Malaria!

In the early 80's Berlin based all-female post-punk band entered the independent stage with a sound radical and new for a German band. Many people named them as the German answer to The Slits and The Raincoats but for me they built the ground for many following new wave bands in Germany. Malaria! didn't only made their post-punk thing, they also adapted early electronic sounds and No Wave like James Chance to their music. All in all not an easy listening because it was more than new to many but retrospective a band that showed us the possibilities of modern music.

Malaria! - How Do You Like My New Dog
Malaria! - Pernod
Malaria! - Your Turn To Run

Howlin' Wind

Sometimes it needs a short news I got aware to return to a very old album that I didn't listen for a long time. This happened when I read that Graham Parker is going to release another live album and I remembered his fantastic debut album from 1976. Probably the last record that could be filed under pub rock and the one of the last that was ruled by great songs and arrangements in the tradition of blues-rock/song-writing. It was one of those albums in these days many people could agree with. After all it makes fun to listen to those songs from another era.

Graham Parker - Don't Ask Me Questions
Graham Parker - Howlin' Wind
Graham Parker - Gypsy Blood

Monday's Long Song

Last October 10 000 Russos, a band from Porto, Portugal, released their latest album Kompromat. I never featured any track by an Portugal band or artist since a started this blog and didn't even know that there was a scene for this kind of music. Their music is based on teutonic and motoric sound added with fuzzy guitars and melodies. Some might say that they are just another noisy bastards but bastards I really enjoy to listen to. And sometimes when I listen to their songs I think by myself some of these songs could work on a dancefloor in outer space.

Teenage Headache Dreams

A few days ago I got the news that Alex Crossan aka Mura Masa a electronic producer and songwriter from Guernsey will release a new album. I liked his first one a few years ago because his sound you couldn't really catch. It was a mixture of currently hip music combined with African and world music. So I looked forward if he continues his work or if I get something different. And he didn't made the mistake to copy his sound. Instead he replaced the marimbas for grumpy guitars. This album features also collaborations with other artists. On this song he collaborates with Wolf Alice's Ellie Rowsell and it one of the best new rock-pop songs I listened in this short year. A teenage drama many of us can understand or made similar experiences - and a great video by the way.

Working Week Is Over

I often came back to work after a longer hiatus but it never was like this week. Plenty of work waiting on my desk to be done. And not only done most of them should be done quickly because my final work was needed for various appointments for our CEO or external audit. So I exercised my duties with some almost 10 hour shifts and when I came home I just wanted to sit down, watch an hour or so TV and then falling asleep. I didn't had the power to continue the blog and I am confident that next week will be easier to work and I can have more time for myself.

Brass In Pocket

40 years ago The Pretenders released their first album, a milestone of British new-wave pop/rock. I loved this album not only because the deep and smoky voice and of Chrissie Hynde her ability to write great songs. The songs and the sound were also a bridging to the best of the early 60's. Best shown on their cover of a forgotten Kinks song. Still makes me smile listening to them.

Pretenders - Brass In Pocket
Pretenders - Stop Your Sobbing

Monday's Long Song

A few months ago Chicago based electronic musician Steve Hauschildt released Nonlin, a record that grew slowly to me. Some songs are smooth and starry others are more or less ambient excursions drifting into a very own mood. A record I use to listen to when the noise in my open-plan office gets to loud and I put my headset on. Music to relax and to work by.