Review: Canadian singer-songwriter June McDoom makes something rather unclassifiable; poppy-noisy smatterings of sound and melody with influences from jazz, blues and soul, but combined in such a way as to not be as easily categorisable as that combination might normally make out. Her latest self-titled project here collects a slew of personal intimations and ballads reflecting a wealth of young life experiences, relationships and emotions. The extent of its sensitivity can only be sought in between the grit, as there's a deep well of texture embedded in every track, but listen between the lines (and take a peek at its collaborations with artists like Sufjan Stevens, Neko Case, Iron & Wine and Andrew Bird), and you'll soon glean a solid idea for its stated, romantic intent.
Review: ukuoka-based band MuchaMuchaM, known for their breakthrough debut album Qantikala, returns with a collaborative EP featuring Malaysian singer-songwriter Zee Avi. After performing together at The Creators' Co-Write stage in 2023, the two artists have crafted a unique sound that blends their distinct Asian influences. The EP features the modern acoustic track 'Day By Day', a cover of 'Sad and Unfulfilled' and the Asian dance number 'Oyasumi na Sayang', sung in Malay. The EP's cover artwork, inspired by Borneo, was designed by Fukuoka-based illustrator TOYAMEG, further enhancing its cross-cultural appeal.
Review: The nearly mythical Buckingham Nicks from 1973, featuring Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham, has gained significant acclaim despite its original obscurity. With no CD or streaming availability, its tracks are typically found only through rare vinyl copies or dubious online rips. Enter Andrew Bird and Madison Cunningham, whose collaborative project, Cunningham Bird, breathes new life into this largely forgotten album. Produced by Mike Viola, this reinterpretation strips away the original's heavy production, showcasing Bird's exquisite violin and Cunningham's smooth vocals. Their shared harmonies replace the tension that characterised the Buckingham-Nicks dynamic, transforming songs like 'Long Distance Winner' into poignant laments. Notably, 'Lola (My Love)' is reimagined as a heartfelt ballad akin to Dolly Parton's 'Jolene', adding depth to the material. Bird and Cunningham's interpretations not only honour the original but also enhance it, proving the songs' flexibility and enduring appeal. Their unique sound and vibrant acoustic instrumentation, offer a fresh perspective for a new generation, making Cunningham Bird a compelling and accessible homage to a classic.
Review: It's often the albums that fall between the cracks that are the greatest. Violin virtuoso and singer Andrew Bird and Americana singer-songwriter Madison Cunningham shine a light on the underrated pre-Fleetwood Mac gem of an album, Buckingham Nicks, by fully covering it. Released five years before Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham went on to have mega success with Rumours, Buckingham Nicks was such a flop commercially that they were dropped by their label Polydor. But it is a cracking album and in covering it in their own style and having a palpably strong musical connection as a duo themselves, Bird and Cunningham have done it absolute justice and changed it. They have shed the 70s pop sheen of the original and made something more timeless to behold. 'Stephanie' is moody, majestic and cosmic and 'Without A Leg To Stand On' is one of the most stirring vocal performances you'll hear in 2024. A highly rewarding listen throughout.
Review: It's 1999 and Haruomi Hosono and pal Makoto Kubota - the latter arguably best known for their part in Les Rallies Denudes - decide to take on a daring project for the era. The Japanese artists opt to put out an album inspired by one of the world's foremost musical cities, New Orleans, which on paper couldn't be much further removed from the soundtrack of their homeland at that time.
