If I Had A Boat

 

Kieran Hebden is back with a new record. He is perhaps better known as the head of Four Tet, his electronic playground, and for his many remixes in recent years. Now he has teamed up with William Tyler to break new ground. At the beginning of this century, Tyler was a member of Lambchop and the Silver Jews, who reinterpreted country music at the time.

In recent years, several bands such as the Nashville Ambient Ensemble have demonstrated that country and electronic music are entirely compatible. Here, Hebden and Tyler take an old song by Lyle Lovett, break it down into its individual parts and then reassemble it as if it were a single piece.

I don't want to deprive you of the wonderful original.

Singles Released This Week Years Ago

 

This week's compilation consists mainly of releases from 1982. I can't say why, but perhaps it's simply because only good songs were released that week.

1967: Kaleidoscope

1987: Pink Floyd

1971: Chicago

1979: Sugerhill Gang

1982: George Thorogood 

1982: The Clash

1982: The Pretenders

1982: John Cougar 

1967: Bee Gees

1980: The Police

1963: Marvin Gaye

1982: Tears For Fears

1979: Chic

Robert Redford

The news just arrived that actor, producer and director Robert Redford passed away last night at the age of 89. Throughout my life, he has always been present in films for me. Some of them were great, others just good. He worked with Sidney Pollak throughout his life, and Dave Grusin wrote the soundtrack for many of his films. 

If I had to pick one, it would be the soundtrack to Three Days of the Condor (alongside The Fabulous Baker Boys). His compositions are modelled on the soundtracks of many blaxploitation films. A dominant yet restrained funky bass and subtly interspersed brass instruments create a sound that is impossible to resist.

Rest in peace, Mr Redford.

Monday Song

 

Last weekend, while searching for something on my hard drive, I came across a disc that I had completely forgotten about. In spring this year, The Ex, an underground/punk band from the Netherlands, released their latest album, If Your Mirror Breaks.

The Ex started in 1979 as part of the punk movement and were inspired by The Fall and The Mekons. What set them apart from the crowd was their anger and determination not to rest on their laurels with just three chords. The Ex were also politically active and campaigned for social justice and squatting.

Their latest album is bursting with musical ideas, taking a more relaxed approach alongside aggressive punk and noise. In this respect, it is a good introduction to their world for those who are not yet familiar with this band.

Monday's Long Song

 

In 1975 Patti Smith released her debut Horses, an album that changed a lot. Mainstream music was mostly on his deathbed and punk wasn't there yet. At that point, she appeared with her band and made an impact with her expansive lyrics and exuberant garage sound, which at its best was reminiscent of Velvet Underground. This may also have been due to John Cale, who produced her debut album. 

Horses shows all the power with which she impressed me back then and still does today. Angry guitars push Patti Smith forward, her voice occasionally breaks and reflects the musical departure into new realms that was to come in the following years. It is still an album that captivates and is almost perfect. What else can one say about an album that has accompanied me throughout my life? 

Patti Smith - Horses

New Songs On Sunday

 

Last week saw the release of Gruff Rhys' latest album Dim Probs. The album shows once again that Rhys is consistently pursuing his own unique path. The man sings entirely in Welsh, which means that those who do not speak the language can concentrate fully on the music and immerse themselves in it. 

Most of the songs exude a relaxed atmosphere, as if they had been recorded in a living room with a few friends. But on closer listening, you notice so many facets, such as piano, a few synths and even the occasional trumpet. An album that grows on me with every listen.

In His Wake

 

Earlier this month Richard Norris his latest collaboration Pines. It was the result of a chance encounter when Norris and Josh Hight met and realized that they lived not far from each other. What could be more natural than for them to meet in his studio to finish an EP? 

The four songs deal with grief and disillusionment without veering into darkness, instead carrying a quiet intensity. Last but not least, Andy Bell, as a guest artist, has succeeded in combining shoegaze, slow-burn Americana and dreamy psychedelia. A more than remarkable EP.