Who Do You Love

The recent days Bo Diddley's Who Do You Love appeared on my way to office. Diddley wrote this classic almost 70 years ago inspired by Muddy Water's Hoochie Coochie Man and it still a classic from the stoneage of rock 'n' roll. A mean guitar and his rough voice made this a hit from this era.

Bo Diddley - Who Do You Love

This made me searching for different versions of this great song. One of the earliest version is by Ronnie Hawkins. Not much different but played by a white artist. And he became popular with this version. I have to admit that is not the best or inspired version but much better than the rest of his work.

Ronnie Hawkins - Who Do You Love

In 1968 John Cippolina's Quicksilver Messenger Service released their debut Happy Trails and a highlight of this 60's West Coast band was an extended version of this song. A blues guitar inspired and apparently never ending version I had always a favor for.

Quicksilver Messenger Service - Who Do You Love

On his second in 1978 album George Thorogood released probably the ultimate version of this song. Some people called him the sultan of slide in these days and this was true. His first two records were full of powerful versions of songs everybody had heard sometimes. Rough guitars and his bluesy voice made this song a classic one.

George Thorogood - Who Do You Love

Feast Of Wire

 

During the last years Calexico, the Tucson, Arizona based band released in regular intervals deluxe editions of their albums to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their releases (and to sell them to the fans as well). Since Joey Burns and John Convertino formed Calexico after they left Giant Sand I followed them. Each album was a highlight in the year it was released and I enjoyed their unique mix of Americana, Tex-Mex and Morricone-mariachi influenced sound. Always a pleasure to come back to those guys from time to time.

Calexico - Quatro (World Drifts In)

Calexico - Close Behind

Calexico - Dub Latina

Calexico - Across The Wire

Monday's Long Song

 

Today's bank holiday and it seems that it will be the second day that really feels like summer. So I will go later for a longer walk through the countryside and finally will get a pint at a pub a friend opened a few weeks ago. It will be necessary to walk and get a few thoughts that keep my mind busy out of my head. Today's song is from another release of live recordings made during the last decades at the Austin Psych Fest. Thee Oh Sees are a band formed in San Francisco more than 25 years ago and still playing their unique kind of psychedelic garage rock with post-punk influences. Block Of Ice is one of those songs where guitars and feedbacks rule over a steady rhythm. This version could be a masterpiece in  this genre

Just Cool

 

From time to time I listen to a song and I can't get him out of my mind. This happened last week when I first listened to Just Cool, the new one by the Nigerian-British singer and rapper Obongjayar. On its debut album, it combined genres such as afrobeats and Jazz, HipHop,  ambient and R&B with angry lyrics about the time. This righteous anger in the face of social inequality is also shared in the first single since the album. "All people are tense," the artist says of our track of the day. "How could it be otherwise? Where is our united humanity? Where is our shared love for our brothers, sisters and children who seek safety and perspective? Where is our love for our planet?" A danceable groove between afrobeat and house underlines his discontent. As with Fela Kuti in the 70s, new kinds of dance music transport political aggressiveness. For Obongjayar's rage is precisely directed at the division of a society that should fight together, not against each other. Dancing, on the other hand, unites.

Gargoyle

 

During the last days I often listened to releases by Heavenly Recordings a London based record label that released records since more than 30 years. I  wasn't aware that Mark Lanegan released his fantastic record Gargolye back in 2017 on this label. Mark passed by 15 month ago - too early. This record is his legacy to me because it showed every facet of his musical education. His could sing song that had a shape of Sister Of Mercy, Queens Of The Stone Age and Iggy Pop as well. It is always a pleasure to come back to this little masterpiece.

Monday's Long Song On Tuesday Or The End Of Blogging

Last week Andy Bell released a new EP with a new collaboration with Masal. Once again Bell walked on a new street. Now he included a harp into his sound. When I first got the news I couldn't imagine where this new way will guide me because the last hype with Californian harpist Joanna Newsom didn't touch my soul. But I tried to listen to it and have to say that a harp fits to the sound we know by him. The way he plays his guitar style is in a perfect harmony to the harp. Surly not groundbreaking or the next big thing but a fresh, vital and relaxed sound that allows you to drift away into other spheres.

