Frozen In Time

 

The meteorological summer ends today, although another heatwave has been announced for next week. I normally associate soul music more with autumn and spring, when it's cold and rainy outside and soul can warm the soul. So it is all the more surprising that an album has been released these days that is so retro and holds the flag of blue eyed soul high.

So it's all the more surprising that Los Yesterdays is a band from Los Angeles presenting a debut album that is deeply rooted in rhythm and blues. Responsible for this are Gabriel Rowland and Victor Benavides, who spice up their songs with acoustic Mexican guitars, but this does not detract from the songs.Frozen In Time is a coherent album that loses itself in the glamour of years gone by, is in tune with the times and sounds like something from another era. They themselves call it a new soul record built for old souls. I couldn't describe it any better. 

India And On Down To Australia

 

I didn't expect to hear anything from Laurie Anderson worth mentioning in these pages. Not that I don't appreciate the work of the performance artist, but since Oh Superman in the 80's I can't think of any songs that I can remember. Now Anderson is back with an album in which she focuses on the life and work of Amelia Earhart.

In her era, Earhart was probably what today would be described as an ‘it girl’ or influencer - with the difference that she had a real track record: born in 1897 in the US state of Kansas, Amelia Earhart refused to accept the conventions and gender-specific constraints of the time as a woman even as a teenager and became an icon with her record-breaking flights in the 1930's - not only in aviation, but also as a pioneer for the emancipation of women. 

The album is essentially about her last flight in which she wanted to circle the earth along the equator, but she did not succeed and was considered lost over the Pacific since 1937. Together with a Czech orchestra, Anderson has set radio messages, diary entries and telegrams to music. Rarely have spoken words and an orchestra dominated by cello entered into such a warm symbiosis as on this piece. If the rest of Amelia is just as good, it is likely to be an album that you will return to again and again.

Signing Off

 

44 years ago on this day Birmingham's UB 40 released their debut album Signing Off. They selected their name in reference to an attendance card issued to people claiming unemployment benefits from the UK government. UB 40 were in their early days a political band like many others in the early 80's who raised their voices against the Thatcher government. Their first album was musically significant in that they integrated reggae and especially elements of dub and brass into their sound. It was probably not only me that this mixture made me dive deeper into Jamaican music and discover greats like Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry. Even after decades, Signing Off is an album that I can listen to in one go and still discover little things.

UB 40 - Tyler

UB 40 - Madame Medusa

UB 40 - Signing Off

UB 40 - King

Music For Houseworks

 

I have already mentioned several times that I am not a big fan of radio programmes. But from time to time I treat myself to this to make some housework more bearable.  Recently, an Austrian radio station ran a long feature about new female groups. I was amazed at how many new bands there were that needed to be talked about.

First of them are eat-girls, a post-punk band from Lyon, France. Their sound embraces pop, post-punk, kraut, minimal synths and some dub and their vocals remind me Kim Gordon, Flying Lizards and a bit of Siouxie. 3 Omens has also a hypnotic beat that you cannot escape. Chapeau.

Girlband! are a three piece female band from Nottingham and shows some rebellious girls. Starting their alternative rock as another DIY-band, playing at private house concerts until the police came and stopped them. Nothing more than another Courtney Love inspired music but fresh, charming and on a high indie-pop niveau.

Old Men Rise Up

 

Few things are as reliable as the regular release of a new album by Kungens Män, a psychedelic band from Stockholm. Active since 2012 they steady releases records bringing back the atmospher of the late 70's. Their space sound mostly evolve into psychedelia and Krautrock. Starting with a hypnotic bass line and adding good guitar work and solid drumming to their sound. For me it is always a pleasure to listen to a kind of music that seems to have stood the test of time. Gubbar Reser Sig means old men rise up and it seems that they can lough about themself.

Monday's Long Song

 

At the beginning of the 80's, the concert scene in my neighbourhood was completely different. Almost every week, a different band from the new wave scene played in Stuttgart and the surrounding area and I was spoilt for choice as to which concert I should go to. This changed fundamentally about 15 years ago, when taxes and regulations made it almost impossible for promoters to hire young up-and-coming bands from abroad for a reasonable profit. 

With this in mind, I still think back to that time when I listen to records from that era. In the spring of 1983, I was able to see Big Country in a small club when they presented their debut album The Crossing live. The concert was fantastic and Stuart Adamson created their unmistakable sound somewhere between folk, new wave and bagpipes with his guitar.

When I went to the bar during the concert to buy another beer, I met a work colleague who invited me to join him and his friends in the lounge. Without further ado, I decided to accept his offer without knowing who I was going to meet. Several musicians and representatives of their record company were sitting at the table and I was introduced to Peter Schilling (yes - Major Tom). A nice guy who was great to talk to. 

After the concert, as I was about to head home, the band joined us at our table and I had the chance to have a little chat with Adamson in my broken English. He was very friendly, but also very reserved and rather shy and there was no sign of the demons that would eventually cost him his life. 

Big Country - Porrohman

New Song On Sunday

 

I have always had great respect for artists who get involved in social projects, even if this rarely results in anything great musically. Some time ago, Massive Attack and Edinburgh's Young Father joined forces and released ceasfire together with Fontaine's D.C.. An EP on which all proceeds are to be donated to Doctors Without Frontiers, a worldwide association of doctors who alleviate the greatest need in the current crisis and war zones. Musically, the result is a trip-hop track that I wouldn't have expected. Piano chords break through the slow groove of Give, where spoken words take centre stage. The song, which could easily have been written by Sault, is convincing and had me pressing the play button again and again.

Grace

 

It's been 30 years since Jeff Buckley released his only studio album and he hasn't lost any of his brilliance since then. In the broadest sense, it is alternative rock with long, quiet passages in which Buckley's voice spans several octaves and often ends in falsetto. What makes this record exceptional is the intensity with which he performs his songs, most of which are about loss. As he didn't have enough of his own songs for a complete album, the record also includes cover versions such as Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen. His version is based on John Cale's interpretation, but the way he performs it with a reduced rhythm and his extraordinary voice gives us an idea of what other masterpieces we could have expected had he not died far too early.

Romance

 

The recent days the fourth album by Dublin's Fontaines D.C. arrived and I was curious which road they would go. The first single, Starburster, released weeks ago and already hinted at a departure from their typical post-punk attitude. When I first listened to it, I had the impression that they didn't know which direction they wanted to go in - their songs were too different. In In The Modern World they still play with pomp and created a song that is unique with its chorus, in Motorcycle Boys they play quiet passages with a subtle piano in the background and finally in Favourite they show what a good guitar song should be like. All in all an album that doesn't disappoint and grows the more you listen to it.

Daylight

 

Last year Sean Dickson aka HiFi Sean and David McAlmont surprised with Heavy Ending a bunch of electronic pop beauties. Now they are rapidly back with another album and the next one is planed to release next winter. People say that the second album is more different if the first on is critical acclaimed. To avoid standing still and repeating themselves, both have developed their style further by incorporating elements of 90's house, synth-pop, gospel and soul into a sugary sweet sound. Above all, however, is McAlmont's soulful voice, which never makes a song seem boring. A good album on which they show that they are far more than just poor man's Pet Shop Boys.

Rough Mix

 

When we were young, we regularly went to a mountain hut in Austria as a football team for a long weekend in autumn. We could rarely decide on a style of music to play during the trip and decided that everyone should make a tape that didn't include punk, jazz or metal. The majority of my tape contained Pete Townshend's latest album. Rough Mix is one of these albums showing two great musicians doing their very own thing not looking for big success. Pete Townshend was the leading figure from The Who and Ronnie Lane bass player by Small Faces/Faces. Townshend asked Lane to produce this album but over time it became more of a joint album combining the influences of both groups. It goes without saying that there are no really bad songs on it. The basic mood is relaxed and many songs sound as if they were recorded around a campfire in the evening. Both artists wrote the best song from the autumn in their career and it ends with a superb version of a Don Williams song. 

Love Makes Magic

 

During the last days I listened a lot to late 60's West Coast sound, especially CSN&Y, Byrds  and Buffalo Springfield. While I was listening to these songs, an album came to mind that I had wanted to say a few words about here for some time. Just over a year ago JIM released his first full length album Love Makes Magic. JIM is the project of Nottingham's producer and DJ Jim Baron. He was the forming member of Crazy P. an electronic project mixing in the mid 90's soul, house and disco to a never heard this way cocktail. Since a couple of years he walk another road an rebuilt the sound of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Similar harmonies, superb fingerpicks on the guitar and a smooth backbeat that drifts in it's best moments to Balearic. 

