Our Daily Bread 620: John Howard, SWIFTUMZ, MAbH…
June 21, 2024
BRIAN ‘BORDELLO’ SHEA’S REVIEW SECOND REVIEWS ROUNDUP OF MAY – INSTANT REACTIONS.
UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE ALL RELEASES CAN BE PURCHASED RIGHT NOW
SCHØØL ‘N.S.M.L.Y.D’
(Géographie)
Baggy drumbeats from the late eighties and shoegaze guitars, are we watching Snub TV? No it seems that the past is once again the present in this ever-evolving circle of not evolving at all. N.S.M.L.Y.D is actually a pretty catchy little number with a nagging keyboard riff that elevates it from the good to the quite good stakes. If this was the late eighties/early 90s it would have a good chance to making the bottom end of the top 40 and a fleeting appearance on the Chart Show.
John Howard ‘Currently/ I am Not Gone’
5th July 2024
The new single from John Howard is a beautiful thing. Two songs that take you back to the days when songwriters used to write simple melodic songs that would appear magically on the radio and brighten your day. The days when you could pick up the song you heard on the radio from your local record shop, or the record department from one of the bigger stores like Boots or Woolworths, on 7-inch vinyl; and you would not have to sell your grandma’s China to be able to afford it. Ah those where the days we of a certain age remember with a tear in our eye. And why am I babbling on about memories from old you may ask, and not writing beautiful prose about the new John Howard single? Well I am, because that is the beauty and magic John has, the power to weave with his music. He has the bewitchery to take one back on a melancholic magic carpet ride to the days of record store dust and memories of old friends and lovers and celebrate the bittersweet beauty of still being alive and finding wonder in the simple everyday things we in younger years would not have noticed. Hopefully people of all ages will find the simple pleasure and wonder in these two rather touching ballads.
Yea-Ming and The Rumours ‘I Can’t Have It All’
(Dandy Boy Records)
For some reason I thought I had already reviewed this fine album, but I have not; it must be the latter stages of middle age setting in. Either way this album by Yea-Ming and The Rumours [not to be confused with Graham Parker and The Rumours] is quite a lovely steeped-in-summer indie pop album with beautifully constructed pop songs all lushly strummed acoustics and some quite lovely twangy guitar lead lines. Lovers of the Gentle Waves and bands of that ilk will indeed find this album extremely appealing: as do I.
Neutrals ‘New Town Dream’
This is splendid stuff, an album of supreme guitar jangle, of well written and catchy songs about life in a small town that at times musically reminds me of early Wedding Present and The Pastels with such wonderfully British lyrics; although I wonder when “Travel Agents Window’s” was written as he mentions buying a bag of chips for 50p, when was the last time you managed to buy a bag of chips for 50p? Maybe life in this small town isn’t as bad as the Neutrals think. I do love this album though. I love the romance of everyday life songs, like little mini Kitchen sink dramas filmed in grainy black and white. This is quite a gem of an album.
SWIFTUMZ ‘Simply The Best’
(Empty Cellar) 14th June 2024
I recently had the misfortune to hear the new Jesus and Mary Chain album; an album that lacked their normal magic: in fact it was quite dull. It was missing what this album has in troves, which is sparkling guitar pop songs, songs that jangle and chime with a wild abandon and ballads that are sincere and quite beautiful, like ‘Second Take’, a Sparklehorse like treasure of a track, or the Alex Chilton like ‘For Bucher’.
Simply The Best is a prime example of the magic that can be achieved when making Bedroom Pop. It has a warmth and invention, which when done well cannot not be matched for heart and soul, and SWIFTUMZ does it very well indeedy.
MAbH (Mortuus Auris & the Black Hand) ‘Wolves, Windows And Curtains’
(Cruel Nature Records) 28th June 2024
From your mother’s cunt to the coffin is an experience we all have. An experience filled with laughter, tears, love and heartbreak; of times of pure and utter despair to times of great happiness. And if we are lucky, the good will outweigh the bad.
In times when we are living, or at least surviving, through the bad, the good times can seem like they have never happened: just a brief dream someone else has told you about. It’s like they have never happened to you, and sometimes the happy memories just drive the nail into your skull, into your heart kicking you between the legs, telling you, taunting you just how shit life is at this time. We have all been there: if you haven’t, then you have never experienced life in its all so tragically naked beauty. MAbH has experienced this, and through this dark work of spoken word tonal poems lets you into the black precipice he currently resides.
Score ‘Temporary Arrangement’
(Cruel Nature Records) 28th June 2024
This is an enjoyable instrumental romp through the sounds of a distance past. Instrumental tracks that bring to mind the drunken early mornings of watching Ceefax and job finder, awaiting for the oncoming treat of sleep or to the soundtrack to some straight to video bad movie. This fine album captures all that is magical from the instrumental glory that is a cheap Casio keyboard, guitar, bass and a fertile imagination.
Brian Bordello and The Bordellos newest album compilation, The Lo-Fi Psych Sounds Of The Bordellos, is available now on Bandcamp and Spotify, via Metal Postcard Records.
Bandcamp Link
The Monthly Playlist For May 2024
May 31, 2024
CHOICE TRACKS FROM THE LAST MONTH, CHOSEN BY DOMINIC VALVONA/MATT OLIVER/BRIAN ‘BORDELLO’ SHEA
Representing the last 31 days’ worth of reviews and recommendations on the Monolith Cocktail, the Monthly Playlist is our chance to take stock and pause as we remind our readers and flowers of all the great music we’ve shared – with some choice tracks we didn’t get room or time to feature but added anyway.
