The New Cue #617 August 14: Rowena Wise, James Ellis Ford, 7ebra, Django Django, Everything Is Recorded, Gurriers, Sadurn, Garefowl

Good morning,

We’re a man down this week as Ted brought a little dose of Covid back from holiday with him. Thoughts and prayers, TK.

No Covid for me, although I did come back from holiday with a cold sore which is an absolutely fantastic look, 45 years of that thrilling tingle and it still hasn’t got old, always so exciting to see how it might misshape my face. Highly recommend!!!

Just my Recommender today, then. I hope you like it. I’m quite needy so if you don’t, just pretend. On my needy note, I need to know why there’s some amongst you who aren’t paying subscribers, it’s actually hurting my feelings. Why do you want to make me feel sad? You can fix it by clicking here, it only costs £5 to upgrade and as well as making me feel better about myself, you’ll be treated with a full access all areas pass to every edition of TNC as well as our 600+ archive. Just call me the emotionally blackmailing salesman of the year:

Here’s this week’s playlist:

And here it for all you Apple Music granny smiths.

See you on Monday for a Life & Times with Afghan Whigs ringleader Greg Dulli. Enjoy the edition,

Ted and Niall

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Over the first few listens of the excellent new record from James Ellis Ford, it’s hard not to have the specifics of its creation ringing round your mind. Lost In Another World was recorded on a hospital ward over two weeks in early 2025 whilst the songwriter, musician and producer was undergoing chemo treatment for leukaemia. But then you’re gently swept away by the warm spaciness of these songs, a wonderful collection of gauzy electronic-pop and dreamy melodies. Given what Ford was going through at the time, it’s amazing just how light and easy the whole thing feels. Really special album.

Great new EP out today too from Everything Is Recorded, the collaborative bacchanal overseen by XL supremo Richard Russell. Admittedly I need to spend some more time with the other three tracks, a collection of songs taking in lo-fi hip hop and trippy atmospherics from a cast including Samantha Morton, Peter Gabriel, IDK and more, because I keep going back to the barnstorming opener Cut Off Your Nose. Over a frenetic breakbeat, it has Jah Wobble delivering an pugilistic, aggro vocal and some rollercoaster wordplay. Song of the week: