Reviews

Onde Italiene

Blind Alley Live Tuxedo 1982 LP

From the little I can gather, BLIND ALLEY was a “cult” mod/power pop band from Torino, Italy, active in the early ’80s. I think the description works, but I’d say you could also throw ska into that mix. And while they may be from Italy, you could easily mistake them for being English. I’m not sure they were a cult band, but they were certainly very good. There’s very much a JAM sound going on and, in fact, they do cover the JAM in this live set. And for a live recording from 1982, the quality here is very, very good. Good stuff.

The Sick Rose Dont’ Give Me Up Now / A Golden Boy 7″

Long-running Italian garage rock crew SICK ROSE released a two-song 7″ with the A-side covering the LYRES’ “Don’t Give It Up Now,” featuring guest vocals from Dom Mariani of Australia’s the STEMS. This version is faithful to the original, but Mariani’s delivery and the production give it extra punch. Flip it over and “A Golden Boy” channels a breezy mash of ’60s/’70s rock, toe-tapping and driven by a guitar/organ attack straight out of Sixteen Flights Up-era CYNICS. They play the kind of throwback retro rock that frequently makes my eyes roll, but here it seems more substance than style and it works for me. Only 300 copies pressed, so grab one fast.