With Just A Hint Of Mayhem

Music reviews, gig reviews, fun trivia and extra added random stuff!

Everything After Midnight – Micklegate Social, York – Friday 5th May 2023 May 8, 2023

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 9:51 pm
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This was the first time I had been to a gig at the Micklegate Social in York since before Covid and it is still a wonderfully intimate basement venue. It is almost perfect for smaller shows, but I really hope they can sort out the toilet issue, two toilets for the whole venue upstairs and down really isn’t good enough. Anyway, that is enough of a toilet rant, let me get on with telling you about the gig! First up was Rowan, who has been featured on these pages before. This talented troubadour weaves some great tales in his 21st Century folk-style songs. “Skeldergate” is epic, contemporary, and topical (in a York sense for the latter). While many of Rowan’s tunes have somewhat dark themes, “Once A Rock Star” proves that he can write stuff that is a bit lighter, although even here there are some dark elements, but this was a great song with a hint of Jonathan Richman behind it. Tom Gulliver was next and he has a great collection of songs. “Place Of Peace” was damned good indeed. At times Tom’s vocal phrasings reminded me of Elton John, Mark Everett a.k.a Mr. E, and even Marc Almond. Everyone one of those inflections fitted perfectly with his well-played maniacal acoustic guitar playing. My highlight from his short set was probably “Cemetry Song” which I thought was sublime.

Next on stage, was Marnie Glum who says in her socials that she writes “sad songs for sad saps”, which I think is a little self-deprecating. She does write some sad songs, but for me, they work for everyone on many emotional levels, not just for sad saps. Marnie’s voice has the quality of a 21st-century Joni Mitchell in her phrasing and a hint of jazz in her styling, particularly on the new songs. She tells kitchen sink dramas and heartfelt soap opera tales with her infectious tunes. She is a Clifford T Ward for our troubled times. “Polaroid Ghosts” is gorgeous, heartfelt, and soul-baring. If you love great music then you need Marnie Glum in your life!

Finally, it was the turn of headliners Everything After Midnight to take centre stage. Their opening song showed the depth of musical quality they now have as a band. It was largely acoustic and fucking beautiful as it built to a fabulous 1970s rock-styled crescendo. The wah-wah style guitar licks were ace. The way Everything After Midnight have grown in confidence, skill, and stature since I first saw them a mere 15 months ago is incredible. Tonight is the fifth time I have seen them live. They possess a great maturity of thought and attitude that belies their age and adds to the compelling complexity of their rather wonderful tunes. I really loved “Sale Sign” with its mostly spoken word vocal, an awesome track. The band was joined on stage by two of the support acts for “Still Sleeping”, Marnie Glum and Tom Gulliver. The latter of whom produced the first Everything After Midnight EP. The final song of the evening was a cover of Razorlight’s 2006 UK number one “America”. It was a chilled take of Razorlight’s greatest tune. Some might say the only decent tune Razorlight ever did! But enough of Johnny Borrell’s boys, Everything After Midnight played a perfect set for such an intimate venue, another mark of a great band.

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The Corsairs – Fulford Arms, York – Friday 10th March 2023 March 21, 2023

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 7:33 pm
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This was another gig put together by that wonderful human being Simon Pattinson for Northern Radar at the equally fabulous Fulford Arms. It was all for a great cause too and raised loads of dosh for St. Leonard’s Hospice. It was headlined by the Corsairs, but more of them later. Proceedings were opened by Everything After Midnight, this would be the second time that I have seen them this year. There is a portion of Wolf Alice and a dash of Pale Waves here. There is also a sprinkling of electric folk (think Traffic with a female singer), soft metal (maybe Evanescence), a pinch of British Prog, and obviously a huge amount of Everything After Midnight. Steph’s voice was always good and now she takes it towards greatness. I have previously suggested that Steph has vocals that remind me of Tori Amos and Ellie Roswell, and that remains true. This was a four-band gig and the second to take the stage was Lost Trends, who are clearly no longer lost and I am glad they have been found again. They have not tiptoed their way back, they came with a multi-megaton blast of sound. A long layoff for the Lost Trends boys, mostly driven by Covid, has not dimmed their power and passion one iota. They still have their usual “we can be better than New Order” sound, but now it is overlayed with some magnificent layers of Talking Heads-style NYC electro-funk. The north has produced some great guitarists, notably Mick Ronson and Bill Nelson, I think that we can safely add Pete Knaggs to that gang now!

