Music Leeds Us

 

At the start of the week, I flew to Leeds for a few days to take part in this year’s BlogCon 26 meet-up. As always, I had a wonderful time spending those days with the brilliant bloggers Alyson, Cee, Ernie, The Swede, John and their partners. Among other things, we visited an exhibition on the evolution of the music scene in Leeds, which inspired me to post a short round-up on the subject.

It’s rather unusual to start with Soft Cell, who have carved out their own musical niche with their synth-pop.

Gang Of Four are a fixture on the Leeds music scene with their politically charged new wave funk.

Leeds would be a much poorer place without the magnificent Mekons, and few bands have struck such an impressive balance between new wave and country.

The goth scene is represented by the Sisters of Mercy.

I saw for myself last year that The Wedding Present are still relevant and brilliant today.

Utah Saints represent electronic dance music with their blend of rock and synths. 

I’d completely forgotten that Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, with their dark wave sound, are also from Leeds.

The Kaiser Chiefs were at their peak at the start of the new century.

Post-punk is represented by Delta 5, who appeared briefly in the late 1970s and, sadly, disappeared again all too soon.

Saturday Clubs

 

At the end of this short series, I must mention a club where I experienced some of my most memorable concerts. The Wagenburg Tunnel connects two districts in the north of Stuttgart. In 1985, a club called “Die Röhre” (The Tube) opened in a side arm of the tunnel. It was a long tube with a large bar on the left-hand side. Initially, it was used almost exclusively for parties at the weekend and occasional concerts. It was not until the late 1980s that concerts began to be held there regularly.

A defining experience was a double concert in 1989, when Spacemen 3 and The Wedding Present performed. The latter impressed with their indie guitar sound, but were able to keep up with the psychedelic-tinged guitar feedback, as a bootleg shows.

Frank Tewald · Spacemen 3 - Stuttgart, Röhre, 14.05.1989

This club has always been a good venue for indie bands and new independent bands, even if they haven't always been to my taste. I still remember many gigs by bands I had never heard of before and who later went on to have great careers. One example would be Rammstein, who were still unknown at the time but already used massive guitars and pyrotechnics back then. In a sentimental retrospective, I think back to concerts by Meat Puppets, fIREHOSE, The Mekons, Chumbawumba and Mark Lanegan. Unfortunately, the club had to close its doors 10 years ago as part of the massive renovation of Stuttgart Central Station.

Monday Song

 

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.

Horror

 

The Mekons have always been a band I've appreciated and followed since their first single Where Were You. Over the years, they have released many records celebrating their love of country-inspired indie. 

The Mekons have been fighting tirelessly against the forces of capital for almost 50 years. Now the British punk band returns with their new album Horror which was released today. The work deals with the darkest aspects of everyday life and combines a wide variety of musical styles such as dub, folk, new wave and Americana. Despite the serious themes, the indie veterans prove that you can still have a good time while reflecting on world-weariness.

Without going too far out on a limb, they manage to write an album that sounds relevant and fresh - with roots in punk and a foot each in folk and history. Horror is about what's in the papers yesterday, today and tomorrow. In other words, the horror of everyday life. But the Mekons wouldn't be the Mekons if they weren't interested in the causes. And as a decidedly left-wing band, they arrive at the original sin of the British Empire: imperialism. With Oliver Cromwell's concept of “The Western Design” as a starting point, the idea of viewing land as a business opportunity - and dealing with the people who live there accordingly.

Despite all the criticism, the album has a positive mood and once again they manage to make me enjoy listening to a record from start to finish.

New Song On Sunday

 

Leeds has always been a melting pot for rock groups of all kinds and is unique in its own way. Gang of Four, The Mekons, Wedding Present and Soft Cell have made history with their music. Whether English Teacher will succeed in doing the same is not certain, but given their talent, not unlikely. The band is fronted by Lily Fontaine, a magnetic vocalist who infuses her guitar music with influences ranging from post-punk to 80's indie pop and beyond. She doesn't sing her songs, but it's a kind of chanting that also suits her ambitious lyrics. Sometimes it seems like Dry Cleaning have extended their material. The centrepiece is Mastermind Specialism, a dreamy piece of folk with mumbled indie-pop that, once heard, never lets go.

