What’s On Michael Portillo’s iPod: POZI

Here at Birthday Cake For Breakfast, we like to get to the heart of what an artist is all about. We feel that what influences them is just as important as the music they make. With that in mind, off the back of releasing their latest EP ‘Typing’, we’re delighted to have POZI talking us through a host of records and other items that helped shape and inspire them.

Words: Andy Hughes

Devo – ‘Come Back Jonee’
(Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are DEVO!, 1978)

Toby Burroughs (drums/vocals): “The drum beat from this song is one of my favourite beats and is also used at a slower pace, in Stevie Wonder’s “Boogie on Reggae Woman” and Donald Fagan’s “The New Frontier”. At the faster tempo (as it is in the Devo song), this beat instantly sounds like a chase, or a train to me. When first jamming the idea for Detainer Man, the chasey feeling created by that same beat, bass, siren like violin and megaphone style vocals helped to conjure the image of a police chase, which led our minds toward that subject matter.

This is one of my favourite drum beats, and at the slower tempo (as in Stevie and Donald’s cases) gives off more of a hodown vibe.“

Gary Numan’s album The Pleasure Principle
(1979)

Tom Jones (bass/vocals): “About ten years ago I got pretty obsessed with the work of Delia Derbyshire, the pioneering composer from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop and creator of the Dr Who theme tune. A result of this was I started listening to music that I thought matched her sound in some way. I can really hear her influence in Gary Numan’s music particularly on his album The Pleasure Principle and whilst we were making Typing I had been listening to this record a lot. It made me want to play around with the more synthy effects on my pedal more and just tinker with sound effects in general. I think our tracks Typing and Heavenly have a more electronic, trippier feel than some of our previous releases and I’d like to explore this more in our work.“

Streets Of Rage 2 (Game and Soundtrack)
(1992)

Tom Jones: “I got this mini Megadrive thing a few years ago that has about 50 games on it, you can just plug straight into your telly and you’ve got access to a load of old classic video games. I hadn’t played it much and it had just been sitting around the flat for a while getting a little dusty. Due to the way things were I wasn’t going out and I started playing it loads, particularly Streets Of Rage 2, a game I loved when I was a kid.

One of the main things that kept me hooked on the game was the music which has like a kind of ravey feel to it in some parts. I don’t know if this influenced the EP in anyway tbh but I was playing it a lot before we started recording! I recently found out that the composer Yozu Kushiro has put the music out on vinyl. I might have to get a copy so I can give my thumbs a rest and just enjoy the music!“

Wunderkammer Olbricht

Rosa Brook (violin/vocals): “The lyric ‘the plastic set of bones we discovered here / I covered them with sand, the ears the eyes the hands’ from Sea Song was inspired by the miniature skeletons I saw at Wunderkammer Olbricht in Berlin. Olbricht’s “cabinet of curiosities” was full of tiny ‘Memento Mori’ gadgets and gismos, which fascinated me. Translated from Latin, ‘Memento Mori’ means ‘remember you must die’. A typical ‘Memento Mori’ has a skull but they can take shape in different objects that symbolize the transience of time and earthly possessions, like clocks, musical instruments, etc. These items were interpreted as a kind of carpe diem message in the 1500s when death wasn’t feared so much; they were more a reminder that the physical body is temporary! I love this outlook!

Like the plastic set of bones in the lyrics, I saw Sea Song as a not-too scary, contemporary ‘Memento Mori’. Triggered by the existential feelings from the pandemic, it’s about the cycle of life and there’s fear in that but there’s also release and escape.”

