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[albumoftheweek]

Album of the Week - 107

Yo Yo,

Why do most people join a band? What compels them to team up with a bunch of others and write a few songs? Maybe it’s the prospect of fame. Or the creativity of making music. Or the camaraderie. Or just the fun of jamming. It could be ones’ way of expressing themselves. So many options.

My favourite? To have fun! Being in a band is fun. It could get stressful sometimes, but it’s also loads of fun man.

As a listener, you can tell when a band is having fun. They groove better. Their chemistry is better. They seem to have as good a time as the listener. And when that comes across in an album, it almost always makes it for an enjoyable listen. Over the years many bands have achieved the very difficult feat of having a great time whilst creating forward-thinking music. But they become mostly known for their artistry and less so for simply being… fun!

!!! – Myth Takes

!!! (pronounced chk-chk-chk, rather than exclamation mark, exclamation mark, exclamation mark) are the perfect example of a fun band. !!! are a 7-piece full time band, who typically come up on stage with about a dozen people. They rock, they funk, they dance, they disco, they scream, they sweat it all out and they go home 2 hours later. Very often. Originally from California, !!! are actually the perfect NY band. When I saw them live, 3 of them shared lead vocals. Everyone played all sorts of instruments. They went absolutely berserk onstage and killed it. It was in 2008 and they were in London supporting their 3rd album, Myth Takes. Myth Takes was the follow up of their debut album Louden Up Now!

I loved Louden up Now! It had amazing funky beats and cool melodies, weird melodies and rocky crescendos. I originally thought of giving you that album, but I feel that Myth Takes is a more concise album. Gone were the 10 minute long songs with slow build ups and staccato funk drums. Most of the songs are really immediate, catchy and fun. Real good fun. “Must Be The Moon”, “All My Heroes Are Weirdos”, “Heart of Hearts”, “Sweet Life” are all great pop-funk-disco-dance-rock songs. The only exception is “Bend Over Beethoven”. With it’s groovy bassline, guitar licks and persistent rhythm, it builds up very well but over a pretty long time period (good 10 minutes). Very similar to their previous album. But boy can you tell they are having fun. You can hear the fun lyrics. You can also hear that these songs are the result of hours of improvisation and just playing, in a studio. I can kind of imagine them staring at each other when they are in a great groove before they just raise the volume and jump on to the next part of the song (“Bend Over Beethoven” is the perfect example of that).

You could hear the fun in their name. You could hear the fun in the lyrics and the 2-3 vocalists who have completely different voices and styles. You felt the fun in their choice of instrumentation and the layering of female vocals. They signed on one of the most intellectual, high-brow labels of electronic music, Warp, and along with Jamie Liddell and the rock band Maximo Park, they were the only non-electronic artist that Warp promoted back then. Their first breakthrough single was called “Me and Giuliani Down By The School Yard”, which mocked the then mayor of NY, Rudi Giuliani. They basically didn’t give a damn. They rocked, danced and partied hard.

That’s what having a band is all about. The Sex and the Drugs come later. It’s the Rock’n’Roll that matters.

Enjoy kiddo

Xxxxxxxxx

https://open.spotify.com/album/7HVmUNOZEGHUpdNmY8L8Ue?si=bUa23_rST5SQkgiG0wh3fw

[albumoftheweek]

Album of the Week - 106

David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Tom Waits.... all these guys created masterpieces for over 4 decades, rewriting the script of rock music as we know it. Continuity and consistency is an under-appreciated skill in music. David Bowie's final album was lauded as one of his best ever. It came out almost 5 decades after his first masterpiece, Honky Dorry. We recently explored the breadth and lasting impact of Paul Simon. As for Tom Waits... Hoist That Rag came out in 2004 and Tom Traubert Blues (Waltzing Matilda) came out in 1976.

More such musicians come to mind...  Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave, Elvis Costello, Van Morrison.

But there's an obvious omission from the list that we haven't yet had as an AoTW; it's the man often referred to as "The Boss".

Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run

Springsteen is an American hero. A brooding, sexy, male icon who shot to fame in 1975 and has yet to stop. Born in New Jersey, Springsteen was a beautiful story teller, with an underrated ability to create interesting stories off of everyday events of American life. His first 2 albums were relatively underwhelming and they certainly didn't garner the required accolades to make him a global superstar. But that changed with his 3rd album, Born To Run. It's the album that turned him to a star and paved the way for one of the more famed careers in rock music. Since then, every Springsteen album feels like an occasion. Unfortunately I either wasn't alive or was too young to remember his biggest albums coming out, but there's no doubt that these albums are milestones in rock music. The River (that we've recently been listening to btw), Born in the USA (the album cover is one of a true American hero. Springsteen really is!), Tunnel of Love and of course Nebraska (his amazing acoustic guitar elegy). Oh and in the 90s he topped the charts with Streets of Philadelphia, the song from the film with the same name.

Springsteen has a truly great voice, with a superb howl that he uses to great effect in his live shows. His shows are a thing of legend. Going on for 3 hours, hit single after hit single, with Springsteen on the guitar and vocals jumping up and down, full of intensity and passion and his E Street Band supporting him, Springsteen gigs are never topped. The dude was the hottest, coolest, rockiest, most confident and commanding live performer for 15 years. His E Street Band are also superb. They are amazingly tight, with Steve Van Zandt on guitars and Clarence Clemons on the sax being as important some times as Springsteen himself.

Born To Run is Springsteen's most consistent album. All songs matter. All songs have something to say. The lyrics of the closer "Jungleland" talk of The Rat, who gets involved in random events in Springsteen's hometown of New Jersey. It's a 10 minute epic that is famous for Clemons' saxophone solo. One of the best! "Thunder Road", with its melodic harmonica, starts things off with a bang. And "Born to Run", the first single of the album is the song that made Springsteen into a superstar. From the initial drum fill, to the superb rock riff that sparkles and wows, "Born to Run" brought it all together. The howl, the guitar, the sax solo, the story telling, the catchy chorus, the break, drop and countdown (1,2,3,4) to the bridge and chorus for one more time, the screaming and sing-along in the end.... seriously. Analysing that song gives you fits.

