Tell you what – we love hearing from artists when things go right. We equally love hearing from artists when things go dreadfully wrong. A song that was a piece of piss, written in 20 minutes? Or years in the making and a bastard to write?
Whether it’s a song that came together through great duress or one that was smashed out in a short amount of time, we’re getting the lowdown from some of our favourites on the one song that they can’t stop thinking about – in their own words.
One half of the musical collaboration duo Group Listening, alongside Stephen Black (a.k.a. Sweet Baboo), Paul Jones talks us through the single ‘Frogs‘ from the forthcoming Group Listening album ‘Walks’(out May 10th on PRAH Recordings) – their first album of completely original compositions. Take it away, Paul…
“I was on holiday in Madeira with my girlfriend, and we went on a walk to an area near the coast of Porto da Cruz.
There was a subterranean river near a small coastal distillery that we had just visited, it was more like a storm drain really, and we heard this cacophony of sound coming from under a bridge. We went over to take a look and find out what was going on, and we could see all of these frogs gathered together, croaking en masse.
There was a distinctive reverb echoing from the steep concrete walls of the waterway which added this strange acoustic to it. Fantastic I thought. I recorded the sounds with my iPhone at the time, just to capture the extraordinary soundworld they’d created. I use my phone quite a bit when I’m out and about to capture sounds – like a tourist taking pictures… sonic pictures.
I’d been recording improvisations at my home studio using an electric harpsichord sound on a very ancient electric piano I like to play. One of these in particular I wanted to build on further; I thought the frogs soundtrack would be fun layered over it.
I had a simple melody idea that I could imagine on woodwind – just three notes initially, so I sent the tracks over to Steve and waited with excitement to hear what he would come up with. He went the whole nine yards and overdubbed quite a number of different clarinet parts, which created this wonderfully full orchestral sound.There were some really great counterpoints and harmonies in between the parts.
I did a bit more sculpting and mixing to get it all to gel, all the while with notions of some dusty mid-century classical recording. Maybe a work by Aaron Copeland, or Symphonies of Winds by Stravinsky – a little bit astringent, captured in a musty woodblock floored recording room, mid-sixties, tape reels steadily whirring, but with frogs.“
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Known for shared stages with the likes of Cate Le Bon, H. Hawkline and Gruff Rhys (he also wrote all of the strings on Gruff’s new record, ‘Sadness Sets Me Free‘), Welsh musician Gruff ab Arwel (a.k.a. BITW) took in the end of 2023 with the release of a new album, ‘Rehearse‘ (out via Klep Dim Trep).
Featuring clarinet, flute and saxophone assistance from fellow countryman SweetBaboo and with album artwork from H. Hawkline, ‘Rehearse‘ is a lovely record to get lost in for half hour, reminiscent of all the fine musicians he’s worked with within the wonky Welsh pop scene and beyond. Here he takes us through the album, track by track. Nice one, Gruff.
“Cobbled together from demos of various ages, the main riff changes time signature constantly, which I don’t usually love in pop music if it’s done for its own sake – here it was due to the number of notes in the melody rather than a purposeful attempt to appeal to the prog market. Working titles included ‘Here Today Gone Tomorrow’ and ‘How Does It Feel To Be a Lonely Eel?’ (all in all I’m glad I went with the admittedly more conservative ‘The Hive’).“
“Another song crafted from pretty old ideas, I’d recorded many different versions of this track under various titles (my favourite of which was ‘Month of Money‘). Its final form – a disco protest song against rampant capitalism – revolves around a sequencer line; at one point I was worried that I’d accidentally ripped off a H. Hawkline track but all credit to him he declined to sue.“
“Written during lockdown around the ring of my parents’ house phone – someone called while I was recording a voice memo and that kind of became a rhythmic backbone for the song. I tried to do sort of a free writing exercise while looking at a bunch of old photos, but the song later became more about that process than about the photos themselves.“
“The song’s working title was ‘Beard’, later dropped but survived by a reference in the lyrics to a man with a beard (possibly me, or it might have been a neighbour I was having trouble with at the time; either works). For a fairly non-guitary song, the song features quite a lot of different guitar parts – some recorded at half speed then doubled up, some recorded without listening to the track (I think I might have hit a creative lull and trying to overcompensate). The end guitar riff is impossible to play (for me anyway) – I had to cheat and use a special tuning for that bit.“
“Written and recorded on a nylon string acoustic restrung to baritone tuning, the title was inspired by / stolen from Georgia Ruth’s ‘When I Was Blue‘. I spent a few days working on the album’s lyrics in my local arts centre, who kindly lent me a room to use during the summer of 2021. I was keen to record other people singing because I’d convinced myself that recording my own BVs would sound too lonely (again I think I might have overthought this).“
“The melodramatic intro lyrics were originally written for a now (wisely) abandoned side project, in which I took on the persona of a crooner called King Prawn. The drums were largely recorded on a phone in the kitchen next door to the drum room in September 2020. It was one of the first times I’d been indoors with anyone other than my family for six months or so. I’d initially hoped to record most of this album as ‘live’ as possible but shit happens and this session ended up being the first thing recorded. Shout out to Stephen ‘SweetBaboo‘ Black for the beautiful clarinet work – pandemically recorded at home by Steve.“
“One of the first songs written after finishing the first album – as such it’s the only track on ‘Rehearse’ that features the Crumar synth which was heavily overused on the first record. Working titles included ‘07861493377‘ – the idea being I’d sing this phone number over the track inviting phonecalls at any time of day or night. I eventually settled on ‘All Time Is Now‘, a phrase I came across via a stage show about a failed cult. After some research I discovered it was a quote from Elizabeth Smart’s ‘By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept‘ which I subsequently read. It’s an intense and beautiful novel – I later found out Morrissey was a big fan so expect some dubious views expressed on Bitw’s albums in 25-30 years’ time.“
“I felt a little uncertain at first about having two “The” songs on the album but later found out it’s the most frequently used word in the English language so thought why not. As for the the saxophone solo, I was a bit nervous about directing someone to “just rip one out” especially as it was on such a potentially evil instrument but I think Steve did a fantasic job and I thought it was fitting to fade the rest of the track out early and give him centre stage. Incidentally I forgot to record drums for this song in the drum tracking session so ended up recycling the drums from ‘Old Hands‘ (sorry people who don’t like that sort of thing).“
“This was the last song composed for the record, written partly because I couldn’t bring myself to make a 9-track album, and is loosely based on chords borrowed from the background music of a scene in Elfed Saunders Jones’ ‘Ar Hyd i Bawb a Fynno’ (or was it the other way round?). It has the lowest lyric:minute ratio of any song on the album.“
“Another song based on an idea originally intended for King Prawn, the video was shot by Daf Hughes and edited in a hurry using a 1-week free trial of Premiere Pro. I don’t think poor Alex (who plays bass in the video) expected to spend the whole afternoon tucked under my arse with his hands sticking out of my trouser legs. The ‘egg shaker’ proved very hard to break – we had 12 glitter eggs ready to go but in the end we only managed to break one.“
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Eagle-eyed readers might’ve spotted the lack of a ‘Listening Post’ at the start of the year. We’ve been a bit busy launching a podcast you see – ’60 Minutes or less’ – live now, featuring interesting chats with Joe Casey (Protomartyr) and Paul Hanley (The Fall)!
That doesn’t mean we’ve had our ears closed to new music, mind. Alongside our bumper playlist for the year (bringing together everything great throughout 2024), the ‘Listening Post’ returns this month and it’s full of good stuff!
Ease out of January and into February with 20 tunes, old and new – be sure to tell your friends / family / pets too!
