The Monthly Playlist selection of choice music, plus our Choice Albums list from the last month.
A couple of months back we decided to change things a little with a reminder (if you like) of not only our favourite tracks from the last month, but also a list of choice albums too. This list includes both those releases we managed to feature and review on the site and those we just didn’t get the time or room for. All entries are displayed alphabetically.
Our Monthly Playlist continues as normal, with tracks this month chosen by me, Dominic Valvona, Matt Oliver and Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea.
A Journey Of Giraffes ‘Emperor Deco’
(Somewherecold Records) Review
MC Paul Barman ‘Tectonic Texts’
Elea Calvet ‘Seasons’
Inturist ‘Tourism’
(Incompetence Records) Review
Eiko Ishibashi ‘Antigone’
(Drag City)
Timo Lassy Trio ‘Live In Helsinki’
(We Jazz)
Nickolas Mohanna ‘Speakers Rotations’
(AKP Recordings) Review
Che Noir & Superior ‘Seeds In Babylon’
Alberto Novelle & Rob Mazurek ‘Sun Eaters’
(Hive Mind Records) Review
Andrew Rumsey ‘Collodion’
(Gare du Nord) Review
Schizo Fun Addict ‘An Introduction To…’
(Fruits der Mer) Review
Snapped Ankles ‘Hard Times Furious Dancing’
Sonnyjim & Kong Artisan ‘Effortless, Almost Dead’
(Noel & Poland Records)
Russ Spence ‘Phase Myself’
(Metal Postcard Records) Review
Macie Stewart ‘When The Distance Is Blue’
(International Anthem) Review
Gregory Uhlmann, Josh Johnson, Sam Wilkes ‘Uhlmann Johnson Wilkes’
(International Anthem) Review
The Young Mothers ‘Better If You Let It’
(Sonic Transmissions) Review
Previous Monthly Choice Releases:
And now, the tunes of the month playlist selection:
Snapped Ankles ‘Pay The Rent’
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets ‘Weird World Awoke’
MC Paul Barman, Donwill ‘Killinagame’
Jansport J, Airplane James, Sham1016 ‘T-Top’
Alessandro Alessandroni ‘Militari in allarme’
Black Mynah ‘Colleen’
Che Noir, Superior ‘Sovereignty’
Droogie Otis, Boldy James ‘Everything Designer’
Timo Lassy Trio ‘Rumble Outro – Live’
Gregory Uhlmann, Josh Johnson, Sam Wilkes ‘Marvis’
Takuro Okada ‘Howlin’ Dog’
Inturist ‘Special Offer’
Elea Calvet ‘Bad Joke’
Sweeney ‘Love Is A Waste Of Time’
Eiko Ishibashi ‘Antigone’
Meggie Lennon ‘Connexion Astrale’
Apollo Brown ‘Honestly Don’t’
The Moose Funk Squad ‘Cheetah Piss’
Black Josh, Lee Scott ‘Aw, Here It Goes’
Queen Herawin, Pretty Bulli, Illa Ghee ‘Denial’
The Young Mothers ‘Better If You Let It’
Lord Finesse ‘Habits of Desperation’
Sonnyjim, Kong The Artisan, Lord Sko ‘Idiot Savant’
clipping. ‘Polariods’
Macie Stewart, Lia Kohl ‘I Forgot How To Remember My Dreams’
Nickolas Mohanna ‘Past Light Cone’
Previous Industries ‘Adriana Furs’
Sporaterra ‘Unglued’
PremRock, Sebb Bash ‘Did You Enjoy Your Time Here…?’
Flying Tulpa ‘Signless’
Andrew Rumsey ‘The Memorial Service Orders of Friends’
Nick Frater ‘One Minute’
Honor Saint William ‘THE IDIOT’
Puce Moment ‘Bugaku’
Alberto Novello & Rob Mazurek ‘Ricochet Edge Verse’
El Leon Pardo ‘Viaje Sideral’
Mick Harvey & Amanda Acevedo ‘Juliette’
Hi, my name is Dominic Valvona and I’m the Founder of the music/culture blog monolithcocktail.com For the last ten years both me and the MC team have featured and supported music, musicians and labels we love across genres from around the world: ones 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 or interest in. 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 say thanks or show support, than you can now buy us a coffee at https://ko-fi.com/monolithcocktail
The Monthly Playlist selection of choice music, plus our Choice Albums list from the last month.
So last month we decided to change things a little with a reminder (if you like) of not only our favourite tracks from the last month, but also a list of choice albums too. This includes both those release we managed to feature on the site and those we just didn’t get the time or room for.
