It must be incredibly frustrating being in a band right now. It seems gig cancellations have become as common as encores, so we’re not surprised that many musicians seem to have been concentrating on recording instead. There’s certainly plenty of good local stuff to check out. This round-up includes new music from Penelope Isles, Yumi And The Weather, Nick Hudson, Collect Call, Melt Plastic Group, Adam Brown & The Pseudo Band, Bee And Jackrabbit, Xoe-B, Superfriends, Niches and Local Trouts. There’s also a compilation of live recordings from The Rose Hill archive and debut releases from Juicebox, En Heat, Georgia Train (ex Bitter Ruin) and Laura-Mary Carter from Blood Red Shoes.
Penelope Isles
‘Sudoku’
The third single from ‘Which Way to Happy’ is an accurate ambassador for the album’s dreamlike, low-key tone. And while some childlike tinkles of their older material remain in the mix, the catchy pop hooks have been shoved aside by the strolling ride cymbals and oceanic guitar swells. Expansive and accomplished, this is the sound of a band who are confident that they’ve levelled up. Their dad’s in the video too. Cleaning his teeth, making tea and… building an Airfix. He must be dead chuffed. (GR)
Yumi And The Weather
‘Howl’
Brighton-based Ruby Taylor AKA Yumi and The Weather has released the first single from her new album on her own MIOHMI Records label. With no introduction, Howl blasts into your ears with fuzzy guitars and breathy, echoed vocals as Ruby compares herself to a werewolf while ruminating about her own body hair. The relentless garage rock rhythm continues throughout the song’s 4-minute duration, including a scorching guitar solo climax that ends the song as abruptly as it began. (SC)
Nick Hudson
‘The Florist’
Hudson collaborated with fellow The Academy Of The Sun band member Kianna Blue on this dramatic song that closes his new 8-track ‘K69996ROMA:EP’. The lyrics tell of the protagonist setting fire to himself in a flower shop, becoming as one with the flora and there’s a suitably cinematic feel, with a lot going on musically: shimmering snare brush strokes underpin futuristic synths and piano while dreamy harmonies swirl around Hudson’s vocals. He demonstrates a wide vocal range, hitting falsetto highs as the keys gently fade to a close. (SC)
Collect Call
‘Chase The Light’
If you like the indie movie soundtracks to accompany your daily tasks, take a listen to ‘Chase The Light’, from Brighton’s Collect Call. Taken from the solo artist’s ‘The Golden Hour’ EP, this tune combines wobbly bass and bald tenor vocals with all sorts in between. Laced with poetic lyrics, threaded with thematic piano, and driven by synth drums, this could be the perfect music for a lonely late night motorway journey or for when you’re gazing from a train cross country. A wintry mood along the lines of David Holmes’ classic ‘This Film’s Crap Let’s Slash The Seats’, balanced and melancholy. (LB)
Melt Plastic Group
‘Birdman Explodes/Haunted Wines’
Last seen supporting Japanese Television at The Hope & Ruin, Melt Plastic Group are stepping on it. As a band they’ve kept the leftfield quirkiness of singer Willy Robinson’s previous combo (the sadly defunct Sunlight Service Group) but tightened up the rhythmic engine – enter Jessica Lazzeri on bass and drummer GaX. Dip into their latest double header and you’ll get the drift. ‘The Birdman Explodes’ is a piece of prime jangling kosmische: a tumbling riff on repeat; heavy cymbal outage; swirling vocals; and some snaking wah-wah to finish. ‘Haunted Wines’ stretches further out-there. Built on a garage vibe, some sixties pop–psyche hooks and power trio circuitry, the final sustain guitar flourish is set to stun. Showing their psyche jam roots but cannily keep their shape – Melt Plastic Group are a band set to get intoxicating. (JP)
Adam Brown & The Pseudo Band
‘Full Moon’
Describing yourself as a red-pilled songwriter from Brighton could be construed as a risky move or a stab at local notoriety. Whatever the intent, the conspiracy-tinted lyrics of ‘Full Moon’ don’t really impinge on the jaunty fun of Adam Brown & The Pseudo Band’s latest release. Despite being about paedophiles, it’s actually a bouncy and upbeat song with chord changes and vocal inflections that remind us of The Kinks, which is never a bad thing. The track is taken from the album ‘A Collective Insanity’ which we’re told was recorded during “the great lockdown swindle of 2020”. At least it gave Adam some time to make a great single. (BB)
Bee And Jackrabbit
‘Dream House’
From the alt-folk fringes of the Brighton music community, Bee And Jackrabbit have been steadily building up momentum for a while now. With that natural song-crafters’ feel for the pulse, an impressive gig history and a new EP ‘House Party’ available, things could be getting a lot more hectic. Revolving around the musical combinations of Piper Murray, Robin Squirrell and Nick Williams, Bee And Jackrabbit create music full of rich melody and understated drama. The EP’s lead track ‘Dream House’ makes for that perfect snapshot: the arcing cello phrase; the braided fingerpicking; the big chords; the drum rolls; and a resonant vocal singed with sadness. It’s a song with the emotional rush of The Magnetic Fields at their most heartfelt and melancholic. (JP)
Xoe-B
‘Life In Colour’
Singer-songwriter Xoe-B places a huge glitterball above us with ‘Life In Colour’, a high-energy retro indie disco stomper. In the true tradition of many great diva anthems, a woman reborn and taking control hits the mark. She describes life after recent traumas inspiring a fresh musical direction as “a true celebration of self-acceptance, liberation and levelling up”. The dance beat hooks us in swiftly with a weighty Chic-esque bassline. The chorus is catchy enough but it’s her striking vocals, full of attitude and empowerment, which really steal the dancefloor. (AJ)
Niches
‘High Tide’
Night swimming has never been more appealing since back in the day with REM. This new release from Niches, a young indie quartet, explores the joyful themes of midnight dips and best friends sharing special times. ‘High Tide’ opens dramatically with a bold piano intro and the mood is hauntingly mellow minor. Dusky, soulful vocals by Lilli Southgate guide us through until we reach a rather delightful instrumental segment of uplifting brass where it sounds as if each note is bouncing on the surf. The positivity of this young band oozes out of every line, after all “when the world gets heavy… I know I’ll have you by my side to help me through it”. Soothing words for tough times, time to head down the beach. Join Niches to launch ‘High Tide’ at The Duke of Wellington in Shoreham on Dec 17th. (AJ)
Juicebox
‘Sail Away’
There are few things more exciting than a debut single. New band, new music, new promise and new possibilities! This beautifully produced track from brand new three-piece Juicebox is a laid back, jazz-inflected lounge number. Singer Nick Roberts’ relaxed vocal meanders whilst fluttering flutes, flighty fingerclicks and a fabulous little synth lead veer towards trip-hop. Mastered by John Greenham who has worked with Lady GaGa and Billie Eilish, this is an impressive debut recording that begs the question, can Juicebox create this kind of atmosphere live? Roll on their debut show. (JW)
Superfriends
‘How To Live Life’
Up for release on 19th December, ‘How To Live Life’ is a garage-esque DIY-sounding happy-sad track from Brighton’s Superfriends. Those new to adulting will feel the emotional resonance while those longer in the tooth may become nostalgic for their fave indie bands’ early releases. Towards the end it feels as if the track might split out like curdled custard but the elements happily seem to merge back together like, well, yummy custard. ‘How To Live Life’ is a bit spacey, a bit surfy, a bit like if The Inbetweeners had a band and were quite good. Definitely worth a replay or two, stick it on next summer’s mixtape. (LB)
Live At The Rose Hill #1
The Rose Hill isn’t just a venue; it’s also a recording studio, an exhibition space and a record label. This release is the first in an ongoing bi-monthly series that delves into a vast archive of live recordings to showcase some of the acts that have performed in the space over the last few years. As regular punters might anticipate, the five pieces of music on this EP are incredibly diverse. You’ve got free improv from Gus Garside & Trevor Watts and lo-fi art punk from Jad Fair (one half of Half Japanese), alongside tracks from jazz visionaries Barnacles, US folk guitarist Marisa Anderson and Tanzanian multi-instrumentalist Saidi Kanda. It’s a grab bag of experimental curios and there’s more on the way. (BB)
En Heat
‘There’s A Colonel In My Kitchen’
A tip for unwary musicians: should you happen to tell your singer about a traumatic childhood experience, don’t be surprised when they use it as the theme for their next song. ‘There’s A Colonel In My Kitchen’ is the debut single from En Heat, a new local band led by anti-folk veteran Filthy Pedro. True to his name, it’s a smutty celebration of the carnal and the culinary, with a side order of non-sequiturs thrown into the mix. Featuring spoken word ramblings from the late Jack Medley, the song uses drum loops and gang vocals to create a neat groove and an upbeat party atmosphere. Whether it’s the kind of party you’d want to be at is another matter. (BB)
Local Trouts
‘Gifford Circus Orgy’
Another addition to the growing playlist of must-listen orgy anthems, this offering from Local Trouts describes similarly sordid events going down in the big top. Although the circus in question is based in Stroud, the song earns its place on our Locally Sourced list due to the Brighton-based band members who shot their bizarre music video in front of a (clearly different) circus on Hove seafront. ‘Gifford Circus Orgy’ is a great pop-punk tune with an insanely catchy chorus, but it’s not the sort of song that will leave your head gracefully. Prepare yourself for the follow-up single ‘Shit In A Hole’ from the forthcoming album. (BB)
Georgia Train
‘Needles And Pinches’
The opening track from Georgia Train’s first solo outing is all about the powerful vocal performance. The song is ostensibly a heartbreaking narrative of miscarriage and child-loss, but it also resonates more broadly, having been recorded in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. (“Everybody says life should be beautiful but is it? Everybody says you’ve got your life so just live it…”) Elsewhere, the references to needles and loss send shivers down the spine. The transfixing video was shot in one take and if it seems melodramatic at first, the drama of Georgia’s vocal performance is profoundly moving and transfixes this listener. The album is out now, featuring Brian Viglione of the Dresden Dolls (a band familiar with melodrama) as well as Train’s former bandmate, Bitter Ruin’s Ben Richards. It’s an excellent collection of songs of grace and sadness, with dramatic and operatic moments. As well as the title track, others such as ‘She Knows You’, ‘I’m Coping’ and the gorgeous bittersweet love song ‘The Who’ also stand out. The drama and power-balladry may be overbearing for some, but if you like a big sound and a powerfully big voice then grab a copy because you will love ‘Needles And Pinches’. (JS)
Laura-Mary Carter
‘Town Called Nothing’
Laura-Mary Carter is one half of Blood Red Shoes, the raucous indie rock duo originating from Brighton. Perhaps bizarrely she has decided to release her debut solo at the same time as her main band’s new album, but it’s no bad thing as there is very little overlap. This is a mini-album of soulful Americana, and it’s great. Less dust and twang, and more moodiness, with nods towards shoegaze and indie pop, as befits a sense of country that comes from the southcoast of England rather than Midwest dustbowl America. The songs and performances are top class, and if the lead title track leans a little more towards typical dirt-road balladry, other songs vary the tone. ‘Signs’ is more reflective dream-pop (“…Well that’s the way it goes, I suppose”) and ‘Better On My Own’ is a classic piece of indie-pop balladry, with Carter playing femme-fatale and pushing away a lover because “I think it’s best that way, to be alone”. ‘Ceremony’ is a brooding, atmospheric song with the singer plaintively intoning that she has “no regrets”, whilst all the time sounding like she has loads, contrasting with the comparatively jolly album opener ‘Blue’s Not My Colour’. Carter is not prone to the upbeat however, and the title track is a classic downbeat slab of gritty blues-noir, placing itself at the heart of Americana with its guitar twang and opening line “Get in my car, let’s drive to nowhere…”. All ‘n’ all, the six songs on ‘Town Called Nothing’ are an immensely satisfying solo work. (JS)
Words by Anita Joyce, Ben Bailey, Gary Rose, Jason Warner, John Parry, Jon Southcoasting, Louise Bloom and Steve Clements
