A Hero's Death

 

One of Dublin's finest bands released during the last years a couple of years a few albums that are all still worth to listen. Fontaines D.C. were formed five years ago in Dublin as a post-punk band, they struck a chord that was ripe for a heavier sound. Their first album Dogrel is still a highlight of 2019 for me. With their second album they are more playful and open to other influences without giving up their driving and demanding style. The title track A Hero's Death is still a trademark of their sound, especially in the remixed version by Soulwax.

Fontaines D.C. - A Hero's Death (Soulwax Remix)

Monday's Long Song

 

Looking back in the history of this blog I can't believe that there was no one featuring Alabama 3 during the last years - not even when Jack Black died three years ago. This bug should be repaired quickly. In 1997 Alabama 3 released Exile On Coldharbour Lane a masterpiece in assembling country, blues and acid house to their very unique sound. If I would join any church then it will be their one.

Alabama 3 - Sister Rosetta

Twin Flame

 

In the days of mist and cold there could be a song by Weyes Blood from their new album the best opportunity to start into Sunday morning. Weyes Blood is the stage name of Natalie Mering and she is known as an indie-folk singer/songwriter. Sometimes compared with Joni Mitchel or if you like an exceeding Velvet's Nico she made records since a couple of years and is maybe known by a duet she done with Lana Del Ray a couple of years ago. Like many Californians she walks the folk path with her clear voice picking out the state of our world and love as central themes. on one song she moves away from acoustic guitars towards soft retro-drums an drum-computers for her rhythmic basic framework. A beautiful voice anyway and a sound you can drift away if it fits to you

The Way Love Used To Be

 

It seems like Andy Bell is in a highly productive phase these days. Since his fantastic album Flicker at the beginning of the year he released almost every second month a new EP. Now he surprised me with Untitled Films Still an EP with four songs originally released on soundtracks. I am grateful that he took a song by Ray Davis to cover. The Way Love Used To Be originally released on Percy soundtrack is one of these songs by The Kinks that was seldom played but in it's beauty it is one of Davis' highlights.

Another song Bell chosen for this EP is a song by Arthur Russel an American cellist, composer and producer who died 30 years before. I have to admit that this song was new to me and I don't know the movie Keep The Lights On where it is from. Anyway this version is one of those songs you can listen from the start until the end and start playing it once again. 

Wilko Johnson RIP

 

Just the news arrived that one of the greatest guitar player from the last decades sadly past by. CC over at Charity Chic Music wrote great last words about an artist that had an immense influence in modern guitar play. I always loved the way he played guitar and without him Dr. Feelgood wouldn't be the ones they were. Always angry and precise anyway. Now another great artist is gone and probably not the last one this year.

Rest easy Wilko

Red Desert

 

The Vacant Lots is a Brooklyn, NYC based post-punk, electronic duo that is active since a decade and made some albums that are far over the average. A few name them as the devisee of Suicide. But you can't compare them with the synth-punk pioneers Alan Vega and Mercury Rev although you can hear fragments of their sound in their music. They have also influences of New Order, Pet Shop Boy and Human League in their songs. Red Desert is a song that could appear on any album by Sonic Boom and this is astonishing because Peter Kember mastered a few of their albums.  

And Disintegration could be song that was played often when it was released 30 years earlier.

Monday's Long Song

 

Mogwai released their second album Come On Die Young back in 1999 as rock music was on the search to find itself. Eminem appeared with his Slim Shady EP, Red Hot Chilli Peppers released Californication, a hit album but for me one of their most uninspired albums and various US rapper tried to tell us their sorrows from the suburbs. And Mogwai, the post-rock band from Glasgow gave us one the albums of this year. Filled with melancholic guitar experiences that sometimes turned into destructive sound this album is still a classic and worth to be listened, especially in autumn, when it is cold and wet outside these songs show a warmth that other artists seldom reached.

Mogwai - Cody

Flintsone Rock

 

In the early 80's Bill Carter formed The Screaming Blue Messiahs a band that played music different to all the other bands that were around at this time. Grown up with pub rock and the energy of early punk they created their very own cosmos of rhythmic, blues influenced blues rock and a massive feedback sound. I really enjoyed them not only because they were fresh and powerful but they reminded me to Captain Beefheart the old Zappa lad that interpreted blues in a very special way as well. I can't explain why I came back to The Messiahs but listening to them brought back glory days to me. Maybe it is also because Carter played his guitar in a way less people did in this time and I can't remember anyone played an electric slide guitar.

The Screaming Blue Messiahs - Wild Blue Yonder

The Screaming Blue Messiahs - I Wanna Be A Flintstone

The Screaming Blue Messiahs raised from a band that borrowed their name by a song by Joe Strummer's 101ers. Motor Boys Motor showed on their only recorded longplayer the potential with a pre-version of Flintstone. And the cover of this album made me to buy it blind.

Motor Boys Motor - Drive Friendly

Plan B

 

These days the World Climate Conference takes place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. The leaders of the world and and many other politicians from all over the world debating about how we can stop the global warming. Since the last conferences all the politicians are just talking and no one is able and willing to stop the carbon sink since decades. This is one thing that makes me worrying about the next generations who have to bear our heritage. In the early 80's Plan B a band from Berlin appeared on the scene and became a little success when the were the support band for The Clash and The Ramones during their tour through Germany. Their first recording The Greenhouse Effect has repeatedly addressed issues such as environmental destruction and the consequences of false idols in their songs like in Beam Me Up, Scotty.

