Painted Ruins. Grizzly Bear

De uit Brooklyn, New York, afkomstige band Grizzly Bear verruilde met het in 2009 verschenen Veckatimest de status van cultband voor die van één van de smaakmakers in de indie-scene en wist deze status met het in 2012 verschenen Shields moeiteloos vast te houden. (Lees hier de recensie van Wo.: http://wonomagazine.blogspot.nl/2012/10/shields-grizzly-bear.html)
 
De band deed dit zonder al teveel concessies te doen, waardoor ook Shields weer klonk als een omgevallen platenkast van een muziekliefhebber met een opvallend brede smaak.
 
De band heeft vervolgens de tijd genomen voor de opvolger van Shields en komt pas vijf jaar later met Painted Ruins.
 
Het is een plaat die net wat anders klinkt dan zijn voorgangers, al is de veelheid aan invloeden gelukkig gebleven. Painted Ruins opent met pastorale klanken waarvoor Elbow zich niet zou schamen, maar slaat vervolgens al snel om in zwoele 70s pop vol mooie details, waaronder hele mooie gitaarlijnen.
 
In de tweede tracks zwellen de synths aan en lijkt Grizzly Bear te citeren uit de 80s synthpop, maar het is wel synthpop die wordt gecombineerd met de wonderschone zang, waarmee de band al sinds haar debuut indruk maakt.
 
In de derde track kiest Grizzly Bear voor een net wat experimenteler geluid, waarin flarden Elbow en beetje progrock en psychedelica worden gecombineerd met prachtige harmonieën en zo laat iedere track iets nieuws en verrassends horen.
 
De muziek van Grizzly Bear is nog altijd een vat vol invloeden of zelfs een vat vol tegenstrijdigheden, maar Painted Ruins strijkt geen moment tegen de haren in. De band heeft de tijd genomen om de prachtige vocalen op de plaat te combineren met een al even mooie instrumentatie. Het is een instrumentatie vol betoverend mooie gitaarlijnen en benevelende synths, maar het is ook een instrumentatie vol subtiele details en verrassende wendingen.
 
Waar de keuze voor een wat toegankelijker geluid op de laatste plaat van The Arcade Fire zorgt voor betrekkelijk kleurloze pop, is Painted Ruins een plaat die sprankelt en betovert. Het is prachtig hoe Grizzly Bear er op haar nieuwe plaat in slaagt om gitaren en synths in harmonie te brengen en het is indrukwekkend hoe de band experimenteerdrift combineert met het vermogen om songs te schrijven die zich als een warme deken om je heen slaan.
 
Het levert songs op die citeren uit het werk van Crosby, Stills & Nash of The Beach Boys, maar vervolgens worden voorzien van een klankentapijt dat qua avontuur en schoonheid zeker niet onder doet voor dat van Radiohead of dat van Talk Talk in haar latere jaren.
 
Zeker wanneer het volume wat wordt opgeschroefd of de plaat met de koptelefoon wordt beluisterd, wordt duidelijk wat een knap geluid Grizzly Bear in elkaar heeft gesleuteld op haar nieuwe plaat. Een aantal decennia popmuziek worden door de band aan elkaar gesmeed en vervolgens getransformeerd in een geluid dat alleen maar uit het heden kan komen.
 
Iedere keer dat ik de plaat hoor, hoor ik weer nieuwe dingen op Painted Ruins. Een vleugje Beatles, een beetje postpunk, hier en daar wat synthpop, een paar bevliegingen uit de progrock, een flinke wolk psychedelica, pure chamber pop of toch weer onnavolgbare indie-pop.
 
Painted Ruins van Grizzly Bear is een plaat die direct vermaakt en verbaast, maar de ware schoonheid komt pas aan de oppervlakte wanneer je de plaat voor de zoveelste keer hoort. Nog een beetje doorgroeien en het predicaat meesterwerk komt binnen bereik.

Erwin Zijleman

Je kunt hier luisteren naar 'Acquarian':

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnBRexDwtDI

I'm Not Alright. John Joseph Brill

"Are you planning to review John Joseph Brill?", was a question I received a while back. My answer was "No, this album is so boring".

