Cranes - I Hope

British group Cranes are known for their haunting, otherworldly sound, distinguished by the curious, childlike vocals of singer Alison Shaw. Though their music resists easy categorization and has evolved over the course of the group's career, their work is well regarded by fans of dream pop, gothic rock, darkwave, and related genres. They formed in the mid-'80s and initially had an abstract, quasi-industrial sound, featuring heavy drum machine beats and harsh, noisy guitars. Their full-length debut, 1991's Wings of Joy, was a more polished refinement of their ethereal style, and their most commercially successful efforts, 1993's Loved and 1994's Forever, contained their most accessible, pop-informed material. Following the relatively straightforward alternative rock of 1997's Population Four, Cranes returned from a brief hiatus with an updated lineup and a slightly more electronic sound for a trio of albums beginning with 2001's Future Songs. The band resumed performing in 2023, and released several reissues and archival collections, including the 2024 box set Collected Works, Vol. 1 (1989-1997).
Cranes were founded by siblings Alison Shaw (vocals, bass, acoustic guitar) and Jim Shaw (guitar, bass, keyboards, drums) in Portsmouth, England in 1985; the two have remained the band's only consistent members. Heavily influenced by the Cure and Nick Cave as well as industrial acts like Foetus and the Young Gods, Cranes released their first demo cassette, mini-album Fuse, on Bite Back! in 1986. Self-Non-Self, another mini-album and the band's first vinyl release, appeared in 1989, at which point the band started gaining attention from famed DJ John Peel. They recorded two sessions for his radio show, and signed to the BMG-affiliated label Dedicated in 1990. By this point, the band's lineup had expanded to include multi-instrumentalist Mark Francombe and guitarist Matt Cope. Two EPs, Inescapable and Espero, were issued during the year, and the group appeared on the cover of Melody Maker. Wings of Joy, Cranes' full-length debut, arrived to positive reviews in 1991, and the group expanded their audience when they opened for the Cure on their world tour in 1992. Forever, the band's 1993 full-length, was their commercial breakthrough, in part due to the U.K. Top 30 success of the heartbreaking single "Jewel," which was given a transformative rework by the Cure's Robert Smith. Third album Loved followed in 1994, featuring another of the group's most memorable songs, "Shining Road," which also made the U.K. singles chart.
La Tragédie d'Oreste et Électre, an experimental work inspired by Jean-Paul Sartre's play Les Mouches, was released in a limited edition of 10,000 copies in 1996, though it was actually recorded during the same time period as Loved, and the two were initially intended to be issued together as a double album. Full-length Population Four, the band's only album with drummer Manu Ros, and EP Collection, Vol. 1 & 2 both appeared in 1997. However, Dedicated folded, and Cranes' lineup at the time disbanded. The Shaw siblings reformed Cranes in 2000, this time featuring guitarist/keyboardist Paul Smith, bassist Ben Baxter, and drummer Jon Callender. They launched their own Dadaphonic label, while issuing their music stateside on Instinct. Future Songs, which sounded thoroughly like Cranes but incorporated ambient and trip-hop influences, appeared in 2001, with the single "Submarine" including remixes by techno producers like Dietrich Schoenemann (Prototype 909) and Jack Dangers (Meat Beat Manifesto).  From: https://www.allmusic.com/artist/cranes-mn0000128141#biography

Jeff Buckley - Live in Chicago 1995

 Jeff Buckley - Live in Chicago 1995 - Part 1

 Jeff Buckley - Live in Chicago 1995 - Part 2

 

Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Jeff Buckley's untimely death gives this 108-minute live performance inevitable poignancy and power as a rare, complete document of his passionate writing and playing style. At the time of Buckley's ascendance in the mid-'90s, both his high-flying vocal attack and his edgy poetic sense struck older listeners as genetic markers from his father, folk-rock legend Tim Buckley. Yet Buckley pursued a much more electric, rock-ribbed style, nodding toward behemoths like Pearl Jam and even Led Zeppelin. This 1995 concert is a single, complete show from the tour that yielded the posthumous Mystery White Boy live album. It likewise impresses, both for Buckley's own songs and the bold cover choices included, here including songs associated with Nina Simone and the MC5 (a range that explains the emotional epics that Buckley favors). Visually, the unadorned lighting scheme casts an often harsh light on the pale, dark-haired frontman, but a generally solid performance is sonically captured with satisfying detail, and the 5.1 surround sound mix gives the DVD version an appropriate club ambience.  From: https://www.amazon.com/Jeff-Buckley-Live-Chicago/dp/0738900672

 

Skunk Anansie - Charlie Big Potato

British alternative quartet Skunk Anansie played what their lead singer, Skin, called clit-rock - an amalgam of heavy metal and Black feminist rage. Skin began singing in high school for a classmate's band after considering the offer for over a year. Six years after that band broke up, the members of Skunk Anansie (including bass player Cass, guitarist Ace, and drummer Robbie France, who was replaced by Mark Richardson in 1995) met one another by chance. Their name was taken from the West Indian folktales of Anansi the Spider-Man, with a slight change of spelling and "Skunk" added to make the name nastier.
The group played its first gig at London's Splash club in March 1994, subsequently taking six weeks to record its debut album, Paranoid and Sunburnt, at a "haunted house" outside the city. The band's first single, "Selling Jesus," was featured on the soundtrack of the film Strange Days; Stoosh followed in 1996, and three years later Skunk Anansie returned with Post Orgasmic Chill. They broke up in 2001, with Skin moving on to a solo career (releasing Fleshwounds in 2003 and Fake Chemical State in 2006). The group re-formed in early 2009, playing sold-out shows and recording three new tracks for a greatest-hits album, Smashes & Trashes. The reunion went so well that they decided to stick together and record a new album, Wonderlustre, released in the autumn of 2010, with the track "You Saved Me" used in Zack Snyder's 2011 movie Sucker Punch, along with their remix of Björk's "Army of Me."
Sadly, former drummer Robbie France passed away after his aorta ruptured in January 2011. The band released its fifth album, Black Traffic, in September 2012 and backed it with an extensive European tour. The first single from the album was "Sad, Sad, Sad." The group followed this up with the live album An Acoustic Skunk Anansie: Live in London, a recording of their performance at Cadogan Hall, London in April 2013, before their sixth studio effort, Anarchytecture, arrived in 2016. The following year, the band put out 25live@25 - a compilation album that traversed 25 years of live material.  From: https://www.allmusic.com/artist/skunk-anansie-mn0000019831#biography  

The Small Glories - Had I Paid

Winnipeg's the Small Glories are an acclaimed roots music duo featuring former Wailin' Jennys singer/guitarist Cara Luft and singer/guitarist J.D. Edwards, both of whom are exceptionally gifted instrumentalists in the folk, country, blues, and bluegrass genres. They initially gained attention touring in 2014 and gained wider buzz with their 2016 debut, Wondrous Traveler, which showcased their impressive dual-lead-guitar approach and rich vocal harmonies. The inception of the Small Glories began in 2012 when longtime acquaintances Luft and Edwards were paired for a show celebrating the 25th anniversary of Winnipeg's West End Cultural Centre. The performance was greeted with enthusiasm and sparked the notion of a future collaboration. Prior to joining forces, each musician had enjoyed a lauded career, with Luft having co-founded the Juno Award-winning trio the Wailin' Jennys and issuing her own highly regarded solo albums. Similarly, Edwards had distinguished himself playing in traditional bluegrass outfits and his own genre-bending blues, country, and R&B projects. Following their initial performance in 2012, their individual careers took precedence for a few more years until 2014, when Edwards joined Luft on tour. Again, the chemistry between them was undeniable and they quickly solidified their creative partnership. In 2016, the Small Glories issued their full-length debut, Wondrous Traveler. A sophomore album, Assiniboine & the Red, arrived in 2019 and included the single "Oh My Love."  From: https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-small-glories-mn0003488352#biography  

School Food Punishment - Loop, Share

Before breaking up in summer of 2012, School Food Punishment had proven itself to be one of Japan’s more consistent and forward-thinking rock outfits. Across three EPs and two albums, school food punishment espoused a unique electronic rock sound that had more in common sonically with avant-garde jazz than any kind of conventional rock music. This sonic direction can mostly be attributed to two of the band’s members: lead singer and guitarist Yumi Uchimura and keyboardist Masayuki Hasuo. Across all their projects, the group largely maintains a similar sonic palette and consistent lyrical themes of love, escapism and coping. And that’s not a bad thing: the group’s signature jazz-inflected electronic rock sound is one of the best genre-permutations this side of Kid A, proving to be a well of endless bounty for the group. Riff-rain follows their first two EPs, “school food is good food” and “air feel, color swim”. The latter EP spawned one of the band’s most successful singles, “you may crawl” and became how most of Japan learned of the band. So how do they follow such an immensely successful and well-regarded EP?
It’s immediately evident from the first song on Riff-rain, “Flow,” that the band has located its strengths and pulled them to the front. The song kicks off with the beautiful piano work of Masayuki Hasuo and puts extreme emphasis on the vocal work of lead singer Yumi Uchimura. The song itself is a midtempo piano-led ballad featuring some of the best vocal work from Uchimura up to this point. On the song, Uchimura likens the distance between her and the object of her affection to a body of water, and the five and six-beat meters in the song show just how indebted to jazz music the band really is. This song is followed by “Feedback,” another piano-led ballad that puts the spotlight on Uchimura’s transcendent vocals. In fact, this seems to be the approach of the entire EP, lending it a remarkable consistency that “air feel, color swim” in some ways lacked.
The synths on this EP are decidedly low-key, lending the tracks a sort of floating ambience that evokes a warm, summery feeling. Never are the tones icy or rigidly electronic, and this approach works perfectly in conjunction with the lyrics, which often address subjects of love and living. Standout lyrical tracks include “Egoist,” in which Uchimura laments the egotistical nature of a lying lover. The lyrics are poetic in their connections as she compares his narcissistic tendencies and her attempts to change him to yelling at a traffic light to change colors. The final track on the EP, “Over” ends using the same piano arpeggio that opens the album, creating a closed-loop of an experience that lends itself to multiple listens. It’s moments like these that populate the entire EP. From the soft electronics and beautiful instrumental work from the entire band (with noteworthy bass riffs on almost every song by Hideaki Yamasaki) to the stunning vocal melodies and masterful lyricism, school food punishment’s third EP is easily on par with their previous two, and indeed may be one of their best artistic endeavors.  From: https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/62478/School-Food-Punishment-Riff-Rain/

St. Paul & The Broken Bones - Convex

For all their efforts to expand their 8-piece band’s sound to include psychedelia and hip-hop rhythms, and as wide ranging as their lyrical pursuits have been – whether exploring Greek mythology, space travel and astronomical phenomenon, or sci-fi fantasy – St. Paul and The Broken Bones has always been a funky, R&B revue at heart. It’s been 9 years since their debut album, but nothing defines Paul Janeway and his comrades at their best better than that 2014 single, “Call Me,” with that phone number call out inspired by Wilson Pickett. Now on their fifth full-length release, St. Paul & Co. offer up their quietest, most intimate album yet, but on tracks like “City Federal Building,” “Sea Salt,” and “Wolf in Rabbit Clothes” you still hear that simmering funk and R&B underpinning that brought the band to the party.
Like most albums arriving after the global pandemic, Janeway has written his own quarantine love song, “Lonely Love Song,” sung over a gently played acoustic guitar. “Death ain’t what scares me,” he states, “it’s missing all that love that you give me,” before admitting there was some comfort in the world shutdown, “I wish we could be bored all the time.” But the singer with the remarkably high, tenor voice, has reported that the primary influence of the songs on Angels in Science Fiction, was learning about the birth of his daughter. In the album’s closing lullaby for “Marigold,” he expresses the separation anxiety that impacts many parents who travel to make a living: “I don’t want you to be alone, but I gotta go/I’ve got a show,” sung over a gently played piano with supportive strings. The 12-track album begins as it ends, a quietly sung ballad written to his future daughter, Janeway sings “I hope you get your mother’s eyes,” then seems to pray for angels to protect the child. The title track has a similar theme, as the former preacher Janeway confesses his questions about the presence of the divine, except that now, “I see (God) in your eyes,” and “Every prayer goes to you,” the gift of his daughter.
Musically, the entire project is delivered in more of an intimate, reflective mood. But here and there, the vibrant jazzy presence of Janeway’s Broken Bones bandmates rise to the surface. On the quieter song of praise for the “Magnolia Trees,” the band’s lush R&B soulfulness lifts the chorus up in tried-and-true fashion. And when the singer looks out on the world’s brokenness and “crumbling skyscrapers,” in “City Federal Building,” the rhythm section provides the sturdy drum beat and fine walking bassline that puts a skip in your step. Producer Matt Ross-Sprang and this able band take every opportunity to add a bit of sparkle and shine, with Browan Lollar on guitars, Al Gamble on keys, drummer Kevin Leon, bassist Jesse Phillips, and able horn section Allen Branstetter, Amari Ansari, and Chad Fisher adding what’s appropriate for the quieter, more gentle mood of this outing.
As a fan of St. Paul & the Broken Bones’ live show, I’m drawn to the songs that hint of the soulful, funky side of the band, a shout here and there in “Oporto-Madrid Blvd,” the hint of funk in “Sea Star,” the sultry bass line of “Wolf in Rabbit Clothes” that sends Janeway into the stratosphere of his falsetto with the jazzy piano pushing the tempo. But for all that, Angels In Science Fiction is designed to be a more reflective record, centered around Janeway’s meditation on the new life arising from the ashes represented in the birth of his daughter.  From: https://thefirenote.com/reviews/st-paul-the-broken-bones-angels-in-science-fiction-album-review/

Percival - A Tam Na Hore

Alan - Who are you and who answers questions?

K - I'm Katarzyna.

M -  and I'm Mikołąj. We're the band Percival and you probably know us because of our collaboration with CD Projekt RED in creating soundtrack for the Witcher 3 game.

K - We're not a typical band because we have many musical projects in one: we play a historical Slavic music as Percival, we play folk metal music as Percival Schuttenbach and we also have Wild Hunt Live shows where we present music known from the Witcher III game.

Alan - How many times were you playing in Czech republic?

K - A lot :) We live not so far from the CZR, so we visit it quite often.

M - This year we played at Blavicon - Witcher Festival in Tabor, we also gave one show in Prague as a part of our spring Percival tour. In the past we've participated in some historical festivals in Czech Republic, so yes, it's a lot.

K -  And soon we're going to play in Brno at Game Access Conference with Wild Hunt Liven project and we're really excited about that.

Alan - Where can we check you out?

M -  Please follow us on Facebook (Percival Schuttenbach), on Instagram (@percivalwhl,  @mikołajrybacki, @katarzyna_cello), we have also our website www.percival.pl and we also have our online shop where you can buy our CDs, T-shirts and more.

K -  Also please subscribe to our channel on YouTube - we release a new video almost every week: musical videos, Q&As and other stuff. We have our own show "Don't you shoot that!" where we show our musical lives and soon we're going to release the first episode of the third series. We know many people are looking forward to it.

Alan - When someone would have interest in your concerts in Czech Republic, where they can hit you out?

K -  As we mentioned before, very soon (May the 26th) we'll give a Wild Hunt Live show at a big event in Brno - Game Access. It'll be a treat for all Witcher's fans. The show is a combination of beautiful music, great lights, wonderful dance and acrobatic performances and video projections with the Witcher game fragments. It is definitely worth seeing.

M -  We definitely want to come to Czech Republic more often and we will. We have more and more fans here in your country.

Alan - What’s your last album, and what are you planing to do?

K -  We have a lot of exciting plans - concert tours, new shows, new albums with all our projects. We have many, many ideas and usually not enough time to make it all happen. But we're doing our best :)

M -  When it comes to our latest album, we released two of them this year: Slava III with Percival project - songs of West Slavs, the other one is "Dzikie Pola", the newest album of folk metal Percival Schuttenbach. Both are great :)  We put a lot of work into preparing them and we're really happy with the results. Now we're planning new albums, we don't have time to rest.

Alan - Where in Czech was the best city to play, and why?

K - So far we've played mostly in Brno and Praha and we must say that both are great. The audience always gives us a very warm welcome and it's a pure pleasure to play for them. So it would be really hard to say which one is better.

M -  We are always very happy to come and play for our fans in Czech Republic and  we can't wait to play Wild Hunt Live in Brno.

Alan - Do you have any favourite festival?

K -  You mean the festival we played at or just a festival in general? Also, a historical festival or a metal festival? Because they're totally different kinds of festivals and we used to play at both. There's so many great festivals, it's hard to distinguish only one.

M -  When it comes to historical festivals, the Festival of Slavs and Vikings in Wolin is probably one of our favourites, because, first of all, it's the biggest such festival in Poland, even in this part of Europe, so it's most impressive, but also because we go and play there every year, for almost 15 years now.

Alan - And in foreign countries? do you have any favourite festival or club?

K -  I don't think we have any favourite club in any foreign country yet. We haven't played enough shows abroad to have our favourite club.

M -  When we talk about festivals there's a few we'd love to play at, like Brutal Assault in Czech Republic, Wacken in Germany and the most crazy one, 70 000 tons of metal, the world's biggest heave metal cruise. That would be awesome to play there :)

Alan - Do you know any Czech musicians or bands?

K -  Yeah, sure, a few of them. My favourite band from Czech Republic is SSOGE (Silent Stream of Godless Elegy), they play really beautiful, very unique music. From time to time we meet at the same stage.

M -  The other such band we know and like is Cruadalach. We also know Helena Vondrackova i Karel Gott :D But also 123 minutes - we're not sure how to pronounce the name :) We were once at their concert a long time ago and we were really impressed.

Alan - Would you mind to cooperate with any Czech artist, and if yes with who?

M - Yes, why not. We don't have anyone specific in mind, but if there's an opportunity (and time!) we would be happy to do it. We're very open for any cooperations.

K -  In the past we already cooperated with Czech artists. On our "Svantevit" album our guests are Jan Vrobel, the ex-vocalist of Cruadalach and Pavel Zouhar, the ex-violinist from SSOGE. We also recorded some vocals for one of the Cruadalach albums.

Alan - You are a long time on the scene. Do you have any unfulfilled musician dream?

M -  Well, we're still working on it, we've been working on our musician dream for 20 years. Our main dream, our main goal is just to be able to live doing what we love - which is creating and playing music - and being able to do it without any limitations of any kind.

K -  I don't think there's an end to this journey. We must keep going and we'll probably never reach the point when we can say ok, that's it, we're here, we achieved everything we wanted, our mission is complete. We love that journey and the vision of constant progress but we also love what we've already achieved and what we have. We cooperate with great musicians, we give plenty of great shows, we keep growing, we have big plans for the future. We feel like all the best things are still ahead.

Alan - What 3 songs do people wanna hear on koncerts? and what is your opinion?

K -  It depends. We have three different musical projects and we play a different repetoir in each of them. There are some songs that people like the most, we're not always sure why they like these particular songs, but we don't argue with that and just play them on our shows and have fun.

M -  Some of our songs are popular because of the Witcher game, that's obvious. We play them on every show with every project - like Sargon (which is "Silver for monsters") or "Lazare ("Steel for humans").

Alan - What is your favourite 3 songs from you?

K -  Oh, this question is too difficult, definitely. We've been writing songs for 20 years and have plenty of them. I can't choose just 3 favourite songs, not even 10 favourite songs. It's impossible! I like plenty of them and it's a pleasure for me to play all of them.

M -  It is always nice to play the newest songs from the newest albums - they’re fresh and exciting and we can't get enough of them. But on the other hand, we sometimes reach for our older repertoire, for songs we haven't played for years and find them exciting too. We're sentimental about all our songs.

Alan - What do you wanna say to your fans in Czech Republic?

K - Thank you for your support, you're great! We love you Czech people and love playing for you! We hope we can play for you as often as it's possible!

M -  Yes, playing for you is a pure pleasure. See you in Brno :)

From: https://www.metalheartradio.com/en/articles/interview-with-percival-201

Spooky Tooth - Society's Child (Janis Ian cover)

"Society's Child" (originally titled "Baby I've Been Thinking") is a song about an interracial relationship written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Janis Ian in 1965. According to Janis Ian, Atlantic Records refused to release it although the company had financed the recording; the artist took it to Verve Records who agreed to release it. The song's lyrics concern an interracial romance – a still-taboo subject in mid-1960s America. Ian was 13 years of age when she was motivated to write and compose the song, and she completed it when she was 14. Released as "Society's Child (Baby I've Been Thinking)", the single charted high in many cities in the autumn of 1966 but did not hit big nationally until the summer of 1967.
The lyrics of the song center on the feelings of a young girl who witnesses the humiliation that her African American boyfriend receives from the girl's mother and the taunts that she herself endures not only from classmates but also from educators whose hypocrisy leads them to "laugh their smirking stares" while acting as "preachers of equality". It closes with her decision to end the relationship with the boyfriend because of her inability to deal with the social pressure. In her autobiography, Ian made this comment about the concluding line: "I didn’t want the breakup for their relationship to be just society’s fault. I wanted the girl to take some responsibility for it, too."
In 1964, Ian lived in East Orange, New Jersey. Her neighborhood was predominantly populated by African Americans and she was one of very few whites in her school. She said: I saw it from both ends. I was seeing it from the end of all the civil rights stuff on the television and radio, of white parents being incensed when their daughters would date black men, and I saw it around me when black parents were worried about their sons or daughters dating white girls or boys. I don't think I knew where I was going when I started it, but when I hit the second line, "face is clean and shining black as night", it was obvious where the song was going. I don't think I made a conscious decision to have the girl cop out in the end, it just seemed like that would be the logical thing at my age, because how can you buck school and society and your parents, and make yourself an outcast forever?
Songwriter and producer Shadow Morton signed Janis to a record contract and made the decision to issue "Society's Child" as her first release. Ian's original title for the song was "Baby, I've Been Thinking", but Morton changed it to "Society's Child". It was recorded using six studio musicians.  Leonard Bernstein's producer saw Janis perform "Society's Child" at The Gaslight and scheduled Ian to perform the song on Inside Pop: The Rock Revolution, an April 25, 1967 CBS television special about new pop music. After acknowledging the controversial nature of the subject, Bernstein praised the musical qualities of Janis Ian's "marvelous song": "Society's Child" contains many of the musical joys we've talked about, and some we haven't – like fascinating sounds, both natural and electronic, like a strange use of harpsichord, and that cool nasty electric organ. There are astonishing key changes, and even tempo changes; ambiguous cadences, unequal phrase lengths – the works! So it would seem that the kids of our pop generation have a lot to say. Later Janis Ian acknowledged the "incredible impact" that the program had on her career. Largely owing to Bernstein's efforts, Verve Records started promoting it in trade magazines and many radio stations picked it up. Some stations, such as Chicago's WLS, did not play the song, but rival station WCFL did, and there it peaked at #12 on 17 August and lasted twelve weeks on the playlist. Though several radio stations were slow to add the song to their playlists, this behavior extended the record's airplay life.  From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society%27s_Child

Je Suis Animal - Beginning of Time

With the end of the year quickly approaching I was trying to assemble a rough cut of my favorite albums for 2008 and when I looked through the stack of cd’s I realized that there were more than a couple that I somehow neglected to write about.  It’s probably laziness or just a simple lack of time.  I work slowly, and am in constant awe of how other people seem to be so prolific with their writing.  So in an effort to bring you up to speed - at least my speed - I’ve got a couple posts about albums I’ve been enjoying this year but neglected here on the Finest Kiss.
The first such album is Self-Taught Magic from a Book by Je Suis Animal which came out way back in February over in Norway on the Perfect Pop Label.  It then got released in Australia on Lost and Lonesome in June and will be released in the UK in December on Angular.  No word on a US release date, but all of those labels do mail order.  Je Suis Animal are mostly from Norway but sound like they’ve been hanging out with Broadcast circa The Noise Made By People or maybe they are Electrelane reincarnated.  They have a slight 60’s spy sound provided by the use of old synthesizers, mixed with a 60’s girl group feel not dissimilar with what Lichtenstein are doing.  What makes this album so engaging is the guitar sound that rattles, drones and engulfs you like Stereolab at their most Krautrock.  I’m not kidding about the Broadcast comparison.  It is uncanny - on songs like Fortune Map, Mystery of Marie Roget and Indifferent Boy the band ratchet up their haunting, evocative charm.  I’ve been listening to this record most of the year and my favorite songs have evolved, starting with the more straightforward krautrock like Indifferent Boy and Secret Place, but like all really good records, every song ends up being a favorite and you can’t pick just one.  From: https://finestkiss.wordpress.com/2008/11/15/catching-up-je-suis-animal/

Mooon - Rainbow Flowers

Mooon recently appeared unannounced on stage at café Altstadt with Hidden Charms. Shortly after, the three young blues rockers from Aarle-Rixtel played in Eindhoven again, to be precise in the Effenaar at Club 3voor12/Eindhoven. High time to talk to them extensively. We meet in Mooon’s regular rehearsal space with the telling name 'Repetitiecentrum deoefenruimte' in Helmond, where the Melissa Etheridge and Adele covers of the rehearsing neighbours can sometimes be heard clearly. This is where brothers Gijs and Tom de Jong work on their music with their cousin Timo van Lierop almost every Tuesday.

Was there no rehearsal space available in Aarle-Rixtel?

Gijs: "We certainly had that space, we have a great place at home where we played for a while. After some trouble with an angry neighbour, we eventually had to look for a new rehearsal space." Timo adds; “Too bad, because spontaneous rehearsals – after all, we are not only family but also neighbours – are no longer possible.” Tom: “It has ensured that we rehearse with more focus and with more results, that is the only positive aspect of this situation. We have become more serious here in Helmond, because we pay for this space. That gives a different feeling than jamming and hanging out at home. Maybe we will be grateful to our neighbour for that one day. One day.”

Mooon is still a very young band, but your examples are very old by now. How did you come into contact with this music?

Gijs: “During a renovation, we were often forced to be in another room of the house. There was a record player and a pile of old records there. That is how Tom and I started playing this music. We soon wanted to start making music ourselves. Timo – our cousin and neighbour – already listened to this music a lot, so a band was quickly formed.”

When can we expect an album or EP?

Gijs: “We are going to record a whole album at the end of February. We wrote a lot about this last year.” Tom: “We don’t know yet when we’re going to release the album. The plan is to record everything first and then approach labels.
Timo: “That way we can work completely independently. That way no one can interfere. Not that we’re going to do crazy things, the album will stay in the same atmosphere that people know from us. Blues, garage and nice spacey, everything is in there again. Just all the music that we like ourselves. From blues to elevator music. Only dubstep you’ll never hear from us.”
Gijs: “We’re all going to sing on the album, and there are more instruments to be heard. And maybe the Hammond from the jam session in Gemert will return.”

What are your main ambitions for 2016 besides recording, and hopefully releasing the album soon?

All three in unison: “Play!”
Tom: “We mainly want to play a lot. And preferably on our own. We don't come from the rock academy, and we don't know much about 'the world', we just want to be appreciated for our music. So far that's going pretty well; we don't go after performances too much, luckily we get enough cool opportunities and offers."
Timo: "We also want to participate in Popronde this year. Last year we did register, but we didn't make it through the selection. Probably also because we were way too lax. We didn't have any well-recorded music out then and no website. We're never that quick with that kind of thing. Now the EP is on Spotify and we finally have a website, so we have a much better chance."

Translated from: https://www.popei.nl/eng/blog/interview-met-mooon/79

Gipsy Kings - Sessions at West 54th 1997

The Gipsy Kings are largely responsible for bringing the joyful sounds of progressive pop-oriented flamenco to the world. The band started out in Arles, a village in southern France, during the '70s when brothers Nicolas and Andre Reyes, the sons of renowned flamenco artist Jose Reyes, teamed up with their cousins Jacques, Maurice, and Tonino Baliardo, whose father is Manitas de Plata. They originally called themselves Los Reyes and started out as a Gypsy band traveling about playing weddings, festivals, and in the streets. Because they lived so much like Gypsies, the band adopted the name the Gipsy Kings. Later, they were hired to add color to posh parties in St. Tropez. Popularity did not come to Los Reyes right away, and their first two albums attracted little notice. At this point the Gipsies played traditional -- albeit passionate -- flamenco music punctuated by Tonino's precise guitar playing and Nicolas' exceptional voice. Though they had devoted fans, they still had yet to gain wider recognition until 1986 when they hooked up with visionary producer Claude Martinez, who could see that the Kings had the makings of a world-class band.
Thanks to Martinez, the Kings began to relax a bit and take on a more contemporary edge, combining their traditional songs with sounds from the Middle East, Latin America, North Africa, a hint of rock, and their inimitable joy. It was, in a music industry filled with flamenco purists who resisted any kind of change, a very daring move, and many felt the Gipsy Kings would fall flat and disappear. But the naysayers were wrong. In 1987 they released "Djobi Djoba" and "Bamboleo" on an independent label and scored two smash hits in France. Their success led them to sign with Sony Music and release their eponymous debut album later that year. Again, they had tremendous sales in France, and then found their album was appearing on the Top Ten album charts in 12 European countries, including England, which is traditionally unreceptive to international music.
In the late '80s, the Gipsy Kings debuted in the U.S. at the New York New Music Seminar. This led them to sign to Sony in America. In 1989, they were invited to perform at the inaugural ball for George Bush, but they chose to return home to rest and be with their families. Later that year, they held an SRO concert at the Royal Albert Hall, where the Gipsy Kings hobnobbed with some of the world's biggest pop stars, including Elton John and Eric Clapton. To top off their great year, the Kings' debut album spent 40 weeks on the U.S. charts and went gold, becoming one of the few Spanish albums to do so. The Kings have had an active release schedule ever since, including the albums Mosaique (1989), Live! (1992), Love & Liberte (1994), Tierra Gitana (1996), Cantos de Amor (1998), Somos Gitanos (2001), and Roots (2004). After extended touring, a new studio album Pasajero appeared in 2007, followed later that year by Live in Los Angeles. The Gipsy Kings continued touring the globe almost incessantly before taking an extended break during which several greatest-hits and best-of compilations appeared. In September of 2013, the band celebrated its 25th anniversary with the release of Savor Flamenco.  From: https://www.allmusic.com/artist/gipsy-kings-mn0000555695#biography  

The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - The Golden Age

In an age where conformation culture is threatening individuality in the music industry, The Asteroids Galaxy Tour are a unique feat – a group who haves repeatedly rebelled against the norm. Since the band’s inception, not only have they released three studio albums but their songs have been featured in iPod and Heineken commercials, and hit USA TV shows including Gossip Girl, CSI Miami and Suits. Their current album, Bring us Together, was released to critical acclaim in September 2014. The band’s lead singer Mette Lindberg formed the band with fellow Danish musician Lars Iverson in 2007. They met through mutual friends, who introduced Mette to Lars, the latter of whom was looking for a singer for his band. “We kind of looked at each other and said OK – let’s try to give it all we got.” Similar to her stage persona, Lindberg is ebullient and effervescent and possesses the ability to be refreshingly candid. During her conversation with Schön! she discusses all things Asteroids Galaxy Tour, from the beginnings of the band, to their evolution and their future plans.
They have had a meteoric rise – space pun intentional – and went from recording at Iverson’s home studio, to partying on a private yacht with Katy Perry and Rihanna. So does it feel like fame happened overnight? Mette Lindberg disagrees. “It takes a lot of time and a lot of hard work to make things happen. And sometimes when you create a song you have to remember that it might be a long time before you hear it on the radio. Of course we got some attention from the beginning, as in within the first year, but it took two years before our first album was released, so to us it feels like a long time coming.” Their first big break came when they were contacted by the management team of Amy Winehouse to open for her whilst on tour in Copenhagen. It was their first stadium show and Lindberg remembers her moment on stage as “super fast and super slow at the same time”. Recommended to Katy Perry by a friend, the band also got to support the California girl on tour in Europe.
Lindberg still finds it strange when her music is played on TV and radio. “It’s a bit funny, you know”, she says of her listening to her music on CSI Miami or when she first saw the iPod Touch commercial in a pub in London. Her first thought was “What the hell - they are playing my music”, followed by bewilderment. Working in tandem as a duo certainly means she and Lars have gone beyond the stage of being merely colleagues. She clarifies, though, that like all friendships it has its ups and downs. “We toured a lot for the second album and at one point Lars and I got a bit annoyed at each other. We travelled so much together, we were always together and it felt like we did everything together…we lost that friendship and I think most bands can relate to that. It’s the big issue that splits up bands. We took a break after that, we wanted to think about whether we want to make more music together.” Time off and a DMCs meant they decided not only to renew their friendship but to start work on their third album.
Listening to Bring us Together, it is obvious that it has a very different sound and feel to Fruit and Out of Frequency. For this album Lindberg and Iverson “wanted to write about their longings and the lust for everything - their search for euphoria” combined with a “moment that will never end”. It is a much more personal record about “that everlasting emotion of love that will not diminish” and the need “to stay in that moment forever, to feel the loneliness and longing” which eventually ends in jubilation. Lindberg further explains that with their second album they “tried to create a retro ‘60s or ‘70s vibe, whereas Bring it Together focuses on getting a more present and more futuristic tone”. They have foregone the use of drums in this album entirely and instead the beats resemble more of an electro and club sound. The change in direction is in keeping with the bands ethos in that they “don’t want to be the kind of band that can be defined into an exact genre”.
Having just finished touring to promote their new album, Lindberg explains “there are too many highlights”, but if she had to pick she would say it was the pleasure of playing the album to a live audience. The ability of music to affect people in a sub dimensional level and to have that connection with the audience is “invaluable and priceless”. Her one take home piece of advice for up-and-coming musicians would be to “learn to say no [if offered something they don’t believe in] as it’s much easier to say yes”. Now that touring is over, will they be taking a break before recording again? “Well actually I’m on my way to the studio to meet Lars now - we are going to collaborate on a song but I’m afraid I can’t tell you what it is, though it’s going to be big and exciting I think.” Wait and watch this space, then. In the meantime, The Asteroids are well and truly on their way to conquering the universe.  From: https://schonmagazine.com/AsteroidsGalaxy/

UK - Caesars Palace Blues - Old Grey Whistle Test 1979

Having impressed the remaining prog audience and the most open-minded musical press of the late 70s, UK’s combined forces of symph prog and jazz rock stopped being allies and became mutually incompatible while the band was touring. It was clear then that the most unsatisfied parties - jazz purveyors Holdsworth and Bruford - had to leave, and so they did. That left Jobson and Wetton in charge of determining UK's direction, and that trend was focused on an ELP-ish bombastic symph prog with an incorporated powerful melodic aspect - ELP-ish albeit neither cloning nor ripping off. The trio was completed with the entry of drummer Terry Bozzio, who unfortunately couldn't afford to let his particular magic develop within the band's artistic confines, which had already been determined by Jobson and Wetton as more restrained, in order to wash off any remains of the jazzy grandeur that the estranged alumni had provided for the band's debut album. On the other hand, "Danger Money" turns out to be a more cohesive album indeed, and anyway, Bozzio can still manage to dispose of some room to display his own percussive skills now and then, appropriately bringing his peculiar sense of energy to the band's overall sound. IMHO, 'Caesar's Palace Blues' and 'Carrying No Cross' stand out as the album's most accomplished gems. The former is a hard rocking tour-de-force, featuring Jobson's most explosive electric violin performance ever: the powerful rhythm anchor provided by Wetton and Bozzio proves crucial in order to sustain an appropriate articulation for the incendiary, electrifying fire that keeps itself constantly burning at white-hot level. The latter is an amazing old-fashioned prog suite that dates back from the days of the "UK" album touring. Performed now by the power trio formation, it successfully conveys a solid variation of motifs and moods with robust fluidity. Both gems are showcases for the trio's ability to interplay masterfully. I find tracks 1-3 less impressive in comparison, but still they are great tracks. 'The Only Thing She Needs' is an up tempo piece that comprises some of the best drumming provided by Bozzio: the way he uses his kit as a vehicle for dialogue with Jobson's keyboard harmonies is awesome, and so are the successive violin and organ solos performed by the latter. Meanwhile, Wetton plays his bass lines as a bridge between his two partners. 'Rendezvous 6.02' is a melancholy ballad that conjures images of a lonely pub before the first light of dawn - the romantic atmosphere is delivered with absolute elegance and the complex rhythm patterns are structured with a deceitful air of simplicity. Actually, there's a bossa-nova vibe in it that makes it subtly complex in many passages. Oh, and those eerie synth adornments and ambiences during the interlude are simply delicious. The post-apocalytptic lyrics, which set a portrait of solitude among ghosts, adds to the music's ethereal sadness. The namesake opener is the least impressive to me - it certainly is powerful and catchy - that's undisputed - which makes it an effective opener, but in terms of compositional creativity it turns up to be less satisfactory than the other two aforementioned numbers. Now, let's talk about 'Nothing to Lose'. What can I say? It's a favourite prog guilty pleasure of mine. This prog-pop showcase contains a beautiful violin solo and a clever alternation of 3/4 and 4/4, which makes it quite dynamic; it also comprises an inventive series of keyboard orchestrations that makes the song rise above the 'intended single' status. But those silly lyrics and those corny backing harmonies. my God, how they ruin what could have been just a nice prog tune, taking it dangerously closer to ABBA-meets-Wings territory, instead. What was supposed to be a celebration of self-determination ends up a trivial sing-along about whatever. All in all, my specific objections regarding this particular song (which, as I stated before, I happen to enjoy) won't stop me from labeling "Danger Money" as an excellent album, a very valuable successor of the amazing debut.  From: https://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=1361  

Sneaker Pimps - 6 Underground

Most commonly associated with trip-hop, Sneaker Pimps might have had their path to the mainstream eased by the likes of Massive Attack, Tricky, and Portishead, but they have set themselves apart from those fellow British acts with a unique mix of pop, glam, and dark post-punk flowing through their sound. Together with first vocalist Kelli Ali, producers Liam Howe and Chris Corner -- the core of Sneaker Pimps -- achieved repeat U.K. Top 40 success highlighted by the number nine hit "6 Underground," the biggest hit off their gold-certified debut album, Becoming X (1996). Following a pair of Corner-fronted Sneaker Pimps LPs, Splinter (1999) and Bloodsport (2002), Howe and Corner moved on to a vast assortment of other studio work over the next two decades, but they resumed the group with the addition of Simonne Jones and have recorded the fourth Sneaker Pimps album, Squaring the Circle (2021). Howe and Corner began working as a production team under the names Line of Flight and F.R.I.S.K. In 1994, they formed Sneaker Pimps, named after Beastie Boys' term for a person drafted to obtain premium footwear. Based out of Hartlepool, Howe and Corner were joined by vocalist/songwriter Kelli Ali (known then as Kelli Dayton) with assistance from fellow writer Ian Pickering, drummer David Westlake, and bassist Joe Wilson. In early 1996, Sneaker Pimps debuted with "Tesko Suicide," followed months later by "Roll On." That August, they issued Becoming X, a full-length highlighted by its next two singles. "6 Underground," a deceptively mellow song incorporating a John Barry sample and boosted by a subsequent Nellee Hooper remix, peaked (after a second release) at number nine on the U.K. chart. "Spin Spin Sugar" crept and sneered its way to number 22. Becoming X, supported by major-label Virgin, reached number 27 on the U.K. album chart and was eventually certified gold. In the U.S., the LP landed just outside the upper half of the Billboard 200 and topped the Heatseekers chart for developing artists. Becoming Remixed, a limited-edition compilation with contributions from the likes of Paul Oakenfold, Armand Van Helden, and Roni Size, followed in 1998. Despite all the commercial success and the acceptance of top-tier club producers, Howe and Corner opted to go in another direction with their proper follow-up. Once they determined that new material they were writing with Pickering was best suited for Corner's voice, they dismissed Kelli Ali. As a consequence, second album Splinter, released independently in October 1999, featured a darker emotional edge that placed the group closer to the likes of Garbage, Placebo, and Death in Vegas. Lead single "Low Five" climbed to number 39 in the U.K. and carried the album to number 80. In January 2002, Howe and Corner returned with Bloodsport, a dramatic set with Bill Withers, Iggy Pop, Ultravox!, and Visage among the sampled artists. The LP, released on Tommy Boy, peaked Stateside at number 16 on Billboard's Top Electronic Albums chart. Ali, who had been featured on songs by Marc Almond and Satoshi Tomiie, among others, also released her first solo album in 2002. After a series of scrapped projects, Howe and Corner left Sneaker Pimps behind but kept busy as writers, producers, and all-around studio collaborators. The two were heard either separately or together on recordings by the Zip and Ultrafox (both of which also involved Joe Wilson), and Corner's solo endeavor IAMX. Howe was particularly active, aiding writing and/or recording sessions for artists such as Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Adele, Ellie Goulding, Marina and the Diamonds, and Foxes. Corner was also a regular IAMX contributor. Howe and Corner revived Sneaker Pimps in the mid-2010s. Vocalist, writer, and producer Simonne Jones joined them, and the trio put together Squaring the Circle, prepared for release in 2021.  From: https://www.iheart.com/artist/sneaker-pimps-117225/

Sam & Dave - Hold On I'm Comin'

“Hold On, I’m Comin’” was a bit of soulful reassurance from R&B vocal legends Sam & Dave. Off the debut LP from Sam Moore and Dave Prater, released in 1966 and also called Hold On, I’m Comin’, this song rose to #21. “Hold On” was released on the Memphis-based Stax label. Stax’s Al Bell told WGBH about what inspired Isaac Hayes and David Porter to write it: Porter “was going someplace one day with Isaac Hayes and as you came out of Studio A, going out the front of the theater to the right, there was a bathroom. Isaac had come out and was in the bathroom there, taking care of some private matters, and David was in a hurry to get out of the building. He kept hollering to Isaac, ‘Come on, come on, let’s go man, let’s go, let’s go, let’s go,’ and Isaac said, ‘Hold on, I’m coming.’”
While campaigning for the presidency in 2008, Barack Obama would play this song. Moore wrote him a letter, putting a stop to it: “I have not agreed to endorse you for the highest office in our land. I reserve my right to determine who I will support when and if I choose to do so. My vote is a very private matter between myself and the ballot box. My endorsement and support of a candidate, because I do carry some celebrity, makes it quite a different matter.” Moore told ClassicBands.com about where Sam & Dave were at when this song dropped. Geographically, that is: “By the time ‘Hold On, I’m Comin’’ came out, we were traveling all over the place. I had gotten this big band. Oh, my God, we stayed out on the road. I stayed so long I should be like Dr. Dre now. I should be a billionaire. We traveled a whole lot, man.”  From: https://genius.com/Sam-and-dave-hold-on-im-comin-lyrics

Eve's Plum - Jesus Loves You (Not As Much As I Do)

Eve's Plum were one of the many bands that came out in the '90's during the major-label alternative rock feeding frenzy but there was something more that separated them from the pack. They ended up getting lumped in with bands like Belly, K's Choice, L7, Veruca Salt, Letters to Cleo and others because they had a female singer. Colleen Fitzpatrick was best known to some as Amber Von Tussle from the original Hairspray. After that, she relocated to New York, met up with guitarist Michael Kotch, his drummer brother Benjamin and bassist Chris Giammalvo and together they formed Eve's Plum, a sly nod to Brady Bunch actress Eve Plumb. Colleen was a dynamic singer, one of the most interesting voices in that era of alt rock - very underrated indeed. After getting signed, the band released their first record, 1993's Envy which launched the hit single and the band's calling card "I Want It All." Michael Kotch also showed off his skills on the second single "Blue" which has one of the best riffs of the whole alt rock era.
While "I Want It All" was a hit, the album as a whole wasn't and sales were slow. The band parted with Giammalvo, off to join wanna-be's Madder Rose, and they replaced him with Theo Mack. They also contributed a song to the soundtrack of the film Higher Learning. After supplying a cover of the disco classic "If I Can't Have You" to a Rock for Choice benefit album, they began recording their second record with producer Fred Maher, who'd worked with everybody possible. The band underwent a bit of an evolution on this disc. When Cherry Alive was released in 1995, the music was heavier, the guitars a bit grungier and the band had a stylized look where they never had before. The first (and only) single, "Jesus Loves You (Not as Much as I Do)" is one of my favorites but the record landed with a thud and the band began seeing the writing on the wall. While touring for the record, the band began crumbling. Benjamin left and they carried on for a while with a replacement. During this time, they began recording songs for a potential third album, including a dynamic version of Duran Duran's "Save A Prayer," which became their last known released recording, appearing on an otherwise awful Duran tribute record in 1997.
After the band broke up, Michael Kotch hooked up with alt-rockers Ruth Ruth and played with them until they split in the early 2000's. Colleen, on the other hand, underwent a transformation and became a pop diva under the name Vitamin C. Releasing two records for Elektra in quick succession, she ended up having two more hits, "Smile" and "Graduation (Friends Forever)," which for anyone in my age range was a guaranteed tear jerker at graduation ceremonies. After Vitamin C ended, she worked behind the scenes, eventually landing a prestigious gig at Nickelodeon. While Eve's Plum have been gone for nearly twenty years, the music still lives in those who always enjoyed it and those who are just discovering it for the first time. In June 2016, I had the pleasure of interviewing Michael Kotch and I took the time to ask him some questions about the band.

PSF: When did you become interested in music?

Michael Kotch: As a kid always loved music, my parent had an old reel to reel that I would try to make work. I took piano lessons as a kid and then moved to the guitar. But I really didn't get totally into it until I was about 12 or 13, then I couldn't put the guitar down.

PSF: How did you meet Colleen and what led to the formation of Eve's Plum?

Kotch: I met Colleen at NYU, she was in my Shakespeare Survey II class. Then later, completely coincidentally, she answered an ad we put out in the Village Voice looking for a singer. That's the way we had to do things pre-internet, use newspapers.

PSF: How did you get signed to Epic and what was that like?

Kotch: We were playing out and writing and we recorded a few demos. A friend of Colleen's, Richard Reines who later started Drive-Thru Records shot a video for "I Want It All" and it got sent around and the next thing we knew labels were calling us. It was pretty incredible at the time for us, but looking back it's much more obvious that that was just a first step towards success.

PSF: Did you guys enjoy your success or was it more than you anticipated?

Kotch: Well that's interesting, from my point of view, we didn't quite hit that mark of "success." Yes we put out records, yes we toured, but we never quite broke through in the way we would have liked, for a variety of reasons.

PSF: What happened with the first bass player?

Kotch: We just had a mutual parting of ways after the first record, nothing major.

PSF: Was the cover of "Save A Prayer" one of the last things the band recorded?

Kotch: Hmm. It may have been, I'm not sure quite honestly! We recorded a bunch of songs in that session and then I remember we did some live recordings after that too.

PSF: What caused the breakup of the band?

Kotch: The second record didn't do as well as we'd hoped, and we received not-so-subtle hints from our label that they weren't going to support us with it shortly after it was released. So there was a morale issue for sure. Then my brother Ben the drummer decided he didn't want to stay with it and that pretty much killed the whole thing, though we did play a number of shows without him.

PSF: How did you come to join Ruth Ruth?

Kotch: I had become friendly with those guys while we were touring and Chris Kennedy called me up because he wanted to add a second guitar for touring, and then they just couldn't get rid of me! For a few years anyway.

PSF: How long have you and Colleen been together and what are you guys up to?

Kotch: Well, we met in the early '90's so more than 20 years!! We've been married for 11 years now. I compose music for TV commercials and Colleen is currently VP Music for Nickelodeon.

PSF: What is everyone else up to?

Kotch: Theo works at DTS the audio codec company and Ben is an Internet/Mobile Development Director

PSF: Any chance for a reunion in the future?

Kotch: Well we are all in the LA area, so if it's going to happen, now's the time!

PSF: What do you hope the band's legacy will be?

Kotch: I don't know, it was a particular time and place and when I listen now it brings me back to that time and those places. There were a lot of great bands and places to play, I hope people who hear the music can be transported and inspired, and maybe some kid out there can chop up one of the tracks and turn it into something incredible and new.

From: https://www.furious.com/perfect/evesplum.html

Instant Flight - Vanishing

The Summer of Love is only minutes ago, the Beatles are releasing another psychedelic album and Pink Floyd are jamming with Jefferson Airplane in Swinging London. A hint of grass and incense is wafting through the air, the sky is pink, the meadow is a delicate lilac and long-haired people in raffia robes are smiling as they walk towards the pale blue horizon. Oh, how pretty, these soft-focus memories of the time when everything was just love, peace, joy and pancakes. Instant Flight are the musical rebirth of all these things and feelings. On "Endless Journey" there are Beatles-esque harmonies, dreamy psychedelic sounds, beat-soaked rock'n'roll and also a bit of rhythmically complicated proto-prog. Very pretty and everything sounds like a lost album from the late 60s, well, maybe a bit too perfect in terms of sound, more garage sound would have been better so as not to spoil the authenticity. But what the heck, Instant Flight from London take the listener on a trip into the past and float on cloud nine. They are so lively, light-hearted and melodic that anyone who is somewhat receptive to it will probably enjoy following them, even if some of the melodies seem quite familiar or everything is a bit sweet. Nevertheless, there is still some good rock'n'roll and "Celebrate" and "Universe in a Verse" have that irresistible Beatles sound, including Sgt. Peppers trumpets, sweet! So you can certainly enjoy listening to Instant Flight, indulge a bit in hippie-like thoughts (which is good in these sober times).  Translated from: https://www.babyblaue-seiten.de/index.php?content=review&left=genre&albumId=9648&genre=28

Alunah - Strange Machine

Today on Sludgelord I am interviewing Soph Day from brilliant UK Doom/Psych/Stoner Metallers – Alunah – who have got quite the reputation for their intense blend of Doom/Stoner Metal Music mixed with Psych and Occult Rock through out their music. Alunah have just released their superb new album White Hoarhound which is receiving praise all over the place. This is a must have album which I reviewed very recently. Soph (Lead Vocalist and Guitarist) kindly agreed to talk to me.

Q1 – Hi Soph. Firstly, thanks for doing this and taking the time to talk to us at Sludgelord. We really appreciate it.

No worries! Thanks for the support – anyone who knows me will tell you I love to talk.

Q2 – For People not in the know – Can you tell them how the band came about, When you formed etc...

We started in 2006 by accident really. Dave (who's also my husband) used to play in a band called Sonic Lord and we always used to see this couple at their shows. During one of my drunken episodes I started chatting to them and kind of signed Dave up to have a jam with the guy who is now our drummer Jake. I went along with him, tried some vocals out and the band was born. Gaz replaced our previous bass player in 2009, and we met him from playing gigs with his other band General.

Q3 – How would yourselves describe your sound.

We used to call ourselves "psych, blues, doom" but you tend to get pigeon holed then and people turn up expecting a psychedelic band or a blues band. We have doom, blues, stoner, rock 'n' roll and psychedelic elements to our sound but when it comes down to it, we're just a straight up heavy rock band.

Q4 – Which bands influence you on your music.

We each have many different influences, and we don't always agree with each other's view of what makes a great band haha. Between us we're influenced by a broad spectrum of music including Alice in Chains, Acid King, Soundgarden, Goatsnake, 13th Floor Elevators, Sabbath, Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Pink Floyd, Bottom, Cream, Sleep... I could go on forever. For me personally, vocalists that inspire me include Janis Joplin, Lori S, Grace Slick, Tairrie B and Joni Mitchell.

Q5 – Is the band a full time project or do you have full time jobs to contend with.

Unfortunately we have full time jobs as well; without them we couldn't do the band but they also get in the way of doing the band - it's a vicious circle. Between us we work in marketing, electronics, design and printing, so some great skills for being in a band haha. I'm chuffed that Orange Goblin have recently announced that after 17 years they are finally giving their jobs up to go full time with the band, that's the dream right there!

Q6 – What is the song-writing process like in the band. Is it a whole band collective or individuals that write the music.

Generally the whole band write the songs. We each have our own sections but it usually starts with the riff which Dave usually comes up with - then we build the song around that. Melody and lyrics come last, and that's my job. Having Gaz (who is primarily a guitarist), in the band really helps as he's an awesome song writer and comes up with great riff and song ideas. For example, White Hoarhound was Gaz's riff and you can really tell the difference from Dave's more doomier and more bluesy riffs. It's cool to have that variety.

Q7 – You have received a whole load of great praise for your first two albums that most of  which took you by surprise. Are you happy with the response you have gotten so far.

So happy - like you say we did well from reviews for Call of Avernus, and have done so far for White Hoarhound. The second album is so important, especially when your debut was so well received, and I hope that people can see how Alunah have grown and even more importantly, like the album. To be honest, even if it was poorly received, we made it for ourselves and we're happy with it, anyone else enjoying it is a bonus. The most nervous we've been was when Mark at PsycheDOOMelic Records listened for the first time, he's the one investing in it and he loved it... phew!

Q8 – Can you tell us a bit more about White Hoarhound. What it's about as it's got a lot of creepy vibes going on.

I think there's a lot of melancholy on this album, probably a lot of it subconscious. This is the first time I've explained the idea behind the name and title track, the name was originally conceived in Llandudno in North Wales. Dave (our lead guitarist and my husband) and I were there on holiday and my Dad had recently been diagnosed with lung cancer.
We went up the Great Orme which is a huge, beautiful headland which I've been going to since I was in the womb! We were reading some info about the plants which were natural to the area. White Hoarhound (normally spelt White Horehound) was one of them and was used by the monks to treat coughs and general lung conditions. In my head there and then I wrote the song.
It seemed so apt to my current situation fueled by my interest in mother nature, and was just a great name. After chatting to the guys we decided that was the name of the album. That's the only personal song on the album, and perhaps the most emotional. The rest of the songs are about moments in English pagan history and just generally about witchcraft, sacrifice, myth and magic. I love reading about those subjects, I can escape into a different world and it helps explain things to me - I suppose, in a way, what other religions do to other people.

Q9 – Now your partner Dave is in the band. Is that a hard dynamic to contend with having your partner being in the same band as yourself. Does it cause any extra stress at times.

No its totally cool, no stress or dramas at all. Dave's my husband of almost a year and we've been together for 14 years. I love being in a band with him, when we're doing band stuff we're just band mates. He's my rock and best mate, he was the one to encourage me in the first place to have the confidence to be in a band. He gives me guidance on the best equipment to buy as he's a complete music geek, and indulges my interest in paganism and the occult (and pretends to look interested when I explain my lyrics).
As I said earlier, my Dad has been very poorly recently, and we've gone through a very tough time of late. I couldn't have got through it without Dave - as well as Jake and Gaz. Dave went through the same with his Dad when we recorded our Fall to Earth EP, and we were all there for each other then. Jake was our best man, his girlfriend Liv was one of my bridesmaids, Gaz and his girlfriend Michelle (and the lady who recently tattooed some Alunah artwork onto me) were also at the wedding. This is going to sound cheesy, but we're all extended family - we know when to be there for each other, and when to back off.

Q10 – What has been the reception like to your live gigs. Has it all been good responses. Any major live highlights so far.

We have a great response from most of our live shows, of course any band will tell you that there are amazing gigs and shit gigs, but generally we have a great time. Our early shows were a bit hit and miss but we were all trying to find our feet and a lot of people in the 'scene' didn't get what we were about. Our 3rd gig was supporting doom legends Trouble, and we were quite frankly shit! That didn't do much to raise our profile amongst fans, but the venue asked us back to support Paradise Lost so not too bad overall!
My personal highlights have been supporting Acid King and Fu Manchu as well as our numerous tours including my favourite with Italy's Doomraiser. That tour should have been Solace headlining but because of Visa issues they couldn't make it and Doomraiser stepped up from main support - such an awesome band! We've also played with Witchcraft, Karma 2 Burn, Graveyard, Nebula, Firebird, Orange Goblin... amongst many other awesome heavyweights! We've worked very hard and have had some amazing opportunities.

Q11 – Do you get many gigs in your home town, or do you have to travel around a lot.

Not so much our home town as between us we live in Solihull, Coventry and Brownhills, so the closest place to all of us is Birmingham. Bearing that in mind, we do play Birmingham a lot - especially our home away from home, Scruffy Murphys. We do also travel around a lot, but so far only in England. In 2013 we have plans to get out of England, and are currently planning for a couple of tours.

Q12 – When you started the band what were your original hopes and dreams for the band. And have they been met yet.

When we started we just wanted to make great music that we enjoyed, then as you develop you have fresh hopes and dreams such as playing with certain bands, getting a record deal, having an album in the shops etc. We've achieved the majority of what we originally set out to do, and have met so many amazing people along the way whilst doing it. The next step is to give up our day jobs and go on tour with Black Sabbath!

Q13 – Now I know Gaz is involved with the brilliant Sludge/Stoner Rock Band General. Are any other members involved with any other projects of any kind we should know about.

Yeah, General are awesome and that's how we met Gaz initially. Jake and I aren't involved with any other musical projects. Dave used to play guitar in Sonic Lord and bass in Godsize. Unfortunately, both bands have now split up but when Alunah started he was busy with all 3 bands.

Q14 – What are your favourite bands around at the moment. Do you listen to modern day rock/metal or do you just listen to the classic era of Stoner Rock/Hard Rock

I tend to mainly listen to classic bands and artists such as The Doors, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Joni Mitchell, Jeff Buckley and Led Zeppelin. I also love more modern bands such as Red Fang, Jucifer, The Black Keys, Blood Ceremony, Big Elf and Ghost. We're lucky to be part of a great scene in England which is busily bubbling away under the surface, getting ready to blow up and hopefully make a massive mark. We're lucky to have friends in awesome bands such as Gringo, General, Dead Existence, Trippy Wicked, Gurt, Grifter, Desert Storm, Burden of the Noose, Bastard of the Skies, Selfless, Berserkewitz, Sally and Undersmile! That's a very small list amongst some top bands, we're very lucky to play amongst these guys.

Q15 – What are the most and least rewarding aspects of participating with the band.

For me the most rewarding aspect is seeing people bang their heads at our live shows, and see them get into the music. It's also really lovely to meet new people all the time, especially those who we finally meet after chatting on the net. I'd say the least rewarding is that shitty moment at 4am when you've played a long sweaty gig, driven back for hours and unloaded the equipment, only to have 2 hours sleep before getting up for work. You've got to love being in a band to constantly put up with that.

Q16 – What is your view of bands and blogs giving away music for free. Lot of bands and people have different perspectives.

If the person who has paid for the recording and pressing, whether it be the band or the label, has agreed to the giveaway then why not. If it helps to get a band’s music out to a wider audience then fair play. However, when I don't always agree with free music is when someone else decides to leak the music. We had that with White Hoarhound when a press contact leaked the album to torrent sites, a month before the release date. Saying that however, it did actually help us out in the end, our website visits went through the roof and we had tons of pre-orders. The opposite could have happened though - we actually benefited from it. I have no issue with a band making the decision to give their own music away for free, it's another form of promotion and in this day and age it needs to be considered as part of the wider picture.

Q17 – I think it's great that female vocalists like yourself, Mlny (Royal Thunder), Hel and Taz (Undersmile), Stevie from Dark Castle and Sara from Bezoar are making a name for yourselves and bringing a fresh perspective to a male orientated genre. You must be proud of doing something different and unique.

Yeah I suppose so haha, I don't like to concentrate on the female vocal thing too much. We used to sell ourselves using the "female fronted doom" angle, but really there shouldn't be a separation of genders, we're just all making heavy music. I'd rather us be known for doing something different regarding how we put melodies and songs together, rather than the fact that I'm a woman. It is nice for people to recognise us for doing something different, but I'd rather it be down to all of our efforts rather than just my gender.

Q18 – What advice or words of wisdom would you give to upcoming bands and musicians who are about to start a Sludge/Doom/Stoner Rock Band.

Write music for yourself and don't listen to, or follow trends. If we listened to what people said about us in the early days, we wouldn't be here now. It's very satisfying to read comments or reviews from people now, who I know for a fact detested us 2 years ago. That's why I'm in love with Jucifer - you can't pigeonhole those guys, every song you listen to is different. They're doing what they want to do without giving a shit what's fashionable. Very few music fans like bands who try to do new things - it challenges them and if they don't instantly understand it they presume they hate it. If what you're doing is of a decent quality, these people will eventually get on board (not always, but sometimes), but until then, don't let their shitty comments ruin what is a truly awesome experience. You'll meet plenty of amazing people who are moved by the music you write.

Q19 – What are your views of blogs such as the Sludgelord reviewing your records, as opposed to mainstream music magazines? Has your music reached the mainstream mags, at home or around the world?

Awesome! I don't care which publication writes about Alunah - big or small, or even what they say, I'm just happy anyone takes the time and effort to write about us. I've told this story so many times but it's how I see things. The artist Salvador Dali never read his press, instead he weighed it regularly and if it got heavier, he knew more publications were writing about him - job done, happy Salvador! I now have the same outlook, I do read all of our press but I don't beat myself up anymore if it's shit.
We have had the likes of Terrorizer, Kerrang, Zero Tolerance, Rock Sound and Metal Hammer take notice which is cool. In fact, we were recently MSN Entertainments album of the week, and featured in Terrorizer's Doom issue where we were amongst Undersmile and Trippy Wicked as the "Future of Doom" which was very flattering. We're equally as happy with the more underground publications such as Sludgelord, Doomantia, Soggy Bog, The Obelisk, Metal Kaoz, Planet Mosh, Soda Shop, Ninehertz and Fast 'n' Bulbous write about us. Support is support and were very blessed to have recently received a lot of it.

From: http://thesludgelord.blogspot.com/2012/09/interview-with-soph-from-alunah.html