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On to the music:
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. This week, we’ve got new sounds from Stereolab, Saint Etienne, and Robert Forster (among others). They’re balanced with a couple of old favorites & deep cuts.
Now it’s your turn.
What caught your ear this week? Any new releases or shows you’re looking forward to?
Before you go: As most of you have seen, I am a huge fan of the music streaming platform Qobuz. The sound quality is second to none, and the entire UX is fantastic. Thanks to our friend Kenn Richards, you can now see it for yourself.
I’m thrilled to share this exclusive offer for 2 free months. Not an ad, and there’s no catch. Just hella good sound quality, solid recommendations tailored to your tastes, and editorials well worth your time.
Note: The codes will be sent out by an actual human over the next several days. Please be patient.
I've been in NYC since Saturday, visiting my daughter who lives in Brooklyn, and flew back to the West Coast today. I downloaded their new album and listened to it on our flight. Sounded pretty solid to me. I highly recommend seeing them live when they announce tour dates (maybe they already have?). We saw them in 2022, and they were absolutely superb. More gritty than on record, and Skye is a wonderful singer and performer (their drummer is also her son).
Cheers, Michael! Glad you enjoyed their new record. I’ve been a fan for 25 years and saw them live a couple of times. They never disappoint. I know their masterpieces are supposed to be their early work, but there’s something about this Ross+Skye vibe—rockier, gritty as you say—which I think suits them so well.
I’m really enjoying the new album from Sports Team - Boys These Days, although I seem to like it more than anyone else I’ve spoken too. I also went to Dot to Dot Festival on Saturday and saw Arcy Drive for the first time. I absolutely love them! Their album The Pit is well worth a listen.
I’m currently sat on a packed train filled with Liverpool supporters on the way to the first of my WAS gigs this week. What a day for them to play in Liverpool!
You are most welcome. I loved Gulp! but I think this one is also really strong. If you haven’t heard their first album, Deep Down Happy, that’s also worth looking up.
Thanks for these Lou! Your love for We Are Scientists is infectious! The others are new to me, and I’ll check ‘em out ASAP. Apologies if I’ve asked before, but are you a Liverpool supporter? Everton? Another team?
More importantly, I assume you and yours are safe after yesterday’s incident at the parade?
I’m not a football fan tbh but the enthusiasm is infectious and it was quite an experience to be walking into the city in the midst of a huge, chanting crowd. Terrible events yesterday but neither myself nor anyone I know was involved or affected. Thanks for asking.
This week, I am steadily making my way through Earth, Wind, and Fire's discography. It's really cool to hear them finding their early footing with lots of experiments.
My former CBS Records colleague the late Allee Willis co-wrote some of their material. I never met her, we worked on different floors, but: Though EW&F could be sophisticated, I think their best song is "Boogie Wonderland." Why? For the pure joy, and the smarts of Allee to accept the advice of one of her mentors in the band, and keep the words simple, and above all, singable. I was a wannabe lyricist, and didn't get that til many years later: my lyrics at the time aspired to Cream's "Tales of Brave Ulysses."
Thank you again sharing Qobuz info, I’m obsessed with the sound quality. The sound is unmatched to Spotify. I’ve even convinced another music friend to do a trial.
I Would love to know if others have tried and their experiences because I don’t have the best connection with the app outside of my home.
Currently loving the new Suki Waterhouse, revisiting old Depeche Mode albums along with Bored at My Grandma’s House.
Of course! I’m glad you’re enjoying it. Hopefully, others will chime in, but I haven’t had any connectivity issues outside of the house.
Off topic, but the latest Electric Radio was fantastic. I hadn’t heard “Nothing” in, well, a long time. Forgot how much I liked it. And the Thin Lizzy track was (chef’s kiss).
As for the question of pivoting: I wrestle with that too (when? How? Should I? ).
Silver Shade Peter Murphy’s new album. It’s pretty great!
Then listened to Hunkpapa by Throwing Muses quite a few times while I was drafting my cheerleading bit for them for the best albums of 1989 bracket challenge.