With a name that roughly translates as “music from the garbage”, Ugandan outfit Fulu Miziki look like superheroes from an early 80s Troma film series, decked out in eye-boggling attire, playing a number of instruments that they themselves have upcycled. Latest single ‘Pieteron’ is a heart-racing mover-and-shaker to get your body bopping!
Off the back of releasing brutal standalone single ’No Convenient Apocalypse’ last year (one of our Top 50 songs of 2023!), Pennsylvania’s Pissed Jeans look to 2024 with the release of their sixth album, ’Half Divorced’. Lead single ‘Moving On’ treads a little lighter than the last single, but still thunders ahead in chest-pumping fashion, the chorus becoming an instant earworm after just one go.
Early contender for single of the year, ‘How To Feel Uncomfortable’ is a riveting, Cate Le Bon style wonk-pop affair that’s had us hooked since it was released early last month. There’s a hint of LUMP in the mix too, which makes sense given that the new album from Dana Gavanski was recorded with MikeLindsay at his studio in Margate.
Rejoice – a new year comes with news of a new record from BODEGA! The new Yorkers have dipped into their back catalogue, putting together a new record of material originally written almost a decade ago. Anthemic lead single ‘Tarkovski’ is a joy, capturing everything we love about the outfit in a sparkling four minute package. TAKE ME TO THE ZONE!
PUMP! PUMP! PUMP UP THE PYRAMID! Ahead of releasing their fourth full length later this month (via Sub Pop), Atlanta’s Omni return with possibly their catchiest single to date. Featuring the fitting coolness of guest vocalist Izzy Glaudini (a first for the trio), ‘Plastic Pyramid’ is a swish post-punk delight and yet another addictive addition to their oeuvre.
Sounding very much like a ‘Rated R’ b-side, Californian cool lad Ty Segall once again shines with a groove-tastic, fuzzy number about his canine companions, Fanny and Herman. As a dog owner, I sing to my own dog constantly throughout the day, so I feel a kinship with Ty and the gnarly ripper that is ‘MyBestFriend’.
Following the release of their debut album ‘Audio Drag For Ego Slobs’ in 2021, Brooklyn’s Gustaf return this spring with its follow up, ‘Package Pt. 2’. Groovy new single ‘Starting and Staring’ is a stone cold bop, capturing some of the energy and intensity that vocalist Lydia Gammill and the rest of the crew bring to their live shows.
I love how as soon as the chorus hits in this one, it’s like – oh that’s one of the Savage’s! Switching out drums for guitar and taking on shared vocal duties, Max Savage (ParquetCourts) fronts the aptly named Maxband. Latest single ‘Nothing’s Changed’, from their forthcoming debut album, is a swish indie-rock number with some bite.
Sounding not too dissimilar to ‘Blowdry Colossus’, the latest solo album from Peter Brewis of FieldMusic, ‘Behind the Moon’ is a brilliantly wonky pop piece of the ‘Mother Earth’s Plantasia’ variety. From a recently “unearthed” self-titled debut album recorded in Rio de Janeiro in 1976 from progressive Brazilian instrumental musician Marcos Resende.
We were filled with utter delight upon waking up one morning in January to discover The Minneapolis Uranium Club had not only resurfaced, but that there’d be a new album on the way – their first since ‘The Cosmo Cleaners’ back in 2019. New single ‘Small Grey Man’ is a total trip, their quirky DEVO vibes making for a welcome return.
Oh we do love rapid-fire synth-punk gnarliness on Birthday Cake For Breakfast. Dig this from Los Angles outfit Diode, a super catchy speed-run that packs in so much, but is somehow just over a minute long (just how we like It!)
From Birkenhead with love, amazingly it’s taken me 20 years to discover the brilliant ‘She’s In Broadstairs’, but there’s no looking back now. Piss-funny and invigorating all at once, a top turn from Half Man Half Biscuit.
Psych-pop funkiness on this infectious cut from Jane Weaver, ‘Perfect Storm’ being the opener from her forthcoming new album ‘Love In Constant Spectacle’, out this April. It’s more than easy to get lost in this proper hypnotic, cosmic jam.
As a massive fan of Savage’s 2017 solo debut, ‘Thawing Dawn’, I was chuffed up to see the ParquetCourts vocalist return once more in a solo capacity with the release of new album, ‘Several Songs About Fire’. Closer ‘Out Of Focus’ is a heart-swelling slice of loveliness that sounds like the perfect soundtrack to a sunny Sunday jaunt in a sleepy European village.
Off the back of a few knockout singles these past few years, Leeds / Wakefield collective Drahla finally follow up their 2019 debut album ‘Useless Coordinates’ with a full length, due out this spring. As they so often do, Drahla knock it out of the park instantly, new single ‘Default Parody’ being a jagged post-punk head-wrecker, elevated as ever by the cucumber cool vocal of Luciel Brown.
Making their label debut with One Little Independent Records next month, USA Nails kick off new album ‘Feel Worse’ with the gnarly, chaotic ’Cathartic Entertainment’, yet another blistering ear-ringer that has had us making that smell-the-shit face all month. What a way to open a record!
Sounding like the sort of thing David Earl would cook up for a jingle on Chatabix, Donny Benét’s ‘American Dream’ is a total nostalgic funk-fest. With an aesthetic not too dissimilar to fellow countryman / weirdo Alex Cameron, it’s taken a sixth album for us to discover Benét, but with ‘Infinite Desires’, we’re happy to be on board.
It feels very on brand for Group Listening to open up their newest single ‘Frogs’ with – you guessed it – 60 seconds worth of frogs chattering away. The ongoing musical collaboration between Paul Jones and Stephen Black (a.k.a. Sweet Baboo), their forthcoming album ‘Walks’ will be their first collection of completely original compositions. With a hint of an Italian cinema score to it, ‘Frogs’ is a luscious pool to swim in.
Love an oddball vocal, me! On top of a moody but inviting, keep-you-on-your-toes instrumental, vocalist Katie Healy captivates on ‘It’s The Squeeze‘ with an almost theatrical performance. Freshly signed to Fascination Street Records, one gets the feeling we’ll be hearing a lot more from Londoners Dog Race!
A decade on from the release of their self-titled debut album, Ibibio Sound Machine have just announced a new album is on the way – ‘Pull The Rope’ – the news arriving via show-stopping, sultry dance-a-thon lead single ‘Got To Be Who U Are’. London-born Nigerian vocalist Eno Williams graces the records cover once again and rightly so, having put on the usual powerhouse performance as expected!
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Well bugger me if it isn’t already November. Now that spooky season is behind us, we march on towards the big day – but not before whipping through November.
Our new playlist for the month is now live featuring 20 tunes, old and new. From wonky Russian alt-pop to ultra-pleasant Indonesia inspired jazz – It’s all here for the taking.
Tell your mum, tell your mates but please – leave the fireworks out if it this year, yeah? Dogs hate it.
Energising sprint from Canadian collective Crack Cloud, taken from their latest release, ‘Tough Baby‘. Vocalist Zach Choy gets all wonky with his mile-a-minute vocal delivery, ‘Virtuous Industry‘ capturing everything that we love about the outfit. Plug this one right into my nut!
Written by fellow countryman and collaborator H. Hawkline, the new single from Sweet Baboo is a sun-soaked, heavenly wee number that has more than a touch of The Kinks about it in the vocals. From a forthcoming new album on his own label (Amazing Tapes from Canton), it’s the first Sweet Baboo release since 2017s terrific ‘Wild Imagination‘ (though Baboo a.k.a. Stephen Black has spent the intervening years touring with the likes of Cate Le Bon and releasing records with Paul Jones as Group Listening).
