FIVE HEARTS! The number of 5 Heart records Last Month was 18
We're not evolving from 5 heart reviews, not shirking away from giving our hearts to great records. This monthly collation of Five Heart reviews is soon to be supplanted by the records the our reviewers actually endorse. It's weird, it's nunaced, it just differentiates between admittedly good records and records our reviewers really want you to hear. The ones they're really, really, really sticking their aesthetic ear credentials to. In my head, it is a meaningful difference. You'll see...
Our reviewers handing out the hearts this month were LamontPaul (4), John Robinson (1), Toon Traveller (6), Jay Lewis (3), Ancient Champion (18), Ogglypoogly (3), DJ Fuzzyfelt (1), Lee Paul (2), Tim London (1), Martin Devenney (1), Paul Mortimer (1) and Alan Rider (11)
ANDRÉ ETHIER - S.C.U.D.S. Over Broadway (Telephone Explosion)
by Ancient Champion
Primarily a highly regarded fine artists these days, the former front person for Deadly Snakes makes this easy listening malarky look easy. Outside of skilled hands, it ain't, of course. Got a touch of the Clash's 'Shepherd's Delight' from Sandinista - you gotta go deep to find it, but these shepherds denuded of any energy whatsoever. S.C.U.D.S. worthy of your SQUIDS! Dude... Lovely.
CARNAGE ASADA - Head On A Platter (Historical Records)
by Alan Rider
Carnage Asada started out in 1993 as a straightforward punk outfit, boasting members drawn from various iconic US punk acts Saccharine Trust, Black Flag, Sin 34, Alice Bag, The BellRays, and others, but have
evolved over the years into an energetically off-the-wall 'punk jazz orchestra', complete with cello. Think of Captain Beefheart playing punk as jazz. Yes, I know, its an exotic mix, but one that works. They haven't exactly been prolific though. Their first album was in 1999, then nothing, until now. Was it worth the wait? I think so. Given their punk credentials and the lumpen US punk veteran company they keep, you can forgive them the more obvious punky outpourings of 'Germs Reborn' and 'Listen To The Whispers' , yet they can switch seamlessly into 'Punk Jazz' (which is a made up term, I'm sure) on tracks like 'Come On Baby', 'Psychedelic Experiment', the title track, and the wonderful 'Little Fat Princess'. Its the latter style where Carnage Asana really shine. Given singer George Murrilo's visual and vocal resemblance to 'Safe As Milk' era Captain Beefheart, the influences and comparisons are inevitable, but that's a good parallel to draw. The fact that a band like Carnage Asana can spring out of LA is indicative of the creative tinderbox of that town. They tell me that they started out jamming, heavy with influences such as Hawkwind, the Stooges, the Minutemen, and James Brown. That all begins to make sense, with George Murillo described as ‘the Mexican Lou Reed’, thanks to his lyrics telling of scuzzy low life debauchery and walks on the wild side of downtown East LA. He has the perfect voice for it too. This is music you'd want to play in the car, preferably on a scorching hot day with the top down, but given the UK's weather, we'll have to settle for in the rain, with the heater on. The album's closer, 'Blood of Thorns' sounds as un punk as you can imagine. Lowlife jazz psychedelia at its best, Carnage Asdana are certainly one to watch out for. Lets just hope they don't take another 25 years to put out another release.
DALE CROVER & TOM WAITS - Glossolalia (Joyful Noise)
by Ancient Champion
Being a Melvin or being appropriated by Dorritos has its rewards. They probably own adjacent farms or something, Waits and Crover, way out West. I only say this because they begin by mimicking animal noises and sound like they're familiar with those type of country folk. That's as good a start as I could ever hope to hear. On this showing when Ozzy hangs up the mic next week, Dale's a shoe-in for lead vocals on any future Sabbath reunion tour. btw, that's my Sabbath cover band name Future Sabbath - all Sabbath all the time on vintage synths, perverse enough for you? But I digress... And meanwhile, this is a great one. The title track from Dale Crover's new cavalcade of stars packed new album. A cavalcade of stars? No wonder. Who's not taking calls from the Melvins' drummer? Wow! Everything is right with this.
