Watch blues singer Lucinda Williams perform the Stones classic Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker). It's on her Lu's Jukebox Vol. 6 - It's Only Rock And Roll: A Tribute To The Rolling Stones album.
November 30, 2021
Mad Ones: Last Forever
photo: Mitch Barns
Toronto based power trio Mad Ones released three singles since the release of their third full-length Regretless in 2017, but only one of them - Run On You - made it to their long-awaited new album, Last Forever. They stick to what they know best: melodic rock wrapped in layers of controlled feedback and distortion. Life is still not fair, giving them plenty of opportunity to get upset, sad and pissed off, or all three of them within the space of a single song.
With bangers like Kecskemet and Monday Morning they keep the flag of loud music flying. And even when they take it down a notch in songs like Stay Awake (a power ballad that does not suck) and No Pleasure the energy level keeps hovering near the red. Few bands can take elements from both garage and progressive rock, but these musicians are crazy and competent enough to give it try and come out on top.
The Last of The Fallen Angels: Radio Babylon
English synth band The Last of The Fallen Angels have rounded up wealth of guest musicians for their debut album, Radio Babylon, a collection of songs presented as an '80s radio broadcast, with DJ chatter in between the tracks. Bookended by the dreamy vocals of Victoria Owsnett on Press Play and Press Eject it is a throwback to the heyday of Northern English post-punk and early dance - with Peter Hook's signature bass as the driving force for Kisses, and Laura Rikenbacker and Jeff Black taking a late night stroll with Bowie In Berlin.
All tracks get the opportunity to grow organically, finding a groove that can run its course. Definitely old school synth driven indie stuff that will be embraced by listeners with an above average attention span. The orchestated Ocean with Renee LoBue will find its way to countless documentaries in the years to come.
November 29, 2021
Patrick Santos: crowdfunding campaign for "If classical had modern drums: The Album"
Canadian drummer Patrick Santos has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter to cover the costs of recording and releasing If classical had modern drums: The Album:
Although most classical music is in the public domain, the recordings of these classical pieces are copyrighted. To get around this, I would have to get orchestral recordings of the classical pieces solely for my use in which I'd own the rights to.. and thats exactly what I'm going to do!
Phish: "The Clifford Ball" 12-LP box set; "Flatbed Jam" LP
Phish has announced the release of The Clifford Ball as a 12-LP set:
Brand new 12-LP 25th Anniversary vinyl box set of Phish’s acclaimed two-day festival The Clifford Ball featuring every note from Phish’s landmark concert that drew more than 70,000 fans to upstate New York in August of 1996. The box set features just under 8 hours of music, fully mixed and mastered, with six complete sets recorded live August 16 & 17, 1996 and pressed on a whopping 12-LPs with audio recorded by Paul Languedoc and vinyl mastered and lacquers cut by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering. In addition to the 12 colored vinyl discs (Day 1 on Orange vinyl and Day 3 on sky blue), the deluxe box set includes a 40+ page book with extensive liner notes by Parke Puterbaugh and photographs from the weekend by Danny Clinch.
November 28, 2021
Mountaineer: new album "Lewis & Clark" in January; "Ohio" video
Back in 2017 Marcel Hulst of Amsterdam indie band Mountaineer already knew that Ohio would becomed the opener of the new album, Lewis & Clark. It is a tale about a trip that has not happened yet in real life, but someday they will visit it for sure. Great slide guitar on this piece of Dutch Americana that is tailor made for a late night drive anywhere in the world. The video was edited by Magieke Jansen. No buffalos were harmed.
Lewis & Clark will be released on vinyl via Concerto Records. Ohio is on all the usual digital outlets.
HCTF review of 1974.
Words about music (614): Steve Winwood
I got thrown out of music school for even listening to Fats Domino and Ray Charles. I was asked, 'What kind of music do you like to listen to?' and I said, 'Well, I do like Paul Hindemith and Igor Stravinsky but I also like Fats Domino and Ray Charles,' and they literally said, 'Either forget about that or leave.'
Steve Winwood
November 27, 2021
LIJO: Dog Eyes
Dutch avant-pop singer LIJO discusses the fear of missing out in relationships and life in general on her new single, Dog Eyes. The anxiety is captured in short bursts of electronics and an upbeat rhythm track, as a means to feel safe amidst all the little things that bug her: "I lost my keys // Two times this week // I lost my cash to cigarette machines // I lost my appetite to TV screens // I lost my sleep to the party scene".
