They said it couldn’t be done – ’60 Minutes or less’, the new podcast from Birthday Cake For Breakfast, returns for our eighth episode! Off the back of our last episode with Steven Hodson of USA Nails, we continue on with noise-rock frontmen with a chat featuring Alex Edkins, guitarist and choice shouter in gnarly power trio METZ.
Formed in Ontario, Canada, METZ have been wrecking heads for fifteen plus years, with five studio albums now under their collective belts. Their latest, ‘Up On Gravity Hill’, was released just under a fortnight ago in April 2024 via Sub Pop Records. It’s a treat to have a new METZ record in our lives, particularly as we were so enamoured with their previous album, ‘Atlas Vending’ and – well – pretty much everything they put out there.
On top of killer records, the trio are killer merch-men and always have some swish clobber available to wear upon your person. On top of keeping an eye out for new releases from them, we’re always keen beans for whatever rad long sleeve they’ve got coming out. It’s something which we got into when I spoke with Alex over zoom in mid-April, a few days away from releasing their new record. It’s a big chat with a total dude – I think you’ll dig it.
If you like what you hear, rate us five stars, tell your loved ones and share ’60 Minutes or less’ on the internet. You could even print off transcripts and leave them lying about your local library. The choice is yours.
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This Midlands based crew have been making waves in the underground scene since their blistering debut EP back in the winter of 2021. Having spent the past two years building momentum on both the release and live front, the quintet are ready to kick the door down with this absolutely barnstorming LP. With a dream runtime of 18 minutes, these 10 tracks tell you everything you need to know about FleshCreep and what they stand for.
This is a fucking ferocious slab of modern hardcore that gives you a well needed slap around the face at every corner. From the second opener ‘Gold’ erupts, this embodies everything I love about heavy music; exhilarating metallic twists, head-banging hardcore and pit swelling thrash. This is a band that mean every fucking note and every fucking word and it’s this authenticity that gives ‘We Need You To Bleed’ a timeless quality. Tracks like ‘Turf War’ and ‘Bleed Out’ both boast hooks that beg for the mic to be grabbed, while ‘Insect Politics’ and ‘False Flag’ are sure-fire pit-hungry bangers.
Credit must go to old pal of the site Stale Winton, who has done a stellar job at producing this record, helping the band bridge the gap between classic and contemporary punk, which is no easy task if you ask us. This is a huge step up sonically and musically from their previously released EPs, which were already super raging, so with this in mind, any punk heads HAVE to check this out! An essential release in 2024 hardcore.
I spent most of the early 2021 lockdown dreaming of swaying in the middle of a disco ball filled dance floor whilst listening to the beautiful glitter pop sounds of Jane Weaver’s last album ‘Flock’. It was my first proper introduction to the North West songwriter’s back catalogue and it subsequently became one of my absolute favourites of that year. Excited about a follow up, I’ve spent the last two weeks immersing myself in Jane’s latest opus, ’Love in Constant Spectacle’.
With esteemed producer and regular PJ Harvey collaborator John Parrish at the helm, Jane has honed in on the psych pop vibes of her previous work to create something that feels way more loose and expansive. I really like the psychedelic feel across this record, with tracks like ’The Axis and The Seed‘ and ‘Happiness in Proximity’ really expanding that pallet. There’s also different levels of it too, from the stripped back folk of ‘Motif’ to the sprightly pop of ‘Perfect Storm’, Jane covers all bases here, continuing her knack of giving eclectic track-listings a sense of cohesion.
Whereas ‘Flock’ relied on its immediacy, ‘Love In Constant Spectacle’ feels more detailed and steeped in magic; the sweet love song that is ‘Romantic Worlds’ makes me want to swan about in a pedalo, very much like in the video for the track. Basically, it’s hard not to lose yourself in this. There is such a candid coolness about Jane Weaver and I think it comes from making music that lives in its own world. ‘Love in Constant Spectacle’ is a blissful yet pensive foray into the UK’s finest pysch pop export.
Although he’s been a big part of the UK underground scene for some time, playing in a whole heap of different projects, it was his collaboration with Arab Strap’sMalcolm Middleton that first turned me onto Joel Harries. Their band Lichen Slow made a top 5 AOTY for me last year with their beautifully emo debut ‘Rest Lurks’. Much to my delight, Joel’s latest solo record very much takes off from where we left Lichen Slow.
‘I Will Always Come Back Here’ is a gorgeously produced indie-folk record with a big dollop of classic emo. The thing that struck me when I first heard Joel was his angelic voice and as soon as the harmonies saunter in on opener ‘Birthday Card’, I was well and truly suckered in. This is another pensive affair, with Joel looking deep into relationships – whether it’s with old friends (’Shitty Friend’) or with his dog (‘I Wish I Had Words’), this is a very tender, honest account.
The production is just perfect. There’s a lot of sonic detail, but just the right amount to serve the deep intimacy of these songs. Whereas the Lichen Slow record had a few more outward looking moments, ‘I Will Always Come Back Here’ feels very introverted and there’s something incredibly moving about Joel’s delivery. If you’re a sad lad like me and stoked about that Owen record coming out later this month, you gotta check this out, it’s a proper lovely listen.
Absolute faves here at BCFB, Canada’s finest Metz are back with the follow up to their absurdly good 2020 LP, ‘Atlas Vending’. There was always going to be some big shoes to fill with that album, as it embodies everything I love about the power trio, whist looking into some new sounds too. Teaming up with producer Seth Manchester again, Metz have gone and made a really cool move by turning in their most expansive and immediate record to date.
Just so you know, this is definitely not Metz going pop. Far from it. This is still the same noisy punk rock band you love, but there’s a slight focus into a more shoegaze-y / indie rock dynamic, which really suits them. ‘No Reservation / Love Comes Crashing’ leads the charge with its six-plus minutes of hazy guitars and ethereal vocals swirling over the top of the band’s thunderous rhythm section. ‘Glass Eye’ and ‘Entwined(Street Light Buzz)’ follow up next, pretty much backing up the opener with what this record is all about; scuzzy, full throttle punk with a big melodic centre.
