The many moods of Cory Hanson. Back in 2016, we discovered a fresh-faced Hanson fronting head-wreckers WAND via a much-watched KEXP session. Cut to 2021 and that fresh-face is covered in bright pink paint, Hanson having clearly gone insane in the intervening years (hey – the pandemic hit us all hard). Actually, it was just the aesthetic that came with ‘Pale Horse Rider‘, his second album as a solo artist, the pink-faced suited man making an appearance to promote 10 tracks of tranquillity.
This year saw the release of ‘Western Cum‘, Hanson’s third full-length release as a solo artist, which keeps the Americana sound ringing through, but with a return to some of the WAND fuzz we’d come to love so dearly. Whilst the ‘Pale Horse Rider‘ album art was a perfect snapshot of what the record was all about – peaceful sounding, late night reflections – ‘Western Cum‘ takes a different approach with its Marmite cover and title (I love it!), though we can say this: the face paint has been scrubbed off, the new look all about showing off the guns in a black tank top.
Speaking of guns, “America’s greatest tribute to America’s greatest band” ZZZ TOP were the support for Hanson when he played a solo show this week in Manchester. All three on stage wore dark sunglasses throughout, with one lad in particular looking awfully familiar – but with a big ginger beard – amongst the people on the floor as we arrived, wigging away on guitar, playing the hits of Houston’s finest, ZZ Top.
Made up of Cory and his Slowhand band, featuring drummer Evan Backer and Hanson’s brother Casey on guitar (a beret wearing, fellow beard-o chugging away on the bass), it was boogie-woogie of the ‘Jailhouse Rock‘ calibre, the moustachioed Backer hammering away at the back, as Cor… Billy was spinning around on the floor with one arm held high.
It was all about the guitar theatrics, but also comedy theatrics too, bassist Casey mopping his brow with his beard, Cory giving a very detailed laundry list of instructions for putting cheap sunnies on, synchronised dance moves and frequent shouts of “Have Mercy!” Then there was the pair literally advancing on the crowd with axes raised, punters retreating like they were being chased by ZZ Top themed Terminators. A definite reason for more bands to act as their own support, living the dream playing guitar heroes (Cory would later big up ZZZ Top as a “class act“).
A very British person greeted their return to the stage by saying (not shouting) “Love you Cory” as the band tuned up. As is the case on the new album, Hanson and band (now joined by bassist Hazel Rigby) exploded into the country-tinged ripper ‘Wings‘. Even though the beards had been taken off, both guitarists (brother Casey now switching from bass) still leaned into each other in a synchronised stylee on nearly every song, axe first, as drummer Backer intently kept an eye on the two, building the song up with a proper train-a-rolling rumble.
It was straight into the almost thrash opening on ‘Persuasion Architecture‘, before the quartet brought it right down to make way for Cory’s whopping vocal chops. He was soon on one knee, playing again to his brother, the two acting like they were in their bedroom playing about as kids. They even had wee conversations with their guitars, which the crowd ate up.
With his big American smile on that chiselled jaw, Hanson was dishing out compliments, telling us punters how beautiful we all were, how smart and sexy we were, before reminding us just how expensive touring is and that vinyl copies of ‘Western Cum‘ were available at the merch desk.
Ahead of the raging ‘Housefly‘, Hanson let us know we’d be hearing all of ‘Western Cum‘ that night in Manchester. The theatrics carried on through from the opener, Hanson raising his guitar to the ceiling on the nails ‘Horsebait Sabotage‘ as it howled and wailed whilst his muscles flexed, before holding it out one handed like a waiter delivering a pizza pie, culminating with him on his knees, at first playing the guitar behind his head, then playing the strings with his teeth, the drummer galloping ahead all the while. “We got a hot snare back here – that snare is singing!“
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Yes, it’s the 1st of April, but don’t be fooled – it really is time for another Birthday Cake For Breakfast playlist! March is seemingly over, so it makes sense that we return with 20 big tunes – some old, some new – for you to get stuck into.
From The Shits to Melt-Banana, this is one for the heads who love a good band name – with music ranging from hard and heavy to soft and soulful.
Tell your mum and dad we’ve got a new playlist ready to go – get them to share it with all their old pals too!
Putting most to shame with her work ethic, Londoner Nabihah Iqbal – a musician, producer, DJ and broadcaster – looks to follow up her 2017 debut album ‘Weighing of the Heart‘ with the release of ‘DREAMER‘. New single ‘This World Couldn’t See Us‘ is a thumping, 80s style moody post-punk affair that really captivates.
Following the announcement that DEVO will be playing at Green Man Festival this year (!), I’ve been on a bit of a DEVO kick this past month. It was a shock to discover a Soundgarden cover out there, but a welcome surprise to find legendary noise outfit Melt-Banana had gotten involved too. Unsurprisingly, the duo have made ‘Uncontrollable Urge‘ even more of a rager!
Cucumber-cool stuff from Berlin-based singer/songwriter Anna Erhard, the funky ‘Guestroom‘ taken from her 2022 album ‘Campsite‘. Love that not-arsed spoken-word style vocal, very reminiscent of that massive Wet Leg song that is on every BBC Three show doing the rounds these days.
Swiftly following up their debut single ‘Haffmilch Holiday‘, Decisive Pink (Angel Deradoorian and Kate NV) preview their forthcoming debut album further with ‘Destiny‘. More wonky art-pop on offer from a dynamite pairing, there’s a touch of Cate Le Bon to this quirky number. Love the spoken-word ritual instructions at half time!
The only outfit on the list (or any of our lists for that matter) from Colchester, She’s In Parties combine influences from the likes of Slowdive and Cocteau Twins to create heart-swelling pop drenched in nostalgia. ‘Cherish‘ is a proper infectious bop that sounds like it was released about 40 years ago…
Discovered via a Dry Cleaning remix, Nourished by Time is the solo project of Baltimore, Maryland artist Marcus Brown, a smooth operator no doubt. From the brilliantly titled forthcoming debut album ‘Erotic Probiotic 2‘ (a record mostly recorded in his parents’ basement), ‘Quantum Suicide‘ is a super soulful number.
Pure pop wonkiness aplenty from The B-52’s on ‘Song for a Future Generation‘ from their third studio album, released in 1983. Straddling the line between their punk roots and later poppiness. Love those dating profile style soundbites – top insight on the ins and outs of each member…
Londoners Ulrika Spacek return from hibernation with their latest full length ‘Compact Trauma‘, their first release in just shy of five years. The woozy ‘No Design‘ is a dreamy bit of transcendence, the quintet taking the listener on a real psych trip across its 5+ minutes.
Shades of early Black Midi here from soon-to-be-massive Portsmouth quartet Cowboyy. A proper math-rock rager to kick things off, ‘Tennis‘ sets out their stall for the kids to pick up on the next big thing.
From the delightfully titled ‘Today My Friend You Drunk the Venom‘, ‘Venom‘ gets more and more under your skin with every listen. Taken from the third album from mysterious outfit The Drin, it’s all about that driving rhythm on this one. All we know is there are six of them and they’re from Ohio, which is good enough intel for us.
There were a handful of records released during lockdown that had a particularly big impact on me during those forgotten months. LA Priest’s ‘GENE‘ was one of them, released smack-bang in the middle of it all, so we’re chuffed up he’s got a new record on the way! Recorded in Mexico and the rainforests of Costa Rica, the new record is said to be inspired by their mythical histories and connections to the ocean, with it suggested that “Fase Luna offers a one-way ticket to another world.” All aboard!
From latest album ‘The Wreckage‘, released at the start of the year, ‘The Waitress‘ captures Sweet Baboo at his sweetest, that heavenly vocal from Stephen Black really engaging the listener. A real stop-you-in-your tracks affair.
Fair play to Cory Hanson, that’s quite the album title… From his third full length as a solo artist, ‘Housefly‘ is such a delight, one part country ditty, one part ripper guitar banger. The WAND vocalist has got the chops for both, make no mistake.
Following their debut single released at the tail end of 2022, New Zealand trio Office Dog absolutely slay on recent single ‘Big Air‘. With a beefy instrumental not too dissimilar to fellow trio Meat Wave, this is one you’ll want to play again and again. Massive fan. A full length is in the works, due for release in late 2023!
Massive new one from Elanor Moss, bringing forth that sort of powerhouse vocal all the best Julia Jacklin songs have (with a bit of Christine McVie chucked in for good measure). From a new EP recorded in Brooklyn with frequent collaborator Oli Deakin, ‘Catholic‘ has the makings of a classic.
Captured on a recent Instagram story from New Yorkers BODEGA, I was captivated by The Lunar Year via the stage presence of one Katie Hackett, swept up not long after by mega catchy fuzz-fest ‘Don’t Kiss Strangers‘. Very much a killer 90s alt-rock sound to it.
The latest single from LDN trio POZI’s forthcoming album ‘Smiling Pools‘, ‘Pest Control‘ is a total treat. With a driving rhythm section propelling it along, it’s easily the best thing they’ve done in a good while (which is saying something!). Hard to believe their debut album ‘PZ1‘ arrived in 2019, but we’ve been championing this lot ever since and can’t wait to see what they’ve got in store for their second full length.
East Yorkshire lot Low Hummer pricked up our ears straight away with ‘Connected‘, calling to mind fellow Yorkshire folk Drahla. There’s a spaced-out, Stereolab-esque psych edge in there too. With a tour supporting Manic Street Preachers behind them, I’d think there’s big things to come from Low Hummer.
A project originally called What It’s Like To Be A Bat (catchy), Miss Tiny brings together Dan Carey of Speedy Wunderground and Warmduscher’s Benjamin Romans-Hopcraft to form a powerhouse duo. Debut single ‘The Sound‘ has a hint of Blur at their moodiest, the pairing creating a proper claustrophobic but invigorating racket.
I think you know where you stand with a band called The Shits. The Leeds collective absolutely smash it on recent single ‘Waiting‘, pushing repetition to the point that even The Fall might blush. Can’t get over that killer riff – again, again, again!
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In the brain-overload video for Crack Cloud’s ‘Crackin Up‘, amongst the gun-shot suicides and beach side effigies, there’s a shot of a snake-eyed tattooed bod in a dimly lit room staring at a host of computer screens. Before the release of their debut album ‘Pain Olympics‘, a video surfaced on their Instagram of a slack-tied, cigarette smoking bloke surrounded by screens, he too in a dimly lit room, watching a progress bar fill up as he uploaded what one assumes was said record.
The seemingly ever-growing ‘multimedia collective‘ are an outfit of many, many vibes (a single video of theirs generally packs in more ideas than most band’s have throughout a career), with one recurring theme being a hermit sat in front of computer screens, looking at who knows what. It rings true though, given everything to do with Crack Cloud up to a point feels like you’re unearthing something secret, looking over your shoulder to see if anyone’s caught you watching what looks like a snuff film (in reality, with this being the internet, there are pockets of fans from all over and sure enough, their debut album was critically acclaimed).
That excitement of discovery unsurprisingly extends to those that move amongst the Crack Cloud circle and on the discovery of N0V3L in late 2018, our fingers couldn’t type about them fast enough (though we did manage it). The moodier arm of the collective (featuring Crack Cloud personnel Jon Varley and Bryce Cloghesy), their sound is less yelped vocals and quirky, more post-punk and new-wave nostalgia.
2019 saw the release of their self-titled debut, a mini-LP of sorts and a record we were, quite frankly, very taken with. The record captured a self-sustaining creative operation – N0V3L worked out of a rental home in Victoria, British Columbia, producing their own music, videos, and clothing. Two years on and they’re on the eve of releasing ‘NON-FICTION‘, their debut album proper, written by Varley between 2017 and 2020 and recorded on a Tascam-388 in the very same home, since torn down – another casualty of the alleged unforgiving housing market in Vancouver.
Bleak so it is, but a house being torn down, spreading the community across the western province of British Columbia, is just part of the makeup of the collective. Mental illness and the fallout of an opioid overdose crisis is a deep part of the network, British Columbia recently marking a somber anniversary in mid-April of five years since a public health emergency was declared after 200 people died of opioid overdoses. Varley himself was victim to an opiate addiction while working in Vancouver’s downtown Eastside.
A number of years back I was fortunate enough to catch both Crack Cloud and N0V3L share a small stage in Leeds at a packed out Hyde Park Book Club. Mid-way through the set, Varley was notably shaken and had to stop in the middle of a new song, his voice cracking as he broke the silence in the room to announce how personal it was to him. Maybe memories have blurred the lines on this one, but hearing it in full on record it has sleeper hit written all over it – but it’s also evident that all power seems zapped out of the vocalist as he sings on ‘FALLING IN LINE‘ of numbing the mind.
The power-zapped vocal of Varley shifts throughout the record, captivating at every turn as it moves from pained one minute (‘UNTOUCHABLE‘) to automaton-like (‘APATH‘) to almost rapping, the singer straining to get everything out of his mouth (‘VIOLENT & PARANOID‘).
Whilst initial live outings of ‘NON-FICTION‘ hinted that we’d have a record that shifted from the more danceable, skittish post-punk of their debut and leaned into their moodier, downbeat side, there’s still a lot of the new record that moves at a clip and propels the tracks forward, the likes of ‘STRANGER‘, ‘PUSHERS‘ and ‘EN MASSE‘ destined for moving feet and shuffling shoulders in dimly lit basements.
Opener ‘UNTOUCHABLE‘ sparks things off immediately with rapid-fire drumming and stabbing, jangly guitar as the listener is transported to a German post-punk show or even New Order in their earlier days. Frantic and dance-y, it very much sets the tone. This is, for me, where N0V3L excel – danceable, energetic and moody post-punk, with drums firing fast and bass lines stealing the show.
Back to that live show in Leeds (as well as a support slot for WAND in Manchester later in 2019) and one of the highlights came from the rhythm section, the topless drummer moving about like a wind-up toy, hammering the kit, whilst the bassist hovered closely, doing his thing, the pair holding everything down and adding so much to each and every track. The bass is particularly notable throughout the record, a vital cog and very fitting of an era gone by.
On ‘Pain Olympics‘, Crack Cloud bookended its eight tracks with a definite open and close, each quite theatrical in approach and grandeur. On ‘NON-FICTION‘, N0V3L aren’t so much for the theatrics, but it feels very much like an opening statement and a closing of this chapter at its end, with the New Order comparison returning on ‘NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE‘ and its quite beautiful close to the record as Cloghesy‘s sax rings out and everything fades.
Born out of turmoil and sadness, ‘NON-FICTION‘ captures a time and a place in the life of Varley and N0V3L and whilst it’s pained, the results of their debut are something special and worthy of being documented.