Then going to on "She's the One", with the initial high paced staccato piano that matches the vocals is also great. When the drum, bass and electric guitar fill comes in, just picture it being played live. In fact, that was one of Springsteen's early criticism. Most of his songs were written to be played well live rather than as solid studio efforts. Bridging the 2 was vital.

From "Backstreets", to "Tenth Avenue Freeze-out" and to "Night", all the songs are fantastic. There's no doubt you will enjoy this album a lot.

Some of my favourite songs of his are actually not on the album. He has so many. I would love to see him live. I really would. I wish I were alive when he was at his best. To celebrate the music of a true one-off. Someone who had all the talent in the world, an amazing way to translate everyday situations to something poetic, a superb voice, forward thinking political and social views and great good looks and managed to put it all together.! I guess he's a great example of what the real American dream should be about....

I'd write more, but we've just met your parents in Hitchin with my father for dinner :)

Enjoy kiddo xxxx

https://open.spotify.com/album/43YIoHKSrEw2GJsWmhZIpu?si=MJ6-vXN4T8GmnxNMNZtg2A

[albumoftheweek]

Album of the Week - 105

One of the most interesting and different albums and artists of the 2000s was: Joanna Newsom - Ys Listening to it for the first time when it came out, I was really confused by the instrumentation, her really peculiar voice and these 7-15 minute songs about monkeys, meteors and sawdust. Her weird lyrics and references to things like "chim chu ree", " and "Mother Nature" could sound a bit pretentious, pompous and off putting. The orchestral movements (by the great Van Dyke Parks, who was brought in to help make this album even more ornamental and lush) are at the same time beautiful but also extremely otherworldly. Does it not feel like a Shakespeare play, with singing full of allegory and a full orchestra backing the singers? Just a mind-boggling mess of an album. But then.... then you hear it again. And again. And again. And all of a sudden it strikes you. The repetition in the melodies become familiar. The lyrical interplay, the odd rhyming and Newsom's harp win you over. All of a sudden, her way of delivering the phrase "meteorite is the source of the light" is the single most exhilarating moment in an album full of them. And then you realise that Ys is one of the most inventive, beautiful and complex albums that have come out in the past 20 years. Newsom's voice has this ethereal, almost elf-like quality to it. So high-pitched yet eloquent. I remember listening to this album on repeat in 2006. I absolutely loved this album. However, it's not an album that you can put on and recommend for many others to listen to. It's an album that demands a lot of attention and a lot of listens. On top of the challenges posed by the album itself, it doesn't help that you cannot find this album on Spotify. I think you will need to listen to it on YouTube. I have a copy of it in my hard drive so I will try to get it on your phone so that you can listen to it  without having to stream the video while you are walking. I love you kiddo. I really do. Enjoy xxx

N/A :( 

[albumoftheweek]

Album of the Week - 104

Soooo....I couldn't get this over to you sooner. I guess you will have to drive and sail back from Spain without this week's AoTW. Which is a shame. Especially considering we are doing a bit of flamenco music today.

Rosalia - El Mal Querer

Man! I really miss good, new albums. Seriously... we've only had 3 AoTWs in 2018. Can you believe it? Rosalia, Channel Tres and Tune Yards. I guess the fact you don't like a lot of hip hop and/or R&B music doesn't help either. But Rosalia... Rosalia you will like :)

A flamenco-singer who experiments with beats and sounds, while also using hand-clapping and Spanish guitars? She kind of reminds me of Ibeyi. She kind of reminds me of Elza Soares. Which kind of means that you will love her.

We were listening to "Malamente" in Crete this summer. We watched Rosalia perform "Pienso En Tu Mira" in Later.. with Jools Holland. She's a young, pretty, modern girl that could be living in East London and chilling out in Shoreditch and Dalston bars. Instead, she's singing traditional folk and flamenco songs and owns one of the most impressive voices i have heard in recent years. She's truly an unbelievable vocalist. Her melisma is one of those skills that usually takes decades to master. She has amazing control of her voice, but she doesn't only leave it at that. El Mar Querer is a very experimental, multi-layered effort, with loads of whispers, vocal layers, whispers and shouts that build up each song to be fantastic. Listen to "Malamente's" multiple vocal tidbits. Listen to "Bagdad". All vocals in this thing are truly impressive.

I can't wait to listen to this album with you. The London crew came back to ours last night and I started playing music and put on this album. It was great. It's so catchy yet arty. I love listening to new albums with you. 

Can't wait to see you on Tuesday kiddako.

xxxxxx

https://open.spotify.com/album/355bjCHzRJztCzaG5Za4gq?si=6xGPxyj2Siq8HuGX7i3kPA

[albumoftheweek]

