I have a good problem. So, here’s the deal. Occasionally I get an album in the mail asking if I would be interested in doing a review. I’m not too fond of negative reviews, so I delete and move on to the next one if there is a stinker. I don’t get many of those, so that is not a problem or the problem. Most of the albums that I get are good, and I enjoy listening to them and then writing my thoughts about what I heard. No problemo, I can do that easy peasy. The sound problem is the artists and bands that soar above and beyond the hoi polloi.

I have one of those albums staring me down and challenging me to write even one iota about it. The album is from a band that I wrote about back in January of this year, Telefís. I did a short review of their EP “Falun Gong Dancer,” which I gave a glowing review. That was close to being a problem, it was knocking at the door of that rarified atmosphere. Then Telefís cranked their music up to 11 with their new full-length album, ‘a hAon‘, Wimple Discs will release it on March 4, 2022. I am typing this on March 2. I got the album in the mail on February 24. I have had a hAon languishing in my inbox for a week, while I wrestled with the problem of what to say about an album that leaves me speechless.

Tactic number one, when I am stunned beyond words, deflect. Here are some interesting facts about the musicians involved, cut and pasted from the press release.

Telefís (the Irish Gaelic word for Television, pronounced Tele-feesh) is a collaboration between two acclaimed ex-pat Irish iconoclasts, in-demand composer/mixer/producer Garret “Jacknife” Lee (U2, R.E.M., Modest Mouse, The Killers, Snow Patrol, Crystal Castles, Editors) and singer-lyricist-composer Cathal Coughlan (Microdisney, Fatima Mansions and many acclaimed solo works). Having known each other vaguely in Ireland’s early 80s post-punk scene, Jacknife, currently based in L.A. and Cathal, a native of Cork, lives in London. A timely re-introduction by a mutual friend led to the two spending 2020 trading ideas and musical files during the lockdown, hatching plans for a satirical, mischievous examination of Irish history and the pop culture of their lifetimes, which the two have labelled ..” a corrosive nostalgia.”

Tactic number two is to add a quote from the artist/s.

“Collaborating in this way, with a dynamic and consummate artist, who has access to a wide range of skills which I don’t have, but with whom I share many common interests and cultural/historical reference points, has been one of the highlights of my creative life. It’s made me so glad that I’ve been able to remain active for long enough to see something like this happen. Easily as spontaneous and full of surprises as any in-person collaboration, it’s shaken loose many weird and hopefully wonderful things in my verbal workshop. And nobody has heard me use my voice in some of these ways before now, either,” says Cathal Coughlan.

Jacknife Lee adds: “I’d just finished mangling a Luke Haines and Peter Buck record. Luke knows Cathal and re-introduced us. On the first or second correspondence, we thought we should make some music together. Music is probably the only way I can properly communicate with someone. I sent Cathal the backing track that would become “We Need,” and he sent me back the vocal, and we went back and forth from there. Lockdowns and travel restrictions forced us to work remotely, and I think helped us get to where we got so quickly. Cathal is, without doubt, one of the finest lyricists of our time and writes like no one else. Some of the vocals he sent over made me burst out laughing with giddiness and delight at the novelty of them. Mischievous, dark, arcane, crispy fresh, and always unexpected. Every song with a backstory that could be a novel. This is easily the most enjoyable and rewarding music that I’ve been involved with.”

Cathal Coughlan comments on ‘Ballytransnational’: “A gaunt wooden rollercoaster overlooks the flatlands leading to a land border which, for many years until now, used to count for nothing. It used to be the topic of rueful recollections from decades past, but the received wisdom was that the bad old days were over, and seamless moving of fluid identities and capital now ruled the day. Public health concerns and political ferment have now given way to protectionism of many kinds. As the generation who understood the damage caused by that border passes away, the border’s time has come again. And it says: you’re never going back.’

Tactic number three, fade out.

Part celebration, part satire, Telefís is an exploration of nostalgia as experienced in the present day by natives of what was formerly a culturally sealed-off small country on the very fringes of Europe. It also points a critical finger at today’s global hierarchies, inspiring the strange characters and caricatures that spring from Coughlan’s fertile imagination. Stark forms of imagery, bizarre to the modern eye and ear but treated as routine in the pre-globalization world, are pushed at the listener and viewer. On the musical side, Jacknife Lee uses his extensive sonic palette to create an irresistible mix of cinematic instrumentals and electro-funk backdrops full of melodic, squelchy synths and booming bass lines, often with a cheeky nod to electro-pop history.

Tactic number four. On March 4, the ‘a hAon’ album will be available on CD and Vinyl, both with a two-sided lyric sheet insert and across digital platforms. Physical orders are available at https://ffm.to/telefisahaon, and the digital album can be pre-ordered at https://orcd.co/telefisahaon. Purchases from the U.S. will be available at http://ffm.to/telefisusa.

