Our Daily Bread 661: Fran Ashcroft, The Male Pattern, Cut Chord, Minot…
September 10, 2026
BRIAN ‘BORDELLO’ SHEA’S REVIEWS ROUNDUP – INSTANT REACTIONS. ALL ENTRIES IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER
Fran Ashcroft ‘Things To Make Do With’
(Album) 24th September 2026
Fran Ashcroft is back with a free to download, if you want it, album – or if you want a CD instead, you can message him on his Bandcamp page. Let’s be honest, who doesn’t want it, because as ever with Fran you are blessed with a warm loving wash of arched eyebrow and tongue-in-cheek lyrical observations about the world in which we live. Gently poking fun at the high and mighty and the plainly stupid – particularly the powers that be that currently run the USA. Things To Make Do With really is a fine album, and a gentle reminder that music can entertain educate and enlighten.
These gems of songs have fine lyrics and tunes that have melody, dipping its toes in Lo-Fi Pop, Country (“Key To Your Heart” is a song worthy of Hank Williams), Jazz, Blues and Psych; flowing from the cocktail-like jazz of “Truth Love and Justice” to the early 60’s pop of “Blue Over You”. Yes indeed, Fran has quietly without any fuss released one of the albums of the year.
bigflower ‘Opinions’
Single – Released 19th August 2026
A song of darkness, anger, dismay and bloody brilliant guitar riffs. Yes, another in the long line of monthly tracks by bigflower. There is always a wonderful dense and all-consuming quality about bigflower and ‘Opinions’ is no different: and this opinion is one everyone should hear.
Cut Chord ‘Demolition Music’
EP – Released 29th July 2026
There is a rather lovely peacefulness to the five songs on this EP; soft, beguiling at times, with an undercurrent of sadness and melancholy that reminds me of Suzanne Vega but backed by The Red House Painters: especially on the rather splendid “Unfurling”. Cut Chord could well be a duo to keep an eye out for, and with the right label behind them could find themselves attracting the attention their obvious talent deserves.
The Free Four/Salem Trials ‘A Weasel In The Meatsafe’
Single – Released 25th August 2026
The Salem Trials are both back and not back at all, as they have confusingly changed their name to The Free Four but released it on the Salem Trials Bandcamp under their own name. Anyway, no matter what the name says or may be the two songs on this single sounds like The Salem Trials – a post-punk cacophony of guitars and madness that may sound like playing both a Fall LP and a Buzzcocks LP at the same time loudly in a small room.
Herb DiamantE ‘A Delicate Stiletto’
Album (Nyahh Records) 2nd September 2026
A Delicate Stiletto is a wonderful album. I love Scott Walker. I love Marc Almond. I love Peggy Lee. I love the seedy nightclub glamour of life, the image of the ageing night club crooner singing songs of once was and no longer is, of failed hopes and dreams, of how he could have and should have been a star but is now just a rain-soaked memory; a soundtrack to the bar tender pouring a drink to a stranger with a tale to tell. Herb DiamantE is that crooner and he spins wonderful images of lost love drunken nights and faded glamour set to a wonderful backing of pure sixties camp glitter ball hotel jazz sleaze. A Delicate Stiletto is a sequinned glory of an album.
The Male Pattern ‘I Was Shot In The Heart’
Album (Audio Antihero) 25th September 2026
The Male Pattern’s I Was Shot In The Heart is an album of the timeless variety and a bit of a throwback to the days when singer-songwriter’s told stories in the songs: something you do not come across as much as you once did. I was brought up soundtracked by country music…not that I lived in Texas or Nashville but in a North West industrial town in England in the 70s where Coronation Street was more like a fly on the wall documentary than a soap. My dad loved country music and played it constantly, so I grew up with tales of gunfighters as told by Marty Robbins or Kitty Wells singing of Back Street Love affairs, and although this album is not a country album as such it has the same grit and the same blue-collar tales of everyday and not so everyday happenings and life.
I Was Shot In The Heart is a fine album of well written tales and stories like a modern Streetheart by Dion or The Ghosts Of Tom Joad.
