Wrongpop Presents... '116: Ten Years Later' (A Charity Album in Aid of Anthony Nolan) by Various Artists and
Release date: August 1, 2025Label: Self-released
It’s good to know that the world isn’t populated entirely by bastards. I don’t just mean the fully fledged genocidal, megalomaniacal ones but also the common or garden greedy, selfish ones.
I can say that with some confidence given this charity album from Steve Clarke AKA Wrongpop Presents includes seventy seven artists who have selflessly given up some of their work – in many cases exclusives – for free to help raise funds for Anthony Nolan. It’s a cause very dear to Steve given Anthony Nolan found the stem cell donor that saved his life ten years ago, when he was just days away from dying.
Happily, this isn’t one of those reviews of charity music that require diplomacy or flannel to avoid being the git who criticises work done for a good cause. Because it’s a genuinely great compilation, a veritable curiosity cabinet tour of music at the cultural margins – stuff that’s too intelligent, full on or full of new ideas to “do numbers” on streaming platforms or social media. And is all the better for it.
Seriously, if you don’t find something new to like amongst this collection then you’re either AI or somewhat dead inside.
The opening track is courtesy of MS Thomason, erstwhile balladeer turned Cornish choir master. A suitably eccentric yet creative career path for the Wrongpop oeuvre. He’s summoned an assured, atmospheric instrumental that belies the eclectic musical chaos yet to unfold.
Eclectic is definitely the right word.
There’s the kind of sweet, heavy riffs that makes Josh Homme mess his big boy pants from the likes of Michael and in violet.
There are plenty of names you might recognise – Pigs x7 (I’m into the whole brevity thing), Shit and Shine, CHROMA, USA Nails.
There’s synth sleaze from Teeth of the Sea, and further 00s echoes from Art Brut and Herzoga who show the pesky kids how post-punk sprechgesang is really done.
There’s electronica that sounds like it lives in the part of Floating Points’ brain where he thinks about Aphex Twin (Hamer9).
There’s a great song from a fella Steve met backpacking somewhere in South America (Noah Ezra).
There’s excellent representation from Steve’s home town of Stoke thanks to top notch exclusives from Camp Stag, MFK, Jub Jub and the aforementioned Hamer9.
The above covers less than 20% of what’s included.
Appropriately, this whistle stop tour of the margins ends with the sui generis workings of Sly and the Family Drone, which might best be described as found jazz. Like you’d stumbled across your high school geography teacher imitating some dusty corner of the Miles Davis back catalogue. Or Acker Bilk having a bad trip in his garden shed. I mean both of these things in a good way.
The compilation is only available until the end of August then it’s gone for good, finito, into the thin air. So pay up your 7.7p a track and get involved. Please. It’s an investment in finding good, sometimes challenging, new music.
