Singles Released This Week Years Ago

 

1966: The Bobby Fuller Four was a short time existing rock and roll band. Their legacy is that they first brought Sonny Curtis song to the charts.

1970: CSN&Y released Joni Mitchel's Woodstock a swan song to an era

1965: For me, Donovan always seemed to be poor man's Dylan, but this song is beautiful.

1985: Dream Academy, a small one hit wonder appeared with a with a melancholy tribute to their youth.

1966: The Byrds got success with a cover by Bob Dylan.

1974: Steve Wonder released on of his best records.

1983: David Bowie's album Let's Dance when me and a couple of friends made a short trip to France.

1986: Robert Palmer - just because of the video.

1889: Heart made probably the best song about a one night stand.

Planet Caravan

Last Friday the copy of the latest album by Cari Cari arrived and I had the chance to listen to the whole album. It fulfilled my expectations but listening to the last song I was a little bit confused.

 

Confused may be not the right term but I thought by myself I know this song. Until I realized that I didn't mean the same song, but one that sounds almost identical. It was 1970 when Black Sabbath released their classic Paranoid that became one of the blueprints of heavy metal. On this album there was an untypical song from them where they drifted into space. Also played with reverberated guitars and similar vocals.

Some research revealed that Cari Cari count Black Sabbath among their role models and that this song is supposed to be something of an homage. Nevertheless, both are absolutely worth listening to.

 Black Sabbath - Planet Caravan

Monday's Long Song

 

Today's song leads us back into the mid seventies and to a band that got critical acclaim but less success. I featured them once before and will do it once again whilst I listened to their live album from 1977 during last weekend. The band was formed in 1972 and was inspired by glam-rock and early David Bowie. After their first album Nelson replaced the whole band with new musicians who, in his opinion, could interpret his songs better. He expanded his sounds with elements of art rock, prog rock and to the end with new wave. Nothing is better to dive into their music as the live version of Shine. A pumping bass over a funky rhythm is the perfect ground for Nelson's guitar excursions. 

Be Bop Deluxe - Shine

New Song on Sunday

 

Regular visitors to these pages will know that I have a high regard for Kerala Dust. The band, formed nine years ago in London and now based alternately in Berlin and Zurich, have always aimed to bridge the gap between electronic music and traditional songwriting.

And this time, too, they manage it very well. A hypnotic beat unites Americana and blues with lush guitar passages. Let it roll.

Saturday Three

 

Last round for this little series about Saturday. We start with Sam Cooke, who sadly died far too early and had a good number of hit singles before his murder. The next one was written by CCR's John Fogerty and covered years later by Dave Edmunds. Finally one of my favorite songs by Tom Waits. Seldom was a cruising through a Saturday night on the search for solution better described as by him.

Let The Horse Run Free

 

Dublin based DJ and producer Mike Wilson is back with his project 100 Poems and released a new new album today. He continued his journey of taking tunes from the past and give them a new dress of Balearic, psyche or house. Now he has discovered the blues and shows us what can be made of ancient songs when acoustic instruments such as fiddle or harmonica merge into a cosmic sound. All proceeds of this album will go to two mental charities.

One More Trip Around The Sun

 

Regular visitors will know that I have a great affection to Cari Cari, one of my favorite band from Austria.  Cari Cari is an Austrian indie rock duo founded by drummer and singer Stephanie Widmer and guitarist and singer Alexander Koeck. This began when I first saw them live a couple of years back in a small venue close to my former workplace. Only about 50 visitors wanted to see this unknown band live and they missed something great. Right from the start, they created a warm and cosy atmosphere with their spartan equipment. Every song felt familiar. Years later, I saw them again at a festival, but this time in front of a few thousand people. They had perfected their sound and for many, this concert was the highlight of the weekend.

Now they announced the release of their third album and it seems that it has the same level as their predecessors. Cari Cari make desert rock. It sounds classically bluesy, sometimes psychedelic, but mostly with a pinch of Ennio Morricone, and their songs always sound a little bit like the Wild West. Like dried, rolling tumbleweed bushes, circling vultures and a siesta at the hottest hour of the day.