Weekend Music Roundup

 

It's the weekend and that can only mean one thing, time for a music roundup. There's a few new albums on here, but there's also a lot of older albums that I recently picked up. This is also an all rock list, though that wasn't planned. But the truth be told, can never have too much rock. Next week should be a bunch of new albums again, but for now, it is what it is. Enjoy.

Dead Lord - Surrender: The fourth album from the Swedish hard rock band was released early in September. This was my first introduction to the band. They are a garage based hard rock band with a bit of a punk vibe, but punk by way of 90s Bad Religion and vocals that sound like Elvis Costello. This is a pretty solid album with a few killer tracks. "Evil Always Wins" and "Genna Get Me" are standouts for me.  

Cheap Trick - Heaven Tonight: The third album by the hard rocking band from the Mid-West was released in '78, a little more than a year after their debut. This album solidified their sky-rocketing success and shows them truly on top of their game. This is classic late 70s American rock n roll, with it's the-world-might-be-falling-apart-so-let's-just-have-some-fun vibe. It was a vastly different approach than the British contemporary rock was dealing with. It feels eerily applicable to today. I've been really digging the two albums of theirs I've picked up in the as last few month. The title track and "On Top of the World" are two of my favorites. 

The Telescopes - Early Studio Recordings: This vinyl compilation was released in 2018 in Spain and I recently acquired a copy after fist discovering this 90s UK band about a month ago. The band would eventually go on to be signed by Creation Records (the premiere Britpop label) and would go on to be more shoegaze oriented. These early recordings are from '89-'90, a time when the underground was developing all kinds of genres that would explode in the years to come. This is a combination of noise rock, shoegaze, and punk that is the kind of sound that could only have come out in that period. While I loved the shoegazer stuff I encountered on their "Altered Perceptions" comp, this is even better. "7th# Disaster," "This Planet," "The Perfect Needle," "Sadness Pale," "To Kill a Slow Girl Walking," and "Forever Now" are standouts on this fantastic record.

 

Tom Waits - Bawlers: Back in 2006, the iconic gravelly voiced singer released the triple album Orphans which I have on CD. Two years ago, the label wisely re-issued the three albums individually on vinyl. I recently picked up this one, which was always my favorite of the set (though truth be told, all are brilliant). Bawlers are more ballad-y, melancholic and lo-fi, which highlight the purity of Waits in my opinion. It's like a Woody Guthrie album filtered through a Parisian gramophone circa 1921.   

 

Mark Lanegan - Straight Songs of Sorrow: Over the past decade, the former Screaming Trees frontman has been quite prolific and reinvented himself as the indie Tom Waits, producing forlorn Americana roots rock. His newest album follows that same path. This is an autobiographical album, with many highlights, but it feels flat in some areas for me. In particular the drums, and background synth are distracting and weak. "Ketamine" was my favorite song on this record.

 

 

My Vote is Cast

 

I voted today. This is the first year that New York has early voting, and I took advantage of it and did my civic duty today. I strongly believe in the power of voting and have voted in every election since I turned 18, not just every four years and not just national elections. I get the disillusionment that many feel, but the system is counting on your continued disillusionment which is why voting is important.

This year I voted for Joe Biden and the other Democratic party candidates, but I voted for them on the Working Families line. Though I'm a registered Democrat, I only registered as one in 2015 in order to vote for Bernie in the primaries. I've voted for Democrats in every election, but hold no illusion that the party represents my interests. 

This year, it was especially important to me that I voted on a third party line, even if it was for a candidate of the Democratic party. It may seem like forever ago, but it was only back in Feb. that we say the party manipulate the process to get their moderate on the ticket and squash the progressive movement. By voting on the Working Families line, it is my way of letting them know that they need to honor the progressive agenda if they want to continue to count on my support. 

Weekend Music Roundup

 

The weekend is here again, and as promised, this week I'm taking a look at mostly new releases that I've been listening to over the past couple of weeks. This is a pretty even list of folk rock and rock rock, but with a recent jazz pick up thrown in the middle for good measure. There's some solid albums here, and a few that didn't quite grab me, but are sure to grab others. Enjoy.

