Nato Coles and the Blue Diamond Band - Flyover

Flyover, the second studio album from Nato Coles and the Blue Diamond Band, has been a great many years in the making. The period between this album and its predecessor Promises To Deliver now approaches six and a half years. For context, consider that the year Promises To Deliver came out, the Houston Astros were a 51-win team! But if this is what we get after all of this time, then every last bit of the wait was worth it. Out tomorrow on Don Giovanni Records, Flyover is exactly the album you would expect from one of THE great American rock and roll bands of present times. It does not redefine what Nato Coles and the Blue Diamond Band are all about. The Minneapolis outfit continues to be the quintessential garage/punk influenced bar band - playing traditional rock and roll with grit, soul, and an impressive flair for storytelling. And from the first spin, this album absolutely knocked me out. Coming in at ten tracks, Flyover is honest, straight-forward rock and roll done so well that you wouldn't want it to be anything else.

While I have heaped plenty of accolades upon Nato Coles as a singer, songwriter, and general man of the people, I have not said nearly enough about the Blue Diamond Band. The group's formidable chops are the result of years of continuous touring and an undying commitment to rocking the roof off of every dive bar, pub, club, social hall, amphitheater, shopping complex, picnic pavilion, water park, coffee shop, bowling alley, gambling den, and basement venue that will have them. The band as constituted on this 2017 recording is Sam Beer on lead guitar, Mike Cranberry on drums, Luke Lecheler on keyboards, and Bill Rohla on bass. Beer is an absolute force on this release. I don't know whether to describe him as Nato's own Mike Campbell or as a combination of Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson. Either way, he's one of my favorite guitarists working today (It figures that I'd be huge fan of a guy named "Beer"). From the opening strains of "Under The Flyover", the Blue Diamond Band sounds plain hot on this release. Cranberry and Rohla mightily drive the rhythm while Lecheler works the keyboards with exemplary old school R & B flair. And while his band fires on all cylinders, Nato delivers a stunning set of rockers, ballads, and anthems.

Given the years elapsed between albums, Flyover might be considered Nato's own Darkness on the Edge of Town (although it's probably closer to The River!). He had to be dying to get some of these songs on record. Like any Nato Coles and the Blue Diamond Band record, Flyover transports you to a world where the bright lights and hot sounds of transcendent rock and roll spring weary souls to life. Propelled by a big hook chorus and Beer's guitar heroics, "Under The Flyover" is absolutely the huge opening statement this album required. This is the sort of magic we expect from the Blue Diamond Band, and Nato's lyrics vividly complete the picture:

It's a hub of glorious hell in a west Wisconsin town/

I won’t stop coming around/

The last time we came through we raged until the dawn/

Count the bottles and bodies on the lawn… allright!

"Under the Flyover" is one of several standout rockers on this album. While slightly slower in tempo, "L.P.'s Yard" is even more powerful and emotion-packed (in Nato's own words, the song possesses a nostalgia "usually reserved for songs about great victories against the odds in battle"). "Standing On the Corner Alone" (previously heard on 2016's Live At Grumpy's) and "Michelle of the City" are vintage BDB sing-along anthems. "The Roadrunner" is a high energy barroom rocker replete with a moral ("Don't you waste no time/You know tomorrow's thine"). "Demolition Man" is completely over the top swagger-rock with lyrics to match ("I'm your real live, bonafide, nationwide, rippin' tide, living eyed, triple-wide, chicken-fried, double A-side"). If it's rock you crave, it's rock you shall receive! But Nato and the Blue Diamond Boys have reached the point where their ballads and quietly reflective numbers just might outshine their rockers. "Phoenix, Arizona (1989)" offers the indelible lyric "If this is what I wanted, why do I feel so haunted?" and leaves the Blue Diamond Band with at least one song in its back pocket should it ever find itself performing at Bob's Country Bunker. "Milo and the Bars" finds Nato excelling as a storyteller and expert chronicler of the human condition. In my book, it's the finest songwriting of his life. The roots/folk/Americana ballad "Disposable Camera" finally delivers Nato his "Here Comes A Regular" moment. While "epic" may be a term overused by music reviewers, I cannot think of a more appropriate way to describe closing number "The Avenue of the Saints". 