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It’s that time again for our release rundown for the week, reviewing some brand new records ready for your aural consumption. As always, we gently remind you that these releases are available to buy on the artists web stores as well as online at your favourite record shop (and now back in store! Woo!) Pick up if you can.
Furiously blending hardcore, math, thrash and metal across three full lengths, whilst putting on the most bonkers and therefore best live shows going, The Armed seemed to be alt-metal’s best kept secret. But now feels like their moment to cast their nets wider. When they released new single ‘ALL FUTURES’ back in January alongside a blistering live video, the internet blew up with the whole alt scene losing their shit at the balls-out brilliance of this slacker thrash banger. I was one of the many that sat firmly up, wagging my tail ready to take album four for a walk.
‘ULTRAPOP’ has been described by the Detroit collective as the musical description of what it entails, furthermore calling it the harshest, most beautiful, most hideous thing they could make. This is exactly what this is. It’s super intense, noisy as hell but stuffed with the kind of euphoria you’d expect from sliding down a rainbow. ‘AVERAGE DEATH’ has one of the most hectic choruses I’ve ever heard in my life. The drums are so pummelling I feel like my arms are going to fall off just listening to it. The guitars are maxed out to sound like an amp has been stapled to your ears and then there’s this sickly sweet gang vocal over the top that sounds like It’s been sang by the cast of Sesame Street. It’s pretty chaotic but it makes me feel immortal.
This is something that The Armed employ a lot through the record, finding shimmering glimpses of beauty within a heap of fuzzy chaos. Recent single ‘AN ITERATION’ is another extremely fine example of a glorious, glittering chorus poking out of a full throttle, chunked out riff and beat combo (imagine Broken Social Scene jamming with Lightning Bolt).
At this point I have to shout out drummers Ben Koller (of Converge fame) and Urian Hackney who are just out of this world on this album. I’m not sure who plays on what, but the blast beats in ‘FAITH IN MEDICATION’ are just godly and that fill on ‘A LIFE SO WONDERFUL’ is jaw dropping. I’m knackered just thinking about it. That’s the thing with The Armed, they know what they’re doing, they only bring in the best and with guitarist Dan Greene taking on production duties for the first time, their vision has never been stronger.
Mostly this is an album about taking bitter sweet pop melodies, adding a punkish urgency then running off a cliff with it. But it’s actually the glitch pop groove of ‘BAD SELECTION’ that ended up being my MVP. Not only is it supremely catchy and has gotten me out of a chair every time I hear it, but it’s a brief nod into what else this band can do. It’s a tease, a peek into something else which I love the idea of.
Honestly, I can’t help but feel excited about this album, every twist and turn is equally as enthralling and I find myself giddy to see where we’ll go next. ‘ULTRAPOP‘ is the sound of a band pushing through to the other side. It builds on the foundations of previous album ‘ONLY LOVE’, extenuating its light and shade to the max. Although I can pick out loads of different reference points from across the musical spectrum, I am revitalised by its delivery. It is the perfect marriage of the deranged and the pretty, completely off the wall but caked in charm. You know how everyone is stoked about lockdown easing but it also still feels like the end of the world? That’s ‘ULTRAPOP‘. It’s fucking terrifying but oh my word is it thrilling.
Despite a couple of track releases here and there, it’s been an oddly quiet couple of years on the release front for Cory Hanson. The leader of LA based fuzz-psych outfit Wand, his band are usually a nonstop record making machine. But I guess it’s this gap in time that has led the singer songwriter to focus on his solo musings, working on the follow up to his 2016 debut. Having spent the last few years constantly evolving and shapeshifting within Wand’s musical direction, ‘Pale Horse Rider’ sees Cory write his most focused album to date.
This is a glorious slice of slow baked Americana that was very fittingly recorded in the desert to help create a low stress environment. It’s very easy to be swept away by the gentle, lap steel soaked instrumentals while Cory really comes into his own as a vocalist with a poised, soulful croon. ‘Paper Fog’ is the most gorgeous introduction as to what you’re going to hear across this record, the half time country flecked melody feeling like the musical equivalent of easing yourself into an ice cube bath on a sweltering day.
I still can’t get Thom Yorke out of my mind when I hear his voice, which of course is a good thing, but there is definitely an American twang that comes through that keeps in line with the US born genre that encompasses the record. Again, there’s a distinctiveness to its sound and after years of shapeshifting, it’s good to hear Cory feel at home within a genre. Of course there are subtle sonic nuisances that come out from track to track and it’s those small psych infused effects that really help bring out Cory’s personality.
I listened pretty closely for a few days before I did any reading up on the album, but I did make that desert connection quite quickly. In fact, later on the record there’s ‘Another Story from the Center of the Earth’ which conjured up such a strong image within my mind. In it I am taken into a dusky saloon late at night as Cory and his band are set up in the corner of the bar ripping through this wonderful psych-country piece, complete with some fuzzy guitar solos. You can feel the energy of the band as everyone in the bar quietly looks on, disillusioned both by the heat and the passion pouring out of the corner of the room.
What really grabbed me is how both this track and earlier cut ‘Bird of Paradise’ are brought in on two interludes. It first took me off guard but their atmospheric ambient textures really set up the two centrepieces within the two sides of the record. There is a flow to this album that draws you away from the real world and guides you into the dusky abyss but it feels all so enlightening, especially when you’re all warmed up by the hooks that cover each chorus (‘Vegas Knights’ being my favourite).
You know when you watch an (early) episode of The Simpsons and it sometimes takes a minute to get to the main plot, but when you know where it’s going you’re like ‘oh I love this one’? Well, that’s how I feel about Pale Horse Rider. Every track seems to lead to somewhere good, whether it’s a heart achingly beautiful chorus or an elegantly placed melody line, I feel compelled to go with it. I am also reminded of that Laura Marling record that came out around this time last year. Not only was it an ideal sun basking soundtrack but it ticked every box; beautiful songs, played expertly and produced to perfection. And that is what Cory Hanson and this band elegantly display on this superbly executed record that to me feels timeless.
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Yes, here we are – we made it through. The past 12 months have been a struggle it’s true and we shan’t sugar coat it – it’s a fucked situation we find ourselves in and those at the top have a lot to answer for (in this country particularly – possibly yours too…) We do hope however that some joy has been found with our regular monthly playlist and – like clockwork – we’re here again, with another selection of tunes we’ve been vibing off that we hope will do the trick for you too.
You know the drill – 20 tunes, old and new – all worth a once (twice? thrice?) over!
*UPDATE – Our playlist only sticks about for ONE MONTH before we move on. No regrets. You can listen to the latest playlist below!*
What better way to pick up on a band than with their seventh album? Yep, true – I’ve never cottoned on to Arab Strap before, but following the release of brilliant new single ‘The Turning of Our Bones‘, it was hard to resist. From their forthcoming new album – their first since ‘The Last Romance‘ in 2005 – the duo really captivate here with a tale expertly described by vocalist Aidan Moffat as being about “resurrection and shagging”.
The Fall – Hey! Student (Middle Class Revolt)
In typical fashion with this sort of thing, it wasn’t until the passing of Mark E. Smith that I started to get The Fall. Even still, it’s taken a little bit longer to get proper into them, but it feels like this year I’ve really been able to crack on. I actually saw The Fall live a few years back and it was utter dog egg. That said, wasn’t that the vibe on offer from the outfit – you never knew what you were going to get?
Anyhoo – ‘Hey! Student‘ is what I’ve come to love about the never-sitting-still outfit – that hypnotic speed-charged brand of punk.
