Uncut UK June 2022

THE STONES: EXILE AT 50 “KEEPIT O4F0RPEAVGIEEWSS TIGHT!” ARCADE FIRE MILES SANDY DENNY DAVIS BLRAOCLKLOINUGTS NEIL YOUNG ...TAKESON ROCK’N’ROLL! + MORE! ROXY MUSIC BY BRYAN FERRY BOB DYLAN INTO THE ARCHIVE SHARON VAN ETTEN COMEBACK QUEEN BLACK KEYS NASHVILLE BOOGIE GLEN MATLOCK EX PISTOL! ASSOCIATES THE INCREDIBLE SULK AROOJ AFTAB BOHEMIAN RHAPSODIES THE MAGICAL WORLD OF MICHAEL HEAD

OUT 29.04.2022

“I’ ll know we’re all blues/All shades, all hues, all blues” HE RED ELASTIC BAND • AROOJ AFTAB • SST RECORDS • THE WHOMATLOCK • ASSOCIATES • BOB DYLAN CENTER • MICHAEL HEAD & T ES • ROXY MUSIC • THE BLACK KEYS • SHARON VAN ETTEN • GLEN JUNE On the cover: 2022•YOLA•FATOUMATA Miles Davis by TAKE 301 ROLLINGSTON Don Hunstein © Sony Music DIAWARA• MILESDAVIS•THE Entertainment Keith Richards by Koh Hasebe/ Shinko Music/ Getty Images T HANKS, first of all, to everyone who’s taken time to write in Elsewhere in the issue, you’ll find great new interviews or message us on our social media with kind words about with Michael Head, Arooj Aftab, Glen Matlock, The Black Keys, last month’s 300th issue. As ever, your support means a lot Fatoumata Diawara, the Associates, Sharon Van Etten and Brian to us and it’s hugely satisfying to know that all our hard Eno among others. Eno’s old sparring partner, Bryan Ferry, has also work and effort has been appreciated. written exclusively for us about all eight Roxy Music studio records, So after all that… what next? How about Miles Davis? For issue while the Stones’ most iconic album is saluted by a panel of heads, Take 301, we wanted to make a statement, debut a new cover including Cat Power, J Mascis, Mike Scott, Adam Granduciel, star and tell a story that remains largely untold elsewhere in Jennifer Herrema and Kurt Vile. We also take a peek at the hugely mainstream music magazines. Davis – an artist who revolutionised anticipated Dylan exhibition in Tulsa. music several times over – seemed like the perfect fit, and the period covered in Tom’s excellent cover story captures him during Finally, although our 300th issue shenanigans are one of his many transformative phases, conveniently pulling over, we still have one more anniversary to celebrate him closer into our world than ever before. As Tom notes in his this year. I won’t spoil the surprise, but do please comprehensive piece, “Like Dylan, like Bowie, Miles contained check out Uncut.co.uk on May 1 and discover how we multitudes”; read more on page 88. plan to mark our 25th anniversary… Michael Bonner, Editor. Follow me on Twitter @michaelbonner 4Instant Karma! CONTENTS 88Miles Davis Bob Dylan Center, Ural Thomas, 58The Rolling Stones FiftyyearsafterOnTheCorner, keyplayers Brian Eno, SST Records, Whitney K discuss the raw power of ‘Electric Miles’, as Half a century on from Exile On Main St, a 14Glen Matlock crack team of stellar fans – from Cat Power he turned on, tuned in and freaked out and Mike Scott to J Mascis and Kurt Vile – dig An Audience With… deep into the Stones’ own Basement Tapes 100 Lives Yola/AllisonRussell,TheWho 18New Albums 66Michael Head 104 Films TheNorthman,Navalny Including: Sharon Van Etten, Rolling Thereturnof England’sgreatestliving 106DVD, Blu-ray and TV Blackouts Coastal Fever, Bonnie Raitt, songwriter: we visit the Wirral Peninsula to Kikagaku Moyo, Kevin Morby, Arcade Fire discover how the Shack man dispelled his Jay Bennett, Andy Warhol, Nick Cave demonsand madetheperfectcomeback 36The Archive 72Roxy Music 109 Books Including: ? And The Mysterians, Norah Jones,NeilYoung, SandyDenny,Robert Album By Album with Bryan Ferry John McGeoch, The Four Tops Fripp, Terry Allen, Roxy Music, Sparks 76The Black Keys 110 Not Fade Away Obituaries 112 Letters… PlustheUncutcrossword 50Arooj Aftab In Nashville, the world’s biggest small band The Brooklyn-based singer-composer talk early days, detentions and lost fingers! reveals her love of hedonism and the full extent of her musical ambitions 84The Associates 114MyLifeInMusic The Making Of “Party Fears Two” Fatoumata Diawara SUBSCRIBE TO UNCUT SUBS OFFER! AND SAVE UP TO 40%! Subscribe online at magazines.nmenetworks.com Or call 01371 851882 and quote code UCPR2022 For enquiries please call: 01371 851882 or email: [email protected]. JUNE 2022 • UNCUT • 3

THIS MONTH’S REVELATIONS FROM THE WORLD OF UNCUT FEATURING... Ural Thomas | Brian Eno | SST Records | Whitney K Below: tapes of Bringing It All Back Home Imnusisdeeutmhe …Infinity goes up on trial: the Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa prepares to open its doors “WEhavedraft former presidents. Letters from fans by the late Bruce Langhorne manuscripts, in 1966, sending him everything that inspired Dylan to write “Mr dozens upon from Kurt Vonnegut novels to nail Tambourine Man”. Visitors will dozens of his clippers… It’s the most expansive be able to chart in granular detail notebooks, all audio and footage collection devoted to any single the life of Dylan songs from their artist ever comprised.” While much conception, through their evolution from 1964-2012, full session tapes, of it will remain available only to in performance and recording, scholars who apply for research to their afterlife – for example, unused album artwork, drawings, access, on May 10 the Center will following “The Man In Me” from its original draft, through studio stems paintings, photos, the leather jacket finally open its public wing: and footage of Dylan recording it in an extensive, immersive 1970, to its hallucinatory use in the he wore when he went electric at exhibition space, Coen Brothers’ The Big Lebowski. providing Newport in ’65…” Mark Davidson, ever-changing Elsewhere, the Archive’s glimpses into preservation work has resulted in an Archives Director at the Bob the Archive and exhibit offering a new approach to its work. that epochal 1965 Newport show, Dylan Center in Tulsa, It’s mouth- using restored transfers of unseen watering. The multi-angle footage and interviews screws his eyes shut as Center will to create “a second-by-second not merely recreation of what being at that he attempts a rough showcase concert was like. People will either totemic come away thinking ‘What was the inventory of the objects, big deal?’ or ‘My God, this is the although it rawest version I’ve ever heard’.” 100,000-plus items has those, including the But, as Davidson stresses, “the that constitute the Turkish frame idea of the Center is not to create a Bruce drum owned shrine to Dylan. It’s to illuminate Langhorne’s Bob Dylan Archive, creativity through his life and work.” Turkish frame drum the kaleidoscopic Examining drafts of songs from resource he 1964’s “Chimes Of Freedom” to 1997’s “Highlands”, the sheer OLSON KUNDIG; BOB DYLAN CENTER describes as amount of work put into all their visions and revisions is what shines the Center’s through. “This is what makes Bob Dylan,” Davidson agrees. “Genius, “beating heart”. plus this extraordinary work ethic.” “We have a lot of DAMIEN LOVE correspondence to Bob, letters Dylan’s from all kinds of jacket from people: PJ Harvey, Newport, Allen Ginsberg, 1965 4 • UNCUT • JUNE 2022

Dylan in Central Park, 1963, photographed by Gloria Stavers Right: draft lyrics for “Subterranean Homesick Blues”, “Chimes Of Freedom” and “Highlands” Rendering of the Center’s interior

No Pain, no gain The remarkable And there the story might have resurrection of ’60s soul powerhouse, ended, his voice unknown beyond a Ural Thomas handful of devoted connoisseurs of A QUICK ONE IN 1967, a promising R&B singer named Ural Thomas with a voice obscure ’60s funk and R&B, had Pump it up! With the man somewhere between the grit of himself about to hit the Otis Redding and the silkiness Thomas not walked into a Portland road, our latest Deluxe of Smokey Robinson went into Ultimate Music Guide is a an LA studio to cut a single called vinyl store one day in 2012 and got 148-page, fully updated “Pain Is The Name Of Your Game”. guide to Elvis Costello. The song was a gut-wrenching tale of talking to the owner Eric Isaacson. Inside: all the albums abandonment sung in searing, reviewed, accompanied soulful style over a funk-fuelled Isaacson also ran the retro label by some rowdy archive arrangement by Gene Page. It features and Costello’s deserved to be a hit but instead Mississippi Records and arranged to own recent rollicking bombed, with the song’s title seeming account of his career to foretell Thomas’s life to come. re-release Thomas’s long out-of- highs. Find it in UK shops now or order online from He followed up with “Can You Dig print singles. He then introduced uncut.co.uk/single… It”, another great 45 on which his backing singers were Mary Wells, him to local drummer Scott Magee, With The To celebrate 50 years Merry Clayton and Brenda Holloway. who helped Thomas to assemble a Monterays since The Dark Side Yet within a year he had Of The Moon was first returned in disillusionment 10-piece band, named performed, we present to his hometown of our Ultimate Companion Portland, Oregon, where The Pain after his classic people, the police ran us To Pink Floyd Live, telling he worked as a the incredible story of the hotel bellman single. “The plan was to out and said, ‘You need band’s greatest music – and machinist. do a one-night show, and and how it evolved in front After his house “The plan apermitforthis’.” of an audience. Plus: the burned down in here we still are,” says best Pink Floyd tapes and the 1970s, he Thomas. “It was like it was to do a Heformedall-black how to hear them! On sale slept under a was meant to happen.” doo-wop group The from April 27… bridge and washed his Their third studio album, one-night Monterays,backedby Portishead will make their work shirts in Dancing Dimensions, is first live appearance the river. due out in June. show, and rock band The Invaders, since 2015 at a War Child here we and opened at Portland’s benefit gig in Bristol on Cotton Club for visiting May 2. Tickets for the show at the O2 Academy As Thomas found a new still are” stars such as Ray Charles – also featuring Idles, audience, a remarkable and Etta James. Bolstered Billy Nomates and more – can only be obtained by backstory emerged. by the response, he entering a prize draw at warchild.org.uk. There’ll Born in 1939 in Louisiana, headed for LA, where he formed a also be a livestream… the seventh of 16 children, new band and hung out with the The British Pop Archive launches at Manchester his father was a church Stones in the clubs on Sunset Strip. “I University on May 19 with a major exhibition minister and his mother walked in and said to Mick, ‘Hey man, of “iconic items” from the local music scene, “slapped chords on the just be yourself!’ We hit it off and including Ian Curtis’s handwritten lyrics for guitar”. After the danced together.” “Atmosphere”, original posters for Sex Pistols’ family moved to Thomas tells stories of record legendary gigs at The Lesser Free Trade Oregon, he began companies piling money on his bed Hall, designs by Peter Saville and the personal singing on street and sending women to his room, archive of late New Order manager Rob Gretton… corners. “No band, trying to get him to sign a contract. but folks would Why he refused such inducements is gather around unclear, but instead he headed for clappin’. We had New York and turned up at the Apollo so many in Harlem. “They asked, ‘What do you do?’ and I said, ‘I entertain!’” He was sent downstairs where The Bar-Kays were running through their paces, and was booked for 10 nights to sing two songs with them before Otis Redding took the stage. Later, during a show in Seattle, James Brown took a photo of Thomas which graced the cover of a 1968 live album – but it was the last anyone outside Portland would hear about him for five decades. His late renaissance has been as thrilling as it was unexpected. “The guys I’m with now brought me through a lot of turmoil,” says Thomas. “They got my back and we all feel blessed to be doing what we’re doing every night we hit the stage.” NIGEL WILLIAMSON Ural Thomas: Ural Thomas & The “Hey man, just Pain’s Dancing be yourself!” Dimensions is released by Bella Union on June 3 6 • UNCUT • JUNE 2022

Lyrical miners: Brian Eno and Alexis Taylor of Hot Chip, pictured below with Fay Milton of Savages “It was a magical session” Brian Eno on his new collaborations with which is something I’ve been Peter Gabriel didn’t happen in time – Hot Chip and Michael Stipe for Earth Day wanting to do for years.” he’s donated an unreleased live track instead – although Eno reveals that IT’S the classic charity song to it,” explains frontman Alexis “Brian Eno is an incredibly nice, he has been working on some of conundrum: do you write about Taylor. “I love those ’70s records disarming human being,” adds Fay Gabriel’s new material, as well as the cause at hand and risk where he’s singing, like Another Milton of Savages, who plays drums finishing a “whole batch” of his own on the track. “I think it’s so unusual music. “I’ve got so much ready to seeming heavy-handed? Or do Green World and Here Come The for someone who’s sort of a musical come out now, I’m just not quite sure genius and has a huge, legendary what form to release it. You know, you ignore it completely, with the Warm Jets, so just hearing his voice back catalogue to be really easy to whether to release a track a day for SHAMIL TANNA; DAVID BELISLE; GETTY IMAGES work with. It wasn’t pulling out the seven years or something!” Other potential implication that you don’t was wonderful.” Oblique Strategies cards every 20 green worlds await… SAMRICHARDS minutes, it was more like, ‘Let’s start really care? “Of those two options,” The original demo recording forms singing and get this shit done!’” “Line In The Sand” is available on Earth Day – April 22 – at muses Brian Eno, “the one I’m much the basis of the final song, expanded Milton is heavily involved with earthpercent.bandcamp.com, Music Declares Emergency, who along with tracks by Coldplay, more frightened of is ‘didactic and upon by Eno and Hot Chip in the will receive some of the funds raised Peter Gabriel, Anna Calvi, Big by EarthPercent for their campaign Thief and Nile Rodgers preachy’. I really do not go for songs latter’s East London studio. The to make the music industry more sustainable; they’re currently Michael that tell me what I should be words were a collaborative affair, exploring everything from Stipe: on renewable vinyl alternatives to “common thinking. I go for songs that with Eno likening the process to less carbon-intensive ways for ground” bands to tour. Eno says that these with Eno suggest a world of “extracting or shared goals make musical about the collaboration easier, citing climate some kind, an mining for lyrics. another new track for the Earth Day project that he’s made emotional place You keep digging remotely with Michael Stipe: “On and you get a the whole spectrum of human “I go for songs thatthatyoucouldbe. beings, we’re fairly close to each And for me, that’s suggest a world little glimpse of other, being bald middle-aged something. Then men who sing! But he’s also very usually enough of another piece much directed towards thinking about climate change at the of some kind, anamessage.” moment, so we had an easy Eno’s new song emotional place” comesupand common ground.” you start to build with Hot Chip – BRIAN ENO a picture.” Sadly a proposed hook-up with designed to raise money for his “He doesn’t EarthPercent charity – gets the really like the idea of people singing balance spot-on, conjuring utopias about what they’re going through rather than wagging fingers. “Line emotionally, so that’s quite different In The Sand” is based on a recording from me,” says Taylor, who’s also Eno made in St Petersburg in 1997 just finished a new Hot Chip album with two dictaphones and an to be released in August. “But I tried Omnichord, selected by Hot Chip to tap into the fact that his words from a tranche of 20 or 30 demo are quite musical in their sound, ideas. “It had a really amazing they’re playful. It was a magical atmosphere and sonic quality session really, working with him,

On the frontline: Black Flag’s Henry Rollins in LA, May 1984 A new book explores how SST Records template towards weirder, wilder often paying more attention to defined America’s ’80s rock underground sounds. “SST was not really a punk weird fusion acts than to his most label,” explains Ruland. “There promising bands. SST made confrontation part of its business IRIS SCHNEIDER/LOS ANGELES TIMES VIA GETTY IMAGES; before imploding in acrimony were a few punk records, but for the plan, which was both a blessing and GIE KNAEPS/GETTY IMAGES most part SST was alternative before a curse. It defined the label’s culture and its lasting legacy, even down to IN 1987, Dinosaur Jr embarked on album out. Nobody knew who we there was alternative – distinctive its merch (the Kill Bono T-shirt was what was supposed to be on their were. Our van broke down a lot. voices with distinctive ideas. Ginn very popular), but it often became breakthrough tour. They had just There were even some gigs where we had a genius for underground an end in itself. Says Ruland, “They took on the media establishment made their second album, You’re were told, ‘You’re not playing here’, marketing, and he was already so far and corporate rock’n’roll. Fighting battles you know you can’t win can Living All Over Me, which would even though we were already ahead of so many other labels.” be very appealing to anyone with an underdog mentality.” eventually become an underground booked. It was pretty miserable.” Ruland – who has also co-authored That approach, however, poisoned rock landmark. Except the album Dinosaur Jr had been books with Bad Religion the label’s relationship with almost all of its foundational acts, some of had been delayed, and their new determined to sign with and Black Flag/Circle which had to sue for royalties and ownership of their masters. Ginn label SST hadn’t given them a reason SST and take their place “Hardcore Jerks’KeithMorris– (who didn’t respond to Uncut’s or even an ETA. “It was horrible,” on a roster that included was over – documentsSST’slong interview request) still operates says frontman J Mascis. “We set off Hüsker Dü, Bad Brains, SST, but it’s no longer the label that and complicated history new bands dream of signing to. “Ultimately,” says Ruland, “you on our big summer tour without an The Minutemen and SST was from its origins as Ginn’s have to have artists that everybody Sonic Youth. “That was the new mail-order electronics our dream,” says Mascis. business to its 1980s wants to hear, and you have to take care of Bleak scene: “We saw all those bands way” heyday, when every them. And it often J Mascis fronts touring and thought, noisy underground band seemed like he was Dinosaur Jr in ‘That’s what we want to J MASCIS seemed to be on the label, not always willing Belgium, 1987 to do that.” do’. That was our goal including several from STEPHEN DEUSNER ever since I saw my first SST show, the burgeoning Pacific Northwest Corporate Rock Sucks is published which was Black Flag with The Meat grunge scene. The Screaming Trees by Hachette Puppets opening. A lot of punkers even tried to get Ginn to sign a new were not so psyched by their country band called Nirvana, direction, but I loved it. Hardcore but he reportedly hated was over – SST was the new way.” their demo. As documented in Jim Ruland’s Despite its success, exhaustive new book Corporate Rock the label “could have Sucks: The Rise And Fall Of SST folded at any moment”, Records, the label might have been says Ruland. Albums the brainchild of Black Flag founder were frequently delayed. Greg Ginn, but it actually Royalties went unpaid. represented a shift away from West Tours were cancelled. Coast hardcore’s loud-and-fast Ginn played favourites, 8 • UNCUT • JUNE 2022



Whitney K: UNCUT PLAYLIST tracing his “mental On the stereo this month... landscape” in song SESSA I’M Estrela Acesa MEXICANSUMMER NEW HERE Building on the acclaim for 2019’s fabulous Grandeza, a Nomadic Canadian timelines and recriminations, the way they second solo album of sensual channelling magical realism, mingle, indistinguishable from each other.” and subtly orchestrated post- country rock and Lou Reed bossa from the latterday Tom Zé. It was one of two tracks recorded in Montreal during a hurried three-day session that was SUN’S SIGNATURE intended to be an antidote to the more Sun’s Signature EP PARTISAN THE mind-bending cover of Whitney K’s new painstaking process that resulted in Two Years, mini-album Hard To Be A God features a Whitney K’s acclaimed 2021 debut. The entire Roll out the red carpet for the return of painting of a dog on its hind legs, rearing mini-LP – or maybe it’s a long EP, he’s not sure – one of music’s greatest voices, Elizabeth Fraser – here crafting lavish cinematic over the bodies of Bob Dylan, Lou Reed and showcases Whitney’s trademark drawling pop with her partner Damon Reece. Kris Kristofferson, three artists whose influence delivery, flitting between drone-rock and country- JOAN SHELLEY can be clearly detected on the grooves within. ish twang, with his acoustic guitar brilliantly The Spur NOQUARTER Another less immediately apparent – but equally accompanied by multi-instrumentalist Avalon “It’s gonna take some time/’Til the ache unwinds…” Another wise and consoling significant influence – on the record is Hopscotch, Tassonyi and occasional violin from Aidan Ayers. dispatch from Shelley and Nathan Salsburg’s Kentucky tree farm. the 1963 novel by Argentine author Julio Cortázar. Having been unable to tour Two Years owing to THE UTOPIA STRONG “It’s set up so you can read it in a linear or non- Covid restrictions, Whitney is planning to bring International Treasure linear fashion,” explains Konner Whitney (aka Hard To Be A God to Europe, where his records are ROCKET RECORDINGS Whitney K) from his current home in Montreal. finding their best reception. Currently, though Steve Davis, Kavus Torabi and “The result is two different stories. I’ve only read it he’s having to make a living outside music. “I co transcend the “Snooker Loopy” gags with a second the traditional front-to-back way, so I guess you work four days a week in a restaurant,” he says. album of tenebrous synth magick, embellished with zither and clarinet. could say I’ve only read half the book. Spanish- “I did some property management in the Yukon, LISA O’NEILL speaking authors – specifically Central and which can be managing a renovation or it can be “All The Tired Horses”RIVERLEA South American in my experience – like to fool unblocking the toilet. If you do it in a city you Heard as Peaky Blinders boss Tommy around with your expectations. Magical realism probably call a plumber, but up in the Yukon you Shelby galloped into the gloom for the final time was this raw-throated cover is obviously a big part of that tradition: incredible end up doing it yourself.” of a Bob Dylan curio from County Cavan drone-folk singer Lisa O’Neill. imagery and telling history through metaphor Whitney is something of a nomad, having lived BRAXE & FALCON with a lot of characters.” I’M YOUR FAN in a variety of North American cities as “While Digging Through The Snow”, well as up in the Yukon, the wild and “Step By Step (feat Panda Bear)” the five-minute lead track from Hard mountainous territory in Canada’s far SMUGGLERS WAY To Be A God, is Whitney’s attempt at northwest. And he’s already thinking French Touch veterans forge a strangely moving electronic power ballad, with the a non-linear narrative. A beautiful about a new record, one that might Animal Collective man giving it his best Peter Cetera over the top. semi-spoken meditation set against take him in a different direction. MEDICINE SINGERS tumbling acoustic guitar with gentle “I need to go back to melody,” he “Sanctuary” STONETAPES piano and strings, it traces the loops, says. “When I first wrote music, I was The first release from Yonatan Gat’s juxtapositions and time-shifts the doing power pop – similar lyrics, but new label finds the freakout guitarist continuing his pow-wow with the Native JAMES BROWN mind can experience while the “Two Years was shorter and more concise. Now I am American troupe, as well as free jazz physical body is engaged in a menial my favourite putting out songs that are five minutes trumpeter Jaimie Branch. task like shovelling snow. “That was a record of 2021. It long with no melody! So I want to write clear-out of a notebook,” he explains, drifts off into the some pop songs and dance a bit. I am DANIEL VILLARREAL “and then trying to figure out what it’s murk for tracks in a different headspace to where I was about afterwards. It’s about memory – on end, before when this stuff was written and Panamá 77 INTERNATIONALANTHEM not the subconscious but an attempt snapping into a recorded. I want to have some fun.” to describe the mental landscape queasy country Dos Santos drummer corrals the likes of when your brain is left to wander. groove just to PETER WATTS Jeff Parker, Elliot Bergman (Wild Belle) Memory, ruminating on the present, prove it can.” and Bardo Martinez (Chicano Batman) thinking about the future, alternative James Smith, Hard To Be A God is released by for a terrific Latin psych-funk excursion. Yard Act Maple Death on May 13 FORGIVENESS Next Time Could Be Your Last Time GONDWANA Members of Portico Quartet, Szun Waves and PVT paddle around blissfully in the confluence of spiritual jazz, neoclassical, New Age and burbling electronica. ANDREW TUTTLE “Overnight’s A Weekend”BASINROCK Brisbane banjoist reaches out across the world to expand his rich, ambient vision. Answering the call: French violinist Aurélie Ferrière and guitar hero Steve Gunn. 10 • UNCUT • JUNE 2022

