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Q's Compilations
Vol #144 – June to
July 2022
It
has been a busy couple of months… and this mix is obviously late, and could
have been even later given that I didn’t even start compiling and mixing this
until the 2nd of August. Why so late? Well, I turned 40 in June, and
then just had a lovely jaunt around Europe, going to Amsterdam, Prague, Berlin,
and then back to the fine town of Bicester to see friends and family. These
notes will naturally be brief as I don’t want this to be depressingly late (even if I'm the only one that reads them!).
01)
The Beths - Silence is Golden: New Zealand’s finest, The Beths, will release
their third album, Expert In a Dying Field, on the 16th of
September via Car Park Records. It was inevitable I’d miss some great shows in
New York while traveling, but missing The Beths play a free show in Prospect
Park was not part of the deal!
02)
The Mountain Goats - Wage Wars Get Rich Die Handsome: It has felt like John
Darnielle and co were due a more rocking album and new album Bleed Out is
going to deliver based on the songs that have been shuffled out so far (released
on the 19th of August via Merge Records). This will be the 20th
Mountain Goats album, I think!
03)
Cusp - I Know: Fire Talk’s stellar record with Chicago artists continues with
Cusp, this is a stand-alone single released in June. Hopefully there’s a full
record in the works – the quartet have an EP and a couple of singles in their
discography to date.
04)
Lifeguard - I Know I Know: I know, I know, I know, I didn’t have to follow up a
song called I Know with a song called I Know I Know, but here we
are. Lifeguard are another band from Chicago, though this time on the equally
great Born Yesterday record label. This song is from their EP Crowd Can Talk,
released on the 5th of August. I’m looking forward to seeing them
open for Horsegirl soon.
05)
Soccer Mommy – Shotgun: Sometimes, Forever is Alison Regina Allison’s
third record as Soccer Mommy and I was excited to see that Daniel Lopatin
produced the record, since I love his work as OPN, without realising he’s a
hugely in demand record producer thanks to his work with The Weekend. The record isn’t as weird as I was imaging as
a result, but that’s fine! This is the highlight of the record for me.
06)
Beach Bunny – Gone: The best band of the last couple of years, Beach Bunny just
released their/her second full length record, Emotional Creature, on the
22nd of July via Mom+Pop records. It’s inevitably a triumph and
there isn’t a better indie rock band around right now.
07)
Momma - Speeding 72: Now signed to Polyvinyl records, Momma just released their
third album, Household Name, on the 1st of July and the
record leans into the title, with strong 90s choruses that suggest if this was
released 30 years ago they would be household names!
08)
Dirt Devil - Garbage Night: I wish I could remember how I came across this
band. I’m pretty sure one or two of the members are in another act I like that
mentioned this single on bandcamp but I cannot remember! The quartet are from
Western Mass and released a self-titled debut in 2017, this song was released
on my birthday this year.
09)
Jimmy Eat World - Something Loud: Finding themselves without a record label at
the moment, Jimmy Eat World self-released this anthemic single in June. We have
tickets to see them in September and I’m really looking forward to it, the only
time I’ve seen them live was opening for Green Day in 2005! This song has
everything you want from them.
10)
Unwound - What Was Wound: It’s hard to put into words my surprise an excitement
upon hearing that Unwound were reuniting to play some shows for the first time
in 20 years. I have tickets to see them three nights in a row in March as I
really never thought this would happen (especially so after bassist Vern Rumsey
sadly died in 2020). This song is from their second record, New Plastic
Ideas from 1994.
11)
Frail Body - Your Death Makes Me Wish Heaven Was Real: This Screamo trio from
Illinois just came onto my radar from looking over some show listings, though
this album (A Brief Memoriam) came out in 2019. The whole record is
great and jumps around all over the place.
12)
Porcupine Tree - Rates Return: Closure
/ Continuation, the
band’s first record since 2009, just came out and I’m really glad the band is
back. The band had gotten into a bit of a rut with their last few albums if you
ask me (though they’re still very good) and they sound fresh on this release,
it’s definitely a 2022 version of the band. I’m looking forward to seeing what
kind of setlist they put together when I see them in September. I’m still digesting the record, it’s a strange
experience when a band you were obsessed with but kinda moved on from come back
after so long.
13)
Yoo Doo Right - Say Less, Do More: Krautrock-y, progg-y, shoegaze-y Montreal
trio Yoo Doo Right put out A Murmur, Boundless to the East, in June and
it’s a real triumph. Mostly instrumental with a few vocals cropping up here and
there, it’s a record you can easily get swept away with the groove before the
come crashing with some intense passages.
14)
Greta Morgan - Bitter Better: You’ll hopefully recognise the name Greta Morgan
from past mixes over the years, especially as Springtime Carnivore. Greta has
been through the ringer in recent years, being diagnosed with spasmodic
dysphonia, she has had to relearn how to use her voice and her first two songs
that have just been released are beautiful (the other track on her 2-track
release is the title track Vanishing Path).
15)
Tchotchke - Wish You Were a Girl: NYC trio just released their self-titled
debut album, and it’s one of those infectiously sunny sounding records that is
hard not to love.
16)
Young Guv - Too Far Gone: Young Guv is in a particular purple patch right now,
releasing his III album in March, new record, remarkably called IV,
came out in June. IV is a little more subtle than previous records,
although this track would fit on any of the releases.
17)
Mamalarky - Mythical Bonds: Another Fire Talk act, Mamalarky’s second album, Pocket
Fantasy, comes out on the 30th of September. This lead single
locks into a great groove and I love the guitars in particular.
18)
The Zells – Mankey: Pittsburgh quintet The Zells let their GBV-influences shine
brightly on second album, Ant Farm, that came out in June.
19)
Mike Johnson – Circle: Mark Lanegan’s death in February struck me harder than I
though and I’ve since read his brutal memoir, Sing Backwards and Weep,
which is an extraordinary read… but it got me digging a little deeper into his
career and collaborations which led me to Mike Johnson, who produced and played
on some of his early solo records, but has a body of work in his own right that
Lanegan crops up on from time to time. This song is from Johnson’s second solo
album, Year of Mondays, from 1996 (and features J Macsis on drums).
20)
Friendship - Ugly Little Victory: Now signed to Merge Records, Friendship just
released Love the Stranger on the 29th of July, and this was
the lead single before the record came out. The record hits some lovely country
notes with the odd up-tempo folk number like this one for good measure.
21)
Will Sheff - Estrangement Zone: Okkervil River has always struck me as a Will
Sheff and friends endeavour so it was a little surprising to see him announce a
solo record called Nothing Special via ATO records under his own name.
The album comes out on the 7th of October and while there’s a slight
style shift from Okkervil River, I’ll be interested to hear what the whole
record sounds like.
Ok that’s really all the notes I have time for if I’m going to get this released in a not-too-late fashion.
As always, Peace and Love - Q
