Not Unloved
Tuesday, 22 March 2022
Wyld Gooms "Doesn't Matter To Me"
Scott McCarl and The Rubinoos "In Love Without A Girl"
Monday, 21 March 2022
Charlène Darling "NON MON GARÇON" (Lexi Disques, 2022)
Belgian label Lexi Disques won a little piece of Not Unloved's heart last year with the release of Lawrence Le Doux and Roger 3000's huggable "Creme/Caramel" single and they've repeated the trick in 2022 with Charlène Darling's bare bones but incredibly catchy "NON MON GARÇON" 7". From just whip-crack drums and a plaintive, at times double-tracked, vocal, Darling has conjured up a memorable slice of melodic Stereo Total-style pop that takes up residence in your brain with the result that you'll catch yourself unwittingly tapping out its rhythm and humming its melody as you go about your daily chores. Darling released an album in October 2019. It's high time Not Unloved became acquainted with it!
Friday, 18 March 2022
Glas-Goes Pop : an indiepop happening
It's been a wee while since Glasgow had a dedicated indiepop shindig. Probably the last one was the Pop South Weekender at The Glad Cafe in, ooh, 2016 (?). Creation Records royalty, Pete Astor, played that one - he was every bit as tremendous as I'd hoped; check the footage here - and he's also in the smashing-looking lineup for Glas-Goes Pop this coming August. The acts announced so far are:
David Christian (Comet Gain)
Davey Woodward & the Winter Orphans
+ DJs: Gerard Love, Chris 'Beans' Geddes & Andrew Williams
From what I hear, a couple more acts will probably be added to this already stuffed list. There's so much to look forward to but one name that leaps out is that of Rachel Love. She won a lot of hearts as a member of Dolly Mixture back in the early 80s but her full length from last year, "Picture In Mind", was among the very best albums of 2021 for Not Unloved's money. It'll be a real treat to see her perform songs from it live, that's for sure.
When? Fri & Sat, August 5th & 6th 2022
Where? GUU Debates Chamber (Glasgow, Scotland)
Facebook? here
Instagram? here
Twitter? here
Tickets? On sale here NOW!
Also, be sure to tune in to Clyde Built Radio on Saturday, 19/03/2022 at 11am (UK time) to hear the organizers talk about the event! Don't worry if you can't tune in at that time as it'll be archived here in due course.
Tuesday, 15 February 2022
Rock Writ (podcast)
Follow Rock Writ on Twitter here
Listen to Rock Writ here
Monday, 10 January 2022
Billy Swivs "Time Is Not On My Side" (Wick, 2021)
Late last year Daptone's sister imprint Wick struck garage pop gold with "Time Is Not On My Side" by Billy Swivs. It's a barrel of Stones-y fun with some fine tellin'-it-like-it-is lyrics:
All the people on TV
They don't believe in you or me
No, they're just trying to waste your time
Control your brain and rule your mind
Agincourt "Fly Away" / Andersens "Bacharach"
There's a fair chance that you can count on one hand the number of records on Not Unloved's shelves that could conceivably be tagged with word 'prog'. Agincourt's "Fly Away" - most recently reissued in 2021 on Trading Places - is one of the few, if discogs is to be believed. Thankfully, however, "Fly Away" is a much more succinct, (folk)pop-oriented affair than the dreaded 'prog' word would suggest with the highlight being "All My Life" which somehow manages to rival the acoustic side of Kaleidoscope for effortless beauty:
Agincourt unexpectedly landed in Not Unloved's orbit when, upon playing the heart-meltingly pretty "Bacharach" by the Japanese group Andersens to a musician friend, they (correctly to these ears!) mooted a certain similarity in the vocal melody to "All My Life". "Bacharach" appears on Morr Music's smashing overview of Andersens' output to date, "There Is A Sound". Fans of Tenniscoats and Molly Linen are urged to seek it out if they haven't already!