Matt Berry - Phantom Birds: The new album from the London artist is his seventh, but my first introduction to him. This is psychedelic folk and a throwback to a lot of lesser known artists of the late 60s and early 70s, the kind of artists that I love. There's a purity and honesty that makes this record really stand out.  "Phantom Birds," "You Danced All Night," "Moonlight Flit," and "Covered in Clowns" are personal favorites on this fantastic record. 

 

Bright Eyes - Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was: It's been 9 years since Conor Oberst has released an album under the Bright Eyes band name, though he's released many solo efforts that don't differ much. I've been a fan since they came up in '98 and have been looking forward to hearing this album which was released in August. This is standard Conor, with heartfelt honesty in the lyrics and delivery, and subtly complex chamber folk arrangements. I love his music, but if I have one complaint, it's that there is little to distinguish one album from the next. But that's okay, especially when you're this good.  "Mariana Trench," "Persona Non Grata," "Dance and Sing," "Stairwell Song," and "Comet Song" are my personal favorites. 

 

Swans - To Be Kind: It's not all that often than a band's most popular album is their 14th album that came out 30 years after their debut, but that's what this is. The no-wave NYC band had been part of that scene through the 80s, but by 2013, they'd evolved into an amazing experimental post-rock band. There's a reason this is the #1 highest rating album for 2014 on RateYourMusic. I'd heard the album back then, and enjoyed it, but it wasn't until now that I truly get it. I found a used copy of the vinyl for cheap and when I put it on, it was a whole different experience from the one I remember. This isn't what I was feeling back then, but this is what I'm feeling these days. It's the soundtrack to the kind of dreams that come to me during every New Moon. 

 

Wayne Shorter - Second Genesis: Originally recorded in 1960, but remained unreleased until '74, this is from the early days the saxophonist's rise. He'd recently become part of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers when this album was recorded. (Blakey plays drums on this album). This is hard-bop gold, but flavored with a cool jazz vibe. Given those are two of my favorite genres, this is truly an album that speaks to me. It also shows the earliest signs that Wayne would move into jazz fusion, which would eventually lead to his '70s powerhouse outfit Weather Report. "The Albatross" and "I Didn't Know What Time it Was" are simply beautiful. 

 

The Cuckoos - Honeymoon Phases: The new album from the Austin indie band is an interesting combination of gothic glam and electro dance. It kind of like The Kooks if they were fronted by Peter Murphy of Bauhaus. There were moments when I found this clash of sounds to be inspiring, and other moments where I was left tilting my head and wondering what they were thinking. Either way, I applaud the guys for trying something different. It opens with two great tracks, "Weekend Lover" and "I'll Be Ur Tramp." Then it kind of tapers off, but still worth a listen as I know there are others out there who will love it more than me.

 

JunkBunny - Down the Rabbit Hole: The second EP from the Texas trio is very much a throwback to 90s alternative. It's power pop punk riffs and youth yearning lyrics would have fit right in with the mainstream of indie rock in '95. That said, it's not a genre that I long for in any way. There were tons of middle of the road bands back then on any number of a dozen labels, and these guys would fall into that category. It's not that it's bad, just not all that interesting. Fans of early Green Day might dig this.

A Story of Ghosts

 

I wanted to give a little writing update, something I haven't done in a bit. I've been working on a Middle Grade ghost novel for over a year. It's a complicated story and I've been consistently interrupted by life, but have continued to work on it nonetheless.

This week, I had a bit of a breakthrough. I'm currently writing a pivotal scene where the action is going to turn. There are two schools of thought when it comes to writing these types of passages. One is to get the idea down and push through, then go back and make it perfect. The other is to suffer through carefully and make sure the tone and details are solid. I fall into the second school of thought. For me, getting the tone right here will set the style for the rest of the story. Getting it wrong can lead to the wrong trajectory and ruin a story.

