Published on
January 19, 2024
Category
Features
Essential weekend listening.
This week’s rundown is by VF’s Kelly Doherty, and contributors Annabelle Van Dort, Emily Hill and James Hammond.
90 Day Men
We Blame Chicago
(Numero Group)
For their latest boxset, Chicago’s Numero Group delves into the discography of a group coded into their hometown’s DNA—Chi-town alternative heroes, 90 Day Men. The 5LP boxset, We Blame Chicago contains the band’s three studio albums, (It (Is) It) Critical Band, To: Everybody, and Panda Park, as well as a 2001 John Peel session and various unreleased singles and outtakes—all remastered by Heba Kadry. Unorthodox and delighting in dissonance, 90 Day Men’s fusion of noise rock, grunge and punk truly captures a piece of the millennial zeitgeist: a disdaining, at times pretentious, expression of an all-encompassing angst.–AVD
Sleater-Kinney
Little Rope
(Loma Vista)
Punk mainstays Sleater-Kinney return for their 11th album, Little Rope. Released in the aftermath of Carrie Brownstein’s mother and step-father’s passing in a car accident, Little Rope is steeped in grief, anger and friction. Developing around an often anthemic post-punk wall of sound, Little Rope reckons with the aftermath of death, surviving in a world filled with pain and the endless graft of enduring one’s own emotions. Sleater-Kinney delicately balance acerbic observations with comforting solidarity on this excellent showing.–KD
Donnie Sanders
Shing-A-Ling Baby
(Tramp Records)
Tramp Records brings two Midwestern rarities to light on their latest 7”, delivering a dose of psychedelic, funky heat from Donnie Sanders. The A-side “Shing-A-Ling Baby” is an incendiary dance-floor bomb, complete with fuzzed-out guitar solos and soaring saxophone. On the flip, the previously unreleased “Naptown USA”, is a piece of swinging soul jazz, full of organ-heavy grooves that are sure to get people moving.–AVD
33EMYBW
Holes of Sinian
(SVBKVLT)
For those who missed this record the first time around at the end of last year, please allow me to introduce 33EMYBW. An extraordinary contemporary artist making some of the most forward-thinking music coming out of China, their sound exists in its own sphere–a carefully curated fresh perspective on club and electronic music. Holes of Sinian is their highly anticipated fourth album via Manchester’s SVBKVLT and includes features from the likes of Batu, Marina Herlop and many more.–EH
Alex Deforce & Charlotte Jacobs
Kwart Voor Stracks
(Stroom)
This debut release from Alex DeForce and Charlotte Jacobs combines spoken word and electronics as the duo drink from both pop and experimental streams. A collaborative effort that places poetry at its core, Kwart Voor Straks builds up a shared language of slippage and interplay that looks to the illusive nature of voice. Using fragmented interplay to build up distinct forms, this one brings out some unusual hues as it goes.–JH
Daniel Johnston
Alive In New York City
(Joyful Noise Recordings)
Capturing a full 2000 live performance by the late singer-songwriter Daniel Johnston, Alive In New York City is a rare glimpse at the warm, familiar live presence of a truly special artist. The “unedited, unaltered” performance is accompanied by a street interview with Johnston and features two previously unreleased cuts–”Memory of Love” and “Super Love”. One for the Johnston-devoted. –KD
Horacio Vaggione
Schall / Rechant
(Recollection GRM)
The Recollection GRM series continues with a set that looks at four electroacoustic works by Argentinian composer Horacio Vaggione. An innovator who has long looked into the possibilities of computer-processed sound, Vaggione’s work abounds in striking textures and the ability to push acoustic recordings into new forms. Featuring works from the ’90s and the 2000s, piano, drums, woodwind and strings all meet Vaggione’s sonic scalpel and reduction techniques. A very worthwhile listen for lovers of experimental music.–JH
The Exaltics
It Never Ends
(Repetitive Rhythm Research)
2024 opens with some hard-hitting techno from the Repetitive Rhythm Research imprint and The Exaltics aka Robert Heise. The Exaltics, whose dancefloor bending productions have been played across the underground for the last 20 years, has built an impressive career with releases on Clone, Bunker and Creme Organisation. The latest edition to his catalogue, It Never Ends comprises four analogue warehouse-orientated techno cuts, designed to be played in the darkest grungiest spaces.–EH
