It was very appropriate in the middle of a pandemic for Metronomyto open up their recent Manchester date with the delightful pop smash ‘Love Factory‘ – a love song set in a post-apocalyptic world where its inhabitants have all died off. Relevant yet grim subject matter sure, but the lovely pink glow of the lights shine bright on the bodies on stage in glorious fashion, as we catch our first glimpse of the quintet. Towards its end, main man Joseph Mount moves off the microphone and steps to the side, becoming lost in the dark of the side stage.
The last time we saw Metronomy at the Academy, they were coming off the back of their latest release, ‘Metronomy Forever‘. Once again we find ourselves in the venue, celebrating with the band as they put out a new release, the wonderful ‘Small World‘. Though it’s not wall to wall ‘Small World‘ tonight, rather the new record is expertly peppered throughout the set. A mega bass chug and terrace fan sing along kicks off the intro for ‘The Bay‘, a surprisingly early outing for the big hitter from ‘The English Riviera‘, the outfit clearly keen to keep the crowd on their toes. The little “la la la” accompaniments from the rest of the band as Mount sings the refrain that “This isn’t Paris…” are a lovely addition.
A revved up ‘Corinne‘ is another welcome early surprise and we’re cooking with gas now! Bassist Olugbenga Adelekan moonlights as hype man, getting the crowd right into the clap along, bringing an enthusiasm to the performance that doesn’t dip once. Later on, his backing vocals on ‘The Light’ are a heavenly touch. The vocal of drummer Anna Prior is just as heavenly whenever she comes in and similarly, she doesn’t dip all night – later almost swimming a breast-stroke from her stool on ‘Reservoir‘ as she vibes along.
Prior becomes the centrepiece on ‘Everything Goes My Way‘ as the lights shine on just her and Mount takes another step back. She gives a wee salute and a thank you at its end and it’s a silky smooth operation from all involved. This lot have got it down, no question. The drummer is left to it with keys/synth men Oscar Cash and Michael Lovett on the dance-a-thon of ‘Boy Racers‘, as the lights blast and they “OI“, “HEY” and woop to the bouncy, hypnotic instrumental.
They’re very happy to be back in the “greatest city in the known Universe” we’re told, naturally followed by one of our songs of 2021, ‘It’s Good to be Back‘, a fitting nod of the head to Greater Manchester royalty, Messrs Sumner and Marr. As they build into the heart-swelling ‘Things Will Be Fine‘ – sounding so perfect in the live setting, with a bit more oomph behind it – my Girlfriend lets me know she’s off to the loo as it’s “a boring one” and I’m left to figure out how to get out of the mortgage and who gets custody of the dog…
“So how’s it been, Manchester?” Asks Mount, remarking how nice it is being back. “Trust me – I didn’t say that in Liverpool…” He jokes, commenting on rivalries between the two. The stand up routine continues as he asks if Manchester is still the city of the blues (!) Before he gets his head kicked in, he lets us know he does of course mean the 12 bar blues and this leads into a country twanging, yee-hawing nostalgic (even more so!) rendition of ‘Salted Caramel Ice Cream‘. A big rock and roll finish concludes one of their brightest numbers, as it deserves, and the humour of it all showcases what makes Metronomy so charming.
Cousin Oscar Cash is asked by Joe if he did his laundry today and if he’d like to sing about it. Oscar of course takes on this opportunity, suddenly belting it out in an operatic style to Mount and his guitar, who serenades him from one knee. It’s all a great bait and switch that leads into ‘The Look‘ and of course, It’s a big favourite amongst the Manchester crowd. Lovett hops up and does some cymbal tapping as Prior kicks off and the terrace chanting from the crowd begins again.
After a run through of the more subdued ‘The Upsetter‘, it’s all kisses and goodbye waves, but it’s thankfully another swizz and they’re back on imminently for the big dance encore of ‘Old Skool‘ and ‘Love Letters‘, both a total vibe to keep the night alive and the energy right up, the latter a total barrage of disco joy.
The highlight of the night however comes from the wonk-pop triumph of ‘You Could Easily Have Me‘, opener from their 2006 debut ‘Pip Paine (Pay the £5000 You Owe)‘. Mount rips it on the guitar with a gnarly riff as the drums explode and the keys go haywire, elevating an early one into a metal and punk style affair, everyone on stage getting lost in the nuts rendition before punters are hoofed into the street through a side door, not quite knowing what’s just hit them.
