Week 36 2023, 10 singles

You must have lived underneath a stone in the past week to have missed the enormous campaign the oldest rock band in the world launched to announce its latest single and album. Attention guaranteed and the raucous deserved, as the new song is vibrant. The nine other songs deserve attention as well, so keep on reading!
 

Angry. The Rolling Stones

Wednesday 6 September some minutes after four o'clock CET a giant riff, classic Stones style, goes out over You Tube. The world premiere of Angry and I'm there. Skipped a final part of a meeting to be present. How many more times will there be a release of a Stones single? (Although in the interview with Jimmy Fallon preceding the premiere Keith mentioned two albums have been recorded, including two songs with Charlie Watts, one of them with Bill Wyman on bass.) At first listen two things struck me. One is the urgency of the sound. Yes, it is a 'Start Me Up' kind of riff, the song is not a formulaic Stones track. It really, really moves into sweet territory like in the old days and in a way that '(Has Anybody) Seen My Baby' and especially 'Saint Of Me' do in the bands later career. Angry holds the anger of the title and yet drifts away from it, to be balled together in the outro were anger turns to rage. This is all first impression, fresh off the first listen. I am totally surprised and fully pleased and found myself clapping my hands softly in front of my computer when the video was over. 'Hackney Diamonds' the album is called and it's out on 20 October. About the album Mick Jagger said to Jimmy Fallon we go into the studio first to please ourselves and "we're pleased". It may well be that the fans are too.

Grønland. Vor-Stellen

Nice to meet you too, Vor-Stellen. The first single by this trio from New Zealand is both intriguing as trance inducing. It lasts a little over five minutes but appears endless in the way the rhythm keeps going and going. Other elements are added, a female voice, a bass playing the same three notes over and over. The rhythm reminds me of The Stone Roses et al immediately. Danceable without being a dance track as such. Steve Reay and Brendan Moran were on this blog under the name avoid!avoid and the album 'Particles and Waves' (2016). Together with Jared Johanson they've formed Vor-Stellen and recorded an album called 'Parallelograms' that was released on the 8th. If Grønland is anything to go by, expect to dance to hypnotic music.

Fourth Of July. Steve Conte

Fourth Of July rocks but is a pop gem in disguise. Steve Conte was able to find all the right options hidden within the original idea for this song, that he wrote with Andy Partridge of XTC fame. Where XTC always hid the pop element in their songs in complexer rhythms and oft estranging melodies, here they shine. XTC comes forth in the solo and the main riff for example, while in the rest of the song it is 60s pop that rules. As far as I'm aware, Steve Conte came into my life with the Leather Catsuit mini album, containing that fantastic rocker 'Piece Of The Pie' that he wrote for Kim Olin. Fourth Of July is far more playful, while at the same time having that sing-a-long factor. The song is full with rich details to explore while listening more often. I guarantee you, it is very much worth doing.

In The City. Linnea's Garden (feat. Carissa Johnson)

Linnea's Garden returns with a nice poppy single to this blog. There are a few different sides to the song. 1) It has a fine reminder of the Two Tone ska records of the late 70s, 2) but also Blondie's later hits like 'Call Me'. 3) There's a nice disco synth sound woven in for good measure. 4) The song includes a nice psychedelic solo, seemingly slowing the whole song down. 5) The verse sets it all nicely apart. 6) Carissa Johnson, who recently released a deluxe version of her album 'Blues Hour', that ought to have made these pages but did not, sings a duet with Linnea Herzog. She adds a tougher part to In The City. Adding this all up, Linnea's Garden has released a somewhat surprising but totally convincing single to her oeuvre.

Unchained. Erny Belle

"Baby, it's in the water", Erny Belle (Aimee Renata) sings in her new single Unchained. I've been wondering what it is in the water of New Zealand, as bands from this relatively small country on the edge of the world are releasing one amazing album after another. This single is no exception to this observation. It may be a direct line to an artist like Aldous Harding what can be heard here, the quality of this song is beyond reproach. A slow chord progression, a soft rhythm and long held notes is all Erny Belle needs to deliver her beautiful lyrics. When the drums come in after the first chorus the song is given some energy and a mild oomph, I'm all but floored by Erny Belle. It seems like the girls are winning out more and more in my record collection.

The Trench Coat Museum. Yard Act

Where have the football coaches wearing a trench coat gone to? Retirement, placed in this museum I suppose, replaced by fashionistas because of contracts and big, big money. Yard Act debuted not that long ago on this blog. My initial enthusiasm for its album was replaced by oblivion and then enter a new single with the weird name The Trench Coat Museum. I had to get used to it but was convinced within a few minutes. Yard Act gets the groove right and all the interesting things coming with that groove. The light and the shade is there. Dynamics is a important ingredient of The Trench Coat Museum. Yes, the post punk is still there but also guitar histrionics of a to be Adrian Belew, great percussion and electronic beats. If the song is extended for the video or truly has a 12" length, I don't know. Like (almost) all 12", things get a bit tedious but that is a matter of taste. Before that moment kicks in, Yard Act will have your body moving.

Elvis In The Army. A. Savage

I almost discarded Elvis In The Army. Just in time I got into the punky groove of A. Savage's single announcing his solo album 'Several Songs' (6 October). Savage is a member of the band Parquet Courts, not unknown to this blog (and my cd collection). I was not aware of this link until I decided to write on the song and read up in the bio. Elvis In The Army, we're talking 1958 or something here, is an elementary song. Guitar, bass, drums, voice, all connecting to that groove, with the bass escaping here and there for a great melody run. Now Elvis' stint in the army led to his marriage with Priscilla, so where will things lead for A. Savage. I can't help but wonder. What I'm so glad to notice, as so often, that a "simple" song can have this impact. There are a million songs like this, that do nothing to me. This groove does. I can ride it forever. And then it stops with a verse, an original choice.

Alley Light. Squirrel Flower

Single two of Ella Williams' upcoming album and again bull's eye. Alley Light is more a ballad. With a little imagination I'd even call it an alt.country rocker. An alternative and tough one. Can ballads rock? No, they can't but if anyone came close with an effort to do so, Squirrel Flower qualifies. The guitars sound tough, as do bass and drums behind them. The tempo ranges somewhere in the middle bringing the song closer into ballad territory. Williams sings it with a slow voice, she's not in a hurry to deliver her song about taking another girl out. The way Alley Light starts, with a loud guitar, seems to announce a stark rocker but her singing is longing, wishing, despite that she often is in a hurry, as she sings "I can never take it slow". This song isn't and really does the job. Whatever we decide to call it, a good song is a good song. Alley Light is.

Lucy. Brad Marino

More music by Brad Marino is always welcome. The New Hampshire singer-guitarist manages to contain his favourite music in around two minutes each song and give you the idea to listen to a song at least a minute longer. It contains it all. Verse-chorus-bridge-solo and always catchy from the get go. Lucy is one of them. A song that sounds deceptively simple and familiar. Marino no doubt lends a little here and there but always in an original way. Lucy is no exception. Listen to the song once and you're singing along. If anything, if Fountains of Wayne ever want to reform, I know who the replacement of Adam Schlesinger could be. Don't be fooled, Lucy is craftmanship, Brad Marino the artisan.

Give It Up. Geoff Palmer

Coincidences almost do not exist. Marino's former band mate Geoff Palmer comes next. Palmer is about to release a new record as well. The t-shirt in the video is a dead giveaway for what to expect. The punksong really goes down well. Not even close to two minutes and it's all over. Repetition is the word here. The chorus is nothing else than the title of the song over and over. Singing along becomes almost mandatory this way. Like in A. Savage's single a little higher in this post, it is the bass that is stealing the show here. Kurt Baker's fingers are running all over the frets, providing a lot of extra excitement to Give It Up. You do not have to be a punk connoisseur to recognise a little The Ramones in the single. Geoff Palmer uses the influence to his advantage and creates his own excitement along the way.

Wout de Natris