It's always the same with bands that release an album again after several decades: I wonder whether there's still a need for it or whether they still have the magic they had back then.
Manchester's Chameleons (they left out the “The” and Mark Burgess now calls himself Vox) were iconic in the early 80's and their debut is still on rotation at my place. For me, the impression is ambivalent. It's a contemporary development of their guitar sound, although some songs have clear weaknesses, are too sprawling, and on some songs the drummer can neither keep nor find the beat.
Take this two songs and probably one more and you will be pleased. There will be no memory of the rest at the end of the year.
In 2003 German musician and composer Ulrich Schnauss released his second album A Strangely Isolated Place. He was a long time member of Tangerine Dream, a late krautrock band making experimental electronic sound for which the time was not yet ripe.
At the beginning of the new century he moved to London and was inspired by the first shoegaze movement and has incorporated them into this album. The result was an overlooked album with a lot of ambient combined with some guitars ans sometimes influences of trip-hop and worth to give them a listen.
Various music magazines are currently hyping Geese, a band from Brooklyn, New York as the latest discovery. I couldn't help but listen to their latest album, Getting Killed.
From the very first song, it becomes clear who is supposed to be the focus here. Namely, the voice of singer Cameron Winter, which ranges from nasal pleading to clownish bellowing and thunderous force. It's so disturbing that you have to pull yourself together to get into the music. It's so diverse that it can't really be classified into any genre. Sometimes it's a simple blues riff, sometimes 60's soul, 80's guitars, or a sampled choir.
Once you get used to the voice, you realize that this record has a lot to offer.
Since a couple of months Sean Johnson released as Hardway Bros a series of EP's called Outre-Mer. The last one came out a couple of days ago and it is great as ever. Once again sunny ambient disco with a little touch of voodoo. It is a kind of music I seldom get tired of.
A few days ago I got aware of a The New Eves, an all girl quartet from Brighton and their first album. I have to admit, that I was surprised of their sound, a mixture of early British folk music, Velvet Underground (especially when they play the cello that reminds me on John Cale's viola), Patti Smith and The Fall. Alright it is namedroping but this album is so complex with all its influences, yet still something entirely unique.
Lyrically, they evoke old myths and stories from the past century, albeit somewhat cryptically, as we have come to expect from Patti Smith. But still with plenty of punk energy an lots of rough edges.
The New Eve is of earth
Granite, ochre, magma, dirt
All the bones in her body are holy
All the stones in her pockets are homely
She is an animal among animals
A human among humans
Wild and full or purpose
Tender and ferocious
Limbs and loins burning of lust
And the New Eve fucks
The New Eve fucks if she wants to
The New Eve says "no" if she doesn't want to
And there is no God to save you if you fail to listen
The New Eve has autonomy over her soul and her body
It was 1998 and Belle and Sebastian worked on their third album. I got aware of them by her second album If You're Feeling Sinister, an album that shows their ability to write songs far away from mainstream.
Stuart Murdoch wrote the most of their songs and he said once that he needed their lyrics to communicate with the world, because he can't do it with spoken words. Consequently, Belle and Sebastian's first four albums are not only magnificent records featuring tender, melancholic pop songs in the spirit of songwriting genius Nick Drake.
During this time B&S released three EP's and today's track is one of them and a good example for Glaswegian songwriting at the end of the century.
This is the first time I feature the same artist twice in this series. The reason is simple: I've just loved RAYE's voice ever since I saw her live this summer. A friend of mine kept pestering me until I finally agreed to get tickets for a double concert with Jacob Collier. Although it's not really my kind of music, the concert was a highlight.
Today, Shel Silverstein would have turned 95 years old had he not passed away in 1999. I think it's the right time to remember an ever-active contemporary. Many will know his songs, which became famous through other performers. Few are likely to know that, in addition to being a songwriter and composer, he was also a cartoonist and children's book author.
