New Music for 2021

[Jobi1]

The Ocean Greys have added a new voice, with singer Kora Goodman joining for the new EP "Next Station", and it's absolutely wonderful. Well worth a listen for fans of shoegaze and related genres.

[danielmak]

Hmm - can't make my mind up about those guys.

They all come out of what has been dubbed a New Wave of British Hardcore (to play on that metal phrasing that happened in the 80s) but definitely have an appreciation for the more melodic Oi bands from the 80s who seemed to be inspired by Slade.

There's also an overlap with an Australian punk aesthetic (The Saints, most notably) that also features in newer music by Amyl and the Sniffers (see below). Not that any of that context matters when it comes to instantly liking or disliking something. The body responds how the body responds.

[Jah Womble]

The Saints remain the best band from the antipodes, IMO.

I knew there was a reason why I quite like the latest Amyl & The Sniffers single (Guided By Angels).

[Amor de Cosmos]

Did anyone else post up the song of the summer? I meant to some time ago :

Compelling doesn't do it justice. Music to drive your parents crazy.

[DPDPDPDP]

DPDPDPDP the Mt Misery album is on Prefect Records, co-run by Mark Dobson, former drummer of Sarah Recs giants The Field Mice. I remember when the album came out Mark said the band had told him they'd never heard of Sarah.

Furtho, Swimming Tapes are another band that have a “Sarah sound” to them, another band where I hear echoes of my beloved Orchids. Their Morningside album from 2019 is excellent.

[caja-dglh]

Low's HEY WHAT is absolutely spellbinding.

[Furtho]

Very catchy new single by The Stranglers, apparently including some of Dave Greenfield's last recording.

[Jah Womble]

...and that's none other than uberfan Stuart Pearce in the promo.

It's actually better than I'd expected.

Low's HEY WHAT is absolutely spellbinding.

Alan Sparhawk's guitar may have you fiddling with your woofers and tweeters, but, yes, it's doing for me too.

[WOM]

Very catchy new single by The Stranglers, apparently including some of Dave Greenfield's last recording.

That's not just 'good for this stage in the game', that's proper good.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

If there are any fans of the music on the legendary Sarah label, you might be interested in Once Home, No Longer by Mt. Misery. The music certainly has a Sarah label band feel about it, especially the wonderful Orchids.

Turns out I am seeing this particular beat combo next week, they are supporting The Futureheads at a long delayed gig in Carlisle. My mate mentioned it this morning and I was wondering where I knew the name from, and now I know.

Incidentally I briefly saw Chubby and the Gang at End of the Road without knowing who it was (it was a late night "secret" set) and I wasn't gripped enough to see it through (it had been a long day and I was already hanging on....) but may try again under better circumstances.

[danielmak]

That's not just 'good for this stage in the game', that's proper good.

I agree. Was very surprised. The keyboards that drifted in didn't work for me but other than that, really good song.

[WOM]

It sounds a bit like Stranglers have been listening to Idles.

[steveeeeeeeee]

Has anyone heard an album called "Heaven and Holy" by Painted Shrines? It's really good, reminds me slightly of Real Estate, Felt, a touch of The Field Mice and The Byrds. Apparently they're a supergroup, but I haven't heard of any of the bands they're from. Shall investigate though, it's a brilliant album.

[steveeeeeeeee]

So, the Painted Shrines album, which I have been playing consistently this week, has taken me to a few other bands connected to them, best of whom are The Reds, Pinks and Purples. They've got a new album called "I'd rather Astral Project" which is good, but I'm mainly listening the previous album "Anxiety Art", which is great. Again, jingle jangle indie, bit like The Field Mice, but also reminds me of British Sea Power.

[danielmak]

In-line with the "there goes my mind" thread I started, I saw a San Francisco band at Brundell Social Club in Leeds in June 2015 (needed some help finding that date by searching for a conference I attended). They fit perfectly with the sounds you are describing, steveeeeeeeee and I see that The Reds were on Slumberland, which is a label that had a little bit of overlap with Sarah in the early 90s. Slumberland's bands tended to be a little noisier and a little less twee but the bands could certainly share bills.

---

[steveeeeeeeee]

"less twee than Sarah" describes all this music pretty well, seems very San Francisco based, from the research I've done.

[danielmak]

"less twee than Sarah" describes all this music pretty well, seems very San Francisco based, from the research I've done.

I would need to look back at their recent discography but I think they label became more of a garage label, which was very big in the SF area in the 1990s. I posted a short summary of a book about one of the garage/garage punk venues in the music books thread. But early on they did stuff other than Bay Area bands. Jane Pow were from Southampton, Velocity Girl were from Maryland or Virginia and signed to Sub Pop off the back of the Slumberland single (and maybe a single or part of a 7" comp on Simple Machines--I would need to double check that). You're right that it's hard to find more twee than Sarah. Slumberland seemed to do a lot of bands that were Sarah + Jesus and Mary Chain.

[steveeeeeeeee]

Used to love Velocity Girl. The Painted Shrines album is on a label called Woodist, who seem fairly popular as they've got a sold out festival in New York next week.

I'm listening to loads of music at the moment because I've got a load of marking to get through, I'm about 90% of the way through now, so will probably go new music cold turkey for the next month or so, but do miss the solitary time to just wade through new stuff that isn't music from Peppa Pig or Cocomelon.

[imp]

Did anyone else post up the song of the summer? I meant to some time ago :

Ooh, that's magnificent.

[caja-dglh]

Reviews coming in suggest Wet Leg are coming along as a pretty great live band (which is also to say they have more than one tune). Rhian is a pretty impressive musician and this is very different than her solo stuff.

[tuckwat]

re the Stranglers.

[imp]

Has anyone heard an album called "Heaven and Holy" by Painted Shrines? It's really good, reminds me slightly of Real Estate, Felt, a touch of The Field Mice and The Byrds. Apparently they're a supergroup, but I haven't heard of any of the bands they're from. Shall investigate though, it's a brilliant album.

Thanks for the tip - am loving this as well.

[WOM]

re the Stranglers.

Well, shit....

[imp]

After a couple more listens to the magnificent Painted Shrines, I'd like to point any fans in the direction of the equally magnificent Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter, should they not already be part of your lives. Not a direct match by any means, but the vocals and the reverb had me making the association.

[Patrick Thistle]

Not really "new" music as the tracks are reclaimed from 30 year old sessions, but Mrs Thistle has just gifted me a CD of Saskadelphia by the Tragically Hip. It has six previously unreleased songs on it so I'm quite excited by it.