Minot ‘Down & Out At The Thunderbird’
Album (Drag Bunt Records) 2nd October 2026
Down & Out At The Thunderbird is a lovely rambunctious affair of early Fall like post-punk and 60s garage rock splendour, the kind of hip-shaking benevolence the mighty Billy Childish and his many outfits make quite perfectly; the kind of album you might have heard pre-Cramps gig blasting from the speakers as you wait for the madness to commence. Well my friends, the madness commences as soon as the needle hits the record on this quite marvellous album. One to play loudly and often.
Neon Kittens ‘It’s A Raid Monkey Tail’
Single – Released 23rd August 2026
Another amusing foray into sonic blast guitar territory from The Neon Kittens. Lasting just under one and a half minutes, this brief but perfect slice of post-punk has one grinning like the cheshire cat after drinking a bottle of my wife’s home-made tea wine: not that she makes wine anymore, nor do I drink alcohol anymore, but who needs alcohol to put a smile on your face when you have the Neon Kittens.
Spygenius ‘Rhizomania’
Album (Canute Records) 3rd October 2026
Spygenius are back with their second album, another foray into whimsical British folk psych pop. Yes indeed, you could not get a more British sounding album if you wanted to – so British it should come with a pop-up Morris dancer or at least a cardboard one which you could cut out and stick on your mantlepiece. Which may be the reason it is their first release on their own record label Canute Records and not the American based Big Stir Records that released their excellent debut, as this is far more real ale and cricket than cold beer and Baseball.
Spygenius carry on the great British tradition of whimsical pop, one I would recommend fans of the likes of Squeeze, XTC, Fairport Convention and anyone who has a penchant for the Piccadilly sunshine series of compilations of obscure English sixties psych released a number of years ago. Yes, an album of Summer Fetes and Autumnal walks.
If you’ve enjoyed this selection, the writing, or been led down a rabbit hole into new musical terrains of aural pleasure, and if you able, then you can now show your appreciation by keeping the Monolith Cocktail afloat through the Ko-Fi donation site.
Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea’s Reviews Bonanza
(Unless stated otherwise, all releases are available now)
Singles
Cumgirl8 ‘Dumb Bitch’
(Suicide Squeeze Records)
If this song were a dick it would always be erect and ready for action. It is both sexless and sexy; a molten explosion of catcall frenzy. It is the way I wanted Wetleg to sound, instead of the pale imitation of white slacked disappointment that is made to appeal to the middle aged male wet dream fantasy of still being young and vibrant and with it. No, this is the real deal the real McCoy; this is the thing this is the sound; this is the true alternative.
Lucigenic ‘Joy’
I like this single. It sounds like a Blondie tribute band that has decided to start writing their own material. It is sassy tuneful and sexy, which all pop music should have at least traces of, and this is dressed head to toe in sass, so an enjoyable three minuets of post-punk pop.
Woog Riots ‘Beatnik’
(From Lo-Fi To Disco) 17th June 2022
I love this a wonderful fun cover version of The Clean classic ‘Beatnik’, a song of charm and distinction. And this is indeed a groovy rendition. In fact dare I say a version I prefer to the original? Yes, slowed down and jerky and quite simply charming with the wonderful organ riff, a true gem of a single.
Legless Trials ‘Dirt Bike/Failed Words’
(Metal Postcard Records)
Has groovy art rock ever sounded as groovy as this? The new single by the Legless Trials is a hep cat roll call of early sixties Cliff Richard twisting on a beach whilst a bikini clad Una Stubbs lies and suns herself looking heavenly. It is Mark E Smith drinking bitter bathed in flashing neon lights, flicking beer mats at a spinning disco ball. It is a psalm sang by a true believer in the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll; a bible of pent-up frenzy Jerry Lee Lewis salivating over the line of bobby soxers awaiting to pay homage. Yes, already one of the singles of the year.
Albums/EPs
Wolf Vanwymeersch ‘The Early Years’
Pop music for the introverted is a much under praised thing. Pop music for the introverted is indeed a thing, and it is well thought out and intelligently written. This album is such a thing.
