In the early 80's I was focused in music to anything that sounded like new wave and came from the UK or Germany. As far as I was concerned, contemporary music from the United States came from the orbit of the Minutemen, Hüsker Dü, and maybe Nu Disco.
Collage rock, as the genre was called before labels like “independent” and “alternative” became established, wasn't on my musical radar. That changed in 1983 when a band from the South released their debut album, Murmur. R.E.M. found immediate success with their fresh sound, which was described as falling somewhere between new wave and The Byrds. And rightly so. The combination of Michael Stipe’s growling vocals, Peter Buck’s folk-flavored guitar playing, Mike Mills’ rumbling bass, and Bill Barry’s powerful, aggressive drumming was simply too good to go unnoticed.
Murmer isn't for sure their best album but it showed the potential they had in these days.
The recent days I rediscovered a band I didn't listen for ages. The band is called Hurrigans (yes, it was a clerical error by printing their first record) and they were Finish Rock and Roll band. Their album Use No Hooks from 1977 is probably the last classic rock album I bought. Hurriganes were a classic three piece band and Finland's answer to pub rock and Dr. Feelgood. I was very in to it these days because the rhythm section was so awesome. Seldom heard a bass player and the drummer beating out the rhythm with such a verve and enthusiasm. If punk hadn't come along, they could have made it big with their classic rock ‘n’ roll and well-executed cover versions. Instead, they remained just another footnote in the history of forgotten bands.
In 2018 Austin, Texas, based experimental collective Thousand Foot Whale Claw released with Black Hole Party One of the most obscure and best albums of the year. An record consisting of six instrumental tracks, whose sound is almost impossible to pin down.
It is said that the band was influenced by late German krautrock. Their songs feature a dense sound and driving drums, inviting the guitars to engage in extended improvisations. Their psychedelic sound and built-in loops leave a lasting impression. Classifying TFWC as an instrumental psych band is only partially accurate, yet there are no suitable terms to fully capture the band’s broad scope.
A few weeks ago Swedish singer Lykke Li announced the release of her last album for next May. Li came to my ears 15 years ago with her single I Follow Rivers. It was a dark indie-pop track with a fine combination of pounding drums and her twee voice. The drums are still present but now she integrated Antonio Vivaldi and his 4 Seasons into her sound. The result is another fine indie-pop song. Let's enjoy her new sound as long as she continues to release new music.
Yesterday Dirt Bogarde, a DJ and producer from the midlands, released a new song. I followed him since a couple of years because he released some outstanding dark Balearic songs. Now he's back with a powerful chugging song. Faster than before but still with superb cosmic adventures.
Last week I finished my series about songs with whistling in it. In the meantime, I’ve prepared a new series, but I’ve postponed it again for now, because it occurred to me once more that The Clash also used a harmonica in their songs from time to time.
The harmonica is commonly associated with traditional blues and folk music. Research has shown that there are countless songs across a wide range of genres that wouldn’t be the same without the harmonica. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be featuring some of these songs here.
Let's start with a movie soundtrack from Once upon a time in the west, the legendary Spaghetti Western by Sergio Leone. As is so often the case, Ennio Morricone was responsible for the soundtrack, and once again he managed to score a film scene with music that is instantly recognizable. Even in the closing scene featuring the final duel, the music builds tension, orchestrates it, and then rises only to return to its starting point. Rarely has a scene been accompanied by such a long and perfectly suited musical score.
As mentioned earlier, The Clash’s Train In Vain was the inspiration for this series. Train in Vain isn’t the first song about lost love on London Calling—or, to be precise, not even the first song about the loss of one of the Slits on London Calling—but it is the most open and direct. By the time the album was being made, The Clash had already decided to ignore many of punk’s commandments, but breaking the commandment “Thou shalt not sing obvious, heart-wrenching love songs” was their boldest and most defiant move yet. Thanks to Mick Jones for that.
