list.co.uk/music Records – Singles | MUSIC
SINGLES AND EPS
OWL JOHN Hate Music (Atlantic Records) ●●●●●
LAW Cowboys and Hustlers EP (showlovepeoplenowkiss) ●●●●● BOOT & TAX Fusci EP (Optimo Music) ●●●●●
TUT VU VU Slow Sound Horn EP (Jas Pow) ●●●●●
Presumably fed up with being the sound of winsome men in plaid shirts everywhere, Frightened Rabbit’s Scott Hutchison and Andy Monaghan have teamed up here with Olympic Swimmers’ Simon Liddell for a noisy, grizzled slice of truck-drivin’ rock in ‘Hate City’, a song apparently carved by their priest-drifter alter-ego Owl John. It’s an effective teaser for the imminent Owl John debut album (out Mon 4 Aug on Atlantic), at the very least. Young Fathers-affiliated Edinburgh singer and producer LAW is an artist on the rise, although this inventive and in-your-face six-track EP is more adept at illustrating her potential rather than making a splash. The handclap groove of ‘Hustle’ and ‘Transcenders’ brash bass-rock are highlights, while ‘Touches’ and ‘Lilo’ at least build up a definite aesthetic with their combination of hip hop beats and layered sonic effects.
Continuing Optimo Music’s fascination with all things Italian, this latest release is Milanese duo Boot & Tax’s second on the Glasgow label. Bloody great it is too, subduing the bright and upbeat urges of Italo disco behind a raw acid house sound on the hypnotic title track and the jackin’ ‘Confuzed House’. The entire record is a sublime exercise in cross- pollination, taking in the experimental (‘Occhi Blue’) and the dancefloor- ready (‘Il Canto’).
Appearing on a new label with links to both Django Django and The Phantom Band, the latest EP from Glasgow avant-jazz quartet Tut Vu Vu is a strong release, featuring six tracks of messy, woozy late-night drama, from the prowling saxophone sway of ‘Lynch’ to the vaguely seedy balladry of ‘So Lonely’ and the raw proto-punk playfulness of ‘Three Chord’. (Reviewed by David Pollock)
EXPOSURE
BAD AURA
Bad Aura are not long for this world – at least not in their current form. These purveyors of maladroit, caustic, febrile noise-rock, featuring members of Vom, Moon Unit and Pyramidion (guitarist Chas Lalli, bassist Duncan Young, drummer Ruaraidh Sanachan, and singer Tuukka Asplund), only manifested for the first time in March, but feral throat- wielder Tuukka is already heading to sunnier climes, moving to Trinidad this summer. Mayfly-esque they may be, yet already Bad Aura Mark 1 have squeezed in several impu- dent gigs and released a feisty cassette. Chas fills us in. How would you describe the Bad Aura sound? I think that’s your job. But for the record, we aim to sound like a hungover trudge to Greggs on a wet Sunday. I’ve heard that shit sells.
How much is improvised?
Most of it is planned. The guitar solos are impro- vised because I can’t be arsed learning properly – and I couldn’t remember it anyway.
With Tuukka’s departure, is it over al- ready? I’m not planning on it being the end of the band. As long as anyone left is still into it, we’ll keep going. We are going to have to find another singer though. We might have an open-mic night if we don’t find anyone soon. Come down and try out if you’re feeling lucky, punk. Does existing only for a brief period affect how you do things?
There’s a certain urgency in terms of getting a recording out really quickly, but that might have been the case anyway. Better to get things out there and move on. Is there beauty in impermanence?
If there is, we’ll probably be around for forever. (Matt Evans) ■ Bad Aura play The 13th Note, Glasgow, Sat 26 Jul. See album review, page 74. Stream their new album on YouTube (bit.ly/badaura) or to buy it on cassette, email badauraband@gmail.com
12 Jun–10 Jul 2014 THE LIST 75