The debut album from former Hot Club De Paris frontman Paul Rafferty via Moshi Moshi records
Rafferty has constructed a collection of ten songs that work as both a
great piece of work but also a piece of archive material as he looks back on
his life in and around music starting with the album opener 'One Last Saturday
Night' a song he originally wrote in 2011 about the feeling of possibility and
invincibility that would come with a weekend night out as he refers to.
‘James Asleep’ is one of those driving melodies reminiscent
of other Liverpudlian bands with a jingle jangle guitar with a bassline to
match. The bass may be a bit sombre but the prevailing mood is one of hope and
happiness by the end.
Befittingly, the album is of this era, with tracks such as 'This Is War (And I'm So Bored)' about negative thought and having to cope with them in this difficult time for everyone and this is backed up by the final track of the album 'Black Balloons'.
As Rafferty states in an exclusive interview, the process of the album was to describe a tough time, an album that is as much for himself than for others, but the universal appeal of this work speaks large.
All in all this album is one of genuine passion, of recalling past glories not for yearning but for embracing those memories as a moment of expression and how it expresses you.
The debut album by Doomshakalaka is out next Friday 5th June.
Here is an exclusive interview with Paul Rafferty
Following
the break-up of Hot Club de Paris, what have you been up to?
I've
been touring with other people, did a punk band for a while (called Bad Meds),
have been composing music for film and TV, tinkering with the
Doomshakalaka record in between bouts of existential dread brought on by
the onslaught of late capitalism.
What
is genesis of Doomshakalaka as a band/moniker and a concept?
When
Hot Club de Paris ceased to be I just wanted to make a record where I was in
control of all the aspects of being in a band. I didn't want to write to please
a label, I didn't want to have to compromise on ideas, I wanted full
control over the production aesthetic and so on. It wasn't necessarily a
response to being in HCdP as being in that band was a total blast for a long
time, I just wanted to make music for the sake of doing something fun and good.
I soon realised however that the best thing about being in a band is the fact
that you get to share all of those aspects and that compromise is a very
valuable asset in the writing process, especially in terms of getting
stuff done quickly. I also realised that it's quite hard to have fun on your
own, so was kind of instantly burdened with this responsibility towards a
record that only I cared about. The name Doomshakalaka probably describes
this process quite well; a fun word changed to describe a tough time.
Was
there a reluctance to branch out on your own?
Not
really. It becomes quite difficult to do bands with your friends when you hit
your 30s because everyone's responsibilities change quite suddenly. Being in a
band (at least in my experience) is to enthusiastically pour all of your
money down the drain and convince yourself that doing so is worthwhile. That
outlook isn't particularly compatible with real life. You could say I'm
branching out on my own because my friends are less stupid than I am.
You
have gone back to a lot of old material, and this album focuses on memory
– is there a tinge of regret in not releasing this music sooner or is the
time right now?
No
regrets. The album was ready when it was ready so there's no point wishing it
was any different. I learned a lot making it and feel like I've developed a
good stamina for all the processes involved in making a record. I've nearly
written a new record already, so perhaps I'm catching up on all that time I
spent on procrastination.
You
are from Liverpool? Was it either football or music for you?
I've
lived in Liverpool for 20 years but I grew up in a small town in Cheshire. I
stopped liking football in about 1992 when I discovered Guns n' Roses so I
guess it was a kind of binary choice for me. A lot of my music friends love
football too, though.
What
have you learnt about yourself in producing this record?
That
I hate the sound of my own voice and that Instagram is the enemy of all
progress.
What
expectations do you have for the album?
I'm
not sure I have any! I'd be happy if some people liked it but it's not a
requirement. The important thing for me was to make it as good as I could at the
time so everything here on in is just sort of admin.
How
have you coped with the Covid-19 crisis? And where do you see the music
industry going?
I
still have access to my studio so I've just continued to make music alone,
which is what I do in my life day to day anyway. I'm not too
sure where the industry is going other than continuing to shave off more
percentage points for the actual people who make the product, but that was
happening anyway. I'm probably not helping by self-financing my own record and
happily proceeding in the knowledge that I'll make no money, but that's the
reality of the indie labels and bands.
Michael Connelly returns with a new gripping thriller for the page turner this Summer.
Connelly the writer behind Harry Bosch, returns with another character he has written before - Jack McEvoy; a journalist for a consumer website who is on the hunt for a serial killer of women.
McEvoy himself has his baggage, a broken relationship with his love who was his source and she lost her job for that, to save him jail time.