CARGO COLLECTIVE HATER THE STROPPIES SUNZOOM TENEBRA SINCERE LEVITY SUNZOOM MOONGAZER FIRE RECORDS LP / CD TOUGH LOVE LP / CD COLORAMA RECORDS LP / CD NEW HEAVY SOUNDS LP / CD A reawakening for the Swedish visionaries solidifying Levity, The Stroppies strongest creative statement to The Sunzoom eponymous debut is raw, dazed and Nine slabs of crushing fuzzed up grooves, fuelled by their impressive trajectory in a fuzzed out haze of dark date. Playful yet focused, but broader in scope and melodic in equal measure. A snapshot of lysergic dipped 70’s proto metal and hard rock. Loaded with great riffs, experimentation than previous efforts. Levity continues & arresting shoegaze pop that evokes My Bloody the band’s exploration of the pop song as both foil for pop folktronica from a Liverpool kitchen. Songs of topped off by gutsy soulful vocals. Valentine, Slowdive & Deerhunter. “Stunning” experimentation & conduit for personal reflection. eclectic naturalism that will live with you rent free. Stereogum. CZARFACE TERRY ALLEN AND THE TERRY ALLEN AND THE MONOPHONICS PANHANDLE MYSTERY BAND PANHANDLE MYSTERY BAND CZARMAGEDDON SAGE MOTEL BLOODLINES SMOKIN THE DUMMY SILVER AGE LP / CD COLEMINE RECORDS LP / CD PARADISE OF BACHELORS LP / CD PARADISE OF BACHELORS LP / CD Hot off their musical appearances in Marvel’s Venom: If these walls of the Sage Motel could talk, this is what Let There Be Carnage, CZARFACE returns with the On his manifold 1983 album, Terry Allen contemplates The 1980 follow-up to Lubbock (on everything) is less they’d say. So join us as we examine where the stories kinship—the ways sex and violence stitch and sever the conceptually focused but more stylistically unified—it’s are told and experiences unfold.....and sink into a soft all-new CZARMAGEDDON. Featuring Kool Keith and the ties of family, faith, and society—with skewering satire also rougher and rowdier, wilder and more wired, and pillow of soulful psychedelia.....down at the Sage Motel. enigmatic Frankie Pulitzer. and affection alike. more menacingly rock and roll. ASTREL K GHOST POWER MARKET WILLIAM BASINSKI & JANEK SCHAEFER FLICKERING I GHOST POWER THE CONSISTENT BRUTAL BULLSHIT GONG . . . ON REFLECTION DUOPHONIC SUPER 45S LP / CD DUOPHONIC SUPER 45S LP / CD WESTERN VINYL LP / CD TEMPORARY RESIDENCE LTD LP / CD Astrel K is the Stockholm based, solo project of Rhys Timothy Gane [Stereolab / Cavern of Anti-Matter] and Edwards [Ulrika Spacek]. ‘Flickering i’ is a debut album Jeremy Novak [Dymaxion] are Ghost Power. This is their 90’s indie rock mixed with confessional folk & something The new collaborative album nearly a decade in the inspired, equally, by vintage library albums and 60s pop. entirely new, Market’s debut studio album is a self-aware, making from iconic tape loop composer, William Basinski debut album - 10 tracks of melodic, electronic bliss. (The Disintegration Loops) and time/space explorer, Janek slightly manic meditation on mental illness, memory & family. RIYL Elliott Smith, Alex G, Deerhoof. Schaefer, is a mesmerizing, meditative wonder. RICHARD THOMPSON HELMS ALEE SISTER COOKIE NOON GARDEN GRIZZLY MAN (SOUNDTRACK) KEEP THIS BE THE WAY IN THE BLUE CORNER BEULAH SPA NO QUARTER LP / CD SARGENT HOUSE LP / CD THE LIQUID LABEL LP / CD THE LIQUID LABEL LP / CD Reissued/remastered edition of Richard Thompson’s Helms Alee’s new album Keep This Be the Way expands Record Store Day Unsigned winner Sister Cookie takes you The debut album from Charles Prest (Flamingods). An score to Grizzly Man. One of the best-kept secrets in on their signature sound of blending lilting siren songs, on an eclectic excursion into the roots & fruits of black exotic psych-pop odyssey featuring the singles Desiree, the legendary guitarist’s epic canon. An instrumental thunderous riffs & lush vocal harmonies to create their music. 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Main Sounds 15 tracks of the month’s best new music Kevin 5SHARON VAN ETTEN Rolling Blackouts language vocals, her melodies Morby Coastal Fever beautifully folk-tinged. Used To It 1KEVIN MORBY Haiti station with a varied mix of 12LARGE PLANTS Though this doesn’t feature on music and archival clips. Rock Bottom Van Etten’s new album, We’ve The Carrier Been Going About This All Wrong, We begin this month with a it’s a fine hors d’oeuvres: from its Formerly of Wolf People, Jack highlight from Morby’s seventh opening drum machine and Sharp’s debut album under his new solo album, This Is A Photograph. polar synth tones, it’s thawed by Large Plants alias is a fine slice of A glammy, rootsy stomp with Van Etten’s warm, endlessly haunted (and hauntological) folk- distortion or echo colouring nuanced vocals. The LP is rock. Released on the reliably almost every element, it’s exciting, our Album Of The Month excellent Ghost Box label, there’s compact and – in its middle-eight on p18. a timeless, analogue feel, as if of laughter – resolutely strange. we’ve stumbled upon a great lost Morby speaks on p32. 6KIKAGAKU MOYO folk classic. Cardboard Pile Kumoyo Island, reviewed at length on p30, is the final album by this Tokyo psychedelic rock troupe, who are calling it a day at the peak of their powers. A two-part juggernaut, “Cardboard Pile” recalls the Japanese psych of yesteryear, with the contemporary sway of King Gizzard. CHANTAL ANDERSON; JAMIE WDZIEKONSKI;NICKMCKK 2THE BLACK KEYS Kikagaku 9ROLLING BLACKOUTS 13JO SCHORNIKOW Moyo COASTAL FEVER It Ain’t Over Comeback 7THE AMERICANS My Echo Dropout Boogie finds Dan Auerbach The latest from Phosphorescent and Patrick Carney revitalised, as Guest Of Honor After the careful studio keyboardist Schornikow, Altar this slice of grooving garage-soul craftmanship of 2020’s Sideways To builds on the lo-fi folk of her 2019 demonstrates. Loop-based and This acoustic, fingerpicked treat is a New Italy, for Endless Rooms the debut, transforming her quiet, layered with percussion, scorching peak of Stand True, the Los Angeles Melbourne quintet got loose in The subtle songs into shining artefacts guitar and honeyed backing vocals, country-rock trio’s second album. Basin, a lakeside house deep in the that resemble The War On Drugs or, it’s a perfect introduction to the Their restraint is key, with acoustic Victoria countryside. “My Echo” – indeed, the trippier moments of record. Read more in our feature guitar only occasionally joined by sung by Fran Keaney, interviewed latterday Phosphorescent. on p76. subdued bass and peals of star- on p22 – is just one of the record’s spangled electric guitar. It’s our many infectious, dynamic songs. 14 COLA 3 TOMBERLIN Americana Album Of The Month on p28. 10WHITNEY K Water Table Easy 8LEYLA McCALLA Song For A Friend From the ashes of Ought come Cola; Sarah Beth Tomberlin’s second while their debut album, Deep In album, I Don’t Know Who Needs To Dodinin A Canadian based between View, is a continuation of their old Hear This…, is a slow-burning Montreal and the remote Yukon, band rather than a left-turn, it’s a delight, a quiet exercise in self- A cover of a song by Atis Konner Whitney comes on like a thrill to hear their development: discipline. “Easy”, the record’s Indepandan, a key group in Haitian chamber-folk Lou Reed on his new further into pensive introspection, opening track, builds from sparse revolutionary music, “Dodinin” mini-album, Hard To Be A God. taut percussion and sparse, slashing percussion, piano and synth into a features on McCalla’s fourth album “Song For A Friend”, then, is a guitars, as “Water Table” shows. tapestry of hushed regret. Breaking The Thermometer. chugging, streetwise lament with On the record, this cellist, multi- dirty guitars, heavenly strings and 15MICHAEL HEAD 4THE WAVE PICTURES instrumentalist and singer – the obtuse air of Cass McCombs or & THE RED ELASTIC BAND formerly of Carolina Chocolate Bill Callahan. Meet Whitney on p10. Back In The City Drops and still of supergroup Our Broken Beauty Native Daughters – examines the 11 QUINQUIS Like The Rolling Stones with Thin history of the pioneering Radio We end with a moment of beauty Lizzy guitar harmonies, claim the Netra Ken from Michael Head’s new album, band, and they’re not wrong – this Dear Scott. Produced by Bill Ryder- highlight of The Wave Pictures’ Seim, the new album from Brittany’s Jones, it begins as classic melodic new 20-track double album, When Émilie Quinquis, finds her and pop, but blossoms into a billowing, The Purple Emperor Spreads His producer Gareth Jones exploring orchestral chorus worthy of the Wings, buzzes with energy and modular synths and droning album’s cinematic subject matter. spontaneity, all topped off by a electronica. The music is a perfect Check out our feature with Head classic David Tattersall guitar solo. match for Quinquis’ Breton- on p66. 12 • UNCUT • JUNE 2022

F R I D AY james JAKE BUGG IMELDA MAY FOY VANCE SHOVELS & ROPE THE FELICE BROTHERS THE CUBAN BROTHERS Israel Nash GET CAPE. WEAR CAPE. FLY IRISH MYTHEN EMILY BARKER WILDWOOD KIN Madison Violet His Lordship MIDNIGHT SKYRACER WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR Josh Okeefe CAROLINE SPENCE Arkansas porch Sessions Black Water County William Crighton The Outlaw Orchestra Willi Carlisle Dylan Earl Bonnie Montgomery MY GIRL THE RIVER JINDA BIANT SIMEON HAMMOND DALLAS DULL KNIFE Franky Perez Misty River My Fine Companions Jessie Reid HOBO AND THE HIPPIES MATTHEW FALLOON THE RIVER FLOWS AVA’MAE IZZIE YARDLEY DAVID MUMFORD SONGWRITER SESSION SATURDAy WILCO THE WATERBOYS CAM THE MILK CARTON KIDS COURTNEY MARIE ANDREWS Pokey LaFarge Darlingside Orange Goblin THE LONDON AFRICAN GOSPEL CHOIR INTERPRETS PAUL SIMONS GRACELAND IRISH MYTHEN Amy Helm JACK BROADBENT Declan O’Rourke ROBERT VINCENT BEN OTTEWELL KITTY, DAISY AND LEWIS Kezia Gill Steak The Admiral SIR Cloudesley Shovell LADY NADE AMY MONTGOMERY Hannah White THE ORANGE CIRCUS BAND Willi Carlisle Dylan Earl Bonnie Montgomery Josiah BLACK ORCHIDS franky perez Isabella Coulstock LUKE JACKSON The County affair Alexander McKay Coney Island Maybe Jazz Phil Hooley Red, Green and BLUE THE GREAT AMERICANA SONGBOOK songwriter session S U N D AY VAN MORRISON DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS THE DEAD SOUTH WARD THOMAS Hiss Golden Messenger Ida Mae IRISH MYTHEN JOHN SMITH THE PICTUREBOOKS POLICE DOG HOGAN TALISK The War and Treaty Noble Jacks Blue Rose Code THE LOST BROTHERS WILLIAM PRINCE Powerhouse Gospel Choir asg BESS ATWELL Yasmin Williams The Jonny Halifax Invocation NATIVE HARROW TREETOP FLYERS TRUE STRAYS Willi Carlisle Dylan Earl Bonnie Montgomery Chris Fox Eddy Smith & the 507 THE PAUL DUNTON ORCHESTRA DAN CLEWS franky perez Ruby Dew Hayley Ross Thomas Jay THE MOUNTAIN FIREWORK COMPANY JAMES KIRBY RJ ELLORY & THE WHISKEY POETS RICHARD SHARP RATTLESNAKE HEARTS GOSPEL BRUNCH SONGWRITER SESSION MORE THAN 100 ACTS ACROSS 7 STAGES Camping Kids Adventures Gospel Brunch Custom Motorcycles & trucks ‘live fire’ bbq arena smokehouse cooking demos & masterclasses with: matt burgess marcus bawdon hang fire kitchen & many more ERIDGE PARK, KENT 17TH-19TH JUNE 2022 BLACKDEERFESTIVAL.COM

Glen Matlock: proving he’s “not a one-trick pony from 1976” “Music can be a release and it can be a rallying cry” 14 • UNCUT • JUNE 2022

AN AUDIENCE WITH... Glen Matlock SCROLL through Glen Matlock’s blueprints when writing them? Twitter feed and there are almost With a fiery new Steve Ralford, Humberside as many pictures of him holding solo album ready to roll, placards as there are of him the Sex Pistols songwriter “Pretty Vacant”, which is my song and holding guitars. Whether it’s talks “Anarchy…”, activism my lyric, I took inspiration from Richard marching against Brexit or the Policing and gigging in the DMZ Hell’s “Blank Generation”. But I kind of Bill, it seems that the man who once misunderstood what his song was all penned the nihilist anthem “Pretty Interview by SAM RICHARDS about. You gotta put the songs in the Vacant” has lately become a bit of an context of what was going on for a bloke activist. “I’m totally disgusted with the 1978? Are the goals still the same? like me in mid-’70s London, with the three- way this country’s gone,” begins Matlock, Scott Zuppardo, via email day week and IRA bombings and power perched outside a café near his home in cuts, against the fact I was a young man Maida Vale. “I’m not the most political I don’t think there’s really any who met some interesting people who was person in the world, but we can all stand difference between what I do now trying to form a rock’n’roll band. “Pretty up and be counted about the things that and what I did back then. You Vacant” is a primal scream kind of thing: matter. And I think the only way you can go in the studio with all these we don’t know what we’re gonna do, but do that is actually turn up and be there. grand ideas and it comes out how we’re gonna do it anyway. “Anarchy…”, It’s normally quite a laugh as well.” it comes out. I like Nick Lowe’s musically, there’s quite a few things going adage: slap it down and tart it up. on there. I had an idea for a theme tune This sense of jubilant protest energy The main thing I want to get out of it is a bit like Sunday Night At The London fuels his new solo album, a collection of that people think, ‘Ol’ Matlock, he still Palladium! And also Malcolm had been crisp rock’n’roll rabble-rousers featuring writes a pretty good song – and he’s not saying to us all the time, ‘You must write a Earl Slick, Norman Watt-Roy a one-trick pony from 1976.’ That’s what manifesto.’ I’m proud of the fact that when and Clem Burke. The lead-off drives me. And I think I can back that up. people were coming up with a song about a single is even called “Head On girl or dancing or summat, I wrote “Pretty A Stick”. Anyone’s in particular, Songs like “Pretty Vacant” and Vacant” – before John [Lydon] wrote Glen? “Well, there’s many “Anarchy In The UK” provided a “Anarchy In The UK”. It’s not a competition candidates!” He recounts having blueprint for punk. What were your but that’s just the way it evolved. a “run-in” with Michael Gove at a recent QPR match: “I told him in What was it like being a Saturday boy CHRIS MUSTO; PICTORIAL PRESS LTD/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO no uncertain terms what I think in Let It Rock? Adie Carr, Leatherhead about his stupid Brexit and what it’s done for touring musicians. I Itwas interesting. Money was pretty good, was bristling, I really had to hold didn’t have to start ’til 11.It seemed myself back.” that every oddball and weirdo in London came inatsome stage, and Matlock is warier about prettymuchallof them wenton revisiting old Sex Pistols spats, but todo something of consequence, with Danny Boyle’s miniseries about whether it was fashion designers the band due to air in May, he looks or paintersor musicians. Billy back fondly on his pivotal role in Idol used to come in, Siouxsie, the punk revolution, selling shoes Jordan. I sold MickRonson a pair to Mick Ronson and accidentally of pinkloafers thathe actually inventing the new romantics. Turns wears inthe movie Renaldo And out there is a point in asking… Clara, when he was on the Rolling Thunder tour. There was a crowd What is the difference in “I don’ t believe of peoplefromthe Rocky Horror mindset from delivering a new illusions…”: with solo record in 2022 versus a the Sex Pistols in Show, you’d see Bryan Ferry and new record with the Rich Kids in January 1977 Antony Price trolling up and down the World’s End. I didn’t realise it JUNE 2022 • UNCUT • 15

For one night only: The already hip to Kraftwerk. But Rusty had Vicious White Kids – (l–r) never heard of them before, and that kind Matlock, Rat Scabies, Sid of led to the Club For Heroes and the Blitz. Vicious, Steve New – at So yeah, it started with me! the Electric Ballroom, London, August 15, 1978 Do you have a funny Johnny Thunders memory that you’ve never shared? at aged 16-and-a-half, but it was the real Andy Lietzau, Milwaukee epicentre of all these connections. I rememberflying to Japan andIwassitting What did you think of the eventual there next to some businessman, chatting away.Allofasudden there’sabigclatter sound of Never Mind The Bollocks? and there’s Thundersgoing paston top of the drinkstrolley. I stayed with [Johnny] How different would it have andhisgirlfriendin Stockholm, sleeping on the sofa while we was supposed to be been with you playing bass? Jay “Hard work”: (l–r) rehearsing– we rehearsed once! He would McAllister, New Castle, Delaware Midge Ure, Rusty justgetup inthe morning, rolla joint, Egan, Steve New and watchStarsky & Hutch, rollanother one, do I think it would sound a little bit more Matlock in Rich Kids that about three or four times and then musical. It sounds good, but it’s a go back to bed. It was boring! But I liked him, he was a nice bloke. A bit bit too black and white, and I think shy, really.He gotupto what he did to hide his shyness. When he played my bass-playing would give it more great he was great, but when he was bad he was ’orrible. colour. Dare I say it, I like McCartney this guy, Rob Dickins, who was A few years ago, you played a gig and Entwistle and Ronnie Lane and head of Warner Music. I went to in the DMZ [demilitarised zone] between North and South Korea. James Jamerson and Carol Kaye. And see him once and he went, ‘You Do you think it helped with Holger Czukay of Can, who I saw play at know the best band you ever the peace process? Jim Capleton, Stafford Hammersmith Palais, which is one of had? The Vicious White Kids!’ Not particularly! But what you get the best gigs I ever saw. I think the bass But it was just the one gig. It from going around the world as a musician is, you meet people and playing [on …Bollocks] is adequate, but was billed as ‘Sid sods off’ – he find out how they go about things. And most people are pretty much it’s a bit boring. It became a blueprint of went to America and never the same everywhere you go: they want to put food on the table, they the way bass players are supposed to play came back. want to look after their families, they want to let off steam. It was AUBREY HART//GETTY IMAGES; FIN COSTELLO/REDFERNS/GETTY IMAGES; ERICA ECHENBERG/REDFERNS/GETTY IMAGES in punk bands, but I don’t think it’s quite a bit weird being in the DMZ zone. Nobody lives in it – they’re good enough. Whydidn’tRichKidslast allowed to farm there, but after sunset they leave. So there’s all longer?PeterFors,Stockholm this beautiful farmland and then DidyouknowJohnBeverleybeforehe Quite a few reasons, really. We there’s a skull and crossbones to tell you where the mines are. becameSidViciousandreplacedyou had a bit of a backlash, which What’s this funny bridge we’re going through? It’s pre-loaded inthePistols?MichaelBällstav,Sweden was hard work at the time. And with explosives, so if they do invade it can just be blown up. I didn’t know him beforehand, I met him then Midge [Ure, vocals] and But there’s also a bird sanctuary with a rare breed of ibis that thrives through John. I thought he was a bit of Rusty [Egan, drums] did a side- because nobody lives there. a likeable idiot and I did become sort of project with Steve Strange that Can music still play a role in the revolution? Lewis, via email friends with him. It’s a weird one, he got my became Visage, which invented the It can be a release and it can be a gig. But that’s just the way it was. If there’s new romantic movement. Good for rallying cry. It don’t have to be an overt political song, just something that any resentment, it’s towards Steve [Jones] them, but it put a rift in the band. catches the mood. During the anti- Brexit marches I was walking down and Paul [Cook] for going along with John When we signed to EMI – I was Piccadilly with thousands of people and this float was playing “Let’s Stick Together” to get his mate in the band and breaking getting such fucking shit from by Bryan Ferry. It’s not a political song but it was just right, y’know? the proper band up. When the Pistols thing people that I thought, ‘I will sign to Glen Matlock’s new LP Consequences was falling apart, I saw Sid in a pub round EMI, fuck you!’ – I had it written Comingwillbe releasedbyUniversalin the summer; Sex Pistols: The Original here and we sat down and had a pint. He’s into the contract that everybody “A bit shy, really”: Recordings is out on May 27 via UMC; going, ‘People think we hate each other got a complete set of Beatles, a complete with Johnny stream the original series Pistol from and here we are having a drink, what are set of Motown, a complete set of Stax… Thunders in a flat May 31 on Disney+ in the UK we gonna do about it?’ I said, ‘We could and a complete set of Kraftwerk. See, I was in Notting Hill Gate, London, 1980 do a gig for a laugh. We’ll get Steve [New] from the Rich Kids, and we could get Rat Scabies’, who was actually in a band called “The bass-playing on the White Cats at the time because he’d fallen out with The Damned. So we called …Bollocks is a bit boring. I’d it The Vicious White Kids. We had about a have given it more colour” day-and-a-half rehearsal, we did a gig short notice and it was rammed. I’m friends with 16 • UNCUT • JUNE 2022



“It’s not dark… It’s only darkish, inside of me” NEW ALBUMS JUNE 2022 TAKE 301 1 BONNIE RAITT (P24) 2 KIKAGAKU MOYO (P30) 3 KEVIN MORBY (P32) 4 ARCADE FIRE (P35) THE UNCUT GUIDE TO THIS MONTH’S KEY RELEASES SHARON VAN ETTEN We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong JAGJAGUWAR Jersey girl turned Pilates mum makes peace with the darkness on devastating sixth album. By Stephen Troussé THROUGH the past couple ALBUM Of Wayne, covering Elvis Costello, The Beach of years of fresh hell OF THE Boys, Daniel Johnston, Yoko Ono and the there have been records MONTH Velvets, releasing one of the most desolate that might console you 8/10 Christmas singles of all time, recording an (Ignorance), albums that audiobook memoir and curating a 10th- might sustain you (Rough anniversary edition of her second album, And Rowdy Ways) and even Epic, including a disc of remarkable covers from pop songs so defiantly absurd they could make peers and inspirations including Courtney Barnett, you briefly forget the relentless ongoing catastrophe Lucinda Williams and Fiona Apple. (“WAP”/“Chaise Longue”). But no song from the On first glance, “Porta”, the single that preceded her long years of lockdown was more likely to make you sixth album, suggested that maybe she was emerging throw open the windows and dance on the table than into some sunlit emotional uplands. The video “Like I Used To”, Sharon Van Etten’s magnificent 2021 features Van Etten pumping up the Benatar beats collaboration with Angel Olsen. on her boombox and joining her Pilates instructor Way back in 2009, on her first album that wasn’t a Stella for a vigorous workout in the golden light of a homemade CD-R, Van Etten sang “I am the tornado, Californian studio, like a 21st-century Olivia Newton- you are the dust”. The terrible beauty of her voice was John of powerhouse cores and midlife wellbeing. already plain, but she sounded It all feels light years away weary of emotional turbulence, from the furious, desperate hemmed in by fences “that fall Jersey Girl liberty she rued but still surround me”. “Like on “Seventeen”. I Used To” felt like the storm But actually listen to the that had been gathering in song and the darkness that’s Van Etten’s work for over 10 long fuelled her work quickly years finally breaking in a reveals itself. While the Sharon force-twelve epic worthy of in the studio is chuckling and MICHAEL SCHMELLING Roy Orbison. And it left you performing her kinesthetic wondering where the storm jumps, the Sharon on the might take her next. soundtrack is avoiding eye She’s arguably been the contact and trying to slam the hardest-working woman of door shut on stalkers and those lockdown, joining Fountains who want to “steal her life”. 18 • UNCUT • JUNE 2022

