Weedpecker - No Heartbeat Collective

Weedpecker are a stoner/psychedelic quartet formed by the brothers Dobry in January 2012. This band draws from elements of dreamy psychedelic, dingy grunge and heavy stoner riffs. Along with fellow scene contemporaries such as Belzebong, Dopelord and Major Kong the band had gained traction through online circles and released four albums since their inception, all of which having attained positive reception. The band has also toured frequently through Europe, especially in the latter part of the decade.  From: https://riffipedia.fandom.com/wiki/Weedpecker 

Wilson Pickett - Ninety-Nine and a Half (Won't Do)

There are many sides to soul music. There is the pop-soul style of Motown, the sweet soul of Philadelphia, and the streetwise sound of New York City. But if you prefer a little more grit, a little more growl, a little more funk in your soul, then I have a record for you. This week’s featured record is a classic Wilson Pickett side from his golden era with Atlantic Records in the mid-late ’60s. I’ve wanted to feature Pickett, and this record in particular for quite some time and this seems like a good week to do it.
You know the story of the “Wicked” Wilson Pickett by now. You know that he first hit it with the Falcons, a group which also included the luminaries Eddie Floyd and Sir Mack Rice, and how they got some attention with “I Found A Love,” a song co-written by Pickett. It was a minor hit for the Falcons, but a bigger one when Pickett re-recorded it on his own some time later.
Soon Pickett went solo, and sent a demo of a song he had written to Jerry Wexler at Atlantic Records. Wexler gave “If You Need Me” to Atlantic artist Solomon Burke who had a big hit with it. Pickett was not happy that the song had been given away, but solo success was not far off for him. He was recording for Double L Records when “It’s Too Late” became a big R&B hit in 1963, so big in fact that it convinced Wexler to buy Pickett’s contract from Double L and sign him to Atlantic.
Pickett’s massive breakthrough came with his third single for Atlantic. “In the Midnight Hour,” recorded with the legendary Stax Records house band that included Steve Cropper, Duck Dunn, and Al Jackson (Booker T Jones didn’t play on any Pickett records), was released in 1965 and reached #1 on the R&B chart, and #21 on the pop chart. 
The hits kept coming. In the next couple of year they included “Don’t Fight It,” “634-5789,” and “Ninety-Nine and a Half (Won’t Do)”. The chugging “Ninety-Nine and Half (Won’t Do)” was, like many of his hits, co-written by Pickett. It wasn’t his biggest success, making it to #53 on the pop chart and #13 R&B, but it was just as soulful and insistent as any of Pickett’s hits of that era.  From: https://popdose.com/soul-serenade-wilson-pickett-ninety-nine-and-a-half-wont-do/ 

Queen - The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke

Freddie Mercury was inspired by Richard Dadd's painting The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke at the Tate Gallery in London. The fantasy-based lyrics make direct reference to characters and vignettes detailed in the painting and in Dadd's companion poem, Elimination of a Picture & its Subject—called The Feller's Master Stroke. Characters include Queen Mab, Waggoner Will, the Tatterdemalion, and others. The use of the word "quaere" in the twice-repeated line "What a quaere fellow" has no reference to Mercury's sexuality, according to Roger Taylor.
In some markets the album included a fold-out cover with a reproduction of the painting. Author Neil Gaiman wrote about the painting and the album on his blog: 
Reason tells me that I would have first encountered the painting itself, the enigmatically titled "Fairy Feller's Master Stroke," reproduced, pretty much full-sized, in the fold-out cover of a Queen album, at the age of fourteen or thereabouts, and it made no impression upon me at all. That's one of the odd things about it. You have to see it in the flesh, paint on canvas, the real thing, which hangs, mostly, when it isn't travelling, in the Pre-Raphaelite room of the Tate Gallery, out of place among the grand gold-framed Pre-Raphaelite beauties, all of them so much more huge and artful than the humble fairy court walking through the daisies, for it to become real. And when you see it several things will become apparent; some immediately, some eventually.
For the intricately arranged studio recording, Mercury played harpsichord as well as piano, and Roy Thomas Baker played the castanets. Taylor called this song Queen's "biggest stereo experiment", referring to the use of panning in the mix. The song was performed only a few times during the Queen II Tour, and there was thought to be no live recording of the song until 2014, when it was released on Live at the Rainbow '74.  From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_II#%22The_Fairy_Feller's_Master-Stroke%22 

Xenia Rubinos - Whirlwind

 

