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Hi TomNew Tom A. Smith released at lunchtime bit of a bangerYou must be logged on to see external links
Afraid notHi Tom
Really good. Sounds like Bizarre Love Triangle but that doesn't detract from a cracking song.New Depeche Mode, co-written by Gore and Richard Butler
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Yeah, I think it’s good, too. More than recent DM stuff. I can hear the Furs in there as well (though I don’t know if that’s just the power of suggestion!)Really good. Sounds like Bizarre Love Triangle but that doesn't detract from a cracking song.
Made me feel really old, that. I just saw it was 30 years of the Garage. I played there around ‘95Amazing as always
A bumper treasure trove of new and newish stuff foor me to trawl through this week:
Rough Trade Shops Counter Culture 22: this arrived last week. It's, disappointingly, only a single CD this year versus the doubles of the past. Nonetheless, includes some great tunes.
MF Tomlinson: exhibit A for the above. One of the standout tracks on the compilation is by this fella. He has an album out soon but I've trawled back to give a listen to his 2021 release. It's pretty good. He has a touch of Adam Green about him.
Hifi Shaun & David McAlmont: McAlmont continues his interesting/itinerant career, hooking up with Sean Dickson, formerly of The Soup Dragons here. His usual swooping vocals over some interesting quite laidback music, This is good.
Ears of the People compilation: songs from Senegal and the Gambia. This is quite lo-fi and quite long but very good.
The Golden Dregs: this is marvellous. Deep vocals, tremendous emotion, excellent music. There's a touch of Nick Cave:
The Brian Jonestown Massacre: more psychedelic jangle. This seems stronger than last year's release, which I think was recorded around the same time.
Yo La Tengo: great as ever. There's a mix of their louder songs and the quieter ones as always. Strikes me as possibly their best in a while.
Quasi: another band getting an overdue welcome back. Husband and wife team, great indie rock type stuff. Very good.
Plank!: this is terrific. Guitar based instrumentals, which cover post-rock, prog and other genres. A real find.
Maps: Indie electronica. Really, really good verging on great. There won't be many better electronic records this year.
Loscil & Lawrence English: ambient electronica with, as it's loscil, slightly menacing undertones. All tracks named after colours.
Jarrod Dickenson: Americana, good songs, a good listen.
Lisa O'Neill: she's becoming really interesting. This album, for me, paints her as an Irish hybrid of Joanna Newsom (minus harp) and Tom Waites. Exceptional!
Sweet Baboo: the 9th album from the Welsh singer songwriter and serial collaborator, Stephen Black. This is joyous bedroom indiepop. Well worth a listen.
Amber Arcades: her third album, I think. This is dreampopish indie. It's good, again.
Kelela: a dip into R'n'B here. This is quite, er, seductive. Listen if you like Sudan Archives.
Mary Elizabeth Remington: she's a friend of Adrianne Lenker and this has a similar feel to some of Lenker's solo work. Quite lo-fi and gives the sense of songs being sung round a campfire late at night.
Andy Shauf: he's back on form after a mis-step with his last album. This is quietly impressive singer-songwriter stuff.
Herman Dune: I'd failed to notice Herman Dune release "The Portable Herman Dune Vol 1" last year so catching up now prior to volume 2's forthcoming release. It's good. Essentially, lo-fi versions of songs from across their career.
Tim Hill: Americana which reachs beyond. Quite impressive.
HB Nielsen: Dansih, I think, singer doing lo-fi indie folk type stuff. Like early Sufjan or early Iron & Wine. Good but brief.
Tennis: married couple indie pop. Pretty good as most Tennis albums are.
Togo All Stars: upbeat Afrobeat. Lots of powerful vocals, horns etc. Enjoyable!
Andrew Wasylyk: sort of ambient, sort of classical, the Scottish composer/producer has made a very pretty album based on the east coast of Scotland.
Black Belt Eagle Scout: this is enjoyable. Dreampop with native American undertones, intersting throughout.
Album of the week: strong competition from Golden Dregs, Yo La Tengo, Quasi, Plank!, Maps, Lisa O'Neill, Mary Elizabeth Remington and Andrew Wasylyk but I think Plank! shade it.
