The 700 Machines

Bourbon. Cowboy hats. Smoke-blowing pick-up trucks. More bourbon. Notorious saloon bars...

You get the picture pretty much - the 700 Machines play bad-ass 70's-inspired southern rock music that can blow your minds off in an instant. As stated by the band members themselves:

"Formed in 1999, their sound is an explosive Rock 'N' Roll cocktail combining revolutionary Detroit Proto-Punk, Motown Soul, Aussie Punk, 60's Garage Punk, psychedelic and 70's Hard Rock."

I need not say much more about their influences - think Lynyrd Skynyrd and Nashville Pussy drinking and jamming together...They also come from Athens, GR (as do the excellent garage-sounding girl group, the Meanie Geanies - respect to Athens R n'R!) and I personally saw them live supporting the (also excellent) Backyard Babies in March 2007.

More info, as well as MP3 samples and downloads can be found on their Myspace page.

The Meanie Geanies

These guys (well, ladies mostly) sound like they jumped out of those long-forgotten, second-hand vinyl records that you can buy in well-hidden downtown record stores...yes, the ones vinyl collectors could spend a fortune on. And not without good reason, as these ladies are no joke.

The Meanie Geanies play an excellent blend of mid-60's US garage sound - the kind of music you would expect to hear in latest Quentin Tarantino films and psychedelic garage revival festivals - atmospheric female vocals, non-stopping keyboard melodies, 60's-sounding production...these ladies sound so authentic and original they make the Raveonettes sound like a rip-off.

If you are into vintage garage sounds by bands like the Fuzztones, the Sonics, early Yardbirds and 13th Floor Elevators (yeah!), these girls will not let you down...Keep rocking your socks off, ladies!

They also happen to originate from my hometown as well (Athens, GR), so I hope I can catch them to a gig sometime soon (good ol' An club, maybe?)...More info and MP3 sounds can be found on their Myspace page.

The Jills

I haven't been around enough lately in order to update on good ol' rock n' roll stuff, but now is the time to make up for some of the lost time: The Jills.

The Jills come from magic Portugal, a beautiful southern European country with beautiful beaches and even more beautiful women - I admit I haven't had much experience with Portuguese rock n' roll before, so if you wish to dig a bit more into Portuguese Rn'R mayhem, the Jills is a great place to start.

These lads feature a powerful mixture of punk-rock infested vocals, raw-sounding power riffing and anthemic choruses that bring back memories from the Sunset Strip-based party animals of the mid 80's.

If you want a taste of party-starting, loud as hell southern European garage punk, definitely give' em a chance. More info, as well as MP3 sounds and downloads, can be found on their Myspace page.

* Thanx to our reader Nick669 for pointing out this little gem to us...Keep rocking, mate! :)

Vains of Jenna

The weekend is well upon us by now, and it is time to write for some kickass rawk n' f*ckin' roll bands again. The few last posts have been a bit 'nostalgic', incorporating sounds that remind the magic 60's and 70's, but now it is time to put the sleaze back into rock n' roll: Vains of Jenna.

The Vains are a dirty-sounding, high-octane sleazy rock n' roll band from LA, who originally come from Sweden, and this explosive combination of the Strip land and Swedish rawk n' rawl music legacy perfectly sums up their sound. Apart from their sleazy, dangerous musicianship, they also seem to be backed-up by high-class references, since their latest recording was produced by no other than GN'R veteran Gilby Clark.

Check their official website and their Myspace page for more info and MP3 downloads. Also, listen to their cover of "Jumping Jack Flash" to see what the mighty Stones might have sounded like if they were born 15 years later and they had burst out on the Strip instead of the London scene.

Beinhard

I should have written about Beinhard a bit earlier, but I had only heard one single track that they have posted on their Myspace page so I thought I should hear a couple of more songs before I posted about them.