February’s tracks and albums were chosen by me, Dominic Valvona, Matt Oliver and Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea.
In Alphabetical Order, those Recommended Discoveries and Choice Albums from February:
Cumsleg Borenail ‘Alone Again’
The Bordellos (with Dee Claw)/Neon Kittens ‘Half Man Half Kitten’
(Cruel Nature Records) Review
Brother Ali ‘Satisfied Soul’
(Mello Music Group)
Noémi Büchi ‘Liquid Bones’
Christopher Dammann Sextet ‘If I Could Time Travel I Would Mend Your Broken Heart aka Why Did The Protests Stop’ (Out of Your Head Records) Review
Helen Ganya‘Share Your Care’
(Bella Union) Review
John Howard ‘For Those that Wander By’
(Think Like A Key) Review
Oksana Linde ‘Travesías’
(Buh Records) Review
Marshall Allen ‘New Dawn’
(Week-End Records) Review
Mirrored Daughters ‘S/T’
(Fike Recordings) Review
Phill Most Chill & Djar One ‘Deal With It’
(Beats House Records)
Sophia Djebel Rose ‘Sécheresse’
(Ramble Records/WV Sorcerer Productions/Oracle Records) Review
Salem Trials ‘Heavenly Bodies Under The Ground’
(Metal Postcard Records) Review
Various ‘Wagadu Grooves Vol. 2: The Hypnotic Sound Of Camera 1991 – 2014’
(Hot Mule) Review
Kaito Winse ‘Reele Bumbou’
Witch ‘N’ Fox ‘Outfox’
Review
Yellow Belly ‘Ghostwriter’
(Cruel Nature Records) Review
The Monthly Playlist of Choice Music::
Jupiter & Okwess ‘Selele’
Snapped Ankles ‘Pay The Rent’
Phill Most Chill & Djar One ‘Born To Rock’
Ramson Badbonez ‘The Great’
Cthree & Sa-Roc ‘Gold Tablets’
Brother Ali ‘The Counts’
Pacific Walker ‘Induction Ceremony (White Women in White Robes, Clapping)’
Marshall Allen ‘Angels And Demons At Play’
Helen Ganya ‘Share Your Care’
The Men ‘PO Box 96’
The Model Workers ‘Sorry Again’
Salem Trials ‘500 Knives’
The Awkward Silences ‘The Eugenicist is Calling’
AIMING ‘Brianiac’
The Conspiracy ‘White Winter Coats’
Yellow Belly ‘Other Half’
SUO ‘Arms of an Angel’
3 South & Banana ‘Temperance’
John Howard ‘The Man Who Was America’
Mirrored Daughters ‘Unreturning Sun’
Panda Bear ‘Ends Meet’
Extradition Order ‘Consider the Oyster’
Kaito Winse ‘Waabo’
DJ Design & Vermin the Villain ‘Un Chien Perdu’
Confucious MC & Bastien Keb ‘Eyes To See’
Roedelius, Onnen Bock & Yuko Matsuzaki ‘Moon Garden’
Mabe Fratti & Lucrecia Dalt ‘cosa rara – en la playa’
dis.tant, Boundary, Reptiles Reptiles ‘Pasaje Por La Montana (Pt.3)’
Karriem Riggins Ft. Westside Gunn & Busta Rhymes ‘Long Live J Dilla’
Black Milk & Fat Ray ‘ELDERBERRY’
Kungfoolish ‘Recognize The Real’
Forest Swords ‘Lines Gone Cold – Deconstructed’
Oksana Linde ‘Luciernagas en los manglares’
Christopher Dammann Sextet ‘No Hope At All Other Than I Don’t Want To Die Today Pt. 3’
Hi, my name is Dominic Valvona and I’m the Founder of the music/culture blog monolithcocktail.com For the last 15 years me and my various site collaborators have featured and supported music, musicians and labels from across the genres, and 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.
Monthly Playlist Revue Of March 2023: Snapped Ankles, Tinariwen, Murs, ILLAMAN, Salem Trials, Anemic Cinema…
March 31, 2023
The Monolith Cocktail’s Monthly Playlist Of Choice Music
Picked By Dominic Valvona, Matt Oliver, Brian ‘Bordello’, Gillian Stone, Graham Domain.
Three and a half hours of choice music from March, the Monolith Cocktail Revue features tunes from our reviews and columns, plus the tracks we didn’t get room to feature. This month’s selection is courtesy of Dominic Valvona, Matt Oliver, Brian ‘Bordello’ She, Graham Domain and Gillian Stone.
