LOVE
this record! Late contender for single of the year!
Never a label to do
things by the book, Fruits de Mer Records release this 7” single on
the final day of the year. Quite fitting given the record's title
track and the fact that the year has (for me anyway) flown by. I've
written about Elfin Bow before. Her delightful debut album was
self-released in 2017 and is well worth tracking down. Blessed with a
beautiful voice and great songwriting skills, it turns out she's also
a fine interpreter of other people's songs. For this version of Sandy
Denny's 'Who Knows Where The Time Goes' she's collaborated with
composer and producer Gary Lloyd and is backed by the Scottish
Session Orchestra, an amazing ensemble of hand-picked principals from
Scotland's top orchestras.
It makes my list as one
of the finest 7” singles released this year. A sublime reading of a
classic song. No surprises, no bells and whistles, simply a beautiful
song, sympathetically performed and with a vocal and arrangement that
gets right to the song's emotional core. The B-side is awesome too, a
re-working of 'The Wisdom', a track from her eponymous debut album
made all the more sumptuous by Gary Lloyd's orchestral arrangement.
This single marks Elfin Bow's debut as a FdM artist though on it's
strength I'm hoping there will be more records to come. Well done and
thanks to all concerned.
But as much as I love
the classics the thrill of hearing new Christmas songs is equally if
not more appealing. Recent years I've enjoyed Christmas records by
great artists such as, Sufjan Stevens, She and Him, and of course
Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings. This year my award for the best
Christmas music goes to a beautifully haphazard bunch of misfits and
renegades centred around Brixton Hill Studios/Brixton Hillbilly
Records in South London. The label/collective has just released a
various artist mini-album featuring six brand new Christmas songs,
each with their own unique modern perspective on what we call the
most special time of the year.
The music is reason
enough to buy this CD/download but by doing so you'll also be
supporting a great cause. All proceeds will go to Brixton's Soup
Kitchen who have been doing amazing work helping the areas's homeless
since 2003. So what are you waiting for? Head over to the links below
to discover six superb new Christmas tunes to make your alternative
Yuletide party a happening event. Artists include HD faves Hot Sauce
Pony, Alessi's Ark, Ham Legion, Bad Parents, Scud FM, and Black
Fendrix Jersk Midi. Full track-listing and more info via the links
below.
Culturally-aware,
artful indie-rock. Manchester collective release their debut EP!
A
new band on my radar recently is One-Way Song, a band/collective from
Manchester formed by lyricist Luke Gilfedder and vocalist Angus
Macalister. What's refreshing about them is that they steer clear of
any generic indie norms (difficult when you're from Manchester!) and
seem determined to set their own musical path. And it's not just the
music that's impressive, their choice of subject matter reflects
their interests and passions. History, religion, class, films, books
and other cultural references abound. It's a similar mindset to that
other bunch of cultural-historians from the north-west - British Sea
Power, albeit the music made by One-Way Song contains a more youthful
brio and experimental edge. Any band that cites Wyndham Lewis, Colin
Wilson and Lou Reed among their influences has to have something
worth checking out right?
Given
such diverse influences it comes as little surprise to learn that the
group originally worked together at a theatre workshop they'd set up,
writing and touring their own productions. The decision to branch out
into music was made after having written songs to accompany one of
their plays. The influence of other mediums is present on the band's
debut EP, entitled 'Passionate Leave'. It's released on 27thNovember via Hilltown Records and features lead single 'Billy Fisher
Fitzgerald' a track partly inspired by the story of Billy Liar, it
features impressive drumming and spoken word lyrics that highlight
the modern day relevance of Billy Liar's prevailing themes.
The
band have also made a video for another track from the EP. 'Riviera
Nightmare' is a song about the Germanwings Flight 9525 disaster of
2015. Not an obvious choice of subject matter for a pop tune but it
shows how the band think outside of the box.
**For
more on the band check out the links below and look out for tour
dates to be announced soon**
(This review first appeared in issue #79 of Shindig! magazine.)
Discos Monterey LP
Acid-folk's roots may lie in the mist-clad British Isles of the late '60s, or in the grooves of Californian private press LPs but its shoots sprout everywhere. The latest come courtesy of Spanish duo SonLosGrillos who return with their third LP, following 2013's Darkness Turns To Light. Vocalist Marta RodrÃguez and multi-instrumentalist Mauricio Mora have created an album of soft and sensitive musings centred on compassion, healing and environmental concerns. Equal parts Pentangle, Mellow Candle and early Joni Mitchell, their largely acoustic sound is fleshed out with occasional flute, cello, trumpet and violin.
Whether it's the lilting melody of 'You are Everything' or the fairground waltz of the title track, you're guaranteed a journey into the mystic and a respite from the stresses of the modern world. Alongside the nine original songs is a neat cover of Linda Perhac's 'Porcelain Baked-Over Cast-Iron Wedding', laced with chiming 12-string guitar. A fresh and welcome flowering.
(This review first appeared in issue #79 of Shindig! magazine.)
