Bessere Zeiten (Better Times)

After yesterday's post I was in the mood to check out some old German music again that had the spirit of John Lydon and the post punk era. One of those bands that appeared in the late 80s was Kolossale Jugend a band that was close to the so called Hamburg school that brought Germany a very new and rough sound in independent music. Named by a song from Young Marble Giants (Colossal Youth) they made a fantastic combination of post punk mixed with a bit of grunge and experimental pop. Their texts were often cryptic – half crazy, half brilliantly – however, the note which the band sound like was unequivocal. They freely rocked after the motto: According to and indirectly. They had an attitude by controlling their rage, always remained far away of every market compatibility. Their play was full of pressure and rousing. This is a song from their album Heile, Heile Bouches released in 1989 and it was a highlight for me in these times.

Kolossale Jugend - Bessere Zeiten

Twanging Tuesday # 82

Today's twangy music comes from a band called Drunken Prayers, a band formed by Morgan Geer, located in Oregon, Portland. The first song, Hellraiser, is one of those laid back country forward driven songs with a bit of twangy guitar. The rest is just a laid back country based ballads that would work well in a smoky bar on Friday night after a few beers. Nothing that would turn the world into a better way - just music for BBQ.

By the way, the cover is designed by Jon Langford.

Swan Lake

35! years ago Public Image Ltd. released their second recording, well known as the Metal Box. Sadly I didn't own the original packing with the 12-inches but it is still a classic recording in the post punk era. When the record was released it sounded like nothing compared to past, present and the future. Weired guitars by Keith Levine, a gigantic dub-inspired bass by Jah Wobble and the cryptic lyrics by John Lydon makes this record remarkable for everything before and after.

Public Image Ltd - Swan Lake

In Search Of The Perfect Pop Song

I'm glad to be back in the internet again after several days without connection to it. The reason was very simple because I made an upgrade to higher transfer rate. And it seems that disconnecting me for a few days is part of the game when you're going for an upgrade. It is easy to install the new router following the instruction manual. And you become desperate when you sit in front and nothing works. So I took my phone and called the Vodafone what went wrong. The simple answer was that the clearing of the connection takes two more days. I think most of you will know the trouble with internet providers. Anyway now it works and I got exactly what I wanted. There are many bands searching for the perfect pop song. Belgium's Leaf House are very close to it. It's a fantastic mixture of indie, folk and dancefloor. All together in an amazing video.

Hot Dreams

There are songs that are really good in the original version and getting much better in a remix. Hot Dreams by the Canadian folk band Timber Timbre is one of them. The title track of them last year released record has something of sad ballad that might be used in a movie by David Lynch when the actor is driving on an endless highway through the night. To make this ballad complete is a remarkable saxophone at the end of the song. This song has something of the mood of Lambchop's Grumpus and reminds me on Prefab Sprout's Andromeda Heights.

Enjoy.


And as a bonus a remix of this beautiful song:

Twanging Tuesday # 81

The twangy sound is mostly based in early Rock 'n' Roll and bands playing instrumentals. Only a few bands played that true retro sound in the early 1970s. One of them were the Flamin' Groovies. In 1971 they released Teenage Head, a true homage to old school music. I heard that some critics name this record as an answer to the Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers. For me there are less conformities in both records aside from that they both are addicted to country rock. Anyway, todays song offers a great guitar and a sound that could be played in the early 1960s.

