JJULIUS –  JJULIUS – VOL. 1 (Mammas Mysteriska Jukebox)

Here is more Gothenburg magic that I missed out on. The vinyl is of course gone, but you can easily stream it. This is one half of Monokultur gone solo. It’s definitely in the realm of late ‘70s/early ‘80s industrial and what was much later called “Minimal Synth” but colliding with a loner folk feeling.  San Francisco’s underrated FACTRIX springs to mind immediately. They also made UK-inspired noise with a subtle undercurrent of Skip Spence Oar-ism. Nothing gauzy here, very sparsely performed but it feels lush anyway with memorable little guitar and bass riffs, samples and rhythm box sounds. JJULIUS floats his gently weird spoken vocals over it, somehow it all just works and sounds subtle and fresh. This label’s output has been perfect so far, excellent graphics and sounds. Record collectors will be weeping over this stuff for years to come.

Rosali – No Medium (Spinster)

Philly musician Rosali Middleman has made a few great records already, but this one hit me like a sleeper wave. This has some of the bold power of ‘70s UK folk like Sandy Denny and Richard and Linda Thompson. Sometimes in the hands of USA artists, this style can sound like overwrought imitation, but Rosali sounds like herself with moving vocals front and center in the mix. She wisely recruited members of the David Nance Group to be her backing band. Nance and his crew are heartland rockers who can do Crazy Horse and “Americana” in a way that doesn’t make me cringe. The combination here is intoxicating, Rosali’s voice and guitar with the band’s occasionally wild explorations. It also made me think of COME’s 1992 classic Eleven: Eleven. An easy immediate vinyl purchase…!

The Lucksmiths – A Good Kind of Nervous (The Lost and Lonesome Recordings Co. / Matinee Recordings)

This is a 2020 reissue of a 1997 CD, but I didn’t see it mentioned anywhere, and I am loving it. Melbourne’s The Lucksmiths played folk-pop with influences from ’80s UK, The Smiths of course (it’s in the name, duh) but especially The Housemartins. I’m guessing they were also well-aware of all the Glasgow classics and local Australian stuff too. They kind of ruled the late ‘90s indie scene, and I saw them play in SF way back when. They were a ripping live act, very handsome and confident but not in an obnoxious way. This is maybe their best record, though they made a ton of good ones. The songs are wistful and charming, perfectly crafted indie classics performed with punk-ish energy, pure almost choir-boy vocals and shuffling stand-up drumming.