We Heard Wonders - music review podcast from Scotland - podcast cover

We Heard Wonders - music review podcast from Scotland

Iain McKinstry and Andrew Hallwww.buzzsprout.com
Two Scottish music fans, Iain McKinstry and Andrew Hall, review tracks, albums and artists old, new and some with a personal twist.
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Episodes

New Music - Jimetta Rose & The Voices of Creation! Florist! Moura! Amanda Shires! Rich Ruth!

Send us a text This week’s @weheardwonders starts off with a strong botanical theme (Jimetta ROSE joining forces with multigenerational gospel choir The Voices Of Creation; FLORIST inviting the listener to eavesdrop on their folk-rock porch sessions), then veers wildly off-piste (Spanish psych-proggers Moura; fiddle-player and Highwaywoman Amanda Shires; ambient-country cowboy Rich Ruth), before getting back on track with a gem of a Vinyl Word that’s both plant AND flower-related. Listen to We H...

Aug 11, 20221 hr 16 minSeason 2Ep. 31

New Music - U.S. Girls! Big Joanie! Chat Pile! Twain! The Utopia Strong!

Send us a text Iain and Andrew offer some thoughts on the runners and riders in contention for this year’s Mercury Prize, before getting down to reviewing some fresh tuneage. Does U.S. Girls’ pivot towards the eighties make for a welcome return? Does Big Joanie’s brand of “black feminist punk” raise a pulse and a smile? Does the murky noise-rock of Chat Pile captivate, as well as challenge and confront? Does Matthew Davidson’s output as Twain stand up to his work with alternative-folksters The L...

Aug 03, 20221 hr 21 minSeason 2Ep. 30

New Music - Romero! Hooveriii! Steve Lacy! The Heavy Heavy! Ty Segall!

Send us a text A loosey-goosey episode of @weheardwonders fuelled by fun-filled tunes, baby brain and tins of @stfermentations. We dissect sunny, scuzzy power-pop courtesy of Romero; space-rockers-go-pop Hooveriii; sound-of-the-summer-summoner Steve Lacy; children-of-Woodstock The Heavy Heavy; something gently acoustic from Ty Segall, a man who releases great records with the regularity that many of us do a Big Shop. A British psychedelic classic has The Vinyl Word. Note: our Mercury Prize predi...

Jul 27, 20221 hr 22 minSeason 2Ep. 29

New Music - Poster Paints! Young Fathers! Isaac Birituro & The Rail Abandon! Danger Mouse & Black Thought! John Moods!

Send us a text Hot town, summer in the city! In this most sweltering of weeks, think of @weheardwonders as an appealingly air-conditioned sanctuary where ice-cool blasts of musical awesomeness are paired with long drinks of diverting chat. For our money, this is one of our strongest new music line-ups of the year: fab new Scottish indie-pop project Poster Paints; returning genre-unto-themselves Young Fathers; Ghana-meets-Leeds “Afrolktronica” act Isaac Birituro & The Rail Abandon; hip-hop do...

Jul 20, 20221 hr 7 minSeason 2Ep. 28

Our interview with The Wife Guys Of Reddit! Plus Killer Mike! Automatic! BKO!

Send us a text Join us on @weheardwonders for a chat with exuberant “purveyors of soupy rock” The Wife Guys Of Reddit. We discuss The Wife Guys’ short, sharp and entertainingly absurdist new EP, as well as our favourite Will Ferrell performances, the joy of jamming, and the lack of diversity on festival bills. They also select tracks by turns trippy, mellifluous and grungey. Andrew and Iain then review new music from hip-hop activist Killer Mike, dance-funk humanoids Automatic, and Malian afro-r...

Jul 13, 20221 hr 22 minSeason 2Ep. 27

New Music - Sampa The Great! Dungen! Preoccupations! Valerie June! Tumi Mogorosi!

