There was a paucity of new releases this week so as well as those I delved into the hard drive to select a handful of favourites from over the years, a couple of which we had a hand in/or will be releasing via German Shepherd Records/Half Edge Records. The new stuff, what there is of it, is very interesting and varied.
SHOW AUDIO
PLAYLIST
The Stabbing Jabs - Broken Brain- The Stabbing Jabs
Roots Roundup - Blind Eye - Dismantle
Dave Graney Show - Driving Through His Mythic Country, Whistling - The Dave Graney Show
Danny Short - Work Thru It - It’s Got My Name On It So Give It Back
Alice Zawadzki, Fred Thomas, Misha Mullov-Abbado - Je Suis Trop Jeunette - Za Górami
Kim Gordon, DJ Olive & Ikue Mori - What Do You Want? (Kim) - SYR5: ミュージカル パ一スペクティブ
The Wailing Souls - Fire A Mus Mus Tail (Extended 12" Disco Mix) - Wailing Souls At Channel One
A Shoreline Dream and Mark Gardener - Hollow Crown - Whitelined
Chiffon Magnifique - Anxietika (feat. June Gray)- Anxietika
Clinic Stars - I Am The Dancer - Only Hinting
m.t. scott - The Insurance Job- The Insurance Job
Dubblestandard- The Third Man (Dub 2) - The Third Man
Amy Brandon - Simulacra - Lysis
King Crimson - The Court of the Crimson King - In The Court Of The Crimson King (40th Anniversary Edition)
Van Der Graaf Generator- Into A Game - The Aerosol Grey Machine
The Go-Betweens - The House That Jack Kerouac Built - Tallulah
Fire Engines - Hungry Beat - Lubricate Your Living Room
The Nectarine No 9 - Chocolate Swastika - A Sea With Three Stars
The Sandells - Cowboys Don't Have Brollies - Forwards
Drink and Drive - The Itch-Scratch Cycle - This Is What Happens When A Fly Lands On Your Food
Clinic Stars - Only Hinting - Only Hinting
The Fall - A Figure Walks - Dragnet
SHOW NOTES
The Stabbing Jabs - A rather over the top promo on this one which warrants sharing “Vocalist Peter Aaron (Chrome Cranks), guitarists William G. Weber (Chrome Cranks, GG Allin & The Murder Junkies) and Chris Donnelly (Gang Green), drummer Andrew Jody (Barrence Whitfield & The Savages), and bassist Jamie Morrison (Motorbike) — breathe fiery life into the type of tough, timeless, rock ’n’ roll a generation had left for dead. Here it is, ready to make your life a living hell: an arsenal of hard, hammering tunes built on thick, cinder-block guitars. Blood-flecked screams. Dirty, fuzzy, low-end. Drums that swing as hard as they bash. And RIFFS. Riffs, riffs, and more riffs. Did we mention the riffs? Drop the needle on The Stabbing Jabs, the band’s debut LP, and it’s one high-octane face-blaster after another — all of them roaring straight at you. Right off the line is the pummeling, utterly unrelenting, freight-train opener, “Broken Brain,” with more rippers — the earth-shaking “Drowning Girls,” bone-crushing “Radiation Love,” and screaming, napalm overload “Bone And Breast” — lurking close behind. It gets moody in here, too: Just slide on into the slippery sleaze and grimy grinding of “Uptown Blues” before making your final descent into the collapsing, claustrophobic chaos of “You’re A Drag.” Once that last squealing squall has died out, just park it all on the shelf next to your copies of Damaged, Kick Out The Jams, Tied Down, Powerage, Raw Power, and Young, Loud, And Snotty until, man, you just gotta have that burning ‘JABS fix again — which, guaranteed, won’t be long after”.