Sweet Baboo recently gave us the low-down on the single – read that here.
From his debut album post-Pavement, Malkmus brings that catchiness with him on the wicked ‘Jo Jo’s Jacket‘. Not a moment wasted, this has good times running through its middle like a stick of Blackpool rock. Nod of the head to the Yul Brynner and ‘Westworld’ references too.
Following her wonderful 2020 album ‘Room for the Moon‘, Russian artist Kate Shilonosova a.k.a. Kate NV goes full on art-pop with her latest single, ‘Early Bird‘. Funky as hell (with bass parts fresh out of ‘Les Aventures de TINTIN‘) but full of quirks (and chirping, tweeting birdsong), it sounds like it’s come straight off the soundtrack of PlayStation platformer ‘Croc: Legend of the Gobbos‘ (obviously a good thing).
The opener from her forthcoming solo debut, we welcome back Nice Biscuit via this from co-front woman Grace Cuell, a.k.a. Baby Cool.There’s a real dream-like quality to ‘The Sea’ – all vibe, it’s an enchanting offering from the Australia-based artist that has a bit of Cate Le Bon about it.
Emma Pollock, one of the founding members of cult Scottish alt-rock group The Delgados, truly captivates on ‘Hug The Harbour‘. From her second album ‘The Law Of Large Numbers‘ out in 2010, it’s all driving forward during the verses, the drumming keeping you on your toes as you hang onto every word from the vocalist.
Fuzzy heart-stopper here from the brilliantly named Natasha Sandworms. Eight minutes fly by in an instant, a haze of washed out guitar and soft, distant vocal, the guitar work taking on a nostalgic tone at points, reminiscent of early New Order.
Another winner from the never-miss Brighton five-piece Public Body, we’ve banged on about this lot for years and seemingly will continue to do so when they churn out rippers like this. From their debut release on FatCat Records, ‘35s & 40s‘ propels forward with a DEVO synth attack and hardly lets up across its five minutes.
What a swagger The Cowboys have about them. Would you expect anything less from a crew with a name like that? From a 2016 cassette release, ‘After Sunset‘ is a real treat from the Bloomington, Indiana outfit, vocalist Keith Harman really putting it out there with a twinge of a country and western great about him.
DeMarco and Mount on the same record? Woof! From the tremendously titled album ‘Born A Loser‘, French artist Myd’s cheery whistle-fest ‘Moving Men‘ gets a proper moody Metronomy makeover. Metronomy main man Joseph Mount and Mac DeMarco go back to back on the vocals with Myd to elevate the single into the stratosphere.
Denée Segall returns once again as The C.I.A., with husband Ty and Emmett Kelly backing her up, the trio busting out the fuzz for the covid-catchy ‘Impersonator‘. Flitting between cool customer and Valley Girl, Segall’s vocals keep you hooked whilst the double bass thud of Kelly and Ty rattles the ears.
Mid-October had me all g’d up for Massachusetts mainstays Dinosaur Jr.,when the trio visited Manchester for a proper head-banging affair. A dipped toe previously, sure, but homework was undertaken prior to the show and in all the cramming, ‘Start Choppin’‘ was a major standout amongst all the gold. Solid.
On ‘Cogito‘, Pascal Bideau – the French-born, London based composer, multi-instrumentalist and producer – reminds us so much of fellow Frenchman (via Canada) Mathieu David Gagnon a.k.a. Flore Laurentienne. Inspired in part by a visit to Indonesia, where Bideua immersed himself in traditional Gamelan and gong music, ‘Cogito‘ is such a delightful, hypnotising piece.
From the long awaited follow up to ‘Big Balloon‘ (which the internet tells me came out in 2017?!), Manchester’s goodest boys Dutch Uncles return with the scintillating ‘True Entertainment‘. The art-poppers have clearly not missed a beat in their time away, crafting yet another bop to add to their ever-growing collection. The skills pay the bills.
Fairly soon, people are going to start asking you if you’ve watched ‘The Bear‘ yet. Save yourself the embarrassment and get it watched. From its soundtrack comes this, a collab between LA producer Kenny Segal and Chicago rapper Serengeti, which in itself feels like an episode of the hit TV show condensed into just shy of four minutes.
A choice slot supporting Tricot the other month in that London is a good indicator of where Kyoto Kyoto are up to. The London based trio released their debut EP ‘Mirror Flexing Jaw‘ at the start of the year and from it, ‘Fenderr‘ has really gripped us. Calling to mind the likes of Squid and The Homesick, it’s proper energising stuff.
Taken from their forthcoming fifth album ‘Comradely Objects‘, Baltimore, Maryland quartet Horse Lords are all about the build on ‘Zero Degree Machine‘. Hypnotising and then some, the instrumental threatens to fly off track again and again but really rewards you for locking in. Proper rad.
Blacklisters know where it’s at. Long live the ‘Leisure Centre’. Fond memories of post-swim hot chocolates from the vending machine at Madeley Court as a youngster… The title track from the latest Blacklisters release is pure gnarliness, a proper Pissed Jeans-esque thudder to get your neck jamming.
Sugar-rush, anthemic poppy punk from Martha, the Durham lot hitting the ground running with the opener from their latest record, ‘Please Don’t Take Me Back‘. That chorus is pure energy and impossible not to love. Dig those killer J Mascis style guitar parts!
Martha recently gave us the low-down on the title track – read that here.
With no fewer than nine versions of the song out there (each in a different language), New York art-punks BODEGA really put the graft in for this cut from their second album ‘Broken Equipment‘. Anthemic is the name of the game with ‘Statuette On The Console‘, a track which reminds us quite a bit of fellow New Yorkers Blondie.
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Tell you what – we love hearing from artists when things go right. We equally love hearing from artists when things go dreadfully wrong. A song that was a piece of piss, written in 20 minutes? Or years in the making and a bastard to write?
Whether it’s a song that came together through great duress or one that was smashed out in a short amount of time, we’re getting the lowdown from some of our favourites on the one song that they can’t stop thinking about – in their own words.
Sweet Baboo has just announced a new album is on the way in January 2023 – ‘The Wreckage‘, the first full-length release on his own label Amazing Tapes from Canton! With new single ‘Good Luck’ now out in the open, Sweet Baboo a.k.a. Stephen Black, talks us through its background, with a nod to Ian Hunter. Take it away, Stephen…
“This one song wasn’t actually written by myself but by my friend, H. Hawkline. Imagine when David Bowie gave Mott The Hoople the song ‘All The Young Dudes’, well it’s a bit like that and I’m Ian Hunter.
I never asked him what the song was about but it’s incredibly catchy.
It was recorded in Clarbeston in West Wales in a converted chapel and features the talents of David Newington on drums, Paul Jones on keyboards and H. Hawkline on bass and electric guitar. It’s the only bit of electric guitar on the whole album. That’s a good pub quiz fact.
The video is an homage to mid-90s MTV2. There’s some graffiti near where I live which just says the word ‘Tuna’, that made it in there. St. Augustine’s Churchyard features heavily too.
As I didn’t write the song I think it’s ok for me to say I hope it will become a big success.”
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Get ready folks because there are a lot of pleasant songs within the playlist this month. Something about the Autumn, you know? Crunchy leaves underfoot as you get lost within dreamy, jazz-y numbers.
Still something in there for the pace-keepers, mind – from frantic punk to guitar hero bravado, glam art-pop to speed-fuelled whistling-wonkiness from Prestwich.
Tell your Dad, tell your Mum – give it a share and a follow too, why not!