Back in October we were bigging up our favourite New Zealander’s Die! Die! Die! and their latest single ‘I Seek Misery‘. The flipside of that single features here, with ‘450‘ being a crunchy ripper that deals in the delicate subject of the inevitable climate collapse.
Even with our ‘Top 50 Songs of 2020‘ out of the way, we’re still picking up on new stuff that’s ticking all manner of boxes for us. Out of Russia comes Kate NV with her heady concoction of tantalising, energising alt-pop that calls to mind the likes of Talking Heads, Cate Le Bon, Field Music and Christine and the Queens. ‘Room For The Moon‘ has really captured my attention for the remaining weeks of 2020 and I’m super glad.
A last minute festive treat from one of our favourite noisy bands knocking about today, Chicago trio Meat Wave have blessed us with the riveting stomper that is ‘Yell at the Moon‘ as we draw the year to a close. Having been obsessed with last album ‘The Incessant‘, I can’t wait to see what else is in store for 2021!
Last seen on these pages as part of our ‘Top 50 Songs of 2020‘, Canadian trio Braids have been in and out of my thoughts all year thanks to the incredible ‘Young Buck‘. Another single from the record, the hypnotic ‘Snow Angel‘ – rounding out at 9 breath-taking minutes – provides an almost out-of-body experience as vocalist Raphaelle Standell-Preston takes hold of you for its duration, captivating particularly as she gets incredibly introspective on her position in the world as the track builds and builds.
Another cucumber cool offering from Chicago-based duo OHMME, released as part of the Sub Pop Singles Club. ‘Miasma‘ really digs deep, allowing one to drift off and let the mind wander. Elsewhere this year, the pair released an equally great record in the form of ‘Fantasize Your Ghost‘.
Title track from the latest album from Aussie post-punk lot Vintage Crop, on ‘Serve to Serve Again‘ the band drift away from the more humorous lyrical observations found littered throughout the album with a more reserved vocal delivery and a spot of synth that works wonders.
It says a lot that nine songs into a double LP (and not long after a song 16 minutes in length), Hey Colossus still have much more in the tank when it comes to rippers. The multi-man outfit based here, there and everywhere have lit up EOY lists all over (including ours) and ‘Revelation Day‘ is a really fucking cool example of some of the joy that can be found with their latest release.
One of the main picks from Algernon Cornelius in his EOY highlights for 2020, ‘Build a Nest‘ from multi-instrumentalist, arranger, composer, and producer Jeff Parker is just a total joy. One can’t help but grin from the brain-tingling, chilled out vocal of Ruby Parker.
Another joyful Talking Heads-esque bop from German artist Albertine Sarges, taken from her forthcoming debut album ‘The Sticky Fingers‘ out this month. A stream of consciousness type vocal builds and builds for joyous results, with Sarges imploring the listener to kick their shoes away, slip off their kecks and whip off their bra – “Let them hang!”
He always brings me back in this guy! Taken from the forthcoming solo album from Wand singer/guitarist Cory Hanson (his second), ‘Paper Fog‘ is a real stop-you-in-your tracks moment that could have easily slotted onto the last Wand record ‘Laughing Matter‘. It reminds me of that solo record ‘Thawing Dawn‘ that Andrew Savage of Parquet Courts put out – both similar too in terms of style and aesthetic.
Another late December discovery, ‘Twelve‘ is the latest effort from four-piece Unschooling (linking up members from Rouen, Montréal and Notre-Dame-de-Gravenchon) and is a total post-punk joy, calling to mind Preoccupations, Dutch trio The Homesick and French-infused Corridor. Sure to become your favourite band soon enough.
Woof, what a jam! It might be bleak outside, but this from Quelle Chris and Chris Keys puts me in mind of sunny, care-free days and hip-hop I listened to growing up. Every vocal guest spot is a joy (featuring turns from Merrill Garbus, Cavalier and Homeboy Sandman).
Another joyful discovery via Algernon Cornelius and his choice EOY highlights for 2020, Chicago-born vocalist, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist keiyaA is 100% new to me this year, but hers is a vocal that sounds timeless. Hypnotising and completely captivating – the whole record is a cracker.
More mind-transportation to sunnier climes, this from New Jersey born MIKE (first name terms) packs a solid punch, the vocalist rapping over such mesmerising, shape-shifting beats. Tuck into this!
Featuring the unmistakable vocal of Sampha, It’s always great seeing whatever this kid comes up with next. If you give me half the chance, I’ll tell you that he was one of the first people I met when I was at University. Little did I know he’d soon be bezzie mates with Alicia Keys – It still freaks my nut to this very day… Guesting here on ‘Walking Flames‘, the vocal beautifully mingles with the beats on offer from one Darren Cunningham.
Entrancing, head-spinning jazz flourishes from LDN based award-winning saxophonist, composer, and DJ Nubya Garcia. On ‘The Message Continues‘, Garcia really allows you to get completely lost in its 6-odd minutes. Now we’re allowing you too. Go ‘ed – treat yourself.
Sugar-sweet pop-bop from Canadian songwriter Jessy Lanza, ‘Lick in Heaven‘ sounds fresh out of the box whilst giving off a nostalgic flair to produce similar glittering pop to the likes of similar favourites Tennis.
More lo-fi brilliance from that excellent Sweeping Promises record out in the second half of last year. An album that shot up the list of our favourite records released in 2020, the Boston duo have a knack for writing incredibly catchy tunes – ‘Safe Now‘ being a glowing example.
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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 the music they listen to is just as important as the music they make.
With the year coming to a close (and having announced our Top 50 songs of 2020), we’ve decided to once again turn it on its head a bit and ask some of our favourite artists what releases they’ve been raving about this year. With that in mind, we’re chuffed to have Charlie Drinkwater of LDN outfit TV Priest talk us through the releases he’s been vibing off over the past 12 months.
“The Wand frontman continues his Scott Walker inflected experiments on his solo project. A late addition to 2020 but a goodie. Makes us wish for warmer climes.”
“How can you not love a song with the line ‘you do your eyes like Robert Smith’? In awe at how she translates feelings and observations in such a direct but poetic way. Makes something very very hard look very very easy. Cannot say enough good things about this.”
“It just doesn’t sound like anything else, and it encapsulates a feeling of inertia and sloth and wasted days so perfectly. The whole album is brilliant, singular and personal.”
“Great word-play and uncompromising dissonance, gives you more with each listen and fills a nice Country Teasers shaped hole.”
‘Uppers‘, the forthcoming debut album from TV Priest, is due 05/02/2021 on Sub Pop Records – Pre-order here!
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Don’t worry, I get it – we talk about new music A LOT. With monthly playlists, endlessfeatures and reviews and whatnot, I can forgive you (just) for not sticking on top of things. We like to do the listening so you don’t have to, cut the wheat from the chaff and tell you about exactly what you should be listening to.
This TOP 50 brings together the choicest cuts from this shite year and is certainly worth every ounce of your attention. The second part is below, you can check our part one here!
As we’ve done previously, we’re talking alphabetical here – not in order of favouritism (as it wouldn’t be fair on all the other artists having Grotbags take the top spot!) Where possible we’ve linked you directly to where you can grab merch from the artist too, so dig deep and grab yourself something nice ahead of Christmas!
Gorgeous comeback single from Lianne La Havas, belting it out on this heart-stopper from her self-titled third album. You feel every beat and moment of pain as she hammers it out on that chorus.
