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This year marks the 10th anniversary of ‘ American Candy ’ and to celebrate it Maine will be playing the album in its entirety in three cities - Phoenix, Asbury Park and Anaheim. With support from The Wldlfe , Good Boy Daisy , Young Culture and Windser - most venues have already sold out, with only a few remaining for House Of Independents in Asbury Park. Last few tickets are available here: American Candy

Formed in 1995 Acid Mothers Temple ( Acid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso U.F.O. to use the full name!) are a Japanese Psychedelic Rock band with a mind bending 102 studio album, 9 EPs, 56 Live Albums and 6 Compilation albums to their name. Thats 173 album releases in 30 years!! On Saturday 26th April they performed at 16 Toneladas in Valenica, as part of their 30th anniversary Dark Within Of Astropia European tour. These guys are hardcore - 38 gigs in 38 days across europe! The club was capacity and the crowd eager as band members Kawabata Makoto (Guitar), Higashi Hiroshi (synthesizer), Jyonson Tsu (vocal, guitar), Satoshima Nani (drums) and Julien Omeyer (bass) took to the stage. Taking no prisoners they launched into a brutal, space-rock, synth-distorted performance - which is best described by music reviewer David Bennun: " In a non-stop stream of thrilling noise, they segue from supercharged stomp-rock, through doomy choral chanting and frazzled go-go, to a thundering melee of atonal freakouts. Then on to a pulsating, echo-drenched disco-rock groove, which morphs into a motorik rhythm too rapid even for the autobahn, works itself into a squalling frenzy, breaks cover as a kind of galloping, syncopated, Underworld-with-rabies affair, and flows into a long, chiming trance number climaxing in a collective instrumental howl." What followed was. nothing short of incredible, with the band taking us on a psychedelic musical journey and leaving the crowd happy, high and wanting more! New to Acid Mothers Temple ? Have a listen here: AMT Words & photos: Rhyan Paul

Friday, April 25th, was a drizzly night. Lines of eager concert goers stretched down Water Street in Rochester, NY and spilled into The Hall’s entrances. The venue filled quickly as the crowd formed a dense mass. There were no opening acts for American alternative rock band Soul Coughing . Just original members Mike Doughty, Mark degli Antoni, Yuval Gabay and Sebastian Steinberg  on their twenty fifth anniversary tour.  Originated in New York City, Soul Coughing came onto the scene in 1992 and has sustained time with a large cult following. A band known for its stream of conscious lyrics and experimental funk grooves mixed with sampled beats. The band rose to fame with hit singles like Down To This (1994), Super Bon Bon (1996), and Circles (1998). The bank broke up in the year 2000 and reunited after a twenty four year hiatus announcing their twenty fifth anniversary / reunion tour. So you can say that this concert was history in the making and a night many will not soon forget. Check them out on Spotify: Soul Coughing Words & photos: Bethany Couture

The magical Nits De Vivers returns to Jardin De Vivers in Valenica from May 29th to June 8th. The 2025 edition is jammed packed with incredible artists performing across the two week event. Kicking on on May 29th, there are performances to suit everyones muscia taste, a dedicated food area with gastronomical delights all set in one of Valenica's most beautiful gardens. "A series of concerts where music and nature merge in an incomparable setting for summer nights. NITS DE VIVERS presents a reference musical program for the city of Valencia during 2 intense weeks between July and August. A meeting point where you can live a musical and gastronomic experience within the most emblematic Gardens of the city. The Royal Gardens, better known as the Nurseries, are a beautiful park that houses a wide variety of plant species, recreating different environments and accompanied by numerous sculptures, fountains, ponds and various installations. Its variety contains a genuine Mediterranean character. Incomparable setting to enjoy the best live music." For tickets and more information: Nits De Vivers