Throughout “Whirlwind”, the third song on Xenia Rubinos’ debut album Magic Trix, there’s a joyous vocal choppiness that darts between speakers like a figure in a stop-motion film. There’s the seesawing groan of a squeaky door, low, crunching keyboards, and a hectic, roiling drumbeat that Zach Hill wouldn't be ashamed of. When you listen closely, you realize there are words to Rubinos’ scrambled ululations: “When you get the feelin’ that you’re startin’ to wake up,” she trills, like an alarm. “Something I really wanted on this record, and in general, is exuberance,” the young Brooklyn-dwelling singer told Rookie recently. She's triumphed unambiguously: Magic Trix is a startling lightning bolt of a record.
There are four primary parts to Rubinos’ busy sound: her electric, smoky voice; overdriven keyboards, which often seem like electric guitar but aren't; the contributions of syncopation-happy drummer Marco Buccelli and funk-inclined bassist Adam Minkoff. Magic Trix recalls tUnE-yArDs, Battles, Camille, and the melodies of St. Vincent’s Marry Me remade with a Strange Mercy-era approach-- but true to the record’s title, Rubinos has a wizard's unique flair.
Rubinos is of Puerto Rican and Cuban origin, and sings in English and Spanish. (The Spanish-language songs here are either fantastical, punky jump-rope chants, or sweetly sad lullabies.) She has as much of a cool, incisive way with intimate as political matters: “Ultima” opens with a collage of beatboxed vocals, and is exhausting and soothing, like watching an extravagant display while lazing on a beach. She coolly recounts how, in Cuba, simple things like going to the bank are different enough to throw you for a moment. After an indignant, yelped chorus of “Oye, yo soy la ultima!” (“Hey, I’m the last one!” your cue to join the back of a line) she flips the sentiment back onto herself: “You know it really, really takes a long, long time/ To understand what’s going on around you/ To grow and change.”
Magic Trix deals with the fear that time will destroy the things you love, but it’s not so paralyzing that you’re unable to take advantage of the new wisdoms it brings, particularly concerning romance-- and Rubinos writes sexy, surrealist love songs. On “When You Come”, her keyboards take on a seductive, sleazy tone, and she describes her crush in deliciously weird terms: “He ties my heart in knots/ Just like Polish sausages.” Her odd, folkloric intentions (also: laying an egg into his mouth) stave off her impulses to look beyond the fantasy of the guy who "makes love to [her] like [he’s] seen something new" and folds her clothes afterwards, preferring “to keep pretending/ You are the sweet thing/ I made you out to be.”
Navigating the balance between all-out fantasy and dulling realism is another of Magic Trix's strong suits. (Rubinos channels Poly Styrene on "Pan Y Cafe", where she recasts the mice behind her refrigerator as Martian invaders.) On “Hair Receding”’s vibrant mathy bent, Rubinos laments the passing of time, writ in the wrinkles of a face she's starting to forget. The temperature drops on the ensuing “Cherry Tree”, where frenzied drums melt into blossoming keys, and she yells with frustration, knowing that her memory of this guy is already fading. By “Let’s Go Out”, the drums slump with dejection: She's given up trying to remember. After the tropical wilds that precede it, the synthetic, silvery keyboards here sound effectively bleak.
Although Rubinos’ heart is aching, she's not completely giving up on life in color; “I Like Being Alone” is a chirruping ode to solitude: “Because it means I don’t have to be something I’m not.../ Because it means I don’t have to consider you/ I can just be awful like I am/ I can be as lazy as I am.” It’s that comfort with her own ideas and company that makes Magic Trix so life-affirming, transcending its sound-a-likes to proudly show off a unique new pop personality. Rubinos' remarks on exuberance reminded me of something the similarly single-minded Natasha Khan said recently, about our culture emphasizing art that is "down, dark, and fucked up-- so when there's unabashed joy, that's embarrassing for people. It's too much, or it's not cool." If you're looking for a way out of those doldrums, then Magic Trix is the glitter in the dark.  From: https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/18119-xenia-rubinos-magic-trix/

Sons Of Zöku - Earth Chant (Acoustic)

Sons Of Zöku are a self-professed hybrid tribe of Portuguese-born Ricardo Da Silva and Ica Quintela, and Australian-born Jordan Buck, Oscar Ellery, Eddie Hannemann, and Hannah Yates. The band are known for their raw, world-influenced psychedelic sound, transcending the mainstream by blending elements of rock and folk with global music traditions, folding sitar and flute melodies into distinctive vocal hooks, rhythmic chanting, and upbeat, layered percussion. Selected as “Most Popular Experimental Artist” at the South Australian Music Awards for five years running, word spread of their live sonic offerings, leading to a spot performing at WOMADelaide 2023, and appearances at a slew of other festivals across Australia. I’m reliably informed their live shows are especially spell-binding, the ensemble experimentally blending any number of instruments across a psychedelic-rock canvas, showcasing a yin/yang of unexpected dynamic changes.  
With their second studio album Endless now released, Sons Of Zoku push further on the boundaries of dynamics and repetition, drawing listeners deeper into their cohesive yet kaleidoscopic sound. The result is a modern, manifolded experience that teems with the energy of change. According to frontman Ricardo, “The recording process was very simple, consisted with all of us stepping into our headquarters and devoting our craft into creating a soundscape that best represented each track. Individually we all came in and recorded our own layers of colours until we felt the song has opened a door to somewhere we had never been before.”
The album opens with a slightly disconcerting tribal chant intro, that morphs gently into the beautifully languid single Moonlight. The band somehow effortlessly capture the essence of a star-laden night, a laid-back warm wash of flute and semi-acoustic melody that is quite hypnotic. The pace picks up halfway through with a more esoteric multi-layered percussive rhythm driving the track. Vocals aside, I’m suddenly struck by a vision of mid-period Man in their more expansive live performances. This sextet are anything but loose, mind, it’s a carefully blended mixture of (okay) slightly hippy-ish sound that works so well! I’ve seen someone else use the phrase “a hypnotic haze of colourful kaleidoscopic sounds” and its bang on.
Earth Chant is the latest single off the album, it’s an exquisitely captured production, no easy feat considering the sheer number of instruments and vocals involved – it could have been so muddy and mangled, but fear not the sound is beautifully crisp. A fascinating blend of tribal and desert-like ‘nomadic’ rhythms and percussions forms the bedrock to this little treat, complemented by choral harmonies and an insidious ear-worm of a guitar line. Like so many others, this tracks strongly reminds me of the Kimonos.  From: https://www.velvetthunder.co.uk/sons-of-zoku-endless-copperfeast-records/

