Diaz Brothers - My World

    

  Cover versions of songs you loved when you were a kid can be a bit of a mixed bag. This one's one of the few that match the original. Hopefully you guys agree.

  Diaz Brothers (https://www.facebook.com/DiazBrothersSunderland) are from Sunderland and were formed from the ashes of HDQ following the sad passing of Dickie Hammond. I featured a track from their debut album 5 years ago https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2020/06/diaz-brothers-melancholy-hand-grenades.html

  They're releasing a new album on June 6th which will be called The World Is Yours. It'll be on Serial Bowl Records on various vinyl variants, ltd edition cd and digital download  https://serialbowlrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-world-is-yours

  Going off the evidence of their teaser single By My Side (https://serialbowlrecords.bandcamp.com/album/by-my-side-my-world-7), this is a band that are sounding better than ever. I think I mentioned recently that there's a signature sound when it comes to music from the North East of England, there's a definite Leatherface influence on a number of melodic punk bands from that area. All those bands sound great and Diaz Brothers are up there with the best of them. 

  This is the flip side of the single. It was originally by mod band Secret Affair and featured on their 1980 album Behind Closed Doors. The first single from the album, it peaked at number 16 in the UK singles chart. A song about disillusionment that can accompany the experience of feeling stuck in a routine, living in the same world day after day, it's called My World...

I can feel that taste for life slipping away,
And striking the lost chord I find nothing new to say
Someone told me I'm all dressed with nowhere to go,
I should have that sinking feeling, my head hung low,

But this is my world today
My world your living in every day
And this is my world today
And I couldn't have it any other way
In my world

Well the mind has its reasons for talking aloud
But when people turn and stare, I just feel so proud
The things they say won't come as any surprise
In an instant they become distant cries

But this is my world today
My world your living in every day
And this is my world today
And I couldn't have it any other way
In my world, my world, my world, my world today
Forever and ever,
Forever and ever,

Diaz Brothers - Melancholy Hand Grenades

  Diaz Brothers (https://www.facebook.com/DiazBrothersSunderland/) are the melodic punk 5 piece from Sunderland featuring past and current members of several other bands the most notable being HDQ. Featuring Callum Hewitt, Dave Golledge, Max Hakius, Mick Jones and Neil Cox they formed after it was decided it wouldn't be right to carry on as HDQ following the sad passing of guitarist Dickie Hammond. They've just released a debut Self Titled album and it's as good as you'd expect from a bunch of musicians with such pedigree.

  It's pretty much impossible to talk about a band from Sunderland and mention both Dickie Hammond and HDQ without bringing up that city's best band, Leatherface. They were kings of the melodic hardcore punk genre and they cast a long shadow for Diaz Brothers to walk in. They were always going to garner comparisons and whilst I'd say the debut album was always going to find it difficult to match my favourite Leatherface album (Mush) it does stand up well when compared with latter day albums such as the excellent The Stormy Petrel. This is a band that are masters of their craft and in Dave Golledge they've a frontman with the vocal talent to do justice to some well crafted and often aggressive music. 

  The album is available on vinyl (with cd included) from Boss Tunage   http://bosstuneage.bigcartel.com/product/diaz-brothers-diaz-brothers-lp-with-cd-included

  You can listen here : https://diazbrothers.bandcamp.com/releases

  It's hard to choose a favourite song as they're all pretty much punching at the same weight. Every tracks a winner but I'm going with Melancholy Hand Grenades...