Review: Searows is the moniker of Alec Duckart, a Portland-based indie folk star who is signed to Matt Maltese's label Last Recordings On Earth. Searows is influenced by the likes of Sufjan Stevens, Bon Iver and Iron & Wine and his falsetto has a similar power and timbre to that of his formative influences. Opening track 'Martingale' is beautifully stripped down and pulls you as a listener close to his soul. Meanwhile, on 'To Be Seen' Searows comes across like he's lamenting the death of something and it is a proper tear-jerker. Contrastingly, 'Toothache' is brighter with percussion and delay-laden electric guitar showing his talent for rich, lush arrangements. Matt Maltese has struck gold here by signing Searows. Plus, they're well-suited as they each appear to enjoy delving into post-apocalyptic work. Searows' previous release (on the Last Recordings On Earth label) is called End Of The World and before starting this label, Maltese released his hit single as a solo artist: 'As The World Caves In'. They suit it all so well.
Review: Sevdaliza's debut EP The Suspended Kid was first released in 2015. She put it out on her own Twisted Elegance label and at the time said that "The title is how people responded to me in social situations. I realised that those things that deflect me from social situations - not getting along with your coach or your boss or whatever - it made me realise I had to choose a different path."It is a highly creative work of experimental electronic which has since seen her go on to your 35 countries. Now for the fist time ever the album is pressed up to 2000 individually numbered copies of clear vinyl.
Review: Sexbeat are the latest gem you're about to fall in love with from the lost generation of punk, Now Wave and Neo-Goth. We only wish there was more information we could share about them, other than the fact they hit hard and manage to straddle the lines between raw and nasty and strangely romantic and melodic. It's rousing stuff that wants us to sing along while getting spat in the face because the front row is so close to the stage and the vocals are delivered with such resolute aggression. On this self-titled A-sider, they launch from the starting blocks with all the energy and atmosphere of an era that's sadly now confined to history, rolling bassline and driving drums immediately gunning for your attention, nodding to the likes of Surf Nazis Must Die and Aufrichtiges Zappa.
Review: Anyone who has followed Emotional Rescue knows it has always does a fine job of documenting pock punk and UK punk dub's early years, in this case showcasing the previously unheralded work of Skinbat Scramble, who emerged from the mundanity of the Home Counties to converge on London during the early 80s. Core members Mark Eason and Fergus Crockford were simultaneously inspired by the speedy punk thills of the Roxy Club and the Two Tone scene of ska and reggae which ran alongside it, as well as counter cultural heroes of the generation before like Gong and Velvet Underground. They got to work distilliing slow tempos, experimental sounds, dub and much more into leftfield rhythms, and while the likes of 'Basement Voltaire' - all echoing electronics, high frequency blips and merciless drum machines - or the Clash-in-dub workout 'North By Northwest' are rooted very much in the Cold War/Thatcher years, their individuality and experimental vibe mean they've endured remarkably well. Scramble to get yourself a copy.
Memorabilia (Daniel Miller 2023 remix - instrumental) (5:13)
Memorabilia (The Hacker 2023 remix) (6:35)
Memorabilia (Wally Funk 2023 remix) (5:39)
Review: The birth point of ecstasy in British music is usually credited to acid house and the second summer of love: a cemented vision of kids sweating and vibrating in clubs, fields and warehouses in 1988, united by universal empathy and mind-popping sounds. However, in 1981, a couple of young men from Leeds went to New York, discovered the drug in its infancy, fused its' gritty synth pop to acid house's squelchy 303 groove and recorded an album - Soft Cell's Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret. The rest, as they say, is history.
Review: Nothing but gorgeousness seems to characterise the work of the Minimal Wave imprint over the recent years. It's a label that is both unpredictable and continuously elegant in its choice of reissues. This time, it's a wonderful unearthing of Soma Holidays cult-hit, Shake Your Molecules. The Franco-American duo was part of Brooklyn's clique of artists throughout the 1980's, and although their sound is firmly representative of that era, the tracks are still ridiculously fresh and seductive both in their melodies and vocals. The title track is a sort of synth-pop tune gone wrong in a good way, where drugged-up lyrics meets morphing synths and metallic drum machines, whereas the Dub cut could easily be played in most techno DJ sets these days. On the B-side, we have the charming, atmospheric glow of "Too Many People" and "Art Dimension", the top pick in our opinion and one which is screaming to be be remixed into a contemporary house tune.
