NEW TRACK: Touch Excellent – ‘Couch Song’

Following on from their debut single ‘Record‘ – a tenacious anthem highlighting the failures of the healthcare system when it comes to treating women, non-binary and transgender folks – Dublin pop punks Touch Excellent have shared their new single, ‘Couch Song’. Full of dreamy vocals, relatable lyrics and melodic riffs, the track is a buoyant musing on introversion and attraction at house parties, and how these dueling states play out in a crowded room.

Describing themselves as “Ireland’s most transgender band (surely)”, Touch Excellent create raw, frenzied, politically-driven cacophonies that are designed to dismantle the systems that oppress us. Together, Lenny (vocals/bass), Ló (rhythm guitar/vocals) and Amber (drums) transform their feelings of hopelessness and injustice into loud, cathartic, catchy anthems that address the issues facing young people today. That was certainly the case for their first single ‘Record’, but on ‘Couch Song’ the band showcase a more tender side. The trio opt for softer riffs and vocals on the new track, but it still retains the enthusiasm and wit of their debut release.

“This one goes out / to the people on the couch, at the party” directs Lenny, making space for those who “don’t want to dance” despite enjoying the rowdy atmosphere. The song shifts in tone, tempo and mood to reflect these conflicting feelings, expressing how joy can still be found in crowded rooms by focusing in on a crush, or simply sitting slightly inebriated on the couch. Described as “a rallying cry for introverts and a sly glance at a beautiful person from across the room,” ‘Couch Song’ is Touch Excellent’s “break from raging against the machine” and a nod to their more intimate, affectionate song-writing style.

Listen to ‘Couch Song’ below.

Follow Touch Excellent on bandcamp, Spotify, YouTube, Twitter (X) & Instagram

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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NEW TRACK: Ideal Host – ‘The Resolution’

A tender, synth-led rumination that showcases the evolving nature of their sound, Ideal Host have shared their latest single ‘The Resolution’. Recorded and mixed by Robin Newman at SNUG/JT Soar in Nottingham, the track acts as a bookend to the band’s previous single ‘The Conflict‘, exploring the softer side of their brooding, intuitive songwriting.

Led by Heather Perkins and Sean Hughes – who are both former members of the band Slowcoaches – Ideal Host are dedicated to making music on their own terms. Now joined by multi-instrumentalist Dan Wheeler (Cheap Jazz) and synth and keyboard player Tom Goodwin, the band made their live debut on Marc Riley’s BBC 6 music show back in September 2022, where they also performed ‘The Resolution’ for the first time.

Whilst ‘The Conflict’ had a starker post-punk sound, on ‘The Resolution’ Ideal Host opt for gentler beats and melodies which spotlight Heather’s vocal range in a different way. “I’m not asking you to return / I just hope that you feel better” she repeats, over lilting keys and evocative riffs, a quiet sense of urgency spilling over right up until the music ceases to play. “I really liked the idea of taking one song and presenting it in a completely different way,” Heather explains about the track. ‘The Resolution’ takes the exact same root notes and structure as our previous release ‘The Conflict’ and creates a response to that piece that is entirely different.”

Ideal Host are currently writing and recording their full length album, which they plan to release and tour next year. “We are intent on continuing to play with our approach writing, so that this project always feels new and alive,” Heather continues. “I want to feel that we can pivot in any direction we want to. That the musical landscape is completely wide open to us.”

Listen to ‘The Resolution’ below.

Follow Ideal Host on Spotify, bandcamp, Twitter (X) and Instagram

Photo Credit: Dan Wheeler

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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GUIDE & PLAYLIST: Supersonic Festival 2023

Event: Supersonic Festival

Where: Digbeth, Birmingham, UK

When: 1st – 3rd September 2023

Ticket Info:
Weekend ticket: £160.00 / Day tickets: £40.00

Full info about other ticket options available here

General Info:
To mark 20 years since its inception, Supersonic Festival have put together another exciting programme of alternative music and events for their 2023 line-up. Described as “championing experimental and adventurous music and creating an inclusive and joyful space where all are welcome,” the team have organised three days of art and events for festival-goers to immerse themselves in.

