Half Eaten By Dogs - The Serfs

 

New album by thrilling Ohio trio via Trouble in Mind Records

In a world where pristine pop rules the mainstream - think Harry and Taylor - the trio from Cincinnati, Ohio of Dylan McCartney (vocals, guitar, bass), Dakota Carlyle (electronica, bass) and Andie Luman (vocals, synth), have curated a musical maelstrom of sound and wonder that is both thrilling to listen to and difficult to pigeon hole.

From the album opener, 'Order Imposing Sentence', this is a long player that is distinctive in tone and is happy to wear a multitude of influences on its sleeve from Depeche Mode in the post-Vince Clarke days before the stratospheric late 1980s run they enjoyed to that of Suicide. Its more like surf rock but howling at the moon as they ride the crest of the wave.

'Spectral Analysis' samples Air's 'Sexy Boy' as if it is a transmission from a by-gone era or another dimension and yet there is a thrust and drive to the album that should be applauded. This trio is sticking to its guns and shooting for the moon.

'Electric Like An Eel' has this pounding sound that is unrelenting and yet is infectious and bouncy; it is this constant contradiction and juxtaposition of genres taking place that is seemingly unsettling to a listener but also keeps them on their toes, unsurprisingly this was a single release of the album.

This refreshing album is great to hear and reminded this listener of new sounds discovered such as FACS and Activity - that unnerving distortive sonic soundscapes being created.

It does strike me that this is a band who are on the cusp of bigger and better things to come, and while this album is their third album it smacks of maturity and a keen sense of what direction they want to be going in. 

The simplest way to state this album is that it is electronica just not as you know it infused with punk goodness and thrashing guitars.

Half Eaten by Dogs is out on Friday 27th October via Trouble in Mind Records

My thanks to One Beat PR for the review opportunity.

Papur Wal - Amser Mynd Adra

 

Debut album from highly touted Welsh trio, Papur Wal, out via Libertino Records on October 8th

Papur Wal have been on the cusp of stardom for some time, going the devout route of releasing the odd single and live shows with the eventual culmination in an album release, this has become protracted due to the global pandemic and inability to record. 

Now the trio comprising of Ianto (vocals/guitar), Gwion (vocals/bass) and Guto (vocals/drums) who formed in Cardiff in 2017 after stowing away from North Wales; this slacker mentality feeds into the infectious pop we have in the new album Amser Mynd Adra; a devil may care mosaic of melody and power.

The band where there heart on their sleeve, and they are not afraid to show emotion either through the natural storytelling or the rich harmonies combined with the unflinching fuzz. Working with long-time producer who worked with Super Furry Animals, the album is a coming of age album in the mould of early Neil Young perhaps - that mixture of mature beyond their years and golden pop sound.

'Rhwng Dau Feddwl' opens the album with a glorious guitar sound follwed hot on the heels of 'Arthur'; but from strong guitar play you also have the contrast of 'Llyn Llawenydd' sounds like a lost Crosby, Stills and Nash harmony with the Hollies beat - but it is a song about reminiscing and getting away from it all.

 

Amser Mynd Adra offers the listener a mixture of melancholy as the three men come to terms of moving into their mid-20s and adulthood but married with catchy upbeat sounds that will leave you humming. There is something for everyone on this album and for novices to Welsh-language music do not be put off and enjoy, there is much value to listening to something from a different point of view.

Hot on the heels of The Lathums debut album going to Number 1 on the album charts; guitar music may be coming back to rule the roost from all four corners of the United Kingdom no less with other works from Mt. Misery also gaining traction.

Amser Mynd Adra is out now from Libertino Records.

My thanks to One Beat PR for the review opportunity.

Staunch Honey - David Nance

 

New album from Nebraskan rocker David Nance from Trouble In Mind Records

David Nance turned many heads in 2019 with his last album, Peace and Slightly Pulverized, which was highly acclaimed with his fuzzy and bristling guitar rock.

Nance returns with his fifth studio album Staunch Honey, which he recorded the majority of at his Omaha home with assistance from longtime bandmates Jim Schroeder (guitar) and Kevin Donohue (drums), making this a recorded at home master due to the Covid-19 crisis.

A culmination of two years hard work, Nance recorded and reworked the album three times over, Nance has weaved a manic and sonic clash of mood and emotion from raging guitars to squealing feedback which was so prevlant on 'Pulverized..' to a more mellower form of songwriting fitting for a late night drive or hang at home.

This is never more apparent than on track 2, 'The Dark, My Love and I' a rocker of supreme intensity but goes hand in hand with the gentler 'Save Me Some Tears' and 'Gentle Traitor'.

Fans of Neil Young will love this album full of earthiness, there is a real connection to the land and how important music is to Nance comes through the speakers in all its feedback glory.

