The Piaggio Soul Combination and Lakeetra Knowles - Soultimate

Italians do it better! Fourteen tracks of dancefloor-filling modernism!

 

Happy January folks! It's often said to be the longest, darkest, most miserable of all the months. Especially if you're a meat-eating alcoholic feeling societal pressure to give up the things you love most. (Not a reference to myself I should stress!) None of us should be giving up the joys of new music however, so it's comforting to find that January is offering up some brilliant new releases for us to seek out, listen to, and perhaps even buy.

Top of my listening pile at the moment is this cracking dancefloor filling soul album released by an Italian Mod collective called Piaggio Soul Combination. It's the group's third full-length album following Italian Boogaloo (2017) and This Is The Piaggio Soul Combination (2019) and is released on January 28th. Here in the UK we're inclined to think that the creation of the mod movement is a uniquely British thing. Or maybe just an English thing, centred on London or the south-east. It should be stressed though that the movement soaked up influences from other cultures - American soul, jazz and R&B, Italian scooters and tailoring, and a forward thinking approach to fashion in general, inspired in no small part by that of post-war mainland Europe.

It's fitting then that this album features input from Italy, the UK, and America - The band themselves formed in Pisa, Italy. Featured vocalist Lakeetra Knowles was brought up in Arkansas, USA. And the album's producer is none other than Andy Lewis, a name that will be familiar to fans of Paul Weller, Fay Hallam, and British soul music in general.

Over the course of the album's 14 tracks we journey through Northern soul stompers, latin-flavoured boogaloo, and sophisticated toe-tappers. All very groovy, all infectious and most importantly all very uplifting. Perfect for lifting one's spirits and shifting those damn January blues. It will also make you want to get up and dance. With this in mind the album is available on a very DJ-friendly physical format, a gatefold double 12" 45rpm set. Perfect for spinning at your local vinyl-only all-nighter.

 

The current line-up is: Lakeetra Knowles (lead vocals), Marco Piaggesi (lead & backing vocals, organ, piano, mellotron), Michele Malasoma (drums & timbales), Gio Renzo Baccelli (percussion), Saverio Grasselli (guitar), Michelangelo Pardini (bass), Andrea Milano (alto sax), Manuel Vanni & Cesare Errico (tenor sax), Gaspare Vinto (baritone sax).

Squire - Get Ready To Go!

 

First wave mod-punk rarities from the brothers Meynell.

There's a cliché within music biz circles that there's always a folk revival going on, whatever mainstream musical fashions may be. In these days of global, internet-connected scenes you could say the same applies for any musical genre. Especially Mod. That said, the first Mod revival at the tail-end of the 1970s stands out as something quite special. The Jam of course led the pack, and The Who's Quadrophenia movie helped attune youthful ears to the sounds of of the previous decade.

One band at the centre of all this was Squire, who released a couple of classic singles on Arista, and were one of the scene's must-see live acts. I have to admit to being unaware of the band before hearing Get Ready To Go!, a newly released album that rounds up their early demos. The bulk of the tracks on Get Ready To Go! Were recorded on a TEAC 4 track machine by brothers Anthony and Kevin Meynell to present to the other band members in order for them to learn the songs. What strikes most about the album, apart from the sharp 'n' savvy musical moves is how it captures the tail-end of the '70s. Youthful energy had been fired up by punk rock but now bristled against the realities of everyday life. Find work, find that love doesn't always work out, find that Radio One still playlists the blandest of the bland.

The demos on this collection address these concerns with wit, brio, and an infectious energy. It's modernist for sure but mixed with punk and pop. Catchy three minute songs laced with to-the-point lyrics. 'Lets Have Some Fun' mixes hope and cynicism at the promise of summer. 'Tesco Music' pokes fun at the corporate music business. There are songs about the lure of big cities, the pains of finding work and your place in the world. The cumulative effect is akin to a teenage diary in song form.

A good indicator of any band's worth is often their staying power, and I'm pleased to report that four decades on Squire remain active today. In addition to the demos are some 1978 mixes and a new song 'I'm 21', which casts an eye back over the ensuing decades.The band clocked up over 30 gigs in 2019. An impressive number whichever way you look at it. It's well worth connecting with their social media channels to find where and when you can see the band play live.

