The Radio Field is now transmitting at full strength

By Henry Lipput

Back in late 2020 during the second pandemic lockdown in Germany, Lars Schmidt of the band Subertuge began a home recording project that would become The Radio Field. With a little help from his friend Josephine De Mogan on backing vocals and his son Gustav – before his voice changed – adding some high notes, Schmidt had 2022’s The Simple EP (Subjangle). In my review I called the EP a mix of half joyful jangle and half melancholy melodies.

The response for the EP was extremely positive and several of Schmidt’s friends asked if they could become members of a Radio Field band. The result is an all-star lineup that in addition to Schmidt includes Mark Specht (drums and a founding member of Subterfuge), Christoph Scheider (bass and a former member of Klee, Clayton Farlow, Soap, and Soccer), and Philipp Breuer (lead guitar and Pale fame).

The Radio Field’s new single, “The Version feat. Robert Stadlober” (Bandcamp) has actor Stadlober on backing vocals as well as Max von Einem on trombone and trumpet. It’s a horn-driven burst of summer sunshine with the new band sounding as if they’ve been playing together for years.

The Radio Field’s first full-length album Don’ts and Dos will be released on August 25^th on Subjangle/Less Records.

Here's the video for "The Version":

Not the kind of bucket list you were hoping for

By Henry Lipput

The angry, rocking new song and video from Tamar Berk, “drop in the bucket,” is the first single from Berk’s upcoming album tiny injuries. The single is available to buy and download right now on Bandcamp where you can also pre-order the album before it comes out on August 18^th.

“I know what you said to me/I know what you meant,” she sings, “Why am I always feeling like I’m failing someone?” The song reflects the frustration in a relationship that stems from the hurt feelings that build up over time: “It’s just a drop in the bucket, everyday.”

Here's the video:

This is what all of the hoopla is about

 By Henry Lipput

HOOPLA, the new album by SUPER 8 (The Beautiful Music/Bandcamp), is a cornucopia of musical delights. Written and performed by the super-talented one-man band Paul Ryan, also known as Trip, he’s been releasing high-quality tuneage since 2018 (including the amazing hat trick of three albums of all new material that year).

The new album not only continues his streak of presenting technicolor melodies (the title of his first 2018 album) but the time he’s spent since then, tinkering in his shed, has given his songs more textures, sounds, and arrangements. You can hear this all over the new album. The song “Our Town” starts in skiffle mode but when it begins to rock about halfway through you’d be mistaken if you thought there was full band hitting its stride in his backyard hideaway.

You can also hear it on “Jennifer Anne,” one of my favorite songs on the album. I’m not sure if I’m correct in calling this recording a suite but in a little over three minutes it has at least three different melodies, arrangements, and lyrics looking at the woman in the song in three different ways (and that’s not including a bridge).

The Fabs influence makes a few appearances on HOOPLA. Trip channels his inner George Martin on the opening track “For My Friends,” a salute to the folks who have supported his work over the years. “All My Worries” has a very solo Lennon vibe and there’s a lovely “Dear Prudence”-like acoustic guitar lick in there as well. Trip then plays a bouncy Macca sounding piano for “Out of My Head.”

I realize I’m not the first one to bring up the way The Beatles have made their mark on the music of SUPER 8 but I also want to point out they’re not the only band or solo artist that have become part of his musical grab bag. Over the last five years he’s recorded covers by, among others, BMX Bandits, Neil Diamond, The Replacements, The Beach Boys, Shack, and My Bloody Valentine.

And although he hasn’t covered a song from the XTC catalog, on HOOPLA he has built on a fragment of a song by Andy Partridge. In completing the track he’s created a Dukes of Stratosphere-worthy slice of psychedelic pop.