The Class Of 86

A few days ago I read the news that Close Lobsters are going to release their first album after an absence from over 30 years. The reviews told that the continue where they left. I didn't listen to any of their new songs yet but I took it as a chance to grab out their old records drifting back to those days when NME released their groundbreaking compilation C86. Scottish Close Lobsters were always a favorite of mine and I felt good with their chiming Rickenbacker sound and their ability to create fantastic indie pop-rock songs. Looking forward if they can still hold their level.

Close Lobsters - Going To Heaven To See If It Rains
Close Lobsters - Never Seen Before
Close Lobsters - Let's Make Some Plans

From The Crypt To The Astrofloor

Seems like French Techno producer and DJ signed to Cologne label Speicher 95. I can't find further details to this new release than this words:

"One Saturday in February I was having an amazing night playing at Oval Space in London. In the middle of my set I dropped '1-4 Doctor C'est Chouette'. A fan came up to the DJ booth to ask me what I was playing. When I told him it was one of my new tracks, he replied - to my surprise - 'There's so much melancholy in this track, what were you thinking about when you made it?' His question struck a deep chord: he had understood what I was feeling when I made the track - isn't that what music is all about? But did I really have to tell him the story? It wasn't the place or the time to get into a deep conversation, so I simply smiled at him to thank him for his enthusiasm.

There are times in our lives when we should dedicate a little something to people or places that are important to us. This is what this record is all about: just to say I love you, I miss you or just simply thank you."

Anyway, it is a fine trance based trip into a psychedelic space.

Whyte Horses

For some times I like to listen to retro sounds produced under today's possibilities. For this Dom Thomas and his Whyte Horses collective is always very good for. They are masters of mixing vintage sounds derived from swinging French ye-ye, poppy psychedelia, urban city-soul, a bit of garage rock and hooky kitchen sink pop. All in all Hard Times is one of these albums that is timeless and playable at many times and situations - and the guest vocalists like Tracyanne Campbell, Gruff Rhys and John Grant made this album very much above the average.

Purchased (Not Only) By The Cover

Back in 2001 everybody was talking about the next big thing from across the Atlantic ocean that will lead us into a new dimension of rock. It was the time when a NYC-based garage band called The Strokes released their first album This Is It. I listened to a few songs from this album and thought by myself it is not too bad for a new band and they were able to write some songs based on the basis of simple pub-rock with dominated guitars. All in all an album that made fun more of many others in this year but of course not the next big step into the future of rock. But what me made to buy this record was the cover. A lascivious photograph of a naked female body touching itself with a black leather glove in black and white made me wanting this record. Even if the music isn't relative in history this cover art glorious and stands the test of time.

The Strokes - Hard To Explain

The Strokes - Someday

The Strokes - New York City Cop

The Strokes - Last Nite

Monday's Long Songs

Lonker See is a psych/jazz/experimental quartet from Tricity, Poland and released their new album Hamza a few days ago. It is a wild mixture of improvisations of guitar, bass, sax, drums and electronics and makes the difference to many other newer releases. Intentional I don't name this avant-garde because many may think it is too arty but if you give them a try you can hear that they learned a lot of guitar based bands from the Krautrock times.

Rollercoaster

Almost ten years ago I became on a little bit attentive to another indie-pop band from Los Angeles. I liked their combination of garage and surfpop because it was just music that made fun. Now I got the news that Best Coast are going to release a new album with new songs. The songs I listened to were in the tradition of 80's Californian rock and pop. You can hear the influences of The GoGo's, Bangles and Joan Jett in many of their songs. It is definitely not the next big thing but Bethany Cosentino and Bobb Bruno are still able to make songs that are above the average of this genre. Not the worst way to start into Sunday.

The Seventh Moon

I can't believe that Asteroid No.4 never appeared on this sites. It is a band formed in San Francisco Bay Area almost ten years ago and released several albums since then. So I take the chance to feature them due to the fact that they released a new single these days. They describe their sound as 'a hypnotic hybrid of several different genres filtered through the kaleidoscope of all things psychedelic. Weather it be Krautrock, shoegaze, folkrock or even cosmic countryrock'. And there is nothing more to add. This song is also a reference to the early 60's sound from London when many bands tried to drift into space. A band worth checking out for more.

Oh Well

While I was thinking about what to post next my mobile phone presented me a song I didn't listen to for a very long time. Fleetwood Mac was one of those bands formed in the British blues days of the late 60's. Forming member and mastermind was Peter Green an extraordinary guitar player. He reached the top when he wrote and played Oh Well a timeless song with a superb arrangement. This might be an example why this kind of music was famous decades ago.

Fleetwood Mac - Oh Well

Strangulation Day

Still feel very sad about the sudden loss of Andrew Weatherall whose music I listened the most of the day. But I had to decide to stop blogging or walk to road I stave in. So I continue the themes I planed for the next days. Brighton's Toy released an EP a few days ago with previously unreleased songs. Toy are a band you can agree to or you leave it. For me it is a band I follow during several years and these songs are in the tradition of their earlier releases. Strangulation Day is just another song in the tradition of Join The Dots, their second album and have ingredients of prog, krautrock and a bit of shoegaze. Always a pleasure listening to them.