New album: After many strong singles and EPs, a bold, dynamic, blistering punk and post-punk debut by the Dublin four-piece, tackling turbulent existential crises with dark passion and wit
Read moreSPRINTS: Letter To Self
SPRINTS: Letter To Self
Favourite albums of 2023 Part 2: Anohni to Blur to Mitski, Ren to Sufjan Stevens
Favourite LPs of 2023, Part 2.
Welcome once again to the annual tradition of Song Bar’s favourite album releases of 2023. This is Part 2, and Part 1 was yesterday. There’s no such thing as a chart rundown or ‘best of’ here, and these come in no particular order …
Read moreFavourite albums of 2023 Part 1: Anna B Savage to Young Fathers
Part 1 selection of 2023 favourite albums
Welcome once again to the annual tradition of Song Bar’s favourite album releases of 2023. This is Part 1, and Part 2 is also out here. There’s no such thing as a chart rundown or ‘best of’ here, and these come in no particular order. This is all about quality and innovation …
Read moreProblem Patterns: Blouse Club
Problem Patterns’ debut album: Blouse Club
New album: Belfast’s answer to Amyl & the Sniffers pull no punches and leave no prisoners with their angry, shouty, catchy, feminist, caustically sharp and witty debut LP, their fast furious songs of social critique, from the energetic Riot Grrrl punk quartet of Beverley Boal, Bethany Crooks, Ciara King and Alanah Smith
Read moreBe Your Own Pet: Mommy
Pain and pleasure: Be Your Own Pet with new LP Mommy
New album: After a 15 year gap, the Nashville punk rockers fronted by the charismatic Jemina Pearl, return with a fresh, frank, punchy set of songs in which, as she puts it: “Mommy is the bitch in charge, the one in control. It’s a reclamation of myself.”
Read moreGenesis Owusu: Struggler
Genesis Owusu
New album: A stylish, punchy, truly eclectic release by the Ghanaian-Australian singer from Canberra, (real name Kofi Owusu-Ansah) with a potent mash of hip-hop, punk, funk, metal, soul and electro-pop, and a running lyrical metaphor of cockroaches
Read moreSnõõper: Super Snõõper
Snõõper: Super Snõõper (Third Man Records)
New album: With shades of early-80s Delta 5, a fabulously entertaining, sprightly, short ’n’ sharp, stop-start punk, post-punk full debut LP by the Nashville band who combine a fun DIY girl garage-rock interspersed with electronic beeps and random conversations
Read moreDream Wife: Social Lubrication
Dream Wife: Social Lubrication
New album: Punchy, whip-smart, witty, menacing, fierce but also explosively and mischievously fun, the London post-punk band fronted by return with a perhaps their best yet - a pulsating set of sharp, feminist songs about relationships, society and more
Read moreProtomartyr: Formal Growth In The Desert
Protomartyr: Formal Growth In The Desert
New album: Stormy, dark, passionate, punchy, with biting lyrics, this powerful sixth album by the Detroit-formed post-punk quartet is inspired by the metaphorical desolation of the titular landscape and getting on with life even when it feels impossibly hard
Read moreComfort: What's Bad Enough?
Comfort: What's Bad Enough?
New album: Truly original and arresting cross-genre electronica-postpunk-hip-hop by the Glasgow sibling duo of vocalist and transwoman Natalie and instrumentalist brother Sean McGhee who challenge gender norms and ideas of beauty
Read moreFire-Toolz: I am upset because I see something that is not there
Fire-Toolz: I am upset because I see something that is not there
New album: Like a bizarre recipe filled with flavours that should not mix, but by some strange alchemy really work, an extraordinary fusion of electronica, ambient, drum’n’bass, jazz, prog, pop, and blasts of dark metal by the Chicago producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Angel Marcloid, a heady fusion that must been heard to be believed
Read moreSleaford Mods - UK Grim
Sleaford Mods - UK Grim
New album: Nottingham’s Jason Williamson and Andrew Fearn return with another set of, angry, catchy, darkly humorous belters, pulling no punches when it comes to the shambolic state of Tory-led Brexit Britain
Read moreslowthai: UGLY
As in the tattoo: slowthai’s third LP UGLY
New album: The abrasive but exciting Northampton rapper Tyrone Frampton’s third LP is a powerful, heady concoction, containing this time less grime and politics, more punk and post-punk, rock guitars, and focusing on personal issues, with a paradoxical facial tattooed title acronym meaning U Gotta Love Yourself
Read moreShame: Food For Worms
Shame’s third album, Food For Worms
New album: With a title phrase that will apply to all living beings eventually, this third LP by the south London post-punk band tempers the punk anger with more light and shade, genre experimentation, and philosophical lyrics
Read moreTombouctou: Tricky Floors
Tombouctou: Tricky Floors
New album: Clever, sharp post-punk debut by the French trio from Lyon/Toulouse packed with dynamic, thunderous drumming and razor-sharp guitar work, energised stop-start sections, and the powerful, high voice of Cocrelle who has echoes of Siouxsie Sioux
Read moreM(h)aol: Attachment Styles
M(h)aol: Attachment Styles
Debut album: They’ve been pacing around with singles for several years, but this debut by the Dublin post-punks (pronounced male) is powerful, funny, dark, feminist, funny and dirty, filled with fabulous thumps, bangs, crashes, guitar clangs and killer lyrics
Read moreIggy Pop: Every Loser
Iggy Pop’s explosive Every Loser
New album: Growing old gracefully? Not this 75-year-old, who after mult-genre collaborations including spoken word poetry (2019’s Free), explodes back with a full-on heavy rock and punk LP - lewd, loud, crude, satirical, sweary and angry
Read moreStick In The Wheel: Endurance Soundly Caged
Stick In The Wheel: Endurance Soundly Caged
New album: The east London punk-folk band’s latest, more of an EP, brings fresh new arrangements of past releases with a vibrant live take, recorded at the renowned Eastcote Studios
Read moreBig Joanie: Back Home
Big Joanie’s new album Back Home
New album: The London trio of vocalist and guitarist Stephanie Phillips, bassist Estella Adeyeri, and drummer Chardine Taylor-Stone return with an electronic extension to their catchy DIY post-punk with an LP based around the theme of different forms of home
Read moreWitch Fever: Congregation
Witch Fever: Congregation
New album: Dark, seething, searing, angry and explosive, this impressive heavy-rock-punk debut by the Manchester quartet takes no prisoners, especially when it comes to taking aim the harms and hypocrisy of Christianity
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