Band: ARAB STRAP (Scotland)
Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton Active: 1995–2006, 2011, 2016–present
7 studio albums so far.
Last year the Scots scored with their excellent album As Days Get Dark. And now they announced a new
limited edition 7”, out on 4th March, featuring two
tracks Aphelion and ‘Flutter.
Moffatt: “These two songs were written, recorded and mixed during
the sessions for As Days Get Dark but as much as we loved them, we
couldn’t find a place for them on the final album. Maybe it’s because
they seem to have their own distinct identities, but sometimes a song
just sounds better on its own, when it’s not part of a crowd and vying
for attention. So, to celebrate the anniversary of the album’s release,
we present ‘As Days Get Dark”s two runaway loners; a couple of black
sheep who might not click with the rest of the family but, even though
they aren’t very happy, are still worth a cuddle.”
Last week Scottish misfits ARAB STRAP released their new,
pretty superb album AS DAYS GET DARK. Their 7th LP, the
first in 15 years.
With the top music website Stereogum the duo went through
the whole album track-by-track. Read the feature right HERE.
Must-read stuff for all Arab Strap fans.
Band: ARAB STRAP (Scotland)
Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton
Album: RED THREAT Released: 26 February 2021 Score: #16 in the UK
NME wrote: “The pair’s fourth studio album once again renders naval-gazing a fine art as Moffat, very much the Tracy Emin of misanthropic mumbled indie rock, selects prurient lowlights from past awkward encounters and, secretly, wonders if he can still get away with it… The song remains the same, then, broken and unfixable. Romance isn’t dead. He just looks that way when he’s pissed.” Full review here. Score: 7/10.
Singles: Love Detective / Turbulence
– LOVE DETECTIVE –
– TURBULENCE –
Full album…
.
The pair releases a new album, titled As Days Get Dark next week…
I love the smell of rock ‘n’ roll all month long! Turn Up The Volume‘s 15 Knockout Tracks
November 2020! Right here, right now…
‘State Of The Union’ by PUBLIC ENEMY (US) Whatever it takes, rid this dictator / POTUS my tail, Ass debater / Prime-time Preemo, rhyme-time crime / Like no other in this lifetime / Stay away from me / State of the Union, shut the
fuck up / Sorry ass motherfucker / Stay away from me / State of the Union / Shut the fuck up
‘There’s A Ghost’ by SUPERCHUNK (North-Carolina)
This steamed-up missile proves that Superchunk still has the adrenalin-fueled buzz and fuzz energy to make you go nuts like a manic kangaroo. A welcome wham bloody bam smack to ventilate your lockdown frustration. Pogo along here…
‘I Don’t Know What I’m Doing’ by MAXÏMO PARK(Newcastle upon Tyne, UK)
Instant rollicking-guitar-crazy stormer. An agitated and keyed-up cracker on the
run with an adrenaline-fueled chorus triggering your jump up-and-down button.
From the upcoming album Nature Always Wins, out 26 February 2021…
‘The Eyeball Dance’ by HEY COLOSSUS (UK)
From the get-go, this ongoing repetitive-riff-ripper infiltrates your mind without asking permission. And the sickly sticky chorus causes head-twisting dynamics making you totally dizzy. Mind-bending psych jam for greedy ears! Get up and turn it up…
. ‘The Observer’ by FLYING MOON IN SPACE (Germany)
Only thirty seconds in and this electrical Kraut-synth stunner is already jumping from left to right and back in your uncontrollably spinning head. Ongoing sparkling rotations cause a transcendent experience giving you the opportunity to escape our grim reality for a while…
Cutting Sonic Youth echoes, flashing Metz dynamics, and layers of Dinosaur Jr. guitars.
A sizzling bolide about loving each other while rocking your balls off. From the band’s excellent debut LP Future Anachronisms. Start the fire…
. ‘Out Of The Shadows’ by GREAT HARE (Sweden)
This is the wake-up-call I want to hear when I can’t get out of my bed in the morning. You simply can’t resist this shot of adrenaline. This is what elevating pop is all about. Vitalizing, energizing, and galvanizing. In a normal world, this should be a global hit…
. ‘Breaking Out’ by GHOSTLAWNS
Middle finger to the lockdown, there’s no law against freaking out in your living room and it helps to activate your adrenaline production. And kraut-dance impulses are so much cheaper and more effective than therapy. Hit the floor…
. ‘For Daze’ by FAUX MACHISMO (Leeds)
Passion, desperation, devotion, distress, and heartache. An anxiety-driven outburst making your hair in the back of your neck stand up. A haunting groovy guitar riff-mad stroke with emotive vocals dragging you to the dark side of your soul and the exploding full-grunge chorus messes up your mind. Smells like heart-shaped box melodrama to me…
. ‘Where You Find Me’ by THE NOTWIST (Germany)
The German indie rockers are gearing up for a new album called Vertigo Days, out
29 January 2021. Lead-single Where You Find Me is a frolic pop tune you’ll whistle, hum and/or sing along pretty quick in your shower. As sticky as first-class glue…
‘Edge Of The World’ by THE SEA AT MIDNIGHT (Los Angeles)
One-man band The Sea At Midnight balances between twilight and sunrise, between
past and present, between pain and hope. This both melodious and darkwave blues introspection has a healing effect. Gripping piece from his new self-titled album…
. ’20th Century Boy’ by BEAUTY IN CHAOSfeat. AL JOURGENSEN
20th Century metal boy Al Jourgensen from industrial noiseniks Ministry obviously
has fun with this hot-tempered and filthy cover of the 1973 T.Rex blockbuster…
Well, It’s plain to see you were meant for me / Yeah, I’m your toy, your 20th Century boy.
