Today’s Track: JW Francis – “New York”

September 4, 2020 — Leave a comment

Those New York city folk certainly love a steaming hot cup of Joe. It’s new post time…

Pictured: JW Francis in a promo shoot for “We Share A Similar Joy” (in 2020) (Photo via PR/Sunday Best Recordings)

Good Morning! I am Jacob Braybrooke and, as always, I’m writing up your daily post on the blog, because it is routinely my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! Suffice to say, I don’t think J.W. Francis, a NYC-based indie singer-songwriter signed to Sunday Best Recordings, is the kind of artist to really take himself dead seriously. Francis describes himself as “a bedroom recording artist who writes musical diaries about living with his best friend in New York City.” He has been ramping up some popularity in recent months with listeners of BBC Radio 6Music and Dudlab with “New York”, the lead single from his forthcoming debut album, “We Share A Similar Joy”, which is set for a release in a few months time, on November 6th via Sunday Best Recordings. After a recent string of consistently lo-fi, upbeat Indie Pop-Rock singles and EP’s, the debut record will arrive to be as highly awaited by the diverse Internet Music Community. Speaking on “New York”, Francis said via press release: “I’m a licensed tour guide of NYC. This place has taught me so much. I wanted to write an homage, but also express how I feel, which is mostly contained in the first line of the song ‘I’ll sleep when dead’. This song is an ode to the city I live in. It’s about feeling frustration but also inspiration.” Let’s take a tour of “New York” with JW below.

In what feels like the USA’s answer to UK christmas classic “The Snowman”, JW Francis delivers an amusingly appropriate music video to complement the hazy, psychedelic atmosphere created by the funky, glossy guitar grooves of the track, as a product of itself. Beginning with the opening hook of “I sleep, I’m dead” to mark the arrival of the wonky, push-and-pull production of the bass guitar-driven refrains, Francis lays out a core melody that consistently shifts the leading pace of the track, and reveals new influences to the sound. He rhythmically quotes “It’s easier, I was on the up, I was with ya'” and “In the fall, you should call, you wrote a story” over a stumbling line of acoustic guitar riffs and a stuttering signature of Drum beats that sound frantically paced, but they never seem heavy or chaotic due to the mellow template of the subtly comforting and light-hearted warmth of Francis’ vocals. “I feel it in myself” marks a drastic key change, with the same guitar riffs of before feeling more subdued and relaxed, and the distracting Drum fragmentation is replaced by a steady-strummed signature which complements these slowed guitar riffs, before it gradually enters the fray again and slowly reverts back to the kinetic pacing that was previously withheld. While this track is part of an over-crowded Indie Rock market that may render this as forgettable by it’s commercial value, there’s no denying that “New York” is a track very fit for wishing it was summer in the approaching, wet and rainy autumn. It reflects the frantically moving hustle-and-bustle of it’s city’s lifestyle, yet the whimsical, ballard-driven elements and stop-and-start melodicism of the overall sound is enough to provide a break from the mundanity of a “typical life in NYC”, for me. This is a vibe that I’ve caught onto and it’s what makes this work so well.

Pictured: Cover Art for “We Share A Similar Joy” (Available from November 6th, 2020) (via Sunday Best Recordings)

Thank you for reading this post! As per usual, I will be back tomorrow, with an in-depth look at another emerging artist. This time, we’re heading closer to my home in the UK, as we catch a glimpse of an emerging indie singer-songwriter from Leeds who performs under his own seperate moniker. His new track was recently featured on John Kennedy’s X-Posure show on Radio X, and he played a large hometown gig with a slot on the BBC Introducing Stage at the mainstream-friendly Reading and Leeds Festival in 2017. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

22nd Birthday Special Edition: Beck – “Hollywood Freaks”

September 2, 2020 — Leave a comment

It’s hard to think someone ever actually designed that…thing. It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Midnite Vultures” (Released on November 23rd, 1999) (via DGC Records/Bang Bang)

But, that’s why… I LOVE it! Good Morning to you, I am Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog, as per usual, because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to get typing up about a different piece of music every day! I’m 22 today, not that it really changes anybody’s lives or anything, so I thought it’d be cool to spotlight one of my all-time favourites, since this is similar to what I did last year, where I introduced you to the first track that I ever played on the radio. A consistent repeat of my streaming library is Beck’s “Midnite Vultures”, the seventh LP record that was released by the multi-BRIT and multi-Grammy winning producer, back in 1999. This is probably the biggest outlier in Beck’s shape-shifting discography, as it was the last album he produced before going into his more acoustic-driven, Folk sound that has since become popular with his fans. I present to you… An Experimental Funk album! The critical response was divisive, as it parodied and satirized the pastiche of late-70’s US R&B/Soul and 80’s Neo-Psychedelic Vegas aesthetics with Beck’s typically obscure hook-driven songwriting, the abrupt changes in instrumentation, and the sleek G-Funk influences it pays homage to. I can understand the common criticism that the novelty factor puffs out of steam and energy a little bit towards the end, but it’s still one of the most fun and engaging albums that you could ever possibly listen to and it was wholly different to 96’s “Odelay” and more tonally original than 98’s “Mutations”. Simply put, it stands out as a breath of fresh air in his discography, and the unique sound has never fully been revisited by Beck since. I prefer “Hollywood Freaks” to any of the other tracks you would find here – so give it a fair chance to grow on you below.

