A few good times in my life
Anna Calvi continues her collaboration with various artists. After releasing her highly successful collaboration with Perfume Genius some time ago, it was obviously inevitable that she would team up with Iggy Pop for a song.
The result sounds more perfect than one could have imagined. Iggy conducts a destructive inner monologue in the background, while nervous guitars, driving drums, and Calvi's raw presence provide a counterpoint in the foreground. Well done.
This week's edition is stamped by songs that climbed high in the charts during the 80's in Germany. The first one is by Peter Gabriel from his debut album after he left Genesis. I've always liked his early songs, especially when Kate Bush sings the backing vocals.
Centerfold by J. Geils Band is as far as I know the only big hit in the.ir career and played in every suburban disco in these days
Supertramp were one of those bands in the 80's I couldn't listen any more. They were so rooted in the past musically that, despite some good hooks and because they were played to death on the radio at the time, I couldn't listen to them anymore.
The Sea And Cake is a Chicago-based band whose music can be described as jazz-influenced post-rock that incorporates electronic elements into its arrangements. Singer and guitarist Sam Prekop and bassist Eric Claridge start a new musical project together after their band Shrimp Boat breaks up, bringing in Tortoise drummer John McEntire to join them.
And in the broadest sense, their music follows in their footsteps. Jazz-influenced post-rock with a healthy dose of pop. Floating guitars dominate the elaborate compositions, which always sound extremely relaxed and unexcited. With their debut, The Sea and the Cake recorded a powerful debut album that set a milestone for this type of music, which still sounds fresh even after several decades.
The Sea And The Cake - Polio
The Sea And The Cake - Flat Lay The Water
The Sea And The Cake - Showboat Angel
The Sea And The Cake - Choice Blanket
Last Friday, I announced Variations For The Weekend, a possible new series. In the meantime, I've thought about it and will continue it as a loose series based on cover versions. The intention is that when I come across a cover version, I listen to the original and, if necessary, the entire album again and write a few words about it. JC was concerned that there might not be too many cheerful songs in the series—I can disagree with that.
Last week LA's Flying Mojito Bros, a couple of DJ's who regularly take on classics of the West Coast sound and transform them into funky dance numbers in a grandiose way released an old number by Tony Joe White.
At this point, I usually present extended songs that I have dug out of my archive. It is rather unusual for a new song to appear here, but in the case of Midding, I am very happy to make an exception. Midding is a five-piece band from Cardiff who released their first EP last Friday. On the five tracks, they celebrate a feverish brew of echoing guitars, their own interpretation of psych and noise rock. The fact that their dark sound still leaves room for melodies is all the better. A new band whose progress you should definitely follow.
Today's song comes once again from our neighbors in Austria. Cousins like Shit essentially consist of two cousins in real life, Hannah and Laura Breitfuß, who have been touring with their avant-trash music for several years now. On their new single, they don't break new ground with their stomping rhythms, indie riffs, and restrained vocals, but they have written another song about lost love that becomes more enjoyable with every listen. Indie pop as it should be.
A few days ago, I was sitting with one of my oldest friends. As always, we talked about all sorts of things and ended up discussing the global economic situation, which is becoming increasingly unstable. The creation of a new world order by the orange-haired man on the other side of the Atlantic is bringing creeping inflation, at least here in Germany, while the erosion of social standards due to employers' demands and the increasing number of bankruptcies and unemployment are leading to ever greater poverty among the population. Finally, I asked Wolfgang what song comes to mind when he thinks of poverty and homelessness. He immediately thought of an old song from our youth by Ralph McTell.
For my part, a song by Belfast singer/songwriter David McWilliams came to mind. Both songs vividly illustrate where impoverishment can lead.
This could be the start of a new series - who knows.
The second installment of this short series begins with a song that took the charts by storm 40 years ago. Jangly guitars, a great melody, and the whistling at the end of the song made this one of the best pop songs of the year.
For those who don't know, Gilbert O'Sullivan is an Irish singer/songwriter who had several hits in the early 70s. Among them is Claire, which begins with whistling. Some might say that it's light music, but I liked his voice even back then.
Finally, a one-hit wonder from 1967. Whistling Jack Smith was a singer and trumpeter from Liverpool who enjoyed brief success with his whistled song, but never achieved it again.
The Auteurs - Bailed Out
The Auteurs - Early Years
After the band broke up, Haines returned a few years later with the art pop band Black Box Recorder to give us more great songs. After that, success eluded him and his subsequent releases, such as his collaboration with Peter Buck, unfortunately went unnoticed by the public.
Over the past weekend, I listened more closely to some bands that inspired me last year. One of them was Deeply Armed, a new band from Dublin. They recorded a song called The Healing, which is now available in several remixes. The original is a mixture of relaxed music that could have been released 40 years ago. Psychedelic and Krautrock that could have been produced by Conny Plank.
The other band that really impressed me was Thought Leadership, a band from the greater Manchester area that has released several albums. What they all had in common was a reduction to echoing guitar sounds in the tradition of Durutti Column and David Gilmour. With III of Pentacles, they have created an album that enchants with its blend of ambient, Cocteau Twins, and Johnny Marr.
In 2003 The Decline Of British Sea Power was released as the band's debut album. This album was rightly celebrated by critics. Their glam-punk-pop was something completely new at the time. Bowie-esque songwriting meets wailing guitars and dark lyrics to create an unmistakable sound. With Lately, they have created their own monument on this album. A song that starts slowly ends in an angry, distorted guitar orgy that couldn't be better. A masterpiece that should definitely be listened to again.
British Sea Power - Lately
Lindsey Jordan aka Snail Mail an American guitarist and singer/songwriter released her first song of her upcoming album Dead End. A couple of years ago she released a remarkable album that featured 90's indie-rock, some heavy guitars and her unique voice. Now it seems she reduced the speed and present another song about the end of a relationship where it is unclear whether it is a friendship or actually a relationship. Ultimately, it doesn't matter, because she draws a positive conclusion. Ultimately, it's a song that captures moods and impresses with a long-forgotten retro sound.
Records released by Bristol Archive Records is always worth to give them a listen. Mostly they dive deep into Bristol's music scene from former times and they bring forgotten musical treasures to light. This was also the case this time, when they released a record by Fear Of Darkness that provides an overview of the band's work from 1986 to 1988.
FOD were a band whose appearance alone showed their affiliation with gothic and dark wave. Sometimes they sound like a mixture of The Alarm and The Clash with their distorted guitar sound, other times like the little brother of the Sisters Of Mercy. Which is basically not a bad thing. An album by an unjustly forgotten band that could have been big with the right promotion.
This series has been running for a year now, and future posts will be repetitive. Since nothing is worse than repetition, this series will be discontinued shortly. In the coming weeks, I will once again present songs that were not included a year ago, as I kept the selection small. Thank you for your interest and feedback on the respective editions.
1984: Cindy Lauper
1978: ABBA
1997: The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
1977: Steve Miller Band
1977: Joan Armatrading
1984: The Smiths
1964: Unit 4 + 2
1985: Commodores
1967: Arthur Conley
1980: The Romantics
This morning, I received the sad news that Sly Dunbar has also passed away. This marks the end of the legendary rhythm section that played with almost every musician who needed a reggae rhythm in the 1980s. Both had enhanced numerous songs with their own drumming and bass playing. Here are a few examples of their work.
RIP Sly
Today, Kevin Coyne, an English singer/songwriter, would have turned 82. Reason enough to remember his music once again. Born in Derby in the heart of England in 1944, he developed a passion for painting as well as music in his youth. In the mid-1960's, he first worked as an art therapist in a psychiatric clinic, then as a social worker with drug addicts. They also had a lasting influence on his lyrics, which often deal with outsiders.
Musically, he was rooted in the blues, but in principle it was blunt, technically immature boogie, standardized British blues. What is fascinating about his songs is his falsetto voice, the singing, that howling familiar from Shakespeare's witch scenes, from the wind over the ravaged landscapes of northern England, those cries at night in the madhouse, that bad-tempered creaking that sticks in your head.
As in his music, Coyne also lived excessively in his personal life and paid the price early at the age of sixty.
Kevin Coyne - Marlene
Kevin Coyne - House On The Hill
Kevin Coyne - Eastbourne Ladies
Kevin Coyne - Lunatic
During the last days I rediscovered Distractions the latest album by Nottingham's Tindersticks from 2021. Stuart Staples and Tindersticks began their career as Britpop was taking off. Unlike other artists of that era, they wore three-piece suits and cultivated a slow, dark romanticism in their songs.