Flyover demonstrates why I'm such a fan of Nato Coles and the Blue Diamond Band. It's an album full of memorable characters, compelling stories, and eternal truths - all presented in the context of great American rock and roll. This is an album that could be enjoyed equally by a Fest attendee and your (admittedly hip) grandfather. It's full of songs that remind us to savor the remarkable moments in our lives and take the time to get to know the people we encounter in this world. I know I was a little surprised that "Dangerous" and "Midnight In Memphis" from the split with State Drugs were essentially leftovers from this album's recording sessions. But now having heard Flyover, I get it. These ten songs belong together, and I wouldn't change a thing. Compact disc release coming next month on Rum Bar Records!



-L.R.

https://natocoles.bandcamp.com/album/flyover 
https://rumbarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/flyover 
http://natocolesandthebluediamondband.blogspot.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/natocolesmusic 
https://dongiovannirecords.bandcamp.com/music 

Mono In Stereo - Can't Stop The Bleeding

If Rum Bar Records did not intentionally release Mono In Stereo's new EP on the first day of summer, then that was one hell of a coincidence! Out today, Can't Stop the Bleeding sounds like it was made for those warm afternoons you spend on the porch guzzling cold beer and shooting the shit with your pals. Arriving four years after the band's terrific debut album Long For Yesterday, these five tracks hit that spot where the great American rock n' roll of Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty intersects with '80s/'90s Midwestern punk. Mono In Stereo has a reputation for writing anthemic songs, and the band wastes no time delivering more on this EP. Right out of the gates, punchy rocker "The Conversation" hits you with a chorus that you'll be hard-pressed to resist singing along with at the top of your lungs. Given all of the heart, passion, and conviction that these guys put into their music, their knack for writing quality songs sometimes gets overlooked. It shouldn't. If you're looking for hooks, "The Conversation" has sure got 'em! And I really dig the lyrics. You get the gist of what's going on, but there's enough room for interpretation that you can apply this song to your own life. "Different Kind Of Man" is vintage Mono In Stereo right down to the culminating "whoa oh" chanting, while "Not Your Fault" finds the band embracing the classic American power pop sound you might expect from a group hailing from Rockford, Illinois. Those three songs alone would have made a fine EP. But Can't Stop the Bleeding manages to save its best for last. It finishes strong with a couple of fist-raising anthems - "Fores" and the title track. "Fores" is the band's most powerful song to date - an impassioned cry of support for the LGBTQ community and its ongoing fight for equality. It skillfully appropriates an iconic rock riff - whose author is fully acknowledged in the songwriting credits. As a fan of music that celebrates and catalyzes positive social change, I choose to believe "Fores" can play some small role in the betterment of all humanity. I dream of living in a world where the words "You're not alone!" are being chanted in the streets. Closing track "Can't Stop the Bleeding (Send Me Away)" is not so much a ballad as it is a battle hymn. Its gruff-voiced sincerity is nothing unusual for modern-day punk rock, but it rises above the ordinary on the strength of a rousing chorus and an indelible melody.

Call it dad rock, call it heartland punk, call it Americana rock n' roll, call it whatever: the music of Mono In Stereo is proof that "mature" rock can still pack a punch. This band still cranks up the guitars and approaches songwriting like it's trying to move mountains. These guys demonstrate that getting older (I can say it because I'm their same age!) doesn't have to mean surrendering your passion or the urgency of your mission. I went into this release expecting anthems, and I was not let down. And let's be honest: they pretty much had me with the cover art!



-L.R.

https://rumbarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/cant-stop-the-bleeding 
https://www.facebook.com/monoinstereoband/ 
https://www.facebook.com/RumBarRecords 

Nato Coles and the Blue Diamond Band/State Drugs - split

We've been waiting how long for new music from Nato Coles and the Blue Diamond Band?! Numbers don't lie: it's been five and a half years since Promises To Deliver came out. Promises To Deliver has since become my most listened-to album of this decade, and I've found myself starving for new material. Well today I finally eat, and I must say the eating is good!

