Did you get an Oasis ticket? No? Well, good for you.
For the amount of money you've saved, you could go and see a bunch of young bands who actually need the support. Or buy a bunch of albums by bands for whom such income will make a real difference to their lives. Or you could listen to our latest Tracks Of The Week contest, which won't cost you a bean, but might introduce you to someone who might make a real difference to your life.
Last week's competition was won by The New Roses from Germany, with Finland's Von Hertzen Brothers in second, and the UK's The Hot Damn! completing the international triumvirate of triumph. Well done to all.
Here's this week's selection, for the enjoyment of y'all.
Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts - End Of An Era
We don’t know whether we want to hoist our feet into a pair of sparkly platform boots or wave a lighter in the air for this one – maybe we’ll do both. Kicking off with a saccharine dual-guitar riff, Tuk Smith pumps in the emotion on this nostalgia-heavy glam rock ode to better times – it also does a pretty good job at capturing that same grand, singalong spirit as David Bowie’s All The Young Dudes. It’s lifted from the retro rockers’ newly-released album Rogue To Redemption, and we’re glad to say there’s plenty more where this came from, so if Marc Bolan twanginess, pop melodies and dandified blokes wearing sunglasses inside is your bag, you know what to do.
Dune Rats & Fidlar - Dead, Rich Or in Jail
Having recently just set off on their joint Aussie tour, Dune Rats & Fidlar foretell the potential outcomes of their time together on the road with Dead, Rich Or In Jail. While we hope their shenanigans don’t land them in quite so hot water, this new track provides the perfect soundtrack for it; bouncing, tongue-in-cheek and a little bit silly, it calls to mind the riotous energy of the Beastie Boys with the punk rock riffing of The Offspring. Music for beer-lobbing and running face first into your fellow gig-goer, we’re here for it.
High Fade - Bone To Pick
Masters of groove, High Fade are a cool crossover between Prince and 80s-era Red Hot Chili Peppers. On new single Bone To Pick, the funk rock trio do what they do best, dealing out slippery guitar lines against sassy, eye-winking vocals and frisky bass lines that bubble away under shoulder-shaking beats. A sunny, simmering pot of funk, disco, and 70s/80s rock that comes with an almost questionable power in getting its listener to move their bodies.
Warren Haynes - This Life As We Know It
‘Ain’t it good to be alive / And to know that we survived / Came out on the other side / A little stronger’. Warren Haynes turns to brighter perspectives on new track This Life As We Know It, crooning these mantras with soulful optimism, as keys dance around ballooning, warm bass lines, bluesy guitar licks and, later, a truly euphoric chorus, formed by a marvellously joyful melody and more uplifting lyrics. In a world often clouded by darkness, this piece of sunshine is a welcome offering.
Taj Farrant - Mama Raised A Man
Aussie prodigy Taj Farrant was inspired to pick up the guitar after seeing AC/DC, but has taken a typically modern route into the biz, via talent contests (he was a semi-finalist on the ninth season of Australia's Got Talent) and social media (a million followers on Facebook). The 15-year-old has already performed with the likes of Carlos Santana, Rob Thomas, Orianthi and more, and new single Mama Raised A Man comes from debut album Chapter One. The guitar work is terrifyingly slick, and Farrant's voice is surprisingly road-weary for someone barely out of short pants. Although, being Australian, the short pants may be a permanent fixture.
Jade MacRae - Early In The Morning feat. Joe Bonamassa
More soulful Australian blues, this time courtesy of Jade MacRae, one of Joe Bonamassa's backing singers. Joe calls her "one of the most naturally gifted musicians I've ever met", and this time she's front and centre, with a tour de force performance that's as stirring as it is apparently effortless. JoBo shows up on the solo, but he truly takes a back seat to MacRae, whose new album In My Veins is out now. "Writing this music kept me going through the pandemic when my future as a musician felt perilous, and we were all challenged in so many ways," she says. "I hope you can listen and connect."
Terrorvision - Baby Blue
Taken from their upcoming album We Are Not Robots – their first since 2011's Super Delux – Baby Blue finds Terrorvision in the kind of melodically boisterous form you'd expect, with a singalong chorus perfectly designed for, errr, singing along, and a freshness that belies the band's numerous decades in showbiz. A nine-date UK tour begins at the end of the month, and we suspect this song will be greeted like an old friend. Also: rather brilliantly, the new album's cover art features a captcha on the front cover, and we can't believe it's taken someone that long to do that.
Dea Matrona - Kiss
Irish rockers Dea Matrona last appeared in Tracks Of The Week back in March with their own Black Rain, but this time their cover version of Prince's Kiss is here to delight humanity. And delight, it does: They've upped the squelchy rhythms, giving the song a glam vibe that's half Suzi Quatro, half De Staat, and half 80s' ZZ Top, and yes, we know that's three halves, but this is a music site, not a mathematics class. Live with it.