Dig deeper, though, and while the Mississippi blues feels resolutely Deep South, an experience at odds with the Far East, Japan's incredibly fertile music scene back then actually shared more in common with Louisiana's aural calling cards than you might think. A hotbed of ideas, an understanding of what funk and soul mean, mastery of jazz's loose structures. Exceptional stuff, finally on re-issue
There’s A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He’s Elvis (3:09)
Don’t Come The Cowboy With Me, Sonny Jim! (3:47)
Can’t Stop Killing You (4:05)
England 2 Colombia 0 (3:47)
Walking Down Madison (7" mix) (4:35)
Free World (radio edit) (2:36)
Terry (3:50)
You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet, Baby (3:44)
Mother’s Ruin (3:56)
Mambo De La Luna (single edit) (3:29)
Angel (single edit) (3:38)
In These Shoes? (3:41)
My Affair (single edit) (3:35)
Treachery (3:53)
Caroline (2:56)
Days (2:59)
He’s On The Beach (single version) (3:30)
Soho Square (4:20)
Kirsty MacColl & Evan Dando - "Darling, Let's Have Another Baby" (3:24)
All I Ever Wanted (single version) (3:24)
Perfect Day (3:50)
Fairytale Of New York (4:31)
Review: Demon Music present a career-spanning collection of 25 of Kirsty MacColl's most popular recordings on a 2xLP set. Between her June 1979 debut single 'They Don't Know' and her tragic death in 2000, Kirsty released five studio albums and seventeen singles, a succinct but consistently high quality body of work, much of it self-written or in partnership with notable collaborators like Graham Gouldman or Johnny Marr. Whether exploring themes of love and loss, or applying her original and often witty worldview, Kirsty's talent as a songwriter and singer is instantly apparent on this new compilation. She was equally adept at throwing new light on old favourites - look no further than her (some might say better than the original) covers of The Kinks' 'Days', and Billy Bragg's 'A New England', both included here.
Review: Holly Macve's third album, Wonderland, is a stunning testament to her evolving artistry and a bold declaration of independence. Released under her own Loving Memory Records, this album is her most luxurious and cinematic work to date. Co-produced with Dan Rothman of London Grammar, it features string arrangements by David Saunders and a notable collaboration with Lana Del Rey, who has lauded Macve's voice as one of the world's most beautiful. Reflecting a period of profound personal transformation, Wonderland captures Macve's journey through moments of intense highs and lows. The album's first single, 'San Fran Honey,' explores the theme of unattainable love, blending nostalgia with self-awareness. Macve's evocative, dreamy style resonates with the cinematic quality of Lana Del Rey's work, drawing comparisons between their approaches to music. Wonderland is an exciting exploration of Macve's growth and a showcase of her unique, atmospheric sound.
Review: Magick Brother & Mystic Sister took inspiration for their name from a serial Gong album, and sure enough this Barcelona-based four-piece know exactly where they're aiming with their heavily psychedelic, tripped-out strain of cosmic rock. Following on from their self-titled debut, now the band are back with the first instalment of a two-part album release called Tarot - so far, so mystic. The groove on 'The Hierophant' is a great place to start in diving into the intoxicating headspace of the band, where some outernational instrumentation collides with the propulsive krautrock-informed rhythm section and the Canterbury scene's affinity for funk. It's a visceral trip no self-respecting pscyhonaut should be without.
Review: The Magick Brother & Mystic Sister are in fact not a brother-sister duo, but rather a quartet made up of musicians Eva Muntada, Marc Tena, Maya Fernandez and Xavi Sandoval. Active since 2020 and their debut self-titled EP, this light occultic outfit have since built a rep for weaving flying-carpeted tapestries of narration, sonic reverie, and mysticism in album form; their latest record Tarot II is no exception this rule, coming as the second to name itself after the card-reading divination practice common to the Western esoteric world and beyond. Out from an opening, what sounds to be hammered dulcimered prog progression ('Strength') and moving through to a further ten tracks each named after tarot cards (save for the 'Unnamed Arcane', an apocryphal confabulation of the band - have they drawn a hand we haven't?), this is a record of supreme mystique, and one for the witches and warlocks in our ranks.
Review: Carpet of Fallen Leaves serves as the luminous introduction to Eddie Marcon, a folk-pop project from Eddie Corman and Jules Marcon. The collection takes in more than two decades of intimate, self-released recordings that all bring fragile beauty and melodic grace from Japan's underground psych-folk scene. Gentle guitar, soft organ and deft bass interlace with pristine vibraphone, flute and pedal steel sounds to form sparse and spare yet intricate arrangements. Collaborators like Ikuro Takahashi and Shintaro Sakamoto add their own contributions, and so songs shimmer with a real emotional depth and Eastern charm. Highlights like 'Tora To Lion' and 'Shoujo' inspire quiet wonder while capturing fleeting moments of everyday life with a real tenderness and elegance.
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