Bristol Live // Chaouche by Bristol In Stereo

Jun. 18 | 77

BRISTOL LIVE LIVE & NEW MUSIC MAGAZINE

CHAOUCHE LOMA

MODERN RITUALS

RELEASES

LIVE LISTINGS & TONS MORE 1

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Fri 1st Jun

Sun 23rd Sep

Broken Social Scene Jose Gonzalez & The String Theory Tue 5th Jun Courtney Barnett Sat 29th Sep • SOLD OUT Halestorm Sun 17th Jun D’Angelo Mon 1st Oct The Magic Gang Tue 10th Jul • SOLD OUT The Breeders Tue 2nd Oct Wed 11th Jul Glenn Hughes The White Buffalo performs classic Deep Purple “Live” Wed 18th Jul Steve Earle Fri 5th Oct • SOLD OUT Jorja Smith Tue 24th Jul Goo Goo Dolls Sun 14th Oct Sat 28th Jul Tom Grennan David Rodigan Tue 16th Oct Mon 20th Aug John Butler Trio Skid Row + Toseland Fri 19th Oct Mon 27th Aug Elvana: The Used Elvis Fronted Nirvana Sun 2nd Sep

Oh Sees Fri 7th Sep

Guns 2 Roses Fri 14th Sep

Xavier Rudd Fri 21st Sep

The Smyths

Thu 25th Oct

Darius Rucker Sat 27th Oct

Flatbush Zombies Tue 30th Oct

The Feeling - Twelve Years and Home Tour

Mon 5th Nov

Leon Bridges Thu 8th Nov

The Decemberists Fri 9th Nov

MC50 Sat 10th Nov

Killing Joke Sun 11th Nov

Blackberry Smoke Sat 17th Nov • SOLD OUT Sun 18th Nov

The Cat Empire Thur 29th Nov

Shaun Ryder’s Black Grape Fri 30th Nov

Cast - The Greatest Hits Tour Sat 1st Dec

Heaven 17 - 35th Anniversary of The Luxury Gap Tue 18th Dec

Clutch Wed 19th Dec

Bjorn Again

O2 Academy Bristol Frogmore Street, Bristol BS1 5NA • Doors 7pm unless stated

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Venue box office opening hours: Mon - Sat 12pm - 4pm

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o2academybristol.co.uk

June • 2018

14| 06 | 18

FOSSETTE - THE LOUISIANA -

18| 09 | 18

LOST HORIZONS - THE FLEECE -

26| 06 | 18

KIEFER SUTHERLAND - KOMEDIA, BATH -

- O2 ACADEMY BRISTOL -

16| 10 | 18

10|SO 07 UT| 18

16| 10 | 18

JOHN BUTLER TRIO

THE BREEDERS

GLASVEGAS - THE GLOBE, CARDIFF -

- O2 ACADEMY BRISTOL -

19| 10 | 18

ASH

01| 09 | 18

NOEL GALLAGHERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HIGH FLYING BIRDS

+ PAUL WELLER + ORBITAL + GOLDIE & THE ENSEMBLE - THE DOWNS -

- SWX -

12| 11 | 18

GRUFF RHYS - SWX -

SOLD

17| O11U|T18 & 18|11|18

THE CAT EMPIRE - O2 ACADEMY BRISTOL -

04| 12 | 18

BUFFALO TOM - THE FLEECE -

A L L T I C K E T S AVA I L A B L E F R O M

SEETICKETS.COM - GIGANTIC.COM

The Gallimaufry

Simiah & the Phantom Ensemble

Sunday

Simiah, Craig Crofton & Dan Somers

Sunday 17 June Simiah (King Underground) is a beatsmith, using his MPC drum machine as a multi-tool for a whole range of sounds and interesting waves. Mostly he plays on his own using either turntables or two drum machines. But for this monthly show he has invited back two members of his Phantom Ensemble, Craig Crofton on saxophone and Dan Somers on keys. This is going to be something really special!

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PARQUET COURTS, P12

Bristol’s summer game is strong... Sleater Kinney said “it’s not the cities, it’s the weather we love,” but any glance across Bristol’s sunny parks and old streets this month shows it to be a sterling team effort. Let’s take a look at what’s going on this June. Gracing our cover is Bristol’s own Chaouche, whose dark horse of an album might just heal your wounds, as well as hers. Kezia Cochrane talks to Aisha about how it all came together. Elsewhere, Rhys Buchanan chats to Shearwater collab project Loma ahead of their Bristol date, discussing touring on two practices and releasing on Sub Pop. Elsewhere, Grant Bailey interviews Bristol’s Modern Rituals about their Holy Roar debut. All this, plus picks from Bristol-based music blog DrunkenWerewolf, the hottest new releases, extensive live listings and tons more. Loki Lillistone Editor-in-Chief

Sales: loki@bristollivemagazine.com Ed-in-Chief Loki Lillistone / New Music Ed Christian Northwood / Live Ed Jon Kean / Release Ed Lor Nov / News Ed Ross Jones Plus tons more amazing contributors both in print and online.

