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Feb 01 2023

#26 The Jackets – “Queen Of the Pill” 2019 Album Review, Retro Garage Rock | Switzerland (Updated 2023)

Updated 2022 / 2023 news included below.

Switzerland - The Jackets Queen of the Pill Album Review 2019 Vanzig Studios
The Jackets 2019 Queen of the Pill Album Cover – Switzerland

Release Date

June 14, 2019

Wild Noise Records

Tracklisting

1.”Dreamer”

2. “What About You”

3. “Steam Queen”

4. “Move On”

5. “Don’t Leave Me Alone”

6. “Queen of the Pill”

7. “Floating Alice”

8. “Losers Lullaby”

9. “Deeper Way”

10. “Be Myself”

The Jackets – Queen of the Pill 2019 Album on Spotify

Who is The Jackets – Queen of the Pill for?

The 2019 Album, Queen of the Pill, is focuses on the fuzz box classic 60’s retro garage rock stylings. Put on your go go boots & dial up the psychedelic ambience.

“The Jackets mix the best elements of Rock and Roll into a potent, irresistible cocktail with a ferocity that is full of good humor, high spirited fun, and full blast excitement! “- www.thejackets.ch

Members

Vocals / Guitars – Jack Torera

Bass – Samuel Schmidiger

Drums – Chris Rosales

The Jackets Live Black & White Photo Shoot
The Jackets Live Black & White Promo Shoot 2023

What is The Jackets Origin Story?

The Jackets originate from Bern, Switzerland and debuted in 2009 as a four piece with the album Stuck Inside on Subversiv Records.

Along the way they became the power trio they are known as today. In 2021 The Jackets decided to launch their own label Wild Noise Records, to house their entire catalog. Other notable label collaboration on multiple releases is Voodoo Rhythm Records.

The power trio is an international touring act successfully touring America & Europe on multiple occasions. Check out their current tour below.

You can listen / stream on all platforms. All of the killer merchandise can be found on Bandcamp.

The Jackets Spotify Profile Photo Switzerland Retro Garage Rock
The Jackets – Switzerland – Streaming All Platforms
The Jackets Queen of the Pill Photo Shoot 2019
The Jackets 2019 Queen of the Pill Photo Shoot

Queen of the Pill – Album Review

My initial impression is the following, “Queen of the Pill would be on speed dial if Quentin Tarantino fucked Austin Powers while in the middle of a laser beam shark circle jerk”.

I honestly do not have all that much to say about this album because all tracks sound basically the same. If you dig one track you will be all in on the rest of the album.

If you are into fuzzy 60’s retro garage rock that’s a cocktail of Jefferson Airplane with a splash of Stooges and Kinks garnish then you are getting blackout drunk.

The 60’s psychedelic genre is definitely not my go to, but the band is dead on with this sound infusing their own modern take on this genre. Even though I do not have The Jackets on repeat I can’t ignore the songwriting prowess, musicianship and personality the trio delivers.

The hardest part of a recording artist is to convey a magnetic personality both in the studio, live and through their merchandise. The band has this down to a science. After one listen the message is loud and clear that the live show is where the catalog comes to life.

I will definitely be listening for more releases, but I do hope they change up the temp a bit more because it can be a tad redundant. I would be really curious what the sound become if they dialed into more of a 70’s punk vibe.

Bands Mentioned in Podcast: Matadors | Jefferson Airplane | Murder City Devils | Yeah Yeah Yeahs | Deep Purple | Karen O | The Dictators | Blondie | Ramones | The Stooges | Dead Boys | Susie Q | The Damned | The Cramps | MC5 | Muse | Razorbats | Chrome Division | Alkaline Trio | Everytime I Die | The Hives | Talking Heads

The Jackets 2022 / 2023

The Jackets Pie in the Sky Single Cover Art 2022 Switzerland
The Jackets “Pie in the Sky” Single Cover Art

New single, “Pie in the Sky”, released November 4, 2022 via Wild Noise Records. The new single aligns with exactly how The Jackets left off with “Queen of the Pill”.

The follow up single “Misery of Man” will be released March 2023 and premiering via Vive Le Rock. Stay tuned!

The Jackets – 2022 “Pie in the Sky” Single Video

The Jackets Videos

Tour

The Jackets Tour Dates

Let’s Talk Amigos!

Please hit us personally here at Vanzig Studios for any reason whatsoever using the Contact Form. If you’re curious where Carly and I come from then read over our bio.

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Written by Mickey Squeeze · Categorized: Reviews · Tagged: 2023, Album Review, fema, Rock Genre

Jan 15 2023

Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts – Ballad Of A Misspent Youth 2022 Album Review

Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts: Ballad Of A Misspent Youth Album 2022

Release Date

November 4, 2022

Music Recording Group LLC

Tracklisting

1.”Ballad of a Misspent Youth”

2. “Girl On The East Side of Town”

3. “Ain’t For the Faint”

4. “Everybody Loves You When You’re Dead”

5. “Shadow On The Street”

6. “Say Goodbye” – Favorite Track

7. “Lovesick City”

8. “Forgive But Won’t Forget”

Total Recommended / Favorite Tracks – 8 / 8

Total Background Tracks – 0 / 8

Total Skip Tracks – 0 / 8

https://open.spotify.com/album/1aAYSQu9gWYvvRHcHYZuKz?si=ZKsIYdMyTl-4ssD8xfLSZg
Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts – Ballad Of A Misspent Youth 2022 Album on Spotiify

Who is Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts – Ballad Of A Misspent Youth for?

Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts 2022 Album, Ballad Of A Misspent Youth, is laser focused on the classic rock market, but not the typical influences, which makes it way more interesting.

Tuk Smith has always bled his influences combining the stylings of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Kiss, Thin Lizzy, Cheap Trick, T. Rex, Gary Glitter & AC/DC.

Members

Vocals / Guitars – Tuk Smith

Guitars – Ricky Dover Jr.

Bass – Shane Rickerson

Drums – Nigel Dupree

Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts Band Photo

Where did Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts Originate from?

Tuk Smith came to rock n roll prominence with his original band, Biters, based out of Atlanta, GA.

Biters’ 2015 album, Electric Blood, released through Earache Records, garnered lots of attention in the rock n roll music industry. Notable accolades include Nikki Sixx, Danko Jones, Classic Rock Magazine, Alternative Press, Planet Rock and many others.

I was introduced to Biters with the track “Low Lives in Hi Definition” from 2015’s Electric Blood album. I quickly found myself listening to track after track. My favorite track is “Time to Bleed”. The opening track to Electric Blood is entitled “Restless Hearts”, which is a skip track for me and definitely would have not opened the album with it.

In 2017 the Biters released the sophomore album, The Future Ain’t What It Used to Be. I really dig the first half of this record, it’s like a more polished Electric Blood, especially “Stone Cold Love”. The rest of the album is good, but it’s basically filler tracks. The band was touring to support this release, the press was rolling in, but then the discography was pulled down & the Biters hit the pause button.

Tuk Smith basically stated in the Danko Jones podcast that the members decided to go an indefinite hiatus beginning in 2018. Tuk Smith then broke off, moved to Nashville, TN and founded Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts.

If you are interested in the Biters catalogue it is currently back up and streaming on all platforms.

Biters – Atlanta, GA
Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts Live

Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts & Covid

On January 2020 Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts released the debut single, “What Kinda Love”. Tuk Smith’s credibility & the single landed the band a stadium tour with Def Leppard and Motley Crue. Then Covid 19 hit and everything was erased. The debut album, Lookin’ For Love, Ready For War, was to be released in late 2020, but was shelved.

“When the pandemic hit, it was like hitting the reset button on my music career”recalls Tuk, “everything got taken away…album campaign, stadium tour, record deal. The world was in lockdown, and the only way to escape was to throw myself into writing. My thoughts began exploring the past, and the inspiration for the songs just came in tidal waves.” – Tuk Smith

During the Covid Lockdown Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts released the EP Covers From The Quarantine through Better Noise Music. I was confirmed Tuk is the shit because he covered the Kiss song “Hard Luck Woman”, which is the reason why everyone should buy a twelve string guitar.

Then finally in November 2022 the debut album Ballad For A Misspent Youth was released.

Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts Band Photo

Ballad Of A Misspent Youth – Album Review

This record had me so curious. The 2020 single, “What Kinda Love”, sounded like a more polished less gritty Biters using The Who & Queen as its soundtrack.

Tuk Smith is incredibly consistent with the songs he dishes out. It’s the AC/DC way of songwriting. Every song is good, they all sound the same and in this case Tuk basically polished up the Biters tracks and recycled them. Tuk loves Tom Petty, Thin Lizzy, “Surrender” & Gary Glitter so much!

Ballad Of A Misspent Youth is a jukebox of all your major key classic rock. It’s almost like a version of The Darkness without the falsetto vocals. I applaud Tuk Smith for focusing influences on the 70’s glam side, there are so many bands that try to imitate Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath and after awhile it gets played out or comes off as lame.

Tuk Smith has been successful and able to get away with rewriting very similar songs across two bands, but is it sustainable? If I were in Tuk’s ear I would be pushing him to write 99% up tempo slightly more aggressive tracks for the next record in order to make it relevant in the discography or get crazy with Pink Floyd / Rush inspired tracks.

If the same rewritten material comes out for now a fourth record I think the majority of the album will come off as filler tracks. At least make sure there are zero traces of Tom Petty, The Who, “Surrender” and Gary Glitter. Tuk is a solid songwriter and you’ll always at least get two killer tracks in whatever he does. I would love to hear the band jam out a bit maybe in a darker Sabbath tone.

The press surrounding Ballad Of A Misspent Youth is totally positive and deservedly so. Every song on this record is solid. Also the performance & production is stellar. I cannot make single negative comment other than Tuk is walking a tight rope with wearing his influences on his sleeve.

Ballad Of A Misspent Youth served its purpose. It has put rock n roll fans on notice that Tuk Smith will not just roll over and there is plenty of high quality music still in the tank. The follow up release is going to make or break Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts. The band either breaks and makes it their own or will forever be lumped in with retro vintage cruise lineups, which could fun, but probably under achieving.

Whatever Tuk Smith does I’m following.

Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts Videos

Tour

Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts Tour Dates

Let’s Talk Amigos!

Please hit us personally here at Vanzig Studios for any reason whatsoever using the Contact Form. If you’re curious where Carly and I come from then read over our bio.

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Written by Mickey Squeeze · Categorized: Reviews · Tagged: 2022, Album Review, Pop Genre, Rock Genre

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