Had a few listens? Good. For me, “Hollywood Freaks” works perfectly as the White teen aged male’s pastiche to postmodern R&B, with a satirical jab to any R&B-based “booty call” track ever written, as Beck valiantly hangs out with: “The Hollywood freaks on the hollywood scene”, with distractedly low rate workings of sexual activity (“Hot milk, mmm tweak my nipple”) and a care-free mimicry of political correction, and elitism. Beck isn’t making fun of rap or even of people who shop at Old Navy, inherently doing so. Beck’s vocals sound upbeat and dynamic, twisting-and-turning between different textures and breaking stylistic conventions at each turn, before layering out a wailing rap background vocal of: “Jockin’ my mercedes/Probably have my baby/Shop at Old Navy/You wish you was an old lady”, following interludes of funk-laden breaks, as a Brass melody wraps itself around the hook: “Touch it real good if you want a peace/How do people know I’m that type of freak?”, before we go back to those fragmented, deep Synth rhythms and infectiously melodic rap verses. Explicit lyricism (“I wanna know what makes you scream/Be your twenty million dollar fantasy)” and mocking the upper-class (“My sales go triple/We drop lobotomy beats) makes for the icing on the cake, with nonsensical songwriting that shines with an affectionate grin. The entire vibe of the record is Prince goes doo-lally, and “Hollywood Freaks” asserts this, with it’s clever spoken-word delivery and a rebellious tinge of Punk melodicism that drives the humor forward. It ends with a child’s backing vocal, and a gentle stream of Synths that marks a key change, as we lean more heavily into dance-led territory. The erotic nature of the lyrics makes for a knowing nod to white postmodernists, with vocals and instrumentation that toys around with the R&B genre’s conventions of money, fame and power. Overall, I feel these themes still work brilliantly 20 years on, and it’s still difficult to find anything else that sounds entirely like this. Well – they do say that truly good music never ages!

Pictured: Beck Hansen in a promotional photoshoot for “Mellow Gold” (1994) (Photo via DGC/Bang Bang)

I have previously covered a brief selection of Beck’s other work on the blog. Last year, he released a new album, “Hyperspace”, and you can read up on my thoughts on the lead single “Uneventful Days” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/10/29/todays-track-beck-uneventful-days/ and the album track “See Through” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/11/28/todays-track-beck-see-through/. I have also previously looked at another classic track from his older discography, “Tropicalia”, which you can explore here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/08/20/todays-track-beck-tropicalia/

Pictured: Art Collage showing the many faces of Beck over the decades (2018) (Photo Credit: Sarita Schaffer)

Thank you for reading my new post! I’ll be back tomorrow with an in-depth look at an Irish Alternative Punk poet who is an emerging artist on the Chess Club Records indie label. She has often been likened to Mark E. Smith, Nick Cave and The Slits, and she has performed with John Cooper-Clarke and The Brian Jonestown Massacre at sold-out theater shows across the UK, as well as gaining traction from outlets like The Guardian, The Quietus and Stereogum. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Nicolas Michaux – “Parrot”

August 11, 2020 — Leave a comment

You’ve got to listen to what the Parrot says – and try to repeat! It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Amour Colère” (Available from September 25th, 2020) (via Capitane Records)

Good Morning! I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing up your daily post on the blog, as like always, because it is my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! “Parrot” is a hidden gem of a new track which I heard during John Ravenscroft’s edition of 6Music Recommends last week, and I’ve sadly never heard of Nicolas Michaux before. Michaux is an emerging singer-songwriter who was born and raised in Belgium, but, according to the info on his Bandcamp page, he now divides his time between his home-turf’s capital city of Brussels and the Danish Islands of Samsø, where his family lives. This is where he writes, records and produces his own music, alongside a bit of time growing vegetables with his family. He self-released his debut album, “à la vie, à la mort”, in 2016, and he performs his music in both English and French. “Parrot” marks the signal that his sophomore LP effort, “Amour Colère” is due for it’s release on September 25th, and he’s signed up to Capitane Records for his next creative endeavor. Let’s take a listen to “Parrot” – with it’s Visualizer video below!