Earlier this year JIM released a remix-album of many of the songs, showing what could be possible, if the controllers are free of constraints.

Monday's Long Song

 

Last week JC featured Quando Quango over at The (new) Vinyl Villain and I asked myself where I had something from them in my collection. After a longer time of searching I found in the furthest corner of my collection a CD from 2008. Disco Not Disco is a collection of post-punk/new wave disco tracks all of them now classics in this genre. In the late 70's no wave established in New York on ZE-Label. They tried in the tradition of new wave to create their own vision of dancefloor. On of the label's leading acts were James White and the Blacks. Their first album Off White and later Buy arrived a few years later in our record shops in Germany and me and some friends were fascinated from this funk and groove with a crazy saxophone and played it often when we were DJing in our local pub. Contort Yourself was in the original a faster played one and they thought it wouldn't work on the floor. So their label-mate August Darnell, who later worked together with Kid Creole, reworked this song. This version is still a classic of this music as well as most of the other songs on this compilation.

James White and the Blacks - Contort Yourself (August Darnell Remix)

New Song On Sunday

 

Summer is slowly coming to an end, the hottest days of the year are over and, as every year, when autumn is just around the corner, new albums are announced. This is also the case with Bright Eyes, who have announced their new longplayer for next month and released a second song from it this week. Initially, I was enthralled by their often melancholic songs with a strong tendency towards playful country-folk, but in the last few years Conor Oberst has been heavily involved with guitars and synthesizers to expand his sound. 

A Firmer Hand

 

Hamish Hawk was one of the discoveries of the last few years when he released two excellent albums. Today he is releasing his new album and after listening to it for the first time, it can be said that he has once again delivered an album that is far above the average for singer-songwriters. Hawk has always had a penchant for dark and personal songs and continues to do so, moving more into the indie-rock vein in some songs. He also doesn't shy away from the dance floor in Big Cat Tattoos, which reminds me of Heaven 17 from the 80's. All in all, an album that is varied and catchy at the same time and will definitely be on my year-end list.

We Have Donuts

 

Back in 2016 I was lucky enough to see Ryley Walker live in a small venue in a town a few miles away from my hometown. Walker was the one that brought back the the late 60's/early 70's when singer/songwriter explored the boundaries of folk music and at times crossed them. His music remind me of the best moments of Nick Drake or Tim Buckley and the way he plays the guitar reminds me of Bert Jansch. His songs are mostly in acoustic guitar territory, but he can incorporate both psychedelic and jazz elements. I prefer the acoustic songs where he can show what an exceptional guitarist he is. In the last few days he has released Bozo In Big Smoke a live album that reflects the mood and very well.

The Low End Theory

 

At the beginning of the 90's, more and more new sounds came over from the other side of the Atlantic. Bands like Beastie Boys, De La Soul or Jungle Brothers used to sample fragments of songs and included them into their hip hop sound. It seemed like any other music is gone and this kind of sound will rule the future. Glad that it didn't happened in this way but this genre developed well and still got it's corner in music. For me New York's A Tribe Called Quest were those who made an outstanding album with The Low End Theory back in 1991. Their trademarks are a massive bass and a laid-back jazzy atmosphere with steady grooves. Their masterpiece is now re-released and still worth to be listened from time to time.

A Tribe Called Quest - Excursion

A Tribe Called Quest - Check The Rhime

A Tribe Called Quest - Scenario

Reset Goes Mariachi

 

How great an album is is often shown by how the individual songs are developed. Sonic Boom and Panda Bear released Reset exactly two years ago, for me one of the best records of this year. Since then they released a remix of this album and a dub version as well. Both great in their ways. Now they surprised with a release of two songs in mariachi versions. They translated two songs into Spanish and re-recorded them in Mexico with a local mariachi band. The result are two new songs for me. Of course the songs are based on the originals but the instrumentation with guitars, trumpets and violins have completely turned the basic orientation on its head. I have to admit that I love the mariachi sound from time to time and so I can't say anything bad about these versions. Viva.

Monday's Long Song

 

Last week Jezebell, the stage name of American DJ and producer Jesse Fahnestock, released a re-work of his song Dancing (Not Fighting) to celebrate the Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer. It is a drum-computer developed around 1980 in Japan. The TR-808 is mostly used in the electronic dance music which made it possible to produce very powerful sounds in the bass range. It is also possible to add bassdrums, hi-hats, snares and handclaps to a song. This all is shown at this rework and it is another example of Jezebell's feelings for great songs. Sometimes the vocals reminds me of Snap and I Got The Power but this no blemish. 

New Song On Sunday

 

The Beaches are a Canadian rock band and since ten years on stage. Last year they released their last album Blame My Ex, a very nice one filled with energetic power-pop songs. The recent days they showed up with a non album single Takes One To Know One, nothing more or less than a good mood song that fits perfectly to the hottest time of the year with an indie guitar riff and a pulsating beat.

Deceased Persons

 

When I was doing some research on the Internet over the past few days, I realized that today is the anniversary of the deaths of two personalities who are inextricably linked to music. On 10 August 2008, Isaac Hayes died of a stroke at his home in Memphis just two weeks before his 66th birthday. Hayes was a soul musician who wrote several chart breakers for Sam & Dave and worked as a member of Bookter T. and the MG's with Otis Redding and Wilson Picket. In 1969 he released his debut Hot Buttered Soul not knowing that this record was his masterpiece. With his distinctive bass-baritone voice and his spoken words I will call him a forerunner of rap and hip hop.

Isaac Hayes - Walk On By

One year earlier on this day Tony Wilson, a British record label owner, radio and TV presenter, nightclub manager and impresario passed away after he suffered a longer time on cancer. Without him Factory records and Hacienda nightclub didn't exist. Manchester's music scene is impossible without him.

Thin Air

 

It is always worth to give a listen to a new release by Bristol Archive Records. They are known as the label that features various Bristol music from the 80's and their compilations of Bristol punk, new wave and reggae were extraordinary great and shows what a vibrant scene there was. From time to time they also release records by solo artists. This happened yesterday once again when they released a retrospective by Thin Air, a band that was originally featured on a mod sampler by BAR a few years ago. And it is another gem of a forgotten band. Thin Air stand in the tradition of mod and power pop. Formed in 1982 they only existed a few years but the song writing talent of the leader Paul Sandrone was far over the average and could be compared to Paul Weller or Elvis Costello. I can't understand why they didn't got big because many of their songs are ace and many of other bands would die for.

Montezuma's Revenge

 

Montezuma's revenge [named after the Aztec ruler Montezuma II, who was killed by the Spanish around 1466-1520], is a traveller's diarrhoea and a curse of the Aztec ruler as revenge that all those who travel through South America are said to suffer. Montezuma's revenge is also a German music band by Christian Panneburg and Jan Schulte active since about ten years. In 2016 they had a collaboration with krautrock guitarist Dominik Von Senger and they released a self titled EP. The result is nothing more than a forgotten gem of Can inspired motorik beats, with dubby bass and psychedelic guitar licks by Von Senger. 

Montezumas Revenge & Dominik Von Senger - Guten Morgen Bromio

Montezumas Revenge & Dominik Von Senger - Tangerine

Drone Logic

 

In 2013 Daniel Avery released his debut album Drone Logic. I have to admit that techno wasn't the road I usually walked and I've always been suspicious when a new album is praised to the skies. Of course I knew something about electronic music (especially from the Café del Mar compilations from the mid 90') but this song blew me away. A decidedly sober acid jam and so incredibly attractive precisely because of the restraint it displays. I can say that this record opened my ears for a lot of other electronic music that I could develop during the following years.

