Ex-Ash guitarist and recent Bat For Lashes touring guitarist Charlotte Hatherley recorded her third solo album (and Minty Fresh US debut) New Worlds in a week in London without demos or overdubs. Fittingly, standout “Full Circle” looks emphatically at stripping away the extraneous. After speaking with Charlotte, we also learned it has something to do with Kandinsky’s color theory. As she put it: “I loved his quest for finding the truth hidden in nature, and his experiments with our instinctive and emotional response to shapes and colors.” Read the rest of her thoughts and try to remember what you learned in Art History while you take a listen.

In this week’s ‘Gum Drop we also offered the chance to win the last available copy of Tegan & Sara’s ON/IN/AT deluxe edition.

Read More...

Ex-Ash guitarist and recent Bat For Lashes touring guitarist Charlotte Hatherley recorded her third solo album (and Minty Fresh US debut) New Worlds in a week in London without demos or overdubs. Fittingly, standout “Full Circle” looks emphatically at stripping away the extraneous.

“Full Circle” is a call to arms. What inspired it?
For this record I was mostly inspired by art and painters, particularly Kandinsky’s color theory. I loved his quest for finding the truth hidden in nature, and his experiments with our instinctive and emotional response to shapes and colors. Those reactions are the most truthful, and finding the truth underneath all our layers is what I’m most interested in. I wanted to create a vibrant, bright and optimistic record. It’s about taking action against the throwaway and bland X factor muzak you hear so much at the moment and daring to create long lasting, durable things of beauty.

How does the concept of something coming full circle fit into it? A triangle’s brought up, but not as an ends.
It’s more about shapes and pure blocks of color creating a visceral and emotional response. It could have been a triangle or a square, but I liked the sound of a full circle more!

If it wasn’t for last night’s Dark Was The Night live show, I’d probably continue working Natasha Khan’s stunner at Bowery into every conversation I have this week. Or her similarly gripping show at Music Hall Of Williamsburg Saturday night, where she moved herself (and some nearby) to tears on “Good Love.” It takes just a few spins of Two Suns to hear how perfectly the mysticism of Fur & Gold has folded into her new fixation on ’80s synth pop, but spinning a record doesn’t prepare you for the outfits and the charisma, or the unerring vocals, or the power of her new band (Ash’s Charlotte Hatherley, New Young Pony Club’s Sarah Jones, and Ben Christophers). The day after Bowery she visited the Ed Sullivan Theater for her US prime-time television debut. (She’s done plenty of telly in the UK, Two Suns tunes in fact). The song of choice for Dave was “Daniel.” Of course. Paul and Dave enjoyed. Also of course.

Read More...

Natasha Khan has what might be the song of the year, a spellbinding new album, a performance on Letterman tonight, and the Thom Yorke stamp of approval. It’s an impressive fact sheet, and it got tossed early into the haunting Two Suns standout “Glass” last night. What happened in Bowery Ballroom was a slate-wiping de novo revue, bringing the sort of magic that creates hopeless devotion. Although when people come to your show with glitter, headdresses, and marriage proposals, you’re probably doing just fine.

Read More...

Natasha Khan’s presented up her song of the year contender in various states of dress, from Karate Kid and La Russoed to stripped and lo-fi. Each has been a good look for “Daniel,” although this straight-no-chaser take with her backing band The Blue Dreams is a reminder that this one would stand on its own independent of savvy alternate arrangements or nostalgia kitsch; great song, great voice, great performance. Natasha also performed “Sleep Alone” and demonstrated her Marxophone technique. She’s coming to NYC soon and we are psyched — I’ve laid out her tour dates because you’ll probably want them after watching this.

Read More...

No longer Ash’s fourth member, Brit siren Charlotte Hatherley goes it alone with her own label (Little Sister Records) and her forthcoming sophomore solo LP The Deep Blue, out in March (and featuring a collab with Andy Partridge!). The staccato-guitar stomp of “Behave” (from last month’s digital EP) gets the futuristic, red/purple/orange-crush comic book treatment in this clip — but the director wins points for using live shots of Charlotte singing. ‘Cause she’s purty. (Thanks, Theo!)