Lily Lane is a supremely talented pop and alternative artist from the USA. She initially recorded as Lily M Halpern, her given name, until becoming Lily Lane in 2014. She is a wonderfully outspoken advocate for body positivity, women, and LGBTQ. I totally commend her for that. But I also want to commend her and praise her for her new single “I Do”. The song is a gorgeous, languid, laid-back, soulful, soft blues, and sometimes ethereal love song. She wrote the song the day after she was proposed to and had this to say about the track “I was anxious about the idea of speaking in front of people at the wedding, I’m much better at singing and performing than I am at public speaking”. The lyrics are heartfelt and perhaps show Lane baring her soul and offering her heart. She sings “They say winners stand alone so I guess that we lose, we left behind our selfish pride found our way to the truth, I told myself I’d never love nobody again, now you’re my lover and my best friend, we did it our way and now it’s my chance to say, I do”. I can see this becoming many newlyweds’ first choice song for their first dance. It deserves to be a huge hit.
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Mark Healy (Vocals and guitar), Terry Hackett (Drums), and Ingmar Kiang (Bass Guitar) are Skanger, an electro/ alternative band from Dublin. Their new single “Debris” was recorded in that fair city by the band and was produced by Ingmar Kiang who has previously worked with U2, Sinead O’Connor, Bob Marley, Tom Tom Club, Julian Cope and so many more. “Debris” is a classy electro-pop rock tune that grows on you more with each listen. By the third or fourth listen the hooks and synth riffs have stitched themselves firmly into the Occipital Lobe and Temporal Lobe of your brain. It harks back to 80s bands like Depeche Mode but has an underlying dance vibe that had me thinking of the Beloved. The harmonies are gorgeous. Rather than provide their own words about the track they took the unusual decision to let AI appraise the song based on its analysis of the lyrics. This is what AI said “Based on the lyrics provided, the song Debris explores themes of questioning, introspection, and conflict, with a tone that transitions from sadness to frustration. The lyrics delve into the complexities of dealing with one’s own actions and grappling with the consequences (‘how will you square what you have done’), particularly in the context of violence and conflict (‘bullets and bombs’). ‘The repeated refrain of ‘Explain to me’ highlights a desire for clarity and understanding amidst confusion and chaos“. Is AI the future? Honestly, I don’t know, but I do know that “Debris” is a great song!
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On May 30th, 1968, The Beatles began work on their 30-track self-titled double album (popularly referred to as The White Album, due to its all-white sleeve design). Nineteen of the songs that ended up on the record were written while the band was on a Transcendental Meditation with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in India. It took more than six months to record and the first track to be laid down was “Revolution.” In my opinion, this is one of the best Beatles albums.
In 1987, also on 30th May, David Bowie kicked off his Glass Spider tour. It was believed to be the largest touring set ever at the time, the stage was designed to resemble a giant spider. The tour was in support of one of his poorest albums, ‘Never Let Me Down’. 43 trucks transported the set to each of the tour’s 87 shows. I was at one of those shows, Wembley Stadium in June. I recall that Big Country was one of the support acts the day I went.
May 30th, 2009 saw Mick Jagger offer to buy an ice cream van but his offer was turned down by its owner, Guiseppe Della Camera. Guisseppe had spent ten years restoring the rusting van to perfection after he saw it on a farm being used as a chicken coop. Jagger offered to buy the van when he saw it at a show on Wandsworth Common. Guisseppe said, “Jagger told me he’d really fallen in love with my van and asked me if I would consider selling it. I was stunned when he offered me £100,000“. One reason that Guisseppe turned down such a generous offer was that he had promised his daughter he would drive her to her wedding in it. Maybe Jagger just wanted Forty Licks!
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This was a fundraiser for Explore the organisation that runs York’s wonderful libraries. The show was pulled together by that wonderful human being Joe Coates of Please Please You. Activities going on throughout the day including an open mic session and screen printing workshops. Sadly I missed all of those, but I was in the city centre library Great Hall for some great music. There was also some excellent poetry, particularly from Stu Freestone, whose cheese rap was awesome. First up was Rowan, of Rowan and Friends fame, with a rather spiffing solo set. He gave us folk with a punk attitude with some intelligent and often very humorous lyrics. The Jesus song (sorry I didn’t get the full title) was ace as was the bloody hilarious closer “Love On Top”. But for me where Rowan comes into his own is when he sings about York. “Leeman Road” and “Skeldergate” are magnificent story songs. Rowan is to York as Jonathan Richman is to New York.
