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Eschewing a traditional recording studio, André took The Kaniks to a remote island outside the small town of Egersund in south west Norway. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOver the course of week of midnight sun, midnight swims and midnight beers on their isolated rocky island, living and recording in the only building on the island, the (now unmanned) mid 19th century Vibberodden lighthouse, Stanley Brinks and The Kaniks recorded three albums of material; Turtle Dove is the first of those three to be released. Brinks is renowned for his unique antifolk style: both playful and suggestive, insightful and entertaining. His fondness for calypso and the unusual provide the perfect foil to The Kaniks', whose folk instrumentation and country and bluegrass influences take these 12 songs to a joyous place Brinks hasn't been before in his extensive back catalogue. 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Two days later Simon was round Alice's house unblocking her kitchen drain. Since then Simon has been round and put up two curtain rails, a blind and a shelf. This unlikely meeting, got them talking and once the DIY was done they started making music together, fusing metronomic pop sensibilities, 60's grooves and krautrock noise. What you maybe would get if you mix \u003cstrong\u003eNew Order\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eUnited States of America\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eStereolab\u003c\/strong\u003e. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs a band they are constantly trying to find the perfect meeting point between clean synths and fuzz guitars. The band's line up was completed by Alice's old Loves bandmates \u003cstrong\u003eDaniel Chapman\u003c\/strong\u003e and The Late Jonny Drums and A Smile and A Ribbon's \u003cstrong\u003eKajsa Tretow\u003c\/strong\u003e. 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Musicians suggest things like this all the time because they are stupid or drunk. A few months later Emma told me she had started writing the album. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is what Emma does; she says something then does it. I race to play catch up. The songs were written over 3 weekends at her house and mine. Co-writing is something I'm not used to. It's very intimate and me and Emma became friends through the process. Emma's lyrics are sharp and precise whereas mine are more metaphoric. We talked about relationships and that's what the album is about. It's about our fears and paranoias and the search for trust and love. We deliberately swapped lines and genders so the narrative is never truly that of traditional duets. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe wanted a band to make the album and chose Michael Wood and Cat Loye. We never considered anyone else. They brought a brash, bold sound to the songs and we rehearsed twice and then recorded. 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He has also produced and recorded the likes of Teenage Fanclub, Arab Strap and Camera Obscura, and has captured a slightly more muscular version of the band while retaining their ramshackle charm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe album artwork by vocalist and painter Katie Pope depicts Motherwell Train Station – an ordinary, boring place that speaks to the subject matter of the songs, but with a hint of potential escape. As David Pope ex-plains, “For me, the painting reminds me of the ending of Billy Liar in which Billy tries and fails to leave his hometown for the bright lights of London. Half the band also live in Motherwell, so it seemed appropriate.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFunded by Creative Scotland, the recording allowed the band to bring in bass and cello arrangements, adding depth and a sheen of musical proficiency to their signature sound.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAbout The Just Joans - The Just Joans were formed in Glasgow in 2005 by songwriter David Pope. Early demos were collected together and released as a loose concept album, Last Tango in Motherwell, in 2006. Chris Elkin joined on guitar and was followed shortly after by David’s younger sister, Katie, on vocals and Fraser Ford on bass. Over the years they have released EPs and albums on WeePOP! and Fika Records and have gained a cult following as Scottish pop miserabilists.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe current line-up consists of Katie Pope (vocals), David Pope (vocals, guitar), Chris Elkin (lead guitar), Fraser Ford (bass), Arion Xenos (keyboards) and Jason Sweeney (drums).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePress Quotes:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“They fit snugly into the scratchy, low budget Scottish indie tradition of The Delgados and Arab Strap… There’s mischief in this miserabilism.” - Mojo 4*s\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Glasgow’s The Just Joans have documented the romantic pratfalls of a generation of indie kids with sardonic wit and a shambling musical style where Stephin Merrit lies down with The Vaselines.” - Uncut\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Funny and sad, it’s the kind of song that made Red House Painters, The Magnetic Fields and The Wedding Present’s early albums so easy to embrace; an unpretentious sharing of relatable gloom.” - Record Collector\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTracklisting:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSide A\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e1. Think Fast, Make Conversation \u003cbr\u003e2. Here Come The Rugby Boys \u003cbr\u003e3. Limpet \u003cbr\u003e4. Drinking On A Weeknight \u003cbr\u003e5. Back On The Meds \u003cbr\u003e6. The Day We Missed The Train\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSide B\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e1. Oh Veronica, How Right You Are \u003cbr\u003e2. Romantic Visions (Prepare For Disappointment) \u003cbr\u003e3. Strictly Presbyterian \u003cbr\u003e4. Everybody’s Moving To Australia \u003cbr\u003e5. Say You’ll Never Leave Me\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fika Recordings","offers":[{"title":"Vinyl LP","offer_id":56340764655993,"sku":"FIKA113LP","price":22.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":56340764688761,"sku":"FIKA113CD","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0238\/8053\/files\/JustJoans-RomanticVisionsofScotland.jpg?v=1765374408"},{"product_id":"the-leaf-library-after-the-rain-strange-seeds","title":"The Leaf Library 'After The Rain, Strange Seeds'","description":"\u003cp\u003eLondon quartet The Leaf Library return with their bold new album After The Rain, Strange Seeds. A luminous collection of pastoral indiepop, drawing inspiration from suburban isolation, unreliable memories and the surreality of the weather. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTheir most immediate and melodic work to date, the richly evocative songs brim with chiming guitars, buzzing organs and warm, dulcet strings, evoking Yo La Tengo’s more contemplative moments, The Clientele’s autumnal jangle pop and early Stereolab’s motorik melodicism. The sound of the album is defined by mixer John McEntire, whose work with Stereolab and Yo La Tengo (as well as a member of Tortoise\/The Sea And Cake) have been major inspirations to the band.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe album explores themes of memory and place, albeit through an abstract haze – returning again and again to specific moments frozen in time: midsummer bright hot days in the Chilterns (“Sun In My Room”), meteorology and the strange movement of the weather (“Colour Chant”), red kites circling over suburban motorways (“Some Circling”), and the uncanny feeling of dusk and nighttime creatures on “The Reader’s Lamp” (titled by celebrated film director Peter Strickland). \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe lyrics are vivid yet elliptical, strung with abstract ideas and imagery, conjuring a gently unsettling, though never unwelcoming atmosphere. Not quite trusting your own recollection of things, while marvelling at the oddness of the natural world, the album’s title a good summation of the mix of strangeness and hope contained within.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs on past albums the band - founded by singer Kate Gibson and ex-Saloon guitarist Matt Ashton in the mid 2000s, and now completed by drummer Lewis Young and bassist Gareth Jones - have involved their extended musical family, including guitarist Mike Cranny (of fellow drone pop travellers Firestations) and keyboardist Irina Shtreis, both members of the Leaf Library live band. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe album also sees the return of James Underwood’s Iskra Strings, a quartet that features on 4 tracks, with sumptuous arrangements by Daniel Fordham, as well as regular contributor Melinda Bronstein on vocals and Will Twynham (Dimorphodons) on harpsichord. They also welcomed Paddy Milner (on Hammond organ) and Scott McKeon (guitar) – both current members of Tom Jones’ band – for a startlingly delicate rolling crescendo to closing track “There Was Always A Golden Age”.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAfter The Rain, Strange Seeds is their 4th studio album. The result is The Leaf Library’s most accomplished and affecting work, John McEntire’s mix bringing a bold clarity to the band’s meticulous arrangements – closer to how they sound live than anything they’ve done before.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePress Quotes:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“World-weary yet innocent, blissful dreampop” – \u003cstrong\u003eUncut\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A sensory deprivation tank of experimental sometimes-pop” – \u003cstrong\u003eConcrete Islands\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Like experiencing The Clientele’s ghostly pastoral elegies warped through the drone melodies of Stereolab\" – \u003cstrong\u003ePopLib\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A melancholy wonder\" – \u003cstrong\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Fascinating, bold and experimental drone-pop\" – \u003cstrong\u003eLouder Than War\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Music for a rainy Tuesday afternoon of the soul” – \u003cstrong\u003ePete Paphides\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTracklisting:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA1. Colour Chant \u003cbr\u003eA2. Still \u0026amp; Moving \u003cbr\u003eA3. The Reader’s Lamp \u003cbr\u003eA4. Sun In My Room \u003cbr\u003eA5. Carry A River In Your Mouth \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eB1. Catch Up, Isobel \u003cbr\u003eB2. A Ship In The Sky \u003cbr\u003eB3. Some Circling \u003cbr\u003eB4. There Was Always A Golden Age\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fika Recordings","offers":[{"title":"Vinyl LP - Yellow","offer_id":56570383106425,"sku":"FIKA114LP","price":22.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":56570383139193,"sku":"FIKA114CD","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0238\/8053\/files\/LeafLibrary-AfterTheRain_StrangeSeeds.jpg?v=1770823582"}],"url":"https:\/\/cargorecordsdirect.co.uk\/collections\/fika-recordings-1.oembed","provider":"Cargo Independent Distribution","version":"1.0","type":"link"}