Dexys – ‘Free‘
(One Day I’m Going to Soar, 2012)

Rosa Brook: “I happened across Dexys playing in a tent at Hop Farm festival about 9 years ago and a particular song called ‘Free’, about shaking off public expectation of ‘normal’ behaviour’, tickled me because it is completely uncool and joyous in its honesty, and I’ve listened to it on and off since. But I didn’t realise the profound effect it had had on me until now, seeing its influence take full shape in my contribution to ‘Free Day’ by POZI ( I should state for the record that this is largely Toby’s composition, I composed the layers of the string outro). Aside from the obvious similarity in the titles, there are a few uncanny resemblances in these two songs:

1. There was a woman playing violin and singing on stage with Kevin Rowland, reflecting my role in Pozi (I can’t find her anywhere online sadly, she was not the original member, though I did once spot her at The French House in Soho, she was shocked when I recognised her from Dexys fame).

2. Both songs seem to inhabit an almost village fete type atmosphere.

3. The Dexys chorus refrain “I can’t fucking wait to go outside and live my life” echoes tragically with the content of the song ‘Free Day’ (which was written about excitement/trepidation regarding the day covid restrictions were to be eased), and has even more pathos now with the current state of things.“

‘Typing’ is out NOW via PRAH Recordings! Pick up a copy or two here!

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This One Song… POZI on Sea Song

Tell you what – we love hearing from artists when things go right. We equally love hearing from artists when things go dreadfully wrong. A song that was a piece of piss, written in 20 minutes? Or years in the making and a bastard to write?

Whether it’s a song that came together through great duress or one that was smashed out in a short amount of time, we’re getting the lowdown from some of our favourites on the one song that they can’t stop thinking about – in their own words.

In the run up to the release of their forthcoming EP ‘Typing’ (due October 29th via PRAH Recordings), violinist/vocalist Rosa Brook of POZI talks us through new single ‘Sea Song’. Take it away, Rosa…

Words: Andy Hughes

“We started writing this song when we met up the week after the first lockdown. Tom started playing the bass riff of what was to become Sea Song, which he’d been writing while he was living alone in his flat. Toby and I found our parts more or less that day and the structure/instrumental backbone came to us very quickly.

It was noticeably different from our previous music, coming from the big space of time/mental chasm the world had fallen into at that time. The music inhabited that mental space: panicked but at the same time kind of zen. Escape and release from normality, but at the same time imprisonment.

At first I just made vocal sounds until it started to become ‘see / feel / hear / fear (the rising tide)’. To me, the tide in this song is a lot of things: time, death, Covid, relationships. The band decided that we wanted the lyrics to repeat themselves but with little evolving changes similar to nature cycles, life, and pandemics.

I definitely struggled over the lyrics for a bit, because we wanted them to have a bit of light as well as being unquestionably fearful. It was hard to mix those two sentiments. I think the lyric “step into the sky, falling as you fly” kinda got the mix right. I wanted there to be hope because no matter how scary nature (and life) can be, it’s good to remember that there are moments when you can feel free, moments of release and beauty.

We also kept in a lyric that tickled us cos of its simplicity “fall into the sea / the sea, the sky, the fish” to lighten the mood a bit – though we realize it could look unintentionally humorous. For the second verse, I found a bit of my writing about a plastic set of bones, and it fell together to introduce a human element into the song, a relationship that has somehow fallen apart or a distance forming that wasn’t there before. A plastic set of bones being covered with sand.“

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WATCH: POZI release lockdown video for new single ‘THE NIGHTMARE’

Words: Andy Hughes

I don’t know about you but, quite frankly, i’m tired of zoom videos and instagram sessions. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate we’re all in this together and artists are making the most of the audience and technology available to them, but it’s just not the same is it? Especially given everything looks the bloody same – shite…

LDN trio POZI were seemingly in the same mindset when cooking up ideas behind the video for their new single ‘The Nightmare’, one which at first glance looks to be generic one camera shots of each band member in their own abode, but quickly transforms into oddball, dreamlike pieces.

Directed and animated by Alfie Dwyer (and filmed by the band and their flatmates), the surreal, tripped out visuals are what’s come to be expected from the band and their quirky conceptual themes. From the animated drive-along of previous single ‘Whitewashing‘ to the song that got us hooked, ‘Engaged‘ – documenting a man’s infatuation with a mobile phone.

