Friday 1 January 2021

Billy No Mates - If These Streets Could Talk

  


    Happy New Year guys...

  Duncan Redmonds returns this month with an album of his trademark melodic punk rock but it isn't a new Snuff lp. It's a new long player by Billy No Mates called S.F. Sourdough and it's bloody wonderful guvnor! 

  It's been pretty much a decade in the pipeline as back in November 2010 Duncan decided that there should be an American based line up of the band that'd already put out releases by a UK/European line up and a Far East/Japan one. If you check on Discogs it says  

  Billy no mates started in 2004 as the solo project of Duncan Redmonds (Snuff, Guns 'n' Wankers, Duncans Diva's, The Toy Dolls). While Snuff snoozed, the first album "We Are Legion" was recorded late 2004 and released early 2005 on Ten Past Twelve Records.
Duncan recorded everything thus the "Billy no mates" tag.
Later it was decided to try to put three bands together to play the songs live; one in Britain/Europe, one in Japan, and one in the USA. The one in the USA didn't work (yet)...

  The US line up actually played one gig together (on Nov 26th 2010 at Thee Parkside in San Francisco) but now their music will get a wider audience. 

  Fast forward to the present day and it's time to shine a spotlight on that US incarnation. Recorded in 2010 in San Francisco's Motor Studios, Duncan's supported by the stellar line up of Joey Cape (Lagwagon, Me First And The Gimme Gimmes), Tyson 'Chicken' Annicharico (Dead To Me, Western Addiction) and Sergie Loobkoff (Samiam, Knapsack) the album features 6 re recordings of previously available tracks and 6 unreleased ones. 

 
  Was it worth the wait? Hell Yeah! 

  What does it sound like? To be honest, it sounds like Snuff without the cover versions or the comedy singalongs (although the title track is presumably a genuine advertisement for San Francisco Sourdough Bread enhanced with a punk rock backbeat and you'll certainly still find yourself singing along throughout). It's extremely catchy, it's Duncan cementing his place as the king of the UK melodic punk scene. It's a release you won't want to miss. I was going to list my favourite songs but it was turning into a long list so I haven't bothered. 




  It's out on January 29th via Unless You Try Records and on Snuff's own 10 Past 12 Records. You can pre order it now (on colour vinyl or bundled with a set of fancy new tees)   :     https://www.snuffband.com/home

  This is the opening track and it serves as a great way to whet your appetite for the full album. It's called If These Streets Could Talk...
  

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