Hi Sorry State readers! So this week I felt compelled to write about the Wet Leg release. I was initially very intrigued and confused by the hype surrounding it. I couldn’t help but notice that people across different demographics with very different music tastes were touting this album all over Instagram. Not to mention, Wet Leg had already been gaining commercial recognition as a front runner in the UK billboard race.

And I gotta say, I really like it. Wet Leg S/T is a bratty, humorous guitar pop album with catchy hooks, and riffs and fuzz reminiscent of indie rock’s past. It also feels retro at times. It’s not super groundbreaking, but it’s super fun.

I’m really into riot grrrl type shit, and Wet Leg isn’t that, but it still has enough edge to keep me engaged. The confidence with which they deliver their lines is pretty infectious. It’s probably the Gemini in me, but I’m attracted to the unapologetic emotional confusion present in the songwriting. It’s like telling someone “fuck you! I hate you!” but motioning for them to call you later.

And given that it’s an indie album, you’re for sure getting some “adulting is hard” content, whether it’s sincere or making fun of the young millennial stereotypes. You hear this in the lines “I went home all alone. Checked my phone. Oh no. Oh my God. Life is hard. Credit card. Oh no. You’re so woke. Diet Coke.” Yeah, it’s silly, but it’s still funny and pretty on point.

I will say that the album’s tempo can be a little samesy in the first half of the album, but there are a couple gentler, wispier ballads toward the latter half to break things up. Personally, I happen to like an album that you can depend on to keep the same high energy, and won’t just abruptly bring you down just as you’re gaining the momentum to do things.

Chaise Longue is the big hit on the album but check out Angelica, Loving You, and Piece of Shit. Songs like these may help to ensure that Wet Leg isn’t buried in the one hit wonder graveyard anytime in the near future.

So again, why is this album, in a sea of indie releases, getting so much attention? The best that I can come up with is that it’s not just a fun album. It’s a fun album that just happened to come along at the right time, and timing really is everything.

Link to one of my faves (Angelica), the fourth single from Wet Leg:

https://youtu.be/8qWHthLQ1Uw

Hello and thanks for reading. Today I will be here with the quickness for real as I am writing mad last minute. With Rachel leaving, me getting Covid, and training our new team member Angela I found myself deeper in the weeds than ever before. Luckily Daniel came to motherfucking rescue and whooped ass at everything fulfillment related. Anyway, today I write about INSTRUCT. A month or so ago I was writing with someone I haven’t talked to in ages. (If yer reading this, what up Devin!) We both used to live in the Midwest and moved to separate coasts. I was obsessed with his Kansas City band NO MASTER so naturally I was very excited to check out INSTRUCT when Devin mentioned he had a new band. The styles aren’t really the same, aside from being filthy fuckin’ hardcore punk. INSTRUCT has a definite metallic edge, while NO MASTER was pretty much on-the-nose DISCHARGE style. It appears INSTRUCT are just making music they want to, rather than what seems “cool” or hyped now days. I guess what I mean is it rules to hear some disgusting, not-give-a-fuck crust amidst all the contemporary hardcore releases coming out these days that all have the same formulas. While I am here to write about INSTRUCT, I would check out the NO MASTER link I dropped as well, both tapes rule. Thank you for reading, and thanks for everyone’s support. Peace!

Hey there one and all. How are you? Thanks for clicking on our humble newsletter once again.

You join us this week neck deep in Record Store Day releases, besides the other new releases and great used stuff that keeps coming in. Busy, busy, busy.

So, with that said there’s just enough time to tell you about a nice little record that arrived at my door the other day. Full disclosure, I am online friends with the artist and my liking of this record is heavily influenced by that but there is no payola here at Sorry State. We are under no pressure to write about anything that we don’t care about. We just love music and evangelizing about it and pointing you towards records we feel you might like.

The Gentle Cycle: Landslide Eyes. 300 Mics

The Gentle Cycle from Los Angeles, California follows up their self-titled debut from five years ago with this terrific album of psychedelic niceness. Their vein of psych being a mostly sixties inspired and a West Coast one. The group is led by Derek See, guitarist and vocalist with Roger Brogan on drums and Scott Bassman playing bass on most tracks. Keyboards and other instrumental touches are also added by Derek and Roger on most tracks. The group is essentially the brainchild of musician, writer, guitar guru, DJ, record nerd and all-around nice guy Derek See. What this man doesn’t know about a guitar, records and music from the sixties would make a very small list. It’s that knowledge and love that comes through in his music.