It’s the kind of music that soundtracks the day in a life of a pop art vagabond, the kind of person who loves life but on the whole does not love them back. It’s music for NHS glasses wearers and charity shop fashion. Wolf Vanmeersch makes such art; he takes a melody and wraps it in a comfiness of a favourite old sweater, dipping into his musical influences and bringing out fond radio remembrances.
He might stroke the velvet collar of Bowie or a Billy McKenzie or Talking Heads; loving the glamour of 80s alternative pop remembering the days when music could change everybody’s life and was part of everybody’s life and not pushed into the dark underground. Music is becoming more and more of a minority art and Wolf Vanwymeesch understands that music is art and is indeed an artist, and the Early Years is an album that will appeal to those who still worship at the altar of art is music and music is art.
Team Play ‘Wishes And Desires’
(Soliti)
This is quite a beautiful album: the soundtrack of the unpeeling of a nighttime wish; the subtle crush of valonia, the strange bewitching aftertaste of your lover’s kiss. Vocal and piano accompanied by the swelling of horns synths and organs and flutes this is music that is made to fall in and out of love to. Teamplay have produced an enjoyable musical journey through life’s rich tapestry touching on subjects and emotions we all in one time in our life will experience, both happy sad and truly bewitching moments. And that is the perfect description of this debut album: happy sad and truly bewitching. I as I’m forever mentioning in these reviews I’m a sucker for boy/girl duets and this album is full of the lovely blighters: A musical heart play. Has ears dropping over a stranger’s heartache ever been so richly rewarding.
Spygenius ‘Jobbernowl’
(Big Stir Record) 24th June 2022
This is a manic depression of an album. An album that at times is manically happy like ‘Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da’ on steroids but like manic depression, under the up, lies an enormous down: as the sun is most beautiful when you are stood in the shade.
It is an interesting and enjoyable listen. There is of course so many melodies and chiming guitars floating throughout, which of course you expect from an album released on Big Stir Records.
Spygenuis are from Canterbury it seems, and that makes perfect sense as this album sounds so lovely and English pastoral psychedelic. That they breath the same air as Soft Machine and Caravan comes as no surprise, as they take these sixties influences and cover them with a modern sheen, which at times reminds me of Green Day in their folk moments. With an injection of whimsy or Squeeze on psychedelics Jobbernowl is a rewarding listen and maybe one of my favourite releases on Big Stir.
Ghost Woman ‘Ghost Woman’
(Full Time Hobby) 6th July 2022
I like this album. I decided this as soon as the first bar of the first song started. There is something not quite like many of the psych rock albums that are sent for me to pour scorn and flick my love beads into the waste paper basket to. Or as I now call it: the waste love bead basket.
For the first song ‘All The Time’ reminded me of all people, the Everly Brothers; I can imagine the late Phil and Don doing a great version, and that really does not happen too often. Normally I get the ‘I wonder how many times these blighters have watched Dig’. Saying that the second track does show traces of the Dig disease but the lazy vocal stylings on ‘Do You’ somehow save it from a fate worse than psych fest.
This debut album is in fact an enjoyable listen; one that takes in the sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators, the Everly Brothers, the JAMC and Skip Spence, and add a wonderful western guitar twang and jangle that at times is quite life affirming and magical.
Rogers and Butler ‘Brighter Day’
(Think Like A Key) 24th June 2022
A Brighter Day is an album that lives up to its title. It has a wonderful sunny timeless feel to it, all radio friendly guitar pop/rock, that has me thinking of The Kinks and Warren Zevon and Bowie, and is a record filled with really well-written songs with beautiful melodies. But sadly, it could well be an album that gets overlooked, as albums of well-written songs are quite overlooked as at this time. The music industry is overlooking artistry for the search of the next big thing: the next big thing being two young ladies singing about their trip to Ikea.
Rogers and Butler’s lovely little album does not deserve to be overlooked though as songs of quality and style are always needed to be heard, and hopefully should rise to the top, fighting its way past less the deserving and an ideal album to relax to as you spread your self over your Chaise Lounge.