Of course, tracks like ’99’ and ’Never Still Again’ still cut through with razor blade sharpness – the latter in particular is a head caver, rocking a relentless chorus that smashes into a half time beat down. But then we get to ‘Light Your Way Home‘, which concludes the album with their most shimmering, shoegaze moment to date and it’s, dare I say, the most beautiful piece of music they’ve made. Though some may feel that overall this might not quite pack the same punch as its predecessor, there is a subtle majesty to ‘Up On Gravity Hill’ that is hard to not get wrapped up in. Solid playing and a forward moving sense of ambition keeps pushing Metz forward as one of the finest rock bands to come out of Canada.
Speaking of noisy boy Birthday CakeFor Breakfast favourites, UK alt punk mavericks USA Nails have just unleashed their sixth album! For a band that have been at it for just over a decade, they sure have put in a right shift, so it’s great to see a label like One Little Independent pick up the band for this one. I think it’s fair to say that USA Nails have a strong formula now and ‘Feel Worse’ keeps up the raucous noise rock we know and love them for.
This is a constant attack of stabbing guitars and seething vocals, backed by a rhythm section so thunderous it could probably smash glass.‘Cathartic Entertainment‘ is a relentless opener that is held down by powerhouse drummer Tom, swiftly followed by ‘Feel Worse’, which is two minutes of chaos as guitarists Steve and Gareth try to bend your brain with twisting riffs. If anything, USA Nails are only getting better at being more gross – ‘Networking Opportunity’ manages to hold down a killer, tom heavy rhythm while all hell breaks loose around it, whilst ‘Holiday Sea’ builds from an 808 electro beat into probably the most punishing moment on the record!
As well as being all kinds of gnarly, this lot have always tried to not take themselves too seriously and as always, the deadpan delivery between Gareth, Steve and Dan comes through with the great one liners; a particular highlight being ‘Beautiful Eyes!’, which I’m pretty sure is about Gareth’s meme account on Instagram. 10 years in and USA Nails show no signs of slowing down – if anything, ‘Feel Worse’ might be their most full throttle record to date, barely taking a second to breathe in its 26 minutes. As expected, this is another killer album from truly one of the best bands we have in our beloved underground scene.
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For American bands touring in the UK, you can imagine there’s a checklist of sights and experiences that they have on their bucket lists. How many have scraps on their lists though? For Chicago outfit Stuck, who just landed for their first official UK tour, the potential for a post-punk punch-up was seemingly too much for a group of young lads and mid-show / post-show there was almost a rumble, much to the delight of the band and yours truly. Thankfully it was just handbags at dawn, though it added a little bit of spice to what had already been a spicy Manchester debut for the visiting Stuck.
“I’m far too earnest to be in a punk band…” Said guitarist and vocalist Greg Obis earlier in the night when they were a few songs in, confiding in the crowd that they had been worried about attendances for their first UK outing, but had been pleasantly surprised. I must admit, I too was a tad concerned about the turnout, particularly given their show in London the night before looked like such a rager – and especially because Manchester crowds can sometimes be a wee bit frosty! These worries were put to bed pretty quickly though when a rush of kids broke through to the front and set off a room-filling pit that had nearly everyone pile in, setting the tone for the evening with the busy room of people vibing and getting into the groove.
Their Manchester debut had been a long time coming. We first discovered Stuck around the release of their debut album ‘Change Is Bad’ in 2020, not long after they were due to host USA Nails on a tour of the states. Tour plans were significantly aborted due to the pandemic, but during the UK lockdown I personally hammered ‘Change Is Bad’, taking it on many a lengthy walk up and down the Mersey. Not much else to do, right? It was a trip then four years on to hear not only cuts from their debut LP, but everything they’ve put out since – its full length follow up ‘Freak Frequency’, as well as the 2021 EP ‘Content That Makes You Feel Good’ and their most recent singles, ‘Deep Tunnel b / w AITA?’. The latter, ‘AITA?’, was great on the night – near enough just vocalist Greg Obis asking ‘Am I The Asshole?’ over and over again.
A few songs in and the fucking lads from ‘Bottom’ came and stood directly in front of us, determined to knock our pints out of our hands. After much shuffling about, they disappeared after just one song, seemingly for the rest of the night. Over to the right, as the band thrashed out the closer of one, a tall lad whizzed his huge mop of hair left and right like he’d been set to full speed setting. Later on, he had his arms around the shoulders of his mates doing that can-can thing we used to do at gigs and a tear rolled down my check at the realisation that I was at least 15 years older than him.
A Scottish voice mumbled something loudly between songs and I think I was the only one that caught bassist David Algrim laughing, asking no one “…What?” From the off, Algrim’s tongue was lolling as he contorted his form during frantic opener ‘The Punisher‘ and he’d soon be putting maximum effort into everything all night, busting it out with gusto. Obis too looked wild-eyed at times, looking left and right as he hammered away with dagger-sharp, running down the plug hole guitar and the occasional yelped vocal.
Living up to the title of their EP, creating ‘Content That Makes You Feel Good’, Stuck must’ve been pleased with their debut up Norf. With a red hot crowd energised off everything dished up from the stage, Stuck ripped it through half hour of power and had the room wanting more. As the band rushed over to placate punters at the merch table at the end of the set, bassist Algrim sauntered off stage scratching his neck like he’d just done a big shift. Well earned, lad!
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Here we are then – the seventh episode of ’60 Minutes or less’, the new podcast from Birthday Cake For Breakfast. What a peach too – a bumper chat with Steven Hodson, guitarist and vocalist in gnarly quartet USA Nails.
Having formed around 2013, we’ve been following USA Nails for pretty much the life of Birthday Cake For Breakfast. I still fondly recall their appearance at ArcTanGent Festival almost a decade ago and a slot on the lineup early on in the day. Their raucous half hour set separated the strong from the weak willed and after a night on the pale ales and who knows what else the night before, some couldn’t hack their full-on noise rock and made a swift exit.
