Lykantropi - Wild Flowers

 #Lykantropi #hard rock #blues rock #folk rock #psychedelic rock #retro-1970s #Swedish 

Melody Lane had an interview with Martin Ostlund, singer and guitarist of the Swedish psychedelic folk melancholic rockers Lykantropi. A great band highly recommended to fans of Coven, Blue Oyster Cult and Fleetwod Mac.

Melody Lane: First of all, can you tell us where the name Lykantropi comes from?  

Martin Ostlund: In my opinion it´s the process and transformation in the creation of songs. A song is like chapters in a book that is transforming in a way by its dynamic etc., and also I do love horror movies and you can hear that in the lyrics.

Melody Lane: The line-up of the band is confirmed. Is it the same from the beginning of the band, or have you had changes in the last years? Can you tell us something about the roots of Lykantropi? And where the band was born?

Martin Ostlund: I started the band in about 2013. No one except me was in the band from the beginning. Tomas joined us about 2014-15, Ia and My about the same time. We had just recorded our first album when the drummer decided to drop out, so then came Ola. The latest to join is Elias. He was a stand-in player instead of Pär “Pärry” Nordwall, and became a member about a year ago.

Melody Lane: Can you list us five songs from the Lykantropi discography (including new material), that can define the sound of the band. Five songs that can help our readers to know Lykantropi.

Martin Ostlund: Black Old Stone, Julie and Alexandra on the first album, Vestigia and Sällsammanatt on Spirituosa. Kom ta migut and Coming Your Way on Tales to be told

Melody Lane: Tell us something about the creative process of your music. Is there a main composer or is there team work? The songs come from ideas of a single member and then the band works on these ideas in the studio jamming together, or your songs are written in the studio and all the members compose together? What about messages and subjects of your lyrics?

Martin Ostlund: Oh, it’s different depending on which song, but what’s new for us is that me and Tomas have spit the writing on the new album. I did almost everything on the first two except two songs on Spirituosa. Both me and Tomas come with the skeleton of a song idea, and we work together as a band. Some songs have messages, but you have to read between the lines of fiction and private exposures. Some songs are inspired by old folklore and fairytales, but also we have much fantasy in it with the Northern melancholy touch.

Melody Lane:  Apart from the all the problems and troubles related to the Covid-19 pandemic, any chance for us to see Lykantropi playing live here in Italy/Europe in the next months/years? Maybe summer festivals? Any plans?

Martin Ostlund: We actually had plans for a tour in Italy, Spain, etc. just before the pandemic, so yes, we will come and play when it’s all over.

Melody Lane: Could you tell us two bands, from the actual international scene, you’d like  to tour with? Two bands that would represent a perfect line-up for Lykantropi to play with. And why these bands?

Martin Ostlund: English Purson, and maybe The Blood Ceremony. They have both the groove in their sound, but different in their sound.

Melody Lane: We know that ‘to define is to limit’ but how do you define the Lykantropi sound? Are you a psychedelic rock band? Prog/folk band? Vintage ‘70s rock band?

Martin Ostlund: Well, we define ourselves in all those actually. But the main thing is that we love vintage amps and what we call the warm tube sound, so there you go! Vintage rock it is!

Melody Lane: Which musicians are/have been your main musical inspirations?

Martin Ostlund: I have to say Fleetwood Mac´s “Then Play On”, and Swedish 60s-70s artist Bo Hansson; he played the Hammond organ, and has done instrumental records and is famous for “The Lord of the Rings” made in the 70s.

Melody Lane: Which are your favorite bands nowadays? Are there any musicians you’d really like to collaborate with? And why?

Martin Ostlund: No favorite, but I really like Amanda Werne in Slowgold, and also the Swedish band Amason with amazing Amanda Bergman on vocals. Great musicians and bands with the heart and soul in your face.

Melody Lane: What has been the most important concert for Lykantropi’s career?

Martin Ostlund: Hmm, I don’t know! We have had some great concerts in different places. Geronimos and Debaser in the capitol of Sweden Stockholm are some of them.

Melody Lane: As a musician, what has been your biggest achievement to date and what do you want to achieve in the near future?

Martin Ostlund: I think the latest soon to be released “Tales to be Told” is a really great record, where we as a band work together in the best way. It’s the best so far of our three albums in my opinion. We have plans for making a new album in the near future without revealing too much.

Melody Lane: Are you totally satisfied with your choices about sound and the writing of your previous albums? If you could, would you change anything?

Martin Ostlund: We are satisfied with the sound on all our albums. Even some years later.

Melody Lane: In the end - a message from you to all Melody Lane readers.

Martin Ostlund: Message to the people! Close your eyes in a calm spot in your favorite nature surroundings, and hopefully you hear and listen to mother earth’s prayer for our future existence and how we can take care of this place we call earth. A big kiss from Lykantropi.

From: https://www.melodylane.it/NEWSITO/index.php/818-lykantropi

The Move - Colour Me Pop 1969

 #The Move #Roy Wood #Jeff Lynne #psychedelic rock #blues rock #hard rock #British psychedelia #psychedelic pop rock #art rock #proto-prog #proto-metal #1960s #music video

Colour Me Pop was a BBC television series from the late 1960s that devoted itself to some of the best rock & roll acts of the period, without the usual compromises that such programs engaged in - groups would perform on camera, with their microphones live and their instruments plugged in, for as long as 30 minutes at a clip, and they wouldn't limit themselves to singles, either; Colour Me Pop was among the first television shows on either side of the Atlantic that could be used to perform and showcase album-length bodies of music.
The Move's set captures the four-man lineup behind Shazam in peak form. Whether they're playing hard electric numbers like "I Can Hear Grass Grow" or acoustic guitar driven pieces such as "Beautiful Daughter," or pieces that were otherwise unrepresented in their history, such as "The Christian Life" and "Goin' Back," they sound great - indeed, the version of "The Last Thing on My Mind" here is superior to the officially released studio recording on Shazam, and also makes good use of super-imposition and split-screen effects for its time. Oh, and the sound is excellent.
From: https://www.allmusic.com/album/colour-me-pop-the-small-faces-the-move-dvd--mw0001009492

I've seen the Moody Blues, Small Faces and The Move episodes of Colour Me Pop. Does anyone know if these performances are studio backing track with live vocals?

Somewhere in the dark part of my brain I remember seeing a web site that dealt with that very question. The interesting thing was that it varied, even within a particular episode. For instance, 'Fire Brigade' on The Move show is live, but there are other songs that aren't.

The Move January 1969
Several tracks are completely live - vocals and band - either that or the totally "live" numbers were exclusive pre-recorded backing tracks. Fascinating to see and hear Carl Wayne on bass on "The Christian Life" and interesting to compare the vocals on "I Can Hear The Grass Grow" to the 1967 "Beat Beat Beat" version with Ace Kefford. "Fire Brigade" is just magnificent. However, "Wild Tiger Woman" is a mime to the single release, as is "Something". "Beautiful Daughter" is a curious one - it's a mix of what appeared on "Shazam" - the vocal is identical but the mix is very different since it features a drum part on it and there's no strings - I think - getting a bit confuddled here myself (hence swiftly re-editing this post a couple of times). All three shows are magnificent slices of early colour British pop TV. How tragic that the vast majority of episodes of this show were wiped - editions featuring Love Sculpture, Family, David Bowie, Orange Bicycle, The Kinks, The Hollies, Manfred Mann and many more, all lost forever.