Third, it was the turn of yet another fine York band, the Rosettas. Frontman Benji had a cold, but he didn’t let that get in the way of a pulsating set from a band that not only knows how to rock but also knows how to party hard. They are clearly all enjoying themselves and that infectious joy is shared by the crowd with some great dancing and singalong opportunities. “I Don’t Like This” is a great song for bringing the crowd together. Their choice of Blur’s “Song 2” as a cover was inspired and went down an absolute storm. A great band and most certainly one to watch for the future. The Corsairs may be a very young band, but this does not get in the way of their stunning ability to produce an absolute belter of a set. They may have started off a little understated but they really grew into this set and eventually knocked it out of the park. Current single “Jackie The Know It All” is a classy slab of prime Arctic Monkeys styling. There are some Kooks and Wombats influences in their songs too. These lads seemed to love their time on stage and undoubtedly converted many people that had not seen them before into fans. I hope that the Corsairs are around for a long while and I hope their first album, when they get to it lives up to the promise of their live set. I 100% believe that it will! As a footnote, I want to mention that someone actually left this gig early because it wasn’t “indie” enough for them. Seriously? What the actual fuck is indie anyway? Click here to take a look at Indie Chart number ones from the 80s. The usual suspects like the Smiths are included, but so is Jason Donovan. I can really feel a What The Fuck Is Indie Anyway article coming soon!

All the pictures, except the gig poster, were taken by Martin Swarbrick

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Erotic Secrets Of Pompeii – Fulford Arms, York – Thursday 9th March 2023 March 19, 2023

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 10:42 pm
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This was another show from the Northern Radar stalwart Simon Pattinson, he has never let me down with any of the lineups he has created so far. Would this gig be the first letdown? Read on to find out good people. First up was one of York’s finest young bands, City Snakes (look out for an interview with them here very soon). They were a relatively last-minute addition to the bill after the mighty Sun King had to drop out due to illness. and I have seen them in that position before. It never deters them in the slightest and I always feel that they play every gig as if they were headliners and they always look like they are having megatons of fun. This was an incendiary set to kick off the proceedings at the marvellous Fulford Arms. City Snakes get better every time that I see them. The rhythm section could be parachuted into the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and I think it would be hard to spot the change. “Spin Me Round”, “Paranoia” and “Mayfly” are awesome songs but the new single “Black And White” tops those with its fabulous blues-infused garage punk vibe. Get City Snakes in your life now!

Next, it was the turn of Black Skies, a band who have up to now played just a handful of gigs, although for me they sound like they have been playing together for years. They sound a little grungier, heavier, and probably better than Reef. There are also some slivers of the Spin Doctors in there too. They have some staggeringly good songs, notably “Soul” and “Reason”. Their drummer has all of Dave Grohl’s finest tropes and is clearly a key element of Black Skies’ engine room. One particular highlight in a great set was their smoky, heavy, swampy take on Nina Simone’s “Feelin’ Good”. This version problem took back ownership of the song after Matt Bellamy’s somewhat histrionic and over-the-top take on the tune.