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She’s since said that “Porta” was written in Van Etten: Though largely recorded at her new SLEEVE NOTES 2020, at the rock bottom of a fresh squall of “moments home studio in Los Angeles, with depression and anxiety. of immense assistance from Daniel Knowles (once 1 Darkness Fades intimacy” of Nottingham’s Amusement Parks On 2 Home To Me “Porta” doesn’t appear on We’ve Been Fire) and various friends and neighbours, 3 I’ll Try Going About This All Wrong, Van Etten’s darkness that’s always there beyond We’ve Been Going… is above all an 4 Anything sixth album in 13 years – she’s stated that the blue sky, the perfect lawn, the daylight incredible sounding record. Across its 5 Born she sees the album very much as a self- world of domesticity. It leads straight into 10 tracks, it incorporates the Jupiter 6 Headspace contained, standalone narrative, and the “Home To Me”, a funereally paced ballad synths and saturnine beats of Remind Me 7 Come Back songs only make emotional sense in this of troubled parental concern and loss. Tomorrow and the stark, swooning strum 8 Darkish context – but it does act as a segue from of her early records to create truly a cosmic 9 Mistakes 2019’s Remind Me Tomorrow. That album It can be hard to avoid confessional, dynamic range, from the softest whisper to 10 Far Away had ended amid the dreamy musicbox biographical interpretations with an the most desolate scream. burble of John Congleton’s electronic artist like Sharon Van Etten. She’s openly Produced by: production, on the hopeful note of an talked of her writing as a form of therapy, Though there are moments of quiet, Sharon Van expectant mother who feels she’s found and, mindful of the impact of her songs almost unbearable, immense intimacy, Etten and Daniel her way home. on her audience, even took time out to there’s also “Headspace” an urgent, Knowles return to college to study mental health anti-doomscrolling anthem which is like Recorded at: So many of the songs on the new record counselling. All I Can, the Audible memoir Sisters Of Mercy and Berlin writing an Invert Studio, are aubades – that is, songs of separation she recorded last year, consciously folded industrial power ballad, and “Mistakes”, a Balboa Recording set in dawnlight, though here they tend her early songs into her life story, in a piece of deranged disco with something of Studio, Village to be not so much parting lovers as mode inspired by Springsteen’s Broadway the sleazy electro swagger of high-’80s ZZ Recorders Room those struggling through the isolation, show – “Wonder Years meets Sopranos”, Top. The closing “Far Away”, meanwhile, D, all Los Angeles insomnia and stray moments of eerie as she put it herself. sets sail for the heavenly Las Vegas Personnel: Sharon peace of early parenthood. The album residency of the Cocteau Twins. Van Etten (vocals, opens with “Darkness Fades”, a soft Consequently the new record could (and acoustic guitar, strum of a song, so quiet you can hear the doubtless will) be reductively defined as But the defining heart of the record bowed guitar, shooting stars fall, that slowly builds into One Woman’s Struggle to Emerge from might be the few seconds of twinkling keyboards, awesome prayer trying to hold back the Postnatal Depression during Global dawn chorus and susurrous tideswell piano, drum Lockdown. Which is a bit like suggesting that stretches between “Come Back” and machine), Jorge the works of Elena Ferrante or Karl Ove “Darkish” – the sounds of a Californian Balbi (drums), Knausgaard are really just remarkably morning emerging as the lockdown Charley Damski detailed parenting journals. It disregards freeways stand silent. The first song is Van (synthesizers, the sheer alchemy and artistry at play. Etten roused once more to full imploring, glockenspiel), impassioned, Hurricane Orbison mode Devin Hoff (bass), – by the climax she sounds like she’s Daniel Knowles singing from the very bottom of the (programming, abyss of grief Roy approached at the bass), Owen close of “It’s Over”. Pallett (strings) On the second song, the storm clouds are parting. Like when Dante emerges from the underworld, it’s not yet light, but at least the stars are now visible, wheeling overhead. And like Patsy Cline, exhausted from her midnight rambling, her voice cracks as it rises, swoops and falls, from celestial harmony to bitter, crazy remorse. In a darkling, Dylanish line, she concludes, “It’s not dark… It’s only darkish, inside of me”. It’s not the sweet silver larksong of a Broadway showstopper, and it won’t have you dancing on those tabletops, but for an artist so long trailed by the black dogs of despair, it feels like a mightily hard-earned breakthrough. HOW TO BUY... MAGIC CHORDS Sharon Van Etten’s finest moments MICHAEL SCHMELLING EPIC ARE WE THERE REMIND ME TOMORROW BA DA BING, 2010 JAGJAGUWAR, 2014 JAGJAGUWAR, 2019 After her stark 2009 debut The Brooklyn love-in of 2012’s drew a burgeoning fanclub, Tramp, featuring production by Following a career break to Van Etten was able to draw The National’s Aaron Dessner go back to college (to study on the likes of Meg Baird and and guest spots from Beirut, counselling), start a family and The War On Drugs’ David Hartley to provide Jenn Wasner and Julianna Barwick, may have begin an acting career (appearing in The OA backing on the follow-up. The closing track, made Van Etten’s name, but it was her more and Twin Peaks: The Return), few could have the breathtaking “Love More” was a word-of- focused, self-produced third album that really predicted this mighty return which saw Van mouth classic before the album was even raised the stakes for her career, including her Etten working with St Vincent producer John released, covered live by Bon Iver among others second stone-cold classic, the irresistibly Congleton to produce this rapturous work of – and received fresh tribute from Fiona Apple doomed “Every Time The Sun Comes Up, goth electronica, including the bittersweet hit on last year’s 10th-anniversary edition. 8/10 (I’m In Trouble)”. 9/10 “Seventeen”. 8/10 20 • UNCUT • JUNE 2022

NEW ALBUMS hear in my vocal when I’m struggling, when I’m angry, when I’m sad or when I’m reflective. I pushed myself more than ever vocally on this record. I think these are some of the most complex melodies I’ve written. Soon enough I had 20 or 30 songs. Then it was choosing what’s most representative, what are the new feelings that I can share with other people that will be relatable and universal, and not just my own unique experience. Q&A Below: Roy “Porta” was released a You worked with Daniel Knowles Orbison, circa standalone single in the on the album – what were Sharon Van Etten:“You 1965 spring - how does it relate to your ideas on how the songs need to dive in or you the album? should sound? lose your mind. I need MICHAEL SCHMELLING, GAB ARCHIVE/REDFERNS assignments…” It definitely could have been on the Daniel’s done sound for me since album. The whole process of releasing before the last album. I had this weird How do you feel releasing a new material in the lead-up to an album is set-up and I think I wanted to sound record? Proud, excited, nervous something I’ve done for like 13 years. It’s like Suicide meets Nick Cave meets to let it out into the world? not like a complaint, but I was tired of Portishead and his eyes lit up. He was it. I just love albums so much. I wanted into it. During the last two years he All the things! I know it’s not the easiest my fans to know that I look on this as helped me learn how to use the studio collection of songs for people to engage an album, and that whatever song you that was suddenly built. I’m totally with but I’m very proud of it. I picked connect to, fine, that comes from you not a producer or engineer. I just want a collection of songs that I feel really from listening to it, not so much from to learn how to record things in a way represented the last two years for me what came out on Spotify leading up where it doesn’t hurt people’s ears when as a writer, as much as a mother and a to the release. I really wanted people we go to the studio. I like the balance human being in this world. listening to it from beginning to end. The of things that are super dark and noisy way I sequenced it, it is an emotional and kind of jarring, and balancing that Was lockdown particularly hard journey and if you can stick with it, I with something beautiful. I’m interested for you? think you’ll feel that. in those combinations. We’d have Fad Gadget on the studio playlist, and then There were ups and downs, like for any of When did you first get a sense of OMD. Taking something hard, but then us. I feel very lucky that I have a beautiful these songs and their narrative? putting sprinkles on top. partner, we have a beautiful son, and we procured a really cute dog, as many Honestly as soon as the door closed. You’ve spoken of the influence people did. As a unit we’re wonderful, As soon as my studio was finished of Roy Orbison. How does Roy but you know the actual lockdown and I was able to sit behind the piano speak to you? part… Our son had just turned three, I didn’t have to leave for anything. and having to figure out how to become a His range, number one. Growing up I teacher was pretty challenging. But I feel Whenever it’s the end of a chapter would try to sing all of his songs. It’s lucky we had moved from New York in and the beginning of a new one, very inspiring to me to hear somebody, September 2019 when I finished my tour. I know that I’m going to start especially a male, with such a range. By January my studio was finished then writing songs that represent And it also just represents a time that I lockdown hit. So I at least had a yard and this moment. It eventually am really sentimental about, just sitting a place to work and be with my family to revealed itself. The palette, in the car listening to music with my figure it all out. before it was built upon was very family. But the songs themselves, the simple – a drum machine and arrangements, they’re kind of timeless. Was it hard to adapt to the a delayed piano, or a They’re also really cathartic to sing. West Coast? drum machine and a When I sing I want to feel that same pad. But it was mostly cathartic feeling with my own music. I am still a very Jersey/New York exploratory in my I wish I could write like him. He’s personality! But I have a built-in group vocals and trying to definitely someone I’ve admired since of friends out there from touring. It took find the lowest I could I was a kid. me a second to get into the sweatpants go and the highest situation, but with lockdown everybody I could go. You can There’s a beautiful moment of kind of opened up to that idea. birdsong that feels like the quiet “I wish I could write heart of the record. You seem like you had an like Roy Orbison… astonishingly productive couple his songs are timeless” I think everybody remembers that of years. moment when nobody was driving SHARON VAN ETTEN and the skies turned blue and it was You need to dive in or you lose your really quiet and you could hear nature. mind. I need assignments. I was excited I had never seen so many birds in my to be invited to a lot of projects, I learned yard. There were those moments that how to collaborate from afar. I think if helped me be hopeful even though we you’re a creative person you learn how to were in lockdown. I wanted to capture hustle too, just so you can keep working. that. I think for anyone that struggles with anxiety or depression you have to remember that it’s just momentary. And you just have to get over this hump. But there’s more and you’ll get through it and you just have to kind of ride this out for a minute. INTERVIEW: STEPHEN TROUSSÉ JUNE 2022 • UNCUT • 21

NICK MCKK ROLLING ideas “came from endlessly walking reveals Rolling Blackouts CF as guitar-rock BLACKOUTS around the same streets of [Melbourne classicists of the interpretive kind, with COASTAL FEVER neighbourhood] West Brunswick”. Fran The War On Drugs and The Cribs their Keaney spent his weekends “building kindred spirits. Themes of claustrophobia Endless Rooms stuff on Garageband, writing without and paranoia surface but rather than fold having any sense anybody would listen inward, the band have surged forward, to SUB POP to it”. deliver a dozen songs significantly bigger than before, without a whiff of bombast. 8/10 All of which makes the propulsive force Guitar effects deliver extra texture and and lungs-filling expansiveness of Endless vigour, while an analogue synth, church Aussie guitar gang’s full potential epically Rooms even more striking. Enforced organ and glockenspiel provide subtle but realised. By Sharon O’Connell isolation meant the quintet wrote near significant detail. There’s nothing here complete songs separately and shared to spook the horses – RBCF have shifted ASforsomany the demos around, rather than jamming ground, rather than adopting a scorched- musicians, 2020 was them into existence together then building earth policy, and there are still traces of a time of stasis and them up piece by piece, as they did with The Chills, The Go-Betweens and a less uncertainty for Rolling 2020’s Sideways To New Italy. Their debut, psychedelic Church – but the dynamic Blackouts Coastal 2018’s Hope Downs, was characterised thrust and dizzying reach are new. Both Fever. The title of their come naturally to the band. third album, with its by its fusion of suggestion of maze-like entrapment, is melancholic jangle- The set opens with a sweet, one-minute the stuff of literal nightmares but also, one pop and mid-’80s instrumental, played on said synth and a imagines, of the psychological effect of the US college rock. Just drum machine, with the creaking of a door world’s longest lockdown in Australia’s two years later, they signalling entry to a particular space – the mismanaged pandemic. This record was bent their artful Basin, a mud-brick, lakeside house in born out of that time: singer and guitarist slight awkwardness rural Victoria where recording was done Tom Russo, one of three songwriters in in Television’s in December 2020, with engineer (and the band, has admitted that a lot of his direction without co-producer) Matt Duffy. After that intro sounding the album busts right open with “Tidal 22 • UNCUT • JUNE 2022 indecently in River”: echoes of Tom Verlaine and The thrall. Both were Edge in a chiming, urgent and exultant unequivocally strings tangle that levels out into a terrific indie-pop records. sheeting symphony with harmonised But their latest

Eager to “It has been a SLEEVE NOTES NEW ALBUMS play: Rolling hard time for Blackouts optimists. I feel 1 Pearl Like You AtoZ Coastal like that lurks 2 Tidal River Fever in our songs” 3 The Way It This month… Shatters Most of the songs are romantically, rather 4 Caught Low P24 BONNIE RAITT than socio-politically inclined, but as 5 My Echo P26 CRAIG FINN Keaney admitted to Uncut, “it’s hard not 6 Dive Deep P29 MICHAEL HEAD to let the reality of what is a confusing and 7 Open Up Your P30 KIKAGAKU MOYO frustrating time seep into the songs. We as Window P32 KEVIN MORBY a group are hopeful people and try to stay 8 Blue Eye Lake P33 KATE RUSBY away from cynicism but it has been a hard 9 Saw You At The P34 JIMI TENOR time for optimists. I feel like that lurks in Eastern Beach P35 ARCADE FIRE the background of a lot of our songs.” 10 Vanishing Dots 11 Endless Rooms !!! A balance between euphoria and 12 Bounce Off forlornness is certainly in play on The Bottom Let It Be Blue Endless Rooms. In that regard, “Dive Deep”, “Vanishing Dots” and “Bounce Produced by: Matt WARP Off The Bottom” are instant winners: Duffy, Rolling the former opens with a flurry of Blackouts CF 6/10 treated guitars which then gives way Recordedat: The to Joe White’s heady, rippling solo, Basin, Victoria NYC squad’s mixed bag of uppers with a strong supporting rhythm line Personnel: and downers and an emotional tone that’s a little Fran Keaney Forster/McLennan; the second gallops (vocals, guitar, Chk Chk Chk’s breathlessly out of the traps, its trebly glockenspiel), identity crisis lead reaching for the sky and almost Tom Russo continues: Let It overshooting it. Closer “Bounce Off The (vocals, guitar), Be Blue is another Bottom” is all heart and hopefulness Joe White (vocals, glorious mess wrapped in a chorus that has something guitar, Kawai that could be by a of New Order and The Cribs’ “Never church organ), different band to the one that put out Thought I’d Feel Again” but capitulates Joe Russo (bass, Wallop in 2019. Not that it matters to neither. Between those sit the hard- synth), Marcel – if anything ties their nine-album driving, love-smitten “Blue Eye Lake” Tussie (drums, sprawl together, it’s their quest to and “Saw You At The Eastern Beach”, percussion), Stella get the party started, though here a touching vignette of a fading seaside Donnelly and this leads to generic deep house (“A town, soaked in reverb. Hannah Welch Little Bit (More)”) and reggaeton (backing vocals)   (“Un Puente”). Nic Offer’s hedonists Far from a series of intimidatingly empty function best when soul-searching, vocals and lyrics that address ecological spaces, Endless Rooms is more like RBCF’s in this case with acoustic number disaster and Australian complacency. shared mind palace, a place rich with “Normal People” – “Normal people “Jetski over the pale reef/Chase the pill experiences and emotion in which they’re get up in the afternoon/Normal for some relief/As long as you don’t point stretching their creative legs, throwing people like me” – or on the lovely out what’s underneath your feet”, sings open door after door and rushing eagerly “Storm Around The World”, a duet Tom Russo. Their compatriots’ national through, to play. with Maria Uzor. pride, sense of entitlement and attitude to refugees is challenged on tearaway single PIERS MARTIN “The Way It Shatters”, where multiple guitar lines apply a golden sheen that OREN AMBARCHI/ belies the lyrical focus (“if you were in JOHAN BERTHLING/ the boat, would you turn the other way?”). ANDREAS WERLIIN Fran Keaney: “We played late into the night” a loop pedal and was building these mini surf symphonies. Ghosted I think we all had a lot of fun opening new doors without What role did the Basin play in the recording? the sense that any of it really needed to go anywhere. DRAG CITY Our engineer and producer, Matt Duffy, is also a guru with The space definitely shaped the whole record. We found 8/10 ourselves tending toward more wild, expansive sounds guitar sounds. by nature of the setup, which is a big open house with Motorik jazz on experimental a mezzanine. We all set up in the fireplace area and Any new or reignited musical trio’s debut sent the amps upstairs and into different rooms. passions in the mix? We were playing late at night and the amps were Though they’ve really hot and ringing out into the night. When I was writing I was in a deep New worked together Order phase. Not a new discovery but in various settings There’s more guitar attack on the new LP… one I come back to a lot, like a pair of Chuck before, this is Taylors. I just love how they can peel off melody the debut album We all emerged from the isolation time with after melody. Sleepy Jackson’s Lovers is another from the trio of a few more pedals each: I’d been playing album we talked about during recording. Australian multi-instrumentalist around a lot with a reverb delay Ambarchi and Swedish rhythm pedal, Tom got chorus and reverb It’s a compact opus – the songs and section Berthling and Werliin. pedals and Joe White double instrumentation are eclectic but it all Across these four extended tracks, delay and chorus. Joe Russo got hangs together so well. they specialise in a kind of stiff, motorik jazz, with Berthling’s INTERVIEW: SHARON O’CONNELL upright bass generally the grounding to Werliin’s varied percussion and Ambarchi’s sweeping ambient work. While the tempo and patterns vary, with “I” featuring Christer Bothén on the six-string donso n’goni, the vibe is pleasingly uniform, with a boundless feel akin to Neu!’s “Hallogallo”. TOM PINNOCK JUNE 2022 • UNCUT • 23

Livin’ for SLEEVE NOTES but following the Maytals’ figurehead’s ’em, for some comfort and relief”). There the ones: death in 2020, the bouncy, percussive are few songs as eloquent about finding Bonnie Raitt 1 Made Up Mind arrangement of his “Love So Strong” takes love and kindness in unexpected places. 2 Something’s on the mantle of a tribute. “You’resuretosee BONNIE Got A Hold Of My me shine”, Raitt sings, as if talking directly “Livin’ For The Ones” and “Down The RAITT Heart toherfallenfriend,“Shineas thestars in the Hall” are two of just four inclusions on 3 Livin’ For the morning/That brighten up the sky”. which Raitt has a writing credit, but that’s Just Like That… Ones a familiar state of affairs for an artist with 4 Just Like That There’s a similar message of positivity an impressive track record for sourcing REDWING 5 When We Say in difficult, unwanted circumstances material from others that dovetails Goodnight on “Down The Hall”, inspired by a 2018 elegantly with her signature sound. 8/10 6 Waitin’ For You New York Times magazine article about The funk-fuelled “Here Comes Love” To Blow inmates who volunteer to counsel others comes courtesy of Lech Wierzynski of Love and loss on a landmark 7 Blame It On Me in a prison hospice without visitors from Oakland-based R&B outfit the California anniversary album. By 8 Love So Strong the outside world. Against a backdrop Honeydrops, and was originally Terry Staunton 9 Here Comes of Raitt’s tender acoustic picking and earmarked for Dig In Deep but ultimately Love Glenn Patscha’s warm Hammond organ surplus to requirements. MORE than 50 years 10 Down The Hall flourishes, the singer packs a formidable on from the release of emotional punch by casting herself as The sparse blues “Something’s Got A her self-titled debut, Produced by: one of those offering succour. Hold Of My Heart” has been in Raitt’s Bonnie Raitt returns Bonnie Raitt pocket since it was offered to her by its with her first LP since Recorded at: It plays out like a short story, the initially writer, Al Anderson on NRBQ, in the mid- 2016’s Dig In Deep and Studio Recording, cautious narrator befriending jailbirds ’90s, while opening track and first single some key dates in her Sausalito; Henson they’d previously feared in the exercise “Made Up Mind” found its way to her more diary. Early April found her at the Grammy Studio, Los yard, sharing jokes while helping them recently via the Canadian alt.country duo ceremony picking up a lifetime achievement Angeles shave or washing their feet (“The thought the Bros Landreth, and although the song award, and she’s gearing up for a busy Personnel: Bonnie of those guys goin’ out alone, it hit me seems tailor-made for Bonnie, the band touring schedule that will include shows Raitt (vocals, somewhere deep/I asked could I go sit with roadtested it by sneaking out their own with fellow veteran traveller Mavis Staples. slide guitar, version in 2019. On the surface, Just Like That… is business acoustic guitar), as usual, its maker’s default setting of blues- James “Hutch” On an album bursting with selections based AOR and soulful country balladry all Hutchinson that confidently stand tall with almost present and correct, but much of its content (bass), Glenn any high-water mark in the Raitt canon, is informed by specific events during the Patscha the atmospheric torch of “Blame It On period since she last took a record to market. (keyboards, Me” warrants special mention, the singer Artists reacting in song to Covid has become backing vocals), returning to the catalogue of reliable commonplace, though few have addressed Ricky Fataar hit maker John Capek she first mined the pandemic in a manner as upbeat and (drums, backing for “Deep Water” on 2005’s Souls Alike. optimistic ason one of the album’s pivotal vocals), Kenny Meanwhile, of the self-penned cuts, tracks, “Livin’ For The Ones”. Greenberg “Waitin’ For You To Blow” channels the Written by Raitt and her long-serving (electric guitar), laconic moods of Mose Allison, and the guitarist George Marinelli, a sly strut that George Marinelli reflective title track examines a parent’s recalls ’70s Stones provides the bedrock for (electric guitar, loss of a son to violent crime. a pragmatic lyric commemorating friends backing vocals), and loved ones “who didn’t make it” but Jon Cleary A vital component to the success of Just urging those who did to honour them by (keyboards, Like That… is Raitt surrounding herself making their own lives count: “Just keep backing vocals), with a core of trusted musicians with whom ’em in mind, all the chances denied/If you Mike Finnigan she’s worked since 2002’s Silver Lining, ever start to bitch and moan”. (keyboards, creating ebbs and flows that embellish the It’s a philosophy that’s also at the heart backing vocals) material without ever overwhelming it. of a standout cover in the running order. It makes for another assured chapter in a Early plans for the album included a third celebrated life, a celebrated achievement. duet with past collaborator Toots Hibbert, MARINA CHAVEZ Bonnie Raitt on friends Cohn. When he and our sombre, but putting powerful drummer Ricky Fataar cut emotions into songs like this is new and old background parts together it the best remedy I know. felt like singing with the Pips! You’re surrounded by The prisoner hospice old friends on Just Like “Livin’ For The One” programme you write That…, but what drew sounds like it was about in “Down The you to comparatively hugely positive therapy; Hall” clearly had a deep new pals the Bros was that the intention? effect on you. Landreth and Hammond player Glenn Patscha? Life as we know it has been The article that inspired it upended in this pandemic, was a powerful expression I met the Landreths after and the lyrics spilled out of the basic goodness of the being knocked out by their set within a short period, about human heart. I wanted to at the Winnipeg Folk Festival the very real way I’m dealing write a song about what it in 2014. They reminded me with what we’re going might feel like to have been of Little Feat and The Band through. Since the loss of my embittered and broken, but - great songs, singing, and brother in ’09, and especially be able to make that shift to killer playing. “Made Up Mind” after losing so many too soon giving to someone so deeply has my favorite combo of in the last couple of years, in need. In the face of so much soulful groove, strong melody whenever I fall into a pit of cruelty and hatred, violence and lyrics, and, what I love the complaining, I think about the and revenge, in our darkening most, a killer blues guitar. I’ve lives they won’t get to live and world today, this is the world I loved Glenn since hearing I yank myself out of it. I could want to be in and write about. him with his band, Ollabelle, have written something more and then as a duo with Marc INTERVIEW: TERRY STAUNTON 24 • UNCUT • JUNE 2022

NEW ALBUMS MARIA CHIARA ARGIRÓ Talk To Me”, AOR masterpieces that articulate and mesmerising. Maritime: gentle licks of melody and layered MATTIA ZOPPELLARO, COLIN MEDLEY should have been on the last Abba Themes And Textures is a beautiful guitar coalescing into a radiating hum. Forest City INNOVATIVELEISURE album. JOHNLEWIS collection of instrumental sea songs, This pleasing mix of exploratory guitar where drifting, warm tones glide by tones and ever-shifting rhythms that 7/10 THE BLACK KEYS as pointillist melodies bob and buoy switch between the kinetic and flowing across the water’s surface. As with makes for an arresting debut. Exploring the rural/urban overlap Dropout Boogie NONESUCH much of Brooks’ other material, it leans with a London composer on the utilitarian charm of library DANIEL DYLAN WRAY 8/10 music, and there’s something quite No sound or style is Cluster-esque about the way Brooks CONGOTRONICS off-limits for Maria Dan Auerbach and Pat Carney carefully corrals her material into INTERNATIONAL Chiara Argiró, the look in the rearview mirror on shape. Understated and possessed of a Italian pianist and their 20th anniversary peaceable radiance, Maritime captures Where’s The One? CRAMMEDDISCS composer based in a poetry of longing and belonging. London, whose new The Black Keys blaze 7/10 album is illuminated by its collision through their history JON DALE of urban and rural sounds. She and influences on A decade-plus project comes into mixes thrumming electronica with their 11th album, S CAREY recorded focus – Congotronics plus! warped lullabies, abraded art rock kicking off their with pagan folk, celestial jazz with victory tour with Break Me Open JAGJAGUWAR The Congotronics musique concrète. A somber, slightly “Wild Child”, whose kitchen-sink International distorted trumpet glides atop “Clouds” arrangement recalls 2011’s El Camino, 8/10 lineup is, well, and “Blossom” unperturbed by their their first LP after setting up shop in unwieldy, bringing frenetically intersecting rhythms, and Nashville. They head back to the Hill Bon Iver co-conspirator gets up together Konono Argiró’s own wounded, washed-out Country on “For The Love Of Money”, close and personal on fourth LP No 1, Kasai Allstars, vocals lend a disarming humanity an addendum to last year’s Delta Deerhoof, Juana Molina, Wildbirds to the decaying synths of standout Kream, and hit Muscle Shoals on Since 2010, Sean & Peacedrums and Matthew Mehlan “Greenarp”. Forest City can be a busy the soul nocturne “How Long”. Billy Carey has made good of Skeletons. There’s always a risk place to visit, even overwhelming at Gibbons’ guitar ignites the Rio Grande use of the downtime with these kinds of collaborations – times, but it’s never not surprising. Mud-evoking slow-burn boogie “Good from hisjobas the too many cooks, watering down the Love”, while stripped-back stomper drummer and second essence – but that’s largely avoided STEPHEN DEUSNER “Didn’t I Love You” returns the duo vocalist in Bon Iver, on Where’s The One?, thanks to the to their Rubber City roots. A “Time Of concoctinglimpid aural landscape openness and playful spirit of the ASTREL K The Season”-like Latin groove powers paintings that interlace floating Beach music. Molina’s performances, in standout “It Ain’t Over”, syncopated Boysvocal chorales, New Age piano particular, really shine here – the Flickering i DUOPHONICSUPER45S by percussionist Sam Bacco, whose figuresand ornate orchestralflourishes psychedelic rounds of “Resila” tambourine and shakers are the with dramatic percussive accents. are somehow both peaceable and 8/10 album’s secret sauce. BUDSCOPPA On BreakMeOpen, Carey’s serene careening – and the tracks for massed cosmologyquakeswith the emotional likembés, like “Kule Kule Redux”, Elegant solo outing for Ulrika Spacek BLOC PARTY devastation of a divorce, “Waking up/ benefit from the extra charge such a frontman In another man’s lifetime… It’smeit’sme huge backing band can offer. JONDALE Alpha Games INFECTIOUS/BMG it’sme”,recallingan idyllicmomentin The singer-guitarist in “Sunshower” and tenderly reaching out FATOUMATA DIAWARA Ulrika Spacek, Rhys 5/10 to hischildren in “Island”,“Paralyzed” Edwards makes his and the title song. At low volume, the Maliba GOOGLEARTS&CULTURE solodebutasAstrel K Spiky Londoners’ characterful album could serve as dinner music, but and it doesn’t stray but hook-light return crankitup anditshushedintensitywill 7/10 far from the gentle gut you. BUDSCOPPA psych of their 2017 album Modern It’s been six years Malian artist soundtracks English Decoration, though Flickering since Bloc Party’s last COLA Timbuktu’s proud history i is a more nuanced and consistent studio album Hymns, affair. Recorded in relative isolation on which singer and Deep In View FIRETALK When Google Arts in Stockholm, Edwards indulges his lyricist Kele Okereke commissioned a film whims without letting his hair down, displayed a distinct 8/10 about the legacy of fashioning a kind of Syd Barrett- sense of soul-searching spirituality. Mali’s legendary meets-Pavement pastoral that reveals He’s got the devil in him again here, New venture from members of city and its priceless its charms with every listen, especially though, as “Day Drinking”’s tale of Montreal post-punk group Ought antique manuscripts, on “Clicktivism”, “Imperial Phase” sibling control is boosted by Russell some dating back 800 years, Diawara and “Maybe It All Comes At Once”, Lissack’s trademark snappy guitar After the demise of was an obvious choice to contribute the latter a delicious survey of his plus furious hi-hat-driven beats and Ought, frontman Tim to the soundtrack, just as she did for insecurities. A few library miniatures snarling bass from a newly installed Darcy, along with the the 2014 Oscar-nominated movie round out this quietly compelling set. rhythm section. Elsewhere, “Sex band’s Ben Stidworthy Timbuktu. She came up with seven Magik” and “If We Get Caught” and US Girls drummer mesmerising new songs spanning the PIERS MARTIN offer unashamedly lusty visions Evan Cartwright, gamut of Malian styles, ancient and punctuated by agreeable glimpses quickly got to work on a new project. modern. “Yakandi” with its call-and- BELLE & SEBASTIAN of pop glitter. Otherwise, though, Much like Ought, this is often typified response vocals is rooted deep in waspish, charismatically delivered by jagged rhythms, taut guitar work traditional rhythms. On the title track A Bit Of Previous MATADOR lyrics are let down by workaday and Darcy’s unique vocals, which sit she duets with Malian rapper Master instrumental backing, as if once the somewhere between David Byrne’s Soumy, while “One Day” and “Save 8/10 spleen is vented, the tune becomes wired yelp and Julian Casablancas’ It” are swooning Afro-pop ballads, all something of an afterthought. languid mumble. “Blank Curtain” is sung in the arrestingly sensuous voice First LP in a decade, recorded at an infectious opener, as punchy as it that’s made her a West African legend home in Glasgow JOHNNY SHARP is loosely unfurling, with rolling bass, in her own right. NIGELWILLIAMSON It always comes as CAFÉ KAPUT Playful spirit: a surprise to find Congotronics that each Belle & Maritime: Themes And International Sebastian album Textures CLAYPIPEMUSIC is a masterclass in pop songwriting. LP 8/10 number nine features meditations on ageing: “Deathbed Of My Dreams” Languorous, lovely instrumentals does it in a Nashville style; “Young from the water’s edge And Stupid” does it like an early 1970s Eurovision entry. There’s also joyous With her second self-affirmation: the defiant “If They’re album as Café Shooting At You” sounds like early Kaput, following last Steely Dan, while Sarah Martin’s year’s digital-only feminist anthem “Reclaim The Night” Commentaires, Cate is one remix away from being a Charli Brooks (of Advisory XCX-sized pop banger. Best of all are Circle, Pattern Forms) is typically “Prophets On Hold” and “Talk To Me JUNE 2022 • UNCUT • 25

