Kamasi Washington – Street Fighter Mas (2018)

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Kamasi Washington’s ‘Street Fighter Mas’ sounds like a nod to a funky 1970s movie score. In fact, this is a jazztronica homage to Capcom’s Street Fighter. Washington was good enough at the video game back in the day that he imagined his own theme song. It features on his 2018 sophomore album Heaven and Earth.

I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME – Do It All The Time (2018)

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This year, Ryan Seaman – former drummer for Falling In Reverse – left I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME. Formed by Dallon Weekes, himself a former bassist for Panic! At The Disco), the iDKHOW duo hit their peak (IMHO) with the release of ‘Do It All The Time’. The song features on their 2018 EP 1981 Extended Play.

Earl Sweatshirt – Riot! (2018)

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Good morning… I was busy as a bee last week. I did think about music for posting Thursday/Friday, but failed to run a couple of tracks up the flagpole. I will make up for it today. Firstly, this musical interlude closes Earl Sweatshirt’s 2018 album. Like much on the album, it’s rough and ready and short in format. The horns are a throwback. The overall effect is dope. See you again soon.

Piroshka – Everlastingly Yours (2018)

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I have been reminded about my love of Miki Berenyi’s voice this weekend. Piroshka released the single ‘Everlastingly Yours’ in advance of their 2019 debut album Brickbat. The Lush guitarist is on vocals, ably assisted by Moose’s KJ McKillop on guitar Elastica’s Justin Welch on drums, and Modern English’s Michael Conroy on bass. The super(nostalgic)group are signed to beloved indie stable Bella Union. Have a great week.

Nilüfer Yanya – In Your Head (2019)

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I am meant to be seeing Nilüfer Yanya at Rough Trade East this evening, but it’s not to be. I’m a big fan. Yanya released ‘In Your Head’ on her 2019 debut LP Miss Universe. Have a great evening Nilüfer; have a great week all.

Dayglow – Can I Call You Tonight? (2018)

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Good morning folks. Texan singer-songwriter Sloan Struble had his first commercial success with the help of TikTok. After his indie pop song “Can I Call You Tonight?” went viral, Struble left college to embrace his newfound e-boy status and pursue his Dayglow music project. Have a great week.

Current Joys – A Different Age (2018)

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While not drumming and singing for indie-surf band Surf Curse, the singer-songwriter Nick Rattigan has produced his own solo work under various monikers. In 2018, he released the LP A Different Age on Danger Collective Records. As someone has already amusingly quipped, the title track could be the subject of Adam Sandler’s line, “Ok, I just want to warn you that when I wrote this song, I was listening to the Cure a lot”.

Cult Of The Damned – Civilised (2018)

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I passed someone listening to this track the other day. Rapper Barebase’s opening hook stuck in my mind. “I been waiting at the top for you, where you been? I been waiting at the top for you, where you been?” Cult Of The Damned (previously known as Children Of The Damned) released the street albums Tourettes Camp and Brick Pelican in 2007 and 2009. Originally a collaborative consisting of two UK crews, they reformed in 2015 to feature Barebase, King Grubb, Salar, Bill Shakes, Lee Scott, Milkavelli, Black Josh, Stinkin Slumrok, Sniff, Sam Zircon and Bisk. ‘Civilised’ features on the 2018 Blah Records release Part Deux: Brick Pelican Posse Crew Gang Syndicate. Raw.

Gang Gang Dance – Lotus (2018)

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I have been interested in finding out what happened to Gang Gang Dance since I featured ‘Glass Jar‘, one half of the killer, brain-expanding double A-side single they released in 2011. (For a mind-melding 5 mins or so, do check out the other half ‘MindKilla’ plus Lee “Scratch” Perry’s mix of the same.) From what I’ve read, the Brooklyn-based collaborative spent a few years experimenting in individual directions. Then, in 2018, they surfaced again on 4AD with ‘Lotus’, the lead single from Kazuashita, a first album in seven years. Lead singer Lizzi Bougatsos’s voice is still there, but the rest of the sound is unexpectedly calming.

The Orielles – Sunflower Seeds (2018)

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Good morning! The Orielles are a garage band from Halifax, Yorkshire, with a sound that reminds me of Madchester’s halcyon days. In fact, they formed after sisters Sidonie B and Esmé Dee Hand-Halford met Henry Carlyle Wade at a teenage birthday party and bonded over their love of 1990s indie music. The chemistry was recognised by Heavenly Recordings who signed them and put out their debut album Silver Dollar Moment. ‘Sunflower Seeds’ is one of its standout moments – and a recommendation from a friend. Shout out WK – an impeccable choice.

Kettenkarussell – Maybe (2018)

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Together the German pairing of Herr Koreander and Leafar Legov are Kettenkarussell. In 2018, they sampled Faith Evans’s cries of “Maybe… this can last for ever” from her single ‘Love Like This’. They had created a deep house classic and Weimar-based label Giegling pressed it to wax as part of a compilation EP also featuring Ateq, Edward and Map.ache.

Spiritualized – A Perfect Miracle (2018)

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An extra sound today for a trinity of reasons. Firstly, the opening track off Spiritualized’s LP And Nothing Hurt is sublime. Secondly, whether he was thinking this or not, if England can overcome Denmark this evening and make their first tournament final in 55 years, it will feel like a ‘Perfect Miracle’. And last but not least, there is distinct chance that I will wake up with a beer-induced headache tomorrow morning. So until Friday…

Khruangbin – August 10 (2018)

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Back in 2018, I featured the opening and closing tracks off Khruangbin’s second studio album Con Todo El Mundo released earlier that year. ‘August 10’ is another example of the melty, funky, whispered sound that drew me in 3 years ago. Enjoy the vibes and have a great weekend folks.

Gerry Cinammon – Sometimes (2018)

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The singer-songwriter Gerard Crosbie is professionally known as Gerry Cinnamon, a name he adopted on the back of forming the lo-fi band The Cinnamons in circa 2009/10. His big break came with the release of his well received debut album Erratic Cinematic in September 2017. Crosbie’s take on folk rock with its strong Scottish lilt is not my dream of aural pleasure, but the album’s second single ‘Sometimes’ is an exception and reminds me a lot of another couple of songs/artists… which will come to me when my head clears after the long weekend.

Sons Of Raphael – A Nation Of Bloodsuckers (2018)

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Off-kilter London-based duo Loral and Ronnel Raphael have not had your stereotypical rock’n’roll journey to date. For starters, Ronnel wrote the songs for their debut EP ‘A Nation of Bloodsuckers’ for a talent show while at international boarding school in Bristol. Ronnel would skip games to work on his music and captured it all on tape machine. The title track reminds me of early Mercury Rev. Quite rightly, he won the talent show.