Wick CD / LP
Having revitalised the contemporary soul scene, Daptone Records' new rock imprint hopes to do the same for guitar-based music. With Rault as an early signing they're off to a cracking start. Much like Daptone's take on soul, there's nothing particularly new about Rault's latest record but it is a glorious and joyful reaffirmation of music's ability to lift spirits. Full of clever catchy songs, decorated with baroque guitars and layered harmonies that steer clear of cliche and constantly surprise, New Day Tonight possesses the kind of mellowed-out powerpop not heard since Supertramp and Wings ruled the FM airwaves. To cement the '70s vibe there's also Stylophone and New York soul strings on several tracks.
Recorded at Daptone's Brooklyn studio with Wayne Gordon producing, the album has precise arrangements yet still has that all-important human feel. With its themes of renewal and optimism, it's the perfect early summer soundtrack for fans of grown-up feelgood pop.
(This review first appeared in issue #79 of Shindig! magazine.)
Mascot CD / LP
Though only in their mid-twenties, Utrecht-based trio DeWolff have ten years of hard touring and five studio albums under their belt. Thrust, their sixth, keeps them firmly in the vintage rock camp but comes flecked with inspired touches and a growing confidence and lyrical maturity. Whether taking barbed swipes at Geert Wilders ('Big Talk') or Donald Trump ('Deceit & Woo'), DeWolff are as adept at moving feet as they are minds, with Thrust drawing as much from the southern soul of Otis and co. as it does the southern rock of The Allman Brothers.
'Once In a Blue Moon' is a gospel-like ballad, complete with heavens-reaching organ and guitar solos, 'Sometimes' echoes The Black Keys' sparse brooding blues, whereas 'Tombstone Child' is a heavy-hitting funk-rock monster. Thrust is proof that there's still much to explore and enjoy using rock's primary colours. Fellow Utrechtian Dick Bruna would be proud.
(This review first appeared in issue #79 of Shindig! magazine.)
Western Vinyl CD / LP
Empathy is an important part of any songwriter's toolkit, so Jessica Risker's experience as a licensed counsellor has no doubt helped shape a record made for one-on-one listening, and full of sympathy and gentle contemplation. Her latest LP marks a departure from the experimental rhythm and noise of 2016's Big Forever (released under her alias Deadbeat), opting instead for acoustic fingerpicking, almost whispered vocals and ambient beat-less electronic textures.
With a similar openness to Elliott Smith, Vashti Bunyan or Nick Drake, Risker's first-person narratives are rooted in the everyday but are deceptive in their emotional depth. At just over half an hour, I See You Among The Stars is a short but lyrically rich set of songs, so understated that they may struggle to be heard among the clamouring tower of new releases. A shame as it's often the quiet ones who have more to say. Modern folk at its most fragile.
(This review first appeared in issue #79 of Shindig! magazine.)
Self Release LP
Stockholm's Me And My Kites are a curious bunch. The list of personnel and instruments on their third LP is so long they'd be more accurately described as an orchestra than a band. Flute, violin, oud, electric harpsichord, Mellotron and clarinet all get an airing. Not that their sound is dense, it's anything but, with restraint and subtlety favoured over any wall-of-sound.
As on their previous recordings they draw heavily from the Canterbury sound, but here blend in early classical touches, at times recalling the R&B-infused instrumentals of David Axelrod, the melancholic indie-noir of The Amazing, and Jean-Claude Vannier's atmospheric scores. Best of all is when these textures are married to a pop sensibility as on 'Another, a Lover'. At its best Natt o Dag is courtly chamber-pop with lyrics that touch on astrology and the seasons as well as affairs of the heart. A record whose charms are slow burning but worth the investment.
(This review first appeared in issue #78 of Shindig! magazine.)
Dead Oceans CD / LP
Originally released in 2016 and now getting a deluxe reissue complete with bonus digital live album. Indiana-based soul outfit Durand Jones & The Indications' brand of nu-retro soul is as accomplished as any made today, shifting between aching ballads and upbeat, funky dance tracks. It's an authentic take on soul music's mid-'60s heyday.
They don't attempt to re-invent the wheel but honour it with a sound steeped in the grit and groove of the deep south. Taut drumming, Cropper-esque guitar chops, punchy horn lines and Jones' warm, convincing tones combine to yield delights. 'Groovy Babe' would easily sit on Otis Blue, while 'Make A Change' is vintage soul with a modern social conscience. 'Is It Any Wonder?' sees them shift into a mellower mode, with Jones singing in a sweet satisfying falsetto. The knowledge that he's a reluctant vocalist, (originally starting out as a saxophone player), only adds to the appeal.
(This review first appeared in issue #78 of Shindig! magazine.)
New West CD / LP
It's a brave move to reference the enticing voices of Greek mythology in an album title, though more than justified here. This follow-up to 2016's Strange Country finds Canadian cousins Kacy Anderson and Clayton Linthicum reach new heights in terms of songwriting, performance and sound. With eight original songs, all of which could be taken for old or future folk/country standards, plus a version of traditional British folk tune 'Go And Leave Me', you're unlikely to hear a stronger collection of songs this year.
