Music Review

Song of the Week: "Tender Years"

Dusty Wright — Mon, 13 Feb 2023 23:36:16 +0000

Song of the Week: "Tender Years" Dusty Wright February 13, 2023 - 18:36

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The clever word play that is the Brisbane-based singer/songwriter Robert Forster, once upon a time the co-head cobra of The G0-Betweens, has graced the world with his 8th solo album. On display is a very stripped down, mature, cathartic and thoughtful exercise in looking at life, albeit from his near-tragic vantage -- one born from the sobering news that his wife Karin was dealing with ovarian cancer. Brave times for both, confronting the reality of this insidious disease. This wise and thoughtful song could only be written by someone who has observed life from every angle -- both maudlin and joyful. One could say that with maturity comes wisdom. Karin sings and plays xylophone, their daughter Loretta plays electric guitar, son Louis plays guitar, bass and percussion, and Robert "strum(s) an acoustic guitar fiercely and sing(s)." The song is from his album The Candle and the Flame (Tapete Records). A must-own record. Tour dates begin in late March.

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Song of the Week: "Silent Running"

Webmaster — Thu, 09 Feb 2023 15:00:00 +0000

Song of the Week: "Silent Running" Webmaster February 9, 2023 - 10:00

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indie rock

Gorillaz have a dope new funked up tune and video wherein Damon Albarn and his crew channel early '80s David Bowie. The wonderfully animated video charts Murdoc, Noodle and Russel as they try to solve the mystery of 2D's disappearance. The single features vocalist and long-time Gorillaz collaborator Adeleye Omotayo. It's from their new studio (8th) album Cracker Island (Warner Records) and will be released on February 24th, 2023. Incidentally, their epic long player features additional collaborations with Bad Bunny, Beck, Stevie Nicks, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown, Thundercat.

Gorillaz will perform live this Spring at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival on Friday 14th and Friday 21st April 2023.

*For you geezer music freaks not in the know, the virtual band GORILLAZ was created by musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett, and is singer 2D, bassist Murdoc Niccals, drummer Russel Hobbs, and Japanese guitar prodigy Noodle.

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Tunes? Who Needs New Tunes?

Dusty Wright — Thu, 29 Dec 2022 22:32:08 +0000

Tunes? Who Needs New Tunes? Dusty Wright December 29, 2022 - 17:32

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Best of 2022

Best of 2022!

Ah, the year of singles. So much music.. so little time to hear everything. Millions of songs are uploaded every year. According to Music Business Worldwide, Spotify uploads 60,000 new tracks every day! Holy schnike!

Hard to pick a favorite album this year as I listened to "curated" Spotify playlists comprised of songs of folk, singer songwriters, Americana, hip hop, country, and indie music. The occasional pop track would make me sit up and take notice. Lizzo's excellent throwback track "About Damn Time" from Special made it to my year end list. It's my favorite pop track of the year. (If you've not heard her interview with Howard Stern, track it down. Incredibly insightful.)

Superstar Taylor Swift's rootsy melancholic tune"Carolina" from the film Where The Crawdads Sing was far more appealing to me than any track from her new album. I prefer the acoustic, confessional T. Swift over the pop gloss of her latest chart topping Midnights. Last time I checked, her single "Anti-Hero" boasted 411,273, 351 listens!!! Even the stripped-down acoustic version has 6,290,740. That's serious clout in the world of binary code.

Some fantastic hip hop was released this past year. Just too many hip hop songs to pick from... never easy, but Danger Mouse & Black Thought's "Belize" (feat. MF Doom) from their excellent, less-than-mainstream Cheat Codes remained tops for me. Smart. Great beats. Clever lyrics. Total package.

If you want to go further left of center and just as clever, check out Brownsville, Brooklyn-based minimalistic rapper Ka. Born Kaseem Ryan, he's a rapper, producer and firefighter. His music is a history lesson of the black experience in America; a distinctive wordsmith like Chuck D and Gil Scott Heron before him. He released two exceptional albums in 2022. His songs are short bursts of brilliance with jazz, spoken word soundbites, avant garde minimalism. Sometimes it's just the cadence of his voice holding down the beat or an upright bass or piano or flute or an Ebow sample. It's all about the space that lets his lyrics float and sink in. I gravitated to the Languish Arts and his haunting track "Ascension." But his other album Woeful Studies is equally worthwhile. Check out "Eat" and all of his music. You will not be disappointed.

And from Kendrik Lamar's latest "instant classic" album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, I couldn't turn off the soulful "Purple Hearts" featuring Summer Walker and Ghostface Killah.

As you'll notice from the playlist below, tons of singer-songwriters made the cut. Many you've probably never heard of; my guess -- too much inventory. If you crave for something completely different in said genre, look no further than the always excellent Father John Misty and his homage to the romantic era of Hollywood on his latest long player Chloë and The Next 20th Century and his sumptuous "Goodbye Mr. Blue," a love ballad worthy of Glenn Campbell or Harry Nilsson's venerated canon of work. Talk about wonderful wordplay...

"That Turkish Angora's 'bout the only thing left of me and you, mmh Early this morning, it started making sounds that say 'Don't let the last time come too soon?'"

My favorite album of the year, it's like a mad fever dream from romantic mind of F. Scott Fitzgerald circa The Great Gatsby. Listen to it on deluxe vinyl for the smoothest audio experience.

Singer-songwriter Madi Diaz released 3 singles in 2022. I added all of them to my year end playlist. Her song "Resentment (New Feelings Version)" from her E.P. Same History, New Feelings may be the best song about unrequited love that I've heard in ages. And her stunning cover of Patty Griffin's "Be Careful" with help from S.G. Goodman and Joy Oladokun is equally impactful. Is she the new Joni?

Elsewhere LA-based singer-songwriter and friend David Poe released an impressive new album Everyone's Got a Camera and a killer tune "People Clap Hands." It's one of my top ten tracks. Read about him on my previous post. And his touring mate NYC-based Blake Morgan also released an equally impressive album of indie pop-rock nuggets that deserves repeated listens. "Baby I Would Want You" is one of ten tracks from the grand Violent Delights. Check out his glittering, shimmering Gretsch in the video below.

Indie rock was alive and swell from the likes of Beck, Midlake, Big Thief, The Smile, Björk, Cass McCombs, Ethel Cain, Wet Lag, Elvis Costello (!), and so much more. (See my playlist below.) Band of Horses released their sixth effort Things Are Great, one of my top vinyl albums of the year. 18 years on, multiple lineup changes, and still sharing quality music. "Warning Signs" is a tasty tease from their latest.

But wait, there's more... another impressive effort from one of my all-time favorite rockers, Scotsman Daniel Wylie (former Cosmic Rough Rider) finds him sharing songwriting duties with Ian M. Bailey on his latest single -- the psychedelic jangling guitar freakout -- "Let Go of the Gun (Year of the Tiger)." Another top ten track for me. No one does contemporary folk-rock better than Mr. Wylie! Although Ian's new album You Paint The Picture is right up there. Moreover, Mr. Wylie co-writes tunes on said fab album. "Dreams of Love" is like vintage David Crosby roaming The Byrd's sacred folk-rock turf circa 1966.

Country? Did someone mention country? Did you hear the "real deal" Chris Stapleton's crooning "I'm A Ram" for RAM trucks TV advert? When I saw it, I couldn't wait to see if it had been released as a single. Yep. The Al Green/Teenie Hodges cover was transformed into a killer, guitar-forward country blues workout from Mr. Stapleton. He remains The King of Country!

And the country women were kickin' ass and taking no prisoners with some outstanding music that needs to played all over satellite and terrestrial radio. Miranda Lambert's new album Palomino had a bunch of killer tunes. Her jukebox-worthy "Strange" was my favorite. My pals The Delevantes released a killer Americana tune in "All In All" from an equally killer album A Thousand Turns, their first long player in decades. And every time I turn around Jim Lauderdale is releasing quality tunes. From the album Game Changer his toe-tappin' 'n' bouncin' "That Kind of Life (That Kind of Day)" seems like instant classic to my ears. Nashville-based Pill Box (née Nicolette Hayford) has been writing tunes in Music City for over 10 years. Her new album Florida has my favorite production vibe/arrangements/playing. Reminds me of Daniel Lanois' solo work. "Eat Pray Drugs" is just one classic song from said album; a hard hitting song about desperation and an homage to where she grew up in Florida. She's my new Queen of Country.

