New Monday

Good new releases seemed a bit thin on the ground for the first few weeks of 2021, but now a bunch of them have come along all at once so I thought I’d throw them all into one post. It never rains but it pours.

Private Life – Virginia Wing. Post-punky, avant-garde pop. Like something John Peel would’ve played in 1980 but shiny enough you don’t need to be an angsty teenager to enjoy it.

An Overview on Phenomenal Nature – Cassandra Jenkins. Quiet, intimate, and impressionistic dream folk. “Hard Drive” might be the best track I’ve heard so far this year.

Magic Mirror – Pearl Charles. The Carpenters meet ABBA in a Country bar.

Collapsed in Sunbeams – Arlo Parks. Warm and soulful singer-songwriter from London with chill grooves and Robert Smith references in the lyrics.

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New Monday

It’s important in these dismal times to have something to look forward to and hearing good new music can make it worth getting out of bed in the morning. So I thought I’d do one of these posts because I’ve not done one in a while. Here’s a few albums that have recently floated my boat.

Marie Davidson is a Canadian artist known for electronic club music but her new album Renegade Breakdown takes a swerve into an eclectic mix of deadpan 80s synth-funk and French chanson. Tres bon!

Sad13 is the name Sadie Dupuis of Speedy Ortiz uses for her solo work. Her second release Haunted Painting is a terrific indie pop record chock full of sounds, ideas, and fun in a freewheeling way that reminds me of Caroline Rose’s Loser.

It’s ironic that in a year when none of us can go to nightclubs some of the best albums have been aimed at dancefloors. Dua Lipa and Jessie Ware have both put out album of the year contenders packed with throbbing and swishy beats, while Róisín Murphy has raised the bar with her magnificent new long player Róisín Machine. Just a pity that we can only dance in our living rooms at the moment.

New Monday

Faye Webster‘s album Atlanta Millionaires Club was one of my favourites of last year and she hasn’t wasted any time following it up with this terrific new single. It’s a gorgeously soft and soulful ballad that should tenderly soothe all our troubled brows in these times.

New Monday

Yes, I know it’s Wednesday but who cares what day it is anymore?

As James Brown once said “The one thing that can solve all our problems is dancing” which sounds a bit trite when thousands of people are dying, but it’s generally good advice when you feel down and anxious. To lift the blues you could do a lot worse than the terrific new Dua Lipa album Future Nostalgia which will fulfill all your needs for sleek dance music.

My other stay-at-home jam is the latest album by U.S. Girls Heavy Light which fuses disco, plastic soul, and Phil Spector through a modern filter. Big contender for album of the year for me.

Tu Fais Chanter Mon Coeur

Originally published September 2017

One of the many bands and musicians Chrissie Hynde hung around with before she formed The Pretenders was a Power Pop group from Yorkshire called Strangeways. They only released a couple of singles before they broke up but a few years ago a compilation album of unreleased material came out which featured this terrific French version of “Wild Thing” they recorded with Chrissie on vocals in 1978.

If you think the idea of Chrissie Hynde singing in French sounds sexy as hell, you’d be right.

Download: Chose Sauvage – Chrissie Hynde & Strangeways (mp3)

Photo from Paula Yates’ book Rock Stars In Their Underpants.

New Tuesday

Only three weeks into the new year and I’ve already got an album I’m certain will be on my list of favourites by the end of it. Seeking Thrills by London singer/drummer Georgia is a sparkling collection of electronic pop infused with House and Techno beats. As thrilling as a great night out, it captures that euphoric feeling of coming alive on a dancefloor.

New Monday

2020 is off to a very good start with this great new single from the fab Caroline Rose. Sounds like she’s been listening to a lot of Prince which is never a bad thing. Even better news: this is from a new album called Superstar due in March.

New Monday

Got the pleasant surprise of my life the other day when I found out that, after a 15-year absence, the wonderful A Girl Called Eddy had a new record out with an entire new album coming early next year. I’d given up on getting any new music from her ever again, and if it’s half as good as her classic debut it will be a treat.

New Monday

I was a big fan of Aubrie Seller’s 2016 debut album New City Blues and for the past few months she’s been putting out new tracks in advance of her follow-up due early next year. They’ve all been great and this duet with Steve Earle is a terrific, down and dirty example of what she calls “Garage Country”. Really looking forward to the new album.

New Monday

Caroline Polachek was the lead singer of synthpop group Chairlift until they split up in 2017. She has previously put out solo music using different names but just released her first album under her own name. Titled Pang, it’s a lush collection of dreamy electronic pop like sinking into a warm digital bath.