Ender Bender, aka Eddie Olguin, has Bewildered me on his new EP. Don’t get me wrong; I Have A Good Time listening to it. It has helped me Reconnect with summer, it was a bit late arriving, but I feel we are entering a New Era. I put this new EP on the virtual turntable and let the music Talk to Me.
Summer is upon us, which means driving around the local countryside and visiting some folks we have not seen since pre-Covid. We have had our second shot, and we still practice personal protection guidelines.
While we are out cruising, we like listening to some tunes, and this EP from Ender Bender, New Era, is just the prescription for some summer fun. With the temperatures hovering just below 30c, I think I’ll leave the top up and the A/C on, but we can still listen to this summer fun EP.
As Ender Bender, Eddie Olguin has served us a fun flashback to the synth-laden days of New Wave summers and jumping for retro joy. I heard a bit of this band over here—a bit of that band over there. And plenty of original fresh sounding music all over the place.
Eddie Olguin, in his own words: “Most of the music I have been listening to has a fun-retro 80s vibe, which served as the perfect distraction from the reality we were dealing with. This inspired me to create an EP that would also serve as an escape for others while positively touching upon the things we were forced to face, like the importance of friends and family and of truly leaving behind the petty bullshit that takes over our daily existence – we simply need to enjoy the beauty of life,”
Enjoy the beauty of life indeed, and while doing that, enjoy the beauty of this EP.
Bewildered 3:48
Have a Good Time 4:10
Reconnect 2:32
New Era 3:59
Talk to Me 4:15
That adds up to 18 minutes and 44 seconds of fun in the sun. Put it in a playlist and listen to it again. Make a mixtape for the road and listen to a New Era, a New Era for Ender Bender and five new tunes for you to kick up your summer fun.
I don’t usually promote singles, lonely songs, not lonely people.
However, I will make an exception to that self-proclaimed rule today. I present ThatChitty Bang Majik and Escalator for your listening pleasure, two singles that kick-started my morning.
ThatChitty Bang Majik is a new single by a band that left an indelible impression on me back in May of this year when I posted my thoughts about their single and video Bluebird, Hollywood… Domino. That band is The Gorstey Lea Street Choir.
I still enjoy listening to them, and this new release only adds to my desire to own slabs of vinyl by them.
I am at a loss for words that describe what my ears are hearing when I listen to this song, so I will let The Gorstey Lea Street Choir, which is Michael Clapham and Russ Phillips, speak for themselves.
“The song came about last January after a Christmas repeat that we had both watched of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ Michael Clapham tells us.
‘We love the film and the soundtrack, and we started discussing ‘the flying car” and before you know it ‘…That Chitty Bang Magic‘ was born,” says Russ Phillips.
“This song represents the poppier side of our indie credentials whilst still retaining our core vibe, 12 string guitars chime alongside brass punctuations and Moog synths, with the two vocal Gorstey chant upfront, telling the story of the track. We are really looking forward to folks hearing the rest of the LP in early July when it arrives, the four new tracks and the four re-imaginations of ‘Extended Play One’ tracks by Choque from Black Star Liner,” says Michael Clapham.
I concur with really looking forward to hearing the rest of the LP in July when it is released.
As of June 22, ‘That Chitty Bang Majik‘ will be available everywhere digitally, including Apple Musicand Spotify. Additionally, the ‘…from Prince’s Park to Farsley – Volume I’ LP will see its release on July 9.
This music should garner The Gorstey Lea Street Choir extended air time no matter the format or delivery platform. Just listen to it is all I am saying. It is that good. I will put it on repeat, sip my beverage of choice and sit back to enjoy every nuance of The Gorstey Lea Street Choir.
Wow, I got carried away with that review. I need to get some words in this blog for the second single of the day. Phoenix-based dream-electronic artist FLDPLN presents his new single Escalator previewing his full-length album by the same name. Scheduled for release on July 30, it will be digitally available and on colour vinyl via the label Sillas Famosas.
FLDPLN (“field-plan”) is the new solo project of Andrew Saks, former frontman of Southern California shoegaze band Sway. As FLDPLN, he creates a primarily electronic project with songs that feature synthesizers, vocals and layered saxophones reminiscent of 80s pop.
“Escalator is really the result of my years of dabbling in electronic music production combined with my desire to reconnect with my roots, having been a saxophone player for most of my life,” says Andrew Saks.
