Episode 59 The New Year’s Edition!

On January 7, 2024 By paulmcguire2013In MixCloud, Old Fellas New Music, voicEd RadioLeave a comment

This Week!! Featuring

Brendan Hendry – Lonely

Bar Italia – Jelsy

Tobi – Flatline

Carly Rae Jepsen – Psychedelic Switch

Olivia Rodrigo – All American Bitch

Janelle Monáe – Only Have Eyes 42

Paramore – ‘This Is Why’

Lankum – Newcastle

Nemahsis – I Wanna be Your Right Hand

Notes

Brendan Hendry – Lonely

all my notes this week are directly taken from different best-of lists supplied by Bob.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/dec/27/best-songs-this-year-small-artists

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-2023-1234879538/

https://www.cbc.ca/music/top-100-canadian-songs-of-2023-1.7043304

They make for interesting reading as each list has a different set of criteria for establishing what they consider the best. I am starting with one of the choices from the Guardian – The best songs of 2023 … you may not have heard

I like this list as it features a Canadian I have never heard of before. The description is interesting and the video is worth watching. A great start to my list!

The Guardian

In Canadian singer-songwriter Brendan Hendry’s self-directed video for Lonely – made with “$2, a box of wigs, some friends, and a 90s music video dream!” – he starts by placing a battered cassette in an equally battered boombox. What follows is a frayed-around-the-edges post-bar house party featuring flying wigs, snogging and the briefest flash of a bottom encased in leather chaps. The throwback visuals are anchored by a song that fits perfectly with our ongoing obsession with bratty, emo-coded power pop, from Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts album to Kelly Clarkson’s viral chat show cover versions to the return of 00s UK pop-punkers Busted. Hendry also continues the video’s queering of that 90s aesthetic, pairing a lo-fi drum machine, earworm acoustic guitar and big crunchy riffs with his tale of gay dating woes – essentially men are flaky and freakout at the first suggestion of real emotions. If the early verses grapple with the choice between dispassionate sex or no sex at all – “every now and then I still miss you in my mouth” Hendry sighs at one point – then the pogoing, top-tier chorus, which ramps up the emotional catharsis as the song grows sweatier, reaffirms the idea that being alone is better than being a fool. Michael Cragg

Bar Italia – Jelsy

bar italia – “Jelsy” from Twits

bar italia, is a London-based rock band who released not one but 2 albums in 2023. Both Twits and Tracey Denim are rather marvellous. If you are fan of Wet Leg and the Velvet Underground, this is a band for you. All three memebrs contribute deadpan vocals with lots of fuzzy guitars. “Jelsy” is the latest single from the November release Twits. https://www.stereogum.com/2238511/bar-italia-jelsy/music/

Exclaim! review

…

8. ‘Flatline,’ Tobi

CBC

I really like this song. Once heard, it is hard to forget. This selection is part of a CBC 3-hour feature – The top 100 Canadian songs of 2023 by Pete Morey. Haven’t listened to this yet, but you can get the whole broadcast here.

they even give you a breakdown of the show:

Joined by friends and special guests, host Pete Morey rewinds the musical highlights of 2023 and cues up what 2024 has in store. The 23 best Canadian albums of 2023 at 00:00:00 The breakout stars of 2022 at 55:50:00 Albums to look forward to in 2024 at 1:21:15 Songs turning 20 in 2024 at 1:33:54 The top 10 Canadian songs of 2023 at 1:50:13

“Flatline” is the embodiment of Tobi’s self-described style of “unapologetic soul music.” Exploring the theme of power — who has it, how one seizes it, etc. — the Toronto rapper weaves the personal and political into one bold, ambitious track. Jabbing piano notes anchor “Flatline” as Tobi effortlessly raps around the beat, covering a swath of topics including the Land Back movement and Black death, as he unabashedly points out: “How they gon’ steal the wave? We on stolen land.” Pain is inevitable, but here, Tobi encourages listeners to transform that pain into power: “Flatline” is the motivational anthem that we needed this year.

Carly Rae Jepsen – Psychedelic Switch

Carly Rae Jepsen is a Canadian pop star who of course had an international mega hit with “Call Me Maybe” in 2012. Her sixth album The Loneliest Time, was released in October 2022. It’s companion album, The Loveliest Time, followed in July 2023. This record is a collection of B-sides and tracks left off The Loneliest Time. The track we chose is a wonderful pseudo Daft Punkish disco number “Psychedelic Switch.” Don’t ponder the lyrics, just dance!

from Pitchfork

5 Olivia Rodrigo, ‘Guts’ (Album)

All American Bitch

The next two selections come from the Rolling Stone list – The 100 Best Albums of 2023

This is a great list that I want to return to for our next show. We have played lots of these artists over the year so we must be doing something right. I had to add Olivia Rodrigo, I just really like the sense of humour in her music. AND, this album is mentioned in the piece by the Guardian above.

On Guts, Olivia Rodrigo captures the insurmountable challenges of coming to fame while coming of age, with its romantic betrayals, vampiric exes, and fair-weather friends. Throughout the album’s heart-tugging ballads and sneering pop-punk cuts, the 20-year-old maintains a cutting lyrical precision — while unafraid to poke fun at her own shortcomings and social faux pas — that has cemented her as one of her generation’s best pop songwriters. As if to push herself out of the predictable path of “torch singer” and reject the well-mannered vision of femininity she skewers on “all-american bitch,” she delivers the full emotional breadth of teenager girldom through manic screaming, sarcastic sing-speak, and rage-fueled grit. —M.H.K.

Janelle Monáe – Only Have Eyes 42 – The Age of Pleasure

Janelle Monáe Robinson is of course is an immensely successful singer, songwriter, and actor. She has received ten Grammy Award nominations, and won a Screen Actors Guild Award and an Emmy . In April 2022, she came out publicly as non-binary. The song “Only Have Eyes 42” is about being in a polyamorous relationship and being open about it. According to Songtell, the lyrics appear to be an account of a consensual and satisfying threesome.

More here

The song samples Derrick Harriot’s 1967 rock steady reggae classic , The Loser

and Dick Powell’s 1934 version of I only have Eyes For You

…

6. Paramore, ‘This Is Why’

Right after Olivia Rodrigo, a song that caught my attention. Don’t know anything about the band, but that’s pretty normal for me. But, read below – this band has been around for twenty years.

Hayley Williams, Taylor York, and Zac Farro made their return on This Is Why as masters of existentialism, and their deep familiarity with impending doom and self-destruction made from some rich emotional mining. Set against expertly executed post-punk and New Wave, they explore their fascination with the complexities of the human condition. Williams wonders about what it means to be a good person who isn’t able to save everyone, including herself. As the first album in the band’s 20-year career that was made with the same lineup as their last one, it was the first new Paramore LP that didn’t require them to rebuild themselves from ruins. What better way to begin building on that newfound foundation than by using the external world as a lens for self-examination? —L.P.

Lankum – Newcastle – False Lankun

Lankum are an Irish folk music group from Dublin, consisting of Ian Lynch, Daragh Lynch, Cormac MacDiarmada and Radie Peat. They have released the albums Cold Old Fire in 2014 and Between the Earth and Sky in 2017. In 2018, they were named Best Folk Group at the RTÉ Folk Music Awards. The band were nominated for the RTÉ Choice Music Prize Irish Album of the Year in 2017 for their album Between the Earth and Sky, and won the prize in 2019 for their album The Livelong Day. The band’s fourth studio album, False Lankum (2023), was released to widespread critical acclaim and was nominated for the Mercury Prize and placed highly on several end-of-year lists. The selected track “Newcastle” is an absolutely haunting centuries old ballad.

Lankum – “Newcastle”

The Guardian gave a 5 star review to a recent performance.

I Wanna be Your Right Hand,’ Nemahsis

This is another selection of the CBC list. A new artist, she seems to be putting out lots of music including the EP track (Eleven Archers) that we played at the beginning of the show.

This song makes it to #10 which is pretty impressive.

Palestinian Canadian pop artist Nemahsis expresses her love language on “I Wanna be Your Right Hand,” with her voice desperately reaching out to someone as she begs to be of service — to be useful in the name of showing her love and devotion. Over an acoustic riff that’s reminiscent of the Smashing Pumpkins’ “1979,” Nemahsis sounds equal parts steadfast and free, playing with her voice in ways she hasn’t in previous releases. While she’s already established her talent for writing heart-wrenching ballads — as displayed on her 2022 EP, Eleven Achers — “I Wanna be Your Right Hand” proves that the rising star has a much wider range that has yet to be fully explored. We can’t wait to hear where she takes her music next. (Songs You Need to Hear, March 22)

Here is a link to her interview with Tom Power

Episode 57 Our Notes Old Fellas New Music

On December 12, 2023 By paulmcguire2013In MixCloud, Old Fellas New Music, voicEd Radio1 Comment

Music this week!

Episode 57

Philip Selway – Check for Signs of life

Black Pumas – More Than a Love Song

Nell Smith, The Flaming Lips – Red Right Hand

Say She She – Reeling

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Burning

Prince Fatty – Expansions

The Strumbellas – Hold Me

CMAT – Where Are Your Kids Tonight?

Aysanabee – Waste My Time

Philip Selway – Check for Signs of life

Philip Selway – Check For Signs Of Life (Official Video)

So Philip Selway is a member of Radiohead, I didn’t know that. This is his third solo album since 2010 – “today, Selway is announcing a new album called Strange Dance, which will be out in February of next year.” (Stereogum)

In the Stereogum article, he talks about aging – I like this “One of the things I’ve liked about this record is it’s me as a 55-year-old not trying to hide that fact,” he noted in some press materials. ““It feels kind of unguarded rather than seeing that ageing process as something that needs to be hidden.”

Nell and The Flaming Lips – Red Right Hand

I forgot that Red Right Hand actually goes back a ways

Here is the original video and song pretty great

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Red Right Hand (Official Video)

This is an amazing cover

Nell and The Flaming Lips – Red Right Hand (Nick Cave cover version)

This is a pretty amazing story. Nell Smith is a 14-years old and a big fan of the Flaming Lips.

Spin Magazine tells the story best

Smith first met singer Wayne Coyne at a Flaming Lips show in Calgary three years ago. A regular at Lips’ concerts always bearing a parrot costume, Smith was eventually recognized by Coyne, who sang a David Bowie cover directly to her in Calgary, and Smith sang back. Staying in contact with Smith through her father, Coyne inspired Smith to pick up the guitar and write her own songs. Coyne planned a trip to record with the band in Oklahoma and suggested that Smith record some Nick Cave tracks and email them to the Lips so they could record backings. This is the result.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Burning

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Burning (Official Video)

New Album – first in nine years. This is their second single off the album.

you can hear and see them reaching back to the 1960’s in Burning (RS) – Frankie Vallie and Beggin’

and they have been around for decades

from Wikipedia:

Yeah Yeah Yeahs are an American indie rock band formed in New York City in 2000. The group is composed of vocalist and pianist Karen O (born Karen Lee Orzolek), guitarist and keyboardist Nick Zinner, and drummer Brian Chase.^[4]

The Strumbellas – Hold Me

a great song, a fun video

Hold Me (Official Video)

I didn’t know they were still around.

Part Time Believer is their new album and it comes out in February. This is the first single off the album. Exclaim! has a piece on the new album

The Strumbellas are back! The Kawartha Lakes-hailing folk-rock outfit have announced their forthcoming new album, led by the single “Hold Me.”

