Track Of The Day: Automatic – ‘Calling It’

Automatic are Izzy Glaudini (synths, vocals), Lola Dompé (drums, vocals) and Halle Saxon (bass, vocals). They’re from LA, but their sound is straight out of early 1980s Yorkshire.

‘Calling It’, their first single, is an ear capturing listen, marked as it is by distinctive post punk stylings which include lots of echo, tinny drums and a loud, dominant synth sound, all of which are set off by deadpan vocals. It’s as though the Delta 5 have mated with the earliest incarnation of the Human League and spawned a many legged Leeds/Sheffield-based hybrid creature that is now throwing super cool shapes on the student disco dance floor. More prosaically, Izzy Glaudini speaks of the track thus:

“Its lyrics capture the sensation of being adrift in a wide-open space, and the desire to rip it all up and start over.” Destruction in art.

‘Calling It’ is out now via Stones Throw Records.

Cazz Blase
@CazzBlase

Photo Credit: Logan White

 

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ALBUM: Personal Best – ‘What You At’

The tagline (yep, it’s got a tagline!) of Personal Best’s second album, What You At, is “classic rock for tragic lesbians”. And I can’t think of a greater summary. It’s sweet and spiky, sad and uplifting. And it’s going to soundtrack a lot of break-ups.

Opener ‘Just Friends’ sets the tone. It starts out like a torch song – all acoustic guitar and raw emotion – but soon engulfs into crunchy rock riffs. The album has sadder, slower moments, like ‘Near To The Wildheart’ and closer ‘Salute’, but with front-person Katie Gatt’s powerful voice and lyrics, it remains an angry, empowering record.

Standout ‘Radio’ is a proper stomper, as is the single, ‘Baby’. When Gatt sings “I’m getting better”, backed by frenetic, punky guitars and pure pop harmonies, you really believe her. The album’s penultimate song, ‘One More Thing’, brings the record to a silly, splashy crescendo, which begs to be turned up to 11, Spinal Tap-style. I can almost picture the band playing it live, doing that classic rock, duelling guitars thing, and having an awesome time doing it.

It makes me so happy to see Personal Best stomping all over a traditionally male genre with their tongue firmly in their cheeks. As far as break-up albums go, What You At isn’t about feeling sorry for yourself. It’s the equivalent of a messy night out with the people you love. It’s sticky dancefloors and Strongbow; it’s crying on your best friend’s shoulder and putting the world to rights on the nightbus home.

A perfect fusion of wit, honest emotion and luscious harmonies, What You At will leave you elevated and ready to take on the world, break-up or no break-up.

What You At is out now via Sheer Luck Records/Dovetown Records. Order here.

Vic Conway

Photo Credit: Jennifer Doveton

 

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Premiere: Tribes Of Europe and Barbara Stretch – ‘You Don’t Speak For Me’

Following support from BBC Radio 3’s Late Junction, Fenland-based Tribes Of Europe – the alter ego of multi-instrumentalist Martin Elsey – has now teamed up with esteemed vocalist Barbara Stretch for a poignant new offering.

Provoked by the way in which the public are increasingly lied to and misled, ‘You Don’t Speak For Me’ flows with a twinkling musicality and Stretch’s soaring, ’60s pop-reminiscent vocals. Oozing a gentle romanticism alongside its empowering message, it’s an instantly catchy and uplifting retro-futuristic creation that’ll leave you ready for action, in these times when we need it most. 

Barbara Stretch would appear to be the perfect spokesperson for delivering this socially poignant message, having been a fixture in the London punk/post-punk socio-political scene of the late ’70s and early ’80s. As part of the group Jam Today, she consciously rejected the male-dominated nature of the industry in favour of creating a totally female band infrastructure – including an all-female crew, and setting up a female focused record label, Stroppy Cow. Of the new collaboration on ‘You Don’t Speak For Me’, Barbara explains:

“I was delighted when Martin asked me to sing You Don’t Speak For Me. It’s a song which, I imagine, in our present political chaos expresses how a lot of us feel.”

Listen to ‘You Don’t Speak For Me’, for the first time, here:

 

‘You Don’t Speak For Me’ is out 21st June via Integrity Records. A limited run of CDs in hand-printed packaging will feature two additional instrumental tracks – ‘Crab Marsh’ and ‘Ysma Kego​ (​Canning Factory)’ – recorded with Cambridge found-sound artist Karsten Koehler (Second Harmonic Generation).

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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FIVE FAVOURITES: Kill J

Danish pop-noir artist KILL J – aka Julie Aagaard – has been on our radar since the release of her haunting single ‘Strange Fruits Of The Water’ last year. That song now features on her debut album Superposition, which she released via Nettwerk Records last week. Working with UK producer Liam Howe (FKA Twigs, Lana del Rey, Ellie Goulding), Kill J has crafted a science-inspired record, laced with theatrics and her pitch perfect vocals. From her battle to quit smoking to the horrors of the migrant crisis and her personal loves and heartache, Superposition bursts with honesty and feeling.

We caught up with Kill J to talk about her “Five Favourites” – five albums that have influenced her own songwriting. Check out her choices below, and scroll down for a link to listen to Kill J’s album in full at the end of this post!

1. Björk – Biophilia
It’s no secret, that I am very attracted to and inspired by the dramatic, the theatrical and the naïve. And of course we need to talk about the queen of all galaxies. I love this album! ‘Crystalline’ is perfection! ‘Virus’ always makes me cry. This album is soul shattering. It’s pure and unfiltered and beautiful and it encapsulates all that I aspire to reach with my own music. Obviously she doesn’t give a fuck about form or convention. She lets it all dissolve – I guess I´m a bit more traditional in my own music. But I´m forever a disciple! I bow to the queen.

2. Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly
As an artist, I always find it so inspiring, when artists write from the heart about important societal issues. In my view, music is supposed to make us feel – but also think – and be a reflection of who we are and where we are. Of course we don´t all have to be activists and apart from the message of this album, I just think it is so well crafted.
It´s avant-garde but accessible and I love artist that know how to walk that thin line. This album actually gave me the courage to do an album around a concept that I thought was important.

3. Amanda Palmer – Who Killed Amanda Palmer?
The explosively and naivety of this record is so inspiring. I love how she punishes the piano. It is so unpolished and perfect!

4. Phil Collins – But Seriously
As a child I used to get in trouble for stealing my sisters records. This was my favorite one to steal. I didn’t understand English at the time, so I learned the whole record phonetically. It is a record that has drilled it´s way in to my soul and has deeply affected the way that I still write music. I love the simple melodies. I love the 80´s pop sound and the metal in his voice.

5. Mariah Carey – Music Box
Another Record I used to steal from my sister, and the reason for my childhood obsession with Mariah Carey. I was a chubby 10 year old with my ears pressed up against the CD player with Music Box on repeat, attempting ungracefully to reach the high notes with the diva, while my sister was banging on the walls in the next room yelling at me to shut up.

Listen to Kill J’s debut album Superposition on Spotify here.

Photo Credit: Morten Rygaard

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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