Some amazing bands I discovered in Australia!

Jamilla

Even a casual music observer cannot help to notice that a huge proportion of buzzy bands, (mostly in  indie/ psychedelic rock circles) over the past few years have hailed from Australia. This includes indie heroes such as Tame Impala, Courtney Barnett,  Avalanches, DMA's, Pond, (my personal favourites) King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard ans recent breakthough stars such as Amyl and the Sniffers and Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever. Earlier this year I decided to go and explore the country for myself on an epic two-month journey that took me from major cities (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane), smaller cities (Darwin, Townsville, Newcastle), Tourist staples (Uluru, Byron Bay) and the middle of fucking nowhere's (Tennant Creek, Erdunda). When I wasn't taking in epic scenery, delicious food and meeting exotic animals I was searching for new bands. Luckily enough I was spoilt for choice Australia has a liberal attitude to promoting new music. Their government funded station Triple J puts the UK equivalent to shame. However actually finding shows proved to be a little harder in my first major city stop of Sydney.

Sydney. 

Luca Brasi 

I only saw one show in Sydney. Luca Brasi supported by Tiny Moving Parts and Eliza and the Delusionals. In order to get to this show I walked across the city from my hotel near Kings Cross all the way to the university. Once I got there finding the student bar hosting the show proved to be nearly impossible. Until I asked for directions and found the unmarked building. 

Eliza and The Delusionals were the gold coast indie rock four piece who kicked things off. From what I can remember I was pretty impressed by them. Although not nearly as much as i was by Tiny Moving Parts. An American emo band who seemed to have already conquered the hearts of many an Australian despite it only being their first tour over there. Some readers may already be aware of Luca Brasi from their UK tour with Moose Blood. Being unfamiliar with them I was pretty blown away by the energy in the room from them. This young emo band have sold out small rooms all across Australia and have packed them out with the same fanatic crowds that i have seen attend UK shows for the likes of Creeper or Milk Teeth. I don't rate them as highly as some of their UK emo/pop punk contemporaries. Yet based on the love they receive in their home country I am sure they could be conquering our shores any time soon. 

Darwin. 

Aside from a few performers in Byron Bay it wasn't until a month after that gig in Sydney that I caught another show. I was lucky enough to catch the Australian legends The Preatures in Darwin. Coming towards the end of a mammoth Aus tour The Preatures performed a fantastic set of sexy, swaggering rock n' roll that few other bands can deliver nowawdays. I was lucky to see them in Darwin as few major bands play them and as i can attest to, even a huge act such as The Preatures can struggle to fill a venue in Darwin. I was also impressed by how outspoken they were, particularly in regards to their respect for aboriginal culture. The support came from the endearingly awkward Ali Barter. Her live show was stripped back to just her and a guitar, a far cry from the full band sound of her album. Despite fighting against a crowd that would not shut up her incredible voice stood out as an obvious sign of her talent. Ali Barter's songs are a candid look at her mental health and sexuality. She tackles heavy topics with a dry sense of humour and is therefore an artist who I feel could be making some very vital music in the future. 

Adelaide.

W.M.N

Adelaide may be overshadowed by it's big brother Melbourne but it has a thriving music scene of it's own. I caught a show at a small pub that opened with the political, alternative RNB duo Argus and The Liar. The duo mix conscious rhymes with a trippy neo soul style backing. Perth native Jamilla followed on with her very modern style of alt-RNB. Her songs can be both reflective of her experiences being a young black woman and overtly sexual. While at time her sound felt a bit artificial it was the strength of her voice and personality which made her shine. W.M.N are a band like none other that I have seen. I am only going on my assumptions but one member appeared to be a classically trained violinist with an operatic voice. While two other members appeared to be transgender. These 4 people mixed electronic production with, violin accompaniment and elements of rap and spoken word. I have little other way to describe it yet I can think of few other bands so evocative of the age that we live in.   

Draining

Another night I found the (quite literally) underground punk club 'Ancient world'. I saw a plethora of local acts. From the grunge trio Agapanther, the post-rock duo Still They Slept and best of all the shoegaze band Draining.  The self described 'Sad Punx' Draining played a fantastically noisy set of punk rock drowned in guitar effects. They capped things off by smashing up their gear. 

Melbourne.

Sophisticated Dingo

I couldn't wait to go to Melbourne. While the inner city is chaotic and crowded the suburbs are every bit the hipster paradise I imagined the city to be. The Yarra suburb is an oasis of bars, cages, restaurants, tattoo parlours and of course.. live venues. Having known the city for producing acts such as King Gizzard and Rolling Blackouts I was eager to find the next big thing. After scouring about 30 shows alone that night in the local rag 'Beat' I settled on local heroes Deathbeat. A punk duo who mix heavy grooves with furious rapping. While there are similarities to UK punks Slaves, Deathbeat have created a sound that is unique to them. One of the supports for that show Slim Jefferies also supported Sophisticated Dingo on the next gig I saw in Melbourne. Their a scrappy hardcore band who are endearingly rough around the edges. By the time Bad Bangs, Face Face and House Hats had finished their fantastic sets it was getting late. Sophisticated Dingo were launching their EP 'Tastes just like the real thing' with a hour plus long set in front of a packed out room. They bought some trippy light projections to make their show that little bit more special. If you've guessed by their name alone that Sophisticated Dingo are a scuzzy two piece surf punk band then you'd be spot on! They ooze an especially Aussie sense of not giving a fuck and as such their show was heaps of fun!

So it turns out that just as I had expected the fantastic Australian bands who have broke through in the UK are only the tip of the iceberg. 

Deathbeat

Links

www.elizaandthedelusionals.com

www.facebook.com/lucabrasipunkrock/

www.thepreatures.com

www.alibartermusic.com

www.facebook.com/pg/argusandtheliar

www.facebook.com/pg/jamillamusic/

www.facebook.com/pg/wmnmusic

https://draining.bandcamp.com/

www.facebook.com/pg/deathbeatband

sophisticateddingo.bandcamp.com/

The Best Albums of 2018 (Honourable Mentions)

Playboi Carti - Die Lit
Earl Sweatshirt - Some Rap Songs
Beach House - 7
Beak> - >>>
Rich Brian - Amen
88 Rising - Head In The Clouds
Table Scraps - Autonomy
Nine Inch Nails - Bad Witch
Various Artists - Black Panther: The Album
Vince Staples - FM
B.E.D - B.E.D
Sunshine Frisbee Laserbeam - Blackout Cowboy
Christine & The Queens - Chris
Soccer Mommy - Clean
Scarlxrd - DXXM
Bodega - Endless Scroll
Amber Arcades - European Heartbreak
Sabrepulse - Exile
The Carters - Everything Is Love
U.S Girls - In a Poem Unlimited
77:78 - Jellies
Marmozets - Knowing what you know now
Caroline Rose - Loner
Nas - Nasir
Preoccupations - New Material
Serpentwithfeet - Soil
Raf Rundell - Stop Lying
Denzel Curry - TA1300
Ezra Furman - Transangelic Exodus
Paul Weller - True Meanings
Sunflower Bean - Twentytwo in blue
Nabihah Iqbal - Weighing of the heart
audiobooks - Now! (in a minute)
Frigs - Human Behaviour
Matt Berry - Television Themes
Noname - Room 25
Kurt Vile - Bottle it in
Joey Pecoraro - Music For Happiness
Virgina Wing - Ecstatic Arrow
Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Sex and Food
The Orielles - Silver Dollar Moment
The Go Team - Semicircle
Starcrawler - S/T

A brief enquiry into The 1975

If you've read my bloggings over the past few years you'll know that one band I've always written off (indirectly or in some cases rather more directly) is The 1975. It seems that outside of a growing minority of angry internet commenters. As the recent NME piece 'How i learned to love the 1975 points out at first it was rather easy to hate them. It seems that each generation gets at least one cocky band of young male Mancunians who take the UK (and sometimes the world) by storm. The 70's gave us Joy Division, 10cc and Buzzcocks. The 80's gave us The Smiths and The Stone Roses, the 90's gave us Oasis and we ended up with The 1975. With Matt Healy's floppy hair, and mix of dickishness/ way too much self awareness it seemed that we got the worst one of the bunch. Yet over time with The 1975 growing in popularity and critical acclaim I started to wonder what others were hearing that I wasn't. After all Pale Waves grew on me to the point that their debut became one of my favourites of the year. And they're more or less the same band.