Album of the Week - 103

Better late than never.... almost 2 weeks have gone past since your last AoTW. Caused by my lack of punctuality, quite a bit of work, but also by me searching and thinking of what to give you next. Some big artists are yet to be represented (Metallica, U2, Bruce Springsteen), some favourites cannot, due to the fact I've given you other albums of theirs (Outkast) and I really wanted to give you a meaningful album. It did dawn in my today though, that there are quite a few gems that are yet to be represented.... So with that in mind: Jeff Buckley - Grace Jeff, son of underground music star Tim Buckley who became famous in the 60s with albums like Greetings From LA and Lorca, became an overnight sensation, a superstar, in the early 90s, before his untimely death shortly after. The reason behind this success? A cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah", comfortably sitting towards the end of Grace. It is not common to cover a song and top the original. It's not easy to deconstruct the creation of someone as methodical, meticulous and talented as Leonard Cohen, break the song's flow and structure, yet present it with even more meaning and impact that before. But Jeff Buckley did so. Listen to the Malcolm Gladwell podcast (Revisionist History 2, Hallelujah) from last year about this song and how it came about. He gives an awesome perspective as to why Jeff Buckley was able to achieve this. Anyway; you know the song and what it represents. In recent years, Buckley's version has influenced numerous covers and even made it as the X Factor Christmas song some years ago. It's a great song. But the album is amazing despite that! From beginning to end, Grace showcased Buckley as a once-in-a-lifetime vocalist, with unlimited vocal range, emotional depth beyond his years and a musicality that matched his father's. "Last Goodbye" is probably the best example of a pop-rock anthem that he is able to sing through like no one else. My favourite, "Grace" is a killer tune! The guitars along with his amazing vocals make this song one of my favourites of the 90s. "Mojo Pin" opens the proceedings that sets the stage with what is to follow. An almost religious elegy about a black beauty that in the middle of the song sounds like an outtake from Led Zeppelin. And of course there's "Lilac Wine". Another cover made famous by Nina Simone in the 60s. I just adore this song. Jeff Buckley only lived to give us one album. His debut easily ranks as one of the most confident, self aware and beautiful ever written. The complexity of the music, lyrics, melodies and his vocal delivery typically take years to master. Unfortunately Jeff Buckley died young. Well before he got a chance to evolve, write more and create more beautiful songs. He went for a swim in a river and was found washed out a day or so later, his body lifeless, cold and still. No signs of drugs, alcohol or self harm. Just an accident. Often imitated, yet to be surpassed, Jeff Buckley was a true one-off. His star captured a lot of fans but died too soon. An Grace is the most representative evidence of his talent that he got to leave behind. Enjoy kiddo Xx

https://open.spotify.com/album/7yQtjAjhtNi76KRu05XWFS?si=5K-lM9XHSKKRZYELcWLb1A

[albumoftheweek]

Album of the Week - 102

One of the best ways to become famous is to create a level of mystery about who you are.

Make good music, craft a mysterious moniker, give only a handful of cryptic interviews, hide who you are – maybe put a mask on or something.!

Basically promote yourself by not-promoting yourself (if that makes any sense).

Then go back to the lab and create a follow up album.

The hype (only caveat… some good music) will make your follow up even bigger than your debut.

It’s worked well over the years… Daft Punk. The Knife. Kiss. Gorillaz. The Weeknd.

Well… in the case of the last one on the list, that’s how it started.

Before “Starboy” and “The Hills”, and “Can’t Feel My Face” and “Call Out My Name”, The Weeknd was an unknown dude from Canada who loved having sex and doing lots (like.. lots!) of drugs. Oh.. and he had a beautiful upper, R&B vocal range that sounded like MJ. And that’s all we knew of him.  We didn’t know his name (Abel Tesfaye), we hadn’t seen his face and we hadn’t read or listened to any interviews. Just a mystery.

But the mystery created hype. And the music created a buzz. His provocative lyrics had women of all ages dream of this angelic voice coming over and making love to them over and over again. And the way he put out his music built on this amazing hype-bubble that made The Weeknd one of the most talked about names in popular music in the early ‘10s.

He kind of owned 2011. After coming out with 3 very very good EPs (we examined the power of the EP in the Channel Tres reviews earlier this year), one in March, one in August and one in December, he then presented himself and his face to the world. And then… he became a mega pop-star.

The Weeknd – House of Balloons

His first EP in 2011 was by far the best. An experimental take on R&B music. It feels almost grainy. If it were a film it would have been shot with a super-8mm camera. Most shots would feature semi-naked women, lying in satin bedsheets, early mornings, after a long night of sex and cocaine.

My favourite song has to be “House of Balloons / Glass Table Girls”. So dark and so dirty. Yet so smooth. “High For This” sets the stage… “What You Need” keeps it going. “Loft Music” finishes off the EP with a great sample from Beach House. The whole EP is great. I remember listening to nothing else for most of 2011.

Before the luster even began to wear off The Weeknd brought out Thursday and then Echoes of Silence, his other 2 EPs. Both are very good and have plenty highlights, although neither is as consistent as House of Balloons. By the way… if you want proof of the MJ similarity, listen to “D.D.”

And in 2012 and 2013, after showing his face to the world and while featuring in songs with Drake and Ariana Grande and winning Grammys, he packaged the 3 EPs and delivered them to the world under a single album called Trilogy.

And there you have it. What started out as an underground faceless prodigy, whose music you could download for free from his website, turned into a megastar with 5-6 chart topping singles and albums.

What’s wrong with the world? Why do we always buy into the narrative and the hype? Well at least for 2011, Abel Tesfaye was worth it.

Enjoy xxx

https://open.spotify.com/album/5EbpxRwbbpCJUepbqVTZ1U?si=IDdgPr9IR0-llLQk5TwIwA

[albumoftheweek]

Album of the Week - 101

There are a few albums that set their target, pierce through everything and hit you straight in the heart. Nothing stands between them and your emotions.

They are designed to touch your emotional sensors in ways that very few forms of art can. And although most music does not go for those sensors, the few that aim and succeed will leave an indelible mark at your heart and soul.

 Well I can’t believe we’ve had to wait until album 101, but…

 Bonnie “Prince” Billy – I See a Darkness

 Will Oldham (the Christian name of Bonnie, who actually goes by even more monikers) will destroy one’s heart and soul.