But the fact remains that English Teacher revitalize post-punk, indie-rock/pop with strong guitars and bass lines. An album that is sure to appear on a year-end list.

Where Where You

 

Cherry Red is the record label releasing fantastic

compilations since many years. Now they released Where Were You? Independent Music from Leeds 1978-1989 a compilation of Leeds based bands from the early punk/new wave era until the days shoegaze turned into the new next big thing. Many bands are well know on this three CD's but with less known songs; others are new to me. Anyway it is another opportunity to step back to these days. Listening to these songs many memories returns and made me grab out other records from this decade.

The Mekons - Where Were You

The Rose Of Avalanche - Goddess

The Sisters Of Mercy - Temple Of Love

Gang Of Four - Damaged Gods

Girls At Our Best - Getting Nowhere Fast

Sturm und Twang

During my isolation days I found a compilation released in 1995 by Rough Trade. Sturm und Twang (a wordplay with storm and compulsion) was a compilation of German post punk bands mostly from Hamburg that was a great overview about what German bands are able to do almost 30 years ago. Beside Blumfeld another song on this compilation stood the test of time for me. Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle (voluntary self contol, an institute giving a recommendation of age-rating for movies and games) or short F.S.K. are a band originally formed in Munich playing a kind of arty new wave with the intention bringing together country and post-punk. Like The Mekons they released many great songs in this genre and they played them with a big smile on their faces. 

 F.S.K. - Unter dem Rhein

They were also a band John Peel liked much. He invited them several times for a session. And he wasn't wrong. So I think it will be right to feature some more songs by them once again.

F.S.K. - I Wish I could 'sprechen Sie Deutsch'

F.S.K. - (I've Got To Get Over) The Wall

Chestnut Blight

 

From time to time I return to The Mekons a band that accompanied me from their first punk inspired songs to their country/Americana days. For me they were with their songs a rock in times where many things around me slipped away. Now I got the news that an album by Freakons will appear in the next weeks. Freakons is a collaboration by Mekons Jon Langford and Sally Timms with Freakwater a superb little band from the Americana scene. I only heard this song and it is very traditional country but Sally Timms stamps this song with her unique voice. I can't imagine a better start for me into this Sunday.

The Return of Nico?

Christa Päffgen, better know as Nico one of Andy Warhol's Chelsea Girls and the voice of Velvet Underground. She wasn't able to sing but her spoken words made the early songs of the Velvets unique. These days I listened to the first album by Stella Sommer, the leading voice of German Indie-band Die Heiterkeit. I don't think that she tries to copy Nico but her deep voice is close to Nico. But the sound of their songs is very different. Listening to Dark Princess, Dark Prince I remember the early Mekons with their cow-punk drums on Prince Of Darkness. Of course, it is a dark and morbid sound with straight-lined guitar lines, some bar piano and sticky organs but it is probably the perfect soundtrack for a late summer evening with a glass of wine on your balcony.

Johnny Cash Cover

CC has a long going series about songs covered by Johnny Cash that I enjoy every week. Most of them are better than the originals or equal to them. There are very less artists that tried to cover the songs written by the man in black. If they did - most of them failed. When I think about some songs from him interpreted by other artists that are worth to be featured I remember a record released 30 years ago. Jon Langford, a long time and huge fan of Johnny Cash and his music made a tribute to him long before Johnny had his comeback with American Recordings. It was in these days you kept your preference to him as a secret because lots of folks couldn't agree to. I bought this record and from this time I knew that Johnny Cash was a giant because he wrote songs for eternity. Only a few songs could reach to the originals like Michelle Shocked's version of One Piece of the Time but there is one song on this record that is not a copy of the original. Marc Almond made with The Mekons a version of Man in Black that was unique and fits to his songs. I still like this version and don't want to judge if it is better than the original or not. It is great in it's way.