Virgin Vacation ‘RED’
The Johnny Halifax Invocation ‘Thank You’
Chris Corsano ‘The Full-Measure Wash Down’
Essa/Pitch 92 Ft. Kyza, Klashnekoff, Tony D., Reveal, Doc Brown, Perisa, Devise, Nay Loco ‘Heavyweight$’
Hus KingPin ‘Tical’
Nana Budjei ‘Asobrachie’
Amy Rigby ‘Dylan In Dubuque’
The Garrys ‘Cakewalk’
La Luz ‘Always In Love’
Bloom De Wilde ‘Ride With The Fishes’
El Khat ‘Tislami Tislami’
Gabriel Abedi ‘Bra Fie’
Ibelisse Guardia Ferragutti & Frank Rosaly ‘TURBULENCIA’
Red Hot Org, Laraaji, Kronos Quartet, Sun Ra ‘Daddy’s Gonna Tell You No Lie’ (THIS MONTH’S COVER ART)
King Kashmere, Alecs DeLarge, HPBLK, Booda French, Ash The Author ‘Astro Children (Remix)’
Oddisee ‘Live From The DMV’
Amy Aileen Wood ‘Time For Everything’
Low Leaf ‘Innersound Oddity’
Jake Long ‘Celestial Soup’
Jonathan Backstrom Quartet ‘Street Dog’
Gordan ‘Sara’
Cuntroaches ‘III’
Morgan Garrett ‘Alive’
Cadillac Face ‘I Am The Monster’
Tucker Zimmerman ‘Advertisement For Amerika’
Poppycock ‘Magic Mothers’
Little Miss Echo ‘Hit Parade’
Olivier Rocabois ‘Stained Glass Lena’
Ward White ‘Slow Sickness’
Lightheaded ‘Always Sideways’
The Tearless Life w/ Band Of Joy ‘The Leaving-Light’
Michal Gutman ‘I’m The Walker’
Malini Sridharan ‘Beam’
Micha Volders & Miet Warlop ‘Hey There Turn’
Copywrite, Swab ‘Vibe Injection’
Napoleon Da Legend, DJ Rhettmatic ‘The King Walk’
Dabbla, JaySun, DJ Kermit ‘No Plan’
Gyedu-Blay Ambolly ‘Apple’
Brother Ali, unJUST ‘Cadillac’
Hometown Heros, DJ Yoda, Edo. G, Brad Baloo ‘What You Wanna Do’
Cities Aviv ‘Style Council’
Illangelo ‘The Escape’
Mofongo ‘Manglillo’
Aquaserge ‘Sommets’
Xqui, David Ness ‘The Confessions Of Isobel Gowdie’
Conrad Schnitzler ‘Slow Motion 2’
Noemi Buchi ‘Window Display Of The Year’
Hi, my name is Dominic Valvona and I’m the Founder of the music/culture blog monolithcocktail.com For the last ten years I’ve featured and supported music, musicians and labels we love across genres from around the world that we think you’ll want to know about. No content on the site is paid for or sponsored and we only feature artists we have genuine respect for /love. If you enjoy our reviews (and we often write long, thoughtful ones), found a new artist you admire or if we have featured you or artists you represent and would like to buy us a coffee at https://ko-fi.com/monolithcocktail to say cheers for spreading the word, then that would be much appreciated.
BRIAN ‘BORDELLO’ SHEA’S REVIEW SECOND REVIEWS ROUNDUP OF MAY – INSTANT REACTIONS.
_____UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE, ALL RELEASES CAN BE PURCHASED RIGHT NOW
___/THE SINGLES\___
Bloom De Wilde ‘Ride With The Fishes’
Bloom De Wilde is back with this lovely taster single “Ride With The Fishes”, taken from her forthcoming album, which is due out later in the year. “Ride with The Fishes” is a jaunty pop gem that has a faint jazzy charm that will seduce and then abandon you only to then return without warning many times during the day and night, and each time will seduce you and then abandon you each time, once more leaving you in the height of tenterhooks awaiting the magical all too brief tuneful seduction.
Schizo Fun Addict ‘Elevation Versus Sabotage’
As any regular reader of my Monolith Cocktail new releases round ups will already know, I adore Schizo Fun Addict: a band that never disappoints and one I would hold up in comparison to any of the greats from the musical past.
They have a rare quality, a soulful heavenly innocence and belief in the healing power of music that really cannot be faked. And with this, their brand new single, they once again do not disappoint.
The A-side “Elevation Versus Sabotage” is a sublime jumble of post-punk guitar jangle – imagine The Byrds replacing Gene Clark and David Crosby with the girls from The B52’s and stumbling upon Delia Derbyshire high on E and trying to invent Acid-house. And the B –side, which really should be Double A-Side, is equally bewitching. “Coming To You” is a blissful reawakening of hope, melancholy and peace that once again draws you into what was all to briefly special from the Manchester music scene of the late 80’s before it became Madchester – if only the second Stone Roses album was as beautiful as this.
Johnny Halifax Invocation ‘Thank You’
This is rather wonderful in all its stompin glory. There is something quite Jimi Hendrix Experience-like about it. It both rocks and rolls in equal measure, and is darn sexy (darn sexy is a much underused review phrase). Have I tripped (in the falling sense) and banged my head and gone back to the splendour of 1968, I wonder… Darn Sexy.
___/THE ALBUMS-EPS\___
Eamon The Destroyer ‘Alternate Piranhas EP’
(Bearsuit Records) 31st May 2024
If entertaining electro psychedelica is your apple tree then this bunch of grapes is just what you want to enlighten your garden of delight. Imagine Dr Frankenstein as a mad music creator instead of the twisted misguided do gooder with a god complex, this EP could well be his creation, with parts taken from various musical genres and stitched together to make this a monster of a release.
Psych, indie, electro, folk, rock and shoegaze are all dabbled and twisted with, creating tracks with a healthy dose of originality and darkness and fortitude, with a underlying healthy dose of anger. Alternate Piranhas is a fine EP.
Little Miss Echo ‘S-T’
7th June 2024
Little Miss Echo are no fools. They have decided to self release their self-titled debut at the beginning of the summer, as this wonderful pop album is the perfect summer album. And so those in the know will be able to soundtrack their summer with this album of supreme popitude.
The late sixties and early 70s Beach Boys and Jellyfish collide with Stereolab and Saint Etienne and Air to create an album of wonky pure pop bliss. This is music you want playing from your car radio as you drive around town, or to soundtrack your night out. This is music with beauty and melody, written with great style and songwriting ability. It really needs and deserves to reach a large audience.
Al Hotchkiss ‘The Best & Bratwurst Of W.A. Hotchkiss – Volume None’
(Howling Moon Records)
Is Al Hotchkiss the Scottish Billy Childish, a man who over the last twenty years or so released music constantly under various guises. Here we have a fourteen-track compilation of some of those songs and guises: and an excellent compilation it is too. Psychedelic 60s influenced Garage rock mingles with blues and country influenced songs of wonder.
Al really deserves to be better known and is crying out to be discovered by a wider audience. It’s quite a mystery why he has not as he is head and shoulders above 99 percent of the artists who release music influenced by 60s rock ‘n’ roll and Garage Psych.
This album is a must have for all Garage rock enthusiasts, and really Al Hotchkiss should have a copy of Shindig magazine dedicated to the great man and his music.
Michal Gutman ‘Never Coming Home’
(Cruel Nature Records)
“Never Coming Home” is a darkly beautiful album; an album of twisted musical discovery, with songs worthy to fall from the lips and the pen of the great Dory Previn; songs that pull you into a strange and beguiling solitude place, where you only have memories and fears and regrets for company. Musically stark and bewitching like an unused broken fairground ride: a bass guitar has never sounded so much like the faded remnants of an old lover’s final kiss. “Never Coming Home” is quite simply stunning.
Pork Tapeworm ‘Taenia Solium EP’
This EP is made up of seven songs in less than six minutes and really does not give you chance to get bored. Six minutes of spiky guitar punk rock with short and sweet melodies. Imagine early Nirvana with the post punk artiness of Elastic. A really enjoyable listen.
Lightheaded ‘Combustible Gems’
(Slumberland)
“Combustible Gems” by the Lightheaded actually lives up to its name, as the album is indeed full of gems. Whether they are combustible or not is open to question – has anyone ever tried setting fire to twee indie-pop songs? I know lots of people who would love to, but me, well I’m rather fond of the jangly guitar and odes of love gone both wrong or right, and the Lightheaded have perfected the magic of the jangly guitar cheap keyboard and tuneful melody down to the tee (or should that be twee). This is an album for all those aficionados of C86 to lap up enjoy and add to their collection.
