de-minimis: September 2016

25 September 2016

grandaddy - 'clear your history'

I love discovering new Grandaddy tunes and here's one hot off the press, so to speak. It's the B-side to their new single 'Way We Won't'.

23 September 2016

lou rhodes - 'hope and glory'

Her 2016 solo album just oozes quality. I hadn't listened to it in a while but it's been more than a happy return.

22 September 2016

brent cobb - 'shine on rainy day'

Gotta love the blues.

hope sandoval and the warm inventions - on the low'

Hope Sandoval has been collaborating quite prolifically of late. There was the very recent Massive Attack EP and now I've just read that she has a new album out with Colm Ó Cíosóig from My Bloody Valentine soon under their moniker Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions and will feature the likes of Kurt Vie amongst others. Sadly I can't find a stream of that track but this oldie 'On The Low' is a more than adequate replacement.

krusoe - 'rivers run riot'

How's this for a great track? Oxfordshire artist Krusoe with a monstrously catchy new tune.

fort knox five - 'whatcha gonna do (feat. mustafa akbar)'

If disco and funk is your bag then you'll love this track from 2015.

nilüfer yanya - 'small crimes (bullion remix)'

I must confess, I don't know too much about Nilüfer Yanya but from what I can gather she's a singer from London and connected to Owiny Sigoma Band, from whose Twitter page I got this recommendation. No big deal, the music is bloody excellent and that's what matters.

moby and the void pacific choir - 'are you lost in this world like me?'

Moby is returning to his new wave synth roots with this the first track form an upcoming album with the Void Pacific Choir.

jenny hval - 'female vampire'

Norwegian singer/songwriter Jenny Hval's new album is one of those that offers up a different experience with each listen. It's quite captivating. Avant-garde yet very listenable. I think it will probably be in my album of the year list, for sure.

nick cave and the bad seeds - 'cassiel's song'

Happy birthday to the man who has been one of the biggest musical influences in my life.

renegades of jazz - 'afro cookie'

Nice. Very nice.

21 September 2016

wesen - 'beach boys'

More new Icelandic pop for you. Love this track.

sin fang - 'never let me go'

This is a live performance for KEXP together with the Seattle Rock Orchestra Quintet but sadly doesn't include Soley, the guest performer on the album version. Never mind, as lovely as Soley is (and she is one of my favourite Icelandic singers) this is a superb version nonetheless.

daniel steinberg - 'peace (official)'

To coincide with International Day of Peace let's play this beautiful little anthem by my favourite DJ producer.

leonard cohen - 'you want it darker'

There's a new Leonard Cohen album out on 21st October called 'You Want It Darker' and he's released the title track from it. Any pretence at singing has finally been given up but he's not lost any of his songwriting abilities and there are some killer lines in there - You want it darker, we kill the flame.

20 September 2016

air - 'all i need'

I forget just how good Air's 'Moon Safari' album is. Do yourself a favour and have a listen.

africaine 808 - 'crawfish got soul'

West African electro-funk with a fresh new twist. It's from their new album 'Basar' and is a big party favourite.

smerz - 'blessed'

I owe a lot of thanks to the website Ja Ja Ja Music - a site devoted to Nordic music and a lot of the bands that I blog about are because I've read and heard about them thanks to Ja Ja Ja. SO, it's a big thank you to them once again for bringing Smerz into my life. Norwegian music is in very safe hands with upcoming acts like Smerz around.

villa nah - 'spy'

A big must for all retro-80s fans. The new track by Villa Nah is based on the soundtrack on the old 80s computer game Spy V Spy. The overall sound is early Depeche Mode or even Frazier Chorus in their more electro moments.

prince buster in the mix

I've been looking for a great way to celebrate the music of Prince Buster who passed away a few weeks back and I think I've found it. It's a great hour long mix by a fellow Brighton fan on his Ska-Beat-Soul radio show so it's doubly guaranteed to be quality. Seriously, give it a listen and just enjoy the music of one of music's true pioneers.

the white stripes - 'city lights'

Sometimes less is more and this music video is proof of that. The music is excellent too and sees Jack White exploring his Americana roots once again.

07 September 2016

c.w. stoneking - 'zombie'

Watch out for them zombies.

04 September 2016

ltj bukem - 'atmospherical jubilancy'

Perfect Sunday morning chilled out vibes from this classic from LTJ Bukem.

03 September 2016

zomby - 'thaw'

I wish I could understand artists like Zomby better than I do. I've got the new album and I'm finding it a bit impenetrable but quite mesmerising nonetheless.

sxsxsx - 'up down (feat. milkywhale)'

Icelandic music continues to produce innovators, boundary-pushers and musicians of extraordinary talent. This is a superb side project from rap act Úlfur Úlfur.

blondage - 'flf'

Danish act Blondage have a sure-fire hit with this very radio and club-friendly tune.

iamx - 'oh cruel darkness embrace me'

I've just blagged a copy of their new album and I'm quite impressed. It sounds a bit like Muse with a heavy keyboard makeover. Lots of anthems and dance heavy ballads. Sadly, I can't find anywhere on the internet that has their new tracks so let's go with an older one from last year.

warhaus - 'the good lie'

I've found a new favourite band. Belgian duo Warhaus mix Nick Cave, Alabama 3 and a whole host of other dark flavours for a great sound.

shilpa ray - 'burning bride'

There's worse ways than spending the wee small hours of a Saturday morning than listening to Shilpa Ray. She's one hell of a talent.

wilco - 'if i ever was a child'

The mellowness continues with a brand new tune from Wilco.

02 September 2016

king creosote - 'you just want'

Could there be anything more pleasing than listening to a King Creosote track on a quiet night in?

01 September 2016

nick cave and the bad seeds - 'jesus alone'

The first release from 'Skeleton Tree' sees Nick and Co. in intense, reflective mood. The song is a kind of hybrid of Tupelo and Jubilee Street. I like it. Fingers crossed the rest of the album is as good.

thalia sedek - 'by the hand'

So many critics are raving about her new album 'Eve' and with very good reason; it's an absolute belter. The entire album is available on Bandcamp and I can't recommend it highly enough.

l.a. salami - 'no hallelujahs now'

His new album is quite extraordinary in its breadth. It manages to encompass blues, folk, hip-hop and all manner of things in between. Every track tells its own story and the music is pretty damned good too. This is a quite brilliant album from the young Hackney lad.

vinyl williams - 'feedback delicates'

The new album 'Brunei' is a very dancey affair but there's also lots of little nuggets hidden within each tune that does make me want to go back for more. And talking of little nuggets, this interactive video to accompany one of the songs from the album reminds me a lot of the hidden Easter egg in Excel 97, Ah, those were the days.

cool ghouls - 'sundial'

You could easily think that the new Cool Ghouls album is an entirely authentic late 60s psych-rock band, heavily influenced by the Sgt Pepper album and decamped somewhere in North California on a spiritual journey to find themselves. Seriously, this album absolutely rocks. It's great when a band have a really great sound and this is it.