And look, a change of season, perhaps a corresponding mood and a chance clicking on a title I did not recognise. Not that a lot happens on I'm Not Alright, a four song EP, it's that it does speak to me. The music on the EP appeals to those moments I did enjoy that typical 80s music made by bands like The Blue Nile and Talk Talk. Readers of this blog know my thoughts on 80s music in general by now, there were some notable exceptions, some of them even at the time.

John Joseph Smith makes that sort of serious, electronic music, sung with a dark voice, that does not allow for a lot of expression and a show of emotion. In fact in emotional moments, like in "You were all I wanted", Brill takes his voice down even further, making expression even harder. The fun is in the solo notes of the keyboard that are in a higher register and a synthsound in the background playing long held chords or notes. Describing them as playful is almost possible.

I'm not alright is quite some title. When a friend says this to you, you know you are going to have a different evening than expected. A mere acquaintance saying it is close to socially unacceptable. A singer or artist? That's a different story of course. John Joseph Brill's life was in a rot when writing and recording this EP. Hence he asked his friends from Bear's Den to assist him, with Andrew Davie producing.

Promo photo

Things do not get much darker than on the single 'A Place To Drown'. "Let me be the water" he sings if the person he sings to would want to kill him of herself. The ultimate sacrifice or the ultimate revenge? A fascinating song, no matter how dark. In a dark, joyless set of songs, it doesn't get darker than this, fortunately. With the Earth spinning fast towards the shortest day an appropriate sort of music.

To think the album starts with the sound and chord progression of Klein Orkest's 'Over De Muur', that melancholy musical fest on the Berlin Wall. The lyrics to that song are a joy. Here the mood goes down and down until we know the singer is not alright. The 80s are all over this song, like a tinseltown in the rain. 'I'm Not Alright' has a certain majesty that grabbed my attention the second time around, allowing me into the album.

Like Julien Baker's dark album 'Turn Out The Lights' this album shuts out the day, joy, fun and everything else to do with enjoying life (even at the barest minimum). Four songs are just about digestible. Hence I could take on another dark record.

I'm Not Alright impressed me since I have given it a second chance. A good thing that they exist these kind of chances.

Wo.

You can listen to 'I'm Not Alright' here:

https://soundcloud.com/johnjosephbrill/im-not-alright-2

Wildflower. Octave Lissner

An album starting with nature, birds, reminds me of our hero from Sealand, Broeder Dieleman. Octave Lissner has musically nothing to do with the enigmatic and somewhat esoteric Broeder Dieleman. Octave Lissner is as smooth as silk musically. Comparing the two artists is something like an oxymoron.

Octave Lissner is a young man from Paris, France who seems to have digested over 50 years of pop music and comes up with all the right notes that lead to instant pleasure for the ear. In nothing I would have guessed having to do with a French artist. His English is well (sung), the music is U.S. influenced. From the 'What A Fool Believes' The Doobie Brothers to Michael McDonald's 'Sweet Freedom' or Marvin Gaye soul, it all found a way to Wildflower. More modern music lovers may like Paolo Nutini as a reference and those in between should imagine Oasis' 'Don't Look Back In Anger' infused with a load of soul. Enter L.A. songwriter Patrick Joseph.

All that would be more of a disincentive to listen perhaps than a qualification to do so. I find that Octave Lissner often does the totally right thing, giving his music enough of a self to be enjoyed without having to compare the whole time. Yes, there are influences. Very obvious ones. It's of no consequence to the whole. What Lissner does with them is what makes Wildflower a pleasant experience.

What I could hold against it is that the album is ever so smooth. There is no danger in Wildflower. But then, who said music needs to be dangerous? We have enough of that around. Octave Lissner aims at a listening experience and succeeds. Like the aforementioned Patrick Joseph he manages to couple more or less straightforward songs to interesting arrangements. The many little details in the songs, like a piano or extra guitar bursting through the fabric of the song, make it so fine. Or the harmony singing in 'Waves Of Time'. A detail that lifts the song up and caresses it like the waves out on the sea.