Feats Don't Fail Me Now

 

In August 1974 Little Feat released their fourth album Feats Don't Fail Me Now. It wasn't their best one but I still remember the day when I bought it. From 1979, I had to do my military service for 15 months. One day when I was at home for weekend the news arrived that one of the oldest discotheques in our town will close down and they will sell all of them records. The location was more a pub than a discotheque were me and a friend often went to because they didn't mind to sell beer to teenagers like us and they had a turntable where they played music. This place was heavily frequented by American soldiers and late hippies and we were introduced to psychedelic rock, funk and soul. It was the first time I listened to James Brown, Marvin Gaye and The Temptations on the one side and to Little Feat and comparable bands. The pub had a bad reputation because it was known as a marijuana distribution centre. And so I experienced more than one raid by the American military police. Nevertheless, it was a meeting place for us youngsters and I have seen older friends taking pictures, chairs and glasses as souvenirs with tears in their eyes on the last day. Amongst other albums, I was also able to purchase the Little Feat album, which I still enjoy listening to today, along with sentimental feelings.

Little Feat - Feats Don't Fail Me Now

Little Feat - Skin It Back

Little Feat - Spanish Moon

Little Feat - Oh Atlanta

Monday's Long Song

 

Our house has been covered in scaffolding for a few weeks now, as the façade and the wooden window frames need to be replaced. I admire the guys who have to do this hard physical labour in temperatures of well over 30 degrees Celsius. To make it easier for them, they listen to music from a portable player while they work. I would have expected to have to listen to a lot of mainstream music and was surprised to hear harder sounds from the scaffolding. As well as Pavement, they also played a song by TRAAMS, an indie rock band from West Sussex, active since more than ten years. Their musical influences reach from early Television to the motorik beats of Kraftwerk. A House On Fire is a nearly nine minutes tour de force of highstrung beat, pounding bass and simple guitar riffs that takes a leading guitar to excursions and feedbacks.

TRAAMS - A House On Fire

New Song On Sunday

 

Today's song is an appetizer from the new upcoming album by Bristol's Porridge Radio a band that is active since ten years. During the years they got lots of critical acclaim and were often named as a band you have to look for. To be honest, I know several songs by them and none of them is worse but I forgot them after listening to. Porridge Radio are also named as a good live band and yes, after watching this video, recorded at Centre Pompidou, Paris earlier this year I have to admit. Of course it is another song about overcoming heartache but the way Dana Margolin shouts out her frustration is impressive and worth to be featured at this place.

Gramercy Riffs

 

I started typing some words about the release of Dirt Bogarde's debut album when I realized that our friend Adam reviewed Love, Sweat and Beers already. He exactly described the music of Dirt Bogarde and probably better than I can. There is nothing more to add that this album is a highlight in electronic music this year and more than worth to give him a listen.

Ride A Cloud

 

Since The Woodentops released their latest album Fruits Of The Deep I listened a lot to this. I have to admit that I was a huge fan to them since I first saw them live in the mid 80's because their music was so different to many others in this era. During the last years Rolo McGinty only released several songs or reworked others. All these releases are stamped by massive Balearic beats and mood. A few days ago I discovered Ride A Cloud a song from last year remixed by Nottingham's DJ/producer Coyote. Another example for McGinty's ability of writing fantastic songs. A superb song with reduced rhythm, an acoustic guitar and a flow that could take you to a faraway beach somewhere.

 

Thomas Fehlmann

 

This Monday Khayem over at the excellent Dubhed posted a video by the Orb. There was a short appearance by Thomas Fehlmann on the decks. Watching this I thought it is necessary to look back at his career. Fehlmann is a 1957 born Swiws composer/producer and lived in the early 80's in Hamburg studying arts. He was there when in 1981 in Germany post-punk turned into new wave (not that stupid, horrible but mass-compatible NDW) and was founding member of Palais Schaumburg and overlooked new wave band. They were one of the first experimentalize with electronics, drum computers and funk to create a new kind of genre. At least they were a kind of prototype of the upcoming electronic dance-floor scene. This songs might sound strange and weird but listening several times you might see how many ideas Thomas Fehlmann and Holger Hiller (the other head of PS) included in this sound.

After two years the band was history and they disbanded because they couldn't commit on a way, every member could agree with. Fehlmann moved to Berlin and soon became a permanent fixture in the burgeoning club culture. Not least because he was part of the line-up of British rave pioneers The Orb from 1990 after meeting Alex Paterson. In 2007 he released Honigpumpe, for me his masterpiece. One of those records you can dive in and get lost in it. A journey into electronic sounds where Fehlmann leads us with his magic fingers on the rulers into another musical spheres. In the best times you can imagine that a DJ switch later in the evening playing Schaum in a club of your choice.