A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS may well be known for their bizarrely teased haircuts as much as their hit single "I Ran". A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS were one of prime movers in the 80's new wave era. Growing out of the synth-heavy and ruthlessly stylish new romantic movement. Hairdresser Mike Score (lead vocals, keyboards) formed A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS with his brother Ali (drums) and fellow hairdresser Frank Maudsley (bass) in 1980, adding guitarist Paul Reynolds several months later..
"Telecommunication" became an underground hit in Euro-disco and new wave clubs. The band signed a major-label contract with Jive by the end of the year, and their eponymous debut album appeared in the spring of 1982. "I Ran (So Far Away)" was released as the first single from the album, and MTV quickly picked up on its icily attractive video, which featured long shots of Mike Score and his distinctive, cascading hair. The single climbed into the American Top Ten, taking the album along with it. In the UK, "I Ran" didn't make the Top 40, but "Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)" reached number ten later that year; in America, that single became a Top 40 hit in 1983, after "Space Age Love Song" peaked at number 30. "Wishing" was taken from the group's second album "Listen" in 1983. The band released 1984's "The Story of A Young Heart" which fielded the hit "The More You Live, The More You Love".
A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS are famous for their music but also famous for their references in popular culture from TV (Ross's Haircut in Friends), Computer Games ("I Ran" was the standout track on Grand Theft Auto Radio), Film (The band and haircut are referenced in Pulp Fiction, X-Men and The Wedding Singer) . This cemented the bands reputation and brought the band to a whole new legion of fans.
In 2003, the original line-up of Mike, Ali, Frank and Paul reunited for a one-off performance on the VH1 series Bands Reunited. In September 2004, they reformed again and did a brief tour in the United States. From 2004 to 2021 Mike was as busy as ever touring the band around the world. In 2018 the band appeared on record together for their "Ascension" album. The original members all make an appearance on record together for "String Theory".
One of the highlights of the second installment of their Orchestral Hits Opus 'String Theory', iconic 80's band A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS return with "Messages". A long term fan favourite now get's a single release, with five versions in total.
The Original Mix combines the unforgettable guitar energy of the 1982 release, with the Prague Philharmonic swooping in on choruses for added scale and emotional reach, an additional layer that is amplified on the Neo Classical Extended mix, and dialled down slightly on the more laid back Domestic Technology Mix.
Today's tune "Messages" is taken from the new album "String Theory", the single was released along with the Main Extended mix, there's something here for even the hardest hardcore SEAGULLS fans - and long may they continue. Released April 22, 2022
Monday, new week and it's time to introduce "Record Of The Week".
"Never Let Me Go" is the long-awaited 8th studio album by the British veterans PLACEBO, their first album in almost a decade, nine years on from the release of their last outing "Loud Like Love", "Never Let Me Go" was released on March 25th, 2022.
PLACEBO has returned as a duo, the core songwriting pair of founders Brian Molko and Stefan Olsdal looks like they're more focused than ever, delivering a reliably artsy and modern set of tunes that fits this time period perfectly.
"Never Let Me Go" spans over thirteen tunes and a play time just under 60 minutes. The music is full of energy and falls somewhere between cyber-punk fuzz and electrified scuzzy rock. The barrier sets already with the opener "Forever Chemicals", electronic distortion and the distinctive PLACEBO brand vocals with his typical nihilism. A grand opening that is followed by the great single "Beautiful James", a powerful and grand tune with a spacey synth atomsphere and so goes with the stellar "Happy Birthday In The Sky". "Hugz" is an energic rocker with a chaotic punkish feel while the "The Prodigal" is a orchestral beauty, the turns are large and wide on this album, which also satisfactory the listening hour. Some true paranoia is served with "Surrounded By Spies" and a cool groove on "Sad White Reggae" and the chugging riffs in "Twin Demons" is a true delight, one of my favorites on the record, followed by the post punkish "Chemtrails" and the halfpaced tunes "This Is What You Wanted" and "Went Missing" before it's time to close the album with electronic "Fix Yourself", a tune about take care of your own business before you start fiddling with someone else.
"Never Let Me Go" is a great album that really showcase the band on higher level of songwriting and it's so contemporary and emotional.
Today's tune "Beautiful James", taken from "Never Let Me Go", enjoy!