Another song that immediately came to mind in this context is “I Wanna Take You Higher” by Sly and the Family Stone. Released in 1969, I discovered it when I was fifteen, after a friend played me a record that belonged to his older brother. A bluesy guitar riff opens the song, and the longer it goes on, the faster the tempo gets. Sly Stone sings his heart out. From that moment on, it was clear to me what psychedelic soul and funk could be.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Another band left the Sonora desert to give us their interpretion of what they call music for goblins, wizards, and dungeon masters. They may well be right, given that they play a mixture of post-punk with influences from The Stooges. A rolling bass provides the framework for the sometimes sawing guitars, which haven't been heard in a long time. Overall, the four-piece band creates a psychedelic sound that also contains elements of gothic, reminiscent of the good old Sisters of Mercy.
Justin Robertson's Five Green Moons Dub shows that her music can also be interpreted in a completely different way. He gives the song a soft reggae touch based on a great bass line, which is given a special groove by jazzy guitar passages, vibraphone, and echoing voices.
In the early 1980's, SST Records was the American label that had the best bands of the time under contract. I could name a lot (or will do it in another series) but I'll settle for just one today, namely Sonic Youth.
SY were formed in 1981 by founding members Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon and I got aware of them by their third album EVOL. For their groundbreaking album Daydream Nation they were signed by SST and it is still a masterpiece of guitar and noise rock featuring great melodies. On this record they moved away from their punk/garage roots and defined guitar playing new. Over all, Kim Gordon's crystal clear voice is the perfect contrast to Moore's guitar excursions.
Another band from my neighboring country Austria caught my attention this week. There isn't much information about the members of this trio online called delicate strangers. They describe themselves as an indie pop band and confirm this on their new single. Jangly guitars and perfect harmonies are reminiscent of the best bands on the Postcard label. It's actually one of the most beautiful indie pop songs I've heard this year and makes me look forward to the release of their EP in the coming weeks.
Their first releases from previous years show that delicate strangers are also very good at quiet songs.
When I started this series our friend Ernie told me that Roger Whittaker was a favorite of his father. My dad also liked him and in the 70's he appeared in many TV shows in Germany. So it is only right that he should have his place here in honor of our fathers.
The Lovin' Spoonful were an American band from the 60's and got great success with their country influenced pop songs. I'm not a big fan of their music but it is always nice to listen to them from time to time because I grew up with their sound.
The next song is by Sananda Maitreya. The name is new to you? I think you will know him as Terrence Trent D'Arby, an American singer. He was very popular with his debut, a reinterpretation of soul music. His star rose as quickly as it fell, possibly due to his overconfidence in placing his records above those of The Beatles.
In the late 80's singer/songwriter David Freel met drummer Sean Kirkpatrick in San Francisco and formed Swell, a band that was sadly overlooked. Their debut has nothing to do with the sunny sound of the Bay area because it is darker than many other bands in this decade. The sound is raw and has a bit of lo-fi sound. A drum that sounds like it comes from another room and a guitar many of the grunge bands would die for.
Neither her debut album nor the one that followed were commercially successful. Then Rick Rubin noticed Swell and signed her. Although 41 was technically and in term of sound better than its predecessors, it was still too dark for the masses. It is impressive in its simplicity and the songwriting is excellent. When I listen to this music, I imagine a man entering the room, picking up an electric guitar, and playing endless chords. But it is neither noise nor grunge, but another masterpiece in dark indie sound, and if they were English, they would certainly have attracted more attention.
Manchester's The Orielles announced the release of their fourth album Only You Left in mid March via Heavenly Recordings. Since the release of their debut in 2018 I enjoyed their music where post-punk guitars met catchy / dreamy harmonies came together. And they continue with the same ingredients.
Khurangbin is a Texas based three piece band who became known to a wider audience with their album last year. It is less well known that this band has been making phenomenal music for quite some time. In 2021, they released their third album, Mordechai, on which they showcase everything that makes them special to me. Psychedelic-tinged funk with wonderful bass lines and a Balearic guitar. One year later they released a remix album of Mordechai on which they have often sent a very relaxed Balearic sound out into the world.
Metric, a Canadian band, formed more than 20 years ago in Toronto, are back with a new single from their upcoming new album. To be honest I only know a few songs from their early albums when they played a kind of post new wave with rattling drums, sharp guitars and Emily Haines great voice. Now they return a bit softer with sweet old school indie guitars. Not that this is something to complain about, but in terms of potential, they can do better than just making a catchy indie pop song.
