Happy Monday(s)! Welcome to each of you who joined us over the last few days (hi there!)! It’s great to have you here. Winter has finally showed up here in flyover country. Wherever this finds you, I hope it’s sunny wand warm!
For those of you who are new, we kick off every week by sharing what we’ve been playing.
The playlist below is some of what I’ve had in heavy rotation. It’s a bit eclectic, even by my suual standards, but it’s been that kind of week.
Now it’s your turn:
What caught your ear this week? Find anything good while crate digging? Any upcoming releases or shows you’re excited for?
This weekend I took a deep dive into Bad Company. I made a mistake of reading one of those lists that told me what the top 10 Bad Company songs were, and I had to do some research to prove them wrong.
Damn, Bob....now, I REALLY like your style! First, I'll have to try to remember if I ever saw them live....that doesn't answer your question, but as with any artist, I feel compelled to plumb the depths of my memory for any interactions! Gimme a mo, and I'll get back to ya!
OK.....disclaimer time: I'm not at all familiar enough with their entire catalog, having never owned any of their albums (but, was certainly familiar with the "hit" album cuts and the hit singles), BUT....I sang Free's "Wishing Well" in '73 with my Brimstone 6-pc rock band, based at Houston's Bellaire High School. I don't think I ever saw Bad Company, but it's possible I saw Free open for a Deep Purple or other early '70s concert....I went to many from '70-'73, with my first being Led Zep in '70 (I was 15)!
Amazing collection (super-group?) of already-veteran players....I had followed Mott a few years, and was taken aback by Ralphs joining BC! Of their catalog, I'm most familiar with the first two (debut and "Straight Shooter"), as I played them a lot at Houston's KLOL-FM in '75, and on my 7-midnight shift at Baton Rouge's WFMF-FM 102, from '76-'77. I'm sure I played some from "Run With the Pack," but don't recall much of that album. By "Burnin' Sky" (3/77), I was moving from radio into retail records, and remember racking that one and the several following albums!
Your Qs: The best BC song that epitomizes: Only because it's a great trivia question, with the answer being "not many" (there is "Black Sabbath" by BS, I just remembered!) I gotta go with their "Bad Company," at least til I can find a "Jethro Tull" song by Tull!
My favorite (again, from a limited field as I've not really heard a note past their "Desolation Angels" '79 album, although I did like, "Rock'n'Roll Fantasy"), I think I'd have to say "Feel Like Makin' Love," less for the song itself than by how it came about: Rodgers was 19 and wrote it at a camp, while touring with Free. He did nothing with it until BC was formed, and Ralphs helped him finish it.
Plus, I had a couple early '70s Pentangle albums, so I appreciate the song more after seeing Record World said this about the song: "A Pentangle-influenced British folk-rock original in which guitars alternate between acoustical peace and electronic pow for a most unique effect."
I saw bad company with Brian Howe as the singer, and then saw Paul Rogers twice on solo tours. Paul Rogers opened up with Kenny Wayne Shepherd for the Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band. I find Paul Rogers to be one of the few singers that is better live than recorded.
I wouldn't say that I'm a fanatical fan, but I did open every radio show that I did at my college station with bad company, bad company. It didn't matter if I was doing a new wave goth show, punk, or metal show... They all open the same way. Yep, I'm a nerd
For me, I feel like the song feel like making love is everything bad company was known for. When they kick in with the power cords it just hits the spot. On a personal level, seagull and bad company are probably my two favorite songs by the band. Although, gone gone gone sometimes squeaks into the three-way tie.
Thanks, Bob! Context is everything, so anything I said I felt needed a hook for you on which to hang your hat! I appreciate your info, too! I was amazed to see that BC lasted into the '90s, but then realized at least Howe fronted. I may look up him to see his history, about which I know nothing.
I do think Rodgers deserves a place in the discussion of "best" rock frontman, simply due to his blues-tinged voice quality and track record.
I totally agree about all Roger's being one of the "best" rock frontman of all time.
I've talked to people that make the argument that, this person, has greater range or has more number one hits. But Roger's can excite 80,000 people at arena, or bring a tear to everyone's eye at the same show. Roger's is definitely on my top 10 list... Oh crap another list.
When you are done with your BadCo dive, dry yourself off with a warm towel, have a bevy, and then jump into Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Amongst many other things, they are the basis for Jack Black's dream group "Kathleen Turner Overdrive".
Last week I discovered Ken Yeates. A wonderful singer/songwriter from Canada. Makes very pleasant, chilled out folkpop.. Sort of a mix between Elliot Smith and Jonathan Richman.
With guest vocals from Kathleen Edwards and Katie Pruitt, you can't go wrong either.
Great call! I liked his singles at the time, but spent more time getting into Elvis Costello, The Clash, and others. A few years ago, something led me back to him and I did a deep dive on his whole career. While it's all good, as you said, the first four records are just astonishing.
This is a Graham Parker appreciation page! Squeezing Out Sparks is a favorite of mine. I also had a chance to chat with Brinsley Schwarz not too long ago, and that's on here somewhere.
Listened to Fleetwood Mac's Rumours for the first time in a unknown number of years. Always liked it (couldn't escape it in the 70s/80s), but had never really heard it. Remarkably bleak. Tts lyrics v music remind me of the way Steely Dan carried along dark, dark lyrics with that jazzy, slick beat. Genius.
