GTC BEST ROCK N ROLL MOMENTS 2022
More GTC Best Rock n Roll Moments 2022 can be found at the GTC
by Walter Price
Every couple of months or so some ole Sainted Rock hero will claim ROCK IS DEAD as a few more months pass another hallowed legend will counter it with ROCK IS ALIVE and KICKIN’. So which is it? The answer is obvious, but if you want some new rock n roll to sink your gnarly teeth into, look no further than all the artists who never had any doubt about where the state of their genre stood. And in the past year, the world was introduced and re-introduced to a whole slew of soul-shaking rockers and their post-pandemic wares…and what a vast array of sounds that made the world spin right round. Here at the GTC, we’ve handpicked a handful of releases that you need to know.
TEN BENSON
Chris Teckkam – Mush Berrier – Karl Hussey – Jaemi Zahra-Hall
Almost Human // Cold Twerky
When the increasingly reclusive Ten Benson resurfaces you know their brand of gritty lo-slung swamp rock is about to bulldoze your neighbor’s sense of tranquility. In 2022 the band returned with two sucker-punch slow burners “Almost Human” and “Cold Twerky”. Both tracks have all the signature elements fans have come to yearn for, guttural drivetrains, crackin’ riffs, and messages that need time to simmer. But what else did you expect—It’s TEN BENSON, after all!
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THE ELECTRIC ALLEY
Jaime Moreno – Nando Perfumo – Rafa Gonzalez Benitez – Sergio Reyes Gamaza
Apache
Sometimes rock n roll should be just that, ROCK n ROLL. No tomfoolery, no overwrought studio trickery, or meddling hipster producers. A classic roots and blues-based sound like the godfathers (and mothers) of the late 60s and into the mid-70s era would have wanted it. Here re-enters the scene is Spain’s The Electric Alley and their phenomenal Apache LP. Let me quote myself from 7. November 2022, “With enough sturdy Nando Perfumo guitar licks, indelible storylines, harmonies, and a vibe so classic that devotees of Jeff Beck, Scorpions, and Europe as well as the previous TEA studio releases will be driving hard and heavy and popping speakers. Highlighted by vocalist Jaime Moreno’s mastering of his delivery which is equally powerful on hard hitters like “Make It Through the Night”, “Apache”, and bluesy “Son of a Gun” as well as the seductive softer tracks “Bliss” and “One Lasting Light”. All in all, this album is a stand-alone masterclass in crafting raw and emotional rock. And that is deserving of all the respect that this release will receive.”
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DYR FASER
Amelia May – Eric Boomhower
Phantom Electric
“Discombobulated melodies, murky poetry, and noisy cerebral rock songs that’ll have your neighbors pissed off at 2 am—Yes indeed, Boston duo Dyr Faser have returned with a new experimental pop, err rock, album, aptly titled “Phantom Electric”. (GTC, 10. November 2022) The Boston duo sure isn’t begging for radio airplay or expected formality nor are they set to follow in lockstep with any conventional rock n roll framework. Rather these two noise rock composers are making what they want and it’s probably not for everyone, which, in a way, kinda makes it necessary for everyone to give their latest release a spin or two. They paint dark moving sceneries throughout “Phantom Electric” that’ll leave you enthralled, to say the least.
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LORD FRIDAY the 13th
Felix Lenz – Sloane Lenz – Pete O’Hanlon – Evan Walsh – Becky Walsh
Sleeping Cutie
Chainsaw riffs and unpredictability sing-a-long-able, Austin’s Lord Friday the 13th’s “Sleeping Cutie” is pure punk rock through and through. Fronted by siblings Sloane and Felix Lenz, this outfit has been fittingly described as, “a dollar store trash-glam-punk band…” As the band’s bio is more accurate than most, it’s their music that’ll testify to who and what they are. Blazing rockers who know how to craft speaker-destroying songs with unexpected melody and lyricism to boot. Not to mention the twisty tongue-in-cheek(s) drama of the track’s music video. Punk has new theatrical heroes.
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ON
Lucy Di Santo – Dan Cornelius – Steve Fall
ON LP
Toronto-based indie rock outfit ON is a self-described “genre-defying” band. And this is proven to be true with their unbelievably tight self-titled debut LP. Of course, you’d be hard-pressed not to notice plenty of 90s-era alt-rock and post-grunge coursing through the album’s veins. The band has been, by me, respectfully compared to the likes of Veruca Salt, Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage, and the like. But comparisons aside, the real story here is that band is made up of three top-level musicians and with the help of two co-producers (Darius Szczepaniak and Drew Howard) the collective has made an album that not only makes you wanna turn it up but a masterclass in keeping the core sound of indie rock n roll alive.
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PHOTOS: Ten Benson via Facebook // The Electric Alley courtesy of TEA // Dyr Faser via Facebook // Lord Friday the 13th via facebook // ON via Facebook
While you’re here, don’t forget to check out…Julez & the Rollerz & The New Weavers