Loophole

 

Later this week Liverpool's probably best songwriter Michael Head will release his new album. The songs I heard so far from this album shows another time the ability of him in writing and arranging timeless songs. Until the release of this album I listen to his last album Dear Scott from 2022 for several times during the last weekend. And I have to admit that it is one of those albums showing his class in songwriting once again. Hope his new album will fulfill my high expectations.

Michael Head and the Red Elastic Band - Kismet

Michael Head and the Red Elastic Band - Broken Beauty

Michael Head and the Red Elastic Band - The Next Day

Monday's Long Song

 

Almost three years ago Norway's three piece band Kanaan released their album Earthbound. It is an album that impressed me much at it's release because they reduced music what it should be sometimes. Massive fuzzy guitar, straight drums and a melange of stoner rock and psychedelic. Mudbound is the best example for their music. Although the riffs pile up as high as a house, a playful melody creeps into the sound again and again in between and sounds fragile.

Kanaan - Mudbound

New Song On Sunday

 

Today's song is from Nilüfer Yanya, a London based singer and guitarist. I think I heard something from her a few years ago that was good and interesting but I forgot her as quick as she appeared. Now she's back, signed with Ninja Tunes and released for me the pop-rock song of the week. Over a repetitive drum beat, the interaction of acoustic and distorted electric guitar creates a large musical space that deals with the transience and preciousness of time. Time is like a currency, every moment. You're never going to get it back. Wise words by a young girl.

Steve Albini

 

Yesterday the sad news arrived that Steve Albini passed away during a heart attack at the age of 61. Albini was a producer (even he didn't like this word) for many bands during the last decades no matter which country they come from or what kind of music they play. To list up all the albums he sat on the controllers would go beyond the scope of this article. Yesterday JC and Khayem wrote excellent tributes to him and his work. What should not be forgotten, however, is that he was also an excellent musician and kept punk and what it could mean high to this day. In the late 80's he was part of Big Black a band that combined a drum-computer to their punky bass and guitar. An overlooked gem of this era.

Shellac was the band he played with and sadly he passed away shortly before the release of their new album.

Priestess

 

Sometimes it takes a new remix of a song to remind you of the original. This happened the last time when I got aware that Pumarosa's debut single from 2015 was re-released in a new mix. Pumarosa is a five-piece electro-post-punk band from London. Their sound is hard to describe and roams the shores of art-pop and post-wave in a hypnotic mixture of sermon-like spoken word and synth beats. 

Pumarosa - Priestess

Some Psyche Funk From Texas

A few days ago Khurangbin, a three piece mostly instrumental trio from Houston, Texas, released their fourth album A La Sala. Again an album that you could hear almost every time - if you are working or if you want to relax. Their sound is relaxed and dominated by a spaced psychedelic guitar, great bass-lines and reduced drums. Influenced by desert music and music from South East Asia and other obscure sounds they create their own melange of psychedelic rock, surf, soul and funk. I introduced them to several friends during the last years and most of them could agree with them. It seems like they make music not for masses but for many people if they are interested in new relaxed sounds. 

 

Cosmic Cascade

 

Mark Cooper and Bob Miles, both DJ's and masterminds and founders of Solid Gold/Agent Cooper are Bedford Falls Players a new but innovative project in electronic music. During the last months they released a couple of new songs in an electronic style and all of them were above the average. Cosmic Cascade is their latest release and a highlight of new electronic music. A steady rhythm with bleebs, electronic improvisations and a bit of hypnotic sounds, leading into a brighter future.

Monday's Long Song

 

Bristol Archive Records is a record label dealing with Bristol post-punk, rock and reggae from 1977 onward. During the last years they released several superb compilations featuring local bands. What all the albums have in common is that they offer a good overview of the local music scene and that there are hidden treasures to be discovered. I have to admit that many of the bands are unknown to me and I'm all the more pleased that there has always been a scene in Bristol that wasn't dominated by trip hop and drum 'n' base. For the last Record Store Day the label re-released again their compilation Bristol Roots Explosion featuring British reggae from the 40 years ago. Mostly in the tradition of bands like Black Uhuru but this was the kind of reggae we used to hear and made me dive deeper into this kind of music. Talisman's Dole Age is one of the highlights on this compilation for me. 

New Song On Sunday

Scottish indie veterans Belle And Sebastian released their twelfth studio album Late Developers just last year. Shortly before the release, however, the band decided to remove one song from the tracklist because the album felt too long for the song: What Happened To You, Son?. Belle And Sebastian released this as a a few days instead. The driving track is reminiscent of jangle pop and features a playful bass line, a nostalgic guitar riff and concise keyboard sounds. Stuart Murdoch explained that the song is about his youth and the difficult phase he went through in his late teens. He had failures at university and in almost everything he tried at the time. During this time he was obsessed with certain bands from the 80s. Presumably, as for many self-doubters, this was Morrissey because many of the ingredients of this song are reminiscent of him. Anyway, another superb song from a band that seldom do it wrong.

Space Surf

On the first of May, contrary to the actual reason for this workers' holiday, we have a tradition of meeting up at various parties organised by local clubs, drinking a few beers and chatting to people we haven't seen for a long time. When I came home yesterday after a nice day at work and checked my mailbox, I came across the release of a new record by Japanese Television. It is instrumental psyched space surf music in the tradition of Huevos Rancheros or others. Twangy guitars rule their sound and sometimes a keyboard comes round the corner. Simply fresh and authentic and a joy to listen.