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By Mark Glenister Never has the phrase ‘Right time, right place’ seemed more apt than with the release of the new IDLES single ‘Grounds’. It’s the second track to be lifted of the recently announced new album ‘Ultra Mono’ (released 25th September) and if the rest of the album is like this, then the wait will definitely be worth it. IDLES have never been afraid to shy away from topics that make some people feel uncomfortable, like a lot of things in life these are topics that MUST be discussed, and we need to have bands like IDLES raising awareness. Grounds is no different, but what makes it important is the events of the past few weeks, and the global reaction to the sickening death of George Floyd. The fact this track was written some time ago, and was performed at the bands gigs in December, just confirms that this is not a new thing and its taken too many unnecessary deaths to get to where we are now.  IDLES once again prove that its not just about raising your voice, being part of a growing community, but it’s also about educating yourself and understanding the issues around this and other subjects. Brutally honest lyrics hit you at every turn on this track, its raw, its visceral and its relentless - it’s the sound of a band that are becoming the voice of a not just a generation, but a large cross section of humanity.
As the lyrics say “do you hear that thunder, that’s the sound of strength in numbers’ whether that’s a BLM march, an anti-brexit rally or even an online community talking and caring about each other, those words speak volumes and should be a rallying call at a time in our history where positive change can happen, if we stand side by side and say enough is enough. And no lyrics in many current songs sound more defiant than “There's nothing brave and nothing useful, you scrawling your aggro shit on the walls of the cubicle. Saying my race and class ain't suitable. So I raise my pink fist and say black is beautiful” We need change, we need to educate, we need community and we most definitely need bands like IDLES to show us the way. Details on the single, the next single, new merch and album release, plus tickets to 3 special online gigs can be found at: https://www.idlesband.com/uk
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By Ian Smith There’s a lot going on here. This is the debut album from Spiral Galaxy, released on the ever-happening Cardinal Fuzz label. Sara Gossett and Plastic Crimewave have also invited their friends to help out, Jean-Herve and Kawabata head the list of conspirators.  This record jumps from genre to genre and never fits snugly in any. Opening track ‘Celestial Omen’ is a delicious folk-based drone, instruments coming and going, creating an altered, dreamy state. ‘Tragique Mechanique’ recalls early Kraftwerk and is more sinister, with dislocated spoken-word vocals sitting with sounds old and new.
The 14-minute ‘Machine D’ starts in a playful manner and builds as the song progresses, Eastern-tinged hooks combine with low-key, mournful melody. ‘Pendlewitches’ completes the album and is a haunting mantra, clocking in at a measly 5 minutes. And the album is over. More please. Spiral Galaxy is released on 19th June on Cardinal Fuzz Records. To listen and find out more, go to https://cful.bandcamp.com/album/spiral-galaxy With the lockdown still on for many of us, Mark Glenister speaks with Ashley Tubb of Sugar Horse about amongst other things, social media, songwriting, influences, and whingeing... Firstly, how are you? How is the family? Hi Mark. Yeah I’m alright. Just been enjoying time at home with my daughter. She’s good I think. She seems to have inherited a big chunk of my miserable prick demeanour, so it’s hard to tell. Do you have a daily routine, are you learning anything new as everyone else seems to be? There’s kind of a routine. Having a baby kind of means you’re forced into a meal time/play time/ sleep time routine. It’s all still pretty loose though which is nice. Before lockdown I kind of assumed I was slightly more social than I actually am….which is really saying something. I’ve kind of loved not seeing anyone for months. It’s been a welcome relief. I grew up an only child so I think I enjoy my own company quite a lot. Are you seeing this lockdown as a time to be creative? And has it changed the way you view the industry? I kind of set myself a challenge at the start of lockdown to see if I could write at least one thing every day. Doesn’t necessarily have to be something good, but something none-the-less. It’s worked out pretty well so far. We were aiming to put out an album next year and I feel we’ve pretty much got the bones of it now. Itching to get in a practice room and hear the other guys put their magic on the stuff I’ve written. I don’t think it’s changed my view of the “industry” that much. I mean, I’m a cynical bastard at the best of times and I tend to see the bad in everything. That being said, there’s been some wicked ideas people have been playing with. Tim Burgess’ Listening Parties have been a big highlight. I’ve been enjoying John (from JOHN)’s Instagram live interviews as well.  Do you enjoy Social Media? You seem to use Twitter a lot Hahahaha. Yeah Twitter is fun. I dunno, I see social media as a kind of joke. I mean, without meaning to get too fucking Adam Curtis about the whole thing, these companies want you to post and share stuff you like, so they can sell that info to advertising companies and they in turn only show you other stuff you already like. It’s a bit of a vicious cycle. Using them to communicate any kind of serious or nuanced point is usually redundant and ultimately that shit just gets sold someone like Rainmaker. Saying that, sometimes I get sucked in to arguing with someone. It’s a strange beast to deal with. I just try not to take it too seriously. As a fan I know how much I miss going to gigs, for the music and for the social aspect, is this something that you miss as well? When I was drinking I probably would’ve agreed with you. Used to love going to shows just to chat shit with some people. Going sober has kind of made me reassess that. Now I much prefer watching a band and having no one talk to me for the whole set. Somehow quitting booze has made me more of a miserable fuck, but hey it’s what I like. That being said, I don’t mind a chat outside before the show. I think it’s the volume I miss more than anything. Having a baby means I haven’t heard anything properly NAPALM LOUD in a few months. I really enjoy being kind of overwhelmed by sound and I really look forward to experiencing that again. How important are fans, not just for attending gigs, but also for the merch they buy? FANS ARE ONLY GOOD FOR THE MONEY THEY GIVE US I jest of course. Shame to have to say that, but it will save me a few drawn out Twitter conversations. Nah it’s always very cool to have people actually like your music. Especially when you start a band as weird and obtuse as ours. I mean, I’m not saying we’re fucking Faust or anything, but you never expect people to actually like it. I’m very grateful to anyone that’s even listened to one of our songs the whole way through. There is so much music at everyone’s fingertips now and it’s kind of crazy that someone would choose to listen to you. I know why, but can you explain just how important small music venues are to all musicians? Small venues are the reason it’s possible for more than twelve people to hear weird little bands like ours. They’re the unappreciated backbone of the music industry. It’s where everyone starts and where most people finish. The current COVID situation is pretty dangerous for a lot of venues’ ability to survive. If you can, give ‘em something. Keep them going, ‘cause when they go they don’t come back. How do you approach song writing? Are you a story teller or are your songs about actual events and social commentary? I’m a metaphor guy. I’ve tried writing things pretty literally in the past, but it always comes out really on-the-nose and a huge cringe fest. Metaphors let you hide behind them a little bit and allow you to kind of dance around a subject a bit more. I’m a pretentious prick and like to stick in references and in jokes all over the place. Those are my favourite kind of lyrics, so I try and emulate that as much as I can. Most of our songs are usually just about my opinion on something. More based in emotion than telling a story or straight criticism. Don’t get me wrong, most of it comes from a pretty negative bent, but I quite like inhabiting the characters/ideologies I’m having a go at. Try and parody them through their own bile. As I said, I’m a pretentious cunt.  What bands/artists have influenced you?
That’s a big question. I have many. For the last few weeks I’ve been listening to loads of Burial, Jesu, Sumac and The Cocteau Twins. That lot have been really informing the stuff I’ve been writing. There’s nothing better than hearing a song that makes that inspiration lightbulb flick on. Other than those recent ones, I’ve got a few that never stop making me want to create: Oceansize, The Cure, The Fall, My Bloody Valentine, The Chariot, Arab Strap, Interpol….I could go on, but that would be self indulgent and probably quite dull. If you could have written one song by someone else, what would it be and why? There are a few songs that just stop time and speak directly to me whenever I hear them. Fucking Little Bastards by Arab Strap is a very poignant one for me. There’s a particularly dark lyrical section in the middle that will fill anyone with any kind of drinking problem with a very familiar sense of dread. The end section of an Oceansize song called Ornament/The Last Wrongs is another one that just rips me in half, every time without fail. To me it’s an ode to the limitations of existing and it makes me well up without fail every single time. I’ll pick one more just to give the illusion of some kind of pre-planned structure. The Cure’s Disintegration is obviously a fucking opus. I don’t think I can better or even nearly equal what more eloquent humans than I have written about it before, so I won’t even try. I will say though that if you haven’t listened to it before, close your curtains, think about death and turn it on as loud as humanly possible. Imagine you are locked away for a year (not too difficult at the moment), what one album would you happily listen to during that time, and why? That’s a pretty easy one. I’d go for Oceansize’s Everyone Into Position. They’re my favourite band and while it might not be my favourite record (although it’s pretty level pegging) it’s the most diverse musically. They manage to crowbar about eighty different genres into it, so it would still be interesting even after a year. If you could interview one person dead or alive (doesn’t have to be music related) who would it be, and why? I’m really tempted to say Mark E Smith here, but depending on who you