9 February 2016

Hello again.

Eagulls - Lemontrees
Leeds band returning with a new track off their forthcoming second album. Plaintive, Smiths-esque vocals adorn darkly punkish guitars.

Ten Benson - Rock Cottage
An oldie from the London swamp-rockers for no real reason. It's off the 2000 album Hiss which is pretty good fun.

Half Japanese - That Is That
A new album, their fifteenth studio LP, Perfect came out at the back end of last month and sees them in typical form. Art punk, they call it, which seems fair enough.

Featured Album
Primal Scream - Movin' On Up
Primal Scream - Shine Like Stars
Primal Scream truly landed with Screamadelica. Their first two LPs were not commercial hits, but the grounding from those all came together on their third. That and it's timing. In 1991, it crossed the gap between indie and acid house. I hate to use the term zeitgeist, but... well it is apt.

Malcolm Middleton - You And I
Lovely stuff from a grossly underrated artist. The new LP is Summer Of '13 and was made with producer Miaoux Miaoux, which might explain the more electronic aspect. Record of the week.

Phobophobes - Advertise Your Life
Grungey, grimy and passed me by initially. This came out last May and it's terrific. They're from Peckham and I'll be making sure I don't miss out in future.

Desert Mountain Tribe - Runway
More London-based rock as a debut album is lined up for release in March.

The Baggios - Adios Baggio
Easily my favourite Brazilian blues-rock outfit. This is a bonus track off the 2013 album Sina and I'm playing it because I like it and for no other reason.

Fuzzy Vox - Distracted
While you expect French acts to be all ethereal and electronic a la Daft Punk, Air, M83 and so on, here are some Parisians playing some good old-fashioned garage rock. No Landing Plan is out on the 26th of this month.

Melt Yourself Down - Dot To Dot
The title track of the new LP from the avant-garde jazz funk combo which came out last month. They do make a glorious racket.

Featured Album
Primal Scream - Come Together
The longest track off Screamadelica, a real late-night come-down track. Beats the track of the same name by The Beatles into a cocked hat.

The Country Dark - Demon In Bambi Lee
To Finland now, and a band clearly influenced by Nick Cave and that whole murder ballad thing. Hypnic Jerk is the name of their third LP which this is the lead track from. Out now. Go get it.

Manuka Honeys - Let It Go
A new single from Brighton band Manuka Honeys - great name, incidentally. You'd be forgiven for thinking it was Kurt Cobain on vocals.

Burnt Palms - Last Time
Classic Californian slacker rock. The LP Back On My Wall came out last week.

Sweet Baboo - Blowing Up My Mind
Stephen Black returns with a new EP. Titled Dennis, it's out on February 26 and features this cover of an old Northern Soul classic. And it comes with a video of chopped together public information films.

Here's that on YouTube:



and Soundcloud:



And we'll see what next week brings up.

28 January 2013

Finally, we got back in the studio.

Petula Clark - Cut Copy Me
John: A wonderful record and I had no idea who it was by on first hearing it.
Carolyn: If you'd not told me who it was before we got here, I'd not have known. How old is she now?
John: 80. And sounds as good as ever.
Carolyn: Sounds better than McCartney and he's not that old... My dad was kissed on the cheek by Petula. In Bradford. He was a big fan. He won't know she's got new stuff out.

John Grant - Pale Green Ghosts
John: Six minutes and I make no apology for it. That is quite astonishing. There is a shorter radio edit, but I prefer this - it's stark, bleak and interesting.
Carolyn: Quite like you then.
John: Cheeky. Grant is from Denver, formerly of The Czars, but based in Reykjavik now and if I hear a better record this year, I'm in for a treat. This is out on March 11.


Concrete Knives - Greyhound Racing
Carolyn: I like that one.
John: These are from Caen in northern France and it's off the forthcoming album 'Be Your Own King'.

Cover Version Corner
Etienne Daho - Weekend A Rome
St Etienne - He's On The Phone
John: I'm cheating here - it's not strictly speaking a cover, rather two records that share the same melody, but Etienne Daho did work with St Etienne on their 'version'.
Carolyn: You've undermined the whole concept! Just to get a St Etienne record in there somehow.
John: Daho is from Algeria and that was out in 1984 on the album 'La Notte, La Notte'. The St Etienne one reached number 11 in 1995.

On An On - The Hunter
John: From Chicago, that's out tomorrow, off the album 'Give In'.
Carolyn: Didn't like it.
John: I thought you'd go for those big swoopy late '80s/early '90s bits.
Carolyn: Yeah, that bit was OK. The auto-tuney bits might get a bit annoying on repeat listening though.

Suede - Barriers
John: Their first stuff for ten years, that's the new single off the forthcoming album 'Bloodsports'.
Carolyn: It might be new, but it's instantly familiar. They've not changed much. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Dutch Uncles - Flexxin'
John: From Marple, near Stockport, I reckon these are going to be huge in 2013. That's Flexxin', the new single off the debut album 'Out Of touch In The Wild'. Two Xs, no G.
Carolyn: Bloomin' spelling again! What do they teach these kids?

Virals - Summer Girls
John: From Worcester, that's off an EP called 'Strange Fruit'.
Carolyn: I like that. Sounds like The Vaccines a bit, and I like them.

Jacco Gardner - Clear The Air
John: That's out on February 19 and he's from Zwaag in The Netherlands. It reminds me a bit of the Randall And Hopkirk (Deceased) theme tune.
Carolyn: I see where you're coming from.

One Degree Of Separation
The Specials - Why?
Fun Boy Three - Tunnel Of Love
Carolyn: So have you subverted this format idea as well?
John: You know I haven't. It's a simple one this one. I played some Fun Boy Three as you've previously expressed an interest, and before that it was The Specials with Why? which was the B-side to Ghost Town.
Carolyn: The link being..??
John: Terry Hall, Neville Staples and Lynval Golding formed the latter from the remnants of the former.

Peace - Wraith
John: Bringing it bang up to date, the new one from these. Another band of whom great things are expected.

Jagwar Ma - The Throw
John: A 7-minuter, but again I don't apologise. I really like that.
Carolyn: Yeah, me too. I'm getting a bit of Happy Mondays from it, if you see what I mean.
John: Aye, a bit. And something else I can't put my finger on. Jagwar Ma are Jono Ma and Gabriel Winterfield from Sydney. In Australia, that is, in case you were thinking of a different Sydney.

Wave Machines - I Hold Loneliness
John: New one from these who are from Liverpool off the album 'Pollen' which is out now.

Sweet Baboo - Let's Go Swimming Wild
John: Sweet Baboo is Stephen Black from north Wales and that came out at the back end of last year.


Here's this weeks YouTube playlist.