Aysanabee – Waste My Time

I really like this song. It is currently trending on CBC. I used a song of the last album as my intro this week. Bringing the Fire is off the 2022 album Watin which was short listed for this year’s Polaris Prize.

Waste My Time is off his new EP Here and Now.

Aysanabee’s quote taken from Exclaim! has been featured several times already on CBC

“This is the first of more records that will explore the impact of colonization on Indigenous love in this country,” Aysanabee explained in a statement. “This country never made me feel worthy of love, and in turn never made me feel worthy of the love of another. Through this record, I wanted to be honest by facing my own fallibilities when it comes to building and keeping relationships.”

Here from Exclaim! is the tracklist for the EP

Here and Now:

1. Waste My Time
2. Letting Go
3. Alone
4. Somebody Else
5. Here and Now
6. The Giver

Bob’s reviews

Black Pumas – “More Than a Love Song” from Chronicles of a Diamond

Black Pumas is for lack of a better term, a neo soul band from Austin, Texas. The group received its first Grammy Award nomination in 2020 for Best New Artist. “More Than a Love Song” is the lead single from their second album. This surprised me as I thought the band had been around a lot lot longer. https://newsoundsmag.co.uk/2023/08/24/single-review-black-pumas-more-than-a-love-song/

SINGLE REVIEW: BLACK PUMAS – MORE THAN A LOVE SONG

Nearly 4 years after the release of their self-titled debut, Black Pumas, a psychedelic-rock and soul duo from Austin, Texas including Eric Burton and Adrian Quesada, have released a brand new single in preparation for their sophomore record titled Chronicles of a Diamond. The album will not be released until 27 October of this year, but ‘More Than a Love Song’ gives listeners a taste for what’s to come.

Here they performing on The Tonight Show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WasO43LHvLg

Say She She – “Reeling” from Silver

According to the promotional material, “ Say She She is a soulful female-led trio, standing rock solid on their disco-delic duty with their boundary-breaking sophomore album Silver . The strong voices of Piya Malik (El Michels Affair, Chicano Batman), Sabrina Mileo Cunningham and Nya Gazelle Brown front the band. Following the NYC siren song, the trio was pulled from their respective cities — Piya from London, Nya from DC, and Sabrina from NYC — to Manhattan’s downtown dance floors, through the Lower East Side floorboards, and up to the rooftops of Harlem, where their friendship was formed on one momentous, kismet evening!!!”

Say She She Conjure Up a Call to Action in Honor of Mother Earth in New Video For “Reeling”

Earlier this year, Say She Say do their stuff on the long running BBC show Later… with Jools Holland.

Prince Fatty – “Expansions” single

Mike Pelanconi, better known under his record name Prince Fatty, is a British sound engineer and record producer. For almost twenty years, Prince Fatty has been producing reggae and dub which harken back to vintage Jamaican sounds. His name is a playful nod to legendary sound engineer King Tubby. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxAl3Jijs20

The track featured here is a remake of Lonnie Liston Smith’s Expansions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwFXFximJ8g.

You can compare it to the original. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YJwNPMB4zU

Learn more about Prince Fatty here, https://headlinermagazine.net/mike-pelanconi-prince-fatty-reggae-rare-neve-8068-desk.html

CMAT – “Where Are Your Kids Tonight?” From Crazymad

Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson is known professionally as CMAT. She is an Irish singer, songwriter, and musician. Her debut studio album, If My Wife New I’d Be Dead, was released in February 2022 and entered the Irish Albums Chart at number one. The Guardian wrote of her music; “Her songs are mournful yet accessible, emotionally literate and cleverly crafted, but, crucially, with a huge sense of humour…” Her second studio album, Crazymad, for Me was released in October 2023. On the chosen track, she is accompanied by John Grant, formerly of The Czars. https://www.stereogum.com/2229816/cmat-where-are-your-kids-tonight-feat-john-grant/music/ The video seems to pay homage to early 80’s MTV promos. The gauzy cinematography wouldn’t be out of place in a Bonnie Tyler or Laura Branigan video.

Old Fellas New Music Episode 54

On October 28, 2023October 28, 2023 By paulmcguire2013In MixCloud, Old Fellas New Music, voicEd RadioLeave a comment

Episode 54 Old Fellas New Music

Forest Swords – Low

Noname – namesake (Pitchfork)

– BO2A3 ALWAN (COLOR PATCHES)

Big Thief – Vampire Empire (Pitchfork)

Barry Can’t Swim – Define Dancing

Alison Russell and the Resistance Revival Chorus – Take Me to Church (Exclaim!)

Sleaford Mods – UK Grim

The Resonance Between – The Passage (Frequencies)

Sparkle Division – Oh Yeah

This week’s episode on Mixcloud!!

Noname – namesake (heard on Pitchfork)

I didn’t know what this song was about (see below), but I kept on seeing Noname on my playlist so it was time to play one of her songs.

So, what is namesake about?

from Confidence

Noname has never been shy about calling out big names, and on her new track, “namesake,” the Chicago rapper disses titans of the music industry as hypocrites for working with the NFL. Spitting in a rapid-fire flow over a slinky instrumental from Slimwav, Noname specifically hits out at JAY-Z, Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna, and Beyoncé on the Sundial cut.

On the second verse, Noname makes it clear where she stands regarding Jay and his relationship with the NFL. “I ain’t fuckin’ with the NFL or JAY-Z/ Propaganda for the military complex,” she raps. “The same gun that shot Lil Terry/ Out West, the same gun that shot Senair in the West Bank/ We all think the Superbowl’s the best thing.”

From noname

Go, Rihanna, go
Watch the fighter jet fly high
War machine gets glamorized
We play the game to pass the time
Go, Beyoncé, go
Watch the fighter jet fly high
War machine gets glamorized
We play the game to pass the time
Go, Kendrick, go
Watch the fighter jet fly high
War machine gets glamorized
We play the game to pass the time
Genius

Big Thief – Vampire Empire (heard on Pitchfork)

From Wikipedia

Big Thief is an American indie folk band based in Brooklyn, New York. Its members are Adrianne Lenker (guitar, vocals), Buck Meek (guitar, backing vocals), Max Oleartchik (bass), and James Krivchenia (drums).^[1]

Here is Big Thief on the amazing KEXP

Big Thief – Full Performance (Live on KEXP)

This is yet another band that I know nothing about, but they have made a lot of music and Pitchfork loves them.

There’s an imperial effortlessness to Big Thief’s music-making that’s hard not to find dazzling: five full-lengths, including a double album, three solo Adrianne Lenker albums, all in seven years, with no “minor” one, no asterisk in the catalog. Once you start grasping for comparison points, you wind up pretty quickly in superlatives territory: Elliott Smith. Bob Dylan. Prince.

what is imperial effortlessness??

This is what they have done since 2016:

5 albums

2 EPs

21 singles

4 music videos

Grammy nominations in 2020, 2021, 2023

Alison Russell and the Resistance Revival Chorus

The Take Me to Church single is part of Spotify’s Singles Series. The series asks artists to reimagine one of their own songs along with a song they love. Some more from Exclaim! Magazine on Montrealer Allison Russell, an artist we play on a regular basis on this show.

…in 2021 her track “Nightflyer” was on Barack Obama’s annual best-of-the-year playlist, and in 2022 she earned three Grammy nominations and won the JUNO Award for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year, becoming the first Black artist to do so. “The timing of it, the fact that we were at a conjunction of pandemic, of major social justice, and racial reckoning. There’s a lot of things that happened for this record to be listened to in the way that it was and continues to be,” she reflects. “I’m still pondering these things in my heart.”

The Resonance Between – The Passage

There is very little written about The Resonance Between, probably because this is a collaboration, not a band.

So, here is a bit about the project from Bandcamp

The Resonance Between (TRB) is the new collaborative album by artists Alam Khan, Arjun K. Verma, and Del Sol Quartet — an ensemble of remarkably synergistic vision and virtuosity.

Despite their many aesthetic similarities, Indian classical and European classical music have rarely been combined, and generally have been done so in mere juxtapositions rather than with fluid integration. TRB presents a groundbreaking new level of fusion between these cultural genres, crafting a contemporary instrumental sound for this unique original work that is so much more than simply the sum of its parts.

Here is a good article on the collaborators for this project from Seattle Sacred Musi

Alam Khan, Arjun K. Verma, Del Sol Quartet: The Resonance Between

and a little more about this amazing project from World Music Central

The album highlights the Indian classical mastery of Khan and Verma, who teamed up with cross-cultural composer Jack Perla. The American string ensemble Del Sol Quartet, led by violist Charlton Lee, adds a unique touch with their multicultural approach to chamber music. The strings of the quartet beautifully complement the Indian instruments, resulting in cinematic soundscapes that are both emotionally expressive and thought-provoking.

Forest Swords – “Low” from Bolted

Forest Swords is the stage name for English record producer and DJ, Matt Barnes. He has released three studio albums, of which Bolted is his latest. This Old Fella is stepping out of his usual wheelhouse and presenting a little UK electronica this week.

Mojo magazine calls the album “ a master class in sound design, Bolted creeps up slowly then engulfs you.”

The online Treble magazine is much better at describing this tune than me.

As a dedicated fan of science fiction, I’m a keen believer in the concept of the multiverse. One of the lesser alternate timelines I imagine for myself involves dropping my political science degree to study music theory and composition instead. I envision falling in love with jazz and postmodern classical music, pursuing an advanced degree or two, and finding experimental electronic music earlier that I did in this timeline. Eventually, I would have landed a gig teaching at either a mid-sized high school or decent community college, and made my own music on the side. And when my students ask me about the sort of art I both create and appreciate, I think it might exist in the same sphere of music as the work of Forest Swords.

Ramy Essam – “BO2A3 ALWAN (Color Patches)” from Metgharabiin (Outsiders)

Ramy Essam is an Egyptian musician who came to prominence during the Arab Spring uprisings in Egypt in 2011. His songs of protest in Cairo were seen by millions of people. His music was considered incendiary by the Mubarak regime and he was forced to seek exile in Sweden where he has resided ever since. Here he is captivating an enormous audience in Tahir Square in 2011.

His new release includes this mesmerizing selection which comes with an equally captivating video.

Barry Can’t Swim –“ Define Dancing” from When Will We Land

Barry Can’t Swim is just one guy, Josh Mainnie, a London-based producer and musician. He makes a type of laid back tuneful house music with an emphasis on piano and interesting samples. For example, see if the repetitive piano riff in “Define Dancing” doesn’t remind you of a sound off of Pink Floyd’s 1973 Dark Side of the Moon.

Do you have a question for Barry can’t Swim? Well here’s ten answered.

10 QUESTIONS WITH BARRY CAN’T SWIM, FOLLOWING THE RELEASE OF HIS NEW EP ‘MORE CONTENT’

BY HEATHER CLEAL

1. Can you describe your sound in 3 words?

“Fairly jazzy stuff.”

2. How has your childhood in Edinburgh influenced the musician that you are today?

“It’s definitely a big influence, although I would say the people I grew up with shaped my music more than the city itself in all honesty. Edinburgh isn’t amazing at supporting the grassroots scenes, especially compared to somewhere like Glasgow. But I met a lot of incredibly talented musicians growing up there.”

3. If you wrote a screenplay about your life, what would it be called and who would play you?

“Probably Sonja from Eastenders or Steve Buscemi because we all share boggly eyes. It would be called the mindboggling life of Barry.”

4. You worked with many different artists to produce this EP, but who would be your dream collaborator?

“There are so many amazing people I’d love to collab with, but Jai Paul probably pips it, purely because of how elusive he is. I just wanna talk to him man.”

5. What is the greatest highlight of your career so far?

“I think the first-time seeing people singing along to your tunes when you’re playing live. That is such a mad thing to experience, man. Seeing people you’ve never met before in places you’ve never been to before singing along is still so surreal.”

Sleaford Mods – “UK Grim” from UK Grim

Sleaford Mods are a duo, from Nottingham, U.K. They have been around for almost 20 years. Prolific (a dozen albums) and popular in their native land, Sleaford Mods haven’t gained much traction on this side of the Atlantic possibly due to their spoken word rants of British class struggles and angst delivered in a thick Midland’s accent. Check out their latest.

Here is Pitchfork’s assessment of their latest offering.

It’s the irascible British duo’s most varied album to date. Just don’t expect anything to change.

Sleaford Mods don’t make music about how terrible things are in hopes that they will get better. Over the past decade, Andrew Fearn and Jason Williamson have channeled public discontent and everyday malaise in the UK, scrutinizing their country’s faults as well as their own. And though they’ve found personal growth and commercial success, the Mods’ outlook hasn’t brightened.

If this peaks your interest, Sleaford Mods have been the subject of several full length documentaries like this.

Sparkle Division – “Oh Yeah” from Foxy

I am getting lazy here so I am going to describe Sparkle Division by lifting straight and from the All Music Guide. “Sparkle Division‘s play lounge funk and blunted instrumental hip-hop that still had a degree of poignancy to it, given that two of its guests had passed on since its creation, and another song paid tribute to the late David Bowie. The collaboration’s sequel, Foxy, fully dives into the realm of fantasy, loosely following a story line taking place in 1969, about a pair of Hollywood film interns attending a lavish party at a Beverly Hills estate owned by a pimp and drug dealer named Foxy. The music sounds much closer to an Austin Powers-like revision of the late ’60s than the era itself, retaining elements of exotica and spy soundtracks but adding ’90s-style lounge grooves and break beats.“Oh Yeah!” picks up this thread and dives head-first into late-’90s atmospheric jungle, with busy beat programming skittering beneath fluttering sax. Maybe the next Sparkle Division record will be an imaginary soundtrack to a Home Alone-style holiday caper.” — AMG

In summation:

Episode 53

On October 21, 2023 By paulmcguire2013In MixCloud, Old Fellas New Music, voicEd RadioLeave a comment

Here is our updated playlist – all 53 episodes!

and our show!

The Last Dinner Party – Nothing Matters

Jayhawks – Bitter Pill

MJ Lenderman – Knockin

Wilco – Evicted

Jasmine Sandlas – Patt Lai Geya

James Clarke Institute – A Kinder You

Louwop – No soy de aqui, no soy de allá

Trans Canada Highwaymen – Pretty Lady

OMBIIGIZI – Eagle Man/Changing Woman

The Last Dinner Party – Nothing Matters

I have my sentence now at last, I know just how you felt
I dig my fingers in expecting more than just the skin

‘Cause we’re a lot alike, in favour, like a motorbike
A sailor and a nightingale dancing in convertibles
Nothing Matters The last Dinner Party

A new band whose first single Nothing Matters reached No. 8 on Billboard’s Adult Alternative Airplay chart dated Sept. 23. Another COVID band, the members came together in 2019 as three members were starting university – lead singer Abigail Morris, bassist Georgia Davies and vocalist/guitarist Lizzie Mayland.

CHARTBREAKER: THE LAST DINNER PARTY IS ‘NOT F–KING AROUND’ FOLLOWING ITS DEBUT HIT

The rock group’s “Nothing Matters” came from an all-hands effort in the act’s local scene and continues to build at adult alternative radio.

Although British rock band The Last Dinner Party scored a top 10 alternative hit with their debut single, for the five women that comprise the group, they’d been preparing for this moment for years. Just before beginning university in 2020, lead singer Abigail Morris, bassist Georgia Davies and vocalist/guitarist Lizzie Mayland crossed paths and became fast friends, bonding over musical interests. (Morris and Davies attended King’s College London; Mayland at Goldsmiths.) “We would go to gigs all the time, researching and thinking about starting a band,” Morris explains. “We were very intellectual about it for a long time.”

MJ Lenderman – Knockin

A terrific song, Pitchfork is able to mention Bob Dylan, John Daly the golfer, and of course MJ Lenderman.

The John Daly reference (just another fragment in a depressing landscape) led me to this crazy video apparently at the Thailand Golf Championship.

John Daly: Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door (GOLF VERSION) | Golfing World

and from Pitchfork

MJ Lenderman’s new single unfolds like a private joke, or some weird take on Chekhov’s gun: Mention a cover of “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” in the first verse, and you must sing a line from it by the end. Over some rangy open chords on distorted electric guitar, Lenderman remembers golf legend and self-proclaimed “crazy man” John Daly’s version of Bob Dylan’s hit, which Daly sometimes performed live, often while wearing a stars-and-stripes jacket. In the song, Daly singing Dylan is just another fragment in a depressing landscape, a place where you can only hear bird calls “coming from the rafters of the hardware store” and where love looks more like mutual codependency: “You’re all I need, babe/Yeah, you’ve heard that one before.”

Jasmine Sandlas – Patt Lai Geya

Great song, an incredible number of downloads for Patt Lai Geya – 1.5 million followers on Youtube, this song has been downloaded over 500,000 times! Also 2.9 million followers on Instagram

On her Instagram account, she talks about being an American-Punjabi female singer

Jasmine Sandlas’ recent post is a tale of every woman who speaks her mind and is called rude

For some reason, I’ve been called RUDE a lot in my life. I realised that when you speak your mind and stand up for yourself, it’s hard for people to control you. That’s kinda rude of us I guess, especially as women. As a woman, I should always behave properly so that everyone around me is comfortable and having a good time. As a punjabi woman, I should speak softly so I don’t offend anyone. Growing up, I’ve seen most women live their life suppressed and depressed. These words are new but the feeling is an era old.

she has also done a TED Talk – good to take this in

CHOICES | Jasmine Sandlas | TEDxSIULavale

Louwop – No soy de aqui, no soy de allá

Luis Segura, aka Louwop – Segura a veteran musician, having toured extensively with the Latin hip hop collective Los Poetas. Around the time the group disbanded Segura relocated from Toronto to Lindsay, drawn to the less hectic pace of Kawartha Lakes.

A side project Louwop is performing with Derek James of the Strombellas

Darryl James – Meet the Musicians of Kawarthas Northumberland

Another grab from Frequencies and Big City Small World. A Toronto artist that you can learn more about here:

Identity as an immigrant growing up in Canada is not often explored in music yet it is an integral part to what makes our communities so beautiful! Residing in the Kawartha Lakes outside of Toronto has given Louwop a chance to share his story as an entrepreneur with an independent cafe serving Salvadoran coffee. In Toronto Louwop curated two events pre-Covid for his Pa’lante nights at Basement 254 which featured international Latinx artist such as Rebel Diaz (Chile/NYC), Equis (Ecuador) and local Juno nominated and winners New Tradition (Toronto) and Boogat (Montreal).

OMBIIGIZI – Eagle Man/Changing Woman

I didn’t know that Eagle Man/Changing Woman is a Buffy St. Marie song. Here from their Bandcamp page is what they wrote about their musical experience and the writer of the song. OMBIIGIZI has performed as Zoon and Status/Non-Status, respectively

“Ombiigizi started as a desire to create a stronger cultural connection that Daniel and myself had felt was missing from our lives as indie rock kids prior to forming. In many ways we both felt isolated from our communities and were using music as a part of our guide forward. Now, our time together as a band to this point has been a whole new experience of ourselves as Anishinaabe people and truly powerful and uplifting to share as collaborators. So, when it comes to the legacy of indigenous art, we could not think of any other artist to cover than Buffy. Her song Eagle Man/Changing Woman is a curiosity to us and a place of origins to the individual growth we have both come to as artists, as sober beings and as collaborators. We seek to consistently evaluate and make positive change in our relationships; with our identities, with our people and connections, and especially those closest to us. Buffy has been part of that guidance to us and oh so many others. We just heard she is retiring from live performance and wish her well and share this in honour of her positive influence and legacy.

Bandcamp OMBIIGIZI

You can hear their rndition here

Their song was on the Exclaim! best music of the week for September 8

But truly, doing anything can feel cinematic with the right soundtrack, and this week’s best new Canadian music is here to foot that bill, including new tracks from Metric and Terra Lightfoot, as well as OMBIIGIZI covering Buffy Sainte-Marie’s “Eagle Man/Changing Woman.”

Exclaim!

Jayhawks – “ Bitter Pill’ from 2020 album XOXO

The Jayhawks are a Minnesota band that has been kicking around since the late 1980’s. They took a break in in 2004 and returned to recording and performing in 2009. “Bitter Pill” is taken from their last full length release (the 11th) in 2020. The trademark Jayhawk’s sound is still intact.

Pitchfork liked the album.

Wilco – “ Evicted” from Cousin

Like The Jayhawks, it’s hard to believe Wilco has been a band for for practically thirty years. The present line up has been intact since 2004. Since 2202’s landmark album Yankee Foxtrot Hotel, many critic have reviewed each subsequent album applying the law of diminishing returns. The new release Cousin however, has remedied this: https://burnwoodtonite.blogspot.com/2023/10/wilcos-best-in-years.html

The Guardian also loved Cousins. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/sep/28/wilco-cousin-review-a-band-rediscovering-their-experimental-side

Performing “Evicted” on Jimmy Kimmel, Wilco!

Stepping into the past, here’s Wilco looking quite younger on Austin City Limits in 1999.

James Clarke Institute – “A Kinder” You from Under the Lampshade 2023

James Clarke Institute is for lack of better term, a power pop group from Oakville Ontario. If you hear shades of the Beatles, Badfinger or Tom Petty, you are not mistaken. “A Kinder You” is the first single released from the impending Moe Berg produced album, Under The Lampshade.

Check out the website https://www.clarkinstitute.com/ and an excellent profile in The Oakville News https://oakvillenews.org/oakville-culture-and-lifestyle/james-clark-institute-performs-european-uk-tour/

Trans Canada Highway Men – “Pretty Lady” from Up coming lp Explosive Hits Vol. 1

The Trans-Canada Highwaymen are Moe Berg (The Pursuit of Happiness), Chris Murphy (SLOAN), Craig Northey (Odds) and Steven Page (Ex-Bare Naked Ladies) . and they are going on tour to perform their hit songs and share road stories of the mixed bag of excitement, dread, inspiration, emotional torture and unconditional support that is being a band. The guys basically formed in 2016. https://exclaim.ca/music/article/chris_murphy_introduces_his_new_supergroup_the_trans-canada_highwaymen

Now 7 years later, they are having some fun releasing an album of 70’s AM radio hits. The album cover and title are an obvious salute to the K-Tel albums of the time. https://exclaim.ca/music/article/trans-canada_highwaymen_cover_can-rock_classics_on_new_album_explosive_hits_vol_1

The selected track here is the Lighthouse classic, “Pretty Lady” which was released when these old fellas were entering Grade 10. It’s a great faithful version of the original.

…

Old Fellas New Music Episode 52

On October 14, 2023 By paulmcguire2013In MixCloud, Old Fellas New MusicLeave a comment

Episode 52 Friday, Oct. 13 at 1:00 PM on Mixcloud

you can find all our shows here

Episode 52 on Mixcloud

Dermot Kennedy – Better Days
Jeremy Dutcher – Pomawsuwinuwok Wonakiyawolotuwok
Jungle – Back On 74
Gord Downie, Bob Rock – The Raven and the Red-Tailed Hawk
Post Malone – Chemical
Debbie Friday – So hard to tell
Sufjan Stevens – So You Are Tired
Olivia Rodrigo – Bad Idea Right?
A. Savage – Elvis in the Army

here is our updated playlist on Spotify

Here are this week’s notes!!

Jeremy Dutcher – Pomawsuwinuwok Wonakiyawolotuwok

Jeremy Dutcher – Pomawsuwinuwok Wanakiyawolotuwok / ᐯᒪᐧᓱᐧᐃᓄᐧᐁᒃᐧᐊᓇᑭᔭᐧᐁᓓᑐᐧᐁᒃ (Official Music Video)

Beautiful music. I am including here a release note from October 3 regarding the release of a single from his upcoming second album. The album was released on October 6 and is available on Bandcamp.

Today, Jeremy Dutcher – the classically trained Two-Spirit song carrier, composer, activist, and member of Neqotkuk (Tobique First Nation) in Eastern Canada – shares the final single before his sophomore album is released into the world this Friday. “Pomawsuwinuwok Wonakiyawolotuwok” translates to ‘people are rising’ and is a “resistance song for all voices.” Jeremy shares the inspiration behind the piece: “Inspired by a traditional Wolastoq melody that is expanded on, this song was supposed to be on my first record, but I could never find a way to make the chorus right. I wanted to write a song that flowed between Wolastoqey language and English, in hopes of calling as many to the table as possible to witness the rising.”

our struggle isn’t
in the fields [as it once was]
it’s in the streets
the people are rising

Kill Beat Music

and from Exclaim!

A press release calls Motewolonuwok an “experimental pop” album, featuring the first time that Dutcher has written and sung in English. It also finds him singing in the endangered language of Wolastoqey and interpreting traditional songs from his people, just as he did on his debut. The album features strings arranged by Owen Pallett.

Gord Downie, Bob Rock – The Raven and the Red-Tailed Hawk

The Raven And The Red-Tailed Hawk

Some days I can’t do it
Sometimes I just can’t do it
The only way around is through it
Some days I can’t do it
Some days I just can’t do it
The only way around is through it
Genius

The songs were recorded in 2006, but since the album only came out last year – released May 5, 2022, this qualifies for our show.

Again, a little bit from Exclaim!

The sessions for Lustre Parfait followed the two Hip albums produced by Rock, 2006’s World Container and 2009’s We Are the Same. According to a press release, Downie asked Rock if the producer had any music he could write lyrics for, and Rock created these raucous arrangements for the vocalist to accompany.

Rock said in a statement, “First and foremost Gord was my friend, and having the opportunity to work with him on these songs was one of the biggest highlights of my professional life. I am grateful that I got to witness his genius in such close proximity.”

Debbie Friday – So hard to tell

What a great song. I had to include something from this year’s Polaris Prize winner. That means two of my selections are winners of the prize (Jeremy Dutcher is the other one).

DEBBY FRIDAY – SO HARD TO TELL (Official Video)

So Hard to Tell is different from her other music. As Pitchfork writes

“So Hard to Tell,” the lead single from Debby Friday’s forthcoming debut, Good Luck, opens with a sly smokescreen. At first, it adopts the hardened, sinister pose of the Toronto artist’s usual steely electronics, unleashing a mangled industrial synth and defensive warning: “They want to hurt you!” But it soon explodes into softness, like feathers erupting from a pillow.

For the contrast, try out GOOD LUCK on Bandcamp or Spotify

Debbie Friday GOOD LUCK on Spotify

Olivia Rodrigo – Bad Idea Right?

Just a fun song I thought would go well with all the rest

From Pichfork (I think they got this right!)

Were the person performing “Bad Idea Right?” even slightly less committed to the bit, it likely wouldn’t have worked. But Rodrigo, a capital-P Performer, barrels into the song with profound commitment to playing the role of sloppy main character. Chattering over the song’s strutting bassline, Rodrigo narrates her decision to link up with an ex-boyfriend like she’s relaying the information in real time: “I’m out right now and I’m all fucked up/And you’re callin’ my phone and you’re all alone/And I’m sensing some undertone!”

This is a great video

Olivia Rodrigo – bad idea right? (Official Video)

Along with Vampire, this is her third Number One Single on Billboard Hot 100

Colleen likes Vampire so i will add it here. Pretty amazing vocals

Olivia Rodrigo – vampire (Official Video)

and thanks BOB for this extra!

Olivia Rodrigo Stans Savage GOP State Senator for Attacking Her iPhone Ad

Olivia Rodrigo’s fans opened up a can of whoop-ass on a Republican Pennsylvania state senator who dared to criticize their idol’s behavior in an iPhone ad.

“Just saw the new @Apple iPhone commercial,” John DiSanto wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday. “Young girl, filming with phone, dressed suggestively, keying a car, trashing a room and so on. Pathetic promoting this is how a young women [sic] should act.”

Last month, Apple released a video shot on an iPhone 15 Pro featuring Rodrigo performing her song “get him back!” The commercial does show the 20-year-old keying a parked vehicle, as well as her sitting in a car with the windows and windshield smashed, and throwing a lamp across a bedroom.

The backlash to DiSanto’s disapproval was swift and ruthless.

“This is really pathetic,” one Rodrigo stan replied, while another called him “such a loser.” A third said DiSanto should “cry into your juice box about it you big baby.”

One said they “wanna key his car,” while several called him some variation of a “creep” for describing Rodrigo’s outfit—a crop top and a skirt—as suggestive. A typical comment accused DiSanto of being a “pathetic creep,” advising him to “stop commenting on how younger people, especially women, should dress and act.”

Others just wanted DiSanto to “shut up.” One person, apparently upset, wrote simply: “You are a fart.”

Dermot Kennedy – “ Better Days” single from 2021

Dermot Kennedy is an Irish singer and songwriter. Unknown to these old fellas, Kennedy has scored success these last few years with the songs “Outnumbered” and “Power Over Me” among others. He has millions of listens on Spotify and has appeared at major venues and festivals all over North America. I snapped a picture of him last night playing in Ottawa at the Canadian Tire Centre. On describing “Better Days”, Kennedy explained “This is a song about patience. It’s about believing in something brighter, and never losing sight of better days, no matter how hard things might get. In a time where so many people feel worried and exhausted, I would love for this song to remind even one person that things will improve.”

Jungle – “Back On 74 “ from Volcano

Jungle is a British duo in 2013 by producers Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland. During the past week I have heard “Back on 1974” at least three times in the car and had to crank the radio each time. But remember, driver safety first.Jungle have released four studio albums and this track is from their latest. The video for “Back on 1974” is very intriguing.

Post Malone – Chemical from “Austin”

Post Malone, is an extremely popular, American rapper and singer. This is the old fellas’ first opportunity to hear Mr. Malone and it was a pleasant surprise. It wasn’t what we expected. Chemical is a catchy three minutes of fizzy synth pop. The NME checks in:

Check out Post Malone’s pop-leaning new single ‘Chemical’

Sufjan Stevens – “So You Are Tired” from Javelin

Sufjan Stevens is an American singer-songwriter. He has released ten solo studio albums and been nominated for Grammy and Academy Awards. Twenty or so years ago he started his own label with the best name ever, Asthmatic Kitty. His latest album, Javelin comes on the heels of a tough year for Stevens. He had been hospitalized the previous month and diagnosed with Guillain–Barré syndrome. Also, his partner Evans Richardson, died in April. “So You Are Tired” seems to sum up his tough year. Pitchfork calls it an “elegant break-up song that sounds like a lullaby.”

A. Savage – “Elvis in the Army” from Several Songs About Fire

Andrew Savage, or A. Savage, is best known as a member of the Parquet Courts. This track is taken from his second solo album. First is a glimpse of the Parquet Courts playing their very Velvet Underground fave, Stoned and Starving.

This is possibly the only song in history that references the Canadian candy Swedish Fish!

Savage is also a painter and visual artist, and has created all Parquet Courts’ album covers. He received a Grammy Awards nomination for Best album art of his band’s 2016 album Human Performance.

The song presented here, is less about Elvis and more about what it means to be an American.

More here

Old Fellas New Music Episode 47

On June 22, 2023June 22, 2023 By paulmcguire2013In MixCloud, Old Fellas New Music, voicEd RadioLeave a comment

Episode 47

Whitehorse – Am I just Going to Stand Here (While You Take My Girl Away)

Maybel – Winter city

Mozart Estate – Vanilla Gorilla

Darlingside – Eliza I See

The Bad Ends – Thanksgiving 1915

Maya De Vitry – Never on the Map

Complete Mountain Almanac – May

Tanlines – The Big Mess

Feeble Little Horse – Steamroller

This week’s songs

Whitehorse – “Am I just Going to Stand Here (While You Take My Girl Away)” from From Strike Me Down 2021

Whitehorse is a long time favourite in the Old fellas camp. Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland have been releasing high quality roots inflected music for years. I recently heard this gem on the radio and assumed it was from the band’s latest 2023 release, I’m Not Crying Your Crying. This track is actually a couple of years old. I like the psychedelic vibe to this number.

These guys are great live. I encourage everyone to see them if you can.

https://www.fyimusicnews.ca/articles/2021/05/09/whitehorse-am-i-just-gonna-stand-here

Mozart Estate – “Vanilla Gorilla” from Pop-Up! Ker-Ching! and the Possibilities of Modern Shopping 2023

Mozart Estate, formerly known as Go-Kart Mozart, are an English indie pop band founded by cult figure Lawrence. Lawrence first came to mild prominence in the early 80’s as the chief member of The UK band Felt. If one is feeling lazy, Felt could be lumped in with other jangly bands of the era like The Smiths and REM. Here’s Felt performing one of their best known songs.

After 9 lps, Felt broke up. Lawrence eventually formed the glam/bubblegum pastiche Denim. Felt released nine albums in the 1980s, and Lawrence was the only constant member of the band from its inception in 1979 to its dissolution in 1989. After Felt’s breakup, Lawrence became somewhat of a eccentric recluse. He later remerged in the 90’s with Bubblegum/Glam Rock pastiche Denim.

There was a documentary made about his life and disappearance from public view.

He eventually bounced back with the group Go-Cart Mozart now named Mozart Estate. “Vanilla Gorilla” is a catchy little number taken from the latest release.

The Bad Ends – “Thanksgiving 1915” from 2023’s The Power and the Glory

This is a musical project involving former REM drummer Bill Berry and Mike Mantione from Five Eight. Both being residents of Athen GA, the two met up occasionally over several years and eventually they started sending demos to each other. This led to the formation of The Bad Ends. This is the first album that Berry had worked on in over 20 years. In 1995, at the height of REM’s powers , Berry suffered a cerebral aneurysm onstage and collapsed. he recovered but left music to become a farmer. The video is gratifying as shows some other old fellas shaking it up.

https://www.operationeveryband.com/sxswrec/the-bad-ends-thanksgiving-1915

Darlingside – Eliza I See

All of the four bandmates were also members of The Williams Octet during their time at the College. (Sofie Jones/The Williams Record)

Darlingside – Eliza I See (Official Lyric Video)

Beautiful song, I hope you give this a listen!

Darlingside is a four-person indie folk band from Boston, MA. The band consists of Don Mitchell, Auyon Mukharji, Harris Paseltiner, and David Senft. Their style has been described as “exquisitely arranged, literary-minded, baroque folk-pop” by All Songs Considered.^[1] Their latest full-length album, Fish Pond Fish, was released in October 2020.

The band’s name is a derivation of Lewis’ class motto: “Kill your darlings,” or, take out an idea that may be dear to you because that idea might be the very thing holding you back. “Darlingside is to darlings as pesticide is to pests,” Mitchell said. “We changed the ‘C’ to an ‘S’ just to have people not calling us ‘darling-kh-ide’ all the time.”

Maya De Vitry – Never on the Map

How Bad I Wanna Live

So, apart from the wonderful voice, Maya De Vitry has an interesting story about a hike she took. Read below.

In 2022, one of the ultimate acts of resistance is simply embracing our existence. That realization came after listening to Maya De Vitry’s “How Bad I Wanna Live,” from her third solo album, Violet Light. Maya takes the experience of her own harrowing hike on a washed-out trail abutting a severe cliffside and turns it into an anthem for continuation.

In just under three minutes of mid-tempo Americana — that seemingly could have sprung from the songbook of Richard & Linda Thompson in their heyday — De Vitry fends off mortality wielding nothing more than generosity, spirit and the soaring harmony she sings with Shelby Means and Joel Timmons of Sally & George. Whether you have been in danger of leaving the earth suddenly, like De Vitry was, or have like so many simply been cracking under the strain of recent events, this song is the perfect soundtrack for uncorking that emotion and (defiantly) loving life again.

NPR

from her website:

Maya de Vitry’s dynamic and vibrant voice seems to rise out of some necessity of bringing songs to life, embracing listeners with what Folk Alley calls a “soulful intimacy”. She grew up in a musical family in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, understanding music to be a place of gathering, a way to spend a summer night by a campfire. She was surrounded by bluegrass and old-time music, and country, gospel, and folk songs. She took piano lessons from her grandmother, and took up classical violin in school, but it was some combination of the haunting fiddle music of Appalachia and the vulnerable poetry in Townes Van Zandt’s songwriting that first compelled her to begin creating tunes and songs of her own

Complete Mountain Almanac – “May” from Complete Mountain Almanac

This wonderful release is a collaboration involving Norwegian singer/songwriter Rebekka Karijord, poet Jessica Dessner, and from The National, guitarists Aaron and Bryce Dessner. I am going to let this article explain this compelling piece of music. https://beatsperminute.com/album-review-complete-mountain-almanac-complete-mountain-almanac/ The track we chose is “May”. This song is quote, “a pained address to the earth and indirect submission to St. Agatha (“I can give all of this back”

Feeble Little Horse – “Steamroller” from Girl With Fish

Feeble Little Horse is a band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In the spirit of e.e. cummings, bill bisset and k.d. lang, the band sometimes goes with the lowercase. They formed in early 2021 The group signed to Saddle Creek Records in October 2022, and re-released Hayday. Last week they released their second album. Why discuss them when I can get Pitchfork to do the heavy lifting? https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/feeble-little-horse-hayday/

Here’s a live version of the song.

Maybel – Winter City

This is yet another example of a band with members who we knew as kids. A great band with Alison Hendra!!

“Winter City” by Maybel was written by Loris Kecaj, Le Ren, Fez Gielen & Alison Hendra.

Maybel is the new project of Montreal’s Lauren Spear — who released two beautiful country EPs in 2018 as Le Ren — and her bandmates Loris Kecaj, Ali Hendra, and Fez Gielen. Montreal winters can be notoriously intense and isolating, and the group says that their absolutely gorgeous and heartwarming folk gem “Winter City” is a love song dedicated to their hometown, “and the many Winters spent helping each other through.” Maybel adds, “The band hopes that this song will bring the listener some light during what can sometimes be a heavy season.” Listen to the exquisitely sparkly track, taken from the group’s forthcoming debut LP Gathering, below, and download it here.

Gorilla vs Bear

Tanlines – The Big Mess

I really like this band. Pitchfork does not. Maybe there is a bit of ageism going on here??

When they were young, Tanlines made a couple EPs and an album that, at the time and still today, sum up a specific place and time. In their case, it was Brooklyn in 2012; but it was also the sound of at least half a dozen middle-class urban enclaves around the world, where, for a brief moment, straight white dudes got it up and started dancing. Tanlines did it with rare efficiency. It was good fun, which is harder than it sounds, and they made it sound easy.

and

As an album, The Big Mess isn’t really declarative, or sizable, or wrecked. It aims for something complicated and settles for complacency: a working definition of modern masculinity. If Tanlines once sounded effortless, now little sounds like it’s worth the effort.

Pitchfork

but a five-star rating from All Music

Following an extended hiatus, Tanlines return with their introspective yet still anthemic third album, 2023’s The Big Mess. The record, which arrives eight years after 2015’s Highlights, reunites the duo of singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist Eric Emm and percussionist and instrumentalist Jesse Cohen. Having initially established themselves in Brooklyn as purveyors of arty, indie electronic pop in the vein of Vampire Weekend and Ra Ra Riot, Tanlines spent much of the time after Highlights away from each other, with Emm moving his family to Connecticut and Cohen working a marketing job in New York.

Tanlines – Outer Banks (Official Music Video)

Tanlines – The Big Mess (Official Music Video)

Old Fellas New Music Episode 44

On April 25, 2023April 25, 2023 By paulmcguire2013In MixCloud, Old Fellas New MusicLeave a comment

Episode 44 show as recorded on Mixcloud

And our current Spotify Playlist

This week’s songs

Sunny War – New Day

July Talk – After This

The Mary Wallopers – Love Will Never Conquer Me

Crown Lands – White Buffalo

Gina Birch – I Play My Bass Loud

Caroline Rose – Miami

Joe Henry – Mission

Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers – Bad Night

Robert Forster – Go Free

Sunny War – “New Day” from Anarchist Gospel

Sunny War is actually Sydney Lyndella , a singer/songwiter based in California. She started playing guitar at 13 and became enamoured with punk/folk rock and a wide variety of music as evidenced by her participation in The Anus Kings.

She spent a rough period combating substance abuse and poverty and she eventually shifted to blues and folk and adopted the moniker Sunny War.

Mary Wallopers – “Love will Never Conquer Me” from The Mary Wallopers

The Mary Wallopers are an Irish folk music group based in Dundalk, County Louth. The main members are brothers Charles and Andrew Hendy who also front TPM, a comedy rap duo. If you liked The Pogues, you’ll like these folks.

The Mary Wallopers name has an interesting backstory. To quote, “We were named after a boat; the harbourmaster at the dock had a little rowing boat and he wrote on the side, the “Mary Walloper”. “Walloper” actually means “a mad person”. When Seán was a child, his father would say, “There’s the Mary Walloper!” as a joke. It was a tiny row boat and those don’t even have names on them. But this fella wrote a massive name for Mary Walloper on his boat. We only found out later on that there was actually a sex worker who used to work around the docks called Mary Walloper. She used to drink cider and like starting riots and having craic. So, he named the boat after her.”

Let’s get to know these fine fellows. https://roarnews.co.uk/2022/getting-to-know-the-mary-wallopers-interview/

“Love Will never Conquer Me” is simple but powerful.

Gina Birch – I Play My Bass Loud from I play My Bass Loud

Gina Birch is an English musician and filmmaker. She is best known as a member of the seminal late 70’s band The Raincoats. Probably their most “famous” song is this one:

The Raincoats broke up in 1984. Birch went on to attend art college. She has spent the last 40 years directing film, video and painting. This year at the age of 67, she created her first solo album. An AllMusic review noted that “It’s a loud, celebratory album that perfectly boils down Birch’s 40-plus-year journey as a tireless, boundless, and most of all fearless, creator”

From Pitchfork

The song has a very cool video

Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers – Bad Night

The Steep Canyon Rangers have been together since 2000 and have produced nine albums, two with Steve Martin. In 2013 they won Best Bluegrass Album at the Emmys. They toured with Martin for a few years and produced two albums with him.

A great band, glad to include them here. They are still playing, but there have been several personnel changes. I would think there was lots of comedy during their touring time with Steve Martin including this one.

Crown Lands

We saw this band when they opened for July Talk this week. We didn’t know anything about them, but they are pretty amazing. Just a band of two with an incredible story.

a little from one of their interviews:

“We don’t really do a lot in solitude for this band,” Comeau says. “When I’m alone and making music, it’s synth music, kind of like Vangelis or Tangerine Dream or John Carpenter. And when Cody’s on their own, Cody’s playing all these amazing flutes these days, and that’s a whole other world. But when we come together, it’s like, what would Pink Floyd do if they jammed with Rush? It’s a different kind of headspace.”
From their bio

This I didn’t know, from Wikipedia

Crown Lands won the Juno Award for Breakthrough Group of the Year (this is their acceptance speech) at the Juno Awards of 2021.^[6] The band were also nominated for Rock Album of the Year.^[7]

The band consists of vocalist and drummer Cody Bowles, and guitarist, bassist and keyboardist Kevin Comeau.^[1][2]

and from their Facebook Page

They also do an amazing cover of Come Together

Their influences (from e-talk) include Rush, Yes, Pink Floyd, and Led Zeppelin. If you hear them this makes lots of sense.

They also do a great version of Come Together. They were asked to play this for the FIFA World Cup.

July Talk – After This

Everything this band does energizes. We saw them this week at the NAC, and really I couldn’t take my eyes off the stage. Every song was a dynamic dialogue among the members, especially Peter Dreimanis and Leah Fay.

They have been together since 2012 and won a Juno for Alternative Album of the Year. Their new two albums also won Alternative Album of the Year – why not Album of the Year?

(thanks Wikipedia)

July Talk – After This [Official Music Video]

Their latest album Remember Never Before is now out. Exclaim loved it saying this is a return to their “hurl yourself into the moment” style of playing. I really didn’t know that they had to return to this – looking at their material it’s always been there.

Listening to Paper Girl right now – produced ten years ago now. And of course – Picturing Love which they played perfectly at the NAC.

Caroline Rose – Miami (Official Music Video)

Caroline Rose

Just because I’m brooding
And wanna kill everything moving
It doesn’t mean I’m losing my marbles
I’m just moody
Carolyn Rose – Miami

I keep on hearing this song. What really captures me first is the ending of the plaintive song. The video is dramatic and she comments on the featured song Miami

“I’m not one to shy away from drama, and so this was a perfect opportunity to really bring out every ounce of desperation and anger and all those confusing emotions that happen after a big heartbreak,” Rose elaborates on “Miami.”
Stereogum

This is Rose’s third album all since 2020.

and the ending

This is the hard part
The part that they don’t tell you about
There is the art of loving
This is the art of forgetting how

This is gonna break you
You’re gonna rip your own heart out
There is the art of loving
This is the art of forgetting how

This is the art of forgetting how
This is the art of forgetting how
This is the art of forgetting how
This is the art of forgetting how

You’ve gotta get through this life somehow
You’ve gotta get through this life somehow
You’ve gotta get through this life somehow
You’ve gotta get through this life somehow

Joe Henry – “Mission” from All the Eye Can See

Joe Henry has had an illustrious and varied career as an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer. He has released multiple studio albums and produced countless recordings for other artists, including three Grammy Award-winning albums. Originally from Charlotte, North Carolina he moved to Brooklyn in 1985 after graduating from the University of Michigan. He has produced Solomon Burke, Billy Bragg, Louden Wainwright 111 , Bonnie Raitt, Elvis Costello and many others.