With their return a few years ago, they are celebrating their return to their roots and have created a monster of a bass-oriented, monotonous piece of music with Man Alone. Despite the monotonous underlying mood, they have succeeded in creating a hypnotic pop song that feels like a sleepless night in which thoughts circle around and never seem to end.
Tindersticks - Man Alone (Can't Stop The Fading)
A few days ago Swedish pop artist Tove Styrke released the first song from her upcoming album later this year. She returned after a four year hiatus with a dancefloor banger. Prayer is characterized by a unique sound palette of analog synthesizers from the 1970s and 1980s, live drums, and electric bass. All of the sounds on the single were recorded live or generated with analog machines. No samples were used. A great bass line and a few bleeps set the rhythm before Tove Styrke begins to sing, her voice soaring to elfin heights. Leftfield pop as it should be.
A few days ago I watched a documentary about Dolly Parton's life and music and I forgot how many great songs she wrote. I am not a fan of country music but I will always find some great songs in this genre. It came that one song of this documentary never got out of my mind and after a little search in the internet I realized that there were released some fantastic cover versions.
Dolly Parton - Down From Dover
Not only because I really like the songs of Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra their version of this song is outstanding.
Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra - Down From Dover
Finally the best version comes from Jon Langford and Sally Timms. The way they arranged this song and Sally sings have convinced me that this could be the definitive version.
Jon Langford and Sally Timms - Down From Dover
Last weekend, I watched another classic of film history, The Bridge on the River Kwai. The film is about a group of British prisoners of war in early 1943 in a Japanese camp in Burma who are ordered to build a wooden railway bridge. The film glorifies the steadfastness of the British officers and the capabilities of the soldiers, which contrasts with the reality that approximately 20% of the 80,000 British prisoners died due to poor nutrition and the climatic and hygienic conditions.
What made the film unforgettable was the prisoners' march as they whistled Colonel Bogey March, a military song from the beginning of the last century.
Next follows with songs that feature whistling at some point, whether as an intro, outro, or interlude. Be sure that you won't listen to Klaus Meine whistleing.
Let's take another journey into the past and listen to classic and forgotten songs.
1968: Love
1973: Stevie Wonder
1967: Spencer Davis Group
1971: Marvin Gaye
1971: Grateful Dead
1973: Elton John
1982: Joan Jet and the Blackhearts
1984: Echo and the Bunnymen
1965: Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders
1965: The Temptations
1977: Climax Blues Band
1982: Haircut One Hundred
1968: Blue Cheer
1978: Eruption
1970: Creedence Clearwater Revival
2009: The XX
1963: The Cascades
1983: Eurythmics
1967: Cream
Manchester's music scene is always good for a surprise. The last band to surprise me with their sound was Shaking Hand, a trio that has developed a fascinating conglomerate from their minimalist guitar sound. I hear echoes of Yo La Tengo, Sonic Youth and Pavement at their best.
They unite unique reduced guitars with a post-punk anthem and some great hooks that I didn't listen to for a long time. I know that they are new with their first self titled album but they close the gap between new wave and 90's American independent. It is retro, fresh and full of energy and a pleasure to listen to. One of the best albums this year so far.
1975 was our last year at school, and like many of my friends at the time, I had signed an apprenticeship contract for the coming year. Knowing full well that our lives were about to change, we enjoyed the time we had left and just went with the flow. We met up a lot and played pool and pinball competitions together. We usually met in a small pub that was also popular with motorcyclists. The music played there was accordingly. I don't know how many times I had to listen to Born To Be Wild, and I can't listen to that song anymore.
Another song that I still remember from that time is Strangehold by Ted Nugent, an American guitarist and gun enthusiast. Released on his debut album, it is a song that, with its guitar playing and driving bass, is still a highlight of the then-popular guitar slinger era. Nugent was able to maintain his acquired status for a few more years, crowning it with a double live album that was powerful and unpolished. Then punk and new wave came along, and he was out of the picture, only occasionally popping up with crude statements about homosexuality and internal security in the US.
Ted Nugent - Strangehold
Nottingham's Sleaford Mods are back with a new album last Friday. Still angry about the world they shout their lyrics over an aggressive beat. What's new is that they included a melodic refrain in their sound. Not groundbreaking but it still good to have them back again.
Sheffield's DJ and producer Richard Barrat released today a new record. As always a collection of downtempo dancefloor tracks with great female vocals on it. But the highlight is a collaboration with Roisin Murphy. A transcendental track that starts with a gentle groove and is refined by Murphy. A relaxed cosmic journey lasting more than seven minutes.
On this day 32 years ago Harry Nilsson died from the effects of a heart attack at the age of 53. He was an American singer/songwriter and composer and was extremely well known in the 1970's. I only have one record in my collection but Schmilsson is one of those I get back from time to time. What was special about him was his voice, which spanned several octaves and made so many of his songs unique.
He also became known as a close friend of John Lennon, who praised him effusively and paved his way into the music business. In addition, his drinking binges with Keith Moon, Ringo Starr, and Alice Cooper are legendary and went down in history as the Lost Weekends.
Welcome to our weekly trip down memory lane and to hits and songs that haven't been played in a long time.
Enjoy
1968: Manfred Mann
1975: Minnie Riperton
1959: The Coasters
1981: John Lennon
1982: The Go-Go's
1964: The Trashmen
1966: The 13th Floor Elevators
1969: Glen Campell
1969: Donovan
1972: Todd Rundgren
1980: Bob Dylan
1994: Beck
During the last days I listened to some records which were released last year and which, for whatever reason, I didn't listen to even though they were on my list. One of those was Charge Of The Love Brigade by Escape-ism. It is the latest project by Ian Svenonius, a Detroit born author, filmmaker and musician who worked with several punk band from Washington of which Nation of Ulysses may be the best known.
His last year record is a lo-fi gem with a drum machine, guitars and organ. Sometimes it sounds like a lost Suicide tape with less synths and a voice that doesn't quite measure up to Alan Vega and would be more suited to French ye-ye songs. All in all an album which captivated me from beginning to end. It is remarkable that even today, minimalist songs can still be written that resonate.
Today's song is by a musician that few people remember today. Carolyne Mas is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer. She came to my attention when she released a live album in 1980 to promote a performance at Rockpalast. Stylistically, she moves in the classic rock ‘n’ roll territory of many others, but stands out thanks to her enthusiasm for playing. Vocally, she lies somewhere between Chrissie Hynde and Patti Smith, which also benefits her songs.
She is relatively unknown internationally, as she enjoyed her greatest success in Germany. Even after 45 years, Sittin' In The Dark is still a classic rock song that continues to inspire, if only from a nostalgic point of view.
Carolyne Mas - Sittin' in the dark
Sometimes I just sit there and shake my head. When I was researching last week's violation of international law by the crazy dictator of the United States in removing Nicolas Maduro from power, I learned that the tracksuit Maduro wore when he was presented to the public on the American aircraft carrier had since sold out. What drives people to buy these clothes, which are ultimately just an expression of a repressive state? A question I can only answer with the increasing apoliticalisation of society.
In this context, I became aware of Rawayana, a band from Caracas, Venezuela, who have just released a new album. Rawayana are very popular in Venezuela and obviously fill large stadiums and play a mixture of reggae, funk, and salsa, but they drew criticism from Maduro by referring to Venezuelan women as Veneka in one of their songs, which has since become a derogatory term.
Incidentally, this article is not related to a planned hostile takeover of 27 Leggies.
Just when you think you've heard it all, a DJ comes along and shows you that there's still so much more to discover. That's what happened to me when I recently came across Nathan Dawidowicz, an Italian/Israeli musician with Cameroonian and Polish roots. He currently lives in Berlin and performs his music in clubs there. His music is purely electronic, with tribal rhythms and drones, until after a few minutes a female voice creeps into the sound. Perhaps a little dark, but at nine minutes long, it's never boring for a second. Possibly already one of the songs of the year.
Just over four weeks ago, the eccentrics of Fat White Family released a new album. Well, it's not exactly new, as it's an album recorded live in the studio in a single day. It is an album that showcases the band at the zenith of their creative powers. Among the thirteen gems gathered here are the bewildering, anarchic crescendo of Hits Hits Hits; the disharmonious ferocity of I Am Mark E Smith; and a previously unreleased track in the form of Parisian Heatwave. On this album, Fat White Family weave together everything that defines them: chaos, brilliance, and their own unique groove.
During the last year many of our blogging community, especially Khayem and Ernie, introduced my to a lot of great new female singer and therefore many thanks. I got to know artists whom I would otherwise certainly have overlooked. As I listened to some of these discoveries again recently, I remembered an album by a singer that I always enjoyed listening to and which, inexplicably, I have never featured here before.
In 1962 Nana Mouskouri had her first Schlager successes in Germany with White Roses From Athens and became very famous with those old style pop songs. Quincy Jones who was the A&R man at Mercury at the time went to Europe to find some new talents to sign. At the time, Nana was working on an album in France, and Jones was so impressed by her voice that he arranged a recording session in New York with his label colleagues.
The result was an incredible album filled with Jazz standards and a cover by a song by Gilbert Becaud What Now My Love. The songs were sparsely orchestrated, allowing her clear soprano voice to shine through. I am not a fan of jazz, nor do I claim to be particularly knowledgeable about it, but this voice deserves to be praised.
Nana Mouskouri - I Get A Kick Out Of You
Nana Mouskouri - What Now My Love
Nana Mouskouri - Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
Here is the second edition of a journey through former hits and some eclectic songs from the past this year.
1972: Little Feat
1964: The Searchers
1969: The Byrds
1983: Prince
1965: The Righteous Brothers
1965: The Shangri-Las
1968: Otis Redding
1971: Ike & Tina Turner
1990: Sinead O'Conner
1981: Ultravox
1969: Tommy James and the Shondells
1994: Tori Amos
1971: Janis Joplin
1974: The Allman Brothers Band
1974: Paper Lace
1974: Joni Mitchell
Today, Syd Barrett would have turned 80. Being a musician in the late 1960's and early 1970's was a dangerous business. Drug use not only led to unexpected musical highs, but also to real health crashes. In some cases, however, death was not necessarily the worse fate, as the case of Syd Barrett shows. Too much LSD drove him mad and transported him to another world, from which he never returned until his death. Today he would have turned 80, providing an opportunity to look back on his musical legacy.
Barrett was the leading figure of Pink Floyd in their very early years and responsible for their psychedelic sound. I am not a great fan of the band and never really got into his solo albums but their debut is still remarkable because Barrett found a way to play a psychedelic guitar like no one before.
Pink Floyd - Astronomy Domine
Pink Floyd - Interstellar Overdrive
In 1978 Bert Jansch, a Glasgow born folk guitarist released Avocet, an album far away from everything else that has been released these days. An album with only seven songs with him on acoustic guitar, Danny Thompson on bass and Martin Jenkins on violin and flute. On this album he has set the bar very high in the folk music scene with his guitar playing. Jansch blends folk with jazz and chamber music to create a wondrous, dreamlike sound that, back when punk rock was just beginning, seemed like it came from a parallel universe. A masterpiece which is still unmatched.
Bert Jansch - Avocet
I must admit that I haven't listened to much music in recent weeks and am behind in discovering new music. But that doesn't mean I won't continue this series. The intention was actually to present songs here that were released recently and don't have a musical focus or are subject to any dogma.
I was quite surprised when I read that Brinsley Schwarz had released a new album called Shouting At The Moon. His band was the spearhead of the so called pub-rock era in the mid 70's and the kind of music I enjoyed much before punk started. Brinsley Schwarz made a unique sound of classic rock and incorporated a whole lot of funk and soul in their sound.
And the essence of their sound you will find on this record. Most of the time, the tempo has been slowed down and a warm bass dominates the songs to make room for guitar and organ. The fact that Brinsley's voice cannot compete with Nick Lowe's does not detract from the songs. For many, this album will be too boring, but for me it's like an old friend dropping by after a long time.
After a good three weeks, I returned from my annual vacation in Sri Lanka at the beginning of the year. It was relaxing, but unfortunately I had problems with my back and my spinal discs the whole time and couldn't enjoy myself as much as usual, so I came back early to see my family doctor at the beginning of next week to locate the cause of my complaints and take countermeasures. I don't want to complain here, as dengue fever has been rampant in Sri Lanka since the cyclone a few weeks ago. During this time, I have seen enough people who have contracted this disease and had to be hospitalized with high fever.
For this reason, here are some songs about doctors.
UFO - Doctor Doctor
Dr. Feelgood - Down At The Doctors
Robert Palmer - Bad Case Of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)
Doctor and the Medics - Spirit In The Sky
Happy New Year, happiness and joy to all who follow this blog, which will continue to provide you with music and thoughts in its 14th year. To start with, I will continue a series that I launched in the middle of last year. Songs that have been in the charts in recent decades or that the writer simply likes will be presented as usual in a completely subjective selection and without comments for your enjoyment. Enjoy.
1966: Sonny and Cher
