Modern Nature - 'Footsteps'

Modern Nature is a new group from Jack Cooper, famous for being Ultimate Painting; and they have released a new video for new single Footsteps ahead of the debut album release How To Live from Bella Union on August 23rd.

The new video is directed by Jake McGowan; and it follows a thread in the album Cooper says that is 'a journey from the chaos of the city to the sanctuary of the country, so we wanted to condense the idea down over the course of Footsteps with the final scene being a baptism...washing everything away'

McGowan harks back to famous British films that has its lense look upon non city scapes such as Withnail and I, Naked and Wish You Were Here; he uses the monotony and cyclical nature of life to make a statement that we need to get away and get back in touch with our selves and the conditions we live in.

The new group are a combination of Jack Cooper (Ultimate Painting), Will Young (BEAK>) plus Aaron Neveu (Woods) and Jeff Tobias (Sunwatchers) - and having taken their name from a diary entry of Derek Jarman, the band are clearly struck by the mix of urban and rural.

On the new album, the urban and rural cross and collide with cello strings melting into electronic beats, rising melodies on saxophones combat guitar strums.  There is an exoticness to the music on Footsteps - organic compositions create a rich quality to the music.

The new single is a great taster for Modern Nature who despite fighting between the rural and the urban have found a unique world of their own to occupy.

How To Live will be released from Bella Union on August 23rd and available for pre-order here.

Piroshka 'Brickbat'

Debut album from Piroshka, a distinct musical quartet, released from Bella Union on 15th February

Piroshka are a collaboration of four artists from wide ranging backgrounds across the late 20th century; the four band members are Miki Berenyi (Lush vocalist/guitarist), KJ 'Moose' McKillop (Moose guitarist), Mick Conroy (Modern English bassist) and Justin Welch (Elastica drummer).

This variety of backgrounds from the individual members has created an album which is both thrilling, enticing and intellectual.  Thrust forward by Berenyi's own distinctive voice, the band have curated an album of pleasing hooks which will make listeners reminisce of female led groups with this reviewer being fondly recalled of The Long Blondes and Kate Jackson's delivery.

While the lead track 'This Must Be Bedlam' starts off with a ferocious feedback this is not a punk record; instead there is a delicate way about the songs none more so than on 'Everlastingly Yours' a love song which reaches heights thanks to the vocal delivery.

The track titles may well speak towards friction and there is a political context running throughout - 'This Must Be Bedlam' is about Brexit; 'Village of the Damned' is about school shootings and 'Never Enough' rails against greed and inequality. This is an album speaking of mature and societal themes due to the adults within the group - this is a band by adults for adults.

Full of powerful rock basslines and with a rare combination of harmony and punk; this is an album that should garner praise from musos and for those seeking something off the beaten track.

Brickbat is out from Bella Union on 15th February.
My thanks to OneBeatPR for the audio/review link.

Ezra Furman 'Transangelic Exodus'

Part concept record, part novel, part tale of America in this Trump-era Presidency; the song is a great example of the album on a whole - catchy hook, erstwhile lyrics and a yearning for a better world full of hope despite the anxiety with the current climate, as Furman himself vouches:

“What’s essential is the mood - paranoid, authoritarian, the way certain people are stigmatised. It’s a theme in American life right now, and other so-called democracies.”

Full of intensity but paired with a bracing honesty that has been missing from recent rock records that focus on nostalgia and catchiness, Furman along with his backing band The Visions, may well be able to breakthrough to the mainstream - following critical acclaim for 2015's 'Perpetual Motion People' - by making the first true rock and roll artefact of the Trump administration.

There is a swell of anger running throughout the album, an undercurrent of rage at how minorities are being misunderstood or shunned to the sidelines by the 1%-ers in power.  This comes across in the lead single 'Suck the Blood from my Wound' but there remains the need to be honest with yourself and your own being, Furman coming to terms with his sexuality 'Compulsive Liar' and the catchy 'No Place' where the yearning for acceptance is paramount.

Following on from minor or smaller albums, this is Furman's break for the mainstream by making his most personal open record to date.

Transangelic Exodus is out from Bella Union records this Friday. Furman is doing a small selection of sold-out shows in the UK this month, followed by a bigger arena tour including the Brixton Academy in May of this year.

Ezra Furman 'Suck the Blood from my Wound'

Out today from Bella Union is the next single from Ezra Furman from his February released album Transangelic Exodus, following the video release of 'Driving Down to LA'

Part concept record, part novel, part tale of America in this Trump-era Presidency; the song is a great example of the album on a whole - catchy hook, erstwhile lyrics and a yearning for a better world full of hope despite the anxiety with the current climate, as Furman himself vouches:

“What’s essential is the mood - paranoid, authoritarian, the way certain people are stigmatised. It’s a theme in American life right now, and other so-called democracies.”

Full of intensity but paired with a bracing honesty that has been missing from recent rock records that focus on nostalgia and catchiness, Furman along with his backing band The Visions, may well be able to breakthrough to the mainstream - following critical acclaim for 2015's 'Perpetual Motion People' - by making the first true rock and roll artefact of the Trump administration.

Ezra Furman is doing three brief shows in February followed by a headline show of bigger arenas including the Brixton Academy on Wednesday 23rd May.

The album Transangelic Exodus is released from Bella Union on 9th February, my full review will be following.

Tasseomancy : Do Easy

The Canadian duo Tasseomancy made up of twins Sari and Romy Lightman release their new album on the Bella Union label on Friday 18th November.

The new album combines the folk foundations of the pair along with the psychedelic influences of with experimental pop art.

Influences abound throughout the album from Kate Bush to PJ Harvey to other ambient electronic sounds that are awash on many tracks. Personally I found a lot of the tracks to be hard to listen to and not capable of crossing to the mainstream apart from the lead single and title track 'Do Easy':

https://soundcloud.com/bella-union/tasseomancy-do-easy

This track is the one that grabs your attention due to the unique combination of the dual vocals by the twins along with a quite hypnotic bassline. The only other tracks that comes close to matching the level of 'Do Easy' is third track on the album 'Jimi Infiniti' for possible cross-over appeal and 2nd single, 29 Palms

All in all, an album that on paper looked good but unfortunately did not totally convince once committed to the studio and a chance missed to perhaps do something special.

'Do Easy' is released by Bella Union on Friday 18th November.

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My thanks to OneBeatPR for the preview listen