____TRACK LIST____
Snapped Ankles ‘Planet You’
Sparkz ‘Overlord’
Spectacular Diagnostics ‘Political Monsters’
Anemic Cinema ‘Oneirophrenia’
ASSASSUN ‘Unfold On My Chest’
Man/Woman/Chainsaw ‘Back/Burden’
Salem Trials ‘Calculating R’
Ruxpin & Stafraenn Hakon ‘Unmapped Landscapes’
DJ Black Low ‘Thando’
Tinariwen w/ Fats Kaplin ‘Tenere Den’
Dur-Dur Band International ‘Wan Ka Helaa’
Adrian Younge/Ali Shaheed Muhammad & Lonnie Liston Smith ‘A New Spring’
Juppe ‘Fade’
Ramson Badbonez ‘Stir Fried (Remix)’
The Waeve ‘Kill Me Again’
Tilo Weber ‘Nacre Nacre’
Areia ‘The Deaf Man Three’
Sultan Stevenson ‘Summer Was Our Holy Place’
Chairman Maf ‘Deep Water’
Dub Sonata/BlackLiq ‘The B-Side’
Ali Farka Toure (Ft. Oumou Sangare) ‘Bandolobourou’
Philip Selway ‘Strange Dance’
Benedict Benjamin ‘White Noise’
Schizo Fun Addict ‘Over The Hill And Far Away’
Nivis ‘Rain On A Funeral March’
Saba Alizadeh ‘Nafir’
Frederic D. Oberland ‘Quatre Epaves d’Acier’
Qrauer ‘Foq (ANGRiDAD RMX)’
Carmen Jaci ‘I See’
Healing Force Project ‘Adrift In The Stratosphere’
Murs ‘Spaghetti At The Ghetty’
Efeks Ft. Breezy Lee & Steady ‘Grateful’
Rico James ‘All Candles’
Varnish La Piscine ‘NUBIAN FARLOW’
ILLAMAN Ft. Pitch 92 ‘Sometimes Relax’
AJ Suede/ Televangel ‘Terrible’
ILLAMAN Ft. Pitch 92 ‘Absolutely Tidy’
Che Noir/ Big Ghost Ltd. ‘Quiet Movers’
Niclas Tamas ‘Cosmology Mammal’
Tomo-Nakaguchi ‘The Starry Night’
Jman/The Argonautz ‘Dying Breed’
Farmabeats/Baileys Brown ‘They Live We Sleep (Pricks From The Thorn)’
Joel Harrison & Anthony Pirog ‘Critical Conversation’
Lukas Traxel ‘The Call’
Lucy Kruger & The Lost Boys ‘Heaving’
Smashing Red ‘Hot Sun’
Goodbye Karelle ‘Moonroad’
Halo Maud ‘Catch The Wave’
Night Noise Team ‘Little Shocks’
Ghosts On TV ‘Life In Plastic’
Salem Trials ‘Super Spreader’
$T33D$_uv-LUV ‘J.O.1.’
Quarterly Playlist 2019: Part Three: Snapped Ankles, Danny Brown, Trupa Trupa, Matana Roberts, Repo-Man…
September 26, 2019
Playlist
Compiled by Dominic Valvona with contributions from Matt Oliver, Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea, Andrew C. Kidd and Gianluigi Marsibilio.
Graphics by Gianluigi Marsibilio.
Reflecting the Monolith Cocktail’s tastes and favourite choice tracks from the last few months, the Quarterly Revue is a diverse musical journey; an eclectic international playlist of discoveries. This is a space in which you are as likely to find the skewered Gary Wilson meets Brian Wilson stained-glass psychedelic songwriting of the Origami Repetika creative hub as you are the conscious transportive jazz of Horace Tapscott. Brand new tracks appear alongside reissues and recently uncovered nuggets as we move through funk, jazz, hip-hop, post-punk, shoegaze, desert blues, techno, psychedelic, acid rock, space rock, and the most experimental of musical genres.