Following the success of its first edition, Original Fest returns for a second installment on May 9th, 10th, and 11th at the Caliza Pool Bar venue in Puerto de Sagunto. The 2025 edition will feature 19 bands, including both emerging talents and well-established groups, covering genres such as rock, pop, punk, indie, and heavy metal. Admission is free and open to the public. The festival, which will take place for three days, will present "a careful selection of bands that stand out for their compositional quality and their scenic proposal," explain their promoters. Specifically, the participants are: Meketrefes, Los nodoyunas, Tu ex, Decadencia blues band, Eterna, Wildtrhoats, Valandaluz, El beso del sapo, 15 watts, Tensión no resolsuelta, The fires, Otras yerbas, Sentencia, Pateticus, Evanora, Bendita locura, Vulturna, Ronda norte, Faradaï and Terror cuplé. "The Original Fest was born to fill a gap in the current music scene," they explain from the organization of the event. "We want the public to discover that there is life beyond the covers and that the groups with their own songs have a space to be heard ." For more information: Original Fest

Nottingham (UK) band, Divorce , will perform on the 30th April at Loco Club , Valencia as part of their extensive 2025 " Drive To Goldenhammer " tour which covers the UK, Europe and the USA. the band, who describe themselves as "Wilco meets ABBA" have recently released their debut album "Drive To Goldenhammer" - which has received fantastic reviews: The Guardian calling the album "richly executed and emotionally resonant" and Far Out giving it 4 out of 5 stars. With many of their events sold out, this a band you do not wan to miss! The last few remaining tickets are on sale here: Loco Club

April 2025 - Lancaster, PA - Launch Music Conference Roderik’s no stranger to the Launch Music Conference that’s held in Lancaster, Pennsylvania once a year. This event is one of the first shows the band ever played— and you could feel that history the second they stepped out. The New Jersey band came out swinging, and holding nothing back. Diving straight into the set, they owned that stage from the jump. Songs like Let Go, Everything,Where’d You Go and Save Me . One of the most powerful moments came during Let Go, with the line: “I’ve been on the ledge for so damn long, waiting for a reason to get off.”It’s the kind of lyric that hits you right in your chest. Looking around in the room the crowd seemed to really take hold to it. Lead singer Jake Salazar made sure the crowd felt every word. On two occasions, he jumped off the stage and walked through the audience as he sang—breaking down that barrier between performer and fan, which pulled everyone deeper into the experience. A lot of folks in the crowd may not have known Roderik before that night—but by the end of the set, they were paying attention. While their set may have been over, that wasn’t the end. The band stuck around at their merch table, talking with fans, snapping photos, and making connections with anyone who came up to them. Rodrick’s return to Launch wasn’t just a performance—it felt like a full circle moment. It was raw, honest and loud in all the right ways. Meet the Band: Jake Salazar - Vocals JT Sutherland - Guitar (Not Present For Show) Danny Nugent - Drums David P.J - Bass Catch Roderik Live: May 10th - Berkeley Backyard, Asbury Park, New Jersey Follow Roderik: Instagram Facebook Words & photos: Ashley Pineyro

