New Stuff

SQUID – British Post-Punk Engine Flew To Japan And Came Back With ‘BUILDING 650’

Posted on by JL

New striking strokes

9 January 2025


Photo credit Harrison Fishman

Brighton‘s rackety indie stars SQUID hit the bullseye immediately with their debut LP Bright Green Field that came out in 2021 and went Top-5 in the UK and with their sophomore album O Monolith they tripled their fanbase.


New album artwork – Design by Ben Sifel / Photography by Tonje Tielsen.

They will even enlarge their huge following with album #3 baptized
Cowards. It’ll come our way on 7 February 2025. More info here.

Following steamed-up first single Crispy Skin
they throw a second preview to our ears.

Ollie Judge (singer/drummer) about BUILDING 650 on the single.“It’s a song inspired
by our first ever trip to Japan. On the plane I read in the Miso Soup by Ryu Murikami and watched Lost in Translation out of excitement and later decided to write lyrics about being
an outsider visiting Japan, including a very particular type of loneliness one can feel visiting a country that is so different from their own. This loneliness feels exaggerated in Tokyo, on the surface it’s hectic and full of people but when you listen, it’s eerily quiet.”

Haunting tune.
Scary vibe.

WATCH/LISTEN

STREAM


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Instagram – Bandcamp

BONNIE “PRINCE” BILLY Delivers Another Country Tearjerker With Vocal Help From His Friend JOHN ANDERSON

Posted on by JL

New striking strokes

8 January 2025


Photo by David Ferguson

Crooner/balladeer Will Oldham, also operating under his moniker of BONNIE “PRINCE” BILLY started his musical journey back in 1993. He released a lot of solo work so far, collaborated with other songsmiths (and still does) and was also a member of a couple
of bands.

As announced last month the Kentucky crooner went to the iconic country city of
Nashville for his next LP. He recorded it with his befriended producer David “Ferg”
Ferguson who co-wrote several songs. It’s titled The Purple Bird and will land on
the 31st of January.

More info here.


New album artwork

Today we get taster number 3.

DOWNSTREAM is a country tearjerker featuring veteran voice John Anderson.
This is endearing melancholia for relaxing moments under a shiny sky. Marvellous.

WATCH/LISTEN

STREAM


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Instagram – All Albums

BONNIE “PRINCE” BILLY Muses Again On ‘LONDON MAY’ From His Forthcoming Album

Posted on by JL

New striking strokes

4 December 2024

Balladeer Will Oldham, also operating under his moniker of BONNIE “PRINCE” BILLY started his busy journey back in 1993. He released a lot of solo work so far, collaborated with other songsmiths (and still does) and was also a member of a couple of bands.

The Kentucky crooner went to the iconic country city of Nashville for his next LP.
He recorded it with his befriended producer David “Ferg” Ferguson who co-wrote
several songs. It’s named The Purple Bird and will see the light of day next year
on 31st January. More info here.


New album artwork

The 2nd shared preview is a reverie named LONDON MAY.

“When David Ferguson and I were putting songs together for The Purple Bird sessions,
I remembered the song I’d made for London’s film; I was performing it regularly live, and it didn’t feel quite complete… Ferg was game, and we tracked it. I’d long begun to want to hear other voices in the song.  In the end, we roped in the phenomenal Kentucky-born singer Brit Taylor to sing harmonies and other supporting parts.  Her voice is stellar to say the least.”

Vintage BPB. Sonic poetic enchantment

Instagram

SAM FENDER – British Rock Star Share Two Tracks From His Forthcoming Album – ‘WILD LONG LIE’ And ‘ME AND THE DOG’

Posted on by JL

New striking strokes

3 December 2024

British mega pop/rock star SAM FENDER
has his upcoming 3rd longplayer, baptized
People Watching out on 25 February 2025.

A couple of weeks ago we could listen
to the title track as first taster.


Album artwork

Today we get two other ones in one go.

Two moody ones, titled WILD LONG LIE and
ME AND THE DOG. Again Fender‘s voice sounds
like The Killers‘s frontman Brandon Flowers.

– WILD LONG LIE –

– ME AND THE DOG –

Instagram – Spotify

SLEAFORD MODS & HOT CHIP – A Surprisingly Cool Collaboration For Charity, For ‘WARCHILD’

Posted on by JL

New striking strokes

27 November 2024

Rap-punk poets SLEAFORD MODS and synth-pop stars HOT CHIP teamed up to collect money for help organization WARCHILD, an independent non-government organization founded in 1993. The organization works with parents, caregivers, community members, NGOs, governments, corporations, and other partners worldwide to ensure that children have access to protection, education and psychosocial support.

An unlikely collaboration, but it’s pretty cool that they do it together for charity.
They recorded 2 frisky punk-disco tracks in London’s famed Abbey Road studios.
They were printed on 7″ vinyl, but sold out in an eye blink. But you can buy the
digital version on Bandcamp, below.

Joe Goddard (Hot Chip): “Making these songs over the course of one day at Abbey Road
was a great experience. We arrived without a plan but quickly began working together in
a harmonious way, with lots of improvisation and very little ego. We are very grateful to Sleaford Mods for joining us and very proud of the result.”

STREAM/BUY HERE


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Warchild Website

Bloc Party Maestro KELE Shares New Trippy Track ‘KINTSUGI’ From His Upcoming Solo LP

Posted on by JL

New striking strokes

27 November 2024

Bloc Party‘s voice/face/songwriter KELE OKEREKE released a
4-track EP, named The High Life with BC followed last summer
by a stand-alone single, called Flirting Again.

In between he worked on his 7th solo longplayer.
It’s baptized THE SINGING WINDS PT. 3 and lands
next year, on January 17th.

Following Hometown Edge, and It Wasn’t Meant To Be we
get a third appetizer with funky and zippy track KINTSUGI.

Wake up people,
active your hips
and sway them.

Kele: Instagram – Spotify

LCD SOUNDSYSTEM Share Dub Version Of New Beep & Bleeb Single ‘X-RAY EYES’

Posted on by JL

New striking strokes

25 November 2024

A few weeks ago, the news came in that James Murphy and
his LCD SOUNDSYSTEM will have a new album out next year,
their 5th and first in 8 years since American Dreamer. More
details to come.

At the same time we could move our hips to the first
taster X-RAY EYES. A simple, but catchy beep & bleep
tune.

All dance freaks who attend the band’s 2024 NYC holiday residency
can buy a limited 12″ edition of the single with an extended dub
version on the b-side.

For all dance freaks who can’t attend those shows,
you can stream the extended dub version here.


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Isntagram – Spotify

THE MURDER CAPITAL – British Misfits Announce 3rd LP And Drop New Piece ‘WORDS LOST MEANING’

Posted on by JL

New striking strokes

20 November 2024

Last year Irish misfits THE MURDER CAPITAL released their
top-notch 2nd LP Gigi’s Recovery. A remarkable record.

Nick Cave is a fan, obviously, as the Irishmen were the support act on
several European concerts by the crooner legend and his Bad Seeds.

Ahead of that tour, they shared an intense
new song named Can’t Pretend To Know.

And they just dropped another one, titled WORDS LOST MEANING.
Both tracks will be on their 3rd longplayer, named Blindness. It’ll be
out next year, on February 21. More info here.

James McGovern (frontman/songwriter) about the new track : “I’ve had experiences
in my own relationship, being on tour a lot, where the words ‘I love you’ would be used
over text, or as a way to close a conversation.

“They were dismantling and losing their essence… if the words ‘I love you’ are losing meaning in a romantic context or a partnership, it’s a worrying sign. Those words mean so much, and they should be respected as such. I’d rather say goodbye and say nothing if it’s not going to be said with meaning.”

WORDS LOST MEANING

Instagram – Spotify

EXPOSE – LA Noiseniks Take You On An Insane 67 Seconds Rush With ‘SPEED DIAL’

Posted on by JL

New striking strokes

13 November 2024

Band: EXPOSE
Who: A musical project that crawled out of a drum machine in Los Angeles in 2019.
While the band’s earliest demos, fully written and recorded by drummer Trent Rivas, presented a grimier, heavier sound, the band quickly evolved into something entirely different as it became more fleshed out. Always rooted in punk, Expose grew into a more minimal, noisier sound that reflected the sensibilities of its rotating cast of additional members.

Track: SPEED DIAL

From their forthcoming, new album ETC,
out on January 24th. More info here.

TUTV: Expect 67 seconds (shorter than a Ramones ripper) of electrical post-punk insanity propelled by flipped-out drums, crazed guitars and some mumbling. You’ll feel strangled and suffocating by this rush of blood to the head. Pretty scary, right? You betcha. Push the repeat button as many times as you can tolerate. If you turn blue and you get breathing problems, dial 911 and ask for a straight jacket.

WATCH/LISTEN

STREAM/BUY


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Instagram – Spotify

PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS – English Trash Punks Drop New Slo-Mo Hammer ‘DETROIT’

Posted on by JL

New striking strokes

12 November 2024

Newcastle‘s fierce trash punks PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS
released their 5th LP, titled Land Of Sleeper .

Here’s their first new music of 2024. A monstrous slo-mo sledgehammer
named DETROIT. It comes with the news that they’ll tour the UK and Europe
next year.

Matt Baty (singer): “The song reflects on the worst manifestations of male jealousy
and resentment, and the ways in which a lack of accountability can lead to deflecting responsibility in exchange for blaming external forces like fate or God for perceived
injustice.”

Hammer. Hammer. Hammer.

Instagram – Spotify