Yesterday, I received the news that the apartment I have been living in for 13 years has been sold. My landlord informed me 16 months ago that it was going to be sold. Since then, I have been hoping that an investor would be found who would allow me to continue living here as a tenant. However, this is no longer possible, and I will have to find new accommodation in the course of this year.
I'm far from complaining about this, but over the next few months I'll be looking around the competitive housing market and hoping to find an affordable apartment. I remain optimistic that I'll succeed. Until then, here are a few songs with moving or relocating in the title.
The first song of this weeks edition is a cover version of a song by John Lennon. I thought about presenting the original but for me the best version is by RoxyMusic. Recorded during their Avalon tour in 1982 in Glasgow it shows how good they were at these days. It was shown also when they covered Neil Young's Like A Hurricane.
This song was very high in the charts back in 2006. It's from Peter, Björn and John an indie-pop band from Stockholm, Sweden. A classic trio with a short-term talent to deliver concise hooks.
At last a classic from The Clash's London Calling album, where you have to listen carefully at the end of the song to hear the whistling.
In November 2019, I was in Munich for a training course and took the opportunity to see Calexico live. It was a joint tour with Iron & Wine, and my younger brother had already introduced me to Sam Bean, the man behind Iron & Wine, years ago. I have to admit that when I first heard his songs, I wasn't really that impressed. Live, however, his songs have a completely different intensity, which is best heard on his 2002 debut album The Creek Drank the Cradle.
The debut is simply instrumented with guitar and banjo, which, however, provide an excellent foundation for his deep and soft voice. Musically, he is influenced by early Neil Young, when he picked up the acoustic guitar. In the second part, clear references to Nick Drake can be heard. For me, this is his most coherent album, as he has become increasingly drawn to jazz over time and does not shy away from electronic means.
This little indie-pop gem arrived these days via the mailing list of London's Heavenly Recordings. Marsy is also a London based band led by Hannah Rogers a singer/songwriter who is also responsible for most of the songs. As far as I know they released only two double A-singles and this one grabbed me because of Hannah's voice and the subtle but effective use of guitars.
From time to time I feel like I need to listen to something by Ed Kuepper again. Kuepper is a German-born Australian guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. Some of you will know him as a co-founder of The Saints. Less well known is the music of the successor band, The Laughing Clowns. With her, he explored the tension between proto-punk, jazz, and soul. It was a big risk, as a completely different style of music was dominating the global scene when their debut album was released. So it's no surprise that their record received little attention.
Consequently, he began releasing solo albums in the mid-1980s, with his debut Electrical Storm being the best, combining the power of punk with great guitar sound. Blind Girl Stripper was released in 1992 on his sixth album Black Ticket Day and it is a tour de force of classic guitar based rock with strings. One of the latest masterpieces of Australian's finest guitar players.
The recent days I found an article over an Austrian radio station fm4.orf featuring an more than 50 years old song by Adriano Celentano, probably the best Italian singer in these days. A stomper with a crazy background you can read on their page.
He was very famous in the seventies as a actor in B-movies at the side of Ornella Muti, but also as a singer when he occasionally denounced political conditions such as corruption in Italy.
Anna Calvi continues her collaboration with various artists. After releasing her highly successful collaboration with Perfume Genius some time ago, it was obviously inevitable that she would team up with Iggy Pop for a song.
The result sounds more perfect than one could have imagined. Iggy conducts a destructive inner monologue in the background, while nervous guitars, driving drums, and Calvi's raw presence provide a counterpoint in the foreground. Well done.
This week's edition is stamped by songs that climbed high in the charts during the 80's in Germany. The first one is by Peter Gabriel from his debut album after he left Genesis. I've always liked his early songs, especially when Kate Bush sings the backing vocals.
Centerfold by J. Geils Band is as far as I know the only big hit in the.ir career and played in every suburban disco in these days
Supertramp were one of those bands in the 80's I couldn't listen any more. They were so rooted in the past musically that, despite some good hooks and because they were played to death on the radio at the time, I couldn't listen to them anymore.
The Sea And Cake is a Chicago-based band whose music can be described as jazz-influenced post-rock that incorporates electronic elements into its arrangements. Singer and guitarist Sam Prekop and bassist Eric Claridge start a new musical project together after their band Shrimp Boat breaks up, bringing in Tortoise drummer John McEntire to join them.