Lendakaris Muertos   Lendakaris Muertos are a band that is well known and loved in the Spanish punk scene. Founded in Navarra in 2004 they are renowned for their high speed, short punk songs which combine criticism, satire and humour to highlight social and political issues of the Basque Country and the rest of Spain.   After releasing a free download EP in 2004 (which achieved more than 20,000 downloads) they were soon signed to the record label - GOR Discos. An album release followed soon after in 2005.   Since then they have released 10 albums, the most recent being “Mucho Asco (Casi) Todo” in 2024.   Touring since day one, they have been a regular on the Spanish music festival and club circuit and in 2017 they undertook an exhaustive tour of the American Continent – performing in Los Angeles, San Diego, Tijuana, Cuernavaca, Mexico City, Bogota, Valparaiso, Santiago de Chile and Buenos Aires.   Now in their 21st year as a band they are touring and performing as much as they did in the early days – three dates already done and another thirteen events scheduled across Spain before the end of the 2025.   Lendakaris Muertos recently performed at Gazpatxo Rock Festival in Ayora and I caught up with frontman, founding member and vocalist – Aitor – for a chat about the band and his views on the current music scene after the show.   Here is what he had to say:   For people who are not familiar with Lendakaris Muertos – how would you describe the band and the music style?   Our sound and style is classic punk rock. Punk Rock was born in the UK and USA, but mainly the UK. When this music style came to the Basque Country it evolved into another style, it was punk but more political, a special style, it became unique to the Basque Country. when punk first arrived I was too young, but later when we started Lendakaris Muertos we took the Basque Country punk style and the political lyrics and we added humour. Basque Country punk was very political and angry, it was very serious - we took the form of punk and made it humourous.   Specifially, punk always goes against the police, politicians – but as Lendakaris Muertos we also went against our equals. We criticise them, but we also criticise ourselves.   Which bands inspired you as you grew up and influenced you when you started Lendakaris Muertos.   It was local, Basque bands like Vom ito, Eskorbuto, La Polla Records, b ut also The Ramones and The Sex Pistols. The bands that had the most influenceon us were Basque Radical Rock bands.     A lot of people say that Spanish punk was born in the Basque Country - would you agree?   Yes! But, in my opinion in Basque Country there is (and always was) a very big political movement and I think the reason that Punk in Spain was born here is that there was a punk movement in the whole of Spain, but in Basque Country there was a musical industry, a scene, a lot of squatters and places to play music and from this came a political movement that supported Punk music. I think that that movement was not interested in the rest of Spain, just the Basque Country and that the reason I think best bands were born here.   Its 21 years of Lendakaris Muertos – you are touring a lot, there has been a new album, what’s in store for this year?   It’s actually 21 years – 2 days ago!  No, we don’t really have any big plans for this year. We are going to take a little rest next year and then I don’t know! We will obviously go on touring, making and playing music – but who knows!   Your shows are so full of energy, full of humour, you get involved with the crowd and the shows are theatrically immersive. How do you organise and choreograph your show and how has it evolved since the early days?   It is something that has evolved over the years in a very natural way. The shows we did 20 years ago and the show that we do now is almost the same. But now it’s a little bit more professional, we do it better – because now we have other people working with us, lighting, sound, stage and management.   When we started, we decided to produce a show that we would want to watch ourselves, because 20 years I ago I remember when I went to Rock and Roll shows I felt that they were boring to watch. We wanted to create and perform music but also add theatrics and of course interaction with the people to make them more entertaining.   I must confess, my favourite song that you perform is Oso Panda – what is your favourite to perform and why?   My favourite song is “Urrusolo Sistiaga” because it’s a little longer, people love it and I remember when I composed it, the moment was special! After I composed the song, we didn’t record it for five years before releasing it on the album “Cicatrize n la Matrix.”   Your songs all carry a political message, in a humorous way. Why is it important for you to get those messages across?   That’s a good question and I don’t really know! I think the humour in our songs is more important than the politics. I think people need to have some fun. Maybe now is different, but when I was younger everything was very political and we were very radical, but also in that moment I knew we had to use humour because you cannot just feel anger all the time, you can defend your ideas and humour is a good way of dealing with the anger.   Over the last 20 years the music industry has changed a lot – 20 years ago you would sell vinyl and CD’s, now its Spotify and downloads and it’s harder to make money from sales. How do you feel about the current state of the music industry?   I think it’s great right now – because you have big opportunities for new bands, maybe older bands like us don’t feel comfortable with the current situation. It is a lot easier than 20 years ago to become well known and to get your music out and to be heard. Anyone can create a band, without needing big record companies. You do not a lot of money to produce and release your music. 20 years it was all about listening to the radio and watching TV, now its Spotify and YouTube, social media – I think it’s fantastic! There are some issues that I find frustrating, but overall I like it!   You, Asier have been in the band since you started in 2004 and Potxeta since 2008. Many punk bands split up, change members, what has kept you all together as Lendarkis Muertos?   There are two things: We all still feel the same passion for music and to play live like we did 21 years ago, and the second thing is money! Money is the glue – because if there was no money, I don’t think the band would still be together. Maybe if I was 20 years old I would not say that, but we are in our 50’s and 60’s and its important!   If you could perform with any band (dead or alive) who would you perform with?   Easy – Sex Pistols! I think Never Mind the Bollocks is an amazing album. The songs, the energy and the moment in time when it was done was a cannon for what we have now.   What advice would you give to a new band, just starting out?   If you are going to sign a contract – make sure you read it! Understand what you are signing, enjoy yourselves and have fun.   Thanks Aitor, it’s always a pleasure to hang out with you and the band and I look forward to seeing you soon!   Words & photos: Rhyan Paul