Octave Lissner has released a fine debut mini album consisting of eight songs. The songs take the listener through a few moods and tempi. Wildflower is a fine introduction to a new French songwriter who is in nothing what I associate with French music. If someone had told me this production came out of LA I would not have given it a single thought. What a fine experience Wildflower is.

Wo.

You can listen to 'Wildflower' here:

https://octavelissner.bandcamp.com/track/wildflower

On Air. The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones are a band for 55 years in 2017. A life long career in rock music is no longer a hypothetical question. We know it can be long, last a lifetime and be very lucrative for those at the top. Did the band's latest release, 'Blue & Lonesome' give off the suggestion of a time machine with all the fine blues The Rolling Stones played on it, this release is a time machine.

20 Years after it became fashionable to do so finally The Rolling Stones releases its BBC recordings made in the mid 60s. What I hear is the nucleus of the band that grew to monstrous proportions with the climb of the decades. This is what it used to be all about: Have a great song and perform it as a five piece.

This, in part, is Brian Jones' band, the band that played rock and roll and rhythm and blues covers from the U.S. and caught that energy for the babyboomers if the U.K. about to embark on their peace and love adventure. The picture on the cover already shows the true configuration of the band. In my opinion it is no coincidence that this picture shows Mick, Keith and Charlie most in the front. Then Bill Wyman and only then Brian Jones. Almost falling of the picture, semi-faded out already.

That apart, what a joy On Air is. It lets me hear what I wasn't present at, all that passed me by. The Rolling Stones were as raucous as I would have expected them to be. Listening to these recordings it is almost imaginable how dangerous the U.K. establishment must have perceived youngsters who make music like this. The sound is dirty, gritty, Jagger sneers in his singing. He's not as good yet as he'd become, but catches the time with voice and demeanour.

It all starts with the first hit 'Come On' from 1963. A more obscure Chuck Berry song, released by the Stones and made famous forever because of it. We hear a tight band, playing a small song. There is nothing more than there was in these studios where the song were recorded. Some with audiences, some without. Giel Beelen's Speelplaats in the 60s.

This band was good. It had this fired up energy and an interaction between the individual members that made them more than a five piece band. The Stones captured the hearts and minds allowing for a basis that got them where they are now. Rock Gods. If anything On Air shows the process the band went through: from covers, to covers that were slowly reworked into Stones songs and then come their own hits. Many of the songs still are covered by bands right up to this day.

There's is one complaint and it is serious: Why just slab these songs on the record instead of showing the development of the band chronologically? That would have made sense. This isn't the nth hit compilation that needs a reshuffle. This is historical song mining. An inexcusable laps in my opinion, simply because the development the album shows goes somewhat missing.

Whether we had to wait so long, because the band waited for Alan Klein to die, who held the rights to some of these songs (and perhaps these recordings?) or there's another reason, I don't know. Let's just enjoy what we were finally, officially, given.

Wo.

Johnny Hallyday (1943 - 2017) or French pop in general. A conversation

The demise of Johnny Hallyday triggered a conversation between Gary, Mark and Wo. France is in collective mourning, while these three gentlemen are truly wondering what the fuss is all about. This led to the following conversation on almost everything but Johnny Hallyday, in which it even proved hard to spell his last name right (Halliday vs. Hallyday).

Gary, 6-12-2017

Sad news about Johnny Hallyday passing away at the age of 74….

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-4224

Wo., 6-12

I just saw it on the news, Gary. Strange to think that this man's career, who was huge in France, was over in this country before I got a notion of music beyond what my elders played.

It was years if not decades before I found that this famed rock and roll guy people always seemed to write about, was the same of that song 'Pour moi la vie va commencer'. I never connected the two.

Mark, 6-12
I don't know any of his records but you could say before The Beatles changed everything  the top teenage icons of rock'n'roll were Elvis, Cliff and Halliday but only Elvis big in all these markets.  Cliff never broke America and presumably Halliday blocked him out of the French teen market? How big was Elvis in France compared to UK? 

Largely unknown in UK, a francophonie footnote in the rock annals of rock, Johnny Halliday is precious national French property - like Alain Delon. He wasn't tempted by Hollywood and similarly Bardot who dipped her toe only from time to time (Doctor at Sea with Dirk Bogarde and Shalako with Sean Connery) and thought better of it.

"Can the French do rock'n'roll and be cool?" is an old joke on our side of the Channel. I can't name a single French rock band....just the odd curiosity like Plastic Bertrand.

I am in love with Francoise Hardy, however, and have all her records. Her late 1960s early 1970s lps like Question are excellent - and Nick Drake was besotted with her (they met once but no recordings ensued). Damon Albarn invited her to sing on a Blur track.  She hated the French production values of her early records and later recorded with Charles Blackwell at Pye Studios (La Maison ou J"ai Grandi) (with The Kinks in the studio next door). Bardot's records also had horrid production - except when she hooked up with Serge Gainsbourg. Francoise steered clear of Halliday as an uncool aging rocker:  I don't recall they ever duetted on record (she did with Alain Delon actually on a song on Parentheses releases in 2006 - now he IS the epitome of French cool!)

Wout, 6-12

Gary, if you could add your bit, it seems we have an item here.

Gary, 6-12

As a follow up to Mark’s comments, Plastic Bertrand (real name Roger Jouret) was of course a Belgian (born in Brussels in 1954... so just a few years older than me an Mark!). And although not really “my cup of tea”, was actually a reasonable drummer and loved and was inspired by the Stones. As his unique fame dwindled in 1987 he represented Luxembourg in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Amour Amour". This failed to impress the juries, however, scoring only 4 points and placing 21st out of 22 entries! 

I am sure there are many French ‘Pop’ and MOR artists that have ‘escaped me’ 😂 and to be honest I am not about to immerse myself in French ‘popular beat combos’. But as a proponent of Progressive Rock, I have bought or listened to some French Prog bands and artists over the years. Two in particular you may have heard of?

Magma: Led by classically trained drummer Christian Vander, the Paris-based Magma have been, in their way, perhaps the ultimate progressive rock group; while other artists have achieved greater commercial success and critical acclaim, Magma have typified the many ambitions and excesses of the genre that won them as many detractors as fans, even going so far as to invent their own lyrical and musical language in order to bring their unique vision to life. With 12 studio albums released since 1970, Magma is one of the greatest prog groups emerged from France and have been popular with Prog cognoscenti in the UK and USA… Live version of Epok I - Sowiloi:   https://youtu.be/wpbGNDw41eQ 

Jean-Luc Ponty: Jean-Luc Ponty isn’t only a virtuoso violinist but also one of the greatest Fusion composers who blended different genres with great success and a pioneer of the electric violin, his solo works include very different albums as the brilliant and almost symphonic Aurora or the less inspired Afro Jazz oriented Tchokola, in other words not only a prolific but also a very eclectic and talented Progressive musician. Ponty has collaborated with many great bands and artists over the years including Return to Forever, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Frank Zappa, Jon Anderson. Jean-Luc Ponty has a global reputation…. If you have not heard of him, here is his track ‘Mirage”: https://youtu.be/iS_p5sgfJb0

Ange: Formed in Belfort in 1969, Ange are one of the first progressive rock bands emerged from France. The group’s debut album, Caricatures, was released in 1972. Ange released 23 studio albums in total, and numerous live, compilation and single releases! Unheard of in the USA and the UK, they were/are quite inventive. Take a listen to Le Cimetière Des Arlequins (1973): https://youtu.be/k3RNmKfOh-I 

Thierry Zaboitzeff: Composer and multi-instrumentalist, one of the members of 'Art Zoyd’ (Pink Floyd?) from 1971 till 1997, Thierry Zaboitzeff writes nowadays for dance, theater, multimedia events and movies, as well as for his own projects and performances. In the period from 1997 until 2017, Zaboitzeff has released 17 albums which are situated somewhere amongst the genres of symphonic rock, electronic music, and acoustic music. Llibre Vermell - O Virgo Splendens:  https://youtu.be/fLJsdQEMGMM

Richard Pinhas: French guitarist Richard Pinhas led the group Heldon from 1974 to 1978, releasing seven albums with them. Pinhas’ solo work covers a lot of ground. Since 1977 he released 19 studio albums, the latest being this year’s Reverse. Little known in the UK and the USA (which is a pity!), here is a recent track that demonstrates his innovation… ‘Ruitor’: https://youtu.be/NTffJo1l7kA 

Enjoy!