Taken from the same 2017 recording sessions that produced the band's forthcoming album (yay!), "Dangerous" and "Midnight In Memphis" represent a truly triumphant return from Nato and company. Seriously: if two songs this good did not make it onto the album, I can't wait to hear the songs that did! This pair of tracks would have made a hell of a 45, and perhaps someday it will. But for now these tunes come to us on cassette - one half of a split release with State Drugs out now on Motorcycle Potluck Records. Honestly, State Drugs are a band I would otherwise not be writing about. Self-described as "grown up punk", this Denver foursome is pretty much exactly that. The group plays a melodic and somewhat mellowed-out brand of punk music with ultra-sincere vocals. You might have called this "emo" 15 years ago. But given the unfortunate evolution of that particular term, I'd say "grown-up punk" is far more fitting. On the band's three contributions to this split, what struck me most were the lyrics (which are excellent) and the lead guitar work (also excellent). And the songwriting is definitely solid. I'm not much of an authority on modern-day post-hardcore, but State Drugs sound pretty good to my ears.

Both tracks on the Nato side of this split run well past four minutes - but that's hardly uncharted territory for the Blue Diamond boys. "Dangerous" is vintage fare for this group - a soulful, anthemic rocker with lyrics so epic that I just might say Nato has written his own "Born To Run". Check it out:

"Dangerous stakes and gambles/
If we leap we better never ever ever look down/
There’s no tomorrow in this apocalypse of hearts/
So darling … what do you wanna do now?"

All in all, "Dangerous" has the makings of a classic Nato Coles and the Blue Diamond Band number - powered by an impassioned vocal, Luke Lecheler's hot work on keyboards, and a knockout guitar solo from Sam Beers. And how often do you hear a nearly five-minute song that leaves you wishing it were longer?! "Midnight In Memphis" is not a Bette Midler cover but rather a Blue Diamond Band live favorite that has finally been committed to tape. Without a doubt, this is one of the best songs I've ever heard about the often lonely life of a touring musician. This one's a straight-up ballad. There's nothing fancy going on musically, allowing the song to be driven by Nato's words and voice. Here he really shines as a storyteller and poet, and it's damn near magical when he sings the lines "If I close my eyes/ I can hear the river washing them lonely souls down". A really well-done ballad is hard to pull off, but Nato and the boys may have reached an all-time high note with "Midnight In Memphis". Those lyrics are just magnificent, and this song absolutely transports me to the scene it depicts.

Even if Nato Coles and the Blue Diamond Band weren't already one of my favorite bands on Earth, "Dangerous" and "Midnight In Memphis" would have made me an instant fan. I figured the band's first new material since 2013 would be impressive, but this is beyond even what I was expecting. I am so stoked for the new album!



-L.R.

https://motorcyclepotluckrecords.bandcamp.com/album/nato-coles-and-the-blue-diamond-band-state-drugs-split 
http://natocolesandthebluediamondband.blogspot.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/natocolesmusic/ 
https://natocoles.bandcamp.com/ 

Lutheran Heat: the debut album!

There's nothing I love more than hearing a band that's totally in my wheelhouse yet somehow completely transcendent of genre. Out today on Piñata Records, Louder From the Other Side is the full-length debut from fab Minneapolis foursome Lutheran Heat. It's a record that I can recommend not just to the garage/punk/power pop crowd, but really to anyone who appreciates exceptional songwriting and music with soul. Likability is one of the great intangibles of music, and Lutheran Heat just has it. Louder From the Other Side sounds a little like that next great album I've been waiting for X to make since the late '80s. Garth Blomberg and Sara Pette are dynamite on dual vocals - excelling individually but making their real magic when their voices combine. They write songs that speak to what's meaningful in life, and they sing them with heart and sincerity.

Having had a few years to develop an impressive repertoire of songs and a strong identity as a band, Lutheran Heat has managed to deliver an unusually accomplished debut album. Musically, the band is all about catchy and well-crafted pop songs - with the additional influence of rootsy rock n' roll, country, soul, indie rock, doo-wop, and the very spirit of Minneapolis itself. These tunes have a way of hooking you not just with melody, but also with the stories they tell and the feelgood vibes they create. Kicking off with the idyllic stunner "About a Summer", Louder From the Other Side proves to be one of those rare albums that delights from start to finish. The hits just don't stop. "Keep Comin' Back" brings to mind something along the lines of Van Morrison fronting a '60s girl group. "Now Ya Know" is full of folksy country goodness that will have you smiling into next week. "Stay Cool" delivers an indelible melody that you'll find yourself whistling at seemingly random moments. "Who Ya Cryin' For?" could get even the dead up and dancing. And "Wire, X, and Heart" is an anthem for those of us who associate many of our most cherished memories with the music that was playing at the time. 

Louder From the Other Side, far more than just a fine collection of songs, is an album in the truest sense. And it's a fantastic one at that. Drummer Justin Nelles totally nails it when he says, "These songs will make you wanna toss some beers in your bag and ride to your favorite porch or river spot and drink 'em all with your buddies." It's a perfect release for these final weeks of summer - as we strive to savor all of the good times the season has left for us. I could say that you should buy this album if you like rootsy power pop and garage stuff. But somehow that would be selling it short. So to put it more accurately: you should buy this album if you love music!



-L.R.

http://pinatarecords.bandcamp.com/album/louder-from-the-other-side
https://lutheranheat.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/LutheranHeat
https://www.facebook.com/pinatarecords/ 

Nato Coles & The Blue Diamond Band: the live album is here!

I'm usually pretty "meh" about live albums. I get why they exist: to capture what a band really sounds like in concert and perhaps even make you wish you'd been there in person. But for whatever reason, live albums rarely do it for me. Nine times out of ten, I'd rather listen to studio recordings. So it's surprising and exciting to finally encounter a live album that I'm totally into! Live At Grumpy's captures Nato Coles & The Blue Diamond Band in their proverbial element - a dive bar in downtown Minneapolis. This happens to be one of my favorite bands, which really raised the stakes for potential disappointment (after 20 years, I still wish I could have back the $12 I spent on the Parasites' Nyquil-Fueled Rock Armada). But I had a hunch that this live album would be different, and I was right!

As great as their records are, anyone who's seen Nato and the boys live will tell you that this is a band you have to witness in person. And while no recording can fully duplicate the experience of actually being there, a great deal of what makes Nato Coles an enthralling and engaging performer comes through on these live tracks. He has a way of working a crowd that fully conveys his passion for entertaining - and that brilliant off-the-cuff spoken portion of "An Honorable Man" alone justifies the purchase price of this album. It's clear that if you plunk down some hard-earned cash to see Nato Coles & The Blue Diamond Band play live, you're gonna get treated to a show! The sound quality here is actually pretty decent, and the song selection avoids excessive overlap with the band's existing LP Promises To Deliver. In addition to album favorites "You Can Count On Me Tonight" and "Econoline", Live At Grumpy's features new material ("Standing on the Corner Alone"), songs from Nato's prior bands ("An Honorable Man", "Coffee Cup"), one of the cuts from the King Friday split ("Sweet Baby"), and a rousing cover of largely unknown Minneapolis garage punkers Cortez The Killer ("I'm A Shark").

A live album from Nato Coles & The Blue Diamond Band is such a brilliant idea that it's almost hard to believe it took this long to happen. And it sure doesn't disappoint! In the words of Malibu Lou, this album captures a "truly spiritual and uplifting rock n roll performance". There's no denying it: this is a band with some serious live chops! If you've had the pleasure of seeing the band perform, Live At Grumpy's will bring back fond memories. And if you've yet to experience Nato and the gang in concert, this album will make you want to go see them as soon as possible! The rendition of  "An Honorable Man" documented here could prove to be Nato's own "I Want You To Want Me" or "Maybe I'm Amazed" - a live take that is ultimately recognized as the definitive version of the song. And if you're like me, you'll soon be searching for any information you can find on Cortez The Killer! Out now on Rum Bar Records, Live At Grumpy's is a must-have for any fan of Nato Coles & The Blue Diamond Band. And don't miss the band on tour this month! 