‘Small World‘ – Reviewed here!
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With 2017’s ‘The Endless Shimmering’, And So I Watch You From Afar put out what I thought was their strongest set to date. For me the album felt like an updated version of their seminal second LP ‘Gangs’, pushing their heavy side into the stratosphere. I expected the next record from ASIWYFA was going to be quite a drastic departure from its predecessor, and ‘Jettison’ sure is that.
Conceived as a multimedia project that the band have been able to perform live a few times now, in its audio form ‘Jettison’ acts as a continual 40 minute suite split into nine movements. From the moment it starts, you’re brought into an entirely different landscape to what you’d expect from your usual ASIWYFA opener; piano, strings, ambient textures and spoken word. The first half of this record is all about the slow burn and though we do get a quick dart off into an off-kilter math groove (‘Lung’) or a sprightly guitar lead (’In Air’), for the most part we ride on a wave of atmospheric soundscapes, orchestral swirls and gradual rhythmic builds.
It’s not until movements six to eight (‘Submerge’, ‘Emerge’ and ‘Jettison’) that things really start to kick off and we get the rock band we all knew was hiding in the wings. Guitar wise, some of the licks soar higher than they ever have before and it’s a pretty euphoric feeling when it really starts to hit. For this to then finish on ‘A.D Poet’, a gorgeously heart wrenching strings arrangement, shows clearly that ASIWYFA want to hit every emotion with maximum impact. Intended as a counterweight to the tense social climate, there is a lot of light and shade within the arrangements here that only enhances the very human connection that consumes it.
Those that get their enjoyment from the more expansive, grandiose dynamics of post-rock will love this. Those that expect the full throttle, riff driven madness of And So I Watch You From Afar material may need to wait it out a bit longer. It’s totally worth the wait though and definitely brings out some classic ASIWYFA moments. ‘Jettison’ manages to continue to do what this band does best whilst pushing their sound into places we’ve not heard before and for this, this is a transcendently triumphant piece.
The last time we heard from Metronomyin album form was on 2019’s ‘Metronomy Forever’; a sprawling, ambitious affair that very much felt like an amalgamation of everything we love about the project in its then 20 years of existence. After something that felt so grandiose, I was intrigued to see where Metronomy would go next. My thinking was, if they went big last time, then maybe this time they’d focus in and cut the fat.
My assumptions were correct as they hand in seventh album ‘Small World’, their most concise record to date. Concise not just in its nine track, 30 minute runtime, but also in its musical and lyrical themes. Usually ones to blend electronica, disco, indie and punk, here they gun for a simplistic indie pop sound, honing in on that traditional band-in-the-room feel.
Influentially it’s hard not to hear 80s Indie goliath’s such as The Cure and New Order seep in, especially on ‘Hold Me Tonight’ and ‘It’s Good To Be Back’ respectively. Ultimately, it has a very timeless quality to its songwriting and doesn’t get too flashy with its production or dynamics, just straight up, heart on sleeve pop songs.
On ’Things Will Be Fine’, band leader Joe Mount rewinds to his teens; when decisions and big ideas started to creep in and young adulthood was gently starting to unravel itself. This is a common theme across the record, which he beautifully links to his present life as a husband and father. This is an album that takes stock in the little things and as with most Metronomy songs, love prevails; especially on ‘Love Factory’ and ‘Right on Time’. I’ve always taken solace in Metronomy’s lighter, candid moments, so it’s really cool to see them craft a full album of them here. Shimmering in simplicity, ‘Small World’ is their most succinct and delightful album to date.
Exploding into the mid 00’s with wonky rock songs, elaborate stage sets and costumes, Sea Power really seemed to be in a league of their own. I’d argue that they’ve very much stayed there too, growing old with grace. With a sound that has flourished into being both lush and anthemic, you can count on Sea Power to deliver with consistency and distinctiveness.
‘Everything Was Forever’ comes five years on from the sparkling synth pop tones of ‘Let The Dancers Inherit The Party’. Having particularly loved the crisp, glittering production of that record, I was hoping for a continuation of the rich, warm textures that swirled across it. If anything, Sea Power go even bigger, with some of their most widescreen material on show.
’Scaring At The Sky’ comes in as a bit of a curveball, opening the record with warming, atmospheric indie folk stylings. It’s a beautiful easing in and definitely throws you off the scent as the next two tracks (‘Transmitter’ and ‘Two Fingers’) come in with stadium sized melodies and euphoric synth lines that feel as if they could move mountains. From there it’s a beautiful mix of psychedelic pop and dreamy indie, with just the right amount of post punk slotted in (the latter sounding particularly energising on the snappy ‘Doppelgänger’).
As always, Sea Power deliver a well balanced pallet of sounds with much elegance – I love, for example, the way ‘Fear Eats The Soul’ elegantly leads into ‘Folly’, a hauntingly beautiful and cinematic piece that manages to move into this electronically infused chamber pop track that still has an ethereal tone, but moves into a new direction. It’s a really well structured record that manages to flow so gracefully, despite its ever moving dynamic changes. In conclusion, ‘Everything Was Forever’ is a bold and beautiful effort that sounds like a band at a comfortable place in their career.
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February already is it? Christ… Not just that, almost the end of February as well. Tell you what though, the new music keeps getting churned out and I keep getting stuck in, so it’s not all too bad. It’s been a big month for new discoveries and listening to really great records walking around the local park, as well as hammering records whilst writing up two big interviews that kicked off our year – More of that below! It’s also been a big month for doing the garden, hence the delay…
*UPDATE – Our playlist only sticks about for ONE MONTH before we move on. No regrets. You can listen to the latest playlist below!*
I had the pleasure of chatting with Jamie Lenmanat the tail end of last year, both of us cross legged across from each other on a bunk bed like we were having a sleepover. Whilst writing up the piece, ‘Personal‘ got played again and again – an audio highlight reel of Lenman’s strengths whipped up into one track, with its killer riff, anthemic chorus and fist-raising shouty moments. A belter.
Another new record that’s been on heavy rotation, the follow up to the debut album from cucumber cool NYC outfit BODEGA. Second track ‘Treasures Of The Ancient World’ is an infectious bit of kit, calling to mind their mates Parquet Courts.
A face and name i’ve seen about time and time again, but music i’ve never listened to. Until now. Fully backing Kiwanuka from this point forward, with this big single from the LDN-born singer a true earworm. What a chorus!
A record I’ve come back to again and again throughout the past year, introduced to me from our resident noise guy Nate. A Hot Snakes-esque straight down the barrel bit of noise-rock. The album is a rager!
As acknowledged last month,Metronomy completely passed me by at the time they were putting out arse-shakers like this. I’m making up for it these days though and the past four months following the release of new album ‘Metronomy Forever‘ have been heavily soundtracked by their back catalogue. This track from their 2008 LP ‘Nights Out‘ is pure pop brilliance.
Anything new from Ty is a delight, especially if it’s riff-y and shout-y. This ticks both boxes, with the added thumbs up thanks to one of the bods from Lightning Bolt joining him. Hits you like a fucking lightning bolt this one, kid (ey up).
Sunny Saturday mornings have often been soundtracked by this record, having picked it up just after Christmas. Not for the tone, obviously, but the warmth of the instrumentation and the brilliant songwriting from the late David Berman, the perfect pairing for many cups of coffee.
New output from the Pigs lot – ‘Reducer‘ is more of a straight on rager than some of the lengthier head-smashers from last album ‘King Of Cowards‘. A head-spinner none the less, it’s a great indicator of what’s to be expected from their forthcoming new album!
Another interview from this year and another album that was played again and again during the writing process, ‘Coffee Or Wine‘ kicks the new Field Music album off good and proper – A tale of what it might have been like for young soldiers on the return from the First World War, reintegrating back into society, all wrapped up in that trademark Field Music pomp.
From her forthcoming new album ‘If You’re Dreaming‘, the Detroit based singer songwriter builds anticipation stupendously with the heartwarming ‘Not So Bad‘. All the warmth we’ve come to expect from Burch following her wunderbar debut.
Another new album on the way from Sub Pop regulars Moaning, this time around the sound is more synth heavy, making for a very 80’s sounding moody pop number with the most infectious of choruses (even given the context!)
