Nile Rodgers has done a remix of the Steven Wilson song Personal Shopper. The full version ain't half bad, but the edited version shaves about half of the original track's length and looses most of the darkness in the proces. But people will dance to it anyway and that's the point when you have a disco legend working his magic on your stuff.
Tape Op has launched another podcast series: DISCussion. They get on the phone with an artist or producer to discuss an album they love. In episode 17 mastering engineer Jessica Thompson talks about the Scott Walker album Scott 3.
Roots band Golden Alphabet has managed to record a rustic psych folk album in the midst of Brooklyn. On Removable Baby Jesus the band's resident lyricist Tommy Cormier taps into his issues with religion, being raised in Tucson, AZ, a place where lots of people think that spelling God with a capital letter should be replaced by an all-caps version. On the upside - he was exposed to highly melodic country music and that is firmly embedded in his musical DNA. Over the years Golden Alphabet went through tons op lineups, but the current quintet has been played together since 2014. And since they are all multi-instrumentalists they can play musical chairs, donning different roles if a song calls for a slightly different approach.
Removable Baby Jesus is a happy-sad album, with witty tongue-in-cheek songs like Bucky Bronco and Wiggly Tornado (it must be a first to write a song from the perspective from the storm itself), sitting next to barely contained anger of being dragged to mass in Become Bright or getting really, really stoned in Sundays I Gave. It is quite fitting that they wrap things with a song about being tongue-tied in a one-on-one with Jesus himself in Nose To Nose and Toes To Toes. If anything religion spawned a great set of songs. Zealous preachers and bigots will beg to differ, but after all is said and done, it turns out that music will always be the higher (and real) power in the end.
Landmark of sorts:
2424 album reviews on
Here Comes The Flood.
Yip Man of Scotland, alter ego of Al Nero, does some serious soul-searching on his new album Cock of the North. Besides his signature sarcasm (>Bullshit Detector, Everybody's Fool) and wicked sense of humour - flushing a toilet at the end of Everybody's Got Their Own Shit Going On he also look inside with songs like Evil Doppelganger and This is the Last One.
Nero's music is an amalgam of rambling indie rock, a touch of vaudeville and lopsided New Wave. His gift for infectious melody and raucous rhythms make Cock of the North a joy to listen to. He cares a lot, while sounding careless and totally loose, an act that is hard to follow, supplying a breath of fresh air in the stuffy singer-songwriter niche.
Brooklyn based folk-pop duo Almost Sex go for slow moving electronics on their new single Lie Heartfelt. Multi-instrumentalist Nick Louis and architect and singer HW LaSota are using dream pop and triphop, with surprisingly harsh beats as an added bonus to emphasize the mixed emotions of the lyrics.
HCTF review of Rest Up.
Few albums come full circle without dropping the ball a few times along the way, but Wheels Fall Off by Chicago based progressive art rock sextet Tautologic is one of them. After a short intro/slash nursery featuring the band's songwriter Ethan Sellers kids they are off for a visit to a musical candy store, touching base with ska (Memo To Yourself), Zappa-esque instrumentals (Rocket Surgery) and breakneck speed folk (Fat, Dumb, and Happy, High School Reunion).
Tautologic cater to fans from so many genres that it could have turned into a muddy, faceless mess, but they are able to get to the core and add a smattering of bells and whistles that lets each track shine like the queen of the prom. Whether it is funky disco (Covered In Grit) or a late night jazzy torch song (Summer, 1995), this band really has both the stamina and the skills "to keep driving 'til the Wheels Fall Off".
Watch Bryan Ferry tackle All Along the Watchtower, the Bob Dylan classic. Recorded live at @ LSO St. Luke's in London — February 10, 2007. The studio version can be found on his Dylanesque album.
As a musician I tell you that if you were to suppress adultery, fanaticism, crime, evil, the supernatural, there would no longer be the means for writing one note.
Georges Bizet
Welsh indie power pop band Swansea Sound go against the grain with their new single Indies Of The World, a tribute to the 45rpm 7" single. They sound cheerful and angry simultaneously. Now that most people rely on streaming to listen to music there is an underground movement that is adamant to keep the physical format alive. And the best way to do is collaboration to keep the costs of distribution at a reasonable level, not to mention the shipping costs for the clientele. B-side Je Ne Sais Quoi is a nod to the upbeat Yé-yé style that was all the rage in Southern Europe in the sixties.
Pro soccer team Seattle Sounders FC have unveiled a Jimi Hendrix inspired away kit. Yes, the main colour is purple. The club's owner Peter Tomozawa is thrilled:
We couldn’t be more excited and proud to finally introduce The Jimi Hendrix Kit to the world; a true intersection of sports, music and pop culture. Jimi’s legacy looms large, not just here in Seattle where he was born and raised, or for the Sounders, where his iconic rendition of ‘All Along the Watchtower’ has been a part of matchday tradition for years, but across the entire world. In his short life, Jimi gifted us with his talent, and, even more so, with his generous and loving spirit. We wanted this kit to embody that colorful, creative personality, while also using it as a way to further good, just as Jimi used his own platform.
UK label A Cheery Wave Records has been providing an outlet for the post-rock underground since 2010. Volume IX of their A Cheery Wave From Stranded Youngsters is special, because it only features bands that have split up an it is the first one that will be released in physical formats (CD, cassette).
As a genre post-rock is mostly guitar-driven, rubbing shoulders with metal and progressive rock, and spawning math-rock as the current most popular sub-genre. Vocals are optional- the instruments do the talking - and alternate tunings commbined with time signatures that tend to avoid 3/4 and 4/4. This collection of song is for the open-minded and musos, nodding to the towering Something Of Summers Past by Goonies Never Say Die and go with the flow of Frightened Ones by A Genuine Freakshow (the uninitiated could be tricked by telling them it is a Clannad B-side).
Brooklyn based singer-songwriter Tallie Gabriel has a soft post for fairy tales, so it makes sense that her new single Story is accompanied by an animated video, delving into a candy-coloured dreamscape with her lover. Lush strings - she plays the cello - and piano are gently swinging in this subtle folk song. She wears her vulnerability as a badge of honour.
The clip was directed and animated by David Shaw. The track can be found on her debut EP Little Death.
Seattle based singer and multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Charbonneau goes back to the music of his youth on On The Stereo. the new single by his lo-fi indie folk rock project Summer Sleeves. He reminisces about the long drives with his dad, making their way to yet another car show, while listening to the radio.
He mentions the Beatles quite a lot, but it sounds more like a mix of Tom Petty and the Byrds. Nostalgia and melancholy are playing catch in a song that could be mistaken for a long lost seventies classic. With Alon Bassok (bass) and Mike Oprinski (lead guitar) Charbonneau brings back the power trio format, creating instantly hummable melodic rock music on a shoestring budget.
Glasgow based Celtic folk band The Gracious Losers have made a video for The Fire At The Bottom Of The Sea, the new single from their upcoming new album Six Road Ends. Raucous piano and jangling pop guitar are the main ingredients, with choice background vocals acting as spices.
» The Gracious Losers on Facebook
HCTF review of Six Road Ends.
Synth post-punk trio Autogramm poke fun at their own uncertainties with their new single Anxiety. "I just don't want to be happy all the time" as opposed to the "cheer up, it's going out fine, you'll see" that a friend might offer as some lame form of solace. The video was directed by James Maher.
Late Aster up the ante with A Minor Fantasy. Using a piano prelude by Dmitri Shostakovich (no bonus points for guessing what key that was in) as the base they are off for a journey through jazz, dream pop, triphop and classical music. All band members studied at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, acquiring a deep knowledge of musical theory. The single is a 101 in structured spontaneity - every note counts, but it feels that it was invented on the spot. The video was made by four/ten media.
Tape Op has launched another podcast series: DISCussion. They get on the phone with an artist or producer to discuss an album they love. In episode 16 Beau Sorenson talks about the Talk Talk album Laughing Stock.
Italian alt-rock/psychedelic band Earthset performed their soundtrack for the silent film L'Uomo Meccanico @ Teatro Comunale in Bologna on February 21. Released in 1921 the movie is a prime sample of experimental Dystopian sci-fi cinema. No complete prints of this story about a murderous robot ("The Mechanical Man") and its successor that was build to beat him have survived. It is regarded as a lost classic and a big influence on the far better known Fritz Lang's movie Metropolis that came out in 1927.
HCTF review of L'Uomo Meccanico.
Steven Wilson has posted episode 9 of his live in the studio performances. Dubbed The Future Bites Sessions he performs stripped down versions from his from his extensive back catalogue.
Last Chance to Evacuate Planet Earth..., from the Porcupine Tree album Lightbulb Sun, featured a speech by Marshall Applewhite, the leader of the Heaven's Gate religious cult, who believed that by committing suicide he and his followers could hitch a ride on a spaceship that was accompanying the Comet Hale–Bopp.
The Echoes Of The World documentary about the Kinks' album The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society has popped up on YouTube. The album was a flop back then, but it is now widely regarded as one of their greatest records. Director Charlie Thomas talked to Ray Davies, Dave Davies and Mick Avory. Noel Gallagher, Paul Weller, Andy Partridge, Natalie Merchant and Sugg wax lyrically about this quintessentially Englishness of the songs. Put the kettle on and enjoy.
Steven Wilson has just announced the postponement of his tour to promote his latest album The Future Bites. From his Facebook:
Sadly for the second time I am forced to postpone my tour to promote THE FUTURE BITES - the rescheduled dates were due to begin in September. While recent developments made me at least optimistic that the UK shows might have been able to go ahead (though no guarantee), the same is not true of much of the rest of Europe. With it now clear that it would not have been possible to proceed with many of the shows I have reluctantly made the decision to cancel the whole tour. As a solo artist so many of my expenses are in advance, rehearsal and musician costs, developing the production, so to then only be able to perform a handful of shows at best would simply not have been financially feasible. Once again I must apologise for the disappointment and any inconvenience caused.
Scottish indie label Last Night From Glasgow jumps on the podcast bandwagon. In the first episode of LNFG4ME Paul McGeechan (Starless) looks back on the making of his Earthbound album:
Our first guest on LNFG4ME is Paul McGeechan who last year released his album Earthbound under the name Starless. In this episode, Paul discusses the process that went into creating Earthbound. We spoke about the featured singers on the album, the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and what to expect when the album is performed live. The podcast will also showcase three featured songs off the album so kick back, relax and enjoy!
» lastnightfromglasgow.com
» starless.co.uk
HCTF review of Earthbound.
Brighton based sextet Opus Kink hit the ground running with Wild Bill, their new single. It is an upbeat murder ballad, propelled forward by rollicking rhythm section and cheerful saxophone and trumpet. This is the kind of tune that can start a good-natured moshpit, once live shows can happen again. Recommended if you like The Clash, and Ian Dury and the Blockheads.
Wild Bill is released via Nice Swan Records.
I try to play the bare essence, to let everything be just what it's supposed to be in that particular spot...You have many things to pick from when you're playing, so you try to train yourself to pick out the best things that you know.
Dizzy Gillespie
Norwegian indie pop band Remington super 60 made the break-up of two of their members, songwriter and keyboards collector Chrisoffer Schou and singer Elisabeth Thorsen the main theme of the new Nouvelle Noveau EP, with Magnus Abelsen handling guitar and percussion.
For some the extensive use of the Casio/Yamaha keyboards from the 80s might a bit much - they sound rather tinny, but were considered cutting edge back then. It is a nice contrast, alomost a counterpoint, for the dream pop vocals. The EP won't shift as many units as the fabled breakup record Rumours. They are still good friends after all and that puts a damper on the lyrics.
English band The Catenary Wires have made a video for their new single Mirrorball: "[it is a song]" is about feeling awkward during an 80s dance night, with two people checking each other out, not sure how to make the first move. Musically it is a throwback to the heyday of the New Romantics, albeit with an indie twist and the warm sound of a Hammond organ acting as a comfy blanket. Nostalgia abounds, while fully realizing that they are not young anymore".
Listen to indie rock band Red Hearted Vibrations tackling the Alannah Myles classic Black Velvet. They are part of the line-up of a virtual concert in Glasgow on March 26.
Austin, TX band Sam Pace and the Gilded Grit don't need to mention sex by name to make it crystal clear what their new single Hot Blood is all about. Blues, soul and a bit of jazz rolled into one, with a pleading guitar and drum shuffle acting as caresses set the mood. Pace's husky vocals are the icing on the cake.
