Friday, February 2, 2024
Album Review- The Beaches- Blame My Ex
Thursday, February 1, 2024
Book Review- Mississippi Nights: A History of The Music Club in St. Louis
Tuesday, January 16, 2024
My 20 Favorite Albums of 2023
Best is subjective so how about we call this the list of my favorite albums of 2023 - check them out
The Baseball Project- Grand Salami Time (Omnivore). Come for the Buck/Mills/Easter reunion, stay for the songs about Mark Fidrych, Jim Bouton and Sadaharu Oh
The Bomboras-Songs From Beyond (MuSick) Rob Zombie championed horror surf band returns after 25 year hiatus
Zach Bryan - self-titled (Belting Bronco/Warner) Hot buzz country artist makes album worthy of the buzz
Bug Club- Green Dream in F# (Bingo/We are Busy Bodies) if you want to argue this is a 2022 release (it got its larger label and Bandcamp releases in April of 2023) then substitute it for one of the other two releases of theirs that came out this past year
Maher Cissoko - Kora World (Ajabu!) The prolific master of the 21 string West African instrument draws from history for this meditative work.
Crocodiles - Upside Down In Heaven (Lollipop) Rejuvenated by their 2021 cover EP project, the band finds the melodic side of their Jesus and Mary Chain style noise rock.
The Damned- Darkadelic (Edel/EARmusic) Building on the promising 2018 reunion Evil Spirits, with Paul Gray added as a cowriter for four tracks, the band hits its nearly 50 year career potential
Galen and Paul - Can We Do Tomorrow Another Day (Sony) - Sea Shantys,Ye-ye Pop and romantic ballads hardly seem to be the expected from The Clash’s Paul Simonon and prog royalty Galen Ayers but this one is hard not to like
The Gaslight Anthem - History Books (Rich Mahogany/Thirty Tigers) - Rejuvenated by a near decade hiatus, the band returns to Springsteen inspired Heartland Rock with actual Springsteen included.
Gorillaz- Cracker Island (Parlophone/Warner) Now an eight album institution, more simple than ambitious, their best album in awhile.
HD Harmsen -Glaciers (Strawberry Jam Jams) Veteran of the glory years of the Ames/Des Moines scene (2012-13), Harmsen returns with a quirky Shimmy Disc style pop record.
Mick Harvey and Amanda Acevedo - Phantasmagoria in Blue (Mute) - Australian goth country icon Harvey teams with actress Acevedo for an album of more perfect goth country.
Inna De Yard- Family Affair (Wagram) - Third album from Jamaican collective that mixes reggae legends (this time Keith and Tex) with new talent.
Jim Bob- Thanks for Reaching Out (Cherry Red) - Clever social commentary on third album of former Carter USM main man’s trilogy that started with 2020s Pop Up Jim Bob
Don Letts- Outta Sync (Cigale/Cooking Vinyl) - Filmmaker/Clash colleague/Big Audio Dynamite cofounder releases his debut which is a fun producer party record.
Lydia Loveless - Nothing’s Going to Stand in my Way Again (Bloodshot) Loveless continues to be one of the best songwriters on the planet.
Metal Marty- Greatest Hits (Acetate) A de facto Supersuckers album from the band’s guitarist brings the old fashioned rock n roll
Theory of Ghosts-EPs 1 and 2 (Theory of Ghosts) - Ex Piano Magic main man Glen Johnson delights with a mix of slowcore and Bunnymen style alternative rock
The Ventures- New Space (Hi-Tide). Essentially a Ship of Theseus band led by producer/long time member Bob Spalding that captures a modern version of the Ventures sound as close as could be possible
WITCH- Zango (Desert Daze) Jagari Chanda has relaunched the 70s Zamrock legends with a sound that equally recalls their classic songs and a modern sound.
And one bonus pick
Gentlem3n- Mochyn Dall (Kinder Gentler) I can’t have an impartial opinion about my friend Jesse’s love letter to 90s Champaign scene
Friday, January 12, 2024
Album Review- Vince Clarke- Songs of Silence
Do we all agree that Vince Clarke is probably the icon when it comes to synth pop. You likely know the story - cofounder of Depeche Mode, two incredible albums with Alison Moyet as Yazoo, detours with the Assembly and VCMG, bunch of remixes and probably most notably, the other half to Andy Bell for nearly 40 years now in Erasure.
