Playlist: shoegaze to blues

Spacecadetbloom – Playing Cards

Going back more than 30 years, My Bloody Valentine were on the bill at the first gig I ever attended (in the glamourous surroundings of Whitley Bay Ice Rink, no less). I’d mostly gone to hear the Mary Chain, but MBV’s wall of dense, swirling sound made a huge, positive impression. Blur, the odd man out on that Rollercoaster tour, also made a huge impression, but sadly not a positive one.

Decades later, I still like a bit of shoegaze. And I’m partial to more of the lighter stuff, bits from the Slowdive end of the spectrum. But there’s nothing quite like the noisy intensity of the old school.

Which is where Spacecadetbloom come in. This Sunderland four-piece pull no punches: gigs are tagged with a warning to bring ear plugs. Failure to comply promises a weekend of ringing ears as a lasting souvenir of Friday night’s fun. But play by the rules and you’ll survive the throbbing experience of a fast-rising band unfolding velveteen swirls of heavily-textured guitar beneath an ethereal vocal. These space cadets could shoot to the stars, or plummet, Icarus-like after sailing too close to the sun. Catch them now, in the ascendancy.

Spacecadetbloom have a hometown gig at Sunderland’s Ship Isis on Friday, Feb. 20. Tickets here. Don’t forget the ear plugs.

Staithe - Slow Dance on Quick Sand

The latest single from Staithe (previously known as Brick, and referenced in an earlier playlist or two) is the first new material since last year’s highly impressive album Flowers. That was a wistful, confessional affair, characterised by Bridie Jackson’s gentle yet striking voice and diverse strings from Nick Pierce. It’s worlds away from the soundproofed cupboard in which it was recorded.

Slow Dance on Quick Sand continues along that dreamy, folksy path. Perhaps the vocals are a touch more strident this time as the piece builds to a climax. Maybe the string arrangements have a bit more sophistication: there could almost be a hint of Shostakovich in some of the scoring.

But lyrically we’re in familiar territory: a quiet exploration of the ebb and flow of a relationship. Like much of this duo’s output, there is no false optimism, no easy happy end; instead a quiet, defiant hope fumbles its way through adversity. Not for the first time, there’s much to enjoy here.

The pair have packed schedules with other projects, but there are a couple of Staithe shows coming up in Stockton on March 29 (a Neil Young celebration at the Georgian Theatre) and Eaglescliffe on May 3 (supporting Faith Eliott).

Aynsley Lister - Home

The day job recently took me to visit the people behind Mickleton Live, a group of volunteers bringing gigs to a village hall in the depths of Teesdale. It’s the kind of quirky venue that restores faith in music’s capacity to survive the vagaries of late-stage capitalism by virtue of dedication and enthusiasm in the unlikeliest of corners.

This weekend I’m heading back to check out Aynsley Lister, a blues/rock guitarist and songwriter whose assembled a big reputation in his field. It says much for the oddities of the current music scene, and the way the algorithm tends to steer us towards ‘more of the same’ that I’d missed his work up to now. Apologies, Aynsley, I should have caught up faster.

Ahead of Saturday’s gig, it’s been a deep dive into Aynsley’s work – and there’s much to enjoy. After years of being put off the blues by my dad’s obsession with 1920s recordings from tin huts in the depths of the Mississippi delta, this manages to blend authenticity with a contemporary sound (and contemporary production values). Songs like Home, the title track from his multi-award winning 2013 album promise a cracking night out on Saturday.

Aynsley Lister plays Mickleton Live on Feb. 21. Tickets available here.

Thanks for reading another playlist. This year has already brought Back on the Beat, One Old Favourite, Two New and Changing Narratives. For an archive of the 2024 playlists, click here.