Some days the Thing of the Day might be a longass review of an album or a disjointed over-opinionated thought or two on a gallery opening or a new album, some days it can moribund with worderly vitriolic positiveness or obtuse awkwardness that no one can be bothered to actually read and then on better days it can just be a link to an interesting band or two. The spellchecker says longass isn’t a word, here’s another slice of the always excellent Hiva Oa

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New material from Hiva Oa has been a long time coming. Sometimes, it seems, a period of inactivity is better for a band than one of constant creation. With the release of their forthcoming EP mk2 (part 1), core members Stephen Houlihan and Christine Tubridy departed Edinburgh, returning to their native Ireland seeking renewed inspiration. Hiva Oa retain the mystery and ambition of their former incarnations, but inject a heavy thrum to their intricate patchwork style, and turn their attentions to themes of fear, loneliness, abandonment and awakening.

Seskinore demonstrates their skill in developing percussive motifs that flit from the suspenseful and shuffling, to eruptive, deafening, conclusions. A powerful resolution to each composition is never far from the minds of Hiva Oa.  Hiva Oa have become masters of developing atmospheres proving that, for them, a visit to old pastures has worked wonders.

Meanwhile here’s a photos “borrowed” off social media, not had time to escape and check out Julie Umerle‘s rather good looking solo show yet, hopefully that will change by the end of the week

Julie Umerle – Rewind

Three paintings installed at Art Bermondsey Project Space in London.
REWIND is at Art Bermondsey Project Space until Saturday 10th September. Opening hours: Tues – Sat. 11 am – 6 pm.

Meanwhile something fresh from the very Fall-like Aathens, one of the very few things to full in to our in-box so far worthy of mention and a lazy cut’n paste of their press release… They remind these ears of Herzoga, whatever happened to them? one thing we certainly learnt from running a record label is that bands almost always let you down….

Few welcome the death of another London music venue. When Powerlunches closed at the end of last year, Kingsland Road lost one of its last vestiges of DIY subculture – and a thriving, inclusive scene along with it. It was in the few months before it shut its doors for good that Patrick Browne (vox/guitar), Hannah Gledhill (guitar), Jason Jaworski (drums) and Ed Shellard (bass) came together and began rehearsing in the basement of that now defunct venue, working on a clutch of material that would form the basis for their uncompromising live set and their first release: TVEP.

TVEP is an EP-length performance film. Four tracks, one take; it’s a unique idea and a neat visual representation of the band – a low-budget, pirate TV performance that captures the terse energy of their live show outside of its normal setting. There is no audience, no applause, just a Spartan performance space and the group running against the clock.

“Spiky” and “angular” are words all too often used to describe a particular type of guitar judder. Recent waves of post-punk revivalism have seen some master the form, and Aathens are no mere imitators. The film kicks off with Aspirations – a raucous, ambitious track that calls to mind Fugazi, Television and contemporaries such as Ought and Girl Band, while lyrically it finds Browne transposing the acerbic wit of Minutemen in their Reagan-era heyday to the London of now.

Aathens are a DIY band deprived of their spiritual home. An indignant restlessness permeates this release, but there is a sardonic humour in their songs and style that adds much to proceedings. TVEP is a fully realised piece of work and the opening salvo set to carve out a space for themselves in the second half of 2016.

See, none of it was opinionated, no longass bullpoop today, that’s how it should be, here’s some bands, here’s some art, we thing they’re interesting, here’s the link, check them out for yourselves, some back and say thanks if you feel like it, bang, wallop, sorted, right, I’m off to paint….

More tomorrow… maybe…. or maybe not….