Five Cool Ones: Five New Rock Singles You Need To Hear Now

The Georgia Thunderbolts – Stand Up

With this backwoods barn burner, it looks like the upcoming Georgia Thunderbolts record is going to continue its ascent to the top of the Southern rock mountain.

Grace Bowers & The Hodge Podge – Tell Me Why U Do that

Now under the tutelage of John Osbourne (Brothers Osbourne), Grace Bowers has transplanted herself to Nashville and assembled a hot pocket new band in advance of her new record. The latest single is Bootsy worthy wit the essence of Sly Stone wafting in the air.

Remedy – Moon Has the Night

big hooks, brilliant choruses, everything you would want in an unapologetic AOR band. Think of a night ranger riding a Def Leppard on this one.

Redd Kross – I’ll Take Your Word For It

Influencing everyone from Nirvana to the Lemon Twigs, Power Pop titans Redd Kross are back and better than ever with this gem.

The Loyal Cheaters – Dynamite

With a belter of a singer, The Loyal Cheaters Lena McFrison slinks the stage like I the devil-spawn of Doro and Suzi Quatro. The Glam stomp record of the year is written all over this one.

Video of the Day: Battlesnake – Motorsteeple

Don’t let the witches and wizards imagery scare you away, these Aussie rockers would have fit in quite nicely between Queen I and Queen II on your vinyl shelf. If your pistil-and-mortar mixology creations run aground on the islands of Queen, Judas Priest, and Uriah Heep, this one might be your jam.

Five Cool Ones (May 17, 2024)

Straight fire homies. This week is a cracking one for new records enhancing the wonderment as the summer is nigh.

The Hellacopters are cruising down the highway Jim Steinman and Meatloat style with their latest, “Stay With You.”

Coming to you from the bayous of Toronto, Bywater Call lays down the best swamp grooves this side of the Tedeschi Trucks band.

And if the more AOL side of Bon Jovi is your jam, the latest from Collateral is right up your street.

Collateral – Should Have Known Better

With their rock and roll toes planted firmly in the 80’s melodic rock mold, both in sound and song structure, you can bring out your inner Night Ranger with a few head banging listens of Collateral, the latest from the band collateral.

“Original Criminal” is a song that could have been written by the younger brother of Joe Eliott and Def Leppard, “Just One Of Those Days” drives down the road with a Bryan Adams bounce, and “No Place For Love” could have been a Whitesnake ballad.

This one would be on heavy MTV rotation when returning from a night of drinking and smoking and the next two hours is spent watching rock videos.

Pearlfishers – Making Tapes For Girls

Coming back after a hiatus of five years, Glasgows own Pearlfishers just might be the best band that you have never heard of.

Led by major-domo David Scott along with generally a loose collective of musicians, the template of The Pearlfishers percolates on a Power Pop bed with a Brian Wilson pillow.

“Hold Out For A Mystic” takes the stage with Tom Petty backing late-era Beatles, and “When The Sun Comes Back to the West Coast” carries the essence of R.E.M.

Put a pin in this one for the top ten consideration for album of the year.

Lenny Kravitz – Blue Elecric Light

It has been more than a fortnight that we have heard from Lenny Kravitz, in the album format, that is, but this one has certainly has been worth waiting for.

With classic “Are You Gonna Go My Way” stylings throughout, “TK-421” takes on a Prince vibe, “Human” has an 80’s SKA feel, and “Let It Ride” brings in the funk.

Lenny Kravitz has still got it and remains fresh with this Swiss Army knife gem of a release.

Slash – Orgy of the Damned

Slash has just released the best guitar god/hot lead singer rock collaboration that your ears will be blessed with hearing all year.

Eschewing the devil horns for blues riffs and rock-centric anthems, all of the pairings are first rate on this one.

The Black Crow’s Chris Robinson goes low and slow on “The Pusher,” Slash scorches the earth alongside Brian Johnson on “Killing Floor,” and the listener is taken to the Crossroads in a devil’s triangle with Slash and Gary Clark Jr.

Chris Stapleton on “Oh Well” and Beth Hart going deep into her soul with “Stormy Monday” provide some tasty icing on this well-baked cake.

Paul Weller – 66

Whichever version of Paul Weller you prefer, whether it be The Style Council, Jam, or Modfather Paul, 66, in honor of his 66th birthday, is site to check-off all of the boxes for you.

“Flying Fish” is an elegantly constructed song with a slight yacht rock feel to it, and “Rise Up Singing” could have been a righteous Motown ballad back in the day. “Soul Wandering” would have fit in brilliantly as a B-side on any Jam single, and “Jungle Queen” checks off all of the Modfather incarnations in one song.

A brilliant record from an artist that deserves more recognition than he gets. It