The Outsideleft Week in Music is here, it's institutionalised now. You should know this week's reviewers are... Ancient Champion (1), Martin Devenney (2), LamontPaul (2), David O'Byrne (1), Paul Mortimer (1), Alan Rider (11), Lee Paul (1), DJ Fuzzyfelt (1),
singles.
by Alan Rider
The Othyrs are a 'family unit ' of parents, offspring, uncles, and various spare members of The Wolfhounds. That sounds pretty awful to me, and the resulting single, 'Nobody Knows' , and no doubt the other tracks on the accompanying album, all sound suspiciously Wolfhound-ish too. Apparently, they were all forced to spend time together as a family due to lockdown. Rather than do what most other decent families would have done in a similar situation and kill one another, they instead did what musicians have been boring us with for the past few years and recorded a lockdown album. I'm sure all sort of valuable familial bonding took place, but the musical result is pedestrian at best. Family therapy is usually best not streamed on Spotify.
by Martin Devenney
Kylie V’s new album ‘ Crash Test Plane’, is one of those albums that I can imagine my daughter playing at full volume when she used to come home from a bad day at school after slamming the front door and loudly stomping up the stairs. In those days it was albums by Avril Lavigne and Paramore, but this would have fitted very neatly into her rotation. Kylie V describes their new single ‘Year of the Rabbit’ as ‘…a song I wrote while healing from a breakup and reflecting on my (incredible) friends/support system and my feelings after the fact.’ What would songwriters do without a good break-up? The new single, like most of the tracks on the new album reminds me a little of the beautiful vocal tones of the greatly missed Dolores O’Riordan, especially tracks such as ‘Wish I Was in Bed’, ‘Lucky Streak’ and ‘Anomaly’ and that can’t be a bad thing. I like the occasional inclusion of the pedal steel guitar from Alexander Dobson, the trumpet from Gregory Dent and violin from Tegan Walhgren, all these instruments give the music a dreamy, aethereal feel. Unlike the previous reviews I have written lately, the vocals are nicely up in the mix so you can hear the well-structured lyrics. Kylie V is only 20 years old and will soon have two albums under their belt. A bright future is predicted.
by Alan Rider
You know, when I see and hear the pedestrian, plodding, and mediocre given the double vinyl, pull out poster treatment, I despair somewhat. Have people no taste or discernment? This is landfill. Lazy stuff, of little or no merit. Really. This is pointless in the extreme. You think I'm being harsh? I am, but not without just cause. I expect music to excite me, stimulate, challenge, not bore. This bores, big time. Even the video.
by Alan Rider
At least Inca Babies have the decency to call themselves a 'legacy act' and Spacewalk revisits their 80s psychobilly trash rock roots in some style. Back then, this sound was quite the thing, with The Cramps, Gun Club, and the wonderfully maniacal, flour covered King Kurt all ploughing the same punky rockabilly groove that The Stray Cats went on to make a commercial success of. The twang of Rockabilly really is quite timeless and this sounds as good today as it would have 'back in the day' (I hate that phrase btw!).
by Alan Rider
Are Verboten the ultimate Dad Rock band? They certainly look the part, and are yet another resurrection of an early 80s 'punk' band (this is what passes for punk in the US btw) that, now the kids have grown up and flown the nest, are back to give it another go. In this case that involves releasing an eponymous debut LP and playing a few shows. Man, they are tight though. Very tight.
by Alan Rider
'Shadow' is the fourth single taken off 'Pagan Synth' act Esoterik's debut EP. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't EPs normally about 4 tracks? In which case, by the time they release that, it will all be old news. In fact, it feels a bit like old news now tbh, as this is pretty derivative stuff, not 'pagan' in the slightest, and I'm not even sure what they mean by that tag. The video is glossy sub Bladerunner fare, all robot arms and shades. I don't really know what the point of all this is. I can't see one myself, but you might have more luck.
by Alan Rider
Despite having collaborated with many of the great and the good of the Goth/Industrial scene, this sounds both dated and very home made, as does the 'ooer-missus' title and the video with SINE's Rona Rougeheart peeping at you through her fingers or hair. Its not exactly original stuff. Think '80's EBM. Promo shots feature her rolling around on a big sofa in a short skirt showing us what long legs and a round bottom she has. Good for her, but having long legs and a round bottom, sadly, do not result in a great song.
by Martin Devenney
Sooo good to hear the Franks Chickens remix of 'We are Ninja', set for release on the 18th October. I saw them a couple of times back in the 80s and even gave them a demo tape with the hope of a support slot, (I wonder if they ever listened to it?). Formed in 1982, Kazuko Hohki and Kazumi Taguchi brought us J-pop before J-Pop was a thing. It would have been the original release of 'We are Ninja' and the following release of the fantastic cover version of 'Blue Canary' in 1984 on a John Peel show that originally brought them to my attention (like so many other bands). By the '90s they had dropped off my radar a little but it is great to hear this Betamax remix which gives 'We are Ninja' a fresh rhythmic electronic backdrop to the original pop vocals. This is not the first remix of the song and the Yasuharu Konishi Mix is probably my favourite, but Betamax (Maxwell Hallett) does a very good job of adding something new (which is what a remix should do) and it is a nice taster for the upcoming release and review of the Frank Chickens 4-CD box set released on the 18th October.
ep's.
