To curate, a 60-minute show of new music takes on average about a week of listening, not that I’m complaining. Considering how much excellent new music comes my way, it really is an enjoyable occupation. In this volume, we have such a diverse selection, beginning in Brighton on the south coast of England where Nico runs the enterprising Shoredive Record label. The Insatiable Disquiet is his latest project, teaming up with American vocalist Cat Hall of Industrial pioneers Dissonance. Their new EP, Unbidden has a wonderful, familiar feel, yet it’s totally original as you’ll hear on Justify. 50 miles up the road from Brighton in London you’ll find Toby Burroughs on drums & vocals, Tom Jones on bass & vocals, and Rosa Brook on violin & vocals – together they are Pozi. Their Typing EP displays their collective talents with Sea Song. Jot their name down, I expect to hear more from Pozi. Over in Dublin, it appears there must be something in the water because such a lot of creative talent is emanating from that beautiful city. Fronted by vocalist and guitarist Keeley, we have Keeley! Their Brave Warrior EP is dedicated to the memory of Inga Maria Hauser, which we’ll learn more about in our upcoming conversation. We selected, Last Words, expect to hear more cuts from Keeley soon on LEM. Over in Brooklyn, Sem Azhak says, “Hello I’m Sem and this is Semetery it’s nice to meet you”. Sem writes and performs all the songs on the album, I Know It’s A Sore Subject, But These Things Fall Apart, listen to Freckles and you’ll understand why I included Semetery in this volume. In Auckland, New Zealand a fellow by the name of A. Evans uses the moniker, Black Sand for his musical output. The Place You Call Home is from his 8th album Hypnotic Revolutions. Mr. Evans says, “Black Sand continues to chart a course through spaced-out psychedelic rock n roll. Put your headphones on and enjoy the ride”. Excellent suggestion. I’ve mentioned it before, I love compilations. Such a good way to get a variety of music in one package. Agreed, not every cut is going to be on repeat play, but I always find at least a couple of cuts worthwhile – sometimes a whole lot more. For example, take a listen to Kongodoom with The City Is A Desert from Here is Minimal City Vol 1 c/o Petite Victory Collective out of Copenhagen. OK, I admit I’m partial to a little minimalist-dubby-electronica. This LP is worth the price of admission. Another comp I want you to know about is 1980 Something – An 80s Cover Comp For No More Dysphoria. This comes courtesy of Heavenly Creature Records out of Scotland who has put together 80s covers by 32 different artists. Importantly, all funds raised will go directly to No More Dysphoria, the album is available on a pay-what-you-want/can basis. No More Dysphoria is a non-profit organization created with the goal of helping transgender individuals pay for major aspects of their transition. From the album you’ll hear, a cover of Bowie’s Modern Love by Regal Cheer, followed by How I Became Invisible with a cover of The Pixies, Where Is My Mind. The name Chris Connelly must trigger recognition to even the most casual music aficionado. Mr. Connelly has a new album, The Birthday Poems spotlighting the centenary of Scottish poet George Mackay Brown. Chris has teamed up with Monica Queen for this adventure. The title cut is included in this volume. Chris Connelly is going to be my guest very soon for an in-depth conversation. So much to talk about with a man who has been involved with such a lot of influential bands and projects. A curiously unassuming LP came my way a few weeks back, Years In Marble by Raoul Vignal. The musician, originally from Lyon is definitely worth your time following up on, Red Fresco being a good example. Josienne Clarke knows what she is doing and what she wants. A short video shows Josienne auditioning guitar players. In the end, the Scottish artist lets us know she wrote and composed the songs, she does the vocals, plays guitar, harmonium, and saxophone, she also arraigned and produced the album, A Small Unknowable Thing. But, we must give a tip of the hat to Dave Hamblett for the smart drumming, along with Matt Robinson on keyboards, Alec Bowman-Clarke on Bass, and Mary Ann Kennedy on Harp. Make sure you listen to Sit Out carefully. Next, the EP In These Times arrived on my desk without much information, except Science Fiction Review are from Austin, Texas and all the tracks are super – e.g. Like A Church. Made up of members Curtis Wakeling (The Ocean Party/Pop Filter) and his partner Kayleigh Heydon, a Visual Artist from the U.K, Deuce is a project out of Melbourne. They say their collaboration enables them to further understand each other’s stories and experiences. The outcome so far is their self-titled album with seemingly effortless songs that underplay well-crafted songs about relationships. There is a knowingness here in each song that could easily be the result of many years of working together, yet the immediacy of their relationship is never in doubt. That Curtis and Kayleigh each take turns in lead vocals proves the confidence they have in their collaboration. Such a good album, it’s hard to choose one cut, we selected, Swim. To close, a fine example of dub production from Tuff Scout out of London with the title cut from the LP, Out On The Floor Dub, is a splendid reworking of The Wailer’s Really For A Reason. Do make sure you let me know what you think of LEM.
Playlist
- The Insatiable Disquiet – Justify
- Pozi – Sea Song
- Keeley – Last Words
- Semetery – Freckles
- Black Sand – The Place You Call Home
- Kongodoom – The City Is A Desert
- Regal Cheer – Modern Love
- How I Became Invisible – Where Is My Mind
- Chris Connelly & Monica Queen – The Birthday Poems
- Raoul Vignal – Red Fresco
- Josienne Clarke – Sit Out
- Science Fiction Review – Like A Church
- Deuce – Swim
- Tuff Scout – Out On The Floor Dub
Artwork by D. Chasomè “MJ Sitting #2″ 2001 2′ x 2’6” giclée print on archival paper. Courtesy of Norman B’s collection
LEM Vol 239
Life Elsewhere 