Moi Caprice - 'Maureen'

"I never really want to see you when the Sun is shining..."

After some ten years away Danish indie-rockers Moi Caprice have returned with a new single, an homage to a doomed character in Sergio Leone's classic Spaghetti Western Once Upon A Time In The West. Unlike Leone's epic, a gorgeous sprawling tale of greed, honour and revenge in the old west, Maureen is five minutes of tight synth, programmed percussion and breathy vocals. This ode to Maureen McBain, whose family's fate acts as a catalyst for an equally bloody chain of events, might not seem a likely topic for a song but Moi Caprice have previous form in taking inspiration from the big screen; the name of their debut album was also inspired by Leone's 1968 epic and their last long player, 2008's We Had Faces Then, both took its title from Sunset Boulevard and included a song paying tribute to Claudia Cardinale.

As a taster for the band's forthcoming fifth album Maureen bodes very well indeed, although we'll have to wait until the Autumn (at least) to hear what other magic the reformed line-up of Michael Møller, Casper Henning Hansen and David Brunsgaard, now joined by touring guitarist Jakob Funch and Fridolin Nordsø on bass (replacing Jakob Millung), have wrought in the studio.

The band haven't exactly been idle in the saddle in the intervening years, individually they've busied themselves as touring musicians or have embarked on solo projects, the most notable of which is Michael Møller's A Month of Unrequited Love. This  daily release of love songs grew into a 31 track LP, Denmark's first crowd-funded vinyl release.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a fan of the band (I'd have to check Last.FM to find out just how many times I've listened to The Art of Kissing Properly, it's definitely in high double-figures though), I am therefore understandably chuffed that they're back in action. And if you're wondering what the relevance of the harmonica at the end of the music video is then, well, you'll just have to watch the film. 

JARV IS... - 'Must I Evolve?'

"Dragging my knuckles, listening to Frankie Knuckles"

My daily commute from home to work is made bearable only thanks to a pocket-sized DAB radio and the musical delights played daily by the wonderful Lauren Laverne; her breakfast-time BBC 6Music show soundtracks the walk-train-walk-bus-walk ordeal that takes me from door to desk. It's a heady mix of tunes and informed chat that, most days, feature something new and shiny getting a spin, an aural delight that perhaps might pop into my brain and take an easy residence there.

One such tune, that has easily made a home in the dusty pathways of my noggin, is living legend Jarvis Cocker's latest release, Must I Evolve? This is the first release from his new ensemble JARV IS, a collection of musicians plucked from various bands and previous collaborative endeavours, and an absolute beast of a song it is too. 

The song opens gently, with Jarvis' queries replied to by a Greek chorus, leading into a gorgeous near spoken word section, before handclaps give way to a thundering rollercoaster of groovy organ and blistering guitars. If Aphrodite's Child ever supplied the soundtrack for an existential Western this is what it would sound like, all that's missing is a Mariachi trumpet solo at the end.

It's only at the end, when the dust settles around you and the other commuters on the bus are giving you some very odd looks, when you realise that was nearly seven minutes of absolute exhilaration. Gorgeous.

Being primarily a live concern it should come as no surprise to learn that eager punters can only obtain a hard copy of the single at one of JARV IS' gigs (and having checked their forthcoming live dates I rather think I'll be out of luck in getting my grubby mitts on one). Are musicians idiosyncratic? Yes yes yes yes...  

 UPDATE: 24/05 - There's a remix too, which is nice...

Emptifish - 'Haunted'

"That girl has got, got me, got me cursed" 

In 2015, after some nearly 30 years of radio silence, Portsmouth Garage Rockers Emptifish re-emerged from the musical mists of time to finally release their debut long player. Having plundered the vaults 6.57 collected both long lost recordings and the band's two singles, on vinyl, in a deliciously designed retro sleeve. The positive reaction that their vinyl retrospective received naturally led to more live dates, including sets at Victorious Festival, which in turn energised the foursome to return to the studio, subsequently releasing the Sonic's Got A Ray Gun EP in 2017.