The Dixie Chicks - Travelin' Soldier (Live Version)

In the fall of 1990 Bruce Robison was working as a fry cook at an Austin diner and writing his first songs. That August, Iraq had invaded Kuwait, and the United States was preparing for a massive counterinvasion. Robison learned that one of his buddies at the diner, another fry cook, was being called up to active duty…and Robison found himself contemplating the unthinkable: dying young in war. Then he started writing about something even more unbearable: dying young while being in love. The first thing to come to him was a melody—the soaring opening of the chorus—and Robison shoehorned in some words: “I-I-I-I cried, never gonna hold the hand of another guy.” Details quickly followed: a lonely boy leaving for war after high school (Robison changed the setting to Vietnam), a shy girl (“a piccolo player in the marching band”) falling for him, the love between them growing even as they are thousands of miles apart. For the final verse, as the girl cries alone because her soldier has died, Robison recalled a familiar spot, the space beneath the stadium bleachers at Bandera High, where he had gone to school. In 2003, with the United States again on the verge of war with Iraq, the Dixie Chicks took the song to number one on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles and Tracks chart.  From: https://genius.com/The-chicks-travelin-soldier-lyrics 

Idiot Flesh - Chicken Little

Spawning from the Oakland, California group Acid Rain, who released a demo album "We Were All Very Worried" in 1987, the members renamed the group Idiot Flesh prior to the release of their first album "Tales of Instant Knowledge and Sure Death" in 1990. The group is characterized by its use of non-traditional instrumentation, such as screwdrivers, bicycle horns, and other odd or seemingly random objects to create their music. Their live shows featured everything from marching band acts to puppet shows. The group disbanded in 1998 before completing their fifth album and the various members went off into splinter groups. The most well-known of these groups is Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. Fans of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum will probably find much to enjoy with this group as both groups have a somewhat similar approach and musical style.  From: https://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=2860 

Orgone - Overtime

For over a decade, Orgone has been steaming up stages all over the country and drenching the biggest music festivals in sweat. Now, the band is back in its home-grown studio KillionSound crafting and recording its seventh full-length album featuring their new powerhouse singer Adryon de Le’n. Orgone’s sound is a cold-blooded blend of deep soul, rare funk, and afro-disco with a raw rock star edge that is uniquely LA. Shifting effortlessly from slyly slinky to seismically cinematic, the music remains tough and uncluttered. For their heart-pounding live performances and classic, gritty recordings, Orgone has been called by Dusty Groove America, “One of the heaviest acts we’ve heard in years.”
Orgone is a synergy of eight musicians, at the core of which are keyboardist Dan Hastie and guitarist Sergio Rios who have been chiseling their distinctively timeless sound since their teens. “The present state of this band reflects the honesty and authenticity that we’ve always strived for in our music,” says Rios, “We’ve really hit a sweet spot in our dynamic.” Each band member shines in his own right, but together their chemistry results in a sweeping sound more tenacious than the sum of its considerable parts. Members of Orgone have collaborated/ performed with the Roots, Al Green, Gil Scott-Heron, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Breakestra, Thievery Corporation, and the Monophonics. Known for being air-tight in the studio, Orgone has been the backing band on numerous major label releases, most notably, Alicia Keys’ “As I Am” album and Cee Lo Green’s multiple Grammy Award-winning track “Fool for You.”
Bringing fresh blood to the band is Adryon de Le’n, a lightning rod whose bold, graceful vocals elevate the music to intoxicating new levels. This joining of forces was at once kismet and inevitable, according to de LeÑn: “Professionally, musically, spiritually, all paths led me to Orgone.” In 2014, Orgone continues to be a strong touring presence while tantalizing crowds with tastes of new material from their upcoming album, slated for release in the Fall of this year. Now and always, Orgone delivers dirty, organic soul with heart; music that grabs you by the collar, pulls you to your feet, and shoves you onto the dance floor.  From: https://gatheringofthevibes.com/artist/orgone/

Fotheringay - The Way I Feel

Today’s song is The Way I Feel by Fotheringay. The band was singer Sandy Denny’s first project on leaving Fairport Convention. Working with seasoned British folk musicians and her Australian husband, Trevor Lucas, she formed a powerful folk-rock band that might have been a solid heir to Fairport. Sadly, the band lasted only one album before disintegrating. Most of the members would work together again in versions of Fairport before Denny’s death, but the promise of Fotheringay (named for a song she wrote for Fairport) was unfulfilled.
The one eponymous album is an impressive mix of originals, traditional songs, and covers. This song is a brilliant interpretation of a Gordon Lightfoot composition. Lightfoot had recorded the song a few years earlier, but was still best known as a writer. His performing career would take off internationally at about the same time that this album was released. Using a mother bird, chick, and the oak tree where their nest rests as a metaphor, Lightfoot creates an inspired take on the “if you love something, set it free” tradition. His version (and a number of other covers, including one by John Bottomley) is stellar, but Denny and Lucas make the song truly their own. Wish Gordon Lightfoot a happy 73rd birthday today and enjoy this perfect interpretation of one of his finest compositions.  From: https://rbhsjukebox.wordpress.com/2011/11/17/song-of-the-day-november-17-the-way-i-feel-by-fotheringay/

