Monthly newsletter 2023
#1
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INTRODUCTION
Hi there! Welcome to the first edition of The Story of Rock and Roll newsletter. My name is James Daubeney and I’m the author of The Story of Rock and Roll as well as the presenter of The Story of Rock and Roll Radio Show. The show airs every Thursday on Rebel Rock Radio from [7:00]-[10:00] PM South African time and there’s also a shorter power hour version that airs on Bulldogs Radio every Friday from [6:00]-[7:00] PM. You can catch the live broadcasts on www.rrr.cat and https://bulldogs-radio.com/, respectively. The two shows are quite different so you will not be hearing the same thing twice. The three-hour show is also available as a podcast on most popular podcast sites, including https://www.buzzsprout.com/273305. I hope you enjoy the show!
NEWS
December was punctuated by Stage 6 load shedding which really put the show under a lot of pressure. Even though I have inverters and generators I couldn’t do anything about the cell phone towers collapsing. I experienced upload speeds of 0.6 and lost a lot of live listeners as a result of the show dipping in and out. The good news is that the podcasts are fine, and we will be using fibre connectivity in the next week or so. This month, we highlighted some great new releases from around the world on The Story of Rock and Roll, see the ‘what we listened to section’ for the detail.
As we enter 2023, we have a lot of exciting new music to look forward to. Obituary, Katatonia, In Flames, and Metallica are all set to release new albums. In particular, Metallica’s 72 Seasons is set to drop on April 14th and is sure to be a hit.
On the rock front, we can expect new releases from The Winery Dogs, Godsmack, Avenged Sevenfold, Alice Cooper, and Guns ‘N’ Roses. There are also rumours that we may see new music from Judas Priest and Mammoth WVH (Wolfgang Van Halen’s band). It’s already shaping up to be a great year for new music!
HIGHLIGHTS
This month was full of exciting highlights for The Story of Rock and Roll. One of the biggest events was the annual TSORR Best Albums of the Year list. It was a great year for new music, with a plethora of excellent releases to choose from. As a TSORR tradition, the Season Finale features a three-hour-long special showcasing the best music of the year in the world of rock and metal. You can listen to episode 52 of previous seasons to get a summary of the year’s best music. In total, I purchased 157 albums in 2022, with 65 of them being new releases. I selected tracks from each of these 65 albums and played what felt right at the moment. Unfortunately, I only had time to feature half of them due to the three-hour time constraint. Some notable omissions included Slipknot, Kreator, Soilwork, Machine Head, and Ghost’s album Imperia, which Metal Hammer named the best release of 2022. They will get some love in the new year. The TSORR top five albums for the year came from Ozzy Osbourne, The Halo Effect, Parkway Drive, Megadeth, and Arch Enemy. You can check out the episode on the site at season 5 episode 52 or on Buzzsprout by clicking the button below.
Annual top 30 List
Another highlight of the month was the celebration of TSORR’s 5th birthday. The show, which was episode S5E51, was dedicated to all the people who have supported TSORR and made it special over the last 5 years. The playlist included 173 songs, so it quickly became clear that a longer show was needed. Initially, the plan was to add an extra hour, but unfortunately, the laptop froze after Fokofpolisiekar with ‘Angs Aanval’, bringing the show to an unexpected end. Despite the technical difficulties, the show is special and served as a great reminder of all the great music that has been featured on TSORR over the years. As you might expect, the show included a selection of bands that had a big impact on my world and serves as a great companion piece to the book The Story of Rock and Roll. Some of the bands featured in the episode include The Boomtown Rats, Kiss, Judas Priest, The Radio Rats, Joe Bonamassa, Cold Chisel, The Stranglers, Stiff Little Fingers, Metallica, and The Uninvited. You can check out the episode below:
WHAT WE LISTENED TO IN DECEMBER
This month we highlighted some great new releases from around the world. Candlemass out of Sweden hit the spot with a fantastic new album called Sweet Evil Sun. It is full of blistering metal, check it out..
In addition to featuring new music from well-know bands such as Halestorm with Back from the Dead we showcased some lesser known up and coming bands from around the world. I am always on the lookout for bands from countries where TSORR podcasts get support such as Japan, India and Brazil. This month we checked out Rising Fall, a band out of Japan, and their recent release called Rise & Fall, as well as Girish and the Chronicles out of India, and their album Rock the Nation. Thanks to fellow Rebel Rock presenter Tinus Nel for introducing me to Girish and the Chronicles, give them a listen
IT’S WHAT YOU SAY THAT COUNTS
Lyrical meandering on the show in December included a call to substitute ‘ANC’ in place of ‘EMI’ in this Sex Pistols classic to bring home the disaster that is level 6 load shedding. In 1994 South Africa had what many considered an unlimited supply of electricity and 26 years later the government can’t keep the lights on. If anyone thinks I am being harsh please remember load shedding was first heard on in SA in 2010, in 12 years these guys have not been able to sort this out.
“An unlimited amount
Too many outlets in and out
Who?
E.M.I, E.M.I, E.M.I
And sir and friends are crucified” – Johnny Rotten
SOUTH AFRICAN SCENE
The albums that received the most airtime were Infanteria with Patriarchy, Diverted Disorder with Technical Difficulties, L.A. Cobra with Superstition, and Dan Patlansky with the incredible Shelter of Bones. It is worth noting that Blues Rock magazine, a leading international publication, recently voted Dan’s album the runner up best blues album of 2022, beating out stiff competition from Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Edgard Winter, Buddy Guy, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Walter Trout, Larkin Poe, Eric Gales, Beth Hart, and Robin Trower. This is a huge achievement and well-deserved recognition for Dan
CHEERS @#$%’s
I hope you enjoyed the second TSORR monthly newsletter, let me know how we can improve. If you’d like to stay up to date with all things TSORR be sure to join the mailing list. As mentioned last month, I’m really interested in getting to know you all and building a closer community of rock and metal lovers. If you would like to introduce yourself, feel free to drop me a message on The Story of Rock and Roll Facebook page of via email at thestoryofrockandroll1@gmail.com. Let me know who you are, where you are from, what kind of rock music you enjoy, and what your favourite bands are. If there is anything you’d like me to play on the show, just let me know! TSORR is open to suggestions and feedback. Until next month, keep rocking and letting the music be the soundtrack to your life. Happy New Year and all the best for 2023
Best regards and take care
James