Showing posts with label 3 Little Wolves. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 3 Little Wolves. Show all posts

13/12/2023

Albums of 2023



 2023 has been another bumper year for albums on the independent scene.  I've had to make some hard decisions to cull the list to just 30 and fear I've probably forgotten a few that could have made it.  The order is entirely subjective etc etc. But all albums on this list are worth exploring if any of my short reviews piques your interest.  I've included a Spotify playlist with a tune from each album to play whilst you browse through my ramblings.  I've included links to purchase the albums where I found them and twitter handles (where they still exist) to engage with the artists and keep tabs on their future releases and gigs. Thanks to all the artists featured here for keeping me entertained and making the new music scene fresh and lively. 


A few vinyls from my album list that have already arrived Down Under  





#30 Lulu - Hey Calamity 

Dave Thomas from South Australia has been very prolific in 2023 and released two albums this year in quick succession following from his debut in 2022.  Urbania came out in October following Lulu's release in April 2023.  A mixture of Shoegaze and Dreampop with a nod to the early records of The Cure which deserves the attention of your best headphones.  A couple of songs feature the vocals of Emily Thomas including one of my highlights Soft Illusion.     

Favourite songs: Soft Illusion & Saving Grace

Twitter: @HeyCalamity22

Bandcamp: https://heycalamity.bandcamp.com/album/lulu


#29 Jake Davey - You Are What You're Spoonfed

Jake Davey's second album You Are What You're Spoonfed offers the listener plenty of wonderful songs that build up and capture your heart.  Just listen to the totally underated music on Like Dynamite and Grind Our Bones for that laidback Seventies groove.       

Favourite songs: Like Dynamite & Grind Our Bones

#28 As The Crow Flies - Kevin Robertson 


Kevin Robertson has followed up his excellent 2022 album Teaspoon of Time with another fine collection of melodic jangly pop with Magic Spells Abound. If you like the Cosmic Rough Riders this is in a similar vein. Kevin is also a member of Aberdeen band The Vapour Trails who have three albums in their catalogue.

Favourite songs: Sunset & As The Crow Flies

Twitter: @KevinRo17521365

Bandcamp: https://kevinrobertson.bandcamp.com/album/magic-spells-abound


#27 Twenty-First Century Times - Joe Astley


Released in January 2023 the debut album from Joe Astley collects four of his best singles released over the last few years alongside new material full of social commentary on the state of the nation. There’s a doff of the flat cap to Springsteen, Dylan, Shane MacGowan and Billy Joel.  The sublime Anthem For The North is still the centrepiece and even gets a reprise here.

Favourite songs: Anthem For The North & The Battle of Wigan Lane

Twitter: @JAstleyOfficial


#26 Get On The End Of It! - Laurie Wright

 
A loud raucous rock n roll debut album from London’s premier busking mod punk. This is one huge redemptive riot of an LP from one of the new music scene’s brightest stars who almost burnt out but survived and used that to fuel his fire. If you’ve not heard of him then Laurie Wright is an artist you should discover today.

Favourite songs: Butter Side Up Boy & Wings Of Gold And Platinum 
 

#25 Between The Lies - MantraRay


This second album has another great selection of indie rock and pop tunes on it.  Topics include war, family, love, heartbreak and holidays in the Sun. Their self production has improved in leaps and bounds and I’ve written up a track by track review which can be found here oldindiekid.blogspot.com mantraray-between-lies-album-review

Favourite songs: My Broken Heart & Just Like The Sun

#24 Woke Up - Andrew Johnson

Andrew Johnson’s Wake Up is in his own words “10th Generation, bargain basement, white man blues” with funky electro noodling.  This is ten top examples of the new crossover genre Big Beat Blues with a mixture of poignant and humorous self deprecating lyrics.  Cheer up Andy! Might never happen. 

