Outsideleft Week in Music Does What Makes You Happy

Cassandra can do wrong, but rarely if ever does for me. Can't easily forget the lyricism of 2021s revelatory An Overview of Phenomenal Nature - the lyric about the three legged dog. Aaron is taken from the Transa comp LP which has even greater significance than before given the hate in the heart of American government right now. Aaron is recorded with Bloomsday and Babehoven and offers a lot to think about.

All Christmas singles are horrible.  Fact.  This is better than most, but still poor.  Why would an act with the track record and kudos of ACR lower themselves to doing this?  It is one of life's great mysteries, like David Bowie doing 'The Laughing Gnome'.

Three kids in searach of a meal. Eat-Girls are making a seriously slight noise about getting it. They have their own mild truculance and the world is a way better place for that.

Welsh shoegazers Wylderness make all the right noises. Their new single 'Big Idea' is a beautiful slice of dreampop. Dreamy melody, shimmering hazy guitars, and a more robust rhythm section than you usually get with this sort of thing. Vocals need to be either stronger or buried lower in the mix mind, but that's a minor quibble really. This is quite a lovely record, and suggests that Wylderness may have hidden depths should they ever feel like exploring them. 

Bayem brings the vibrant warmth of the summer sun with his single ‘Malibu’. This song is a rich, refreshing blend of different genres such as tropical house, indie pop with electronic elements, creating a laid-back, sun-soaked atmosphere. When I first heard this song, I was captivated by the flutters of the synths along with the warm pads and the groovy bassline. Bayem’s wonderful vocals bring an alluring energy; the refrain of the heartfelt lyrics creates a rhythmic almost meditative effect. The song explores the joys and the challenges that comes with love like self-doubt; slowly opening up to the other person, finding delight and satisfaction in each other. The smooth, flowy melodies illustrate the gentle lap of the waves on a beach, like a carefree feeling, breaking free from everyday worries; simply just living in the moment. The song’s portrayal of Malibu illustrates a dream like atmosphere, an idyllic location where there’s refreshing rest. This is all but a taster for his upcoming EP ‘Tape 3’ coming out on 14 th December; Bayum will be performing a hometown EP release show in Indianapolis. Keep your eyes peeled!

Jenny Don't and The Spurs tap deep into certain rock tradititions and it's cool. Their brand of Americana comes via the likes of Lone Justice and Drive By Truckers...  Greats, all of course with an unnering ability to rock with a stylish twang, to eschew the vacuity and pompous pretensions inhibiting so many supposedly uninhibited modern rockers and so much of modern rock. They're touring the UK's burgeoning set of Hillybilly bars, in support of their LP, ‘Broken Hearted Blue’ and are really not to be missed. 'Broken Hearted Blue’ was prduced by Collin Hegna of Brian Jonestown Massacre & Federale fame. You know what he can do. Colin focuses on the rough-hewn buzzsaw edge of their undoubted guitar, bass, drums craftsmanship, it's a fantastic fury for sure. 

From the 'Children' EP and I begin by telling you I am petty bigot. I know it and the instant I see seven minutes as the remixed duration of a pop piece I blanche, I wilt. It reminds me of the physical effort of getting round any giant art retrospective, where there should be unadulterated joy, there is pain, involved. Even before it arrives you know it's coming and so, one, analgesic to mitigate. However, Soweto Gospel Choir of course defy my bogotry and have a  cure for all of my ills... It is here. Hear...

This is a beautiful meandering delight isn't it? The harmonies, to live for. From Kokoroko's recent EP, 'Get The Message', where each track is just as languidly beautiful as this one, raching out, touching every inch of your skin and soul. Music to make yourself feel better about yourself with.

This constitutes an upbeat hit from top country story tellers, Willy Vlautin and the boys and girls and oh man does it hit, like a really big pud, weighing you down with every thud. It's rich and generous throughout. Incomprehensibly great. So supremely sweet and somehow you know you just shouldn't like something so much as you do. Having a left hook like Frazier is always gonna be a liability if you're not Frazier.

Kim does late night crooning in a beautiful big band, redrawn by Kim Deal kind of way. Nobody Loves You (Any)More some faddish, fickle music fans might say. But I can still love this enough to listen to it all through. Each track is it's own tiny universe aligned and non-aligned. Kim earned those stripes an age ago and basically does what she has always done which is whatever she wants. Wildly thrilling. To right too. 

Dero Goi is the former frontman of 'Neue Deutsche Härte' (new German hardness) pioneers OOMPH!, an act with which I am not familiar with at all, so I am coming at this one with fresh eyes.  There is a lot to take in with '1984', as its a double album.  I have a confession.  I'm not a big fan of double album's, even less the triple.  It always smacked of old school self indulgence to me and the vast majority of doubles could easily be cut down to a much better single album.  I'm not just talking about The Clash here either.  Compilation albums are the exception of course, because they are not single bands, or are 'best of's, but I'm digressing.  This is Deri's first solo outing and he has chucked everything he has in here; synth-wave, EBM, retro-ish sounds, even bits of guitar.  1984 is pristinely arranged and recorded.  That used to impress me, but not so much these days, as technology has enabled that for everyone.  The vocals don't really do it for me either.  I found they grated after a while and some of them attempt to be funny, but aren't especially (eg 'Shitstorm').  So it's a mixed bag of feelings for me on this.  Great production and arrangement, a skilful mix of electronic music styles,  the title single '1984' is quite catchy (if not especially original sounding), but I stopped listening after the first of the two albums as it just all got a bit too much. This is an example of where the buy one, get one free approach isn't actually a good thing.

Alan Rider welcomes back an old friend, his very own Knights In White Satin, so to speak, here

There are twelve Mutations to be enjoyed in 38 minutes on The Mutations: Unreleased Basil Kirchin Film Music From 1968 and 1974. This one is Mutation #9. A minute or so long, but encapsulating all that can be communicated and attained in music in that time. All Mutations are good. Some are composed with Jack Nathan, he has two forenames in his name. You know what that is a signifier of?  I am elevating Trunk Records in my thinking with each passing week. They have the good juice, right? 

Denis Bovell who wrote and produced this eternal pop classic, will feature in a new dub collection in December issued by Disciple, a contemporary curator of underground sounds based in London, an in-house imprint of the legendary Warp Records. Much, exicitement about this. And Janet Kay's Silly Games? while little is obligatory in the world, playing Silly Games when DJing should be.