I’ve been in absentia for the entire month of January, like many out there, I’ve been struggling with my Mental Health, to the extent that even things that normally give me pleasure felt like a chore or just utterly pointless.
I normally revel in receiving emails and messages sharing new music and releases, but in the last few weeks I just found it overwhelming. However, I have finally started to dig myself out of the mire and in doing so, have trawled through seemingly unending emails unearthing the best of new songs, singles, demos and so on from January (in my humble opinion)
In no particular order:
Simon Love – I Love Everybody in the Whole Wide World (Except You)
This seems to be a good place to start, lyrically and musically exceptional, there is no mixed message to be picked up from this, Mr Love making his feelings perfectly clear. The single, from his forthcoming new latest album Love, Sex and Death Etc is a perfect example of his pithy humour and of the sublime layers of instrumentation that soundtrack the songs of love and hate to be explored on the album.
Simon Love – Website – Facebook
The Rumjacks – Bounding Main
With their UK gigs ow rescheduled to August, at least The Rumjacks had new music to fall back on. Bounding Main is everything you could want and hope for from the band, their upbeat energetic punk rock and sing along choruses bolstered by banjo giving them their trademark folk influenced punk sound. Roll on August.
The Rumjacks – Facebook – Website
Annie Booth – Nowhere
Last Night From Glasgow seemingly haven’t taken any time out to breathe and have showered us with a plethora of new releases to bring in 2022. Annie Booth’s latest single to be released from last year’s late contender for album of the year lists, Lazybody, is of the the more strident and forceful songs from the album, Nowhere, that finds Annie poring over her options ”what the hell am I supposed to do?”
PMad – Medicine
PMad follow up last year’s Who Am I? with new single Medicine, an avidly breathless dark gothic slow burner, with Paul Dillon initially ”watching the world go by” atop a steady throb of guitar and drums underlined by a moody bass line, the passionate intensity of the song builds, with guitars crunching while Dillon’s vocal remains calmly assured throughout.
Awkward Family Portraits – La La Bodega
The band play tribute to the lost West End Tapas Bar in their new single form upcoming album Dear Old West. Befittingly bursting with melancholy, with little flashes of Spanish guitar, pcked with singing fiddles and achingly sweet harmonies, this is a superb slice of Glasgow Country/Americana at its very best. If you’re lucky, you may hear the sweet strains of the band busking on the streets of Glasgow as I did recently. Follow the sounds for a sublime treat…
Awkward Family Portraits – Facebook –
Bodega – Thrones
Sticking with the theme of Bodegas, but changing the pace and style of music. This time it is the band of that name and their latest single offering, Thrones. From the Rootsy Americana of West Coast Scotland to East Coast USA and the New York band’s jerky angular post punk, a world apart but just as addictive.
Dyan Valdes – Irregular
Irregular is another powerful song lifted from former member of The Blood Arm, Dyan Valdes forthcoming album Stand. Irregular is a vibrant pulsating slice of electronica that straddles the sounds of The Faint and Goldfrapp, the latest offering from an album that is shaping up to be a cracker.
Dyan Valdes – Facebook – Website
Arab Strap – Aphelion
Recorded at the same time as the songs that made up one of last years albums of the year, Arab Strap recently released their new single Aphelion. Laidback and melancholic, song that would be perfectly suited to a stripped back sound, like for their recently announced date at the Strathaven Hotel in July.
Arab Strap – Facebook – Website
Skunk Anansie – Piggy
One of the best live bands in the country, Skunk Anansie are back with this new single Piggy. This song s a demonstration of the band at their mighty visceral best with Skin spitting out the vocal in the chorus with a spirited venom.
Skunk Anansie – Website – Facebook
Mungo’s Hifi – NHS Riddim
The Glasgow based soundsystem have released four versions of NHS Riddim on two 7” singles. The track originally appeared n their Antidote album from last year and it has an exquisitely laidback and chilled groove.
Mungo’s Hifi – Website – Bandcamp
Pizza Crunch – Flatfoot
Pizza Crunch hit the ground running, more fleet of foot than flatfooted, with another gloriously addictive offering, this time recalling the 1980s indie janglepop scene, not a bad thing at all in my book. I’m even coming around to the band’s name…
Pizza Crunch – Facebook – Bandcamp
Inca Babies – I’m Grounded
Lifted from their excellent Swamp Street Soul album from last year, I’m Grounded is the new single from Manchester’s legendary Inca Babies. A grime laden slice of deep down and dirty gothic blue. If you’ve not heard the latest version of Inca Babies do yourself a favour and grab yourself a copy of Swamp Street Soul.