Following a blistering appearance at the festival, we’ve since had the pleasure of interviewing USA Nails a number of times over the years and have caught them live in the flesh whenever possible. Their appearance at the festival was around the time of releasing their second album ‘No Pleasure’ and in March 2024, USA Nails released their latest album ‘Feel Worse’ – their sixth full length release and their first for big boy new label One Little Independent Records, home to Bjork amongst others.
A decade into band-life, USA Nails have a combined rap sheet that includes histories with bands such as Kong, Oceansize, Death Pedals, SilentFront, WastedDeath, TheEurosuite and many, many more. Recorded over zoom, we went deep into the recording process of their new record, which I personally can’t get enough of – yet another winner in their solid back catalogue.
A handy Spotify player is embedded below, but you can find further ways to listen here.
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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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In classic fashion, my personal favourite record from 2023 came out a year ago. Eagle-eyed Instagram followers might’ve noticed too that when it came to the big Spotify Wrapped reveals, my number one song (and quite a few within the top five) were from an album that came out seven years ago! As our reviews man Ben Forrester likes to say though – don’t get it twisted! We bleed new music through and through and 2023 has been a bountiful year for it, so much so that it’s been particularly difficult picking just 50 songs for our regular end of year feature.
But pick we must and pick we have – cataloguing our (or rather, my) favourite tracks of 2023, split into two parts (part one being here!) As ever, these are in alphabetical order rather than a ranking because, after all, it is Christmas time.
Heads up – 2023 was also a big year for us, Birthday Cake For Breakfast celebrating ten years of being a thing – ten years of DIY on the fringes! It’s been quite the decade, so much so that we had shirts made up to celebrate the fact! There’s a handful left if you’re keen (and a medium!)
One of the hottest debut EPs of 2023 (out mid-year on PRAH Recordings), Bristolian outfit Minor Conflict’s sound is of the POZI and Squid vintage. On the stirring ‘Living Statue‘, heavenly backing vocals and resplendent harp playing combine with a driving rhythm and almost stream of consciousness vocal for invigorating results.
Released on January 31st to tie in with the deadline for filing tax returns, ‘Self Assessment‘ was just one of many brilliant releases from tracksuit wearing Sheffield lads Mock Tudors this year. Fronted by him out of Mr Ben & The Bens, the title track from the EP is a rollicking garage rock rager.
Skull-crushing trio MUMS returned this year after some time away to once again put the industrial town of Widnes on the map! Return single ‘100 Kilos‘ sounds like just that, a rock solid, heavy as fook fuzz-fest that requires earplugs even with the volume down.
It doesn’t seem right that London based, American soul musician Jalen Ngonda is younger than me, given that ‘Come Around and Love Me‘ (the title track from his new album) sounds like a classic unearthed from 50 years ago. Ngonda has a timeless voice that really elevates this delectable cut from his debut LP, out now via Daptone Records.
The second release this year from tastemakers Wrong Speed Records (Hey Colossus), Objections brings together members of Bilge Pump and Nape Neck, with ‘BSA Day‘ being their debut release. What a stonking debut it is too, the earworm vocals of Claire Adams soaring over the crunchy instrumental. A full length album is due to follow in 2024!
An undeniable favourite from this year, the thumping ‘Big Air‘ just stirs up something within us. Maybe it’s the hazy, almost slacker vocals of Kane Strang in contrast to the energy of the music, or the musical concoction that sounds like a combination of Jimmy Eat World with Meat Wave and the theme tune from ‘Peep Show‘. Whatever it is, it’s had us suckered in all year.
Man, it’s good to have Omni back on these pages. The Atlanta, GA, based trio recently announced the release of a forthcoming new album – their second for Sub Pop (fourth overall) and the follow up to ‘Networker‘ from 2019. ‘Exacto‘ perfectly captures that infectious blend of sparkling post-punk they’ve been mastering since the release of their debut album, ‘Deluxe‘.
Whilst closing track ‘LADWP Hold‘ is *thee* best song of the year (literally just the infamous hold music we all know and love), the title track from the latest OSEES record (at the time of writing, anyhoo) was an unexpected gear shift from the band after their prior hardcore punk record (‘A Foul Form‘), frontman Dwyer leading the band into wackier, synth territory. Into it!
Throughout 2023, we’ve encountered PACKS on a number of occasions and ears have collectively pricked up every time. ‘Laughing Til I Cry‘ was an early favourite, finding ourselves taken in by the woozy, tripped-out style of vocalist Madeline Link, reminiscent of early Mac DeMarco.
Commenting earlier in the year that ‘Are You Free Tonight?‘ features one of the best halftime switch-ups this side of Parquet Courts ‘Almost Had to Start a Fight / In and Out of Patience‘, the flip is switched from a twinkling Kiwi Jr. style affair to a full-pelt, snotty punk thrash-through in its short two minutes.
A year on from the release of their stunner debut album ‘Big Love Blanket‘, Personal Trainer end the year on a high with the news that they’ve just signed to Bella Union! To mark the occasion, the Dutch collective recently released heart-swelling nine minute saga ‘The Feeling‘, which is parts BC:NR, Deliluh and Pavement.
Leeds thrash-heads Pest Control made a real stink this year with the release of their debut album, ‘Don’t Test The Pest‘, loved by just about everyone who fucks with gnarly Metallica riffs. Its follow up, standalone single ‘Enjoy The Show‘, is a proper rad, in-yer-lughole blast of hardcore, packed with gnarly guitar solos, snarled metal vocals and The Big Four vibes aplenty.
With a gruff vocal sounding almost like American soft-lad Alex Jones whenever he’s gone full tilt, Matt Korvette gets blunt on the brutal, noise-rock assault of ‘No Convenient Apocalypse‘, the material funny but actually quite worrying as he laments “We’re screwed!” The latest offering from Pennsylvania formed outfit Pissed Jeans, it’s their first new material in six years!