ZERO s
by Ancient Champion
Like rock stamped through, this one says Beautiful from the beginning. Bon Iver is back. The wait is over.
by Lee Paul
Ashaine White is young London. The video here for 'Hotel' is from her recent Cause for Concern EP, which is quiet introspective on the whole. All the more the reason to shout out loud about it.
by LamontPaul
I was lucky enough to be on hand when Amadou and Mariam performed at WOMAD this past summer. Wow! Their summer single Mogolu has been remixed by various. Here's Major Lazer. What fun!
Major Lazer remix
by LamontPaul
Man/Woman/Chainsaw are a band with a great name. The Boss is from a new EP. They do some things musically that are a little uncanny. And a little progressive, rocky.
long plays.
by DJ Fuzzyfelt
The fifth album by garage rock duo The Courettes, noted for their energetic live shows, monochrome 60s aesthetic and endless touring. I was really looking forwards to this record however it all feels a bit flat. The previous rough edges have been smoothed off and too many additional instruments have been added... its all a bit too tasteful and restrained really which is something you'd never associate with the band. Having caught them a few days ago on their current UK tour I can attest that they still have 'it' live and the songs on here are far better out in the wild. Maybe they should just release live albums from now on. Three hearts for what might have been
by Alan Rider
Abstract Crimewave is not a new band. For the past 10 years they were called Smile, and put out two albums under that name, then along came Thom Yorke and stole the name for his post-Radiohead act. Alan Rider reviews their latest right here
by Alan Rider
A 9 song mini-album on punk re-issue label Left For Dead (great name!) from 80's New Jersey hardcore band Detention, 'Dead Rock ‘N Rollers' includes their 1983 single “Dead Rock ‘N Rollers” and the B side “El Salvador, tracks from their eponymous debut album and some previously unreleased material. There is is something about these early US punk acts. They are all fast, loud, messy, political, and with a rich seam of humour running through them. Detention's self released debut single is 97 seconds of pure Ramones-style speed-punk mocking the demise of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, John Lennon, Keith Moon, Elvis Presley, Jim Morrison, Sid Vicious, John Belushi, and John Bonham , ending with the plea “Why couldn’t it be Barry Manilow?” . Others follow in a similar vein. Detention weren't around for very long. They released a hastily recorded album in 1985, then disbanded. Others (Dead Kennedys, Agent Orange, Circle Jerks, MDC, Bad Brains, etc) may have eclipsed them easily enough, but on the strength of this, they could certainly have been in with a chance.
by Paul Mortimer
What a great album! Review over! Or perhaps not since Paul Mortimer has a lengthy review of Ezra Collective's new LP 'Dance Like No One is Watching' right here
by David O'Byrne
"As you'd expect given his pedigree and the talented backing musicians he has at his disposal both the vibe and the musicianship are firmly in place." Says David O'Byrne about the new Seun Kuti records. He has a lot more to say too, right here
so, have you got anything else.
by Alan Rider
When I first heard this song it was the version by The Damned off their excellent 'Machine Gun Etiquette' album, and at that time I believed it to be one of theirs and also one of the best songs on that album, but, of course, it was by the MC5, possibly one of the most influential and widely recognised, yet overlooked, bands of all time. That they were overlooked and unsuccessful is entirely their fault though, as they were both self destructive and couldn't give a fuck. Because of that, they were the perfect rock band and this live performance of 'Looking At You ' at Wayne State University Campus, Detroit in July 1970 amply sums up why. As the description on YouTube says " TURN YOUR VOLUME UP NOW!"
by Alan Rider
From Birmingham, Waiting for Bardot are described as a 'punk band' in certain corners of the internet. They are not. They are experimentalists dabbling in Music Concrete and for some incredible reason, got onto the second of Crass Records Bullshit Detector compilations, and were support act for The Cure at Birmingham Uni on November 11, 1980. They released a couple of short cassette albums too, this being one. I wouldn't say they were great at doing this stuff either, but I'm glad they existed, just to prove that anything is possible.
by Alan Rider
I've dug this one out simply because it has a hilarious video. Go on, give it a look. Its 4.10 mins. That's all. Worth it, surely?
Essential Info
Main image The Othyrs screen grab from Youtube
Previous Week in Music 'Faces a Nemahsis' is here