Outsideleft Week in Music at the Beach in OUTSIDELEFT

What a week when both JFK and the Jack Rubies have new music out 60 years after their paths were so closely intertwined. Los Dedos though.

SINGLES

LOS DEDOS - Tres Margaritas (Own Label)
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by Ancient Champion

If anything could get me back in the water, frozen margarita in hand, it's Los Dedos. Sure Martin Denny lives by the beach alongside Deadbolt. And so, for the twangiest guitar and mellowest cymbals, God love them. And all you readers love them too I hope.

ZOOEY CELESTE - Cosmic Being (Soundcloud)
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by Toon Traveller

Starts. Syndrums, slow pensiveness, pedantic, and ponderous, and this is going really really well and then. Weakly sung dark, dark vocals. David Bowie, crossed with a bad Goth tribute band. Sure there's pain, pathos, and post love angst. Parody would be better, but a bad one. So from me it is a don't bother, or stop straight after the excellent understated intro - get a Scott Walker CD, a REAL miserabilist baritone.

DOPE LEMON - Kimosabe (KMG)
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by Toon Traveller

Great great opening, New Orleans, Dr John, Gris Gris music, this reeks of the misty days on a bayou. Slow, sleazy, slinky sounds, floating through the misty mangrove swamps. This ooozes muddy backwaters, secret blues and soul bars, where it's moonshine, crayfish, 'gator steaks, and the best blues, this side of Mason-Dixon line. A magic slab of jambalaya then, served in La Fayette, or back street New Orleans, it's bourbon and Blues, it's slow embraces, it mysterious looks and forbidden glances; it's all that you want in the heat of the night, down, dirty, sweaty and swampy, to go with that ice cold beer. It's last night empty hearts, and split wine, it's slow recovery, it's the naughty, slightly shifty places, just on the edge of your comfort zone where curiosity entices you in, and you're glad it did. it glides n slides, a canoe in the misty backwaters, beware of Gator's there, waiting for a careless hand. It's taken me four listens, NOT to review but, to have my fill of the rich, fat as steak and eggs music for a hungry soul. Brilliantly done.

ADELE H - Impermanence (Obsolete Recordings)
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by Toon Traveller

Every now and again a slice of elegant beauty, that transcends the usual slap, thump, 4:4,timing that dominates pop/rock, slips in amongst a pile of regular recycled trash, much to my personal delight. This is such a piece, delicate playing, light as feather vocals, 70's Flora Purim?, weaving around a piano's romance. A slowly coming alive feel we all have now and again, when we KNOW from first eyes open, "it's gonna be a good day", this is that spirit. Adele's got a wonderful vocal range, a perfect match of voice and piano. This song gently strokes, tantalises, and tenderly teases senses and memories. There's a great 'middle eight' straight out of Joni Mitchell in her later Hejra, and subsequent works. There's those clever lyrics, mournful delivery, and sense of hidden truths, that too few artists have the courage, let alone ability deliver with such dexterity and masterfulness.

BLEACHERS - Modern Girl (Dirty Hit)
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by Katherine Pargeter

Jack Antanoff is better known for his production work - you'll see his name on albums by Taylor Swift, the 1975, Lorde, Florence and the Machine and Lana Del Ray. He clearly knows what great records should sound like, yet it's something that he has been unable to translate into his own music-making.

'Modern Girl's homage to Springsteen (again) is clear from the start, although Bleachers two saxophonists are still nowhere near as breathtaking as one Clarence Clemons. Then there's a whiff of Billy Joel mangled with a sitcom theme tune (sorry, but I can't shake it) and the observation with the modern girls that are 'shaking their ass tonight'...How not very modern! Derivative toss!

GIRL SCOUT - Millionaire (Made Music)
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by Toon Traveller

From their Granny Music EP that is out about now. Simple plaintiff strummed guitar, a few thumps on the sound box opens, sad, pained, achingly beautiful, but then a standard drum pattern, some pretty piano sprinkles whimsical charm, and it's just a an other saccharine hard to swallow slice of autumn leaves to sun bleached beaches, pinna coladas, and head on hand, watching summer fashions amble past.

FRANK CARTER AND THE RATTLESNAKES - Man of the Hour (International Death Cult Records)
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by Toon Traveller

Label should have warned me, but you gotta face your prejudices now again, tastes change. Sadly, as expected, third rate rebel yell, steady bash, bash, stomp stomp, drums, fist pumping, mosh pit surfing, 70s pogoing, ripped t-shirts, spiked hair. awhh god, tag line time. Zilch hearts, regurgitated, sub tribute, bad copyist, post plagiarised pseudo punk. I suppose in case there's a doubt, I should add, not for me.

