Long Song On Tuesday

This series wouldn't be complete without some real psychedelic sound by Pink Floyd. I was never a huge fan of them but their first records were ace. When I listened the first time to them I was unable to understand their playings. Years later and with more informations about psychedelic sound i came back to those records. Interstellar Overdrive from their first record Piper at the Gates of Dawn is an essential piece of this genre. Never before and seldom after there was this kind of music. A perfect ride into space with a guitars, organs and drums. It is still impossible for me to understand what kind of drugs Syd Barret used to create this sound. I don't know where this footage was made but for the best version I could find in the web,

Splendid Racket Monday

Last Monday I wrote about noisy music that came from over the Atlantic ocean. But also Great Britain had in its music history many periods of bands that made loud music that had great influence to many other artists. Best example for me is Spacemen 3 as one of the most revolutionary UK guitar bands. Revolution marks it at the best. A few chords, feedback and it's psychedelic mood makes this song in this genre.

Spacemen 3 - Revolution

From many other bands that made wonderful noise only a few examples for today. One of those who should be named here is Dublin's My Bloody Valentine with a superb example how to create explosive soundscapes with guitars.

My Bloody Valentines - Sometimes

Another one are Oxford's Ride, a band that is with various breaks active from the early 90's on and still good for surprises in new sounds but still on a great rhythm ground. Still and always a pleasure to listen to them.

Ride - Leave Them All Behind

Rocket Fuel

California based record-producer DJ Shadow announced a new record that will be released later this year. I know him as the king of samples because he made the only record I know that is completely built on samples. The news about the release of his latest single wouldn't lead me to listen if there wasn't the collaboration with Hip-Hop legends De La Soul. This song filled with elegant scratches, close stratified vocal samples and a good old horn section. Although it is classic Hip-Hop rhymes and old school scratches is Rocket Fuel with its pumping beat close to nowadays music.

Changed The Locks

In addition to yesterday's post one of my country favorites. I really like Lucinda Williams voice and this song especially because it combines a great story with a country-stylish sound I can agree with. Nothing more or less a superb song.

Waiting Around To Die

There are songs that can't be destroyed by covers. Many of them wrote Townes van Zandt who left us too early in 1997. He was one of the most important singer-songwriter in his time and the greatest gift he gave me, was taking me back to simple folk and country with his songs. This version is by Vancouver's The Be Good Tanyas and shows how gigantic this song is - even when he was played in a soft bluegrass version.

And here the song by the master himself:

Tears In Rain

The sad news arrived that Dutch artist Rudger Hauer died at the age of 75. He was none of the greatest artists ever but he played in some very fine movie. What made him famous was the final monolgue in Blade Runner. This scene is worth to watch the whole movie once again.

Rest well Rudger.

Long Song On Tuesday

I joined CC's series about noisy songs on Monday because I think there is a lot that should be featured in this series. Nevertheless there are still a lot of long songs around that should be featured as well. So I will continue the long song series probably regular on Tuesday. If you found some time to listen to Andrew Weatherall's last show on NTS Adam give us a monthly chance to listen you might know this song by Max De Wardener a British composer and producer. Mainly he's into jazz and soundtrack but he made a little gem with tribal and hypnotic drums by Moses Boyd added with his synths. That's what I love Mr. Weatherall for - giving us inspirations for new music.

Today I will go for the rest of the week on a seminar to Cologne and I am not sure whether I find the time for something to post.

Have a great time folks.

Splendid Racket Monday

In the mid 90's everybody talked about Grunge as the biggest thing around for ages. Bands like Pearl Jam and Soundgarden were praised to give us back rock music. For me these bands made some good albums and songs but originally they brought us back a combination of hard rock in new style. Most of them are like old wine in new bottles. But there were bands that was put in the same category and don't really belong to it. There were bands that took the spirit of punk and garage rock to play a new heavy guitar style and that came much closer to the music I preferred decades ago. I really enjoyed the noise bands like Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr. made and it is still a pleasure to listen to them again.

Sonic Youth - Teen Age Riot
Dinosaur Jr. - Freak Scene
Mudhoney  - Touch Me I'm Sick

History Repeats

A few days ago a new song had excited my attention. History Repeats by Brittany Howard is the first track from her forthcoming album Jaime. The first time I listened to it I asked myself is it an old song or just a new retro sound? Other investigations proved than result that it really concerns a new song. Howard is the front woman of Alabama Shakes, a band I knew that their sound oscillates between Southern Rock and Blues. The more I was surprised that this song has nothing to do with this stuff. The drums are loud and fast and the guitar is playing nonchalant their funky licks. She made a sound that reminds me on early LA-music and good old soulful Nashville sound brewed together to a well worth to listen sound that fits perfectly to a start into Sunday morning.

The Dreg

When I went the first time to the United States back in 1982 I couldn't resist to visit the local record shop. It was not different to the shops I used to visit but the music they played were. Lots of garage bands sounded from the speakers and the stuff kindly introduced me to one of their favorite bands. New York's The Fleshtones were the big thing stuff. And I  have to say their album Roman Gods was great and perfect in its way. A deep bass, noisy guitars and the voice of Peter Zaremba is enough to make some timeless songs.

Slowness

As far as I know The Cure made a great performance at Glastonbury this year and now many people talk about them and their influence in music history and how they work well on stage after all these years. They were always a band I loved from deep in my heart and I played for a few month in a band playing their songs. After all I wasn't good enough to play bass and I quit - probably too soon. But it makes me smile when new bands follow their footsteps nowadays. One of those band sis Slowness a band from San Francisco/NYC. Their latest record has some songs on it that would fit easily on Cure's Disintegration added with some kind of Neil Young or guitars you could hear sometimes on records by The Fall or Spacemen 3. I know this sounds weired but give them a listen and you might agree with me. One of those new records that made fun to me and will be played in my house often this year.