Review: As part of the Suede30 campaign, Demon Records will release Suede's fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth singles as collectible 7" picture discs, featuring the original cover art. Among them, 'We Are The Pigs,' released on September 12, 1994, stands out as the lead single from the Dog Man Star album. The single is a great blend of Bernard Butler's dynamic riff and Brett Anderson's haunting lyrics with the sing-along chorus that has a sinister twist. The single reached number 18 on the UK charts. The B-side, 'The Killing Of A Flash Boy,' while not included on the album, is considered a lost gem by Brett Anderson, reflecting its enduring appeal.
Review: Alex Shauffler's quest for the most off-kilter disco known to man continues with this seventh instalment of The Golden Ravedays series, another rip-roaring episode of the best that the Superpitcher project has to offer. "Andy" is an 80s-leaning boogie monster, charged and sexified thanks to the help of a banging bassline and some equally effective drum machine loops, all sharp and snare-heavy; "Yves", on the other hand, heads down the balearic wormhole via mid-tempo beats, angelic harmonies in the form of a harp, and a faintly tropical sort of bass that has the gust and panache to take even the coldest of dancefloors to equatorial temperatures. Another solid chapter in the series.
Review: In typical Music From Memory fashion, their latest archival release shines a light on one of the UK's lesser-known bands of the early 1980s. The System released a lone single in 1981, followed by a now incredibly rare debut album, Logic, in 1983. Three of the cuts here are taken from that set, including the dreamy, downbeat Balearic-pop opener "Almost Grown" - a wonderfully evocative six minutes, all told - and the far-sighted, spacey, proto-techno shuffler "Vampirella". This EP also includes one previously unreleased track, "Find It In Your Eyes", which was rescued from long-forgotten master tapes during the licensing process.
Review: Supergroups that look perfect on paper can often misfire in practice, which makes it both a relief and a revelation that this meeting of minds between the Glaswegian dance-pop freaks and the legendary glam progenitors hits the spot so spectacularly. With both acts playing to their strengths, and sharing ideas in effusive fashion, FFS is a collection of indelible songs that never let their artful campery and arch histrionics triumph over melody and fresh invention. As over the top in its flamboyance as one would expect this collaboration to be, this inspired collision of circumstances has more than enough substance to match its style.
Providence (US Television Broadcast 28th April 1991)
Jack Frost Blues (CD2: Snow Job)
Aviatrix
Running From The Body
Shakedown
You Don't Know
Weightless & Wild
Pony Express
Cousin/Angel
Little Song
Empire
Angela Carter
Haze
Dry Dock
On Persuasion (bonus track)
Bad For You (bonus track)
Providence (CD3: live & radio Performances)
Didn't Know Where I Was
Civil War Lament
Ramble
The Wrong Road
Bye Bye Pride
Thought That I Was Over You
Every Hour God Sends
Number Eleven
Everything Takes Forever
Thought That I Was Over You
Didn't Know Where I Was
Providence
Civil War Lament
Review: Any aspiring rocker worth their salt in Australia is likely familiar with Steve Kilbey from his work being the lead singer of 'Under The Milky Way' hitmakers The Church. Here he combines with The Go-Between' Grant McLennan to make the great supergroup Jack Frost. The collection includes a remastering and reissue of their two studio albums: The Snow Job (1995) and the self-titled debut (1991) - plus bonus material. It's stacked with classics, but 'Birdowner', which evokes Morrison Hotel-era Jim Morrion, is a huge standout. As is Civil War Lament', but for different reasons: this goes into acoustic psych-folk territory, leaning towards some Pink Floyd styles. Elsewhere, 'Trapeze Boy' conveys memories of listening to Comet Gain, who may well have been influenced by the underrated, masterful Jack Frost.
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you've provided to them or that they've collected from your use of their services.