A few good times in my life
Sometimes it takes a re-release to discover a musical gem. Yesterday, the excellent Swedish label Höga Nord Records re-added a 2014 single by Tross to its catalog. Tross is a Swedish instrumental group and active since over 20 years. Their instrumental music is deeply rooted in early 1970s krautrock and is most comparable to Neu!. With a pulsating bass, repetitive drums and understated guitar, the quartet embarks on a wonderful cosmic journey.
In the early nineties, grunge was all the rage and many American bands copied Nirvana’s raw guitar sound. Those who found that too easy retreated to the lo-fi scene to make great music there. One of these bands was Built To Spill, hailing from the mountainous north-west of the United States. Doug Martsch, who remains the band’s only original member to this day, wrote songs that were usually over five minutes long, providing plenty of scope to let the guitars rip.
They were promptly signed to a major label and recorded a number of fine albums before taking an extended break at the turn of the millennium. In 2006, they returned with their finest album, You In Reverse. Once again, Built To Spill proved that clanging guitars haven’t gone out of fashion. Add to that Martsch’s squeaky voice, and a highlight of alternative rock was born. Time to turn our attention once again to their timeless music.
Built To Spill - Goin' Against Your Mind
If someone calls their new album Renascent, there must be some significance to it. For me, the significance lies in the fact that Vini Reilly has returned to the scene after a long hiatus. After suffering a minor stroke 15 years ago, playing the guitar no longer came as easily or as fluidly to him as it had before.
Enough has been written here and elsewhere in the blogosphere about the significance and influence of Durutti Column. Although only one track from his album, due out next month, has been released, he has remained true to his music without repeating himself or becoming boring. Here too, Vini blends delicate guitar playing with ambient sounds and piano to create an extraordinary, atmospheric sound in which his voice is not superimposed on the music, but rather woven into it. In the text, he reduces interpersonal relationships to just two three-word phrases: ‘I love you’ and ‘I’m sorry’. Hats off to him.
At the start of the week, I flew to Leeds for a few days to take part in this year’s BlogCon 26 meet-up. As always, I had a wonderful time spending those days with the brilliant bloggers Alyson, Cee, Ernie, The Swede, John and their partners. Among other things, we visited an exhibition on the evolution of the music scene in Leeds, which inspired me to post a short round-up on the subject.
It’s rather unusual to start with Soft Cell, who have carved out their own musical niche with their synth-pop.
Gang Of Four are a fixture on the Leeds music scene with their politically charged new wave funk.
Leeds would be a much poorer place without the magnificent Mekons, and few bands have struck such an impressive balance between new wave and country.
The goth scene is represented by the Sisters of Mercy.
Another Wednesday with songs which, in some way, incorporate hand clapping as a stylistic device in songs. Let's start with 12:51 the first single form the second album by The Strokes, an overlooked album by the band which has not received the same overwhelming acclaim as their debut.
Those sharp, percussive sounds in the intro and throughout the songs are actually snare drum rim clicks, played in such a way that they sound exactly like rhythmic handclaps. In my view, that justifies the inclusion of songs by the Violent Femmes and T.Rex in this series.
In the early 1970's, as the hippie and psychedelic era was drawing to a close, music began to shift towards heavy blues, glam and, to some extent, the electrified folk of singer-songwriters. It was around this time that John Prine released his self-titled debut album.
Born in 1946 into a working-class family, he grew up in a suburb of Chicago. By the age of 14, he was playing the guitar and writing his first songs; to earn some pocket money, he delivered newspapers. After finishing school, he was called up for military service. He was lucky and was allowed to serve as a mechanic at a base in Stuttgart. Nevertheless, he naturally witnessed how inexperienced young people like himself ended up in Vietnam and returned as adults broken both mentally and physically.
And it is precisely this keen eye for detail that runs through many of his songs, which deal with loneliness in old age, Vietnam veterans and the lives of ordinary people. Musically, he draws on the traditions of folk, country and a touch of R&B. His voice was not particularly appealing: it was rough, nasal, gruff and unpolished.
John Prine - Hello In There
John Prine - Sam Stone
John Prine - Angel From Montgomery
John Prine - Paradise
During the last weekend I found time I decided to have a look through my inbox full of promotional emails and delete most of them. As always, there was a surprise to be found. London’s Heavenly Recordings label seems to have a knack for releasing great new music at the moment. Just recently, they announced the new – and presumably final – LP by Dexy’s Midnight Runners and released the fantastic album by The Orielles.
With the release of their debut album, they have made a complete musical turnaround and introduce us to Absolute Lilt. An Irish vocal duo comprising Lisa Canny and Niamh Hinchy, who breathe new life into the traditional Irish singing tradition within a modern framework. Two voices move in close, circling motion, creating something hypnotic, playful and deeply Irish, situated somewhere between folk, gently pulsating club music and vocal experimentation.
Another song that, once you’ve heard it, you just can’t get out of your head.
