Weekend Music Roundup

 

 

Welcome to another weekend and another rambling of music reviews. This week I listened to a few new releases that I had been excited about. I've also included some thoughts about a couple of vinyl pick-ups from the past month or so. It's a shorter list, but a good one. Hopefully there is something you feel compelled to check out. Enjoy.

Sivert Hoyem - Roses of Neurosis: Released in February, this EP is the first release from the Norwegian artist (Madrugada) in nearly half a decade. He is one of those artists that has been a house favorite of myself and the Missus for more than two decades and we both listened to this for the first time, at the same time. There's not much better than sharing something great with a music buddy. My opinion might be skewed at this point. I'm not sure he could make anything that I didn't love. Fantastic stuff. 

Mike Heron - Smiling Men with Bad Reputations: Released in '71, this is the founding member of The Incredible String Bands' first solo album. I came across this at the local shop and was pretty thrilled. It's got more of bluesy vibe than the psychedelic folk of ISB. It reminds me a lot of Dave Mason's All Alone Together or really any Traffic album for that matter. "Call me Diamond," "Flowers of the Forest," "Feast of Stephen," are "Warm Heart Pastry" are standouts on this thoroughly enjoyable album.

Karen Elson - Radio Redhead Vol. 1: During the height of the quarantine, Karen was sharing these covers online and they were wonderful. They've been put together and released as an EP back in December. I've been a fan of her music ever since her 2010 debut, The Ghost Who Walks blew me away. There's a quality of her voice that fits into a rare category for me. These beautiful covers capture that quality brilliantly.

Czarface - Czarface Meets Ghostface: Released in 2019, this is the sixth album by Inspectah Deck's post Wu outfit. It was going to be hard to top the previous years collaboration with MF Doom, so it was time to bring in the Ghostface Killah. What I love about Czarface albums is that each one feels like a different volume in a comic. They have similarities, but are subtly different. This one's beats are more "Bobby Digital" style and has a slightly more experimental feel. Another excellent addition. 

Matthew Sweet - 100% Fun: In the early '90s, the Omaha indie singer songwriter had a breakthrough hit with "Girlfriend". Three albums later, his sixth, the landscape had changed and brought him some mainstream attention with this indie jangle pop record in '95. I remember seeing this album everywhere at that time, the time when I found myself moving into Britpop and Hip Hop, away from this American indie sound. Recently, a friend was getting rid of CDs and this was in there. This is a solid album that reminds me of Brendon Benson's early work, and Elliot Smith's more poppy work.

 

 

 

Imagine the Mind of Paper

 

Imagine the Mind of Paper

In the pages of your notebook, 

in the words written is where the tortured find a place to dwell

Where dreams take shape, 

free from the watchful eyes of the cyborg dictators,

free of the judgements of those with small minds.

A place of creative reprise.

But these dreams are built with flimsy trees and washable ink

Paper houses and paper faces are easy to burn,

are easily discerned,

and brought into the harsh existence of days made not of paper

but of dusks and dawns,

of suns and secrets that are not easily kept when the paper is exposed for all.

Weekend Music Roundup

 

The weekend has arrived once again, though in all honesty, it feels as though last weekend simply led into this one, with the holiday and then three snow days, very little happened to give the illusion of time passing on a calendar. Yet, it has. And so, I'm dutifully bound to share with you thoughts on albums that I've listened to recently. This list includes two 2021 releases which I've found to be excellent and a couple of older albums that I recently picked up. Enjoy.

Jen Gloekner - Mouth of Mars: Released in 2010, this is the second album from singer songwriter out of Iowa, who has since released a third one a few years back. There was a used autographed copy at the local shop for only couple of bucks and I decided to give it a chance...and what a beautiful album it is. This reminds me of many things, from Portishead to Ruby Throat to Emma Ruth Rundel. I love taking a chance on something that I don't know and it turns out wonderful. 

Kevin Ayers - Joy of a Toy: The debut solo album from the Soft Machine's founding bass/guitar player was released in '69. The band is well represented on this album, which, along with their debut, is one of the founding Canterbury Scene psychedelic albums. Being a fan of the Soft Machine's debut album released the year prior, I was excited to see the Music On Vinyl reissue in the local shop. There's a heavy Syd Barrett influence on this and sounds a lot like early Floyd singles. "The Clarietta Rag," "Girl on a Swing," "Song for Insane Times," and "Stop This Train" are my personal favorites. 