Taken from their forthcoming EP ‘176‘, out early July on PRAH Recordings (originally scheduled to be out by now on digital formats, but since delayed for a vinyl release!), the record was put together over a five day period at PRAH Studios in Margate. Wait till you hear ‘40 Faces‘ – Trust me.

Single sales from ‘Whitewashing’ will be donated to the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, which has fought for 22 years to eradicate racism by ensuring young people have equal opportunities. Further details (and importantly, how to buy) can be found here.

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Listening Post – April 2020

Words: Andy Hughes
(Photo Credit: Luke Orlando)

As pitched by our Ben Forrester earlier this week, “Thank fuck for new music“. Our monthly playlist this time around came about between being free as a bird to being confined with the lockdown (kinda), finding musical inspirations from old favourites and new discoveries. A lot of it was enjoyed during government assigned exercise, getting out and about in nature and topping up ones Vitamin D.

If you’re finding it a struggle during these particularly tough times, i’d suggest getting out and about whenever you can and getting your head in order (maybe with help from the below playlist eh?)

*UPDATE – Our playlist only sticks about for ONE MONTH before we move on. No regrets. You can listen to the latest playlist below!*

Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Cars In Space
(Sideways To New Italy)

More sun-soaked jams from one of our favourite Aussie outfits (what else!) Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever are experts in picking really long band names and knowing how to hit all the right spots and the first single from their forthcoming album is a mega jam. Love how their big singles seem to move at a right pace, propelling you through in heart-racing fashion.

Disq – Daily Routine
(Collector)

A tip off from our Ben Forrester, Disq were a new one to me with the release of their new record ‘Collector‘. The undeniable hit that is ‘Daily Routine‘ has slacker pop and ‘the 90s’ written all over it and there’s even glimmers of Demob Happy towards the middle there. A total ripper on the quiet.

Pottery – Take Your Time
(Welcome to Bobby’s Motel)

Fairly certain this was a “new one” from a session they did a while back. On hearing it, I was hypnotised. A frantic, revved up two parter of a song that is – yes, still hypnotic – I heard it again properly when I was cycling back from the dentist (how retro). From their proper debut album ‘Welcome to Bobby’s Motel‘, out this June (or even later, as it’s already been pushed back once…), it’s always good to hear something new from Pottery. The next single is even better than this one – more on that next month.

LA Priest – What Moves
(GENE)

What better place to start than with a second album? Proper wonky-pop from LA Priest here (my introduction), from an album that came together whilst the LA Priest himself was working in isolation for more than two years between California, Wales and England’s south coast – like Cate Le Bon when she made ‘Reward‘ and a load of chairs at the same time. It got her a Mercury nom, so why not him?

Real Estate – Paper Cup
(The Main Thing)

Full disclosure – I had it in my mind that Real Estate were a hardcore band, so it surprised me to see they’d had Sylvan Esso guest on their new record. ‘Paper Cup‘ is understandably not hardcore at all, instead it’s a super heart-swelling pop jam. I’ve just discovered the video too which has to be seen to be believed – The tale of Chipper, a giant animatronic squirrel during his last ever performance…

(Photo credit: Fredrik Bengtsson)

Viagra Boys – Common Sense
(Common Sense)

Who’da thunk it eh? That band that we once described as sounding like “an easier to digest Pissed Jeans” have popped out an anthemic 80’s sounding pop jam, the title track from a surprise EP that dropped a few weeks back. Not a change in sound entirely, as track two on the EP is a rough punk song about caning the dregs of a bag of the happy stuff (we’ve all been there…)

Sleaford Mods – Jobseeker
(All That Glue)

From their forthcoming greatest hits comp, ‘Jobseeker’ is the one that put their name on a lot of radars. Love the fury and the bite – “I suck on a rollup, pull your jeans up – fuck off!” The Jools Holland clip is here, obviously.

Talking Heads – This Must Be The Place
(Stop Making Sense)

Was rushing out of work a few weeks back (before we were locked in our houses – what a thrill it would be to rush out of work again!) when I decided to stick this album on for the journey and all the stress seemed to melt away. Pop smasher from the best live album going.

Prettiest Eyes – It Cost’s To Be Austere
(Volume 3)

2020 started off really slowly for us gigs wise. Now it’s screeched to a disappointing halt. Instagram live shows just don’t cut it… The last show I personally attended was back at the start of March, c/o Castle Face Records lot Prettiest Eyes. Leading up to the show and for a number of weeks afterwards, ‘It Cost’s To Be Austere‘ was firmly planted in my nut. Proper catchy.

Harkin – Up To Speed
(Harkin)

One of those that sounds like a classic radio pop smasher from the off, it’s no surprise given Katie Harkin (a.k.a. Harkin) has been rubbing shoulders/playing with the likes of Warpaint, Sleater-Kinney, Wild Beasts and Kurt Vile for years. First single ‘Up To Speed’, from her self-titled debut album as a solo entity, is a real gem.

Katie recently talked to us all about inspirations, which you can read about here – from Texas hardcore to the late Bill Withers.

Protomartyr – Processed By The Boys
(Ultimate Success Today)

2017’s critically acclaimed ‘Relatives In Descent’ took hold of us on release and we’ve been bitten by the Protomartyr bug ever since, beavering away through their back catalogue real horroshow. 2020 sees their return good and proper, with a full length scheduled for release once all this COVID-19 palaver is done with. ‘Processed By The Boys‘ is more stream of consciousness from vocalist Joe Casey, whilst the other lads play their nails blend of post-punk.

Girl Band – Lawman
(The Early Years)

This came on shuffle a few weeks back and almost knocked me out for its six minute duration. Something about Girl Band that just burrows inside you and really takes hold, leaving you either fist pumping the air or delirious and on your back.

Mayors Of Miyazaki – Your Street Team

From a 7″ that arrived free with a recent USA Nails purchase, Mayors Of Miyazaki is a name i’ve seen referenced again and again but a band i’ve never listened to. I remember having to put the needle back on this one again and again, it’s so fucking good! Unsurprisingly a touch of of-its-time genius from – who else – USA Nails’ guitarist Gareth Thomas, who’s a dab hand at that sort of thing.

(Photo Credit: Julie R Kane)

Menace Beach – Tennis Court
(Ratworld)

Given i’m having to spend a lot more time in the house, i’ve been rifling through records i’ve not listened to for a while. This has lead to getting bang into Menace Beach again, working backwards from later albums ‘Lemon Memory‘ and ‘Black Rainbow Sound‘ and into their past. ‘Tennis Court‘ was my first favourite Menace Beach number and that probably remains the case today. Love ’em.

Robin Richards – Haga
(The Earth Asleep)

Having been a massive Dutch Uncles fan for a number of years, I was eager to tuck into the solo output from bassist Robin Richards. A composer in his own right, he’s recently worked on the soundtrack to ‘The Earth Asleep’, a film about the 2011 Japanese Tsunami, drafting in Chris Illingworth of GoGo Penguin (on piano) and Michael Spearman of Everything Everything (on drums/percussion) for this particular number. End result? It definitely sounds like a Dutch Uncles b-side, which we’re more than up for!

Dinosaur Jr. – Feel The Pain
(Without A Sound)

An old favourite, we had this come on via some other not-as-good playlist whilst sat in the living room as we were “working from home” a week into isolation. It perfectly soundtracked the sun-soaked afternoon, though I think I might’ve fucked my knuckles drumming away on the table…

POZI – Whitewashing
(176)

Sleaford Mods posted about this lot the other day and I was chuffed – fingers crossed it gets more ears pricked up! It won’t have harmed them going on tour with Dry Cleaning at the start of the year either, and we were lucky enough to catch both bands a few months back before lockdown kicked off. A foot-shuffling, eerie sounding post-punk number, it tells tale of being stuck on a motorway journey with someone chipping away at you with their bigoted views.