GUEST PICKS:

12 14 18

W H AT ’ S N E W ?

24 28 37

MODERN RITUALS

39 40 41 62

DRUNKENWEREWOLF

LOMA COVER:

CHAOUCHE

NEW RELEASES BRISTOL BECAUSE:

B R E A K FA S T R E C O R D S DEAR DICK I N C A S E Y O U M I S S E D I T:

JUNGLE LIVE LISTINGS THOUGHTS:

CALLING MUSICIANS TO S TA N D W I T H R E F U G E E S 5

book

0117 203 4040 colstonhall.org

Colston Hall loudly and proudly presents great shows in venues across the city Tue 5 Jun

Fri 13 Jul

Sat 21 Jul

Brennen Leigh & Noel McKay

An Evening with Josh Rouse

Jess & The Bandits

The Wardrobe Theatre

The Redgrave Theatre

Wed 6 Jun

Mon 16 Jul

Born Ruffians

Quantic Live

The Exchange

Trinity Centre

Sun 17 Jun

Wed 18 Jul

An Evening with Kristin Hersh

Steve Earle & The Dukes

The Redgrave Theatre

O2 Academy Bristol

Fri 29 Jun

Wed 18 Jul

The East Pointers

Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys

The Folk House Sat 30 Jun

Ata Kak Fiddlers Tue 10 Jul

The Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer The Louisiana Wed 11 Jul

The White Buffalo & Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real O2 Academy Bristol 6

Loco Klub Thu 19 Jul

The Barr Brothers Thekla Fri 20 Jul

Jimmy Cliff & Grandmaster Flash & Trojan Soundsystem (feat. KIOKO) Lloyds Amphitheatre

The Wardrobe Theatre Sun 22 Jul

Emily Barker, Holly Macve & Jade Bird St George’s Bristol Sun 22 Jul

The Grahams The Wardrobe Theatre Mon 23 Jul

Kelly Willis The Redgrave Theatre Mon 23 Jul

Sam Palladio St George’s Bristol Wed 25 Jul

Graham Nash St George’s Bristol Thu 26 Jul

Rosanne Cash St George’s Bristol Fri 27 Jul

Marlon Williams Fiddlers

Guest Picks

This month:

Broken Social Scene O2 Academy, 1st Their 2017 comeback album Hug of Thunder reminded us all of their superiority on the indie rock scene, with long time members Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning reforming an established lineup that also features Leslie Feist, Emily Haines (Metric) and Evan Cranley (Stars). Now Broken Social Scene catapult onto UK shores, filling Bristol’s 8

What our pals are into this month.

by Tiffany Daniels, Editor

O2 Academy with a barrage of sound, following an extensive tour of the States last year. The collective – which can reach armysized proportions, but for this tour settles for a moderate eleven members – have just under two decades of experience under their belt. That doesn’t make it any easier to predict what will happen on stage, however, with everything from flying toilets to extensive ‘Body Electric’ punctuating their history. Thanks to a healthy slice of synth wizardry and out-of-the-box thinking, one thing is for sure: you’ll need earplugs.

Waxahatchee The Fleece, 14th Waxahatchee, aka Alabaman bedroom artist supreme Katie Crutchfield, released her fourth studio album Out in the Storm via Merge last year, making it into DrunkenWerewolf’s Albums of 2017 with good reason. She’s gone on to impress touring partners Charly Bliss into a social media stupor and critics were bowled over by her homebrewed ability to combine rock ’n’ roll anthems with a lo-fi croon. What’s her secret? Only Katie knows, but guaranteed those who attend this month’s gig at Fleece will get a glimpse of her powers.

Laura Veirs Thekla, 10th World-wandering multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter, Laura Veirs continues to impress this year, taking time spent with Neko Case, a traditional folk influence and the fragility of life to produce recently-released album, The Lookout. A concept album that includes references to owls, being lost at sea and discovering her guitar under a rock, it’s a versatile piece of work that continues a musical tradition Veirs has laid out over the past two decades. See her work come alive this month at Thekla. DrunkenWerewolf has been supporting independent artists and shouting about innovative music since 2005.

