Monthly Archives: July 2018

Recent Releases: July Edition

Posted on by
Reply

The year continues to surprise me with a number of releases from new and old bands alike during what I usually expect to be a slow season.  July’s releases were few but they did not let me down at all.  Here’s but a few worth checking out!

Erasure, World Be Live, released 6 July. Seeing Erasure live is an experience; I got to see them on their 1990 tour for Wild! and it was a blast. Andy Bell is absolutely bonkers and fabulous and their songs are great. This is a wonderful extended album of their most recent tour and it’s a ton of fun to listen to, especially since they left in a lot of Andy’s ridiculous and hilarious in-between chatter.

Cowboy Junkies, All That Reckoning, released 13 July. I was surprised at how much this album resonated with me. It’s alternately lovely and brooding, but it’s an amazing listen. It’s rare that I’ll stream an album twice in one day on its release date, and that’s saying something. [There is also the fact that upon hearing the above track for the first time, I realized this was totally the kind of Flying Bohemians song I’d write back in the day.]

Dirty Projectors, Lamp Lit Prose, released 13 July. I think I used the word ‘tangly’ in my initial Twitter #NewMusicFriday review, and I think that’s a good description; this band’s sound is very heavily entwined within itself, with sounds going in all different directions and tied up in weird knots that somehow make sense. It’s strange yet fascinating at the same time.

Tanukichan, Sundays, released 13 July. Another AllMusic suggestion that paid off handsomely. Hannah von Loon (ex-Trails and Ways, who had a fantastic summer single called “Como te Vas” a few years back) plays heavy-sounding mid-tempo shoegaze (think MBV at their most accessible) and it’s right in my wheelhouse. It’s been playing quite a bit during my afternoon breaks while I’m whipping up some practice words.

The Internet, Hive Mind, released 20 July. Laid back hip hop with a touch of soul, reggae dub, and more. It’s an addictive album to listen to, especially when you need to chill out after a long work day. I need to look into more from this band.

Public Image Ltd, The Public Image Is Rotten (Songs form the Heart), released 20 July. Meanwhile, John Lydon’s career-spanning box set (available digitally as well!) is indeed an exercise in nonconformity and refusal to go with the flow, and experimenting with what sounds resonate with you. From their punk and dub beginnings to their late-80s/early-90s alt.rock all the way to their recent kicking-it-old-school crunch, it’s not for everyone, but it’s certainly an amazing ride.

Gaika, Basic Volume, released 27 July. A wild mix of slow reggae dub tinged with a dark and creepy Tricky-like trip-hop flavor, this one completely blew my mind upon first listen. Absolutely amazing album worth checking out.

ShadowParty, ShadowParty, released 27 July. Various newer members of New Order and Devo gather together to play a fun mix of britpop and post-punk that sometimes sounds like New Order and sometimes like The Killers. Well worth checking out.

*

Coming soon:  August releases!

Vacation Tunage

Posted on by
Reply

We’re heading out to London in a week and a half, and my mind is on two things:

1) I need to prep my In My Blue World and Bridgetown Trilogy freebie cards for when we head to Worldcon immediately upon return, and

2) What should I put on my mp3 players?

Yes, while most other sane people in this world prepare for a vacation with more mundane concerns such as what to pack, what they’d like to see and do once at their destination, and so on, my addled brain almost always goes to ‘I need to bring stuff to listen to.’  [Mind you, I do think of what to pack, just that I usually take care of that in the space of an hour a day or so before we go — I always remember the things I must bring like my passport and any show tickets, and anything I end up forgetting probably wasn’t needed to begin with.]

For these long flights, I usually fill up both mp3 players.  The Zen player is for recent releases and compilations, so that’s easy to update.  The SanDisk one, on the other hand, can be tricky.  That one is my writing mp3 player.  I’ve also gotten into a habit of putting (almost) complete discographies on that one, as I can get through three or four albums in the process.  I already have The Beatles on there (both the mono and stereo box sets from 2009, plus a few compilations), and ELO as well (primarily due to work on In My Blue World), but I still have lots of space left.