Debut album time from Portland, Oregon-based quartet MAITA. Vocalist Maria Maita-Keppeler calls to mind Big Theif’s Adrianne Lenker at times, with the super ‘Can’t Blame A Kid‘ sounding like a bit of a timeless classic from the off.
MAITA talked us through inspirations ahead of releasing their debut album – Read all about it here!
We’ve always had a soft spot for Canadian trio METZ, but ‘A Boat To Drown In‘ really took things to another level for us. A real earworm, here they push through into anthemic territory whilst still keeping it LOUD. Stretching the closing section out to four minutes really builds up the euphoria and catapults it into one of the best tracks they’ve penned. Easy.
Hayden Menzies of METZ answered a series of unhelpful questions for us ahead of releasing their new record – Read all about it here!
This quite possibly had the honour of being the first new song I heard of 2020 (first good one at least…) Vivid memories of hammering this record at the start of the year when cleaning out our old gaff before moving into our new maisonette (la-di-dah). ‘Ego‘ is super-catchy stuff from the trio, leaning heavily into their misery-guts tendencies but sounding incredibly poppy at the same time. Goosebumps by the time that last chorus kicks in.
Moaning answered a series of unhelpful questions for us ahead of releasing their new record – Read all about it here!
If this doesn’t want to make you get stuck into it with a lively crowd of like-minded individuals, I don’t know what to tell you, pal! Invigorating, full-pelt and RAW, this cut from the latest No Age record very much caught us at the right moment just the other month, having us long for pounding drums and tinnitus inducing feedback.
Super-charged, face-melting stuff from the ever-changing, never-stopping OSEES (FKA Thee Oh Sees). Every announcement from them sparks off something inside us, and being gifted with this 90 second ripper earlier this year was an absolute treat.
As we suggested earlier this year ahead of release, “they’ve created such a lovely song (about shagging)“. A beautiful single from one of our favourites knocking about today, it’s heart-swelling, knee-trembling stuff from the outfit that are normally making us sweat in a different manner. That chorus is lump in throat territory for sure.
The invigorating KO of the 1-2-3 punch from the new Protomartyr record, following the equally brilliant ‘Michigan Hammers‘ and ‘Tranquilizer‘. A rager that could’ve easily fit onto their last record, the much loved, all killer ‘Relatives In Descent‘. Upon its release, you might’ve found me in our gaff shouting the album title in the same fashion of vocalist Joe Casey at the tracks tail end…
“I’m eating with my mouth wide open, fresh fruit and it’s Monday morning.” Brighton outfit Public Body haven’t put a foot wrong this year, releasing single after single and ticking box after box for us. Similar to USA Nails, they sing of day-to-day mundanities with such glowing results, backed up by razor-sharp post-punk instrumentals.
Seb Gilmore of Public Body answered a series of unhelpful questions for us this year – Read all about it here!
A nailed on ripper from the start of the year care of super-cool New York outfit Public Practice. Very much taking on the attitude and sound of their NYC forefathers, ‘Compromised‘ is a real danceable treasure, with the quartet dipping their collectives toes in post-punk, disco and new-wave pools.
Sam York of Public Practice put up with our silly questions ahead of releasing their new record – Read all about it here!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever work best when they’re putting out songs that move at a real clip, hardly letting up and singing of things that stir up all kinds of feelings inside. ‘Cars In Space‘ – the lead single from their latest record – does all of that and so much more, really getting under your skin across its rapid five minutes.
New to us literally within the last month, on ‘The Girls‘, German artist Albertine Sarges got us going with notes of Talking Heads and Field Music, putting out easily our favourite song released in 2020 that deals in the glamorous subject of dogs smoking. That flute part comes in just when you think you couldn’t love the song any more.
Certainly a contender for gnarliest album title of the year, it was ‘It’s Mutual‘ that first got us interested in SAVAK, who’ve not been slouching since their formation in 2015 – this being from their fourth full-length album in five years! Minutemen vibes aplenty on this total ripper.
SAVAK talked us through inspirations ahead of releasing their latest album – Read all about it here!
Ty Segall loves putting records out, eh? 2020 mates fest, before putting out the new FUZZ record, he was back in action with Cory Hanson of WAND, the pair having previously combined forces to put this two pronged behemoth together. Story goes that technically this was recorded around five years ago, but the pair only uncovered it this year. 100% of the first week’s sales went to Black Lives Matter LA – Can’t complain, eh?
Taut, mega catchy dark post-punk from Chicago outfit STUCK. We discovered this lot when they were scheduled to hit up a run of shows across the states with USA Nails (which didn’t end up happening, of course…) Bringing to mind their tour-mates that never were as well as fellow Chicago bods Meat Wave, their debut album has really gotten under our skin this year.
STUCK recently talked us through what made up the song ‘Wrong Question‘ from their debut album – Read all about it here!
A late AOTY contender in our gaff, I’ve been smashing the debut LP from Sweeping Promises these past few months. Infectious title track ‘Hunger for a Way Out‘ is just killer post-punk, recorded in such a way that it gives a nod to those who kicked things off decades ago.
Sweeping Promises recently talked us through what made up the song ‘Cross Me Out‘ from their debut album – Read all about it here!
Such is the impact the pandemic has had, this honestly feels like it came out about fifteen years ago, rather than as lockdown was just ticking over in the UK. A record put together by a 38 year old Jon-lee Martin and his eight year old son Louie, the sandwich filling of this EP, ‘Can You Tell‘, is everything we love about Then Thickens – delectable vocals and an instrumental that gets the hairs on your neck going (with a bit of unease bubbling underneath…)
Jon-Lee talked us through the inspirations behind the record following its release – read about it for yourself here!
“I may be covered in cat hair, but I still smell good.” Bass virtuosos Stephen ‘Thundercat’ Bruner smashed it with his latest effort ‘It Is What It Is‘ and whilst we were bowled over by the likes of heavy hitter ‘Fair Chance‘ and the funky ‘Black Qualls‘, there’s no getting past the hilarious ‘Dragonball Durag‘, as Bruner goes full on mega-creep and does his very, very best to get his end away (the video captures it perfectly).
It was a tough call picking a favourite from the latest USA Nails record. Early contender ‘I Don’t Own Anything‘ was certainly up there, particularly after we first heard it live back in February this year and it blew our arses off. It’s ‘Temporary Home‘ though that’s really got hold of us, and whilst they’re no strangers to singing of the mundanities of touring, never have they captured it in such a captivating fashion as this. Mega dance-y (as evidenced by the hilarious video).
Gareth Thomas of USA Nails answered a series of unhelpful questions for us this year – Read all about it here!
“Why does the chicken water float up to your head?” A proper left-turn from the Swedish punks with the great name, ‘Common Sense‘ comes out with a touch of 80’s pop about it, highlighting there’s more to them than debauchery and singing about sports (but we already knew that, didn’t we?) From an EP with the same name, it’s definitely an exciting snapshot of what’s to come from their forthcoming new album.
I’ve previously gone on record to express my devotion to synth-pop nostalgia peddlers. I was almost driven over the age via NOLA quartet Video Age and the tremendously catchy ‘Aerostar‘. Pop perfection with a chorus that just won’t quit, this sounds like it came out the year of my birth, rather than the year of our lord Twenty Twenty. This soundtracked at least one month of the pandemic.
Video Age talked us through inspirations ahead of releasing their latest album – Read all about it here!
Sharp and jagged, rapid-pace post-punk out of Australia from newcomers (to us) Vintage Crop. Our joint favourite band from Geelong (hello GONZO!), ‘Gridlock‘ sports a great unhinged, through-gritted-teeth vocal that compliments this unstoppable tune.
Tyson Harper of Vintage Crop answered a series of unhelpful questions for us this year – Read all about it here!
Genuinely heart-swelling stuff from the former Maccabees bod, now forging a path in his own right. ‘Milk Breath‘ touches on the recent birth of his first son and for those feeling a little bit broody (as our Ben was when he reviewed the record), this will certainly stir things within and might even bring a tear to the eye.
I’m a sucker for a tidy little riff, and this from Wife Patrol has just that, generating major Sleater Kinney vibes on the rager that is ‘Let’s Hang Out‘. A song that says let’s hang out and walk holes into our shoes rather than getting bogged down with the news of the world and everything going on.
From their self-titled debut album, one that will no doubt be lighting up the end of year lists for a lot of other people, ‘Valleys‘ brings the perfect New Order-esque house vibes to the table with exhilarating results.
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August then? Oh boy… Here we are then, eight months into the year. What is time? I’ve spent the past month discovering new stuff from the past, rekindling loves of old and keeping an ear out for what’s being released in the here and now. Join me, won’t you?
*UPDATE – Our playlist only sticks about for ONE MONTH before we move on. No regrets. You can listen to the latest playlist below!*
More words to live by from Billy Nomates, taken from her just announced forthcoming debut album on Invada. Following the themes of previous single ‘No‘, on ‘FNP‘ (‘Forgotten Normal People’), not a line is wasted – each barbed point meticulously picked.
Released a few months back with 100% of proceeds heading to benefit Black Lives Matter at the time, Ty Segall has once again mixed it up with former ‘Emotional Mugger‘ and Wand frontman Cory Hanson. Story goes this was put together about five years ago, but only rediscovered recently. Cheers for looking in the vaults, lads.
Really swell stuff from Chicago trio DEHD, ‘Loner‘ bringing forth that sweet jangly guitar sound with the powerhouse vocal of Emily Kempf to create something quite special. Perfect for sun-soaked early evening walks.
…From those same walks mentioned above comes the inclusion of LDN trio Girls In Synthesis. ‘Pressure‘ came at me hotter than a family of five taking up the whole fucking path. In an out in under 120 seconds, I had to stick it back on immediately after it finished and almost ran the rest of the journey home. Invigorating noise.
This past month has been one of rediscovering music and artists that – given everything that’s happened since March – have slipped from memory. Having put out one of the best singles of 2020 (‘This Heat‘), we were mildly obsessed with Chicago outfit Deeper around the release of their latest album ‘Auto-Pain‘. Opener ‘Esoteric‘ is a tightly wound, moody post-punk number worth going back to.
Pop perfection via NOLA and four young men kicking about in 2020 when they sound like they should be duking it out in the 80’s. A chorus to rival the greats, it’s catchy as anything. Video is a blast too.
New dance pop banger from the North c/oInternational Teachers Of Pop who sure know how to hit all the right spots, with the aim of turning your living room into a dancefloor (‘cus where else are you going?) New album out late August!
The Dead Kennedys lockdown love-in marches on (I even just had a slab of DK wax come through the post just the other day). More on the nose stuff from Jello delivered at breakneck speed (though there’s nothing wrong with a world ‘filled with Springsteen and wine‘…)
Hypnotising, wonky bit of pop brilliance from Canadian outfit Braids. Similar to Deeper, this took us over not long after release earlier this year and has since been waiting for us to pick it back up.
From an album that’s dropped itself into the Top 20 in the UK, ‘Hasta La Vista‘ is a ‘Heart Of Glass‘ sounding bopper from Londoners Dream Wife that has gotten right under my skin. Ciao!
Absolutely nails cut from New Jersey hardcore punks Ho99o9, with proceeds from the split going towards the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Campaign Zero, Advancement Project and the National Black Disability Coalition. Went out running the other day and this came on – almost ran to Liverpool. Solid.
First new music in a number of years from Future Islands, its members having done their own thing for a while. Just as we were starting to forget… Every time the intro hits I forget what song is playing, so it’s like hearing it for the first time whenever it’s played. More assured synth-heavy pop from the Baltimore lads!
Having just polished off Kim Gordon’s very good book ‘Girl In A Band: A Memoir‘, I’ve understandably been working through material she put out in her former band. From the acclaimed ‘Goo‘, I always rated ‘Mary-Christ‘ and with a new found appreciation for the band, it hits just that little bit harder.
Raging debut double A-side from late 70’s/early 80s post-punk, no-wave outfit Pylon. Discovered via an article on leg-ends Gang of Four (which includes a brilliant story about Red Hot Chili Peppers and Andy Gill), ‘Dub‘ sounds like pretty much every band putting out ‘post-punk’ today. Absolute peach.
The KO hit from the 1-2-3 punch of ‘Michigan Hammers‘ and ‘Tranquilizer‘ from the new Protomartyrrecord. A firm favourite from what’s turned out to be an incredible follow up to the much praised ‘Relatives In Descent‘. Each member on fire here.
I’m not sure how this worked its way in, possibly via an XTC binge or a sideways discovery via Protomartyr. Either way, love The Stranglersspin on heartbreaker ‘Walk On By‘ – Dig those lengthy wig-outs, man!
In memory of its one year anniversary in July (and, sadly, the passing of David Berman a month later), i’ve been spinning this one quite a bit. Love the bittersweet sadness throughout, with tragic lines such as ‘…when I couldn’t count my friends on a single thumb, I loved her to the maximum‘. Fucking heartbreaker.
From their mind-bending debut album ‘Pain Olympics‘, the first track from the new Crack Cloud album is classic Crack Cloud – completely unexpected. Having become somewhat accustomed to their engaging blend of unhinged, angular post-punk, on ‘Post Truth (Birth of A Nation)‘ they up the theatrics for a completely hypnotising, keep-you-on-your-toes 5+ minutes.
RIPPER from Canadian trio METZ from a new album on the way this October, one we described the other week as “easily one of their catchiest tunes to date“. Just when you thought things were looking rough, eh?
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2019 eh? You’d laugh if you weren’t too busy crying… Bloody good year for music though.
With it being the end of the year, we’ve joined the long list of your other favourite websites to compile the best songs released this year. 50 songs sounds like a lot to work with until you have to compile said list.
Here’s the second of two parts featuring a list of the 50 best songs released this year – part one here. Continued in alphabetical order mind you, as things are complicated enough as it is don’t you think?
Long awaited new material from one Toby Hayes (ex-Meet Me in St. Louis/Eugene Quell). ‘Humans‘ reminds me a bit of early Beck in a way (though he’s not spouting gibberish about microwaves and such) and is a super cool slice of where Toby is at in 2019 Brighton.
It was hard to choose a track from the latest Cate Le Bon effort, given the wealth of worthy contenders. We were head over heels for first single ‘Daylight Matters‘ on release – such warmth in the instrumentation and as per, a real shift put in by Le Bon to make hearts swell.
The Beta Band kinda passed me by (save for that scene in ‘High Fidelity‘), but I’ve had this single on at least once a fortnight since I first heard it on the radio mid-year. Ex-Beta Band vocalist Steve Mason knows how to pen a tune, eh? Chorus on this one is sublime.
I don’t know exactly how it happened, but the past 10+ years have had a Metronomy shaped hole in them for me. How did I miss out on the likes of ‘Nights Out‘ and ‘The English Riviera‘?! What exactly was I playing at? This all changed following the release of their latest effort ‘Metronomy Forever’, particularly the delectable ‘Salted Caramel Ice Cream‘. A pop gem, love the catchiness of it.