Home Counties – Redevelopment

A bit of razor sharp yet wonky post-punk from the South, Home Counties evolved out of up and comers Haze and with debut single ‘Redevelopment‘ they spark off something that reminds us of DUDS and SQUID. A track to stick on again and again. Then once more before bed. Dead good.

Flat Worms – The Aughts
(Antarctica)

NAILS new single from Flat Worms, taken from their latest album ‘Antarctica‘ – one which we suggested “isn’t just a flash in the pan punk set, it’s a fully formed rock record.” Building expertly to walls of fuzz and screeching guitar, it’s what got us hooked on this LA three-piece from the off.

Once and Future Band – Andromeda
(Deleted Scenes)

Bloody love Once and Future Band – More poppy stadium-prog, please! ‘Andromeda‘ is an absolute delight and I dare any listener to not crack a smile during its four minute duration. We recently interviewed the quartet – get your chops round that here.

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Editor’s Picks: Top 50 songs of 2019 – Part Two

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?

Laundromat – Humans

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.

Cate Le Bon – Daylight Matters
(Reward)

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.

Steve Mason – No Clue
(About The Light)

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.

Metronomy – Salted Caramel Ice Cream
(Metronomy Forever)

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.

Oh Sees – The Daily Heavy
(Face Stabber)

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!

Omni – Sincerely Yours
(Networker)

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.

N0V3L – To Whom It May Concern
(N0V3L)

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.

Orville Peck – Dead of Night
(Pony)

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.

Pizzagirl – Ball’s Gonna Keep On Rollin’
(First Timer)

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…

Pottery – The Craft
(No. 1)

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.

POZI – Engaged
(PZ1)

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.

Public Body – Talking Show
(Public Body)

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.

Purple Mountains – All My Happiness Is Gone
(Purple Mountains)

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.

Ty Segall – Taste
(First Taste)

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.

Sleaford Mods – Discourse
(Eton Alive)

‘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.

Snapped Ankles – Tailpipe
(Stunning Luxury)

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.

Squid – Houseplants

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.

THANK – Think Less
(Please)

“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“.

Uranium Club – Grease Monkey
(The Cosmo Cleaners)

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.

USA Nails – Smile
(Life Cinema)

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!)

Vital Idles – Break A
(Vital Idles)

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.

WAND – Walkie Talkie
(Laughing Matter)

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.

Warmduscher – Midnight Dipper
(Tainted Lunch)

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.

WOOZE – I’ll Have What She’s Having
(What’s On Your Mind?)

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 – Bad Blood

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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What’s On Michael Portillo’s iPod: POZI

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 that in mind, we’re delighted to have LDN outfit POZI in the hot seat, talking us through five releases that have helped shape and inspire their debut album.

Television Personalities’ album They Could Have Been Bigger Than The Beatles (1982)

Toby (Drums): “TVP’s are one of my favourite bands ever, if not my favourite. I got to know Dan Treacy very well when I was in Dustin’s Bar Mitzvah, we were in one of their videos and he recorded on our album. I was only about 17 and although my older band mates had such respect for them I had never fully delved into their music. Around 8 years ago I started digging a bit deeper and my love for them grew and grew. The variety and ambition in their songwriting is extremely courageous; yet they are able to deliver their vast vision with beauty, simplicity, charm and without pretence. From ‘14th Floor’ through ‘Anxiety Block’ to ‘Mysterious ways’, you travel a rollercoaster of feelings and emotions.”

Au Pairs – ‘Headache For Michelle’ (Playing with a Different Sex, 1981)

Toby: “Although just a single, this song is a huge inspiration for me and demonstrates how space within music can help you connect with it more deeply. I love the rest of the album, but this track eternally resonates with me. The complexity of the mood created is in my mind a much more realistic representation of human feeling than a lot of music. It’s a very simple track, yet the mood created is so complex and deep which is something I aspire to.”