Power fusion rock trio The Aristocrats had just finished the dates in Spain of their lengthy world tour promoting the You Know What…? album, when everything shut down and live concerts were cancelled. Guthrie Govan (guitar), Bryan Beller (bass) and Marco Minnemann (drums) were playing really well and enjoying themselves. A new album, FREEZE! Live In Europe 2020, captures them in full swing. It will be released on May 7, 2021. Drum solo lovers will be pleased to hear that Minnemann payed tribute to fellow percussion maestro Neil Peart with a lengthy version of Get It Like That, a track from the band's self-titled debut album.
FREEZE! Live In Europe 2020 is available for pre-order from their website (CD, vinyl, digital).
Composer Kitt Wakeley like to use the whole canvas for his orchestral, widescreen tracks and the new single Conflicted of his forthcoming album Symphony of Sinners and Saints is no exception. Recorded @ Abbey Road Studios with the London Philharmonic and London Voices he has built a towering piece of music, a carefully constructed maze of sound, with guest guitarist Joe Satriani leading the way. Within a three minute time span Wakeley creates a fantasy world like the ones from the golden age of cinema, using shock and awe that leaves the listener overwhelmed and wanting more.
Boston based indie singer and songwriter Leah Callahan was a member of a couple of jangling guitar bands (Turkish Delight, Betwixt, The Glass Set) in the late '90s and early '80s before disappearing from the music scene in 2008. Now she is back with Simple Folk, a new solo album that celebrates the upbeat pop of her younger days. She tackles her uncertainties ( Wish That I Had Never Met You Music) and pet peeves (A Woman of Few Things) in one big swoop. It is all delivered with gusto and panache. Callahan can make both fun of herself and point an accussing finger as well.
With Alex Stern on board for abrasive yet melodic guitar and piano the album is a continuation of her previous work. It is as if she never left. A little sadder and wiser perhaps, but also adamant to come out on top in the end. The cover of the Mary Hopkin hit single Those Were the Days is a nice surprise. It fits her poppy vocalizing like a glove.
Old school mainstream rawk is tried-and-true vessel for bottling anger and Hamilton band Elephants and Stars follow that recipe for Ceasefire, trying to erase the memory and mere exitence of a person that has done them wrong. The song crashes and burns in the final bars and it wouldn't have hurt if they had let the tape rolling for a bit longer to capture the mayhem.
Tape Op has launched another podcast series: DISCussion. They get on the phone with an artist or producer to discuss an album they love. In episode 15 Emch talks about the Lee “Scratch” Perry and the Upsetters album Super Ape.
Glasgow based Celtic folk band The Gracious Losers don't shy away from making grand gestures on their new album Six Road Ends. Band leader and singer Jonathan Lilley assembled a 15-piece band for an album that rocks, whispers, and provides a good time. Optimism and pessimism are treated like equals. Doubt sits next to unbridled joy. Ever wondered what Lloyd Cole would sound like trying to emulate Nick Drake? The solo piece Flood Came Down The Hill answers that question. Soulful pop fans can get their fill with You Got The Reach On Me. Heartbreak is covered in Loath To Leave. They even managed to squeeze in old school prog a la Mike Oldfield with The Accomplice.
Six Road Ends is a meeting of styles and moods, once again proving that the old adage that the sum is greater than its parts is still going strong. Craftsmanship, ace lyrics, and intricate, chiseled arrangements that should be enjoyed in one sitting. If anything, it will lift the listener's spirits. A Hollywood ending of sorts, When I'm Feeling Better, brings the album to a close. Drop the needle for a second round to discover the layers that went unnoticed the first time. There are plenty of those.
David Katznelson had an interview with cult favourite Jonathan Richman for The Aquarium Drunkard. Among other things he talks about his Just A Spark, On Journey From The Dark podcast series on Bandcamp:
Someone pointed out to me: “Hey Jonathan, all your listeners—almost all of them—hear your music from streaming.” And I was thinking, THEY DO? And they said YES. So I called up Blue Arrow records and I said “I want to stay in this music game!” I guess that vinyl is more of a collector’s item than I was thinking. And they said yes. So I said maybe there is a way I can introduce my new music to the people who want to hear it via the streaming and for it not to be foul. And they said, there is bandcamp—they are not like the other companies. They like to hear sketches of songs and they are not all about the money so I said, “OK, let’s try that.”
» jojofiles.blogspot.com (unofficial great Jonathan Richman fan blog)
Record Store Day will be celebrating its 14th anniversary on June 12 and July 17. Mark your calendars and start saving.
We've spent the last few months watching the news, listening to health officials, talking with record stores, labels, and RSD organizers the world over, and because we still don't have a magic 8-ball to tell us what things are going to look like in a few months, we've decided the smartest thing to do is bring back the concept of RSD Drops for 2021.
The RSD Drops will take place on June 12 and July 17 at participating stores worldwide.
These are street dates for special titles coming to participating indie record stores. As with the successful RSD Drops dates in 2020, the focus this year is on supporting indie record stores with sales, and saving the big parties, shows, in-stores, crowds and celebrations for (fingers crossed) Record Store Day 2022.
The only advantage of the CD is that you have a booklet that can tell a bit of a story, but the little covers are just boring. I love vinyl, and I have loads of it. It's the same thing as digital photography versus film photography. It's a quality thing.
Anton Corbijn
Steven Wilson will discuss the Kate Bush album The Dreaming as part of the My Classic Album series on Classic Album Sundays. He is interviewed by Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy. Tune in via the Classic Album Sundays YouTube and Facebook channels on Sunday March 14th at 8pm GMT. It will be available on demand thereafter.
The Dreaming was released in 1982. Album sales were good, but the singles did not became hits. Contemporary critics were not pleased with her new uncommercial course, but it is now considered as a highlight in her discography.
Watch NYC musician Ronan Conroy tackle the Feargal Sharkey classic A Good Heart in his apartment in Williamsburg. The song was written by Maria McKee.
Dutch musician Stefan Breuer got a request from Utrecht's finest underground venue dB's to perform an online release show The Hum, the new live album by his one-man lo-fi project The World of Dust. He thought it was a bit weird to perform live versions form songs from a live album, but he agreed to do it, with his wife Annker on keyboards: "it will bring me some form of closure. I will play this same set of songs (more or less) one final time, accompanied by the visuals, and then I have to work on a new live set. Because I still (always) want to do something differently, Anneke will play keys during the show. It's sounds really cool! Hope to see you all on the interwebs, next week".
The webcast will be streamed on March 20 at 21:00 UTC+01. It is avialable via the dB's Facebook, dB's YouTube and Twitch and Instagram.
Indie pop band The New Beans long for the recent past on their new single Berlin, a song that was inspired by their visit to the capital of Germany. They did a show there, but apparently somethign elese happened there too: "Down in the city // I try to feel the glow // I never see the sun // And always want it all // Berlin strikes again and now it hits me back // I kind of like it, yeah".
They take it slow, almost like they walking around with eyes closed, in order to retrace their steps. Bittersweet dream-pop that both hurts and soothes.
Another archival Phish release is available for streaming and download: 07/23/1997 Lakewood Amphitheatre, Atlanta, GA:
Lakewood Amphitheatre is a 19,000 seat modern outdoor shed opened in 1989 at the Lakewood Fairgrounds near downtown Atlanta. The venue has had some corporate names since then but it was still just Lakewood when Phish rolled in on July 23, 1997. This was Phish’s second Lakewood show of 11 to-date (1995-2015), reserved tickets cost $27.00 including parking, and the Wednesday night sellout crowd was fired up. The band was freshly back in the United States after their second European tour of the year with a quiver of new songs that were coming into their own. Just a couple of shows in, the U.S. tour was already formidable with the band coming off of two standout shows in Virginia Beach and Raleigh. Atlanta continued the streak.
The Greek jazz/fusion trio Yiorgos Fakanas Group will be on the road for a short Fall tour with ace guitarist Guthrie Govan as a special guest.
Live dates:» Yiorgos Fakanas Group on Facebook
» Guthrie Govan on Facebook
Tape Op has launched another podcast series: DISCussion. They get on the phone with an artist or producer to discuss an album they love. In episode 14 Erik Eldenius talks about the Miles Davis album Nefertiti.
