- True New Sound

It is only one week to work until I get my usual time-out over the turn of the year and I am looking back what music touched my soul this year. Making a list is difficult but I am sure I will finish it these days and present the result to you all. Listening to this years music I also got aware of music that I used to listen to 40 years ago. That is the cause I came back to one of the first and probably groundbreaking bands off early punk and pre-post-punk. Siouxsie and the Banshees were the project formed in 1978 by Siouxsie Sioux and Steve Severin under the influence of the very early punk movement. Their first album The Scream was one of those albums that lead me into a new kind of music. Weird sounds, somehow a bit of industrial, cold and without soul when you listen the first time to it were groundbreaking and influenced many other bands that referred to this sound. It is still a pleasure listening to them after all this years and getting goose bumps.

Siouxsie and the Banshees - Metal Postcard (Mittageisen)
Siouxsie and the Banshees - Jigsaw Feeling
Siouxsie and the Banshees - Suburban Relapes

A few years later she released probably one of the best ballads from these days.

Siouxsie and the Banshees - The Last Beat Of My Heart

Living On The Ceiling

Blancmange named by a sweet dessert is one of the earliest bands that tried the step to a new danceable sound in the late 70's/early 80's. With their synth-pop they climbed the charts and made some great pop songs. Sadly they were forgotten in musical history and I have to admit that I did the same. I seldom listened to their songs during the last years but in a sentimental mood I crawled back to them and I have to say that their songs are still over the average of many outputs by bands you could compare in these days.

Blancmange - Living On The Ceiling (Richard Norris Remix)

Powderfinger

40 years ago Neil Young released an album a lot of folks could agree too. Live Rust was probably the link from the punk and new wave addicted to the old school Rock 'n' Roll. This record was the swansong to the old times that were forgotten now that we had much more new and fantastic music to explore. It showed him at a top level to say good bye to the music he made for many years. From this time on he was a still companion to my musical education. A friend from my younger days that I don't want to miss.

Neil Young - Powderfinger

Monday's Long Song

Bert Jansch was a Scottish folk musician born in Glasgow and a forming member of Pentangle which got many critical acclaims for their unique combination of folk, jazz, blues and rock. Janscch was also one of the leading members of the early 60's British folk movement. He released Avocent for me one of his best albums 40 years ago and he showed me on this record how acoustic guitars can make a save and warm sound. You can call me retro but this a kind of music I will always listen to.

Bert Jansch - Avocet

Six Strings That Changed The World

A few days ago I saw a documentary about how the guitar affected music and history. Starting in the 20's of the last century when Woody Guthrie sung for the refugees in California with the machine that kills fascists over the folk scene in the 60's when Dylan first played electrical to Jimi Hendrix showed us the influence guitar had. And it ended in several revivals during the last decades when bands made music based on massive guitars. I take this to an occasion to feature some tracks from my younger days when the musical taste of many was focused on guitar slingers.

James Gang - Funk #49
Jeff Beck Group - Plynth (Water Down The Drain)
Tommy Bolin - Post Toastee

Matthew Keeps Me Pirrie

Another new and a bit obscure sound came to my ears a few days ago. Scottish DJ Denis Sulta released an EP with tracks he produced during the last years. The name of it Aye Spoake Te Sumwuhn & They Listenhd and the Bowie-esque cover invited me to give him a chance and listened. It is impossible to categorize the songs to only one genre. He is going to experiment with jittery drums, abrasive rhythms and warped tempos. This one is one of the straightest songs. A fine house track with chunky basslines and deep beats. Worth to be heard.

Rev It Up

The last days in office were horrible because I have to finish some works until I will have my usual break at the end of the year. Lot's of work was put on my shoulder that should be finished before I got the order. So it is normal that I come home after an almost ten hour shift quiet tired and I just want to sit, relax and listen to some music that makes my finish my day. At this times I often stand in front of my records and don't know which one to pick out to listen to. The recent days I found a record from 1988 that I didn't listen for ages. It was the second album by Jerry Harrison Casual Gods. Harrison is famous for playing guitar and organs with Talking Heads and he didn't got the critical acclaim he should have. Listening to this album once again he shows me that he is able to write and produce great songs. Casual Gods is not the highlight of the late 80's but an album that stood the test of time. I enjoyed listening to these superb songs after a very long time.

Jerry Harrison - Rev It Up
Jerry Harrison - Man With A Gun

Memphis Blues Again

There were many blues men that tempted blues rock to the music that we used to listen for long times. I could name many but today I would like to use just one artist that was underrated for many years in history. Bo Diddley was a link for me from classic electric blues to what we heard in the early 60's until now. He played the guitar like none before and after. A musician based in the the tradition of original blues and inspired many artists ages later. Bo Diddley played a guitar between lead and rhythm and it was great and inspiring. I got back to an old compilation a few days ago and was surprised how fresh his music sounds today. Timeless.

Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley - Who Do You Love
Bo Diddley - I'm A Man

Interplanetary Mind Travel

One of the most obscure albums this year was released by Dream Division, the stage name of London based producer Tom McDowell and named Transcend. It is a weird travel into space like seldom before. McDowell invites us with his soundtracks that could work on various horror movies by John Carpenter to follow his way. Not the usual way I go but a sound I couldn't detract from and it was a a complete record I used to play various times during the last days. If you will name an album spaced out this year this will be one of those you can name.

Monday's Long Song

After the split of Edinburgh's fine punk/new wave beat band The Rezillos a few members formed The Revillos to celebrate their very own kind of a new wave incarnation of surf and Rock 'n' Roll. They didn't released much music regular. As far as I know beside a regular album only a compilation a few years ago. Now they released another compilation of outtakes and rarities. This one is one of their longer songs - a psychedelic trip starting as another surf inspired tune that turns into a fuzz and feedback inferno. Great stuff.

The Revillos - Hellbent (entering Psychosis by the Back Door)

Mountains And Waterfalls

Earlier this year Sally Rogers and Steve Jones aka A Man Called Adam released their last superb album Famarama. It was an album knowing no borders between lo-fi disco, deep house, dub and breakbeat. Most songs were full of melodies and it was an album I often went back since it's release. Now they released a remix-album with four of their songs that show how great these songs are. Not a bad way to start into a rainy Sunday.

Up On Cripple Creek

During these days many albums were re-released as anniversary editions. If you need necessarily need to purchase shouldn't be the question. The main thing for me is to remember when I listened the first time to those records and if it is worth to come back to them once again. In September 1969 The Band mixture of Canadian and American musicians released their self titled second album. Some of knew them as the backing band of Bob Dylan and probably from The Weight a song featured on Easy Rider. In my very younger days it was very unusual to listen to country music in any characteristic and some of had a hidden spot on this music. For me The Band were the link to other country music for me and this record is still worth to come back to it because of the great songs and the superb vocals and harmonies they had.

The Band - Up On Cripple Creek
The Band - King Harvest (Has Surely Come)
The Band - The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down