This week brought two records from the Great Pop Supplement stable. An album by The New Lines that is full of superb Stereolab meets Mahogany space pop/rock and a 7” single by the stunningly good By The Sea. Both limited editions of 300 copies, so if you want one get in quick. Also in the mail was a CD by King Krule, aka Zoo Kid, aka Archy Marshall, aka genius. Archy Marshall may be my favourite little discovery of the year. There is something special in his voice, yes, but there is something more that suggests a keen intelligence and a controlled darkness at work. I understand he is a Brit School attendee. This may put some off, but it shouldn’t.
Another CD that arrived for me this week was an unexpected treat. I did not know that there was a new Flare record in the offing, so a promo copy of the Flare Acoustic Arts League caught me slightly (delightedly) off guard. It may be my favourite Flare record yet. If you do not know (and you really should) the key ingredient to Flare is the very wonderful L.D. Beghtol (you have heard him sing on the Magnetic Fields’ 69 Love Songs collection, haven’t you?) surrounded by an assortment of exceptionally talented friends. The sleeve of this ‘Big Top/Encore’ set proclaims ‘no ukes!’ Now I like a little bit of uke as much as the next man (everything in moderation as my favourite auntie used to say... actually she didn’t but why let the truth get in the way of a blog post, right?) but personally I’m all in favour of this uke-free zone. Especially when it delivers treats like ‘Last Clown Standing’ and ‘The Kinetic Family’. There’s even a peachy cover of The Psychedelic Furs’ ‘Yes I Do (merry-Go-Round)’. Out December 5th on the Affairs Of The Heart label.
Finally to literature and a copy of Dave Wallis’ 1964 ‘Only Lovers Left Alive’. I was not aware of this until I noticed a photo of a hardback copy on a friends’ Facebook page. The title immediately struck me as familiar. It was the title of the 2004 album by Soft Set, a group featuring William Crain whose ‘The Sound The Past Makes’ blog I am sure you all subscribe to. As for the book, it seems to be fetching some high prices around the Interwebs but I managed to source this paperback for a bargain. It has taken it’s place on my epic ‘to be read’ pile and I’m looking forward to it enormously. The cover promises a tale of “smashing, looting, kiling, loving - the teenagers take over all Britain”. Sounds familiar, no?
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