This 6LP vinyl box set due in May, Universal Music are set to release a new Traffic vinyl box set, the snazzily titled, The Studio Albums 1967–1974.
The six-LP set collects together the Island-released Mr Fantasy, Traffic, John Barleycorn Must Die, Shoot Out At The Fantasy Factory, The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys and When The Eagle Flies. 1969 odds ‘n’ sods compilation Last Exit isn’t included.
Traffic were originally formed in 1967 when Steve Winwood fled the Spencer Davis Group at the ripe old age of 18, and joined drummer/singer Jim Capaldi, singer/guitarist Dave Mason and reed player Chris Wood. The quartet soon rented a cottage out in rural Berkshire to ‘get their heads together in the country’.
While the group were quickly successful with the singles ‘Paper Sun’ and ‘Hole In My Shoe’, they were more at home on the album format, and also enjoyed considerable success within the U.S., scoring four consecutive top ten albums from 1970 to 1974.
The Studio Albums 1967-1974 is released 17th May 2019.
The LPs have been remastered from the original tapes and presented in their original and highly collectable ‘first’ Island pressing form (gatefold sleeves, pink eye labels etc). The set also includes a related and rare facsimile promo poster for each album.
Boston-based trio Palehound have announced their third album, “Black Friday”, marking the occasion with the release of their lead single “Aaron.” The forthcoming record, due out on June 7th via Polyvinyl Record Co., examines love and the many different ways it can take shape in our life. “Aaron,” in particular, explores love of one’s own body, and connects to singer/songwriter Ellen Kempner’s partner.
Kempner says of the track and its music video in a statement:
“Aaron” is a character that represents my partner, who is trans. It’s not specific to his experience though, the song is about change in relation to our bodies in general. It’s about learning to be comfortable in our skins, whether that means changing our bodies or mindsets. Robert Kolodny directed the video and captured this theme perfectly through portraying physical insecurity as living in an unruly, amorphous body and gradually shedding it.
The video for “Aaron” takes Kempner’s gentle, heartfelt storytelling and gives it an artistic texture that is both fitting and unexpected. Kempner sings underneath a knitwear mask, crafted by Gaudmother, as a figure runs around the streets in a ghillie suit made out of yarn. In the end, both figures take off their knit masks and are haloed by light, a visual representation of their own newfound self-love and body empowerment.
On Black Friday, Kempner and bandmates Jesse Weiss (drums) and Larz Brogan (bass) hope that their art will help others who are struggling. She herself knows the therapeutic benefits of music, explaining:
What I always want to do with my songs is to help people heal in some way, or come to some new understanding about whatever it is that they’re going through. Even if it’s just hearing a song and feeling less alone than they were before, that would mean so much to me.
Kempner produced the record with Gabe Wax (Beirut, Soccer Mommy). Palehound recorded their latest project at Panoramic House in Stinson Beach, Calif.
Watch the video for “Aaron” (dir. Kolodny) check out the album art for Black Friday and the band’s national tour dates with Big Thief
I have really been paying attention to the upcoming Record Store Day releases here and in the USA, amongst the various supposed ‘must-haves’ there’s is a 7”vinyl that does interest me.
The Silver Apples revisit their 1968 wonder ‘Oscillations’. ‘Oscillations’ 2019 is Simeon’s new studio recorded, upgraded and augmented version of the original classic track of the same name and reflects how he likes to play it live. Or as he says, ‘Mixing it Up’. The flip, or AA side is ‘The Edge of Wonder’ remixed by Andrew Weatherall.
Weatherall is a huge Silver Apples fan, so no surprise he wanted to do a remix. This was his favourite track of the last album, Clinging To A Dream. Here he lovingly works his magic on this extended remix.
