Irrespective of your musical tastes, political views and sexual preferences, there are a few big albums being let loose this month. For example, Martyn’s Ghost People and Rustie’s Glass Swords are both set for release on October 10th. I have a feeling that the latter LP should be perhaps renamed Marmite, if you get my drift.
Stream ‘em both below. Either I’m an idiot or The Guardian has a childish embed-embargo going on so you’ll have to click through. One day I’ll be calling the shots, you hear me? And you’ll have to watch your back Guardian (close-up of unblinking eyes for dramatic effect). Thin ice mate, thin ice.
It’s about time I posted this up. Do you ever feel like there’s something missing in your life, something reminiscent of house music that celebrates its heady past while at the same time meditating selfishly in that wistful modern way that we all know and love? If not, take your delusional sense of contempt elsewhere. If so, then go back to The Drawing Board (genius wordplay such as this is what they pay me for).
After their huge single ‘Without You’, that indeed topped RA’s list of the top 50 tracks of 2010, Art Department kind of blew up. So a full-length album is as close as you’re going to get to the next logical step, and it doesn’t disappoint. Sparse, echoing and predominately male vocals (whether courtesy of Kenny Glasgow himself, the infamous Seth Troxler or Soul Clap) play out over and under elongated 4/4 patterns that at no point feel rushed or frantic. Epic opener ‘Much Too Much’ is enough to have you sprawled out, mesmerised on your beanbag. I don’t know if watching a video of Art Department’s two club music veterans shooting the shit will be beneficial in your appreciation of their debut LP, but it’s not like I can invite you round, throw the album on the hi-fi and hush any of your inquisitive mutterings. So here’s a couple of samplers and said video. Live long and prosper.
Reliability of the narrator? I don’t know what Stimming was up to, musically or otherwise, before Liquorice. Just putting it out there because, as that old white guy with all the fried chicken says, honesty is the best policy. And in all honesty, is the past really relevant when the present is so exciting? The ‘present’ here being the specific experience of listening to Liquorice, not the general experience of any of our trivial existences.
Apparently, this LP wanders off in a completely new and different direction, away from any of his previously known work. And it definitely wanders, with an epically simplistic style reminiscent of one N. Jaar. Lonesome kicks and claps glue the sonic narrative together, sometimes explicitly and others not so. Although Stimming was in a dark place when making Liquorice (see Defected for more if you care), it is not a sinister album. More deep, pensive and care-free. An abundance of field recordings and samples entwine with the loose synth/beat patterns to create something atmospheric and real that resonates. It’s a weird album for sure, and if you want proof, check out ‘Don’t Touch This’ below. Absolutely glorious.
Instead of getting mad when the vending machine spiral doesn’t turn enough to let your chocolate fall, buy Liquorice from Juno.
Hardcore Will Never Die But You Will is going to be Mogwai’s 7th studio album. It’s going to be released on February 14 2011 and it’s going to be be awesome. It’s a good job that the Scottish post-rock quintet never fail to provide quality listening experiences. In the future some renegade loner will save the world from the comfort of his ergonomic desk chair and this album will be the soundtrack to the subsequent movie. And that’s a scientific fact.
‘Nowness are currently hosting a short film by Antony Crook (who did the photography for the new album) called Thirty Century Man and it features a version of one of the new tracks from the record called How To Be A Werewolf. You can check it out via Nowness’ website here.’
An extensive tour is also happening, hoorah. But what’s my nearest venue? Are they coming to Venezuela? Their official site has all the answers. Words are boring so here is the video to Batcat from 2008′s The Hawk Is Howling.
Is it just Gorillaz or can I say The Gorillaz? It would be a lot better to start with ‘The Gorillaz have a new album coming out and it is called Plastic Beach. I only worry because I once referred to Arctic Monkeys as The Arctic Monkeys and out of nowhere 22 demented indie kids used admittedly very effective teamwork and co-ordination to pin me down and brand ‘There is no ‘The’ in Arctic Monkeys’ across my bare chest with one of those red hot cattle irons.
The album, in its entirety, is available on The Guardian’s site. ‘So click on the widget [above] to stream the album from start to finish (and remember not to refresh the page as it plays!)’. I’m so glad they added the anti-refreshing reminder in there because I often find myself listening to a track online and then thinking ‘man, you know what, I’m going to express my positive feelings towards this piece of music by clicking refresh’. It’s just so confusing because the word ‘fresh’ is in there.
From start to finish is how an album should be played. There’s a whole load of guest appearances on Plastic Beach, details of exactly who are alongside the track listing, as per usual. Personally, I think you should just follow the link and quickly click PLAY without reading anything about tracks or ‘ft.s’ and then play the guessing game.
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