SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND?
FRESH from a barnstorming set supporting Red Guitars at London’s 100 Club last night, (29/04) Brighton’s yacht punk, five-piece, FRAGILE CREATURES are also celebrating the release of their new single, ‘Grandaddy.’
While on occasions drawing comparisons with the likes of Blur and Pulp, the band’s unlikely fusion of yacht rock’s smooth melodic grandiosity and the rough edges of new wave, has seen them forge a musical path all of their own.
The engaging positivity of the single’s chorus line, “We’re never gonna give up on you,” hides a more serious sentiment, wrapped up in weighty thoughts about militarism and unquestioning national pride. But the overarching message is that we mustn’t give up on each other, on human sympathy, kindness, and hope.
“Take the profit out of war, we don’t need it any more,” sang Jeremy Kidd of Red Guitars on their 1983 single ‘Fact,’ and it’s fitting that almost 40 years later Jeremy’s son, Adam, will be singing this new single with its own anti-war message while supporting the iconic 80s band on their current reunion tour.
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T W O
OUT now, ‘The Last Good High,’ from (THE) BRIAN JIN, a Saint Louis-based band consisting of Nil DeSilva (drums, vocals), Mel Diyer (bass, vocals), Brian Kious (vocals, guitars), and Casey Wollberg (vocals, guitar).
“I released the album, ‘The Last Good High,’ last December,” said Kious. “It’s a bit lo-fi, low-no-budget, but I think it came out alright.”
And he’s not wrong. ‘The Last Good High’ is the proverbial mixed bag and let’s be honest, that’s no bad thing, it simply means it includes something for everyone.
“This album started out being several things all at once – an attempt at huge epic stadium rockers, but also as a stripped-down folk record,” added Kious.
“In the process my mother passed away. I have never been this close to death – the entity, not the state of being, or not being. It really got me into a particular state of mind, and I just wanted to be finished with the whole thing. There is a lot more to do, and I hope this album carries that message and the message of the value of life. There is a brush with mysticism, and the joy of new love.”
‘Revolve’ is the album’s clear, standout track, while ‘Carry The World,’ served with smoke and dim lights will one day become the band’s arena, walk-on, song.
And despite this being a ‘solo’ album, Kious is quick to share the praise.
“I want to give a shout out to my comrade in arms, Nil DeSilva who is present on this record and also, a big thanks to Rose Alaimo, and Mel Diyer, my label mate and cousin from the great state of Texas,” he added. “Thanks for helping me complete this everyone. I hope everyone enjoys this meagre attempt at closure and emotional wrestling.”
For a “low-no-budget” album its simplicity works as its very strength, and despite the understandable sombre tone in places, ‘The Last Good High’ brought a smile to my face.
And believe me, that’s no easy task.
Music | Brian Jin (bandcamp.com)
T H R E E
FOR his fifth studio album, ‘By Your Side,’ Melbourne’s MIKEY J serves up a gorgeously, chilled selection of mostly acoustic numbers.
‘By Your Side’ contains nine tracks, taking listeners on a journey through emotions, time and place, with three tracks being re-worked versions of previously released songs.
Two numbers also showcase Mikey’s love of languages, with some of those lyrics in Mandarin Chinese.
Five albums in, and this is clearly the greatest one to date. Isn’t it?
“I’m actually torn as to what is my ‘best album’ is, said Mikey. “I think each one has some really great songs and I’m proud of each one for different reasons. This one was probably the most challenging due to the acoustic nature, and the most scary as it’s hard to hide in ‘acousticness.’ Electric stuff can be covered with effects and the like, but the acoustic is raw and out there. I also do like that this is very different to what I have released previously.”
As we’ve come to expect by now, Mikey also finds time to involve one of the major loves of his life with the song, ‘More Than A Beatle.’
“George is probably my biggest inspiration for picking up a guitar and wanting to write songs – I even wore a black arm band in a cricket game I was playing in when he died! I also wanted to try and write something that wasn’t my normal ‘sappy love song’ – even though it kinda is still, just a sappy man-crush song. I also thought that that progression was quite ‘George’ so it just felt right!”
Mikey plays all instruments – acoustic guitar, slide guitar, bass, mandolin, cello and keyboards – as well as supplying the vocals.
‘By Your Side’ is now available on Bandcamp and the full gamut of streaming sites.
F O U R
NORTH WALES psychedelic rock band ‘HOLY COVES’ are back with a brand-new single, ‘Desert Storm,’ which gets its release via North Wales Label, ‘Yr Wyddfa Records.’
Dropping swiftly into the slip-stream and following on from last month’s successful, ‘The Hurt Within,’ ‘Desert Storm’ sets the psych mood with droney riffs, and hazy vocals all sat atop an epic musical landscape.
Holy Coves have also announced a 24-date UK ‘Druids and Bards’ tour which begins in Wrexham on August 19th, concluding in Bethesda on December 3rd.
F I V E
VICKY PASION’S MOBO-supported EP ‘Soul Star’ drops today and features her new single ‘Switch It Up,’ a hip-hop infused R&B track with a nod to the 90s and ever so slightly reminiscent of the sound of the Fugees.
The young Camden-based artist of mixed Asian heritage (mum from the Philippines, dad from Sri Lanka) has already captivated audiences across international stages – from London’s West End as Young Nala in The Lion King, to Michael Jackson’s Thriller Live in Munich – but has put that theatrical career behind her to pursue an artistic dream.
Promising pop-soul, afro-house and classic R&B vibes, ‘Soul Star’ takes the form of dreamy projections of love, growth, and the courage to take up space, while rooted in her exploration of identity, heritage and belonging, and with a sound inspired by the timeless soul of idols such as Whitney Houston and Beyoncé.
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