Album Review: Alasdair Roberts – Pangs
Authenticity is one of the great over-rated qualities in music. But there’s no harm in a bit of study and knowledge. Alasdair Roberts’ route into recording might have been through passing a tape to Will Oldham, but that doesn’t stop him having a more traditional edge than many of his contemporaries and collaborators. Recorded with …
See: Colin Stetson releases video for Spindrift
Leather-lunged sax-botherer Colin Stetson is back, back, back! Er, OK then. Stetson whose last release, Sorrow, was a ‘re-imagining’ of Gorecki’s Symphony No. 3, is back building his wonderful layered avant-garde sax noise. Live he hits like a one-man Swans. On record he’s subtler, but still reliant on drones and repetition. Spindrift is a track …
Album Review: Mark Eitzel – Hey Mr Ferryman
It’s always good to have Mark Eitzel back. There will always be some who hanker after the particular dimensions and textures that American Music Club brought to his songs. But his solo work has given him a chance to explore different sounds and collaborate around and about a pretty consistent songwriting style. Given that probably …
Not Forgotten: Frank Black – Francis
How are you getting on with the latest incarnation of Pixies? Some of it’s OK. We got Head Carrier on the strength bouncing around to Um Chagga Lagga when it came on the radio. And it’s fine. But there’s the late 80s/early 90s stuff upstairs so… Here’s the thing though. The Pixies album I find …
Track: Lumer – Futile
Well if you’re from Hull, now’s the time to push yourself. Lumer’s particular knoll on the cultural landscape is an abrasive and energetic slice of hardcore punk whose slithering guitars wouldn’t sound out of place on a late 80s compilation LP. And in case you’re wondering, that’s a good thing.
See: Meursault release new video for By Gaslight
The end of 2016 was a good time to get Meursault back. Neil Pennycook had been busy for a few years with excellent collaborations and recording under the name Supermoon but thereturn to his former guise is very welcome. By Gaslight is one of the more expansive songs featured on the Simple Is Good EP, …
Album Review: Battery Operated Orchestra – Radiation
Initially out in September, we hang our heads in shame that it took us until now to discover and write about Battery Operated Orchestras second album, Radiation. Much as you’d be right to be wary of well-turned-out folk touting synths these days (by now Half Man Half Biscuit’s Adam Boyle will have further ditched the …
Album Review: Modern Studies – Swell To Great
It’s not that we ignored it – Its just that we completely missed September’s release of Modern Studies album Swell to Great, and as Matt H muses – more’s the pity. Even in this day and age, with bands increasingly self-releasing their stuff online and at gigs, there’s still a place for a record labels. …