Tape Op "DISCussion" Episode 32: Tennis

Tape Op has posted a new episode of their DISCussion podcast series. They get on the phone with an artist or producer to discuss an album they love. In episode 32 Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley (Tennis) talk about Broadcast's Tender Buttons album.

» tapeop.com

Words about music (687): Keith Richards

I've never tried to achieve anything. I achieved everything I wanted to achieve by being in the Rolling Stones and making records.

Keith Richards

Public Body: Way, No Way

Brighton based quartet Public Body hit the ground running with their latest single, Way, No Way, a fast-paced post-punk rocker following the early '90s template of high energy and boredom rolled into to one. It is a track from new album Big Mess, due for release on June 9th via FatCat Records. The video was directed by Jay Bartlett.

Electric Pets: "Elephants Can Swim" video

Derby based rockers Electric Pets have made a video for their latest single, Elephants Can Swim: " a hard-hitting, rocking blues excursion. It is about chasing your dreams and not taking no for an answer. Anything is possible if you realize that the largest land animal on Earth can enjoy splashing around in the water, without the risk of drowning".

» Electric Pets on Facebook

HCTF review of Elephants Can Swim

Have You Got It Yet? The Story of Syd Barrett and Pink Floyd

The new documentary Have You Got It Yet? The Story of Syd Barrett and Pink Floyd promises to shed some light on the rise and fall of Syd Barrett. Unseen footage, but also far too much of the unevitable talking heads waxing lyrically about his importance. Coming to cinema's in the UK and the US on May 15th. Rest of the world will have to wait.

» Syd Barrett on Wikipedia

Winter At Sea: Lorelei

Winter At Sea is a kind of underground supergroup whose members share a love for drones, noise, ambient, and spoken word. Their debut EP Lorelei contains two lengthy explorations that dig deep: stumbling upon a morif and see how far it will go - and keep going after that. The title track moves at a glacier pace, speeding up every now and then, before settling into a slightly different groove. Uncross The Bridge starts out quite different, with a harsh, skewed rhythm kicking off the proceedings before going into slow moving prog metal.

As a first release Winter At Sea have managed to skip childhood and adolescence, and get straight to the vanguard of the thriving post-rock scene in the UK. Lorelei has collector's item written all over it. A photo and lyrics card is available via their website. A free cassette can be ordered via 3 Alveston Place.

Dez Dare: Critical Mind Dump EP

Darren Smallman is quick to follow up the release of his Perseus War album with the short and intense Critical Mind Dump EP. Long time followers of his one-man trash punk band Dez Dare will be familiar with his energetic anxiety. Phase Transitions is a sonic blast that only needs 37 seconds to make a lasting impression and Uncanny Velocity only takes about twice as long.

CMD OK! and Weasel Breath are "proper" songs, but also bear his signature fuzz-heavy guitar and rumbling bass excursions. Smallman has carved his own niche in the UK guitar underground. He welcomes visitors, provided that they are willing and able to deal with his DIY attitude. It might get loud, but that is the gist of his special brand of off-kilter music that will strike a chord with fans of Pere Ubu.

The Rishis: home town show @ Ciné Athens

Alt-folk collective The Rishis have announced a home town show @ Ciné in Athens, GA on April 29, with Scott Spillane EXP as the support act. They will be performing songs from their August Moon album: "a one-stop guide to Americana and soft-spoken psychedelic rock".

Geiger von Müller: Space Shuttle

London based acoustic slide guitarist Geiger von Müller keeps the Sci-Fi/space travel theme thing going with Space Shuttle, a short burst of licks and single notes giving way to a bluesy melody with enough twang for a full country album. It is the first taste for his new album Slide Sonatas II..

Hallan: The Colline Gate

photo: Will Hutchinson

Portsmouth post-punk quartet Hallan sing about the horrible fate that befell Vestal Virgins who did not play by the rules in Ancient Rome. They were buried alive beneath The Colline Gate, another fine example what religion can revert to if challenged. The pulsating, onminous bass line pushes the song forward.

