Blood Hot
Label: Optic Nerve
Format: LP
Genre: Indie Rock, Psych
$44.99
Availability: In stock
Long overdue vinyl issue of Tess Parks’s 2013 Mazzy Star-esque debut, Blood Hot. A native of Toronto, Tess Parks moved to London, England at the age of seventeen where she briefly studied photography before deciding to focus on music. Tess made an impression on industry legend Alan McGee, founder of Creation Records, albeit the timing of their meeting could hardly have been less ideal; McGee was no longer involved in music and Tess was due to move back to Toronto. After moving back to her hometown in 2012, Tess formed a band on the advice of McGee and less than a year after their meeting, he returned to music with his new label, 359 Music. Tess became one of his first signings and released her debut record Blood Hot in November 2013 to excellent reviews. One reviewer described her as “Patti Smith on Quaaludes”. Others have mentioned her “gauzy psychedelic sound” and “smouldering voice”. Alan McGee himself said: “She’s only 24 and is already an amazing songwriter… she just doesn’t quite know she is yet… her most beautiful quality is her lack of ego. Tess is an amazing lady.” June 2015 saw the spine-tingling collaboration between Tess Parks and Anton Newcombe (Brian Jonestown Massacre), and the resulting album I Declare Nothing was released to critical acclaim on A Recordings (AUK 120CD/LP). They toured together throughout the UK and Europe over the summer of 2015.