The second Song of the Day album in as many days from New York musicians. Start spreading the news, again lads. Sophomore album Your Day Will Come sounds neat in my living room on a Thursday evening.Endorsed by big hitters like Lorde, Rosalia and Billie Eilish. The record is elusive and high;y seductive.Chanel Beads
What more could you want on a Friday morning than More Songs About The Sun. Just on cue here come Pye Corner Audio with just that. Feelgood electro throbbing chugging into clear waters and heading for the distant horizon. It seems clear we have the wind in our sails !
The best way to be drawn unto a new record I find is to hear it first time in a record shop.Yesterday I wandered into Canterbury after a long day teaching. I made my way down St Margarey's Lane and poppped in at Vinylstore Jr to see my pal Nick making last minute preparations for Record Store Day. He had the new Squarepusher album Kammerkonzert on his turntable.
It sounded great and now it sounds great again as I'm listening to it in my parent's living room as the evening draws to a close.. Punchy, Jazzy exercises that might surprise those who associate Tim Jenkinson with more obviously 'Street' exercises from way back when . This is a thrilling record
I listened to Jesse Ware's latest album Superbloom last night. I'm listening to it again now. She takes the heady essential ingredients of original Seventies Disco. Distuls them to the essence and then unleashes the cork and allows you to rise to the ceiling like Uncle Albert in Mary Poppins. So you're floating up towards the ceiling. With all your favourite people. The helium fuelled staircase to heaven !
I have this album on record and every time I play it it immediately makes me want to own all of Broadcast's albums on vinyl. They were a quite extraordinary band . A band that sound as if they are turning the world spinning backwards in time.
It's that Velvet Underground sound ! Full of great tunes this one. A good song to me is like a narrative. Something that takes you in and takes you away. That has a melodic, lyrical, rhythmic or dissonant resonamce that transports you to a magical space and rises up to the challenge of your rival.
The Fragiles third album Sing The Heat Of The Sun is full of such narratives. And they knit together with propulsive and compelling energy. Kicking off like The Feelies adandoned offspring. They switch and change throughout the album but always take the weather with them. Heaven ! Independent heaven.
This is by turns wan and suburban. But it's also rather fearsome and deceptive. Fragile and wan. There's something just beautiful about this sound even if its instantly familiar
You can buy a vinyl copy of Parachutes in Waterstone's if you wish to. Well 'We live in a beautiful world' as the song goes. I was in Sicily when Coldplay broke. I found them a bit wet . Then I went to Poland. A Rush of Blood To The Head came out and a beautiful Polish woman drove me from Katowice To Krakow and back one wonderful day and I came round to them rather. But I'm listening to this and it still sounds rather wet
Lenny Kaye strikes me as an admirable man. A Rock & Roll Man. Goin' Local his debut solo album at the age is simplicity and wonder and really rather lovely. This strikes me as tapping on a seam of honey. Into an essence. It's a quite beautiful record of childlike wonder.
Philadelphia's Labrador's first album for four years The Rosy Red World has a wonderful sleeve. An image of unwashed plates and cups in a sink. The scene that greets most of us at some point every day. Also a wonderful opening song 'It's mine all mine.' The resounding sound of clanging chords. Crazy Horse reborn.
Labrador are an American Bar Band im excelsis. You can hear the sound of the left of the dial AOR Alternative Classics echoing in every song . Creedence. Sir Douglas Quintet , Replacements, Reigning Sound. Labrador keep it simple. And bring home the bacon for breakfast.
'The moral of the story is fish....'
Theres always space in the pop marketplace for the new loundmouth on the block. You're Gonna Need a Little Music Leeds band Yard Act's album tells you very early on that it has nothing to say and then goes on for 40 minutes anyway, after namechecking David Gedge and Howard Devoto in the first three minutes . And piling it on from that point on as if the Arctic Monkeys never even happened
It's like spending an evening in a pub with someone twenty years younger than you who thinks they're hilariousy funny and you're lucky to be in their company and never stop to ask you what you think. It's reasoably diverting but never really makes its own case.
Let's face it many some us grew up with Morrissey, Ian Curtis, Ian McCulloch, Paddy MacAloon and Mark E.Smith. Those before us had John Lydon, Joe Strummer and Pete Shelley. Ten years earlier their were Lennon, Jagger. Ray Davies and Townshend. A few years earlier they had The Kitchen Sink and Thr Angry Young Men. Sillitoe, Braine, Osborne and Amis.
One thing these lists have all got in common . There are no women there. You're Gonna Need a Little Music is all very well but it might have cast its net slightly wider. But Stop Me If you Think You've Heard This One Before.
I went to a Record Player event when thinks suddenly clicked into space about Kraftwerk. They were describing the future.
Chicago's National Photo Committee are a proper throwback on long awaited debut album Red Hot Photo Committee. To eccentric American alternative days of yore; Silver Jews, Sebadoh and Pavement, Dinosaur Jr, , The Colorblind James Experience, Camper Van Beethoven. Eccentric misdirections that take you back to the Eightires and out onto the open road.
This is joyous flying of the freak flag. This kind of expression cannot and will not be repressed. The best way to go forwards is sideways. The record sleeve is emblazoned in resplendent tigers. The album itself is pure joy and artistic expression and camaraderie of the kind that will never go out of fashion.