The arrival of ‘Prize‘ in early January alleviated some of the winter blues, ten tracks that provided a real warming treat to start off the year. On ‘Complicated‘, Rozi Plain has the listener in her palm, the curious lyrics against the hushed instrumental completely captivating from the off.
Another year, another Public Body entry on our annual list chronicling the best new music out there. This lot delivering the goods, always. From their first full length album proper, the frantic ‘Driven By Data‘ flies by in a whirlwind of DEVO style synth-attack.
Don’t be fooled – this did come out in 2023, rather than fifty years ago! A glitterball disco delight that’s had us hooked since mid-year, ‘C’est Si Bon‘ is an unreal funk-fest from Brooklyn based trio Say She She. Impossible not to smile – or move your feet for that matter – during its near four minutes running.
Before knocking it on the head at the end of the year (following 18 years together), New Jersey trio Screaming Females kicked off January with the stonking ‘Brass Bell‘, lead single from their eighth (and final) studio album ‘Desire Pathway‘. Packed on heavy with ripper guitar parts and wall-crumbling vocals from Marissa Paternoster, it was an instant smash.
Following a run of unmissable singles and EPs over the past few years, Nashville’s Snooper – fronted by vocalist Blair Tramel and guitarist Connor Cummins – finally released their hotly tipped debut album in 2023. From it, the hyperactive speed-punk of ‘Pod‘ provided untold thrills, a head-spinning dance-a-thon to play over and over again.
With a sound not too dissimilar to fellow Chicagoans Meat Wave, this year saw Stuck release their second album, ‘Freak Frequency‘, a follow up to the brilliant ‘Change Is Bad‘ released in deepest, darkest Covid times. ‘The Punisher‘ paces ahead, fuelled by jagged guitar, chest-thumping drums, sax flourishes and an increasingly worked up vocal from Greg Obis. 2024 will see the Chicago base outfit on EU/UK soil, with unmissable shows pencilled in!
A new discovery and subsequent highlight from 2000 Trees Festival this year, Norwich’s SUDS had a big 2023, signing to tastemaker label Big Scary Monsters and releasing their debut album, ‘The Great Overgrowth‘. Prior to that, the quartet put out their debut EP ‘In The Undergrowth‘ and from it, ‘My Own Mind‘ blew us away, sounding like Julia Jacklin if she was backed by a midwest emo band…
A Sub Pop album debut for Sweeping Promises this year and rightly so, after their debut album ‘Hunger for a Way Out‘ well and truly captivated us on release in 2020. From ‘Good Living Is Coming For You‘, ‘You Shatter‘ is a brooding, ice-cold post-punk statement from the dynamite pairing of Lira Mondal and Caufield Schnug, sounding like an authentic artefact from the 80s, brought to life in our year of the lord 2023.
Five years on from the release of their last record, the brilliant ‘I’m Terry‘, cowboy hat sporting Aussie quartet Terry made our year by once again gracing us with their presence. ‘Golden Head‘ is a lovely number – dig the four-way vocal which, when coupled with the strings, have a touch of the melancholy about them.
Initially shelved during the pandemic (for obvious reasons), ‘Compact Trauma‘, the latest record from Londoners Ulrika Spacek, became an early favourite for 2023. Opener ‘The Sheer Drop‘ sets the tone perfectly, opening on its quirky synth intro before jangly guitar leads the listener into spellbinding transcendence.
USA Nails waited for the vinegar strokes of 2023 to release their new single ‘Feel Worse‘, but it was worth the wait, coupled with the news that it would be taken from a forthcoming album of the same name and would be their label debut for One Little Independent Records! As they always do, the quartet smash it from the off with their lead single – a thunderous, rib-rattler, full of bite that sounds as vital as ever.
Having wowed us 100% with the massive 2021 single ‘Dreamsickle‘, Kentucky trio Wombo returned in 2023 with a three-track EP to coincide with a UK/EU tour. From the EP, its title track showcases what they’re all about in the space of 110 seconds – dynamite guitar, engrossing basslines and keep-you-on-your-toes drumming.
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The songs on ‘Lesson‘ – the debut album from Bristol based pianist, vocalist and composer A.L. Lacey – sound not too dissimilar to those found on records from the likes of Rozi Plain, You Tell Me and Dilettante; really engaging standalone pieces packed with interesting ideas. Lacey has prior chops, collaborating with a laundry list of artists, including COWER (featuring members of The Ghost of a Thousand, Petbrick and USA Nails) and it’s from past musical adventures that she’s gained the confidence to record pieces for her own solo-project, finessing all the musical ideas she’d created during the pandemic.
“Although playing for (and collaborating with) other musicians brought a lot of joy and talented friends into my life, there was a frustrating sense of unfinished business. In that, my piano parts and ideas were being restricted to someone else’s’ vision – a vision which was often ‘less is more’ – a tasteful afterthought.” Lacey has said of deciding to work on her own material.
“A huge part of this project therefore became the need to challenge myself and to see what I could achieve or lessons I could learn, if I did things my own way – a bit of a journey towards autonomy – a predominant theme in most of my songs, along with finding purpose from confusion, and strength in your weaknesses.”
With influences ranging from My Bloody Valentine to Scott Walker, Lacey took to Bristol’s J&J Studios to piece together the nine songs found on her debut, ‘Lesson‘ ultimately produced and recorded with Jim Barr (Portishead)over the course of two years. The results are gripping, with tracks like ‘Old‘ and ‘Memo‘ building layer upon layer for maximum enticement.
With this being a release from the London based charitable label HUMAN WORTH, 10% of all proceeds will be donated to charity Off the Record – a mental health social movement by / for young people aged between 11 and 25 living in Bristol and South Gloucestershire. Available now via digital download and on ‘Pitch Black‘ vinyl, listen below and grab a purchase here!
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As snow settles throughout the land and the Christmas deccies go up in every other house on the street, we eschew the festivities of the month and crack on with our regular monthly playlist! For those not in the know – every month we focus on twenty tunes as part of our ‘Listening Post‘, compiling a list of the very tracks that have had us all shook up of late.
This month: Returns and new music aplenty from noise-rockers, post-punkers, Parisian pop-peddlers and jazz saxophonists. There’s debuts too from New Yorkers, Aussies, Londoners and even a 70s cut from a Welsh icon. Tuck in, get stuck in!
Written during a bout of insomnia for vocalist and songwriter Olajumoke Aremu, ‘Different Formations‘ is her label debut for Bella Union (released via Kill Rock Stars in the states). Taken from a forthcoming debut album yet to be announced, it’s the first release in five years from the New York-based artist, a magical moment and a bright sign of things to come.
It is forever a treat to hear from Londoners USA Nails when they’ve got a mega exciting announcement to share. In our year of the lord 2023, their most recent reveal for forthcoming new album ‘Feel Worse‘ is that it’s coming out via One Little Independent Records (home of Bjork!) The never-miss foursome make their OLI debut in blistering fashion, title track ‘Feel Worse‘ being a mammoth head-wrecker and yet another notch on their we-are-the-best belt.
Squint your ears a wee bit (possible) and this frantic cut from Aussie lot Ausmuteants sounds like Ad-Rock of the Beastie Boys fronting a synth-punk band, ran through a snotty Geelong filter. Up for it, to be fair…
As heard on the soundtrack to the brilliant ‘The Worst Person in the World‘, Cobra Man bring Turbowolf x MGMT realness on the righteous ‘Bad Feeling‘ – a nostalgic sounding romp that sounds like it would’ve slotted right into a cutscene from an early ‘Grand Theft Auto’ game. Full throttle, the band say it best – “Power Disco didn’t exist before COBRA MAN got together“.
What were you up to when you were four? Parisian pianist and composer Christophe Chassol was enrolled in the Institut National de Musique, a conservatoire in Paris, to study piano, whilst most other infants were getting stuck into a box of Lego. The Parisian parenting clearly paid off! ‘Wersailles‘, from 2013 release ‘Ultrascores‘ is completely spellbinding.
Praise be – a new record on the way from the wunderbar Omni! Their second for Sub Pop (and fourth overall), we’ve been patiently waiting these past four years off the back of ‘Networker‘ in 2019. ‘Exacto‘ is just a treat from the off, combining the delectable vocal delivery of bassist Philip Frobos with Frankie Broyles nails guitar work. Welcome back, fellas.
Full disclosure, with the amount of live shows we go to, there are occasions where we’re more interested in how we’re getting home than what’s taking place on stage. Last month however we were blown away by New York shoegaze heads Hotline TNT, not wanting their set to end! Their new album ‘Cartwheel‘ has pricked up the ears of many and we can see why, ‘BMX‘ a wall of heart-pumping noise.
Last month saw the release of a new record from Canadian foursome Mock Media, featuring players from Crack Cloud, Pottery, N0V3L and Painted Fruit. Whilst we were more than familiar with 3/4 of the line-up, Painted Fruit were a new one for us, but – as expected – we can dig what they’re laying down. From their second (and final) album, ‘Clientele‘ is N0V3L meets early Preoccupations and we’re all for it!
The title track from the latest Death Valley Girls record sounds huge! Glittering like a disco-ball, ‘Islands in the Sky‘ makes it seem like a no brainer that this quartet are from sunnier climes, the Californian lot mesmerising with their triple vocal ode to believing in yourself and living your own life. Whack it on again!
It’s been a minute since we last wrote about the terrific Home Counties and it seems much has changed. For starters, they’ve collectively moved to that London to make a go of it! What hasn’t changed though is their knack for writing a catchy big-hit single and recent release ‘Bethnal Green‘ is a high-energy, wonky dance-a-thon that will get fully stuck in your nut after just one verse. Invigorating!
A joyous big pop bop here from French artist Halo Maud, ‘Terres Infinies‘ bursts into life and calls to mind hazy summer days. Taken from her forthcoming second album ‘Celebrate‘ (featuring a number of tracks co-produced by Deerhoof’s Greg Saunier), it’s a triumphant return. C’est super!
One of those numbers that stops you in your tracks, hearing this on the wireless mid-month glued me to the spot for its duration, completely taken in by the lovely instrumentation and slightly haunted delivery of Cale. From the Welsh lads fourth solo studio album, ‘Fear‘, released fifty years ago as of next October.
Once a regular sharing stages with the likes of The Physics House Band and Cattle, Miles Spilsbury slipped out of our view for a minute there, the jazz saxophonist and composer re-appearing into focus for us last month with the release of his debut album, ‘Light Manoeuvres‘, his first full-length album as bandleader. ‘Tungsten‘ is a real swish jazz odyssey from the Brighton based player and his cohorts, individual chops definitely on display.
Back in September, we finally got the chance to see Manchester’s Grave Goods at the inner-city Manchester Psych Fest, the trio worth the wait off the back of their hotly tipped debut album ‘Tuesday. Nothing Exists.‘ From the record, ‘Source‘ is a thumping post-punk attack of sharp guitar, clattering drums, rib-rattling bass and forceful, pin-you-up-against-the-wall vocals. Well worth a re-visit.
Ripper territory this! ‘Alone Again‘ is proper anthemic, a raging punk-y number, shooting for the stars with its fist-pumping chorus and mega guitar parts, absolutely hooking you in from the get go with that killer riff. With their initial jams together curtailed by lockdowns back home in Melbourne during the pandemic, the second album from Aussie lot Split System is a go – out next February via Legless (AU), Goner (US) and Drunken Sailor (UK & EU).
Real catchy, moody stomper here from ENOLA – ‘Looking Back‘ sounding like an 80s deep-cut, whilst also not too dissimilar to heavy hitters like Fontaines D.C., the listener hanging off every word of the soaring vocal. The solo project of non-binary artist Ruby Marshall, initial listens detected a touch of Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever in the shimmering guitar sound, which would make sense with ENOLA being an Aussie!
Forget quartets, sextets and the like – the real heads know the sweet spot comes with 11 members. No pissing about, ‘Beatnik‘ from southern lot Fake Turins is energising like LCD Soundsystem at their catchiest. A crisp, funk-fest with a captivating vocal that sounds like Ought’s Tim Darcy. We’ve caught onto them just at the right time too – they split up this summer. Bugger.
Discovered via the wonders of the Adam Buxton podcast, Ugandan-British folk artist Daudi Matsiko not only talked the talk, but he walked the walk too, playing a number of hypnotising numbers on the pod. From a forthcoming debut album that touches on real life personal struggles with depression, bipolar affective disorder and racial trauma, ‘Fool Me As Many Times As You Like‘ is a hushed, gentle affair with beautiful playing from Matsiko and saxophonist Pete Beardsworth that captivates from note one.
On her debut album ‘Sample The Sky‘, released back in October, Londoner Laura Misch is said to have opened up every aspect of the process to her South London creative community – from musicians and field recordists to painters and florists – which sounds almost as delightful as the music she crafts. ‘Hide to Seek‘ is a scintillating modern jazz cut, featuring Everything Everything type electronics and some lovely saxophone flourishes.
From the streets of Berlin where her music career started as a busker, it’s fair to say South African musician Alice Phoebe Lou has made some leap – she plays Manchester’s grand New Century Hall this month! From her new album ‘Shelter‘, released this summer, ‘Open My Door‘ is a sun-soaked slice of heaven, her vocals floating across a lush instrumental.
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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.
Off the back of announcing their new album ‘Feel Worse‘ (out March 22nd 2024 via One Little Independent Records), guitarists / vocalists Steven Hodson and Gareth Thomas of USA Nails talk us through their new single of the same name. Take it away, Steven and Gareth…
Steven: “Right, I’ll be completely honest here, I don’t really think I was involved much with the writing of the music of this tune. I remember listening to demos of songs Dan, Tom and Gareth were working on and planning to record with Wayne (Adams – Petbrick etc) and I’m pretty sure this was one of them. The three of them recorded a bunch of music they had written in London whilst I was doing raindrops and eating butter pies in Chorley, then sent me the mixes and I shoehorned some guitar and moaning in there. It wasn’t our usual way of working and I found the whole process quite hard. Not being present when a song is being formed was strange for me as I’m a bit of a practice room sergeant major.
We thought we’d have a bit of a theme with this record and laughing at the misfortune of others, or schadenfreude, seemed like a fun topic to explore. ‘Feel Worse‘, the song, is about the horrible nicknames kids give each other at school. Sometimes playful comments and ribbing can be taken to heart and definitely as kids we go through these learning curves of being complete shits to our nearest and dearests. Being a teacher myself I’ve had to support loads of spuds through these types of issues. Some would label it bullying but, at times, I’m not sure if that is helpful. I think the harm comes from a place of insecurity from the perpetrator.
I had no idea of what to play guitar-wise on this song so I just turned two horrible distortion pedals on and mashed my hand on a nasty chord then bent the strings around in the middle 8. I love Gareth’s mad guitar bits in this section too. I also did a bit of ‘spelling the song title out’ in this bit, a bit of a homage to ‘Be Aggressive‘ by Faith No More.
So yeah. Try not to make people feel worse… but ultimately, you probably will… but yeah, try not too.“
Gareth: “The writing for this song and a bunch of the songs from the album was a bit different as Steven says, now that he’s moved back up north, and the rest of us are down in London. Steven is always such a tornado of momentum when we are writing together, so we had to try and figure out a new way to work. I think it can be useful to force yourself to do things in a different way sometimes though, pushing yourself out of your comfort zone can help you break new ground, but it can also obviously be quite challenging.
At first we felt quite rudderless, and at times the process didn’t feel ideal as we were used to having a quick back and forth in the room and then – bang – song is written. But it was quite painful getting started on stuff as a 3, trying to figure out where to leave space for other guitar parts and vocals. In a way it was a bit of an experiment, writing in this way, and we’ve learnt a lot about how to make it easier on ourselves next time. Having said that, I love this number now, and the bunch of songs we ended up with, so i guess, the ends justify the means?
We made the video ourselves, as we almost always do. I originally had some ideas about doing a narrative based video, but got cold feet at the last minute so ended up doing something more abstract, as my visual art sort of background is more based in analogue photography and such.
I had this idea about projecting and refilming band footage onto different textures and shapes but couldn’t quite get it to look good. So, bit of a brainwave maybe – I sellotaped a chopstick to a turntable, and stabbed a ball of crumpled up paper on the top of it and projected onto that. Turned the lights down in the room and then got super close up with my camera and ended up with the weird rippling effect you see. So all the effects are totally practical, which gives me a huge sense of smugness. Though to be honest if I was clever enough to achieve this digitally I would have, I wouldn’t know where to start with that sort of thing though. Danny on the other hand, is all about that stuff, so keep an eye out for his video for one of our next singles!“
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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.
Off the back of releasing their latest album ‘Sorry‘ (via Human Worth), The Eurosuite talk us through the track ‘Cup of Water’. Take it away, The Eurosuite…
Dan (vocals): “I thought your hand was a cup of water” is about that moment before you fall asleep. Everything feels lucid, weird, familiar and sometimes nightmarish. The band were kind enough for me to have creative control for the video. I had this looping room theme in my head when writing the lyrics for this song, accentuated by Mike’s unsettling synth drone.“
Gareth (drums): “I’d been listening to a lot of UK Garage when we started jamming that one out so I was trying to do an Artful Dodger rip off on the drums.“
Mike (synth): “I wanted to create a synth sound that mimicked bagpipes in terms of pitch modulation and I thought that would be a ridiculous thing to put with UK Garage drums. I love how Gaz and I play the same thing throughout most of the song to provide the anchor, but the guitar is all over the shop, which really elevates the track.“
Mike (guitar): “Apparently we first jammed this out on 13th September 2021, it was originally over 6 mins long and a lot more cluttered so we just kept getting rid of bits until it felt minimal but still “a song”.
We recorded it with Wayne at Bear Bites Horse in December 2021 to click track, Gaz had the idea for it starting out with synthetic drums then building to the live drums after the first chorus and it sounds sick, gives a bit of variety within the minimalism. I remember Gaz playing a lot of UK Garage on the drive to a gig in the weeks before we jammed it out. Last time we were in the van it was a lot of Luther Vandross and 80s Magic FM classics so you can already imagine what LP3 sounds like.
I get to play harmonics nearly all the way through it which is MY FAVOURITE THING ON GUITAR. Wayne layered slightly different guitar takes which makes it sound almost pretty but also pleasingly fucky and broken. A lot of my guitar stuff can take up a lot of space, so I didn’t want Mike to feel bored or like he had no room to maneouvre, but the minimalism of the synth really serves the song.
For me this rapidly became a favourite because it feels so different to the rest of the album where a lot of the songs are a bit more like being kicked in the face. It felt a good moody piece to start off the record, and to me it kind of parallels how the first album ended on ‘Line/Void‘. I think Dan underrates his lyrics and I love how his vocal delivery sits in the final mix of the song. The video he put together in blender takes inspiration from “The Back Rooms” youtube video series and is appropriately creepy.“
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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, having just released their debut album ‘Rest Lurks‘, Lichen Slow – the new project from Malcolm Middleton (Arab Strap) and Manchester producer Joel Harries – talkus through what influenced the record. Take it away, Joel…
“This record came out at a point when we were really picking up the pace writing ‘Rest Lurks‘. In fact, on the day that Malcolm first sent me the lyrics to ‘Preset’, but obviously those words could never be applied to this band!
I am a huge fan of everything David Bazan has done but this album is really special to me. His ability to write about moments from his childhood so vividly is just incredible. There are so many songs out there that go down the overly trodden paths of relationships & break ups. I love it when a record barely touches on these themes or if they do it’s under a different lense. There is so much you can address with music and song that I feel people miss out on a lot of beautiful & poignant moments by sticking with the usual tear jerker staples.
The production on this album is so natural and sparse, very different to my approach on ‘Rest Lurks‘, but I like to think of the song writing style as similarly thought out.“
“Now this record didn’t really influence ‘Rest Lurks‘ in any way that most people would be able to hear. I was listening to it heavily at the time while we were making the album. A lot of music I listen to is in this realm. I love the absolute raging atmosphere of this record. The discordant banjo, throbbing bass and heavy drumming. I love watching videos of the singer smashing phones out of the hands of audience members and the wild crowd participation at their shows.
Maybe listening to this kind of music allows me to release my own pent up aggression and anger, leaving a more neutral mindset in which to work on music like the Lichen Slow album. Or maybe that’s a load of rubbish and I just love riffs. Probably the latter. But in all seriousness I do think that my love of intense music does inform my own creative processes in a tangible way. After our first photoshoot for the album someone suggested we looked like a hardcore band. Who knows, maybe the second record might get a little noisier!“
“Leading neatly on from the last record is this excellent album. In the aforementioned photo shoot I am wearing a USA Nails t-shirt. Again this is a noisy record that people may not be able to find much in common when comparing to ‘Rest Lurks’.
The lyrics on this record are brilliant, conversational, funny and containing some all too real observations about being in a band. As I mentioned with the Pedro album, I love songs that resonate with you but aren’t about the usual sad stuff. It’s also rare, I think, that lyrics are so accessible and relatable in heavier music.
Whether talking about “drinking a litre of service station coffee” or singing that “45 minutes of noise and light has always given me a context for this life” this record makes me feel something. A camaraderie and empathy for all those living a creative existence in the face of the hurdles that modern life throws at us. On a few songs on ‘Rest Lurks‘ I speak similarly of the frustrations of creativity but I think this record sums it up better than I did.“
“This record has been a big influence on my mixing & production and also contains some of my favourite songs the band have written. There are hundreds of tiny little details in the opening track “Nobody Else Will Be There”, small sounds wandering around in the background and little effects loops spinning about. All while the core instruments and voices sound warm, full & well placed. Sonically I definitely hold this record as a bench mark that I would hope my mixes eventually reach.“
Moving to Manchester
“So my last one is not a record but definitely had an impact on things. Shortly after meeting Malcolm in 2020 I moved up from Northampton to Manchester with Quincey & our dog Francis. While trying to find my place here, making this record was really important. It gave me something to focus on and a feeling of progression that I was initially struggling to find in this new city. All the recording of my parts, production & mixing was done in the spare room of the flat we first lived in. I made quite a few records in that room. I now feel very much at home here and it will be interesting to see what that brings to what we do next.“
‘Rest Lurks‘ is out NOW via Rock Action Records – grab a copy or two here!
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At the end of the first Sex Pistols run, Johnny Rotten notoriously uttered “Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?” (as seen on that delightful wee Disney+ show directed by Morrissey). It’s exactly how I feel about February – where did the month go?! No sooner had the slog of January ended, we were opening the curtains on March. February eh…
Fear not though listener / reader, the first of the month comes with it the gift of a new playlist from Birthday Cake For Breakfast. Painstakingly curated, 20 tunes that have had us all excited over the past month, just waiting to share with you.
From rapid Aussie punk to arse-shaking Glaswegian dance music, it’s all here – tell your friends!
Following on from the release of their mightily impressive debut full length ‘Bright Green Field‘ in 2021, Brighton formed quintet Squid build excitement for forthcoming LP ‘O Monolith‘ with their brilliant lead single ‘Swing (In A Dream)‘. Master of the tension build, drummer / vocalist Ollie Judge really has you on every word of the chorus. Another engaging piece from this exciting outfit.
Aussie trio CLAMM wowed us recently when they ripped it up opening for Preoccupations in Manchester. From their second album ‘Care‘ out last year, ‘Monday‘ is a proper adrenaline shot, the shouty back and forth vocal reminding us quite a bit of NYC lot B Boys. Nails riff on this!
What a blast from the past it was re-discovering this again just the other day! A killer hook from the incredibly laid back sounding Oscar Scheller, this was a total earworm for yours truly back in… bloody hell, 2016! Love that Wes Anderson stylee vid.
Fair play to Korean-American artist Margaret Sohn a.k.a. Miss Grit – there’s a record sleeve to fit its title if ever we saw one! Having bowled us over with her 2021 EP ‘Impostor‘, we were chuffed to hear new single ‘Nothing’s Wrong‘ released at the start of February (from her self-produced debut album), a woozy, cucumber cool pop number that ticks all the right boxes.
Glaswegian duo Suzanne Rodden and Lewis Cook channel Northern dance-heads International Teachers Of Pop on this ludicrously funky piece from their recently released album ‘INSIDE‘. Arse-shaking euphoria!
A box fresh collaboration, Noble Rot is the work of Alex Edkins (METZ) and Graham Walsh (Holy Fuck), the pair roping in friends from their collective phonebooks for an exciting new studio project. The thumping ‘Casting No Light‘ is a really slick mind-expanding journey of a tune. A great glimpse of what’s to come.
The Eurosuite brings together players from USA Nails, Nitkowski, Screen Wives and COWER and the results are, as expected, quite noisy. The frantic ‘BODY‘ is a digital headbutt from across the World Wide Web, a proper wallop but one that makes you want seconds.
Captivating stuff from Londoners Snowpoet here, the pairing of Irish vocalist and lyricist Lauren Kinsella and producer Chris Hyson cooking up jazzy delights. The opener from their latest release ‘Wait For Me‘, ‘Roots‘ shares a similar vibe to another dynamite pairing in LUMP (Laura Marling and Mike Lindsay).
The first signees to the UK branch of Third Man Records, Londoners Island Of Love have been building up quite the following down South, soon to crack the rest of the country no doubt – particularly with a run of dates this month. Taken from their first album proper, ‘Grow‘ has a bit of a Dinosaur Jr kick to it, which makes for intoxicating results.
A genuinely beautiful piece of work here from sibling duo Brian and Michael D’Addario a.k.a. The Lemon Twigs. Like a lullaby to get you off to sleep, it floats across its runtime in the vein of The Beatles and The Beach Boys at their loveliest. Magic.
On their label debut for Rock Action Records (Mogwai, Arab Strap, The Twilight Sad), Hull based quartet bdrmm fit the roster like a particularly snug glove. The follow up to their hotly tipped debut album ‘Bedroom‘, shades of Radiohead can be found on new single ‘It’s Just A Bit Of Blood‘, an engaging return for the outfit.
Having relentlessly banged on about them since the release of their debut EP back in 2019, we’re chuffed up to see Public Body have got their debut album coming out (via on the button Brighton based label FatCat Records no less). Sharp post-punk with a touch of the Minneapolis Uranium Club to it, ‘No Constraint‘ is yet another bop from Public Body.
What a treat to have Chicago trio FACS back so soon after the release of their 2021 album ‘Present Tense‘. ‘When You Say‘ is a mega cool art-rock piece, featuring a proper rib-rattling performance from bassist Alianna Kalaba, on loan before the return of founding member Jonathan Van Herik. Another direct hit from the three-piece.
It was no shock to learn that En Attendant Ana are Parisian, given recent single ‘Same Old Story‘ has a bit of a 60s French swagger to it. Really tight performances all around from the quintet, the hypnotic vocals blindsided by moments of wig-out on the instrumental.
Shades of Aussie lot TERRY on the new one from Falmouth’s Holiday Ghosts – a garage-rock type of affair from the foursome that really sinks its teeth in. Love the dual vocal of partners and main songwriters Katja Rackin and Samuel Stacpoole. Find it on new album ‘Absolute Reality‘, out this April.
Scrappy Doo and make no mistake, ‘Bus Stop‘ is a fuzzy delight from – you guessed it – a DIY Aussie punk (our favourite sort of punk!) Recorded in the living quarters of our Tee Vee Repairmann on a Tascam 488 MK1, this is Covid-catchy stuff.
Out now via tastemakers Wrong Speed Records, ‘BSA Day‘ is a solid groove-fest from Leeds lot Objections, featuring players from Bilge Pump and Nape Neck. The label reckon it’ll “be sung by roomfuls of folk up and down the country before the year’s out” and heck, they’re rarely wrong. Mega catchy, it’s a hit the ground running affair, this being their debut single. The debut album is pencilled in for later this year!
Album title of the year and it’s only March! Sheffield lot Big Break (made up of heavy hitters from the likes of Nai Harvest, Champayne and The Hipshakes) just released their debut album via Wrong Speed Records and lead single ‘Cancelled Again‘ is a nails shape-shifter, jumping between an upbeat garage rock style foot-tapper to a 100mph hardcore head-wrecker across its 120 seconds.
It’s always nice to have something new from Leeds-formed art-rockers Drahla and following the brilliant ‘Under The Glass‘ (one of our ‘Top 50 songs of 2022‘), ‘Lip Sync‘ offers up more taut post-punk for us to devour. With a video inspired by American artist Bruce Nauman’s ‘Lip Sync’ from 1969, it offers a further glimpse behind the curtain of one of the more exciting outfits knocking about today.
I made the mistake of listening to this for the first time when I wasn’t concentrating, completely missing the humour and renowned oddness of vocalist Evangeline Ling. With headphones in and a blank canvas up top though, the new Audiobooks single (from forthcoming EP ‘Gulliver‘) clicked into place – the catchy instrumental from David Wrench underneath a tip of the iceberg tale of a night of “mad business” resulting in someone’s gear getting rinsed by some unsavoury sorts. Guest appearance from Manchester’s OneDa with a humorously cutting verse wraps up another enjoyable number from this pair.
(Photo Credit: Rachel Lipsitz)
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