I’m in a rush this week! I am writing this postcard to you whilst slightly fried and extremely caffeinated from the poster hall at the North American Paleontological Convention, this year held in Ann Arbor, Michigan. As such, I have a million talks that I want to attend, and so I must be brief. I would apologise, but after the last few weeks I think you’ve probably had enough of my long-winded waffling, so let’s waste no time and dig right in!
As you should all know by now, I bloody love King Gizz. So it’s my great pleasure to report that this side project from resident keyboardist/harmonica-ripper Ambrose Kenny-Smith and Jay Watson (who’s played with Tame Impala, Pond and GUM) is already shaping up to be fantastic. I enjoyed their first single that was released maybe a month ago now, but this new track is something else. Hidden behind the glorious funk-country sheen is a profoundly touching song that acts as a dialog between Ambrose and his late father, who he had begun co-writing the song with and who signed off his emails with ‘love from Dud’. The final chorus from Ambrose, whose voice is an underrated weapon in the King Gizz musical arsenal, just hits that much harder knowing the context. Not that that instrumentation should be skipped over; the production here really sings, transforming the pain of loss into something truly joyful. That little stuttered descending bass line in the pre-chorus is a touch of genius. Blast this one in the car with the windows down and you’re guaranteed to feel very much alive.
I know fuck all about Elvis Costello. But I do know I have grown a real soft-spot for “Everyday I Write the Book”, a track off his 1982 record Punch the Clock that Meg stumbled across whilst listening to Radio 6 on her way to work in the Cambridge library. She first played it to me in the car when I was up visiting her, providing the context that it was her ‘get pumped’ track; I didn’t quite get it then, and I’m still not sure I would put it in that category of song, but I can safely say that it’s wormed it’s way into my ears and into my heart. I really love the way that Elvis’ voice sort of snakes its way around the song, never quite landing where you expect it to. This plays off perfectly against that excellent bassline, which simultaneously acts as the backbone of the song whilst occasionally wandering off to do its own thing. I also have a real softspot for songs which take a theme and really run with it (probably picked up from a youth of listening to The Beautiful South); of course there must be a list of the chapters of said book, and about a million mentions of typewriters. Love it.
Finally, we have a song I’ve been meaning to showcase in this little newsletter for some time now. I first saw Brighton locals Van Zon (or as my pal Grace originally called them, Zon Bon) supporting Shovel Dance Collective, and was immediately transfixed by their Black Country, New Road-esque experimental folk rock. I rushed home to give them a listen that night, and quickly found that this mission was in vain; asides from an instagram page with some dates for shows, no trace of their music was to be found online. I was lucky enough to catch them again very shortly after at Homegrown festival, and this time I made sure to really pay attention to the music, as I knew I wouldn’t be hearing it again for a little while. There was one track that in particular stood out, and I’m very happy to report that it also happens to be the song they have released as their first single. At a whopping 8 minutes and about five different instrumental sections, “Cannon Fodder” is a hell of a track to introduce themselves with. Violins soar, guitars crash; there are moments of beauty and fury that abound in equal measure. If there’s one thing I can be sure of, it’s that I’ll be checking out everything these guys put out from now on.
Here’s the Tidal link once more! And now I must dash to fill my brain with information which I will undoubtedly forget in a week’s time. Wish me luck for my talk tomorrow! And I’ll be back with something a little more substantial next week.
Postcard 22: 17/06/2024.
Fontaines D.C. - Boys in the Better Land (Darklands Version)
GUM & Ambrose Kenny-Smith - Dud
Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Everyday I Write The Book
Arbor Labor Union - Forevergreen
The Velvet Underground - What Goes On
Crack Cloud - The Next Fix
Blaine Todd - Everyman
Keven Louis Lareau - Take Me Back To The Country
Chris Cohen - Damage
Van Zon - Cannon Fodder