As the autumn gigging season rolls on there’s whole host of launch gigs coming up, and even more new music to listen to. This month’s round-up of Brighton releases includes singles from I Am Fya (pictured), Laundromat, Dez Dare, Flevans, Arxx, Birdeatsbaby, Flossy Jones, Karamelien and Cephos Powders. We’ve also got reviews of EPs from ELLiS•D and Pog alongside albums from Dan Sumner, Dog of Man and Jar of Blind Flies.
Laundromat
‘Gloss’
While the dust is not getting the chance to settle on the beautiful Dinked Edition of ‘En Bloc’; released in September, Laundromat are back with a new single that’s attracting attention from 6 Music. Starting with a propulsive rhythm, ‘Gloss’ quickly explodes into an uplifting romp that would not sound out of place on The Monkees’ greatest hits. This is a fun tune, based on great songwriting from Toby Hayes, with some cracking guitar work and harmonies. At two minutes and 25 seconds it leaves you suddenly, wanting more, reaching to press play again and again and again. It’s that addictive. (NM)
Dez Dare
‘Trashin’
Dez Dare clearly loves his fuzz pedal, and we do too. If he set out to make a trashy record, then he’s nailed it. ‘Trashin’, the last single from ‘Ulysses Trash’, is bookended with a monstrous riff that descends down the scale into a bog of distortion. In between, his clipped lyrics rail against the mind-numbing effects of the political news cycle over a suitably repetitive one-chord groove. Dez Dare’s songs have been compared to Hawkwind and The Stooges, but we detect more of an indie-punk influence. ‘Ulysses Trash’ is a recording project that arose from the freedom and frustrations of lockdown, so it remains unclear whether these songs will ever be aired on stage. The fuzz he’s captured here would be even more immense live. (BB)
ELLiS•D
‘EP II’
ELLiS•D cuts an intriguing figure on Brighton’s Live music scene with his unique black and white theatrical costumes. ‘EP II’ is, unsurprisingly enough, his second EP, and has been recorded in two live takes. Sadly this DIY approach – whilst highlighting the prowess of all the musicians involved – slightly lets the excellent songs down as a home listening experience. The EP starts with the slightly uneasy ‘Duress’, before snaking into the Bad Seedsy murder blues of ‘Sleeping Sun’. ‘Rosie’ reminds us ‘My Sharona’, whilst highlighting ELLiS•D’s drumming chops. ‘Take Note’ follows ‘Rosie’s’ frenzied finale with some taught danceable punk before ‘Unspoken’ gives the EP a gentle finish. SOURCE is left wondering how far these songs could fly with some proper studio time. Mark our words, that time will come, and we cannot wait to go along with the trip. (NM)
Pog
‘Hope You Got To See It’
Pog’s new six-track EP is a tribute to Mark Astronaut who sadly passed away in July. The Astronauts always straddled an interesting area between punk and folk, and in some ways that’s Pog’s turf too. However, the Brighton band’s treatment of their friend’s songs is more mellow, with the bulk of them built around acoustic guitar and violin. The stripped-back arrangements let Mark’s lyrics shine through, in all their catchy and unsettling glory. The oddball is ‘Still Talking’, which takes a lo-fi electronic approach to this weird three-chord classic. Some songs have contributions from former Astronauts, while ‘Lovers’ actually features Mark himself on a collaboration between the bands made some years ago. All funds from the EP are going towards a memorial gig at the singer’s old stomping ground in Hitchin. (BB)
Flevans
‘It Takes A Whole Day’ / ’In Shadows’
As a multitasking DJ, producer and instrumentalist who’s been part of the fabric of the UK dance and funk network for well over a decade, Flevans could be forgiven for keeping things cosy… but that’s not going to happen. He’s a fine-tuner, crafting those breaks and beats, teasing out those details that guarantee momentum. At home with Brighton’s esteemed Jalapeno Records after his early 2000s workouts on Tru Thoughts, Flevans is now dropping hints as to the direction of his incoming album ‘A Short Distance To Fall’ (due 22nd November). Try the luscious ‘It Takes A Whole Day’ with its swirling nu-soul orchestration, gospel uplift and the rising pump of sunrise rhythms as your new morning wake up call. Or hit the tense trip-hop buzz of ‘In The Shadows’, where vinyl-crackling realism, skittering jazz-funk drums and tingling synth loops are guided to a soul-powered finish. Effortlessly touching the night and day, Flevans’ music takes you where you need to be. (JP)
I Am Fya
‘Consciousness’
I Am Fya is an artist who won’t be held back. Her pulsating debut, 2019’s ‘A Womxn’, used dark dub tensions, twitchy glitch beats and soul-power vocals to drill down hard into feminist themes. Following a series of digi-releases last year, including a quirky dancehall dive into Kate Bush covers, there are at last signs of further I Am Fya music emerging. New single ‘Consciousness’, the experimental musician’s first for Rose Hill Records, demands your attention. Electronic and atmospheric, this is the intense music of hints and whispers, tangled thoughts and introspection. It may start with an ominous one-note bass throb, but the track soon layers up the complexity without ever losing flow. Street sounds, bird song, searching vocals, scratchy percussion and a cavernous coda, all intricately woven with some serious lyrical interplay, this is a piece with lasting impact. With an AV project and album ‘Homeland’ on its way, the signs are I Am Fya’s significance can’t be contained much longer. (JP)
Dog of Man
‘Everything Is Easy’
Explosively manic and devilishly fun in equal measures, Brighton’s psych punk outfit Dog of Man stir up graffiti grunge on the beach with this alternatively raw and energetic new album, propelling the unsuspecting listener right to the pounding heart of the moshpit. The opener and latest single ‘Turpentine’ is a crashing stomper and comes complete with a video depicting a retro technicolour battle between two shopping trolleys, which of course makes far more sense than what’s going on in the real world. Escapism… letting your hair down…. whatever the reason, there has never been a better time to crank up the volume and join in with their brilliantly riotous drama: after all “Everybody hates themselves so don’t sweat it!” Dog of Man play the Prince Albert on Nov 26th. (AJ)
Birdeatsbaby
‘Illuminate’
Birdeatsbaby have been around for a while and seem to have carved out a niche for their moody and progressive hard rock with international tours supporting major new-metal acts. It probably helped that one of their songs featured on Channel 4 thriller Close To Me, starring Christopher Eccleston and Connie Nielsen. ‘Illuminate’ is the second single from the band’s latest album, ‘Hex’. It’s a theatrical dramatic rock soundscape led by singer Mishkin Fitzgerald’s spooky vocals and Anna Mylee’s insistent drumming. The video by Scott Chalmers features Mishkin and band cellist Hana Piranha hamming it up with modern dance moves and some bloody gothic horror. The song pleads with a lover not to leave – but it’s not like they’re just walking out the door – and comes just in time for Halloween. (JS)
Flossy Jones
‘Could This Be Happiness?’
