Today's New Releases
Album of the week is the spectacularly titled new one from Gnod, more on that below
Also out this week is the first in a few years (after some soundtrack work) from Canvey Island fans British Sea Power, which is available in a limited edition gatefold LP. Hypnotic folk/blues guitarist Jake Xerxes Fussell's new one is produced by South favourite William Tyler, and if you're a fan of Dave Van Ronk, Jim Dickinson, Nathan Bowls, etc, you'll be well in to this. Goldfrapp's seventh album sees them collaborate with a few of them outsiders - The Haxan Cloak, a mong others, and is available on limited editon clear vinyl. Long-running brainiacs Wire's 15th album, Silver/Lead, comes on the 40th anniversary of their debut performance, but is anything but nostalgia, it's 21st century psychedelic post-punk, featuring the luminous guitar work of It Hugs Back mainman Matthew Simms. Coincidently, Rays' debut album, on Trouble In Mind, nods towards Wire's early work (along with Pere Ubu, The Fall, etc) and is available on indies-only yellow vinyl. King Ayisoba's new one, produced by Zea (of the legendary anarcho-punks The Ex), takes Ghana's traditional song structures and instruments and melds them with electronica and the country's hugely popular Hiplife (that's high life mixed with hip hop, for the uninitiated). Sneaks' second album, just a few months after their debut on Merge, continues with the minimal set-up of drum machine, bass and voice, but this time adds a little more heft, thanks to Ex Hex/Helium frontwoman Mary Timony's production. Iconic West African dance band Orchestra Baobab are back mixing swaying Afro-Cuban rhythms and African tradition, for their first album in 10 years, and almost 50 years after they formed. The Hot 8 Brass Band's fifth album, On The Spot, continues with their New Orleans party funk, mixed with hip hop and heart-on-sleeve sentiment. Gold Connections' debut EP was home recorded in 2014 and produced by then-member Will Toledo (Car Seat Headrest), with their debut album due later this year on Fat Possum. Chaz Bundick (Toro Y Moi) has teamed up with psychedelic jazz brothers The Mattson 2 for some cosmic jazz/electronica/library grooves. Very good it is too. The Buttertones album, on Innovative Leisure (Allah-Las, Nick Waterhouse), mixes pre-Beatles rock & roll and the primitive garage rock of The Sonics, with their later descendents The G un Club, Black Lips, etc. There's also a couple of reissues out this week - Johnny Cash's At Folsom Prison is back on vinyl (this time limited edition double brown vinyl) and David Bowie's Heathen (the one with the Pixies cover on it).