Quintron & Miss Pussycat: “Goblin Alert”

by Patrick Baillargeon

An ode to that special monster that frequents Quintron & Miss Pussycat concerts, soaking up the extravagance of their performances.

Quintron & Miss Pussycat are back with Goblin Alert, their new album just released on Goner Records. The Q&P experience is a barely controlled electronic chaos, an amalgam of “Swamp-Tech” rhythms, small explosions, incredible clothes, and puppet theatre. To mark the release of this 17th effort, the ineffable duo from Louisiana present a video for the album’s title track. “Goblin Alert” is an ode to that special monster that frequents Quintron & Miss Pussycat concerts and soaks up the extravagance of their performances. The freak in the pink beret, who smokes two cigarettes at a time and invents his own dances? The guy at the merchandise table who spills his drink in the t-shirt box, but knows the lyrics to every song? You get the picture. The video was shot by brilliant Louisiana filmmaker Drew Stubbs during Q&P’s last show before Armageddon arrived, on Shrove Monday at One Eyed Jacks in New Orleans’ French Quarter. If you look closely in the crowd, you might see Seth Rogan with glitter on his face trying to escape, and also the Jesus freaks who arrive by bus every year to protest the duo’s annual rituals. An unpretentious, fun little clip that will put a smile on your face.

Free Jazz

Rob Mazurek: “The First Kid in Space” (parts 1, 2, and 3)

by Steve Naud

Follow a little girl’s interstellar adventures to the sound of the first three excerpts from Rob Mazurek’s new album.

On November 20, trumpet player and composer Rob Mazurek will release Dimensional Stardust, the new album from his Exploding Star Orchestra, on International Anthem, a label that’s increasingly essential on the world jazz scene. For this new record, the free-jazz veteran has called upon the cream of Chicago’s jazz community: Nicole Mitchell, Jeff Parker, Tomeka Reid, Damon Locks, and Jaimie Branch, among many others. The music videos accompanying the first three excerpts from Dimensional Stardust were directed by artist Mikel Patrick Avery, who staged the intergalactic adventures of his own daughter, the very sweet Olivia Avery-Velez. Fasten your seatbelts!

Post-Punk

Viagra Boys: “Ain’t Nice”

by Patrick Baillargeon

Another absurd and deranged clip from Viagra Boys, which augurs well for the album to come.

With the devastating tune “Ain’t Nice” and the delirious video that accompanies it, Stockholm post-punk band Viagra Boys announce their new album Welfare Jazz, which will be available January 8 via YEAR0001. The album is produced by Matt Sweeney (Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Run the Jewels), Justin and Jeremiah Raisen (Yves Tumor, Kim Gordon, Sky Ferreira), and former collaborators Pelle Gunnerfeldt and Daniel Fagerström (The Hives, The Knife). As derisory as ever, the band members return to their saxophonic post-punk to deftly challenge society’s normalisation of toxic masculinity, racism, misogyny, classism and self-obsession. Singer Sebastian Murphy, who cultivated – with little difficulty – the image of a staggering drunk or drug addict in previous videos, is back in that role for the new one, “Ain’t Nice”, but this time making a mess along the way. Stealing scooters and jackets, disrupting picnics, Murphy leaves no innocent bystander unmolested, until a kid knocks him out. He then wakes up in a luxurious estate with all the “nicest” things, surrounded by servants wearing powdered wigs, all very 18th-century… Another absurd and deranged clip from Viagra Boys, making pleasant promises after the rather disappointing EP Common Sense, released last March.

Disco / New Wave / North East Asian / Post-Punk

LeeNalchi and Ambiguous Dance Company: “Feel the Rhythm of Korea”

by Rupert Bottenberg

Vibrant views of various cities, with the band’s new-wave pansori and the troupe’s manic moves

While the pandemic stifles travel, the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) aims to cheer the world up by providing picturesque postcards from around the country in the form of peppy pop-music videos, in their Feel the Rhythm of Korea series. The rapid-fire excursions feature the music of formidable funk-punk pansori troupe LeeNalchi, extracts from their excellent album Suggunga, and the outrageous choreographies of their inseparable associates in Ambiguous Dance Company. The first three clips – exploring the major cities Seoul, Busan, and Jeonju – hit the web at the end of July, and have since been seen by some 25 million viewers each. The KTO has just put out three more, showcasing temples, markets, parks, and other pertinent points on the maps of Andong, Mokpo, and Gangneung. The next best thing to being there…

Contemporary Jazz / Electronic / Folk / Traditional

Tigran Hamasyan: “37 Newlyweds”

by Rupert Bottenberg

In Armenia’s time of need, celebrated jazz pianist Tigran Hamasyan rallies hope with a splendid video, and a way to help.

Paying tribute to tragic Armenian heroes of a hundred years ago, as history repeats itself, folk-jazz fusioneer Tigran Hamasyan provides more than a sympathetic gesture for his country with the splendid video for “37 Newlyweds”, a cut from his album The Call Within, released at the end of August. He’s also helped launch the Tigran Hamasyan & Friends for Artsakh fundraising initiative, to provide desperately needed aid for civilians in territory under siege – consider making a donation.

Katel feat. Bonbon Vodou: “Je t’aime déjà”

by Luc Marchessault

From Karen Lohier, alias Katel, a portrait of love in eight verses, each based upon a Greek word.