Alongside the music line-up (which you can read more about below), Supersonic have a vast selection of extracurricular activities to get involved in. There will be workshops, guest DJs and Do.om Yoga, as well as a roof-top takeover by Decolonise Fest (a DIY collective organised by and for punx of colour). BBC Radio 6 Music’s flagship experimental show Stuart Maconie’s Freak Zone will be in attendance, with a pub quiz hosted by Stuart, plus there will be film screenings from labels including Ipecac, The Flenser, Thrill Jockey and Constellation Records.

There will also be ‘In Conversation’ events with Eugene S. Robinson of Oxbow on his book A Walk Across Dirty Water and Straight Into Murderer’s Row: A Memoir, and with John Robb on his book The Art Of Darkness: The History of Goth. Finally, Supersonic will be hosting exhibitions of artwork by Black Lodge Press in collaboration with Dog Section Press, and by skateboarder and artist Richard “French” Sayer celebrating the Home of Metal, and a special celebratory display in response to the festival’s archive by artist and designer David Hand and friends.

 

Who’s Playing: Check out the full line-up here

There are so many excellent bands playing Supersonic this year, it’s hard to pick favourites! At Get In Her Ears, we focus on female, non-binary and LGBTQ+ talent, so beneath the official line-up poster below, there are some in depth recommendations about artists who we think you should check out.

You can get to know them all better by listening to our accompanying Spotify Playlist at the end of this feature too.

 

DIVIDE AND DISSOLVE

The gargantuan-yet-graceful sounds of this heavy duo will definitely be a festival highlight on Saturday night. Their doom-ridden instrumentals are designed to erode the foundations of colonialism and liberate the land for indigenous communities. Saxophonist and guitarist Takiaya Reed and percussionist Sylvie Nehill have been honing their unique form of noise in order to help cauterize the wounds of colonialism since the release of their debut album BASIC, back in 2017. The patience and empathy that underscores their creativity inspires a deep sense of awe and respect. Read our interview with Takiaya here, and check out our review of the band’s latest album Systemic here.

BACKXWASH

Supersonic will be hosting genre-blending rapper & producer Ashanti Mutinta aka BACKXWASH’s first and only UK show this year – making this performance totally exclusive. The Zambian-Canadian, Polaris Music Prize-winning artist will unleash her hip-hop, horrorcore and industrial sounds on festival-goers on Saturday night. The poetic and cathartic qualities of her seething lyricism are enhanced by the visceral, corrosive soundscapes she has built around them. Her latest album, HIS HAPPINESS SHALL COME FIRST EVEN THOUGH WE ARE SUFFERING, is well worth your attention.

TOTAL LUCK

Birmingham-based post punk trio Total Luck will be performing on Friday night. Switching between spoken word and loud, punk vocals, the band create noisy, brooding cacophonies that are are sure to linger in your ears long after they’ve finished playing. Listen to more of their sounds via their bandcamp page here.

ELVIN BRANDHI

If festival-goers want to witness some truly chaotic, intense, experimental noise, then Elvin Brandhi’s set on Saturday is a must see. Described as “an improvising lyricist, producer and sound artist who builds aberrant beats from field recordings, tape, vinyl, instrument and voice,” the Welsh artist will provide her listeners with an unusual, visceral performance. Check out her latest album Drunken Love, here.

TAQBIR

Blending activism and abrasive music together to encourage and empower North African women to express themselves freely, Moroccan punks Taqbir will be a live force to be reckoned with when they play on Saturday night. The five-piece pay homage to the female pioneers of the UK punk scene such as X-Ray Spex, Bona Rays or The Slits, and use their own music as a vessel to unleash their anger and frustration at the systems that oppress them. Check out their bandcamp page here.

SILVERMOTH

On Sunday, Supersonic will be hosting the debut live performance of atmospheric noise-rock collective Silver Moth. Comprised of Stuart Braithwaite (Mogwai), Elisabeth Elektra, Steven Hill and members of Abrasive Trees, Burning House and Prosthetic Head, together they create genre-blending, evocative aural ruminations. Listen to their latest album Black Bay, here.

