Algiers

Algiers, a band from Georgia, Atlanta released their second album a few days ago. They were known as a very political band speaking and singing about the things that are necessary in these days. Their sound is a crude mixture of gospel/soul with post punk and industrial. I know this sounds to be impossible but it works on this record. Although they are famous for their live performances I saw them last year and I have to say I was disappointed about them. Most of the time I saw pictures in the background of the famous Black Panther leaders from the late 60's but the music and the show didn't touched me at all. So I was surprised how good their latest album is. Intelligent verses on a sound that has influences of Gil Scott Heron on the one side and the impact of early PIL/Throbbing Gristle. It is like they celebrating a black mess. Definitely one of the best records this year so far.

Elvis Is Everywhere

Back in the early 80's Mojo Nixon appeared on the scene with his very unique version of rockabilly. Together with Skid Roper he made a few records that was played in my local scene of greasers. I remembered him by a talk I had with an old friend of mine last Sunday when we visited Johnny Trouble Band a cult band playing the Johnny Cash style since a few years. They were locals and made a bit of success during the last years starting from musicians playing in the main roads to a well booked act. But this is not the story now. It is about Mojo Nixon. I liked the way he played his songs in an ironic style. He was always deep in American music with a big touch of country and rockabilly over 30 years ago. Listening to him his music may sound outworn but sometimes I like this old fashioned sound that sounds still fresh to me than many other new over produced new bands.

At the start of the new century he declared his retirement from music business to come back a few years later. I found this new song by him. It was new to me and it must be new song, because no one would record a song called Donald Trump Can Suck My Dick wasn't impossible to record 12 month ago.

Return Of The Grievieous Angel

During the last days I listened a lot to country music because of the death of Gunter Gabriel. This is without any reason but this kind of music fits to very well right now. Listening to a lot of songs from this genre there were some classic songs that almost nobody can tear them down. And it is still pleasure to listen to them from time to time. I always liked the voice of Lucinda Williams much and their songs telling stories about normal life. This classic tune by Gram Parsons, probably one of the greatest new country musicians in the 70's is the best version I ever heard. I love the perfect harmonies of Lucinda and David that make this song so unique.

Lucinda Williams & David Crosby - Return of the grievieous angel

Where's The Revolution

Never thought that once in my life I would listen to a political song by Depeche Mode. A song against Brexit, Trump and right wing populism is not the main thing when we think about the band. This shows once more that many artists think in the right way what happens these days.

This remix was done by Algiers, another political band from Atlanta, Georgia. They make a very unique mixture of different genres like Afrobeat, industrial, no wave and jazz inspired by XTC and PIL

Get Into It

Recently I read somewhere that Irish band The Strypes will release a new record and I remembered that I listened to them often a few years ago. Not that they are the next big thing in music but I liked their raw and powerful kind of Rhythm and Blues. Deeply based in the early 60's they tried to transform this music into today. And it worked very well. Not the music to listen every day but sometimes you can get a kick from it.

Gunter Gabriel 1942 - 2017

When I got home from work I got the news that Gunter Gabriel died yesterday. He was a composer, producer and singer-songwriter from the late 70's until now. His work wasn't recognized during the last decades. He built an image as people's voice in the late 70's/early 80's. He made a million of Euros and wasted it as fast as he got it. Living the live of Rock and Roll he was present from my youngest days. The finest thing he did was that he introduced me to country music when it was unusual listening to it. I always liked his somber voice and the stories he told me. 14 years ago he fulfiled himself a dream and went to Nashville to make a record with Johnny Cash's songs performed in German. He translated his songs suitable into German. Sadly I got no record from him because he was always present to my life with all his ups and downs. He was one of this artists from Germany that built my musical taste in a very small corner.

RIP Gunter

Johnny And Mary

A few years ago there was a collaboration between Norwegian DJ, songwriter and producer Todd Terje and Bryan Ferry with the result of a very new and unique version of the classical song Johnny And Mary best known on the way Robert Palmer did decades ago. I love this kind of version and it's slowed down rhythm and the reduction to the essential of the song. Sometimes I wonder why they don't play this version on public broadcast.

Vitals

Knowing that some of you guys are working on a reggae Wednesday. So I would like to join with a tune I found a few days ago. Coldcut are famous for forming Ninja Tunes and remixing a lot of artists during the last decades. They are in the business for almost 30 years and still over the average and innovative. This one is a song by Roots Manuva and a collaboration with Adrian Sherwood. A song produced in the tradition of dub with a steady flow, a reluctant guitar and a lot of echoes. A song probably for a summer mix.

39 Clocks

Back from the festival in Mannheim with burning feet and too less sleep but filled with lots of new experiences. I have to admit that a lot of bands were inspired by Velvet Underground and making their very own sound. Nevertheless they name this band as a main inspiration. This brings me back to a German band from the early 80's that was influenced by the Velvets. They didn't made it great but there were a few records back in the early 80's that I listened often to. 39 Clocks are named as the German Velvets but this ain't true. They based their songs on the weird sound of the Velvets and tried to make their very unique sound of it. Sadly they are forgotten during the last decades but their sound is still fresh and and the hight of the times when they released it. Something weird and wonderful I used to listen to at that time.

Enjoy.

Kaw Liga

It was more than 40 years ago when me and my mates decided that we hould go to Munich at the famous Alabama halls to watch a gig of the Residents. We didn't know nothing about them than that they were famous about their shows. Appearing on the stage with very big eyeballs and giving us some weird music for 90 minutes. I saw them live but never understood in these days what they wand to show me. After all these years I found access to their sound. Sophisticated and far ahead of their times it makes sensory to listen to them now. I know that it will be an experience but it be worth sometimes.

Today I will go for the open air festival to Mannheim with my brother. So no more posts will be released until next Wednesday.

Have a great weekend.

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Surely everyone knows the situation when you listen to music from your hard-drive and suddenly a song appears and you think for how long I didn't listen to this one. This deja vu happened to me yesterday on the way to the office. It was Barry Adamson with Something Wicked This Way Comes from his 1996 album Oedipus Schmoedipus a record I used to listen often at this time. It is a record that is very underrated maybe because you can't categorize this kind of music. The music is more like a soundtrack and many people didn't know how to handle this Miles Davis influenced jazz lounge sound. Since his first days with Magazine I loved the way he played the bass. He was also the one who stamped the sound of Birthday Party and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Because I couldn't get him out of my mind I selected his music on Spotify and had a good start into work accompanied with his music.

Barry Adamson - Something Wicked This Way Comes

His latest full length album features all his abilities in music and it is a kaleidoscope of all his musical influences from rock to folk to jazz. Even string arrangements are possible.



And finally a superb collaboration with Nick Cave:

CRY

I was out with my very best friend last evening after long weeks we hadn't the time to meet because he was in France for a couple of weeks. We spoke about many things what happened during the last months in our town and about the folks we knew for ages. Finally we stopped about talking about the most magnate video in the 80's. Finally we agreed to Godley and Creme with Cry. Still after all these years a video you can watch with a lot of joy.

Labled

If it ain't STIFF it ain't worth a fuck was the labels' claim. It was a message to all of those who were interested in new music. Formed in the era of punk in 1976 by Jake Rivera and Dave Robinson they signed a lot of artists with pub rock roots trying to make their own sound based on the basics. STIFF records were a trademark in these days bringing quality and new music to me. Most of the releases showed artists that became famous during the years. The quality of their producers, especially Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello made this label famous. They were alive until the mid 80's and vanished afterwords. STIFF introduced me into so many new music like none other label. They opened my ears to very new and great music in the late 70's. It is hypothetical question if my musical taste would be different without them. But I think they were at the hight of the musical taste in new music in these days. So let's get a journey back in the early days of STIFF were music was new, fresh and exciting. Not everything of this song are the music I listen now but it was a very pleasurable journey back in time.

So enjoy.