Spool the reel-to-reel forward a few years and the Pompey Surf Punks are back at it; new single Haunted, released via Portsmouth label Mayfield and featuring Rat Scabies (yes, THAT Rat Scabies) on drums, has a stomping swagger about it. A heady blend of guitars and thumping drums that power the tune along, laced with distorted vocals and organ stabs fill which out the sound to make something sinfully catchy. It's a great return although, and I'll admit this might sound picky, my only complaint would be that it sounds too slick for Emptifish (where's Lee Mavers with his bag of dust when you need it?)

 

To celebrate the new release the band are playing a rare live date, a home town gig at The Old Barn, on Sunday 5th May where they'll be joined by The Rems, The Dinz and special guests Acid Attack. Tickets are £8 in advance, available from Albert Road's Dress Code or online from book.events.

For a snapshot of the band in their heyday, replete with some very interesting newspaper clippings, check out the Emptifish page on the Portsmouth Music Scene website.

Snapped Ankles - 'Rechargeable'

Self-professed "woodland agitators" Snapped Ankles' latest release is well deserving of the not inconsiderable amount of airplay it's been receiving of late on 6Music. With its propulsive beats and distorted vocals Rechargeable is a strobe-inducing belter of a track; imagine James Murphy and Lene Lovich fighting over the controls of a jet-speeder as it races across the alkali flats towards an army of Secret Machines commanded by Mark E Smith, that's the movie that plays in my brain each time I hear it.

It's not just me, surely?



Is it?

It is, isn't it?

Oh well.

Regardless, if like me you want to experience their shamanistic stage antics first-hand then there's good news ahoy; the East London outfit will be bringing their brand of "agricultural Kraftwerk" to Portsmouth when they play Psych Fest 2019 on Saturday 4th May (for which tickets, though limited, are still available).

"My name is Ranking Full Stop, so all you really got to do is just-a move you little feet and just-a rock-a to the beat"

The tale of how Ranking Roger came to join The Beat has such a ring of serendipity about it that it sounds almost too Hollywood to be true, more befitting a scene created for dramatic effect in a band biopic than something that happened in real life. Legend has it that it occurred when The Beat supported his then band; whilst watching the warm-up from side of stage it became obvious that this was the better act so, whilst lead singer Dave Wakeling had his back to the microphone, Roger leapt on stage and toasted along. The rest, as they say, is history.

The announcement earlier today of his death from cancer has been followed by an outpouring of love which has populated the internet; the sorrow from bandmates, fans and friends, is testament to how respected and adored he was both in the industry and outside of it. He was that successful rarity in music, a nice guy.

Ranking Roger 1963-2019
RIP

'The final move was made, the knight hung his head, and said "You've won, I've nothing left to play"'

Unconventional. Enigmatic. Reclusive. Idiosyncratic. All these terms and more have been used to describe the life and career of the legendary Scott Walker whose death, at the age of 76, was announced earlier today. A bass player who became a teen idol, a pop star who developed into an avant-garde icon, his trajectory through the music world produced some of the most interesting and beautiful music I've been fortunate to hear.

Like most folk my age I first encountered Scott Walkers' voice via The Walker Brothers, most likely through hearing the rousing anthemic notes of The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore pouring forth from my Mum's hi-fi speakers, with it taking immediate residence in my mind's music library. It was only some years later before I stumbled across what he did next, the rich, dark pop of his first four solo albums. 

Scott 1-thru-4, with their sumptuous production, lush strings that under-pin ever interesting lyrics, a sprinkling of judicious and eclectic versions, all topped with that voice. Oh, that voice. The man may be gone but his voice will always be with us and, I hope, ever will it be that people experience the joy of hearing it for the first time, wanting to hear it again and again.







Scott Walker 1943-2019
RIP

Hotel Lux - 'English Disease'

"we're all in the bar drinking Stella Artois, referencing Sartre and Danny Dyer"

It's an oft used phrase, the English Disease, and a cursory rummage on the internet will throw up several meanings, invariably inferring to the country's 1970's status as the "sick man of Europe". The English Disease referenced in Hotel Lux's new single is, however, a louche take on our current woebegone situation.

