Ape Skull - Ape Skull

Organic classic rock gets a new lease of life courtesy of Italy's Ape Skull.

“Rock is dead they say. Long Live Rock!” - That's what The Who reckoned way back in the early 70s, and those eight words carry a lot of truth. What can now be seen as a musical form reaching its peak with the emergence of heavy blues based rock played with virtuosity by power trios, also signalled the moment just before the rot set in. But it's the last three words that also point to a hopeful future. We have the form down, now take that and give it a function.

Italy's Ape Skull play heavy rock music that has little to do with any music developments since 1974 but that's not the point. What they do is take the blueprint of warmly cranked up amps and groovy hard rock and have fun with it. Let's be honest there's plenty of modern day rock bands that are stifled by the pressure of adding something to the form. Personally I'd rather hear something that comes from the heart and has a bit of soul as opposed to something hampered by an obligation to progression.

Ape Skull's self-titled debut album recalls the golden age of the power trio format, channelling echoes of Cream, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Free, Led Zeppelin, Blue Cheer et al. It's hard acid rock with a soulful groove, and would be more at home on the free festival circuit of the late 60s/early 70s than on any modern day beer-sponsored stage. Not afraid of sitting on the groove or taking an extended guitar solo, this is rock music you can boogie to. unpretentious, unhinged and a whole lotta fun.

www.apeskullband.com

www.heavypsychsounds.com

The Space Agency - Bombay Potatoes 7"

East meets west, surf meets spice, everyone has a groovy time.

Currently a household favourite round at mine is this limited 7” by Hove-based trio The Space Agency. The A-side is a surfy, twelve bar instrumental made all the more interesting and fun by the sitar lines that sit on top. You could easily imagine it being used in a '60s American teensploitation movie. I guess you could almost call it a novelty record (and that's a compliment by the way, novelty records are a very misunderstood and neglected genre I reckon).

Of course it was in the '60s when a lot of western musicians flirted with the mysterious drone and twang of the sitar, not least George Harrison. This 7” has more in common with the work of Ananda Shankar and Lord Sitar (aka top session man Big Jim Sullivan) than the full on immersion of Beatle George, mixing beat music with raga scales to make music that's kind of familiar yet takes you some place new too. It's beat music with added exotic spice.

The singles' other track 'Purple Power' is a more of a dramatic, energetic surf instrumental that pushes all the right retro buttons. It'll have even the most land-locked among us wanting to wax down our boards. Twang on brothers and sisters!

'Bombay Potatoes' is out now on Market Square Records. (Limited to 300 copies in a hand-numbered picture sleeve).

www.marketsquarerecordings.blogspot.co.uk

www.marketsquarerecordings.bandcamp.com/music

Latest singles from Fruits De Mer Records

Fruits De Mer Records will be having a busy month. While the rest of the country seemingly take August as their cue to head for some foreign beach, FDM instead opt to take regular trips to the local post office with the release of five 7" singles. All were available at the label's recent all-dayer at London's Borderline. If you weren't in attendance fear not, let mail order work its magic by visiting their website (www.fruitsdemerrecords.com). Read on for the roundup on all five releases.

Crystal Jacqueline - Cousin Jane (Ltd. colour 7")

New signed to Fruits De Mer, Crystal Jacqueline has recorded a three song EP featuring a tasteful selection of covers aided by fellow Honey Pot member Icarus Peel. The Troggs' Cousin Jane is given a stately reading, its simple piano chords, strings and sense of space reminding you what a great song it is. This is followed by a version of Second Hand's A Fairy Tale. More of a rock song than the other two baroque-ish tracks, I wasn't familiar with this track before but this had me heading over to YouTube to check out the original. A fine choice. The EP finishes with a sinister take on the Rolling Stones' Playing With Fire

Me And My Kites (with Tony Durrant of Fuchsia) - The Band (Ltd. colour 7")

Me And My Kites hail from Sweden, which in musical terms always piques my interest. The fact that their name is taken from a song on Fuchsia's eponymous 1971 album makes this 7" an even more appealing prospect. Due to the powers of internet communication Fuchsia's Tony Durrant has ended up guesting on the A-side, a new version of one of his old demos called The Band. Very nice it is too. An old song given a contemporary acid folk vibe. B-side Isis' Adventure is dedicated to Kevin Ayers and has a suitably Canterbury feel. Impressive modern soft-psych with a summery bucolic feel.

