Friday, September 14, 2018
Song(s) of the Day # 1,699 Conner Youngblood
Conner Youngblood, a twenty year old American dreadlocked man has recently released a very interesting album called Cheyenne. It's not his first, but it's the first to come to my attention a it's great and really quite unusual. Full of ambient, spacey meditation on modern existence.
Youngblood is a Yale graduate who wrote his dissertation on The Band's, The Weight a worthwhile exercise in itself. Cheyenne will probably be appreciated by more people than that, mapped out by a whole orchestra of instruments, played by Youngblood with a choir of his voices sprinkled into the mix. It reminds me of Bon Iver but without the self-indulgence.
It's full of moments, like looking through someone's smartphone albums from a holiday in Iceland or Scandinavia. You're there but not there somehow. Anyhow I found it quietly evocative and impressive.
Thursday, September 13, 2018
Songs Heard on the Radio # 271 Rema-Rema
Short lived early Eighties 4AD outfit featuring Marco Pirroni get play on Luke Haines' decidedly listenable afternoon show on Boogaloo Radio. This comes from the band's sole release, The Wheel in the Roses EP.
Song of the Day # 1,698 Joe Crow
Once of The Nightingales and The Prefects, Joe Crow put out a number of solo records in the early Eighties including this minor masterpiece which appeared on the Cherry Red compilation Pillows & Prayers.
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Songs Heard on the Radio # 270 Mick Harvey
Listening to Boogaloo Radio now on the recommendation of my sister. Mick Harvey popped up with a song from his Intoxicated album of Gainsbourg covers.
Songs About People # 698 Pocahontas
Not just a cartoon character but a genuine historical character, brought to England in the early seventeenth century as an example of the 'civilised savage'. Died at just 21. From Neil's Rust Never Sleeps.
Song of the Day # 1,697 Stella Chiweshe
Legendary Zimbabwean musician Stella Chiweshe. That magical sounding instrument on this is a mbira, a thumb piano consisting of metal strips set in wood. This comes from a compilation of Chiweshe's early singles. It lasts for over eight minutes but is over in the blink of an eye.
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Song(s) of the Day # 1,696 Woolen Men
Three piece from Portland, Oregon playing songs the way they used to be played in America in the early Eighties. Here are two from their latest album Post.
Monday, September 10, 2018
The Heart of Rock and Soul # 125 Creedence Clearwater Revival
'In other hands, this ersatz remembrance of the way things never were on riverboats might have seemed liked a case of overexposure to Life on the Mississippi especially given Fogerty's total immersion accent, which (in true New Orleans style, pretty rare for a California kid), transforms 'work' to 'woik' among other things.
Fogerty gets away with it, though, because he came up with a riff and a rhythm and a rhythm that rolls along as mighty as the Mississippi itself. The surging flood of guitar and drums, the bass line's undertow and the liquid guitar solo justify every vocal and lyrical affectation. By the end, the story seems natural and eternal, which maybe means that those studied qualities aren't just affectations, after all.'
Song(s) of the Day # 1,695 The Yellow Balloon
Two songs from the baroque and slightly kitsch Pop eponymous debut album and sole outing from The Yellow Balloon and 1967. Not a million miles from The Lovin' Spoonful and The Left Banke and subsequently possibly of interest to Belle & Sebastian followers.
Sunday, September 9, 2018
Things Found on My Local's Jukebox # 320 Portishead
Chosen by Young Sean from Portishead's Third and sounding just fine.
Song(s) of the Day # 1,694 Nancy Sin
Named after Nancy Sinatra. Cats on the cover of their new EP. Sounding like the band the early Soup Dragons and Talulah Gosh might have formed had they had joined forces. Nancy Sin couldn't be more Indie Pop if they tried.
Three songs of a minute and a half to just under three. I can tell you little more about Nancy Sin except that they hail from California. Love all three of these anyhow!
Saturday, September 8, 2018
Songs About People # 696 Burt Reynolds
A belated tribute to Burt Reynolds on here, who of course has just passed. Parental Warning on the language of this particular song.
The Molochs - Flowers in the Spring
The Molochs appeared at the beginning of 2017 with their debut album America's Velvet Glory. I rather liked it despite or perhaps partly because of its unashamedly retro qualities. It was in thrall to the moment that 1966 became 1967. The Stones, The Beatles, The Kinks all those Garage Punk bands specifically. It's a great sound and sensibility after all and we'll always needs bands who appreciate its glory.
And now they're back with their second, Flowers in the Spring, curiously as our minds turn to Autumn. Is it an indication that The Molochs are at least a couple of seasons behind the times? In any case they certainly haven't changed their tune. Flowers in the Spring is painted very much from the same set of colours as America's Velvet Glory was.
I have to say I was rather underwhelmed when speed listening through to the record. The songs aren't really the equal of those on their first record but the inspirations or you'd have to say steals are more blatant. You can't avoid thinking ah Rain, ah Well Respected Man ah Dylan as you listen through from track to track. Influence is all very well but it's a shame to say Molochs do little of value with them here. By the end of the record they're almost having you doubt the veracity and power of those initial songs they source. I had to listen to Face To Face to restore my faith.
Song(s) of the Day # 1,693 Anna Calvi
It has to be said, not all of the new Anna Calvi album Hunter is for me. She's a much hyped artist, bracketed with Nick Cave, P.J, Patti and that dark. deep crowd. Too much of the record fits into that easy cool for my liking, potentially as much of a cliche as any other if you don't get it right.
Here are a couple of tracks that do it for me though. Swimming Pool has that edgy, surreal unease of Britt Eklund's song in The Whicker Man. I certainly wouldn't go down to the swimming pool if I were you. Something bad is sure to happen. Meanwhile Chain rattles its gothy chains to some effect too.
