There'll be dancing in the streets of South London as news breaks that local heroes The Karma Effect have triumphed in the latest round of our Tracks Of The Week tournament, new single Ride Or Die casting all the other combatants asunder. So congratulations to them.
The vanquished included King Kraken and Skindred, meaning that – for the first time ever, we believe – the Top 3 bands all included the letter 'k' in their names. What a time to be alive! This week's contestants, none of whom include the letter 'k' in their names, are listed below.
Foo Fighters - Window
When Dave Grohl and co get it right, they get it very right, as this moody, mid-tempo rocker affirms. It feels like something they might have come up with in the late 90s – still hungry, just realising they might have something really great – but filled with all the lights and shadows of the last few years (and god knows they’ve had plenty of both). Catchy from the off, simple in a sense but emotionally nuanced… Yeah, there’s a reason they’re still as big as they are.
Airbourne - Alive After Death (Last Plane Out)
Almost seven years and a couple of guitarist changes on from their last album, Boneshaker, Airbourne are back in the saddle with a self-titled record coming in August – from which this big-swinging, boot-stomping, party-hard singalong is taken. A hearty but heartfelt anthem, written on the road with Lemmy in mind, it’s a quality example of the high-octane, no-bullshit rock’n’roll we’ve missed them for. Stand by for more this summer.
Die Spitz - American Porn
Still flying high and opening for the Foos this summer, Austin mavericks Die Spitz blur the lines between metal, grunge and punk to compellingly gnarly, yet hooky raging effect on American Porn. “It’s a very angry song,” says guitarist/singer Eleanor Livingston, not inaccurately. “And I want the people that come to our shows just because we’re pretty women or they want to sexualize or objectify us to listen to that song and tell us if they’re still a fan."
Hollie Rogers - Bad Woman
“Ultimately, it’s about that feeling of being pulled towards something you know isn’t good for you, but you go there anyway,” Hollie says, of this dulcet yet brooding, classily composed piece of soulful rock’n’roll – toe-tapping stuff but with a nicely smoky, sultry aftertaste. “It's a bit darker than some of the other tracks on the album but retains a playful edge.” Catch her on tour across the UK from May all through summer.
Crown Lands - Blackstar
Nope, not the Bowie swansong, but the rocking, soaring latest track from Canadian power-duo Crown Lands. Devout students of rich, maximalist prog rock soundscapes and storytelling – clever yet searing and melodic – with a commitment to realising their visions as extravagantly as budget and imagination will allow, they pep up this particular slice with some swashbuckling Ghost-nodding lead guitar flourishes. Nice.
All Them Witches - The Welterweight
"I’ve heard the word ‘welterweight’ my whole life," says All Them Witches bassist/vocalist Charles Michael Parks. "My grandfather was a welterweight boxing champion in Alabama. This title has been ringing in my head for a long time, and it found its way to a song." And what a song it is, gently drifting and winding its way into being, eventually finding its feet with a snaking groove that's somehow understated and epic at the same time. New album House Of Mirrors is out next month, and it's very good.
![All Them Witches - The Welterweight [Official Visualizer] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/dWNwrKvwnKk/maxresdefault.jpg)
When Rivers Meet - The Script
The second single from When Rivers Meet's upcoming album Rhythm Rust & Static, The Script finds Grace and Aaron Bond continuing to do more than most with the blues-rock template, with overclocked guitar, a backing vocal that's as righteous as it is rowdy, and a lead vocal from Grace that powers the song along until it disintegrates at the climax. “There’s a real sense of defiance in this song,” says Aaron. “Not aggression – just standing your ground when things feel uncertain."
Ryan Bingham - Blue Skies feat. The Texas Gentlemen
We haven't heard from our favourite southwestern session sensations The Texas Gentlemen in some time, but here they're backing singer-songwriter Ryan Bingham on a wistful country rocker with one of the lovliest choruses you're likely to hear. They're currently touring together in the US, and a collaborative album, They Call Us The Lucky Ones, arrives on May 15. "I’ve always loved records that feel loose and live and gritty with a bit of soul, where the imperfections from the moment are left in," says Bingham. "Working with musicians as talented as The Texas Gentlemen really let us lean into that in a way I hadn’t experienced before."