YOUR

MUSIC CAREER STARTS HERE

ARTIST DEVELOPMENT DIPLOMA

GUITAR • BASS • DRUMS • VOCALS • SONGWRITING

FULLY FUNDED TWO-YEAR FURTHER EDUCATION DIPLOMA COURSES FOR 16-18 YEAR OLDS STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITIES UNRIVALLED CONNECTIONS TO THE MUSIC INDUSTRY EUROPE’S MOST CONNECTED MUSIC COLLEGE

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What’s New?

Fresh tales from the BLM radar with:

Christian Northwood New Music Editor

Snail Mail Snail Mail may not be new to you. The 18-yearold Baltimore artist has garnered support from Radio 1, Pigeons and Planes, Pitchfork and even The Guardian, but for that handful of you that haven’t had the delight of diving into Snail Mail’s formidable sound, take a deep breath – because this is something special. Lindsey Jordan first caught ears back in 2016, with the release of debut

EP, Habit. Her debut album, Lush, however, showcases an artist who has grown exponentially since that first EP. Her sound is now richer and the guitarwork more confident, while the lyrical fragility and candour that made her special still remains. Recent single, ‘Heat Wave’ encapsulates everything brilliant about Snail Mail. The angst of her teenage years seeps through, with a story of endless days of being wasted, culminating in her admitting to have woken up “in my clothes thinking of you.” The guitar kicks in out of nowhere, fizzing like water on a hot pavement, while the song’s brilliant use of dynamics reveals a musician competent beyond her years. Heat Wave

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Cagework

PHOTO: ROWAN ALLEN

Cagework always seems to be right on the edge of chaos. In all his songs, but especially on new cut ‘Simmer’, buzzing guitars clash with impassioned vocals, with his raw energy often revealing a beauty at its core, bringing him back from the brink of implosion. While ‘Simmer’ is a strong new offering, you may have heard him before on his recent split EP with Bristol’s Slonk. Cagework’s live show is equally enthralling, and the kind of thing you’ll want to catch in a tiny venue, where the passion behind every word spits itself into your ears and the guitar rumbles in your gut.

Simmer

Despite being dreamt up somewhere between Bristol and Bath, Abstract Typography doesn’t sound like he comes from the South of England. Instead, like Tex from Partridge, Abstract Typography’s American obsession pulls lo-fi slacker rhythms together with razor-sharp garage riffs, holding you between both extremes. ‘I Feel Better Already’, from debut EP Dawn Chorus, exemplifies this, with jangling guitars suddenly cut to shreds by fuzzed-out riffs, all while Stan Bull’s rumbling vocal drawls beneath the surface. Combine this with an almost supernatural sense for a hook, and AT’s charm will reel you in this summer. I Feel Better Already

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Abstract Typography

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Get more new music from Christian every Monday via Tracks of the Week at bristollivemagazine.com 13

LOMA Even though we only speak to Loma’s Emily Cross down a phone line spanning the Pacific Ocean, we maintain the sense of vulnerably and humility behind this softly-spoken artist. Earlier in the year, the band put out a compelling debut album, which has carried them all the way to Europe on their first ever tour – a huge step early into their journey as a group. We took the opportunity to chat about this, and what inspired the first record. 14

“The band really started as a no-pressure situation, but towards the end we knew we were going to put it out on Sub Pop. Then we started feeling it a bit more,” explains Emily. She says they handled the burden of releasing through the iconic label relatively well though: “The pressure wasn’t there in a bad way; it just gave us a drive to get it done and create something of the right quality.” It’s quite staggering to think that they’d barely been in a room together before setting out on their first tour. “We hadn’t had many rehearsals because we all live in different places, so we only rehearsed two times. Once in December and

the shows, even that was really exciting. The actual performance worked, which was a question mark as well. Everything came together and people showed up, which is the best we could hope for at the time.”

W. R hy s Buchanan

“We all live in different places, so we only rehearsed two times...” once right before the tour, so we figured everything out and practised for about a week and then went on tour.” She continues to detail that it was very much a work in progress: “It’s a little nerve-racking to do that, just because normally you’d have more time to figure things out, and we were trying to do that at the shows. We’ve found our flow now, though.” The band will be playing at Rough Trade in Bristol this month. Emily says they didn’t ever imagine that the album would carry them so far. “Nobody had really seen us play before, so of course we were a little nervous and didn’t know what to expect. When people would even come along to

It’s quite a transition from what Emily was doing before this project, as well. She says, “I’m a death doula, so away from the group I help with people who are dying. I have my own business for that, so I was working on that and being active in my community with that kind of thing. It’s all about being there for people and endof-life care and things like that.” It’s quite a weighty profession and she reveals that it does impact her creative process. Emily pauses before continuing, “It’s something that has inspired me for a long time now, in my visual art as well, but before a couple of years ago, I’d never thought of it as any sort of career. I haven’t written any music since I became a professional but it does feed my creativity and inspires that work.” Now the band are just happy to see where the project takes them, but there’s no hurry. Emily says, “I think we’re going to make another record, but I’m not sure when yet. I’m planning to do another solo record before that. My other project is called Cross Record. It’s more my personal music, that I make for myself, but also put out for other people. Hopefully that will take place between now and the next Loma record. So it’ll offer a little space to make the next one as strong as it can be.” Loma’s self-titled debut is out now on Sub Pop, with them playing Rough Trade on 1st June.

CHAOUCHE

“The whole album’s about coming to terms with those traumatic events...” 18

isha Chaouche emanates a certain serenity, both in person and throughout her music. Weaving hauntingly-beautiful and richly-textured layers of sonic subtleties, her songs deal with deeply personal past experiences, yet her debut release, Safe ultimately purveys a compelling sense of peacefulness that Chaouche has found through music.

K e z i a C o c h r a n e P. A n d r e P a t t e n d e n

something or go down that route, then it’s great. And it’s super great to meet people who also do music. But for me I didn’t need the degree, so I just did one year and was like ‘I can keep doing it, I’ll write music and then release it and see how that goes’”.

“So when I was a bit younger my time growing up was a little difficult. My dad was very aggressive, and he was just not a good character,” Aisha expresses. “My mum divorced him eventually but we already had that time, where we all grew up through it being very difficult. So my childhood and teen-hood were quite difficult.” She further confides, “I was taken out of school so didn’t have that school network. I was living in the mountains in Wales, not really connecting to the real world and just really struggled with it. So in the end, by default, music became almost like a healing outlet, because I didn’t have any connection to literally what the fuck was going on. I didn’t understand it”. Having found solace in music from an early age, she recalls, “I’ve just always done it. My mum had an old piano I used to play on and I was like, ‘ah I can write music’ and then I remember just thinking, when I was super young, ‘that’s just what I want to do.’ I didn’t want to do anything else.” Initially moving to Bristol to study music, Aisha tells me, “Personally I don’t think you can grade music. It’s so subjective. Unless you want to be a teacher or

Taking this more autonomous, DIY approach to writing and arranging her music, she explains that the distinctly eerie and otherworldly quality to the compositions on Safe resulted from “a limitation of equipment, which ended up being a bit of a blessing in disguise, because it forced me to write music within those means.” Going into more depth about music

“The more I sing the tunes, the more it kind of solidifies that I’m okay about it now, so that’s it.” as catharsis, Aisha details how “music just became a healing process and the whole album’s about coming to terms with those traumatic events that had occurred – and then ultimately turning it into a strength through music. Also, connection to other people and sharing it, I feel, is a form of healing,” she contemplates. “Rather than keeping it in, that’s really tough. For me, other artists who’ve been quite open about their problems have been a huge help because I’ve been like, ‘okay other people have been through stuff like this too.’ Music can be a central hub for people with all sorts of experiences, coming together under this one beautiful umbrella. That might be what the next one’s about.” Talking of how the subject matter came about quite organically, Aisha explains, “I didn’t plan on that happening. Each tune was about a memory. As difficult as it is to write lyrics about difficult stuff, you can arrange and compose the music so that it has a feeling of hopefulness, and that’s how it’s been so healing for me. It’s just nice; the more I sing the tunes, the more it kind of solidifies that I’m okay about it now, so that’s it.”

Throughout the tracks on Chaouche’s album, there’s a vulnerability in the intimate lyrics, but also, simultaneously, an overarching empowerment on show. “It’s empowering,” Aisha affirms, “because it’s about the feeling of being a victim, then creating an environment where you become in control, and the more you can do that, the more beautiful it becomes. It’s turning something that’s really dark and awful into something incredible. It’s tough but it’s worth it.” Having played just a few shows so far, she reflects: “I didn’t actually expect anything to come of the tunes, I just went ‘ah well I need some way of writing the stuff down so I’m just going to do it’ and it happened that people got involved. Now it’s turned into a bit more of a thing, which is really amazing, but I really wasn’t prepared for the live bit,” adding that “it’s difficult but I’m very excited about it.” Chaouche’s live presence is in fact spellbinding, and the perfect way to take in this powerful set of songs. Chaouche’s debut album, Safe, is out on 15th June. She plays the Old Bookshop on the 14th, plus Green Man, 16-19th August.

MODERN RITUALS

he crowd outside The Old Blue Last do not want me to catch up with Harry Fanshawe and Rob Hollamby from Modern Rituals. Over the course of a short interview there are sirens, pushy doormen and multiple people seeking hostels and directions. As we move from pillar to post, dodging punters and picking up band members circling the venue, the guys gamely fill me in on their upcoming release, signing to Holy Roar, and one gory disaster with a dessert.