PLACEBO TOUR DATES
MON, MAR 28
MELKWEG
AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS
THU, MAR 31
ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
FRI, MAY 27
CATTON HALL & PARK
WALTON ON TRENT, UNITED KINGDOM
FRI, JUN 17
VISARNO ARENA
FIRENZE, ITALY
WED, JUN 22
SIGULDAS PILSDRUPU ESTRĀDE
SIGULDA, LATVIA
SAT, JUN 25
TW CLASSIC FESTIVAL 2022
WERCHTER, BELGIUM
MON, JUN 27
SRC SALATA
ZAGREB, CROATIA
WED, JUN 29
MANTOVA
MANTOVA, ITALY
FRI, JUL 1
ARSENAL FESTIVAL 2022
KRAGUJEVAC, SERBIA
SAT, JUL 2
HILLS OF ROCK FESTIVAL 2022
PLOVDIV, BULGARIA
WED, JUL 6
MAD COOL FESTIVAL 2022
MADRID, SPAIN
THU, JUL 7
BILBAO BBK LIVE 2022
BILBAO, SPAIN
WED, JUL 13
ROMEXPO
BUCURESTI, ROMANIA
SAT, JUL 16
MACEDONIA
SKOPJE, MACEDONIA
MON, JUL 18
ZORLU CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS
İSTANBUL, TURKEY
THU, AUG 25
VILAR DE MOUROS
VILAR DE MOUROS, PORTUGAL
SUN, SEP 4
COMMODORE
VANCOUVER, CANADA
TUE, SEP 6
MOORE THEATRE
SEATTLE, WA
WED, SEP 7
CRYSTAL BALLROOM
PORTLAND, OR
FRI, SEP 9
WARFIELD
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
SAT, SEP 10
GREEK THEATRE
LOS ANGELES, CA
MON, SEP 12
PALACIO DE LOS DEPORTES
MEXICO, MEXICO
WED, SEP 14
EMO'S
AUSTIN, TX
SUN, SEP 18
BROOKLYN STEEL
BROOKLYN, NY
SAT, OCT 1
FESTHALLE
FRANKFURT AM MAIN, GERMANY
SAT, OCT 8
VEGA
KØBENHAVN, DENMARK
MON, OCT 10
SENTRUM SCENE
OSLO, NORWAY
TUE, OCT 11
CIRKUS
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
THU, OCT 13
BLACKBOX, HELSINGIN JÄÄHALLI
HELSINKI, FINLAND
FRI, OCT 14
SAKU SUURHALL
TALLINN, ESTONIA
MON, OCT 17
WARSAW EXPO XXI
WARSZAWA, POLAND
WED, OCT 19
QUARTERBACK IMMOBILIEN ARENA
LEIPZIG, GERMANY
MON, OCT 24
ZIGGO DOME
AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS
WED, OCT 26
OLYMPIASTADION MÜNCHEN
MÜNCHEN, GERMANY
THU, OCT 27
MEDIOLANUM FORUM
ASSAGO, ITALY
SAT, OCT 29
SAMSUNG HALL ZÜRICH
ZÜRICH, SWITZERLAND
MON, OCT 31
O2 UNIVERSUM
PRAHA 9, CZECHIA
WED, NOV 2
STADTHALLE D
VIENNA, AUSTRIA
FRI, NOV 4
ROCKHAL
ESCH-SUR-ALZETTE, LUXEMBOURG
MON, NOV 7
LANXESS ARENA
COLOGNE, GERMANY
THU, NOV 10
ZÉNITH DE NANCY
MAXEVILLE, FRANCE
FRI, NOV 11
ACCOR ARENA
PARIS, FRANCE
SUN, NOV 13
ARKÉA ARENA
FLOIRAC, FRANCE
FRI, NOV 18
PORTSMOUTH GUILDHALL
PORTSMOUTH, UNITED KINGDOM
SAT, NOV 19
THE BRIGHTON CENTRE
BRIGHTON, UNITED KINGDOM
MON, NOV 21
LIVERPOOL OLYMPIA
LIVERPOOL, UNITED KINGDOM
TUE, NOV 22
VICTORIA WAREHOUSE
MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM
THU, NOV 24
MOTORPOINT ARENA
CARDIFF, UNITED KINGDOM
SAT, NOV 26
O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
SUN, NOV 27
O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
TUE, NOV 29
DE MONTFORT HALL
LEICESTER, UNITED KINGDOM
WED, NOV 30
O2 ACADEMY
LEEDS, UNITED KINGDOM
FRI, DEC 2
O2 CITY HALL,
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, UNITED KINGDOM
SAT, DEC 3
O2 ACADEMY
GLASGOW, UNITED KINGDOM
MON, DEC 5
3ARENA
DUBLIN, IRELAND
WED, DEC 7
CORN EXCHANGE
CAMBRIDGE, UNITED KINGDOM
THU, DEC 8
O2 ACADEMY
BIRMINGHAM, UNITED KINGDOM
The English pop rock band TEARS FOR FEARS are back and have released the band’s first new album in 17 years, "The Tipping Point". I do not want to say that I am a pop string, but I must say that this sounds very good so I have to share the video for "No Small Thing", the second single and opening track off the new album
As TEARS FOR FEARS previously told Rolling Stone, after years of false starts and failed collaborations when recording their new album, “No Small Thing” marked a breakthrough for the band, as Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith sat down in a room together to write music for the first time since their teen years.