During the Korea war in the early 50's he worked there as correspondent and cartoonist for an American magazine until Hugh Hefner hired him for Playboy. In addition to his work as a cartoonist, Playboy sent him on trips around the world, which he commented on in his own style. Alongside Hunter S. Thompson, he wrote some of the most exciting stories, some of which were published in the German magazine Sounds in the early 1970's.
From 1964/65 onward, he wrote A Boy Named Sue, a song that became a huge hit for Johnny Cash. Silverstein's sarcasm is rarely better expressed than in 25 Minutes To Go, which deals with the last 25 minutes in the life of a delinquent before his execution.
In 1971 he co-wrote The Taker together with Kris Kristofferson, one of the many highlights from his second album and forced his collaboration with Bobby Bare
In his next step he found Dr. Hook and his Medicine Show, a freaky country band who were able to translate his lyrics into music in a congenial way. I could take any song by them but I decided to feature this because it was filmed on Shel's houseboat and Mr. Silverstein appears on harp.
And at least one of his early songs interpreted by one of the best voices in country.
In September 1985 Tom Waits released Rain Dogs, an album that marked a turning point in his music. He started his career as another folk singer who was inspired by the beat generation. It was a mixture mixture of Delta Blues, jazz and funk dominated by a voice seemed like be ruined by too many bars and cigarettes. The next years he turned more and more to rock music and great songs that were covered by many artists.
His musical style turned in 1984 when he released Swordfishtrombones, when he left classical instruments behind and replaced them with marimbas for example. It was a great album and got many critical acclaim but with Rain Dogs he made his masterpiece.
'Rain Dogs is a term I coined for those poor devils who sleep in doorways without a home. Dogs in the rain lose their sense of direction because the water mercilessly washes away all their markings and scent trails. After heavy rain, you see these stranded creatures everywhere on the streets, turning their heads towards you, their pleading eyes begging you to show them the way home. It's hopeless. Just like them, all the people sung about on this album are connected to each other. Sewn together by a thread of pain and hardship.' Waits once said this lovingly and warmly about his milestone. These words run through all the songs on this album.
Anyone who listens to this record will find a colorful bundle of addictive melodies and lyrics that stand completely naked before the listener, without a safety net or double soundboard. Lyrically, he is as adventurous as Kerouac and as hopeless as Steinbeck. Musically, it sounds like a session between Howlin' Wolf and Kurt Weill. With so many good songs, the quality wasn't compromised by Keith Richards being allowed to play along and Marc Ribot having some of his finest moments.
In the early 1970's, Swedish photographer Anders Petterson hung out on Hamburg's Reeperbahn and photographed the guests of the legendary Cafe Lehmitz. This photograph perfectly captures the mood of the entire album.
In 1991 Slint, a post-rock band from Louiseville, Kentucky released their second and last album Spiderland. At the time, the album was largely ignored and threatened to gather dust in record shops. It was only through word of mouth that this little masterpiece became accessible to a wider audience.
I came across this album on the day of my divorce, when I asked for something new and emotionally moving at my favorite record shop. Mike, the owner, who I had also played football with for a long time, recommended the Slint record to me. And I still thank him for that today. The songs are like something out of a fever dream – simultaneously brutal and fragile, explosive and hypnotic.
Above all, Slint created a post-rock template on Spiderland with their unique, tight style that many bands should take to heart. Mogwai must have listened to the infernal finale of Washer, which unleashes a firestorm on the prevailing melancholy, because they developed the interplay of loud and soft in this form on their early albums.
Today's track comes from Gardens, a new band from Vienna who released their debut album Flaws already a few months ago, but I have only just discovered it for myself. The members of the quartet come from Vorarlberg, a mountainous region in western Austria, and knew each other more or less from their youth, but only found each other in Vienna. Their music is astonishingly fresh and catchy. Luca Celine Müller's voice is vaguely reminiscent of Margo Timmins, and the songs, with their playful, psychedelic-tinged guitar playing, are reminiscent of Galaxie 500. Enough name-dropping, Gardens simply have a knack for writing good, catchy songs.