Send us a text Bless our cotton socks, we’re in the news! Or in The List, at least. On this week’s @weheardwonders, your loyal hosts provide further evidence of their three-star-worthy “easy rapport”, with Iain reporting back from his pop-tastic weekend in the Big Smoke. Then it’s down to the main business at hand: playing and reviewing five exciting new tracks from Zambian superstar-in-waiting Sampa The Great, neo-psych magicians Dungen, post-punk gloomsters Preoccupations, “organic moonshine r...

Jul 07, 20221 hr 19 minSeason 2Ep. 26

New Music - Julia Jacklin! Minami Deutsch! Gorillaz feat. Thundercat! JPW! Alison Cotton!

Send us a text On this week’s @weheardwonders, GORILLAZ join forces with THE THUNDERCATS in the greatest cartoon crossover team-up OF ALL TIME!!! Er, sorry, our mistake - it’s actually Gorillaz featuring elastic-bass-supremo Thundercat...still pretty cool though, right! Elsewhere, singer-songwriter Julia Jacklin returns with something strident; Iain Googles Japanese kosmische-rockers Minami Deutsch with baffling results; Aquarium Drunkard contributor Jason P. Woodbury turns creator of wonderful ...

Jun 29, 20221 hr 19 minSeason 2Ep. 25

New Music - Auntie Flo & Sarathy Korwar! Beyonce! Wax Machine! MUNA! Naima Bock!

Send us a text Where else but @weheardwonders will you find Queen Bey mingling with yer Auntie Flo and a former Goat Girl? Yep - praise Bey! - Beyoncé is back with the first taster from her eagerly-anticipated follow-up to Lemonade. But is it any good? We also share our thoughts on Auntie Flo & Sarathy Korwar’s minimal electronica-Indian classical synthesis, Wax Machine’s psychedelic paean to Springtime, Naima Bock’s green-fingered progressive folk, and a “sexy, happy song” from MUNA. A fres...

Jun 22, 20221 hr 24 minSeason 2Ep. 24

New Music - Ruby Goon! Yaya Bey! Adrian Quesada! Nikki Lane! Heal & Harrow!

Send us a text Ep 40(!) of @weheardwonders and we’re in a reflective mood - we each recommend an episode from the archive to explore/revisit before getting on with the new music business at hand. Tracks played and dissected come from exciting new Phantasy signings Ruby Goon, NY multidisciplinary mischief Yaya Bey, Latin-music-steeped Black Pumas guitarist/producer Adrian Quesada, strutting “Highway Queen” Nikki Lane, and Scottish folk artists (word chosen advisedly) Heal & Harrow. A wonderfu...

Jun 15, 20221 hr 26 minSeason 2Ep. 23

Our interview with Susan Bear! Plus Yeah Yeah Yeahs! Orgone! Johnny Ray Daniels!

Send us a text Songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Susan Bear joins us on @weheardwonders on the eve of the release of their splendid, strikingly personal new record Alter. We chat programmed drums, house prices and the ultimate running song, and Susan maps out the many steps that have lead to the album’s completion. Andrew and Iain then review new music from returning NYC art-punk-royalty Yeah Yeah Yeahs, hard-rocking-hard-funking collective Orgone and sacred-soul stirrer Johnny Ray ...

Jun 08, 20221 hr 23 minSeason 2Ep. 22

New Music - Gold Panda! Rachel Chinouriri! Helge Iberg! RJ McKendree! Yama Warashi! AND A SPECIAL VINYL WORD BEATLES EDITION!

Send us a text Andrew and Iain look back at their younger student selves with a mixture of fondness and shame, before bringing things bang up to date with another @weheardwonders new music podcast. Tunes played and dissected come courtesy of returning glitchy-geezer Gold Panda, on-the-rise pop stylist Rachel Chinouriri, fab classical pianist Helge Iberg, mysterious Californian psych-folk shaman RJ McKendree and Japanese art-pop surrealists Yama Warashi. Both of your hosts then have their say in ...

Jun 01, 20221 hr 32 minSeason 2Ep. 21

New Music - Diana Ross & Tame Impala! Daniel Avery! Alex Izenberg! Rina Sawayama! Daniel Villarreal!