“In early 2020, Curt and I sat down together with just a couple of acoustic guitars. The first time in decades. We needed a meeting of minds, a coming together psychically. We were literally going back to the drawing board looking for some depth, heart and soul with which to complete our album. Curt came up with this simple folk/country riff, a little bit Dylan, a little bit Johnny Cash, and then we were off. It was the complete opposite of what we had been trying to do for many years – searching for the elusive, modern hit single. We felt suddenly unencumbered, free if you like, no longer worrying about the market, about success, but drawing on influences from our childhoods. It was at this point that the whole album started opening up. ‘No Small Thing’ was the key, the thing that turned a red light green,” - Roland Orzabal
"No Small Thing" feels like it could have been a song from a seventies or sixties acoustic folk album with how the track starts. The fact that we felt confident enough to go from there to the end of the song to where it’s just absolute mayhem speaks to that sense of freedom, and that’s our comfort zone musically.” - Curt Smith
Today tune "No Small Thing", taken from the new album "The Tipping Point", enjoy!
New week, time to introduce "Record Of The Week".
"Impera" is the fifth full-length studio release for the Swedish rock band GHOST, twelve years as a band and they really have establishes them self as a commercial hard rock force and they finally reached the top-tier mainstream heavy metal/hard rock act that they were aiming at. "Impera" is themed mainly on "the rise and fall of empires". It is described to take place hundreds of years forward from the 14th century Europe Black Plague era of GHOSTs previous album, "Prequelle".
The album is a well crafted catchy piece that flows between heavy metal, rock and catchy pop ,much depends on the magic team they have surrounded them self with, thinking of the very talent Swedish writers and producers, namely pop producer Klas Åhlund and songwriting team Tobias Forge, Joakim Berg (KENT), Salem Al Fakir, Vincent Pontare and Peter Svensson (CARDIGANS) and for the musical parts we have the marvelous guitar playing by Fredrik Åkesson (OPETH), drummer Hux Nettermalm (INFINITE MASS, PAATOS), and on Piano, keybords Martin Hederos (THE SOUNDTRACK OF OUR LIVES, TONBRUKET).
The albums opens up with an instrumental intro in "Imperium", dual lead guitars, marching drums that gives a powerful feeling and give a great start to the next tune "Kaisarion", i high driven catchy piece. The tune is titled for the son of Cleopatra and Julius Caesar, the last Pharoah. "Spillways" is a bombastic popish tune, written by Salem Al Fakir and Vincent Pontare. Keys that bings the mind to ABBA, yes keep it Swedish. The second single out of the album is "Call Me Little Sunshine" and "Hunter's Moon" are two powerful tunes where the both have a 80's feeling. The guitar heavy "Watcher In The Skies", heavy riffing and a great melody keeps the tune up. "Dominion" an instrumental interlude to prebuild "Twenties", another heavy riffing piece, that takes the band out of the normal comfort zone and serves us with a head banger. "Darkness At The Heart Of My Love" is a power ballad with some beautiful harmonies. "Griftwood" gives a nod to WHITESNAKE. The album closes up with a short interlude "Bite Of Passage" before the half pace "Respite On The Spitalfields" closes the book for this time. A story about Jack The Ripper, where the arrangement sounds partly as DEEP PURPLE and ALICE COOPER. The album is a pleasant listen, where they successes to keep the interest high. This is a grand step for GHOST. Now it will be interesting to see where it goes.
"Impera" was released by Loma Vista Recordings on 11 March 2022. The cover art by Zbigniew Bielak is a reference to English occultist Aleister Crowley.
