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TRACK: The Kondoors – ‘Mr Rain’: classic boy-girl power balladry wants your heart
THE KONDORS is the musical project of Gavin Conder and Jess Greenfield, who were involved romantically long before they were a musical item. Jess has come up through her involvement with Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, a gilt-edged name to have on the CV if ever there was; previously she’s worked with artists such as …
TRACK: 79.5 – ‘My Dream’: timeless, crate-diggin’ retro-soul gem
IT’S absolutely fair to say that Big Crown Records, which has been down in the crates bringing you some incredibly fine cuts out of its Brooklyn base for the past four years, is deeply involved in a heartfelt romance with San Antonio, Texas, Chicano soul legends Sonny & The Sunliners. Mind you, a quick listen …
TRACK: Olivier Alary & Johannes Malfatti – ‘Drifting’: out-classical, ISDN warmth
MONTREAL-based, Toulousain composer Olivier Alary and his Berlin-based compatriot Johannes Malfatti have been friends for many years – that kind of relationship so much easier to conduct in our modern fibre-optic world. With an album apiece under their belts: Johannes’ Surge for Glacial Movements, and Olivier’s 2016 debut for FatCat’s 130701 imprint, Fiction/Non-Fiction, it became …
TRACK: Tree Trunks – ‘Reaction’: elegant synthpop for a lovers’ summer
LONDON outfit Tree Trunks have been around for a little while now, nibbling at pristine pop, picking up airplay, seducing the ears. There’s been four singles in the past couple of years proffering a line in intelligent, pristine synthpop, taking on influences such as the Yellow Magic Orchestra, Talking Heads and Frank Ocean to bring …
TRACK: A quintet from Bill Callahan with ‘The Mackenzies’: not a dry eye in the house
IT’S become a lovely little start-of-the-week tradition through the dead centre of this mournful summer: the Monday teasing of another new Bill Callahan track ahead of September’s Gold Record. And today he brings a tale of “The Mackenzies”: the sweetness of the chance encounter with a neighbour never met after his car gives up the …
SEE: Matmos’s ‘No Concept’: boundary-pushing collagists return
THEY’VE been quietly toying with our minds for many years now, Matmos: like the doll at the back of the wardrobe which, blessed with life, just twitches and stirs enough at 3am once in a while to introduce doubt into our brains. Exhibit one, m’lud: A Chance To Cut Is A Chance To Cure, their …
Track: Secret Shine – Ember
It is really delightful to see Secret Shine back again with a thrilling single, ‘Ember’. Secret Shine were, of course an indelible part of the Sarah Records/C86 era and made a welcome return in 2017 album with the album ‘There Is Only Now’ – remind yourself with my review of the single ‘For You’. ‘Ember’ …
TRACK: The Still Brothers – ‘The Deep’: uplifting jazz breaks for yo feet and yo soul
HOXTON’S Lewis Recordings know a little about a mighty fine groove when they hear one. And the home of artists such as DJ Yoda and Edan has been out there crate-digging again to bring us what promises to be an excellence new venture for your dance muscles and the brain in the shape of The …
TRACK: Whitney take on The Roches’ ‘Hammond Song’; full covers set next month
CHICAGO’S Whitney, who set all kindsa ears on fire with that fragile, world-weary crossover slice of Americana “No Woman” back in 2016, have released a video for their cover of The Roches’ “Hammond Song” ahead of a ten-song covers set, out via Secretly Canadian on August 14th. Following their acclaimed 2019 album Forever Turned Around, …
TRACK: Big Bad Mama Jama – ‘Memory’: steel city funksters forge forward
STEEL CITY funksters Big Bad Mama Jama got together just last year in Sheffield. Their mission? To “bring you the biggest baddest mama jams”. And today they release their second single, “Memory” ahead of their debut EP, Summer’s Here To Stay, which will be with us on August 21st. Powering ahead on a rush of …