NEW ALBUMS REVELATIONS “Manilla” – began as placeholders, FLOCK taken from paint shades Benge was JOHN DOE testing while decorating his house. But Flock STRUT Arthur decided this was a palette he The former X man on mining a chequered American past could work with. Accordingly, Quartz 8/10 is a record of texture and shade, with “T heisolationofthelast like animals. And what the Benge’s shimmering modular melodies Jazz-poppers cook up potent brew couple of years was fuck, man?” and rhythmic pulsations right to the certainly part of it,” John fore. Arthur’s vocals, meanwhile, lean Improv collective Doe says, considering why his The album’s brisk country abstract and cerebral, painting with Flock brings together new album, Fables In A Foreign sound grew out of backyard language. “When I hear music/I see five members Land, is set in the desolate, jams at Doe’s Austin, Texas colours”, he sings on “Olympia”. from London’s 1980s USA. This past doesn’t home, and the “immediacy and underground jazz seem such a foreign country, simplicity” of Dylan’s John LOUIS PATTISON and avant-rock scene, anyway, to the America Doe Wesley Harding. “I always keep including Dan Leavers of The Comet began documenting in his LA an eye on, is it beautiful?” he NICOLE FAUX NAIV Is Coming. Recorded during a single punk band X in 1977, or to its says. The inspiration for eco- day in 2020, when the players were current malaise. “Guilty parable “After The Fall” is Moon Rally BRONZERAT clearly on cracking form, this quietly Bystander”, in which slaves are symptomatic of how he writes. “I magnificent debut dips into modal whipped, was inspired by had an image of someone hiding 7/10 jazz, Afrofunk and analogue glitch. George Floyd’s murder. “It isn’t in the reeds, looking down and While slow-burners like “Prepare To necessarily to do with a man seeing his own blood in the Otherworldly debut from German Let Go” or “Bold Dream” build into whipping another person,” Doe water, and thinking, ‘Oh, fuck! dream-pop artist hypnotic groove machines, the epic explains. “It could be a man The shit has hit the fan.’ I always “It’s Complicated” erupts from a Miles whipping a horse. Because at try to have something real and Raised in a small Davis-style jazz-punk maelstrom. somepoint, people were treated cinematic. I’m always telling German town by “Sounds Welcome” is one of many some kind of story.” NICKHASTED Russian immigrant stand-outs, evolving from sinister parents, Nicole Faux gloomscape to luminous avant-pop D. JAMES GOODWIN, TODD V WOLFSON JOHN DOE Recently seen with Naiv felt pulled reverie. More please. STEPHENDALTON The Pretenders, between worlds. Fables In A Foreign Land Carwyn Ellis Her debut album has the feel of a LIAM GALLAGHER performs psych-pop between-place, too: between dreaming FAT POSSUM with Colorama and and waking; journey and destination; C’mon You Know WARNER his Rio 18 offer Welsh misremembrance and reality. The 7/10 tropicália, but his first solo album sprawling five-minute opening title 6/10 leans on solo piano and addresses track sets the scene: twinkling piano, X compadre Exene Cervenka, the plight of refugees. It’s musically soft percussion, hypnotic strings Liam gets loved-up Shirley Manson and Los Lobos help effective, whether on the title track, and a collection of dreamlike, poetic excavate 19th-century crimes whose hushed production recalls images. Songs like “In The Stairwell” Prior to Britpop’s Beck’s Sea Change, or a touching and “Imaginary Boy”, with their take onWoodstock 2 The brutal realism cover of the Gentle Good’s “Bound For twinkling music box melodies, feel like at Knebworth, Greil Marcus heard in Lampedusa”, while four instrumentals old movies but a little off, as if warped Liam’s third LP tries X’s debut Los Angeles add to the cinematic melancholy, with by the sun, with Nicole’s atmospheric to fight through the remains in John Doe’s “The Boy On The Beach” evoking the vocals – deadpan yet not emotionless – disappointed nostalgia solo incarnation man Alan Kurdi might have become. If adding to the sense of otherworldliness. which overtook both Gallaghers’ as hard-bitten it’s sometimes torn lyrically between efforts long ago. There’s a new sense of Americana troubadour, here offering sincere and gauche, such discomfort LISA-MARIE FERLA maturity, even kindness, starting with 1890s tales of spartan hardship, his seems morally appropriate. “More Power”, a song of odd, regretful songs’ killers and victims chased CRAIG FINN sentiments, reputedly addressed to across the South by poverty and guilt. WYNDHAM WALLACE Noel and full of family references. If it The sound is briskly acoustic, with A Legacy Of Rentals THIRTY TIGERS essentially relocates “You Can’t Always keening, rousing choruses. “Bees FADER Get What You Want” to Burnage, Liam’s made honey” upon the lips of a slain 8/10 vocal is affectingly open. Songs mostly woman, but rather than an Old Weird Quartz BLANCCHECK remain Frankenstein stitch-ups, America, this is a documentary Typically sharp set from Hold Steady though: Jeff Lynne’s softly simulated vision of slavers’ bloody, unanswered 7/10 frontman psych on the Threetles’ “Real Love” whips, and “fearful…insatiable” seems the production template, when natures. Still, there are yearning Second album from Blancmange A Legacy Of Rentals not mixed for terrace power, minus dreams and, on “Guilty Bystander”, frontman and synth wizard was composed by tunes. NICKHASTED flinty resolve: “We are only human, and Finn during the global we must not surrender”. NICKHASTED The phenomenon of disorientation of DANA GAVANSKI the lockdown album Covid-19 lockdowns: CARWYN ELLIS is a familiar one, but it a period which When It Comes FULLTIMEHOBBY continues to manifest compelled many into cloistered Across The Water in some unexpected reflection. Finn emerged with an album 7/10 ways. Take Quartz, the which alchemises that claustrophobia COLORAMA SOUNDS second full-length from Neil Arthur and into something expansive – a reflection Canadian-Serb’s sterling return Benge’s collaborative project Fader. Its on memory and transience amid 7/10 track titles – “Prussian”, “Porcelain”, which his deadpan drawl is frequently Gavanski’s second draped in incongruous but effective album expands Welsh songwriter’s well-intentioned orchestral splendour, while Finn’s the remit of 2020’s response to the migrant crisis character sketches are as deft as ever. very fine Yesterday The understated “Jessamine” is a litany Is Gone in varied of things never said to someone no and inventive longer here, and the near-country “Due ways. Woozy psych-folk remains her To Depart” a Springsteenish tale of a default setting, but there’s a fresh man unsure if he’s running away from sense of experimentation at play something, or to something else. here, exemplified by songs like “The Reaper”, built around a clanging ANDREW MUELLER guitar motif, and the impressionistic “Knowing To Trust”, which dissolves Craig Finn: into a spinning reverie of wordless holding steady harmonies and piano. “Indigo on his own Highway” marries Gavanski’s mellifluous voice to a synth-pop pulse, like a dream-folk Kraftwerk, while “The Day Unfolds” feels suitably processional, expertly decorated with flourishes of jazz. ROB HUGHES 26 • UNCUT • JUNE 2022

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NEW ALBUMS GOLDEN BROWN AMERICANA Luminous INNERISLANDS Album of the month 8/10 THE AMERICANS More rich, spaced out instrumental visions Stand True Colorado’s Stefan Beck has been quietly releasing LOOSE music under the Golden Brown moniker for several 8/10 years now, staking out a meditative zone made LA trio channel loss and heartbreak into heroic roots-rock up of glittering guitar, spaced-out lap steel and field recordings. The aptly titled THE AMERICANS’ profile is “What I Would Do”, the latter flavoured with a Luminous sees Beck expanding his vision still pretty low-key, but the distinct twist of Memphis. His quivering voice is while retaining a humble mood – head in band comes with high-end particularly striking on the title track, a paean to the clouds but feet firmly planted in the endorsements. Greil Marcus commitment and staying power, often in the face Rocky Mountain soil. The album’s seven was swept up by 2017 debut of overwhelming odds, that sets up the lyrical instrumentals blossom beautifully, creating I’ll Be Yours and was left theme of the album. a sonic landscape that grows richer and more hankering for more. T Bone Burnett and Jack detailed with each spin. On the 13-minute White commandeered them for The American It’s the kind of impassioned stuff that closer “Safe And Somewhat Sound”, Beck Epic Sessions, with Burnett singing their virtues demands a big canvas, the band reaching duets patiently with the sounds of the as “genius 21st-century musicians that are for the epic on the blustery “Give Way”, the natural world, his fingerpicked guitar reinventing American heritage music for this brutish, scorned “Romeo” and “Sore Bones”, rippling like a pebble thrown in a pond. century. And it sounds even better this century.” the heaviest thing on here. On “The Day I Let Belated second album Stand True reveals the You Down”, Ferris sounds desolate – “If there’s TYLER WILCOX West Coast threesome of Patrick Ferris (vocals/ penance to be paid/That’s just what I’ll do/I’ll guitar), Jake Faulkner (bass) and Zac Sokolow get down on bended knee” – before being THE GREYBOY ALLSTARS (guitar) to be keenly attuned to the kind of hauled up into a great surging chorus. A roots-up music that built America. You can hear folkish acoustic guitar picks out the silken Get A Job: Music From The the heartland bleat of Springsteen or Bob Seger rhythm of “Guest Of Honour”, another song Original Broadcast Series in their raw grooves, along with the rugged of loss that weighs heavy on his jilted heart. Soul Dream KNOWLEDGEROOM Southern churn of Jason Isbell or Drive-By “I feel like nothing that you loved,” he pines, Truckers. There’s plenty of soul here too, with “And everything you touched”. As emotional 7/10 Ferris clearly in thrall to ’70s Van Morrison drama, it sounds wholly persuasive. Much on songs like “The Day I Let You Down” and like Stand True itself, in fact. Rare groove revivalists – including the Stones’ saxophonist – cover The Beatles, ROB HUGHES Bacharach and Langston Hughes AMERICANA ROUND-UP San Diego’s Greyboy Allstars began in 1993, IN an inspired move, kindred spirits Mekons June with Dark Enough To See The Stars progressing through the decade’s jam-jazz scene to and Freakwater have decided to pool (Thirty Tigers). The album is part requiem - the more artful veterans on these wide-ranging resources. Their self-titled debut as mourning the loss of good friends John covers, drawn from a lockdown live-stream series. A previous record was called <Spirit Freakons – what else? – features Jon Prine, Nanci Griffith and David Olney on of ‘70>, and they honour most of that era’s black American modes. “I’ve Got Reasons” Langford and Sally Timms alongside Janet songs like “How Could You Be Gone” and is wah-wah-heavy, syncopated soul, Gene Ammons’ “Jug Eyes” swift, stiletto-stabbing Beveridge Bean and Catherine Irwin, “’Til I See You Again” – and part celebration, soul-jazz, while the high-velocity Hammond vamps on “Taxman” evoke a Mod clubland abetted by lauded guitarist Jim Elkington offering perspectives on the joy of new love fug Paul Weller would love. The Gary Bartz setting of Langston Hughes’ poem “I’ve and the string and vocal harmonies of Jean and personal contentment. Typical of the Known Rivers” is a mellow, spiritual jazz diversion from the brisk breeziness. Cook (Tara Jane O’Neil, Skull Orchards) and latter is the title track, co-written with Beth NICK HASTED Anna Krippenstapel (Joan Shelley, The Nielsen Chapman. Meanwhile, there’s still HATCHIE Other Years). Rooted in British folk and time to make it to this year’s Ramblin’ Roots Revue. The three-day indoor festival in High Giving The World Away American country, expect traditional songs Wycombe, held in late April, boasts a pan- SECRETLY CANADIAN about coal mining, heroic union organisers continental variety of roots, bluegrass and 6/10 and hardship, plus a handful of originals. Out Americana turns, among Shoegaze goes pop from SARI THAYER, CONNIE WARD on Fluff & Gravy in Australian songwriter them Jeffrey Foucault & the States, a UK Kris Delmhorst, Native On her 2019 debut album Harrow, The Hanging Keepsake, Harriette release date Getting their Stars, Curse Of Lono, Pilbeam, who records is imminent. Freakons The Dreaming Spires as Hatchie, showed an and Kathryn Williams. inclination to take her Acclaimed singer- shoegaze-infused pop onto ROB HUGHES the dancefloor. That’s something continued songwriter and on Giving The World Away with the glimmering opener “Lights On” eventually author Mary leading to the gothy effects-laden shimmer of “This Enchanted” and “Quicksand”, two Gauthier returns in tracks that most clearly strive to imitate breakthrough single “Sure” in terms of sheer poppiness. But the best moment could be the melancholy beauty of St Etienne-style ballad “Sunday Song”, which benefits from a less fussy production and instead delivers Pilbeam’s exceptional voice without filter and true. PETERWATTS 28 • UNCUT • JUNE 2022

HATER less righteous for that. KING GIZZARD & THE King Gizzard: Across the rest of Spell 31 the LIZARD WIZARD Lizard Wizard Sincere pair make a plea for unity not pictured and humanity’s healing, Omnium GatherumKGLW FIRE with UK guests Pa Salieu, LAIBACH Jorja Smith and – on an 8/10 7/10 unexpected reimagining of Wir Sind Das Volk Black Flag’s “Rise Above” – Sprawling double album from Darker, murkier shoegaze from Berwyn. SHARONO’CONNELL ferociously fecund Aussie rockers MUTE the Swedish quartet JENNYLEE The opening “The 8/10 Following a recent Dripping Tap” is 18 lineup change, the Heart Tax minutes long, and Stirring sturm und drang from Malmö-based band perfectly captures the indefatigable Slovenian weirdos pare down their JENNY’S RECORDINGS first explosive and sound and fuzz out joyous moments of Wir Sind Das Volk their guitars for their 6/10 a band jamming together for the first is essentially the third album. Gone are the chamber- time since lockdown. It’s a kinetic, soundtrack to a pop adornments of 2017’s You Tried Introspective but propulsive, riotous fury of krautrock theatrical production and the synth flourishes of 2018’s underwhelming solo set meets ripping garage-psych and it sets created by Laibach Siesta; in their place, Hater embrace from Warpaint bassist the tone for an album that simply goes around the works the sculpted noise of shoegaze and wherever it likes. The band have made of Heiner Müller – the (East) German the warped hooks of ’90s indie rock. Just as a staggering 19 studio albums in the dramatist who has been a recurrent Sincere manages to be simultaneously Warpaint last decade and here they flit between touchstone for Laibach going back to spartan and lush, with chiming return to all the genres they’ve touched upon the 1980s. It absolutely stands on its guitars and lurking bass filling up active duty, with glee. The electronic-tinged psych own merits, however, as an album every corner of their songs with reverb Jenny Lee Lindberg’s pop of “Magenta Mountain” unfurls replete with the sinister strangeness and noise. But it’s their slowburn second solo collection smoothly, but within two songs, and bleary whimsy which has hooks and Caroline Landahl’s steely drops, often sounding like roads on “Gaia”, you are clobbered with characterised Laibach’s best work. The charisma, especially on “I’m Yours not taken by her alma mater. Their thunderous metal riffs and guttural suite contains avant-garde industrial Baby”, that keep this record from dreampop textures are in alluring screeching vocals. Over 16 tracks it opera (“Ordnung Und Disziplin”), being merely an exercise in imitation. evidence on the brooding, Cure-ish is a ceaselessly unpredictable yet Brechtian bierkeller singalongs bass thrum and somnambulant vocal exploratory listen. DANIELDYLANWRAY (“Flieger, Grüß Mir Die Sonne”) and STEPHEN DEUSNER of “Tickles”, which later reprises with gloomy narrations in Milan Fras’s a lyric laced with pre-coital nerves on JAMES KRIVCHENIA window-rattling lower registers MICHAEL HEAD & THE “Tickles II”. Elsewhere, there’s a sweet (“Der Vater”). RED ELASTIC BAND sadness to the end-of-relationship duet Blood Karaoke READINGGROUP with Dave Gahan on “Stop Speaking”, ANDREW MUELLER Dear Scott but while the melancholy romantic 8/10 meditations of other tracks can also MIRANDA LAMBERT MODERN SKY UK be initially intriguing, the songs 1,000-miles-an-hour electronica then lack the peaks and troughs to hyper-edits, for whiplash listeners Palomino 9/10 keep you from disengaging. If Big Thief drummer RCA NASHVILLE Liverpool legend in imperious form JOHNNY SHARP James Krivchenia’s first few solo albums 7/10 The much-loved WHITNEY K felt a little unformed, Shack have been Blood Karaoke is his Lambert re-embraces her role as on the back burner Hard To Be A God MAPLEDEATH great leap forward, reigning queen of Nashville for some time now, an exceptional, disarming collection but Head’s latest 8/10 of mutant electronic music. It’s a Palomino is a return often feels like a dense, disorienting 40 minutes of to business as more expansive successor to 2003’s Superlative mini-album from rising hyper-punctual edits, very tonally usual for Lambert Here’s Tom With The Weather, with Montreal singer-songwriter bright and often overwhelming; a following 2021’s The Bill Ryder-Jones’ widescreen sensorial bombardment. While this is Marfa Tapes, her production bringing a soft, semi- It’s early days for doubtless partly due to Krivchenia’s deliberately low-key symphonic glow to proceedings. Konner Whitney, but process – using audio from unwatched collaboration with Jack Ingram and Jon Head’s narrative songs are beautifully Hard To Be A God – YouTube clips – it’s also down to the Randall. Which is to say that Palomino realised too, invoking Hollywood coming fast on the thoroughness he brings to arranging is upbeat, glossy country, tending movie mores (“Fluke”), shady post- heels of his 2021 debut this forbidding weave of music. Think somewhat towards the generic, but war Soho (“Gino And Rico”) and his Two Years – suggests Rustie, Noisemaschinetapes, Akufen, redeemed (as usual) by the rich twang own storied past (“The Ten”, neatly a bold new voice taking shape. His but also sampladelia, plunderphonics, in Lambert’s voice and the waspish referencing The Pale Fountains’ narrative, orchestrated folk-rock has flicker-films for the ears, electro- humour which frequently enlivens “The Norfolk Broads”). And props its antecedents – Lou Reed, Harry acoustics – it’s all in there. her lyrics (the titular love rival of to the Red Elastic Band, who provide Nilsson. But his raconteur delivery “Geraldene” is dismissed with “You’re sensitive, thoughtful backing. Even is laced with the occasional bit of JON DALE trailer-park pretty but you’re never by Head’s own lofty standards, this imagery that thwacks you between going to be Jolene”). Other highlights represents a late-career masterpiece. the eyes. “I came across an old picture include the not-really-rueful ballad of of you yesterday/You looked like dislocation “Tourist”, the impeccable ROB HUGHES Kruschev addressing the committee”, road song “Waxahachie” and the B-52s he drawls on “While Digging Through collaboration “Music City Queen”. IBEYI The Snow”. His songs are scurrilous and sardonic, but with a hard nut of ANDREW MUELLER Spell 31 XL sentiment at their heart, and when it emerges – as on the Velvets-tinged 7/10 “Song For A Friend” – the effect is hard to deny. LOUISPATTISON French-Cuban twins’ softly pitched, strong-minded third James Krivchenia: “Posing in front of the mutant mirror, singing along electronica with Shakira, washing our souls in the river”, runs a line in “Sister 2 Sister”, the warm voices of Lisa-Kaindé and Naomi Díaz united in recollection before they instruct, “here’s how you say it – Ibeyi”. It’s an affirmation of their relationship and personal and creative identities in an(other) electronic-soul set with muted beats and a meditative, rather than impassioned bent, though no JUNE 2022 • UNCUT • 29

language and Kikagaku Moyo are of the generation where a whole world of musical adventure has always been available at the click of a mouse. Kumoyo Island contains strong ripples of Tropicália, dub, raga rock, new age, English folk, Anatolian psych and every shade of krautrock (there’s a reason why the band named their label Guruguru Brain). You can also hear the influence of hip-hop on the way they make use of percussion loops and breakbeats to drive the music forward or allow a kind of trance state to kick in. Led by Ryu Kurosawa’s stirring sitar riff, “Dancing Blue” is a terrific wedding stomp that gives Altin Gün a run for their money; it’s immediately followed by the gently clattering groove and reverbed fanfares of “Effe”, suggesting a kind of Balearic Can. It might sound like they’re singing in Japanese, but most songs are actually in their made-up “Kika language” with syllables chosen not for their meaning but for their sonic effect. The two exceptions are a gorgeous cover of Erasmo Carlos’s KIKAGAKU MOYO itsoundlikearecordmadebymusicians “Meu Mar” and the wistful prog epic pulling in different directions, desperate “Yayoi, Iyayoi”, whose lyrics were to get away and do their own thing. assembled, cut-up style, from various old Kumoyo Island There’s certainly an abundance of good poetry and nature books in order to avoid ideas – often several within the course of putting across anything too concrete. GURUGURU BRAIN one song, with hooks emerging from the You’re left to conclude that ambiguity 8/10 fog before dissolving as quickly as they itself is the goal, the band swirling came – but the band seem to work through everything together until it starts to give Fifth and final album from the Japanese them in perfect harmony, on the way to off unexpected resonances. Final track psych-rockers carefully preserves their even greater things. Psychedelic rock is, “Maison Silk Road” is a beautiful ambient enigma. By Sam Richards famously, all about the journey not the question mark, fragments of piano and destination (man) but the lack of finality or untethered Göttsching-esque guitar KIKAGAKU MOYO SLEEVE NOTES certainty here is curious. floating off into the ether. seemed like a band The PR spiel for the album gamely It’s too easy, these days, to situate going places. After 1 Monaka proffers a kind of ‘back to our roots’ yourself squarely in a pre-existing initially struggling to 2 Dancing Blue narrative, but that too begins to tradition and by slavishly following its make headway in their 3 Effe crumble under scrutiny. As a result rules attempt to claim a bogus authenticity. native country – despite 4 Meu Mar of the Netherlands’ strict lockdown Kikagaku Moyo are having none of that tapping into a noble 5 Cardboard Pile rules, Kikagaku Moyo did indeed find – not least because doing what you want, lineage of Japanese longhairs stretching 6 Gomugomu themselves recording back in Tokyo, in and grabbing a little bit of everything back through Acid Mothers Temple to Happy 7 Daydream Soda the same studio where they made their like famished pilgrims at a hotel buffet, is End and Flower Travellin’ Band, Kikagaku 8 Field Of Tiger first albums. But apart from the min’yo much more fun. Having just made their bandleader Go Kurosawa complained to Lillies melody of the opening track “Monaka” best album, it’s a shame that their journey MonsterChildren.com that “most people 9 Yayoi, Iyayoi – the name of a wafer-based snack and ends here, although you suspect that 10Nap Song [in Japan] don’t like this kind of thing, they 11MaisonSilkRoad a Dragon Ball character – there isn’t too they’ll return in new permutations before like following the rules” – they’d been much else rooting the album in Japan. too long. For now though, you have to say: steadily building a worldwide following since relocating to Amsterdam in 2017. They Produced by: Psychedelia is very much a global mission accomplished. toured with Wooden Shjips and hooked up Kikagaku Moyo with Ryley Walker at Le Guess Who? for a heady live improv set, released on his Husky Recorded at: Pants label as Deep Fried Grandeur; and last year they reached their biggest audience to Tsubame Studio, date with a well-received set on the main JAMIE WDZIEKONSKI stage at End Of The Road. Tokyo; Guruguru Go Kurosawa: Groovy songs can be Island, so I am glad how Brain, harder to perform live. it turned out as our last But now it’s all over. A brief statement on Amsterdam “We cross many While we were writing album. It captures who their website confirms that Kumoyo Island Personnel: genres…” the songs, we couldn’t we are, and what we will be their final album and Kikagaku Moyo Go Kurosawa think so much about were trying to express. will “go on an indefinite hiatus” after their (drums, How did you feel playing concerts due For example, how we 2022 world tour, having “truly achieved our vocals), about returning to Covid, and that could go across many core mission as a band”. Exactly what that Ryu to Tokyo and frustration guided us to musical genres, mix mission was and how Kumoyo Island might Kurosawa the familiar make the songs that way. Japanese and non- be seen to have achieved it is not immediately (sitar), surroundings Japanese lyrics, mix clear. In death as in life, Kikagaku Moyo Tomo of Tsubame Can you elaborate studio recording and remain a tantalising enigma. Katsurada on the reasons for home recording. (guitar, Studio? It felt calling a hiatus? Was Kumoyo Island is not a grandiose vocals), it a difficult decision Are there any other swansong, bankrupting the band with a Kotsuguy nice. The intention to make given that projects in mind to surfeit of orchestral indulgence; nor does (bass), was just to make Kumoyo Island has explore next? We will Popal Daoud some music but it turned out so well? Akira (guitar) ended up being a have a full year of touring homecoming. We didn’t plan to go on this year, so it is hard to Go Kurosawa: hiatus when we were think about the next yet. mission What inspired you working on Kumoyo accomplished to write so many INTERVIEW: SAM RICHARDS uptempo numbers? 30 • UNCUT • JUNE 2022

