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Stream the playlist below and read a bit about each individual track further down the page. This edition features essential new music from The Lucid Dream, Estrons, The KVB, The Chemical Brothers, The Good The Bad And The Queen, Ian Brown, The Dandy Warhols, Thom Yorke, She Makes War, The Living End, Basement Revolver, Muse, Richard Ashcroft, James, Goatman, Jon Hopkins, Lee Scratch Perry, Metric, The Prodigy, Slaves, Daniel Avery, Hookworms and Steve Mason.
The Lucid Dream - Zenith (parts 1 and 2)
Formed in 2008 and causing a stir since their 2013 debut 'Songs Of Lies And Deceit', Carlisle four piece The Lucid Dream suffered a cruel blow early last year in 2017 when all of their equipment was stolen following a gig in Paris. Some would've conceded defeat or had their momentum severely damaged during these difficult days for musicians, but instead the band ploughed on, as their fanbase raised £10,000 to finance some new gear. Fourth album 'Actualisation' is startling.
On the superb 'Zenith' the pulse of intricate analog rhythms gradually form a disciplined pattern topped with sirens and searing electronic notes, before kicking into a Madchester groove topped with licks of fat bass, atmospheric guitars, and the welcome offer of a melodica solo. Immediately launching into its lysergic vocal-topped second half, it dazzles with its house piano and addictive rhythm. Frontman Mark Emmerson explained "The track was the first one written and recorded for the new album and was hugely influenced by acid house, alongside the early Heavenly Recordings works. It’s an amalgamation of the influences of house, dub, hip-hop (certainly in the drums and 808), and is the second installment of a two-part opus. Somehow, we’ve managed to streamline it into a 2.5 minute pop song (in the right manner).”
Rebuilding their sound around the essence of their previous output, resilience, defiance, reinvention and momentum have produced one of 2018's greatest records. The Lucid Dream have turned a major setback into a triumph. Read the full review HERE.
The KVB - AfterglowThis deliriously dark helping of melodic machine music is taken from 'Only Now Forever', the sixth album from the London duo The KVB. Does psychedelic synthpop sound appealing to you? If so then try out 'Only Now Forever', which was released this month on the brilliant Invada Records. "This was the first track we finished for the new album and definitely one of our favourites. For us, it feels very influenced by our time in Berlin. It’s about the temptations of living there and the struggle, but also fun that its lifestyle brings. On previous albums we had always restricted ourselves instrument-wise to what we could play live, but this time we let the atmosphere and our experimentations dictate the tracks, especially this one."The duo's new LP also features the kinetic 'Above Us', the sound of Jesus And Mary Chain atmospherics mixing with flavours of Mute Records. Other highlights include the lovely single 'On My Skin', magnificent closer 'Cerculean' and the glowing, surging magnificence of 'Into Life'.Listen to the album in full HERE.
She Makes War - London BitesGritty, dark and melodic stuff, and one of the best moments from the new She Makes War album 'Brace For Impact', which was at number 47 in the midweek charts a few weeks ago. It ended up achieving the number 15 position on the UK indie charts. It marks a long-overdue chart debut for the brilliant Bristol-based multi instrumentalist Laura Kidd, who has scored a victory for DIY music with this alluring and accomplished LP.
The Living End - Otherside
From a personal point of view, one of music's great mysteries is why The Living End have never become that well-known over here in the UK. After hearing them two decades ago, I have been a fan and champion of their music ever since. Another mystery is how this band keep on delivering the goods over 20 years after their debut. Every time I hear of a new Living End album being released, I always think that it couldn't beat the previous ones and that this group surely have to run out of steam at some point. But they never have. And that quality is continued on the diverse 'Wunderbar'. Read the full album review HERE.
Basement Revolver - BabyBeautifully dark, atmospheric guitars and swooning vocals impress on this endearing track from Canadian outfit Basement Revolver. It comes from their debut album 'Heavy Eyes'.
Richard Ashcroft - That's When I Feel It
Jon Hopkins - Feel First LifeA mesmeric beauty from the brilliant 'Singularity' album by Jon Hopkins. Released earlier this year on Domino Records, it was the British electronic producer's fifth studio LP. This new video for the blissful 'Feel First Life' was directed by Elliot Dear.