So…what band’s discography should I put on there?  Should I go old school and put on Cocteau Twins or The Smiths?  Should I do something new and put on Pinkshinyultrablast or GoGoPenguin?  I’ll have to think about this some.

Any suggestions, of course, are quite welcome!

Songs from the Eden Cycle, Vol 5 (Under Construction)

Posted on by
Reply

What’s that, you say?  Is this an official follow-up to the original four compilation volumes from 1997-98?  Didn’t I make a bunch of semi-official compilations for the trilogy over the next decade and a half?  Am I just recycling the same damn mixes over and over again at this point?

What’s the diff, anyway?

Well, the original Songs from the Eden Cycle mixes were made when I was writing The Phoenix Effect and were used to get me inspired, rather than songs that were assigned to specific scenes (with a few exceptions).  The follow-up mixes, on the other hand, were when I wrote and revised the Bridgetown Trilogy and were specifically focused on those stories.

Thus, this new “Volume 5” is a return to the original reason for the series: music to get me inspired to write the new Mendaihu Universe book(s).  Like the original four, these will be mixes that will be made over an extended stretch of time, as certain tracks pop up.

Here are a few that I’ve gathered so far…

Blonde Redhead, “23”. This song popped up on my radar in 2015 when I was playing around with MU story ideas, and caught me at the right moment with its unrelenting, twisting power. Beauty and tension at the same time.

Kasabian, “Club Foot”. I’m surprised I never put this song anywhere on any of my major compilations other than a half-assed one I threw together in 2005, because it’s one of my favorite badass bass lines. Also surprised I never used it in any Mendaihu Universe stories, either. Admittedly the video (again, one of my favorites) did give me a bit of inspiration as well.

U2, “The Blackout”. Say what you will about U2’s last two albums, personally I still think they’re the best and strongest albums they’ve had in years. Pretty sure they’re both going to get a lot of play when I start writing the new stuff.

Editors, “No Harm”. These guys consistently blow my mind with each release. In Dream was quite the dark affair — not as creepy as In This Light and On This Evening, but emotionally raw — and got a hell of a lot of play when I was revising the original trilogy. Pretty sure it’s gonna get play here as well.

Dot Allison, “Message Personnel”. This track actually dates back to the original TPE/trilogy sessions and popped up on one of the “Mendaihu Universe” mixes, but I’ve chosen to add it to this one because it’s the soundtrack to one of the first scenes I’d come up with for the new story.  This is one of the few exceptions where I had a perfect song in mind for a specific scene.

The Horrors, “I See You”. I think I need to look into this band more, because they totally slipped under my radar until I heard their Luminous album a few years back. I love their dark post-punk sound, which fits in quite nicely with what I’m trying to achieve with the new story.

I’m still working on this one right now, and it is in fact a mix of newer and older songs (note: the original four volumes did in fact have the same type of content as well).  With the exception of maybe one or two songs, the rest of these haven’t been put on an official Eden Cycle mix as of yet.

Yes, I know…I’ve got two other novels I have to finish first before I can get anywhere serious with this new Mendaihu Universe novels, but it doesn’t hurt to get an early start with the notes and the soundtrack, right?

2018: Favorite Albums of the Year, So Far

Posted on by
Reply

As promised, here are some of my favorite albums of the year up to June.  Whether or not my 2-8 Theory of Great Music Years* is coming to fruition is still up to question, but I will say that quite a few releases this year are resonating positively with me in some way, more so than some previous years. I find myself actively putting many of these albums on extended heavy rotation, which doesn’t always happen.

Of course, the best releases are still to come — past experience has proven that the releases from August to November are usually the best of the year. A quick peek at those releases tells me this may be true again this year. Something to look forward to!