Sum: GHOSTs fifth album have a history that strangely enough fits into today's events.
Today's tune "Call Me Little Sunshine", taken from "Impera", enjoy!
Saturday, once again I go outside my comfort zone and pick a tune with the French hip hop producer Al'Tarba who has worked with rappers like Ill Bill, Raekwon, Q Unique, Rhyme Asylum Psych Ward, and many more. He has released three instrumental albums.
And for today tune "Hush Little Bay" where he worked with Bianca Casady from COCOROISE on vocals, from his upcoming album "La Fin Des Contres", dropping May 6th.
The tune has a smooth modern reggae groove, a lo-fi lullaby that climbs high and straight into your brain. Her, nasal and slight dark and melancholic, but very innocent voice set and subtle everything mashed together in a beautiful song.
A little girl wakes up at the bottom of a tree. Confused, with no idea of where she is. Despite of all of this, she feels soothed by the soft light, the bright colors and the buzzing of the creatures that swirl around her. A strange, radiant, watery sphere forms and unfolds delicately before her eyes. Intrigued, she stands up and touches it with her finger…
This story, told by the singular voice of Bianca Casady, mythical singer of the group CocoRosie, is inspired by the dreamlike universe of Lewis Carroll. A sort of “Alice in Wonderland” who would dive inside a 70’s psychedelic rock vinyl cover.
The recently turned 30-year-old will participate tomorrow during the final of the Melodifestivalen, for those of you who follow this.
Cornelia Jakobs new song "Fine", which emerged from an event in the flow, may be because I simply drugged female artists this week.
The song is composed by Carl Silvergran, Cornelia Jakobs, Emma Bertilsson and Felix Flygare Floderer. Anna Cornelia Jakobsdotter Samuelsson or simply Cornelia Jakobs is a Swedish singer and songwriter. She was born on March 9, 1992, in Sweden. Her career started in 2008, when she competed in the Swedish version of Idol. She has in the past participated at Melodifestivalen as part of Love Generation both in 2011 and 2012. She remains part of the group, which now it is called “Stockholm Syndrome”.
This year, she competes in the Swedish national final solo with the song “Hold Me Closer”. The artist has advanced to tomorrow’s final!
So all the luck to her tomorrow and in the mean time we spin her latest single "Fine", enjoy today's tune.
Monday, new week and it's time to introduce "Record Of The Week".
This week I take out the turns a bit and offer a bit of Pop with Arabic Folk Music, something out of the ordinary.
In addition to the big TV shows jobs, Gina Dirawi always dreamed of recording an album. Already seven years ago, she released a couple of singles, but it was only when she came in contact with Björn Yttling and Freja Drakenberg that she found home. "It has been like seeing yourself in sound," Dirawi said after meeting them.
Dirawi was born on 11 December 1990 in Sundsvall, Sweden, the second of four children. She is of Palestinian descent and her family comes from Lebanon. Dirawi's paternal grandparents convinced her father to move to Sweden.
"Meet Me In Jannah" is Gina Dirawi's debut album, produced by Björn Yttling and Freja Drakenberg, got released February 18th. In Juli 2021 she released the excellent singles ”Sunday” and ”Live And Die”, both of them was included in the Netflixserie ”Young Royals”. They got followed by "Blame It On Me" and Dirawi's first tune on Arabic, "Bmoot", that means "I die". The music on the album sounds magnificent, it's raw and feels spontaneous, partly improvised and the voclas are just marvelous, she intertwines Arabic folk music with alternative pop and creates a sound that is completely its own and she does it with such a confident, like she was born to do this full time. Her voice flows nicely, it's intimate and raw, like an instrument by it's own. The opening track "Sunday" she sings about praying to Allah: "Catch you on a Sunday / When you got the weekend off". It does not matter that it is a holiday and that no one may listen, the need for inner peace is too great to wait. The final and closing tune "Live And Die" is recorded in a single recording and the end of the song has been completely improvised. It is one of many moments on "Meet Me In Jannah" that remains long after the last notes have sounded out. I really enjoy this, after working with Gina, I never thought she would possess this knowledge, quite magically I must say, nicely done Gina! Now make sure to release this on Vinyl, because I want this.
Sum: ”Meet Me In Jannah” a rare confident debut, get it.
Today's tune "Meet Me In Jannah" is the title track from her debut album, "Jannah" is Arabic for "Paradise". TRIGGER WARNING, violent video.
Here is a excellent clip from the TV show "Nyhetsmorgon" a few days ago.
DEAD FINKS is the musical output of New Zealand-born duo Joseph Thomas and Erin Violet. Formed in Sydney sometime in the late '10s, it's current incarnation is a four-piece rock band based in Berlin.
On "The Death & Resurrection Of Jonathon Cowboy" the band showcase an incredible knack for writing catchy and unique melodies. They play punk music in the tradition of WIRE or SONIC YOUTH and take cues from contemporaries like PARQUET COURTS and ICEAGE in their efforts to manipulate and expand upon what it means to be a punk group in 2021.
Written and recorded in Sydney, late 2018 (shortly before the duo moved to Berlin) the LP serves as a strange prediction of the horrible state of the world today. Songs about war, plagues, pissing, police, David Cronenberg’s Videodrome and the climate burning. Its a sea of wiry guitars and thumping bass that plants itself inside your inner ear and doesn’t leave. Thomas’ smart-ass delivery and literary style with odd references abounding, sees a return to something similarly touched upon in his previous group TRUST PUNKS.
Stripped down rock music that knows what it is and smashes you over the head. Vocal harmonies and lush organ sounds. It sounds really good. Divorcing somewhat on this release from the harsh underground sounds of previous iterations of the band.
Joseph Thomas - Guitar + Vocals
Erin Violet - Bass + Vocals
Cover art by Patrick Doherty
Today's tune "(My Human) Extinction", taken from the new album "The Death & Resurrection Of Jonathon Cowboy", released September 24, 2021
"Time In The Sun" is the 4th full length album from Charleston, SC band SUSTO. The album was written and recorded in the midst of a lot of life changing events for lead writer/singer Justin Osborne.
Like everyone around the world, Osborne was navigating the global issues felt from the pandemic while normal life continued with its own blessings and challenges.. "We were navigating the global and national issues that everyone else was dealing with, but also I became a father and also lost my father. There was a lot of contemplation going on in my brain, a lot of personal evolution going on in my life, and songwriting was my way of working through it all. The title "Time In The Sun" is meant to be a monument to my own human existence and also a tribute to the human experience in general. I wouldn’t claim to understand what it means to be a human, from the countless different perspectives of the world, but I do have my own experience to reflect on and I want to be able to express and explain that in some way. I guess this album is an attempt at that. At the core though, it’s just a collection of songs about my life and my feelings."
SUSTO is heading out on tour soon, check all the dates below.
Todday's tune "Get Down" is taken from the new album "Time In The Sun" that was release on October 29, 2021 via New West Records.
Upcomming Tourdates:
NOV
19
The Grey Eagle
Asheville, NC
NOV
20
Neighborhood Theatre
Charlotte, NC
DEC
04
Coast is Clear Music & Arts Festival 2021
Key West, FL
DEC
10
The Southern Brewing Company
Athens, GA
DEC
16
Callaghan Irish Social Club
Mobile, AL
DEC
17
Saturn
Birmingham, AL
DEC
18
Terminal West
Atlanta, GA
FEB
10
2022
The Pour House Music Hall
Raleigh, NC
FEB
11
2022
North Street Press Club
Farmville, VA
FEB
12
2022
The Southern Cafe and Music Hall
Charlottesville, VA
FEB
13
2022
8x10
Baltimore, MD
FEB
15
2022
Club Cafe
Pittsburgh, PA
FEB
17
2022
Velvet Underground
Toronto, ON
FEB
18
2022
Le Ministère
Montréal, QC
FEB
19
2022
Higher Ground
South Burlington, VT
FEB
20
2022
The Word Barn
Exeter, NH
FEB
23
2022
The Middle East Restaurant and Nightclub
Cambridge, MA
FEB
26
2022
The Hamilton Live
Washington City, DC
FEB
27
2022
Johnny Brenda's
Philadelphia, PA
MAR
10
2022
DBA
New Orleans, LA
MAR
11
2022
Satellite Bar
Houston, TX
MAR
12
2022
Tulips FTW
Fort Worth, TX
MAR
22
2022
Last Exit Live
Phoenix, AZ
MAR
23
2022
The Alibi
Palm Springs, CA
MAR
24
2022
Troubadour (Doug Weston's Troubadour Tavern)
Los Angeles, CA
MAR
25
2022
Catalyst
Santa Cruz, CA
MAR
26
2022
Cornerstone Craft Beer & Live Music
Berkeley, CA
MAR
29
2022
Wonder Ballroom
Portland, OR
MAR
30
2022
Tractor Tavern
Seattle, WA
APR
02
2022
Globe Hall
Denver, CO
APR
03
2022
Globe Hall
Denver, CO
APR
06
2022
Raccoon Motel
Davenport, IA
APR
07
2022
Raccoon Motel
Davenport, IA
The pop poem of the Finish baroque pop band AMURI from Amuri, Tampere. The band was founded by young and talented songwriters Mikko "Rock" Siltanen (EXPLOSIVES, TALMUD BEACH) and Kalevi Suopursu (GUGGENHEIM PROJECT). Later, keyboardist Anna Pesonen (SAMANNA) and drummer Sebastian Krühn (TAMPO, LAURA MOISIO) joined.
