It's the last day of the working week and a massive heatwave will arrive today. So what to play on a day like this? I think it's time to play another power-pop band that is forgotten nowadays. The Records were formed by Will Birch by the ashes of the Kursaal Flyers. Their 1979 record Shades In Bed was one of my favorite albums in these days long gone by. Based in the tradition of The Kinks they wrote a couple of great power-pop songs that stood the test of time. Sadly they didn't got the success they should have.
One more new sound from Glasgow! Chrvrches gave us a new single from their forthcoming album. The advance single "Leave a Trace" is chilly once again enchanted and it's a bit of in indulged, this time, however, comparatively, reserved, minimally. Singer Lauren Mayberry feels that the respect is at the end. I need to feel released. Great (pop) song.
Thousand Foot Whale Claw is a band based in Austin, Texas. For me they are true heroes of modern played Electro-Kraut-Psyche. If you admit to their music you could get an experience in some cosmic instrumental experiences. Far away from any other sound that is made today. Give yourself a try and listen to this spaced out sound.
In the early 1980s the American band Stray Cats appeared on the scene and brought us back Rockabilly with a heavy influence of New Wave and Punk. Close to their idols Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent they played a new style of Rockabilly, produced by Dave Edmunds who is also based in this genre. It was the hippiest sound of this summer and still a band I like to listen to after all these years.
Generally Chris Baio plays bass by Vampire Weekend. If not playing with the band he's working as a DJ and making his own thing playing some Neo-Disco. This is his first release from his upcoming album and it is a wonderful pop song with references to the early Roxy Music (which made a song called Mother of Pearl) and also his voice is close to Brian Ferry.
During the last weeks a lot of new stuff arrived to review and to listen to. Most of them are either terrible or heard the same way other bands played. Technically correct but without any inspiration or soul. A few of them I would like to listen a second time but only these two band grabbed my attention and are worth to be featured here.
the British IBM is a band from Cambridge, UK, and they will release their second album 'Psychopaths Dream In Black and White' in early September. As far as I know it is a project by singer/songwriter Adrian Killens who was supported live with percussion and bass. They offer a few downtempo and melancholic songs in the tradition of Lambchop added with the sound of Scottish bands like Belle and Sebastian and sometimes they remind me to Matthew Sweet . The songs are well arranged and Adrian's voice fits to them very well. But what makes these songs different to many others is the appearance of Anna Scott. She plays a wonderful cello on these songs and I can't get them out of my mind. Well done.
The other band calls oneself The Graceland Conspiracy. The two members, Crooksy and Wilki, formed the band back in 2012 in Belfast, NI. Their philosophy is simple - using old tunes found lying around their heads, they have forged together a handful of musical pieces, guitar riffs, piano fragments, bass lines, fx pedals , old microphones, gaffer tape and trumpet stabs. A mixture of gothic tones and sparkling pop, sun drenched despair to joyous thunderstorms.Influenced by different artists like Sparklehorse, Mark Lanegan, Sigur Ros and The Doors they the result is worth to listen. It is a little psychedelic, fuzzy song.
During the last two days I was off to a further training. The education was called 'Improved Reading' and I expected nothing special than another tool for my daily work in the office. But I was surprised about the result. Not only that they showed us some techniques about better reading, our reading rate was more than double after these two days. The main propositions were: reading in a steady flow and no regressions while you are reading. I will check out next week if it works in the daily business as well.
Here are some songs for the weekend by a four piece band from Northern London. Genghar has very own sound with picking the guitar and a remarkable voice. Sometimes I think the took the best of the late 90s funk, soul and independent singer/songwriter/bands to create a very own sound.
