SHAWN OBNOXIOUS review of HANDSOME JACK “Do What Comes Naturally”
“Naturally” hits with blues fused rock and roll that truly grips you. There’s a certain charm in the mix… A real honesty that you find in those nowadaysands that are sectioned off from the mainstream… Handsome Jack deliver a confidence that only you can accept or deny. The truth isn’t for just anyone these days.
The only factor that suffers with a band like Handsome Jack is the reality of the fact, that music, of any genre, suffers. There is a lot of music out ‘there’ riding invisible rays and available thru a multitude of formats and accessibilities. You gotta dig deep and find what connects with you before it’s lost in the shuffle of the beast called Right Fucking Now. As listens of “Naturally” tallied, the more and more I appreciated the release as a whole… The sorts of fondness that would not be found in a big-shot music reviewer scanning ten seconds of each track then spit out a few adjectives to coincide with that press release. Fuck that.
Rock N Roll isn’t dead if you don’t want it to be. Let’s try to spend some time with a CD or record or whatever, to connect once again. Yes, it comes naturally to just hit the button to most, but not because we want to, it’s because some have too. Take some time with “Naturally”. Turn it up. Sit a while. Open up your mind and your ears. You just might like something after all without being given permissions by the industry.
The VINYL DISTRICT review of PAUL COLLINS “Feel The Noise”
In a truly just world Paul Collins would require no introduction. Sadly, a globe of perpetual unfairness spins around the sun, so it bears mentioning that as a member of The Nerves he helped shape the original “Hanging on the Telephone” and subsequently helmed The Beat. In 2010 Collins issued the LP King of Power Pop! and now he’s back with the swell Feel the Noise, a 12-song effort pressed onto vinyl by Alive Naturalsound Records of Burbank, California.
I-94 BAR gives a 5/5 star review to PAUL COLLINS new album “Feel The Noise”
Three minutes of your time is all each of these songs need. Some of them need less but that’s only because they’re shorter. Give them a play and they’ll be working their way into that part of the brain that demands you hit the replay button in less time that it takes to type The King Of Power Pop.
The title track leads the album and frankly it pales by comparison with what follows. Collins’ reverb-laden voice calls the band to arms. It sounds like a half-finished glam anthem without the football terrace chorus but it’s forgotten by the time you’re halfway through the one that follows. “Only Girl” is a concise, taught little pop rocker that goes right to the heart of the matter: Hooks. It’s right up there with Collins’ best and underlines why he deserves to be a household name.
And so it goes. There’s the massively catchy “All Eyes To See”, the Buddy Holly-esque “Baby I’m in Love With You”, the bouncy “Don’t Know How To Treat A Lady” and the imploring but vibrant “Little Suzy”. The title track, replete with references to listening to sounds on an old radio (where have we heard that before?), lands smack-bang in the middle of the dropzone as well.
Nice review of HANDSOME JACK “Do What Comes Naturally” in CLASSIC ROCK
POPMATTERS premieres PAUL COLLINS new album “Feel The Noise” in its entirety
Stream and share PAUL COLLINS new album “Feel The Noise” via Popmatters!
Paul Collins sounds like a guy who not only loves rock and roll; he sounds like he’s spent his whole life living it. Feel the Noise, his latest studio effort, captures the spirit of a musician who has grown comfortably into his style. After years of playing in power pop groups like the Nerves and the Beat, Collins has continued to smartly integrate the distorted side of his rock and roll with a keen ear for affable hooks.
ALL MUSIC review of PAUL COLLINS “Feel The Noise”
The production recalls the tight, immediate sound of the classic debut album from the Beat, and Collins is writing songs that play to his strengths as a rock & roller while displaying the lyrical viewpoint of a grown man — “Walk Away” speaks of heartbreak from the perspective of someone who has dealt with it more than once, “Don’t Know How to Treat a Lady” offers some valuable advice on romance, and a tough rockin’ cover of the Four Tops’ “Reach Out I’ll Be There” speaks of the strength and determination that comes with experience. But if you’re just looking for a good time, don’t fret — “I Need My Rock ‘n’ Roll,” “Little Suzy,” and the title cut are full of fire and good energy, and show this man’s power pop credentials are absolutely up to date. Feel the Noise suggests Paul Collins is in the midst of an unexpected career renaissance, and folks who love smart pop and rock & roll with hooks and heart have been waiting for this, even if they don’t know it. – Mark Deming / All Music
Interview with PAUL COLLINS in DISCUSSIONS Magazine
Paul has just released one of his finest albums to date with Feel The Noise. The album’s opening title track may be a little crunchier than Collins is known for, but the remainder of the album brings his hook-laden songs back down to earth in an energetic, almost primal way. The album’s melodies leap out on the first listen and are stuck inside your head by the third. There’s just enough reverb and compression to keep the classic Power Pop fans happy and more than enough youthful energy to remind us why he mattered in the first place. The album’s cover features a younger Paul from 30+ years ago, which works just fine since the songs on the album sound like they could have come from those golden years – they are truly timeless. Feel The Noise more than justifies his place in Power Pop history.
The BLOODHOUNDS made the Top 10 Underground Latino Bands in LA list
The Bloodhounds are a product of the thriving East Los Angeles and Boyle Heights backyard music scene. Rather than the more prevalent punk rock, these guys chose a bluesy, classic rock and roll R&B path – imagine if Bob Dylan was born and raised in East L.A. and you have the sound of The Bloodhounds. The band is musically ambidextrous, with a foundation in the traditional guitar-drum-bass setup, but they are equally skilled in old jug band style, complete with DIY washtub bass, washboard with percussive cans and thimbles, and of course, a banjo. They are the youngest group on this list and you’ve probably never heard of them, but that will likely change soon: they were recently signed by a local record label and are about to release their debut album, Let Loose. (The local record label is Alive Naturalsound, obviously).
Nice live review of HOLLIS BROWN in RELIX magazine
