So once more the snapper and scribbler head to the pub to listen to all the music we’ve found, bought and been sent this last few weeks while drinking beer and doing an awful amount of giggling.. read about what we thought below.
Cold Cave – She Reigns Down
The first one tonight has darkwave synths and a low grumpy vocal, it’s okay and not very long. The Photographer says that it sounds like the Pet Shop Boys gone goth with a Depeche Mode vocal, it’s alright.
Fatoumata Diawara – Somaw
This has a soulful jazzy groove, it’s slow and cool, but the singing isn’t my thing at all although I do like Angie Stone’s vocals. The Photographer says that it’s the best song on the list this time, it’s a great record with a North African crossover. It’s my single of the week.
James Clarke Five – Ghost
This is a very John Barry soundtrack sounding track. But it’s really not John Barry and feels kind of empty. The Photographer agrees, what he says because that is what I said.
Barry Adamson – The Last Words of Sam Cooke
Now this is more like it, it’s got an ace soul sound and a heartfelt vocal. The Photographer says that it’s got nineteen seventies horns and bright vocals. Its good and it’s a reasonable length, your mum will like it.
Lodestar – Surrender to the Tide
A Doom Metal track, slow and an ace voice, it’s a nice sounding effort. The Photographer says that it’s nineties doomy rock, a little bit of heard it all before but it’s not the worst one I’ve heard.
Anne-Claude Deschenes – Phones
It has nice squelchy synths but not much else, the French conversation is quite interesting. The Photographer says that it’s got that annoying phone tick tock thing and then I lost interest, but I do like the conversation bit.
Caleb Landry Jones – Hey Dawn
A slowly rising indie tune that then turns into big guitars and synths with a punky grungy feel, it’s a good song. The Photographer says that it’s quite interesting and stayed interesting all the way through, it’s got a nice organ going on and a bit of Nirvana in there too.
Heavenly Blue Intl.- We Have The Answer
It’s about time we had some shouting, this is noisy, screamy punky and it’s great. The Photographer just says, oh it’s screamo innit, it don’t do it for me.
Bossk – Truth II
Doomy guitars, slow drums and a great big massive sound that is low down and rock solid which then goes into female singing and synths which is still good. The Photographer says that it’s driven by feedback and the same thing as JeffK, Mogwai, Mushroom Giant with the big long orchestral sound but this is more feedback, I like this.
Kim Gordon – Psychedelic Orgasm
Pointless noise squiggling and nonsensical lyrics. Past glories aside, I won’t be buying the album. The Photographer says that it’s weird for the sake of being weird and not very good.
Four Tet – Daydream Repeat
Ace tinkly techno with weirdness scattered over it. The Photographer says that it takes a while to get going but then it’s got a great repetitive beat going on and it’s great.
PUREST FORM – SELF DESTRUCTION
This is a great screamy thundering fast metal track. The Photographer says that it’s screamo type but not as fast as trad screamo, it’s a bit more bit more metally and nice and short.
Crooked Little Sons – Regenerate
This is a punky guitar pop track, I think it’s a nice little song. The Photographer however says it’s middle of the road well produced American indie rock. Snore.
Degs x Hoax – Outlaw
This is a nice laid back drum and bass track, with a clear rap over it and some ace wibbly bass. The Photographer says that this is great, starts off slow then there’s loads of really good stabs with dark and foreboding lyrics.
Kamasi Washington – Prologue
A master returns, to start with it’s drum and bass which is warm and enveloping with sax over it giving it depth and colour then it sinks into a wonderful free jazz jam, my single of the week. The Photographer, who if you remember ‘Fears the Jazz’ says oh God I remember now, it just goes on and on and jazz and on and jazz and more jazz at the end eight minutes as well… safe to say that he’s not a fan.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Wild God
First single off the new album and arena tours announced – it’s alright, but I need to hear it in the context of the album, the Photographer just says ‘I don’t get it’.
John Carpenter – My Name is Death
A synth throbs and the atmosphere and menace rises, it quietens then gets loud again with an unnecessary guitar over the top, it’s John Carpenter doing his thing. The Photographer says, this really annoys me, just john carpenter with a metal band, formulated and boring.
Playhouse – Doyle
This is alternative rock with a big sound and good voice, great track. The Photographer says that it gets going and it’s alright a bit grungy with interesting breakdowns.
Gouge Away – Spaced Out
I like this, it’s a shouty punky guitar fast track, just fuck off away from me!!! The Photographer says it’s angry shouty youngsters being angry and shouty, and it’s very short.
Corridor – Mon Argent
This is French weedy prog and I’m not a fan. The Photographer says that it’s French indie and it’s just lovely ….
Maquina. – Body Control
This has good loose bass, a funky slow groove with a low vocal, then shoutingit’s almost EBM, it is far too long though. The Photographer says that it’s got a good grinding bass line with a weird vocal and loads of effects, it’s alright.
Chemtrails – Chastity Belt
Indie and ace, the albums great as well, lovely low female vocals. The Photographer says that I need to reserve judgement until I hear the album, first impressions are – it’s okay.
Frail Body – Devotion
Doom strums with a huge guitar way behind the mix, it’s understated, then screaming and heaviness, although it feels empty. The Photographer says that there’s like a million bands like this and it’s not standing out.
KÁRYYN – the REAL (HAAi remix)
This has a drone with tiny beats underneath and an ethereal vocal which turns into circling house music. It falls into gaps and spaces but it’s all good, confusingly good in fact. The Photographer says that it takes ages to get going and then a grinding beat. It’s a disjointed grindy beat and it’s far too long. It is a bit confusing and I’m quite enjoying that.
Desire – Darkside
Another Italians Do It Better release with synths, disco and cute vocal. The Photographer says that it’s Italian synth pop that goes nowhere. If you like it fine…I don’t.
A Certain Ratio – Keep It Real
An average funky post punk track. The Photographer just says, I don’t like it.
Micheal Wells aka G.T.O – The Jam
Just excellent techno. The Photographer concurs, just classic techno with every single classic techno stab and break.
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So for the first time it’s a tied single of the week, either the Jazz genius of Kamazi Washington or the modern African music of Fatoumata Diawara, which do you think should have got it, do you agree with me or the Photographer. Let us know.
All words by Martin Ward and Adrian Bloxham.
Beer and Hospitality by The Twisted Barrel Brewery, Coventry.
