SINGLES
PORRIDGE RADIO - Flowers (Secretly Canadian)
by Lee Paul
A medium paced rocker from Britain's latest greatest hope. Pretty cool use of a piano and drums and guitars and vocals. Quite love this Porridge Radio band right now. While arranging something as pretty as Flowers, the vitriol escapes the vase with ease, and is enough to make most wince I should think. Great enough. The nation's future? Lots to ponder about cutting too soft tomatoes. Have you noticed the quality of veg on home delivery orders dropping too?
DIPLO & SWAE LEE - Tupelo Shuffle (From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack ELVIS) (House of Iona) ZERO s
by Tim London
Just no, Diplo, you wanker. And, also Swae, I know he’s probably promised you a bag of cash and some snide Moet but, really, you really want to go down in history as the heir to Stars On 45? What do you mean you’ve got no idea what I’m talking about!? Jive Bunny? No? Oh, just get back to playing with your aut oh toooon.
SHYGIRL - Come For me (Nuxxe)
by Tim London
The ‘official visualiser’ has a sort of moving equivalent of the kind of mural your gran might have had on the wall in the 1970s. Probably quite kitsch now. Bit of a disconnect with the track which can’t make its mind up whether it wants to bang or just mess about with bits of sample. Honestly, if this had been released in the 1970s there would have been some puzzled Status Quo fans. As it is, if you like the sound of someone sort of talking insanely to themselves whilst various fists of different sizes bang on the neighbour’s wall, then this is for you. ‘Banger’.
JAMES BOURNE - X-Man (Mercury) ZERO s
by Tim London
He’s not the man he used to be - hence ‘x man’. That’s all you need to know about the lyrics. But this does feature some of the nicest splashing I’ve ever heard on a single. Sort of acceptable right up to the rap with extra added Jamaican accent, where it becomes the kind of unacceptable only available to white men from Essex doing Jamaican accents.
THE QUEEN'S HEAD - Teach Me To Dance (Speedy Wunderground)
by Tim London
Right, they’re named after a pub. They have been doing a residency at a pub in south London. They remind me of a more youthful, particularly manic and more energetic but less well dressed Ian Dury & the Blockheads. Or that might just be the combination of noisy, rocky funk with oi oi vocals. Either way, it makes sense that there should be a new pub rock thing happening for young people in loud shirts, it fits, so I’m calling it. Consider this your introduction. Nice bass line, by the way.
REVELATORS SOUND SYSTEM - Grieving (37d03d)
by Ancient Champion
Oh man! Hear that horn. It's breezy. This is a walking about all over at night with expensive ear buds in place winner this week. Astonishing.
EPs
MUSEUMGOER - 20 (Bandcamp)
by Hamilton High
Museumgoer 20 hits the stores this weekend and it's ambience is infectious. Read Museumgoer's Track by Track guide to Museumgoer 20, right here.
ANDREW BIRD - Make A Picture (Wegawam Records)
by Hamilton High
Sometimes Andrew Bird. He's got that mid level management reliability. Still ordering Windows computer when the younger staffers are going with Chromebooks and the bosses all buy Apple for their kids. Woefully out of time. Make a Picture is a melodic delight.
LPs
MURKAGE DAVE - The City Needs A Hero (Dave's Own Label)
by Tim London
Tim London says Murkage Dave's The City Needs A Hero has the feel of a conceptual album. This is because it sums up a mood, a moment. Read Tom's entire review here
JIM BASNIGHT - Pop Top (Power Popaholic)
by John Robinson
Jim Basnight has been recording with a variety of bands since the 1970s, first with The Moberlys, then with the Rockinghams and with his own Jim Basnight Band as well as releasing solo albums, the first being Pop Top in 1993, here re-mastered and re-released. This is someone who has recorded with Peter Buck from R.E.M. and has performed alongside members of Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Jane's Addiction and many others. With such impeccable power pop credentials his first album still holds up well. The collection is surprisingly varied, an eclectic collection from punkier songs to those with a country twang. Although a highly commercial release, there's a high standard of independent song-writing on display. The standouts are often the darker songs, the documentary trail through Houston Street, punchier notes of Asphault Field, venom of Evil Touch, serve to outweigh the more formulaic elements, and the re-mastering of what was originally a cassette only release is excellent.
Other Materials
YUSEF LATEEF - Eastern Sounds (Concord)
by Ancient Champion
So, for various reasons, mainly impressed on me by my bass playing pal, I've listening to a whole lot of, and being mesmerised by Yusef Lateef this week. From the 1961 LP, Eastern Sounds, the opener, Plum Blossom should be on everyone's playlist of playlists all the time forever, simply...
Essential Info
Main Image Porridge Radio grabbed from YouTube.
