Patrick Clarke
, May 27th, 2021 23:56
From exuberant pop to all-out brutality, via everything in-between, here are tQ s favourite albums and tracks of May 2021
I received my first dose of Pfizer vaccine yesterday, having heard from a friend of a friend of a relative of my partner that an old function hall in Woodford had some spares for walk-ins. When I got home I checked my emails and saw that I was invited to a gig. Typically, after a year and a half of waiting for such an opportunity, I m busy that day, but nevertheless if I were to stretch for a sign, it s fitting that it was the first day in weeks that the rain clouds that have been clinging over London for the last month finally went away, leaving a balmy blue sky in their place. Not to labour the point too much, but it feels like things might be getting better.
Release Day Picks this week highlight new albums by Blackberry Smoke, Dispatch, Moby, DMX, Can, Tea Leaf Green, Lou Barlow, The True Loves, Kendra & the Bunnies, Joe Marcinek, Free Radio, and a David Bowie covers tribute album.
Genre: Tribute album
There have been loads of David Bowie tribute shows since the star died in 2018. There have also been plenty of covers of his music, usually focusing on his Ziggy Stardust glam rock persona and music.
Modern Love was put together by Drew McFadden, the music exec and DJ, and Peter Adarkwah, founder of BBE Music, with the express purpose of showcasing Bowie’s forays into R&B, funk, gospel, soul and jazz. The liner notes describe the project as an “interactive sonic map” where 17 artists delve into some of Bowie’s lesser-known material.
Naturally, this description is bound to get fans debating whether the song selection truly suits the brief.
Mute and Spoon Records have announced plans to release a series of live albums by Can.
Live in Stuttgart 1975 is out May 28. In addition to digital and CD releases, a 3xLP set is being pressed to orange vinyl. Listen to an excerpt from the new album below.
The Can Live series of releases are culled from the group’s best bootleg recordings, which were remastered and engineered under the supervision of founding Can member Irmin Schmidt and producer/engineer Rene Tinner.