London duo Jockstrap (aka Georgia Ellery and Taylor Skye) have shared “Wicked City”, their second EP and debut for Warp Records. It follows 2018’s Love is the Key to the City. Jockstrap are quite enigmatic in sound—take “The City,” for example, which fuses glitchy industrial with showtune-y piano pop and glazed post-punk, and though that sounds insane on paper, it’s not only mind-numbingly fascinating, but also surprisingly coherent. “The heavy autobiographical narrative of Wicked City is married to an expressive and limitless sound world; influenced by everything we have ever musically absorbed and moulded with a ‘fuck it’ attitude,” Ellery says. You can certainly hear that “fuck it” ethos on this EP. Their strange, harsh-meets-soft pop is paired with poetic tales, and it’s the sound of deconstruction and reinvention—both sonic and emotional.
Jockstrap – The City (Official Audio) ‘Wicked City’ EP out 5th June on Warp Records
Welsh four-piece Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard have shared their new single ‘Double Denim Hop’ via Communion Records.
Premiered by Steve Lamacq on his BBC Radio 6 Music show, the new single was written by frontman and guitarist Tom Rees shortly after moving back to his hometown Barry after finishing university and “just bathing in melodrama as I worked out what I was going to do with the rest of my life like any other straight edge 21 year old who should have maybe spent a couple more years partying, just to loosen up a little.” For new friends and rockers, this song is our pride and joy, really the formation of us. For long time rockers, we’ve created a disco version too, to keep your feet moving, with a hot new vid shot by us in isolation,
The original track and a new disco version of ‘Double Denim Hop’ are both out now.
“I went on a real big disco trip when I was 18/19, I actually played in a disco band called Chronic Strut at that time too which I had completely forgotten about until right this second,” Rees adds on the dancefloor version. “This journey through disco offered a bit of a fresh perspective on the ‘70s rock vibe, just because it seemed to be a bit more energetic and above all, positive. Listening to a lot of early ‘70s Lennon can really make you cynical and bitter, so it’s good to have some Kool and the Gang to balance it out, plus with K and the G you get to go outside and dance with other people, as opposed to crying for John Lennon alone in your bedroom.”
Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard release their debut EP ‘The Non-Stop’ on July 10th
During his all-too-brief career, Jimi Hendrix navigated an uncharted course, following his muse and his talents wherever they would take him. So much has been said about his guitar technique, his song writing, and his lyrics. But as I lay listening to the 50th anniversary edition of Band of Gypsys, I realized that Hendrix was also a pioneer of that sometimes-maligned product, the concert recording. At the time of its release in March of 1970, live albums had something of a bad rap. Many were contractually obligated stop-gaps – excavated and thrown out into the marketplace by the label when an artist didn’t have new material. Some of the worst offenders weren’t even live albums at all, but studio recordings overdubbed with canned applause and whoops from some disembodied audience. With Band of Gypsys, Hendrix turned the live album on its head with an album of completely new tunes performed by a new ensemble with verve unmatched by most live albums to follow. And the recent audiophile vinyl reissue from Capitol/UMe proves that this collection still holds up, as exciting and boundary pushing as ever.
Now, it’s worth noting that Band of Gypsys came about due to a contractual obligation itself, but that doesn’t make it firmly part of that “let’s just throw this out to the unsuspecting public” category. Hendrix was getting pressure from Reprise to follow up Electric Ladyland. At the same time, a prior contract had allowed rival label Capitol to cash in on Hendrix’s early session work with a number of dubious releases. By 1969, Hendrix and his former manager Ed Chalpin arrived at a deal that gave him exclusive distribution to a new album. Hendrix had gathered together a new trio by October featuring bassist Billy Cox (who had served in Hendrix’s backup group at Woodstock) and drummer Buddy Miles, ex-Electric Flag. They agreed to record the album of new material live onstage at New York City’s Fillmore East on New Year’s Eve, during what would be their first joint concert performance.
After weeks of rehearsals full of inspiring jams, the band was a well-oiled machine by New Year’s Eve with a clutch of songs that signalled a new direction for Hendrix. But that’s not to say they were playing by the book. For this new ensemble, improvisation reigned. And the results are stunning – the sort of thing a listener can get lost in but also want to play again and again. Album opener “Who Knows” lays into a grimy, bluesy groove with a positively funky bass line, giving the space for call-and-response verses and for Hendrix to traverse an array of effects and approaches to soloing: staccato lines with a harmonizer emphasizing the higher frequencies; fuzzy wah; slinky phase-shifting goodness… it’s all here. What it may lack in structural complexity, it makes up for in instrumental artistry. Next, “Machine Gun,” an anti-war blues dedicated to those fighting in Vietnam. Here, Jimi’s guitar sounds like ten instruments at once. Whether mimicking gunfire, eliciting squealing feedback, or attacking the whammy bar, Hendrix explores the limits of the instrument and his array of effects with a near-violent ferocity.