In the native language they tell the story of thier dreams. Like on today's tune "Masa" where Mikko goes to the tavern every day with his three friends to taste the number one beer. One day he examines the instruments of the dance orchestra KALEVA and ponders aloud: what would it be like to play in a band? The video is dedicated to the 51-year-old Salhojankatu Pub.
Today's tune "Masa" is taken from the self titled debut album, which was released by Helmi Levyt on August 28, 2020. The Video was directed by: Kalevi Suopursu & Sami Sänpäkkilä. Description and color definition: Sami Sänpäkkilä. Editing: Kalevi Suopursu.
Some 40 years into one of music’s most impactful partnerships, TEARS FOR FEARS have arrived together at "The Tipping Point" – the group’s ambitious, accomplished & surprising first new studio album in nearly 2 decades.
TEARS FOR FEARS are an English pop rock band formed in Bath, England, in 1981 by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith. Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced GRADUATE, TEARS FOR FEARS were initially associated with the new wave synthesizer bands of the early 1980s. Later, the band branched out into more mainstream pop and attained international chart success. TEARS FOR FEARS were part of the MTV-driven Second British Invasion of the US.
"The Tipping Point" is an upcoming album by TEARS FOR FEARS, set to be released on 25 February 2022. It is the seventh studio album by the band.
Tracks on the album include "The Tipping Point", which was released with a music video in October 2021, see it below, as well as "My Demons", "Please Be Happy", and "Stay". "Stay" was previously released on the group's 2017 compilation "Rule The World: The Greatest Hits". Track lyrics were inspired by the death of Roland Orzabal’s wife in 2017.
Today's tune "The Tipping Point" is the title tune from the upcoming album, where the new single cycle that vividly recalls the depth & emotional force of the group’s earliest triumphs. The music video for the tune was directed by Matt Mahurin. Enjoy!
"Super Trouper" is a song by Swedish pop group ABBA, and the title track from their 1980 studio album of the same name, written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. The song – with lead vocals by Anni-Frid Lyngstad – had the working title "Blinka Lilla Stjärna" (i.e. Twinkle Little Star, in Swedish), and was the last track to be written and recorded for the album (ultimately replacing the track "Put On Your White Sombrero"). "Super Trouper" was released in November 1980 as the album's third single.
The song's name refers to the Super Trouper, a make of followspot used in large venues.
Today's version is made by the Scottish indie pop band CAMERA OBBSCURA, formed in Glasgow, 1996 and have released five albums to date – the most recent of which, Desire Lines, was released in 2013. The current members of the band are vocalist Tracyanne Campbell, guitarist Kenny McKeeve, bassist Gavin Dunbar, and drummer Lee Thomson. The band undertook an extended hiatus in 2015, following the death of long-serving keyboardist Carey Lander. The surviving members later reconvened in 2018.
The band's bright take on indie pop has been frequently described as "twee pop," and garnered comparisons to fellow Scottish band BELLE & SEBASTIAN. The band have also been praised for their "honest, wide, and adult approach to heartbreak, romantic liaisons, and escapism."
"Super Trouper" by CAMERA OBBSCURA was releeased as a B-side on thier single "Tears For Affairs", released April 16, 2007, the video clip is from the "Sessie op Motel Mozaique", 4/14/07, enjoy!
Within the fertile West Coast rock scene of the 2010s, MEATBODIES’ Chad Ubovich was a perennial candidate for MVP. Over the course of the decade, the Los Angeles native could be seen peeling off guitar solos in Mikal Cronin’s backing band, supplying the Sabbath-sized low end for Ty Segall and Charlie Moothart as the bassist for Fuzz, and, of course, fronting his own MEATBODIES. That recently dormant noise-damaged freak-rock outfit now returns with "333", a corrosive stew of guitar scuzz, raw acoustic rave-ups, and primitive electronics. That acidic mix didn’t come from nowhere. Because the downside to maintaining such a prolific work rate is that the threat of burnout becomes a looming occupational hazard, and after touring behind MEATBODIES’ second album, 2017’s "Alice", Ubovich finally hit his breaking point.
“I’d been touring for eight years straight with all these bands, and just couldn't do it anymore,” he says. “There was also a feeling in the air that everything was changing, politically. Things just didn't feel right, and I went down a dark path.”
Fortunately, Ubovich was able to pull himself back from the brink and, upon getting sober, began writing and recording at a furious pace. By mid to late 2019, MEATBODIES—Ubovich and drummer Dylan Fujioka—had a new album in the can, ready to be mixed. But when COVID hit, the band, like so many other artists, put their release on hold as they rode out the pandemic’s first wave. During that idle time, Ubovich discovered a cache of demos that he and Fujioka had recorded in a bedroom back in the summer of 2018, and he really liked what he heard. In contrast to MEATBODIES’ typical full-band attack, it was deliriously disordered. “It sounded gross, like a scary Magical Mystery Tour,” he recalls proudly. After subjecting them to some mixing-board freakery, Ubovich fast-tracked the songs into becoming MEATBODIES’ third release, "333".
While "333" charts Ubovich’s journey from drug-induced darkness to clear-eyed sobriety, it also reflects how the world he re-entered was still pretty messed up—if not more so. That psychic tug-of-war plays out on the opening “Reach For The Sunn” whose distorted slow-motion creep leads to a chorus both celebratory and dispiriting: “Reach for the stars/reach for the sun/reach for the trigger/reach for the gun.” In writing these songs, Ubovich realized that he wasn’t so much singing about his own path, but something much greater than himself. "These lyrics are dark, but I think these are things that people everywhere are feeling and going through” he says. “Here in America, we’re watching the fall of U.S. capitalism, and "333" is a cartoonish representation of that decline.”
Today's tune "Reach For The Sunn" is taken from an album that wasn’t supposed to exist, "333" is the ultimate testament to MEATBODIES’ renewed vitality. "333" was released September 3, 2021.
Friday, today we open the door and let in some Swedish pop. That pop music is played here is not common. That we take a side track and offer something that does not belong to the ordinary is something that happens more and more often. I see it as a positive light in the dark, I really hope you who follow this musical journey agree.
The artist and songwriter Fredrik Dagvik grew up outside Gothenburg and has spent his childhood in various rehearsal rooms and band constellations. Now he writes his own music and releases it under the artist name in iFred (InPeace). Recently, the new single "Svarta Lådan" (The Black Box) was released.
The single is an indie pop-rock song with piano melodies, pleasant drum accompaniment and playful guitars, the lyrics are in Swedish.
Fredrik Dagvik explain the tune:
“The song is about how we in our inner black box save and memorize everything we have done and all the choices we have made in life. Now when I look back in the rearview mirror, I see how "chance" and how different factors have affected me. The song is a kind of monologue of "the one" I was when I was young. Did everything turn out as I had imagined? Is this how I wanted everything to be? ”
Enjoy today's tune "Svarta Lådan", written by Fredrik Dagvik, released Aug 6th 2021.
Josefin Öhrn + The Liberation did release a reworked version of their sultry album track, “Sister Green Eyes”, this was the bands third single from their much lauded album 2016 album "Mirage".
Right from the outset, “Sister Green Eyes” sensuously throbs to a more Eastern drive, with an sedated ‘Velvets’ droned melody, a fluctuating groove straight out of the ‘CAN’ little black book, it flirts around with the hue of a half-goned tranced-out Siouxsie Sioux .
Richly hypnotic, the tribal procession of the tracks groove, more predominant than the album version, enamelled with Josefin’s almost broken breathless vocals, progresses like an oscillating ragga as if the man machine spirit of recently deceased Jaki Liebezeit was soundtracking an eyelid movie.
As the band explains: “Sister Green Eyes” was inspired
by the Japanese word “Shinrinyoku” which is sometimes translated and often described as “Forest Bathing”, where submersing oneself so deeply into the atmosphere of the forest or in the band’s case, the Swedish ‘Ocean and Mountains’, that the experience is rejuvenating and restorative so showing you a way that can often seem lost or out of reach and Josefin’s vocals encapsulate that.
The B side features the a reworking of the bands ‘Rainbow Lollipop’ by world renowned DJ ‘Cherrystones’. For his Post Punked Redux version, we get a darker block rocking beat, high powered, bottom end, beat driven, Trip Hop Disco floor filler, as if those Krautrock kids of the 70’s were jamming with the New York Hip Hop Electro kids of the 80’s. Time to dust off the trainers for a burn!!
Enjoy today's tune "Sister Green Eyes", taken from "Mirage", the single was released February 24, 2017.
Sunday, time for a classic and it's time to wrap up the pride week.
Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991) was a British singer, songwriter, record producer, and lead vocalist of the rock band QUEEN. Regarded as one of the greatest singers in the history of rock music, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and four-octave vocal range. Mercury defied the conventions of a rock frontman, with his highly theatrical style influencing the artistic direction of QUEEN.
Mercury died in 1991 at age 45 due to complications from AIDS. He confirmed the day before his death that he had contracted the disease, having been diagnosed in 1987. Mercury had continued to record with QUEEN following his diagnosis, and he was posthumously featured on the band's final album, "Made In Heaven" (1995).
Today's tune "Don't Stop Me Now" is a song by the British rock band QUEEN featured on their 1978 album "Jazz" that was released as a single in 1979. Written by lead singer Freddie Mercury, it was recorded in August 1978 at Super Bear Studios in Berre-les-Alpes (Alpes-Maritimes), France, and is the twelfth track on the album.
Musically, the song builds on Mercury's piano playing, with John Deacon and Roger Taylor providing a bass guitar and drums backing track. The song also provides an example of QUEEN's trademark style of multitrack harmony vocals for the chorus lines.
The song also appears in the band's 1981 compilation album "Greatest Hits", and in June 2011, as part of QUEEN's 40th-anniversary celebrations, an old take of the song containing more guitar parts was included on the bonus EP of the re-released and remastered "Jazz" album. Featuring in films, commercials, and television shows, the song has grown in popularity in the four decades since its release. Bobby Olivier of Billboard attributes its initial rebirth to its appearance in the 2004 cult classic zombie apocalypse film "Shaun Of The Dead". In 2014, Rolling Stone readers voted it their third favorite song by QUEEN.
Monday and it's a new week, new month and it's not time for the "Record Of The Week" just yet. We will give it a week or two before we start again. This week is the anual Pride week here in Stockholm, (read about it https://www.stockholmpride.org/) so I thought why not pay attention to it a bit. Not because I have a shared sexuality but many in my friendship and work colleagues are one or the other and I do not judge them. The choice is entirely up to everyone, some are born in the wrong body, others are drawn to the same sex, some can not decide and like both.
So for this week, we'll pay attention to the artists or pioneering icons that are or supports the LGBTQ. Whether through their direct messages or a knack for creating effervescent, life-affirming pop, rock shaking musicians that have change the world for LGBTQ.
The first one out is the Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress K.D. Lang. Lang has won Juno Awards and Grammy Awards for her musical performances. Hits include the songs "Constant Craving" and "Miss Chatelaine".
A mezzo-soprano, Lang has contributed songs to movie soundtracks and has collaborated with musicians such as Roy Orbison, Tony Bennett, Elton John, THE KILLERS, Anne Murray, Ann Wilson, and Jane Siberry. She performed at the closing ceremony of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta and at the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, where she performed Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah".
Lang has also been active as an animal rights, gay rights, and Tibetan human rights activist. She is a tantric practitioner of the old school of Tibetan Buddhism. Lang, who came out as a lesbian in a June 1992 article of the LGBT news magazine The Advocate, has championed gay rights causes.
Today's tune "Constant Craving" is a song written by K.D. Lang and Ben Mink, performed by K.D. Lang on her second album, "Ingénue". The song was released in 1992 and won her the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1993, as well as an MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video.
The music video for the song was filmed in black-and-white. It presents a fanciful recreation of the premiere of Samuel Beckett's play Waiting for Godot in Paris, 1953. Here, she is depicted singing backstage while the actors perform. The director, Mark Romanek, says the song's lyrics of desperation and waiting fit well with the themes of Beckett's play. Much to Lang's surprise, the video won Best Female Video at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards. Enjoy!
