Back we are then, a new month and a new soundtrack for you to sink your teeth into. Handpicked – 20 tunes, old and new – with all manner of delights, ranging from nostalgic sounds to Swedish punk, jazz and British post-punk.
If you like what you’re hearing, be sure to share with your friends, co-workers, parents, pets and oligarchs.
Ripper territory from Chichester trio TRAAMS, one which keeps the vibe alive long past the point you’d expect it to end, racing through its 8+ minutes in chaotic and euphoric fashion. It’s taken six years to discover this, but I’m fully on board now!
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – The Way It Shatters
(Endless Rooms)
Whenever there’s a new album on the way from Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, the opening gambit always delivers – the Aussie quintet laying their cards out on the table, with it always being a good hand. Trust them then to tease the release of new album ‘Endless Rooms‘ with the brilliant ‘The Way It Shatters‘, a sun-soaked good time.
Cate Le Bon – Harbour
(Pompeii)
A delectable new cut from the latest Cate Le Bon record, the Welsh artist very much reeling you in with the 80s vibe of ‘Harbour‘. Composed entirely on her own, primarily on the bass, Le Bon plays nearly every instrument across ‘Pompeii‘ and in a similar fashion to previous album ‘Reward‘, you can really feel that sole, personal touch within.
Holograms – ABC City
(Holograms)
From their 2012 self-titled debut album, Swedish punks Holograms bash out one hell of an anthemic chorus on the infectious ‘ABC City‘. According to the press release from the time, synthesizers were a bit of a rarity in Swedish punk bands, something which they clearly capitalised on real horrorshow as evidenced here.
From a forthcoming 7″ out on What’s Your Rupture?, Canadian trio METZ continue on with their all killer, no filler repertoire via the fuzzy ‘Demolition Row‘. A bit moodier than we’ve perhaps heard before, it still packs in that wallop we’ve come to expect.
Vocalist Alex Edkins recently talked us through the ins and outs of the track, which you can read about here.
Folly Group – I Raise You (The Price of Your Head)
(Human and Kind)
The debut Folly Group EP ‘Awake and Hungry‘ ticked many a box for us here at BCFB HQ and their collaboration with Metronomy from last year was a total joy. With sights set on their follow up ‘Human and Kind‘, the Londoners have got another infectious number to add to their collection in the raging ‘I Raise You (The Price of Your Head)‘. Early reviews suggested the quartet were the UK answer to Crack Cloud, which sounds about right.
USA Nails – It’s All In The Context
(Split)
50 seconds of solid noise-rock from our favourites USA Nails, taken from their forthcoming split with American quartet Psychic Graveyard. ‘It’s All In The Context‘ carries on our favoured suggestion that you should be able to wrap everything up in 60 seconds or less. A solid sign of things to come.
Kokoroko – Something’s Going On
Proper vibe of a record from LDN collective Kokoroko that you wish could go on forever! The soulful jazz delights on offer from new single ‘Something’s Going On‘ signal a return off the back of 2020s ‘Baba Ayoola‘, the band having spent the past year working on new material. Crafted in the studio and infused with what was going on in their individual personal lives.
SASAMI – Call Me Home
(Squeeze)
Having very recently received a tip of the hat from Japanese Breakfast and with upcoming dates supporting Mitski and Haim, SASAMI is looking to make the most of 2022 off the back of releasing her latest record ‘Squeeze‘. Having previously knocked us senseless with the thrash metal stylings of ‘Sorry Entertainer‘, on ‘Call Me Home‘ she takes a softer, more beautiful approach, the track reaching glittering, transcendent highs towards its close.
Judee Sill – The Kiss
(Heart Food)
Wonderment on offer from 1973s ‘Heart Food‘ and the late American singer/songwriter Judee Sill. ‘The Kiss‘ is very much stop-you-in-your-tracks gorgeous, with no need to compete for your attention during its heavenly build. Andy Partridge of XTC apparently once called it “the most beautiful song ever recorded“, describing her as the female equivalent of Brian Wilson.
Bachelor – Back of My Hand
(Doomin’ Sun)
From the 2021 collaboration between Palehound’s Ellen Kempner and Jay Som (Melina Duterte), ‘Back of My Hand‘ sees Bachelor tackle the potentially darker side of fandom (as evidenced in their One Direction kidnapping video) against a heart-swelling musical backdrop.
XTC – Outside World
(Drums And Wires)
Having spent a lengthy period of lockdown listening to ‘Black Sea‘, it seemed only right to give the record that came before it a whirl. Intrigued enough off the back of a tweet from Mclusky/Future of the Left vocalist Andrew Falkous, the snappy ‘Outside World‘ was an instant favourite, capturing XTC at their most infectious.
U.S. Girls – 4 American Dollars
(Heavy Light)
A funky, disco-ball dance delight from 2020 single ‘4 American Dollars‘, reminiscent of husband-and-wife duo Tennis. The story goes that U.S. Girls (the work of Meghan Remy) has changed somewhat over the past 15 years, developing from a noisy, abrasive solo act into a hip-shaking pop outfit.
Metronomy – Love Factory
(Small World)
‘She’s so industrious…‘ From the rather wonderful ‘Small World‘, Joseph Mount and his mates Metronomy return with a new album and the loveliest apocalyptic tale of survival. Dark tones indeed, but it’s hard not to laugh at the little one liner style lyrics about fixing a splint and getting “that leg seen to“.
Girls In Synthesis – Enveloped
To coincide with a run of UK dates, noisy trio Girls In Synthesis bring industrial style moodiness to the table with the raging ‘Enveloped‘. Straight down the barrel vocal delivery from John Linger as he barks out “I’ve seen a glimpse of the future!“
Turnstile – Can’t Get Away
(Time & Space)
Having been mildly obsessed with the latest Turnstile record ‘GLOW ON‘ over the past six months, the love-in continues off the back of catching them live in Leeds the other week. Gnarly stuff on the head-nod-heavy ‘Can’t Get Away‘. Love that nu-metal style riffage and Metallica-esque guitar solo.
Big Thief – No Reason
(Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You)
From their mammoth new double album ‘Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You‘, Big Thief hypnotise on the wonderful ‘No Reason‘, the flute parts making the skin tingle! Love that line – ‘Like a feeling, like a flash, Like a fallin’ eyelash on your sweater, Threading future through the past‘.
Queens of the Stone Age – In The Fade
(Rated R)
Raise a glass to the late Mark Lanegan! When the news broke, this track popped up again and again on Twitter, bringing back visions of getting the long bus into college with a trusty portable CD player and a small number of chosen discs in a wallet. ‘Rated R‘ was seemingly always in there (even the bonus CD if I was feeling flash) and ‘In The Fade‘ remains a favourite.
Cold Comfort – Suck My Blood (Please Don’t)
Forrester goes fuzzy! ‘Suck My Blood (Please Don’t)‘ is the latest from the Northwich based one-man-band, destined for sweaty rooms with its Covid-catchiness. We were chuffed up to premiere the video for the single, which you can find for yourself here.
Gwenno – An Stevel Nowydh
(Tresor)
Box fresh new single from Cardiff’s Gwenno, the first taken from her forthcoming new album ‘Tresor‘. Her second full length to be almost entirely in Cornish, on ‘An Stevel Nowydh‘ there’s a definite 60s soundtrack vibe, but it also calls to mind the brilliant ‘Room For The Moon‘ from Russian artist Kate NV.
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