de-minimis: February 2016

28 February 2016

school of seven bells - 'open your eyes'

SVIIB is the final album from the New York trio then duo then solo act that this single is pulled from. The untimely death of Benjamin Curtis draws a curtain on a band that promised so much and had three cracking albums under their belt before the tragedy struck. This last album was recorded in part before Curtis' death and was finished later with the help of Beck producer Justin Meldal-Johnsen to make this the fourth and final release.

23 February 2016

mint julep - 'small memory'

I really don't listen to enough dream pop. Let's rectify that, right now. This is from their new album 'Broken Devotion'

lion babe - 'impossible'

If you're looking for that party album to get your Friday and Saturday nights going then it has to be Lion Babe's new album 'Begin'. It's very strong throughout and it doesn't get much better than this. Bloody brilliant!

22 February 2016

plates of cake - 'faces in the dirt'

Brooklyn-based band Plates of Cake have a new album out on Bandcamp 'Becoming Double' and I think you will like it. Some tracks are more Beck than others and where they're not it's still catchy as hell.

steve mason - 'planet sizes'

I've been listening to a few tracks from the new album 'Meet The Humans' this afternoon and it's grown on me already. It has a fuller sound than I was expecting and this has come as a pleasant surprise, it sounds richer, fuller. Great stuff.

richard ashcroft - 'this is how it feels'

The latest single from Richard Ashcroft has him back with a much stronger tune than he's been bashing out in his last solo efforts. It's got me excited again about the possibility of a new album and I hope that as and when it appears, that it will be as strong throughout as this tune.

21 February 2016

eliza newman - 'return to me'

Something truly Icelandic, simply beautiful to finish off this weekend. Goodnight.

lnzndrf - 'mt.storm'

Not your usual Sunday night fayre but this tune is a massive sprawling masterpiece.

an interview with mark e smith

Here is the Greatest Living Englishman in an interview with Channel 4 showing Mark E as blunt and as brilliant as ever.

submotion orchestra - 'red dress'

Now for something very, very special. This is a lovely little track and no mistake. Taken from their new album 'Colour Theory' and it's an instant hit in this household. If you're a fan of Massive Attack and the like s then you'll love this.

the shivas - 'never, never coming home'

There's shades of Mazzy Star, 50s doo-wop and those beautiful Hank Williams melancholic classics in here. Just wonderful.

jamie n commons - 'lead me home'

I'm in the mood for dark, sultry blues. It doesn't get much better than this.

10 February 2016

tricky - 'here my dear'

He's back and what a return. His latest collaboration is under the moniker 'Skilled Mechanics' taken from an old Cold War spying phrase. When he's on the ball this man is untouchable. Great to se him on Bandcamp too.

hunter/game - 'declino'

Oh my, this is the good stuff and no mistake. Taken from their brand new album 'Adaptation' here's some quite beautiful techno.

lion babe - 'impossible'

Are they this year's big thing in dance/pop crossover? With songs like this, it's easy to see why 'yes' would be a good answer.

lana del ray - 'freak'

It looks like Father John had a lot of fun starring in this, the official video to 'Freak'. Lucky man!

ulrika spacek - 'beta male'

How's this for a crunching guitar track that with a 2-minute full-on intro? Taken from their new album 'The Album Paranoia'.

bloc party - 'the love within'

I'm not the biggest Bloc Party fan but the start of their new album really excited me. Sadly, by about track 5 or 6 my interest had waned and by track 10 it sounded like any old commercial pap, it's very disappointing.

luke cannon - 'time'

Definitely one for fans of Frank Turner, this track even has a touch of Buddy Holly about it. What's not to like?

daughter - 'doing the right thing'

Their new album is growing on me the more and more I listen to it. I think this album could feature on a fair few end of year lists.

dr. dog - 'golden hind'

A bit of a blast from a few years ago, here's psychedelic lounge-masters, Dr. Dog, with a brilliant track.

08 February 2016

scott fagan - 'south atlantic blues'

I've been listening to Scott Fagan's new album all morning, give or take a brief break. I don't think it's quite grown on me yet, he does sound very, very much like David Bowie and it's a little disconcerting to tell the truth. There's a few really good tracks that stand out already - this one for instance.

the cave singers - 'that's why'

I love the driving riff in this track, like a Marc Bolan track. This is the first song of the Washington band's upcoming new album released in a week or so, I believe.

07 February 2016

everything but the girl - 'single (photek remix)'

I finally got around to buying the deluxe version of Walking Wounded. It's an album that's been a huge part of my life and I've never ever tired of hearing it. This deluxe version has lots of goodies packed inside including this remix which is new to me, I think. Just lovely.

cian nugent - 'shadows'

His voice reminds me very much of Lloyd Cole or Doctor Robert from the Blow Monkeys. I'd even go as far as to say Richard Hawley - it's the clarity and warmth that these singers have in their voices that shines through and Cian Nugent has that too. This song, like the all-too-short new album ' Night Fiction' that it's taken from is extremely likeable. I found myself playing it on repeat all yesterday as I nursed a hangover. Brilliant stuff.

beacon - 'escapements'

The title track from the new album by Beacon aka Thomas Mullarney iii and Jacob Gossett is a techno/pop hybrid that is perfect for a Sunday morning. It's crisp, leisurely but layered with so many little touches that make you yearn for more. I recommend the whole album, it's really rather good.

elliott smith - 'son of sam (acoustic)'

There's something gloriously decadent about lazing in bed on a Sunday morning and listening to great music. I'm working my way through the the new Elliott Smith album - it's the soundtrack to the film about him 'Heaven Adores You' and I came across this track. It's completely new to me and an utter joy.

04 February 2016

massive attack - 'dead editors (feat. roots manuva)'

This is the first track from their Ritual Spirit EP and features UK hip hop legend Roots Manuva. It's as dark as you'd expect a Massive Attack track to be but it has an urgency that's certainly quicker than a lot of their previous outings. It's a great return to form after a very patchy few years.

baio - 'the names'

It's all gone a bit quite for Vampire Weekend. The band members have either left or are out campaigning for Bernie Sanders. It falls to Chris Baio to keep the flag flying with this dance track complete with quirky video. He's clearly a big Depeche Mode fan and the result is an understated but very catchy slice of pop.

lenparrot -'dévot'

The song is quite beautiful, it's certainly laid-back, exotic and extremely classy. Think Woodkid at his most reflective. The video is mesmerising too, I've no idea what's going on but it's quite lovely to watch. What makes it perfect for me is the name: Lenparrot. It sounds like a character from a Northern sitcom. Fantastic!

holy ghost - 'crime cutz'

Taken from the Zane Lowe show, this is the first airing of the title track from Holy Ghost's new EP set to be released at the end of April. It's very early 80s disco sounding but with a lot more meat on the bone, bass-wise. I think it's going to be a big summer hit.

benji hughes - 'shark attack'

I'm back! After quite some hiatus, taken for personal reasons, I'm ready to get back and blogging about all the great music out there. Let's kick off with this superb funky tune from Benji Hughes. Big nods to Sebastian Tellier and all the humour that comes with that link. It also reminds me in big part of Shamir's excellent album last year.