Italian musician, songwriter and producer Corrado Rustici gives prog guitar a very welcome update on Night of the Jackal, a track from his latest album Interfulgent. He is not afraid to augment the sound with a healthy dose of electronics and a buzzing, bass-heavy backbeat. A bit of Middle-East vocalizing mixes with his flawless dexterity and yes, there are plenty of volume shifts that are all done in very good taste. The video was designed by Enrico Zavatta.
Dutch indie band Waltzburg has a new song about feeling akward and uncomfortable. Inbetween deals with thinking that it's all a fraud while keeping up appearances. Everything is going great, except it isn't. That feeling is also the main theme from their forthcoming new EP, Let's All Pretend, out on March 26. While this sounds all rather heavy-handed and a bit bleak, they have decided to wrap it all in sunnyside up quirky pop. The music is sugarcoating the message, which is kind of ironic in this case, but it works like a charm.
Kingston based indie band Pushpin have made a video for their single Folds "[The song] finds them exploring the electronics side of pop and adding a bit of jazz, while retaining their knack for serving up skewed rhythms. With two vocalists playing catch on the right and left channel the track gets stuck in your brain, but in a good way".
Johnny Dowd is working on a new record. He played the brand new song Scarf of Silk, with Michael Edmondson on guitar, during the virtual Boogie Shakedown for the State Theater show in Ithaca on February 28. Changes are that it will end on the new album.
Indianapolis based speciality label Joyful Noise is doing something special: ten bands from their roster will be part of the Gray Area Cassette Series 2021 box set. Each month buyers will receive a new tape (plus a digital download). A wooden box to keep them in is part of the deal. 175 copies will be made.
These bands are in the box:
Penblwyddyn hapus i chi!
Happy Birthday, John Cale!
On her new album She Walks in Beauty Marianne Faithful recites poems by William Keats, Percy Shelley, William Wordsworth, Lord Byron, Thomas Hood and Alfred Lord Tennyson, on top of musical arrangements by Warren Ellis, Brian Eno, Nick Cave and Vincent Sega. Watch the lyrics video for the title track.
The album will be released on April 30 and is available for preorder here.
Chicago blues rockers Crown Vic Royal take it slow on Peyote Embers, the lead single from their forthcoming EP Cosmic Nights. Hop in for a tale about a wild night in the desert. The memories about what went down exactly are a bit hazy, but lead singer Buchanan gives it his all trying to connect the dots. Recommended if you like Ry Cooder and cosmic country.
Do it again on the next verse and people think you meant it.
Chet Atkins
Steven Wilson and Tim Bowness return with the second season of their podcast, The Album Years. In the first episode they discuss records that were released in 1981. Wilson:
The Album Years is back! Season Two of my podcast with Tim Bowness opens with our take on 1981.
Embracing Post-Punk, Electro-Pop, Metal, Progressive Rock, Jazz and more, in this edition Tim and I discuss artists as diverse as Japan, A Certain Ratio, RUSH, Grace Jones, Pat Metheny, Iron Maiden, Magazine and others.
Against all odds, we also make a valiant attempt to defend Phil Collins masterwork Face Value!
The Album Years is available for streaming via a wealth of podcast platforms.
Watch the new Viagra Boys video for Ain't Nice, a track from their latest album Welfare Jazz: "Imagine the Stooges in their Raw Power phase having a ball with The Birthday Party and De Staat, with Tom Waits smiling in the background. Monolithic dance grooves clash with a prog rock flute solo or a screaming saxophone".
HCTF review of Welfare Jazz.
Nicholas Wood follows the mood of the Madchester dance raves of yesteryear on Heat, the new single of his solo project Saccades. A trippy, pulsating backbeat is the core of his neo-psychedelic musings. Escapist stuff, but it is all done in very good taste. If coldwave and post-punk had a baby, it would sound like this. It is the lead single from his new album Flowing Fades, due for release on April 9 via Fuzz Club Records.
Singer and multi-instrumentalist St. Vincent channels David Bowie on Pay Your Way In Pain, the lead single from her forthcoming new album Daddy's Home, out on May 14th 2021. It is a tug of war between stuttering rhythm and vocals, that will cause a lot of confusion on the dance floor. The video was directed by Bill Benz.