Hungrytown ‘Circus For Sale’
(Big Stir Records) 21st June 2024
This is the fourth album from Hungrytown, but the first I have had the pleasure of hearing, and indeed it is a pleasure as psych folk with more than a hint of baroque pop is right up my street. There is a beauty and calmness to it that one can lose themself in and ignore and forget briefly the day-to-day turmoil that surrounds them. Vocalist Rebbecca Hall is blessed with a magically sweet innocent voice that floats and weaves its way through the musical sea of melodious tranquility that wraps itself around the listener: pure bliss.
A ROUNDUP OF NEW MUSIC REVIEWS BY CULT INSTIGATOR OF THE NO-FI, AND SIBLING BAND MEMBER OF THE MIGHTY BORDELLOS, BRIAN SHEA.
La Luz Photo by Ginger Fierstein
____/SINGLES\____
La Luz ‘I’ll Go With You’
(Sub Pop)
I like this. It has a feel of 1968 psychedelica without sounding like it was recorded in the 60s; a song that captures a hazy lazy summers day of yearning and going in and out of dream like states with the silent wish of eccentricity transferred onto the watching eyes of the passing expectant teenage wish monger who has just discovered the magic of Odyssey and Oracle. A woozy gem of a single.
The Tearless Life ‘The Leaving Light’
The Tearless Life’s second single “The Leaving Light” is a rather fetching blissful experimental pop song that reminds one of both early Mercury Rev and a Psychic TV. In a rare playful pop mode it features Johnny Brown from Band Of Holy Joy on vocals, who offers up the first sprouts of sunshine on the dismal horizon that has been 2024 so far. It’s a one that could well end up blasting from your local alternative radio station if there is any justice in this land of ours.
Amy Rigby ‘Dylan In Dubuque’
(Tapete Records)
I like this single even if it is basically Elvis Costello’s ‘Tokyo Storm Warning’ with different lyrics. But if you are going to rip off someone why not rip off the best. It’s better than ripping off Oasis or some other overrated non-entity. And the new lyrics are very good even if they are not as good as Elvis Costello’s ‘Tokyo Storm Warning’.
The Garrys ‘Cakewalk’
(Grey Records)
I like this single. A smooth sultry drift into twangy guitar psych; the kind of beauty that you would find on the one and only album Livin’ Love by the Feminine Complex way back in 1969 – high praise indeed. Hopefully The Garrys will not be too long in delivering an album.
____/ALBUMS\____
Poppycock ‘Magic Mothers’
24th May 2024
I remember playing on the same bill as Poppycock a number of years ago in Oldham. I didn’t realise they where still going, but I am very pleased they still are as I enjoyed their set that night. And it is always nice to share a bill with a post punk legend, as Poppycock includes Ex Fall/Blue Orchids member Una Baines.
Magic Mothers is their debut album, and a rather nice album it is as well. It’s a slightly jazzy psych folk affair reminiscent at times of the all girl lost Sixties psych band The Feminine Complex – especially the album opener ‘Let It out’, which is rather beautiful indeed. And my favourite track on the album, ‘Lizardman’ is full on psychedelic (another gem of a track): one I can imagine her former band The Blue Orchids performing. The whole album is joy. I love the mix of jazz, folk and psychedelic pop: alas, if only the last Zombies album was as enjoyable as this.
Neon Kittens ‘It’s A NO Thing’
(Metal Postcard Records)
I am pleased to say that the Neon Kittens are back with a new album, another album of post-punk no wave sexiness. I do love the Kittens. They’re a band I think are only a BBC 6 music play away from crossing over to the mainstream. And I’m sure that one-day will be claimed to have been discovered by John Robb as he was brushing his kitchen floor.
The Kittens have a magic and their own sound: The guitar wizardry of Andy G (In a ideal world David Bowie would not be dead and Andy would be his guitarist songwriter partner) and the spoken, I am going to shove my stiletto shoe heel into your yearning heart, vocal coolness of Nina K. The Neon Kittens are one of those rare bands; we need them more than they need us.
Nicolette And The Nobodies ‘The Long Way’
(Arthaus Music)
It’s very rare, that I get country music sent to me to review. Which is both a good and bad thing, as on the whole I really don’t like modern country music. But I do love country music from the 50s, 60s and 70s, and I’m pleased to say that Nicolette and The Nobodies have taken their influences from those decades.
I grew up in a house that was soundtracked by country music, as my late father was obsessed with it. And at an early age and I could sing the back catalogue of Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton and George Jones and many others off by heart. The greatest compliment I can give this album is that it would not have sounded out of place soundtracking my childhood, in that old terrace house in St Helens. An album that lovers of old-fashioned country music should add to their collection.
Tibshelf ‘In The Ellington Conception’
(Cruel Nature Records)
Can you imagine if the mighty Krautrock legends Faust had decided they wanted to jump the disco and dance bandwagon of 1976 (what do you mean you haven’t …what on earth do you do to pass the time?!), for that is what the opening track “Threshold” on this fine cassette reminds me off, all funky get down and get with it strangeness noise boogie.
The rest of the album is equally entertaining with the sound of Stings mate Shaggy getting locked in an amusement arcade with only video games for company on the track “All Mega” and the sublime “Faders” – my favourite of the quite excellent five tracks. It is always a pleasurable way to spend half an hour or so lost in the instrumental artform (with the occasional sampled vocal/voice), especially when it combines quirkiness, experimentation, melody and danceability in such a natural rewarding way.
Ward White ‘Here Come The Dowsers’
(Think Like A Key) 17th May 2024
I get sent lots of albums of this type to review; the power pop-tinged guitar-based singer-songwriter variety all of varying quality. After a while it can all get very samey, and if you listen to a few in a row you can actually get confused about what artist you are trying to write about, trying to find something a little different to cling onto. But I’m happy to report with Ward White there is no such problem. White is a guitar based singer songwriter with power pop leanings, but has a slightly artier feel; a man with a more upper class quality to his voice with a touch of the 70s Scott Walker, John Howard and lyrically painting pictures/vignettes with a precise detail that at times remind me of the wonderful Ami Mann.
So if anyone is currently drowning in the mass of power pop guitar based albums being released and wondering which to go for next, I would plump for this excellent album of songs tinged with a much superior air than your common everyday power pop offerings.
Cadillac Face ‘Songs For The Trees’
(Weltschmerzen)
This is a beautiful album; an album of lo-fi singer-songwriting bewitchery. An album full of heart and soul, broken hearts and tortured soul: the best kind of heart and soul. This is the best kind of lo-fi album, one that demonstrates that beautiful songs of fragility are best recorded in a way that sounds like it is going to fall into little pieces at anytime, as brittle as the heart that is writing and singing and performing the magic; proving that sometimes all you need is an acoustic guitar and songwriting talent with something to sing about.
CHOICE TRACKS FORM THE LAST MONTH
CHOSEN BY DOMINIC VALVONA/MATT OLIVER/BRIAN ‘BORDELLO’ SHEA
Representing the last 30 days’ worth of reviews and recommendations on the Monolith Cocktail, the Monthly Playlist is our chance to take stock and pause as we remind our readers and flowers of all the great music we’ve shared – with some choice tracks we didn’t get room or time to feature but added anyway.
Without delay, here’s that eclectic track list in full:::
Liraz ‘Haarf’
Lolo et L’Orchestre O.K. Jazz ‘Lolo Soulfire’
Benjamin Samuels ‘Crazy DNA’
Dirty Harry, Nat Lover & Shuteyes ‘Tons Of Drums’
Valentina Magaletti ‘Drum Jump’
The Alchemist, Oh No & Gangrene ‘Watch Out’
Junior Disprol, Roughneck Jihad & Stepchild ‘Doomsday Clock’ – this month’s cover art
Talib Kweli, Madlib, Wildchild, Q-Tip ‘One For Biz’
The Alchemist, Oh No, Gangrene ‘Oxnard Water Torture’
Sebastian Reynolds ‘Final Push (the darqwud remix)’
Distropical ‘Jagauarundi’
Cyril Cyril ‘Chat Gepetto’
HOUSE OF ALL ‘For This Be Glory’
The Bordellos ‘Poet Or Liar’
Picturebox ‘(The World Of) Autumn Feelings’
Nights Templer ‘Perversion’
Legless Trials ‘Huffin’
Leah Callahan ‘No One’
Sarah/Shaun ‘Dust Tears’
NAHreally & The Expert ‘Smarter Than I Am’
Vincent, The Owl, Nick Catchdubs ‘Bruv My Luv’
Midnight Sons, Midaz The Beast, Curly Castro ‘Marathon Man’
Sahra Halgan ‘Lamahuran’
Arab Strap ‘Strawberry Moon’
Nicolas Cueille ‘Grand Finale’
George Demure ‘One More Story’
Blu, Shafiq Husayn, Chuuwee, Born Allah ‘I’m G (OMG)’
DJ D Sharp, St Spittin ‘Profile Pics’
NxWorries, Anderson .Paak, Knowledge ‘86Sentra’
Marv Won, Fatt Father, Elzhi ‘Measuring Stick’
Room Of Wires, Station Zero ‘Sand Eater’
Herandu ‘The Ocher Red’
Violet Nox ‘Varda (J. Bagist Remix)’
Audio Obscura ‘Babyloniacid’
Morriarchi, AJ Sude ‘Rapid Eye Movement’
Apathy ‘Vaction’
Your Old Droog, Method Man, Denzel Curry, Madlib ‘DBZ’
Read Bad Man, Lukah ‘The Facilitator’
A Lily ‘Thallinx’
Micah Pick ‘Chiastic Crux’
Fran & Flora ‘Nudity’
Khora ‘Rigpa’
Rohingya Refugees ‘We Are Stuck Here In The Camps’
Kira McSpice ‘Get You Out’
Esbe ‘Little Echo’
Martha Skye Murphy, Roy Montgomery ‘Need’
Mike Gale ‘Unsteady’
Soop Dread, Morriarchi ‘Silver Surfer’
Sonnyjim, Statik Selektah ‘Chun King’
J-Live ‘Lose No Time’
Bless Picasso, Kool G Rap, Conway The Machine ‘Paper Spiders’
A ROUNDUP OF NEW MUSIC REVIEWS BY CULT INSTIGATOR OF THE NO-FI, AND SIBLING BAND MEMBER OF THE MIGHTY BORDELLOS, BRIAN SHEA.
Arab Strap ‘Strawberry Moon’
Arab Strap are back with a fairly funky poetic delight of dance beats and dour poetic yearnings of life. And watching the very enjoyable video of vampires and werewolves, this is indeed a song to get your teeth into.
Jesus And Mary Chain ‘Glasgow Eyes’
(Fuzz Club)
The New JAMC album, Glasgow Eyes, is upon us, and to be honest it is not a bad album: but it is not a good album either. Its quite beige in fact – maybe it shall go down in history as the Beige album. I am sure it will sell well and reach the top end of the album charts for a week, after all the Shed 7 album did ok, and that speaks volumes: that I am writing about the Mary Chain in the same sentence as “Shed 7”. Mary Chain fans will go out and buy the album the first day of release but how many will play it after the first week is open to debate.
On this album they have moved away from the guitar and have tried something new, concentrating more on keyboard and synths. And that works well in parts. I’m all for bands experimenting and trying something new, and at times this experiment reminds me of Suicide, which is indeed a good thing. But it is just lacking in good songs: the lyrics sound forced like they actually have nothing to write about or say, and the melodies are not strong enough to take the focus away from the quite bad lyrics – they reminded me at times of a sixty year old trying to dress like they did in their twenties and end up looking foolish. Maybe its not the JAMC’s fault that they cannot write the sublime pop songs they once did as we all have a sell by date, but I don’t think the JAMC have quite reached theirs yet: As a live act they are a band still worth seeing. But I feel on Glasgow Eyes they are struggling for inspiration; maybe they just haven’t got anything left to say and everyone has to make a living and this is what the album sounds like they are doing: a job putting on their work clothes that do not fit like they used to.
House Of All ‘Continuum’
The second album by the House Of All is quite a pleasing little thing. At times sounding like the Fall – which to be honest is no surprise as we all know that they were all one-time members of the legendary band -, and at other times not sounding like them at all. The first single ‘Murmuration’ is quite a moody alternative pop rock number with a melody not dissimilar to the Bongwater gem ‘I Need A New Tape’, and ‘Gaudy Pop Scramble’ an upbeat, I am sure, future radio BBC6 favourite, as will be the ‘Cuckoo In The Nest’ with its slight Mark E Smith vocal influence coming through.
There is a definably 80s indie rock feel to Continuum, which will no doubt be adored by all of us old 80s indie rock veterans looking for something not too taxing on our ears to soundtrack our middle aged lives.
Legless Trials ‘Get Yer Wah Wah’s Out’
(Metal Postcard Records)
The artful persuasion of the well executed guitar riff is alive and well, and is for all to see or hear even on this rather marvelous rock ‘n’ roll opus of magnificence; an album of Iggy and The Stooges meets the New York Dolls and Public Image, with a touch of the c86 guitar madness of ‘Someone Is Getting Paid’, which would no doubt be a alternative radio airplay hit if not for all the “motherfuckers” in the quite excellent lyrics, or the dark velvet like closer ‘If I Knew Your Name’. There is just something so life affirming brilliant about the Legless Trials that should be bottled and injected into the arses of the lesser guitar bands currently attempting to plough the same path of the one offs that are the Legless Trials.
The Bordellos ‘I Promise Not To Make Art Again’
(Metal Postcard Records)
What you have here is the reason The Bordellos – after being around and existing for over 20 years – still remain a cult underground band.
