STACK 132 October Issue

88 / 120

Four mixtapes, five EPs, and now one
rather intriguing album: Little Simz is
slaying it. The English rapper, singer and
actress has just released A Curious Tale
Of Trials + Persons, which showcases
her distinctive flow and sometimes coyly
mysterious, sometimes openly boisterous
and provocative lyrics. More than a few hip
hop icons have pointed her out (Kendrick
Lamar: "She might be one of the illest doing
it right now"), and we're in agreement.
happen really quick." Lost My Head puts the
piano with a gorgeous vibraphone break-down
and softly hooting vocals. “The chords are just
simple formations, and I’ve only been using my
left hand. It’s so I could hold the mic, with a left-
handed swagger,” Vile smiles.
There’s a lot of footage of Vile and the crew
during and after Joshua Tree, recorded by Vile’s
brother Paul – “’cause he just likes to show
up to be where the action is” – as well as
afterwards at Josh Homme’s Pink Duck studio
in Burbank. “One day we’ll put out some kind
of arty documentary with cool music. But also
more professional movies… that’s obviously the
more romantic notion, which I want to do too.
I don’t know. I just think, certain songs belong
in the end credits of the biggest movie in the
world. Every movie that comes out should have
my…” he trails off, cracking up, wondering aloud
how you even get your songs into films. “Maybe
there’s some kind of underground mafia,” he
suggests. “Like, The Kid Stays In The Picture
kind of thing. Kurt’s Songs Stay In The Credits.”
visit NEWS MUSIC
088 OCTOBER 2015
Apparently Kurt Vile was reading Cormack
McCarthy’s bleak, dust-mussed Western
novel Blood Meridian during the recording of
B’lieve I’m Goin Down. It fits with the scene of
the recording location – Joshua Tree National
Park, in California – but there’s a warm, crooked
smile throughout Vile’s tracks too. “[Joshua Tree]
is the place that Gram Parsons found so holy, and
all those ‘70s types go there and make music,
and trip balls, or something,” Vile chuckles. “It’s
just so chilled there, nothing stifling your brain,
or, I don’t know, your third eye or something.”
Vile says that although his last album Wakin’
On A Pretty Daze was also autobiographical, he
feels that B’lieve I’m Goin Down is suffused with
an even more honest range of emotions. “I think
maybe with this one, I’m affected by all emotions
at once in real life, in my surroundings,” he says
contemplatively. “There’s a lot of things to be
stoked about, and there’s all kinds of things that
make me sad all the time. I don’t even want to
say certain things out loud, because involving
having kids… it’s such an intense love that
it’s scary because the world is f-cked up. But
ultimately, it always ends on a positive or a funny
note. I was definitely pretty up and down making
this record.”
Vile leans more heavily on the piano on this
release, shown through the wonderful single
Life Like This, which shuffles with sweet, calm
bombast: “Wanna live, wanna live, live a life like
mine?/ Well I’ve been doing it baby all the time/
To do so you gotta roll with the punches/ Jump
from the sweetest to the toughest of tough love,”
he sings. “Obviously I’m not an amazing piano
player but I feel it, I’m totally into it,” he tells us.
“Life Like This was really just a piano idea. Then
all of a sudden I heard all of these lyrics in my
head, then I had an idea for the guitar riff. Those
are the best kind of songs really, the ones that
kurt vile
talks life like this
big noise for little simz
rise of rhodes
To most of us, Reykjavik
is where Björk was
born and that's about
it. To hugely acclaimed
songwriter John Grant,
it's the place that saved
him from an alcohol and
drug-fuelled mental pit,
and is now his new home
(he's originally from
Denver). But don't be
fooled – Grant's new solo
album reveals a seriously sharp wit
and absolutely no fear in making
fun of himself, amongst some of
the most compelling songwriting
we've heard this year. Grey Tickles,
Black Pressure is out now through
Liberator.
JOHN GRANT tickles our fancy
continued
He's one of the driest, most
charming cards in Australian
music – and that style is definitely
reflected in Dan Kelly's new album
Leisure Panic!. Recorded in various
foxholes across Australia and in
London, the gem features a backing
band that comprises musicians who
have variously played with Augie
March, Ground Components, CW
Stoneking and Magic Mountain
Band; they manage to match Kelly's
affectionate and amusing lyrics with
aplomb.
DAN KELLY at leisure
B'lieve I'm Goin Down
by Kurt Vile is out now through
Remote Control.
A Curious Tale Of Trials + Persons
is out now through Inertia.
Kelly and his crew are touring
throughout this month; go to
to check dates.
Fragility and power are the two sides
to the sword wielded by Rhodes; the
young vocalist and songwriter has so
far supported Ben Howard, Sam Smith
and London Grammar amongst others,
and the songs he played during those
appearances – Turning Back Around,
Breathe and Raise Your Love – are
amongst the gorgeous offerings on
debut album Wishes. If you’ve yet to
hear this Brit’s astonishing voice, we
highly recommend you begin with the
duet single Let It All Go (with precocious
teen vocalist Birdy) and then pick up the
man’s album out now on Sony.