I find it virtually impossible to keep up with the volume of new music that fills my inbox on a daily basis. I would love to say I had time to listen to everything, but there aren’t enough hours in the day. If only I didn’t have to work to pay the bills.
Anyway, here is the latest round up of some of the singles and demos that I have managed to listen to and enjoyed, tunes that have caught my attention in the last few weeks. Seeing as it is a hideous, rainy bank holiday Monday, I am taking a welcome break from digging up the garden to pull them all together in one place.
If anyone tries to tell you there is no good new music these days, tell them to go and take a flying fuck to themselves, they are just damned lazy and ignorant…
As usual, an apology to the “next big thing” that I may have missed. Here are a selection for your delectation and delight.
Karma Surround
Karma Surround, is a band I have previously featured in the blog, sharing a couple of tracks earlier in the year from Soundcloud. Fife based Darren Roy, along with brother Michael, has now recorded a video for, now released as a single, one of his beguiling songs, Do You Wonder. Vocally, perhaps unsurprisingly, there is an element of fellow Fifer King Creosote to Darren’s delivery. The song itself has a wistfully dreamy folk element to it with some lush jangly guitar riffs sprinkled throughout.
Music | Karma Surround (bandcamp.com)
Marianne Dissard
Ahead of her album of cover versions due later in the year Marianne Dissard has released another of her unique takes on, this time, an obscure 1970’s single from Adriano Celentano. Here goes…Prisencolinensinanciusol. Phew. The original of the song was released as a questioning of understanding and language, the lyrics were written to sound as if he was singing in English to his native Italians, but in actual fact, it was gibberish. Dissard has turned this on its head, and instead of the gobbledygook of the original, she has replaced the verses with snippets from politicians speeches throughout the pandemic, using their own form of gibberish, or more accurately Doublespeak as Orwell would have put it. The result is a strangely addictive funky treat for the eardrums bringing a wry smile to your face as you silently despair at the cacophony of voices reaching their final maelstrom.
I cannot wait for the album, and this has further intrigued me about this French/American chanteuse, born in the same year as me, but who has passed me by until this year. Finding out she was born in Tarbes, a place where I spent two invaluable weeks learning about life in my formative years on a school exchange trip at the ago of 14 (ending up out all night in a nightclub – our exchange students were slightly older…), only fed my intrigue more to the extent that I am now waiting for the postman to deliver my copy of her autobiography to read as I explore her back catalogue.
Marianne Dissard – website – bandcamp
The Kaplans
Its a big YES, YES, YES from me for the mighty new single from The Kaplans. As you would expect by now if you’ve heard the band, this is a huge slice of solid and addictive rock n roll. This forceful trio bring the thunder once again, pedal to the floor from the off with a masterful crunching rhythm section and muscular riffing. The mid-song break brings the pace down and shows off the vigorous and energetic bass before some ferocious searing guitar takes over, the build taking in some immense tub thumping as the song reaches is gargantuan conclusion. Epic.
The Kaplans – Facebook
The Bikini Bottoms
Crawling out of the Black Lagoon comes Jack and his new bandmates Guido and Robbie in the newly evolved Bikini Bottoms three piece. I reviewed the new single Monster Love on Louder Than War just prior to its release, they have now released a video to the track and what a belter of a song it is too. To quote my review “rabble rousing…virtuoso rockabilly style…spooky intonations and cackles suiting this miscreant love song down to T”.
To have The Bikini Bottoms back is a a gift, then to see there brothers in rockabilly The Best Bad Influence back out ripping it up again busking on the streets of Glasgow, slowly but surely things are getting back to some sort or absurd normality. We just need a wee Graveyard Bash in McChuills….
The Bikini Bottoms – Facebook
DEAFDEAFDEAF
Disobedient Records are building quite a solid platform of bands with the likes of PERMO, Pizza Crunch and this lot on the roster. The Manchester band with their intense post punk singles have made an impression so far and newly released single, Odes on the label adds to the intrigue. Initially the atmosphere of Odes is one of agitation and despair displayed by the fraught lyrics. Musically the band paints a portrait to illustrate the anxiety portrayed, with sweeping soundscapes and periods of piercing intense noise.
DEAFDEAFDEAF – single link – Facebook
Jim McCulloch
Last year one of Scotland’s indie guitar heroes released one of the most beautiful albums of recent years in the guise of Snowgoose, that album was The Making of You. Later this month he will release his first official solo album in When I Mean What I Say and I’m pleased to say it is another beautiful record full of addictive melodies set to delight and fill your heart with joy when you hear them.
Thankfully he has released two singles already in the title track and this achingly beautiful track Chorus of Lists so you should have some idea of what to expect. This album will be sure to be riding high in end of year lists come December.
Gefahrgeist
A Glasgow/Aberdeen collaboration next. Electronic duo Gefahrgeist are Fiona Liddell (Glasgow) and Niall Rae (Aberdeen) and have just released their third single Parasites ahead of an EP due later in the year. This is hauntingly beautiful ballad that “explores the themes of class inequality societal constraints” and is available now via the link below.
Gefahrgeist – single link – Facebook
Magic Bronson
A wee link to my current reading material and the next tune. I’m half way through the Chris Brookmyre book, set in space and with the main character currently doubting herself and questioning how she would know of she was an android or not. My Baby is an Android seems therefore apt. The song itself is a mischievously minimalistic little frolic of synth rhythms and bleeps bringing a smile to my face on a miserable day.
Magic Bronson – Facebook – website
Johny Skullknuckles
Staying with the playful vibe, the Kopek Millionaires frontman recently released his sympathetic cover from teen sensations and influence on NYC punks The Ramones, The Bay City Rollers anthem Shang-a-Lang in tribute to the passing of Les McKeown. Scarves in the air for this one.
Kopek Millionaires – Bandcamp
Tom McGuire & the Brassholes
Talking of tributes, the phenomenal funk soul band, Tom McGuire & the Brassholes have this single out in tribute to the late Bill Withers. Hopefully Super Solid Soul Vehicle signals a follow up to their remarkable 2019 debut album.
Tom McGuire & the Brassholes – Facebook – bandcamp
Weekend Debt
Nobody Everyone is a rabble rousing break up song from Glasgow’s Weekend Debt. The blast of pure unadulterated energy demonstrates a raucous youthful exuberance previously displayed by early Arctic Monkeys and Dundee’s The View.
Weekend Debt – single links – Facebook
The Usual Boys
Berlin’s jangly guitar popster’s The Usual Boys single has a yearning guitar riff that positively sings over the urging rhythm section as the sentimental lyrics contemplate life while walking through “cobbled stones” in the streets of Berlin.
The Usual Boys – Facebook
Jeshua
Esther is a fitting tribute to the late grandmother of singer Joshua Gray. This is a beautifully elegant song – heartfelt lyrics that offer the promise of meeting again, sung in understated breathy vocals and soundtracked by subtle dreamy instrumentation not unlike The Drums of a few years ago. Jeshua’s album Unreliable Narrator is due to be released on 4th June/
Jeshua – Facebook
Where possible I’ve added the songs above to my Ginger Quiff 2021 playlist.
Got to go npow, but I’ve merely scratched the surface of the list of songs I’m working through – expect another part in the next day or two with Billy Sinclair, Rilke, Cathal Coughlan, The Pelicans, Jody & the Jerms and many more…
Thank you for the music…
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