Jon Spencer – Spencer Sings The Hits
Garage-rockin' greatness from the American singer and guitarist, a legend from the New York scene with Pussy Galore, Boss Hog, Heavy Trash and of course The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, here with his his first official foray into a solo album, and it's full of the same screaming energy as his other work. Hits? Not yet, but humorous in reference, especially with the additional sound of hammer on metal objects. Out on In The Red Records.
Jon Spencer – I Got The Hits
Marianne Faithfull – Negative Capability
Around 54 years of music, and many ups and downs, this 21st album from Faithfull, at the age of 71, is one of her better late-career works - full of tenderness, vulnerability, honesty, defiance, her false is faltering and craggy at times, but has its strengths too, shored up by violin and piano arrangements by Mark Lanegan and Ed Harcourt – plus backing vocals from Nick Cave. This is growing old gracefully. Out on BMG
Marianne Faithfull - The Gypsy Faerie Queen feat. Nick Cave
Liars – Titles With The Word Fountain
A humorous title indeed from the one constant member, Angus Andrew with this 17-track release, the sequel to 2017’s acclaimed album, TFCF. Liars always throws up surprises and variety, and this is full of interesting abstraction, mixing indie, ghostly vocals, and electronica. Out on Mute, of course.
Liars – Murdrum
Bill Ryder-Jones – Yawn
A provocatively sleepy, ironically 'boring' title from the Coral founder and West Kirby singer-songwriter with his fifth solo album. Breathily voiced, this is dreamy, sensual, droning indie lovelorn melancholy with moments of soaring beauty and tenderness, particularly tracks Don't Be Scared, I Love You and Mither. Out on Domino.
Bill Ryder-Jones – And Then There's You
Thought Gang – Thought Gang (David Lynch and Angelo Badalamenti)
The esoteric jazz side-project of David Lynch and Angelo Badalamenti evolved from Twin Peaks’ second series in the early 1990s, trademark slow cool jazz and blossomed into more experimental pastures. Here the curtain is lifted on material that took 25 or more years to surface, coming out of the music from Fire Walk With Me, Mulholland Drive and other film projects, recorded in pieces and put together here. Odd, and often amusing disturbing of course, with scratchy, stormy jazz and distorted spoken-word stories, but for Lynch fans, full of gems. On on Sacred Bones Records.
Thought Gang – Woodcutters From Fiery Ships
audiobooks – Now! (in a minute)
Recently seen supporting Jarvis Cocker, audiobooks release their debut - catchy electronic pop with the slightly unusual of duo of mature keyboard player and guitarist and former Julian Cope collaborator David Wrench,, and 21-year-old art student, singer and lyricist Evangeline Ling, who sometimes breaks out into the whoops reminiscent of Annabella Lwin from Bow Wow Wow. It's eccentric, surreal but oddly alluring, including echoes of The Human League, and the Sugacubes. Out on Heavenly.
audiobooks – Hot Salt
Charles Mingus – Jazz in Detroit / Strata Concert Gallery / 46 Selden
A treasure trove in the form of a quintuple album of live work by the jazz great. Amir Abdullah found forgotten master tapes in the care of Hermine Brooks – widow of innovative Detroit drummer Roy Brooks – of the Charles Mingus Quintet recorded live in Detroit at Strata Concert Gallery at a residency in 1973, filled with furious energy and tension, and fresh from a European tour, peformances by Mingus and co are never less than astonishing. Out on BBE.
Charles Mingus – Peggy's Blue Skylight
Two Medicine – Astropsychosis
The debut album from Paul Alexander, the bassist from prog-folk band Midlake, fulfilling an ambition to explore more experimental territory, with echoes of early Pink Floyd and The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds, this is psychedelic, dreamy material, frequently bold and beautiful, with additions that include Jesse Chandler (Midlake and Mercury Rev) on flute and bass clarinet. Fans of Midlake will embrace this too. Out on Bella Union.
Two Medicine – Astropsychosis
Dead Can Dance – Dionysus
This week's selection is full of experimental work but perhaps for that adjective, this latest by Brendan Perry takes the full bacchanalian biscuit with a oratorio on Dionysian myth, garnished with a swath of folk instruments and choral singers. Eerie and otherworldly indeed, but myth and music merging into an rich, enthralling, ambitious project that took two years to complete. Out on PIAS.
ACT I : Sea Borne – Liberator of Minds - Dance of the Bacchantes
Molly Nilsson – Twenty Twenty
Eighth album from the Berlin-based Swedish singer-songwriter, serving up melancholy synth pop with an 80s era to it. Think of a depressed Banarama mixed with Cocteau Twins. Out on her own imprint label Dark Associations / Night School.
Molly Nilsson – Days of Dust
Pip Blom – Paycheck
New EP from the young Amsterdam indie band – offering up guitar-bendy, dark material that promises a great career ahead of them. Out on Persona Non Grata.
Pip Blom – Come Home
This week's selection is by The Landlord.
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