NEW ALBUMS LARGE PLANTS clips from old radio broadcasts and REVELATIONS recent interviews. The album never The Carrier GHOSTBOX becomes a dry documentary, though, LEYLA McCALLA because the music adopts the station’s 7/10 spirit of dissent and subversion. On a personal musical journey to understand Haiti Folk-rock gone spookily psych in STEPHEN DEUSNER W HEN Leyla McCalla was cover of “You Don’t Know Me” Wolf person’s ’70s dream a teenager, her father as the lynchpin for her fourth MONOPHONICS introduced her to the solo album, Breaking The Large Plants, the music of Caetano Veloso, in Thermometer. “The words to solo project of Wolf Sage Motel COLEMINE particular his song “You Don’t the song resonated so much People’s Jack Sharp, Know Me”. “I loved his music with this experience and I felt it announced itself 8/10 and had always been was a powerful way to tie in last year with a fascinated when I learned of the parallel experiences of cover of Madonna’s High-concept hallucinogenic soul Veloso’s own experience of political persecution within “La Isla Bonita”, finding a weird from Bay Area collective being exiled from Brazil in the the African diaspora.” psychsploitation heart beating at early ‘70s,” says McCalla, a the core of Madame Ciccone’s Latino That name might singer-songwriter and cellist She studied the history of dream. On The Carrier, he follows imply a single- living in New Orleans and a Radio Haiti and incorporated through on that single’s psych-pop channel intensity, but member of groundbreaking clips from old broadcasts into promise, though the surprise here is Monophonics’ sound supergroup Our Native her songs, which she sings in the distinctly folk-rock lilt of Sharp’s is full-spectrum, Daughters. When she was English and Haiti-Kreyòl. “A lot voice and melodies. It’s a compelling soaring, psychedelic commissioned by Duke of the research that I did conundrum – T2 and Fairport soul, drawing lineage from The University to write music based conjured visceral memories Convention collaborating on an album Undisputed Truth, Rotary Connection on Radio Haiti—a station of Haiti. I wanted the album for the Fading Yellow series, perhaps – and post-Cloud Nine Temptations. whose pioneering journalists to feel like an immersive but even that doesn’t account for a song Sage Motel, their fifth release since investigated political experience into those like “Wreckers”, which pivots on a see- 2012, is styled as a concept album, corruption and were exiled, memories. The songs became sawing riff that’s pure Groundhogs. chronicling decades in the lives-and- tortured, even assassinated – a part of my personal journey times of a seedy hipster hangout. The McCalla recorded a powerful to understanding Haiti.” JON DALE sonic décor, therefore, has grime with its grooves: crisp beats, heavy guitar STEPHEN DEUSNER AZAR LAWRENCE hooks and cinematic orchestration frame Kelly Finnigan’s voice, itself a PINK MOUNTAINTOPS POLYPORES New Sky TRAZAR gorgeous, ghostly instrument. From the creeping “Let That Sink In” to Peacock Pools Hyperincandescent 7/10 growling “Warpaint”, Sage Motel is super stuff: check in at your earliest ATO DIN Sax veteran mixes Coltrane-ish convenience. MARKBENTLEY intensity with smooth jazz 7/10 8/10 CARLA MORRISON This Californian Welcome return of Stephen Modular synth man’s two-part debut saxophonist is best El Renacimiento McBean’s eclectic side project known for playing Stephen James the John Coltrane COSMICA It’s been eight Buckley named his role in 1970s bands years since we last musical alter ego led by McCoy Tyner 8/10 heard from Pink after a class of fungi, and Elvin Jones, and also for playing Mountaintops, and his bright, on Miles Davis’s Dark Magus, but First music in six years from Stephen McBean’s captivating sounds he’s also recorded a clutch of much- the Mexican artist wry, more classically often seem to conjure microscopic sampled R&B albums. His latest LP melodic alternative to shredders biological processes: mysterious, lurches between those worlds, with A star on Mexico’s Black Mountain. This is their best set busy and vividly alive. This Lawrence switching between soprano independent music of songs since the band’s sex-crazed full-length from the Preston-based and tenor sax. “Let It Go” is a piece of scene who has 2004 debut, continuing some of the modular synth maven evolves Headhunters-style jazz-funk; “New collaborated with debt-to-the-’80s feel of 2014’s Get Back through two 22-minute halves: the Sky” a Stevie Wonder-ish soul ballad Calexico and opened on homage-paying tracks like “Nikki title track is intensely absorbing, sung by Lynne Fiddmont; “From for Coldplay, Carla Go Sudden” and “Swollen Maps”. ever-shifting through static The Point Of Love” is Alice Coltrane- Morrison embraces hip-hop and Ultimately, Pink Mountaintops act as squiggles, warm blooms of texture, inspired astral jazz put through a artpop production on El Renacimiento, an unfiltered insight into McBean’s bioluminescent glimmers and rattling Brazilian filter; while “Birds Are her long-awaited follow-up to her musical mind, taking in everything chimes. The second side, “Floating In Singing” is a propulsive, swinging magisterial 2015 breakthrough, Amor from baggy (“You Still Around”), The Meme Pool”, is a busier creature, hard-bop waltz. JOHNLEWIS Supremo. She nimbly navigates the power-pop (“Lights Of The City”), speeding and slowing, bringing trap beat of “No Me Llames”, dances synth (“Muscles”) and thrash metal in darker, more abrasive sounds, LEYLA McCALLA along with the rocky rhythms of “Obra (“All This Death Is Killing Me”) before spreading its wings as an off-kilter De Arte”, and bends her voice into closing with the stunning Stones-goes- banger before returning to a more Breaking The Thermometer unexpected shapes on the ecstatic love country ballad “The Walk – Song For expansive beauty, like a dance of song “Diamantes”. With the control Amy”. PETERWATTS fireflies in the dark. EMILYMACKAY ANTI- and range of an opera singer, she conveys fine gradients of emotions 8/10 as she immediately immerses you into her world, whether it’s filled A powerful history of Haitian with joy or heartache, confusion or journalism in musical form determination. STEPHENDEUSNER The story of Radio Carla Haïti-Inter is one Morrison: of resistance and emotional persistence. Under connection successive regimes, the station reported NOÉ CUGNY, CHRIS CRUZ on political corruption in the Haitian Kreyòl language, and its journalists were exiled, tortured, and even executed. That’s the heroic subject of Leyla McCalla’s new album, and the singer-songwriter-cellist uses a variety of musical techniques to tell that remarkable story. Breaking The Thermometer mixes originals and instrumentals with traditional songs sung in Kreyòl, foregrounding her evocative cello work and splicing in JUNE 2022 • UNCUT • 31

KEVIN has trodden a familiar path for those born welcome revisionist stance on SLEEVE NOTES MORBY outside of America’s cultural capitals. who broadcasts the legacy of After high school, he moved to Brooklyn working people in marginalised 1 Intro This Is A to see if it matched the movies, becoming corners, and what that sounds 2 This Is A Photograph a modern garage-rock hipster and friend and looks like. Photograph to everyone cool. Then, to LA, where his 3 A Random Act DEAD OCEANS sound became earthier, more bohemian The eponymous lead single Of Kindness and twangy, an indie-rock guy through acts as a highly personal, 4 Bittersweet, TN 9/10 the haze of Bakersfield and Laurel Canyon. soul-shaking warm-up to the 5 Disappearing And finally, the prodigal son returned LP’s impressionistic third track, 6 A Coat Of Son of Kansas hones his home, to Kansas, where he embraced “A Random Act Of Kindness”, Butterflies Middle American vision. the coveted and precarious position of a one of Morby’s finest recorded 7 Rock Bottom By Erin Osmon Voice of Middle America, energised by performances whose lyrical 8 Forever Inside his environs while subverting the outside repetition and emotional A Picture WHAT is Americana, forces that aim to box him in. crescendo recalls Gertrude 9 Five Easy Pieces exactly? Since its Stein’s proposition that things 10 Stop Before birth in the margins As with many former journeymen, are what they are until they very I Cry of Nashville, and in Morby’s at his best when he mines from much aren’t. “Lift me up, by my 11 It’s Over off-lying corners of his own province. And with This Is A hand/Lift me up, if you can/Lift 12 Goodbye To the American South Photograph, he offers the wisest and most me up, be my friend/Through a Good Times and Midwest, it’s assured rendering of the Middle American random act of kindness/One that’s done in become a vast, amorphous catch-all for vision he’s been honing of late, one blindness”, he pleads ahead of blooming Produced by: American music that is vaguely rootsy, where Dylan-esque anti-singing narrates strings, an appeal to personal and Sam Cohen twangy and aware of tradition, but that impassioned, earnest and earthen tales communal consciousness. Recorded at: Slow does not purport to be country or blues. of family, place, love and heroes, and a Rising Nashville luminary Erin Rae’s Fawn Accord, Today, in America at least, it’s swelled crack band shakes the rafters. It is a more singing opens “Bittersweet, TN”, a NY; Sam Phillips beyond a discernible sound or identity, dynamic and liberated Singing Saw, and misty rumination steered by banjo and Recording making way for legions of imitators in a more expansive Sundowner. If Morby’s bittersweet nostalgia, a welcome union Memphis, TN brimmed hats and put-on Southern whole thing was ever perplexing, this is of voices. “A Coat Of Butterflies” finds Personnel: Kevin accents – working-class cosplay in search the album that will close the deal, that Morby’s narrator back in the Volunteer Morby (guitar, of a record deal on Music Row. will erase any shred of doubt. It also hints State, this time in Memphis, pondering the vocals, hand There is plenty of great music being at a new life for Americana, a rebirth greatness of Jeff Buckley and the passing claps), Sam Cohen crafted under its banner, to be sure, but shedding its costumes and prejudice, a of youth. His voice here is rhythmic and (bass, guitar, hand its sprawling and watered-down status exacting, shimmying towards a rap claps, piano, drum also begs for a reappraisal. Kevin Morby atop backing vocals by students of the machine, lap steel, seems acutely aware of this as he edges Stax Music Academy, while Makaya tambourine), Nick steadily toward a new sound of tradition. McCraven’s silken drumming and Kinsey (drums, With his latest, This Is A Photograph, he glimmering shards of harp and saxophone percussion, interrogates the people and places that round out the soulful mood. hand claps), comprise the Middle American region Album closer “Goodbye To Good Times” Josh Jaeger celebrated by Americana while also finds the frontman back in his childhood (percussion, opening the door for a more nuanced, home in Kansas, navigating its modest drums), Jared creative and inclusive future for the genre. halls and outsized memories, and singing Samuel (organ, He ditches its tropes for an aesthetic that of his family’s cultural heroes as well as piano),Cochemea combines the tortured soul of Memphis America’s – Tina Turner, Diane Lane, Otis Gastelum and the vastness of the Great Plains, Redding and Mickey Mantle. “Sometimes (saxophone), tracing an arc from Americana’s mix of the good die young, and sometimes they Alecia Chakour blues, rock and country, and the people of survive”, he sings, proffering a merciful (vocals, colour who pioneered those sounds. sense of resolve for cycles of fame, tragedy tambourine), It comes on the heels of a winding and legacy, closing on an image that is Leah Buckley journey. Born in Texas and raised in not a photograph, but a living document (backing vocals), Kansas, throughout his 34 years Morby of life and art. Brenae Johnson, Briana Johnson, CHANTAL ANDERSON Kevin Morby: “I thought drowning in the Mississippi exist in the past and feel like Zalissa Stewart, a small piece of history. Brittney Walker about vocals a lot more” River the night before he was (backing vocals), How did you think about Freddie Cohen, Rather than supposed to record his next the role of your own Annie Beedy, underground icons, voice when you were Jerry Phillips you tip your hat to Tina record. Also, as I get further recording this album? (spoken word), Turner, Otis Redding and Alecia Chakour Jeff Buckley. Why was it along in my thirties, the fact I thought about vocals a (tambourine, important for you to do lot more than I did on my backing vocals), that? For no other reason that people like Otis Redding previous albums. On “A Coat Oliver Hill, Meg Hill Of Butterflies”, I couldn’t get (violin), Charlotte than their stories happened or Jeff Buckley passed the character right for that Hill (viola), to be resonating with me at one and tried take after take Sam Quiggins the time of writing the record. away so young, but left such before landing in this sort of (cello), Erin Rae I was spending a lot of time in soft, almost whisper style of (vocals), Eric Memphis writing this album, influential and timeless work, singing. But on the opposite Johnson (banjo), so stories about those artists end of the spectrum, I knew I Rachel Baiman were everywhere I looked. is fascinating.  wanted to get very loud during (fiddle), Makaya Their lives play out like movies other moments on this record McCraven in my mind. Tina driving down    and really sing out. (drums), Brandee Highway 61, Otis Redding Younger (harp), in a plane crash, Buckley Does it matter to INTERVIEW: ERIN OSMON Cassandra you whether we Jenkins (vocals, interpret this album backing vocals), as autobiographical Tim Heidecker, or character-driven? Alia Shawkat (laughs), Tufted I like to think of my albums Titmouse (whistle) through the lens of someone discovering them so long from now that fact and fiction no longer really matters. It’ll just 32 • UNCUT • JUNE 2022

NEW ALBUMS QUINQUIS Jo Schornikow: MAVIS STAPLES/ DAMO SUZUKI widescreen LEVON HELM AND SPIRITCZUALIC SEIM MUTE vulnerability ENHANCEMENT CENTER Carry Me Home 8/10 skewed, post-rock-flavoured indie; the Arkaoda AKUPHONE chamber incarnation brings out the ANTI- Yann Tiersen’s wife asserts her pronounced Smithsian side of their 7/10 own musical identity smart introspection, especially on 8/10 “Battered & Bruised”. The dynamic Voice of krautrock gathers his Émilie Quinquis’ arrangements by the Bit20 ensemble Live from Levon’s for the last time young disciples switch from her Tiny are no mere classy embellishment, but Feet soubriquet to a collaboration that pushes Saroea’s In the summer of Since his departure her maiden name voice to greater heights, to match the 2011, Staples travelled from Can almost a emphasises her racing thrill of the strings on Covid to Woodstock to half-century ago, shift from indie isolation meditation “I’m A Rock”: perform with Helm at Damo Suzuki has inclinations to modular synths, as “a desperate crisis can help produce one of his ‘Midnight roamed the earth well as signalling an exploration real change”, indeed. EMILYMACKAY Ramble’ concerts in in search of like of her roots. Aided by producer his converted barn. Backed by a minds for collaboration. One such Gareth Jones, and singing in her JO SCHORNIKOW 15-piece band plus horn section, group is Spiritczualic Enhancement native Breton, she crafts ethereal, they delivered a spirited set of Center, a Berlin unit of international sometimes casually ominous songs, Altar KEELEDSCALES classic blues, R&B and gospel membership featuring players from her whispering voice floating above that concluded with “The Weight”, Iran, Turkey, the Philippines and the rolling, arpeggiated triplets of the 7/10 which Staples and Helm had first beyond. Recorded in Berlin in 2020, aptly titled “Adkrog” (“Start Again”), performed together at The Last Waltz Arkaoda finds the group tapping into while “Mintin”’s sparse acoustic Immersive second by in 1976 at the start of their 35-year the sort of shimmying, trancelike guitar is picked amid flickering synth Phosphorescent pianist friendship. Little did they know music Can made around Future flourishes. Magical hints of Cocteau that within a year of the reunion, Days. Now in his seventies, Suzuki is Twins enhance “Eñvor”, and “Run”’s Fans of The War Helm would be dead. It lends added a slightly diminished presence, his melancholic undertow, powered On Drugs and poignancy to songs such as “Farther voice closer to the guttural mutter by Ólavur Jákupsson’s additional Phosphorescent Along” and a mesmerising version of of Alan Vega than the cool, calm vocals, recall her husband’s 2019 might want to the Staples Singers’ “This May Be The tones of old. But his presence has a masterpiece All. WYNDHAMWALLACE lose themselves Last Time”. NIGELWILLIAMSON talismanic effect, nudging the “U” in the splendid and “Beja” up a couple of levels KATE RUSBY second album by Australian SUNFLOWER BEAN on the cosmic scale. LOUISPATTISON pianist Jo Schornikow, who plays 30: Happy Returns in Phosphorescent and is partner of Headful Of Sugar JIMI TENOR that band’s leader Matthew Houck. PURE Schornikow brings some of that MOM + POP/LUCKY NUMBER Multiversum BUREAUB widescreen Cars-like mood to Altar, 6/10 albeit in a slightly more understated 8/10 7/10 way, even if “Visions” has an anthemic Barnsley folk singer celebrates 30 flash of “Died In Your Arms Tonight” NYC trio get expansive and Mutable Finn goes back to basics years in the business by revisiting about it. The air of vulnerability that eclectic on album three songs from across her 14 albums runs through the record is emphasised Lassi Lehto has by the spooky, trembling “Spiders” and On opener “Who Put released a huge Every decade, “Semper Tigris”, which features lovely You Up To This?”, number of records in Yorkshire singer- pedal steel, with “Plaster” a naked Sunflower Bean multiple incarnations songwriter Kate centrepiece in the spirit of fellow Aussie sound like a band since his solo debut Rusby celebrates Courtney Barnett. PETERWATTS shedding their skin. as Jimi Tenor in the anniversary No longer the next 1994, indulging both his loungecore of her entry into SONDRE LERCHE big thing in indie rock, here they love and devotion to Afrobeat and the music business by revisiting embrace pop and psychedelia with jazz-funk. He’s a showman who old tracks. Following 2002’s 10 and Avatars Of Love PLZ/INGROOVES equal parts grit and grace. It’s a often thinks big, but Tenor made 2012’s 20 comes this career-spanning swaggering track that recalls St these 12 modest yet enticing tracks reappraisal, with numerous guests. 9/10 Vincent and Lonerism-era Tame in his Helsinki home studio, using Ladysmith Black Mambazo add some Impala. From here the band open a drum machine, synth loops, tenor gravitas to “We Will Sing”, Richard Lavishly orchestrated pop from up even further. “Roll The Dice” saxophone and flute. Multiversum Hawley brings his comfortingly Norwegian master craftsman embraces the harsh buzz of bass reinvents no wheels but it does conjure growly baritone to “No Names”, and electronics with pop hooks, vivid moods (“Monday Blue”, “Gare and KT Tunstall duets on an ultra- Possibly the most “Headful Of Sugar” is all ethereal De Noir”), channel his inner Suicide poppy version of “Let Me Be”. The ambitious album yet texture and whispered vocals, (“Baby Free Spirit”) and knock out a trip-hop beats and synth bass from this frightfully while “Baby Don’t Cry” is as riff- bit of jazzy breakbeat (“RajuRaju”). rarely improve upon the spartan clever Norwegian heavy as it is sugary sweet. It all Groovy as, but unselfconsciously so. originals, but 2014’s “Ghost” and singer-songwriter, combines to paint a picture of a 2003’s “Cruel” both benefit from featuring lengthy, band entering a distinct new phase. SHARON O’CONNELL some U2-style atmospherics, while episodic, lavishly orchestrated songs “Blooming Heather” is improved that often invoke his musical heroes. DANIELDYLAN WRAY by a country-rock setting and Sam On the heart-wrenching opener Kelly’s straightforward harmonies. “Guarantee That I’d Be Loved” he’s Jimi Tenor: Antônio Carlos Jobim; on the perfect conjuring JOHN LEWIS pop of “Cut” he’s Paddy McAloon; on vividmoods the drumless mini-symphony “Now FREDRIK SAROEA WITH She Sleeps Beside Me” he’s Leonard BIT20 ENSEMBLE Cohen; on the dreamily theatrical ballad “Alone In The Night” he’s Rona Diaries: The Chamber Cole Porter. Lerche’s international Versions YAP RECORDS collaborators also take him in interesting directions: “Summer In 8/10 Reverse”, featuring Japanese punk band Chai, is a terrific piece of slugging, Datarock frontman’s chamber state-of-the-art R&B.JOHNLEWIS incarnation live in Norway Recorded at the Grieg Hall in Bergen, this is a live version of a suite of lockdown songs released last year by Fredrik Saroea, frontman of Norwegian dance punks Datarock. The original Rona Diaries explored a more gently JUNE 2022 • UNCUT • 33