John Cale: performing at the Edinburgh Festival

John Cale will perform @ Festival Theatre as part of the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland on August 26. Tickets go on sale on May 3. Priority booking for Ambassador and Ambassador Plus is already available.

» John Cale on Facebook
» John Cale tour dates

Declan Welsh & The Decadent West: I Don't Know Why

photo: Graham Noble

Glaswegian post-punk quartet Declan Welsh & The Decadent West are in plaintive mode on their new single I Don't Know Why, a bass-driven post-punk song from the perspective of a girl about a relationship that has seen better days. Religion doesn't help either. It is a track from their forthcoming second album, named rather unimaginatively named 2, due for release in September 22 via Frictionless Music.

The National Honor Society: To All The Distance Between Us

The members of Seattle based The National Honor Society found a way to connect recording the songs for their new album, To All The Distance Between Us, making the social distancing part of the process. Separate tracks were stacked upon each other to create the illusion of band firing on all cylinders in the same room. No small feat, especially for a band that is keen on using vocal harmonies and a wall of guitars.

Mixing West Coast pop with choice bits lifted from English indie bands like XTC and the Smiths, the quartet has created an album that will bring the sound of Summer on a rainy day. With melancholy and joy playing catch To All The Distance Between Us is a record that should be enjoyed in full. When in doubt, press repeat.

William William Rodgers: "Love & Paperwork" video

English folk artist William William Rodgers has unveiled a video for Love & Paperwork, a track from his Four Nights at the Hotel Rodgers EP: "four gentle songs about the "condition humaine", wherein people are trying to make it work, or at least make some sense of it all". The clip was filmed and edited by Vlad-Cristian Costache.

» William William Rodgers on Facebook

HCTF review of Four Nights at the Hotel Rodgers.

Phish 2023 Spring tour SBD + torrents: Hollywood 2023/04/23

Official Hollywood 2023 poster by Paul Kreizenbeck

Phish
2023/04/23
Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood, CA

Set 1:

1. Birds of a Feather
2. Roggae >
3. Divided Sky
4. Cities >
5. Tube >
6. Taste
7. About to Run

Jumble Hole Clough: The Sunken Chapel (and other dreams)

English avant-garde musician Colin Robinson wraps up his "dreams" trilogy with the release of The Sunken Chapel (and other dreams) by his one-man project Jumble Hole Clough. He goes deep into ambient territory on this one, preferring textures over rhythms to create soundscapes with a quiet intensity, setting the listener adrift in an alternate reality wherein anything might happen, like using keyboards to emulate a children's choir for I found a couple living in my cellar.

Fans of Eno and Robert Fripp will have no trouble accommodating to this set of instrumentals and a bit of spoken word. No sign of the harshness that was put to good use on You're Our Prisoner Now (and other dreams) or the all out weirdness of Don't Say Nowt (and other dreams). This third installment is a soothing conclusion of an ambitious project. He is all over the place, just like dreams are by design, but by careful selection he made a triptych that is amongst his finest work as a sculptor of sounds and moods.

Phish 2023 Spring tour SBD + torrents: Hollywood 2023/04/22

Official Hollywood 2023 poster by Paul Kreizenbeck

Phish
2023/04/22
Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood, CA

Set 1:

1. Ghost >
2. David Bowie
3. Esther >
4. Harry Hood >
5. Meat >
6. Split Open and Melt
7. Leaves >
8. The Squirming Coil

Words about music (686): Lou Reed

I only hope that one day John will be recognized as ... the Beethoven or something of his day. He knows so much about music, he's such a great musician. He's completely mad - but that's because he's Welsh.

Lou Reed

Deleyaman: "A Tale" video from new album "The Sudbury Inn"

French-American dark wave band Deleyaman offer a first taste from their forthcoming new album The Sudbury Inn with the release of a video for lead single A Tale. It is basically a summation of the main theme of the new album: people sharing stories, while enjoying food and drink in a cozy establishment. The clip was made by Renaud de Foville.