“For this album, I wanted to write songs that are true to the way I hear things in my head, dreamy, blurry, beautiful without compromise and incorporate the horn as a textural instrument as well as another melodic voice.”
At times, Andrew Saks horn playing features soaring leads that lift the dreamlike and serene to near-anthemic heights while, in other instances, they convey an emotional, whisper-like voice. While certainly nowhere near new to experimental music, the tone and texture of the saxophone in this context effectively lends itself to ethereal lullabies and reflective daydreams.
While textures and sound are an integral component of the music, Andrew Saks does not shy away from hook-laden songwriting. This music is highly influenced by Andrew Saks childhood memories of going to bed with Walkman headphones on and later waking up in the darkness, in a partial dream-state with the pop songs of the 1980’s – Pet Shop Boys, New Order, Bruce Springsteen, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, Debbie Gibson, Human League still whispering in his ears.
The ‘Escalator’ single is now available everywhere across online stores like Apple Music and streaming platforms like Spotify. The entire ‘Escalator’ LP will release on July 30 and can already be pre-ordered digitally and on colour vinyl via Bandcamp.
Summertime and the living is easy. I have been spending a good chunk of my day on the deck listening to music. I also watch clouds drift past on their way to who knows where.
I recently listened to ‘Transit Tapes’ (for women who move furniture around) by Lucy Kruger & The Lost Boys.
I found it challenging to write this blog; I couldn’t stop listening long enough to write. So I am sitting at my desk as I write this, and my whole body is in revolt. My head is bobbing in sync with the music. My foot keeps time like a metronome. My fingers want to make chord shapes on the guitar instead of word shapes on the computer.
As with most other humans, one of the first things I do when I hear new music is to try and find a reference in my memory bank to something I have heard before. I play the who does this sound like game.
Nick Cave? Highly probable, Lucy Kruger cites Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds as an influence, so that makes sense.
Jennifer Warnes? Only a little bit.
Neko Case? More than Jennifer Warnes but not definitive.
Margo Timmins? Yeah, I can hear a good bit of cross-over with The Cowboy Junkies. Check out, Sweet Jane or Misguided Angel. Are they dopplgangers? No, but they are similar.
At the end of the day, Lucy Kruger & The Lost Boys sound like Lucy Kruger & The Lost Boys. Go figure, eh!
Lucy Kruger has an ethereal voice that fits like a dovetail joint with The Lost Boys. This project is the first time Kruger has worked with drummer Martin Perret, guitarist Liú Mottes and bassist Andreas Miranda, who form The Lost Boys. The depth that The Lost Boys add is apparent in the dramatic soundscape heard in A Paper Boat or the slow rumbling climb on A Stranger’s Chest.
I would encourage you, the reader and listener, to search out what you can on the internet about Lucy Kruger & The Lost Boys. Here are a few good starting points.
While reading what you can find about the journey that took Lucy Kruger to this point in time, I would encourage listening to her music. I would even promote listening to her back catalogue to listen to that journey and how it contributed to ‘Transit Tapes’ (for women who move furniture around).
This album scores an insanely high 9.5 out of ten which is rarefied air.
Buy it, listen to it. Listen to it in transit on your summer vacation. Listen to it while moving furniture around. Listen to it once, and I will boldly bet that you will want to listen to it again and again. I know I did.
While reading what you can about Lucy Kruger, I would encourage listening to her back catalogue and how that contributed to ‘Transit Tapes’ (for women who move furniture around).
‘Transit Tapes’ (for women who move furniture around) will be released by Unique Records on June 4th, 2021 wherever fine music is available.
Sometimes I struggle to find words for a blog about music. The reasons are as varied as the music. Perhaps the music is uninspiring, that happens, and there isn’t a lot I can do about it. Occasionally the music will grow on me but not always. There are recordings at the other end of the spectrum that I can’t stop listening to long enough to write anything.
Jesse Markin did that to me over the last four days. I listened to his newest release, Noir, several times. And then I went headfirst into his previous release, Folk, and swam through that for a day. Noir went back through my ears and wormed its way into my brain. I do not know how this will turn out but here goes my attempt at a brief review of Jesse Markin‘s album Noir
Several tunes deserve mention on their own. The fourth track, Sidney Poitier, jumps out of the speakers with a heavy riff reminiscent of Muse on their song Uprising. Then it rapidly becomes evident that this tune is carving its groove and not resting on anyone else or their interpretations. The catchphrase of Sidney Poitier is ‘I feel like yo papa don’t like me,’ catchy as shit, but it rang hollow for me because my papa-in-law and I were best friends. Still a catchy line in a great tune.
After Sidney Poitier, some more high-energy tunes lead us to a favourite of mine, Counting Money On A Sunday. I was an usher in a church in a previous life, and I counted money on a Sunday many, many times. I feel this song wouldn’t go down well with that particular congregation, but I dig it in my present life.
On June 4, Jesse will be releasing the single Hemostasis, featuring Terrell Hines as a vocalist. That powerhouse is followed by Exodus, another single that sores with the guest vocalist Akua Naru. This tune grooves with shadows of African rhythm mixing with electronica and the overlapping vocals of Akua Naru and Jesse Markin. I have a message for Jesse, bottom line; this is your time…to shine.
Mothers! Where would we be without them! I feel that Jesse is searching for his identity in this song.
Your favourite colours are white and blue
Mine are red, black and green
White and blue are the colours of the Finnish national flag. Finland is where Jesse grew up and now resides. He lived in the small town of Viljakkala which was small and all white, and it is through that lens that Jesse is peering hoping to find some identity that clings to him.
Red, black and green is the flag of Liberia, the birthplace of Jesse Markin, and the Pan-African flag.
A small history lesson follows to show how that is relevant.
The Declaration of Rights of the Negro Peoples of the World was drafted and adopted at the Universal Negro Improvement Association Convention held in New York City‘s Madison Square Garden on August 13, 1920. Marcus Garvey presided over the occasion as Chairman. It was at this event where he was duly elected Provisional President of Africa. He is
Among the articles is Declaration 39, which states as follows:
“That the colours, Red, Black and Green, be the colours of the Negro race.”
It is from that statement the Red, Black and Green flag came into existence.
From that statement, Jesse Markin’s favourite colours, as listed in the song Mother!, are essential, at least in my mind and thus in this blog.
The album Noir closes with the powerful pairing of the songs It Was August and Pushing Daisies.
There are nuggets scattered throughout this recording. In the last song, Pushing Daisies, there is an excellent example of this in the line Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone. This line is from the song Ain’t No Sunshine, a massive hit for Bill Withers way back in 1971. I prefer the cover done by the hillbilly goth band Woven Hand. It is dark, which is what I read in the lyrics.
Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone
Only darkness every day
Back to the present day, there is sunshine because Jesse Markin
said that the bravest thing I ever did
Was to continue living life
I am glad Jesse continues to live life and to make music. It is worth a try. Thank you, Jesse Markin.
Brazilian progressive rock / metal trio Pentral reveal their new single ‘No Real Colour In Souls’, one of the grooviest songs found on their debut long-player ‘What Lies Ahead of Us’, a 10-track LP with legendary producer Tim Palmer (Robert Plant, Ozzy Osbourne, David Bowie’s Tin Machine, The Mission, HIM, U2, Pearl Jam) co-producing with Pentral, Sergio Fouad and Cesar Bottinha. Palmer also mixed the LP, which was mastered by Justin Shturtz (HIM, The Psychedelic Furs, Nancy Wilson, Slipnot, Tin Machine).
Hailing from Belém in northern Brazil, Pentral is made up of Victor Lima(vocals, guitars, songwriter, lyrics), Vagner Lima (drummer) and Joe Ferri (bass guitar), this album shares the tragic reality of many Amazon dwellers, whose habitat, lifestyle and livelihood are brutally taken from them, not to mention the destruction of the forest itself. Through their videos and lyrics, Pentral tells the story about this violence and pilfering of the Amazon’s natural habitat.
“A rhythmic lengthy track, Vagner is brilliant on the drums and Joe on the bass guitar. This was one of the hardest tracks to sing during the recording sessions. Lot of feelings involved, and I believe I could express all this vibe to the interpretation of the song,” says Victor Lima.
Earlier, Pentral released high-energy singles ‘Aiming For The Sun’, ‘All My Wounds’and ‘Silent Trees’– the sonic launching pad into a concept album reflecting on today’s society, presenting the saga of a lowly couple fighting for their lives and sanity. The accompanying video sequence was filmed in their native Amazon – a dedicated saga unfolds, track by track. Directed and edited by Roger Elarrat and produced by Luana Klautau, this also involves Lucas Escócio as director of photography, this video features actors Anne Costa, Guto Galvão, Eduarda Cursino, Boris Knez and Aldo Lima.