NEW ALBUMS TOMBERLIN REVELATIONS YE VAGABONDS I Don’t Know Who Needs TOMBERLIN Nine Waves RIVERLEA To Hear This… SADDLECREEK The elegantly understated songwriter on learning to let go 7/10 7/10 “I ’M not a singer, I’m just of learning to let go and not Irish folk brothers hit the heart Softly sung second from self- someone who’s guilty,” hold onto things”. of the matter effacing songwriter Sarah Beth Tomberlin gently warbles on “idkwntht”, That theme took shape Dublin-based As the title suggests, the acronymic title track of her as the Florida-born, Illinois- Diarmuid and Brían Brooklyn-based second album I Don’t Know raised songwriter relocated Mac Gloinn shared a Sarah Beth Who Needs To Hear This… But nomadically during the scene with Lankum, Tomberlin’s second for all her self-effacement, she pandemic before settling in and Brían crucially long-player seems has much of value to share Brooklyn, where she recorded contributed to Brigid to semi-consciously with us, and not just her own this album, mostly live in the Mae Power’s Head Above The Water. urge you to move along – nothing to self-examination. studio. “We were wanting to Rather than radical modernisation, hear here. Yet it creates its own slow- Where her 2018 debut open up and flourish,” she says, this third album’s threading of Ulster, burning allure on repeated listens. Her At Weddings was sparse but the previous two years still English and Appalachian traditions brittly plaintive but undersung tones but captivating, she and loomed large. “My life could is refreshed by rich clarity and soft and barely-there accompaniment do co-producer Phil Weinrobe have gone down a different surety, “An Island” recalling early Paul their best not to cause a commotion added beautifully subtle path if it wasn’t for the forced Simon’s piercing craft. The meeting of for much of “Easy” before a sweetly arrangements – wistful pedal pause,” she admits. “I think I’d a mourning maid and young Waterloo hymnal, piano-led chorus comes steel, drowsy sax and pulsing have made a very different veteran in “Her Mantle So Green” is a in, and then you notice the wistful synth textures – to her delicate record as well. I think it did gently intimate dialogue, tense with pedal steel echoing on the horizon of meditations, which touch on come out… I feel like it is a revelation, his touch of her regal dress “Born Again Runner” and the distant regret as the above line chapter in time. I’m excited tangible. “Blue Is The Eye” meanwhile synthesiser and sparse piano tiptoeing suggests, but also “the theme to start the next one.” offers a philosophy: “Songs to the around the slowly soulful elegy stranger, familiar and clear/Ring out “Memory”. Consider her cover blown. JOHNNY SHARP in chorus for all you hold dear”. MICHELLE YOON JOHNNY SHARP Adam exiting Eden, a laughing Jesus JACK WHITE NICK HASTED and the expiring George Floyd, in a WARPAINT potent, honky-tonk-gospel vision of Fear Of The ZOLA JESUS icons and martyrs. NICKHASTED Dawn Radiate Like This HEIRLOOMS/VIRGIN Arkhon SACREDBONES THE WAVE PICTURES THIRD MAN 7/10 8/10 When The Purple Emperor 7/10 LA band return with lighter, looser Spreads His Wings MOSHIMOSHI US goth-pop diva plays to strengths sounds of summer Noisy opening salvo to a busy 8/10 2022 – Entering Heaven Alive There’s never been a Emily Kokal, Jenny follows in July lack of intensity in the Lee Lindberg, Stella Seasonal adjustment: 20-track epic darkly hued music Mozgawa and Theresa from the rock’n’roll Londoners White’s first solo Nika Roza Danilova Wayman have been effort in four years has released under busy since their 2016 Something like 18 often invokes the her appropriately third album, Heads albums into their cacophonous spirit dramatic stage name since 2009. Yet Up, deep in side projects, solo albums career, The Wave of late-period White her seventh album still matches any of and new families. Thankfully, the Pictures are still Stripes, prizing nervy its predecessors while achieving both a undertow of Warpaint has pulled pushing forward: bluster and volume over nuance. It’s greater sense of sweep and a little more them back, revealing a lighter, looser this is their most infinitely more satisfying than patchy variety. Synthesising the aesthetic of and sexier sound. Radiate Like This ambitious record so far, a double predecessor Boarding House Reach, goth matriarchs like Lisa Gerrard and embraces a sunny – even, on “Send album with five tracks for each especially on the title track’s buzzing Jarboe with contemporary pop, dance Nudes”, silly – side while retaining season. Lyrically, David Tattersall is glam-metal or the vampy, not-quite and R&B production tactics, Danilova that dark, liquid, echoing guitar as imagistic and wry as ever, Covid rap of “What’s The Trick?”. But Fear finds a way of opening out her often and those deep, twining harmonies. lockdowns this time turning his mind Of The Dawn succeeds better when constricted sound with the help of Leaning lightly into their love of R&B to bittersweet nostalgia, French cricket it surprises. The playful “Hi-De-Ho” Sunn O))) associate Randall Dunn and on the likes of “Proof” and “Stevie”, and sports presenter Hazel Irvine. The takes a Cab Calloway sample and drummer Matt Chamberlain. Whether and relaxing into expansive, stoned- music is a fine fit too, evoking early ropes in guest Q-Tip to create jiving in the propulsive “The Fall” or the more in-the-sunshine grooves on pulsing Dire Straits, Creedence, Neil Young funk-hop that delights in the pure delicate “Desire”, she’s rarely sounded lead single “Champion” and “Like and psychedelic garage-rock. “Smell thrill of sound; “Morning, Noon so commanding. JASONANDERSON Sweetness”, it’s a perfect goth The Ocean”, especially, gives this truly And Night” races monolithic guitars summer record. EMILYMACKAY great guitarist room to stretch out over a liquid synth to equally ZOMBIE ZOMBIE and solo. TOMPINNOCK wondrous effect. THE WATERBOYS Vae Vobis BORNBAD ROB HUGHES All Souls Hill COOKINGVINYL 7/10 7/10 French synth trio get medieval on their Arps Heroes and villains sustain Mike Scott’s enduring vision For their sixth LP, les Zombies resurface “‘It’s all the same in the late Middle song,’” Mike Scott Ages, inspired by the recalls Neil Young humanistic teachings telling his audience of Erasmus – Vae from the stage, in Vobis’s titles are in Latin and the “Here We Go Again”. lyrics chanted as if sacred passages “Sometimes I guess I feel that way…” in plainsong. The music is evocative The mix of Celtic mysticism, poetic of monastic chambers and candlelit incantation and rock-culture worship cloisters, a fog of ominous-sounding remains sturdy, though the hip-hop synths and pummelled rhythms shuffles of 2020’s Good Luck, Seeker emanating from some dungeon disco return on Trump jeremiad “The Liar”. à la John Carpenter or Legowelt. Amid Two artful litanies of Scott’s pantheon the gloom, Cosmic Neman and Etienne crown an eventually rousing album: Jaumet’s enlightened musicality, plus “In My Dreams”’ list of musicians’ their “doomed angels choir”, ensure anxieties; and the nine-minute the likes of “Nusquam Et Ubique” and “Passing Through”, witnessing “Dissolutum” cast a bewitching spell. PIERS MARTIN 34 • UNCUT • JUNE 2022

NEW ALBUMS Arcade Fire: them special. First fostered during their shining a light in early years in Montreal, Arcade Fire’s chaotic times checklist of quintessential qualities includes the match of widescreen sweep ARCADE SLEEVE NOTES ambient track released via the meditation and breakneck velocity that manifests MICHAEL MARCELLE FIRE app Headspace suggests another of the so vividly in “The Lightning I, II”, the 1 Age Of Anxiety I creative paths not represented here. marriage of the epic and the intimate in We 2 Age Of Anxiety II “End Of The Empire I–IV”, the penchant (Rabbit Hole) It was a journey that wore out at least for campfire-ready singalongs in COLUMBIA 3 End Of The one Arcade Fire member: Will Butler “Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)”, and the Empire I–IV announced his departure following the interplay between Butler and partner 8/10 4 The Lightning I, II album’s completion earlier this year. Régine Chassagne on “Age Of Anxiety II 5 Unconditional I Yet from We’s opening moments, it’s (Rabbit Hole)”. The Canadians’ resurgent (Lookout Kid) clear they’ve arrived somewhere sixth. By Jason Anderson 6 Unconditional remarkable. Not since The Suburbs in That’s not to suggest We qualifies as a II (Race And 2010 have they made a work that is so leap back in time to the epiphanic indie- ANYONE harbouring Religion) fully engaged and engaging. rock of Funeral or the Springsteen-ian the ambition to 7 We fervour of The Suburbs. Instead, the album create a work that Nor has the band ever reached their retains many of the electronic trappings encapsulates the Produced by: typically high ambitions with such adopted for 2013’s Reflektor as well as the chaos and confusion Nigel Godrich, confidence or aplomb. Introducing the densely layered aesthetic of Everything of these times faces Win Butler, Régine theme of isolation that’s central to the Now. But there’s also a shift away from a fundamental Chassagne album’s first half – subtitled “I” in contrast those albums’ cynicism. As the songs obstacle: there’s rather a lot to cover. Recorded at: with “We”, its more collective-minded demonstrate again and again, the surest That’s certainly one of the reasons that BoomBox, New second part – “Age Of Anxiety I” and place to find that potential for rebirth is in We – Arcade Fire’s sixth album and first Orleans; Sonic “Age Of Anxiety II (Rabbit Hole)” were the bonds we form with each other. Butler since 2017’s Everything Now – required Ranch Studio, El inspired by “I Am Waiting”, a poem by expresses that idea in its starkest terms in the most protracted birth process in their Paso, Texas; home Lawrence Ferlinghetti that’s long been the climactic moments of “The Lightning two-decade career. In a BBC interview studio, Mount one of Win Butler’s favourites. Even if I, II”. “If you don’t quit on me, I won’t quit on in 2020, frontman Win Butler claimed Desert Island, the original was published in 1958, the you”, he sings, simple lines that help make to have written “records and records” Maine feelings of despair and disorientation it the song as stirring and thrilling as any of material while locked down at home. Personnel include: contains seem equally applicable to our they’ve made. Nor did this torrent stop when they were Win Butler (vocals, gruelling zeitgeist. Yet along with the able to re-enter the world and work on guitar, piano), “age of anxiety” Ferlinghetti describes, Despite its philosophical bent and the album in studios in New Orleans, El RégineChassagne there’s another phrase that Butler does two-part structure – not to mention the Paso and Mount Desert Island, Maine, (vocals, accordion, not repurpose but still goes straight to high preponderance of songs with Roman through 2020 and 2021. keyboards), the heart of We’s tumultuous welter of numerals – We is spared the concept- Somehow, the band and producer Nigel Richard Reed emotions and ideas. That’s the poet’s call album bloat that marred Everything Godrich honed down this mountain of Parry (guitar, for “a rebirth of wonder”, words that Butler Now thanks to its focus and concision. material to seven songs and 40 minutes. bass guitar), Tim seems to have very much in mind as he Even the album’s nine-minute, four-part The one song they debuted in the first Kingsbury (bass describes his own drive to emerge from the centerpiece “End Of The Empire I–IV” year of the pandemic – “Generation A”, guitar, guitar, darkness and be born anew. feels as tight as it can be. In the band’s which they performed on the night of the etc), Jeremy grandest acknowledgement of their debts US presidential election on Late Night Gara (drums, While any expression of optimism to their late admirer David Bowie, Butler’s With Stephen Colbert – was among those percussion), risks sounding hopelessly naive amid lamentations are initially cloaked in a that didn’t make the cut. A 45-minute Will Butler our cascade of global crises, Arcade Fire Low-worthy cloud of gloom before it all (synthesisers, have never been embarrassed about builds into a choir-enhanced finale that bass guitar), trying to shine that light. What makes it evokes both “Five Years” and “Heroes” Liza Butler (harp), seem all the brighter on We is the sense in its apocalyptic glory. Again leavening Peter Gabriel of the band’s own revitalisation and what might have been grim with energy (backing vocals) re-embrace of the strengths that made and wit, Butler transforms the humble phrase “I unsubscribe” into a rallying cry of opposition in the face of the algorithms that oppress us. And for all the heaviness that inspired We, the album is fuelled more by a spirit of joy, another hallmark of the band’s early days that faded as the years wore on. It’s here again in the celebrations of love and commitment in “Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)” and “Unconditional II (Race And Religion)”, a Chassagne-sung highlight given another burst of gusto by guest vocalist Peter Gabriel. Though this resurgence of positivity will hopefully not be hampered by the loss of Will Butler, Arcade Fire’s most reliable wild card, he leaves the band sounding healthier. Like Spoon with Lucifer On The Sofa and Animal Collective with Time Skiffs, Arcade Fire have delivered a triumphant restatement of purpose that 2022 probably doesn’t deserve but is brightened by all the same. So best enjoy this age of wonder while it lasts. JUNE 2022 • UNCUT • 35

“You’re always laughing way down at me/But watch out now, I’m gonna get there” 1 NORAH JONES (P40) 2 NEIL YOUNG (P43) 2 SANDY DENNY (P44) 4 LONNIE LISTON SMITH (P46) 5 RICHARD THOMPSON (P49) REISSUES | COMPS | BOXSETS | LOST RECORDINGS ? AND THE MYSTERIANS 96 Tears/Action(reissues, 1966, ’67) ABKCO Shades of ’66: enigmatic garage punkers return to vinyl. By Jim Wirth OON April 2, 1968, Rudy REISSUE vinyl after a long spell in legal limbo – went ‘?’ Martinez was one OF THE largely unnoticed, with mismanagement, of three men picked MONTH racism and more goings-on elsewhere up by Michigan state helping to seal the band’s fate as a one-hit police in a lay-by near the Zilwaukee Bridge, 8/10 wonder. As ? whoops presciently on the debut album’s “Ten O’Clock”: “You miss your not far from his home town train, now your name’s erased”. of Saginaw, the trio arrested for possession of However, for lovers of garage rock – the genre “several tubes of glue and brown bags containing post-rationalised into existence following Lenny glue”. In the wrong place at the wrong time with Kaye’s 1972 compilation of overlooked small- very much the wrong drugs, the perma-shaded time 7” singles, Nuggets – ? And The Mysterians’ ? And The Mysterians singer thus found himself underachievement remains heroic. about as far from the These crystal-clear new versions of psychedelic action as 96 Tears (1966) and Action (1967) show he could have been, an a band impervious to the psychedelic improbable local success winds of change, persisting in playing story recast as something lascivious, Brit-style R&B at teenage of a laughing stock. velocity, in blissful ignorance of Naive, sci-fi crazy, anything The Beatles, The Rolling Mexican-American Stones – or indeed anyone else – had youngsters from a blue- done since 1965. collar backwater two hours’ Once a covers band, ? And The drive from Detroit, ? And Mysterians hit on a neat gimmick The Mysterians contrived to when ? renounced his birth record the second-biggest- name, but seemed fated to go selling US single of 1966 nowhere, their first attempts at (outsold only by The Mamas & The recording vanishing after the Papas’ “California Dreamin’”) studio owner was murdered in a basic studio in Bay City, in Detroit. They got a second Michigan. A wounded rant with a chance, with “96 Tears” going killer keyboard sound, “96 Tears” viral after receiving a limited sold a million, but the two albums release on the tiny Pa-Go- the band released – now back on Go label, becoming a hit in 36 • UNCUT • JUNE 2022

? And The Mysterians: impervious to the psychedelic winds of change JUNE 2022• UNCUT • 37

of the same tune (on harmonica) intro to “Girl (You Captivate Me)”, he has a strange premonition of Patti Smith as he into his 1963 No 1 “Fingertips”. intones, “Dark alleys and streetlights I’d walk a lonely sleepless night/The shadows The instrumental “Set Aside” were all I had until you came into my life”, a knowing wink – perhaps – to a love that and “Midnight Hour” show might have been wary of speaking its name in Saginaw. Elsewhere, he delights that the Mysterians had jazz in tossing off romantic cheese like “Just Like A Rose” and high-kicks his way and blues chops too, but if they through the Isley Brothers’ “Shout” while the “la la la”s of his own “I’ll Be Back” aspire to the alpha-male thud show that he may have missed his true calling as a Ronette. of the Spencer Davis Group’s However, as a commercial proposition, “Keep On Running” on “Don’t ? And The Mysterians were not about to be anyone’s baby. Even at the dawning of the Break This Heart Of Mine”, ?’s Age of Aquarius, the colour of their skin probably closed doors for them, and ?’s Prince-pitched vocals subtly eccentricity perhaps did not help (he was liable to tell interviewers that he was from queer their pitch. He comes Mars, and had been walking the earth since the time of the dinosaurs). on like a repentant Little SLEEVE NOTES Cameo-Parkway kept vainly chasing Richard on a take of “Stormy another hit, the band putting out further 96 Tears doomed singles plus would-be novelty 1 I Need Monday” – the only cover hits as the Fun Sons and the Semi- Somebody Colons? for the label, which went bust 2 Stormy Monday on 96 Tears – and plays the in September 1967. Beatles lawyer Allen 3 You’re Telling Klein picked up ? And The Mysterians’ Me Lies wounded innocent superbly on back catalogue in the subsequent fire sale, 4 Ten O’Clock but his ABKCO label blocked any large- 5 Set Aside the featherweight “Why Me”, scale reissues until relatively recently. 6 Up Side Meanwhile, the band barely survived 7 “8” Teen a wet lettuce approximation of into the 1970s; Capitol put out a one-off 8 Don’t Tease Me single, “Make You Mine”, in 1968, but a 9 Don’t Break This Love’s “My Little Red Book”. third album – recorded for Ray Charles’ Heart Of Mine Tangerine label – remains unreleased. 10 Why Me Appealing Producer Bogart perhaps 11 Midnight Hour androgyny: recognised this appealing “96 Tears” fared pretty well without 12 96 Tears frontman ?, androgyny in ? when he them, though. Recorded by Aretha aka Rudy forced the soppy “Can’t Franklin, Eddie & The Hot Rods and Action Martinez Suicide among others, it provided minor 1 Girl (You hits for Big Maybelle, The Stranglers and Captivate Me) Get Enough Of You Baby” Thelma Houston, as well as the “I’ve got 2 Can’t Get 96 tears in 96 eyes” hook for The Cramps’ Enough Of You, (previously recorded by ’50s slasher “Human Fly”. ? And The Baby Mysterians’ two LPs don’t quite live up 3 Got To Saginaw, then Flint, then Detroit, before “A Lover’s Concerto” hitmakers The Toys) to that improbable hit, but they at least 4 I’ll Be Back highlight the subtle musical smarts and 5 Shout (Parts a deal with the Cameo-Parkway label on to the band for Action. The hackneyed off-stage drama integral to a story where 1 & 2) the sweet smell of success gives way to 6 Hangin’ On A helped propel it to the national No 1 spot attempt to graft the keyboard line from the disorienting fog of solvents. Read String between the lines and you’ve got a novel. 7 Smokes in October 1966. “96 Tears” on to this potential comeback Extras: None. 8 It’s Not Easy 9 Don’t Hold It With future Casablanca disco mogul hit sounded clueless to the teenaged Against Me 10 Just Like A Neil Bogart whipping them on, the Balderrama (see interview), but ?’s Rose 11 Do You Feel It Mysterians recorded two albums in slightly mocking delivery suggests he the space of six months, guitarist may be in on a joke somewhere. Bobby Balderrama and 15-year-old Vox Toughened up by an intense bout Continental wizard Frankie Rodriguez of touring, the Mysterians essay the providing tunes for their hyperactive streetwalking cheetah bit rather more frontman to adorn with campy yelps and convincingly on Action. Groovy, laidback rather less subtle come-ons. Quite how and nasty, “Smokes” does the Muddy no-one at the relatively strait-laced Waters “I’m A Man” bit as ? scowls: “I Cameo-Parkway noticed him muttering don’t care if you’re blue or red/I’ll take “girl, you masturbate me” on Action’s you any time anywhere in the night”. fuzztoned calling card “Girl (You The fade-out to the hard-edged “It’s Fascinate Me)” is anyone’s guess. Not Easy” is similarly lusty, the singer If they were young and a little unsubtle, promising: “I got kisses and I can hug you ? And The Mysterians were not the and I can… I said I can…” Meanwhile, musical lightweights some latter-day the jaunty “Don’t Hold It Against Me” is fans would perhaps like them to be. a gaslighter’s excuse for infidelity on the Frankie Gonzalez’s sly drop of a passage lines of Shaggy’s “It Wasn’t Me”, ? sorry/ of “Mary Had A Little Lamb” into “I Need not sorry as he keens “you were gone and Somebody” – the opening track from she was there”. the debut album – is evidence of a band If the Mysterians can pass as leathery that knew their history. Fellow Saginaw road warriors, ?’s hard-man act continues keyboard king Stevie Wonder slipped a bit to mask a more delicious ambiguity. In the HOW TO BUY... ORIGINAL ARTYFACTS Great albums by stars of the Nuggets compilation JULIAN KLEIN THE 13TH FLOOR THE SEEDS ELECTRIC PRUNES ELEVATORS A Web Of Sound Underground Easter Everywhere GNP CRESCENDO, 1966 REPRISE, 1967 INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS, 1967 Flogged into recording two The Californians had two hits Roky Erickson’s psychedelic jug albums in quick succession in – “I Had Too Much To Dream band never managed to follow the aftermath of their 1966 hit (Last Night)” plus “Get Me To up No 55 smash “You’re Gonna Miss Me”, but the “Pushin’ Too Hard”, Sky Saxon’s oddball crew The World On Time” – and an artist-friendly Texans’ first two LPs are genre classics. The hit peak freak with their second LP. “Mr Farmer” label that let them explore. There’s a discernible Psychedelic Sounds Of… has the hit but the and “Tripmaker” express their punky side, while Saucerful Of Secrets unearthliness on their follow-up has even more raw power. Hear the 14-minute “Up In Her Room” is the Stones’ second album, but the Prunes’ slashed-seats apocalyptic opening salvo “Slip Inside This “Going Home” with extra demon fuzz. R&B thang persists on “Dr Do-Good” and “Long House” and “Slide Machine” and shudder. 8/10 8/10 Day’s Flight”. 8/10 38 • UNCUT • JUNE 2022

ARCHIVE writing when we were travelling. We could get together in hotels. “Can’t Get Enough Of You Baby” was the big single off Action – were you not a fan? When I listened to bands I used to think, ‘Don’t sound like your old songs, create something new.’ And when we did “Can’t Get Enough Of You Baby” the producer wanted us to start it like “96 Tears”, and I wasn’t too crazy about that. I was young, so I wasn’t in a position to argue. I remember being told, ‘If you don’t want to play it, we’ll get another guitar player.’ Q&A “I was real good at Mexicans showing up. But as we made After the LPs, you put out a couple coming up with it, it wasn’t like that. It’s like the old blues of singles for different labels – Mysterians guitarist chord structures”: guys: a lot of these black singers could how do you feel about those? Bobby Balderrama: Bobby Balderrama go on stage and play but when they went “We definitely had (in hat) with the to a restaurant they were not welcome. There’s a song that we put out on Capitol a certain sound” Mysterians That’s what you dealt with. in 1968 – “Make You Mine”; I really like that. Then we recorded a full album What sort of stuff did you start Was there a lot of pressure to for the Tangerine label at Ray Charles’ out playing? follow-up “96 Tears”? studio but it never came out. One single was released, “Ain’t It A Shame”. Jack We started as a three-piece instrumental Once you have a No 1 hit that’s sold White covered it. I wrote another song band doing The Ventures and Duane millions across the world, it’s hard to for that LP – a slow one – and we had Eddy – me and my nephew Larry Borges replicate. We came close: two or three a sitar player come in and play on it. It and Robert Martinez, ?’s brother. But singles made it Top 60 but we were was a beautiful song. Tangerine are still everybody kept asking, “Who sings in never able to make it back to No 1, so holding on to the masters. We’re trying the band?”, so Robert said his brother a lot of people considered us to be a to get them so we can release the album, could sing, so we got Rudy in. He one-hit wonder. but it’s been a hard thing. sounded like Mick Jagger. He was always kind of a recluse but he was a great The band wrote all but one of You gave up the band in entertainer. He could dance like a the songs on the 1969 – why? girl and do the splits. I remember we 96 Tears LP – was were watching Shindig or Hullaballoo that a struggle? We lasted about two years and then the and The Dave Clark Five came on and music changed. The psychedelic thing they had a keyboard and we said, We’d written a couple came in. Bands like Cream would play “Wow, that sounds really nice”, of songs, then the the same song for like 15 minutes and so we added a keyboard. We’re all producer said we’d got jam, and the style that we had was fading Mexican, so we also had that Latin to do an album. I was away. I remember Jim Morrison of The influence a little bit. real good at coming up Doors called “96 Tears” a bubblegum with chord structures song. I don’t hold any grudge; I like The You were very young when and Frank the keyboard Doors. I went back to school to train to be you recorded “96 Tears” – it player was real good at an electronic technician. must have been amazing to making it better, then watch it get successful. ? did the lyrics and the It’s a two-hour drive from your singing. By the time we part of Michigan to Detroit; did I was 15. Frankie the keyboard did Action, we definitely you have any contact with The player was only 14. We weren’t had a certain sound – a Stooges and the MC5? even in high school yet. We didn’t lot of people call it garage hang around with the other guys punk. We’d started No. They were from Detroit. Grand Funk in the band ’cause they were 18, 19 and Mark Farner – we knew those guys. or 20. The only time we hung out “Once you have a No 1 They were from Flint, about 30 miles MICHAEL OCHS ARCHIVES/GETTY IMAGES was when we played or practised. hitthat’s sold millions from Saginaw. When you grow up in They shortened “96 Tears” a little bit across the world, it’s an area and you love it, it’s best to stay for radio play, but the hit is the one that hard to replicate” there. I loved playing in New York and was recorded where I live in Bay City, California, but I wouldn’t want to live out Michigan. It just kind of took off. there. Michigan’s our home. Did being Mexican-Americans You play smooth jazz now as cause the band problems? Robert Lee; does the Mysterians stuff seem unsophisticated Initially, in a lot of clubs we couldn’t by comparison? play because they didn’t want a lot of I was still learning when we made those records, but I still love to play that kind of music. Unfortunately, ? doesn’t want to perform at the moment because of Covid – he’s really scared of it. Back then a lot of bands got taken advantage of by the record label or the manager, and that’s what happened to us. But we had a great time making all that music. INTERVIEW: JIM WIRTH JUNE 2022 • UNCUT • 39

JOANNE SAVIO NORAH JONES Since her debut Jones has recorded half a the demo to Blue Note president Bruce dozen more huge-selling albums and lent Lundvall and the long and winding road Come Away With Me: her beguiling voice to collaborations with to Come Away With Me which ensued Super Deluxe Edition Foo Fighters, Outkast, Ray Charles, Ryan is chronicled here in a collection that Adams, Dolly Parton, Danger Mouse, augments the album’s 14 released tracks BLUE NOTE Jeff Tweedy, Mavis Staples and Herbie with another 30. They include demos, Hancock among others. early sessions and an entire version of 9/10 the album recorded with producer Craig Yet it is Come Away With Me, recorded Street, subsequently scrapped when Jones Twenty years on, the road to her debut LP when she was 22 and which Jones herself went back into the studio with Atlantic chronicled. By Nigel Williamson self-deprecatingly calls “my moody little veteran Arif Mardin. record”, which has remained her biggest ONitsreleasein seller and her calling card. Sequenced chronologically, we get a February 2002, unique insight into the evolution of a expectations for After graduating from the University of classic album, starting with the three self- Norah Jones’ debut North Texas, Jones moved to New York recorded demos that first persuaded Blue album were “modest” in 1999 and began playing jazz gigs in Note that Jones had something special. in the extreme, What is most striking is that at the time the as the liner notes restaurants around singer clearly regarded herself primarily accompanying this expanded 20th- Manhattan. Her 21st as a jazz chanteuse. “Spring Can Really anniversary edition tell us. In Uncut’s brief birthday found her Hang You Up The Most”, a song made original review, we suggested that Jones’ singing at a brunch famous by Ella Fitzgerald, was recorded sultry voice sat somewhere between Sade with the JC Hopkins solo in Jones’ school band room but finds and Shelby Lynne, but did at least hint that Biggish Band. After her sounding like a precociously assured she might go on to outstrip both of them. the gig she gave a lounge singer. Nat King Cole’s “Walkin’ Nine Grammy awards, 30 million sales three-track demo My Baby Back Home” is even jazzier and two decades later, that judgement to Shell White, who with double bass and trumpet, and it’s seems a tad cautious but not too far wide happened to be only on the Bonnie Raitt-like “World Of of the mark. not only Hopkins’ Trouble” that we get a hint of the jazz-pop wife but also an troubadour mode eventually heard on 40 • UNCUT • JUNE 2022 executive with Come Away With Me. EMI Publishing. White passed