* – My 2-8 Theory of Great Music Years is pretty simple: that years ending in 2 and 8 tend to provide us with a bumper crop of stellar, well-crafted albums. That’s not to say that they’ll stick in the minds of everyone, mind you…this is more about my personal tastes and probably has something to do with my state of mind as well. Still, this theory has yet to steer me wrong!

So, on with the show!

BØRNS, Blue Madonna, released 12 January. Quirky, fun synthpop with just that little bit of soul thrown in there to make it funky. Great album for kicking back and relaxing or having fun.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Wrong Creatures, released 12 January. My sister likes cranking these guys up, and I can’t blame her. This is a great album to listen to at top volume, whether it’s their slow dirges like “Haunt” or the raucous “Little Thing Gone Wild”.

GoGo Penguin, A Humdrum Star, released 9 February. As I’ve mentioned previously, I don’t often get this excited about a jazz album. I’ve always loved this kind of trio setup, and this band gives the genre a modern, maybe a post-modern, spin to it. Still bummed that I won’t be able to see them at Outside Lands this year, as we’ll be elsewhere!

Lucy Dacus, Historian, released 2 March. She reminds me of those 90s musicians I liked so much like Jen Trynin and Jonatha Brooke, taking alternative rock in interesting directions while still keeping it laid back. “Addictions” is indeed an addicting song.

The Naked and Famous, A Still Heart, released 9 March. I’d been a passing fan of TNaF, but this album of semi-acoustic covers of their older songs (and a lovely cover of Massive Attack’s “Teardrop”) made me revisit their previous albums to hear the originals. It’s an amazing record and one I’ve been returning to during my writing sessions lately.

The Neighbourhood, The Neighbourhood, released 9 March. I didn’t expect to like this album as much as I do, but I keep coming back to it. It’s weird and dark and experimental but it’s also consistently catchy and groovy. I really like the direction this band has taken.

Wye Oak, The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs, released 6 April. There are just some albums where certain melodies imprint on your brain and this is one of them. I get the title song stuck in my head all the time, as well as my favorite track from it, “Symmetry”.

The Damned, Evil Spirits, released 13 April. This is one hell of a fine album and possibly one of their best in a long time. While previous albums revisited their early punkish roots, this one revisits their early to mid-80s post-punk sound, which I always felt was their strongest and best. And Dave Vanian’s voice is still amazing after forty-plus years.

Snow Patrol, Wildness, released 25 May. A welcome return for Gary Lightbody and Co, and it’s a great record that seems tighter and more cohesive than previous records. I can definitely hear a few ‘big singles’ tracks, which they were known for in the last decade, but there’s not a bad track on here at all.

Dave Matthews Band, Come Tomorrow, released 8 June. This record reminds me of their less jamming and more single-oriented 90s albums like Crash, and that’s just fine. There’s a certain positive vibe to this particular record that makes it a lot of fun to listen to.

Johnny Marr, Call the Comet, released 15 June. Johnny’s recent solo albums have all been super catchy and fun. This particular record on the other hand feels like he’s decided to return to his 80s roots, because this album really does sound like The Smiths circa 1986-87, when he wrote some of his finest guitar work. It’s his signature sound, and it sounds absolutely lovely.

*

The first half of 2018 was full of great tunes…I’m definitely looking forward to the second half.

2018: Favorite Tunes of the Year, So Far

Posted on by
Reply

All the cool kids and music blogs are doing it, so I might as well do the same!  Here’s some of my favorite tunes for the first half of 2018.  It’s been an interesting year for releases… lots of new names mixing in with the current ones, as well as a few classic bands making a welcome return after a long hiatus.

The Neighbhourhood, “Dust”. First popped up on their To Imagine EP and then as a bonus track on the deluxe version of their self-titled album. This is not the pop of “Sweater Weather” but the weird synthpop of 1981. I love the direction this band went in. I especially like the way they ended this track.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, “Little Thing Gone Wild”. Wrong Creatures is a fantastic record from start to finish, probably my favorite of theirs at the moment. I love the groovy unhinged blues of this particular track.

tUnE-yArDs, “Heart Attack”. Such emotion and power behind this track! I love cracking this one up whenever it comes on. It’s in my top 5 right now.

GoGo Penguin, “Raven”. I’m usually never this excited about a jazz band, but these guys blow me away every time I listen to them. They blend trio jazz and drum-and-bass beats so amazingly well on this track that by the time it’s over I wish it was still going.

Lucius, “Woman”. An absolutely gorgeous vocal duet. I love where the melody and the lyrics go with this one. It kind of reminds me of how the Indigo Girls’ vocals often play off each other, with a bit of Lennon-McCartney thrown in.

The Decemberists, “Severed”. The band goes in an unexpectedly weird and creepy direction — Colin Meloy states that it was a deliberate move to sound like their early influences like the Cure — and they pull it off well.

The Damned, “Standing On the Edge of Tomorrow”. I love how they’ve decided to revisit their early 80s sound here — this would fit quite nicely on Phantasmagoria or even The Black Album — and gave it a modern twist.

Snow Patrol, “Life on Earth”. This one tops my list so far, for many reasons. It feels like a song that’s needed right about now, as well.

I should probably post my favorite albums so far as well…maybe I’ll do that on Thursday! 🙂

Twenty Years On: July 1998

Posted on by
Reply

July 1998:  Stupidly hot and humid in central Massachusetts, and thankfully the back room at HMV is nice and cool.  I’ve been put in charge of ordering imports for the store, which is a dangerous thing indeed.  Also, I’m coming extremely close to finishing The Phoenix Effect, and at this point my nightly transcription/revision sessions are all caught up to the point that I’ll eventually finish it on the PC instead of longhand.  I spend my nights down in the Belfry listening to tunes and writing, or going out to see movies at the theater that they’d finally built in the rear of the mall I worked at.  Wednesday drives after work out to the Pioneer Valley for my comic book run.  Occasional Saturday drives into Boston to visit the comic book and used record stores.

Barenaked Ladies, Stunt, released 7 July. BNL’s jump into major stardom in the US actually started a few years earlier with 1996’s live Rock Spectacle (they’d been a cult favorite for years before), but this one broke them open wide with the hilarious pattering of the ubiquitous single “One Week”. The entire album is amazing, with some of their best songwriting to date.

The Hope Blister, …smile’s ok, released 14 July. One of Ivo Watts-Russell’s last projects before leaving his 4AD label in 1999, he revisits the ambient sounds of his This Mortal Coil project but with a fixed line up. A short but lovely album.

Beastie Boys, Hello Nasty, released 14 July. The Beasties continue their unique style of hip-hop that’s equal parts intelligent and ridiculous. “Intergalactic” got heavy airplay pretty much everywhere, from the pop stations to the alternative rock stations to MTV.  Years later a minor character in one of the new Star Wars films is named after it.

12 Rounds, My Big Hero, released 14 July. This one was more of a personal favorite of mine, and got a lot of play down in the Belfry during writing sessions. They’re kind of hard to pin down as their sound alternates between Sneaker Pimps-style triphop to the porn of Lords of Acid to Marilyn Manson alt-metal and moody goth rock of VAST. It’s all over the place but it’s a fascinating listen. Music Trivia Time: This was Atticus Ross’ band before he started working with Trent Reznor!

The Tragically Hip, Phantom Power, released 14 July. I really enjoyed listening to this one down in the Belfry as well — there are a lot of lovely tracks on this one, with some of Gord Downie’s best lyrics.

Small Soldiers soundtrack, released 14 July. This was such an odd little summer film, but that’s typical coming from Joe Dante. All his films are quirky. I loved the soundtrack, though: classic rock songs remixed by electronic and hip-hop artists, including an amazing remix of Rush by DJ Z-Trip.

Black Box Recorder, England Made Me, released 20 July. I mentioned this band last week during my recent purchases post. They were like the anti-Belle & Sebastian, with lo-fi twee qualities and really dark lyrics. Yet somehow I found them fascinating and picked up all their albums over the course of their brief career.

