Posts Tagged ‘Fortuna Pop’

PETE ASTOR – ” Very Good Lock / Mr Music “

Posted: January 2, 2017 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Spilt Milk is the latest album from indie auteur Pete Astor, previously of The Loft, The Weather Prophets, and other esteemed acts. It was recorded onto ½ inch tape at the home studio of James Hoare of Ultimate Painting, The Proper Ornaments and Veronica Falls, with James playing guitar, bass, drums, keyboards and singing backing vocals. “He was”, says Astor, “an amazing band.” Other contributions came from members of Astor’s live band, with Pam Berry (Black Tambourine, Withered Hand) supplying vocals, Jack Hayter (Hefner) on pedal steel, Alison Cotton (The Left Outsides) on viola, and Robin Christian (Male Bonding) and Susan Milanovic (Feathers) on drums.

The album has all the hallmarks of a future Pete Astor classic, drawing together key strands and tributaries of his work over the years, blending intuitive songwriting, acute lyrics and incisive melodies. After many years making more experimental, electronic music Astor has come full circle to the sound that made his name. He explains, “I’m back to being myself, bringing together sounds that I’ve used over time to make a record that sounds more like me than me!”

From the opening track “Really Something” to the recent single “Mr Music” (a favourite of Marc Riley and Gideon Coe on BBC 6 music) the album’s re-connects Astor’s bespoke guitar pop with his long-standing embrace of The Velvet Underground’s musical DNA. Other standout tracks include “My Right Hand”, a hymn to everyone’s best friend, with guest appearances from Tony Hancock, Marvin Gaye, Philip Larkin and a host of ex-girlfriends; the slow burning drama of “The Getting There” recalling the atmospheres of Astor’s 80s kindred spirits, The Go-Betweens. Also, there is the wry drive of “Very Good Lock”, summed up by Astor as “a description of an injurious medical condition that often affects the male of the species”. Elsewhere there are the gorgeous harmonies of the grown up country lament “Good Enough”, which wouldn’t be out of place on one of George Jones’ most heartbroken albums.

Spilt Milk is part of a continuum: from Astor’s beginnings with The Loft and The Weather Prophets on Creation Records in the 1980s, via his solo work through the 1990s and his more left field albums with The Wisdom of Harry and Ellis Island Sound on Matador Records, Heavenly and Peacefrog, through to his return to solo work with the Songbox album in 2012. As well as this ongoing musical activity, Astor is also Senior Lecturer at the University of Westminster, where he teaches, researches and writes about music; 2014 saw the publication of his study of Richard Hell and the Voidoids’ Blank Generation as part of Bloomsbury’s 33 1/3 Series.

Astor remains in touch, engaged and vital in a way that is rare with someone with such longevity. The album continues the story of one of one of England’s most respected and significant songwriters. As Astor says, “time passes, shit happens; some losses, some gains.

FLOWERS – ” Pull My Arm “

Posted: January 2, 2017 in MUSIC
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There’s something great about a three-piece – think The Cocteau Twins, The Clean, Galaxie 500 – and the way that irreducible nucleus takes its strength from its limitations, making a virtue of its purity. So it is with London trio Flowers, returning with their second album “Everybody’s Dying To Meet You”. Over the course of ten intensely thrilling pop songs, singer Rachel Kenedy’s ethereal vocals and Sam Ayres textured guitar are backed by the powerful, metronomic beat of drummer Jordan Hockley.

For Everybody’s Dying to Meet You the band retreated to Bark Studios in Walthamstow to work with producer Brian O’Shaughnessey (The Clientele, Primal Scream, My Bloody Valentine), a return home for Sam, who was born and spent most of his life in the area. It proved to be the perfect fit for Flowers, the sessions enabling them to capture the essence of both their dynamic live sound and their distortion-laden home demos. Effortlessly blending pop songs with noise while leaving space for more stripped back elements, the recordings strike a perfect balance between the sweetness of Rachel’s voice and Sam’s abrasive guitar stylings. Their musical inspirations, from shoegaze, C86 and New Zealand’s Flying Nun label, are now evident.

Armed with a youthful intensity and determination that shows in their songs, Flowers have succeeded in harnessing their singular magic. Exuberant and electrifying, Everybody’s Dying To Meet You crackles with confidence.

Flowers are heading to a rock venue near you soon.