Lone Justice - Belfry

Damn, that Maria McKee can really sing. If anyone can find a better way to express the sheer power, passion and presence of McKee’s vocal virtuosity, have at it. It was said co-Producer Little Steven (E Street Band) remarked that McKees vocal performance on “Inspiration” was the most powerful and passionate vocal he had heard since Bruce Springsteen’s “Adam Raised a Cain.” Mighty high praise indeed. And well deserved. More commercially appealing than the debut, Shelter infused a little more country rock and significantly less cow punk. It is better produced (in some spots a bit over-produced) and the songwriting is more accessible with superior ballads and a more consistent sound. It should have been the record to make Lone Justice rock stars. Rather, it became their swan song. ‘I Found Love’ and ‘Shelter’ were both that single that just never broke through. But the real strength on this album is on the deeper cuts and ballads. Beacon, Belfry and Dreams Come True all rock with great guitar work and McKee’s emotive presence. And as mentioned earlier, Inspiration is just an emotional vocal tour de force with a once in a lifetime performance. The two side-ending ballads should also be noted. Wheels is a beautiful country song that should be covered by a more modern country female vocalist. The album closer, Dixie Storms, is just haunting and would point to the direction McKee would follow in her solo career.  From: https://real80sccm.com/2021/02/25/lone-justice-shelter-1986/ 

Crosby & Nash - Live at the BBC 1970

The early 1970s BBC series In Concert featured some of the greatest performers of the folk rock / singer-songwriter era, including Joni Mitchell, Carole King, James Taylor, Cat Stevens and Neil Young in front of intimate crowds at the old BBC Television Centre in London. In the case of each of the artists featured, the BBC sets are probably the very best records we have of these performers in their youthful prime. This is almost certainly the case with this gorgeous Crosby & Nash performance. It’s a stunner.
After the success of their monstrously popular Déjà Vu album, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young,”the American Beatles” as they were often called (never mind that one was a Brit and another Canadian) broke up in the summer of 1970, with all four members of CSNY recording solo albums. Crosby’s If I Could Only Remember My Name and Nash’s Songs for Beginners appeared the following year. In the fall of 1970, the two toured as an acoustic duo previewing tunes from their upcoming albums and singing fan favorites.
The BBC set begins with Nash at the piano, pouring out his pain over the break-up of his relationship with Joni Mitchell in “Simple Man,” one of the loveliest, saddest songs in his canon. As you’d expect of a performance of this vintage–before cocaine wrecked their voices, I mean–the harmonies are glorious. There is pure eargasmic pleasure to be had here, I promise you. The inclusion of one of my favorites “Song With No Words (Tree With No Leaves)” from Crosby’s If I Could Only Remember My Name (truly one of the greatest, most under-rated albums of the era, now seen as a touchstone of the “freak folk” movement) was the cherry on top for me.  From: https://dangerousminds.net/comments/stunning_david_crosby_graham_nash_bbc_in_concert_performance_1970/

LaBelle - Lady Marmalade - The Midnight Special 1974

Hello, Patti. Should I call you Ms. Patti, or just Patti?

Patti is fine, but a lot of people call me Ms. Patti.

As a mark of respect?

Yes, to show respect. I love it when they call me that, but they also call me Mom, Auntie, Mother … a lot of fans think of me as their mother, which I see as a big compliment.

But don’t a lot of them also thrust their phones at you so you can talk to their friends?

It’s hard to talk on people’s cellphones – I don’t care for other people’s germs. I still haven’t got a cellphone. I’m talking to you on my landline – it’s as old as me. I’m old-school, I don’t need that. I haven’t got a computer, either. I like a lot of privacy. When I’m at home, I want to be at home alone.

Where are you now?

At home in Philadelphia. I still live here. I have a house in Los Angeles that I stay in when I’m there, and a home in the Bahamas, but I live in Philly, 20 minutes from my childhood home. I went back six months ago with Mick Rock and we chit-chatted about the old neighbourhood. It was weird being back there, sitting in front of my house. I don’t know who lives there now. I thought about knocking on the door, but I didn’t.

What can you see from where you’re sitting?

A suitcase is the first thing I can see – a Louis Vuitton big bag. There’s nothing in it, and it’s beautiful. I take two onstage with me to prop my shoes on. I love my pumps [high heels]. Five-inch, six-inch, there was a time I did seven-inch, but that was back in the day.

How did it feel when Labelle became the first black vocal group to be on the cover of Rolling Stone?

We were groundbreaking, and it was an honour. It was showing other black women that they could do it. But we weren’t trying to break a record, we were just being Labelle. I don’t think at the time we thought it was special – we thought we were worthy of the cover, and it was something we should have had and we deserved it. But only when you look back do you realise how groundbreaking it was. Young black female groups gave us props – Destiny’s Child did, TLC complimented us; they said Labelle was one of the reasons they formed their groups.

Did you save your Lady Marmalade costumes?

I have them in a case in the basement. They’re beautiful.  And the shoes!

Didn’t you get hot wearing them onstage?

Not at all hot. I never perspired in them. They weren’t heavy.

Is it true that when you recorded Lady Marmalade you didn’t know what it was about?

We really didn’t know at first. We thought it was a woman just walking down the street – it didn’t register that it might be about something else. We were very innocent, and I had no clue. I was very naive. Then we had some controversy about a nun being upset about the song, and we found out. I felt stupid … no, not stupid but naive. I didn’t know we were singing about a lady of the evening. Young girls today are so well versed because of the internet, so they’d never not realise, but it was different then. Thank God we did the song, anyway!

Yes, you’ll get royalties for the rest of your life.

You can call them royalties – I call them baby dollars. It’s depressing.

Do you still enjoy singing it?

Yes, I do. I have one of best bands in the world, and the way they play it, I get chills. I sing it differently every time – I can still get down at the age of 70.

A couple of years ago, you got emotional during an interview with Oprah and said: “I’ve been shut down, run down, talked about – but that never stopped me from being the true me.” What was that about?

It’s true – nothing anyone tries to do to me can bring me down. It never works. I’m so strong now, and nothing can run me down. I’m truly blessed.

When you announced your upcoming UK shows, you were worried that nobody over here wanted to see you. Why was that?

Oh, I know they want to see me, but I just haven’t been there in a long time – it’s 10 years. I’m loved more over there [in the UK] than I am here.

Barack Obama seems to love you, though. Was he self-conscious at being so close to you when you sang at the White House?

Not at all. I don’t think so. I think he was very happy to be in the room with all the talented women there. And he was sitting next to a very powerful woman.

From: https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2015/nov/12/patti-labelle-lady-marmalade-woman-walking-down-street

Planxty - The Good Ship Kangaroo

Originally released in 1979, the re-release of Planxty’s ‘After the Break’ on CD is given as 1992, but it dropped onto my doormat a few short weeks ago. There's a bit of a mystery here, but I'm not complaining. This was, is and always will be one of the classic, defining albums of the folk revival. In those far-off days my experience of Irish music seemed to be defined by the sweateriness of the Clancy Brothers, the tweediness of the Chieftains and the beardiness of the Dubliners. Great music, great songs, but a bit formulaic and stereotyped. Then along came Planxty and the formulas and stereotypes were blown out of the water. They were just so undeniably groovy, I suppose.
"After The Break" celebrates the five-piece, with Matt Molloy's wonderful flute complementing the breathtaking skills of Christy Moore, Donal Lunny, Andy Irvine and Liam O'Flynn. The album consists of five tune sets and five songs, all arranged with impeccable taste and played with unerring flair. It's an impossible job to pick a standout track - as each new piece begins it supplants the previous one as the all-time favourite. Andy and Christy sing out of their skins, Matt and Liam play their socks off and Donal keeps the whole shebang in safe, sure hands. Nowadays, with Celtic music as an all-conquering globe-spanner, it's difficult to imagine the impact that Planxty had in their day. Listen to "After The Break" and all becomes clear. Groovy or what?  From: https://www.livingtradition.co.uk/webrevs/taracd3001.htm

Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - Hush, Hush

It must have been 2005 or 2006 that I first came into contact with Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, one of the most beautifully bewildering bands to ever grace the globe. Constructed around a narrative of a fictional dadaist and futurist performance troupe, the one-of-a-kind group from Oakland gained a loyal cult following over the span of three records. After seeing half a show in 2007, I took home a T-shirt, and I still have a vivid memory of getting the most mind-blown reaction from a fellow fan in a random hallway. Sadly, the band dissolved before finishing their fourth album, Of the Last Human Being. Its members went on to other projects, like Rabbit Rabbit Radio and Free Salamander Exhibit, many of them good, none of them scratching the same itch. Until last year, when the band decided to pick up where they left off and finish the album with a little crowdfunding assistance.
And indeed, Of the Last Human Being sounds like the band never left. But what that sounds like beguiles description for the many people not privy to Sleepytime’s history. An absurd mixture of instruments, some of them home-made, conglomerates into a surreal nightmare, tethered to reality tenuously by the dulcet tones of mad preacher Nils Frykdahl and hissed insanity of Carla Kihlstedt, who often sing in duet to truly maddening effect. At turns you may be reminded of Mr. Bungle (“Save It!”), UneXpect (“S.P.Q.R.”) or the most unhinged tenets of Diablo Swing Orchestra (“We Must Know More”). Most of the time, it won’t remind you of anything at all. Kihlstedt’s violin frequently duels with the guitars in riffs and leads that always sound unnatural, but never sound aimless. Quieter moments conjure unease with xylophones and wind instruments while the lyrics hang around in the venn diagram where schizophrenic manifesto and poetry overlap.
Structurally, though, Of the Last Human Being is less beyond the pale, and it helps balance out the plethora of wildly imaginative textures and flourishes. “Salamander in Two Worlds” is a powerful opener, working its way up from hushed vocals and brass to a feverish, almost sludge-like cacophony with atypical, ricocheting percussion and tremolo riffs, yet featuring an actual chorus. “S.P.Q.R.” is even more frenzied, Frykdahl and Kihlstedt shouting an unhinged lecture on Romans in tandem, but repeat stanzas guard the track’s cohesion. This high energy stands in stark contrast with the quietly sanity-unspooling creepiness of “Silverfish,” featuring Kihlstedt quavering between bouts of shrill violin, or the sardonic grandstanding folk of “Old Grey Heron.” Even the shorter tracks and interludes spin bizarre imagery and leap from sad to surreal to sinister.
Though Sleepytime Gorilla Museum only has 3 prior albums to its name, it’s worth measuring Of the Last Human Being against these, if only to see whether the intervening years have done anything to diminish the troupe’s unique qualities. I‘m happy to say that they largely haven’t, though this comes with a few liner notes. Just like before the hiatus, this is heady music, and whether you’d call it pretentious is entirely dependent on your tolerance for theatrical excess, specifically with its dadaistic influences on full display, like a minute and a half of ringing bells serving as an interlude. Though, to this I should add, this might still be the most accessible album Sleepytime has ever made. In the context of all the weird, offbeat, and characteristic songs in the tracklist, “El Evil” sounds almost normal.  From: https://www.angrymetalguy.com/sleepytime-gorilla-museum-of-the-last-human-being-review/

Lo-Pan - Savage Heart

Lo-Pan was pumping out records very quickly for a while there, but Subtle is the first record in five years – why the long gap?

Subtle is indeed our first full length in five years. We released an EP in 2017 called In Tensions. The gap is mostly due to lineup changes. Prior to 2017, our method of writing was somewhat different than it is now. We used to write songs very quickly and let touring shape them and mold them for a year or so before recording them. This time with our new permanent guitarist Chris Thompson we did things very differently. We took our time becoming close friends with Chris. And in many ways, I think we used that time to re-establish a relationship amongst the rest of us too. Years of mindlessly touring had left us a little haggard. I think we needed this time to sit back and decide what direction we wanted to take as a sort of re-launched band. It feels like a rededication now. It feels exciting again.

Working with James Brown is pretty impressive for an indie band – how did you come to work with such an esteemed producer for Subtle?

The guys from our record label, Aqualamb, had an established friendship with James. Internally we were already considering some pretty awesome choices for recording location and producer for the new record. But at Aqualamb’s request, we had a Skype call with James. It was an instant connection. We could tell he was a laid back guy with a sense of humor that matched ours. And even more importantly his work ethic was similar to ours. Get good base level sounds. Do it right or do it twice. Have fun with it. Experiment where it makes sense and otherwise just trust your gut with the material. After an hour-long call with James, we knew we found our guy. Working with him was one of the great thrills of my creative life. He works smart. He knows how to get the sounds you want. He was an outstanding collaborator and made insightful suggestions. And dynamics-wise he fit right in. I actually missed him when we were done recording. We really couldn’t have had a better person behind the controls.

To what does the “subtle” in the title of the album refer?

Honestly it’s just a comment on how very Un-subtle this band is. We play loud. We play hard. Everyone but Chris is a total asshole. We swear more than we need to. We say what’s on our minds and it’s not always nice. So, basically our gruff personalities led to a tongue in cheek title like Subtle.

Subtle comes across as a pretty uplifting record, to me, but I also detect some discontent, and an underlying theme of class struggle in the lyrics – am I off-base there? And if the class struggle is part of the lyrical message, how did that come to enter the music?

You aren’t too far off base. I think musically and lyrically most of these songs come from a viewpoint of frustration with the status quo. But with a side of “all is not lost.” I always write from my point of view with Lo-Pan. And I think my general outlook on life is “wow, shit is totally fucked up in the world at large.” But there has to be a way out of the swirling cauldron of shit. And that way comes from within myself. I grew up in a poor family. My mother worked as a teacher and made very little money. And she had two kids that refused to make anything easy. But I grew up happy. Because she made it that way. And she taught me to make it that way. So yes, there is an underlying class resentment that exists in this music somewhere. But there is hope to be found in the way you choose to live your life. And that is the uplifting side for me. The TL;DR answer to that is: Don’t let the bastards keep you down.

Speaking as an Ohio native myself (I was born and raised in Toledo) the Buckeye state doesn’t get a lot of love, nationally, as a heavy metal or hard rock state, even though bands like The Black Keys and such have come from there. Has Lo-Pan experienced any flyover state opprobrium? What is your relationship to Ohio and its culture?

I think people overlook Ohio for art and music at their own peril. Some of the best heavy bands I have ever seen have come from this state. Bands like Rebreather from Youngstown. Fuck You Pay Me from Cleveland. EYE is another band from Columbus that will set your whole world on fire. Ohio will never be that Mecca for art or culture like LA or NYC. But in many ways, the fact that we are overlooked or ignored just informs the music. We have definitely had experiences where people underestimated us. But I sort of enjoy being underestimated. I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if Columbus starting acting like cities where people backstab one another to get ahead. There are assholes everywhere, but I think there is a genuine spirit that exists in places like this. When you talk to people here you can immediately tell who is full of shit and who isn’t. That’s my style all day.

From: https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2019/05/15/interview-lo-pan-people-overlook-ohio-for-art-and-music-at-their-own-peril/

 

Euphoria Station - Reverie

In the world of progressive rock music several musical combinations can be found. Many bands already work with the combination of metal music and progressive rock, or the combination of folk music with progressive rock. Or what about progressive rock and religion, others used progressive rock in combination with blues, jazz or classical music. But what to think about a mix between Americana and progressive rock. I never heard of it. Well the American formation Euphoria Station used it to write their compositions. A band which I actually wasn't familiar with. Maybe a bit strange because in 2019 they already released their second album, titled The Reverie Suite, after coming up with their debut One Heart two years earlier.
On the bands website you can read that Euphoria Station was formed in 2014 by the couple Saskia Binder (vocalist/ lyricist) and Hoyt Binder (guitarist/ songwriter) who share a passion for deep music with hooks that easily connect. They spent years playing acoustic sets in Hollywood, CA working out material that would eventually wind up on their debut album. Being big fans of the progressive movement in the late 60s as well as the eclectic nature of 70s rock, they sought to recruit world class musicians that also felt music was a very spiritual matter. The resulting sound was a mix of everything under the sun from pop, rock, jazz and classical. After that the two of them began exploring the many acoustic sounds from 70s rock and pop that seemed more in tune with their other passion, nature - especially the vast and beautiful southwest of America. This in one way or another led to the formation of a brand new backing band which they named The Americana Day Dream Revival Orchestra. It features the Dutch keyboard player Ronald Van Deurzen, harmonica player Tollak Ollestad (who has also some Dutch roots), flutist Rebecca Kleinmann, violinist Trevor Lloyd, bassist Paulo Gustavo, drummer Chris Quirarte, background vocalist Mike Disarro and percussionist Bobby Albright.
Together they were responsible for making The Reverie Suite a great sounding concept album. A concept album which is based on the life of the bands female lead singer, who has her roots in one way or another also in the Netherlands because of the Kraft van Ermel family. The story she tells goes from her childhood days (Reverie) through the road she takes to become a grown up person. Dreaming of what might become of herself (Bridge Of dreams). Travelling through the beautiful American nature (Paradise Road) and seeing how nature changes all the time (Seasons). In the end it all turns out well for her and has a happy life after all (Content).
Music-wise the album has enough to offer for a true progressive rock lover as myself. The combination with Americana works very well. Because the use of the banjo, mandolin, violin and harmonica, which you can hear in this style of music, gives the band and their music an identity of their own. The progressive rock sound comes mainly by the use of electric guitar, Hammond organ, piano, flute and violin. Moving the band into a musical style which reminded me sometimes of acts such as Kansas and Jethro Tull. Just listen to songs such as the beautiful instrumental opener Prelude/ She's Calling, Bridge Of Dreams, Queen Of Hearts, Paradise Road (beautiful piano playing and great guitar solo) and Seasons and you know what I mean! A special mention goes out to the beautiful crystal clear voice of the bands female lead vocalist. Her voice has a lot of emotion but also bring so much happiness to the music. Most of all on the more poppy sounding tunes such as Reverie, Heartbeat and Content she shines all the way!  From: https://www.backgroundmagazine.nl/CDreviews/EuphoriaStationTheReverieSuite.html

Dada - Dizz Knee Land

"Dizz Knee Land" is the debut single by Los Angeles-based alternative rock group dada. It was the first single taken from their debut album titled, Puzzle. This is what bassist Joie Calio had to say on the Westwood One radio program On the Edge: The song isn't about Disneyland at all. It has nothing to do with Disneyland, actually. It has more to do with the craziness of the juxtaposition of the state of your every day. Just looking around you. You could see a guy's head being chopped off and, you know, a leg flying away and someone embracing someone in a lovely kiss and then flip the channel and then a chainsaw goes buzzing through, you know, some butter and it accidentally cuts your mom's head off and then you flip again and they're making love and then you flip again and it's Montana going 'I'm going to Disneyland'. You know, it's just that whole thing, how insane it is, but you know, it's just the natural state. I don't think we're making a, we're not pointing our fingers. We're just... it just is, and we're just singin' it.
Joie said this about the song in a Chicago Sun-Times interview: "It's our best-known song, but it's not our best song. I got the idea for the song in a dream where I saw this word "Disneyland" on a bus. I heard the melody and then I woke up, wrote it all down and called Mike up to finish it up." The music video for the song mostly features the band playing on an empty stage. During the video, there are several shots of several random objects moving. Some of these objects include leaves, hard candy, nuts and bolts, rusty tools and a flatiron. This stop motion technique has been used before in the music video for Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer".  From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dizz_Knee_Land

Children of the Sün - Lilium

Lilium talks about life and death. The way humans view and celebrate life and death in different ages and cultures, is something we found very fascinating while making this record. We watched some documentaries about cults in the tour van during our tour in Spain, and in the studio out in the country house. It would be easy to write about, and emphasize, death to make an impact (in a sign of the horns and skulls kind of way) but what all comes down to are those ancient questions. Life and death; as a concept; a shared factor.  From: https://childrenofthesunofficial.bandcamp.com/track/lilium

Hello Forever - Everything is So Hard

In what feels like a tumultuous time when it can even be a bit of a bummer to look at the news headlines, one band are channelling enough good vibes to see you all the way through until the sun decides to start shining again. Art pop collective Hello Forever have been making waves with their infectious feel-good pop tracks: packed to the rafters with joyous melodies, introspective lyrics, and sun-drenched psychedelic hues. With their debut album, Whatever It Is – a collection of love songs about connection – out today, we caught up with the band on their influences and their debut album Whatever It Is.
 
When did you first realise you wanted to make music?
It’s kind of always been a thing. I’ve been singing, dancing, and listening to music since forever.

Who did you listen to growing up?
All kinds of classic pop music: The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Aretha Franklin.

How would you describe your genre?
That’s a good question. I feel like we’re making contemporary, psychedelic pop music, inspired by a lot of music we love from the 60s, and all the music throughout history that we’ve had access to through the internet.

What inspires your music?
Everything. The music itself, the people around us and the people we love, the sky, ancient history, the universe and the way we feel.

Where did the name Hello Forever come from?
It was just kind of a feeling. It’s about wanting to stay connected to people on an eternal level. It’s also about letting go of everything and greeting that eternity on the other side.

How was it putting out your debut album?
Cathartic. It’s a celebration and a mystery. This is the first record we’ve ever put out and it’s our distinct joy to share music with others.

Do you have a favourite track?
You can’t pick a favourite child. We love them all and love playing the songs live. We’re actually pretty deep in the next couple of albums right now, so our art has changed already and there are some songs that still feel more relevant than others. We’ve tried really hard to let go of any judgements that come out of us. A favourite implies that there are those we like less. We just want to let it be and be grateful for the process. “Get It Right” is pretty chill though.

What’s the best feedback you’ve ever had on your music?
We just love hearing from people all over the world who have been hearing our music and enjoying the experience. The support we’ve already received from the small amount of music we’ve put out is really flattering and we’re stoked.

From: https://www.wonderlandmagazine.com/2020/02/21/new-noise-hello-forever/

 

Mary's Danish - Live Cleveland, OH 1992

There’s no one named Mary. Nobody’s Danish, either, and they aren’t very sweet. It’s Mary’s Danish, a hard-edge band fronted by a couple of smart girls heading for a smart venue--the Anaconda Theater. That’s the place right next to UCSB and all those students who love that so-called “alternative rock,” which is basically the cool stuff mainstream radio is too dumb to play. Mary’s Danish, a band with 5 1/2 years experience, got its big break in 1989, when KROQ picked up on their single “Don’t Crash the Car Tonight.” That tune quickly spawned an album, “There Goes the Wondertruck,” on small, independent Chameleon Records. The newly released “American Standard” on Morgan Creek Records (perhaps named for the funniest movie of all time, “The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek”?) is the band’s third album. For years, it seems, the band has had to deal with the “Next Big Thing” label much like the Blasters, X and Los Lobos before them.
“I don’t know about that--it makes me uncomfortable,” Gretchen Seager said in a recent phone interview. “I don’t like to think about that stuff. I don’t like to categorize things. I’m too close to it. I don’t describe our music.” Someone has to: Remember Exene Cervenka, the shrill-voiced singer from those raucous rockers, X? Imagine Exene in stereo, and you’re getting close to what Mary’s Danish sounds like. Seager and Julie Ritter trade vocals, share vocals, and generally have the power of an air-raid siren that would shatter grandma’s china in a heartbeat. But that’s exactly the attraction of the group, or the detraction, depending upon how you hear it. Throw in some thrashy garage rock to back the two lead singers, and that’s Mary’s Danish. Seager and Ritter formed the band while students at UCLA, but they met at Cal Berkeley where they were both French literature majors, a field offering about as much hope for a career as Rich Person on the Beach in a world filled with convenience store clerks with social sciences degrees.
“Yeah, my parents were wondering the same thing,” said Seager. Not into the “scooby-doo-the-sky-is-blue-I-love-you” kind of rock, the band is not afraid to take a stand and offer an opinion. In fact, they’re pushier than a busload of New Yorkers late for a hockey game. They took on the lead singer of Guns N’ Roses with a cynical song off their last album, “Axl Rose Is Love.” On the new one, they take on TV evangelists, gun nuts and all sorts of lousy relationships to the point of making J. Geils’ “Love Stinks” almost seem like a Doris Day song. There’s 20 “don’ts” and seven “can’ts” on “Leave It Alone.” And the musicianship has never been better.
“I think we’ve grown as a band,” said Seager. “I think every artist hopes to become more sophisticated. I think we’re just a better band even though none of our records have done well enough to keep us on the road for any length of time. We just want to make good music that’s saying something important, but sometimes it’s tough to handle the business affairs.” Of course, it’s no fun if you can’t complain, but Mary’s Danish have never been afraid to put their time where their mouth is. Three years ago, their first single was a natural for RADD--Recording Artists against Drunk Driving; lately, the band’s been on the road to support Rock the Vote.
“We’re not as involved in RADD as much as we were, because certain other things have moved to the forefront, like Rock The Vote,” said Seager. “We just finished a two-week tour for Rock The Vote, and it went really well. People came in droves to register, and they seemed very enthusiastic. Although Tipper Gore probably wouldn’t wear a Mary’s Danish T-shirt, do you not vote for Clinton because of his running mate’s wife? We need a new person to lead the country, and we need to win the big battle first and worry about the little battles later.”
There’s a lot more to the rock star scene, however, than working an hour a night twice a week, driving around the country and picking up those big checks in the mail. Remember, “fan” is short for “fanatic.”
“Yeah, we have groupies, but not in a mean way,” said Seager. “They give us flowers or jump on stage and give us a kiss on the cheek. But sometimes, it’s very frightening to be a small girl and have some big guy charging you. I’ve had many a tooth chipped by a stage diver who hit me in the face and knocked the microphone into my mouth. We do have a dental plan at Morgan Creek, however.”
Could this be the career for you? Flowers? Kisses? A bop in the chops? Here’s what Seager’s experience says: “Just stay true to what you do, and don’t compromise just to get signed. Don’t try to be the Flavor of the Month. Right now every band wants to be like the Red Hot Chili Peppers or Nirvana.” And as a former student of both Cal and UCLA, well, so much for sports, and they both are bears. “I don’t root for either. I don’t go to football games and I just don’t really care.”  From: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-10-22-vl-886-story.html