 

Last week I installed an update of my new browsers and on each one included a link to an AI program. That's why I took the pleasure of getting a review of Andy Bell's new album. The result is disillusioned. As a result, it should be noted that only a compilation of facts is left, which is composed of various advertising communications. No personal words or thoughts can be found in the AI. Can we no longer rely on the author to think about the product himself? I hope that our circle does not need to do so and still puts its own thoughts on paper. But we should be aware that many contributions could be staggered. Then I prefer to continue publishing my posts in my own words (and also with all simantic errors).

Hey there, music lovers! Today I want to share with you a new album that I've been listening to non-stop lately. It's called Tidal Love Numbers and it's a collaboration between Andy Bell, the guitarist and songwriter of Ride, and Masal, a duo of harpist Ozlem Simsek and electronic musician Alastair Johnson. This album is a beautiful blend of ambient, astral jazz and shoegaze, with four long instrumental tracks that take you on a journey of emotions and sensations.

The album was inspired by the spiritual jazz of Alice Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders, as well as the minimalism of Harold Budd and William Basinski. The musicians met when they played a show together in 2022 and decided to work on this project after being moved by Sanders and Floating Points' album Promises. The result is a stunning piece of art that showcases their talents and chemistry.

The tracks have long and poetic titles, such as "Murmuration Of Warm Dappled Light On Her Back After Swimming" or "The Slight Unease Of Seeing A Crescent Moon In Blue Midday Sky". These titles hint at the mood and atmosphere of each song, but they also leave room for interpretation and imagination. The songs are composed of layers of guitar loops, synth pads, harp plucks and occasional beats, creating a rich and dynamic sound that evolves and changes over time.

One of my favorite tracks is "Tidal Love Conversation In That Familiar Golden Orchard", which starts with a gentle harp melody and then builds up with guitar feedback and synth drones, creating a contrast between softness and noise. The song then shifts into a more rhythmic section, with a pulsing bass line and a catchy synth lead that reminds me of Ashra or Tangerine Dream. The song ends with a return to the harp motif, bringing a sense of closure and harmony.

If you're looking for some music that will soothe your soul and stimulate your mind, I highly recommend you check out Tidal Love Numbers by Andy Bell and Masal. It's available for pre-order on Bandcamp and it will be released on May 19th, 2023. Trust me, you won't regret it!

Sixty Four

 

Today's my 64th birthday and I can't belief the day because nothing big changed during the last years except getting older. I think and feel younger than my date of birth tells me. There's no greater celebration going on today and I will meet another fellow who has his birthday today as well for a couple of pints with a few friends. There were many thoughts of what to feature today but nothing felt confident to me so I decided to check the dates in music history for May 22 and decided to name a few of the list.

2019 - Scottish musician Jake Black (The Very Reverend D. Wayne Love), died age 59. He was a member of Alabama 3 a very underrated band.

1988 - Prince scored his first UK No.1 album with 'Lovesexy.' The cover (based on a photo by Jean Baptiste Mondino) caused some controversy upon release as it depicts Prince in the nude. Some record stores refused to stock it or wrapped the album in black.

1988 - Billy Bragg were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'With A Little Help From My Friends' and 'She's Leaving Home.' The two Beatles songs had been recorded for the childLine charity, sales of the single, which spent four weeks at No.1 on the UK chart, were over £600,000, all of which was donated to ChildLine .

1982 The Hacienda Club was opened in Manchester

1980 Joe Strummer was arrested at a much-troubled gig in Hamburg, Germany, after smashing his guitar over the head of a member of the audience; he was released after an alcohol test proved negative.

1972 The Doors, Pink Floyd, the Faces, Family, Curved Air, Atomic Rooster, The Kinks, Rory Gallagher, Uriah Heep, Country Joe McDonald, Buddy Miles, Status Quo, Brinsley Schwarz, Spencer Davis, The Strawbs and Humble Pie all appeared at the 2nd British Rock Meeting, Insel Grun, Germersheim, West Germany. The festival was due to take place in Mannheim, West Germany, but after protests from the locals, the concert actually took place in nearby Germersheim.

1972 Marvin Gaye released What's Going On

At Home I Am A Leader

 

Last week Adam told us about his life experience with Eyes Of Others amongst others. I got aware of this album by checking the mailing list from Heavenly records a label that released several albums during the last months that are far over the average of other labels. Eyes Of Ohters is John Bryden an Edinburgh based musician you can't arrange in a musical style. Like a chameleon he grabs influences like carefree electronics, dub, folk, psychedelia, acid and even 60's sound. But I think it doesn't matter where he got the inspirations as long as he makes music that sounds good and make you smile.

