The Suncharms first appeared on these pages via a review of their 2018 single “Red Dust” and they have been a regular on the playlist over here at Mayhem Towers in the seven an a half years since then! ‘Darkening Sky’ is their third album since their unexpected, unlikely and uniquely beautiful return. Following their extended “career interruption” they have recorded some classy sounds. This album is their third in five years following ‘Distant Lights’ and ‘Things Lost’. So it is definitely now time to focus on what actually is rather than what might have been. The album has massive ambition against which it delivers perfectly and it has a grand cinematic scope. Once again it is hard to drop the Suncharms into a genre box, but if you like quality shoegaze, classic jangly indie or delightful dream pop then this is the band for you.
“Monster To Me” adds the darkest edge to the album and it might be familiar to some of you as a mix of it came out as a single last year. The album opens with the wonderfully weird and wistful “Midnight Train” a song that could sit comfortably on the soundtrack to a film based on a Matt Haig novel. Filmmakers take note, I think Matt’s new novel is called ‘Midnight Train’. The passionate and emotional centre of this beautiful collection of songs is, for me, “Diamonds”, what a superb tune. The album has some deep and very smart lyrics which seem to reflect on memories, chances missed, everyday life, time and what it brings and reflection. It is an album that helps you meditate, think and to simply drown in gorgeous soundscapes. If you have not got the Suncharms in your life yet, then change that now!
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I have been a fan of herorangecoat for quite a while now so when Georgia invited me to this gig I did everything I could to be there. I had never been to the Attic in Leeds before and it is a delightful, friendly and intimate place, perfect for herorangecoat’s understated modern folk sounds. But before heroangecoat takes to the stage we were treated to a rather excellent support act, Wychbury. They are made up of a very talented duo of Che Bradley and Rhiannon Kenny-McGrath. Originally from the midlands but now an essential part of the Leeds folk scene. Their blend of modern and traditional folk was made for such a wonderfully set up small space like the Attic. Rhiannon’s voice is haunting and was spinetingling when working though Wychbury’s version of “Geordie”, an old folk ballad that rails against class and injustice. I bought their CD and I will definitely be seeing them again some time.
Wychbury
Now it was time for herorangecoat accompanied by her multitalented band. The gig was to celebrate the launch of her’ The Woodland Sessions (Studio) EP’ , a project made possible thanks to the Youth Music NextGen Fund where Georgia wrote and recorded tracks in woodland locations over single days. The earlier EP has the original woodland recordings. Herorangecoat’s style is emotionally raw, intimate, alt.folk tales drawn from her life experiences. She herself says that most of her songs are sad songs. Maybe that is true, but everyone one of them conveys an undercurrent of hope. She wears her heart on her sleeve and bares her soul with aching passion and compassion. I love how she uses the space between the notes to build a gorgeous tension. The audience was enraptured and locked into her performance the whole time. This was an ethereal performance that stayed with me long after it ended. If you haven’t listened to or seen herorangecoat yet then you really need to!
herorangecoat
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When you get to a “certain age” the prospect of a matinee or afternoon gig is incredibly appealing. Even more so if it is a show from the mightily talented and passionately aware performer that is Joe Solo. The original plan was for Joe to be supported by one of York’s finest troubadors, Boss Caine (a.k.a. Dan Lucas). However Dan was unfortunately unwell and couldn’t make it. Instead Boss Caine’s replacement was in fact Joe Solo, he played two sets. This show was a part of his promotional tour for his exceptionally good album, ‘Punk Rock Prepared Us for This’. There were not many people in the room who weren’t familiar with Joe, his music, his political passion and deep compassion. Upstairs at the Artful Dodger is a delightful space and perfectly suited to Joe’s music.
He played a lot of songs from the new album which seemed to fit into the set like a comfortable old shoe, and I mean that in a positive way. The venue added a wonderful level of intimacy and it times it felt like Joe was speaking directly to us as individuals rather than as a group, that is the kind of skill that is difficult to master. The chats between songs were humorous, entertaining, compassionate, passionate and deep in equal measure. The audience participation on “Rise Up! Rise Up!” was highly emotional and extremely powerful. Both sets were towering successes and I hope we see Joe in York again very soon!
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Jamnesty is always entertaining and obviously always for a great cause, so I had high expectations about this gig. First on stage were Decadence. When I looked at them as they were about to kick off their set and before they had played a note I thought that they looked like the school or college swots who always turned their homework in on time. Then they started playing and oh my fucking god they rock like some of the heaviest rocking motherfuckers in the universe. They are a very tight band with a singer who has great style and reminded me at times of Eddie Vedder, Michael Stipe and even Chris Martin. Their songs are well formed and show great promise for the future. Their cover of a song by the Retinas (?), who were the guitarists previous band was excellent. I would love to see them play a longer set. I will definitely see them again. If their Jamnesty homework assignment was to rock like bastards then they get an A+, they nailed it!