From: https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/colour-me-pop-uk-tv.146238/

Occasionally plundered for clip shows, The Move’s Colour Me Pop appearance from 4th January 1969 saw them tearing through hits like Flowers In The Rain and Fire Brigade as well as the popular b-side Something, chaotic chart-missing single Wild Tiger Woman, a work in progress version of Beautiful Daughter, and covers of the Gerry Goffin and Carol King number Goin’ Back and bluegrass standard The Christian Life, both of which had recently also been covered by The Move’s noted favourites The Byrds. As well as an early sighting of the sort of glittery jackets that the Carnaby Street boutiques had recently started to sell – maybe inspiring David Bowie and Marc Bolan to take a trip to Alkasura the following Monday – this performance is also notable for capturing the band as they were adjusting to the recent departure of original bass player Ace Kefford. The Move had always shared out lead vocals as the ‘narrative’ of each song dictated – if you want a good trivia question to catch someone out with, ask them who the first person heard singing on BBC Radio 1 was; chances are they’ll know the first record played was Flowers In The Rain and automatically say Roy Wood, but the opening verse was actually handled by Carl Wayne – and Ace Kefford can be heard prominently on many of their best known singles. Although any fan of The Move would be able to tell that they were audibly struggling to compensate for his absence in places, their vocal interplay nonetheless caught John Lennon’s attention; while discussing how to approach The Beatles’ new songs, he mentioned the effect that The Move’s distanced stage positioning had on their vocal arrangements and began playing around with ideas inspired by that. This was an especially startling moment for me, as when I had a chat with Beatles expert Chris Shaw about the Yellow Submarine soundtrack, we got on to the subject of speculation about how The Beatles might have sounded if they had started playing live in 1968. Sceptical of some of the more fanciful ideas of string sections and elaborate stage effects, I had suggested instead that they’d have sounded more like the flashy psychedelic pop captured on the live album Something Else From The Move. It’s quite something to realise how close to the reality that very nearly was.  From: https://timworthington.org/2021/12/21/did-you-watch-the-bbc2-thing/

The Golden Grass - One More Time

 #The Golden Grass #hard rock #heavy psych #blues rock #heavy metal #retro-1970s #music video

The Golden Grass are a rock band from Brooklyn, New York. Following close on the heels of the 7” single “One More Time,” the group’s self-titled debut album is one of refreshing, modern-sounding Blues/Rock in the vein of Led Zeppelin and Cream. “Please Man” opens up to some trippy, distorted guitar effects before giving way to the frantic drum fills that introduce the song’s exuberant main riff. From the wailing solos to its working-class lyrical content and spacey sound-effects, this song is a great introduction to the band, especially in the sense that it showcases the genuineness that permeates throughout “The Golden Grass”. Many groups only imitate the sounds they were inspired by originally, but The Golden Grass manage to channel the upbeat, carefree sounds of 60s/70s electrified Blues while sounding no less up-to-date in the process. Michael Rafalowich’s guitar playing is spot-on, reaching a great balance between technicality and musicality. In addition to his solid vocal performance, Adam Kinrey’s enthusiastic drumming is also noteworthy, maintaining a solid rhythmic foundation while also using the instrument to add to the energy and vibe of each song. “Stuck On A Mountain” is, to me, an even better realization of the band’s musical vision. Relaxing, infectious, and soulful just a few of the words that can be used to describe this sprawling, nearly-seven-minute long track, one of catchiest songs here. Lead single “One More Time,” with its confident, swagger-filled riffing and slower pace, is another winner, rocking with plenty of attitude before ceding to the bluesy behemoth that is “Wheels.” This song, like “Stuck On A Mountain,” is the complete package as far as key Golden Grass elements go, though its sheer length makes it just a bit harder to digest. Still, it is yet another inspired performance, replete with memorable lyrics, riffs and melodies and a great overall feel to it, mixing in psychedelic sounds and acoustic passages to great effect while never sounding pretentious. “The Golden Grass” is a breath of fresh air in this highly commercialized, post-Nirvana musical landscape we exist in today. The music itself is heavy, but the mood is much less so, and the group’s authentic, entertaining brand of feel-good Blues Rock will appeal to lovers of almost all kinds of rock music as well as old-school heavy metal fans.  From: http://www.metal-temple.com/site/catalogues/entry/reviews/cd_3/t_2/the-golden-grass-the.htm

Queen - Live At The Rainbow 1974

Part 1

Part 2

#Queen #Freddie Mercury #Brian May #Roger Taylor #hard rock #glam rock #progressive rock #heavy metal #classic rock #1970s #live music video

Truly great stage presence is a rare gift for any band. Sure, some acts can get away with just standing around and playing their hits, but a really amazing concert experience requires that little extra something -- that indefinable spark of charisma and electric personality. That ability to reach out into the crowd and command an audience, fully connecting with every single fan no matter how large the venue is. Led by the unique musical charms of Freddie Mercury, Queen had that singular talent, turning every one of their performances into something special, and 'Live at the Rainbow '74' is no different. Featuring the band after the release of their first three albums, the show captures the group at the cusp of super stardom, revealing their early penchant for kinetic showmanship.
Filmed over two nights at the Rainbow Theater in North London in November 1974, the concert spotlights the band during their "Sheer Heart Attack Tour." The lineup consists of Brian May on lead guitar, John Deacon on bass, Roger Taylor on drums, and Freddie Mercury as the lead vocalist and pianist. Primarily made up of tracks from the group's first three albums, the songs carry a distinct mixture of styles, blending hard rock and progressive rock sensibilities with a more melodic and occasionally even operatic quality. With that said, these earlier records don't quite carry the same pop friendly stadium rock style that the band's later anthem hits ("We Will Rock You," "We Are the Champions") would become famous for.
After a brief intro following the band into the Rainbow Room, we quickly segue straight into the show. Opening with a rousing rendition of "Now I'm Here," we start in darkness only to have the lights kick on and off during key beats before finally bathing the stage in a warm glow as the band really kicks it into high gear. From there, we're treated to an energetic and varied view of the show, complete with close-ups, wide-shots, zooms, and frequent dissolves. Likewise, the lighting design keeps things interesting, washing the screen in moody oranges, greens, and blues, nicely complementing the tempos of each song. And what would a rock show be without smoke? Well, I'm not sure, but fret not! We get plenty of atmospheric fog.
Of course, Freddie Mercury is not one to be up-staged by mere lights and camera angles, and the legendary front-man commands the spotlight. First decked out in all white and then sporting a black ensemble complete with diamond claws (apparently a gift from the devil himself), the only thing louder than the singer's costume choices, is his voice. And wow, what a voice it is. With incredible range and seemingly effortless poise, Mercury carries us through the set-list without skipping a beat, infusing each note with deep emotion and charm. Likewise, the musician will playfully address the audience in between tracks to introduce new songs, maintaining a fun and intimate rapport with his fans. The rest of the band also get their moments to shine keeping things from becoming a one-man show, and we're treated to some fantastic drum and guitar solos as well.
Highlights include spirited performances of "Killer Queen" and "Keep Yourself Alive," and the band's climactic take on "In the Lap of the Gods… Revisited" is simply riveting. Really, there are no missteps throughout the entire production and each song is fully realized. Together, Mercury, May, Taylor, and Deacon create a truly engaging concert experience, using a little bit of rock star flash to enhance but not overpower their music. Instead, everything flows together perfectly, and each band member is firing on all cylinders, bringing the group's unique sound to life with a dynamic spark.  From: https://bluray.highdefdigest.com/12753/queenliveattherainbow74.html

 

Mother's Finest - Truth'll Set You Free

 #Mother's Finest #funk rock #hard rock #R&B #funk metal #soul #1970s

Lemmy named his band Bastard before he decided on Motörhead. Lars Ulrich thought Thunderfuck was the way to go, before taking the name of his friend’s fanzine titled Metallica. And as Joyce ‘Baby Jean’ Kennedy recalls, the greatest of all funk rock bands once considered calling themselves The Motherfuckers. “We wanted to say that,” she says, laughing, “but we couldn’t have gotten away with it. So we just took the ‘MF’ and became Mother’s Finest.”
With a multi-racial line-up and a sound described as ‘Sly And The Family Stone-meets-Led Zeppelin’ – a combustible mix of soul power and hard-rock muscle – Mother’s Finest emerged in the early 70s as a band on a mission. As Kennedy puts it: “We wanted to make music that anybody could enjoy. We wanted to entertain and to be provocative, to give people food for thought. It was soulful, spiritual rock’n’roll, sexy and heavy with guitar. We were encompassing all of those things.”
There were multi-racial groups and black rock stars before them – Sly And The Family Stone and Jimi Hendrix being the most significant. But “our band was predominately black”, Kennedy says. In the definitive Mother’s Finest line-up, fronted by Kennedy and her husband Glenn ‘Doc’ Murdock, and featuring Jerry ‘Wyzard’ Seay on bass and Mike Keck on keyboards, the white members were drummer Barry ‘B.B. Queen’ Borden and guitarist Gary Moore, whose nickname ‘Moses Mo’, would distinguish him from the Irish guitar hero. It was with this line-up that the band made their reputation as a fearsome live act, and reached a creative peak between ’76 and ’77 with two albums produced by Tom Werman, who was then working with Ted Nugent and Cheap Trick.
But for Mother’s Finest the big breakthrough never came. Which, Kennedy says, was a mystery to Werman. “Tom always wondered why this was one band he produced where it never happened on a huge level.” She says that from the band’s perspective, with a mixture of pride and fatalism: “We had all the things that would make it work, but for some reason the spheres didn’t see it that way.” As she looks back on the glory days of a band she still leads, alongside Doc and Moses Mo – a band whose influence has carried over the decades in the music of Prince, Living Colour, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lenny Kravitz, Dan Reed Network and more – she accepts that what made Mother’s Finest unique was also what made them a hard sell in what was a less enlightened era. “The band was multi-racial, and that was rare,” she says. “Especially doing rock music with two people of colour out front. It was a beautiful thing. But back then nobody really knew how to make it work within the bureaucracy of the music industry. I just think that this band was a little bit before its time.”  From: https://www.loudersound.com/features/mothers-finest-we-were-paving-the-way-for-things-to-happen-in-music-but-we-didnt-know-it

Mother's Finest is a funk rock band founded in Atlanta, Georgia by the singer couple Joyce Kennedy and Glenn Murdock in the early seventies. Mother's Finest was one of the "first real rock bands with both black and white members". Their music was a blend of funky rhythm, heavy guitars and expressive rock singing. Their debut album Mother's Finest from 1976 today is a rare collector's piece and contains the ironic song "Niggizz Can't Sang Rock & Roll" (they were criticized for it by an important reverend and had to suspend it from their live concerts). In 1978 they were guests on the German broadcast "Rockpalast" and with one concert (recently reedited in Europe as the DVD Mother's Finest - At Rockpalast) they gathered cult status in Europe which lasts until today. In the late seventies they produced more soul-oriented albums and at the beginning of the eighties some heavy rock on the album “Iron Age”. In the nineties they were back with "Black radio won't play this record", a funk metal album, and their last CD was "Meta-funk'n-physical" from 2004 which is more hip hop and electronic beats oriented.  From: https://www.last.fm/music/Mother%27s+Finest/+wiki

The Dirty Soul Revival - Can't Hurt Me Anymore

 #The Dirty Soul Revival #blues rock #hard rock #Southern rock #heavy blues rock #funk rock

Abraham Anderson, a.k.a. “Abraham Drinkin’,” tried writing songs since he was 20 years old and first picked up an acoustic guitar, but he could never seem to force the words out the way he wanted. Almost three years ago, they came tumbling out on their own, the frontman for The Dirty Soul Revival told The Daily Times this week. “I think I was trying too hard to write in this vein or that vein, but I was driving home from work one day about 2 and a half years ago, and this song just popped in my head, and it just kind of wrote itself,” he said. “It was about my wife, and ever since then, I don’t really try. Sometimes I’ll come up with an idea for a phrase I like if I’m listening to Charlie Patton or really old blues, and because I played banjo up until a few years ago and listened to a lot of old bluegrass, sometimes some ideas come out of that. I love old country, too — Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash — and the Allman Brothers, which is one of my favorite bands ever, so there’s a lot of variety. A lot of it is raunchy blues-rock, but there’s some funk, some country and some straight-up rock ‘n’ roll in there, too.”
Born and raised in Cushing, Oklahoma, Anderson started out playing banjo. He didn’t set out to pursue a career in music, but he wanted to play more bluegrass, and he wanted to get out of Oklahoma, which he describes as “ungodly hot in the summer,” and some friends suggested North Carolina. He headed east, destined for Raleigh, but when he stopped in Asheville, the temperature was a comfortable 70 degrees. “I just kind of fell in love with it; it’s beautiful, and I said, ‘I’m moving here,’” he said. “I’d never been east of Nashville, but I’ve always been fascinated by music from the South in general.”
That was in 2009; his wife, Jennifer “Trixie Laroux” Anderson, came with him, and with her on drums and him on guitar and growling and howling into the microphone, they began to shape what would become The Dirty Soul Revival into a musical force of nature. Imagine if one member of The Black Keys grew up out back of a rough-hewn juke joint back in the Mississippi pines and the other learned to play stomping barefoot on Smoky Mountain barn floors, and you’ll get an idea of what the band sounds like. It’s a successful romantic and musical partnership, Anderson said, that’s helped the two out-of-towners survive and thrive in the bustling Asheville scene.
“We first started dating about 15 years ago, and when I first met her, she was 14 and absolutely infatuated with the Beatles and Zeppelin and all this great rock from the ’60s and ’70s, and I wasn’t listening to anything like that,” he said. “She’s been into good music her whole life, and that really helps me a lot. It’s hard for me to say what kind of music I like, but I think the common denominator I find in everything I love is, for lack of a better term, soul. Not necessarily soul music, even though I love Otis Redding, but people singing something they believe in — something that’s more than just a song or a radio hit. It’s a part of them, and I just try to do the same thing. I sing and play what I feel, and hopefully some of that gets through. It’s just dirty and honest, and even though I may not technically be the best singer, if you get out there and belt it hard enough like you mean it, people will respond to it.”  From: https://www.thedailytimes.com/entertainment/up-and-coming-asheville-rockers-dirty-soul-revival-set-to-open-for-shooter-jennings/article_a91b755d-bab0-5e4d-b4bf-7282a8ba2213.html

Mouth - Parade

 #Mouth #progressive rock #psychedelic rock #krautrock #hard rock #retro-1970s #German

Mouth were formed in Cologne in 2000 as a trio, comprised of Christian Koller (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Jan Wendeler (bass, bass synth) and Nick Mavridis (drums, backing vocals, keyboards). The band's style is a blend of 'golden era' progressive rock - with influential names such as Yes, Genesis, Gentle Giant, Soft Machine, Hatfield & The North - as well as classic rock/hard rock and prog related names old and new: Led Zeppelin, The Who, David Bowie, T. Rex and Fish. Indeed, this is often cited as a mixture of retro prog, krautrock, hard rock, psych and glam rock - all together it fuses into a unique spleen, often underlined with dystopian themes.
In 2007 they were offered to record an album, and their debut 'Rhizome', released for Bluenoise label, saw the light of the day two years later. Nearly at the same time Nick Mavridis left the band and was substituted by Thomas Ahlers until Mavridis re-entered the crew in 2010. Jan Wendler left in 2012 and Gerald Kirsch joined as the new bass player in 2013. During the next years the band recorded a lot of songs, with the result being the albums 'Vortex' (2016) and 'Floating' (2018), both highly acclaimed productions showing way more kraut and psychedelic rock attitude. After the death of Gerald Kirsch in 2018 the band went on a short hiatus, then announced Thomas Johnen as a new member in March 2019. Their live comeback was at the Krach Am Bach Festival. Containing new and previously unreleased material, a further EP is planned for late Summer 2019.  From: https://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=5194

Wucan - King Korea

 #Wucan #hard rock #folk rock #psychedelic rock #doom metal #stoner rock #progressive metal #retro-1970s #German #music video

Wucan - Retro Rock with Romanticism and Women’s Power

eclipsed is a music magazine based in Aschaffenburg and has been on the German market since 2000. It is aimed at friends of sophisticated rock music who want to go on a new acoustic voyage of discovery month after month.

eclipsed: Tell me the origin of the band.

Francis Tobolsky: Well, I started the band with an ad when I moved to Dresden four years ago to study. In my old hometown Chemnitz I didn't see the chance to find like-minded people. My claim was to make classic blues rock by Free and Rory Gallagher. First of all our drummer Axel Pätzold reported himself on the ad and peu à peu they all came together. About Tim George on guitar and finally Patrick Dröge on bass.

eclipsed: And how did you find your way to this special sound, a mix of classic hard & blues rock with Tull's flute, Krautrock influences and modern retro rock à la Blues Pills?

Tobolsky: Yeah, then the songwriting started. Somehow it came all by itself that we drove this, I say, old-school sound. I think that this is also connected with the fact that none of us really listens to new, current music. Many productions are simply too polished to a high gloss for us, especially in the metal area, of course also in pop/rock. Somehow we didn't like it.

eclipsed: Where'd you learn to play the flute so well? It really reminds you of Ian Anderson.

Tobolsky: (laughs) Funny you should say that. Just a few days ago a metal music magazine said that this was the biggest insult to the majesty I would do on the flute. Jethro Tull wasn't an influence at all, but as a thirteen year old I enjoyed two years of classical flute lessons. Later I concentrated more on the guitar. But then I thought to myself that I could also bring the flute into the band.

eclipsed: Where does your band name come from?

Tobolsky: We were really desperate to find a band name. And Tim sent me an unspectacular music link. This was the music video of the song "Wucan" by psychedelic rocker Black Mountain, which in Chinese means "lunch" in addition to the name for a Chinese city (laughs). We decided that together as a band.

eclipsed: How did you approach your first album?

Tobolsky: So on our first release, an EP, we weren't really happy with the sound. This time we wanted to make it clear from the outset that this was not supposed to sound so modern, but ... yes, "mustier". Also adapted to our music style. We also recorded live and took a little more time to experiment, for example with the Moog synthesizer and the theremin I play.

eclipsed: So how did the long track "Wandersmann" come about, which is out of the ordinary in German? This reminds me of romantic poetry as it used to be with "Leiermann" from Franz Schubert's "Winterreise".

Tobolsky: You, exactly. I used to want to study literature. I was always such a cultural epoch freak, and my absolute favorite time was romanticism and especially the so-called black romanticism. Maybe that had some influence, too.

eclipsed: "Sow The Wind sounds a lot like early seventies. Would you have wanted to live back then?

Tobolsky: (laughs) That's a difficult thing. Somehow you're used to all the comforts of the 21st century. At least then I would have experienced this spirit of the time first hand. So I can only have this told to me by people like my grandparents, who already lived then, or people who were active in student movements.

eclipsed: Young people nowadays tend to hear the charts, hip hop and electro more often. How do you get your obviously so rich musical knowledge about older music at all? Where does this love come from?

Tobolsky: Well, I've asked myself that question many times before. I've been interested in music since I was a kid. I was often with my grandparents, and here in Saxony they had an oldie radio station on the air, from the sixties to the eighties. I must have preferred a certain sound and song structure. When I finally had my own internet access when I was fourteen or fifteen (laughs), I could surf around and was constantly looking for music. You can always get links to other bands and songs on YouTube, which you then like, and you can keep on hanging around like that.

eclipsed: It's nice that the Internet also provides such positive things. What are your musical role models?

Tobolsky: Besides Blues Rock there are many old Krautrock bands like Novalis, Hoelderlin and Birth Control, but also East German bands like Renft and Karat.

eclipsed: How do you see the current retro-rock scene with bands like Siena Root, in whose opening program you will play in the coming months, or especially the Blues Pills, with which you will probably be compared now, simply because there is such an energetic front woman on stage.

Tobolsky: Hm, difficult question ... I almost think that some people in the press are already annoyed about it. But every retro rock band sounds different to me anyway. In Metal, for example, many of the bands sound much more similar. No, it's full of musical diversity, it can be more like blues rock or heavy metal or it can be psychedelic. Yes, or even garage rock of the late sixties, there are so many different ways of playing that you can't even say, so this retro rock, that annoys me. This all sounds so fresh and different. I just think that certain bands are promoted in a very strong way and that can get on people's nerves. I can imagine that, especially what comes from the big labels.

From: https://www.eclipsed.de/en/current-issue/underground/wucan-retro-rock-romanticism-and-womens-power

Patti Smith - Dancing Barefoot

 #Patti Smith #art punk #proto-punk #art rock #hard rock #new wave #alternative rock #singer-songwriter #1970s

Jeanne Hebuterne was married to a famous artist in the early 1900s. They had a child together, and she was pregnant with another. In 1920, her husband died, from either drug addiction, illness (or both). Two days later, Jeanne threw herself off a building, killing herself and her unborn child, leaving their first child orphaned. In ‘Dancing Barefoot’ Patti Smith looks at this shocking story of love, loss and grief, probably through the lens of her own relationships. She grabs the cliche "Oh God, I fell for you" with both hands, and twists it into a grotesque meditation on love and death. That last line is repeated over and over while Smith recites some cryptic poetry, probably representing the last thoughts in Jeanne's mind before she died.  From: https://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3530822107858544768/

"I had the concept to write a lyric line that would have several levels - the love of one human being for another and the love of ones creator," Patti Smith wrote on her website. "So in a sense, the song addresses both physical and spiritual love."
The lyrics didn't come with the album, but a blurb on the sleeve read, "Dedicated to the rites of the heroine," which was the only way to know for sure that Smith wasn't singing the homophone "heroin." Smith says she was asked to change the word to avoid confusion and make the song more marketable, but she refused. This certainly stymied the song commercially, but Smith wasn't going to compromise her art.
Jim Morrison of The Doors was an influence on this song. "I always imagined Jim Morrison singing it, which resulted in me singing and recording it in a lower vocal register," Smith wrote. "I wanted the verse to have a masculine appeal and the chorus to have a feminine one." At the end of the song, Smith recites some of her poetry ("The plot of our life sweats in the dark like a face..."), which is something Morrison innovated on Doors songs like "Peace Frog" and "The WASP (Texas Radio and The Big Beat)." In some live versions, Smith would start the song with this spoken intro:
    We shut our eyes, we stretch out our arms
    And whirl on a pane of glass
    An affixation
    A fix on anything
    The line of life, the limb of tree
    The hands of he
    The promise that she
    Is blessed among women
"Dancing Barefoot" is one of Smith's most popular songs, and one of her favorites, performed at most of her concerts. It was never a hit, but neither were any of her songs with the exception of the Bruce Springsteen-written "Because The Night." Considering her acclaim it's surprising how few albums she sold and how rarely she made the charts. A song like "Dancing Barefoot" certainly could have become a hit if she had made some concessions and did the standard promotion, but that wasn't her M.O. Fans, journalists, and other musicians (like Springsteen) did what they could to spread the word, but mass appeal eluded her, which seemed to be for the best. Even decades later, many listeners are pleasantly surprised to discover her music and peel back the layers of her lyrics.
On the album notes, the song is dedicated to "Jeanne Hebuterne, mistress of Amedeo Modigliani." Modigliani was an Italian painter who died from tuberculosis in 1920. The next day, Hebuterne joined him in death by jumping out of a window.
"Dancing Barefoot" is the theme song to the 2023 miniseries Daisy Jones & The Six, about a fictional band from the '70s. The series uses a lot of original music, but producers felt "Dancing Barefoot" encapsulated the story better than anything they could write. The main character, Daisy (played by Elvis Presley's granddaughter Riley Keough), makes a spiritual connection with music that eventually leads her to the band.
From: https://www.songfacts.com/facts/patti-smith/dancing-barefoot

The Tea Party - The Bazaar

 #The Tea Party #hard rock #progressive rock #experimental rock #blues rock #industrial #Middle Eastern #Moroccan roll #Canadian

The Tea Party is a Canadian rock band from Windsor, Ontario, with blues, progressive rock and Middle Eastern influences who formed in 1990 and disbanded in October 2005. They reformed in 2011 to play some shows in Canada. They have released seven albums commercially during their time together. Guitarist and vocalist Jeff Martin, who has perfect pitch, was also producer for almost all of their albums. All three members played a range of instruments and they took up to 37 on tour with them at times in their career.  From: https://www.concertarchives.org/bands/the-tea-party

The Tea Party is a versatile and long-running Canadian rock band with a towering stage presence and a dynamic sound that combines blues, industrial rock, and psych-blasted progressive rock with Middle Eastern influences. Emerging in 1990 and led by charismatic frontman and guitarist Jeff Martin, the group released seven albums before they ceased operations in 2005. After reuniting for a series of shows in 2011, the Tea Party announced that they were officially re-forming, resulting in the release of 2014's acclaimed The Ocean at the End. The band continued to ply their esoteric wares into the next decade, releasing Blood Moon Rising in 2021.
The band formed in 1990 around the talents of Jeff Martin (guitars, vocals), Stuart Chatwood (bass, vocals), and Jeff Burrows (drums, percussion), all of whom had played in various groups together during their teenage years in Windsor. Adopting their moniker from the legendary hash sessions of Beat generation poets Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, and William Burroughs, the Tea Party released their eponymous debut album in 1991. Steeped in the dark, psych-blasted blues-rock of the Doors and Led Zeppelin and produced by Martin, who would go on to helm all of the group's future albums, the self-released record caught the attention of EMI, which quickly added the trio to their roster. 1993's Splendor Solis marked their debut for the major label, and the LP found favor both at home and in Australia. The group further honed their unique blend of hard rock, mystical open-tunings, sitar, and Middle Eastern rhythms on 1995's Edges of Twilight. Continuing to absorb influences, the trio adopted a darker, more industrial tone on 1997's Transmission, which maintained the dervish-like esthetic of prior outings while introducing sequencers, samples, and loops. The Tea Party continued to straddle the nexus of alternative hard rock and orchestral worldbeat on 1999's Triptych.  From: https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-tea-party-mn0000565815/biography

The Who - Rael

 #The Who #Pete Townshend #Roger Daltrey #hard rock #heavy blues rock #psychedelic rock #art pop #classic rock #1960s #1970s

Rael was Pete Townshend’s first rock opera. A lot of the themes in it were apparently recycled into Tommy and Lifehouse based on musical evidence. The story was set in 1999, where China was the world power. They were conquering lands and destroying the religious cultures in their conquest. China was overthrowing Israel and an Israeli hero travels back to his homeland on a mission against all odds to save his people. There isn't much more information than that as Pete hasn't release many notes or demos from the opera.
According to the book “Who Are You: The life of Pete Townshend” it was intended to be done with a full orchestra written as a genuine opera starring Arthur Brown in the lead. There were to be 20 scenes. We have a prelude song that's easily found on the internet called Motherland Feeling. Rael part 1 has the scene of him leaving on the boat, a storm scene (which is the sparks part) and the scene of him arriving. We also know there was an organ Fugue which may be the organ part of the demo. There is also a lyric floating around for a song called Party Piece from Rael where we learn that the hero’s wife had died years earlier and was buried in the homeland.
Following a visit to Caesarea, Israel in 1966 with his first wife, Karen Astley, and the subsequent outbreak of the Six-Day War, Townshend began work on Rael, a song cycle loosely based on Israel’s struggle to survive despite being massively outnumbered by its enemies. Rael — short for Israel — got sidetracked, partly due to the demands of the Who’s record company for faster delivery of more hit singles, and Rael was consigned to the shelf. The only song that has surfaced from that project is called Rael and appears on the late 1967 album, The Who Sell Out.
In recent years, Townshend’s thoughts have once again turned back toward the concerns he expressed in Rael. As he told an interviewer for Rolling Stone in 2006: Last week, I was reading about this book that’s just come out. It’s about the Polish Jews who got out of concentration camps and went back to their homes, which had been taken over by Christians who assumed the Jews weren’t coming back. What happened was another wave of anti-Semitism in which dozens were slaughtered by Christians in Warsaw. The premise for it was that there was witchcraft going on. The Jews, of course, drank the blood of children. Been there, done that. Fucking hell. And I asked myself, ‘Why am I so heated up about this fucking story?’ But it’s because, as a kid, my best friend, Mick Leiber, was a Jew. We grew up in a community that was about a third Polish. We lived in a house that divided in two, and in the top part lived a Jewish family who were quite devout. Polish Jews were the kids I played with. They were my people. I remember saying to my mother, ‘Aren’t Polish people from Poland?’ And she said, ‘Yes, they were Britain’s first ally in the war.’ I’d say, ‘But they’re not like foreigners. They’re just like we are.’ And she said, “Yes, they’re just like we are.”
From: https://www.reddit.com/r/TheWho/comments/slb4mo/can_somebody_explain_rael/ 

Led Zeppelin - Poor Tom

 #Led Zeppelin #Jimmy Page #Robert Plant #hard rock #blues rock #folk rock #heavy metal #folk metal #heavy blues rock #1970s #music video

Led Zeppelin’s Poor Tom was composed in 1970 by vocalist Robert Plant and guitarist Jimmy Page when they were staying at Bron-Yr-Aur, a small cottage in Wales, and was recorded at Olympic Studios on 6 May 1970. The song was left off the album Led Zeppelin III but was eventually included on the band's album Coda, released in 1982 two years after the death of drummer John Bonham, having been produced by Page at his newly-acquired Sol Studios. Although the lyrics can be difficult to decipher, the song appears to be about a hard working labourer on the Mississippi River named Tom who does away with his unfaithful wife Ellie May. Tom may also be psychic, as the lines 'Poor Tom, seventh son/Always knew what was goin' on' can be interpreted as a reference to the folk belief that seventh sons of seventh sons were clairvoyant. The title may have come from Charles Kingsley's The Water Babies. In the story, a poor chimneysweep called Tom falls into a bedroom owned by Miss Ellie, who is dying. Tom is accused of being a thief and subsequently drowns in a river after being pursued. This song seems to be a variation on the theme of Robert Wilkins' That's No Way To Get Along, recorded in 1929, which was covered by The Rolling Stones for their 1968 Beggar's Banquet album, under the title Prodigal Son. The music for Zep's Poor Tom also bears resemblance to a track recorded in the 1960's called She Likes It, by Owen Hand, who was allegedly a friend of Bert Jansch's.  From: https://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Poor_Tom

Here's a tale of Tom
Who worked the railroads long
His wife would cook his meal
As he would change the wheel

Poor Tom, seventh son,
Always knew what's goin' on
Ain't a thing that you can hide from Tom
There ain't nothing that you can hide from Tom

Worked for thirty years
Sharing hopes and fears
Dreamin' of the day
He could turn and say

Poor Tom, work's done,
Been lazin' out in the noonday sun
Ain't a thing that you can hide from Tom
Ain't a thing that you can hide from Tom

His wife was Annie Mae
With any man a game she'd play
When Tom was out of town
She couldn't keep her dress down

Poor Tom, seventh son,
Always knew what's goin' on
Ain't a thing that you can hide from Tom
Ain't a thing that you can hide from Tom

And so it was one day
People got to Annie Mae
Tom stood, a gun in his hand
And stopped her runnin' around

Poor Tom, seventh son,
Gotta die for what you've done
All those years of work are thrown away
To ease your mind is that all you can say?
But what about that grandson on your knee?
Them railroad songs, Tom would sing to me

The Neptune Power Federation - Watch Our Masters Bleed

 #The Neptune Power Federation #hard rock #stoner rock #occult rock #stoner metal #Australian #music video

Like all great threats to decency, the church of The Neptune Power Federation was born far from the tired gaze of the masses. Operating out of dive bars and biker clubhouses, playing to troubled souls with dirty hair and crude intentions, their high volume psychedelic gospel spreads like a glorious subterranean infection.  From: https://theneptunepowerfederation.bandcamp.com/community

10 Megatons of neanderthal rock fuelled by satan and space hallucinogens. Without doubt the Neptune Power Federation are the best live band playing in Sydney at the moment. A band comprised of musicians with the hard won skill earned through a lifetime of rocking deals out a feast for both the ears and eyes. Riffs that we all thought were forbidden are wielded with joy and crunching power whilst the Imperial Priestess Screaming Loz Sutch aka The Rat Queen presides above it all; mocking the heavens, defying hell and laying waste to any mere mortals foolish enough to stand in her path.  From: https://www.bandsintown.com/a/2387664-the-neptune-power-federation
 
I have always loved storytelling. As a child I rapidly ran out of interesting books to devour in the library, and nowadays I get my fill with online free-form role playing. This extends to music as well; a cool concept can really elevate an otherwise unremarkable album. What a good story needs first and foremost is interesting characters though, and The Neptune Power Federation get that. Their vocalist, Imperial Priestess Screaming Loz Sutch, assumes the mantle of a time-travelling space witch for their fourth album, Memoirs of a Rat Queen. 70s space rock that mixes Heart with Hawkwind and AC/DC, a sexy vengeful bombshell on the mic, and a story scattered from the French revolution to boning in a parking lot; what could possibly go wrong here?
I guess we won’t find out, because not much does. That largely comes down to the Imperial Priestess. Like an Oscar-worthy actress, she completely falls into the role. Her character is straight out of a Neil Gaiman novel, a demi-goddess of lust and wrath, of regal rage and justified arrogance, and you believe her every syllable whether she sneers about the deaths of her enemies (“Rat Queen”: ‘Their last words as they fell / were damn that bitch to hell!’) or seduces a mere mortal with her eons of experience (“I’ll Make a Man Out of You,” not even close to a Disney cover!). It certainly helps that her technical skills are off the charts. Her voice is razor-sharp. Some might consider her too shrill, but she conveys supreme passion and power, and with a few momentary exceptions, she is always in complete control of her vocal chords and her role alike.
All that would go nowhere without solid songwriting, and boy, are there some fucking jams on this platter. “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” is both incredibly seductive and a fantastic fist-pumper, reminiscent of the very best glam ever had to offer. “Rat Queen” has more hooks than an angling store and more girl power than a female bodybuilder competition, while single “Watch Our Masters Bleed” goes from reflective reverence to rousing revolution. Every track has a different vibe, thanks to the distinct hooks as well as selective use of classic instrumentation, like the cowbell in “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” and the Hammond organ blasting throughout “Pagan Inclinations.” Traces of soul are plentiful, thanks to the frequent female choir piping in, giving a gospel atmosphere to the electrifying boogie space rock anthems.  From: https://www.angrymetalguy.com/the-neptune-power-federation-memoirs-of-a-rat-queen-review/

 

Emerson, Lake & Palmer - The Endless Enigma

 #Emerson, Lake & Palmer #Kieth Emerson #Greg Lake #Carl Palmer #progressive rock #symphonic prog #art rock #hard rock #jazz rock #blues rock #electronic #modern classical #1970s 

The first thing you'll ever learn about Emerson, Lake & Palmer is that they were the first 'supergroup' of the progosphere. The second thing is that they made their living on hyper-fast semi-classical excursions on anything equipped with ivories, preferably connected to sci-fi modulators (courtesy of Keith Emerson), hyper-fast machine gun drumming on anything equipped with a skin (courtesy of Carl Palmer) and suspiciously mellow folk balladry about anything equipped with a vagina (courtesy of Greg Lake). Every now and then though, they got together around lengthy pieces aspiring to one-up just about any modern classical composer in existence and in the process came up with some of the finest prog epics known to man. You see, this is one band where prog initiation is all but obligatory for anyone to have a decent chance to get into them, and I don't really think that anyone with much more humble taste would have that much need for Lake's ballads alone. Not that they are bad or anything, quite the opposite, but we'll get to that in due time.
Anyhoo, they got together as a result of Keith Emerson's, freshly out of The Nice, ambition to expand the boundaries of three-piece bands in 1970. He teamed up with bass player/guitarist/singer Greg Lake, who was right in the midst of recording "In the wake of Poseidon" with King Crimson but decided ELP was a better shot, and drum ace Carl Palmer who was to be found in Atomic Rooster (which you by the way really should check out; Art metal began here) as well as being an Arthur Brown graduate. And I'm gonna take the opportunity to debunk a widespread myth here; Hendrix was not considered as a fourth member (which would have yielded the abbreviation "HELP") since Emerson was keen on preserving the trio format from the very beginning, and I've got at least one fairly recent in-depth interview with Carl Palmer in a magazine to back it up. From the very beginning they pulled out all the stops on their live performances with Emerson straddling his Hammond organ the same way that Hendrix straddled his guitar, making it scream and moan with feedback and all kinds of unholy noises, occasionally crowning it all with daggers between the keys. Trust me, you gotta see it if you haven't already! What he should be revered for though, is his classically tinged finger-flashing over the whole thing. He could pull out just about anything from his sleeve, from rag-time barroom piano to Bach fugues at the speed of light. Of course, he had already made a name for himself in The Nice, but it was in ELP that he rose to the sky really. And don't forget his toying with all those Moog synthesizers which he actually helped develop with Bob Moog himself at the time.
Obviously, Emerson was the center of attention, but do not forget that he was backed up by one of the finest rhythm sections in prog as well. Carl Palmer may not be the fastest drummer in the world, but he sure is the fastest drummer I know of that simultaneously could swing and deliver something more than just robotic noise. After all, he took his inspiration from such giants as Buddy Rich, didn't he? And then Greg Lake, a great bass player in his own rights who on occasion had to switch to guitar to fill in the gaps, and on top of that crowned the songs with one of the best voices in rock; bombastic but yet humane and delicate. Listen to what he does on tracks like "The great gates of Kiev" and compare it with "The sage" or "Living sin". Talk about versatility! And he was also responsible for the more melodic and accessible elements of ELP's output and all of their albums sport at least one stripped-down acoustic ballad courtesy of him.
So there, the scene is set. Now what? Full frontal prog that managed to write itself into the history books as one of the most bloated, self-indulgent, excessive and pretentious acts of the whole movement. That's what the critics will tell you whether they like it or not, but that's not the whole picture. They were never strangers to silly little send-ups (or the aforementioned acoustic stuff) either, to spice up the flow on their albums and those who claim that progsters took themselves much too seriously have obviously missed out on songs like "Benny the bouncer". Of course, none of the occasional detours would overshadow their main schtick which was the grandiose epics and Emerson's lengthy keyboard excesses. But that's alright with me, because they are among the greatest epics and keyboard excesses ever captured on magnetic tape. I just don't want you to forget they were much more multi-faceted than they normally get credit for.
From: https://www.musicbanter.com/album-reviews/54650-endless-enigma-emerson-lake-palmer-reviewed.html#ixzz7vud1uMYp

The Creepshow - The Devil's Son

 #The Creepshow #psychobilly #horror punk #hard rock #punk revival #indie rock #music video

Formed in the dirty back alleys and dive bars of Toronto, Ontario in 2005, The Creepshow has redefined the saying "No Rest For The Wicked". Since their inception, the band has brought their genre-defying blend of country-tinged, psycho punk rock n' roll to over 25 countries worldwide with plans to conquer many more as soon as possible. Fronted by the vivacious Kenda (guitar/vox) and backed by the swarthy Sean "Sick Boy" McNab (stand-up bass/vox), The Reverend McGinty (sermons/organ/vox) and the righteous Sandro (skins), The Creepshow is an explosion of live energy that is a tasty treat for the ears and eyes alike... Whatever you do though, don't write The Creepshow off as just another psychobilly band. While their lyrics draw inspiration from b-movies and early horror films, they're also full of personal insight and personal stories dealing with everything from addiction to mental health to tales of love gone horribly wrong. The Creepshow's passion for touring is borderline obsessive-compulsive. They have an incredibly personal dedication to their fans and their live show that is nothing short of astounding. Watching their set is a full frontal assault on all your senses and you definitely have to stay on your toes when you're at one of their shows. You never know when they might rush into the crowd for a scream-along with fans or launch their band mates across the stage from the neck of the stand up bass.  From: https://www.sailorsgraverecords.com/artist.php?id=thecreepshow

The Creepshow is a band from Burlington, Ontario, Canada. The band formed in 2005 when the four original members got together with the purpose of starting a psychobilly band. The Creepshow writes the majority of their songs about horror films. The band has its roots in the 905 music scene with most members having been in various garage bands before The Creepshow. McNab was the singer/guitarist for local legends Outspan and Jersey. McGinty was the songwriter and trombonist for 905 ska band two-face and played trombone in Outspan as well. Matt "Pomade" Gee splits his time between The Creepshow and punk band Rehab for Quitters for which he also plays drums. The Creepshow is known for their fast-paced songs filled with lots of backup vocals from McNab and McGinty and sing-alongs that the whole crowd can participate in. The band is also known for their live shows.  From: https://www.theaudiodb.com/artist/132835

Royal Thunder - Parsonz Curse

 #Royal Thunder #heavy metal #hard rock #progressive metal #stoner rock #heavy psych #stoner metal #heavy blues rock

Royal Thunder are a four-piece rock band based out of Atlanta, Georgia that seamlessly blend the elements of heavy classic rock, 90’s grunge, and forward-thinking progressive rock. Propelled by the powerfully emotional voice of frontwoman Mlny Parsonz, the guitar heroics of Josh Weaver, and the dynamic drums of Evan Diprima, Royal Thunder have been described by NPR as “a revved-up Southern hard-rock that howls like Led Zeppelin astride a psychedelic unicorn” and as “magnificently compelling rock music” by Decibel Magazine. Formed in 2004 by Weaver, his brother, and his best friend, the band went through several lineup changes over the years before settling on their current lineup, which also incorporated second guitarist Will Fiore as of 2015.
In 2007, Royal Thunder self-released their debut EP and started touring with Jesse Stuber on drums. By 2010, Relapse Records took notice and signed the band, beginning with an official re-release of their self-titled EP then later releasing their 2012 full-length debut, CVI. Stuber left the band after CVI was complete, replaced by drummer Lee Smith. The band toured with Lee Smith and Josh Coleman (who also joined during the making of CVI on second guitar) for a few US tours. CVI was widely praised by critics, including Rolling Stone’s David Fricke, who said that Weaver’s playing has “the meaty, base elements of early-Seventies British blues” and Metal Hammer Magazine, who stated, “through the powerhouse vocals of Mlny Parsonz and a refusal to keep their sound boxed, Royal Thunder look set to be the underground’s next big breakout stars”.  From: http://www.masqueradeatlanta.com/attraction/royal-thunder/

Upon a cursory listen and armed with a metalhead's perspective, this fresh-faced quartet comes across like a dialed-down version of Jucifer, with none of their brutality but a far greater emphasis on clear, bewitching feminine vocals. Repeated listens, however, yield far more satisfying fruit. As with so many of the newer female-fronted doomy, rocking, bluesy bands that keep popping up, Royal Thunder's biggest asset is their vocalist. Mlny Parsonz is a nontraditional blues-rock banshee of a woman, equal parts riot grrl and gospel diva. There's a rough-hewn, unpolished charm to her delivery and phrasing, and while her arsenal of sugary whispers, angelic coos, and fiery wail serve her well, it's really her willingness to let go, dig deep, and belt it the hell on out that is her greatest strength. She's fortunate to be backed by a solid instrumental section, most notably Josh Weaver's vintage riff-wrangling, Zeppelin-esque turns, and big, retro vibes. Drummer Lee Smith and bassist Josh Coleman mesh well to provide a rock-solid base for the band's two big musical personalities without fading into the background; Smith especially goes above and beyond, infusing what could be simple rock'n'roll songs with a nice dose of understated technicality.  From: https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/16781-cvi/

Halestorm - I Want You (She's So Heavy)

 #Halestorm #hard rock #heavy metal #alternative metal #post-grunge #Beatles cover

Lzzy Hale’s voice is immense. There is no other way to put it, she really does set the bar high and then vaults it with every performance. Halestorm are a fantastic live band, and great on record. They released their self-titled debut album around 18 months ago and it is well worth a look, however this review is about something more recent. After a live CD/DVD late last year, Halestorm have released ReAniMate: The Covers EP.  Six tracks which I can only assume are songs the band loved over the years, and surprisingly it’s six tracks which are very diverse and Halestorm make their own.
The final track on this EP is by The Beatles. Like other tracks here, it’s a lesser known cut by the band and it’s a very clever choice. Halestorm have taken Abbey Road’s ‘I Want You (She’s So Heavy)’ and, like the standard set by Motley Crue’s cover of ‘Helter Skelter’, they have very much made it their own. What the band have done here is show us just how ingenious The Beatles were; how ahead of their time and how cross-genre their songwriting was. This is a really strong, heavy and frankly ubiquitous rock song. Lzzy Hale’s vocal is shown off at it’s absolutely best here, reminiscent of the powerhouse live experience. The support from the band is stellar (as in fairness it is throughout the EP) and should make them proud. A future live-staple if ever there deserved to be one.  From: https://www.musicscramble.co.uk/2011/03/24/halestorm-reanimate-the-covers-ep-2011/ 

 Lyric writing was one of The Beatles' greatest strengths. John and Paul, especially, developed a knack for conveying a story that the average listener could easily relate to, many times within only a three minute framework. Witness “Yesterday” in which Paul simplistically expresses the immense heartbreak of abandonment, something almost everyone on the planet has experienced at one time or another. In “Help!,” John vividly relates the need for emotional support because of the uncertainty of life that we experience as we age. Even “I Am The Walrus” achieves greatness in its use of absurd wordplay purposely woven to confound listeners who look for deep meaning in their lyrics, these lyrics being sung convincingly as if there were indeed a mystery here to unravel when there really wasn't any.
Then, in 1969, John experiments with writing lyrics that convey deep emotion using hardly any words at all. Could this be done? In “I Want You (She's So Heavy),” a track that approaches eight minutes in length and is the longest song in the entire Beatles catalog (“Revolution 9” is nearly half a minute longer, but can arguably be viewed as more of a “sound collage” than an actual song), John tells a desperate story of his deep emotional feelings for his new love Yoko Ono using a total of only fifteen words!
To Rolling Stone magazine, John stated: “Simplicity is evident in 'She's So Heavy.' In fact a reviewer wrote: 'He seems to have lost his talent for lyrics; it's so simple and boring.' When it gets down to it, when you're drowning, you don't say, 'I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight to notice me drowning and come and help me,' you just scream! In 'She's So Heavy,' I just sang, 'I want you, I want you so bad, she's so heavy, I want you,' like that” He has even stated his wish to compose a “perfect song” using only one word, not unlike Yoko's published poem of 1964 which consisted of only one word: 'Water.'
From: http://www.beatlesebooks.com/i-want-you

The Rattles - The Witch

 #The Rattles #hard rock #psychedelic rock #progressive rock #krautrock #German #1970s

The Rattles are a German rock band formed in Hamburg in 1960. The band is most prominently known for their 1970 psychedelic hit single "The Witch." The Rattles performed in Hamburg, Germany at the same venues as The Beatles on several occasions in 1962. In 1968 they recorded their first version of "The Witch" with vocals by Henner Hoier. Their second version of "The Witch" in 1970, this time with vocals by Edna Béjarano (post-Hoier's departure), became their only international hit.
The line-up during this period was:
Edna Béjarano - vocals
Frank Mille - guitar
Zappo Lungen - bass
Herbert Bornhold - drums

I think I mention somewhere on this page that Rattles singer Edna Bejarano’s mother was Esther Bejarano, one of the last survivors of the Women's Orchestra of Auschwitz. There was a whole movie made about this women’s orchestra and their struggles to survive at the camp (actually, a 1980 CBS TV movie in the US) It was called “Playing For Time” and it starred Vanessa Redgrave. It is a beautiful story of pain and resilience. If you can find it on YouTube you should definitely check it out! The odd coincidence is that I saw that TV movie several times as a child with my mom. I definitely remember it! If Esther had not survived the Holocaust, we would not have Edna or (this incarnation of) the band.

From: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheRattlesEdnaBejarano/

Queen - Funny How Love Is

 #Queen #Freddie Mercury #Brian May #Roger Taylor #hard rock #glam rock #progressive rock #heavy metal #classic rock #1970s

Freddie Mercury’s attitude to writing about love changed over the years, from the optimism of “Funny How Love Is” (from their second album Queen II) to the mid-1980s, when he was writing edgy songs about love being dangerous and referring in interviews to his own love life as similar to a game of Russian roulette. “Funny How Love Is,” though, was a sunny, optimistic reflection on how love is omnipresent (“love is anywhere you’re bound to be”). It started out, in the first five takes, as a piano-led acoustic song, and evolved into a “wall of sound” track via Mercury’s friend and producer Robin Cable. “That album was when we first really got into production, and went completely over the top,” commented Taylor. “Funny How Love Is” was sung in demanding high-register vocals, which was the reason Mercury declined to sing the song in live shows. Although there are more famous Queen love songs, “Funny How Love Is” captures the innocence and optimism of the band at the start of their journey.  From: https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/queen-love-songs/

Humble Pie - Black Coffee

 #Humble Pie #Steve Marriott #blues rock #hard rock #British blues rock #boogie rock #1970s #The Old Grey Whistle Test #music video

In 1973, Humble Pie performed “Black Coffee” during a broadcast on the British TV program, The Old Grey Whistle Test. The cover was off the band’s double album, Eat It (released the same year). Frontman Steve Marriott, a vocal power-house, switched up the lyrics a bit, but the feeling of the song remained. It was alive, it was allegorical, and it was as hot as a fresh cup of morning brew. Guitarist Clem Clempson, was at Marriott’s side and kept spot-on rhythm.
Humble Pie was joined by another group that nearly out-shined the intense vocals of Marriott - and that’s almost impossible. Marriott had introduced the dynamic of adding a group within the group to provide a counter-weight to his spearheading vocals. The British singer had formed Humble Pie in the late 1960s, after fronting the Small Faces where he helped make mainstream the approach to rock singing that still resonates today. Marriott wanted to deepen the connection between rock and blues and often included soul singers instead of pop back up singers. For the “Black Coffee” performance he invited the extraordinarily talented Blackberries. The trio consisted of Venetta Fields (former Ikette), Clydie King (Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main Street), and Shirlie Matthews. The Blackberries were an almost permanent fixture in Humble Pie at that point and encapsulated the entire sound of the band’s vision.
The original “Black Coffee” song is about overcoming oppression. Marriott’s version is about his devotion to musical inspirations in the black community. He acknowledges his foreignness to the original Ike & Tina track but also delivers a vocal performance that establishes his understanding of the soul and blues genres. The Blackberries add to the blues testimony most certainly, and Marriott’s  version of “Black Coffee” was perfectly framed for the rock/blues crossover.
From: https://societyofrock.com/humble-pies-black-coffee-is-served-hot-in-this-1973-performance/

 
Humble Pie was a British rock music band from 1969-82, best known for it’s hard-rocking recordings and concert performances during their peak period on A&M records from 1970-1975. The band initially consisted in 1969 of Steve Marriott (formerly of Small Faces; lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Peter Frampton (from The Herd; lead guitar), Greg Ridley (from Spooky Tooth; bass) and Jerry Shirley (from The Apostolic Intervention; drums). The joining of all these fairly known players resulted in Humble Pie being considered a bit of a “supergroup”. Worried about great expectations, the group began working together in secret at Marriott's cottage in Moreton, Essex. Signed to Andrew Loog Oldham's Immediate Records, their debut single "Natural Born Boogie" was rushed out in 1969 and was a UK hit; it was quickly followed by the album As Safe As Yesterday Is, praised as a progressive album in the vein of Small Faces. Their second album Town and Country was also released in 1969 and featured a more acoustic sound. Humble Pie concerts at this time featured an acoustic set followed by an electric set, an approach that would become popular decades later. 1970 saw the financial collapse of Immediate, a switch to A&M Records, and a change in band management. The albums Humble Pie and Rock On, both released that year, alternated between progressive rock and boogie rock excess. A concert at the Fillmore East in NYC was captured on Perfomance: Rockin' The Fillmore (1971); it is considered one of the best live rock albums of its era, with Marriott, Frampton, and the rest of the group in fine form. The loud-quiet-loud epic "I Don't Need No Doctor" was an FM radio hit in the United States, propelling the album to the group's biggest commercial success yet.  From: https://www.last.fm/music/Humble+Pie/+wiki