Kieran Hebden is back with a new record. He is perhaps better known as the head of Four Tet, his electronic playground, and for his many remixes in recent years. Now he has teamed up with William Tyler to break new ground. At the beginning of this century, Tyler was a member of Lambchop and the Silver Jews, who reinterpreted country music at the time.
In recent years, several bands such as the Nashville Ambient Ensemble have demonstrated that country and electronic music are entirely compatible. Here, Hebden and Tyler take an old song by Lyle Lovett, break it down into its individual parts and then reassemble it as if it were a single piece.
I don't want to deprive you of the wonderful original.
This week's compilation consists mainly of releases from 1982. I can't say why, but perhaps it's simply because only good songs were released that week.
The news just arrived that actor, producer and director Robert Redford passed away last night at the age of 89. Throughout my life, he has always been present in films for me. Some of them were great, others just good. He worked with Sidney Pollak throughout his life, and Dave Grusin wrote the soundtrack for many of his films.
If I had to pick one, it would be the soundtrack to Three Days of the Condor (alongside The Fabulous Baker Boys). His compositions are modelled on the soundtracks of many blaxploitation films. A dominant yet restrained funky bass and subtly interspersed brass instruments create a sound that is impossible to resist.
Last weekend, while searching for something on my hard drive, I came across a disc that I had completely forgotten about. In spring this year, The Ex, an underground/punk band from the Netherlands, released their latest album, If Your Mirror Breaks.
The Ex started in 1979 as part of the punk movement and were inspired by The Fall and The Mekons. What set them apart from the crowd was their anger and determination not to rest on their laurels with just three chords. The Ex were also politically active and campaigned for social justice and squatting.
Their latest album is bursting with musical ideas, taking a more relaxed approach alongside aggressive punk and noise. In this respect, it is a good introduction to their world for those who are not yet familiar with this band.
In 1975 Patti Smith released her debut Horses, an album that changed a lot. Mainstream music was mostly on his deathbed and punk wasn't there yet. At that point, she appeared with her band and made an impact with her expansive lyrics and exuberant garage sound, which at its best was reminiscent of Velvet Underground. This may also have been due to John Cale, who produced her debut album.
Horses shows all the power with which she impressed me back then and still does today. Angry guitars push Patti Smith forward, her voice occasionally breaks and reflects the musical departure into new realms that was to come in the following years. It is still an album that captivates and is almost perfect. What else can one say about an album that has accompanied me throughout my life?
Last week saw the release of Gruff Rhys' latest album Dim Probs. The album shows once again that Rhys is consistently pursuing his own unique path. The man sings entirely in Welsh, which means that those who do not speak the language can concentrate fully on the music and immerse themselves in it.
Most of the songs exude a relaxed atmosphere, as if they had been recorded in a living room with a few friends. But on closer listening, you notice so many facets, such as piano, a few synths and even the occasional trumpet. An album that grows on me with every listen.
Earlier this month Richard Norris his latest collaboration Pines. It was the result of a chance encounter when Norris and Josh Hight met and realized that they lived not far from each other. What could be more natural than for them to meet in his studio to finish an EP?
The four songs deal with grief and disillusionment without veering into darkness, instead carrying a quiet intensity. Last but not least, Andy Bell, as a guest artist, has succeeded in combining shoegaze, slow-burn Americana and dreamy psychedelia. A more than remarkable EP.
When I recently tidied up my digital mailbox again, I came across a band I had never heard of before. Jesse Sykes And The Sweet Hereafter have been making music since the beginning of this century and are about to release their fifth album. Their music is a mixture of folk and Americana with a slightly psychedelic touch. A plucked electric guitar opens the song and Sykes' voice joins in with various string instruments, before the guitars start wailing towards the end. It's an atmospheric song that has stayed with me – certainly also in connection with the video.
I never understood the hype surrounding the britpop rivalry between Blur and Oasis. For me, both bands wrote great songs in the beginning, until Oasis took off and became more about themselves than their music. During this time, Blur continued to evolve and add new facets to their music. Shortly before the end of the last century, Blur released their sixth album, 13, which marked a step away from the Britpop bubble. First, they release the single ‘Tender’, a magnificent, slow and undanceable anthem accompanied by a gospel choir, which is unlike anything Blur has done before. In fact, the whole album is a cornucopia of unusual influences: Kraut-inspired space effects, dubby passages, bluesy patterns and psychedelic swathes have found their way into the Blur cosmos without the whole thing slipping into overly obscure territory. Maybe one of the best opening songs from an album from the end of the century.
I must admit that I like the idea and execution of Flying Mojito Bros. Take a piece that's already 50 years old and turn it into a contemporary piece that would look good on any dance floor. A few weeks ago, they tackled Spanish Moon by Little Feat. The bass was mixed to the foreground, synths and guitar licks set the tone and transformed the old blues number into a stomper.
Little Feat were for me one of this old time bands that had their greatest time before punk and new wave took over the control. For me they were one of the few bands I could listen with joy although new great music appeared. For those who didn't know them here is the original from their 1977 live album Waiting For Columbus.
A few weeks ago, Peter Buck and Luke Haines released their third joint work, and I've only just got round to listening to it properly. Haines is probably best known for his work with The Auteurs and Black Box Recorder in the 1990`'s, while Peter Buck needs no introduction. I have listened to the first two albums from their collaboration, but they did not leave a lasting impression on me.
With this album, they have succeeded in writing proper songs, some of which feature mystical lyrics or ironically address the inflationary increase in guest appearances. Peter Buck's guitar can be heard throughout. Whether he's unleashing his signature jangle sound or simply letting rip, he elevates the songs to a higher level. All in all, a highly entertaining record that will be listened to many times over.
Last week Thurston Moore released a cover of Velvet Underground's Temptation Inside Of Your Heart in honor of the birthday of Sterling Morrison, former guitarist of VU. The song is from VU lost album from 1969, released decades after these songs were recorded. Moore grabs the song and makes it one of his own. His incomparable guitar playing is a perfect match for this sadly forgotten song. It is well known that Moore enjoys playing, but rarely has he been seen in such good spirits. Perhaps this is what the Velvets would sound like today.
In the original, Morrison and Tucker chat in the background before they start singing the backing vocals. Also one of the better songs from their later work and break-up in the original.
50 years ago Brian Eno released Another Green World, another step away from what Roxy Music made famous. Legend has it that he had to go to hospital and his girlfriend at the time played him harp music, which combined with the raindrops on the window to create a sound that left a lasting impression on him.
With Another Green World, he also took his final step into ambient music, creating soundscapes that later artists still draw on today. These compositions were interrupted by John Cale's viola and Robert Fripp's superb guitar playing.
For me it is a record that still sounds fresh after all these years and the more I listen to it I discover new fascinating ideas in these songs.
Today's song is from a record I found in the back of my library a few days ago. It was 1978 and a lot of new music appeared and made my listen to them with joy. I mostly ignored the classic rock music and turned into the new bands that changed everything. One of the few exceptions was Tonio K., the band of Steven M. Krikorian, an American singer/songwriter who released his debut album at that time.
I was never a fan of Californian hard rock but I bought this record by recommendation of my local music dealer. But after listening to this outstanding record I was surprised that good music could be made by old men. Imagine Bruce Springsteen made a session with Meat Loaf, Alice Cooper, Bob Dylan, J. Geils Band and The Tubes and you know what you get. Too good to be mainstream and not enough for punk/new wave is what Tonio K. deserved. And the lyrics were somewhere between Dylan and Kafka, so they couldn't be clearly assigned to one meaning. All in all probably the last of the classic rock albums.