The lyrics speak about loss. The kid and her mother are wandering around the forest as they know they have to get out and try to go on with their lives somewhere away from that place. Racism is clearly portrayed on the song as well. This is an odious plague that still chases up the human beings and that have to be confronted. It’s a quite introspective song! It resonates with the name of the band – Pentral, which means Soul. At the end of the day, this is what we really are – a Soul, before, during, and after our material existence.
Their unique take on alternative rock can be described as progressive, heavy, groovy and melodic, while the band also deliver a strong political message about what is going on in Brazil and all over the world.
Pentral stands for ‘spirit’ in Latin, indicative of the message this band is trying to inspire via their sound – the need to transcend this material world through the power of music, without losing connection with reality and human frailties.
Deeply influenced by their Amazon roots, Pentral’s music is influenced by many global influences while also striving to honor Brazil’s groove and unique harmonies, progressive rock, metal music, atmosphere and melody. This debut album sums up years of experimentation and the search for human awareness of the environment, peace and equality.
“The album ‘What Lies Ahead of Us’ is like a “declaration” and it was conceived way before COVID-19 came out…But it kind of fits the current reality we´re going through. This pandemic is the outcome of the unfriendly way we’ve been treating our environment and ourselves as well, and it served to expose our insensitivity, our lack of empathy,”says Pentral frontman Victor Lima.
“It’s a story about a man and a woman who lives in the woods. The forest is invaded by a group of mercenaries (pretty common in Brazil) in order to burn the woods down and make money with that, the man is killed, the woman manages to survive and she is pregnant, then she gives birth to a girl, and They try to survive in the city, experiencing racism, violence, hunger, selfishness, indifference. The only thing they have – they love each other. So, the elements of the story – environment being destroyed, people suffering discrimination by the color of their skin, by the place where they came from, being selfish and violent for the sake of their own interests and prejudices, politics and religion abuse and extremism and the only way I believe things could be solved – the power of love. The album is like a journey of the three characters (a woman, a man, and their kid) passing through all the issues I’m talking about in the lyrics for these ten songs.”
CREDITS All songs written by Victor Lima Produced by Pentral and Tim Palmer Co-produced and engineered by Sergio Fouad and Cesar Botinha Justin Shturtz – mastering Tim Palmer – mixing, additional guitars, percussion and keyboards Victor Lima – vocals and guitars Vagner Lima – drums Joe Ferri – bass guitar Cover artwork by Heidi Teillefer
I have found over time that some music grows better with time. Some music starts mediocre and doesn’t rise much above that, or below for that matter. And there is some music like the new offering from Pennies by the Pound, Heat Death of the Universe‘, that keeps sounding unique and exciting each time I listen to it.
Hailing from Helsinki, Pennies by the Pound was formed in 2016 by Johannes Susitaival as a solo project, but it quickly became a three-piece involving musicians from his past bands.
Vesa Ranta – lead guitar, rhythm guitar Tomi Laaksonen – bass guitar Rauli Eskolin – additional keyboards, background vocals on track 6 Alexander Meaney – additional lead guitar on track 5 Kaisa Ranta – additional vocals on tracks 3 and 7, background vocals on track 6.
Musically this is very much a prog-rock album, but it is more than that. It is also a rock album, just rock. It also gets filed under indie rock. It has grinding guitar riffs, soaring synth passages and heavy, heavenly choruses. It touches on punk and post-punk as well. My goodness, this album is a treasure trove full of gold. Johannes Susitaival; “This album is rooted in the fact that I became heavily interested in ’80s Marillion a few years ago, especially the ‘Clutching at Straws‘ LP. You can definitely hear the influence on the record, but there’s a lot of ’80s Rush too, spiced up with contemporary influences like Muse and Radiohead. I love prog and being a good Canuck I will admit that I really like Rush, all the years. Lyrically, well, I’ll step aside and let Johannes Susitaival you. “Lyrically, there is a loose theme on the album about the way people continue to actually socially distance themselves from others (even without or before the pandemic) due to the influence of social media and maybe the internet in general. The album title is a nod to that, the “heat death of the universe” being the lack of and eventual end of real-life social connections between people,” says Johannes Susitaival.
“As an artist, I’ve always been hesitant to make records that sound the same as the previous ones I’ve done, so the sound keeps evolving,” says Johannes Susitaival. “I wanted to make a record that is borderline ridiculous, in some ways, and definitely not very contemporary. Then again, for the first time in my life, I had a chance to work with a producer, whose work I have admired since the turn of the millennium and this definitely influenced the album and its sound”. The ‘Heat Death of the Universe‘ album is out as of May 21. It can be obtained directly from the band via Bandcamp and the standard platforms like Apple Music and Spotify.
I’m listening to the EP Brave Warrior from a band named Keeley. The first track, The Glitter and the Glue, comes charging at me at full gallop. It hearkens back to the vocals and volume of The Runaways with a bit of tweaking at the soundboard to bring it into the 21st century. Good stuff; I loved The Glitter and the Glue. The whole song works as a pop/punk anthem with blasting guitars and a good fast pace.
The whole EP isn’t on the same page as The Glitter and the Glue. The next song is Last Words; it changes gears into a more new wave/post-punk song. It may not have the same energy as The Glitter and the Glue, but it stands on its own merit. The third track of this four-track EP is Never Here Always There, and it presents us, the listeners, with a whole new tableau, a more sombre sound but not melancholy. The EP closes with You Never Made It That Far, pulsing and building to close a chapter in the story. Overall I enjoyed the dozen times that I played this EP, as good a concept EP as any other I have heard. I look forward to a long player with more of the story.
Hailing from Dublin and fronted by vocalist and guitarist Keeley, the band includes Marty Canavan on keyboards, Martin Fagan on bass and Pete Duff on drums.
London label Dimple Discs has announced the signing of Irish psychedelic dream pop outfit Keeley to its roster, not long after releasing the critically acclaimed new album from Cathal Coughlan (The Fatima Mansions, Microdisney).The label will release her debut‘Brave Warrior’ EP digitally on June 18, with a physical release planned for autumn with a long-player scheduled for 2022.
Keeley pursues an unusual conceptual thread, conceived several years ago, focusing on German tourist Inga Maria Hauser, whose murder in Northern Ireland in 1988 remains unsolved.
For the past five years, the band’s frontwoman and songwriter Keeley has been publishing a blog with a devoted global following – ‘The Keeley Chronicles.’ She is documenting the many facets of this unique, harrowing and mysterious case, correcting the falsely published details of Inga’s life and piecing together what happened in the final days of her trip. By working in close quarters with Northern Irish police, senior politicians and Inga’s legal representatives in Northern Ireland in concerted efforts to advance and resolve this notorious case, she is keeping the memory of this beautiful and mysterious soul alive.
“Inga is the subject of everything I write. From the moment I first read about her exactly five years ago now, her cause became a burning obsession for me. Since that day, I haven’t written a song about anyone or anything else… I consider myself a concept artist, and my purpose is to give Inga a voice,” says Keeley.
Dimple Discs is a new Peckham label with deep Irish music connections, founded in 2018 by Damian O’Neill of The Undertones and Brian O’Neill, initially as a vehicle for Damian’s solo projects. It has grown to encompass such artists as The Undertones, Cathal Coughlan, Kev Hopper, Eileen Gogan and Nick Haeffner with forthcoming archive material from Microdisney and Fatima Mansions.
“We are thrilled to have Keeley joining us as she is an exciting new talent – we were hooked from the opening bars of ‘The Glitter And The Glue.’ Welcome to the family, Keeley!” says Brian O’Neill.
Already recording new works at Darklands Audio in Dublin, where Fontaines D.C. recorded their first album, Keeley looks forward to releasing this ‘Brave Warrior’ EP on June 18. It can be pre-ordered via Bandcamp with ‘Glitter and The Glue’ being offered for immediate download with any order.
Indie pop-rock outfit Bilbosavpresent their vibrant single ‘Neon’, which is the first taste of their ‘Ayla’ EP, a four-track offering slated for release in mid-June via Italy’s powerhouse indie label Seahorse Recordings. Irish singer-songwriter Lori Skycontributes vocals, as well as lyrics, in this offering with its full and mesmerizing, rhythmic darkness.
Hailing from Genoa in northern Italy, Bilbosa are David Carroll (guitar), Stefano Pulcini (guitar and synth), Daniele Ferrari (bass and synth) and Gabriele Gennaro(drums). Formed in 2016 from the ashes of their former band Chaos Del Signor Gaza, the remaining four musicians spent much energy collaborating, jamming and trying to understand what musical route to take. Finally, they desperated decided to lock themselves in a recording studio in 2018, resulting in the recording of their first official album, ‘Diamond Dust’, which they released in December 2020.