This was the first track off of the Silver Apples debut LP released on Kapp Records back in 1968. Just listen to it and ponder how ahead of it’s time it was 43 years ago. Any one sitting in his bedroom right now with a Christmas morning casio keyboard owes a debt to this song, folks. In case you were wondering, that Simeon guy who wrote all these songs. Here is The Original……
Ola’s Kool Kitchen is a show on KCLA 99.3 FM in Los Angeles, 107.5 andhow.FM, Rock Velvet Radio, Maximum Threshold Radio, Rock Radio UK, Sword Radio UK, Jammerstream One, Kor Radio, Firebrand Radio, Bombshell Radio, Hank’s Alternative Radio, Pop Radio UK and Radio wigwam and you can hear more shows here https://hearthis.at/olaskoolkitchen
Show 384
1. Scott Walker-Montague Terrace (In Blue)
2. Nick Waterhouse-Song For Winners
3. Compra Y Venta – Misanthrope
4. Linda Guilala-Estado Natural
5. TARA – Second Guess
6. The Coathangers-Crimson Telephone
7. Jim Jones and the Righteous Mind-O Genie
8. Foals-Syrups
9. Malihini-A House on A Boat
10. Legay-No One-single-Fontana
11. Jacqueline Nero Feat. Jacques Loussier Et Son Orchestra- Un P’tit Béguin-single-BNF
12. Harvey Scales & The Seven Sounds -Get Down-Single-Magic Touch Records
13. Patty Griffin-Bluebeard-Patty Griffin-PGM Recordings
14. The Beat-Mirror In The Bathroom-I Just Can’t Stop It-I.R.S Records
Irish band Fontaines D.C. appear to be the next big post-punk export from the British Isles. They’re set to release their debut album Dogrel on April 12th via Partisan Records, and the five-piece band made their SXSW debut this year with some serious hype behind them. Frontman Grian Chatten doesn’t have a rough, throaty punk roar, but his droney, poetic speak-sing packs just as much of a punch. When he’s not evangelizing in a distinctly Irish tongue, he wanders anxiously around the stage rather than throwing himself around or into the crowd. Tracks like “Boys in the Better Land,” “Too Real” and “Big” were all winners—their gritty social commentary is powerful and their no-frills rock riffs possess a meaty, spring-loaded energy.
This Dublin rock five-piece have garnered a lot of buzz ahead of their debut album Dogrel. They made a big splash at SXSW last month (named as one of the standouts of the festival), The band also recorded a KEXP session in 2018 and are set to tour the states with Idles later this year. It may seem that Fontaines D.C. have suddenly sprung from support slots and small clubs to selling out all venues on their current tour in a short space of time but these lads have been honing their craft for 3 years to reach this pivotal day in their career. Their 3 seven inch singles have paved the way for the release of their debut album, “Dogrel”. Singer, Grian Chatten, stalks the stage, a whirlwind of nervous energy before the band play a note. Ian Curtis comparisons are obvious. On his tiptoes, totally wired, Grian captivates you and you can’t take your eyes off him.
Though they’ve been lumped into the latest British post-punk wave led by Shame and Idles, Fontaines D.C. offer something entirely different. With tunes that span garage rock, surf and post-punk, frontman Grian Chatten spouts literary musings in a distinctly dry, Irish speak-sing. He paints a picture of Dublin that goes far beyond the rain, cobblestone streets and pubs filled with drunkards on every corner. With inspiration from James Joyce, the Beats and Yeats, Chatten bemoans the downfall of culture, which brought life to major cities and their inhabitants, as well as the modern loss of romance and authenticity. Tunes like “ChequelessReckless” and “Big” have a biting sense of humor and the steadfast courage of a band with nothing to lose and a lot to say.
Over the last year Fontaines D.C. have released four hotly received double A-side singles, all of which were named as singles of the week by Rough Trade, and garnered early support from the likes of Steve Lamacq and others on BBC 6 music, as well as earning feature space from every major Irish and UK publication.
Fontaines D.C. are
Grian Chatten – Vocals
Conor Deegan – Bass
Carlos O’Connell – Guitar
Conor Curley – Guitar
Tom Coll – Drums
They have toured sold-out shows across Ireland, the UK and Europe, and will embark on a full world tour throughout 2019.
Portsmouth group Is Bliss are aptly named. The band’s psychedelic sound continually reaches toward the sublime, matching shoegaze tapestries against some beautiful melodies.
Debut album ‘Strange Communication’ lands on June 7th, with Club AC30 stepping in to offer a platform.
