Into Music: New Music August 2026
…………………………………………………………………………………………
Dreams Of A Young Boy follows and is a pointer to the true flexibility and strength of the band, dreamy pop with a haunting vocal from Mimi aka Ann-Marie Jenkins and countered by a languid guitar sound, the track also references back to Blue Prairie from the opener. Kobayashi Cross The Mersey – What’s That Feeling? channels the beat bands of Liverpool from The Beatles through The La’s to The Coral and Here She Comes Again by The Stands. The result? The tingle, the fervour and the intensity that only a truly great pop song can deliver, the vocal/backing vocal are a joy to behold.
Chas and Dave Kobayashi – You Know has its influence crystal clear, a good old knees-up of a track courtesy of bass player Dave Seabright. The brushed drums and tilting bass rhythms set the tone and the track includes a great harmonica break. For me, this could easily be Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott trading lyrics such as “so while the sun shines make hay and when it rains go out and play”. Next up is Kobayashi Red Elastic Band – Tangled Up In You which lowers the pace, the song simply glides along in cruise control, enveloped by Dylan and Michael Head, a story of love from Paris to Lisbon, Rome and San Marino with a message that is clear, memories made in the past but let’s look forward and make new ones. Kobayashi TV – Sunny Side Up (Theme from “How D’yer Like Your Eggs Done?” is the closer and is another experimental track that is dipped in psychedelic acid and is just kitsch, wonky fun! It takes its inspiration from the long forgotten 1978 sitcom, Kath’s Cafe.
There’s a suggestion that this is the last release by The Kobayashi Bookstore which would be a real shame if that were the case but if it is, they have produced a record that pushes boundaries, pays homage to their influences and cements a reputation of a band who know how to write and make great music that will live on well into the future. To order A Kobayashi Compilation head to the Bandcamp page here.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
When a band take their name from a track (Don’t Call Me Pain) by The Pop Group then right away you expect something good, original and different and that is what Age of Chance were from their formation in 1983 through to 1991 when they called it a day. Many folks first introduction to them (myself included) would have been through the NME C86 album and by no means were they the indie-twee guitar band that mostly featured on that compilation. Taking a blueprint of industrial dance music to the masses that was scuplted with Yorkshire grit and a no-nonsense post-punk attitude saw the band emerge with an edge, self-styled mob oration through power-house sound generation and all-night bass frequencies and beat domination – quite the manifesto! Oh, and they just happeneed to be the first band that Chuck D/Public Enemy remixed too.
We are treated to fifteen tracks here taken from two John Peel sessions (October 1985 and June 1986), one Janice Long session (February 1987) plus a handful of early single A and B sides. First up is Mob Hut! the sound seems to shear through the speakers, the off-kilter pulse at its core coupled with destructive tonal beats. And breathe………There is though no let up as Modern Music After The Sixties takes hold of the senses, modern music with studded, primal energy, it’s going off like a Catherine Wheel in all directions, drums hammered to an inch of their life while guitars and bass are hounded and scorched as vocalist Steve Elvidge holds court, a Yorkshire Jello Biafra, no fucks given there.
The album cover has the band staring at the camera with intent or perhaps contempt. No smiles, their look aesthetically appealing, sharp, angled hair, stylistic attire in their cycling garb with absolute attitude.
Early single Motorcity gives an immediate feel to their wall of sound, it’s bold, brash and brave in equal measure and definitely swimming against the tide of those guitar bands of the time.
Side two feels like the band moving on, their sound developing with the introduction of hip-hop jerking beats, their cover of Prince’s Kiss is utterly sublime and showcases Age of Chance at the top of their artistic creativity. This is further exemplified on How The West Was Won, the track fresh and with a cinematic feel full of rounded melody. Another highlight is the stand-out Shut Up And Listen, an absolute groover that captures everything about the band’s sound – uncompromising, frenetic and wild whereas the band dip into northern soul on Hold On. The album closes with Who’s Afraid Of The Big Bad Noise? which musically feels like a bedfellow to the aforementioned Shut Up And Listen, delivering a dollop of funked up goodness.
This Age of Chance release really does show a band evolving through time, their core sound evidently developing as they discover wider influences and are not afraid to embrace that. All in, a fantastic album and where the songs still sound relevant to the here and now. To order BBC Sessions 85-87, head to the Bandcamp page here.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
I’m not sure how they do it but Teenage Fanclub are back with another stone cold classic. While I say stone cold, the track has all the warmth you come to expect from one of Scotland’s best ever bands, the sound capturing those elegant, guitar-led jangle harmonies with a Laurel Canyon ’60s vibe. The band are twelve albums in since forming in Bellshill in 1989 and Day In The Sun is out now, the lead track from album number thirteen, Do Not Dare To Dream which is released on 09 October 2026.
The single is accompanied by a video (produced by Donald Milne) of the band at Black Bay Studio on Great Bernera in the Outer Hebrides (the full album was recorded here). Norman Blake’s lyrics hint at contemplation, reflection and perhaps a positive shift in direction and mindset. Of course, the track has that TF signature feel with guitars gently washing through, the rhythm section tight yet loose and a lovely undercurrent of organ courtesy of Euros Childs.
Talking of the album, Blake said “It’s difficult when it comes to….coming up with a name for an album. Especially after you’ve made twelve of them” Guitarist Raymond McKinlay also touched on the album’s feel by saying “We can still be cheerful and optimistic in the face of things not being great“. This, given all the issues currently in the world, the uncertainty yet where comfort and positivity remain possible.
To pre-order the Teenage Fanclub album, Do Not Dare To Dream, head to their website here. The band will also tour the U.K. in November in support of the album, details and tickets available via the website too.
————————————————–
Links: