That's How It Sounded In The Beginning

 

This series aims to highlight bands that have been around for years and take a closer look at their early days. This time we go for Yo La Tengo, an indie band formed in 1982 in Hoboken, New Jersey by Ira Kaplan and his wife Georgia Hubley. The couple are huge baseball fans and so they took the phrase 'I've got it' from a midfielder that he will get the ball. Ever since a player shouted that and bumped into his teammate—who didn’t speak English—and had to learn it in Spanish, it’s become a baseball anecdote.

From the very beginning, Yo La Tengo were hard to pin down musically, as they had a very broad musical range. Their influences span from jangly guitar rock to noise to the raw, raw sound of the Velvet Underground. But cover songs are also a regular part of their repertoire.

Since their debut album *Ride The Tiger*, they have rarely achieved commercial success, even though they have released many excellent albums over the past 40 years. I've seen them twice live in the 90's and every concert was fantastic. Rarely have I heard such a wide variety of different influences on a debut album that is, in principle, composed solely of classical instruments—influences that have lost none of their appeal even today. 

Yo La Tengo - The Cone Of Silence

Yo La Tengo - The Forrest Green

Yo La Tengo - Alrock's Bell

Yo La Tengo - The Evil That Men Do

Today they play some of the best psychedelic-influenced indie rock.

Variation And More

 

Last week WarChild Records, a British benefit NGO, Help(2), their second charity album that supports children in war zones. The first “Help” compilation, released in 1995 in the wake of the civil war in the former Yugoslavia, raised approximately 1.25 million pounds for the children. 

Once again, this album features well-known artists who have recorded their own songs or cover versions for this project. Since this is a social project, I will refrain from providing a detailed review of the individual tracks. 

For this irregular series on cover versions, I’ve chosen Fontaines D.C.’s version of a song by Sinéad O’Connor (who also appeared on the first compilation with an excellent version of “Ode to Billy Joe”). 

This gives me a brief glimpse into the music of the original artist. About Sinéad O’Connor—the outcast, the troubled soul, the unloved one, the martyr. Part of her fascination lies in her constant stumbles, her failures, her tendency to rub people the wrong way, and her embarrassing moments. For me, their first two albums were highlights of the 1980's, while the subsequent albums, unfortunately, did not achieve the commercial success they deserved. Unfortunately, I miss her wonderful voice.

Monday's Long Song

 

You could hear what happens when Steve Davis, a six-time former world snooker champion, and Kavus Torabi, a member of the prog rock band Gong, join forces on The Utopia Strong’s 2019 debut album. Nothing more and nothing less than an album featuring songs rooted in krautrock and brimming with modular improvisations. 

The centerpiece of the album, however, is the 10-minute track Brainsurgeons 3, which builds on a simple techno beat and minimal bass, featuring a crescendo of tambourines, bagpipes, and what sounds like a soprano saxophone, inviting listeners on a journey into space. This is what it might sound like when prog rock and electronic music meet in a recording studio.

New Song On Sunday

 

I’m back in the blogsphere after taking a short break. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been feeling a bit listless and lacked the inspiration to write anything worthwhile. Whether that’s because I’m starting to feel the effects of spring fatigue as I get older, I’ll leave that open to interpretation.

Anyway, a new pop song by Meek got me back on the track. "I jumped up on the bar and started lip-syncing along… everyone in the bar was screaming, ‚I’m so fucking fabulous" is the song’s anthemic core, which transforms heartbreak, therapy, and financial worries into a self-deprecating statement.

The friendly folks at Austrian radio station fm4 described the song as follows: “Fabulous” is a self-empowerment anthem that blends glam rock and pop opera. In the verses, Meek laments the pitfalls of everyday life and the pain of unrequited love. Deep in her heart, however, she feels: “I am fucking fabulous!” The catchphrase, initially delivered on the back burner, becomes a beacon halfway through the song. The driving force behind it is a guitar riff inspired by the rock band Queen and their singer Freddie Mercury. Added to this is a Bohemian Rhapsody-style stereo effect during the chorus.

There’s nothing more to add to that, except that we’re going to be hearing the phrase “I am fucking fabulous” even more often.

New Song On Sunday

 

It looks like there is a vibrant music scene in Vienna. During the last years I became aware of some very good music, whether indie rock or soulful new rhythm and blues. The last one was sanna frankie, a singer/songwriter from Vienna who recently released their debut album cerberus. In Greek mythology, Cerberus is the three-headed, snake-haired dog that guards the entrance to the underworld. He ensures that the living cannot enter and the dead cannot escape. In her own words, he is not a monster to her, but a guardian who helps her keep her thoughts about inner turmoil and emotions under control while she writes. Whether that is necessary remains to be seen. The result is a great indie pop song with a catchy melody that sticks in your head. 

Whistling Thursday

 

After several weeks of whistling, I'm now running out of breath. One last time with artists who have incorporated whistling into their songs. 

Let's start with the most famous song by the great Otis Redding, which is actually a demo and was only recorded on a trial basis. He filled in the missing lines of lyrics with whistling. A final version was never produced because he died in a plane crash.

Paul Simon released this song on his second album and it has roots in his own childhood days in Queens. One of my all time favorites from him.

Professor Longhair is a legend in New Orleans. He played the piano in included many styles in his music that was based on boogie. This is one of his trademarks.

Almost exactly 50 years ago, David Bowie released Golden Years on Station to Station and, sadly, played it far too rarely. 

That's How It Sounded In The Beginning

 

In 1979 Stiff Little Fingers, a four piece Northern Irish Punk band released their debut album Inflammable Material. And rarely has the title of an LP been more apt. The songs express the inflammatory energy of punk, which changed a lot, even if only by burning many people's previous listening habits. Fast-paced chords combine with reliable hooks, and most of the lyrics are based on experiences from the Troubles in Northern Ireland in the 1970's. Of course, no decent punk record at that time would be complete without a reggae song. And with their cover of Bob Marley's Johnny Was, they more than succeeded in this endeavor. Inflammable Material is one of those albums that, even after almost 50 years, has lost none of its fascination.

Stiff Little Fingers - Suspect Device

Stiff Little Fingers - Barb Wire Love

Stiff Little Fingers - Johnny Was

Stiff Little Fingers - Alternative Ulster