"Jesus, Reese's Pieces And a brown bag of none of your business Flea market boiled peanuts Styrofoam cup of the shells between us Hot damn, hot lunch After Sunday service, there's a potluck Roll one, roll up Higher than a choir hallelujah"

And no list would be complete without some jamband action. For me Tedeschi Trucks Band remain the pinnacle of the genre even though they defy being pigeonholed into said genre. They released 24 new songs spread out over four "concept" albums based on The Story of Layla & Majnun, the writer Nizami’s 12^th century Persian poem about a separated couple that was described by Lord Byron as the "Romeo and Juliet of the East." "Hear My Dear" (I Am The Moon: I. Crescent) is just the perfect love ballad. Susan's soulful voice sits perfectly in the mix of Derek's tasteful slide, crack horns, organ, bass and double drums. A song to get lost in. Hearing it live at the Beacon Theatre back in October only reinforced my feelings about it.

And for the prog-jamband enthusiast no album made me smile more than the palindrome-fordward band Dopapod. "Fannie" is just too cool for school. From the 11-song seventh album Dopapod, this Boston-based quartet was formed at Berklee College of Music. See my review of said song here. And new to my world of the genre is the five piece Norwalk, CT-based Goose and their congo-driven toe tapper "Hungersite"...a def Phish and Umphrey's McGee vibe permeates the proceedings on their new album Dripfield, but for me they and their new album transcends both.

Here's my Spotify year's end playlist. Will probably add a few more. What did I miss?

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Song of the Week: "C'est La Vie"

Ian Alterman — Mon, 19 Dec 2022 13:48:26 +0000

Song of the Week: "C'est La Vie" Ian Alterman December 19, 2022 - 08:48

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My recent review of the first single (title song) from The Church's new album, The Hypnogogue, explains my long and deep connection to the band and its music.

The Church has had three "periods" since their debut album in 1981: the first period covered their first three albums (pre-prog); the second period covered their next three albums (proto-prog); and the final (and continuing) period began with their seventh album, Priest=Aura (1992), which began their extraordinary foray into progressive rock, and their quickly becoming a standard-bearer of the neo-prog movement.

Their two most well-known songs, "Under the Milky Way" and "Reptile," both come from their fifth album, Starfish, the second of their proto-prog albums.

In trying to "locate" the sound of this second release from The Hypnogogue within the band's history, I realized that it is not "progressive" in the same sense as "The Hypnogogue" or songs from their many progressive albums. Rather, it harkens back (brilliantly) to the band's proto-prog years. It is as if the band has taken its now fully-developed prog sensibilities and overlaid them on one of their proto-prog (or even pre-prog) songs. And this is by no means a rebuff or criticism. In fact, "C'est Le Vie" would have been quite comfortable on Starfish -- and maybe even equaled "Under the Milky Way" in popularity.

The song opens with a straight rock beat, and is quickly joined by the jangly guitar work that they have become known for. Founder-songwriter-bassist-lyricist-singer Steve Kilbey then launches into one of his trademark talk-sung vocals, as the song becomes increasingly "present" (increased guitar work and atmosphere). A nice, if too brief, instrumental break occurs about halfway through. The song ends with a gorgeous arpeggiated acoustic guitar duet.

"C'est La Vie" is probably the "simplest" song the band has written in quite some time. But it is all the more interesting (and fun) for that. And it makes a perfect foil for the progressiveness of the title track. I have not looked forward to a Church album this much in quite some time.

The album is out on February 24, 2023, with a tour to follow. The band will be at the Gramercy Theater in NYC on March 30^th.

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Song for John

Webmaster — Thu, 08 Dec 2022 19:03:31 +0000

Song for John Webmaster December 8, 2022 - 14:03

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John Lennon

Like millions of others, I am a Beatles fan, a product of the '60s/'70s and, as a musician, I was always heavily influenced by them. In late 1981, almost exactly a year after John Lennon was killed, I was sitting at the piano, and inspiration hit me with a focused power that I had never felt before, with any other song I have ever written. The chord progression for the song poured out of me as a whole; there was very little (if any) modifying to be done. It had no lyrics yet, but I knew it was going to be my "John" song.

