A Wolf Alice Welcome

What makes the perfect debut album? If anyone knows, it may well be Wolf Alice - they released a truly tremendous debut effort, entitled My Love is Cool, back in June, and it's the perfect example of how to nail your band's first LP.

Every tiny detail of this album is perfectly geared towards cementing Wolf Alice as your new favourite band. For one thing, there's a vast range of styles on show here - without wishing to sound like a cynical marketing executive, My Love is Cool is the perfect portfolio with which to attract new clients fans. There's something here to please rock fans of all stripes; whether you like screamy grunge, straightahead krautrock, cool synth-pop, slow-building shoegaze, or anthemic classic rock, this album's got the whole darn cheeseboard.

July Playlist: Sing My Song to Me

I've spent a lot of July looking backwards, musically speaking, and that's reflected in my playlist for this month. Only three of the ten songs below were released in 2015; the others all come from bygone years, whether it's 2014 (Living Solar Panels) or 1967 (Jackie).

So I invite you to twist your neck around, gaze into the past, and enjoy the songs that I've been stuffing into my ears this month...

1. Ist Das So? - Wir Sind Helden

(from Die Reklamation)
Guten Tag is the Wir Sind Helden song that I blogged about earlier this month, but this fast 'n' furious opening track may be even better.

Mogwai Albums from Worst to Best

I finally got my hands on a copy of Mogwai's Rock Action the other week, which means that I now possess all eight of the band's studio albums. This, together with the recent announcement that Mogwai will be releasing a three-disc career retrospective later this year, seems like a good excuse for a look back at the band's oeuvre so far.

Here, then, are Mogwai's albums listed in order of merit, starting with my least favourite 'Gwai record and ending with my all-time #1. Please note that this list only includes Mogwai's proper studio albums; no compilations, soundtracks, EPs, EP+6s, live albums, or other miscellanea will be included.

#8 - The Hawk is Howling (2008)

My least favourite Mogwai album is still pretty darn good (I particularly love The Sun Smells Too Loud, and I Love You, I'm Going to Blow Up Your School), but in general, it's just not as memorable as their best work. Even Batcat - the album's leanest, meanest moment - isn't as hard-hitting as Glasgow Mega-Snake or Rano Pano or Hunted By a Freak (comparable but superior tracks from elsewhere in Mog discog).

I don't doubt that Hawk is some people's favourite; after all, it's the only one with no vocal parts whatsoever, which I suppose makes it the only 'pure' Mogwai album of the eight. For me, though, that purity makes The Hawk is Howling feel kind of impenetrable - it could do with a Cody or a Blues Hour just to cut some steps into the mountain, y'know?

Running vs. Sprinting

A couple of weeks ago, I told you all about The Burning Hell and their unique knack for finding power in powerlessness. Shortly after that blog post went up, I realised that said knack wasn't unique at all - in fact, there's at least one other album in my current rotation that pulls the exact same trick.

Sprinter is the second album by Torres, a.k.a. Mackenzie Scott from Macon, Georgia. It was one of my Top 5 Albums of 2015 So Far, and it's another great example of that 'power from powerlessness' thing that I mentioned a fortnight ago.

Wir Sind Helden

Today's blog is interactive! The first thing I'd like you to do is listen to the song below - it's called Guten Tag, and it's by a German band called Wir Sind Helden.

Pretty fun, right? Kinda goofy-sounding? It even had a cheesy truck driver's gear change in the middle!

At this point, I'd like you to grab a pen and write down what you think Guten Tag is about. Don't think too hard about it - just jot down the first thing that popped into your head when you heard it.