The New Cue #428 October 18: Porridge Radio, Geordie Greep, Cunningham Bird, Panda Bear, Joan Shelley, Tamino, Really Good Time, Heartworms

"I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to be anyone else."

Hello Sexy,

Yes, I’m talking to you, Sexy. You’re known to us as ‘Sexy’ because you’re a £5 subscriber to The New Cue and that is very erotically powerful.

As a paying subscriber to The New Cue, you know that you’re entitled to three editions of what is renowned globally as the ‘world’s greatest music newsletter’ - which is two more editions than the free sign-ups get every week. You can read today’s edition below the paywall, for example, and they can’t.

Only subscribers can vote in our inaugural Album of the Year award, too. Voting closes this Monday, October 21. All you have to do is email us with your three favourite albums released by a British artist on an independent label at this address. One lucky voter will win a pair of tickets to our awards event in December which we hope to announce next Friday.

If anyone would like to sponsor the award so we can buy an engraved trophy and further our demonic media plans, please do drop us a line. I believe we could make beautiful commercial love with the right partner, but we’re not desperate.

In today’s edition we have Porridge Radio’s Dana Margolin and Geordie Greep unscrewing their Release Valves, we have Andrew Bird and Madison Cunningham revealing why they’ve covered Buckingham Nicks in its entirety, and loads of music. Here, suck on this playlist to get in the mood:

And here it is if you are Apple Music inclined.

Have a lovely weekend and we’ll see you on Monday for Niall’s capture of Interpol’s Paul Banks’ Life & Times.

Ted and Niall  

---

Release Valve: Porridge Radio’s Dana Margolin

Porridge Radio make their latest delivery of raw, rattling indie-rock today as the quartet release a fourth album, Clouds In The Sky They Will Always Be There For Me.

But before that, the group’s leader Dana Margolin took time out of a hectic pre-release schedule to answer and dissect our Release Valve queries and also take this selfie of her enjoying a nice slice of pizza on the streets of Bologna…

The first record I loved was: When I was a child I was obsessed with those compilation CDs called things like ‘Best Love Songs of the 50s’. I also had a great love for The Carpenters and the soundtrack from Grease. 

The last record I loved was… the new Mermaid Chunky album, Slif Slaf Slof.

The musician I grew up most wanting to be is: I never knew I wanted to be a musician when I was growing up. I didn’t think it was an option. And I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to be anyone else. 

My fantasy band would feature: Maybe around 30 of my friends but they wouldn't all be there at once, just whoever is about on the day of the rehearsal, and it would change every time depending on the mood in the room. We’d probably just improvise on a theme. They’d all be playing the instruments they wish they played instead of the ones they do play. 

The greatest gig I ever saw was: It’s so weird to choose a favourite. PJ Harvey could be. Or Lorde. I love it all. 

The greatest gig I ever played was: Our show in Paris at the Pompidou this year felt like the best thing we’ve ever done. 

Porridge Radio's video for Sick Of The Blues, recorded live at the Pompidou show Dana mentions above:

My favourite group when I was 13 was: It was and still is Radiohead.

The story of my new album goes like this: The whole thing is a descent following a descent. Spirals of descent leading to some kind of self-knowledge, and I don’t make it to some kind of grand understanding by the end. I’m barely scratching the surface. You have to go down before you can go up, and it’s a long way down and a long way up, and sometimes you’re doing both simultaneously.