Another full week of releases, it's been such a strong start to the year.
Hello, Friends.
Record of the Week is Birthday, the debut album from the young Norwegian four-piece Pom Poko. They are absolutely explosive, one part Battles, one part Deerhoof, African guitar licks and a thrilling delivery all of their own. Birthday is an album that has left us tingly, it's full of tightly wound rhythms and riffs but also a wild and swirling bounce. Highly recommended, great stuff this.
The marvelous Beth Jeans Houghton returns as Du Blonde with her new LP Lung Bread For Daddy. She is devilishly funny throughout, a darker than dark wry wit that is right at the forefront of what she is doing. The production is a little more stripped back, showing off what an excellent song-writer she is. It's a grower and there is plenty to find on repeat listens. Going to be playing this one for months and months to come, got a feeling she'll be a big part of 2019 for us.
+ Indie Edition LP pressed on Sunflower Yellow vinyl.
Another big return in these parts. Crushing is the second full-length album from Australian singer-songwriter Julia Jacklin. It's relatively stripped back compared to her debut (and last year's excellent Phantastic Ferniture collab), but her writing is sharp and the songs don't need crunching pedal stomps as they all carry themselves so eloquently.
+ Limited Green vinyl pressing.
Post Earth is the second full-length album from Los Angeles' noise-punk quartet FEELS and we have been playing this to death! Their career is in fine fettle, Ty Segall produced their debut, John Dwyer (Oh Sees) released it on his Castleface, Tim Green (Bikini Kill, Sleater-Kinney) has produced this new outing and it arrives via Wichita Recordings. Glimmering guitar pop with some big chorus, loads of fuzz and driving basslines, they pull in influences from a ton of bands we love but still sound very fresh and we can't get enough of this. Very highly recommended.
Wraith is the fifth full-length release for the London-based experimental/post-rock band Teeth Of The Sea. It was produced by Erol Alkan and it is MEGA, hugely ambitious in pulling in freak out jazz and low fi cinematics. So much to get your teeth stuck into.
+ Limited Indie LP pressed on fluorescent green coloured vinyl.
Sleaford Mods are doubtless one of the most important, politically charged and thought-provoking duos currently making their mark on the UK music scene and beyond. They return with their fifth studio album Eton Alive and they right on the money. We are in bleak times and the Mods are in a suitably dour tone here, but that's not to say it's not an album that we haven't wanted to keep playing.
+ Limited indie version pressed on blue coloured vinyl.
+ Exclusive German pressing is on pink vinyl with alternate back sleeve art.
Better Oblivion Community Center is a brand new band comprising the formidable talents of Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst, two of the most lauded American songwriters of the past several years. They compliment each other brilliantly and this really goes somewhere, no idle posturing.
+ The first Indie Version Pressing on translucent orange vinyl sold out very hard and fast indeed, but we're hoping to get a few more at some point.
Sisters Lily & Madeleine (Jurkiewicz) return on New West Records with Canterbury Girls and it's really pretty special. Already their albums into their young career, this fourth outing is all them and is a tapestry of ideas, influences, and new directions. Lots of analogue soul.
+ Limited indie shop pressing on purple vinyl.
James Yorkston returns with The Route to the Harmonium. Produced by Yorkston and David Wrench, is James Yorkston's first solo record since 2014’s Cellardyke Recording and Wassailing Society (CRAWS) and follows the two collaborative albums he made as one-third of Yorkston/Thorne/Khan as well as the release of his debut novel Three Craws in 2016. Vocally in particular he sounds like he has truly perfected his sound.
Cochemea Gastelum is coming home to connect with his roots. After nearly 15 years of touring the world with Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings, the saxophonist offers All My Relations, a deeply personal album of jazz and indigenous-influenced rhythms.
+ Limited Daptone Shop teal coloured vinyl pressing.
Who Else, this new album by Modeselektor has been in the works for two years but was made within a month. Really vibrant and the guest appearances (Flohio in particular) are really great.
llegal Moves is New York quartet Sunwatchers' second album for Trouble In Mind. It is the band's most potent blend yet; a heady potion of free-jazz, psychedelia, punk and noise rock that is both tender and ferocious. Love these guys, going to really get into this again right now as it happens...
+ Indies only LP edition is on Blue/Red Swirl Vinyl
Also this week Drenge release their third LP Strange Creatures and SPELLLING drop Mazy Fly on Sacred Bones.
Reissues are dominated this week by David Sylvian, with 2019 pressings of Alchemy: An Index of Possibilities, Brilliant Trees, Gone To Earth and Secrets Of The Beehive.
We also have a 10th-anniversary reissue of U2's No Line On The Horizon, including an 'Ultra-Clear Coloured Vinyl' edition with the album remastered and pressed on three sides of 180gsm clear vinyl, with two additional mixes on side four.
Last call on the audiobooks Friends In The Bubble Bath Remixes [12"] as they are pretty much all sold now. Landing very soon.
Now we DO have a copy of Thom Yorke's unreleased and previously unheard material from the Suspiria score... but we only have one. Not sure what we're doing with it yet, something fun, but we're not going to sell it.
On Wednesday 27th we'll be announcing the next wave of Sea Change 2019 artists. Believe us, it's such a bonkers set of additions! We'll also have some more DInked news next week so... speak to you soon!
- Drift