Part five of the TVD Record Store Club’s look at the new and reissued releases presently in stores for April, 2018. Part one is here, part two is here, part three is here, and part four is here.
NEW RELEASE PICKS: Oliver Coates, John Luther Adam’s Canticles of the Sky (RVNG Intl.) This arrangement of Adams’ 2007 composition differs from cellist-composer-producer Coates’ UK premiere of the piece from March of ’17; on stage there were 32 cellists, but for this recording it’s just himself. As a multi-layered studio approach is utilized, I’ll speculate that the performance and this limited-edition album (which came out in conjunction with Record Store Day; per the label it will not be repressed) are comparable in effect, though the use of “extra-musical studio techniques” also situates this LP as a distinct experience. Even as Coates cites the influence of early electronic innovator Laurie Spiegel, the depth of emotion here fits snuggly into a modern classical context. Short, but wholly satisfying. A
Scott Matthews, The Great Untold (Shedio) Wolverhampton, England’s Matthews debuted with Passing Stranger back in ’06, winning an Ivor Novello Award (Best Song Musically & Lyrically) for that album’s “Ellusive.” His output since has drawn occasional comparisons to Jeff Buckley, though on the opening title track of this fine LP (his sixth studio effort overall) I’m reminded just as much of Nick Drake (the comparison makes sense, as Matthews performed as part of Joe Boyd’s stage production Way to Blue-The Songs of Nick Drake). Having completed his Home duology, The Great Untold is accurately described as a fresh start, with a scaled-back approach at play, gentle but intense in solo mode with judiciously employed added instrumentation. “Cinnamon” and “As the Day Passes” are the standouts. A-
REISSUE/ARCHIVAL PICKS: Robert Storey, Come Up and Hear My Etchings 1986 – 2016 (Emotional Response) Storey is one of the numerous undersung figures who populated the ’70s-’80s UK DIY scene. He was also intensely prolific. Dubbed as the “dark heart of the Murphy Foundation in all its guises,” the list of projects marked by his involvement is long, and this LP (hopefully the first in a series) collects an enlightening and pleasurable sampling. Where a fair amount of DIY hung way out in the left-field post-punk bleachers, much of what’s collected here places Storey firmly in a sorta freewheeling avant-pop context. Additionally, he’s a productive collaborator, and importantly, unlike many of his DIY cohorts, the man kept trucking right into the 21st century, which is where some of this set’s best stuff derives. A-
Belong, October Language (Spectrum Spools) Turk Dietrich and Mike Jones formed Belong in the Crescent City USA in the early ’00s, their sound drawing upon Eno’s ambient thing and the corroded sensibility of William Basinski (Tim Hecker and Gas have also been listed as touchstones). As mentioned by Spectrum Spools (the sister label of electro-experimental heavy-hitter Editions Mego), their debut has chalked up comparisons to My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless, but minus the song structure; that should be a good indicator of one’s interest. These ears find the edgy drift quite stimulating. October Language first came out in ’06 on CD; there was a vinyl run of 500 pressed in ’09, but folks who missed that boat can grab this edition, which comes with bonus digital tracks from their ’06 tour EP. A-
Amigo, And Friends (Carlisle Beauregard) This Charlotte, NC-based three-piece’s cited inspirations run from Hank Sr. to Dino Jr. to the ‘Mats to Petty to doo-wop, but in a nutshell, one could tag ‘em as amplified Americana. On the tunes that kick up a fair amount of dust, the sound of ’80s College Rock (south of the Mason-Dixon division) sprang to mind, a connection undoubtedly helped by the knowledge that Mitch Easter produced. But a fair amount of what’s here isn’t dust-kicking, and by design; a cover of John Prine’s “Everybody” underscores a singer-songwriter bent, and a handful of these tunes are rather polite. Frankly a little too polite, and yet “Too Far Gone?” finds frontman Slade Baird productively fusing early ’70s folk-pop, late ’70s AOR, and 4AD-era John Darnielle. Interesting. B
