Scuzz Sundays: The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s – “Y-Control”

January 24, 2021 — Leave a comment

Are we still giving this a yeah yeah yeah – or will it be a no no no?… It’s Scuzz Sunday!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Fever To Tell” (Released on April 19th, 2003) (via Interscope Records)

Another week, another Scuzz Sunday! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and we’ve reached the end of the week, and that means it’s time to pay tribute to the late-great Scuzz TV channel with an in-depth listen back to one of the genre-defining Emo-Rock or Goth-Rock relics from between the late-1990’s and the mid-2000’s, to see how they sustain their weight in our more modern times. Formed in New York City in 2000, The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s have maintained a decent popularity with alternative music fans since the years of their peak heyday. Taking their name from the slang language of modern New York City, the Garage-Punk revivalist trio – led by Karen O – have earned nominations for the Grammy Award of Best Alternative Music Album for each of their three subsequent albums. “Y-Control” was the final single to be released from 2003’s “Fever To Tell”, their debut LP, which was produced by Dave Sitek (TV On The Radio, Little Dragon, Celebration) and mixed by Alan Moulder. I remember the group being popular enough to take the stage of BBC’s Top Of The Pops when that still existed, and “Fever To Tell” has sold over one million units worldwide. “Y-Control” was also used for the soundtrack for the video game – “Dirt 2”. Let’s ‘Dial D for Devotion’ below.

The title of “Y-Control” refers to the emotional control of a female, referring to the Y male chromosone, but it could also be read as a reference to “P-Control”, an abbreviation for the name of the track “Pussy Control”, by Prince. That explains why the music video was controversial for it’s disturbing imagery, and it received rather muted MTV airplay at the time, due to these haunting pictures of children carrying the corpse of a dog. The single was still highly acclaimed by critics, and Pitchfork listed the track as the 213th best song of the decade regardless. The most glaring sound of the track is the bass guitar chords, which are absolutely drenched in the heavy feedback and high reverberation effects. Karen O opens with: “Oh so, all my loving goes, Under the fog, and I will leave them all, Well I’m just a poor little baby, Cause, well, I believe them all” with a downtempo and gritty pitch, while a juxtaposition can be spotted between the squelching, high-pitched New-Wave synths and the discordant, heavy guitar instrumentation. The bridge of “I wish I could buy back, The woman you stole” precedes the bombastic echoes of the static noises. The lyrics are vague, especially in the chorus, where Karen O chants: “Why-control, Why-control/You walk, walk, walk, walk, my winners” above the fast-paced, frenetic element of the drum riffs that evoke an ‘Indie floor-filler’ style to counteract the somber vocal delivery. In the process, the aggressive qualities of Karen O’s vocals are taut, methodical and controlled. It somewhat echoes the chilling sentimentality of The Pixies, with grammatically incorrect sentences and gargled syncopation, in the lead guitar performance, adding to the ‘broken’ and ‘disturbed’ sub-meaning of the track. All in all, I don’t think the abrasive lead guitar work and the distorted synth instrumentation are going to be within the wheelhouse of every listener, but I don’t think that commercial accessibility is at the top of the band’s list of priorities. We are left with a sad, earnest track instead that cleverly echoes the work of past Garage-Rock bands and early Indie Punk bands to a clever degree, while distorting these elements to bring a fresh twist to the formats – I’m still giving this a ‘Yeah, Yeah, Yeah’.

Pictured: Karen O (Vocals/Piano/Songwriter/Producer), Nick Zinner (Lead Guitar/Keyboard/Rhythm Guitar/Backing Vocals) and Brian Chase (Drums/Percussion) (2003) (Photo Credit: Max Knies)

There’s all the murder she wrote today! Of course, I’m not willing to let you down tomorrow. Check back in with me again then – where we’re going to be going for a similar style of distorted guitar riffs and emotionally driven, harsh songwriting – albeit from an emerging, hot-off-the-press act. This single comes from an indie trio from Worthing who like describe their own sound as “mosh-pit worthy noise for the paranoid age”, and their single, “So What”, was featured on the soundtrack for the recent Ubisoft open-world video game “Watch Dogs Legion”. 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/

Scuzz Sundays: Nirvana – “Heart-Shaped Box”

January 10, 2021 — Leave a comment

I was going to put a bad joke about Nirvana here – but Nevermind. It’s Scuzz Sunday!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “In Utero” (LP) (Released on September 13th, 1993) (via DGC Records)

Let’s make up for the lack of notable new releases with a “big name” post! I’m Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for a new weekly addition to our Scuzz Sundays canon, the time of the week where we listen back to an Emo-Rock or a Pop-Punk relic, which was released between the late-1990’s and the mid-2000’s, all in the name of the defunct Scuzz TV channel, to see if they can hold up to quality in the modern day. “Heart-Shaped Box” was released in 1993, and so it perhaps falls a little before this window. However, it was taken from the last album to ever be released by Nirvana, and Scuzz TV continually played re-runs of Nirvana’s music videos back in the day, and so I’m counting it. I also did not want to go for the most glaringly obvious example of their work – in “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. “Heart-Shaped Box” was the promotional single from their third album, “In Utero”, which was the follow-up LP to the world-famous “Nevermind”, of 1991 fame. The band, including Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic and the now-Foo Fighter Dave Grohl, wanted to push “both of the extremes” of their sound for “In Utero”, an album which Kurt Cobain conceded was not as “one-dimensional as Nevermind”. Of course, the group had become a mainstream cultural phenomenon at the time, so the pressure was on for them to deliver the goods on the difficult sequel album. You still can’t walk down any high street in the UK without seeing anyone wearing the smiley Nirvana logo T-shirt, and although I’m not as obsessive about them as their fandom are, it still strikes me to see that Cobain’s trio are still having an influence on modern Rock music and popular music culture. “Heart-Shaped Box” was still a feather in the cap of Nirvana – with a #5 spot on the UK Singles Charts, and further critical acclaim for the music video – which won the Grammy award for “Best Alternative Video” in 1994. Sadly, it was also notable for becoming the last track that Cobain performed live – in Munich, Gemany in 1994 – before his death by suicide later that year. You can still see the Anton Corbijn-directed music video for the track below.

One common misconception about “Heart-Shaped Box” is that the lyrics were influenced by his marriage with Courtney Love – the female lead vocalist of Hole – but as noted in Michael Azerrad’s book, “Come As You Are”, in 1992, the idea came directly from a Heart-Shaped box full of possessions that Love had given to him, with further production ideas throwing around a wholly different title for the track – “Heart-Shaped Coffin”. In any case, “Heart-Shaped Box” attributed to further widespread attention for Cobain’s gang – with the album of “In Utero” having been certified as a 5-time Platinum-selling album, with sales of over 15 million units worldwide. “Heart-Shaped Box” – much like all of the other tracks you’d find on “In Utero” – was intentionally made to feel sharp-edged, and much less polished than the production of tracks like “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “Come As You Are” from “Nevermind”. It also references a sexual experience with a romantic partner to a pretty explicit degree – as Cobain wails: “Throw down your umbilical noose, so I can climb right back”, to the sound of Noise-Rock guitar chords and feedback-drenched bass guitar riffs that sound pretty jarring, but in a good way, since they sell seething barrages of emotion and retreating Pop-Punk elements in the case of the songwriting. Every verse is supported by a softer backing of frayed vocals and tense progression, with a somewhat laidback delivery of the vocals building tension among the slowly ascending instrumentation. “I got a new complaint, Forever in your debt to your priceless advice” raises the tempo of the chorus, and the angry personality of the vocals. The overall sound manages to become driven by emotional outbursts and reflective songwriting, with a deft lyricism that dynamically changes the instrumentation based on the shifting moods of Cobain’s vocals, with a verse that captures a subtle and raw side to Nirvana’s stardom, mixed with a heavy and abrasive sound that seems more rooted in Nirvana’s grunge roots and the sounds they would likely have explored in their early days. This is hard-hitting – yet rewarding – material.