And in the broadest sense, their music follows in their footsteps. Jazz-influenced post-rock with a healthy dose of pop. Floating guitars dominate the elaborate compositions, which always sound extremely relaxed and unexcited. With their debut, The Sea and the Cake recorded a powerful debut album that set a milestone for this type of music, which still sounds fresh even after several decades.
Last Friday, I announced Variations For The Weekend, a possible new series. In the meantime, I've thought about it and will continue it as a loose series based on cover versions. The intention is that when I come across a cover version, I listen to the original and, if necessary, the entire album again and write a few words about it. JC was concerned that there might not be too many cheerful songs in the series—I can disagree with that.
Last week LA's Flying Mojito Bros, a couple of DJ's who regularly take on classics of the West Coast sound and transform them into funky dance numbers in a grandiose way released an old number by Tony Joe White.
Tony Joe White was an American guitarist and singer and was considered a typical representative of swamp rock. Although he came from a blues background, his music also had plenty of soul. His plucked guitar and mid-tempo songs, which he sang with a powerful baritone voice, were characteristic of his style. His fame remained limited, and until his death a few years ago, he was known more as a musician's musician.
I only have one album of his on my hard drive. The Real Thang was his attempt in 1980 to latch onto the popular, or rather already declining, disco genre. Despite everything, it features some of his best-known songs, which have lost none of their brilliance.
At this point, I usually present extended songs that I have dug out of my archive. It is rather unusual for a new song to appear here, but in the case of Midding, I am very happy to make an exception. Midding is a five-piece band from Cardiff who released their first EP last Friday. On the five tracks, they celebrate a feverish brew of echoing guitars, their own interpretation of psych and noise rock. The fact that their dark sound still leaves room for melodies is all the better. A new band whose progress you should definitely follow.
Today's song comes once again from our neighbors in Austria. Cousins like Shit essentially consist of two cousins in real life, Hannah and Laura Breitfuß, who have been touring with their avant-trash music for several years now. On their new single, they don't break new ground with their stomping rhythms, indie riffs, and restrained vocals, but they have written another song about lost love that becomes more enjoyable with every listen. Indie pop as it should be.
A few days ago, I was sitting with one of my oldest friends. As always, we talked about all sorts of things and ended up discussing the global economic situation, which is becoming increasingly unstable. The creation of a new world order by the orange-haired man on the other side of the Atlantic is bringing creeping inflation, at least here in Germany, while the erosion of social standards due to employers' demands and the increasing number of bankruptcies and unemployment are leading to ever greater poverty among the population. Finally, I asked Wolfgang what song comes to mind when he thinks of poverty and homelessness. He immediately thought of an old song from our youth by Ralph McTell.
For my part, a song by Belfast singer/songwriter David McWilliams came to mind. Both songs vividly illustrate where impoverishment can lead.
Marc Almond recorded his own version of this song in 1992. It features more orchestration and a more optimistic tune, not least because he added his own verse.
This could be the start of a new series - who knows.
The second installment of this short series begins with a song that took the charts by storm 40 years ago. Jangly guitars, a great melody, and the whistling at the end of the song made this one of the best pop songs of the year.
For those who don't know, Gilbert O'Sullivan is an Irish singer/songwriter who had several hits in the early 70s. Among them is Claire, which begins with whistling. Some might say that it's light music, but I liked his voice even back then.
Finally, a one-hit wonder from 1967. Whistling Jack Smith was a singer and trumpeter from Liverpool who enjoyed brief success with his whistled song, but never achieved it again.
Last week, a series that had been running for over a year came to an end here. I thought about what could come next and couldn't come up with anything for a long time, until I came across The Auteurs' debut album again last weekend. What could be more obvious than to start a series dealing with debut albums?
In the early 90s, the Britpop phenomenon emerged, a genre that marked a return to guitar-based pop. Much of it was pleasant to listen to, but only a little of it was truly great. One of these bands was The Auteurs, although strictly speaking they should be classified in this genre, as elements of glam and country also appear in their songs.
Luke Haines founded The Auteurs in 1992 and released a milestone album, New Wave, a year later. Rarely has a debut album featured so many melodic songs in different styles, covering everything from rock to melancholy that was popular at the time. Unfortunately, The Auteurs did not achieve the same status as Oasis, for example.
After the band broke up, Haines returned a few years later with the art pop band Black Box Recorder to give us more great songs. After that, success eluded him and his subsequent releases, such as his collaboration with Peter Buck, unfortunately went unnoticed by the public.
Over the past weekend, I listened more closely to some bands that inspired me last year. One of them was Deeply Armed, a new band from Dublin. They recorded a song called The Healing, which is now available in several remixes. The original is a mixture of relaxed music that could have been released 40 years ago. Psychedelic and Krautrock that could have been produced by Conny Plank.
The other band that really impressed me was Thought Leadership, a band from the greater Manchester area that has released several albums. What they all had in common was a reduction to echoing guitar sounds in the tradition of Durutti Column and David Gilmour. With III of Pentacles, they have created an album that enchants with its blend of ambient, Cocteau Twins, and Johnny Marr.
In 2003 The Decline Of British Sea Power was released as the band's debut album. This album was rightly celebrated by critics. Their glam-punk-pop was something completely new at the time. Bowie-esque songwriting meets wailing guitars and dark lyrics to create an unmistakable sound. With Lately, they have created their own monument on this album. A song that starts slowly ends in an angry, distorted guitar orgy that couldn't be better. A masterpiece that should definitely be listened to again.
Lindsey Jordan aka Snail Mail an American guitarist and singer/songwriter released her first song of her upcoming album Dead End. A couple of years ago she released a remarkable album that featured 90's indie-rock, some heavy guitars and her unique voice. Now it seems she reduced the speed and present another song about the end of a relationship where it is unclear whether it is a friendship or actually a relationship. Ultimately, it doesn't matter, because she draws a positive conclusion. Ultimately, it's a song that captures moods and impresses with a long-forgotten retro sound.
Records released by Bristol Archive Records is always worth to give them a listen. Mostly they dive deep into Bristol's music scene from former times and they bring forgotten musical treasures to light. This was also the case this time, when they released a record by Fear Of Darkness that provides an overview of the band's work from 1986 to 1988.
FOD were a band whose appearance alone showed their affiliation with gothic and dark wave. Sometimes they sound like a mixture of The Alarm and The Clash with their distorted guitar sound, other times like the little brother of the Sisters Of Mercy. Which is basically not a bad thing. An album by an unjustly forgotten band that could have been big with the right promotion.
This series has been running for a year now, and future posts will be repetitive. Since nothing is worse than repetition, this series will be discontinued shortly. In the coming weeks, I will once again present songs that were not included a year ago, as I kept the selection small. Thank you for your interest and feedback on the respective editions.
This morning, I received the sad news that Sly Dunbar has also passed away. This marks the end of the legendary rhythm section that played with almost every musician who needed a reggae rhythm in the 1980s. Both had enhanced numerous songs with their own drumming and bass playing. Here are a few examples of their work.
Today, Kevin Coyne, an English singer/songwriter, would have turned 82. Reason enough to remember his music once again. Born in Derby in the heart of England in 1944, he developed a passion for painting as well as music in his youth. In the mid-1960's, he first worked as an art therapist in a psychiatric clinic, then as a social worker with drug addicts. They also had a lasting influence on his lyrics, which often deal with outsiders.
Musically, he was rooted in the blues, but in principle it was blunt, technically immature boogie, standardized British blues. What is fascinating about his songs is his falsetto voice, the singing, that howling familiar from Shakespeare's witch scenes, from the wind over the ravaged landscapes of northern England, those cries at night in the madhouse, that bad-tempered creaking that sticks in your head.
As in his music, Coyne also lived excessively in his personal life and paid the price early at the age of sixty.
During the last days I rediscovered Distractions the latest album by Nottingham's Tindersticks from 2021. Stuart Staples and Tindersticks began their career as Britpop was taking off. Unlike other artists of that era, they wore three-piece suits and cultivated a slow, dark romanticism in their songs.
With their return a few years ago, they are celebrating their return to their roots and have created a monster of a bass-oriented, monotonous piece of music with Man Alone. Despite the monotonous underlying mood, they have succeeded in creating a hypnotic pop song that feels like a sleepless night in which thoughts circle around and never seem to end.
