A few good times in my life
This month is almost done and a quarter of the year passed by and I ask myself where the time has gone. Still working since three months and less breaks are in sight. But I won't complain, the way it goes is alright for me. So let me present another new band I found this month. Pictish Trail is the project by Scotsman Johnny Lynch mixing weird synths, grungy guitars and harmonized vocals to a unique sound. For me a album that is worth to listen.
During the last weekend I couldn't resist to watch Quentin Tarantino's movie death proof once again. It is the story of mad stuntman Mike (Kurt Russel) who murders young women with modified cars. Like in every movie by Tarantino there is a bloody final but the main thing is always the conversations of the main actors. This conversations start moderate like many others and often drifting into obscurity. In most of his movies the soundtrack is superb. Combining old and well known songs from the past from different genres into a coherent music tape. Most of the first half of the movie was performed in a pub in Austin where the main actors were celebrating a birthday. And I always am astonished how great these songs work in the movie.
T. Rex - Jeepster
Dave, Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich - Hold Tight
Pacific Gas and Electric - Staggolee
And the legendary lap dance to the sound of The Coasters Down In Mexico
The recent days I found a file in the downs of my hard-drive that I've almost forgotten. It is a song by The Prefects, a punk band formed in 1976 in Birmingham by singer Robert Lloyd and brothers Alan and Paul Apperley on guitar and drums. They didn't released a record but got several appearances by John Peel and supported The Clash and The Buzzcocks and played with The Slits, The Fall and many others. I don't know where I got this file from but it shows very well the spirit and the energy of early punk. It is a tour de force of guitar and drums over nine minutes and shows that punk could be more than two minute songs full of energy. A few years later Lloyd formed The Nightingales where he had more success with.
The Prefects - The Bristol Road Leads To Dachau
There are less artists that accompanied me during the last decades and one of them was Reginald Kenneth Dwight better known as Elton John. Today he can celebrate his 75th birthday and looking back on an astonishing career. From the early days when he worked with Marc Bolan and Pete Townshend over his successful collaboration with Bernie Taupin he was always present in my musical education. And yes, I always had hidden fondness to him, his songs and voice.
Happy Birthday Sir.
After my isolation days I appeared yesterday the first time in the office. As usual nobody worked to fulfill my duties and I had a lot of emails to answer. This is nothing new to me and I won't complain because I will finish my logs during the next days. Yesterday we also had our works council election. After my first period I stood for a re-election and I was surprised that I was chosen once again. For me it was a great honor to represent the interests of the workforce again. But it is also a responsibility to the ones that voted me.
In 1970 Hawkwind released their first and self titled album after they got critical acclaim for their live shows. During the years Hawkwind created a totally unique sound between psychedelic, progressive and hard rock and they were one of the first bands that took a trip into space with their music. And not only because they were true to their sound many punk and post-punk band referenced to their name. Mirror Of Illusion shows also that they had a bit of folk influences in their sound.
Hawkwind - Mirror Of Illusion
We all know that Alex Paterson is still open for new collaborations and so it is not astonishing that walks on his new EP on a similar road Paul Simon did decades ago. Roland & Albert Meet The Orb Upcountry in Uganda is the result of a work with Belgian/Uganda musicians trying to connect Uganda rhythms and guitars with his electronic sounds. The result is nothing more or less a positive song spotted with guitar licks to start into a sunny Saturday.
When I look at other blogs, from time to time posts appear where the authors remember concerts that are long ago or have only recently taken place. I really enjoy what I can read and be a member of their memories and brings back memories from gigs I was part of. So it is an easy way to start a new little series about bands and concerts I had the pleasure to see.
In 1975 my parents allowed me to go for a concert with an older friend. We went to see Bachman-Turner-Overdrive in a bigger gym where usually local basketball teams used to play. In my younger days I wasn't aware that there was bands playing to support the main act. And this was the first time I saw Thin Lizzy in their original line-up. They impressed me much more than the main act because they had the power BTO never had. I remember that they played Suicide and The Rocker, two songs that would get one of their trademarks years later. These songs built the blueprint of hard rock and metal which got famous genres at my place when I moved myself to punk and new wave. And yes, Phil Lynott had a great physical presence on stage. Not in the way he had years later but I could see that he was the man behind this little great Irish band.
Thin Lizzy - Suicide
Thin Lizzy - The Rocker
Thin Lizzy - The Boys Are Back In Town
After one week of struggling with with Covid 19 it was the first day without symptoms. I didn't expected that this virus could keep me away from things I used to and stole my power for thing I used to to do easily. And today is the first day I can step out of my home although I only have to walk to the test center half a mile away. I can't describe the feeling going out again and take a walk.
London's tici taci label who brought us electronic highlights during the last years like Duncan Gray or The Long Champs have released the latest album by Staffordshire's DJ and producer Jack Butters. It is electronic dance floor music with a massive touch of a bluesy/country twang guitar and far better than many other new releases.
The first thing that came to my mind when I read the reviews of The Great Regression the debut album by Brighton's Ditz please not another hype of a post-punk band. When I listened to this album I have to say: yes, it is another album by a UK post-punk band - but what a fantastic one. Sure, this kind of music was made by The Idles or Foals before but not with a verve like this. This album has the abilities to get one of those guitar dominated albums you will find in several year's end lists. Beautiful white noise has not been heard on a current punk album for a long time, so well lubricated industrial rhythms also not. After all an album that will stand the test of time in this genre.