I was introduced to him via the mod girl-group he had called The Bang Girl Group Review a few years back and have followed his career since. We are Facebook/IG friends and so I get regular updates on his latest projects, and I can tell you he keeps busy. In addition to The Gentle Cycle, Derek plays in 60s Garage legends The Chocolate Watchband, 80s Paisley Underground torchbearers The Rain Parade and with Luna & Galaxie 500 main man Dean Wareham. He has performed with Country Joe McDonald and was guitar tech for James Williamson of The Stooges, which is so fucking cool. Derek also played on the Careless Hearts LP with Williamson from 2009. Whilst not performing Derek finds time to write about music and records for a host of magazines including his own blog Derek’s Daily 45 plus sells records online and repairs and restores vintage guitars.

I’m glad he found time to record these tunes that are the Landslide Eyes album. Derek has said that he wanted to make the type of album that harks back to that late 1960s through early 1970s period where records were played and listened to as a whole experience, and I think he has managed to pull that off. From the opening notes of side one to the close of side two, the listener is pulled into the Gentle Cycle universe and kept there. Although using vintage equipment and pulling on the past for inspiration, the record is far from just another retro garage affair. Far from it, the song writing is too good for that and the playing even better.

I just received my copy in the mail recently, a beautiful clear lavender vinyl pressing and have had it on the turntable frequently. Hard to pick an outright favorite track yet, but opener Like December Is Bold sets you up nicely for what’s to follow. Derek’s vocal style comes off as somewhere between that of Arthur Lee and Gene Clark, two heroes whose influence can’t help but rub off on any self-respecting Californian music lover. Throughout the record there are subtle nods to groups like Love, The Byrds and more obscure sixties bands, but also to the aforementioned Paisley Underground psych of the 80s and the next psychedelic revival of the 90s and early 00s. All beautifully molded together and brought up to date for modern ears, albeit those ears with an appreciation for the past, but not slaves to it.

There is nice balance and contrast to the songs too. Rocking anthems like cover of 70s Memphis power pop group The Hot Dogs’ Let Me Look At The Sun sit next to moody instrumentals and softer love songs like Ivy all seamlessly. The links to those last two tracks have videos for them and they are two excellent examples of what The Gentle Cycle is all about.

For those of you who celebrate 4/20, this might be an excellent listening experience. Just saying.

Okay, I must get back to work, but thank you for reading. I hope you have a great Record Store Day and get yourself something nice. Of course, your local record store needs your business all year and we here at Sorry State sincerely thank all of you great customers and friends who help us keep the lights on with your support. Thank you. See you next time - Dom

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Every now and then, a record outside of my wheelhouse comes into the store and based purely on the title and how it looks I think to myself: “That’s gotta be good.” This was exactly the case with this comp we just got in stock called Back Up: Mexican Tecnopop 1980-1989. Dom and I decided to crack open the shrink on a copy here at the shop and as we were listening we just kinda realized… wow, every song has been really good so far. That label Dark Entries compiled and released this compilation, and they always seem to be thoughtful with their releases and often put out quality synth-drenched records. As certain songs would play that I particularly liked, I decided to look up whatever information I could on each band. It seems like a lot of these synth-pop/post-punk bands out of Mexico only released music on cassette, all of which I’d imagine are incredibly hard to find. To my surprise, many of the recordings sound like really high-quality studio recordings, but then of course, some of the recordings sounded like the bands made music using whatever tools they had at their disposal haha. Heavy use of corny Casio keyboard sounds. As we were listening, Dom and I would both shout out what artist each band was clearly ripping off. New Order, Depeche Mode, Siouxsie & The Banshees… you name it. The influence of every major new wave group is accounted for. My favorite track is the 2nd track on the record, which is “Cambios En El Tiempo” by a band called Vandana. It’s super melodic and catchy. Vandana is yet another band like I mentioned that only released one cassette in their existence. It has no sales history on discogs.

