CATCH UP

 

I’ve been away for a little while because exams are looming, and won’t be posting things until the end of June when all this madness ceases. In the meantime, I thought I’d quickly write about a handful of things you’d be foolish to look over in the upcoming months and a brief reminiscence of musical happenings that have cropped up whilst I’ve been away.

Thinking about it, 2015 really has been a tremendous year for new releases. Since my blog break, bands such as The Cribs, Courtney Barnett, Drenge, Lost Dawn, Speedy Ortiz, Nai Harvest, Django Django, Palma Violets, Best Coast and Joanna Gruesome have released exciting new albums – all of which I’m thoroughly disheartened not to have written about sooner.

Looking forward, we can expect new material from Girlpool (June 1st), Wolf Alice (June 22nd), Ezra Furman (July 6th), Best Friends (July 10th), Spector and, the most exciting in my humble opinion, The Maccabees (July 31st).

I will be back in touch before you know it……..

SINGLE | Ezra Furman: Restless Year

 

The almighty rock’n’roll madman, Ezra Furman, and his band, The Boyfriends, tease us with bustling new single Restless Year, along with the exciting announcement of his signing to Bella Union (joining the likes of The Flaming Lips, The Walkman and Father John Misty) and forthcoming album.

We can hear that Restless Year, is almost immediately drenched in effervescence, especially in the introducing charm of a guitar riff which later playfully frolics beneath backings of “ooh’s” and “aah’s”. As frontman Furman chants lyrics such as “snapping my fingers / walking around”, you can’t help but subconsciously adopt a raucous sassiness. Perhaps slightly more synth-based than most recent album Day of the Dog, but that doesn’t necessarily mean less guitar… It’s what I’d call a splendid mix. Although falling somewhat astray from the madness of numerous instruments, it’s not difficult to hear Furman’s idiosyncratic audaciousness we revelled in with Day of the Dog. 

Word on the street (or rather, Ezra Furman’s Facebook page), Shepherds Bush Empire is the place to be on October 22nd later this year. Having experienced these boys’ brilliantly mad live performance, I can say with certainly that you’ll be dazzled, but in the most rock’n’roll way, of course.

RELEASE DATE (ALBUM): TBA but sometime in Summer

RECORD LABEL: Bella Union

FOR FANS OF: The Walkman, Father John Misty, Courtney Barnett, Parquet Courts