Re: What song are you listening to right now?

Hawkwind [Light Orchestra] - Carnivorous (2020)

So I'm still on a bit of a mission, filling in the gaps in my collection of Hawkwind, especially the 21st Century stuff, and I bet even Dave Brock ever imagined he'd hear that about his rag-taggle band of space(d) misfits.

All things considered, this is one of 'Wind's best albums of this period, even eclipsing the feted Into The Woods and All Aboard The Skylark; not bad going for an album recorded during lockdown by Dave Brock, Richard Chadwick & Magnus Martin bouncing music files around the Internet to each other; hence the "Light Orchestra" tag. And some on-the-ball folks may have spotted that Carnivorous is an anagram of Corona Virus.

The music is the usual, absorbing mish-mash you'd expect, even a touch of Blues in the mix and in places a hint of The Kinks comes through, but for all that, this nucleus of the band has consolidated it's strengths.

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...

7,004

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

Trick Up My Sleeve - Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown - from their newly released album Electrified. I had the song on repeat today on my way to work because it started giving me chills and I wanted to know if my reaction was for real... AND IT WAS! TB hit the nail on the head with this one with perfect tone and a tasty solo.

The video was released today and includes footage from the two awesome shows I saw over the weekend in Huntsville, AL and Nashville, TN.

https://youtu.be/zRrfrbjLQHQ?si=ocJMQookJlAeu9FT

LIVE MUSIC IS BEST

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

BarbieD wrote:

Trick Up My Sleeve - Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown - from their newly released album Electrified. I had the song on repeat today on my way to work because it started giving me chills and I wanted to know if my reaction was for real... AND IT WAS! TB hit the nail on the head with this one with perfect tone and a tasty solo.

The video was released today and includes footage from the two awesome shows I saw over the weekend in Huntsville, AL and Nashville, TN.

https://youtu.be/zRrfrbjLQHQ?si=ocJMQookJlAeu9FT

That's whetted my appetite for the new album; we have to wait until 31st of this month for it in the UK though.

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

Enjoying the most recent EP from Stoney Broke; picked up a physical copy at Sunday's show, but you can treat yourselves (and Stoney's bank-balance) at Bandcamp: -
https://stoneybrokemusic.bandcamp.com/album/its-not-you

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

Newcastle; Cluny2 17th May 2024

In a perfect world, last night I'd have been in the iconic Newcastle [O2] City Hall, watching The Black Crowes, but the diabolical way the tickets were marketed, there was no way. Instead, I found something a little different. If you'd asked me at the start of the year, the only Maserati I knew about was the one that roared down the road behind a trident badge. However, while this Maserati certainly roared, it was a four-piece band from Athens GA (not Bologna, Italy) and the only thing that came in 3s were the huge speaker cabinets behind the band.

So, 1st up were Gram Gram, a band at the moment I can tell you little about, other than their haunting, pulsing electronic rock with intense bass, raw vocals; bit like the soundtrack to a mid-budget, 1990's vampire movie. Bit of a double-take though, the guy on sax & sequencer, with his white pilots helmet, I thought for a moment that Bob Log III missed his bus after his Tuesday show.

After a quick stage re-shuffle, moving keyboards and bringing up the drum kit, we got down to the main event. Almost a last-minute punt on my part as I've been looking for a bit of a change and I'm struggling to remember the last fully instrumental band I saw (think it was Claudio Simonetti & Goblin about a decade ago). Like Goblin, Maserati come under the "Prog" label, but this is "Power prog". There's no pastoral airs or songs about wizards, unicorn or chaste maidens. They are also described as "space-rock", so I guess it ties in with my current appetite for old Hawkwind, but this is "space-rock" if you imagine your 12 favourite TV & movie spaceships, in a demolition derby, in an asteroid field. If you look, and not too hard, you can pick out several influences; but it's the way they've merged them into a unique sonic landscape.

Overall, the sounds Coley Dennis – guitars: Matt Cherry – guitars: Chris McNeal – bass: Mike Albanese – drums; make is intense and rises to the near brutal; like starting in a cement mixer and ending in a rock crushing mill. However, it's far from boring; the guitars and synth cut through without shrieking and the whole becomes a near physical thing. I managed a quick word with Chris McNeal, post-gig, and I think this has been their 1st time around the UK; certainly hope it won't be their last.