‘Ballytransnational’ https://telefis.bandcamp.com/track/ballytransnational

‘a hAon’ LP order (CD and Vinyl) https://ffm.to/telefisahaon 

‘a hAon’ LP order (download) https://orcd.co/telefisahaon 

U.S. album order http://ffm.to/telefisusa 

Bandcamp https://telefis.bandcamp.com/album/a-haon

TELEFÍS SINGLES

‘We Need’ https://youtu.be/0WY3tuOZsGc

‘Mister Imperator’ https://youtu.be/DvJlGwXV6IE

‘Falun Gong Dancer’ https://youtu.be/lC9DfC2kHas

‘Falun Gong Dancer’ with Jah Wobble https://youtu.be/0vM0EKu9yYQ

Telefís – YouTube video playlist https://bit.ly/3qYBpOA

Keep up with Telefís

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Tactic number five is not a tactic, just my take on this remarkable album, a hAon. I like it. I like it a lot. I am particularly fond of the video for the song “We Need.” a hAon is a solid 9.5/10. Time will tell if it evolves into the rare 10/10 category. It is certainly on a trajectory to there.

British indie pop artist 22 Oceans presents their new single ‘Home’, a beautiful slice of Americana-tinged minimalist electronica previewing their new 5-track ‘Home’ EP, released via 72rpm Records and mastered by renowned producer Marc Joy (Primal Scream, Mike Peters, Oasis, Bernard Butler, Golden Fable, Louise Trehy) at Ferndale Studios in Wales.

Since emerging on the indie music scene in 2020, 22 Oceans has been presenting a steady string of new music. While influenced by 80’s influenced synthpop, their new single brings this artist into new territory while retaining their trademark ethereal vocals.

Based in Merseyside, this project is the brainchild of Mike Guy.While originally a solo project, 22 Oceans has blossomed into a fruitful trio, graced by the vocal and songwriting talents of twin sisters Carys and Keeley Hughes, whose stellar tandem of vocal harmonies complement a backdrop of lush, layered sounds.

‘Home’ follows up the singles ‘Drifting’ and ‘Broken’ feat. Jo Madden, both of which were released in 2021. The early 2020  ‘Butterfly Candy’ EP saw Mike Guy collaborate with Wales-based dreampop artist Lights That Change, while the subsequent‘Paradise’ EP featured Liverpool vocalist Rachael Dunn and also involved Orchestral Manoeuvres In the Dark (OMD) co-founder and drummer Malcolm Holmes.

“The song ‘Home’ was inspired by ideas about returning to the comfort of your home, which doesn’t necessarily have to be a place, but rather the people who have made a large impact on your life,” says Mike Guy.

“The song is rooted in the feeling of happiness you feel when thinking about the memories you’ve made with people you enjoy spending time with. It is a reflection of how we are always connected to those we love, no matter how much time may have passed.”

As of February 22, ‘Home’ will be available across online stores and streaming platforms, including Apple MusicandSpotify. ‘Home’ will be offered as part of a full 5-track EP 

‘Home’ https://youtu.be/hZhSNCUDKj0
Bandcamp  https://22oceans.bandcamp.com/track/home
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/2WGHAy5OpNTFrj0kmQ5BJf
Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/22oceans/home
‘Drifting’ https://youtu.be/ZCCqsABNOxsexclusively via Bandcamp.

Keep up with 22 Oceans
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Beauty is timeless.

‘Never Betray Us’ https://youtu.be/Ll7nO0cXI_A
‘Fast-Forward Girl’ https://youtu.be/kJX7Uujc9E4

This is VONAMOR, and they make music. Allow me to introduce you.

On vocals, bass and metal flute we have Giulia Bottaro

Her sister Francesca Bottaro makes music on the drum station, sequencer, saxophone, clarinet, and synth.

Luca Guidobaldi does vocals, and he does them very well.

Francesco Bassoli is heard on the LP playing guitars and loops.

For live performances, Martino Cappelli can be heard on guitars, mandolin, bouzouki, oud, and more loops.

“VONAMOR is an escape plan, our treasure island, a thick and savage jungle that gives you the chance to let your prayers and whispers reverberate like a church. We used the music in this album to walk paths that we hadn’t known before, to connect Rome to Paris to Berlin to Beijing, to mix techno music with folk, to let our voices and bodies mingle and dance to an incredibly weird yet familiar beat, and finally to search for a boom of love and light into the dark of our everyday’s life: yes, VONAMOR is a boom!” says Luca Guidobaldi.

“Through our darkwave music and words, we search for the question, the ambiguity, the multiform influence of a variety of demons. We feel the urgency of questioning ourselves, our fellow human beings and the reality around us,” says Giulia Bottaro.

VONAMOR incorporates electronic beats with elements of punk, hits of classical music and clever lyrics written in several different languages, including English, Italian, French, German and even Chinese.

