Music Is The Cure

All this week I've been plugging albums that I've purchased in 2023, so time now for some singles and EPs that I've bought (or will buy) via Bandcamp Friday.

 

Cupid Home Delivery by HANN has been a summer pleaser since it was released in July, with a rather lovely video edited together from fan contributions, Hannah and friends and a special appearance from Frank Sidebottom and Little Frank...kind of. I've been a recent but enthusiastic HANN fan and I'm looking forward to the debut album, due soon-ish.

 

deary describe themselves as "dream pop from London". This is pretty on the nose, listening to their debut single Fairground, which emerged blinking into the winter sunlight back in January. 

A rather fine reworking by Saint Etienne followed in March, the wonderfully titled "Saint Etienne Meet Augustin Bousfield At The Top Of Town Mix". I held out until May for the full 4-track EP release, which includes both versions plus an extended mix and the shimmering, ambient Hide In Glass Mix, both by deary themselves.

 

deary's second single and video, Beauty In All Blue Satin, followed in May and is equally lovely. Both of these and a new track Sleepsong are also available for pre-order as an eponymous 6-song EP, ahead of a full release in November.

 

SCALER is a Bristol 4-piece who release a new single Loam, produced by Daniel Avery, on 20th October. It's a banger, as they say. If the sound is familiar, it's because I first wrote about the band in March, having accidentally discovered their music whilst looking for something else. In September, as reported by Crack magazine, the band changed their name from SCALPING to SCALER and retrospectively applied this to their entire back catalogue. SCALER is on tour in November and December.

 

 

Laura Mikučionytė is from Vilnius in Lithuania and creates music as Hairdressa, a nod to her other profession. Somehow It Feels Important was released at the end of September, an 8-track EP featuring 4 original songs and remixes of each by fellow Lithuanian artists Auren, Cport, Cistema and Pletnev, as well as Lauer (not Lithuanian).

 

Laura provides full vocals, with the blurb describing "a low, deep voice that easily reminds listeners of early Madonna". I kind of agree, though personally I think the songs are more reminiscent of late 90s Madge, a specific touchstone being Nothing Really Matters. The remixes are all good and, all in all, considering that I first heard this about ten minutes before starting this post, it's been an intriguing introduction to Hairdressa, her Lithuanian peers and the Vilnius-based Electric Shapes label in general so I will be going back for more.

 

Peah was released on the Stereo MC's Connected label back in February, teaming South African house artist Diamond Dealer with Kenyan musician Idd Aziz. It's a monster 8-minute track, with stabbing chords, a pulsing beat and Aziz's vocals flying just above the surface. Peah translates from Swahili as 'to give', which this song does and then some.

 

Justin Robertson has been treating listeners to a steady stream of music this year, a dozen releases via Bandcamp as at September and I suspect at least one more dropping on Friday. A mix of new and unreleased music from the archives, the most recent EP was a brace of 'lost' Deadstock 33s songs, Lone Raver In Dub and Golden Twilight 23. Justin describes them as "Dub acid thumper and trippy dream house"; I'd add "essential purchase". I've been buying them one at a time but if you've not yet discovered this 2023 treasure trove, I'd recommend the full digital discrography bundle. Currently at 30% off and worth every penny.

 

More Bandcamp Friday recommendations tomorrow.