Pictured: Kurt Cobain (Lyricist/Multi-Instrumentalist/Producer), Krist Novoselic (Bass Guitar/Rhythm Guitar) and Dave Grohl (Drums/Percussion/Occasional Backing Vocals) (1991) (Photo via The Telegraph)

That is all for today – a new entry of Scuzz Sundays will arrive at the same time next week. Until then, why not join me again tomorrow? We’re going to be continuing to explore a Punk and Grunge direction, as we take an in-depth listen to the most recent single to come from the most promising youngster Post-Punk group to come from Liverpool – even though I’m not too sure what the competition of that niche and specific category will be. 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: Sorry – “Starstruck” (Single Version)

October 15, 2020 — Leave a comment

How I’d feel if I met Richard D. James, Natalia Dyer or Gaz Coombes! New post time…

Pictured: Asha Lorenz (Lead Vocals/Songwriter), Louis O’Bryen (Lead Guitar/Backing Vocals), Lincoln Barrett (Bass Guitar), Campbell Baum (Keyboard), Marco Pini (Drums) (2020) (Photo via DIYMag.com)

Good Morning to you! I’m Jacob Braybrooke, and I’m here, once again, to get typing up about your daily track on the blog, because it is always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! Previously known as “Fish”, Sorry are an indie-rock band from the streets of North London, and they are currently signed to the London-based label, Domino Records. Lead Vocalist Asha Lorenz and Lead Guitarist Louis O’Bryen make up the typical lineup, while bassist Lincoln Barrett, keyboardist Campbell Baum and drummer Marco Pini also make up the touring line-up. The band have a musical style which is difficult to truly define under a certain genre, with an 80’s Post-Punk guitar sound that dabbles into New-Wave influences, prominent Swing instrumentation to signal for an element of Nu-Jazz, and usually the odd Post-Grunge sensibility or the sprinkling of of Hip-Hop here and there, with synth instrumentals that evoke an insight of Trip-Hop. “925” is their debut album, and this was released back on March 27th via Domino Records. It received mostly positive reviews from critics, although a few of the reviews cited a slight lack of cohesion in pulling all of these ideas off. As with most debut full-length LP efforts, it is mostly comprised of some previously released material, along with a few brand new tracks, and so “Starstruck” has actually been doing the rounds since last November, in fact. It has since been re-issued as a “Single Version”. Let’s stream the intriguing track below.

Sorry were originally scheduled to embark on a U.K. headline tour straight after their debut album, “925”, was released, but due to that pesky Covid-19 pandemic, well…We all know how that turned out. It’s a shame, because, to my ears, I think that tracks like “Starstruck” would play out very well in that vital live environment. The overall sound of “Starstruck” mostly evokes the 00’s Garage-Punk style which bands like The White Stripes and Sonic Youth have pioneered, while the vocal performance and the staggered production touches do also give off a slightly more moodier, blues-driven quality to the proceedings, which also convey tonal similarities to Goldfrapp, or The Kills. Asha Lorenz mutters: “I don’t play quite like you do” to start off a few parts, almost with a whispered delivery, over the top of a low-slung bassline as the sound hurls towards it’s jagged, stuttered wiry guitar lines, that make up for a hook-driven chorus, as Lorenz adds: “And you did it again/Starstruck” as a repetitous line of tight and coursing lead guitar riffs envelop themselves in a cocoon of seduction and disgust as the alluring sound collages a grooving refrain-of-sorts. The verses take on a style more reminiscent of a duet, when Lorenz and O’Bryen’s vocals circle around each other with a feel of hatred, but also with an odd sense of sexual and lustful motifs, created by the more low-tempo instrumentation and the fragmented delivery of the drum beats. “You’re the expert, no I wouldn’t question why/You’re the looker, sugar, liquor, And I’m the rotten apple to your eye” adds a sense of damaged love, and the rhythmic pre-chorus, “Foolish antics, breaking even/Fragile, feeble, breaking even” slightly veer into Hip-Hop delivery with it’s sharp delivery, and audible phrases like a gross “Blegh” subvert the ideas of a typical love duet, by adding the quality of distaste which forms the thorough-line for the experiments of genre within the track, forming a cohesive edge. I can relate to a few of the criticisms citing the slight lack of power in fleshing out these different genres into a slick-rounded feel, but I also like how the track plays to an off-kilter and non-conventional way of production. As soon as you’ve figured out where, in rock history, the track is headed in terms of it’s genre, Lorenz and O’Bryen flip it on it’s head once again. The guitar work is also addictive in it’s distortion and I like the smoky quality it gives off. An alluringly moody Punk piece.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “925” (Released on March 27th, 2020) (via Domino Records)

