Tag Archives: new-music

April 15 to 20

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Last week, I went for quantity, with 18 albums in my playlist. That does not mean I listened to them so that I could brag about how much music I listen to. No, I listened to every single album with attention to its contents. What instruments were used? How did the lyrics mesh with the instrumentation? Etc. This week, I listened to six albums, several of which I listened to more than once.

Nash the Slash / Children of the Night

This is easily one of the most disturbing album covers in my recent memory.

Nash the Slash / And You Thought You Were Normal

Nash the Slash / American Bandages

I listened to the above three twice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=het1kl-A8qw

Wikipedia with some editing:

“James Jeffrey “Jeff” Plewman (March 26, 1948 – May 10, 2014), better known by his stage name Nash the Slash, was a Canadian musician. A multi-instrumentalist, he was known primarily for playing the electric violin and mandolin, harmonica, keyboards, glockenspiel, and other instruments (sometimes described as “devices” on album notes).

Nash worked as a solo artist beginning in 1975, founding the progressive rock band FM in 1976. Soon after releasing the band’s first album, Black Noise, in 1977, he left the band; he resumed his solo career in 1978 (it was not until after Nash’s departure that the album was widely promoted, eventually charting and receiving a gold record award). He rejoined FM from 1983 to 1988, followed by a brief reunion from 1994 to 1996, all concurrent with his solo work.

Nash’s music covers an eclectic range, varying from instrumental—mood-setting and shoe-gaze music to rock and pop music with vocals. In addition to giving concert performances, he composed and performed soundtrack music for silent films, presenting these works live in movie theatres to accompany screenings of the films. Another venue for his music was in performances to accompany the viewing of paintings by surrealist painter Robert Vanderhorst, an audiovisual collaboration, which took place in 1978 and again in 2004.

Nash famously never allowed guitars on any of his solo albums and singles. He turned down Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour‘s offer to lay down a guitar track on his Children of the Night album. It takes something special to turn down an offer from David Gilmour.

I don’t know what to make of his albums. They are exotic and non-conformant. Discogs has them pegged as Rock/Darkwave/New Wave/Prog/Rock. I have always had a soft spot for electric violin, Nash the Slash used that as his primary instrument. 

I like his cover of 19th Nervous Breakdown just because it veers away from the original recording by The Rolling Stones and becomes a unique recording by Nash, with no guitars. I’m not sure what Keith Richards would think of that! Another song that gets a work over is Smoke on the Water, which becomes Dopes on the Water. The music of Nash the Slash is not music for the faint of heart. Nash the Slash made music that challenged the boundaries of music and pushed them further out of the comfort zone of popular music in the early 80’s. He was a nonconformist and stayed that way in the three albums of his that I have.

American Band-ages, released in 1984, featured covers of popular American songs. The album, intended for the US market, never got the push it needed due to distribution and management problems, including a change in record labels.

American Band-ages featured Bandstand Boogie/American Band (We’re An American Band), veering from big band to punk on the same track. Wow, what a way to start an album. What follows is Born to be Wild. It sounds like the original but doesn’t. The electric violin and the use of synthesizers mimic the electric guitars featured in the original by Steppenwolf. I had a big deja vu trip listening to Born to Be Wild in the movie Easy Rider on YouTube. That movie resonated with me as a rebellious teenager in 1969. The Nash the Slash remake of Hey Joe blows. Hey Joe, it has been covered so often that no one knows the song’s origin. The most noteworthy version is likely the Jimi Hendrix Experience cover from their Are You Experienced album. You can do Wikipedia for more covers.

Another thing I noticed is the length of the tracks on American Bandages; these are not three-minute radio edits. The songs run from the shortest, Hey Joe, at 3:34 to several at four and five minutes and the closer, 1984, at 7:08. These are three songs per album side, and I like it. He gets a groove going on these songs and he works it with all the musical toys he can muster, but no guitars.

So I listened to Nash the Slash twice over the course of a couple of days and gave them a good listen, not a casual noise in the background while I did something else kind of a listen. I got his music, but not everyone did.

I suggest reading and listening here if you want to listen to his music and find out more about him as a person.

Rick Nelson The Very Best of Rick Nelson

Ricky Nelson (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985) was an American musician and actor. From age eight, he starred alongside his family in the radio and television series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. In 1957, he began a long and successful career as a popular recording artist. The Very Best is a standard Best Of album. It contains some hit songs you may recognize if you are a boomer like me.

NDTC Singers The Very Best of NDTC Singers

This album contains songs from several Caribbean nations, including my favourite, Jamaica. Truthfully, it is the only Caribbean island I have been to, but I liked it and would like to return. My Jamaican princess, Valerie, listened to this alongside me and hummed to many songs.

Bible Club Umbra

This album has been sitting on the back burner for a week or so. I enjoyed the first spin, so I found the lyrics and gave it another spin, reading along as I went. And then I forgot about it for one reason or another. And now I am listening to it again and hoping to flesh something out to write about.

This album starts out with some relaxing guitar and other instruments over some vocals that sound other-worldly. A nice chill track. Track two has a more or less alt-rock sound and recognizable vocals telling us about the futility of life and eventually getting to a place where they can forget everything and start a new life. Nihilist, that word pops up early in the song. A nihilist is a person who believes that life is meaningless and rejects all religious and moral principles. The lack of moral principles is a frightening thought. I can get on board with rejecting religion, heck, I’ve done that and feel fine with how my life is going, gut rejecting moral principles is on a whole new level. Life needs some morality to function, we can not throw out all concepts of good and proper. Without moral principles we will devolve into a culture of savage brutes trying to suppress each other. Come to think about that, and maybe we are living there already.

Track 3, Umbra, tells us what we are experiencing in the here and now. 

“Everyone cycling around not knowing why or how

Just drudging on

for a bliss that’s promised

Rid me of this mind now

Tell me there’s truth, things will get better

…

As I cast off these things

I grow older and weary”

That just about sums it up for me, I feel old and weary. There are moments of bliss, like when I get some new music that takes me of to the promised land. Please tell me that things will get better. Great music in the alt-rock genre. 

Track four takes the author to a dark and dreary place with some very interesting music, I found myself ignoring the lyrics and just soaking in the music. It has a feeling like listening to a click track that moves in and out with instruments that move in and out, not neccissarily in sync with the lyrics, but it works. I get lost in this track and put it on instant replay.

Track five explodes with the pent up angst, anger and weariness that the author has been carrying about for far too long. 

“We’re all eating cardboard

Crap wrapped in tinfoil

Bleached clumps of empty substance

We eat it just to feel

Saturated

Uncomplicated

Watch out

Why won’t you hear me out

So watch out

You’re gonna hear me out

Don’t

Don’t waste my time

Don’t waste my time

With all your lies”

“Capturing the stark awareness of a world stuck in disarray, ‘Umbra’ is a dreary rumination on the state of affairs in this post-consumerist world, offering vignettes of the symptoms of late-stage capitalism. Materialism has gone non-material, substance is replaced by empty filler, and callous waste of life. More now than ever before we are within the darkest shadow of our times – the umbra – a shadow cast by a force that overpowers.” – Bark PR http://www.barkpr.co.uk/

Five tracks of fusion alt punk, rock and shoegazing lamenting the world of capitalism and materialism. An album that sounds great despite the dreary tone of the lyrics. They use two guitars to great effect as they wander in and out and playing around each other and together. I want to hear these guys ten years from now to hear how their world view has changed, or hasn’t. Chalk Umbra up as a five star record.

p.s. I listened to their earlier music, and it is good listening.

Feb 10/2025

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What follows is Norman’s musical musings for the week of February 4 to 10. Happy listening to all and a good listen to all.

The Norman Luboff Choir – Songs of the British Isles

Songs of the British Isles is the first disc for this week’s listening enjoyment. It is a mellow chill album that Discogs calls folk world and country. It is folk for sure; no brainer on that genre, folks. The world is less certain, but The British Isles are part of this world, so that works. Country? Britain is a country, but this is not the country music I listen to, i.e. Corb Lund. It is about a country, Britain. It is a surprisingly enjoyable album I had forgotten about, but I am glad to rediscover it.

Keith Lyn – Keith Lyn Sings Love Ballads

Keith Lyn Sings Love Ballads is an interesting album from my father-in-law, who brought it here from Jamaica. This album is listed as folk and world music in Discogs; I would label it lounge music. Other than Keith Lyn’s obsession with time, there isn’t much to say about this record. I will cherish it because I had a good relationship with Pops.

The Luminaires – Cleopatra

I very clearly remember buying this album. A fellow vinyl lover tipped me off that a local clothing clearance store had boxes of records for sale dirt cheap. My brother was visiting from Vancouver, so the two of us jumped in my car, and off we went. They did have records for sale; the problem was the lack of titles that I would buy. I did find this Luminaires album with a 4.99 price tag; it came home with me. There is something about the plaintive voice of Wesley Schultz and the intimacy of the songs that pull me into the music of the Luminaires.

I have only listened to two Luminaires albums, Cleopatra and III, but my oh my, what a pair they make. Cleopatra is not a story album. However, the band took five songs from this album and created a video. The Ballad of Cleopatra is a compilation of the story in the music videos for Ophelia, Cleopatra, Sleep on the Floor, Angela and My Eyes, all songs from the album Cleopatra.

The music in this album is subtle; it doesn’t slap you in the face, but if you listen to it, there is a strength therein that augments the lyrics. I can not casually listen to these two albums. They demand that I pay attention. I listen to the music; what is it saying? What instruments are playing? How does the music work with the lyrics? Etc. I can not casually listen to Luminaire’s albums. They are top-notch listening experiences for me. They have good lyrics that move beyond the tragic love trilogy, love found, love lives, and love lost. There are stories in these songs. Some of the stories are self-contained. Some of the stories spill out and mingle with other songs. i.e. The Ballad of Cleopatra. Other songs support the cohesion of the album. I like this album, but not as much as I like their next release, III.

The third album from the Luminaire’s is the tale of three members of a dysfunctional family struggling with addiction. I struggled with addiction for many years of my life. My Dad and extended family on both sides lived in addictive lives. I was clean and sober for 15 years, and then, for my 16th birthday, I got blind drunk and maintained that pace for 20 years. And then, on May 11th, 1989, a date seared into the fabric of my soul, I quit drinking and drugging. That went amazingly smoothly; however, it was a brutal fight to quit smoking, but that eventually happened and stuck. I still drink coffee. I say all that to show how this album speaks to me on multiple levels.

The songs are often difficult pills to swallow as they tell the stories of this family and the addition that flows generational. The album was supported by a 44-minute visual accompaniment written by Schultz with director Kevin Phillips. The film follows three generations of the working-class Sparks family as they struggle with addiction and dysfunction in the Northeastern United States. The third album from the Luminaire’s III, is a powerful album; I recommend it with five out of five stars. It is well-scripted, well-played and well-told. I add a special invite to this album for anyone struggling with addiction, be it a family member or yourself, clean or sober. While I doubt it will trigger a relapse, it undoubtedly carries a strong message about addiction and how it flows from one generation to the next. My favourite line from this album comes in the first song, Donna: “Your mother never was one.”

That brings us to the end of the letter L in our journey through the vinyl world of Norman. Next up is, it goes without saying, is the letter M. If it goes without saying why did I say it? I look forward to some exciting music in the M catalogue.

But first, we have some new music that I just scored.

Gram Parsons GP/Grievous Angel

I heard this playing in Record Collectors Paradise and liked it so much I bought it. I played it through when I got home, but it will need another listen to soak in some of the nuances because a lot is happening between the grooves.

Humble Pie – Rockin’ The Fillmore

I must have bought this album in the late 1970s, and one song off the album seared a memory node in my skull. That song is Walk On Gilded Splinters.

“I Walk on Gilded Splinters,” originally written and recorded by Dr. John, is often interpreted as walking on something seemingly beautiful or valuable on the surface but is actually painful and dangerous, like walking on sharp pieces of gold; it’s a metaphor for navigating a treacherous situation that appears glamorous or alluring on the outside, with the “gilded splinters” representing hidden dangers or pitfalls. Walking on gilded splinters can be seen as navigating a life where external appearances can be deceiving, and one must be careful not to be fooled by superficial beauty. 

I don’t know why I remembered this song from a two-disc set. I just now listened to the whole album; it is decent music. But, it is not an album I will be pulling out to listen to frequently, but occasionally, when the gilded splinters poke me as I walk over them.

Mad At The World – Mad at the World

Mad at the World is Christian synth-pop from 1987, it should have stayed there. I liked the cover art more than the music.

Taj Mahal – The Real Thing

I can remember the first time I listened to this album. Clear as a bell, I will share the back story if you don’t mind. It was about 1980, and I had just arrived in Edmonton to start a new job. I got the job, but I needed a place to crash until I had enough money to rent my own place. I stayed (overstaying?) with my cousin and his wife. I had left most of my belongings at my parent’s in Red Deer, including my albums and stereo. So I bought a cheap portable record player, a small suitcase type, and a set of cheap headphones. I cut the speaker wires in the player, cut the plug end off of the headphones and spliced the wires together so I could listen to music without bothering anyone else. Or so I thought. It was Friday, and I had retired to my bedroom with a dozen beer and a couple of new records. 

I was into the box several beers and listening to one of the new albums, The Real Thing by Taj Mahal, when I heard some shouting. It came from my cousin’s wife. She was ranting about how the scratching noise from my record player was driving her crazy, and she wanted me to move out ASAP! I then heard her bedroom door close with a mighty slam. I was shocked by how good her hearing must be to hear the noise that a record needle makes without any amplification. I lifted said needle out of the groove and pondered the situation. While I was pondering, I had to take a whiz, I never did have a good bladder. As I walked back to my bedroom, my cousin’s wife’s best friend, who had been visiting, asked me if she could talk to me. She was attractive, and I had enough beer in me to lower my inhibitions, so I complied. She then told me that I had to move out because my cousin and his wife wanted the room I was in for the baby that they were expecting. I told her this was news to me, but I was ok with that and told her I would move out by the end of the month when I got paid. And that is how I came to have Taj Mahal’s album, The Real Thing, seared into my memory.

I listened to some other Taj Mahal albums this week. My favourite is Recycling the Blues & Other Related Stuff, but they were all a good listen.

I was shocked to realize how long it had been since his albums had graced my turntable. I really must try to visit some of these albums more frequently.

I know what the problem is. When I had 50, or even a hundred albums, I would flip through them trying to find something to listen to, and my fingers would alight upon Recycling the Blues & Other Related Stuff, and I would listen to it. I now have about 1500 vinyl albums and don’t flip through them, so I embarked on my quest to listen to every album, starting with ABBA. I am just getting into M this week, so it was a pleasure to listen to my humble collection of Taj Mahal records.

I also realized that all of my Taj Mahal records are from the first 6 years of his recording career, from 1968 to 1974, and I do not have any of his CDs. Weird!