 

 

Langhorne Slim - Strawberry Mansion: The eighth album from New York, by way of Langhorne, PA, indie artist is perhaps the finest of his impressive career. It's been five years since his last effort, and in that time he has honed his songwriting to reveal a deeper side of himself. This feels to me like the trajectory of other great indie americana artists such as Jason Molina and Jeff Tweedy. Langhorne has always been one of the top tier, but this album ensures that he is worthy of mention in the same breath. "Panic Attack," "High Class," and the title track are among my many favorites. 

This Frontier Needs Heroes - Go With the Flow: For the past decade and more, Brad Lauretti has been playing the world under this moniker. Back in the earliest of the '00s, Brad and I ran with the same crew in NYC and I have many fond memories of shooting the shit with him in any number of bars as we were both trying to find our place in the world of art, he as a singer songwriter and me as writer. Though I haven't seen him in many many years, we're still "Friends" on the FB and I've followed his career. This newest album is pretty much a masterpiece and reminds me a lot of Mark Eitzel. Check out his Bandcamp site linking above. 

Black Sabbath - Walpurgis: This bootleg of the 1970 Peel Session has been around digitally for a long time, and I probably reviewed it here years ago. It was recently pressed on vinyl and I purchased a copy. It was recorded between the band's first and second album and contains early versions of some tracks, most notably the original version of "Warpigs" (the title track) which was about witchcraft instead of war. As with almost all "Peel Sessions" recordings, it's really a must have for fans and functions not so much as radio session but EP in the band's catalog. 

Comet Gain - Holloway Sweethearts EP: Released in the Fall of 1994, this is the second EP from the Oxford garage pop band. Quiet some time back, I found their entire catalog online and had been curious about this band for awhile. One of those late '90s bands that has a small cult following, this is the evolution of jangle pop a decade after it's heyday, a sound that became infused with lo-fi garage, which gives it a great quality. These are top notch tracks, with a kind of honesty that Belle and Sebastian displayed at the same time, but this with a rougher edge. It's just a taste, and I'm excited to explore them a little deeper.

 

 

Fiction Friday (126)

 

After tackling a literary behemoth like Tropic of Cancer, I jumped into a recently published YA fantasy. I'm starting a teen book at my library and decided to choose something new and interesting to start it off. I've also been working on a bit of a fantasy book and figured this would be good research.

Havenfall by Sara Holland

(Bloomsbury, 2020)

Maddie Morrow feels uncomfortable in the world. No matter where she is, she is tortured by the memory of the monster that broke into her house and murdered her older brother. She feels the whispers about her mother who is on death row for the crime she didn't commit. The only place she feels at peace is at the Havenfall Inn, a mysterious mountain resort that has been under the control of her family for generations.

Havenfall is not only a quiet Inn where Maddie spends her summers, it also a place where many worlds intercept in the tunnels hidden in the mountains below. It a place where people from three of those worlds meet every summer; delegates who meet under guidance of Maddie's uncle, the Innkeeper. It's a role that Maddie hopes to inherit one day...however, that day comes all too soon when a series of shocking events propel the teenager into the biggest challenge of her life.

In the nicely crafted fantasy, bestselling author Sara Holland creates a rich world of magic, intrigue, and shifting alliances. At times, it telegraphs plot twists a little too much (I had most of it figured out pretty early on), but still manages to hold a few surprises even for careful readers. The "real world" issues it explores, those of love, betrayal, and not fitting in, do fall a little flat which is always an issue when YA fantasy attempts to be contemporary fiction at the same time. All in all, I found this a fun read.

We All Dream of Human Hybrid Mutations

 

"We all Dream of Human Hybrid Mutations"

 

Iridescent fins sweep the sea . . create the waves

and spread the disease of imaginary beings.

We are better than pure in our new forms . .

we are free . . through the act of creation

we reproduce and get dirty

creating a new race of alterations.

