Category: news

Seoul’s Balming Tiger have been busy. Our 2021 Band To Watch released the playful Greatest Hits EP a couple years ago, and since then Sogumm collaborated with DJ Seinfeld and Mudd the student unveiled an impressive solo debut. Now the alternative K-pop collective is announcing a new album called Gongbu. The lead single “Home” is…

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BAD OPERATION’s sophomore album EVERYTHING MUST GO, doesn’t go heavy on experimenting nor any significant change on their sound.  However, there’s no need to improve on perfection.  When the band from New Orleans coined the term ‘New Tone’ 6 years ago, it was for the purpose of reintroducing politically/socially conscious lyrics into the 80s ska beat that was prominent in the 2^nd wave of ska, or 2-Tone.  Their first album (S/T) did just that, and as a result, bands like JER, Hans Gruber and the Die Hards, and even Mustard Plug, followed.

Their new album is a continuation of the S/T, with lyrics focused on unemployment, exploitation, and other themes falling under the greed umbrella.  The songs here are not only relevant, but they’re impossible to stand still to, which is what made BAD OPERATION stand out in the first place. There’s no need to fix what’s not broken – the vocals from Dominic are clear and soulful, Brandon’s guitar riffs give each song their punk element, and nothing more needs to be said on D-Ray’s mastery of the keys.

Their opening song “Chokehold” is a great opening choice, as it sounds the most like a “S/T” track and reintroduces the band.

“Free Dom” was their first released single and the third song on the album.  This song is what got me hooked on the album entirely when I first heard it.  It’s lyrics on unemployment and the struggle of minimum wage put a lot of people’s frustrated thoughts on paper; “The money I make won’t turn me green”, “They sold me a dream that ain’t worth chasing”.

The album also has one non-ska song, “Simple Melody”.  It really is a simple song with minimal lyrics and a soft sound.  It’s a song meant to be sang along to that I think also attempts to bring the audience back to the reality of our surroundings. 

My favorite song on this album is “You Don’t Answer My Calls”, which gets rid of punk elements and embraces the lyrics and roots of 1^st wave ska.  Other standout songs include “Workin’ Real Hard to Let Go”, “Rico”, “OH NO”, which features JER and Emily Williams (AAA, JER), and “Rodeo”.

The album does share a common theme of uncertainty that binds it together, with the words “don’t know” or a variation of the words that can be noticed throughout the album. I’m not entirely sure if that was intentional or just a coincidence, but it was a nice touch.

 While I first mentioned that there’s not a whole lot of experimenting, BAD OPERATION does attempt at some points to step away from New Tone, which does show their willingness to experiment more perhaps in the future.  Nonetheless, their grounded lyricism and beats that remain the same are what makes EVERYTHING MUST GO an Album of the Year contender.  If there’s one ska album that I’d recommend to give an immediate listen to, it’s this one.

EVERYTHING MUST GO releases on April 24.

Over the weekend, Vince Staples returned with “Blackberry Marmalade,” an absolute statement of a new single. It’s a song about being Black and exploited in America — the sense that white people are trying to use you and kill you, no matter what you do. It’s basically a rock song with a chugging guitar riff. Staples co-directed the music video, a gut-clenching image of a mass shooting of Black people, starting with Staples himself. It’s filmed from the viewer’s point of view. “Blackberry Marmalade” is the lead single from Staples’ new album. Today, we find out that the album is called Cry Baby and that it’s coming out later this spring.

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Bandcamp [Release date 01.05.26] After several years delighting audiences with their wintertime project Awake Arise, the folk supergroup of Lady Maisery (Hannah James, Rowan Rheingans & Hazel Askew) and Jimmy Aldridge & Sid Goldsmith, have joined forces again to celebrate … Continue reading →

The post Album review: LADY MAISERY AND JIMMY ALDRIDGE & SID GOLDSMITH – Wakefire appeared first on Get Ready to ROCK!.

Burning Rope release their second album ‘Dissolution’ on May 26, with the lead single ‘Houdini’ released on May 26. Europe return with their 12th studio album, ‘Come This Madness’,  set for release on September 25 via Silver Lining Music/Hell & Back Recordings. ‘One … Continue reading →

The post News: SKINDRED, THE ROLLING STONES, BURNING ROPE (May 2026) appeared first on Get Ready to ROCK!.

Posted on April 28th 2026, 1:17p.m.

Gout: Actual Bastards                         Self-Released Vinyl & Download Out Now Lovely bastards from North of the border release an unrelenting slab of grimy heaviness that’s enough to remove the enamel from your teeth. Inspected and certified by MK Bennett Despite the twenty first century […]

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