Republica, Speed Ballads, released 30 July. Their second and last album popped up only as an import here in the states, which is a pity considering this one’s just as fantastic as their debut, if not more adventurous and experimental.

*

Next Up: August 1998, in which we see four albums that become my favorites of the year and get a crapton of play in all of my writing nooks for years to come.

Thirty Years On: July 1988

Posted on by
Reply

July 1988: Halfway through the summer.  Working at the radio station on the weekends and (I think?) at the Victory supermarket on the weekdays.  Meeting up with Chris and Nathan for Flying Bohemians jams, and the occasional road trip to the Pioneer Valley.  Teaching myself how to play decent bass guitar by playing along with various songs and albums, and learning how to write my own songs.  Taking a break from writing the Infamous War Book sequel and focusing on a roman à clef instead that I’d been playing around with, along with the first dribbles of poetry.  Pretty much turning myself into an introvert at this point.

The Psychedelic Furs, “All That Money Wants” single, released ?? July. A teaser single for their new greatest hits album that would pop up in a month or so. 120 Minutes jumped on this one, and so did WMDK. I heard it quite a bit throughout the summer.  I was well aware of the band, but this was when I finally got around to picking their stuff up.

Beat Happening, Jamboree, re-released ?? July. I missed this one when it first came out mid-1987, but by 1988 when Rough Trade reissued it, it was a critic favorite in some weird so-bad-it’s-good sort of way. Not the best singers or musicians, they could certainly write one hell of a catchy tune.  WAMH was all over this album when they came back on the air in the autumn.  I’d like to think they’re to blame for the twee movement of the late 80s-early 90s.

Compilation, Lying On the Floor: The Singles, made ?? July. Chris catches the mixtape-making bug from me, and makes his first one that, in turn, changes the game for me. I note how his mix is essentially really cool songs he likes with a well-balanced flow. By the following month I’d take that into consideration and follow suit.  I certainly liked how he borrowed the Standing on a Beach theme for the title, this time borrowing from the Cure’s “Kyoto Song”.

Crowded House, Temple of Low Men, released ?? July. The second album by Neil Finn and Co. isn’t as big a seller and doesn’t have a stand-out single, but WMDK seemed to love it nonetheless. “Mansion in the Slums” was on their heavy rotation that summer.

Siouxsie & the Banshees, “Peek-a-Boo” single, released 11 July. I’d been a recent fan of theirs probably since 1986 when I heard “Cities in Dust” (and also their excellent 1987 cover of Iggy Pop’s “The Passenger”), but when I’d heard this one — as another useless promo single popping up at the radio station, I should add — it completely blew me away. I HAD to buy this album when it came out.

Joy Division, Substance, released 11 July. Definitely a game changer for me. Thanks to 1987’s New Order album of the same name, I was looking forward to seeing what the band was all about and why all the critics loved them. I instantly fell in love with “She’s Lost Control”, “Transmission” and “Love Will Tear Us Apart” — three songs that deeply influenced my bass playing from then on — but it was the magical desperate beauty of “Atmosphere” that won me over. I couldn’t get enough of that song; it even influenced a scene in the story I was working on at the time. I spent many a summer evening playing bass to Side 2 of the tape (“She’s Lost Control” to “Love Will…”), and by the time I was back in high school, my chops had expanded considerably.

Geinoh Yamashirogumi, AKIRA soundtrack, released 16 July. I wouldn’t see this movie for another couple of years when I was in college, but I distinctly remember watching a Siskel & Ebert episode where they reviewed this movie. I remember it because that was when I first discovered that animation didn’t have to be Warner Bros cartoony or Filmation low-budget crappy. The clip they showed completely blew me away and set the course for my 90s anime obsessions.

*

Next Up:  August 1988, in which my writing takes an interesting turn, I make one of my best early mixtapes, and a local band gets me (and a ton of others) excited!