I love the name of headliners Erotic Secrets Of Pompeii and until this gig, I had never heard of or seen them before. How can I tell you exactly what they are like? Well, I will attempt to do that by borrowing one of Rod Serling’s opening narrations from the original Twilight Zone TV series. “You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension – a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You’re moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You’ve just crossed over into the Twilight Zone“. Believe me, that sums up this great band really well. Imagine a laboratory that stores the DNA of thousands of rock stars. A lab assistant, unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, spills the vials containing Jim Morrison, Richard Jobson, Gary Numan, and Ian Curtis. The cleaner then accidentally blends them all in the dustpan and creates the Erotic Secrets Of Pompeii frontman. The band behind him could be a reincarnation of Bowie’s Isolar 2 touring band from 1978 but with Robert Fripp and Tom Verlaine added on guitar. Erotic Secrets Of Pompeii are a truly and wonderfully different band and one that is perfect for this century and this sad, mad world that we live in.

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The Rills – Fulford Arms, York – Friday 3rd February 2023 February 8, 2023

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 6:13 pm
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This has been a slow year for me gigwise so far, this is my first gig for 2023. This was another nifty little show promoted by Simon P of Northern Radar. I have lost count of the amount of Northern Radar shows that I have attended, but one theme runs through them all, Simon has never let me down with his choice of bands and artists. At least not yet anyway. Was tonight the first time I had seen a bad show from Northern Radar? Read on to find out! First up at the fabulous Fulford Arms was Everything After Midnight, I first saw them almost exactly a year ago at the York Vaults supporting Where’s Slater. What are they like? Well, there is prog, electric folk, metal, a pinch of Wolf Alice, and many other facets in their sound. Steph’s voice gets stronger every time I see them (this is the third time) and tonight I detected elements of Sandy Denny, Kiki Dee, and Ellie Rowsell. In a previous review of Everything After Midnight I said “Imagine Tori Amos if she took a much heavier direction with some added prog undertones, that is how Everything After Midnight sounded to me“, I stand by that comment!

Next up was Sun King a band that I have seen once before, back in June last year when they supported Sweet May at this very venue and that was their first gig. I can hear a whole range of influences in their fabulous sound; Small Faces, Paul Rodgers, Steve Marriot, Led Zeppelin, Paul Weller, maybe Prince on the falsetto lines, and at times a bit of that old Noddy Holder warble in the vocal. The band is tight and has a pitch-perfect grasp of the best classic rock vibes. But they go beyond just rock as they throw in some great jazz and funk licks for good measure. Seb, the lead vocalist was formerly with Naked Six and is related to British Metal royalty, he is Saxon frontman Biff Byford’s son. Biff was present humping gear for the band and later while chatting with Chris T of the Fulford Arms we thought, wouldn’t it be amazing to have Biff play a set at the Fully, maybe acoustic with Saxon, solo, or even the full band, perhaps even a residency! Biff if you’re up for that then get in touch, perhaps we can book Sun King as support!

The first time I saw Lincoln’s finest current band, the Rills was when they played the BBC Introducing Stage at the Leeds Festival back in 2021. Their stature has grown at a rapid rate and this was an incendiary set from a magnificent band. “World Leader” was immense and hugely powerful. This was the fifth show in their intense mini tour for Independent Venue Week 2023. They started in Falmouth on 30th January and worked their way to York via Swansea, Bedford and Oxford. The sixth and final show of that hectic schedule was in Blackpool the day after York. They have huge energy and that was transferred to the supremely enthusiastic crowd. The riffs were full-on and spectacular. The Rills put on a stunningly good show. So has Simon of Northern Radar let me down yet? Definitely not!