Relentless.Strangely exhiliariating. See how long you last
It's Robyn Hitchcock the grand old dame of English Psychedelic Rock with his latest album The Confuser. He's as unashamedly reto as he ever was. Looking back to '65-'67. The Byrds and Barrett's Floyd. This will not change your world.. It may brighten up your day. Songs about Dead Astronauts played by a man with a floppy fringe in a polkadot shirt
In the high summer of Punk, while I was between Primary and Secondry School John Lydon (nee Rotten( went onto Capital Radio in discussion with Tommy Vance and played a number of his favourite records. This didn't go down down well with NcLaren and Glitterbest but left an incrdible document and an indication of where Jonny was heading,
Notwist always make me think of a late friend who loved them. Music is like that. They have a new record out there which is excellent. They stay the course. Neon Golden is from the start thoughtful, reflective and rewarding. Wordy. Good words.
'Laugh and the world laughs with you. Cry and the world laughs at you.'
Getting through the day by the skin of their teeth. Bristol's Langkamer are up and at them on tour in an Indie venue near you in support of fourth album No .
It's old school Indie guitar joy. A kissig cousin of Courtney Barnett and Bill Ryder Jones. Dating back to Teenage Fanclub, Pavememt, Lemonheads et al. And beyond that to XTC, Neil Young and The Velvet Underground Attitude and swagger, And devil may care shrug,
I warmed to No immediately. It lives in the moment. And encourages you to do the same/Old fashioned fun. An excellent record. Yes from me !
Nagoya's finest. A bowl headed quintet Trooper Salute release one of the most evocative and versatile records you'll hear this or any other year in debut album Tomodatchi (I Had Friends). Talking about the important frontiers between youth and adulthood. The record draws on recognisable genres like Shoegaze and Math Rock in a by turns yearning, unashamedly emotional, playful and daring manner. It strikes me this has staying power.
Saturday morning becomes Saturday afternoon. And Jesca Hoop's new album Long Wave Home suddenly is a preferable option to.... well anything. It's like sitting diwn and switching on your TV to find The Clangers or Noggin The Nog playing. And.getting yourself a cup of tea and some toast. And leaning back on the settee.
Long Wave Home is a reminder that's not really needed of what makes her such a singular and cherishable artist. It's a playful, intricate set of songs shifting fluently between the personal and the political. From the off the album feels like a process of gradual accumulation if beauty.
The songs feel complementary. Not showy. Music like this is a placebo fundamentally. A message that things are going to be OK. Calm your nerves and make yourself anither piece of toast. Curl up. Which is precisely what I intend to do,
Pavement were always rather wilful. That was their charm . And their flaw. Stereo is one of the mst annoying songs I've ever heard.It was chosen as a single for some reason. Elsewhere they pile on the quirks and the melody. The whole point of the band was that they were smarter than thou and incredibly pleased with themselves. Their influence is quite measureless. They predateand chime with the Post Millennial condition. We're all too clever for our own good.
It's Robyn Hitchcock the grand old dame of English Psychedelic Rock with his latest album The Confuser. He's as unashamedly reto as he ever was. Looking back to '65-'67. The Byrds and Barrett's Floyd. This will not change your world.. It may brighten up your day. Songs about Dead Astronauts played by a man with a floppy fringe in a polkadot shirt
The Strokes and I have history. Twenty five years ago, between their first and second albums I went to New York City with a good friend and his partner and we seriously considered moving there. Partly because of the Strokes and the scene they'd inhstigated and spearheaded there.
We saw Interpol and The Walkmen while we were there. Aso Mo Tucker and watched Alan McGee DJ-ing . Visited Trump Tower. Had some intense and memorable experience. It was a few months from 9/11. I met a guy in a bar who I later suspected might have been there. The idea haunted me for a while. We drank a lot of beer walked, experienced the great city to the full. I haven't been back. I'm not sure I will.
The move was not feasible. New York City like everywhere then and now was in the process of gentrifying and I didn't have a skillset that was required. I also decided it probably wasn't for me much as I loved it. . Instead I went to Wroclaw, Poland by train and got the teacher training qualifications and skillset that I required to get to where I needed. To gain some kind of authority and have at least some idea about what I'm doing inside and outside the classroom. I'm glad I became a teacher. It's the great road.
While I was in Wroclaw that long hot summer of 2002. I listened to Is This It ? a lot. I went out with a Ukranian girl who was on the course. She was working in Katowice and I was offered a job there during the course. I accepted partly because of the girl and partly because of the school she was working at which sounded like a place I needed to be.
This proved to be the case. I went to Katowice and found the road I needed to be on . The relationship didn't last but I learned a lot from the Ukranian girl . In Katowice I learned pretty much what I needed to know about what I do. I worked hard and also played hard. Learned about life and love. Met the most beuatiful woman I'll ever know. Had an incredible and joyous experience with her. Which still continues.
Now I'm 60. I'm listening to The Strokes seventh album Reality Awaits in my parents living room. . It seems pretty good to me. Veined with life and experience like we all are. But unashamedly emotional, goofy and intense and maverick and true to what made them such a great band. I'd say they remain one. It also feels like they're finding new roads. Which is something it's always a good iea to try to do.
Dogwood Tales working with Euphoria Again. Destination Heaven.. Where we're all going to meet again I trust. An emotional Alt Country band from Harrisonburg, Virginia. Another recommendation frim best friend of It Starts With a Birthstone Darren Jones, aka First mate Starbuck. Thanks again Darren, this is rather lovely.
Records like this see, rather commonplace but always hit the spot. Tou get the sense that every small town in America has a bend like this. Setting up their gear onstage and getting ready to play. Steel pedal player sat at a desk at the back of the room. Letting the days go by. Same s it ever was.
All Clouds Bring Rain by MEMORIALS is a Psychedelic Folk Album of the Modern stripe.. It's warm and and full of inventive and melodic. moodshifts. File beside Jane Weaver and Naima Bock.