The writer Hanif Abdurraqib has a great essay about Rumors in his book “They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us.” -- “[The process of creating the album] spoke to the band’s interest in self-torture for the sake of Mick Fleetwood’s desire to make the Great American Pop Album at all costs, even if Fleetwood Mac had to be held together by cocaine and scotch tape.”
Hey, Bryan.....in case you missed it, I did a revealing deep dive into Stevie's "Dreams" from "Rumours." The band was calling it by the working title, "That Spinners Song" until she came up with a proper title! Yep, she was influenced by disco in general, and The Spinners in particular! https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/earthquake-1977-fleetwood-macs-1
I also went back and listened to Jawbreaker's "Unfun", and then "24 Hour Revenge Therapy." They definitely had whatever it was from about 1990 through 95, I think.
I like it. That's the language I learned to speak during my teens and twenties: sellouts and posers, that kind of thing. We called Green Day "Greed Day" and even wrote a song about them, if memory serves.
We subscribed to that same orthodoxy. Looking back on it now, it all seems so strange, doesn't it? Like, who wouldn't want their favorite band to succeed and keep playing?
It kind of depends. Green Day never really claimed to be super punk in the first place, so I think it was a bit of an unfair characterization, yes. But a few other bands like Rancid, who talked about molotov cocktails and fighting the system and all that, then taking their message to Mtv and making bank? I think we were reasonable to be suspicious of some of the motive.
In anticipation of their new albums I listened to:
* Black Grape - 'It's Great When You're Straight... Yeah'
* Waxahatchee - 'Saint Cloud'
* Ride - 'Nowhere'
New Black Grape sounds phenomenal, especially the track Milk.
Scored a stack of obscure krautrock and psychedelic rock CD's from bargain bin at local library this week and discovered a bunch of great music - absolutely blown away by Sunbirds S/T. Wow!
Happy Monday(s)! On the turntable, Thinking in Textures (EP) by Chet Faker, Let it Be and Dark Side of the Moon. It’s been that kind of (introspective) weekend 🤪
The new Shed Seven album is glorious! Also, Liam Gallagher and John Squire have a new project and just put out a debut single. It's literally like if Oasis and the Stone Roses had a baby - so good. 2024 is off to a great start.
Newish: Philly band Golden Apples, Bananasugarfire
Old: Joe Jackson, Look Sharp (found an unopened LP at my local record store); Tribe Called Quest, Midnight Marauders; Alabama Skakes, Boys & Girls; The White Album; Coltrane Live at Birdland
Weezer’s Buddy Holly over and over because my youngest son is obsessed 🤣 He finally asked Alexa to play The Blue Album! So, revisiting that. I never purchased the album when it came out, so I appreciated hearing all of the tracks. They are a band that a lot of their singles end up on my playlists. Undone - The Sweater Song, Hash Pipe, Say It Ain’t So...
I thought of The Teal Album the other day when I saw a newsletter about cover songs- I remember going with my sister to pick up her Target order of it LOL 😂 I hadn’t heard anything about it, but had *just* heard Africa on the alternative station and was like “who th is this and why is it on the alternative station!” Africa by Toto was a favorite song of mine back when it was released, but I thought Weezer’s cover was entirely too identical! It’s like almost exactly the same song. Anyway, we listened to the whole album in her car that day. I’m going to have to give it a listen again today now that it’s on my mind and my youngest has a Weezer obsession 😂
Revisited the Violent Femmes catalog for the first time in quite a while. I am reminded of what a great band they are. Every one of their albums is cohesive and sounds great. That little trip led me to also revisit Soul Coughing and some of the Cake catalog. ✌️
I listened to their S/T when it was making waves for turning 40, and was surprised at how well it's held up. If you happen to still be on Twitter, Victor DeLorenzo is a decent follow.
Somewhere about last Tuesday a random thought hit me- "I wanna learn some James Brown songs". So I went and learned a bunch of them, mostly from "bass cover" videos bc with a couple exceptions the bass is buried in the mix (mostly by the horns; the very mild bass tone doesn't help much either). That was fun; but straining to hear the bass lines sent me back to the funk I love best: The Meters. I don't need anything special to hear George Porter Jr's bass go boom- and his tone has big shoulders.
Nice to see The Clean in your playlist. I missed them in that initial rush of Flying Nun/New Zealand bands. I have this amazing Calexico bootleg from their duo years, and they did a great cover of "The Blue," which led me back to check out The Clean. Dig it.
My last week:
- Continuing my Suzanne Vega deep dive (last night was 99.9)
- Jon Dee Graham - Only Dead For A Little While. Terrific record from an underappreciated songwriter.
YouTube has me on a wind quintet marathon these days. Some new stuff, some stuff that's a trip down Memory Lane to what the wind quintet at my high school would play.
Most power pop albums in the 1970s were frankly pretty bad. Thin vocals, jangly guitars with no bottom end. And then there was "Present Tense" by Shoes, a Zion, Ill. band that unlike other similar bands, had barely played live at all before the album was released. It's just incredible. Lush vocals and hooks so strong you could hang a sofa on them. Just an amazing album and "Too Late" was the lead single:
You might've seen this, but Mallie Hart made a starter list of tracks for people new (or new-ish) to the band. If you've checked it out, I'd be curious to hear what you would've added, left off, etc.
