Album Review : Bill Laurance & Michael League – ‘Keeping Company’ : Understated but stunning second album from the Snarky Puppy stalwarts.
And it all began in Leeds in the noughties. Bill Laurance newly graduated from the Uni and trying to earn his crust around the city’s music scene met Michael League, doing the same on his troubadour travels from the States. Gigging together in various jazz-soul leaning bands on the unforgiving northern circuit a friendship grew …
Album Review: Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp – ‘Ventre Unique’: the mercurial post-punk/global beats collective score once more.
Formed in 2007 by bassist and composer Vincent Bertholet, Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp are a band with the beat of the infamous but sadly crushed Genevan punk squat movement at their core. Democratic by nature, collective in approach and creatively free, the revolving ensemble are five albums into their escapade with no signs of …
Album Review: Harvestman –Triptych Part Three : The final chapter of Steve Von Till’s awesome homage to the changing moons.
If you missed gazing at the Hunter Moon last week then here’s a permanent audio reminder of its beauty, significance and restorative power. Steve Von Till aka Harvestman, the prolific deliverer of sounds via post metal totems Neurosis, Tribes of Neurot and his solo work, has released ‘Triptych Part Three’, the final album in his …
Album Review: Gitkin –‘Golden Age’: Punchy world-funk and twang guitar in a rootsy, global beats bundle.
US Guitarist, multi-instrumentalist and producer Gitkin (aka Brian J) is a player who’s long been connecting Duane Eddy’s original twang and a world of other styles from Peruvian Cumbia to Saharan rock, Delta blues to New Orleans funk. Whether as co-ordinator of the indie meets soul collective Pimps of Joytime or collaborator with both Cyril …
Album Review: Dora Morelenbaum – ‘Pique’: a dynamic new MPB voice which really delivers.
Anyone who caught Bala Desejo’s set-of-the-day at WOMAD UK in the summer would’ve already noted the dynamic Dora Morelenbaum flying in the front line of this exuberant nu-tropicalia band. A vocalist, instrumentalist and composer she’s been at the epicentre of the surge of MPB powering out from Rio in the last few years, not only …
Album Review: boycalledcrow –‘eyetrees’: More heartfelt hauntological pop from a singular sound artist.
There’s something reassuring about the music of sound artist boycalledcrow regularly sneaking through all the noise and getting some attention. It restores faith that singular, outsider work will always find its way to listeners who want something less defined, tinged with eccentricity and creative determination. It also suggests the lineage which extends from Syd Barrett …
Album Review : Plantfood –‘Carnivores’ : An energetic and explosive jazz fusion calling card.
Given that their name links back to their student beginnings during lockdown in a bedroom-come-practice space full of houseplants, Plantfood’s music is not what you’d describe as pastoral. This tight collective that formed in Leeds around 2020 seem intent to bust into the UK nu-jazz arena and beyond with their energetic fusion of punk jazz, …
Album Review: Eric Pan – ‘Travel Poems. Chapter 3. There is no path back.’: An inventive and intimate jazz journey.
It’s hard to pin down pianist and composer Eric Pan’s music, he is a troubadour and traveller both literally and creatively. Pulled towards jazz during his studies at the University of California, Santa Cuz, he’s been at the heart of New York’s vibrant grass roots scene for some time as well as building a strong …
Album Review: Godspeed You! Black Emperor – “No Title as of 13 February 2024 28,340 Dead” : intense, probing and cathartic contemporary rock.
Let’s start with some facts. Godspeed You! Black Emperor are a seminal alt rock, orchestral collective formed 1994 in Montreal. People who write about contemporary music see their early noughties trilogy (F♯ A♯ ∞, Lift Your Skinny Fists like Antennas to Heaven and Yanqui U.X.O.) as definitive long form, instrumental statements. If you are reading …
Album Review: Mörk – Still Dreamin’: shape-shifting soul-jazz energy from the Budapest band.
Okay so we know that as far as new scenes go Rio gets touted as the upcoming centre of 21st century tropicalia pop and Geneva continues to excel in pushing its very individual avant / post punk refresh. Well, it now seems that Budapest may be building up to having its own moment with its …