Spoonerisms and Celeb Citings

Last evening, co-contributor Steve sent me a link to listen to Ritt Momney's indie-pop cover of Corinne Bailey Ray's "Put Your Records On".

Steve commented that the artist's name, Ritt Momney, "gets me every time".  This is, of course, because Ritt Momney is a parody on the name of US Senator Mitt Romney.

Simple, but effective.

After Steve's message, my brain began slipping down the rabbit hole of bands that either directly reference, or twist the names of famous persons.

A Spoonerism is a type of metathesis in linguistics, defined as, "an error in speech in which corresponding consonants, vowels, or morphemes are switched between two words in a phrase. These are named after the Oxford don and ordained minister William Archibald Spooner, who reputedly did this."

Another example of Spoonerisms in music is the synthwave artist Com Truise, which is a twist on the name of actor Tom Cruise.  

Sometimes artists don't rearrange the letters in a celebrity's name, so much as substitute one letter to change the entire meaning, in the case of artists like Joy Orbison (a nod to the late, great Roy Orbison), or Chet Faker (a comedic reference to legendary jazz trumpeter Chet Baker).

The Dandy Warhols (reference to artist Andy Warhol) still make my regular musical rotation with their '90s staple, "Bohemian Like You"

Probably the most prominent example of this in popular music is the CeeLo Green and Danger Mouse project, Gnarls Barkley which blew up the charts with their 2006 megahit single, "Crazy".  Gnarls Barkley is--surprise--a gnarly twist on basketball star, Charles Barkley.

Here's a few other examples:  

Gringo Starr (Beatles' Ringo Starr)

Ringo Deathstarr (Beatles vs Star Wars)

Steve 'N' Seagulls (actor Steven Seagal)

And, perhaps my favorite of the bunch... The Harmonica Lewinskis (Monica Lewinski)

Then again, sometimes you just don't feel like rearranging the letters in a famous person's name to be clever, so you go for the gusto and directly reference them.

Take Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin for example.  Or maybe Kathleen Turner Overdrive.

How about Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.?  They've since changed their name to just JR JR.

According to Wikipedia:  NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. "...is a fan of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.  The band emailed him to assure him they were not making fun of him and sent him a few samples of their music."

Perhaps you're more keen on Natalie Portman's Shaved Head (who have since changed their name to Brite Futures), who publicly stated that it had come to their attention that, "...our muse Ms. Portman is not so keen on us using her name in ours..."

It's well documented that Pearl Jam's original name was Mookie Blaylock, after the basketball player. Luscious Jackson were also named after a misspelling of basketball great, Lucious Jackson.

Many bands have borrowed from historical figures.  Scottish band, Franz Ferdinand, owe their name to the former Archduke of Austria.  The '80s hard rock band Tesla were named after inventor Nikola Tesla.  Classic rockers Jethro Tull were named after the English inventor and agricultural pioneer of the same name.  

Sometimes artists even combine two or more famous titles to make them their own.  The Brian Jonestown Massacre were named after the late Rolling Stones' guitarist Brian Jones and the infamous Jonestown Massacre.

Marilyn Manson is a combination of Marilyn Monroe and Charles Manson, and the band's early members also took on the conjoined names of famous actresses/models and serial killers (e.g. Twiggy Ramirez, Gidget Gein and Madonna Wayne Gacy)

Inspiration apparently strikes in all sorts of places.  You could really go on and on...  

So, do you have a favorite? Who else deserved to be mentioned in this list?  Comment below if you have additions!

Climax Blues Band - 'I Love You'

You know that part in 'Maybe I'm Amazed' by Paul McCartney, where the song, at about the 2:17 mark, does that piano change-up thing-- do-do-do-do-do-do?  Unfortunately, I am not skilled in properly articulating music (in fact I have absolutely no idea how to talk about music in the technical sense), but you can hear exactly what I am talking about here. 

Anyhow, if you have ever imagined what the sequel to such a chord progression (or is it regression?) might be, then 'I Love You' by Climax Blues Band may be just the answer.  

Such a statement is not meant to diminish the 1980 single as a cheap Beatles rip-off.  To the contrary, 'I Love You' carries just as much emotional heft as the McCartney-penned doppelganger.  Indeed, the lyrics serve as a sincere ode to those one-of-a-kind women out there who, against all advice to the contrary, decide to take a chance and partner with that possibly problematic man, through thick or thin and for better or worse:

When I was a younger man I hadn't a care /  Foolin' around, hittin' the town, growing my hair / You came along and stole my heart when you entered my life / ooh babe you got what it takes, so I made you my wife.

....   

You came along from far away and found me here /  I was playin' around, feeling down, hittin' the beer / You picked me up from off the floor and gave me a smile / You said you're much to young, your life ain't begun, let's walk for awhile.

'I Love You' reached number 12 on the charts in 1981, but I feel it gets undeservedly low airplay today.  Perhaps it is because it has been overshadowed by the English band's disco-infused A.M. radio staple 'Couldn't Get It Right'?  In any event, even if the song is no longer on the radio rotation today,  'I Love You' by Climax Blues Band definitely belongs on any of Star-Lord's walkman awesome cassette mixes, and likely in your personal Spotify playlist.  

Watch the video for the undeservedly forgotten 'I Love You' by Climax Blues Band below:

Christian Sands - 'Can't Find My Way Home'

Post-college I began to slowly fall in love with jazz; Bebop and Post-bop to be exact.  Midtown martini bars, the Beat Generation, and Don Draper all come to mind when I listen to Miles or The Monk.  It is sophistication, class, and cool epitomized.  

Christian Sands is a contemporary jazz pianist whose expositions reveal he is a disciple of the midcentury jazz tradition.  His style is delicate, and his arrangements demonstrate a keen sense of space and sonic instinct.  

Normally, when it comes to jazz, one of my peeves is when a pop or rock song is covered.  Much of the time, the end result sounds to me like silly Muzak you hear in the waiting room of your dentist's office or at the shopping mall department store during Christmas.  (Shopping Malls...remember those?)  For this reason, I prefer jazz and popular music rarely marry.  

'Can't Find My Way Home' is the rare exception to my mantra.  As a classic rock adherent in my junior and senior high school days, I listened endlessly to Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, and Ginger Baker jam on the supergroup's self-titled Blind Faith album.  When it was recently recommended to me I check out Sands' rendition of the Winwood penned 'Can't Find My Way Home,' I was skeptical.  But I am glad I gave it a chance, because I feel it is one of the best jazz covers of a classic rock song I have ever heard.  

Sands' version is a slow burn.  But if you have the patience and wherewithal to let yourself go and truly, actively LISTEN, the payoff is wonderful.  His arrangement translates the technical mastery of the rock original's guitar bars and percussion to piano brilliantly.  It gently embraces the original's rawness without getting consumed by it.  The change-ups are seductive.  Just take a listen at approximately the five-minute mark, and you will truly hear and feel what I mean.  I get lost in this song every time I hear it.   

You can listen to the audio stream to 'Can't Find My Way Home' in the music player below.  But if you have 15 minutes to spare, you can watch a recent live performance from a club in Baltimore recorded in November of 2020 here if you want to see how Sands, and bandmates Ryan Sands and Yasushi Nakamura, truly jive.  

Thomas Dolby - 'Airwaves'

For the casual listener, the mention of Thomas Dolby likely spawns visions of quirky synth pop, coalesced with the Poindexter look Dolby adorned in his music video for worldwide smash 'She Blinded Me With Science.'  (SCIENCE!!)  Indeed, 'She Blinded Me With Science' is a banger that still carries Party DJ cred today.  Unless you are a hardcore fan, though, the rest of Dolby's catalog--and even other songs featured on the very same album as 'Science'--have gone completely overlooked.  

Track 3 from The Golden Age of Wireless is 'Airwaves.'  (Point of reference:  'She Blinded Me With Science' is Track 1).  I first came across the track not long ago as it was playing in the background of a satellite radio station or random Spotify station;  I really can't remember.  But what totally grabbed me were the verses' uncanny melodic similarity to Billy Joel's 'Goodnight Saigon.'  In fact, I first thought it was an alternate version of the Billy song, however, the sprawling, spacey, multi-layered chorus immediately informed me 'Airwaves' was a completely different--and frankly much better-- record altogether.  

For fellow nostalgia junkies, 'Airwaves' is a signature artifact from Generation X's formative years.  It is a perfect combination of eccentricity, the subterranean, and New Wave.  The corresponding music video definitely bears this out.