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Sweet May – Fulford Arms, York – Friday 24th June 2022 July 6, 2022

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 10:53 am
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I have been to many gigs promoted by the very talented Simon Pattinson of Northern Radar and so far he has never let me down with a deluge of incredible lineups. Will tonight live up to that reputation? Read on to find out! This was two nights in a row for me at the magnificent Fulford Arms, Sweet May are the headliners, but before them, we were offered a nifty selection of support bands. So let’s talk about those for a while. First up were the Corsairs, a very young (all 14 and 15 I believe) York band playing their first gig at a packed, sold-out Fully Arms. What a great first gig for a young band, who despite their youth oozed confidence on stage. They were a bit Kooksy with elements of the Coral too. The B-Side (how do kids know what that is?) of their single sounded like a classy acoustic track from Just Jack. Definitely, a band to watch out for, if they are this good now what will they be like when they come of age? I love it when a band looks to be enjoying themselves on stage and the Corsairs seemed to be loving it! Following the Corsairs, it was the turn of another talented local band, Pavilion. They were incredibly well-rehearsed and tight and this lot gets better every time I see them. They write and perform epic story songs in the British rock lineage that goes back to the Kinks, and heads to the future via the Smiths and the Libertines. The sound is supremely enhanced and given immense depth by the Ray Manzarek-style keys. It brings a depth that is deeper than the San Andreas Trench. Keep your ears open, there is new music from Pavilion on the way!

Next up was Sun King, a band that I have never seen before, in fact, no one had, this was their first gig. The vocals were monumental, a bit of Robert Plant, some Paul Rodgers in his Bad Company pomp, some soulful Steve Marriott tones and then when he hit those falsetto lines a lot like Prince. The band played wonderful classic rock styles with a nod to soul, jazz, and funk, perhaps taking some influence from the Average White Band, Steely Dan, and a pre-Michael McDonald Doobie Brothers. This is a band I must see again and you really need to as well, that’s an order! Headliners Sweet May kicked off with two heavy tunes, but not just heavy, we are talking as heavy as fuck and heavier than osmium. But it wasn’t all heavy, as along comes “Deep Space”. The intro on this track lulls you into thinking it’s a prog-jazz thing and then it becomes a ground-shaking metal funk workout. Sweet May were on fire and blew the roof off the Fully, only metaphorically of course, but they definitely had the power to do it in real life!

All the videos were found on YouTube. If the video is yours and you would like a credit or for it to be removed please let me know.

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York Life Festival 2022 – Saturday 2nd April/ Sunday 3rd April – York City Centre April 11, 2022

Filed under: Observation,Review — justwilliam1959 @ 3:39 pm
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On Saturday 2nd April and Sunday 3rd April, the first (and hopefully not the last) York Life Festival took place on Parliament Street in the centre of York. It was free for all residents and visitors and was organised by Make It York. Activities took place for up to ten hours each day and included music, poetry, theatre workshops, instrumental workshops, face painting, comedy, and dance. Sadly I only made it for the last part of the second day but I couldn’t let it go unnoticed by With Just A Hint Of Mayhem. I arrived just after the magnificent Hyde Family Jam finished their set on Sunday. The turnout was pretty big, despite the somewhat chilly temperature. It was nice to see all of York’s fabulous range of music venues getting some good promo with posters and handouts throughout the weekend; The Fulford Arms, the Crescent Community Venue, the Vaults, the National Centre for Early Music (NCEM), York Barbican and Forty Five Vinyl Cafe. The crowd contained a veritable who’s who of anyone who is involved in the York music scene. Firstly three of the key players behind this event were there, obviously, Simon Pattinson (Northern Radar), Chris Sherington (Fulford Arms), and Harkirit Boparai (The Crescent), and I bumped into all of them! As well as meeting many of the band members of the Sunday performers (Trueman and the Indoor League, Bull and the Howl and the Hum) I also ran into Pennine Suite (who had played the previous day), Chloe (Please Remain Calm), Zac (Heartsink and Fulford Arms ace doorman), Andy and Paula (PERCY), Nathan (rock photographer extraordinaire) and many others. The incredibly cold temperature meant that I didn’t take my usual copious notes, however here are my recollections of the three bands that I did see.

