Perhapes he should have his brains burnt out instead!

Last week we had those crazy Christians, saying the world was gonna end. It didn’t….I think people knew it wouldn’t, but how many people think it could? This week I’ve seen the religious vultures hovering overhead ready to pick at the flesh of the weak and wounded. I’ve been accosted by someone trying to put the Book of Krishna in my hand. I’ve seen groups of Jehovah Witnesses gathering in my neighbourhood with pamphlets in their hands. They’re all trying to sell people a ticket for their slow train trips to salvation when the world ends. Well….the train I’m aboard is out of control, but its destination is FREEDOM!

TV SMITH - Coming In To Land. (A Review)

This album is vital. Musically and lyrically brilliant. TV has surpassed himself with the twelve tracks that make up Coming In To Land. In my opinion TV’s never released a duff record, but…. He’s also never released one that sounds so relevant since The Adverts, Cast Of Thousands. The ugly face of 21st Century Society is confronted…. “The throw away values will hold you then have you.".... This is full on frantic stuff in some places, brooding and mournful in others. Catchy and tuneful all the way through. Uplifting and positive. Respect to TV and the band: Vom Ritchie (Die Toten Hosen), BB Quattro (Suzy & Los Quattro, Bored Teenagers), Tim Cross (Adverts) For releasing possibly my favourite album of the year so far.
Given the right push in the right places, Coming In To Land could turn on and tune in a whole new bunch of listeners to the only TV that doesn’t lie.

GAGA GAGGINGS. (Some notes/thoughts)

A non story becomes the story. ‘Glamour Model has affair with footballer’

One of the major talking points in the media recently, has been about people not being able to talk, due to super injunctions that celebrities have been taking out in order to keep their private indiscretions from the publics eye. Name and shame the fuckers that’s what I say. Or alternatively let them waste their money and buy their anonymity, because all these ‘kiss and tell’ stories do is feed the tabloids and the media moguls profits.

How ironic that one of the law firms benefiting from the injunctions is called Schilling, cos that’s what it’s all about….money, money, money

Freedom of speech becomes a commodity that can be sold to the lawyers and judges if the price is right.

Judges have criticised parliamentary privilege, which allows MP’s to defy court ‘gagging orders’ by naming figures trying to hide behind injunctions.

So called ‘gagging orders’ have done nothing but create disorder in the media, Parliament and The Courts. It was left to internet democracy to speak the truth and name the name.

Is it in the ‘public interest’ to hear about the sex romps of football players? No probably not but….the Jeremy Kyle generation love a bit of it, and the vicarious car crash tabloids rely on the sex and scandal, celebrities are happy to court the media when they are in control of the story, they just don’t like being found out doing anything that will tarnish their public image.

Public figures in positions of power, what they get up to is definitely in the public interest
Fred Goodwin former boss of Royal Bank of Scotland’s mind wasn’t on the job when his bank went bust, he was thinking of a different kind of on the job, and now the tax payer’s picking up the tab for his fuck up.

The old adage that all publicity is good publicity obviously doesn’t apply when squeaky clean images turns out to have dirty secrets.

The tabloid media have created the culture of celebrity and gossip, and the public have bought into it. Supply and demand. Gagging orders limit the supply. So would it be a bad thing If the Celebes wasted their money on injunctions. Without the media there’d be no celebrity.