Classic Rock's Tracks of the Week

We join the build-up to the weekend’s big fight with eight heavyweights of our own, all punching above their weight. Ding ding! Seconds out, round one…

Black Moth - Looner Let’s get the legal bit out of the way first: this video is NSFW unless you work in a pervert factory. But once you’re past the “I understand and wish to proceed” button, Leeds’ finest crunch their way through a track whose riffs are as monumental as Mount Rushmore itself. They sound like the Pixies, if the Pixies were fronted by Satan, and Satan were a lady.

**Scattered Hamlet - **Shelter Only now does it truly feel like Friday, for ‘honkytonk metal’ dudes Scattered Hamlet have set their latest single free – the aural equivalent of Lemmy in a cowboy costume, covered in steel, on a Harley, hitting big things with an even bigger hammer.

Alberteen - A French Connection A cool, darkly 60s-evoking piece of garage rock, and homage to Folkestone’s noted outputs – i.e. the original Miss World contest, and the Channel Tunnel. Ooh la la…

Josh Taerk - Here’s To Change This song is a by a nice young chap who looks a bit like early Kevin Keegan. We can’t vouch for his footballing ability, but Here’s To Change is a thumping chunk of radio-friendly AOR featuring the legendary John Oates on backing vocals, and is as smooth as a freshly-shorn ewe.

The Mutants - Dead Beat Generation feat. Guitar Wolf Abnormal and the gang are back with the latest instalment of their ongoing Mutants project. This time they’ve brought people like Rat Scabies along for the ride, plus several stars from the Japanese garage, surf and rockabilly scene. Dead Beat Generation features renowned axe-mentalist Guitar Wolf, and rocks like a pair of Godzillas on a seesaw.

Alabama Shakes - Sound & Color What’s going on here, then? Alabama Shakes release the title track of their new album, and it’s a right spooky little number, coming on like Portishead in outer space. This confuses our tiny minds, but at least we’re happy.

Rusted – Last Stand These hirsute French Canadians are headed to the UK on May 28, where they’ll be performing live at the Dublin Castle in London’s swinging Camden precinct. Hopefully they’ll be performing this fine piece of cowboy metal, which has a similar feeling to Bon Jovi’s Wanted Dead Or Alive, but with extra screaming.

Arkells - Leather Jacket This song reached number one in Canada, but in our hearts it’s number one all over the world. Leather Jacket is a lively piece of earnest power-pop-rock, with a soaring chorus and a guitarist who sounds a bit like The Edge, but in a good way. The band are managed by the fella who looks after the Gaslight Anthem, so they’ll be OK, we’re sure.

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