I'll check out Peter Murphy's new one, thanks for the tip. I loved Deep -- Cuts You Up is an all-time banger -- but he was such a diva when we saw him on that tour that I lost interest, and then Holy Smoke wasn't a very good follow-up.
Oh that would be a huge turnoff for sure! Deep was great, and Cuts You Up still gets in on my playlists! I didn’t end up following up with him for whatever reason - Love Hysteria and Deep were the only albums of his I bought.
Galactic with Irma Thomas, Audience with the Queen. The recommendation came from Ted Gioia's The Honest Broker. Ms. Thomas said her voice is better now than when she was 20. I haven't heard anything of hers from that era, but she sure doesn't sound 80+.
Im late to the party and just heard for the first time the 1973 release by Yoko Ono called "Approximately Infinite Universe". It's a double LP and it just sounds delicious.
* INXS - I love the Listen Like Thieves reissue and reading some retrospectives on their career led me to revisit Welcome to Wherever You Are, which I didn't spend much time with when it was released.
* Paul Weller - Wake Up The Nation. This is from 2010 and hits this perfect blend of Weller pop and experimentation that few other records reach. Only half of the record is available on Spotify, weirdly, but I suspect you can find it on YouTube or other outlets.
* Stereolab - Instant Holograms On Metal Film. It's good, but Stereolab are a band whose releases are interchangeable to me so while this is a solid late-period release, it doesn't blow me away.
* The Conet Project. I'm searching for a sound or vibe that I can't define yet. My brainstorming took me to about an hour of listening to shortwave recordings from The Conet Project, which I've been fascinated by since before a recording was included on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
Looking forward to the playlist and your picks. Have a great week!
The new Stereolab hasn’t blown me away, but even an “okay” record by them is still better than many artist’s best (IMO). If past is precedent, it’ll grow on me.
FWIW, some time ago, I wrote a short piece on the Style Council and posted it on Twitter. Weller-in a way that only he could- offered some “feedback.” 😂
Wait: Today's not Sunday? This weekend: The Faces Live at the BBC (John Peel Sessions), when they drunkenly invented the jam band thing. The Smiths "Strangeways Here We Come," as part of my penance for not writing enthusiastically about them in their time. They were so depressed; I didn't realize how depressed I was, and that they were empathizing, in Morrissey's selfish way. Also belatedly have fallen in love with Johnny Marr's guitar. Then country singer Holly Macve's "Golden Eagle" (2017), half-excellent, esp. the uptempo stuff.
Cool, Dave. On Spotify (maybe Qobuz?) 84 tracks. Lots of covers, obviously. But listeners who weren't around then will understand that Rod Stewart was once the great rock 'n' roll voice of his time.
This past week I did listen to an album in full - Jethro Tull's Catfish Rising. Honestly, it's a bit underrated. It's not quite as good as their classic output, but there are some gems - the most notable being "Roll Yer Own". The song that follows, "Sparrow on the Schoolyard Wall", is also good and sort of reminds me of one of their earlier B-sides, "Teacher".
The Mothership music league is still going strong - we covered 2 rounds this past week. Here are the highlights from those rounds:
Cover Me (cover songs): Imagine by Pentatonix (original by Lennon), Iris by Jonathan Young (original by The Goo Goo Dolls), and Runaway by Vocal Line (original by Aurora)
William Shakespeare made this song (songs with brilliant lyrics): Black by Dave, Nica Libres at Dusk by Ben Howard, I, Carrion (Icarian) by Hozier and Trying to Catch Up With the World by Saint Asonia
This week we will cover our favorite songs, songs with amazing endings, and select guilty pleasures (we won't vote on these until next week).
Definitely been binging on the new Stereolab. It's so nice to have the groop back. Also been revisiting Japancakes, a post-rock band from Athens, GA whose albums are out of print, but available to stream. I recommend the very aptly titled The Sleepy Strange, and they also did a song by song cover of Loveless by MBV which is also very interesting.