The Prodigy - Fight Fire With Fire (feat. Ho99o9)
The Good, The Bad And The Queen - Merrie LandHaunted fairground vibes and graceful melancholia are very much the order on the new track from The Good, The Bad And The Queen. Prolific as ever following two Gorillaz albums in the space of a year, the legend that is Damon Albarn has been in the studio with his supergroup that also features Clash bassist Paul Simonon, Verve guitarist Simon Tong and afrobeat drummer Tony Allen. 11 years on from their self-titled debut album, their second LP 'Merrie Land' is due on November 16. Featuring a video led by a creepy wax puppet, the title track is the first taster from the upcoming record.
The LP will be self-released on the newly created label Studio 13. Produced by Tony Visconti and The Good, The Bad and The Queen, Merrie Land contains 10 new songs - written during the current period in which the UK is preparing to leave the European Union - creating a reluctant good-bye letter, a series of observations and reflections on Britishness in 2018.
Merrie Land’s focus moves beyond GBQ’s London-themed first album to a wider land, with a beautiful and hopeful paean to the Britain of today, an inclusive Britain, currently in an Anglo-Saxostentialist crises at the end of a relationship, wondering what might be salvaged. Could there be a more perfect band - with their creative symbiosis of pasts and present and shared acclaimed music histories - to reflect on the anticipation, disorientation and confusion of current life.December sees the band set out on tour for a run of UK shows, performing this collection of new songs live, for the very first time, in Blackpool, Glasgow and East London.
Daniel Avery - Diminuendo
Heavily percussive new offering from producer Daniel Avery. 'Diminuendo', can be found on the Songs For Alpha album, released earlier this year. It also features as the lead track on a new EP of the same name, a companion EP that follows Song For Alpha. It's available now via the Phantasy Sound label.
Ian Brown - First World Problems
For the last few weeks or so, there have been rumours pinging around about a new album from Stone Roses icon Ian Brown. The whispers appeared to be true as Ian Brown posters prematurely went up around Manchester containing the words 'First World Problems'. Finally, we get the new track in full, and it's been well worth the wait. Brown's last solo effort was 2009's 'My Way', released a couple of years before that lucrative Stone Roses reunion. Ironically after years of fans calling for the band to reform and record new material, their two singles from 2015 were judged as an anticlimactic folly, and people began wishing for more solo stuff from Brown. Now, they've got it. It comes from the upcoming album Ripples, out in March. 'First World Problems' is an interesting return, an uplifting, funky track characterised by strange keyboard sounds.
Brown produced ‘Ripples’ as well as writing the majority of tracks on the album. Three of the songs were co-written with his sons, who also play a multitude of instruments across the release. Covers of Barrington Levy’s ‘Black Roses’ and ‘Break Down The Walls’ by Mikey Dread also feature.
The album was recorded in Liverpool and enhanced in the Beatles room at Abbey Road Studios, before being mixed by long-term collaborator Steve Fitzmaurice. The record was digitally mastered by Bob Ludwig in New York, while the vinyl was mastered by Chris Bellman in LA.
Ian Brown has retained complete creative control of the project - producing the album, directing the video (to be released soon) as well as creating the artwork himself and playing guitar, drums and a host of other instruments throughout the record.
The Dandy Warhols - Forever
Deliciously dark new sounds from The Dandy Warhols. 'Forever' is the first new music from the Oregon four piece since 2016's 'Distortland', and comes from their upcoming tenth studio LP 'Dine Alone', which is due for release at some point next year.
Hookworms - Ullswater (Luke Abbott Remix)
Invigorated analog sounds and an entrancing kinetic rhythm drive this brilliant remix of the Hookworms track 'Ullswater'. The original can be found on the band's third album 'Microshift', which was released earlier this year. This awesome remix by Luke Abbott is taken from the 'Microshift Remixes EP', released 23rd November 2018 on Domino Record Co.
The Smiths and Blur producer Stephen Street was at the controls for this LP. Street says, “Steve explained that he wanted to make this album with his band playing more ‘live’ than on some of his previous offerings and also to augment the songs with brass and female backing vocalists. I felt this approach of first stripping back the songs to a more ‘live’ feel to create more space for the more ‘soulful’ elements to breathe in was an interesting one and we got down to work!”
Mason commented “When I listen to this album it feels and sounds like the first ‘legitimate’ record that I have ever made. It’s hard to explain but it sounds like a ‘real’ album. I think that is partly the production, the playing and the work that I did with the band for all those months in our rehearsal room on the South Coast.. It’s a beautiful, confident, positive, angry, loving and gentle album which once again moves what I do forward.” He adds “David Bowie said that you should always be slightly out of your comfort zone if you want to achieve greatness, and for the first time perhaps ever, I deliberately pushed myself into that place. Who doesn’t want greatness?”