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Brew / DTTR split 10″

Brew/DTTR
Ltd 10″ vinyl

The formula for this release is simple, Yorkshire labels Brew and Dance to the Radio have teamed up for a limited edition Record Store Day release. Four of their most exciting and upcoming acts Dolphins, Blacklisters, Castrovalva and Hawk Eyes have contributed a track each to create ten explosive minutes of rock.

The pulsating Escape by Dolphins kick-starts procedures with a short sharp dose of chunky riffing. Then comes Club Foot by Kasabian from the hair-raising Blacklisters, advice being don’t spend the whole song working out whether it’s a Kasabian Cover or a quirky song title, that’s unimportant. What’s important is the sheer velocity of the vocals and the word ‘noise’.

The pick of the bunch is third song Senorita by Castrovalva. It has a brash childish thrill that sucks you in and spits you out at the other end. The vocal delivery is electrifying and its robotic feel adds another element to its general haphazardness. It finishes up with Hawk Eyes, who may be more familiar to you as Chickenhawk, pre name change. Their success has been spiralling into the mainstream and with tracks like Yes, Have Some with its hectic fretwork and perplexing guitar licks, you can see why.

This is a startling example of the talent that the city of Leeds is currently throwing up and another jewel in the crown of Record Store Day. Consisting of the finest and noisiest sounds around, it’s a big slap in the face, a pleasant slap in the face if such things exist.

Mark Beckett

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Random Hand

Random Hand
‘Seething Is Believing’
(Bomber Music/Our Records)

randomhandcoverIf the term ‘ska/punk’ instantly makes you think of bands in Hawaiian shirts doing wacky covers of popular 80s tunes, then please cast aside those preconceptions for 40-odd minutes. Yorkshire quartet Random Hand have created possibly the most aptly-titled record (their third) of the year, and the musical fury and socially aware lyrics within share more common ground with the Subhumans and Capdown than with the likes of Reel Big Fish. It’s a very well-produced effort, in the sense that it sounds beefy rather than polished, and there’s plenty of British grittiness in the mix.

None of this would count for much if the overall result wasn’t any fun to listen to; but as the raging guitars and air-raid-siren horns of ‘Tales Of Intervention’ come ripping through the speakers, you’d have to be dead (or possibly a Paramore fan) not to feel at least a slight adrenaline rush.‘Not A Number’ and ‘Due To Circumstance’ should deservedly strike a chord with anyone who’s feeling the pinch of the government’s financial cuts, and first single ‘Bones’ is a ‘carpe diem’ anthem up there with the best of them. But perhaps the most impressive cut on offer is ‘Floating Ghosts’ which segues seamlessly from a raucous start, through islands of reggae-esque calm, to a metallic riff-driven finale; a fine indicator of the band’s versatility.

‘Seething Is Believing’ may well suggest that the quality of UK ska/punk has not declined with its popularity, but ultimately Random Hand shouldn’t be labelled as part of a particular musical scene. They’re a smart, hard-rocking band that kick serious arse live – and they’re probably playing near you soon.

Alex Gosman

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Buzz Chart: Kito & Reija Lee

Sweet Talk EP
Mad Decent

Already having been picked up by Skream, Australian beat-maker Kito has forged a potent reputation for production even fairly early into her career with the sublime Cold and What If tracks released on the Disfigured Dubz label. Now she’s unleashing an EP with Reija Lee on vocals on Diplo’s Mad Decent label and the four track release doesn’t disappoint.

Where the Disfigured tracks were distinctly deep and bassy, the EP switches the styles up, allowing Kito to flourish under the spotlight and show off her ability to throw down the unexpected and come up smelling of roses. Opening track Sweet Talk drops immediately into fuzz with bouncy stabs twanging around Reija’s vocals, the two mixing perfectly from the word ‘go’.

Broken Hearts thuds a bassline out loud marching along its three minute lifespan and again shows another side to the producer’s skill and outlay. It’s the final two tracks of the EP that are the standouts however with On The Jam providing a stark intro underneath Lee’s singing before the swirling into incessant hi-hats and finally drawing for the next dimension in the final third of the track.

This City mixes its humming basslines with almost 8-bit like bleeps, closing out the EP with booty shaking intent, Lee’s vocals again rounding off the sonic landscape in excellent fashion. These two are quite a duo and if this short release is anything to go by, the world is theirs for the taking. Definitely one to keep an eye on.

Abjekt.

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letlive.

Fake History
Epitaph Records

letlive.fake historyOn first hearing ‘Le Prologue’, the opening track to ‘Fake History’, it’s easy to assume that you’re about to hear a drawn out, suspense building intro track that you would’ve lost interest in before reaching any kind of semblance to a song… but no, letlive. write off the suspense and unleash an outrageous and calculated assault, aimed straight at your unsuspecting nervous system feet first with big fucking boots on. Before you know it, track two, ‘The Sick, Sick 6.8 billion’, has happened and it’s happened hard, and you don’t get a chance to breath until it’s over.

