The Flower Hour 3
August 2024
August’s installment of our playlist opens with a song by a man who we at Kinda Grizzly consider to be legitimate UK indie royalty. Southend songsmith Longy has been grinding for as long as we can remember. “Prisoner” is taken from his newest EP - “”No One Goes Cold On My Watch Vol. 1” - which is a collection of home recordings. It's absolutely anthemic and is delivered with the troubadour’s trademark heart, gusto and conviction. Lyrical content, melody, gorgeous chord progressions, beautiful backing vocals, an earnest, singalong chorus, the vocals in the round towards the end - honestly, it's all here - this is put together perfectly. It was so difficult choosing only one song from this EP. Guess we'll have to include him again at some point.
What better way to follow up a song by a bonafide UK indie legend - than with a song by some bonafide UK legends?! Similarly to Longy, Scanners have been about for donkey's years and have developed somewhat of a cult following. If you saw bands like Bloc Party, The Horrors or The Mystery Jets play live in the mid-noughties then you may well have caught them. “Dreamer” is taken from their most recent single which came out at the start of the year. It's a 4 minute electro indie soundscape that glides about you, captivating and enthralling with an exceptional vocal performance - as usual - by Sarah Daly. Three quarters of the band have recently launched a new project - the Nuclear Family Band - which will no doubt appear on future installments of the playlist.
“Two Kinds Of Sadness” by San Francisco Bay Area's Box Of Matches is a sentimental story that is positively dripping with emotion. The music has a touch of The Strokes about it as well as a bit of Surfer Blood, Pixies and (the more melodic moments of) Sonic Youth. The lead guitar tone has more than a little J. Mascis about it - which is of course fantastic. The sense of tension and dread created in the “if it rings I will be too scared to answer” reprise is something rarely conjured in song. It reminds me of the moment in “Roses” when Kanye's Grandma pulls through. The band totally understood the assignment on this one and executed it excellently. When you get a sec, check out the magnificent, moving music video too.
“Compadre” by Very Many Horses is the fourth song they've released this year and no two have sounded alike. This one starts softly with subtle synths before the introduction of gritty guitars and then grittier guitars. And a cowbell! These boys aren't afraid to push the boundaries. By the time we are introduced to the chorus (which is huge by the way) we're sold. The second verse comes in and calls into question modern social sensitivities and societal homogeny - seems they're not afraid of tackling difficult subject matter either. Fair play to them. There's an enjoyable mini-solo and a bit of killswitch action going on before the song concludes with the none-too-subtle use of a screeching ebow - just the way we like it. Their debut EP is out today.
Up next is “Shine” by Backseat Arsonists, the rockier alter-ego of New Zealand synthpop duo No Sunrise. Adept as ever whether dealing in keys or guitars - Shine starts as it means to go on - full throttle and catchy as hell. At only 1:22 there's no danger of it outstaying it's welcome. It kicks the door in, enters in a sea of scuzzy chords, lead lines and pounding drums, fucks shit up and leaves.
“Touch” by Reykjavik’s Einarindra is like James Blake at his earliest and most daring and experimental. The tones and textures here are familiar but intriguing enough to keep you gripped. With the introduction of sub-bass so low that you won't hear it on your phone speakers (lol) it seals the deal, adding a dimension to the song that rounds it off perfectly. Touch is sparsely populated, but the space that's left between the sounds is just the right amount.
Harry Heart is up next with “Surfacing” which is an indie song that somehow channels the spirit of A Tribe Called Quest. The result of an improvised band jam session - this slinky little number is quite the change of pace for Harry, who has made a career out of changing pace. He's even started performing without traditional instruments - using a laptop and effects pedals for audio manipulation - check out his YouTube for more on this, the results are captivating. His new album “Venom In A Pitcher” is out in September.
“Samurai” follows and sounds like a US indie hip-hop track over an early UK grime beat with a retro PS1 aesthetic. Think Doomtree produced by Wiley. But from Poland. They've only been putting out tunes since last October but the combination of Domm. & Szaravy is clearly a match made in musical heaven. They have a chemistry that suggests a relationship that is longer standing than the dates in their discography would seem. So far they have released songs exclusively in English, but with Polish vocals soon to come as well, they're on course for (under)world domination.
Turbo and Dr. Silver’s “E Vi Dyr No?” is next in line. It's my first experience with Norsk rap and I've got to say, it immediately made quite the impression. Elements of the instrumentation and the usage of samples remind me a little bit of the “golden age” hip-hop (can anyone else hear a little “It Takes Two”?) and mid-career Dizzee Rascal. If he were from Norway instead of Bow, obviously. This sounds like a party tune to me, but given that the title loosely translates to “Are We Animals Now?” I get the impression there's more to it than that. Although to be honest, I don't really need to know when the tune bangs like this one does.
“The Passage” is an avant-garde instrumental electronic interlude brought to you by Sex Cells - the alt-electro project of another cult UK indie legend, folk-punk maverick Lupen Crook - in conjunction with Willow Vincent. The album this song is taken from dates back to 2021 but is still as compelling years later. It fluctuates from pounding, thumping beats to dramatic glitch-pop to Berlin-era Bowie/Iggy vibes to Suicide-esque noise and much more. It's electro for outsiders, artists, experimentalists and punks. This is a little taste of just one of Lupen Crook’s many and varied musical projects and we'll be featuring more on the playlist in the coming months. Keep em peeled.