The first single from an album of uncertain release date, which will be the fourth by Karen Lohier, aka Katel. The drawings and inks are by Julie Gasnier, who also directed the video. Katel is accompanied by Bonbon Vodou, a duo formed by Oriane Lacaille and Jerem. It is a portrait of love in eight verses, each based upon a Greek word: Mania, Storge, Eros, Pragma, Philia, Philautia, Agape (sung by Oriane Lacaille in Creole), and Ludus. “I love you that you barely touch me / I have just experienced love, Eros / The flesh, the ass, the blood, the veins / And in the end the skin on the bone”…

Pop

Sunfruits: “Bonsoy”

by Rupert Bottenberg

From Sunfruits, expression of uncritical affection for Australia’s popular soy-milk brand.

Healthy eating seems to be a major concern for Melbourne garage-pop bunch Sunfruits, who recently unveiled their Mushroom Kingdom EP, a co-release with French label Six Tonnes De Chair and Australia’s own Third Eye Stimuli imprint. The first and second eye need stimulation too, so here’s the video for the EP’s B-side track, “Bonsoy”. It’s an animated extension of the amazing sleeve artwork, care of Indonesian graphic artist Ardneks, alias Kendra Ahimsa, whose neatly assembled psychedelia is already familiar to fans of Khruangbin and Flamingods.

Experimental / Contemporary / Gothic / Industrial

Bestial Mouths: “The Loss”

by Geneviève Gendreau

Three months after Resurrectedinblack, Bestial Mouths presents an aquatic and cathartic clip for the track “The Loss”.

Made of superimposed images and kaleidoscopic effects, this experimental microfilm is a perfect accompaniment to the atmospheric impulses of the song. Shot underwater, it shows Cerezo, a Gothic mermaid, sometimes struggling with the ropes and chains around her, sometimes sinking. This near-death experience, supported by a dragging melody with martial rhythms, nevertheless lets a certain light shine through. One comes out of it haunted, not knowing whether death or redemption has resulted.

Camera: Elemental Eyes Photography (Sandy Holmes)
Styling & Concept: Lynette Cerezo
Edit: Katarina Sjöstrand

Electro-Rock / Gothic / latino / Synthwave

Prayers: “La Vida Es Un Sueño”

by Rupert Bottenberg

San Diego’s Prayers bring their chologoth sound to the underworld of their ancestors.

“Life is a dream”, Leafar Seyer repeats insistently on “La Vida Es Un Sueño”, the first single off Chologoth, the latest album from Prayers, the San Diego electro-rock duo singer Seyer forms with musician Dave Parley. It’s a dark dream, with death in presence, but not one without beauty and even a sense of destiny. The title of the album defines the vibe of Prayers, as they express the morbid romanticism of the goth scene, in the vernacular of the cholo – meant both in the sense of the Chicano street culture and gang life of California, and even moreso, that of the mestizo, reaching back to their indigenous roots. The video sees them ferried to Mictlan, the underworld, in a classy Rolls Royce, under the guidance of the Mexica fire god Xolotl.

Electro-Jazz / Groove

Bandler Ching: “Pousmousse”

by Rupert Bottenberg

Belgium’s Bandler Ching rises to the surface with their forthcoming EP’s first single.

Led by saxophonist Ambroos De Schepper, a veteran of Belgian jazz acts like Kosmo Sound, Boogie Belgique and Mos Ensemble, the Brussels-based quartet Bandler Ching have just released the first single from their debut EP Sub Surface, due our October 23 on the Sdban Ultra label. Cool, uncluttered, but amply invested with clarity and conviction, “Pousmousse” (named after a local laundromat, rather randomly) indicates that great things await from De Schepper and his bandmates, keyboardist Alan Van Rompuy, bassist Federico Pecoraro, and drummer Olivier Penu.

Alternative Rock / Maghrebi / Raï

Rachid Taha: “Minouche”

by Luc Marchessault

Minouche, extrait de l’album posthume Je suis africain, résume bien l’esprit Taha.

It’s now two years since rock ‘n’ raï rebel Rachid Taha took his place in the great amphitheatre of the Beyond, alongside his forebears Dahmane El Harrachi, Sheikha Remitti, Oum Kalthoum, Nina Simone, and Elvis Presley, as well as his buddies Alain Bashung and Joe Strummer. The album Je suis africain was released posthumously a year after his passing. “Minouche” is an extract from it, Rachid had written the lyrics with Jean Fauque and Erwan Seguillon, alias R.Wan, and the music with Toma Ferterman. For the clip, Laurie-Anne Patrikovna created sober and magnificent illustrations, Agathe Nazarenko animated them, and Ali Guessoum directed the whole thing. “T’es ma kahloucha, Frenchwoman – I’m your Apache, the rest doesn’t matter” – this sums up the spirit of Rachid Taha quite well.

latino / Pop / R&B

Andrekza: “TÉ”

by Rupert Bottenberg

A dreamy ode to teatime, from Dim Mak En Fuego’s new Venezuelan star.

Already highly regarded as a visual artist, creative director, and songwriter in her native Venezuela, Andrekza has recently signed to Steve Aoki’s Latin imprint, Dim Mak En Fuego, and makes her debut in that department with the alluring yet mischievous slice of Latin pop R&B, “TÉ”, produced by Grammy-winner Orlando Vitto. An equatorial twist on a certain Asian pop sensibility, “TÉ” arrives with a video that’s a goofy kind of glamorous, though one might want to think twice about taking a sip at Andrekza’s house, if averse to hypnosis or unpaid housework.