“Changes” (also known as “Them Changes”) gives Buddy Miles a chance to shine. The more pop-oriented number alternates between gospel-tinged, almost Sam and Dave-like soul and a catchy, repeated riff from Hendrix. While it may not be as engaging as the more expansive improvisations on the album, it’s still an enjoyable performance of a song that would become a minor soul hit when it was re-recorded by Miles a few months after Hendrix’s death. The fiery “Power To Love” (a.k.a. “Power of Soul”) begins with a bluesy lead into an almost rockabilly groove. But just as you think you know what follows, the band launches into a funky groove putting Hendrix’s guitar squarely at the forefront. With shifting meters, rapid-fire double-stops, and the humanist refrain “With the power of soul, anything is possible,” it shows Hendrix embracing influences from funk as well as rock, and branching out into more universal lyrical themes. “Message of Love” (a.k.a. “Message to Love”) is even jauntier and funkier. While “Power to Love” was at times meandering, “Message of Love” is taut and seems primed to be a single, down to the “Yeah! Woo!” interjections from Miles and Cox. And while it’s based on a straightforward groove, Hendrix stretches the tune out with mind-blowing solos and plenty of rhythmic switches, even venturing into gospel territory at times. The album concludes with Miles’ “We Gotta Live Together,” a jam with a James Brown-like funk feel. It blasts off into the heavens halfway through as Hendrix conjures guitar squeals as he solos, frenzied, with an array of effects atop a gospel groove. As the group continues to pick up the pace, Hendrix suddenly hammers out ten huge-sounding power chords, seemingly signaling an end to the thrilling program.
Whether locked into a Buddy Miles composition or branching out into his arsenal of pedals and boxes to break the boundaries of his instrument, Jimi Hendrix reached new heights on Band of Gypsys. Fifty years on, the material not only still feels fresh, but it sounds better than ever on the recent 50th anniversary vinyl edition (digital versions of this master are also available). Fully authorized by Experience Hendrix, the new edition features all-analog mastering from the original master tapes. The music was pressed on 180-gram vinyl, plated at QRP. The result is a flawless, tick- and pop-free experience that allows the music to shine without all the pesky deficits that can plague the medium. As for packaging, this edition features a beautiful gatefold sleeve, a huge 24″x36″ replica of a 1970 Band of Gypsys promo poster, and a booklet with an in-depth essay by Hendrix historian and producer John McDermott who details the creation and impact of this legendary recording.
In all, the fiftieth anniversary edition of Band of Gypsys reminds the listener of just how vital a live album can be. Even one born from a contractual dispute can be a canvas for some of the most electrifying, visceral musical artistry. Here, Hendrix raised the bar once more, proving not only his technical prowess, but his unmitigated vision of what music can be. If you don’t have this album – or, more likely, even if you own it a few times over – you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy and remind yourself just how great music can be.
Band of Gypsys: 50th Anniversary Edition is available now
The signature guitar orchestra led by McGuinn’s jangly twelve-string Rickenbacker dominates the music of the opening title track, “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There is a Season)”. These guitars are complimented by perfectly harmonized vocals, and Clarke’s rolling drum pattern under the chorus sections. While it is filled with so much sustained guitar textures, it stops on a dime several times between each verse/chorus sequence, including a false ending before a coda with extra intensity. The song was originally composed by Pete Seeger in the late 1950s, with many of the lyrics were lifted from Chapter 3 of the Book of Ecclesiastes, possibly written by King Solomon in the 10th century BC. With that, the song holds the distinction as the #1 pop hit with the oldest lyrics.
Like the opener, “It Won’t Be Wrong”, is another upbeat track but with more standard love song style lyrics. Co-written by McGuinn and Harvey Gerstand, this track features some interesting style changes which make it unconventional and a bit strange. Clark’s, “Set You Free This Time”, is a country/pop flavored track, especially in its vocal approach. In fact, this is the first song to feature solo lead singer, with harmonies used sparingly and with Clark’s fine harmonica solo as the song fades out.
“Lay Down Your Weary Tune”, is the first of two Bob Dylan covers on the album and is set up like a spiritual with the chorus/hook featuring heavy harmonies. Musically, this song has much the same jangly vibe and strong drums as previous tracks, but with an added heavy bass presence by Hillman. The first side concludes with an original rendition of the traditional folk tune, “He Was a Friend of Mine”, a finger-picked acoustic song with stripped down arrangement and a slight, distant organ by Melcher under the later verses.