Very much the sound of a bad dream, ‘Hellfire‘ is the opener from the latest Black Midi album of the same name – a haunting 84 seconds that moves along at speed, leaving you frantically trying to keep up. Setting the listener up nicely for the often theatrical whirlwind that follows across its ten tracks, a particular choice line from vocalist Geordie Greep is as follows: “…Gets it right in the classroom, but wrong in the examination hall.“
100mph, scrappy, under two minutes. Yes please. Taken from the 2021 release ‘Mushroom Death Sex Bummer Party‘ (a shoe-in for album title of the year if we’d known it existed), ‘Eyes‘ is a fuzzy, garage stomper from a quintet of Canadians we’ve now got a keen eye on.
Inspired in part by English playwright and performer Noël Coward’s ‘Cowardy Custard‘, the latest single from British/Korean duo WOOZE is, once again, just the ticket. A mega bouncy, mega funky glam-rock affair that predicts there’s lots of fun to be had on their forthcoming EP.
Speaking with us recently about Coward, drummer Jamie She noted: “I just recently read an account of when Noël Coward badmouthed The Beatles, and I’d like to think he’d also hate our song.“
More delightful, assured pop nuggets on the way from Welsh lot The Bug Club, a trio we’ve been banging on about since their tremendous debut single ‘We Don’t Need Room For Lovin’’. Darlings of BBC Radio 6 Music ever since, their latest (from forthcoming debut album ‘Green Dream in F#‘) is a real catchy piece of work, channelling the greats across its two minutes.
Bring the mood (and the lights) down for a minute for Manchester locals Lovescene and the sultry slow-jam of ‘Suits You‘. Not a nod to the famous Fast Show catchphrase, instead it tells the tale of “an irresistible lover who doesn’t see you the way you see them.” Featuring the stop-you-in-your-tracks soulful vocals of Pops Roberts, it’s part of The Singles Club from Band on the Wall Recordings – a new label based out of the iconic music venue in Manchester city centre.
Having bowled us over with her second album ‘Crushing‘ in 2019, Aussie songwriter Julia Jacklin once again wows with cuts from her latest record, ‘PRE PLEASURE‘. ‘I Was Neon‘ calls to mind the feels one felt on first hearing ‘Pressure To Party‘. Set hearts to flutter.
Time for some ‘Pet Sounds‘ loveliness from The Sweet Enoughs – the project of Hiatus Kaiyote’s Paul Bender (with thanks attributed to the mysterious Yannis Dreamlake and Dreamlake International Visions). Discovered via Group Listening’s Paul Jones, ‘Dream Puppy‘ is a tranquil, sun-soaked treat that conjures up visions of lounging by the sea without a care.
First discovered on these very pages via Deliluh’s Kyle Knapp, Flore Laurentienne is a project that continues to captivate us. The work of Canadian artist Mathieu David Gagnon, Flore Laurentienne is all about heart-stopping, cinematic compositions. The forthcoming ‘Volume II‘ is the “second offering of orchestral navigations“, with ‘Voiles‘ being a beautiful first taste.
Another composer tickling our fancy from afar, Sweden’s Sven Wunder makes the most of the dying days of summer with the bright and breezy ‘Sun Kissed‘. Bursts of brass mingle with sitar and jazz-y woodwind for a throwback pop sound that really does the trick!
Swish chilled out electronics as D.K. allows you onto his ‘Island of Dreams‘. As serene as the record cover which it comes from, ‘Ivory Forest‘ is two and a half minutes of ambient relaxation.
Dorothy Ashby – Little Sunflower (Afro-Harping)
Jazz harp. Of course. ‘Little Sunflower‘ from the late Detroit artist Dorothy Ashby’s brilliantly titled ‘Afro-Harping‘ is a cool little number. An unmistakable groove allows Ashby to do her harp-ing all over the top of it. If only it were a good few minutes longer, one could live in this forever!
Having literally just released an album, the never-stopping OSEES now lend a track to a Dungeons & Dragons compilation (naturally). A continuation of sorts from latest record ‘A Foul Form‘, it dips a toe into the crushing territory last heard on the likes of ‘Orc‘ and ‘Smote Reverser‘. With Dwyer in full on goblin mode, ‘Arena Of Blood‘ is a head-spinning trip.
The Fall – Shoulder Pads 1# (Bend Sinister)
I was skimming through Steve Hanley’s rather wonderful book ‘The Big Midweek: Life Inside The Fall‘ – tales of horror, comedy, action or despair depending on which page you’ve landed on – in search of a story about ‘Shoulder Pads 1#‘. Couldn’t find it, but I believe he alleges this was the first time The Fall had used a sampler. Before they could record something cool however, Mark E. Smith instead insisted they sampled him whistling… Fair play, he was right. Very catchy indeed.
What a wonderful release from Peter Brewis and company, recorded during a hiatus from Field Music between 2007 and 2009 (though with brother David stillinvolved, alongside a number of Field Music regulars). ‘It’s All Gone Quiet’ – with its tremendous Dutch Uncles style percussion – builds terrifically, with a bit of a Kate Bush flair on the quiet. Next year brings us the 15th anniversary of the album release – come on Memphis Industries, let’s have some vinyl!
The terrific Kate NV lends her heavenly vocal talents to a new one from Belarus based creative collective SOYUZ, with ‘I Knew It‘ being a transcendent piece. Backed up with beautiful flute, strings, piano and percussion, it all comes together for a heart-racing final 90 second stretch.
Attach the hurtling through the year feeling to this from Partner Look, from their debut album which came out in February, rather than just last week… A slightly moodier, shoulder-shuffling affair compared to the rest of the record, it reminds us of that brilliant collaboration between Baxter Dury, Delilah Holliday and Étienne de Crécy from a few years back.
Love this from Cambridge collective Modern Nature’s most recent long player, headed up by Jack Cooper (formerly of Ultimate Painting). Hushed verses make way for energising saxophone wig-outs that really cut through. For (modern) nature fans, Jack Cooper and Conan Robertsmade a film to go along with the album, allowing one to be completely immersed in the full album experience.
Box-fresh Swedish duo 7ebra have got the makings for something special. The pairing of 25 year-old twin sisters from Malmö, their debut single ‘If I Ask Her‘ is a proper hypnotising effort, punctuated by haunting organ stabs. Debut album on the way early 2023 on PNKSLM Recordings.
Off the back of their 2019 debut album ‘Useless Coordinates‘, it’s a welcome surprise to have Leeds outfit Drahla back. New single ‘Under The Glass‘ offers more of their cucumber cool, where’s-it-going-next brand of post-punk, the track acting as a collage of sorts, reworking new material with ideas previously created in early 2020. Taken from a forthcoming album that is alleged to be mostly unwritten. Always keeping us guessing, this lot.
If you were called Delicate Steve, you’d definitely call your album ‘This Is Steve‘, right? No beating around the bush for our Steve. I remember being mildly obsessed with this riff-fest upon first hearing it back in 2017. ‘Cartoon Rock‘ is pure ZZ Top chops and exactly the sort of thing you’d imagine from someone calling themselves Delicate Steve.
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Here at Birthday Cake For Breakfast, we like to get to the heart of what an artist is all about. We feel that what influences them is just as important as the music they make. With that in mind, off the back of announcing a limited edition re-press of their latest album ‘Clarinet & Piano: Selected Works, Vol. 2‘, we’re delighted to have Group Listening – the duo of Paul Jones and Stephen Black – talkus through some records and singles that influenced them of late.