THE JOY FORMIDABLE - Share My Heat (Hassle)
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by Alan Rider

We've blown hot and cold at OL on The Joy Formidable over the past couple of years. I'm definitely blowing hot for this one though. Its stabbing post punk pulse is both hypnotic and hyperactive, evolving over 15 minutes of multiple twists and turns with nods to indie, alt rock and more than a nod to Prog, but updated to the 21st Century. Coupled with a jitteringly complicated and epic video, the Welsh trio have produced a truly impressive work here that surpasses anything I've heard from them previously. If this was 25 years ago 'Share My Heat' would be enjoying a good long stint sitting at the top of the indie charts. As it is, this deserves streaming to a few million Spotify accounts instead to earn them the credit this so clearly merits. Epic and impressive, is hard to envisage where Joy Formidable will go next after this. I'm kicking myself that I missed their Norwich gig now.

BELLA KOUYATE - Democracy (YouTube)
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by Toon Traveller

Sometimes it works, and then it doesn't. There may be good ideas, but it's hard to tell, there's flickers, fleeting hints of what's intended. The voices incoherent, a distant mumble, it should be a proud yell, and more disastrously, how can you have music from Africa, or the Levant, where the horns are a soft murmur, not an ear demanding roar? It skips joyously along, sunshiney and jazzy, but that's not enough. I really wanted to enjoy this though and that means something.

CHELSEA WOLFE - Dusk (Loma Vista)
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by Toon Traveller

Been a dull week, music and weather, and Chelsea arrives. Dark sombre, ponderously plodding, in the rain. Screams, shadows and lights flicker, scary huh? Impressions, a 2nd rate 80s dark Goth sound, and a voice that sounds like a Banshee, just not Siouxsie. It's a slow, going nowhere tune that reeks of too much dad's late 60's prog rock, and 80's nihilistic whimsy. Chelsea should sit in the sun and sip Pina Coladas. Or open a hotel in Manhatten and name it after herself. Sure there's darkness and fear, think Hammer Horror, sure there's pain, remember a 'never again hangover', and words trying to escape, closing her mouth for a few minutes would help. Turgid as an oil slick on a pristine beach

THE JACK RUBIES - Poltergeist (Big Stir Records)
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by Toon Traveller

First up, as a European, seeing names of infamous murders, I tend to think (sigh - how tiresome, how faux, - like, - yeah, - radical maaaan), BLOODY grow up. That said, this Jack Rubies track is from the Big Stir Halloween LP Stir The Cauldron which is a great compilation. These Jacks do make some good points, love the riffed chorus, a sense of happy bounce. Lead vocal weak against some good playing, sounds like they're steadfastly refusing to move on from their early C86 roots. It bounces, it swings, it stomps, confident, and lively. They're probably a ball live. But like a meringue, it melts quickly away, your left wondering where the substance is. Good playing, and ideas, but nothing to share with friends.

WILDERADO - In Between ft. Ken Pomeroy (Their Own I Think)
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by Lee Paul

Nowhere near as important as they want to be. Perfectly serviceable. Won't frighten the horses.

MCKOWSKI - Lake (Deltasonic)
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by Toon Traveller

Lake is from the album, Notes from the Boneyard (October 6th). Slow guitar, sharp keyboard in minor chords. A soundtrack sensibility reminds me of UK film noir, or 'Ipcress File', type... Wistful scenes from original UK version of 'Get Carter'. A strong sense of cinematic vision. There's a mystery here, sounds and senses, it's a slow reflective piece. Zither, perhaps, with all it's slow, sharp lights, deep dark shadows, it's strong on atmosphere, and some pretty, simple playing, there lies it's charm. Closest thing I've heard to Music Noir

PAPER TAPES - Cut The cord (Geographie Records )
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by Alan Rider

This is cheesy. So cheesy that it will instantaneously fur up your arteries. However, despite my natural aversion to all things cheesy (I am musically lactose intolerant) I rather like this one, so will take a chance on feeling all clogged up in the morning.

KLEISTWAHR - Rotten Boroughs (Fourth Dimension)
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by Alan Rider

Labels like Fourth Dimension operate beyond the rim of the known musical universe so you always have to be prepared for a very different experience that rightly challenges your preconception of what music is and should be. In the West we have a tightly defined and overly restrictive definition of what is acceptable in our music, based on simple chromatic scales, pleasing and familiar sounds, predictable vocal stories, and unimaginative 4/4 beats. Stuff a music teacher would say is 'correct'. Acts like Kleistwahr, another variation on Noise pioneers Ramleh, push that convention out of a very high window, leaving it smashed and bloody on the ground. Album 'For the Lives Once Lived' is coming in October. Normally I would say expect more of the same for any normal album following a single, but in this case, there is no 'same' to refer back to. Where Kleistwahr are involved, 'same' is for losers.

EPs

BABE RAINBOW - Mushroom (Eureka!)
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by Alan Rider

Bleurrrggghh! This makes me feel sick. Its so sugary sweet I can feel the pounds piling on just listening to it. Lets face it, this is derivative early '70s drivel and so, so, smug with it too. The kids probably love it only because they don't know any better.

LPs

MORLOCKS - Praise the Iconoclast (Metropolis)
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by Alan Rider

Get a dose of the Morlocks, 'Praise The Iconoclast' alongside Alan Rider, right here

JFK - Avalanche Zone (Fourth Dimension)
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by Alan Rider

JFK is Anthony Di Franco of noise innovators Ramleh, so has a long history with both acts of producing uncompromising music that usurps conventions, and this is no exception right from the pulverising opener 'Pullulator'. Originally released in spring 2021 by US label L.I.E.S. this is a well-deserved reissue with the addition of three extra tracks to add to the original six. Avalanche Zone combines heavy duty piledriver bass and rhythm sounds with swirling electronics and old school noise. Its not everyone's cup of tea for sure, but challenges and stretches definitions and pop music it most certainly 'aint. That's pretty rare amongst the stuff we have to wade through here in order to find the odd gem. Hallelujah for that!

NATION OF LANGUAGE - Strange Disciple (Play It Again Sam)
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by Jay Lewis

Jay finds soul in a sole obsession here.

KAU - The Cycle Repeats (Sdban Ultra)
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by Lee Paul

The Cycle Repeats doesn't always repeat itself, ranging from uptight cinematic grooves to well tape found on teh floor of the Going For The One sessions. If you want eclectic as a jumping off point, Brussels' Kau are going to intrigue you.

<a href="https://kaumusic.bandcamp.com/album/the-cycle-repeats">The Cycle Repeats by KAU</a>

JOHN - A Life Diagrammatic (Brace Yourself/Pets Care)
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by Alan Rider

You have to laugh at two guys called John who decide to call their band John. Its funny. It just is. Sound-wise its pretty intense stuff, with that punky loud/quiet thing going on, hammering drums that kick you in the stomach, slabs of kitchen sink guitars thrown in and no quarter given at any point. OK, its a bit Killing Joke-y in parts, scratch that, VERY Killing Joke-y all the way through, but having said that, this is a blast played out loud and to my somewhat jaded ears sounds pretty damned good. Considering there are just two of them, drummer and guitarist, they make one hell of a noise together too. Live, I gather they are equally intense (UK tour starting in November following a US jaunt). 'A life Diagrammatic' will blast anyone out of bed any day of the week, but has plenty of light and dark mixed in there too. Five hearts well earned.

DATAROCK - Media Consumption Pyramid (YAP Records)
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by Alan Rider

Norway 'Dance Punks' (yes, seriously, I did just say 'Dance Punks'!) Datarock have been channeling Devo for the past few years. Is there nothing new under the sun? Apparently not. So let's call them a 'Devo Tribute Band With New Tunes' then, rather than use the cringe-worthy 'Dance Punks' label. Basing your whole act on sounding just like another well known act is a tried and tested formula, if cynical and completely lacking in imagination. They make a good fist of it too. Its all there, but especially the carbon copy vocal style. Now if you like Devo, then you could simply save yourself the effort of finding this and just buy a cheap Devo 'Best Of' compilation from Discogs or Amazon. In fact, why don't you just do that instead and stop reading this?

Other Materials

DAY GLOW GREY - Neo Forest (Youtube)
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by Alan Rider

If you search on Youtube you will find a plethora of ambient electronics like this, designed to play in the background whilst you study, read, or just wind down after a tense day and drift off. This is a great example of that and every bit as good as any electronic soundtrack album you will find. Its an hour long, so not for sitting down and poring over, but pop it on whilst you are doing a quiet task and you will soon get my point.

MIGHTY MIGHTY - Is Anyone Out There (Cherry Red reissue)
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by Ancient Champion

Well, sometimes people in their magic moment come up with perfect pop songs and Mighty Mighty have done it right here. Summer self-effacing sounds. There is a great interview with Mick from Mighty Mighty on the Adrian Goldberg's Adventures in Music Radio show which you can check out here...

EYELESS IN GAZA - Photographs as Memories (Cherry Red)
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by Alan Rider

Although this is from 1981 it remains as timeless as ever. How a dump like Nuneaton ever produced something as wonderful as Eyeless in Gaza is truly one of life's great mysteries.