Caught in the Net: Jewel and Julia's art-pop treasures
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Your support makes all the difference.Back in December I mentioned singles by the LA-based pop artists Nite Jewel (aka Ramona Gonzalez) and Julia Holter.
The pair are friends and occasional collaborators but their music diverges slightly; the former delivers artful electro music, while the latter deals in experimental chamber pop. Nite Jewel's lovely new album, One Second of Love, is released next week and Gorilla vs. Bear is streaming it in full ahead of that at ind.pn/yRXSaL. Meanwhile, Holter's excellent record Ekstasis also arrives next week and is streaming on NPR at ind.pn/xxOquM. Both come heartily recommended.
Men in the Moonready their launch
Rocket Juice and the Moon is the awfully named supergroup from Damon Albarn, Flea and Tony Allen – Flea's supergroup with Thom Yorke, Atoms for Peace, gives them a run for their money in the bad name stakes. The former have a debut album due in late March. This week, a track leaked online called "Hey Shooter", with guest vocals from Erykah Badu. A blast of horns at the start sounds right out of the Afrobeat playbook of Fela Kuti, Tony Allen's former collaborator, while his own precise drumming features prominently on the song, with Badu crooning over otherwise sparse sounds. Hear it on Pitchfork at ind.pn/z8OgPR.
Indie acts hot off the 'trotter
Daytrotter.com is one of the most well-regarded websites in the indie music sphere. The people behind the site invite various alternative artists to their base in Rock Island, Illinois, to record live sessions. The recordings – typically four tracks – are then offered as free downloads on the site, alongside a nice illustration of the musicians. This week, Daytrotter announced it is launching a UK branch of the site based in Crouch End. The first sessions from the UK wing, with Bombay Bicycle Club, were posted yesterday. More from Metronomy, Niki and the Dove, and Lucy Rose are on the way.
Another side of Bob Dylan
For some 15 years, ubu.com has been a cultural treasure trove. Last week, people were linking to a page on the site streaming recordings of telephone conversations between Bob Dylan and A J Weberman, the original "Dylanologist". Dating from the early 1970s, the tapes have shown up in various places down the years. Highlighted at ubu.com/sound/dylan.html, the snippets offer insights into Dylan near the height of his fame, as he haggles with Weberman over what article the latter wrote about him (it's not clear if Dylan knows he's being recorded). Weberman also pioneered "garbology" – the practice of looking into a subject's garbage to find information to support his theories. It would be interesting to see how he would fare at the Leveson Inquiry.
l.ryan@independent.co.uk
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