Monday's Long Song

 

More and more Brighton's Higher Love Records get's the home of (new) Balearic music. Last week they released a new song by Kent's duo Puerto Montt City Orchestra and it is the perfect soundtrack for maybe the last hot summer days this year.

Tim Salter and Angus Murray still walk on the Balearic street but now they use real instruments. On this mid-tempo song a catchy bassline leads us through the song, a warm guitar takes over the melody and congas and bongos join in. Salter's daughter adds some spoken words about a family trip to the seaside. PMCO are getting better by any release. Looking forward what the future will bring.

New Song On Sunday

 

Wolf Alice are an English indie-rock band formed in 2010 as an acoustic duo by singer Ellie Rowsell and guitarist Joff Oddie. After a few years with less success they decided to perform as a real band. Since that time they got a lot of critical acclaim for their sound somewhere between indie-rock, folk, pop and shoegaze. 

This week they released the third single form their upcoming album The Clearing. And it seems that they developed their sound into another dimension. Drummer Joel Amey took over the lead vocals and Rowsell soprano is the backing voice. The song is built on an krautrock beat, 70's rock guitars and a little psychedelic touch. Sounds unbelievable but it works as a great single.

More Love From Outer Space

 

Sean Johnson is a phenomenon and a workhorse. When he's not busy DJing, he always finds time to work on new material in the studio. A few weeks ago, he released an EP under his moniker Hardway Bros.

Three new tracks and a remix fit seamlessly into ALFOS' musical concept. He creates an organic rave synth sound with pumping rhythms and basslines that sound like whip cracks. A short but intense and magnificent pleasure.

Singles Released This Week Years Ago

 

Another eclectic journey through music history with chart breakers and simply great songs.

1964: The Kinks

1967: The Small Faces

1986: The Pretenders

1971: James Taylor

1983: Stray Cats

1970: Bobby Bloom

1981: Greg Kihn

1968: The Band

1969: Creedence Clearwater Revival

1980: David Bowie

1980: The Clash

1994: Everything But The Girl

1983: The Fixx

1987: Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfield

Red Hot And Blue VI

 

We start this week with a band I didn't expected to appear on this pages. The War On Drugs is an American rock band formed in Philadelphia 20 years ago. I know that they got lots of critical acclaim but every time I listen to them I have the feeling that they have no own sound. Most of the songs show different influences and sound like their role models. Best example is Red Eyes that sounds like another song by Bruce Springsteen.

The War On Drugs - Red Eyes

There are few artists who survived the disco era and can still be listened to today without feeling embarrassed. Donna Summer is definitely one of them. Hot Stuff from 1979 is the crowning collaboration with Georgio Moroder and a highlight of this genre.

Donna Summer - Hot Stuff

I first became aware of Julian Casablancas when The Strokes released their album, which many people agreed on at the time. In 2009, he released his solo debut, and this album also exudes the same enthusiasm and energy that his main band had.

Julian Casablancas Out Of The Blue

Monday's Long Song

 

Almost exactly 36 years ago, Joe Strummer released his debut single with the Mescaleros. This song, written together with David Holmes after Strummer left The Clash, clearly shows where he wanted to see his musical home in the future.

Joe's debut album Rock Art and the Y-Ray Style reflects the spectrum of his musical influences, including African rhythms, folk, electronic club music, reggae and a little rock. To be honest, I didn't understand the lyrics to this song, but I assume it's about his favorite topic – freedom. In that respect, Yalla Yalla is a terrific song. Let's go.

Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros - Yalla Yalla

New Song On Sunday

 

Today's song comes from Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson aka CMAT, an Irish singer, songwriter and musician. As far as I know she is successful in making music since a couple of years. I got aware of her when she released EURO-COUNTRY the lead single from her upcoming new album. 

It is a kind of country-pop, with percussive beat and remarkable melodies. What makes the song extraordinary is that she denounces the injustices in Ireland in the early 2000s with her sweet voice. The boom in Ireland burst, houses stood empty, the economy collapsed and the number of suicides rose significantly. 

Packaging complex topics and socio-political discourse in such a way that they still sound extremely catchy and easy to digest. That's pop at its best.

Sixes And Sevens

 

Earlier this week the news arrived that a new album by John McKay was released, McKay was the leading figure behind Siouxsie and the Banshees and co-author of most of their songs. He was responsible for the band's dark and dangerous guitar sound.

He left the band in 1979 after their second album in order to focus on his own music. During the following years he recorded various songs but he never released an album. The tapes were stored at his home until they were retrieved and remixed last year.

The result is a journey through time that catapults you back to the late 1970's. The music is a logical progression from The Scream, the masterpiece by Siouxsie and the Banshees. He has a talent of playing the guitar like no one else. Not a guitar slinger like many others because he brought chords and rhythm to a unique sound that influenced many other band in the following years.