talk to, he can either be the nicest or most horrible man who’s ever lived. Much like The Fall’s live shows. Bringing hit or miss to it’s logical conclusion. I’d be shitting it the whole time too, so I’ll steer clear of that. I’d quite like a chat with Liz Fraser from the Cocteau Twins. She’s a pretty renowned recluse, especially since the band parted ways. Her voice puts me under a spell. I am absolutely certain it’s the greatest human voice ever recorded. On second thoughts, that just sounds like I’d be a goon for the whole thing. I dunno. Jeremy Clarkson so I can just repeatedly spit at him? I’ll go with that. Despite horrors of this pandemic, the lockdown seems to have a created a lot of really positive community action, and for once social media is being used mainly in a positive manner – Do you want life to return to normal once this is over, or would you like people to be using this time to evaluate their lives and start being part of communities and positive social change? That’s a funny question. “Do you want loads of good things to happen, or shall they just stay pretty shit like they are now?” Hahahaha I just hope everyone made the most of this time. If you’re lucky enough, as I have been, to not have anyone close effected by this thing, then it’s a big opportunity to spend time doing things you always wish you could. Whether that be doing nothing but watching films for twelve weeks, or writing an experimental opera about trout fishing. Fuck knows. Who am I to judge. I just hope people found at least a little good in it. Just count yourself lucky you weren’t effected I guess. If you’re reading this and you were I hope it wasn’t awful. Time isn’t necessarily a healer, but it gets you used to stuff and that’s an asset in this maelstrom of a world. As for the positive social change thing, I’m not a big believer in general consensus. I have an inherit distrust in it. I am therefore quite wary of communities and am like a pathetic hermit creature who just shouts to himself about things that most people won’t think are important. Don’t listen to my ideas, for they shall drown you in darkness and self doubt. However, if you are into that kind of thing feel free to get in touch. Cheers to Mark for the questions and thanks to everyone who managed to make it to the end. As usual I’ve managed to turn quite an uplifting interview into a massive whingefest. We started so well… Keep yourselves warm. By Jon Milton and Ian Smith What a difference a bit of sun makes! After a few dreary days this week a sunny weekend has seen us enjoying sounds that reflect the summer. Sheffield’s The Suncharms continue to drip-feed tracks ahead of their long-awaited debut long-player. Recently reformed, all the elements remain and retain the freshness of the first incarnation. This track features on the ‘Please Rain Fall’ Compilation which is out now on Shiny Happy Records. You will recognise the sounds….. Guitars twinkle and shimmer, cloaking the heartfelt, dreamy vocals. It’s really rather fine. Gorgeous, pristine, Pastel-pop with a sunny sundae smile. You can listen to '3 Billion Heartbeats' here. Elsewhere the debut album by People Taking Pictures got another dust off to accompany the barbecue. The side project of Psychedelic Porn Crumpets' guitarist Luke Parrish originally came out in January but its laid back jazzy hip hop beats seem to make much more sense now. On a lo fi summery tip, Spider Noises released a fine new single 'Warm Moon Residue' on Friday which will be followed by two albums from the them in a couple of weeks time, both on the fledgling Kitchen Practice Records. One is their proper debut album, and the other an assortment of bits and bobs. We'll have a review of both nearer the release date, but in the mean time have a listen to the quirky sounds of the band here. Also out on Friday was the debut EP by Alex Rave and the Sceptical, and the latest single by Perspex 'A Horse Named Useless'. We featured Alex and the boys reflective EP (which contains Reasons and Itch), on the site on Friday, and you read about it here. York band Perspex have released a string of quality singles to date, all with wry lyrics and Velvet Underground-esque music and this more down tempo new single is a worthy addition to their portfolio. You can listen to it here.  Stay Home Interviews: Black Market Karma, Ghost Dance Collective, Ghost Patterns, Josef Rosam14/6/2020 Part 5 of the Stay Home interviews, and Cameron Pettit of Fish Bowl Events talks to Stanley from Black Market Karma, Ghost Dance Collective, Ghost Patterns and Josef Rosam, all of whom have contributed music to the 'Stay Home: Independent Artists Against Covid 19' compilation in aid of NHS Charities, which you can listen to and buy from Bandcamp here. Black Market Karma Tell us a bit about the band: I suppose a short summary would be that we’re a Psychedelic Rock n’ Roll outfit from London. At least that’s what people tell me. I get a lot of messages along the lines of “Your music is tailor made for Acid” To go a bit deeper, I’m pretty open to whatever influences turn me on at any time. I listen to a wide range of different music and don’t put a lot of restrictions on myself creatively and what I think the band’s sound can be. My only aim is to have some sort of through line that keeps it consistent. New but familiar if you will. It’s influenced by 60’s guitar & pop music and it has power but it’s not heavy. There’s a lot of drunken groove in there, vintage fuzz