Gothic Tropic - Your Soul /// Berlin Sessions

This is an acoustic version of 'Your Soul', as recorded for Berlin Sessions. Because there's a lack of full live sets by Gothic Tropic available via YouTube, I will have to link to the video of their show at The Satellite in January 2017, which I used for the Fantasy Festival series in 2017. It is well worth a second watch though, and you can do so here.

Fantasy Festival number 17: The Lineup

Delilah Holliday: Skinny Girl Diet's Delilah, following a collaboration with Baxter Dury and Etienne de Crécy as BED, has recently embarked on a highly atmospheric psych flavoured solo career, with the excellent single 'Rise of the Phoenix'. The track, and any follow ups, could take her to some interesting places and she's proved over the years that there's more to this London punk grrrl than initially meets the eye. Not to be underestimated. You can find her on Bandcamp.

Gothic Tropic: Los Angeles resident Cecilia Della Peruti featured in 2017's Fantasy Festival lineup, fresh from releasing her debut album Fast or Feast. I saw her play at the Manchester leg of Dot to Dot that year, and it was love at first listen. Since Fast or Feast she's played as part of Beck's touring band, amongst other things. Her sound is indie rock infused with sunshine pop, reminiscent of Blondie on occasion and Tom Tom Club at other moments, but ultimately uncategorisable. You can find her on Bandcamp.

Stealing Sheep: Their folk roots behind them, Liverpools's Stealing Sheep initially flirted with psych then went full on pop for their most recent album, 2019's Big Wows. Theirs is a 60s psychadelia infused pop sound, often proving irresistible, generally bound to get folks onto the dancefloor. You can find out more here.

Kate Boy: Swedish/Australian synth pop duo, Kate Boy, are comprised of Kate Akhurst and Marcus Dextegen. They released their debut album in 2015, but have been a bit quiet of late. You can find out more on Insta.

Laura Mvula: Birmingham singer/songwriter Laura Mvula released two albums of soul flavoured pop, Sing to the Moon in 2013 and The Dreaming Room in 2016. Both sold well and received considerable critical acclaim, including nominations for the Mercury Music Prize.  Laura announced in 2017 that she had been dropped by her record label, Sony, and in the same year she composed the music for the RSC's production of Antony and Cleopatra. It's been a bit quiet since then, which is a real shame, but it's to be hoped that she is working on new material. She's not very active on Twitter, but there's no website, Bandcamp, Soundcloud or Insta, so it might be your best way to see what she's up to.

King Princess: Brooklyn singer, songwriter, musician and producer, and - it has been said repeatedly - queer icon in waiting, Mikaela Mullaney Straus released her debut album of impeccable pop, Cheap Queen, in 2019. It followed on from the touching but moody '1950' and pop melodrama of 'Talia', the first of which received a flurry of critical interest, the latter of which carved out a space for itself as the ultimate in gay heartbreak songs. You can find out more here.

Kali Uchis: Colombian singer Kali Uchis first came to to public attention in 2015 with her EP Por Vida. Early track 'Know What I Want' was suggestive of later period Amy Winehouse, albeit with a sunnier, reggaetron aspect to the sound. Her overall sound mixes sixties soul, R&B and doo wop with jazz as well as modern electro and R&B. Her debut LP, Isolation, was released in 2018 and was very well received. Similarly well received was her recorded in lockdown EP, To Feel Alive, which she released in April 2020. You can find out more here.

Santigold: Singer, songwriter and record producer Santi White has released three albums of impeccable left of centre electro pop and one equally successful mixtape of electro pop and reggaetron, The Gold Fire Sessions, which was released in 2018. Initially, her sound incorporated aspects of indie rock and samples from punk and post punk artists such as Siouxsie and the Banshees (whose 'Red Light' was sampled on 'My Superman'). She is often compared to MIA, both for her vocal style and the more agitated prop glitchy electro end of her work. You can find out more here.

Christine and the Queens: Nantes singer, songwriter, producer Chris was already a popstar in France before she released her debut English album, Chaleur Humaine, in 2016. A slice of elegant baroque electro pop, both she and it quickly won hearts and minds. 2018's follow up, Chris, with it's Chic-esque single 'Girlfriend' consolidated her reputation as an art pop genius. Since Chris was released, she has headlined the occasional festival, and during lockdown she released a new EP of songs, La vita nuova. Even greater triumphs are expected in the future. You can find out more here.

End of year list with a difference

I thought I'd try taking a departure from the usual end of year lists format this year, having not done one since 2014 because:

A.) Florence + The Machine would have won everything in 2015, and that would have made for a pretty repetitive blog post

B.) 2016 was such a weird year it required a different approach.

So, 2017... 

I remember writing in my diary at the end of 2015 'Well, thank God that's over' or words to that effect, little knowing the horrors 2016 would bring, and indeed, 2017...