On may 9th Buhos will be performing at Sala Moon in Valencia for the final date of their incredible sell out tour. Founded in 2005, Buhos are celebrating 20 years of fantastric music with a jammed packed diary of events across the Spain. Limited tickets are still available - but you are going to have to be quick before its too late as this is the bands only concert in Valencia in 2025. For more information and tickets: Buhos

Rudi Action Protrudi, is an American rock musician, songwriter, record producer, artist, and actor best known as the lead vocalist and frontman of the garage band the “Fuzztones”.  I recently met up with Rudio in Valencia for a beer before their concert at 16 Toneledas.     Hi Rudi! Second day of the Spanish tour, welcome back to Valencia – as always for you guys its back-to-back concerts across the Peninsula. Would you have it any other way though?   Hey Rhyan, great to catch up! Yeah, I wouldn't mind a day off in between gigs. That'd be nice. You know, we don't ever really get a chance to explore the cities. We just basically go to the hotel, then we go to the sound check, then we go to a restaurant, then we do the gig and then we go home, you know? So, we don't really see that much. If I did have to change anything, it would be couple days off between gigs to go sightseeing.   I know it’s only day two of the tour, but how's it all going so far?   Real good, it always is. Spain is one of our biggest audiences and out most Dedicated. Yeah, so very, very good. Well, I mean, we only did one show so far, but we almost always sell out the venues, so I'm expecting it to be great tonight here in Valencia. It’s our third visit to 16 Toneladas and we love the venue.     I had to do some maths today, because I cannot believe it’s nearly 45 years since you started the Fuzztones. When you first started out did you ever imagine that you would become known as the pioneers of the garage band movement, multiple album releases, world tours and 45 years later still doing it as passionately?   No! It's funny, when I started out, we started out basically as a joke. My band was “Tina Peel” up until the beginning of 1980 and just for fun we decided to become our own opening act, so we called it the “Fabulous Fuzz Tones”. If we weren't taking it seriously at all, we had some outrageous psychedelic outfits made-up in lime green and bright orange fake fur, and very loud Paisley clothes because “Tina Peel” was very loud. So, we dressed very loud very campy, and we learned a set of classic garage stuff. We kind of figured everybody would know it. Stuff that had been a hit in the 60’s. Like” I Had Too Much To Dream”, “Pushing Too Hard”, “Gloria”.   The thing is, it went over really well and at that time we were getting very sick of “Tina Peel” because people never seem to get it. we had a coked-up manager who was trying to make us more commercially acceptable, we had a big record label following us around who was trying to get us to be more commercial and it wasn't fun anymore. So, we did the “Fuzztones” part as fun and then we decided the audience really liked it and we were getting off on the music.   The very first “Fuzztones” band was 1979. We hadn’t broken up “Tina Peel” yet and we only did two shows. By 1980 we decided we've had enough of “Tina Peel” and we formed the “Fuzztones”, we dropped the “Fabulous and took it seriously. We started adding some lesser-known material, but mostly stills covers an there was a reason for that. It was because the people in the band had never played garage music. If you've never played garage music, you're certainly not going to be able to write garage music. M idea was. - OK, let's play covers and get the style down and we're comfortable with the style that we can progress to writing. So that’s what we did!   The first line up of the “Fuzztones” was a four piece for two years. We don't really have any recorded tracks other than there's two songs that were cut live at CBGB's that were on the Snake Oil album. If you want to hear that line up of the band, that's where you can hear it.   We were pretty good an after two years we got really good. People started to notice us and then our bass player quit, which happened with “Tina Peel”. We had the same problem every time we started to really make headway; the bass player would quit, and we have to go try to find someone else and go all the way back to ground zero and start again and this was a reoccurring theme. I got fed up and I said, “fuck this!” and I broke up the band in 1982.   Well, it just so happened that Michael Jay, the bass player for “Lysergic Emanations” and Alon his friend who played lead guitar for “Lysergic Emanations”, they happened to see one of our last shows and as a very last-ditch attempt before I broke up the band I put an advert in the “Village Voice” - looking for a bass player.    Michael called me, said I'm your guy. So I got kind of excited, because he was familiar. I mean, you have to understand, in New York in 1982 or 1980 even more, no one had a clue what we were doing. No clue. And we would audition people, and we get people that look like the Grateful Dead or a junkie!  Yeah, we had lot of junkies would come down! No one could play. No one had a clue, no one looked right, it was really a dead end.   So, when Michael came, he didn't look right either. I mean he definitely had a 60s vibe, but he was dressed all in his Carnaby Street stuff with a little English cap on and little Roger McGuinness glasses. I thought, who's this fruitcake? He played and sounded good – he had a Vox Bass, but I still had reservations, and he was a little bit bossy, started telling us what we should be doing, and I don't take well to that. So I broke up the band and I joined a rockabilly band that I liked that is in New York. But as soon as I joined, the drummer left! So we got Ira Elliott who turned out to be “Lysergic Emanations” drummer.   But then the band changed their music, and they weren't doing this hardcore rockabilly sound that I joined for. So I didn’t like that!  Meanwhile, Michael J was harassing me all the time. Calling me on the phone, coming to the gigs, saying “You must reform the “Fuzztones”. He was a real pain in the ass, but then one day he said the right thing. “I got a guitar player, and he's got a Rickenbacker Guitar and a Vox Amp”.  