Music
Not Forgotten: Black & White by The Stranglers
Its early 1978 and I’m standing in the horrible brutalist Ryemarket Shopping Centre in Stourbridge, a copy of ‘Sounds’ in my hands (well all over my hands such was the nature of ink in those days) and the proceeds of my paper round in my pocket. I was thirteen and was deep in the thrall …
Not Forgotten: The Czars – Before… But Longer
Like many people, I only know The Czars as the band John Grant was in before he temporarily turned his back on the music industry. As such it is tempting to approach them as little more than a footnote in what is proving to be an extraordinary solo career, however there’s more to them than …
Say Psych: Playlist 2/2016
Here’s my second playlist of the year, which is shaping up to be yet another brilliant one musically with some great new releases and long overdue re-issues. Flemish Weave by Mugstar “Rarely after listening to an album do I just want to sit in silence for a moment to think about what I have …
See: The Sherlocks release new video for ‘Last Night’
Forged from the same Sheffield steel as the Arctic Monkeys, four piece The Sherlocks have made an impressive fist of following their indie rock path to stardom so far, gaining support from the likes of Annie Mac and Huw Stephens, who eulogised about the bands live performances. Before heading off for the BBC introducing stage …
Not Forgotten: Comus – First Utterance
I first became aware of Comus back in early 1996, when First Utterance enjoyed its first foray onto CD. Described by a reliable publication as “Freaky Folk Prog”, the largely acoustic music, idiosyncratic vocals and traditional instruments sounded right up my particular strata. Sadly I was a penniless student at the time, so intrigued was …
Album Review : The Skiffle Players : Skifflin’
The Skiffle Players are possibly the first skiffle supergroup in 60 years. A group of west coast alt.country notables, featuring Cass McCombs, Neal Casal, Dan Horne, Aaron Sperske, and “Farmer” Dave Scher. Names familiar to people who have listened to Beachwood Sparks, the Cardinals (ex backing band to Ryan Adams and Gin Wigmore), and various solo …
Album Review: Rangda – The Heretic’s Bargain
The Heretic’s Bargain is rasping and raw, like a head with tailing entrails, flying through a midsummer evening, on its way to effectuate mass infanticide. Rangda consists of Sir Richard Bishop (Sun City Girls), Ben Chasny (Six Organs Of Admittance) and Chris Corsano (Bjork, Evan Parker), none of whom are strangers to exploring the psychedelic …
Album Review: Animal Collective – Painting With
Animal Collective can say that they have most assuredly created their own unique musical world. No one can even come close to reinterpreting their sound and their vibe. Maybe t-U-n-E-y-A-r-D-s to some extent, but not to the exuberant extremes that AC do. I think for many Merriweather Post Pavillion was the point at which this Maryland four-piece …
Say Psych: Album Review, Lay Llamas by Lay Llamas
The Lay Llamas have been on my radar for a while, a superb live performance at the Liverpool PsychFest in 2014, and a great album, ‘Ostro’, for Rocket Recordings the same year which made our ‘Essential’ list. What I wasn’t aware of what that this had not been the band’s first release, having brought out …
Say Psych: Album Review, Lamagaius by Lamagaia
This one-track 28 minute album was originally recorded in 2012, and has previously only seen a very limited cassette release the following year, Lamagaia itself was founded in Gothenburg, Sweden in 2010. Three years later from that comes a self-released vinyl edition limited to 300 copies, and for the majority of us, for whom this …