This compilation is made up of 15 tracks taken from our long and extensive catalogue; every song a diamond but an uncut rough diamond still hidden under layers of dirt and years of life in the underground. Songs that have such subject matters as dealing with the pain and anguish of being a Gary Glitter fan (“Gary Glitter”, the version included here was our radio mix – yes because we all know DJs are queuing up to play songs about Gary Glitter, a sure fire radio hit). Songs that deal with the ridiculous nature of the music business/industry and some of the people who live, work and thrive in that crazy mixed up industry – “Lloyd the Anti-Christ”, “The True Meaning Of Record Store Day”, and “For A Hit”. Songs of life in decaying run down northern towns – “Cuts” and “My Speeding Train” – alongside songs of love and depression.
We even have a song for nursery teachers to sing to their nursery children explaining the history and importance of the 1976 Punk Rock Revolution – “The Slits”. Yes indeed, fine songs all; not recorded in the luxury of Air conditioned studios and mastered in Abbey Road by someone who once farted in the same studio Paul McCartney whistled a merry tune but on old tape 4 tracks and hand held digital 8 tracks and ghetto blasters and mp3 players and clock radio cassette players, and Ant Bordello’s living room and bathroom. So hopefully you my dear friends will find something of interest to write about or play on your radio show or just enjoy, or annoy your significant other or children with.
Nights Templar ‘Half The Year’
(Paisley Shirt Records)
Anyone who has the penchant for early 80s sounding post-punk music should really enjoy Nights Templar‘s Half The Year album; a prime example of how bewitching DIY music can be. A steady simple drum machine beat, early Cure like bass and synths, single string guitar lines and Ian Curtis like echo drenched vocals. All very becoming, so much so that I might dig out my old long black coat and borrow somebody’s hair and style it in a Ian McCulloch type way: Or in fact, just borrow Ian McCulloch’s hair.
Rockin Horse’ ‘Yes It Is’
(Think Like A Key Music) 26th April 2024
I don’t usually write reviews of rereleased albums: there is Mojo, Uncut, Shindig and Record Collector about to do that. I usually like to draw attention to new releases, but there is always an acceptation to the rule. And this is mine, a rereleased ltd CD release of the underground classic power pop album from 1971, the wonderful Yes It Is album by Rockin Horse, a band formed by the legendary cult Liverpool Songwriter Jimmy Campbell and his friend Billy Kinsley (onetime member of the 60s hit makers the Merseybeats and The Merseys).
Yes It Is is the best mid 60s pop guitar album made in 1971: and I would say maybe the whole of the 70s. This album is up there, and in fact, could be superior to the much-lauded first two Big Star albums. It really needs to be heard by all lovers of the confusing genre that is called Power Pop or any lover of great guitar based pop. The magic of this album lies in the slight sadness and melancholy of the lyrics (which Jimmy Campbell was a master of) and the pure joy and downright catchiness of the melodies. There is something quite life affirming about this album it has the unique X factor – whatever that is. Sadly this is the only album Rockin Horse ever made; Billy Kinsley went on to have chart success later in the seventies with the excellent Liverpool Express whilst Jimmy Campbell released his third and final solo LP a year later, the beautifully sad Jimmy Campbell Album that sank without trace. Campbell vanished into the world of obscurity, and the 9 to 5 life. The man should have been a star.
I would advise anyone who has not got this album in their collection to treat themselves to this sadly ignored at the time classic and marvel at this example of songwriting artistry.
Filalete ‘For Family’
(Cruel Nature Records)
Fragility of the first touch, the silent escape of the flake of indifference that flows from the opening of the can of snow you keep for special occasions, the one that is a closely guarded secret closeted in the small pocket inside your heart, one that can only be awakened by the outpouring of both love and grief for you can only feel true grief if you have been fortunate to feel true love, for you cannot grief for something that you have not loved or still love. Which is why I am filled with grief when this beautiful album of short piano pieces reaches its conclusion. An album ideal for soundtracking both that love and grief; recommended listening for the quieter more reflective times in one’s life.
Picture Box ‘Mobile Disco’
(Gare Du Nord)
Picture Box‘s Mobile Disco is a very British sounding album, an album steeped in nostalgia lyrically – “a bag of 10p’s will get you nowhere” – and musically, drawing on the influences of Syd Barrett and The Television Personalities and early Blur, XTC and at times Luke Haines. There is a sad English melancholy and dark humour that runs throughout the album, the sort I always tend to find appealing. And I do find this album appealing. In fact, I think it’s a bit of a gem.
A ROUNDUP OF NEW MUSIC REVIEWS BY CULT INSTIGATOR OF THE NO-FI, AND SIBLING BAND MEMBER OF THE BORDELLOS, BRIAN SHEA.
___/SINGLES – EPS\___
The Blow Monkeys ‘Stranger To Me Now’
(Last Night From Glasgow)
Admittedly I do like The Blow Monkeys from way back, but have sort of lost track over the years and have not really paid much attention since their 80s heyday, which on listening to this their new single has been slightly remiss of me as this is a lovely soft blue eyed soul slow dance of a song: a lovely little thing indeed.
Amateur Cult ‘Eyes’
This is a humdinger of a single, all 80s synth and sax post punkery with a splash of Krautrock and a dash of the Silver Apples like genius. We have a fine radio friendly experimental radio friendly smash here.
Bright Islands ‘Five Songs’
There is nothing surprising about this EP. It is simply well written guitar indie pop that has a lovely laid back feel, and could have been made anytime over the last 40 years or so. And there is nothing wrong with that, at times reminding me of Gene, at other times, the Wedding Present in their quieter moments. And any lovers of indie guitar and jangle pop should enjoy this EP.
____/ALBUMS\____
John Howard ‘Single Return’
(Kool Kat Records)
With it being 10 years since John Howard and The Night Mail got together to record their eponymous album, Kool Kat records have decided, it being a good idea, to release the original solo John Howard versions. And as an idea, it is indeed a good one.
Just John alone with his piano singing songs of love and loss and sketches of life and characters; songs that dip and swoon into memories, just a man alone putting his heart into his art, painting lyrical pictures of the poetic injustices and the apple stork romantic eccentricities that invade and dive bomb our thought’s on a daily basis. John Howard is a national treasure: a lost pleasure. If he was given the record label backing back in the 70s his debut album deserved John would now be seen as the English Randy Newman or the modern day Noel Coward writing pithy vignettes on the UK’s ever increasing lack of culture and panache; writing songs with a style and eloquence and wit one can only stand back and admire. Single Return is a great place to start if you have had the misfortune of never hearing John’s music before; a fine album from a fine artist.
Poundland ‘Mugged’
(Cruel Nature Records)
Sludge rock, the sound of old-fashioned punk rock, metal and the slow grind of decay erupting in an explosion of bile and chaos and shambolic tension. That is the ideal description of “mugged”, this fine album by Poundland.
Recorded in a studio in a day, ala The Beatles with their debut LP Please Please Me, but whereas The Beatles captured the excitement and joy and the freedom of being young in 1963, Mugged by Poundland captures the terror and horrors of life in the UK in 2024: the poverty, violence and dying high-street where closing banks are replaced by food banks and people working full time cannot afford to heat their houses or feed their kids.
Lets be frank about this music. It should and could be the catalyst for cultural change like Rock N roll did in the 50s and The Beatles/Dylan did in the 60s and Punk rock of the 70s. We need a revolution now in 2024 and we are slowly and quietly having one; it is slowly building momentum and will soon explode in a beautiful array of sound and when it does Poundland will be there at the forefront with their caustic tales of life backed by the sound of chaotic noise pollution.