November 26, 2021
HCTF's Guilty Pleasures - Cindy & Bert: Der Hund von Baskerville
In 1971 German schlager vocal duo Cindy & Bert released their really weird cover of Black Sabbath's Paranoid, with brand new lyrics in their native tongue: Der Hund von Baskerville. They did a really bad lip sync performance on a TV show, surrounded by rhythmically challenged dancers. The single has become a collector's item.
Remy van Kesteren: amanuel
Dutch harpist Remy van Kesteren has released a new single, amanuel, the third track in a series of compositions inspired by "places I may have visited, people I may have met". Dreamy and slightly melancholic, he used a few choice notes as the lead motif. A new track will be unveiled every other week, leading up to the first EP of a four-part series.
November 25, 2021
Tired Cossack: Machina
photo: Scott Kereliuk
Canadian one-man band Tired Cossack captures the ennui of living in dead-end town in Manitoba on his latest single, Manitoba. He mixes '80s post-punk (Sisters of Mercy-alike percussion and synths) and college rock-styled vocals, with plenty of echo. Depressing stuff, but the backbeat keeps it from going down in flames. The track will be included on his new album, Hocus Pocus, due for release on December 3rd.
Phil Madeley: In Dreams
photo: Percy Walker-Smith
English musician Phil Madeley makes a plea for worrying not too much on his new single, In Dreams, a bluesy pop song with an infectious hook. When life gets in the way, it is best to carry on with head held high, and adopting a stride with lots of swagger.
November 24, 2021
Roos Meijer: Why Don't We Give It A Try?
Dutch alt-folk singer Roos Meijer dares to dream on her debut album, Why Don't We Give It A Try?. She is an idealist, hoping for change. She shuns pontificating, offering her observations in a subdued but firm manner, with her vocals and acoustic guitar as the core elements.
Trying to solve all the wrongs is not realistic, but it doesn't hurt to give it a shot. If anything her optimism is heartfelt and honest, drawing inspiration from lengthy talks with 8 change makers. The music switches from folk to alt-pop, with orchestral flourishes and whispering percussion.
Phish: Clifford Ball ‘Dinner And A Movie’ Thanksgiving Weekend Broadcasts
During the Thanksgiving Weekend Phish will broadcast all six sets they performed at their first festival, The Clifford Ball, in the upstate town of Plattsburgh, New York August 16 & 17, 1996 as part of their Dinner And A Movie schedule. From JamBase.com:
The three sets from August 16 air this Friday, November 26 starting at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT with Phish’s three sets from August 17 to begin at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT this Saturday, November 27.
Both “Dinner And A Movie” live archival video broadcasts can be viewed via webcast.livephish.com or through the band’s YouTube channel. While the shows will air for free, those tuning in are encouraged to donate to Meals On Wheels of America. Contributions made to The WaterWheel Foundation will benefit an organization, “focused on keeping older Americans safe and nourished in communities across the country.”
Ilsha: "Dear Tree" video
Dutch folk band Ilsha have made a video for Dear Tree, a track from their debut EP, Dive: "Carefully sidestepping the pitfalls of New Age-y noodling, she covers the same musical grounds that were explored by Kate Bush and Dead Can Dance. It's all about dynamics and harmonies, a gentle group conservation wherein the musicians both allow each other space and join forces to create a kaleidoscopic sonic experience".
HCTF review of Dive.
November 23, 2021
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis: new soundtrack "La Panthère des Neiges"; "We Are Not Alone" video
Nick Cave and Warren Ellis will release their soundtrack for the French documentary La Panthère des Neiges on December 17. The video for the dreamy single We Are Not Alone uses footage from the film, shot in the Tibetan highlands, where film maker Vincent Munier and novelist Sylvain Tesson try to track the down the notoriously evasive snow leopard.
Ellis on the creation of the soundtrack: "There is something about the heart of this film that draws you in. I realised after a day, that I wanted to do whatever it took to compose an entire original score. The film deserved to have its own musical voice. I booked five days and asked Nick if he could come in for a day to write a theme song and play some piano. He saw the film and stayed for four days. In the end we made what I think is one of the most beautiful films we have ever worked on. One of my favourite experiences ever working on a project. The stars are the animals in all their wild glory, as we have never seen them before, and man in reverence and wonder.
Deep Purple: "Rockin' Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu" video
Hard rock legends Deep Purple have made posted animated video for Rockin' Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu, a track from their forthcoming all covers album Turning To Crime, out on November 26. Back in the day the piano took center stage and this track by Huey "Piano" Smith is a highlight from that era. They inserted a bit of the event that inspired their best known song Smoke on the Waterin the clip, with Zappa playing and the "stupid with a flare gun" burning down the casino in Montreux.
