Newer Music:
Gruff Rhys : Seeking New Gods
Another week and another great record from an underappreciated British indie artist that truly deserves more attention and acclaim. It sometimes feels like casting pearls before swine (I’m joking…mostly), but I will persist in my self-appointed role of unapologetic evangelist for the unsung musical geniuses!
Gruff Rhys has built an extraordinary, fascinating music career and yet he is completely unknown to many fans of contemporary indie music. He began his career as a teenager in a band called Ffa Coffi Pawb that achieved notoriety in his home country of Wales. His next band Super Furry Animals signed to the famous indie label Creation Records right at the peak of Britpop in 1995. Their fantastic 1996 Creation debut Fuzzy Logic is their creative peak from this era. Right after the turn of the century, Super Furry Animals signed with mega-label Sony and released arguably their two best albums, Rings Around The World in 2001 and Phantom Power in 2003. Unfortunately, by their 2005 record Love Kraft, changing music tastes and a changing music business landscape led to their departure from Sony. Around this time Gruff started dabbling in some solo projects and in 2007 Rough Trade Records signed both Super Furry Animals and Rhys for his solo work. Always keeping busy, Rhys also formed an electropop side project called Neon Neon whose 2008 debut Stainless Style was nominated for the prestigious Mercury Prize for best British album of that year. As a solo artist, Gruff has released a total of 7 albums and five of them are excellent: Candylion (2007); Hotel Shampoo (2011); American Interior (2014); Babelsberg (2018); and now Seeking New Gods this year.
This new record Seeking New Gods displays the full arsenal of Rhys’ skills as a songwriter. The album’s first four tracks are all examples of textbook indie pop songcraft combining familiar and welcoming melody with clever lyrics. The brilliant guitars in Hiking in Lightning recall the greatest moments of Super Furry Animals Creation Records years in the 90s. Stunning album closer Distant Snowy Peaks is the tender ballad that burrows its way right into your soul. I don’t know how he manages to be so prolific, yet he has again put together an inspiring collection of effortless-seeming, upbeat, beautiful pop songs.
I got to see Gruff and his band play at the End of The Road music festival in England in 2018 as they were touring his fantastic solo record from that year, Babelsberg. I was also able to see the Super Furry Animals play a fun show a comeback tour of sorts in Portland OR several years back. I am convinced that Gruff Rhys is one of the most talented pop songwriters making music.
Standout Tracks: Can’t Carry On; Distant Snowy Peaks; Hiking In Lightning; Loan Your Loneliness; Seeking New Gods
Bachelor : Doomin’ Sun
Bachelor is the new collaborative project of Jay Som (Melina Duterte) and Palehound (Ellen Kempner). I am not too familiar with Palehound, but Jay Som’s 2019 album Anak Ko was one of my favorite indie rock records from that year and featured the supremely likable single Superbike.
I’ve had this record on my turntable nonstop for a few days this past week. It is probably my favorite 90s Alt/grunge scene-channeling indie rock album since Soccer Mommy’s album from last year. Hole and Liz Phair are obvious touchpoints, but there is plenty of welcome channeling of Elliott Smith and The Smashing Pumpkins going on as well.
Standout Tracks: Back of My Hand; Anything At All; Moon; Sick of Spiraling; Stay In The Car
Black Midi : Cavalcade
It has been a stellar year for British postpunk and noise rock records with the release of solid albums from Dry Cleaning, Black Country New Road, Squid, and Shame. One could argue that the 2019 debut Schlagenheim from London experimental rockers Black Midi sowed the seeds for the highly-anticipated welcomes for the aforementioned bands.
Now, almost exactly two years after the release of that Mercury Prize-nominated debut, Black Midi are back with their anticipated sophomore LP Cavalcade, also out on Rough Trade Records. It took me a couple of listens to warm up to it, but my patience has been rewarded. Advance singles John L and Slow are among the frenetic, chaotic showstoppers the fans are expecting; more interesting for me is the half of the record that is much more deliberative, restrained, and even beautiful in places. Album closer Ascending Forth shines with its surprising jazz and orchestral elements. Black Midi are one of the most interesting buzzworthy bands working today and worthy trailblazers for this current golden age of British math rock.
Standout Tracks: John L; Marlene Dietrich; Ascending Forth; Slow; Diamond Stuff
Juan Waters : Real Life Situations
I’ve been enjoying this new record from Juan Waters, a NYC-based indie artist originally from Uruguay. Real Life Situations is fun because it covers so much genre territory and features too many great guest collaborators to mention.
According to Waters’ Bandcamp page, the Real Life Situations is “a multi-faceted ode to surrendering control and taking life as it comes. References to radio abound on its 21 tracks, and with good reason – the album spans genres, narrators, languages, and perspectives with the ease of spinning a rotary knob.”
Waters is currently signed to Captured Tracks, a great Brooklyn indie label that also runs a must-stop brick and mortar record shop in Greenpoint. I can’t wait to get back to Brooklyn for a record store crawl.
Standout Tracks: Real (With Mac Demarco); Presentation (With Nick Hakim); Monsoon (With Homeshake); Unity (With Cola Boyy); Estas Escuchando (With El David Aguilar)
Throwback Selection:
Aaron Copland : Appalachian Spring
I attended the Utah Symphony again last week, this time with my Father, who first exposed me to classical music as a child. We were excited to hear one of our favorite compositions—Appalachian Spring by American composer Aaron Copland. Following a beautiful performance of Mozart’s A Little Night Music and a challenging Schoenberg symphony, we arrived at the main attraction. I was genuinely taken back at how sensational it was to again hear this beautiful piece of music performed live. During my favorite movement Allegro, I nearly lost control of my emotions! If you haven’t listened to it recently, please go revisit Appalachian Spring and the rest of the magnificent Copland catalog immediately. Listening to Copland has always made me want to be a better version of myself.
More Related Music You Should Also Check Out: Super Furry Animals : Fuzzy Logic; Jay Som : Anak Ko; Black Midi : Schlagenheim; Mozart : Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
