News Round-up – August ’23
Great to see a North Walian hive of activity of late on the music front.
After the Emissaries Of Syn album release and the coinciding flurry of activity we saw at the end of June, things became a little quiet for a couple of weeks… Thankfully that’s started to change with the upcoming release of the debut album from Maines. ‘Sometimes We Live’ is out on August 25th and there’s a launch gig that night at Ink in Colwyn Bay (Sustinere are also on the bill) (tickets here).
And talking of Ink, Abergele based psychedelic-funksters, Hunzz have released an infectious track Granola Song that was recorded live at the venue – check it out here on spotify.
Scotch Funeral has made a welcome return to our CD trays and invaded our ears with his musical worms. The album ‘Abysmal Nostalgia’ is a collection of songs, from the past, about the past, were written and recorded between 2012-2018. Adam says it’s an interim release as he had hoped to be putting out new material by now – but that’s not yet happened (bandcamp).
There’s plenty of live activity going on in Rhyl, with Steve Rastin hosting regular live band, open mic, jam nights and DJs at The Front Room / Late Lounge – check the socials for details.
Crapfest was an absolute blast, check out this great review and pics by Last Stop Sounds. Hosted annually by Birkenhead anti-scallies Crapsons, they’ve announced next year’s event will be hosted at the Future Yard in their home town. Coming up very soon however, Rezillos are playing at The Live Rooms in Chester (Sat 16th Sept), in support will be Crapsons (possibly featuring a special guest stand-in guitarist?). (tickets)
Holy Coves have issued a feel-good video to their song Away We Go (watch), taking from their critically acclaimed album ‘Druids and Bards’. They’re also the weight behind the excellent Music Scene Wales resource, providing regular and up to date news on Welsh based artistes.
The man behind Mank also alter-egos himself as Llyn Y Cwn, and he’s back with a brand new album… ‘Stratigraphy’ is an album of environmental ambient sound; three long-form pieces following the voyage of an imagined sonde dropped from the upper atmosphere through the clouds, through the ocean and below the seabed, through the sediments and bedrock, through layers of increasing density and time towards the centre of gravity, through stratigraphy (I kid you not). (bandcamp).
From the filthy wastelands of Llanfrothen, Mr Phormula has released an explosive new album, ‘AWDL (Artist With Dual Language)’ – it’s been featured heavily on my Louder Than War radio show – and it should also feature heavily in your living room. (bandcamp). Not content with resting on such a great album, Mr Phormula also features on the new Shamoniks release Iaith Y Nefoedd (The Language Of Heaven) – which is out 12th August.
Celavi have released their debut album ‘Dolorem’ – it’s a maelstrom of gothic industrial-nu-metal furore overlaid with soft vocals, and wonderfully digipak’d for your CD collection. The band were recently interviewed on Adam Walton‘s BBC Radio Wales show (Gwion came across as being very articulate – which is surprising for someone who spent centuries hanging upside down in a cave near Blaenau Ffestiniog!). (bandcamp).
On a far more somber note, Adam Walton also paid a warming tribute to the ubiquitous guitar mercenary that is Duncan Black. The man with a million guitars is receiving palliative care and our hearts go out to him. Duncan has left his mark on countless releases, including Rabo De Toro, Skinflick and Mucus. He has, over the years also contributed reams of information on bands and events covered by link2wales and is a modern day hero.
Listen to the show here on BBC Sounds.
Let us know what you’re up to – contact via the socials