Nance continues to impress with his intelligent and provoking guitar rock, a few years back there was a renaissance of guitar led music with Nance and his group leading the charge along with contemporaries such as Rayland Baxter. Some groups still exist such as recent release by The Big Easy can attest to but in this year of isolation and introspection it is good and pleasing to see an artist willing to just let his hair down.

Staunch Honey is out on Friday 13th November from Trouble In Mind Records

Gum Country 'Somewhere'

The debut album from the duo of Courtney Gavin (The Courtneys) and multi-instrumentalist Connor Mayer, is released via Bandcamp on June 19th.

The album is a buzz of fuzz, feedback ricocheting off of walls and eardrums a plenty, Garvin’s open-tuned guitar has a warmness reminiscent of The Breeders and Mayer’s accompaniment is the perfect compliment of piercing percussion with gritty guitars.

There is a richness to the melodies being explored by the group, with a mixture of highs and lows in terms of expressions amidst the mundanity of normal life but touching upon love, loss, tennis and gardening.

All topics though are treated with sincerity and her dry delivery helps touch a nerve with the listener be it an instrumental portion of a song that concludes ‘There’s A Crumb’ or the vibrancy of ‘Talking To My Plants’.

In conclusion, this is an album that is ripe for listening and offers plenty of joys amidst the twelve track album. Gum Country are a band to keep an eye on and leaves you salivating at the thought of what they could become in years to come.

From the ferocity of ‘It Lives It Breeds It Feeds’ to the rightly so pomp and circumstance of ‘The Queen Rules’, this album serves as an entry point for punk and indie rock in this most uncertain of years.

The album is available on the band’s bandcamp page here.

My thanks to One Beat PR for the review opportunity.

This review first appeared on Backseat Mafia on 18th June 2020.

Lithics 'Tower of Age'

Hailing from Portland, Oregon; the third album from Lithics is out now from Trouble in Mind records

Reminiscent of other noted North East American bands from the Seattle and Portland areas, the band seem to have harnessed their driving guitar sound to create this sonic soundscape of invention and minimalism; hooks that revolve around circular motion you get the sense that this album is communicating a sense of disenchantment but also a wonder at this weirdness. 

Songs range from the incessant 'Beat Fall' to 'A Highly Textured Ceiling' which is at times short but stubby.  This album will either make you angry or you will find the rhythm to tap along to; they sound like a band who can jam but find the sound when they are cut loose from the strangulation of melody and would instead prefer to find their own way through the uncertainty.

An album which will have something for everyone ranging from lead single 'Hands' to the ear worm churning of 'Twisting Vine', this band has crafted an album to breakthrough.

Tower of Age is out now from Trouble in Mind records

My thanks to One Beat PR for the opportunity to review.

Katie Malco 'Failures'

The debut album by UK based singer-songwriter Katie Malco.

The much anticipated debut by Katie Malco, is released by 6131 records, and is both a personal soul-bearing record and an album about the power of connecting with relationships; marking this out as a record of this time and by this time.

The ten song album touches on subjects ranging from body image to anxiety to figuring out life, and during the prolonged period of self-isolation due to the ongoing global pandemic, Malco's work is more expressive of the individual in this changing world. For good or better, the world has changed but what about the lonely soul within it.

Take the track 'Fractures' a song where Malco comes to terms with becoming who she is supposed to be, in contrast to the world's expected view of her. She admits that she struggles with how people perceive her and embracing her true self as this introvert but gifted individual.

Starting with the fiery opening track 'Animal' Malco provides a bolt of bracing rock and roll showing her knack for a good riff and winning vocals while telling a story about being looked at and being unnerved.  Malco is writing as much about personal experience as well as universal themes for all women.

This is another remarkable album by a female singer-songwriter following in the footsteps this year of Margaret Glaspy and Jane Herships, seemingly the most appealing works of this year about identity and belonging are coming from women with a guitar. There is a power to this individual standing proud and saying look at me, this is me, take it or leave it.

The next track is the sumptuous 'Brooklyn', a gorgeous track about friendship and this place that will come between people with ambitions and those who are happy to settle where they are. Sometimes people have to spread their wings and leave the bosom of home, for others it is scary to leave that comfort of home.

On her bandcamp page it mentions she has toured with luminaries such as Bob Mould and I was struck at how her playing and sound is reminiscent of Mould in that the songs start of contemplative before becoming this roar of emotion and determination. If you have never heard of Bob Mould, check out his album 'District Line' which is a great forgotten album - raw emotion embues through that record.

One of the more unsung tracks of the album could well be 'September' a song that has a stand alone sound of defiance 'I don't care about you, you sure don't care about me' ringing out as the song reaches the crescendo.

In conclusion, this is an album of great intent, passion and fearlessness by a songwriter willing to bear their soul on a record.