Though now based in London (and appropriated accordingly by the NME) Hotel Lux will always be a little bit Portsmouth (you only need to check their merchandise to know where they're from); listening to this latest tune reminds me of many nights spent in some of the less salubrious hostelries around here. 

Comparisons to Blur's 1994 take on British culture may be levelled but this is a different beast, it foregoes the cockiness of Phil Daniels' vocal delivery for a casual drawl that uses the pub as a metaphor (with a telling lyric about jukeboxes). It's a casual, ambling, drunken singalong of wonky loveliness, with its slight discordant guitar chime, that says more about modern Britain in three minutes than some of us might be comfortable with. And that's why I'm going to listen to it again...

Neverman - 'Too Much Waste'

"two up, two down, you're a frown in a gown"

A short stroll from historic Fort Brockhurst, squirrelled away in an industrial estate, is Gosport's premier rehearsal and recording space Quay West Studio. Over the years the folks behind this fine enterprise have welcomed many musicians through its doors and, since becoming involved with the Wickham Festival, have booked bands across that shindig's stages. 

Portsmouth four-piece Neverman have both recorded at Quay West and been booked by them, recently playing one of the studio's curated gigs at Saint John's Church. The band are due back at Quay West soon to record their next single, Spineless, but ahead of that being released I've given their current release a spin.

If you're a fan of melodic alt-rock, particularly that delivered by Scandinavian bands such as Moi Caprice or The Kissaway Trail, then Too Much Waste may well float your boat (or båd as they say in Denmark). The slightly affected vocal, with its faint warble, sings over shimmery guitars and reflects on how life might not run the way you expect it to. Admittedly, on first listen, the rhyming of the verses may grate with their reminders of Brian Molko's worst excesses, but all is forgiven when the wall of guitars and the melodic chorus hits.

For a band that were new to scene last year this bodes well for Neverman's future, and I look forward to hearing the next single, I just hope they kick that rhyming dictionary into touch.



If you want to catch Neverman live they're playing The Edge of The Wedge on Saturday 20th April, supporting Chichester's Dutch Criminal Record, with advance tickets available now via the Wedgewood Rooms website.

Jerry Williams - 'Gameshow'

"Lights out, have gone out, I’m worn out from sat here watching gameshows by myself"

Singer-songwriter Jerry Williams has gained a deserved reputation for producing foot-tappingly catchy tunes, slick combinations of singalong lyrics and memorable choruses that take an easy residence in the brain. New release Gameshow however is a stark remove from Jerry's norm, an achingly haunting tune of loss and goodbye inspired by the loss of a family friend.

Near whispered vocals lilt delicately over slow a mournful piano, an approach that lets the weight of the lyrics take hold. It's a beautifully sad song, full of bittersweet loveliness, that may very well leave you misty-eyed after listening.

Gameshow has been released as a streaming EP which includes recent release David At The Bar, as well as live favourites Left & Right and Grab Life, and is available now via the usual online suspects.

Fugitive Orchestra - 'Tomahawk Caress'

"You know I love the feel of your tomahawk caress, got your finger on the button babe, you ain’t nothing like the rest"

Singer-songwriter James Tattington is better known by his nom de scène, Fugitive Orchestra, a moniker he lifted from a Ballard novel (don't ask me which one, I've not the foggiest). A veritable one-man band of guitar & pedals James has performed at venues across the South and at both the Victorious and, more recently, Icebreaker festivals.

New single Tomahawk Caress is a slick, funky slice of alt-pop, fuelled by a thrumming electro bass and laden with claps; there's some Chic-esque guitar in the mix and, to be honest, there's a feel of Har Mar about it (and that's no bad thing at all). It could be argued that it's a bit too early in the year for something as summery as this, its foot-tapping beats ideally suited to power a friend-packed BBQ on a hot afternoon, but that's climate change for you.