Recorded between 2020 and 2022, some of Deleyaman's lyrics on The Sudbury Inn are partly inspired by or make direct references to the Tales of a Wayside Inn written in 1862 by the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow about the real stories of seven travelers telling their tales at the Wayside Inn in Sudbury.

Six musicians have joined Aret Madilian and Beatrice Valantin, founders of Deleyaman, during the recording sessions of The Sudbury Inn.

Derde Verde: Don’t Look Away

Los Angeles-based indie band Derde Verde go for smooth melodic rock on their new single Don't Look Away, but the lyrics lift it above the competition of radio-friendly hopefuls. Singing about identity and the need to connect in times of crises may come off as a bit of self-centered, but the raw honesty safes it from getting cringe-worthy.

Don’t Look Away is a self-released single. Available on all the usual digital outlets.

» derdeverde.net

Phish 2023 Spring tour SBD + torrents: Hollywood 2023/04/21

Official Hollywood 2023 poster by Paul Kreizenbeck

Phish
2023/04/21
Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood, CA

Set 1:

1. The Moma Dance >>
2. Sigma Oasis>
3. Party Time>
4. Strawberry Letter 23>
5. Everything's Right>
6. Shade>
7. Funky Bitch>
8. A Wave of Hope

It's Record Store Day

It's Record Store Day, so get off your couch and buy some stuff from your local independent record store. Have a chat with fellow music lovers and agree to disagree about taste, sell-outs, rarities, remasters and such. Bitch about the majors reissuing records holding up the line at the pressing plants (you can find most of them in excellent condition in the second hand section), and make fun of the clueless hipsters and millenials buying piss-poor turntables to play them on. O, and for all the Swifties out there: 115000 copies made of an album for RSD is not exactly limited, right? You should be fine securing one for a normal price.

» recordstoreday.com

Opus Kink: Children

photo: Will Reid

Brighton based sextet Opus Kink have released Children, the third single from their forthcoming new EP My Eyes, Brother. It is a racous, brass-infused anthem combining elements of vaudeville and New Wave, with enough off-kilter breaks to baffle the dancers at their live shows. In other words: it's next to impossible where they will go next, but it will be interesting for sure.

Phish 2023 Spring tour SBD + torrents: Berkeley 2023/04/19

Official Berkeley 2023 poster by Helen Kennedy

Phish
2023/04/19
William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre, University of California, Berkeley, CA

Set 1:

1. I Never Needed You Like This Before
2. AC/DC Bag[1] >
3. Rift
4. Runaway Jim
5. Lawn Boy
6. Halley's Comet >
7. Timber (Jerry the Mule)
8. Winterqueen >
9. 46 Days

Nick Frater: full band shows in London & Liverpool

English multi-instrumentalist Nick Frater will be performing with a full band at the Engine Room in London (April 23) and The Cavern in Liverpool (June 3 & 4). Expect plenty of songs form his latest album Aerodrome Motel: Frater positions himself as a fly-on-the-wall outsider - the soldier returning home in No Hard Feelings - a sociologist deciphering toilet graffiti in Rough & Tumble, as well as a critic of modern day society, where the debate has given way to shouting at each other from the deceptive safety of algorithm enhanced viewpoints (Dear Modern Times)

» nickfrater.com

HCTF review of Aerodrome Motel.

Phish 2023 Spring tour SBD + torrents: Berkeley 2023/04/18

Official Berkeley 2023 poster by Helen Kennedy

Phish
2023/04/18
William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre, University of California, Berkeley, CA

Set 1:

1. Olivia's Pool >
2. Seven Below >
3. Maze
4. Mountains in the Mist
5. Bathtub Gin >
6. 555
7. Possum

Nick Cave & Seán O’Hagan: "Faith, Hope and Carnage" signings and Q&A's

Nick Cave and Seán O’Hagan will promote the release of the paperback edition of Faith, Hope and Carnagea bunch of "In conversation with Q&A" and book signing events.