In fact, you can check out the music video for 'Airwaves' in the player below: 

Frances Forever - 'Space Girl'

'Space Girl' is a jaunty track from Frances Forever, the stage name of Frances Garrett.  Although the tune has been around for almost a couple of years, the single has gained recent prominence as it has made the rounds on Tik-Tok. 

My favorite part of the song is definitely the bridge, which begins around the 2:19 mark.  It is a hazy and tranquil divergence from the otherwise buoyant melody, and it balances the tune out quite nicely.

You can watch the official video for 'Space Girl' in the player below:

Tune-Yards - 'Hold Yourself'

I have always had an affinity for Merrill Garbus and her band tUnE-yArDs (see prior post here), but to be entirely honest, that affinity never grew into reverence or exaltation.  While I certainly appreciated her groundbreaking idiosyncrasies, the music never completely moved me to the next celestial level, if you will.  

That is not an indictment.  Indeed, there are many artists I respect and enjoy that fit into this very category.  

But with the recent release of latest single, 'Hold Yourself,' my adoration for Merrill and tUnE-yArDs has been reborn stronger than before.  Arranged as a  ballad, 'Hold Yourself' is a candid portrait of the precarious role of parenthood; the constant tension between a mother's or father's own frailties and self-doubts on the one hand, while simultaneously projecting strength and false bravado on the other, all for the sake of the child's sense of safety and wellbeing.  

Musically, 'Hold Yourself' is alluring.  Its first couple of bars are reminiscent of 'Purple Rain,' followed by Garbus' measured Gospel slugs during the choruses.   The synth and sax of the tune compliment her voice quite nicely.  Overall, it is a beautiful and moving composition that grips onto my soul a little more each time I hear it.  

'Hold Yourself' is set to drop on March 26, 2021.  In the meantime, you can watch the music video for the single below:

Meg Myers - 'Any Way You Wanna Love'

Meg Myers returned this weekend with a new music video to her single, "Any Way You Wanna Love".

It's been a while since we've checked in on Myers, having first written about her sensuous alt-rock single, "Desire" on this blog more than six years ago.

The Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter is back with a new video that supports the Dance to Be Free organization, which "empowers incarcerated women and others who have endured psychological and physical traumas through the use of choreographed healing dance." 

The video finds Myers dancing freely on a beach, and intersperses clips of fans, friends and family contributing their own interpretations of the dance.

In Myers' own words, as posted in the video description:

"'Any Way You Wanna Love' and the Dance are both inspired by healing journeys of liberation, freeing participants of old bonds, old wounds and shadows of the past. Into new light of creation and potential, transforming what was once negative and debilitating into freedom and celebration of new life. So rather than being disempowered by our pasts, we transmute the energy into recognition and empowerment.”

You can watch (and dance along to) the video for Meg Myers' "Any Way You Wanna Love" below.  To learn more about Dance to Be Free, visit  https://DanceToBeFree.org​

For more on this artist, visit Meg Myers' Official Website.

Last Week's Listens: José González and Gojira

Over the past week,  I've found myself listening repeatedly to two new singles from two very different--but equally impressive--artists, José González and Gojira.

González, the Argentinian-Swedish indie folk musician, returned with his first new single in several years, (and his first in Spanish), "El Invento".

González describes "El Invento" as a song he wrote around the birth of his daughter, and one which asks the questions, "...who we are, where we're going, and why?"

Like much of his music, the song is pastoral and introspective, with González' skillfully-plucked acoustic guitar playing to delicately spoken vocals.  It's a very poignant and pretty tune that fits right in with much of the artist's previous catalog.  His music always feels calming and complex at the same time.

For me, it brought back memories of seeing him perform live in Chicago back in 2007, and recalling the gentle command he had as a solo performer (You can read my concert review here).

Watch the video for "El Invento" below:

And then...

On the polar opposite side of the musical spectrum, we have the explosive, flying whale-of-a-single from French metal masters, Gojira, called "Born For One Thing".

Gojira have rightfully earned a reputation for effortlessly blending elements of technical, death and thrash metal into a heavy groove.  Having seen them live in 2019, I can attest that Gojira is a band that somehow sounds even heavier and more dialed-in in concert.  