Live shows are planned, and with Spring beginning to show its face the time is right for some aural bliss. The group excel on new song ‘All I See Is You’, a wandering, churning, meditative piece of love-lorn songwriting that finds those heavenly harmonies augmented by the merest touches of strings. Formed via a shared love of Slowdive, Spacemen 3 and Verve, the band paint a sprawling, reverb filled sonic landscape mixing hypnotic, drug induced reveries with explosive noise, droning instrumentation and plenty of emotional rawness.
It’s a many splendored jewel, seeming to reflect light in a thousand different ways, a thousand different shades of colour.
Alex Lahey is a songwriter based in Melbourne. She enjoys cats, Coopers Sparkling, her blue 1999 Corolla, Allen’s Party Mix, fuzz pedals and soft poached eggs.
On her sophomore LP, The Best of Luck Club, 26-year-old Alex Lahey navigates the pangs of generational ennui with the pint half-full and a spot cleared on the bar stool next to her. Self-doubt, burn out, break-ups, mental health, moving in with her girlfriend, vibrators: The Best of Luck Club showcases the universal language of Lahey’s sharp songwriting, her propensity for taking the minute details of the personal and flipping it public through anthemic pop-punk.
Lahey’s 2017 debut I Love You Like a Brother encases Lahey’s knack for writing a killer hook and her acute sense of humor delivered via a slacker-rock package – and, in a way, The Best of Luck Club picks up where that record left off, but sprinting forward. Lahey dives headfirst into a broader spectrum of both emotion and sound through polished, arena pop-punk in the vein of Paramore with the introspective sheen of Alvvays or Tegan & Sara. Here, Lahey documents “the highest highs and the lowest lows” of her life to date.
The first inklings of The Best of Luck Club came together on a shitty guitar while Lahey spent the bulk of her time on the road. The break-out success of I Love You Like a Brother took her beyond the adoration of Australia to her first taste of global touring; festival slots at the likes of Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, and Osheaga; and her American TV debut on Late Night with Seth Meyers. Amidst the frenzy, Lahey found the time to tinker with her thoughts, eventually landing in Nashville for intensive songwriting sessions. Lahey would lock herself in a room for 12-hour days, and ended up churning out more than half the songs for the record. Most importantly, Lahey found The Best of Luck Club thesis while she was there – which explains the familiarity and relatabity through Lahey’s new LP.
“When I was writing all the stuff in Nashville I was really inspired by the dive bar scene there and the idea that at these dive bars there’s no pretentious energy,” she explains. “Whether you’ve had the best day of your life or the worst day of your life, you can just sit up at the bar and turn to the person next to you – who has no idea who you are – and have a chat. And the response that you generally get at the end of the conversation is, ‘Best of luck,’ so The Best Of Luck Club is that place.”
For recording, Lahey returned home to Melbourne, Australia and set up shop for a month at Sing Sing South. Lahey co-produced the album alongside acclaimed engineer and producer Catherine Marks (Local Natives, Wolf Alice, Manchester Orchestra), and plays nearly everything on the record save for drums. The blare of saxophone across several tracks marks Lahey’s first return to the instrument in years, which she said began as a tongue-in cheek decision but more than anything pays homage to her past. Lahey credits Marks for improving her attention to detail, self-confidence, and guiding the process through with a sense of humor.
Barnstorming album opener “I Don’t Get Invited to Parties Anymore” recounts Lahey struggling with the often isolating pressures of adulthood, explaining, “It’s funny to think that there are people out there who are sort of putting their social life on ice in order to get their professional selves together, and as a result they’re not getting invited to parties anymore, and it sucks.”
The relatable “Don’t Be So Hard on Yourself” grapples with the overwhelming feeling of burn-out as Lahey reassures it’s okay to have bad days, while the electrified “Misery Guts” hammers at the other end of the emotional spectrum, marking the first time Lahey has written a song in the midst of anger. “I Need to Move On,” which Lahey says began as a musical ode to The Cure in its demo form, is guided back to pop sheen by Marks’ deft hand, chronicling the struggle of getting over a break-up before you’re ready.
“When we were making the record, Catherine and I would refer to different songs as playing dress-ups,” Lahey recalls, explaining all the different roles she deftly inhabits on The Best of Luck Club. “I really think that if you saw a montage of a person writing and making this record – and the places where it all happened – it kind of does look like playing dress-ups, in a way.”