With an opening that sounds like a dog toy gripped between the jaws of a canine, ‘The Daily Heavy‘ is the first track from the exceptionally titled new Oh Sees album ‘Face Stabber‘ and one which sets the record up more than nicely. Each player firing on all cylinders, the rhythm is hypnotising as the vocals of JPD swirl around your head almost in a murmur. A driving psych journey that hardly lets up across its 7+ minutes.
We had the pleasure of interviewing Oh Sees lifer John Dwyer earlier this year – read that here!
We’ve been bang into OMNI for a few years now and have greedily lapped up everything they’ve offered thus far. Their Sub Pop debut ‘Networker‘ took a few listens at first, but it’s definitely a grower. Lead single ‘Sincerely Yours’ once again shows off the guitar chops of Frankie Broyles, with lovely little Television-esque flourishes, whilst bassist Philip Frobos’ smooth vocals are just the ticket.
The less quirky branch of the “multimedia collective“ Crack Cloud crew, N0V3L lean more toward moody 80’s sounding post-punk and ‘To Whom It May Concern‘ is a real sharp bit of kit. From a fantastic debut LP.
The sort of act that gets David Lynch hot under the collar i’m sure, Orville Peck has been on the old radar for a while but it wasn’t until a few months back that I got fully tucked into debut album ‘Pony‘. Now he’s on everyone’s radar and more power to him! The only country sounding artist on the list you’ll be surprised to hear, ‘Dead of Night‘ deals in romance on the dusty trail as two mean hombres travel through the Nevada desert.
Opener from the debut Pizzagirl LP, ‘Ball’s Gonna Keep On Rollin‘ is similar to label-mate Guest Singer’s debut in that we’re treated to a lot of moody 80’s tinged synth-pop with an Alex Cameron feel. Bright lights, big city vibes, it’s the sort of track that might’ve been your favourite on one of those ‘Now That’s What I Call Music‘ comps way back when…
I first heard this during a bit of downtime whilst we were on our jollies in Italy. When we landed in Manchester the following week, I caught them up the road at The Castle Hotel and it was one of the best shows of the year. The Quintet based in Canada put out a belting EP earlier in the year and ‘The Craft‘ is one of the best from it – spot on, energetic post-punk.
There was a 24 hour period when I first heard this song where I played it again and again and again. Absolutely obsessed. A song about being infatuated with your mobile telephone device. The album is a cracker too.
POZI talked to us about what inspired the LP not long after release – read all about it here.
Jangly, energised post-punk out of Brighton that calls to mind much missed Manc outfit DUDS – Public Body caught our attention back in August and we’re keeping a keen ear out for whatever they’ve got planned next.
A wonderfully warm yet heartbreaking number from the late David Berman. The uplifting instrumentation is backed by words of such sorrow, made even sadder by his death not longer after the album’s release. Love the vocal delivery on “It’s not the icy bike chain rain of Portland, Oregon“.
BODEGA picked the Purple Mountains album as a 2019 highlight – more on that here.
The raucous opener from Ty Segall’s latest LP, he hopped behind the kit for this and a number of songs from the album, with his drumset heard via the left speaker and the kit of Charles Moothart heard on the right side. Great B-Movie horror video too.
‘Flipside‘ was one of our top tracks last year and cut to 2019, we’ve got ‘Discourse‘ in the top ranks too – a passionate delivery from Williamson against some of Fearn’s best beats on the record. Honourable mention to the joyous ‘Big Burt’.
We had the pleasure of interviewing Jason of Sleaford Mods earlier this year – Check that out here.
Non-stop party power from that band dressed head to toe in shrubbery. ‘Tailpipe‘ captures the sound of Snapped Ankles perfectly – maximum speed, hypnotising rhythms that make the listener feel like they’re off their nut. Nearly impossible to not find yourself shouting ‘SUCK-A-SUCK-A-SUCK-A-SUCK-A-TAILPIPE‘ by the end of it.
Big year for Squid, eh? We’ve had the pleasure of catching them a few times this year and their live set-up gets better and better. ‘Houseplants‘ kicked it off for us in the first half of the year, a total rager – the unhinged, yelped vocal of Ollie Judge hard not to love. A proper good band to get on board with in 2019.
“Baby i’m feeling fucking worthless…” One of our favourite Leeds bands knocking about at the minute. It’s a bit horrible, like – our review of their new EP suggested they’re “a kind of demented synth-rock“.
More holiday adventures – I took our lass to Bordeaux where Uranium Club just happened to be playing (convenient). I picked up a copy of this record at the show when it was box fresh and still in the stages of getting proper artwork etc. More fast-paced garage-rock-esque fun from The Minneapolis Uranium Club, it revvvs along at pace with that trademark sarcastic vocal style.
THANK picked ‘The Cosmo Cleaners‘ as a 2019 highlight – more on that here.
Featuring one of the most killer riffs in the USA Nails catalogue, ‘Smile‘ is a rock-hard rager and deals in the mundanity of everyday life in ear-piercing fashion. The album might be one of their best (a big ask!)
Super cool EP opener from Glaswegian outfit Vital Idles – The slightly strange yelps from vocalist Jessica Higgins captivate as the bass line gets right under your skin.
A record that kept my attention a lot this summer, ‘Walkie Talkie‘ is a proper driving corker from Californian shape-shifters WAND. A real joyful racket.
More sleazeball antics from Warmduscher, ‘Midnight Dipper‘ is a real funky piece of kit from their latest LP. Sounds like you’ve heard it before but then again, not quite – Vocalist Clams Baker sounds exactly like the sort of person you don’t want to meet in the pub.
Dr. Alan Goldfarb (on behalf of the band) talked us through their musical inspirations as part of our What’s On Michael Portillo’s iPod feature – Check out his picks here.
A personal favourite of mine in 2019, WOOZE came to our attention late last year through their initial singles. ‘I’ll Have What She’s Having‘ is absolutely joyous – hyperbole description wise, we hit the nail on the head back then: “Incredibly invigorating bursts of art-pop, they both manage to sound washing-line-fresh whilst sounding as if they were produced and released about forty years ago.”
WOOZE answered a host of daft questions for us as part of our a/s/l feature – Get your chops round that here!
Working Men’s Club have come on a bit since their initial single (sold out over and over) haven’t they? They’ve shifted gears somewhat since their debut and players have come and gone, but ‘Bad Blood‘ was a total gem of a debut – an exciting bit of energised post-punk that sounds as sun-soaked as the single art looks. Calling to mind the likes of Gang Of Four and Orange Juice, hearing this it’s no surprise that they’ve been building a big fan base at a rapid pace.
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For those sorts who don’t read, you can listen to all of the above (and everything from PART ONE) in our handy Spotify playlist here!
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Full disclosure – The last time we saw WAND, we were craving the room-destroying levels of noise that had first made us take notice of the Californian outfit. Our first outing to see them in a live capacity saw us get just that, the band appearing at Leeds’ Brudenell Social Club in the same form as their heavily watched KEXP session from a few years back. Last year however, what we got instead was a lot less head-spinning riffs and more hushed moments, the band more intent on extended bouts of immersion.
Not realising it at the time, this was WAND transitioning somewhat and further pushing the softer elements of their current sound, as evidenced in the lighter shades on display on their stunning new album ‘Laughing Matter‘. Having played this latest release to death, we couldn’t help but be swayed back to catch them in a live setting.