Favourite songs: Big Bad Dose Of You & 44 More


#23 Mode - Mode


From Adelaide, South Australia comes this five piece power pop Britpop band who self-released their debut album on vinyl in March.  Mode mix the sounds of the Sixties and the Nineties with a New Wave influence and create some perfect pop music.  If you enjoy their labelmates Cigarillo then you should check out Mode who also share singer-songwriter and guitarist Marc Garnett.  This album isn't available on Spotify so head to bandcamp to hear and purchase it.        

Favourite songs: Hold On To Yesterday & Rundle Mall 

#22 The Long Way - Leigh Thomas


An awesome album of thunderous Aussie rock.  Big anthems, sing along choruses, great lyrics and melodic hooks to snare your interest.  The Leigh Thomas debut album contains 3 previous singles and seven spanking new tracks including the bombastic Underground and my favourite the eco-warrior album closer Kids of Tomorrow. The Long Way album is a full face blast of classic contemporary guitar music from a talented singer songwriter and purveyor of total tunes.

Favourite songs: Kids Of Tomorrow & Higher Low 


#21 Don'ts And Dos - The Radio Field


Lars from Subtafuge formed a side project in Dussledorf during the lockdown which morphed into a fully fledged band playing breezey jangle pop.  This is their debut album and its bloody great.  

Favourite songs: Other One (featuring Phantom Handshakes) & Love

#20 The Only Light In This Tunnel Is The Oncoming Train - Afflecks Palace

Hazy jangle Pop introduced by a buzzing bee. Eighteen months after the excellent debut album, this second album from Afflecks Palace deals up another big batch of baggy tunes that I have personally road tested on the dance floor. 

Favourite songs: Wide Eyes On The Night Bus & I’m So Glad You’re On Ecstasy 

#19 Unmask The Circus - Mark Sharp & The Bicycle Thieves


Hailing from the musical hotbed of West Lothian, Mark Sharp and The Bicycle Thieves released their wonderful debut album Unmask The Circus in August 2023 and it is a strong collection of great hooky indie pop and rock songs.  

Favourite songs: All That Northern Soul & Sink Or Swim

Twitter: @MarkSharpMusic

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/marksharpmusic


#18 Counting To Three - Portable Radio


Manchester’s Portable Radio mix the Pop sensibilities of Supergrass with the harmonies of The Beach Boys in a joyful blast of pop hedonism drunk on Chipper Juice.

Favourite songs: I Feel Like A Dog & Good News

#17 Here We Are - Apollo Junction 


The Leeds band’s third album contains ten prime cuts of well produced 80s influenced indie rock anthems.  There are moments which sound like The Joshua Tree with synths and everything is turned up to eleven. Each song has that lighters in the air, sing along, feel good factor. 

Favourite songs: History & By The River

#16 Pictures Of You: A Compilation of Covers of Songs by the Cure - Various Artists

With 45 cover versions of one of my favourite artists I couldn't lose on this mental health charity indie compilation.  I've picked out three favourites from artists I know but the whole album is brilliant.

Favourite songs: In Your House by dunkie, The Kiss by Pocket Lint, Just Like The Cure by Sean Buckley 


#15 False Starts, Open Endings - Katie MF

Katie MF is a London based artist with a punk ethos and a bucketful of talent. The opening song Lucky MF tells the story of her near death accident that nearly finished her off and her reactions to this traumatic experience. Katie brings infectious humour and anger as her songs take on the Tories, the patriarchy, sexism, and an errent piece of metal trying to take her fucking head off. 

Favourite songs: Lucky MF & Confidence Crisis 


#14 Quasars and Fluff - Blokeacola


Blokeacola’s double album is well worth exploring.  Inspired by the Beatles White album there are a variety of styles on this latest opus. His brilliant lyrics are always a pleasure to listen to and there is a strong Beck influence on many of the acoustic songs that adorn Quasars and Fluff. The difficulty here was picking highlights as each song you hear quickly becomes a new favourite. Not yet on Spotify so head to Bandcamp if you want a copy on CD on a digital download. 