DAVID LANCE CALLAHAN - Robin Reliant (Tiny Global)
by Ancient Champion
David Lance Callahan has been renowned perhaps since his C86 Wolfhound, and Moonshake days. So he's picked up a bit about looping, atmospheric songwriting along the way. He played at Birmingham's Rock n Roll Brewery recently, and set the city's most beautiful venue alight. Accompanied by drummer Theo D Azzler (who has played with everyone significant...The Nightingales, Fall and way more...) David was really quite mesmerising as he played his new solo LP, 'Down The The Marshes' (Sept 29th, Tiny Global Records) entirely. Robin Reliant is a deft example of David's eclecctic always quite electric guitar-y beautiful, poignant and eventually immense tunesmithery. Yikes!
EL MICHELS AFFAIR • BLACK THOUGHT - Glorious Game (Instrumentals) (Big Crown Records)
by Ancient Champion
Well. Invariably love Big Crown Records and particularly love these insttrumental records, perfect for writing to. Glorious Game which was one of last years best. Without Black Thought? Weird. Not Republican Weird. Weird in the old good disoncerting way. It's a loss and a win at the same time.
ERLAND COOPER - Carve the Runes Then Be Content With Silence? (Mercury KX)
by Ogglypoogly
"It’s easy to forget, in a world filled with instant gratification and short catchy hooks that music exists in any other form. No more, or less worthy of artistic merit, but oh - so very different." Ogglypoogly talks about the new Erland Cooper record, here.
GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPORER - No Title As Of 13 February 2024, 28,340 Dead (Constellation Records)
by DJ Fuzzyfelt
Godspped You! Black Emporer, GY!BE, as I will call them, are brilliant at what they do. Huge instrumental build ups to the most intense crescendos followed by release and a slow fade.They've been doing it for 30 years and the sheer scale of it never fades. Some of their tunes top out at 20 plus minutes however this album is one of their shorter offerings topping out at six pieces of music in less than an hour, but they still maintain a clout few others will ever match. This isn't music for the faint hearted but it is still beautiful. However, unlike their late 90s contemporaries Sigur Ros and Mogwai, it's doubtful you'll ever find GY!BE soundtracking nature films or football documentaries. Essentially GY!BE are a Post Rock AC/DC in that they've made the same album 8 times but my goodness it's a bloody good one!
GUY HAMPER TRIO - Dog Jaw Woman ft. James Taylor (Damaged Goods Records)
by Ancient Champion
Flawless as... Well what? Let's say the Orloff Diamond. And if you were to present someone with a copy of this record, should they have the wherewithal, they would doubtless reward you for that gesture with a Marble palace in St. Petersburg too. Steal it, give it and see. It is so great. This organ strips paint. Wow! I want to be in a band that sounds 25% as good as this and that would still be great. Oh wait, I am in a band but maybe 25% is over egging it though.
HELLO MARY - Emita Ox (Frenchkiss Records)
by Alan Rider
Alan Rider has a confession to make about Hello Mary. And he makes it, right over here.
HISTORY OF GUNS - Last Train, Drug Castle/Drug Castle film (Bandcamp)
by Alan Rider
Drug Castle was the nickname given to a facility in England where they used to conduct what were often unethical, experimental, psychological procedures during the ‘60s and ‘70s. Originally built for use in World War II, different psychologists and psychiatrists could book it out, and then take patients or volunteers down there for however long, and do whatever they liked, including experimental treatments using frequencies to harmonise with emotional frequencies, causing a third frequency to be created, with bizarre results.
Industrial band History Of Guns had been trying to make contact with beings from another world without much success, so one evening on a whim they decided to catch the train to Drug Castle along with long-term collaborator filmmaker Howard Gardner, who captured the results of the experiment on film. That's the story anyway. The resulting film is your typical arthouse black and white affair, filmed in the light of a campfire on a beach, with a grinding industrial soundtrack culled from their latest album, 'Half Light' and repetively intoned vocals, like a latter day Virgin Prunes, before breaking into an acoustic ballad to mark the passing of night and the breaking of dawn. It is remarkably effective and quite spooky too, with hooded figures flitting in and out. For a low budget mini movie it works well in the way Blair Witch Project and Eraserhead did. Given the plethora of dully predictable band videos around, History of Guns deserve full 5 heart credit for attempting this and breaking the monotony of the weekly slog through Youtube 'visualisers'. More like this please.
History of Guns latest album, 'Half Light', is available for free download here
IVAN CAMPO - And When the Sky Was Opened (Debt Records)
by Ogglypoogly
Sometimes a song finds you at the exact moment you need it, that key to the unravelling of every complex knot of feeling you’ve tangled in the preceding days. Ivan Campo (no, not the footballer) have a habit of making me come utterly undone - And When the Sky was Opened is no exception, the mix of joy and melancholy that traces the edges of their inimitable alt-folk is out in full force with this latest release. The lead single from their upcoming album fill you with the promise that something wonderful is about to land, reaching you at the perfect time for watching the world move into hibernation as the nights grow longer and that sliver of cool crispness whispers against you at the edges of the breeze. Be it the colour and shape of the music that grabs you, or the warmth of the vocals and soaring harmonies over the gently picked guitar, subtle instrumentation and simple percussion. Welcome, to a comforting jumper of a single, something that feels like it was always there from the moment you encountered it.
MESH - Needle In A Bruise (Dependent Records)
by Alan Rider
There was a time, 25 years ago, when it looked like Bristol's Mesh could break through, riding the wave started by Depeche Mode for melodic, anthemic electronica. The album this is taken from, 1999's 'The Point At Which It Falls Apart' was a master class in how to do these things, and was a regular fixture on my turntable. I even caught then live at Camden Underworld at the time. But it was not to be. They had indie success, but not the mainstream adulation they were aiming for. They are still around, gearing up for a new album and tour, with the reissued 'The Point At Which It Falls Apart' getting a 2024 mix, re-master, and the full bonus CD and art book treatment. It still sounds damned good too.
NEMAHSIS - Spinning Plates (Nemahsis)
by Ancient Champion
So, thinking it was a sparkily named Oasis dour cover band from Canada...Got all excited and then this. I think we can add Namahsis to the singular line of Canadian big ones, idiosyncratic big ones like Leonard, of course, always Leonard, Dominique, Kathleen and Taylor... Nemahsis means an awful lot to an awful lot of people already. New articulation. The debut LP, 'Verbathim' is out now. It's not perfect, but not that far off and at times simply sublime. It took me a while to take it off and that never happens much these days.
NINEY THE OBSERVER - I Made A Promise (Observer Records)
by Ancient Champion
Can't fault this record in any way. Unless I suppose they might have cleaned out just some of the pops and scratches and crackles? Arguably one of the greatest record producers of all time. Before that, Joe Gibbs' chief engineer. 'Mr. Brown' features predominantly but I don't even know the etymology of that. Could be Niney's to begin with. Let me know, I know someone will. Whatever. This... perfectly brilliant for sure.
NUBYA GARCIA - Odyssey (Concord)
by Paul Mortimer
Nubya Garcia is one of the world's standout next gen jazz players, Paul Mortimer knows why... Right here
STARCRAZY - What Its Worth (Streaming and download platforms)
by Alan Rider
Starcrazy look good, they really do. Like old school rock stars. They describe themselves as "retro glam rockers' and wear their influences shamelessly on their sleeves. In a world where there is nothing new left to do in music, you may as well celebrate your heroes and ape their sound, without apology. This bunch of Aussie rockers certainly do that, and do it very well. 'What It's Worth' is a retro stomper par excellence.
THE OKMONIKS - Afterparty Fever!!!! (Slovenly Recordings)
by Martin Devenney
If you like your garage punk at supernumber of xxxx's mph Martin Devenney says, I'm not telling you how many miles per hour, find out over here
[MELTER] - Catwalk (Streaming and download platforms)
by Alan Rider
A song about suicide, 'Catwalk' is powerful stuff. Singer Jax Allos said of the track "‘what started as a very difficult, challenging subject ultimately became a positive experience.[melter] made me feel welcome and really helped me find my voice. It has allowed me to reconnect with those aspects of my life that I needed so badly and, in its way, it saved my life.” The track itself has a simple, Cure-like bass line and piano line, and shouldn't really be anything special, but is, due to the intensity Allos puts into her performance. That's a gift really, but can't be easy for her and that's what makes [melter] stand out from the crowd.
Essential info
Main image David Lance Callahan from his Bandcamp page.