Much to get your ears around. Here’s some Christmas stocking filler ideas. And Strictly Come Dancing guests, The Manics.
Delorean: Subiza – An Album of the Week for July
True Panther
Writing this in a room where I can see my breath, my knuckles and finger tips have undertaken a change from maroon to deep blue and my skin has started to crack it’s hard to remember those long summer nights when we were teethgrinding our way out of the Kazimier before inviting friends back for 48-hour MDMA parties as the neighbours danced around in our front garden. Or maybe they were just objecting.
But Subiza was largely this summer’s aftershow, after-party, party soundtrack reimagining Animal Collective as pranged out of their heads Spaniards who decamped to the Balearic Islands to feed us sugar-coated bangers.
Oh, how I long for those summer daze. Pass me the electric blanket, dear.
8/10
Flying Lotus: Cosmogramma
Warp
Getintothis saw FlyLo at Chibuku last month and his live set just about sums up Cosmogramma – hypnotic, complex jazz-beat tapestries with plenty of fellas in Carhartt hoodies nodding in approval. If we were being cruel you could argue that there’s less stunning thuds than debut LA but on the whole this is a transportative record which burrows deeper into your subconscious with every listen. Heed that jazz warning though.
8/10
Warpaint: The Fool
Rough Trade
Ever read the book, Perfect Victim? It’s a first-hand account of Colleen Stan‘s seven-year ordeal about being locked in a box under the bed of tortured lunatic Cameron Hooker who uses her as a sex slave. It’s claustrophobic, understated, spooky and pretty grim, very much like The Fool – a record which delights in twisted grooves, bendy basslines, haunted vocals and a rip-off of Nirvana‘s Polly – a track told first-hand from a rapist. All’s happy here.
7/10
Darwin Deez: Darwin Deez
Lucky Number Music
Meet Darwin. He’s a slender, charming bro who likes nothing better than to lounge about on street corners with his flasher-mack, stringy head-band and tootle Strokes songs for a living. We like him because he’s purdy and smells of fresh bacon butties.
7/10
Minus The Bear: Omni
Co-op/V2
Planet of Ice was one of Getintothis‘ records of 2007 but in the two years that have elapsed MtB have ditched their prog leanings and intricate noodlings in favour of a tepid, largely straight-forward slam dunk of meat and one veg. Credit them for attempting something different but it’s a bit like staying in on a Saturday ‘for a change’ only to receive a barrage of texts from all your wired mates as you curse yourself for being such a foolish wazzock.
5.5/10
Brian Jonestown Massacre: Who Killed Sgt. Pepper?
A Recordings
Is Anton Newcombe still alive? Last time we saw his broke ass face he was being bottled out of Korova by a gang of Topman jokers pretending to be into the band because they liked Joel’s sideburns.This time round Anton’s OD-ed on baggy, yup, you read that right. BAGGY.
4.5/10
Red Sparowes: The Fear Is Excruciating. But Therein Lies The Answer
Conspiracy
Ahh, gotta love slow dirge from planet Apocalypse. All languid lolloping streams of wistful guitars and thuds before someone turns it up and your ears start melting. A Swarm could quite easily fit on to Meddle while the rest of The Fear.. is like a tasty Mogwai delight to fry your insides as the frostbite kicks in.
7/10
Quack Quack: Slow As An Eyeball
Cuckundoo
Are eyeballs slow? Not really when you think about it. Last month an optician experienced my right eyeball spazzing out furiously while she attempted to insert a contact lense – the bugger (my eye, not the optician, she was lovely) wasn’t having any of it and all’s we were left with was a mass of teardrops and uncomfortable smiles.
Quack Quack make improv angular slightly kraut jams the kind Tortoise would make if recorded in the Ready Steady Cook studio – complete with pan bashing and the odd flick of a blender. WHOOOOSSH! Taddah! It’s a red tomatos victory!
7/10
School Of Seven Bells: Disconnect From Desire
Full Time Hobby
What’s happened to SVIIBs? First they swap their enigmatic mysticism for tame pop stylings then one of the foxy Deheza sisters (Claudia, fact fans) departs for personal reasons. Thisis average, the future’s bleak.
5/10
Manic Street Preachers: Postcards From A Young Man
Columbia