Favourite songs: Carrion & Troublesome Lie

Twitter: @blokeacolazero

Bandcamp: https://blokeacola.bandcamp.com/album/quasars-and-fluff


#13 Fires In The Night - 3 Little Wolves 🐺🐺🐺


It’s been a real pleasure seeing how 3 Little Wolves have grown from their first official release in 2021 until the release of their debut album two years later. They have been busy in the transfer market and tinkering with formations but they keep improving.  Really excited for their next album but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.  Fires In The Night contains about seven singles and many of them re-recorded to beef up the original sound with extra layers of guitar and keyboard. 

Favourite songs: Darkside & My House


#12 Night and Day - Dub Shepherds 


A French based reggae outfit I recently discovered via the Keep Yourself Nice podcast.  They play dub reggae and it feels like a lost Seventies classic with great songwriting and chilled Island grooves. 

Favourite songs: Rebel Souls & Ain’t Coming Back


#11 HOOPLA - Super 8


Paul ‘Trip’ Ryan mostly records under the Super 8 name but he always has a few side projects on the go. Hoopla is a brilliant album a couple of years in the making and filled with twelve gorgeous indie songs. The influences include The Beatles, The Smiths, Teenage Fanclub, The La’s and Shack to name a few. I’ve played half of the songs here on my Daftpom podcasts and love this album. 

Favourite songs:  Our Town & Moments In Time

Twitter: @super_8_music

Bandcamp: https://trip8.bandcamp.com/album/hoopla-super-8-album


#10 The Synesthete - Joe Adhemar



The album was released in February 2023 on Bandcamp and has since appeared as a series of EPs on streaming sites with a full extra b-sides thrown in.  Another top collection of songs with headphone ear popping production from one of the new music scenes most thought provoking songwriters. The topics covered on Joe’s sixth album of the decade include calling for the youth to rebel, blocking internet trolls, Stranger Things, Tory incompetence and corruption, alongside more personal songs. This is a more guitar oriented album than the previous About The Soul thanks to collaborator and axeman Jim Sanger.

Favourite songs: Hopper (ft Skylu) & Revolution By Hashtag

Twitter: @JoeAdhemar

Bandcamp: https://joeadhemar.bandcamp.com/album/the-synesthete


#9 Four Sides Of The Circle - The Mariners

Nottingham’s finest 60s throwbacks The Mariners have been very prolific this year. As well as releasing a Christmas CD they released their third album and a double one at that. The recurring theme’s are the passing of time, memories of the past and the changing of the seasons. There are too many songs to do it justice in this short review.  But give it a listen and let The Mariners guide you on a journey once around the sun and up the garden path for a pot of tea and some lawn maintenance. Marvellous stuff! 

Favourite songs: Autumn Will Come Soon & Bathley Street


#8  Our Fear Is Their Power -  The Shed Project


The Shed Project second album is a brilliant album commenting on the state of the world.  Themes tackled include government corruption, the decline of Britains cities, the scourge of addiction and industry charlatans (not Tim Burgess & friends).  

Favourite songs: Naughty & Ghost Town


#7 Your Cuckoo - Teenage Waitress


Southampton’s Daniel Ash is a talented songwriter and has created a fantastic second album with many songs reminiscing on youth and relationships. Great use of sound effects as alarm clocks, car indicators, crashing waves, seagulls and jangling keys all add to the ambience. 

Favourite songs: Grey Sky & Back Seat


#6 Little Pictures Without Sound - SENSES

The debut album by SENSES has been a long time coming.  The band have been playing together since they teenagers but life mishaps kept getting in the way of releasing their debut album. Senses dusted off the decade-old recordings during the lockdown and decided to finish what they started. Little Pictures Without Sound was finally released on 42 Records in April 2023 to widespread acclaim. But when the music’s this good it’s worth waiting for.

Favourite songs: Drop Your Arms & Let Me In 


#5 Standard Patter - Fire Up The Sun


ArrCee & MC Burnoot are baldy white Scottish rappers who just don’t give a fuck. They ain’t in it for the money because they realise there isn’t any but it keeps them off the streets. After a number of EPs they have expanded to a debut album with ten quality well produced tunes, social commentary and very dry dark humour. There are guest spots for MC Bongo and Lewca as collaborators in the madness. I’ve been listening to this album regularly since its release in May 2023.  Are you listening? Cause you fuckin should be! 

Favourite songs: Life Logistics & Last Orders

#4 Boombap for Boomers - Lewca

Fire Up The Sun return the favour by appearing on Lewca’s album to rip the piss out of him on the first track. Lewca and S.O.A.P. (DJ Son Of A Pitch) return with a blinding album of tunes in a variety of genres that refuse to be pigeonholed.  Lewca’s lyrics are humorous and poignant and really resonate with me as a Forty-Nothing Dad. Guest spots for OrangeG, Fayabraz, Mick Swagger and Dancehall Legend Elephant Man! I reviewed the album in more detail on my blog article below…

oldindiekid.blogspot.com/lewca-boombap-for-boomers-album-review

Favourite songs: Roundabout & Monday Morning 


#3 Delta Shakedown - The Heavy North


Blues n Soul n Rock n Roll is what we’ve come to expect from Merseyside’s Twelve Legged Groove Machine and this second album delivers in spades. You’ll be forgiven for mistaking the title song Delta Shakedown as a lost classic by The Doors. Next come the three singles that preceded the album each catchier than the last. When they slow the tempo they demonstrate their musical maturity and you are left in no doubt that you listening to a classic rock band at the heading for the peak of their powers. 

Favourite songs: Delta Shakedown & Where Are You Now?


#2 Something About This Place - Thrillhouse


This is the long awaited Thrillhouse debut album - four years after the Brighton band started releasing dance tinged indie singles.  For the album they have taken a different direction with guitars to the fore and a country rock tinge that nods at The War On Drugs, Bruce Springsteen and Dire Straits.  The meloncholy songwriting is brilliant and reminisces about childhood memories, growing up and the passing of time.  They used Kickstarter to fund their album's physical release on CD and Vinyl.  Not sure if any copies remain but you can ask them if you missed out. They talk themselves down but they should be bigged up because  Something About This Place is a triumph and a timeless record I can see myself enjoying for years.

Favourite song: So Far From Where I Started From & Butch Reilly

Twitter: @Thrillhouseok


#1 Demons - Brownbear



What else could it be?  An absolute classic album from the band from Ayeshire.  This second album arrived five years after 2018's debut album What Is Home?  Hopefully we won't have to wait half a decade for the follow up.  Ten quality songs largely dealing with the ups and downs of relationships that pulls at your heartstrings, makes you want to dance, cry and sing along.  This is all killer no filler territory and picking favourites from this album is very hard.  There are no wrong answers!  The music is influenced by acoustic indie, pop, northern soul, reggae and rock.  There are less than 10 copies remaining on red vinyl if you hurry you might nab one for your record collection.  

Favourite songs: Unity & Telling Stories 

Twitter: @BrownBearBand

Bandcamp: https://brownbear.bandcamp.com/album/demons

Buy the vinyl: Brownbear Demons Vinyl LP Red 2023 — Assai Records


And that’s a wrap. Have a great Christmas and Happy New Year.  I’ll be back in 2024 with a few more reviews and the return of the DaftPom Show on InYourEarsMusic.com 

If you can’t wait for my December 2024 recommendations you can follow my new music playlist which I try and update twice a week.  

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14/11/2022

Mixtape Nov 2022

 This November 2022 Mixtape blog arrives on the seventh anniversary of my first monthly blog.  They have been fairly sporadic over the last three years as I focused on radio shows but I’m hoping to revive them in a regular format.  (Hoping but not promising).  

Here’s twenty recent tunes I recommend you listen to and the playlist to stream as you read. If you can support the independent artists with a purchase, share their music or this blog, they and I will be very grateful.  


