“Alternative facts” is the bullshit phrase spun out by Donald Trump’s counsellor Kellyanne Conway that’s now so famous it has its own Wikipedia page. She delivered it at the beginning of this year in a briefing to the press as she was attempting to back-up her colleague Sean Spicer’s claim about the amount of people who attended the president’s inauguration. Rightly, it was called out as utter nonsense. It’d be funny, if it wasn’t so dangerous.
Anyway, the whole thing has served as inspiration for the this new track from Leeds band Mush.
‘Alternative Facts’, which repeats the refrain “bury it in fiction”, is a 10-minute Pavement-esque, slacker-rock track from the four-piece. They recorded their debut EP, ‘Ex-Communiqué’, with MJ from Hookworms and released it in July last year.
Now, following recent releases from Drahla and The St. Pierre Snake Invasion, ‘Alternative Facts’ will be the next music coming out on the Too Pure Singles Club, and will be available next month on 23 June. Order it here. The song runs across two sides of the new 7″ single, because it’s longer than most Napalm Death albums.
Not long now. At the end of May, Primavera Sound 2017 kicks off in Barcelona.
Once again the team behind the whole thing have put together one of the biggest and best line-ups of the summer.
Ahead of it all happening, we’ve asked a handful of artists playing this year’s festival to take a scan down the line-up poster and put together a guest playlist of their favourite acts who’re also on the bill.
First up, Julia Jacklin will be making her debut at the festival. She’s playing on Thursday 1 June on the Adidas Originals Stage.
You can listen to her gust mix below via Apple Music or Spotify, whichever you prefer. Before that, Julia’s written some words about her selections.
Solange – Cranes In The Sky
This was probably my favourite song of last year. At least the one I listened to the most. Made me consider changing genres a few times. Or at least having a side project.
Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
Played a lot of the songs off this record when I did 3-hour corner-of-the-bar acoustic gigs. Dark times but great songs to play.
Broken Social Scene – Lover’s Spit
I remember asking my piano teacher to teach me this when I was 16. She didn’t seem shocked by those lyrics coming out of my mouth, but maybe she just wasn’t paying attention.
Whitney – Follow
Apparently this is written about Julian’s [Ehrlich, drummer and singer] grandfather after he died. After I heard that, it really moved me. Just a really bittersweet but beautiful song about losing someone.
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – People-Vultures
Just music that makes you feel better. Makes me feel like I should write some heavier music just to see what it feels like to play.
Gordi – Can We Work It Out?
Just a beautifully crafted song. Great production, beautiful voice. A great Australian musician.
Mitski – Texas Reznikoff
This is just my kind of song. Specific lyrics. Beautiful melody. Late introduction of the band. No frills, just perfect.
Kevin Morby – I Have Been To The Mountain
Great bass, really like the bass, and the female backing vocals are epic. Also wish the music video was mine.
Angel Olsen – Acrobat
I think this was the first Angel Olsen song I heard. Really like the production on this one. And the line that says either, “I want to be the bed you miss” or “mess” both work and it’s beautiful.
Mellow Gang are formed from members of Venice Trip, and earlier this year shared a seductive single called ‘Lagoon (Solina)’.
At the centre of the London foursome’s sound is the deep, silt-smooth Juanita Stein-esque voice of frontwoman Harriet Joseph, which is shown off much more by this new track ‘Vendetta’.
It’s taken from a new EP they’ve announced, ‘Play’, that’ll be released on 23 June.
Harriet’s words on this latest song: “‘Vendetta’ came as a piece of writing at an anxious time. It centred from that harrowing paranoia you can create against yourself in fear/anger of the odds against you, whilst being allowed to admit some fragility.
“It’s been an unexplained comfort to me since I first wrote it three years ago, and the first song that really excited us when Mellow Gang came together.”
Mellow Gang have some upcoming shows booked. If you’re heading to The Great Escape, they’re playing Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar on Saturday (20 May). Then, to mark the launch of the EP they’ve lined up a show at The Sebright Arms, London, on 26 June.
It’s easy to be cynical right now, what with the world continually proving itself to be a bit of a shitter most days.
But Sheer Mag are determined to keep themselves from those dark thoughts because they’ve just shared a new song… and they’re calling it a “straight up and down rock ballad about ACTUALLY being in love.” They admit, “we don’t often write about without being cynical in some way.”
It’s called ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’ and if you like Thin Lizzy or Joan Jett, well, you’re gonna dig it.
After three EPs there’s a full debut album on the way – ‘Need To Feel Your Love’ (read more about it after the video) is out on 14 July on Static Shock Records.