The other night I was perfecting an encounter and once I nailed it, a burst of what was to come hit me. I love these kinds of breakthroughs. The trick is to harness them into momentum.

Weekend Music Roundup

 

It's the weekend once again and I've had some time this past week to catch up on some releases that I'd been waiting to here. Some are included here, and others will be coming in the near future. It's that time of year when a slew of new albums come out, and typically my kind of albums rather than the big hype releases of the summer. This list features a bunch of artists that have long been favorites of mine and a couple of new artists for me. Enjoy.

Elvis Perkins - Creation Myths: It's been five years since Elvis' last album, so I've been really excited for this one. He's been one of my favorite performers for nearly 15 years. His last album was a bit of a departure, but this one sees him return to the sound that endeared him to many, psychedelic folk at its finest. It opens with the enchanting "Sing, Sing" and never lets up. "Promo," and "See Through" are also favorites of mine. Definitely one of my favorites of the year. 

Guns N' Roses - Appetite for Demos: I've had these early sessions on three disc bootleg CD for almost 20 years, and recently came across a vinyl copy of one of the albums and snatched it up. It includes many of the "Live Like a Suicide" tracks, as well as their version of "Jumping Jack Flash" and "Jailhouse Rock." It also includes the earliest versions of some songs that wouldn't emerge until the Illusion albums. They are so raw and brilliant and hungry on these sessions that it make them a must for any fan. 

Cactus - Cactus: The 1970 debut from the short-lived NYC hard rock band is one of those albums I'd been meaning to check out for years. The band features the rhythm section from the then defunct Vanilla Fudge and plays hard blues based rock with just enough touch of psychedelic to make it exciting. This was an interesting time in rock, the advent of heavy was just beginning to take shape and there were lots of bands experimenting with that, feeling the vibe, and this band was one of them. They fall in with a lot of those bands that never made it super big, but paved the way, bands like Argent, Mountain, and Budgie. 

 

The Dears - Lovers Rock: The eighth album from the Montreal indie band is their first in three years. This is one of those bands who I will continue to listen to everything new they do simply because they recorded an album that I absolutely love. "Gang of Losers" in 2006 was, and is still, an album I can always put on and enjoy. Over the years, they've always been good, if a little inconsistent. This is another solid effort, with some great tracks, and others which are fairly forgettable. "Stille Lost," "Heart of an Animal," "The Worst in Us," and "We'll Go Into Hiding" are standouts on here.

 

Crown Lands - Crown Lands: The debut full length album from the Ontario rock duo follows two successful EPs that garnered them enough attention to open for the likes of Jack White and Coheed & Cambria. I was a bit stunned to find out there were only two people in this band, they have such a full Zeppelin kind of blues rock sound, but also mixed with the psychedelic folk stylings of early Marc Bolan and the glam rock of Pop Levi. "End of the Road," "River," "Forest Song," and "Spit It Out" are personal favorites on a very promising album.

 

Ed Harcourt - Monochrome to Colour: Back in '01, Harcourt was one of the new folk singer songwriters I was excited about. Almost 20 years later, his sound has evolved into a modern classical sound of beautiful minimal instrumental songs. This is a wonderful sounscape kind of record that evokes the landscape depicted on the cover. I listened to this on a grey day drive through autumn foliage and it was damn near perfect for that. In other settings, it might feel a bit slow, but when in the mood, it's great stuff.

Fiction Friday (116)

 

The pandemic continues to wreck destruction on my shelves of books to be read. The latest casualty is this 2007 book which I bought back in the day, after "meeting" the author on MySpace. It was one of those books that I was excited about, but for whatever unexplained reason, it's number was never drawn until now.

Parkway by Hayley Sercombe

(Authorhouse, 2007)

 

It's 1994 in London and the Britpop scene is about to catch fire, propelling the city to the world spotlight. As with most underground scenes, it is the teen believers that build it, living and breathing it. This novel follows a handful of teens through the early days of the evolving scene through the period where it really went mainstream in 1996. 

It does a good job of portraying the changing values of the '90s. As one who came of age during the underground that existed in '90s, I can vouch for the authenticity. It was a time when wide spread drug use was becoming accepted and invited into teen life, not that it hadn't always been there, but the expansion of the drugs used and the extent to which they were pivotal to the underground was something that was far more pervasive than it had been in the '60s, and cast a wider net. 

The characters feel like real people, and Sercombe doesn't moralize their behavior or condemn their bad choices. It's a portrait of a period of time in a particular place and it captures it well. For those who lived through it, the novel has a nostalgic feel, reminding them of bands they may have forgotten about, or in my case, still love. For those who the scene is foreign, it's a nice glimpse into the past.

Weekend Music Roundup

 

It's the weekend, and another long holiday weekend thanks to euro-centric history. This week's ramblings features a new releases from a favorite artist of mine, and some recent pick-ups of bands that I've been into for a while, or wanted to hear for a while. This is a rock heavy list and features some interesting stuff. Take some time this long weekend and find something new to listen to. Enjoy.

James Dean Bradfield - Even in Exile: The second solo album from the Manic Street Preachers front man, it comes 14 years after "The Great Western".  After over 30 years in the business, this is probably what you'd come to expect. It doesn't really branch out into new areas, but covers the areas he's covered before with maturity and insight. As always, his guitar playing is fantastic, and now more akin to David Gilmore than the heavier sound of his youth. "Thirty Thousand Milk Bottles," "Under the Mimosa Tree," "Without Knowing the End," "The Last Song," and "Santiago Sunrise" are my personal favorites on a good album by one of my favorite musical artists.

 

Aqua Nebula Oscillator - Aqua Nebula Oscillator: The 2008 debut the Paris psych rock band was one I'd been on the look out for, having heard good things about this band. A used copy showed up at the local shop and I snatched it up. This is psychedelic space rock in the vein of early Floyd and early Hawkwind, but with elements of stoner rock mixed in. Basically, it's the kind of record that fits right into my vibe and I truly love it. 

 

The Go-Betweens - Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express: Released in 1986, the fifth album from the Australian indie band was a bit of a break-out album for them. They have a style that uses elements that would be the foundation for jangle pop, but infuse it with an Americana feel, making them one of the unique pioneers of the decade. Perhaps the reason this is one of their most beloved albums is due to the fact that they had perfected their sound on this one. "Spring Rain," "Twin Layers of Lightning," and "In the Core of the Flame" are standouts for me.

 

Boris - Akuma no Uta: This 2003 release was my first introduction to the Japanese stoner metal band, which I first heard back in '04. It was instant love on my part and I finally got around to picking up the vinyl re-issue on Third Man Records. It starts off with the ten minute drone introduction before erupting into guitar frenzied bliss of "Ibitsu" and never lets up from there. The hype sticker reads "Buy if you dig: Sabath worship. Comets on Fire. acid. leading children astray." signed Boris.  

Lee Hazlewood and Ann Margret - The Cowboy and the Lady: Released in '69, this is one of those pet projects of Lee's. After his partnership with Nancy Sinatra catapulted her to fame, he'd gotten it into his head that he was going to make Ann Margret his new partner, possibly to boost his popularity. Toegher, they recorded this album of country duet with her. The dynamic differences between their voices is what makes this album work. Her almost shrill Hollywood musical style and his Johnny Cash drunkard style play wonderfully together, making this campy album a joy to listen to, even it's not his best work.

 

 

Mystery Theater

 

I had no interest when this film came out last winter. It looked to me like it would be such a predictable Hollywood film with a large cast and easy to market one-liners that make previews that felt safe and unoffensive. Then it continued to be well-liked and receive awards, and then POOF a pandemic and I forgot all about it. When I came it across it at the library recently, I thought, let's see if this is any good and brought it home.