Flossy Jones is a Brighton-based singer with a new single and accompanying video that showcases a professional pop performance which should appeal to fans of Lana del Rey. The vocals have a warmth and tenderness that make the song feel like a gentle hug, and the whole production is very strong. This is Flossy’s 7th release over the last couple of years and a good follow up to its predecessor, which we love, ’10 Minutes To Make You Love Me’. All this makes us assume an album is not far off – and if these singles are anything to go by it sounds like it will be well worth the wait. (JS)
Karamelien
‘Lionhearts’
A song for the bravehearted from a musical duo born out of friendship. Singer-songwriter Léanie Kaleido (daughter of Top Topham, the original guitarist from The Yardbirds) and guitarist Mark Foster, have released a song full of warm indie-pop twinkle for their second single (produced by Ride’s Mark Gardener). With the sweetest of edges, Léanie’s vocals have a fragile vulnerability whilst delivering an uplifting message of hope during uncertain times as she sings “Come outside with me so we can breathe”. Foster’s spacey guitar jangles a bright backdrop to an irresistibly smooth invitation for us all to join them and find our own inner strength too. (AJ)
Arxx (feat. Pillow Queens)
‘Call Me Crazy’
This new version of Arxx’s 2020 single features contributions from touring buddies Pillow Queens and was recently played on Radio 1. It’s a fun and memorable slab of modern pop that deserves to be a hit. The band, comprised of Hannah and Clara, are currently based in Brighton and recently supported The Big Moon. Just back from a tour of Ireland with Pillow Queens, Arxx will be touring in UK next month and will be headlining at Brighton’s Green Door Store on Dec 2nd. If the gig hasn’t already sold out seems destined to do so. (JS)
Cephos Powders
‘Rules To Follow’
After the sad demise of Campbell Road Studios, “a pulsing artistic hub recently lost to the tide of gentrification”, Cephos Powders have emerged from their rehearsal home with a distinctive and fully-formed hybrid of post-punk and prog. Featuring Will Calderbank from Sons of Noel and Adrian, the band claims influences from psych and jazz to Angelo Badalamenti. New single ‘Rules To Follow’ suggests there is more at play. The song is built around an insistent but sparse bassline that leaves plenty of room for funky drum shuffles and swirling synths. It’s a krautrock space jam that breaks ranks with the genre when the snatched and urgent vocals take over. “I’ve got rules to follow,” sings frontman Ronan O’Brien, as if in desperation at his band’s wayward experimentation. (BB)
Dan Sumner
‘The Way We Work’
A dreamscape cover, awash with shadowy figures, paints an eerie picture for a compellingly atmospheric and reflective third album release from this Brighton-based singer-songwriter. A pulsing beat of 80s indie serenely holds court across nine melodic songs, while Dan Sumner’s rather intriguing vocals duel together harmoniously in the here and now whilst fondly paying tribute to that earlier era. The fast-paced title track superbly layers a hefty rift to represent the chaos we have all been living in as he sings “The world is spinning out of control”. Contrastingly on its tail is the new single ‘Chasing Shadows’, as hypnotic as it is catchy and explores the eternal human quest for love. His album launch gig is at The Prince Albert on Dec 5th. (AJ)
Jar of Blind Flies
‘Míá’
Grunge is experiencing a resurgence, and Jar of Blind Flies are the proof. ‘Míá’, their debut album, echoes the mournful, raw distortion of Nirvana while also combining Eddie Vedder’s vocal range with Jeff Buckley’s storytelling. Themes of childhood and teenage rites of passage run throughout the record, as tracks like ‘Playground King’ deal with school bullies and ‘Dolly’ confronts the brutal fall from grace young lovers often experience. And Jar do all this through intoxicating drum patterns and dirty, vibey riffs that compel you to move. Songs like ‘Black Fish Brain’ and ‘Angels’ show the band are much more than just fuzzy walls of sound underscoring haunting vocals. Ideas around belonging and dissonance are nothing new for grunge, but Jar of Blind Flies do it in such an evocative, compelling and even heartbreaking way, that this album manages to feel both like a 90s classic and fresh as a new wound. Catch their launch gig on Nov 1st at the Green Door Store (ZC)
Words by Anita Joyce, Ben Bailey, John Parry, Jon Southcoasting, Nick McAllister and Zac Colbert