Send us a text You can always rely on your pals at @weheardwonders to turn up the sunshine! This week, Andrew has been reunited with some prized possessions, while Iain has been observing - and judging - his mates’ listening habits. New Music-wise, we unpack an unlikely (but welcome) coming-together of disco diva Diana Ross, neo-psych mastermind Tame Impala and multiple tiny yellow henchmen; aided by a pair of electric friends, Daniel Avery descends into darkness; Alex Izenberg’s chamber-pop bri...

May 25, 20221 hr 22 minSeason 2Ep. 20

New Music - Ecstatic Vision! Kendrick Lamar! Madalitso Band! Maria Chiara Argirò! Astrel K!

Send us a text Once again, we cast our musical net far and wide on @weheardwonders. Philadelphian “troglodyte rockers” Ecstatic Vision kick things off in bracing fashion, before we attempt to unpick the multiple layers of Kendrick Lamar’s long-awaited new material. Musician, composer and producer Maria Chiara Argirò takes us somewhere nice and dreamy, Astrel K’s space-age art-pop is very much in Andrew’s wheelhouse, and joyous Malawian duo Madalitso Band may well be Iain’s favourite new discover...

May 18, 20221 hr 31 minSeason 2Ep. 19

Our interview with Isik Kural! Plus Kikagaku Moyo! Sharon Van Etten! Daniel Caesar feat. BADBADNOTGOOD!

Send us a text We’re back and raring to go with a very seasonal edition of @weheardwonders. The man behind Andrew’s soundtrack to Spring ‘22, Isik Kural invites us into a polyrhythmic dreamworld through his lovely selections, while a recently reissued record - as bright and breezy as a May day - has the Vinyl Word. We also play and review new music from Tokyo’s psychedelic tricksters Kikagaku Moyo, expert-emoter Sharon Van Etten and BADBADNOTGOOD-backed gospel-soul sensation Daniel Caesar. Liste...

May 10, 20221 hr 41 minSeason 2Ep. 18

New Music - Large Plants! Good Looks! Ben Marc & Judi Jackson! Held by Trees! The Lazy Eyes!

Send us a text On this week’s @weheardwonders, we grab our figurative spades and root around in the Indie Landfill of the mid-noughties, before engaging in some lively debate regarding five newly-minted tunes. Andrew’s plucked something from one of his stand-out albums of the year so far, while another track finds Iain once again dropping the “G” bomb! The contenders include the heavy-folk-rock of one-organism-band Large Plants, blue-collar barroom-rockers Good Looks, glass-ceiling-shattering mu...

Apr 27, 20221 hr 36 minSeason 2Ep. 17

New Music - Jamie xx! Sun's Signature! Akusmi! Phoebe Bridgers! SAULT!

Send us a text We’re in “classic” New Music Podcast mode on this week’s @weheardwonders. Andrew fills Iain in on the two big live gigs he caught over the Easter weekend, and then it’s time for your faithful hosts to examine five newly-mined musical nuggets. Jamie xx does it again (“it” being a dancefloor-ready banger); new Liz Fraser-fronted project Sun’s Signature takes us somewhere pastoral and pretty; French-born composer Akusmi leaves us searching for the words to describe his jazzy avant-po...

Apr 20, 20221 hr 29 minSeason 2Ep. 16

Our interview with Jill Lorean! Plus Pusha T! Jack White! Chronixx!

Send us a text The very excellent Jill Lorean (@jilllorean) joins us on @weheardwonders this week to discuss her dynamic, painterly debut LP ‘This Rock’. Jill tells us about the origins of the project, her fabulously “wild” grandmother, and the “cool little dudes” she considers to be “the underdogs of the bird world”. She gives a fascinating account of how she went out of her way not to meet one of her heroes, and picks some fantastic tunes into the bargain. Iain and Andrew then give their thoug...

Apr 13, 20221 hr 52 minSeason 2Ep. 15

Our interview with Fergus McCreadie! Plus Angel Olsen! Terakaft! Holland Andrews!

Send us a text Supremely-talented jazz-folk pianist Fergus McCreadie is our guest on the latest @weheardwonders! We chat with Fergus about his stunning new LP Forest Floor, how he’s inspired by The Great Outdoors, why it’s important to know your jazz history, and what he considers to be the finest Big Thief-related project. He also talks us through some of his favourite tunes. Iain and Andrew then review new releases from Big Time chanteuse Angel Olsen, Malian desert rockers Terakaft and avant-e...

Apr 06, 20221 hr 50 minSeason 2Ep. 14

New Music - Sudan Archives! Say She She! Aldous Harding! Arun Sood! Joel Ross!

Send us a text On this week’s @weheardwonders, we engage in a spot of light hate-listening (“one of the worst songs that I can remember by a major recording artist”), before swiftly pivoting to The Good Stuff. The super-talented Sudan Archives sets up home in our heart, discodelic-soul trio Say She She leave Andrew a little hot under the collar, and Joel Ross encourages us to join him on a spiritual jazz journey. We also discuss the many voices of indie darling Aldous Harding and the fascinating...

Mar 29, 20221 hr 23 minSeason 2Ep. 13

Our interview with Duncan Marquiss! Plus Monophonics! Arcade Fire! WEMA!

Send us a text Musician, artist, gent and guitarist in excellent Glasgow outfit The Phantom Band Duncan Marquiss joins us on @weheardwonders this week. In an illuminating conversation, Duncan talks us through the making of his splendid solo record Wires Turned Sideways In Time, as well as some of his musical inspirations and touchstones. We also dissect three new tracks from hurdy-gurdy-wielding alt-rock juggernaut Arcade Fire - is their long-anticipated return a welcome one? - “the world’s prem...

Mar 23, 20221 hr 59 minSeason 2Ep. 12

Our interview with Pictish Trail! Plus Dave! Charlotte Adigery & Bolis Pupul! Soul Revivers & Ken Boothe!

Send us a text GOO GOO G’JOOB! @weheardwonders are extremely excited to welcome our first guest onto the podcast: psychedelic Eigg-man Pictish Trail AKA Johnny Lynch! We chat to Johnny about his exuberant new LP Island Family, getting back on the road, his true feelings regarding “belonging” and the natural world, pod-favourites Mercury Rev, and why Ringo Starr is the greatest. Iain and Andrew then play and discuss something funkily post-modern from Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul, something s...

Mar 16, 20221 hr 44 minSeason 2Ep. 11

New Music - Pictish Trail! Gwenno! Kevin Morby! Project Gemini! Latarnik!

Send us a text Biff! Bang! Pow! Your caped (and miked) crusaders return for the latest instalment of the @weheardwonders extended universe. There’s a raucous climate-change-charged opener from Eigg-man Pictish Trail, Gwenno continues to find the cosmic in the Cornish, Project Gemini dishes out psych breaks with a deadly sting in the tail, Kevin Morby paints a vivid sound picture, and keys-virtuoso Latarnik shines on a deeply personal solo project. An electronic act who helped broaden Andrew’s mu...

Mar 09, 20221 hr 32 minSeason 2Ep. 10

New Music - Mystic Jungle! Skiftande Enheter! Jordan Rakei! Pneumatic Tubes! HAAi!

Send us a text The @weheardwonders pod marches into March, with Iain and Andrew each bigging up a just-released album by a previously-discussed artist before getting stuck into five new off-the-beaten-track tunes. Mystic Jungle kick things off in deviantly delirious disco fashion; neo-soulster Jordan Rakei threatens one thing then delivers another; Swedish DIY supergroup Skiftande Enheter split the panel; Midlake and Mercury Rev-affiliated project Pneumatic Tubes reminisces; and we say a very en...

Mar 02, 20221 hr 41 minSeason 2Ep. 9

New Music - Şatellites! Dana Gavanski! Sea Power! Lucidvox! Rebecca Vasmant!

Send us a text So welcome in! There's an outward-looking, internationalist feel to proceedings on this week's @weheardwonders. Iain and Andrew share their respective histories with EU-hearting indie institution Sea Power, before offering their thoughts on the group's recent name change and long-awaited new material. Elsewhere, Israeli six-piece Şatellites serve up some slinky disco-funk, Canadian-Serbian singer-songwriter Dana Gavanski sets phasers to "charm", Russian "girl group" Lucidvox bring...

Feb 23, 20221 hr 25 minSeason 2Ep. 8

New Music - MELTS! Big Thief! Claude Cooper! Evan Wright! Gonora Sounds!

Send us a text Second time’s a charm for this week’s @weheardwonders. We give our thoughts on Big Thief’s sprawling new LP, Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You: is their biggest statement also their grandest, or is it a case of too much of a good thing? We also have our say on dynamic Dublin five-piece MELTS, library-jazz-funk mystery man Claude Cooper, Zimbabwe’s word-of-mouth sensations Gonora Sounds, and the bedroom psych-pop of practical man-out-of-time Evan Wright. Finally, a fantasti...

Feb 18, 20221 hr 21 minSeason 2Ep. 7

A quick one...while they're away!

Send us a text A quick message to explain what's happened to your regularly scheduled and hotly anticipated new music podcast this week! FULL PODCAST COMING ON 18/2/22! Support the show www.instagram.com/weheardwonders www.buymeacoffee.com/weheardwonders

Feb 16, 20229 min

New Music - Kamasi Washington! SASAMI! Firecityfunk! GABO! Kathryn Joseph!

Send us a text Diverse musical delights ripe for discussion on this week’s @weheardwonders. Kathryn Joseph and GABO represent the best of Scottish, SASAMI genre-bends with style, while Kamasi Washington throws in everything INCLUDING the kitchen sink on his comeback track. An old tune enjoys its moment in the sun via a very modern route, then Andrew brings together two of the week’s main threads for a high-kicking Vinyl Word. What do you make of the tracks up for discussion? Do you agree with ou...

Feb 09, 20221 hr 35 minSeason 2Ep. 6

New Music - Sofia Kourtesis! Erin Rae! Los Bitchos! Cate Le Bon! Amber Mark! Plus a bonkers Vinyl Word!

Send us a text It’s ladies’ might 💪 and the feeling’s right. Yep, the superior sex are firmly in charge on this week’s episode of @weheardwonders. Sofia Kourtesis and Los Bitchos leave us longing for the summer, Cate Le Bon delivers something predictably amazing, and Erin Rae has us wondering aloud why they aren’t a household name. We also discuss the much-anticipated album from Amber Mark - does it have what it takes to be one of 2022’s defining releases? If that wasn’t enough, for the Vinyl W...

Feb 03, 20221 hr 19 minSeason 2Ep. 5

New Music - Melody's Echo Chamber! Daniel Rossen! Pastor Champion! Nilüfer Yanya! Robert Glasper and chums!

Send us a text A music podcast fit to burst with delectably diverting new sounds, you say? You took the words right out of our mouth! Is it a welcome return for neo-psych chanteuse Melody’s Echo Chamber? Does Pastor Champion’s music live up to his incredible backstory? And which slice of mid-sixties soul perfection has been selected to have the Vinyl Word? We also discuss new music from Grizzly Bear’s Daniel Rossen, Pitchfork-favourite Nilüfer Yanya, and conscious jazz-hopper Robert Glasper with...

Jan 26, 20221 hr 14 minSeason 2Ep. 4

New Music - Jeff Tobias! Lady Wray! FKA twigs! Nala Sinephro! Midlake!

Send us a text Another carefully curated selection of new sounds from @weheardwonders. The closer from Jeff Tobias’s debut full-length serves as an ideal opener and Lady Wray’s marathon album-rollout is almost complete. Both the medium and the message of FKA twigs’ new mixtape are ripe for discussion, while Midlake’s yearning for the past is - we learn - personal. Plus, we finally give Nala Sinephro’s incredible Space 1.8 the time and attention it deserves, and a rollickingly rootsy slice of roc...

Jan 19, 20221 hr 29 minSeason 2Ep. 3
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