Clap Your Hands

 

Another Wednesday with songs which, in some way, incorporate hand clapping as a stylistic device in songs. Let's start with 12:51 the first single form the second album by The Strokes, an overlooked album by the band which has not received the same overwhelming acclaim as their debut.

Those sharp, percussive sounds in the intro and throughout the songs are actually snare drum rim clicks, played in such a way that they sound exactly like rhythmic handclaps. In my view, that justifies the inclusion of songs by the Violent Femmes and T.Rex in this series.

The Four Elements

 

When I recently went for a walk through the countryside with a friend, we came across the philosophical topic of being. We were discussing the extent to which the four-element doctrine created by the Greek philosophers - that all existence is made up of a certain mixture of the four basic elements ‘earth’, ‘water’, ‘air’ and ‘fire’ as the principles of solid, liquid, gaseous and red-hot - can still be applied today. I disagreed with the thesis that the balance of the elements is necessary for well-being, as modern science breaks the world down into ever smaller particles, which in turn make up an element as a whole. 

In the end, we were unable to finalize the topic and discussed where the four elements are reflected in the music. Here are a few examples that came to us spontaneously, which are probably well known. We'll see if they become a series.

Purchased (Not Only) Because Of The Cover

 

A few months ago I started this series featuring albums that impressed me with a great cover art and fantastic music.  I stopped it because I thought it is enough but there are a lot more albums to feature. So I decided to continue this series from time to time. 

In 1983 Violent Femmes appeared with their self titled album on the scene. The cover shows a three-year-old girl looking curiously into a weathered window. And as I saw the cover the first time I was as curious what kind of music the cover contains. Gordon Gano's folk-punk grabbed my attention from the first chords of Blister In The Sun. 1983 brought a lot of great albums but this one was on heavy rotation in this year. In autumn of this year I was lucky enough to see them live in a small venue in Tübingen together with my youngest brother. We both were fascinated by the semi-acoustic gig where they played all the great songs from the first two albums.

Violent Femmes - Blister in the sun

Violent Femmes - Add it up

Violent Femmes - Gone Daddy gone

Violent Femmes - Kiss Off

Inflammable Material - First Records That Impressed Me Much # 8

No record in 1983 has pulled me more in the spell than the first one of The Violent Femmes. When indie music changed their style once again (New Order, Aztec Camera and The The appeared) a three man band released their first album. Those three nerds from Milwaukee used a little more than guitar, stand-up bass and a snare drum. One of the reasons I still love this record after 30 years is their music and songs in itself. Simply constructed songs with sticky melodies, sung by a young man with a voice that reminds me to a siren, backed with a frenzied bass playing and primal, intuitive drumming.

The world of Violent Femmes is a world of sex. streets and smoking and wandering around in the haze of the night trying to find your way back home. And maybe they told me more of life than any other band in these times. And they made you feel that they understand you and you can agree to their songs (another band are the Undertones - but this is another story). It was the lyrics from 'Add it up' that was burned in my mind when I first listened to them.

Why can't I get just one fuck

Why can't I get just one fuck

I guess it's something to do with luck

...

Broken down kitchen at the top of the stairs

Can I mix in with your affairs?

Share a smoke, make a joke

Grasp and reach for a leg of hope

There are lot's of stories in the internet telling them as a very good live band. And I've to agree. I saw them on their promotion tour for this record playing in a small club in Tübingen. There was no stage and the audience stood face to face to the band. It is one of those unforgettable evenings when you understand what magic could be in music.

Violent Femmes - Blister In The Sun
Violent Femmes - Kiss Off
Violent Femmes - Please Do Not Go
Violent Femmes - Add It Up
Violent Femmes - Prove My Love
Violent Femmes - Gone Daddy Gone