Built Upon Life's Little Sighs

Not one but two EPs from Jo Bartlett came out in September, both of which i'll be buying in October's imminent Bandcamp Friday (3rd).

In reverse order, first up is The River Or The Road, four songs recorded with Neil Haydock (Submarine). A cyberspace collaboration in June this year, files swapped in June, "mixed and tweaked" by Jo then released three months later. 

Lead vocals by Jo throughout, and in keeping with the vibe of her 2024 album Ghost Tapes 1 To 9, which I loved (and still do). This time though, the songs with a pastoral, acoustic feel that, with Neil's vocal and musical elements, lends a warmth to the offset the chill of oncoming Autumn.

Opening song Frozen In Time comes with a promo "made up of videos from the Green Man Festival 2007" that Jo found on You Tube, and all four songs are worth the purchase price. EP closer Innocence left a particularly deep impression on me.

The September To September EP is another four-tracker. Three of the songs have been out before - These Simple Things and Time And Time And Again (both April 2025) and Before The Police Car (October 2024) - however, this is the first time that they have been available to buy.

Completing the EP is The Story Of The Buzz Club, the soundtrack to a short film that Jo was commissioned to make for a project called the Aldershot Mix Tape, which premiered at the West End Centre in Aldershot on 13th September.

The Buzz Club was organised by Jo and Danny Hagan and held at the West End Centre. The list of bands that made a stop in Aldershot to play at the club in the 1990s makes for eye-widening reading: Blur, Cornershop, Dodgy, Elastica, Happy Mondays, Manic Street Preachers, Primal Scream, Spiritualized, Suede, That Petrol Emotion, The Beautiful South, The Charlatans, The Stone Roses, and many more.

You can watch The Story Of The Buzz Club on You Tube, whilst the soundtrack provides the opener for the September To September EP.

Both EPs recommended, both in my Bandcamp Friday shopping bag.

This Is Something Old, Something New, Something Balearic, Something Blue

This Is Something was the debut - and to date, only - single by The Summerisle Six in June 2022.

This Is Something of a supergroup, founded by Sean Johnston (Hardway Bros, A Love From Outer Space) and featuring Jo Bartlett (It's Jo & Danny, Kodiak Island, Blue Train), Andy Bell (Ride, Oasis, GLOK), Duncan Gray (Sons Of Slough, Tici Taci), Kevin Sharkey (The Undertones, That Petrol Emotion) and blistering sax from Mick Somerset Ward (Alison Moyet, Róisín Murphy).

This Is Something was re-posted on YouTube last week, with a brand new, bespoke video created for the original extended mix by Jo Bartlett. It starts off with a beautiful bllue, cloudy sky and has fun playing with the effects box for the nexy eight minutes or so.

This Is Something is available as a 4-track digital EP on Bandcamp for a mere £7.00, containing the extended mix, a radio edit and a dub as well as a stunning 10 minute remix from Rico Conning.

This Is Something was originally released as a 3-track 12" single (minus the radio edit) on Is It Balearic? and hit the #1 spot in the Juno vinyl chart back in 2022. Happily, vinyl copies are still available for a bargain #7.50, plus shipping. 

This Is Something of a sales pitch rather than a review, I realise in retrospect, but the music is too good to ignore. Buy now!

These Simple Things, Time And Time And Again

Jo Bartlett has released two new songs in the past fortnight.

These Simple Things appeared on Friday and builds on last year's Ghost Tapes 1 To 9, intertwining guitar and synth lines with a soft vocal over the top delivering a hard message. 

"We don't know what tomorrow brings

The world's fucked up with all these things

I cannot begin to understand."

No prizes for guessing what has been the inspiration, with a further reference to "billionaires [...] stealing from our hands". 

The song is accompanied by a charming, self-produced front room video, Jo performing against a backdrop of photos from childhood, family holidays and previous adventures in her music career. 

Jo first aired an acoustic version of the song on New Year's Day, which you can (hopefully) access on the Book of Faces.

