Out of the ashes of The Bomboras and The Lords of Altamont comes Black Honey Cult, a band so deeply steeped in L.A.’s underground music culture that, no matter what they release, they will mop up their competition anywhere on earth. The new project sounds like what the 13th Floor Continue Reading
Alternative
The Fall – I Am Kurious Oranj
This album by The Fall was my introduction to the band, and if I remember right, it was because my brother had bought the cassette or vinyl. Needless to say, Mark E. Smith’s bizarre voice and the dark, meaty instrumentation blew my mind. Listening to it today reminded me of Continue Reading
Mick Harvey & Amanda Acevedo – Psychedelia in White
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
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.