Flamin' Groovies - Evil Hearted Ada

Ryley Walker Again

One of those records that impressed me much this year was Ryley Walker's Primrose Green. My place is a really desert for live acts - especially when they mostly unknown and new. So I was lucky that he appeared in a small club  a few days ago. So  I decided to give myself a pleasure and join this concert. The distance to the venue was only 12 miles away but I had an endless journey going by public transport. It would be easy to go there by car - if you have one. A couple of weeks ago I sold my 14 year old car. It was a Volvo running by diesel and no carbon-particulate filter. In these times it is hard to drive to different cities with an automobile that hasn't a reduced emission. If you do it and the police will grab you you'll get a penalty about 80 EURO. In addition I live in the center of our town, go to work with public transport and don't use the car very rarely. Counting the miles I used the car for the last two month I added the miles and the result was the I drove almost 100 miles in this time. That was the last fact that I decided to sell this car because I think it is not necessary to have a own car, paying fees, insurance and taxes and don't use it. A friend of mine who is reselling cars made me a good offer and I sold my old car. That are the facts when I went to the gig. Moving 35 minutes from the middle of Stuttgart to a far away destination in the small mountains beside my hometown. I came easily to the place where the concert should take place. I arrived one hour before and there were not more than 15 people waiting for the artist to start. While I was sitting outside for a beer and a cigarette Ryley Walker appeared and I sat down with him to a pint of beer. It was a well conversation about the Chicago music scene. Then he left to get the gig done. I've been to many concerts during the last decades but less grabbed me the way he did. The show was awesome and I stood there  and almost couldn't believe what I've seen. Ryley is an artists that treats his guitar like less people before. He played it with his fingers like a hurricane and I got a feeling right back in the late 70s where artists like Bert Jansch or Nick Drake showed up. He and his band played not that sound that's everybody's cup of tea. Listening to his very intimate song he some artists came up my mind: Tim Buckley, Van Morrison and especially Tortoise. Yes, Tortoise, a Chicago based band which combined rock, ambient and jazz in a very unique sound. I was so grateful that I took the travel to watch the show. Maybe the highlight of this year.

This is an edit of a live taped show by acidjacknyc who gives us maybe the best live taped music at all.

Cop And Go

A few days ago The Robster featured The White Stripes once again. And I have to agree that less bands impressed me more than them. Since that days I followed the output by Jack White - and he did a lot during the last years. One of side-projects are The Dead Weather formed by members of The Kills, Queens Of The Stone Age and The Raconteurs. Not playing that heavy blues influenced music the did a bit of heavy and bluesy alternative music. These days their new record will appear and Cop And Go is the first song that I found on Soundcloud from Dodge and Burn. This song disappoint me in no way. Starting with a bass intro followed by a fantastic riff waiting for the voice of Alison Mosshart.

Enjoy.

Nothing Like A Friend

Richard Hawley is back with a new record. There were mostly ballads on it and it is good this way. He turned once again to something that made him great for me. Most of the songs are played in a very laid back atmosphere. For me his voice is getting older and is more brittle than before. Maybe because he's getting older and wiser but his voice became much more elegance to his songs and the way he interprets them. Certainly not a record for everyone and for every time but I always liked his voice and his songs. Maybe one of these artists that never got the respect they should have. On this song Jarvis Cocker plays the bass and the sentence is for eternity: In the end, there is nothing like a friend. One more record for the times between evening and night.

Richard Hawley - Nothing Like A Friend

Elixir Of Life

It's a long time ago since I posted some reggae/dub at this place. What doesn't mean that I don't listen to this kind of music. I'm often in this kind of music - especially when the day is almost over. A few days ago I listened once again to Dubsetter the collaboration between Lee Perry and Adrian Sherwood. This record is still fascinating and worth to played from time to time and contains everything a dub record should have: massive bass, smooth voices and a spaced out dub.

Baltimore

I don't have to tell anyone about Nina Simone. Almost all of you know her as a singer, pianist and arranger during the last decades. It's always worth to post a song by her. I found this song on Simon Green's aka Bonobo remix compilation a few years ago called Late Night Tales published a few years ago. He put a little reggae groove on her vocals and added some strings to make this song very new. It is nothing more than a song you could hear at many times of the day.

Enjoy.

Nina Simone / Bonobo - Baltimore

Twanging Tuesday # 80

When we talk about twangy guitars we have to name The Ventures. This Seattle based instrumental rock band were big in America in the early 1960s and made the title theme from the TV-series Hawaii Five-0. Wipe-Out is one of their well known songs and covered by many artists later.

Get Into It

The first song this week I would like to feature is more than retro and it comes from the The Strypes, an Irish band which plays in the tradition of pure Rock 'n' Roll and blues. Deeply infected by all the 60s blues rock bands and the early Dr. Feelgood and pure pub rock. Not much to say but dirty sweaty and sexy Rock 'n' Roll. Not the music for every time but right know it hits my taste. And when did I heard a harp in song (it must be many years ago).

Have a good week.

Light

This song shuffled up on my mobile phone last week. I got it in my in-box a few weeks ago and it was the first time I listened to it. Of course it is nothing very spectacular but a song for an easy Sunday morning. Odesza are a two piece electronic music duo based in Seattle. For this song they did a collaboration with the Swedish Little Dragon for a melancholic, rattling, stumbling song for witching hour.

The picture above is made by David Rubinger that displays a Haganah girl training throwing grenade during the War of Independence.

Tweet Tweet Tweet

I'm not a big fan of Sleaford Mods because I think they are more attitude than real. Anyway, sometimes I am in for this kind of music. A bit angry with a good and dominant bass shouting out what is wrong in the way they think. This one shuffled up today when I had a bad discussion with a co-worker. So I played it several times to come down. Not everybody's cup of tea, I know, but worth to give them a feature at this place.

Twanging Tuesday on Wednesday

I was two days off the Internet because Vodafone installed a new Internet access during the last two days. Therefore some Swedish Psychobilly at it's best. Sometimes I think northern Europe are in the the real tradition of this genre. Rude, pure and going forward.

Cold Companion

I am not much in music Black Keys did. While the first one was new and brought back that muddy delta blues the following albums didn't touched me much. So I had a different feeling when Dan Auerbach released a record by The Arcs. The songs I've heard weren't bad at all but I miss the final kick in a song that will last and tell me to listen to the album again. One of the best songs is a slow, cool desert blues the Eagles would die for.

The Arcs - Cold Companion

Laid-back Sunday

Now summer is certainly gone and autumn is coming to take over. Temperature dropped about 15 degrees and more relaxed days will come. More time to read the books I wanted to read for several weeks and even more time to listen to music. During the past week I listened a lot to John Martyn again. I still like the way he picks the strings of his guitar and the way he uses his voice as an instrument. Solid Air, his record from back in 1973, is still a monument and I can't get tired playing it from time to time. This record is named by many people for his best one but for is Glasgow Walker from 2000 on the same level. Maybe because there are a lot of melancholic, soft and intimate songs on it. If you deal with John Martyn you ought to take a look on some edits and remixes of his songs. There you can see that a lot of his songs are timeless. Unfortunately I've never seen him live.

John Martyn - Over the hill

Rico RIP

Don Cherry: How can you play this way?... So that me can play as well as you, I had to go to Africa to learn there...

Ryley Walker

I came home this evening from work and opened my in-box and I was satisfied when I opened the letter from the concert artists' agency. The tickets for the concert of Ryley Walker the next week arrived and I am  looking forward to maybe one of the best young guitar players around here. I follow him for a few years and his records make me feel comfortable when I listen to them. It's a very special way of playing the blues but the way he picks the strings on his guitar makes me shiver sometimes. Another music for late nite, but worth to listen if you're in the mood for it.

Flammende Herzen

A few days ago I read a post about Michael Rother and his record from 1977 Flammende Herzen. He was a former member of NEU! a heavy influenced Krautrock band from the late 70s. This is the title song of his first record and still a record I like to play when the day is going to end. Matchless, timeless, groovy and out of fashion.

Play New Rose For Me

Back in 1986 the label New Rose released a sampler of the 100st album release. It was a French record label and signed a lot of artist which where great in these days. The Cramps, The Cocteau Twins, Gun Club and New York Dolls were the well known. To celebrate this release they asked their signed artist to make a cover of artists which was signed as well at this time. I found this record the recent days in my collection and listened to it a few times. Most of this bands are forgotten for long years. I have no idea why because they were great for me at these days. Still makes me smile when I heard this cover versions again. But I've to tell you, that I'm not able to transfer the vinyl to a digital one. So give some of the bands on this sampler to other songs that weren't on this record a listen and get back 30 years ago.

Twanging Tuesday # 78

It's hard to find some real twangy music these days but I try to make it to # 100. I have to avoid to guitar based music that is in the spirit of the old heroes that stands for that twangy sound. For this reason I think it's not too bad to feature a band that didn't got the success they should have. I don't know much about them - only that they had a collaboration with Wild Billy Childish. And that is not the worst they could do.