Michaux writes that “It’s one of the oldest songs on the record, but the one I recorded last” and “It’s a slightly obscure and ambiguous song, but by its themes and images I have the impression that it speaks of our time.”, upon explaining the themes and writing of the new track. The hard work paid off, because this is an excellent jangly Tropicalia-Pop cut that hints towards 90’s Brit-Pop and 00’s Synth-Funk, with vocals that evoke Thom Yorke and synth melodies which remind me of LCD Soundsystem. Michaux opens with: “Your frustration has a face, but the guard said no picture” in a low-tone delivery, as a hint of Nu-Disco flavor bursts through the Indie Rock frame, with a dry Snake Drum bassline, and a stripped-back rhythm guitar instrumental. He introduces a radiant backing vocal in after the first chorus, as the Kick Drum groove carries on going within the background of a smoky, baritone Punk direction. The lyrics are ambiguous and undefined, although a soft Political message about using vice presidents as Puppets screams out to me, with the main hook of “Listen to the words that the Parrot says, and try to repeat”. It surprisingly builds to an eminently danceable, globally-influenced outro. It retains the core guitar-and-drum groove, but an acidly jittering bass guitar line gets woven into the mix, along with a repeatedly shimmering guitar backing and a soft, Summery electronic synth riff that makes you feel the need to get up and move. The outro is lively and exciting, evoking qualities of Tropicalia and World-Rock with a slightly Vintage sound with solid ease. Overall, I think it’s brilliant because the production behind the track sounds gloriously eclectic and fresh, with cool guitar lines and a melodic drum groove that burns slowly to the tropical finish. We should be supporting artists like Nicolas Michaux on daytime radio.

Pictured: Nicolas Michaux in a publicity shot to promote the release of “Parrot” (Single) (2020) (Photo via PR)

Thank you very much for reading my new post! I will be back tomorrow for an in-depth look at another emerging musical artist, but this time, it’s going to be on more homely ground, with an LGBT Dance artist currently residing in Bristol. The artist performs under an alias which is named after a popular brand of Deodorant that all British guys typically get for Christmas. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Today’s Track: Funkadelic – “Who Says A Funk Band Can’t Play Rock?”

July 30, 2020 — Leave a comment

By that logic, Who says a Music Writer can’t write about Steam trains? New Post Time!

Pictured: George Clinton and the numerous recurring members of Funkadelic in a press shot (1976) (via CBC Radio)

I don’t think I’d be fully qualified for the job… although I do love the oily and noisy old things. Good Morning, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing up your daily track on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! Today, we’re going back to the essential unity sound of the late-1970’s to cheer us up in these distressing times! “Who Says A Funk Band Can’t Play Rock?” is the B-Side to Funkadelic’s “One Nation Under A Groove”, an album which is regarded by many critics as the greatest funk album of all-time, and it always goes near the top of “Best Album” lists and polls for it’s related genres. Fronted by George Clinton, a true icon of the business, Funkadelic explored a heavier, more psychedelic sound compared to Clinton’s sister act, Parliament. Funkadelic was very significant in the development of Pop and Rock music, and it’s one of the most celebrated ethnic Black bands in the history of musical culture. On “One Nation Under A Groove”, the Funk collective used themes of unity and acceptance as a thorough-line to creating a “party album” that anybody could enjoy, regardless of sexuality, ethnicity or gender. As the title implies, “Who Says A Funk Band Can’t Play Rock?” blurs the lines between Funk, Jazz and Rock, underneath a slightly political undercurrent, and it pursues further influence of Soul. Let’s have a listen down below!

The 2015 vinyl reissue (above) provides crisper quality to an anthem that has always gone down as a classic. Many different members of the band take the lead for the different vocal sections throughout the track, layered below a guitar workout that evokes Heavy pop riffs and the P-Funk of the album’s title track “One Nation Under A Groove”. The vocalists sway to “Who says a Funk band can’t play Rock?” and “Who says a Jazz band can’t play Dance music?” over the top of R&B-inflicted guitar riffs which gradually add layers of new elements of Blues and Soft-Punk as the track’s duration goes on. The verses evoke a hip-hop beat as the vocals go: “We’ve been around for such a while/Be kinda hart not to have a style” and “When times get slower by the mile/We relax and wear a great big smile” as the simmering bass guitar riffs and the roaring kick drum sections create a crescendo and manipulate the ongoing groove as the textures gradually become rougher and smokier. The feedback effects and slightly distorted guitar lines in the later sections could be comparable to a “Funk version of Nirvana”, with a 1960’s Blues “Parade” that struts past the various elements of Funk, Rock, Art-Pop and a slight Grunge sensibility. Most notably, the track came out at a time where “Rock” was often identified as a traditionally “White” genre, while “Hip-Hop” and “Disco” may be dismissed as categorically “Black” music. Along with Jimi Hendrix, they changed the game and they re-wrote the rule book, because Clinton would not play that, instead drawing a live crowd with sounds of politically-driven, but positive and ambitious, Rock and Funk. To conclude, this may be quintessentially “not” the significant Black music sound of the 70’s… Which organically made it become so. That’s totally worth celebrating now more than ever…

