Bob Vylan – Makes Me Violent

Try typing “Bob Vylan” to see how many times that amazingly annoying wonder of Spellcheck will stubbornly correct your effort to Bob Dylan. Which of course, is all the more reason to be partial to the music of Bob Vylan, a duo out of London. Their new album, Humble As The Sun is garnering some favorable reactions in the blogasphere. We selected Makes Me Violent for you to get acquainted with Bob Vylan, not least of all because it’s so damn good. Alongside their musical output, Bob Vylan offer a line of clothing plus a pink grapefruit based jerk sauce, Burn Britannia Sauce. If you’re gonna do merch you may as well include jerk sauce.

Sweet Unrest – Peace Of Mind

Oh, the temptation sometimes to wander down that never-ending tunnel of trainspotting. These four lads called Sweet Unrest did prompt me to head into a sounds like diatribe, but I resisted at the last minute. Suffice to say Sweet Unrest clearly have the chops to make excellent music as displayed on their double-A-side single, Peace Of Mind and Falling For You. This London-based quartet say they fuse psych-garage-rock with the infectiousness of Britpop classics. (Ahem, they do their own trainspotting). Very cool artwork courtesy of guitarist, Tom Waller. 

Savage Mansion – The Shakes

Over in Glasgow, five-piece Savage Mansion have put together an excellent LP of eleven songs recorded live to tape with minimal overdubs. Curiously, they nipped on over to Analogue Catalogue, the Newry, Northern Ireland analogue studio of producer Julie McLarnon. The Shakes, the LPs title cut has lyrics that deliver more questions than answers. “I’ve known sad, known sad, but I’ve never known a sad, I’ve never known a sad song like itin my bones, oh and in my soft pixelated skin I’ve never known a sad song like it”. And, not one mention of The Shakes. Here is another outfit who prompted me to do a little sounds-like routine, only this time I could go all over the place earnestly tripping over myself for references as in Eddie & The Hotrods, The Fall even XTC. That’s the point of course, Savage Mansion are good with a fine collection of songs.

Tony Jay – Jealous Tears

Mister Baby – Orange Days

Compilations will always get my attention, especially when they feature acts I’m not so familiar with. Alfie Dobson of Hartlepool’s Prefect Records lovingly curated Two Two Seven during the summer of 2023. A tasty selection of mostly jangly-poppy songs that could easily come from a comp circa 1981. Prefect say, “We are a DIY label – run like a secret cult”, which sounds perfectly reasonable.Michael Ramos and friends are Tony Jay with Jealous Tears sounding like a tribute to Nikki Sudden and Dave Cusworth. While Katiana Mashikian as Mister Baby heads in a direction you won’t expect from the opening coda on Orange Days. Overall, a jolly nice compilation worth investigating.

Set Feux – Say It Again

Now we come to an exquisite music from a dazzling talent out of the wonderful city of Toronto, Set Feux. This is essentially the project of Diana Planche who happens to be married to one of our all-time favorite people, Barzin. Here with a cast of esteemed musicians, Diana casts her hypnotic spell throughout her album Say It Again. The title like the long-player cut is so perfectly crafted. A confident example of knowing how balance should work. A gorgeous video accompanies the single and the sleeve artwork is beautiful. Do not overlook!

Steve Illage – Song Of The Sandy Hills

It maybe a misprint, the name reads as Steve Illage although I’m questioning if this is the work of Steve Hillage. No matter because here we have a cut from an essential album, Cease Silence – Music Against Silence In the Face Of Slaughter – Artists Against Genocide In Gaza. An important collection of 48 tracks on this compilation. All profits going to Doctors Without Borders and Palestine Red Crescent. If only the reason for this wonderful collection of music were not necessary.

English Teacher – Albert Road

English Teacher – Yorkshire Tapas   

Here is a band that has been on my radar for a while now. English Teacher makes such well-considered music. Their latest LP, This Could Be Texas shows the band in fine fettle. I like all the cuts on the album, with Albert Road being my favorite. That build to the crescendo, so good as Lily Fontaine repeatedly cries, Ohhhh! While the other band members, Douglas Frost, Nicholas Eden and Lewis Whiting prove these musicians enjoy and respect each other as they create memorable music. English Teacher hail from Leeds, Yorkshire as you can definitely discern from Lily’s pronounced brogue on Yorkshire Tapas. This is a cut from their smart 2022 EP, Polyawkward. Every so often I want to see a band live after hearing their recorded music, I’m guessing English Teacher put on a riveting show. Bravo!

The Pheromones – Cropped To Death

Wyrd Psearch is the title of the LP by The Pheromones. The artwork for the record is designed as an actual word search too, they say it’s “A knowing nod to how we all grapple for meaning amongst the absurdity of each day”. It maybe worth noting that Russell Walker’s understated vocal has always been the band’s unifying focus. He says, the subjects covered on Wyrd Psearch include “mid-life crises, male pattern baldness, and thwarted artistic and personal ambitions” The Pheromones album is on Upset The Rhythm imprint out of London.

King Hannah – Big Swimmer

From the first moment I heard Crème Brûlé, King Hannah grabbed me, I was infatuated with their exceptional way of creating music that sounded so familiar yet so different. Breathtaking is a word I think describes Hannah Merrick and Craig Whittle’s music. Hannah’s almost nonchalant yet erotically charged voice fused with Craig’s powerful and reverent tribute to the very best of classic rock is undeniably masterful. I suppose I could chatter on about how wonderful I believe King Hannah are but don’t just take my work for the adulation, take a listen to my conversation with Hannah and Craig and you to will fall involve. Big Swimmer is the title of their second album and their first single from it, featuring the marvelous Sharon Van Etten. About Big Swimmer, Hannah says, “I remember sitting at my desk and the song just came pouring out and the big swimmer metaphor instantly felt right; to never give up on whatever it is you’re swimming hard towards. But I like that it questions the listener too, that whenever you’re faced with something challenging, do you carry on swimming or do you jump out and grab our towel?” Beyond impressive – truly fabulous!

Girls In Synthesis – Lights Out

From South London, formed in 2016, John Linger (guitar & vocals), Jim Cubitt (bass) and Nicole Pinto (drums) are Girls In Synthesis. With their album, Sublimation, this powerful trio have a rock ’n’ roll sensibility that shines on through. No messing around here, Girls In Synthesis know what they are doing and they do it very well. They have a striking black and white video to go along with Lights Out. Full marks.

Torcha – Factory Dub (The Grey’s Remix)

My passion for the various genres of electronica has resulted in a massive collection going back to the early 80s and the New Beat 12”platters from Belgium, alongside my prize haul of 12” Reggae Dub plates from JA and London, and then theres my cache of early Hip Hop and Rap B sides. It’s a lot to take in and keep count of, yet I’m always keeping a watchful eye out for enterprising producers particularly those who hover between Dubstep, Drum and Bass, Grime and Garage and the many other sub genres. Here then is Toronto-based producer, Torcha with Factory Dub (The Grey’s Remix) from the 3 track Purple Net EP on LDH Records out of Liverpool. These cuts have all the essential elements I look for as Torcha pushes the limits of what his mixing prowess can achieve. Take a moment to check out Torcha’s extensive back catalogue.

The artwork is by Philipe Place “Afternoon sun with air conditioner units” 2010 25″ x 28” Kodachrome print. Courtesy of Norman B’s collection