White Sails - Laguna Sunrise (Ltd. colour 7")

One thing all these releases have in common is the making you aware of long forgotten nuggets that may or may not be lurking in your record collection (or your mum or dad's). This EP from White Sails is no exception featuring two lesser known Black Sabbath tracks - Laguna Sunrise and Fluff. Both instrumentals are given largely acoustic readings, soft drum shuffles and acoustic guitar motifs. Who's have thought Sabbath could have had just as successful a career had they gone down the folk route! These are backed with two original instrumentals - The Answer and Death On A Pale Horse. The Transatlantic band (members hail from San Francisco and Finland) should be rightly proud of this folksy EP. If I had to pick just one single from the five for the mythical desert island I'd go for this one.

Jack Ellister - Within You, Without You (Ltd. colour 7")

It's a brave move to cover a Beatles track in 2013, especially such an iconic and stylised one as Beatle George's Within You, Without You. Amsterdam's Jack Ellister has come good though. Without losing any of the songs' message or psychedelic splendour, he's made it his own. With less reliance on Indian instrumentation, this is a more strident rock version with a suitably unhinged wig-out towards the end. Nice! There's also a short psych-drenched reprise. Flip the single over and there are also stellar versions of Flaming (Pink Floyd) and Song For Wild by cult acid-folker Mark Fry.

Stay - Mersey Dream (Ltd. colour 7")

Spanish psych band Stay kick off their four song EP with an original tune dedicated to pop music's most favoured river. Mersey Dream is a rocking mod-ish groover which brings to mind Fools Gold-era Roses and early Charlatans and Deep Purple. Its heavy B3 Hammond, funky bassline and choppy guitar lent a sweetness by the song's melody. The other three tracks are all covers - Guess I Was Dreaming (The Fairytales), I See The Rain (Marmalade), and If I Needed Someone (that Beatle George again!) And pretty neat they are too. It's no surprise that the band have supported Beady Eye and Ocean Colour Scene when those bands have toured Spain. The band formed in 2005 and have so far released four albums, so there's plenty more to go at if this single rocks your world.

The Higher State - Potentially (Everyone Is Your Enemy) 7"

The latest 7” in State Records' Soundgate Sound Acetate series.

Following on from last years' “I Just Pretend” (read my review here), The Higher State's latest 7” ups the psych-punk quota, adding extra acidic bite to their west coast folk rock sound. A-side “Potentially (Everyone Is Your Enemy)” is a cautionary paranoid tale which mixes frenetic drumming, snarling fuzz guitar, vocal harmony and folk-rock jangle.

You could rightly argue that this has all been done before in the 60s but right now nobody else is making records with this sound so convincingly. State Records just get it right every time. Want further proof? Then check out the recent Paul Messis album, or last year's Suzi Chunk LP. It's aided by State having their own small but characteristic sounding studio. As every musician and sound engineer knows, limitations are beneficial in achieving a great sound.

B-side “All Ties That Bind” is pretty cool too, one and a half minutes of melodic folk-rock bolstered by spiralling lead guitar. The intro also contains a knowingly cheeky nod to the Stones “Last Time”.

Limited to 500 copies of 70gram vinyl on State Records.
www.staterecs.com 

The Beach Boys: Made In California (6 CD Box Set) out on 2nd September

The Beach Boys have opened their archives for a new career-spanning, six-CD collection titled Made In California, capping the legendary band’s 50th Anniversary celebrations. Made In California features more than seven and a half hours of music, including more than 60 previously unreleased tracks.  The deluxe set is presented in a high school annual-inspired hardbound book with personal recollections from the band’s members, replicated classic artwork and memorabilia, photos from the band’s archive, and handwritten yearbook-style inscriptions from Beach Boys Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston, and David Marks.