 Bonnie took his guitar, his quivering voice, his most beautiful melodies and told stories of death, dread, religion, and darkness, passed through a lens of absolute horror, bleakness, pessimism and sarcasm. I See a Darkness is the culmination of an artist who had so much to say but had very little to say it with. His voice is so very emotional but by no means impressive. If you think Dylan is limited vocally, then wait until you hear Bonnie. But every song is a highlight or a lowlight, depending on your mood. “I See a Darkness”, “Nomadic Revery”, “Death to Everyone”, “Another Day Full of Dread”. These songs are absolute. They are so soft, so subtle, but they hit you harder than a ten ton truck would. They immerse you in Bonnie’s world and you come out the other side exhausted. Tired; emotionally wrecked; but somehow uplifted and somehow feeling that you just lived through some of the closest and most personal moments you could ever have – with Bonnie and your own thoughts and feelings as the only people around. Like a film that generates so much emotion that when it ends you feel drained but on a high.

 You need to listen carefully to I See a Darkness. You need to let it in for the time that the album is on (it’s only 37 minutes long). You need to be at home and allow it to take aim. And if you do, Bonnie will definitely hit his target. He always does.

 Enjoy kiddo

 X

https://open.spotify.com/album/4WxHlSD6QmOXiJRB3inkah

[albumoftheweek]

Album of the Week - 100

Mainstream dance music in the 90s went through numerous ups and downs. Underground acts from all over the world (Detroit, LA, Germany, UK, Italy) were making very interesting music, but mainstream dance acts did not have the necessary quality. Night clubs were playing pop-electronic music that was a bit laborious and certainly now feels very dated. Then, a French duo playing house music changed everything. The duo wore elaborate, funky helmets and made a pact to never make a public appearance without them on. A good 20 years on, very few people can say that they can recognise one of the most famous bands of the past 2 decades. The two masked men called themselves...  

Daft Punk - Discovery

Discovery is their 2nd album, coming out in 2001. Kicking things off with a single as ubiquitous and adored as "One More Time" makes life easy. Very few people under the age of 45 do not recognise this song. In fact, I would say everyone under that age does. Combining house music with disco, pop, rock and funk, Daft Punk created a sound that still serves them well, while creating masses of adoring fans along the way. 

If Homework was their breakthrough album in 1997 (with songs like "Da Funk" and "Around The World"), Discovery, their 2nd, typically difficult album (see AoTW review 96), was their crowning moment. "Crescendolls" and "Harder Better Faster Stronger" are amazing dance songs. "Veridis Quo" feels timeless. Almost like a classical piece of music remixed by Daft Punk (in fact it's not. It's an original composition). "Voyager" could get a whole lounge dancing as soon as the four to the floor rhythm and bass line come in. Those funky guitars and the warm sounds that surrounds everything is beautiful. The album is the epitome of mainstream house music. Nothing's surpassed it since and nothing ever will. Not even their own "Random Access Memories", which had some amazing hit singles like "Get Lucky". 

Now you surely might wonder why I would give you Daft Punk during our wedding week. That's right Mrs. Courtis... Your AoTW following on from our wedding week is Daft Punk. Maybe because I am already looking forward to your Tough Madder this weekend and I know you will need something uplifting and propelling so that you can kick some a** this weekend.

Thinking about it further though, it could be because "One More Time" was definitely one of the highlights of the party on Saturday. Everyone was dancing and jumping and singing and smiling and drinking and laughing and hugging and sweating and loving each other during this song. I will never forget that moment, ever in my life.

Or... maybe Daft Punk needed to be our AoTW this week because they were the first band that you and I ever spoke about, during our first Tinder date back in 2015. 

I guess it is all those reasons, and so many more.

Thank you for saying yes kiddo. Thank you for saying yes Mrs. Courtis.

I will love you forever.

https://open.spotify.com/album/2noRn2Aes5aoNVsU6iWThc?si=zFp1ERh-R_eJ3MrgTgHIvg

[albumoftheweek]

Album of the Week - 98 & 99

Randomly a couple of days ago Yorgos and I agreed that if you are an all-time artist, you need to have a minimum of 3 top, top, top level albums. That puts you in a different stratosphere of artist. It's just very difficult to put together 3 top-level, transformational albums. During the past almost 2 years, we have covered some, if not most of them. Floyd, Zeppelin, Beatles, Stones. Bowie, Miles Davis, Neil Young, Radiohead. But there are a couple of artists we haven't included. Bruce Springsteen comes to mind. But probably the biggest of omissions is: Bob Dylan But Dylan is difficult to deal with. He has some of the most diverse and eclectic albums ever. He has been a true superstar since the 60s, recently winning a Nobel Prize of Poetry for his contributions and lyrics. He started out as a country singer and won America over, overnight. He added electricity, rock guitars and drums and created more enemies, who later converted to even bigger fans. He had a wild turn into Christian music in the 80s. He found a 2nd (or 3rd) wind in the late 90s and 00s. He has had more famous songs, melodies and lyrics than probably anyone outside of the Beatles over the past 50-60 years of music. So today, we break the rules. Today I shall give you 2 AoTW. Especially since I'm a whole week behind! Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan Bob Dylan - Desire The first is one of his top albums from the 60s. One of the most classic of rock/country albums of all time. The number of references of this album are very diverse. I think there are references to the album cover in the Vanilla Sky film that came out a few years ago (good film). "Blowin' In The Wind" is one of his all time best and most widely recognised songs. "Masters of War" is a personal favourite. I studied its lyrics at school during 10th grade... my hippy teacher used the lyrics of this song as literature. Every song has stupendous lyrics. And Dylan's delivery does not escape its middle of the road nasal vocals. His voice is one of the most peculiar ones in the industry. This is the epitome of a first-era Dylan album. The sheer number of highlights, lyrical imagery and great melodies meant I needed to give you this album. But then comes Desire. I am sorry for giving you Desire this week kiddo. Without exaggeration, it is my favourite Dylan album and the one I've probably listened to the most. "Hurricane" was written about the boxer Rubin "The Hurricane" Carter, whose life was the focus of the film The Hurricane, with Denzel Washington. "Sara" is a great song about his wife. But the emotional centre of the album is the song that has stigmatised you as much as anything else in the world. I'm welling up while writing this to you kiddako. I love you to bits kiddo. The first is an album from 1963. The latter is from 1976. The man wrote masterpieces for 50 years. The song Mr Jones, by Counting Crows refers to the Mr. Jones from Bob Dylan's "Ballad of a Thin Man". The man has left an imprint bigger than most. And to be fair, he has done the same to us. In different ways. I love you. I always will. Welcome to our dream life. From next Friday onwards, but before that too x