VONAMOR also has more than passing interest in Russian history, especially the last hundred years, give or take a decade. The first hint of this is their band name. I googled vonamor and found next to nothing. I thought it might be associated with amor, the Spanish word for love and von is used to establish places of origin. And it might be the start of something lovely, or it could be a ruse to distract me.

Because it then occurred to me that it VONAMOR is ROMANOV spelled backwards. So after listening to this album half a dozen times and coming up empty-handed, I went back, and I listened to the lyrics and the music in a new light. That new light shone upon the end of the Russian Empire through the Bolshevik revolution that led to the creation of Soviet Russia, which birthed the Soviet Union and eventually became the nation of Russia that we have today.

Through clever lyrics and the use of music as a medium to tell stories, VONAMOR takes us on a journey starting in “Empire 2049.” They begin at the end of the story in many ways, such as placing us in an abandoned Soviet building. But they tie Russia of today to the revolution of over a hundred years ago, “a place where all your enemies would bring you and tie you up.” Not much has changed over all those years, and still, “your empire grieves for you.”

Lucky You, “the world as you think you know it is ending.” In fact, “all empires are ending” through the Great War, the Bolshevik Revolution and Ukraine today. “We’ve got just the walls left and the wars left, and they’re not so cold anymore.” History is relegating the Cold War to the history books and ushering in a new era. A new age where “There’s no more truth, it’s all fake news and fake truths and things that have been misunderstood. Misunderstood. Be afraid.”

We should be afraid because what we see happening from the comfort of our homes may not be this way for long. Be afraid. Be very afraid. Lucky you.

Never Betray Us might have some deeper meaning than what we hear but what grabs me on this one is the haunting vocals and that exhilarating bass driving the song forward.

I’ll skip along a couple of songs here. They are good ones, too, but I like Mother Night. It builds on a riff that carries us through what I think is French, but it doesn’t even matter at this stage because I am being carried away by the music. It is fast, it is furious, it is love, it is fear, it is a plea—a plea for you to stay by my side. Please stay by my side because I am afraid.

Fast Forward Girl is a thrashing track that brought visions of Grace Slick to mind, which takes us to the closing track of this album, Wilderness. Between the start of this album with the Empire of the Romanov family, where does all this lead us? It led the Romanov family to the wilderness. In the wilderness of Russia, the remains of Nicholas, Alexandra and three of their children were found. We have travelled from an empire to a wilderness in 36 minutes. What a trip! Thank you VONAMOR

‘Vonamor’ LP teaser https://youtu.be/zsHYz9EN968

Album order https://bfan.link/vonamor

CD order https://timetokillrecords.bigcartel.com/product/vonamor

‘You The People’ https://youtu.be/ZV84m-m2xus

‘Take Your Heart’ https://youtu.be/jmlNr0qzEZQ

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/track/1Z1PVhoEKKebDJ6ZpOdwLm

Order the single https://linktr.ee/vonamor_band

‘Never Betray Us’ https://youtu.be/Ll7nO0cXI_A

‘Fast-Forward Girl’ https://youtu.be/kJX7Uujc9E4

Keep up with VONAMOR

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That is a terrible title to this blog, my apologies to the band Panjoma. I hope the remainder of this blog is in better taste. Panjoma started as a musical entity in 2006, around the nucleus of Mary Panjoma (vocals, keyboard, production) and Patrik Nilsson (bass, drum machines, samplers, production). Finding common ground upon meeting, they got married and gave birth to a band called Panjoma. Pat and Mary remain committed to their shared musical quest despite their subsequent divorce.

Panjoma‘s studio and live performance members (past and present) include Ricardo Acevedo (Lost Cat Magnet, O’Clock), Ritchard Napierkowski (The Nimbus, Ritchual, Adoration Destroyed), John Ousely (Construction Paper Records, Cosmic Pets), Richard Evans (Rivers Want) and Chris Alvarez (Saul Williams, John Spencer Blues Explosion). An impressive lineup that helps Panjoma make great music.

The EP’ Sun and Moon’, Panjoma’s first release in eight years, followed 2014’s ‘Personacide’ and 2012’s ‘Panjoma’ albums. What genre box is their music in? I call it music. The press release called it an avant-garde darkwave electro femme-pop DMT-jazz band with a funky edge. Panjoma’s sound is as eclectic as its influences. Influences range from Bjork, Aphex Twin, Orbital and Squarepusher to Thundercat, Nine Inch Nails, Primus, Daft Punk, Le Chic, Mr. Fingers, Jazzanova and Depeche Mode.

“Our influences behind the ‘Sun and Moon’ EP are love, philosophy, and psychedelics. The ‘Sun and Moon’ single, which drives the dreamy vibe behind the whole EP, is all about how the Sun and Moon are forever following each other, forever longing to be next to each other but forever being unable to be together. The theme transitions into dreams, where anything is possible,” says Mary Panjoma.