Time And Time And Again is an uptempo electronic number, though lyrically speaking ploughs a similar furrough,

"I refuse to be part of your hypocrisy

The strangest thing is it's built on insecurity

You're telling lies

Like you think they're going out of style

But do you ever...smile?"

Again, the target of Jo's ire is clear,

"Another idea you claim for yourself

Is electric cars

And when you've sold our planet's health

You plan to fuck off to Mars"

A blunt message delivered with grace and poise. In the video, Jo is sitting on the sofa in her front room, singing calmly and assertively to camera, the grainy, hazy effects giving it the air of a transmission from the bunker following the collapse of society.

It was the similarity in both song's themes that prompted Jo to release them a fortnight apart on her Indie Through The Looking Glass label. Which is a win-win for listeners.

Quoting directly from Jo, These Simple Things and Time And Time And Again are "both available on Spotify and all the usual digital streaming platforms. They are not on Bandcamp yet, I’m thinking of doing a physical release at some point, I’ll let you know!"

Either way, two welcome additions to Jo's catalogue and 2025 as a whole.

When You Don't Have Anything Left, She's Got The Music

Almost a month through 2025 already and although there's a lot of incoming new music to be excited about, I'm still immersing myself in the albums and singles that I bought last year.

Today's selection therefore is wall-to-wall 2024 and back-to-back female voices. So many to choose from, I did an entire selection as part of my end of year round up and here are 11 more.

I got the albums by Jane Weaver and Beth Gibbons relatively late in the day, so I'm continuing to discover more about them on each listen. Others, like Ibibio Sound Machine, Xan Tyler and Jo Bartlett, I've had for some while and played and played and played them.

Isobel Campbell delivered two for the price of one, with Bow To Love available on shiny disc with a French language counterpart, Place à l'Amour. I can't choose between them, I love them both.

Of the tons of great singles and EPs out last year, the Blueprints Revisited EP by Ammonite aka Amy Spencer was a welcome discovery via a remix she did for David Holmes. David reciprocates on the EP, though I've opted here for a lovely remix by South Korean duo Salamanda aka Uman (Jimin Sung) and Yetsuby (Yejin Jang).

Anzu by C.A.R. was already a favourite in both its original version and GLOK remix by Andy Bell. Then Sean Johnston came along and delivered a couple of Hardway Bros remixes that blew the bloody doors off.

There were also a couple of international musical pairings for one-off singles that grabbed my attention. Björk (Iceland) teamed up with Rosalía (Spain) for Oral, remixed by Olof Dreijer (Sweden). Meanwhile, Tanya Donelly (USA) collaborated with Gabi Lima (Brazil) on the rousing Golden Cut. 

I've been listening to a lot of Tanya's music since I posted about her last August, revisiting her back catalogue and catching up with her 21st century music. She really is an incredible songwriter and performer.

If any of these take your fancy, click on the album/single title and buy, buy, buy!

1) Motif: Jane Weaver (Love In Constant Spectacle)

2) When You Don't (Salamanda Remix): Ammonite (Blueprints Revisited EP)

3) Reste Calme, Suis Ta Voie: Isobel Campbell (Bow To Love/Place à l'Amour (ltd 2x CD))

4) Golden Cut: Tanya Donelly & Gabi Lima (Golden Cut EP)

5) She's Got The Music: Jo Bartlett (Ghost Tapes 1 To 9)

6) Ziggy: Xan Tyler (Holding Up Half The Sky)

7) Anzu (Hardway Bros Remix): C.A.R. (Anzu EP)

8) Dejalo: Charlotte & Reinhard (Guardian Of Sleep EP)

9) Oral (Olof Dreijer Remix): Björk ft. Rosalía (Oral EP)

10) Touch The Ceiling: Ibibio Sound Machine (Pull The Rope)

11) Lost Changes: Beth Gibbons (Lives Outgrown)

When You Don't Have Anything Left, She's Got The Music (45:30) (KF) (Mega)

The End Of The End Of Year Lists

In my final post of 2024, I have taken another look at the Dubhed Top 20 most popular posts. As with 2023's list, these are in descending order to manufacture some countdown tension, again with a few video inserts at various points. Or you can scroll down the page to see what's at #1...

