Raising Sand! What a band! If they can't make it no one can! Ok, let me put my Pom Poms down for a second and be a little more serious.
The first thing that strikes you about opening track 'Alchemy' from Raising Sand's debut album 'All Out War' is that you barely get chance to finish loading the CD into your stereo before it's off and racing down the track like a sex starved greyhound chasing a PVC clad rabbit. Precious little time is wasted on leaving you wondering what it is Raising Sand are here to do. They're here to bring the rock and shake heads harder than an earthquake at Mount Rushmore.
In frontwoman TJ they've found an angel with devilish voice. If a certain Mr Hudson really is under the impression that Blackeyed Susan, sorry, Fergie is actually a rock chick then someone needs to slip him a copy of 'All Out War' so he can hear just what this shit is supposed to be delivered like, SERIOUSLY! With a Jopin-esque wail and more power than a Top Gear box set, TJ will have your speakers blowing like it's karaoke night in the Manowar household.
Brothers Greg (drums) and Graham Barthram (guitars) along with mad hatter bassist Dave Pattenden provide the music. A smokin', blistering mix of Seventies based, vibed up, bluesy rock 'n' roll straining at the boot cut seams of the London quartet. Reminiscent of what Rattlesnake Remedy were doing a few years back, it's laced with noticable influences from the likes of Led Zeppelin and The Doors, hell there's even a little of The Black Crowes in there to get your money maker shaking.
Lead single and video track 'Dirty Weekend' raises the rumble with a powerful leading bassline swerving its way through the 3 and a half minute quick fix of rock so earthy you'd think someone had dumped a ton of Woodstock topsoil in your ears. 'Witness' steps in to sooth the hectic action, providing some breathing space courtesy of a calming acoustic intro leading to some seriously laid back blues.
But it's not a completely flawless set of tracks altogether though. It would be possible to snap this disc in half with the mid section pairing of 'Shake Your Love' and 'Spirit' certainly being the weak point of this otherwise impressive collection. 'Spirit' at a staggeringly long 7 minute length certainly has me looking at my watch but that's soon forgotten as 'Burn It Down' brings the beat back with a triumphant fanfare of scorching guitar while follow up 'One More Time' sees more of that Led Zep strut reveling in a riotous marriage with some 'Crosstown Traffic' styled funk featuring a badass bassline that's got Noel Redding stamped all over it.
Raising Sand have brought nothing new to the musical table but that doesn't mean it's not a tad exciting. A genuine spark of authentic R n R delivered with belief and passion is enough to get my über noggin nodding and put a smile on my face. They're never going to send tidal waves of cultural change around the world like the Sex Pistols, Nirvana or The Hard Corps did, but what they will do is provide plenty of feel good vibes to the rock 'n' roll lives of anyone that decides to give this disc a spin. Ideal barbeque and beer music, I can see a few loud summer evenings and burnt sausages ahead.
For anyone who wants an instant fix, the single 'Dirty Weekend' is available on iTunes right now. For the album hit up their website store.
www.myspace.com/raisingsand
CD Reviews
Written by Matt Phelps
Thursday, 22 April 2010
SCREAM FOR ME RAISING SAND!!
Woe to you o earth and see for Raising Sand play out this weeks Bruce Dickinson Rock show on BBC 6 Music. Click the link to hear Brucie spin Dirty Weekend at two minutes to midnight....
Bruce Dickinson's BBC 6 Music Rock Show 9/4/10
And another brilliant review or two......
" Nope this isn’t extreme, I’ll admit that. It’s not black this, death that or thrash the other; but surely sometimes we all just want some straight between the eyes hard fuckin’ rock ’n’ roll? Something to crack a beer to, play a little air guitar to? All Out War sounds raw, passionate, live, real, alive and it’s packed with infectious riffs and irresistible grooves. If the likes of video track ‘Dirty Weekend’ and ‘Shake Your Love’ don’t at least get you nodding your head in appreciation then you really might well be dead. The rhythm section of drummer Greg Barthram and bassist Dave Pattenden combine locked down tightness with natural groove and swing while Graham Barthram’s guitars light fires all over these cracking songs. Vocalist TJ is perhaps the band’s most potent weapon though, her voice is powerful and dominant one moment and then beguiling and entrancing the next. If it’s been too long since you got yourself a good dose of rock then Raising Sand may well be just what you’ve been missing."
The following review appeared in PowerPlay 117...
" In these days of sub genres beyond count, where everything you come across seems to be postblackdeaththrashprogressivebullshitcore or some such irritating combination, it’s great to get a mainline dose of good old fashioned hard rock. "All out War" is a cornucopia of grooving riffs to make you bang your head or dance – the choice is yours. This disc is crackling with energy and barely contained excitement, bubbling over with a real live wire exuberance and it’s irresistible. These songs sink their hooks into you with just one listen and the riffs feel like you’ve known them all your life. Topping everything off are the raw, sultry vocals of singer TJ – she switches between belligerent and bewitching at will and always hits the spot. It’s not all pedal to the metal from start to finish - ‘Spirit’ swings and ‘Witness’ is deliciously soulful and bluesy in parts – but the bottom line is if you’re feeling the need to rock the fuck out then Raising Sand are offering just that kind of ticket."
" A band more in your face than a lapdancer after a tip "
Garry Bushell Total Rock, The Daily Star.
Garry Bushell presents The best Independent Bands on Total Rock 27th February 2010 featuring RAISING SAND:
Link below to hear the Podcast of the show.
And another fantastic review of the album;
RAISING SAND 'All Out War' (2009) www.raisingsandmusic.com
Now this little mutha rocks like a good 'un! A female fronted blues rock band from the UK and the vocalist TJ has a mighty fine set of lungs! Just grab a listen to 'Dirty Weekend' for a mean, dirty slice of blues rock. 'One More Time' with its 'ooh ooh' Stones approved chorus would go down a storm live I am sure.
Fancy a female version of 70's boogie merchants Foghat? Try 'That's What They Say', a neat slow blues rocker. 'Witness' is one of those classic slow burner songs. It starts all slowly with acoustic guitar and vocals before ending in a flurry of guitars and TJ's immense vocals. The guitar playing throughout fits the songs well, nothing to overindulgent and plenty of tasty riffing.
A very assured album that puts many more established bands in the shade. Every music collection needs a band like Raising Sand for that no frills blues hard rock sound. Crank it up!
**** 4 out of 5
Jason Ritchie
" Like Airbourne on speed! "
Luke Wilkins.
Presenter Kerrang Radio.
ALBUM REVIEW: RAISING SAND – All Out War (Bullseye) - Liking this, the English band have got things impressively together, they weren’t this good last time around, what happened...? It was bugging me, this really does sound like something, what the hell is it? Then it clicked, they sound like Sammy Hagar’s Montrose (or maybe Young Heart Attack, who in turn sounded very much like Montrose anyway), that should be taken as a big compliment, Montrose, and indeed Hagar, rule. Raging Sand suddenly got their musical shit seriously together with some rather decent old school blue-edge storm-kicking hard rock then – nothing groundbreaking, nothing that different, just a good helping of old school hard rock that’s done right... www.myspace.com/raisingsand or www.raisingsandmusic.com
Many Thanks to all at ORGANART.NET is the place to find us now, dot com should work but the net is where we want you... grab your fishnets and your fishing nets and things will work with far more ease and... just reset yourbookmarks and don't get your toes stuck in the holes.
* Raising Sand
* It's in 'Em and It's Got to Come Out
* By Ollie, Mon 15th June 2009
Hell yeah, this is more like it…Goddam!!! This plants a dusty cowboy boot right up the old tush!!!
This three track demo dates back to 2006 but has only recently come to my attention. I'm sure these dirty London retro rockers have more recent stuff and on the strength of this release it will definitely be worth tracking down. I may have to start stalking them!!!
This is top drawer, sleazy rock and roll…think AC/DC, think Guns ‘N' Roses (when they were awesome), think prime 70's Aerosmith and you'll be pretty much on the money. This is the band that The Answer would love to be if they weren't so clean and corporate. Busting out the low slung guitars these guys kick out an amphetamine fuelled charge through the Rolling Stones blueprint that's high on adrenalin and low on fat. The first two tracks pull no punches and offer a one-two slap to the face. "The Alchemist" bringing to mind the hazy days of '87 when "Appetite For Destruction" hit the streets with an electric rock and roll buzz while "My Dirty Weekend" rides on a dirty AC/DC style riff of the kind that would have got Bon Scott hard. Final track "Up and Down (See Saw)" changes the pace a little and injects a funky little groove and for me is the most memorable stand out track here. If you're not humming the hook after the first listen then…words fail me, you're a hopeless cause.
At three tracks this is a short, sharp poke in the eye!!! If this is drinking music then you'd better knock back the shots quick as this is over all too soon. If you like music that'll get big haired, scantily clad 80's style rock chicks up and shaking the silicon then this will be right up your back alley…and thank fuck there are bands out there still keeping the rock and roll dream alive and sidestepping the genre quagmire. Get yourself a shot of tequila and check these guys out.
Many thanks to our friend, Javierof El Diablo magazine for incorporating us in him latest issue! Follow the link and find us on a two page spread, page 129-130. http://www.eldiablomagazine.com/mag/03/index.html
