John Robb’s always done his own thing, and for that, he’s pretty cool in my book. With Goldblade, the former Member and some-time music critic has managed to stay true to his punk rock roots and in doing so has steered clear of Paul Morley territory.
His new record label, Louder than War – an offshoot of the on-line music mag he edits – is also cool, and what’s more, it’s actually a proper record label, in that it actually releases records. 7” singles, no less. And they all come in brown card ‘house’ sleeves with a full-colour insert. The first of these is from Cheshire punk rock combo Deadbeat Echoes, and it’s the perfect advert for both the label and the format.
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Dishing up a brace of energetic guitar-driven blasts of intelligent, crafted music with attitude, Deadbeat Echoes deliver a statement of intent with this release. ‘Surge of Youth’ is appropriately titled, a short sharp shot of adrenaline that clocks in under the two minute mark, while the lead guitar soars over a solid rhythm section on ‘Forces’. Together, they make for one of the most exhilarating single releases I’ve heard so far this year.
Louder than War Online
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