One last thing:

Because I didn't do a list in 2016, the rule I'm working to is: If it was released in 2017, or if it was released in 2016 but I didn't hear it until 2017 then it's OK to include it. 

Favourite article of the year to write (By me): Women and music festivals, again (The F-Word)

Perhaps this is a little misleading... It wasn't so much a case of 'enjoying' it as being gripped by a hurricane that wouldn't let me go until I'd finished it, 48 hours later. And it led to a whole series of posts on here as well, plus 7 fantasy festival bills I'd like to see.

Expect to read more on this issue, and related issues, in 2018.

Favourite article of the year (Not by me): What I learned from a year of dumpster diving in Australia (Medium)

You will be staggered by this... really staggered, and possibly inspired as well.

Favourite tattoo of the year: This one from The Studio in Manchester

Such a collision of difference reference points, and no one else will have one like it. Genius.

Favourite disclaimer of the year: Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour, Duke of York Theatre, London

Favourite foul mouthed ear worm of the year:

A tie between St Vincent's 'New York' and Peking Duk/Icona Pop's 'Let You Down', both of which feature copious and enthusiastic use of the f word.


Favourite anti-Donald Trump song of the year:

Grace Mitchell 'Kids (Ain't Alright)' did it for me in the end, conveying as it does a real sense of bewilderment and 'What the fuck just happened?!'. That said, favourable mention (obviously) goes to Arcade Fire and Mavis Staples for 'I Give You Power', which they had the foresight to release on inauguration day.


Favourite double edged single of the year:

Natasha Kmeto, 'Pour Down/Free For Tonight'

Side A: Full on rainbow coloured lust on the dance floor

Side B: An equally killer dance anthem but with the underlying razorblade in the floss that it was a song pointing to the fragility of LGBTQI spaces

Favourite breaking artist of the year:

Overcoats.

The New York duo more than punched above their weight this year, with an impeccable debut album and strong singles. Their tours in the US are now headliner tours and are getting longer and longer. Let's hope we see them in the UK soon.

Most fully realised psychogeographic album of the year:

EMA, Exile in the outer ring

A dystopian postcard from the US mid west. 

Most eerily prescient album of the year:

This is a tie between Kate Tempest's Let Them Eat Chaos and Father John Misty's Pure Comedy. The former hinted, in various ways, at a number of societal factors that were all about to converge in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower disaster, whereas the latter clearly signposted the warning signs of a US that had just elected Trump president.


Favourite video of the year:

Georgia, 'Feel It'

Favourite 'Where the hell did that come from?!?' album of the year:

Kelly Lee Owens, Kelly Lee Owens, as signposted by Piccadilly Records.


Favourite gig of the year:

A tie between Gothic Tropic at The Castle Hotel as part of the Manchester leg of Dot To Dot, 26th May 2017 and Honeyblood at Gorilla, 21st December 2017 (review currently in progress, stymied by Christmas...)

Band to watch in 2018:

Pearl City

They provided strong support to Honeyblood at Gorilla on 21st December and are a Manchester duo who used to be known as Bernard & Edith and now appear to have renamed themselves after a mancunian Chinese restaurant. They sound a bit like Kate Bush fronting a dark wave band... Am expecting good things. 'Flames' is out now.

Albums of the year:

15) Wolf Alice, Visions Of A Life
14) Jesca Hoop, Memories Are Now
13) Bully, Losing
12) Rews, Pyro
11) Pink Milk, Purple
10) Zola Jesus, Okovi
9) Kelly Lee Owens, Kelly Lee Owens
8) Noga Erez, Off The Radar
7) Honeyblood, Babes Never Die
6) Wild Ones, Mirror Touch
5) Helen McCookerybook, The Sea
4) Gothic Tropic, Fast or Feast
3) St Vincent, MASSEDUCTION
2) Overcoats, Young
1) XX, I See You 

Songs of the year:

I have made a Spotify playlist of these songs, but Helen McCookerybook's most recent album is not available on Spotify so I have included a link to the song on YouTube instead.

20) Grace Mitchell, 'French Becky'
19) Halsey and Lauren Jauregui, 'Strangers'
18) London Grammar, 'Truth Is A Beautiful Thing'
17) Rews, 'Miss you in the dark'
16) Daughter, 'Burn It Down'
15) Beth Ditto, 'Savoir Faire'
14) Wolf Alice, 'Beautifully Unconventional'
13) Bipolar Sunshine, 'The Scientist'
12) Noga Erez, 'Noisy'
11) Georgia, 'Feel It'
10) Honeyblood, 'Sea Hearts'
9) Lorde, 'Liability'
8) Wild Ones, 'Parathesia'
7) Helen McCookerybook, 'Big Brother'
6) XX, 'Replica'
5) Overcoats, 'Nighttime Hunger'
4) Gothic Tropic, 'Stronger'
3) Natasha Kmeto, 'Pour Down'
2) St Vincent, 'Los Ageless'
1) Miya Folick, 'God Is A Woman'

The album of the summer is here!

Gothic Tropic's debut album, Fast or Feast, was released in May which, in these days of climate change, counts as the start of summer. I've developed a theory over the last couple of years that an album's release date in some way syncs to its overall seasonal feel and, as such, am ready to declare Fast or Feast to be the summer album of 2017.

'Your Soul' is a particularly glittering summer anthem, and it helps that the band are from LA and make sunshine drenched guitar indie rock.

At times Cecilia Della Peruti sounds almost Debbie Harry ish in her vocals (particularly on 'Teenage Behaviour' and parts of 'Your Soul'), but the intricate, almost post punk pop nature of the songs themselves remind me more of Adult Net, while at the same time sounding both fresh and timeless.

'How Life Works', 'Your Soul', 'Don't Give Me Up' and 'Stronger' are all blessed with great hooks and catchy choruses, but include a knowing quality and life smart lyrics that complicate the sunshine pop elements:

'They're not selling seats; they're selling fear' Peruti observes on 'Stronger'.

There's also the more experimental tracks, including 'Chemical Trail', 'If It Had A Body', and the almost lullabying 'Feed You To The Sharks', which is a subtly disquieting way to close an album.

Because it's so short (just over half an hour in length) you're left with a real desire for more and, as such, it's been on heavy rotation since I bought it a couple of weeks back.

Gothic Tropic - Stronger - Live

A live version of the current single, 'Stronger', this clip captures GT on the road on a recent tour date.

The band's full set at The Satellite in LA is available to watch in it's entirety online.

Fantasy Festival #1: The Epic Festival - Lineup

Vagabon: Vagabon, aka Laetitia Tamko, hails from New York and released her debut album, Infinite Worlds, earlier this year. You can read about her in W Magazine, and you will find her music over on Bandcamp. She makes sprawling, raw indie rock with authenticity and heart.

Gothic Tropic: Cecilia Della Peruti hails from Los Angeles, and there seems to be some dispute online as to whether Gothic Tropic is Peruti alone, or whether Gothic Tropic is a band. The debut album, Fast or Feast, was released in the UK back in May. I was charmed by the bands set at The Castle as part of the Manchester leg of Dot To Dot at the end of May, and the album is an indie pop classic, with a sheen of California post punk pop and the intricacies of Adult Net. You can read about Gothic Tropic on DIY Mag.

Laura Gibson: Laura Gibson is a quietly established singer/songwriter who, until fairly recently, was based in Portland, Oregon. Her current, and third, album, Empire Builder, was released in 2016 and reflects the stark and understated nature of her songwriting. She is playing some UK dates in August.

Lily & Madeleine: Lily & Madeleine are two sisters from Indiana who play sophisticated folky pop. Their current album, Keep It Together, was released last year to critical acclaim, and they are currently touring the US in support to John Mellencamp.

Neko Case: Coming on like the lovechild of Patsy Cline and Gene Vincent, Neko Case makes gorgeously evocative Americana. She is one third of Case/Lang/Veirs, and also plays with The New Pornographers. She has released so many solo albums now that I have actually lost count and is resident in Canada. Her most recent solo album is the very presciently titled The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You and she has just come back from a short tour with The New Pornographers.

Bat For Lashes: Natasha Khan, aka Bat For Lashes, released her debut album, Fur and Gold, in 2006. Two Suns, which followed in 2009, included the haunting 'Daniel', and brooding 'Sleep Alone'. The Bride, which was released last year, is her fourth album. Her songs are both haunting and beautiful, always atmospheric and gorgeous.

Stevie Nicks: There is the Stevie Nicks who is a member of Fleetwood Mac, and then there is Stevie Nicks the solo artist. My friend, David Wilkinson, has a theory as to why so many hipsters like the McVie/McVie/Fleetwood/Nicks/Buckingham lineup of Fleetwood Mac: he puts it down to the success of Tango In The Night in the mid-late 1980s, when the hipsters were children, meaning Fleetwood Mac serve as a sort of musical comfort blanket for them. Solo Nicks tends to be more rock, a bit harder, a bit tougher, a bit more visceral. She is playing British Summer Time festival at Hyde Park on 9th July as the main support to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and will then be touring the US.

Gothic Tropic - How Life Works

Aside from Honeyblood, Gothic Tropic were the only other band I saw at the Manchester leg of Dot to Dot, and they did not disappoint.

They played to about 50 people (full capacity) in the tiny back room of the Castle Hotel on Oldham Street at 10pm, where the temperature was akin to that of a pizza oven, and they were fantastic. I was reminded of Adult Net; there seemed to be that same sense of clean post punk pop energy and crispness overlaid with California warmth. They are a great live band, very energetic and immersive. The album, Fast or Feast, is just out and it's a pop classic basically. I loved it on the first listen and will be buying it.