Album Review: Trading Aces - 'Rock n' Roll Homicide'

Ok, firstly – full disclosure. I’ve worked with Frank and Dennis from Trading Aces on a project called Antifashion, and with Dennis also with The City Kids, and both of them – aside from being lovely people – are two of the hardest working musicians I know. I mention this because, well, yeah, bias, but principally because there’s always a worry when reviewing stuff by people you know and like; ‘what if I hate it? How do I tell them?’

Thankfully, when it comes to Rock n’ Roll Homicide, that’s far from a concern. Made up of members of The City Kids & Warrior Soul and the Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs, what we have in Trading Aces is a proper, good time rock n’ roll band and a record that takes in all the good stuff from the ’70s and ’80s, mixes it up, and throws it out again with an occasional funky, psychedelic twist. Think Guns n’ Roses, Kiss, and The Stones, all mixed up with Social Distortion, The Wildhearts, Enuff Z’Nuff, and The Beatles, if they’d all gone out on a drugged-up, alcohol-fuelled disco-weekend with Bootsy Collins and Chic.

First single ‘Ain’t It A Bitch’ is a hard-riffing chunk of bar-room rock that – weirdly – reminds me of The Donnas ‘It’s On The Rocks’; instantly familiar, grooving, chugging riff-rock that makes you want to shoot pool, chug beers, and buy a trucker hat, all at once.

“When the pandemic hit, I got laid off from work and the Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs went on hiatus, so I reached out to Kory Clarke from Warrior Soul about writing some songs,” recalls singer/guitarist Frank Meyer. “Turns out, they were about to start recording the all-covers album Cocaine and Other Good Stuff, so I ended up singing backing vocals and playing keyboards on that. Dennis plays guitar in Warrior Soul, so we met there, and soon I was doing session work with his Leeds-based band The City Kids. Since then, we have made tons of music together and have been really prolific.”

In Rock n’ Roll Homicide, what they’ve made is a classic rock record that simply reeks of neon bar-lights, Rolling Rock, and truck stops. Rock n’ Roll Homicide is out now through Ripple Music. Trading Aces are on tour throughout Spain in May.

Trading Aces – Rock n’ Roll Homicide