The spread is more uneven is more uneven this year - January and October are the most popular months, April not far behind. March, June to August and, perhaps less surprisingly, December don't even get a look in at the Top 20. My Dubhed selections feature in just over half of the Top 20, which is good to see.

January's birthday nod to Susanna Hoffs hit the mark and was well inside the Top 10 for most of the year, only dipping out when posts from the last few months starting climbing up. Jesse Fahnestock also scores a triple whammy, with Jezebell and 10:40 respectively.

 

Sadly, too many obituaries this year, the tributes to J. Saul Kane, Chris Cross of Ultravox and Keith LeBlanc being particularly well received, even though the news of their passing wasn’t.

 

And two comebacks also attracted a lot of attention, one very welcome (The Cure, crashing into the Top 10 in October) and one very much the opposite (#15 in November).

 

I'm delighted that this year's #1 featured what for me is the best album of the year, in any category or genre.

In case you missed them first time around, click on the titles for the original post. Dubhed selection links have also been restored, where appropriate. When you get to #1, go and read my review of the album, posted shortly after I played it for the first time, then you'll understand why there was never any doubt in my mind. Happily, as the most visited post in 2024, it seems that you all agree.

Thanks so much for your support this year. I love writing this blog, but your comments, suggestions and gentle editing corrections give me the motivation to keep writing, keep wanting to do better and, in simple terms, give a shout out for all those talented people whose passion to create music inspires me every day.

Have a great New Year's Eve and best wishes for a brilliant 2025. I'll be here as usual tomorrow.

 

20) Roll With Me 'Til The Sun Dips Low (Khruangbin) (18th October)

19) Swallow It Up (Lee 'Scratch' Perry) (1st October)

18) If Ever The Devil Was Born Without A Pair Of Horns, It Was You Jezebell, It Was You (Jezebell) (5th May)

17) I'm On Fire, Boss! (Bruce Springsteen covers) (19th January)

16) These Things That Stir Me Will Not Deter Me (Jo Bartlett) (7th February)

 

15) Who Is More Fascist? The Fascist? Or The Fascist Who Follows Him? (7th November)

14) Les Disques Du Crépuscule En Sept Sélections Pour Sept, er, Quid (2nd May)

13) Citizen Kane (J. Saul Kane) (19th November)

12) Unplug The Jukebox (Adam & The Ants) (15th January)

11) Be Still My Beating Heart (Susanna Hoffs) (17th January)

 

10) Dubcamp Friday (4th October)

9) Name After Name After Name (Chris Cross / Ultravox) (2nd April)

8) Summer Alone (The Cure) (8th October)

7) Clues To The Edit (Jezebell) (22nd September)

6) ACT 1.5 (Massive Attack) (2nd September)

 

5) Sub Dub (African Head Charge) (20th October)

4) LeBlanc Beats (Keith LeBlanc) (5th April)

3) Chart History (Top 20 UK singles) (20th January)

2) Thousand (Dubhed's 1,000th post) (6th January)   

1) A Gift (Sounds From The Flightpath Estate) (6th April)     

When I posted the Dubhed 2023 Top 20 on 2nd January, John Medd was quick to respond with a suggestion:

 

"I know it would be like knitting fog 

but have you thought of condensing the year down 

not just into 20 posts, but 20 tracks 

- segued into a 60/70/80 minute megagmix? 

Push the boat out, 

make two sides of 40/45 mins 

and whack it out as a C90!"

I replied, filed it away and then pulled it back out of the drawer when I started this post. 21/22 tracks segued into an 85-minute mix. You can split it in half and fit onto a C90, if you don't mind some spooling at the end of Side 2. 