Next up it was Wysteria, they have elements of psych, 60s garage and at times a real folky pop feel. The singer is abundantly talented and has a clarity in her voice akin to a rockier Karen Carpenter. Their original songs are raw but will become awesome with time. This was an almost faultless set which I would have enjoyed even more if so many punters didn’t spend the whole set talking so loud. Why do some people at gigs feel the need to do this? JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP AND LISTEN!
Scrap That were the next band on stage. The singer has a voice that is on another level, truly magnificent. Sadly I can’t say the same for the band. It seemed like they were all playing in different bands and for me they really struggled to gel in any coherent way. The drummer in particular was way too loud. Their cover of the Santana and Rob Thomas classic “Smooth” was pretty good vocally, but musically it was as if most of the band had put on huge boots and stomped the subtlety of the original song into the ground. Mid set with just keys and voice was a high point until the rest of the band kicked in and did their damnedest to drown out the voice. The band needs to get a lot tighter and probably rehearse more or the alternative may be that the singer finds a new band.
The headliners tonight were Barbasco. This was a stunning performance and every member of the band was on fire. Every song saw a near perfect performance. The guitar solos, soaring vocals and harmonies were incredible. They were reminiscent of th Band, the Eagles and 100cc for me. If Barbasco had emerged in the 70s they would have been fucking huge. Jeff Buckley would have been proud of their penultimate song, “Little Things”. They closed with a monumental cover of “Black Magic Woman”. I would walk over hot coals to see Barbasco again. They are born to headline.
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Skylights are back at last with a colossal thumping anthem of a tune, “Fever”. The opening guitar sound alludes to some of John Squire’s finest moments. Then the drums batter the door down and give the track an uncompromising dark Motown garage rock vibe. The vocals hit peak power, passion and emotion with hooks built to echo around arenas and festivals. The song perfectly showcases a band that are equipped and ready to elevate the mercury levels higher than ever before. This is rock music that grabs you by the balls and makes you listen. Skylights are not just back; they are back and ready to get bigger and better!
Click here to get your hands on a very special signed vinyl copy of the single!
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‘Long Long Road’ is the new album from Ringo Starr, produced by T Bone Burnett, it is his one of his finest collections to date. It is another collaboration with Burnett following hot on the heels of the widely acclaimed ‘Look Up’ from 2025. It has a similar country vibe as that record and for me ever so slightly shades it. Much of it was recorded in the spiritual home of country music, Nashville. Ringo had this to say about working with Burnett again ““I’m blessed to have T Bone in my life right now and working with me on these records, after we did the last record, which I love listening to, this one just sort of happened. I like to say sometimes I make the right moves, like you can go left or right at any point, and one of the right moves was hooking up with T Bone for Look Up, and now for this one, which I’m calling Long Long Road, because I’ve been on a long long road.”
It opens with “Returning With Tears” which is a light, but delightful country style tune with a gorgeous counter point vocal from Molly Tuttle. “Baby Don’t Go” is a soft blues shuffle underpinned by Ringo’s perfect but always wonderfully understated drums. Starr’s voice is relaxed, laid back and suggests that he is having a lot of fun recording it. The ghost of early Johnny Cash is alive and well in “I Don’t See Me In Your Eyes Anymore” and I love that vamping doo wop style backing vocal. This is my favourite track on the album as I write this. If the Beatles were still recording, then I think “It’s Been Too Long” could have been one of those beautifully idiosyncratic contributions his songs made to classic Beatles albums. It primed the album as its first single back in March. Perhaps the catchiest earworm of a hook on this record is delivered with “Why” a strolling soft shoe shuffle that makes you sing along and tap your feet from the opening notes.
Ringo shares writing credits with Bruce Sugar on “You And I (Wave Of Love)” he also shares a sublime vocal with Molly Tuttle. Of all the love songs that are out there this sits among the best, after a couple of listens I have been singing it to my wife, although I suspect I have not done it justice! “My Baby Don’t Want Nothing” is another great love song, one of the many songs on this album written or co-written by T Bone Burnett. Ringo gets another songwriting credit on “Choose Love” which he composed with Mark Hudson, Gary Burr, Dean Grakal and Steve Dudas. This was the second single from the album and was released early in April. I love the way he winds a few Fab Four song titles into the lyric, “The long and winding road is more than a song. Tomorrow never knows what goes on” The sentiment is perfect, I mean why would you not choose love? The supremely talented St. Vincent provides harmonies.
There is a haunting, lilting Latin feel to the purring beat of “She’s Gone”. The fiddle playing that overlays the song from David Mansfield is sublime. The album title track closes the record as a perfect bookend to a great album. The track is another Starr Sugar co-write. Sheryl Crow performs heavenly harmonies. The spoken word interlude from Ringo is unexpected but it works so well. It ends with a lonely solid snare shot just after the music fades.
