No Kings Here

 

It was only a question of time until Gang Of Four will issue a statement on the current situation. Given their nationality and their own frontman, there’s obviously a certain irony in the fact that they’re now chanting No Kings Here! The song is snappy and catchy, with a strumming style that’s as energetic as it is funky, and it sets the stage for lyrics that are unambiguously direct, delivered with more fire than one would have expected from the band. Word has it that a new album is also in the works. In that sense, this song leaves you wanting more.

Harmonica Day

 

II can hardly believe that this Van Morrison song is already 56 years old. Moondance is from his third album and is an incredibly great blend of rhythm and blues, soul, and folk, with his voice in top form.

Even the pub rockers from Dr. Feelgood couldn't resist using the harmonica from time to time.

War was a Californian funk band that was popular in the 1970's. I first heard this song in that crazy stoner movie Up In Smoke.

That's How It Sounded In The Beginning

 

Flashback: London in the mid-1970s. Studded leather jackets and mohawks, Doc Martens boots and ripped jeans, safety pins and canned beer push the Empire to the brink of a national crisis. It all started with punk and the Sex Pistols, in whose orbit Susan Ballion—aka Siouxsie Sioux—also moved. And as was common back then, she, too, was convinced that she could make music with very little money. 

And indeed, in 1978 they released the single Hong Kong Garden, which immediately caused a stir. Not only did they slow down the tempo of punk, but they also gave it a much darker edge, which caught people’s attention.

That same year, they released their debut album, The Scream, which further explored this dark side. John McKay’s razor-sharp guitar, Budgie’s voodoo drums, and Siouxsie Sioux’s echoing vocals made this album a blueprint for many post-punk bands.

Siouxsie and the Banshees - Suburban Relaps

Siouxsie and the Banshees - Metal Postcard (Mittageisen)

Siouxsie and the Banshees - Nicotine Stain

Siouxsie and the Banshees - Jigsaw Feeling

You Bliss vs. You Wish

 

Does anyone else remember Nightmares On Wax's masterpiece Inner Space Outta Sound? If not, you should catch up on it or at least listen to its newer versions. 

Adrian Sherwood was commissioned to create a dub version to mark the 20th anniversary of the track's release. Sherwood's version reminds me much to the collaboration between Massive Attack and Mad Professor, which I used to play a lot back then.

While the original album was a carefree, soul-soaked masterpiece that defined the chill-out era, Sherwood takes these tracks and sends them hurtling through the reverb chamber.

For comparison, here is the original.

Monday's Long Song

 

Last year Red Snapper, a London based instrumental band, returned after a hiatus with Barb And Feather, an album I listened often. I played it during the eastern time and returned once again to their essential compilation of EP's and reworks Reeled And Skinned from 1995. 

Formed in 1993 by drummer Richard Thair and Ali Friend on double bass. Shortly later David Ayers joined on guitar. On their early recordings their music was a mixture of a rough mix of jazz, breakbeats,  rockabilly bass, country, surf punk, and early techno. For a few songs Beth Orton joined the trio which imbues the soundscape of In Deep with a dark, chanteuse-like charm. For me it is an another overlooked gem.

Reed Snapper - In Deep

New Song On Sunday

 

Yes, I do it again. I feature Lindsay Jordan aka Snail Mail again. A few weeks ago I featured her with Dead End, an appetizer of her upcoming album Ricochet. Now it was released and more of her indie-rock song are available. It seems that since her last album, she has developed a fondness for string instruments that complement her distorted guitar. After an extensive tour, she had to undergo vocal cord surgery. Otherwise, that would have been it. As you can hear, the surgery went well, because her voice is clearer and softer than before.

Under African Skies

 

Yes, as the headline suggests, I’m going to say a few words today about Paul Simon’s album Graceland. In 1986 he had clearly passed his musical peak and had already recorded another successful live album with Art Garfunkel. So it was all the more surprising when, 40 years ago, he took everyone by surprise with an album. He completely turned his style on its head. Inspired by street music from Johannesburg, he set out to record an album with South African musicians.

With this album, he pioneered world music before the term even existed. It’s a complete album that blends pop/rock with African rhythms. Even decades later, the African tribal beats, strummed guitar chords, and harmonized vocals are still well worth listening to. If Simon managed to get even a few listeners to explore African music, such as King Sunny Ade, he achieved more than many others before and after him.