Short and sweet this week. But if you’re in need of a super well-compiled bunch of catchy new wave/post-punk/whatever songs that you’ve probably never heard before, then I highly recommend this record :)

That’s all I’ve got. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

Visitors: Electric Heat 7” (1979, Deep Cuts Records)

I don’t have much info for you about this single, which I struck from my want list last week. It had been there for many years courtesy of my friend Shane. Unfortunately for me, Shane moved back to his hometown of Portland a few years ago, but while he was in Raleigh, we would hang out every so often. We’d always play records for each other. He’d show up with a big stack of vinyl that I’d never heard before, and all of it would be on my want list by the end of the night. Such was the case with this 1979 EP from Visitors.

I haven’t been able to dig up much info about Visitors. I know they were from Edinburgh, Scotland, and the title track’s lyrics and the snowy photo of the band on the cover are right in line with what I imagine that city must be like in winter. I can’t find any info about any of the members’ other projects, though Visitors released a second single in 1980 and a third in 1981. I found a YouTube stream for the third single and it had a lush, 60s-influenced sound that reminded me of the Teardrop Explodes. Very different vibes than these three tracks. These the tracks have been compiled several times, so maybe one of those comps has liner notes that shed a little more light on Visitors?

As for Electric Heat, it’s a great single, certainly worthy of being comped several times. Standing on the verge of synth-punk, the title track’s lumbering post-punk combined with the primitive synth sound makes me think of Dub Housing-era Pere Ubu, but much starker, more primitive, and DIY. The second track, “Moth,” is cut from a similar cloth, while the b-side, “One Line,” is a waxing and waning number whose build-ups remind me of the Stranglers. Not a dud among the three, and when you throw in a snazzy pic sleeve, you have a very exciting single.

Hi! So my pick for this week was a no brainer. I’ve been listening to Car Seat Headrest for the last couple weeks to prep for their show that was supposed to happen a few days ago, but their singer got COVID. That one hurt, but after 25 months of this shit I think one develops an immunity of sorts to COVID-related disappointment.

Given that I can’t gush over how great their show was, I will take a minute to gush about their 2016 release, Teens of Denial. First, I think it’s interesting and also kind of painful (for them, not me) that CHR (which was really just a very young Will Toledo at the time) had put out 12 full albums on Bandcamp before getting signed to Matador in 2015.

Teens of Denial isn’t easy to describe. It’s not just another indie rock album. It’s a much more dynamic and experimental indie rock album. There are a ton of different song structures, and sometimes that structural change happens within the same song. The Pixies-esque brash drums coupled with careful use of horns also help to add dimension to the album. I’m pretty sure they took these twists and turns to distract us from the fact that the album is 70 minutes long. But I didn’t even complain about that until I found out many listens later, so that’s not even a legitimate complaint.

It’s on this record where we start to hear Toledo’s vocals push out over the instruments, which is great when the lyrics are totally worth overpowering the instrumentation. And they are. Teens of Denial is so lyrically strong in its wit, intellect, and word play, that I found myself honing in on what Toledo was saying and less on what the band was playing (for at least the first few plays). For me, mediocre or even kinda shitty lyrics are not a deal breaker. It really depends what kind of band you are. BUT, if you’ve got some really smart, clever lyrics, I will probably fall in love with you.

One of my personal favorite lines is in the chorus for “Fill in the Blank” where Toledo laments “you have no right be depressed, you haven’t tried hard enough to like it.” And so much more where that came from. Toledo definitely has that Stephen Malkmus “lyrics that are funny to smart people” vibe going on. Although I don’t really think CHR sounds like Pavement as a band, I think that if you DO like bands like Pavement, Neutral Milk Hotel, early Modest Mouse, Cursive, etc. you will probably like this record.

Like I said, the album isn’t easy to describe. It would be a cop out to say this album sounds like insert 90s indie album here. Sure, every band is built on the backs of some existing foundation. It’s obvious that foundation for this album happens to be 90s indie rock. BUT, the songwriting that went into this album is easily some of the best I’ve heard in the last 10-15 years. Plus, Daniel said he really liked it. So there.

Thanks so much for reading!