Now I have managed to find another downloadable track on their website (which is only in Norwegian, so that took a bit of guesswork!) and my initial opinion has been verified: Beinhard is a band from Trondheim, Norway that encorporates classic 70's power riffing (see Bon Scott era AC/DC) in a raw, party-oriented "boogie rock n' roll" mixture. The fact that they come from Norway is not surprising, given Scandinavia's new age rock n' roll legacy; what is surprising though seems to be their age (late teens, I am hearing) which probably means that when Bon Scott was grawling about "dirty deeds" and girls having "the jack", their parents hadn't even met yet.

Listen to the amazing party starter "Mama" on their Myspace page, or check' em out on their official website (if your Norwegian is good enough, that is).

Medusa Stone

Nostalgic trip to the 70's, part two: after taking a look at the mighty Rattlesnake Remedy (see previous post), I came across these lads that come from North Carolina, USA, this time. The Medusa Stone are focused on the same mid-late 70's hard rock groove that bring to mind bands like the all-time classics Led Zeppelin, Cream and Rolling Stones; they also have a powerful blues / southern rock streak, sometimes making its appearence through slide-based solos and soulful vocals.

If you are after bands like the Black Crowes, Wofmother, The Answer (both late additions to the British 70's-style hard rock scene) and all the 70's mega-giants mentioned earlier, Medusa Stone can help you quench your thirst.

More information can be found on their website and their Myspace page.

Rattlesnake Remedy

These Brits go back to the roots of heavy metal, focusing on the hard rock and proto-metallic sound of the mid and late 70's. I am glad to come across a band of this style coming from the UK, given the island's heritage on the 70's rock scene.

In practical terms, what you will hear in their songs is mid-tempo hard rockin' riffs, blues based influences (and a lot of them!), Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and early Judas Priest influences, and those high-pitched, drenched in booze vocals that are so characteristic of the era.

If you feel quite nostalgic of the magical time when hard rock was just named hard rock, or are a fan of damn-good rock n' roll, definitely pay some attention to them.

More information and streamed songs can be found on their website or their Myspace page.

Update: Rattlesnale Remedy playing the Twist in Colchester, Essex, UK on the 27th of October 2006.

Innocent Rosie

Boy, these guys sound sleazy. Not in a bad way, of course (is there a bad way?)...Innocent Rosie come from Wheremountain, Sweden, thus making another interesting addition to the already busy Scandinavian rock n' roll scene.

It takes no more than a single look at their photo before you can realise what kind of music these guys are into: yep, that's right - they do sound like they came straight out of the L.A. Sunset Strip scene of the late 80's, and they sure look like it as well! So, if you are into sleazy rock n' roll (which you should, if you are reading this blog), raw-sounding but sharp riffing, punk-based influences, cheap booze and girls called Rosie, check' em out!

More info and MP3 downloads can be found at their Myspace page.

* Picture has been taken from Innocent Rosie Myspace page.

Luxury Pushers

"Luxury Pushers are a force to be reckoned with, displaying a tireless work ethic in combination with a punishing, double-barrel sonic swagger and a post-trash, ugly-pretty aesthetic"...

This short intro describes perfectly the Luxury Pushers in a few words: they come from Ohio, USA and they display great skills in the no-bullshit scene of garage punk / new-sleaze rock n' roll.

They were also reviewed in the UK Classic Rock magazine, issue of 10/2006, by papa Sleazegrinder..."I used to know guys like them in my young sleazy days...they are all dead by now".

For more info, as well as sound samples and MP3 downloads, check out their official website or their Myspace page.

* Pic taken from the Luxury Pushers website. Quotes taken from their official website and the Classic Rock magazine.

The Carburetors

The Carburetors is a rock n' roll band from Oslo, Norway. Their music focuses on classic rock n' roll power riffing (AC/DC and co), with a raw, old-school heavy metal sound...their vocalist even sounds like Lemmy.

It is not a surprise this band comes from Norway really, since Scandinavia has turned itself into a rock n' roll / garage / punk / sleaze metropolis in tha last few years, with the likes of Hellacopters, Turbonegro, Gluecifer, Backyard Babies enjoying mainstream commercial success. There are dozens of equally interesting bands in the underground of course, and the Carburetors are one of them.