Formerly writing under the name Lorraine McCauley, Scottish-based Donegal-raised Lori Skyoffers a powerful new voice and perspective on the arts scene, making music for the soul and senses. Performing at Irish Feis since the age of four, she formed her first band while living in Japan. Following her 2010 debut solo EP ‘Haunt Me’, she formed Lorraine McCauley & The Borderlands and debuted with album `Light in the Darkest Corners’ in 2012, tipped as the next Scottish contemporary folk breakthrough. After returning to university for her master’s degree, in 2014, she began an artist residency in songwriting and singing with La Banda di Piazza Caricamentoin Genoa, where she met and collaborated with Bilbosa’s David Carroll, sowing the seeds for this new single.
“I saw the ‘Neon’ music as a bright light, like the love that a close relationship brings into your life. So I ended up writing this song to celebrate my Mum, who I had just lost. The music helped me to express what I was learning about grief, that when you allow yourself to feel the pain of loss you are more able to appreciate and understand the love,” says Lori Sky.
“Covid forced us to become more creative in how we collaborate with others. As a band, we wrote the music and then sent it to Lori Sky, an Irish singer-songwriter. Lori listened to the track and wrote lyrics to the song, which are very personal to her and yet, there are very universal themes here about love, loss and grief,” says David Carroll.
“We all shine our own light and reflect that light to others that care for us and are near us. There is a very close connection with the bright light and those close relationships that we have. Even when we lose those we love, they will always be with us in spirit and that light will never leave us and still affects us. There are other cases though where, to feel alive and connected to the world, he has to emulate that bright light with ‘manmade’ Neon light. Emulating that bright light that surrounds other people is no easy task, so tapping in our personal Neon light could give us the boost that we need to finally find that shiny bright light again, that we were all born with. In the world we live in, even our smallest action or deed could make somebody else’s day and give a little boost to that light that they own”.
As of June 3, ‘Neon’ will be available across online stores and streaming platforms, including Spotifyand Apple Music. The full ‘Ayla’ EP will be released on June 18.
CREDITS Written by Bilbosa and Lorraine McCauley (Lori Sky) Lyrics and vocals by Lorraine McCauley (Lori Sky) Music performed by Bilbosa Produced, recorded and mixed by Tristan Martinelli Mastered by Mattia Cominotto at Greenfog Studio (Genoa, Italy) Cover artwork by Stefano Pulcini with Jellyfish sculpture by Gabriele Gennaro
Harlem, New York, May 14 2021, Buddhabug Records & Studio. Luqman Brown released the Sacred Places L.P., Available on vinyl from Buddhabug and digitally from Apple Music and Spotify. Links are at the end of my rant.
The rant: this is a seriously good album. All the more impressive when we know the road Luqman Brown went down to record this. He intended to release this album in 2017, but he suffered a stroke and relearned walking and talking. I’m not sure if he had to learn to chew gum at the same time. 🙂 As if that isn’t enough, he had heart surgery in 2019.
“Being able to properly put this record out into the world means that I didn’t give up in the face of death. This album was supposed to be released in 2017, but I had a stroke as a result of severe complications with my heart. In 2019, I underwent heart surgery to place an LVAD in my heart to keep it pumping. The result of these health complications left me weak and without the breath to perform,” says Luqman Brown.
“At the time, I thought that myself and this album would never make it out into the world—as proud as I am of it. Nevertheless, I slowly came back, and now the world will get to hear what it’s like living in NYC every day—hard times, staying alive, and taking the time to have a good brunch along the way.”
That is impressive intestinal fortitude. Many would have quit in the face of all that Luqman Brown went through, but to his credit, he didn’t.
The result is an excellent album that defies being put into a genre box. We are treated to some dubstep, some rap, some R&B, some reggae and some straight-up rock and roll on Sacred Places.
After numerous listens, I am still finding little nuggets here and there on each of the 11 tracks. I am going to keep listening because this is a powerful listening experience. I have put Sacred Places on as background while I worked, and I have listened to it intentionally. Both work just fine.
This LP also features Ronny Drayton, Corey Glover, Marc Cary, Roy Radics and Micah Gaugh. They did an admirable job.