This selection is dedicated to John Medd (thanks for the suggestion, hope you're doing well) and Swiss Adam (not least for his contribution to this year's #1). 

 

And to everyone else, whether you're a fellow blogger (active or lapsed), commenter or silent visitor - not forgetting those lovely bots in China and South Korea - thank you again!

1) Three Rings: 10:40 ft. Emilia Harmony (2024)

2) 1000 Fahrenheit (Welsh Version): The Wedding Present (2014)

3) Camouflage (Single Version): Campbell / Mallinder / Benge (2021)

4) A Love International (Album Version): Khruangbin (2024)

5) Roll Away The Stone: Mott The Hoople (1974)

6) Hymn (Album Version): African Head Charge (1990)

7) Mega Mix (Remix By Grimm Death aka J. Saul Kane): Bomb The Bass (1988)

8) Donkey: Jezebell (2024)

9) Young Savage: Ultravox (1977)

10) Alone (Live @ BBC Radio Theatre, Broadcasting House, London): The Cure (2024)

11) ID (Unreleased early version of 'Eutopia'): Massive Attack x Young Fathers (2020)

12) (I Want To) Kill Somebody (Keith LeBlanc Mix): S*M*A*S*H (1994)

13) 100lbs Of Summer (Tricky Remix): Lee 'Scratch' Perry ft. Greentea Peng (2023)

14) Tuff Gong: Creation Rockers (2012)

15) They Don't Know (Cover of Kirsty MacColl): Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs (2013)

16) A.N.T.S.: Adam & The Ants (1981)

17) We All Need (Jezebell's Ghost Train Mix): A Certain Ratio (2024)

18) All You Fascists (Cover of 'All You Fascists Bound To Lose' by Woody Guthrie): Broken Chanter (2024)

19) I'm On Fire (Cover of Bruce Springsteen): Anna Ternheim (2023)

20) Drawing A Line (Ghost Tape No.2): Jo Bartlett (2024)

21) Smokebelch II (Khayem's Second Cut Won't Hurt At All): Andy Bell & The Sabres Of Paradise (2024)

The End Of The End Of Year Lists (1:24:50) (KF) (Mega)

(Sleeve) Notes: 

 

1) The songs by The Wedding Present, Broken Chanter and Anna Ternheim didn't respectively feature in the original posts #2, 15 and 17 but would have if I'd had the songs at the time!

 

2) Same for J. Saul Kane's brilliant Bomb The Bass megamix from 1988.

 

3) I still haven't actually bought or listened to The Cure's new album from start to finish, but I have dipped into the concert for BBC Radio 2. Isn't it wonderful?

4) You'll quickly twig that A.N.T.S. by Adam & The Ants is set to the tune of Y.M.C.A. by The Village People. And why not?

 

5) Jesse Fahnestock is not paying me to get maximum exposure in the annual Dubhed Top 20, honest.

 

6) Jesse's contribution as 10:40 to Sounds From The Flightpath Estate was released as a standalone single in the summer, which is why it's included here. The album in general was only available as a limited edition double vinyl, which sold out in (excuse the pun) record time.

7) In March 2020, during the COVID lockdown, Andy Bell was taking song requests to perform and post on YouTube. Andrew Weatherall had passed mere weeks before, and @supawide45 suggested Andy have a go at Smokebelch II in tribute to The Guv'nor. Which he did, commenting, "Makes me want to actually record an acoustic arrangement of it!"

In March 2024, after a close-to-the-wire completion and submission, Andy's recorded version of Smokebelch II was released as the closing song on Songs From The Flightpath Estate. As it was perhaps always meant to be.

I've not included Andy's 2024 version, as it's place is on the album that Swiss Adam and his Flightpath Estate colleagues poured their hearts and souls into creating. 

 

Instead, I've taken Andy's lockdown sketch, itself barely half a minute, looped and re-edited it a bit, then spliced with a section of Andrew, Jagz and Gary's Beatless Mix of Smokebelch II from 1993. It's an amateurish edit, but I think it (just about) works.         