The new single, "Born For One Thing", which dropped last week, has been met with much enthusiasm from fans new and old.  It finds the band picking up where they left off with 2016's crossover success story, Magma.  While some dyed-in-the-wool fans from the band's early days may have feared Magma was veering into mainstream territory, there's no denying the latest single finds the band still in their prime.  

"Born For One Thing" starts with that trademark Gojira build-up before crashing down into intense riffs with surgical precision.  Brothers Joe and Mario Duplantier have an inherent way of clicking together on guitar and drums, respectively, like conjoined twins sharing one musical brain.

Even if metal isn't your thing, I recommend giving Gojira a listen, as they remain one of the tightest, heaviest and most consistent bands in the genre today.

Gojira's forthcoming album, Fortitude, will be released on April 30th, 2021.  Listen to "Born for One Thing" below:

Doves - 'Catch the Sun'

Ever have that song which is such a big part of the personal soundtrack of your life; but then, with no warning, it inexplicably fades into your subconscious?  

Up and until that juncture, you may have played the song several times a day for weeks at a time;  you may have even put it on a couple of mix CD-Rs or MP3 compilations that you handed out to others.  Then, for reasons you're not quite certain of, the song faded into personal obscurity, just like the vivid dream you can no longer remember the details of five minutes after you wake up.  

'Catch the Sun' by Doves is my very own sonic feverdream.  When I was in college, I discovered the British band by listening incessantly to the now-defunct XM Radio Station Ethel.  Ethel was a station that broadcast a perfect blend of Britpop-inspired alternative rock, along with the proto-indie rock native to the aughts.  Ethel introduced me to other solid Britrock bands like Ash and Catherine Wheel, yet, unlike Doves, those bands never left my immediate awareness.  

During 'Catch the Sun's' prime on my personal playlist, I distinctly remember queueing the track on my headphones as I made the quarter-mile trek from my residence to the lecture halls on central campus. I found it subtly uplifting and stirring.  If I was in an anxious mood as I readied myself to be in the same room as fifty other high strung university students, 'Catch the Sun's'' assured chorus always brought me back to center.   

Then, at some point in approximately 2002, 'Catch the Sun,'--and the rest of Doves' repertoire--slid out of my rotation for reasons unexplained.  Maybe it was because Ethel stopped playing them on the radio?  Or maybe I was distracted by another shiny, musical object? 

Earlier this evening, I was cooking Sunday dinner while listening to the Indie 1.0 station on the since-rebranded SiriusXM.  (Indie 1.0 is the spiritual successor to Ethel).  Lo and behold, Indie 1.0 transmitted the opening, but prescient, lyrics to 'Catch the Sun:'  

"Everyday it comes to this / Catch the things you might have missed."  

At that moment I couldn't help but thinking my life had suddenly come full circle.  And I felt like I had been reunited with an old friend I didn't realize how much I missed or needed.

Stream 'Catch the Sun' by Doves in the music player below:

Quelle Chris & Chris Keys - 'Sacred Safe'

For those of you who don't mind a little Brazilian-styled rhythms intermixed with Lupe Fiasco-esque smooth beats, than 'Sacred Safe' may be just the song for you.  

'Sacred Safe' is hypnotizing and transformational. It is sonic quicksand, methodically sucking its listener into soundspaces that are neither here nor there.   Indeed, for those of you who listen to the "lo-fi" study radio station on YouTube--the one with the looping animation featuring the headphoned girl and the cat--you will feel right at home when you listen to this one.  

You can stream the video to 'Sacred Safe' by Quelle Chris and Chris Keys below:

Guilty Pleasures (Valentine's Edition): Dino - 'Romeo'

 Happy Valentine's Day, fellow music lovers.

It's hard to believe I've never posted about Dino before, but it seemed appropriate to wait until V-Day to drop his 1990 cheesefest, "Romeo" on you.

I first heard Dino in my favorite 1992 Rodney Dangerfield/Jonathan Brandis cross-dressing soccer comedy, Ladybugs, in which his song, "Summergirls" was used.

Dino, AKA Dean Esposito, was a Top 40 DJ who took a turn at singing with the group, Esquire, in the '80s before going solo in '89 with his first album, 24/7.  The album also featured the single, "I Like It".  

The same year, Dino got booked as an opening act for the insanely popular New Kids on the Block tour.