“The World Turns All Around Her”, is a fine, pop-oriented composition by Clark which may only suffer from lack of strong rhythm presence in production mix. “Satisfied Mind”, follows as a country-esque cover of a folk song by Red Hayes and Jack Rhodes. Along with the fine sparse instrumentation and harmonica lead, this track is highlighted by profound and philosophical lyrics;
Money won’t buy back your youth when you’re old, a friend when you’re lonely or a love that’s grown cold / The wealthiest person is a pauper at times compared to the man with a satisfied mind…”
Clark’s, “If You’re Gone”, is different than any other track on the album. Vocal-centric with a slow-rock backing, the song has distinct and interesting, almost haunting, chanting low-register vocals. While not quite as potent as their cover of, “Mr Tambourine Man”, the Byrds’ cover of, “The Times They Are a-Changin’” ,still dekuvers somewhat of an interesting arrangement of the Dylan classic.
Further, the group members were pleasantly surprised when Beatles George Harrison and Paul McCartney showed up during the recording of this track. “Wait and See”, is the only song to feature Crosby as a co-writer, along with McGuinn, while the group chose to do a souped up version of the popular campfire song, “Oh! Susannah”, to close the album.
Turn! Turn! Turn! peaked in the Top 20 of album charts in both the US and UK.
The Byrds
Jim McGuinn – lead guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals
Gene Clark – rhythm guitar, harmonica, tambourine, vocals
David Crosby – rhythm guitar, vocals
Chris Hillman – electric bass (backing vocal on “Lay Down Your Weary Tune”)
Michael Clarke – drums (tambourine on “He Was a Friend of Mine”)
Additional personnel
Terry Melcher – organ on “He Was a Friend of Mine”
Haley Bonar was first discovered by Low’s Alan Sparhawk who spotted her at a local open mic club in Duluth, Minnesota and was so impressed he immediately invited her to join t hem on tour. Which is how, a week later, the nineteen year old Haley Bonar, was transformed from college student to ambitious dropout, crammed into a Honda Civic with a guitar and a drummer for company, touring the US opening for Low.
But there is more to this story. In the decade since Haley has released a succession of recordings, each of which have garnered more praise the last, and has seen her collaborate with the likes of Andrew Bird (with whom Haley occasionally plays live) and Justin Vernon (who features on her new album). That’s not to mention the company she keeps in a rotating cast of premium band members including Jeremy Hanson (Tapes ‘n Tapes), Luke Anderson (Rogue Valley), Jeremy Ylvisaker (Andrew Bird, Alpha Consumer) and Mike Lewis (Bon Iver, Alpha Consumer). Now, with her new album ‘Last War’ Haley looks set to find a wider audience.
Much of the joy of Bonar’s songwriting is in the tension between her sparkling melodic sensibility and her deeply ambivalent lyrics. Album opener ‘Kill the Fun’ positively crackles with traces of the Cure at their most pop, as Bonar chronicles her travels with a lover, taking some moments to reveal the nature of the relationship: “You’ll be here till morning / You will get back on the plane / Go back to work / where you never knew my name.” On ‘No Sensitive Man’ (which features the most Clem Burke drums outside of a Blondie record), she claims “I don’t want no sensitive man / I don’t want to talk.” While on the captivating ‘Heaven’s Made For Two’ Bonar’s daydreaming vocal drifts ethereally as the instrumentation builds from stripped-back beginnings into a country-meets-shoegaze wall of sound crescendo.
On ‘Last War’, the complexities hit as hard as the hooks, a smart, careful balance achieved through equal doses of mystery and charm.
“Look Alive” by The Stroppies is released today. Having initially been moved back a month due to complications relating to COVID19, the record now arrives at a time of even more distress and concern. Tough Love and The Stroppies stand united in our support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Please see below for the band’s views on the matter. We hope the music can bring some relief in these dark and uncertain times.
“It feels strange to be promoting and releasing music in the midst of what has been a strange and traumatic year for everyone. This feeling is even more acute in light of the recent events in Minneapolis and the global raising of consciousness around the adversity faced by black people and black communities the world over.
The Stroppies will be donating 100% of profits from any copies of Look Alive sold through our to the aboriginal led Literacy for Life foundation until our copies are gone- in addition to this we will donate 100% of the profits from anything sold on our Big Cartel to this charity over the next week. We have also set up an ongoing donation of $20 a month in the band’s name that will be debited monthly and indefinitely.
Australian customers please order through us and through this channel to support this initiative.
For any overseas customers you can click the link below to purchase the record through regular channels.
We hope you enjoy the record and look after each other.
Howdy folks, there’s never a dull day in the land of Breakfast Recs, especially when we get to feature a brand new music video for immy’s brand new lockdown single ‘Anyone Anywhere’. It’s taken also from our latest compilation “Breakfast In Bed”, still pay what you want on Bandcamp with all profits going to Caring in Bristol!
