Monolith Cocktail Blog

The cult leader of the infamous lo fi gods, The Bordellos, Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea has released countless recordings over the decades with his family band of hapless unfortunates, and is the owner of a most self-deprecating sound-off style blog. His most recent releases include The Bordellos beautifully despondent pains-of-the-heart and mockery of clique “hipsters” ode to Liverpool, the diatribe ‘Boris Johnson Massacre’ and just in the last couple of months, both The King Of No-Fi album, and a collaborative derangement with the Texas miscreant Occult Character, Heart To Heart. He has also released, under the Idiot Blur Fanboy moniker, a stripped down classic album of resignation and Gallagher brothers’ polemics.

Each week we send a mountain of new releases to the self-depreciating maverick to see what sticks. In his own idiosyncratic style and turn-of-phrase, pontificating aloud and reviewing with scrutiny an eclectic deluge of releases, here Brian’s latest batch of recommendations.

The Singles/Videos/Tracks Section:

Ålesund ‘Lightning’
26^th February 2021

This is quite a bewitching little commercial pop ditty, one I enjoyed listening to, which is the point to music I suppose: to enjoy it, I think. Ålesund might make a interesting pop star as she looks a bit out-of-her-tree, away with the Fairies, but also looks like she has a depth to her, which is only a good thing: anyone who has the away with the fairies’ factor and depth is to me one big plus point. When commercial pop is now at a point of becoming irrelevant to life, we need new young pop starlets to pop up and make pop life interesting again.

Hooveriii  ‘Control’
Out Right Now

I like this, it reminds me of the first Dandy Warhols album and it has a rather fetching organ/keyboard riff that the Stranglers would be overjoyed to have grace one of their fine songs. All in all a fine catchy single and the first track taken from their forthcoming debut album, an album I will have to make a mental note to check out when released, as this is indeed a rather nifty single.

The Albums/EPs Section:

Spam Javelin ‘Three Chords Of The Apocalypse’
(Self-Released) 29^th January 2021

 

Spam Javelin, the near legendary north wales punk trio, are back with tales of modern day living on the Three Chords of the Apocalypse album; an album full of humour, disgust, and alienation, and what more can you ask from punk rock. It has everything one could want, and the everything one can want comes wrapped in such wonderfully rock n roll guitar and bass riffs you really could not ask for more. ‘Cogged Off’ is almost Fall like (my fave track on the album I may add) and the riff on ‘Super Twat’ is worthy of The Cramps, and that is what pushes Spam Javelin up to the upper echelons of punk rockery, their wonderful mastery of the punk rock riff.

This is an album to play loud and annoy your neighbours with, unless of course your neighbours enjoy a bit of punk rock and in that case an album to bring your community together, and what more could you ask for.

Cherry Fez  ‘…and other stories’
(Self-Released) 30^th January 2021

Cherry Fez have given us an album of lovingly written and performed jangly guitar pop songs that at times reminds me of a poppy Felt. They have soaked in the spirit of C86 and mid 60s beat bands. They even do a pretty good cover of ‘A Hard Day’s Night’, all beautiful melodies and open guitar chords. Often, this album drifts into Baroque territory, especially on the lovely ballad ‘Mary Pays’.  

… and other stories is an album that many will enjoy, as well written guitar songs never go out of fashion and this album is far superior to many I get to hear.  Available to download on a pay what you want basis or even for free so all you readers out there who need a bit of jangle in your life as those hip cats say: “Check it out”.

BOYA ‘Momentary Moments’
(Metal Postcard Records) 7^th February 2021

An atmospheric journey into the netherworld of somebody you do not know, muffled voices join in a floating aural mist of softly plucked guitar strings and echoes of places from your past, vinyl records crackle and poetry cling together in a quiet slow dance of sadness and hope. Yes, this mini album is an atmospheric delight of empathy. It’s like eavesdropping on a lost soul as he potters around his house alone, his daily life filled with stained shadows of the past and the cracked hope of the future; an album that any lovers of the excellent strange music Wormhole World records release would lap up for breakfast, dinner and tea. A truly beautiful release.

Seth Martin & The Dish Boys  ‘The Golden Book Of Favourite Songs’
(Self-Released) 26^th February 2021

I don’t really get to write about alt country much, which is a shame as I’m a lover of country music. So listening to this makes a welcome change. The Golden Book Of Favourite Songs is a 30 track (yes 30!) tracks retrospective of the so far seven albums Seth Martin & The Dish Boys have released, and this I find is more country-tinged alternative rather than pure country, and has a Rocky Ericson feel about it or the Meat Puppets or even Mudhoney or even Demented Are Go, so not even country at Tom T hall. So let’s call it a slightly country tinged grunge punk delight.

Yes it may not be what I was expecting but it is very welcome and is a great point to discover the wonderfully strange world of the Dish Boys. It is a world where country, punk and psych collide to form an aural sculpture of obscene delight; a Mars bar touched by the inner thigh of a young Marianne Faithful; the last swill of whiskey to swirl on the lips of Hank Williams; an album that engulfs the hidden treasure of rock n roll past to celebrate the present in all its unhealthy glory. “Howie Gelb Said” is a country psych delight that rocks like a mother fucker who likes to rock and “Heartworn Highways ” is a song touching in the same way a Towns Van Zandt songs touches you, and TVZ is even name checked in the lyrics.

This 30-track mammoth of a release is well recommended to country and rock music fans alike, and as I’ve said, an ideal way to discover this fine band.

Air Hunger ‘F-I-X-E-R’
(Shore Dive Records) 26^th February 2021

Anybody who knows me knows I have a thing for lo-fi music, so when this arrived in my inbox and I read it was recorded on an iPhone there was no possibility that I wouldn’t give it a fair hearing. And how glad I did, as it is a beautiful album. An album with much going on. An album full of texture and softness.

Whispered vocals softly strummed acoustic and electric guitars and layers of atmospheres, an aural flotation tank of pureness. At times reminding me of The Red House Painters, at other times reminding me just how beautiful life and music can be. This is an album to lie back relax and enjoy. I’m glad that somebody has done something worthwhile with an iPhone [as once again anybody who knows me knows of my hate of the mobile/smart/iPhone or phones in general in fact], so well done Air Hunger. This album is available as a very ltd cd and at the time of writing there is only 4 copies left, so if I were you I would go and snap one up, you will not be sorry.