Scott Gagner: BloodMoon
After yet another string of raging fires in California multi-instrumentalist and singer Scott Gagner had enough. He decided to move back to Minneapolis, Minnesota to get away from it all. His new album BloodMoon celebrates the good life, the ability to breathe again and living in a comfy home with his family, with all the necessary amenities nearby. He is happy living the quiet life - I Don't Get Out Much (Anymore), staring at the night sky and wondering if there is life on Orion and if so, are they willing to come down to make things better.
Gagner's vocals are totally at ease, mostly in an early '70s West Coast mode, floating on top of carefully orchestrated music that is smooth and complex, although the latter will most likely be glanced over by casual listeners. With some help from Pete Thomas (Elvis Costello, Elliott Smith, Ron Sexsmith), Jesse Chandler (Midlake, Mercury Rev, John Grant) and Steve Berlin (Los Lobos, The Replacements) BloodMoon was turned into an album that cruises on the outer lanes of the power pop mainstream: gentle, informed and opinionated.
Nick Leets' Figure Eights (A Music Podcast): Kevin Kerslake
Nick Leet, singer and guitarist of Minneapolis based power pop band High on Stress, had a nice chat with filmmaker and photographer Kevin Kerslake for his Figure Eights podcast. He made music videos for Nirvana, Prince, Rolling Stones, REM, Sonic Youth, Soul Asylum, Iggy Pop, Soundgarden, Bob Mould. As a photographer he captured David Bowie, Nick Cave and Neil Young.
November 22, 2021
Spygenius: Spygenius Blow Their Covers
The members of English pop quartet Spygenius decided to pay tribute to the music they grew up with on their new album Spygenius Blow Their Covers. It's not a stop gap release while they contemplate their next move after the superb Man On The Sea (HCTF's album of the year in 2020), but more like a dive into the rabbit hole and resurfacing with a wealth of unexpected gems, like the sea-shanty Murrumbidgee Whalers and Griselda by American folkies Michael Hurley and The Unholy Modal Rounders.
By kicking off with the Traffic / Monkees medley Paper Sun / Love Is Only Sleeping it is crystal clear that is no ordinary set of reimagined songs. Coupling a hallowed debut single with prefabricated pop that was snubbed by the connoisseurs back in the day is a bold move and to rub it in they included another Monkees cover, For Pete's Sake. Spygenius are first and foremost a band that is focused on the melody with a touch of melancholy, so it makes sense that they tackled Is That Love by New Wave band Squeeze and Michael Caine by ska maestros Madness.
Earthset: Pills
photo: Elide Blind
Italian alt-rock/psychedelic band Earthset are testing the waters of avant-garde and post-rock on their new single Pills. Connections and relationships can offer security, a concept that will be main theme of their new album Bound, due for release in March 2022. They recorded it live in one take and there are no overdubs. Feedback is welcomed as a friend and made an integral part of the music.
November 21, 2021
Swansea Sound: "The Pooh Sticks" video
Indie rock band Swansea Sound have made a video for The Pooh Sticks, a track from their debut album, Live At The Rum Puncheon: "Despite its title the album was not caught on stage, but it has all the energy and excitement of a live gig. Joyous back to basics indie rock that packs a punch and an open invitation to sing along".
Live dates:- 12/10 London, Rough Trade East
- 02/04 Bristol, Zed Alley
- 02/05 Newport, Le Pub
- 02/18 St Leonards, The Piper
- 02/19 London, Hope and Anchor
- 03/04 Manchester, The Talleyrand
- 03/05 Liverpool, venue TBC
HCTF review of Live At The Rum Puncheon.
Words about music (613): Les Paul
A guitar is something you can hold and love and it's never going to bug you. But here's the secret about the guitar - it's defiant. It will never let you conquer it. The more you get involved with it, the more you realize how little you know.
Les Paul
November 20, 2021
Mint Biscuit: Turning The Tide
Turning The Tide is the last album that Welsh guitarist Richard Thomas will release this year, wrapping up an extremely busy year for his one-man project Mint Biscuit. Some of the instrumentals hit hard, with the raucous rocker Force of Rabbit and another take on the distortion fest Mudwanging (previously released on Blues For The Red Cow) as the stand out tracks. Broadcast 26, a last minute addition to the album, is a less-is-more exploration of chord sequences that proves that practicing a lot pays off in spades.
