The Sha La La’s Before I Let You Down Again/ Hold On (Detour)
Following on from where their acclaimed CD album A Better Way left off, The Sha La La’s return with a scorching slice of Mod-infused blue-eyed soul in the shape of brand new, vinyl only, single Before I Let You Down Again. Aimed directly at the dancefloor, with their self-proclaimed “somewhere between Canvey and Detroit sound”, The Sha La La’s have what could prove to be an anthem in the making. With a large red letter A on a white record label, this gem not only sounds great, it looks the part too. On the B-side is Hold On, a long-time live favourite, largely due to its audience participation call and response structure, which also featured on A Better Way. Mod soul doubleheader par excellence.
Sarge
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Peter And The Test Tube Babies The Albums 1982-87 (Captain Oi!)
Among the stalwarts of the punk scene, P&TTTB were one of the biggest bands to come out of the second generation of punk. Kicking off with their infamous Pissed And Proud album, they erupted onto the scene with an incendiary live set. This was followed by the South American Frogs album, which showed a change of direction, taking them into an area inhabited by early Siouxsie And The Banshees, and didn’t sit too well with fans. The Loud Blaring Punk Rock LP saw a return to form, sharp old school punk tracks that lived up to the album title. Soberphobia is the final album included here. More traditional rock in its presentation, an adventurous move that saw them trying to crack the American market, but includes the wonderfully cynical All About Love, a guide to recording a hit song that must have been listened to by many a boy band! Also included in this six-disc set is their Rotting In The Fart Sack EP, which has been expanded to include three of their single releases and a few live tracks. The final disc is rarities, album cuts and singles.
Nik
The Nettelles We Are The Nettelles (Spinout Nuggets)
A second release from specialist label Spinout Nuggets is a scorching double sider from Edinburgh’s The Nettelles. Formed from out of a Sally Skull reunion a few years ago, this double helping of blistering garage punk is a bit good! I’m Over You is unrelenting, barely pausing for breath, as it careers out of the speakers. Garage punk it certainly is, with an added element of sheer pop appeal. On the flipside is We Are… It’s full title is We Are The Nettelles and it comes complete with several stings in the tail. Produced by Russ Wilkins whose impressive musical CV includes The Prisoners and The Milkshakes among many others. It’s a hand numbered limited run of just 300 singles so don’t hang about, grab one while you can.
Sarge
Capone And The Bullets This Is Fusion (Self released)
Back in the mid- to late-Eighties, Scottish skankers Capone And The Bullets were one of the brightest lights of the ska scene. Sadly they split in 1999 after releasing only one album. Fast forward to 2015 and they reform to play the London International Ska Festival, an offer they couldn’t resist. Luckily this kick-started a renewed enthusiasm, with the inevitable return to the studio for the delayed second album. Was it worth the wait? I’d say definitely. The spirit of the early 2-Tone sound shines through, there hardly being a track which wouldn’t fit into that label’s early output. This is an absolute scorcher of an album. They’ve obviously got a huge passion for the roots of the sound, but they’re also not afraid to draw on the current incarnation as needed. Currently only available on download, there’s hopefully going to be a physical release beyond the small run that was made for this year’s LISF, contact the band for further details.
Nik