https://open.spotify.com/album/0o1uFxZ1VTviqvNaYkTJek?si=iOIA_zfrSXm7DeAXrQuDyQ

https://open.spotify.com/album/1T8usYsiGEMPMQOLFgJEbE?si=266mDeiUSCm6xfe6CXbnJA

[albumoftheweek]

Album of the Week - 97

The 90s were a great decade for music because it managed to fit in numerous music styles, in their respective peaks. Some of the best hip hop music came out in the 90s. Brit-pop came, saw and conquered, while eventually giving way to the sound of indie/rock bands such as the Strokes and the Killers in the 00s. Pop music became transcendent although many examples of mainstream music are by no means artistic highlights (I mean... Westlife, Take That, Backstreet Boys, Spice Girls, Britney, Blue, TLS. They won't be making any end of year lists any time soon). Euro techno music became an overnight sensation and disappeared very quickly after that (2 Unlimited, Culture Beat, Haddaway). Nirvana created and made Grunge rock a genre that was then followed by Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam. Heavy metal was massive and nu metal took the world by storm in the late 90s (Korn, Slipknot, Rage against the Machine). In the meantime, electronic music became more popular and experimental than ever before. Techno music, trance (massive across pockets around the world), drum and bass. There was something for everyone. Rave parties became a thing, and partying certainly was on par with rock clubs and mainstream places. I grew up in the 90s and went through multiple phases of music styles though it's fair to say I would sometimes end up being a bit late to the party. One music style that I never got into in the 90s but I learnt, listened and loved later, was electronic music. Led by the work of certain famous DJs and the promotion of 2-3 very influential record labels (Ninja Tune, Warp, Mo Wax etc), electronic music expanded, evolved and became one of the more creative and eventually influential musical genres of our generation. If you were to type "Most Influential Electronic Albums" on google, I have no doubt that the 1st, 2nd or 3rd album that will come up is: DJ Shadow - Endtroducing..... In fact, I have just searched it in google and it comes up 2nd, after a Boards of Canada album (another very important band of the genre). The debut by DJ Shadow is the most influential electronic album of the 90s and along with Kraftwerk, Aphex Twin and maybe Neu! (oh and your buddy Brian Eno...), the album that did the most for artists to follow. I heard this album late, but it's fair to say that it's filled with highlights. It's part hip hop, part drum and bass, part electronic, part funk and part rock. Part jazz, part experimental and part metal. It's all things together yet brought together by DJ Shadow in a truly amazing way, full of surprises, left turns and crescendos. In terms of highlights, "Midnight in a Perfect World" is beautiful. The drum sequence and piano fills are some of the most influential ever. "Changeling" is probably the most descriptive of the ninja tune style that has come to describe their sound, with the scratching, jazzy drums and fills, beautiful bassline and smooth piano. The whole album is a great listen, but then we reach its emotional centre. "Stem/Long Stem" is my favourite song of the album and the driving force behind everything. In 7 short minutes, DJ Shadow let's us in to his soul and completely shatters all hope for a happy ending. Rock, metal, drum and bass, electronics, violins and jazz all come together to one of the most immersive songs to ever be composed by an electronic musician. This album requires you to listen carefully. It requires you to borrow Korres' headphones to enjoy the details of DJ Shadow's amazing production detail. It is a great entroduction (see what I did there?) into electronic music. I hope you enjoy it kiddo. Fingers crossed ! Xxxx

https://open.spotify.com/album/06HRPqj5bIfhxSpXN7lAPR?si=AZECJV0UTiqpr5kmzFRLWQ

[albumoftheweek]

Album of the Week - 96

Ah! It’s time to talk about one of the greatest myths of modern music. A feared concept that keeps musicians, artists, record labels and industry buffs on their toes like no other.

What is that? – you might ask…

The difficult 2nd album. AKA the Sophomore Slump. The theory that most artists’ 2nd outing flounders and/or is worse than their debut.

Debut albums, by default, benefit in the following ways:

Time – plenty of time to write (people’s debuts can very well include songs they had written in their teens)

Limited expectations of success by the artists themselves, the media and adoring fans

Limited pressure from record labels who now need to cash in after initially investing in the band/artist

No comparison – the benchmark that needs to be met or surpassed is set by the debut album itself

Fewer chemistry issues (in the case of a band) and fewer character issues (ego, excesses etc.)

Urgency and need – most of these artists and bands often have no money so part of why they do this is for their livelihood

Artists of all levels, tiers and talent are tortured by this. Am I good enough? Am I as talented as the hype, fans, media and my peers make me out to be?

I am no real artist myself. As you know, I will strum my guitar and write the odd melody, which I have probably unconsciously (or in certain cases consciously) borrowed from other musicians. But even in my amateurish level, I worry. Am I as creative as I always thought I was? Creative block has been studied for decades and is the subject of many practises, both in terms of social sciences (psychology) but also in arts. Authors, painters and others I forget are all scared that they might suffer from it.