Florence Welsh returns with a new single from her upcoming album Everybody Scream. It is a mystical song, and Welsh plays with hints and references to witchcraft. Her distinctive voice guides us through the song, which is staged accordingly mystically and witchy, with screaming choirs and driving rhythms. It's clever that the album is set to be released on Halloween. Halloween and the Celtic holiday Samhain focus on the dead and the supernatural, with the latter marking the end of the harvest and the beginning of a “darker” season. The last words here belong to her:
The witchcraft, the medicine, the spells and the injections
This week saw the release of a new album by Bristol's post-punk band Glaxo Babies via Bristol Archive Records. It is the the bands first release after decades and Men Of Stone shows that they haven't forgotten anything and have gained something new. Their sound has become denser, the guitars are in the foreground and, at least on this song, they have dispensed with the punk saxophone and funk that characterized their style at the time. On I Don't Wanna Be Loved, which was also released, they impressively prove that they still have what it takes.
In their early days, the Glaxo Babies were another angry band that punk brought to the fore. Unfortunately, they did not achieve the success they deserved and have broken up several times since the 1980s. I only found a few of their early tracks on my hard drive, but I don't want to keep them from you.
There are song I love but I can't listen to them everyday. One of those is Frankie Teardrop the centerpiece of Suicide's debut album from 1977. At this time Alan Vega and Martin Rev worked in New York on a new electronic proto-punk sound. Minimal synths, a Farfisa organ, a simple drum-kit and the crazy voice of Alan Vega were enough to inspire a lot of bands from the new wave era.
Their debut combines strange noises, eerie howls, erratic moans and Frankie Teardrops a song that brought together madness in absolute perfection. At the height of a seemingly endless terror of hammering rhythms and sawing monotony, the singer let out blood-curdling screams: a gunshot, a child's death, then the limbo where suicides dwell. I was impressed that a song whose lyrics I hardly understood at the time and whose musical elements I couldn't decipher could cause me so much discomfort.
This week saw the release of two new albums by Jim Bob, the voice of Carter USM via Cherry Red. Automatic is a record with his current band, with whom he has been touring for the last few years. With Stick, on the other hand, he takes on a more punk style and celebrates once again how great Carter USM were and still could be today.
Song By Me is a song many today's band would die for. A rolling bass and a clattering drum opens the song, Jim Bob speaks his words and later a punky guitar completes the song. Nothing more than a modern classic and more than the single of the week.
And as a bonus another guitar dominated song that could be which could also be by Half Man Half Biscuit.
Regular visitors to these pages will probably know that I am a big fan of Kerala Dust's music. Yesterday, the British band, which is mainly based in the German capital, released a new album. Like their previous albums, these songs have a hypnotic pull on me. They consistently mix Americana with desert blues, electronica, and dance floor-ready elements in the broadest sense. Always accompanied by the sonorous voice of Edmund Kenny. Once again, they have succeeded in producing an album that is sure to feature in my annual charts. More here.
Now that summer is coming to an end, Gulp are releasing Wildflower, a song that is perfect for warm summer evenings. To be honest, I had never heard of this band before today, even though they released their first album seven years ago. Gulp are a Scottish/Welsh band consisting mainly of Lindsey Leven and Super Furry Animals' Guto Pryce, who deliver wonderful psych-pop here. The track combines airy basslines with sparkling synthesizers, restrained guitars, and melodies that you want to hear again and again. Musically, the band moves between Saint Etienne's sweet charm and Gemma Ray's pop-noir and turning it into weightless pop.
Everything comes to an end, and this little series is no exception. Before I find even more obscure songs that have the colors mentioned in their titles, I will stop here. Finally, here are a few bands that have red, blue or hot in their names.
Red Rockers were a former punk band from New Orleans but turned into pure twangy power pop guitar sound.
I couldn't resist to feature Hot Chocolate at this place.
The Screaming Blue Messiahs were built by Bill Carter on the ruins of Motor Boys Motor in the early eighties. They transported classic guitars into the new wave scene and made fun at these days.
