#MixTape - February 2019 Summed Up - Punk's not Dead!
by Piotrek Czarnecki
There’s something punk rock about February. It’s short and to the point. In the spirit of the month, I’m gonna keep things brief. As per usual, I have used all my sources to find, collect and examine the new sounds collected here. Next step was to sift through all the noise and select only quality stuff. You know the drill by now. I’d like to take this opportunity to point towards some of my personal favorites this time. Here are the releases that have stood out for me above the rest and will surely stick around for the months to come:
* FONTAINES D.C. – “Big”. The post-punk quintet from Dublin continues to rise with another offering about dreams and growing up in their hometown. Punchy, powerful and to the point. A true February song. The band’s debut album entitles “Dogrel” drops on 12th of April.
* UNPERFECT – “Gots To Give The Girl”. A smoky, funky little number that proves pop is not the only domain for girlbands to shine.
*JOE GODDARD – “Moebius Trip”. A chilled out offering from the Hot Chip man captures the mood of the great buzz of the summer afternoon. Glasses cling, friends chat, a breeze passes through and goodtime flows. His motherchip is scheduled to play the second chapter of All Together Now festival this August. And as a longtime fan I hope this announcement forecasts new material coming from the group coming this year.
*JESSE WARE – “Adore You”. This surprise Valentine’s Day gift from the British songstress, co-written and produced by Metronomy’s Joe Mount, sounds like being in love. In love with this song.
*CHARLOTTE ADIGERY – “Zandoli”. First EP this year to catch my full attention. A brilliant presentation of Caribbean rhythms via electronic music from Belgium. “Cursed and Cussed”, included in the selection, is one of the best songs I’ve heard this year so far.
*SKALPEL BIG BAND – Konfusion. A live rendition of the title track from SKALPEL’s second album. Wroclaw’s finest electronic duo are currently touring around Poland with the big band reimagined material and have also prepared an EP for those who won’t be able to make it to the gigs.
*RINA MUSHONGA - “In A Galaxy”. The album I simply cannot get enough of these days. It can be described as a rich, colourful and complex; a kaleidoscopic tour de force spread across indie, soul and pop spheres with strong African undertones (cue Ethiopian jazz brass and Fela Kuti’s funky rhythm section). “For A Fool” is one of the many gems to be found there. Highly recommended!
As for the upcoming concerts, I’ve secured the tickets for two gigs at The Vicar St: Stereolab (25th June) and Beirut (28th August). The Anglo-French vintage pop band are back touring for the first time in a decade along with the release remastered reissues of the whole back catalogue. Beirut, the ensemble lead by Albuquerque’s trumpeter and songwriter Zack Condon, will play two nights in Dublin at the end of August. Condon’s melodic and solemn croon inspired by folk music of the Balkans and Mexican mariachis will a perfect fit for the nostalgia of the last days of summer. Can’t wait!
The rest is for you to discover. As you might have already noticed, I rarely complain about the lack of great music around. I hope you will like the rest of the selection as well as my personal recommendations.
Tchau!
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