‘“TV screen says we’ll buy a Lincoln” screech PRIESTS on Radiation, the latest visceral jab from the Washington D.C. no-surf four-piece. A damning indictment of the increasingly ubiquitous corporate branding to which we’re exposed daily lyrically (the girls also take to lambasting the “screen in the back of the passenger seat” first pioneered by the ever grotesque Ford Galaxy), musically this one’s a gritty, guttural squirt of minimal, if still sweaty post-punk riff and thunderous drum. Though it’s the brainwash mantra they so vehemently snarl: “Now I’m worried about radiation… Now I’m worried about radiation… Now I’m radiation… Now I’m worried about radiation” which, repeated seething, becomes that bit more irate and in turn imposing with the slogan’s every reiteration. Never did I ever believe D.C. to have this much bile in its belly, and if you ever see the seemingly Radio-Aktivität-inspired artwork above scratched into any which Presidential limousine any time soon, you’ll know exactly who to nobble…’

While the vibrant autumnal shades of September may seem faraway and far removed from the snow-capped solemnity of the present day, at least January’s done and dusted. And to ameliorate everything further here’s September, the b-side to The Shins’ forthcoming single, Simple Song. James Mercer’s lyrical ambiguity spews out from churning tape in the vid below as vinyl crackles and the track ambles unassumingly to sumptuous major/ minor melancholia. 

Simple Song is to feature on The Shins’ greatly anticipated fourth record Port Of Morrow (released March 19th), an effort to which our beloved Janet Weiss contributes, along with Richard Swift of Modest Mouse and Yuuki Matthews of Crystal Skulls amongst others. The Shins (plus an assortment of the aforementioned affiliates) play two sold out shows at Kentish Town’s Forum next month.

“I would say this is one of the best records I’ve ever worked on, for sure. It really accomplished what I felt it should and that’s very rare, that you have an idea as to how an album should be and you actually follow through and obtain that.”

Dots & Dashes interview Janet Weiss of Wild Flag ahead of their debut UK show at The Lexington…

Wild Flag return to headline Camden’s Electric Ballroom February 1st…

Dots & Dashes’ diary now features New Year London listings through March. So if you’re at a loose end any late afternoon/ early evening/ late evening/ early morning between now and April we may have a link or two to thrust you in the right sort of direction… 

January listings feature hotly-tipped synth stallion NZCA/Lines, the spectacularly mournful A Winged Victory For The Sullen, our new faves Novella and Bonnie Prince Billy, The Dø, and Explosions In The Sky three nights on the bounce.

February listings feature sci-fi funk in the form of Azari & III, pop’s greatest, gleaming secret, Florrie, exorbitantly hyped Brooklyn bods Friends, boy Blockhead Baxter Dury and a slew of NME-endorsed shows across the capital.

March listings feature the delayed return of Jeff Mangum to the UK as he plays two intimate shows at Union Chapel on top of curating the latest Butlins-based edition of the rightly fabled All Tomorrow’s Parties, Sharon Van Etten plays Cargo, Team Me take to The Lexington and melodrama stalwarts Rufus Wainwright, Spiritualized, Andrew Bird and Feist play shows all over the shop from the Barbican to Belgravia.