Northwest Music News – 28 Aug: Horsebeach, Deep Hedonia + more
Horsebeach announce second album
The textured pop on Horsebeach's self-titled debut LP came to be something of a sleeper hit around Manchester, the vehicle of songwriter Ryan Kennedy finding itself at top spot in Piccadilly Records' end of year list while we were also keen to highlight Kennedy's sunny C86-inspired lilt. A year on and Kennedy has announced a new LP, II, and previewed It's Alright, a typically sighing, wistful ballad that juxtaposes a breezy warmth with a unshakeable sense of melancholy. The tracklisting for the LP additionally includes the gently propulsive motorik and lo-fi balladry of previous 7" tracks Disappear and Let You Down respectively. More details can be found here.
Deep Hedonia return with Broadcast #2
After a successful first event, Liverpool collective Deep Hedonia and A Small Cinema are teaming up again for Broadcast #2 at Liverpool Small Cinema on 9 Oct. Celebrating the collaborations of filmmakers and musicians around the North West with a collection of music videos and shorts set to new compositions, the night will also feature live performances from Black Corsea — a fierce mix of poetry and broken dub glitch — and Germanager. The latter's material takes influence from r'n'b slow jams as well as more explorative foms, and stretches them from either end, causing their structures to become warped and disjointed, give him a whirl below. Deep Hedonia are looking for contributions from NW based producers, musicians, bands and film makers for the event. Send your videos to info@deephedonia.com.
The Skinny team up with Trof for a special show!
In case you missed it in our main news, we're teaming up with Trof for a super special gig featuring some of our favourite new bands from the region, playing at The Deaf Institute on 25 Sep. Leeds-based hypnotic psych-rockers Weirds, smart DIY outfit False Advertising and thrilling Manchester fuzz-poppers Fruit Bomb will take to the stage alongside very special guests to be announced, plus DJs — and advance tickets are a ruddy steal at just £3, thanks to our ticketing partners, DICE.
It's a chance to see Manchester's False Advertising before everyone else starts talking about them, the group bringing out their brash debut LP out a couple of weeks later. Manchester's Fruit Bomb, too, will be showing off a new release – Goin' Home, the followup single to this year's Normcore Girlfriend, which came out on Art Is Hard Records. Check them out below. Leeds' Weirds meanwhile can boast Hookworms man and Suburban Home producer MJ on their single credits, their first clutch of releases having offered up sabre-tooth riffs and acid-sharp grunge. Check out their current 7”, Off the Hook/Heavy Rain, out now on Too Pure Singles Club, to see what we mean. Be sure to keep an eye out for the announcement of those special guests too — you won't be disappointed. More details here!
Digital Crate Digging
Bear Around Your Neck — The Fruit Fly Way
We experienced one of those glorious moments recently when a local artist who we'd previously known little about left our mouth fully agape, to the extent we were too nervous to approach him after he'd performed at the south Manchester house party we were loitering about at. Bear Around Your Neck is the moniker of solo artist Nathaniel Scott, whose look and sound is of some long-lost folk singer found wandering in the wilderness of America's plains. Live there's something hypnotic about the thousand yard stare set against his boyish features, while on record there's a similar maturity offset in a voice full of cracked angst, his voice piercing the thick gauze of lo-fi drone emanating from the flayed strings of his guitar.
Elsewhere on The Skinny.co.uk
- Jon Davies caught Arthur Russell's Instrumentals, performed by members of LCD Soundsystem and others, at the Kazimier.
- Gary Kaill was at Gorilla in Manchester to catch Rolo Tomassi support The Fall of Troy.
- Ed Bottomley was a busy man this week, taking in The Ex at Islington Mill and Deerhoof at Gorilla.