LISTEN! Shake Rag – ‘Telesales Pharaoh And His Pyramid Scheme’ (4 track EP)
Echoes of The Gun Club and The Screaming Blue Messiahs threaten to burst the seams of this four track debut EP from Tameside’s Shake Rag.
With members heralding from the cluster of former cotton towns caught in the shadow of the Dark Peak, there’s a driving sense of desire to escape the humdrum of village life and hitch a ride with rock n roll, both musically – they naturally gravitate to the Americana/blues end of the spectrum – and literally: 2024 has seen them bundle themselves and their gear in the back of a van and head down the M67 for the bustle of Manchester and its satellite towns’ thriving live scene.
Anyone who has caught them at one of the city’s music venues has been treated to a snarling live show, bristling with tunes and raw energy, and, as exemplified by the EP’s title, a fair dose of tongue in cheek wit. The first three tracks ‘Feed The Birds’, ‘Star’ and ‘Dreamer’ hurtle along in a punk-blues fashion until last track ‘The Rhythm and the Rhyme’ swaps the swift currents of the Etherow for the stiller waters of the Everglades in a swampy, tremolo-heavy chug that nods sonically towards Lux Interior and Iggy. A strong debut that promises more for 2025.
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