Up next is “File Me Under Dead” by No Sunrise, the synthier alter-ego of New Zealand alt-rock duo Backseat Arsonists (see what I did there?) This has bags of character and sounds like it could have soundtracked a scene from a 1980s sci-fi action movie. With an excellently produced wall of sound, catchy lead synths, soaring vocals and stealthily brilliant percussion, this has all the ingredients of a banger.
“The Equinox” by Emirkah Kandemir is an adventurous take on electronica, blurring the lines of structure, melody and indeed convention to produce something altogether unique. It's not until more than half way through the song that it really kicks in and comes into its own and it keeps you guessing until then. The combination of components creates a maze of sounds that is half lullaby, half horror film and wholly captivating. This is somewhat cinematic, strangely beguiling, sometimes stark, often beautiful and always good.
“Beans” by Grippa starts and sounds like early Ocean Eyes-era Billie Eilish singing an FKA Twigs song. She sings “Is that her?” right at the beginning of the song - and with only these three words she summons the spirit of Twigs’ “Video Girl” and the accompanying sense of anxiety, suspicion, mistrust and quiet rage. And conversely when she sings “You were my only blessing” you're suddenly filled with fierce regret, resentment and longing. Stylistically this fits into the same kind of space that Lapsley, Tove Lo, SZA and Lorde occupy, it's excellently executed, pristine alt-pop for the modern age. Make no mistake, this is meant for mass consumption and we'd be all the better for it.
“When The Facade Breaks” by Gari (real name Chloe Villamayor) reminds me of bits of Sasha Siem & Fiona Apple. The ever present spirit of Billie Eilish pops up again (“You Should See Me In A Crown” specifically) as this is undoubtedly another off-kilter pop anthem. When she sings “maybe this is the best I can do, maybe I'm fine, maybe I need a nap, and then I'll get on by” - “I felt that” as I believe the kids say. I'm sure many others will too. The song takes on a jazzier vibe towards the end with the piano and the strings and the drums all battling for space in your brian. Let them all in, I say.
“Dear Athena” is the second single from folk-pop sensation Sierra Sikoa. She's like a cross between Fionn Regan and Olivia Rodrigo. Channeling the spirit of The Weepies and The Lumineers, this also sounds, to me, like it could have been taken from a modern classic Disney movie - like Tangled or Frozen. It's sugary sweet and goes down smooth. All the elements - from the guitar picking to the falsetto backing vocals to the foot stompy percussion - blend together beautifully which speaks to the production - which I noticed was also undertaken by Sierra herself. Impressive stuff. Combine this with her burgeoning TikTok following and you can be sure that this girl WILL go from strength to strength.
A bit of a throwback tune from Kinda Grizzly’s most recent recruit Misophone is up next. Swan’s Road is taken from their 2011 album Songs From An Attic. It's a sunny slice of quaint folk-pop, a Hal/Elliott Smith/Belle & Sebastianesque easy to listen to couple of minutes that comes across a bit like an acoustic Super Furry Animals with a little bit of an “It's A Small World” vibe. These guys have been doing this for a good while and it shows. Their most recent (double) album “A Floodplain Mind” came out at the end of last year and is highly recommended.
Up next is “Bathe In The Morning Sun” by the KG Godfather Julian Wa. I don't know if it's because of the title, but this song absolutely feels like a ray of sunshine creeping in through net curtains as it begins. The nonchalantly strummed nylon string guitar weaves wonders around you as Wa’s reverby, hazy, vocals do their thing. By the time the electric guitar is introduced the song has already wrapped you up in its spell. This is so easy to listen to and at only 1:46 it's a succinct piece that doesn't hang about, but it does the job it came to do and does it in style.
“Remember That Space?” is an instrumental guitar-led piece by award-winning, Israel-born/Brooklyn-based Yoav Eshed. You can definitely hear the influence of jazz guitar players like Wes Montgomery here and also the classical music contribution in this piece. I'm also getting strong Albatross vibes which of course could only be a good thing. Across it's 6 minutes and 7 seconds it holds your attention well, which I think is a rarity for an instrumental of this length. The guitar is accompanied with expertise by the other instruments but my favourite part is when the strings come in at around 4:55. Sometimes it pays to wait.
The Flower Hour is rounded off this month with “The Only Thing Left Is” by South London resident Flo Lines. This is a thing of rare, delicate beauty. Comparisons to Laura Marling are pretty obvious but I get the impression that both women were probably inspired by older English folk music of the 1960s. The backbone of this song is the acoustic guitar strumming. The vocal layers work in harmony extremely well and the barely-there piano notes and arpeggiated guitar parts are wonderful additions. The inclusion of birdsong is a lovely touch, this almost sounds like it could be the soundtrack to some of Flo's film photographs. By the time the song finishes Flo has weaved such a tapestry of sound that you almost forgot where you started - but that backbone is ever present and as important.
And that concludes this month's edition of the playlist and the blog. Please spread the word, circulate amongst your friends and family and remember, #GiveThemTheirFlowers
As always, submissions for inclusion on future installments of The Flower Hour are open. Please drop us a line at kindagrizzly@gmail.com or reach out via socials.
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