Paramore is an American rock band from Franklin, Tennessee, formed in 2004. The band currently consists of lead vocalist Hayley Williams, bassist Jeremy Davis, and guitarist Taylor York. The group released its debut album All We Know Is Falling in 2005, and its second album Riot! in 2007, which was certified Platinum in the US and Ireland and Gold in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK. Brand New Eyes, Paramore's third album, was released in 2009 and is the band's second-highest charting album to date, going platinum in Ireland and the UK, and gold in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Paramore's 2013 self-titled fourth album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts in the United States. It was also the No. 1 album in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina and Mexico.
Penetration L to R: Pauline Murray, Robert Blamire, Gary Smallman, and Neale Floyd.
Formed in County Durham back in 1976 (after witnessing Sex Pistols play live in Manchester, Pauline Murray has said "The Pistols made you feel as though you could go and try to do it yourself. They made me start singing"), Penetration were for me one of the premier bands of the ever growing Punk scene of 1977. Their debut single 'Don't Dictate' is regarded as a true classic from the era and the band had got the deal I believe as a result of their support slot at The Roxy with Generation X.
Further single releases showed how they were getting better, 'Firing Squad', 'Life's A Gamble' and 'Danger Signs' are all real quality tunes. Their debut album 'Moving Targets' is one of the best releases from the era and has never been out of my favourite albums of all time list. Personally I think their music still stands the test of time.
Click on the links to enjoy the music.
Albums
Moving Targets (October 1978: V 2109) First 15,000 copies on luminous vinyl # 22 UK Albums Chart Coming Up For Air (September 1979: V 2131) # 36 UK
'Live 1978-79' is a two disc set consisting of two live shows. The first from The Thames Polytechnic on the 16th December 1978 and the second, their final show at Newcastle City Hall on the 14th October 1979 in it's entirity (previously a few tracks had been released on the official bootleg 'Race Against Time' in 1979 but as far as I'm aware this is the first time the whole show has had a proper release).
I had the pleasure of seeing them live quite a few times way back when and whilst these two shows are quite different from each other, they are a testament to exactly how good they were when on stage. Not only is Pauline Murray an exceptional vocalist but the band are pretty tight and seemed to be more musically gifted than some of the other bands who were around at the time (the band were: Pauline Murray - Vocals, Robert Blamire - Bass, Gary Chaplin - Guitar (1976-78), Neale Floyd - Guitar (1978-79), Fred Purser - Guitar (1978-79) and Gary Smallman - Drums (1976-79). The current line up has only Pauline and Robert as the original members).
The Thames Poly show would have been just as the debut album 'Moving Targets' was released and ten of the tracks represented on the album are part of the set (only 'Reunion' is missing). Two highlights from this particular set are the two cover versions, Patti Smith's 'Free Money' and Buzzcocks' 'Nostalgia' (kind of funny that only a month before the release of Penetration's debut that Buzzcocks had released their second album 'Love Bites' which contained 'Nostalgia'. Both bands had been out on the road together on the 'Entertaining Friends Tour').
The second show is their final show (though they did reform in 2001 and are still out and about today) and the spotlight shifts to the 'Coming Up For Air' album. The songs may not be as strong as the debut but the band actually sound much better (the inclusions of Neale Floyd and Fred Purser on guitar after Gary Chaplin departed was really bearing fruit). With the band knowing it was the last gig they seemed to play with greater abandon laying down an excellent 26 song set (that included a final encore of 'Firing Squad', 'Don't Dictate' and 'Danger Signs' for the second time that night).
2015 News
There is a brand new Penetration album on the way as well via PledgeMusic. Fred Purser is back on Guitar and John Maher of Buzzcocks/Invisible Girls is pounding the drums.
Full Moon Fever is the first solo album by Tom Petty, though it features contributions from members of his backing band the Heartbreakers, notably Mike Campbell, along with Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, and George Harrison of the Traveling Wilburys. The record shows Petty exploring his musical roots with nods to his influences.The songwriting is mainly collaborations between Petty and Lynne, who was also a producer on the album. The album became a commercial and critical success peaking at number 3 on the Billboard 200 and being certified 5× platinum in the United States and 6× platinum in Canada.
