London‘s synth-pop idols HOT CHIP released their jubilant
2nd LP THE WARNING today 20 years ago, on 22 May 2006.
With this sophomore HC created an LP that was received much more
focused and pop friendly. One critic said: “A step away from Prince and
a step towards LCD Soundsystem”.
It peaked at #43 in the UK and #13 on the US Dance Charts.
NME: “There’s something of New Order in Hot Chip. The same
mix of art school-meets-working man demeanour.”
Band: VONA VELLA
Who: Started by singer-songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Izzy and Dan,
and officially formed as a band in Autumn 2020 in Nottingham (UK). They
released their self-titled debut LP in 2023.
Album: CARNIVAL
Their sophomore. Ready for release
on February 27th. Pre-order info here.
Press info: “A sparkling evolution, a heady distillation of spangling guitars and
sumptuous art-pop, those glorious vocals entwined, forever the DNA double helix
of their signature sound. Vona Vella are exploring darker extremities than they
were on their wistful indie-pop self titled debut album.”
No less than 4 previews (so far) to get in a manic mood.
NEIL YOUNGand his loyal amigos CRAZY HORSE released memorable
CD RAGGED GLORY on 10 September 1990, today 35 years ago. Young‘s
20th album.
Young: “I purposely wanted to play long instrumentals because I don’t hear any jamming
on any other records. There’s nothing spontaneous going on on records these days, except in blues and funkier music. Rock & roll used to have all that. People aren’t reaching out in the instrumental passages and spontaneously letting them last as long as they can. I love to do that, but I can only really do it well with one band.
AllMusic said: “The album’s dominant sound was made by Young’s noisy guitar, which bordered on and sometimes slipped over into distortion, while Crazy Horse kept up the songs’ bright tempos. Despite the volume, the tunes were catchy, with strong melodies and good choruses, and they were given over to love, humor, and warm reminiscence.”
DIY Magazine: “This self-titled debut from the pairing of Blur guitarist Graham Coxon and journeywoman songwriter Rose Elinor Dougall is a curious collection of contrasts. Most notably, that between the protagonists’ own voices; Rose’s a strong, smooth and often deep one with an almost RP accent; Graham’s his signature twang, faltering and vulnerable. The rough and the smooth rub up against each other – the squall of Graham’s guitar juxtaposed against slick brass, soaring strings or appearing just as the lyrical content threatens to veer into soppy territory… Cinematic in scope, often luscious in its arrangements, it’s a singular gem.”
Score: 4/5.
TUTV: Several tracks bring the thought to mind of Coxon-Dougall being a modern
day Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood. As romantic, dreamy, and moony as the glam
stars were, but The Waeve explore other places too (alone or together), where it’s
rather darksome, misty and not glamorous at all.
Coxon‘s bedazzling saxophone play is everywhere. It creates a jazzy and smoky
night-bar coziness on the lullabies (Drowning / Over and Over / Undine), it glows on
the groovy hauntingness of Kill Me Again (one of the best singles of 2022 on Turn Up
The Volume‘s list), Sleepwalking and Someone Up There, and it goes over the top on the head-spinning psych pace of Something Pretty and on the ballad Can I Call You that
turns into a prog-rock jam midway.
Different moods, different sonic textures, with matching vocal performances.
Back now to another couple of spins, to get even deeper into the versatile
layers at play here. Join me, it’s a riveting ride.
Key singles/clips: Kill Me Again / Drowning / Over and Over
