Caulbearers

Posted on July 1, 2021 by normanweatheredmusic

The Academy of Sun

Posted on July 1, 2021 by normanweatheredmusic

I love it when some new music comes along, and it gobsmacks me right square in my face. Well, that happened to me this week. The artist in question goes by the moniker The Academy of Sun; quiet a mouthful ain’t it! They are a psychedelic post-punk quartet anchored around Nick Hudson on piano, synths, Hammond organ, harmonium, vocals, percussion, synths. Along with the rock-solid accompaniment of Kianna Blue on bass and synths. Guy Brice treats us to his guitar playing, and Ash Babb keeps it rock steady on percussion. This 7″ release from Heaven’s Lathe follows the sonic holiday of their 2020 album The Quiet Earth, which I highly recommend you to give a listen.

The A-side of this recording, ‘It Is Finished When It’s Destroyed,’ comes at us as a two for the price of one recording. It makes a grand entrance with smooth as silk synths and builds on that into soaring vocals that segues into staccato percussion and harmonious vocals. The second section sees Hudson’s keening vocal riding over the percussion of floor toms and more synths. Mixed by acclaimed US producer Randall Dunn (Sunn O))), Danny Elfman, Earth, Mandy OST), the attention to detail and the tasteful placement of sounds make it all work together for one heck of a good song. The flipside ‘Ghost Foxes‘ opens with the rat-a-tat of drums and rapid-fire singing from Nick Hudson that left me tired just listening to. These two tracks present The Academy of Sun as a band going places.

“The first The Academy Of Sun track I’ve written since finishing writing ‘The Quiet Earth’ in 2018, this is an aquaplaning freight train of psychedelia and snarl – with the second part endlessly modulating over a skittery, syncopated drum pattern and Mariana Trench-plumbing synths. Whether it is lyrically directed at the heinous cabal of xenophobic disaster capitalists currently holed up in UK parliament remains to be seen (it is),” says Nick Hudson.

“‘Ghost Foxes’ was written for ‘The Quiet Earth,’ but never felt “right” until we were asked to create this release. A satire on esotericism, boasting yet another Herzog quote and some mesmerizing guitar tones from our plank-wielder, Guy Brice, ‘Ghost Foxes’ was always riotous to play live, and will be again.”

On Friday, July 2 at 6 PM BST, Heaven’s Lathe will be releasing this on a 7″ lathe-cut vinyl through Heaven’s Lathe on Bandcamp.

This black hand-numbered 7″ high-quality stereo lathe-cut vinyl features an engraved Heavens Lathe logo, a 230gsm sleeve, black inner sleeve and PVC protective sleeve. Ships within a white poly-lined inner paper sleeve and a ‘lathe cut’ care card include digital download. Otherwise, these tracks will be available digitally in mid-August.

CREDITS

Written by Nick Hudson, arranged by The Academy Of Sun:

Nick Hudson, Guy Brice, Kianna Blue, Ash Babb

Vocals & synths recorded by Nick Hudson at The Lament Configuration.

Bass recorded by Kianna Blue at Alfie Towers.

A side guitars/drums recorded by Joseph Thorpe at Brighton Electric.

B side drums recorded by Paul Pascoe at Church Road Studios, Hove.

A side mixed by Randall Dunn at Circular Ruin Studios NYC.

B side mixed by Paul Pascoe at Church Road Studios Hove.

Mastered by Randall Dunn at Circular Ruin Studios NYC.

Artwork & layout by Ash Babb, Cover painting by Nick Hudson.

All lathe cutting and engineering are by Michael Lawrence.

Design by Lauren Winton (Bladud Flies!)

Keep up with The Academy of Sun

Keep up with Shameless Promotion PR

The Hardest Battle

Posted on June 30, 2021 by normanweatheredmusic

I got taken to school today, and I fully deserved it. I had been offered the opportunity to write a blog posting about a new release from a chap named Colin Moulding, yes, the Colin Moulding from XTC. A quick look at the PR and a brief perusal of his latest release prompted my premature conclusion that I didn’t want to do a blog about three songs.

My decision had nothing to do with the quality of Colin Mouldings’ music. It’s just that I don’t particularly enjoy doing blogs for singles, and then after covering three singles from the artist, they release an EP with four songs. Whoopie, I could have just done the EP and saved paper.

I informed Shauna, the talent agent who feeds me new music, that I would like to wait till Colin Moulding released an album. And this is when the reeducation of Norman began to correct his miseducation in regards to XTC. A tip of the proverbial hat to Lauryn Hill, and a huge wave of gratitude to Shauna at Shameless Promotion PR for tuning me in to the fact that this release is in deed a big deal that I really should take another look at. Which I did.

The first baby step that I took was to listen to the back catalogue of XTC. I owned one slab of vinyl by them, Drums and Wires. The only reason I had that album is because I liked one song on the record, Making Plans For Nigel.

I started my education by listening with Apple Essentials, but I quickly moved on from that to a brief visit at White Music, XTC‘s debut album. It was closer to punk than the XTC that I knew from Drums and Wires but a good recording in that vein of music. Next up was English Settlement, a lovely transition album moving the band away from their post-punk/new wave era into a more refined but more complex musical direction. I found English Settlement very interesting, with intelligent lyrics and well-placed music to accompany those songs. I also found that as I sampled a few of their other albums, I continued to gravitate back towards the English Settlement. Perhaps a Freudian slip since I live in an English settlement.

Meanwhile, the exercise of trying to understand where Colin Moulding was coming from jarred a few musical memories loose in my thick skull. Senses Working Overtime, a great song that hasn’t lost any of its power and sensibility. The tune Dear God was almost a mantra in a previous life that I lived. It then became blasphemy and then became a song with a high place in my song hierarchy. Curious about how life is and the music that we attach to moments that we live through. I won’t bore you with more on this train of thought; there are great books about it if you want to learn more about earworms and the science of music memory.

Guitar Zero The New Musician and the Science of Learning by Gary Marcus was a fun and inspiring read.

The World in Six Songs by Daniel Levitin

This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession, also by Daniel Levitin, is an excellent book.

Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks is more academic but very informative.

Fast forward from Skylarking in 1986 to July 2, 2021, when XTC legend Colin Moulding releases ‘The Hardest Battle’ on CD via Burning Shed.

CD Order https://burningshed.com/store/colin-moulding_store/colin-moulding_the-hardest-battle_cd

This release gives us a glimpse into the creative process of one of the UK’s finest songwriters. The Hardest Battle provides us with a bridge from the popular music of XTC to the music that Colin Moulding crafts for us on this EP. ‘The Hardest Battle‘ is the first new material from Colin Moulding in many years.

Colin Moulding tells us: “To be nobody but yourself – in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you like everybody else – means to fight the hardest battle any human being can fight”… I saw these lines in a book I picked up in a secondhand bookshop and thought…maybe there’s a song there …I think it’s by the poet EE Cummins,”

“And there it was. All I had to do was come up with some music to marry to this notion. I do think most people aren’t themselves really or become themselves eventually. And that struggle isn’t easy. I recorded this pretty much in isolation, as most people have been this past year or so. One crazy year for all of us. Perhaps ‘The Hardest Battle‘ we humans have faced externally, as well as the one we fight internally every day.”

“About ‘Say It,’ I just felt this track deserved a better fate than it got, really. I wrote it for the XTC album that never was. But it ended up on a promo disk amongst XTC’s ‘Last Days of Rome’ This version feels much more akin to my original song mindset compared to the expedient I agreed to at the time,” says Colin Moulding.

Regarding ‘The Hardest Battle (First Exploratory Demo),’ Colin Moulding adds, “I think demos are much more of a demonstration to one’s self than for other people. You have to find out what works and what doesn’t. Therefore, you shoot from the hip and just fire it out and see what sticks. Larkin always said that he didn’t know what his poems were about initially until he got some way into them;- that’s what this is;- I’m just ‘Larkin’ around until it presents itself. Then the crossword puzzle can begin.”

After learning my lesson on just how good XTC was as a band and how each member contributed, I also found out that I liked XTC for more than Making Plans For Nigel. Bottom line, a huge thank you to Shauna at Shameless Promotions PR for taking the time to give me a lesson on a band that I had overlooked. I probably passed hundreds of copies of XTC‘s albums through my hands when I worked at Record Collectors Paradise, and I never took the time to stop and listen. I have found that taking the time to listen can be a hard battle as well. I recommend taking the time to stop and listen to Colin Moulding and The Hardest Battle. I know that hitting repeat will not be the hardest battle, and buying the CD is not a hard battle either, so do your ears a favour and take the time to stop and listen to this great music.

Officially out on July 2, ‘The Hardest Battle’ can be ordered on CD single exclusively via Burning Shed at:

https://burningshed.com/store/colin-moulding_store/colin-moulding_the-hardest-battle_cd.

Keep up with Colin Moulding

Store | Wikipedia | YouTube | Facebook group | Press contact

Keep up with Burning Shed

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Keep up with Shameless Promotion PR

In conclusion here is some eye candy.

A New Era

Posted on June 25, 2021 by normanweatheredmusic

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.

‘Bewildered’ https://open.spotify.com/track/1slNPBCKdeXebSTzIhviBO
‘Have a Good Time’ https://youtu.be/s7MSBsJLdZ8
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/track/1bkEpkcIqWIKyg21VFQUgT
Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/iamenderbender/have-a-good-time/s-4KKRsj1Cb1r
Bandcamp / Pre-order https://enderbender.bandcamp.com/album/new-era

If you have any questions, contact Shauna from Shameless Promotion PR at contact@shamelesspromotionpr.com

Singles

Posted on June 22, 2021 by normanweatheredmusic

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 That Chitty Bang Majik and Escalator for your listening pleasure, two singles that kick-started my morning.

That Chitty 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 Music and 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.

Did I mention the video? No? Well, there is one on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zJNX7YE8B0.

We have lots of links for you to click through and enjoy the music of The Gorstey Lea Street Choir.

‘That Chitty Bang Majik’ https://youtu.be/1zJNX7YE8B0

‘Bluebird. Hollywood… Domino’ https://youtu.be/2LDscdfKDPU

Bandcamp https://500broadcast.bandcamp.com/track/that-chitty-bang-majik

Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/thegorsteyleastreetchoir/bluebird-hollywood-domino/s-j3jhmWOLhRV

Single pre-save https://bit.ly/2Rgqguv

Album pre-order https://500broadcast.bandcamp.com/album/from-princes-park-to-farsley-volume-i

Album pre-save https://bit.ly/337xS55

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.

‘Escalator’ https://youtu.be/Lh6iS92kYss

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/3V7pKnC07ZqpGJQsyThsUu

Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/fldpln/escalator/s-2d12zarJxU8

Album teaser https://youtu.be/H47SwiolC8A

Bandcamp https://fldpln.bandcamp.com/album/escalator

Pre-order https://fldpln.bandcamp.com

Lucy Kruger & The Lost Boys

Posted on June 4, 2021 by normanweatheredmusic

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.

https://www.facebook.com/LucyKrugerOfficial

https://www.instagram.com/lucy_kruger/

https://www.youtube.com/user/LucyKrugerOther

https://www.patreon.com/lucykruger

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.

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/1DJMo9lG40b0N51VAgyBp4?si=2HfGiYkITZ-_lYsCfvEWyA
Bandcamp:
https://lucykruger.bandcamp.com/album/sleeping-tapes-for-some-girls
Soundcloud:
https://soundcloud.com/lucykruger/sets/sleeping-tapes-for-some-girls
Social media links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LucyKrugerOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lucy_kruger/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lucy_kruger
Bandcamp: https://lucykruger.bandcamp.com
A link to the videos:
Digging A Hole:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKM6yl7SMmU
Half of A Woman:
https://vimeo.com/338570248
The Ocean at Night:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zm86_2LgjJA
Mary (live):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4BokorKp64&feature=youtu.be

I also highly recommend the video of A Strangers Chest.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngeGnuU2raw&t=33s&ab_channel=LucyKruger

For Press enquiries please contact james@mysticsons.com & jack@mysticsons.com

Noir by Jesse Markin

Posted on June 2, 2021 by normanweatheredmusic

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.

https://www.instagram.com/jesse_markin/

https://www.facebook.com/markinjesse

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3mxJuHRn2ZWD5OofvJtDZY?si=hxacPtb2Rmi86C6R9Qgv0A

For all press enquiries, please contact james@mysticsons.com OR megan@mysticsons.com

Sacred Places

Posted on May 17, 2021 by normanweatheredmusic

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.

FOR SHARING

‘Black Empress’ https://youtu.be/7kebfP5yi80

Bandcamp (single) https://dopesagittarius.bandcamp.com/track/black-empress-3

‘Define Love’ https://youtu.be/9St-uddBmT8

Bandcamp (single) https://dopesagittarius.bandcamp.com/track/define-love-2

Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/dope-sagittarius/define-love

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/6b2Mmfp4TBKl0n6ZDy2BwK

Vinyl pre-order https://www.buddhabugrecords.com/shop/p/beni-shoga-y62bf-sgpj6

Bandcamp (album) https://dopesagittarius.bandcamp.com/album/sacred-places

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.

A Poole for You & Us

Posted on May 13, 2021 by normanweatheredmusic

If you throw enough music at my brain, some of it will stick, some will leave a smear, and some will fall away, never to grace my turntable a second time.

Some of the exceptional music not only sticks but spins into earworms or, best of all outcomes, form a groove of their own in the wrinkly stuff inside my head.

Pink Floyd did that to me in 1973 when they released Dark Side of the Moon with the standout track Us and Them. More recently, in 2001, 16 Horsepower’s album Hoarse established a home in my head. In 2009 The Avett Brothers did it to me with their album I and Love and You.

Fast-forward to May 14, 2021, and the Swedish duo Fredrik Forell and Arvid Hällagård, collaborating as “Pool”, have released ‘You & Us’ via Something Beautiful, their debut album. Having press privilege, I was able to preview this album and post my impression of it back on May 11 of this year. It quickly ploughed a groove through my auditory cortex into my cerebrum, where it established a home.

The remainder of this post contains some text from the review that I did on April 11.

Arvid Hällagård handles the lead vocals with a voice that sends chills up and down my spine. ‘You & Us‘ see Fredrik Forell and Arvid Hällagård telling it all in a strikingly raw and unadulterated rumination of loss and sorrow. Going through a divorce as the album was taking shape, Arvid’s heartache beautifully translates into something we can all witness and understand. The record follows the painful journey of putting a relationship to rest, recognising its shortcomings and beginning to move on from start to finish. His vocal style has an almost haunted quality which serves him well on tracks such as the opener “Grave“. About the album’s title track, You & Us, Arvid says, “These are some thoughts about how she and I felt during the relationship, how you have to handle yourself, and at the same time an ‘Us’. Mostly it’s about how hard a relationship can be, having a first kid. You expect it to be in a certain way, and the disappointment when those expectations turn out to be unreal.”

Multi-instrumentalist Fredrik Forell adds the music that verges on Americana folk but opens up new sounds that left me wondering what the hell that was.

I love it! If iTunes had grooves, I would have worn out this album by now. The lyrics and music combine to create a portrait of pain. “You and Us” walks us through the journey of love, love lost, love that never was and love that needs room to grow.

A killer track on “You and Us” that caught my ear was “By The Old Noon“. It was an instant earworm for me. Take what sounds like a banjo and then add some samples, mix them all with the remorseful lyrics, and you get a song that keeps hitting the repeat button and keeps me wondering, “What the Hell was that?”.

I could go on and on waxing poetically about this EP and the sheer brilliance of this album, but I will leave it for You & Us, I and Love and You and Us and Them to enjoy for yourselves.

Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

D I S C O V E R

https://www.facebook.com/poolstheband

https://www.instagram.com/poolstheband/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4bcbIKU2rCjMoNim9Icn6t

For press enquiries, contact james@mysticsons.com or dan@mysticsons.com

Supernaive Versions

Posted on May 12, 2021 by normanweatheredmusic

After burning cars, driving a Toyota 2000GT (https://bit.ly/3u6Ubnk), partying in Tokyo (https://bit.ly/3xzQmZW), and being on a TV show (https://bit.ly/3e77QVG) for their debut album “Nekomata” (2020), Supernaive decided to turn their most famous tracks into club versions.

« The idea came to us last year during confinement in Paris, not being able to listen to or play music in concert. The composition of “Versions” became for us a way to escape, to dream of more festive days, while waiting to be able to go back on stage. »

This album is also an introduction to their live show, which we hope you will be able to discover soon!

Supernaive consists of two brothers – bound by blood and sound – blending electronic and acoustic music in an inventive and delicate way. Masks, symbols of eternal youth in Japanese Noh theater cover their faces, allowing the music to give life to their poetic doubles.

To celebrate the first birthday of their album “Nekomata” (2020), Supernaive presents “Versions”, containing 8 alternative versions of their most famous songs as well as 2 bonus tracks. With this new record, they offer bangers after bangers, from breakbeat to acid, in their own colorful way. Despite this explosive mixture, they keep their original sensitivity, and create a perfectly balanced composition, making their vintage synthesizers sing dreamlike melodies and spit relentless rhythms. As usual, François Baurin at mixing (Rone) and Alexis Bardinet at mastering (The Blaze), came to bring the last touch to this electronic piece.
You will (re)discover these 10 tracks in their live show, magnified by a tailor-made scenography and cinematographic projections, immersing yourself in their unique universe.
“We took great pleasure in radically transforming our tracks by imagining the crowd on the dance-floor. It was a way for us to escape in these times of confinement. We can’t wait to play them to you in concert!” » Supernaive.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE & SOCIALS

https://ffm.bio/supernaive

For all inquiries including press and licensing, please contact us : hello@himitsu.audio

Weathered Music

The musical explorations of Norman and Joel Weatherly.

Category Archives: Norman