Panjoma experiment with conventional instruments used in unconventional ways. E-bows on bass and filtered pianos are in their arsenal, as well as a vast array of drum machines, samplers, keyboards, software programs, and synthesizers.

Once again, I found myself listening to a musical entity that I knew nothing about and had to search out their back catalogue and get to know them. While not extensive, it is nonetheless captivating. “Personacide” got my attention, and I had to listen to it a couple of times and let it sink because a lot was going on. They used sampling to significant effect, and I found I had to sit still and let the music come to me. I couldn’t listen to it as background. It required my full attention. There are little gems tucked away here and there that would be easily missed otherwise. The same goes for their self-titled follow-up, with the cover of War Pigs being the listening gem that caught my full attention.

‘Sun and Moon’ and ‘Free’ are out now across digital platforms, including Spotify, Beatport and Apple Music. The ‘Sun and Moon’ EP will be released on February 26 and ordered directly from the artist via Bandcamp.

Order / Bandcamp https://panjoma.bandcamp.com/album/sun-moon

‘Sun and Moon’ https://youtu.be/Z7z2HyetkAo

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/track/6hfn6xNzP9jUs4HRTombBh

‘Free’ https://youtu.be/wPGdrqySQrs

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/track/4lJpZpBHiP1ayuoSdWCjVm

‘Sun and Moon’ (Radio Edit) https://soundcloud.com/panjoma/sun-moon-radio-edit/s-4QDInKAzbLz

EP pre-order / Linktree https://linktr.ee/panjoma 

Keep up with Panjoma

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Manchester underground outfit The Speed Of Sound present ‘Blood Sweat And Tears’, the darkest song on their acclaimed ‘Museum of Tomorrow’ album; where buzzing fuzz guitar lines emerge from a delicate acoustic introduction to intersect with the crashing chords and the ‘bulbous pulsing’ rhythm section” (Record Collector Magazine).

‘Blood Sweat And Tears’ raises a punk rock fist of anger for the downtrodden at the structural economic forces that simultaneously drive high rents and low wages in the dystopian reality that is the 21st Century, where a living wage is insufficient to live.

This song represents a cry for humanity at the inhumanity of corporate indifference. Protest is never useless. In the video, a dreamlike high street shopping scene forms the visual backdrop, where people are recast as mere consumers and resources to be exploited.

Hailing from Manchester, The Speed Of Sound’s music is optimistic, but with lyrical bite, a punk-inspired DIY ethos and lust for experimentation rooted in psychedelia. Formed in 1989 with a pre-history dating back to the day Andy Warhol died in 1987, The Speed of Sound lies deep below the ‘music industry radar’, allowing for the evolution of their own distinctive sound and live act.

The Speed of Sound is made up of father and son John Armstrong (guitars and vocals) and Henry Armstrong (keyboards), Ann-Marie Crowley (vocals and guitar), Kevin Roache (bass guitar) and John Broadhurst (drums).

‘Museum of Tomorrow’ is out now via Big Stir Records. Released 32 years to the day when the band’s debut EP saw the light of day in 1989, the new LP is available digitally, on CD and limited-edition 170g heavy weight vinyl (black and colour).  Find the album on Apple Music,Spotify, Bandcamp and Big Stir’s website.

‘Blood Sweat and Tears’ https://youtu.be/Rxqlf6VX9f8
Album order https://orcd.co/thespeedofsound-bsr 
Bandcamp https://bigstirrecords.bandcamp.com/album/museum-of-tomorrow 
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/6s96Co6peJTqZUOHJgDiRn
‘Wired and Tired’ https://youtu.be/956CUQ3iFKc
‘Last Orders’ https://youtu.be/cJ0dulAy9-8 
‘Opium Eyes’ https://youtu.be/ss69hWrCY_s 
‘Tomorrow’s World’ https://youtu.be/3lEovb1GxrQ

Dublin’s Cat Dowling has released ‘All The I Can Do’, the fourth single from her new ‘Animals’ LP, released digitally on January 28 via Forever In Financial Arrears Records (FIFA Records).

While a dance song, ‘All That I Can Do’ is also an intimate declaration of love. Cat Dowling notes, “All that I can do is give you my love” the songs opening line captures the meaning of this song. “Love is the greatest we can offer anyone and that includes ourselves”.

The new 11-track long-player was produced by Gerry Horan with Dowling as co-producer, and mixed by Ger Mcdonnell (The Cure, U2, Van Morrison, Martha Wainwright, Shane McGowan, Sinead O’Connor), This album was partially recorded at Crossroads Studio in her native Kilkenny with support from Ireland’s Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media.  

Lauded as one of the most wonderful and evocative vocalists in Irish contemporary music, Dowling’s beautifully dark pop songs and husky, achingly intimate vocals will grip you from the outset. The former Babelfish and Alphastates frontwoman creates well-crafted songs that inspire.

