That's How It Sounded In The Beginning

 

In 1980, while browsing through the box of new punk and new wave releases at my favorite record store, I noticed an album whose cover I didn’t associate with that kind of music. Four students in neat collared shirts, some wearing plastic-framed glasses, look shyly into the camera, and I couldn’t imagine that they were actually influenced by punk.

Still, I gave it a chance and listened to the album, and I haven't regretted it. Still, I gave them a chance and listened to the album Crazy Rhythms and I didn’t regret it. The Feelies were influenced by punk in their early days, but on their debut album they left it far behind and replaced the distorted guitars with pure rhythm.

Million and Mercer didn’t plug their guitars into amplifiers, but directly into the mixing console. The melodies burrow straight into your ears without any detours. Many songs consist of just one or two chords and yet last over five minutes. Drummer Anton Fier almost completely forgoes cymbals and sticks to the heartbeat: bass drum, tom, snare. To balance this out, the band laid a polyrhythmic web of percussion over the songs—dozens of cowbells, claves, sticks, and shakers. An album that set new standards and, with its jangly guitars, has inspired generations.

The Feelies - The Boy With The Perpetual Nervousness 

The Feelies - Fa ce-La

The Feelies - Crazy Rhythms

The Feelies - Forces At Work

The Feelies have broken up several times, but have always gotten back together, and in 2023 they paid a magnificent tribute to their idols, The Velvet Underground, with a live album.

Monday's Long Song

 

Six Years ago Autotelia, a British musical project by Demian Castellanos and Tom Relleen, released their debut album I. It was an album I didn't expected at this time, because their a combination of A free-spirited psychedelic sound that consistently blends guitar with krautrock and ambient wasn't exactly in vogue.

The five songs are structured like suites and, depending on the track, feature a dubby bassline. Thinking Makes It uses swirling psychedelic guitar patterns before becoming heavier and more menacing toward the end. 

The title is taken from a quote in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, which is quite rare in modern music. Take 13 minutes for a psychedelic journey through space and enjoy it.

Autotelia - Thinking Makes It So

New Song On Sunday

 

Last week, I came across Pina Palau in an article about new Swiss music. The 33-year-old singer-songwriter lives in Zurich, works full-time as a resident physician in a psychiatric ward, rides a road bike, and has just released her third album, You Better Get Used To It.

Musically, there’s nothing that reminds me of Switzerland; it’s more like indie-folk. Somewhere between Waxahatchee, Courtney Barnett, and the dreamy sound of Bon Iver. Even though her voice sounds a bit thin, her song, backed by delicate guitar and steel guitar, has the potential to stick in your head.

Harmonica Day

 

Over the past few days, I’ve had trouble connecting to the internet and posting the articles I’d prepared. The issues on the provider’s end seem to have been resolved, and there’s nothing standing in the way of further posts.

This way, I can continue the series I recently started, featuring songs that more or less include a harmonica, without committing to a specific day.

Let's start with a song by Tom Petty from his last great album Wildflower from 1994. One of my favorite songs on this album is You Don't Know How It Feels, in which he reflects on his work and his future in a slow, unsentimental way.

My old man was born to rock

He's still trying to beat the clock

Think of me what you will

Ive got a little space to fill

In 1982, I spent six weeks traveling through the western United States in a motorhome with some friends. At a gas station, I bought a few music cassettes because I didn’t care for what the radio stations were playing. Among them was Bruce Springsteen’s newly released LP at the time, which I listened to more than once. At the moment, I can’t imagine visiting that country again.

In the early 1990s, INXS was at the height of its popularity, with several songs climbing high in the charts. One of them was Suicide Blonde. The song’s title comes from the night Hutchence and his then-girlfriend Kylie Minogue attended the premiere of the 1989 romantic drama “The Delinquents,” in which Minogue plays the lead role. For the premiere, she wore a blonde wig, the color of which she described as “Suicide Blonde.” The fact that he committed suicide four years later is a tragic footnote, but it has no connection to the song.

That's How It Sounded In The Beginning

 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.

R.E.M. - Radio Free Europe

R.E.M. - 9-9

R.E.M. - Shaking Throug

R.E.M. - Perfect Circle

Use No Hooks

 

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. 

Hurriganes - Get On

Hurriganes - Mister X

Hurriganes - Roadrunner

Hurriganes - Kenny At The Corner

Monday's Long Song

 

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.

Thousand Foot Whale Claw - No Kingdom

New Song On Sunday

 

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.

Primal

 

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. 

Harmonica on Thursdays

 

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. 

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

The Plague

 

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.

Monday's Long Songs

 

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. 

Sonic Youth - The Sprawl

Sonic Youth - 'Cross The Breeze

New Song On Sunday

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.