An A-Z Of 2024

The last three days of 2024 will feature more reflections and selections from what has been a really good year for music.

 

Today's selection is exactly what the post title suggests: 26 songs over 98 minutes, listed alphabetically by artist (ignoring 'A' or 'The' prefixes).

I've picked up lots of recommendations, mostly from fellow bloggers and, more recently, Bluesky, though rarely from music magazines these days. Thanks then to @marksmusic1977.bsky.social and Ernie Goggins for introducing me to Ana Lua Caiano and The Zawose Queens respectively. 

 

Mark posted Vou Ficar Neste Quadrado by Ana Lua Caiano as a contender for Album Of The Year and it's easy to hear why. Ana Lua Caiano’s debut album "melds rural Portuguese music traditions with layered vocals, synthesizers, insistent beats and field recordings", but it hits hard, takes some unexpected twists and turns, and packs a hell of a lot into less than half an hour.

As a paying Last Night From Glasgow member for the second consecutive year, I've received another steady stream of quality new releases and reissues on gorgeous vinyl, frequently in a variety of unexpected colours and hues, as well as access to dozens of albums via their digital vault.

Included in my vinyl package was Holding Up Half The Sky by Xan Tyler. Xan's got previous on this blog, notably Clarion Call, her collaborative album with Mad Professor in 2021. Holding Up Half The Sky is produced by Boo Hewerdine and immerses the listener in the "life stories of some incredible women [...] a journey shaped by adversity and challenges [and] arriving at a place they were seemingly destined for." The songcraft is superlative and a big hit with Mrs. K too.

 

I first heard Steve (A Weekend In Egham, 1996), the second album by Billy Reeves, via the LNFG digital vault shortly after it was released in the spring. I enjoyed Billy's first album very much, but this one had an immediate impact on my and over the course of the year, I have become obsessed with the album. Definitely one of my most played. 

 

The vinyl album wasn't included in my LNFG membership so of course I had to buy it. I kept meaning to write about Steve, but I procrastinated so much that Billy released two further albums since, a live set with Gavin Laird and, in November, his third solo album. I've heard the former - it's great - and the latter is on order.

 

There have been many triumphant returns for artists this year, including China Crisis and The Blow Monkeys (both also on LNFG), The The (their first album in a quarter of a century) and Ultravox, albeit via a deluxe 40th anniversary reissue of Lament and decent remixes by Steven Wilson and Moby. 

Some comebacks were a complete surprise, and exceeded all reasonable expectations. Gavin Friday's album Ecce Homo is produced by Dave Ball and is supercharged music for the heads and the hedonists. Why slow down at 65? As good as any of Gavin's previous albums, which were frankly brilliant.

 

Fluke's return seemingly came out of nowhere, Jon Fugler and Mike Tournier joined on this new adventure by the stunning vocals of Leah Cleaver. Two singles - Insanely Beautiful and Real Magnificient - and a standalone song (Jack) that are up there with their best material. The world is a better place with Fluke's music in it.

I knew of Lisa Moorish in the 1990s, though more for the pop press and tabloid features than her music. Drawn in by a David Holmes remix, the single Sylvia is a statement of intent and then some. A song about poet Sylvia Plath, set to urgent rhythms with a sublime vocal and hooky lyrics ("where do I end and you begin?"), it got my attention and Lisa's album Divine Chaos is equally worth your attention (and money). A powerful and very welcome return.

Less comeback and more career change, Dan Wainwright released the first of two solo albums this year. I was familiar with Dan's psychedelic electronica/dance/dub music and remixes. I'd also picked up on social media that he'd decided to turn away from that, learn to play the ukelele and write songs drawn deep from the soul and his lived experience. I reviewed Dan's debut back in February and I stand by every word. A shock if you're familiar with Dan's previous work, but stick with it and the songs reward with each play.