Mark, 6-12

Gary's knowledge of the heavier prog side is far deeper than mine! 

On the lighter side and,  while rather niche,  I think we have to mention Alan Stivell from Brittany who made quite an impact on the UK folk fraternity (The Chieftains, Steeleye Span etc), had a run of albums in the 1970s and toured the UK but then disappeared from our view at least as the folk boom faded in the 1980s.

Do you have many French readers, Wout,  who may be rather bemused by our reflections on their musical icons?

Mark, 7-12

Just watched a short biography about Johnny Halliday on French tv. To his credit he seems to have stayed closer to his rock'n'roll roots than Cliff and was still filling stadium concerts until recently. 

As was trend for a while in the 1960s, Cliff tried his hand at foreign language versions of his singles and released a few highly collectable French e.p.s. and there were his big films like Summer Holiday (a European road film) which I presume were released in France.

I wonder if Halliday sang in English at all? He did play the Albert Hall not so long ago - a concert mainly for his UK-based French fans presumably. Francoise Hardy is an impressive multilingualist who recorded singles and entire albums in Italian, German and English.

Wo., 7-12

It seems that Halliday sang in English. The last time he performed over here was to promote an English language album it seems. It all past me by. Like my newspaper wrote, in a page big obituary no less, Halliday was the most famous popstar you never heard of. That last bit's not true, but I know only one of his songs. And do not like it. When I take "hear" literally it certainly is true.

What I did know is that he is of Belgian descent, having a Belgian father. His real name was Jean-Philippe de Smet.

French singers and bands? I am afraid there are frightfully little in my collection. I was never one for chansons for one. The song I always truly loved is 'Poupée de cire poupée de son', by France Gall, the winner of the Eurovision song contest 1965.  And there's Les Poppies with 'Non non je ne regrette rien'. True pop songs do not get much better. The scandalous Gainsbourg-Birkin singe 'J'e t'aime - moi non plus' is another long time favourite. Whatever else is going on there, the music is fantastic.

There are a few incidents along the road to 2017. Plastic Bertrand is one, a 45 I have for nearly 40 years. 'Etienne' by Guesch Patty another, like 'Ella Ella' by France Gall.

Only in the past two years I have encountered a few French albums that are noteworthy. Mainly because of the blog. I ran into Lou Doillon, daughter of Jane Birkin who has released two great albums, 'Places' and  'Lay Low'. Her step-sister Charlotte Gainsbourg, daughter of both, has just released a deliciously mysterious and sensuous record called 'Rest'. Her '5.55' album, made with Air is quite o.k., like some parts of 'Moon Safari' by Air itself.

The tiny record label Tiny Room Records here in NL has released two French acts recently. The singer-songwriter folk of Queen of the Meadow and the lo-fi album by Garciaphone, 'Dreameater'. Especially the last one I truly like. It captures many flavours, including symphonic rock, without any of the exuberant bombast that is part of that music.

Next to all that there are of course songs by Julien Clerc, Gérard Lenorman, etc. that became hits in the 70s. They're nice but not really my cup of tea. After the 70s music from France was played less is my impression or went unnoticed by me. Over the past years there were some rap songs in French, but me and rap?

My focus is mainly on the U.K., then the U.S. and in this decade certainly NL. There's a lot of good stuff happening over here that I truly like. Some by bands that most likely no one will ever hear of. I will send you a few links to my favourites to discover in a separate email.

Gary, 7-12
Yes, I had forgotten about Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin (although Birkin was a Brit living in Paris and has subsequently been awarded an MBE…. I am not sure why… "for services to simulated orgasms”? 😂). As an aside, Birkin was married to composer John Barry who produced the iconic Moog lead from the British TV series ‘The Persuaders’ theme, of which the single I still have! https://youtu.be/PIQwzWg7-1E ). Whilst surfing the late Serge Gainsbourg, I found this photo from 1981… how typically Parisian he was! 😆

Note of the editor: unfortunately due to copyright infringements we can not show the photo. Just imagine a smoking Serge Gainsbourg, looking very much himself.