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “One Nation Under A Groove” (Released in September 1978) (via Warner Bros. Records)

Previously, I have also covered the album’s main attraction, “One Nation Under A Groove”, as part of my daily post series on the blog. Please take a moment to spread the love and show your support by reading the older blog post here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/04/28/todays-track-funkadelic-one-nation-under-a-groove/

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Motor City Madness: The Ultimate Funkadelic Westbound Compilation” (Released in 2006) (via Westbound Records)

Thank you very much for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow for an in-depth look at the brand new project from Natalie Rose Findlay, who is a UK-based indie singer-songwriter from Stockport who has famously supported the likes of The Courteeners, Brandon Flowers, Jake Bugg and Miles Kane on tour. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Today’s Post: Khruangbin – “Pelota”

June 26, 2020 — Leave a comment

Does it live up to the hype or should it go in the Khruang-Bin? It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Laura Lee (Lead Vocals/Bass Guitar), Mark Speer (Lead Guitar/Occasional Backing Vocals) and Donald “DJ” Johnson (Drums/Percussion) in a press shoot for the “Con Todo El Mundo” debut album era (2018) (via Echoes.org)

At last, it’s big release time! Good Morning to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! I’m glad the scorching hot weather has calmed down a bit, aren’t you? But, imagine the feeling of partying on a pleasantly warm beach in Croatia while you hear a DJ busting out the Earthly, Dub-inflicted Funk sounds of Khruangbin! It would be perfection, and it’s a tranquil feeling that the Houston trio of Laura Lee, Mark Speer and Donald “DJ” Johnson are hoping to capture on the new album, “Mortdechai”, which is the follow-up to 2018’s “Con Todo El Mundo” and it’s 2019 dub remix album “Hasta El Cielo”. They also released “Texas Sun”, a collaborative 4-track EP with Leon Bridges, in January of this year. So, they’ve been all over the shop – both sonically and geographically. I was very impressed with “Time (You and I)” and “So We Won’t Forget”, the previous two singles from the brand new album, although they don’t switch up the familiar formula of Khruangbin from their previous releases very much. “Mortdechai” releases today on the Dead Oceans label. It’s up to “Pelota”, the new single to be released by the band in support of the new album, to carry the hype train along. Let’s have a listen to it below.

A music video that is loosely based upon an animated Japanese film which has not been named by the band, Khruangbin’s “Pelota” sees director Hugo Rodríguez pair images of a Japanese Anime-style character morph through spherical shapes as the guitar-driven motifs of “Pelota” warp around a Latin American Pop style, full of Polyrhythmic drum beats and hand-clapped Jazz intervals. Khruangbin’s new album is their first to feature prominent vocals on every track, deviating from their predominantly instrumental style prior, but I was even more surprised to hear vocalist/bassist Laura Lee sing in Spanish on the new track, “Pelota”. The core lyric hook, “Ahorita Yo Puedo Ser Uno Pelota”, is a rough translation to the irreverent chorus “Right now, I can be the ball” in Spanish – an undercurrent to the track’s hidden meaning of the band exploring and observing the world by envisioning themselves as rubber balls. Silly as it may sound, it works well. This is because the band retain their dub-based, Funk and World aura with bass guitar riffs that feel familiar to their existing work, pleasing their built-in fanbase. “Pelota” has a more grounded feel to the previous two singles, “Time (You and I)” and “So We Won’t Forget”, due to the tempo being slightly raised by the lead vocals, and a lesser focus on their psychedelic trip. The instrumentation feels quite percussive, with an energetic lead guitar melody and jolting Steel Drum melodies rippling throughout. Although it’s a mostly abstract outing, it manages to negate my light concerns of the new album not sounding different enough to their prior releases to stand out amongst them. The proof will be in the pudding, however, and judging by the quality of all three singles from the new album, it’s shaping up to be one of, and potentially even, their best. I absolutely can’t wait to stream it later today once my jobs are done.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Mortdechai” (Released on June 26th, 2020) (via Dead Oceans)

As I mentioned, I am a huge fan of Khruangbin so I have covered multiple tracks from them in the past. Have a listen to “Time (You and I)” and “So We Won’t Forget”, the other two singles from their new album, “Mortdechai”, here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/05/02/todays-track-khruangbin-time-you-and-i/ and here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/05/20/todays-track-khruangbin-so-we-wont-forget/, respectively. Check out my thoughts on “Texas Sun”, the titular track of their collaborative EP with Leon Bridges, here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/01/06/todays-track-khruangbin-feat-leon-bridges-texas-sun/. Finally, you can check out the festive hit “Christmas Time Is Here” below: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/12/13/todays-track-khruangbin-christmas-time-is-here/

