Juno Recommends Rock / Indie / Folk / Metal / Punk / 50s / 60s February 2021

Review: To say that Drunk Tank Pink is a step in a different direction for South London pack Shame would be as misleading as mentioning how the record is a surprisingly quiet outing for a group that only ever had one foot in the 'post' bit of 'post punk'. Nevertheless, it is an altogether more thoughtful and weirdly delicate affair compared to previous outings, like thugs revealing themselves as easily bruised.

'Water In The Well', 'Great Dog' and 'Alphabet' offer some counterpoints - raucous, pulsating and sweat-soaked in equal measure. But on the whole this is as much about vulnerabilities as it is raw knee-jerk emotions. File next to, or at least in the vicinity of, Killing Joke and PiL, but expect a few shades of early Talking Heads and you won't go far wrong.

Review: It has been said that Slowdive's 5 EP is unlike anything else the band had done by this point in their journey - circa 1993 - and unlike anything they would go on to release. A four-tracker that's largely instrumental, it's arguably their closest venture into full-blown electronica, and given it doesn't sound too far from some of the choral-infused ambient on the release schedule today it's safe to say they pulled the idea off.

Of course it's still Slowdive, masters of shoegaze, and so despite clear differences compared with preceding work and all that followed, there are hallmarks of the band everywhere. Opener 'In Mind' provides a great example of the grand yet quiet atmospheres they're best known for, painting fantastical, emotionally enchanting pictures only visible through your third eye.

Review: It has been said before that Polly Jean Harvey's 1998 album, Is This Desire, marked a watershed moment in her career. A veritable coming of age record that failed to match the commercial heights of To Bring You My Love, but was actually a far more complete and personal thing. Less angry than preceding efforts, it painted a more balanced and accurate portrait of an artist whose formative years were pockmarked with media analysis and criticism of her visible powerful attributes - sexuality and fury.

Coupled with the fact that Harvey has never been one to pander to scenes in the hope of top ten chart success, and you can only imagine how happy she was with the finished product. And all this is before we start banging on about the musicality, from title track's subtle, hushed baritone blues to the garage rock-out of 'A Perfect Day Elise'.

Review: In October 1996, Neil and Pegi Young's Bridge School Benefit concert series was 10 years old and to make the occasion there was a super star studded line up. Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Pearl Jam, Billy Idol, Patti Smith, Pete Townshend, Bonnie Raitt and Cowboy Junkies all played, as did a certain David Bowie. They all played acoustic sets taken from the David Bowie back catalogue and an impromptu version of the Coasters' 'I'm A Hog For You Baby' also feature to a great reception. For the first time ever this is now all featured on vinyl.

Review: 'Christine' was the opening track on The House of Love's debut self titled album on Creation back in 1988. It was the single whose sound went on to define the style of the band and reached number 4 in the indie charts. Melody Maker were big fans of the tune's shimmering reverbed romance and the doom mood still manages to glow warm with a certain sense of love, while it also picked up the NME Award for Best Single. All the other tunes from the original 12" single are included here with a new picture sleeve for the first time.

Review: If you've ever examined King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard's back catalogue, the fact they've only been active as a band for eight years might surprise. Releasing an average of two full length records every 12 months since 2012, the fact each of those LPs showcases different, new and often daring sides to the outfit is probably even more reasons to stand up and take notice.

Fittingly, KG, which was first unveiled in November 2020 and now sees a special edition land on the proverbial plate, is laden with surprises - it really just depends with which side of the Gizzard you're already familiar with. 'Automation' sees the Australian group call on their heavy metal and progressive rock roots. 'K.G.L.W.' sounds like it might steal you away to a woodland lute performance. 'Honey' is a garage-y slice of primo rock 'n' folk. 'Intrasport' is like (wait for it) Eastern-hued synth pop.

Review: Should you be able to find original copies of the two dusty-fingered classics featured on this "45", your bank balance was be significantly smaller. Of course, just because something is rare and expensive doesn't make it good, but Jimmy Thomas's 1969 cut 'Springtime' is genuinely brilliant. Released when funk-rock was arguably at its height, it sees the legendary soul man belting out Alan de Roches' lyrics over a Hammond-heavy fusion of soul, funk and Hendrix-style heavy rock. This time round, it comes backed with a relatively hard to find - on vinyl, at least- chunk of reggae/soul/rhythm & blues from iconic Jamaican singer Owen Grey. It's superb, of course, but we still prefer the incendiary A-side.

Review: It's five from five for Still Corners, whose sumptuous and dreamy take on retro guitar pop has never sounded so enticing or alluring. Opening with a title number that feels like Americana has spilled into art rock, to say The Last Exit grabs your attention from the off would be an understatement.

Of course it's hard to deny that 'White Sands' is the real trophy piece here, not that the other nine tracks we have yet to mention aren't also worth their weight in decency. Sounding a little like some lost Fleetwood Mac treasure, it's a propellant but trippy synth rock workout that's crying out to be heard on a late night dancefloor - where it's destined to do something special. An exceptional song on a LP that more than lives up to our high expectations of the band in question.

Review: Fans of Polly Jean Harvey have been spoiled of late, with the West Country singer-songwriter not only offering up remastered and expanded editions of many of her solo albums, but also partner albums of previously unheard demo recordings. The latest set to get this treatment is 2000's Mercury Music Prize-winning Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea, an album that many critics believe is the lauded artist's greatest single work. This 'demo' version is as stripped back and impactful as you'd expect, with Harvey, accompanied by little more than an acoustic or electric guitar, delivering pleasingly sparse, stripped-back versions of now-familiar songs. Presented in 'in progress' form like this, the quality of Harvey's songs - and her lyrics in particular - really shines through.

Review: Cherrystones is Gareth Goddard, a well regarded DJ, producer and archivist. Here he is back in control of a Critical Mass as he selects another selection of superb music from the worlds of synth, indie, wave and more. He is one of NTS's longest standing hosts and someone who has an enviable collection of records. It's been five years since the first volume of this series but it was work the wait - the 18 tracks explore every facet of the post punk and new wave era. From the Netherlands to Italy, England to Belgium, this is outer music that is also accessible and danceable.
It's a real education from one of the best musical teachers out there.

Review: "This is bound to blow the mind of any genre fan, as it delivers on all the key areas and has no obvious weaknesses." Or so says the late-Patrick Lundborg, The Acid Archives author and preeminent historian of psychedelic music and culture, about this mythical and (until now at least) extremely unavailable album, the origins of which have been open to speculation since it first surfaced as a demo in the 1960s.

Now confirmed as members of the iconic outfit Wrecking Crew, alongside Pete Jolly, Lincoln Mayorga, and John Guerin (who would go on to be in Byrds), the dream team was assembled by Grammy-winning composer Allyn Ferguson, and the result is every bit as impressive as Lundborg claimed. 12 tracks that define surreal sunshine pop and lyte psych, this is the first time it has been commercially sold and the smart money is on these copies disappearing fast.

Review: The Stones Roses endure as a popular indie band decades after they were really relevant. Some of their biggest moments were all touched up by a selection of remixes who were at least loosely associated with early acid house, baggy and the indie dance cross over of the same period. 808 State go first and flip 'Made of Stone' into an electric big of indie-techno. Grooverider flips the most iconic of them all, 'Fools Gold', into a low riding breakbeat roller while Paul Oakenfold & Steve Osborne's Verizon of 'Waterfall' leaves al the glorious tumbling guitar melodies intact and beefs up the beats.

Review: Goat Girl's self-titled 2018 debut album won plenty of plaudits for its mix of raucous, punky energy, confrontational lyrics and subtle nods towards everyone from Tom Waits and Nick Cave, to the Libertines and LA punk pioneers Gun Club. The all-female four-piece's cheekily titled follow-up, On All Fours, naturally retains some of these sonic ticks, but for the most part it's a rather different beast than its predecessor. For starters, its' a little more mature and complex lyirically, offering some kind of solutions to the issues they previously ranted about, while the music pairs gritty guitars and more complex vocal arrangements with spiralling synth sounds and dusty, analogue drum machine rhythms.

Review: There's always an awful lot to talk about with Beck - an American rock icon whose enigmatic character is defined by the fact labels like 'American rock icon' are way too simplistic. Hyperspace couldn't be a more useful example, a record that turns its attention to a sci-fi R&B pop sound that's an immediate giveaway of Pharrell Williams' involvement as producer on more than half the album.

All of which would be jarring if this weren't Beck, a proper shapeshifter. Pulling it off with far more than aplomb implies, it's a warm, sexy evening ride through the e-funked up streets of LA on a warm night exceptionally juxtaposed with a lyrical flavour that's sorrowful and reflective, the product of both the artist's failing relationship at the time of writing and his well-documented understanding of the human condition.