What’s Hot

What’s Hot in My House – January 2016

Posted on by edwardlayland

It’s kind of weird at this time of year because I’m half on holiday following the Christmas period and as such have much more free time than usual – I have actually been reading books and even watching a little television! Paradoxically though, I am listening to less music than usual and have had the occasional headphone free day, which makes my ears itch uncontrollably. Nevertheless, I have been working a little with private classes and have been putting my bus time to valuable use; here are the aural delights that have been spinning on my wheels of steel.

Patti Smith – Horses
This is one of those albums that basically left me on the island, (to be honest I always found Patti a little scary, can’t think why), so I just never listened to it – it was just one of those records people talked about as being classic – so yeah, ok, whatever. Anyway, whilst reading the fabulous Viv Albertine book, ‘Clothes, Clothes, Clothes, Music, Music, Music, Boys, Boys, Boys.’, in which the ex The Slits guitarist gives her perspective on punk etc, she waxes lyrical about ‘Horses’ and gives me the push I needed to give it a go. Have to say that I’m pleased I did. A few weak tracks aside, like ‘Redondo Beach’, it pretty much lives up to the hype, considering the context in which it was made, ‘Gloria’ and the monumental ‘Land’ being particularly impressive. I now look forward to reading Patti’s own book ‘Just Kids’, reflecting on her relationship with artist Robert Mapplethorpe – a kindle snip at 99p!

Megadeth
In anticipation of the release of the new Megadeth album, I was the first to shoot my hand up when my editor at Already Heard offered up assignments on upcoming releases. I then had the (un) enviable task of wading my way through their entire back catalogue, so as to be able to produce a bio and comments on three albums; finding someone that cites them as an influence has proved far more difficult however! There were days when I listened exclusively to balls to the wall speed metal ballistics, and although some of the newer material was a little hard to digest, especially ‘Super Collider’, it was a pleasure to dissect earlier work like ‘Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying’ and ‘Rust in Peace’. I wandered down memory lane and was transported back to longer haired days when fast was synonymous with good and was pleased to find that, in thrash metal terms, these albums were labelled classics with good reason. The new album has also proved to be a surprisingly good listen, but nothing they could do today will ever reach the dizzying heights of ‘Holy Wars..The Punishment Due’. Classic.

Conrad Keely – Original Machines
My first review of the new year for AH, (link here:http://alreadyheard.com/post/137154188770/album-review-conrad-keely-original-machines#_=_) was such a pleasant surprise that I can’t stop playing the damn thing. IMHO this will go on to be one of the albums of 2016, I may well be totally wrong but I can always put this down to a series of stupendously good releases to come later in the year that I have no idea about right now. But if I am right, I will appear sage and all knowing with gifted insight into what makes a record good, besides one’s own opinion. Either way, check it out, Conrad is enormously talented with fingers in many musical pies and he has made a wonderfully imperfect record that may well encourage a little pause for thought.

David Bowie – Blackstar
What an achingly tragic week it has been with the loss of such an icon, quickly followed by the death of another much loved Brit, actor Alan Rickman, under frighteningly similar circumstances. The only good thing is that David was gracious enough to release the sublime ‘Blackstar’ as a parting gift to us mere mortals; donating another slice of his remarkable talent, which, along with his enviable back catalogue, we must content ourselves with to fill the Bowie shaped hole in the fabric of modern culture. Had it on repeat most of the week.

What’s Hot in My House – November

Posted on by edwardlayland

My earphones have been as busy as ever with the likes of Haybaby and Wolf Alice, but there’s been plenty of other stuff filling my personal airwaves. I’ve reviewed some great stuff for Already Heard, like Saint (the) Sinner, Aurora and This City Limits (See below for reviews), as well as the new Nitin Sawhney and Jeff Lynne’s ELO releases right here. It’s all great stuff but there’s a few other things topping my personal charts right now.

Dave Gahan & Soulsavers
It’s quite natural for stuff that I’m reviewing to get a fair few plays, but Dave’s latest has been on super heavy rotation ever since. The almost cinematic quality of this sweeping soundtrack to life is extremely impressive and its depth and texture nothing short of sublime. Gahan puts in a strong vocal performance throughout; the rough edge to his voice carrying an emotional weight that combines beautifully with the epically dark gospel feel. Killer.

The Cult
I’m not ashamed to admit that The Cult is my all time favourite band and tend to get played pretty much every week as it is. So when I decided to do my 10 reasons The Cult are awesome piece (https://hardpresseded.wordpress.com/2015/11/10/10-reasons-the-cult-are-awesome/) it was the perfect excuse to delve into their back catalogue even more. Electric/Peace got a fair few listens as did Love. They are such a unique band, despite wearing their influences on their sleeves; nobody else sounds like them and they defy classification. Billy Duffy’s guitar playing is always superb, conjuring up varied riffs and smoking solos, while Ian Astbury’s baritone is the most distinctive voice in rock. Here is something a little newer though, from the soundtrack to Gone In 60 Seconds, ‘Painted on my Heart’. Love ’em.

Of Allies
I’ve reviewed them, I’ve interviewed them, I’ve featured them in not one but two other pieces and yet I can’t stop listening to them. Both the first EP, ‘Tempers’, as well as its follow up, ‘Fragments’, are regular listens that I just never get tired of hearing. On Tempers we get the earworm that is ‘Ghosts’, the brooding ‘Our Decay’, the bombastic ‘In Screens’ with its guitar interplay and hook filled chorus, the ebb and flow of the atmospheric ‘In Stasis’ with its epic finale and the massive ‘Play Dead’. Fragments is equally triumphant with its slightly more radio friendly, but no less hard edge sound. The title track is pure quality, ‘One 19’ is a hook filled belter, ‘Old Bones’ is full of twists and turns, while ‘Tempers’ rocks seriously hard before the accomplished ‘Call It Home’. Basically, I cannot get enough of this band and am stoked that work on their debut LP has begun – look out for them in 2016.

http://alreadyheard.com/post/131955145513/album-review-saint-the-sinner-masquerades-ep
http://alreadyheard.com/post/132473530378/album-review-aurora-faithbreaker
http://alreadyheard.com/post/132884286627/album-review-this-city-limits-heres-to-hoping

What’s Hot In My House – October

Posted on by edwardlayland

There’s a strong indie flavour to my listening right now, with Wolf Alice still more than pertinent, but as ever, I’ve been getting through a lot of music and there’s certainly been some cool new discoveries, like Haybaby, mentioned below. However, as I have given a fair amount of space to some of the bands that are on heavy rotation before, and don’t want to risk sounding repetitive, I’m only including the most relevant things this month, just in greater depth. Enjoy!

Haybaby – Sleepy Kids
Reviewed this the other week for Already Heard and have been playing it to death ever since. There are rough edges aplenty and some seriously sloppy guitars; throw in the lazy croon of Leslie Hong and some histrionics, and you’ve got a superb mix for their songs about life and lust. I’m finding more and more that I like with every listen; from the “I don’t give a fuck” attitude of ‘Old Friends’ and the breezy bass of ‘Her’, through to the insistent melody of ‘Elevator Song’ and the awkward geekiness of ‘Shy’. It’s a sublime record well worth repeated listens, whether it’s to revel in the emotional outpouring of the monumental ‘Edelweiss’, for the vaguely sinister ‘Doored’ or the superb ‘Pizza Party’, there’s never a dull moment and ‘Sleepy Kids’ is fast becoming one of my favourite records of the year. Full review here:http://alreadyheard.com/post/131624144363/album-review-haybaby-sleepy-kids)

Girl Band – Holding Hands With Jamie
Similarly sublime, significantly more sinister but no less enjoyable is the wholehearted festival of noise that is Girl Band. There is something strangely compelling about ‘Holding hands with Jamie’, making it a challenging but rewarding listen that will have you rethink how music should be. There’s no bullshit here, it’s music as art that reaches deep inside – go on, dive in. (Full review here:https://hardpresseded.wordpress.com/2015/10/02/girl-band-holding-hands-with-jamie-review/)

The Libertines – Anthems for Doomed Youth
I kinda missed out on the whole Libertines furore the first time round, so I didn’t have the same level of anticipation/expectation about this album as many people did. I’d got into Pete and Co recently though, so for me it just picked up from where they left off, the band members’ individual histories having no bearing on my enjoyment of the record. As such, I’ve been racking up the streams and loving Doherty’s poetic, semi music hall, Artful Dodger take on the world. Anthems is lyrically sharp, especially on the superb ‘Gunga Din’, surely the Libertines at their very best. Other high points are the rousing ‘Barbarians’, the quintessentially British ‘Iceman’ and the boisterous ‘Heart of the Matter’. All in all, the whole album is thoroughly enjoyable, highlighting everything that makes the Libertines the most important British act since Britpop.

What’s Hot in my House – September

Posted on by edwardlayland

I listen to an awful lot of music by virtue of the fact that I spend a great deal of time moving around from one side of Rio to another, it’s not unusual for me to get through two or three albums before I even start work. As I also write for alternative music website http://www.alreadyheard.com I occasionally have to listen to stuff I maybe wouldn’t have chosen to; some good, some bad, some nnhaa. So it was quite a relief this month to have reviewed the steaming Luna Sol.

LUNA SOL
‘Blood Moon’ is a hard riffing badass album of doom rich stoner rock, straight out of the Colorado mountains, packed with smoking solos and hook ridden choruses. It was love at first sight and I cannot put this sinisterly grungy record down. My massive 4.5. star review can be found here: http://alreadyheard.com/post/128561612819/album-review-luna-sol-blood-moon

PUBLIC ENEMY
Also on heavy rotation as a result of a review I have done is the Live from Metropolis soundtrack album by Public Enemy. Chuck D, Flavor Flav and co. are on top form on this intimate show of greatest hits. Chuck gives a masterclass in flow to the younger generation while him and Flav work the room tirelessly. It’s a lesson in rapping and performing that makes for superb listening.

JAMIE XX
I finally gave the Jamie XX album a chance after it was recommended by a friend and was not disappointed. Believe the hype, this is a thoroughly engaging hypnotic chunk of well thought out electronica.

SOAK
I’m not entirely sure how I discovered this, maybe Deezer recommended it, can’t really remember, but whatever, in Before we Forgot How to Dream this teenager from Derry has made a quite beautiful album of atmospheric indie folk of surprising depth and sophistication that is packed with haunting melodies and moments of tenderness.

LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven’s 9th Symphony by the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain – The Proms 2013.
I’ve had a lot of translation work of late and as it monopolizes the language function of my brain, I like a bit of classical when I’m working. I discovered this spectacular performance from the 2013 Proms on YouTube and it has been my first choice work music ever since. That Beethoven is the master is nothing new, but there is something about this performance from these teenagers and their delightfully animated conductor, Vasily Petrenko, that is very involving; maybe it’s the innocence of the young or their youthful enthusiasm that gives it an added vigour. The third movement, Adagio molto e cantabile at 25:10, is especially beautiful and Ode to Joy takes on a whole new dimension; truly moving.

What’s Hot in my House – August

Posted on by edwardlayland

Basically, I spend any available moment of any given day (i.e. When I’m not in the classroom) listening to music, so, I take in a fair mix of styles and genres. I readily admit to my fair share of mainstream listening; Blur, Bjork and Kendrick Lamar in particular of late, but I’m open minded and will give anything a chance, from new alternative releases to blasts from the past. So here’s what’s been on heavy rotation of late…

WOLF ALICE
‘My Love is Cool’ is required listening, from the invitingly soft laid back vocal of opener ‘Turn to Dust’, through the Pixies inspired You’re a Germ’, past the poppy ‘Lisbon’ and onto the pure indie heaven of ‘Swallowtail’ and ‘Fuzzy’s feedback fury. Track after track of top quality songs full of nuances and complexities that make this a debut album of surprising depth that keeps me coming back for more. Quality.

SAM DUCKWORTH
Sam Duckworth’s Amazing Grace has been my go to album for the last couple of months when I want something a little more reflective and a little less noisy. I actually described it as being “like a warm hug from an old friend” when I first reviewed it, and time has just turned it into an older friend. The subtleties and atmospherics make for an interesting dynamic – perfect for end of the day headphone listening.

D’ANGELO
D’Angelo has been a playlist constant since Black Messiah’s surprise release at the back end of 2014. The politically charged album defies classification, buzzing around the fringes of funk, soul and R&B with a rocky edge to the guitar playing, D’Angelo’s smooth as honey voice understated and confident on this retro- familiar collection of percussion rich tunes. Modern classic.

LED ZEPPELIN
Released in the middle of 2014, the reissue of Led Zeppelin II was a late Christmas present, and while I have more or less ignored the disc of extras, (I’m a great believer in the philosophy that if it was that good they’d’ve put it out before), it does have one or two moments of note like the rough mixes of ‘Heartbreaker’ and ‘Ramble On’ and the interesting ‘La La’. ‘Whole Lotta Love’ without the guitar solo makes for excruciating listening though! However, coming back to the original was like catching up with a childhood friend and chatting like it was just yesterday. Now we get together a couple of times a month because it is without a doubt still one of the finest collections of songs ever recorded – all killer, no filler.

LONELY THE BRAVE
I’m not entirely sure why I can’t stop playing this record, but I just keep going back to Lonely the Brave’s The Day’s War (Victory Edition). I guess it’s the measured approach to their fearless song writing – they’re not afraid to talk about how they feel and explore their own sound – I suppose there’s a kinda naked honesty that I find endearing, even on the redux versions and extra tracks. There’s been all kinds of comparisons to the likes of Biffy Clyro but LTB possess a much more robust sound, both instrumentally and vocally, which gives the music a strength that is rarely found theses days. They will be enormous.

MARY J. BLIGE
Don’t know if this counts as a guilty pleasure, especially given that she played Glastonbury this year, but I do love a bit of Mary J. and London Sessions has given a welcome reboot to her career. The collaborations with the likes of Disclosure and Emeli Sandé have reinvigorated her sound and though there are a couple of throwaways, killer moments like the intense ‘Whole Damn Year’, the retro ‘Therapy’ and the clubby ‘Follow’ make it worth repeated listens.