Harmonica Day

 

The harmonica is typically associated with blues and folk music as a key instrument alongside the acoustic guitar. This makes it all the more surprising when musicians from the indie and electronic scenes use it.The harmonica is typically associated with blues and folk music as a key instrument alongside the acoustic guitar. This makes it all the more surprising when musicians from the indie and electronic scenes use it.

Matt Johnson released what is perhaps his best album, Dusk, as The The in 1993. Its success is largely due to Johnny Marr, who, in addition to playing tasteful guitar parts, also plays the harmonica, which carries nearly the entire album.

The French electronic duo Air has regularly expanded their sound by collaborating with guest musicians. This was also the case in 2001, when they worked with Beck on their album 10,000 Hz Legend in addition to vocals, Beck also contributed harmonica.

Camper Van Beethoven, who helped pioneer indie rock in California in the early 1980s alongside bands like Black Flag and Sonic Youth, released their final album in 1989 before disbanding. As on their earlier albums, they remained true to their surrealistic, humorous folk rock.

This Year In Music - Part 2

 

This year also saw the return of old heroes after many years as well as new material from well-known and respected artists. 

I was most surprised that The Cure were able to pull themselves together again and release a new album. To be honest, I didn't expect much from the album other than the old dish of flabby songs being reheated. However, it was not to be expected that they would present their best album since Disintegration and show that they are more than just a cover band of themselves. No one expresses world-weariness better than Robert Smith.

Matt Johnson has also taken almost a quarter of a century to release new material. His music still defies categorization. Somewhere between art rock and new wave, his perfectly produced songs are carried by his voice. The sound sounds like it did back then, but it is in tune with the times. An album not just for nostalgics.

Barry Adamson's new album has been playing on my record player since the summer because, after his time with the Bad Seeds, he has once again managed to capture his other musical influences from soul and blues in remarkable songs. Whether it's funk or a bluesy groove, everything is present on this album and where others lose themselves in the mainstream, he shows his true greatness.

Maybe it's my age that I've been listening to more (old) soul music this year, but it's music that felt good when I heard it. The only new soul music that sticks in my mind this year is Michael Kiwanuka. Sure, he likes to drift off into soul-pop realms, but he still shows great respect for his role model Marvin Gaye. A cleverly conceived album that once again lives from Kiwanuka's voice.

Songs:

Hermanos Gutiérrez are two brothers from Switzerland with Equatorian roots. They released an almost instrumental album that could be a soundtrack for a spaghetti western. Calm and beautiful.

Not only this song by Kurangbin is worth to listen.

Orville Peck and Beck made one of the coolest country-soul songs this year.

Ensoulment

After a quarter of a century, Matt Johnson is back with a new album. I don't think I need to say much about The The, as their records had a huge influence on music in the late 80's. The music didn't really fit into any particular style. Perhaps new wave underground art rock describes it best. I've always loved Matt Johnson's music and I put his records on regularly because even after all these years there's always something new to discover. So what do I expect from his new record? A repeat of his sound or something completely new?

He didn't and that's a good thing! On 12 tracks that cannot always be clearly distinguished musically, we can still hear Slow Train, sometimes more and sometimes less. What has remained are Johnson's enormous storytelling qualities, who presents the album's tracks in a memorable voice. The themes are all-encompassing. Of course, it's about love and violence, war and peace and nothing less than life after death - nothing new really. 

Ultimately, this is an album for those who have always liked Johnson's voice and who like to find themselves in his musical cosmos. A return at a high level.

Indie Scene 1983

This year was a very political year at my place. First because of NATO double-track decision and the following installation of nuclear weapons in Germany by the American army and second because of the final denying of the planed census by the German government. Watching the songs on this CD I think there are less songs with a political statement on it. It seems the music is generally moving to singer/songwriter with them introverted lyrics of electronic dance/dream pop. But there is nothing to complain about because music is every time in motion and this is just a little spot on what's happened.

Cabaret Voltaire - Yashar
Depeche Mode - Everything Counts
Prefab Sprout - The Devil Has All The Best Tunes
Red Guitars - Good Technology
Shriekback - Lined Up
The Fall - Kicker Conspiracy
The Icical Works - Birds Fly (Whisper To A Scream)
The Three Johns - AWOL
Tracey Thorn - Plain Sailing
Yazoo - Nobody's Diary

Otherwise there were songs that reflect life more than shown on CD.

Enjoy and maybe you have some good memories according to this year.