It’s Monday, it’s Tracks of the Week time. Yes it’s the period of mourning for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (RIP Lilibet) but its what she would’ve wanted. I personally think she’d love The Umlauts. There won’t be one next week as a mark of respect for her funeral. Have a good week.
Ron Gallo – ENTITLED MAN
Why We Love It: Philadelphia-grown radical indie artist Ron Gallo has released his new single ‘ENTITLED MAN’. It unapologetically confronts society’s tolerance of the male superiority complex. Outspoken and direct, it’s a spikey track full of riff fuelled guitars, perfect for the subject matter. With touches of static and reverb the vocals also spit out their dismay at the continuing treatment of woman in our society.
Gallo explains the background to ‘ENTITLED MAN’: “I wrote this song after hearing female friends talk about their experiences with men. Infuriating, creepy, weird shit they deal with on a regular basis. I tried to get into the psyche of why certain guys are like this because women should not have to, it is not their problem to fix or address. Entitled male thought continues to be at the forefront of regression socially and politically and I just think it’s to everyone’s benefit for men to evolve.”
This is Ron Gallo’s first release on the famed indie label, Kill Rock Stars. Having previously released three albums it’s going to be intriguing to see how he channels his cynical view of the fate of the world. The new album will cover themes such as male entitlement, the age of anxiety, apathy vs. action, gentrification, narcissism, retail therapy, xenophobia, the dread of future generations, right wing extremists in giant pickup trucks, capitalism, climate change and the experience of having a loved-one who is an addict. Phew! If ‘ENTITLED MAN’ is anything to go by, it’ll be one heck of a ride. (Julia Mason)
YNYS – Nothing The Sea Doesn’t Know
Why We Love It: Dylan Hughes aka YNYS continues releasing a delicious drip feed of touching and highly melodic singles with this, the latest aperitif for his forthcoming self-titled debut album. The long player is thematically focused on returning home to Aberystwyth from a lengthy period living in Cardiff, ‘Nothing The Sea Doesn’t Know’ zoning in on his inner conflicts. “Recorded between Cardiff and North Wales with T-Rex style strings. It’s a nostalgic song about being back in your seaside home town. Memories on every corner. Everything feels different but also exactly the same,” says Dylan.
Shot through with delicate melancholia the song is tinged with regret, but with hopeful strings layering on a sense of beauty and occasion. YNYS play a session for Marc Riley on 6 Music on 10 October, the album is released 4 November. (Cath Holland)
Hallan – Money Talks
Why We Love It: Portsmouth’s Hallan seem to fly a little under the radar in the current post-punk dominated musical landscape. Yet their previous single ‘Sich Übergeben’ grew high praise and multiple plays from the likes of Steve Lamacq on 6Music. Hallan have now released their new single ‘Money Talks’ on Nice Swan Records. It continues their thought-provoking lyrics pointing out some of the more bizarre aspects of life wrapped in the most entertaining music. The four-piece write and rehearse in an 18th-century fortification built into the side of a hill surrounded by a forest! However, they draw influence from the people they see everyday, in supermarkets, on Facebook, next door neighbours. ‘Money Talks’ is no exception. Here Hallan tackle corruption, exposing those who would take money from us. The creepy late-night preacher seen on television, mixing religion and capitalism. The music is dance floor friendly and the dialogue taken directly from such broadcasts only adds to the fickle and corrupt nature of it all.
Hallan further explain: “Me and my father often stay up late and watch the channels far along the TV guide, the ones no one gets to. Take a look and you’ll find a mesmerising facade streaming right to your television screen. Business men frantically explode with emotion, demonstrating their ability to bring sight to the blind, shame to your heart and your hard earned money to their wallet. Firearms for Christ and a new family car. You could have it all and more, all it takes is the delivery of your bank details into the preacher man’s inbox. After all it’s what the Holy Spirit told her. “Sow your seed and watch what God does””. (Julia Mason)
The Umlauts – Sweat
Why We Love it: “We’re just your average trans-European, multi-lingual, art-school, post-punk, techno-inspired, über-group/circus-troop/diaeresis.”
As their latest track will most surely attest, the only word that you might conceivably take issue with in The Umlauts’ self-description is that of ‘average’. ‘Sweat’, the final preview of their upcoming EP, Another Fact – due out on 14th October 2022 via PRAH Recordings – heralds a whole new dawn of Eurodisco with its strong emphasis upon a thudding metronomic beat and downright dystopian vibe.
“Singing in English seems to unveil our most pessimistic side.” they tell us. “But musically we wanted this song to feel almost like an italo-pop pastiche. It’s good fun, we love it.” Yeah. And we do too. (Simon Godley)
Ibibio Sound Machine – Heroes
Why We Love It: Fronted by London-born Nigerian singer Eno Williams, Ibibio Sound Machine is a glorious clash of African and electronic elements inspired by the golden era of West African funk, disco, and modern post-punk and electro. They have released new single ‘Heroes’, their infectious cover of David Bowie’s anthemic 1977 masterpiece. It’s smooth electro funk, a delicious interpretation of an iconic track. Very brave to take on such a recognisable song but Bowie would surely have approved of this joyous interpretation, with its infectious beats and up-tempo vibe.
Ibibio Sound Machine explain what this track means to them: “’Heroes’ is one of David Bowie’s most legendary songs, one of our favourites! It was an honour for us to record our version of it, and in 2022, it still feels as timely a message and otherworldly as it must have nearly 50 years ago.”
Ibibio Sound Machine collaborated with Hot Chip on their current album Electricity. This was born out of mutual admiration watching each other on festival stages, as well as a shared love of Francis Bebey and Giorgio Moroder. (Julia Mason)
Creature Cult – Ughly
Why We Love It: Creature Cult have released their debut single ‘ughly’. The duo from Colchester, Essex are Connar Ridd (vocals/guitar) and Jonn Downham (synths/backing vocals) and they blend punk, rock, pop and electronic into a potent mix. You can hear the angst in this track. Being misfits most of their lives, this is an empowering song, calling out those who decry and ridicule the ‘outkasts’, those who don’t fit into the conventional norms of society. Being inspired by the likes of Nirvana and Green Day this is a strong debut. The combination of genres works seamlessly and I suspect music has given Creature Cult a place to express their frustrations as well as celebrate their individuality.
Expanding on the track Connar says: “I had to leave a job recently because I was told I didn’t dress the way they wanted me to when I was dressed perfectly fine. If someone without piercings and tattoos and bleached hair would have worn the same thing I doubt there would have been an issue. I’m bored of being made to feel like an alien for just trying to be who I am, this song is exactly about it. It’s about paranoia to leave the fucking house because you’re thinking about what homophobic comment someone is gunna say when you’re queuing in the corner shop. About feeling exhausted to be yourself because people try and make it hard for you to be. But there is a community for people who stick together and stand tall, a community where difference is celebrated and we are all ‘freaks’ together, and this song is a fuck you to the people who try to take that away.” (Julia Mason)
Winter feat. SASAMI – good
Why We Love It: “This song is intoxicating.” says Samira Winter, “SASAMI has such a strong presence and voice, she really turned up the notch in how alluring and seductive this song feels.“
Samira Winter is a Brazilian singer and songwriter, perhaps best known as the vocalist of the bi-lingual indie-rock band Winter. She is talking here about ‘good’ – the latest single to be taken from her forthcoming album What Kind of Blue Are You?, due out October 14th on cult indie label Bar/None Records – on which the LA-based solo artist SASAMI adds her carefully devolved counterpoint harmonies to the sensual core of the song. It all makes for a sweet sybaritic sound that elevates ‘good’ to a heightened level of well-being. (Simon Godley)