If you miss the time when Anthony Green was still in Saosin, and Glassjaw had just released Worship and Tribute, ‘Fake History’ is probably going to blow your mind. In terms of a post-hardcore record, it’s near perfect, and considering the fact that it’s basically an hour long, keeping the listener interested is a victory in itself. ‘Fake History’ achieves this with variety. Each track is a journey, both vocally and musically, and this allows the whole record to ebb and flow as a whole. Vocalist Jason Aalon Butler can belt out an ear-splitting scream, switch effortlessly to a whisper, and tops it off by holding those big notes in a way that Andrea Bocelli would most likely have busted a blood vessel or two. The drums on ‘Casino Columbus’ sound like thick, heavy artillery whereas tracks like ‘Lemon Party’ provide rhythms that’ll have your dancing shoes on in seconds. Sure, loads of bands can mix it up in an album, but what sets this apart is that it’s all presented so damn stylishly. All the musicians are solid and it’s undeniable that Butler’s vocal skills are slick as hell and more than accomplished.

If you were fortunate enough to see them at the Old Blue Last for their first UK headline show, then you won’t need convincing. If you missed it, fear not, for it seems clear that letlive. are a bomb that will be exploding into your lives, turning and rolling heads simultaneously, and ‘Fake History’ is lighting the fuse. This album is what you love about post-hardcore. It highlights everything that was good and exciting about the genre: unforgiving and impassioned vocal hooks, a rhythm section that is both restrained and relentless, all of which will get you singing, dancing and generally losing your shit.

Oli Knowles

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Mudmowth

Sledgehammer Kisses
Associated Minds

Mudmowth is an artist that many in the UK know and rever and with Sledgehammer Kisses, he makes his return, teaming up alongside Metabeats on production. Having made his name as CRST making predominently dance based music, it may seem odd that Metabeats has teamed up with the rapper however, the doubt is dispelled immediately on tracks like Maad Tight with the low-down horns bringing to mind some of Dre’s beats on Chronic.

Lyrically this release does the business too with lines like “sparking my tumbleweed peace pipe / blowing smoke rings out your cheap mics” showing just why the Associated Minds camp have got behind the MC in recent years. The beats fit the rhymes perfectly throughout and whilst this is a good album to listen to carefully, it’s just as easy to bang on whilst doing something and let the production do the work for you.

Tracks like Life’s Never Enough is reminiscent of the hip hop the UK was bringing out in the early 2000s and Sing Tears proves you don’t need to have an overly complicated beat to make a good track, its simple piano chord sample and boom-bap drums revolving around the verse and Richie Hayes’ sung chorus.

Having been championed by various magazines, including Plan B who picked one of his previous releases as their hip hop album of the year, it’s certainly one for the fans of his work. Associated Minds have definitely got something to be proud of here.

Abjekt.

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Queens Of The Stone Age

Queens Of The Stone Age (Re-issue)
Domino/Rekords Rekords

QOTSAIf the following QOTSA albums catapulted them into the public eye as messiahs of rock ‘n’ roll guitars and hard hitting drums, this more modest debut was a style guide signalling their intent as masters of the carefully constructed mind-infiltrating riff. This re-issue combines the original track listing with relevant bonus tracks from the same period slotted in, boosting an already brilliant album.

The original 11 tracks plus three bonus tracks is frontman and modern rock pioneer Josh Homme’s musical manifesto. It was the product of his attempt to create an instantly recognisable sound, something that he continued to do with engineer-like precision well into the next decade. As soon as you hear the opening four agitated guitar notes on this album you imagine the towering figure of Homme picking them.

The repetitive riffs introduced in opener Regular John and littering the entire album share the same monotony and neurotic demeanour as Krautrock, except Dusseldorph has now become a desert and guitars have descended from the skies. Homme is seemingly infatuated by his own melodic creations and milks them for all they are worth like a hungry wolf devouring an almost bare carcass. They become the axis for each track to spin around and often they contain no more than three notes or one chord. Accompanying these riffs are driving power chords that cut right through your body and give the songs a sense of urgency and direction. Occasional screeching guitar solos present on If Only and bonus track The Bronze are like trapped flys bouncing around a small glass, before giving way to the assured sound that is Homme’s vocal.

The one song that epitomizes 90s QOTSA is Walkin’ on the Sidewalks, a repetitive and punchy rock ‘n’ roll track that transforms into a two-and –a-half minute tunnel of panicky one note jabs. The taunting vocals of You Would Know tread purposefully into the second half of the album, which is bolstered by the additions of the precariously unpredictable These Aren’t The Droids You’re Looking For and the climatic stomp of Spiders and Vinegaroons.

If a commercially successful and critically acclaimed third album has ever got you into a band, tracing them back to their musical roots can often lead to the discovery of a band flirting with genres and finding a niche. QOTSA on the other hand are a band that started out with a clear vision of what they wanted to do. This neatly concocted album is clear proof of that, with signature QOTSA sounds from the off. It also originally came with a handwritten Josh Homme thesis of how he was going to take over the world, with references to an ex Nirvana drummer, a black, white and red rendered video and something about vultures. He’s good.

Mark Beckett

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J Mascis

J Mascis
Several Shades Of Why
Sub Pop

Several-Shades-Of-WhyIt’s bizarre to think that J Mascis has released his first ever solo album this month but the Dinosaur Jr front man has returned with a wonderful record where for once he has traded the Marshall amps he is so famous for playing through for an acoustic guitar, a tambourine and a few select guests.

‘Several Shades Of Why‘ sees J at his very best singing classic, Mascis folk tunes and lazy, West Coast songs alongside guest appearances from Kurt Vile, Kevin Drew from Broken Social Scene, Ben Bridwell from Band of Horses and many others.

On first listen I kind of just dismissed this as another Mascis record as Dinosaur Jr albums of late have not exactly lived up to the likes of Bug and Green Mind, but after spending some time with this the full 10 tracks make for a very impressive (nearly all) acoustic album that follows J’s electric contributions to the latest Dead Confederate and Sweet Apple albums with a mature but magical presence.

The best way of introducing this to you is by watching Sub Pop labelmate Chad VanGaalen‘s amazing video for the track Not Enough as it will definitely take you on a journey that should lead you to discovering a cracking summer chiller.

Emilio Gonzales

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Anna Calvi

Anna Calvi
Anna Calvi
Domino Records

Bursting at the seams with passion, atmosphere, seduction and beauty, Anna Calvi’s debut is a velvet encased gem delivered straight from dimly lit backstreet burlesque clubs. Seductive guitar tones and surges of wild euphoria drift through ten sexually charged tracks.

In reality, the album was not made in such captivating circumstances as the sound suggests, but rather as a result of Anna locking herself in a basement in Fulham. The dark sophistication came not from her surroundings but from within an evocatively artistic brain.

Opener ‘Rider to the Sea’ is dripping with rich colour and guitars descending from the Hendrix school of instrumental love making. This flows effortlessly into ‘No More Words’, the first example of Anna’s ability to change the pace and slow a track right down to a serene minimalism, before angelic backing vocals proceed to lift you from your seat.

‘Desire’ builds into a hugely uplifting vocal, which oozes Patti Smith-esque presence as you hang on to her every word. Like the previous track, big fan and unofficial mentor Brian Eno provides backing vocals on ‘Suzanne and I’, a track awash wish dreamy guitar and haunting reverb.

Empty space plays a huge part in the feel of the album. Pockets of near silence give way to Anna’s soft vocals and when she belts it out there is a realisation, a notification that we are listening to a talent to behold. Just as the silence is important, Anna’s ambition to create an orchestral sound from just a guitar, drums and a harmonium, has really come to life on this record. Who needs an orchestra when you have a reverb pedal and a gut instinct for textured sound.

Carefully calculated sound effects and samples play wonderfully on the ears and give the record even more depth and poignancy. One of Anna’s biggest talents is her ability to convey the meaning of a song instrumentally, a trait no more evident than on the lyrically sparse ‘The Devil’ a fittingly morose ballad at the heart of the record.

Right at the death the musical wasteland of ‘Morning Light’ acts as a long intro to the album closer ‘Love Won’t Be Leaving’, five and a half minutes of intense heart pouring into a letter written to a lost love, a heart-wrenching end to an incredible album. Anna’s musical intelligence and sophistication mixed with seductive prowess is there for all to see in this powerful debut, it’ll leave you walking around Soho at midnight reflecting on lost love, either that or looking for a basement in Fulham.

Mark Beckett.

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Various Artists

Various Artists
Heartbeats
Available from here.

The tragic situation in Japan needs no introduction. However, the on-going problems and recovery process are among many ideas that may not have fully sunk into your minds and so the urgency of our action to help those in need cannot be stressed or emphasised enough. Any perspective needed is right there in front of us: we have it pretty easy in this country and I’m sure many of us will settle for a few days of sunshine amidst moderate grey skies every year in exchange for not constantly being under mortal threat from the planet we live on. Every little act really does help, so it’s reassuring to see so many musicians thoughtfully utilising their positions to raise awareness and support the recovery process.

