indie albums
Album Review: Elvis Valentine and The Ghosts of Chance – The Book of Numbers
Out on Bandcamp is ‘The Book of Numbers’ by Elvis Valentine and The Ghosts of Chance, an offshoot of the Scottish Shoegaze band, Wozniak. This album is a fuzzy, alternative rock long-player, evoking the poppy edge of Big Star, Neil Young, Steelers wheel and Dinosaur JR. At times, there’s a Garage-Punk snarl, which can then fly …
Album Review: The Silent Boys – Tilt-A-Whirl
Out now, is the new album, ‘Tilt-A-Whirl’ from US IndiePop band, The Silent Boys. This group of likely lads from Richmond, Virginia, have been creating poppy songs with added jangle for the last three decades. Right from the off with the effervescent title track, the new album sees The ‘Boys embracing different genres and going …
Album Review: Warmer – Wooden Box with Strings
Warmer is the project of Nature Strip’s John Encarnacao – Backseat reviewed their last EP, Past Pacific, back in 2018. More recently the other main songwriter in The Nature Strip, Pete Marley, released ‘Savoury-toothed Tiger’ under the name Marveline which I reviewed last last month. With the release of Warmer’s new album ‘Wooden Box with …
Album Review: Deerhoof – Future Teenage Cave Artists
This four-piece, originating from San Francisco predominantly, punctuated the year with a string of singles from upcoming album “Future Teenage Cave Artists”. Previous singles had fans salivating and the album will undoubtably sate fans and beyond; with leaps, hops and skips into unfamiliar territory. With over a dozen albums since their first in 1997, it …
Album Review: Magnetic Fields – Quickies
Last week, Quickies by The Magnetic Fields hit my inbox, ironically accompanied by the longest press release I’ve seen in a while. In it I found a description of Stephin Merritt’s writing process: a series of spatial and temporal limitations inspired by the “flash-fiction” of author Lydia Davis that forced Merritt to make use of …
Ariel Pink- House Arrest
The Archduke of indie’s 2002 album was recently remastered and reissued, both digitally and on vinyl. House Arrest is among Pink’s albums being renewed by Mexican Summer, encompassing the virtual tome of material released during the “Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti” era, the touring/recording band with which his records were made until 2014. House Arrest was …
EP: Howie Payne – In Dreams
Ex-Stands front man Howie Payne has some pop breeding, brother to The Zutons’ Sean Payne and visual artist/singer Candie Payne as well as his own musical DNA, and he’s shown his hand with a new EP ‘In Dreams’, that’s out now. It’s a follow up to his 2018 album Mountain, that drew praise from all corners. In dreams …
Album Review: Nick Hakim: – Will this make me good
Brooklyn based Nick Hakim asks the questions with his new album, principally that. Will this record, this piece of art make him good. As a person or as an artist is less clear, but it’s one of many he asks as he struggles to comprehend the world around him. For much of the build up …
Album Review: Mark Lanegan – Straight Songs of Sorrow.
Mark Lanegan is an artist that I have been aware of for a while. A former Screaming Tree, long time solo artist, serial collaborator, and a man who many wondered how he survived his darkest days, Lanegan’s recently published memoir, Sing Backwards and Weep, makes it clear that he appreciates just how lucky he has been to still …
Album Review: Modern Studies – The Weight Of the Sun
With new album The Weight Of the Sun, Modern Studies haven’t actually changed the blueprint of their previous two albums, more adapted it. With the two main protagonists living apart, Emily Scott in Lancashire, while Rob St John is in Scotland, social distancing hasn’t made the slightest difference to the band, but thats not stopped …