Behold…part three…
Tracklist::
Snapped Ankles ‘Three Steps To A Development’
DJ Shadow ‘Rosie’
Kid Acne/Nosaj/Spectacular Diagnostics ‘Crest Of A Wave’
Gang Starr/J. Cole ‘Family and Loyalty’
Danny Brown ‘Best Life’
Bronx Slang ‘More Grief’
SAULT ‘Let Me Go’
clipping. ‘Nothing Is Safe’
Bloke Music ‘Everything On’
Seaside Witch Coven ‘Splutter’
Trupa Trupa ‘Remainder’
Stereo Total ‘Einfach’
Los Piranas ‘Palermo’s Grunch’
Baba Zula ‘Salincak In’
Abdallah Oumbadougou ‘Thingalene’
Grup Dogus ‘Namus Belasi’
Taichmania ‘See Ya at Six or Seven’
Kota Motomura ‘Cry Baby’
Baby Taylah ‘Reclaim’
House Of Tapes ‘Melted Ice’
Camino Willow ‘Hollywood’
Callum Easter ‘Only Sun’
Junkboy ‘Waiting Room’
Elizabeth Everts ‘Contraband’
Bloom de Wilde ‘Soul Siren’
Badge Epoque Ensemble ‘Milk Split on Eternity’
Chrissie Hynde/The Valve Bone Woe Ensemble ‘Meditation on a Pair of Wire Cutters’
Swan/Koistinen ‘Diagnosis’
Sirom ‘Low Probability of a Hug’
Koma Saxo ‘Fanfarum for Komarun’
Matana Roberts ‘Raise Yourself Up/Backbone Once More/How Bright They Shine’
Die Achse/Ghostface Killah/Agent Sasco ‘Baby Osamas’
U-Bahn ‘Beta Boyz’
Occult Character ‘Half-Wits and Cultists’
Asbestos Lead Asbestos ‘Shrimp Asmr’
Repo-Man ‘Evan The Runt’
Issac Birituro & The Rail Abandon ‘Kalba’
Nicolas Gaunin ‘Vava’u’
Mazouni ‘Daag Dagui’
Mdou Moctar ‘Wiwasharnine’
Aziza Brahim ‘Leil’
Resavoir ‘Resavoir’
Purple Mountains ‘All My Happiness is Gone’
Babybird ‘Cave In’
Adam Green ‘Freeze My Love’
Catgod ‘Blood’
Frog ‘RIP to the Empire State Flea Market’
Pozi ‘Engaged’
Roi ‘Dormouse Records’
Origami Repetika ‘Winged Creatures’
Horace Tapscott ‘Future Sally’s Time’
A Journey Of Giraffes ‘September 11 1977’
Jodie Lowther ‘The Cat Collects’
Equinox/Vukovar ‘Lament’
Kandodo 3 ‘King Vulture’
REVIEWS ROUNDUP
Words: Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea
Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea joined the Monolith Cocktail team in January 2019. The cult leader of the infamous lo fi gods, The Bordellos, 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. Each month we end him a deluge of new releases on his virtual desk to see what sticks.
Toxic Chicken ‘Uncomfortable Music’
21st July 2019
I don’t apologise for writing another review of Toxic Chicken, as this is his 3rd LP in as many months, and this like the other two is a work of pure maverick pop genius: and not just because there is a four second track called ‘Brian From The Bordellos’ on it!
This LP has everything that I love about the magic and joy of music. It has humour and a madness that at times reminds me of the great Syd Barrett and the wonderful White Noise Electrical Storm LP. It is eccentric pushed to the extreme. Songs with the subject matter of eating politicians and love songs for cats and for Mother Nature and what is bad about England, but that track only being under two minutes long does not quite manage to list everything.
Uncomfortable Music is certainly an enjoyable and rewarding listening experience, and at times, the subject matter does live up to its title. But this album is a pay-what-you-want to download, so is well worth a listen. Another great album from a great artist: And I mean artist. And the track ‘Little Snail’ is the best dance track I have heard all year.
Snapped Ankles ‘Stunning Luxury’
1st March 2019
The whirring and exciting sounds of post punk circa 2019 coming at you like a extravagant wholemeal piece of chiffon scarred alternative disco meat; the sound of Devo fucking the brains and beats out of the B52s whilst the horny ghost of Mark E Smith watches on making cutting asides whilst stomping on the hopes and dreams of the not yet born love child of David Byrne and Lena Lovich.
This LP is one big extravagance of dark dance and post punk joy, the sort of album to soundtrack your wildest night out ever: sordid clubs, cheap drinks, hanging out with girls and boys who really should know better, the best musical electro porn one could ever hope to gorge oneself on.
Stunning Luxury is dirty, it is funky, it is experimental, it is blistering rock ‘n’ roll. A luxury indeed. One that should be enjoyed by all.
