Sunday 28 June 2020

Week In Music June 21-28 2020

There have been a couple really good days this week, and the first one had The Pogues' Sunny Side Of The Street stuck in my head. Always dug this tune and its major key pentatonic melody, like a sped up Mary Chain guitar part





This week was kinda all about the work of Jordan Benik. He put up a new tune by his new project,  Too Much, and I love it. Been singing it constantly.





Which also put 'Mothering' by last old band, Sweaters, in my head a lot. Real smooth





Had a big Close Lobsters kick recently, Let's Make Some Plans is such a tune




Listened to their latest album, Post Neo Anti: Arte Povera in the Forest of Symbols. Great tunes on there, need to explore more. 

Sunday 21 June 2020

Week In Music: June 14-21 2020

I keep hearing so much great stuff, thought I'd revive this blog to share it. A weekly post of all the great artists and tunes I've discovered or revisited during the week

First up is Judee Sill. Wow! Her songs are so lovely. John Andrew Fredrick of The Black Watch posted 'The Kiss' the other night and I was hooked. Sent me down a rabbithole and I've now heard all her recordings and can recommend the entire catalogue. Boston bassist extraordinaire Eric Donohue hipped me to her BBC Recordings which are just her solo and they are wonderful.

 

I heard 'The Kiss' first and then shortly after, perhaps her most popular song, 'Jesus Was A Cross Maker' which I've probably listened to five times a day since.





John Andrew Fredrick has been posting some great stuff on his FB page lately. His own band, The Black Watch, is definitely worth checking out, and there's 19 albums to dive into. New one, Brilliant Failures, is really good, and I interviewed JAF in my guise as Young Southpaw for it earlier this spring. A really fun, interesting conversation. Here's my favourite The Black Watch song, 'Terrific', a shimmering indiepop gem:





But as I was saying, JAF has posted some great stuff lately, including Prince's 'Starfish And Coffee' which has been stuck in my head a lot and I'm greatly thankful for that. What a tune!





As is 'Baltimore', which I've been listening to a ton lately with everything going on:





It was jazz great Eric Dolphy's birthday yesterday. His bass clarinet version of 'God Bless The Child' is one of the my favourite pieces of music:





Balcony Festival 6 happened yesterday, an 'online music festival in aid of The Mental Health Foundation'. My favourite band David Devant & His Spirit Wife headlined and Lily from Fightmilk played four acoustic songs, including 'Over', I song I truly love. That was great. And every time I hear their new single it gets stuck in my head and I'm glad of it:




I've started rewatching all of Letterkenny again. What a fantastic show. It's hilarious and they really take the time to get the writing and the soundtrack right. Discovered White Reaper that way, and 'Last Fourth Of July' is my favourite song I've heard this year, it's in my head constantly. Like a perfect cross between later My Chemical Romance, The Ramones, & The Misfits.





And another great discovery is The Foots, three piece Australian band from the 90's, on Lost And Lonesome Records. Two Foots reissues now on Bandcamp and some really good tunes on them, including my fave 'Fickle':





Lost And Lonesome is Mark Monnone from The Lucksmith's long-standing record label. Back in February when I set out to drive from Connecticut to Los Angeles that first day in the car I listened to the entire Lucksmiths discography. It was great, they had so many excellent songs. I was really glad, and also sad, to be at their last London gig back in 2009. On that same drive I started listening to Dory Previn again, and I've kept thinking this year it would be a good idea to document the songs that are with me at certain times, hence reupping this blog, especially with Judee Sill reminding me of Dory Previn. Whose 'Going Home' soundtracked so much of the rest of that cross-country car ride: