Dodson & Fogg "Sounds of Day & Night" Review

Reviewed by Nathan Ford

With three full length albums in twelve months you'd expect the quality control to be slipping somewhat, but "Sounds of Day & Night" may well be Dodson & Fogg's most distinctive and well defined album yet.
Not, as the name may suggest, the work of time travelling Dickensian attorneys, Dodson & Fogg is in fact the solo project of writer, musician and general dabbler in things of interest Chris Wade.
A prolific home-recorder with an aesthetic that fully embraces early seventies style folk rock in it's more esoteric forms, Wade seems to have an uncanny knack for plucking classic sounding songs from nowhere - one suspects a midnight visit to some songwriting crossroads in his recent past.
"Sounds of Day & Night" sees Wade heading in a more psychedelic direction than previous outings, particularly on the two-part instrumental title track which is all joss-sticks and free love - a dangerous combo, but in this case falling squarely on the Haight-Ashbury side of the fence rather than the less desirable and more frequented Austin Powers side. "Free in the Night" explores similarly trippy material with aplomb.
And for those afraid of it all getting a bit far out (how did you find your way here?), there's still a strong folk element to be found on the majority of the vocal material, although Wade also shows a surprising tendency to let rip with outrageous, air-guitar manifesting guitar solos during a number of these tracks so consider yourself warned.
"Sounds of Day & Night" is an impressive package, with Wade playing everything bar trumpet (previous albums have featured guest turns from members of Hawkwind, Trees and Mellow Candle), and diversifying nicely. Where previously he's sounded like he's paying impressive tribute to a bygone era, "Sounds of Day & Night" shows an increased confidence on Wade's part and sees him developing an individualistic voice of his own that transcends influences and eras.

Available digitally below or on CD here :

New Roy Harper Album "Man And Myth"

Roy Harper has a new album, Man And Myth due to be released by Bella Union on September 23.

The track listing for Man And Myth is:

1. The Enemy
2. Time Is Temporary
3. January Man
4. The Stranger
5. Cloud Cuckooland
6. Heaven Is Here
7. The Exile

Four tracks were recorded with Jonathan Wilson at his studio in Laurel Canyon; the remaining three were recorded in County Cork.

Pete Townshend also guests on one track.

Fuchsia "From Psychedelia....To a Distant Place" Review

Reviewed by Nathan Ford

I love unexpected additions to musical legacies that we'd all assumed the book had been closed on. There's been a few of them of late (Comus and the Strawberry Alarm Clock spring to mind straight away), and while   approaching those particular albums with a 'forgiving' mindset allowed the most enjoyment to be had (voice's invariably having acquired the rugged timber that you wish the shiny, contemporary production values had instead), it's refreshing to report that at least one such album can be approached with the critical knives unsheathed and come away pretty much unscathed.
In 1972 Fuchsia released a debut album of progressive folk rock music that lay somewhere between the likes of Comus and the Principal Edwards Magic Theatre. It was a marvelous LP, and it sold bugger all. So is born the stuff of legends, and over the years "Fuchsia" acquired a rabid following and a solid reputation that didn't diminish (unlike many other albums of the same era) when bootleg copies became more widespread with the advent of file sharing. Now, forty one years later, and in a move that makes "The Chinese Democracy" look like a rush job ( instead of just sounding like one) comes the official follow up, and against all odds "From Psychedelia....To a Distant Place" is a top, top listen.
Those expecting an album with a similarly vintage sound as the original are setting themselves up for disappointment, as Tony Durant and his new band show no signs of retreading former glories, as should be apparent by the album's title. Durant's songwriting and arranging skills have evolved considerably over the past forty odd years, and while there's still a noticeable progressive edge to these songs, they're more immediately engaging than the songs on the debut (which could take a little adjusting to), and the lush production is very much now, rather than then.
Durant's voice has aged gracefully, at times sounding a little like Luke Haines, and the way it weaves in and out of the intricate string arrangement on "Fuchsia Song" is pretty lovely, and those string arrangements that made the first album so special are very much in evidence here too, with a degree of added sophistication and drama on "Girl From Kandahar" in particular.
The high quality is maintained throughout, with uniformly strong songwriting and excellent performances.
Great stuff then - a more consistently engaging, and daring record than we had any right to hope for, and an unexpected late addition that enhances rather than tarnishes this particular legacy.

Follow Fuchsia on Facebook here : https://www.facebook.com/Fuchsiamusic

Keep an eye out for an interview with Tony in these pages in the next few days.

Stream the album or download below:

Beaulieu Porch 7" Kickstarter

Attention friends!
Your friend and mine, Mr Simon Berry of the unpronounceable, unspellable Porch has started a Kickstarter campaign to get his latest 7" pressed on vinyl, and anyone who's heard his music would agree I'm sure that music this psychedelic should not be constrained to mere digital formats.
The 7" will contain a new, even more psychedelicized mix of "The View from Gainsborough" replete with backwards guitars and all sorts of other tomfoolery, with "Of Particles" featured on the b-side.



Visit : http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1653474601/beaulieu-porch-7-vinyl-single to hear more from Simon about the 7" and to find out how you can help. Simon needs to raise £650 in total to make this happen.

Land Equivalents "Good Morning" Review

Reviewed by Nathan Ford

I always check the track lengths when preparing to listen to a drummer's album for the first time, anticipating the mammoth drum solo they're inevitably vetoed out of when working with others.
"Good Morning"s final track "The Programme Occurs After This Utterance"s running time of 9.07 did little to dispel a mounting sense of trepidation, but lets look at the facts before we panic shall we?
Jim Musgrave's inventive skin pounding on Belbury Poly's last LP "The Belbury Tales" doesn't exactly suggest that there's a "Toad" lurking within and biding it's time. Further investigation also reveals an extensive back catalogue of synth-laden prog / library / psychedelic treasures to Musgrave's credit, so with fears partly abated I dive in and am pretty much immediately hit by the unexpected, in the form of a ridiculously funky, cratedigger's dream of a drum break, coupled with some lush, clean chorus laden guitars plucked seemingly straight from some unknown early nineties showgaze also-ran. So much for judging a book by it's cover.
Over the course of these four tracks Musgrave delves into all sorts of territory, with an emphasis on synths of the most deliciously vintage variety, with unceasingly inventive backing - all provided by Jim himself.
This sort of stuff certainly has the potential to collapse under the weight of it's own earnestness if not done well, but there's a playful sense of good humour at play here that's impossible to resist (particularly on "Burton's Nap"), and that epic final track turns out to be a bit of a gem, with a lovely, early eighties BBC Radiophonic melody line dripping with melancholy, with not a second wasted.
Due for discovery, this chap.

The Active Listener's Top 30 Albums of 2013 (so far...)

We're halfway through the year now, so it's time to take a look at just what a cracker of a year it's been so far with the Active Listener's Top 30 albums of th year up until this point. It's unashamedly to my own tastes, so it's very psych heavy, but then you'd expect that wouldn't you?

Let's get started shall we?

30. Beaulieu Porch "We Are Beautiful"
"If you wish that the Beatles had spent a little more time cavorting around the countryside in a garishly painted bus and climbing trees with silly woolen hats on instead of getting all beardy, serious and hateful on each other, then this is the album for you." (Full Review)

29. The Phoenix Foundation "Fandango"
"Textural and spacious with lush keyboard vistas that make this often sound like the bastard son of Neu and Wilco."

28. Electric Eye "Pick-up Lift-off Space-Time"
"Some of the most palatable servings of space rock that I've come across in many a year. There are many touchstones for their sound - the Verve's early E.Ps, Pompeii era Pink Floyd and Krautrock of the more organic type all come to mind immediately" (Full Review)

27. Buried Feather "Buried Feather"
"Mixing the strict Motorik tempos of Neu with droning Spiritualized style space rock, huge, sludgy guitar breaks and plenty of moody proggish keyboard work. A slowburning intensity that's hypnotic, and awash with a beautiful dreamy psychedelia."

26. Follakzoid "2"
"If you've ever wondered how Neu and Hawkwind would coexist in a musical partnership then this'll allow you to move on and find something new to ponder" (Full Review)

25. Gravy's Drop "Gumball"
"Studying Rock n Roll 101? Look no further - here is your musical textbook, study hard." (Full Review)

24. The Soulless Party "Tales from the Black Meadow"
"Blissful nostalgia with a nagging sense of trepidation lurking just below the surface." (Full Review)

23. Boards of Canada "Tomorrow's Harvest"
Not Reviewed on the Active Listener.

22. Me & My Kites "Like a Dream Back Then"
"Well crafted psych folk - everything melts together, forming a lovely soundscape that you keep wanting to return to." (Full Review)

21. The Holydrug Couple "Noctuary"
""Noctuary" is quickly becoming one of my most played albums of the year, with it's hazy, trippy textures seeming to resonate with pretty much whatever mood I'm in." (Full Review)

20. Re-Evolution FDM Sings the Hollies
"A consistently adventurous and entertaining listen (it helps that the source material is psych-pop of the highest order), with very few acts taking the safe route, and the bigger the risks taken, the higher the dividends paid." (Full Review)

19. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds "Push The Sky Away"
Not reviewed on the Active Listener.

18. Suede "Bloodsports"
Not reviewed on the Active Listener.

17. Elephant Stone "Elephant Stone"
"Sitar-heavy riffing and chiming Rickenbackers, all filtered through a glorious paisley drone." (Full Review)

16. Broadcast "Berberian Sound Studio"
"Throbbing synths, tinkling Goblinesque tubular bells and rambling treated demonic voices represent the creep-factor, but there's plenty of beauty to be found too" (Full Review)

15. Cafe Kaput "Applied Music Vol. 1 - Science & Nature"
"A more direct and user friendly album than the majority of Library Music albums that it's influenced by, and an ideal gateway album for those keen to dabble in the genre." (Full Review)

14. Maston "Shadows"
"Sunny baroque psychedelia - Van Dyke Parks, Brian Wilson, a bit of Macca all shot through a woozy cinematic filter which is equal parts Morricone and David Lynch." (Full Review)

13. The Blank Tapes "Vacation"
"A surprisingly diverse cross section of songs, and some irresistible three part harmonies (four part when I'm on song) makes this the most accessible, charming set of feel good indie pop you're likely to hear this year." (Full Review)

12. The Freezing Hands "The Freezing Hands"
"Everything a good, scratch that, great rock n roll album should be; raucous, reverential, irreverent and silly and full of cracking, great tunes" (Full Review)

11. Wolf People "Fain"
"The guitars are louder, and fuzzier than ever and the drums are alternately funkier and heavier than on previous outtings." (Full Review)

10. Jacco Gardner "Cabinet of Curiosities"
"Jacco has a bright future with an appeal that extends far beyond that of the majority of his peers - niche music with a mainstream appeal." (Full Review)

9. Perhapst "Revise Your Maps"
"A varied mixture of influences for an album that doesn't try to conform to any one genre's standards, but observes a wider picture that encapsulates powerpop, psychedelia, americana and a whole lot of jangle among other things." (Full Review)

8. Ian Skelly "Cut From a Star"
"An amazing record, particularly for those looking to step into a time machine and take it back to the heyday of breezy psych pop." (Full Review)

7. David Bowie "The Next Day"
"A totally unexpected bonus, and a continuation of a renaissance that we'd all assumed was over." (Full Review)

6. Foxygen "We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic"
"Never a dull moment and many of these moments are inspired, this is one of the most melodically gifted and cleverly crafted albums I've heard this year so far." (Full Review)

5. Neil's Children "Dimly Lit"
"the dominant flavor is distinctly lysergic, although with a suggestion of something more cinematic and panoramic than most new bands can muster." (Full Review)

