Rose

 

This little indie-pop gem arrived these days via the mailing list of London's Heavenly Recordings. Marsy is also a London based band led by Hannah Rogers a singer/songwriter who is also responsible for most of the songs. As far as I know they released only two double A-singles and this one grabbed me because of Hannah's voice and the subtle but effective use of guitars. 

Monday's Long Song

 

From time to time I feel like I need to listen to something by Ed Kuepper again. Kuepper is a German-born Australian guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. Some of you will know him as a co-founder of The Saints. Less well known is the music of the successor band, The Laughing Clowns. With her, he explored the tension between proto-punk, jazz, and soul. It was a big risk, as a completely different style of music was dominating the global scene when their debut album was released. So it's no surprise that their record received little attention. 

Consequently, he began releasing solo albums in the mid-1980s, with his debut Electrical Storm being the best, combining the power of punk with great guitar sound. Blind Girl Stripper was released in 1992 on his sixth album Black Ticket Day and it is a tour de force of classic guitar based rock with strings. One of the latest masterpieces of Australian's finest guitar players.

Ed Kuepper - Blind Girl Stripper

Old Songs On Sunday

 

The recent days I found an article over an Austrian radio station fm4.orf featuring an more than 50 years old song by Adriano Celentano, probably the best Italian singer in these days. A stomper with a crazy background you can read on their page.

He was very famous in the seventies as a actor in B-movies at the side of Ornella Muti, but also as a singer when he occasionally denounced political conditions such as corruption in Italy.

God's Lonely Man

 

Anna Calvi continues her collaboration with various artists. After releasing her highly successful collaboration with Perfume Genius some time ago, it was obviously inevitable that she would team up with Iggy Pop for a song. 

The result sounds more perfect than one could have imagined. Iggy conducts a destructive inner monologue in the background, while nervous guitars, driving drums, and Calvi's raw presence provide a counterpoint in the foreground. Well done. 

Whistling Thursday

 

This week's edition is stamped by songs that climbed high in the charts during the 80's in Germany. The first one is by Peter Gabriel from his debut album after he left Genesis. I've always liked his early songs, especially when Kate Bush sings the backing vocals.

Centerfold by J. Geils Band is as far as I know the only big hit in the.ir career and played in every suburban disco in these days

Supertramp were one of those bands in the 80's I couldn't listen any more. They were so rooted in the past musically that, despite some good hooks and because they were played to death on the radio at the time, I couldn't listen to them anymore.

That's How It Sounded In The Beginning

 

The Sea And Cake is a Chicago-based band whose music can be described as jazz-influenced post-rock that incorporates electronic elements into its arrangements. Singer and guitarist Sam Prekop and bassist Eric Claridge start a new musical project together after their band Shrimp Boat breaks up, bringing in Tortoise drummer John McEntire to join them.

And in the broadest sense, their music follows in their footsteps. Jazz-influenced post-rock with a healthy dose of pop. Floating guitars dominate the elaborate compositions, which always sound extremely relaxed and unexcited. With their debut, The Sea and the Cake recorded a powerful debut album that set a milestone for this type of music, which still sounds fresh even after several decades.

The Sea And The Cake - Polio 

The Sea And The Cake - Flat Lay The Water

The Sea And The Cake - Showboat Angel

The Sea And The Cake - Choice Blanket

Variation And More

 

Last Friday, I announced Variations For The Weekend, a possible new series. In the meantime, I've thought about it and will continue it as a loose series based on cover versions. The intention is that when I come across a cover version, I listen to the original and, if necessary, the entire album again and write a few words about it. JC was concerned that there might not be too many cheerful songs in the series—I can disagree with that.

Last week LA's Flying Mojito Bros, a couple of DJ's who regularly take on classics of the West Coast sound and transform them into funky dance numbers in a grandiose way released an old number by Tony Joe White.

Tony Joe White was an American guitarist and singer and was considered a typical representative of swamp rock. Although he came from a blues background, his music also had plenty of soul. His plucked guitar and mid-tempo songs, which he sang with a powerful baritone voice, were characteristic of his style. His fame remained limited, and until his death a few years ago, he was known more as a musician's musician. 

I only have one album of his on my hard drive. The Real Thang was his attempt in 1980 to latch onto the popular, or rather already declining, disco genre. Despite everything, it features some of his best-known songs, which have lost none of their brilliance.

Tony Joe White - Alligator Swamp

Tony Joe White - Polk Salad Annie

Tony Joe White - Swamp Rap