A few good times in my life
One of the most productive artists today in electronic music is Daniel Avery. After his superb collaboration with Alessandro Cortini he released in spring a handful of EP's, singles and remixes he is now back with a new album. Together In Static was planed as another 12-inch but soon turned into a complete album full of synth-laden ambient with pulsing beats. Hazel and Gold sounds sometimes like early Aphex Twin having a session with Boards of Canada. Another high class record from Mr. Avery.
33 years ago Sonic Youth released their masterpiece Daydream Nation in alternative music from the 80's. They started as another band from the no-wave and noise corner in New York and soon showed that Thurston Moore, Lee Ronaldo and Kim Gordon are much more than average. Daydream Nation was their finalization of alternative rock before they moved to a major label. This album is still played at my home when I am in mood for great guitar music from the post new wave era and Teenage Riot is the best example how great music was made at these times-
Anders Trentemøller is back with a few new songs after a couple of new songs as well as the Danish team in the European championship. With his new songs he move back to his early influences like Joy Division or Slowdive. Shaded Moon starts like an outtake of a session by Joy Division and The Cure with a deep tuned bass and moves towards pulsating synths. An unexpected and superb return by him and one of the best songs this year so far.
It was in the early 70's when two brothers from Los Angeles appeared on the scene. Ron and Russel Mael came to play their very own kind of glam rock and I have to admit that I didn't heard something like this before or after. Inspired by British bands like The Kinks, The Move and early Pink Floyd when Syd Barrett was their mastermind they made their masterpiece with their art-pop sound album Kimono My House from 1975. With their songs they were pre-punk, new wave and early synth-pop and had a massive influence to many bands and singers of the new wave era. This footage is an almost 15 minutes live appearance in the monthly show Musikladen. Love to see them after a long time and remembering a great and almost forgotten band.
A few weeks ago Kelly Lee Owens released some reworks of songs from her latest album Inner Song. I like Kelly Lee because she never made a record that is dull or not worth to listen a second time. She also is able to create something new on things she did once. So I was surprised to hear that John Cale appeared on a song on Inner Song. Now it is out as a rework by London based musician and DJ Coby Sey. The vocal reminds me to the late albums by Gil Scott-Heron talking over a skittering drum workout but it is fascinating.
One of the oldest American folk songs is Man Of Constant Sorrow first recorded by a blind fiddler from Kentucky. Since then many artists made versions of this song. The probably best known version was by Bob Dylan released on his first album almost 60 years ago. This song appeared on my mobile phone a few days ago on my way to the office in a version by Rod Stewart. He also made a version on his first album and I almost forgot how great his version was when he was a kind of lad next door.
Rod Stewart - Man Of Constant Sorrow
In 2000 the song appeared on the soundtrack of the Coen brothers movie Oh Brother, Where Art Thoug their homage to Homer's Greek poem The Odyssey. It is also one of my favorite movies of all time because it is one of the few movies that transports a classic poem into the time of great depression with a superb atmosphere showing the South of the United States.
Alessandro Cortini is well known as a part of Nine Inch Nails and for me during the last years by his collaboration with Daniel Avery released his second solo album Scuro Chiaro the recent days. Bright and dark is the perfect translation/description of his album. There are short songs with a kind of dark vibe in it and there are dark songs like Nessumo that sounds like they were from behind a wall of fog evoking a kind of slow-motion panic. The songs as far as I heard yet are not easy to listen to but the more I listen to them and it's somber mood the more I like them.
Last week the new album by Rose City Band arrived at my home. Ripley Johnson's side project beside of Mood Duo and Wooden Shjips captivates me every time I listen to it. Even if you're not into Americana or desert music his pearling guitar licks makes you feel like you arrived at a common place. Earth Trip is similar to the other albums and present nothing new or groundbreaking - just a kind of music you can listen to at a campfire close to the beach. You might call it retro but I love this music right now for a start into a new era after hard days of social distances.
Irmin Schmidt, the last living member of Can is going to release lost live recordings from Can during the next months. The first one he released was a full concert from 1975 in Stuttgart. I remember that some older friends would like to take me to this concert but my parents didn't allowed because it took place in the middle of the week. And now I am able to listen what I missed. Can moved at this evening away from their early works and drifted into long and inspired jams. The quality is more than acceptable for a better bootleg and shows the magic of their sound. Excellent stuff and still worth to listen even after almost 50 years.
James Lavelle established UNKLE back in 1994 together with his class-mate Tim Goldsworthy as a stage for his own kind of electronic music. The press stamped this sound as trip-rock a mixture of unhealthy string harmonies, sluggish rhythms, driving guitar riffs and intimidating, melancholic melodies. Covid 19 brought him back to studio last year and he released a few weeks ago his latest song If We Don't Make It, a song with it's trippy mood could be the soundtrack for the meteorological summer that starts today.
