We watched Baz Luhrmann's Elvis movie over the weekend. It's a tremendous, thrill-a-minute, electrifying tour-de-force, but it's also a rare film about music that actually manages to convey live music as portrayed by actors in a completely convincingly way.
Why do we mention this? It's by way of congratulating Måneskin, whose version of The King's classic If I Can Dream plays over the end credits but, perhaps more importantly, came third in last week's Tracks Of The Week roundup. In second place were The Cruel Intentions with Venomous Anonymous, while Whiskey Myers topped the tree with The Wolf. Well played, everyone.
This week's candidates follow – vote for your favourite at the foot of the page.
DeeOhGee - Lost At Sea
Formerly known as the Blackfoot Gypsies, and now back as DOG (okay, DeeOhGee, but come on; isn’t DOG more fun?) with an album called New Way Of Life, these Nashvillians make like the Beatles dipped in grits and hot sauce on this languid, leisurely lil’ earworm. Serving up Fab Four-esque psychedelic pop with a bluegrass twist, Lost At Sea is sweet, hypnotic and probably belongs in a different era – in this instance that does no harm whatsoever.
Troy Redfern - Come On
There’s a dirty smokiness to Troy’s voice that, mixed with feral slide guitar chops, lends a reassuring quota of mania and mystique to his style of blues rock. Come On is his finest moment yet, spiced with bold, stompy flavours of T.Rex – if Marc Bolan had swapped the feather boas for biker leathers and a few more cigarettes. Check out this and more on his next album, The Wings Of Salvation, which is out on September 23.
Deraps - Veins Of My Heart
Okay, so as heart-based song titles go it’s on the medical side, but trust us when we say that if you like Van Halen or Whitesnake – or any of the spray-on trousered heroes that Steel Panther take leads from – you’ll want to listen to this (even if the lyric ‘I can feel her tongue wrapped around the veins of my heart’ is less ‘oooh’ and more ‘eeww!’). Two thirds Canadian, one third Australian, Deraps are young guys who clearly love this gleaming, 80s Sunset Strip brand of rock’n’roll, and most importantly know how to write a proper tune. Less parody (a la Panther), more homage (like the Darkness). Ones to watch.
Thundermother - Hot Mess
Typically, Sweden’s mothers of thunder like their rock on the fast and filthy side. Here, however, they dive into the impassioned waters of the power ballad, bringing out subtler textures than those of their earlier work (think Aerosmith being sung by Whitney Houston). "Hot Mess is about finding that one person that really sees you and accepts you for who you are,” says singer Guernica Mancini, “flaws and all." Check out this and more on their next album, Black And Gold, which is out on August 19.
Revival Black - Broken Home
These Liverpudlian rockers/NWOCR favourites seem to have hit a stride on this moody yet monstrous tale of family turmoil. If you like your modern hard rock in the vein of Black Stone Cherry, Kris Barras, Alter Bridge, Sevendust etc, this’ll likely push your buttons. “This song is about those common yet complex situations,” says singer Dan Bynre. “So, we are each taking a little slice of therapy out of this song, maybe it will do the same for others. If not, no worries, it’s still a cracking tune!!”
D-Drive - I Remember The Town
Guitar hero fan? Craving a bit of impressive yet hooky, G3-style groovin’ in your life? Japanese instrumental rockers D-Drive hear your cry, and have a solution. Between them, guitarists Yuki and Seiji form what feels like a Vai/Satriani/Petrucci-style Hydra, throwing in some Iron Maiden-esque harmonising for added melodic, metallic panache. “The theme of this song is reminiscence of the town where Seiji grew up,” Yuki says. “Not only Seiji but the other members of the band all channelled their nostalgic memories into the creation of this song.”
Classless Act - All That We Are
If there's any better gig for a young band this year than opening up on the Stadium Tour, then Classless Act probably wanna hear about it so they can do that next. There's a genuine buzz about the Los Angeles band, and All That We Are does a pretty good job of explaining why people are excited. Firmly planted in fertile soil somewhere between Guns N' Roses and The Struts, it's the sound of a band who've armed themselves with the most neglected weapon in the junior rock star arsenal: an actual chorus. Debut album Welcome To The Show is out now.
All Them Witches - L'Hotel Serein
Another tracks from All Them Witches' excellent ongoing Baker's Dozen project, L'Hotel Serein finds the band winding their mysterious way through a somewhat sinister blues. Unlike much of the shiny, slickly-produced dung that pads the genre these days, this feels closer to the real thing: raw, atmospheric, and rich with intrigue. "Much like your House of the Rising Sun or your Hotel California, this building can't be classified for one single purpose," they say. "Is it an inn? Or a brothel or a prison? Or is it just one's own mind?" You'll have to listen to find out.