To celebrate the release of the new single, and the video that accompanies it, Fugitive Orchestra is (are?) holding a launch party at Portsmouth's newest venue, The House of Rapture, this Friday, 8th March. Support comes from Hometown Show and To Retort and, if the lure of live music and Staggeringly Good's excellent beverages weren't enough to tempt you out on a Friday night, entrance is FREE! Doors from 1930, music from 2000, so best to get there early if you want don't want to miss out.

"I'm the trouble starter, punkin' instigator"

The sad news of Keith Flint's passing has rippled through the day, a sombre ending to a life that brought joy to so many, though the man we saw on stage and in videos was far removed from the real Keith offstage. Listening to 6Music today, with a noticeably shaken Matt Everitt imparting tales of this gentle soul, the swear box installed in his pub for when a log was needed to feed the flames, I was struck by the distance between the image he portrayed and the man himself.

Yes, Keith Flint had a snarling, ferocious stage presence, one that I was lucky enough to see in action with The Prodigy a couple of times. The final time just last year at Victorious, and the stage persona the man had was awe-inspiring; I honestly thought that, if I didn't move to the music, he would personally hope off stage, find me in the crowd, and make me dance. But that's all it was, a presence, a mask; a quiet man, he became a super-power when the music fed him. He will always by the Firestarter, the man who got thousands dancing, and he will always be missed.

Keith Flint 1969-2019
RIP

Mental health affects us all. If you're struggling or feeling low, please know that you are not alone. Talking helps, and there is always someone to listen. 

Samaritans - help is available 24 hours a day, call 116 123

Campaign Against Living Miserably
Time To Change
Papyrus
Mind

"Number me with rage, it's a shame"

It's arguable that without the influence of Talk Talk singer and songwriter Mark Hollis, who died this week aged 64, that the current musical landscape might be a very different one indeed. 

Aside from the tales of recording perfectionism (or excess if you're so inclined to view it that way), the rebelling against a record label whose mould he went out of his way to break led the way for bands such as Radiohead to go their own way. Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock, though mocked at the time, are now regarded as masterpieces which help shape and inspire post rock.

Though he left the music business in 1998, stepping into the shadows save for a short snippet of music for TV, his legacy remains one of talent and obstinacy, which could also be argued as the signs of genius. 

Mark Hollis 1955-2019
RIP

Honeyblood - 'The Third Degree'

The return of Honeyblood has been something I've long been looking forward to, the first two albums have both received considerably play at Chez SoMC and, when seen live, the duo of Stina Tweeddale and Cat Myers are a force to be reckoned with. 

New single The Third Degree is a solid, foot-tapping Wall of Sound-influenced tune, a take on not giving your ex the satisfaction of causing a scene when you see them with someone new. This tale of a broken relationship is one that Honeyblood do well, a counterpoint perhaps to some of The Wedding Present's back catalogue of songs that tackle doomed romance.

Something, however, has changed. It's difficult to hear a difference in band dynamic when you hear a song on the radio but, watching the video, there is a noticeable absence in the band's line-up. Yes, moving forward with album number three, Stina has decided to make Honeyblood a solo project, using brought-in musicians to fill out the live sound when touring. This is both a bad (Cat is an excellent drummer, recently stepping into the brink to help Mogwai out) and good (there's always been a feel of a solo act about the project) thing.

On the strength of the single all bodes well for Honeyblood; a UK tour starts in April (including dates at The Joiners on Saturday 11th May & The Boileroom on Thursday 6th June) as well a series of in-stores (which take in both Pie & Vinyl and Resident) ahead of the release of album number three, In Plain Sight, on Friday 24th May.

Goodbye Peter

If Mickey Dolenz was the smiley one, Davy Jones the English one and Mike Nesmith the quiet one, then Peter Tork, who died yesterday aged 77, was the odd one out. Already known on the Greenwich Village music scene before joining the packaged four-piece TV pop band, Tork had the dubious distinction of being the only member of the band to play an instrument on their debut album. An accomplished musician he co-wrote the closing theme to the TV show's second season as well as several songs on the band's output from album three onwards.

