The Bongo Boy Rock n’ Roll TV show series – Episode 3 Season 14 – Cool Cool Spring Ahead

As the winter chill leaves us and the spring warmth permeates the air, our thoughts turn to the blossoming of a new year, the natural world coming alive again, and, quite naturally, new music. And, thanks to The Bongo Boy Rock n’ Roll TV show, we can put the cold winter behind us and look forward to a cool spring. It is another perfect package of breaking music, all in the form of great music videos, from old friends and new acquaintances alike, another chance to be ahead of the curve, and another opportunity to be the first to sample the latest releases before they go viral. Spring has sprung; let’s rock and roll…

And a cool cool sonic spring deserves a cool cool song to kick things off, and that comes courtesy of Gar Francis and “Cool Cool Baby”. We already know what he is capable of as part of The NEW Bardots, and don’t worry, they will be along before we are done here, but he is pretty potent on his own, as this song proves. The perfect blend of that relentless rock and roll drive forged of pacing drums and pulsing bass lines with growling guitars and shimmering synths running over the top. Old school grit meets of-the-moment groove. Nice!

And rock and roll is the name of the game, too, with J and 9’s and their track “Ball and Chain,” though here things take a turn into the darker and more flamboyant side, and there is a distinctly gothic element to the song, not to mention a touch of vaudeville glam to the video. Chainsaw guitars cut staccato riffs through the rock and roll landscape and the groove they set up demands that you hit the dancefloor and throw some serious moves. And boy, what a voice!

Absoloot offers a change of pace with “Watch Your Words,” a spacious hip-hop delivery over a minimal beat, but then the urban music sound has always been big on deft word play, dexterous lyrical flows and poignant messages, and the amount of room between the beat and the vocals means that every syllable and nuance lands perfectly and clearly.

Forty Point is a new band for me, but by the sound of “New Dimension,” it won’t be the last time I bend an ear in their direction. Again, rock is the order of the day, but there is something different going on here, a sort of blend of indie finesse and rock grind, nu-metal deliveries, and a sung-spoken vocal narrative that is all the more beguiling for its unusual nature. It intrigues me, and that is always a good thing.

Studeo is a band that has long been featured in Bongo Boy collections and video shows, and it isn’t hard to see why. “25 Steps” is the perfect blend of anthemic rock and pop-aware melodics. Guitars might grind their gears in the background, but never at the expense of the song’s accessibility. Vocals soar and seduce, merge, and mingle into mellifluous sounds—a perfect balance of light and shade.

Wow, The Chords, now there’s a band that takes me back, a band that blended all the right elements of the mod, power-pop, and punk sound every bit as effortlessly and skillfully and infectiously as the likes of The Jam did. This video for the song “Can’t Let Go,” takes me back to those times. It’s 1981, and I’m just getting out to my first gigs. I’m in the dark and hot back room of a pub on the outskirts of London, and bands like this are changing my world. It’s great to see that you are still doing so, sir.

As promised, The NEW Bardots see us out with a low-slung pop-rock song of unity, a reminder that however bad things are, there is always someone who you can lean on—a friend, family member, or partner. Blending their trademark big sound with an addictive melody, their energy, and grit with euphoria and groove, they bookend this edition of the show perfectly.

And there you go, new year, new season, new music…plenty to get excited about, much to love, and to listen to before the next wave of new music from Bongo Boy washes over you. And that will be here before you can even say rock and …..