In 1990, Dino returned with his sophomore album, Swingin', which featured today's song du jour, "Romeo".

"Romeo" shot its way to #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 that year, due to a sugary sweet pop chorus and, yep, a guest rap by Doctor Ice (of UTFO).

With a healthy dose of New Jack Swing and freestyle dance, "Romeo" was destined to break some hearts while tearing up the charts.  

The music video is a pretty incredible historical document of the culture of 1990, as well.  

With fashion choices nothing short of colorful, Dino alternates between a mustardy sport jacket and a white tee emblazoned with the slogan, "My Race is Human", as he serenades our souls.

Enthusiastic backup dancers bounce in and out of frame like over-caffeinated extras at the Peach Pit on Beverly Hills 90210, cementing the video's place in the annals of pop history.  

Whether you're feeling hopelessly romantic or just a little '90s nostalgic this V-Day, take a page from the Dino, the master of smooth:

"I'll be your Romeo, I love you so, I can't let go... of these feelings in my heart!"

 

Steven Wilson - 'SELF'

Steven Wilson, the prolific and multi-talented British musician and songwriter, returned this past month with his latest solo album, The Future Bites.

Wilson is best known as the frontman for the contemporary prog-rock band, Porcupine Tree--a group that amassed ten albums and another seven EPs over a twenty year span.  

I first heard Porcupine Tree more than a decade into their career with the release of 2002's remarkable commercial breakthrough, In Absentia.  The single "Trains" from that album is still a favorite of mine, and is a great entry point for new listeners.  Porcupine Tree's follow up album, Deadwing, was an equally impressive effort, combining Pop songwriting sensibilities with complex Prog and Metal arrangements.

Wilson has also recorded six of his own solo albums, in addition to working with several other bands and remix projects.  On 2021's The Future Bites, Wilson finds himself immersed in electronic music more than ever, with songs making digs at consumerism and critiquing the effects of a technological society on our personal psyches.

His latest single, "SELF", is a great example of just that.  The music video uses deepfake technology to alter Wilson's appearance, morphing him into various celebrities. The album's slinky electo-funk recalls Young Americans-era Bowie for me, at times.

The video can best be summed up by the artist's own words, taken from the description on his official YouTube video, shared below:

"SELF is about our new age of narcissism and self-obsession, one in which a human race that used to look out with curiosity at the world and the stars now spends much of its time gazing at a little screen to see themselves reflected back in the mirror of social media. In that sense everyone now can take part in the notion of celebrity, and has the potential to share their life with an invisible mass of people they will never meet. The video takes things further by exploring the idea that anyone can now project a version or “self” that has no bearing on reality, and by using only well known faces the deception is made transparent." - Steven Wilson

Steven...have you been binge-watching Black Mirror again?

Additionally, the video's director, Miles Skarin commented on his work in regards to creating deepfakes, saying, "Anyone with the right tools and ability can now turn themselves into anyone else, so what does that mean for identity?"

Watch the video for Steven Wilson's "SELF" below:

If you enjoyed that, I also recommend watching Wilson's music video for "Personal Shopper" off The Future Bites.

You can learn more and order the full album by visiting Steven Wilson's Official Website.

The Blue Stones + A Requiem for Live Music

For some, tomorrow is another Super Bowl Sunday.  For me, it's the one-year anniversary of the last time I experienced live music in person.

February 7th, 2020 seems so long ago.  It was a cold night in Des Moines, Iowa--as it typically is this time of year (it's currently 3°F as I type this)--but inside the Vaudeville Mews, things were heating up.  

Ontario rock duo, The Blue Stones, had taken the stage of the independent venue and were busy melting my winter blues away.  

I'd only recently become aware of the Canadian band's music--a hard-hitting blend of alternative blues-rock someplace in the musical ether between guitar/drum acts like the Black Keys and Royal Blood.  Hearing their latest single, "Shakin' Off the Rust", I instantly found myself pulled in to their sound.

I'd invited fellow Lonely Noter, Steve, to join me for the show--which was only a week or so into the band's US tour--but he unfortunately found himself under the weather that night, so a coworker joined my wife and me at the last minute.