SLEEVE NOTES ARCHIVE DISC 1 Original Album Hang You Up Calling You Produced by: Arif AtoZ 15 Turn Me On Mardin, Jay Newland, 1 Don’t Know Why The Most 16 Lonestar Norah Jones & This month… 17 Peace Craig Street 2 Seven Years 2 Walkin’ My Baby Recorded at: Sorcerer P42 BRIGHT EYES DISC3 The Allaire Sound Studio, New P43 NEIL YOUNG 3 Cold Cold Heart Back Home Sessions York City; Allaire P44 SANDY DENNY 1 I’ll Be Your Baby Studios, Shokan, P45 ROBERT FRIPP 4 Feelin’ The Same 3 World Of Trouble Woodstock P46 TERRY ALLEN Tonight Personnel: Norah P46 ROXY MUSIC Way 4 The Only Time 2 I’ve Got To See Jones (vocals, P48 SPARKS piano), Sam Yahel P49 XTC 5 Come Away 5 I Didn’t Know You Again (Hammond B-3), Rob 3 What Would I Do Burger (pump organ, AFRICA NEGRA With Me About You 4 Come Away accordion), Jesse Harris (guitar), Adam Antologia Vol 1 6 Shoot The Moon 6 Something Is With Me Levy (guitar), Kevin 5 Picture In A Frame Breit (guitar), Bill Frisell BONGO JOE 7 Turn Me On Calling You 6 Nightingale (electric guitar), Jenny 7 Peace Scheinman (violin), 7/10 8 Lonestar (tabla version) 8 What Am I To You Lee Alexander (bass), 9 Painter Song Brian Blade (drums), Compilation of ’70s and ’80s 9 I’ve Got To See 7 Just Like A Dream 10 Turn Me On Dan Rieser (drums) recordings from João Sería’s 11 A Little At A Time São Toméan guitar gods You Again Today 12 One Flight Down 13 Fragile Africa’s island 10 Painter Song 8 When Sunny Gets nations usually comprise 11 One Flight Down Blue populations drawn from all over the 12 Nightingale 9 What Am I To You African continent, and their music and culture often 13 The Long Day 10 Hallelujah I Love reflect this diversity. This compilation of 1970s and ’80s music from Africa Is Over Him So Negra, the most enduring outfit from the Atlantic island of São Tomé & 14 The Nearness 11 Daydream Principe, shows them taking influence from all over Africa and beyond. Of You 12Don’t Know Why Under the leadership of João Sería and his fellow guitarists Leonildo Barros, 13 Come Away Armando Tito and Antonio Teixeira, Africa Negra drew from various DISC 2 Demo Sessions With Me African guitar styles – a joyous mix of Congolese rumba, Ghanaian highlife, 1 Spring Can Really 14 Something Is Ivorian gwe gwe, Guinean gumbe and so on. These sparkling, multi- being offered a full recording layered guitars provide the bedrock for infectious vocal harmonies and contract, Jones requested call-and-response chants. The wah- wah-heavy “Vence Vitória” and the that Street should produce, slinky jit jive of “Carambola” are both irresistibly catchy masterclasses in inspired by his work on pan-African guitar playing, while on tracks like “Quá Na Buá Néga Fá” you Cassandra Wilson’s 1995 can even hear rhythmic elements from Brazil, Cuba and Haiti. Grammy-winning New EXTRAS: None. Moon Daughter, which she JOHN LEWIS regarded as a touchstone. Africa Negra: a joyous mix The aborted album they of styles put together at Allaire JUNE 2022 • UNCUT • 41 Studios near Woodstock offers an intriguing glimpse into the record that Come Away With Me might have been. In the end, three of the 13 tracks from the sessions made it onto the final album and one can hear why the Street- Those three songs initially got Jones signed on a produced versions of songs such as “Come Away With demo deal rather than a full contract and she was sent Me” and “Turn Me On” were ultimately rejected. Given away to work on original material with her guitarist the kind of moody, textured wash associated with Jesse Harris and bassist Lee Alexander. “We let her Daniel Lanois, they’re terrific in their own right and find her own direction,” Brian Bacchus, Blue Note’s Jones sings them exquisitely; but the vibe has strayed head of A&R, explained. “We knew that if she could a long way from the simpler, jazzier mood of the develop her songwriting, it would work.” demos that had excited Blue Note in the first place. Only a handful of the 14 new songs she recorded The version of Come Away With Me that was found their way on to Come eventually released cherry-picked Away With Me but they included the best moments from the three Harris’s “Don’t Know Why”. “We knew different sources. “Don’t Know Recorded in a single take, it’s the if she could Why” and “Turn Me On” came hit version that ended up on the develop her from the demo sessions, “Seven finished album with only the Years,” “Feelin’ The Same Way” lightest overdubs. Also retained and “The Long Day Is Over” from from those early sessions was a the Street-produced set, and nine wondrous jazz-blues take on John songs were recorded or re-recorded D Loudermilk’s “Turn Me On”, songwriting, withMardin,whoaddeda singled out as her finest vocal burnished veneer of sophistication performance in Uncut’s review it would without subtracting from the of the album 20 years ago. freshness that had characterised Among the unreleased songs, work” the demos. perhaps the most revealing is As a deep dive into how a “Something Is Calling You”, talented young artist and a smart which has a raga-like circular record label go about feeling their guitar motif and Indian tabla accompaniment. way to greatness, this 20th-anniversary edition is not At the time it was not widely known that Jones only endlessly fascinating but required listening for was the daughter of Ravi Shankar. anyone involved in the business of making records as The simple, unpretentious integrity of the demo a foundation course in how it should be done. sessions beguiled Blue Note’s big-wigs and on Extras: 8/10.

Creek labelmate, out Blain Hunt’s tender Scottish accent, performance recorded that same the careful use of strings and a quietly year, and shows off Entourage’s in isolated, close-knit optimistic galloping jangle that breadth and imagination. A beautiful echoes the likes of Belle & Sebastian, take on “Neptune Rising” and the Omaha, Nebraska. His King Creosote and Aztec Camera. This Popol Vuh-ish “Euphoric Bells/Druid collection by reissue specialist Needle Dance” are rooted in a pretty, bucolic tremulously intimate, Mythology brings together songs sound at the crossroads of New Age from each of those releases, presented and classical minimalism. But there unhinged voice non-chronologically and adding are more challenging sounds here too three new tracks on a bonus seven- – see the chaotic improv of “Space now sounds almost inch. The set highlights the band’s Needle Suicide” or dervish-like emotional and musical ambition on rhythmic piece “Giraffes We Ride parodically extreme, low-key marvels like “Bad Things Through Lightning Spilling”. Happen When It’s Quiet” and “There Extras: None. as it maps hysterical Is No-One Who Can Tell You Where You’ve Been”, while “Carve A Pattern” LOUIS PATTISON landscapes of ignominy and the magnificent “Sunday Bells” showcase their helter-skelter pop side. MARIANNE FAITHFULL and obscure conspiracy. The three new tracks aren’t bad either, with the tumbling “Dear John”, folk- Vagabond Ways On “The Calendar Hung pop “So Far So What” and defiantly life-affirming “Love Is A Fact”. (reissue, 1999) Itself…”, hurtling synths EXTRAS 8/10:Bonus 7”, unseen photographs, sleevenotes by author BMG match the clenched, John Niven. PETERWATTS 6/10 careening shrieks. He was ENTOURAGE MUSIC AND THEATER ENSEMBLE Mixed bag of originals and still mourning his lost covers, extended The Mermaid’s Purse: Christian faith then, and Live At Chatham College 1976 The weight of experience can’t help In Creation’s the depression filling the FOLKWAYS but define Faithfull’s corridor of lyrics is semi-satirically songs, each a vehicle power: (l-r) addressed in “An Attempt 7/10 for her striking voice – Dick Green, Ken To Tip The Scales”. The raw and characterful, Popple, Alan separately released Previously unheard live artefact if tonally limited. It’s an acquired taste, McGee and companion EP revisits from Baltimore avant-garde troupe as is the gloom and vulnerability often Uncut’s own five songs in Oberst’s displayed in her lyrics. There’s no Phil King of Felt more conventional, Entourage Music And shortage of either on this LP produced (front), 1987 Theater Ensemble’s by Daniel Lanois and Mark Howard, The Neptune who also lend their musicianship. BIFF BANG POW! middle-aged voice, Collection, reissued Alongside five (co-written) originals further leavened by Phoebe Bridgers’ a couple of years back sit covers of Roger Waters’ grimly A Better Life – Complete harmonies, and covers Lullaby on Folkways, shone reflective “Incarceration Of A Flower Creations 1983–1991 For The Working Class’s anthemic a light on this most strange and Child” and John/Taupin’s “For Wanting singular of groups. An improv ensemble You”, while a mix of six unreleased CHERRY RED “Hypnotist (Song For Daniel H)”. who largely performed accompanied tracks and demos satisfies the “deluxe” by modern dance or theatrical requirement. They add spark to a 8/10 Bright Eyes’ preceding LPs are also performance, their music – a dreamy record that opens with the stark social out, with companion EPs: “Letting Off blend of folk, prog, world music and realism of the title track and peaks Career-spanning retrospective for The Happiness: A Companion” covers New Age – was strange but beguiling with Cohen’s droll ode to ageing and Creation Records home team key influence Elliott Smith’s “St Ides (one devotee was Kieran Hebden, artistry, “Tower Of Song”, but rather who sampled Entourage’s “Neptune drags in between.  For a while, Biff Heaven” with Bridgers, while M Ward Rising” on the Four Tet track “She Extras: 7/10 Standouts are the dark Moves She”). The Mermaid’s Purse ache of “Drifting” and a strong cover of Bang Pow! were the beautifies “Kathy With A K’s Song”. unearths a previously unheard live Dylan’s “Blood In My Eyes”, previously on the Japan-only release. closest British indie Extras: None. SHARON O’CONNELL Creation came to a NICK HASTED house band – led BUTCHER BOY by label boss Alan McGee, with right-hand man Richard You Had A Kind Face Green on guitar, and members of NEEDLE MYTHOLOGY Primal Scream and Felt filling out 8/10 the lineup, they come across a bit like McGee’s fantasy gang. But that Indie-pop Glaswegians’ album undersells the charm of McGee’s picks plus three new songs songwriting: while he ultimately was Butcher Boy released a stylist, influenced by those around three fine albums him, McGee made smart choices. between 2007 and Biff Bang Pow!’s early albums, like 2011 and returned 1985’s Pass The Paintbrush, Honey, sit with an EP in 2017, squarely within a mod-psych-punk but while their music continuum, the influence of Dan feels timeless, it has a pronounced Treacy of Television Personalities sense of place thanks to singer John hanging heavily. By 1988’s Love Is Forever, he’s seduced by the bruised Butcher Boy: balladry of labelmates Nikki Sudden great Scots and Dave Kusworth. But someone who can write a song as genuinely affecting as the fragile acoustic lament of “She Paints” was onto something. Extras:6/10:A disc of pre-Biff Bang Pow! recordings. JONDALE BLEDDYN BUTCHER BRIGHT EYES FeversAndMirrors(reissue, 2000)/Fevers And Mirrors: A Companion DEAD OCEANS 8/10, 6/10 Reissue programme begins, plus new EPs of re-recordings and relevant covers Conor Oberst was 20 when Bright Eyes’ third album, Fevers And Mirrors, proved he was more than Lullaby For The Working Class’s prodigious Saddle 42 • UNCUT • JUNE 2022

ARCHIVE SLEEVE NOTES The impossibly delicate “See The Sky About To Rain” may well be the definitive version of this OBS 3: Dorothy underrated ballad. Finally, the snippet of “You Chandler Pavilion And Me” (a song he wouldn’t finish until more (Los Angeles: than two decades later) that presages “I Am A February 1, 1971) Child” is the kind of thing that Shakey Heads live 15 tracks for. You’ve doubtless already heard the version of “Needle And The Damage Done” on Royce Hall — OBS 4: Royce Hall it’s this take that would later appear on Harvest. (Los Angeles: January 30, 1971) Why isthisperiod so important to Neil? “Iloved 16 tracks it”, he told Cameron Crowe of his early ’70s solo tours. “It was real personal. Very much a one-on- OBS 5: Citizen one thing with the crowd.” That warm rapport Kane Jr Blues (Live comes across nicely on Royce Hall and Dorothy The Bottom Line) Chandler Pavilion – both venues are in the LA (NYC:May 16, area, so theywere virtually homecoming concerts 1974) 11 tracks for Neil. A reference he makes to the “memory of Producedby:The the Buffalo Springfield” at Royce Hall gets such NEIL YOUNG Volume Dealers – a rapturous response that it’s safe to assume that Neil Young & many in the crowd had been there back in the Niko Bolas Sunset Stripdays.Buttheseshowsarenonostalgia trips, old bands notwithstanding. Maybe Neil Official Bootleg Series: Royce Hall, 1971/ sees this era as the point where he truly came into Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 1971/Citizen his own as a solo performer, with no need for the Kane Jr Blues (Live The Bottom Line) WARNERS Springfield, CSNY or Crazy Horse. Young’s fondness for the early 1970s might also have something to do with the fact that he had just 7/10, 8/10, 9/10 met actress Carrie Snodgress, with whom he’d quickly fallen in love. By May of 1974, however, Seductive sets round out important period for Young. By Tyler Wilcox thebloomwasofftheroseforNeilandCarrie — and along with the legendary Homegrown AS with so many other things, However, with the release of two more 1971 (finally released in 2020), Citizen Kane Jr Blues Neil Young’s attitude towards acoustic shows, Neil can probably close the book (Live The Bottom Line) is a stirring document of bootlegs has been inconsistent, on his post-Déjà Vu/post-After The Gold Rush solo his heartache in the wake of their dissolving love to say the least. An oft-circulated era.RoyceHall,1971 and DorothyChandlerPavilion, affair. “Here’s another bummer for you,” Young film clip from the early 1970s 1971, recorded daysapart,join the aforementioned jokes at one point, before launching into an shows him angrily confronting Carnegie Hall 1970, Young Shakespeare, Live At epically lonesome “Ambulance Blues”. a hapless record store clerk over The Cellar Door, and Live At Massey Hall 1971, all of Neil was about to embark on an CSNY arena a stack of unauthorised CSNY which feature similar setlists. Throw in two earlier tour, but he dropped in unannounced to the releases, eventually absconding sets, Sugar Mountain – Live At Canterbury House 400-capacity Bottom Line in NYC to debut a set with them, unpaid for. By the 1968and LiveAt TheRiverboat 1969, and we’ve got of mostly new, mostly downcast material. It’s early 1990s, however, he had a more than full portrait of Neil as a young artist, a unique performance, with a wealth of rarely changed his tune. “More power alone onstage. Taken on their own merits, Royce played material, from opener “Pushed It Over to them – they can sell ’em in the Hall and Dorothy Chandler are prime examples of The End” to “Motion Pictures”, a song Neil has parking lot, I don’t give a shit,” Young in early ’71 … but maybe we can move on yet to play ever again (sacrilegiously, Neil has Young told biographer Jimmy to other territory now? Future Official Bootlegs edited some of the original banter out). Even if McDonough. “I have nothing announced but now pushed back include a devastation is the overarching theme of the new against bootlegs – for an artist Tonight’s The Night-era gig at London’s Rainbow material, Young sounds alert and lucid, his guitar like me, they’re essential.” Theatre and a 3LP collection of recordings made in work precise, his vocals expressive. Thankfully In the 2020s, Neil has leaned even further in the 1977 with Young’s virtually undocumented band recorded by taper Simon Montgomery, the Bottom latter direction. Last year saw the launch of his The Ducks, plus Archives III, due this year. Line bootleg was the kind of listening experience Official Bootleg Series with Carnegie Hall 1970 Dorothy Chandler is the one to get; the 8+-minute that turned casual fans into obsessives. Now (though in typically haywire fashion, this was in “Sugar Mountain”, with numerous spoken-word remastered and officially part of Neil’s ongoing fact a previously un-bootlegged performance). digressions, is Neil at his most hilariously droll. saga, its seductive power remains undimmed. Now, he’s released three more volumes, all solo ALSO OUT... acoustic, capturing two early 1971 concerts and one surprise small-club gig in 1974. Thanks to Official Release Series Freedom), but “Eldorado” remains LP AmericanDream, soit’s not upgraded sonics (but retaining their charmingly Volume 4 (Hawks & the main draw here; not only has too hard to guess the inspiration. amateur graphic design), they’re are all worthy Doves, Re·ac·tor, This it been near impossible to find on “Heavy Love” is similarly additions to Young’s ever-expanding canon. But Note’s For You, “Eldorado”) vinyl, it also contains two tunes raging, Young’s gutbucket guitar fans will almost certainly have a few quibbles unavailable anywhere else – and soundingliterally likeahurricane, about this latest batch of boots. WARNERS bothare monsters. Itkicks offwith Cromwell and Rosas crashing a blast of atonal amp buzz and behind an unhinged vocal – As Neil rightly notes, bootlegs have been 7/10 essential for understanding and contextualising In tandem with feedback before Young, drummer Hüsker Dü, watch out. Joined a career as long and varied as his. He’s played the latest Official Chad Cromwell and bassist Rick by the title track, the harrowing CHRIS WALTER/WIREIMAGE with a host of different bands, he’s gone through Bootlegs comes Rosas (a band cheekily known as “Don’t Cry” and a wicked cover countless phases and side trips, he’s left entire the fourthvolume TheRestless)launchheadlong into of The Coasters’ “On Broadway”, albums unreleased for decades. Any die-hard of Young’s Official the seething “Cocaine Eyes”. Old “Eldorado” is a crucial piece of will tell you Young’s officially released records tell Release Series, Black’s tone is insanely distorted, Young’s weird 1980s saga. More only a fraction of his story (case in point: “Dance which gathers three eclectic LPs all crunch and screech, as Neil than anything,theEP sentasignal Dance Dance”, the only song on all three of these from the 1980s, plus “Eldorado”, hollers angrily at old friends who to longtime fans that, after several new Official Bootlegs, didn’t show up on a Young an EP previously available only on have “lost the race again”. The years of unfocused genre-hopping, imports. It’s just five songs (three Restlesssessionscame inthewake therewas plentyof life leftinNeil. release until 2007). of which would appear on 1989’s of the muddled CSNY reunion Ragged and completely glorious. JUNE 2022 • UNCUT • 43

Moving SLEEVE NOTES written by her boyfriend of the time, through the tempestuous American folkie Jackson fair: Sandy 1 Blues Run The C Frank, making a particularly fine fist Denny Game of his signature song, “Blues Run The 2 Milk & Honey Game”. Elsewhere, she covers Bert Jansch SANDY DENNY 3 Soho (“Soho”), and offers up a beautiful, hushed 4 It Ain’t Me Babe take on Fred Neil’s “A Little Bit Of Rain”. Early Home Recordings 5 East Virginia In contrast, attempts at two songs written 6 Geordie by her friend and fellow free spirit Anne EARTH 7 In Memory (The Briggs – “Go Your Own Way My Love” and Tender Years) “The Time Has Come” – seem halting, 7/10 8 I Love My True almost tentative. The pick of this crop is Love a tender, transformative reading of Bob The folk legend’s solo demos from 1966-’68 released on 9Let No Man Steal Dylan’s “It Ain’t Me Babe”, a song Denny vinyl for the first time. By Graeme Thomson Your Thyme would sing many times, here presented 10 Ethusel as a masterclass in tone and dynamics, THE market in (there is also a CD version). For the more 11 Setting Of The highlighting the width of her vocal range. Sandy Denny’s pre- selective or less solvent listener, Early Sun Fairport Convention Home Recordings provides a concise, 12 Boxful Of The traditional material is generally recordings has been accessible overview of the evolution of Treasures a little less compelling. Such staples increasingly well Denny’s artistry between 1966 and 1968, 13 Who Knows from the US, British and Irish trad. arr. served in recent spanning the period when she was first Where The Time repertoire as “Motherless Children”, years. Who Knows establishing herself in London folk clubs Goes? (1967) “Seven Virgins”, “She Moves Through Where The Time Goes?, the first major to the months immediately after she joined 14 Carnival The Fair” and “Cradle Song” were ten-a- retrospective of the late English folk singer, Fairport in May 1968. The inner gatefold 15 Don’t Seem To penny in the folk clubs of the time, and who died in 1978, started the ball rolling sleeve includes informative liner notes Know You Denny’s versions feel a tad dutiful, a in 1985 with the inclusion of a handful by Pat Thomas, who curated the release, 16 Gerrard Street haunting “Let No Man Steal Your Thyme” of early home demos. It was followed though he needlessly denigrates some of 17 Motherless notwithstanding. by The Attic Tracks, a coveted cassette- Denny’s contemporaries in the process of Children only Australian release from the late rightly trumpeting her brilliance. 18 She Moves Scattered among these interpretations ’80s. In 2004 came A Boxful Of Treasures Through The Fair are the earliest flowerings of Denny as and in 2010 an epic eponymous boxset What emerges is a dual portrait. Denny 19 The Time Has a composer, 10 originals which include which covered pretty much every inch of is captured as an interpreter of songs Come songs she never professionally recorded Denny’s oeuvre across no less than 19 CDs. ancient and new, as well as a budding 20 Little Bit Of Rain or released. You can hear why in the case Recordings Denny made in 1967 with Alex singer-songwriter in her own right. Aged 21 Go Your Own of the gloomy “I Love My True Love” and Campbell and The Strawbs have also been 19, she kicks off in 1966 with two songs Way My Love derivative “Ethusel”, but “Gerrard Street” re-released several times over. 22 Seven Virgins is an appealing blues stroll through COURTESY OF THE SANDY DENNY ESTATE In terms of basic housekeeping, 23 Blue Tattoo London’s bohemian underbelly, while everything on this double vinyl Record 24 Cradle Song “In Memory (The Tender Years)” is pretty, Store Day release, authorised by the Denny 25 Quiet Land if slight. estate, has previously been available Of Erin elsewhere. Its 27 solo tracks essentially 26 Fotheringay Also featured is the very earliest replicate all of disc 12 and two tracks from 27 Who Knows recording of “Who Knows Where The disc 13 of the mammoth Sandy Denny box Where The Time Time Goes?” from 1967, one of two which, though exhaustive, was given Goes? (1968) versions featured. Played in open tuning, only a limited release and quickly bouncing along to an uncertain rhythm became prohibitively pricey. and sprightlier than it would later become, Though dedicated fans may have it doesn’t quite access the full range of heard most or all of this material the song’s magnificent melancholy but before, it’s the first time the is fascinating, nonetheless. Another majority of these tracks highlight is “Boxful Of Treasures”, a lovely have been issued on vinyl embryonic version of “Fotheringay” – a fine rendition of which is also included here in its finished state. If Denny’s songwriting is still a work in progress, her voice is already a mesmerising instrument. Heard here in an unadorned setting with only her own – excellent – guitar playing as an accompaniment, it shines and shadows with unerring instinct. All of these tracks were taped on rudimentary home recording equipment, but the sound quality is generally decent; oddly, the seven 1966 recordings are cleaner than the later ones, some of which flirt with distortion when the volume creeps up. Though there are a few tuning issues, and the performance of “Motherless Children” ends abruptly with a male voice speaking in the background, none of the domestic idiosyncrasies hamper the listening experience. For anyone who has ever dreamt of having Sandy Denny sing in the corner of the room for an hour or so, this welcome release might be as close as we’ll get. 44 • UNCUT • JUNE 2022