Produced by Wilco's Jeff Tweedy at his Loft Studio in Chicago, the addition of drums and bass is a masterstroke, lending some buckskin-clad country drive to the pair's folk stylings. The songs still take centre stage, full of characters, stories and emotion. There are countless sublime moments – not least the stacked harmonies of the title track, Kacy's pure voice, and Clayton's tasteful guitar adornments throughout. Irresistible.
(This review first appeared in issue #78 of Shindig! magazine.)
Morello CD
This two-on-one CD brings together two of the younger Everly's albums made during the brothers' ten-year separation, and comes bolstered with a couple of bonus cuts. The albums were recorded in London for Pye in 1974 and 1975. They're a decent if uneven attempt at striking out on one's own, Phil was still a fine singer and could turn out a reasonable tune. Mystic Line is the stronger album, aided by Warren Zevon's arrangements and songwriting input. Its title track, 'Better Than Now' and 'January Butterfly' among the highlights.
TNTGFMB also has some lovely moments – the sunshine pop on 'Summershine', and the intriguing lyrics to 'Invisible Man' (an olive branch to Don?), but is hampered by descents into the session player sterility and the MOR blandness prevalent at the time. Few will find the soft rock and old-timey pastiches essential, and both albums' attempts at reggae are excruciating. For completists only.
Beautiful
songs, sumptuous arrangements, lounge-bar crooning and sceptical
sideways glances!
What a year it's been
for music. Though there's been no unifying next big thing or exciting
new genre, there's been a steady stream of strong albums released
over the last twelve months. One record label in the midst of a
purple patch is Gare du Nord Records. Their year began with the
eponymous debut by The Cold Spells, followed by great records by
Papernut Cambridge and Jack Hayter amongst others, and now comes
Peace Signs by Keiron Phelan. He has previous form as a member
of State River Widening, Smile Down Upon Us and Littlebow, but I'm
saddened to admit this is my first encounter with his work.
Peace Signs is
an album that's easy to enjoy, full of gorgeous arrangements,
lyrically rich and melodic, but also full of surprises, curve-balls
and intriguing cul-de-sacs. The connection may not be obvious and I
want to avoid comparisons where possible but the record it most
reminds me of is Don't Stand Me Down by Dexy's Midnight
Runners. Not only because it shares Irish showband textures at times,
but also because it's a record that blurs the lines between the
personal and the political. Similarly it's an album that takes
serious subjects and sceptical sideways glances, adds a little
humour and puts them into gorgeously arranged pop songs, though on
Peace Signs there's the extra adornments of harps, woodwind,
pedal steel and piano in addition to the Dexy's-style violin.
This gently
intoxicating instrumentation is present on opening track 'New Swedish
Fiction' set atop some subtly but funky drums, with Phelan singing of
the joys of Scandinavian noir novels. The album's title track then
follows, a piano-led ballad about hippie girlfriends with Phelan's
deep-voiced lounge-bar crooning lending the song depth and poignancy.
'Satellite Hitori' is the catchiest offering here, containing all the
hallmarks of a hit single. Pete Waterman would no doubt part with a
some vintage train memorabilia to have written it.
By rights 'Song For
Ziggy' should be the theme tune for a gentle television sitcom set in
suburbia, centred around a warring but ultimately loving family. It's
on 'Mother To Daughter Poem' where things take a really interesting
turn, the song containing Polynesian folk textures, neo-classical
composition and a tune and lyrics that bring to mind a nursery rhyme
from the height of the industrial revolution. 'Apple Shades' acts as
a mid album instrumental interlude, a short tone poem before 'My
Children Just The Same' and 'Ain't She Grown' where the band sound
like an accomplished but road-weary Irish showband playing melancholy
songs for themselves after the bar has closed and emptied of punters.
Both songs expressing the beauty and sadness found in the passing of
time.
The album's final
closing song include a country and western instrumental ('Country
Song'), a gentle swipe at religion ('Hippie Priest) and 'Canterbury'
where a spoken word vocal pays homage to Chaucer while the music pays
tribute to Canterbury's reputation for jazz and folk-infused rock.
Apologies for breaking down this record into its individual songs,
and thanks for reading if you've made it this far. I may have not
quite done this record justice but if you give it a listen you'll be
richly rewarded as you'll hear new things with each listen, be it an
insightful lyric or an instrument tucked away somewhere in the
arrangement. A highly recommended release.
Hot Sauce Pony are at the forefront of an increasingly happening Brixton scene centred around local label Brixton Hillbilly Records. It's a great honour for us at HD to unveil their latest single and video ahead of its November 16th release.
'What You Don't Know' is a sonic rendering of domestic strife, its dueling yin/yang vocals detailing a relationship in meltdown. Driven by a bass-heavy industrial barrage and topped with buzzsaw guitars, the track is a taster from the band's eponymous debut album which is set for release early next year. It was recorded with the help of legendary producer Steve Albini at his Electrical Audio Studios in Chicago. It's a darkly humorous track matched by a suitably disturbing video. Set in seemingly normal suburbia it features blindfolds, rope, teacups, and er.. strawberry cake with cream. Once seen, always remembered, check it out!
Back
and blasting! New album from Italy's good-time rock and rollers!