A mix of old and new for me recently. The latest records from 21 Savage and Kid Cudi (both duds I’m afraid) and the classic Aretha gospel record from 1972, “Amazing Grace.” The latter is really incredible 😍😍
When I turned on KMHD this morning to my joy was Art Blakeys Freedom Rider (MLK Jr’s I have a dream speech). A great way to start the day remembering Dr Martin Luther King Jr.’s empathy and wisdom on this holiday. Thanks for asking, I was wanting to share that with someone.
Oh I just saw that it’s really cold and wet right now in Portland! I’m actually in salinas and haven’t lived in PDX for about 10 years. But I stream KMHD every day lol! Hope your loved ones up in the PNW are doing well too!
I have to admit that I’m actually from Boston originally but I did move out to Oregon in 1996 so I’ve seen lots of changes over the years. Like pre-pearl and Alberta districts. I haven’t made it up back in over 10 years so I’m real curious. I feel that I left during its peak.
Loved it! Back then I had a large 2 bedroom apartment on nw 23rd and Everett for $650/mo can you believe it? It was so special to walk absolutely everywhere! I’m lucky to have lived there. Take care my friend!
Always enjoyed Yo La Tengo and been recently going back and filling in gaps in my YLT collection.
This week I've had more wonderful musical discoveries than any person should in a week and if this continues, I'm going to be spending way too much money again on music this year. Here are a few I'm enjoying:
This album by Les Bicyclettes De Belsize is great for any fan of Indie Folk Pop or Orchestral Pop -
I also discovered some cool tributes like the Rick White Syd Barrett tribute from a few years ago and a new tribute to Edwyn Collins as part of the PRF monthly tribute series, so again way too much new music to dig into.
I have mostly had the new Vaccines album on repeat since Friday but I am never not listening to We Are Scientists and there have also been excellent new releases from Hunny Buzz and Yard Act in the last week.
Starting off with my first 2024 album release, Trevor Horn's all-covers album, Echoes Ancient and Modern. They are mostly artists that he's played with or produced over his 50 year career, many of the tracks quite inspired. Seal singing Joe Jackson's "Steppin' Out" is one of my faves.
This is great! Wasn't sure what to expect going in, but Seal (and Horn) did the song justice here. Also, it's pretty clear in the first clip that Horn has stolen my chair dancing moves.
You should lawyer up. Or at least ask Horn for credit! I recommend the whole album. The version of Grace Jones' "Slave to the Rhythm" (a live track) is sublime. And Tori Amos gives Kendrick Lamar's "Swimming Pools" her trademark drama.
Dug out a jazz album from 1966, 'Mean What You Say,' by Thad Jones and Pepper Adams with Duke Pearson, Ron Carter and Mel Lewis that I hadn't played in ages. A masterful display of interplay and intuitive improvisation. The kind of pristine jazz that newbies to the genre would love. https://youtu.be/JdTL5xlNDOA?feature=shared
Not gonna lie; I'm still trying to wrap my head around how much you listen to/read. 5 day weekends or no, that's incredible volume! Also, please drop a link to the post when it comes out.
Probably to nobody's surprise for the writer of a Substack titled, "One A Day Rush," I've been listening to a lot of Rush lately. LOL I've been revisiting the brilliant Grace Under Pressure as I try to get back into running -- "The Body Electric" is an excellent running song!
For fun, I work at a coral reef farm in which my work day consists of me alone for 8 hours with headphones. I create these musical "challenges" to keep things interesting.
Listening to the albums did remind me of a writing exercise I did a while ago about "She's Leaving Home". I revised it yesterday and might post on my Substack (which is in Hebrew).
So it turned out to be both for fun and for an article lol
Beat Happening is a band I wish I'd appreciated a little more when I was younger. They played a lot of shows in/around Portland, but it was usually opening for whoever I really wanted to see. Rough sledding for the band.
Calvin and K Records, priceless. I never saw Beat Happening live and I lived in Portland and Seattle in the late '80s. Too bad Satryicon is no longer there. Bye George!
Revisiting early Mudhoney after listening to The Making Of Superfuzz Bigmuff episode from the Life of The Record podcast (great series, highly recommend)
All this day (Tuesday), so far, I have listened to the first six Led Zeppelin albums, in order, all the way through. A few words come to mind: Consistency, blues, well-performed. This band, to that point of 'Houses of the Holy' could do very little wrong.
"Physical Graffiti" is awesome, but it is definitely the album where they begin to show some humanity. "The Rover" struggles, unlike the fluidity throughout the first five records. I'm not judging it as bad, but just something I noticed.
I always have XM radio going in the car and today I've been jumping between Real Jazz, Outlaw Country, Little Steven's Underground, Willie's Roadhouse and The Grateful Dead channel. In the last few days on Spotify I've checked out Onsen, revisited some Mahavishnu Orchestra, Slayer and found a great playlist called Fusion Fest that's a mixed bag of fusion jazz artists. In my office this morning I was spinning the albums Ol' Waylon by Waylon Jennings, and Jethro Tull's amazing, Thick As A Brick, which is perhaps one of the greatest album covers of all time, on my turntable. As I write this I'm on Spotify listening to Tommy Guerrero's "No Time for Time" from his 2008 album, Return of the Bastard and have songs by Delvon Lamarr Oragn Trio, Menahan Street Band and The Cactus Channel on deck.
