To begin, we visit the beautiful Emerald Isle to hear from John F. Phelan and Stephen Byrne who use the moniker, One Morning In August. Their excellent new single, Get It Right on Cork-based indie label, FIFA Records is a stellar production that should prompt you to check out their self-titled album which was released…wait for it…last August. We stay in Ireland to hear from A Cow In The Water with O Preacher from their long-player, Dark Country Jamboree. This band from County Cork was an integral part of the Cork live music scene in the late Eighties and early Nineties and were regulars at venues around the country. Then, the band’s frontman, Aidan O’Connell sadly passed away in 1996 effectively calling an end to almost 10 years of live performances.

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I’ve noticed recently, a plethora of new genres being affixed to the latest releases that have landed on my desk. They appear to be sub-genres of obscure genres. Confusing at best and only useful to serious train-spotters. You could get out of breath name-checking all the genre tags that appear alongside the music - i.e. slo-core; experimental pop; ambient techno; dub techno; experimental electronica; dark electro; shoegaze; minimal dub; math-rock; post-rock; math-core - and so on and so on. For this volume 231, I’ve curated a non-stop mix, defying the genres. If you feel the need, listen carefully and see if you can tag each cut with a genre.

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I’m Glad It’s Over Now is the title of fine.’s latest album. If any other band had come up with that title you’d expect a dour collection of songs, along with a miserable attitude. As it happens, fine. are certainly not miserable and their songs hardly dour. All the more surprising then, when you learn the stories behind, When I Came / Where You Left and I Sleep So Much Better Now are based on the reality of experiencing this mortal coil. The pathos behind these songs is not hidden away nor is it brandished like a signal for sympathy. Instead, Alice Kat and Liam James Marsh exude an honesty that is not only refreshing but also perfectly natural. The couple got together in 2015 and began making music alongside their individual projects. As fine. they have achieved that clever, but hard to accomplish mode of making music that sounds new and modern with knowing references, yet it’s distinctly their own creation. In our conversation and the cuts Alice and Liam selected you’ll hear why I’m so enamored with them and their music.

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Has over a year of living in a state of fear of COVID resulted in a glorious amount of superb new releases? It does seem in the last week or so I have been continually surprised and yes, impressed with the new music that has arrived on my desk.

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Martin Atkins’ list of credits and accolades are more than most of you have had hot dinners. After all, the drummer extraordinaire has played with Killing Joke, Ministry, PigFace, and many more including PiL - Public Image Limited. Martin pounded out astonishing rhythms alongside John Lydon and Keith Levene on an album that remains shrouded in controversy, Flowers Of Romance. Now on the 40th anniversary of the release of an album that was scornfully panned by the critics and remains to this day a raison d'être for musicologists to argue over. Mr. Atkins in his usual candid tone asked to set the record straight about the recording of Flowers Of Romance. He begins by noting that famed bassist, Jah Wobble had left PiL as the sessions were about to start. Martin then continues with surprising details, most never heard before. These are stunning revelations about an album that now has been rediscovered and newly appreciated. Martin Atkins always charms us with his anecdotes, his sincerity way out front. In setting the record straight, Atkins uncovers the suspicion that making records is not in any aspect glamorous. This is history, a true story, told by a man who shares his memories with poignant honesty.

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Wally Salem is a fan. His passion for the music he loves is unrelenting, he’ll talk non-stop, barely taking a breath as he catalogs details, facts, and anecdotes. His enthusiasm resulted in starting his own record label, The Beautiful Music, inspired he says “By the Beauty of Marina Records, the Pop Genius of Allan McGee’s Creation and Poptones labels, the eccentric Dan Treacy’s Whaam and Dreamworld label, the trailblazing Factory Records, the Pure Pop of Matt’s Sarah and Shinkansen labels, Joe Foster’s diverse musical heritage of Kaleidoscope Sound and Rev-Ola labels, Mike Scott’s the Big Music sound and Chicken Jazz label, Chris Seventeen’s love of music with the What a Wonderful Way To Turn Seventeen label and many other labels such as Tangerine, Swordfish, Summershine, Glass, Postcard, Swamplands, Wagging Dog, Little Teddy, Spin Art, Matinee and Detour to name just a few.”

Everyone has a few favorite love songs, don’t they? Yet, when it really comes to narrowing your choice down to just one song, it’s far more difficult. We choose love songs for different reasons, falling in love, being in love, and falling out of love. As time moves along favorites change, for our Valentine's Special my curated selection of love songs features old favorites, a couple of classics, and a few brand new releases. All of these cuts you will hear evoke for me the essence of love in its many delicious forms.

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The selection for this volume was prompted by Erika Bach AKA, Lola Demo. A couple of weeks back the Athens-based artist kindly sent us her latest recording, along with a cool video she made to accompany, I Can’t Live Like This. Her serious, reflective tone suggested we look for similar atmospheric new releases for LEM Vol 225

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They look like they just stepped out of a photoshoot for ID magazine circa 1979 or it could be 2025. Their potent music, like their striking image, is an alluring reverent homage to a past they could have invented, perfectly and seamlessly blended into a brilliant foretaste of the future. Hannah Merrick and Craig Whittle are King Hannah. Their moniker is clever, a deadpan kick in the shins of conformity and gender identity. Yet, Hannah nonchalantly says, “Oh, it’s a e I came up with ages ago, I thought it sounded good. So we used it”. That’s the thing about these two, everything is all matter-of-fact. There are no pretensions, no deliberate persona they are eager to get across. When they are told that Crème Brûlée is an incredibly sexy song, they both sound surprised. Craig, between a chuckle or two, says, “Just look at us!" We did and we like what we see. The authenticity of King Hannah is right up front, their music does not mess about. “We’re determined to get it right”, says Hannah They genuinely enjoy making music together “We know when to finish a song without even looking at each other," Hannah shares. There is so much going on in their debut EP, Tell Me You Mind And I’ll Tell You Mine, it’s almost impossible to grasp the depth of pure rock ’n’ roll spirituality that shines through on every track. There are so many ghosts channeling their voices through Hannah and Craig, they are harvesting the fruits to create vital music. Listen carefully to our conversation, then indulge in their music.

Charlie Nieland has been writing, playing, and producing music for decades, with a focus on the atmospheric and the imaginative. Nieland played power dream pop with the band Her Vanished Grace for over 20 years before establishing himself as a solo artist with a mix of nuanced songwriting and sonic exploration. He is currently half of the literature-inspired songwriting and performing duo Lusterlit with Susan Hwang. Over the years, Charlie has written and produced material with such notable artists as Debbie Harry, Rufus Wainwright, Dead Leaf Echo, Blondie, and Scissor Sisters

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