Inca Babies – Facebook – Bandcamp
Walt Disco – How Cool are You?
How cool am I? Not nearly as cool as Walt Disco! Following up their previous raft of superb singles, How Cool are You? feels elegantly effortless in its glamtastic Sparks-esque self assured poise. I can’t wait for the album.
Walt Disco – website – facebook
St Dukes – To Be Home
With their debut album due out this year via Last Night from Glasgow, St Dukes help shake off the winter blues by sharing a sneak peak of springtime joy in the shape of To Be Home
Vulture Party – Iso Disco
Sticking with Last Night From Glasgow for a moment, is the hauntingly alliuring electro/synth melody of Iso Disco from Falkirk’s Vulture Party. From hearing the two singles to date, I’m looking forward to what their second album Archipelago brings .
Vulture Party – website – Facebook
The Kaplans – Set it Down
This band can pretty much do no wrong in my eyes (ears?), machine gun guitars and drums introduce Set it Down as it settles into its thunderous melody, hulking great riffing and a massive impenetrable rhythm section all come together in one behemoth of a tune to unsettle the matrix..
The Kaplans – Facebook
Lucky Number You – Disassociator
Lucky Number You is a three piece band from Birmingham, and Disassociator is a great name for a single following the last couple of years we’ve had. The song itself ticks all the boxes, soaring singalong chorus – check, 80’s influenced bombastic alt guitar band sound – check, thoughtful lyrics – check, melodies and harmonies aplenty – check. I’m certainly not disassociated from this band…
Lucky Number You – Facebook
Revolution Above Disorder – Scream Quietly
Revolution Above Disorder take this Television Personalities song and create their own near whispered hypnotic shoegaze version, sending shivers up and down the spine with its insistent haunting melody.
Revolution Above Disorder – Bandcamp – Facebook
Astrid – Through the Darkness of Your Life
Scottish indie heroes Astrid are back with this belter of a tune, with The Beach Boys/The Monkees written all over it, despite the songs title, with the upbeat tune and joyous sugar coated harmonies this is the sound of pure unadulterated joy. Welcome back.
Eileen Gogan & Sean O’Hagan – Wave
From the beautiful four track EP, Another Golden Day, Wave will carry you away in its understated beauty, showcasing the bewitching voice of Eileen Gogan perfectly, and featuring the first of two ex-members of Microdisney to feature in this round up.
Eileen Gogan – Bandcamp
Nicole Faux Naiv – Imaginary Boy
The first time I heard this I fell in love with it and proceeded to play it on repeat several times. Hailing from Germany, this dreamy synth pop single really catches the imagination both with its lyrics and its hypnotic beat and refreshing airy feel, at times transporting you back tio the 80’s but still feeling fresh and nvigorating.
Nicole Faux Niav – links
Man of the Minch (ft Broken Chanter) – Gone
Returning the favour, this time around it’s the turn of Broken Chanter’s David MacGregor to play on a record by Man of the Minch, and what a cracking song it is. For what is a fairly heartbreaking lyric, this is a monster of a tune, uplifting in the extreme, the instruments positively sing, and the vocals are glorious.
Man of the Minch – Website – Facebook
Low – I Can Wait
Spend your long winter days dreaming of a better life while listening to one of the best songs from last years Hey What album, the band’s 13th in total.
Blue Violet – Poster Girl
Blue Violet continue to impress with the latest of their stunningly beautifully lush and stirring singles, again delivering a poignant vocal and touching lyrics, with a vibrant and uplifting outrp. They just keep getting better…
Blue Violet – Website – Facebook
Clwb Fuzz – Sertraline
A psychedelic fuzzed out shoegazey anthem about an anti-depressant with lyrics that explore a “state of mind”in a sightly discomfiting manner for anyone who has experienced trying to get the right balance of anti-depressant medications. In doing so, the band create an utterly engrossing and hypnotising sound that has you wishing the experience doesn’t end.
Clwb Fuzz – facebook
Have You Ever See The Jane Fonda Aerobic VHS? – In Tangerine
With perhaps the longest mouthful of a bnd name I’ve come across in a while, and seeing as you asked, no I haven’t, In Tangerine is an exuberant slice of upbeat and blithe pop rock, unabashedly bouyant and carefree and a joy to listen to.
