From the Bandcamp site, we have great news from Mute Records!: “Psychedelia in White, the third album from former member of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Mick Harvey and longtime collaborator Amanda Acevedo, is a natural evolution from their 2023 duet debut, Phantasmagoria in Blue. Composed primarily of original Continue Reading
Alternative
Tindersticks – PAST IMPERFECT: The Best of Tindersticks ’92 – ’21
The blog Hit The North has a perfect quote to sum up this Tindersticks compilation: “Most recent single Both Sides Of The Blade could even outdo Nick Cave in the hedonistic misery ballad stakes. Which is not a bad thing, surely, if you like your music as dark and rich as a glass Continue Reading
Lavalove – Tan Lines
I owe this one to my niece Abi. She watched the band perform several times and they were good enough for her to insist that I give them a listen. Of course, she has golden ears! Lavalove has a garage rock sound that my brother and I grew up with, Continue Reading
RIHA – V
The seminal blog A Closer Listen introduces us to a treasure of a Georgian composer, Rati Oniani (RIHA). It’s a magically weird amalgam of metal, Svan folk, and baroque music. The absolute diamonds one can find in this city never cease to amaze me. You can read the article here: https://acloserlisten.substack.com/p/v
Llwybr Llaethog – BBC John Peel Radio Sessions 1987+1989
Terribly difficult to pronounce but eminently enjoyable to listen to, Llwybr Llaethog was the first Welsh indie group I ever encountered. At the time, they were more dub-influenced, but on these tracks, they have a raw indie sound that should have brought them a much bigger audience than they got.
Kilbey Kennedy – Serafina (single)
From their Bandcamp site: “Kilbey Kennedy is the long-standing collaborative project between Steve Kilbey (The Church) and Martin Kennedy (composer and producer behind All India Radio). Since their first release in 2009, the duo has forged a singular sound – an “ultimate convergence of influences, that shimmers with a strange beauty Continue Reading
Mari Kalkun – Ilmamõtsan
Attached are three mini-reviews for one of Estonia’s finest mixes of traditional and alternative music: “”Kalkun’s singing is at the heart of things; joyous and lamenting by turns, but always poised and melodious, her poeticism apparent even without translation. A magical creation.” – The Guardian “Gorgeously intimate record. There’s nothing Continue Reading
Rocketship – A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness (30th Anniversary Edition)
30 years. I was still working off and on at record shops when this came out, and for an indie record, it has held up remarkably well. This will appeal to fans of Hüsker Dü and The Pixies.
Damon & Naomi – The Sub Pop Years (1995-2002)
Damon Krukowski and Naomi Yang have about the best pedigree any indie rock band has ever had, being part of such legendary projects as Galaxie 500 and Luna. Their catalogue under Damon & Naomi is equally impressive, and this Sub Pop compilation gives a nice snapshot of their work during Continue Reading
Albert Kuvezin And Yat-Kha – Re-Covers
Albert Kuvezin’s legendary band Yat-Kha is one of the few in Russia that blends industrial rock and khöömei, the traditional throat-singing technique that has similarities to music in Mongolia proper and even Tibet in a modified form. In this album, the band covers 14 songs, including tracks originally performed by Joy Division, Led Continue Reading