The Friday Dispatch
Jacob Alon, NoSo, Cold Court, Live at Leeds, Voxtrot and more
Jacob Alon’s return to enchantment
When Jacob Alon thinks back to their childhood, they remember finding comfort through creating magic out of the mundane. Growing up as a kid on a housing estate in Fife, Scotland, meant that if you wanted to escape, you had to do so by crafting it yourself. “I think the world of fantasy and mysticism always drew me in,” Alon says. “I was interested in the creatures of the earth, and telling little stories.” The woods behind the estate became the backdrop to many of their witchy memories (“I remember always making soups and perfumes, I was obsessed with magic and spells and witches”) and was also their first taste of storytelling.
But after a childhood of pure curiosity, escapism, and wonder, Alon completely shut that version of themselves down in an attempt to fit in with the world around them: “I became this very skeptical, narrow-minded person. I was so fundamental in building an understanding of the world around me, and I ended up rejecting everything mystical, everything spiritual, and kind of turning away from the emotional side of my heart to protect it.” Protecting their heart meant shifting the focus away from music entirely, especially after they didn’t feel supported to pursue musical endeavours from their family. They kept up appearances and tried to appease those around them, trying — and both times failing to finish — degrees in medicine and theoretical physics. In the end, dropping out to pursue music became a necessity as much as a desire.
Now, they’re set to release their debut album, In Limerence, a record that weaves together a past shaped by longing, magic, creativity, and heaviness. They pull from their own coming-of-age anecdotes for subject material and soundbites, even occasionally transposing audio files from old home videos directly into the mix of tracks like “Home Tapes.”
“It felt like there had been so much processing of things I’d never properly processed. I think memory is such a key theme of this record. Memory can be more than just a chronological retelling of events — captured in moving images and sounds in your mind. You can remember things through feelings in your body. You can remember fear simply as a stress response, without the event attached to it. I think a lot of the wounds and memories from that era were contained within the pain I feel now — the brokenness in my love, or certain things I do now, even without knowing the context. Going back and finding that context was so vital. It helped me see what felt like a bigger picture,” they say. “That, to me, summarizes the whole feeling of the record.”
This week, Madrin-born songwriter pablopablo releases Canciones En Mi; Sedona releases Getting Into Heaven; Stereolab brings the playfulness on Instant Holograms On Metal Film; Cola Boyy gives us Quit to Play Chess; Julia Wolf releases PRESSURE; Sparks continue to experiment on MAD!; and Martha Wainwright returns with the 20th anniversary edition of her self-titled record.
Desk Notes: NoSo
NoSo, the alias of Korean-American artist and producer Baek Hwong, joins the Best Fit newsletter today to give us an annotated tour of his desk. This, he explains, is his desk as you’d find it while he works — curated with ambient lighting, true to his recording experience. His second album, When Are You Leaving?, will be out 10 October via Partisan Records. “Sugar,” its first single, is out now.
“Welcome to my cute desk where I record my music! There are quite a few sentimental knicknacks — a lot of gifts from fans, friends and family that I’ve collected through the years.
A drawing/card of me that a fan in Brussels gifted :’) I’ve genuinely never looked better.
A 30 year old chair my family had in our Chicago home while I was growing up, my grandparents’ also had a similar one. There’s a beautiful animal print on it, a man complimented it several times while I was moving it through the building. Brand new furniture doesn’t really do it for me, I prefer things that are old and have life to them (I feel that way about every object).
A card from my grandma that she painted for my college graduation. She taught herself how to paint in her 80s, she’s so talented. I have a few of her paintings around my apartment as well.
A handmade traditional Korean bracelet, origami crane and letter all from a fan who gifted them to me in San Francisco. I keep everything people give me at shows and read through them when I’m having an off day with music, the notes are really special to me.
Yoshitomo Nara bandage case my friend Kerri got me while in New York, she knows he’s my favourite artist. It’s nifty since my fingers frequently become raw since I don’t use a pick while strumming.
A little stuffed animal Eyore my sibling Cley gave me for my birthday 10 years ago who lives on top of my speaker
JWDA lamp — pricey for a small lamp but it was worth it since I love it so much. I’m very sensitive to overhead lighting, ESPECIALLY when making music, so I rely on this heavily while writing.
Songwriting notebooks/journal, I always put a little sticker on them. The one on the left is from a company called About Journals, and they use old books to make journals. Sustainable and really beautiful
My music equipment: trusty Universal Audio twin interface, and Neuman KH120A speakers. The best speakers out there for mixing, I think. A minimalist and mighty setup!”
The introduction…
Meet Cold Court, an experimental indie-rock group that’s coming out swinging from the Philly scene. Mini, one of the group’s founders, tells us a bit more about the band and its founding.
Name… Mini
Age… 17
Hometown… Weehawken, New Jersey.
Describe your sound… Meow zap squish crunch loop.
How you started making music as Cold Court… Wanted to start a band with my brother and wanted a place to express myself.
Best gig you’ve played… Opening for Black Midi at union transfer.
Wildest dream… To talk to animals and understand what they’re saying or to write a play.
Best gas station snack… A slurpie or chocolate milk.
Cold Court’s new single “Nina” is out now.
Live at Leeds In The City unveils its first wave of artists for 2025
One of our favourite city festivals in the world Live at Leeds in the City just dropped the lineup for their 2025 edition with Best Fit favourites Man/Woman/Chainsaw, Adult DVD, Babymororocco, Divorce and Dellaxoz among the impeccably curated list of bands hitting the north for the multi-venue event. Other performer include Jalen Ngonda, Warmduscher, Hotwax, Panic Shack, Catty and Florence Road and it all runs across one amazing day (15 November) across some of Leeds best venues. Tickets are onsale now from liveatleeds.com.
Something Old, Something New
Every week, we share recommendations from the Best Fit community — one from the past, another from the present. This week, features editor Amy Albinson shares her thoughts on Voxtrot’s Raised by Wolves EP (2005) and The Ribbon Songs by Tiernan (2025).
In a goodbye letter shared to Voxtrot’s website back in April 2010, vocalist Ramesh Srivastava described his band’s career as a “long, simmering build, explosion, and almost instantaneous decay.” It was a note I would find nearly a decade later when first stumbling across, and subsequently falling head-over-heels for, the group’s 2005 debut EP. Raised By Wolves feels like a release far ahead of its time, entwining tenderly crooked lyricism with bright, jangle-pop melodies that skillfully cloak its own complexities. Across five, dynamically playful tracks, titular opener “Raised by Wolves” flits effortlessly between upbeat indie-pop and an energetically stuttering lover’s lament, while “Long Haul” oozes charm, bathed in rose-tinted, sunlit chimes. With a hint of The Cure in its biting dramatics, “Missing Pieces” gushes with longing caught inside soaring guitars, and “The Start of Something” evokes a nostalgic-yet-hopeful daydream coated by Srivastava’s Morrissey-esque vocals. When years later Voxtrot announced a reunion, I found myself in their hometown of Austin, Texas, lingering past 1am to catch a performance I had long-since accepted I would never see. Nearly 20 years since release, these gems of early-Aughts indie still glowed with hope and youthful vigour, ringing out in the early morning rain.
I’ve often proclaimed post-rock outfit deathcrash to be the best band in London. Brimming with cinematic build-ups and emotionally-driven outbursts across two excellent studio albums, the four-piece craft exquisite soundscapes that skillfully strike an emotive balance between unrelenting, discordant noise, and softer, minimalistic melodies. So, when the group’s vocalist and guitarist Tiernan Banks announced he’d be stepping into the spotlight as a solo act, my interest was naturally piqued. Tiernan’s debut album The Ribbon Songs arrived last month and it’s a far cry from the sound of London’s best band – but no less brilliant. Intimate and delicately laced, the record holds a magnifying glass to grief, pain, and self-destructive tendencies; all intricately woven across its 7 tracks. Accompanied by hauntingly stripped back melodies, light strings, softly plucked guitars, the result is an intensely personal and reflective offering that places bare, stream-of-consciousness lyrics in the cold light of day. While tracks like "Glenbrook" – a nod to the village he was raised in – invite a familiar rising discordance, and the layered instrumentation in "For Our Life" grows to drown out his vocals, the record really shines in its starkest moments, echoing back like a confession breathed quietly inside an empty church.
Listen to the week in new music by following our Discovery playlist
Dropping at midnight every Thursday, follow our playlist for a taste of the best new music from the most exciting breaking artists. Leading the selection this week are new tracks from nabeel, Cosmorat, Mythologen, UNIVERSITY, VERA SACRA, GB, and coverstars Speedial.
“Experience makes fools of us all. It devastates you. I am making it a practice to stay optimistic. What’s even more important than optimism is duty: duty to work and stewardship of work and of the world.”
Thanks for the tip on Cold Court - that song *smokes*.