Hello and happy Friday!
Think album releases will take a little break this week and next for Easter etc , which is quite nice! Seems like everyone is away this week and next, Centre Parcs must be HEAVING. Not that many big releases out this week (except Bon Iver) but smaller artists seem to take that opportunity to release stuff. I’m looking forward to dig into the two punk albums from Dead Pioneers and Teen Mortgage. Will give the Bon Iver album a listen (I did love his first album), hoping to be pleasantly surprised and not unpleasantly bored.
Last 10 days have been a bit of a write-off, had a cold last week and terrible hay fever this week so spent most days with runny eyes and nose, headaches, terrible fatigue etc, but I haven’t had to cancel any plans so that’s been lucky! I did manage to go and get tattooed on Saturday though (Wu-Tang Hello Kitty, Goose from Untitled Goose Game and heart with ribbon across it that says “Fast Internet”.
Finished watching Junior Bake Off Season 5, started watching it after seeing Harry Hill live a few weeks ago and he mentioned he was hosting it (season five, the first season Harry did, came out in 2019 and season ten was out in January, but I need a long break from it now). It’s been great feel-good easy TV especially straight after Adolescence. Need a break from heart breaking TV shows and films now and then, for my own sanity.
Managed to watch one film in the last week, the Mexican black comedy thriller "Rotting in the Sun". It was a lo-fi Almovodar-like murder drama with lots of male genitalia and gay sex. I enjoyed it!
Last night I started watching the “sensational” Danish documentary series “Black Swan”, review TBC but it’s looking quite fun.
Tonight I’m going to see "Drop” in the cinema, which could be … interesting! Didn’t sleep very well so hope I can stay awake, but it’s a short film!
Tomorrow I’m going to see Lambrini Girls live which should be a lot of fun! Sold out hometown gig.
Dead Pioneers
Second album from Denver Dischord-vibey punk rock band started by Indigenous artist of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, Gregg Deal. Sounds pretty good.
5/5 Louder than War 8/10 Classic Rock
Teen Mortgage
Debut album from the UK-formed, Maryland-based duo playing melodic sharp punk. Think it's something for me I think, sounds fun.
4/5 Dork / Kerrang!
Bon Iver
The fifth album and first release from Justin Vernon's indie folk project since 2019. Is he still as popular as the mass psychosis previously? I guess he was on "Brat" so probably yes. Good for him. Feat. Dijon, Flock of Dimes and Danielle Haim.
5/5 DIY 4.5/5 musicOHM 9/10 Uncut / Glide 8.1/10 Pitchfork 4/5 The Skinny / Rolling Stone
Ken Carson
Fourth album from Atlanta trap rapper
Valerie June
Fourth album from West Tennessee "singer, songwriter, Grammy-nominated, multi-instrumentalist, and author" (put that in your pipe and smoke it).
9/10 Clash 8/10 Uncut
Jack Ziesemer
Third album from grunge+y teenage Indianapolis artist. I liked their album from last year.
Daughter Of Swords
Second album from North Carolina singer-songwriter.
Mamalarky
Third album from Austin, now Atlanta based, indie rock band.
9/10 The Line of Best Fit 7.3/10 Northern Transmissions 7.2/10 Paste 3/5 Far Out
The Mars Volta
Ninth album from the modern prog-rock Texan titans feat. former At The Drive-In members.
shy kids
Third album from Canadian indie pop band and film-making collective.
THE DRIVER ERA
Fourth album from Los Angeles cheesy pop funk duo.
4/5 Dork 7/10 Clash
Daniela Rathana
Second album from Stockholm pop artist.
5/6 Gaffa (Sweden)
H. Self
Fourth album and second one in Swedish after last year's one which was one of my favourite ones of the year.
4/5 Aftonbladet
Månskensbonden
Third album from the fantastic Kyro älv, Österbotten artist who sings in Finnish-Swedish (yay!).
![Screaming Tea Party – Death Egg – Vinyl (10", Mini-Album + 2 more), 2006 [r1244354] | Discogs](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5mHd!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4d602e3d-a15c-4fe5-8927-68ea8d0b42fe_600x576.jpeg "Screaming Tea Party – Death Egg – Vinyl (10\", Mini-Album + 2 more), 2006 [r1244354] | Discogs")
Screaming Tea Party - death egg (2007) (mini album)
This is a great debut mini album from then London based / Japanese duo (later extended to a trio) that were active between 2006-2010. They had some killer melodies/songs and remind me of The Vaselines and their ilk. Koichi Yamanoha, from the band, later went solo under the name Grimm Grimm and went a bit more experimental, I think.
I like the font and the drawing and the black & white!
Been one of those weeks when I haven’t been able to listen properly to last week’s albums, mainly been lying in bed with my eyes closed wearing ear defenders to get away from the building work being done outside. I have enjoyed the new Marlon Williams album though and I’ve started a project where I’m going to listen and review all of Prince’s albums in chronological order (40 of them so it’s going to take some time and will, I suspect, be a bit painful after the first … 15).
Here are 10 instrumental Swedish plinky plonk songs for your perusal.
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Have a lovely weekend and chill out!
Simon