A favourite discovery in 2020, The Homesick have been my ‘have you heard about this lot?‘ band since I discovered them via this single at the start of the year. From throat-shredding shouts to that majestic closing stretch, i’ve been hooked ever since.
It would be hard to follow up phenomenal 2017 LP ‘Drunk‘ but Thundercat seems like the man for the job. New single ‘Black Qualls‘ is a hilariously sincere sounding funk number from a man who treads the line between piss-take and heartfelt like a pro.
Jonathan Richman – Sleepwalk
(Jonathan Richman)
Who said Instagram stories are good for nothin’? Discovered this via the story of a young man with good music taste. Always on for a bit of Richman, this delightful instrumental is that good it doesn’t even need the dulcet tones of the Modern Lovers frontman (save for whatever it is he says towards the end…)
One of the things I love about New Order is that, on the quiet, the lyrics are a bit naff. Some of the best New Order songs (with the naffest lyrics) tell a central story all the way through, with ‘1963‘ being a sounds-like-it-should-be-serious-but-isn’t tale. Cracking 80’s dance beat to it as well.
Bombay Bicycle Club kind of passed me by when they were first becoming massive, though I always remember listening to their records years later with our resident indie kid (at the time) Ben. Title track from their new record and it’s an instant pop smasher.
Canadian outfit Corridor took hold of our attention late last year with the release of their latest album ‘Junior’. I recently took in the whole thing on a walk around the local park in the fog and – let me tell you folks – it was a delight. Wunderbar pop sensibilities throughout. Try it out yourself.
New one from indie-pop Husband and Wife duo Tennis, firm household favourites. The word that comes to mind when thinking of Tennis is ‘warmth’, from the production to the vocal of Alaina Moore. Love the stop-start beat!
Electronic – Getting Away With It
(Electronic)
Marr and Sumners, with Tennant on backing? Mad… Similar vein to New Order in the sense that Barnie is talking utter shite again, but it’s all wrapped up in this electronic (ey-up) dancefloor smash that’s been played at least once daily since I first heard it a few weeks back.
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Since an early age, i’ve been putting together mixes. Whether it be American Wrestling themes on cassette or burnt CDs of whatever was alternative and loud at school and college. Given the way the world turns these days, this has shifted onto the world wide web and for the last 16 months I’ve been putting together monthly playlists on that there Spotify.
With this new year, we thought we’d put together a companion piece for each new playlist – Some insight into just how DJ Pied Piper sits in alongside Sleaford Mods. Get your chops round this whilst you listen to the first playlist of the year!
*UPDATE – Our playlist only sticks about for ONE MONTH before we move on. No regrets. You can listen to the latest playlist below!*
From their debut album out on Upset The Rhythm, ‘Accordion‘ is a real quirky heart-sweller that we’ve been vibing off ever since Freddy of Thankpicked the Glaswegian sextet’s album as one of his 2019 highlights. Danceable vibes like something from ‘Stop Making Sense‘ to shake off those January blues.
The Hecks were new to us in the second half of 2019 and i’ve had new album ‘My Star‘ played on the regular in our gaff ever since. ‘The King Is Close‘ is a proper frantic, 80’s-sounding stomper. Well into this lot right now.
Ted Hawkins – Sorry You’re Sick (Watch Your Step)
No idea where/how I first came to hear ‘Sorry You’re Sick‘ but it’s become a firm household favourite. Some voice on this kid, the backstory of Hawkins is proper interesting too – Having spent half a lifetime knocking about his adopted homebase in Los Angeles playing on the streets, GeffenRecords picked up on him and issued his big breakthrough album to set him up for stardom. Unfortunately, he suffered a stroke not long after and sadly passed away. Let this be a gateway into his stuff.
DJ Pied Piper and the Masters of Ceremonies – Do You Really Like It?
I’m not sure how it happened, but late 90’s UK Garage has infiltrated our household once more and this big slab of cheese was a daily treat enjoyed all throughout the festive period. What does it take to be a Garage MC?
I’ve been into H. Hawkline for a while now and love that Cate Le Bon x Sweet Baboo family of Welsh musicians he finds himself amongst. Last album ‘I Romanticize‘ was one enjoyed on countless park walks throughout the winter months.
From a record released around this time three years ago, opener ‘I Have Eyes‘ is a track I come back to time and time again, more recently due to vocalist Trim Zeeburg’s scathing takedown of Pizzagirl that I thought was hilarious. Really interesting stuff from Manchester (where else?)
A divine instrumental from the Chicago writing partners that make up Whitney. New album ‘Forever Turner Around’ is a cracker too. A proper good one to tuck into with these crisp winter mornings.
From their newest record – Their debut for Sub Pop – Atlanta, GA trio Omni have still got a knack for penning ludicrously catchy post-punk hits. More polished this time around, it still hits all the right spots.
Just shy of 50 seconds, it’s a personal favourite from the latest B Boys record and encapsulates their snarled, rapid-pace punk-y sound in just under a minute. ‘Dudu‘ was one of my most listened to records last year – absolute blinder!
‘Brian Eno, what the fuck does he know?’ One of the best vocal takes and horrid character pieces from early into Sleaford Mods discography. Hilarious input from their mate John Paul too, as Williamson sings of the type of rotten character you’d not like to encounter in the pub bogs.
We had the pleasure of speaking with Sleaford Mods early into 2019 – Read all about it here!
To make up for the lack of a festive song, here’s Alex Cameron with his ‘boots all shined‘, he’s ‘Santa Claus with AIDS‘ with a sackful of pornographic Polaroids and knock off sunglasses… More hilariously bleak character work from our favourite Australian weirdo/heartthrob.
We had the pleasure of speaking with Al Cam early into 2019 – Read all about it here!
Frantic, head-spinning dance-y math-rock from our favourite Norwegian duo Aiming For Enrike, from their forthcoming record ‘Music For Working Out‘. Everything these lads put out is usually wunderbar and ‘Infiinity Rider‘ is no different.
Crudely titled NSFW band name aside, ‘Boogie‘ was one of Aiming For Enrike’s top picks in our recent End of Year feature and one we loved – Stomping, fast-paced punk rock with shades firmly on. Banger.
Completely new to us for the new year, we discovered Nottingham’s Do Nothing just after Christmas. The Fall an influence? I’d say so, clocked via its stream of consciousness vocal against a hypnotising bass line and scratchy post-punk guitar work. Dead good this, kid!
A song that already sounds like a classic – So much so that I thought it was about ten years old, rather than from William the Conqueror’s last album out in 2019. Another new discovery for us in late 2019, it’s the sound of summer.
More from the lad in the mask! Rootin-tootin’ Canadian cowboy Orville Peck has had a massive 2019 and whilst it took us a while to get onto debut album ‘Pony‘, we’re fully on board now.
From their forthcoming LP ‘Making A New World‘ – centered around the after-effects of the First World War – ‘Beyond That Of Courtesy‘ is typical Field Music in sound, an infectious quirky pop number. Context wise, it deals in the Inter-Allied Women’s Conference organised by the French Women’s Suffrage Societies post WWI, designed to promote women’s political participation at both national and international levels. On the album it sits alongside songs of gender reassignment surgery, Becontree Housing Estate and sanitary towels.
As their label Memphis Industries recently said on Twitter, it’s very apt given the impending War we might be subjected to…
As highlighted in our End of Year feature, i’ve been living under a Metronomy shaped rock for over a decade but that all changed with the release of their latest album ‘Metronomy Forever’. ‘Lately (Going Spare)‘ is a lovely bit of dream-pop that’s sugar-sweet, vocalist Joseph Mount singing of family life and the troubles of being half way round the world touring.
Another new one for the end of the year, Dry Cleaning came to our attention having been picked by JOHN as a 2019 highlight in our End of Year feature. Guilty – I’m a sucker for a monotone, sarcastic sounding vocal – So I was onto this straight away. Dead good – UK Headline tour incoming!
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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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I think it’s fair to say that ‘Salted Caramel Ice Cream‘ – the first smash-hit single from the latest Metronomyrecord – may very well be single of the year. Funkier than ‘Funky Town‘, it’s a bouncy, feel-good arse-shaker with lyrical wordplay more infectious than its namesake. Taken from ‘Metronomy Forever’ – their sixth album, following on from 2016’s ‘Summer 08‘ – on release we described the record as “a multicoloured swirl of sound that goes from experimental interludes to lo-fi dance tunes“. Given the above, it’s been on regular rotation in our household for the past two months.
Saturday night in Manchester and we find ourselves at the Academy – The bar rammed, the room beyond it filled with punters and excitement levels going into overtime. The familiar sound of church bells chime, as per the opener from ‘Metronomy Forever’, signalling the arrival of the band, greeted by the biggest of cheers.
‘Lately‘ opens things up sharpish and it’s LOUD, the rumble catching us near the back of the room as it builds and builds towards its rapid close. “How has everybody been since we last saw you?” Asks main man Joseph Mount ahead of big single ‘Wedding Bells’, as everyone not attached to a drum stool bops along on the first verse, becoming dancing silhouettes against the pink and blue lights. From the same album, the driving ‘Whitsand Bay‘ sees people in the crowd up on shoulders and getting stuck into it just five songs in.
There’s a lot to love about Metronomy and it’s pretty much smiles from the opening wedding bell chimes. From the team outfits (matching white jumpsuits from our vantage) to the Mic stands and instruments of keys players Michael Lovett and Oscar Cash both getting moved majorly close to each other in a Reeves and Mortimer fashion on ‘Lying Low‘ (as if they’re magnetised). They all look like they’re having a blast too – Mount clapping and boogying along on instrumental number ‘Boy Racers‘, drummer Anna Prior all smiles throughout, keys player Cash appropriately wigging out when given a solo spotlight and bassist Olugbenga Adelekan shooting a hand in the air on ‘Walking In The Dark‘, as the lights shine bright, East 17 stylee.
Everything you’d want to hear from the new album gets an outing, with the garage rock vibes of new single ‘Insecurity‘ being an unexpected major highlight. The aforementioned ‘Salted Caramel Ice Cream‘ comes out later on, chunky as the chips at Toby Carvery, sped up and sounding rather large in the Academy. It’s available at the bar too (actual ice cream that is – merch you can eat!)
“We have a particular love of Manchester.” Mount tells us, asking us to make ambient duck sounds if we so wish ahead of the next number. Having rinsed 2008 album ‘Nights Out‘ just as much as ‘Metronomy Forever‘ these last few months, it’s a joy to hear ‘The End Of You Too’. The stage soon becomes a blur from smoke, as bodies clamber on top of one another amongst the audience, those on shoulders with the best view. Expected big vibes occur with the opening of ‘The Look’ as the whole room becomes unglued. A couple in front are the two most precious in the room, grinning from ear to ear, oblivious to everyone else in attendance as they cut a rug and vibe off one another.
We’re informed that Metronomy had the worst day of their lives recently, having to spend it in that London prior to their Manchester visit (easy ammunition for the room full of Northerners) – in contrast to many in attendance who would no doubt thank the quintet for the best night of their lives. Howling ambulance sirens wail prior to their swan song, Auburn firework lights glowing as they build up the encore of ‘Radio Ladio‘ tremendously, sending the crowd home delirious from the thumping euphoria.
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This morning I was shoved onto the busiest tram in the world, had to sniff a dudes arm pit all the way into town against my will to then get a soaking from a passing lorry the minute I stepped on the pavement. I have realised that it is firmly Autumn. The weather is getting shitter and everyone’s attitudes are getting shitter, especially mine. So, thank fuck for new music Friday. The second release week for this September offers us the much needed returns of some old, reliable friends. Remember folks, if you dig what you heard, get online or get in the record store and get that shit PICCCCKKKKED UPPPP!!
It’s been 15 years since the Pixies decided to get back in a room together and kick out the jams that have inspired generation upon generation of alt rock nerdo’s. ‘Beneath The Eyrie‘ is the album to be released in the five years since 2014’s big comeback and sees the band return to Rock Producer of the moment Tom Dalgety to help steer the ship. What I wanted from the Pixies is a record that is undeniably them but still pushes them forward in terms of musicality and production. This is exactly what ‘Beneath The Eyrie’ does. Recent singles ‘On Graveyard Hill’ and ‘Catfish Kate‘ are masterclasses in being the Pixies; I can’t stop humming the bass line of the former and I can’t stop singing the chorus of the latter.
Not to discredit the band’s previous two records, but the Pixies sound so comfortable in what they’re doing here and melodically this is so sturdy. Of course, the band push things forward with songs like ‘In The Arms Of Mrs Mark Of Cain‘ and ‘Silver Bullet‘, both sounding like they could soundtrack a Bond film. It’s clear that the band have reached full comfort with their producer and as a group, which has given them more space to play around with different genres and get back to mixing up styles again. ‘St. Nazaire‘ brings desert rock, blues and punk in a delightful mash and ‘Death Horizon‘ is a simple, acoustic campfire singalong, both treading fresher ground. So, you have this dance of songs that on the one hand are essential Pixies and on the other form new sonic shapes we’ve not seen them move into before. It balances focus and playfulness extremely well and without a doubt holds the strongest material they’ve penned this decade!
Andy Crowder has been melting our hearts for the best part of five years with his sincere indie folk project Piles of Clothes. ‘Three And A Half Songs‘ does what it says on the tin and gives us three new tracks and a lovely little prelude to ease us in and make up the half. If you’ve seen Andy in a live capacity, you’d know that he strips things down to just vocals and guitar but on record he throws everything into the pot to concoct grand, sprawling compositions. ‘Mary‘ is everything I’d expect to hear from Piles Of Clothes as it reaches a crescendo of lush strings, glockenspiel twinklings and gorgeous harmonies. This is on top of Andy’s incredible knack for telling a story and bringing you right in to tell you his tales.
‘Bluesy Boi‘ is another huge piece but instead of his usual luscious folk pop stylings, this sees Andy pick up the electric and make a much more dynamic indie rock sound; there’s even a guitar solo in there. I love hearing a new Piles Of Clothes release because I know how much care has gone into its making, but I have to say it’s great to hear Andy stay true to his live set up on the intimate acoustic closer ‘Hope Yr Happy‘. Piles Of Clothes steps things up on this record, sticking to what he knows but with a few tasty extras to make another beautifully crafted release from a true songwriting talent.
It was back in 2014 when I first heard Alex G. I heard ‘DSU‘, the record that broke him into the alt-rock scene and thought it was a stellar set of lo-fi indie rock tunes. This is a formula Alex has kept with since, whilst expanding his production knowledge, getting weirder with each new record. ‘House of Sugar‘ is album number eight from the Pennsylvanian boy wonder and takes off from where 2017’s ‘Rocket’LP left off (pun a hundred percent intended, Ed).
This is still an experimental and very open minded record as most of the vocals are reversed or pitch shifted with musical shifts from off-kilter electro pop to the usual college rock warmth. The main difference here is how Alex blends these sounds together for an ultimately more concise album. ‘Rocket‘ had some good tunes for sure, but overall it just felt a bit overcrowded with different ideas which lead to its flow being disrupted somewhat. I mean, sure there’s a few tunes where he sounds like he’s just messing around on fruity loops in his bedroom (‘Near‘/’Project 2‘), but when he knuckles into a song structure, you get stuff like ‘Gretel’ and ‘Hope’ which are flowing with beautiful melodies. ‘House Of Sugar’ might not be his masterpiece, but he’s getting back on track and has made his most likeable record to date.
When I first saw this album title, I felt it was fitting. Metronomyhas seen its creator Joe Mount pour everything into the 20 years of its existence, so it seems right for album number six to be a mantra of the past, present and future of this project. What is interesting here is how ‘Metronomy Forever‘ manages to be their longest and most ambitious album but is constructed to be consumed as a whole, something Joe has always done so well on previous records. The idea here is to treat this album like an hour or so listening to a radio station. There’s a variety of different songs to hear but each songs is designed to work as team to help motivate and stimulate your mind as you go about your day.
My first introduction to the band was on 2009’s ‘Nights Out‘ LP and what I loved about it was how it combined muted, punk guitars with off kilter electronics so I was chuffed to hear that sound make a welcome return here on ‘Insecurity‘, ‘Wedding Bells‘ and personal highlight ‘Lately‘. Naturally the rest of the album is a multicoloured swirl of sound that goes from experimental interludes to lo-fi dance tunes with even a stab at writing 2019’s answer to ‘Funky Town’ on groovy new single ‘Salted Caramel Ice Cream‘. I really like the kitchen sink approach here, it’s a body of work for sure but you can tell Joe has looked into the finer details to make up the whole. ‘Metronomy Forever‘ requires your patience but with it comes a bucket load of good tunes that very much enforces the staying power of its title!
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