ALBUM REVIEW: Leeches – ‘Easy’: big up the West Country stoner vibe
SPEAKING as a West Country lad myself, it comes as no surprise, with all the plaudits and freewheelin’ fertility surrounding the harder end of the Antipodean jam-psych scene – led forth into the multicoloured haze by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard and Pond – that the South West would, at some point, answer back …
ALBUM REVIEW: Check Masses – ‘Nightlife’
FOR MY money, Edinburgh is the most beautiful first-division city in these isles. Its architecture, its hills, its views north and east over silvered cold seas. And, god, the culture. But it’s also the city of Ian Rankin’s crime noir; of the graffitoed walls and burnt-out cars of Royal Academician Jock McFadyen; of some Irvine …
SEE: AK/DK’s ‘Shared Particles’ leads for third LP
BRIGHTON’S double-drum synth groove assassins AK/DK are back in the (twin) saddle, and have shared a video for “Shared Particles” (watch below) as a taster for album number three, which shares a title and which is down for an August 28th release date. And fans needn’t worry: there’s no ‘difficult third’ syndrome at work here; …
TRACK: Suburban Living – ‘Indigo Kids’: halcyon dreampop uplift
WITH an album in the can for EggHunt Records, the Virginia label best known for bringing Lucy Dacus to the attention of the music world, Philly’s dreampoppers Suburban Living look assured of a bright future. With their album How to be Human due for a release at the end of the summer, the band have …
News: Jonathan Richman’s fourth finally back on vinyl
IT’S NEWS that will raise a cheer from many a fan of quirky and plain damn lovely songcraft. Boutique reissue specialist Craft Recordings is to repress Jonathan Richman’s fourth solo excursion, 1992’s I, Jonathan, on vinyl for the first time since its initial release. August 14th is the date to circle on your calendar: it’s …
SEE: The Orielles’ ‘7th Dynamic Goo’ gets animated
HALIFAX’S finest, indie-funksters The Orielles, have released a brilliant animation to accompany “7th Dynamic Goo”, from their second LP, Disco Volador. The video was directed by Berlin-based Stacie Ant. The Orielles said: “We’ve always wanted to have an animated video … things worked out well during this weird moment in time! “We love Stacie’s work …
NEWS: first of PJ Harvey’s Island vinyl reissues announced
UNAVAILABLE for years, bootlegged time and time again, and changing hands for feverish sums often well into the three figures, it’ll come as a relief to many a wax junkie that Island have announced a vinyl reissue programme for PJ Harvey’s catalogue with the label. And the programme, which is set to run into 2021, …
TRACK: Wheelup’s ‘Ndebele’ is full of polyrhythmic goodness
DANNY WHEELER, who creates fine broken beatz for Brighton’s ever-cracking Tru Thoughts as WheelUp, has released a new digital-only four-tracker, The Ndebele EP. Underpinned on a fine jazzy keys vamp, title track “Ndebele” bites deeper and deeper on a bed of deep polyrhythm and lofts on Moogy squiggle. Taking its concept from Danny’s father’s Zimbabwean …
ALBUM REVIEW: Surprise Chef – ‘All News is Good News’
ALL NEWS Is Good News is the debut album by Melbourne instrumental funkmasters Surprise Chef. Originally released in a very limited pressing on the band’s own College Of Knowledge label last November, it was devoured by the breaks cognoscenti and sold out within a week. Receiving heavy rotation at that home of the contemporary groove, …
Her Songs’ ‘Lost A Little’ is a graceful, global soul cut
HER SONGS is a worldwide female collective working across the creative disciplines. The collective consists of London-based Dane Marie Dahlstrom, Brooklyn-based Colombian Dani Murcia,New Zealand-based Emily C Browning, French Londoner The Naked Eye, and London-based Emmavie. The five have released a new single, “Lost A Little”, in advance of forthcoming third EP, Toronto Vol. 2. …