Genetic Engineering

This song came to my ears a few days ago and I can't get it out of my mind. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark released this song in 1983 and it was a song that made the summer of this year. It is not a song that should be played daily but a song that comes close to a perfect pop song. Combined with the footage of Metropolis by Fritz Lang it is still a pleasure to watch and crawling back to the days of the early 80's. 

Those Were The Days

For RSD The Wedding Present released a compilation of their sessions for John Peel. Guitar player Peter Solowka hat Urkrainian roots and they decided to play in these session to play his standards in a way new wave should be played. On of those they named Davny Chesy and for me it a cover by Mary Hopkin's chart success These Were The Days. a song from the 60's. This song is a great by all covers that are made during the last decades. Enjoy it now.

The Wedding Present - Davny Chesy
Mary Hopkin - Those Were The Days
Leningrad Cowboys - Those Were The Days

Monday's Long Song

It was in late 1985 when Kevin Rowland released the third album by Dexy's Midnight Runners. He was on the commercial hight after releasing Too-Rye-Aye. It could be easy on him to make another foot-stomping album collecting some other traditional or soul music. But he tried the hard way and released an album no one ever expected. He moved into songwriting and arranging songs like they did in the late 60's. The songs of this sadly underrated album were full of fantastic arrangements and harmonies even the Beach Boys couldn't do better. This Is What She's Like is the leading track of Don't Stand Me Down for me and shows all abilities Kevin is able to do. A forgotten masterpiece.

Dexy's Midnight Runners - This Is What She's Like

Shiver

There is nothing much that I have to say today sat a cold and cloudy Sunday o let the music speak. Today's song is by The Cairo Gang I've featured at this place longer time ago. The Cairo Gang is based in California and their sound is like a friendly mixture of folk, rock, experimental and sometimes excursions into longer guitar solos. This one is taken from their 2013 album Tiny Rebel.

The Cairo Gang - Shiver

Songs For Alpha

The recent days I listened often to Daniel Avery's new album the B-sides and remixes from his last year record Songs For Alpha. I can't say if it is better than the original but these songs are fascinating me much today and they make me relax after a hard day at work. This is the remix of Days By Now made by Richard Fearless a pulsating and almost meditative piece of music. The picture above is a painting by Hannes Steinert, a local painter I know since he began with art with some other artists more than 40 years ago in a former factory at my place.

Ngrandgeta Allotment

South London bound Meatraffle gave us three years ago with HiFi-classics one of the best albums. It was different to many other releases with their organ and bass inspired sound. I listened to this album often at these days and sometimes I asked myself what they are doing now. There was a big surprise that they released a new single a few days ago. There is still a great bassline leading the song added with organs and guitars and a melody that I can't get out of my head. Good to have them back.

Mayday Again

As fast one year passes one gets aware when there is another International Workers Day is back again. In Germany it is a public holiday since the Nazis declared it in 1933 but the main idea behind got lost during the decades. Less people know August Spies when he organized a strike for an eight hour shift and fair payment that ended in th Haymarket affair. In our younger times we went to celebrate the ideas but now I am too tired for and will go for a walk in the countryside. But the ideas of international solidarity is not dead and will be important in the upcoming years. Here some songs that could be played in this context.