Songs of Silence is a 2023 solo album (as far as I know, solo debut)by Vince Clarke with Clarke paying all the instruments. It is a Covid album of you want to call it that - recorded during that period with the pandemic a major influence explicit in the sound.
It’s not a dance record or synth pop in the terms you most recognize that term.
It is an ambient work for lack of a better description and it is very good.
No doubt Clarke is a bit of a musical genius, and the album being practically wordless makes it a normally tough sell for me. But like some recent solo works by other synth trailblazers - Martin Rev, Chris Carter, even JG Thirlwell- it is not a throwaway. (Like every other review, I can’t help but add the quote from Clarke that it was even a bit too drone-y for his cat, who departed the sessions)
Blackleg is a particularly strong moment. The Guardian describes it as so: an emotional hinge to this largely wordless album, setting a scab-bashing miners’ song from 19th-century Northumberland to a pitch-dark chasm of drones. “Take yer tools and yer duds as well, and hoy them down to the pit of hell,” sings our uncredited union man, “down you go, and fare ye well, you dirty blackleg miner.”
Album Review- Madness- Theater of the Absurd Presents: C'Est La Vie
Thursday, December 28, 2023
Album Review- Graham Parker- Last Chance to Do the Twist
Friday, December 15, 2023
Album Review- The Gaslight Anthem- "History Books"
I fell in love with the Gaslight Anthem from the first listen which was 2007s Sink Or Swim, though if was probably 2008 when I heard it, just prior to their bigger introduction to the world - The 59 Sound.
The
Gaslight Anthem are a band that you probably love or find annoying.
They put their influences all over everything- The Clash, Miles
Davis, Tom Waits and so on. The best comparison has always been
Social Distortion - a modern after-punk updating of an ideal 1950s of
greased hair and motorcycle gangs. But of course, musically , the
bands aren’t really that close.
Where
Social Distortion pulls from late 70s Hardcore punk (Frank and Rikk
Agnew were in an early lineup), The Anthem sound like they were
listening to Springsteen, Petty and the many Springsteen clones of
the same time period.
I
may or may not have realized it but it became clear around 2010 that
the indie rock scene had a heavy Springsteen influence - Arcade Fire,
Hold Steady, Titus Andronicus, Against Me!- and if I hadn’t noticed
it, I was listening to the Sklar Brothers when they pointed it
out.
I
was a huge fan of Springsteen and 90s Indie Rock and the two did not
really mix together. He was still very much one of the most
newsworthy artists of the day- certainly not very “cool”. That
the indie scene finally caught up with him isn’t surprising
It’s
clear that the Gaslight Anthem and the aforementioned peers grew up
listening to say, the Replacements, the Pogues and Billy Bragg and
Bruce wasn’t a left field choice. (We know GA has covered Pearl Jam
and Nirvana so they very much of their age).
There
seems to be an almost mirror like quality for Springsteen and Joe
Strummer. Both representing this artistic hero of the working class
and the oppressed. If Bruce did climb to the charts, he had got there
by being adored by The Ramones and Patti Smith.
The
story of the Gaslight Anthem (my version) mimics another Springsteen
following, the Killers, insomuch as they debuted with a fresh sound
but seemed to be grinding to diminishing returns over time, calling
it quits (or nearly quits) and finding their way back to revitalize
themselves.
In
the case of Gaslight Anthem, the 59 Sound is probably where
everything works, but subsequently over time, we arrived at their 5th
album - 2014s Get Hurt and its hard to see where the earnest populism
stops and Bon Jovi style arena rock begins.
In
this case, the band went on hiatus and Brian Fallon worked on solo
projects. Fallon’s solo stuff is pretty good and he blended a few
influences but worked on honing those songwriter skills.
It’s
a similar story to the Killers who followed a similar path and then
seemed refreshed when they came back. When the Killers came to their
seventh album, 2021s Pressure Machine - they made one of their best
albums yet.
Pressure
Machine was ambitious and clearly an attempt by that band to make
their Nebraska or The River.
I
am not sure Gaslight Anthem’s 2023 album History Books is any more
ambitious than anything else the band has done, since they always
have written anthems, but a few songs do feel particularly “heavier”
and literate.
It
is indeed a much better album now that they have come back after
being apart than their previous two records. And Hearland Rock was
always in their mix, but yes “History Books” and “Michigan
1975” do feel particularly deep.