Have You Ever Seen the Jane Fonda Aerobic VHS? – Facebook
Jody & the Jerms – Heavenly
Talking of a joy to listen to, the upbeat psych/beat pop influenced pure saccharine-sweet pop rock of Jody and the Jerms, recalling 80/90s bands like The Primitives, The Darling Buds, Voice of the Beehive and Glasgow’s very own Strawberry Switchblade continues to bring a smile and ray of sunshine to proceedings with their latest single, the aptly titled Heavenly.
Jody & the Jerms – website – Facebook
Album Club – the Hard Part
The buzz surrounding the release of the debut album by Album Club is reaching a crescendo as Last Night From Glasgow members post enthusiastic social media messages extolling its virtues My interest is well and truly piqued and I look forward to the postman arriving any day now with mine. In the meantime I’ll need satisfy myself by playing this luscious helping of perfectly beatific jangly pop gem of a song over and again.
David Luximon – Call Bell
Last Night From Glasgow are on a roll… and this is only scratching the surface, more to come in this round up, and then more again in the February round up. Call Bell is purely and indisputably a thing of unerringly great beauty and serene grace. There is absolutely nothing not to love about this.
David Luximon – Facebook – Bandcamp
The Sweetheart Revue – Obvious
Lifted from the magnificent album Good News, Bad News, Obvious is laden with rich instrumentation and sumptuous harmonies, this song, like the whole album, is a glorious triumph over adversity
The Sweetheart Revue – Facebook – LNFG
Steve Lane – Certainty
A wonderfully plaintive piano underlines this hook laden soulfully heartfelt alt rocker that sits somewhere between the Hold Steady and Ben Folds. A song perfectly suited for these strange times. And what’s more, another very welcome addition to the LNFG stable…
Steve Lane – Facebook
Turning Black Like Lizards – 24 Hrs
Another band who I have great expectations of in 2022 with the release of an album imminent. I’m pretty sure I featured 24Hrs last year, but here it is again, this time with video…
Turning Black Like Lizards – Facebook
Rhoda Dakar – The Man Who Sold the World
There have been many versions of The Man Who Sold the World over the years, notably from Glasgow’s very own Lulu and of course the unplugged performance from Nirvana. There has never been a version quite like this one from the wonderful Rhoda Dakar of The Bodysnatchers fame though, bringing a whole new angle with her fresh reggae take on the song.
Rhoda Dakar – Facebook – Bandcamp
Dutch Wine – Another Day
Lifted from their new Before It Wasn’t EP, Dutch Wine released their single, Another Day, in January, prior to playing a sell out show in the Hug and Pint last week.Another Day is another emotive guitar based anthem, starting as a slow burn before crashing into a fervent riot of sound.
Dutch Wine – Bandcamp – Facebook
The Courettes/ The Jackets
My band of the year for 2021 are already recording a new album and aren’t resting on the laurels of their success from last year. In January they relased a double 7” single with The Jackets on Chaputa! records. If you get in quick you might still be able tio grab one. Then in February they have another 7” out in the shape of Misfits and Freaks…
The Courettes – Website – Bandcamp
The Jackets – website – Bandcamp
Comic Sans – Talk Show Host
Comic Sans are a new one on me, and their introduction comes in the form of the fuzzy guitars and riot grrl attitude of new single Talk Show Host, alongside a re-recorded version of one of their earlier songs PSA (Public Service Announcement). and a most welcome introduction it is too.
Comic Sans – Facebook
Jill Lorean – Walls
One of my ”22 for 22” Jill Lorean is the current project featuring Jill O’Sullivan of Sparrow and the Workshop and Andy Monaghan of Frightened Rabbit. Walls actually came out in December but I like it so much its here again… The album This Rock is due out in April.
Jill Lorean – Bandcamp – Facebook
Wet Leg – Oh No
Wet Leg made quite a splash last year with their two singles, and seemingly one of those gigs that people ill be saying ”I was there” about for years to come in Glasgow’s McChuills. They continue on their trajectory with h No ahead of their debut album release later in the year.
Telefis ft Jah Wiobble – Falun Gong Dancer
The second song in this round up featuring an ex-member of Microdisney. A bit cheeky as I’ve included this before, but this version has the addition of Jah Wobble, so an excellent excuse to include it again to round off this post. Telefis (Cathal Coughlan with Jacknife Lee) debut album is titled a hAon and i due out in March/