Brian James's Blog, page 9

Weekend Music Roundup

 

It's the weekend once again and I've had some time this past week to catch up on some releases that I'd been waiting to here. Some are included here, and others will be coming in the near future. It's that time of year when a slew of new albums come out, and typically my kind of albums rather than the big hype releases of the summer. This list features a bunch of artists that have long been favorites of mine and a couple of new artists for me. Enjoy.

Elvis Perkins - Creation Myths: It's been five years since Elvis' last album, so I've been really excited for this one. He's been one of my favorite performers for nearly 15 years. His last album was a bit of a departure, but this one sees him return to the sound that endeared him to many, psychedelic folk at its finest. It opens with the enchanting "Sing, Sing" and never lets up. "Promo," and "See Through" are also favorites of mine. Definitely one of my favorites of the year. 

Guns N' Roses - Appetite for Demos: I've had these early sessions on three disc bootleg CD for almost 20 years, and recently came across a vinyl copy of one of the albums and snatched it up. It includes many of the "Live Like a Suicide" tracks, as well as their version of "Jumping Jack Flash" and "Jailhouse Rock." It also includes the earliest versions of some songs that wouldn't emerge until the Illusion albums. They are so raw and brilliant and hungry on these sessions that it make them a must for any fan. 

Cactus - Cactus: The 1970 debut from the short-lived NYC hard rock band is one of those albums I'd been meaning to check out for years. The band features the rhythm section from the then defunct Vanilla Fudge and plays hard blues based rock with just enough touch of psychedelic to make it exciting. This was an interesting time in rock, the advent of heavy was just beginning to take shape and there were lots of bands experimenting with that, feeling the vibe, and this band was one of them. They fall in with a lot of those bands that never made it super big, but paved the way, bands like Argent, Mountain, and Budgie. 

 

The Dears - Lovers Rock: The eighth album from the Montreal indie band is their first in three years. This is one of those bands who I will continue to listen to everything new they do simply because they recorded an album that I absolutely love. "Gang of Losers" in 2006 was, and is still, an album I can always put on and enjoy. Over the years, they've always been good, if a little inconsistent. This is another solid effort, with some great tracks, and others which are fairly forgettable. "Stille Lost," "Heart of an Animal," "The Worst in Us," and "We'll Go Into Hiding" are standouts on here.

 

Crown Lands - Crown Lands: The debut full length album from the Ontario rock duo follows two successful EPs that garnered them enough attention to open for the likes of Jack White and Coheed & Cambria. I was a bit stunned to find out there were only two people in this band, they have such a full Zeppelin kind of blues rock sound, but also mixed with the psychedelic folk stylings of early Marc Bolan and the glam rock of Pop Levi. "End of the Road," "River," "Forest Song," and "Spit It Out" are personal favorites on a very promising album.

 

Ed Harcourt - Monochrome to Colour: Back in '01, Harcourt was one of the new folk singer songwriters I was excited about. Almost 20 years later, his sound has evolved into a modern classical sound of beautiful minimal instrumental songs. This is a wonderful sounscape kind of record that evokes the landscape depicted on the cover. I listened to this on a grey day drive through autumn foliage and it was damn near perfect for that. In other settings, it might feel a bit slow, but when in the mood, it's great stuff.

Fiction Friday (116)

 

The pandemic continues to wreck destruction on my shelves of books to be read. The latest casualty is this 2007 book which I bought back in the day, after "meeting" the author on MySpace. It was one of those books that I was excited about, but for whatever unexplained reason, it's number was never drawn until now.

Parkway by Hayley Sercombe

(Authorhouse, 2007)

 It's 1994 in London and the Britpop scene is about to catch fire, propelling the city to the world spotlight. As with most underground scenes, it is the teen believers that build it, living and breathing it. This novel follows a handful of teens through the early days of the evolving scene through the period where it really went mainstream in 1996. 
It does a good job of portraying the changing values of the '90s. As one who came of age during the underground that existed in '90s, I can vouch for the authenticity. It was a time when wide spread drug use was becoming accepted and invited into teen life, not that it hadn't always been there, but the expansion of the drugs used and the extent to which they were pivotal to the underground was something that was far more pervasive than it had been in the '60s, and cast a wider net. 
The characters feel like real people, and Sercombe doesn't moralize their behavior or condemn their bad choices. It's a portrait of a period of time in a particular place and it captures it well. For those who lived through it, the novel has a nostalgic feel, reminding them of bands they may have forgotten about, or in my case, still love. For those who the scene is foreign, it's a nice glimpse into the past.