Phish 2023 Spring tour SBD + torrents: Berkeley 2023/04/17

Official Berkeley 2023 poster by Helen Kennedy

Phish
2023/04/17
William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre, University of California, Berkeley, CA

Set 1:

1. The Curtain With
2. Carini ->
3. All of These Dreams
4. Stash
5. Halfway to the Moon
6. Mull >
7. Undermind
8. Theme From the Bottom

The Bings: Power Pop Planet (The Lost Tapes)

Every now and then an album that was supposed to be lost is rediscovered. Case in point: The Bings. They were an upbeat power pop band in the early '80s, only releasing one single back then. They cut an album that got shelved, until the 16-track multitrack master tapes were found in a California bedroom by Mark Randle, the band's bass player.

Listening to Power Pop Planet (The Lost Tapes) is like being a transported in a time machine and go back to an era where bands like The Knack and Cheap Trick dominated the charts. The vocals and guitar are upfront in this collection of sunnyside up songs about girls and dancing. They obviously enjoyed themselves during the recording sessions, when they were under the impression that recording an album would get them to the next level.

Dom La Nena: "Last Day" video

Brazilian cellist Dom La Nena has unveiled a video for Last Day, a track from her new album Leon: " Named after her instrument's nick name she has found a way to transfer her emotions into music, from the sadness of Last Day on which she accompanies herself to set up a dialogue, to the melancholic 2022 and the stunning, on-point elegance of Arabesque)". The video was directed by Jeremiah.

The Rishis: August Moon

Alt-folk collective The Rishis offer a one-stop guide to Americana and soft-spoken psychedelic rock on their August Moon album. With Ranjan Avasthi and Sofie Lute as the core the band grew into an octet that can play country (Make Me Love You), pastoral pop (Wake Up, Holi), dark college rock (Just Between You And Me) and a meandering instrumental with a clarinet leading the way (Uttar Pradesh).

August Moon is a slow burn, getting better with each listen. There must something in the air of Athens, GA, that enables musicians to roam freely, conjuring up melodies and arrangements, that will be the envy of any ambitious band trying to replicate what seems to come natural to this assembly of kindred spirits.

Phish 2023 Spring tour SBD + torrents: Seattle 2023/04/15

Official Seattle 2023 poster by Calder Moore

Phish
2023/04/15
Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, WA

Set 1:

1. Axilla (Part II) >
2. The Moma Dance
3. Wolfman's Brother[1] ->
4. Izabella
5. Leaves
6. Reba
7. Chalk Dust Torture

Words about music (685): Maureen Tucker

I couldn’t play a perfect roll for a million dollars. I didn’t know how, and I didn’t want to know how. John was on the other side of the scale—stunningly classically trained, experienced. And Lou loved doo-wop—I did too—and had taught himself music. And there was Sterling, who started out on trumpet and later played guitar.

Maureen Tucker

LOGOUT: "Αδιάβροχο" video

Greek singer, songwriter and producer LOGOUT has made a video for Αδιάβροχο ("Waterproof"), a track from his latest album Πονέμελα: "a collection of purring, lo-fi folk songs about pain (ponos) and carelessness (anemela)". The video was directed by Christos Dimolika.

» logout.onuniverse.com

HCTF review of Πονέμελα.

Avery Plains: Signed J.C.

Dutch rock band Avery Plains are in for the long haul with Signed J.C., the A-side from their new 10". With a running time nearly 13 minutes they have ample opportunity to explore the depths of psychedelic and noise rock. In a day and age where intros are a frowned upon by the streaming algorithms is quite refreshing to hear a band taking its time to lay the foundations for a song that tells a story through both words and music.

B-side One Dead Family is totally different: a catchy tune, firmly rooted in garage rock leanings, with a few well-placed dissonants on top of rumbling back beat that can switch seamlessly between different tempos to allow the guitars to do their howling bits. Bass players will appreciate the short vocals-and-bass only interlude.