Taj Mahal The Real Thing

Taj Mahal Giant Step/De Old Folks At Home

Taj Mahal The Natch’l Blues

Taj Mahal Oooh, So Good’ N Blues

Taj Mahal Recycling the Blues & Other Related Stuff

Taj Mahal Mo’ Roots

January 20, 2025

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It has been a marvellous week in my music corner. Record Collectors Paradise had a sale of overstocked records that they were selling for $5 each, and the CDs were two for $5. I walked out with ten albums and two CDs and settled in for some serious listening. I made it through five albums, and a new CD player is in the mail. A road trip may be on the to-do list to listen to music; it’s a thing that we love to do: drive, listen to some music, and talk about it.

I also listened to music from Bark and Mystic Sons, PR firms, so I will include some mini reviews of them today as well. So, let’s dive into what I listened to this week.

Ira & Charles Louvin Ira & Charles Louvin

These guys are mostly remembered for the cover of one of their albums, Satan Is Real. For 1959, this was a real kicker. It has mellowed with age and is considered more of a cheesy oddity today. Apart from the album cover, these two gentlemen could sing great harmony between them. Their star shone briefly, but it shone brightly. They mostly played bluegrass with a strong gospel flavour. I grew up listening to this music, so giving it a positive review is only natural.

Loggins & Messina Full Sail

Loggins & Messina So Fine

I was never much of a Loggins & Messina fan, and these two albums did nothing to change that. They aren’t bad; they just aren’t albums that appeal to me.

Spacemen 3  Perfect Prescription

Spacemen 3 are just what the doctor ordered to lift your spirits. I don’t know where to put them genre-wise. Psychedelic trance? It is good music to flop on the sofa and read a book with.

Lee Scratch Perry Reggae Greats

Lee Scratch Perry was a pillar in the reggae scene. He worked with and produced for various artists, including Bob Marley and the Wailers, Junior Murvin, the Congos, Max Romeo, Adrian Sherwood, Beastie Boys, Ari Up, the Clash, the Orb, and many others. That’s an impressive resume.

Crosby, Stills & Nash CS&N

I have been listening to the music of CRN and sometimes Y for a long time. I saw Neil Young live in 1984 and Crosby in 2016, and their albums from the 1970s to the present. This album follows on the heels of Déjà Vu, and that is a hard act to follow. I liked listening to this, but it is not as strong as some of their other material, solo and collectively.

Bob Dylan Slow Train A Coming

The Slow Train is the first of Dylan’s Christian albums, which probably turned a few folks away from listening to this album. The Christians filled that gap nicely. Dylan had been riding a downer with some of the worst reviews in his career. Slow Train pulled him up, and this album received mostly positive reviews and a Grammy. I enjoyed it immensely. I also love the album artwork.

Iron Butterfly In-Gadda-Da-Vida

In-Gadda-Da-Vida is one of those albums that everyone should have in their collection. It is famous for its 17-minute track, In-Gadda-Da-Vida. I doubt if many people could name a song on side one of this album. I listened to it and was surprised at how good it sounded. I hadn’t listened to In-Gadda-Da-Vida for donkey years; this was a good blast from the past.

Bob Dylan Dylan

Dylan, the album, was not a good blast from the past. File this album at the bottom of the pile under oddities. I doubt if I will ever listen to this again.

RORO and snapir COLORS LEFT

I had been savouring the single Mass that RORO and Snapir released last year and anxiously awaited the release of this whole album, Colors Left. It does not disappoint. From the energetic opening track, Tehran Jewel, to Mass, to Colors Left, there is not a dull moment to be had. This needs curated listening, over and over, to catch all the nuances. If this is Colors Left, I am curious to know what Colours Right was all about.

“Our goal was to create a soundscape that represents emotional rebirth,” the duo explains. “Each track is a deliberate exploration of bringing colour back into a monochromatic experience.” The album’s creation served as both a healing process and a platform for artistic discovery, combining digital glitches, dark ambient, and future garage elements with sophisticated production techniques.

From the club-ready rhythms of ‘Fractures’ to the enveloping warmth of ‘Lacuna’ and the primal intensity of ‘Mass,’ each track contributes to a carefully curated sonic journey. Yet, the album’s focus track, Tehran Jewel, establishes the album’s distinctive character, beginning with distorted electronic elements before transitioning into powerful, dark rhythms. The track creates an atmospheric foundation that invites deep listening and interpretation. Throughout the album, carefully constructed moments of dissonance challenge listeners to find meaning within the seeming chaos. As the artists themselves reflect, every element is intentional, making the apparent disorder all the more compelling—. “Nothing is superfluous, making the disorder more intriguing. If everything has its place, how can the pieces feel so randomly fractured?” says the duo.

The music of RORO and snapir on Colours Left challenged and engaged me. The whole album complemented the single Mass, which I had kept on repeat since it hit my inbox last year. I have a strong feeling that this will be on a playlist at the end of the year.

DISCOVER RORO

INSTAGRAM | WEBSITE | SOUNDCLOUD 

DISCOVER SNAPIR 

INSTAGRAM | WEBSITE |  SPOTIFY

For all press enquiries, please contact james@barkpr.co.uk, or dan@mysticsons.com 

Until next week, happy listening, my friends.

January 13, 2025

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I rarely miss a blog week, but I did that in the first week of 2025. In my defence, I was rather sick and hadn’t listened to any new music until then. I listened to some good albums in the letter L as I continued my journey through our vinyl slabs. So, without further ado, let’s see what we listened to in the first two weeks of 2025, up to Sunday, January 12.

The good folks at Big Stir (https://bigstirrecords.com/home) came through first to the post with the album Back To California by the band 20/20. But before getting there, we must travel the road from January 1 to today, January 13. These will be mini-readers to add some context to the sounds.

Joyce Landorf  For People Who Don’t Hear The Music Anymore

She has a good voice, which could be used better than it is on this album; it is a great album name, though.

Leapy Lee Little Arrows

Earworm warning. Thinking about this song without hearing it is enough to generate an earworm. Little Arrows is a catchy, radio-friendly song that causes the remainder of the album to be overlooked, and that is a shame because Leapy Lee has a good voice.

Byron Lee and The Dragonaires  Dancing Is Forever

Byron Lee is recognized in Jamaica for his contribution to the music of Jamaica, the Caribbean, and eventually abroad. Lee has a deep catalogue: https://www.discogs.com/artist/29820-Byron-Lee-And-The-Dragonaires

Alvin Lee & Mylon LeFevre On The Road To Freedom

On The Road To Freedom is an interesting mash-up of two artists who play in different worlds. Alvin Lee is best known for contributing to the band Ten Years After. Mylon LeFevre is a Christian musician.

John Lennon John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band

John Lennon Imagine

John Lennon Shaved Fish

I don’t have words to express my feelings while playing John Lennon’s music.

Lettermen All-Time Greatest Hits

Lettermen All-Time Greatest Hits

Good harmony and folksy music.

Gary Lewis And The Playboys This Diamond Ring

I had a first print of this once upon a time. I also encountered a lovely lady who liked this album and deserved better than me.

Gordon Lightfoot Don Quixote

Gordon Lightfoot Here On Earth

Gordon Lightfoot Sit Down Young Stranger

I like Gordon Lightfoot’s music. He has a unique vocal style that is his alone, and he does Canada proud.

Centrale Discotheek Rotterdam

Pink Floyd Piper At The Gates Of Dawn

I played this twice.

Spacemen 3  Performance

I need to plug this into the amp and crank it.

The Limeliters  Our Men in San Francisco

The Limeliters  Time To Gather Seeds

Nice harmony in folk music.

Little Feat Waiting For Columbas Disc 1

Little Feat Waiting For Columbas Disc 2

I listened to Little Feat in my first incarnation, then lost contact with them during my lost years, and then found them again just now. I still like them.

Todd Rundgren  Something Anything

There is something about Todd Rundgren that has a magical, magnetic pull on me.

That brings us to today, January 13, as I write this, and Back to California by the band 20/20 is on the virtual turntable. I put this album on repeat, and I have racked up a dozen trips as I kept Coming back to California. There are some albums that I have heard once, and that is enough. There are some albums that I have listened to once, and that was one too many times. There are some albums that I can listen to more than once, and I still find them enjoyable. Some albums will become anual listeners given enough time to find that groove from the turntable to my brain. And some of those albums will become deserted island albums.

Coming Back to California by 20/20 isn’t a Deserted Island album yet, but it has passed the first test, the “repeat listener and still like it” category. The next step needs several months to see if I still like it. We’ll see how it fares in the year-end summary. Meanwhile, let’s listen to the album again and focus on the details.

The lead track is the title track, Coming Back To California. There are multiple reasons as to why we would be going back. The lyrics are open to speculation, giving us, the listeners, a chance to think about why we would be going back. I was a long-haired hippy when a friend and I dropped everything, jumped in my car and pointed it in the direction of California. I put some figurative flowers in my hair in 1975 and travelled up and down the west coast. We didn’t have Trump back then, but I would like to know what he would have thought of a Mexico-to-Canada border trip with some long-haired hippy freaks (Signs by Five Man Electrical Band.)

It’s gut-wrenching time when we get to track two. “Why Do I Hurt Myself?” I have an addictive personality; I easily get hooked on things, and then I ask, “Why Do I Hurt Myself?” I could go through this song line by line, nodding my head in demonstration of agreeing and keeping tempo because half the fun is in the music, and the other half is the lyrics. Great song, with credit to:

STEVE ALLEN: VOCALS, GUITAR, KEYBOARD

RON FLYNT: VOCALS, BASS, KEYBOARD, BARITONE GUITAR 

RAY FLYNT: DRUMS, PERCUSSION

p.s. I love the harmonica coda

p.s.s. There is some lovely bass work, not just in this song. Play the album from start to finish, and listen for just the bass.

Dang it all, I am only on the third track, and this is changing from a glance at what I listened to in the last two weeks to a short book of music observations.

Throwing all caution aside, we dive in deeper, and the Springtime Love Song gives us some excellent guitar work. As a former guitar player, I know excellent pickin’ when I hear it, and I hear it in the Springtime Love Song.

This album takes a harsh grinding of the gears and shifts into some rocky terrain. “Lucky Heart” cries out for Donald and hopes that he has a heart. The headlines shout the news that Los Angeles is on fire and Laurel Canyon is in there. I hope everyone gets out safely, and I hope that their lives can heal and have hope for the future.

Wow, these lyrics hit home. Jumping ahead to the closing track, Farewell.

“Farewell farewell my good friend 

Farewell farewell my good friend

I hope that I told you that I love you

I hope that I told you that I care”

I hope I have told you that I love this album.

I hope I told you that Coming Back to California is an album you should add to your collection.

I hope to go back to California.

I hope that you like this album as much as I do.

2024 In The Rearview Mirror

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Making year-end summaries is always a long and occasionally tedious process. I have to review all the blogs I wrote this year and take notes on which bands I liked and some fringe players I think deserve a second listen. Then, I listened to all the albums (some get a brief glance) again, reviewing what I had written, which was enjoyable. Generally speaking, I wouldn’t say I like making best-of lists, but I will indulge and offer some highlights from this year’s listening sessions.

I listened to about 400 albums this year, with a mix of vinyl, streaming, CDs and a few cassettes thrown in. Having broken my hip certainly impacted my listening for the first 3 or 4 months of the year. I didn’t make a spreadsheet this year, so I don’t have the data on my listening that I usually have.

Regardless of the numbers, it was a good year. There were plenty of new albums and artists that I had not heard of before. I want to thank the PR firms that kept entertaining me with new music. A few independent bands sent me their albums. Thank you. p.s. I am always grateful for the physical copies, any media type.

My beloved Technics turntable reached its last run-out groove. It is 42 years old, so it is ready for retirement. I bought a new audio-technica turntable from Record Collectors Paradise, and look forward to hearing it play music in 2025. I also put new speakers in my office, where I do most of my writing. So, without further ado, here is what I heard in 2024.

Best New Music

Evidence of a Struggle – Keep It

From Shameless Promotion PR, I was offered this album to blog something about. I listened to it numerous times, and apart from saying that I enjoyed it, I provided no commentary on why I liked it.

The press sheet called the music ‘lush, cinematic, beautiful and sometimes chaotic compositions.’ Yeah, it is all of those words, ’nuff said.

Modern Guilt – We’ll Always Have Vegas

I am listening to Modern Guilt’s album We’ll Always Have Vegas. I blogged it in February, so there has been a significant amount of time between my first exposure to the music and now.

I originally wrote that We’ll Always Have Vegas felt very personal, and the lyrics’ sent me chills.’ I am listening to the album as I write this, and it has not lost anything since my first listen and today. It has enjoyable music and good lyrics; Modern Guilt hit a home run with We’ll Always Have Vegas.

Between the Dead and the Dreaming from Ten Millimeter Omega Recordings

Atmospheric chill music. Bandcamp describes Between the Dead and the Dreaming as “dark ambient/instrumental music from Jason Herring of the Mystery Plan, the Interstellar, and Muchacho.” That about sums it up.

Thanks to Ten Millimeter Omega Recordings for suggesting this album to me.

Welcome to The Marble Zone. I am still figuring out what to add to my blog in April. It sums it up well. I enjoy this album; it is a standout for the year, to be sure. Thank you to Bark Music for this audio gem.

GCBC

Best Compilation Albums

Generation Blue from Big Stir Records

I like mix tapes and compilation albums, so when Christina & Rex from Big Stir Records told me about Generation Blue, I was happy to give it a virtual spin. The Shufflepucks’, Where The Hell Is She is the opening salvo, which has retained its energy since my first spin in March. Broken Tooth by Campfire Girls is another standout song I am enjoying as I blog about it. It’s good music. This is a good collection of good tunes.

Various – Stiffs Live

Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello and Ian Dury & the Blockheads appeared on this compilation album. I’ve said a hundred times and will say again, ‘I like compilation albums.’ And this is a humdinger of a collection, loaded with favourite artists of mine from the British New Wave period.

Best Live Show 

Explosions In The Sky – Live at Midway

It still sends a chill down my spine when I think about this live show. I was enthralled, held, and fixated for a couple of hours. A handful of bands and artists have wrapped their music around me like chains fashioned from sheet music. Explosions In The Sky is the most recent band to do so. They are not a flashy band. The lights used on stage were subtle and occasionally blinding when they used backlighting for the stage, Explosions In The Sky is not the only band guilty of this. That was the only mar on an otherwise enchanted evening. Thank you Joel. https://jweatherly.ca

Best New Vintage Album

CSN&Y – Live At Fillmore East, 1969

This album was recorded shortly before their standout album, Déjà Vu (1970), and before their live album, 4 Way Street (1971.) On Live At Fillmore East, 1969, we get to hear four talented musicians, who are arguably stars outside of CSN&Y, coming together and feeling their way towards being a group and not four men on guitars. They are rough in patches and golden on other tracks. A highlight for me was the 16-minute solo of Down By The River showcasing what Young brought to the band. It’s not as polished as 4 Way Street, but it is part of its charm to hear the rough edges before they did Déjà Vu, their most successful album and a studio album squeezed between these live albums.

