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Celebrations will surely be the order of the day in the Crossbone Skully camp, as news breaks that their recent single Riding With The Angels triumphed in our latest Tracks Of The Week contest. Indeed, the song received exactly 50% of the vote, which means Tommy Henriksen has officially been elected Prime Minister, with Anna Cara as Foreign Secretary and Mutt Lange as Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Clutch and Crown Lands are also to be congratulated on their podium positions, but it’s already time for another election. Who will you vote for?
Slash feat Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators – Flying Blind
Back with a bright-eyed, sharp-toothed banger (it starts gently, but true to form that doesn’t last long), Slash n’ Myles and co announce their fifth record in a manner befitting such a group of voices – and we very much include Slash’s riffs and solos in that (one of those players who makes the instrument sing in an instantly recognisable way). Accompanied by a stop-motion video narrative involving a campervan, a SFMK&TC fan with a deadbeat boozer boyfriend and a hot-air balloon, it’s a promising omen for what’s to come.
Tony Iommi – Stormwatcher
They don’t call him the Riff Lord for nothing. Need proof? Stick on this mighty lil’ number and soak up that inimitably deep, majestic chug-chug-chug and feel heartily satisfied. Accompanied here by an artfully menacing black n’ white visual narrative (brought to life by Budapest indie studio CUB Animation) and a great vocalist match in the form of Jorn Lande, Iommi MBE still rocks harder than we have any right to expect from a bloke of 78.
Hannah Wicklund – Marionettes
The latest single from this South Carolinian singer/guitarist’s new album (War on Women; Calling All Good Men, out now) is a sumptuous, piano-decked rocker with a hot-blooded chorus and chunky blues rock guitars. Complete with a video produced and directed by Hannah – all red bodypaint, backdrops and tarot cards – it’s a commanding statement from a musician reclaiming control of her catalogue and everything that goes with it.
Steven Wilson – On Chapel Slope
An enveloping, beautifully sinister snapshot of the mysterious village in Steven Wilson’s new album emerges on this striking slice of Anglophile folk-horror, directed by Mike Bennion (a recurrent Wilson collaborator). Low, tension-building violin scrapes and a softly bluesy guitar line set the stage for a gothic tale of life, decay and rebirth, in a place caught somewhere between ‘bucolic 70s bolthole’ and ‘supernatural hotbed’. It’s a lo-fi yet cinematic contrast to last year’s intergalactic odyssey The Overview, and all the more interesting for it.
Stanley Simmons – Dystopia Boogie
Messrs Stanley and Simmons take another step further from the sounds of their KISS-founding fathers with this rocking, rollicking marriage of Mick Jagger vocals, percussive hand claps and limb-jangling acoustic blues shindiggery that isn’t a million miles from Led Zeppelin’s Bron-Y-Aur Stomp. Another colourful string to their collective bow, in other words. More to be found on their new album, Dancing While the World is Ending, which is out now.
Jack J Hutchinson – Solar Fire
Having swapped the Black Crowes threads for a more Oasis-adjacent barnet and shades, Jack continues to raise his songwriting game on this blend of crunchy verse riffage and sunny, bittersweet 90s Britpop touches in the chorus. “I wanted to write a heavy song that combined my love of hard riffs with the catchy, melodic power of bands like the Beatles and The Jam,” Jack says. “The lyrics are incredibly positive and affirm that even though we may argue and have opposing views, we can always bridge the gap and work things out.”
The Paradox – It’s Over
Formed in 2024, Atlanta scamps The Paradox channel an extremely lively brand of early 2000s pop-punk noise, and It’s Over – the final track on their new Proceed With Caution EP – is pumped full of fizz and fire, with a chorus that sounds like it might fit the uplifting finale of a Hollywood teen drama. They’ve already opened for Green Day, and their fans include Blink-182 man Travis Barker and basketball legend LeBron James, so we reckon we’ll be hearing more of them.
Dexter and The Moonrocks – Why Don’t You Say So (feat. Avery Anna)
More early 2000s nostalgia as Dexter and The Moonrocks conjure up something they call “western space grunge.” In reality, this means they sound like Bush, with hints of shoegaze, plus some twang supplied by country-pop hopeful Avery Anna. The end result is extremely slick and undeniably big, with Anna and James Tuffs’ voices dovetailing like they’ve been doing this for years, and the video is rapidly heading for the million-view count. The band’s debut album, Friends That I Don’t Like, came out on Friday.
