Peeling us away from the Snooker World Champs, Duck Races and Egg Hunts we’ve got new music from our friend and now household name Kurt Vile – “(Watch My Moves)” (cleverly twisting one of his lyrics into an album title, I can rock parenthesis too KV!) which is a brilliant return to the languid, country-inspired psychedelia we loved from this slacker legend. A big old return in these parts with (watch my moves) from Kurt Vile of Philadelphia. His ninth LP has all the Vile hallmarks, laconically drawled poetry, freewheeling riffs and idiosyncratic musings, but the sonic palette is ever richer. Loads of instruments in the mix, loads of changes of pace, it’s a really great collection of songs. No one knows who Branwaltzera is yet, despite 6Music caning their music all week. It’s still not been ruled out that it’s not an AI program devised by AFX. Whatever – if you like to make your brain dance – I urge you to get onto this technical wizardry.
Made In Timeland is a long-lost King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard record mysteriously unearthed on the eve of 2022. Has to be said, even for KGWL, this is WILD. Two tracks, two sides and the metronomic bleep (at 60bpm, like a clicking clock) throughout as the tones move through ambient, dub, baroque library and about 100 other sonic ideas, landing a few times on tribal dance. This one won’t be on the digital services,
50 Foot Wave keep lovers of axe wielders rocking hard this weekend; whilst antipodean freaksters King Gizzard return with what is their 19th studio album (not counting live ones yet) to date; surely giving Mark E Smith a run for his money. Black Pearl is the brand new LP from 50 Foot Wave, Kristin Hersh of Throwing Muses ‘other’ band, featuring fellow Muses Bernard Georges on bass and drummer Rob Ahlers. Jagged indie rock riffs with some really dark distortion. This one really is a Black Pearl.
50 Foot Wave – Black Pearl
Black Pearl is the brand new album from 50 Foot Wave: Kristin Hersh’s ‘other’ band – active since 2003, with fellow Throwing Muses’ member Bernard Georges on bass and drummer Rob Ahlers. A sonic trip from the heavy, echoey riff of ‘Staring Into The Sun’ with all of its grunge melancholy and drone core menace to the perfectly baroque ‘Hog Child’ with its spidery guitar that dissolves into motorik bass and drums.
Hailed in various quarters as “an outlet for the material deemed too weird or wild for Throwing Muses”, their “menacing, stalking, spirals of lean, hungry riffs, set alight” as “feedback rips into the fragile melody.”
50 Foot Wave continue to traverse the rigid tension of their own sound. They remain detuned and discordant at will.
Kurt Vile – (Watch my Moves)
On his major label debut album, Kurt Vile pulls his talents as a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer in unexpected directions — and the result is a vibrant, yet meditative record propelled by laid-back charm and curious spirit. Produced by Kurt Vile and Rob Schnapf.
Ravenously creative songwriter Kurt Vile broke through to mainstream success after years of steadily working on his craft. His laidback and drifting guitar rock took notes from masters like Neil Young, Sonic Youth, and Dinosaur Jr., exploring inventive guitar tones on meditative and often self-reflective songs. He co-founded the War on Drugs with friend Adam Granduciel in 2005, but quit shortly after the band got off the ground to focus more on his own music. After several albums on various indie labels, Vile signed with Matador in 2009 and would find increasing success with each new album. His 2013 album, “Walkin’ on a Pretty Daze”, broke through bigger than anything before it, taking Vile’s blurry-eyed musings and signature song writing style to a worldwide audience.
He would continue frequent collaborations, working with a multitude of special guests on his own records as well as co-creating albums with Steve Gunn and Courtney Barnett.
King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard – Made In Timeland
Timeland is a long-lost King Gizzard record mysteriously unearthed on the eve of 2022. It does not appear on any DSPs anywhere, making the physical product a highly coveted collector’s item. All LPs are housed in a brown paper bag to help combat the environmental impact of vinyl manufacturing.
Crows – Beware Believers
London four-piece Crows release their highly anticipated second album, Beware Believers via Bad Vibrations Records. Conjuring a dark and visceral post-punk that’s been hardened by years of notoriously rowdy live shows, Crows have amassed a legion of die-hard fans since they formed back in 2015 and cultivated a singular, much-adored presence in the British alternative music scene. Equal parts ferocious and hedonistic, the incoming Beware Believers LP arrives off the back of their critically acclaimed 2019 debut Silver Tongues, international touring and festival appearances, and shared stages with the likes of Idles, Wolf Alice, Girl Band, Metz, Slaves and Protomartyr.
Following the release of their long-awaited debut album on the Idles-run Balley Records back in 2019, Crows immediately set to work on its follow-up and by January 2020 they were already back in the studio tracking what would become the Beware Believers LP and then Covid hit. “Once we knew Covid was here to stay, we took the first break we’ve taken since we released our first single ‘Pray’ in 2015. Being locked down for three months unable to finish the last bits of the record was very frustrating but it did mean we could come back to the album with fresh ears and make sure it sounded like it should: a true representation of Crows.” Loud, cathartic and abrasive a quintessential Crows record it certainly is.
Spanish Love Songs – Brave Faces Etc
Spanish Love “Songs Brave Faces Etc” is the deluxe version of their most recent album Brave Faces Everyone.
This deluxe album was chance for the band to challenge themselves musically and expand the sound of the band to better reflect where they’re all at in terms of song writing and production compared to the original.
The Velvet Underground – A Documentary Film By Todd Haynes – Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack
This soundtrack is curated by the documentary’s director, Todd Haynes, and music supervisor Randall Poster. It includes well-known and rare tracks from the band as well as songs and performances that influenced The Velvet Underground, including the doo-wop of The Diablos, the ground-breaking rock and roll of Bo Diddley, and the avant-garde compositions of La Monte Young. Its booklet also features exclusive liner notes by Haynes.
Featuring some of the band’s most well-known tracks, rarities and songs that influenced them, the soundtrack serves as the perfect introduction to the band and companion piece to the film and features such favourites as “Sunday Morning,” “All Tomorrow’s Parties,” “Pale Blue Eyes,” “I’m Waiting for The Man” and “Sweet Jane,” as well as the mono version of “Heroin” and the rare cut “Foggy Notion.” Also featured are live versions of “After Hours” and “Sister Ray,” Nico’s “Chelsea Girls,” and the tongue-in-cheek novelty song “The Ostrich” by The Primitives, an early band formed by Lou Reed and John Cale.
The Fat Angel Sings 