For most of last week, I was working my tail off on the latest in my Best Of 2023 series, which I published over the weekend: https://open.substack.com/pub/anearful/p/best-of-2023-hip-hop-r-and-b-and?r=3d4xe&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web. And on Bowie's birthday, I put all my bootlegs on shuffle and reveled in the mastery of one of the greatest performers of all time. One thought struck me when listening to "Heroes" from Gothenburg, 1978: he made everyone around him better. Adrian Belew was out-Fripping Robert Fripp and Dennis Davis just pushed this version over the edge with phenomenal fills and groove-tastic drumming - but there's no question who was in command!
Great list! Thanks for the link.
I'm really looking forward to the new record.
This weekend I took a deep dive into Bad Company. I made a mistake of reading one of those lists that told me what the top 10 Bad Company songs were, and I had to do some research to prove them wrong.
I like your style, Bob! As we know, there is good Bad Company, and there is bad Bad Company!
Thanks Brad.
I find most lists to be irritating, unless of course your John Cusak and Jack Black in high fidelity, in which case the lists are epic.
So I'm going to put you on the spot, what's the best Bad Company song that epitomizes Bad Company, and what's your favorite?
Damn, Bob....now, I REALLY like your style! First, I'll have to try to remember if I ever saw them live....that doesn't answer your question, but as with any artist, I feel compelled to plumb the depths of my memory for any interactions! Gimme a mo, and I'll get back to ya!
OK.....disclaimer time: I'm not at all familiar enough with their entire catalog, having never owned any of their albums (but, was certainly familiar with the "hit" album cuts and the hit singles), BUT....I sang Free's "Wishing Well" in '73 with my Brimstone 6-pc rock band, based at Houston's Bellaire High School. I don't think I ever saw Bad Company, but it's possible I saw Free open for a Deep Purple or other early '70s concert....I went to many from '70-'73, with my first being Led Zep in '70 (I was 15)!
Amazing collection (super-group?) of already-veteran players....I had followed Mott a few years, and was taken aback by Ralphs joining BC! Of their catalog, I'm most familiar with the first two (debut and "Straight Shooter"), as I played them a lot at Houston's KLOL-FM in '75, and on my 7-midnight shift at Baton Rouge's WFMF-FM 102, from '76-'77. I'm sure I played some from "Run With the Pack," but don't recall much of that album. By "Burnin' Sky" (3/77), I was moving from radio into retail records, and remember racking that one and the several following albums!
Your Qs: The best BC song that epitomizes: Only because it's a great trivia question, with the answer being "not many" (there is "Black Sabbath" by BS, I just remembered!) I gotta go with their "Bad Company," at least til I can find a "Jethro Tull" song by Tull!
My favorite (again, from a limited field as I've not really heard a note past their "Desolation Angels" '79 album, although I did like, "Rock'n'Roll Fantasy"), I think I'd have to say "Feel Like Makin' Love," less for the song itself than by how it came about: Rodgers was 19 and wrote it at a camp, while touring with Free. He did nothing with it until BC was formed, and Ralphs helped him finish it.
Plus, I had a couple early '70s Pentangle albums, so I appreciate the song more after seeing Record World said this about the song: "A Pentangle-influenced British folk-rock original in which guitars alternate between acoustical peace and electronic pow for a most unique effect."
Woo-hoo! That was fun, Bob! Thanks!
Wow.... That was a very eloquent answer.
I saw bad company with Brian Howe as the singer, and then saw Paul Rogers twice on solo tours. Paul Rogers opened up with Kenny Wayne Shepherd for the Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band. I find Paul Rogers to be one of the few singers that is better live than recorded.
I wouldn't say that I'm a fanatical fan, but I did open every radio show that I did at my college station with bad company, bad company. It didn't matter if I was doing a new wave goth show, punk, or metal show... They all open the same way. Yep, I'm a nerd
For me, I feel like the song feel like making love is everything bad company was known for. When they kick in with the power cords it just hits the spot. On a personal level, seagull and bad company are probably my two favorite songs by the band. Although, gone gone gone sometimes squeaks into the three-way tie.
Thanks, Bob! Context is everything, so anything I said I felt needed a hook for you on which to hang your hat! I appreciate your info, too! I was amazed to see that BC lasted into the '90s, but then realized at least Howe fronted. I may look up him to see his history, about which I know nothing.
I do think Rodgers deserves a place in the discussion of "best" rock frontman, simply due to his blues-tinged voice quality and track record.
I totally agree about all Roger's being one of the "best" rock frontman of all time.
I've talked to people that make the argument that, this person, has greater range or has more number one hits. But Roger's can excite 80,000 people at arena, or bring a tear to everyone's eye at the same show. Roger's is definitely on my top 10 list... Oh crap another list.
Bad Company (the song) was bad! saw them live 5 or so years ago at the LA County Fair!
When you are done with your BadCo dive, dry yourself off with a warm towel, have a bevy, and then jump into Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Amongst many other things, they are the basis for Jack Black's dream group "Kathleen Turner Overdrive".
Perhaps KTO can open for what CREEM once proposed: Bachman-Turner Overweight!😂
Lol. I love this kind of research!
New to my ears yesterday... a groovy & melodic indie alt rock ditty called "Slugs" by the Chicago-based band Slow Pup.
https://open.spotify.com/track/4iTX1HFVrva7chgeMaeR4d?si=7ceb8a218fa24053
One of my favourite tracks of last year! The whole album is brilliant
Slow Pulp rules. I know I've mentioned it here before, but I'm still kicking myself for missing a free show they played here with Alvvays.