Burnett clearly loves working with Mr. Starkey and of the album and reuniting with Ringo he said ““I’ve loved Ringo’s playing and his singing for my whole life, and then one night we were at a poetry reading together and he said, why don’t you write a song for me? So, I wrote him a Gene Autry type song because I always heard Ringo as a Texas artist, the way he played felt just like Texas music to me. Ringo Starr is a recording artist of the highest calibre, and I wanted to surround him with these young masters, bringing in some of this extraordinary young energy that’s happening around Nashville for both of these records.” Ringo Starr is riding a hot seam of great country tunes with this and his last album and long may he continue!
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The Claypool Lennon Delirium is a band formed by the rock supremo Les Claypool once the main man of Primus and Sean Ono Lennon. The musical universe has worked some wonderful juju bringing these two together. Add former members of Stone Giant and Cake to the mix too. They are scheduled to release a staggeringly good album, ‘The Great Parrot-Ox and the Golden Egg of Empathy’ on 1st May. They have now put out the third single from that album. It is called “Meat Machines” and it is a tad fucking awesome! Lennon has called the band’s music as progadelic and it would be hard to disagree with that.
“Meat Machines” starts off with some chunky, fat synth licks and then gets some overlaid choral voices then the guitars and drums kick in just before the vocal. The pace picks up and from here on in you are infected with this magnificent song. I love the little reggae vibe thrown into the mix later. Lyrically the song perfectly questions the purpose of humans with lines like “And are humans nothing more than meat machines? Or is there more? Is there more to us?” and “When you can’t see the maze you’re in, how can you escape it?” Is there more to us as humans? I am not sure there is given the current state of the world. However this song gives me a sliver of hope!
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If you like your soul music chilled, emotional and leaning towards old school then look no further than Marcy James’ cover of Dee Dee Sharp’s 1965 classic “I Really Love You”. Produced by the legendary Butch Ingram the keeper of the Philly Soul flame and out now on Society Hill Records this is truly sublime. Fresh off her success in the professional theater circuit Marcy is currently starring in ‘Jesus Kept Me’ in Philadelphia. Her mission with this track is stated as “Bringing peace and joy back to the global airwaves“. With this recording I think she has made a big step towards that vision of peace and joy. Give this song a spin, it will brighten your day! Click here to find it on Soundcloud.
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Jesus Cringe is described as irreverent, shape-shifting space rock project. It is the brainchild of Belgian musical genius Alexis Pfrimmer. Signed to Epictronic Records and the first of this trio of singles was issued back in February. It is called “Disastrology” and it is vey dark and seems to depict the end of the world with the earth dying screaming. At the end of the video the protagonist appears to become stardust once again which is what we are all made of, right? Musically all three tracks have a vibe akin to Bowie’s final album ‘Blackstar’ as if Trent Reznor had worked on it.
Pfrimmer seems to have dispensed with the traditional rock band format and has utilised a combination of Violin, Mandolin, Baritone Saxophone, Piano, Synthesizer and Drums. It is probably the epic use of Baritone Saxophone that made me think of Bowie. The second single, “Unhinged Byproduct” came out on Good Friday. The song and video appear to tell the tale of the seven deadly sins with a huge dose of perfect satire.
The latest release is “No Man’s Gland” which in keeping with the previous release came into the world on another key date in the Christian Calendar, Easter Monday. This one deals with a near death experience and a return to life. I am an atheist and I bloody love this dark trinity of tunes, although I suspect many of those that follow the path of theism might think differently! This is dark, industrial type rock at its finest and it works even better with no guitar or bass. If the rest of the album is this good when it arrives then it could well be in the running for album of the year!
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Leeds singer songwriter Molly Rymer has released a second single from her forthcoming 4-track EP project called ‘Alone When The Lights Come On’. Molly says that each track follows themes of identity, reflection, and denial often with the narrator questioning their reality. So this might be quite a deep collection. Earlier this year Rymer released “City Half Awake” with her full band. It is one of her older songs and benefits from a deeper musical bed and some gorgeous fiddle.
The new single is called “Lie” and it reached the world on 3rd April. The song starts slow and soft with minimal instrumentation and slowly builds into a song with huge cinematic level depth and organisation. Lyrically Molly cleverly plays the dual meaning of the word contrasting the “speaking untruthfully with intent to mislead or deceive” definition with the separate meaning of simply lying down with someone. I think this might be Molly’s strongest vocal so far in her career. The emotion in her voice is palpable and it suggests that this is a kind of relationship that she has lived through. Ultimately it feels like it is about hanging on to a relationship when you know it really isn’t working nor going to work
I am looking forward even more to the EP now. I also still need to see Molly Rymer play live. I hope that will happen soon!
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