Little Feat: "Electrif Lycanthrope: Live at Ultra-Sonic Studios, 1974" Black Friday release
A widely Little Feat radio broadcast will released as 2LP set and CD on Black Friday (November 26). Electrif Lycanthrope: Live at Ultra-Sonic Studios, 1974 features the classic line-up - Lowell George (guitar, vocals), Paul Barrere (guitar, vocals), Kenny Gradney (bass), Richie Hayward (drums, vocals), Sam Clayton (Percussion, vocals), and Bill Payne (keyboards). The songs were sourced from a pre-FM tape, recorded on September 19, 1974 @ Hempstead, NY. 5000 LP sets, 3000 CDs.
November 19, 2021
Beachdog: Crawl in Pieces b/w Milk debut 7" single; Never Mind the Hype live session
Dutch quartet Beachdog have released their debut single Crawl in Pieces b/w Milk today via Snowstar Records. They are loud and melodic, mixing grunge and hardcore. Singer David Achter de Molen says goodbye to his heavy-handed Christian youth on the A-side.
Swansea Sound: "Live At The Rum Puncheon" Zoom party
English indie rock band Swansea Sound will host a Zoom party on November 20 to celebrate the release of their debut album, Live At The Rum Puncheon: "the album will be played, videos will be screened, the band will be available to answer questions, and beer will be drunk".
Lenny Kaye @ BorderKitchen in The Hague - November 18, 2021
Guitarist and rock historian Lenny Kaye talked about his new book Lightning Striking - Ten Transformative Moments in Rock & Roll @ BorderKitchen in The Hague - November 18, 2021. He picked nine cities and own country that birthed a landmark change in music: Memphis, 1954. New Orleans 1957. Philadelphia 1959. Liverpool, 1962. San Francisco 1967. Detroit 1969. New York, 1975. London 1977. Los Angeles 1984. Norway 1993. Seattle 1991.
He does not care about genres, but pigeonholing music comes in handy when trying to describe it. He brought out his guitar to perform his song World Book Night.
HCTF premiere - The Thin Cherries: "Trouble Lights" video
Chicago melodic rock quintet The Thin Cherries have made a video for their new single, Trouble Lights, a neo-psych song about being afraid that something bad will happen to the ones you love. When something has gone wrong in the past, it will continue to haunt you forever, because history might repeat itself. Take note of the signature sound of the Rickenbacker bass, an instrument that oozes jangling anxiety.
November 18, 2021
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis: North American tour dates
Shortly after the announcement of two shows by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis in Brooklyn it does not come as a surprise that there will be a full North American tour next year. Tickets go on sale on November 19.
Live dates:- 03/01 Asheville, NC @ Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
- 03/04 Dallas, TX @ Majestic Theatre
- 03/05 Austin, TX @ ACL Live at Moody Theater
- 03/06 Austin, TX @ ACL Live at Moody Theater
- 03/09 Los Angeles, CA @ Shrine Auditorium
- 03/13 Oakland, CA @ Paramount Theatre
- 03/14 Oakland, CA @ Paramount Theatre
- 03/17 Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
- 03/20 Chicago, IL @ Auditorium Theatre
- 03/22 Boston, MA @ Wang Theatre
- 03/24 Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre
- 03/25 Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre
- 03/27 New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
- 03/28 New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
- 03/31 Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
- 04/02 Montreal, QC @ Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier
- 04/03 Montreal, QC @ Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier
Kevin McGuire (The Gama Sennin) on the Verse Chorus Verse podcast
David Leisten had a nice chat with Kevin McGuire on the Verse Chorus Verse podcast about the music industry, being on the road with quite a lot of heavy hitters, and the making of The Gama Sennin self-titled debut album.
November 17, 2021
The Dead South: People Are Strange
Leave it Canadian folk-bluegrass quartet The Dead South to take on the Doors classic People Are Strange and make a no-budget sci-fi video featuring a banjo from outerspace as the means of transport for a bunch of aliens. Also: they act out the anxiety of the lyrics really well. It will included on their forthcoming EP Easy Listening for Jerks, Pt. 2, due for release on Six Shooter Records.
Kaki King live @ Melkweg, Amsterdam - November 16, 2021
Guitar virtuoso Kaki King played a two-hour show @ Melkweg, Amsterdam - November 16, 2021. She took a requests and kept telling the crowd how cool it was to be playing guitar again on a continent that she feared she might not ever visit again.