My first impressions of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers when I first heard them on the radio in 1976 where not good ones. 'Breakdown' was the first track I heard and I was in no way moved by it, but Nicky Horne (Capital Radio DJ) kept on spotlight tunes from the debut album on his show 'Your Mother Wouldn't Like It', and 'American Girl' and especially 'Anything That's Rock and Roll' blew me away as did 'Fooled Again (I Don't Like It)'. I still cannot understand the mentatlity of his record company in releasing 'Breakdown' as the first single from the album in 1977 but they got their heads right in releasing 'Anything That's Rock and Roll' as a single (though not in the USA) and following it up with 'American Girl' which I can remember rushing out to the record store on a Saturday Morning to buy with my pocket money, and I got the 12".
Since then the music of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers has been almost ever present in my listening, I say almost because there were a few albums that for one reason or another I didn't connect with. But I think the stage is the best place for them rather than the studio because the energy of the live show is rarely captured in the studio. Two live shows worth checking out are the Santa Monica gig from New Years Eve 1978 and the 30th Anniversary show back in their home city of Gainsville, Florida.
Back in May 1976I first heard the sound of The Ramones blaring out of the radio (thanks to John Peel) and in that moment
the way I listened to music totally changed. All around at the time were
bands that were far to self-indulgent with themselves. Albums were a
bit of a chore to listen to as musicians seemed to max out on heavy duty
guitar solos and over the top keyboard solos. It was not uncommon for
songs to last eight or nine minutes (and some even twenty minutes - taking up the whole side of an album!). Enter into this mix the self titled
debut album of a band from Forest Hills, New York called the Ramones.
The Album contained 14 songs (7 on each side like a proper record should have!) that clocked in at 29
minutes and 4 seconds! This album was a radical departure from what had
been the norm. Even in New York City bands like Television and Talking
Heads were quite arty whereas the Ramones were a band that had their
sight clearly set on reclaiming true pop music! Though in saying that,
the themes of their songs were not exactly "radio friendly" ('Chainsaw', '53rd and 3rd', and 'Beat on the Brat' are good examples!) and on
release the album was pretty much ignored by American Radio and the
record only reached #111 in the Billboard Charts, and it didn't chart in the UK as it was only available on import to begin with. The Album was finally certified Gold last year! In its first year of release it only sold 6,000 copies - and yet all these years on it is cited by many bands as an influence.
In January 1976 the band took a break from their live performances to prepare for recording at Plaza Sound studio. Sessions began in early February 1976 and were completed within a week for $6,400; the instruments took three days and the vocal parts were recorded in four days. In 2004, Craig Leon admitted that they recorded Ramones quickly due to budget restrictions, but also that it was all the time they needed.
"When the [Ramones] hit the street in 1976 with their self-titled first album, the rock scene in general had become somewhat bloated and narcissistic. The Ramones got back to basics: simple, speedy, stripped-down rock and roll songs. Voice, guitar, bass, drums. No makeup, no egos, no light shows, no nonsense. And though the subject matter was sometimes dark, emanating from a sullen adolescent basement of the mind, the group also brought cartoonish fun and high-energy excitement back to rock and roll." (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame).
The Primitives are a British indie pop band from Coventry, best known for their 1988 international hit single "Crash". Formed in 1984, disbanded in 1992 and reformed in 2009, the band's two constants throughout their recording career have been vocalist Tracy Tracy and guitarist Paul Court. Drummer Tig Williams has been a constant since 1987 and the reformed line-up is completed by bassist Raph Moore.
Saw these ladies, Colour Me Wednesday, supporting The Darling Buds at the start of the month, they had a drummer called Sam at the time and I recently found out it was his last show with them, shame that. Hope they find a new drummer soon.
I thought that live they sounded like a cross between The Shop Assistants and 'Allo Darlin' but that might just be me. Whatever the case they were impressive and held their own on a bill that included two Indie Stalwarts from the 1980's - The Popinjays and The Darling Buds.
The band is fronted by sisters Jennifer (lead vocals) and Harriet Doveton (guitar) and Carmela Pietrangelo is the bassist (they've seemingly had a few bass players down through the life of the band and on their album, which we will get to momentarily, they offer thanks to "All the ex-bassists"), as I said, Sam Brackly was on the drums but he is no more (not in the sense that he's departed this mortal coil!).
Click on the links to enjoy the fresh sounds of Colour Me Wednesday.
The first single from the album I Thought It Was Morning was 'Shut' which was released in July last year.
Colour Me Wednesday have also released a 10 track Split Album with Washington DC band Spoonboy. Colour Me Wednesday contributed 5 songs to it. This was released on 27th May 2014 for Lauren Records.
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