pedals, delays and reverbs. We’re not a retro throwback back band but it does lean towards an analogue sensibility. What has changed for you as a band during lockdown? We were in the throes of moving to a new place so my recording gear has been in storage the entire time which has been like losing a psychic limb. I’ve found ways to keep creating though so it could be worse. We can’t rehearse and tour because of it and it’s also stalled the release of our next album so that’s been very frustrating for all of us. Aching to get things rolling again. Are there any tips that you can give to bands for the remainder of the lockdown, anything to help keep them sane, busy, productive etc.? I would say as much as it’s tempting and often wonderful to vegetate on the sofa, try and keep some form of creation going, even if it’s not strictly music. Something to keep your brain & soul fed that isn’t vapid shit like reality telly. I’ve been doing live streams using a loop pedal to accompany myself and play sets. That’s been rewarding. I’ve also been working on cover art for future releases, making videos, remixing songs, coming up with new stuff. Collaborating with people over the Internet. All things that prevent me from being bone idle and feeling like it’s another day wasted. Can you recommend any artists that you’ve found during lockdown? Check out Idi et Amin & Black Thumb. Both good people that make class music  Ghost Dance Collective Tell us a bit about the band: We’re an Edinburgh-based 4 piece called Ghost Dance Collective, we've been around since 2015 and are purveyors of the type of music that exists on the border between indie pop and psychedelia. We support the workers' struggle, regularly watch JFK, our favourite number is 32 and are all spoken for. We've got an album out, we're almost ready to release our second album (just finalising the artwork), and have begun the process of recording album 3. What has changed for you as an artist during lockdown? Well, the biggest impact has been that it's slowed everything right down as we've been unable to record or practice songs we've been working on, and we've certainly missed the buzz we get when we're all together. On the other hand, it's given us a chance to focus on writing new material, so hopefully when the restrictions are lifted we can get the creative juices flowing real quick. Are there any tips that you can give to other artists for the remainder of the lockdown, anything to help keep them sane, busy, productive etc.? Keep in touch and have a laugh with each other, practice the hell out of your instruments, grow a beard and read the beard. Can you recommend any artists that you’ve found during lockdown? Ross has mostly been rediscovering some of the bands he listened to back in the day like Pavement, Veruca Salt, The Breeders, Lilys etc Liam has been listening to a lot of '50s/'60s/'70s jazz, dub and roots reggae, Delta and Chicago blues, late '60s psychedelia.  Ghost Patterns Tell us a bit about the band: We are are a London based psychedelic/ shoegaze band with members from the U.K. and Canada. What has changed for you as a band during lockdown? Nothing really in terms of being able to record and mix as we have always produced music in this way. We have not attempted to write any new stuff for fear of including ‘safe’ , ‘lockdown’ or ‘isolation‘ in song titles. We had a song title called ‘Safe’ written before the pandemic, so this will be released at some future date.. Are there any tips that you can give to bands for the remainder of the lockdown, anything to help keep them sane, busy, productive etc.? Our only setback is not being able to access an acoustic drum kit. Hence virtual drums to the rescue! Can you recommend any artists that you’ve found during lockdown? Sei Still, FACS, Tennis System  Josef Rosam Tell us a bit about yourself: My name is Josef Rosam and I come from and live in one of the many blackhole small towns in England so I make music to create other universes (I hope) much more interesting and I try to carry a piece of goodwill on my person wherever I go though I am not a perfect soul and have my own personal problems. What has changed for you as an artist during lockdown? Lock down has made me more lazy than I was before, but on the polar, I am now able to stew in my own juices a lot more than non lockdown days and I can focus on nature and feeling the planet without the blur that "normal" life creates. Are there any tips that you can give to artists for the remainder of the lockdown, anything to help keep them sane, busy, productive etc.? I would say let your pain, joy, boredom, fatigue, love, worry, doubt, excitation, energy, fear, happiness, sadness etc.. all your emotions, absorb into you, acknowledge these things no matter how "good" or "bad" and pour them into your art when you create and be truly honest about how you feel about these aspects in you life, you can't go wrong then...and also never pretend to be something you're not..that's not attractive. Can you recommend any artists that you’ve found during lockdown? I can recommend you listen to a band called wasted youth...my mate nick was in it in the late 70's early 80's..they were a really decent band from the east end of corrupt but homely London...he played synths and keyboard..also try persian flowers...he sang in that band..and of course listening to my of my music won't hurt. Be well and see you on the other side.  |
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