This was, of course, several weeks before COVID-19 shut down live music as we know it.  But on that evening, fans were packed together shoulder to shoulder in the narrow club, singing and cheering (yes, prior to masks) along to songs like, "Rolling With the Punches" and "Black Holes (Solid Ground)".  The term Coronavirus had been around in the news for weeks, but we still didn't know just how quickly our world would change.

The Blue Stones, also known as singer-guitarist Tarek Jafar and drummer Justin Tessier, rocketed through a tight set of crunchy, psychedelic guitar riffs and catchy pop hooks.  The two didn't waste any time working up a sweat under the lights of the tiny stage.  

They used the night to play much of their 2018 album, Black Holes, while teasing several new songs, including "Grim", which hit home that evening with the lyrics, "Am I dreaming or am I awake? 'Cause it's just too good".  

After the show, we met the band up on the balcony of the Mews, and both members graciously signed the record I'd just bought on the spot and posed for a photo with us.  And then we departed, not realizing that was the last concert we'd see for the rest of the year.   A few more shows down the road and the Blue Stones would have to cancel the remainder of their tour.

Fortunately, the band has turned a rotten situation into a productive year.  From their impressive Live on Display livestream to the recent news of their sophomore album, Hidden Gems, dropping March 2021, there's been plenty to keep fans listening.  

You can listen to their latest single, "Spirit" in the YouTube clip at the bottom of this post.

The Vaudeville Mews has since announced its permanent closure--another victim of a tragic year.  Taking to social media, the venue owners bid farewell to the many fans who'd crammed inside its walls for the past 18 years. It was one of the first, and few, local venues where a fledgling band could find a gig--and where you could stumble in to find live music nearly every night of every week. 

 

The Mews hosted everything from folk and indie rock to death metal, and was dedicated to pushing Des Moines' music scene forward.

Bands who'd previously bypassed the city (or state as a whole) began stopping through on treks between Chicago and Denver or Minneapolis and St. Louis.  The departure of the Mews is a loss for the local music community as a whole, and it's sadly just one of the thousands of live venues across the country who have suffered this past year.

Of all of the things I've missed over the past year, live music is right at the top of the list.  But with vaccines slowly rolling out and warmer weather around the corner, I'm feeling a sense of optimism that a finish line is somewhere off in the distance. 

The new normal may not come to a close anytime soon, but someday in the future we are going to stand together in a crowd, and a band will be loudly pouring their hearts out to us, and we will be singing the words right back at them, and it is going to be worth it.  And we won't be dreaming.

For more on The Blue Stones, visit the band's website and purchase their music!

RIP Vaudeville Mews (photos from venue's Facebook page)

Mayer Hawthorne's Rare Changes

Of all the music I listened to in 2020, it's probable that no other artist played as frequently as Mayer Hawthorne.

I'd been a casual fan of Hawthorne's retro-soul for a number of years (Steve blogged about him briefly back in 2013), but it wasn't until he began dropping one-off singles last year that I really got hooked.  

When the single, "M.O." was released last February, it instantly became a part of my regular rotation, and I found myself combing through his back catalog more than I ever had before, including his previous solo albums and work with his disco-funk duo, Tuxedo.

After "M.O." became my go-to, I realized that Hawthorne had already been teasing new music one song at a time for the prior 6 months.  Whether on the Prince-like funk of "Over", or on the sexy Marvin Gaye energy of "Healing", Hawthorne has a gift for putting a modern spin on classic R&B music.

All of the songs have a delightfully nerdy, blue-eyed neo soul vibe, but Hawthorne's falsetto and abilities as a musician and producer sell the authenticity. 

During quarantine, Hawthorne began hosting a weekly Thursday night Wine & Vinyl Hour livestream, where he'd pull records from his massive collection to play for fans.  His depth of appreciation for classic and obscure music really came through during these livestreams, which also gave some insight into his musical inspirations.

In the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic last summer, Hawthorne released the single, "Rare Changes", which he dedicated "...to the brave people of planet earth who are holding hands and fighting for the rare changes".  He acknowledged that the song was written pre-Covid but felt the message became more important than he'd realized at the time.

Fans, including yours truly, were wondering when any of the eight great singles Hawthorne had released online would eventually find their way to a physical medium.  In December 2020, 1-1/2 years after first teasing new music, Hawthorne released the Rare Changes LP on CD and vinyl formats.  