Pictured: Khruangbin outside of the BBC Radio 6Music studios (2018) (via BBC Music)

Thank you for reading this post! In regards to #BlackLivesMatter, we endorse the peaceful protests on One Track At A Time. Please go and check your local area for good charity causes that help those directly affected by racism and injustice. I’ll be back tomorrow with an in-depth look at a track from a South-London based drums player who was one half of the sax-and-drums duo Binker & Moses, and he also fronted his own indie rock band, Exodus. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Scuzz Sunday: Reef – “Place Your Hands”

June 21, 2020 — Leave a comment

Happy Father’s Day to all of the good Dads around the world! It’s also Scuzz Sunday…

Pictured: Gary Stringer (Lead Vocals/Acoustic Guitar/Tambourine), Jesse Wood (Rhythm Guitar), Jack Bessant (Bass Guitar/Keyboard/Occasional Backing Vocals) and Dominic Greensmith (Drums/Percussion) (2014) (via P.R.)

Happy Father’s Day if you are a fella parent or guardian reading this! It’s still Scuzz Sunday, however, the time of the week where we look back at an emo-rock or pop-punk classic from between the late-90s to the mid-00s and we evaluate whether it holds up in the modern age, named in honour of the now-defunct Scuzz TV rock music video channel. I am Jacob Braybrooke and it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day. Worthy Farm is likely best associated with the Glastonbury music festival, but it’s also the birthplace of Reef, an English rock band who found mainstream success with hits like “Place Your Hands”, “Come Back Brighter” and “I’ve Got Something To Say” in the late 1990’s. Fronted by Gary Stringer, Reef made a name for themselves by supporting the likes of Feeder, Paul Weller and Soundgarden on tour, before getting their debut LP “Glow” to the #1 spot in the UK Albums Chart. Their best-known single is “Place Your Hands”, which got to #6 in the UK Singles Chart, becoming their most commercially successful single to-date and giving the album a boost. The track, written by Stringer, is an honest statement which explains the grief that he felt following the death of his grandfather, and the recovery in easing the pain. Let’s see the Director’s Cut for the “Place Your Hands” video below.

Good G-Reef! The music video was featured SO heavily on MTV and Scuzz that it’s impossible to forget about the weird zooming-in-singing thing that Stringer does, and how much it can disturb you. The irony is, the main hook is “Put Your Hands” and “Place Your Hands” is sparingly used in the lyrics. Stringer wails: “So Place Your Hands, on my hole, run your fingers through my Soul” over a Spin Doctors-inspired bass guitar riff that continues to get repeated throughout the entire song to create an immediate effect. A faster bridge: “You know you cannot hide/from what’s inside” ends in a soulful vibe with : “So I ask of you to help me through/I ask of you this thing to do”, while there is a Gospel feeling to the chorus: “Put your hands on/Put your hands on”, which permeated above the Pop-driven guitar groove and the two-note Drum structure. Stringer also leads a breakdown of piano notes and unintelligible vocals near the end. It sounds horrific – but it does manage to get an inkling of Gospel and Soul across, created by the Funky and Bluesy rhythm, although these elements sadly do not sound fleshed out enough to resonate much. The vocal performance has a slightly laddish glint, but a lot of the lead vocals sound absolutely indelible, filled with odd wails and a thick accent delivery which feels like an insipid cross between Irish, Welsh and Scottish, but settling on neither of those in particular. The songwriting is largely forgettable and completely generic – not capturing any of the pain or emotion that Stringer felt by the loss. It’s a fun novelty for a bit, but it’s insane with blandness otherwise. Obscenely crap, I don’t blame you if you want to smash your speakers in after hearing it, although the level of poor makes me feel uplifted. As chef Cherish Finden from Bake Off: The Professionals said this week – “it’s Cha-La-La”.

Pictured: Vinyl Copy of “Glow” (Released on 27th January 1997) (via Sony) (Available from http://www.Merchbar.com)

Thank you for reading this post! In regards to #BlackLivesMatter, we endorse the peaceful protests on One Track At A Time. Please go and check your local area for good charity causes that help those directly affected by racism and injustice. Everything be back to normal on the blog tomorrow ahead of the new week, and I’ll be looking at a recent track from a female R&B/Neo-Soul solo artist who became a viral hit in 2017 when the single “Antidote” from her compilation LP “A Collection Of Fleeting Moments and Daydreams” amassed over 6.6 million streams on Spotify! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Today’s Track: The Magic Gang – “Take Back The Track”

