Sunrise, sunset. The year is moving at light speed, the start of 2022 a mere blip in the rearview. To settle your stomach a bit, we’ve got your usual fill of good music right here.
From our favourite baritone vocalist of the 60s to an 80s Japanese pop star, Belgium dance to African blues, contemporary alt-country to math-rock and even a star from the big screen!
Strap on your ear goggles, tell your mates and settle in.
Lee Hazlewood – It Was a Very Good Year
(Forty)
That cover with that album title. Forty was clearly a very good year for our Lee Hazlewood. The frequent collaborator of Nancy Sinatra borrowed one from her old man for his birthday album, adding a lot more pizzazz to the affair. Our favourite moustachioed man.
Alex Cameron – Oxy Music
(Oxy Music)
Like many works of art, ‘Oxy Music‘ – the latest release from quirky Aussie hitmaker Alex Cameron – took a number of listens to fully sink in. Peeling back the many layers, one finds pop bangers first and foremost, with discovery of side-splitting gags within, all underpinned by a lot of heartache. Featuring a turn from Sleaford Mods own Jason Williamson, the title track from Cameron’s latest record treads the highs and lows of addiction, packed full of exceedingly humorous lines (“I’m cooking up a codeine ragu“) whilst building to such a poignant ending.
Moon Diagrams – End of Heartache
(Lifetime of Love)
The solo project of Deerhunter co-founder/drummer Moses Archuleta, Moon Diagrams comes rooted in an 80s nostalgic sound. The dreamy ‘End of Heartache‘ is super hypnotic, captivating in its repetition as it swirls round and around your nut.
Taeko Onuki – Les Aventures de TINTIN
(Copine)
Bloody hell this is catchy stuff. Like Kate NV ahead of her, in 1985, Japanese artist Taeko Onuki crafted such wonderfully captivating wonky pop, ‘Les Aventures de TINTIN‘ very much rocking that it-is-1985 pop sound. Complete with a bass part so daft it sounds like something from a Tim and Eric sketch…
Charlotte Adigéry – Paténipat
(Zandoli)
“If in life you feel tired and hopeless, throw out all the stuff that don’t matter in the end. Dance until you’re dizzy. Be your naked and uncompromising self.“
That’s how Belgian-Caribbean artist Charlotte Adigéry set out the stall for her 2018 single ‘Paténipat‘, a proper sultry number that gets right under your skin.
Warmduscher – Lady Eggs
(Khaki Tears)
In the year of our lord 2022, the bodacious Warmduscher made their Bella Union debut with latest album ‘At The Hotspot‘. We were at their most recent Northern date (naturally) to hear it IRL and whilst there we couldn’t get enough of one of their earlier cuts, the haunted house thud that comes from ‘Lady Eggs‘.
Deerhoof – Your Dystopic Creation Doesn’t Fear You
(Mountain Moves)
Featuring Awkwafina?! Really?! The ‘Crazy Rich Asians‘ star lends a hand to Deerhoof, 20+ years into their being at the time of releasing ‘Mountain Moves‘. ‘Your Dystopic Creation Doesn’t Fear You‘ is a proper shapeshifter, moving from Steely Dan-esque yacht rock to a Missy Elliott style rap at the drop of a hat.
Caution – Hand That Looks Like Mine
(Arcola)
From tastemakers Born Yesterday (Café Racer, Stuck) comes the debut album from two-piece Caution. Lead single ‘Hand That Looks Like Mine‘ pulls together that surf-rock meets shoegaze vibe in sun-soaked, delightful fashion as your heart tries to keep up with the drum machine beat.
Andy Pickett – Paid
(Andy Pickett)
BIG tune from White Denim collaborator Andy Pickett and his 2017 self-titled album. The driving ‘Paid‘ is such a total vibe. We’re talking driving at night, eyes on the clock, somewhere to be – all wrapped up in such a swish package.
Donna Thompson – Matchstick
(Something True)
Known for her drumming chops and working alongside Falle Nioke, as well as collaborations as part of influential DIY music space Total Refreshment Centre (home to the manic Snapped Ankles), Donna Thompson has now self-recorded and produced her solo debut EP. Lead single ‘Matchstick‘ flows through dreamy cinematic jazz as Thompson speaks of daily life and taking things for granted.