The album is a collection of 9 tracks, with only the short "Intro" track featuring previously unreleased music.  The entire album clocks in at under half an hour, but for those fans who'd waited patiently, it's exactly what we wanted. There's no filler here--every song is fleshed out and feels cohesive as a compilation.

Rare Changes easily ranks as one of my favorite albums of 2020.  To order a copy for yourself, visit: www.mayerhawthorne.com

Watch the recently-released video for the title track single, "Rare Changes" below:

The Avalanches - 'Reflecting Light'

Aussie electronic duo, The Avalanches, released one of the past year's most eclectic and ambitious albums with We Will Always Love You.

The album is a dense mix of samples and original instrumentation, featuring a diverse range of guest performers, from Leon Bridges and MGMT to Tricky and Rivers Cuomo.

The album's 25 tracks are packed to the brim with short interludes and fully-formed cosmic pop songs.

An early standout for me is the song, "Reflecting Light", featuring vocals from Sananda Maitreya--formerly known as '80s hitmaker Terence Trent D'Arby (remember "Wishing Well"?).

The track also samples British folk singer Vashti Bunyan's stunningly delicate 1970 song, "Glow Worms".

"Reflecting Light" is a lush and achingly soulful song, accented by Maitreya's emotional vocal delivery, and interspersed with abrupt whistle stops.

The Avalanches printed an extremely limited run (12 copies) of the single on 7" X-ray film, as a tribute to the "bone records" of the Soviet era--a process where banned records from the western world were cut onto x-ray film and smuggled into the USSR, so as to avoid being caught by customs officials.

The X-ray pressing of "Reflecting Light" showed the dislocated fingers of skateboarding hero Tony Hawk, and Hawk himself gave away a copy for a fundraiser.

Listen to "Reflecting Light" in the YouTube clip below:

To listen to the original Vashti Bunyan song, "Glow Worms", sampled by the Avalanches, Click Here.

Sylvan Esso - 'Ferris Wheel'

Grammy-nominated Indie-pop duo, Sylvan Esso, returned in 2020 with their third full-length album, Free Love.

Elements of folk, indie-pop and electronica are continually front and center in the group's music, as highlighted in the single, "Ferris Wheel".

Allmusic's James Monger described the album as "...dance music for introverts", which is pretty spot-on.  There's something charmingly awkward and genuine in the songs here.

The video for "Ferris Wheel" finds singer-songwriter Amelia Meath at a carnival, dancing in a variety of outfits in front of--you guessed it--a giant ferris wheel.  It's a video full of fireworks and glitter and neon and the sweat of summer at the amusement park. 

The lyrical content is fairly straightforward, but the coming-of-age nostalgia for simpler times resonates strongly in a year when everything has been anything but simple.

"When I'm slamming in my dancing shoes, Asphalt's hot, and my knees all bruised, It's the summer got a lot to prove, Can't wait to do it can you? (No!)"

Watch the video for Sylvan Esso's "Ferris Wheel" below:

Yves Tumor - 'Gospel for a New Century'

What do you get when you put Prince, Throbbing Gristle and Tim Curry's demonic character from Legend into a blender?  

Well, perhaps it would resemble something like this music video from breakout avant-garde pop artist, Yves Tumor?

Tumor's 2020 album, Heaven to a Tortured Mind, has achieved critical acclaim for its genre-bending intensity that's equal parts abstract and commercial.

Album opener, "Gospel for a New Century," comes out swinging with a seductive swagger that's both sexy and dirty--recalling the taboo attraction of early Rock n' Roll.  

The song's best summed up by the lyric, "This ain't by design, girl, take it softer, You know I'm out my mind girl, don't make this harder".

As the song's title suggests, Tumor renews the rockstar archetype for the 21st century with a chameleonic persona that's glamorous, vogue, soulful, charismatic, and a bit scary.

Listen to the song below, or link to the (probably NSFW) music video for "Gospel for a New Century":

Pom Poko - 'Like a Lady'

Pom Poko is an idiosyncratic outfit hailing from Norway.  Their debut album, Birthday, was previously nominated for the Nordic Music Prize and two Norwegian Grammy Awards.

'Like a Lady' is the second track on the band's latest offering, Cheater, which just dropped last week.  

