Gulp Announce Second LP ‘All Good Wishes’; Share New Single ‘I Dream Of Your Song’

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Gulp, formed by Super Furry Animals’ Guto Pryce, Lindsey Leven and their long standing guitarist Gid Goundrey, have announced their new album All Good Wishes, which is set for release August 3rd via E.L.K Records.

The new album follows up their bewitching 2014 debut Season Sun; a wonderfully charming blend of distilled flashes of psychedelic sunshine, shimmering pastoral pop and breezy psych-folk. Ahead of the new album’s release, it is preceded by lead single ‘I Dream Of Your Song’. It’s a roving, hazy, dream-like affair, blending a swelling shimmer of hazy psych-folk and kraut-pop with a pastoral pop sweetness as Leven’s lulling vocals drift over the ripples of sun flares. A hazy, soothing and altogether wonderful insight to the new album and if it is anything like its predecessor, it will be one of 2018’s finest.

Listen to ‘I Dream Of Your Song’ below now, and drift away…..

All Good Wishes Tracklist:

1. Search For Your Love
2. Claudia
3. Spend Time Right Here With You
4. I Dream of Your Song
5. Beam
6. All Good Wishes
7. Morning Velvet Sky
8. Following Rain
9. Ride
10. Watching Ships
11. Silver Tides

 

Gulp – ‘Morning Velvet Sky’

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Back in December of last year, Gulp – Super Furry Animals’ Guto Pryce and Lindsey Leven – shared the cosmic ‘Search For Your Love’, with news that the duo were busy at work on album #2.

Now the pair have revealed that the follow up to their debut album Season Sun is on the way, penned in for release sometime in early 2018. Before then though, the pair are whetting the appetite once more with another tantalising new track, ‘Morning Velvet Sky’. It’s another hypnotic slice of intergalactic lush psych-pop from the duo, propelled by krautrock-inspired rhythms and glistening synths, and topped off by Lindsey’s airy vocals. ‘Morning Velvet Sky’ is effortlessly charming, wrapping the listener in a blanket of fuzzy feelings, providing us with a tantalising taste of what to expect from their next record.

Listen to ‘Morning Velvet Sky’ below and why not give Gulp’s debut LP Season Sun a spin here, too.

Gulp Share Video & Django Django Remix for ‘Search For Your Love’

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Back in December Cardiff-based band Gulp Gulp – revolving around Lindsey Leven & Guto Pryce of Super Furry Animals fame – shared single ‘Search For Your Love’ and their intention to release a second LP in 2017.

Following on from that, Gulp have shared the single’s video and a Django Django‘s ‘Nautical Twilight Edit’ of ‘Search For Your Love’. The Django’s edit adds another dimension to Gulp’s already refined warm, fuzzy, lush spacey psych-pop. Upping the tempo and the groove a tad, and enhancing the textures, luscious melody, proggy-guitars and synthy celestial vibes, to compliment the marvellous original perfectly. Rather than a full face-lift, this is re-imagining the song; creating something completely hypnotic, and topped off by Leven’s sultry vocals, this is the very essence of dreams. Just time to sit back now and let ‘Search For Your Love’ (x 2) flow over you and seep into your senses, and leave you better for it.

‘Search For Your Love’ is available now via via Tim Burgess’ independent label O Genesis and Gulp are currently working with Luke Abbott on their second album, which is set to be released in 2017.

Gulp Share New Single ‘Search For Your Love’

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The Cardiff-based spacey psych-poppers, Gulp – revolving around Lindsey Leven & Guto Pryce of Super Furry Animals fame – have shared their new single ‘Search For Your Love’.

Recorded in the summer of 2016 on a farm in mid Wales, ‘Search For Your Love’ follows on from Gulp’s bewitching 2014 debut album Season Sun and it is a wonderfully natural successor. ‘Search For Your Love’ further refines the pair’s warm, fuzzy, lush psych-pop by combining spacey sounds and textures with a luscious melody proggy-guitars and synths. In doing so they create something hypnotic and unique, and topped off by Leven’s sultry vocals, this is the very essence of dreams. What a magnificent return. Now is the time to sit back and let ‘Search For Your Love’ flow over you and seep into your senses, and leave you better for it.

‘Search For Your Love’ is available now via via Tim Burgess’ independent label O Genesis and Gulp are currently working with Luke Abbott on their second album, which is set to be released in 2017.

Iechyd Da – A Tribute to Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci

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10 years on from Welsh psych-pop phenomenons Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci going their separate ways, Recordiau Prin‘s head honcho, Ash Cooke has curated Iechyd Da – The Music of Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci; a 32-track celebration of the band, featuring covers from Gulp, Gorwel Owen Seazoo, Sweet Benfica, Stuart Kidd, Helicopter Spies, Baby Brave and many more.

Gorky’s are regarded as one of the most original and unique bands in the history of Welsh music. Formed in Carmarthen, west Wales in 1991, they drew from a diverse & eclectic range of musical influences, sang in both Welsh & English, released a string of excellent albums and thus, their cult status was cemented. Personally, it is a retrospective appreciation of their music. Lets just say, there weren’t many record shops in Kildare stocking Gorky’s stuff but their impact and influence has been a lasting one. Iechyd Da is a wonderful collection, crafted with obvious affection and respect it’s not only a tribute to Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci, but a thank you from all those involved who loved the band’s music over the years. New to Gorky’s or a seasoned fan? There is something here for everyone.

There are a number of choice cuts from Stuart Kidd, Seazoo and Helicopter Spies for your perusal below. To seal the deal, Iechyd Da is out now and available for FREE from here.

 

BarryGruff Playlist September 2015

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A now regular monthly feature, whereby we round up all the blog action with a nice, neat and handy playlist of tracks featured during the month.

September was pretty damn good, aside from saying goodbye to summer! We had tunes from Sexwitch, Gwenno, Hinds and The Altered Hours ahead of their respective, new and forthcoming albums. There were excellent new singles from Slow Riot, Tuff Love, BUCK, H. Hawkline, Freedom Fry, Gulp & Miaoux Miaoux. Oh, and their was the launch of ‘Millions Like Us’, Justin Beats & I’s new music podcast extravaganza for 604now (if you missed them? Why not listen to episodes #1 & #2)

Also featured on this month’s playlist are great tracks from Avid Walker, Mesa Luna, Ghost Culture, Boxed In, Anderson & Peaness. So yeah, pretty good alright.

Listen to BarryGruff’s September 2015 playlist below.

Gulp vs Miaoux Miaoux – ‘Tour de France’

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Last year Gulp, the side project of Super Furry Animals’ bassist Guto Pryce with Lindsay Leven, released their wonderfully inspired and bewitching debut record; one of 2014’s finest. This year, for the most part, the pair have been pre-occupied with recording album number two, along with the not so small matter of a busy SFA reunion schedule.

Somehow finding time, Gulp have teamed up with Glaswegian producer Julian Corrie, aka Miaoux Miaoux, for a reworking of Kraftwerk classic ‘Tour De France’. Paying homage to both the ‘Tour De France’ and the classic track, combined, they have found a perfect balance of respecting a classic, while also adding a freshness that brings it right into the 21st Century. Gulp & Miaoux Miaoux’s reworking slickly injects more aggressive, more hi-tech and beat-heavy electronics that is ultimately recognisable. Some classics should be left alone but not in this case. A fabulous and worthy re-imagination done with a touch of class and brilliance, it has been on constant rotation all summer.

Gulp are currently working on their second album, which will be released at the start of 2016. Miaoux Miaoux meanwhile, released his excellent second album, School of Velocity, earlier this year and it is out now.

Gulp vs Miaoux Miaoux’s ‘Tour De France’ is out now via Elk Records. You can stream it below.

 

Gulp – ‘Vast Space’ (Cotton Wolf Remix)

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Gulp are signing off on an excellent year with the release their new single ‘Game Love’ on December 29th.

It has been a year which has seen Gulp, Guto Pryce (0f Super Furry Animals fame) and Lindsay Leven, deliver one of 2014’s most astounding albums in Season Sun. Latest single ‘Game Love’ is one of the highlights (of which there are many) from Gulp’s bewitching debut album, and although it was first self-released by the band as a limited-edition 7″ a couple years ago, the re-release features two new remixes: a version of ‘The Way’ (from the recent ‘I Want To Dance’ EP) by fellow Super Furry Animal Cian Ciarán, and this incredible rework of ‘Vast Space’ by Cardiff based Cotton Wolf. While retaining the hypnotic rhythm of the original, Cotton Wolf drains the stomp but envelopes the space with a blend of gentle strings, soft bleeps, chimes, creaks and supremely beguiling floating vocals.What we are left with is quite stunning, a rather crisp, airy and refreshing tune, with an added sense of urgency arrived upon with crunchy beats, vocal chops and some sparkling synth work for a spectacular climax. A magnificent rework, consequently it’s been far too long since hearing from Cotton Wolf, far too long indeed.

You can check out Cotton Wolf’s remix of ‘Vast Space’ below, along with the original stomper and ‘Game Love’. Enjoy!

 

BarryGruff’s Albums of the Year 2014

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So, it’s that time of year again, yeah, it’s favourite albums of the year time. Loads of great music this year, some old faces and plenty of new ones too but for those of you who care, here are my 25 albums of 2014. Enjoy!