“Just before we made the last record I had been flat out on my back for about a month taking opiate painkillers after recovering from a particularly nasty bout of shingles. I did a lot of deep listening around that time, and here’s some of the music that I was listening to.“
Don Cherry’s album Don Cherry (1975)
“An album that only gets more and more absorbing with repeated listening for me. I’m a fan of Don Cherry’s trumpet playing and music – mostly I know him through his playing with Ornette Coleman, but I discovered this solo record of his from 1975 not so long ago. One of the standout tracks for me is called Chenrezig. It starts with someone ringing a bell, and then what ensues is 12 and a half minutes of head-spinning beauty. The piano playing is by Don’s brother Ricky I think, and then there’s just the deepest double bass playing imaginable throughout from Charlie Haden.“
“When I discovered this I thought perhaps it was an old record made in the sixties or sometime around then. The woodblocks are great! I later found out it is a side project made up by several of the members of the Australian group Hiatus Kaiyote. It’s right up my street.“
“I’m totally addicted to the beat of this song. It’s like a conversation being constantly handed back and forth and I don’t tire of it – EVER! This track is by Hieroglyphic Being, a.k.a producer Jamal Moss, who runs Mathematic Records in Chicago. I think I first heard it on radio and it’s been in one playlist or another of mine ever since.“
“Sometime in 2020 I first heard this piece of music by Canadian composer Kara-Lis Coverdale. I really enjoy the assembly of small sounds in it; there’s the sound of paper or what sounds like something small being handled, along with these bell and fast flute-like sounds. It’s all put together in a musical collage and in sharp relief to the other sounds, which are these cool and glossy synth textures. I love that combination. We touched on a few of these ideas when Steve and I were making the last record.“
“Oh yes! What can one say… Ana Mazzotti is probably not that well known outside of Brazil, but this is my favourite version of this song. That string synth! The intro! It’s a late night classic.“
Stephen Black [clarinet]
“Here’s some of the music I was listening to whilst making the last Group Listening record.“
“So I hope I speak for both Paul and I when I put Kraftwerk in the list. We had a road trip together recently and we only listened to Kraftwerk and it was magical. I could have chosen anything but I thought I’d go for Man Machine and especially the song Neon Lights. It’s beautiful and sad and a perfect pop song. I would never compare Group Listening to Kraftwerk but we are heavily influenced by them and take pride in experimenting and having fun recording. Sometimes we even like to pop on the 3D glasses and dance like robots. They are playing at Green Man this year and we are both very excited.“
“I think Paul put me on to this record as we started talking about making our last album. I can’t get enough of Joni Mitchell’s melodies twisting around and in on themselves. As a bass player in my spare time too, the bass playing on this record is pretty outlandish. I love it.“
“I’m not sure if this counts in the making of our last Group Listening album but Paul and I went to see El Goodo on Friday and I’ve been thinking about them ever since so I think it’s only fair I can shoehorn this one in. El Goodo and their song ‘If I were a Song‘. To me they are up there with the best and everyone should listen to their albums.“
“I first heard Quasi when my brother took me to see Elliott Smith at the Garage in Glasgow when I was sixteen. Quasi were the support and his backing band. I stole my brothers copy of their album ‘Featuring Birds‘. I go back to this album every few years and I think I was listening to it as Paul and I were getting ready to make the record. It’s so deliciously loose and Janet Weiss is such an incredible drummer. That gig has made a big imprint on my adult life I think.”
“I don’t know much about Emily A Sprague and I’m not sure how I found out about her record but I know she is from upstate New York and I listened to this album non-stop at the beginning of 2020.“
‘Clarinet & Piano: Selected Works, Vol. 2’ is out now via PRAH Recordings!A re-press on limited edition ‘Milky’ vinyl has just been made available, which you can pick up here!
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Every month we put together this wee playlist of 20 of our favourite tracks from the past 30+ days and we’re always stoked for people to get involved with what we’ve been listening to. This month in particular is a real doozy, let me tell you. Oh boy.
From 70s German synth-punk to Mancunian weirdo-rock, big booming disco beats to heart-swelling nostalgic pop and heaps more.
Tell your mates, tell your Mum (phone your Mum), and get it liked and shared. Yee-Haw!
Another belter from forward-thinking Canadian duo Deliluh, now based in Europe, who excel in building tension throughout their latest record, ‘Fault Lines‘ (reviewed here). Lead single ‘Body and Soul‘ is a brain-melter – all encompassing, the vocal of Kyle Knapp captivating against the frantic instrumental and punctuating thuds.
DAF – Der Räuber Und Der Prinz (Alles Ist Gut)
This is absolutely the ticket. A hypnotic and unnerving wonky opening makes way for head-fuck whispering amongst the various whistles, clinks, clanks and bell clangs. From on the pulse 70s outfit D.A.F. (Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft), it’s clear to hear just how influential the German duo were.
“-seen in a crowd they create an optical illusion, but on its own it’s this singular piece of art.” So says Aussie artist Stella Donnelly of her forthcoming album ‘Flood‘, its 11 tracks reflecting the story behind the album art of Banded Stilts, a native bird of Australia. Lead single ‘Lungs‘ follows 2019 album ‘Beware of the Dogs‘ and features more in the way of Donnelly’s heavenly vocal and wicked songwriting.
Ripper territory from New Zealand lot Die! Die! Die! from their latest album ‘This Is Not An Island Anymore‘, out earlier this year. Three minutes of ear assault, ‘Never Tire Looking At The Sun‘ barely lets up as the trio hit out full pelt, adding a wigging out Tenor Sax into the mix for a proper noisy attack.
New out this year from the winners of the coveted Birthday Cake For Breakfast band name of 2022, ‘Dumb Bitch‘ is a hypnotising, dancey punk banger from a quartet of New Yorkers who clearly don’t give two fucks. Part of the Suicide Squeeze ‘Pinks & Purples Digital Singles Series‘.
On the name, the band call it like they see it – from their Bandcamp: “As soon as cumgirl8 began exploring the artistic possibilities of fusing the URL world with in-the-flesh performances, the assholes had to come in and ban them from social media platforms because of their name. Puritans, TERFS, and homophobes always find a way to impose their bullshit on the gender outlaws and sexual provocateurs of our times. Well, cumgirl8 has had enough of the archaic mores and narrow-minded values.“
I still have fond memories of a winter evening in January 2019 watching PILL in the basement of The Peer Hat. The New Yorkers split not long after, with some of its numbers moving on to form new outfit P.E. From their second album, ‘The Leather Lemon‘, out this year on Wharf Cat Records, the groove-tastic ‘Blue Nude (Reclined)‘ is a total trip, lit up with bursts of brass and the engrossing vocal of Veronica Torres. Elsewhere on the album, you’ll even find a guest appearance from New York royalty, Andrew Savage of Parquet Courts!
I think it’s fair to say they’re back! Sadly not a cover of the brilliant album track of the same name from David Bowie’s ‘Let’s Dance‘, instead the new one from Preoccupations is an urgent earworm reminiscent of their 2016 self-titled full length. Hard not to hang on every impassioned word of vocalist Matt Flegel.
A swish number from cult Welsh artist Gruff Rhys, the title track from the rather wonderful 2021 full length ‘Seeking New Gods‘ (reviewed here). An absolute heart-stopper and the very essence of warmth in a track, from a record inspired by the Paektu Mountain, which allowed Gruff to mythologize his own sonic mountain to clamber up.
A return to the blog from Kentucky trio Wombo, ‘Backflip‘ goes here there and everywhere, with a Cate Le Bon-ish vocal against a raging math meets post-punk meets psychedelic vibe. From a forthcoming new album influenced by fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson, naturally.
Favourite Youtube clip? Elvis on his last legs, letting it all hang out and absolutely ripping it up in Rapid City, South Dakota (yee-haw!) Shoehorning it in (allow it), have you heard this one from Philly quartet Empath? A proper fuzzy, heart-swelling joyous pop song!
Big fight feel in the chorus of this as vocalist Jon Higgs reels off a list of all those who told him what would happen if he clicks/is ‘CUT UP!’ From the meat head to Kevin to the ‘Pizza Boy‘, just ludicrously good stuff from Everything Everything, taken from their terrific new record ‘Raw Data Feel‘ (reviewed here).
It’s been a good few years since we last heard from Sweet Baboo in a solo capacity (5 years by all accounts!) Like putting on a favourite shirt you found in the back of the closet, it’s a joy to have him back. A real swell lounge affair, with that heart-melting vocal we’ve come to love from the Welsh troubadour, it comes inspired by the likes of Stereolab, Tropicália and Paul Simon and is hopefully an indicator of more new music to come.
More new music from OSEES, takenfrom their forthcoming ode to gnarly punk bands of old. Latest single ‘Perm Act’ sees vocalist JPD stretching out that goblin voice of his, whilst the double drumming of Paul Quattrone and Dan Rincon steals the show.
Featuring the combined efforts of current and former members of PINS, Girls Names and September Girls, the new one from box fresh outfit GRAVE GOODS is a proper bit of kit. Revved up gnarly noise, destined for a moody, dimly lit basement venue.
GRAVE GOODS talked us through their new single just the other day, which you can read about here.
Late last year we were lucky enough to catch Narrow Head in a support slot up the road at YES in Manchester, where they blew the headliners out of the water. Their first release via tastemakers Church Road Records, ‘T.W.I.N.‘ is a Deftones-esque ripper that signals good things to come!
Kicking off a series of forthcoming demos, unreleased tracks, instrumentals, experiments and more – released outside of studio albums – London based artist Du Blonde has just dropped this 100 second rocker. Coming fresh off 2021 full length ‘HOMECOMING‘, it’s the classic bright music / sad lyrics scenario, the theme of the anthemic ‘Live Wire‘ being to hide away and “lay in the basement alone“.
Bloody lot of talent coming out of Manchester you know! Not content with putting out the much loved ‘Nude With Demon‘ this year (as The Web of Lies), Irma Vep teams up with players from the likes of Aldous RH, Sex Hands and Lovvers for this ace bit of unhinged weirdo rock, channelling the likes of DRINKS and Terry under the collective moniker of The Birthmarks. Well good.
On their 2021 album ‘Cooler Returns‘, we suggested Kiwi Jrcombined the sounds of Dylan, The Byrds and Jonathan Richman with the vibe of a Wes Anderson flick. The recently announced ‘Chopper‘ (out August on Sub Pop) seems to have more of a romantic, longing feel to it, though new single ‘Unspeakable Things‘ (supposedly written whilst watching “prestige tv drama” ‘Justified‘), still shows they’ve got that sun-soaked, anthemic style in the bag.
It’s not something I’m normally arsed about, but I’ve found myself devouring Glastonbury highlights this year, lapping up everything from Confidence Man to Black Midi to Roisin Murphy. Notorious disco daddies Warmduscher were a vibe all of their own, bringing early morning sleaze to a sunny afternoon in the field, with the raucous ‘Twitchin’ In The Kitchen‘ particularly capturing our attention. So much so we had to include it here!
Chipping Norton’s finest Cassels returned earlier this year with the nails ‘A Gut Feeling‘, an album we suggested is “their best record by a country mile.“ ‘Charlie Goes Skiing‘ is a noisy ripper make no mistake, the sibling duo proper putting in a shift, taking it to explosive, ear-destroying heights.
Earlier this year, the pair talked us through the track ‘Your Humble Narrator‘, which you can read about here!
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February already?! It feels like just yesterday we were putting together the first playlist of the year. So it goes…
Here we are then. 20 tunes, old and new, all for your listening pleasure. From Australian weirdo pop to groovy new-wave, funk and soul to New York City hardcore and much more!
If you like what you hear, you should tell your friends, co-workers, parents, pets – everyone, really.
Pioneers so they were, everything you hear from Pylon sounds box fresh (or rather everything these days sounds like Pylon!) Quirky little new-wave number from the quartet out of Athens, Georgia, the band seeing more love these days off the back of the comprehensive ‘Pylon Box‘ out in 2020.
Aussie oddball and king of the character study, Al Cam sure does know how to spin a yarn over the catchiest of tunes. ‘Miami Memory‘ sang of eating out arses like oysters, whilst ‘True Lies‘ is a wild tale of internet love and the very likely reality of being a Catfish victim (and being fine with it).
On ‘Sara Jo‘, the vocalist threatens anyone who fucks with his family – one notable misdemeanour being telling his brother that his kids are going to die from the vaccine. From a new album out this March, one that tells tales of opiate addiction, inspired by Nico Walker’s 2018 novel Cherry.
Woof, heart-swelling stuff from North Carolina soul man Lee Fields, known for working with the likes of Kool and the Gang and B.B. King once upon a time. The luscious ‘Never Be Another You‘ is one that could have easily been released at any point throughout the 60s onwards, but amazingly came out just a few years ago.
Massive bop from Brooklyn, NYC outfit Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings. The vocal of the late Jones is intoxicating, her involvement with The Dap Kings part of the revivalist movement for 60s/70s funk and soul in the early noughties. Not bad for a former corrections officer at New York’s Rikers Island!
Raging New York City hardcore from those brill Beastie Boys. Too many hardcore songs for your new record? Branch off and put out an EP instead! ‘Brand New‘ opens up the record – eight tracks, just over 10 minutes. Boss!
Denée Segall up front with her partner Ty right behind her, ‘Pleasure Seeker‘ is a cool little number from their 2018 release. The syrupy sweet verses make way for spaced-out, raw shouts from Segall on the chorus in hypnotising, fuzzy fashion.
In ‘Living Other Lives‘, Copenhagen trio Efterklang have crafted a euphoric bit of pop, sounding like a Danish Bombay Bicycle Club in the process. From their sixth studio album ‘Windflowers‘ (named after the tiny flowers that blossom on Danish forest floors), this has an ‘everything is going to be ok’ quality to it.
Inspired somewhat by the incomparable Dexys Midnight Runners, ‘Free Day‘ is a more playful side to London trio POZI than we’ve heard of late (worlds apart from frantic EP opener ‘Detainer Man‘). The wonkiness remains a constant however, POZI continuing to be one of the more exciting up and coming bands knocking about today.
A band that never seem to miss, Public Body have a knack for writing incredibly catchy post-punk numbers that deal mainly in the minutiae of the 9-5 and day to day brainless tasks. Enter ‘Reset My Password‘, the instrumental an absolute joy sitting beneath lyrics that touch on being thankful to be in the job and the interesting topic of company policy.
With John Dwyer being even more prolific during lockdown downtime, one could be forgiven for missing out on the odd release here and there. Bent Arcana was one of the many pieces unearthed during the pandemic, the six track saga seeing Dwyer bringing together players from Sunwatchers, TV On The Radio, Prettiest Eyes and his own outfit Oh Sees for a series of improvised sessions. The shortest of the lot, ‘Mimi‘ is a swell jazz-y piece, like sinking down deep into a hot bath.
An apt title for this scrappy Snooper track (out Halloween 2020 – spooky!), the lo-fi post-punk jam feels like the listener is running on the spot in a glitchy computer game world. That A Certain Ratio style guitar at 1:35 is a total treat!
