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musingsJon Milton It’s been a cracking start to the year on the album front. Shame set the bar high last month with Drunk Tank Pink, and each of the new albums released in the last couple of weeks from TV Priest, Black Country New Road and Mush respectively have been an absolute joy to hear. TV Priest’s debut album ‘Uppers’ is a promising debut from a band that we’ve been impressed by since their first single ‘House of York’ dropped last year. Uppers begins with the question ‘where do you sit on the big curve?’ and the band’s erudite musings continue throughout the album, taking in a range of themes covering areas such as the post Brexit world, the press and the internet and algorithms. Musically ‘Uppers’ straddles post punk and Krautrock experimentation, Joy Division/Warsaw, Gang of Four, early U2, the Fall and Bunnymen mixed in with Neu and Faust. It’s not perfect (too much Motorik in places for my liking) but it is a fine debut nonetheless. The band have already suggested that a follow up may be on its way later this year and it would be great to see the glimpses of experimentation featured on Uppers developed further. We knew what we were getting with Black Country New Road’s debut ‘For the First Time’ before Ninja Tune released it, with four of its six tracks already released as singles. The two remaining tracks ‘Instrumental’ and ‘Opus’ open and close the album, the former a Balkan romp and the latter a similarly Eastern European sounding whirling Dervish. Reich, Jazz, manic indie rock and more all combine in between, and the album as a whole is an excellent journey in sound from a band that you feel still have a lot more to give.  Mush’s second album 'Lines Redacted' was released a week or so ago, and almost exactly a year on from the band’s debut '3D Routine'. Their sound has evolved over that time, more lo-fi throughout on this record - imagine if Captain Beefheart produced and tinkered with the Velvet Underground’s third album and you should get the picture. There's a lot to admire in this record, but as was the case with their debut it’s the longest track that stands out, this time on album closer Lines Redacted which also sees vocalist Dan Hyndman deviate from his trademark hopped up Dylan/Lou Reed-esque drawl to sing in more measured, almost hushed tones. White Flowers also have an album on the way which they announced this week, alongside its title track ‘Daylight’. The band have consistently produced sublime music ever since they surfaced early in 2020, clearly heavily influenced by the Cocteau Twins, albeit imbued with their own unique style. Daylight continues in this rich vein and we look forward to hearing the full album when its released in May. Staying with shoegaze and psychedelia, just round the corner is the self-titled new album by six-piece from Chicago, Diagonal. The album is out on the 26th on Little Cloud Records, and judging by the two singles released so far, Anticipation and Negatives it should be pretty special. Mixing psychedelia and baggy are Manchester’s Suave Martyrs who have just released a storming new single ‘Cascades of Gold’. Sitting somewhere between the Sandkings, early Ocean Colour Scene and Paris Angels, Cascades of Gold is brimming with energy, and for those of us that can remember Madchester and all that, brings back many fond memories! Sheffield based band Workfriends perked up our ears with their debut single ‘Man on the Run’ last year and have finally released its follow up in ‘Sick and Tired’. Its another top tune too, smartly written and sounding like they had a lot of fun recording it. Hopefully they won’t leave it another year to release their next track – they’re definitely a band to watch out for. The Lounge Society also made a splash last year with their debut single ‘Generation Game’, which was one of our top three tunes of 2020. Having their single released on Speedy Wunderground has naturally meant that they’ve already garnered a lot of media attention and they seem to be picking up momentum with a new single ‘Cain’s Heresy’ out this week and a debut EP scheduled for release later this year. Cain’s Heresy is a blinding tune as well, just under 4 minutes of pure quality. Given their tender age there can only be more to come from this lot too. Superb. Manchester’s Loose Articles describe themselves as ‘feminine and threatening, working and class’ so it’s of no great surprise that their new single ‘Buses’ is rather in your face, in a good way of course. Produced by Theo Verney, Buses is uncompromising and splendid. If you fancy a bit of swaggering post punk, look no further than Hallan’s new single ‘Hands Up’. It’s a confident little devil that stomps along with a riff that sparkles. The band seem to be improving with every new single too. Concluding our round up this week is Gazebo the debut EP by Personal Trainer. There are five tracks on the EP in total, the excellent ‘Fiddlefunk’ kicking off proceedings alongside new tracks ‘Crops’ and ‘The Loozer’ and two previously released singles ‘Politics’ and ‘Muscle Memory’. We like.
