Animal Wednesday

 

After a week’s break, we’re continuing our series of songs about animals. In 1974, Harry Chapin released his poignant song about the transience of childhood, missed opportunities and the cycle of neglect between father and son.

Stephen Stills wrote Bluebird for Buffalo Springfield’s second album; it was a staple of their live performances and continues to thrive on the contrast between Stills’ acoustic guitar and Neil Young’s distorted electric guitar.

A lovely, unpretentious song by The Loving Spoonful from 1967 about Nashville guitar players. A lovely rhythm and rhyme, beautifully sung. It’s all very nice and harmless.

Black Ice

 

One of last year’s best EPs was the debut from Deeply Armed, a trio from Belfast. Now they’re back with a new EP. Whilst last year’s EP had a strong psychedelic feel, *Black Ice* is almost the complete opposite. A rolling, at times menacing-sounding bass forms the foundation for Michael Mckeown's hypnotic, monotonously delivered vocals. The two remixes by Mad Professor and Andrew Fearn of Sleaford Mods also demonstrate what this track is capable of. Check it out on Bandcamp

Monday's Long Song

 

A few weeks ago I featured Der Moderne Man at this place. Today, another forgotten band from Hanover – a city in northern Germany which, apart from Hans-A-Plast and the unspeakable Scorpions, has otherwise contributed little to German music – takes its place.

39 Clocks were formed in 1977 as Killing Rats, split in 1983 and reformed in 1987 for a brief comeback. They released three albums and various compilations. Their sound was dark and a bit amateurish. But they are also the ones who, throughout their brief existence, consistently played – as they themselves put it – a psychedelic beat. The result sounds as though Suicide and the Velvet Underground were jamming to a beatbox in a damp cellar. Nevertheless, their songs have lost none of their fascinating simplicity and noise to this day.

39 Clocks - A Look Into You