Think you may like these, NickSlikk....

Not a lot to find on YouTube, but here's some tasty past/present moments: -
Monoliths (10/24/09) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lasRLdZYTtk
Rehumanizer 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8oIZg5 … mp;index=3
Inventions - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvZY5T4C9Ck
Live session from KEXP 2011 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeLFeEOTclI

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

Playing last night - here's the albums I picked from Maserati's merch table: -
Enter The Mirror (2020)
Rehumanizer (2015)
VII (2012)
Unusually, they were only taking cash, so good job I had a few notes on me. Only thing, there's at least another 5 albums......
Overall, where Tangerine Dream were synths with a bit guitar, these guys are guitar, with a bit synth [and real drums].

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

Troy Redfern - Invocation  (2024)

Troy Redfern is absolutely on fire these days. Invocation is his 3rd album in as many years and he's still finding ways to push himself stylistically as much as in creativity. It's not as wild or heavy as The Fire Cosmic, but all the trademarks are there, the raw-edged vocals and fiery slide guitar but the distinctive melodic sensibility comes more to the fore, making for a diverse yet cohesive effort.

By my count, there's been 4 singles taken from the album between it's gestation and release, each showing a different facet, from the Western-style arid landscapes of The Native & Blind Me to the slow burning Van Helsing that builds until it wouldn't be out of place on a Fields of The Nephilim album. Standing out from the 11 tracks though, has to be "The Strange", there's so much in there, it's a track that sounds different on each playback.

Being their second project together, there's no doubt that troy has found a kindred spirit with producer/sideman Dave Marks, and there's a great huge rock drum sound from Paul Stewart (on hols from "day-job" with The Feeling).

Some people used the Covid hiatus to take stock and consider their next moves, Troy came energised; charging out the gates like a wild stallion, and doesn't show sings of slowing down yet.

Van Helsing - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEK9hCchhZU
The Strange - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XH5PEpIyVI
The Calling - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7BEuF8vkOI
Getaway - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQWSQQCxWIM

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

The Church - Eros Zeta & The Perfumed Guitars  (2024)

This, the 27th studio album from The Church, follows quite literally on the heels of 2023's The Hypnogogue, and while it has one of the possibly most awkward sounding titles, is not just a very, very good album, but is also a very clever one.

Not only does it manage to reference parts of the band's past, with musical nods to a couple of past fan favourites, as a whole it stands as a companion-piece to The Hypnogogue, making a "Ziggy Stardust-like narrative about the character Eros Zeta. So much, this album actually sneaked out on the merch table for the previous album's tour before this general release. (The Church do have a history with this style of album issues, but this is definitely a full on stand-alone, rather than outtakes or ideas that hit the proverbial cul-de-sac.)

Stand out tracks then? “Pleasure” is a beautiful a song The Church has ever written, and they've written a few.  As the song slides into the outro, the synths fade out and this lonesome country slide guitar kicks in; an area the band has yet to explore. Manifesto,” with its Eastern European guitar line, channels early Calexico reinterpreting an early Church track like “Shadow Cabinet.” Strange Past” does not disappoint, peppered with sci-fi squawks and swirls. The instrumental closer “Music from the Ghost Hotel” starts with a guitar line reminiscent of “Numbers,” the lead-off track from “After Everything Now This.” It’s pretty and entrancing with its loopy, e-bow-laden fills, but it doesn’t come close to soaring to the epic heights reached by “Second Bridge” from “The Hypnogogue.” It’s a more quiet way to go out.

Steve Kilby hinted after the last album that he may wind-up The Church, but on the strength of this unexpected delight, I think the band has more legs yet.

A Strange Past - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KKr3c4ef2I
Realm of Minor Angels - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KKr3c4ef2I

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

Richard Hawley - In This City They Call You Love  (2024)

Studio album #10 from Sheffield's favourite son, and it sounds very much like he's sharing his love for his home city. The record is exactly what should be expected from a classic Richard Hawley record: everything, from the writing, the arrangements, the vocals, the guitar tone, the whole bloody thing is exemplary in its execution.

The whole sound is framed in an early 1960s, pre-Beatles vibe; on a couple of tracks the vocals have an almost Elvis quality while the guitar tone references the "twang" kings of Duane eddy & Hank Marvin; yet somehow, it all sounds crips & contemporary. Truly a master at work, backed, as ever by a very strong band.

