The Bird and the Beat is the record which should consolidate Mathias Modica’s position as one of the leading lights in the modern disco house scene, writes Matthias Scherer.
Matthias Scherer
The Mariner’s Children w/Lulu and The Lampshades – The Luminaire, Kilburn 04/03/11
A stellar line up is assembled for the last-ever Friday night at London’s Luminaire – that beacon of left-field muso-dom in the capital’s North West. Matthias Scherer was there to see Lulu and The Lampshades and The Mariner’s Children pay tribute.
Beat Milk Jugs – 10 Years of Hangovers
According to the CIA, Latvia’s most valuable exports are wood, machinery and equipment, metals, textiles and foodstuffs. The quartet Beat Milk Jugs are hoping to be added to that list soon, and offer up their debut album 10 Years of Hangovers as proof of merit.
Outshine Family – Galeria de la Luz
Some healthy doses of pop and crackle make this album by Australian ambient veteran Matthew Nicholson more than just a pleasant soundtrack to revision, writes Matthias Scherer.
Six Organs of Admittance – Asleep on the Floodplain
Freakfolk pioneer and psychedelic guitarist Ben Chasny’s Six Organs of Admittance project offers up its most conventionally pleasant album yet, but refuse to drop the drone-y escapades or eerie sound effects.
The Americans – The White EP
There’s nothing wrong with being a revisionist kind of band, but The Americans never really capture the rawness of their idols. Instead, their new EP offers pre-masticated, bloodless nostalgia pop. Matthias Scherer sharpens his butchers knife.
Minnaars – Ideal & Error EP
Two very good songs, two slightly derivative and grating songs – on their new EP, Minnaars show promise but fail to prove they’ve got more to them than a talent for writing indie disco hits.
K-X-P – The Lexington, London 19/01/11
Finnish industrial electro trio K-X-P show Witch House where to get off with their enthusiastic and trance-inducing live performance. Matthias Scherer reviews.
Tu Fawning – Hearts on Hold
A group of experienced songwriters come together and hammer out a collection of visceral, baroque anti-pop songs. Not exactly catchy, but definitely rewarding. Matthias Scherer reviews.
Smallgang – Trespasses
‘Trespasses’ is an enjoyable, if in places one-dimensional piece of guitar rock audibly influenced by the scattered, stuttering riffs of Pavement and Dinosaur Jr.
Simian Mobile Disco – Delicacies
Subtle beats and bleeps instead of straight-up electro rock bangers – Simian Mobile Disco have got their mittens firmly on the pulse of electronic music, and it shows on their epic yet understated third album.
The Blue Angel Lounge – Narcotica
A veteran scarred by the pitfalls of the rock ‘n’ roll industry takes a promising German band under his wing (or was it the other way around?) and helps them produce an impressive homage to gloomy pop music.