On March 14th, 1973, ABBA released the single “Ring Ring,” their first Swedish No.1 hit and debut release in the UK. The release was originally credited to Björn and Benny, Agnetha, and Anni-Frid, and was selected as Sweden’s 1973 Eurovision Song Contest entry, where it finished third. Just a year later, using the acronym ABBA as a name, the group won the same competition with their huge hit song “Waterloo.”
The 14th of March 1964 was the first time in the history of the UK charts that all Top Ten singles in the UK charts were by British acts. Number 1 was ‘Anyone Who Had A Heart’ by Cilla Black, 2 – ‘Bits and Pieces’ by The Dave Clark Five, 3 – ‘Little Children’ by Billy J Kramer, 4 – ‘Diane’ by The Bachelors, 5 – ‘Not Fade Away’ by The Rolling Stones, 6 – ‘Just One Look’ by The Hollies, 7 – ‘Needles and Pins’ by The Searchers, 8 – ‘I Think Of You’ by The Merseybeats, 9 – ‘Boys Cry’ by Eden Kane, and 10 – ‘Let Me Go Lover’ by Kathy Kirby. But to be fair, they weren’t all great songs, were they?
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The character of Chris Partridge the drummer in The Partridge Family TV show from 1971 to 1974 was played by Brian Forster. Brian is the great-great-great-grandson of Charles Dickens and the Grandson of Alan Napier (who played Alfred the Butler from the 1960s Batman TV show). After leaving the show Forster became a racing car driver. Brian’s dad was actor Peter Forster who played many roles, the one I remember most is his appearance as the Cardinal in the 1971 film ‘Escape From Planet Of The Apes.’
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With apologies to the creators of the iconic NOW series of compilations that began in 1983, I felt it was time to do something similar with Mayhem! This includes the first 20 singles we reviewed in 2024 in a delightfully eclectic playlist for your listening pleasure! More than 70 minutes of music, click here and lose yourself in the music!
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Brat punk superstar Delilah Bon has unleashed her new single “Maverick” on International Women’s Day. how many artists get better and better with every release, not many, but Delilah Bon certainly does. “Maverick” is another incendiary blend of rap and metal on which Delilah is in explosive form. Her first album was an absolute classic, as a pointer to the new album this track suggests that the album will be stunning. She uses her newest creation to celebrate womanhood, self-love, and self-worth. Once again misogynists will be pissed off, but who gives a fuck about them? Delilah has this to say about the new song “‘Maverick’ is a song about self-worth and reclaiming your confidence, reminding yourself that you belong in the rooms you don’t always feel welcomed in. It’s about looking yourself in the mirror and believing in your power without needing the approval of others.” As always Delilah is absolutely on point. Her fans, including me, will love “Maverick” and it will no doubt bring many more fans into the Bon Bon club. Incidentally the definition of maverick in my dictionary is “an unorthodox or independent-minded person“, Delilah Bon is clearly both of those!
Photo by Helen Tate
Delilah has some huge gigs and festivals in 2024, including playing the Avalanche Stage at Download. Then the new album will hit the world like an atom bomb later this year. As an advocate for women’s and LGBTQ+ rights and frankly, any put-down minority Delilah is more passionate and angry than most. But she channels all of that into her astounding music. Is the world really ready for Delilah Bon? I don’t know, but it better fucking had be because she is here to stay! The video for “Maverick” is something special too! Are the two Delilahs talking to each other through the mirror actually Lauren and Delilah? Who knows? But what a stunning film!
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“Super Concrete” is a mighty blast of post-punk pop punk rock which beats you into a bloody pulp until you are unable to ignore it. After that, it sits next to you and heals your wounds and wipes away your blood and tears. Huge gnarly riffs power the song over a finely tuned engine of a well-oiled rhythm section while the vocals add hooks forged in rock and pop heaven. Quiz Show is made up of Shudder To Think’s Chris Matthews and bassist Jesse Krakow, together with drummer Joe Billy, who replaces the original drummer Kevin March (Guided By Voices, The Dambuilders). Their EP ‘Flotsam’ is out later this month.
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In recent months the situation in Gaza has gotten worse and worse every day. What Hamas did on October 7th was vile and evil, but the Israeli government’s response has been thousands of times worse. Let’s not forget, that despite what much of the mainstream media is saying (or perhaps not saying), this war did not begin last October it has been going on for many years. More than 300,000 innocent Palestinian people, many of them children, have been killed and over 70,000 injured since October 7th. The Palestinian people are not Hamas in the same way that the Israeli people are not their government. In Palestine, countless neighbourhoods, towns and cities have been decimated, and most of the population has been displaced and left without food, clean drinking water, electricity and fuel. This is truly heartbreaking and the response of many countries across the globe leaves me ashamed to be human. The UK government, and many opposition MPs, have refused to back a ceasefire in Gaza even on humanitarian grounds and with a majority of the UK population in favour of a ceasefire.