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By Jon Milton As we thankfully left 2020 behind, we did so in the knowledge that there were already at least three new albums to look forward to in January and February of this year, from Shame, TV Priest and Mush. This was pretty much the main reason why we’ve interviewed so many artists over the course of this month to find out their plans too, to try and keep focussed on the positives in what is a challenging time for everyone. TV Priest’s album ‘Uppers’ was initially pencilled in for release last November but was put back to early February due to Sub Pop signing them. The band first caught our attention with their excellent debut single House of York in April last year which was swiftly followed in May by the similarly impressive ‘Runner Up’. They won us over completely with lead single from ‘Uppers’ ‘This Island’ out last August, and subsequent singles ‘Slideshow’, ‘Decoration’ and ‘Press Gang’ have simply reinforced that opinion. Following on from our first interview with the band in June last year I asked them for their thoughts on how they found the rest of 2020 and their plans for 2021: What were your highlight(s) of 2020? We were very proud to start releasing our music last year despite not being able to play gigs off the back of it. And of course, it's been a really tough year for everyone, but being able to share our work in this way and know that it's connecting with people is extremely rewarding. George and Tristan at Hand In Hive were an integral part of this and somehow set us on a course to be offered a record deal with Sub Pop. Last but by no means least, working with Joe Wheatley on two of our videos was an absolute pleasure. He's an amazing guy and never ceases to amaze with his work, we look forward to seeing what he comes up with next.  When can we expect to hear new music from you in 2021, in digital and physical formats?
Our debut album 'Uppers' will be out in February which will be available both digitally and physically. Beyond that we hope to be releasing new music later in the year. Pandemic permitting, what gigs have you got lined up? Due to the current lockdown, our album release show has been pushed back to April. We also have other gigs planned in London, Cardiff, Manchester, Bristol, Brighton and Southampton. Any festival appearances planned? Dark Arts in Leeds, Are You Listening? In Reading, Gold Sounds in Leeds, Get Together in Sheffield and Stag and Dagger in Glasgow. What are your hopes for the band in 2021? With any luck, we will be playing all the gigs mentioned above. Hopefully we'll have recorded our second album and will be looking to put it out before the end of the year. By Jon Milton In our humble opinion, two of the best albums released in 2020 were the debuts by Mush and Pottery. I talked to Dan from Mush and Jacob from Pottery about their highlights of last year and found out what we can look forward to from them in 2021… Mush What were your highlights of 2020? It’s been a pretty big year for us, despite barely playing a note together since March. Our debut record came out in February, followed by an E.P for record store day and a cassette (originally conceived for cassette store day, prior to the Burger Records scandal). We played one show to mark the release of 3D Routine at our local Brudenell Social Club, March 7th. As it turned out it was going to be the last gig of the year for everyone in the venue. As it also turned out it would be our last gig together as a band, our guitarist Tyson passed away later in the year. That gig has kind of adopted a lot of importance now, it was a fun time and we played a good show. So I guess that’s one highlight. We also went into the studio again in August to record LP2, a kind of premature covid pregnancy, conceived ahead of it’s time due to the changes in our working schedule. For me this was the thing that salvaged the year for us as a band. We worked really hard and the lockdown gave us time to be more detail orientated and professional. We went back to Green Mount and worked with Jamie and Lee who are good pals and had a great time despite the circumstances surrounding the lockdown and issues with Steven.  What new music can we expect in 2021? Well Lines Redacted is out around Valentine's day as has become the tradition. I’ve been using the subsequent lockdowns to rebuild my liver and commence work on album 3. Maybe we could do a 2 album year, but I doubt we will get away with that. At the very least we will be back in the studio. I’m trying to remain cautiously pessimistic about gigging prospects and focus on what we can do which is write a shit load of material. Pandemic permitting, what gig have you got lined up? We have nothing booked in. We are going to be in a surreal position soon where we will have had our debut and second record out without having done a single tour. The next time we tour will probably be for our greatest hits record after the third comes out. We haven’t been able to get together due to the restrictions so far, but when the time is right we will get it sorted. Obviously we have a line up change to consider too. Pandemic permitted do you have any festivals lined up? None - sorry. Can’t blame the pandemic for that. No fucker booked us. What are your hopes for the band in 2021 Simple things really. It won’t take much to improve on 2020, I am very much looking forward to seeing the album come out. Mostly I am looking forward to being in a room making noise with friends again. I look forward to being able to write a record with less of a dystopian slant but I won't hold my breath on that front. A cold pint would be nice. Pottery What were your highlight(s) of 2020? Definitely our February Euro/Scandinavian tour, It was a blast. Felt like we just dodged a bullet with covid hitting a few weeks later and everything shutting down. It was almost a year ago now, time flies in this vacuum.  When can we expect to hear new music from you in 2021, in digital and physical formats?