So, yeah, it's enjoyable. It's hard to enjoy it. It's fun, clever, and just enough on this side of Royal Tenenbaums to make it quality entertainment. I loved the old style mystery, and the way it paid homage to old mysteries, but actually was able to do it with a great old style mystery story. It played on a genre, while still adhering the qualities that made the genre worthy of homage.

But let's focus for a second on Daniel Craig and the unnecessary Southern accent. I mean, he's British, and what is more old-time clue sleuth than a fucking British accent? The movie even mentions Sherlock Holmes! I'm mean, are there no story editors anymore?

We'll forgive that, but the funny thing is, it made me think of how I'd recast this movie...something I rarely do. But here it goes...

* If you want a Southern detective, give me John Goodman circa O'Brother

* I love Don Johnson, and loved him in this, but I couldn't help feeling like I could've used some Kevin Russell in this flick.

* Give me Kieran Culkin as Ransom

All the other cast can stay, and you could even keep Don, but I could've used a guest appearance by Steve Buscemi as a grounds keeper.

Weekend Music Roundup

 

It's the weekend, and once again I'm here to ramble on about music I'm listening to. This week features a lot of newish releases, some from bands that I've been digging for awhile, and others new discoveries.  I also threw in an older album that I recently picked up from a band I'd never heard of before. It's mostly rock on here, but also a fantastic soul record that kind of blew me away. Lots of great stuff to explore. Enjoy.

L.A. Witch - Play with Fire: The second full length album by the garage rock all female trio was released at the end of the summer. Their "Octubre" EP from 2018 was one of my favorite releases of that year, so I was excited for this. They have an eerie vibe about them, the sound of cars driving late at night in Hollywood Hills without headlights on. Their music would be perfect for a scene in a Tarantino or Lynch film, because it's that awesome. "Motorcycle Boy," "Dark Horse," "I Wanna Lose," "Gen-Z," and "Sexorexia" are standouts on another great record for this band.  

 

Raven - Raven: Released in '69, this is the only album from the New York (via Buffalo) psychedelic blues band. This is pretty standard bar blues rock of the time, but played with passion and skill. It reminds a bit of Canned Heat and Leon Russell with a groove the runs throughout. I picked this up on Record Store Day during the local shop's sale on used vinyl. It's always nice to explore forgotten bands, especially when it doesn't come with a big price tag.

 

The Sisters of Mercy - John Peel Session: 1984: This four track EP archival release came out in June and was recorded a year before the goth legends' first album. However, the band had been building for a two years, releasing singles and EPs and this captures some of the single from that time, but also includes a cover Hot Chocolate's "Emma" which is one of my favorite songs (personal favorite is Urge Overkill's rendition called "Emmaline"). This is from the band's best period, the true early days of Goth, a genre that always seems better in small doses, so four tracks is pretty perfect.

Turtle Skull - Monoliths: This is the second album from the Australian stoner rock band, released at the end of the last summer. This has the heavy beat that one expects from stoner rock bands, but it also has more psychedelic vocals and guitar, reminding me of early Warlocks. There was actually a good amount of this type of music coming out 15 or so years ago, bands like Black Angels, Dead Meadow, and the like. It's nice to hear a new band pick up the groove. "Rabbit," "Heartless Machine," "Apple of Your Eye," and the epic "The Clock Strikes Forever" are standouts on this terrific album.

Jyoti - Mama, You can Bet.: The new album from Georgia Anne Muldrow, who also releases under her name, came out in late August. The L.A. singer has been actively releasing albums for 15 years and is one of the shining lights of psychedelic soul and nu jazz. This album draws musically from the hard bop era of jazz, but much like trip-hop, nu jazz broadens the scope to create something that represents the mood of the day. This is a fantastic record, achieving things that others have sought to do for a long time.

King Buzzo - Gift of Sacrifice: It's been six years since the last Buzz Osborne solo album, 2014's remarkable This Machine Kills Artists. Sure he's been busy with Melvins and other projects, but there was something real special about the last solo album, making me super excited for this one. It picks up right where the last one left off, a sludgy kind of folk punk that feels unique to Buzz.