The summer sun is still hanging around and what better way to enjoy the weather than with some banging tunes. So, have a read over of these gems below and check them out, we guarantee you won’t be disappointed!!
Artist: Quad90 Single: Contort Yourself Label: Last Night From Glasgow
Quad90 have released a series of singles over the past year or so and the latest is quite a bold move with a cover of no-wave exponents James White & the Blacks stand-out Contort Yourself. The original is jagged, punked up jazz that is (disco)ncertingly brilliant. The Quad90 take starts with a bass groove that gets the hips going before Amelia Lironi and Naomi Mackay’s vocal comes in, laced with confidence, the track completely deconstructed and re-done with more uptown beat and vigour than the original.
This is no faithful interpretation of the 1979 track, what’s the point in that? Instead, Quad90 make this their own, it is different and so much better for it. This is guerilla disko for the now and the future. With their much anticipated debut album due to land in only a few weeks time and a gig with mackenzies on Friday September 26th, now is the ideal time to discover their music.
To pre-order the new album, head to the Last Night From Glasgow website here. Tickets for the Glad Cafe gig are available here.
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Artist: The Motorcycle Boy EP: John Peel Session 14.09.87 Label: Precious Recordings of London
The Motorcycle Boy back catalogue is annoyingly sparse so when news filtered through of this release, capturing four tracks recorded for a John Peel session, I was more than a tad excited. I still remember buying their single Big Rock Candy Mountain in 1987 and it remains to this day, a fabulous tune. The five-piece featured the wonderful Alex Taylor (formerly of The Shop Assistants) on vocals plus Michael Kerr (guitar), Eddie Connelly (bass), Paul McDermott (drums) (all formerly of Meat Whiplash) plus David Scott on additional guitar duties.
Scarlet kicks things off and it is an absolute gem, the guitars a nod to The Monkees Last Train to Clarksville, a great vocal from Taylor while McDermott’s drums are a stand out. On the session, Frank Sweeney (June Brides) appears on Some Girls, his viola a rippling undercurrent throughout, the track threatening to sound epic but just keeping itself in check to deliver an uber-cool two and a half minutes of indie-pop exquisiteness.
The closing Under The Bridge is a more quiet, sedate affair, a slow burner that warms and tugs the heart. And that is the essence of The Motorcycle Boy, a band that burned bright but sadly only for a short period. Michael Kerr, in the linear notes summed it up perfectly saying “it was like being on a ghost train at the funfair – a little bit thrilling, a little bit scary but most of the time we just trundled along in the dark“.
To order The Motorcycle Boy – John Peel Session, head to the Precious Recordings of London Bandcamp page here.
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Artist: Silver Biplanes EP: Coming Up For Air Label: Precious Recordings of London/Wiaiwya
Confession time – when the needle hit the groove on the first of four tracks, Coming Up For Air, I felt like I was transported into 1977 CBGBs with Blondie on the stage, about to burst out of the NYC underground scene and conquer the world. No coming up for air for me, the track was played again and again and again to the point I thought I’d better give the other three tracks a listen! It’s a tune and then some.
Silver Biplanes comprise husband and wife Tim and Vanessa Vass with the former adding all sorts of musical wizardry to the latter’s lead vocals. Additionally, Rob Scott is on drumming duties and Noel Douglas also wades in with various instrumentation. The band already have two great albums ( A Moment In The Sun and Travelling By Candlelight) and the four tracks on this EP are a welcome addition to their catalogue and their ever-burgeoning reputation.
There is a cracking cover of Biff Bang Pow! in the shape of Miss California Toothpaste 1972 while the closing The Twilight Underground is an assured psychedelic tinged belter that leaves you demanding more. And so the needle drops back on Coming Up For Air and we do the whole thing over again…………..
This EP is a joint release from Precious Recordings of London and Wiaiwya Records and can be ordered here.