‘King Of Machines’ byTIGER MIMIC (London)
Tiger Mimic rants about the dangerous state of chaos we live in with a crystal clear, outspoken jackhammer fueled by sinewy guitar hooks, a battering beat, sharp-cutting male/female vocals, and a caustic chorus. Midway the tempo drops and the intensity goes up before starting the pugnacious ‘I’ll Stand My Ground’ finale. Time to act! Time to survive!
. ‘No Justification’ by LOUD APARTMENT (New York)
Uplifting music is what we need to inject our concerned minds with hope and faith in
a better future while battling for survival. This hip-shaking, funky, hip-hop party tune
will do the trick perfectly. From the new albumSystem Breakdown…
. ‘Compersion Pt. 1’ by ARAB STRAP
Back after 15 years. A track that “depicts a quest to find the ever-elusive unicorn, to bond fluidly, and safely, with the like-minded and adventurous, in the comforting arms of an anonymous hotel, and the stark realization that you never really wanted it.” A near-spoken story over an ongoing addictive riff. Magnetic cut…
All together on Spotify…
. See/hear you next month for the best-of-2020-tracks…
Last September Scottish indie duoARAB STRAP returned after 15 years with
a new top-notch piece of music called The Turning Of Our Bones (listen below).
Now they announced a new album titled As Days Get Dark, their first full length
since their 2005 The Last Romance LP and planned to hit the internet March next
year. “It’s about hopelessness and darkness. But in a fun way” says Aidan Moffat
Along with the good news the tandem dropped a new song called COMPERSION PT. 1.
A track that “depicts a quest to find the ever-elusive unicorn; to bond fluidly, and safely,
with the like-minded and adventurous, in the comforting arms of an anonymous hotel,
and the stark realization that you never really wanted it.”
A near-spoken story over an ongoing addictive riff. Magnetic cut.
Five new firecrackers to bang-up your favorite 48 hours…
‘Siren‘ by THURSTON MOORE
Like great red Bordeaux wine. The older the better! Moore boggles your mind with
an epic 12-minute guitar and drums spiced groove. A hypnotic trip making you feel relaxed, intoxicated and floating eight miles high. Perplexing psych jam!
. ‘The Turning Of Our Bones’ by ARAB STRAP (Scotland)
Scottish indie duo return with first music in 15 years. This new single is a nightmarish triumph. Starting with the line ‘I don’t give a fuck about the past‘ they take you on a dark, yet tremendously addictive electronic trip with an ongoing, spellbinding guitar riff and a vibey bass beat. Two words: staggering comeback!
‘Suffering Blossoms’ by EIGHT GATES feat. Matt McDougal of Boundaries (Orlando)
You want to scream your lockdown head off? Open your greedy ears for this metal punk slam dunk coming from the NBA-playoffs bubble city of Orlando. Crush your isolation demons. NOW! HERE! GO! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhh!
‘Crown Of Thought’ by GARCIA PEOPLES (Rutherford, New Jersey)
Psychedelic prog rock Odyssey sounding as if it was recorded in LSD-heaven by The Grateful Dead. Spacey, far-out and mind-twisting. New album Nightcap At Wits
out 9th October. More info right here.
. ‘Just Another Dance Song’ by YEWO (Hungary)
When classic rock and dance dynamics meet each other you get a swirling pirouette-yourself-gaga injection like this bang-bang-banger. A guarantied dance floor filler. Go
nuts, go apeshit, go bonkers! HAVE FUN!
Pretty special Scottish indie duo ARAB STRAP – Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton – made a lasting impact with six gloomy longplayers between 1995 and 2006. Afterward
they split up as good friends, came back together in 2016 for a reunion tour. Split up again. And are now back together with their first new music in 15 years.
New piece THE TURNING OF OUR BONES will be included on a 7″ planned for an
October release. The single is a nightmarish triumph. Starting with the line ‘I don’t give
a fuck about the past‘ they take you on a dark (watch the creepy clip), yet tremendously addictive electronic trip with an ongoing, spellbinding guitar riff and a vibey bass beat.
TURN UP THE VOLUME 