Angela

If you want to check out Teens of Denial, I’ve provided a link to one of my favorite songs below:

It’s a weird week. But, as Dom always says, we have records to rely on to make us feel better! As we finished up pricing the collection Daniel went to Denver for, I somehow found even more ‘grail’ items I had to take home. I keep making a joke that me and that collector are the same person. Doom/stoner/sludge metal, international folk music, sound effects, old country records… everything I love.

But what got me the MOST excited (besides the David Lynch record I wrote about a few weeks ago) are the few Harvey Milk records I found in the collection. I think Harvey Milk was one of those bands I found on an old Blogspot page and have loved ever since. They are a very doomy, slow, noisy experimental metal band from Athens, GA. They were mainly active in the early 90s and their discography isn’t huge. What a bummer. I could listen to so many more albums of theirs. From what I can glean on the internet and the liner notes of the reissues I picked up, they were a well loved band when they were around and I can only imagine a big portion of it has to do with their live sets. I love the music on the internet or a record, but live must’ve been a totally different beast.

It’s also kind of full circle that I found some Harvey Milk records at Sorry State because I have a very vivid memory of missing out on one of their releases a few years ago. Anyone that shops in store knows the struggle of picking out some amazing stuff throughout the store and then, as you check out, you dig through the rare bins and find something with a hefty price tag that’s almost too good to pass up. That happened to me… I decided to grab the records in my hands instead of the rare Harvey Milk record that was worth my entire total. I thought, who the fuck knows this band? It’ll be here in a few weeks! Lo and behold, my boss at the time (shout out to Danny from Holy Mountain and his amazing record collection) posted a picture of the Harvey Milk record, saying he picked it up from Sorry State a day after I put it back. UGH. But now I have not one, but THREE of their records in my collection thanks to the guy I lovingly call The Denver Dude. If you’re not familiar with Harvey Milk, you best get to listening!

Hello, and thanks for reading.

I am out sick from work unfortunately, but I will still pay my dues here with a brief Staff Pick. Over the weekend I rode with DESTRUCT up to NYC and Philly for some gigs they were playing. LIFELESS DARK was originally on the NYC bill but was replaced with CHURCH CLOTHES after they dropped. I had yet to listen to CHURCH CLOTHES, but I recognized the name from packing up dozens of their EPs for mail-order. This is a common theme in my life, unfortunately. Why don’t I just spin the damn record when I am packing countless copies? When I learned I was going to see them, I had no idea what to expect. Well, I got my fuckin wig split. They blew the doors off the club. They were the first band to play, too, so I find all this even more impressive. I have yet to listen to the EP still haha, regardless I certainly look forward to seeing them again. Seeing DESTRUCT two nights in a row was fucking excellent. I already thought they were one of my favorite bands from the States currently, and this weekend did nothing but reinforce this belief. DESTRUCT is a well-oiled machine. They are hardcore perfection. I can’t wait til their next LP is out. I was lucky enough to hear the tracks from said LP, but they have since released a new cassette with some live recordings where two songs from the upcoming LP are featured. We had a nice stack of these, but sold em all already. I know the band has a few copies left on the bandcamp I linked and Grave Mistake has some as well. Alright that’s all for this week. I hope everybody is taking care, and thanks for reading! Peace.

Hi everyone, thanks for clicking on our newsletter again this week and for your support. We appreciate it. Lots going on here at Sorry State as per usual. We are preparing for Record Store Day, processing used collections, shipping orders, selling in-store and all the other fun stuff that goes with connecting folks with great music. Talking of which, have you all checked out the new SSR single we have out by Brazilians Lasso? It’s a banger. How about the Peace De Resistance LP? Highly recommended. One of my favorite recent releases and one we are proud to back here at Sorry State.

As music lovers, it is always hard to hear of the passing of any musician, artist or icon, but the sad news this week of the death of Chris Bailey, front man for Australian punk legends The Saints, has hit us particularly hard. I’m sure like u s you have been rocking your copies of Eternally Yours and (I’m) Stranded extra loud in honor of Chris.