The scaffolding is up on a new project, we're just currently on a lunch break. We'll have something back in your hands and ears as soon as we can. Pandemic permitting, what gigs have you got lined up? Nothing yet! We've been taking it really easy the past few months, taking time to ourselves to manage our own lives. We toured for the bulk of 2019 without much of a break, so this past year has been spent re-focusing and connecting with what we feel is right to be doing. We're keen to get back out there now.. taking it one step at a time! Any festival appearances planned? We'll have to wait and see on this one ;) What are your hopes for the band in 2021? To keep on truckin! We just want to enjoy our time together, make jokes and play music. Hoping everyone out there can stay safe and ride this covid wave till we're back at the clean shores of sweaty bars and venues! By Jon Milton In the latest in our series of interviews with new and emerging artists about their plans for 2021, I talk to two bands who released their debut EP’s last year. Document’s first single ‘Pity’ was released just under a year ago and was one of our top 5 tracks of the year. The similarly impressive ‘A Camera Wanders All Night’ EP followed in March, before the pandemic and lockdown abruptly halted their progress. The Palpitations released their debut EP ‘Feed the Poor, Eat the Rich’ in June 2020. Given that the band work as Doctors, it will come as no big surprise that their music largely had to take a back seat last year, as they concentrated on saving lives. Not only saving the lives of their patients either – bassist Nishant (who I interviewed below for the band) and his wife also launched a successful crowdfunded campaign to get the government to take accountability and protect NHS workers which resulted in them revoking the Acute Shortages Guidance which previously meant that healthcare workers were encouraged to reuse PPE, thereby significantly increasing the risk of transmission. Document What were your highlight(s) of 2020? The biggest highlight for me was finally releasing the EP after what seemed like an eternity of having those songs written and ready to go. In terms of the gigging front, we managed to get in our first show down in London just before this all kicked off, which happened to be a great show. Other than that, I think I speak on behalf of the world when I can say that it was a bleak and restless year that needs to be quickly forgotten about.  Photo by Phoebe Fox When can we expect to hear new music from you in 2021, in digital and physical formats? I would be lying if I said an exact date but we are definitely planning to release more on a regular basis. We have wanted to get in a studio early this year but so far it seems defined by the uncertainty of the times unfortunately. Pandemic permitting, what gigs have you got lined up? We have a socially distanced show organised for our debut in Blackpool on the 20th March and the ever changing date of our Manchester Headline. It's now at Night and Day Cafe on the 8th August, fingers crossed everything may have a touch more normality. Any festival appearances planned? We currently have nothing planned in terms of festivals but I can safely say we would love to be playing all we can. Nothing screams more of a laugh than getting drunk in a field playing and watching bands. What are your hopes for the band in 2021? World domination is always a hope I keep in the back of my mind. Honestly, just to be able to tour around the UK and although increasingly less possible, the EU. I think as a band we want to release more and explore a rather different musical path to bring us away from the old sound and make something completely new. Tragically, at the end of 2020, our drummer Will's dad Rob sadly lost his battle to VEXAS syndrome, a newly discovered disease. There is currently no cure and very little research into the illness, which means many others are suffering in silence. In honour of Rob, who was one of Documents’ number 1 fans from the start, we have decided to release a limited edition t-shirt, which features the lyrics to Rob’s favourite Document song, ‘Pity’. All proceedings will be going straight to Ward 19 at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, who are currently fronting vital research into the VEXAS syndrome. Link below: https://everpress.com/document-for-vexas-charity  The Palpitations What were your highlight(s) of 2020? My first child, the cutest baby girl called Radhika, was born in July 2020. She's kept me great company throughout, she's been our beacon of hope. Radhika (meaning: 'seeker of justice') is developing into a really fun and playful human being, after having been pretty boring for the first three months or so (apols if you're reading this in 2049, Radhika, but by your own admission you will admit that between nappy-changing and crying, you weren't great banter). I have high hopes that her first word will be a swear word. It would be a rare action that makes her mum indescribably angry, while providing me with a laugh that will surely see me through the pandemic. I'm watching plenty of The Thick Of It. Helps broaden her vocabulary... Also, forcing Matt Hancock to improve PPE for NHS staff was a nice win. I think we saved the lives of NHS staff as a result.  When can we expect to hear new music from you in 2021, in digital and physical formats?