Highlights? make a list of all 12 tracks and throw a dart, you can't go wrong. Strong runners though, if you have to twist my arm: People, I’ll Never Get Over You; Heavy Rain; Do I Really Need to Know & When The Lights Go Out.

Two For His Heels - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YJpqWHL03g
Heavy Rain - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0JtGjQhEi4

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

The Replacements - Dead Man's Pop  (2019)

Right, so I've had a chance to get to grips with this leviathan set (1Lp, 4Cds & booklet) and the best way to tackle it is by ignoring the LP since my equipment isn't up to serious playback; instead, I'll look at the album as it 1st came out in 1988 under the title Don't Tell A Soul.

On the heels then of their "big label" debut album, Pleased To Meet Me, The Replacements were at something of a crossroads; the big label (Sire/Warner) threw a bag of money at the guys, expecting the results to yield them [many] sacksful back: the band had "baggage" of being wild and difficult to work with; lynchpin Westerberg was feeling his 30 years old, and was torn between the commercial suicide of growing up and how long the juvenile hi-jinx would remain credible; (the band's ages ranged from 7 years his junior to 7 years his senior....)

Trying to accommodate this, the band were sent to Bearsville Studios in upstate New York to work on their new album; about as isolate a place as could be, away from distractions (booze) with an unknown producer Tony Berg. From the account in the accompanying booklet, there were 10 productive days before "cabin fever" set in and blazing rows through the complex that even frightened Metallica who were there to mix ...And Justice For All. That anything was salvaged from these sessions is nothing short of miraculous as Westerberg doesn't write down lyrics and such, and the band has been known to literally ditch tapes in the a river if not satisfied.

However, "round 2" of recording the new album, with another untested producer moved to Cherokee Studios in Hollywood, and things more-or-less fell into place; not that the band were much better behaved, but a boozy, late-night session with Tom Waits was very much a highlight. recording ended with vocal sessions being done at Capital studios. The bitter-pill in the album's gestation is that being "untested" at the time, Warners didn't trust Matt Wallace to mix the sessions (though he shortly had a massive breakthrough with Faith No More). Instead, they handed it over to Chris Lord-Algy, who, to be fair, didn't do a bad job on what became Don't Tell A Soul, but in smoothing out the imperfections (of which there were many) to make it radio friendly (the band had a life-time ban on NBC), it didn't really work and lumbered it with a sound that was dated by 1990.

Fast-forward to 2015, and while clearing the garage at former guitarist Slim Dunlap, the master-tape of Wallace's hurried mixing of the album (at Paisley Park, MN) was found, and that's what gives the 1st CD here it's title, describing the sort of music The replacements were [then] playing, Dead Man's Pop was a throwaway comment from Westerberg. This is the same 12 tracks as the Lord-Algy mix, but way different, and not in the revised running order. One one playthrough, it reminds me of Exile On Main Street in it's rawness and the breadth of styles therein. The opening “Talent Show” is perhaps the greatest improvement—Westerberg’s vocal is naked, the drums are reserved, and it comes over more like a studio jam than something assembled from individual parts; the common thread is that the guitars are cleaner, the vocals are clearer, and previously buried fills come to the surface, like the banjo in “Talent Show.” And ending the set with “Rock and Roll Ghost” after opening with “Talent Show” gives it a nice thematic frame, an innocent band taking a stab at one end and a fading relic thinking about the past at the other.

The next disc to look at, the second disc of the box contains work from the disastrous aborted Berg sessions, recorded in Bearsville, New York. It’s hard to get a sense of where the record might have gone from the evidence here; they are basically full-band demos of unfinished songs. While it’s enjoyable to hear “Achin’ to Be,” “I’ll Be You,” and “We’ll Inherit the Earth” in these versions, they sound more like run-throughs. Westerberg delivers the lyrics almost offhandedly. Two outtakes, both of which landed on the expanded Don’t Tell a Soul, are the best thing about the sessions by far—the countrified “Portland,” which is fantastic, and the jittery rocker “Wake Up.” The six tracks taken from a drunken late-night session with Tom Waits [he was a fan of the band], and Westerberg of him—are of historical interest only. The two sound completely trashed and can barely play or even speak, a reminder it’s not always a tragedy when songs stay in the vault; but what could have been, had someone switched on the coffee-filter...?