Phish 2023 Spring tour SBD + torrents: Seattle 2023/04/14

Official Seattle 2023 poster by Calder Moore

Phish
2023/04/14
Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, WA

Set 1:

1. Blaze On ->
2. Plasma >
3. Blaze On
4. Vultures
5. Sample in a Jar
6. Ya Mar, Steam
7. My Friend, My Friend[1]
8. Walls of the Cave
9. Ghost

Vanity Mirror: Dandelion Wish

Vanity Mirror, a retro-baroque pop duo, keep flying their Sixties pop flag on their second single, Dandelion Wish. Singer Brent Randall (Gentle Brent, Electric Looking Glass) and percussionist Johnny Toomey (The Turns, Electric Looking Glass) have the knack to make a lo-fi bedroom recording shine like an expansive production. Recommended if you like The Kinks in their Village Green guise and the sound of the Canterbury scene in general. Mellotron included and nylon strings were used for that signature soft attack for the guitar.

The Specials: "Work In Progress" 10" for Record Store Day

Two rarities from British ska band The Specials are being on a 10" for Record Store Day ((April 22). They were recorded in 1980/81.

Tracks:

Side A: Friday Night, Saturday Morning (Instrumental Rehearsal)
Side B: I Can’t Stand It (Jerry Dammers at the Home Organ with Horace Panter on bass)

» thespecials.com

Les Lullies: Zero Ambition

French band Les Lullies play old school garage punk on their new single Zero Ambition, a slacker anthem with tons of attitude, but also a sense of humour. It is a track from their forthcoming album Mauvaise Foi, out on May 19 via Slovenly Recordings. The video was directed by Beatriz Sanchez.

Live dates:

• 06/07 Paris, France @ Point Éphémère
• 06/09 Paris, France @ La Boule Noire

» leslullies.fr

Big Harp George: Cut My Spirit Loose

photo: Emilia Rosales

George Bisharat is building an impressive catalog of blues albums as a chromatic harmonica ace and singer, who goes by the name Big Harp George. On his new album Cut My Spirit Loose he swings like never before, overjoyed to be able to go out and make music again with a few of San Francisco Bay Area finest sidemen backing him up. He kicks off with It's Tuesday, recorded at the height of the pandemic in 2021 when the arrival of the garbage men reminded him what day it was. Even then he kept an optimistic outlook on life, bonding with the men who picked up the trash, albeit from a safe, social distance. Bisharat is an outgoing guy and he shows it with tributes to night life like Give Me The Dark and Behind The Eight Ball.

As a former lawyer he has a sharp eye for people falling on hard times (>Prince Of Downward Mobility) and rampant racism (Take A Knee), but as a whole Cut My Spirit Loose is all about reconnecting with his fellow humans, enabling to shoot the breeze (My Dog Is Better Than You) and being in love. The sole cover is his take on the Beatles rocker She's A Woman, which is turned into a brass heavy NOLA-tinged song with a walking bass.

HCTF premiere - Jonny Strykes: Painted Love EP

Jonny Strykes, nom-de-plume of Jon Loyd, a Nashville-based musician and producer, takes it slow on his new EP Painted Love. The title track has a late-night Tex-Mex Flavour and B-side Save Yourself is a modern day torch song, that is too smart for an easy listening label and too smooth for pop. Strykes skirts the mainstream, having found an adjacent road to get where he wanted to go.

The Painted Love EP is released via Rapport Records. Release date: April 14th.

Paul F Cook & The Happy Somethings: Something Happy EP

Writer and musician Paul F Cook and quirky pop trio The Happy Somethings have joined forces for a good cause. All the proceeds of the Something Happy EP will be donated to mind.org.uk, a charity organization for helping people with mental health issues. The upbeat indie tune is served in three flavours: original , acoustic, and kitchen disco The latter is quite addictive, you've been warned.