As we enter the season
of dark nights and mornings it helps to have a soundtrack that blows
away any hint of wintry downbeat sentiments. One record that's been
an audible tonic and companion to me recently is Moving Target,
the sixth and latest album by Italian quartet The Peawees. The band
formed in 1995 and have released a string of albums and 45s mixing
garage-rock with old school rock 'n' roll, played with a smile and an
innate powerpop sensibility.
All this is evident on
the album's opening track - 'Walking Through My Hell' sounds like the
best song Elvis Costello never wrote, killer chord changes,
impassioned vocals, neat guitar runs, melodic twists and turns, all
delivered at a hi-octane tempo. It sets the template and standard for
what's to come. Over following nine tracks the band's brand of
good-time rock 'n' roll intoxicates and delights in equal measure.
This is an album that's sure to lift your spirits. Another highlight
is 'Justify', one the album's more laid-back moments, still catchy as
hell with a very likeable Nick Lowe/Stiff Records vibe.
Between them, the band
members may not own a record made later than 1978 but that's to their
(and our) benefit. This is an album that takes its cues from Brill
Building songwriting, girl vocal groups, and a string of
boys-with-guitars bands ranging from Hamburg-era Beatles to the
Flamin' Groovies. Moving Target is released on CD by Rum Bar
Records and on vinyl LP by Wild Honey Records. I suggest you get on
board.
First
studio album from San Francisco's legendary all-female rock band!
Featuring stellar guest appearances!
There's a school of
thought that claims band reunions are always something of a let down,
as anyone waiting for half-decent new songs from the Stone Roses must
surely agree. But once in a while there's a comeback that bucks the
trend. Ace Of Cups formed in San Francisco in 1967 and for the next
five years were an integral fixture on the city's music scene, highly
regarded by audiences and peers alike. Despite regular high profile
gigs and support slots with acts such as the Grateful Dead and the
Jimi Hendrix Experience the band never got around to recording a
studio album. Until now.
Though the band folded
in 1972, the four founding members would continue to make music
individually and perform collectively when opportunities arose. A
performance at Wavy Gravy's 75th birthday party brought
the band to the attention of High Moon Records. The label had
originally planned to release some Ace Of Cups archive material but a
new plot was hatched to make an album featuring new songs along with
newly recorded versions of their '60 songs. The newly invigorated Ace
Of Cups were able to call on old friends to come and join them on the
record, hence guest appearances by Taj Mahal, Bob Weir, Buffy
Sainte-Marie, Jack Casady and Charlie Musselwhite, amongst others.
The resulting album is
impressive. Not least because the core band can still really play,
sing, and write. A bumper collection of top notch songs many of which
posses a unashamed spirituality. There are celebrations of family and
new life alongside heartfelt remembrances, simple homilies and calls
for more tenderness. Love and peace ideals that are as relevant and
needed today as they were in the late '60s. With music that ranges
from bluesy and folksy, to psychedelic rock to an occasional
in-the-garage blast, there's a warmth that permeates the whole album,
not least due to the band's vocal harmonies and obvious belief in the
material. Ace Of Cups is an album of charming modern Americana
that honours the band's '60s legacy and begins a new chapter for the
band. If that weren't enough a second volume is set for release next
year. For more on Ace Of Cups check out the mini-documentary video below.
Superbly
curated compilation exploring the African-American music's myriad
shoots.
A compilation album
curated with care and expertise can be an absolute joy. It's not
necessarily just a historical exercise either - In the past decade or
so seminal compilations have helped form current scenes and even
inspired bands to form. The resurgence of acid-folk collectives can
be traced to to Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs' Gather In The
Mushrooms compilation. Similarly the current raft of retro-glam
led by bands such as Giuda and Faz Waltz owes much to the Velvet
Tinmine reissue series.
Whether this latest
compilation on TAD Records will have the same inspirational reach
will only be known in due time but it is without doubt one of the
finest genre compilations to be released this year, mixing well known
tracks with lesser-known gems. Its subtitle (Explorations In
Psychrockfunksouljazz 1965-77) tells you much but doesn't spoil
the surprises and inspired juxtapositions that come your way. Much of
the music is directly inspired by the civil rights movement and
mirrors the rise of black consciousness that was also present in
literature, poetry, art and sport. Collectively this grouping
together of songs brims over with anger, intelligence, sonic attack,
superb musicianship, poetry and the sense of fun that comes with
being at an exploratory cutting-edge.
The collection opens
with John Coltrane's 'A Love Supreme, Pt 1 Acknowledgement'.
Coltrane's quest to the outer limits of music and spirituality
permeate this collection and its fitting that several of the tracks
explicitly honour his influence. Outside of the jazz scene, white
rock musicians were also taking note. The following two tracks
highlight Coltrane's influence on rock music. The Byrds' 'Eight Miles
High' famously features atonal guitar lines by Roger McGuinn, his
attempt to echo Coltrane's saxophone playing. Similarly influenced by
Coltrane is 'Starship' by MC5, a manic poetic meditation reaching for
the outer limits.