Earlier, Dowling released the singles ‘Animals’, ‘Freedom‘ and ‘Trouble’, the video for which was created by BAFTA award-winning director Fergal Costello, recalling a dark, comedic and violent tale set outside of 1981 Belfast.  

In 2013, Dowling debuted with ‘The Believer’ LP, ranked in numerous ‘Best of Year’ music polls, including The Sunday Times. The title track featured in the second series of ‘Banshee’, produced by Alan Ball (Six Feet Under, American Beauty, True Blood) and the ‘Witches of East End’ TV series, featuring Julia Ormond. The song ‘Somebody Else’ was also used in ‘My name is Emily’. Cat has also lent vocals on many collaborative projects, including for ABC’s ‘How ToGet Away With Murder’ with Emmy-winning actress Viola Davis.  

All That I Can Do’ single https://youtu.be/4StCzGssQ18
Bandcamp https: //catdowling.bandcamp.com/album/animals 
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/5LXry9lUaI4qJRkA4QJUUP
‘Animals’ single https://youtu.be/588mof6AgWY
‘Freedom’ https://youtu.be/wBJpivONX7c 
‘Trouble’ https://youtu.be/LiUtwDtvzHM 

Do you remember the childhood game “make you look?” What I present for you today is a twist on that cherished childhood game; it is called “made you listen!” 

An Electronic Jazz Punk Passage Through Dreams did that to me. I had to listen. I just had to hear what an album with that name sounded like, and once I got there, I put it on an endless loop for the evening. What we have here (hear?) is a mighty fine electronic, jazz, punk band spinning some tasteful tracks.

Then I had a new conundrum, namely, what genre is this? Electronic? Yes, but more than that. Jazz? I didn’t notice much jazz, but there is a freedom to this album reminiscent of free-form jazz, so yeah, we can go with electronic jazz music. Punk? They encompass the rawness that the best punk delivers, so let’s go with electronic, jazz-punk for now. I would add chill to that list; it certainly chilled me out listening to it. I felt like this music had elements of trance as well. 

I give up. Silent Cure has crafted an album that you have to listen to, even if it’s for no other reason than to find out what genre you would put them in.

Oh! And that album cover! Wow!

There is a lot to unpack with this release, so I will cut and paste some of the promo material that goes a long way towards explaining this musical adventure.

Danish electronic artist Silent Cure has announced his debut album ‘An Electronic Jazz Punk Passage Through Dreams,’ which involves vocalists from various distant shores – Spain, Italy and Canada. This long-player was mixed and mastered by Alberto Pretto at Blackhead Studios Berlin and Multi-Platinum producer-mixer Yoad Nevo (Pet Shop Boys, Sia, Ed Sheridan, Moby, Bryan Adams, Sugababes, Goldfrapp).

The lead track ‘Silent Love Song’ features Barcelona-based artist M-Ana, who contributes vocals and lyrics. This album also features several other vocalists with a palette mainly instrumental in nature. Including Vancouver songstress Elisa King, who co-wrote and sang in tandem with Silent Cure on ‘So Annoyed,’ and Italian vocalist Serena Masciarelli on ‘Settimana A Diano Marina.’

As a music producer and digital collage artist, this project entails the realization of a lover of art in all shapes, colours and sounds. This 12-track offering combines electronic music with elements from pop, rock and jazz music with notable inspirations drawn from such artists as Massive Attack, Moby, Vitalic, Ladytron, Jean-Michel Jarre and The Orb.

New only in name, Silent Cure is a veteran electronic music producer with over three decades of music-making informed by a broader grasp of and a special love for multiple genres and artists with a penchant for blurring the borders between them. The result is an album that, while diverse in scope, is still widely accessible.

“I felt it was time to move out of my comfort zone being a part of the electronic underground scene for many years and challenge myself with something new. I listen to all kinds of music at home, so the inspiration comes from many places over many years,” says Silent Cure.

Hailing from Copenhagen, Silent Cure thrives in tasteful sound designs with attention to small details. These sonic tapestries invite the listener to journey into and through various moods.

Ambient downtempo tracks like ‘Silent Love Song’ and ‘So Annoyed’ show the artist’s softer side, juxtaposed by upbeat electroclash / retrowave-inspired tracks such as ‘Synthwave Retrospect,’ ‘Gratitude’ and ‘Symphony Octobre.’ In contrast, the melancholic yet endearing ‘So Annoyed’ is about a couple that have clearly spent too much time together under lockdown conditions.

The album ‘An Electronic Jazz Punk Passage Through Dreams’ will be released on February 11 across digital platforms and can be ordered directly from the artist via Bandcamp. A limited-edition vinyl release is anticipated at some point in future.

On February 24, 2022, at 6 pm EST, music lovers can also tune in for the ‘Silent Cure – Around The Album’ Live Stream to embark on a journey into an expansive sonic universe, coupled with some words by the artist about these tracks and how this project unfolded.

Bandcamp https://silentcure.bandcamp.com/album/an-electronic-jazz-punk-passage-through-dreams

‘Silent Love Song’ https://youtu.be/Zb3zU9pKG8w

LinkTree https://linktr.ee/silentcure

Silent Cure influences – curated Spotify playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0uiYZtkUuNAdVx1vm1eRzL

Live stream event RSVP https://silentcure.bandcamp.com/merch/silent-cure-around-the-album

Pre-add (Spotify and Apple Music) https://bit.ly/34ITdFS

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Step number one for becoming a country and western music star is having the correct name. Waylon Jennings works for the C/W crowd. Not so appealing is the name, Arnold Jennings. Waylon made a good call using his first name, not the middle one. Alvis Edgar Owens Jr. doesn’t have the same twang as Buck Owens does it.

Tyler Joe Miller is a good country and western name. And Tyler Joe Miller is also the title of this blog because I have been listening to his music, and it is in today’s finest country and western style.

Step number two is having a hit single on country radio, ‘Pillow Talkin” at the end of 2019 was Tyler Joe Millers’ debut single. It went straight to number one on Canadian country radio and was certified gold. Not bad for a debut, eh?

How do you top that buckle bragging? Tyler Joe Miller topped it by becoming the first independent Canadian country artist to reach #1 on Canadian country radio with his first two singles following “Pillow Talkin’ “with “I Would Be Over Me Too.”

There is no step three because country music dancing is always the two-step. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgMy5Gn84_c

Tyler Joe Miller had his third single, “Fighting” reaching the top ten country charts. Following up those three highly successful singles, Tyler Joe Miller released his fourth single, “Sometimes I Do,” another Top 5 song on Canadian country radio, from his debut EP “Sometimes I Don’t, But Sometimes I Do.”

And sometimes I Do-Si-Do.

Diplo Presents: Thomas Wesley – Do Si Do (ft. Blanco Brown) (Official Music Video)

I can be a bit slow getting to the dance floor. The newest single from Tyler Joe Miller, “Wild As Her,” actually came out three days ago on February 11th. Better late than never, right?

Speaking on the single, Tyler Joe Miller tells us that “‘Wild As Her’ isn’t your typical love song; it’s the hopeful chase of a guy trying to get and keep this girl around who’s an untamable rolling stone.” Delivered in a voice that sounds as smooth as a dually on blacktop Tyler Joe Miller gives us a little slice of country heaven.

Check Tyler Joe Miller’s “Wild As Her” for your listening pleasure at any of these fine listening establishments, courtesy of   MDM Recordings.

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The Hoodoo Gurus told us that Mars Needs Guitars. I’m telling you that our Earth needs Star Collector. Hailing from the western edge of the Canadian landmass, Vancouver is one of the epicentres of music in Canada. Star Collector’s new album Game Day features Vic Wayne, who grew up in Edmonton and played in the music scene there eons ago (The Mods, Truth), Kevin Kane (Grapes of Wrath, Northern Pikes) and Evan Foster (Boss Martians, Dirty Sidewalks, Sonics).

They tell us that their musical influences are The Who, Jam, Big Star & Sloan. I hear The Who on the opening track, Game Day. I can pick out some of the sweeping guitar and the vocal delivery style, not too shabby to be compared to one of the biggest names in rock and roll history.

After that frantic opening, Star Collector keeps the pace up through the next three songs, Rip It Off, Stranger (Renting Space in My Head), & The Silent Type. Then, we arrive at Super Zero Blues, which opens with an excellent bass line and maintains a more pedestrian pace giving us old geezers a chance to catch our breath. I also liked the instrumental interludes that highlighted their musical talents.

Hook, Line & Singer venture into using an acoustic guitar and a gentler pace, albeit with darker lyrics that slowly build towards some hope only to drop into the malaise again. I should also mention the play on words, I kept wanting to correct it to Hook, Line and singer. I can’t even blame autocorrect, it just my brain playing tricks on me.

Cayenne & Caramel gives us another neat play on words and disparate tastes that we wouldn’t normally expect to taste together. However, I was in Vancouver a few years ago and, I enjoyed a Jalapeno-flavoured gelato cone at La Casa Gelato. I imagine that would be somewhat like Cayenne & Caramel. At any rate, this is a sweet song that leaves us with a good taste.

The album closes with what I think is my favourite of the bunch, Funeral Party. Funerals don’t get sung about much. Arcade Fire named their debut album Funeral, but that’s all that comes to memory. Yes, I am sure you are quite capable of going on Genius or Apple Music and finding dozens more. I prefer to let my noggin do the googlin. There are many songs about death and dying, but for just funerals, there are fewer. The content of the song Funeral got me to thinking that we should celebrate a person’s life while they are still around instead of waiting till they are dead and we end up dancing in the cemetery and singing their virtues to only ourselves.

Funeral is also full of easter eggs. The Twelfth of Never is a tip of the hat to Johnny Mathis. The Great Hereafter could reference the 1997 Canadian drama film written and directed by Atom Egoyan. The Tragically Hip’s original version of “Courage” also appears in The Great Hereafter, and we Canucks can never get too much of The Hip. Twist This Joint To A Point, why the hell not? It’s legal in Canada now. “Turn up the Bunnymen tracks” shows us the excellent taste that Star Collector has in music, and I just bought the album Porcupine.”It’s my party, and I’ll cry if I want to… You would cry too if it happened to you!” A touch of Gore seems appropriate at a funeral. The song Funeral closes with a touring band’s nightmare, black ice on Highway Three near Grand Forks. Just a little south of nowhere.

So, there you have it—an excellent straight-ahead rock album that is easy to get pulled into, Hook, Line & Singer. When they tour through my neck of the woods, hopefully with no black ice, I’ll have to say hello to them and buy some merch. I like supporting musicians in general, and homegrown feels better for some reason. I hope you support them too. Here are some links to listen to them and buy their music.

https://www.facebook.com/starcollectorband

https://starcollectorcanada.bandcamp.com/

https://twitter.com/StarCollector5

https://www.instagram.com/starcollectorcanada/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8oPv_V-xetDlnKiHGQXymw

It seems like forever ago that I started listening to the letter B. On December 12, I began to listen through the second letter in the alphabet. It has been fun, here are a few words and album covers from the tail end of B.

The father/daughter combo of Debbie Boone and Pat Boone were out of order in the alphabet. They should have been in front of Bowie, not after him. Same for The Boston Pops Orchestra. And it is worth noticing I have no albums by the band Boston. Anyhow, the Boone combo and Boston Pops only had three albums between them, one from each Artist. I adhere to the standard of “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”

Baby I’m A Want You by Bread is an album of sugar-coated pop songs with a few pleasant moments and some sweet guitar work scattered here and there through the album. Bread were good at what they did, make radio friendly hit songs.

Alex Bradford has two albums in our collection. Alex Bradfords Greatest Hits and He Lifted Me. While I didn’t always identify with the lyrics, he has a great voice with an excellent choir and good musicians backing him up, which added to a good listening experience.

Roger Breland’s Truth, Songs That Answer Questions. I have a question. Why do I even own this record? It is so bad I couldn’t finish listening to it. The only truth is that this would make a good frisbee.

Brinsley Schwarz by Brinsley Schwarz is an album that I have kept in rotation on my turntable ever since I bought donkey years ago. This band should be labelled a supergroup with luminaries such as Nick Lowe, Ian Gomm and Brinsley Schwarz himself appearing on this record. This album is a keeper for sure. I didn’t buy this record in 1970 when it was released. I didn’t get it until the late ’70’s when I discovered Nick Lowe and Ian Gomm, who were prominent in the British New Wave scene. I’m curious that this is the only album I have by this band, knowing how much I like them. I may have to do some bin diving at Record Collectors Paradise.

Jackson Browne, Running on Empty. I enjoyed this album so much that I listened to it twice. Even after all the years since I acquired this album, I am still hearing fresh nuances that keep this record sounding as fresh as the day I bought it.

Lawyers In Love hasn’t aged as gracefully as, but it is still a darn good listen. I don’t find it as consistently good as Running On Empty. Both albums have great stories; Jackson Browne is a good storyteller. Running On Empty also has the song “Rosie,” which has to be the best song about masturbation. I do like the cover artwork on Lawyers In Love.

The Best of The Browns is the epitome of country and western harmonies. Big Jim Ed Brown‘s baritone, along with his sisters’ excellent harmonies, make this record a keeper. This album was followed in my listening queue by the solo album Gentle On My Mind, another fantastic album that flows from the melodious title song to golden oldies such as Detroit City, Have I Told You Lately That I Love You and Big Bad John. Good stuff on both albums.

The Dave Brubeck Quartet gives us Time Out and Time Further Out. Time Out is easily a desert island record. I never tire of hearing the incredible musicianship on this recording. Time Out is from 1959, and I am only four years older than it. I think it has weathered the years better than me.

Speaking of remaining relevant over time, I acquired a new CD a day or two back and instead of waiting till I get it in the alphabet, I will mention it now while it is fresh in my brain. The album is World Wide Rebel Songs by Tom Morello. This album is a 2011 release, and when it came out, I streamed it on iTunes and thought it was a decent album. One song stood out more than the others, Stray Bullets. In the Breakout class, I used that song in my Remembrance Day playlist in Music Appreciation at Hope Mission. The fellas gave it good feedback, and I liked the song, so it remained in my earworm feed. I had some loose change a week for so back and bought the CD from Amazon at a reasonable price and looked forward to listening to it again. It has been about seven or eight years since I last played it. I still connected with the song Stray Bullets, the rest of the album could be tossed in the dust bin, and I would never miss it. It hasn’t aged as well, and I suppose my musical taste has shifted, so as of today, this CD only has one song that I like, Stray Bullets. Back to the B’s now that I have ranted.