-L.R.

https://rumbarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-grumpys
https://natocoles.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/natocolesmusic/
https://www.facebook.com/RumBarRecords/

The Right Here's new album!

Rum Bar Records has completed its heartland punk trifecta in style! Having released a pair of gems last year in Mono In Stereo's debut album and the deluxe reissue of Nato Coles and the Blue Diamond Band's Promises To Deliver, Malibu Lou knew he had just had to jump on the latest album from The Right Here. Stick To The Plan is the second full-length release from the Minneapolis foursome - and its first since 2012's All Herky Jerky. A co-release between Rum Bar (compact disc) and Throwing Things Records (vinyl), Stick To The Plan is out today.

If you haven't heard The Right Here since its last album, I think you'll be pretty blown away by Stick To The Plan. With the assistance of engineer extraordinaire Andy Mathison, the band has fully come into its own on this stellar release. This is the kind of record you'd expect to emerge from the frigid upper Midwest - 13 heartfelt songs blending rootsy punk rock, alt-country, and rugged all-American rock n' roll. Luke Lecheler plays some mean rock n' roll lead guitar, and Ryan Haasch is a total ball of fire on drums! I like that the band brings the big anthem right off the bat with the impassioned "That's All We Got And More" - a thundering powerhouse of a song that a lesser band might have held back until the end of the album. Spoiler alert: this is only the first of several anthems on this record! Stick To The Plan does have its share of ballads, and they're quite good. In particular, "Drunk And Rolling Around" and "One More and We'll Move On With Our Lives" combine a haunting old country feel with Westerbergian influences that ought to be mandatory in the Twin Cities. But first and foremost, this record rocks. It sounds great on the open road with the windows down, and locals ought to purchase promptly given the short-lived nature of Minnesota summers. "Judge Me When I'm Sober" and "'Til The Wheels Come Off" are the very definition of fist-pumping anthems (please keep one hand on the wheel if you're driving). "If This Land Isn't My Land" is what all folk-punk should aspire to be, and I can't listen to it without picturing hundreds of crazed fans storming the stage to sing along. "Leaving For A Reason" was the perfect choice for the lead single/music video - it's everything I like about The Right Here combined into one song.

Having worked a very long time to bring Stick To The Plan into the world, The Right Here has every reason to be proud of this album. These guys have written the best songs of their lives, and they've delivered a fantastic record full of heart and guts and profound truths. If you're already hip to the previous installments in Rum Bar's heartland trilogy, you're gonna love this one as well. If not, the label is offering all three for just 25 bucks. Grab a Hamm's from the fridge and enjoy some fine music!



-L.R.

https://rumbarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/stick-to-the-plan
https://www.facebook.com/TheRightHere/
http://therighthere.com/
https://www.facebook.com/throwingthingsrecords/

Promises To Deliver

I can't tell you for sure why I didn't review Nato Coles & The Blue Diamond Band's Promises To Deliver when it first came out in 2013. To this day, that remains one of the great mysteries of my life. What I can tell you is that Promises To Deliver is one of my ten favorite albums of the current decade. And of course I was beyond thrilled to discover that my favorite record label was reissuing it on CD with a whole slew of bonus tracks! On that note, I proudly present my much-belated public take on a record I absolutely love.

This deluxe reissue of Promises To Deliver comes courtesy of the ever-dependable Rum Bar Records, and it's such a sweet deal. For a measly ten bucks, you get all nine songs from the original LP plus four 7" tracks, a previously unreleased outtake from the album sessions, and a demo version of the smash hit "Julie (Hang Out A Little Longer)". If I just wanted to make an abbreviated sales pitch, I'd say that Promises To Deliver is the album Bruce Springsteen would have made in his heyday if he'd been obsessed with The Replacements and Husker Du. But even that kind of praise sells the record short. And while I can't say that the "punk rock Springsteen" comparisons are completely inaccurate, it needs to be pointed out that Nato Coles is one of the most interesting and unique guys you'll ever meet in the world of music. He's got terrific stories to tell, and he's one of rock n' roll's most diehard true believers. 

A brief recap: Nato Coles was in Milwaukee-based Modern Machines - one of the best and most criminally underrated punk bands of the early-to-mid 2000s. More recently, he was in Radio Faces and Used Kids. Five years ago, he moved to Minneapolis with the intention of starting a new band - one that would play tons of shows and tour constantly. And so Nato Coles & The Blue Diamond Band were born. You might read the description and imagine some kind of roots/Americana dad rock type deal. But the difference is that Nato and the gang play real rock n' roll. They just love traveling the country and giving every single live audience an incredible show. That's the spirit of the band, and it really comes through in its music. Promises To Deliver is something we don't hear enough these days - a good, solid American rock n' roll record. Drawn from classic rock, Midwestern punk, power pop, and good old country & western influences, the nine tracks on this release marked a huge leap forward in Nato's progression as a songwriter. And two years on, I'm really struck by how well these tunes hold up. From the consummate blue collar rock of "See Some Lights" to the insuppressible energy of "You Can Count On Me Tonight" to the anthemic chorus of its title track, this is a record packed with memorable and simply awesome songs. And "Econoline" is Nato's own "Left Of The Dial" - a heartfelt celebration of the life he's chosen and the trusty motor vehicle that makes it all possible.

While not exactly a concept album, Promises To Deliver offers numerous depictions of people seeking relief from shitty jobs and dreary existences - and finding it through good times and rock n' roll. Listening to these songs, you get a great idea of who Nato Coles is and why he does what he does. He lives to get out there and bring joy to people's lives through music. Having followed his career for a whole lot of years, I always knew he was a super talented guy. But backed by the best bar band this side of I-94, he fully achieved greatness on Promises To Deliver. This Rum Bar reissue is a must-own, and don't miss Nato Coles & The Blue Diamond Band the next time they roll through your town. Be sure to request your favorite Thin Lizzy song!



-L.R.

https://rumbarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/promises-to-deliver-rum-bar-edition 
https://natocoles.bandcamp.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/natocolesmusic/ 
http://natocolesandthebluediamondband.blogspot.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/RumBarRecords 

Meet Mono In Stereo!

A few years back, I used the term "heartland punk" to describe Nato Coles. If heartland punk is not a recognized genre of music, it probably should be. And Mono In Stereo is its next great band. Hailing from Rockford, Illinois, Mono In Stereo is largely made up of members of '90s pop-punk stalwarts Mulligan Stu. The band's debut album Long For Yesterday is out soon on Rum Bar Records - one of my two or three favorite record labels on the planet. Malibu Lou is really starting to expand the geographic base of his label. First he went across the pond to sign Los Breakdowns. Now he's got his foot in the Midwest - and it doesn't get any more Midwestern than Mono In Stereo! This band brings the true sound of the heartland: melding the seemingly disparate influences of Bruce Springsteen, '80s hardcore, modern-day alt country, and classic Midwestern punk. I'm talking sincere songwriting, no-nonsense rocking tunes, and choruses that practically explode out of your earbuds. While in many ways similar to more recent bands like The Gaslight Anthem, Mono In Stereo owes just as much to the Midwestern legacy of Husker Du, The Replacements, and Naked Raygun. Equal parts anthems, ballads, and straight-ahead rockers, Long For Yesterday throws it back to a time when alternative rock was king.