It's a fantastic
opening trio of songs but there are other joys to come, the standard
doesn't dip. Other highlights include Sonny Sharrack's 'Black Woman'
its wordless vocal alternating between ecstasy and agony while chains
rattle symbolically in the background. Then what about 'Ungena Za
Ulimwenga (Unite The World)' by the Temptations, a prime slice of
psychedelic soul from the early '70s. It's a track I'd not heard
before but it had me staring at my hi-fi speakers in disbelief.
Running The Voodoo
Down Volume 2 positively explodes with spirit, ideas and open up
multiple avenues of further exploration. If you only buy one
compilation this year this should be the one.
Seventh
album from Jet Wintzer and Jayne Gabriel's ever-evolving collective!
The clue is in the
title with this one. The meeting of shoegaze textures, indiepop
melodies and Brazilian Bossa rhythms make up this latest long-player
from New Jersey's Schizo Fun Addict. The band have been around since
2000 and are centred around the musical partnership of Jet Wintzer
and Jayne Gabriel. For this record they're joined by guitarist Rex
John Shelverton (Bellavista, VUE, Portraits Of Past) and new drummer
Daniel Boivin (Asa Ranson, Death Of Fashion).
Musically this album
occupies a place quite unlike any other. It is in turn sexy, moody,
melancholic, dreamy, sad, cinematic and slowly charms rather than
demands your attention. A touch of mariachi brass here and there
along with plaintive piano adds to the vaguely spaghetti western feel
while the clever use of analogue keyboards and layered guitars makes
any attempt at genre-placing futile. Put simply this is mood music –
transformative and moving. Best heard on a rainy Sunday morning while
contemplating life's regrets and hopes. Deep themes demand deep
emotionally resonant music. Here is some.
El Shoegaze Bossa
Nova is available digitally now from all the usual outlets. There
is also a limited audiophile vinyl release via Sugarbush Records.
Retro-to-go!
A second volume of library music from Ian Button & co!
It's impossible not to
love Papernut Cambridge. Already this year they've released the
fantastic album Outstairs Instairs, and now this, a follow-up
to 2017's Mellotron Phase: Volume 1. For anyone unfamiliar
with those two albums here's the crack – Outstairs Instairs
is a song-based album rich in sentiment, intelligence and lyrical
ideas and allows the collective's many talented musicians to shine.
Mellotron Phase: Volume 1 is a 10” vinyl LP featuring
library-music inspired instrumental pieces with sounds sourced from
original Mellotron tapes. At times the music is funny, sad, moving,
intriguing, cheesy, evocative, wry, uplifting and much more. And now
we have a volume 2!
Released by
head-Papernut Ian Button's Gare Du Nord label in conjunction with
boutique library music company Ravenwood, this album is as authentic
as it gets. As stated on the sleeve - “Apart from the drums, bass
guitar and some light percussion all the instrument sounds you hear
on this record were made originally by a Mellotron or one of its
contemporary tape/disc-based playback instruments. The sounds were
picked from Gforce's M-Tron Pro tape libraries... Throughout, the
original unedited mono patches were used to preserve the tone and
functionality of the original instruments.”
Library music remains
as highly prized among collectors as ever and continues to inspire
today's musicians. It's not difficult to see why. It allows them to
step outside of traditional band-based collaborations and draw upon a
different set of influences – foreign pop and folk, soundtracks,
new age music,TV themes, light entertainment orchestras, military
bands. Literally anything goes. The track titles on Mellotron
Phase: Volume 2 are evocative in themselves – for example
'Cha-Cha-Charlie', 'Cygnus Probe', 'Boss Club' and 'Sergeant Major
Mushrooms'. My own personal favourite being 'A Cowboy In Montmartre'.
Each piece is its own mini film score delivered with wit, verve and a
whole lot of musical ability. For all the melodic and stylistic
variation, the sonic restrictions lend the album a continuity of
sound which holds the whole thing together in a most delightful and
satisfying way.
Like its predecessor
Volume 2 is released on 10” vinyl. There is also a CD
version which collates both volumes. Buy with confidence, you will
love this record.
Mind
blown! 3LP set celebrating the flowering of late '60s
counter-cultural pop!
It can't have escaped
your notice that The Beatles are on sale again. This time to mark the
50th anniversary of the White Album. Originally
released in 1968, a year after the dazzling summer-of-love opus Sgt.
Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and a year before they opted to
“get back” to their roots by playing a stripped-down adaptation
of rock and roll. Now I love the Beatles as much as I ever did but
I've long since concluded that Paul McCartney has had quite enough of
my cash over the years and I'm not shelling out a chunk of my wages
on the boxed set of the White Album, as good as it may be. I'm sure
the 102 takes of 'Sexy Sadie' are illuminating in their own way but I
won't be investigating further.
A much better way to
celebrate the flowering of late '60s counter-cultural pop is via this
latest compilation from Fruits de Mer Records. A triple vinyl set
featuring the cream of today's psychedelically inclined grass-roots
artists covering their favourite tracks from the late '60s. The set
is titled The Three Seasons in reference to the the years
1966, 1967 and 1968. It's from these three momentous years that all
the tracks are taken. There are big names covered (The Rolling
Stones, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Small Faces, Love and even Neil
Diamond), along with the ever fascinating foot-notes from the era
(Touch, Family, Made In Sheffield, Don Shinn and more).