Thank you for reading my new post! As always, I’ll be back tomorrow for an in-depth look at more music before we begin the build to that all-important Scuzz Sundays piece. Tomorrow, I will be taking an in-depth look at a more mainstream release from an Indie Rock group currently signed to Universal Records imprint, Island Records. The track has also been in the public eye for a decent length of time, since 2018, as a matter of fact. But, like Sorry, it’s been re-released, in recent months, as part of a double-single EP. The group are from Leicester and they came second in BBC’s Sound Of 2020 poll. 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/

Scuzz Sundays: Evanescence – “Going Under”

October 11, 2020 — Leave a comment

In 2020, I wonder if there’s any new life yet to be bought to this act. It’s Scuzz Sunday!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Fallen” (Released on 3rd March, 2003) (via Wind-Up/Epic Records)

You know what time of the week it is! Good Morning, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’ve arrived to type up about your daily track on the blog, as it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! This week’s installment of our Scuzz Sundays, our weekly look back at a late-90’s to mid-00’s classic of the Emo-Rock or Pop-Punk ilk, comes from one of the most commercially popular bands of the era, particularly in the territories of Europe, in the Amy Lee female-fronted Gothic Metal group, Evanescence. The band were formed in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1995 by Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. The band’s first major studio album, “Fallen”, followed a string of independent album releases. It was released in 2003, and it has sold over 17 million copies worldwide (That’s probably thanks to their killer record, “Bring Me To Life”, which is still one of their best-known singles), along with winning Evanescence two Grammy Awards, out of five nominations overall. Although the group have dealt with a few line-up changes and the odd hiatus or two, they are still currently active, and make a killing in territories like Finland and Sweden due to their European “Nu-Metal” style. “Going Under” was a single from “Fallen”, and it reached #8 in the UK Singles Chart. It also reached the top ten of the Billboard US Alternative Chart, and also the top ten of Brazil, Italy and New Zealand as well. Let’s take a listen to it below.

In an interview with MTV News, Amy Lee explained: “The lyrics are about coming out of a bad relationship, and when you’re at the end of the rope, when you’re at the point where you realize something has to change… It’s a very strong song”, and Lee matches these lyrics about “drowning” to the bad arms of a toxic partner with an undeniably hook-driven, Pop sensibility, despite the heavy guitar chords and the soft hip-hop inspired backing beats. Lee takes on a very self-reflective, first-person stance vocally, as she chants: “Drowning in you/I’m falling forever/I’ve got to break through/I’m going under” above an amplified layer of grinding bass guitar riffs and heavy sets of reverberated drum beats, and you’ll find harsh guitar licks in the verses, instead of any twinkling piano melodies. The lyrics play quite heavy on the intensity of love, and the consumption that falling in love can bring to your mental health, as Lee pleads “Blurring and stirring the truth and the lies/So I don’t know what’s real and what’s not” in the verse, before an interlude of echoed synth rhythms signal for a quick post-bridge, before we get a guitar solo which feels very celebratory and anthemic. It mostly feels like everything has been turned up to eleven in volume instrumentally, and for me, well… It actually works really damn well. Lee manages to push quite a well-layered vocal performance throughout the track, and at a time where her male co-horts would often get main production credits when she was doing a lot of the work herself is something worth praising. The anthemic feel of the lead vocals and the guitars together are pretty cheesy, and it gained comparisons to Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit at the time, but again, it manages to feel rather anthemic and enjoyable, instead of cliche or cringeworthy. It’s just Pop, but with heavy chords, and the hooks luckily have the impact needed to flesh it out adequately. To be honest with you, I may usually pick quite a Crap song to cover for the Scuzz Sundays feature because it’s just a bit of fun, so it’s a welcome change of pace to find something that has a bit of value here and I can see why “Going Under” was such a big hit. Good stuff.

Pictured: Amy Lee (Lead Vocals/Keyboard), Troy McLawhorn (Lead Guitar), Jen Majura (Rhythm Guitar/Backing Vocals), Tim McCord (Bass Guitar) and Will Hunt (Drums) (2020) (Photo by Paul Brown)

Thank you for reading your new Scuzz Sundays post! As per usual, we’ll be back to our usual business again tomorrow, with yet another daily track. I’ll be kicking off the new week with an in-depth look at a recent-ish track that I sadly didn’t get around to covering nearer to it’s release. It comes from just a small band from Portland, Oregon in the United States who like to explore “dreamy landscapes” and “hazy memories” through the means of Shoegaze, Alternative Folk and Dream-Rock. Their latest work explores “the unease of modern band life” and “themes of nostalgia and hope” through the ethereal chimes of the band’s vocalist Sarah Nienabar in a packaged-up psychedelic production. 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: The Cocteau Twins – “Lorelei”

August 1, 2020 — Leave a comment

As if Double Trouble wasn’t enough, this band has Triple the Trouble! New Post Time!

Pictured: Elizabeth Fraser (Lead Vocals/Writer), Robin Guthrie (Lead Guitar/Producer/Drum Machine) and Simon Raymonde (Bass Guitar) in a photoshoot to promote “Head Over Heels” (1983) (via The Audiophile Man.com)

Good Morning to you on this unpleasantly warm weekend, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your first daily track on the blog of the new month, since it’s always my routinely day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! Yes, even on my Mother’s birthday (Happy birthday, I know you’re about the only one reading this…)! Here’s a classic for you… The Cocteau Twins! A Scottish Art-Rock trio who were one of the biggest pioneers of Dream-Pop and Shoegaze in the 80’s and 90’s comprised of vocalist Elizabeth Fraser, producer James Guthrie and bassist Simon Raymonde, The Cocteau Twins were a very hot commodity for 4AD, which is still one of the most successful indie music labels to this very day, housing popular current acts like The National and Future Islands. “Lorelei” was taken from Cocteau Twins’ third full-length album release, “Treasure”, the first of which to feature the band’s famous primary line-up. The sound of the record established the group’s sound development in very ethereal, downbeat moods. Some of the lyrics from the album were conceived as unrecognisable, and the dark synth instrumentation hid some intricate, melodic lines that helped them to capture the hearts of the millions, despite the LP really not being a mainstream, or accessible, release by any stretch of the imagination. It was critically acclaimed, and it’s considered to be the band’s finest work by a large portion of their fanbase, although the band themselves have reflected upon the album’s quality as “under-developed” in later interviews, which truly shows their dedication to their own craft. Let’s have a listen to their track – “Lorelei” – below.

Named after the legend of a siren that lures fishermen to their deaths upon the “Lorelei” rock, which exists in the Rhine River near Sankt Goarhausen in Germany, Cocteau Twins’ make sure the lyrics are difficult to understand, but the point is the lack of matter that it has. Fraser whirs: “Can’t look out, Can’t look in, you just might, get yourself kissed right” over a high-pitched bass guitar riff and delayed pedal effects that create a smooth and relaxing backdrop for the lo-fi indie rock beats to flourish. An emotional bridge: “We’re covered by the sacred fire/Then you cut me to, you cut me to the bone” glides along earthly moods and fantastical tones evoked by a calming synth buzz and an accentual swoop of whimsical lyricism. Fraser recites: “and we can go” above a pounding rhythm of delayed guitar licks, while the impending surge of guitar riffs add a harmonious melody to the dream-like personality. It’s a track that’s near-impossible to praise enough. The female vocals are tricky to understand, but they significantly add to the soft, introspective qualities by adding a honeyed, loving angelic feeling to it. You just don’t need to hear a polished section of clear vocals to feel the mood that it conveys. In a nutshell – it’s marvellous!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Treasure” (Released on 1st November, 1984) (via 4AD)

Thank you very much for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, with your new weekly edition of our Scuzz Sunday series. It’s the time of the week where we revisit an Emo-Rock or a Pop-Punk classic from between the late-1990’s until the mid-2000’s to see if it can live up to quality in the present! It’s a celebration of the defunct Scuzz TV freeview music video channel. 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 Sundays: The Distillers – “City Of Angels”

July 12, 2020 — Leave a comment

Is this still a raucous rock banger, or has it been distilled to squash? It’s Scuzz Sunday!