Some Heavenly Theme of angels with butterfly wings . . 

of boys with horse half things and girls with scaly fins . .

of cyborgs and other contolling beings.

 

Rejoice!

 

But know you've done a very seriously bad thing.

You dared to dream.

You dared to dream.

You dared to dream.

You dared to dream...

Weekend Music Roundup

 

Welcome to the holiday weekend...a double holiday with Valentine's on Sunday and President's on Monday. One way to celebrate love and politics is through music. This week features a few good new releases and a handful of past albums from lots of different genres and time periods. Hopefully there something here you'll want to check out. Enjoy.

The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes are the Last of the Great Thunderstorm Warnings: The sixth album from the Montreal neo-psychedelic band with the most fantastic of esoteric album titles, is perhaps their best literary titled effort. It's been five years since their last album, a brilliant "Green is the Colour"-eque record. They've gone next level with this one, into the depths of shoegazer psychedelica. "Raindrops," "New Revolution," and the tile track are personal favorites.   

Fox Face - The End of Man: The second album from the Milwaukee garage rockers is high energy. There's been so many great punk bands led by women recently, L.A. Witch, Le Butcherettes, etc. All children of the pioneering riot grrl bands, no longer feeling the need to ape those who came before and just scream into the void with a psychedelic abandon. Kurt would have been proud. "Luminol," "SWF" "Haunt You," and the title track are standouts.  

The Zombies - Begin Here: The second album from the iconic UK band was released in '65. Their third album, Odessey and Oracle is a revered psychedelic pop record, but this is my personal favorite of theirs. I've had this on CD for decades, but recently picked up a vinyl copy.  Their version of "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" is next level stuff. So many great tracks on this, making it an essential album of the period in my opinion. 

Superheaven - Ours is Chrome: Released in 2015, this is the second album from indie rock band that was known as Daylight on the debut album "Jar".  The band hails from suburban Philly, which was one reason why I decided to pick it up when I saw it at the local shop. They don't try to hide their '90s alt rock influences, and they are clearly inspired by an endless string of early to mid-90s bands. That's not a bad thing in my opinion, especially when it's done right. "Next to Nothing," "Dig Into Me," and "Blur" are favorites of mine on this solid album. For me it's a nostalgic listen, and makes me want to check out some of those bands from that era that I haven't played in years.

 

Lee Michaels - Barrel: The fourth album from the L.A. psychedelic blue eyed soul artist was released in 1970. I'd gotten a copy of 5th, the album that followed this one, about two years ago and found it to be pretty decent, kind of American version of early Elton John. I found this one in the 4 for $10 bin at the local shop and decided to pick it up. This is a better album, with a great early 70's folk rock sound that reminds me of my childhood. "What Now America," "Uummm My Lady," "Murder in My Heart," and "Games" are personal favorites on this really enjoyable record.  

 

The Coon Creek Girls - Early Radio Favorites: Though recorded in the 30s, this compilation wasn't released until 1982. I found a Ledford Family (relatives of Lily May from this outfit) record years back and loved it's old timey sound, so when I saw this for sale in the local shop, I had to pick it up. This is a collection of old time Appalachian music out of Kentucky. This is the kind of music that when you're in the mood for it, there's nothing finer. A great find of an uncommon record.

Hymns for the Living...

 

 

 

I've been working on a book alteration project over the last few weeks. It's been therapeutic to work on a creative project that isn't just writing. But that's not to say it isn't writing. I conceived this piece as a scrapbook of ideas that the main character of a project I'm working on might create. 

 

The themes are themes that run through the manuscript. Hymns for the Living. Hymns for the Dead is his view of the world as he descends into the madness of his own imagination. I hope to share more of these over time, but wanted this to serve as an introducion.

 

 

Weekend Music Roundup

 

The weekend has returned and so has my consistency in posting my ramblings about music that I'm listening to. This week there's a few things that I recently listened to, things that were holes in my collection...albums by bands that I love but somehow missed a release. There is also my first 2021 release, and it's awesome. Hopefully there's something in here that you'll want to check out. Enjoy.