There is so much great
stuff here it's difficult to know where to begin. Take a look at the
tracklisting below to get an idea of what makes this such an amazing
collection. I won't go through every track but they're all worth
hearing. Standouts for me include The Locker Room Cowboys excellent
take on The Stones' 'We Love You', The Past Tense's version of 'Magic
In The Air' (originally by The Attack) and Jay Tausig's take of folk
standard 'Let No Man Steal Your Thyme' (included here having been
covered by Pentangle in 1968).
Suffice to say this is
probably the best compilation I've heard all year, I can't recommend
it highly enough. Oh and it also features three '60s legends in The
Pretty Things, The Electric Prunes and The Yardbirds. So if fiftieth
anniversaries are your thing avoid that White Album deluxe box
set and opt for this fabulous collection instead. You will not regret
it.
Side 1 1.
The Past Tense - Magic In The Air (originally by The Attack :
recorded in 1967) 2. LoveyDove - Bedazzled (originally by Drimble
Wedge and the Vegetations : 1967) 3. Campbell Stokes Sunshine
Recorder - Amelia Jane (originally by Made In Sheffield : 1967) 4.
Jack Ellister - Aquarius (originally by The Zodiac:Cosmic Sounds :
1967) 5. Rob Gould - Granny Takes A Trip (originally by The
Purple Gang : 1967)
Side 2 1. Mark McDowell and
Friends - Up The Wooden Hills To Bedfordshire (originally by The
Small Faces : 1966) 2. Anton Barbeau – Sunshine Superman
(originally by Donovan : 1965) 3. The Electric Prunes - 7 and 7
is (originally by Love : 1966) 4. Moonweevil - Child Of The Sky
(originally by The Deviants : 1967) 5. Kris Gietkowski - A-Minor
Explosion (originally by Don Shinn : 1966) 6. The Yardbirds -
Think About It (live in 2016) (originally by The Yardbirds : 1968)
Side 3 1. The Locker Room Cowboys - We Love You
(originally by The Rolling Stones : 1967) 2. King Penguin - White
Bird (written : 1967, released by It's A Beautiful Day : 1969) 3.
Aunt Cynthia's Cabin - Solitary Man (originally by Neil Diamond :
1966) 4. The Luck Of Eden Hall - Reflected (originally by Alice
Cooper : 1968)
Side 4 1. The Honey Pot - Kites
(written by Hackaday/Pockriss; recorded by The Rooftop Singers /
Simon Dupree and the Big Sound : 1967) 2. Cary Grace - 1983 (A
Merman I Should Be...) (originally by the Jimi Hendrix Experience :
1968)
Side 5 1. Sidewalk Society - A Saying For
Today (originally by The Action : 1968) 2. Jay Tausig - Let No
Man Steal Your Thyme (trad. recorded by Anne Briggs : 1963 /
Pentangle : 1968) 3. Magic Bus - Tribal Gathering (originally by
The Byrds : 1967) 4. Proud Peasant - Down At Circe's Place
(originally by Touch : 1968) 5. Icarus Peel - Beck's Bolero
(originally by Jeff Beck Group : 1966)
Side 6 1.
The Green Ray - Dusty (originally by John Martyn : 1968) 2.
Ex-Norwegian - Winter (originally by Family : 1968) 3.
Consterdine - Fly (originally by J.K. & Co : 1968) 4. The
Gold Needles - The Smell of Incense (originally by West Coast Pop Art
Experimental Band : 1967) 5. The Pretty Things - Loneliest Person
(live at the Half Moon, 2010) (originally by The Pretty Things :
1968)
Debut
album of bold and glossy electro-indie rock.
Lara
Smiles is that rare artist that recognises the importance of
accessibility while simultaneously chipping away at the coal face of
experimentalism. This duality is present throughout the the ten
tracks that make up her debut long-player All
For You.
Self-produced by Smiles and mixed by recording legends Youth and Tim
Bran, the album brims with confidence, strong melodies and
state-of-the-art pop production.
At
the core of the sound is a three-piece indie rock band – Smiles on
guitar and vocals, Sara Leigh on drums and Joe Singfield on bass. All
superb players. Added to this are layers of electronic sound taking
the record to a different place and level. None of this would matter
of course if Smiles' songs and singing were not up to task. They are
however, and then some. Coming across like a version of Amy Winehouse
seeped and schooled in post-punk and electro rather than vintage soul
and jazz. That comparison is bolstered by the album's closing track
'Turn It Around', a relative soft landing after the preceding
fast-paced tracks, where Smiles delivers a final aural-love-letter
full of soulful longing and melodic twists and turns.
A
startlingly impressive debut from an artist who will no doubt
progress and develop as time goes on.
A
nice surprise waiting for me when I returned from my summer holiday
was this CD EP by Eyeball, they're a quartet from Raleigh, North
Carolina. Not only do Brian Oaksford, Trey McLamb, Aaron Albrecht and
Myriam Martian have a great collection of surnames they also make
music that entertains, challenges, defies expectations and gets into
a fistfight with any notion of categorisation. The band describe
themselves as a “Psychedelic Experimental Music Ensemble” which
is a pretty good starting point. Paradox
Of Eternal Limits
is their debut release and came out in 2017. Don't expect any love
songs here unless they relate to aspects of quantum physics or
astronomy.