Roots Roundup - the 6th full-length album from one of Vancouver's long-time music scene veterans. The album was recorded by Stephen Hamm at Simian Studios in Burnaby, BC, with final mixing and mastering by renowned Canadian music producer Chris Wardman. "Up Rooted" features 12 tracks, including six new original songs, a cover of DOA's classic "War in the East," a unique take on the Sarcastic Mannequins' "Red Fury," and four live recordings from a performance on Denman Island, BC, in June 2023. Roots Round Up has a storied history in the Canadian music scene, with band members Greg Hathaway, David "Dymitri" Hanna, David Hathaway, Keith Rose, Mark Campbell, Eric Napier, and Bradford Lambert contributing to their high-energy, globe-spanning sound. Formed in 1985 in East Vancouver, the band became widely known throughout Canada during the late '80s and early '90s as one of the hardest working and touring worldbeat dance bands. Formed out of the hardcore punk scene in Vancouver in 1985 but included elements of reggae, ska, and old school rock'n roll in their sound. Original drummer Barry Taylor (1985 - 2021) was a member of first generation punk band the Young Canadians / K-Tels and then Shanghai Dog. Greg and Bradford were both drummers in second generation punk bands the Unknown Fibres and House of Commons, who both played shows with Shanghai Dog. Their extensive touring across Canada and the Western U.S., coupled with numerous independent recordings like "Get Rooted," "What We Do," and "Syzygy," cemented their place in the music scene.
Dave Graney Show - Dave says “This is a story of a trip I took from Mt Gambier to Townsville in my FC Holden in 1977. Stuart Perera , who plays guitar with us was born in the same year. It was a long drive at 80k's an hour by myself. A long time alone and experiencing the world new each day. As I moved around Australia and the world it became kind of mythological event for me. There are other drives I take that go through some of the same country. At different times in my life I let it all swamp me. Overpowering melancholy. Now I have some power that I can use to pull away from these negative, sentimental forces but as I walk past the graveyard, I still whistle.”
Danny Short - another track from his new album - Bandcamp is the place to go if you would like to acquire it.
Alice Zawadzki, Fred Thomas, Misha Mullov-Abbado - Vocalist and violinist Alice Zawadzki, pianist Fred Thomas (who also plays the vielle and drums here) and bassist Misha Mullov-Abbado present a rare alchemy on their trio debut, fusing folk idioms from a multitude of sources with free flowing interplay and fluid structures. Inhabiting their own stylistic realm, the trio encompasses folk song, chamber music, improvisation and jazz, and on Za Górami they present the full span of their reach in a mesmerizing whole.
Kim Gordon, DJ Olive & Ikue Mori - released on August 29, 2000, by record label SYR, and was the fifth entry in the SYR series, despite not featuring Sonic Youth as a whole. Following the tradition of having the liner notes of SYR releases written in foreign languages, the notes for SYR5 were written in Japanese. The Japanese title means "Musical Perspectives", a name that also appears in different languages on other SYR releases. It was recorded at Tribeca Recording Center, which was Gordon's preferred name for Sonic Youth's Echo Canyon studios.
The Wailing Souls - 2004 compilation which came my way a few years back courtesy of Dave and Linda.
A Shoreline Dream and Mark Gardener - Iconic Colorado-based postpunk-shoegaze outfit A Shoreline Dream release their eighth album 'Whitelined' on July 19. Ahead of this, they preview the infectious upbeat track 'Hollow Crown', the second collaboration with Ride frontman Mark Gardener from this record.
Chiffon Magnifique - ‘Anxietika’ is the latest and last single from the forthcoming debut album, also titled Anxietika. The track is a fusion of darkwave, post-punk, coldwave, no-wave, and goth rock influences that explores the complexities of anxiety and fear through haunting melodies and pulsating rhythms. "Anxietika is the most danceable song I've ever written," says Walters. "Drawing inspiration from Martin Dupont's 'Hot Paradox,' I aimed to craft a composition that seamlessly blends groovy drum machine patterns with atmospheric guitar drones and snake-charmer synth solos." Joining Jed on vocals is June Gray, lead singer of Brisbane post-punk act Sacred Hearts. June's emotive performance adds depth and intensity to the track, embodying the role of Anxietika and bringing the character to life with raw emotion.
Clinic Stars - The full-length debut by Detroit duo Giovanna Lenski and Christian Molik aka Clinic Stars both refines and redefines their pitch-perfect fusion of downer-pop balladry and featherweight shoegaze: Only Hinting. Recorded and produced at the band’s home studio, the album was crafted across 2022 and 2023, patiently layering FX and spatial depths to give each song a swirling, subconscious undertow. From the strummed whirlpool of “I Am The Dancer” to the gated reverb of “Remain” to the greyscale guitar reverie of “Isn’t It,” the record aches as much as moves, daydreaming of escape and transcendence. The group cite a desire to leave their “industrial environment” as muse, although the songs also revel in the romance of longing itself, in the beauty of hearts grown distant. The duo’s previous EPs, 10,000 Dreams (2021) and April’s Past (2022), captured a similarly swooning slowcore palette, but Only Hinting hits different. Here haze is as much instrument as texture, gauze and melody married as one, traced in elegant arcs across cities streaked in shadow.
m.t. scott - returns after far too long a gap with a blues drenched mood piece about an unfortunate encounter
Dubblestandard - Vienna’s renowned Dubblestandart Dub Band has breathed new life into the legendary theme song from Carol Reed’s classic film, The Third Man. Originally composed by Anton Karas in 1949, this iconic melody has long been synonymous with Vienna’s post-war intrigue, its shadowy underground, and its timeless beauty.
Amy Brandon - Lysis' longest work "Simulacra" is one of Brandon's most acclaimed pieces, and justifiably so. Released as a single in 2023, the twelve and a half minute cello concerto was, among other things, nominated for a JUNO Award for Classical Composition of the Year. Alternating surges of dissonance with eerie lyricism and probing melodic figures, it's a powerful statement executed on the recording with both abandon and lucidity by its commissioner, cellist Jeffrey Zeigler, alongside Symphony Nova Scotia. The final, titular piece was an Official ISCM 2024 Canadian selection and was originally commissioned and premiered by JACK Quartet through their JACK Studio Program. Here it's performed by Quatuor Bozzini who brings vibrant clarity to both its thrumming microtonal harmonies and lurching disruptions. The work's sudden yet inconspicuous conclusion offers delightful cliffhanger ending for the release, leaving the listener in a temporary stupor of suspense.
King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King (subtitled An Observation by King Crimson) is the debut studio album released on 10 October 1969, by Island Records.The album is one of the earliest and most influential of the progressive rock genre, with the band combining musical influences that rock music was founded upon with elements of jazz, classical, and symphonic music.
Van Der Graaf Generator - the debut album also from 1969. Originally intended as a solo album by the band's lead singer and main songwriter, Peter Hammill. When the band signed with Charisma Records, a deal was worked out whereby the album would be released under the Van der Graaf Generator name, in return for Mercury releasing Hammill from his earlier contract. One of the two tracks on the album which were not credited to Hammill solely with Hugh Banton, Keith Ellis, and Guy Evans co-writing the song.
The Go-Betweens - the fifth album. It was released in May 1987 in the UK on Beggars Banquet Records. Prior to the recording of the album, the group had expanded to a five-piece with the addition of multi-instrumentalist Amanda Brown. The original ten track album contains some of the bands best songs and the stand out is the Forster led paean to Kerouac.
Fire Engines - this collection of the groups formative releases from 2007 , arrived with testimonials from Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie and Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos, whose band at the time had coaxed the Fire Engines into the studio and back onto the stage.
The Nectarine No 9 - was an indie band from Edinburgh, Scotland. Formed by the Fire Engines frontman Davy Henderson in 1991, the band's music has been described as "dark, moody and brilliant" "noisy guitar rock" with "quirky rhythms". They released several albums throughout the 1990s and 2000s, and recorded seven John Peel sessions. Their debut album “A Sea with Three Stars” released on Postcard, 1992 is a remarkable piece of work, completely unique, the featured track is the closing track from the album
The Sandells - featuring Tim Lyons (Harvey’s Rabbit, The Things, The Harveys, Precogs), Johann Kloos and Brian Benson this Manchester trio offer a unique perspective on post punk rock with a psychedelic edge. This track resonates with me as I spent an hour trying to record it for a radio sessopm in a tiny studio at Salford City Radio with three microphones. At the time the increasingly grumpy radio station manager was giving me a grief for having the temerity to invite a rock band into the station to record a session. Half Edge Records will be releasing a single version of this studio version in the next few months. The name of the track is derived by a statement made by the legendary Joe Meek around the recording of Telstar.
Drink and Drive - a unique and compelling band from Greater Manchester whose album we released via German Shepherd Records. The stunning opening track from the uniquely titled album is a mix of Fall like repetition and stream of consciousness lyricism of the highest order
The Fall - Dragnet, arguably their second best album, the impact of Mike Leigh’s drumming style on the band brought the band into a new phase.