Pictured: Cover Art for “Sing Sing Death House” (Released on January 25th, 2002) (via Hellcat Records)

Well… It looks like we’ve quickly reached another Scuzz Sunday! It’s the time of the week where take a stroll down the memory lane of the emo-rock and pop-punk releases from the late-1990’s through to the mid-2000’s, to see if it can live up to modern quality! I’m Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! The Distillers – an American rock band from Los Angeles, California – have been a reliable force in the street punk world for the better part of two decades now, despite a lengthy hiatus that ran between 2006-2018. The 4-piece are led by female Vocalist and Rhythm Guitarist Brody Dalle, who has co-wrote and played vocals/guitar for nearly every track on The Distillers three albums. It goes without saying that Dalle’s continued to find moderate solo success, after spinning-off with lead guitarist Tony Bevilacqua for their side-project band, “Spinnerette”, in 2006. “City Of Angels”, which has nothing to do with a 1996 chick-flick Romance-Drama film starring Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan of the same name, was a popular single from The Distillers’ second LP, “Sing Sing Death House”, released in 2002. It wasn’t a massive hit, only reaching #104 on the UK Singles Chart, but it gained popularity after being featured in the mid-2000’s video games “True Crime: Streets Of LA” and “Crash N’ Burn”. Let’s have a listen to “City Of Angels” below.

Andrew Bregman of AllMusic deduces the album, “Sing Sing Death House”, is “a story with an uncharacteristic ending that punks born of squalor can rise up and create music as impassioned and relatively positive as this”, and he’s got a point. Dalle used to co-write tracks about Urban Dystopia, School Shootings and her flawed upbringing at the time, and despite “City Of Angels” being a slightly more commercially-driven affair than some of the band’s other efforts, it still comes together as a deep and hard-hitting listening experience. Dalle opens: “It’s going down tonight in this town” and “I take a scar every time I cry”, after a double snare-flam intro, led over the top by a raspy double bass kick. The rest of the track feels a lot more guitar-driven, and it takes influence from Courtney Love’s “Hole” in it’s regressed power-pop direction. In the first bridge, Dalle sings: “Take this life and end this struggle/Los Angeles, come scam me, please” and “Stripped of the right to be a human in control” and begins the crowd-warming, chant-led chorus: “It’s warmer in hell, so down we go”, before the rest of the band joins her in backing vocals for the chorus, as Dalle wails: “They say, this is the city, The city of Angels, All I see is dead wings” over a tight line of wounded-up guitar melodies, and a frenetically kicked drum beat. Dalle goes for her knack for melody with the post-bridge refrain, crooning: “There’s a black moon tonight, Shining down on the western neon” over a toned-down moment of gentle drum beats and slow guitar chords, before the repeat of the line goes back to it’s fast-paced, pop-punk nature as the rhythm guitar kicks it back up a notch. Does it hold up?.. Well, it’s very much a product of it’s time. But, I feel it’s a fairly decent example of one. The writing makes the track sound catchy and melodic, and the chorus is a pure pop-moment. The guitar work is competent, but it sounds exactly like you would imagine. Dalle’s lead vocals don’t amount to much intrigue, but they’re serviceable and they suit the purpose of the emo, pop-punk sound nicely. To conclude, we’re left with a track that’s completely solid, but it’s nothing special. Dalle has a nice ear for pop, I’ll give her that.

Pictured: Brody Dalle (Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar/Writer/Producer), Tony “Bradley” Bevilacqua (Lead Guitar), Ryan Sinn (Bass Guitar) and Andy Granelli (Drums) at Reading & Leeds Festival (2019) (Photo Credit: Jenn Five/NME)

Thank you very much for reading this post! I’ll be back to business as usual tomorrow as we kick off a new weeks-round worth of daily music blog posts. Since we’re in the mood for a bit of interesting post-punk, I’m going to be writing about a brand new single from an emerging indie post-punk duo from Lancaster, England who dabble in Lo-Fi, Dark-Psychedelia elements. The two-piece’s band line-up features the former lead singer and vocalist from the popular all-female band, Angelica. 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: Phoebe Bridgers – “I See You”

June 23, 2020 — Leave a comment

I spy with my little eye, something beginning with New Music! It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Phoebe Bridgers in a promotional artwork photoshoot for “Punisher” (in 2020 (via PR/Dead Oceans)

Good Morning, Afternoon or Evening – My name is 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! One of the most highly-anticipated album releases in recent weeks has been “Punisher”, the new album from visionary emo-folk independent rock singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers. Based in Los Angeles, California – but born and raised in Ukiah, California – Bridgers made a name for herself as a part of two groups: Boygenuis and Better Oblivion Community Center. She has built up a promising solo career and a loyal fan following with the help of her universally acclaimed debut solo LP, “Stranger In The Alps”, released in 2017. Her music has been described as “exquisitely raw and revealing” by Sam Sodomsky, the staff writer of Pitchfork, and as “wise beyond her years” by Josh Modell of The AV Club. “Punisher”, her second solo LP, was released on June 18th by Dead Oceans – brought a day forward from the original date of release to encourage donations for racial injustice in response to the #BlackLivesMatter movement. “I See You”, stylized by Bridgers as “ICU” on the album, is her most recent single. Let’s have a listen below.

Based on her breakup with ex-boyfriend/drummer Michael Vore, who co-wrote the track and plays the drum parts on it, Phoebe Bridgers’ “I See You” feels more radio-ready than some of her darker tracks from her new album, but it’s still by no means a compromise of decent quality in favor of commercial viability. “I See You” begins with a backdrop of throbbing drum patterns, before Bridgers’ vocals eerily creep in: “I’ve been playing dead my whole life/and I get this feeling whenever I feel good, it will be the last time” are recited over the top of minimalist guitar riffs and skittering synth beats, but a fiery sense of aggression keeps bubbling underneath the pop-friendly instrumentals. A percussive break leads into a later verse, where Bridgers wails, over a Mellotron beat,:”I used to light you up/Now, I can’t even get you to play the drums/Cause’ I don’t know what you want/Until I f**k it up” above a steady stream of idiosyncratic lyrics and tired guitar riffs mixed in with peppered synthesizer washes. As she documents the exhaustion of leaving her anger behind, she also busts out funny lines about hating her ex’s mother, sections which contrast the punk-fueled rage with sad moments of self-reflection. The vocal delivery reminds me of the bleak low-tempo of The National, but her reliance on using synth-led refrains make her feel original. To conclude, it all comes together to form an infectiously solid folk-ballad that takes cues from Blues and Dream-Pop to illustrate her strength and vulnerability. This is a well-structured, mature showing from one of the tip-top popular new talents.

Pictured: Vinyl Copy of “Punisher” (Released on June 18th, 2020) (via Dead Oceans) (Photo via Eel Pie 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. Don’t forget to join me tomorrow, where we’ll be marking the release of Khruangbin’s highly-anticipated new album “Mortdechai” with an in-depth listen to “Pelota”, the latest single to be released from their new, third LP record. 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 Sundays: Box Car Racer – “I Feel So”

June 14, 2020 — Leave a comment

A band who sadly didn’t get the chance to land in the Pole Position! It’s Scuzz Sunday!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Box Car Racer” (LP) (Released on May 21st, 2002) (via MCA Records)

It’s time for a new weekly edition of Scuzz Sundays! My name is Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog, as it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! Scuzz Sundays, named after the now-defunct Scuzz rock music video freeview TV channel, is the time of the week where we look back at an emo-rock or pop-punk classic from between the late-1990’s until the mid-2000’s to see if it lives to modern standards! “I Feel So” was a single released by San Diego alternative punk band Box Car Racer in 2002 for their self-titled debut album. The band featured two former Blink-182 members in frontman Tom DeLonge and drummer Travis Barker, who led the project with guitarist David Kennedy, formerly of Hazel Street, and bassist Anthony Celestino. Their self-titled album, based upon DeLonge’s post-hardcore influences, is a concept record detailing an Apocalyptic event, told through a range of sonically-directed tracks that feel bleak and grim in tone. MCA Records, their label, were looking for a commercial hit from the band, so they deemed it to be an experimental project and gave it little promotion, as a result of this. Despite this, the album was a mild commercial success off the back of positive reviews from fans and critics. Sadly, the band’s success was very short-lived, as creative disagreements between DeLonge, Barker and the remaining members of Blink-182 during the production of the album, along with a lukewarm A&R relationship with MCA Records, led to the band’s split soon after the album’s tour, meaning they only released the one album, making it their eponymous debut LP. Time to have a listen to ‘I Feel So’ below.