June 20, 2020 — 1 Comment

An abra cadabra and an ala kazam, look – it’s The Magic Gang! It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Death Of The Party” (Available from August 21st, 2020) (via Warner Group Records)

Is this Majestic Sorcery or is it just Infantile Trickery? I am Jacob Braybrooke and I’m conjuring up a spell with the writing of a new blog post to give you the answer to that question, as It is my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! The Magic Gang are a Pop/Rock four-piece bunch of lads from Brighton, comprised of frontman Jack Kaye, guitarist Kristian Smith, bassist Angus Taylor and drummer Peris Giles. The ‘gang’ have been slowly building up a fan following since they were formed in 2013. In March 2018, they released their self-titled debut album on Warner Bros. Records, which garnered mixed critical acclaim, but it reached the #12 spot on the UK Albums Chart. The group worked with Joylon Thomas (a producer for U2 and Daughter) on the record, which I actually rather enjoyed. I recognize it’s shortcomings since it does have a pretty commercial look and feel to it, but for me, the songwriting had a sense of carefree adolescence which set it apart from the hundreds of other guitar-driven bands of the “Indie Bollocks” category. Their next release is “Death Of The Party”, a sophomore LP effort that was originally supposed to release this month, but it has since moved to 21st August due to Covid-19 related delays. “Think” was the lead single released in March, a track which I was sadly very disappointed by, as I felt it was nothingless and badly written. Let’s hope the new one redeems it. Watch the band get hacked by fans in the video for “Take Back The Track”.

This time harnessing collective production work from Ben H. Allen (Gnarls Barkley, Deerhunter) for their second LP effort “Death Of The Party”, The Magic Gang are now trending to a more mature direction, while keeping an ounce of their upbeat, fun guitar-pop sound in the overall picture. The song begins with a mid-tempo bass guitar riff, mixed with a static drum pattern. Kaye paints a romantic picture on vocals: “Evening/At a bar on Northside/It’s where we were all last night” followed by “And just then/I heard something in transcend/I couldn’t stop myself from dancing/To a sound that went just like this”, with a slightly Smoky vocal delivery that captures the Disco vibe the band are aiming for and, in turn, creates a soft Guitar groove that feels inspired by Funk. The chorus: “Take Back The Track/I wanna hear it again”, is matched by a heavier intensity of drum chords, along with a crooning female backing vocals and repeated sequences of programmed hand-claps, before it settles into the funk-led pattern for the next verse, and this layout is repeated. Lyrically, it’s just about going out for a drink or two with your friends and having a good time. Compared to the catastrophic “Think” – I’m delighted to say that this is leagues ahead. It actually feels quite inspired, and the band have managed to ground it into Funk, Soul and Jazz influences. The verses are a bit better than the chorus, for me, as the chorus puts across a slightly too commercial feel with the child-like backing vocals and the overall songwriting is fertile ground, but the guitar hooks are rather melodic and catchy, and the vocal performance from Kaye is strong. I’d give it a 7/10, which marks a huge step-up from “Think”, that I’d give a 2/10. Although I think their label are holding them back in terms of artistic expression, Their first album was always a fun, if flawed, outing for me – but I quite liked that about it. If you’re looking for a dance around your bedroom or a decent little pop record that won’t challenge you much, but it’s great to unwind to, you could do a LOT worse – and that’s what this music is for. It’s “Indie Bollocks – as I call these types of not really “Indie” bands – but the song works.

Pictured: Jack Kaye (Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar), Kristian Smith (Lead Guitar/Backing Vocals), Angus Taylor (Bass Guitar/Percussion) and Paeris Giles (Drums) in a Surf’s Up! Photoshoot for DIYMag.com (2018) (Photo Credit: Jenn Five)

I have also covered the previous single, “Think”, from the new album “Death Of The Party”, previously on the blog – way back in March! Have a read of it below: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/03/04/todays-track-the-magic-gang-think/

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “The Magic Gang” (Deluxe) (Released on 16th March 2018) (via Warner Group Records)

Thank you for reading this post! In regards to #BlackLivesMatter, we endorse the peaceful protests on One Track At A Time. Please go and check your local area for good charity causes that help those directly affected by racism and injustice. Please make sure that you check back with the blog tomorrow for your new weekly Scuzz Sundays post, where we take a look back at an emo-punk or pop-punk classic from between the late-1990s and the mid-2000’s to reassess whether it holds up! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Bank Holiday Monday Special: The Stone Roses – “I Am The Resurrection”

May 25, 2020 — Leave a comment

Roses are red, Violets are blue, It’s bank holiday – I’ve got a special blog post for you!

