You probably haven’t heard of Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes; don’t worry, most people in the UK haven’t. If you’re into timeless songs, great musicians and a powerful soul voice which sounds like it was marinated in Jack Daniel’s (and that’s before we even start on the live performances), then read on.

The original Asbury Jukes came together around 1974/1975 as part of the New Jersey shore scene centred around the Stone Pony in Asbury Park and have released, on average, an album every 18 months since then while the line-up has been continuously refreshed by over 80 musicians (including Steve Van Zandt and Jon Bon Jovi). The only constant over this 35 year period is John Lyon or Southside Johnny; singer, head honcho and harmonica player. So what’s so great about this band? A bit of biography first. Read more

“This Is Our Way Out” is the first EP from the Brighton-based 5-piece Goodluck Jonathan (inspired by the current Nigerian President, or just a coincidence?) and it’s a very interesting box of tricks. Like most interesting bands, they’re difficult to define precisely. The basic feel lyrically is indie nudging towards emo but musically they cut across a range of styles from the spiky, 2 guitar indie sound (going back through Franz Ferdinand all the way to Television) to seriously heavy metal riffing. You even get a power ballad for the final track.

“Bruises Disappear”, the first track, starts with a spiky delay guitar intro and is a pretty good summary of the dynamics of the EP with an ethereal angelic choir on the heavy metal chorus, a spoken megaphone section and a power-riff section to finish. What sets this track apart from the rest of the EP is the political reference in the 2 spoken sections to refugee camps in Calais being destroyed by the authorities. It’s unusual but welcome in this setting. Read more