For my staff picks this week, I thought I might switch styles a little and talk to you about some soul records. Particularly modern soul records with a retro feel by female singers that perhaps you may have missed. In recent years, there have been some quality albums made in this genre by new and older artists alike. Obviously we all know and love the late and great Sharon Jones; her success at Daptone Records helped to inspire a global interest in old school style funk and soul. Other labels sharing the Daptone ethos such as Colemine Records have now become almost household names. They have scored success with many releases, the Durand Jones albums being the most known. Small labels here in America and around the world are all contributing to a continued interest in authentic soul music that is new but with a retro feel and played by actual musicians and sung by proper singers. There is a place for computer generated music and vocal effects to hide real talent, but for many of us that isn’t enough. We want to hear actual playing and real singing. I feel so blessed to have been living in New York during the late 90s and early 00s when the retro soul and funk scene was in full swing. To have seen those early Daptone artists like Sharon Jones in the beginning was a real privilege and so much fun. The ripples from those explosive shows and records are still being felt around the world.

So, with that said here are some examples of those kinds of records. In no particular order and ranking and just the tip of the iceberg.

Gizelle Smith & The Mighty Mocambos: This Is Gizelle Smith. Mocambo Records. 2009

London based singer Gizelle Smith teamed up with the Mocambo crew from Hamburg, Germany to cut this nice slice of neo-funk and soul. The Mocambo label does a great job releasing breakbeat heavy funk on 45 and LP and this album was cut at their studio in Hamburg and at Goldhawk Studios in London’s Shepheard’s Bush. I love this record. It has such a great vibe with every track a winner. The first single taken from the album, Working Woman, was a big hit in the soul and funk world and was given a nice remix by Kenny Dope for his Kay Dee Records label. Other highlights include The Time Is Right For Love and Snake Charmer, but these are just three gems out of the twelve on offer. Ms. Smith has gone on to release two other full lengths since then with the most recent being last year’s Revealing on Jalapeno Records. I unfortunately haven’t seen her perform live, but am assured by those that have that she brings it.

Nicole Willis And The Soul Investigators: Keep Reachin’ Up. Timmion Records. 2005

New Yorker Nicole Willis has had a full career going back to her beginnings in 1984. She has worked with everyone from The Brand New Heavies to Curtis Mayfield. She married Finnish musician and artist Jimi Tenor and relocated to Finland where she cut several records in the early 00s. Keep Reachin’ Up was the first of those. The Timmion label is another fine purveyor of class music and I have yet to hear anything that I didn’t like from them. The Soul Investigators are the label house band and do a stellar job of backing Nicole Willis on this set. Again, it’s the sound of actual musicians playing and a vocalist who can really sing. No duff tracks on the set but the two openers, Feelin’ Free and If This Ain’t Love (I Don’t Know What Is) are worth the price of admission alone.

Lady Wray: Queen Alone. 2016, & Piece Of Me. 2022 Big Crown Records.

Two from Big Crown and Nicole Wray aka Lady Wray. She has been on the scene since the late nineties. Her first record, Make It Hot, came out in 1998 and was an RnB record more in tune with the times. That single was a hit, but the subsequent album of the same name less so. Wray was under the guidance of Missy Elliott at the time. She had been featured vocalist on her Supa Dupa Fly album and toured as a backing singer for her. A second album was begun in 2000, but due to a falling out with Elektra Records it was shelved. From there, Wray worked with Ol’ Dirty Bastard and was signed to Roc-A-Fella Records, where a single came out. She was working on another album called Lovechild, in-between times which she was moved to Def Jam and then to Dame Dash Music Group. That label folded and her album went with it.

In 2012, she teamed up with English singer Terri Walker and formed an act called Lady. Signed to Truth And Soul Records, they recorded one self-titled album and served as the singers for soul singer Lee Fields on his tour. The style of this music was strongly in the retro soul style and well received. However, her partner in the group decided to leave and pursue solo ventures and Nicole renamed herself Lady Wray and found her way to Big Crown Records, the Brooklyn based label run by the ace Leon Michels.

The two records she has made for Big Crown are terrific. Great songs, great production and fantastic vocals from Lady Wray herself. I don’t know where I have been all this time, but I only recently became aware of these albums, and they have both been on heavy rotation since. I remember her from those earlier records and am very aware of the great work El Michels and the Big Crown label are doing, but came late to this party. My apologies to Lady Wray and Big Crown. Of the two, Queen Alone arguably has the stronger retro soul sound, whereas Piece Of Me is a little more current. What unites the two though, and the records we talked about already, is the sound of real musicians in a studio with a genuine vocalist. You can’t fake that.

