Rock / Indie / Folk / Metal / Punk / 50s / 60s Recommendations October 2016

Review: This Californian foursome have always been possessed of a rare creative alchemy, their free-flowing style often jam-based yet buoyed by their languid chemistry. 'Heads Up' is a notable step up from their self-titled debut of two years ago, arriving at a plateau of poignant emotion and invigorating songcraft that is as rich in groove and hooks as moods or atmospheres, with ditties like 'New Song' being an example of the former even whilst 'The Stall' summons the Cure-esque spectres of their inception. Always a charismatic outfit, Warpaint have never sounded more confident or powerful, dealing out psychic shockwaves and sepulchral charm with ease.

Review: The Jazzman cometh! Gerald Short's long-running label is back with a new 7" serving on its Popcorn subsidiary featuring the moody and malevolent styles of jazzy crooner Lew Conetta. "You Got Me Crazy" originates from a '57 45 on the legendary Decca label and was one of only three releases from Conetta. On the flip, Popcorn present an alternate take on "What Have I Done" by bluesman Jimmy Rogers which is so similar to the Conetta track the label suggest it provided the inspiration for "You Got Me Crazy."

Review: Before the mythos, the excess and the imperial dominance one normally associates with Led Zeppelin, there was an ineffable chemistry and magical spark that always elevated these four Brit musos far above the rank and file of the late-'60s and early-'70s rock scene, and this exhaustive compendium of live and session material from their early days makes this gloriously manifest. With seven new tracks added to the 1997 version, the combination of slinky grace and Herculean brute force that characterises this very special band has rarely sounded more vibrant and joyful to behold than on otherwise unreleased tracks like 'Sunshine Woman' and 'The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair', and it's notable that every one of the five versions of 'Communication Breakdown' herein is independently worthy of your attention. Essential.

Review: On U Sound return with another crucial transmission from Japanese trio Nissenenmondai, with this 12" originating from the recording sessions for their N#A LP with Adrian Sherwood that saw release on the label earlier this year. Some eight minutes long, "#6" is a clanking beast of a track that deals in rich swathes of dub and swelling rhythmic drama, successfully channelling all manner of generational sonic hallmarks yet still sounding wholly like Nissenenmondai. No strangers to being remixed by pioneers, Throbbing Gristle's Chris Carter follows Shackleton in reinterpreting the work of Nissenenmondai and transforms "#6" into a creeping, foreboding machine funker that will darken any dancefloor.

Review: This is the real deal right here as far as garage-birthed Detroit party rock goes, coming as it does from a true originator of the form. Gories man Danny Kroha, who originally formed this band somewhere in the lengthy hiatus between their first two incarnations, yet mainlines a good deal of that band's wild spirit and trashy allure. Even amidst the leather-clad mayhem and boozed-up abandon, 'Bug Out' somehow finds the time to deal with politics, sci-fi and anxiety, yet essentially the mood remains that of a party at 2AM shortly after an emergency visit to the off-licence, and few are better equipped to deliver such thrills.

Review: Deap Vally's debut 'SIstrionix' set them up as a force to be reckoned with in the riff-driven ramalama stakes, superficially similar sonically to the likes of The Black Keys in blues-rock ballast yet with their attitudinal approach marking them out as unique and incendiary in their own right. 'Femejism', which is produced by Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Nick ZInner and possesses not a little of his band's edgy spark, is a fearsome follow-up, with the duo dishing out deliverance both in terms of spiky songcraft and take-no-prisoners lyrical slants. Feral yet focused, this is a salvo of righteous fury with sly wit and rare charm to boot.