“These songs are almost written for each patron of a dive bar,” Lahey says, “because they’re so varied in the experiences that are being presented and it’s almost as if each one of the songs is someone’s day. I feel writing these songs is me going into The Best Of Luck Club and reflecting, and coming out with each individual song.”
New York folk-rockers The Felice Brothers recently announced their first album in three years, “Undress”, arriving May 3rd through Yep Roc Records. They’re back with another song “Special Announcement,” the third single from the record, It follows previously released singles “Poor Blind Birds” and “Undress.” Listen to “Special Announcement” below.
The song, which directly and cleverly targets financial corruption, is quick to acknowledge the absurdity of our modern politics and the role money plays in them with the lyric “I’m saving up my money to be president.” Songwriter Ian Felice imagines a world without financial interests, without the “Stock Exchange” and the “Federal Reserve.” His plans include more than a few shake-ups: “I can promise you this: Charlie Parker on the $10 bill.” Felice sings this satire over energetic keys and cheerful chords, but don’t let the song’s upbeat nature fool you—it’s an expressed exasperation with the crookedness at play in American politics.
“This song should feel like you’re reading the Financial Times in a motel at the edge of reality,” Felice says. “You feel very frustrated by the corrupting power of money in politics, and a piano’s cloud-like chords are hovering over a terrace.”
Undress is the band’s seventh album, following 2016’s Life in the Dark. For this record, the band deviated slightly from more personal lyrics and turned their focus to writing about modern mayhems, of which, as we know, there are many.
“Many of the songs on the new album are motivated by a shift from private to public concerns,” Felice says. “It isn’t hard to find worthwhile things to write about these days, there are a lot of storms blooming on the horizon and a lot of chaos that permeates our lives. The hard part is finding simple and direct ways to address them.”
The Los Angeles singer/songwriter Christian Lee Hutson has shared a new single, “Northsiders,” taken from his forthcoming, currently untitled album. The LP was produced by none other than Phoebe Bridgers, a frequent collaborator of Hutson’s. “Northsiders” features Hutson’s kindhearted vocal melodies, light acoustic guitar plucks and rousing strings that linger in the background. In his lyrics, Hutson masterfully mixes witty, dark humor with observational sentimentality. Hutson began his musical career as a member of The Driftwood Singers, he is a current member of Jenny Lewis’s Band.
Lyrical highlights include “We were so pretentious then / Didn’t trust the government / Said that we were communists / And thought that we invented it,” “Tried cocaine at my cousin’s house / I’m probably addicted now” and “Morrissey apologists / Amateur psychologists / Serial monogamists / We went to different colleges.” Underlying all the droll comedy is a sobering reality—the kind of realization that makes you pull over your car to shed a few tears before pulling yourself back together (“Nothing’s going to change it now”). Hutson is the kind of songwriter that you’ll want to root for—painfully relatable lyrics, comforting melodies and a sharp-witted personality that money can’t buy
There is a warm haziness in the musical landscape of the song. Melchor’s vocals wax emotion while the backing vocals punctuate and echo the sweet sentiments. Though the time difference from the East Coast to the West Coast coast may seem like a mere three hours, many of us know just how much of a difference those few hours can make. We’ll be looking to hear more from this precocious new artist!.
“I Don’t Wanna See You Cryin’ Anymore” is a simple folk sound with a brilliantly played acoustic guitar lines that pulls from elements of jazz, blues, and folk music. The slow picking, sets a perfect tone for Adam Melchor’s gorgeous voice to float on top. In reality the song is an apology type song. Adam is singing to a close friend that he has let down, and he is owning up to the mess that he had made with this beautiful song. He comes across as being a caring and genuine person through the emotional and heartfelt delivery of the vocals. The acoustic nature of the song gives more room for the lyrics to really be heard and digested, and hopefully that means Adam Melchor’s apology has been accepted. Adam Melchor is a singer-songwriter from New Jersey who is currently based in Los Angeles, CA. “I Don’t Wanna See You Cryin’ Anymore” is the closing song on his 2019 EP titled “Plan on You.”
I Don’t Wanna See You Crying’ Anymore – Adam Melchor
