Queen - Sheer Heart Attack - Side 1

In November of 1974, Queen released their 3rd album Sheer Heart Attack to the masses, a watershed moment for them, as they climbed out from any definition already affixed upon their music. Having dug deep into a hard rock power sound for their Queen I album, and showing their progressive styles with Queen II, Sheer Heart Attack was indeed an attack on a multitude of styles, sounds and attitudes (including humor) that would eventually become Queen’s legacy. At the time of its release, SHA was arguably rock & roll’s most eclectic collection of songs since the Beatles’ White Album, just 7 years before.
The story of the album starts a few months before its release in May of 1974, as Queen was backing Mott The Hoople in their historic 6-night residency in New York’s Uris Theater (boasting to be the first R&R band to play Broadway). On closing night, guitarist Brian May fell to a spell of hepatitis, pulling the band out of the rest of the Mott tour, and compelling May to fly home to England for rehab.
“I felt bad at having let the group down at such an important (historic) place.” May recalled in 1974, “But there was nothing to do about it. It was hepatitis, which you get sometimes when you’re emotionally run-down.” But Brian May was not going to let his bed rest stop him, he used his convalescing time to write, coming up with a few songs that would end up on SHA including the huge “Now I’m Here.” “It (the song) came out quite easily,” May reflected, “Where I’d been wrestling with it before without getting anywhere.”
That writing liberation was a common theme for the other writers in the band, for after they reconvened with May in the studio 6 weeks later, they all felt a sense of freedom not having the touring road to contend with.  Even John Deacon contributed with his first written song. Now the band enjoyed four writers, along with May, Freddie Mercury, and drummer Roger Taylor.
The 70s were a time when FM radio used to offer a feature known as “Perfect Album Sides” for their listening audience. Sheer Heart Attack’s side #1 certainly met that criterion and was often showcased in the day:
“Brighton Rock”- The album opens with Brian May’s guitar-driven rocker. Once Jimmy Page introduced his extended unaccompanied guitar solo in “Heartbreaker” in 1969, many others would follow this trend. May took his turn with a  3-minute run of harmonizing riffs utilizing his newly purchased echoplex device.
“Killer Queen”- The album’s best-known song, Freddie Mercury’s genius for a four-minute track blossomed with the use of a tack piano, campy vocals, and a memorable melody. As a single, “Killer Queen” broke the band in the USA reaching the top 15 on Billboard (#2 on UK charts) and established them as a band of many sounds, including Producer Roy Thomas Baker’s Beatle-ish layered backing vocals that would become a trademark of Queen (and later perfected in 1975 with “Bohemian Rapsody”). No one missed the comparison when British band 10cc mimicked the song’s sound for their biggest hit, “The Things We Do for Love” later in 1976.
Next up on side one was “Tenement Funster”/”Flick of the Wrist”/ “Lily of The Valley “- the album’s three-song suite…that is, Sgt. Pepper-like, these three songs segue into each other without definitive track silence:
“Tenement Funster”– Roger Taylor’s contribution, continuing his teenage angst theme that he began on Queen II (“Loser In the End”), and continued into the next couple of albums (1977’s “Drowse”). With loaded echo and scaling guitar sequences from May, this is Taylor’s most underrated contribution.
“Flick of The Wrist” – Seamlessly segued via the last cord of “Tenement Funster,” Mercury takes over to spit out a torrid array of hate for their business manager at that time (and he continued to conclude this story with “Death On Two Legs” on their next album- A Night at The Opera).
“Lily of The Valley”- Dropping down the volume after Mercury’s isolated vocal (“Baby You’ve Been Had”), this piano-based fantasy ballad (some have taken the lyrics as metaphors for the gay experience), reveals Brian May’s talent for creating beautiful orchestra guitar arrangements, a tone that would be a full-blown feature for their next album (see “Love Of My Life”).
“Now I’m Here”- As mentioned above, the song reflects Brian May’s disconnect between touring and ending up in a West London bedsit for his rehabilitation. With a shout-out to Ian Hunter (“Down in the city, just Hoople and me”) “Now I’m Here” would become one of their show centerpieces for the next 4-5 years.  From: https://www.culturesonar.com/50-years-of-sheer-heart-attack/

Spanxti - Už Kalnelio Ežerėlis

When you are from a Baltic culture which has miraculously survived centuries of onslaught and foreign domination, it is hardly fair that you should have to remind the world of your existence. Yet, this is exactly the frustrating position Lithuanians find themselves in when confronted with topographical illiterates. It is a cruel fate, indeed, that all ancestral efforts to preserve their distinct culture seem to have culminated in the obligation to explain to yet another foreigner that Lithuania is not, in fact, a province of Russia, nor a nebulous African dictatorship for that matter.
There is, fortunately, a lingua franca that may assist in revealing the finer aspects of one’s culture. This universal language is not English, but art. And music, in its turn, is perhaps its most widely understood dialect. It is also a powerful dialect: musicians who tap into their own cultural roots thrive on centuries’ worth of native artistic beauty — beauty which helped his forebears persevere through the most desperate epochs of history. The folk artist is therefore the noblest of bards; it is through them that a culture’s traits and quirks are monumentalised in a time when Lady Europe is forced into a corset of postmodern meaninglessness.
In the case of the Baltics, an example of such noble artists are the members of Spanxti — a band from the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius. Their album Dievo žirgai, laimės ratai (EN: God’s Horses, Wheels of Happiness) combines the exploration of Baltic music traditions with savvy pacing, music-writing, and production, all of which makes it appealing to even those audiences who are not necessarily charmed by the traditional side of folk music.
Album opener “Leliumai” treads on with foreboding patience as a keyboard provides an ambient undercurrent through which singer Ingula Rinkevičienė first reveals herself. Though she is a competent singer on a technical level, it is the warmth, depth, and all-around pleasant tone of voice that make her vocals stand out. This first track also establishes that, with her voice, Rinkevičienė is able to cover a large emotional spectrum: while the inaugural broodiness of the composition calls for a placid, restrained vocal delivery, other instruments (violins, guitars, percussion) eventually join in and evoke a more extravert, commanding voice.
Throughout the rest of the album, the overall mood keeps evolving seamlessly, and Ingula Rinkevičienė adapts likewise. While the songs have many different themes and correspondingly diverse melodies, not a single song appears out-of-place. This is no light achievement: lamentative songs such as ‘Aš pas savo giminėlę’ and the aforementioned album opener can coexist with the more festive ‘Pas leišius alaus gert’ and ‘Oi ką kalba apynėlis’ only at the grace of the consistent aptitude of the musicians, as well as the depth of the compositions which they perform.
Though the aid of standard acoustic guitars, keyboards, and other non-traditional instruments may hint towards neofolk, Spanxti’s music should rather be viewed as a novel incarnation of traditional folk. The lyrics have been lifted from old ritualistic proclamations, and the music — in spite of its strong modern seasoning — is merely meant to accompany said texts and convey the imperishable spirituality and history contained therein. In this light, band leader Vytautas Rinkevičius‘s declaration that Spanxti represents, ‘a creative approach to Baltic mythology and spiritual culture in general’, makes all the more sense.
Dievo žirgai, laimės ratai succeeds because it offers plenty of diversity without spinning out of control. Even after a dozen listens, faults scarcely reveal themselves: while some compositions (the energetic ‘Už kalnelio ežerėlis’) stand out more than others (the brief a cappella ‘Palaukėj pamiškėj’), it would go too far to state there are glaringly dull moments contained within this forty-seven-minute listening experience. As a result, Spanxti has managed to deliver not only a great album, but also a worthwhile cultural document. Dievo žirgai, laimės ratai imparts the beauty of a tiny nation’s heritage and the Baltic musical tradition at large, and can henceforth be used by Lithuanians worldwide to culturally enrich oblivious foreigners—no matter in which part of the United States they might be encountered.  From: https://heathenharvest.wordpress.com/2016/05/05/spanxti-dievo-zirgai-laimes-ratai/ 

The Young Rascals - A Girl Like You

The Rascals were widely regarded as the finest blue-eyed soul group of the 1960s, a statement that's accurate without fully defining their importance or the breadth of their abilities. At their best, the Rascals fused the soulful passion of R&B, the tough, swaggering sound of garage rock, the chops of a top-notch show band, and a sense of musical adventure that borrowed from pop, jazz, funk, gospel, and world music. Beginning as the Young Rascals, they were a band of brash upstarts from the East Coast who on their debut album merged rock and soul with a skill and feel that was revolutionary, and with 1967's Groovin', they expanded their range to embrace psychedelia and arty pop. As the '60s gave way to the '70s and keyboard player Felix Cavaliere's leadership of the group became stronger, they advanced from ambitious, genre-spanning sets like 1969's Freedom Suite to the jazzy explorations of 1971's Peaceful World and the funk accents of 1972's The Island of Real. Throughout it all, their music was street smart, impassioned, and brilliantly crafted, the work of artists who desire to entertain was as strong as their creative wanderlust, and it was documented in an epic scale box set, 2024's It's Wonderful: The Complete Atlantic Studio Recordings.
Keyboard player and singer Felix Cavaliere had been trained in classical piano when he developed a passion for rock and R&B sounds, joining a doo wop group while he was a student at Syracuse University. In 1964, Cavaliere landed a gig playing with Joey Dee and the Starliters, who were still reaping the rewards of the 1961 hit "Peppermint Twist." One of Cavaliere's bandmates in the Starliters was David Brigati, who introduced Felix to his younger brother, an energetic young singer named Eddie Brigati. In 1965, Canadian-born guitarist Gene Cornish joined the Starliters, and soon he and Cavaliere were comparing notes about what sort of music they wanted to play. Before long, Cavaliere decided to strike out on his own and form a new group; he persuaded Cornish to join him, and recruited a longtime friend, jazz musician Dino Danelli, to play drums. With the addition of Eddie Brigati on vocals, the new group's lineup was in place; they initially called themselves Them, but when they discovered there was already an act using the name (the Irish blues and rock band led by Van Morrison), they adopted a new moniker, the Rascals. The band began rehearsing intensively, while playing engagements at clubs like the Choo Choo in Garfield, New York and the Barge in Westhampton, New York. They honed their sound, rooted in R&B and East Coast rock, and they landed a gig backing TV star Soupy Sales at live engagements, mostly on college campuses.
The Rascals were brought to the attention of Sid Bernstein, a manager and promoter best remembered for bringing the Beatles to New York's Shea Stadium. Bernstein gave the band an important plug when, during the Fab Four's Shea Stadium concert, he put the words "The Rascals are Coming!" on the ballpark's scoreboard during the show. The stunt created enough buzz that the Rascals were signed to Atlantic Records, making them one of the first white bands to appear on the legendary R&B label. After signing with Atlantic, a group called the Harmonica Rascals demanded the new group change their name to avoid any confusion, and Bernstein changed their billing to the Young Rascals, over the objections of the group. Their first single, "I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore," was issued in November 1965 and was a modest success, but it was their second, an exciting reworking of "Good Lovin'" arriving in February 1966, that established them as stars, going all the way to number one. Their debut album, 1966's The Young Rascals, was dominated by covers, but the second, 1967's Collections, made room for more group originals, and one of them, "(I've Been) Lonely Too Long," was another chart hit. Six months later, the third Young Rascals album, Groovin', was released, which found the group exploring more mature pop and psychedelic sounds, producing three more singles, the title cut, the accordion-accented "How Can I Be Sure", and "A Girl Like You". It also saw the Young Rascals adding new colors to their arrangements with guest musicians including bassist Chuck Rainey and flutist Hubert Laws. As the group's music became more mature and exploratory, the name the Young Rascals became a thorn in their side, and in April 1968, they issued the single "A Beautiful Morning," an artfully arranged exercise in soulful pop that was their first record credited to the Rascals, which would be their moniker from then on.  From: https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-rascals-mn0000493122#biography

Renaissance - At The Harbour

Renaissance, what a name, and what a band. This is another band that travelled the third way I wrote about yesterday in Amazing Blondel’s post. The third way was a path where you didn’t necessarily have to leave your musical chops or imagination at the door. This group, especially with 1973’s release Ashes Are Burning, said to hell with limitations on what folk should sound like, lets go for broke and harken to a time when folk music could be grand and epic. At the time of its creation they were taking equal influence from the likes of Ralph Vaughan Williams, Debussy, and the likes of Pentangle and Curved Air. Somehow, they found a way to turn their original classical and rock influences into something more decisively perceptive and jaw-droppingly astounding. To me its just surprises me how they even got to that point.
Imagine Fleetwood Mac’s creation story…then knock off Mick Fleetwood and John McVie. Originally created by ex-Yardbirds lead singer Keith Relf and drummer John McCarty, they rounded up a group of like minded musicians who wanted to create music that drew from mostly classical sounds (something unsurprising if you’ve ever heard “Turn Into Earth“) and would wed that complexity with other influences. It wasn’t quite prog but something else. Their first self-titled album in 1969 gave you a semi-literate glimpse of the sound Keith was after. At times symphonic, rocking, funky, jazzy, and eastern-influenced when it clicked like on “Island” or “Wanderer“, which, as sung by Jane Relf (Keith’s sister) provided an initial glimpse of their later female-led incarnation.  Man, there was a sound that hinted at something special. However, when it wasn’t (like on most of the rest of the tracks) boy did it sound dated and half-baked. Somehow, though, this lineup was especially popular in the US and somewhat elsewhere.
Sometime, a bit later, in 1970-71-ish, this original lineup was falling apart. Constant touring severely limited the sense of joy Keith had conceived the band would give him, and McCarty’s fear of flying was forcing him to relinquish his role in the group. From that point on, they would slowly try to save what was left of the ethos of the band by giving up their places in it and much of the control as well. They had by then ceded lyrical duties to a Cornish poet Betty Thatcher who wrote all the music for their 1971 release Illusion onwards and Keith himself effectively quit the band by starting a new hard rock outfit called Armageddon. McCarty, sensing the true end of the band, would rather hand it off to a mate of his Michael Dunford, a guitarist/singer-songwriter than see its original goal lost. Michael was tasked to round up a proper band and continue where they left off. Unfortunately for him, Jane Relf, the last remaining original member up and quit the band as well.
By 1971, with no original member left in the band Michael, with the help of McCarty, set up adverts to start from scratch. Their first goal was to get a new vocalist. During the auditions for their band they were graced by the presence of Annie Haslam a fashion student from Bolton. This student had been trained by Sybil Knight, a noted English opera singer, and had a 5-octave range that dwarfed Jane’s prowess. Now, they had something. Somehow, they rounded up the core with the immensely important John Tout on piano and Jon Camp on bass, which would record 1972’s Prologue, an ever apropos name, even though Michael Dunford absolved himself from group duties to focus on upping his songwriting game.
Prologue provided a small taste of the grandeur which was coming. Splitting duties with Jon Camp, it was their first tentative step moving away from strictly classical and rock motifs, and moving into distinctly Impressionistic and folk music. Now, hardly an electric guitar was heard. Pianos, bass, drums, and acoustic guitars danced around Annie’s growing full-throated vocal flights. The title track gives you a taste of this sound. The main fault of the band was failing to go all in on this new sound. Rather than use actual strings to accompany them, they’d use a mellotron rather than go bigger (something you rarely ask in a band!) for songs that seem like they could do so, like “Sounds of the Sea”. They held back so as not to appear too progressive and decidedly un-Rock. You could tell that there was the sound of a massive heart tugging experience lurking in the album but too much worrying about sounding with the times was still holding them back.
1973’s Ashes Are Burning was that release. Now, with Michael Dunford back in toe, he’d convinced them to get rid of all their electric rock underpinnings and harken back to their name. Rounding up a symphonic orchestra he’d let every member contribute much a classical orchestra would. The acoustic guitar, piano and string orchestra would move the listener to Annie’s charms. That’s what you hear so gloriously in the waterfalls of sound that introduce “Can You Understand“. Driven by John Tout’s simply marvelous piano playing, that owes more to Neo-Romantics than the Slavic, Tchaikovsky-esque playing of Proggers like ELP or the Austrian school by the likes of Tony Banks in Genesis, or Yes’ Wakeman, he’d know the role of such complexity was to maintain a memorable melody. This all starts around the 2:55 minute mark, as John plays the piano strings directly with his hands to accompany Michael. From then on, the album just gets golden.
Simultaneously soft but powerful, the interplay between the band and their string orchestra grows ever more intuitive. Reels, airs, dervishes, crescendos and more all combine with Cornish poetry sung Annie in only the way she could into one epic symphonic folk sound. This isn’t the music of the English country anymore, but the music of its dance halls. Can’t you picture a song like “Let it Grow” with such erudite arrangements forming the soundtrack to an imagined Romantic England, that Charlotte Bronte, Jane Austen, W.B. Yeats were trying desperately to intone. Where rock and prog bands had members jostle for dominion in a track, with Renaissance you could hear an ensemble unafraid to work as a tandem.
When you get to “Carpet of the Sun” their most pastoral song, you get a quick glimpse of this inviting sound. Naturalist in feeling, its sonic images reminding us of the beauty of our Earth in plain-spoken terms as their grand music conjures up all the glory one can’t simply speak of with any word. Then you get to one of the tracks of the day “At the Harbour” the most Impressionistic track of them all, which opens with John playing excerpts from Debussy’s La Cathédrale Engloutie which then leads off to Michael’s intricate acoustic guitar playing and Annie’s elegiac voice which finishes the track in siren-like fashion. This track starts their ascent to greatness. Grand in its ideals, but deeply humble in sound, it harkens to folk music that could flow like mercury, yet remain deeply moving no matter what shape it took.  From: https://www.fondsound.com/renaissance-at-the-harbour-and-ashes-are-burning-1973/

R.E.M. - Begin The Begin / Superman / Swan Swan H

Though it wasn’t a major commercial hit, R.E.M.’s third album, Fables Of The Reconstruction, ensured that the upwards trajectory the band had been on since their landmark debut, Murmur, continued apace. The band toured Fables… relentlessly in Europe and North America across the latter half of 1985, and, by the dawn of 1986, were on the cusp of breaking through to the mainstream. The songs the Athens, Georgia, quartet had been working up for their eventual follow-up, Lifes Rich Pageant, were significantly more upbeat and less gnomic than the Southern gothic-flavored tracks on Fables…, and the band seemed poised to connect with a much larger audience.
R.E.M. had crossed the Atlantic to work with former Nick Drake and Fairport Convention producer Joe Boyd during the Fables… sessions, but for their fourth album, they opted to stay in the US and enlist the services of Don Gehman, known primarily for his work with John Cougar Mellencamp.
Gehman was renowned for his crisp, efficient production techniques, and he first hooked up with the band for an extensive demo session at John Keane’s Studio in Athens, during March 1986. Later collected as the Athens Demos as part of Lifes Rich Pageant’s 25th-anniversary release in 2011, this session found the band working up early versions of most of the tracks that would appear on the album proper, in addition to future B-sides such as “Rotary Ten” (or “Jazz (Rotary Ten)” as it was known at this stage) and the inaugural version of their 2003 hit “Bad Day.”
R.E.M. decamped to Indiana for the album sessions proper, where they reunited with Gehman at Mellencamp’s studio – Belmont Mall in Bloomington – and completed the new record’s 12 songs across April and May 1986. Gehman encouraged Michael Stipe’s vocal prowess during the sessions and, accordingly, Lifes Rich Pageant is rightly viewed as a watershed for R.E.M.: the record where Stipe significantly gained in confidence as a frontman and began to clearly enunciate his lyrics.
As a lyricist, it was patently obvious that Stipe had also grown immensely, with a number of Lifes Rich Pageant’s key tracks reflecting his burgeoning interest in contemporary politics and ecological issues. Though the apocryphal tale of Galileo Galilei dropping feathers and lead weights off the Leaning Tower Of Pisa, to test the laws of gravity, partly inspired his eventual lyric, the glorious, yearning “Fall On Me” also commented on environmental issues, most specifically acid rain. The brooding “Cuyahoga,” meanwhile, referred to the heavily polluted Cuyahoga River that flows into Lake Erie in Cleveland, Ohio. The lyric “We burned the river down” reputedly referred to several occasions (most specifically in 1969) when the river actually caught fire in the locale.
Stipe, however, wasn’t the only band member to benefit from Gehman’s disciplined approach to recording. The entire line-up was on point throughout the sessions, and from the purposeful opener, “Begin The Begin,” to the joyous closing cover of The Clique’s “Superman,” Lifes Rich Pageant was suffused with a swaggering élan that was almost entirely absent on Fables Of The Reconstruction.
Filler was never an issue with Lifes Rich Pageant, and the record has remained a panacea for the ears to this day. Surging, idealistic anthems such as “I Believe” and “These Days” (“We are concern/We are hope despite the times”) have retained both energy and urgency, while the homespun folk of “Swan Swan H”and the curious, rhumba-like “Underneath The Bunker” – with its distorted vocals and nuclear war-related lyric – remind us that, even at their most direct and accessible, R.E.M. always exuded a tantalizing air of mystique.  From: https://www.udiscovermusic.com/behind-the-albums/r-e-m-lifes-rich-pageant/

Mission Jupiter - Bittersweet (Love Song)

Who is in Mission Jupiter, how did you meet, and what do you play?
 
Eugene: Mission Jupiter is a three-piece project at the moment, plus our sax player. The main line-up is: Kate Varsak – vocals, Eugene Zuyeu – drums, Vlad Shvakel – guitars. Dmitri Soldatenko (sax), participates in the studio and will perform with us during some of our live shows. We are also planning to work with a bassist and synth player.
Mission Jupiter was formed in 2015, but Kate joined as our new singer in 2022 and is phenomenal as well as providing fresh energy. We are an alternative rock/metal band now with some epic songs that have a dark and gloomy atmosphere! There is quite an obvious reason for writing gloomy songs, bearing in mind where we live and what has happened to the world generally in recent years.
 
What is your earliest musical memory?
 
Vlad: Well, it’s a good question! I guess we all remember how our mothers sang us lullabies! That’s always sweet
 
When did you begin songwriting?
 
Kate: I am relatively new in the band, but Vlad is the main songwriter in MJ. We spent a great time working on arrangements, etc for our new album, ‘Aftermath’. But, the core of each song is by Vlad.
 
Vlad: Yeah, I mean, I started to write songs in 2013-2014. I remember sitting on the sofa at the university campus playing some chords (no lyrics back at that time), and suddenly I realised that it would probably be a good song, so I was like, ‘let’s write some lyrics’! More than a decade has passed, and I am still not satisfied with most of my lyrics. But a couple of new songs from ‘Aftermath’ will hopefully make you cry! Lol, we hope so.
 
Your new single ‘Self Destruction’ is out now. What was the inspiration/story behind the track?
 
Eugene: I remember Vlad came to my apartment and was like: ‘man, let’s make some heavy stuff!?’
I immediately answered: ‘finally, no melancholic ballads anymore, (laughing)’! We started to experiment with lower guitar tunings, then some punchy drums, then Vlad came up with the idea of the song lyrically. It’s about the consequences of being in a mental trap. I guess a lot of people are in this dark place nowadays

Kate: Definitely not a good place to be in. This is one of my favourite tracks on the album, plus it has some sort of headbanging vibe, and it’s perfect for live gigs. Can’t wait to start playing it live.

Vlad: Damn, I need to buy more guitars for live gigs. This song demands looooow guitar tuning.
 
Where did you record the new single, and who produced it?
 
Vlad: Eugene is our drummer and producer. I would say, producer goes first!
We spent several days in a professional studio working on it and are really happy with the vibe this song has. A badass rock banger!!!
 
Do you have any interesting, funny or memorable stories from the recording sessions?
 
Kate: I mean, I mean, come onnn! I am new to the band, and this is my first experience working with these perfectionists. – “Kate, please sing like this, now please five takes of a whisper, then some harsh vocals on top of this”. And this is for one line (laughing)! That wasn’t easy at all, but the result is super cool, and I am happy we managed to do that.
 
Eugene: Typical Mission Jupiter recording process:)
 
Vlad: I don’t remember anything super memorable in the studio, but I do remember we were crazy about reproducing the atmosphere of drafting vocals recorded at home. Some of those vocals were so cool and emotional, so it took nerves and time to reproduce them in the studio.
 
Do you use any particular instruments, microphones, recording equipment to help you get a particular sound/tone for the record?
 
Eugene: We have a home studio, definitely a couple of synths, guitars, plugins, mics! But final touches need to be done in a professional studio ️ I wouldn’t say we used any particular instruments, etc., the most important thing is how you feel the music and how you blend sounds.
 
The single is accompanied by an official music video. What was the thought process behind the video and who directed it?
 
Vlad: You’re right! We wanted to create a live video with real musicians (us), and make it look modern and ‘tasty’. This is sort of Mission Jupiter’s presentation, you know.
 
Eugene: We have been working with the director, Alex Zhigalkovic, since 2019 when we shot our very first video with him for the song ‘The Sea Of Hopes’! He is a cute and pleasant guy, and he definitely knows how to present our band in the best possible way:)
 
Do you have any future music releases planned for 2025?
 
Eugene: Our new album, Aftermath, is out soon! This is a complete and fundamental record and we are now working on our live sound to be ready for playing live. We won’t have any other releases in 2025.
 
What two things do you hope to have achieved once you have left the stage?
 
Vlad: Good question, but I guess we should enter the stage first:) (laughing)! We have some cool songs and an interesting sound, but Mission Jupiter is now focusing on breaking through. Nowadays, it’s brutally hard to survive for a rock band plus there are a lot of overhyped bands in the world who are covering 75 percent of the rock music market. So I think we already achieved a lot as musicians: we created great music, the next step is to deliver it to the right people:)
 
Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?
 
Kate: Our hometown is Minsk city, Belarus. I would describe it this way:
1. Cozy
2. Comfortable
3. Heartful
4. Dark (sometimes)
5. Creative
 
How do you look after your voices?
 
Vlad: Since I am mostly a backing vocalist, I don’t look after my voice too much. Just trying to breathe properly while singing
 
Kate: Silence, silence, and more silence (when it’s needed)! Also, it’s great to drink water while singing and, of course, the right singing technique matters.
 
You are given the opportunity to write the score for a film adaptation of a novel that you enjoy. Which novel is it and why?
 
Eugene: We would probably try to write something really dark for ‘Crime and Punishment’ by F. Dostoevsky.
 
Who are some of your musical influences? Do you have any recommendations?
 
Vlad: Definitely! I do love HIM, The Gathering, early 30 Seconds to Mars, Marilyn Manson songs and his recent comeback, ‘One Assassination Under God’. Btw, Mechanical Animals is my all-time favorite record!
 
Eugene: When I was a teenager, I was actively listening to Lamb of God, Slayer, Slipknot, etc. Then I was into some Radiohead and Massive Attack stuff and when you listen to Mission Jupiter, you can certainly hear their influence

Kate: I am a huge fan of Halestorm and Guano Apes. I love their energy and stage presence! Btw, recent Spiritbox songs are cool too! As you can see, we all have quite different music tastes (laughing).
 
What makes Mission Jupiter happy and what makes you unhappy?
 
Kate: We would be happy to finally get the attention we deserve! In this crazy world it’s super hard for bands to break through even if you have amazing songs, etc. Resources for promotion are super important: you need to invest a lot of time, money and so on. We are getting bigger step by step, but this long and exhausting ‘road to success’ makes us feel frustrated and unhappy, at times. But we have a feeling that we are creating something special and fascinating, so one day all our efforts will pay off:)
 
Vlad: Completely agree with Kate. One thing we can be sure about: we write and deliver great music that we are proud of. At some point, this is the most important thing for any musician in this subjective world (smiling).

From: https://justlistentothis.co.uk/interviews/mission-jupiter-talk-new-music-their-hometown-and-more/

Moby Grape - I Am Not Willing

On the shortlist of Prettiest Songs Ever Recorded, Cosmic Psychedelic Country Division, “I Am Not Willing” isn’t just the highlight of Moby Grape’s third album, 1969’s Moby Grape ’69, but the greatest song they ever wrote, sporting a melody that is both as old and as deep as the mountains, while remaining fresh today as it was 50 years ago.
I mean, after all, I bought the the two-CD Moby Grape Vintage compilation back in 1993 because I wanted to have their classic debut on CD — and they knew it, as the first disc is all Moby Grape plus outtakes and live versions, leaving their other three records to share the second disc — so when “I Am Not Willing” showed up near the end of the second disc, I was completely gobsmacked. How wasn’t I prepared for this?
Musically, “I Am Not Willing” is incredibly simple: anchored by a slow, sad piano riff / drumbeat that is so rhythmic and repetitive that it could be a sample — and it should be, because I would love the fuck out of any song that sampled it — Peter Lewis sweetly sings about how utterly happy he is that the woman who left him wants to get back together.
By the time they get to the first chorus, a guitar has snuck into the song, in tears the whole time, and there’s a high harmony on the second repetition of the chorus. All of which are belying the optimism and hope of the lyrics. Until it gets blown to hell.
During all of this, Peter Lewis hasn’t changed his tone one little bit, even the guitar solo he tosses in after each chorus is as short as it is sad as it is lovely, but it’s a tiny bit longer as it takes us into the fade after that second chorus, which let us know, as per the title of the song, things have indeed changed.
Like “You Don’t Miss Your Water” and “Train From Kansas City,” I think that “I Am Not Willing” is one of those songs that is impossible to ruin with a cover version, and while the covers didn’t really start until after the release of Vintage — noone noticed this song back in 1969 — there have been a few, from artists as diverse as Wilco, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Lloyd Cole. But while they are all worthwhile, none of them completely capture the calm despair that Peter Lewis infuses the original.  From: https://medialoper.com/certain-songs-1183-moby-grape-i-am-not-willing/

Dikanda - Lazito

Dikanda is a music band of international renown, playing "world music". They come from Szczecin, Poland. In their artistic work Dikanda promotes the authenticity of style – searching for new trends therefore most of their works are original compositions. They draw their musical inspiration from traditional folk sounds of the broadly defined Orient – from the Balkans, through Israel, Kurdistan, Belarus to India. Their works are dominated by the Balkan and Gypsy influences. The band has been playing since 1997 and has recorded 7 albums so far, including a Live DVD recorded in the Witkacy Theatre in Zakopane. Dikanda's concerts are extremely emotional journeys through ethnic sounds, zestful meetings full of charisma, energy and true feelings. What sets Dikanda apart is creating new words in their lyrics, thus forming their genuine language - "dikandish". The most important element of their artistic work is the message – a special relation between the musicians and the audience.  From: https://www.womex.com/virtual/kaprol_music/dikanda 

Fools Face - What You Hide

In the late 1970’s, a band called Fools Face emerged from Springfield, Missouri, and began to build a following across the Midwest. By the early 1980’s, Fools Face was the dominant band on the Mid-western rock music circuit, packing clubs from Minnesota to Texas, from Kansas to Illinois.
Fools Face’s music has been called “high-voltage melodic rock” (Trouser Press), “a revitalization of 60’s high-energy stuff” (Jimmy Frink, in TP article), and “a hybrid of pop, punk and new wave” (the Kansas City Star). Four lead singers and four songwriters made possible the constant changes in vocal and musical textures that kept the band’s live performances fresh and energized.
In its original skinny-tie incarnation, this raucous fivesome from Springfield, Missouri combined the rough-and-tumble appeal of an ace bar band with diverse pop songwriting talent. Everyone except drummer Tommy Dwyer wrote and sang, displaying the diverse influence of the Stones, Beatles, soft pop, Little Richard, Led Zeppelin and Bowie.  From: https://www.last.fm/music/Fools+Face/+wiki

 

22 Brides - Purified / Something That Breaks / Stone

At home, checking out 22 Brides‘ self-titled CD on Zero Hour: Am I high? I can’t read these lyrics. Either a bigger typeface or stronger glasses are required. Sad part is, I think the words probably say something. I read on as best I can. Carrie and Libby Johnson. Hmm, a band fronted by singing sisters. How marketable.
I give it a listen. There are some nice harmonies, but their voices are way too sweet for me. I want to make them drink whiskey while I roll Drums for them to smoke. Strictly speaking, though, they sing fine. Really well, in fact. (Will they sound this good live? We’ll see.)
Hours later I’ve returned from their show with some illegible notes. Yes, they can sing like that live. Better, even. If I had heard on their CD some hint of the edge that this band has on stage, I would have liked the disc better. There was an energy in the performance that wasn’t adequately captured in the studio. I was told by singer/pianist/bass player Libby Johnson that the release was actually recorded a couple of years before that with a different set of musicians. Joining the Johnson sisters on tour, and for an upcoming recording project scheduled to begin this month, are drummer Ned Stroh and guitarist/bass player John Skehan.
This line-up works well for 22 Brides. It sounds more like a band, more like musicians and instruments happening together, and the music loses that girl-pop sound that I heard on the CD. I think they’re meaner than their recording. Their live show rocked except for the unavoidable problems that arose from using a house soundman.
I couldn’t help but grin when I heard that “King for the Day” was about a serial killer in Carrie and Libby’s own Hell’s Kitchen. How was I to know? I couldn’t read the fucking liner notes.
Fine print aside, I’d recommend catching 22 Brides next time they’re around and waiting for the next recording, tentatively titled Surge, which Libby says is getting underway in Philadelphia at Studio Red later this month under the direction of producer Adam Lasus. It’s scheduled for release on Zero Hour in August of this year.  From: https://lollipopmagazine.com/1995/03/22-brides-at-t-t-the-bears-review/

Goodbye June - Angel

A hard rock band who blend a rootsy sound with big guitars and plenty of strutting style, Goodbye June are a hard-hitting power trio whose sound is rooted in the classic rock of the 1970s, complete with the requisite blues influences, delivered with an energy and intensity that are thoroughly up to date. Landon Milbourn's lead vocals are the definition of gritty, roaring swagger, and the guitars generate enough full-bodied riffage to fill any arena they choose. Goodbye June's major-label debut, 2017's Magic Valley, was an explosive blend of past and present, and after exploring a more diverse and eclectic attack on 2019's Community Inn, 2022's See Where the Night Goes and 2024's Deep in the Trouble took them back to a more elemental, straightforward approach.
Goodbye June was formed by lead guitarist Tyler Baker, lead vocalist and guitarist Landon Milbourn, and drummer, multi-instrumentalist, and vocalist Brandon Qualkenbush in 2005. All three are first cousins, with Milbourn hailing from West Tennessee, while Baker and Qualkenbush were raised in Indiana. Baker, Milbourn, and Qualkenbush first started making music together in church (Landon's dad led the choir at his church, and Brandon's father was the preacher at a Pentecostal church), but they hadn't cohered into a band until Baker's brother, while on leave from the military, died in an auto accident in June 2005. As Baker struggled to deal with his grief, he bonded with Milbourn and Qualkenbush, and as they mourned they started writing songs. Calling their trio Goodbye June, the three moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in 2009 in search of their big break.
 The group's fiery live shows earned them a reputation in Music City, and in 2012 they released their debut album, Nor the Wild Music Flow, which was released on the independent Cotton Valley Records. After extensive regional touring in the United States, Goodbye June took their act abroad for the first time in the fall of 2013, playing shows in Germany, Spain, France, Belgium, Sweden, Holland, and Finland. 2014 saw the band taking home first prize in the Unsigned Music Competition, where a jury of musicians and journalists awarded them $10,000 in cash, as well as equipment and mentoring from music business executives. Goodbye June's growing buzz led to the band signing a deal with Interscope Records.  From: https://www.allmusic.com/artist/goodbye-june-mn0003263207#biography

Crawlers - Meaningless Sex

Amongst the noise of the alternative rock scene, Crawlers have consistently found a way to slice through. The Merseyside quartet was formed in 2018 and has only been on an upward trajectory since, becoming a common festival highlight and supporting the larger-than-life My Chemical Romance. Their widely celebrated EPs and a rampant Glastonbury set earned them a record deal with Polydor, and after six years of their conception comes their debut album, presenting a concise and unapologetic voice across its entire runtime.
Singer Holly Minto stated the album, “comes from us honing our craft, being vulnerable with each other, finding our sound and saying exactly what we wanted to.” It’s from searching to find this level of vulnerability that Cralwers create something so intimate and expansive; exploring the small details of relationships that give them a sense of meaning (or alternatively, lack of). Opener ‘Meaningless Sex’ is an excellent tone setter, with echoes of fuzz guitar buzzing in the background, constantly building to a climax that is well worth the wait. Minto shines here — as they tend to do — often resembling shades of Hayley Williams throughout the twelve songs Crawlers have hand-crafted.
Despite the tracks present having an undeniable intimate level to their lyrics, the sleek production and impressive instrumentation means the songs present on Crawlers’ debut feel fit for any stage in the world. ‘Kiss Me’ and ‘Hit It Again’ stick out as prime examples of the band’s ability to weave their way around a melody while maintaining the gritty grooves they initially became known for. Meanwhile, ‘Golden Bridge’ slices out the noise of the record to create a true moment of tender songwriting. The track strays from being the cliched piano ballad that’s been heard a thousand times before thanks to its incredible instrumental and performance; it wouldn’t be hard to imagine Minto writing the lyrics in the darkest corner of their bedroom, not shying away from its fragility but instead using it as a strength. “It hurts to look back”, triumphantly sings Minto, empowering their emotions on a chorus that hits like a knockout blow.  From: https://medium.com/@therockrevival/crawlers-the-mess-we-seem-to-make-cb8af9b2f592

Cordelia's Dad - George Collins

Although Cordelia's Dad started as a standard punk-influenced guitar-bass-drums rock band, their repertoire from the beginning has consisted entirely of traditional American folk tunes. Although the electric instrumentation became less pronounced in their music after their first few albums, Cordelia's Dad have remained known for both their intensity and playfulness. This element is particularly evident on-stage, where lead singer Tim Eriksen will spin humorous stream-of-consciousness stories between and sometimes during songs and the band will occasionally close sets with versions of songs like the Ramones' "Commando" or Cheap Trick's "Surrender."
Those songs are actually perfectly in character for the trio, because Eriksen and percussionist/singer Peter Irvine's roots are in the western Massachusetts hardcore scene of the '80s. Both grew up in Northampton, MA, and gravitated toward punk music in high school and college. The pair teamed up in a succession of local bands, but as the decade progressed, Eriksen's family interest in traditional folk music began to reassert itself. Although Cordelia's Dad formed in 1988 as a standard punk thrash band, the group quickly turned to a brainstorm of Eriksen's: setting traditional American folk tunes like the ones found in the Anne and Frank Warner collection in a punky electric context. Fairport Convention and other British folk-rock bands had been doing the same with British folk music for decades, but the idea had never particularly caught on in America despite the clear line of history that can be traced from rock back through country and blues to the very songs Cordelia's Dad were resurrecting.
Most importantly, the trio -- although conscientious about crediting their sources and scholarly in their explanations of the roots of the songs -- did not approach the music with a purist desire for "authenticity." Like all good musicologists, they realized that the fascination of folk music lies in the variants and oddities, and besides often using the most inexplicable or obscure version they could find of any given song, the trio had no compunction against setting the words of one song to the tune of another, or even writing new lyrics or melodies for songs when necessary. Their first self-titled album was released in 1990 and documented the exploratory stages of this new direction. Although occasionally awkward and much more noisy than their later work, Cordelia's Dad is clearly an exciting and important album.
 1992's How Can I Sleep?, produced by Dave Schramm (the Schramms, Yo La Tengo), is an enormous improvement over the debut and possibly the finest folk-rock album of the '90s. The folk tunes and rock arrangements are much better integrated and Eriksen's powerful voice is given more room to shine. One track, "Narragansett Bay," sounds like it could have been a hit single. The trio followed up that triumph with the Four Songs EP, their first all-acoustic record. Though played on much more traditional instruments, the songs still have the passion and immediacy of their electric work.  From: https://www.allmusic.com/artist/cordelias-dad-mn0000097953#biography

Animated Music Videos

 

 Psychedelic Porn Crumpets - Mr. Prism

 

 Richard Thompson - I Feel So Good

 

 Sparks - The Existential Threat

 

 The Dead Pirates - Wood

 

 The Future Sound Of London - We Have Explosive

 

 Vampillia - Lilac

 

 Wolf Parade - Julia Take Your Man Home

 

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Pin

 

 Yellow Majesty - Honey Sweet

 

 Zywiołak - Bóstwa

 

Following the release of “Mr. Prism” earlier this month, their first single of 2020, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets have now shared an adventure-filled clay animation video for the song. Created by Oliver Jones, who the band have collaborated with previously on their similarly kaleidoscopic videos, the video for ‘Mr. Prism’ takes us on a colourful journey through ‘sweetsville’, with some surprisingly dark encounters along the way. On the creation of the video, McEwan says: “A prismatic man needs a colourful adventure, so when we were throwing ideas back & forth with Oliver it was hard to pass on an edible Claymation. All of us were in awe when he sent us through the final animation – proper cherry-on-top work!”  From: https://thefirenote.com/videos/psychedelic-porn-crumpets-mr-prism-video/

The critical consensus is that Rumour and Sigh is your most accessible record to date. Do you agree?

I’m always making a conscious effort to be viable and accessible. Obviously, I’m not very good at it or I would have sold billions of records by now. [laughs] With a major label release, I certainly want to give them something they can work with if possible, without compromising my artistic integrity man. [said tongue-in-cheek] I do like to please myself on records though. I don’t like making records for other people. It’s a very forced job. So, I try and self-criticize and rely on quality as the yardstick.

What overt influence did the label have on the record?

They changed a song title. One was called "The Lost Sheep Returns to the Fold." [original title of "I Feel So Good"] They didn’t think it was snappy enough. They’re probably right, but I like those Gilbert & Sullivan titles. It’s not really interference though, because in a sense, I don’t know anything about record companies or how they work as far as marketing. I don’t really care what they do in terms of what they put on the radio or how they package something. If they think they know how to do it, I’m willing to see what they come up with.

Speaking of marketing, Capitol is financing an elaborate animated video for "I Feel So Good."

Yes, as we speak, thousands of Koreans are slaving over it. It’s being done by the same people who do The Simpsons. It doesn’t look like The Simpsons, but it’s very, very interesting. It’s quite an original piece. It’s my first promo video since 1983. Since then, they’ve been using bits of a long form concert video called Across a Crowded Room they shot in Ottawa, Canada at a club called Barrymore’s.

From: https://www.innerviews.org/inner/thompson-1

UK director/animator Cyriak brings all his mastery of subversive weirdness to this music video for “The Existential Threat”, a track off the newest album from venerable American pop innovators Sparks. Cyriak: “When I was asked to make a music video for Sparks I could hardly believe it. They sent me the whole of their new album to choose from, and there was this one song that immediately stood out ‘The Existential Threat’. Not only did the music fit perfectly with my animation style, but the subject of existential dread is also something I have been fascinated by for as long as I can remember. It was like I could see the whole video inside my head as I listened to the song. The brief was totally open, but I felt this track deserved more than just some crazy visuals. It has a psychology driving it, and a feeling that hangs over us all, especially in these modern times of information overload. Are these threats real, or imaginary? Are they just a paranoid delusion, or do we ignore them at our peril? It was great fun making this video, and I hope it makes people think about their inevitable impending death in a more light-hearted way.”  From: https://www.stashmedia.tv/sparks-existential-threat/

Dead Pirates roared into existence in 2009 as the “band” behind “Wood (Dirty Melody),” an infectious slice of garage punk that soundtracked an animated music video by the French illustrator Matthieu Bessudo—better known as Mcbess. At the time, the “band” was just Mcbess himself, a chance for him to stretch his creative muscles beyond the Max Fleischer-inspired artwork and videos for which he’s become known. Mcbess created the video for “Wood” during his day job at Oscar-winning VFX studio The Mill. “What I wanted to do was make music,” he says. “It didn’t really matter if I became famous or anything like that. It just started to get bigger and bigger.”  From: https://daily.bandcamp.com/features/dead-pirates-interview

We Have Explosive is an electrifying animation by Run Wrake. Wrake directed it as a music video for Future Sound of London's 1996 single "We Have Explosive" and it features snippets from the 1994 short "Jukebox." I love the collaged look of the trippy world in this video. Wrake was an incredible animation director and graphic designer who lived from 1963 to 2012.  From: https://boingboing.net/2022/07/06/we-have-explosive-is-an-electrifying-animation-by-run-wrake.html

Check out the music video for Lilac from the ten piece “brutal orchestra” known as Vampillia. The track features vocals from the iconic Jun Togawa, frontwoman for such influential bands as Yapoos and Geurnica. The grotesque music video was put together by “Toolate” and Tomomi Komazaki for the album “The Divine Move”. The visuals, that feel reminiscent of the work of standout mangakas’ like Nishioka Kyoudai, Hideshi Hino or Shintaro Kago, offers a disturbing backdrop too the otherwise serene track. Additionally, Togawa’s vocals elicit a strong emotional response, sung with the bravado that made her an icon and innovator of the rock and pop genre.  From: https://asianmoviepulse.com/2020/10/music-video-lilac-by-vampillia-feat-jun-togawa/

Wolf Parade have shared the official music video for their Thin Mind track "Julia Take Your Man Home." For the psychedelic visuals, the band enlisted fellow Canadian indie rocker, skilled animator and Sub Pop labelmate Chad VanGaalen. Released as a single earlier this month, "Julia Take Your Man Home" follows previous tracks "Against the Day" and "Forest Green," and hears Spencer Krug on lead vocals, exploring male stupidity. The release of the video comes on the tails of a North American tour announcement, which includes a handful of Canadian dates.  From: https://exclaim.ca/music/article/wolf_parade_share_chad_vangaalen-directed_music_video_for_julia_take_your_man_home

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Pin: With a very cartoonish stop-motion animation, the production fits well with the song's lyrics and shows a doll (probably Karen O) being chased and tormented by a contraption that sticks pins into her. The animation is quite peculiar and even features a romance with a cockroach. The plot focuses on those insects that are pinned and framed for collection.  Translated from: https://musicainstantanea.com.br/videografia-yeah-yeah-yeahs/

‘Honey Sweet’ is 3.27 min long and it takes you on one of the most intense, surreal, colorful, funny, provoking, entertaining, cute, crazy, and uniquely weird journeys. Its grotesque, appealing, and raw imagery is presented in a fresh, stylish, and modern format, making it such a unique video and song worth remembering. On top of that, there is a character in the video resembling the world wide known wrestler The Undertaker, doing what he does best, putting the evil into the grave.
His karmic role in the video goes well with the story of the song, emphasizing human behaviour when it is as its most sinful stage, doing all the things that one wants to do in the name of sex, glutony, greed, wrath, hypocrisy, addiction, and more. The video is thus a direct projection of showing the double standards of human nature, manifested through a very entertaining, different, and thought provoking way, offering the viewer many different layers of interpretation and at the same time providing a high sense of ridicule and irony in the message: life is honey sweet!
The video was animated by the artist Inari Sirola, and this is what she had to say about the collaboration with Amir, the man behind Yellow Majesty: The track’s melodic rhythm evoked my creativity. Coming into this project I really wanted to give this beat a visual representation. Amir approached me, knowing my style and being familiar with my previous work. This allowed me to tap into the weird and comedic corners of my dark imagination. The brief I received had wonderful ideas and after an in-depth conversation with Amir we established what he wanted for the music video and what I could offer to the project.
The juxtaposition of grotesque imagery and the naivety of the world building is something I will always treasure. Although I knew the music video wouldn’t have a traditional A to B narrative I really enjoyed having some of these elements within the into. One of my favorite things in my work is writing dialogue, within the shortest interactions it allows you to establish characters as well as set the tone.  From: https://staticdive.com/2021/03/05/yellow-majesty-honey-sweet/

The song Bóstwa (Deities), included on 2017 album Pieśni pół/nocy (Midnight Songs), mirrors Żywiołak’s place as an ambassador between Slavic folk tradition and modern, Western rock through its depiction of Kupala, a pagan holiday celebrated on the longest day of the year. Originally practiced as fertility rites and an homage to the Sun, Kupala became Ivan Kupala, and fused with the Christian John the Baptist in a process known as syncretism.  From: https://popkult.org/zywiolak/ 

Psychedelic Porn Crumpets

 

 Richard Thompson

 

 Sparks

 

 The Dead Pirates

 

 The Future Sound Of London

 

 Vampillia

 

Wolf Parade

 

 Yeah Yeah Yeahs

 

 Yellow Majesty

 

 Zywiołak

Avatarium - Rockpalast 2015

 Avatarium - Rockpalast 2015 - Part 1

 

 Avatarium - Rockpalast 2015 - Part 2

 

Darker, heavier, and more emotionally charged than recent efforts, Avatarium’s upcoming album “Between You, God, The Devil And The Dead” showcases a refined blend of soul-stirring lyricism, colossal riffs, and atmospheric depth. Led by the dynamic partnership of Jennie-Ann Smith and Marcus Jidell, the band has carved a sound that is uniquely their own, creating a rare space where both the artists and listeners alike can forge a shared journey through the universal questions of life and death. We had an opportunity to sit down with vocalist and lyricist Jennie-Ann Smith, reflecting on the band’s journey, and the diverse inspirations and influences that resonate throughout the album.

How are you feeling now that you’re close to the release date?

“It’s odd. It’s always fun because this album was finished in early summer last year, so we’ve worked very hard to get everything finished. It’s new again, and that gives you perspective, but we’ve done a lot of promotion. Besides listening to it over and over again, we also got feedback. And so far, it’s been overwhelmingly good.” 

How did you and Marcus decide to incorporate different musical styles on the album?

“It happens quite automatically. We feel it when we are writing towards the right direction. We care about our heritage and where we come from, but we aim to be as creative and free as we possibly can. And this time, I brought my old piano, it traveled from the west coast of Sweden to Stockholm. It sounds great. We wrote a lot of the material on that piano and translated that to guitar riffs. I think that broadens the possibilities… the range of what the guitar actually does. On this album, we’re going back to the roots. I’ve been very focused on melodies. And, as you know, we’ve done this for over 10 years, and I know what I like to sing live, what kind of melodies are intriguing and interesting. So back to the roots, but it’s also influenced by piano, and we listen to a lot of classical music.”

How do you feel your vocal style, which has clear jazz/blues influences, fits within heavier doom influences?

“It was a lucky accident that me, Leif Edling (Candlemass) and Marcus found each other and had the courage to try out this music together. Immediately we heard that this is something special and unique. I think that the unique thing is that we come from different musical backgrounds. I’m not the average metal singer. I come from a quite jazzy background and the way I perceive music, and my timing, is quite jazz oriented. In music history, things get interesting when you have these contrasts.

Do you have any jazz or blues artists that have influenced your vocal style and your evolution as a musician?

“As a teenager, I was introduced to jazz music, artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Nina Simone. These types of singers made such a huge impact on me. I do not come from a musical family. I was influenced by my parents because they like to listen to music, but none of them was a musician. Then I went to music school, and I was introduced to these wonderful Canadian heroes that I treasure, like Joni Mitchell and Neil Young. Listening to Joni Mitchell‘s “Blue” (1971) was life changing for me. I cannot describe how much it meant to me in every way.”

I understand that you’re a psychotherapist, and you mentioned that you encounter patients that deal with death anxiety. How do your professional experiences influence your music?

“I have thought a lot about that, and I think that sometimes your consciousness directly pulls you in a certain direction. I think it’s definitely been that way for me. It’s not morbid for me. I’ve been interested in these existential questions my whole life, I was quite a philosophical child. I remember writing this essay about death and the dying process in the region where I grew up, and the traditions around that. It’s interesting because as a person, I’m not particularly depressive or depressed, I have a quite light personality. I’m fortunate to have music to channel these questions, because these topics create new questions. I get to deal with that through music, which is a huge privilege. If you listen to the lyrics and the music, you can probably hear that.”

You have described Leif Edling as a mentor to both yourself and Marcus. How has working with him shaped your approach to the way you think about the music?

“Leif is a master of his craft. Working alongside him, I’ve learned a lot about songwriting, not because he explicitly told me “this is how you do it”, but by listening and interpreting and working with the arrangements of his songs. What has also been really important is learning from his musical integrity. He is such a free spirit, he allows himself to just go about music as he sees fit, which I think is so amazing. He’s free, and he does what he wants, follows his intuition.”

I have been collecting data on the diversity of bands signed to major labels or who have performed at major heavy music festivals. Very few had any gender and cultural diversity at all.

“And then, if you were to analyze that further, how many of those females have written the material they performed, or have chosen how to interpret the material, what to wear, and so on? It demands integrity and also certain conditions to be able to do it. I think in my case, my husband, who is also the guitarist of Avatarium, is enabling me. He provides a certain security for me. To do this, I’d have to say that he believes in me, he protects me, and I can be as free as I want and that’s great. The music business is competitive, and as anyone else, every man and woman in music, you have to earn your place and work hard.”

Is there a specific song on the album that stands out the most to you?

“I think there are several songs that I really like on this album. If I were to mention a song, I do like “Being With The Dead” a lot. That one has a quirky, odd riff. It’s sort of resisting, and then it opens up in a major chord on the chorus, and I really like that.”

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

“The music speaks for itself. It’s powerful, but wherever a classical sound is, you can immediately hear that. So that means it’s very dynamic. We moved from being very, very fragile to bombastic and super powerful. Since your webzine is focused on females working in this genre, I hope this will inspire more women to take active part in creating music.”

From: https://www.femalefrontedpower.com/interviews/avatarium-interview/ 

 

Animal Collective - Oddsac - Visual Album

 Animal Collective - Oddsac - Part 1

 

 Animal Collective - Oddsac - Part 2

 

Oddsac is a visual album by Animal Collective, featuring psychedelic visuals directed and edited by Danny Perez. First announced in August 2006, the film took over four years to complete. The band members and director Danny Perez dubbed the 53 minute combination of Perez's film and Animal Collective's music a "visual album" or "visual record" in which the visual "scenarios" were created to reflect the music and the music was created to reflect the imagery. The band members make appearances as major characters in the film. According to the band, the film's name is both a pleasant combination of letters and the name for a bag of gummy candies. The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2010, It was officially released on DVD on August 10, 2010.
The project was first conceived when Plexifilm approached the band regarding the creation of a documentary or concert film. The band decided to approach Perez about making a film which resulted in Perez going on tour with the band in order to create some concert footage for the upcoming project. This film was never used as the band decided to make a film that was more to 'their taste'. While Perez was on tour with Animal Collective concepts for many of the scenes for the film that would become Oddsac were discussed and the shooting of the film began shortly thereafter. Many of these concepts were based on ideas that the band had been discussing for several years. During the production of the film the musicians and director collaborated, and thus neither the music nor the film was created independent of the other aspect of the work. This had been the concept of the film since its inception. Josh Dibb explains:
That was the goal of what we were setting out to do. We didn't want to have him make a video and have us score to it and we didn't want to make a piece of music and have him just cut a video to it. So we did a lot of back and forth and ... both things informed each other. And that was what we wanted to make.
Many of the sounds created by the band were inspired directly by the images created by Perez and Perez's images were changed often in response to new music and sounds from the band. The film was shot outdoors in what was intended to be an "alien landscape". The sound from the film footage was not used because of its poor quality and the noise of the generator used on the outdoor set.
The band members and Perez have indicated that Oddsac would only be released in theatres and in DVD form. According to Portner (AKA Avey Tare) the band will not release a separate sound-track since the video and audio are intended to be seen and heard in tandem. However, he also stated that fans will inevitably rip the music and listen to the sound track separately. The DVD package includes a 40-page hardcover book containing imagery from the film.
    
1 "Mr. Fingers" – 7:01
2 "Kindle Song" – 2:53
3 "Satin Orb Wash" – 2:53
4 "Green Beans" – 2:22
5 "Screens" – 3:39
6 "Urban Creme" – 6:36
7 "Working" – 2:45
8 "Tantrum Barb" – 3:42
9 "Lady on the Lake" – 3:52
10 "Fried Camp" – 5:12
11 "Fried Vamp" – 3:46
12 "Mess Hour House" – 3:10
13 "What Happened?" – 4:40

Whorses - Have You Seen Bob

Straight from the prairies of Kortrijk, Whorses have buckled themselves firmly in the saddle of the Belgian rock scene since they struck their first note of noise, somewhere back in 2017. These four cowboys found each other in a mutual quest for something new, different, crooked or quirky in music — rough, hard and uncompromising, but without knowing what exactly it was they craved for at the time.
It didn’t take Harry, Baptiste, Timotheus and Tijl long to stumble upon a sound quite their own: already with debut single ‘Rocky’, they frankly showed how to blend clenched and bone hard noise tunes with more sensitive and softer parts. That fresh, cutting edge sound was praised by press and public right away: Whorses quickly played Sonic City, Ancienne Belgique, Trix, Vooruit and Volta amongst others, got featured by Humo and Red Bull Music and were invited as support act for Belgian cult bands like Stake, Brutus and Raketkanon.
Not long after that intensity became their trademark, a fair amount of other influences started to drip in. Winter times, a rehearsal space in renovation and lockdown periods made the band reach for acoustic set-ups, resulting in more melody-based and kinder compositions — although in any case, artists like Pavement, The Beatles or Eliot Smith were already undisputable influences from the start. But don’t expect their country-infused songs to sound like your average singer-songwriter: Whorses wouldn’t be Whorses without a little edgy, weird or uncommonly intriguing angle on literally anything they create.
In fact, Whorses deliberately explores all which can exist in their own universe, and is not afraid to experiment with whatever comes out. Similar to a band like Ween, there are no limitations or fixed expectations in music for them, but only endless amounts of possibilities. Add to that a good portion of humour and subtle self-irony and you’ll quickly understand how the band’s self-titled debut came to be a double album, not limited in style or genre but filled with almost everything the four-piece worked on over the years.  From: https://toutpartout.be/artist/whorses/