After seeing the several 5 star reviews of 'A brief enquiry..' and the intriguing title I decided to give it a listen and found it to be one of the most frustratingly inconsistent listens I've heard in a long time. The album has been compared to many to Radiohead's Ok Computer. Yet from the opening track that is ironically titled 'The 1975' the only real comparison I can think of is to Bon Iver. More specifically Bon Iver's 2016 album '22, A Million'. Matt Healy's voice is so drowned in vocoder effects that it might as well me Justin Vernon singing. The annoying vocal effects throughout this record seem oddly self defeating. Matty is known for being an witty lyricist, yet it's hard to see why when every track sounds as if he's shouting the words from the bottom of the well. However the albums real opener 'Give yourself a try' is actually a pretty good song. A pretty catchy pop song that mixed garage style beats with a rather overbearing guitar riff. my faults with this songs are with the production rather than the tune itself. 'TOOTIME...' is another example of what the band do best, up-beat 80's style pop rock. Yet it's a song that manages to be both mildly annoying and forgettable at the same time. 'How to draw/Petrichor' is their most blatant steal of Bon Iver's sound yet. At least until the UK Garage style breakbeats kick in.  

The song where all this actually works is the single 'Sincerity is scary'. On this joyous lead single the jazzy piano and trumpets actually work with the gospel choirs and off beat rhythms to create a very enjoyable song.

The only song where the 'OK Computer' comparison seems valid is 'The Man Who Married a Robot'. This is the 'Fitter Happier' of the album. A robotic voice tells a glib story of a man who falls in love with the internet and subsequently dies alone. The difference between this and Radiohead is that the atmosphere isn't one of existential dread, in fact its almost hilarious. A few acoustic ballads further illustrate the fact that The 1975 are a band seemingly in a bit of an identity crises as any emotional depth is robbed by the erratic nature of the songs that surround them. There is even a bizarre detour into lounge jazz on 'I couldn't be more in love'. The grande finale 'I always wanna die (sometimes)' is an epic closer where Matty's vocals soar over an orchestral accompaniment. It's an example that, frustratingly enough, this album is absolutely brilliant in places. The songs are mostly solid but it's the production that usually lets them down. The 1975 were clearly so focused on making a 'generation defining masterpiece' that they smothered their songs in effects and unnecessary instrumentation to the point where they become hard to listen to. What any of this album has to do with 'online relationships' is beyond me. Yet despite some of the tracks being downright annoying there is something about this album that makes it worthwhile and makes me want to hear it again. This overblown third album bears more resemblance to another release of 1997, 'Be Here Now'. it remains to be seen whether or not this album will be panned in a few years time. But 'Be Here Now' still has it's fans. The fact is that despite it's faults this album has almost won me over. It hasn't taught me to love The 1975 but i do now hate them a lot less.  

Acts to watch in 2019

It's no secret that 2018 was dominated by an increasingly downbeat and depressed sound. As all genres of music, rock, hip-hop, pop, dance... seem to be squashed together to make an increasingly bland radio friendly sound to appeal to the biggest number of people possible. However it seems to me that handful of new stars in 2019 may provide some respite.

 Jimothy Lacoste has made waves throughout 2018 by dropping several viral singles. Jimothy is instantly recognisable as the working class London kid wearing expensive clothes and colourful chinos. In his videos he has been seen hanging off the edge of trains, climbing onto busses, dancing in public and generally annoying and confusing London commuters. Jimothy has a musical style that is as unique as his fashion sense. His style of rap music has a retro, washed out aesthetic. Jimothy half raps, half talks over backdrops of incredibly catchy synthpop tunes. Jimothy is an inspiring character who focuses on spreading positive vibes and self fulfilment. You may also recognise Oliver Tree from his various Youtube videos. The 'professional scooter rider' who wears baggy jeans, shellsuits and proudly wears his bowl cut. On the surface Oliver might seem little more than a meme

However his music speaks for itself. Oliver's debut EP is an addictive mix of pop-rap boasting Oliver's knack for writing catchy tunes, and his dry offbeat sense of humour. Judging by Joji's success in 2018, I think Oliver could be the next Youtuber-turned pop star. 
If ironic pop-rap isn't your thing then Heavy Lungs and FONTAINES D.C. could be more your thing. Heavy Lungs are the Bristol based 'blood brother's to IDLES. You may already know about  Heavy Lung's singer Danny Nedelko from the brilliant song IDLES wrote about him. He's a charismatic front-man, and Heavy Lungs dark take on post-punk could make them the next break through band. Fontaines D.C have won over a legion of fans supporting Shame on their recent tour. Especially amongst the IDLES 'AF Gang'. Fontaines D.C. have a singer who embodies the look and carefree attitude of the late Mark E Smith and some of the catchiest punk rock songs to come out of Ireland since The Undertones penned 'Teenage Kicks'. 
Another band who I was hugely impressed with recently was the incredible The Fever 333 a new project raised from the ashes of letlive.  The Fever 333 believe in COMMUNITY, CHARITY, and CHANGE. Their music is an empowered and boldly political mix of metal and hip-hop. I saw them wow the Arena Birmingham. Scaling the bleachers to spread their message to the balcony seats, delivering passionate speeches, backfips and drum solos. They outshined the act they were supporting by far. The Fever 333 are one the most vital and passionate bands in the world right now.  

Shame, Sorry, Fontaines D.C. Live at the Institute Birmingham review (28/11/18)

FONTAINES D.C are a band who are much like Shame in their post-punk sound, and overtly political lyrics. At least i think their singer's lyrics are political. It's kind of hard to tell what he's saying with his thick Irish accent. With his thrift shop clothes and punch drunk swagger he evokes the spirit of Mark E Smith. I was impressed by Fontaines D.C. as much for their great tunes as their attitude. 'Liberty Bell' and 'Hurricane Laughter' are some of the best punk rock songs to come out of Ireland since The Undertones Penned 'Teenage Kicks'. Overall Fontaines D.C seem like they've come out of some sort of wormhole. Their contemporaries seem more likely to be Stiff Little Fingers or Boomtown Rats than IDLES or Shame. Yet seeing such a young band with great songs, a great sound and attitude is uplifting in whatever decade you're in. I have no doubt that big things are coming this bands way. (8.4/10)
SORRY hail from the same tight knit London scene as Shame. They're one of the most intriguing and unique bands to emerge from that scene in the past year. They lack any clear influences and in the current pantheon of indie rock bands there is no-one to compare them too. Their downbeat lyrics, keyboard flourishes, jangly guitars and hints of shoegaze are all familiar yet add up to a sound that is totally their own. However their live show wasn't as engaging as the bands before and after them. I enjoyed their set but I didn't love it. (7.6)

