Week of Easy Violence in Music in OUTSIDELEFT

Our week in music looks like this...

SINGLES

NICKI MINAJ - Last Time That I Saw You (Republic)
favoritefavoritefavoritefavorite_borderfavorite_border
by Tim London

How old-fashioned. You might like this, there are no snakes involved, Or booty shaking in the video and there’s even a moment of irony as she salts the saccharine lyrics with a throw-away and utterly unconnected ‘bombs away’, possibly the best use of the phrase since a posh boy sat on the toilet in a public school.

BACAO RHYTHM AND STEEL BAND - How We Do (Big Crown Records)
favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite
by Ancient Champion

I suppose you'd say the Bacao Rhythm and Steel Band are talking up a couple of West Coast bangers with their steel drums. And I say a couple cos this is a double A. First off, The Game and 50's How We Do from The Game's 2005 LP The Documentary; and then Nuthin' But A G Thang the Dre/Snoop hit - which sampled Leon Haywood's epically incredible I Wanna Do Something Freaky To You. And truly, it's all there on the pans, and it's the most incredible oh probably since I recorded my super synthetic Anarchy in the UK. But anyway How We Do is worth the five hearts alone what with all... Well, you'll hear it. It's dancey that's for damn sure.

MCKOWSKI - Ask the Dust (Deltasonic)
ZERO favorite_borders
by Toon Traveller

Taking its title from the John Fante novel, Ask The Dust opens, music box cute sentimentality, recalled sadness, loss, whimsy, strings drift in, violins, cellos weep, melancholic sadness. I'd hoped this progressed, away from ponderous, simplistic, dare say tedious music box sound, but sadly disappointed. Some may praise its minimalistic sensibilities, but forget it, This isn't that, it's an idea light, soulless empty charade of cut and paste nothingness. Does it go anywhere, sadly you'd need to 'ask the dust', and as I've just hoovered and cleaned, there are all too few answers there. I'm not feeling it. I've reviewed this so you don't have to listen

CARLOS FERREIRA - Living a Metaphor (APK Records)
favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite
by Toon Traveller

Been away from reviewing for the last month and the first couple of listens to the last few weeks' releases, were just too depressing to waste time commenting on. But Carlos Ferreira's Living a Metaphor with its magical opening, hints of post-industrial sounds, and minor chord piano, reeds dance, whispering, shimmering, light somewhere out there. Synths burble sun-dappled streams, mists drift, a kingfisher darts, as the sounds conclude, breaths are held, in hopeful anticipation, or more, as that last final note hangs, a dandelion seed on the tenderest of gentle, loving breezes. This music is the reason I enjoy reviewing, and scrolling through download dumps of derivative dross, piles of petrified pap, and pop. Then, a diamond, a pearl, slowly emerges, just visible in the trash that's so much of music's daily grind.

JONNY STRYKES - All The Way Home (Rapport)
favoritefavorite_borderfavorite_borderfavorite_borderfavorite_border
by Toon Traveller

Nashville, 20 years ago it was "move on, move on, nothing to hear there" for me, at least. Well, those were my particular prejudices then. 20 years on, love, life, and live gigs have me, open-eared. This popped up and well, it's a bowl of rather inoffensive pseudo 80s silky soul, think Melba Moore, Peaches and Herbs, without the elan, smooth, cool, and devoid of flavour. It's those pretty cakes of bright red, or yellow, synthetic cream topped in coffee chains. Sadly, utterly tasteless, and forgettable.

SOFT PLAY - Punk's Dead (BMG)
favoritefavorite_borderfavorite_borderfavorite_borderfavorite_border
by Tim London

No it’s not. But it’s not here, either.

DURAN DURAN - Danse Macabre (Tape Modern)
favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite_border
by Jay Lewis

There's an audacity to Duran Duran that I find truly endearing. Sure, white men in their mid-60s should try to avoid rapping at all costs, especially when it gets too close to Robbie's 'Rock DJ' for comfort, but 'Danse Macabre' is a record by a band who rarely pay attention to advice on what they should or shouldn't do.

Sometimes Duran's self-belief can border on the risible (You heard their bizarre covers album didn't you? You managed to make it through '911 is a Joke' without asphyxiating with laughter?). And yet, somehow, their determination can, and especially in the case of 'Danse Macabre', turn something that really shouldn't work into a peculiar delight. 'Danse Macabre' is the title track of their Halloween-themed (note the seance photos on the sleeve) album. The LP will include a handful of new songs, some reinterpretations of older fan favourites, and some cover versions including, I shit you not, 'Ghost Town'.

DANKO JONES - Get High? (AFM Records)
favoritefavoritefavorite_borderfavorite_borderfavorite_border
by Alan Rider

We've come across Danko Jones before. Then they wanted to yell at you that they were back and motherf***ers could kiss their bottoms. This time they are feeling a bit more chilled out and are now shouting at you to get high instead. It seems to have pretty much the same chuggy rock tune that every other Danko Jones tune has though. They have a formula for sure. This is comedy rock churned out by hairy pot bellied rockers, which I guess might well appeal to a few pothead teenagers in beanie hats. Or not.

VINCE CLARKE - The Lamentations of Jeremiah (Mute)
favoritefavoritefavorite_borderfavorite_borderfavorite_border
by Alan Rider

You know, given his long history of creating iconic and timeless music with Depeche Mode, Yazoo, and Erasure and his umpteen production credits, it is a bit of a surprise that Vince Clarke hasn't released a solo album until now. This is much more orchestral sounding and sombre than we have been used to from Clarke though. No hint of synth-pop here. This is the sound of someone reflecting on his own mortality and keen to be regarded as a serious composer, right down to the (frankly) dull monochrome video of him sitting on a chair looking every bit like the mummy of Rameses the Second. Clarke claims the entire album is made using Eurorack modules (for non synth nerds, imagine an infinite electronic mechano set festooned with wires where it can easily take an hour just to get a blurby peeping sound out of it) but you wouldn't know that as this sounds like a bunch of violin and cello samples to me. It's not fantastic to be honest and I've heard way better modern classical composers, but it has his name on it so out it comes.

SUN JUNE - Easy Violence (Run For Cover)
favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite
by Ancient Champion

Is it possible as an older man to love a band too much? From the forthcoming LP, Bad Dream Jaguar on Run For Cover, unavailable until October 20th, comes a double single, this, Easy Violence and the more languidly beautiful John Prine. It Ain't Nuttin but a Double Single Thing... So let's get with the Easy Violence... Where can I get a spectacular head fix like that? And damn a Paramount electric guitar too. It's wondrous what young people can imagine. Imagine it.

NO GUIDNCE - Yeah yeah (NWS 1983)
ZERO favorite_borders
by Tim London

A boy band! How noughties! How 90s! I am reminded that George Michael took his songwriting seriously and that others heard Careless Whisper and thought it was a classic, even in demo form and I know that The Jesus And Marychain existed in the same popoverse as Wham! and that, if there was a battle, then Wham! won. Perhaps Guid’nce could get their managers to sort out a gig in China and make a groundbreaking documentary about how pop music never changed nuffink.

KYLIE MINOGUE - Tension (BMG)
ZERO favorite_borders
by Tim London

Having clicked on the link I was told ‘premiers in 17 minutes’ and, meanwhile, there was a trailer. A trailer for a promotional film for a single. It lasted exactly 15 seconds. The off-beat stabs that accompany house music since year dot and our Kylie wandering about somewhere green-screen looking like I did the other evening trying to find the canteen in a corridor maze backstage at a Noel Gallagher concert. Unfortunately (?) the trailer stopped before the singing began so, I’m guessing, that Kylie has finally started in her late period Marianne Faithful period, with too many fags and speedballs and is now, once again, for the second time in her career, vaguely interesting.

TIMBALAND - Keep Going Up (Mosley Music Group & Def Jam Recordings)
favoritefavoritefavorite_borderfavorite_borderfavorite_border
by Tim London

Although actually sung by 90s escapees Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake. Like a visit to the mall in the time of New Labour, when there was hope in the hearts of shopkeepers and electronic pop was the latest sale device for audio product. Two points for the end bit.

INDIGO SPARKE - In The Garden (indie probably)
favoritefavoritefavoritefavorite_borderfavorite_border
by Alan Rider

For some reason largely unrelated to the song the video features naked shots of Indigo Sparke (not her real name, I'm certain) smearing herself in mud. Go figure. The track itself is pleasantly inoffensive and lolloping, what is now dubbed 'dream pop', although its not actually very poppy. In fact, it's a bit of a downer overall. Apparently, it relates to a "mystical connection to and a visitation from Mary Magdalene". Not that you'd know really.

ALLISON RUSSELL - Demons (Fantasy)
favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite_border
by Toon Traveller

Allison Russell's Demons hits us with a real gospel feel opening, an archetypal soul throwback, mid 70s thru' mid 80s. A slow sidewalk shuffle, a boardwalk wander, lazing on a sunny afternoon, hand-in-hand lovers sharing ice cream, early evening wine, and slow kisses. A slow easy, slightly knowing, gently husky voice, moves up and down scales with that sensual tease so many great singers employ, It's a delight here. Out of nowhere, interjects a wonderous Oboe solo, and a piano overlay, both building the track as it moves, chugs, and ambles along with a delectable path, mmm mmm yeah, if this what Demons are what are, we so frightened of them?

LPs

JOHN CAME - Rhythmicon (Mute)
favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite_border
by Alan Rider

Rhythmicon is a 'lost' concept album from 1995 featuring the Rhythmicon1936 oddball synth/device co-invented by Russian Leon Theremin who also invented (surprise, surprise, the Theremin as used on the Star Trek theme tune) and was apparently "shrouded in mystery on its original release", with speculation as to who John Came was (theories included Alan Wilder, Vince Clarke and Daniel Miller). The whole thing is a bit of a spoof as John Came turns out to be a fictional person dreamt up by two electronic musicians. It's not particularly well hidden as the press release goes to pains to 'out' it, which in itself may be a spoof of a spoof. Now I'm getting confused! It's convincingly done though, complete with a grainy 'information film' in the style of the old Open University broadcasts you used to get filling up daytime schedules on BBC2. I used to watch those as a schoolboy when sick/pretending to be sick and as a result knew far more about fluid dynamics than any 10-year-old really should.

The music itself is a beguiling set of instrumental electronic pieces sprinkled with samples and synthy parps and blurbles. At times reminiscent of early Jean Michelle Jarre, early Kraftwerk, or even the more experimental parts of Dark Side of The Moon era Pink Floyd. There are plenty of people fiddling around with modular synths today that can produce this sort of stuff and I suspect that most of this is actually created that way rather than using the rather cranky and unreliable-looking Rhythmicon. It's a thoroughly pleasant album all around though, with the standout tracks being the pulsating single 'Ink Tank' and the atmospheric 'Coffin Filler', but is made so much more interesting by the back story, genuine or otherwise. Fake news never sounded so real.

THE HANDSOME FAMILY - Hollow (Loose Music)
favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite
by Ancient Champion

TK: Perhaps best known for the song “Far From Any Road” (the opening theme for HBO’s True Detective), The Handsome Family have been defining the dark end of Americana for over 30 years. Returning with their first record since 2016’s ‘Unseen’, ‘Hollow’ arrives as their 11th studio album. A record that delves into the natural world at the edges of the man-made, the duo of songwriting and marriage partners Brett and Rennie Sparks conjure a record lush with leaves and shadows that echo with occult mystery. With Brett describing the new tunes as “Western gothic”, its dark, tangled sounds take inspiration from the abandoned strip malls of desert America where "cracked pavement shimmers with heat and thorny weeds slowly reclaim the land”.

Other Materials

FALLING IN REVERSE - Watch The World Burn (Epitath Records)
favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite_border
by Alan Rider

Not a new release, but my god, this video is something else! It really, really is.

OTOBOKE BEAVER - Don't Light My Fire (Youtube)
favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite
by Ancient Champion

SImply fantastic when so much just isn't.

PSYCHIC TV - Godstar (Sacred Bones maybe)
favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite_border
by Lee Paul

The near hit about Brian Jones needs no snidey-ness from me. It's a great one. Read Alan Rider's interview with the former Ms P. Orridge, Alaura O'Dell here

LUNACHICKS - Nowhere Fast (indie likely)
favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite
by Ancient Champion

Lunachicks, one of the superstars you don't think about enough captured in a new photography collection from Brian Garrity that Alan Rider has check out here.