All three of these ladies are the real deal. They have put their time in and paid their dues, as the saying goes. Highlights on the Lady Wray records are many, but from the most recent you should check out Under The Sun and Where Were You and from the earlier album I like the songs Guilty and Let It Go.

Last time I looked we had copies of both Lady Wray albums in stock should you care to own them.

Okay, that’s my lot for this week. Thank you for reading and hopefully one or two of you out there will find as much enjoyment in these records as I do.

Cheers - Dom

What’s up Sorry Staters?

As more and more years go by, I realize that I still just like all the same stuff that I was into when I was a teenager. I go through phases of feeling like I need to expand my palette and broaden my horizons, but I think I’m just avoiding the inevitable. I always find myself coming back to hardcore and skateboarding. I don’t necessarily think the issue is that I have a serotonin response to what feels comfortable or familiar… I think the problem is more that I just need to admit to myself that I don’t need to abandon things from teenage years that bring me joy.

Now, my body probably isn’t prepared to be along for the ride, but lately I’ve just been transfixed on skateboarding all over again. Whether it’s binging episodes of Jeff Grosso’s Love Letters to Skateboarding or watching Jason Lee’s interview on the Nine Club podcast, I just eat it up. I even re-watched Thrashin’ the other night, and even with the corny moments, I loved every second of it. Monk from the Daggers’ Zany Guys t-shirt? So rad. And when it comes to records that inhabit this exuberant, skate-obsessed spirit, the Big Boys have really been scratching that itch for me lately. First of all, they’ve got the best logo. I think I’ve probably gushed about the Big Boys in the newsletter before, but hopefully not too recently. Anyway, here we go again!

This might be weird to say, but the Big Boys are the kind of hardcore band that really brings a smile to my face. Don’t get me wrong, I do sit and boil over with rage while absorbing the seedy, negative and pissed off vibes that I usually gather from my hardcore records. And as much as I identify with that, the sort of upbeat positivity that Big Boys bring to the table is welcomed at this particular moment. When you look at photos of Big Boys on their record layouts and inserts, you’ll see the guys jocking skateboard decks with Pushead’s Zorlac graphics. So sick. And while other 80s skate-centric punk bands doing surf covers is cool, I think the Big Boys’ funk tunes totally rule. But then, of course, the 40-second hardcore songs RIP. The band touches on some politics and worldview, but always with a sense of humor and cynicism. Like in “Apolitical” where Randy Biscuit belts “Leave me alone you pamphleteers, give it up and buy me beers!” Pretty rad. As iconic and classic as the Fun, Fun, Fun EP is for most punks, I often find that Lullabies Help the Brain Grow is my go-to record when I wanna listen to some Big Boys. Every song is good. The opening track “We Got Your Money” with its hooky, repetitive background vocals kicks the record off with a bang and sets the tone. Then vicious rippers like “I’m Sorry” or “Brick Wall” are sub-minute explosions of killer hardcore. Some of the songs are more brooding like “Sound On Sound” or “Manipulation”. Then of course funk bangers like “Jump The Fence” get you groovin’. I don’t know, I could probably write an essay about every song. The sounds from song to song are so diverse, but they flow so well. And all of them are charged with this infectious energy. One day, I’d love to get my hands on a copy of the Where’s My Towel LP and of course the legendary Frat Cars 7”, but I’ll probably need to go sell plasma a few times before that. One day…

For the most part, I would say Big Boys exude a more colorful, light-hearted perspective. I mean come on, “Fun, fun, fun, that’s what we say!” I think that underneath the surface, I do sense that the band captures a spirit I connect with. Big Boys fly the flag for the true freaks. Chunky, dirtbag, skate-obsessed, queer… true weirdos. Also, if I see one more new dumb crust band with a high-contrast black and white photo of dead people, I’m gonna lose it. I’m so sick of that shit. Fuck Discharge! (…I’m totally kidding, they’re like the best band in punk to ever exist.) I think that’s just where my head’s at right now. So sue me.

Maybe one day I’ll get back into skating for real. I miss it. I’m just worried I’ll wreck myself. I guess that’s part of it, right? Even if I don’t go hard, it feels like a part of my identity that’s missing. Like my Texan legends would say, “Skate for fun or don’t skate at all.”

Well damn, that was more than I was expecting to write today. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

The Homosexuals: The Homosexuals’ Record LP (Recommended Records, 1984)

Like many people, I was introduced to the Homosexuals via the Astral Glamour 3CD collection that came out in 2004. That collection was the talk of the town when it came out, and deservedly so. Compiling everything the Homosexuals recorded, it was a fan’s dream. However, I wasn’t a Homosexuals fan (yet) when I heard it, and three jam-packed CDs is a lot for a new listener to process. My takeaway at the time was that the Homosexuals were a great band, “Hearts in Exile” was their best song, and the rest of their output was there for me to explore at a later date. I had their records sitting on my want list for ages, and a few weeks ago a copy of this album popped up for a nice price from a US seller.

I’m pretty sure all these songs appeared on Astral Glamour, but the more digestible package is hitting home with me. “Hearts in Exile” is still a standout—it’s like the best song Wire never wrote—but The Homosexuals Record presents a very different picture of who the Homosexuals were as a band than Astral Glamour. To me, there’s one side of the Homosexuals’ work that embraces the punk / UKDIY sensibility that I love… simple pop songs delivered with energy and passion. However, as with Wire, that extroverted side of the band contrasts with a more introverted, experimental streak. The Homosexuals Album was released on Recommended Records, the great, defiantly non-commercial experimental imprint that provided a home for some of the most out there sounds of the 80s. While “Neutron Lover” or “Hearts in Exile” might be an odd fit for Recommended Records, even comparatively poppy tracks like “Vociferous Slam” and “A Million Keys” have moments that wander into some pretty noisy stuff.

Speaking of noisy, one thing that surprised me about getting an original pressing of this record is how hot and abrasive the mastering job is. I don’t know if that was intentional, but the treble end of the spectrum is so hot that it can make your teeth hurt. Actually, after the LP was done, my wife asked that I not play it again when she was around… I’m sure she liked the songs, but the production is super abrasive. That’s something I never noticed on Astral Glamour.

The Homosexuals’ music is dense with ideas and pushes hard against the boundaries of the punk / post-punk sound, so I’ll need a lot more time with the album before I have anything original to say about it. However, it’s been great to spend time with a record that has that 70s punk / post-punk sound that I love so much, but still feels like a new discovery for me.

Summer of Soul (...Or When the Revolution Could Not be Televised)

I’m a bit late to the game, as this documentary came out last year, but I’ve been telling anyone who will listen about it! It’s your turn, faithful newsletter readers. So, the premise is interesting enough on its own: a huge series of summer concerts happened in the heart of Harlem during the summer of 1969. It was extensively filmed and incredibly well attended but the footage sat in a basement for 50 years and got upstaged by Woodstock. The film sat in a basement for fifty years until someone found it, Questlove got a hold of it, and this documentary was born. A story about long lost footage piqued my interest on that premise alone, but holy shit there is so much more in Summer of Soul that had me mesmerized.

The footage is amazing- seas of people dancing and singing to an absolutely insane lineup. Nina Simone, Sly and the Family Stone, Stevie Wonder….It would’ve been a shame if we never got to see these performances. Throughout the movie, I found myself thinking about what it must’ve felt like to be the first people to watch this in 50 years. To stumble upon this magic? Insane. Questlove really did this story justice. Watching the documentary felt like discovering something magical.

The talking heads in this documentary are a mixture of people that performed and attended the concerts. I could’ve easily sat and watched the found footage from start to finish, but seeing these people react to this thing that had only been a memory for FIFTY YEARS is almost as amazing as the footage itself. This event was revolutionary. It was a showcase of black culture in a predominantly black neighborhood during a time in America where it was even harder than it is now to be black. It was in 1969, but you can still feel the electricity today. Obviously there’s only so much I can say as a white girl, but the information provided by the interviews doesn’t shy away from talking about the influence on black culture. The whole story and documentary is almost more powerful from a 2021-22 perspective because of how far we’ve come, but also how little has changed.

All that being said, check out the trailer and the soundtrack to this movie, but most of all PUHLEASE watch it.