Kicking Bird: 11 Short Fictions

Wilmington, NC based rock quintet Kicking Bird are not afraid to have the needles hovering in the red on their new album 11 Short Fictions. Why go for a clean guitar tone when you the opportunity - and ability - to make it loud and nasty. Tracks like Good Lighting and Where'd You Get Those Pants bring back the heyday of both psychedelic and glam rock in one big swoop.

Bluesy stompers Pardon Me (What Did He Say) and Mister Morning might get people in some trouble on the dance floor for being a little too much lost in the groove, but they can do some damage control with the melancholic Too Much Talking. Their previous album Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was filled with a treasure trove of A-sides. Bad news for the competition: they are not done yet. It is another slam dunk release.

Rob Clarke and The Wooltones: Big Night In DVD

Rob Clarke and The Wooltones like to do things differently. While the whole music biz has embraced streaming and putting things up on YouTube, they have decided to release a DVD to commemorate the release of their Big Night Out album in 2018. Big Night In collects the quirky videos they made for all the tracks of the album. They ransacked the footage of 60s TV shows (Vikings!, The Thunderbirds!), newsreels and commercials, in grainy B&W and faded colour, had a whale of time putting together off-kilter extras and threw in footage of their The Day John Met Paul 60th Anniversary gig on July 9th 2017 at St. Peters Church in Liverpool, with original Quarrymen drummer Colin Hanton joining them as a special guest.

It is a trip to simpler times, when card games and knitting were considered first rate entertainment, and the police had ample time to indulge in stunt driving - watch the video for You're Looking Good for proof of this. It is a fun watch. The band obviously loved putting it together and it is no problem if your are not able to place all the segments and references they used. Enjoy it as is, with some tea and biscuits or any other combination you prefer for watching the telly, after you have managed to get that DVD-player to do its job again.

Miynt: I Am I Am What

Swedish psych singer Miynt latched upon the "pick-me girl" phenomenon and turned the tables on her new single I Am I Am What. Note the unrelenting the guitar riff. It is simple, but very contagious. Once again she sings softly, but it is very clear that she will will not suffer fools gladly.

It is a track from her forthcoming new album Rain Money Dogs, due for release on May 30th via B3SCI Records.

Y: Ladies Who

photo: Lou Smith

At first it may seem that genre-bending London quintet Y will go for a tasty slice of blues on their new single Ladies Who. Is that a slight rumble of a freight train in the distance? Well, there is harmonica, before the band takes a sharp left to explore art-rock territory, with Sophie Coppin adding killer vocals for the story about a woman who is not afraid to take matters into her own hands.

If they can keep this up these musicians of Fat White Family, Meatraffle and Pregoblin will have to rethink the status of what started as a side-project born out boredom during the pandemic.

Lane Steinberg: Mr. Lane

New York based musician Lane Steinberg has every right to show off his vocal range on his new album , Mr. Lane, a collection of smooth songs with an edge, ranging from baroque pop to soft-rock (not the cheesy kind).

Finding a way to write a love song that is not schmaltzy is an uphill battle for most artists, but Steinberg steers clear from the pittfalls. Using Sterling Morrison's Loaded-era guitar tone for The Words I Love You was a smart move. Going full-on orchestral psychedelic pop Best Tears I've Ever Cried acts like a comfy blanket for the vocals - he managed to sound like a guy in his early twenties, albeit the wisdom of a more advanced age.