New Music for June
We take a look at some new music recently added to our catalogue.
Mark says: Reissue of cult 60's psychedelic-rock album 'Motor-Cycle' from teenage NY singer Lotti Golden. Released on Atlantic, produced/arranged by Bob Crewe (The Four Seasons), the album dissects the outré Manhattan 60's street scene with the journalistic verve of someone who lived amongst all the strange characters that inhabit her songs. Crewe amps up the production flourishes with a mix of different genres and suitably over-the-top orchestrations, that reframe the original soul based songs into a theatrical walk on the 60s wild side.
House of All Souls - House of All
Neil says: So, the Fall were a band famous for many things, including burning through band members like a demon through matches. There is even a highly recommended 336-page book called The Fallen about this legion of former members. So, it is unsurprising that since the demise of their polarising, maverick “genius” frontman Mark E Smith that several bands comprising of ex members have emerging such as Brix & the Extricated and Imperial Wax. 'House of All' is another such band. 'House of All Souls' is there third release and whilst there is a lingering element of Fall D.N.A. in their music they are very much their own band, ploughing their own creative furrow. The bands driving rhythms are infused with hypnotic melodic guitar riffs, pulsing bass lines and lyrics steeped in mystic, caustic rhetoric. They are a band with energy to burn and this is easily their strongest release so far. Fall fans and the musical world beyond will approve.
Sam says: On their debut album Who Are We?, Middle-Eastern collective Al-Qasar utilise both regional and global aesthetics, combining traditional Arabian sounds, North African trance music and global psychedelia to create a unique style self-dubbed as ‘Arabian fuzz’. Complex rhythmic arrangements coalesce with colourfully eclectic instrumentals, producing a sound that is deeply potent and cohesive. A wide array of instruments are used across the album, reflecting this sense of ethnic and artistic diversity. The album also features an array of guests, including notable contributions from Lee Ranaldo (of Sonic Youth fame) and Jello Biafra, providing an even deeper sense of eclecticism. This is psych-rock perhaps as you have never heard it before, presented in a way that feels entirely logical and natural.
Mark says: Born out of her 2022 memoir, Fingers Crossed: How Music Saved Me From Success, Berenyi (from iconic 90s shoegaze band Lush, and recently Piroshka) formed a new trio to play a few songs at book readings - which led to then writing material for this new configuration. With no drummer, the new band leans into blippy electronica, synths, some surprisingly funky guitar lines, and touches of vintage shoegaze and dream-pop. It manages to be the most 'Lush' sounding record she's made while also being contemporary, any nostalgia firmly undercut by the maturity of age and a clearer, harder view of the past.
Tears of injustice - Mdou Moctar
Neil says: Funeral for Justice was one of our top picks of 2024; a firebrand, powerhouse of an album with stunning intense guitar work, coupled with hard hitting political messages, it was an album that radiated with passion. Mdou Moctar said he wanted the guitars to sound like “wailing sirens “. They did, and they also encompassed so much more. The album was never envisaged as a largely acoustic work, yet when a coup in Niger makes it impossible for the band to return home from New York, they holed up in a studio and created 'Tears of injustice' an acoustic take on the 'Funeral for Justice' album. The exceptional skill and versatility of the musicians is on full display here. Whilst the largely acoustic instruments, mean it is not as loud as the “electric” release, there is a palpable sense of tension, anger and grief in the music. Both albums display a loud-quiet duality, and this is a stunning and surprising reimagining of a great album created through circumstance.
Sam says: Coming in six years after her debut, Irish artist artist Maria Somerville returns with her highly anticipated sophomore effort, entitled Luster. Musically, the album incorporates shoegaze, dreampop and textural ambience with a subdued sense of postpunk grit to create a soundworld that is as rich as it is pleasantly immersive. Gorgeous reverb-laden guitar and synth textures coalesce with driving basslines, and Somerville’s evocatively distant vocals add a deeply human touch to the instrumental swirl. The lush atmospherics are somewhat reminiscent of Cocteau Twins’ more experimental mid-80s work, however the music here is more versatile and modern in its execution. Overall, an exemplary album that fits right at home on the legendary 4AD records.
Sensitive : an indie pop anthology
Mark says: Pete Paphides of the The Needle Mythology label curates this well received compilation of 'sensitive' indie jangle pop. A genre too easily dismissed as overly earnest, and at worst twee, the passage of time had led to a level of reassessment, if not quite grudging respect. Cult bands like Talulah Gosh, The Primitives, The Field Mice, Dolly Mixture & The Soup Dragons feature, along with many other lesser known artists plying this distinct 'sound'. As with all compilations not everything works, and some tracks seem a bit outside the definition, but it's an essential listen for anyone who is a fan of this distinctly 80s sound.
Flora 1987 - Hiroshi Yoshimura
Neil says: This is a posthumous release of Hiroshi Yoshimura’s 2006 album Flora. However, the album has a much longer history than that date. The original recordings date from 1987, a time when few if any were travelling this particular musical road. The album is particularly well named as 'Flora', as the tracks organically, bloom and spread take root, then sprawl in all sorts of directions. It is ambient music, but less atmospheric more evolving in tone. There is a simple boldness to the pieces that reminded me of the classical composer Erik Satie, who is mentioned in one of the tracks titles, alongside poetic sobriquets such as Wind echo and Marple Syrup factory. Beyond this simplicity there is depth, and the album rewards repeated listens. The tracks are mischievous, melodically rhythmic then languid. like musical leaves and petals being blow in a gentle swirling wind.
Sam says: Steven Wilson is undoubtedly one of the most significant and prolific names in progressive rock over the past three decades, initially as a member of Porcupine Tree and more recently as a solo artist. The Overview stands as the eighth full-length album released under his own name. Following his recent side-steps into more modern electronic territory, The Overview sees him return to a full embrace of classic prog aesthetics, both in terms of sound and scope. Featuring two multi-movement pieces both sitting around twenty minutes each, the album follows a journey-like trajectory that feels truly reminiscent of the best classic prog works of the 1970s. Deeply self-indulgent in the best way possible, The Overview will appeal to fans of the genre young and old.
Mark says: Oklou is French musician, singer and producer Marylou Mayniel. Minimalist, atmospheric electronics featuring layered higher pitched female vocals, with some slight hyper-pop/glitch-pop touches. This debut is supposedly less experimental than previous EPs and collaborations with A. G. Cook and Caroline Polachek. This is perhaps deliberately so, as the themes running through the album revolve around memories, the solace of nature, dreamy reflections of childhood bedrooms, and the longing for space. Hazy & introspective pop that ruminates on the spaces in-between life.
Middle Earth : the soundtrack of London's legendary psychedelic club 1967-1969
Neil says: Back in 1967 the Middle Earth hippie nightclub opened its doors in the Covent Garden area of central London and the psychedelic swinging sixties scene was born. The building that housed the club originally dated from 1716, and it's first owner was Lord Russell, First Lord of the Admiralty. In its hippie heyday spaced out party goers could see bands like The Who, Pink Floyd and T-Rex (featuring Marc Bolan) in the club along with psychedelic light shows and various artistic happenings. The clubs opening hours were from 10pm and often ran all night and though the scene at this location became notorious it was short lived, thanks in part, to the various police raids and drug busts. After that it moved to the, still in existence, Roundhouse, another venue for legendary gigs. This superbly curated and very varied 3CD box set provides an excellent snapshot of what the musical scene at the club sounded like, with tracks to delight sixties fans and crate diggers alike.
Hailing from Portland, Oregon, Delines play a curious blend of alt-country and soul music, with potent hints of Americana. Over the past decade, they have built up a considerable discography, with Mr. Luck & Ms. Doom standing as their fifth full-length effort. The instrumental palette here is rich, with the regular five-piece band augmented by guest instrumentalists providing pedal steel, saxophone, strings and more. There is a strong sense of lounge-balladry across the album’s eleven tracks, with Amy Boone’s potent vocals providing real emotional weight to the warmly vibrant music. Overall, Mr. Luck & Ms. Doom is an excellent album full of evocative storytelling and heartfelt melodies.
The scholars - Car Seat Headrest
Mark says: Car Seat Headrest are an American indie rock band that have been active since the 2010s, with members revolving around lead songwriter Will Toledo and a melodic lo-fi indie rock sound reminiscent of Guided By Voices or The Replacements. Latest album 'The Scholars' goes for broke to create a modern American 'Rock-Opera', based around young characters at a fictional university. The more traditional rockers give way to almost prog-styled tracks in the albums second half, which stretch into the 10+ minute mark, however they all mange to retain a melodic centre that enables the concept to not collapse into itself, like many other similar endeavours. Certainly ambitious, and critic's reviews tend to mark it as their best album - while some fans rate it as their worst. Probably one to make many Best of the year lists.
Krautrock eruption : an introduction to German electronic music 1970-1980
Neil says: Much has been written about and documented about the explosion of Kosmische music in the 70’s and 80’s, and there are several excellent compilations in existence, many of which we hold in our collection. None of which could really be definitive, the explosion of music from Germany at this time being so vast, not even counting original albums from iconic artists of that era. However, this particular compilation offers a tightly curated musical journey that covers many of the core bands and musicians, the 12 tracks featured effectively cover in snapshot the many different bands and approaches that fall under this wide banner. From minimalist works from the likes of Conrad Schnitzler, to the more dreamy, glacial, mesmerising works of Eno, Moebius, and Roedelius. Later on, it delves deeper into more experimental soundscapes, providing plenty for long-time fans and newcomers to enjoy.
Most well-known as the frontman for legendary indie-rockers The National, in recent years Matt Berninger has been carving his own niche as a solo artist. Following his debut solo effort Serpentine Prison in 2020, Berninger entered a deep depressive episode which led to an extended period of writer’s block. He found and documented his recovery via a string of releases by The National in 2023 (First Two Pages of Frankenstein & Laugh Track) however it is on his sophomore solo effort Get Sunk where his catharsis is laid bare. Despite foreshadowing events, there is a real sense of warmth and optimism to the album. Self-described as ‘an ode to the infinite’, Get Sunk is a powerful display of self-rediscovery from a well-seasoned and beloved artist.
Mark says: All Seeing Dolls are collaboration between Scottish singer Dot Allison and Anton Newcombe (lead singer of The Brian Jonestown Massacre). Balancing her unique, sometimes wordless vocals, over a mix of garage rock, dissonance, psychedelic beats, shoegaze & baroque arrangements, its one of those collaborations that don't seem like they will work, or yield much, but is in fact surprising rich and emotive in its explorative musical textures.
Neil says: 'Izakaya' by riot-grrrl, Kyoto based garage, punk rock outfit Otoboke Beaver is a full on release that captures in the studio the insane energy of their live gigs. The band play their infectiously catchy tracks at full throttle, breakneck speed, their hardcore punk songs tempered slightly by a power-pop component, with plenty of sonic intensity to spare. The band named themselves after a love hotel in Osaka and often sing in Kyoto slang. What’s not to like a band who are the musical equivalent of a triple shot expresso, but fun to boot. They must be fabulous live.
Mark Pritchard and Thom Yorke – Tall Tales
Sam says: Mark Pritchard and Thom Yorke are both hugely respected artists in their own right, with the former forging a career as a legendary electronic artist and the latter a long-established household name as the frontman of Radiohead. Artistic collaborations between these individuals go back some time, initially with Pritchard remixing Radiohead songs in 2011. The pair have worked together on numerous occasions since then, however Tall Tales stands as their first collective full-length album. As a whole, the distinctive individual styles between the pair come together in a very satisfying way, with Pritchard’s penchant for hazy electronic ambience blending with Yorke’s abstract yet deeply emotive compositional and vocal approaches. Clocking in at just over an hour, Tall Tales is a weighty yet rewarding listen.