by David Wilikofsky
Music isn’t made in a vacuum. Musicians are influenced by their environment. They play shows with other bands and build a peer group. They push each other to greater heights than they may have reached otherwise. They create a scene. If they’re lucky, maybe one or two bands burst out of that scene and put a spotlight on it. Think about a band like Nirvana; they catapulted Seattle and grunge into the public conscience.
Music venues play a crucial part of this equation. The importance of having a local spot to perform and congregate can’t be overstated. A venue creates the space for all of this magic to happen. Coronavirus is threatening independent venues, and the result of widespread closures would be catastrophic to the music ecosystem as we know it.
Which brings us to today’s album, Live At The Windmill. The Windmill is a pub and venue in London. I’ve never personally been, but in recent years the buzz around the venue has grown large enough that I’ve heard about it from across the Atlantic. It has become the epicenter of a new London music scene; bands like Goat Girl, Black Midi, Black Country, New Road, and Shame have all come out of it, and judging from this compilation of live performances recorded at the venue we’ve only scratched the surface.
All of the bands mentioned above figure in this compilation, and all of their tracks are great. But the real treat of this compilation is getting a glimpse at other artists that haven’t yet gained the international profile of their peers. Jerskin Fendrix, who just released an album last month, creates unhinged pop music as punk as it is catchy. PVA, who as best I can tell have only one single to their name (released by the great Speedy Wunderground), play abrasive dance music in the same vein as Guerilla Toss. Scotti Brains, Speedy Wunderground head honcho Dan Carey’s band, contribute a ten minute motorik breakdown. Folly Group make frenetic grooves that can shift on a dime. The breadth of sounds presented here is impressive, and makes this compilation a delight from start to finish. You never quite know what the next song will sound like.
This album excites me for what’s to come after COVID-19; it’s clear we have a lot to look forward to musically, and it’s imperative that we keep venues like The Windmill alive so they can continue their work in that future. Half the proceeds from this compilation will help support the venue, and the other half will go to a local soup kitchen. So go ahead and pick it up; you’ll get a glimpse of the future, as well as a hand in ensuring it can come to fruition.