25. Second Storey – ‘Double Divide’

24. Beach Day – ‘Native Echoes’

23. Globelamp – ‘Star Dust’

22. Sex Hands – ‘Pleh’

21. The #1s – ‘The #1s’

20. Attaque – ‘ON LY YOU’

19. Shit Robot – ‘We Got Love’

18. Mowbird – ‘Islander’

17. Oh Boland/Me & My Dog – ‘Delphi’

16. Jamie T – ‘Carry on the Grudge’

15. Pharoahe Monch – ‘PTSD’

Following on from his 2011’s W.A.R, comes fourth solo LP, PTSD (aka Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), a loose-concept album which sees Pharoahe Monch speaking as a weary independent warrior against the industry machine and dealing with the struggle of the black male experience in America. It’s dense, raw and sometimes painfully raw, as he relives harrowing memories of his struggle with addiction, depression and suicidal thoughts. It’s all draped with his familiar top-notch storytelling, cavernous vocabulary, thought-provoking rhymes, precise delivery and thought-provoking metaphors, placing him right up top of the current hip-hop pile.

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Albums Roundup : Teleman, Hyde & Beast and Gulp

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Notoriously shite at keeping on top of albums, or moreover, reviewing them – here are three albums that have been entertaining my ears over the past while.

Teleman – ‘Breakfast’

Teleman‘s debut album, Breakfast, is a charming yet bittersweet bundle of a indie-pop songs with a instantly loveable quality, which like all Saunders’ work (Tap Tap & Pete & The Pirates), has substance to match the immediacy. A master class in guitar pop, they eke out a sweet spot between pop and indie, in a not too dissimilar in class to Blur at their very best. From ‘Lady Low’, a limpid, loungey and airy number sporting a full on devilish saxophone solo, to the sparse and paranoid fuelled ’23 Floors Up’, with light, gentle almost floating melodies, accompanied by minimalist synth tones, this sublime standard never falters. Nor with ‘Steam Train Girl’, ushered in by pulsating guitars before the rest of band gradually filters in, layering psychedelic-tinged synths over rhythmic drums or ‘Mainline’, where colourful synths dance with ragged guitar riffs to stunning effect. Amid the beautiful sweeping guitar-pop, psych textures and Teleman’s splendid crystalline pop sensibilities, Sanders vocals are strikingly fantastic as ever. As is his dazzling knack for descriptive lyrics that effortlessly conjure of vivid scenes. It may be still too early to tell but perhaps Breakfast will help shine a brighter light on Saunders’ talent and provide him with the credit his talent deserves – third time lucky and all that jazz.

Hyde & Beast – ‘Keep Moving’

For their second album together Hyde & Beast, drummers Dave Hyde and Neil Bassett (of Futureheads and Golden Virgins respectively) have strutted back into view with a set of rootsy late-’60s/early-’70s inspired jams. Heavy on a retro vibe, it bears comparison with stellar names from those eras – The Faces, T-Rex, Wings & The Kinks to name but a few. Given that the pair have apparently endured a pretty rough time of late, you’d be forgiven for expecting album number two to be a maudlin affair on the back of bereavement and breakups. Yes the lyrical content is overwhelmingly tinged with sadness but it is strangely uplifting. At times heart swelling, blissful and almost psychedelic, ‘Like I’m Grass’, ‘Forever Your Own’ & ‘BA BA BA’ and at others harsh, gritty and rumbling, ‘Keep Moving’ & ‘Blue’, with bouts of gentle, classic pop ‘Open Your Heart’, ‘Blown Away’ & ‘A Dark Mistake’. The confidence and ambition of both the arrangements and songs, mean that Keep Moving a overwhelmingly joyous listen as they borrow from all the aforementioned bits and pieces, blend them together to create a stunningly diverse collection which vastly surpasses it’s predecessor. It should also go some way to dispelling all those drummer jokes.

Gulp – ‘Season Sun’

One of the upsides to Super Furry Animals’ hiatus has been the impecable side-projects it has spawned; Gruff Rhys has been in sparkling form as has Cian Ciaran. Not to be out done, SFA bassist Guto Pryce having teamed up with Lindsay Leven for side-project Gulp, has delivered a bewitching debut in Season Sun. A wonderfully charming mix of interesting sounds and textures, the pair distil flashes of psychedelic sunshine, shimmering pastoral pop and breezy psych-folk. In doing so they create a rather unique sound that, while quite summery in essence, you couldn’t quite say it’s ‘happy’ such is unease in the fabric of the music. Leven’s sultry vocals take centre stage, floating over analogue synths, woozy guitars and fuzzed up bass guitars through the waltzing ‘Game of Love’ and ‘Grey Area’, and spaced-out dreamer ‘Hot Water’. And steering the LP away from a potential course toward the sickly sweet, are the hypnotic ‘Clean and Serene’ and the rumbling, rambling bassline, hypnotic rhythm and Django Django-eque stomp of ‘Vast Space’. Two inspired moments of sheer brilliance that like the rest of the LP will grow and seep into your senses, and leave you better for it.