Another busy week of new releases with one noteworthy for reasons going beyond its content.
Nell Smith Anxious
Posthumous release from the 17-year-old artist whose debut collaboration with The Flaming Lips explored the works of Nick Cave. A lot of her creative drive was rooted in raw teenage emotions; apprehension; love; travel; gratefulness; ambition; and grief. These moods are visited throughout the tracks on the album with an instrumental approach that brings joy into even the darkest of songs which makes it all the more poignant that she died so young. Her family has set up the Nell Smith Memorial Fund which aims to raise $100,000 and award $10,000 for ten years in grants to young artists to help them overcome financial barriers and achieve their dreams.
Galactic & Irma Thomas Audience With The Queen
The album marks a landmark departure from Galactic’s 10 previous studio LPs, most of which revolved around the band’s core instrumentalists accompanied by a mix of different vocalists. Here, the 84-year-old Soul Queen of New Orleans, Irma Thomas’ famously warm, blues-drenched voice retains the spotlight.
Small Faces Autumn Stone
3CD and 3LP box set. Both new formats of ‘The Autumn Stone’ are significantly expanded from the unfinished, error strewn original 1969 ‘best of’ LP, rush-released by Immediate Records more than six months after the Small Faces band members had gone their separate ways, splitting into The Faces and Humble Pie.
Mamalarky Hex Key
An intricate, endlessly curious album full of sonic left turns and playful genre implosions.
Kuunatic Wheels of Ömon
In addition to their core sonic palette of tribal drums, pulsing bass, atmospheric keyboards and grouped female vocals, the psych-rock trio played an array of Japanese traditional instruments on ‘Wheels of Ömon.’
Storm Orchestra Get Better
Parisian alt-rockers who combine the infectiousness of Nothing But Thieves, the captivating driving force of Royal Blood, and the melodic ambition of Muse.
Various Artists The Rubens Room – Él Records: In Camera
Compilation of the 80s label which had a unique musical flavour, eschewing rock music for 1960s bubbelgum, chamber pop, European chanson, Latin rhythms and film scores (see in particular the work of Marden Hill). The label was decidedly un-macho and key artists such as Would Be Goods, Anthony Adverse and Bad Dream Fancy Dress examined the modern world through the female gaze.
Trousdale Growing Pains
Harmonic trio introduce a new body of work centred around three strong, independent women facing the threats of loneliness, broken hearts and loss.
Twat Union Don’t Look It In The Eye EP
Feminist performance art punks who are all about creating spaces which are equal parts joyful, irate, empowering, and silly, allowing people to laugh and scream at the same time.
Steel Wool Steel Wool EP
Debut from a group describing themselves as ” a collision of sound experiments wearing the borrowed work uniform of rock music. With a DIY punk bassist, a college indie pop guitarist, a metalhead drummer, and a singer-songwriter up-front, the band has always been more of a sonic game of tug-of-war than a regiment in lockstep.”
CBZK Dybuctwo
Debut EP from a project that fuses hip-hop, industrial, and black metal.
Jamie Bernstein Zeus
Acoustic album from the singer-songwriter recorded on a sailboat.
Breichiau Hir Y Dwylo Uwchben
Welsh alt rock six-piece reflecting on adulthood and its inherent antithesis to idealism.
Tara Nome Doyle Ekko
A precise, stripped- back soundscape built around voice, piano, guitar, strings, Mellotron, and occasional analog synthesizers.
Röyksopp True Electric
It gathers together 19 studio versions of the music from Röyksopp’s True Electric tour in 2023, featuring previously unreleased track “The ‘R'” as well as newly reworked versions of originals and remixes taken from their acclaimed catalogue.
Magnolia Park VAMP
A neo-gothic concept album rich in world-building and gripping storytelling.
Dead Pioneers Po$t American
They draw on the confrontational writing of Rage Against The Machine, the unapologetic voice of Chuck D and Public Enemy, the storytelling of Johnny Cash, the evolution of IDLES, and punk stalwarts including Black Flag, Rollins Band and Dead Kennedys.
Messa The Spin
Italian doom metaller’s fourth album is based in the band’s eclectic, self-defined “scarlet doom” sound.
Stander Collapsing
The trio draws from the continuum of heavy and experimental musics winding them together into compositions that are fluid and dynamic.
Clutter Clutter Loves You EP
They channel the spirit of grunge and post-hardcore through distorted guitars and fuzzy vocals, blending the tones of 90s rock into their post-modern indie core.
Ye Banished Privateers Til the Sea Shall Give up Her Dead
Swedish sea marauders blend poignant ballads and raucous anthems, weaving tales of camaraderie, loss, and fleeting joy against the relentless backdrop of the open sea
Bedridden Moths Strapped To Eachother’s Backs
Ten fuzzed-out (and sometimes gnarly) ruminations on dating, drugs, and survival.
Teen Mortgage Devil Ultrasonic Dream
Duo that has crafted a sound steeped in sociopolitical commentary and built for the mosh pit, heavily influenced by classic ’80s punk.
Joni Things I Left Behind
Formed of ten new songs, the album embraces its imperfections, taking its dues from the likes of Feist, Sparklehorse and Daniel Johnston
molto morbidi Chocolate Ashtray EP
Drawing on influences from synthwave, post-punk, and minimalism, molto morbidi’s sound is firmly avant pop, with a playful yet poignant touch.
Daughter of Swords Alex
An unpredictable and knotty tangle of technicolour synths, heady guitar, bubbling rhythms, a sheen enveloping songs about raw human intensity writ large – crushes, desire, anger, alienation, the horrors of late-stage capitalism, the apocalyptic end it seems we’re all hurtling toward.
tekamolo best tunes for your answering machine
Melancholic synth pop & absurdist trip hop by a renowned artist, concealing their identity under a new pseudonym.
Masters of Reality The Archer
Their first album in 16 years. Leader Chris Goss has worked with Queens Of The Stone Age, Kyuss, Mark Lanegan, Foo Fighters, The Cult, UNKLE, Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland, former Hole bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur, even Hollywood star Russell Crowe.
Casper Skulls Kit Cat
Trio that explore the art of storytelling in song, inspired by the lyric-driven, narrative work of Bob Dylan while also displaying discernible Pavement influences.
Sevendials A Crash Course in Catastrophe
An album that throbs with dark electronica, pounding rock and shimmering bad acid psychedelia
Church of the Sea Eva
The three individuals in Church of the Sea create a distinct sound, balancing between doom and dark electronic rock. They embrace fuzzed sounds, heavy distorted beats and ethereal, chant-like vocals.
Lullahush Ithaca
An artist who is articulating a unique perspective on modern Irish identity by creating a holistic marriage of traditional folk and electronic music.
Various Artists Disk Musik: A DD. Records Compilation
Rerelease of 1985 treasure trove of avant-punk, cubist ambient, sound collage, pop concréte, jazz-prog, early computer music.