In music, unfortunately, there have been way too many one-hit wonders. Way too many artists whose debuts brought about way too much hype and hope, but then faltered. But there have been a few exceptions to this. The odd band that comes back as strong or even stronger with a follow-up that matches the hype and expectations of their debut. Easy examples? Well many of the bands and artists that we now recognise as great (otherwise they wouldn’t have had a good, solid 2nd album). The Beatles, Nirvana (Nevermind was their 2nd effort), Radiohead (In Bends), Led Zeppelin (II) and

Interpol – Antics

When Interpol’s superb debut Turn On The Bright Lights came out in 2002, it felt like something completely different. Don’t forget; that was the era of The Strokes (talk about a great debut and an underwhelming follow up huh?), The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The White Stripes and Franz Ferdinand (see comment re: The Strokes). Darker, bleaker, a mix of New York City elegies, drenched in Joy Division basslines and frantic rhythm sections. As with most of the big bands of that era, Interpol became an overnight sensation. Paul Banks, their idiosyncratic singer made young emo girls go crazy and all media outlets rated “…. Bright Lights” as one of the best albums of the young (then) millennium. The album was so great that I did consider giving you that one instead as your AoTW. I didn’t, but please please please listen to “Obstacle 1”. It’s an absolutely insane song.

So how do you follow that up? How does a young, bloodthirsty, horny band, who has been drenched with praise handle their follow up album? What do they do next? Do they keep their unique sound the same and make an album that is simply an extension of their debut – A Turn On The Bright Lights 2? Do they keep their sound but get studio help buy a famous producer who refines their sound, gets paid more than them (God Bless record labels and their cash)? Or do they completely transform their sound to something new? And more importantly, are their new songs any good? Have they got anything new to say after they only came out with an album 24-months earlier and all they’ve been doing since is promoting the album, touring the world and enjoying the fact they are now becoming successful (basically realising their dream when they started playing music).

Through the noise, the stress, the pressure, the constant touring and increasing chemistry issues, 2 years after their debut, Interpol submitted Antics. An album that streamlined their signature sound, increased the velocity and quality of each instrument (more money in studios does that…), brought out Paul Bank’s lyrics more, was more direct than its predecessor and yet had something to say. “Evil”, “Narc”, “C’mere”, “Slow Hands” are all brilliant 3-4 minute nuggets of angst and brilliance. My favourite “Take You On A Cruise” brings all elements that make Interpol great together in a single song. Just listen to the changes and evolving rhythm section throughout the song. But the most interesting aspect of this album is its precision and accuracy. At 40 minutes, Antics feels weighty while also feeling light and enjoyable. Just a great listen.

Interpol are the last remaining band from that era that are still around. In fact the thing that triggered me to give you Antics as AoTW this particular week is that they just brought out their 6th album, Marauder. But since Antics, none of their efforts managed to keep up with the qualities they showcased in their first 2 albums. I have a soft spot for their 3rd album Our Love To Admire, but by all accounts it is not as good as Antics. And the rest of their albums failed to recapture the magic of the first two albums. They fell out with Carlos D, their beast of a bassist. Paul Banks started focusing on other projects including individual albums andcollaborations with hip-hop legends. They seemed to have less and less to say and resigned to talking about sex and cheap one-liners. Their sound didn’t evolve or remain as direct and punchy as it was.

But looking back at it, they gave us 2 great albums. And they defied the Sophomore Slump. Or at least they delayed it by a few more years….

Enjoy kiddo

X

https://open.spotify.com/album/35nhRlIbpZLPzGUCnePzow?si=c2WeCuU_TQib5p-munVXuA

[albumoftheweek]

Album of the Week - 95

Yo Back from holiday, stronger than ever! With more vigour and excitement than before. And even on AoTW 95, we are still going strong. This week we shall be examining the greatly influential psychedelic music of the 60s. The most famous bands to experiment with rock/pop structures, with a strong hallucinogenic, colourful feel to them where the likes of The Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd (the 60s albums, not the 70s ones), Country Joe &a the Fish, Captain Beefheart, Jefferson Airplane (AoTW candidate), The Doors (previous feature on AoTW) and of course the surreal Sgt Peppers of the Beatles. But if there's one album that perfectly describes the Summer or Love, summer of 1967, where love, sex, drugs and rock and roll where in the air, it's the aptly named: Love - Forever Changes The most perfect of psychedelic albums and one of the best albums ever. Listening to it today, all songs are highlights. The opening triplet of "Alone Again Or", "A House is Not a Motel", "Andmoreagain" is superb. "The Daily Planet" is the embodiment of the psychedelic scene. With the staccato rhythm section, multi-layered lyrics and background guitars, to the change in the middle of the song, the track is a perfect example of the experimentation both on music and lyrics. From then onwards, "Old Man" and most importantly "Maybe the People Would be the Times or Between Clark and Hillsdale" are awesome tracks. Hailing from LA, led by a mixed race front man (Arthur Lee), Forever Changes was the band's 3rd album (and easily best, although Da Capo was also great) and it captured the Summer of Love perfectly. There's a darkness in these songs (Live and Let Live's middle section?) and the lyrics, but they are dressed with an innocence, superb melodies and the typically laid back LA vibe that all music from the region always seems to have (even today). I reckon you will enjoy this album a lot. Melodic, full of brass, violins and great songs, I am thinking I might have to give you a similar AoTW next week !!!! Enjoy kiddako Xxxxx

https://open.spotify.com/album/2amHBpP8C0EUy6yBNy6nN6?si=vmjjSsTbQoGtYauHqDW1hA

[albumoftheweek]

Album of the Week - 94

Whatever I were to give you this week would get limited airplay... free camping in Crete, road tripping in a car where you can only play songs from pre-prepared CDs and with an audience as demanding and diverse as Yorgos, Dragana and I. I reckon you wouldn't be able to enjoy a lot of albums. So I thought I'd give you something you know very well, with 1-2 songs already copied on to CDs we've prepared and something that is almost on the list for completeness. We couldn't have an AoTW list without the album that contains our song:

Zaz- Zaz

"Eblouie par la Nuit". Our song! Who would have thought it huh? That our song would be a random song from a French singer that I had never heard before.