Produced by The Beach Boys and The SMiLE Sessions’ GRAMMY® Award-winning team of Mark Linett, Alan Boyd, and Dennis Wolfe, Made In California chronologically charts the 50-year career of America’s Band, from their earliest demos to their most recent recordings.  With huge hits and rare gems including never-before-released original songs, home demos, alternate takes and mixes, and live concert, television and radio performances, the set showcases the breadth and diversity of The Beach Boys’ recorded catalogue and illustrates the band’s unique and evocative West Coast story.

Made In California’s memorabilia includes Brian Wilson’s 1959 high school essay titled “My Philosophy,” which is reproduced in the collection’s book in its original handwritten form (the original is currently on display in The GRAMMY Museum’s yearlong Beach Boys exhibit celebrating the band’s 50-year career).

Made In California’s previously unreleased and long sought-after recordings include “Goin’ To The Beach,” “California Feelin’,” “Soul Searchin’,” “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” and “You’re Still A Mystery,” among others.  The set also debuts 17 unreleased live recordings, and features a special ‘From The Vaults’ disc of rarities selected by the band and the producers with longtime Beach Boys fans in mind.

One of the most iconic bands in popular music history and America’s first pop band to reach the 50 year milestone, The Beach Boys have performed and recorded the world’s favourite soundtrack to summer since 1961.

The Wicked Whispers - Voodoo Moon

Gently sinister psych-pop vibes from Liverpool quintet.

Liverpool's Wicked Whispers have released a follow up to previous 7” “Dandelion Eyes” (Read my review here). It's called “Voodoo Moon” and is perhaps an even more accomplished and refined affair building on their softly sinister psych sound. Authentically 60s, Farfisa organ underpins the gentle yet unsettling track, not unlike the work of Jacco Gardner. Think the Coral at their finest, or a smoother take on The Seeds' garage sound.

Flipside “Nightbird” is a more energised track which recalls early Doors, lysergically tinged and propelled by rolling bass guitar and snappy drums. Complete with guitar and sax wig-out at the end. Things bode well for a debut album.

Recorded at the legendary Toe-Rag studio, the single is out now on Electone Records. Get with it kids!

Bronco Bullfrog - Clarifoil

Bronco Bullfrog's ode to the vinyl packaging of yesteryear.

We live in an age when the music you buy is mostly packaged in one of either two ways – as a no frills but accessible download where the best you can hope for is a pdf booklet. Or there's deluxe vinyl versions that you need to take out a mortgage for, whose prices are pumped up by the inclusion of postcards, badges and other pieces of paraphernalia. These items are usually limited so therefore end up sitting on shelves, never getting played in fear of price-dropping damages.

It wasn't always this way though. And Bronco Bullfrog are one band who know about such matters. The newly reformed three piece have just released a single that sings the praises of clarifoil. If you don't know what that is take a trip to your local charity shop and take a look at the old vinyl LPs. Chances are one or two of them will be coated in a moisture-proof plastic coating. It may have aged slightly, cracked or bubbled up in places but you'll get the idea. As seen on a whole host of 60s vinyl releases from Matthew & Son, to Decca Eps and The Kinks on Pye. (You can learn all this and more from the wry, knowing, funny lyrics!)

Musically it's a retro-fused powerpop affair, packed with plenty of harmonies and “oooh-oooh-oohs” in all the right places. The flipside is pretty neat too - “Never Been To California” takes a wistful look at all the cliches and assumptions us lesser-travelled Limeys have about the sunshine state. Regret never sounded so funny or so much fun. The two tracks sound like songs Pete Townshend might have penned for The Who Sell Out, full of humour and good vibes. Buy with confidence!

Out now in glorious mono on State Records. (Limited to 500 copies on 7")

The Greek Theatre - Lost Out At Sea

Sun-drenched sadness and staring-at-the-sea introspection. Swedish duo, Sven Fröberg and Frederick Persson, release their stunning debut LP.

Every now and again an album comes along that's out of step with any current fashions yet is all the more convincing because of it. This self-released debut LP from The Greek Theatre is one such album. Musically it's folksy, west coast soft-rock embellished with woodwind and pedal steel, pitched emotionally at that place that's both happy and sad at the same time.

This is music that has a hazy, sun-drenched sadness to it. Texturally soft yet with enough quiet inventiveness to be genuinely moving, this is mood music of the highest order. The album opens with a soft shuffle beat fading in over the sound of waves gently lapping. It's this referencing of the sea that's returned to time and time again lending the whole album a trapped-in-paradise introspection.

The Greek Theatre are Sven Fröberg and Frederick Persson, who along with several musician friends (including Posie Ken Stringfellow), have crafted a beautifully organic debut LP. The album was recorded in a rustic Swedish wood cabin over the summer of 2009. It must have been a very productive time and space as the pair have already written the songs that promise to be on their next three albums, after which they say, The Greek Theatre will cease to exist. They've hinted at the next album being more rooted in the Brit-folk of Pentangle, Fairport Convention and Nick Drake.

If you want comparisons for this album however there's the obvious Cali-trilogy of Brian Wilson/Love/The Byrds (or more specifically David Crosby solo), along with the folk-rock of fellow Swedes, The Amazing. There are also parallels with the baroque pop/rock of Eric Matthews. But don't go expecting The Greek Theatre to be soundalikes, these comparisons are not the full picture. Although their music is influenced by such alumni, it has a heart and soul all of it's own. This is music infused with an effortless depth that rewards more with each listen. It's an album I'll no doubt return to time after time while eagerly awaiting the next instalment. 

Click over the jump for a track by track preview of the album.

The Young Sinclairs - Engineer Man 7"

Virginian Anglophiles' jangle pop classic gets a 7” release courtesy of Market Square Records.

Though the track has been around for some time now, dating back to Feel Bad, their self-released debut LP from 2007, the glorious powerpop classic that is 'Engineer Man' is now available on a 7” single thanks to garage aficionado Paul Messis, the man behind Market Square Records. With a nod to Pete Townshend's third person songwriting, The Byrds' fok-rock jangle and a whole host of latter day Paisley Underground bands, lead Sinclair Samuel J Lunsford has crafted a mini pop-opera perfectly suited to the 7” format. Like an out-take from The Who Sells Out, the A-side brims with spirited energy, melodic twists and turns and exquisite harmonies. Flip it over and you'll be no less disappointed, B-side 'Problems' takes a more personal, melancholic stance. Less immediate maybe but after a couple of listens its heartfelt lyrics will carry a deep resonance for anyone who's ever taken time to do a little soul searching. It's those Who comparisons that stand out most, right down to the Keith Moon-like fills. In a fairer world this would right now be giving Daft Punk serious competition for that smash summer single crown, as it is we can keep it as our secret.

'Engineer Man' is out now on Market Square Records. (Limited to 300 copies).

Marc Bolan at The BBC - 6CD Box Set

 

Comprehensive career overview spanning from John's Children to right up to T.Rex in '77, contains several unreleased tracks.


Celebrate Summer indeed! This August sees the release of a 6CD box set of Marc Bolan's session recordings and interviews for the BBC. You'd have to be a real sourpuss with a dislike of classic pop music to not like the records Marc Bolan made with Tyrannosaurus Rex and T.Rex. From the folksy beginnings and on into the brash 'n bluesy classic Glam period. Even on into the later years where an influence of contemporary American soul crept in, you have to admit the guy could write and record great pop music. What joy then to hear that Universal Music have put together this set featuring pretty much everything he recorded for the nation's favourite station Radio One. Sessions for Saturday Club, John Peel's Top Gear, and In Concert are included along with sets recorded for Peter Powell, Dave Lee Travis, Bob Harris and "Diddy" David Hamilton.

For a more detailed description of what the set contains, click over the jump for the full press release.