BEST OF THE REST

Other new releases out this month.

Ruff Majik

The Devil’s Cattle MONGREL

Immense sleaze-groove grinds predominate on this compelling debut from South African mondo bizarro desert rockniks Ruff Majik. Grimy, gritty, relentless, yet morbidly, darkly attractive. 8/10

Nick Faber

The Lost Highway Tapes FABYL

An intoxicating melange of blues, funk, soul, breakbeats and dusty roadside busker chic. Soundscapes rich in humanity and hard-won experience. Americana with a progressive contemporary edge. 7/10

Robin Trower, Maxi Priest, Livingstone Brown

United State Of Mind MANHATON

The common ground found by soulful reggae vocalist Priest and rock journeyman Trower (Brown produces) proves richly fertile. USM combines Marvin R&B, Jimi tones and subtley funky blues to excellent effect. 7/10

White Hills

Splintered Metal Skies GODUNKNOWN

Dystopian NYC refracted through an electro-fuzz lens. Core duo Dave W and Ego Sensation’s psyched Cabs/digital Stooges spikiness is further mutated by guest spots from Jim Jarmusch and the Primals’ Simone Marie Butler. Delicious dissonance. 7/10

Cordovas

Destiny Hotel ATO

Smoothly wrought Tennessee folk rock that’s a little bit country and a lesser bit rock‘n’roll. Tight harmonies, laconic grooves and McLaganechoing keys accentuate the merest suggestion of Faces raunch. 6/10

Laibach

Bremenmarsch: Live At Schlachtof 12.10.1987 MIG

Captured at their raw, uncompromising peak, Laibach combine hectoring Teutonic aggression, ear-bleed samples and rudimentary brass with soulcrushing Nuremberg Rally ambience to devastating effect. 7/10

Kurt Baker

After Party WICKED COOL

An Elvis Costello-influenced vocal bounces breezily over a muscularly punk-pumped new-wave back beat. An attractively archaic, beautifully observed near-parody of ‘78 tropes by the ex-Leftovers Anglophile. 7/10

Spunk Volcano And The Eruptions

AVENUE

Barry Milner Is Thick!

Nothing benefits Motörhead/SoCal hardcore-referencing punk rock less than a synthetic vocal production. The harder they thrash, the better, but a sonically sanitised Spunk Volcano? Surely some mistake. 6/10

Taurian

Taurian SOUNDCLOUD

Placing bullish post-Reznor electrorock in atmospheric trip-hop settings intensifies Taurian’s dynamism. Hints of unsetttling dubstep accentuate feral Manson tropes as the Romanian hoofs a new kind of kick. 8/10

Helen Love

Power On ALCOPOP

Sidestep festive grimness with the latest frothy popcore confection from Cardiff’s evergreen bubblegum punkers. As effervescent as any Blondiegraced ‘78 TOTP, this should be available on prescription. 8/10

Vinny Peculiar And The Art Thieves

Loot BANDCAMP

Captured live at Evesham’s Old Cider Press during lockdown and bordering on genius, Loot’s six tracks capture Vinny at his incomparable best. Sharp, witty, swaggering. A shade short of masterpiece. 9/10

Live Skull

Dangerous Visions BRONSON

Originally post-NY No Wave Swans/Sonic Youth brethren, Live Skull reanimated during covid to concoct the appropriately tense and dissonant new material, coupled here with a 1989 Peel session. Reassuringly awkward. 7/10