Live dates:- 11/17 Paris, France @ Petit Bain
- 11/18 London, United Kingdom @ EFG London Jazz Festival 2021
- 11/19 Šibenik, Croatia @ Kuća umjetnosti Arsen
- 12/27 New York, NY @ The Iridium
- 04/06 Johanneshov, Sweden @ Hus 7
- 04/07 Oslo, Norway @ Krøsset
November 16, 2021
Johnny Dowd: live @ Brookton Market
Watch the full Johnny Dowd set @ Brookton Market in Brookton, NY on November 14. With Michael Edmondson on guitar and Jif Dowd, his sister and manager, joining them on drums at the end of the set.
A brand new Xmas 2021 compilation EP in a handmade cover is for sale on his website. His new studio album Homemade Pie will be released in January, featuring long time collaborators Willie B, Kim Sherwood-Caso and Michael Edmondson.
HCTF review of Xmas 2021.
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis: two shows in Brooklyn
Nick Cave and Warren Ellis take their show to New York next year, playing two nights (March 24-25) @ Kings Theatre in Brooklyn. They are likely be joined again on stage by French multi-instrumentalist Johnny Hostile and backing singers Wendi Rosee, T Jae Colee and Janet Ramuse.
Tickets on sale Friday, 11/19. Odds are that the 3000 tickets per night will be gone within a couple of minutes.
November 15, 2021
Stray Cats: "Live At Rockpalast" Black Friday release
Two Stray Cats shows that were recorded for the long running German TV program Rockpalast will be released as 3LP set on Black Friday (November 26). The rockabilly trio was captured live in 1981 @ Satory-Säle in Cologne on July 16t and in 1983 @ Loreley Open Air on August 20th. For some reason they decided put the second show first for the running order, which is weird as both them take up three sides. Comes in a tri-fold sleeve with a four page booklet. 4000 copies worldwide, individually numbered on silver vinyl.
Tim O'Connell: Silent Nights
As a seasoned songwriter Tim O'Connell is fully aware that most Christmas music is oversaturated fluff with cheesy lyrics. His vocal range is rather limited, but there is nothing wrong with his composing skills, which kept him alive amongst the fierce competition in his hometown Nashville, with the recording of A Singer of Songs by Johnny Cash as the undisputed highlight. On his new album Silent Nights he offers a selection of brand new songs that don't bring cheer, but look at the darker side of the holidays, that time that lonely people feel more lonely, like that aging guy who plays the Santa At The Mall and the kid in I'm Not Getting Anything For Christmas. His Mum has ran off with the neighbour and his Dad numbs the pain by getting very, very drunk. Alcohol is also the deal breaker in the plea for a second chance in Evangeline.
He also takes a look at the bigger picture, like global warming endangering Santa's shop at the North Pole in Let's Save Christmas. His sparse, percussive rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner - save for a short choir interlude and a lonesome guitar - is not proud statement, but a call to arms to reevaluate what really matters and to care for the ones who get left behind. Don't be surprised when the upbeat A Rocking Little Rhythm pops up in the sets of roots rock acts in the years to come. Jazz musicians should take note of A Beach Town in the Winter, a song that is tailor-made for late night sets.
November 14, 2021
L.A. Peach: Power Trip
photo: Luke Tapley
L.A. Peach started out as a one-man project by Welshman John James Davies, before growing into an over the top '80s inspired quartet, leaning towards the New Romantics of that era. Their new single Power Trip is a tongue-in-cheek look at dating in the digital era, with all participants inventing alternate identities to improve their chances.
Their new Welcome To L.A. Peach will be released on November 18.
Words about music (612): Guy de Maupassant
A strange art – music – the most poetic and precise of all the arts, vague as a dream and precise as algebra.
Guy de Maupassant
November 13, 2021
Swansea Sound: Live At The Rum Puncheon
Swansea Sound was started almost by accident Amelia Fletcher and Rob Pursey of The Catenary Wires got in touch with Hue Williams, inviting him to sing on Angry Girl, a song that was bit too rough for them. It worked out fine - he actually sang the vocal part in a cupboard - and the track gained some traction after a bit airplay that took them by surprise. The release laid the groundwork for Live at the Rum Puncheon, a bunch of sardonic, upbeat songs, mixing serious concerns (I Sold My Soul On Ebay, Indies Of The World, Corporate Indie Band) and garage rockers about relationships (Let It Happen, Je Ne Sais Quoi).
Despite its title the album was not caught on stage, but it has all the energy and excitement of a live gig. Joyous back to basics indie rock that packs a punch and an open invitation to sing along.
Cover Me: A New England
Watch the original promo video for Kirsty MacColl's take on the Billy Bragg classic A New England. Bragg wrote two extra verses for this one.