Fractures is out from 6131 records on 5th June.

My thanks to OneBeatPR for the opportunity.

Spice 'All My Best Shit'

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.

Spice is out from DAIS records on July 21st

Melenas - Dias Raros

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.

East Village - Hotrod Hotel

Singles collection of great lost band released 24th January via Slumberland Records

East Village are one of the great lost and what could have been bands from Great Britain. Formed as Episode Four, in the mid-1980s in sleepy Princes Risborough, by brothers Martin and Paul Kelly playing distinctive garage music.  Later joined by Johnny Wood (guitar/vocals) in 1984 and Spencer Smith (drums) in 1985.

In 1987, they renamed themselves as East Village relocated to London recording two EPs for Jeff Barrett's Sub Aqua label.  That label collapsed, and they floated around borrowing money to make an album eventually landing with Jeff Barrett who was forming the new Heavenly Recordings label.  The band played shows with Manic Street Preachers and Saint Etienne in 1991, releasing a single before playing a sold out show in New Cross and abruptly splitting up on stage.

The band have gone on to become a cult amongst indie fans and prices of original pressings of recordings have skyrocketed in recent years.

Slumberland Records have compiled the recordings into a compilation we have here and it is released on vinyl and will be highly sought by alternative music fans intrigued by the history of the genre.



One of the best songs on the compilation is 'Violin' and it encompasses all that is good about the band - jangly guitars, yearning lyrics and tight composition - a sound of their own which is indebted to the late 1960s mod era of the Kinks and yet has the ear for the tune of The Byrds, as well as the extensive catalogue of Paul Weller.

The influence of this guitar music can be heard in  1990s bands - Ocean Colour Scene and Cast for example and up to the date with The Coral  with that wash of summery guitar; even the opening riff of Violin sounds like an opening to a song by Olden Yolk's 'Cotton and Cane'

Slumberland released another compilation late last year by another forgotten band, the American band The Springfields - an album also indebted to the 60s Laurel Canyon music writing; yet these two albums will go hand in hand together at a listening party.  Other key songs on the album are 'Cubans in the Bluefields' and 'Kathleen'.

While the reasons for the split of East Village are never fully known, and the band refuse requests for reformations constantly, at least finally they have granted permission for their legacy to not remain lost forever to the ether and instead can now be freely found upon request.

Hotrod Hotel is available on all formats from 24th January from Slumberland Records

My thanks to One Beat PR for the review opportunity

The Love-Birds 'In The Lover's Corner'

The debut album 'In The Lover's Corner' from The Love-Birds out now from Trouble in Mind Records

From the sunny climes of San Francisco, the debut album from the Love-Birds is out now; and it is a wonderful earworm of an album full of gorgeous summery lilts, jingle jangle melodies and oozing with sunshine and hummable tunes.

The debut single Angela is emblematic of the influence of 1960s Laurel Canyon summer time music, it packs a punch with the reverb on the guitar but there is a drive to the music that sticks with you throughout.



The rest of the album is full of equally appealing tracks from opener 'Again' to 'December (Get to You)'; much like other bands from America who have released recent albums Lab Coast and Olden Yolk this is music for music lovers with an ear to the past to brace themselves for the future.

With 11 tracks this is a short sharp album that is great for the commute or a workout to fill the time; for fans of early REM, Pavement and the Replacements all the way back to the Byrds.

In The Lover's Corner is out now from Trouble in Mind Records

My thanks to OneBeatPR for the preview opportunity.

Frankie Cosmos 'Vessel'

Frankie Cosmos release Vessel on Sub Pop Records on March 30th.

New Yorker four piece is an 18-track opus which serves as a benchmark in the distinctive songwriting of Greta Kline who along with bandmates David Maine (bass/vocals), Lauren Martin (keyboards/vocals) and Luke Pyenson (drums) bring new sensibility to the band.

The album has a real energy running throughout, from the upbeat perkiness of 'Caramelize' to the anger of 'Apathy' to the new single 'Jesse' which is a bit more forlorn but nevertheless engaging.

The album is indicative of the world at the moment and similar to other American offerings of recent months, an uncertainty of their place in the world coupled with a need to find a belonging in this dominant social-media age.

Full of summery hooks and catchy lyrics, there is a real kinship with the music that embraces a relationship between performer and listener - that is far more satisfying than some music that tries too hard.

Whilst Ezra Furman spoke with anger in his music, Frankie Cosmos showcase a lightness of indie-pop across the album that makes you smile and is in fact quite charming.  There are moments of real triumph such as the album opener, they will leave you humming and despite the 18 tracks, the short running time means it does not overstay its welcome.

Vessel is out from Sub-Pop Records on March 20th.

Watch Frankie Cosmos live on Pitchfork TV at 6.00pm GMT

The band can be followed on Twitter @frankiecosmos