We've Only Just begun - The Carpenters
I love it!
Last week I discovered Ken Yeates. A wonderful singer/songwriter from Canada. Makes very pleasant, chilled out folkpop.. Sort of a mix between Elliot Smith and Jonathan Richman.
With guest vocals from Kathleen Edwards and Katie Pruitt, you can't go wrong either.
https://open.spotify.com/album/6ItTL1YLeVn87SfJscm1KW?si=J203DNyFQHq8Pu83err7FQ
Ken is featured in the current version of Reflect & Relax Cafe, and has been also in previous releases ;)
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6EcLhgESeOBX3Fvfxt8SH4?si=xXhw6ryBT_CqnE15UZvCHQ&pi=e-5od3u0zpSuyK
Oh sweet. Ill give it a spin to (hopefully) find more gems
Great playlist, esp Garret Kato
Thank you, Marc. You may like some of the previous versions:
https://open.substack.com/pub/reflectandrelaxcafe?r=tmghd&utm_medium=ios
Nice album, he reminds me a bit of Andy Shauf - you'd probably enjoy his album 'The Party'.
https://open.spotify.com/album/35FWLG8Ysjj1BF3sx4F6zM
Indeed, i had saved a couple of Andy's new songs, but didn't dig this deep back. thx!
That's a new one for me. I'm on it!
Somehow, this old UB40 tune got stuck in my ear this week.
And I actually like it.
https://open.spotify.com/track/2ATaXMK6fXuw0j6fStcfpf?si=6dd0814dba234d4b
Hi Kevin! This is my selection for the new version of the playlist, Reflect & Relax Cafe #54:
https://open.substack.com/pub/reflectandrelaxcafe/p/reflect-and-relax-cafe-54?r=tmghd&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
Right on! Thanks for this.
Been engrossed in an artist I was probably too young to catch/appreciate when he created his best work and then bypassed him later to louder and more gobby peers. However I spent my long run yesterday inspired by Graham Parker’s first 4 albums... what a collection of song and lyric writing: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/26QXqjp99ozeB2kQACFL12?si=QVZWkK7gRgKMjtYpf1q-IQ&pi=e-FIAn4gkOQBOj
Squeezing Out Sparks is a great album
Great call! I liked his singles at the time, but spent more time getting into Elvis Costello, The Clash, and others. A few years ago, something led me back to him and I did a deep dive on his whole career. While it's all good, as you said, the first four records are just astonishing.
This is a Graham Parker appreciation page! Squeezing Out Sparks is a favorite of mine. I also had a chance to chat with Brinsley Schwarz not too long ago, and that's on here somewhere.
Sounds like my next port of call!
Apparently my coffee shop makes playlists. I'm currently in this one and loving it:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4WD7v29D3Iw9dERJPfVQkU?si=edc741466d4f4138
It's a good blend of "emo composing music" - Radiohead, George Harrison, Wilco, Nick Drake, Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, etc.
This is my kinda coffee shop! Definitely a good blend (heh) of artists.
Listened to Fleetwood Mac's Rumours for the first time in a unknown number of years. Always liked it (couldn't escape it in the 70s/80s), but had never really heard it. Remarkably bleak. Tts lyrics v music remind me of the way Steely Dan carried along dark, dark lyrics with that jazzy, slick beat. Genius.
The writer Hanif Abdurraqib has a great essay about Rumors in his book “They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us.” -- “[The process of creating the album] spoke to the band’s interest in self-torture for the sake of Mick Fleetwood’s desire to make the Great American Pop Album at all costs, even if Fleetwood Mac had to be held together by cocaine and scotch tape.”
Great quote. The image of 'cocaine and scotch tape' is brilliant. And a bit dusty, I'd warrant.
I'm not sure I've every heard it described better than that!
Hey, Bryan.....in case you missed it, I did a revealing deep dive into Stevie's "Dreams" from "Rumours." The band was calling it by the working title, "That Spinners Song" until she came up with a proper title! Yep, she was influenced by disco in general, and The Spinners in particular! https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/earthquake-1977-fleetwood-macs-1
Thanks for the link - I really enjoyed that deep dive!
Thanks, Bryan! That was a fun one to research and write about!
Today I'm going through Mark's Alphabet Soup 2024 - 💯 recommend https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ZLhEFbiYDe1OhtIHMc4Le?si=5a0425bc033f430d
Thanks for reminding me of "Elevate" - it's soooo sooo good! ✨✨✨
Of course! It's -19c here, so I've got the islands on my mind. :)
There’s some great stuff on that playlist!!
I'll second that! He's off to a great start with this series.
I found some "new" music: Star Fucking Hispters.
I also went back and listened to Jawbreaker's "Unfun", and then "24 Hour Revenge Therapy." They definitely had whatever it was from about 1990 through 95, I think.
I like it. That's the language I learned to speak during my teens and twenties: sellouts and posers, that kind of thing. We called Green Day "Greed Day" and even wrote a song about them, if memory serves.
*memory does not always serve
We subscribed to that same orthodoxy. Looking back on it now, it all seems so strange, doesn't it? Like, who wouldn't want their favorite band to succeed and keep playing?
It kind of depends. Green Day never really claimed to be super punk in the first place, so I think it was a bit of an unfair characterization, yes. But a few other bands like Rancid, who talked about molotov cocktails and fighting the system and all that, then taking their message to Mtv and making bank? I think we were reasonable to be suspicious of some of the motive.