Avi C. Engel ‘Too Many Souls’
(Cruel Nature Records)
“Too many Souls” is a hauntingly bewitching album; an album that carries the acoustically sonic ambience of the Gene Clark “No Other” LP – it carries the same atmosphere, the sound of mother earth placing her arms around you gently caressing, running her fingers through your hair whispering that all will be all right.
This is the sound of sitting on a mountain by a gentle running stream lost in your thoughts and memories and hopes; listening to the breeze echo around the majestic Ness of the fading light. “Too Many Souls” is once again a truly artful release by Cruel Nature Records.
Curling ‘No Guitar (Deluxe Edition)’
Do not let the title of this album fool you, “No Guitar” is in fact full of the little bleeders twanging and rocking away in an explosion of Big Star/Velvet Crush/Teenage Fanclub and Creation era Nick Heyward. Frenzied weaving melodies pull you into the days when radio and music magazines was a must in discovering what musical delights you should be looking out for. Yes indeed, this is an album of well written guitar songs that could have been written anytime over the last 50 or so years; songs that could have been entertaining you, soundtracking your preparations for a night out in the local bar to watch some wonderful up and coming guitar band: which could in fact sound like Curling.
Yes this is the sound of the days before smart phones and the Internet got in the way of seeking adventure, of not knowing what the band sounded like before going to watch them, of taking a punt on an album that you actually had to buy to hear. Curling brings all those days back, and if it was those days and you did take a punt on “No Guitar” then you wouldn’t have been disappointed.
Jordan Jones ‘And I, You’
(Kool Kat Music)
I do have a thing for tastefully produced melodious 70s style piano driven pop, so “And I, You” is right up my Tin Pan Alley. It is an album that brings the joy of mainstream 70s radio to your speakers; music to brighten up this horrible depressing decade with a touch of old fashioned flared sunshine; songs that could be introduced by Dave Lee Travis or Terry Wogan; songs that have you scrambling back through your memories to “just what was that Gerard Kenny hit again that I used to like” and “did the sun always seem to shine in the school holidays those where the days when the transistor radio was your best friend and you always had chips for your tea.” Yes Jordan Jones is a wonderful throwback to better times “And I, You” is a true beaut of a pop album.
Mark E Moon ‘Resist’
(Cold Transmission Music)
Resist by Mark E Moon is an over the top gothic flamboyance of album; the sort one should listen to wearing ill-fitting velvet pantaloons whilst sipping red wine from an engraved silver goblet. Imagine if Robbie Williams had taken a turn for the Goth instead of making his Rudebox monstrosity, if he had been injected with the blood of Dave Vanian circa “Eloise” and decided to thrill his adoring public with the outpourings of the slightly dark and sinister, it could have well sounded like this entertaining album.
Resist has a pop sheen and a camp glamour that is brought into line with the Depeche Mode and very early New Order synth like greyness that makes Resist an album that is in fact hard to resist.
NCD Instigators ‘Swimming With Sharks’
The NCD Instigators were Tony, Brendan, and Desi Bannon, three brothers from Newcastle County Down in Northern Ireland who decided to form a band in the 80s together after many years of playing in various other bands. They took their love of metal, prog, folk and rock and home recorded several albums for their own pleasure, burning them onto CDRs to give to friends and family and playing the occasional gig.
This Album, Swimming With Sharks, was the 5th album and their first concept album; one about a young lad entering into the world of big business and boardrooms, and one that became a bit of a considered lost underground prog classic, with burned off CDR’s passed around like nobody’s business – this was pre internet days remember. It has never been officially released until now, after a cdr came into the hands of myself which I raved about and passed onto the head of Metal Postcard Records.
This might well be an album that draws on the trio’s love of Pink Floyd (post Syd, a band, as many know, I hate) but for some reason I love this and prog folk in equal measures. There is a home recorded warmth and a love of prog that shines through, and it helps matters that at times Brendan’s guitar playing is simply stunning, and that the songs are just so fucking weird: “Hammerhead” is an early 80s New Romantic, Post Punk and mid-seventies Pink Floyd on a collision course, that has one at times thinking of what the Orb would have sounded like if they had six pints of Guinness each before going into the studio and decided they wanted to sound like Public Image Ltd.
“Shark Attack” is an instrumental gem; a duel of guitar and Keyboard that shows off Des’s love of The Doors.
There is just something quite magical about this album, and it is sad that now it is only being released years after the fact and that Tony (bass and vocals) is no longer with us, having passed away in 2020. Hopefully this release will ignite some long overdue interest in this underground lost great band from Northern Ireland.
The Monthly Playlist Revue: February 2024
February 29, 2024
ALL THE CHOICE MUSIC FROM THE LAST MONTH
Let’s keep this short and get straight to the action, with the musical journey we’ve created for you. From the Monolith Cocktail TEAM (that’s me, Dominic Valvona, plus Matt Oliver and Brian Bordello Shea) all the choice music from February on one exceptional, eclectic playlist.
:::TRACKLIST:::
Bab L’ Bluz ‘Imazighen’
Liraz ‘Bia Bia – Reeperbahn Festival Collide Session’
Trio Rosario ‘Cuande Me Muera’
Masta Ace & Marco Polo ‘Certified’
Your Old Droog w/ Roman Streetz ‘Northface With The ACGs’
clipping. ‘Tipsy’
Bostjan Simon ‘Bebey’
Vatannar & G.A.M.S. ‘Aminat Pt. 4’
Will C. ‘Colossal Pound Cake Break’
Yamin Semali ‘Boo Boo The Fool’
Juga-Naut ‘Shampain’
Revival Season ‘Chop’
Willie Evans Jr. ‘Bargaining’
Nowaah The Flood & Giallo Point ‘No Speculation’
Black Milk ‘In The Sky’
mui zyu ‘The Mould’
Ariel Kalma, Jeremiah Chiu and Marta Sofia Honer ‘Stay Centered’
OdNu + Umlaut ‘Kaizen’
Louis Carnell & Wu-Lu ‘Eight’
Madeleine Cocolas ‘Bodies II’
Otis Sandsjo ‘OOMY’
David Liebe Hart & Jason The Cat ‘I Believe In The Unknown’
Kahil El’Zabar’s Ethnic Heritage Ensemble ‘Open Me’
Confucius MC, Pitch 92 & Jehst ‘Days Hours Minutes’
Dr. Syntax & Gotcha ‘The Urge’
Sly Moon ‘Aces Baby’
Reef The Lost Cauze ‘Umar’s Revenge’
Renelle 893 & Bay29 ‘Art Thief’
Kingmakers Of Oakland ‘Too Long’
Kemastry, Jazz T & Ramson Badbonez ‘Apocalyptic Flows’
Dyr Faser ‘Bronze’
Ryann Gonsalves ‘Lost & Found’
Oliver Birch ‘On Our Hill’
BMX Bandits ‘Time To Get Away’
DAAY ‘Follower’
Maria Arnqvist ‘Rubies And Gold’
The Children’s Hour ‘Dance With Me’
The Pheromoans ‘Faith In The Future’
Boeckner ‘Euphoria’
epic45 ‘Be Nowwhere’
James jonathan Clancy ‘Black & White’
Flowertown ‘The Ring’
twin coast ‘Forget To Know’
The Legless Crabs ‘Stuckist Manifestos In The Western World’
The Deli, Moka Only & Baptiste Hayden ‘Fivefourthreetwoone’
Ol’ Burger Beats ‘For The Family FT. Awon’
Da Flyy Hooligan, D-Styles ‘Gallery Oasis’
Spectacular Diagnostics ‘1000 Heartbeats’
Our Daily Bread 610: BMX Bandits, Flowertown, The Children’s Hour…
February 6, 2024
A ROUNDUP OF NEW MUSIC REVIEWS BY CULT INSTIGATOR OF THE NO-FI, AND SIBLING BAND MEMBER OF THE BORDELLOS, BRIAN SHEA.