Shame have been on stage for a little over two minutes and their newly blonde singer, Charlie Steen is already crowd-surfing on a bed of frenzied fans. Shame are riding high at the end of a triumphant year. Their début album 'Songs of Praise' was released back in January. This album marked them out as being one of the best of a new wave of post-punk bands to crawl out of the UK's underbelly. Almost a year later and the record is topping end of year lists, Shame have become a tabloid target in the sun and played one of the most memorable 'later...' sets of the year. For this Birmingham show the lucky crowd was to hear three brand new songs. 'Human for a minute', 'Cowboy' and 'Exhaler' are not just new but possibly three of the best songs Shame have written yet. It seems that Charlie Steen is taking a bit of a break from tory baiting to write songs that are more introspective. 'Human for a minute' is quite openly about the feeling not being a functional human. 'Cowboy' seemed to feature the line 'sometimes I want someone to sit by me and tell me every-thing's fine'. When the next album comes around Shame may be tacking mental health as well as the state of things. If this sounds like Shame have gone a bit emo then don't worry. Despite being more in touch with their feelings they sound more punk than ever. Charlie proudly announced that 'One Rizla' was a pop song and the first song they wrote together. The crowd at this show was a mix of teens, old school punks and 20 somethings, yet the crowd was still happily bouncing around for the band who can unite these tribes together. On stage Shame are unable to stand still for a minute, moving and jumping around with the energy that only such a young band can. 'Angie' was a rare calm moment, before the raucous punk rock of 'Lampoon'. An encore was brief and unnecessary as Shame returned after a minute or so to play 'Gold Hole'. Once again Charlie was crowd surfing and standing on the palms of Shame's adoring fans. Proof if any were needed that Shame are one of the most vital young bands in the UK. A band to be treasured.  (9.2)

Bring Me The Horizon + The Fever 333, Yonaka. Live at Arena Birmingham Review (23/11/2018)

I was excited to see Yonaka supporting Bring me The Horizon because despite not being familiar with their music, I knew that they're one of 2018's breakout rock bands and I was interested to see what all the hype is about. Yonaka are basically everything I've come to expect from a young arena ready rock band. Big chunky riffs, the occasional keyboard flourish and big choruses. Their singer Theresa Jarvis made a big impression sporting a bright red pimp coat and gold lame trousers. The problem is that while songs such as 'Creature' and 'Own Worst Enemy' are decent rock songs, they're not particularly memorable. Yonaka have a cool stage presence and sound but are generally lacking in anything else to make them stand out. (7.6/10)
The Fever 333 made quite an impression from the moment they hit the stage. The former singer of letlive. Jason Aalon Butler, stood on stage with his head in a bag and arms behind his back, surrounded by dry ice, while a montage of news clips served as an introduction to everything him and his band are against. The next 40 minutes were one of the most engaging and mind blowing live shows I've seen all year. So much happened in such a small space of time that it's hard to recount it all here. Jason climbed up the bleachers to preach righteous bars from the seating section. Theresa from Yonaka joined them on stage as Jason gave a speech preaching solidarity with female musicians and the importance of supporting independent culture. There was even time for a quick drum solo and a few back-flips. Despite obvious similarities The Fever 333 are not Rage Against The Machines' Greta Van Fleet. Their updated take on rap metal is so righteous that it's hard not to see them inspiring their own nu-metal revolution. Much like RATM they are proudly political and their sound is so heavy and layered that it's hard to believe that there is only three people on stage. I have no doubt that they will continue to grow and spread their message from here. (9.2)
I do not envy Bring Me The Horizon for having to follow The Fever 333. Yet it says a lot about them that despite having not released an album for 3 years and only putting out two singles this year they can still fill arenas. By this point they have mastered the arena rock show. This is partly down to some ingenuously simple set design. Two rectangular lighting rigs were on extend-able wires meaning they could be moved around throughout. The new single 'Mantra' kicked things off as confetti cannons blasted the arena. The Mantra in question is that 'Before the truth will set you free it will piss you off'. Following this was a batch of well drilled anthems from the past two albums. The other new song aired tonight was 'Wonderful Life'. A fantastically heavy tune with a huge groove. Yet It seemed that tonight BMTH were more focussed on their past than their future. They played a brief medley of older 'deep cuts' starting with 2008's 'The Comedown'. This was clearly a lot of fun for the band and their longtime fans. After all this time Oli Sykes is still the northern oik screaming his head off, inciting mosh-pits at will. For about 10 minutes BMTH were their old metalcore selves. At least until Oli dryly said 'right, back to the shit songs'. Of course 'Can you feel my heart' and the (more relevant than ever) 'Antivist' are far from shit. It does make me wonder who BMTH are at this point. Are they metalcore oiks, metal legends or radio rockers? An acoustic version of 'Drown' didn't make things any clearer. The inevitable encore brought 'Doomed' and 'Throne' and yet another shitload of confetti. Before he left Oli said that the new album 'Ammo' is out next year. Apparently it will blow our minds and that they will be touring again to support it. I'm looking forward to hearing it. I was hoping to hear some more new songs, but I guess for now, the old stuff will do. (8.4)

 

The Best Albums of 2018

1. Kali Uchis - Isolation
In troubled times such as this it's difficult to know what to expect from pop music. Do we want a nostalgic escape from reality? or do we want to tackle the issues of the outside world head on? With her début album Kali Uchis manages to do both. 'Isolation' is a lush pop album that mixes soul and funk influences with a modern take on the classic girl group sound. Kali also puts her own tasteful spin on the Latin pop trend. Kali achieved this by bringing together an impressive roster of guest musicians, from Tyler, the creator to Bootsy Collins, Damon Albarn to Thundercat, yet Kali is never out-shined. In a year marked by increasingly depressing immigration policies Kali makes moving countries sound not only enjoyable but sexy as hell on songs such as 'Flight 22' and 'Miami'. In fact the whole album oozes sex appeal, 'Just a stranger' and 'Your teeth in my neck' are irresistibly funky jams, yet even a woman with as much sex appeal has to confront unrealistic body expectations as she says 'I'm too skinny I'm too fat' on 'Coming Home'. 'Tyrant' finds Kali wondering whether her lover is susceptible to be corrupted by power, and 'After the Storm' confronts depression. Mix all this together and you have the perfect pop record for 2018. Socially conscious, yet gorgeous enough to work as a brief escape from reality. 
Check out - Just a Stranger

2. IDLES - Joy as an act of resistance
It was only last year that Idles burst onto to scene with 'Brutalism'. An album that was easily the best post punk album since Eagulls début a few years before it. Less than a year later Idles have followed up one of the best punk albums of the decade with one that's even better. On 'Joy' Idles haven't captured the Zeitgeist so much as bludgeoned it with a hammer. 'Joy' is a furious beast of an album yet uplifting at the same time. It helps that singer Joe Talbot not only has the roar of a animal but the prose of a bard. Every lyric on this album would look good on a protest sign. Whether attacking Tories, ("a heathen from Eaton on a bag of Micheal Keaton"), depression ("if someone talked to you the way you talk to you, I'd put their teeth through, love yourself") or toxic masculinity ("I kissed a boy and I liked it!"). Joe is frequently hilarious, yet it's his chilling ode to his unborn child on 'June' that proves that sometimes it's the simplest lyrics that cut the deepest.
Check out - Danny Nedelko