They certainly did!
In honor of MLK Day, I always listen to Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” and do a deep dive into Mavis Staples’ recent solo catalog.
Perfect picks for yesterday.
In anticipation of their new albums I listened to:
* Black Grape - 'It's Great When You're Straight... Yeah'
* Waxahatchee - 'Saint Cloud'
* Ride - 'Nowhere'
New Black Grape sounds phenomenal, especially the track Milk.
Scored a stack of obscure krautrock and psychedelic rock CD's from bargain bin at local library this week and discovered a bunch of great music - absolutely blown away by Sunbirds S/T. Wow!
“Saint Cloud” is fantastic. Have been fortunate to shoot Waxahatchee a couple of times when they opened for Jason Isbell. Enjoyed them live.
The new Ride single sounds great, looking forward to the album.
Nice find! I'm really looking forward to the new Ride album.
Happy Monday(s)! On the turntable, Thinking in Textures (EP) by Chet Faker, Let it Be and Dark Side of the Moon. It’s been that kind of (introspective) weekend 🤪
Good records, though!
The Black Keys new single which sounds exactly like The Black Keys! But it's good because I like them.
Nothin' wrong with that!
The new Shed Seven album is glorious! Also, Liam Gallagher and John Squire have a new project and just put out a debut single. It's literally like if Oasis and the Stone Roses had a baby - so good. 2024 is off to a great start.
P.S. Hope you have a fun vacay Kev!
Thank you! And you've got my curiosity piqued with that description of Shed Seven.
Newish: Philly band Golden Apples, Bananasugarfire
Old: Joe Jackson, Look Sharp (found an unopened LP at my local record store); Tribe Called Quest, Midnight Marauders; Alabama Skakes, Boys & Girls; The White Album; Coltrane Live at Birdland
Oh, that's a great find! Nice list all around, too.
Weezer’s Buddy Holly over and over because my youngest son is obsessed 🤣 He finally asked Alexa to play The Blue Album! So, revisiting that. I never purchased the album when it came out, so I appreciated hearing all of the tracks. They are a band that a lot of their singles end up on my playlists. Undone - The Sweater Song, Hash Pipe, Say It Ain’t So...
I thought of The Teal Album the other day when I saw a newsletter about cover songs- I remember going with my sister to pick up her Target order of it LOL 😂 I hadn’t heard anything about it, but had *just* heard Africa on the alternative station and was like “who th is this and why is it on the alternative station!” Africa by Toto was a favorite song of mine back when it was released, but I thought Weezer’s cover was entirely too identical! It’s like almost exactly the same song. Anyway, we listened to the whole album in her car that day. I’m going to have to give it a listen again today now that it’s on my mind and my youngest has a Weezer obsession 😂
I love it! I keep waiting for one of my kids to get into a similar record, but no luck so far...
Revisited the Violent Femmes catalog for the first time in quite a while. I am reminded of what a great band they are. Every one of their albums is cohesive and sounds great. That little trip led me to also revisit Soul Coughing and some of the Cake catalog. ✌️
I listened to their S/T when it was making waves for turning 40, and was surprised at how well it's held up. If you happen to still be on Twitter, Victor DeLorenzo is a decent follow.
Somewhere about last Tuesday a random thought hit me- "I wanna learn some James Brown songs". So I went and learned a bunch of them, mostly from "bass cover" videos bc with a couple exceptions the bass is buried in the mix (mostly by the horns; the very mild bass tone doesn't help much either). That was fun; but straining to hear the bass lines sent me back to the funk I love best: The Meters. I don't need anything special to hear George Porter Jr's bass go boom- and his tone has big shoulders.
Sweet! Gonna work any of these into an upcoming show? You know, to mix things up a little bit? :)
Anything I consume that much of winds up in my riffage, so probably yes.:)
Just gotta contextualize it properly, so it ain't a "Dig Me" thing; bc that ain't what I'm after.
Nice to see The Clean in your playlist. I missed them in that initial rush of Flying Nun/New Zealand bands. I have this amazing Calexico bootleg from their duo years, and they did a great cover of "The Blue," which led me back to check out The Clean. Dig it.
My last week:
- Continuing my Suzanne Vega deep dive (last night was 99.9)
- Jon Dee Graham - Only Dead For A Little While. Terrific record from an underappreciated songwriter.
Check out "Lost In The Flood" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkBsAlJb62w
- Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass - Whipped Cream & Other Delights
Happy Monday, all!
Great list, and I'll definitely check out 'Lost in the Flood!'
Joy Division
Yes!
And finally a week where I knew one of your picks. lol.
Some dark and disturbing comfort music on a chilly weekend!
YouTube has me on a wind quintet marathon these days. Some new stuff, some stuff that's a trip down Memory Lane to what the wind quintet at my high school would play.
The ones I especially like are actually sextets -
Leos Janacek, Mladi for wind sextet
Francis Poulenc, Sextet for winds and piano
Most power pop albums in the 1970s were frankly pretty bad. Thin vocals, jangly guitars with no bottom end. And then there was "Present Tense" by Shoes, a Zion, Ill. band that unlike other similar bands, had barely played live at all before the album was released. It's just incredible. Lush vocals and hooks so strong you could hang a sofa on them. Just an amazing album and "Too Late" was the lead single:
https://youtu.be/1Opz_drg1O8?si=Dnf0ZaB4vFDetKuu
You can tell the band didn't have a lot of live experience, because in the video it looks more like a hostage situation than a live performance.
Their follow-up album "Tongue Twister" is also pretty good, although a bit diverse musically and it rocks a little more.
I love Shoes! And I love the line "hooks so strong you could hang a sofa on them."
Really loving the new album by The Vaccines!
Soooo good!
Literally listening (again!) right now! 🌷🌸🌺🪷💮
You might've seen this, but Mallie Hart made a starter list of tracks for people new (or new-ish) to the band. If you've checked it out, I'd be curious to hear what you would've added, left off, etc.
https://open.substack.com/pub/myeclecticplaylist/p/starter-list-the-vaccines?r=3cbf2&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
This is right up my street! I shall dive in and get back to you!
A mix of old and new for me recently. The latest records from 21 Savage and Kid Cudi (both duds I’m afraid) and the classic Aretha gospel record from 1972, “Amazing Grace.” The latter is really incredible 😍😍
Always a gfood time for Aretha. Still tossing around the idea of featuring her?
Burnin' by the Wailers, any suggestions on good record stores in Jamaica.
I don't have any, but maybe someone here does?
When I turned on KMHD this morning to my joy was Art Blakeys Freedom Rider (MLK Jr’s I have a dream speech). A great way to start the day remembering Dr Martin Luther King Jr.’s empathy and wisdom on this holiday. Thanks for asking, I was wanting to share that with someone.
Perfect timing. Hopefully you & yours haven't been too affected by this latest storm? Seeing lots of pics from home of downed trees and closed roads.
Oh I just saw that it’s really cold and wet right now in Portland! I’m actually in salinas and haven’t lived in PDX for about 10 years. But I stream KMHD every day lol! Hope your loved ones up in the PNW are doing well too!
Another PDX ex-pat! We're everywhere, it seems. :)
So far everyone is safe & sound. Thank you for asking!
I have to admit that I’m actually from Boston originally but I did move out to Oregon in 1996 so I’ve seen lots of changes over the years. Like pre-pearl and Alberta districts. I haven’t made it up back in over 10 years so I’m real curious. I feel that I left during its peak.
I loved hanging out in The Pearl when it was still called “NW Portland.” Lots of great character and just sketchy enough to be interesting.
Loved it! Back then I had a large 2 bedroom apartment on nw 23rd and Everett for $650/mo can you believe it? It was so special to walk absolutely everywhere! I’m lucky to have lived there. Take care my friend!
Bruce Hornsby + yMusic = BrhyM
https://www.brucehornsby.com/deep-sea-vents
Based on the first single, this album may tip the balance for me liking 21st century Bruce Hornsby more than 20th century Bruce Hornsby.
Now excuse me while I go listen to the Until The End Of The World soundtrack 🎷🎻
With an endorsement like that, I have to play it, right?
Fripp & Eno - No Pussyfooting https://open.spotify.com/album/7090pUnNlv1lklI2lI2X6J?si=20brUytPSKaYJ4jwOMsUUQ
Fantastic pick!
Always enjoyed Yo La Tengo and been recently going back and filling in gaps in my YLT collection.
This week I've had more wonderful musical discoveries than any person should in a week and if this continues, I'm going to be spending way too much money again on music this year. Here are a few I'm enjoying:
This album by Les Bicyclettes De Belsize is great for any fan of Indie Folk Pop or Orchestral Pop -
https://lesbicyclettesdebelsize.bandcamp.com/album/songs-from-the-attic
More jangle pop from the fine folks at the Subjangle label by a new band to me Bright Islands from Liverpool -
https://brightislands.bandcamp.com/album/5-songs-ep
And a Pale Lights collection on the Jigsaw label is a thing of beauty - RIYL Felt, Weather Prophets and Razorcuts -
https://jigsawrecords.bandcamp.com/album/pzl202-pale-lights-waverly-place
I also discovered some cool tributes like the Rick White Syd Barrett tribute from a few years ago and a new tribute to Edwyn Collins as part of the PRF monthly tribute series, so again way too much new music to dig into.
"I'm going to be spending way too much money again on music this year. "
Lol. Same here...everytime I get a "Wallytbm just bought music on Bandcamp email." Please keep the picks comin'!
😂😂😂
Today I’m enjoying Marika Hackman’s latest.
Over the weekend I’ve been listening to a bunch of awesome tunes and compiling the next few iterations of Alphabet Soup, my new playlist feature.
Last week’s double entry can be found here: https://open.substack.com/pub/joyinthejourney/p/alphabet-soup-a-new-weekly-playlist
New entries will be coming weekly, dropping every Wednesday morning
I mentioned it upthread, but this series is off to a great start!
I have mostly had the new Vaccines album on repeat since Friday but I am never not listening to We Are Scientists and there have also been excellent new releases from Hunny Buzz and Yard Act in the last week.
Killer mix, and huge +1 to The Vaccines LP.
Starting off with my first 2024 album release, Trevor Horn's all-covers album, Echoes Ancient and Modern. They are mostly artists that he's played with or produced over his 50 year career, many of the tracks quite inspired. Seal singing Joe Jackson's "Steppin' Out" is one of my faves.
https://youtu.be/F2km-cwGUpE?si=FdJJlKyAfcuJx7w6
https://youtu.be/f6WhTLb_BkQ?si=l8ZbCNZYuIQrCG0o
This is great! Wasn't sure what to expect going in, but Seal (and Horn) did the song justice here. Also, it's pretty clear in the first clip that Horn has stolen my chair dancing moves.
You should lawyer up. Or at least ask Horn for credit! I recommend the whole album. The version of Grace Jones' "Slave to the Rhythm" (a live track) is sublime. And Tori Amos gives Kendrick Lamar's "Swimming Pools" her trademark drama.
The most recent thing from Eivør Palsdottir: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne4kFBmDsXY
Dug out a jazz album from 1966, 'Mean What You Say,' by Thad Jones and Pepper Adams with Duke Pearson, Ron Carter and Mel Lewis that I hadn't played in ages. A masterful display of interplay and intuitive improvisation. The kind of pristine jazz that newbies to the genre would love. https://youtu.be/JdTL5xlNDOA?feature=shared
Listened to the remastered release of Dropkick's Patchwork and found much to like.
In addition, I've been listening to some late 2023 albums for my upcoming post.
Not gonna lie; I'm still trying to wrap my head around how much you listen to/read. 5 day weekends or no, that's incredible volume! Also, please drop a link to the post when it comes out.
https://open.substack.com/pub/shooflypie/p/2023-addendum?r=4iw9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
Thank you! Wish I had a rec on which i/o mix to check out, but I've only hear the one version so far...
Yeah, maybe I'll end up flipping a coin.
Tin Man brings back memories
100%. Same here. Somehow always sunny in those memories too.
Probably to nobody's surprise for the writer of a Substack titled, "One A Day Rush," I've been listening to a lot of Rush lately. LOL I've been revisiting the brilliant Grace Under Pressure as I try to get back into running -- "The Body Electric" is an excellent running song!
Definitely an on-brand pick! I wouldn't have thought of Rush as a good band for running, but it makes sense.
Working through all Beatles albums in chronological order. The White Album surprised me the most with how versatile it is.
Nice! For fun, or an article, or...?
For fun, I work at a coral reef farm in which my work day consists of me alone for 8 hours with headphones. I create these musical "challenges" to keep things interesting.
Listening to the albums did remind me of a writing exercise I did a while ago about "She's Leaving Home". I revised it yesterday and might post on my Substack (which is in Hebrew).
So it turned out to be both for fun and for an article lol
King Kobra. I want to read Carmine Appice's book (Stick It!), even with most reviews saying it's the most delusional and crudest of rock books.
Sometimes those are the best ones!
Declan McKenna’s ‘Zeros’ album
This is a fantastic album! Can’t wait for #3!
This is a new one for me. I'm off to check it out shortly!
Good list. Love seeing Afghan Whigs and Beat Happening on it.
Got sent down the Afghan Whigs rabbit hole after reading this early in the week.
https://abandonedalbums.substack.com/p/i-have-a-confession-to-make
Beat Happening is a band I wish I'd appreciated a little more when I was younger. They played a lot of shows in/around Portland, but it was usually opening for whoever I really wanted to see. Rough sledding for the band.
Calvin and K Records, priceless. I never saw Beat Happening live and I lived in Portland and Seattle in the late '80s. Too bad Satryicon is no longer there. Bye George!
Too bad indeed!
Bit late to the party.
Revisiting early Mudhoney after listening to The Making Of Superfuzz Bigmuff episode from the Life of The Record podcast (great series, highly recommend)
Never too late--you're just making an entrance. Thanks for the pod rec as well!
All this day (Tuesday), so far, I have listened to the first six Led Zeppelin albums, in order, all the way through. A few words come to mind: Consistency, blues, well-performed. This band, to that point of 'Houses of the Holy' could do very little wrong.
"Physical Graffiti" is awesome, but it is definitely the album where they begin to show some humanity. "The Rover" struggles, unlike the fluidity throughout the first five records. I'm not judging it as bad, but just something I noticed.
Physical Graffiti is home to my favorite led Zepplin song; Boogie With Stu.
That tune is pretty awesome.
I always have XM radio going in the car and today I've been jumping between Real Jazz, Outlaw Country, Little Steven's Underground, Willie's Roadhouse and The Grateful Dead channel. In the last few days on Spotify I've checked out Onsen, revisited some Mahavishnu Orchestra, Slayer and found a great playlist called Fusion Fest that's a mixed bag of fusion jazz artists. In my office this morning I was spinning the albums Ol' Waylon by Waylon Jennings, and Jethro Tull's amazing, Thick As A Brick, which is perhaps one of the greatest album covers of all time, on my turntable. As I write this I'm on Spotify listening to Tommy Guerrero's "No Time for Time" from his 2008 album, Return of the Bastard and have songs by Delvon Lamarr Oragn Trio, Menahan Street Band and The Cactus Channel on deck.
Three words: Se.ba.doh!!!
Nice!
For most of last week, I was working my tail off on the latest in my Best Of 2023 series, which I published over the weekend: https://open.substack.com/pub/anearful/p/best-of-2023-hip-hop-r-and-b-and?r=3d4xe&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web. And on Bowie's birthday, I put all my bootlegs on shuffle and reveled in the mastery of one of the greatest performers of all time. One thought struck me when listening to "Heroes" from Gothenburg, 1978: he made everyone around him better. Adrian Belew was out-Fripping Robert Fripp and Dennis Davis just pushed this version over the edge with phenomenal fills and groove-tastic drumming - but there's no question who was in command!