Swish sun-soaked cover from a series released by Dead Oceans, ‘Dust Filled Room‘ initially appeared on British folk musician Bill Fay’s 1971 sophomore album ‘Time Of The Last Persecution‘. Of the artist, New York’s Steve Gunn quite beautifully suggests “listening to his music still makes me feel as if an old friend had been lingering in the shadows, emerging at just the right time.“
The slightest Billy Ocean vibe to this had me questioning my own ears when I heard it in a clothes shop the other week, so much so it stayed with me all the way home. Perfume Genius, of course! From the gnarly sounding ‘Set My Heart On Fire Immediately’ – a record we suggested is “an incredibly engaging piece” – this is pop perfection!
‘Raspberry Beret‘ via Bolton, though to be fair Buzzcocks did have a few years on the purple one when they put out the raging ‘Are Everything‘. Having very recently picked up a copy of ‘Singles Going Steady‘ on wax, a Buzzcocks fad in our house is coming, I can feel it!
The first slice of new music from Paul Cherry in four years, ‘No News No Blues‘ is a delectable soft rock jam of the Steely Dan variety. From a new album out this March, it sounds like the best cut from a gem you might find in the chazzer shop, which is no bad thing!
From their latest record out late last month, the knock-out pairing of Stephen Black (Sweet Baboo) and Paul Jones is back, the duo doing that thing they do with the clarinet and piano, this time reinterpreting a number from American multi-instrumentalist Laraaji with wonderful results.
Now you might not have heard of this lot, but I predict big things… Yes, it’s the Northern powerhouse that is Yard Act, who last month celebrated their debut album exploding into the charts at number two (thrashing the late Meat Loaf in the process). Current favourite ‘Pour Another‘ has dancing feet in mind, the quartet putting out yet another infectious hit.
We had the pleasure of interviewing Yard Act just before the release of ‘The Overload‘ – Read that for yourself here.
Keep it simple, stupid! Love the simple rhyming on this rager from Wet Leg – ‘You’re so woke, Diet Coke‘ *chef kiss*. World domination imminent. Believe.
Blossom Dearie – Sunday Afternoon
Bloody great this. Super swell jazz stylings from the late Blossom Dearie, very much taking you on a journey as she drives about at the week’s end, making the most of the ‘Sunday Afternoon‘. Hard not to get completely lost in this charming and captivating piece.
A welcome return from London lot Crows, ‘Slowly Separate‘ being their first taste of something new off the back of their debut album ‘Silver Tongues‘ out in 2019. Their raging new single captures what first got us hooked on the LDN quartet back in the day, noisy and anthemic in equal measures.
The band recently told us everything there is to know about new single ‘Slowly Separate‘ – see for yourself here.
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Sorry, where did the last 5 months go? As we steamroll through the year at breakneck speed, your ever faithful friends at Birthday Cake For Breakfast are here to bang on about music – some new, some old – all worth your attention. Giddy up!
A brief two minute clip on Twitter of The B-52’s playing ‘Private Idaho‘ live made way for a month of once a day listening to their debut album and its follow up. Such a quirky jam that’s filled a B-52’s shaped hole in my heart.
Proper engaging stuff from Chicago outfit FACS, from their latest record ‘Present Tense‘ (which you can own on mouth-watering ‘cheeto smoke‘ vinyl) – vocalist Brian Case keeping you hanging on his every word throughout the rumble and shimmering four minutes. Case recently answered a host of inane questions for us, featuring a particularly good story about Jarvis Cocker.
Having lived within a Crack Cloud bubble leading up to and following the release of their debut album, it was refreshing to return to the record nearly a year on and still hear the rising tension of ‘Somethings Gotta Give‘ again as if it were fresh. Subdued for the most part, it really does amp up the anxiety as the track builds and builds.
Swit swoo, the harmonies on this are a delight from the brothers Brewis. From their latest album, the brilliant ‘Flat White Moon‘, ‘Do Me A Favour‘ has a bit of a Tom Petty vibe which we’re all about, with the second offering from the record being possibly the best across its twelve tracks.
The song Viagra Boys wish they’d written for their recent second album, Pottery drummer Paul Jacobs lets his freak flag fly on this quirky cut from his latest record. A stream of consciousness type vocal guides you through this cool little number.
From their highly anticipated debut album, the Squid boys have come up with the goods and ‘Peel St.’ is a proper frantic head-wobbler of delightful proportions. First run through on this I was walking in the pissing rain and it seemed to suit the atmosphere of the record perfectly. Another time I was spinning the record in the living room and heard “What’s this horrible music?” asked from the other room…
Well isn’t this just a whopper of a sun-soaked delight (clues in the title, lad)! Aussie lot Hiatus Kaiyote are box fresh to me, but have been knocking about for a while and have been nominated for TWO Grammy’s, so they’ve clearly got the goods. ‘Get Sun‘ is a proper vibe and one we’ve been relishing in.
A trailer for the new Sparks documentary kick-started repeated listens to this record and its follow up ‘Propaganda‘, and what a joy it’s been. Love the glam stomp and insatiable chorus of ‘Amateur Hour‘. Proper big one.
As nice as i’m sure it is to be a Fugazi die-hard, it’s even sweeter to have an entire catalogue of undiscovered music lying in ones wake. ‘Smallpox Champion‘ came on randomly the other evening and gripped me from the go. Proper noisy head bopper. It also made me realise how many bands I like that sound exactly like this… Makes you think!
Title track from the forthcoming Max Bloom record here, the follow up to last year’s rather lovely ‘Perfume‘. ‘Pedestrian‘ starts off wonderfully with just piano and guitar, soon elevated to heart-swelling highs when the drums and brass come in. Top stuff as ever from the former Yuck frontman.
Max recently talked us through second single ‘Palindromes‘, which you can read about here.
Tell you what I love about the opener from the new Teenage Fanclub record – it’s unexpectedly long and gets better the longer it lasts. We’re used to really long songs, like (remember that 16 minute Hey Colossus number?) – but on ‘Home‘, after it’s been a delightful breeze for the first few minutes, the guitars cut in and just let rip throughout the next 5 minutes as it drifts in and out of Steely Dan territory. Proper.
Similar to last month’s Listening Post, I keep finding myself falling into Aussie music binges. Another delight from a recent trip comes from this absolute scorcher from the debut Boomgates LP, which perfectly creates butterflies in the old stomach. ‘Oooooooh give it to me‘ Fucking come on! Mastered by Mikey Young, obviously.
Watching telly the other day and couldn’t quite place the raging tune playing over the top of a scene. Turns out it was our old friends Gustaf, discovered at the start of the year – but that seems like a year ago, mates. Cucumber cool NYC lot doing the sort of dance-y post-punk that we buzz off.
The Chicago lads are back and what a joy it is to have a new EP on the horizon. Second single ‘Tugboat‘ brings all the raging, thumping glory of previous album ‘The Incessant‘, flying along at speed and making one think we’re not too far away from chucking ourselves around a sweaty basement show.
Captivating new single from Canadian collective N0V3L, taken from their recently released debut album ‘NON-FICTION‘. A proper personal cut, when we first heard this get a live outing, it was too much for vocalist Jon Varley who had to restart it after a moment getting himself together. Heavy stuff.
Off the back of releasing a new album last year (one which we suggested is an “ear splitting onslaught“), God Damn have evolved into a four-piece for the release of this absolute throat-shredding riff-y monster!
Choice little post-punk number from Brighton four-piece Egyptian Blue, taken from their 2019 four-track EP ‘Collateral Damage‘. Ripper central that gets right under your skin.
Quite the ‘magnificent gesture’ of Cate Le Bon to let Group Listening re-work some of her material (ey up!) This delightful number from the pairing of Sweet Baboo and Paul Jones treads fresh ground for the hypnotising cut from her wonderful (Mercury Prize nominated, don’t forget) record ‘Reward‘.
Phwooar, this has got a bit of a timeless classic, heart-swelling vibe to it – the latest from Atlanta based outfit Mattiel, out now via HeavenlyRecordings.
