Category: Music

I am falling down on the “regular blogging” thing — I need to remind myself to get better about that. This week was difficult, though — I was sidelined last weekend and the early part of this week with my traditional Living-in-Kansas, Springtime Sudden-Pressure-Change-Triggered Migraines. Which, y’know, was fun.

But: Better now, and I’ve had time to listen to some music, and so: On with the Friday Music!

First up: As the album cover over there will tell you, HOLY SHIT does Dhani Harrison look like his Dad, George. And honestly, he sounds quite a bit like him to — he’s a talented multi-instrumentalist in his own right, but he does sort of steer into the comparisons a bit in some of his arrangements, so you end up with an electronic-influenced Indie with Cosmic-Harrison undertones. He’d been knocking around in a few bands for a while, but he recently released his solo debut, IN///PARALLELS, and I’ve been listening to it and loving it. Check this out: Dhani Harrison – “All About Waiting (feat. Camila Grey).”

One of the benefits of doing Friday Music again is that I’m back to paying more attention to releases, so I’ve discovered that bands that I like have recently released new albums that I’d previously missed. One such band is UNKLE, who released The Road, Part 1 last year. The whole thing is excellent, but I’m especially digging the Middle-Eastern note progressions of this track, with vocals by ex-Queens Of The Stone Age gravelly baritone Mark Lanegan. UNKLE – “Looking For The Rain.”

Some new music that I discovered this week via one of my old favorite sources, the music blog Hypem. This is a track from the debut album by Sarah Howells, who records under the name Bryde. Originally from Wales, she’s currently based out of London and released her album, Like An Island, on her own label, Seahorse Music. I’m digging the sort of 90s-alternative vibe I get from this. Bryde – “Peace.”

Speaking of 90s alternative, one of my favorite soundtracks within that genre was the one that accompanied the dark comedy, JAWBREAKER. I can’t hear this track without picturing Rose McGowan, Rebecca Gayheart, and Julie Benz walking in slow-motion down the hallway of a high school. Imperial Teen – “Yoo Hoo.”

Once I go down the rabbit hole of movie soundtracks with 90s-alternative tracks, it’s hard for me to find my way back. This was one of my favorite songs from the time, from one of my favorite musical genres (trip hop), which started getting a lot of radio play here in the US after it appeared on the soundtrack to THE SAINT (a not-great movie that I wholeheartedly love). Sneaker Pimps – “6 Underground.”

For me, the late 80s to mid 90s was marked by my heavy interest in cyberpunk — the literary genre, the RPG, and the general subcultural vibe. Seems like now that we’re living in the dystopian future we feared, cyberpunk is having a bit of a nostalgia-fueled comeback. The Netflix series ALTERED CARBON is an example, and this is a track from it’s excellent soundtrack album:Sune Rose Wagner – “Let My Baby Ride.”

So there ya go, folks. I’ll see you back here again next week.

 
 
 

Welcome back to another weekly edition of Friday Music here on the blog.

I’m afraid it’s a bit shorter than usual this week — it’s been a busy one, and I haven’t had as much time as I usually do to listen to music and prep a post. But I’ve still got some gems for you, and so here we go…

The image over there is the cover to a single which was included in my Spotify-curated “Your Discover Weekly” playlist. I was blown away the moment I heard it. The group is called Ten Fé (Spanish for “Have Faith”), and are a London-based duo of former buskers. Give a listen to this, and you won’t be able to get it out of your head. Ten Fé – “Single, No Return.”

Got finished watching BABYLON BERLIN on Netflix this week — I cannot recommend it highly enough. Gorgeous and compelling political/crime thriller set in late 1920s Berlin (basically, as the shit was hitting the fan). So good. Anyway, one of the centerpieces of the show was this track, which appeared a couple of times as a number performed in a Berlin cabaret, as well as featuring as end credits music from time to time. In the show, the song is performed by a Russian Countess in her male alter-ego of “Nikoros.” The Lithuanian actress playing the Countess is a model and singer as well, who records under her first name, Severija, and she has the perfect voice for this. Severija – “Zu Asche, Zu Staub (Psycho Nikoros).”

Another find from Spotify’s “Your Discover Weekly”, Superet is an L.A.-based indie act who currently have a debut self-titled EP available. The synth hook was the first thing to grab me about this track, but when the chorus hit, I was sold. There are elements of this which struck me as almost Bowie-esque, but I can’t quite put my finger on why, exactly. Give it a go, and tell me what you think: Superet – “Loving The Animal.”

A discussion with friends about the 90s film The Crow reminded me of the soundtrack, and put this song in a loop in my brain, so I had to dig it out and listen. At the time, I was annoyed that the version of this track on the soundtrack was NOT the one featured in the film — the vinyl single that was supposed to have been recorded by Eric and his band. That track had more of a post-punk sound, with a male vocalist, and I was disappointed that the album version made it this alt-90s ethereal dream-girl thing. Now, though, it’s one of my favorite tracks on the entire album. Jane Siberry – “It Can’t Rain All The Time.”

We’ll close out this short edition with a throwback track, from (OH JESUS CHRIST) 30 years ago. Yes, kids — this one is three decades old. Don’t mind me. I’ll be over here, in the corner, sobbing. The Primitives – “Crash.”

Enjoy, and I’ll see you back here next week (Assuming anybody is actually reading, that is)…

 
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Welcome to this week’s Friday Music entry — your weekly internet mixtape of stuff that’s been drifting through my head.

The image at the left there is the debut album cover from Jain, whose album, Zanaka, was released in late 2015. This is exactly the sort of third-culture-kid, global-citizen world-music stuff I really, really dig. Jain (real name Jeanne Galice) is a French artist of Malagasy descent, who was born in Toulouse, and grew up, as the family travelled for her father’s work, in Dubai, the Congo, and Abu Dhabi, before she graduated and moved to Paris to attend art school. Her album is a mix of all of those influences, and this track (recently used in a Levi’s jeans commercial) was written as a tribute to South African singer and activist Miriam Makeba. Get ready to do a little office-chair dancing: Jain – “Makeba.”

Apparently, I completely missed that Kasabian released a new album in 2017. I’m slipping. The album, “For Crying Out Loud,” is just as good as their previous stuff — NME’s review of this album called it “chockablock with massive tunes that make an instant impact […] the sound of joy, canned and compressed for your aural pleasure,” and I’m finding it hard to dispute. Kasabian – “Comeback Kid.”

I’ve been using Spotify’s curated “Your Discovery Weekly” to introduce me to new stuff, and this week, it dropped a couple of bands in my lap who reminded me, in all the best ways, of the neo-psychedelia pop-rock of Kula Shaker.

First up is IRONTOM, a five-piece from California. The hook on this one had me immediately, and I found myself singing the chorus under my breath for the rest of the day. This track is from their debut full-length album, Partners, which I’m *definitely* going to be picking up. IRONTOM – “Be Bold Like Elijah.”

The second is Demob Happy, an indie band from Newcastle, by way of Brighton. The grinding guitar hook, the vaguely late-period Lennon/McCartney harmonies..the song even starts with the word “psychedelic,” fer chrissakes. I really like it. Demob Happy – “Be Your Man.”

Another Spotify discovery, with a killer hook and a retro-influenced sound, although this time the vibe is more early-to-mid-70s glam, by way of 21st-century Indie. The Pack A.D. (the suffix taken to differentiate them from the hip-hop group, The Pack) are a Canadian duo, whose influences are garage rock, blues, alternative, and psychedelic rock. They’ve cited horror and sci-fi literature and films as a major inspiration for their songwriting. I haven’t heard a duo with as “big” a sound as this since the White Stripes. The Pack A.D. – “Dollhouse.”

I’m a big fan of The National, an indie band whose sound has moved from a sort of roots-alt-country pop when they debuted in 2001, into impeccably-produced post-punk revival in more recent releases. This is a single from their most recent album, Sleep Well Beast, and I’ll be damned if it’s not the most perfect 1988 post-punk song ever released in 2017. Those chiming guitars… The National – “Day I Die.”

We’ll close out this week with a genuine throwback, instead of just a revival. The 1978 extended club mix released from the soundtrack to “Midnight Express”, which was all over the radio (in a much-abbreviated single version). Giorgio Moroder had been asked by the film’s director specifically for a track similar to his 1977 track with Donna Summer, “I Feel Love.” — that track and this were my introductions to sequencers and synthesizers, and, for me, this is still the sound of The Future. Giorgio Moroder – “The Chase (US 12″ Promo).”

That’s it for this week, kids. Enjoy, and I’ll see you back here next week.