ARCHIVE Robert Fripp: glory, the songs are all over the place, ALMON MEMELA might be removed from their heyday, JOEL MEYEROWITZ, BOBBY GROSSMAN exposing his mimicking Foreigner (“Heartbreaker”), none of these local soul legends had Crimson past Cheap Trick (“Hold On Tight”), Eric FunkyAfrica (reissue,1975) lost a step in the intervening decades. Carmen (the power ballad “And One The Hi Rhythm Section, along with ROBERT FRIPP Day”) and the mid-’70s Bee Gees WE ARE BUSY BODIES two backing vocalists and a small (“Queen Of Paradise”). The polished horn section, play with characteristic Exposures but generic album got a low-profile 7/10 sensitivity and subtlety, chugging release in 1986. through “I Can’t Stand The Rain” and PANEGYRIC/DGM Extras:8/10.Echoes of The Left Banke Welcome revival of Afro-funk lending a delicacy to “Didn’t We Do It”. are palpable in the six bonus tracks, instrumental rarity  Peebles was always a charismatic 8/10 which comprise Brown and Martin’s interpreter, butLive In Memphis 2001 reunion. The oddest selection, A native of KwaZulu- showcases her broad stylistic range, as Mammoth box from King Crimson “My Buddy Steve (Long Lost Friend)”, Natal, Memela was a she livens up “I Feel Like Breaking Up founder, documenting his first finds Martin singing his own name self-taught guitarist, Somebody’s Home” with a jazz cadence solo flourish in Brown’s lyric about their decades composer, band and sly asides to her audience: “Ifeel apart. The music’s elegiac beauty is leader and later (for like breaking it up, but that don’t mean Even by Fripp’s suffused with a sense of the struggle WEA in South Africa) I’m gonna do it!” standards, this to persevere while saddled with the producer, whose output from the 1950s Extras: None. STEPHENDEUSNER Exposures box is weight of vast unfulfilled promise. – when he played with Miriam Makeba excessive – with 25 & The Skylarks – to the ’80s ranged over ASTOR PIAZZOLLA CDs, three DVDs, BUD SCOPPA soul jazz, mbaqanga and bump jive. and four Blu-rays On this long-overdue reissue, though, The American Clavé packed with audio, it’s a deep dive into JOHN McGUIRE he and his band are in infectious, Recordings NONESUCH Fripp’s creative output between 1977 deceptively loose Afro-funk mode. They and 1983. There are multiple versions Pulse Music open with the Donny Hathaway/Leroy 9/10 of the albums he released during this Hutson number “Funky Africa (The time – Exposure (1979), God Save The UNSEEN WORLDS Ghetto)”, employing dazzlingly nimble Three essential albums by the Queen/Under Heavy Manners (1980), keys work and sax counterpoint, then master of nueva tango The League Of Gentlemen and Let The 8/10 roll through the supper-lounge jazz of Power Fall (both 1981) – documenting Memela’s own “That Sweet Feeling”, his A star in his native Fripp’s rapprochements with punk Penderecki and Stockhausen take on “Hi-Jack (Your Love)” – a hit for Argentina in the 1950s and post-punk, his explorations pupil doesn’ t miss a beat Herbie Mann hit the same year – with and an internationally of his Frippertronics set-up, and its rippling guitar licks and winnowing, renowned composer collaborations with the likes of Daryll This California- disco-fied flute, and the underplayed, by the 1980s, Astor Hall, The Roches and Peter Gabriel. born composer yet irresistibly swinging “Big Mama”, Piazzolla made some Most fascinating, though, are the first has always kept a written by Bheki Mseleku. However, of his finest and most radical music three discs, Major Loops, which set low profile, but his it’s Memela’s “The Things We Do In during the final years of his life. In out the core Frippertronics material; early compositional Soweto” that hits hardest: a super-taut the late 1980s he recorded a trio of some enigmatic live performances, prowess earned him jam with piano, guitars and sax that adventurous albums for the American like Washington Square Garden; and scholarships abroad in the late 1960s cuts a deep fusion groove.  Clavé label that refined nueva tango a surprising, off-the-cuff assortment with, among others, Jonny Greenwood’s Extras: None. SHARONO’CONNELL as a melding of Argentine traditions of studio outtakes, where you can hero Krzysztof Penderecki. That he with American jazz, modernclassical, hear Fripp and his musicians treating settled in Germany, where he spent the ANN PEEBLES & THE and avant garde elements. Especially Exposure as so much malleable material next quarter-centuryattemptingtofuse HI RHYTHM SECTION on 1986’s Tango: Zero Hour, he plays to re-shape and re-formulate. American minimalism with European his bandoneon like he’s delivering Extras:8/10. Scrapbook with notes; serialist techniques, makes sense, Live In Memphis a stage monologue, adding violent assorted memorabilia. given less obviously academic acts like stabs of violin and daredevil electric Neu! and Cluster were experimenting MEMPHIS INTERNATIONAL guitar licks. Piazzolla composes with JON DALE with similarly cyclic models. Indeed, a theatrical flair, especially on 1989’s these Pulse compositions, with layers 8/10 deliciously melodramatic The Rough THE LEFT BANKE of intertwined, voltage-controlled Dancer And The Cyclical Night (based on synthesiser phrases constantly The only known live recording of Ann works by Jorge Luis Borges). On its own, Strangers On A Train reassessing their relationship together, Peebles and the Hi Rhythm Section each album makes a fine introduction sometimes sparkle with sounds to Piazzolla’s music, but together, they OMNIVORE that recall Kraftwerk’s, though their In the early 1970s Ann comprise a monumental contribution repetitive nature will inevitably be more Peebles recorded a to world music. 6/10 familiar to Steve Reich fans. Offering string of hits with Extras:6/10. Newlinernotesby multiple transcendent moments, the Hi Rhythm American Clavé founder Kip Hanrahan Baroque-rock progenitors’ “Pulse I” and “III” are the purer Section: bassist Leroy and Argentine journalist Fernando later attempts to legitimise their scholastically, but a live performance Hodges, keyboard González. STEPHENDEUSNER legacy compiled of “Pulse II” is more dramatic, with player Charles Hodges, drummer four pianos, organ and orchestra Howard Grimes and guitarist Thomas Astor In 1978,hopingto augmentingtheoriginal conceptfor Bingham. Nearly 20 years later, they Piazzola: recapture the magic a phantasmagoric soundtrack as joyful reconnected for a one-off show at the theatrical of the sublime 1966 as it is disorientating. historic Peabody Hotel. While they flair singles “Walk Away Extras: None. WYNDHAMWALLACE Renée” and “Pretty Ballerina”, three erstwhile members of The Left Banke reassembled to record an LP mainly without songwriter/keyboardist Michael Brown, the architect of their sound. While Steve Martin’s distinctive voice evokes the group’s moment of JUNE 2022 • UNCUT • 45

ARCHIVE REDISCOVERED ROXY MUSIC Uncovering the underrated and overlooked Roxy Music/For Your Pleasure Terry Allen (reissues, 1972, 1973) VIRGIN/UME at Arlyn Studios 9/10, 9/10 TERRY ALLEN & THE Deluxe vinyl repressings revisit Roxy’s PANHANDLE MYSTERY BAND avant-glam golden age Smokin’ The Dummy/Bloodlines(reissues,1980,1983) Kicking off a string of deluxe vinyl reissues to PARADISE OF BACHELORS mark Roxy Music’s 50th anniversary, these first two 8/10, 8/10 albums remain unassailable landmarks in proto-punk First vinyl reissues of Allen’s early-’80s weirdo country classics pop art and louche sophistocrat hedonism. The band’s self-titled debut explodes with BARBARA FG, JO HARVEY ALLEN, MICHAEL OCHS ARCHIVES/GETTY IMAGES WHEN Smokin’ The Dummy coming from someone who was – as Allen swashbuckling retro-glam pastiche and was first released in 1980, is – an art school graduate and professor with sci-fi surrealism, but its 1973 sequel For Your it was somewhat lost in the an acclaimed parallel career as a painter and Pleasure is still widely regarded as Roxy’s shadow of its predecessor. sculptor. However, it’s precisely because Allen early masterpiece, with Brian Eno leaving his Allen’s 1979 double-set delivers the material on Smokin’ The Dummy so deepest imprint on Bryan Ferry’s stylishly Lubbock (On Everything) was straight, without so much as an arched eyebrow, strangulated avant-chansons before leaving a sprawling, eccentric and that he is able to pull it off so convincingly, up to to go solo soon afterwards. It is certainly (largely) affectionate portrait of and including going full buckboard preacher on their most experimental work, balancing Allen’s Texas hometown, which the rousing gothic gospel finale, “The Lubbock the hurtling jazz-punk clamour of “Do The combined the melancholy Tornado (I Don’t Know)”. Strand” withexcursions intokrautrocking intelligence of Randy Newman, clatter like “The Bogus Man” and the achingly the wry poesy of Guy Clark, and Bloodlines, originally released in 1983, is sinister Ballardian ballad “In Every Dream the Rabelaisian bawdery of Kinky Friedman. mostly more of the similar – no bad thing – Home A Heartache”, an eerie love song to an Its influence can be heard at all points on the but arguably locates greater depths as Allen inflatable doll. Eno feels most present on the Americana spectrum from Robert Earl Keen to plunges even further into morbid roleplay and sprawling title track, an exploded prog-pop Drive-By Truckers. mordant fable. So the Celtic-tinged “Ourland” audioscape layered with tape loops, phased Though Lubbock was a tough act to follow, is such a vicious fantasy of nationalist violence piano effects and spectral voices, notably a all its virtues were nevertheless reanimated for in the name of the old country that it implicitly young Judi Dench. Still deliciously weird. Smokin’ The Dummy, a tremendous collection ridicules its narrator as a delusional poseur. The Extras: None. STEPHENDALTON of rowdy honky-tonk stompers in which Allen Jerry Jeff Walker-ish country shuffle “Gimme A takes a sort of defiant relish in the barrel-bottom Ride To Heaven Boy”, a tale of being carjacked by LONNIE LISTON SMITH lives he narrates. “Helena Montana” and “Texas Christ on some desert highway, can be heard as Tears” both have something of the belligerent Cosmic Funk(reissue,1974)ACE snarl of the 1970s outlaw both a funny story well told, and a contemplation country records of David 8/10 Allan Coe or Johnny of the perilous slenderness of the sliver that Paycheck. Lest there be Space-age jazz-funk from the any doubt regarding where divides faith and credulity. astral-jazz pianist Allen is coming from, the cajun-flavoured “Feelin Terry Allen: The album also After a highly respectable Easy” lays it out: “I got the smokin’ the contains “There Oughta CV with the likes of Roland tattoos/A pierced ear/A dummy in Be A Law Against Sunny Kirk, Miles Davis, Art Blakey bottle of that rotgut booze/ 1980 Southern California”, and Pharoah Sanders, Yeah, I ain’t Pat Boone”. one of Allen’s signature pianist Lonnie Liston Smith The proper humourless formed his own band, the country purist with an songs – a typically frantic Cosmic Echoes. Their run of albums for Flying especially pronounced Dutchman is described by the fusion-phobic authenticity fetish boogie underpinning an jazz critic Richard Cook as “something close might have retorted that to the nadir of the genre”, which is a tad unfair this was all a bit much armed robber’s journey on their later, dancefloor-friendly albums, and certainly doesn’t apply to their first LP (the back to his hometown, Alice Coltrane-inspired Astral Travelling) or this second outing. Here double bassist Cecil McBee has been replaced by bass guitarist Al Anderson, but the band still keep one foot in the astral-jazz camp with a pulsating version of Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints” and a shimmering take on John Coltrane’s “Naima”, with Lonnie’s Fender Rhodes put through a ring modulator. The new addition is Lonnie’s brother Donald Smith on vocals, who switches between a choirboy tenor on the blissful “Peaceful Ones”, primal howls on the title track, and loverman crooning on “Beautiful Woman”. Extras: None. JOHNLEWIS Lonnie Liston Smith: Rhodes scholar in search of redemption, revenge or both. Extras: 7/10. Gatefold sleeve, artworks and photos, lyrics, high-res download code. ANDREW MUELLER 46 • UNCUT • JUNE 2022

SOLD OUT FOOD FOR THOUGHT TOUR 2022 WITH VERY SPECIAL GUEST (EXCEPT LONDON) FRI 28 OCT CAMBRIDGE CORN EXCHANGE SAT 29 OCT OXFORD NEW THEATRE MON 31 OCT GLASGOW ROYAL CONCERT HALL TUE 01 NOV NEWCASTLE O2 CITY HALL WED 02 NOV HARROGATE CONVENTION CENTRE FRI 04 NOV SHEFFIELD CITY HALL SAT 05 NOV MANCHESTER O2 APOLLO MON 07 NOV LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL EXTRA DATE ADDED TUE 08 NOV LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL WED 09 NOV EDINBURGH USHER HALL FRI 11 NOV NOTTINGHAM ROYAL CONCERT HALL SAT 12 NOV BIRMINGHAM SYMPHONY HALL EXTRA DATE ADDED SUN 13 NOV BIRMINGHAM SYMPHONY HALL TUE 15 NOV LLANDUDNO VENUE CYMRU THEATRE THU 17 NOV SWANSEA ARENA FRI 18 NOV CARDIFF ST DAVID’S HALL SAT 19 NOV LONDON EVENTIM APOLLO MON 21 NOV SOUTHAMPTON O2 GUILDHALL TUE 22 NOV BATH FORUM WED 23 NOV TORQUAY PRINCESS THEATRE SAT 26 NOV BRIGHTON CENTRE SUN 27 NOV BOURNEMOUTH PAVILION THEATRE TUE 29 NOV GUILDFORD G LIVE WED 30 NOV SOUTHEND CLIFFS PAVILION GIGSANDTOURS.COM TICKETMASTER.CO.UK SQUEEZEOFFICIAL.COM AN SJM CONCERTS PRESENTATION BY ARRANGEMENT WITH UNITED TALENT AGENCY Birmingham O2 Institute 30.09.22 Leeds O2 Academy 01.10.22 Liverpool The Invisible Wind Factory 02.10.22 Cardiff Tramshed 04.10.22 Manchester Academy 06.10.22 London Roundhouse 07.10.22 Oxford O2 Academy 08.10.22 Bristol O2 Academy 10.10.22 Nottingham Rock City 12.10.22 Glasgow Barrowland 13.10.22 Newcastle O2 City Hall 14.10.22 Gigsandtours.com Ticketmaster.co.uk An SJM Concerts, DF and DHP presentation by arrangement with X-ray

ARCHIVE SPARKS THE SPECIALIST The Seduction Of Ingmar Bergman (reissue, 2009) BMG Masayuki Takayanagi & New Direction Unit 8/10 play the Gen’yasai festival, Sanrizuka, Scandi-noir musical stands out among Japan, August 14, 1971 flood of 21st-century Sparks reissues MASAYUKI TAKAYANAGI Enjoying a much-deserved & NEW DIRECTION UNIT autumnal resurgence in the wake of Edgar Wright’s Thrilling, evocative archival finds, dug deep from joyous fan-boy documentary the history of Japanese free music The Sparks Brothers and their own gloriously surreal, THE history and development intensity and do not let up. There’s an of-the- prize-winning big-screen musical Annette, of free jazz is marked by moment excitement here, all congealing into ageless art-pop oddballs Ron and Russell larger-than-life figures, a throbbing mass of freedom roar. Takayanagi Mael are issuing deluxe versions of their 21st- intensely invested in their often instructed his musicians not to listen to century canon. All are worthy of rediscovery, singular, peculiar aesthetic each other: “No collaboration – run down your but the most ambitious and timely outlier is visions. But there were few free own path”. You can hear this in the uncertain The Seduction Of Ingmar Bergman from 2009, jazz musicians quite as divisive as Japanese yet evocative timbres on the first side of 1975’s a cinematic radio drama which helped pave guitarist Masayuki Takayanagi. He built a fierce Eclipse BLACKEDITIONS8/10, where the ’71 New the way for Annette. Originally commissioned reputation as a gifted jazz player during the ’60s, Direction Unit trio are joined by Nobuyoshi by Sweden’s state-owned public broadcaster, only to volte-face later that decade, embracing Ino on bass; the encroaching stillness of this this counterfactual Faustian fantasy the extremities of free jazz and improvisation. “Gradually Projection” performance is then magically transports Scandinavia’s most It didn’t help that he was a legendarily abrasive subverted by the dense lattice of noise on the revered cinematic genius to a nightmarish character, with a brutally acidic tongue, taking flipside’s “Mass Projection”. Hollywood where sinister studio bosses, to task anyone who fell short of his impossibly predatory fans and creepy hotel staffpressure exacting standards, whether concert promoters, Takayanagi would pursue this vision, which him to ditch his European art-house roots and fellow musicians or dedicated fans. melded volume more typical of rock with the make American movies instead. Combining That formidable presence is writ large across a time-dissolving ruptures of improvisation, Brechtian cabaret with strident electropop, three-album set, Station’70:CallInQuestion/ until his untimely death in 1991. By that stage, operatic melodrama with Lynchian menace, LiveIndependence BLACKEDITIONS 9/10, which collaborators like Takagi had moved on, and the this sharp-witted musical trip into the reissues two CDs, that originally appeared on the playing on Takagi’sfive-disc LoveDance(Solo Twilight Zone finds the Maels at their most PSF label in the mid-’90s. These performances, LiveAtGalerieDeCafé Tokyo1987-1997) thrillingly barmy. An animated film version recorded at the Shibuya, Tokyo venue, Station, NADJA218/10 set is far more tender; you can hear is now reportedly in development. in 1970, are furious, with Takayanagi at an him nudging melodies like Thelonious Monk’s Extras: None. STEPHENDALTON early peak, his guitar rupturing time with “Epistrophy”, Charles Mingus’s “Goodbye Pork massive blasts of feedback and coal-black, Pie Hat”, or his own “Love Dance” and “Stone DUSTY SPRINGFIELD hissing tonality, an unquenchable volcanic Blues” into particularly intimate spaces. That eruption. Accompanied by one of the best rapprochement with the history of US jazz also Dusty Sings Soul ACE New Direction lineups, with shadows the self-titled 1975 LP by SeikatsuKōjyō Motoharu Yoshizawa on bass, 8/10 Sabu Toyozumi on drums, and IinkaiAGUIRRE 8/10, where Japanese Mototeru Takagi on saxophone, players Kazutoki Umezu and Two dozen cover versions of US soul the music here whips up an Yoriyuki Harada are joined by US classics by the white queen of soul unrelenting velocity, jack- musicians William Parker, Rashid knifing at unexpected moments, Shinan and Ahmed Abdullah, Longbefore Motown or hard-edged and almost for an exciting set that’s almost Stax were having UK hits, impossibly thrilling. pointillist in its jagged, street-tough Dusty Springfield was Velocity and volume are quintet interaction. JONDALE bringing hidden R&B also key to the 1971 live gems to a British audience. performance reissued as Masayuki Often she’d hear a new soul Complete “La Grima” Takayanagi: single on pirate radio and immediately start AGUIRRE9/10. For this running working on a cover with an orchestrator. evisceration, another down his Tony Rounce’s smart compilation shows New Direction lineup, own path that the arrangements were occasionally a with Hiroshi Yamazaki little ramshackle but many are astonishingly on pummelling drums good. Darlene Paul’s banal “All Cried Out” and Kenji Mori on sax, is slowed down and given some Bacharach- hit the stage at maximum style gravitas by arranger Ivor Raymonde; The Temptations’ “Ain’t No Sun Since You’ve Been Gone” is transformed by a propulsive walking bassline from John Paul Jones; the future Led Zep man also orchestrates a version of “Piece Of My Heart” that’s heavier than Erma Franklin’s original. Best of all is “Don’t Let Me Lose This Dream” – Aretha’s original is a featherweight bossa nova, but Alan Tew turns Dusty’s take into a muscular piece of Muscle Shoals funk-rock. Extras: None. JOHNLEWIS STAPLES JR SINGERS When Do We Get Paid (reissue, 1975) LUAKA BOP 8/10 Resurfaced! Righteous gospel-soul obscurity from Mississippi teens From South Indian soundtracks (Vijaya Anand) to Nigerian discoid-funk (William Onyeabor), Luaka Bop has long perfected the art of 48 • UNCUT • JUNE 2022

ARCHIVE Sparks: released. VARIOUS ARTISTS COMING NEXT Swede Most of MONTH... inspiration it’s appeared Un-Scene! Post-Punk for 2009 elsewhere over the Birmingham 1978–1982 N ext time we’ll be taking a radio drama last few decades, but look at new albums from hearing it collected EASY ACTION The Dream Syndicate, unearthing together is still a Klaus Schulze, Kelley Stoltz, ‘lost’ thrill. The first 8/10 Shearwater, Mary Halvorson, music. The side deals with Soccer Mommy, Graham Nash label now Fairport, their Fine collation of post-punk from and more. There’s also the long- resurrects the version of the second city awaited return of Elizabeth work of Annie, “The Ballad Fraser with the self-titled EP ARC and Edward Of Easy Rider” Unlike the self- from her new project, Sun’s Brown, from Aberdeen, peerlessly sung mythologising Signature. In the Archive Mississippi, who as teens in the early by Sandy Denny, north-west and section, we’ll be reviewing The ’70s slogged their way across the before Thompson the overpowering Clash’s Combat Rock box, the Bible Belt circuit, and whose spectral finally takes the aura of London, gargantuan Admiralty Lights anthem “Waiting For The Trumpet microphone on Birmingham’s post- boxset from Al Stewart and To Sound” pricked up ears in 1974. what was then buried punk music scene has gone relatively unheard Karen Dalton Named in tribute to you-know-who, treasure, “Poor Will unrecorded until the arrival of this recordings, among others. the Staples Jr Singers never came And The Jolly Hangman”. compilation by local hero Dave Twist. close to Pops and co’s success, Side Two is largely focused Twist played alongside Stephen Duffy EMAIL: [email protected] or sound. Their astonishingly on Richard & Linda live, but in The Hawks, whose “Big Store” world-weary music deserves your things really take off on the final two features here. Other biggish names more commercial potential. Their attention – passionate blues-soul sides, with a pair of short instrumentals include The Prefects (a very lo-fi “The sixth album – now remastered and with raw-from-the-pulpit production, recorded especially for the comp – Bristol Road Leads To Dachau”), Au reissued on heavyweight vinyl with the and bone-cracking funk drums (“Too multi-tracked on acoustic, dulcimer Pairs, Nikki Sudden, The Nightingales original artwork, rejected by Virgin at Close” and “I Feel Good” in particular and mandolin – and then epic live and Swell Maps, while there are tracks the time – is a beguiling and strange will wrongfoot you with weird, versions of “Night Comes In” and by Dada (the droney “Birmingham, record, though, with a low-key, prettily prickly brilliance). Once sold from the “Calvary Cross”, Thompson’s Frender UK” featuring a pre-Duran John Taylor) pastoral feel. Within that, it continues Browns’ front lawn, this sole album Stratocaster chiming, wailing and and the fab “Stevie’s Radio Station” by the explorations of …Settlement, with later became a $500-plus prize for howling elementally. TV Eye, another of Twist’s old bands. Eastern psychedelia (“Beating Of crate diggers. So, to answer the title Extras:6/10. Download code, period- There’s no Dexys, Pigbag, The Beat or Hearts”), synth-pop (“Wonderland”) track’s question: hopefully now. correct Island labels. any sense of a unifying approach – it’s and cod-jazz (“Ladybird”). At its heart, Extras: None. hard to hear the birth of Birmingham’s Andy Partridge rails against the penury TOM PINNOCK new romantic scene in these grooves of the exploited musician’s life on “Love MARK BENTLEY – but there are plenty of good tunes On A Farmboy’s Wages”, before the VARIOUS ARTISTS by local unknowns like The Nervous raging closer “Funk Pop A Roll” – “I’ve RICHARD THOMPSON Kind, whose “Five To Monday” sounds already been poisoned by this industry” Sacred Soul: The like early Cure, or Dance, who embrace – points the way to ’84’s punchier The (guitar, vocal) D-vine Spirituals Birmingham’s acclaimed reggae scene Big Express. Records Story on “Revolve Around You”. Extras: None, but this remaster on 200g (reissue, 1976) Volume 1 And 2 Extras:7/10. Unseen photographs, vinyl sounds bolder and fuller than the sleevenotes by Dave Twist and tinnier original pressing. UMC BIBLE + TIRE Stewart Lee. PETERWATTS TOM PINNOCK 9/10 8/10 XTC An alternative best-of from RT’s Memphis gospel label’s treasure Mummer (reissue, 1983) APE HOUSE first decade trove of Southern soul 8/10 Not yet 30, Thompson Just as it was had already made a for hitmakers like Post-touring comedown: Swindon fistful of stunning Aretha Franklin and crew’s most overlooked LP, back albums with Fairport the Staples Singers, on vinyl Convention and the line between Linda Thompson, and gospel and soul Following the triumph then duly retired to a Sufi community, could be a very narrow one for the of 1982’s English by the time this compilation of plethora of regional labels catering to Settlement, XTC unreleased and rare material was African-American listeners through found themselves the ’60s and ’70s. Such was the case in a dire spot: for D-Vine Spirituals, a Memphis label they’d quit touring founded in 1970 by preacher turned Beatles-style, lost drummer Terry producer Juan D Shipp and former Sun Chambers during early sessions for session drummer and studio owner the follow-up and had to suffer Virgin Clyde Leoppard. Bible + Tire’s primer repeatedly requesting new songs with excavates 28 extraordinary songs in which spiritual matters are expressed GREAT in ways that can be thrillingly earthy SAVINGS and gritty. While the group harmonies of the Gospel Four and the Dynamic SUBSCRIBE AARON RAPOPORT Hughes Singers are explicitly rooted TO UNCUT in church-singing traditions, the AND SAVE presence of secular influences is UP TO 40%! signalled by the abundance of funky keys and the wah-wah-heavy Subscribe online at guitar sound deployed by Wendell uncut.co.uk/subscribe Moore, a teenage whizzkid who became another of D-Vine’s gifts Or call 01371 851882 and quote from above. code UCPR2022 Extras: None. *Offer closes December 31, 2022. JASON ANDERSON For enquiries please call: 01371 851882 or email: [email protected] JUNE 2022 • UNCUT • 49

AROOJ AFTAB New York state of mind: Arooj Aftab photographed in Brooklyn in January 2022 50 • UNCUT • JUNE 2022