Weekend Music Roundup

 

It's the weekend, and another long holiday weekend thanks to euro-centric history. This week's ramblings features a new releases from a favorite artist of mine, and some recent pick-ups of bands that I've been into for a while, or wanted to hear for a while. This is a rock heavy list and features some interesting stuff. Take some time this long weekend and find something new to listen to. Enjoy.

James Dean Bradfield - Even in Exile: The second solo album from the Manic Street Preachers front man, it comes 14 years after "The Great Western".  After over 30 years in the business, this is probably what you'd come to expect. It doesn't really branch out into new areas, but covers the areas he's covered before with maturity and insight. As always, his guitar playing is fantastic, and now more akin to David Gilmore than the heavier sound of his youth. "Thirty Thousand Milk Bottles," "Under the Mimosa Tree," "Without Knowing the End," "The Last Song," and "Santiago Sunrise" are my personal favorites on a good album by one of my favorite musical artists.

 

Aqua Nebula Oscillator - Aqua Nebula Oscillator: The 2008 debut the Paris psych rock band was one I'd been on the look out for, having heard good things about this band. A used copy showed up at the local shop and I snatched it up. This is psychedelic space rock in the vein of early Floyd and early Hawkwind, but with elements of stoner rock mixed in. Basically, it's the kind of record that fits right into my vibe and I truly love it. 

 

The Go-Betweens - Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express: Released in 1986, the fifth album from the Australian indie band was a bit of a break-out album for them. They have a style that uses elements that would be the foundation for jangle pop, but infuse it with an Americana feel, making them one of the unique pioneers of the decade. Perhaps the reason this is one of their most beloved albums is due to the fact that they had perfected their sound on this one. "Spring Rain," "Twin Layers of Lightning," and "In the Core of the Flame" are standouts for me.  Boris - Akuma no Uta: This 2003 release was my first introduction to the Japanese stoner metal band, which I first heard back in '04. It was instant love on my part and I finally got around to picking up the vinyl re-issue on Third Man Records. It starts off with the ten minute drone introduction before erupting into guitar frenzied bliss of "Ibitsu" and never lets up from there. The hype sticker reads "Buy if you dig: Sabath worship. Comets on Fire. acid. leading children astray." signed Boris.  
Lee Hazlewood and Ann Margret - The Cowboy and the Lady: Released in '69, this is one of those pet projects of Lee's. After his partnership with Nancy Sinatra catapulted her to fame, he'd gotten it into his head that he was going to make Ann Margret his new partner, possibly to boost his popularity. Toegher, they recorded this album of country duet with her. The dynamic differences between their voices is what makes this album work. Her almost shrill Hollywood musical style and his Johnny Cash drunkard style play wonderfully together, making this campy album a joy to listen to, even it's not his best work.

 

 

Mystery Theater

 

I had no interest when this film came out last winter. It looked to me like it would be such a predictable Hollywood film with a large cast and easy to market one-liners that make previews that felt safe and unoffensive. Then it continued to be well-liked and receive awards, and then POOF a pandemic and I forgot all about it. When I came it across it at the library recently, I thought, let's see if this is any good and brought it home.

So, yeah, it's enjoyable. It's hard to enjoy it. It's fun, clever, and just enough on this side of Royal Tenenbaums to make it quality entertainment. I loved the old style mystery, and the way it paid homage to old mysteries, but actually was able to do it with a great old style mystery story. It played on a genre, while still adhering the qualities that made the genre worthy of homage.

But let's focus for a second on Daniel Craig and the unnecessary Southern accent. I mean, he's British, and what is more old-time clue sleuth than a fucking British accent? The movie even mentions Sherlock Holmes! I'm mean, are there no story editors anymore?

We'll forgive that, but the funny thing is, it made me think of how I'd recast this movie...something I rarely do. But here it goes...

* If you want a Southern detective, give me John Goodman circa O'Brother

* I love Don Johnson, and loved him in this, but I couldn't help feeling like I could've used some Kevin Russell in this flick.

* Give me Kieran Culkin as Ransom

All the other cast can stay, and you could even keep Don, but I could've used a guest appearance by Steve Buscemi as a grounds keeper.

