And This... #1: Leonard Charles

AND THIS... 
#1
Leonard Charles

And This... is a new thang where I'm going to highlight a tune, or an artist, or a label, or something or rather, that has caught my ear during the week. The idea is to update weekly. We'll see how we go with that. The intention's good, anyway.

First up, Leonard Charles, a side project of the multi-limbed Jeremy Toy. Created as an outlet for music made while healing from a cowardly king-hit outside an Auckland bar where he'd just finished performing, Leonard Charles' trip is all loose-limbed, funky-ass, head-nodding goodness, which you absolutely need to wrap your head around. Below is his version of 'The Look Of Love', and it's a stone cold classic.

I've always taken a keen interest in Jeremy's music; be it on his own as Ota, with the Opensouls band and with She's So Rad, or his forays into production, dude is one talented guy. It sucks hard when anyone is involved in an unprovoked assault, but it always seems to sting more when it happens to a real good fella.

Check out Leonard Charles on soundcloud here, or bandcamp here. Also take the time to visit She's So Rad's bandcamp page and website; and From The Crate Records' soundcloud page.

Review: She's So Rad 'In Circles'

SHE'S SO RAD
In Circles
[Round Trip Mars]

Musical Chameleon. That sums up Jeremy Toy beautifully. The Opensouls' guitarist/songwriter has had his hands in many musical pies over the years - producing Hollie Smith's debut album, playing with local punks Sommerset and crafting wonky hip hop in his solo guise, Ota. For She's So Rad he has linked with Sami Sister Anji to add yet another style to his arsenal: shoegaze. Hazy indie rock informs much of their debut album In Circles, with beautifully bruised pop songs layered heavily with dreamy guitars, washed out vocals and dense, swirling atmospherics. Reference points include Ride, The Charlatans and Toro Y Moi, but mostly you'll hear a modern take on the Dunedin Sound, particularly the excellent Jean-Paul Sartre Experience. Guests include Julien Dyne, James Duncan and Nick Gaffaney, but In Circles mostly serves to illustrate that Jeremy Toy is fast growing into one of this country's true musical treasures. Very impressive indeed.

4 stars from 5