The Fall’s album Extricate (1990)

Rosa (Violin): “The album’s first track ‘Sing! Harpy’ opens with a crazed heavily effected fiddle solo played by Kenny Brady. Atonal/jarring at points but then falling back into consonance with the rhythm section is something my playing in ‘PZ1‘ definitely has in common with the sound on this album. The listener gets a feeling of returning from a hazard-zone into (considerable) comfort, which is similar to tragedy and comedy coming side by side in theatre, it makes both more effective I think. In ‘Black Monk Theme – Part 1’, the fiddle also plays an important part in the harmonic bedrock of the song, droney with occasion higher and less controlled outbursts. It’s varied texturally which is something I tried to do in PZ1.”

Ibibio Sound Machine – ‘Give Me A Reason’ (Uyai, 2017)

Rosa: “I remember hearing this single on 6 radio at the beginning of 2017, when we were all hoping things were going to get better after a shambolic 2016. It was powerful and busy whilst leaving a very clean and crisp imprint in my mind. Reminiscent while very of this time. The lyrics sung so brutally “Give me a reason! Why! Why! Why!” whether is it or not in the artist’s eyes, seemed to me very political/ how I was feeling about world affairs at that time, a confrontational/heartbroken shout to the powers that be. It’s also a great disco tune that I listened to as a morning boost for a good while afterwards.”

Go-Kart Mozart – ‘When You’re Depressed’ (Mozart’s Mini-Mart, 2018)

Tom (bass): “I’m quite obsessed with Go-Kart Mozart at the moment. There’s nothing else that really sounds like them out there and I love the beautifully eccentric soundscapes Lawrence creates. There’s a nineties computer game quality to some of the songs and I mean that in the best possible way! One really striking thing about the music is the songs often deal with very sad and tragic themes yet there’s still this bouncy, happy feel and rhythm to the tunes. Take a track like ‘When You’re Depressed’ – you want to get out of your seat and dance even though the song literally documents the day to day pain of living with depression. After listening to it you’re left with a peculiar juxtaposition of emotions happy from the tempo yet saddened by the lyrics. To my shame I’m still yet to properly listen to his first band, Felt, but if Go-Kart Mozart’s anything to go by I’m sure it’s pretty special.”

‘PZ1‘ is out now! Bag a copy (or two) here – Or grab it from your local indie!

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Hey, have you heard about…POZI

(Photo Credit: Jack Taylor Gotch)

It’s always nice to be able to hold your hands up and say – I was wrong. Especially so when it’s related to a band that you suddenly become mildly infatuated with.

LDN post-punk outfit POZI first came to our attention via a reasonably fucked alternative Christmas message, ‘Noel’ leaving one feeling all goose-pimply (not in a good way), offering up an audio-visual nightmare not far off ‘Blue Jam’. Woozy vocals, unsettling violin and bad-trip-at-a-stranger’s-house-party vibes.

This all changed yesterday however, with the arrival of their new single ‘Engaged’ – One that’s been on repeat in our household this past 24 hours.

Taken from their debut album ‘PZ1’, out April 5th on PRAH Recordings, ‘Engaged’ is “…a love song about a mobile phone” according to drummer/vocalist Toby Burroughs. There’s something unnerving about the new single, but it’s completely engrossing, punctuated by the haunting violin stabs of Rosa Brook. That closing minute has been swirling around and around my head, an almost lovelorn Burroughs calling out continually ‘My eyes are drawn to you’.

The video, directed by Barnaby Wood and shot by Jack Taylor Gotch, is a worrying snapshot of looking back over your life and realising that the liquid crystal light has been seducing you this whole time, diverting your attention from the important moments of your day to day.

POZI have been knocking about for around a year, putting out debut single ‘KCTMO’ in late October, a song about the Grenfell Tower tragedy (‘May the residents rest in peace’), and the groovy ‘Watching You Suffer’, all about people needing help but being neglected, having a blind eye turned on them relentlessly.

Along with bassist/vocalist Tom Jones, Brook and Burroughs have really captured our attention with their engaging, off-beat post-punk. Grab yourself a copy of their record here.

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