Plan B - Beam Me Up, Scotty

Their post-punk/new wave sound was played in many indie-discos at my place and especially Discontentment was one of these songs a lot of people could agree with.

Plan B - Discontentment

Monday's Long Song

 

The recent days when I made a backup of my hard-drive I found a song in the deepest corner that I have almost forgot. Quixote is the stage name of Scottish producer and DJ Alex Smoke and now living in London. He is known for minimal techno and electronic sound. This song is maybe his a forgotten gem with it's great bass line, electronic variations and the voice of Lisa Li-Lund.

Quixote - Before I Started To Dance (Prins Thomas Diskomiks)

Kristof Schreuf RIP

 

The sad news arrived that Kristof Schreuf died at the age of 59. Schreuf, born in Frankfurt was one of the leading figures of the so called Hamburger Schule, a post-punk sound from the early 90's and most of the bands were from Hamburg. He formed Kolossale Jugend a band that only released two albums but had a massive influence to German bands from the 90's. Like many other bands from this era they had a clear political left wing influenced attitude and their striking slogans were synonyms for many of us. I remember buying a t-shirt with Shut Up Germany. It was a statement to what happened Hoyerswerda, east Germany when neo-nazis lightened up an asylum-seekers home. Schreuf named his band after the debut of Young Marble Giants and Heile Heile Bouche was one of the soundtracks of the early 90's and their version of Talking Heads Heaven is still a great song.

Rest easy Kristof

 

Copper Blue

 

During the last weeks I developed an album that was released 30 years ago. In 1989 Bob Mould made a great album after Hüsker Dü split with Workbook under his own name. A few years later he formed with Sugar a new three piece band. Copper Blue was an unexpected highlight of this year. I seldom listened to an album later that had these intensive and emotional, powerful sound. This was the true legacy of Hüsker Dü and still a landmark in rock music from the 90's. Always a pleasure listen to him. 

Sugar - A Good Idea

Sugar - If I Can't Change Your Mind

Sugar - Where Diamonds Are Halos

Sugar - 

Monday's Long Song

 

In spring this year Matt Dunn released Disko Drohne an EP an uptempo dancehall inspired piece of music that now was remixed by various artists via Paisley Dark Records. Jesse Fahnestock made under his stage name 10:40 a rework that was inspired by The Doors early Stone Roses with sitars and leads you to a dark atmosphere on a cold November night.

Since I could not decide between two versions, here exceptionally a second song. This one is by Rude Audio and with more bleebs and beats and a bit brighter than Jesse's one.

Ride

 

In 1990 Ride appeared on the music scene as the new hot thing. Formed by vocalists and guitarists Andy Bell and Mark Gardener in Oxford they really made the sound of the year as they released during January and September 1990 three EP's in row. Soon they were filed under shoegaze a genre I didn't really understood what it should mean if I am honest. Now these EP's are going to be released again and you can get these masterpieces once again. Ride was a band I always agreed with even even though the musical minds of this band have increasingly disputed in their musical orientation. Starting with an untypical upbeat song like Chelsea Girl further songs like Close My Eyes show what potential Andy Bell has and that this was the basis of fantastic albums he gave us during the last years.

Disco Roots

 

A few years ago I purchased a compilation in a charity shop. When I was looking for something in my CD collection recently, I came across a compilation that I no longer knew I owned. The compilation is called Disco Roots 68-75 and filled with late soul and funky gems but also some songs that I wouldn't file under early disco. These songs are from bands that I would categorize as rock/jazz-rock bands. But all have one thing in common - a strong driving rhythm, accentuated guitar riffs and a throaty vocals. In this context you can name them as pre-disco sounding but after all this are classic songs from decades ago.

Chicago - I'm A Man

Doobie Brothers - Long Train Running

Dr. John - Right Place, Wrong Time

The Return Of Post-Rock

 

One of the most interesting and confusing albums I listened to during the last weeks was Paste by Moin. I don't know what moin means but in northern Germany it is a way to say hello in the morning time. As far as I know Moin is a side project by Tom Halstead and Joe Andrews probably known as the masterminds of electronic pioneers Raime. To describe their music is difficult and for me it is a mixture of post-rock with dub elements and spoken words. But this words are not all they also created a guitar based sound fantastic bass-lines and the drum-work by Valentina Magaletti that I would like to compare Tortaoise did decades ago. Paste is a raw and emotional experience where you can't grab the core of their ideas. An outstanding album where you can hear new nuances the more you listen to.

Love

 

In November 1967 Arthur Lee and several roommates of his community from Laurel Canyon have released their third album Forever Changes a classic album of the psychedelic era. To be honest they didn't got critical acclaim wen this album was released. Their version of Burt Bacharach's My Little Red Book from their first album was another but great song from the early hippie movement. Their sound changed completely when they recorded their third album. Most of the musicians were highly on drugs during the record sessions and Lee had to hire session musicians to finish the album. What makes this album different except their classic Alone Again Or? For me the mixture of folk rock, acid rock and psychedelic rock combined with strings and horns what was very experimental at these days. For me this album sounds a lot like Nick Drake, another artist that made the same musical experiences over the Atlantic ocean years later. 

Love - My Little Red Book

Love - Live And Let Live

Love - Alone Again Or

Love - Old Man