Pictured: Ian Brown (Lead Vocals/Percussion) John Squire (Lead Guitar/Backing Vocals), Gary “Mani” Mounfield (Bass Guitar/Unclean Vocals) and Alan Wren (Drums/Bongos) (no date) (Photo Credit: Dave J. Hogan/Getty Images)

It’s Bank Holiday! I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m typing up your daily post on the blog because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! “I Am The Resurrection” is the closer track of The Stone Roses’ self-titled debut album, which was released in 1989. “I Am The Resurrection” was also the second of two singles which estranged the band from Silvertone, their original record label. The self-titled debut album was only initially a cult success, but it grew popular over time with the group’s energetic live performances. Eventually, it has sold over four million copies worldwide and several critics have voted it highly in “Best Album” lists and polls. A significant development in the “Madchester” indie rock movement, The Stone Roses have built up a storied legacy throughout the decades since their formation, despite only actually having two full records to their name. Disagreements between the group, line-up changes and eventual public indifference, despite a maintained popularity, has also led to several on-and-off reunion tours and rumors concerning production of new music circling around between these tours, although it’s not come to pass. Let’s take a listen back at the 8-minute classic “I Am The Resurrection” below.

Running for a hefty 8-minute long duration, “I Am The Resurrection” is split into a familiar indie rock structure for it’s first four minutes, and then an instrumental outro-ballad for it’s second 4-minute half. Ian Brown sings: “Don’t waste your words, I don’t need anything from you/I don’t care where you’ve been or what you plan to do”, layered on the top of urgent drumming chords and jangling guitar rhythms. A somewhat poppy hook is created when Brown chimes in with: “I am the resurrection and I am the life/I couldn’t bring myself to hate you as I’d like”, a lyrical melody that feels displaced with a sense of arrogance and a quality of renewal. After this call, the chords progress to an instrumental ballad, which demands for your full attention, with free-form guitar solos and licked bass guitar riffs which are impactful in connecting with the damaged youth as a slight pre-cursor to the “British Big Beat Boom” of The Prodigy and The Chemical Brothers during the mid 1990’s. Throughout the long section, the tone wavers between light, acoustic melodies and darker textures created by the more rough-edged, electronic instrumentation. The end of the section sounds like an effective lo-fi fusion of Brit-Rock and Electronic Dance, with a noticeable Funk inspiration heard by the Bongos at the end and the warmth of the light rhythm guitar strums. “Fool’s Gold” is still my personal favourite Stone Roses’ track due to it’s sampling legacy, but “I Am The Resurrection” is also an indelible classic – one that holds up above the brand-like nature of ‘Indie’ in the modern times.

Pictured: Cover Art for “The Very Best Of The Stone Roses” (Released in November 2002) (via Silvertone Records)

Thank you for reading this post! In these current circumstances – I ask that you please stay safe inside, don’t do anything silly and you keep on washing those hands! Since the weather’s been hot lately, I’m going to whisk you away to the warm beaches of Jamaica tomorrow with a 1960’s Rocksteady classic track from a Reggae staple who still releases music today. As of 2019, his music has been featured on over 20 compilation releases. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Public Practice – “Compromised”

May 9, 2020 — Leave a comment

You won’t have to Compromise your patience for this boogie! It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Sam York (Lead Vocals), Vince McClelland (Lead Guitar), Drew Citron (Bass Guitar/Synths/Keyboard/Backing Vocals) and Scott Rosenthal (Drums/Percussion) (in October 2019) (Photo Credit: Chris DeVille/Stereogum)

It’s the weekend! Good morning to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write to you about a different piece of music, old or new, every day! Public Practice are a 4-piece post-punk band from New York who have built a following in their local music scene with the “Distance Is A Mirror” EP released last November. Since then, Public Practice have announced the release of “Gentle Grip”, their debut album, set for release on May 15th via Wharf Cat Records. They have also premiered “Compromised”, a single that lyrically deals with “The moral gymnastics that many of us struggle with daily just to be a human in this world”, according to a press release. Inspired by dance-rock bands like Liquid Liquid and ESG and formed out of the ashes of two previous bands – WALL and Beverley – Public Practice like to re-animate the 70’s New York Rock sound, with a Dark Disco tinge, through their independent releases produced in their own home/rehearsal office space in Brooklyn. Let’s have a listen to “Compromised” below.