Outside of The Monkees he played with George Harrison, briefly becoming a solo artist before becoming a music teacher (finding time along the way to get busted on a dope charge and join a Blues band). However there was no escaping the red buttoned-up tunic and, in 1986, joined Dolenz and Jones to tour again before and record a new album, Justus, with Nesmith in 1996. Unfortunately the band imploded again in 2001, thankfully hatchets were buried from these creative differences in time for an anniversary tour in 2011.

RIP Peter Tork

Fontaines D.C. - 'Big'

"Dublin in the rain is mine, a pregnant city with a catholic mind, starch those sheets for the birdhouse jail, all mescalined when the past is stale, pale"

So go the opening lines of Fontaines D.C.'s latest release, painting a Hunter S Thompson fever dream image of Ireland's capital city in the mind's eye. Personally, having spent many a night voyaging between some of Dublin's fine hostelries, I can vouch for the city taking on a particular charm when the rain falls (though this may be due to carrying several pints of Arthur's finest in my belly at such occasions). 

At under two minutes Big is a short, punchy statement of intent; "but I'm gonna be big" yells the tune's protagonist, over a rolling bassline and pounding beat, railing against his city as only someone who loves their home can. If a flicker of recognition causes your brain to conjure up Professional Widow you wouldn't be alone, though this is a different beast than Tori Amos' tune (but I'd not say no to a mash-up).

The video, below, features a precocious boy stomping around the stalls of Moore Street market, passers-by stumbling into frame as they exit shops along the cobbled street. It's a welcome remove from the usual tropes of Dublin directors fall back on; no sham-rocked stereotypes here, just a lad being himself in the city, and it fits the song well. Yes, the more I hear of Fontaines D.C. the more I like them, and that's no bad thing.

-

Fast Trains - 'Measure by Measure'

Some years ago I found myself on a fast train travelling from Malmö to Stockholm, the snowy countryside beyond the carriage windows speeding past in grey and white blurs, a journey sound-tracked by the Walter Mitty ta-poketa poketa rhythm of the wheels on the tracks. Landmarks would briefly appear amidst the flurries, ghosts of buildings disturbing my reverie, that soon vanished into the pale distance. Yes, when seen from a fast train the world is a very different place.

I couldn't say if Portsmouth musician and engineer Tom Wells has a similarly romantic view of train travel, hopping a 444 from Havant to Fratton doesn't have quite the came cachet about it as a jaunt across the Swedish plains, but I do know that his new solo project takes the moniker from such high-speed rail, Fast Trains. 

Measure by Measure is the first offering by the Kassassin Street bassist's new outing, a rhythmic three-minutes-and-change of beats, bassy wobbles and delicate vocals that rolls along beautifully. It's a light and wonderfully catchy slice of loveliness, with lyrics that touch upon modern lift and how to survive it, a musical mantra that would sit nicely alongside the likes School of Language and Metronomy on a travelling playlist.

Apparently recorded in a small flat in Havant, with an extra pinch of Kassassin Street DNA thanks to bandmate Nathan Hill providing percussion, the song is currently available exclusively via YouTube (where it's paired with a moody, monochrome video created by Sam Brandon) but fingers crossed it'll be available for purchase via Bandcamp soon. Very nice, more please.

Girli - 'Deal With It'

A few years ago at The Great Escape, in the pub on Brighton Pier, several hundred of us punters waited to catch Black Honey's headline set. However, before the local indie rockers took the stage, we were entertained by two acts whose sets bordered on performance art.

Whilst art-indie ensemble Drones Club employed masked dancers to interact with the crowd, with two juddering figures who moved around the room in a disquieting way, indie-pop chanteuse Girli challenged the male contingent of the crowd to deal with menstruation, throwing sanitary pads into the crowd at the end of the set (at least, that's what I remember). Yes, Girli's set definitely stuck in my memory and, much like every new act I encounter at The Great Escape, the artist was added to my ever-growing Ones To Watch list.