Opening
track 'Acid War' is built around an ominous and eerie guitar riff,
driving beats and a vocal that despite being centred only two or
three notes is as catchy as they come. The track comes across like
Jethro Tull's 'Aqualung' re-imagined by Neu. Pretty neat! 'Inside The
Moon' opts for a more textural Dreampop approach with slow tempo,
shoegazey guitars, electronic shimmer, and (what sounds like) a
violin solo.
'Astral
Projector' then flips any expectations on the head by going all
acid-folk – gently strummed acoustic guitar, hand-held percussion
and a vocal that sounds not unlike Anton Barbeau. The EP finishes
with 'The Red Minimum' a doom-rock opus that starts slow but picks up
tempo a minute in. It comes adorned with '50s sci-fi movie sounds and
a vocal from the John Lydon school of singing. It occupies that sweet
spot between punk and metal.
Interesting
to note that with only four songs the band demonstrate a variety of
styles and sounds. If they ever release a full-length LP and really
stretch out who knows where they'll take us. Wherever that is it will
be worth the ride.
Second
time around for New Jersey band. An infectious mix of power pop and
indie rock.
I
send apologies to any regular readers for the recent lack of posts. A
combination of school holidays, going away on a family holiday, and
getting back to an increasingly demanding workload at the day job has
meant I haven't had the time I'd have liked to concentrate on the
blog. Hopefully that should change soon, and looking on the positives
there's been a build up of great music to listen to, write about and
gently push your way. So I'll start now!
One
promo that was waiting for me when I came home from holiday was this
EP from PoP. The band are a three-piece based in New Jersey, USA.
They original formed as a quartet in the mid '90s and like many a
band worked hard, wrote some great tunes, gigged plenty but somehow
never managed to get that lucky break and wider recognition. The
music eventually took a back seat as careers and families became more
of a priority. As all musicians know the desire to make music is an
itch that will eventually need scratching. With the sudden and
unexpected passing of founder member Ian Long, the remaining members
(Andre Mermegas, Matthew VanNortwick and Christopher Goss) got
together to record this five song EP in his memory. It's a fitting
tribute that not only shows that the band have lost none of their
drive and energy, but also that they can still turn out decent catchy
tunes.
The
music a mix of Anglo and American power pop and melodic indie rock
(think of a Venn diagram with circles representing Big Star, Teenage
Fanclub, Foo Fighters, and The Jam, then place PoP somewhere in the
middle). It's a sweet spot that finds just the right balance between
jangle and crunch. Factor in vocal harmonies, overdriven guitar riffs
and tunes that pass the whistle test and you have a pleasing and
accomplished comeback.
Lyrically
it's a case of taking stock with songs that either look back to the
band's earlier days and lack of lucky break ('Warhol's Promise') or
document the band's present ('4 Is 3') and their future ('New
Again'). Today is a different era to those heady pre-internet days of
the mid '90s and whether PoP progress any further this time round
only time will tell, but that's really not the point. The music is
reward enough as I'm sure they're only too aware. And one of its many
associated pleasures is being able to share it with an increasingly
switched-on world. Ladies and gentlemen take a listen to PoP.
(This review first appeared in issue #77 of Shindig! magazine.)
Omnivore CD / 2LP
This hometown set from 1973 has been released before (as disc four on the Keep An Eye On The Sky box set) but a standalone release comes newly restored and remastered, and makes its debut on vinyl. The band were supporting Archie Bell and The Drells at the same venue where four months later they'd play the legendary Memphis Rock Writers Convention.
Despite Chris Bell having recently left, the new three-piece are captured on top form. With superior sound and performances than those on the Live (at WLIR) album from the following year, it's a set worth owning for Jody Stephen's joyful drum fills alone, and contains sprightly covers of The Kinks, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Todd Rundgren and T Rex. It's also a reminder that the band were not then lauded – acoustic versions of 'Try Again' and 'Watch The Sunrise' compete with disinterested audience chatter and receive scant applause. Here's to hindsight!
(This review first appeared in issue #77 of Shindig! magazine.)
Glitterhouse CD / 2LP
Birth Of Joy's fifth studio LP finds the band capturing their road-worn psych-blues rock in all its VU meter pushing glory. No fancy production embellishments, more a straight ahead juggernaut of a record that you either jump aboard or risk being crushed by. For all its bludgeoning testosterone-fuelled energy there are many moments of sophistication – the scale-ignoring organ fills on 'Join The Game', the swing-jazz found on 'Forenoon' or 'Sypdorkat's hint of afro-rock rhythms.
The Dutch power trio's tag-line is “sixties on steroids” and indeed their sound has roots in the organ-led heavy rock of Deep Purple, ELP, Vanilla Fudge et al. Similarly the album's title could be read as a sly reference to fellow Dutchman Thijs van Leer's long-serving prog rockers, but Hyper Focus pioneers as successfully as it follows. State of the art 21st century heaviosity that's both a portal to the past and to new possibilities.
