LTW Newsletter 101

Dear Warriors,

We have had a sad week, losing some of the real giants of pop culture. The deaths of Sly Stone and Brian Wilson after their complex and creative lives is yet another sobering reminder that pop culture itself is no longer the soundtrack to youth or even a noisy middle age but is also itself a cultural pensioner. 

Time waits for no-one. 

In many ways, it's amazing that some of these genius visionary musicians managed to live as long as they did and create so much magic. Both Sly Stone and Brian Wilson were true mould breakers, and both created music that would have previously seemed unimaginably impossible in its brilliance and its sonic possibilities, and yet still great pop music. They were entwined in our lives and part of all our growing up, and it’s only when you get the sudden full stop like this that it's a reminder of just how supernaturally brilliant they both were.

And yet, somehow, we still have so much pop genius still with us. Every generation eventually becomes classic and veteran and whilst some wallow in the dusty halls of their glorious pasts some take decades and return when they are ready with a great new collection of songs.  Pulp have had a fantastically idiosyncratic career. It took them more than a decade to make it, and they became one of the key British bands of the mid-nineties before becoming bored of the fame that they had once craved, which they documented on their follow-up album. Decades later, they return with a brilliantly crafted new album.

At one time Jarvis was seen as a new Morrissey - a poetic waif from the indie world who had arrived in the mainstream with a brilliant English awkwardness and a lyrical nous. Both their careers have taken very different directions these days, with Morrissey becoming a 'difficult'   presence on the scene, yet he still sells out the 23,000 capacity Manchester Arena on his recent UK mini tour with all the conundrums that brings. 

Another veteran all round entertainer with a very different career path is Robbie Williams whose recent tour has upped the bonkers quotient with mad stage costumes and liberal use of the Britpop word whilst cutting a track with Tony Iommi from Black Sabbath with the singer dressed in sort of punk clothes…he’s like a feral child running amok through pop culture and one that certainly doesnt care about notions of cool and for that we can applaud. 

Swans relentless vision is still providing moments of spellbinding beauty. If there was ever a band that followed it own muse and broke all the rules it’s Swans…lead Swan, Michael Gira saw a pre fame Doors ot the Whisky A Go Go whilst he was tripping on acid at the age of 14 and his long atmospheric songs draw you into the heart of this own personal darkness and are in many way ways the true vision of that older LA band’s trip especially with the song, ‘The End’ drawn out longer and through the decades. 

Shonen Knife have been touring the UK and still makes no secret of their love for the Ramones so it only seems right that they finish their much-welcome encore with a faithful rendition of Blitzkrieg Bop. As an overtired, fully-certified over thinker, a Shonen Knife gig is exactly what my soul has been crying out for. An electric and unashamedly fun, pop-punk masterclass. Come back to LEEDS ROCK CITY as soon as you can! 

Death In Vegas cut one of the great post acid house tracks like ‘Dirge’ and ‘Scorpio Rising’ and their inventiveness and sonic soundscapes were captivating in a glorious run of releases so it was great to see that they had finally returned and not missed a beat with a record that pulls you back into their spell of electronica and atmosphere. 

Never one to operate in half-measures, what Kevin ‘The Bug’ Martin executes on the Burials/Mud EP is a demonstration of narcotic warfare at its finest. An incision into the berg of unknown forces. By Ryan Walker.

Indiepop legends Heavenly share first brand new 7” single and video for 29 years – the A-side is called Portland Town, and it’s fab, but Ged Babey is more excited about the B-side – a Cover Version That is As Good As, If Not Better Than, the Original. 

Another indie classic band Comet Gain are decades into an idiosyncratic journey and their new album underlines a band still epic loring and creating. For all the melancholy, the record remains a defiantly euphoric experience. A twelve track LP brimful of scarred hearts, beating veins and the romantic, sad and glorious mess of life. Forty-seven minutes that culminate with the rather stunning Maybe One Day, It’ll Really Happen. A passing of the torch and a hopeful song for a better tomorrow. Letters To Ordinary Outsiders is a bold and inspired release from a band that are still madly in love with that wild, dirty, pounding and ecstatic sound. It’s the most heartfelt, human and unequivocally beautiful album of indie pop I’ve heard in a long time.

Punk classic Stiff Little Fingers were the first band on Rough Trade records to have a number one album and their scintillating anthems are still great live to this day. They also released many landmark classics that have become folk classics in the sense that high octane punk rock is an electric folk music of the late twentieth century and this is a great reminder with the singles collected onto one album.