November 12, 2021
The Fierce & The Dead: Parts 1-8 playlist
Back in 2015 Lewis Shelley made a compilation video of the first six then released "parts" by English avant-prog experimentalists The Fierce & The Dead. That clip is long gone, but now the band's guitarist Matt Stevens has made a playlist of all eight parts, so now it runs for 48 minutes.
Remy van Kesteren: addis
Dutch harpist Remy van Kesteren has released a new single, addis, the second track in a series of compositions inspired by "places I may have visited, people I may have met". He is his own percussionist on this one, have layed down a fast back beat using loops. A new track will be unveiled every other week, leading up to the first EP of a four-part series.
The Coyote: The Ghost That You Are
California songwriter Élan Les Vies creates cinematic songs, using The Coyote as his stage name. His latest single The Ghost That You Are is a pocket soundtrack for an imaginary Western, telling the tale of prospector who has a run in with an undisclosed adversary. Taking cues from the '50s and '60s doo-wop and rock 'n' roll - plus a Morricone-tinged waltz bit coming out of left field - Levy takes the listener on a journey that is a bit dangerous, but also invigorating.
November 11, 2021
PRP: No Pristine Rubbery Perception
photo: Mikko Huotari
Finnish progressive rock multi-instrumentalists Petteri Kurki and Rami Turtiainen stepped away a bit from the classical leanings of their Grus Paridae project when they released the guitar heavy Rubber Sun single in 2017, naming themselves PRP for the occassion. Now, four years later they have turned Rubber Hands into a multi-part composition, adding linking pieces to create a full album, No Pristine Rubbery Perception.
They could have done with a little less tinkering with the vocals, especially during Exp. It will go down well with people who are craving for a bit of early solo Steven Wilson stuff. Kurki and Turtiainen have thrown in the debut's single B-side SunSon as a bonus track and it's different mood ruins the atmosphere they so carefully constructed, so hitting "pause" is advisable.
Nick Leets' Figure Eights (A Music Podcast): John Agnello
Nick Leet, singer and guitarist of Minneapolis based power pop band High on Stress, had a nice chat with producer and engineer, John Agnello for his Figure Eights podcast. He made Cyndi Lauper, Twisted Sister, John Cougar Mellencamp, Tommy Keene, Screaming Trees, Drive by Truckers, and the Hold Steady sound good.
November 10, 2021
Microplaza: "A Little Lighter / Notice" video
Dutch indie duo Microplaza have unveiled a video for A Little Lighter / Notice, the first two tracks from their new EP, Read The Room: "It is a concise mini-suite of songs - five of them - that take less than 10 minutes to digest. To get to the core however, it will require multiple spins to fully appreciate the textures, highly economical lyrics and all the sounds that they have sprinkled on top".
The Gun Club: "Sex, Murder, Bad Vibes, Drugs - Live at the Starwood 1981" Black Friday release
Yet another live album by American post-punk band The Gun Club will be released on LP on Black Friday (November 26). Sex, Murder, Bad Vibes, Drugs - Live at the Starwood 1981, a title to lure bored suburban kids of all ages, features the original line-up: Jeffrey Lee Pierce (guitar and vocals), Brian Tristan (lead guitar), Don Snowden (bass), and Brad Dunning (drums). It was recorded on January 2st in Los Angeles and it does not sound particularly good. Also: the second track of the set appears to be missing. 2000 copies worldwide.
English Teacher: Good Grief
photo: Holly Whitaker
Leeds based pop noir quartet English Teacher play off-kilter New Wave licks throughout their latest single, Good Grief, a throwback to the sound of bands like Television, XTC and The Flying Lizards. It is a love story about named Track and Trace, a couple trying to navigate through life in lockdown and its subsequent hassles, who are keeping tabs on each other and the outside world via the internet.
Lead singer Lily Fontaine can make sarcasm sounding like a good thing and she wrote this year's best opening line - "Bring out your dead, Make them a hashtag". It is the lead single from their forthcoming debut EP, due for release on Nice Swan Records on April 22 next year.
November 09, 2021
Nick Frater: Earworms
English multi-instrumentalist Nick Frater has the nerve to call his new album Earworms, a bold move since that term is mostly used for songs that a listener is desperately trying to get rid off, with clunkers as The Final Countdown and We Build This City as the particularly nasty ones. Frater is an old school songsmith, sketching out the melody and adding layer upon layer to create orchestral power pop anthems. Lead single It's All Rumours sets the tone, going all out with George Harrison inspired guitar, topped off with a bit of Electric Light Orchestra bravado as the icing on the cake.