(This review first appeared in issue #77 of Shindig! magazine.)
Wisdom Twins CD
You wonder how Leeds-based polymath Chris Wade finds the time. The debut LP released by his musical nom de plume Dodson And Fogg, came out in 2012, since when he's released a further sixteen albums, wrote several books and made a couple of films.
The music on his latest album falls loosely under the folk-rock banner, be it the delightful sitar accompaniment on the titular instrumental, or the one-chord acoustic guitar and flute boogie on 'Look At Your Home', Wade finds enough variety to maintain interest, at times recalling a cross-legged Bolan and the anti-establishment protest of Roger Waters.
Best of all is elegiac closer 'There's a Change In The Air', where rooted and muted brass sounds back an exploratory electric guitar. A neat musical metaphor for contemporary Britain? Perhaps not but the homespun folk on A New Day resonates with a decidedly bucolic Brit-folk vibe that's as eternal as the Pennines.
(This review first appeared in issue #77 of Shindig! magazine.)
Indie CD / LP
Much modern music claims to fall under the banner of dark psychedelia but little of it contains such drama and energy as found on this second LP by London-based quartet The Osiris Club. Their follow-up to 2014's debut The Blazing World sees them mix nightmare-inducing '70s prog with doses of post-punk spikiness and nu-metal urgency. It's music that echoes King Crimson, Cardiacs and even at times The Teardrop Explodes, but ultimately evokes their own shadowy universe, one dense with guitar riffs and ominous textures.
Such sombre haunting is not surprising given the songs' subject matter which draws from the horror fiction of HP Lovecraft and Robert Aickman, and sinister comic book characters ('Citadel of the Fly' is inspired by occultist Gustav Strobl from Hellboy). It may be an unrelenting voyage to the darker side of music and the human psyche, but is recommended for those that need to nourish their inner Goth.
(This review first appeared in issue #77 of Shindig! magazine.)
JONATHAN CAPE BOOK
Coleman's previous book A Train In The Night was a poignant but hopeful account of suffering from Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss. A big deal for anyone but more so if you've spent the previous 25 years writing about music for a living. Though impaired his hearing has returned in sufficient form to allow the consumption and enjoyment of music again.
Voices is the result of binge-listening to his favourite singers in an attempt to store up the feelings, insights, nourishment and emotions they generate. Over the course of ten taut chapters Coleman distills what it is about an artist's voice that makes it so affecting, mixing in some social history and a little autobiographical colour. He dissects why certain music chimes with us at certain times (or not in the case of Sinatra). It's a subjective book but covers much ground mixing the great with the unexpected. Whether analysing rock 'n' roll giants, Motown legends, footnotes of jazz, or ruminating on British blue-eyed soul, rock's mature sophistication and punk's re-scattering of the dice, Coleman always presents a precise and engaging case.
As Coleman knows only too well there are times we'll all need the services of a doctor, nurse, specialist or surgeon. Hopefully not often and not for long. Our favourite singers however can be called on every day for solace, sensitivity, salvation, inspiration and wonderment. Coleman's book is a warmly written reminder of this that will have you delving into your music collection with fresh thanks and renewed appreciation.
(This review first appeared in issue #76 of Shindig! magazine.)
Kozmic Artifactz CD / LP
This Wichita-based power trio know certain boxes need ticking for successful doom/stoner/sludge rock – long songs, ominous riffs and sheer heaviness for starters. What happens beyond that determines whether you rise above the competition. Snowchild needn't worry - subtle tempo changes, intuitive ensemble playing and dynamics ensure that Age Of Change never gets boring. And despite the old-school rock leanings, the subject matter makes for an album as contemporary as they come.
Anyone upset because Black Sabbath have knocked it on the head can find solace and cause for celebration here as bassist/vocalist Larry Donaldson is a graduate from the Ozzy School of Vocal Phrasing. There are other influences – the intro of 'Born in Flames' owes as much to Isaac Hayes' Hot Buttered Soul as it does to Master Of Reality, and 'Boudica' expands their palette with sitar-like guitar, eastern scales and a space rock vibe. Dark, heavy and soulful.
(This review first appeared in issue #76 of Shindig! magazine.)
You Are The Cosmos CD / LP
Edinburgh-based musician McGeever has plied his trade as guitarist in The Wellgreen and Delta Mainline but now steps out front with this wholesome solo debut. Taking inspiration from Lennon's piano period with a pinch of Bill Fay, McGeever has a classicist's approach to songwriting, turning out meaningful heart-on-sleeve lyrics and memorable choruses. His middle eights are pretty decent too.
'MMXIII' is a highlight with dreamy backing vocals, strings and what sounds like a Mellotron in the coda. 'You're Coming Home' is a Memphis soul ballad transported to Auld Reekie, whereas 'For Violet' makes the personal universal, a heartfelt song for a newborn family member that could melt the most cynical of hearts. Not one to shy away from the big themes, with family, love, life and death all covered, there's a sense of McGeever taking emotional stock, looking back and forward in equal measure, with a rarely found but welcome openness.
