If you were looking for a record, a document that chronicled the past 12 months of musical counter-culture with its amp shoehorned up to 13, you have two distinct options. Earlier in the year there was Sonic Mook Experiment’s ‘Future Rock N Roll’ compilation packed with over an hour of frankly exhilarating lo-fi scuzz, spat out with cathartic nonchalance and tied together by its philosophy more than anything. Not to mention that Jubilee week poster campaign designed to rile the conservative. And now this, ‘The New Rock N Roll’, courtesy of Tom and Paul of Artrock the label, the mailing list and club night. Note the absence of ‘future’ in this title. Not that the Sonic Mook collection was troubling NASA or vying for a Nobel prize or anything, but this here is a record taking joy in the rediscovery of the building blocks of modern punk and putting a fist in the ear of the mainstream, anything after tomorrow being the very last thing on its mind. And perhaps a ‘yeah, so the fuck what’ acceptance that innovation is a largely outdated concept. And besides, rock n roll is a much easier one to understand.
As time capsules go this one doesn’t skip on the details (The Details not being a band contained herein, though they may as well be, 12 of the 22 bands here preceded by the definite article. Who aren’t included either). There are essays from the two main men, gibbering excitedly about this new wave of bands, discussing whether “New Rock N Roll is the new rock n roll” and toiling over the Stripes/Strokes debates (not quite the meaning of life conundrum, but near enough, relatively speaking), amongst other things. And then there’s a brief explanation of every track’s inclusion. And when a scene’s about more than just the racket emanating from your speakers, which it always is, a few tracks stuck together will never be enough alone to give any kind of real impression. Which makes this a snap shot and more. From one perspective anyway.
And there are some thrilling tracks on here, most staying within the regulation 2 and half minute constraints (natch), and not suffering from the one-trick-syndrome that can disparage their own full length albums. The Datsuns and Love As Laughter offer bursts of a place where testosterone and raucous solos are regular sticky bedfellows, International Noise Conspiracy and Modey Lemon pound fiercely and fervently in the accepted direction and Vue and The Von Bondies prove it can come from the heart as well as the balls. Yeah Yeah Yeahs clearly have a spirit all of their own and Mclusky still take your head off, even in this company. You can talk of a scene’s disintegration and over-subscription at the hands of the masses, but when it discovers its borders extend beyond the underground is when its clock starts ticking and things get interesting. Or at least worthy of some attention. Even so, this isn’t the sound of the sell-out siren warming up. But then it doesn’t sound like much other than what it is. So enjoy it while you can. Then get it out in 20 years to show your kids.