Best Video 

David Byrne – American Utopia

The American Upopia show was one of the best live shows I have been to, and this video captures a lot of the charm. The video is from the Broadway show of American Utopia, which received a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

Best Band Name

Ned’s Atomic Dustbin – God Fodder

Thanks to Kevin from On Repeat for reviewing this album, which I promptly listened to.

Best Album/band names

Jerry Jerry and the Sons of Rhythm Orchestra – Road Gore: The Band That Drank Too Much

Best Electronic/Rock/Industrial/Coldwave

PIG – Red Room 

Thanks to Shauna (contact@shamelesspromotionpr.com) at Shameless Promotion PR for suggesting this to me. 

Best Single

RORO and snapir – Mass

Thank you to Daniel Jones at Mystic Sons music publishing.

My Favourite Albums That I Play Every Year

Pink Floyd – The Dark Side Of The Moon

The consistent yearly winner 51 years in a row. I never tire of listening to this album. I first bought it on vinyl, the next day I bought it on cassette so I could play it in my car. Between 1973 and 2024 I have probably acquired over a two dozen copies of this album in various formats. I use this album for the first listen on any bit of new hardware I acquire since I know how DSotM sounds. Within the last week or so I have used DSotM twice, a new turntable and a new set of speakers. It’s getting better all the time.

The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

I don’t know what I could at to this album’s notes. It fully deserves to be called a classic album.

Bee Gees – Best Of The Bee Gees

Best Of Bee Gees is the first album I bought with my own money.

King Crimson – In The Court Of The Crimson King

I have 12 records by King Crimson, and I listened to all of them chronologically this year. The photo below was taken in London at the Royal Albert Hall in 2019, where King Crimson put on a fantastic concert to celebrate the 50th anniversary of In The Court Of The Crimson King.

Assorted and Sundry Albums

Isaac Hayes – Hot Buttered Soul

A fantastic album, Isaac Hayes’s cover of ‘By The Time I Get To Phoenix’ is brilliant on an already excellent record. Hot Buttered Soul is on my list of deserted island records.

Jethro Tull – Aqualung

1971 for this one, 53 years ago. I remember when I bought Aqualung and played it when I got home. Mom and Dad had one stereo in the living room, and my parents were less enthusiastic about Jethro Tull than I was. It’s funny; the only two albums they ever complained about were Aqualung and Imagine by John Lennon. And then I bought a stereo and a good pair of over-the-ear headphones and never heard them critique my music again.

Talking Heads – Fear Of Music

I can remember surveying a well site south of Hardisty and playing this cassette over and over. Now I play it on vinyl or CD, it is still an album that gets played yearly.

Jefferson Airplane – Surrealistic Pillow

Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – No More Shall We Part

Bill Evans Trio – Live at the Village Vanguard

Bill Evans Trio performing Live at the Village Vanguard ranks up near the top of my favourite live album, and it is a damn good record even if it wan’t live.

Dave Brubeck Quartet – Time Out

Musicians That We Lost In 2024 

Kris Kristofferson (June 22, 1936 – Sept. 28, 2024)

Melanie (Feb. 3, 1947 – Jan. 23, 2024)

They have shuffled off their earthly coils, but they will live on through the gift of music that they have given to us.

Best Late Addition

St. Vincent – All Born Screaming

I am at a loss to explain how this flew under my radar since it was released in April. I have been a casual listener of St. Vincent’s music, but this album made me a fan. Powerful music that leaps out of the speakers and engulfs me, this album pumps energy to the next level. All Born Screaming opens with pulses of bass/percussion, and then Hell Is Near settles into a smooth crooner. All good, right? Yes, it is good. Any album’s opening track should draw the listener in and pique their curiosity enough to keep listening past track one. St. Vincent accomplishes that with ease. Track two, Reckless, comes along with soft piano musings and the smooth vocals of St. Vincent, showing the versatility of her vocals, accompanied by a gentle bit of orchestration. Boom! At 2:40, the song explodes and jars our attention to ensure we are still listening. I am! I am listening! The drama, suspense and energy keep unfolding through the remainder of the album; this truly deserves to be included on my list of good ones in 2024.

2024 is fading in the rear view mirror and 2025 is unfolding before me. I finished the letter K in my quest to listen to all my records. I started this journey January 2022. I look forward to the letter L in January.

I wonder what musical gems I will listen to in the year ahead.

50/52

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It has been a busy week, musically speaking. Rather mundane otherwise. A friend donated a stack of records, 34 slabs, and just a shade over 33 and 1/3. I also really enjoyed our visit. I was in my happy place. Later that evening, I cleaned vinyl, put some clean clothes on them, found out who they were, and added them to the WeatheredMusic family on Discogs. And then, I started listening to them.

There was, amazingly, only album that I already had. However, there were some old friends I had never brought back into the fold after one of my record purges and some that had been on my wishlist but never made it to our basement. Overall, it was a diverse selection, everything from The Who, a lovely blast from the past, to 2001: A Space Odyssey, which is not only a blast from the past, but also an expectation of what the furture could be. For the remainder, I will briefly comment on each album and any lengthier reviews will have to wait till a future date.

Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté – Ali and Toumani

I’ll jump into the way-back machine and go to 2010. This album features fantastic talent that I can spend hours listening to. What Ali does on guitar blows me away. Talent, raw talent. Toumani introduced me to the Malian instrument, the kora. A kora typically has 21 strings, which are played by plucking with the fingers. I struggle to play a guitar with 6 strings or a uke with 4 strings; I can not imagine the complexity of playing a kora. Ali Farka Touré, on the other hand, is a master of his guitar. I have to go and listen to this again.

‘Ali and Toumani’ is a 2010 record by Malian musicians Ali Farka Touré on the guitar and vocals and Toumani Diabaté on the kora. The title, ‘Ali and Toumani, ‘not only signifies the collaboration between these two musical giants but also serves as a tribute to their individual contributions to the album. It is the second album featuring the two musicians; it is a follow-up to In the Heart of the Moon, released in 2005. Recorded in 2005 in London before concert dates in Europe following the release of In the Heart of the Moon, the album was released after Touré died in 2006. Ali and Toumani feature some older songs from Touré’s repertoire: ‘Sabu Yerkoy,’ which celebrates Mali’s independence, dates from the 1960s, and ‘Sina Mory’ is the first song Touré ever heard on guitar in 1956. Diabaté states, ‘[t]he album was going to sum up all the albums that Ali had done in the past…It was the very last album he made.’

Aursjoen – Strand

Aursjoen is the project of Ria Aursjoen, vocalist and keyboardist for the critically acclaimed San Francisco post-punk outfit Octavian Winters. Ria Aursjoen is a classically trained singer and multi-instrumentalist with a past steeped in genres ranging from Celtic and Nordic folk to darkwave and progressive metal.

All songs written & performed by Ria Aursjoen

Arranged by Ria Aursjoen and William Faith

Guitars on ‘Lilypad’ & ‘Apollo’ by Stephan Bryan Salit

Produced, recorded, mixed & mastered by William Faith at 13 Studio in Chicago

Published by Airdaughter Music BMI

Released by Stratis Capta Records

Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR

‘Nytår’ and ‘For Want Of’ videos by David Kruschke Cover artwork by Ria Aursjoen

Keep up with AURSJOEN

https://aursjoen.com http://www.facebook.com/aursjoen http://aursjoen.bandcamp.com https://www.instagram.com/riaaursjoen https://twitter.com/RiaAursjoen

https://www.youtube.com/@AURSJOEN https://open.spotify.com/artist/0dOhU4BBpKctJ0kYmrSfHV

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

Aerolinea– All We Need

US-Argentinian indie-pop duo Aerolinea presents debut album ‘All We Need’ & ‘Nervous’ video.

FOR SHARING

‘All We Need’ album order  https://aerolinea.bandcamp.com/album/all-we-need

‘Nervous’ video  https://youtu.be/mwltFSYZFxU

Spotify  https://open.spotify.com/album/13UPYvTybuzdn00codoyMB

‘What Moves You’ video  https://youtu.be/Z62JeBTIQg0

Bandcamp  https://aerolinea.bandcamp.com/track/what-moves-you

Spotify  https://open.spotify.com/album/6UPlrF8EnsIfYoaQjHDqkn

Apple Music  https://music.apple.com/us/album/what-moves-you-single/1772719636

YouTube Music  https://music.youtube.com/channel/UCZLsdJiKOyFf7WLfdwelQ6A

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

The Who – Meaty, Beaty and Bouncy

Meaty, Beaty and Bouncy, this was a fun record with several standout songs, Pinball Wizard and My Generation, to name a few.

The Beatles – Hey Jude

When I was putting this into Discogs, I was surprised that I didn’t already have a copy. That oversight has been corrected, and I spent a delightful chunk of time while I listened to this album again.

ELO – Discovery

I was never a big fan of ELO, but I enjoy their music when it pops up here and there, primarily soundtracks and Wal-Mart muzak.

Kerala Dust – Late Sun

The Honeydippers – Volume One

Weather Report – Weather Report

Weather Report by Weather Report reported by WeatherMusic aka Norman Weatherly.

The Beatles – The Beatles Second Album

The Beatles Second album is a standout gem, this record is best enjoyed by those who have lived through the time it occupied in history. I don’t hear my son playing The Beatles, except for Sgt. Pepper now and again.

Johnny Cash – At San Quentin

One of the standout characteristics of Johnny Cash’s live albums is how the capture the man in his element, making music and connecting with people. Whether you like his music or not, I think it is obvious that he knew how to do his job and this album exemplifies that. He is bantering with the crowd and delivering song after song that spoke of prison, physically or metamorphically.

Five Man Electrical – The Power of the Five Man Electrical Band

One song. This album has that one song. Signs. One word, Signs. One reason to own this album, Signs.

Robin Williams – Reality…What A Concept

Comedy records have to be recorded live. There is too much energy bouncing around between the comedian and the audence that can not be captured in a recording studio. It has been my experience that comedy albums are good for one listen. With occasional exemoary album getting two listens. As good as Robin Williams was, he will only get one listen from on this album.

Billy Joel – The Stranger

I don’t know why but my brain has Billy Joel on repeat this year, which is OK with me since I do enjoy his music and his skill at weaving a story. This was the second listen of this album this year and I liked it both times. 

Goose Creek Symphony  – Words of Earnest

Goose Creek Symphony harkens back to a dark period in my life. I was graduating from high school, getting my first job, and owning my own stereo. It should have been happy days ahead, what I didn’t know at the time was that there were dark days ahead.

I relistened to this album, I had never owned my personal copy, with clear eyes and a steady hand at the wheel. I have found some music that I may have been avoiding to avoid those memories. This is some very good music that I will for sure listen to again.

49/52

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Here is what tickled my ears over the past seven days.

Various – Rock ‘N’ Roll of the 70’s

The Moody Blues – Greatest Hits

The Giraffes – Cigarette

Baby Pictures – Wow! This is one of the best album openers I have heard recently. The lyrics resonated with me, and the music moved me.

“Moving on every time he couldn’t stay clean got him a room

To hunker down and hide from the covid nineteen

Well, he could’ve been you, and he could’ve been me”

Baby Pictures starts slow, like a baby learning to walk, builds, gets energized and blasts with those lyrics. I worked in addiction counselling for about 15 years, and those lyrics jumped off the page. “Moving on” is only too real. Guys, I would be proud to call them friends and brothers in our family of men who are in recovery. And then they move and hunker down in their bottomless pit of addiction in some crack house, hiding from everyone, including themselves.

“Well, he could’ve been you, and he could’ve been me”

All people with an addiction are one clean day away from returning to their flop houses. I don’t believe the time ever comes when we can say we are entirely apart from our addiction. I, like many others, change our addiction to something that society finds less troublesome. I went from being an alcoholic to having an insane amount of music in our house. It could’ve been you, and it could’ve been me all too easily. Staying clean takes hard work and commitment. On hard days, and those days come to us all, it is easy to say fuck it all and fall back to our old ways that don’t take hard work, accountability, social skills, commitment and a longer list than I want to post today.

That is just the opening track to an album that is good front-to-back. Skipping ahead a couple of tracks, we get to the song “Dead Byrd.” Shifting gears, this song gears down to a slower pace, but the lyrics got me again. 

We overflow with our promises 

And our promises like all promises

Are hopeful lies.

Yeah, they’re hopeful lies

We learn to lie, and the more we do it, the easier it gets. We make promises we do not keep but hope they will become reality someday. We hope that magic unicorn dust will someday turn our lies into reality. If we lie enough, we become habitual liars. But they are still lies, ‘Yeah, they’re hopeful lies.”

“The song “Million Year Old Song” is chugging power all the way. I love it.

From “The Shot” is this gem of wisdom, 

“But the best part about being caught

Being cornered being forced to stop is that the pressures off.”

The album closes with the track Lazarus, a song that I am still trying to get a grip on what the message is. I have preached sermons on the complex life and death of Lazarus. I am more bewildered after hearing this song. I will listen to this album several more times and see if I get something.

Closing thoughts: I enjoyed this: The Giraffes new album Cigarette. I have listened to it several times and like it better after each session. I guess the best is yet to come.

TRACK LIST

1. Baby Pictures

2. Pipes

3. Limping Horse

4. Dead Bird

5. Million Year Old Song

6. The Shot

7. Lazarus

Keep up with The Giraffes

Website https://thegiraffes.squarespace.com 

Bandcamp https://thegiraffes1.bandcamp.com

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TheGiraffes

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thegiraffesofficial

Twitter https://x.com/thegiraffes

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@giraffes.official

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_MNr2PJpoZxBtyHCDXa52A

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/3OfQhA76hhDafHFYgyyokm

Apple Music https://music.apple.com/ca/artist/the-giraffes/4292129

Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR

Pause.

I had to pause after The Giraffes and reset my ears for another listening experience. Up next, we have The Pilgrimage by Arne Jansen, Anders Jormin and Uwe Steinmetz. I was looking for some chill music for bedtime a couple of days back and came upon this gem that is good to listen to at any time of day. But I still like it at bedtime.

King Crimson – Starless and Bible Black

Starless and Bible Black opens with classic King Crimson music; however, before the end of side one, it has morphed into a jazzy, open improvisation, psychedelic, prog/rock sound that continues on Side 2. Starless is a complex album, and I highly recommend reading the Wikipedia entry for a more lengthy story than I am offering here.

King Crimson – USA

USA is a live album that could easily be mistaken for a greatest hits album. It is another release that I encourage you to read more about on Wikipedia.

mewithoutYou – Live (vol. One)

I had been following mewithouYou for years. We had all of their discography but never seen them live. When their farewell tour came to Vancouver, we got 2 tickets, got a hotel room within walking distance of the venue and flew from Edmonton to Vancouver the day before the show. We loved the show, and it was amazing to see them live.

