3 May 2016

I refuse to believe it's May already.

Eat Fast - Stammer
Sleazy lo-fi rock from a mystery outfit formerly known as Eat until a clash of names forced a change. New single, out now.

Frankie Cosmos - Sinister
Greta Kline - daughter of Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates, fact fans - records as Frankie Cosmos and does it very pleasantly. Her latest LP is Next Thing and came out early in April.

Iyesaya - Monster
Tackling mental health stigma in song is Dorset's William Dop in the guise of Iyesaya.

Featured album: Recordiau Prin - Iechyd Da
Stuart Kidd - If Fingers Were Xylophones
Nat Lyon - Freckles
Iechyd Da is a compilation of Gorky's Zygotic Mynci songs recorded by other Welsh DIY artists. Incredibly, it's free! And well worth your time downloading. Gorky's made some great records and all the artists featured on this LP treat those songs with love and care. Tremendous work by all involved.
Get it from bandcamp.

Wild Billy Childish and CTMF - A Song For Kylie Minogue
More of the customary brilliance. I do hope those stories are true and Beck is a nob and Kylie is lovely. The album SQ1 is forthcoming. Consider it ordered.

Kingsley Chapman and The Murder - Ghost
Another new track from one of our favourites at the moment.

Kaninchen - Shown On The News
Huddersfield artist using vocal loops to create her sound. The name means rabbit in German.

Keel Her - Fantasy
A cover of a Paul Nova song from Rose Keeler-Schaeffler taken from a split 7" with Claire Cottrill.

Something Anorak - Shake Fist At Sky
Another split 7", this time with Gorgeous Bully.

The Bin Bags - Church For Psychopaths
Featuring Keel Her again, this is off the LP The Bin Bags which came out late March.

Featured album: Recordiau Prin - Iechyd Da
Bad Mood - Waking For Winter
Lovely interpretation of one of Gorky's best.

Seazoo - Telephone Jones
More Welshness from the EP Jumbo.

The Limiñanas - Garden Of Love
To the lovely city of Perpignan now. The new LP Malamore came out a couple of weeks ago and features Peter Hook on bass and vocals.

Tea Street Band - Feel It
Marvellous stuff. Their second LP is due out later in the year and this will feature.

Nathan Melja - No, No, No
Title track from the new EP from the Parisian producer which is due out on May 13.

Here's your YouTube:



and Soundcloud playlists:



and we'll have another bash at this in a week.

22 March 2016

That was a longer break than expected, for a variety of reasons. Anyway, what it means is that I've got a massive backlog, so I'm putting the featured album on hold for a couple of weeks while I whittle it down a bit. So let's catch up with what's been tickling my ears these last few weeks.

Asian Dub Foundation - Blade Ragga
Another one from last year's More Signal More Noise LP and a track for which a video was released a couple of weeks ago. Instrumental, this is everything that underpins what ADF do with added flute.

The Cravats - Jingo Bells
Familiar theme. Old band, long hiatus, back on the scene. Redditch's Cravats return with their first release in 10 years - second in 30 - an ageing punks talk state of the nation. Fortunately, they're still quite good.

Bad Mood - May 2nd
T'other end of the youth spectrum, but also clearly unhappy with the state of things. This is the Liverpool band's debut single, out on Friday.

Nai Harvest - Just Like You
A new one from these, off a double-A single which I believe is out now. Sheffield continuing to churn out top acts.

Eagulls - My Life In Rewind
Another from the forthcoming second album from these. We now have a title too. Following their acclaimed debut 'Eagulls', comes Ullages. See what they did there. They're from Leeds, by the way.

Future Of The Left - If AT&T Drank Tea, What Would BP Do?
Another teaser from the forthcoming The Peace And Truce Of The Future Of The Left which I cannot wait for. But must. Obviously. Because that's how time works.

Life - Popular Music
Hull next. Another boot in the balls of anyone scoffing at it's UK Capital Of Culture nod. This is great stuff. Came out back end of January.

Super Besse - Nasilie
Easily the best thing to come out of Belarus since Vasil Kiriyenka. No, flippancy aside, I bloody love these. Like a post-Soviet Joy Division. This is the new single. It means 'violence' and it came out last month.

Beak> - Timeshare
To Bristol and the side project of Portishead's Geoff Barrow who have put together the soundtrack for the film Couple In A Hole.

Tehnoloogiline Päike - Remember Me
Estonia now, which I think is breaking new ground for us. Either way, delightful, floaty electronica with a French influence from their LP Technological Sun which came out at the back end of February.

Wire - Nocturnal Koreans
The title track from their new EP, this surpasses recent releases by a long way. It might be the best thing they've ever done, or I might be getting carried away. Either way, I love it.

Oh, The Guilt - White Car
More Bristolians. This is their debut single and it's out in May. It's that relentless, driving guitar that reminds me of a couple of things I can't quite put my finger on. Like it.

Sad Culture - Raspberry Ooze
Another track from the latest Art Is Hard Records singles club. This time, subscribe and you get a pin badge and a download code, which is a nice touch. Anyway, these are from London and it's pure, sunshiney pop with that little ska edge which lifts it beyond it's contemporaries.

Replica Jesus - Everything Rots
Derby now. Loud, raucous and excellent. This actually came out last September, so lord knows where it's been hiding. Great stuff.

Seize the Chair - Knew You'd Never Been There
Back to Sheffield for this. And that's all I really know other than I like it a lot. Sort of slacker-rock, just a level above lo-fi.

Solar Bears - Gravity Calling
And we finish with more electronica, this time from Irish duo John Kowalski and Rian Trench. The LP is called Advancements and came out last Friday. Very Boards of Canada.

Here's that on YouTube:



and Soundcloud:



and I'll clear some more of this backlog next week.