What a week when both JFK and the Jack Rubies have new music out 60 years after their paths were so closely intertwined. Los Dedos though.
SINGLES
LOS DEDOS - Tres Margaritas (Own Label)
by Ancient Champion
If anything could get me back in the water, frozen margarita in hand, it's Los Dedos. Sure Martin Denny lives by the beach alongside Deadbolt. And so, for the twangiest guitar and mellowest cymbals, God love them. And all you readers love them too I hope.
ZOOEY CELESTE - Cosmic Being (Soundcloud)
ZERO s
by Toon Traveller
DOPE LEMON - Kimosabe (KMG)
by Toon Traveller
ADELE H - Impermanence (Obsolete Recordings)
by Toon Traveller
BLEACHERS - Modern Girl (Dirty Hit)
by Katherine Pargeter
Jack Antanoff is better known for his production work - you'll see his name on albums by Taylor Swift, the 1975, Lorde, Florence and the Machine and Lana Del Ray. He clearly knows what great records should sound like, yet it's something that he has been unable to translate into his own music-making.
'Modern Girl's homage to Springsteen (again) is clear from the start, although Bleachers two saxophonists are still nowhere near as breathtaking as one Clarence Clemons. Then there's a whiff of Billy Joel mangled with a sitcom theme tune (sorry, but I can't shake it) and the observation with the modern girls that are 'shaking their ass tonight'...How not very modern! Derivative toss!
GIRL SCOUT - Millionaire (Made Music)
by Toon Traveller
FRANK CARTER AND THE RATTLESNAKES - Man of the Hour (International Death Cult Records)
ZERO s
by Toon Traveller
THE JOY FORMIDABLE - Share My Heat (Hassle)
by Alan Rider
We've blown hot and cold at OL on The Joy Formidable over the past couple of years. I'm definitely blowing hot for this one though. Its stabbing post punk pulse is both hypnotic and hyperactive, evolving over 15 minutes of multiple twists and turns with nods to indie, alt rock and more than a nod to Prog, but updated to the 21st Century. Coupled with a jitteringly complicated and epic video, the Welsh trio have produced a truly impressive work here that surpasses anything I've heard from them previously. If this was 25 years ago 'Share My Heat' would be enjoying a good long stint sitting at the top of the indie charts. As it is, this deserves streaming to a few million Spotify accounts instead to earn them the credit this so clearly merits. Epic and impressive, is hard to envisage where Joy Formidable will go next after this. I'm kicking myself that I missed their Norwich gig now.
BELLA KOUYATE - Democracy (YouTube)
by Toon Traveller
CHELSEA WOLFE - Dusk (Loma Vista)
ZERO s
by Toon Traveller
THE JACK RUBIES - Poltergeist (Big Stir Records)
by Toon Traveller
WILDERADO - In Between ft. Ken Pomeroy (Their Own I Think)
by Lee Paul
Nowhere near as important as they want to be. Perfectly serviceable. Won't frighten the horses.
MCKOWSKI - Lake (Deltasonic)
by Toon Traveller
PAPER TAPES - Cut The cord (Geographie Records )
by Alan Rider
This is cheesy. So cheesy that it will instantaneously fur up your arteries. However, despite my natural aversion to all things cheesy (I am musically lactose intolerant) I rather like this one, so will take a chance on feeling all clogged up in the morning.
KLEISTWAHR - Rotten Boroughs (Fourth Dimension)
by Alan Rider
Labels like Fourth Dimension operate beyond the rim of the known musical universe so you always have to be prepared for a very different experience that rightly challenges your preconception of what music is and should be. In the West we have a tightly defined and overly restrictive definition of what is acceptable in our music, based on simple chromatic scales, pleasing and familiar sounds, predictable vocal stories, and unimaginative 4/4 beats. Stuff a music teacher would say is 'correct'. Acts like Kleistwahr, another variation on Noise pioneers Ramleh, push that convention out of a very high window, leaving it smashed and bloody on the ground. Album 'For the Lives Once Lived' is coming in October. Normally I would say expect more of the same for any normal album following a single, but in this case, there is no 'same' to refer back to. Where Kleistwahr are involved, 'same' is for losers.
EPs
BABE RAINBOW - Mushroom (Eureka!)
by Alan Rider
Bleurrrggghh! This makes me feel sick. Its so sugary sweet I can feel the pounds piling on just listening to it. Lets face it, this is derivative early '70s drivel and so, so, smug with it too. The kids probably love it only because they don't know any better.
