Issue 104 / October 2019

DANSETTE
Future-pop auteur NATALIE MCCOOL
gives us a peek inside her record
bag to reveal some of the tracks and
sounds that inspired her new single,
Someone Nue.
Ayelle
Parts
Self-released
Alexis Teplin
Californian-born artist ALEXIS TEPLIN
presents her first major UK exhibition
at Bluecoat in October, a real coup
for the gallery’s winter programme
(running from 26th October to 23rd
February). Teplin works across painting,
performance and film, drawing parallels
between the processes of each of these
art forms. This new showing at Bluecoat
is a premiere of new material, which
ranges from abstract painted figures to a
collage of quotes and gestures in her film
and performance work, taking inspiration
as much from the Labour Manifesto as
the films of Federico Fellini.
Rock The Jazz Bar
Frederiks are continuing their mission to give Liverpool’s jazzing community the good
stuff with a run of gigs each Tuesday and Thursday throughout the month. Hope Street
Jazz present free gigs in the venue twice weekly with some of the region’s best jazz
outfits. October’s listings open with local young guns BALLROOM DAN who deal in
their own take on the genre classics as well as fresh originals. You’ll also find the hotly
tipped GREEN TANGERINES showcasing their uniquely funky blend of soul-infused
jazz on 3rd October. The excellently monikered HEAVY LEMO take a slot towards
the end of the month and there’s a jazzy Halloween special to help you forget about
impending Brexit doom or celebrate another sweet, sweet extension.
Sweet Release(s)
OMD
Big Blues Up
You can’t be expected to keep track of all the comings and goings
among our region’s prolific musicians, which is why we do it for
you, right here. PIXEY makes a welcome return with a fresh EP,
Colours, which features the kind of bracing sunshine guitar pop
that caught the attention first time around; TIËRNY embarks
on a soulful new chapter with the single Solid Ground, the first
hint of a full EP of brooding electronica to come later in 2019;
BONNACONS OF DOOM’s epic new opus Esus (included on an
EP that also features remixes of two tracks from their 2018 selftitled
album) is another reminder that the dark side of the force
isn’t without its plus points; and NUTRIBE signal their imminent
rise as their interplanetary hip hop is featured on the new Future
Bubblers release (alongside fellow Merseysider WILROY).
Painted Costumes (Alexis Teplin)
The Atkinson’s annual rhythm and blues riot
returns for a fifth year, with a host of blues
virtuosos lighting up the Southport venue’s stage
over the weekend of 11th and 12th October. The
BUSHMAN BROTHERS – born and raised in Cape
Town, but now residents of Brighton – head up
Friday night’s offering, with support from TREVOR
BABAJACK STEGER. The Bushman Brothers (Brian
and Steve Kellner) specialise in hard-edged rock
that veers slightly towards the indie side. Saturday
sees a full day of activity, starting at 12.30pm
with HIDING MAGPIES and finishing with Atlanta,
Georgia swamp blues outfit DELTA MOON as
headliners. For full details and tickets, head to
theatkinson.co.uk.
Souvenirs
Pitch yourself into the impressive legacy of ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE
DARK in the year of their 40th anniversary, with an exhibition that celebrates the
Wirral synth pop legends’ singular image. Running between 11th October and
5th January at the British Music Experience, the exhibition features artefacts and
items that have played a part in OMD’s journey from two-piece experimental band
with a borrowed tape recorder to a world-renowned act with 13 albums under
their belt. Items on display include clothing, prints and Andy McCluskey’s binders
full of ideas, photos and press cuttings, as well as some notable instruments that
have played their part in the OMD story: the Vox Jaguar Organ played by Paul
Humphreys on Electricity, Messages and Enola Gay, and the 1974 Fender Jazz
Bass played by McCluskey on Enola Gay, Souvenir, Joan Of Arc and Tesla Girls.
NuTribe
I’m in love with intimate
sounding vocals so this track
is perfect for me. This girl is
really something. The music’s
like a really soulful early
Grimes, and her voice is so emotive: it’s the same in all of
her material, but especially so in this track. The way the
beat drops in the chorus is so subtle but so very satisfying.
Lots of space, too, which I’m always conscious about
because it’s really important.
Big Thief
Not
4AD
This isn’t really an influence
on the production or recording
process, but I recently
discovered this band and
think they are amazing. I
watched one of their NPR Tiny Desk Concerts and the
chemistry between singer Adrianne Lenker and guitarist
Buck Meek was so strong, and they play with such feeling.
Lenker’s voice on this is something else: it tonally reminds
me a bit of Ezra Furman. Can’t wait to see them live.
David Bowie
Ashes To Ashes
RCA
I was hugely inspired by the
drums on this when we were
recording one of my new
tracks, Better. The start-stop
feel is really interesting and
I think makes this track. I always like to experiment with
drums and finding beats that aren’t conventional. For me,
it’s something that actually can drive the songwriting and
the rest when you’re building the song. So this was a big
reference point.
St. Vincent
Oh My God
4AD
I’m a sucker for her album,
Actor. This one’s on the
deluxe version of the album. I
love the orchestral flourishes
throughout the whole
album and I think she is such an interesting, wonderful
songwriter. This track for me is absolute heaven, though
– vocally it’s just epic. I’m big into operatic-sounding vocal
lines at the moment and so I’ve been hammering this.
Kinda feels like it should be in a David Lynch version of The
Wizard of Oz; I can just imagine it fading in where Dorothy
falls asleep in the field of poppies. Beautiful.
nataliemccool.co.uk
Someone Nue is out now via Modern Sky UK. Head to
bidolito.co.uk now for a full list of song choices on Natalie
McCool’s Dansette.
NEWS 11