___/SINGLES\___
BMX Bandits ‘Time To Get Away’
(Tapete Records)
The sweet and swaying beauty of ‘Time To Get Away’ is a lovely little thing; a pop song that swirls and floats and promises to leave sweet flowering whispers of love in your ear whilst reminding you that the pop song is indeed a magical thing that prods you into believing that Spring is just around the corner.
Daay ‘Follower’
Oh my lord have I been transported back to the 80s and watching a garish edition of Top Of The Pops with rah rah skirts and shiny blouses, with members of the audience dancing whilst trying to get the attention of the cameraman as he attempts to zoom up some poor young ladies skirt. “Follower” by Daay brings this all back with a rather fetching, very 80s sounding pop song – can you imagine if Tubeway Army and Kajagoogoo had joined forces and let loose on the pop public? It may well sound something like this, all whooshing synth and funky pop bass and stabbing guitars: A fine pop single.
bigflower ‘Lighthouse’
The latest free to download from bigflower is upon us; another dark and dense monster beauty of a track, a haunting drone that sucks one in and completely engulfs you, and has you feeling that you’ve just gone 15 rounds with a Xiu Xiu boxset: leaving you battered tired but triumphant. This is a real haunting beauty of a song.
Sleap-e ‘Leave My Bum Alone’
(Bronson Records)
“Leave My Bum Alone” is a fine pop song; beautiful jazzy chords played with a throwaway indie pop punk abandon. It’s catchy. It’s fun. It’s slightly Lo-fi. It’s what pop music is all about.
The Pheromoans ‘Downtown’
(Upset The Rhythm)
I really like this single. It reminds me of both early Go Betweens and Sebadoh, which is fine by me, as I love both those bands. This is one of those short and sweet tracks that leaves you wanting more; so once again I shall make a mental note to keep a listen out for their forthcoming album which I think is forthcoming early March.
The Children’s Hour ‘Dance With Me’
(Drag City)
Charming indie folk jangle that is what this single by The Children’s Hour is: nothing more and nothing less. And that is fine and dandy, for there is always a place for charming indie folk jangle in my life and in lots of other music lovers I suspect. In fact it reminded me of a slightly rawer Sundays – not that it takes much to be rawer than the Sundays as they where hardly the Cramps. So the single by the Children’s Hour is rawer then the Sundays but not the Cramps.
____/ALBUMS\____
Salem Trials ‘View From Another Window’
(Metal Postcard Records)
The Salem Trials are clinically rambunctious. They are never further than being an arms length away from genius. They have their own sound: their own model of post-punk if you like. They take all the usual subjects (The Fall, Wire, Gang Of Four, the Blue Orchids and Subway Army) and mix them with a no wave sound coming from the streets of New York in the late 70s early 80s. They release albums constantly – this is actually the first of 2024 though, and fits in nicely with the army of there previously released albums.
Andy still being the inspired guitarist that he is, riffing like a cross between Keith Richards, Tom Verlaine and Brix Smith with a army of admirers gathering in her Dis guarded nightwear, and Russ still being the nutter on the bus wearing the splatter ballistic cop t-shirt and spitting feathers at the naked chickens queuing up outside to be the first in line for the latest modern contraption while he is creating art at its best out of the fuzzy felt of yesteryears clowns hats. You really have to love the Salem Trials.
Flowertown ‘Tourist Language’
(Paisley Shirt Records)
I love Flowertown, they have a lovely lo-fi romantic rain soaked essence, a perfumed decadence that offers images of tattered dog eared well loved and read books cluttering the shelves of bedsit land: a soundtrack to alternative bars and local music scene adventure. If The JAMC where not two squabbling brothers but two lovelorn lovers they might well sound like Flowertown. There is a soft dynamic between the two members of Flowertown that I find quite beguiling: the whispered vocals, the simple drum machine and hand held percussion, and the softly strummed jangle that occasionally dissolves into the safety and comfort of a thin blanket of feedback. Flowertown are pretty much perfect.
Legless Crabs ‘Golden Chowders’
(Metal Postcard Records)
The Legless Crabs are a rock ‘n’ roll band the same way that the Fall were a rock ‘n’ roll band, and the same way that Pussy Galore were a rock ‘n’ roll band. If the Legless Crabs had released music in the 60s they would have been rediscovered in the 80s and fawned over, and be a constant inclusion on the wonderful garage rock compilations such as Nuggets or Pebbles. Not that The Legless Crabs sound like a 60s garage band, they just carry the same spirit the same anger and tensions. They are unhappy with living in the USA today and they vent their spleen in these marvellously short punk rock vignettes: not punk rock in a 70s kind of cabaret way with store bought ripped jeans and shirts with the ironic God Save The Queen slogan but in a “I’m pissed off and going to spit all the bile and art inherited from the ghost of Roky Erickson” way. The Legless Crabs should be on the cover of Rolling Stone. They are a band that could and should inspire a musical revolution. They are a band that speaks out for all the souls who think themselves a non-entity. In a short: a blast of thrown-away punk rock bliss the Legless Crabs prove there is still anger beauty and revolution in Rock ‘n’ roll.
Our Daily Bread 607: John Howard, James P M Phillips, Corduroy Institute, Charlie Butler…
January 18, 2024
A ROUNDUP OF REVIEWS FROM BRIAN ‘BORDELLO’ SHEA
__/SINGLES\__
Heskey ‘Crack In The Mirror’
Do you like Teenage Fanclub and bands of tuneful guitar strum? If so you are going to enjoy this blissful pop song of tunesmithery; it has all the ingredients one would want for such a release; if it was fish and chips it would just have the right amount of salt and vinegar.
John Howard ‘Safety In Numbers/In The Light Of Fires Burning’
(Kool Kat Music)
The brand new single from John Howard is upon us and it is a double A-sided thing of nostalgic beauty, two brief glimpses of how songs where written and performed, with a pop eloquence that sadly seems mostly a thing of the past. To kick things off we have “Safety In Numbers”, a sublime pop ballad that brings to mind The Beach Boys in their Pet Sounds days; wonderful harmonies drift upon a sea of piano tranquility. The second little pop gem is “In The Light Of Fires Burning”, which again is another nostalgic gem a song that captures the magic and sadness of growing old whilst celebrating your youth and memories through the joys of pop song: A song worthy of Sedaka at his finest.
