Shall we write a new editorial? Oh the endless demand and who needs a damn editorial? No time for editorials, let the actual music do the actual walking and the actual talking. Exact same thing again, another five (or so) slices of music that have passed our way recently and however you like to slice it and of course it was the price of oranges and here comes the editorial. Don’t be flippant she said, how could it ever be flippant? I can’t remember why she said that now, in one ear, out the other, we have a bad attitude here apparently, no respect for those who work in the music industry, well no poop Sherlock, have you only just worked that one out?

Five? There’s something rather compelling about five. Cross-pollination? Five more? Is there another way? A better way? A cure for pulling flying rabbits out of the clouds? Is there a rhyme? Is there a reason? Was there ever a reason? What do reasons make? Five more? Snake oil? Everything must go and no, we never do and the proof of the pudding is in that proof reading. When we started this thing, oh never mind, it doesn’t matter why we started this damn thing and like we asked last time, does anyone bother reading the editorial? Does anyone ever actually look down the rabbit hole or is it all just method acting? We do really try to listen to everything that comes in, we do it so you don’t have to, we are very (very) very very picky about what we actually post on these fractured pages or about what gets played on the radio or indeed what we hang in a gallery. Cut to the chase, never mind the editorial, skip this bit, there’s loads of music further down the page, well five or so pieces of music that have come our way in the last few days and what’s Wordsworth? Just the basic facts and links and those sounds (and visuals), that’s surely all you need from us?

Here we go, five more slices of music that have recently come our way, this time we start with something new from Brooklyn with Disiniblud…

1: Rachika Nayar & Nina Keith – Now this sounds rather intriguing, “Domino’s Smugglers Way imprint is pleased to introduce Disiniblud, the captivating new collaborative project of the composers/producers/multi-instrumentalists Rachika Nayar and Nina Keith. Nina and Rachika were drawn to one another like mirror images or two sisters reuniting after a lifetime of separation. Four years ago, the artists met in Brooklyn’s two-block–by–two-block Maria Hernandez Park after fan-girling each other’s music online. Dishing about messy post-lockdown long-distance lesbianism, heartfelt investments in Buddhist and Hindu philosophies, and a shared high-school love of the Eternal Sunshine OST, the two found their surface similarities gesturing toward a deeper shared existential worldview”.

The video looks rather good as well, credit where credit is due, respect to the artists – Photography by Allegra Messina Puppet Artistry by Miles Robinson via Sara Paquette’s Studio Puppet Art Direction by Milena Gorum Rachika and Nina’s wings and wearables by tegdirb Video by Studio Sparks

 Their kinship—which Rachika describes originating from some “inner-child sisterhood place”—is the heart of their fairytale-like self-titled LP, due out July 18th via Smugglers Way. The two’s self-described “wordless conversation,” the album orbits such themes as mortality, reinvention through destruction, and sublimating fractured histories into music—all resulting in a work that suggests sweeping transformation can come from embracing old wounds with childlike wonder.
 
Alongside today’s album announcement, the duo shares Disiniblud’s first two singles, “It’s Change (ft. Willy Siegel of Ponytail, Katie Dey & Julianna Barwick)” and “Blue Rags, Raging Wind (ft. Amigone).” Rife with almost merry-go-round samples from three different vocalists, “It’s Change” is a mantra of impermanence, while the neoclassical “Blue Rags, Raging Wind” and its xylophone-esque patters exemplify the album’s core of “inner childlike joy,” says Rachika”.

Here’s some more from the album, that second video mentioned in the press release we just cut’n pasted with the help of some sharp sxissors and a pritt stick in a rather lazy way… More about the album here

2: Gentle Giant have some fresh mixes on the way, here’s 2025 Dan Bornemark Mix of Free Hand from the soon to be re-issued Playing the Fool: The Complete Live Experience album. The re-issue is available on May 2nd, here’s the links and down there under the YouTube are the details

The album is to be released as a triple vinyl LP / 2-CD Set / 2-CD + Blu-ray Set Available in 96/24 Stereo, 5.1 Surround Sound & Dolby Atmos.