Connelly as ever is in the Los Angeles setting as his milieu and playground; traversing from Downtown to Hollywood to Pasadena to Cedars Senai. These landmarks are all prevalent in our minds eye so a well read reader will be able to picture most of the action, it is down to Connelly to keep us entertained.
That he does in bundles as McEvoy has to combat two policemen who have it in for him as a suspect when a body pops up not far from McEvoy. That sets in motion the wheels for the narrative of a story that involves genetics and genealogy as the plot revolves around women with broken history looking for a link for their past which they believe to be an answer in their own DNA, using those online DNA profiling.
The twist is that the dark web gets ahold of this private information, and then sell it to women-hating cell groups who then pick off women who are risky propositions and then easy targets for a serial killer.
McEvoy untangles this dark web of intrigue and uncovers a conspiracy involving unsavoury characters whose motives are nothing but welcoming, culminating in a showdown with the character calling himself 'The Shirke' so named after a carnivorous bird, a man who believes himself to be atop of the flighted food chain.
Connelly cleverly writes his narrative to build McEvoy as both an investigator but also the fear of being a suspect, and how closely the police work with the awareness and fear themselves of making mistakes a theme familiar to viewers of the Bosch television series.
As ever, Connelly writes with a swiftness and clarity which is refreshing as ever and will be enjoyed by old and new fans alike. One of the world's best thriller writers has done it again.
The new single release from Californian band, Spice, this is a rip-roaring piece of grungy, fast adrenaline rock.
This is a song as much about anger and how to express it compared to sitting upon your emotions. In this day and age of mental awareness and being expressive about feelings, this is a guitar-driven indie rock song seeking to be heard amidst this pandemic of epic proportions.
The single 'All My Best Shit' is released ahead of the self-titled album out on July 21st from DAIS records.
The album is a nine track 30-minute cut of sonic infusion sparking discussion about co-existing with spikes of loud and soft, short and long but yet full of sparky punch and authority in this world of unrest.
The group comprise of Ross Farrar (vocals) and Jake Casarotti (drums) from the band Ceremony, along with Cody Sullivan (bass), Ian Simpson (guitar) and Victoria Skudlarek (violin) the band have honed a sound from the Bay Area pedigree full of modernity and anthemic yearning.
The streets of Greater Manchester are awash with drugs and weapons, and the gangs that control this multi-million pound business will stop at nothing to protect and grow their business. The Dolsen family are one such gang.
When the head of a rival Yardie gang is found brutally murdered, revenge attacks were always likely to follow, and gang members were unlikely to be the only ones hurt.
DCI Priest teams up with the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA); but they soon admit to conflicting objectives which may unravel their alliance, and prove to it be more of a hindrance than a help.
Was DCI Priest was about to undertake his most challenging investigation to date?
Pettinger has written a fast paced thriller which takes care to show the inner workings of a gang in the Greater Manchester area.
Showing both sides of the story from both DCI Priest and the gang via an undercover agent.
The book was packed with action and there was plenty of content, and the book features one of the most gruesome death scenes committed to literature, there was a moment when you think they will escape the claws of their captors but when that moment hits it is like a 10 ton lorry hitting you at once.
A good sign of any crime series is that the main character does not have to carry the narrative fully, he can sometimes regress to the background and let someone else to the fore as happens here.
While I have not read any of the previous Priest novels, the requirement of previous knowledge was not necessary to enjoy this work.
The long awaited mainstream release by Spanish four-piece Melenas is released by Trouble in Mind on Friday 8th May.
A bracing shot of adrenaline for the senses following a long period of docileness, this is a winning formula for fans of indie rock music.
For the band this is a step in the direction of more mainstream awareness across Europe following a long period of admiration in their native Spain.
From album opener 'Primer Tiempo' the intent is clear and what resonates most for the first time listener is to hear the tightness and unity of the group, the level of musicianship on display is a wonder to behold.
There is a hum an energy that thrusts through the album from the indie-pop jangle of the album opener to 'Los Alemanes', but there is also opportunity for melody and slower moments on this swelling work.
The waltz of album closer 'Vals' is testament to this as is the gorgeous 'Ciencia Ficcion' that offers a chance for the band to engage with melancholic content with great cascading voices coupling with guitar waves.
This is a punk album for indie fans, and an indie sounding album for the stubborn punk fan. The band hail from Pamplona, a region of Spain most famous for people being chased by bulls through the streets. In this case, Melenas take the bull by the horns announcing themselves to the world and created a foundation full of influences both musically and culturally in a space full of promise and bursting verve.
Dias Roras is released by Trouble in Mind records, and the first label outside of Spain to release Melenas to the world.