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It’s Friday night in Manchester and at YES, just off Oxford Road, we’re blessed with the return of Welsh singer-songwriter Huw Evans a.k.a. H. Hawkline. The first in a series of 30th Birthday celebrations for Heavenly Recordings (later to include performances from the likes of Anna Burch and Katy J Pearson in the coming months), it proves to be a pleasant end to a month of uncertainty, fitting that it takes place in a dark basement, everyone coming together.
The last time we caught H. Hawkline was again part of a Heavenly Recordings bash, this time their ‘A Heavenly Weekend‘ that took place last year at the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds. Freshly shorn at the time, his arrival in Manchester comes with the confirmation that the hair is back! He’s joined on stage by a really good group of musicians and familiar faces, including the duo that make up Group Listinening – Sweet Baboo and Paul Jones. It’s always a joy to see Sweet Baboo on stage with a bass in hand, and it was a joy to see Paul Jones wallop his head off the giant speaker as he stepped on stage (sorry, mate).
From ‘In the Pink of Condition‘ comes the first few of the night, ‘Moons in my Mirror‘ and ‘Everybody’s On The Line‘ before things transition swiftly but gracefully onto the quirky ripper that is ‘Television‘ from 2017’s ‘I Romanticize‘.
We’re told early on that the band are set to slow things down, which takes place over the next few songs, starting on ‘I Romanticize‘ opener ‘Means That Much‘, with the swellest of guitar tones from Gruff ab Arwel a.k.a BITW. A collective swoon is felt throughout the crowd when it kicks in. BITW – who is wearing the cleanest trainers i’ve ever seen – is great, cooking up the most delightful guitar parts throughout the evening, occasionally George Harrison-esque in tone. The drummer too looks like a bit of a throwback, beaming from the back of the room with a big smile for pretty much the duration.
“Happy Brexit Day everybody.” Announces Huw, telling us he wasn’t going to bring it up but he needed something to do whilst tuning, unaware that this lighthearted remark would spark off an awkward encounter. From the back of the room came loud shouting from someone in their native tongue, concluding that exiting the EU is “not a fucking joke“. Things became tense and awkward as Huw cooled things down, but there’s much laughter as he nails a Curb Your Enthusiasm-esque punchline like a pro. “Needed something to say while I was tuning…”
“Ok, brace yourselves…” He says as he brings it back to the music, with crowd favourite (and brilliantly titled) ‘Spooky Dog’. With Brexit bruises no longer raised, the band delve into a number of new ones from what one hopes will be a new release out this year. ‘Empty Room‘ – self described as a slow quiet one – has a delightful piano solo with a pin drop quietness to it, though there’s still laughter and chat heard throughout the entire set, quiet or loud, as this venue attracts that type of clientele. ‘Milk for Flowers‘ is another new one, a heart swelling, hushed number with another lovely piano part running through as Hawkline sings of feeling “like a nun picking roses“.
I make a move to the bar and sink a pint for the last three, all cuts from ‘I Romanticize’– ‘My Mine’, ‘Engineers‘ and ‘Last Thing on Your Mind’. Bodies are moving about – two women to the right dance with each other and sing with eyes shut, whilst a bald bloke ahead of them moves his shoulders up and down, rubbing his head in the fashion that he might be having a bad one… Hawkline in contrast proper bobs his head as he puts down the guitar on the last number, taking hold of the microphone as he joins everyone in vibing off the instrumental.
Lots and lots of clapping follows the band as they exit stage, but sure enough, even with the lights coming on, they return for an encore. We’re told they talked it through backstage and whilst they wanted to leave on a high, they’re instead going to do one more. Another new one that sings of perfume sweets and Buddy Holly tapes on a journey is a proper treat to close on, highlighted by Jones’ stonking saxophone solo, putting smiles on all the faces in the room as the lights come up.
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It’s fair to say that, for the most part, anything Cate Le Bon puts her mind to will have a captive audience; such is her knack for evolving, reinventing and producing with a creative Midas touch. Had her latest album ‘Reward’ not been announced, it may very well have been the case that fans would’ve had to look into purchasing some of the furniture she took to producing during her solitude in the Lake District, where the journey of this album began.
Having temporarily relocated to Cumbria, the Welsh singer-songwriter spent her days learning how to use her hands in other ways, taking up classes in building solid wood tables, chairs and stools. Nights were spent singing away the evening at a second-hand piano, the first she’d ever owned, putting together what would eventually become her latest LP.
Whilst Le Bon outlined the album on her tod with just a second-hand piano for company, the pieces were lovingly put together with the help of a number of safe hands in Cardiff, California and Brooklyn. Regular collaborator Stephen Black (a.k.a our mate Sweet Baboo) lends a hand on bass and saxophone, alongside the likes of Josh Klinghoffer (him of the Chilli Peppers!) and fellow countryman H.Hawkline on guitars, with Stella Mozgawa of Warpaint joining on drums and percussion.
The familiarity of the players on ‘Reward’ does mean it carries with it a distinctive Cate Le Bon sound but for the most part, it touches more upon the levels of beauty attained at the tail end of her last EP ‘Rock Pool’ and its touching closer ‘I Just Wanna Be Good’. Lead single ‘Daylight Matters’ is a heavenly four minutes and similarly, it’s hard not to fall in love with that chorus, Le Bon calling out ‘Love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, but you’re not here’. Possibly one of the best she’s penned, it’s an incredibly heartwarming piece of music.
From the trio of singles that preceded the album, the romantic pangs of ‘Daylight Matters’ certainly lead the pack, but ‘The Light’ and ‘Home To You’ are just as magic, both carrying such a sorrowful undercurrent. On the quieter moments of each, the vocal can be breathtaking, her cries during the latter enough to raise hairs on the back of your neck. It’s on the latter that the instrumental has such a wonderfully soft approach, following in similar fashion to opener ‘Miami’ (its title never sounding as Welsh as it does here), the mind and heart melting just three songs in. The closing minute brings it all together, the instrumentation building and building, each on top of each other, as Le Bon calls out and repeats the refrain.
‘Mother’s Mother’s Magazines’ and ‘Magnificent Gestures’ call to mind the more quirkier moments Le Bon is known for, the latter sounding almost Bowie-esque in its instrumental, bringing to mind the chorus of ‘Dancing Out In Space’ (from his 2013 LP ‘The Next Day’). ‘Mother’s Mother’s Magazines’ (a song allegedly derived from “being around a lot of really fed up women”) feels very nostalgic and post-punk, owing to a brilliant bass sound and its scratchy guitars. Post-chorus it’s all plink-plonk for a second, recalling her side-project DRINKS but not drifting too off-beat as they occasionally tend to do. Its final two minutes are an oddball gem, each member sounding as if they’re tinkering around the studio independently.
‘Here It Comes Again’ hits at the halfway point and is undoubtedly a highlight, though one which doesn’t fit the current weather we’re enjoying – One can imagine it’d be more fitting heard on a cold Sunday morning, big cup of coffee on the go, staring out of the window at the grey and taking shelter from the rain. A vocal to stop you in your tracks, it’s been said before that Le Bon has a voice so captivating you could happily listen to her read out the options on a take-away menu. It certainly rings true here and throughout the album, the listener finding themselves hanging onto every word.
Listening to ‘Reward’, the idea of solitude during its germination becomes apparent, the majority of its ten tracks feeling very personal and introspective. Whilst it might not feature as many hip-shakers throughout that make the listener jump up and move their feet like on ‘Crab Day’, it’s a wonderful album to be completely immersed in, feeling the yearning and loneliness within.
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