Anton Barbeau ‘Berliner Grotesk’
(Beehive Records / Pink Hedgehog Records) 19th July 2019
There is a dark playful melancholy I love about this LP, not the weeping into your hanky kind, or, the “oh I feel so sorry for myself kind”, but the, “I am middle aged and looking back at my life through the good and bad the happy and bad” kind. There is hope in the future kind, the kind of melancholy that Martin Newell thrives at writing. Even the cover of the Beatles ‘Love Me Do’ is enriched with a sadness the original misses; this version overcomes the familiarity by transforming it into a slightly electro reggae beauty.
But not all is sadness and tears there is also fine pop of the power variety: the sort Jellyfish so excelled at releasing. The Bowie Mott and the Fabs influences of course shine bright bringing a lovely old time Englishness that is so often ignored in modern music of today. This LP is a finely crafted pop album, with enough quirks and twists to make it a very enjoyable listen.
Simon Waldram ‘Into The Blue’
27th July 2019
Simon Waldram made one of my favourite LPs from 2016, the wonderful self released Insolation, an LP that dipped and swayed, taking in JAMC one minute and the next, beautiful swathes of psych folk. This, his new album, Into The Blue, takes off where that album left off, but is a slightly more subdued affair: Songs of darkness, love, depression and hope merge into a quite beautiful collection.
In these days when the acoustic guitar has taken over the electric, sales wise, there is certainly a market for LPs of softly strummed melancholia, and Simon does it far better than most; bringing to mind at times, the beautiful slowcore shimmer of Low (especially on ‘Breaking Waves’), at other times, recalling the magic of the Go Betweens and The Smiths.
The highlight for me though is the beautiful psych folk instrumental ‘Sea Turtles’: a few moments of total bliss.
Into The Blue is a fine LP and with the right backing and a bit of luck could well fight its way to the top of the overcrowded melancholic brigade, and could find favor on many late night radio shows. An album of real beauty and sadness and hope.
Moody Mae ‘Throwing Rocks at John E. Road’
2nd July 2019
Indie pop from Sweden is on the whole a wonderful thing indeed, and this EP/mini LP from Moody Mae keeps within that wonderful remit. Beatles like ‘Martha My Dear’ piano, lovingly could not give a toss female vocals, ba ba bas and lofi psychedelia join forces to force music lovers to nod their heads and grin like grinning idiots. And to think that this was recorded in 2005 and has taken 14 years to see the light of day. I think it may be time for Moody Mae to reform and record a full length waxing. For when a band has the gift of pure pop wonderment it is a shame not to share that wonderment with the less fortunate. A treasure of a release.
Radio Europa ‘Community Is Revolution’
(Wormhole) 19th July 2019
It seems like a weekly event that Wormhole Records release a new underground LP of chilled out darkness. This weeks release is by Radio Europa and is an LP of chilled out darkness with the odd offering of a glimpse of light appearing through the cracks of the drawn heavy curtains called life: The beam of light showing the particles of dust exploding and hovering around the thoughts of insolvent tomorrows and the broken promises of yesterday.
Gentle soft spoken vocals lilt into the wave of dark synth and drum beats that blanket you in the warmth of the cold that whispers sweet nothings whilst grinding a worn down stiletto heel into your vacant soul.
Community Is Revolution is an album to soundtrack these uncertain times; an album to close your eyes and let the music sweep over you and take you to the dark recess of your mind where devils and angels juggle with the happy/sad of your life.
bigflower ‘Night And Day’
13th July 2019
Another week another fine free to download single from bigflower. An explosion of post punk guitars do battle with horns and a bass riff so mighty it would make Jean Jacques Burnel want to call it a day and to take up flower arranging. When oh when are this mighty band going to be picked up by some label. For this is far to a fine a track to slip under the radar yet again. Blogs, djs of the alternative variety should be ramming this down people’s throats instead of some acoustic guitar charlatan whining on about how twee their girlfriend’s vagina is [like they have saw their girlfriend’s vagina! They saw an egg box and let their imagination take hold]
Bigflower are one of the most exciting underground bands around at the moment and we at the Monolith Cocktail will keep ranting on about their majestic take on modern life until the less with-it blogs catch on. Blogs, djs, record labels for God sake get your fingers out.
Why Sun ‘Frugte’
14th June 2019
Softly strummed guitars and deeply crooned vocals kick start this beautiful five track EP of softly strummed guitars and deeply crooned vocals; songs that bring the joys of Galaxie 500 and the Wild Swans oozing into my mind, and lovers of those bands and the many bands of that ilk should enjoy this. So give it a listen especially if you are hung-over or on the verge of doing fuck all.
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