Kissed Again was first released as the closing track of Higher Love's label first sampler of Balearic inspired music half a year ago. Now Stockholm based DJ and producer Jesse Fahnestock is going to release this song under his alias 10:40. Great piano chords opens the song to join smooth electronic beats and acid house inspired sounds. For me a good way to start into a new week.
The recent days Jason Pierce released the third song from the upcoming Spiritualized album Everything Was Beautiful. A new Spiritualized album is always welcome at my place and a good opportunity to put on your headphones and drift away into space. And this song fulfills any expectations. As expected the song starts slowly and orchestras sounds join with tender howling guitars to another spaced out hymn.
Another year and another album by The Monochrome Set was released. Allhallowride was released a few days ago and the band is still led by singer/songwriter Bid and Andy Warren on bass. And they continue to play British guitar pop, atmospheric art rock combined with a great taste for melodies that leads to their unique sound. With this song they also added some folk to their sound and the result is nothing more or less another beautiful song by them. Not groundbreaking of course but still over average in pop music.
Since yesterday it was verified that I was infected by Covid 19 and that I have to stay isolated for the next ten days. I was vaccinated three times and I really don't know where I was attached with. Probably on my daily way to work in public transport system or at the office. I am as well as I could be and I really feel not much achiness except being tired all day and an oppressive feeling in my chest. So I think I will get out of these troubles with no aftermath. Thinking positive, one of the good things about isolation will be that I can read the books I wanted read since a long time and finally can clean my inbox from promotion mails. One of those mails I didn't open for a long time was the announcement of Tones Of The Sparrow the new album by California's The Asteroid No. 4. I featured them several times during the last years because they hold up the flag of UK shoegaze scene in the tradition of My Bloody Valentine, Ride and early Verve but with a more psychedelic side of this sound. Still worth to listen.
A few days ago the re-release of The Poems 2006 album Young Americans arrived at my place exactly when JC featured them on his series of Saturday's Scottish Song. The Poems were another band from Glasgow that made great pop songs. I like them because of their folk inspired songs and the beautyful voice of Kerry Polwart. The best music to cure me from a bad cold I have since a few days
There are bands you can trust to their sound for years. One of those are Bardo Pond, a psychedelic rock band from Philadelphia in 1991. Their earliest root lay with avant-garde noisemakers and New York's no wave movement. During the years they developed their sound into space rock but added their Hawkwind inspired sound with early krautrock like Amon Düül and experimental giants like My Bloody Valentine and Spaceman 3. Since 2000 they've released a numerically titled series of improvisation sessions in addition to their studio albums. Before is from their album Volume 1 and this song could be played on every live show by Mogwai.
Bardo Pond - Before
A few days ago I posted the first song from the forthcoming album by Michael Head and that made my decision easy to play some other albums by him. So I came back to Shack's in 2003 released album ...Here's Tom With The Weather. Shack was the band after he packed up with The fabulous Pale Fountains. He is one of those singer/songwriter that can make a great song by a simple one and this is shown on this album in a very good way. Echorich commented my post with the words possibly in UK, greatest songwriter and there is nothing more to say.
Shack - As Long As I Got You
Shack - Meant To Be
During the years he turned more and more into New Orleans sound where he found his musical home. Blues music with swampy roots became his trademark. I saw him several times live and the last concert was close to his death in 2009. He was stamped by pancreatic cancer and walked on stage with a walking stick to sit on a barstool smoking lots of cigarettes during the gig. But I was impressed about his phsysical presence during the concert. He played a lot of songs from his musical career in a wise I never heard before and after. With his passing 13 years ago we lost one of the greatest underrated artists.
Kismet is a synonym for a lot assigned to man by God, which he cannot escape but it is also the title of a new song by Michael Head and the Red Elastic Band. The first one he released from his forthcoming album Dear Scott that will be released end of May this year. Michael Head is one of those artists I follow during the last decades whatever he do or with the bands he was playing. From the start with The Pale Fountains over to legendary Shack and The Strand it seems he found his aim with The Red Elastic Band. With every band he was able to release great and timeless songs, well arranged and ones that never go out of fashion. I expect nothing groundbreaking by him - just another album of a couple of songs that I enjoy coming back from time to time.
In 1992 Ride released their first album Nowhere not knowing that they made their masterpiece. It was an album that stamped a genre. After this release shoegaze was in every ones mouth. I never could get firm with this genre because it had a somber mood in it's name. For me Ride wrote some of the best songs in the early 90's- Of course their songs are introspective but they all have a positive attitude. The main figure behind Ride was Andy Bell who formed this formidable band in 1988 in Oxford. Listening to their songs after a longer time again you can see the beauty in their songs. And also you can hear a lot of influences of post-punk era. Howling guitars, psychedelic moments, claiming bass-lines and the vocal harmonies by Andy Bell and Mark Gardener are the floor of great songs. If you need a few albums from this era - Nowhere should be one of them.
Ride - Vapour Trail
Ride - Paralysed
The late grunge shaman Mark Lanegan would have liked King Hannah's dark and world-weary gothic Americana music. Hannah Merrick, the songwriter of Liverpool's King Hannah reminds me of Hope Sandoval the voice of Mazzy Star a band that was featured almost 20 years ago for their introspective reduced blues sound. Hannah is the one who brings back the slow and reduced sound to nowadays music. It is of course not new or groundbreaking but a kind of music you can listen to and drift away.
Foolish Caesar could a have been appeared on any album by Bristol trip-hop album decades ago. A Well-Made Woman is one of those dark-noir blues songs a lot of band would die for. Their new album I Am Not Sorry, I Just Being Me is a dark beauty and one of those releases that can stand the time and probably will appear in several year's end list.