Marnie Glum (not her real name) was next. She has the vocal styling of Joni Mitchell the clarity of voice that only Karen Carpenter and perhaps Rumer could match and a smattering of jazz in her tunes. Her band is phenomenally talented and helped Marnie bring her wonderful songs to life. She closed her set with “Fairweather” which in my opinion is her best song to date, although she hinted that new music might be coming soon. “Iron Me Out”, “Polaroid Ghosts” and her Bjork cover were highlights! But it must be said that “This Car’s A Train Wreck” is crying out to be covered by Taylor Swift. Are you listening Taylor?
Finally, it was time for Bull, probably one of the best bands to emerge from the York music scene, ever! I have compared them to the Byrds before and their harmonies during this gig mean that I absolutely stand by that comparison. But Bull have so much more than that within their musical arsenal. They have psych, some ethereal pop, a bit of rock, and plenty of punk attitude all aligned with some throwbacks to Frank Black, the Pixies, Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, and even early R.E.M. Bull are intensely informal and always seem to be having a gargantuan amount of fun on stage. Their gigantic sound is built around some stylish, simple yet exquisite songs. They have moments of quietness, very appropriate in a library, that soar to frantic, frenzied sonic magnificence. Their debut album ‘Discover Effortless Living’ from 2021 was good, but this year’s ‘Engines Of Honey’ takes them to a new level of true greatness. They gave us songs from both albums in this stunning set. “Start Anew”, “Stuck!” and “Green” were probably my highlights, but oh boy the competition was tough! You need this band in your life if they are not already. If I had to encapsulate their performance in two words those words would be fucking and brilliant!
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This was Steve “Ska” Laurence’s (head honcho of Northern Ska Face Promotions) first metal gig and on this evidence, it won’t be his last! While this tour is a co-headline event between metal titans Pryma and Lavire there was one more band on the bill for York. It was Yorkshire favourites Hunter Gatherer. They gifted us with soulful vocals and harmonies backed by some finely constructed metal sounds. They make a humungous noise for a three-piece! One of their slower songs had an element of Supertramp on speed, and I mean that in a good way. Hunter Gatherer is shaping up to be a great band.
Next, it was the turn of Lavire who I first witnessed when they supported the Soap Girls last year. They opened with an explosive run through their song “Welcome To The Freak Show” from 2022. What an incredible way to open a set, how could they follow that? Quite easily in fact. This band is quite a few levels above just heavy, this was dark matter heaviness! Chloé’s voice is devastatingly brilliant stunningly tuneful and she occasionally showcased her enormous metal roar. Every band member was in top form. But a special huge shout out to the bass player. The power that emanated from his six-stringed bass guitar rearranged my heartbeat a few times as it hammered through my body. They gave a great feminist shout-out to all the strong independent woman before their set closer. This was an unforgettable set from an extraordinary band!
Finally, it was time for the second co-headliner Pryma. Well, there was me describing Lavire as heavier than heavy and then this lot took the stage! Pryma is a new level and definition of heavy that has never been reached by anyone before. Probably heavier than a neutron star. But it was so much more than just that. This was a real show and a magnificent performance. Gabrielle is an awesome frontwoman who is most definitely for real! Current single “Dead To Me” is a metal anthem made for festivals. But hearing it in a small, sweaty, grassroots venue like the Fulford Arms is very special indeed. The super-powered guitar shredding and riffage are drawn from another world while vocals and bass are among the best in the business. But let’s not forget the input of magnificent metal metronome, drummer Dominic Smith. The song of the set, and probably the whole night, goes to “My Cold Shadow”. This single from late last year is one of the best tracks that I have heard in ages. New song “Mask” ( I think that was the title) is certified high-level metal but also contains some tuneful and huge punky metal riffs backing it up too. I knew hardly anything about Pryma before this gig, I am now a huge fan!