Creativity seemed to be in overdrive this year, with an astonishing quantity of quality music from Richard Norris and A Certain Ratio. Hifi Sean and David McAlmont recorded enough music for two (themed) albums and that's exactly what they've done. The first of these, Daylight, was out in August and is packed with poptastic tunes, including the anthemic Celebrate. The follow up, Twilight, is out February 2025 and, if preview single Star is anything to go by, will be as good as if not better. Truly a perfect musical partnership.

Ghost Tapes 1 To 9 by Jo Bartlett is another album that I've played repeatedly all year and it just gets better with each listen. When I posted about the album in April, I reflected on "the soundscapes that Jo has created, not least the bringing together of electronics, acoustics and voice resulting in an album that feels organic, human and warm." The songs were infused with the spirit of Jayne Casey and Nina Walsh, whilst holding their own with contemporaries Tor Maries (Billy Nomates) and Angel Olsen. In other words, right up my street.

 

I've written previously and above about the formidable talents of female artists, and today's selection includes further examples by Jane Weaver, Emily Breeze, Katy J Pearson, Eno Williams (Ibibio Sound Machine), Samantha Morton, John Glacier and Yaya Bey.

 

Producers have also, er. produced some incredible music this year. Cruelly missing from today's selection are Hugo Nicholson and David Harrow's Revolvalution or CTRL+S EDITS 2024, an album of excellent edits by Neil Parnell aka Tronik Youth.

Joe Thornally, son of legendary producer Phil, released his 5th (or 6th) album as Vegyn, The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions, in the spring. I came to Tales From The Infinite Loop or What Goes Around Comes Around by Nigel Butler via a recommendation from former bandmate and founder of theaudience, Billy Reeves. Both albums are very, very good and the latter is going on Bandcamp at the ridiculous price of 50p!

 

The Woodentops came back with a bang last year, the superb single Ride A Cloud, with a brilliant video and remixes and the promise of an album to follow. Another April release, Fruits Of The Deep, delivered far beyond the promise of the lead single, as I wrote about at the time.

I've not yet mentioned DJ Helen's inspired fusion of David Holmes' remix of Orbital's Belfast and Mike Garry's updated recording of his poem Tonight. The 4-minute version tells you what you need to know but you really need to go for the full 12-minute monty with this one. 

 

And a highlight of my many new dub purchases this year has been The Mood EP by French punnilinguists Prince François Far I and ShaYaman, available in 5 flavours, including a remix by Owl Trackers and all in tribute to Lee 'Scratch' Perry.

 

Then it's back to LNFG for Amelia Lironi and Naomi Mackay aka Quad 90, the '90' presumably referencing the year that advance single Anodyne calls to mind, not least a lost single by New Order. Not included simply to fill that difficult 'Q', I'm looking forward to their debut album in 2025.

 

Oh, and I nearly forgot Metronomy! Suffice to say, I love the Loose EP and the short, snappy, poppy collaborations, encapsulated brilliantly by Pan Amsterdam's spoken word vocals on Nice Town.

 

Finally, a very special mention for Ernie's African Odyssey over at his 27 Leggies blog, with concluded on 13th December after over 60 posts, 57 countries, 550 artists, 350 songs and 200 videos. The majority of music and artists were completely new to me, including sisters Leah and Pendo, aka The Zawose Queens, who featured when Ernie visited Tanzania in October. Maisha ("Life") is the title track of their debut album and a joyous close to today's selection. 

Note on Sunday: 

 

If you were here earlier this morning, you will have read that the majority of the above sleevenotes were to follow later, as my usual blog writing routine flexed to accommodate an extended Clan K over the festive period. 

 

Various family members left this morning, giving me some time to return to the keyboard and finish off this post. Of course, that kitchen full of dirty pans, crockery and cutlery isn't going to wash itself, so I will sign off now and be back here on Monday with another reflection on some great music this year. 

 

Casa K is well and truly back to it's chaotic norm!, and so is this blog! Thanks for sticking with me xx

 

 

1) De Cabeça Colada Ao Chão: Ana Lua Caiano (Vou Ficar Neste Quadrado)

2) I Know Who Trashed The Blue Peter Garden (Part II): Billy Reeves (Steve (A Weekend In Egham, 1996))

3) Where You Coming From (Jane Weaver Rework): A Certain Ratio (Christmasville UK EP)

4) Big Boss Man: Dan Wainwright (Dan Wainwright)

5) 1997 (Single Version): Emily Breeze (Second Rodeo EP)

6) Real Magnificent (Single Version): Fluke ft. Leah Cleaver (Real Magnificent EP)

7) Cabarotica: Gavin Friday (Ecce Homo)

8) The Show: Hifi Sean & David McAlmont (Daylight)

9) Black Notes: Ibibio Sound Machine (The Black Notes EP)

10) One In A Hundred: Jo Bartlett (Ghost Tapes 1 To 9)

11) Long Range Driver: Katy J Pearson (Someday, Now)

12) Sylvia (Radio Edit): Lisa Moorish (Sylvia EP)

13) Nice Town: Metronomy x Pan Amsterdam (Posse EP Volume 2)

14) Beginningless: Nigel Butler (Tales From The Infinite Loop or What Goes Around Comes Around)

15) Tonight In Belfast (Edit): Orbital ft. DJ Helen, David Holmes & Mike Garry (Tonight In Belfast EP)

16) The Mood (Owl Trackers Remix): Prince François Far I & ShaYaman (The Mood EP)

17) Anodyne (Radio Edit): Quad 90 (Anodyne EP)

18) A Field In Dub: Richard Norris (Oracle Sound Volume Three)

19) Broxtowe Girl: Sam Morton ft. Ali Campbell & Alabaster DePlume (Daffodils & Dirt)

20) Linoleum Smooth To The Stockinged Foot (Album Version): The The (Ensoulment)

21) Lament (Moby Remix): Ultravox (Lament (Deluxe Edition))

22) A Dream Goes On Forever: Vegyn ft. John Glacier (The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions)

23) Dream On (Album Version): The Woodentops (Fruits Of The Deep)

24) You're My Muse: Xan Tyler (Holding Up Half The Sky)

25) A Survivor's Guilt: Yaya Bey (TRAИƧA)

26) Maisha: The Zawose Queens (Maisha)

An A-Z Of 2024 (1:38:18) (KF) (Mega)

Mo' Jo

Jo Bartlett has a new single and video, Before The Police Car, out today.

If you've been following this blog for a while, you may recall that I included a Hardway Bros remix of Jo's song Camden in my 2023 end of year sum up. Here's the equally pleasing original version, from second album The Cut Up.
 

In February this year, I got all fired up by Jo's single Drawing A Line (ghost tape no.2), released in advance of her third album. It was at that point that I started joining the dots to her musical history and connection to It's Jo And Danny, many moons previously.

 

April 2024 saw the release of Ghost Tapes 1 To 9 which, after a few listens, I was already describing as a highlight of the year, mainly down to the consistently engaging sound and feel of the songs. This song partly inspired the blog post title but wasn't actually previewed at the time.

Ghost Tapes 1 To 9 hasn't been far away from my playlist since and I can say that, in spite of some truly great records that have followed this year, it's remained a much loved and much played album.

So what of Before The Police Car, which Jo herself describes "just sort of happened"?

The song comes in with some choral synths, before Jo describes a FaceTime call in the middle of the night, bass and shakers coming in before the first key change and a lovely guitar line adds to proceedings.

I think I've referred to the appeal of Jo's layering of sound and the juxtaposition of contemporary narratives and soundscapes that simultaneously evoke musical history. Elements of Before The Police Car spike memories of songs from the 1980s by The Passions and Lloyd Cole & The Commotions, whilst remaining wholly Jo's own. 

At the three minute mark, the song breaks into a repeating refrain of "It turned out alright" before a lyrical shift and fade out at the end. It turned out more than alright, I think.

 

Jo has said that "From writing, to recording to release [was] just under three weeks" and there is a lot to be said for the immediacy and impact that approach can bring to a song. 

 

Whilst a song can develop and grow and becomes something far beyond the original concept, there's also a strong argument for knowing when to stop and let it out there. This has been a major part of Ghost Tapes 1 To 9's appeal for me and Before The Police Car similarly so.

 

If Before The Police Car is your introduction to Jo Bartlett's music, then dive back into her Bandcamp and Indie Through The Looking Glass pages and you're in for a treat.

I Don't Want To Hear Any More Music...Unless She's Got The Music

Jo Bartlett's third solo album, Ghost Tapes 1 To 9, is out today. You can listen to the full album on Spotify and YouTube or, better still, buy it for a bargain £7 via Bandcamp.

 

I've been fortunate enough to have a sneak preview of the album for the past week or so and, in short, it's thirty three and a half minutes of your life that you'll happily want to live over and over.

 

There's a consistent make up to the songs, not least sparse but considered instrumentation that manages somehow to sound full and spacious at the same time. The guitar and synths are underpinned by a mighty, rumbling bass on the majority of songs. 

 

The Last One (Is The First) is a formidable opener, promising to be a striking instrumental until, two and a half minutes in, Jo's voice takes over. The vocals are of course the critical element that creates the cohesive listening experience, sometimes with effects, sometimes untreated, always focusing the listener on the narrative. 

 

And it's compelling narrative, stories drawn from Jo's life in music. "I guess you'd say it started when I was less than two," Jo reflects on She's Got The Music. 

Musically speaking, it's a further step away from Jo's previous album The Cut Up (2022) and a leap if you will from Upheaval (2011) and a direction that works exceptionally well. It feels a very lazy comparison as I'm typing it but I think I subconsciously made a connection with Andrew Weatherall, particularly Two Lone Swordsmen's latter vocal period and also some of his work with Nina Walsh. 

 

Reflecting on that though, I think it's more to do with the soundscapes that Jo has created, not least the bringing together of electronics, acoustics and voice resulting in an album that feels organic, human and warm.

As I mentioned in my previous post in February, I belatedly (re)discovered Jo's music so I feel like I've had something of a crash course in her solo work in the past couple of months. It couldn't have been better timed though, given that it's led to today's release of Ghost Tapes 1 To 9, which is already a highlight of 2024 for me.

1) The Last One (Is The First)

2) Drawing A Line (ghost tape no. 2)

3) I Waited A Year

4) I Don't Want To Hear Any More Music

5) [Do You] Remember?

6) She's Got The Music

7) One In A Hundred

8) Floating Through

9) Get In The Zone

Five of the songs have been released via Bandcamp (links above) in the past year or so, accompanied by videos, combining silent cinema, home movies and road trips to great effect.

 

 

 

If that's whet your appetite for more, head over to Bandcamp for more, including It's Jo And Danny, Bluetrain and Kodiak Island as well as her solo work, including this single from last June which doesn't appear on Ghost Tapes 1 To 9. 

 

 

The summer has officially started.

 

....

As a completely unrelated footnote, you may have spotted a theme that this week's posts have all featured artists with surnames beginning with B. 

Today's post was planned for today to tie in with the release of Ghost Tapes 1 To 9, but the rest was initially an accident. I started off on Monday with Emily Breeze, then noted the coincidence that I'd found the videos for Boris Blank's current album the following day. Wednesday's random shuffle seemed to have broken the cycle with T. Rex, until I quickly realised that really, the post was all about Marc Bolan. I'll 'fess up, having embraced the inevitable, yesterday's post about Kate Bush intentionally sought out another B-surname artist.

Normal service will resume tomorrow with (if I can get my act together) a delve back into my dusty box of cassette compilations.