Grant Bailey

“There was blood everywhere,” bassist Rob states, retelling the events which led up to guitarist, Hef’s short stay in A&E. “I was at Hef’s house, just hanging out, and he pokes his head round the door to ask if anyone fancies some ice cream? Of course we did, we love us some ice cream; so he goes into the kitchen. About a minute later, we hear a scream of pain and a clatter on the floor. I go in to see if he’s alright and when I get there he’s stood over the sink, blood absolutely everywhere. He’d basically been trying to scoop out the ice cream with a ceramic soup spoon and it had shattered completely, going straight into his thumb.” “Yeah he sort of spooned out his own thumb,” Harry says with a chuckle. Clearly a severely spooned digit isn’t ideal for a

guitarist about to record a debut LP. “You can definitely hear the anguish on-record though, so that’s good.” For the uninitiated, Modern Rituals make the kind of racket Swain would muster if they beefed up their low end and took a deeper dive into the existential crises of man in their lyrical content. In one moment earnest punk, the next a heavyhearted, heavier-booted brand of shoegaze (bootgaze?), Modern Rituals are already pushing their sound into darker territory. But with The Light That Leaks In about to drop on Holy Roar Records, this could just be the beginning of the next sonic shift. “We’ve tried to keep it mixed on the new album, with some lighter indie stuff, acoustic tracks too,” Harry says. “Then there’s some doomier, heavier stuff.”

“‘Nebulon’, which is out ahead of the album, is probably the weirdest track on it,” Rob adds. “It’s really heavy. There’s some saxophone on there but then it’s also got its super-poppy moments too. I like to think it sounds like one big, demented circus train ride.” “I mean, Rob’s been on plenty of demented circus train rides in his life, so it makes sense it would find its way into the music eventually!” Harry laughs. As I catch up with Harry and Rob, Modern Rituals are prepping to play their set at the Old Blue Last in Shoreditch. The day before, the band had delivered a triumphant set at The Great Escape Festival in Brighton, playing the Big Break Showcase alongside such bright lights

in the scene as Demob Happy, Pijn and Gender Roles. This is something of a hypebuilding week, then, before a cosy return home to Bristol for an intimate set in the sweaty confines of the Crofters Rights. “I think the most important thing to us was getting The Light That Leaks In out on vinyl, and we’re happy with how they’ve turned out. One pressing looks a lot like a kiwi, which is pleasing!” Harry says. “My girlfriend Jess has helped to sort a lot of the designs, but Archie Fitzgerald, who’s an illustrator in Bristol, has made us a bunch of stuff. It gets pretty full-on but we absolutely love his artwork. It’s cool that we’re able to get so many friends and family members involved in what we do.” Modern Rituals play the Crofters Rights on 23rd June, with their debut out 22nd. 25

New Releases

Records cut, pressed & out this month.

Chaouche Safe Late Night Tales | 15.06

From the first lingering, swirling intonations of Safe, Chaouche purveys a poignant and stunning emotive depth. ‘My Friend’, the opening track of the Bristol-based musician’s powerful debut, proffers cascading piano melodies and a pulsing beats, over which her rich, tender vibrato soars. A record of catharsis and healing, the tracks confront particular memories from Aisha Chaouche’s formative years, and through her 28

music the multi-instrumentalist and producer transforms pain into strength and conveys an overarching sense of serenity. ‘I’ offers celestial, choral incantations, accompanied by pared-down drum beats. ‘I’ll Lose My Head’ again brings this hymnal quality, which Chaouche marries with glistening electronic embellishments. ‘What’s Next?’ introduces wavering, brooding electronica alongside delicate, twinkling instrumentation and echoing vocals that crescendo into a whirring and reverberating discord of sounds. Oscillating with the utmost grace from sparse, enduring moments to denselylayered compositions, Safe is a remarkable debut record of affecting intimacy and richly-textured sonic grandeur that leaves a lasting impression. Kezia Cochrane

SNAIL MAIL LUSH Matador | 08.06

We’ve been spoilt for captivating female solo musicians in the last few years, and Snail Mail is the next to have knocked it out of the park with a debut album. There’s something striking about an eighteen-year-old singing about the disorientating nature of youth, and it’s clear from proper opener, ‘Pristine’ just how good things are going to be. Perhaps the most unsuspecting highlight, though, comes in ‘Let’s Find An Out’, a track which deftly displays both her emotional awareness and sensitive guitar skills. This album makes it hard to believe that Lindsey Jordan has barley left high school, with its irresistible richness and maturity in both sound and spirit. Rhys Buchanan

LET’S EAT GRANDMA I’M ALL EARS Transgressive | 29.06

Jenny Hollingworth and Rosa Walton’s latest album is a neon-highlighted dance record wrapped in a modern teenage nightmare. With a lot of hype under their belts and youth on their side, it’s easy to see I’m All Ears as a coming of age. On single, ‘Falling Into Me’, the simple yet infectious synth hook and lyrics like, “Beating right through the denim/You left a dent in my home screen” paint a picture of walking into the 5am light after leaving a smoke-filled bar. The minimalist piano of ‘Ava’, however, shows range and proves that there are small respites in Let’s Eat Grandma’s glitter-coated trip. Albert Testani

LICE IT ALL WORKED OUT GREAT VOL 1 & VOL 2 Balley | Out Now

Alright, stop, collaborate and listen. LICE have crystallised their weapons-grade satirical art-punk into a double-EP of early-career songs. With strains of The Fall’s Mark E Smith and The Sultans of Ping’s Niall O’Flaherty, Alistair Shuttleworth recites inciteful tales of rancid humanity. Every identifiable boil is lanced. It’s cathartic. ‘Gentlemen’s Magazine’ and ‘Saccharine’ feel like gothic surf-rock. ‘Little John Waynes’ is a slow-grunge, apocalyptic spaghetti Western theme. No-wave jazz cuts through ‘Ted’s Dead’ with a cornet solo from Iceman Furniss. ‘Voyeur Picture Salesman’ is an unlikely homage to George Formby. Who could devise such refined ruffianism? LICE, LICE, baby. Jon Kean 29

ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER AGE OF Warp | 01.06

On Age Of, producer Daniel Lopatin has adopted the baroque electronics of Arca, transplanting the plainsong of Bjork’s protégé from towering cathedral spires to a more forgiving, open-air sound signature. The album breathes deep in this expansive setting. The frantic, cloistered polyrhythms of Garden of Delete are barely used here, replaced with considered, near-acoustic instrumentation and a dominant vocal

presence. Keyboard squalls bow to rounder Hammond sounds, plucked strings and full-bodied drums. And while the opening salvo of ‘Babylon’ and ‘Manifold’ recall the synth edge of fellow soundtracker Disasterpiece, the naturalistic wandering on the remainder of Age Of is new territory for OPN, and could prove divisive. Grant Bailey

PROTOMARTYR CONSOLODATION EP Domino | 15.06

Protomartyr had such momentum after recording the album Relatives in Descent, that they took a weekend jaunt to Kentucky in May 2017 to record the Consolation EP. Considering its name, it’s certainly no runner-up to its longer-playing forbear. With the poetic leanings of The Blue Aeroplanes and a combination of alt- and art-rock, it feels like a restlessly unstable 30

Hold Steady, or an Allen Ginsberg-fronted Pixies. Highlights include Joe Casey and Kelley Deal’s thrillingly sinister duet of “I decide who lives and who dies,” on ‘Wheel of Fortune’, the chant of “Keep me above this filth,” on ‘Wait’ and Alex Leonard’s fevered, tachycardic drum lines. Quite a weekend’s work. Jon Kean

HILARY WOODS COLT Sacred Bones | 08.06

Created as a way to “process and make sense of the everyday,” Hilary Woods’ debut LP Colt flawlessly details the Dublin musician’s personal excursion through the darkest of times. ‘Inhaler’ opens the record beautifully, with a heartbreaking and atmospheric piano track, echoing stories of lost love and grief. Ambient strings and acoustic harmonies lay perfectly alongside Woods’ haunting vocal work, providing an enchanting delicacy to the album. ‘Prodigal Dog’ and ‘Kith’ are meditative and intense, while the prominent electronic beats of ‘Jesus Said’ present an intriguing masterpiece. ‘Black Rainbow’ eventually floats by in an intoxicating dreampop haze, before album closer ‘Limbs’ gently slows the ambient soundscapes to a peaceful halt. Kelly Ronaldson

MODERN RITUALS THE LIGHT THAT LEAKS IN Holy Roar | 22.06

Having recently signed to Holy Roar Records, Bristol-viaLondon quartet, Modern Rituals have certainly done themselves proud on their forthcoming noise-rock debut. Flirting with the sounds of punk and more ambient undertones, the eleven-track album echoes the post-hardcore influences of early Brand New and Touché Amore, particularly throughout ‘Protrusion’. The record’s most significant track is likely recent single, ‘Hermit Kuppling’, providing a brilliant summary of the album as a whole. At this point a welcome grunge vibe kicks things up a notch, building on the band’s earlier releases during ‘Maudlin’ and ‘A Guide for the Sick’, while the acoustic melodies of ‘Combine’ perfectly contrast their traditional lo-fi style. Kelly Ronaldson