Weekend Music Roundup

 

It's the weekend, and once again I'm here to ramble on about music I'm listening to. This week features a lot of newish releases, some from bands that I've been digging for awhile, and others new discoveries.  I also threw in an older album that I recently picked up from a band I'd never heard of before. It's mostly rock on here, but also a fantastic soul record that kind of blew me away. Lots of great stuff to explore. Enjoy.

L.A. Witch - Play with Fire: The second full length album by the garage rock all female trio was released at the end of the summer. Their "Octubre" EP from 2018 was one of my favorite releases of that year, so I was excited for this. They have an eerie vibe about them, the sound of cars driving late at night in Hollywood Hills without headlights on. Their music would be perfect for a scene in a Tarantino or Lynch film, because it's that awesome. "Motorcycle Boy," "Dark Horse," "I Wanna Lose," "Gen-Z," and "Sexorexia" are standouts on another great record for this band.  

 

Raven - Raven: Released in '69, this is the only album from the New York (via Buffalo) psychedelic blues band. This is pretty standard bar blues rock of the time, but played with passion and skill. It reminds a bit of Canned Heat and Leon Russell with a groove the runs throughout. I picked this up on Record Store Day during the local shop's sale on used vinyl. It's always nice to explore forgotten bands, especially when it doesn't come with a big price tag.

 

The Sisters of Mercy - John Peel Session: 1984: This four track EP archival release came out in June and was recorded a year before the goth legends' first album. However, the band had been building for a two years, releasing singles and EPs and this captures some of the single from that time, but also includes a cover Hot Chocolate's "Emma" which is one of my favorite songs (personal favorite is Urge Overkill's rendition called "Emmaline"). This is from the band's best period, the true early days of Goth, a genre that always seems better in small doses, so four tracks is pretty perfect.

Turtle Skull - Monoliths: This is the second album from the Australian stoner rock band, released at the end of the last summer. This has the heavy beat that one expects from stoner rock bands, but it also has more psychedelic vocals and guitar, reminding me of early Warlocks. There was actually a good amount of this type of music coming out 15 or so years ago, bands like Black Angels, Dead Meadow, and the like. It's nice to hear a new band pick up the groove. "Rabbit," "Heartless Machine," "Apple of Your Eye," and the epic "The Clock Strikes Forever" are standouts on this terrific album.

Jyoti - Mama, You can Bet.: The new album from Georgia Anne Muldrow, who also releases under her name, came out in late August. The L.A. singer has been actively releasing albums for 15 years and is one of the shining lights of psychedelic soul and nu jazz. This album draws musically from the hard bop era of jazz, but much like trip-hop, nu jazz broadens the scope to create something that represents the mood of the day. This is a fantastic record, achieving things that others have sought to do for a long time.

King Buzzo - Gift of Sacrifice: It's been six years since the last Buzz Osborne solo album, 2014's remarkable This Machine Kills Artists. Sure he's been busy with Melvins and other projects, but there was something real special about the last solo album, making me super excited for this one. It picks up right where the last one left off, a sludgy kind of folk punk that feels unique to Buzz. 

The Man Who Knew Too Little

 

It's rare that there's a movie that came out in my 20s that I didn't know about, but this is one of them. A Bill Murry comedy from 1997 that was completely unknown to me feels odd, and when it came across my desk at the library, I immediately checked it out to myself. And while this isn't top tier Murray, it's still extremely watchable.

Murray is a tourist in London, visiting his well-off brother who is too busy to celebrate his brother's birthday, instead signing Murray up for the latest theater craze to hit London...an audience participation event which sticks you right into the middle of a story. The show starts when you receive a call at a phone booth, giving you a name an address. But what happens when you show up early and answer the wrong call? In Murray's case, you unknowingly find yourself caught up in a Cold War style spy game.

In many ways, this movie is ahead of its time. The concept of meta story didn't really take off for another five to ten years. This movie forces you to continuously remind yourself that Murray's character is completely unaware that everything he is experiencing is real and not part of the theater he signed up for. The absurd premise is what makes this slap slick style comedy work.  

Certainly not a movie one should feel guilty for never seeing, but definitely one to watch when you got nothing else to watch.

Weekend Music Roundup (Pledge Allegiance to the Hip Hop Edition)

 

It's the weekend, and this week I'm presenting my long thought about Hip Hop Roundup. That means all hip hop records here, no filler. While some of the artists on here are all favorites of mine, many of them are new to me. Periodically over the summer, I would take chances on some things just to keep my finger on the pulse of one of the truly American art forms.  If you're one of those people who doesn't often attempt to broaden your horizons, then why not start now and check out some of these. Enjoy.

Lifeseeker - Heavy Mellow: The newest album from the alternative hip-hop band that has been keeping it real for decades. The style is one born out of the old school, but as Tricky once said, 'brand-new, you're retro." As always, this is album focused rather than single focused and keeps a consistant groove throughout. The freshest part of any Lifeseeker album is the psychedelic beats that blend perfectly with the flow to create a real hip hop experience. "Jackpot Werewolves," "Ninja Nightz," "Send It Boomin'" "With My Cailz On," and perhaps the most anticipated song for fans "Gone Guru II" are my personal favorites on this solid record. 

 

Nas - King's Disease: Back in '94, Nas blew up the NYC rap world with his hard core style that presented poetic views on the real world of the inner city during the height of the crack epidemic. For nearly 30 years, he's been true to himself, releasing albums that, while uneven, are never phony. He's always true to who he's always been. This is his first album in two years and it's solid. Certainly not his best, and the beats and samples are little too poppy for me, but there are moments where he shines. "Blue Benz," "Car #85," and "Ultra Black" were standouts for me. 

Dave East - Karma 3: Released in August, this is the Manhattan rapper's 16th mixtape since 2010. He also has two albums, but hip hop has been less about albums than mixtapes in the past several years, especially when it comes to the underground. This is doesn't have a traditional NYC sound, which is another development in hip hop over the past decade, the regional styles are blending together, borrowing from each other. This has equal parts Southern and West Coast influence as it does from Dave East's native Harlem. I was digging this.

 

CZARFACE - Every Hero Needs a Villain: Formed in 2012 by Inspectah Deck (Wu Tang), this trio has released 10 albums since. This 2015 release was their second, and my third vinyl purchase of theirs. Continuing the comic book theme that was started with the Wu, they take it one step farther. The concept plays throughout the album, but never feels like a gimmick. This is still abstract East Coast hardcore hip hop at it's finest. Of the three albums I have, this double LP is probably my favorite, though none have been a disappointment. 

R.A.P. Ferreira - Purple Moonlight Pages: Also known as Milo and Black Orpheus, the Chicago born Rory Allen Phillip Ferreira has been making consciousness hip-hop for years as members of various outfits. This is his first album under this moniker and it's pretty awesome. His abstract style incorporates jazz, but like the jazz that goes well with hip-hop the way Digable Planets did. It reminds me a bit Smino with it's mellow off-beat flow. Truly an enjoyable album. "U.N.D.I.G." "ABSOLUTES," "No Starving Artists," are among many standout tracks.  

sk8 - sk8sounds: The new EP from the Nebraskan rapper features Wiz Khalifa and falls into the same style of West Coast chill rap. The problem with this genre, for me, has always been that it all simply sounds the same. I like the way it sounds, but can't distinguish it from others. Every once in a while, it's good background music, solid beats, strong flow, but overall, quite disposable. Worth a listen, for sure, but not much more. 

Fiction Friday (115)

 

 

My summer of Wonderland continues as I just recently finished reading the second book in Christina Henry's re-imaging of Alice. While the first book was a gripping, this one was entertaining if not completely revelatory. Definitely a must-read for readers of Alice to see the tale to a satisfying conclusion.

Red Queen by Christina Henry

(Ace, 2016)

Having defeated the Jabberwocky and escaped the horrors of Old City, Alice and Hatcher find themselves in a strange world that is unlike the city...with the exception of danger and odd happenings around every corner. The desolate landscape has been scorched by a mysterious figure in black, the surrounding forests are patrolled by flesh eating giants, and the inhabitants of the only town grieve the loss of their children. Welcome to the kingdom of the White Queen!

The White Queen rules from a icy castle atop the mountains, a castle protected with stolen magic. The White Queen takes pleasure in causing misery for others. But when she attempts to derive pleasure from Alice's misery, she isn't prepared for Alice's determination, or the magic she holds within her.

The follow-up to Alice, this is another great read for fans of Wonderland. However, this book lacks the true horror that the first one conjured up, choosing instead to dwell more in the world of fairy tales. It was the brutality that made the first book so unique and memorable, but this one is solid. At times it falls into repetition, almost as if the writer doesn't trust the reader to remember key details. I found that slightly distracting, but still very much enjoyed this trip into Wonderland.

Weekend Music Roundup

 

 

It's the weekend again, time for a music roundup. Lately I've been listening to a lot of quieter psych rock, which is definitely reflected on this list. I've also been listening to a lot of jazz, which isn't on this list as I just recently dedicated an entire roundup to jazz. But I've been in a mellow mood of late, absorbing the sounds as they come rather than be an active participant in the chaos of noise. It'll change soon enough I'm sure, but for now I'm digging it. Enjoy.

The Flaming Lips - American Head: This is the 29th studio album from the neo-psych legends and it's right up there with their best albums from this past decade ("Embryonic" and "The Terror"). They really perfected the Pink Floyd turn and are making albums the capture the same magic for me as "Meddle" and "Atom Heart Mother," and "More." It opens with the delicate and beautiful "Will You Return/Will You Come Down" which sets the mood for this fantastic record. "Flowers of Neptune 6," "At the Movies on Quaaludes," "Brother Eye," and "Assassins of Youth" are my personal favorites on one of the best albums of the year so far.  

The Telescopes - Altered Perception: This is a British shoegazer band from the early 90s that I somehow missed even though it was a genre I was really into. They also became active again in '10s, but still didn't know of them until I recently came across this 2004 compilation. This is definitely the offspring of Spacemen 3 and early Spiritualizaed. It has that fuzzed out shoegaze sound and is one of the best examples of it beyond those two previously mentioned bands. 

Bill Ryder-Jones - Yawny Yawn: Released last summer, almost a year after his fantasic "Yawn" album, this is a re-imagining of that album, recorded with just piano and vocals. I've always liked Bill's solo work, and enjoyed his work with The Coral, but "Yawn" was exceptional, intimate, and beautiful. So I wasn't sure what the point of this record was, which is why I didn't listen to it until now. I'm glad I waited, because having not listened to "Yawn" in a while, this sounded fresh, whereas I think it might have felt weaker if I heard it on the heels of its predecessor. Really the type of thing that is only for fans, or at least, owning both is something only for fans. 

The Yardbirds - Shapes of Things (A Collection of Classic Yardbirds Recordings 1964-66: Back in my college days, back when I first got into British Blues and '60s Brit Invasion stuff, the Yardbirds were held in the highest regard. Not only do their singles during their early days rival the Beatles and Stones, but like those bands, they had their own unique style. It was a time and place where bands were like gangs out of Clockwork Orange. The Yardbirds whole style was cool. Though I have a ton of CDs, I had nothing of theirs on vinyl. I found this Canadian edition of the '77 two LP compilation which has all of those songs that I obsessed over in my youth. So happy to have this in my collection. 

Soiled Doves - Soiled Life: The only album released from the Seattle noise rock band came out in 2003. The band is one of many Johnny Whitney has formed (Neon Blonde, The Vogue, Jaguar Love). This is the kind of distorted indie album that has always appealed to me. It is steeped in that chaos sound, the sound that was moving through the underground back then, and reminds me of The Rapture's 2001 EP, "Out of the Races and Onto the Tracks". In that sense, it feels more like the New York bands of the time and perhaps that's why I really connect to it. The tracks "Soiled Doves" and "Soiled Life" are exceptional. A nice, rare gem.

The Crazy is Out There...

 

Any one alive in America today is aware that things be getting weird. The level of insanity that surrounds the never-ending disinformation stream is unmeasurable. Just when you think you've heard everything, something pops out of nowhere to tell you the next bat shit crazy QAnon theory...and though you want to laugh, you know there are way, way too many people who believe it to laugh it away.

But it's not just QAnon, the crazy comes fast and furious from all sides, both the left and the right. I was speaking with someone yesterday who by all accounts is extremely liberal. During the course of our conversation, I discovered the murky area where the far right and the far left meet, somewhere at the bottom of the circle. 

There is plenty of blame to be leveled for how we got to this point, but real problem is not how we got there but that we are there. The post-truth era is flourishing. People question everything and believe nothing except for what they are already inclined to believe. 

We live in a world where everyone is simply trying to shout over every one else, and nothing is being heard. Unless some serious discourse can be had, we are headed for far more dangerous time.