Phish: Live Bait Vol. 20

Another episode has been added to the Phish Live Bait series. Vol. 20 features almost exclusively 1.0 recordings, with Ghost (8/3/18 Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park – Alpharetta, GA) as the sole representative of the 3.0 era. Want to get deep and weird? Mike's Song > Bass Jam (5/2/94 Five Points South Music Hall – Birmingham, AL) is the one to go to.

Tracks:

1. Run Like An Antelope
   (10/2/95 Seattle Center Arena – Seattle, WA) 11:09
2. Maze
   (8/28/93 Greek Theatre – University of California – Berkeley, CA) 10:24
3. My Friend, My Friend
   (3/18/93 The Palace – Hollywood, CA) 8:01
4. Mike's Song > Bass Jam (with Oteil Burbridge and Stacy Starkweather)
   (5/2/94 Five Points South Music Hall – Birmingham, AL) 17:06
5. Ghost
   (8/3/18 Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park – Alpharetta, GA) 20:55
6. Demand > David Bowie
   (4/24/94 Grady Cole Center – Charlotte, NC) 23:26
7. Reba
   (10/18/96 Civic Arena – Pittsburgh, PA) 14:16
8. You Enjoy Myself
   (11/22/92 Bailey Hall, Cornell University - Ithaca, NY) 19:24
9. Harry Hood
   (7/1/94 Mann Music Center – Philadelphia, PA) 13:08
10. Divided Sky
    (12/30/95 Madison Square Garden – New York, NY) 16:01
11. Piper > Gumbo
    (9/27/00 Fiddler's Green – Englewood, CO) 31:48

Live Bait Vol. 20 is a free download compiled by the band's archivist Kevin Shapiro.

» phish.com

The Black Keys: "Live At Beachland Tavern March 31, 2002" for Record Store Day

The Black Keys will release their very first show in Cleveland, Ohio for Record Store Day (April 22). Live At Beachland Tavern March 31, 2002 is the full show of a duo that got big pretty fast. 5000 copies worldwide.

Tracks:

1. Busted / 2. I'm For You / 3. Do the Rump / 4. I'll Be Your Man / 5. Yearnin' / 6. No Trust / 7. Them Eyes / 8. The Moan.

» theblackkeys.com

pMad: Who Why Where What

Irish musician Paul Dillon is keeping Gothic post-punk alive on Who Why Where What, the debut album by his one-man band project pMad. The bass is upfront, grumbling and snarling, serving as the foundation for his vocals that sound like a hybrid of Ian Dury, Andrew Eldritch, and Madness singer Suggs (yes, really). Dillon is obviously not pleased how things are going and he asks himself if he should do more to get out the mess he is in. Who the fuck is he? He has no definite answer and it bothers him a lot. On the upside: without his predicament the superb I Am would never be realized.

Fighting his inner demons and downing medication that does not do the trick make it a dark listening experience. As a soul-searching journey he pulls no punches - a line like "everybody loves me, but me" in Except Me hits hard. Dillon must have spent countless hours listening to bands like the Sister of Mercy and The Mission, but also slightly more optimistic peers such as The Smiths and Echo and the Bunnymen. The full version of Sisters will find its way into the playlists of dressed-in-black misfits who need a shot of recognition.

The Rishis: Just Between You And Me

Alt-folk collective The Rishis dip their toes in dark college rock in their new single Holiday, a track from their new album August Moon. Circling around the twin axis of Ranjan Avasthi and Sofie Lute are alumni of the Athens music scene - Scott Spillane (Neutral Milk Hotel), John Kiran Fernades (Olivia Tremor Control), Andrew Rieger (Elf Power), James Huggins III (Of Montreal), Andy Gonzalez(Marshmallow Coast), Peter Alvanos (Elf Power), Lucy Calhoun (Black Swan Network), Todd Kelly (Great Lakes, Phosphorescent), and Wild Rumpus founder Timi Conle. And while each musician is giving plenty of opportunity to make a mark, the music itself is a collaborative effort, once again proving that the sum is greater than its parts.

