Another song in this series, which has been running for over 50 years. The Allman Brothers Band released Jessica on their forth album Brothers and Sisters back in 1973. This song is atypical for the band, which has made a name for itself with its blues-infused Southern rock and often improvised jams. Lead guitarist Dickey Betts saw it as a tribute to Django Reinhardt, who popularized gypsy jazz 90 years ago with his guitar playing. Jessica is a timeless work that is unrivalled in its virtuosity, melody and build-up of tension.
To be honest, I’m not sure whether to write about the music video or the song. On the one hand, the video is the most breathtaking I’ve seen in a long time; on the other hand, whenever I hear the song, the images from the video always spring to mind.
Romain Gavras, the son of French director Constantin Costa Gavras (“Z”, “Missing”), also makes films and, from time to time, music videos. Gavras has now directed the video for “Storm” by GENER8ION, a project by musician, producer and DJ Benoit Heitz, who also goes by the name Surkin. At the heart of the video/song is Swedish rapper Yung Lean, who plays a school bully in the ‘Storm Class of 2034’. In the first half of the clip, all hell breaks loose at the school, after which choreographer Damien Jalet takes over, and the whole package is bloody impressive, with associations raining down on the audience (Dead Poets Society, The Wall, A Clockwork Orange). Despite the setting, nothing feels like the future; in fact, it’s just business as usual at an English school with a few lads who just want to be lads.
The music complements the video. Aggressive synths, most reminiscent of Underworld, a rumbling bassline and Yung Lean’s voice blend seamlessly with the images on screen.
A few weeks ago a new album by Broken Chanter was released. It is the stage name of David MacGregor, former principal songwriter of the fabulous indie band Kid Canaveral. Once again, it’s clear just how much musical potential Scotland has to offer. *This Could be Us, You, Or Anybody Else* is a classic indie rock album featuring top-notch tracks that could easily have been released 30 years ago. Sparkling guitar riffs and a band that really drives the rhythm forward are its hallmarks. Occasionally, the songs have a funky edge, which suits them down to the ground. I’ve only recently discovered this band, but I intend to delve deeper into their catalogue.
Welcome to the last round of featuring songs that didn't leave out the harmonica. Let's start with an old song by Ewan MacCall which has been covered by many artists over the years. One of the finest versions is by The Pogues.
At the start of his career, there was hardly a single photo of Neil Young in which he wasn’t seen playing a harmonica.
It’s hard to believe that ‘Tangled Up In Blue’ is already 50 years old and still sounds as fresh as it did back then.
I’ve never really been into Canned Heat’s blues rock/boogie, but this song had to be included in this series.
The same goes for the pop-rockers Supertramp.
Next week will probably feature a series focusing on hand clapping.
In the early 90's, grunge reached its peak. A lot of new bands appeared and many of them wanted to sound like Nirvana or Pearl Jam. Really good new and innovative bands were hard to find. Fortunately, after releasing a few EP's, Pavement put out their debut album, Slanted and Enchanted, in 1992.
Originally, Pavement was just another garage band from California, but Stephen Malkmus, the band's frontman, had bigger plans. He had a knack for hiding brilliant melodies behind a massive wall of noise. The guitars cut through the songs, the bass rumbles, and you’d think Moe Tucker was playing the drums. At first listen, it all sounds discordant, and Malkmus’ lyrics are so cryptic that I still don’t understand them to this day. But anyone who gives the music a chance will realize that this is a band that has far more to offer than just noise.
When you’re browsing social media, it’s inevitable that you’ll eventually come across clips that try to make that orange-haired and, unfortunately, dangerous lunatic from America look ridiculous. Most of them are AI-generated and generally not worth mentioning. I recently came across one such clip and would have long since forgotten it if it hadn’t been set to a song I’ve liked since I was young.
It was recorded 60 years ago by Jerry Samuels, an American singer-songwriter performing under the pseudonym Napoleon XIV. In the song, he narrates in the first person how he is slowly losing his mind because his love has left him, and how he is looking forward to being admitted to a psychiatric hospital. To top it all off, he reveals at the end that it wasn’t a woman but his dog. As if that weren't crazy enough, he had the same song pressed on the B-side of his single, but it plays completely backward.
That same year, Bryna Raeburn, an American radio actress, released a response as Josephine XIV.
I know it's total nonsense, but the mix of a thumping snare drum, bass drum, tambourine, and siren still works and rightly became a one-hit wonder.