1) I Don’t Feel Today - Common Goldfish

Tottenham based band making groovy tunes that sonically hark back to the Madchester scene.  Common Goldfish have released three excellent singles to date - Shout Louder and Feel The Fuzz are the other two.  A band that I have really been enjoying since discovering them in the submittracks@inyourearsmusic.com inbox. I Don't Feel Today | common goldfish (bandcamp.com)


2) My House - 3 Little Wolves 🐺🐺🐺

My House sounds like The Cure during their Pornography era mixed with the melodic tunes of Peter Hook’s Monaco.  It has been a pleasure to hear the development of this band over the last few years. Frontman Paul was an old friend of mine since the 1990s and I’m so pleased that his band have been going from strength to strength and have a debut album expected early 2023.  3 Little Wolves (bandcamp.com)   


3) Devil Bar Blues - Jack Gill

Jack Gill hails from Liverpool and delves into heavy blues riffs.  Fans of The Heavy North and Mexican Dogs should check out his back catalogue as I am.  A live album and about six previous singles to discover if you’re digging this recent song.


4) I Wanna Be Overrated - YNES 

Perhaps the wittiest lyricists out there on the underground scene backed with well-produced snotty punk music.  “I wanna be truly hated by someone than myself. I wanna be overrated”.  Looks like this is the eleventh single and the ones I know are all brilliant. Hopefully YNES will feel overrated by my review.  YNES (bandcamp.com)

  


5) Rush - Jaap Stamina

Kent based electro artist who has released a huge trance tune that takes me right back to the Nineties.  It’s got a menacing pounding beat, acidic squiggles, a chilled interlude and a glorious build up and it bangs like a couple of horny rabbits. This one is released on 18th November.  Pre-save Rush by Jaap Stamina


6) Rock N Roll Ain’t Dead While We’re Living - Laurie Wright 

This is a glam rock stomper with a lo-fi punk sheen. London’s Laurie Wright has been releasing loads of great modern punk rock songs lately and this one is a life-affirming sing-along song with elements of The Clash and Slade thrown together. Laurie Wright (bandcamp.com)


7) 80s Clowns - Feardrops

Synthesizers and drums provide an eerie music, similar to Tubeway Army, with lyrics about “Winter in a forest town, haunted by those 80s Clowns”.  This could easily appear on a Stranger Things soundtrack.  Feardrops are a new project based in China that have released five singles in 2022 but have relatively few listeners - so they need to be heard. 


8)  Taste The Brainbow - Blokeacola 

Taste The Brainbow was the first single taken from Blokecola's excellent Wig Game EP.  The lyrical content is darker than previous releases and Blokeacola has used cut n paste phrases from the internet as his lyrics which certainly makes this a unique project.  Despite the oppressive themes there is still dark humour here "Not even Facebook wants my data".  The music and vocals are wonderful and the whole EP is worthwhile investment of your time (and some coins). Wig Game | Blokeacola (bandcamp.com)  


9) Silent Fears - Echo Northstar 

New wave minimalist keyboards, a persistent drumbeat and a beautiful voice rising above it all.  A wonderful piece of music from a London based Irishman.  Also check out his previous single Someone Else which I played on my DAFTPOM Show a few months ago.   Echo Northstar (bandcamp.com)


10) Fly Away - Romy 

Romy is a teenage sensation (13) who is writing and recording songs well in advance of her years.  Fly Away is a song about wanting to escape when faced with memories sparked by a photo. Romy plays acoustic guitars and sings her heart out.  She has released six songs this year and is one to watch for the future. Fly Away | Romy (bandcamp.com)


11)  Death Masks - Lossline

Manchester's Lossline bring the drums on this upbeat gloomy anthem. The lyrics are universal and depressing but there is beauty in the bleakness - perhaps the majesty of the music carries it.  "And we sleep with white noise because our thoughts are too loud.  And we sleep next to our phones, cos we just can't switch off, anything, anytime for anyone".  Taken from the album When I Look Out I See No Stars. Lossline are a band to wallow in.  When I Look Out I See No Stars | Lossline (bandcamp.com)