MJ Lenderman – You Have Bought Yourself A Boat
(Boat Songs)
From an album that’s said to be built around songs that “chase fulfilment and happiness”, the warming ‘You Have Bought Yourself A Boat‘ has become a real earworm of late, bringing a country twang to a Dylan-meets-Whitney sound. Strong visions of stretching out on the porch and letting Lenderman’s voice wash over.
Gustaf – Best Behaviour
(Audio Drag For Ego Slobs)
Yes, Gustaf are from New York. Can you tell? ‘Best Behaviour‘ is a brilliant, snarky bit of dancey post-punk that calls to mind their hometown contemporaries Bodega and Public Practice. Love that just about holding it together vocal as Lydia Gammill unconvincingly lets us know that everything’s peachy.
Oldboy – Big Balls
(Bloody)
HOO! HAH! “They didn’t want to be a two piece – lightning bolt have that covered” – Love that from the press release for newcomers Oldboy. The raging ‘Big Balls‘ comes from their Jonah Falco produced debut album ‘Bloody‘, out early May on Agitated Records, with the raw attack of their first single very much in our wheelhouse.
Oumou Sangaré – Wassulu Don
(Timbuktu)
Released to coincide with International Women’s Day just gone, Oumou Sangaré’s ‘Wassulu Don‘ is a proper blues-y arse-shaker, fronted with a powerhouse vocal that gets the head nodding no doubt. From the album ‘Timbuktu‘, it marks her first new material since 2017’s ‘Mogoya‘.
A-Tota-So – Squirrel Bait
(Lights Out)
Featuring a number of guest vocalists from the UK and Irish music scene, ‘Lights Out‘ sees Nottingham trio a-tota-so add another dimension to their instrumental sound. Kieran Hayes of Irish trio We Come In Pieces offers a hand on the raging ‘Squirrel Bait‘, bringing a further sense of urgency to the math-rock noodling.
Tyler Messick – I’ve Been Away
(Sun’s Gonna Rise)
Absolute stunner of a ditty from Nova Scotia’s Tyler Messick, dreamily singing of leaving and not coming back, letting the grass grow and the shutters stay down. That chorus is heaven, the type that has you singing it halfway through your first listen, like you’ve known it all your life.
Following their 2021 EP ‘Volcano Park‘, Chicago trio Meat Wave return in explosive fashion via the full-pelt ‘Honest Living‘, their first for Swami Records (run by Rocket From The Crypt/Hot Snakes bod Swami John Reis). With a full LP to be announced later this year, we’re putting this on again and again, vibing off their don’t-stop-not-even-once mentality.
Simon Love – Me and You
(Love, Sex and Death Etc)
A proper earworm this, so it is, ‘Me and You‘ is a love letter to The Beatles, The Beach Boys and romantic ditties of old. The only song in the playlist that references a “local borough council“, the brass and chimes elevate this Simon Love number to dizzying heights.
From the same album, Simon Love very recently took us on a nostalgic trip with ‘L-O-T-H-A-R-I-O‘, which you can read about here.
Ty Segall – Hello, Hi
(Hello, Hi)
Well Hello and Hi to Ty Segall, who’s just announced the release of a new album pencilled in for this summer! Hot on the heels of ‘Harmonizer‘ from last year, we’re told that for the new record, Ty has cooked up a collection of songs that are a nod of the head to the sound last heard on the likes of ‘Goodbye Bread‘. On title track ‘Hello, Hi‘, he brings that sun-soaked, fuzzy guitar attack we’ve come to adore. Well on for this!
Ibibio Sound Machine – 17 18 19
(Electricity)
From their latest album, the Hot Chip produced ‘Electricity‘, the wild ‘17 18 19‘ is such an energetic dance-floor filler from Ibibio Sound Machine. Elevated as ever by the striking vocal of Eno Williams, she brings it down in parts – like it’s just you and her in the room – to stress the points of not breaking a promise (“it’s like breaking a mirror“), before letting loose as the band turn up the heat!
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