Regular visitors to this site probably know that I have a soft spot for Nottingham's Coyote. Timm Sure and Richard Hampson, the DJ's and producers behind this project, have been consistently releasing new takes on the Balearic sound for years. They recently released another six-track EP titled The Higher The Sky, The Deeper The Ocean. On this EP, they expand their signature sound with psychedelic elements, celebrating an almost meditative downbeat sound and ambient house. On this EP, they expand their signature sound with psychedelic elements, celebrating an almost meditative downbeat vibe, dubby bass lines, and ambient house. There are few artists today who create music as relaxed and beautiful as these two.
At the end of last year Nick & June released their last album New Year's Fear which I only became aware of last week. Released after Nick Wolf and Suzie-Lou Kraft had ended their long-term relationship but still working as a band. Both are from Nuremberg, Germany, and currently live in Berlin. It’s worth noting that her songs aren’t solely about the pain of heartbreak. Despite this, her sound has a melancholic, contemplative undertone that is most reminiscent of Bon Iver and Mazzy Star. You could describe it as indie folk that captivates with reverb-soaked guitars, gently pulsating beats, and harmonized vocals. It’s an album I’ll be listening to a lot more.
There are still artists out there who couldn't care less about which musical genre is currently in vogue. One of them is Fay Fife, who has just released her new album under the moniker Countess Of Five. On this album, she clearly pays homage to her love of country music, but she also really lets the guitars rip. It’s in a league of its own compared to when she left her mark on The Rezillos/Revillos’ songs with her voice decades ago. Her duet with Kirsten Adamson (yes, Stuart’s daughter) alone makes this album worth checking out. An unexpected but compelling comeback by an almost forgotten singer. Thanks to the folks at Last Night From Glasgow for this.
Last autumn Hollie Cook released her last album Shy Girl, another fine reggae-pop album in the tradition of the so called 'Lover's Rock' sound. An album full of wonderful melodies carried by Hollie's clear voice.
Just as she has done in the past, she’s once again taken the entire album to a whole new level with plenty of dub, just in time for Record Store Day. Just as she has done in the past, she’s once again taken the entire album to a whole new level with plenty of dub, just in time for Record Store Day. She gives the songs a deeper, darker quality that’s much more rooted in soundsystem culture. An album that’s perfect for summer days like the ones we’re already enjoying.
The harmonica is typically associated with blues and folk music as a key instrument alongside the acoustic guitar. This makes it all the more surprising when musicians from the indie and electronic scenes use it.The harmonica is typically associated with blues and folk music as a key instrument alongside the acoustic guitar. This makes it all the more surprising when musicians from the indie and electronic scenes use it.
Matt Johnson released what is perhaps his best album, Dusk, as The The in 1993. Its success is largely due to Johnny Marr, who, in addition to playing tasteful guitar parts, also plays the harmonica, which carries nearly the entire album.
The French electronic duo Air has regularly expanded their sound by collaborating with guest musicians. This was also the case in 2001, when they worked with Beck on their album 10,000 Hz Legend in addition to vocals, Beck also contributed harmonica.
Camper Van Beethoven, who helped pioneer indie rock in California in the early 1980s alongside bands like Black Flag and Sonic Youth, released their final album in 1989 before disbanding. As on their earlier albums, they remained true to their surrealistic, humorous folk rock.
In the comments section of my post from yesterday, Ernie mentioned another band with a similar name that he likes better. Yeah Yeah Noh was an indie band formed in Leicester in 1983. They were jangly and lo-fi, with a singer sporting a distinctive bald spot who spoke rather than sang. They sound like a mellow Midlands version of The Fall. Their lyrics were ironic, sardonic, and silly, and they had the audacity to embrace psychedelia, which wasn’t particularly in vogue (with all due respect to Televison Personalities). A good but sadly forgotten band.
As I was typing these lines, I was reminded of the Yé-Yé music of the early 1960s in France. This genre is said to be named after the “yeah” often heard in British pop music. I wouldn’t go that far, but would rather call them chansons interspersed with pop references. The best example is Michel Polnareff, who combined these elements in his songs.
Yé-Yé is, however, primarily associated with female singers, as the French in continental Europe were more willing to accept pop music in their native language. This allowed artists such as Françoise Hardy, France Gall, Sylvie Vartan establish themselves in the charts during those times. Much like Rita Pavone did in Italy at the same time.
The new century was barely two years old when a band emerged from the United States that took garage rock to a whole new level. With Karen O., they had a wild front woman whose vocals, in the broadest sense, were reminiscent of PJ Harvey, but who could also strike a softer note. Nick Zinner contributes impressive guitar passages to the songs, which, taken as a whole, no longer have much in common with the punk attitude of the debut EP. The fact that YYYs manages without a bass is thanks to Brian Chase’s accentuated drums.
In addition to the upbeat tracks like “Rich” and “Man,” it’s the longer songs that really stand out—thanks to Karen’s voice and the breaks and tempo changes that would suit Sonic Youth just fine. The fact that they pay homage to their roots at the end makes them all the more endearing. “Modern Romance” could easily be an outtake from Velvet’s debut album.
In 1973 Roxy Music released their second album For Your Pleasure after causing a sensation in the glam rock scene with their debut. A few songs on this album Editions Of You and Do The Strand lived up to expectations for further chart success. Much more interesting, however, were the songs in which they took an experimental approach. The Bogus Man is about a mentally deranged sex offender. Ferry delivers the vocals with a similarly deranged intensity. For ten minutes, Roxy Music turns it into a playground of madness. The saxophone oscillates between delirium and free jazz, shifting from the left to the right channel. Eno uses the then-novel idea of looping to create his effects. Manzanera’s guitar weaves in psychedelic sounds, and the drums, symbolizing the stalker’s restlessness, echo the motoric beats of Can and Neu! A masterpiece far ahead of their time.
I'm back from a few days in Budapest and would like to introduce a band from Brighton that's new to me and I first heard them in a wonderful pub that used to be a factory building. Lime Garden is a four piece all female band and they play some kind of indie pop. With a driving beat and rockin' guitars paired with a catchy melody, they've written a song that isn't anything out of the ordinary, but one that will always remind me of my days in Hungary.
In 1970 Black Sabbath released their self titled debut album. It was a monument in heavy metal and screaming guitars combined with a bluesy harmonica.
David Bowie released this song in 1973 on his album Aladine Sane when glam rock was at its peak. A timeless classic even though people keep claiming that the song sounds too much like Blockbuster by The Sweet
Ten years later Elton John released another highlight of his later work, in which he dared to incorporate a harmonica that sounded as if it were being played by Stevie Wonder.
By the time you read this, I’ll have already been in Hungary’s capital, Budapest, for a few days. It’s a city I’ve wanted to visit for a long time, but Orban’s regime has kept me from going until now.
During the last weekend I found a song in the back of my hard drive. Shortly before The Sugarcubes broke up, they released It's It, an album of remixes from their debut album Life's Too Good. The standout performance came from Justin Robertson, who demonstrated just how much potential Birthday has. The standout mix came from Justin Robertson, who showcased Birthday’s potential. He transformed the new wave track into a dub gem.
Years later the brothers Reid did also an excellent Rework of Birthday.
And finally some songs with more post-punk power from their early days. Remember when I saw them live in summer 1989 on an open-air festival playing these songs.
Nothing has been posted here by Andy Bell for several years, and it's time to change that. 2019 saw the debut Andy Bell under his moniker GLOK, Dissident. It was an album I played often at this time because I was impressed by it's sound. Inspired by krautrock and house Bell layered guitars and synths on top of each other, letting them flow from the speakers in seemingly endless waves. It’s all so understated, and every note is perfectly placed. The songs have a hypnotic quality that draws you right into them. Yeah, it sounds corny, but I still love this album.
In the east of Ireland, there’s a small town called Bray in a county called Wicklow. Seven years ago, a group of childhood friends started making music there, and they recently released a new EP. They first appeared on this blog just under a year ago, when they released an EP. At the time, I wrote the result is nothing more and nothing less than a fantastic indie pop song about the end of a relationship. And that’s exactly where they pick up the thread: with clear song structures, powerful indie guitars that, in the broadest sense, bring to mind The Cranberries, catchy hooks, and Lily Aron’s clear voice. Nothing more and nothing less than what a good indie pop song should be.
Last year Penelope Trappes released her last album A Requiem, featuring dark, menacing avant-garde pop and ambient elements. The central themes of all the songs are death, fear, and self-destruction. Her hollow-sounding vocals, paired with a cello, take some getting used to, but they are utterly captivating. Now they've had some of their songs reworked, and Saint Etienne manages to lighten the somber mood a bit.