The collage art music video was directed by Josie Keefe and Jonny Compolo, who complement the LCD Soundystem-esque dance motifs and classic indie rock guitar riffs, with lips and hands that poke fun at cosmetic commercials. It all feels very “indie”, with light elements of late-70’s No Wave and mid-00’s disco-rock, leading to hints of Pink Flag-era Wire and shades of Urban 00’s Punk groups like Bloc Party or Hard-Fi. Sam York wails: “It’s easy to wander/Under the veil of motives that drive you onto your own” over a soft and luscious bass guitar riff. Later, she chants: “You don’t want to live a lie/You don’t want to pick a side/You don’t want to compromise” over a snappy, electronic 1980’s pop-rock sound. York sings: “You don’t want to live a lie/But it’s easy” over a range of instrumental guitar rifs and energetic drum sections that create light-hearted, danceable melodies. The keyboard riffs come thick and fast towards the end of the song, with electric guitar riffs and syncopated drum beats forming a midly cerebral, mid-tempo Pop groove. It’s an eclectic sound, with lo-fi indie matching up with 90’s disco-rock mannerisms and a classic 80’s Punk sound that veers slightly into New Wave territory. The female vocals are VERY reminiscent of Blondie, adding a Pop feel to make it sound accessible for newcomers. All things considered, it’s a solid little track which provides a diverse range of punk sensibilities.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Gentle Grip” (Available from May 15th, 2020) (via Wharf Cat Records)

Thank you for reading this post! Just a reminder, please stay inside, don’t do anything silly and keep on washing those hands! We’ll be having some fun on the blog because, after a long and hard week for us students, it’s going to be time for another weekly edition of Scuzz Sundays on the blog! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Today’s Track: Chicano Batman – “Blank Slate”

May 1, 2020 — Leave a comment

If it wasn’t any good, it’d be more like Chicano “Flat”man! It’s time for your new post!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Invisible People” (Released on May 1st, 2020) (via ATOL Records)

Good morning, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music, old or new, every day! Friday is typically the release date of several new albums and one of the albums which came out today is Chicano Batman’s “Invisible People” via ATOL Records. Chicano Batman are a 4-piece band from Los Angeles, California who blend elements of Soul, Tropicalia Rock, Funk-Rock and Psychedelic Rock in a neatly packaged gift with a ribbon of Psych-Pop on top! The band appeared on a Johnnie Walker Scotch Whiskey commercial and performed a stay-at-home live session on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, a US Talk Show, to promote their new record. “Invisible People” follows 2017’s “Freedom Is Free”, a more soulful record that gained 86/100 on Metacritic. I’ve recently been introduced to them by their singles “Color My Life” and “Pink Elephant”, which I have become addicted to in the last few weeks. Let’s listen to them clear a “Blank Slate”, the latest single from the new album, below.

Chicano Batman were inspired by Rick James, Kraftwerk and Daft Punk on crafting their new record. Bardo Martinez starts: “Hello, I just want you in my life/And now I’m so excited to feel/Everything you’ve got inside of your soul now” over a jangling drum rhythm and an effects-heavy keyboard riff that clicks and clutters over a muted bassline. A mono synthetic guitar solo that sounds akin to stadium rock comes next, before Martinex quietly refrains: “All I really wanna do is love you” twice and the backing vocals join him for the chorus: “I just want to love you/I need you to love me/We can fall in love now” before the synthesized guitar riffs grow more buckled and distorted over a loud, anthemic bass guitar riff. The lyricism is notably upbeat, but off-kilter: “The past is done with/The present is now/What will we do with the time that we have?/How will we bring back the love that we had?” before the densely layered soundscape of sultry Funk and Tropicalia Rock lead us into the keyboard-driven, thumping bass soundscape that feels dense and cleanly produced. There are clear influences from Tame Impala and Red Hot Chilli Peppers in the overall style of the harmonious guitar riffs and the contemporary psych-rock sound. I feel it lacks the “wonky” charm of “Color My Life” and “Pink Elephant” in the more serious lyricism and the fact that it follows a more traditional pop song structure, but it achieves what it sets out to do by blending the elements of different genres together to strike up a contemporary psych pop-oriented sound. Less humorous than the last two singles, but it’s a welcome distraction that we need in a barren time of new releases due to our current circumstances and it’s a rather satisfying slice of modern progressive pop.

Pictured: Bardo Martinez (Lead Vocals/Keyboard/Rhythm Guitar), Carlos Arévalo (Lead Guitar), Eduardo Arenas (Bass Guitar/Backing Vocals) and Gabriel Villa (Drums/Percussion) (2019) (Photo Credit: Dylan O’Connor/SXSW.com)

I have also covered the aforementioned last two singles on the blog. If you missed out, check out my glowing review of “Color My Life” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/03/12/todays-track-chicano-batman-color-my-life/ and the groovy funk-led sensibilities of “Pink Elephant” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/04/08/todays-track-chicano-batman-pink-elephant/

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Blank Slate” (Single) (Released on April 21st, 2020) (via ATOL Records)

Thank you very much for reading this post! Scuzz Sundays is coming up, as always, in two days time, but before then, make sure that you check back on the blog tomorrow where we’ll be marking the glorious return of one of my favourite bands with their new track. The video features British comedian Stephen K. Amos and Lunda Anele-Skosana laying out sand castles around London city… for some reason! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime