Photo: Raphaël Irié
New year, same old me, the first instalment of REMY's monthly round-up of new album releases is here, for January 2019, traditionally a quiet month, but thankfully there are some very strong and most interesting LP's coming out over the next couple of weeks.
I'm tickled pink by the singles I've heard thus far courtesy of Amsterdam indie-pop trio fronted by Marina Tadic, Eerie Wanda, from forthcoming sophomore album Pet Town. Single 'Sleepy Eyes' was / is my first internal music euphoria of the year, I can't wait to buy this album, fingers crossed they will conjure up an Irish date in 2019 (puhlease!).
New Jersey indie rock act Sharon Van Etten's sixth studio album, Remind Me Tomorrow releases on the 18th of this month, with a Dublin date fixed for the 29th of March in Vicar Street. My first introduction to Van Etten's music was 2012's Tramp, and I've had a keen interest in her music since, thus far she's released three singles from the album with 'Jupiter 4' grabbing me the most.
Another band from the turn of the decade I got into was South Carolina chillwave act Toro Y Moi, whose 2011 banger Underneath the Pine was brim full of gleeful psychedelic pop moments such as 'New Beat' and 'Good Hold'. He's back now with his 7th album, Outer Peace, and I'm digging single 'Innerpeace' bigly right now, especially the faux-vocalised stammer.
Washington's Eva Moolchan performs as Sneaks, loosely described as minimal synth, there are strong dub overtones to single 'Hong Kong to Amsterdam' from her third album Highway Hypnosis. The track is a most welcome bunch of knuckles in the jaw, and that (very) mini Talking Heads' plonk at 1:21 is magical.
If like me you draw great comfort and enjoyment from the spaced-out acoustic psychedelia of the 60's and early 70's, you'll love Brooklyn-based contemporary folk act Steve Gunn's new album The Unseen in Between, track 'New Moon' shimmers and wobbles with a glod warmth that echoes The Velvet Underground & Nico / Nick Drake.
I'm tickled pink by the singles I've heard thus far courtesy of Amsterdam indie-pop trio fronted by Marina Tadic, Eerie Wanda, from forthcoming sophomore album Pet Town. Single 'Sleepy Eyes' was / is my first internal music euphoria of the year, I can't wait to buy this album, fingers crossed they will conjure up an Irish date in 2019 (puhlease!).
New Jersey indie rock act Sharon Van Etten's sixth studio album, Remind Me Tomorrow releases on the 18th of this month, with a Dublin date fixed for the 29th of March in Vicar Street. My first introduction to Van Etten's music was 2012's Tramp, and I've had a keen interest in her music since, thus far she's released three singles from the album with 'Jupiter 4' grabbing me the most.
Another band from the turn of the decade I got into was South Carolina chillwave act Toro Y Moi, whose 2011 banger Underneath the Pine was brim full of gleeful psychedelic pop moments such as 'New Beat' and 'Good Hold'. He's back now with his 7th album, Outer Peace, and I'm digging single 'Innerpeace' bigly right now, especially the faux-vocalised stammer.
Washington's Eva Moolchan performs as Sneaks, loosely described as minimal synth, there are strong dub overtones to single 'Hong Kong to Amsterdam' from her third album Highway Hypnosis. The track is a most welcome bunch of knuckles in the jaw, and that (very) mini Talking Heads' plonk at 1:21 is magical.
If like me you draw great comfort and enjoyment from the spaced-out acoustic psychedelia of the 60's and early 70's, you'll love Brooklyn-based contemporary folk act Steve Gunn's new album The Unseen in Between, track 'New Moon' shimmers and wobbles with a glod warmth that echoes The Velvet Underground & Nico / Nick Drake.
For me personally, few things touch the soul in a more powerful manner than solo piano with no vocals, Keith Jarrett and Haushcka spring to mind, their styles are very contrasting, and so too is that of Naples composer and multi-instrumentalist Bruno Bavota. I'm easily lost in his single 'The Night Of' from new album Re_Cordis, it's surprisingly short for a piano piece coming in at just over three minutes, but the duality of tenderness and impact are delivered with ease within this timeframe nonetheless. Molto, molto bene.
Two other albums that piqued my interest come courtesy of the Sufjan Stevens meets Justin Vernon LP Tomb from Angelo De Augustine, single 'Somewhere Far Away From Home' also channels snippets of Elton John's 'Tiny Dancer', atmospheric lo-fi indie from the L.A. act. There's a bit of a stir being caused by abstract hip-hop solo artist Malibu Ken ahead of the release of his debut self-titled album, here we feature single 'Acid King', thick morphing beats and twisting warped effects provide the bedrock to this hip-hop, well, trip!
18th January:
Bruno Bavota - Re_Cord
Malibu Ken - Malibu Ken
Sharon Van Etten - Remind Me Tomorrow
Steve Gunn - The Unseen in Between
Toro Y Moi - Outer Peace
Angelo De Augustine - Tomb
25th January:
Eerie Wanda - Pet Town
Sneaks - Highway Hypnosis
Other artists of note with album releases in January include: Deerhunter, Maggie Rogers, The Dandy Warhols.