Liam Gallagher & John Squire ‘Just Another Rainbow’
I was expecting nonsense I will be honest, but was taken aback by just what an explosion of nonsense it was. We have John “I have all the Led Zep albums on vinyl, cd and cassette” Squire showing he knows all the chords, and he has six strings, and he is going to play everyone of them with as little subtlety as possible. He has seen rock school. He knows how it goes. Is it original? No, we have heard it all before. Is it good? No. Did I want the monstrosity to stop? Yes! Not to be outdone by John “I have all the Led Zep albums on vinyl cassette, cd and 8 track” Squire, we have Liam ‘I have done poo poo’s in my pants” Gallagher once again demonstrating his vocal prowess; the singing like he has just been told off by his mum vocal emoting. And to show that he is not going to be outdone by John “I have every Led Zep album on vinyl, cassette, cd, 8 track and download” Squire he decides to demonstrate how he knows the names of all the colours in the laugh out loud badness of the lyrics. I once wrote that the Oasis song “Little James” could be the worst song ever written by a grown up. Well, maybe not any longer. It is a close run thing. So for that, Squire and Gallagher should be proud.
___[ALBUMS]___
James P M Philips ‘Spite, Bile & Beauty’
(Turquoise Coal)
Punk, folk, rock and a medieval becoming strangeness all collide to bring us another album of psychedelic whimsy from the head and heart of James P M Phillips: an album of joy, sadness, humour and pain. Whether it be the quite wonderfully disturbingly jagged “My Head Is Full Of Rats” or the quite beautiful folk strum of “My New Friend”, James has his own unique way of making music and writing songs; dipping his own original thought patterns into a hybrid of musical genre hopping eccentricity. And it is pleasure to listen to an album of short snippets of musical madness and joy.
The Incurables ‘Inside Out & Backwards’
(Big Stir Records)
It does make me smile when middle-aged men sing about growing up, as The Incurables do on the first track ‘When I Grow Up’. As I well know, middle-aged men who play in bands never grow up; that is the power and magic of music and long may it continue.
The Incurables are a punk pop band that performs punk pop well, and at times they remind me of Green Day but without the annoying singer and with a more bubblegum sometimes New York Dolls feel, and some quite wonderful Batman bass riffs: in fact, some just wonderful bass riffs. This music is no longer going to change the world but sadly I cannot see any music anymore doing that, but The Incurables have their place and that place is in any pop punkers record collection.
Corduroy Institute ‘Take A Train To Manchester’
I have taken a train journey to Manchester many times in my life and none have been as enjoyable or as interesting as this, or indeed, as experimental – is it possible to take an experimental train journey I wonder? Anyway, the title track is a wonder: imagine Funkadelic being sucked into a video game whilst Delia Derbyshire juggled fruit. And from there we are taken on a long and dreamlike journey, calling at stops that are both rewarding and disturbing in a good way.
“[A] Girl Named Philosophy” is a bass heavy vacuum of Scott Walker like lust and mystery – just how much I miss that man and his artistry. And I could be wrong, but Scott could be a big influence on the excellently named Corduroy Institute: at least they are reading from the same book or singing from the same hymn sheet.
I love how the Corduroy Institute take jazz, pop, classical and funk and mold it into a warm expression of artistic splendicity; from at times sounding like Japan tuning up – not the band I might add, but the whole country -, and you opening your eyes and seeing life for the first time for what it is: full of love, hate, sadness and joy. An album of supreme aural wonder, and next time you take a train to Manchester soundtrack it with this.
Orchard Til You Fall Down
(Cruel Nature Records)
Punk rock is alive and well and living in Cruel Nature Records. Another ltd edition cassette delight of lo-fishness from the label that offers you all kinds of alternative delights; this time supplying us with ram jam bag of indie punk experimental joy. With mostly just guitar and drums, and occasional bass, and some fine vocals it reminds me at times of early Siouxsie and The Banshees. And, with all its beautiful post punk starkness, takes you back to an old dive of a small venue that was full of cheap booze, cig smoke and battered leather jackets and dreams of your youth when the world offered the chance to make a difference and the future was coloured in the shade of weekly music papers and John Peel on the radio and local bands blowing your minds on a weekly basis. Til You Fall Down is an album of old hopes remembered: a beauty of a release.
Charlie Butler ‘Wild Fictions’
(Cruel Nature Records) 1st February 2024
Are you all fuzzed up and ready to take that trip to the local magic carpet store and fly your purchase home, but not first deciding to stop by the local fields to pick a few magic mushrooms to pop into your grannies soup and watch her explode into a explosion of rainbow colours, which Liam Gallagher will then tell you the names of as he is good like that – he knows all the names, he is a clever boy, it won’t be long before he’s been toilet trained. You then decide to soundtrack this event by popping the brand new cassette into your hi-fi that the postman has delivered riding on his old 70s vintage chopper bike; the cassette has been posted by some kind wizard who works at Cruel Nature Records, and you are more than delighted by the magic the tape emits; the sound of all your yesterday’s rolled into four slices of psychedelic keyboard frenzy that slow dances with some augmented guitar. Oh how the soup is warm and refreshing; like how your granny is warm and refreshing, her skin surfing with delight at every organ chime; a lovely of ladybirds sit outside your window marvelling at the aural majesty not heard since the golden days of the Spacemen 3 and those long summer days daisy hopping. The music is all that you hoped it would be, for music without hope is hopeless and this is anything but that; it is the cream cake among lesser mortals.
Fran Ashcroft ‘Songs That Never Were’
(Think Like A Key)
There is magic afoot, a warm kind of musical magic; a treasure trove of forgotten emotions that are plucked and streamed from the past 50 years and gathered together in the form of the greatest of artforms; songs that explode with a cheeky nod and a wink to our musical past, our musical heritage. Yes indeed, Fran Ashcroft has given us a strange and warm sounding album.
All the music that I’ve heard Fran has had a hand in producing is always steeped in a loving glow: From the excellent “Waiting For A Britpop Revival” – a song Luke Haines would sell his left arm to have written – to the McCartney like “I Believe In You” – a song worthy of the Pete Ham album “7 Park Avenue”.
There is a uniqueness about this album; a trueness and soul you do not come across often much in these days of music to be played on phones. These are songs that could have been written anytime over the last 50 or so years, with some quite beautiful melodies and great lyrics; songs made for and by a music lover…already one on my end of the year best list.
Cumsleg Borenail ‘…Plays The Beatles’
I am a huge Beatles fan and this album captures all the magic and experimental forward thinking music the Beatles recorded. These are some of the finest and well thought out and performed covers of well known classics; songs you can hear everyday by turning on the radio can eventually sound stale, but these have been reworked and reimagined to such a degree that they would have the avant-garde young 60s Macca waving his thumbs in delight. This is an album to be heard and cherished by all Beatles fanatics.
Monolith Cocktail Blog 