Album Spotlight: Biters - The Future Ain't What It Used to Be

Everybody reading this has access to the Google machine. If you want history and context, look it up.

The new album from Biters is great. The Future Ain't What It Used to Be is 70s British glam, 80s Sunset Strip sleaze and Southern Rock all rolled into a fairly eclectic package.

Biters hail from Georgia, so the Southern Rock connection is easy to digest. The British glam ala The Sweet, T-Rex, Ziggy Stardust is not a natural connection. Then there's the 80s sleaze reminiscent of L.A. Guns and Faster Pussycat.

Somehow, it all works.

And here's the thing. There is no one song that makes me perk up and say "That is great!" On the other hand, there is not one bad song on the album, no filler. It all just flows.

Because of where my wheelhouse is, I'm going with my favorite 80s influenced song here: "Vulture City".

Album Spotlight: The Struts: Everybody Wants

At it's core, music is supposed to make you feel something. Anything. That doesn't mean it has to make some great, profound statement that makes you introspective. Sometimes music can just be fun and make you feel happy. Such is the music on The Struts new album Everybody Wants.

It's fun. It's poppy. It's real instruments. It's catchy. It's campy at times. And did I mention, it's fun?

Everybody Wants is an amalgam of 70's glam and late 80's/early 90's guitar driven pop. For a more specific reference, think The Sweet meets INXS.

Here is "Kiss This" from Everybody Wants:

The Struts: New Single: Dirty Sexy Money

Glam.

That's what The Struts are. And unapologetically so. Think Queen meets the Sweet. And yeah, they're British.

Here's the audio for the new single "Dirty Sexy Money".

New Video: Michael Monroe

Michael Monroe has released a new video from his latest album Blackout States for the song "Goin' Down With The Ship".

For anyone unfamiliar with Monroe, he was the vocalist/frontman for the Finnish glam band Hanoi Rocks form the early 80s. They were the predecessors to and influencers of many of the 80s glam bands like Motley Crue, RATT, etc.

The career of the band Hanoi Rocks was cut short due the death of drummer Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley in 1985.

Monroe never stopped making music though. Blackout States was released in October of last year.





And here is last video from Hanoi Rocks' album Two Steps From the Move for the song "Boulevard of Broken Dreams".

Metal Monday (Glam Edition) Featuring Kix

Kix is not really glam. Too much jeans and leather. But I don't like using the term "hair metal". Although I've embraced the term, many of the artists of that time don't.

Kix was never huge, but they are always solid. Actually put out a new record last year. But I'm going back.

"Cold Blood" was the first song I ever heard by Kix. And it's probably still my favorite.