Four years later, in September of 1985, I was at CCNY (taking evening classes), sitting in the dining hall, when inspiration hit me again and lyrics started "writing themselves" on a page of my notebook. I knew they were perfect, and I couldn't wait, so I left (cutting class), went home, and put the lyrics to the music. It was a perfect fit.

I knew I had to record it immediately, and do…something with it. Since I play piano and drums and sing, I knew I would need a bass player and a guitarist. I got my friend Josh to play bass (and sing -- it is his voice on the first verse) and my brother, Eric, to play the guitar, including the solo (which has an amazing side story in itself). I also got a couple of additional friends, Amy Bachrach and Deborah Culmer, to help with harmony vocals, as did our engineer, Dina Alexander. (Sadly, Josh, my best friend in high school and for several years after, succumbed to Covid in 2020.)

We went into the studio in November 1985, and the recording process was nothing short of magical. Even the studio owner/engineer, Dina, felt something special happening, and not only gave me a significant discount, but extra studio time. To this day, I owe her more than I can say.

As the recording was coming together, I was coming up with ideas for what to do with it. After all, it was the 5^th anniversary of John's death. Earlier that year, "We Are the World" had taken the world by storm. Because it was Michael Jackson and other major stars, they were able to get "We Are the World" played simultaneously on hundreds of radio stations around the world at exactly the same time. In my excitement, I figured "I can do that" -- on a MUCH smaller scale.

I created PR packages that included a reel-to-reel copy of the song (yup, those were still being used), a lyric sheet, an info sheet, and even a pre-airing intro that DJs could use if they wished. I also included a postcard of John Lennon. I sent these packages to a dozen radio stations in NYC, Philly and DC, requesting that they all play the song at exactly 11 pm on December 8^th.

The song was in fact played simultaneously at 11 pm on December 8th on at least five stations (that I know of): one in DC, one in Philly, and 3 in NYC -- including WPLJ, which aired it twice: first as the "intro" to Casey Kasem's Top 40 that morning, and then as the intro to their John Lennon memorial program that night. I was interviewed on air on WPLJ immediately after the song played. (Another amazing side story, including that Yoko apparently heard the song -- and loved it.) The song and myself were also part of WCBS-TV's 5-minute segment on the anniversary of John's death on the CBS Evening News that night. (Yet another amazing side story.) WBAI played it every year on December 8^th for several years. WLIR played it each year until they changed formats a few years later.

Needless to say, this was among the most extraordinary events of my life. I hope you enjoy the song.

"We all love you, John. And we WILL carry on, even now that you're gone."

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Got Fruupp, David Poe, Dead Kennedys, and an EP from R.E.M.!

Dusty Wright — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 21:15:43 +0000

Got Fruupp, David Poe, Dead Kennedys, and an EP from R.E.M.! Dusty Wright November 30, 2022 - 16:15

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Fruupp: Masquerading With Dawn (Bad Pressings)

I admit, and without shame, that I hail prog rock. I was an early fan of Caravan, Soft Machine, ELP, Genesis, Yes, King Crimson, Gentle Giant, at al. But even with my insatiable appetite for all things progressive, I did not know of this Irish quartet. Formed in Belfast in 1971 by guitarist Vince McCusker along with the classically trained Stephen Houston on keyboards, oboe and cello, Peter Farrelly on bass, flute and vocals, and Martin Foye on drums, percussion, this highly skilled quartet released four albums. Their fourth and final album Modern Masquerades was even produced by King Crimson/Foreigner member Ian McDonald. (The weird band name was taken from a Lectreset sheet.) They even toured with King Crimson, but never gained the foothold that Fripp and his cohorts did. And so they languished in obscurity, the fringe of the very profound UK prog movement, yet every bit as dynamic, unique, and exciting as any of the aforementioned bands. And definitely every bit deserving of success. The band played hundreds of shows and finally folded up shop in 1976. One would think that was the end, but thanks to the passion of Robert Cochrane and Nigel Wade and only five decades later, it is here for us to enjoy. Said show had originally been recorded with the intention to release it as a live LP, but the master tapes were lost in a fire. And what of the music? Recorded on Dec. 6th, 1975 at the Friar's club in Aylesbury, UK, it's an audience bootleg -- that traveled from Europe to Africa but finally found its way to the Fruupp Facebook user group -- with pretty decent sound; all the instruments and vocals can be heard without fault. It is well-worth your time to discover Fruupp.

David Poe: Everyone's Got a Camera (ECR Music Group)

I met David back at CB's Gallery when he mixed sound. I would often see him play solo or with his band and was constantly knocked out by his songs, vocals, and lyrics. Total package. He was always consistent. So it was no surprise that his latest release, his sixth, would continue that trend. As some readers of this site may recall, I picked the leadoff track of this album "People Clap Hands" as my single of the month back in February. I'm happy to report that uptempo track remains one of my favorite songs of the year. And now LA-based singer/songwriter Poe has released this wonderful 12-song collection of undeniably must-hear songs. Tracks like "Post," "Gun for a Month," and "Selfie" add handclaps to keep the vibe forward moving and memorable; it's def a clever percussive addition. And if you want ballads try not to feel the nostalgic and sophisticated folk-pop vibe of "Change So Fast" with David's lovely acoustic guitar finger picking and muted trumpet solo. Just a killer track. Moreover, the piano driven ballad "Goodbye Ballerina" boasts a timeless feel with its mournful cello line and David's heartfelt lyrics and harmony vocals. I would suggest that you buy/listen to this album today. Its rewards far outweigh the time you might spend listening to something you've already heard.

R.E.M. Chronic Town EP (I.R.S.)

Back in the early '80s I was at a rather sedate party on the Upper West Side/NYC when someone slipped a cassette into my friend's stereo system. The blast of jangly rock hit me, and everyone else in the apartment, immediately -- familiar yet alien. People started to dance to a song they'd never heard before. What was this new rock sound with the swirling, jangly guitars, indecipherable vocals, and steady rock beat? As I quickly would come to find out it was new quartet from Athens, Georgia produced by Mitch Easter. An undeniable juggernaut. A band for our young generation. This would become the "sound" of college radio. "Wolves, Lower" kicks things off with aplomb... and the rest was history. Thankfully, 40 years on and a proper stand-alone CD of this majestic EP has been released. (I own the vinyl version, too. Sooo good.) It remains stuck in my car's CD player on perpetual repeat. And I never get tired of their jangle rock majesty cuz "box cars are pulling out of town"... and you didn't and still don't want to be left behind.

Dead Kennedys: Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables (Manifesto Records)

Now available on new remixed/remastered splatter-green vinyl, lead vocalist Jello Biafra and his band's (guitarist East Bay Ray, bassist Klaus Flouride, and drummer Ted) infamous debut has arrived in all of its aurally excitable glory. Boasting a new remix by mastering guru Chris Lord-Agee (Green Day, Bruce Springsteen, Chaka Kahn, Joe Cocker) with extensive liner notes, unseen photos, and an essay by former DK tour manager and journalist Amy Linden. She sums them up brilliantly: "The band's creative m.o. -- left leaning politics, mordant humor, gonzo imagery (What the hell do suede denim secret police want with your uncool niece, for Christ sake?), and muscular instrumentation. There is no other band that sounded like the DKs." While the 1980 mix remains available and a timeless classic, this new remix is one that needs sharing and played on vinyl immediately.

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Ian v. Ian

Ian Alterman — Tue, 15 Nov 2022 02:30:12 +0000

Ian v. Ian Ian Alterman November 14, 2022 - 21:30

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prog rock

Jethro Tull: Thick As A Brick (Rhino/Parlophone)

This year marks the 50^th anniversary of an album that is near and dear to my heart, an album that is considered among the most important and even influential progressive rock albums ever created. I am talking about Jethro Tull's brilliant 1972 release, Thick As A Brick. So I still have a few weeks before the anniversary is over to weigh in on something that has been bothering me. It has to do with comments made by Jethro Tull's founder, singer/flautist Ian Anderson.

First, on a personal note, the album holds unique significance to me since it was, coincidentally, the first album I smoked pot to, the first album I tripped to, and the album that was playing the first time I made love. A true trifecta.

But I have been bothered by the following comments Mr. Anderson made about the album: that the album was intended to "satirize the progressive rock genre that was popular at the time"; that it was "a spoof to the albums of Yes and Emerson, Lake & Palmer…"; and that the album was a "bit of a satire about the whole concept of grand rock-based concept albums."

Now, it may seem a bit more than cheeky for me to gainsay Mr. Anderson's comments about his own work. But then, I have never been one to back down from a light-hearted rowdy-dow.

Having literally "written the book" (or in this case, the multi-part article) on concept albums, and having been a progressive rock historian and semi-professional writer on that genre for well over two decades, I believe I have some standing to address this matter.

With regard to the claim that Thick As A Brick is a "satire about the whole concept of grand rock-based concept albums," this is actually a somewhat bizarre, and easily "refutable," claim since the timing doesn't work. Thick as a Brick was written during the second half of 1971, recorded in late 1971, and released in early 1972. By mid-1971 (as Mr. Anderson was still writing the album), precious few concept albums had been released. The most significant of these would have been Frank Zappa's debut album, Freak Out! (1966) and most of The Moody Blues' albums up to that point, particularly their sophomore album, Days of Future Passed (1967) -- arguably the first concept album to be broadly acknowledged as such. (I have discussed the status of Sgt. Pepper as a "concept album" elsewhere. Ultimately, it is only marginally a "concept" album.)

Other artists who would become known for producing concept albums (specifically including "Yes and Emerson, Lake & Palmer," but also including Genesis, Gentle Giant, Nektar, and Pink Floyd) would not release their first concept albums until well after Thick As A Brick. There were a couple of concept "suites" (i.e., one side of an LP) that had been created, including Pink Floyd's "Atom Heart Mother" (1970), ELP's "Tarkus" (1971), and even Iron Butterfly's "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" (1968). But given that the music and overall concept of Thick As a Brick has little or nothing in common with Freak Out! (which was not widely known at the time), Days of Future Passed, or the three "suites" mentioned above, what, exactly, was Mr. Anderson "satirizing?" Mr. Anderson admits that he was a bit taken aback when some reviewers and fans called Tull's previous album, Aqualung, a concept album. Perhaps Thick As A Brick was actually satirizing his own work?

With regard to satirizing "the progressive rock genre that was popular at the time," "the time" would have had to be prior to mid-1971. Yet here, again, the timing doesn't entirely work. "Progressive rock," as that genre is now widely understood, may have begun with early albums by Frank Zappa, The Moody Blues, Pink Floyd, Nektar, Yes, ELP, Gentle Giant, Genesis, and others, but the album that has come to be acknowledged as the true "beginning" of progressive rock is King Crimson's In the Court of the Crimson King (1969). Between In the Court and Thick As A Brick (which came out a little over two years later), many "progressive rock" albums had in fact been released. But even given all of those albums, progressive rock was hardly "popular" at the time -- particularly compared to, well, every other genre of rock. In fact, it may be that Mr. Anderson is simply too humble to admit that Thick As a Brick -- "parody" that he may believe he was writing -- ironically may have done more to popularize progressive rock than any other album. Indeed, it became something of an early standard-bearer for the genre, and one of the most beloved progressive rock concept albums of all time.

As for "spoofing" Yes and ELP, this claim that has the most basis for support. Personally, I do not hear the album as a "spoof" of these two bands (just as I do not hear the album as a general "satire" on progressive rock). But I do get that the music on Thick As a Brick has a combination of the elements associated with Yes (and, in fact, most progressive rock; e.g., shifting time signatures, lengthy instrumental sections, use of non-standard instrumentation) and the "bombast" and "theatricality" of ELP.

Mr. Anderson also noted that, in writing Thick As a Brick as a "satire" and a "parody," he also wanted to "come up with something that really is the mother of all concept albums." In this regard, he succeeded beyond his wildest expectations, given the place the album holds in the pantheon of both progressive rock and concept albums.

So, Mr. Anderson, that is my thrust: I look forward to your parry!

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Meta Music Overdrive

Steve Holtje — Mon, 14 Nov 2022 21:26:52 +0000

Meta Music Overdrive Steve Holtje November 14, 2022 - 16:26

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live concert

Mike Doughty's Ghost of Vroom

Union Pool, Brooklyn, NY

Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022

Mike Doughty's Ghost of Vroom felt to me like a philosophical demonstration of how much of a musical performance can be purely gestural, with no inherent meaning. Some of the gestural aspect was literal: Doughty acted as a conductor, not a la Leonard Bernstein (though with just as much demonstrative motion as Lenny famously exerted) but rather in the mode of John Zorn leading a Cobra performance, Butch Morris's "conduction," or Steven Bernstein's more loosely guided Millennial Territory Orchestra. Doughty, a habitué of the fertile downtown NYC scene of the '90s, would be well-versed in all of these (and did participate in Cobra).

But on a meta level, it was an exploration of how little meaning a band's vocalist frontman can convey while going through the motions expected by audiences from someone in that role.

The first set lasted an hour and involved the expenditure of so much energy on the part of the musicians (and, for that matter, some audience members nodding vigorously and bopping along) that I was surprised when Doughty announced that it was, in fact, a first set and not the whole evening's show. Though made up of discrete sections separated by cessation of playing and subsequent applause, that hour was so stylistically and verbally coherent that it could have been considered a unified suite. As such, its title would have been "Oh, Whoa, Wooh, Alright, I Said Alright," if named as songs usually are by the most frequently vocalized words. There were other spoken/shouted phrases, but even in the small space of Union Pool's indoor performance space, they were unintelligible. Even when actual words were discerned, their meaning as language was unclear; both sentences and exclamations were deployed not to function as language but instead to fill the rhythmic and performative roles of language without actually functioning as information-conveying language.

Not that the hour wasn't, in fact, made up of individually titled pieces, which Doughty would convey to the band before launching into each one. Said musicians were long-time Doughty collaborator Andrew "Scrap" Livingston on cello, Matthew Milligan on electric bass, and two guests: avant-superstar electric guitarist Marc Ribot (often wielding an EBow), and drummer Madden Klass (Wheatus). Besides his conducting and (very intermittent) vocalizing, Doughty occasionally played electric guitar, mostly in a rhythm role; used a laptop to play chopped-up vocal sounds that basically were just various vowels repeated rhythmically; cued the other musicians in and out -- mostly, it seemed, to vary the density of the textures -- in a physically vigorous way involving arm and hand motions; and moving spasmodically with the rhythms, with one repeated gesture being the removal and then replacement of the cap he wears on his shaved head. In an odd way it resembled a highly condensed version of James Brown fronting his band, but with the drumming of Klass much more forcebeat than funk

And now, finally, to confront the question of the band's name. Doughty has an ambivalent relationship with the fame of his 1992-2000 band Soul Coughing, whose first album was Ruby Vroom. Ghost of Vroom could be seen as an update of that band (though with Doughty the only member in common), a parody of stylistic elements of that band (its improvisation a nod to what Doughty once called "slacker jazz"; his free-associative lyrics that in delivery nod to rap without offering rap content; the use of sampling), a gesture of accommodation of audience demand, and arguably all of these at once: like I said, meta.

A more conscientious reviewer would have stayed for the second set; I, however, had been exhausted by the frankly stunning power of the first set. Not that I'd gone as a reviewer; I went as a longtime fan who paid for his ticket. Only in retrospect did my fascination with what I'd witnessed make me ponder it and then set down these thoughts. I could be completely wrong about all of this.

The show I saw was the second of four weekly appearances with Ghost of Vroom and assorted guests at Union Pool on Sundays this month.

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Song(s) of the Week: "Atopos," "Ovule"

Ian Alterman — Sun, 25 Sep 2022 02:32:34 +0000

Song(s) of the Week: "Atopos," "Ovule" Ian Alterman September 24, 2022 - 22:32

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alternative rock

I was very late to Bjork. I only "discovered" her by accident while researching "trip-hop" a few years ago, and found her name associated with its founding. I listened to a song or two on YouTube, and went out the next day and bought every then-existing Bjork album and listened to all of them over the next few days. It became immediately apparent that not only had I missed something very special, but that Bjork is arguably one of the true living musical geniuses -- and not just rock music, but almost any music, since she dabbles in anything and everything she hears, often channeling those influences into something remarkable.

For anyone else (like me) who may have lived under a ridiculously large rock and is unfamiliar with Bjork, she is Icelandic, and has been producing extraordinary music for almost three decades (July 2023 will mark the 30^th anniversary of her debut album, entitled (of course, since this is Bjork) Debut). Her music runs the gamut from trip-hop to rock to disco to jazz to gamelan to avant garde to post-modern classical and beyond. Much of her music, particularly in the first decade or two, is beat-oriented: rhythms -- which can include dance, tribal, jazz, and "World" -- are the foundation of that period. Her lyrics are minimalist, esoteric, often poetic, and always brilliant. Her voice is indescribable: something between a jazz singer, an opera singer, and a 10-year-old child. Her phrasing is both bizarre and inevitable. She is also known for pushing the boundaries of music videos, using state-of-the-art techniques, costumes that bring to mind David Bowie and Genesis-era Gabriel (with a generous dose of opera), and imagery that is sometimes breath-taking.

After dropping albums consistently every two to three years since 1993, Bjork took a break after her 2017 album, Utopia, and is just about to release her first album in five years, tentatively entitled Fossora. And based on the two songs she has released thus far, it is going to be extraordinary.

The first song/video released, "Atopos," is a gamelan-inspired paean to "connection" (or lack thereof). Using an ultra-heavy driving Indonesian dance rhythm (in the video, provided by a costumed DJ) and a sextet of clarinets (from contrabass to soprano), the song is propelled forward relentlessly as she sings about connection (and its loss) -- a subject that is near and dear to her heart. Wearing costumes that would make Lady Gaga jealous (and Bjork was doing this when Lady Gaga was still in a stroller), Bjork offers one of her most poetic lyrics yet, and her facial expressions alternate perfectly between joy (when talk about connection) and sadness and concern (when talking about the lack of connection).

The second song/video released, "Ovule," has quickly become among my absolute favorite Bjork compositions. Opening with a wonderful brass section figure (and undergirded entirely by this brass section, a light rhythm arrangement, and a peek-a-boo synthesizer part that resembles vox), Bjork sings one of her most esoteric lyrics yet: if it is about love (which I believe to be the case), it is love in an increasingly cyber-infused universe. Initially wearing one of her wildest, and yet simultaneously elegant, costumes (first in red, then in black), the imagery here is all reds and blacks; water; ethereal cloud-like forms; and one image of a woman being buried in what looks like black sand. Her other two "costumes" are either completely or partially computer-generated, Bjork once again using the absolute state-of-the-art in her video work. The closing image -- in which her partially computer-generated self and costume are enveloped in a red egg -- is simply fabulous.

One of the comments on the YouTube thread for this video suggests that, "If she continues at this high level of creativity, she's going to explode." That pretty much says it all.

It has been a very long time since I have awaited a new album as eagerly as I am awaiting Fossora.

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Song of the Week: "Let Go of the Gun (Year of the Tiger)"

Dusty Wright — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 20:33:16 +0000

Song of the Week: "Let Go of the Gun (Year of the Tiger)" Dusty Wright September 16, 2022 - 16:33

Topics

Music Review

Tags

alt rock

Scottish singer-songwriter Daniel Wylie -- formerly of Cosmic Rough Riders & mastermind of the stone cold classic folk-rock album Enjoy the Melodic Sunshine -- has done it again. He's released the "must-hear song of the week" -- "Let Go Of The Gun (Year of the Tiger)." Co-written with his friend Ian M Bailey, this mid-tempo rocker has the best elements of The Byrds circa Notorious Byrds Brothers, Arthur Lee's Love, lush Beatle harmonies, a searing '60s psych-jangle guitar solo, and smart lyrics.

"Trips to the sun

Let go of the gun

Explosions that you fear

Are love bombs that you hear

Don't be deceived

By strange things that you see

Nothing is real

Not even what you feel

I hear her calling my name

I don't wanna go there again

I feel like I'm going insane

It's the year of the Tiger again, oh yeah

Trips to the moon

Luna in full bloom

She's closer than the sun

So let go of the gun

I hear her calling my name

I don't wanna go there again

I feel like I'm going insane

It's the year of the Tiger again, oh yeah"