The Mads - Time By Time

Formed in Milano in 1979 and playing an energetic blend of beat and rhythm 'n' blues, The Mads were the first and best Italian Mod band. In four solid years of gigging, their reputation grew, becoming legendary on the modernist underground scene.
Re-formed with the original line-up in 2012 by the band's main song writer Marco Pertusati, with Luis Bergamaschi, Toni Graziani and Mauro Fossati, the band released a series of singles and E.P's, a critically acclaimed debut album The Orange Plane plus tracks on the Well Suspect Records' compilation Generation Mod and four recordings on the Deluxe Edition of the seminal mod revival comp The Beat Generation And The Angry Young Men.

Well Suspect Records are proud to release their second album Time By Time. Ten irresistibly powerful pop-rock bangers; each brimming with the bands signature melodic hooks, riffs and 'madernist' lyrical imagery. 

Release date 18th Oct 2024, on Vinyl, CD and digital. Pre-orders available at time of writiing.

A single Rabbit On The Run preceding the LP. 

The song, written by Marco Pertusati with escapist lyrics by Flavio Candiani, is a mid-tempo, catchy, power-pop earworm, with a dynamic horn section and the band's signature melodic riffs riffs.

The video (below) that accompanies the digital release captures the actual recording sessions of the song.

Available digitally on Oct the 4th on all online stores and streaming services.

Skill!

Dave's Doors Of Perception - Major Door Arcana

It is commonly accepted that one member of Dave's Doors Of Perception has returned from the future. Widely believed to be Dave Door himself, the band's drummer, who first started the rumour, one thing is for certain - few of their garage band contemporaries have any reason to doubt the alleged time travelling credentials; their far-out, far-sighted, visionary soundscape is hard to explain otherwise. The new LP, their second, Major Door Arcana, gives extra grounds to gossip.

Side 1: Twenty-two minutes of garage punk-rock perfection; fuzz guitar, snarling vocals and a tinnitus inducing rhythm section. With two 'mellower' tunes programmed by way of respite; the nine songs play like a whole album in itself.

Side 2: Twenty-two minutes of wigged-out psychedelic excess. A sonic exorcism of such hallucinogenic innuendo that psychosis may be induced in all but the most mushroom-hardened listener - a cautionary note to anyone intent on finishing all six tracks.

See video below.

Well Suspect Records have released this great record on limited edition vinyl.

Recommended.

Men Of North Country - '3'

'3' is the third album by Men Of North Country and the first on Well Suspect Records.

Moving away from the pure soul sounds of their previous two acclaimed albums on Acid Jazz Records, delving fearlessly into more eclectic territory, mapping their musical influences into a stirring collection of irresistibly melodic songs.

Featuring wistful jangle-pop 'Out on the Hills', rollicking and celebratory 'Happy Birthday, Child', sweeping anthemic bravado 'There is Light', a romantic indie love ballad 'They Don't Know' (the Kirsty MacColl's classic) plus sexy rock'n'roll 'Since I found my Love'.

Oh, and they haven't abandoned their Northern Soul roots – just sprinkle some talcum powder on the floor and soar away to the sound of 'Ravens', plus a brilliant down-and-dirty rendition of Sam Dees's dance-floor filler 'Lonely for You Baby' (video below).

Opening with the soulful soundscape of 'Titanic' and closing with their dark version of Californian 60s garage-rock gem 'Rari' by The Standells – this album is a ride through diverse musical territories, all the while retaining the melodic heart and soul of the band.

Men Of North Country - '3' is available digitally, Bandcamp and vinyl from Well Suspect Records.

Check these videos for tracks featured on the album.

Dave's Doors Of Perception - Shake It!

From possibly the 'greatest garage rock band ever', the mighty Dave's Doors Of Perception, comes, probably, the 'finest seven-inch record ever released'; the garage-rock, mod-stomping, dance-floor anthem to be....Shake It!

The responsibility in capturing this earth-quaking, live favourite to two-inch eight -track tape fell upon the shoulders of Liam Watson at Toerag Studios; tape-heads especially re-aligned to do so; the resulting recording proving to be the monster that the band and song demanded. 

The flip side cut features an earworm riff so great that once heard will never leave your mind or turntable …. Wasp Honey.

An instantly collectable, highly limited edition pressing of just one hundred seven inch vinyl copies by Well Suspect Records guarantees that this is a must have addition to the luckiest DJ boxes.

Check out their debut album - Apophenia.

Here's the fantastic video for Shake It!

Men Of North Country - Titanic.

Men Of North Country release another single from their new and long awaited album since jumping ship from Acid Jazz Records to Well Suspect Records - Titanic. 

The follow up to their jangle-tastic version of the Kirsty MacColl track They Don't Know, this horn led dancer perfectly captures MONC's trade mark soulful indie pop/rock sound.

The press release blurb is fun ..

I's Titanic a cruise ship or a shipwreck? Is there a difference? Or is it a metaphor for the western world? Is Titanic the highest grossing blockbuster made up to its time, or a beautiful stop-motion animated short? Is the band in the song Robbie Robertson's The Band or a band of walruses? Do selkies really exist?

Titanic was written at a time of confusion and insecurity, when questions arose, and it all seemed to go down the drain. This called for a big vessel. We need a bigger boat.

Rari is an all-time live favourite, an epic of almost ten minutes, it's has been a show stopper and set closer for quite some time. A desperate tale of lust and longing by the great Californian 60s garage-rock band the Standells, written by the brilliant Ed Cobb of Tainted Love fame.' 

Men Of North Country - Titanic is out now on all digital platforms with links on their artist page on Well Suspect Records or Bandcamp if you prefer

The video is something else, a mini masterpiece directed and animated by Nadine Ann Abraham; check it out below.

Hopefully the album with follow .... soon.