We are nearly done recording our next batch of singles - we're ridiculously excited about them. We've been working on these songs for a very, very long time and they are a logical progression of our debut EP, "FEED THE POOR! EAT THE RICH!" I won't put a timeframe on it, because every time we've made plans in the last twelve months, it's kinda, y'know, well...yeah. My baby's the only thing that actually happened on time for us last year! More than just the music, we want to make another batch of The Palpitations' own brand Old Fashioned Hot Sauce'. It was the best thing we did in 2020 (no offence, Radhika). Pandemic permitting, what gigs have you got lined up? As soon as it's safe, we're going to play every single gig. I'm not lying, I mean, every single gig. Monday night in Basingstoke? Gig Tuesday night in Ware? Gig. Wednesday night in Glasgow? Ok, maybe we'll need to sort logistics out and get a luxury van, ideally with plenty of room for a baby...but we'll make it work. Any festival appearances planned? Outdoor gigs have to be the way forward - ventilation is key to reducing transmission, and so I hope there will be a load of open air festivals. Still waiting to hear back from Glastonbury on whether they'll put us on a covid-secure stage - that's a deal-breaker... What are your hopes for the band in 2021? My hopes for 2020 were that we would tour Europe. My hopes for 2021 are that we will all soon get vaccinated. I won't be coy about it, I also hope we get more recognition for our hard work - when interviewers like NMS take time to 'get' us, appreciate our blood, sweat and tears, it really gives us a boost. I hope our fans love our new songs. I hope our music reaches more people who love rock music. The more I listen to our demos, one of our next songs is called "Death To Light" and I think it will be a brilliant anthem for when lockdown ends! By Jon Milton We’ve been looking forward to the release of Shame’s second album Drunk Tank Pink ever since lead single Alphabet came out in September last year. Three more excellent singles followed Alphabet in Snow Day, Water in the Well, and just last week Nigel Hitter so the bar was set high. Does it deliver? Yep, it’s a cracker. I really couldn’t see what all the fuss was all about with Shame. Another over-hyped band that failed to deliver. None of the early singles grabbed me, and Songs of Praise still sounds distinctly average to me. Drunk Tank Pink however is a quantum leap forward. I appreciate a lot of people focus on the lyrics, but for me the essence of good music lies with the rhythm section, and the rhythm section here is fantastic. Superbly tight, inventive drums and percussion. Wonderful guitar interplay. Driving bass. Without this the shouty / spoken vocals might grate, but instead they enhance the overall sound. In addition to the fine string of singles mentioned above, we get touches of afrobeat on Born in Luton, frantic post punk on Great Dog, 6/1 and Harsh Degrees, the sublime Station Wagon and Human, for a Minute and the punchy March Day. There is not a single weak track on this album – it’s damn close to perfection. Three other bands with albums soon to land who’ve released new music over the last week or so are Mush, TV Priest and Black Country New Road. Mush’s latest single Seven Trumpets (which features no Trumpets on it) is less frantic than previous singles like Blunt Instruments and Dead Beat but no less impressive, with a real late era Velvet Underground feel about it. TV Priest’s Press Gang is a noisy gem from a band that deserve the headlines (sorry, couldn’t resist) and Black Country New Road’s Track X is another fine tune, that draws heavily from Steve Reich’s Different Trains / Electric Counterpoint work. White Flowers reveal a rather beguiling side to their music with their new EP ‘Within a Dream’. The lead track and You Caught Me were released as digital singles late last year, and are very much what we’ve come to expect from the band, but Blue May and Didn’t Want To Have To Do It are more laid back, jazzy affairs full of warmth and charm. We spoke to the band about their plans for the rest of the year a week or so ago, which you can reads about here. Another band who’ve evolved their sound in a short period of time are Home Counties, whose Modern Yuppies single dropped this week. The band said of the single when we interviewed them last week ‘It’s pretty different to everything on ‘Redevelopment EP’. We couldn’t find a way to get back in the studio as a five-piece so it’s a self-produced home-recording, with drum machines and synths taking the centre over the typical guitar-band setup. ‘Redevelopment EP’ wasn’t a drastic departure from the music we made when we were known as Haze but we’re certainly planning on moving further away from that and being a little more experimental… I think this is a good first taste of what’s to come on our next EP’. It’s a bit of banger too as Radio One would say. You can read our full interview with the band talking about their plans for the year here. Finally, this week is Motorway the new single from Oldham’s Gardenback. I first came across the band on an excellent cassette from Owed Summer that was out last year and this is another great tune from the band, who also have an excellent cassette EP just out via rare vitamin records ‘Modern Living EP’ which is well worth checking out / snapping up. Garage rock is the order of the day here and done rather well. The link is at: Gardenback - Modern Living EP | Gardenback | Rare Vitamin Records (bandcamp.com). |
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