One of our favourite producers, Submerse, has teamed up with Andy Bee and Toby ‘Price’ Godwin and spearheaded a music project with the sole purpose of raising money for Japan. It’s a great simple idea that’s already gained wide support from producers and musicians across the world and is very worthy of your attention, not just for the cause it represents, but for the staggering amount of goodness packaged inside.

The first compilation (unmixed) has been hand-picked from an enormous range of submissions by Submerse and co. and is due to feature cuts from Phaeleh, Dj Madd, RSD, Donga & Blake, Submerse, Price, Resketch, Whistla, Rrritalin, Duncan Powell, Sclist, Sentinels , VVV, Klaxons (a previously unheard official remix from Steve Aoki!), Indigo, Blnd!, Valta & Minikin, Sines , Opti, Von D, Littlefoot AND more. This is no slapdash compilation of b-sides. This is the real deal, for a very real cause. For just a fiver you’re getting 20 fresh cuts of delicious tuna and 100% of that fiver will go straight to the Red Cross in support of Japan’s recovery from the tsunami disaster that occurred last week.

Have a listen to the official Soundcloud set below which features some very notable selections (some of which have long been overdue a release…) including VVV’s deep, deep, deeeeeeeep and cavernous, Burial-like ‘No Longer’ and an extra special cut from Submerse himself. ‘I’d Rather Have You’ is an emotional, string-driven future garage gem that blissfully wanders through similar territories occupied by some of his biggest tunes (‘Hold It Down’, ‘OVA’ – both hugely recommended of course) and is guaranteed to sit well amongst the rest of the tunes from a stellar range of artists who are all at the top of their game. Show your support for this one.

Joe Moynihan.

Heartbeats – First Set by Heartbeats365

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Sebadoh

Sebadoh
Bakesale
Domino Records

With the formation of Sebadoh in 1986, Lou Barlow managed to escape the song writing power struggle between him and his former Dinosaur Jr bandmate J Mascis, and the result? An equally innovative project which saw Barlow writing the majority of the songs, penning seven studio albums in the process. Barlow continued to produce fuzzy lo-fi music on four track tape decks until he broadened his recording techniques in the mid 90s, the result? The cult classic Bakesale, which is now being reissued by Domino.

1994 was a breakthrough year for many lo-fi bands and the like, including Pavement’s Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain and Dinosaur Jr’s Without a Sound reaching more mainstream audiences, where before they only had underground acclaim. 1994 also saw the highly successful debuts for Portishead who had lo-fi credentials and Weezer who were influenced by the scene. Released in the same year, Bakesale could easily have been lost amongst some of these more well-known classics but it certainly deserves to be held in similar high regards. Sebadoh’s unsung masterpiece has now been rediscovered and remastered where once it may have been forgotten.

The album contains 15 tracks of angry and bittersweet songs which stay faithful to the old distorted sound but add more accomplished production techniques. The guitar riffs are more prominent than the original, where they were slightly lost in the tide of the songs, a shame for such well crafted intricacies. There is more clarity and distinction between every sound, however they have managed to retain the rawness that epitomizes their sound.

License to Confuse does a perfect job as an opener. It’s unforgivingly catchy without being too annoying and nagging and it’s explosive from the off. Fast paced vocals, meandering guitars and drum fills really set the tone for the rest of the album.

A notable feature of Sebadoh is their constant rotation of band duties. Just like the songwriting, they each have a go on different instruments like excited children with short attention spans. The first sign of change is on Not a Friend where the responsibility of drumming is handed over to Eric Gaffney in a melodic song with a wonderfully lazy rhythm.

An early highlight is Not Too Amused, the longest track on the album and a huge statement of intent. It builds and builds, gathering momentum and generating new levels of anger with every lyric, culminating in an almost shouting delivery from Jason Loewenstein. The pauses in vocals make way for quirky guitar fills and the constant fuzz only adds to the animosity towards the subject matter.

The simplicity of the chord sequences on tracks such as Got It act as innocent backdrops to the menacing vocals, but songs like these can often fade out to soon, with the majority of songs clocking in at less than three minutes. Shit Soup is allowed to run a little longer however and marks the peak of the records anger with heavy bursts of overdrive that propel the song into an orbit of frustration and desperate lyrical imagery. Sentiments such as ‘you’re shit soup/and I’m in the reflection booth/two glass eyes behind cheap sunglasses’ shows an admirable eye for detail.

Towards the end of the record Mystery Man has gleaming guitar moments and Temptation Tide sweeps over as quickly as the title suggests. Closing the record is the dramatically stop start Together or Alone that draws the album to a forlorn climax. Amidst all the powerchords and chaotic lead guitar are masses of raw emotion that help to make this a fascinating listen. Now this remastered version is back with more force than ever for a second turbulent onslaught on your unsuspecting ears.

Mark Beckett.