First for me were Trueman and the Indoor League. Fronted by the titular Sam Trueman this band gets better every time that I see them. They really put on a show in almost a revue-style akin to the E Street Band. Regular readers will know that I have referred to them as like a pound shop E Street Band, but that was meant as a compliment. With more of the blood, sweat, and tears they put into their performances and some lucky breaks I can see them playing arenas one day. Next up was another fine York band, Bull, who released their wonderful debut album ‘Discover Effortless Living’ last year. As well as selections from that first class platter the band treated us to a few new songs, one of which suggested that Bull have hidden talents as an ace party band! The headliners on Sunday were perhaps York’s greatest band, although there is plenty of competition. I am talking about the Howl and the Hum. They played an amazing set at the iconic Minster last year which is available on most streaming platforms and frankly it is a scale above awesome. Their set was out of this world with the whole band firing on all cylinders. The new tunes bode really well for the sophomore album when it materialises. The highlight for me though was perhaps one of the best songs ever written, “Hostages”. This festival definitely needs to be an annual event going forward, where do we sign up to make that happen? We need to know! Bring on York Life 2023!

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The K’s – Fulford Arms, York – Monday 31st January 2022 February 6, 2022

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 9:12 pm
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This was one of the many wonderful gigs that celebrated this year’s Independent Venue Week. It was at the fabulous Fulford Arms, one of the best venues in York. Headliners were the much-hyped the K’s. Did they live up to the hype? You will need to continue reading to find out because first I need to tell you about the support band. Also, this was another show from Simon of Northern Radar and so far he has never let me down! Support was provided by a great upcoming local band, YouVee. I have only seen them once before this, back when they supported one of my favourite bands, Apollo Junction at another great York venue, the Victoria Vaults back in September 2021. YouVee have grown in presence and talent in those short few months, particularly Travis Kyle on lead vocals and guitar. He really owns the stage now and is developing into a great frontman. Given that this month, February, sees their second anniversary as a band their development is as remarkable as it is mercurial. Ben Layfield’s guitar skills are easily comparable with Graham Coxon of Blur and also Steve Mason of Gene (my favourite British band of the Brit Pop era). YouVee has a kind of psychedelic pop sound with some tasteful indie elements thrown in. If I had to pick a highlight it would be their signature tune, “Ultra Violet” which is begging to have a major dance remix, it is a proper full-on indie banger. This is a band for anyone who appreciates great music. I hope they go far!

So then it was time for headliners the K’s, an unsigned band who as I mentioned earlier have been subject to much hype and occasional comments about them being just a mod band. Well on the evidence of this set they deliver beyond the hype and they are far from just a mod band. There are influences from the best of British rock in their sound, notably the Who, the Jam (no these were not just mod bands either), and the Clash. They certainly know their pop, rock, and indie history too, throwing in a little piece of Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” in one song and a bit of “Dirty Old Town” the Ewan MacColl standard made famous most recently by the Pogues. Jamie Boyle has a great stage presence, really knows how to work the crowd (and this was damned close to a full house), and is the epitome of what a superb frontman should be. There was not a dud song in the set and their energy never waned for even a moment. Lyrically there is a strong social conscience and stories of real life. “Dacton And Wanderella” is a song that early Arctic Monkeys would be proud of and they closed an electrifying set with it. The best moment for me, and there were plenty, was “Sarajevo”, an instant anthem, although “Glass Towns” possibly pushed it close. In the olden days, these lads would have been signed a long while ago and would be reaching the higher echelons of the charts on a regular basis. The K’s are a really tight band with great musical chemistry. They play with power, passion, and purpose. I hope there is a K’s album in the offing because it will be bloody brilliant. I am now most definitely a huge fan of the K’s, give them a listen and you will be too.

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Avalanche Party – The Crescent, York – Sunday 17th October 2021 October 27, 2021

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 8:51 pm
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Finally, real gigs are coming back and on a regular basis too. This was the first full-on Avalanche Party gig I have seen since Covid hit, although they did do a great socially distanced show at the Crescent last December. Anyway, it is now official that I have seen this great band more times than I ever saw David Bowie, but a couple less than I have seen Frank Turner. But before I say more about Avalanche Party there were a couple of great support bands. First up was the Hazy Janes who exploded onto the stage like a two-man Led Zeppelin. Drummer Bron and guitarist and singer Ellis formed during lockdown and are clear proof that some good things did happen during the darkest of Covid days. Very regular readers might recognise Bron from previous mentions of Hunter-Gatherer and Ellis from previous mentions of Freek. Bron’s drumming huge and Ellis’s guitar skills have a lineage back through classic British rock to the Yardbirds. Meanwhile, his voice could compete with Paul Rodgers, Robert Plant, and many more. Next, it was the turn of Trueman whose songs are soap opera kitchen sink dramas that cover topics like cold calls, Flares (the awful nightclub chain where your feet usually stick to the floor), and boredom to name just a few. The frontman is like a very angry Ian McNabb at times, and I do mean that in a good way. The band is an incredibly tight unit, but what stands out most are the great tunes, especially the lyrics!

Those magnificent, sumptuous, unmatchable, mighty, matchless, sublime, peerless, resplendent, swanky, clinquant delinquents of Avalanche Party, probably the best band on the planet right now, took to the stage with moody menace and the crowd was singer Jordan’s from the first note. To steal a quote from a good friend (thank you Simon P) “there ain’t no party like an Avalanche Party” and this was a spectacular call to arms from a great band. The boys tore the roof off the Crescent and left us all feeling happy and high. Jordan was on great form and no one does that 10,000 yard stare better than he does, if you think differently bite me! Every song was a highlight from set opener “I’m So Wet” all the way to “Dream Jonny Dream”. But if you forced me to pick the highlights it would have to be “Million Dollar Man”, “Rebel Forever” and an absolutely glam storming version of “Howl”. In a parallel universe “Howl” has been at the top of the singles chart for three years. The sophomore Avalanche Party album when it arrives will be something very special!

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Tommyrot – York Vaults – York – Friday 6th August 2021 August 9, 2021

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 6:27 pm
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This was my first proper non-seated gig for 18 months and it felt great, a little weird, but great nonetheless. First on stage were Where’s Slater? These guys formed while at York University and on their social media they say that they “could be defined as a band, we prefer ‘search party'”. Personally I reckon they are a good band, I have no evidence to say how good a search party they are though. Although I think they were missing two band members so maybe they aren’t ready to be a search party just yet. Anyway they played a barnstorming set the forefront of which was the great vocals from their singer who has a touch of Kurt Cobain spliced with a pinch of Jim Morrison. They did some great covers including Nirvana and Queens Of The Stone Age. But the highlight for me was their quirky and brilliant cover of XTC’s “Making Plans For Nigel”.

Where’s Slater?

Unfortunately YouVee were unable to make it so their last minute stand in was Leeds band Flat Moon. The hit the stage like they owned it. The drummer is one of the finest that I have heard in a long while. That added to booming and choppy bass and Billy Whizz funky guitar made a sound like Parliament/ Funkadelic fronted by Nile Rogers but with a deep rock vibe. Their cover of the James Brown classic “Sex Machine” was off the scale and through the stratosphere. I loved the way they had so much fun with it, even changing it briefly to a funky love song about a washing machine! One of their own compositions, “Demise” I think was late night jazz club in style, and my good mate Eddie Parkinson remarked that the band could do a great take on the theme tune to any Pink Panther remake. Their Hendrix cover was hard heavy and oozed funky blues. So if George Clinton had P-Funk I reckon Flat Moon have F-Punk with their funk sounds supported by a punk attitude. I am now a huge Flat Moon fan!

Flat Moon

Pleasure Centre from Sacrbados were next and at the start I thought they sounded a bit proggy, but I mean that in a good way. I think the band have great potential but I don’t think they are quite there yet, not for me at least. The guitarist and the drummer are extremely bloody good at what they do. I felt the vocals were mixed a little low down tonight, which was a shame as it felt like the singer had a good voice, which was more apparent standing near the stage. and I need to explore some of the bands recorded output to get a better feel for them. I mentioned Prog earlier but maybe they are a bit shoegazey too. A hard band to put into a specific genre box.