77:78

 

Last year Aaron Fletcher released the debut album of his latest project 77:78 Jellies. Some might know him as a member of the indie-rock band The Bees which song Sunshine Hit Me were played often on air 20 years ago. After the break of the band he returned to his living place on the Isle of Wight and worked still on new projects. With the debut album by 77:78 he surprised with well written and arranged songs influenced by 60's sounds especially with the spirit of the 70's Westcoast. Now he released an EP with a song from his debut with two versions that shows exactly the sound of this album.  I think they named this file wrong because it is the vocal version.

As a bonus you find a great remix of Chilli by London based remix crew Flying Mojito Bros who also keeping the Westcoast flag high

 

Wah Wah Wallenstein

 

Die Wilde Jagd is a German electronic duo by producer and songwriter Sebastian Lee Philip and aided by Düsseldorf based musician Ralf Beck. Since their self titled debut in 2015 I had a huge fondness to their electronic sound and featured them several times at this place. To create a melange of reduced electronic sounds and beats with cryptic German lyrics was new to me. I was lucky enough to see them live a few years ago and was surprised that this kind of music works live very well. The recent days they released a new song with a remix by Ivan Smagghe of a song from their debut  album. It's a song I listened often when it was released not only because it offered a jazzy mood in the second half.

This made me listen to another song from their debut. A dark atmosphere with tribal rhythms and electronic eruptions.

Through dark pine trees,  out of senses,  Tightly braced by black trunks  On horses, fast as lightning  Enraptured by the horizon  In remembrance of two gentlemen  With long hair and curls  as dense as blackamoor  Towards the sea  So close to the shark pair  The marriage planned long ago  A unification of what happened  In streams of waves as tall as sails  Standing pallid in the wind  Hoofs step to thunderous drums  Storm sails that sing like harps  Calling ghosts  Who, long yearned for,  let us drift  Into tall forests of tomorrow  The tale is told 

of The robber and the prince

Nuggets Updated

 

Nuggets was a compilation series of American psychedelic and garage rock songs released in the early 70's. Not only that there were fantastic songs on them and the influence of the upcoming punk and new wave scene was immense also generations decades later explored this sounds. So did The KVB, a London based post-punk electronic duo. On their last album they celebrate the 50th anniversary of the release of the first Nuggets-sampler in a way that they take the originals by 13th Floor Elevaters and Status Quo to interpret them in a new robe. And the result is more than interesting because they didn't make not only one more cover version but also new songs out of them. That this songs haven't much in common doesn't matter because they shimmer by itself.

13th Floor Elevator - Reverbation

Status Quo - Pictures Or Matchstick Men

Monday's Long Song

 

Almost 30 years ago Malcolm McLaren released Paris, an album where he payed tribute to the city and their music. To be frank I am not family with this album and only know a few songs from it but I always liked his collaboration with French actor Catherine Deneuve. It's a more spoken words by Deneuve added with piano and an electronic beat but the remix by Secret Knowledge, an American/English duo shows the full potential of this song. A masterpiece of 90's house/techno production I found in a deep corner of my external hard drive a few days ago.

Malcolm McLaren - Paris, Paris (The Emotional Curvatone At A Given Moment In Space And Time)

House Of All

 

After Mark E. Smith passed away three years ago I never expected another album by The Fall. But a few weeks ago Martin Bramah, The Fall's former part-time singer and guitarist released the self titled debut House Of All an album that shows how The Fall could sound like today. Together with other former members of The Fall he worked on a sound developed on the history of The Fall. On many songs you can hear references to various evolution eras of The Fall. So while The Fall are irreplaceable, this gang of former members are taking the lessons into the future that benefits from the past. If you listen to this song with these words in the back of your mind you will surely enjoy them.

Space Race

It seems like psychedelic rock never get's out of fashion. Another example is Solitary Transmissions the debut album by Australian based band Brown Spirits. Combining many elements of Krautrock, Soft Machine and King Crimson with the attitude of Gang Of Four-inspired post-punk makes them worth to listen. This retro sound of raw drums, wha-wha guitar and analog moog synthesizers is definitely not groundbreaking but makes fun and wants you to get to dive more into this kind of music.