3. Brockhampton - Iridescence 
'Iridescence' is Brockhampton's 5th album in two years and supposedly the 1st part of yet another trilogy. The fact that the two albums 'Puppy' and 'Team Effort' may still hold a load of unreleased material as well as the fact that three singles didn't make this album, only goes to highlight the groups prodigious work-rate. Iridescence was mostly recorded during a short period in London and it carries the gritty urban feel of the city. The quirky hip-hop sound of the 'Saturation' trilogy has been expanded on with elements of drum n' bass and garage, along with orchestral accompaniments and even a choir. The downbeat mood of the album can mostly be attributed to the sacking of founder member Ameer Van.
The album benefits from every member of the group being on top form, most surprisingly Bearface, whose performances dominate much of the album, despite being absent from much of the Saturation Trilogy. Iridescence is chock full of bangers yet it's the emotional highs and lows of deep cuts such as Tonya and San Marcos which make the album stand out. Brockhampton have proved themselves to be one of the most important hip-hop groups/boybands of the decade with an album that can make you mosh and cry in equal measure.
Check out - Tonya

4. Pusha T - DAYTONA
It says a lot about Kanye West that in a career marked by asshole behaviour it took until 2018 for him to finally outdo himself. This makes it difficult to admit that his projects this year have mostly been brilliant. One of the highlights being this fantastically gritty gangster rap album from Pusha T. Thankfully Kanye mostly takes a backseat on this one creating a backdrop that mixes grimy electronica with classic soul. The perfect backdrop for Pusha's ice cold retelling of a life lived on the streets. Pusha T brings fantastic lyricism to match his sharp flow, and endless quotable one liners. Despite being over shadowed by the beef that Pusha started with Drake on the track 'Infrafred', and Kanye trying to make America great again, it's worth looking back on DAYTONA, as despite the controversies it spawned, the music is what really matters.
Check out - Come Back Baby

5. David Byrne - American Utopia
American Utopia bears many of the hallmarks that made David Byrne's previous band Talking Heads the iconic act that many music nerds know them as now. The eclectic nature of many of Talking Heads classic songs is reflected throughout here. David Byrne continues to mix indie rock with elements of afrobeat, funk and electronica. The main difference is that his paranoid yelp is now a cry for hope and positivity. American Utopia is deliberately cheery, and upbeat as a riposte to the darkness of the year it was released. Lyrically David pens some of his most surreal tales. On 'Dog's Tale' he wonders whether the problems of humans are really all that relevant to the lives of others. On 'Everyday is a Miracle' he reminds the listener to 'live for each other, love one another'. A corny statement, perhaps, but a necessary one 
Check out - Everyday is a Miracle

6. Father John Misty - God's Favourite Customer
The artist formerly known as J Tillman is one of the most divisive artists of the decade either a irreverent genius or pretentious twat depending on who you ask. I'd go with the former yet even I'd have to admit that last years magnum opus 'Pure Comedy' was hard going. Sure it was brilliant, and his wry sense of humour helped, but ultimately it was too long and too overblown an album to truly love. With God's Favourite Customer, 'Mr Tillman' takes a good hard look at himself and doesn't like what he sees. Examining his flaws in both first and third person. A running theme of the album is his failed attempts to reconcile his relationships. He does this over some of the most beautiful ballads of his career. In typically self deprecating fashion, Tillman sings that 'Disappointing Diamonds are the Rarest of Them All', questions the ethics of taking song-writing inspiration from his relationships, on 'The Songwriter'. Unfortunately Tillman doesn't have all the answers as he simply concludes that 'We're only people (and there's not much anyone can do about that)' 
Check out - God's Favourite Customer   
 
7. LUMP - s/t
Lump is a product by Mike Lindsay Laura Marling. The former being the singer of the long running folk act Tuung and the latter being one of the most revered singer - songwriters of the past decade. Together on this unexpected collaboration they create an intoxicating style of Folk-tronica. Laura Marling's lyrics focus on odd subjects, such as flying, and the life cycle of a crab, while Mike Lindsay creates dreamy, lush backdrops for her ethereal voice to soar across. Of all the albums I've listened to this year 'Lump' is the one I've probably gone back to the most. It seems to get better with each listen. 
Check out - Curse of the Contemporary 

8. KIDS SEE GHOSTS - s/t
If you've ever wondered what a Kanye West produced psychedelic rock album would sound like look no further. Kids See Ghosts is Kanye West and long time collaborator Kid Cudi pushing each pother to produce the strangest and best music they can. In just over 20 minutes the two fit in a huge amount of ideas and creativity from the genius (that organ backing track on 'Reborn') to the downright insane (Kanye's Big Shaq impression on 'Feel The Love'). The two mix rapping with guitars and sampling with Kanye's trademark big beat sounds to make one of the most diverse and intriguing projects of the year.
Check out - Reborn

9. Car Seat Headrest - Twin Fantasy
The original Twin Fantasy is to bedroom recorded Bandcamp albums what 'The Wall' is to 70's Progressive rock albums. A short sharp blast of scuzzy indie rock songsunited by a grand concept, unfortunately ruined by horribly cheap production. Yet this still couldn't hide how great those songs were. Despite Will Toledo having made several fantastic records since Twin Fantasy. The orginal retains it's cult status. Rather than simply recording the songs in a professional studio, Will has expanded the songs to epic proportion.The song's have been stretched out, and experimented with. Yet the emotional core and rough aesthetic of the original still remains. As far as indie rock goes in 2018, this is as life affirming, odd, and downright brilliant as it gets. 
Check out - Nervous Young Inhumans

10. Parquet Courts - Wide Awake!
After many years Parquet Courts have delivered what may be their definitive album. 'Wide Awake' is the NYC punks at their smartest, catchiest and most diverse. The dry humoured punk rock that made their earlier records so much fun is still present on tracks such as 'Freebird 2' and 'Mardi Gras Beads'. Yet much of the album shows off how their experimental records have paid off. There's a psychedelic streak that runs throughout 'Wide awake!'. Especially on the spaced out 'Back to Earth'. The title track is the funkiest song they've ever written. The jaunty 'Tenderness' is probably the most memorable song of the bunch, kicking off with a piano lead that wouldn't sound out of place in a cowboy saloon. on an album that's rife with social observation, it's apt that by the end, they would be longing 'for a little tenderness'.
Check out - Tenderness

11. The 1975 - A brief enquiry into online relationships
12. Shame - Songs of Praise
13. Mac Miller - Swimming
14.Twenty One Pilots - Trench
15. Slaves - Acts of Fear and Love
16. Ross From Friends - Family Portrait
17. Everything is Recorded - Everything is Recorded by Richard Russell
18. Arctic Monkeys - Tranquillity Base Hotel & Casino
19. Peace - Kindness is the new Rock n' Roll
20. Dream Wife - s/t
21. SOPHIE - Oil of every pearls Un-insides
22. Boy Azooga - 1,2 Kung fu!
23. Daughters - You won't get what you want
24. Nervus - Everything Dies
25. Insecure Men - s/t
26. Daniel Avery - Song for Alpha
27. JPEGMAFIA - Veteran
28. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - Hope Downs
29. Superorganism - s/t
30. Robyn - Honey
31. Sons of Kemet - Your queen is a reptile
32. George Clanton - Slide
33. Joji - Ballads 1
34. Gorillaz - The Now Now
32. Jack White - Boarding House Reach 
36. A.A.L (Against All Logic) - 2012 -2017
37. Janelle Monae - Dirty Computer
38. The Fever 333 - Made An America
39. Tiny Moving Parts - Swell
40. Kanye West - ye
41. J.Cole - KOD
42. Young Fathers - Cocoa Sugar
43. Pale Waves - My mind makes noises
44. Post Malone - Beerbongs & Bentleys
45. Suede - The Blue Hour
46. Khurangbin - Con Todo El Mundo 
47. Zeal and Ardor - Stranger Fruit
48. The Internet - Hive Mind 
49. Anderson. Paak - Oxnard 
50. J.I.D - Decaprio 2

Milk Teeth Live at Muthers Studio review (16/11/18)

Before the show I was one of the lucky few who took part in one of  Milk Teeth's 'self care sessions'. This was a nice way to get to know the band in a personal yet informal way. Milk Teeth's singer Becky helped out with making bracelets, drummer Oli picked the tunes, and guitarist Em was happy to talk and help out with arts and crafts. This was a chance for the band to not just get to know their fans but for the fans to meet up and make friends as well. I tried and quickly gave up on making wristbands so instead tried out facemasks with someone I'd just met and drew a poster for the show. Afterwards we took a bunch of selfies which are now on the band's Instagram The self care session was to raise funds for BEAT, an eating disorder charity that has helped Becky many times and is close to her heart. After a blissful hour the opening act Polthergeist (7.6/10) kicked off with a chaotic set. Their singer was frequently placing his mic stand right into the audience, or writhing on the floor while screaming. Polthergeist are clearly an impressive hardcore band, but I had a sense of deja-vu as I've seen many other hardcore bands put on the same show.
Fresh (7.6) were chosen perfectly as a support act for Milk Teeth the London punks who are 'Sometimes sad, sometimes happy, always hungry, played a set that was fun, energetic, and felt, well... fresh.
Milk Teeth MK3 are healing the wounds left by a punishing tour schedule and losing two band members, one amiably, the other in mysterious acrimonious circumstances. It hasn't taken long for the band to regroup and playing shows again.
It's obvious that Em is a perfect fit as the new guitarist for Milk Teeth, she's a close friend of both Becky and Oli. What better way to show off the new look Milk Teeth than with a small show in Birmingham playing the 'Be Nice' and 'Go away' EP's in full? Em might not be able to play quite every note that the two guitarists used to but she comes close, as a result Milk Teeth are now sounding tighter and better than ever. The two EP's contain much of Milk Teeth's best songs and heaviest material, and it was heartening seeing the socially awkward teens that attended the self care session, letting loose, moshing and crowd surfing to punk tunes such as 'owning my okayness', 'Fight skirt' and the vicious 'I stabbed you first'. Which Becky admits was written about an old boss. A lucky treat was an airing of two brand new songs, one of which is about 'eating pussy'. Both the new songs fit the grungey pop-punk-ish mould of their better known material. It seems like things are back to business as usual.

http://www.milkteethpunx.com/
https://www.facebook.com/freshpunks/
https://www.facebook.com/polthergeist2014/

Lil Pump. Live at the Birmingham academy review (15/11/2018)

Considering his cartoonish persona, part of the fun of going to a Lil Pump gig is the thrill of actually being in a room with this living meme of a person. Before this was an underwhelming set from support acts Splurge X Huncho, a duo who barely fill the low standards set by other soundcloud rappers. A long gap between this and Lil Pump's hypeman coming on stage made for a bit of a lull in the night but it was worth the wait once Lil Pump hit the stage. Running on stage at exactly 10pm to his Carnage produced banger 'I Shyne' and delivering a solid 45 minute set. Unlike the fake deep posturing of many of his contemporaries Lil Pump knows exactly what he's about and how to put on a show. What he lacks in lyrical depth he makes up for with attitude and an ability to command a crowd of sweaty teenagers, enticing mosh-pits and crowd surges at will. LP said he rated the energy in the room a 7 but wanted to push things up to a 10* which the Birmingham crowd did. As you might expect from someone who recently launched a weed balloon into space so 'God can get high' the show wasn't without it's WTF moments. The most jawdropping of all was his sideman encouraging a crowd of impressionable teens to chant 'free Cosby'. Which goes to show that you can make people shout anything as long as you're on a stage and have a decent enough beat behind you. Also strange was the crowd counting down from 20 as he did a 'push up challenge'. Less surprising was a tribute to the late XXXTENTACION with an 'RIP' backdrop and airing of their posthumous collaboration 'Arms Around You'. Yet there was little time for silence or reflection when there was bangers such as 'Gucci Gang', D Rose, Boss and 'I love it' to bounce around too. When he'd finished inciting chaos Lil Pump claimed that he loved us all and would hang around to sign merch. Lil Pump might just be the luckiest kid in the world but at least his desire to entertain and connect with his fans is admirable. After blasting 'Boss' for the 2nd time Pump left the stage and his sideman announced that there would be an after-party for 18+ year old girls only. On this evidence Soundcloud Rap might just be the new Rock N' Roll. 

6.8/10

*a dig at Anthony Fantano?

The best albums of October 2018

Joji - Ballads 1 - It's hard to think of an artist who defines the internet age more than Joji. From gaining internet fame via his infamous internet alter-egos 'Filty Frank' and 'Pink Guy' Joji has made the transition from internet clown to RNB sadboy. Aligning himself with the 88 Rising label seems to have given him more confidence to branch out on his own as a serious artist. At first 'Ballads' seems like a curiously amateurish listen. Joji seems to take inspiration from the piano-led electronica of James Blake  or the downbeat pop-rap of Post Malone. However Joji's vocals are hushed and hidden amongst his instrumental backdrops. Yet this is a part of what makes 'Ballads' so intoxicating. Overall the album has a dark aesthetic that makes me feel as if I've dived into a dark part of his brain. Ballads may lack the professionalism of his peers but the albums imperfections are what makes it so alluring.
Check out - Yeah Right 

Robyn- Honey- It's strange to think that after dominating the start of the decade with her 'Body talk' projects that Robyn has gone a full 8 years without releasing an official album. It speaks volumes about Robyn's credibility as an artist that 'Honey' picks up where 'Body Talk' left off 8 years ago without sounding even a tad dated.  Robyn's mix of house and pop still sounds as fresh as ever. 'Honey' goes to show that no-one can mix euphoria and melancholy like Robyn.
Check out - Ever again

Twenty One Pilots - Trench - I never expected to be as impressed by this album as I was but from the Royal Blood sized bass riff and sirens that kick off the albums opener 'Jumpsuit' I was hooked. From here the album morphs and shifts into a variety of different styles, from pop to rap, electronica to dub. Trench is so varied that it's hard to get bored of. While older fans can possibly appreciate the storytelling and concept that ruins through this record newer fans can still appreciate Tyler Joseph's lyrical wit, and the poignant 'Neon Gravestones' where he rejects the idea of dying young being romanticised and confronts his own mental health issues head-on 
Check out - Clorine

I've also enjoyed...
Daughters - You won't get what you want 
Kurt Vile - Bottle it in
Matt Berry - Television Themes 

FRIGS, Mutes, Odmansbox. Live at the Hare and Hounds review (7/11/18)

