A welcome return today for Durham punks The Relitics. Formed in 2014 they line up with Carol Nichol (vocals), Mick Hall (guitar/vocals), Steve Hoggart (bass/vocals) and Vince Ward (drums). They're back with a new 5 track ep, To Hell With Austerity. It's available on 10th August on Really Ticks Records and you can pre order it digitally here : https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/to-hell-with-austerity-ep/1413932457
So the important bit, is it any good? The quick answer is hell yeah. Mid paced, female fronted punk rock with the band expressing their collective frustrations about life today. Somehow I doubt that the robotic Theresa May or any of her "strong and stable" cabinet will be on songwriter Mick Hall's Christmas card list. The usual comparison to bring up would be with with fellow north easterners, Penetration. This comparison is certainly still valid but on the song I'm highlighting below (the title track) an even more obvious comparison could be made to Brand New Cadillac (or maybe The Cramps). When I heard there was a video on the way I was half expecting a 2 minute clip of Wednesday Adams boogying on down with her faithful butler Lurch. It's a great rockabilly sound overlaid with lyrics slamming government economic policy. A heady brew indeed.
Until recently, Neil Tunstall was bassist with Durham band The Relitics (https://www.facebook.com/Relitics/ I've previously posted songs from their Bricks And Mortals album and their split with Australian band Myrtle Place). He's now left (though he'll be appearing with them at the Nice n Sleazy Fest in May). His plans now are to get back to writing and recording his own material so watch out for that.
Here's his 10 favourite songs, though like several others he's struggled to keep to just 10. Thanks Neil......
1) BAD RELIGION - Do What You Want
Everything a punk song should be, short and to the point.
2) REFUSED - Coup D' Etat
The Shape of Punk to Come is a mind-blowing album as it brings in electronica and some jazz references, but this is from their previous album Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent.
3) PRIMUS - Frizzle Fry
Primus are my all-time favourite band and Les Claypool is way out there with his playing and thought processes ... shrooms!
4) RANCID - Journey To The End Of The East Bay
A long time ago a friend of mine, who is no longer with us, threw down a taped copy of Lets Go and said 'You like mad shit, try this'. Matt Freeman's opening bassline on this is killer.
5) MASTODON - Blood And Thunder
Best band in metal at the moment for me. I first saw them supporting Tool about 10 years ago and not a bad album in their whole back catalogue.
6) MESHUGGAH - Straws Pulled At Random
A very heavy band, but this song has a beautiful soaring guitar solo towards the end. The song goes down at about 3:06 and more layers get stripped away until the solo at about 4:00. Both Meshuggah and Refused are from around Umea, Sweden ... something in the water there.
7) NOFX - Radio (Rancid Cover)
Thay've played this live every time I've seen them. A great reggae take on Rancid's original that then kicks back into full on punk. It's on the Rancid/NOFX BYO split series recording where the each cover six of each others songs.
8) H2O - Faster Than The World
A great band I've seen in a few places with no barriers, the way things should be. The best show was probably at Trillians, Newcastle, a few years ago when a kid who probably wasn't even old enough to be in there stepped up to the mic and took Freddy's (Cricien, Madball) part in Guilty by Association and killed it.
9) MADBALL - Set It Off
So many great songs its difficult to pick just one, so why not this one :-)
10) LEATHERFACE - Not Superstitious
Gives me chills up and down my spine. I'm not sure who had more genius, Frankie Stubbs or Dickie Hammond (RIP)
11) SICK OF IT ALL - Death Or Jail
The band that spawned H2O by giving the roadies a go. Fuck knows how Lou Koller still plays guitar spinning around even the smallest stages. Craig Setari is no slouch neither!
12) AGNOSTIC FRONT - For My Family
For me this says a lot about the punk and hardcore scene, that people look out for each other ... you disappear in the pit and people are there to pull you up.
13) HAZEN STREET - Are You Ready?
Hardcore supergroup. One great album and, maybe without contracts and legal bullshit that then kept Chad Gilbert from doing shows with them, there might have been more.
One of the albums I enjoyed most last year was Bricks And Mortals by politically charged Durham band The Relitics so I had high expectations when bassist Neil Tunstall sent me the tracks from a new split with Australia's anti fascist/working class punks Myrtle Place. (If you're wondering how a band from the North East of England got together with one from Brisbane in Australia, Relitics guitarist/vocalist Mick Hall grew up with the dad of Myrtle Place's drummer, which explains not only the geographical split of the bands but also the generational gap)
The new tracks (there's 3 from each band on the forthcoming untitled 12" vinyl ep) are as you'd expect, very good indeed (as are the harder edged songs from Myrtle Place). The ep (there will be 250 copies, first come first served) is pencilled in for mid October but you can enquire about pre orders on both The Relitics' Facebook page : https://www.facebook.com/Relitics/ and on Myrtle Place's : https://www.facebook.com/myrtlepunx
I'll be playing a different song on Tuesday's Just Some Punk Songs show (8pm UK time here : http://mixlr.com/mick-fletcher/) but for the purposes of the blog I'm going with the song that's just been posted on Youtube. Intelligent, mid paced melodic punk, this is Anti Fascist.......
One of my favourite songs of the year thus far is from the new album, Bricks And Mortals, by Durham punks The Relitics.
Forming in 2014, they feature Carol Nichol (vocals), Mick Hall (guitars/vocals), Neil Tunstall (bass/vocals) and Vince Ward (drums). Their songs deal with social and political issues that affect all of us and their influences include the likes of The Clash, New Model Army, Bad Religion, PiL, The Stranglers and Nick Cave.
2015 saw the release of debut ep Whitewash (check out the title track here : https://therelitics.bandcamp.com/releases) and they've just started taking orders for the new album ("For anyone wanting to buy a copy of our debut album, Bricks and Mortals, please send £7.50 (£5 plus £2.50 postage/Paypal fees - UK only) via:-
