The playlist: indie - Hollow, Casual Sex, Christopher Owens, Gengahr, Alex G
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Version 0 of 1. Alex G - Hollow There’s something about the name Alex G (G for Giannascoli) that points far, far away from the Philadelphian bedroom artist’s alt-rock roots. Perhaps its the linguistic similarity to Gina G, Baby D or at a push Baby G, that gives it its distinctly sassy vibe. His first single proper – Hollow – isn’t quite as bombastic/inanimate as the former references suggest; rather, it is gloomy, gawkish and all the more gorgeous for it. Taken from Alex G’s forthcoming new album DSU, out through Lucky Number, his sound retains a hint of power pop and load of slacker rock; meaning he’s got an awful lot in common with other recent miserabalist twentysomething soloists such as Avi Buffalo and Oliver Wilde. Gengahr - Powder Specialising in gentle psychedelia, lo-fi vocals and sugary melodies, Gengahr are sonically associated with the likes of Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Wampire, only with a kooky Britpop fizz inflected in their sound. Formally known as RES, they’ve already put out She’s A Witch, been given the official stamp of indie approval via Steve Lamacq and performed at Glastonbury this year (during the day on the BBC Introducing Stage rather than warming up for Serge, Win or Lars). This is the first track they’ve put out from their new label home, Transgressive, and goes by the name of Powder. It’s out in October. Philip Selway - It Will End In Tears As the stoic machine that is Radiohead slowly creaks into action - signalled recently with an update of their PolyFauna app – the Oxford band’s respective members appear to be cramming their solo venues into the intervening time before their lives are entirely inhabited by tour bus antics (Twitter, Ableton) and backstage brawls (hummus and yoga). Aside from Thom Yorke’s low-key DJ sets and Jonny Greenwood’s various orchestral endeavours, Radiohead drummer Phil Selway has his frontman ambitions to get out of his system. Four years after his debut album Familial comes Weatherhouse – a less acoustic-based sound than its predecessor, perhaps a little latter-day McCartney in melody structure, which finds the musician taking stock of his life, the song It Will End In Tears being a particularly candid example. Casual Sex – Perfect Storm The band name’s stunning SEO capabilities are reason enough to feature Casual Sex in this blog, but most pleasurably the music they make is also brilliant – even Paul Lester, my indie aficionado No 2 (after Lammo) has hailed them as: ‘Potentially the best Scottish indie band since Franz.’ Jerky, quirky art pop akin to Orange Juice, Television, Roxy Music (and in their krautier moments, the oft-overlooked LA act Here We Go Magic), A Perfect Storm’s metronomic drums and dreamy soundscape is guided by the kind of sashaying vocals normally eked out of a man dressed in a very sharp suit. Christopher Owens - Never Wanna See That Look Again Christopher Owens - former Girls frontman, previous member of the Children of God cult, Hedi Slimane muse, one-time part of the drug-fuelled Texan punk scene and the only creature capable of bringing back stonewashed, boot-cut jeans – is back. I’m not totally sure what I make of the follow-up to his flute-loaded first solo album; Owens has often rhapsodised about the beauty of pop music and his own desires to create a timeless track, but there’s a gauzy key change in Never Wanna See That Look Again – heightened by being delivered on the video with wind-machine hair – which is pure country-era Taylor Swift. Even if I’m not totally convinced, this fragile and often surreal figure is never dull to observe. |