“The iconic 1977 live album, now fully reimagined, mixed, and mastered for an immersive experience! Originally released in January 1977, Playing The Fool captured Gentle Giant at the peak of their live performance prowess. Now, over 45 years later, the beloved live album has been re-imagined, mixed and mastered, bringing a fresh level of clarity and depth to the Gentle Giant live experience. Produced by Dan Bornemark, who has worked extensively with the band on archival projects, The Complete Live Experience captures the full scope of the band’s artistry as they were meant to be heard, including restored in-between-song commentary, band introductions and authentic venue ambience. It features the complete full original setlist, plus three unreleased tracks — Interview, Timing and Ray Shulman’s solo violin feature. Available as a triple LP, double CD and triple CD/Blu-ray in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 surround sound and 96/24 Stereo, this release gives fans the ultimate Gentle Giant experience as never before, with stunning clarity and spatial audio that places the listener right in the middle of the show. It’s the definitive version of a legendary live performance from one of progressive rock’s most unique and influential bands”.

Not sure how influential they were back there, seems like they might have been ahead of their time and over most people’s heads back there. Here’s the original album…

3: Car Seat Headrest are up next with a piece of music taken from the new album The Scholars, the first studio album from Car Seat Headrest in five years, which in turn is out on May 2nd via Matador Records. More here or via the relative wholesomeness of Bandcamp where you can currently hear a second rather intriguing ten minute piece. Nice video, illustrations by Cate Wurtz Motion design by Jayla Smith and Michael Speed.

4: Dragon Welding – well this is rather more interesting than the name of the band hinted it would be – The Naughty Step is the fourth album by his electronics meets noise-pop group, but the first to feature new vocalist Nik Cockshott. Issued in late February, its deluxe gatefold vinyl and CD formats have been made available for purchase on Bandcamp

I must confess I had no idea who the he in question was? – “Andy is best known as the guitarist of Essex post-rock outliers The Wolfhounds. His solo work is forward-thinking experimental electronic-rock under his anagrammatic Dragon Welding moniker, creating a wondrous tapestry of ambient guitar and mischievous sonic and rhythmic manipulations”. Now that explains why the piece of music is so interesting

“A new video can also been viewed for the ruminative album track Hiding Things For Fun video, with Golding stating that the song is “on one level about losing ideals as we get older. I try not to ‘make do’ if I can see a way of sticking to the right path. On another level, losing things deliberately is something I am often accused of. The trick in life is to find a partner who is as good at finding things as you are at mislaying them.” He adds that it is also “a Gen X anthem that dreams of being played live to an auditorium full of ghosts, each holding aloft a misplaced cigarette lighter.” As for The Naughty Step as a whole, he continues: “its theme is me trying to deal with problems that I’ve never quite resolved in my mind, while new problems appear simultaneously. It’s neverending, so I will continue to write songs until I stop caring”. Here’s some more….

And here’s the whole album, it came out at the end of Feb and I guess we could or maybe should go dig a bit deeper into it later if time allows (there’s never enough time)

5: Intensive Care & The Body – Didn’t we feature this combination of forces already this year? There’s an album out somewhere around now isn’t there? Don’t ask me, I’ve been busy throwing painting at things. What? It came out a couple of weeks ago you say? Best go read The Quietus, we clearly haven’t got a clue what we’re on about…

“Toronto duo Intensive Care (Andrew Nolan and Ryan Bloomer) and Rhode Island duo The Body (Chip King and Lee Buford) are innovative forces in extreme music. Now, these four musicians have joined forces for the brilliant collaborative album Was I Good Enough?, out today on Closed Casket Activities. With glitchy, bellowing vocals and an icy industrial backbone, these eight tracks showcase the respective pedigrees of their creators while summoning a dynamic and dangerous beast through the distortion.

“Our motivations are very similar,” Ryan Bloomer says. “This collaboration made sense because we weren’t necessarily bringing anything separate; it seemed like we were bringing two sides together in order to make a bigger whole. At the same time, we didn’t repeat ourselves. You’re going to hear two guitar-based bands who didn’t use much guitar at all on this. It’s a largely electronic album, but it sounds as heavy as any guitar-based music I’ve ever done.”

The whole album is up on Bandcamp and well, take it up with your local MP or your Salvation Army or wherever you like ot go and complain

And while we’re here, a Pink Fairies song covered by Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby, what more could you need today? What a fine bunch of Stiffs..