ALBUMS CREDITS Performed by Dope Sagittarius Written by Luqman Brown and Brian Gosher Produced by Brian Gosher Recorded in Harlem, New York and North Brunswick, New Jersey, except ‘LaRonda’ Mixing and Mastering by Brian Gosher.
The record also has social commentary that is relevant to current news stories. Darn, I am listening to the album again as I write this, and the bass sax on the song Hate Us just slapped me in the face to get my attention. Some excellent jazz tucked in here and there. Now I am rocking along with Quitting Time and can’t stop head bobbing along to the groove.
This would make a great listen on a slab of vinyl and the big speakers (Image’) in the music room. It also made an impressive listen on Apple Music and my computer speakers, Bose. And if that isn’t enough, I also enjoyed it on my House of Marley earbuds. This is a win, win, win record and well worth you taking the time to listen to it more than once.
Bonus time if you have read this far! The record also comes with a copy of the comic book ‘Dope Sagittarius In the Bumbaclout Strain,’ which was written by Luqman Brown with artwork by Tim Smith III.
Double bonus. The band also present the video for ‘Black Empress’featuring violinist Mazz Swift (Whitney Houston, Valerie June) and Paris-based hip-hop legend/wordsmith/rap pioneer Mike Ladd (“king of the hip-hop concept” – The Guardian). This rocking hip-hop electro soundclash is a song for this Black Lives Matter age. Directed by Morgan Freeman with support from cinematographer Andrew Coury, this video was produced by Carlyle Smith with Executive Producers Luqman Brown and LaRonda Davis. Filmed at YouTube Studios New York City, it stars Angelana Jones and Anthony Bowman, along with M.C. Whistler on Vox/ Guitar, Ernest G. D’Amaso on Bass, Entrified Mcloud on Keys and Ramsey Jones on Drums. I wouldn’t be surprised if these players appeared on the album. Either way, they are great musicians.
An email landed in my mailbox two days back from the fine folks over at Shameless Promotions PR. Inside the email was a link to a music video for the song Bluebird, Hollywood… Domino’ from a band that was all new to me, The Gorstey Lea Street Choir. A pair of names, one for the song and another for that band, that compelled me to know more about them. The band name comes with a story behind it. The song arrives as a story.
First things first, then shall we. Here is a link to the video:
The video is a bit psychedelic in style and not for people with epilepsy but decent enough. However, it is the music that grabbed me.
The song opens with a droning synth note, which introduces a rattling snare drum in waltz tempo, followed by the other instruments and a great bass line.
Michael Clapham, half of the duo who call themselves The Gorstey Lea Street Choir, tells us that “This song is a cautionary tale of days gone by, what may have been and where we are now, we are two men in our’ mid lives’ (average age 51 and a half). We have a lot to look back and learn from and a lot to look forward too!!! It’s amazing what we have created, two middle-aged men fumbling around with some of our favourite musical toys in Russ’s converted garage,”
The other half of The Gorstey Lea Street Choir, Russ Philips adds this about the song.
“We are both very proud of what this track and the upcoming mini-LP represents, plus we also cannot wait for you to hear the re-imaginations that our friend and collaborator Choque (Black Star Liner) has created to go alongside the 4 original tracks,”adds Russ Philips.
The band is essentially two friends on a life-long journey; having met as teenagers in the mid-’80s, it took until 2016 for them to turn their teenage plans — discussed back when both were involved in aspiring Manchester bands — into a reality with the birth of this project.
Michael and Russ formed the band after reuniting for Russ’s birthday party and a subsequent impromptu gig. After 15 plus years of not playing an instrument, singing or songwriting, Michael dove back in with an enthusiasm that led to such a massive response from the crowd and landlord alike that the two songs turning into two hours and a guaranteed booking the next month. ‘What’s your band name, boys?” they were asked and ‘The Gorstey Lea Street Choir’ is quickly retorted with a tip of the hat to Van Morrison‘s LP ‘His Band And The Street Choir.’
As of May 13, ‘Bluebird, Hollywood… Domino’ will be available everywhere digitally, including Apple Musicand Spotify. The entire album’…from Prince’s Park to Farsley – Volume I’ will be released on July 9 and can already be pre-ordered via the label’s Bandcamp.
Closing remark: mark July 9 on your calendar, you are going to love this album when it comes out.
Weathered Music 