I know that music cannot solve this problem, but maybe it can play a small part electronic label Human Endeavour (part of Ransom Note Records) has pulled together a wonderful compilation album to raise funds for two charities that are working incredibly hard in Gaza in awful conditions providing support and humanitarian aid. All proceeds from the album will be split equally between two charities, Medical Aid Palestine and War Child UK. A wide range of artists have donated their music to this cause with a smorgasbord of sounds that includes electro dance, Italo House electro, UK techno, chill, electronica, wonky electro, acid-baked dance, and some awesome Middle East vibes and flavours. Artists include D Twitch, Ambien Baby, Lisene, GoodMostlyBad, Jurango, Sofia El-Harifi and Azo. Every track is incredible, contributing artists have shown unequivocal support for the cause by providing some of their finest cuts. The gorgeous artwork for the cover was created by Jeena Ra.
The full track listing is below. Click here to purchase the album on Bandcamp
Jon Beige – Complète
C.A.R. – 19s
Malcolm & Glitter55 – Damâa (Instrumental)
Jurango – Burwood
Sofia El-Harifi – bayati beach
Azo – Peace on Planet Earth
Reda Saiarh – New Beat Against The Machine
Zillas On Acid – Sleep Mode
REES – Mystic Daze (Downtempo Mix)
JD Twitch – Question Authority
Kitsta – Glisten
Lisene – Hydrophonic
Ambien Baby – La Tia
Albino Sound – Bell Anklet
Nuevo Prohibido – Pantano Slurp
GoodMostlyBad – No Disco Just Disco
Jeena – Love Is Resistance
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21st-century punk is alive and well and being delivered hard by North Carolina’s Totally Slow on their epic new single “Pistol Whip”. It opens with a tsunami of mighty riffs and just sweats punk ethos and sound. The vocals are laconic and reminiscent of late 70s classic UK punk. The lyrics are rather special too, I particularly love the lines “You are not an exorcist, Cryptic pre-contortionist. So do your best. Pistol whipped“. Anyone who can use the words contortionist and exorcist in a song with such style will always get my vote! Their fourth album ‘The Darkness Intercepts’ will be out later this month. Based on the evidence of “Pistol Whip” it will be immense!
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The Apocalypse Disco are back and steering the good ship apocalypse directly at the evil and bad shit going down in the world. Playing “Surrender” at full volume in the face of the four horsemen of the apocalypse will cause them and their steeds to explode by being walloped with rave guns and glow stick grenades. I don’t really believe the Apocalypse Disco are surrendering, I think they are taking their rather spiffing music on a crusade to draw people away from a potential forthcoming dystopian nightmare. “Surrender” is a Prodigy-fuelled slab of explosive dance music with elements of glam and a sprinkling of Prince. The video is rather stunning too! Get on board the good ship Apocalypse Disco now! You can catch them headlining at the Fulford Arms in York on April 5th, be there or be a plane figure with four equal straight sides and four right angles!
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Moving Mirrors do heartbreak in style with the new single “Never Going Back Now”. At times it is reflective of classic period Saint Etienne with instrumentation akin to Gene at their most emotional. The bass is almost hypnotic and the guitar weaves around the vocal and melody with a skill that not many players have, Christo McCracken clearly has a bit of Bernard Butler about him. Sophie Lentle’s voice and overall vocal delivery are heavenly and enigmatically ethereal. I love this song and can see it soundtracking lazy, thoughtful days in the garden in summer!
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Swedish post-punkers Then Comes Silence have released a rather magnificent new single “Ride Or Die”. I love the contrast in the song, it is kind of exuberant happy goth! If a car was built in a Sisters Of Mercy style with an engine constructed from parts taken from industrial period Depeche Mode and if it also had Trent Reznor at the wheel it might sound like “Ride Or Die”. The hooks and riffs are close to perfect, this is a great single and makes me very excited for their album ‘Trickery’ due out April 5th on Metropolis Records. Wayne Hussey had this to say about the band “Then Comes Silence are everything a band should be – good tunes, good playing and singing, and good looking. Their songs are earworms, once heard difficult to forget, as catchy as gonorrhea but far better for your health“. Absolutely no point in arguing with Wayne on that, he is 100% spot-on, particularly on the health point!
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With Just A Hint Of Mayhem 