OK, I wanted to hear this, because you have realised nobody had this stuff. I mean when the “Fuzztones” started, you couldn't even buy a fuzz-box. They were antiques. They didn't make fuzz-boxes. They made heavy metal pedals, but no fuzz-boxes.   He came down soon as we started playing, it sounded like the “Lysergic Emanations” line up, so we reformed and that lineup of the band stayed together until 1986 - then we broke up again!It’s a reoccurring thing and in the 44 years we've been together, we probably went through 17 lineups. The current lineup have been together for 8 years and everyone gets along very well, we're all very tight friends. We have played together all over Europe, Japan, Mexico and South America.  We get along really good, everybody is so professional and none of the addiction problems that we've had in the past, the ego problems that we've had in the past, girl problems, we don't have any of that. So yeah, we're all really happy!  I'm pretty sure this this band stay together until the end!     You released your last studio album in 2022, “Encore” and in 2023 you released the live album “Live At The Dive ‘85” Anything new coming in 2025?   Yes, but not as the “Fuzztones”! I have been working on a solo album that I started during the lockdown when there was no one to play with, I got really inspired. I wrote 13 new songs and almost all of them are recorded. I play all the instruments except for the drums, which Marco plays. I don't have a record deal yet, but I'm certain I will, and it be released on vinyl and digital in about 6 months.     Interesting you mention releasing on vinyl - its making such a comeback, a very expensive comeback! Are you as fan of physical releases?   That was the whole idea, convince everybody into giving away their albums and CD’s and then bring back vinyl as a trend and everybody fell for it. I have a huge record collection, and I never got rid of any of it. Every piece of vinyl you own has a memory attached to it.  Also, you can't beat the 12-inch artwork. That's one thing that CDs never had. You have to the record store and dig through the record boxes - that’s where the fun is!   When I was younger, I used to save up some money, go to the store and look for an album that had cool cover. I had no idea what it was going sound like, and I took a chance, thinking” If this music sounds anything like how cool the cover is, - it’s going to be fucking cool!”   Like “The Velvet Underground” - all it said was Andy Warhol and there was a yellow banana cover, and I got that in 1966, the year it came out – amazing piece of vinyl!     Looking back, what was the “Fuzztones” most memorable concert?   I can’t pick just one! There's been so many - performing “Screaming Jay Hawkins” was a very big one. We filled in for the Ramones at the Elixir Festival in 1985 and we were playing with really big name acts - “Depeche Mode”, “The Clash” and “Midnight Oil” and the major French magazine at the time said that we were the revelation of the festival. It was televised on TV – so that was very big! Playing the “Rock Palace” Germanys rock TV show that was really big. We also played in front of 20,000 people at a Belgium festival with “The Mission” – those guys were really cocky and really deprecating towards us. So we blew them off the stage really hardcore and when they went on the stage afterwards, they only got through three songs. The audience was pelting them with mud and yelling “Fuzztones” so that was really memorable! The singer stormed off saying “You're all the bunch of fucking wankers!” I enjoyed that!!   What sets the “Fuzztones” apart from other Garage Rock bands?   We're better! We are the best rock'n'roll band that's out there now - in my opinion, but there's lots of things, there's lots of things. There are loads of garage bands and a lot of them are very good, but they are not like the “Fuzztones” because they tend to copy instead of interpreting - which is very big difference. When we do a cover song, we make it our own because we have a specific style and I like to equate it with bands like “The Rolling Stones” or “The Beatles”, the way they do a cover you know immediately it was them. When I do write a song. I have not been prolific in the past because I was very hard on myself. The originals must be as good as the covers or else what's the purpose? After doing this for so long, I find songwriting easy now and I'm writing a whole lot more than I used to.     Who has been your biggest influences?    Vocally, I'd say Jim Morrison and Jerry Lee Lewis. Jim for his crooning style and Jerry Lee for his phrasing.  Guitar wise Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Link Wray – which is funny because none of them are garage!     What advice would you give to up-and-coming Garage Bands?   I would say do it for the love of music and don't expect anything to come out of it other than enjoyment. If you get more than it's icing on the cake. But if you're not enjoying what you're doing, then forget it.  First, the audience knows and second of all, garage isn't like modern day pop or rap, It's not a formula. It's a raw form of music that if you play it in a formula way - and some people do - everybody can tell right away. It's like immediately, oh, that’s a cliché. You must throw in surprises.     We have never shied away from a challenge and covered really unpredictable artists. Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin. Black Oak, Arkansas. No other garage band would do that because they would be so afraid of what the purists would say, but we made those songs into Garage Songs. We covered “New York, New York”, We covered “Lord Have Mercy On My Soul” by “Black Oak” and made it sound like the “13th Floor Elevators”. There's a. There's a talent, to be able to adapt a song and change it - you know, really change it! We did a “Ramone” song and made it sound like the “Electric Punes!”     Rudi – its been great catching up with you and looking forward to seeing you guys here again in 2025 celebrating 45 years of the “Fuzztones”!   Thanks Rhyan, its gonna be a great year and we are looking forward to it!    Words and Photos: Rhyan Paul Article originally published in Reckless Magazine: https://www.recklessmagazine.com/home/nightofthephantom