Brush Arbor Live. If more gospel music was this good, I might listen to more of it. Bluegrass folk and country/western, this album features some good pickin’ and a grinnin’. They also do harmony very well; Brush Arbors vocals are smooth as silk and sewn together with no loose ends.

Larry Bryant, The Artist. And this is why I don’t listen to more gospel music. Chessy evangelical lyrics soaked in ’80’s pop synth without any of the energy featured in a mainstream pop synth of that era. Think, Soft Cell with Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, Eurythmics: Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This). The Artist will now collect dust until the apocalypse. I will make one last observation, there is always something good, even in the dark corners. The song Shopping List is not too bad.

Jimmy Buffett is a legend in his own time with a handful of albums in our catalogue. Buffett is one of the world’s wealthiest musicians, with a net worth as of 2017 of $900 million. That is a lot of vinyl moved to build that bank statement up to where it is. Aside from the sheer volume that he sold, it is worth noting that he made some darn good music to get to where he is now. Let’s check some of them out from our catalogue.

Havana Day Dreamin’ starts this list of Jimmy Buffett albums. Jimmy Buffett is no strange to controversy, and Havana Day Dreamin’ has at least one song that could get under some people’s skin. That song is “My Head Hurts My Feet Stink and I Don’t Love Jesus.” This song is also a favourite earworm song for me; I am not shocked or offended by the lyrics. I darn well like the song. I will not go through this album track by track; suffice to say that I like them all, and the last song, “This Hotel Room,” is a great ending track.

Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes. What a great album name. I found that this album was a change in direction for Jimmy Buffett, and I am not alone in this observation. Check out the Wikipedia entry for this album; it confirms that others saw this album the same way I did. There is one song on this album that has special meaning for me. “Cheeseburger In Paradise.” It is not only one of the best songs about food that I know of but also another playlist from the Music Appreciation days; it was also played at the memorial for a man I looked up to and respected, Lorne.

Son of a Son of a Son of a Sailor is the last from Jimmy Buffett in my merger collection and it is another good album. I will concede that he is consistent, consistently good to my ears.

Next up is T Bone Burnette and the first in our collection is Truth Decay. A cute play on words that my dentist might appreciate. Truth Decay is another album that it feels like I’ve been listening to forever. It has a C/W feel to some of it, such as Quicksand. Overall, this is a great album. I had forgotten how good this album was until I played it again. A bonus of having memory loss, 35-year-old albums sound new again.

Trap Door is an interesting one because I have two copies. One is a 12 inch that runs at thirty-three and a third rpm. The other is a 12 inch that turns at 45 rpm. Either way, it is a decent album or EP.

Proof Through The Night, I don’t know what happened here. This album sounds like a train wreck, the lyrics on the song Hefner And Disney are bizarre. There isn’t a flow to the album, and the pieces don’t come together to form anything meaningful. To me, it sounds like a contractual obligation recording.

T Bone Burnett, the album is self-titled, and it is far and away my favourite of his catalogue. It is hard to find any fault in this album. It is tight with both the lyrics and the music. It all comes together for one fantastic album that I can listen to repeatedly. Some highlight songs for me are River of Love and Poison Love. How the heck can those two songs exist side by side? It just works. Annabelle Lee is another standout on an album full of beauties. T Bone Burnett is a fantastic album.

Talking Animals is the last T Bone Burnett album on this list. It is hard to come after his S/T album and be compared to that, but it happens, and it is a good album in its own right. Different but still good. I like the story-song “The Strange Case of Frank Cash and the Morning Paper. It is a novelty song, and I like that because they are few and far between these days. Back in the old days, let’s say, prior it 1970, novelty songs were more common. Nowadays, they are a novelty because there are so few of them.

Listener fatigue is a condition that can happen when too many records by the same artist or band are consumed in a short period of time. I have experienced this phenomenon with other musicians but not with T Bone Burnett. As I went through his albums, I even listened to some of them more than once. I think that speaks volumes about the quality of his material.

Bram Tchaikovsky, Strange Man Changed Man. Pre-listen note: I liked this album back in 1979 at the crest of the New Wave with all of its creative force. This album was a part of that wave, and Bram Tchaikovsky pushed their way through that era. Let us see if my passion for this album has survived the test of time.

Yup. It survived. I still enjoy listening to it.

The Byrds Greatest Hits is an enjoyable album that had me tapping my foot and trying to sing along to it. Sweetheart of the Rodeo is the same. Greatest Hits Vol. 2 isn’t as good. It isn’t consistent, and I feel they had lost their mojo by the time this album came out.

Next up is the letter C. It sounds like I am doing the 12″ vinyl version of Sesame Street.