Sad news: The music world mourns the loss of Ray Manzarek (74), founding Member and keyboarder of The Doors, White Zombie drummer Phil Buerstatte (44) and Uriah Heep bassist Trevor Bolder (63). R.I.P.!
German Hardrockers BERSERKER will donate 18.000€ to the Berlin cancer charity for children on May 25. November 2011 BERSERKER front man Schröder was diagnosed with cancer, now he is cancer-free. In 2012 the band collected money for this charity at their concerts and will also continue to do so in the future. Slayer´s Jeff Hanneman is dead: he passed away at about 11AM on May 2nd near his Southern California home because of liver failure due to an infection after a spider bite. R.I.P. Jeff!
The Siberian Jay music video "I´m Holding" featuring Mikko Sirén from Apocalyptica on drums - we reported about the videoshoot in our "1h with" Special - can be watched here: http://youtu.be/C-hSNurZVcs
Sometimes, life is just not fair. On the one hand, there are 80s rock bands, who are partly more known for their lifestyle than for their music, enjoy a hype and can be sure of having another bestseller with their tenth book about their drug antics. And then there are 80s rock bands, who come up with music that is really inventive - but the band is always reduced to their biggest hit in the decade of Hair Crime. The Electric Boys are such a case. The idea to mix Rock/Metal with Funk is something new and exciting, and despite strong songs like "Knee Deep In You", "Rags To Riches" and "Psychedelic Eyes", the band involving frontman Conny Bloom is only associated with "All Lips N` Hips". At least, Conny and bass player Andy "A.C." Christell are not reduced to their past activities with Hanoi Rocks, although I have to admit that I myself became aware of the Swedes because of this very fact. And here they are with their first album since their reunion in 2009...
It starts with "Reeferlord", an opener straight out of a picture book. And "straight" is the right keyword, as it starts to rock straight away, and the line "Lordy mama how them boys done swang" probably provided the album`s title. It`s getting funky with "My Heart`s Not For Sale", before the first single from the album, "Father Popcorn`s Magic Oysters", follows. There seems to be a special connection between the Electric Boys and popcorn, as popcorn is mentioned again in "The House Is Rockin`" ("The house is rockin` and the popcorn`s poppin`"). "Angel In An Armoured Suit", the second single, is - next to "Reeferlord" - one of the strongest tracks on "And Them Boys Done Swang". Lines like "You weren`t my first love but I thought you`d be my last", "Ten Thousand Times Goodbye" spread some melancholy, while "Put Your Arms Around Me" asks for support while being in a fight with (inner) demons. And if one wouldn`t know it better, "The Day The Gypsies Came To Town" could be mistaken as a song by the Queens Of The Stone Age; it would have fit perfectly on their "Lullabies To Paralyze" album.
With a total of 12 songs, the tracklist offers much more than the already interesting musical style called "Funk-O-Metal"; it offers plenty of variety. And if you are anyway in the record store to buy "And Them Boys Done Swang", don`t forget to buy the Best Of "NOW DIG THIS!" from 2009 as well, so that the "Funk-O-Metal Carpet Ride" can begin...