Lightning Dust - Spectre: This album came out in the Fall of 2019, and I'm not sure how I missed it. This is Amber Webber's (Black Mountain) indie folk band's forth album and the previous three have been among my favorites of the 21st century. After putting out a new single this past fall, I discovered that I missed this album and quickly corrected that oversight. There's a consistent brilliance displayed by this band over four albums, creating a catalog of indie folk music that few have equaled. "Competitive Depression," "A Pretty Picture," and "When it Rains" were personal favorites. 

Black Pistol Fire - Look Alive: Ten years after their debut, the Austin, via Toronto duo released their sixth album in January. It was one of those early treats, and one of the first 2021 releases I've listened to. It picks right up where they've left off. Pure garage blues rock. It's nothing new, for sure, but these boys do it right. It opens with the solid title track and then explodes in the next track, solidifying their Black Keys meets Death From Above vibe that straight up rocks.

Elf Power - Elf Power: One of the original Elephant 6 bands out of Athens, GA along with Neutral Milk Hotel in the mid-to-late 90s, this is the band's 2010 album, their 12th. Though I was really into the Elephant 6 bands back then, and saw these guys, this was one of the bands in the collective that I didn't gravitate towards until much later. This album is one that I hadn't heard, but saw a used copy at the local shop and snatched it up. It has a wonderful 70s psychedelic folk pop sound that is thoroughly enjoyable. Fantastic stuff and I highly recommend checking out pretty much any of their catalog.

Nazareth - Rampant: Released in 1974, a year before their breakthrough album, Hair of the Dog, this is the UK hard rock band's fifth album. It's just as solid as the record that followed, and most likely laid the groundwork for that album's success. Not quite as outrageous as Slade and not as blues based as others, these Scottish rockers were one of the bands that pushed the changing sound of rock into a sound of excess. "Glad When You're Gone," "Jet Lag," and "Shapes of Things" are standouts on this solid record. 

Rilo Kiley - Rilo Kiley: The 1999 debut EP from Jenny Lewis' former band has recently been re-issued. I've always had mixed feelings about this band, and Lewis in general. This is a slimmed down record and it sorts them well. It's also very late 90s, a simpler time in indie pop and one that was more bent on folk and indie rock than 70s pop rock as it seems to be these days. "Papillon," "Teenage Lovesong," and "Asshole" are personal favorites.

Steve Riley's L.A. Guns - Renegades: So, despite the logo and the name, this is not really L.A. Guns, at least not the Tracii Guns / Philip Lewis L.A. Guns that made a killer record last year. This is the debut of Steve Riley's (former L.A. Guns drummer) incarnation. So there are currently two bands out there, not at all confusing. Actually, I was confused because I was psyched for this album and as it played, my first thought was "oh no! Philip Lewis left again!" and so I did some research and got the full story of two bands, one name. So this is decent. It sounds more like Alice in Chains "Facelift" era than the sleaze rock of Guns.

 

Fiction Friday (125)

 

There are certain books in everyone's life that it puzzles them that they had not already read it. For my entire adult life, I've explored the catalog of Grove Press, have been inspired by novels that tear away convention, and devoured books that examine the taboo thoughts that we all conceal in our minds. Yet somehow, I'd never read one of the pillars of all three of those criteria....I have now.

Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller

(Grove Press, originally published 1934)

There are few works of art that one could call revolutionary. This is one of those. Part autobiographical, part philosophical diatribe, part fiction, and pure brutal honesty, this novel was considered dangerous when it was published in Paris and was banned in the U.S. for nearly 30 years. 

Deemed pornographic, its publication was forbidden in the land of the free. But this is far from pornographic and the real reason was probably due to the way it rips open the idea of America to examine it from the inside out. It is a response to Whitman, a precursor to Ginsburg's "America", a raw description of what it means to be American, what the ideal of freedom means to one man living in Paris between the wars and exploring the underground world of ideas and art that were born from conflict and destruction. 

But it's also about the soul, the darkness that festers there and the beauty that can be illuminated even in that darkness. This novel is the the birth of Post-Modernism, the birth of the Beats, the birth of the French new novel. It is a big bang in the world of literature that spawned ideas and creativity that would dominate the literary world for more than half a century.

In short...it is a masterpiece.