Although "Je Veux" is apparently a famous song and to be fair, I knew that song before listening to our song :).

The rest of the album is also quite good. I don't know if you've listened to it fully, which is another reason I wanted to give it to you as your AoTW.

I don't think I will spend to much time critiquing or writing about this album.... we are in a little room in Palaiochora after all, and I'm looking to taking my first shower in 4 days.

Just one thing.... Aren't you just glad we persevered with that film after all?

Xxxx

https://open.spotify.com/album/6MuoqipFgorIZEYwGWEFAU

[albumoftheweek]

Album of the Week - 93

Hi,

In recent months, I have struggled to find music from 2018 that I like and I think you would enjoy. Today's music seems to to be favouring hip hop styles, particularly with pop music.  I do feel that there is just more that a hip hop artist can say right now.  The music seems more relevant, in line with today's culture and politics. It also feels like there is less historically great music coming out today. Fewer albums that would make the "1001 Albums to Listen to Before You Die". Then again fewer people listen to albums nowadays. Playlists, singles, shorter album lengths or EPs seem to be much more relevant to the confined structure of the traditional album. 

Albums became the de facto way for an artist to present new material shortly after the 33 rpm vinyl. Each side allowed 22 minutes of music to be recorded. Most albums were 40 minutes long. Some bands experimented with the medium bringing out double albums to amazing success (and essentially double the sales, as sales are counted on number of physical records sold, so every sale would double the count and earnings). The CD took that to great new lengths. 74 minutes of space for each artist to record into. It was bound to enable worse overall albums as bands no longer had to filter down, curate their music from say 55 minutes to 44, in order to fit into a traditional 33 rpm vinyl record. Saying that, the CD allowed artists the platform to express themselves more freely, to create music that had more space to express itself and it was also responsible for the ultimate cheesy trick - the hidden track. 

Nowadays artists do not launch albums. The way music is made (fast, introvert and often in someone's bedroom), the rapid decline of CD sales, music downloads and of course streaming (although much more popular in the western world - it must be said), means that a lot of the best music will never make it into a traditional album. Spotify playlists often are the best way to get exposure to the best music out there. For the purposes of our weekly email (and tumblr column) and as far as I'm concerned, this is a shame. I still love the feeling of listening to a new album.   For me this is mostly confined to new releases of famous artists of the past (Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys, Arcade Fire etc.) or the few (predominantly pop/hip-pop) artists who seem to still respect the album (Frank Ocean, Kendrick Lamar). 

I recently listened to a very interesting album where each song is 1 minute long.  15 x 1 minute songs. But very good songs nevertheless. If you are interested: (Tierra Whack - Whack World / spotify:album:3ogNAkUhvQy0cFOfLoR6Y8).

So to challenge a lot of what I've written above, this week's AoTW only came out on August 3rd, I've been listening to it on repeat (with you) and it's 5 songs/16 minutes long. In traditional album structures, this would rank as your first ever EP rather than LP.

Channel Tres - Channel Tres

A dude who clearly enjoys house and in particular deep house music. A dude that grew up listening to hip hop but was not confined by the genre. Doubt you have listened to artists like Moodyman, but he has definitely enjoyed listening to his albums and DJ sets. 

I have been listening to this album on repeat the past few days. I kind of think you will enjoy it. Your newfound appreciation of electronic music ought to mean you dance to this, jog to this, walk to work to this, cook to this and fly to Crete to this.

Enjoy kiddako.  

Love ya

xxx

https://open.spotify.com/album/4pbf36fsCW0oe7myRLZEtz?si=2Ox5aASfTbCxWh-5mZGaVw

[albumoftheweek]

Album of the Week - 92

This AoTW is a tribute to Madrid, your cousin Holly and to "Montenegro" - the only Spanish song I ever wrote.

I guess you are thinking..... what do all these things have in common.

O.S.T - Frida

Seeing Frida Kahlo's face on the pillows of Holly's sofa reminded me of this great album. I then noticed Holly wearing a Frida necklace later that night and next day. I made a note to give you the album this week.

I absolutely loved this album. All of the songs are absolutely magnificent. The instrumentals are beautiful. "Paloma Negra" is very intense and emotional. The epic "Benediction and Dream" kicks things off with a bang. What a vocal!!!! "La Llarona" is great. Seriously, the whole album is superb. But of course there's a highlight..... and that is the last song of the album "Burn it Blue". With vocals by our favourite - Caetano Veloso! What a song! You will love it kiddo.

Considering your love for anything ethnic and in particular everything Spanish, you will really like this album.

But I guess you wonder how this links to "Montenegro"? A song I wrote in 2003-2004 in London.

I watched Frida in my then home in 257 New North Road with Yorgos. It is a brilliant film, featuring great performances from Salma Hayek and Antonio Banderas. I don't remember a lot about the film after all these years. But I remember being overwhelmed by the life of this great artist, her strength of character, the beauty of the film and acting and the combination with the beautiful soundtrack.

So I ran upstairs from Yorgos' room and sat in my room, picked up my guitar and wrote a song. The first thing that came to mind. The first verse, bridge and chorus. And then more and more parts were coming out, without any prior notice. That film inspired me to write one of my favourite songs I've written. Maybe Frida was my muse for a couple of hours there... for a moment of creativity.

I love those moments. Those moments of spontaneous creativity, where you look back and think to yourself.. "did I do this? Did I have that in me?" Now of course I don't know how or why I called the song Montenegro. I guess it just rhymes with the melody. It was distinctive enough that I kept the word even when I got someone to write me proper Spanish lyrics for it.

I reckon we should watch this film this week. If you haven't already. Or even if you have..

Enjoy kiddako.

Love ya

Xx

https://open.spotify.com/album/1VU7NezUvswRnFjNM0M5li?si=yXV9XSmmQQiVE-SQGcnZOg

[albumoftheweek]

Album of the Week - 91

"One day in the Year of the Fox Came a time remembered well When the strong, young man of the rising sun Heard the tolling of the big black bell One day in the Year of the Fox When the bell began to ring Meant the time had cometh For one to go To the Temple of The King"

What does this mean? What sort of high art is this? What did they want to say? What secret meanings did the lyrics want to portray?

Rainbow - Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow

The short answer: nothing! And it's not high art.

But when the 6th song from Richie Blackmore's Rainbow starts, I am at my most familiar. Every twist and every turn of this 6 minute behemoth has meant something to me and my young adolescence.

Rainbow started in the mid 70s, led by the guitarist and mastermind of another AoTW you've had - Deep Purple. You couldn't guess his name could you??? That's right. Richie Blackmore was so famous, so self centred and so cocky, that he named his new band's debut album after his name. Funny thing really... considering he gathered some of the best musicians around and brought in a young Ronnie James Dio to sing. Dio was very young back then, but he used Rainbow as a stepping stone to eventually becoming one of the most iconic heavy rock/metal voices ever (R.I.P).

This album was given to me my dad, during that amazing weekend when my brother, father and I hit the Athenian record stores to buy a set of albums that have since meant a lot to me (and Panos for that matter).  The cover of the album is as extravagant, obtuse and pompous as some of the lyrics, guitar solos and Blackmore himself. But to pick on a line from last week's album of the week "But who cares?"

The album is immense! Starting with "Man on The Silver Mountain", the superb balladry of "Catch The Rainbow", "The Temple of the King (obvs), and even closing with "Sixteenth Century Greensleeves", it's a truly great album.

Funnily enough, their follow up album Rising is considered their best album and often included in lists about the best hard rock/metal albums ever. But my father did not buy me Rising that weekend. I didn't spend 5 years in my teens listening to Rising in my bedroom in Galatsi. So Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow it is....

Enjoy it kiddo. Hopefully you will... like that 15 year old spotty boy with the big glasses and chubby cheeks did back then.

Love ya

Xxxx

https://open.spotify.com/album/3LXOrVXLXwRiOguE446OZo?si=cd94kdpBQL-aBhe2-Rix5A

[albumoftheweek]

Album of the Week - 90

Over time, I have been keeping aces up my sleeve of albums that I have wanted to give you that I'm convinced you will love and I have loved too. This week's album is in my definitive list of albums to give you as part of the AoTW project that we embarked on almost 2 years ago. Gnarls Barkley - St' Elsewhere The combination of super-producer Danger Mouse and super-larger than life personality-vocalist-rapper-artist Cee-Lo generated one of my favourite albums of the past decade. And boy oh boy did they make it large. You can't go through a Top 5 list of songs of the 00s without including "Crazy" in there. The ultimate pop/indie track, "Crazy" ruled the airwaves, bars and clubs for numerous years and is now a classic; at the level of Outkast's "Hey Ya" and The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army". I was crazy (no pun intended) about this album when it came out. I read every article about Gnarls Barkley and about Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse. I remember reading an article that they were in the studio together and Danger Mouse played the beat to "Crazy" in the studio and left it playing on loop for an hour. When Danger Mouse returned, Cee-Lo was singing, humming the melody of "Crazy". In an hour! One of the top songs of a whole decade!!!! Loved reading that snippet. Researching and listening to Cee-Lo and his previous stuff, I stumbled into my favourite ever hip hop band, Outkast. You see Cee-Lo was a member of hip hop band Goodie Mob, a leading act from Atlanta, who were best friends with fellow Atlanta demigods Outkast. Goodie Mob was a great band, with a truly great hip hop album (Soul Food) and introduced the world to Cee-Lo. One of the most interesting vocalists of hip hop, soul and pop, Cee-Lo's voice is truly distinct. Truly special. No one can mix up a Cee-Lo vocal with anyone else's vocals. And while Cee-Lo was the established vocalist that Gnarls Barkley needed in order to be successful, none of this would have been possible without Danger Mouse. In the middle 00s, anything Danger Mouse touched turned gold. St' Elsewhere is the ultimate example of his talents, combined with great melodies and vocals. 2nd single "Smile Faces" also made it big and is also a highlight. "Just a Thought" is an amazing song, one of my favourites - a great beat, mixed straight up with Cee-Lo's great melodies and lyrics. "Who Cares?" With a good tad of humour and immaculate production and "St' Elsewhere" - love that song. This album sends me back to a different era of my life. I was 25 years old, working at ITC and playing music every day in the office with Victoria and the rest. The last song of the album is the last song I ever played, in my last day at ITC, to celebrate my departure. "The Last Time". Loved that song. Actually.... I love every song of this album. I remember listening to it again and again with Yorgos on holiday. Over 12 years ago! Insane! I remember going to see them live and hoping it would be the best gig I would have ever been to (it wasn't). I am listening to it now, on my way to Rye and its familiarity is warming my soul. Enjoy kiddo! It's a goodun. Xxxxx P.S. after a relatively low key follow up album, Cee-Lo had another massive hit single with "Fuck You", became a TV personality by being a judge for The Voice in the USA (fair enough - with a voice like that, I'd let you judge me too) and recently was seen on video being severely injured by a self-exploding Samsung that blew up in his face. Danger Mouse on the other hand finished off the decade with more great production contributions, including working with Beck, the Gorillaz and The Black Keys, but has somehow not managed to be as relevant in the 10's (although I just had a look at his Wikipedia page and he produced the last Adele album so he's not doing too badly!).

spotify:album:5I0Wf7lRLZArM1K2uQ1AEA