25 February – MANCHESTER – Fallow Café
26 February – COVENTRY – Kasbah
27 February – LIVERPOOL – Leaf Tea Shop
28 February – GLASGOW – Broadcast
02 March – NOTTINGHAM – Rough Trade
03 March – READING – Oakford Social Club
04 March – CARDIFF – The Moon Club
05 March – PENRYN – Stuart Stephens Memorial Hall
11 March – LONDON – Sebright Arms
09 April – LEICESTER – Leicester Indiepop Alldayer

FLOWERS – ” Intrusive Thoughts “

Posted: April 8, 2016 in MUSIC
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Flowers

UK band Flowers released their new album, Everybody’s Dying to Meet You, back in February via Kanine/Fortuna Pop. It’s a little fuzzier than their debut while still retaining their minimal, heavenly sound. (Rachel Kenedy’s gossamer voice soars as always.) If you haven’t checked that out, try to see the band live , The band have also just released a video for single “Intrusive Thoughts,” directed by Finnigan Kidd. Using simple performance footage mixed with montage elements, it’s a dreamy match for the song.
Flowers will be touring the U.S. later this year, including two shows in NYC. They’ll play a free in-store at Rough Trade on Saturday, June 11th, then that night they’ll play Cake Shop as part of an Kanine-presented show including Expert Alterations and Mercury Girls, plus DJ sets from Kip Berman of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Drew Citron from Beverly. After that, Flowers will join Beverly for a few dates of their tour.

FLOWERS – ” Pull My Arm “

Posted: March 12, 2016 in MUSIC
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London-based trio Flowers have been making a name for themselves on the indie pop scene for the past four years. Debut single ‘Cut And Run’ came out on the Bleeding Gold label in 2012, and shortly afterwards the band signed to established independent Fortuna Pop! Their first LP, the Bernard Butler produced Do What You Want To, It’s What You Should Do followed suit in September 2014, and last month they released the follow-up Everybody’s Dying To Meet You. This time with Brian O’Shaughnessy at the helm, whose previous works include Primal Scream’s Screamadelica and My Bloody Valentine’s ‘You Made Me Realise’ among a host of others. It’s a much more direct record than its predecessor that’s quite representative of the band’s live sound, and as a result dispels any notion anyone might have had that Flowers are mere C86 revivalists.

The trio – Rachel Kenedy (vocals & bass), Sam Ayres (guitar) and Jordan Hockley (drums) – who played an in-store show at Nottingham’s Rough Trade.

The album Everybody’s Dying to Meet You is out now on Fortuna Pop!.

CHORUSGIRL – ” Dream On, Baby Blue “

Posted: January 2, 2016 in MUSIC
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Chorusgirl started out as the solo project of Silvi Wersing, now expanded to a four piece band. Their self-titled, debut album, recorded over three years, took inspiration from the likes of The Dum-Dum Girls, The Breeders and Vivian Girls. It was the sound of Silvi stepping out of the shadows and into the limelight, it also had a few guitar lines that sounded a bit like The Shadows thrown in for good measure.

From the geniusly catchy-pop of lead single, Oh To Be A Defector, to the brooding Jesus & Mary Chain-like Shivers and the scuzzy tribute to a teenage best friend, Girls Of 1926, this was an album that shaped the band’s influences into something timeless, but also surprisingly on trend in 2015. A stunning album, packed with fascinating ideas, polished production and more than enough wonderful tunes, it was a record that far exceeded expectations and was one of the finest debuts of the year.

“Dream On, Baby Blue” is taken from Chorusgirl’s debut album, which is due out on Fortuna POP! on 13 November. As singer Silvi Wersing explains it is; “mostly about feeling powerless and small and the demands that others make on you to speak up, but that there can also be beauty and dignity in silence if you just stay who you are. ”

The brainchild of German songwriter, singer and rhythm guitarist Silvi Wersing, Chorusgirl blend the shimmering dreaminess of 4AD bands like Lush, the noir pop of The Cure and the bittersweet electricity of The Breeders across ten songs that sparkle with melody and pop nous but are stealthily subverted by something darker.

Chorusgirl

The PROPER ORNAMENTS – ” Waiting For The Summer “

Posted: May 17, 2014 in MUSIC
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London band THE PROPER ORNAMENTS a little Shoegaze Indie Pop with a certain melodic flair they have released a handful of EP’s, a track on a compilation and a couple of singles but a new album out due 9th June titled “Wooden Head” out on Fortuna Pop, check out other track “Summer Gone” just done some shows with The Horrors should see this nice little band capture more attention.