Wild Billy Childish & CTMF, “Something’s Missing Inside” b/w “Walking on the Water” (Damaged Goods) Here’s a fresh single from the current unit of Medway legend Billy Childish, and the sound never fails to hit me right in the sweet spot. Like the band’s prior output, the sound isn’t immediately discernible from the considerable gust of Wild Billy’s numerous prior acts (after releases in the hundreds, this is an intrinsic part of the appeal). However, this A-side, which is an alt version of a cut from the recent Brand New Cage LP, does lean toward the ’77 punk side of the man’s unflagging thing rather than the raucous ’60s UK Beat combo action for which he’s often celebrated. And that’s cool. So is the flip, which is a tough mouth harp-drenched dig into a Creedence (well, technically a Golliwogs) song. A-
Felix, “Tiger Stripes” b/w “You Can’t Hold Me Down” (Get on Down) There’s a helluva story behind this one that’s synopsized on Get on Down’s website from the tale related in Tim Lawrence’s book Hold on to Your Dreams: Arthur Russell and the Downtown Music Scene, 1973-1992. Yes, this 45, originally issued on Sleeping Bag as a promo in ‘84, features Russell in collaboration with Nicky Siano (a connection that produced the “Kiss Me Again” 12-inch for Sire). Artistic differences caused the project to stall out, with Russell credited under the alias White Whale for both the version issued by Siano on Splash Records and this one. But please don’t get the idea that the music here is in some way subpar, as these tracks present a double dose of art-funk-dance sweetness. “Bad little kitten, pounce on you.” A-
The Gladiators, Symbol of Reality & Serious Thing (Omnivore) The Nighthawk Records CD reissue program continues with the solid first and second albums from this killer Jamaican roots-reggae combo led by vocalist-guitarist Albert Griffiths. ‘82’s Symbol of Reality was effectively a bounce back after a shaky Eddy Grant-produced album for Virgin; it finds them revisiting some of their highly regarded early hits (the band pumped out material for such crucial labels as Studio One and Upsetter) and two from the book of Bob Marley, plus a bunch of dub versions and bonus tracks. ’84’s follow-up Serious Thing didn’t mess with the program, and if they maybe play it a little safe the music connects as a smidge more confident and colorful. This digital edition comes with six previously unissued bonus cuts. A-/ A-
Jesus Is My Son, Tout a un fin (Même l’amour) (Cheap Satanism) Belgium’s Cheap Satanism has a deep catalog that I’m overdue to spotlight. Their recent output includes Brussels guitarist Grégory Duby, who’s been described as working in the field of “noisy and improvised music.” There’s surely no shortage of that, so his work is new to me, but for this short CD, Duby (whose influences include Satie, Derek Bailey, Popol Vuh, and Loren Connors) isn’t racket-inclined. Instead, the goal is to offer a contemplative environment, and this final installment in a trilogy about love can be rated as a success. The label’s tag of slowcore isn’t a conclusion I would’ve drawn, but it’s not off target, though “L’eternel naif” reminds me of Fahey and “Sous un soleil gele” is a fine slice of deftly-fingered folk psychedelia. A-
Karen Meat, You’re an Ugly Person (Emotional Response) Karen Meat, which is Iowan Arin Eaton teamed up with guitarist Dana Telsrow, was on Emotional Response’s third Typical Girls comp. That LP’s track returns here retitled as “Past / Present,” its vaguely Space Lady-ish Casio vibes and big power-pop guitar representative of a blatantly oddball bit of business. For me, only part of this set works instrumentally. Specifically, that’s the portion that avoids (or at least significantly tones down) a DIY tendency for insanely bouncy canned ’80s funk-pop (finale “A is for Asshole” would be an exception). But Eaton’s uncomfortable/ confessional subject matter is consistently funny/ fascinating, and amid the whacked buoyancy her (’60s-ish) songwriting chops are clear. Not my fave from the label, but intriguing. B
Peach Kelli Pop, “Which Witch” (Mint) Formed in Ottawa in ’09 and currently based in Los Angeles, Peach Kelli Pop is the band of Allie Hanlon (ex-White Wires). Thus far she-they have kicked out three numerically titled full-lengths, a couple of cassettes loaded with demos and rarities, and a handful of 45s; this Record Stored Day 7-inch is the latest, holding a half-dozen strummy ’60s-ish power pop miniatures (nothing breaks 90 seconds). The band name might ring a bell as it’s taken from a Redd Kross song (on Neurotica). Furthermore, “Which Witch” openly takes inspiration from the classic six-song “Posh Boy” EP by Redd Kross (then known as Red Cross). This should provide an inkling to newbies as to what’s up, but the gist is less punky and more like a blend of Bomp Records, girl groups, indie pop, and Shonen Knife. B+
Prairie, After the Flash Flood (Denovali) In the wrong hands, guitar, programmed drums, synth, and field recordings can result in a fucking disaster, especially (ironically) when the intent is to conjure a “post-apocalyptic” scenario. Thankfully, the mitts of Brussels resident Marc Jacobs are acutely fit for the task. This is mainly due to an eschewal of posturing in the direction of overwrought badassery, though don’t get the idea that Jacobs doesn’t bring the aggression, abrasion, and darkness. To the contrary, little time elapses before he arrives at a black metal-esque place, and there are numerous subsequent moments that recall the potency of prime non-dance Industrial, but with a contempo twist (comparisons to Ben Frost are apt) most prominent in closer “Embuscado.” The moodier aspects are also well realized. A-
The Senior Service, King Cobra (Damaged Goods) Perhaps it’s just increased familiarity brought on by January’s tidy pre-album 45 (A-side “Slingshot” is included here), but the sophomore full-length from this Medway, UK-based combo strikes these ears a little more favorably than did their 2016 debut The Girl in the Glass Case. However, I prefer to think of the upswing as an example of a band simply honing their thing over time. Not that The Senior Service are wet behind the ears; nay, over the decades, these guys have contributed to some highly regarded Medway sound experiences (e.g. The Prisoners, Thee Mighty Caesars, The Masonics). Said thing is a distinctly neo-’60s non-vocal blend of garage, surf, and spy soundtracks, Mod rock and Booker T. If it doesn’t hit me like Wild Billy, it’s definitely growing. B+
Stanislav Tolkachev, “Champions Breakfast” (Raw Waxes) Holding six techno-electronic tracks totaling 28 minutes, this is understandably being sold as an EP, and yet the concision (both as a whole and individually, as only the final selection “Self Destruction” breaks the five-minute barrier) is jammed packed with a full-length release’s worth of range; even better, the shifts, which include nervous sci-fi atmospheres, icy synth stutter-squiggle, bleeps, bloops, and general ambience, aren’t so broad that the variety registers as random, not even when the experimental leanings take a sharp turn toward the dancefloor thumper “Negative Space.” Like a lot of electronic practitioners, Tolkachev has amassed a ton of stuff. I doubt I’ll become familiar with it all, but this set makes me curious to hear more. A-
V/A, “Autarchy Records Various Artists 002” (Autarchy) Here’s the second release from a Berlin-based Italian label; that the grooves offer up four worthy techno house cuts should hopefully clarify the imprint’s dual residency. This slab is perhaps better described as a split, with Autre (also a Berlin-based Italian) on side one and D-Roots filling the flip. But then again, each artist’s track gets followed by a remix, Autre’s “Prima” done up by Juju & Jordash, and D-Roots’ “ASMR” tackled by Hiver, so there are a whole lot of fingerprints on this wax platter. Not too many however, as the main artists complement each other well, and ditto for the remixers. Although house music hasn’t been (and at this late date isn’t likely to ever be) my favorite electronic subgenre, this one goes down quite nicely. B+
Vamos, 1~2~3 (Maximum Pelt) As any fan of garage punk will tell you, the style comes in an assortment of sub-strains, and Chicago’s Vamos dish out a brawny, swaggering old-school NYC-ish variety (think of a denser, more driving variation on the Heartbreakers) on this, their second album. Recorded and mixed by Dan Rico, the record’s 14 tracks portray a unit that is likely to go down a storm in the club (it’s a safe guess that singer Ryan Murphy gets sweaty and shirtless), in part because the songs hold up. By extension, as evidenced by “Creeper” and a handful of other cuts, the attack is suitably honed for effective home consumption, preferably during a lively party. Does Vamos do anything to expand their chosen genre? No, but they do right by it, which isn’t as common as one might think. B+
