LTW Newsletter 67

Warriors!

Wham! Zam! Khapow!

Happy New Year!

Cordite air! Skies lit up with soggy fireworks and grumpy medieval storms! A bloke on TV all night playing his boogie woogie boggy piano for hours on end, James Bond staggering through the same old plot!

In a never changing evening, 2023 staggered away to cower in the potting shed and 2024 stumbled in - briefly taking the stage with an optimistic roar…

What could possibly go wrong eh kids???

So we also stumble into 2024 in a haze of fireworks attempting to paint the grey sky all manner of psychedelic hues. What will this year bring us? We wonder, observing the 24-hour news cycle of madness and rubble, a Penny Farthing wobble of endless noise and shouting afresh.

Musically, though, there is all manner of stuff to hang onto, and the fresh starts mean a glimpse at potential new bands that may become the narrative of the year or may not - that is the thrill of these lists - sometimes you find a gem that somehow retains that special zing whilst the others fade away with their brief moment of hope illuminating the horizon like a New Year's Eve firework failing to ignite and lying sodden in the rain on the forgotten pavement.

Of course, pop culture now is many splendoured thing - a multi-dimensional diamond and a list of noisy little buggers defiantly shouting at the world like our 24 is not even claiming to represent the worldwide rush of pop culture. Things are changing fast on the world stage, yet new takes on the old school remain still fresh despite the rolling years. The Bar Stool Preachers are the fastest-rising new British punk band and are beginning to pack them in with their defiant optimism and big anthems.

In many ways, Canadian band No Means No defined another kind of punk - that of defiant DIY. They toured for years on their own terms existing outside the mainstream music, and their deliciously tight shows of complex adrenalised music with zig-zagging riffs and earnest poetic politics won them a hardcore underground following. They split a few years ago but remain fondly remembered by the consengeti and it was great to see a book finally out celebrating their career.

In the spring of 2024 LTW boss John Robb will be on tour of the UK, talking about his life in music and much more. Will be great to see you at one of the shows!

Last week, one of the true icons of the form, Patti Smith, was 77. Too often, we remember the originators fondly only when they leave us, so it's important to make a noise when someone who inspired so many and never really lost her poetic edge advances in years. Still as vibrant and creative as she ever was, Patti Smith remains one of the best interviews you can get - when she rarely does one, and I was lucky to grab an interview with her a decade ago.

Much loved British band XTC popped up in the news last week when their local paper interviewed them about future plans. The band have been inactive for years now and their catalogue of songs is about as inventive and perfect as you can get. They may have been outsiders, but in some ways, they defined the inventiveness and small ‘p’ politics of punk better than anyone else. Despite retiring years ago, the interview left a few intriguing question marks and the vaguest of possibilities that they may just do something again one day.

Figures released by the music biz showed that vinyl sales rose again last year and this was celebrated across the media. You can't help wondering if the writers are feeling the warm glow of nostalgia because when you look under the bonnet of the numbers, streaming is still more than 80 per cent of music listening, and CDs were not declining either. Vinyl has gone up due to Taylor Swift releasing vinyl of her albums and the Rolling Stones's recent album but it still remains a cult niche - more of an antique than a future format - at least it still exists!

Speaking of Taylor Swift, the odious Ted Nugent had a go at her for being ‘poppy nonsense’. There is something very old man shouting at clouds about Trumpy Ted - weird how Rock n Roll has ended up full of these very conservative backwards, looking characters - I guess as a form, it gets older and older, and the protagonists get crankier and crankier. Fear not, dear readers, we will not fall into that trap!

Trupa Trupa Play Manchester’s Yes Basement Jan 7th 2024 Legendary Gdańsk based psychedelic post-punk band  kick off their U.K. tour