BOY AZOOGA 1, 2, KUNG FU! PIAS | 08.06

Quick, sharp and funky from start to finish, 1, 2 Kung Fu! packs a punch. With upbeat, instrumentallyled tracks, flawlessly paired with lead singer Davey Newington’s cool vocals, the album makes for the perfect musical introduction to what this band is all about. It’s erratic, head-boppingly rocky and impossible not to groove to. Stand-out tracks ‘Jerry’ and ‘Waitin’ have a crazy, ethereal, electronic vibe to them, which I’m personally obsessed with, having never heard anything quite like it. Boy Azooga have created something unpredictable and fresh, with each track bringing something different to the table. The result is a wellrounded debut album which is bound to impress this year’s festival crowds. Catrin Bishop

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THEKLA

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FRIDAY 17TH AUGUST

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FANTASTIC NEGRITO

RISING APPALACHIA WEDNESDAY 22ND AUGUST

SUNDAY 10TH JUNE

LAURA VEIRS + AMAROUN

SUNDAY 24TH JUNE

RICHIE KOTZEN

THE REVEREND PEYTON’S BIG DAMN BAND MONDAY 10TH SEPTEMBER

IMARHAN

WEDNESDAY 27TH JUNE

CW STONEKING WEDNESDAY 4TH JULY

ODDISEE & MOONCHILD SATURDAY 7TH JULY

START TO END PERFORM JEFF BUCKLEY: GRACE

THE REZILLOS

+ DEPARTMENT S

MONDAY 17TH SEPTEMBER

CATHERINE MCGRATH MONDAY 24TH SEPTEMBER

THE NIGHT CAFE

+ CHAPPAQUA WRESTLING + PLAZA

MONDAY 9TH JULY

HANS CHEW

FRIDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER

+ AGS CONOLLY

THURSDAY 12TH JULY

LUCKY CHOPS SUNDAY 15TH JULY

GINGER WILDHEART THURSDAY 19TH JULY

THE BARR BROTHERS MONDAY 6TH AUGUST

DEERHOOF TUESDAY 7TH AUGUST

DARLINGSIDE SATURDAY 11TH AUGUST

DAS EFX MONDAY 13TH AUGUST

SLUM VILLAGE

TUESDAY 25TH SEPTEMBER

SPRING KING THURSDAY 27TH SEPTEMBER

TELEMAN SATURDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER

DEFINITELY OASIS THURSDAY 4TH OCTOBER

OKKERVIL RIVER SUNDAY 8TH OCTOBER

HUNTER & THE BEAR TUESDAY 9TH OCTOBER

BOY AZOOGA WEDNESDAY 10TH OCTOBER

POETS OF THE FALL FRIDAY 12TH OCTOBER

GWENNO

+ ADWAITH

TANCRED NIGHT STAND Polyvinyl | 01.06

Moving from atmospheric, dreamy poprock to indie-Americana guitar jams is something former Now, Now guitarist, Jess Abbott has done smoothly as Tancred. Now on her fourth album, these eleven simplyformed tracks feature catchy choruses, perfectly curated for live recall. Reminiscent of classic 00s indie-rock, the guitar riffs surely demonstrate her

background, whilst there is a hint of Australian surf-rock in its feel-good simplicity. While not a groundbreaking record, the lyrics speak of a more vulnerable side to Abbott, with themes of loss, frustration and escapism over guitarfocused melodies. Nightstand places Tancred on an established continuum in the classic American indie-rock sphere. Eloise Davis

MELODY’S ECHO CHAMBER BON VOYAGE Domino | 15.06

Following scrapped recording sessions with her former boyfriend – Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker – and a serious accident that left her hospitalised, Melody Protchet returns with a heady batch of new tunes. ‘Desert Horse’ and ‘Cross My Heart’ show off dizzying instrumental tricks with spiralling synths and twisting riffs, while ‘Breathe In, Breathe Out’ brings a warm 34

lo-fi feel, dipping even into Breeders territory. Mix that with closer ‘Shirim’, that spasms between saccharine guitars and psychedelic grunge, and things don’t get any clearer. Sure it’s not the most consistent record, but it is a cathartic and beautiful comeback. This shapeshifting set of psych-folk-rock gems assures us she hasn’t lost any of her magic. Oliver Evans