While we are on the topic of mewithouYou playing live, they released a stream of them live today. Also available on vinyl, CD, and cassette. Live (vol. One) is a good album, but it doesn’t matter how good they are; no one has been able to capture the blood, sweat and tears of the band on a stage, their energy, the crowd energy and the experience of being in a room with the band standing in front of you. At the same time, you are surrounded by people who love the band as much as you do. It is magical; this album is as close to that experience as possible. There are old favourite songs such as Tie Me Up! Untie Me! They sound amazing. mewithoutYou – Live (vol. One) could be the Frampton Comes Alive of this new era—or the whole Live at Budokan thing with Cheap Trick and Bob Dylan.

Wild, I am sitting at my desk with my head bobbing despite the headache that I have and my foot tapping despite the hip replacement surgery I had less than a year ago. Timothy Hay and O’Porcupine have captured me, live no less; the energy of Michael Weiss and Brandon Beaver on guitars, Greg Jehanian’s bass behind Aaron Weiss’ anguished vocals and pushing him towards me, and I am pumping the air to the beat of Rickie Mazzotta on percussion. And everywhere we look, Allah, Allah, Allah. All Circles is what their albums do on my turntable.

Love Ghost x SKOLD – Love Ghost x SKOLD

Click to access 2024-10-18-Listening_to_music_may_speed_up_recovery.pdf

This is a link to a study on how music may speed up recovery after surgery. The answer is, it does. I used music as a part of addiction recovery, which is finding healing as well.

Thanks for checking out this meandery stroll through the music I listened to this past week.

Hello Operator 48/52

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Here we go again with Norman’s listening for the past week.

I expect the younger members of our population to be unfamiliar with having an operator on their telephones. I am old enough to remember phone operators, pay phones, phone booths and party lines. I also remember songs about operators; happily, songs are still written about them. One of those songs is Hello Operator by Librarians With Hickeys.

The operator song that came to mind first for me was Operator by Jim Croce. This song was a big hit for Croce. Unfortunately, he was not able to enjoy it since he was killed in an airplane accident on September 20, 1973, my birthday. Hello Operator also makes a great earworm, thanks Jim.

Researching songs about telephone operators revealed that the internet community had already prepared multiple lists. Many, many lists. Long, long lists. I trimmed it down to 20 songs and then pruned that down to this handful.

Memphis, Tennessee by Chuck Berry

This great song was a big hit for Chuck Berry and was covered by everybody and their shadows, including Elvis. There is a sequel to this song called Little Marie that fills in some details not covered in Memphis, Tennessee and gives it a happy ending.

Switchboard Susan by Nick Lowe

The boys from Rockpile got together and gave Nick Lowe a hit with this song from his 1979 album, Labour of Lust. England was pumping out great new-wave music in 1979. Nick Lowe was in good company with the likes of Elvis Costello, Dave Edmunds, Ian Dury, and Ian Gomm; this is another list that goes on and on. It was great music.

Telephone Line by Electric Light Orchestra

As with many of my selections, it would be easy to ascertain when I hit my peak in listening, the 70s and the 80s. This song fits right in there; it opens with a telephone dialling and then goes into the ELO groove; they had a unique sound that was easy to like.

Don’t Call Us We’ll Call You by Sugarloaf

It’s yet another era song, 1974, for this one. Sugarloaf would have been a great band to see live. They have that vibe, the energy in their music.

Sylvia’s Mother by Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show

Sylvia’s Mother was Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show’s first hit song. It was written by Shel Silverstein, who penned more music than you can shake a stick at, and he had them recorded for a who’s who roster of great entertainers. He was a very gifted man and a man of many talents.

Promised Land by Elvis Presley

I am not a big fan of Elvis, my youngest sister liked/likes him. However, I do acknowledge that he had talent and changed the world through his music. Promised Land is another Chuck Berry cover, and since I gave the first one to Chuck, I decided to give this one to Elvis. Both are excellent.

How To Make Friends By Telephone by Librarians With Hickeys started this blog, and that is what it will end with. They have a happy sound reminiscent of the early Brit Wave and ’60s radio pop. I like it. I have been listening to this album for a couple of weeks, and I am positive I mentioned them previously. My curiosity got the better of me, and I had to look it up. Yup, I did mention them in earlier blogs, back in 44 and 42 of 52. I also wrote about their previous album, Handclaps & Tambourines, twice. Based on the preponderance of evidence, I have concluded that I like the band Librarians With Hickeys.

However, it is not easy for me to give up my badge as a posse rider with The Grammar Police. The curse of the dreaded double negative has reared its ugly head. I have no choice but to place “she don’t want

nothin’ to do with me” in the brink. If she “don’t want nothing”, then she does want something. My Grammarly jumps all over that and wants me to change “don’t want nothing” into “don’t want anything.”

I apologize to the Librarians With Hickeys and the kind folks at Big Stir for my pedantic behaviour. If it is any consolation, I like the song and understand what the words are trying to convey. And I get it that expressions such as “don’t want nothing” have become a part of our colloquial language. I get it. And yet, something stirs within my heart every time I encounter these pesky double negatives.

Shall we carry on, Norman?

By all means, carry on.

Librarians With Hickeys is such a great band name. It gets the first entry in another blog, Weird and Wonderful Band Names. Stay tuned for further developments, folks. What else can I say about their most recent album, How To Make Friends By Telephone, besides the interesting band name?

It is good music. I have been spinning this album on my digital turntable for several weeks and still like it. The lead track is Hello Operator, which started my search for other songs that mention telephone operators. They have another song that they sing about operators, Ship to Shore. ” I think we’ve got a bad connection; please take my call.” This album is stacked with radio-friendly songs that I put on play, hit repeat and go about my day listening to How To Make Friends By Telephone by Librarians With Hickeys. I will give a plug for Elmedia Player. Apple Music has been glitching for weeks now and giving me a pain in the ass for months now. I finally got fed up and went with another player, Elmedia. Thus far, I have no complaints. I also use YouTube Music, which is very user-friendly. I enjoy using it to make lists like this one. 

https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6rE7v1qjyIOkZCJRaTp-zgE6KqMDaofv&si=CNPtAQZmnWwvxhzt

No matter how you listen to How To Make Friends By Telephone by Librarians With Hickeys, I hope you give this album a listen or several. The lyrics contain some witty comentaries about life, love and a bunch of other stuff. All of them are good. Enjoy. This album landed in my inbox courtesy of the fine folks at  Big Stir Records. Check them out while you listen to How To Make Friends By Telephone by Librarians With Hickeys.

BIG STIR RECORDS

Burbank, CA / Distributed Worldwide

Copyright © 2024 Big Stir Records
All Rights Reserved.
Design © Big Stir Records

44/52

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This week has been full of audio adventures, the highlight would probalby be the new CSN&Y album. There is only one surprise on this list and that is “bodies of divine infinite and eternal spirit. If the music isn’t your cup of tea you can probably agree that the bands name and the album name are interesting.

King Crimson – Islands

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Live At Fillmore East, 1969

Federale – Reverb & Seduction

Librarians With Hickeys – How To Make Friends By Telephone

bodies of divine infinite and eternal spirit – the great guitar of universal compassion

Peter, Paul, & Mary – The Very Best of Peter, Paul & Mary

The Orb & David Gilmour – Metallic Spheres In Colour

King Crimson – Islands

From Wikipedia:

“Islands is the fourth studio album by King Crimson, released on 3 December 1971 on the record label Island.  Islands is the only studio album to feature the 1971–1972 touring line-up of Robert Fripp, Mel Collins, Boz Burrell and Ian Wallace. This would be the last album before an entirely new group (except for Fripp) would record the trilogy of Larks’ Tongues in Aspic, Starless and Bible Black and Red between 1973 and 1974. This is also the last album to feature the lyrics of co-founding member Peter Sinfield.

Musically, the album expands on the improvisational jazz leanings of King Crimson’s previous album, Lizard. It received a mixed response from critics and fans.” Norman also gives it a mixed response. I have tried to like this album, but it remains lukewarm and elusive.

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Live At Fillmore East, 1969

Four Way Street is already on my deserted island playlist, and Déjà Vu is close behind, making ranking this album difficult. This was recorded shortly before Déjà Vu was released, and Four Way Street came the following year. The trio appears in this order: Live At Fillmore East in 1969, Déjà Vu in 1970 and Four Way Street in 1971.

I learned about Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (CSN&Y) in 1970 during a chance encounter in Montreal, Canada. I had a lengthy layover between flights, so I grabbed a cab to a nearby mall I knew had a record store. Déjà Vu was on the turntable, and I knew I had to buy that album. Fifty-four years later, I am still digging their music.

After just one listen, a highlight of Live At Fillmore East, 1969 is the 16 minutes of Down By The River. It’s incredible to hear these four musicians jam on four electric guitars. The closing song which follows Down By The River is Find The Cost of Freedom, and we hear four voices harmonizing. I am giving the album its second listen as I write this, and I love every second of it; these guys are next level.

I had my second go at Live At Fillmore East, 1969, and I must confess that it didn’t engage me like Four Way Street did. I’ve filed it in the library and will no doubt listen to it again. However, I didn’t have the rush of blood to my head that Déjà Vu or Four Way Street did. I remain hopefully optimistic until then.

Just for the record, I do not dislike Live At Fillmore East, 1969; it is a good album. It’s just not as good as Four Way Street. Live albums are a crap shoot at best. Everyone has an opinion on what the best live albums are. ‘Frampton Comes Alive!’ makes everyone’s best live albums list. Deep Purple ‘Made in Japan’ also shows up frequently; I think a lot is due to one song, Smoke On The Water. The Talking Heads’ amazing show, ‘Stop Making Sense,’ makes my list at number one, and Rolling Stone magazine puts it at eleven on their list. The Who, ‘Live at Leeds’ is a frequent flyer on these lists. Sunday at the Village Vanguard by Bill Evans would be on my list.

A few venues pop up on most lists of best live albums. Apollo Theater was in the Harlem district of New York City; it has been a significant venue for African American popular music. The list of musicians that graced its stage is enough to fill a book; several are written. Another important New York venue was The Fillmore East, dubbed the church of rock and roll due to the many great artists and penultimate shows it has hosted. Royal Albert Hall in England is a frequently used venue; it is a favourite of mine because I was privileged to see King Crimson play there. Budokan is a venue in Japan that has hosted some great live performances, including Bob Dylan and Cheap Trick. Birdland is the place to be if you want live jazz.

Live venues for Country and Western music usually default to The Grand Ole Opry, The Ryman or shows pulled from live radio performances, where The Opry and numerous stars got their start. The Carter Family and Hank Williams are just two highlights who started on the radio. According to the internet, Country and Western music seem to have one great live album, Waylon Jennings- Waylon Live! It shows up on list after list. Johnny Cash – At Folsom Prison is usually a distant second place.

The list of great live performances and their venue could go on and on. There are numerous web pages with their best live performance lists, which could be a list of the best lists. Ultimate Classic Rock is a decent list, and Rolling Stone has covered the rock and roll world quite well. There are too many lists for live jazz albums because jazz seems to come alive when played outside the studio. I could get lost on Reddit reading everyone’s opinion of the best live performances. I suggest listening to live performances and recordings of live performances and making your own list; that is what I did.

Federale – Reverb & Seduction

These guys have a sound that sucked my right in and held me for the entire length of this album. That’s all, folks; I just thought I would mention them because I listened to this album and liked it. Thank you, Shauna.

Dark Waters’ video  https://youtu.be/bxdF2FzNf8U

‘Reverb & Seduction’ album order  https://pocp.co/reverb-and-seduction

Bandcamp  https://federalemusic.bandcamp.com/album/reverb-seduction

Spotify  https://open.spotify.com/album/6gzstULLTR1OEwhnWeWojh

‘Heaven Forgive Me’ video  https://youtu.be/uj7VLYutKgw

‘Advice From a Stranger’ video https://youtu.be/szTf8z5-y9c

‘No Strangers’ video  https://youtu.be/RsiftDMjDNg

‘The Worst Thing I Ever Did Was Ever Loving You’ feat. Jenny Don’t https://youtu.be/pryjJsH_dvI 

Tour tickets https://www.songkick.com/artists/584775-federale

‘Reverb & Seduction’ is out now on CD and limited edition vinyl, as well as digitally everywhere, including Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal and Bandcamp.

Shameless Promotion PR at contact@shamelesspromotionpr.com

Librarians With Hickeys – How To Make Friends By Telephone

Dang it all! Double dang it! I listened to this album over and over, and twice yesterday. I was working on a little modelling project and had this album on repeat, and I listened to it with intention. I liked it but still have difficulty putting a label on the Librarians With Hickeys. They bring back a warm fuzzy feeling of the heady days of summer as teenagers in the sixties and listening to pop music on the radio as we cruised town. They have good lyrics with lots of the usual suspects: love found, love enjoyed, and love lost and telephones. True to the album name, How To Make Friends By Telephone, there are plenty of references to telephones that naturally brought to mind some songs that I know with telephone as either the title or subject matter of songs. And so off I went, first from memory and then assisted by the Discogs search engine, limited to my music collection. Undoubtedly, the list would be endless outside of this search.

The Carter Family – No Telephone In Heaven

Tom Waits – Telephone Call From Istanbul

ELO -Telephone Line

Jim Croce – Operator (That’s Not The Way It Feels)

Bob Dylan & The Band – Long Distance Operator

Dr. Hook And The Medicine Show – Sylvia’s Mother

Arcade Fire – Cars and Telephones

Back to the Librarians after that rabbit hole, I have enjoyed listening to their music and feel very strongly that I may return to them.

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bodies of divine infinite and eternal spirit – the great guitar of universal compassion

This album is new to me. I was strolling around the internet one night when inspecting the insides of my eyelids, and it wasn’t inducing sleep. I started scrolling through Apple Music for music to fall asleep with and found bodies of divine infinite and eternal spirit. They are not the best band to fall asleep listening to, but I was glad to find them. I knew absolutely nothing about bodies… so I turned my sleeplessness into a quest for knowledge about them. I found a bit of info on Bandcamp: https://b-odies.bandcamp.com/album/the-great-guitar-of-universal-compassion

And a bit more on 

I found out on that sleepless night that bodies… have a significant back catalogue that I will have to spend some time exploring. For the moment, I will limit my time to their newest adventure, the great guitar of universal compassion.

This is an exciting album from bodies… It travels through the realms of improv, but they don’t sound like a jam band. They also have a psychedelic feel, but I would not call them a psychedelic band. Discogs label their album “all the songs i know about fire” as rock. bodies… bodies are experimental and use musique concrète elements, whether from sample sources outside of the use of musical instruments or through the manipulation of those instruments sounds by various means, including the pedal board.

This is not music for everyone, but it has been excellent music for me. They didn’t put me to sleep but sent me on a quest to listen to more of their music. It has been a grand quest rewarded by hours of exciting music that pushed my music boundaries into new pathways.