Hello hello! I’ve been spinning Morcheeba’s latest album, “Escape the Chaos”. Highly recommend!
Not sure I’ve ever heard it! I’ll check it out here shortly!
Very chilled vibes, so nothing too explosive, but smooth and lush throughout.
I've been in NYC since Saturday, visiting my daughter who lives in Brooklyn, and flew back to the West Coast today. I downloaded their new album and listened to it on our flight. Sounded pretty solid to me. I highly recommend seeing them live when they announce tour dates (maybe they already have?). We saw them in 2022, and they were absolutely superb. More gritty than on record, and Skye is a wonderful singer and performer (their drummer is also her son).
Cheers, Michael! Glad you enjoyed their new record. I’ve been a fan for 25 years and saw them live a couple of times. They never disappoint. I know their masterpieces are supposed to be their early work, but there’s something about this Ross+Skye vibe—rockier, gritty as you say—which I think suits them so well.
'Big Calm' is legendary! Over the years, I have introduced countless students to it as it often gets airplay in my studio/classroom.
Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
This has been a great week for music! New single from We Are Scientists which is just brilliant https://open.spotify.com/track/6edWPL1qCwfn06jU9Lr1v5?si=XERHC8DsRY67CwBU8MVdRQ
And Sean McVerry has released the first single from his forthcoming album Steve which has blown me away! https://open.spotify.com/track/2MHfMFMNsXHlBDqohnvrbD?si=9A2iirrWSc-03Jo3wJ9dnw
I’m really enjoying the new album from Sports Team - Boys These Days, although I seem to like it more than anyone else I’ve spoken too. I also went to Dot to Dot Festival on Saturday and saw Arcy Drive for the first time. I absolutely love them! Their album The Pit is well worth a listen.
I’m currently sat on a packed train filled with Liverpool supporters on the way to the first of my WAS gigs this week. What a day for them to play in Liverpool!
Thanks for the recommendations, Lou. I dug that Sports Team record with "R Entertainment" on it and then lost track of them.
You are most welcome. I loved Gulp! but I think this one is also really strong. If you haven’t heard their first album, Deep Down Happy, that’s also worth looking up.
Thanks for these Lou! Your love for We Are Scientists is infectious! The others are new to me, and I’ll check ‘em out ASAP. Apologies if I’ve asked before, but are you a Liverpool supporter? Everton? Another team?
More importantly, I assume you and yours are safe after yesterday’s incident at the parade?
I’m not a football fan tbh but the enthusiasm is infectious and it was quite an experience to be walking into the city in the midst of a huge, chanting crowd. Terrible events yesterday but neither myself nor anyone I know was involved or affected. Thanks for asking.
This week, I am steadily making my way through Earth, Wind, and Fire's discography. It's really cool to hear them finding their early footing with lots of experiments.
My former CBS Records colleague the late Allee Willis co-wrote some of their material. I never met her, we worked on different floors, but: Though EW&F could be sophisticated, I think their best song is "Boogie Wonderland." Why? For the pure joy, and the smarts of Allee to accept the advice of one of her mentors in the band, and keep the words simple, and above all, singable. I was a wannabe lyricist, and didn't get that til many years later: my lyrics at the time aspired to Cream's "Tales of Brave Ulysses."
Sometimes pure joy and simplicity are the key ingredients in greatness.
Just curious: you ever think of returning to songwriting? Maybe as part of your piano playing?
Oh nice! It's a pretty cool arc.
Thank you again sharing Qobuz info, I’m obsessed with the sound quality. The sound is unmatched to Spotify. I’ve even convinced another music friend to do a trial.
I Would love to know if others have tried and their experiences because I don’t have the best connection with the app outside of my home.
Currently loving the new Suki Waterhouse, revisiting old Depeche Mode albums along with Bored at My Grandma’s House.
Of course! I’m glad you’re enjoying it. Hopefully, others will chime in, but I haven’t had any connectivity issues outside of the house.
Off topic, but the latest Electric Radio was fantastic. I hadn’t heard “Nothing” in, well, a long time. Forgot how much I liked it. And the Thin Lizzy track was (chef’s kiss).
As for the question of pivoting: I wrestle with that too (when? How? Should I? ).
Maybe we all do. I dunno.
Okay that is good to know on Qobuz cuz I wondered if it's just me LOL. I'll eventually make the switch.
And so glad you enjoyed the recent episode - I've been on a major Depeche Mode kick...and you can never go wrong with Thin Lizzy.
Silver Shade Peter Murphy’s new album. It’s pretty great!
Then listened to Hunkpapa by Throwing Muses quite a few times while I was drafting my cheerleading bit for them for the best albums of 1989 bracket challenge.
I'll check out Peter Murphy's new one, thanks for the tip. I loved Deep -- Cuts You Up is an all-time banger -- but he was such a diva when we saw him on that tour that I lost interest, and then Holy Smoke wasn't a very good follow-up.
Oh that would be a huge turnoff for sure! Deep was great, and Cuts You Up still gets in on my playlists! I didn’t end up following up with him for whatever reason - Love Hysteria and Deep were the only albums of his I bought.
I kinda lost interest as well, but now my curiosity’s piqued.
A Designated Cheerleader article! Right on! Please share the link here if I forget.
Good Morning from the Left Coast.
Here is what has been in my ears
1. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1knJSMzp6SWo8aUh3W2hVo?si=6f4356f6f93e4a79
2. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3wBlm9P7dw8ZMh4DgXzNcJ?si=c1a519376c8c49de
3. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1EptaP1Vnwvyjm?si=36c3ba46690240bf
Will check out your recommendations as always, thanks for the links!
Thanks for these, Jon!
Galactic with Irma Thomas, Audience with the Queen. The recommendation came from Ted Gioia's The Honest Broker. Ms. Thomas said her voice is better now than when she was 20. I haven't heard anything of hers from that era, but she sure doesn't sound 80+.
Thanks for the rec! I’m on it.
Im late to the party and just heard for the first time the 1973 release by Yoko Ono called "Approximately Infinite Universe". It's a double LP and it just sounds delicious.
If you’re late, I’m still stuck in traffic. I’m not sure I’ve ever even heard of this one!
My week was about:
* INXS - I love the Listen Like Thieves reissue and reading some retrospectives on their career led me to revisit Welcome to Wherever You Are, which I didn't spend much time with when it was released.
* Paul Weller - Wake Up The Nation. This is from 2010 and hits this perfect blend of Weller pop and experimentation that few other records reach. Only half of the record is available on Spotify, weirdly, but I suspect you can find it on YouTube or other outlets.
* Stereolab - Instant Holograms On Metal Film. It's good, but Stereolab are a band whose releases are interchangeable to me so while this is a solid late-period release, it doesn't blow me away.
* The Conet Project. I'm searching for a sound or vibe that I can't define yet. My brainstorming took me to about an hour of listening to shortwave recordings from The Conet Project, which I've been fascinated by since before a recording was included on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
Looking forward to the playlist and your picks. Have a great week!
The new Stereolab hasn’t blown me away, but even an “okay” record by them is still better than many artist’s best (IMO). If past is precedent, it’ll grow on me.
FWIW, some time ago, I wrote a short piece on the Style Council and posted it on Twitter. Weller-in a way that only he could- offered some “feedback.” 😂
That's hilarious. Weller's a guy I would definitely approach cautiously if I ever saw him out in public.
FLAG (in a few hours)
Hope it was a good show!
The best!
Wait: Today's not Sunday? This weekend: The Faces Live at the BBC (John Peel Sessions), when they drunkenly invented the jam band thing. The Smiths "Strangeways Here We Come," as part of my penance for not writing enthusiastically about them in their time. They were so depressed; I didn't realize how depressed I was, and that they were empathizing, in Morrissey's selfish way. Also belatedly have fallen in love with Johnny Marr's guitar. Then country singer Holly Macve's "Golden Eagle" (2017), half-excellent, esp. the uptempo stuff.
Strange ways never gets the love it deserves. I feel like even in conversations among fans, it gets left out. Shame, really.
Strangeways was my intro to The Smiths, my favorite still
I didn't know about The Faces' John Peel sessions -- thanks for the heads up!
Cool, Dave. On Spotify (maybe Qobuz?) 84 tracks. Lots of covers, obviously. But listeners who weren't around then will understand that Rod Stewart was once the great rock 'n' roll voice of his time.
Listening to Ry Cooder, the Bee Gees and TRUE ROMANCE soundtrack (so far). Excited that Redd Kross is playing near me later this year.
They’re coming here as well (with the Melvin’s), and I’m really looking forward to it.
Rogér Fakhr - a new discovery for me
A new name for me as well! Thanks for sharing them with us.
The more the merrier on this ride!
I had a hectic week with lots of great music. A standout was Jennifer Warnes's Famous Blue Raincoat. https://weatheredmusic.ca
Great read as always! I’ll bet it’s been 35 years since I’d heard “Don’t Pay the Ferryman.”
Nice to see “The Distance” on the playlist!!
Been listening to a LOT of Eric D. Johnson’s work from this decade, both with Fruit Bats and Bonny Light Horseman. Some truly fantastic albums!
Fruit Bats
• Siamese Dream (2021)
• The Pet Parade (2021)
• A River Running To Your Heart (2023)
• Starry-eyed, in Stereo (2024)
Bonny Light Horseman
• Bonny Light Horseman (2020)
• Rolling Golden Holy (2022)
• Keep Me On Your Mind/See You Free (2024)
Yeah, this pretty cool guy used that track as a challenge recently and it got stuck in my head. 😂
It’s not a bad earworm that’s for sure!!
This past week I did listen to an album in full - Jethro Tull's Catfish Rising. Honestly, it's a bit underrated. It's not quite as good as their classic output, but there are some gems - the most notable being "Roll Yer Own". The song that follows, "Sparrow on the Schoolyard Wall", is also good and sort of reminds me of one of their earlier B-sides, "Teacher".
The Mothership music league is still going strong - we covered 2 rounds this past week. Here are the highlights from those rounds:
Cover Me (cover songs): Imagine by Pentatonix (original by Lennon), Iris by Jonathan Young (original by The Goo Goo Dolls), and Runaway by Vocal Line (original by Aurora)
William Shakespeare made this song (songs with brilliant lyrics): Black by Dave, Nica Libres at Dusk by Ben Howard, I, Carrion (Icarian) by Hozier and Trying to Catch Up With the World by Saint Asonia
This week we will cover our favorite songs, songs with amazing endings, and select guilty pleasures (we won't vote on these until next week).
Hey Kevin. Here's a catch up on some of the new music I've been listening to: https://danpal.substack.com/p/new-music-from-harper-finn-my-baby?r=lru5s
Thanks for the link! Really digging that new Ting Tings track.
Favorites this week:
Jadu Heart - Post Heaven
David Johansen - In Style
New Stereolab!!
If I Were a Carpenter comp
Orville Peck - Pony
Eddie Vedder - Into the Wild soundtrack
Sunny War - Anarchist Gospel
Liars - s/t
Cadence Weapon - Breaking Kayfabe
New Stereolab is growing on me with w/each listen!
Same. First listen: It's Stereolab. Repeat listens: Oh, Stereolab is back!!!
Definitely been binging on the new Stereolab. It's so nice to have the groop back. Also been revisiting Japancakes, a post-rock band from Athens, GA whose albums are out of print, but available to stream. I recommend the very aptly titled The Sleepy Strange, and they also did a song by song cover of Loveless by MBV which is also very interesting.
Been digging the new Crossword Smiles album, Consequences & Detours, and the recent b-sides collection from Suede, Sci-Fi Lullabies Vol. 2.
Harmonia do Samba AO VIVO 2002
The Best of PARLET 1994
Porter Wagoner ESSENTIAL RECORDINGS 1952-62