4. The Greek Theatre "Lost Out at Sea"
"something of an understated masterpiece, a record with forebears in albums like Gene Clark's solo debut and David Crosby and Graham Nash's early solo albums - overshadowed albums that will never be as famous as they deserve to be but are nonetheless cherished by those with a more adventurous disposition." (Full Review)

3. Jon Brooks "Shapwick"
"an album removed from time, that could have been composed at any time in the last hundred years without sounding like it belongs to any specific era." (Full Review)

2. The Go "Fiesta"
"An impressively diverse set of vintage psychedelia and powerpop with surprises around every corner, choruses that will floor you, and a production sound to die for"

1. Soft Hearted Scientists "False Lights"
"The Scientist's ability to switch from whimsical good humor to the beautifully dark melancholy of the flawless "Golgotha" at the drop of a hat is their biggest drawcard." (Full Review)

Looking forward to seeing what the second half of the year brings our way.....

New Album & Single from the Sufis!

Here's some exciting news - one of the Active Listener's very favorite acts, The Sufis have announced their second LP will be released in August. Talk about sneaky.
The new album will be titled "Inventions" and will be a co-release of Ample Play and Burger Records.
Inventions Tracklisting

01. All of the Time
02. Most Peculiar Happening Cat
03. She Said to Me
04. I’ll Come to See You
05. Turn Around
06. The End
07. Alone
08. No Expression
09. Gotta Get Away
10. Wallflower
11. Nothing More to Say
12. Washed Away

"Inventions" will be released  5 August (vinyl is a Burger & Ample Play release, CD & download Ample Play)
Single "No Expression / Alone" out 29 July
Preview "No Expression / Alone" right here :

 

Magic Arm "Images Rolling" Review

Reviewed by Nathan Ford

It's discovering albums like "Images Rolling" that helps me justify the amount of time I spend online instead of doing something practical like building a birdfeeder.
An offhand mention from someone I've never actually met over social media (a promise of psych-pop and comparisons to the Fleet Foxes and Midlake were the attention grabbing elements), and a day later I'm listening to "Images Rolling", an album that can be described conservatively as glorious, and one that I'd almost surely have never heard of otherwise. And there I was thinking that the internet was all about cat pictures.
Magic Arm is the nom de plume of Manchestrian (possibly not a real word) Marc Rigelsford and "Images Rolling" is his second album. Now, I'm a Rigelsford newbie, but the word is that his debut had more of an electronic edge to it. If that be the case he's stretched his wings a lot in the last four years, mastering an array of instruments accumulated from various acquaintances and turning part of the derelict house he lives in into some sort of magical, studio wonderland. The sound of "Images Rolling" is acutely informed by the environment of this house, with Rigelsford admitting to experimenting studiously with recording in different parts of the house before actual recording started, and the natural warmth on display here shows that it was time well spent.
From lead off single "Put Your Collar Up"s melancholy strings, through the kaleidoscopic, Caribou-esque psych-pop of "Warning Sign" these are articulate, lucid songs with Rigelsford providing the most sensitive of production, and playing everything bar violin and trumpet himself, belying the fact that he often sounds like he's directing a small orchestra.
Iron & Wine's Sam Beam, and Grizzly Bear's Ed Droste are fans, and it's easy to see why. "Images Rolling" is the sort of habit-forming album that quietly and confidently slips into your life, with songs like "Great Life" toeing the line perfectly between universal appeal, and a directness that suggests a one on one dialogue between artist and listener.
A quiet triumph, and a given for best of the year lists.

Available through the Bandcamp widget below on vinyl, CD or as a download.

Ghost Box News - John Foxx and Belbury Poly EP, New Study Series 7", Advisory Circle Mix for Fangoria.

Lots of exciting Ghost Box Related News.

Firstly as I'm sure you're probably aware the latest in their series of Study Series 7" releases is now available from the Ghost Box shop (here), and features Listening Center and the ever popular Pye Corner Audio.

Next up Jon Brooks aka The Advisory Circle (him again?) has put together a special public information film-inspired mix for FANGORIA.COM, to coincide with an interview with director John Krish on his 1977 railway shocker THE FINISHING LINE.
It's as fabulous as you'd expect and can be streamed here :

The Advisory Circle: PIF Mixtape for FANGORIA by Kier-La Janisse on Mixcloud

Lastly Jim Jupp has announced that September will see the release of "Empty Avenues", a collaborative E.P from John Foxx and Belbury Poly.
More info soon, but for now here's the cover:

Reviews - Arcazas & Vintage Cucumber, The Wax Collection, TJ Porter, Asteroid #4, Tales of Murder & Dust

ARCAZAS & VINTAGE CUCUMBER - SPLIT E.P
I love the way the internet has made it so easy for likeminded souls to meet and work together musically. Brazil's Felipe Arcazas and Germany's Johannes Schulz may have never physically been in the same room together, but that hasn't stopped them from making sweet, sweet music together. As a follower of both of these artists on their solo paths, I can happily report that this is the best project either artist has been involved with so far. With three tracks apiece and one track attributed to them together, this is a beautiful piece of work combining Schulz's trippy, spacy excursions with Arcazas' relaxed desert stonerisms. Both have a pleasingly vintage sound that gels easily and reaches it's apex on the collaborative track "Asa Vadja". Here's hoping these guys work together more. And that cover - wow.
Available as a name your price download here.
Listen here
THE WAX COLLECTION - BEFORE THEY TURN TO DUST
With a full length album in the works on Howling Rhythm Records, the lads of the Wax Collection decided to let loose this set of demos recorded in their kitchen. As lo-fi as that sounds, let's not forget that Bert Jansch's debut was recorded in a kitchen and that doesn't sound half bad at all does it? Same goes for these six surprisingly well recorded demo tracks which are charmingly ramshackle, full of surprises, and most importantly, top tunes. Form an orderly queue if you're in the market for some lovingly crafted, vintage English pop / rock with some nice psychedelic touches (check out the lovely backwards guitars on "The Moon").
Looking forward to more of this.
Available as a name your price download here.
Listen here
 
TJ PORTER - ALL THAT REMAINS
This gent is a mysterious individual with a sparse internet presence (just a bandcamp and soundcloud page that I could find), and a biography that reveals little save that he's a Canadian who lives in Istanbul.
"All That Remains" is his third E.P and is pure Berlin School synth wonder. Four long tracks with a flawless vintage sound that unwind at a leisurely pace, bringing to mind Tangerine Dream's more accessible late seventies outings, with just a touch of Jean Michel Jarre's melodic sensibilities.
Impeccable attention to detail, and top stuff in my book.
Available as a name your price download here.
Listen here
 
THE ASTEROID#4 - THE WINDMILL OF THE AUTUMN SKY
Following on from their jaw-droppingly good collaborative effort with Kaleidoscope's Peter Daltrey (investigate here), the long lived and consistently innovative Asteroid #4 are back with their own E.P, and "Windmill of the Autumn Sky" is one of their best yet.
They've come a long way since their neo-psychedelic roots, still openly embracing psychedelia as part of a wider picture that is more cosmic american than anything else.
"Rifles and Knives" displays their diversity best, starting off sounding like Donovan's "Atlantis", before a high lonesome steel guitar enters the fray where it's eventually hijacked by a bridge section that sounds like an underwater carnival.
Consistently, predictably great.
Available to download here.
Listen here
  
TALES OF MURDER & DUST - SKELETON FLOWERS
Danish dark psychedelicists Tales of Murder & Dust fully embrace the furious shoegaze squall which has lurked within their previous recordings for their new E.P, without sacrificing any of the psychedelic drone we loved earlier on.
Offering a fresh new take on a sound that is part Jesus and Mary Chain and part Velvet Underground, "Skeleton Flowers" is an apt title for an E.P that offers moments of entrancing beauty beside moments of terrifying garage clamour.
"Like Young Gentle Beasts" stretches out to the band's potential most fully, with a cinematic splendor that evokes Morricone and Verve (before they added the definitive article) with glorious vocal harmonies, and langorous, otherworldly guitar leads.
Lovely.
Available as a name your price download here.
Listen here