The Replacements were not greatly served by any sort of "Live" product, unless you caught one of their shows. So far as the UK was served, I think I've seen one track from a 1986 Whistle Test appearance; their chaotic reputation went before them, not many TV studios wanted to be descended upon by a gang of [usually] drunken pirates? However, for the box set, we are treated to the full concert from June 1989 in Milwaukee. To get the full show, a lot of excess noises from the stage has been masterfully cleaned up, without losing the band's raggedy edges making the performance bristle with energy.

The band struggled on for one more album after this, and while you can see how they lost out to the likes of R.E.M. who had a more focused vision and faith in their direction, you can see what spurred the likes of Green Day on to acclaim; The Replacements just seemed to fall in the gaps. While the hardly made a big splash in the US and barely a ripple in the UK, when they pulled together, they were a match for anyone.

Final part to consider in the set is the accompanying booklet, the story of recording Don't Tell A Soul or Dead man's Pop (your choice). This reads like a script proposal for a movie, and I believe it got a Grammy for sleeve notes itself. They say, there are some stories you couldn't write, Bob Mehr did a bang up job of this...

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

Krissy Matthews & Friends (2024)

Just got this today, and what can you say about this monster of an album? The two discs weigh in at not far under 2 & half hours play time; you'd be lucky to get that with a "live" album, which this isn't, though I suspect a couple of tracks were laid down in live session.

I don't know if the measure of a man is the quantity of his friends, or the quality of his friends, but believe me, Krissy has covered both bases here; just look at those names... And the best part, Krissy doesn't try to dominate them, he's more like a ring-master, sitting back where necessary and letting them bring their toys into his sand-box. That's not to say he doesn't stamp on the gas when it's his turn front & centre, just listen to "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" after Arthur brown puts down the mic. And we also get Krissy, for the first time, singing in Norwegian (alt version of "Why Are You Ashamed Of Me") and some German "So Einfach Is Das" (It's That Simple) as a nod to his current base.

And the range of material; from hard, blues rock to acoustic-jazz stylings to classic rock an' roll. Not that the material is all covers, though Krissy could easily have pulled off a fitting tribute to late friend & mentor Peter Brown who passed last year. To list the names would be superfluous, just read the cover, but the blending of the players and the choice of tracks, originals and covers, it's just inspired. For someone who's had doubts about the direction of his life, this is one Hell of a way to pull up those big-boy pants. Now we just need to get a few more shows over here...

One tip for UK friends; there's no store on Krissy's site to purchase the album, just various links. Pick the Amazon.de website; it takes a few days longer to arrive, but you save a good £5.

Queen ( feat Kim Jennett) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4fvueC1gQs
Pack It Up (feat Big Daddy Wilson & Alice Armstrong) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALNT4MsHGr8
Why Are You Ashamed of Me (English version) (feat Heidi Solheim) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjANO2X8pxE

PS - if you haven't seen the cover, here's an idea of who's involved: - Dani Wilde; Will Wilde; Erja Lyytinen; Wille Edwards; Arthur Brown; Danny Bryant; Giles; Robson; Clem Clempson; Kai Strauss; Alice Armstrong; Eric Steckel; Layla Zoe......

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

Alice Armstrong - Live At Area 88  (2024)  EP

Nice treat-for-the-ears awaited on the doormat today; delicious slice of soul from Alice Armstrong - as recorded in Milton Keynes with Stevie Watts, Kev Hickman, Josh Rigal & Olly Knight-Smith.The EP features 4 Alice originals, including a co-write with the Cinelli bros as well as a storming cover of Aretha's Rock Steady.

Rock Steady - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d16smALnAsc
Life I Chose - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sn5qqygneck

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

Cardinal Black - Live At Memo  (2024)

Special "live" show recorded by the guys, December 2023 and nicely in time for their shortly upcoming US shows. What can I say, sweet, soulful and Chris Buck's guitar sounds like a lovesick angel.

Ain't My Time - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVG91bjykxM
Jump In - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVooxACxC-o
I'm Ready - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AXvm2xdVoU

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

Bernard Butler - Good Grief  (2024)

You knew it was coming, didn't you? The album came out about 1 month ago, but already having the gig ticket I wanted to wait and get a signed copy from the man himself.

So, is it any good? Well, he's not running around firing off guitar-licks like his hair is on fire, though down in the mix, there is some tasty work going on. This isn't the 20-something who's last solo albums came out just before the millennium; this is an older, wiser head. There is some sublime guitar work to be heard, in among the strings and the Bert Jansch influenced acoustic work. Best way I think to see this is somewhere between the less shouty Springsteen and Mark Knopfler albums of late. All the songs are original, though it's difficult to say how "new" they are as there's a collaboration with Edwyn Collins and a one with jessie Buckley that may have been a left-over from 2022's collaboration.

However, on a hazy, summer's evening, it's a perfect listen.

Living The Dream - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TavzbOJ1DU
Pretty D - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFCvrAB0zeM
Camber Sands - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAlcss-2Y64

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

The Bad Day - The Irish Goodbye  (2024)

So, through the door on Friday came the welcome new [3rd] release from The Bad Day; The Irish Goodbye. After their re-imagining of the concept album back in 2022, I was wondering how they'd follow it. In short, intelligent, story-driven song writing backed by varied and evocative. Not an easy thing to do, but by returning to a more basic format, they're quivering the ear-hairs again. The Irish Goodbye, while rich in influences, has a more stripped-back style of production, almost naïve if you will, but boy, does it work through the headphones.

"Heartbeat" crackles with an underlying sexual tension and segues smoothly into "Welcome To The Show" that has a sassy strut that almost matches Alice Cooper's "Hello, Hooray" as a show opener. "Mr Regret" with soulful harmonica and downbeat melody could easily have come from the pen of Bob Dylan, on a good day, while "High Maintenance" rides on a riff that AC/DC may have lost on the way to their last studio session.

The entire album, like a concept, has a story thread running though,  a sort of [not quite so] brief encounter between musician and fan, and the highs & lows, with "Bag of Bones" marking the end of the relationship, with a country-like upbeat and the title track, "The Irish Goodbye" as the cathartic lament: heartfelt blues song which features an absolutely stunning guitar solo from Nick.

In all, a superb album, while the mix is sparce, it is through headphones that the separation really works; the overall effect serves to complement the mood and tone of the song; everything is there for a reason and there is not an ounce of unnecessary fat.. Adam on bass sounds deep and luscious; German's drumming style varies from driving rhythmic patterns to restrained jazz-tinged fills; Sam on harmonica, at times providing depth to the melody and elsewhere coming to the fore to stamp his mark on a song. Nick’s restrained and tasteful guitar underpins the melody until it is time to step up in the mix for the solo. His guitar is never intrusive, allowing the listener to focus on the lyrics which form the heart of the album; but when it is time to add colour he does so with a flare and style that more bombastic players often lack.

Heartbeat - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTzfc2YqTJU
Welcome To The Show - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSNZbv8uXn8
Powerless - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3y-PtZssbIs

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

Lightning Threads - Off That Lonely Road  (2024)

Picked this up at Friday's Cluny gig, and it's a little gem. Crunchy and melodic in all the right places. The majority us self-penned but closes with a Gary Clark Jr cover, and bristles with energy and know-how, under Andy Banfield (Superfly Studios) direction.
Definitely a band to catch, when you can.

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

Deep Purple  =1 (2024)

So, the old war-horse continues, albeit with some new blood in the fold; Irishman Simon McBride making his album debut. To be fair, the album fair canters along, rather than the expected stately plod.

In terms of ranking, you have to admit that the halcyon days are receding, much like the hairlines. The new music certainly has quality, but lacks the fire of innovation and "edginess" . I'd put it somewhere between 2013's Now What and 1996's Purpendicular (coincidentally when Steve Morse was the new kid...).

Again though, you've got to wonder if THIS time they'll decide to go out on a high (and not risk another Turning To Crime).

Lazy Sod - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbkNm739ULA
Pictures of You - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8w638t_MtU
Portable Door - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbwiEDD04CY

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...

7,020

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

Been listening a lot of the latest Cinelli Brothers and surprisingly covers by The Deftones.  Particularly “Drive”  The Cars.  Amazing interpretation.