He has co-written with Madonna as he has been married to her sister since 1987. From his 15th solo album, “The Mission”

The new release is garnering good reviews.

Years ago, Henry released “Our Song” Always loved these cryptic and melancholy lyrics.

“ Our Song”

I saw Willie Mays

At a Scotsdale Home Depot

Looking at Garage Door Springs

At the the far end of the 14th row

His wife stood there beside him

She was quiet and they both were proud

I gave them room but was close enough

That I heard him when he said out loud

This was my country

And this was my song

Somewhere in the middle there

Though it started badly and it's ending wrong

Robert Forster – “Go Free” from The Candle and the Flame

Robert Forster is a a former of the great 80’s Australian band The Go- Betweens mainly with the late great Grant McLennan. The Go-Betweens broke up in 1989 after six stellar underappreciated albums. Fave track? This gem:

The Go – Betweens reformed in 2000 and miraculously didn’t lose a beat releasing three more wonderful albums. Unfortunately, MacLennan succumbed to a heart attack in 2006 at the age of 48. Since then, Forster established a career as a music journalist in Australia and has over the years, released solo material. From his eighth solo lp, “Go Free”

The Guardian article excellently describes Forster’s tribulations which inspired his latest release, The Candle and the Flame

Old Fellas New Music Episode 42 Notes

On February 25, 2023 By paulmcguire2013In MixCloud, Old Fellas New Music, voicEd RadioLeave a comment

Episode 42

Rina Sawayama – This Hell

Lemon Twigs – Anytime of the Day

Arctic Monkeys – Body Paint

Blues Lawyer – Chance Encounters

Ethel Cain – American Teenager

Yo La Tengo – Aselestine

Horace Andy – Watch Over Them

Brad Mehldau – Your Mother Should Know

Pony – Très Jolie

Bob’s notes

Lemon Twigs – “Anytime of the Day” from the Everything Harmony being released on May 5th

This is the second Lemon Twigs number to have aired on the podcast. We played one from their previous album back in the Old Fellas “Jurassic” period. The band are principally Brian and Michael D’Addario. Their music and sartorial style seems frozen in about 1972 but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. “Anytime of Day” could have been lifted off a Todd Rundgren or Carpenters album. Blogger Burning Wood elaborates:

https://burnwoodtonite.blogspot.com/2023/02/hello-its-them.html

Whenthehornblows concurs: https://whenthehornblows.com/content/2023/2/19/the-lemon-twigs-any-time-of-day

Blues Lawyer – “Chance Encounters” from All in Good Time

Although this podcast is about listening to new music and pithy penetrating conversation, sometimes we all learn something. I picked Blues Lawyer because of their intriguing name. Well… who knew there’s a whole story there?

https://killerguitarrigs.com/what-is-a-blues-lawyer/ As a semi-musician, I had never heard this term before. Oakland-based Blues Lawyer are anything but “Blues Lawyers”. Chance Encounters is wonderful punchy song with a great retro video

. Here’s the story behind the new album. https://rockandrollglobe.com/indie-rock/blues-lawyer-and-the-art-of-patience/

Yo La Tengo – “Aselestine” from This Stupid World,

Critics’ faves Yo La Tengo have been kicking around for almost 40 years now. They have released fifteen studio albums, six compilation albums, fifteen extended plays, twenty-two singles, two film score albums, four collaborative albums, and one album of cover songs. Hoboken’s finest (not counting Frank Sinatra) have just released This Stupid World. Drummer Georgia Hubley takes lead vocals on “Aselestine”

Pitchfork evaluates:

On their liveliest album in at least a decade, indie rock’s most steadfast institution squares up against ubiquitous darkness.

To fully dig the manifold charms of This Stupid World, it’s best to take a single step back into Yo La Tengo’s 38 years-and-counting catalog. In July 2020, amid that first summer of extreme pandemic disorientation, the trio surprised devotees not only with a new Bandcamp page but also with a fresh album, captured at their Hoboken practice space just weeks earlier and offered up like a timely postcard from a friend you’ve missed—we’re OK, and we hope you’re OK, too.

https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/yo-la-tengo-this-stupid-world/

Yo La Tengo rocking out in 2013 at the Pitchfork Festival

Brad Mehldau – “Your Mother Should Know” from Your Mother Should Know: Brad Mehldau Plays the Beatles

Everybody artist at some point tackles a Beatles cover; it’s inevitable. Bradford is an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. As a jazz guy, he takes a fresh approach covering one of Paul McCartney’s minor songs. Mehldau doesn’t, like many jazz guys, stretch the original tune in length or go off on fancy tangents. The actual playing time is very close to the original track. Here he playing live.

Hey it’s the Burning Wood Blog again!

https://burnwoodtonite.blogspot.com/2023/02/your-mother-should-know.html

Tidal magazine provides insight.

Paul’s Notes

Rina Sawayama – This Hell (Official Music Video)

Don’t know if I would call this a country song, but it certainly is a banger as the kids say. The lyrics are really interesting to, so I had no problem making this my first pick this week.

About the song – from Wikipedia

“This Hell” is a “glammy, country pop inspired” song which contains references to numerous country and western motifs such as cowboys and horseriding.^[3] It was produced by Paul Epworth and Clarence Clarity, and written by Sawayama alongside Vic Jamieson, Epworth, and Lauren Aquilina.^[10]

Sawayama has noted Dolly Parton and Kacey Musgraves as inspirations for “This Hell”, as well as Shania Twain, whom Sawayama has described as “The queen of country pop”.^[11]

Sawayama wrote “This Hell” while reflecting about attacks against LGBT people, which are often motivated by religious beliefs, stating: “When the world tells us we don’t deserve love and protection, we have no choice but to give love and protection to each other”.^[12] The song contains a guitar solo which was described as “over-the-top” by NPR.^[3] The singer makes references to some gay icons such as Britney Spears, Princess Diana, and Whitney Houston,^[10] and references Shania Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” with the beginning line, “Let’s go, girls”, as well as Paris Hilton‘s signature catchphrase “that’s hot”.^[12] Sawayama stated: “I put in as many iconic pop culture moments as I can, but the song is more than that.” ^[13] Upon the song’s release, Sawayama posted to Twitter: “I wanted to write a western pop song that celebrated COMMUNITY and LOVE in a time where the world seemed hellish.”^[11]

Arctic Monkeys – Body Paint

Another band that has been around for a long time that I didn’t know about. Body Paint, like all the songs on their latest album is so interesting, certainly a cut above the music I was hearing on the Top Lists this week. The Car is Arctic Monkeys’ seventh album.

a bit about the song – interesting notes here.

Musically the song has been described as a “lounge-y piano ballad”, and Beatlesque,^[6] with “gorgeous string arrangements” reminiscent of Burt Bacharach and George Martin‘s work with said group.^[2] The band has been said as being “in introspective lounge lizard mode over sparkling piano and slowed-down drums.”^[7] Robin Murray of Clash, thought there was a “sense of Bowie‘s mid 70s peak in the arrangement”.

Ethel Cain – American Teenager

[Verse 1]

Grew up under yellow light on the street

Putting too much faith in the make-believe

And another high school football team

The neighbor’s brother came home in a box

But he wanted to go, so maybe it was his fault

Another red heart taken by the American dream

More and more I am choosing songs that I think we have played before, but I checked and we haven’t. We have (I forgot) played Arctic Monkeys beforte – different song.

I like everything about Ethel Cain. Bob thinks her last name comes from a Band Song – that is pretty interesting, but I couldn’t find anything on that.

A bit about Ethel Cain from Pitchfork.

“Growing up I was surrounded by visions of NASCAR, rock’n’roll, and being the one who would change everything,” Cain said in a statement. “They make you think it’s all achievable and that if nothing else, you should at least die trying. What they don’t tell you is that you need your neighbor more than your country needs you. I wrote this song as an expression of my frustration with all the things the ‘American Teenager’ is supposed to be but never had any real chance of becoming.”

Pitchfork

Horace Andy

Yet another long-time famous musician I hadn’t heard of before. Bob talks a lot about him during the podcast – I am adding a few notes, mainly for me so I can catch up. This for me would be a great album to pick up soon. I have included below an NPR episode featuring some discussion of his latest album. Plus I found – again from NPR – a great session including Horace Andy and a great group of musicians.

NPR’s favorite music of April, from broken-hearted R&B to paranoid post-punk

Horace Andy is a reggae legend and a beloved Massive Attack collaborator. On his new album Midnight Rocker, producer Adrian Sherwood sticks to the basics: a full band adorns Andy’s golden voice with rich arrangements, as he offers messages of care in an uncaring world. We open the best music of the month show with “Watch Over Them,” and it’s easy to get lost in Andy’s voice.

Today, right here, we get to peek into the decked-out living room of producer Adrian Sherwood’s home and watch masters of reggae playfully chill. We hear Horace Andy‘s gruff tenor tell stories with 55 years of experience, rasp and wear.

“You’ve got to live, live, live for today, for tomorrow might never come your way,” he pleads as he sings “Today Is Right Here,” a track on his 2022 album Midnight Rocker. And then the lines I love best, “My mama told me when I was a child, said all the best things take a little while. But mama was wrong, wrong, wrong, the best things in life come and they go in the blink of an eye.” All the while, a single snare drum and hi-hat keep the beat, and the band of bass, guitar, keyboard, sax, trumpet and cello warmly support the emotions pouring from Horace Andy.

Horace Andy: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

NPR All Songs Considered

Pony – Très Jolie

a great way to finish off the show. One line from the reviews sets the song up nicely

“Spunky, sprightly, and positively infectious, ‘Très Jolie’ is basically the perfect song for a summer that hasn’t come yet.”

Far Out Magazine

PONY – “Très Jolie”

From their album “Velveteen”

Out May 19th via Take This To Heart Records

Old Fellas new Music Episode 41

On February 18, 2023February 18, 2023 By paulmcguire2013In MixCloud, Old Fellas New Music, voicEd RadioLeave a comment

Episode 41 on Mixcloud

Episode 41

Big Joanie – Confident Man

Orville Peck – The Curse of the Blackened Eye

Macie Stewart – Maya Please

Wet Leg – Ur Mom

Personal Trainer – Texas In the Kitchen

Portugal. The Man – What, Me Worry?

The No Ones – Phil Ochs is Dead

Fireboy DML, Ed Sheeran – Peru

Jah Wobble – Trinidadian Chinese New Year

Orville Peck

Paul’s Notes:

Orville Peck is originally from South Africa and is now based in Canada. Last year he released his second album Bronco on April 8, 2022. Between South Africa and Canada, he moved to London to study acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and later starred in a play on the West End.^[7]

Though he’s never revealed his identity, it is commonly accepted that Orville Peck is the alter ego of Daniel Pitout. Over the past 15-odd years, has gone from punk drummer to stage actor to the world’s most mysterious cowboy crooner. He’s a talented enough singer, but more importantly he is a calculated aesthete. Peck has committed to a cartoonish persona, turning his public life into an endless performance.

Peck grew up in the badlands outside of Johannesburg. He was a lonely child, friendless and bullied, so he clung to old movies: Clint Eastwood spaghetti Westerns and The Lone Ranger, films about outsiders who turn into heroes, anonymous vigilantes who come out of nowhere and save the town and charm the girl and choose solitude anyway. At 15, Peck’s family moved from South Africa to Vancouver. Peck has said in interviews that he played in punk bands in his youth. Pitout, his suspected alter ego, was the drummer in the Vancouver band Nü Sensae, which achieved some recognition in the early 2010s but went on hiatus in 2014 after he decided to pursue an acting career in England. He entered a two-year acting program at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and landed a role in a 2016 West End production of Peter Pan Goes Wrong.

Wet Leg

Wet Leg a British band founded in 2019 has already been shortlisted for the 2022 Mercury Prize. Wet Leg has already won Best Alternative Music Album for their debut and Best Alternative Music Performance for “Chaise Longue”, and were nominated for Best New Artist at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards. Pretty amazing.

Here is a live performance by Wet Leg at Glastonbury in 2022.

From the Guardian

Wet Leg seemed to come out of nowhere. Silly name. Lyrical double (and single) entendres. A Domino record deal off the back of a couple of tracks on SoundCloud. Within weeks, their June 2021 debut single Chaise Longue had flung the Isle of Wight duo from unknowns into the buzziest band around on just the basis of a few minutes of stupidly catchy guitar-pop.

That song hinted at how Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers could shove new wave, post-punk and incessant hooks into a raucous embrace. And yes, Chaise Longue set a high bar, with its Mean Girls reference and a bucolic music video (now watched more than 8.5m times). It was widely rated as one of the best songs of 2021. Could their first record make good on its promise? In April, their self-titled debut answered, conclusively, yes.

Peru

Peru: How Ed Sheeran helped Fireboy DML’s hit go global

BBC

When Fireboy DML was told to check his DMs, he had to be convinced Ed Sheeran’s message was real.

Ed had sent the Nigerian singer a note saying he was a fan and wanted to collaborate on a remix of his Afrobeats hit, Peru.

“He had apparently been listening to the song for weeks,” Fireboy tells Radio 1 Newsbeat, from his studio in Lagos, Nigeria.

“Not only had he heard the song, but he’d already recorded a verse for it too.”

‘Everything you do is for the culture’

The 25-year-old is aware of critics who say having such a big name on the track dilutes the song’s origin.

“People were saying Peru was already big. It was already good enough without him,” he says.

But he says the “only thing” on his mind when he got Ed Sheeran involved with the remix was how it was “going to be amazing for Afrobeats.”

“It’s the selfless mind-set that comes with being an Afrobeats artist. Everything you do is for the culture.”

In the song, Ed sings a couple of lines in Yoruba, a language predominantly used by millions of people across West Africa, especially in south western Nigeria.

“He did great,” says Fireboy, who’s real name is Adedamola Adefolahan.

Portugal. The man

How did they get their name?

The band’s name is based on the idea of David Bowie‘s “bigger than life” fame. They wanted the band to have a bigger-than-life feel but did not want to name it after one of their members. “A country is a group of people,” guitar player and vocalist John Gourley explains. “With Portugal, it just ended up being the first country that came to mind. The band’s name is ‘Portugal’. The period is stating that, and ‘The Man’ states that it’s just one person” (any one of the band members). The name has a more personal meaning as well: Portugal. The Man was going to be the name of a book that Gourley had planned to write about his father and his many adventures.^[5]^[6]^[7]

A critical and commercial success, “Feel It Still” earned Portugal. The Man a Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. Returning in 2020, the group turned in a pair of unlikely tracks: first, a cover of “Tomorrow” from the musical Annie for the children’s compilation At Home with the Kids in August, followed later that year by “Who’s Gonna Stop Me,” a collaboration with Weird Al Yankovic that honored Indigenous Peoples’ Day. A live studio recording from 2008 emerged in 2021, originally taking place after the tour for their third album and before the recording of their fourth; released as Oregon City Sessions it captured the live energy they had built up from playing stages worldwide.

Led by the single “Feel It Still,” [Live/Stripped Session] it was named in honor of the 1969 festival and the group’s attempt to “say something that mattered” in a context of sociopolitical unrest. A critical and commercial success, “Feel It Still” earned Portugal. The Man a Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

Bob’s Notes:

Big Joanie – “Confident Man”

from the album Back Home

Big Joanie is a British punk trio formed in London in 2013. Big Joanie was formed when by Stephanie Phillips in 2013, posted online asking for bandmates with whom to start a black feminist punk band. They signed with Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth. 2018 saw the release of their debut Sistahs. Back Home, released in 2022 on the Kill Rock Stars label, contains the number, “Confident Man”.

https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/news/big-joanie-unveil-new-cut-confident-man

Rolling Stone magazine discusses: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/big-joanie-confident-man-1234596046/

Macie Stewart – Maya Please

from the album A Mouth Full of Glass (bonus track)

Macie Stewart is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter based in Chicago. From what I can tell, they has had an amazingly diverse career. Starting as a child prodigy on piano and violin, Stewart has played with both avant- garde jazz improvisational groups and toured with as back up musician with Japanese Breakfast, The Weather Station, Chance the Rapper and Jeff Tweedy. “Maya Please” is a single form last summer.

Personal Trainer – Texas In the Kitchen

from the album “Big Love Blanket”

Personal Trainer are a collective of musicians who hail from the Netherlands. From what I can tell, this track is from their first full length album. “Texas in the Kitchen” is a jaunty little number that would sound out of place on a mid-90’s Pavement lp.

There’s not a lot of info on these folks so I’ll post this article from Read Dork.

https://readdork.com/news/personal-trainer-new-single-former-puppy/

Peter Buck/ Luke Haines

– “Phil Ochs is Dead” from the album All the Kids Are Super Bummed OutThe No Ones is a collaboration featuring Scott McCaughey, Frode Strømstad, Peter Buck and Arne Kjelsrud Mathisen, is a band that stretches from the southwest of Norway through Athens, Georgia to the northwest corner of the USA, consisting of members from I Was A King, The Minus 5, The Baseball Project and R.E.M. This track features primarily REM’s Peter Buck and Luke Haines formely of the Auteurs. Dangerous Minds elaborates:

https://dangerousminds.net/ For the record, Phil Ochs is dead . He tragically took his own life in 1975 at the age of 35. Just for the heck of it, I am including my favourite Phil Ochs song.

Jah Wobble – “Trinidadian Chinese New Year” from the album Guanyin

Jah Wobble, is an English bass guitarist and singer. He was born John Joseph Wardle in London. He became known to a wider audience as the original bass player in Public Image Ltd in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He later left the band after two albums and has since enjoyed a lengthy and fruitful career exploring all sorts of genres of music. Check out this lengthy discography. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jah-wobble-mn0000107259/discography

The track, “Trinidadian Chinese New Year” continues Wobble’s exploration of Jamaican dub and World Music. It’s taken from 2021 album Guanyin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jp3yxFKEoaY

Here’s a tidy little guide to his career. https://thevinylfactory.com/features/jah-wobble-10-records/

Old Fellas New Music Episode 40

On February 13, 2023 By paulmcguire2013In MixCloud, Old Fellas New Music, voicEd RadioLeave a comment

Episode 40 right here

Julian Taylor – Opening the Sky

Ty Segall – Saturday Pt. 2

Adam Baldwin – Causeway Road

The Bros Landreth – Stay

SG Goodman – All My Love is Coming Back to Me

Laura Veirs – Eucalyptus

Days Of Lavender – People Who Care

Robyn Hitchcock – The Man Who Loves The Rain

The Dead South – People Are Strange

Bob’s notes

Ty Segall – Saturday Pt. 2

Ty Segall is an American musician and producer. He is extremely prolific as exemplified by the sheer amount of his album, ep and single releases. Check out his Discogs entry. https://www.discogs.com/artist/1265284-Ty-Segall?limit=250&type=Releases&subtype=Albums&filter_anv=0&page=1 . I suppose he could be pigeonholed into the “garage-rock” genre but his latest lp, “Hello Hi” is anything but that. Pitchfork Magazine explains: https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/ty-segall-hello-hi/

Here he is performing Saturday Pt. 2 live

The Bros Landreth – Stay – from 2022 lp Come Morning

The Bros. Landreth is a group from Winnipeg Manitoba. Their debut album “Let It Lie” won the Juno Award for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year at the Juno Awards in 2015 so they have been around for a while. In 2022, Bonnie Raitt released a cover of “Made Up Mind”, which appears on her album “Just Like That” Her recording of the song won a Grammy Award for Best Americana Performance at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards in 2022

Bonnie Raitt gave the guys a shoutout at the Grammys. Stay is a soulful number with a nice kooky video.

The whole album is solid. https://atthebarrier.com/2022/05/24/the-bros-landreth-come-morning-album-review/

Laura Veirs – Eucalyptus from the lp “Found Light”

Laura Veirs is an American singer-songwriter based out of Portland, Oregon. She is known for her folk/alternative country records and live performances as well as her collaboration with Neko Case and k.d. lang on the case/lang/veirs project. Check this album out. It’s a treasure. https://www.allmusic.com/album/case-lang-veirs-mw0002925163

Veirs has been releasing music since 1999. Her producer was usually her husband Tucker Martine. However, in 2019, Martine and Veirs separated. Found Light is considered by some as an album still dealing with the ending of that relationship.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/jul/08/laura-veirs-found-light-review. The featured track Eucalyptas seems to reflect this

Robyn Hitchcock – The Man Who Loves The Rain from “Shufflemania”

Cult figure Robyn Hitchcock has been making music since the late 1970’s first with The Soft Boys, then The Egyptians and for many many years as a solo artist. He has released close to 30 solo albums. Hitchcock’s lyrics are often absurd in the best Lewis Carroll vein. He has been both an acoustic performer and full out rock and roller. “The Man Who Loves the Rain” shows he hasn’t lost a step.

I’ve included 2 of my fave Hitchcock song from the past.

Here he is on Letterman in 1980s. The quality of the video isn’t great but the performance is. Watch for the broken string!

Robyn Hitchcock was a favourite of the late film director Jonathan Demme. They made a documentary in 1998 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storefront_Hitchcock

The wonderful song “1974” is taken from this movie… This is probably my favourite Hitchcock song.

Paul’s Notes

This guy is amazing, I love the song and his voice. I can’t believe that he was ready to pack things up (read below).

Another Covid artifact – he had a great video series – Cross Country Chin Up – pretty amazing, I have included a bit of this series with my notes.

Playing in Wolfville this April!!

Baldwin Cross-Country Chin Up IX

Hey gang. I’m gonna broadcast live on the World Wide Web this Friday night at 9pm ATLANTIC. You can find the program here, hit SET REMINDER to be notified. I hope you can join me for the Cross-Country Chin Up. Hope you’re all staying well.

Baldwin credits fellow singer/songwriter Martha Wainwright with “kinda setting me straight” in a long conversation over dinner when they chanced across each other on the same Québécois TV show and encouraging him not to give up.

After that cathartic encounter, he vowed to keep it honest and “write some songs about this part of the world” and the “unique kind of nuts” to be found in the darkest corners of the Atlantic Provinces. After that, the vivid rural character studies that would eventually make up “Concertos & Serenades” — stories of fishermen dabbling in fiery revenge and the cocaine trade, stoic miners drawing their last breaths underground in Springhill and the colourful regulars stopping by “Gerald Burgess RaceTrac Full Serve Autobody” for gas, a pack of smokes and some chit-chat — started spilling out of him.

Toronto Star

Singer-songwriter Adam Baldwin has been a mainstay of the Atlantic Canada music scene for over a decade. Starting as a member of rock combo Gloryhound before joining Matt Mays & El Torpedo in 2009, Baldwin’s own music has continued to evolve since his award winning self-titled solo debut EP in 2013.

Julian Taylor – Opening the Sky

Another incredible voice and songwriter. I think we have featured Julian Taylor three times on our show and that is fine with me. This current song is getting lots of airplay on North Americana radio

The lyrics are really interesting on this song, good to give this one a second listen.

JULIAN TAYLOR PRESENTS BEYOND THE RESERVOIR

Story by Howard Druckman | Monday October 17th, 2022

(Full disclosure: My wife happens to be Julian Taylor’s Canadian publicist. So, after a brief introduction, it’ll be just Taylor talking about his album. And I’d be writing this story, this way, regardless of who his publicist is. Some quotes have been edited for length and clarity.)

It looks like Julian Taylor is poised on the verge of broadening and deepening his international breakthrough of 2020.

That year, his album The Ridge earned more than five million plays on Spotify, praise from the press worldwide, and airplay from Canada and the U.S. to Australia and the U.K. Loaded with soulful Americana and country twang, The Ridge won Taylor the Solo Artist of the Year honour at the Canadian Folk Music Awards; was nominated for two JUNO Awards (Contemporary Folk Album and Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year); and made the Polaris Prize Long List of the 40 best albums in Canada. He also won Best Male Artist at the International Acoustic Music Awards.

https://www.socanmagazine.ca/features/julian-taylor-presents-beyond-the-reservoir/

The final track, “Opening the Sky,” hits fast-forward and imagines the end of life, both the final struggles of a body breaking down and the memories of the life that’s come before. But most urgent is the desire to make sure learnings are passed down to the next generation: “Always love beyond your own comprehension. / In a world that may not see you for all that you are, never forget you have so much power.” The flood of final words of advice and encouragement end with “find time to simply stay still.” When the words repeat, they become the last living moment of the narrator and also a reinforcement of his lasting presence despite death: “Time to simply stay … still.”

https://www.adventuresinamericana.com/the-music-distillery-blog/music-review-julian-taylor-beyond-the-reservoir

SG Goodman

Again, yet another amazing voice! This time from Kentucky. Glad I found this one, I don’t know much about her, but I would be happy to see her in concert – this would be great! This is from a feature on her in Rolling Stone.

Prior to her solo career, Goodman was part of the band The Savage Radley.^[7] Her debut album, Old Time Feeling, was co-produced by Jim James of My Morning Jacket.^[5] The album has been described as Americana, folk, country, and rock.^[8] She is signed to Verve Forecast Records. In 2021, she, as a solo artist, was inter alia part of the Newport Folk Festival in July.^[9]

In June 2022, Goodman released her second album, Teeth Marks, on Verve Forecast.^[10] She usually plays with her guitar tuned down a whole step, though some songs on the record were played in this tuning with a capo.^[6] The fifth track on the album, “If You Were Someone I Loved” deals with the opioid crisis.^[11] Because her debut album was released during the COVID-19 pandemic, Goodman did not headline a tour for the album. As such, her tour for Teeth Marks was her first solo tour.^[12]

Kentucky farmer’s daughter writes songs so the world can hear what life is like where she grew up

WHEN S.G. GOODMAN was growing up, her farmer father would plant an annual crop of sweet corn for his three kids, which they later harvested by hand and sold for money to buy their school clothes.

The farm isn’t Goodman’s home anymore: “I live in a house where the backyard is too shaded by these maple trees so that I can’t really grow anything,” she says. But the Murray, Kentucky-based singer-songwriter, 31, maintains a deep connection to the place that shaped her on her debut album, Old Time Feeling. Produced by Goodman with bandmates S. Knox Montgomery and Matthew Rowan, plus fellow Kentuckian Jim James of My Morning Jacket, it’s at once earthy and otherworldly, relaying her personal experiences alongside razor-sharp social commentary about the South.

Rolling Stone

The Dead South – People Are Strange

This band is so incredibly good. I don’t know how I found them, but their music is really different. I didn’t expect to find a blue grass band in Saskatchewan, but happy to feature them. Truly a great band that deserves more exposure.

The Dead South on Bluegrass Purists, New Album ‘Sugar & Joy’ and Being Canada’s “Night Off” Band

The Dead South are arguably Canada’s best-known “bluegrass” band. Their video for “In Hell I’ll Be in Good Company” has been viewed over 150 million times on YouTube, and the band have toured across North America and Europe. They just released their new album, Sugar & Joy, and will be hitting the road hard to support it.

On the surface, the band look like a typical bluegrass ensemble: the members play banjo, cello, guitar and mandolin; they sing in four-part harmony; and their songs tell stories of hard times and broken hearts; and they won the Juno for Traditional Roots Album in 2018 for Illusion & Doubt. But despite what you might have heard, the Dead South aren’t bluegrass — at least, not according to purists.

“We don’t know how to define our sound,” lead singer, guitarist and mandolinist Nate Hilts tells Exclaim! “We’re definitely very inspired by bluegrass music — that’s what kind of started the band. The instrumentation that we brought in was to play a bluegrass style; however, our own personal forms came in, we just started playing music and this is what we came up with. We don’t really know what to identify it as, because it touches on a lot of different places.”

The group have been together since 2012, and although there has been some interchanging of musicians over the years, original members, Nate Hilts, Scott Pringle (mandolin/guitar), Danny Kenyon (cello) and Colton “Crawdaddy” Crawford (banjo), remain in the current lineup. The group recently embarked on their “Served Cold” tour, which Nate expects to last until January 2021, and will see the foursome performing their unique variety of traditional Canadian folk on stages in Germany, the UK, and even the birthplace of bluegrass music, Raleigh, NC.

Easy Listening for Jerks Pt. 1 and 2 (2022-present)

Days Of Lavender – People Who Care

The lead singer of Days of Lavender grew up here in Ottawa. Daniela has a magical voice and it is great to listen to them at the beginning of a very creative musical career – I hope!

🔮We’re a band that plays wholesome electronic music in Vancouver

Days of Lavender is the Vancouver-based duo project of producer and bassist Stephen Clarke and singer/songwriter Daniela Mae. They mix their love of 80s synth pop, electronic, gospel and folk music to guide you on a meditative sci-fi ride you won’t want to get off. In the last year of playing together they have released 6 songs, played for private parties, public events and two BC music festivals. In March 2022, they started an event series in collaboration with DJ Chachøu called InnerSpace: A Cosmic Arts Journey, which showcases the work of local visual artists and includes wellness classes, dance performances, DJs and their own live music.

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This Week!! Featuring

Brendan Hendry – Lonely

Bar Italia – Jelsy

Tobi – Flatline

Carly Rae Jepsen – Psychedelic Switch

Olivia Rodrigo – All American Bitch

Janelle Monáe – Only Have Eyes 42

​​Paramore – ‘This Is Why’

Lankum – Newcastle

Nemahsis – I Wanna be Your Right Hand

Notes

Brendan Hendry – Lonely

Bar Italia – Jelsy

8. ‘Flatline,’ Tobi

Carly Rae Jepsen – Psychedelic Switch

5 Olivia Rodrigo, ‘Guts’ (Album)

Janelle Monáe – Only Have Eyes 42 – The Age of Pleasure

​​6. Paramore, ‘This Is Why’

Lankum – Newcastle – False Lankun

I Wanna be Your Right Hand,’ Nemahsis

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Philip Selway – Check for Signs of life

Nell and The Flaming Lips – Red Right Hand

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Burning

The Strumbellas – Hold Me

Aysanabee – Waste My Time

Bob’s reviews

Black Pumas – “More Than a Love Song” from Chronicles of a Diamond

SINGLE REVIEW: BLACK PUMAS – MORE THAN A LOVE SONG

Say She She – “Reeling” from Silver

Prince Fatty – “Expansions” single

CMAT – “Where Are Your Kids Tonight?” From Crazymad

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Forest Swords – Low

Noname – namesake (Pitchfork)

– BO2A3 ALWAN (COLOR PATCHES)

Big Thief – Vampire Empire (Pitchfork)

Barry Can’t Swim – Define Dancing

Alison Russell and the Resistance Revival Chorus – Take Me to Church (Exclaim!)

Sleaford Mods – UK Grim

The Resonance Between – The Passage (Frequencies)

Sparkle Division – Oh Yeah

Noname – namesake (heard on Pitchfork)

Big Thief – Vampire Empire (heard on Pitchfork)

Alison Russell and the Resistance Revival Chorus

The Resonance Between – The Passage

Forest Swords – “Low” from Bolted

Ramy Essam – “BO2A3 ALWAN (Color Patches)” from Metgharabiin (Outsiders)

Barry Can’t Swim –“ Define Dancing” from When Will We Land

10 QUESTIONS WITH BARRY CAN’T SWIM, FOLLOWING THE RELEASE OF HIS NEW EP ‘MORE CONTENT’

Sleaford Mods – “UK Grim” from UK Grim

Sparkle Division – “Oh Yeah” from Foxy

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The Last Dinner Party – Nothing Matters

CHARTBREAKER: THE LAST DINNER PARTY IS ‘NOT F–KING AROUND’ FOLLOWING ITS DEBUT HIT

MJ Lenderman – Knockin

Jasmine Sandlas – Patt Lai Geya

Jasmine Sandlas’ recent post is a tale of every woman who speaks her mind and is called rude

Louwop – No soy de aqui, no soy de allá

OMBIIGIZI – Eagle Man/Changing Woman

Jayhawks – “ Bitter Pill’ from 2020 album XOXO

Wilco – “ Evicted” from Cousin

James Clarke Institute – “A Kinder” You from Under the Lampshade 2023

Trans Canada Highway Men – “Pretty Lady” from Up coming lp Explosive Hits Vol. 1

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Episode 52 Friday, Oct. 13 at 1:00 PM on Mixcloud

Here are this week’s notes!!

Jeremy Dutcher – Pomawsuwinuwok Wonakiyawolotuwok

Gord Downie, Bob Rock – The Raven and the Red-Tailed Hawk

Debbie Friday – So hard to tell

Olivia Rodrigo – Bad Idea Right?

Olivia Rodrigo Stans Savage GOP State Senator for Attacking Her iPhone Ad

Jungle – “Back On 74 “ from Volcano

Post Malone – Chemical from “Austin”

Sufjan Stevens – “So You Are Tired” from Javelin

A. Savage – “Elvis in the Army” from Several Songs About Fire

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This week’s songs

Whitehorse – “Am I just Going to Stand Here (While You Take My Girl Away)” from From Strike Me Down 2021

Mozart Estate – “Vanilla Gorilla” from Pop-Up! Ker-Ching! and the Possibilities of Modern Shopping 2023

Paramore – ‘This Is Why’

6. Paramore, ‘This Is Why’