Wout, 7-12

Mark, to come back to another question. Yes, there are regular views from France. How many people this involves is impossible to know.

Gary, the references you made are in some cases not even names to me. Totally obliviousness on my part I'm afraid. I'll be certain to listen at some point just to find out.

I know the name Jean-Luc Ponty, because he played with Frank Zappa somewhere in the 70s. I counted him more as jazz-rock, I think. At least that's my impression. 

Wout, 7-12

This is my blogpost of yesterday. I think you'll appreciate the reference 😊

http://wonomagazine.blogspot.nl/2017/12/rest-charlotte-gainsbourg.html

Mark, 7-12

You mention France Gall: I might one day check the other so-called "ye-ye girls" including her and Sylvie Vartan (who was married to Johnny Halliday) - but Francoise Hardy was as I understand it the most sophisticated of these as a songwriter and her records have largely stood the test of time (and as testimony of that her albums are now being re-mastered).  

If I were to recommend one song from her oeuvre to turn you on to her it would be Rêve from the album Question released in 1971:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VHS1bW-rL8  

Ingenious arrangement: you have to wait a while for the wonderfully cool deadpan spoken lyric:

tu m'émerveilles comme un rêve

qui c'est enfin réalisé et tu me fais mal comme un rêve dont il va falloir m'éveiller.

(You mesmorise me like a dream that is at last realised - and you hurt me (because) it is a dream I will have to wake from.)

Topped by an impressive solo guitar flourish at the end. Play that and tell me your spine isn't tingled: I think it is a timeless gem.

A much earlier recording J'attends plus personne features not only a hard-hitting vocal to match a very strident lyric but allegedly a certain jobbing session musician by the name of James Page. Certainly a very early example of fuzz guitar, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvRUUTY5Vs0

She was the most well-known of the French pop singers in the '60s in the UK; she featured regularly in all the English pop publications of the period, was a fashion icon - and was so photegenic - such a timeless beauty (but never rich hippy or trashy). C'est pourquoi je l'aime.

Wout, 7-12

I just listened to the whole album ('Question', ed.). Very Brazilian the music that goes on in the background. Yes, I liked this introduction. You should like the Charlotte Gainsbourg album also, is my guess.

Currently I am listening to Jacques Dutronc in the background. Her (Françoise Hardy. ed.) husband so I found. One of his songs, one of the two NL hits he's had in NL, 'Le Responsables' features in a Thalys add currently on television about two senior citizens who decide to escape the old folks' home they are in and head for Paris.

Dutronc had only one major hit over here, in 1968: 'Il est cinq heures Paris s'reveille.' Totally out of the order of his pop-garage-rock songs that seem to have been his standard in the 60s it seems. And that became the hit here. What does that tell you about this country? If I remember correctly it was the likes of 'Lazy Sunday' and 'Summertime Blues' that topped the charts at the same time, so not all bad.

Mark, 11-12
The funeral in Paris was impressive and a moving tribute to his prominent place in French culture.  I doubt there will be anything on that scale for Cliff Richard, ennobled even though he is as "Sir Cliff". The year after next it will be 60 years since he first topped the UK charts (with "Living Doll"). 55 years ago my mother took my brother and me to see "Summer Holiday" in an open air cinema in Aden in what is now war-torn and famine-stricken Yemen but at that time a British colony. How times have changed but the film is still an enjoyable watch as a European travelogue with happy and carefree youngsters, and a clutch of catchy tunes, Hank Marvin twanging away on some of them to fix it firmly in the pre-Beatles era.

Wo. 11-12
That's a beautiful, if somewhat sad, ending to our foray into French music.

Gary Hunt
Mark Carvell
Wo.

P.S. from the editor: Would anyone from France like to respond and put things in context for us? That would be a nice addition. Reach out and we will make it happen.