 

Arabiklan

 

A new release from Leeds based electronic label Paisley Dark arrived last week. It was the new release by Spanish DJ Jaime Rodriguez aka James Rod. It's a two song collection with additive remixes by Rude Audio and Hunterbräu. Arabiklan persuaded with a track that will work extremely fine on the dancefloor under strobe light with it's pulsating rhythm and Arabic influences.  

Monday's Long Song

 

Another obscure sound for this series. Tolerance was a short living band from Japan in the late 70's. Formed by Junko Tange and Masami Yoshikawa in Tokyo to make only two albums. Both are re-released during the last days. They made a sound that was inspired by German bands like Neu!, Can and Amon Düül and the free music theories of Karlheinz Stockhausen. Not everything by them is easy to listen but Pulse Static (Tranquilla) is outstanding because the combine motorik rhythms from a drum machine with analog instruments to something I would name pre-techno because this kind of music was made three decades later by European electronic artists.

The Eyes In The Vase

From time to time something very unexpected was released. I never thought that an instrumental album by Robyn Hitchcock will ever be released. But in fact he released Life After Infinity few days ago. Since the days he formed the Soft Boys in the late 70's I followed his career because he was one of those artists who is able to write and perform songs. To be frank, I don't know every album he released during the last decades but the ones I owned were gems I can enjoy after all the years. With the release of this instrumental album he leaves the beaten paths of singer-songwriter and creates a wonderful world of playing semi-electric guitar music. It is a music to let your mind flow and take you to somewhere else. Probably the late-work of an fantastic musician and worth to be listened on a Sunday morning.

  

Herbstwind (Autumn Wind)

Fehlfarben were one of the most impressive bands in the German punk years. Formed in Düsseldorf in 1979 by members of local punk bands like Mittagspause, DAF and Der Plan after they came back from a trip to London where they saw The Teardrops Explodes. And they started something new - they combined the rough sound of punk with German lyrics. Their first album Monarchie und Alltag is still a classic and the song Paul ist tot a highlight from these days. I always had a fondness to this band and saw them several times during the last decades. But sadly they made never a record that was that successful like their debut. More than 30 years ago they released Xenophobia an album that had class and style because they moved ahead from their early sound and moved to a different kind of sound. More guitar riffs and partial with reduced speed but added with cryptic lyrics and political statement they made in 2012 a retro sound that could lead into future.

Fehlfarben - Herbstwind

Difficult Machinery

 

Two years ago French three piece band Veik released their debut album Surrounding Structures, a concept album as they say in their own words that tackles the whole spectrum of the human struggle on Earth: physical and mental illness, political activism, personal achievements and failure. It is an album torn torn between industrial, krautrock an no wave. To be honest, I came to this album by a superb remix of the main song by Sonic Boom that is far better than the original. A song that fits perfectly to him and stands in a row to other great remixes by him.

That this Caen, Normandy based band can play a different kind of music that sometimes hurt is showed by this song. A song that comes in the true religion of post-punk and could be released 40 years ago.

Thatcher's Not Dead

 

During the last week I read the news that French/German cultural channel released a documentary about the iron lady. I don't know exactly who needs this after 10 years she passed away. Otherwise I think it is necessary for those who didn't live in times when she ruled England as the last prime minister leading Britain into a fucking war. Margaret Thatcher was the embodiment of the nightmare of a world, the new-liberal Western world, which was just beginning to change, determined to rid itself of the cumbersome legacy of post-war Keynesianism. I was surprised when I read that Lionel Limiñana wrote the soundtrack to this documentary together with Cologne based composer David Menke once again after the OST to The Devil Inside Me from 2021. This song sounds like Sleaford Mods jamming with The Limiñanas.

Monday's Long Song

 

Let's go back again today to the days of post-punk when almost every week new great bands appeared and sadly many of them vanished in the fog of oblivion. This happened also to In Camera, a band formed in London in 1978 and split after releasing one single and two EP's for 4AD-label. As far as I know they were a good live band and invited by John Peel for a session. I didn't heard anything from their members later except Andrew Gray who joined The Wolfgang Press. In Camera played exactly the sound I loved at these days and still.

In Camera - Fatal Day