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West Yorkshire Superheroes and one of York’s greatest bands, PERCY are back with a new album, on 10ft Records, and despite the concerns of one band member (due to the lateness of reviews, including this one) it is most definitely not pants! It kicks off with some really dark riffs, appropriately given the title and subject of “Sink Estate Satanic Rites” which mentions classic horror author Dennis Wheatley. The video contains some essential UK horror movie tropes too. The deep bass rumble that powers “Blackout” is reminiscent of Jah Wobble on early PiL tracks. The title track is a punchy, angular, post-punk powerhouse that got me thinking of the Stranglers at their peak. Colin’s lyrics throughout the album are idiosyncratic and out-there, and frankly, no one else could create something close from a lyrical perspective. The circus-like keyboard motifs on “Thinking Of Jacking It In Again” would fit perfectly in a really warped David Lynch-style horror film. This is eerie, emotional and perhaps the closest PERCY has ever come to showing a Beatles influence. If you link hard post-punk and ghost stories then “Last Train To Selby” is right up your street! For me, this is the pinnacle of a great album which contains some monumentally mountainous musical peaks within it. I suspect that “Do You Think I’m On The Spectrum?” is a brutally honest take on those whose superpower is being neuro-diverse. Either way, I feel that I want to play this to some of the kids that I work with who are on the spectrum.
The band was born in 1996 and this is the fourth album since original band members Colin Howard (guitar and vocals) and Andy Wiles (bass) were joined by Paula Duck (keys) and Jason Wilson (drums) in 2017. I believe that it is an album that sees the band developing into something really special. Many people, myself included, have made easy and obvious comparisons with the Fall. But on this new album, PERCY are heading way beyond that and maybe in thirty years, people like me will be comparing new music to PERCY. “Greedy People” will be a PERCY live staple given its anthemic power. “I Can Hear Orgies” is probably the most PERCY track on the album, can you think of any band that could even dream of a title like this? It has a well-rounded power-pop feel, especially in the soft-to-loud guitar work. The sound on “You Never Know” draws on some fine early 80s alternative music that would have been an instant classic on John Peel’s show. A reggae remix of this would be something worth hearing I think. At almost six minutes long “Afterlife” is perhaps the most ambitious track on the album and feels cinematic in its ambition. The slowish tune is based around some classy keyboard loops and understated bass lines all underpinned by some perfect syncopated stick work from Jason Wilson. I think “Afterlife” will become one of the best PERCY songs ever laid down, after a few plays it is easily my second favourite on this record. You can purchase the album and also choose to buy a huge selection of the PERCY back catalog on Bandcamp. So what are you waiting for? Click here to spend a few bob on some great sounds!
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Supremely talented Dutch artist Patty Lou has collaborated with Django Black on a rather wonderful four-to-the-floor dance style take on Yung Bleu and Drake’s “You’re Mines Still”. The melodies could soundtrack the best dream that you ever had and Patty’s voice takes you on an ethereal journey to musical heaven via some clubby house sounds that also lean elegantly to the perfect pop song. Patty has a vibe of Rihanna and Craig David in this spectacular and infectious piece of 21st Century R&B
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South Londoner Jessica Wilde’s new song “Here Right Now” challenges our enslavement to electronic devices meaning that we miss out on so much that is here right now and in the moment. It is a summery, jazzy, funky tune with elements of P-Funk, Lizzo, and the Average White Band. Her vocal performance is top-drawer and with oodles of class. The song has a hook that just won’t let you go….. ever!
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Sissy Misfit’s “TOY” is a track of dark, industrial. metal dance fusion. A perfect soundtrack for the school goth disco. It is like AI finally gained real intelligence and made a banging, weird, and wonderful song! The tune and the accompanying video explore the underlying darkness of being an object of desire. Sissy Misfit says of the video “It’s all a nod to creation, pop culture, and MTV”. The video has a hint of David Lynch taken into even deeper weirdness and darker darkness. It is the third single released from her forthcoming album ‘EXXXOSKELETON’ due out on 7th June.
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East LA rockers have a spectacularly good new single out, it is called “Pretty Pictures”. It feels like a heavenly slice of chilled power pop magic with great 80s vibes and an emphasis on some opulent, elegant, sumptuous pop. This is a perfect anthem for summer. Singer/guitarist Miguel Angel Estrada says, ““Pretty Pictures” was brought together by scrap compositions and one guitar riff. While I was writing the main guitar riff, I wanted to do something a bit challenging, I was having trouble playing it until I eventually got it down, that’s when I knew I had a good part. I intended this song to be upbeat and poppy, but I think the most interesting part of the song is the second verse which is a completely different vibe giving Spanish lyrics & 80’s synths. The song was brought together beautifully that it quickly became one of the band’s favorite songs.” The video is spectacularly good too. Get this song onto your summer playlists now!
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