Odmansbox (7.6/10) were an odd addition to the bill supporting FRIGS but no less enjoyable. A three piece prog-pop group that fit in somewhere between Mat Berry's Prog rock revivalism and Jermaine Clement's various Bowie pastiches. Odmansbox have a dry sense of humour that shines through in their songs and stage presence, from their tributes/laments of hippie culture and the Sparks-ish 'Who the fuck are you', Odmansbox manage to write music that is both very clever and very catchy. Mutes (7.6) have changed a lot since their inception as a bedroom post-rock project. Their singer James has brought some of the charged rock n' roll sound of his other band God Damn and has turned Mutes into his own rock trio. Mutes are now much more Cribs than Mogwai yet the shoegazy sound of their earlier releases still occasionally pops through into their live performances. Best of all was the krautrock style closer for their set that seemed to last forever, mixing motorik drums with a mess of distorted guitar noise made for a thrilling end to their set.
FRIGS (8) have been compared to legends such as Sonic Youth and PJ Harvey, yet while well intentioned these comparisons seem rather lazy. The band that FRIGS most closely resemble is their fellow Canadians and friends Preoccupations. I feel that they also should draw comparison to other post-punk revivalists such as Protomartyr or Savages. Whatever the case FRIGS make the kind of dark, claustrophobic post-punk that I'm a sucker for. Any mix of growled vocals, propulsive drums, rumbling bass and wiry guitar leads is likely to win me over and FRIGS are one of the best bands I've come across who are likely doing this. A big part of what makes their live shows so thrilling is their singer Bria. Bria is a confrontational singer, who was eager to get right into peoples faces. Here raspy vocals were distorted past being understandable, which only added to the sinister edge of the music. She did little to engage the audience despite the occasional shout of 'Birmingham!' but the slight detachment between crowd and band worked to their favour. Overall this was a pretty fantastic show from a band who deserve to stand out amongst their peers.

IDLES, live at the Birmingham Institute review (26/10/2018)

You don't need to see IDLES live to realise that they're one of if not the most important bands of the decade. Everything that makes them special is already on display on their two albums so far. Everything about Idles just seems to epitomise the mood and feel of the troubled times were living in. From the smart, funny and endlessly quotable lyrics of front-man Joe Talbot and the empowered post-punk noise that the rest of the band give him to shout it over, it's obvious that Idles haven't just captured the Zeitgeist so much as they have wrestled it to the ground.
Idles already have the perfect support act with them on this tour. Heavy Lungs (7.2) are a similarly gritty band in the post punk vein. Notable for having Joe Talbot's 'blood brother' Danny Nedelko as their singer. However the Latvian born Danny is more than just a catchy song. From the moment he gets on stage it's impossible to take your eyes off him. Heavy lungs may lack the instant catchiness of Idles' songs but they have a gloomy aesthetic of their own, which makes them an intriguing and beguiling new band to watch out for. (7.2/10)

When IDLES hit the stage they were silhouettes shrouded in dry ice and flashing white lights. This made for a menacing backdrop for the opener 'Colossus'. For all his focus on positivity Joe Talbot is still a formidable presence on stage, leering at the crowd and delivering the lyrics on his typical dry tone. For most bands a slow burner such as Colossus would be an odd way to start the show yet IDLES had the audience in the palm of their hands from the moment they walked on stage. Following the song's incendiary finish and launching right into the brilliant 'Never fight a man with a perm' had the crowd in a frenzy. The crowd instinctively knowing every word to this darkly funny take of losing a fight to 'A heathen from Eaton, on a bag of Micheal Keaton'. 'Mother' and 'I'm scum' also made for great examples of what makes IDLES special but it was 'Danny Nedelko' that really shows what the band are all about. An embrace of unity and immigration as Joe embraced his 'blood brother' Danny on stage. Joe Talbot is as quotable between songs as he is during them, giving shout-outs to the AF gang, local heroes UB40 and Table Scraps, before declaring that 'our country is run by psychopaths'. He may be preaching to the choir but it's still a sermon worth hearing. It was around this point that things started to get a little bit out of hand, with both IDLES guitarists deciding to have a go at crowd surfing. This prompted a plucky fan to try and get on the stage. Joe growled at the security to let him on stage. The fan ran over to help out bashing drums and next thing the stage was swarmed with lucky fans playing IDLES instruments and generally making as much noise as possible. It's this close relationship with their fans that has allowed IDLES to make their massive dent in the UK scene. Joe was quick to clear out the suddenly rather empty stage for their cover of 'cry to me'. IDLES don't do encores because they think it's weird, but after delivering more anthems with 'Well done' and Rottweiler, they'd delivered more than enough. The last 10 minutes of the show was a cacophony of guitar feedback and flashing lights, leaving The Institute with a show it would never forget.

9.2 

(love IDLES as much as I do? join the AF Gang! https://www.facebook.com/groups/231316577380254/)

The best albums of August and September 2018

Hello again! if you were wondering why I've not written anything for the past 2 and a half months it's because I have been exploring Australia. in exactly 2 months I managed to travel from Sydney to Townsville, up to Darwin, and back down to Alice Springs where I saw Ululru and the other surrounding attractions. In my last few weeks i went down to Adelaide and finally Melbourne. I made lots of friends, caught up with family, drunk loads and saw heaps of great bands. Here are just a few of the albums which sound-tracked my epic trip.

Brockhampton - Iridescence 
One of my only regrets from my travels throughout Australia was the fact that I didn't get to see Brockhampton touring while I was over there. Getting a ticket would have been impossible anyway. Luckily I had a brilliant new album from the 'boyband' to stream on repeat while i was over there. While i understood that the sacking of founder member Ameer Van was necessary i was unsure of how the group would cope without such a dynamic voice in their ranks. Iridescence is Brockhampton's 5th album in two years and supposedly the 1st part of yet another trilogy. The fact that the two albums 'puppy' and 'team effort' may still hold a load of unreleased material as well as the fact that three singles didn't make this album, only goes to highlight the groups prodigious work-rate. Iridescence was mostly recorded during a short period in London. Iridescence very much sounds like a London album. The quirky hip hop sound of the saturation trilogy has been expanded with elements of drum n' bass and garage while much of the production has a darker grimier feel than the previous LP's.
The album benefits from every member of the group being on top form, most surprisingly Bearface, whose performances dominate much of the album, despite being absent from much of the Saturation Trilogy. Iridescence is chock full of bangers yet it's the emotional highs and lows of deep cuts such as Tonya and San Marcos which make the album stand out. Brockhampton have proved themselves to be one of the most important hip-hop groups/boybands of the decade with an album that can make you mosh and cry in equal measure.
Check out - Tonya

Idles - Joy as an act of resistance 
It was only last year that Idles burst onto to scene with 'Brutalism'. An album that was easily the best post punk album since Eagulls debut a few years before it. Less than a year later Idles have followed up one of the best punk albums of the decade with one that's even better. On 'Joy' Idles haven't captured the zeitgeist so much as bludgeoned it with a hammer. 'Joy' is a furious beast of an album yet uplifting at the same time. It helps that Joe Talbot not only has the roar of a animal but the prose of a bard. Every lyric on this album would look good on a protest sign. Whether attacking Tories, ("a heathen from Eaton on a bag of Micheal Keaton"), depression ("if someone talked to you the way you talk to you, i'd put their teeth through, love yourself") or toxic masculinity Joe is frequently hilarious. Yet it's his chilling ode to his unborn child on 'June' that proves that sometimes it's simplest lyrics that cut the deepest.
Check out - Danny Nedelko

George Clanton - Slide 
Darwin, NT is hot. It's unbelievably hot. It's so hot that the locals look forward to the wet season as it gives them some relief from the heat, even if this comes in the form of 6 months of rain. While I had an endless supply of 'stubbies', and air con and beautiful natural pools to cool me down, nothing worked quite as well as the album 'Slide' from George Clanton. On this LP George ingeniously gives the 1990's the vapourwave treatment. He buries his heartbroken vocals over layers of shimmering synths, and breakbeats, creating a heady psychedlelic mix that mimics Primal Scream's classic 'Screamadelica'. George treads a fine line between echoing the past and reinventing it. For all the nostalgia on display 'Slide' is far more inventive than anything his less underrated peers can come up with.
Check out - Slide

Ross From Friends - Family Portrait
I'm going to ignore the fact that this album came out in July because I think it's brilliant. 'Family Portrait' is another album which i became a little bit obsessed with while travelling throughout Australia. Look past the ironic name and facade and you'll find a fantastically clever and diverse techno album. 'Ross' shares the eclectic nature of Aphex Twin and his label boss Flying Lotus. The album is a bewildering mix of avante-garde house music. Yet it contains at least three absolute bangers in 'Project Cybersyn', 'Pale Blue Dot' and 'Thank god i'm a lizard'.
Check out - Project Cybersyn

Amber Arcades - European Heartbreak
Amber Arcades 2016 debut 'Fading Lines' was a surprise favourite of mine the year it came out. A gentle psychedelic tinged album of jangly indie rock. It feels like it's been a long wait for the follow up and 'European Heartbreak' feels like the work of a completely different band. Jangly indie rock sound has mostly been replaced with melancholy ballards, and lush orchestration. It's quite a change, but it's frequently gorgeous, much like Annelotte's debut this is an album of subtlety and charm. given a chance, there is a lot to love here
Check out - Self portrait in a car at night

Slaves - Acts of fear and love
To tell the truth I wasn't as excited to hear Slaves' forth album as I had been the ones before it. Maybe the novelty of a two piece punk band with a singing drummer had worn off. Slaves 4th album has nothing new that they hadn't done one their previous releases and none of the experimentation with rap and electronica as on 'Take Control'. Yet there is a reason Slaves' are proud of this album the most. It's everything that makes the band great condensed into 9 tracks. There's no messing around, just 9 of the best and most heartfelt songs they've written to date. Sometimes less really is more.
Check out - Bugs

Pale Waves - My mind makes noises
I'm a bit fed up of bands pretending it's the 80's. So I've decided that only one 80's indebted pop/rock record could make this list. Yet considering how much I liked her debut I never thought i'd give the honour to Pale Waves instead of Christine and the Queens. I was all set to hate Pale Waves from the moment their pasty faces first hit my radar. This is partly due to their resemblance and relationship to The 1975 (a band who I still seem to be the only one in the world to dislike). I'm glad I gave Pale Waves another chance. 'My mind...' may show the band to be a bit of a one trick pony. Almost every song here follows the same formula. Yet in it's best moments it's irresistible. Few singers wear their hearts on their sleeves quite like Heather Baron-Gracie, she embodies the spirit of young love. Her lyrics would sound incredibly corny if anyone else sung them yet it's her sincerity that won me over.
Check out - Drive

I also enjoyed 

Beak- >>> 
Denzel Curry - TA13BOO
Christine and The Queens - Chris

The best albums of June 2018

Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever- Hope Downs 
Just when it seemed like Indie rock had finally become devoid of all personality and relevance a bunch of Australians hailing from Melbourne (same places as other Beat Town faves, Courtney Barnett and KG&TLW) dropped one of the freshest rock n' roll albums in ages. kicking off with the irresistible 'an air conditioned man' and carrying  on in the same summery jangly vein from there on. 'Hope Downs' is 10 perfect inde rock songs bursting with melody and energy. this is Melbourbne sunshine bottled and put into a record. It helps that RBCF embrace their Australian-ness as this LP tells me more about the south coast than any guide book ever will.
Check out - Talking Straight

SOPHIE - Oil of every pearls un-insides
Sophie is the kind of person who seems like she could only exist in this decade or one of the ones to come after it, a red-headed proudly transgender producer and pop star who made her name producing for the likes of Madonna, Charli XCX and Vince Staples. SOPHIE has now broken out as a star in her own right. 'Oil...' starts off with the beautiful 'its okay to cry' a song that breaks awawy from SOPHIE's otherworldly aesthetic by being vunerably yet beautifully human. Things get back to her usual sound with the crushingly heavy electronic bangers 'ponyboy' and faceshopping' both crushingly heavy electro-bangers featuring her trademark booming production, embracing the virtues of both sex and plastic surgery. The albums one big pop moment is the sugary pop tune 'immaterial' which surrounded by so much experiential electronic stands out for being fun,catchy and unpretentious. The flipside to this being 'Oil..'s near 10 minute epic 'whole new world/pretend world' a challenging mash up of industrial synth noises and distorted gurgling vocal samples. Love it or hare it SOPHIE's not to be defined by anyone but herself.
Check out - Faceshopping

KIDS SEE GHOSTS - KIDS SEE GHOSTS
Now that the controversy has subsided It's time to admit that Kanye Wests' series of 7 track projects this year have mostly been brilliant. The highlight of which being his collaboration with Kid Cudi, Kids See Ghosts. If you've ever wondered what a Kanye West produced psychedelic rock album would sound like look no further. West and Cudi are clearly a great team pushing each pother to produce the strangest and best music they can. In just under minutes the two fit in a huge amount of ideas and creativity from the genius (that organ backing track on reborn) to the downright insane (Kanye's Big Shaq impression on feel the love). The two mix rapping with guitars and sampling with Kanyes trademark big beat sounds to make one of the most diverse and intriguing projects of the year.

I also Liked

Boy Azooga - 1,2, Kung fu
Kamasi Washington - Heaven and Earth
Mike Shinoda - Post Tramatic
I'm all ears - Lets eat Grandma

Lunar Festival 2018 review (part 2)

Saturday

Hookworms

Another Brummie Psychedelic rock trio opened the stage on Saturday, this time the much darker krautrock inspired Matters (6), who are clearly one of the most promising bands of the Birmingham scene. As are The Mothers Earth Experiment (7.2) who celebrated their return to the lunar stage with free tote bags and flyers for everyone. Yet accomplished as they psych-jazz rock/environmental protest music is it's not really for me. I wondered off to catch the live Reasons to be Cheerful Podcast. Featuring Geoff Lloyd and a surprisingly funny Ed Milliband. Who spent the majority of his talk with a flower crown on his head that someone threw at him. I listened politely as their guest talked at length about her plans to improve public services, and laughed as the comic Bethany Black livened things up wuith her own reasons to be cheerful. As the heavens opened and gave way to torrential rain Hookworms (8) valiantly played on through the rain. I caught the bits where the downpour wasn't too bad and they were so good that it was almost getting soaked to watch them play. An hour or so of wondering through vintage stands to keep dry I caught some of the set from the access to music student Lucy Shaw whose sweet acoustic songs made for some distraction from the drizzle. Once the rain finally cleared it was for the mediocre grunge trio Particle Kid (6) and the funky yet also kinda underwhelming dance act Crazy P (6). The grey skies seemed to suit Blackash (8.4) perfectly. The mysterious Midlands act who somehow mix stoner rock and techno together. They looked and sounded fantastic and are a whole lot more fun live than their doomy first single 'Black Witch' led me to believe. the 10 minute epic of Black Sabbath style riffing came with it's own black witch dance troupe, and later cheerleaders for the songs finale. Blackash wre easily one of the best acts of the festival.

Goldfrapp

Goldfrapp (8.8) may have been suffering with a bit of a cold, and overall not as fantastic  as some previous Lunar head-liners but she still put on a solid show of industrial tinged electro-pop with tonnes of dry ice and a retina blasting light show. Mostly sticking to the best tracks off 'Silver eye' and savings hits 'ooh la la' and strict machine for the end. Goldfrapp's Lunar set was the sound of an artist finally comfortable in her own skin. Her idle chatting to audience members may have seemed a bit add odds with the image of her shadow dancing around the dry ice but it didn't matter too much. I was a little disappointed by the lack of early material but it's chard to see where any of it would have fit in.

Next I was off to the Comedy Carousel where a predictably surreal Paul Foot spent most of his set taking the piss out of the patrons talking over him at the bar and then analysing his jokes to annoy them further. while the other two comedians were brilliant my highlight of the comedy and actually the festival itself was the brilliant Bethany Black who in contrast to her earlier appearance was rude, sweary and at times absolutely filthy, discussing drugs, porn, relationships and lesbian sex.

Sunday

Dorcha + Damo suzuki

Kicking things off was Dorcha (8). A young Birmingham quintet who continue to defy explanation. Their experimental gothic sound seems to stem from no obvious influences other than their willingness to jam and create new sounds. This made them unlikely kindred spirits with Damo Suzuki. At first glance a rather ordinary Japanese man, but known to many for his demonic improvised singing as part of the iconic krautrockers CAN. Dorcha may be a very different band to can but with their improvised jamming they created the perfect backdrop for Damo's bizzare vocal style, switching instruments whenever they felt like it and recreating the unsettling, uneasiness that characterised CAN's output, without in anyway imitating it. I spent the rest of the day hoping that the rain would go awawy and packing all my stuff but the sky eventually cleared for Songhoy Blues (9.2), Who were every bit as fantastic as I hoped they would be. Not typically 'world' so much as just a shit hot, funky rock 'n roll band who know how to start a party. This is partly down to Aliou Touré being a fantastic front-man, who could liven up any event with his mad eyed dancing and Garba Toure's   effortless, constant stream of guitar licks. Not only do Songhoy Blues put a lot of western bands to shame, they make it look easy.

Songhoy Blues

After 40 years in the game it's worth thinking about how strange The Stranglers (8.4) still are. Still probably the only band who can unite the punks and the hippies. The Stranglers are full of contradictions, far more complex musically than your average punk band yet far too rough to be considered new wave. Despite having been at it for so long they seem far to popular to be simply considered a nostalgia act, especially when their music seems as gloriously out of place in 2018 as it did in 1977. Singer Baz Warne said they were glad about the rain and to see us all huddled together rather than playing another show to people standing around in the sunshine. Baz was happy to banter with the crowd, many of which seemed to have come out just for them. The Stranglers did a great of finishing Lunar playing plenty of hits, 'Golden Brown', 'Always The Sun', 'Peaches', 'All day and all of the night', and finishing off with a fantastic 'No More Heroes'. Easily one of the best ever punk rock songs and a stellar finish for Lunar 2018.

Lunar Festival 2018 review (part 1)

 Thursday 26th. 

Things were quiet as the early birds set up their tents and got to know each other in the blistering summer heat. It may have been a little bit boring, but it was nice to be back. It was all worth it for The Pretty Things (8.8/10) returning to Lunar for one of their last ever shows, retiring this year after making music for over 50 years. They may have came on an hour late and played for double their set time but many would have been happy for them to keep playing all night. This show found them in a reflective mood mixing early R&B highlights with blues covers and cuts from their masterpiece S.F. Sorrow. An album which like the band who made it should be ranked alongside releases from The Who, Stones and Beatles and acclaimed as one of the strongest, strangest and most ambitious albums of the 60's. Despite a few 1000 yard stares 'The Things were on top form, sounding energised as any young band and showing off their music skill with acoustic cuts and giving the Moonshine barn a real cavern club feel.
It would take one hell of an act to follow such a show and Henge (9.2) were that act. Basically a group of 4 aliens playing a silly revamped take on space rock. Mixing elements of surf rock, progressive rock and techno together. Few things match the joy of seeing a Roy Wood lookalike with a glowing orb on his head who claims to be a 1000 year old alien wearing a fleshy human clone suit shredding his guitar. For all the silliness Henge have a serious environmental message at heart. On Keyboards is Henge's Brother Juul. The last descendant of Venus, warning us in his own language (a sort of freaky scat singing) not to destroy our own planet like his race did theirs. The message did little to bum out the freaks who had only just woken up and come out to dance.
Snooker legend Steve Davis finished the night off the night with a DJ set mixing post punk rhythms with psychedelic sounds with typically cold precision.

Friday 27th

One of the best changes to Lunar in 2018 was the addition of The Half Moon stage. A smaller stage directly opposite the main stage. This works well because it means that not only do lesser known bands get to play alongside big hitters but also that there is a constant stream of music without having to move from your spot in the field. Opening this stage on Friday was the brummie psychedelic rock  trio The Good Water (6), followed by a lovely set from 77:78 (8), bringing warm summer vibes to the hot Friday morning. While John J Pressley (6.8) played some heavy Tom Wait-ish blues rock  I was hugely looking forward to Boy Azooga (8.4) and wasn't disappointed. The Cardiff band have rightly broken through in 2018 as one of the most fun, unique and talented young rock bands of the moment. Throughout the set they were constantly smiling and cracking jokes, Frontman Davey couldn't be happier to be spending his 27th birthday in this field with us. BA covered other Cardiff bands, as well as an odd medley featuring their takes on Black Sabbath and Kelis. Yet their own songs shone brightest, including not surprisingly 'face behind her cigarette' and loner boogie' yet many great unrecorded B.A. songs prove that the future is looking even better for this young band.

Nabihah Iqbal (6) was a tad disappointing. Her slightly amateurish vocals and heavy reliance on keyboards not quite cutting the mustard on this Lunar bill, although a cover of The Cure's A Forest was definitely a highlight. The Go! Team (8.8) bought a spaceman and all the colourful exuberance that they're known for, despite having been in the game for over a decade they have endless energy on-stage and all the naive fun of a primary school music class. Singer Angela 'Maki' said she felt like Beyonce and invited all the ladies in the crowd to booty shake with her.  Basement Jaxx gathered crowds to dance in the sun, but I instead decided to become indoctrinated to Nutopian society in an utterly bizarre yet brilliant experience. If you know, you know. 

Amadou and Mariam (8.4) killed their set with a load of funky African blues and strangely enough a fire breather who despite some great tricks seemed a bit out of place. What made Amadou and Mariam stand out was Amadou's fantastic guitar shredding and Mariam's clear love for him after their many years together. 

After a short walk through the pitch black woods we came to a clearing and listened to Nick Drake's  own copy of his seminal 3rd LP 'Pink Moon' by a roaring campfire on his family's own turntable. It is an album that deserves to be listened to in full with silent reverence. This is one of many special experiences that only Lunar can provide.