If you are into catchy verses, sharp guitar solos, cheep beer, fast cars, trucks and decadant strip clubs, definitely check' em out.

More info, streaming songs and MP3 downloads can be found on their official website, or their Myspace page.

* Picture taken from the Carburetors website.

Red Light Rippers

Another cool band from Canada, that is. Without meaning to sound at all racist, has Canada turned into an interesting rock n' roll scene lately? I have heard of more kickass Canadian bands during the last 12 - 18 months, than I had in my whole life!

Anywayz, to the point: Red Light Rippers seem to follow the neo-sleaze movement, and they do it very well. With song titles like "Pills", "Addicted" and "Trailer Trash Trixie", guitar work that makes you feel nostalgic of the 80's good times and live pics that promise an explosive stage show, they probably seem like they deserve a bit of your attention.

For more info and song downloads, check out their Myspace page and their official website. Also, take a look at their live skills in this YouTube video (and this).

Kill Cheerleader

Right. Kill Cheerleader play a mix of garage / punk rawk music that, if you have ever had a special taste for the Stooges, MC5, AC/DC, Ramones, early GN'R, will get you hooked right from the start. Oh, they also sound like Turbonegro, which has been one of my all-time favourite bands for a while now; because of all this, 3-4 Kill Cheerleader songs are constantly present on my MP3 player.

There seems to be quite a bit of mythology going on behind this band: rumour has it that Nikki Sixx (yes, him) has recommended them through his personal blog, and that Lemmy (yes, him!) at some point invited them over to the UK, in order to open some of his shows. I haven't been able to check how valid these rumours are, but even if they are 100% true I wouldn't be surprised.

To my humble opinion, Kill Cheerleader are a great Canadian garage punk band, and if that is your cup of tea, then you should definitely give them a chance. They won't let you down.

More info can be found on their Myspace page (their official website seemed to be down last time I checked), with streaming songs and MP3 downloads. Also have a look at this video, hosted on YouTube.

Jack Viper

Jack Viper "...are presenting a JD soaked middle finger to the UK's indie scene. With outstanding musicianship JACKVIPER play their trashy brand of sleaze with showmanship and arrogance just the way the Gods of Rock intended." Or, as they call themselves on their website, they are the "undisputed pioneers of the new breed of sleaze".

All the fancy words aside, Jack Viper are a cool band: they come from London, UK (which seems to be a pioneering force in the European new-sleaze move), they sound loud, aggressive and dangerous, and look like they drink about a bottle of JD each. Per night, that is. If you are into GN'FN'R, Faster Pussycat and the lot, you will dig them.

Listen to the sound samples on their Myspace website, or check this video on YouTube to judge for yourself.

* Picture taken from the Jack Viper Myspace page.

Nothin' To Lose

The band was recently desribed as "80s-rock influenced, but definitely right up-to-date". Combining sleaze rock riffs with Yngwie Malmsteen-style guitar pyrotechnics, Nothin' to Lose are set to be a formidable force in the UK rock scene.

Frankly speaking, they look and sound as if they came straight out of the Sunset Strip of the 80's, with a time machine (just look at their singer's hair style). Apart from giving explosive shows all around the London area, their demo has also been voted as "Demo of the Month" by Metal Hammer (June 2006), and they have supported Buckcherry on 12.09.2006 in Underworld, London. More info about these lads can be found at their Myspace page.

* Some of the text and pic taken from the Nothin' to Lose website.

Renegade Playboys

The Renegade Playboys are a kickass 80's-inspired rock n' roll band from London, UK. Their looks and sounds are a direct reference to the infamous 80's Sunset Strip LA scene, and bands like Motley Crue, Poison and early G n' R. Saw them live at the University of Essex Underground niteclub (when I was actually working behind the bar) in March 2004, and if u happen to come across them in a gig, they will frankly rock your socks off! I even got a half-price t-shirt as a member of staff! more info can be found at http://www.therenegadeplayboys.co.uk/.

Sound samples (and mp3 downloads) can be also found on their Myspace page.

* Picture taken from the Renegade Playboys website.