Backseat Mafia

CONTEMPORARY composer James Heather is set to release his first collection of original works in four years in the shape of Modulations: EP2, which will be out on Coldcut’s other label besides Ninja Tune, Ahead Of Our Time, come May 28th. Recorded in his homebuilt studio during lockdown, each track on Modulations: EP2 was performed in a single …

See: Holm – ‘Our Days And Years’: Zurich post-rockers set out on a track-a-month journey to their new album

A CLICKY, metronomic bass is pillowed by distant sound wash and drone, tick-tocking with cinematic suspense; and a guitar twangs a mournful riff with grandeur. Chill synths add to the palette, as winds of sound holler and skitter past your hearing. Imagine Labradford at very blustery altitude, the parched placidity replaced by a need to …

News: Low Hummer announce their debut album for September, and there’s a Dinked edition; hear the new-wave rush of ‘The People, This Place’

FOLLOWING bdrmm into the annals of East Yorkshire’s new wave of dark, glamorous guitar royalty in waiting are Hull’s Low Hummer, who’ve finally announced their much-anticipated debut album, Modern Tricks For Living, to be released as the leaves began to fall and the fruits ripen. Ahead of that album they’ve released a new single, “The …

See: Lou Barlow – ‘Into My Arms’: Lou welcomes you into his warm, lo-fi embrace; it’s good to be back

AN ABSOLUTE statesman of the American alt.rock scene, whose easy and innate way with a tune has led us forward from Dinosaur Jr. through Sebadoh (I mean, m’lud: “Flame”? Case surely rested), Lou Barlow is shortly to deliver his first solo album in six years: shortly as in, a week today, actuellement. After decades on …

News: A Certain Ratio reveal details of ‘ACR:EPC’; see the video for the wired dazzle of ‘Emperor Machine’

MANCHESTER’S legendary proponents of the post-punk soulful funk A Certain Ratio, fresh from the release of their excellent ACR:EPA EP, four tracks from the final session that the band laid down with Denise Johnson (see the video for the hypnotic “Wonderland” here) are marching on in such a sonic hot streak as they announce the …

See: The stop-motion animation for Semihelix’s ‘Recoil’: a dreamy Texas take on the Flying Nun sound

DREAMING guitar pop dreams on the vibrant Austin, Texas scene, the fine trio Semihelix are bidding for love with their new track, “Recoil”, which comes accompanied accompanied by a quirky stop-motion involving bejewelled beetles, reel-to-reel tape, toy cars and ladybirds; go have a looksee at the end there, it’s a lovely thing – and it’s …

News: Andy Shauf announces a British and European tour for next year; see the video for the caustic tale, ‘Living Room’

EXPONENT of beautiful baroque pop Andy Shauf has unveiled a 26-date tour of Europe and the UK in support of his excellent 2020 album The Neon Skyline, a lovely addition to his canon which of course, what with viruses and all, he hasn’t as yet been able to bring across the Atlantic. You’ll find those dates …

8.8 Album Reviews Music

Album review: Cheval Sombre – ‘Days Go By’: Chris Porpora’s second of the year delivers an airy, dreamy space-folk coda

IT’S ONLY his fourth album at all in the catalogue; the second, Mad Love, was almost nine years ago now; but the third, Time Waits For No One, is only three months old. Oh: more importantly, most importantly, Time Waits for No One was also absolutely beautiful. Chris Porpora, the thoughtful architect who guises as …

See: Texan guitar melodicist Cameron Knowler announces his debut solo album; come see the video for the atmospheric ‘Puerto Suelo’

TEXAN solo guitar practitioner and melodicist Cameron Knowler – whose lovely, exploratory album with Eli Winter, Anticipation, we fully embraced in early March – has announced he’s to unveil his first solo album on American Dreams in mid-July. To tempt you further into his world and to pique your curiosity – and if you love …