Band on the Wall was the location on Thursday night, a Manchester venue we rarely visit but have a lot of time for. After what felt like forever sound checking on stage, the five-piece started on a really dreamy intro, similar in vibe to the instrumental interludes found throughout ‘Laughing Matter‘. As is his wont, guitarist Cory Hanson produced a bow to scrape up and down his strings. ‘Wonder‘ properly bursts into being after the fuzzed-out crescendo of their intro. All eyes are on drummer Evan Burrows at its conclusion as he slams it home, whilst Hanson’s guitar squeals away.
On ‘xoxo‘, the vocals of keys player Sofia Arreguin – who sounds wonderful across the record – crept in quietly alongside Hanson’s, before the volume is raised, granting a blown kiss from Arreguin out toward the sound desk. Later on during album opener ‘Scarecrow‘, the little bell on top of her station comes into play for added tinkling across the songs hypnotising splendour.
‘Walkie Talkie‘ – best off the record in our book – comes thumping and frantic, the bow returning for a scratchy addition to the howling guitar. Burrows is all smiles as he puts a shift into its close, showcasing some proper powerhouse drumming. Both he and Arreguin are highlights throughout the evening, though guitarist Robert Cody and bass player Lee Landey are no slouches in their respective departments.
We’re told by Cory that WAND love playing Manchester as everyone is “fucking wonderful“. Next he’s telling tale of a song they wrote “in the desert in Texas“, which ends up being their loudest/longest of the evening. ‘Lucky’s Sight‘ is a full-strength knee trembler, causing the room to shake from floor to ceiling and fillings to rattle inside skulls. Bassist Landey has his back to the crowd, fiddling with some sort of synth contraption in the dark as they work their way into a ‘Highway Star’ middle stretch of driving raucousness. Corey even whips out a harmonica during the tumbling down the stairs ending as everyone tweaks out. It’s here where they lose it somewhat, and the wigging out gets a bit tiresome after a stretch.
“They’re saying we’re done…” Sofia shrugs to the rest of the band.
“We’re definitely not finished with the show yet…” A peeved looking Corey replies with a raised finger, leading the others to sail past the curfew on the dreamy haze of ‘Growing Up Boys‘ from 2014’s ‘Ganglion Reef‘, punctuated in parts by loud and crunchy additions.
“…We would love to play longer for you.” Announces Corey prior to their swan song ‘Rio Grande‘ and in a perfect world, one imagines they would – though one also imagines they would still run past their curfew then as well, as Hanson can’t seem to help himself with the guitar hero theatrics. Still, all we want from WAND is wall-shaking rippers and when they do blast them out, the band are wonderful to watch. Imagine what they could accomplish without a strict curfew…
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For a band that only formed six years ago, Wandhaven’t wasted any time since their formation. We’ve had a release from the LA outfit every year since 2014 that has seen them progress from fuzz rock hopefuls to the fully fledged psych-pop voyagers they are today.
‘Laughing Matter‘ is most definitely Wand’s most ambitious project so far, clocking in well over an hour with 16 new tracks to get stuck into. Naturally, the five piece take us down many avenues across the track-listing but for the most part this is a continuation from the cosmic indie rock of previous LP ‘Plum‘. But with an album being at this length, it does flicker between straight forward pop moments to more drawn out, expansive pieces.
It’s quite a trick to be able to pull off writing a breezy little indie tune but also know how to captivate a listener through huge sprawling epics. ‘Airplane‘ is the nine minute centrepiece here that sees keys player Sofia take the lead through a laid back bass line. The melody locks you in but it’s the layers of guitars and synths that keep you there, fully engaged in this bewildering piece.
Although I do enjoy these more blissful yet widescreen moments, I tend to favour when the band trim the fat a little and it’s tracks like the fuzzed up ‘Walkie Talkie‘ and the beautiful ‘Thin Air‘ that really steal the show for me. I must admit, I miss the three minute howlers that were all over their earlier material, but there is no denying the beauty in the dreamy-psych tendencies they’ve developed; ‘Hare‘ and ‘Rio Grande‘ have come at a perfect time, acting as the most spot on sun basking soundtrack.
Something that came to me when listening to Plumwas the little nods to 90’s era Radiohead, especially in the guitar melodies. On this record, frontman Cory does give quite a convincing latter day Thom Yorke impression in the vocals, which certainly suits some of the records dreamier moments. It’s pretty hard to pull off a Thom impression without sounding like you’re taking the piss, but Cory seems very comfortable in his vocals abilities and it seems like a very natural way of singing, subconsciously taking queues from King Yorke.
My thoughts on ‘Laughing Matter‘ are similar to what I thought of Ty Segall’s mammoth effort ‘Freedoms’ Goblin‘; when it’s good, it’s excellent and you can’t help but bathe in the brilliance of the songwriting and performances. But it’s the length of the album that puts me off a little with some of the experimental tracks stunting the flow of the albums prominent moments. But I understand that this is the sound of a band throwing it all in and discovering new sounds whilst adding on to their foundations. It’s this approach that makes me think their masterpiece is just around the corner, therefore meaning that ‘Laughing Matter‘ is a solid stepping stone into greatness.
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My first introduction to Wandwas through the riff wizard himself, Mr Ty Segall. The band’s core members, Cory and Evan, were part of Ty’s super-group backing band The Muggers and toured with him in support of his superb 2016 LP ‘Emotional Mugger‘. A few friends who love all that psych inspired, fuzz-rock sound freaked out about this wondrous grouping of musicians and instructed me to check out Wand. I did. I loved it. Stoner riffs, big pop melodies with psyched out sonics? It was all too delicious.
Wand are out in the UK in support of their fourth album ‘Plum‘, which came out late last year and took a pleasantly more indie-rock tone to their psych-pop ways. It was a really nice transition from their early work, which definitely intrigues me in regards to how they’re going to weave these dreamier compositions in their set.
Tonight I’m catching Wand for the second time, following on from a face melting show in Leeds on their last tour a few years back! We are in a sold out Soup Kitchen on a Friday night and needless to say, the place is a buzz. We do have a few lager-filled laddy lad lads shouting about, but Wand are pretty darn loud this evening so luckily they get drowned out!
With tonight’s set, Wand embrace their psychedelic side and blend the sunshine pop of their latest effort with some of the proggier moments of their earlier material. Opening tracks ‘High Rise‘ and ‘White Cat‘ act as a sterling opening pair, the guitars sound sharp as hell while the rhythm section manages to be regimented yet pummelling at the same time. It’s a strong start.
There is no doubt that tracks like ‘Plum‘ and ‘Bee Karma‘ are belting tunes. The former is a slow building piece of Americana that Grizzly Bear would be proud to call their own, while the latter sounds like ‘Bends’era Radiohead and Mac DeMarco giddily jumping around on a trampoline together! These are definite highlights and the crowd respond well to their sparkly indie-pop and I see a few hands spring up in the air for full euphoric effect.
The rest of the set seems to go down as more of a jam-like vibe, with the band veering off into self-indulgent prog territory a fair few times. I don’t usually mind that sort of thing, but knowing what Wand are capable of, I was hungry for some big fuck off riffs instead of lengthy guitar noodling with the dynamic shifts seeming a bit too obvious in places.
There is no denying that Wand are a solid set of musicians and they do share some good chemistry together, but sadly this doesn’t quite match the edgy, fuzzed up glory of my previous Wand live experience and could do with being knocked up a notch for full mind-melting mode.
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