Comparisons to fellow Scandinavian rocker Bjork are all too easy, yet unavoidable.  Lead singer Ragnhild Jamtveit's vocals are just as loveable and quirky as her Icelandic predecessor, while fused with catchy, grungy guitar that propel 'Like a Lady' into modern indie rock territory.   

You can stream 'Like a Lady' in the audio-only player below:

Nine Inch Nails - 'Cursed Clock'

In recent years, Nine Inch Nail's Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have mastered the fragile art of ambient sound.  Notably, the duo have contributed to soundtracks for The Social Network and HBO's Watchmen, among other features.  

Now, ambient music can be tricky.  On the one hand, by its very nature, the genre must blend itself within the world or atmosphere it occupies.  On the other, it cannot be so bland that it is dead upon arrival and easily forgotten, even when it is playing (See muzak).  

The opening track from Ghosts VI - Locusts, 'Cursed Clock,' is enriching, yearning, pleading, and splendidly layered.  No sound or note goes wasted.  It is an audial demonstration of the tension between the persistence of time and the human psyche's capacity for monotony, amidst a global pandemic in which the world has come to a halt, while every single day seamlessly melds into the next without demarcation.  (Damn that cursed clock!).  

You can stream the audio to 'Cursed Clock' by Nine Inch Nails in the video player below:

Side Hustle: Greg Puciato and Chino Moreno

Deftones' brilliant 2020 album, Ohms, was easily one of my favorite albums of the year--and likely my favorite from the band in the 20 years since 2000's White Pony (which also received an anniversary re-release and remix album, Black Stallion, this year)

The past year, despite a global pandemic, has proved to be a productive one for singer Chino Moreno.  

Moreno's synthy side project with Far's Shaun Lopez, ††† (Crosses), just released their latest single, "The Beginning of the End" last week.

The track marks the first single since †††'s self-titled 2014 LP.  The group's sound has always leaned more towards dreamy downbeats and melody than either of the two artists' respective Alt-Metal bands.  This should come as no surprise to anyone who's followed Moreno's long career, as he's always worn his '80s influences on his sleeve:  The Cure, Depeche Mode, Cocteau Twins, Duran Duran, etc...

As such, it also shouldn't be too shocking that the new single isn't an original tune, but a true-to-form cover of a 1992 electropop tune by Cause and Effect.

You can stream "Beginning of the End" below:

While Chino's side projects have always caught my attention, I'll admit that I was not expecting the latest solo album from former Dillinger Escape Plan frontman, Greg Puciato.

Dillinger earned a reputation through their relentless barrage of technically precise hardcore metal and wildly intense stage performances.  Frontman Puciato has been known to breathe fire, bleed from his head and destroy equipment onstage during the band's crazy live shows that have developed a legendary status.

Puciato has also proved to have had an incredibly prolific year.  

His "other band", metal supergroup Killer Be Killed includes Soulfly/Sepultura's Max Cavalera, Mastadon's Troy Sanders, and Converge's Ben Koller.  Killer Be Killed released their aggressive new album, Reluctant Hero, in 2020--which is also recommended listening if you're looking for something heavy.

When my metalhead friend, Brad, recently recommended I check out Puciato's new 2020 solo album, Child Soldier: Creator of God,  I was quite surprised to find an album packed with melodic electronic rock.

Child Soldier finds Puciato stretching his wings and blending genres throughout its 15 tracks.  On standout songs like, "Temporary Object" and "A Pair of Questions", Puciato's Dillinger roots are nowhere to be found, swapped out for catchy synthpop and darkwave influences.  

On "Evacuation", Puciato mixes melodic singing with snarls and screams for a heavy industrial rock mix that feels like it could have been written by Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor.

In a lesser artist's hands, this drastic shift in musical styles could be a huge flop, and alienate longtime fans, but Puciato's earnest approach feels sincere in his influences and successfully comes off as an engaging and collected experience--in the same vein of the aforementioned †††.  

I've since gone backwards and become more familiar with Puciato's other project, The Black Queen, which is also much more in the synth-rock vein, and worth visiting if you enjoy his solo album.

As a fan of both New Wave and Metal, I'm all for more experimental crossover albums from the metal community.  If you are, too, I'd highly recommend taking both Chino Moreno and Greg Puciato's side projects for a spin.

Watch the live video for Greg Puciato's "Evacuation" below: