Hands up who wasted a quarter of their weekend battling with Ticketmaster and their antiquated, patently useless systems. We’re all bots apparently. Despite being up at 7am and it taking nearly three fucking hours just to get on to the ruddy bloody site. Gigs and Tours seemed to die before 9am. See Tickets ditto.
Anyway, nevermind. It’s not important really. Don’t look back in anger. Happy face. It’s Monday again. Hurrah. Here’s some stuff by maybe the next Oasis. You never know.
Klô Pelgag – Sans Visage
Why we love it: because “c’est vraiment beau.” Yes, another recording from Klô Pelgag – the stage name of Chloé Pelletier-Gagnon a Canadian singer-songwriter from Quebec – hits the mark. This time round she has unveiled the new song ‘Sans visage’ – an ode to lasting love – which will appear on her forthcoming album Abracadabra, due out on October 11 via Secret City Records.
A singer-songwriter, pianist and guitarist of considerable critical acclaim, Klô Pelgag has already forged a strong reputation for herself on the back of her three previous albums and with it a unique place in the world of Francophone culture. On the evidence of ‘Sans visage’ alone, Abracadabra looks destined to consolidate and enhance that position. It is a lush, deeply moving example of baroque-pop in which her haunting voice adds a further layer of texture and colour. (Simon Godley)
Julie Dawson – Bottom Of The Pool
Why we love it: because we love New Dad and Julie Dawson has a beautiful and distinctive voice, her Irish lilt just peaking through. This is a stark difference to her day job fronting one of the most exciting guitar bands around. This is a collaboration with Jack Hamill aka Space Dimension Controller helming the production duties. It’s an electronic affair, repetitive keyboard coda, samples and synth textures creating an ethereal, dreamlike quality.
There are similarities with Drug Store Romeos and there are elements of Pet Shop Boys too.
This is the second single to come from her debut LP of the same name, out on Fair Youth Records this month on 13th. (Jim Auton)
Kim Gordon & model home – razzamatazz
Why we love it: because the good news is that Kim Gordon is showing absolutely no sign of slowing down. In a year that has already seen the musician, artist, and alt rock pioneer release her second solo album The Collective, make her solo late night television debut, and play a series of live headline dates, she has still had time to team up with the Washington DC experimental group model home. Together they have just released ‘razzamatazz.’
With its throbbing pulse, disturbing subterranean groove, and the murmured detachment of Kim Gordon’s voice, razzamatazz’ – which also features frequent Gordon collaborator Justin Raisen – bears further witness to the Sonic Youth co-founder’s continuing quest to stretch sonic boundaries. (Simon Godley)
Melin Melyn – Vitamin D
Why we love it: because it’s impossible not to love anything by Melin Melyn. They exude the joy that’s missing from so much at the moment, living in their own world and seemingly oblivious. Sounds like a good way to live. How do I move there? They’re not moving very far from a winning formula that they’ve been excelling at for several years now. This one is an exception where it is entirely in English where they usually insert every song with a little of their mother tongue.
They say “Ah, a bit of Vitamin D on a sunny day. Pretty essential for most of us, right? Not for the protagonist of this song, who’s fallen head over heels for a computer character called Annie. What’s the point of catching some rays if you can stay inside in your dark room until the early hours of the morning, immersed in a virtual world with your one and only? Don’t you dare question the authenticity of his romance though, or you’ll end up in a coffin…like his mother.” (Jim Auton)
Mr Bewlay – Why Don’t People Love Me
Why we love it: Cardiff-based Mr Bewlay caused fuss and fluster teasing ‘Why Don’t You Love Me?’ last month. Spiky social media posts around the shocking shadiness of his character, on the run up to its release reflected the song’s very intent to comment on the superficial nature of social media and indeed the contemporary human. Very much in time with the common feigning righteousness at mere rumour and perceived slights, it was somewhat pertinent given the rioting in towns and cities around the UK at precisely the same time. The rumour mill turns and churns out sour milk, does it not? Art-pop imitating life. Or is it life imitating art? Either way, a clever and cunning way to raise the less honest less savoury traits of habits of today.
‘Why Don’t You Love Me?‘ sees Mr Bewlay maturing on his musical journey, some serious funk lines in this one, 1970s grooves, in with the synth pop and art rock. The single is from forthcoming EP Against All Reason and there’s a colourful video to go with it which includes Bewlay’s ‘confession’. Much fandom kudos goes to the Taylor Swift hat usage.
Mr Bewlay’s Against All Reason tour around the UK continues on 7 Sept including two dates in Liverpool (Cath Holland)
Lucian Rice – ninezero
Why we love it: Aotearoa/New Zealand-born and based singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Lucian Rice announces his debut EP, right now, forever, set for release 7 October. Alongside the announcement, Lucian has released the lead single latest single, ‘ninezero’, a cracking slice of alt-noise pop, with scampering drum machine beats, fizzing guitars and honey eyed vocals that roll in like the ocean tides. It’s an immensely promising track that’s all fuzz box guitars and wistful vocals that warmly reminds you of the likes of Sebadoh, My Bloody Valentine and the brittle intimate alt pop of Elliott Smith, yet sounds charmingly forged of its own world. It burts into a fantastic chorus rife with so much sonic energy, as his litany of hungry words surfs the squealing distorted guitars and thundering drums, that pour like light through a dank window. Awesome!
Following the release of his debut single ‘spineback’ and recent releases ‘brand new day’ and ‘can’t you see’, comes ‘ninezero’.
“This is such a frankenstein song”, Lucian reflects. “I had this demo called ‘lookalike’ I made when I was like 17 that I found and was just like ‘wow this kinda has some bones to it.’ Spent like an hour tryna revamp it but ended up making another song called ‘scream’ – which ended up being the bridge. Bashed that together with the chords from lookalike + this noise loop I made and got ninezero. So it took like 4 years to make the song, but also only took me like a day of just being like ‘ohhh’ to make sense of it”.
Reflecting on the forthcoming EP, Lucian shares, “In a real sweet way, it feels like the end of the beginning. Not as confronting as a ‘goodbye’ to teenhood, but a reminder that things change. The whole right now, forever thing is like – it’s only gonna be today for the rest of your life, so why not adore shit when it’s right there? You can always look forward, but then the years go by and you can’t help but look back. So I just try and appreciate today because these songs were all just that at one point too. Those good & bad moments all made up what now is and will always be, so I’m pretty happy with it being right now, forever.” (Bill Cummings)
Leyya – Half Asleep
Why we love it: Leyya show off their promise on the marvellous ‘Half Asleep’ ripe with sensitive vocal melodies, muted electronic drum patterns innovative sonics, its a fascinating and intricate tapestry that surprises and delights.
Half Asleep is a sonic kaleidoscope that blends analogue and digital elements, into a piece of superb songwriting. Reminding one of elements of Múm or Four Tet or even Radiohead, the muted girl/boy vocals are moving, whilst the skittering drum patterns are as quickfire as drum and bass and intricate electronic bleeps and samples keep you on your toes, exploring themes of self-reflection and inner turbulence, the album showcases a new kind of honesty and openness.
“We’ve finally found ourselves again and it feels right,” the band stated, with self-reflection born from inner turbulence defining Half Asleep.
Consisting of Sophie Lindinger and Marco Kleebauer, Leyya’s tale began in 2010 as a small pebble rolling between the soles of shoes on the asphalt of a garage in Eferding, Upper Austria. In the years that followed, a collaborative duo project emerged; with it, uncharted territory for the Austrian music scene: Electropop.
Leyya brought something new, something soft and melodic, where vocals collide with hard electro beats, concept and chaos blur, and supposed opposites harmonise. Winning over international audiences with singles ‘Superego‘ (2015) and ‘Butter‘ (2016), the band released their debut album, Spanish Disco, in 2016 and quickly followed up with Sauna in 2018. (Bill Cummings)
MACY – Shut Ya Mouth
Why we love it: MACY recently released her latest single, ‘Shut Ya Mouth’ a brilliantly playful slice of 80s influenced pop, a striding bouncy beat, paired with warm and jabbing synths and MACY’s vocals that display a don’t mess with me attitude and playful melodcisism that channels 80s era Janet Jackson and Ariana Grande. The chorus is excellent, bright, funky, fun yet a kiss off to a boy she is interested in but won’t take any chopsing from. In short its a killer pop tune!
Since starting her musical journey in 2020, Abertillery’s MACY has risen quickly in the music industry. She has garnered over 2 million streams worldwide and earned airplay and praise from BBC Introducing, BBC Radio Wales, and BBC Radio One.
In 2022 and 2023, MACY solidified her reputation as a live performer. She graced iconic venues like Clwb Ifor Bach and 110 Above. Furthermore, her solo performance at the BAFTA Cymru Awards in St David’s Hall, Cardiff, hosted by Alex Jones, was a significant milestone in her career.
Additionally, MACY performed at the Principality Stadium in front of over 50,000 people. Her performances at various festivals, including Focus Wales, Rebel Fest, and the Foodies Festival in Cardiff and Bristol, are career highlights. Moreover, her live performance on BBC Radio Wales during The Quinnells at Xmas, alongside Emile Sandé, showcased her versatility and appeal. (Bill Cummings)