New single Deal With It is three minutes of shouts, call-outs and catchy beats, a football chant interlaced with a driven, annoyingly repetitive, tune that drills into your brain whether you like it or not. Admittedly it's not, for me, quite as strong as previous single Day Month Second (which was, quite rightly, selected as a 6Music Recommends track by Lauren Laverne) but is still rather good if you like that kind of thing (which I do). At the very least I expect to hear this ditty played on the next series of Made In Chelsea (yes, there go my alternative muso credentials).



Deal With It is from Girli's forthcoming debut long player, Odd One Out, due for release in April.

Lauran Hibberd - 'Sugardaddy'

Singer-songwriter Lauran Hibberd has a talent for blending a catchy tune with a fantastically snarky lyric, case in point new single Sugardaddy. Opening with an intro that Rivers Cuomo would be proud of, the song bounces along to a rolling riff which underpins the outrageously dark libretto. The chorus that joyfully infects your brain is one that could, quite easily, cause concerned glances from fellow travellers if sung aloud on the morning commute. 

The Isle of Wight artist will soon be out touring with Minnesotan indie outfit Hippo Campus, supporting them at dates across the UK and Europe, with stops at the Shepherd's Bush Empire (Thursday 21st February), Bristol's SWX (Saturday 23rd February) and the Concorde 2 in Brighton (Sunday 24th February) along the way. I can definitely recommend her live set; I was fortunate enough to see her perform at Dials last year, a polished performance of foot-tapping sarcasm and wry observation, interspersed with tales of travelling to Glasgow and song writing in a Citroen Berlingo. Fantastic.

Jerry Williams - 'David At The Bar'

One Saturday in 2015 I found myself emerging from the dark basement of Brighton's Sticky Mike's (RIP), ears ringing from Kassassin Street's morning set, and stumbled across Jerry Williams playing a courtyard gig a few yards away. Barely a song in I was already aware that I was in the presence of a rare talent. Since then Jerry has continued to perfect her craft, releasing new material, touring far and wide, building up an ever growing legion of fans in the process. 

Having recently returned from New York, taking over Tidal's Instagram feed for a session whilst there, Jerry has since travelled to Germany for a string of live dates with her band before a return to the UK for further shows (including a gig at the Camden Assembly, the Barfly as was, on Wednesday 30th January and a visit to Southampton's Joiners the following night).

Current release David At The Bar is a reflective ode, a tale of a bar-side conversation the artist had with a young alcoholic she encountered; a soon-to-be new father, David promised Jerry that he'd stop drinking if she wrote a song about him, this affecting tune being the result. The lyrics reflect the drinker's fears for the future, whether they'll be able to put down the last glass, before toasting the artist with a plea not to follow the same path. 

It's a delicate song which progresses in tone over its two and a half minutes, powerfully building to an anthemic crescendo that, yes, I could picture a drunken crowd sing-a-long aloud. Irony is a wonderful thing. It's unknown what the titular character makes of the song he made his bargain for as David appears to have vanished into the crowd after the conversation. I'm hoping that he's seized the opportunity life has presented for him, made good on his promise, and is building on the future with his young family. Yes, I've always been a sucker for a happy ending. 

Horseflies - 'Fist'

Sometimes, after a bad day at life's coalface, all a body wants to do is sit at the back of the bus, earbuds securely seated, and listen to something loud and/or shouty enough to abate the demons resident on each shoulder. If this is you right now might I suggest you quieten the devils by cranking up the latest release from Horseflies.

Fist is the first track lifted from the Portsmouth alt-rockers imminent new EP, Lucidity, and a frenetically joyous assault on the ear it is too. Chunky riffs and chords combine to produce an energy packed rollercoaster of a tune; if the opening bars are a call to the mosh-pit the body of the song provides a soundtrack to a flailing mass of bodies, the piano coda allowing for the briefest of warm-downs. It's an intense three minutes of guitar and bass and drums and, yes, the other people on the bus aren't going to like it.