New music from Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds, Laurie Anderson, Ty Segall, Steve Wynn, Amy Rigby, Fastbacks and the late Tony Allen — all in the same week? Looks like August is going out like a lion. OK, that’s not a thing. But you know exactly what I’m talking about, don’t you? So stop quibbling and start listening. Here are all your plays of the week:
Laurie Anderson
Amelia
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Laurie Anderson’s Amelia features 22 tracks about renowned female aviator Amelia Earhart’s tragic last flight. Anderson wrote the music and lyrics for this subjective narrative piece. On the album, she is joined by the Czech orchestra Filharmonie Brno, conducted by Dennis Russell Davies, and Anohni, Gabriel Cabezas, Rob Moose, Ryan Kelly, Martha Mooke, Marc Ribot, Tony Scherr, Nadia Sirota and Kenny Wollesen. Earhart was a passionate pioneer of early aviation, achieving fame as the first woman to cross the Atlantic, in 1932. Five years later, she embarked on a flight around the world. Before she could complete the voyage, her plane disappeared without a trace; it has never been found. “The words used in Amelia are inspired by her pilot diaries, the telegrams she wrote to her husband, and my idea of what a woman flying around the world might think about,” Anderson says. First premiered at Carnegie Hall in 2000, the updated piece was recently performed across Europe.”
Los Bitchos
Talkie Talkie
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Sparkling, eclectic,” says Los Bitchos’ guitarist Serra Petale, “There’s a real sparkly edge to Talkie Talkie. That’s the mood of the record.” This description is more than fitting: the London quartet’s new album is glistening with charisma, sonic experimentation and a puckish spirit. Named after a fictional club of the same name, Talkie Talkie is a late-night paradise brimming with freedom and possibility; a place where partygoers can escape reality in the dance or daydream along to the invigorating soundscapes. If Los Bitchos’ electrifying 2022 debut album Let the Festivities Begin! was the rowdy buildup to the big night out, then Talkie Talkie is the Technicolor explosion of the dancefloor. Made up of lead guitarist Serra, who carries both Australian and Turkish heritage, Uruguayan synth and keytar player Agustina Ruiz, Swedish bassist Josefine Jonsson and British drummer Nic Crawshaw, the group are united by a commitment to having fun. It’s a contagious energy they’ve had no problem transmitting to the world: since the band officially arrived in 2019, they marked themselves as one of London’s brightest bands to watch. Since then, they’ve found a home in beloved indie label City Slang, ripped stages across the most coveted stages the globe over, supported Pavement and King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, and radiated the verve of their personalities and cultures through their exploratory take on rock ’n’ roll.”
The Bug Club
On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System By Means of Popular Music Or the Contemplation Of Pretty Faces, Tinned Bubbles and Strife
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The way you’re saying it, ‘prolific’ isn’t the right word for The Bug Club. You’ve got to say it with the trademark Welsh lilt, and pay due homage to this inimitable band’s origins in the renowned hit factory of Caldicot, South Wales. Do that, and you’re about right with how to summarise a group who’ve released ten singles, two albums, two EPs, three things nobody knew how to describe, and an album under a different band’s name, all since 2021 and while playing 200+ gigs a year. Third LP On The Intricate Inner Workings Of The System… sees the band serve up a beefy slab of their speciality Modern Lovers-meets-Nuggets garage-rock. There’s B-52’s call-and-response fun mixed with AC/DC power chord grunt. Based around the songwriting core of Sam Willmett (vocals/guitar) and Tilly Harris (vocals/bass), The Bug Club started plying their trade in 2016. They were signed by U.K. label Bingo Records in 2020 and first single We Don’t Need Room For Lovin’ was released in 2021. It quickly established The Bug Club as the tongue-in-cheek and live-focused antidote to the previous year’s penned-in pandemic drudgery. Who’d have thunk it?”
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Wild God
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “I hope the album has the effect on listeners that it’s had on me,” says Nick Cave. “It bursts out of the speaker, and I get swept up with it. It’s a complicated record, but it’s also deeply and joyously infectious. There is never a masterplan when we make a record. The records rather reflect back the emotional state of the writers and musicians who played them. Listening to this, I don’t know, it seems we’re happy.” Across Wild God‘s 10 tracks, Cave and The Bad Seeds dance between convention and experimentation, taking left turns and detours that heighten the rich imagery and emotion in Cave’s soul-stirring narratives. It is the sound of a group emboldened by reconnection and taking flight. There are moments that touch fondly upon the Bad Seeds’ past but they are fleeting, and serve only to imbue the relentless and restless forward motion of the band. Wild God was produced by Cave and Warren Ellis, and mixed by David Fridmann. During sessions at Miraval in Provence and Soundtree in London, The Bad Seeds added their unique alchemy, with additional performances from Radiohead’s Colin Greenwood (bass) and Luis Almau (nylon string guitar, acoustic guitar).”
Fastbacks
For WHAT Reason!
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “After a lull of 25 years, the old band got together and made an album!” The Fastbacks say. “And you know what? It turned out pretty great. Everyone played and sang their hearts out, just like the olden days. Fun and loud and proud!” For those who need a refresher: The Fastbacks were a pioneering Seattle band. Formed in 1979 by songwriter/guitarist Kurt Bloch (born Aug. 28, 1960), and friends Lulu Gargiulo (guitar and vocals, born Oc.t 12, 1960) and Kim Warnick (bass and vocals, born April 7, 1959). They disbanded in 2001. Their sound mixed a generally punk approach to vocals and sound textures with poppy tunes and strong musicianship. Although these three band members remained constant, they went through numerous drummers, including Duff McKagan, later of Guns N’ Roses. MTV’s web page on The Fastbacks says that estimates at the number of drummers range from 12 to 20.”
Oasis
Definitely Maybe 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Oasis’s debut album Definitely Maybe celebrates its 30th anniversary this month. The fastest-ever selling debut in the U.K. upon its release, this seminal album marked the point when Oasis became a cultural phenomenon. Including the classic singles Supersonic, Live Forever and Cigarettes & Alcohol, its songs sound as fresh and relevant as they did in 1994. Having sold over 6.9 million copies globally, it also sits as the second-most streamed album of the ’90s — right behind the band’s (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? To celebrate this landmark date, the 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition features the previously unreleased and discarded original recording session from Monnow Valley, along with outtakes from Sawmills Studios plus a demo of Sad Song featuring Liam Gallagher’s vocal — all recently mixed for this release by Noel Gallagher and Callum Marinho.”
Amy Rigby
Hang In There With Me
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Featuring 11 up-to-the-minute songs written by Amy Rigby and recorded by Wreckless Eric at the couple’s home in upstate N.Y., Hang In There With Me is a bracing look at life inside the vortex of the last few years. Mortality, aging and youthful missteps refracted through Amy’s insightful lyricism emerge not wistful but resolute even triumphant. Rigby’s distinctive voice bluntly traverses love, loss and DIY projects gone wrong over guitars cranked or shimmering, indelible bass lines, a raft of synthesisers, keyboards, beat boxes and the occasional drummer allowed into Amy and Eric’s rustic mid-century echo chamber. The recording of Hang In There With Me was bookended by Amy performing alongside David Olney when he died onstage in 2020, and the demise of Amy’s dad. Along with Eric’s near-fatal heart attack, it could have all made for heavy going in the studio, but Amy says: “There was nothing to hide in the few years when no one could see each other. And with my dad losing his mind and passing away, theres not much left to prove anymore. Watching key figures in our lives die just makes it clear that getting older is a gift and brings a new kind of freedom. Writing songs, making records and touring has been my life and I’m lucky I have the energy and will to keep at it. I still just want to share stories and rock out on guitar.”
Ty Segall
Love Rudiments
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “A meditation from Ty Segall on love, played on his first love: The drums. Delving deep into the melodic and orchestral possibilities of a full array of percussion instruments, from the trap kit to timpani, vibraphone, xylophone, percussion and e-drums, Ty charts the waxing and waning of a love affair, to explore some of the most delicate space we know of — the private emotional location where only two can meet.”
Steve Wynn
Make It Right
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The brand-new solo album from The Dream Syndicate’s Steve Wynn, released in tandem with his memoir, Make It Right is a commentary between literal and metaphorical ruminating — a dialogue between memoirist and musician— and presents a vulnerable, more reflective Wynn than previously heard. Make It Right features notable contributions from Mike Mills (R.E.M.), Vicki Peterson (The Bangles), Chris Schlarb (Psychic Temple), Emil Nikolaisen (Serena Maneesh), Linda Pitmon (The Baseball project) and a cast of dozens. “I wrote and recorded these songs in tandem with working on I Wouldn’t Say It If It Wasn’t True, my memoir which comes out on Jawbone Press the same week as Make It Right, my first solo album since 2010. With each chapter, I would get ideas for songs inspired by the deep dive into my past and vice versa. The reflections became intertwined after a while, a mutual commentary between literal and metaphorical ruminating. It was a dialogue between the memoirist and the musician, a one-man Q&A, a gentle volley in the tennis court of my mind. 40-love, game, set and match.”
Yannis & The Yaw
Lagos Paris London EP
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In 2016, Foals frontman Yannis Philippakis was offered the opportunity of a lifetime: A two-day session working with the great drummer Tony Allen, who he admired intensely for his influential, multi-genre work with the likes of Fela Kuti, Sébastien Tellier and Jeff Mills. Heading into a smoke-filled, ’70s throwback studio in Paris, Yannis had expected them to make a nostalgic Afrobeat record. Yet something very different emerged. As the pair quickly established an intuitive telepathy, the music germinated from jams and loops, its varied touchpoints — rock, funk, jazz, dub and more — were complemented by a unique atmosphere of two cultures and creatives colliding, their expression liberated by making music in and for the moment itself. Joined by Tony’s regular collaborators Vincent Taeger (percussion, marimba), Vincent Taurelle (keys) and Ludovic Bruni (bass, guitar) that first meeting resulted in a handful of near-complete songs, which were further developed during a couple of subsequent sessions. But between scheduling issues and Covid restrictions, the recordings were never completed before Tony passed away in 2020 at the age of 79. Yannis felt a deep duty to complete the project, not only as a bittersweet way to honour and celebrate his friend, but also because Tony had been so eager to share these songs with the world. The result is the five-track EP, Lagos Paris London.”