Electric Pets: Elephants Can Swim

Electric Pets are maxing out their guitar pedals on their new single Elephants Can Swim, a hard-hitting, rocking blues excursion. It is about chasing your dreams and not taking no for an answer. Anything is possible if you realize that the largest land animal on Earth can enjoy splashing around in the water, without the risk of drowning. It is the first of a series of singles. The Derby based quartet are working on their debut full-length that will see the light of day in 2024.

Yuval Ron: live @ Progdreams Festival in Zoetermeer

German progressive guitarist Yuval Ron had the unenviable task to open the proceedings on the third day of the Progdreams Festival in Zoetermeer, The Netherlands on April 9 at 3PM. Playing most of his latest album Somewhere In This Universe, Somebody Hits a Drum he managed to engage the audience and join him on his self-styled trip to outer space.

Ron is one of those rare players who can pull off two-handed tapping, using a string muter of his own design, and he can switch between the styles Tommy Iommi and Joe Satriani for a display of prog metal that is truly uplifting, with WiFi in Emerald City as the highlight of the set. The quieter passages allowed him to delve into his bag of tricks and effects to create an intimacy that went down well with the audience. Bass player Victor Nissim loosened up a bit during the set - he stared intently at his charts at first - and drummer Yatziv Caspi is a powerhouse who gave his own twist to the material, not trying to emulate Marco Minnemann who played on the record.

The National Honor Society: The Following

Seattle based quartet The National Honor Society immerse themselves in orchestral pop on their new single The Following. If the Byrds had been an '80s indie band they might have sounded like this: spot-on call-and-response vocals on top of jangling guitars.

It is a track from their forthcoming new album To All The Distance Between Us, due for release on April 21 via the trifecta of Shelflife, Discos de Kirlian & Subjangle Records.

Words about music (684): Sterling Morrison

See, the beauty of Cale in the beginning was that he really didn't know very much about rock. In fact, he knew next to nothing. So, if you turned him loose on an instrument he wasn't able to play any kind of cliched anything because he didn't know any of the cliches. It was all original.

Sterling Morrison

Jumble Hole Clough: You're Our Prisoner Now (and other dreams)

English avant-garde musician Colin Robinson is taking chances quite literally on You're Our Prisoner Now (and other dreams), the new album by his one-man project Jumble Hole Clough. Relying on aleatoric methods - that's random in plain English - he had to use the bits and pieces that came as a result out after perusing something generative, serial, Euclidean, tape loops to get him started. Robinson then had to rack his brains to make it into a tune of sorts.

Linked thematically to his previous release Don't Say Nowt (and other dreams) it is the second part of a trilogy that explores and documents that his mind comes up with in his sleep. As such it is a free-for-all lyrical wonderland. The listener is treated to the sight of A policeman is brushing his teeth in the river, a confused eyewitness report of the huge battle between Hungary and its allies versus the Ottoman Empire (Mohács 1526), and being Intimidated by architecture. The latter is quite feasible actually. Do a search for "brutalism" and there you are.

Chris Church: "Flip" video

North Carolina based pop rocker Chris Church has unveiled a video for Flip, a track from his latest album Radio Transient: "[He] mainly writes about relationships, especially the ones that end badly - a well that never runs dry. It is a safe choice, but also a tough one, because it means that a subject that has been covered ad nauseam has to be cut down to its core in order to find a new approach. He passes with flying colours and he has created an album that should be played with the top down on a sunny day on a highway of your choice". The clip was made by Lori Franklin.

» Chris Church on Facebook

HCTF review of Radio Transient.

Dom La Lena: Leon

photo: Jeremiah

Brazilian cellist Dom La Lena, stage name of Dominique Pinto, laid down the tracks for her new album Leon in a flurry of concentrated inspiration in just two weeks. That is no small feat considering the rich textures and diverse sonic imagery. Named after her instrument's nick name she has found a way to transfer her emotions into music, from the sadness of Last Day on which she accompanies herself to set up a dialogue, to the melancholic 2022 and the stunning, on-point elegance of Arabesque.

La Lena has a tone that sets apart from other players, with a hint of jazz that even finds its way into Valse, her most straightforward composition. If need be, tasteful backing vocals are added as an extra, comfortable layer - it will strike a chord with fans of Zbigniew Preisner and Nino Rota. Plenty of musical references and Easter Eggs too, with the nod to Yesterday in Dulac hiding in plain sight.

Peter Gabriel: i/o (Bright-Side Mix)

Peter Gabriel has released the Bright-Side Mix of i/o, the title track from his forthcoming new album. It is a power ballad that doesn't seem hit the spot at first, but it is a grower: "This month the song is i/o and i/o means input / output. You see it on the back of a lot of electrical equipment and it just triggered some ideas about the stuff we put in and pull out of ourselves, in physical and non-physical ways. That was the starting point of this idea and then trying to talk about the interconnectedness of everything".

Razorhouse: Scolds Bridle

Chicago based psychedelic blues band Razorhouse go in at the deep end on their new album, Scolds Bridle. Inspired by the stressful circumstances during the pandemic the band's songwriter Mark Panick did some serious soul searching. Named after a particularly nasty instrument of punishment, it is a collection of bleak songs about humanity failing capability to deal with crises and impending doom.

There are always a couple of crooks who seize the opportunity to make a fast buck out of it. He had a front row seat when it happened to one of his family members and some of his friends who got scammed, which inspired to write the stand-out track Erase Your Face. He doesn't shout, but points his fingers at the data grabbing businesses who don't give a fuck about their users when the shit hits the fan. The sole cover - Leonard Cohen's overlooked gem Nevermind - sounds even more foreboding than the original.

Gov't Mule: new album "Peace...Like A River"; "Dreaming Out Loud" single w/ Ivan Neville & Ruthie Foster

Blues rock quartet Gov't Mule will release their new album Peace...Like A River on June 16. On the album's lead single, the funky NOLA-tinged Dreaming Out Loud, Ivan Neville (vocals, keyboards) & Ruthie Foster (vocals) lend a hand to give the song a bit of extra gravy.

All tracks were recorded during the sessions for their previous album Heavy Load Blues in 2021 @ The Power Station in Waterford, Connecticut. They used separate rooms, gear and instruments to make sure they got a different overall sound.

» mule.net

John Cale: show in Athens, Greece

On June 19 John Cale will perform at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus at the base of the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. He will be joined by the Athens Philharmonia Orchestra. Immersive visuals included. Tickets are available here.

» John Cale on Facebook
» John Cale tour dates

Ciel: Somebody

photo: Lizzie Clark-Nørgaard

Brighton based shoegaze trio Ciel are looking for love on their new single Somebody, their most poppy release to date. They make their mark with plenty of stops and starts within the space of two minutes, a 101 for writing a happy-sad banger.

It is a track from their new Ep Make It Better, out via Jazz Life on July 7th. Recommended if you like Belly and The Primitives. The video was made by Craig Murray.

Opus Kink: 1 : 18

photo: Anya Rose

Brighton based sextet Opus Kink go for a slow burn approach on their new single, 1 : 18, turning up the pace and the volume until they reach a proper freak folk level with punk leanings, with sax and trumpet clamouring for dominance. It is another taste from their forthcoming new EP My Eyes, Brother!, scheduled for release on May 19th via Nice Swan Records.

David Byrne: "The Catherine Wheel" for Record Store Day

In 1981 David Byrne composed the score for The Catherine Wheel for choreographer Twyla Tharp. It will be released in full as a 2LP for Record Store Day (April 22). Part of the score was released as a single LP in the past.

Big Blue Plymouth, My Big Hands, Big Business and What a Day That Was will sound familiar to Talking Heads fans - they turned up regularly in the live set of 1982 and 1983 tours. 6500 copies worldwide.