The music is smooth and complex simultaneously, thanks to the big names who helped him out. Roger Joseph Manning Jr. (Jellyfish/Beck), Darian Sahanaja (Wondermints/Brian Wilson), Mike Randle (Love/Baby Lemonade), and Dana Countryman are fully aware that they had the opportunity to work with a musician's musician. The real bite can be found in the lyrics, with him running out of patience in What's With Your Heavy Heart?, and calling out those who claim to have found religion in Not Born Again. Earworms is filled with melodic rock that is the opposite of being schmaltzy. He offers some sound advice for the brokenhearted in How To Survive Somebody. Frater is bold even when he is tender.
Johnny Marr: "How Soon Is Now" live @ The Crazy Face Factory
November 08, 2021
Low Horizon: Low Horizon
Houston, TX lo-fi rock trio Low Horizon have been in the rambling garage rock since 2014, releasing a handful of singles and EPs that struck a nerve with fans of off-kilter short songs. Their first full-length was recorded in fits and starts in 2020 and 2021. The band's songwriter John Gottlieb is a highly economical lyricist, and never beats aroung the bush. He is brutally honest at all times. Breakup song Over&over&over finds him in a particularly foul mood, : "my hair is a god damn wreck // and my life is a fucking mess // i’m not surprised you left // i was guessing what you want // sorry i’m wrong a lot".
The trio sounds muddy by design, as transistor radio of old. They wading through the tracks as if they being held back, but always managing to wrangle themselves free. The album ends four bonus Gottlieb solo tracks, recorded on his TASCAM 424mkIII 4-Track. Good lucking finding more intense bedroom recordings than these howls from the deep.
Cover Me: Shemovedon
Watch Israeli band Yossi Sassi with special guest Sapir Fox on guitar and vocals tackle the Porcupine Tree classic Shemovedon. Recorded live @ Barby Tel Aviv, Israel on September 15, 2014.
Rat Fancy: "Stay Cool" deluxe edition
LA queer pop band Rat Fancy are down to a duo and they did some house cleaning for a (digital) deluxe edition of their 2019 album Stay Cool, adding ten barebones demos. It is nice to have them, as an opportunity to be a fly on the wall during the recording proces, but they are by no means essential, with the guitar and vocals only version of Stuck With You as the sole exception.
November 07, 2021
Stick Men: Live at Bearsville Theater, 2012
Avant-prog improv trio Stick Men have posted a recording of their show @ Bearsville Theater, Woodstock, NY in 2012 on Bandcamp. The recording was made by F.O.H. engineer Robert Frazza for the A Little Deeper documentary, a film that was released on the deluxe version of Deep in 2013.
Words about music (611): Oscar Wilde
Music is the art which is most nigh to tears and memory.
Oscar Wilde
November 06, 2021
It's Karma It's Cool: Homesick For Our Future Destinations
English neo-psychedelic power pop quartet It's Karma It's Cool have expanded their musical palette a bit on their new album, Homesick For Our Future Destinations, adding elements of baroque pop and progressive rock. The first four tracks are flowing seamlessly, with the instrumental Homesick as an overture before they launch into a trio of songs about the passing of time and wondering if it moves faster as it progresses. All Branches Break In Time, with its recurring licks and flourishes, is an ode to melancholy that is filled to the rafters with jangling guitar goodness, continuing into Wild Fire Flames where Martyn Bewick manages to channel both Johnny Marr and Hank B. Marvin. The final track of the trio, Absent Transient is a mashup of early Radiohead and Echo & the Bunnymen. It's hard to follow-up such a great start, so they dial it back a notch with the basic but catchy Playing Brave, as a breather track. Dream Big, Little Giant is a bluesy '70s song that will sneak into many classic rock playlists.
Deep Purple: "Oh Well" video
Hard rock legends Deep Purple have made a video for Oh Well, a track from their forthcoming all covers album Turning To Crime, out on November 26. They dressed up as classic British '60s movie villains. Guitarist Steve Morse stays close to Peter Green (his photo pops up for a second in the clip), before launching in a classic solo to bring the song home.
November 05, 2021
LIJO: "Future Memory" video
Dutch avant-pop singer LIJO has unveiled a video for her latest single, Future Memory: "a controlled clash of staccato vocals and chopped percussion". The clip was made by Desirée Coumans.
