Band : The Sore Losers
Album title : The Sore Losers
Label : Excelsior Recordings
Distributor : V2
Release date : 04/10/2010
Release : CD

This very young Belgian quartet (they got together only last year) consists of singer/ guitarist Jan Straetemans, guitarist Cedric Maes, bassist Kevin Maenen, and drummer Alessio Di Turi. In early 2010 they sign on to participate in the annual Humo's Rock Rally band contest, and with their catchy songs and rough Bluesey Rock tunes with elements of Folk, Country, and Garage, they know to convince the jury panel into letting them continue into the finals, even taking away second prize. In May, they sign their contract with Dutch independent Excelsior Recordings.

To give you an idea of what the band sounds like, they've upped the following bio at myspace;com/thesorelosersrock: “...take some tele-twang spiced up with Ludwig bang. Pretty close harmony on a sundown driven shuffle drum. But the backbeat is ready to explode. Les Pauls and single coils and tweed Fender amps and a Big Bass pumpin' through a white Marshall head; it's beautiful, but ugly enough. It's boomsville's finest: it's The Sore Losers...”. Then, after giving you a super-long list of influences, they also give you the one song (album opener “Beyond Repair”, which on Sept. 17 was already listed a glorious 14 weeks in De Afrekening hit-list -chosen by the listeners – on our national radio station Studio Brussel)to listen to.

Not enough? Try to find the album's page on one of the trusted online sales websites, try to get your local record store keeper to get the album for in-house listening, or go to one of the band's live appearances (I'm not sure when they'll be playing next – I hàte the pimped-up new MySpace pages! - or organize a gig for them, why don't you?)

86/100

Tony.