LIVE DATES

May 3^rd – Round Chapel, London

May 22^nd – Nochtwache,Hamburg, Germany

May 23^rd – ZOSCH, Berlin, Germany

Click here for Squire's website.

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Click here for Squire on Facebook.

Magnus Carlson - A Nordic Soul

(This review first appeared in issue #84 of Shindig! magazine.)

Carlson has been a big star for over two decades in his native Sweden, firstly as a founder member of indie rockers Weeping Willows and latterly via several collaborations and a successful solo career. This is his first full-length solo outing in the UK and focuses on his deep love of northern soul. Recorded in part by long-time Paul Weller associate Andy Lewis at the Modfather's Black Barn Studio, it's stacked with uptempo dance-floor fillers, all taut grooves, punchy horns and melancholic high strings. With any justice it will bring Carlson the wider audience he deserves.

If side one is about being on the floor shaking some talc, side two broadens out into more of a comedown feel, most successfully on the lush orchestral ballad 'Broken Promise Land', which features backing from Carlson's Weeping Willows band-mates. Medway modernists will also be pleased by guest appearance of Fay Hallam on 'Now That It's Over'.

French Boutik – L'âme de Paris

Our favourite Parisian nova-mods are back with a second album! Mais oui!

These are strange and sad times for those of us living in the UK who feel in any way European. If being called “citizens of nowhere” by your own prime minister was not bad enough, the rise of small-minded nationalism and right-wing radicalisation should give all of us cause for concern. The current state of politics aside there are things that give me hope. One is the open-minded globally aware attitude of our country's youth, which will ultimately save us. The other is culture. Art, sport, literature and of course music all have a power to cross borders, change attitudes and minds, lift spirits and make life fun.

While politics may be heading towards nativism, music continues to sweep away the notion of borders. So in the spirit of European integration I'd like to draw your attention to this new album by French Boutik, a quartet of unbelievably stylish mods from Paris, who have over the last few years won over quite a few of us Brits by way of their previous records and trips across the Channel to play the occasional gig in the UK. (Though mainly just down south I'm sad to say.)

L'âme de Paris is the band's second album, following Front Pop, their delightful debut which came out in 2016. Much like the debut, L'âme de Paris (The Soul of Paris) mixes sharp mod grooves with indiepop melodies. If anything it's a more successful statement than its predecessor, with a sharper focus on songwriting, tighter arrangements and and a notable growing of confidence and musical sophistication. Neat instrumental and stylistic flourishes abound, and along with the switching boy/girl vocals and bi-lingual lyrics mean your interest is always held even if (like me) your French is a little rusty.

The bits of the language I do remember allow me to translate a little – 'Loins de Moi' is a song addressed to a former lover, 'Strasbourg St Denis' laments a changing city, and 'Amis Sur Facebook'.... well take a guess!

Respect to band members Gabriela, Zelda, Serge and Jean-Marc for another mighty fine record, and for flying the flag for culture. We salute you. L'âme de Paris - c'est moderniste! C'est fantastique! c'est French Boutik!

Clickhere for French Boutik's website.

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Clickhere for French Boutik on Twitter.

Clickhere for Heavy Soul Records (CD & LP)

The Galileo 7 - Tear Your Minds Wide Open!

Ex-Prisoners! Medway's best kept secret return with their best album yet!

We've covered The Galileo 7 before - the False Memory Lane LP from 2014 and most recently the Live-O-Graphic Sessions LP from 2016. There was also a storming 7” on State Records - 'One Lie At A Time', limited to 500 copies. If you missed out on the 7” both its A and B-side are included on this latest long-player.

Quick history lesson – Allan Crockford is one of the architects and mainstays of the Medway sound. A founding member of The Prisoners, JTQ, The SolarFlares and The Prime Movers. (I won't go into too much detail, you have Google don't ya?!) Anyway, he's never one to rest on any laurels as latest band The Galileo 7's run of releases shows. It's shaping into a body of work that easily matches the output of his previous bands.

While False Memory Lane played to that line-up's psychedelic strengths, this latest effort sees them go for a more driving freakbeat sound, aided in no small measure by the addition of drummer Mole, a man who plays like he's aided by any number of exhilarants. Though it's more likely sheer talent and ability! He can be heard on the bands previous LP, the “nearly live” Live-O-Graphic Sessions. It's that strain of up-beat mod-rock stomp that's continued into the the band's latest effort Tear Your Minds Wide Open! which is available now on good old vinyl on Damaged Goods Records.

Fans of The Move, The Small Faces, The Who, Blossom Toes, The Creation, The Fleurs de Lys and the like will find much to love here. It's that mod-into-psych sound of 1966 but made now! Crunchy and crashing guitar chords, genuinely memorable melodic songwriting bolstered by organ chords and a truly special rhythm section. Crockford's knack of songwriting shows no sign of diminishing either, he still turns out cracking songs.

I'm a little late to the party with this one, the album came out late last year and quickly sold out its initial vinyl pressing. Thankfully there's a second pressing so you should be able to track down a copy. Go on, you won't be disappointed.

Click here for more on The Galileo 7.

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Click here for Damaged Goods Records.

Popincourt et French Boutik Chantent The Jam (Ltd. 7”)

 Two of Weller's deep cuts get a Gallic makeover! All profits to benefit the Teenage Cancer Trust!

There's always excitement round our house when our good friends French Boutik feature on a new piece of plastic. This new 7” comes in a lovely gatefold sleeve, is a tribute to The Jam and all profits will be donated to a charity that benefits the Teenage Cancer Trust (see links below).

To make matters more interesting it's a split single with an act who are new to me but very much worth investigating. The very wonderful Popincourt, I've since discovered, has made a series of records that blend soul, mod, lounge and baroque into a sound that's all his own. On this disc he's covered 'Tonight At Noon' from The Jam's second LP This Is The Modern World. For all Weller's mod credentials even at that stage in his career were clues to his wider tastes. The song's title is pure '60s psych-pop, an element brought to the fore in this dreamy version. Organ, harpsichord and guitar jangle back the almost whispered vocal. A great re-imagining.

The French Boutik side of the single is a French language version of 'The Place I Love' which features on The Jam's classic All Mod Cons LP. It's a great jangle pop take, driven by a lovely sinewy bass line and intertwined boy/girl vocals. Mirroring the psych-pop vibe is some neat backwards guitar towards the latter half of the track. Like all of French Boutik's records this is worth tracking down and is all for a great cause. Get on it!

All profits from this 7” will be donated to Specialized Project which benefits The Teenage Cancer Trust. - www.specializedproject.co.uk

Click here for Copase Disques.

Click here for Popincourt.

Click here for French Boutik.

Fay Hallam - House of Now

(This review first appeared in issue 60 of Shindig! magazine.)

Well Suspect CD / LP

Aided by acid-jazz supremo Andy Lewis (Pimlico, Paul Weller etc.) in the producer's chair, Hallam's latest album holds on to her modernist Hammond-groove roots but reaches new conceptual heights. Thirteen tracks, loosely held together by themes of spirituality and an unspoken religiosity, they sound like they belong to a early '70s counterculture inspired musical. Hallam and her assembled band are on killer form with a sound that's somewhere between Julie Driscoll's psych-infused R&B and the big-hearted orchestral soul of Marta Kubišová. The Medway modette still has it.

Further sonic territory is explored via the spacey soul-searching of 'Fragment', the Robert Kirby style strings on 'Heart Cries Out' and the lover's lament of 'Colours'. Though for the most part finger-snapping soul beats brush up against Latino-funk on an album that exudes both cool sophistication and an exuberance that pushes you towards the nearest dancefloor. All that and fuzz-guitar breaks! What more could you want?!

French Boutik – Front Pop

Parisian nova-mods' full length debut oozes style and sophistication!

We've covered French Boutik here before of course, and delighted in their previous standalone vinyl releases – Les Chats De Gouttiere 7” and Ici Paris 2x7”. Now stripped to a lean and mean quartet they've just released their debut long-player which more than lives up to expectations. No great game changing moves but there's a definite distillation and honing here, along with a growth in confidence.

With the boy/girl vocals and split between French and English language songs French Boutik bring style and sophistication to the fore. Their previous releases hinted at a band capable of a range of moods and styles. Over ten new original tracks and a neat version of Francoise Hardy's 'Je Ne Suis Pas La Pour Personne' the band get to show them in full

They describe their sound as Pop Moderniste and that's about right. Rooted in '60s soul and mod but with a nod to The Style Council and a touch of acid-jazz here and there (check out the flute solo on 'Hitch A Ride'). Factor in a little bossa nova, some louge-core within that musical melting pop you'll find French Boutik. Step in and enjoy!

Click here for French Boutik on Facebook.

Click here for French Boutik on Twitter.

Click here for Copase Disques.

Click here for Detour Records.

Sam Knee - The Bag I'm In

(This review first appeared in issue 51 of Shindig! magazine)

Sam Knee's previous book A Scene In Between documented the fashions of the 1980s UK indie music scene. His new book widens the net to cover the golden years of Britain's musical tribalism, ranging from the leather gangs of the early '60s to the baggy scene of the '90s.

Alongside the great photos it's also a study of links between fashion and music. Knee's writing is incisive and sharper than the creases in a pair of Sta Prest, passionately charting the changing political and social mores as well as the rise of the beagle collar, lopsided wedge cuts and bondage strides.

British youth have always forged strong links between music and fashion, what better way of expressing your sonic allegiances than through clothes, hair and mode of transport. Knee chronologically dissects each tribe, be it teds, rockers, mods, space-rockers, suedeheads, anarcho-punks, goths or soulboys, noting subtle nuances, gentle mutations, and sometimes the seismic shifts between them.

The photographs are evocative and nostalgic, mixing rare shots of musicians with those of provincials youths in their finest outside-of-work clobber. Whether dressing up or dressing down, they all look to be having the time of their lives.

Some of these looks remain timeless but all too often they've ran their course or been co-opted by high street cash-ins. Knee's book serves as a reminder of how, at its best, British youth culture has a vibrancy and spirit that's somehow always one step ahead of the money men. Long may this last.

 Click here for Cicada Books.

Sideways Society – 4-track EP of Bowie / The Action covers (Ltd. Col 7”)

Californian band's discerning tribute to '60s UK modernism!

A true gem this one. Following on from the appearance on the recent Fruits de Mer freebie Bowie compilation, Sidewalk Society have recorded a couple less obvious tracks by the artist formerly known as David Jones. And well worth your pocket money they are too! A great tribute to a great man, and a reminder that there's plenty of Bowie tracks worth investigating pre-Hunky and Ziggy.

In keeping with the mod-nugget theme are a couple of tracks originally recorded by The Action. An art-school mod frenzy vibe for those who dig that kind of thing (hell, who doesn't?!) A platter that's sure to have you heading for the dance floor, but packed with a heft of latent psychedelia to keep the Heads satisfied too.

Released as a limited edition colour vinyl 7”. (OUT NOW!)

Tracklisting

1. Can't Help Thinking About Me (David Bowie & The Lower Third)
2. Look At The View (The Action)
3. Let Me Sleep Beside You (David Bowie)
4. Strange Roads (The Action)

Click here for more on Sidewalk Society.

Click here for Fruits de Mer Records.

French Boutik – Ici Paris (2 x 7”)

Parisian lounge-mods further the “pop moderniste” sound on their second EP, a double 7” no less!

Following last year's Les Chats de Gouttière EP, Paris-based boy/girl band French Boutik get even groovier on their latest double 7” single. Ici Paris is an more assured and confident take on the mix of lounge, beat and mod-ish sounds that made the band's first EP so welcome and refreshing.

The five piece group, whose musical taste is as sharp as their clothes and haircuts, personify retro cool while documenting the trials and tribulations of la vie moderne. Their sound is rooted in the '60s, as best demonstrated on lead song Ici Paris, the first of three French language songs and a track which would sit easily on La Belle Epoque, EMI's compilation of '60s French girl singers.

Though my schoolboy knowledge of the French language has mostly faded from memory, the odd phrase or sentence cuts through. On Ici Paris vocalist Gabriela Giacoman sings of a tenant (and her cats) fighting against a greedy landlord and the soulless desires of city planners. This theme of the underdog is echoed on Facile, an uptempo floor-filler which rallies against big business.

Pousse Au Crime has a spy movie vibe about it with some neat organ and guitar chops. As on the band's last EP there's a token English language track for us non bilingual rosbif. Kinky Alumette tells a tale of trying to get to a band practise during a Paris Metro train strike. Groovy retro-pop done with flair and humour. As with the band's previous 7”, it's a lovingly designed and packaged affair, and well worth a spin on anyone's Dansette.

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