YOUTH MAN FIVE SONGS EP Alcopop! | 29.06

This EP is a concentrated musical frenzy that burps up a cascade of attitude, style and catharsis. The duo’s dirty distortion and clattering drums relentlessly rattle along like a punky London version of The Kills, bar an oddly-placed fade on ‘I Don’t Know’, which bucks the flow somewhat. The semi-rhapsodic, narrative singing style and accent cannot help but remind you of Skunk Anansie, but the overall sound is far less anthemic. Its aggressive and at times disjointed rhythms give it a post-hardcore feel, that invites you into a small, grubby venue where it batters the life out of you. Stuart Tidy

LUMP LUMP Dead Oceans | 01.06

LUMP, the project of angelic folkster Laura Marling and experimental producer Mike Lindsay, is a wellconsidered collection of tracks, combining a darker strand of those iconic Marling vocals with ethereal wind instruments and disconcerting yet enchanting melodies. Intricately strung together, the electronic basslines and recurring riffs add a bigger and more ambitious sound to Marling’s former work, with a catchier and more varied version of Lindsay’s. Tracks like ‘Curse of the Contemporary’ and ‘Rolling Thunder’ prove to be intriguing and textured earworms, while lyrically providing ambiguous commentary on 21st century life. The collaboration between two such legendary figures comes with certain expectations, which this record both challenges and supersedes. Eloise Davis

STUART A. STAPLES ARRHYTHMIA City Slang | 15.06

Crafting a 30-minutelong track that takes up one whole side of an album may sound inherently anachronistic in 2018. Nonetheless, Stuart A. Staples has made exactly this move in his latest, Arrhythmia – The Tindersticks vocalist and guitarist’s first solo record in thirteen years. Despite being the closer, the half-hour of ‘Music For A Year In Small Paintings’ defines the landscape of his latest effort: instrumentally-focussed, rarefied, ambient atmospheres, where electric guitars meet vibraphones and a new approach to electronic experimentation. It’s in the first three that Staples’ distinctive voice kicks in, to add depth and darkness to this astounding sonic trip. Guia Cortassa 35

BRISTOL BECAUSE... City chat with our fave people.

Josh Jarman, Co-label Manager breakfastrecords.co.uk fb/breakfastlabel

When did you first move to Bristol? I moved here from the void 27 years ago, when a woman I would later come to know as ‘Mum’ gave birth to me in a house in Redland.

Who’s your top Bristol artist at the moment? You can’t ask us that. That’s like asking a parent to pick their favourite child. Alright, I’ll give it a go. The Ornsteins. Kate Stapley. Slonk. Nicholson Heal. The Naturals. Dogeyed. Iceman Furniss. Pork Pie. Pictures of Belgrade. Jesuits. Radiators. Vinegar. Tropic. Kate Stapley. Kate Stapley. Kate Stapley.

What are your favourite eats around town? Pasta Loco for pasta. Primrose for eggs royale. Swoon for gelato. Also Squeezed do the best burgers I’ve ever eaten in my

life. Munching into one of those badboys is divine intervention.

What’s your favourite thing about the city? Lots of good trees to climb.

And your least favourite? The rise in homelessness, and how little is being done by those with the power to help.

What are you most excited for with Breakfast at the moment? We’re going on tour in June which is pretty bloody exciting. Pretty scary to leave behind the safe confines of Bristol, but we’re stoked to make new friends in Cardiff, London and Brighton. Also we’ve got some killer releases over the next few months from Pork Pie, Langkamer & Nicholson Heal.

Breakfast Records go on tour this month, but don’t fret as they present the Pork Pie EP launch at Bristol’s Hare on the Hill, 30th.

Dear Dick The best bad advice for your musical problems... Dear Dick, The weather is finally getting better and I want to impress people in the park with my musical knowledge…

Chris, Centre

From small talk, to which clothes you’re going to wear, the sky above rules with a wet fist. Enjoying the sun is something none of us here in the UK can handle, which is why we always make ourselves ill with overexposure, ingestion of partially cooked meats and crap lager, like we have only minutes to spare. The humble British park or inner-city green space changes persona when it gets the vitamin D. There is a caste system within every sunny public area, from the twenty-strong group of creative professionals who brought a proper BBQ, alllllll the way down to the topless slackliners and poi twiddlers. The only true way to rattle the status quo is to bring the inside out. I’m talking full hi-fi system, floor-standing speakers, IKEA POANG chairs and your vinyl

collection. Simply pop the casing off your nearest lamppost and trail some heavy duty wiring into the fray and you, along with the rest of the park, can be experiencing the jarring, experimental sounds of Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew in the environment it was supposed to be heard in. Tired of jealous, prying eyes? A simple shed or lean-to takes just a few hours to complete and will keep you and your furniture safe and dry. Ah, to be outdoors.

Do you have a question? Email dick@bristollivemagazine.com