A more than appropriate album release in these troubled times comes ‘Think Me A Kiss – Rock ‘N’ Roll Songs Of Happiness’. Full of songs connected with joyful emotions, ‘Think Me A Kiss – Rock ‘N’ Roll Songs Of Happiness’ features thirty tracks from a variety of artists who plied their musical talents during the 50s and 60s. With DJ Mark Armstrong responsible for putting together the songs for this latest compilation album on Atomicat Records, there is much in the vein of traditional rhythm and blues and rock ‘n’ roll numbers. With male and female artists showing their worth such as recording artists Ruth Brown, LaVern Baker and Clyde McPhatter all making an impact by popping up on numerous occasions throughout the setlist, in addition to providing the great cover shot for the album’s artwork. With these Atlantic Records’ recording artists featuring and being inductees of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, there’s plenty to get excited about from captivating vocal performances from the likes of  “Little” Frankie Brunson (Big Daddy) ‘How Can I Please You’ that starts the album, and continuing with more rock ‘n’ roll goodness from Sandford Clark and ‘Ooo Baby’, to Sleep La Beef with ‘You’re So Easy To Love’, in addition to Gary Dale with backing singers during ‘Pretty Baby’. There is much to enthuse over here, and the good feelings continue via the quite tender ‘My Heart’ performed by Vilas Craig and The Vi Counts, and later Dorian Burton and song ‘I Want You’ providing further evidence of the quality of these album releases with Atomicat’s usual inclusion of names less familiar from the golden era of rock ‘n’ roll. Ending appropriately on dreamy, harmonised vocals of ‘You Send Me’ from the voice of Cornell Gunter, ‘Think Me A Kiss – Rock ‘N’ Roll Songs Of Happiness’ is the perfect album to lift the current gloom and provide a large measure of happiness to all those willing to invest time in this excellent compilation.

Number two in the latest series to be issued by Koko Mojo is ‘Rock And Roll Vixens’. Featuring another twenty-five tracks of all-female Afro-American artists from the 1950s – 60s, the second album features more of the same goodness as its predecessor and therefore backs up the record label’s claim, “All our Koko-Mojo releases contain only killers. We let others release the fillers”. From a powerful beginning that is ‘A Little You’ where both Dakota Staton’s golden tonsils will experience no problems attracting the listener’s attention, to another fine set of vocals from Linda Hopkins during ‘Shiver And Shake’. Reeling the senses in further via excellent rhythm and blues is Patti Anne, with compelling backing vocals from Maxwell Davis Band during ‘Shtiggy Boom’. As featured on the first volume, Etta James reappears to perform the tight, snapping rhythm of ‘Shortin’ Bread Rock’ and provides a voice that never fails. Whilst giving it some consideration, due to the voices of the Afro-American artists featured, and highlighted on several occasions in relation to ‘Rock And Roll Vixens #1’, it would seem this is where the main strength lies, and that’s not providing a disservice to the quality of the instrumentation or song structures because they are equally compelling, it is because the impact of the vocals is what makes the first impressions. Therefore, ‘Rock And Roll Vixens #2’ is equally littered with many fine vocals from Baby Washington and song ‘Medicine Man’, to Ella Johnson ‘Don’t Shout At Me Daddy’ to name but two, setting up this relatively new album series as one to acquire if rhythm and blues and similar reference points of blues, harmony groups and early soul are main staples in your music collection.

It has been a while since Norwegian’s This Sect made something of an impact on home soil, not to mention reaching the perimeters of the UK with their debut album ‘Shake The Curse’ (2014). Since that period, the six-piece has been busy writing and recording, in addition to its various members pursuing other musical goals. Step forward however, and there’s a brand-new single, and promise of a second album in the offing. First song to be lifted from sophomore album ‘Everything We Know Into A Black Hole’ is ‘Stain Remover’. Instantly, the song reveals This Sect on a much subtler path than before, where it is clear the twin-turbo of vocals and guitar often highlighting the caustic, jagged edges of their debut record are toned down somewhat without losing any of the former’s close associations to such post-punk references as The Chameleons. ‘Stain Remover’ is the sound of a band moving on from this debut, but it remains a record that never forgets its past, with the difference being the understated way it goes about its business. Older and wiser therefore, but there is an anger that still simmers beneath this first single that becomes more apparent in the steady progress of its rhythm, which accumulates in layers and quickens in tempo and identifiable in the almost overlapping vocals and swirls of instrumentation. People friendly ‘Stain Remover’ most certainly isn’t as far as its words detail, rather a more telling sign of a figure scraping away at the innermost layers of humanity in the hope of finding something constructive. The wait, however, may be a while. ‘Stain Remover’ is the perfect response from a band which has taken an awful long time to reply to that echo that called out for a new release which, on this hearing, This Sect is certainly forgiven. Welcome back!

Reviving a scene, if you will, from the archives of rock ‘n’ roll is ‘There’s Gonna Be A Ball – Rock ‘N’ Roll Español’. Lovingly realised by means of a three-disc box set, containing an eight-page booklet with information detailing the artists and recordings researched by Mark Armstrong, the mammoth 84 tracks filling out this new compilation album will keep any listener entertained for hours. With this being a three-album overview of Chicano rock, There’s Gonna Be A Ball – Rock ‘N’ Roll Español’ offers a fascinating insight concerning Mexican American groups, who were present from the beginning, and ongoing rock ‘n’ roll scene during the 50s and early 60s. Expect a diverse collection of rock ‘n’ roll songs featuring Spanish and English narratives and original rock ‘n’ roll numbers, in addition to cover songs. Considering the generous level of artists and bands featured, there is plenty of room to provide enough examples of the influences and differences in rock ‘n’ roll being performed in this developing Chicano rock scene. Therefore, expect songs running close races with their American counterparts from engaging rockers as ‘Sugaree’ by Carlos Diaz with The Royal Tones, and more familiar Rudy Gray claiming album title rights with excellent rockabilly ‘There’s Gonna Be A Ball’. Songs incorporating the Spanish language can be heard during some interesting takes on established tracks as ‘Lonesome Train’, translated as ‘Tren Solitario’ by Los Boppers, and later a fuelled-up version of ‘High School Confidential’ given by Los Teen Tops translated as ‘Confidente De Secundaria’. Other covers feature several interpretations of ‘La Bamba’ from Carlos Brothers, complete with added strings, to a far more ramshackle sound, yet no less enthralling version of the same song by Los Rebeldes del Rock. With further surprises coming by way of inclusion of UK rockers’ Cliff Richard and The Drifters’ ‘Move It’, given an equally wild rendition by Los Locos del Ritmo (‘La Mantequilla’). The same band, Los Locos del Ritmo, emerges again for another fine turnout via ‘La Chica Alborotada (Tallahassee Lassie’) and enough evidence, therefore, to warrant further investigation of said line-up. In other quarters you will experience a Chicano rock version of ‘All Shook Up’ from Los Llopis (‘Estremecete’), and even The Big Bopper’s hit single, ‘Chantilly Lace’, via Baldemar Huerta (‘Encaje De Chantilly’). More than enough rock ‘n’ roll to please fans of this genre from a developing Chicano rock scene of the 50s and early 60s, which provides much entertainment as it does insight in terms of those artists involved. More notably however, this box set of Chicano rock provides a different angle on the ubiquitous rock ‘n’ roll compilation from an overlooked corner of its market, and therefore should be a welcome addition to any supporters of the rock ‘n’ roll genre.

Fourth addition to the album series ‘Hillbilly And Rustic Rockabilly Bop’ is ‘The Barnyard Hop’. Such is its subtitle ‘The Barnyard Hop’, one would expect songs only associated with festivities. Such is the diversity on offer, however, that the latest volume opens its doors to broader themes involving songs connected to work and travel such as Charlie Adams and The Lone Star Playboys’ ‘I’m A Railroad Daddy’, to ‘Gotta Travel On’ by Rose and Cal Maddox and The Jack Wayne Band. In addition to such themes, and interestingly, songs often reflect more than one facet as you will find heartbreak and loneliness attached to the previously mentioned themes of work and travel, and best demonstrated by Toby Stroud’s compellingly told tale of frustration ‘Tear Down The Mailbox’, and more direct narrative of a relationship gone south by “Little” Jimmy Dickens’ excellent country ditty ‘Talking To The Wall’. With ‘The Barnyard Hop’ following protocol with another attractive design and layout with additional details supplied by Dee Jay Mark Armstrong, this series, as with other Atomicat releases, is given much love and respect as there is something for everyone considering the “big-hitters” littering the playlist (i.e., Johnny Cash, Wanda Jackson, Lefty Frizzell, Eddie Bond et al) to less obvious figures as Jenks “Tex” Carman and unusual take ‘Hillbilly Hula’. All in all, the fourth album in the ‘Hillbilly And Rustic Rockabilly Bop’ series lives up to its predecessors in terms of quality, intrigue, and thrills when it comes to the music, with the only downside being there is only one volume left before waving goodbye to this latest flame.

When it comes to any new album, sometimes it is the album’s artwork that communicates to the listener first before dropping the needle on the track list. New compilation ‘Hillbilly Deluxe’ provides such a feeling where its warm and classy cover of a bygone era of cowboy singers and a guitar full of romance and lovingly suggestive of simpler times. Thankfully, the contents also live up to such feelings where the Atomicat time ship transports the listener back to the front porch adjoining the ranch where country and hillbilly numbers are dusted down and cranked up to the max for your listening pleasure. Whilst there’s suggestion of first forays into rockabilly and bordering rock ‘n’ roll, without ever really becoming either genre as we know it today, a very potent initial whiff of rockabilly can be heard underscoring the rhythm of ‘Dance With Her Henry’ supplied by Tommy Scott and His Ramblers with vocals by Tex Harper. Other places you will discover pure hillbilly via the creaky, rusty-sounding strings of ‘Boogie Woogie Blonde’ from attractively named Johnny Daume and His Ozark Ridge Runners, to a dominating fiddle performance of ‘Fisherman’s Blues’ from Claudie Ham, and then a threadbare performance of instrumentation, complete with flashes of harmonica from Bill Tutt and ‘Sixty Days’. There is an overall feeling, as suggested earlier, that you are on to an incredibly good thing when it comes to ‘Hillbilly Deluxe’, even before a single note has been played, such is the confidence of hearing country music the way it should be played. Supporting this feelgood factor is Art Gunn and The Arizona Playboys and ‘Sugar Cane Boogie’ who, once more during this album, raise suggestion of the first tentative steps towards rockabilly, but without Art Gunn and The Arizona Playboys getting out of their rockin’ chairs to do so. With Leroy Jenkins and His Texas Showboys’ ‘Too Fat Boogie’ being a genuinely raw and rustic affair, and others such as The Tennessee Haymakers, Tommy Kizziah and His West Coast Ramblers, and Corky Edminster and His Kans Corral Gang excellent ‘Twin Guitar Boogie’ sounding like a homage to Bob Wills given the similarities, then quite frankly there is only one place to rest this evening and soak up traditional country music, and that is at the ‘Hillbilly Deluxe’.