The band, who like to refer to themselves in the third person, have announced the album with a lengthy, self-penned explanation:
“By making a music both painfully urgent and spiritually timeworn, SHEER MAG speak to a modern pain: to a people that too feel their flame on the verge of being extinguished, yet choose to burn a bit brighter in spite of that threat.
With their debut LP, the cloak has been lifted. It is time to reclaim something that has been taken from us. Here the band rolls up their sleeves, takes to the streets, and demands recompense for a tradition of inequity that’s poisoned our world.
However, it is in our ability to love – our primal human right to give and receive love – that the damage of such toxicity is newly explored.
Love is a choice we make. We ought not obscure, neglect, or deny that choice.”
They’re also announced a handful of summer UK shows, too:
London, Islington Assembly Hall – 20 July Sheffield, The Lughole – 21 Glasgow, Mono – 22 Manchester, Deaf Institute – 23
Has it really almost been 15 years since the release of Interpol’s ‘Turn on the Bright Lights?’
Somehow the opening minute of Yowl’s latest track ‘My Headache Likes To Speak’ seems to bring it all back. That’s because Gabriel Byrde voice isn’t dissimilar to the bleak howl of Paul Banks. Or maybe it’s that guitar sound.
But then, the song takes a twist that means the Peckham band – who run their own clubnight at south London’s The Montague Arms – are a different prospect all together.
A short while ago we brought you the latest track from Bristol band LICE. That came out via the freshly set-up Big Score imprint. This new track is only their second release.
From Yowl, about their new song: “‘My Headache Likes To Speak refers to that anxiety that comes from the cocktail of social pressures and everything surrounding the need to socialise with people, fearing humiliation, and a desire for genuine connection.”
Yowl are playing The George Tavern in E1 on Friday (12 May), and The Great Escape next week.
If you haven’t seen Finnish punks Teksti-TV 666 live then you’re missing a trick. At some points there are four or five guitarists on stage wind-milling their hair as if they’re in Pantera, but sounding more like Jay Reatard or Mac DeMarco. Some look like death-metal kids in the wrong band, others like they’ve stepped on stage from the local skate park. All of them look like they’re having an absolute ball.
Teemu Tanner – otherwise known as Kynnet – is one member of the band, and on Friday (19 May) he releases a new 7″ single, ‘Alaovi’ via Black Pop Records.
Tanner explains about the song: “I had some spare time being unemployed during one summer and I had an 8-track. We spent that summer at my then-girlfriend’s parents’ place, hiding away from an awful pipe repair at our own home. We eventually broke up during that summer and it kinda gave me the direction for all this that I do under the name of Kynnet! Being honest and spontaneous.”
“In short, ‘Nada’ is a song about death,” says Mellah, describing the new track he’s just shared.
“My father died a couple of years ago now,” he continues. “His sudden, unexpected departure paraded in front of me the stark inevitability of death, which I had never really been faced with before, and through it illuminated the immediacy and beauty of my own life. ‘Nada’ is my memento mori if you like.”
It’s one of the tracks to appear on a new five-song EP that Liam Ramsden – Mellah – will put out on Friday (12 May). It’s called ‘Liminality’ and will come out via Lucky Number.
“My dad was a photographer, he gave me my first film SLR when I was 17. The video is simply every photograph I have ever taken with that camera.”
On the 16 May Mellah will play at the Montague Arms in Peckham.
Moses John Archuleta is the founding member and drummer with Deerhunter.
In the background, away from the Atlanta band’s output, he’s been working on his own material for a decade, but has finally chosen to share more of it under the title Moon Diagrams. The first time he worked on any of this stuff was way back after the release of Deerhunter’s ‘Cryptograms’ in 2007. Since then he’s revisited it during three different periods.
Now, a full album is done. ‘Lifetime of Love’ is coming out via Sonic Cathedral and Geographic North on 30 June.
‘End of Heartache’ is the first track to be shared from it. There’s a New Order, Edwyn Collins or even Chic, forlorn disco-pop feel about it.
Earlier this year we reported the news that Flamingods are to put out a new EP via Moshi Moshi at the end of May. ‘Kewali’ is out on the 26th.
The Brixton via Bahrain collective have just shared another new track from it, ‘Mixed Blessings’, along with a new animated video made by Alpaca Animations.
The visuals are, according to its creators, a “creative protest against the xenophobia which abounds in international politics right now, the video centres around an intrepid explorer on a quest for enlightenment.”
Flamingods are playing a whole bunch of festivals during the summer, but they’ve also announced they’ll play a headline show at London’s Jazz Cafe on 3 October.