12) Radioactive Hybrid Terror Pigs - Joe Peacock 

A blistering tornado of guitars and pounding drums sees Joe with his most aggressive sound yet. Surprising from Joe who is an old hippy friend from my student days. You never know what to expect from Mr Peacock, from one release to the next but there is always an intriguing personal or historical story behind each song.  This one deals with animals taking over the land deserted by humans in the wake of a nuclear disaster.  Some great grunting noises at the end too.  Joe Peacock (bandcamp.com)


13) We Need Light In The Dark - Tobisonics 

The title track of Tonbisonic's debut album is beat track, a bell chiming, a repetitive chant, strange noises that appear in your headphones, samples and 80's keyboards to build up a great electro track.  The album was written about his battles with his mental health issues and contains seven top tunes. 

We Need Light in the Dark | Tobisonics (bandcamp.com)


14) When Our Lungs Are Empty - Joe Adhemar

The final track of Joe Adhemar's fifth album is a stunner - the album About The Soul has been released on Bandcamp, CD, and a very tasty Vinyl.  It is finally coming to the streaming sites in December.  World weariness is a style that Joe has nailed here and the closing chants of "fade away" are a perfect ending for this album which mixes up the genres and incorporates more electronic synthesizer elements than his previous work (outside of the Invisible Squirrel alter-ego).  About The Soul | Joe Adhemar (bandcamp.com)   


15) Save My Soul - Solar Eyes

Save Our Souls is a great psychedelic space rock song from Birmingham’s Solar Eyes. It is taken from their second EP Alcatraz released at the end of October. There is plenty to love about this band so give them a follow and we can all go for a trip together. 


16) Chemical Burn - Lyon Tide 

A dance banger from Birmingham's Lyon Tide.  They have embraced their inner Chemical Brothers and written a biological love song that really kicks. It is the opening song from their amazing second album Life Pop Bang which deserves a much wider audience.  I recommend you check out the album.  Trust me!  Life Pop Bang | Lyon Tide (bandcamp.com)


17) Shelly Gold - GreenCircles and Ollie Winder

Ollie wrote the lyrics and teamed up with Newcastle band GreenCircles who provided the music and backing vocals.  It sounds like an early Roses song, complete with reversed guitar parts, a Jackon Pollock/John Squire paint splatter artwork.  It's got quality lyrics and music and I hope you love it as much as I do.  Shelly Gold | GreenCircles and Ollie Winder (bandcamp.com)

     

18) Wrote For Luck - Kinfauns

The combined vocals of the wonderful Amelia Coburn duetting with Andrew Johnson, singing the lyrics of Shaun William Ryder and playing the music of Happy Mondays on ukulele and acoustic guitar.  The result is gorgeous as you can hear.  Wrote For Luck | Kinfauns (bandcamp.com)  


19) Forget My Name - Lewca

The next single from Lewca's forthcoming Friday Night Rockstar album.  I think this is one of the most powerful tracks from Lewca so far.  It features vocals from Victory Flow and has stunned the listeners to my recent DAFTPOM show.  It pulls at the heartstrings as a tale of struggling and fighting against the odds.  The album is out Mid December and can be ordered here...  Friday Night Rockstar | Lewca (bandcamp.com)


20) Change Is On The Horizon - Voldo

Groovy laidback beats, weird noises and samples "Gotta make a change" this has a contempory feel but is steeped in deep cuts from their record collections.  Taken from the new Voldo album Melting Pot which, as its name implies, takes all their influences and forges something new and compelling.  Melting Pot | Voldo (bandcamp.com)  


Please also check out my blog reviewing The Shop Window's second album which is released at the end of November.  I'll be back next month with my blog on my albums of the year.  


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