LANKUM

Admired for their captivating live performances, acclaimed Irish contemporary folk quartet Lankum will be playing Supersonic on Sunday night. They were first recommended to us by Dublin-based trio Bitch Falcon, and we’ve been assured that the atmosphere at their shows is completely magnetic. Listen to their latest record, False Lankum, here.

DEERHOOF

Festival-goers will be able to enjoy the idiosyncratic sounds of acclaimed alt-indie band Deerhoof on Friday night. Their melodic-yet-noisy infusions are not to be missed. Check out their latest record, Miracle-Level, here.

MORE TALENT

These artists are completely new to us, but we recommend you check them out too: un.procedure, BIG|BRAVE, Jessica Moss, MC Yallah & Debmaster, Ashenspire, Blue Ruth, Agathe Max, Matana Roberts, The Seer, Ondata Rossa, Ragana, Josephine Foster, Sirom

 

For more information visit Supersonic Festival’s official website

Check out our Supersonic Playlist below, featuring some of the female & LGBTQ+ talent playing the festival this year!

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NEW TRACK: CLT DRP – ‘I See My Body Through You’

Following on from their incendiary anthems ‘New Boy‘ and ‘Nothing Clever, Just Feelings‘, Brighton feminist electro-punks CLT DRP have shared their powerful new single ‘I See My Body Through You’. Taken from their upcoming second album, Nothing Clever, Just Feelings, which is set for release on 8th September via Venn Records, the track is a dynamic, corrosive rumination on objectification and how it can affect our own identity and self worth.

Annie Dorrett’s distinctive, self-possessed vocals lead the charge alongside drummer Daphne’s considered percussion and guitarist Scott’s blend of melodic and visceral riffs. By combining quieter verses with a blistering chorus, CLT DRP reflect the tumultuous emotions and lack of control that can come from feeling exposed and viewed through a skewed and restricting lens. “They just say grin and bear it” Annie muses, before listeners are pummelled by a wall of cathartic, abrasive sound.

The single is accompanied by an intriguing set of visuals, directed by Alice Strutt. Annie explains the thought process behind the video: “‘I See My Body Through You’ is probably one of the tracks we’re looking forward to putting out the most. The content of the song set against the visuals all came out perfectly.”

“There’s a lot behind this song,” she continues, “different ways to interpret it, but the unsettling feeling and tension in the orchestration and in the video match up to the emotions that created this song in the first place—the emotions of being constantly on show, being objectified, and your own confidence being warped because of other people’s gaze. I think Alice heard the song and understood those feelings immediately, as most women do, and came up with some striking and strange concepts for the video.”

Director Alice Strutt comments further: “Inspired by the song’s content, the video embraces the use of ambiguous imagery, employing fractured reflections and obscured veils to symbolise the interplay between how we imagine others perceive us and its effect on our self-perception. The aim was to create impactful and disjointed visuals that invite contemplation of the blurred lines between reality and interpretation.”

Fresh from performing in their hometown at The Great Escape Festival earlier this year and a recent support slot with electronic music pioneer Gary Numan in Antwerp, CLT DRP are set to headline one of the stages at ArcTanGent Festival this weekend (18th August). The band have also announced a string of winter UK headline tour dates, including a show at The Lexington in London on 29th November. Full listings are below and tickets are on sale here.

Watch the video for ‘I See My Body Through You’ below.

CLT DRP UK Live Dates 2023
11.08.23 – Winchester, UK – Boomtown
18.08.23 – Somerset, UK – ArcTanGent
08.09.23 – Brighton, Green Door Store
15.09.23 – Sofia, BG – Wrong Fest
12.10.23 – Manchester, Beyond The Music
02.11.23 – Leeds, Oporto
03.11.23 – Glasgow, Hug & Pint
23.11.23 – Southampton, Joiners
24.11.23 – Bristol, Rough Trade
29.11.23 – London, Lexington

Pre-order CLT DRP’s new album Nothing Clever, Just Feelings here

Follow CLT DRP on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Facebook & Instagram

Photo Credit: Libby Malandrone

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment