Shake Rag waste no time on their debut This Location Got No Station. It opens at full throttle with Feed The Birds, tearing in with stripped-back ferocity and a bluesy guitar lick and bend. It’s a fiery opener that sets the tone, rolling straight into Star and The Dreamer. Lifted from their earlier Telesales Pharoah And His Pyramid Scheme EP, these tracks feel sharper and more expansive here, like they are part of an epic blues-punk symphony. Gritty guitars scrape against Richard Moses’ vocals, channelling early punk’s defiance with the raw swing of rockabilly and country blues.

What D’You Know gives some breathing room with a slower pace, Archi Bremna holding a solid rhythm while Garry Parvin’s guitar melody glimmers on top. Going In Between drops into a darker, more industrial groove in steely tones driven by Heath Evdemon’s hypnotic bassline, while Parvin’s melodic guitars coil around Moses’ baritone croon. It’s moody and cinematic, like a gothic noir scene unfolding at midnight. Uncle Billy keeps that spell intact, snapping back with a rhythm-and-blues sway and rockabilly bite.

Named after Tupelo, Mississippi’s Shake Rag neighbourhood, a hotspot where blues, jazz and gospel once spilled into the streets and shaped a young Elvis Presley, the album draws on the same DIY spirit. The title references the area’s lack of a train station, where locals waved rags to halt passing trains, capturing the same restless energy that courses through the record. Shake Rag hit hard, move fast, and know exactly when to pull things back, delivering a punchy and powerful Side One.

Anyway brings back the bounce. It’s a beat-driven mover before Moving On pairs blues-soaked tones with a forward-pushing punk rhythm. Wake Up is pure swagger with a skippy beat, fuzzy guitars and a psyche-tinged edge that crashes into a slice of garage-punk bite. It’s got that classic rock ’n’ roll anthem feel, with the accent flipped onto the second backbeat. Closing track Shake Your Rag keeps things fast and celebratory. Powered by Bremna’s punchy drums and a driving rhythm, there's a nod to Chuck Berry’s spirit while keeping things loose, loud and danceable. Rooted in old-school rock ’n’ roll, blues grit and punked-up rockabilly, This Location Got No Station is ballsy, fun and fired with belief. Shake Rag sound like a band who mean every note – and one you should be paying attention to.

Words by Clare de Lune. You can find Clare on Instagram
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