Friday, September 7, 2018
Teleman - Family of Aliens
Teleman are a four piece English band who play synth and guitar driven Pop music with an indie slant of the sort that The Teardrop Explodes and Ultravox might have come up with if they had formed a band together towards the end of the seventies, shed their more Psychedelic and grandiose instincts and taken a more production line approach to their art.
The other bands worth mentioning as formative influences are probably Kraftwerk and Orchestral Manoueveres in the Dark. Teleman's music gives you the impression that it was initially concocted in boardrooms and chemistry laboratories. It's glacial and cool but it's always possible to detect a beating heartbeat at the core of things.
Family of Aliens their new record and third full album in all in four years sticks fairly firmly to the formula established by their previous records. Essentially, their instinct is generally towards melodic Pop and if they showed signs of taking a rather more experimental and left field approach with their Funf EP of last year, they've generally curbed those instincts on Family of Aliens to veer back to the essence of their back catalogue.
So, the most damning adjective which might apply is prosaic, and sometimes the record crosses into that territory, a kinder description would be poised or clinical. Where the record crosses over to the more risky way of things with the treated vocals of Submarine Life it feels only partially successful.
So while Family of Aliens is not the minor masterpiece that Teleman might still be capable of, it's still a record packed full of very fine tunes. And that's probably more than enough. Not many bands can occupy the spot that they have made for themselves, midway between art and commerce. While never quite setting the night on fire, they kindle a small, vaguely melancholic but always attractive flame.
Song of the Day # 1,692 Lacuna Bloome
Great to hear a young Brighton group not born when Stone Roses put out their best records but determined to put out their own take on that all these years later.
Thursday, September 6, 2018
Songs About People # 694 Fyodor Dostoyevsky
One for Fyodor from Black Thought. Full of Crime & Punishment references.
Song of the Day # 1,691 Radio Orwell
From March this years though I've only just come upon it, Ipswich's Radio Orwell and a song called Stolen Sense of Wonder. The band take their name from Ipswich Town's 1985-86 relegation team and a defunct local radio station. They have the evocative feel of the best Independent music of that time; The Go-Betweens, The Chills, The Railway Children, Sarah Records. Quite magical!
Wednesday, September 5, 2018
Songs Heard on the Radio # 268 Thom Yorke
New from Thom Yorke and really rather lovely. From the forthcoming Suspiria soundtrack.
Things Found on My Local's Jukebox # 319 Camera Obscura
I've posted this before but it's one of my very, very favourite things and I'm delighted to see it's appeared on the Rosie's jukebox.
Song of the Day # 1,690 Gooch Palms
From Melbourne to Newcastle, Australia. To my knowledge the first band from that city to be featured on here.
Tuesday, September 4, 2018
Songs About People # 692 Sandy Koufax
One for Brooklyn and LA Dodgers pitcher and all-American icon Sandy Koufax from early-millennium punksters Weed Patch.
Song of the Day # 1,689 School Damage
More Melbourne, Australians, in the apparently endless tide of bands from that city. School Damage have a simple Post-Punk sound. Young Marble Giants come to mind as a reference point on their straight ahead latest album A to X.
Monday, September 3, 2018
Song(s) of the Day # 1,688 Say Hi
Seattle's Say Hi, the long term project of Eric Ebogen are back with a new album Caterpillar, Centipede on Friday. Ahead of it are these two, the first a New Wave chugger, in the vein of The Cars, the second sounding something like an outtake from Nevermind.
Sunday, September 2, 2018
Things Found on My Local's Jukebox # 318 Unknown Mortal Orchestra
The choice of young Sean the barman last night from Unknown Mortal Orchestra's latest last night. And after a couple of plays I like it.
Kelley Stoltz - Natural Causes
Kelley Stoltz has a new album out, just over a year after his last Que Aura. Made up of nine tracks recorded just after that album was made, it's a relatively low profile released on a Spanish label. It's a highly likeable record evoking all kinds of wonderful Eighties records, from Felt to the Bunnymen, The Smiths, The Teardrop Expodes and OMD. Stoltz is a master of mixing up this medicine and coming up with something utterly fresh, even as it reminds you of other things. Natural Causes is a wonderful addition to his considerably classy portfolio.
Song(s) of the Day # 1,687 Luscious Jackson
Two from Luscious Jackson 1994 debut album Natural Ingredients.
Saturday, September 1, 2018
Things Found on My Local's Jukebox # 317 The Teardrop Explodes
Having greatly enjoyed listening to the new Kelley Stoltz record, (review coming), yesterday, I was minded of great moments of Eighties pop. Such as this. So it went on the jukebox at Rosie's last night.
Bill Ryder-Jones - Mither
A very welcome return today from Bill Ryder-Jones an old friend of this blog. Back in 2015 his West Kirby County Primary was one of my album of the year. A sad but almost profound state of the nation record, documenting wet, wind-swept winter days in the more derelict parts of Birkenhead with a graceful, quiet dignity. I saw him play in a small club in Newcastle supporting the record. It was a fine evening and he signed my copy of West Kirby at the end of the night.
And now he's back, with a new song Mither, and accompanying promo shot in a furnishing factory in Keighley, Bradford, with an album, Yawn, to follow in November. It's essentially melancholic, that's Ryder-Jones essential stance, but there's bruised determination and beauty ingrained in the melancholy. He's a talent, that's for sure. Mither often seems as if nothing in particular is happening but it's a highly engaging nothingness and when the guitars start massing like crashing waves as the song progresses it makes me glad he's back. I look forward greatly to the new album.
Songs About People # 690 Tangerine Dream
More elegaic stuff from Davey Woodward & the Winter Orphans, veering from Forster here to his formative influence, Dylan.
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