London music
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2 days agoIndie Basement (8/15): Cass McCombs, Alison Goldfrapp, Elbow, more
Cass McCombs releases his album 'Interior Live Oak', showcasing his consistent talent and diverse music styles.
"There's a world-building component that feels like the driving force of this record. Many of these character-driven songs come from a time and place where we were finding our voice musically, and it's been so gratifying to not only revisit it through the lens of who and where we are now, but to expand on it."
This album has some genre deviations with the signature 'sad guy' sauce remaining true. I used to steal my older brother's CDs in the early '00s, and found myself pretty deep in the alt-rock of that era.
"When I first heard Asleep at the Wheel and their Bob Wills tribute, it blew my mind that there was a band out there still playing this kind of music," Hedley says, adding, "At its core Western Swing is just dance music. Bob Wills didn't play theatres; he played dance halls. The music is for dancing, and that's what I wanted to come through on these songs."
"We had a few windows in mid-winter and it really felt like there was an urgency to capture a moment in time with these songs, performances, people involved, and against the political backdrop," says Ben Whitely. "The record really feels like a capture instead of a meticulous construction. Part of Joan's concept was not only to go to a place but to draw on the community of musicians from that place."
'Rain' was one of the first songs we wrote for the record. As time went along and more songs started filling up the tracklist, it continued to be one of my favorite songs. Thematically, Rain deals with acceptance of things out of your control and finding clarity.
"This song is about desperately trying to hold on to past versions of yourself for self preservation. The fear of the unknown is so overwhelming that sometimes the best solution is to sit with it instead of fighting or running from it."
Soulwax's new album, All Systems Are Lying, is their first in seven years and features a rock style crafted without electric guitars. The duo aims to encapsulate the essence of a live band with electronic instruments.
Kesha Sebert's sixth album, described as the first album where she felt truly free, is accompanied by a world tour showcasing her liberated persona, including a topless jetski photo.