Daddy's Home is available for pre-order in a wealth of formats here. There is even a limited 8-track version. Never heard of that format? Go to wikipedia.
Telling a guy that he is bad news by way of dark orchestral pop has given Canadian singer Kandle Osbourne some kind of closure after getting out from a toxic relationship on her new single Honey Trap. A luscious melody sets the stage for a song that mixes Sixties pop with harsh guitar flourishes. It is a track from her new album Set the Fire, due for release in the Spring. The widescreen video, featuring the all-female rock band The Wiccs, was directed by Brandon Fletcher.
George Bisharat once again proves that you can turn a former defense attorney and law professor into a swinging, soulful blues man. Living in the City is his fourth album as Big Harp George, singing songs about money (Build Myself An App, Copayment), drugs (Pusher In A White Coat), getting into trouble (First Class Muck Up), and raising hell (Heading Out To Itaipu). His chromatic harmonica is less prominent that on his previous album Uptown Cool, but when he brings it out for the title track, and even more memorable for Try Nice, it truly rips.
He is backed by a beffy of ace musicians - Joe Kyle ( bass), June Core (drums), Ben Torres (sax and flute), Michael Peloquin (sax), Mike Rinta (trombone), Carlos Reyes (Paraguayan har, violin), Firas Zreik (zither/qanun), Doug Rowan (baritone sax). Derrick “D’Mar” Martin (drums) and Loay Dhbour (iique), Amal Murkus (vocals on Meet Me At The Fence). Old school backing vocals are delivered by Lisa Leuschner Andersen, Loralee Christensen, and the Sons of the Soul Revivers (James, Dwayne and Walter Morgan). With a band like that Bisharat can make his dream of fronting of fronting a big band come true. His lyrics are way superior than the run-of-the-mill fodder of love stories and first world problems, making Living in the City an album that the listener can dance too and learn something from as well.
Watch Puddles Pity Party, nom-de-plume of singer and entertainer Michael Geier, tackle the R.E.M. classic Everybody Hurts.
Canadian drummer, composer, producer, and educator Larnell Lewis listens to Enter Sandman, analyses what is going on, and nails it on the first pass playing it himself.
Tape Op has launched another podcast series: DISCussion. They get on the phone with an artist or producer to discuss an album they love. In episode 13 Joe Barresi talks about Boston's self-titled debut album.
Kosta Galanopoulos meshes the mellow sounds of both US coasts on his new single Shortcuts. He adopted the stage name PWNT (an acronym for Play What's Not There, a quote attributed to Miles Davis) and sure enough their some laidabck jazz bubbling under the psych-pop surface. Galanopoulos has been a sideman for more than years, enabling him to suck up a wide variety of styles and mix it up to something that sounds familiar, but with a twist.
Once more a biopic about Jeff Buckley has been announced. First time director Orian Williams, who produced Anton Corbijn's Control about Ian Curtis, will try to capture the life of the singer, with Reeve Carney playing the lead role. Writer-director Brian Jun was supposed to do a movie in 2006, but that one never got off the ground.
Buckley released just one album, Grace, during his career. He drowned while swimming fully clothed in 1997.
Dutch musician Stefan Breuer has released a new live album by his one-man lo-fi project The World of Dust. The Hum contains songs from three live shows, recorded in late 2019 and early 2020. The an accompanying film contains the visuals that were projected during these live shows, a mix of childhood footage combined and collages. Watch this wearing a pair of decent headphones and be transported to a world wherein anything might happen The songs are like fairy tales for all ages by a man who only needs a guitar and his voice to keep an appreciative audience hanging on to each word.
As a special treat Breuer will send you the audio on a CDr for free. Worldwide, no shipping costs. Send him a message via Facebook.
Richmond, VA musician Pat Absent tries to find a way out on his new single Outlet. Steeped in Eigthies synths with an icing of dream-pop he does not scream at the clouds, but pleads to leave him alone. His anxiety is almost palpable, but against all odds he has a found glorious melody to keep his demons at bay. It is a track from his debut full-length Tangible Absence (full stream on Soundcloud) .