LPs
MORLOCKS - Praise the Iconoclast (Metropolis)
by Alan Rider
Get a dose of the Morlocks, 'Praise The Iconoclast' alongside Alan Rider, right here
JFK - Avalanche Zone (Fourth Dimension)
by Alan Rider
JFK is Anthony Di Franco of noise innovators Ramleh, so has a long history with both acts of producing uncompromising music that usurps conventions, and this is no exception right from the pulverising opener 'Pullulator'. Originally released in spring 2021 by US label L.I.E.S. this is a well-deserved reissue with the addition of three extra tracks to add to the original six. Avalanche Zone combines heavy duty piledriver bass and rhythm sounds with swirling electronics and old school noise. Its not everyone's cup of tea for sure, but challenges and stretches definitions and pop music it most certainly 'aint. That's pretty rare amongst the stuff we have to wade through here in order to find the odd gem. Hallelujah for that!
NATION OF LANGUAGE - Strange Disciple (Play It Again Sam)
by Jay Lewis
Jay finds soul in a sole obsession here.
KAU - The Cycle Repeats (Sdban Ultra)
ZERO s
by Lee Paul
The Cycle Repeats doesn't always repeat itself, ranging from uptight cinematic grooves to well tape found on teh floor of the Going For The One sessions. If you want eclectic as a jumping off point, Brussels' Kau are going to intrigue you.
JOHN - A Life Diagrammatic (Brace Yourself/Pets Care)
by Alan Rider
You have to laugh at two guys called John who decide to call their band John. Its funny. It just is. Sound-wise its pretty intense stuff, with that punky loud/quiet thing going on, hammering drums that kick you in the stomach, slabs of kitchen sink guitars thrown in and no quarter given at any point. OK, its a bit Killing Joke-y in parts, scratch that, VERY Killing Joke-y all the way through, but having said that, this is a blast played out loud and to my somewhat jaded ears sounds pretty damned good. Considering there are just two of them, drummer and guitarist, they make one hell of a noise together too. Live, I gather they are equally intense (UK tour starting in November following a US jaunt). 'A life Diagrammatic' will blast anyone out of bed any day of the week, but has plenty of light and dark mixed in there too. Five hearts well earned.
DATAROCK - Media Consumption Pyramid (YAP Records)
by Alan Rider
Norway 'Dance Punks' (yes, seriously, I did just say 'Dance Punks'!) Datarock have been channeling Devo for the past few years. Is there nothing new under the sun? Apparently not. So let's call them a 'Devo Tribute Band With New Tunes' then, rather than use the cringe-worthy 'Dance Punks' label. Basing your whole act on sounding just like another well known act is a tried and tested formula, if cynical and completely lacking in imagination. They make a good fist of it too. Its all there, but especially the carbon copy vocal style. Now if you like Devo, then you could simply save yourself the effort of finding this and just buy a cheap Devo 'Best Of' compilation from Discogs or Amazon. In fact, why don't you just do that instead and stop reading this?
Other Materials
DAY GLOW GREY - Neo Forest (Youtube)
by Alan Rider
If you search on Youtube you will find a plethora of ambient electronics like this, designed to play in the background whilst you study, read, or just wind down after a tense day and drift off. This is a great example of that and every bit as good as any electronic soundtrack album you will find. Its an hour long, so not for sitting down and poring over, but pop it on whilst you are doing a quiet task and you will soon get my point.
MIGHTY MIGHTY - Is Anyone Out There (Cherry Red reissue)
by Ancient Champion
Well, sometimes people in their magic moment come up with perfect pop songs and Mighty Mighty have done it right here. Summer self-effacing sounds. There is a great interview with Mick from Mighty Mighty on the Adrian Goldberg's Adventures in Music Radio show which you can check out here...
EYELESS IN GAZA - Photographs as Memories (Cherry Red)
by Alan Rider
Although this is from 1981 it remains as timeless as ever. How a dump like Nuneaton ever produced something as wonderful as Eyeless in Gaza is truly one of life's great mysteries.
PALACE MUSIC - New Partner (Drag City)
by Ancient Champion
When you somehow, and you know why, lose a partner. And although there will be a new partner. Exquisite regrets. Of course Five Hearts.
Essential Info
Main image Los Dedos from their website by proconan