Pleasure Centre

Finally it was time for Tommyrot who formed while at the Access Creative College in York. I have reviewed a few of their singles before and everyone of them has been great. They are a truly eclectic band who looked like they were having great fun while they were on stage. I once described them as “Weird, wacky, wayward, waggish, witty, wonky, whimsical, wonderfully eclectic, stylistic nut jobs” and having finally seen them live I stand by every word of that. They transfer their recorded work to the live environment incredibly well. The highlight for me was my favourite Tommyrot song “Drugs”, even if you don’t do drugs you need to do that song and you need to become a Tommyrot fan!

Tommyrot
Drummer Rhys focussing really hard while hand writing the Tommyrot set lists!

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With Just A Hint Of Mayhem – Singles Round-Up 2020 Part 10 August 20, 2020

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 10:09 pm
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Here we are with our tenth singles round-up of 2020. This one features six rather spiffing tracks, which appeared in recent weeks. This roundup is a little different to all the previous ones though as the reviews are from not just me, but also a special guest. I was joined for this online listening party by one of the most well liked people on the York music scene. He presents radio shows, he is a talented gig promoter under his Northern Radar banner and above all that he has excellent taste in music. Let me introduce you to Simon Pattinson!

These six tracks feature another eclectic mix of bands and singers from Newcastle, Bristol, Wales and three from London and all of these acts are new to With Just A Hint Of Mayhem except Cat Ryan and I am sure that they will all feature again sometime in the future. Fill your ears with them now!

“Blessed Through The TV” – Cat Ryan

Bill – I liked the kind of eastern sounding guitar and drums with a very prominent bass line holding it together. Catchy and percussive, this will be a great live song.

Simon – I found it enchanting with a sound like South American pan pipes (similar to the pan pipe buskers who play in York sometimes). I would definitely be keen to book Cat Ryan for a future gig.

“Bee Cage” – Japanese Television

Simon – This is very different and perhaps out of my comfort zone. But I love the energy, especially from the build up to the middle.

Bill – Like the Flaming Lips on speed. I think I will use this for intro music to my radio show when I get around to doing one.

“Resonate” – Tomos

Bill – This is really chilled and relaxed night music and it reminds me at times of the Beloved. A dub mix of this on a great sound system would be awesome.

Simon – This reminds me of James Blake, supremely mellow. The perfect track for sitting down with a bottle of wine and a great book.

“Music Shall Live” – Denise Sherwood featuring Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry

Simon – I like this one a lot, perhaps a contender for a huge Ibiza summer tune, back in those pre COVID-19 days. This is a track that would get you in the mood for a good night out. It reminds me a little of early Chase & Status.

Bill – This is Adrian Sherwood’s daughter and her Dad gets a credit on the track too. I love the production and vocally Denise reminded me of Neneh Cherry. It has a vibe similar to the Groove Corporation or Gary Clail.

“Sunken Boy” – YOWL

Bill – Superb vocal range, it is rooted in mid 90s Brit Pop but gets much heavier towards the end before easing down again. The lyrics are bleak, angry and very much about real life. I definitely want to hear more from this band. I also think they would work incredibly well on the same bill as Avalanche Party.

Simon – I am already a YOWL fan. Most of their tracks are quite long and this one is even a little hillbilly in parts. The angry break catches you a little off guard at the end and the still from the video looks quite creepy.

“I’m Healed” – Indigos

Simon – This is groovy and haunting in equal parts. I was expecting it to change up a gear but it didn’t, although that is no criticism. I was reminded of early Wolf Alice and Sonic Youth.

Bill – I love the vocals, it felt like a cross between a softer grunge sound and classic hook laden pop. I agree with Simon on the Sonic Youth link too.

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