Mark Almond - Man In Black

Four Lost Souls

Since the first time I heard Where Were You I was a fan of The Mekons and Jon Langford. I saw them a lot of times live and had a wonderful conversation before and after a concert with Sally Timms and Jon Langford. I don't want to lose many words about The Mekons right now and focus to the solo escapades by Jon Langford. His side project The Three Johns made fun long times ago and he was the first one that made a tribute to Johnny Cash when no one around had him on the list. Since the Welsh musician moved to the USA he combined his punk roots with contemporary American (folk) music. Of course his output during the last years were new or groundbreaking but always fresh and individual. Now he released a new record Four Lost Souls. He was invited to make his record in the famous Muscle Shoals studios. The result was a perfect combination of British influenced country music on a Southern soul base. It is true that he can't make any worse record and so I like his songs and the way that make me smile. I will offer you this songs until DMCA will contact me to delete. Until then enjoy these tunes.

Jon Langford - Snake Behind Glass
Jon Langford - Natchez Trace
Jon Langford - In Oxford Mississppi

Indie Scene 1986

All things come to an end and so is this little series. It made a lot of fun to me crawling back into the days British independent music made it marks in history. Following the chronology of this kind of music development shows that I still stuck deep into this music.

So enjoy this and have a very good weekend.

Blue Aeroplanes - Lover and confident
Half Man Half Biscuit - Trumpton riots
Rose Of Avalanche - Velveteen
The Flatmates - I could be in heaven
The Mekons - Hello cruel world
The Psylons - Run to the stranger
The Weather Prophets - Almost prayed

What Happened To Pub Rock # 20

All things must come to an end - and this little series as well. I featured throughout the last weeks bands that are typical for me to represent pub rock at it's best times or which pub rock had a lot of influence to their kind of music. What will be the best finish of this series? Another band to feature (maybe someone will think this is the best one)? Or should I finish with some last good words to a scene/genre that was almost famous nearly 40 years ago? Should I feature some songs that was close to his genre or songs that often was covered by the bands I featured?

Finally I decided to feature a band that is very close to me. I follow The Mekons since almost 30 years. From their first single Where Were You until their latest records. It is a band that made a lot of great recordings - but at least they are a live band. They played maybe hundreds of gigs all over the world and I am glad that I saw a lot of concerts they played at my place for almost 30 year. A few years ago I had the honor to have a conversation with Jon Langford and the band after their gig and to sit at the bar with Sally Timms for a drink.

I think it's a good compromise to finish this series with a band that had it's roots in the pub rock scene but was always far ahead to the mainstream. If you've read my words about The Mekons you'll see that I am a huge fan of this band. And it's true - they made me feel easy when I watched them playing. There's one more reason why they should have their place in musical history: They used to play classic R 'n' R with a lot of influence of modern country music and added the best things from the upcoming 'new' music (you can call it punk, new wave or whatever). And they were always a band they have her heart in the right spot.

Enjoy and remember: the working week is almost over!

The Mekons - Beaten And Broken
The Mekons - Big Zombie
The Mekons - Cockermouth
The Mekons - Hole In The Ground
The Mekons -  Tempted To Believe

Rescue Mission

I love the Mekons for long, long years. The first time when I have taken notice from them was as they published their first single Where where you'. A short however intensive treatise about unfulfilled love. I felt so much with the words Jon Langford sung in this song. 

Formed in the late 1970s, they are one of the longest-running and most prolific of the first-wave British punk rock bands. Through the years, the band's musical style has evolved, incorporating aspects of country music, folk music, alternative rock and even occasional experiments with dub. These days, The Mekons are often described as a post-punk, cowpunk and/or alt country band.

Although most of them live in the United States they join for some concerts in Europe. When they visit Germany on their tour they will alway play in a small club close to the place where I stay. It was a few month ago that they showed up again and it was still great to see them live again. I was there with Ed trying to introduce The Mekons to him - and he was surprised about the great gig they played. Before the concert started I had a longer conversation with Sally Timms at the bar and after the concert we talked a long time to all the members of the band. All in all - we had a real good time together and we will watch out for the next concert they will play close to our place.

This song is more an adoption of a letter that a woman read out to her mate about what happened to close members of her family. Put under with a straight sound of an accordion sound Tally Simms reads the letter and tell us more about life in Britain in the 1980s than most stories in the newspaper.

The Mekons - Rescue Mission 

Cockermouth

One of my favorite bands of all time are The Mekons. I followed their career from the late 70s until nowadays. Seen them live for maybe six or seven times during the years. They are one of the only bands that play some concerts in my region constantly. Last time I introduced them to my brother in law Ed and he was so happy that I did. At least I couldn't stop him to wait until the band came out after the gig. He was so glad to speak to someone who's able to talk with him in his mother language. That's the reason why I had to wait until he finished talking to the band. There is nothing worse than waiting for someone who cannot stop talking and drinking while I have to wait and stopped drinking because I had to drive. But it was really fun to watch The Mekons live again.

The day as the earth caught fire

Today it's 80 years ago in Berlin the Reichstag in Berlin was on fire. It was the parliament building of the German republic. The fire was based on arson. In the scene was arrested a man called Marinus van der Lubbe. Indeed, the circumstances and the culpability could not become perfectly proved and are discussed till this day controversially.

Next morning was nothing the same as the day before. The government  remit an order for the protection of empire and state. With it the fundamental rights of the Weimar Repuplik were completely cancelled practically and the way free-removed for the legalized pursuit and arrest of the political opponents of the NSDAP. Daily they took more and more people into prison and because there wasn't cells enough they founded the first concentration camps.

For the Nazis was everything clear: this must be organized by the communists! So they arrested a German member of the communist party and also three Bulgarian communists for instigation van der Lubbe to the arson. Therefor he was judged in advance and he was killed by guillotine later that year.

Although also I cannot prove it, I am persuaded that the arson was decided by Hitler and his henchmen themselves to switch off unpleasant competitiors and the choice, they in March, 1933 took place in your favour to influence. The end is well known all over the world. 

The Mekons - Oblivion

Buses and baksheesh

We decided to stay at new years eve in Bangkok. Because we wanted to invite a clos friend to usto join we had to move to Colombo. If a local resident wants to travel he has to fulfill a lot of requierments. Passport and so on is not the real problem - the main problem is that the government wants to be shure, that this person will return to his home country. To run the application process sucessful it take normal a couple of weeks - even when its close to christmas. So what to do? It is like all over the world: we got information about a friend, who knows someone that knows someone woh might be abble to fix the application process in a short time. And therefore he took a little cash in his pockets.

Our local stay is in the very south of Sri Lanke and we startet our trip with a local bus, crowded with a lot of locaal people. After a 40 minute ride we arrived Galle, where we could chance to a long distance bus to Colombo. This one was more comfortable, air-conditioned and with tv. The whole ride they played videos from mostly local bands and also inevitable PSY with his gangnam style. After a couple of songs I grabbed y headphones out of my bag and listend to my kind of music.

After we finished our baksheesh deal and booking our flights we stayed for some more hours in Colombo in a very nice outdoor-pub and take afterwords the train back to our local stay. We asked some guys the time the train will leave so we can acdording our drinks to this time. We arrived the train exactly but what we didn't aksed how long the travel will take until we arrive. To our bad luck we catched a train that stops in every small village along the way. After three hours we arrived in Galle again to wait for the next bus to take us home. Finally we arrived at 1:00 a.m. and fell in our beds quickly.

The next day was reserved to recreate again.


Sneaker Pimps - Six Underground


The Mekons - Cockermouth





beds