On April 12th the mighty Def Con Dos performed at Sauvage Club in Alzira, Valencia. They are not only one of my favourite bands and one I have photographed at both massive festivals and intimate venues, but also a really fucking cool group of talented musicians who have become friends. I knew it was going to be a good concert! We met up early for a secret photoshoot for a really exciting new project the band have planned (more details to follow on that!) and then it was time for the main event. The crowd was eagerly awaiting and burst into roars of delight as César Strawberry (vocals), Alberto Marin (Guitar), Kiki Tornado (drums), J Al. Ándalus (bass), Sagan Ummo (vocals) and Samuel Barranco (vocal) took to the stage. What followed can only be described as 90 minutes of non-stop rap metal madness! Classics including "Acción Mutante", "Sigo Siendo Heterosexual", "De Cacería" and "Ultramemia" being performed with the energy of chipmunks on Redbull to a devoted dancefloor of hardcore fans. Its hard to choose favourite tracks from a Def Con Dos performance, but Mara Gilbert taking to the stage to perform on "A.M.V" and the ultra-brutal "El Día De La Bestia" are definitely up there! If yoy haven't already checked out Def Con Dos and you like rap metal, then I suggest you do. You will not be disappointed! Words and photos: Rhyan Paul

On April 7th The Horrors performed at Sala Moon in Valencia. It was the final night their whirlwind four date Spanish tour (Santiago de Compostela, Barcelona, Madrid and Valenica). It has been a while since the band has performed in Valencia and the venue was at capacity with eager fans, waiting for Farris Badwan and crew to take the stage. The lighting was dim and moody - the perfect vibe for The Horrors performance (although a nightmare for photographers!) and they kicked off the concert with "Silence That Remains" from their 2024 album "Night Life" - which incidently is the bands first album in eight years. The following hours was an epic mix of songs old and new, with the concert ending on "Who Can Say" from 2009. A three song encore followed with "Lotus Eater, Scarlett Fields and STRMB" before the band bid the fans fairwell and left the stage. Words & Photos: Rhyan Paul