 

Recent Purchases, June Edition

Posted on by
Reply

A surprisingly long list of releases this month!  I actually had to keep a few out this time!  A lot of these albums are very summer-friendly, which means I’ve been listening to them on repeat lately with the window open and a lovely Pacific breeze coming into Spare Oom’s window.   Some of my favorite albums of the year so far appear here.

Dave Matthews Band, Come Tomorrow, released 8 June. A welcome return after six years, and they sound confident and vibrant this time out. This one reminds me a lot of Crash; a lot of solid rock tunes going on.  I’m enjoying this one quite a bit.

The Get Up Kids, Kicker EP, released 8 June. Another great band returns from a long hiatus and provides us with a sharp and concise alternapunk EP. Well worth waiting for.

Black Box Recorder, Life Is Unfair, released 8 June. A nearly-complete discography box set from the moody trio of Luke Haines (The Auteurs), John Moore (The Jesus & Mary Chain) and Sarah Nixey. This was a band from my HMV years, and they even had a surprise hit with the above track in early 2000.

Matt Nathanson, Pyromattia EP, released 8 June. Matt covers six Def Leppard tracks in a semi-unplugged ballad format. This could have gone wrong so easily, but he not only pulls it off, he does so brilliantly. Even DL’s singer Joe Elliott contacted him to congratulate him on an excellent job.

Arthur Buck, Arthur Buck, released 15 June. Songwriter Joseph Arthur joins up with ex-REM guitarist Peter Buck on a fantastic record of slightly off-kilter yet catchy tunes. Their differing styles complement each other quite well on this one.

Johnny Marr, Call the Comet, released 15 June. The album might be about aliens coming to Earth to help us before we destroy ourselves, but Johnny knocked it out of the park with this one musically. His ‘guitarchestra’ style he’d mastered so well while in the Smiths makes a return here, and it sounds absolutely lovely. My favorite album of the month.

The English Beat, Here We Go Love, released 15 June. Dave Wakeling resurrects his old band name and puts out a great ska album just as brilliant as their 80s output. This one definitely surpassed my expectations.

Paul McCartney, “I Don’t Know”/”Come On to Me” single, released 20 June. Sir Paul surprises us with a new double A-side single teaser for a new album (Egypt Station) in September. Still going strong after all these years, and still writing lovely melodies.

The Cure, Mixed Up: Deluxe Edition, release 22 June. Robert Smith picks up where he left off years ago with his band’s remasters, this time with the 1990 remix album. This edition includes not just an additional disc of single remixes (including one of my favorites, the 12″ version of “Just One Kiss”!), but a third disc of new remixes spanning the band’s entire career, remixed by Smith himself. It’s a long listen, but it’s a fascinating one.

Dog Party, Hit & Run, released 29 June. One of my favorite local bands (they’re from Sacramento), these two sisters have been delivering kick-ass punk since they were in high school, and they’re still kicking ass today.

Florence * the Machine, High As Hope, released 29 June. Definitely a more personal and introspective album for the band, but just as stellar and amazing. All the critics are loving this one, and I am too.

Gorillaz, The Now Now, released 29 June. A surprise release from our animated heroes, this one is more of a return to their previous guest-free albums, and featuring catchier and more radio-friendly tunes. I’m still amused that the character taking place of the currently-in-prison Murdoc is none other than Ace from the Gangrene Gang from The PowerPuff Girls…!

*

Next Up: July releases!

Writing Time

Posted on by
Reply

As I’d mentioned elsewhere, I’ll be quite busy this month working on revision for In My Blue World.  I’ll do my best to continue posting here regularly, though!  The entries might not be as intensive as normal, but never fear, I’ll always provide you with some fun tunage!

For now, I’ve got a bit of revision prep work to do these first few days of the month that’s gonna keep me occupied, so I’ll leave you with a few ELO tracks that inspired my new novel.

I’ll be doing my usual month-in-review post of June’s releases on Thursday and the Twenty/Thirty Years On series next week.  Thanks for waiting!