Warren Ellis @ Crossing Border in The Hague
Two photos of Warren Ellis discussing his book Nina Simone's Gum @ Crossing Border in The Hague last night. A true gentleman and a great story teller. Yes, he did play a bit too: the intro of David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust to show how it does not really work at a party to pick up a violin in stead of a guitar, and Arleta's Mia Fora Thymamai (I Remember a Time) after the Q&A.
Elephant Stone: "Don't You Know" live video
November 04, 2021
Leah Callahan: Short Stories
Boston based indie singer and songwriter Leah Callahan (Turkish Delight, Betwixt, The Glass Set) finally released a new solo album earlier this year, the upbeat Simple Folk. It gave her taste for more and the follow-up Short Stories follows the same blueprint - carefully crafted college rock songs - albeit digging a little deeper lyrically. She tries to make to sense of female animosity (Competitive Clara) and looks back on a relationship that went South (Tom and the Dog)
Having fun at night is all fine and dandy (Party), but when the house lights go on, the far less adventurous reality of everyday life can have an instantly sobering effect. It can be pretty lonesome (Dawn and a Bottle of Wine) and dragging yourself to a dead-end job (Spirit Haus) to pay the rent is no picnic either. Callahan offers honest snapshots from her life and her surroundings. The album's sole cover, Robert Palmer's Johnny and Mary, fits in perfectly. With Alex Stern and Alex Brander having her back again she has found her niche.
The World of Dust: "Sailing" video
Watch the new video for Sailing by The World of Dust, a track from the new concept album True Sound about Stefan Breuer's lyrics about his grand parents and Todd Tobias supplying the music: "Death and life are treated as two sides of the coin, and as long as there are people to share memories the dead are still an integral part of the family. Breuer and Tobias meet each other halfway with their love for noise, avant-garde, and jangling psychedelic shoegaze. Accessible underground music that will be embraced by anyone who is serious about music and has had his share of loss and love."
The clip was made by Mark Jenning.
HCTF review of True Sound.
November 03, 2021
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: "The Jam" (One More Time With Feeling)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds have posted the full 46 minutes and 39 seconds of The Jam, recorded during the filming of the One More Time With Feeling documentary in 2016.
Wine Lips: Mushroom Death Sex Bummer Party
Garage punk psych rock quartet Wine Lips bring the noise on their new album Mushroom Death Sex Bummer Party, an unrelenting sonic assault that is bursting at the seams with ace hooks. The Toronto based band may be riding high on adrenaline and quite a bit of anger, but they are also having a lot fun. Playing fast and keeping it tight is not an easy thing to pull off. They have honed their craft the old way, gigging endlessly and making instant fans who spread the word.
This an album that should be played really fucking loud. If anything it will lift the listener's spirit almost instantly. Wine Lips are brash, in-your-face and the perfect antidote for the clueless haters who are claiming that rock is dead.
November 02, 2021
Microplaza: Read The Room
Read The Room is the third release by Microplaza, an experimental indie-pop duo project by Dutch musicians Benjamin van Vliet (Microwolf) and Arno Breuer (Pino Plaza, Sven Agaath). And just like their previous efforts, the self-titled debut and We'll Never Fit In This Poem Together, it is a concise mini-suite of songs - five of them - that take less than 10 minutes to digest. To get to the core however, it will require multiple spins to fully appreciate the textures, highly economical lyrics and all the sounds that they have sprinkled on top.
By picking a 5/4 offbeat - it's easy to remember by saying out loud a short sentence with five syllables like "I hate the Eagles" - the songs get a jumpy feel, slightly disturbing but in a good way. To broaden their lo-fi sound they used a children's choir, added a lonesome trumpet courtesy of Noël Hofman and called upon Stefan Breuer to lay down some synths. The ubiquity of the pandemic shimmers through, with all the worries, hopes and fears, but the songs on Read The Room mostly looks inwards, as Van Vliet and Breuer try to deal with it, wondering if some things will be fundamentally changed after it's all over and the book on COVID-19 can be closed.
Nick Frater: "It's All Rumours" video
English multi-instrumentalist Nick Frater has made a scrolling collage video for It's All Rumours, the lead single from his forthcoming album Earworms. He went all out on this one, a power pop anthem spiced up with a bit of Electric Light Orchestra bravado as the icing on the cake.
Earworms will be released on November 19 via Big Stir Records (vinyl, CD, digital). The non-album B-side I Remain Convinced can be streamed here.
Kraftwerk: 3D North American Summer Tour
German avant-garde electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk will be reprising their "3D" live experience with a lenghty North American Summer Tour. This will be the first time they will go out on the road after the death of founding member Florian Schneider in 2020.
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