I’ll be honest, I don’t have any idea why I continue to number these. There’s no reason Im counting the Shits, it’s just that the last one was #9, so this one has to be #10. Its purely mindless traditionalism. I have no good reason to stop it and no better idea to replace it. But hey, we made it to 10! Consistency > Quality.
Also, Im reversing my previous Spotify embedding decision of last week, it fucked with the paragraph spacing and my aesthetic so its GONE. Back to hyperlinks we go, click anything underlined and be rewarded! I will embed the Hahko FM playlist for you though as a one-stop shop to the full list of my favourite songs, of which only a selection is presented below - real fans hit the FM.
Singles
Teenage Sequence - ‘All This Art’
A spiritual successor to LCD Soundsystem / DFA Records. ‘All This Art’ toes the exact same line between sardonic self-awareness and serious fun that James Murphy & co pioneered in the 2000’s. Updated perfectly for 2021 by newcomer Teenage Sequence, this song has all the dry disco drums, unhinged ring modulation and witty lyrics you need to pull off this sound. “That which doesn’t kill me, only makes me weirder at parties” brilliant.
Hovvdy - ‘True Love’
Hovvdy continue their recent kill streak with another gold plated 90’s nostalgia ballad. They’ve been making Elliot Smith style pop songs with dusty production and this is right in the pocket, double tracked vocals and bright tambourines all day long. For fans of the modern grunge ballad movement that features artists like Alex G, Slow Pulp and Soccer Mommy but want it just a touch sweeter.
Kurt Vile - ‘Run Run Run’
Kurt Vile throwing it down and throwing it back with some solid 70’s blues rock revivalism on this Velvet Underground cover. While I personally have loved his past few records, which explored a more nuanced, picking style country rock, this change in attitude is not unappreciated. Swampy, jammy and noisey in a farmyard barn kind of way, this songs has a great mix of a light mood with heavy textures. Very curious to see if this song is going to be the exception or the rule for KV moving forward.
The Lazy Eyes - ‘The Island’
King Gizzard is now a genre, and of the artists borrowing heavily from the Australian psych giants, The Lazy Eye’s have been getting the line between homage and impersonation right. This is a great example of a great song that doesnt necessarily break any new ground, but provides an incredibly satisfying combination of tasty KG flavours sprinkled with some classic Tame Impala vibes. Throw in a great spacious mix plus a free-flowing arrangement and you have something incredibly satisfying for all psych pop fans out there.
Albums
Wavves - ‘Hideaway’
Wavves was the band that made me start a band. Brad and I formed Two Cartoons back in the day to rip of the Wavves song ‘Post Acid’ and much of my creative energy at the time owed to sound and attitude of his 2010 record ‘King Of The Beach’. We even called our first tour (with fellow Wavves lovers Males) ‘Beach Demons’ in homage. This album represents a full-circle to me, after years wandering the creative desert, plumbing the guitar music mine to varying degrees of success, Wavves has returned with what a considered, more mature follow up to ‘KotB’. The overblown, scratchy production is back, the pop songs are back, without the chip on the shoulder and the fuck you attitude. Maybe i’m perfectly placed to match the musical arc of Wavves, but I think this is a great return to form and a surprising treat.
CAVS - ‘CAVS’
Ok so it’s a drum / percussion only album by the drummer of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. Its amazing for how captivating the songs are and how the interest is kept up through what is essentially rhythmic dance music without melodies. Best listened to on headphones or a good speaker, the brilliance is in the details here with the touches of percussion layered over the full kit really bringing the experience up to another level. Give it a go!
Videos
DARTZ - ‘Pray For Prey’
The DARTZ boys are back, with a fresh new Silver Scrolls nomination and a Brian Tamaki focused song called ‘Pray For Prey’. Taking shots like a good punk band should, BT provides a suitable target and a great satirical target for the committed and costumed band from Wellington, NZ. You can’t beat DARTZ on a good day.
Podcast`
WTF with Marc Maron - James Murphy
It was a pleasant surprise to see James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem pop up in my podcast library and I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation. If you can put up with Marc Maron’s self-centralising contributions there’s a lot of good stuff here, less about the band and more about the man personally. It was interesting to hear about his view of himself being an “uptight, hard to get along with” kind of guy, as well as how his experience with ecstasy unshackled him from his crippling self-conscious attitude. Worth a listen for the hardcore James Murphy fans out there, less so for the causal LCD fans.
Hahko Meets Alexa Casino
It took me a while to get keyed into the Alexa vibe, a mix of understated energy and knowing humour which contributed to a high question count and ultimately educating and interesting conversation. I found her work with Roundhead studios and the story of her acclimatising to the work conditions super interesting, and we ended up hanging out and chatting well after the podcast had finished. It was one of those interviews that really added a lot of context to the music for me, and has increased my enjoyment of the far too infrequent Alexa Casino releases. Chuck it on for some subtle energy hangs and some great mixing tips.