LTW Newsletter 42

Morning Warriors!

We have been waiting for the heatwave as the song once sang so hopefully. Living in Manchester is about waiting for the sun and it’s always way out there on the horizon in the deep south beyond the muddy bands of the Mersey. It’s a golden glowing globe and something you see on news reports from sultry and sweaty other parts of the country. Today is in fact, rather chilly, and closing back in on the winter coat weather!

Global warming will never reach the north of England but at least we can fill our lives full of music instead.

Bad Breeding released what must be the most ground breaking hardcore album of the year. The mutated form of punk with its reliance on speed and intensity can often get jammed into its own cup de sac - after all, those high velocity sounds work for a reason and the thrill of the high octane mix of noise and fast guitars are addictive but also limiting. So it’s thrilling when someone takes those basic ingredients and changes the sonic narrative. UK band Bad Breeding have perhaps released the most ground breaking album in the form for several years and it's a wonderful and intense state of the nation address that adds a big dollop of imagination to the mix.

Whilst riffing on all things hardcore we were fascinated to see this great new documentary on the form filmed by a fast rising 20 year old film maker. It’s a documentary on the hardcore scene in London and is a fascinating trip into heart of the underground form in the capital city and also about the power of music and subculture to exist beyond the mainstream narrative. A documentary that underlies the power of music to exist on its own terms and an example of just because none of this music ever gets played on 6music it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. The intense and wild underground is as full of energy and ideas now as it ever was and the film captures this perfectly.

Back from the wild frontier The Cult have announced a new album with a track that you can listen to here. There is always something very intriguing about there band dynamic off the practical guitar hero Billy Duffy and the rock n roll dreamer Ian Astbury but these roles can switch at a whim. Billy’s guitar playing may be rock honed down to its perfect classics but there is a lot of artfulness about what he does and the way it entwines with Ian’s distinctive and wild unfettered howl is the core the group’s longevity. The new track sounds good and is a welcome harbinger to the new album out this autumn.

Primal Scream have been headlining some big 10 000 capacity summer shows celebrating their classic Screamadelica album,. The record has never really dated and led by its anthemic hit singles was a huge defining release at the time but the live excursion also underscores just how far out it really was. This is an album and live show full of sultry sun kissed dubs, free jazz, weird wired dark energy and even moments of Sun Ra outer space jazz added to the blissful mix - it was astonishing then and now presented almost like a museum piece is as astonishing now.

Working Mens Club are almost a modern equivalent of the Primals. Their sense of possibility and adventure is navigating UK music into the 21st century. Their electronic based adventures are packed out within the parameters of a guitar band and their future sound is one that you can dance to. They have already released some wonderful records and are moving and fast forwarding into the future. The Calder Valley based band released a great new album are just part of the seething future sound track of great young British bands.

For those who don’t know, the subject matter of all of Keeley’s songs (and her blog The Keeley Chronicles) is German backpacker Inga Maria Hauser who was murdered on her dream trip to the UK and Ireland, sometime between leaving Inverness and arriving in her next destination in Ireland, a murder which is, as yet unsolved. We preview her new material here and interview her.

Cosey Fanni Tutti was the musical and visual core of Throbbing Gristle and her post Throbs career is littered with great ground breaking releases - either on her own or with her husband Chris Carter. Her latest project is the soundtrack for the upcoming film about the ground breaking electronic genius Delia Derbyshire. The artist was commissioned to compose the score for Delia Derbyshire: The Myths and the Legendary Tapes, Caroline Catz’s documentary about the electronic music experimentalist, six years ago. Cosey’s adventurous pieces allude to Derbyshire’s longing for the bizarre and unknown which defines her pivotal works such as the 1963 Doctor Who theme tune (Abre numa nova janela).

Hardy perennials The Wedding Present have always been inventive and somehow managed to navigate a path between the high velocity death to trad rock guitars of their youth and the left field post rock underground. Their latest single, exclusively previewed here, is another scouring brilliant missive from the permanently love lorn David Gedge.

Another band of another vintage of Blue Orchids work rate has gone through the roof in the past few years. The band, still led by former Fall mainstay, Martin Bramah are very much in that clutch of bands fighting for the Fall’s thorny crown of thorns in the post Mark E Smith era of best known outsiders. Their hot creative streak continues apace with this new album.

Mark Thomas is the brilliant comedian who social activism is underlined by his caustic and energetic wit. John Robb got him to explain his art of comedy here.

The Associates are one of the greatest post punk bands. The tragedy and drama of their songs never dates and Billy Mackenzie’s voice was a wonderful thing as it soared its way around their unique melodies. The 40 h anniversary edition of Sulk is a perfect reminder of their much loved genius.

The Strokes were always an odd band - they had their iconic moments of course but it almost seemed the world was willing them along to be the touchstone band off their generation. A gap and a vacuum had appeared that demanded an indie guitar band and here they were bumping and blinking into the spotlight. Years later as they approach veteran status they are headlining the medium sized festival circuit to mixed reviews…our reviewer liked the set though.

We were sorry to hear about the death of Mark from the Astronauts - one of this long term bands that existed below nearly everyones radar for some baffling reason. Mark wa a genuine talent and his band;’s music always devoured to be heard by a much bigger audience.