Bristol-based musician, Immy is probably best known up until now as the lead singer of Woahnows. Discussing the project, immy has suggested this new solo project is both, “something more fragile and somehow simultaneously more tangible”. This week immy has shared their latest single, “Anyone, Anywhere”, a track that originally featured on Breakfast Records’ Breakfast In Bed Compilation and now, looking to shine some further light in its direction, is accompanied by an excellent new video.
The track feels like a moment of calm in a chaotic world, the warm melodies and fluttering guitars, nodding to the modern-folk tones of Grizzly Bear or Here We Go Magic. Lyrically too, this is a track that feels like it is aiming for escapism, longing for a place, “where people live freely and minds are open”, the whole track is given a bittersweet quality as immy sings, “where do you want to go?”, only to almost sigh out, “I’m done”. While it’s a gentle revolution, this feels like a big forward step for immy’s songwriting, in embracing a less-is-more approach, they might just have stumbled onto something simple, beautiful and its own way very exciting indeed.
Sonic Boom, better known as Peter Kember, has always followed an unconventional musical path, whether under the Spectrum banner, his expeditions with Experimental Audio Research (a fluctuating soundscape project that has included Kevin Shields, Delia Derbyshire and AMM’s Eddie Prévost, among others), his recordings as Sonic Boom, and collaborations with acts including Stereolab, Yo La Tengo and Dean & Britta, or his work as a producer (MGMT, TEEN, Beach House). But on the recording side, the Ex-Spacemen 3 co-founder has been uncharacteristically quiet over the past ten years, aside from a Sonic Boom collaborative EP with Canadian shoegaze duo No Joy a couple years’ back, and a 16-minute track by E.A.R. in 2014, “All Things Being Equal.”
That changes June 5th when Carpark Records issues an album titled All Things Being Equal, not by E.A.R. but instead Kember’s first full album as Sonic Boom since his debut in 1990 (which was itself titled Spectrum, adding to the mixed-up confusion).
The new album first began taking shape in 2015 as instrumental electronic jams and sketches that Stereolab’s Tim Gane encouraged Kember to release as-is. “I nearly did,” says Kember, “but the vibe in them was so strong that I couldn’t resist trying to ice the cake.” Three years later, after moving to Portugal, he added vocals inspired, he says, by Sam Cooke, the Sandpipers and the Everly Brothers, as well as spoken word segments and guest singers Panda Bear and Britta Phillips, with whom he’s worked in the past.
“I learn from everyone I work with, and I wanted to bring what I learnt into this record,” Kember explains. “Everybody thinks about and listens to music in different ways.” Thus far, a pair of trippy advance tastes from All Things Being Equal have been released: “Just Imagine” and “The Way That You Live.”
It’s auspicious that Sonic Boom—the solo project and nom-de-producer of Peter Kember (Spectrum, Spacemen 3)—returns in 2020 with its first new LP in three decades. Kember’s drawn to the year’s numerological potency, and this intentionality shines into every corner of All Things Being Equal. It’s a meditative, mathematical record concerned with the interconnectedness of memory, space, consumerism, consciousness—everything. Through regenerative stories told backwards and forwards, Kember explores dichotomies zen and fearsome, reverential of his analogue toolkit and protective of the plants and trees that support our lives.
His new home Sintra’s parks and gardens provided a different visual context for Kember’s thoughtful observations, and he thematically incorporated sunshine and nature as well as global protests into the ten resulting tracks. “Music made in sterility sounds sterile,” he says, “And that is my idea of hell.”
Over the vivid, calculating arps of opener Just Imagine, Kember nudges listeners to do as the title suggests. It’s based on a story he read about a boy who healed his cancer by picturing himself as a storm cloud, raining out his illness. The Way That You Live, a rollicking drone powered by drum machine rattles and bright chord beds, morphs political distrust into a revolutionary mantra about ethical living. “I try and live my life by voting every day with what I do and how I do it, who I do it with and the love that I can give them along the way,” offers Kember.
It’s rare to see liner notes where synthesizers rather than humans are credited (other than guest vocal stints from “co-conspirators” Panda Bear and Britta Phillips), but Kember is masterful at finding the unique personality in his machines. “I tried to find the deepest essence of the instruments and let them play,” he offers. What emerges from these considerations on technology and humanity is a honed collection both philosophical and grooving, spacious even as it fills to its brim. It’s distinctly Kember—more than that, it’s distinctly Sonic Boom.
DUTCH UNCLESLive at Old Granada Studios was recorded in 2017 at Low Four Studio, also Our label Memphis Industries has made all our releases available digitally for pay what you like across this weekend. If there are any gaps missing in your Dutch Uncles collection Now Is Your Chance!
A live set, recorded at Old Granada Studios for Low Four, in front of a live studio audience in February 2017. It includes our cover of Stay by our faves The Blue Nile
we’re very excited to share an album of demos today. please consider supporting us or an artist you love on Bandcamp today as they have graciously forfeited their cut of sales.