If you followed Mulligan Stu's career, you won't be shocked that Mono In Stereo has come so far from its pop-punk roots. Rare for its time, Mulligan Stu was a pop-punk band willing to evolve and constantly embrace new influences. Mono In Stereo takes that evolution to another level - demonstrating that loud guitars and big hooks still have a place in "mature" rock n' roll. Kevin, Mike, and Billy (along with new drummer Jordan Acosta) have made the best record of their lives. Far from sounding disinterested or over the hill, these guys have clearly been energized by this new chapter in their history. Typical of the work of a veteran band, Long For Yesterday pulls from a lifetime of musical influences yet comes together in a fully identifiable way. It's an album that has a lot to say about life - full of reflections on the past and hopes for the future. Fiery anthems like the title track and "Monty Nolder" ought to induce mass levels of fist pumping, while "What We Sang" is perhaps the most heartfelt love letter to the rock n' roll underground since The Replacements' "Left Of The Dial". By turns reminiscent of Jesse Malin ("Late Night Confessor"), classic post-hardcore ("Born Again To Lose"), Dramarama ("Never Coming Down"), and Steve Earle ("Another Man's Time"), Mono In Stereo's songwriting shows impressive range and a real flair for tunes that stick in your head.

Being of that generation that came of age buying tapes from SST Records and listening to early '90s college radio, I feel a strong personal connection to Mono In Stereo. This is a band that reminds me of how great "alternative" music was before it all went to shit. But I don't think you have to be of a certain age to appreciate Long For Yesterday. It's one of those albums that's just damn good. No matter what's new or "hot" in the world of music, we will always go back to those bands that craft great songs and write lyrics that speak to the human experience. The sound of the American heartland is timeless. Pop open a cold one, have a seat on your lawn chair, and let these songs sink in. It's gonna be a fine summer.



-L.R.

https://rumbarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/long-for-yesterday 
https://www.facebook.com/monoinstereoband
https://www.facebook.com/RumBarRecords

Nato Coles: rock n' roller!

  

Other kids in the early ‘80s rode bikes or built model cars. Me, I was a peculiar boy. I preferred to play with jukeboxes at pizza joints. There was nothing better than dropping a quarter or two or three into the jukebox and magically hearing the music I loved. I miss those days. Digital jukeboxes are just not the same. And the crap music you tend to find on them is too depressing to ponder at length. I’d like to think that the best jukeboxes still exist in dive bars, where the cheap lager flows abundantly and the Stones, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, and Thin Lizzy still reign supreme. What I love about the new single from Nato Coles and the Blue Diamond Band is that it would fit in perfectly with that type of jukebox. It is, as advertised, high energy rock n’ roll. It’s two songs, both great, that lift the spirits. Call it heartland rock, call it Midwestern punk, call it Americana, call it whatever. What it is is great frakin' music!

Nato Coles was a great friend to Now Wave Magazine. His Modern Machines was one of our favorite bands of the early-to-mid 2000s. He was a regular on our message board. And God bless him, the man has not stopped rocking! Post Modern Machines, he relocated to Brooklyn and was in the Radio Faces and Used Kids. Then he moved to Minneapolis/St. Paul and got together with the Blue Diamond Band. “Play Loud” is the band’s second single, and hands down it’s one of the year’s best. Both cuts rule in sort of a Springsteen meets Replacements way. You know what I’m talking about: real catchy blue collar rock n’ roll with cool guitar leads and sing-along choruses. Aces! And I like that the B-side “Runnin’ From the Law” is as good if not better than the A-side! Hell, let’s just call it a double A-side! A style this simple is sometimes overlooked, but do not sleep on Nato Coles and the Blue Diamond Band! These are incredibly well-written tunes combining radio-ready hooks and killer bar band chops. What could be better?! And I love that there’s a quality to both songs that makes me want to play them over and over. This is feel-good music! Grab a PBR tallboy out of the fridge, go to the Nato Coles Bandcamp page, download this single to your “digital turntable”, and have yourself a time! Nato, I promise we’ll take good care of Jim Thome.

- L.R.

http://natocoles.bandcamp.com/track/play-loud
http://natocoles.bandcamp.com/track/runnin-from-the-law
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Nato-Coles/9368595655