The
sound seems to cut the middle between the bands standard anthem fare
and Fallon’s mellow bluesy side - which works well. I run counter
to a review I read that says this wouldn’t be a good starting point
for the band, as I feel it probably would.
There
is a particular crunch on the record that is more in line with their
last record than Fallon’s solo work. Peter Katis produces (The
National, Interpol, Frightened Rabbit)
Of
course, you can’t talk about the Springsteen influence without
mentioning Bruce is actually on the title track. Yes, the “circle
of life”- Bruce actually encouraged Fallon (the story goes) to get
the band back together and write a duet for the both of
them.
“History
Books” probably doesn’t need Bruce. Fallon starts the song and
his style isn’t that much different. Still, if you can get Bruce,
then you do. It fits as an homage, a passing of the torch or whatever
you want to make of it.
A
decade ago, Gaslight Anthem felt like one of the most exciting bands
on the planet. History Books brings that feeling back.
Tuesday, December 5, 2023
Album Review- Tribes "Rabbit Head"
Monday, November 27, 2023
Album Review- Maher Cissoko- Kora World
Monday, November 20, 2023
Album Review- Mick Harvey and Amanda Acevdeo - Phantasmagoria in Blue
Friday, November 10, 2023
A few words on The Beatles - "Now and Then"
If I am being honest, the video borders on cheesy for me. I suppose it’s possible that we live in such a tech era where someone can make Hank Williams sing gangster rap and it sounds good. I get the adding of footage but I really think the video could have been so much better.
I don’t have anything new to add but I like Now and Then.
I tend to think it would have worked well as a McCartney/Lennon single. It’s not a bad song and the nostalgia hits the right tone. I totally get that. It is at first listen a bit unremarkable though its effect (like the song itself with the string section) tends to grow.
But it’s in my opinion, the least of the three Threetles songs and it’s interesting to find out that it was skipped in those 90s sessions earlier because Harrison didn’t think it was enough to build a song around.
All of the three “reunion” songs fit a generic Beatlesque template but for example that’s no surprise, but I love the sound of the other two. Even in their context, they sound good to me, for example, Real Love is carried by a strong Harrison guitar. I would love to feel more of a Harrison presence in the new song.
I think there is definitely an element of “the times” in the appraisal of these songs. The 90s songs seemed to be pretty much discounted right from the gate and I feel are largely unloved.
I realize they might not be the bands best work but one also can’t help but think that they’re no different than say VoodooLounge/Steel Wheels or the best moments of Its Hard/Face Dances. The trouble with any established band is they start to have to compete against themselves. The reason later Prince records were disappointing was because they were never going to be as good as Dirty Mind or Sign O The Times but also they were not going to be as good as the new Janelle Monae or Outkast album. The Beatles, the Stones, U2, whoever is always going to have those issues. There is no potential Beatles single that can beat nostalgia.
But the 90s songs are treated with a definite asterisk. Now we are separated to a point where the audience is either of a more advanced age pondering mortality (Now and Then) or haven’t really grown up with the Beatles at all (extending to not hearing Lennon/Macca/George on the radio as Gen X had)
The acclaim for the song seems fairly universal. The memes have the Beatles playing rivals to Jungkook, perhaps the biggest artist on the planet. And though you could play it for laughs, it is like two titans at the top.
At least, that’s my guess why it’s hitting different. It is being marketed as the last Beatles song ever and it seems quite possible that it could be (As technology changes, tapes get unearthed,etc, I still fell the inevitable doubt that we won’t see something else, but I guess the odds are probably strong it will be the coda).
Clearly, the way we consume music has changed as well. It is much easier to digest Here and Now by flinging it onto a playlist. We can share the video with our friends. Radio airplay is not really important to the process.
(Maybe that is also why I can be so cavalier in my opinion. The Beatles are everywhere in my life. There is a 24/7 Sirius channel. There have been numerous outtakes. The Peter Jackson doc. I don’t feel a sense of “return” as others may have because I can’t miss what hasn’t went away)
Ironically, the new trend towards buying vinyl probably has helped get the song to the top of charts as well. And as far as those charts go, maybe the charts aren’t that big of a deal anymore, but surely fans want to see them take the top spot.
The new song has been appended to the re-release of the famous Red and Blue Greatest Hits (perhaps like me you are annoyed if has been appended to 1967-1970 which surely would now make it 1967-2023)
As with Now and Then, technology has jumped in leaps and bounds since the Beatles anthology CDs. In this case, the songs recorded in mono have been taken by Peter Jackson and the elements released now in stereo surround.
The Red and Blue albums are special to me because they essentially were my introduction to the Beatles. I have fond memories of it taking me to a certain time and place. It is a pretty solid comp too. (I am in the ball park where Rock and Roll Music Vol 1 and 2 were contemporary too. There’s probably never not going to be a Beatles compilation or two on the market)
Monday, November 6, 2023
Album review- Gentlm3n- Mocyn Dall
I have a half dozen friends who have had some success in the music industry and today I want to put in a good word for one of them. Maybe, one day I will get to some of the others.
I have known Jesse since he was a teen in the “rival” high school with mutual friends. He was one of the coolest people around back then. I still think he is. He was in one of the two local bands of the day- when the prevailing trends were U2 arena rock and baggy psychedelic Neds Atomic Dustbin style of the day.
I am probably not as close to him as I am with other friends of mine, and yet, I feel like whenever it was the toughest times of my life, he was always there for me. Even now, I really enjoy the quick conversation with him online. Funny, how we probably don’t realize that effect we have on others.
About a decade ago, he got active making music again, playing bass guitar in support for a band in St Louis. I was starting a family and unfortunately never made it to any of his live shows though at the time, I had hoped I could.
Since then, he has made music as a trio mostly in the recording studio with a rare love date.
In the last couple of years, he has really stepped up his recording and making his previously recorded stuff available on line. Although we have many similar tastes, I feel like his recordings dig into his roots of prog rock and Dischord Records style post punk. His last album- 2021s Precious Cargo was more into some of the progressive style stuff.
So I am more excited about his newest album- Mochyn Dall which is his love letter to 90s era Central Illinois music. This is more in line with those latter influences in emo-rock and post-hardcore. On his Bandcamp page, he calls out Sarge, Seam, the Poster Children and Hum.
I have written about my relationship with Champaign, Illinois music before. While I only spent a handful of weekend there, some of my best friends lived there and so I still felt that influence strongly. In hindsight, many of those bands in that scene ended up playing a major part on the development of emo rock.
Have a listen. Visit his Bandcamp if you want https://gentlem3n.bandcamp.com/ or
stream it on Spotify, YouTube or in the usual places.
Thursday, November 2, 2023
Album Review- Buddy and Julie Miller - In The Throes
Every review I have read of Buddy and Julie Miller’s new album “In the Throes” reads about the same.
They do have as much as claim to the title “the First Couple of Americana” as anyone. This is their fourth album since they started recording as a duo in 2001. Buddy has several solo albums, a disc with Jim Lauderdale, and a career as artist, producer, and songwriter going back to 1975. Julie started out (as her good friend Sam Phillips had) as a Christian music artist before branching out into more Americana fare.
They have - individually or collectively- worked with everyone in Americana. Scan their respective Wikipedia pages and see names like Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Shawn Colvin, Kinky Friedman, Lucinda Williams, Solomon Burke, Robert Plant, Patty Griffin, Innocence Mission, Victoria Williams, Richard Thompson, Levon Helm, Elvis Costello, Frank Black, Midnight Oil and countless others
If you know me, you won’t be surprised that I found about them via their work with Steve Earle. Buddy Miller played lead guitar on the El Corazon tour and produced the Colvin and Earle record. Earle sang vocals on the last Millers album.
In the 80s, it seemed like the most talented artists would find large audiences even when not played on the radio by finding alternative paths and word of mouth. I think, it’s true then, that in the 2020s, the most talented musicians will find an audience somehow through word of mouth and alternative streams, and so Buddy and Julie have quite a following.
In the Throes is a fine addition to a great catalog. I have to admit that at 67, Julie’s rasp adds a gravitas that makes their songs so appealing, but the interaction of the two is also a draw - something inherent in a married couple -a bit like John Doe and Exene or Richard and Linda Thompson. In the Throes is a mix of styles- the duos’ Bandcamp calls if a mix of gospel, blues, rockabilly and R&B.
Also of note, “Don’t Make Her Cry” is a Bob Dylan songwriting credit shared as it evolved from a song that was handed by Bob with origins in a 1978 conversation to Regina McCrary to the Millers.