Not so interesting fact - a couple of my mates used to play 5 a side with himThe Andrew Wasylyk album is a remix of a whole album from 2020 Fugitive Light but yes, ambient, sort of classical sums it up, not that different to the original
A bumper treasure trove of new and newish stuff foor me to trawl through this week:
Rough Trade Shops Counter Culture 22: this arrived last week. It's, disappointingly, only a single CD this year versus the doubles of the past. Nonetheless, includes some great tunes.
MF Tomlinson: exhibit A for the above. One of the standout tracks on the compilation is by this fella. He has an album out soon but I've trawled back to give a listen to his 2021 release. It's pretty good. He has a touch of Adam Green about him.
Hifi Shaun & David McAlmont: McAlmont continues his interesting/itinerant career, hooking up with Sean Dickson, formerly of The Soup Dragons here. His usual swooping vocals over some interesting quite laidback music, This is good.
Ears of the People compilation: songs from Senegal and the Gambia. This is quite lo-fi and quite long but very good.
The Golden Dregs: this is marvellous. Deep vocals, tremendous emotion, excellent music. There's a touch of Nick Cave:
The Brian Jonestown Massacre: more psychedelic jangle. This seems stronger than last year's release, which I think was recorded around the same time.
Yo La Tengo: great as ever. There's a mix of their louder songs and the quieter ones as always. Strikes me as possibly their best in a while.
Quasi: another band getting an overdue welcome back. Husband and wife team, great indie rock type stuff. Very good.
Plank!: this is terrific. Guitar based instrumentals, which cover post-rock, prog and other genres. A real find.
Maps: Indie electronica. Really, really good verging on great. There won't be many better electronic records this year.
Loscil & Lawrence English: ambient electronica with, as it's loscil, slightly menacing undertones. All tracks named after colours.
Jarrod Dickenson: Americana, good songs, a good listen.
Lisa O'Neill: she's becoming really interesting. This album, for me, paints her as an Irish hybrid of Joanna Newsom (minus harp) and Tom Waites. Exceptional!
Sweet Baboo: the 9th album from the Welsh singer songwriter and serial collaborator, Stephen Black. This is joyous bedroom indiepop. Well worth a listen.
Amber Arcades: her third album, I think. This is dreampopish indie. It's good, again.
Kelela: a dip into R'n'B here. This is quite, er, seductive. Listen if you like Sudan Archives.
Mary Elizabeth Remington: she's a friend of Adrianne Lenker and this has a similar feel to some of Lenker's solo work. Quite lo-fi and gives the sense of songs being sung round a campfire late at night.
Andy Shauf: he's back on form after a mis-step with his last album. This is quietly impressive singer-songwriter stuff.
Herman Dune: I'd failed to notice Herman Dune release "The Portable Herman Dune Vol 1" last year so catching up now prior to volume 2's forthcoming release. It's good. Essentially, lo-fi versions of songs from across their career.
Tim Hill: Americana which reachs beyond. Quite impressive.
HB Nielsen: Dansih, I think, singer doing lo-fi indie folk type stuff. Like early Sufjan or early Iron & Wine. Good but brief.
Tennis: married couple indie pop. Pretty good as most Tennis albums are.
Togo All Stars: upbeat Afrobeat. Lots of powerful vocals, horns etc. Enjoyable!
Andrew Wasylyk: sort of ambient, sort of classical, the Scottish composer/producer has made a very pretty album based on the east coast of Scotland.
Black Belt Eagle Scout: this is enjoyable. Dreampop with native American undertones, intersting throughout.
Album of the week: strong competition from Golden Dregs, Yo La Tengo, Quasi, Plank!, Maps, Lisa O'Neill, Mary Elizabeth Remington and Andrew Wasylyk but I think Plank! shade it.
It didn't grab me. I'll give it another go today.Really enjoyed Caroline Polachek on first listen. Could be an AOTY nomination.
Also Grade 2There are new albums this week from Anna B Savage, Avey Tare, Inhaler, Pink, Pile, Posh Swat (a John Dwyer project), Ron Sexsmith, Screaming Females, Secret Machines, Skrillex, MF Tomlinson, Polobi & the Gwo Ka Masters, King Ayisoba, Deus, Unthank/Smith, Pigs*7, Orbital and Index For Working Musik.