A track which reached #8 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks Chart in the US, Box Car Racer’s “I Feel So” is one of the more accessible works to come from the quick project, but even so, you can still hear a decent inkling of the album’s less conventional approach in this more pop-punk driven single. It starts off with a piano intro which feels delicate and fragile, that is, until the blast of an explosive bass guitar groove cranks up the pressure a notch. The extra layers of distorted noise-rock lies beneath the early lyrics: “Sometimes I wish I was brave/I wish I was stronger/I wish I could feel no pain”, as Tom DeLonge emotionally punishes himself while the electric guitar harmonies congregate their way around percussive drum breaks and minimalist piano melodies. The guitar riffs sound intentionally unrefined, in comparison to power-pop releases of the time, as Tom DeLonge blames himself for his own wrongdoings: “I feel so mad/I feel so angry/I feel so callous/So lost, confused, again”, in the chorus, which is filled with grunge-led arrangements patched together by indignant acoustic guitar riffs, fast-paced drum notes and brief piano lulls, with a lack of a focus on synths. The vocals are a bit of a minor letdown, as the songwriting could have done with a bit more depth and variety: “I wish I was shy/I wish I was honest”, DeLonge’s voice is a bit cheesy and fairly alike to commercial pop-punk favourites like Blink-182, funnily enough, and Sum 41 too – So your mileage could vary on this. Personally, I feel they establish the apocalyptic themes of the album in a reasonable way. Overall, it feels expressive – it might have just been the right record in the right place at the right time, but solid effort has been put into the contrasted instrumentation and the visual design. DeLonge and Barker walked away from it relatively unscathed, as the two reconciled with their former Blink-182 bandmates, and the cult success of this record led to the two writing parts of Blink-182’s next album in 2003, which was heavily influenced by Box Car Racer in it’s experimental, post-punk approach. From time to time, it’s great to have a little side project like this!

Pictured: Tom DeLonge (Lead Vocals/Lead Writer/Producer), Travis Barker (Keyboard/Drums/Piano/Percussion), David Kennedy (Lead Guitar) and Anthony Celestino (Bass Guitar/Backing Vocals) (2002) (Photo Credit: upsetmagazine.com)

Thank you for reading this post! As always, 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 to kick off the week with an in-depth look at a brand spanking new track from an English Electronic Neo-Soul duo, one of my personal favourites, who are signed to Tatemae Recordings and the project’s name translates to “True Feelings” in Japanese! 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/

Scuzz Sundays: AFI – “Miss Murder”

January 19, 2020 — Leave a comment

I think AFI are going to need Miss Marple to solve this murder! It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: AFI (Davey Havock, Jade Puget, Hunte Burgen and Adam Carson) at the MTV Awards (2006) (Zimbio.com)

Happy Scuzz Sunday to you! As usual, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and it’s the day of the week where I take you on a leisurely stroll down memory lane of the late 1990’s-mid 2000’s punk/emo/rock genre, as I revisit some of the artists and tracks which I used to listen to in my childhood, as part of THAT phase. “Miss Murder” by AFI is this week’s special track, a tune which achieved good commercial success, having reached the #44 spot in the UK Singles Chart upon it’s original release in 2006. I vividly remember the dark/gothic music video and I can also remember getting a perfect score of the track on Guitar Hero 3: Legends Of Rock on the Xbox 360. Those were the days, right? It’s taken from AFI’s seventh LP, “DecemberUnderground”, a landmark record in the development of new punk and progressive metal as a genre beyond the commercial emo status. AFI are still popular, having released the “Blood Album” in January 2017.

I still get a real kick from the vocal breakdown in the middle. It’s still deeply satisfying to jam out to! The bass guitar riff, conjoined throughout the track, also comes off as an iconic guitar riff for me, with it’s distinctive three-note structure and it’s large punk-hardcore influence, which echoes throughout the track at a steady, yet confidently upbeat, pace. The track is unashamedly over-the-top and it reminds me of the gothic and operatic style which was being popularized by My Chemical Romance at the time, although the track is produced with even darker qualities which dips into influences from the Glam-Rock bands of the 70’s, such as Black Sabbath. Davey Havock, in his vocal performance, croons: “with just a look/they shook/and heavens bowed before him/simply a look can break you heart, later followed up by “Dreams of his crash won’t pass/Oh, how they all adored him/Beauty will last when spiraled down”, two verses which have a very gloomy and anthemic context to them, although they’re delivered in a slightly tongue-in-cheek, or should I say, smeared black mascara, way. This builds up to a crescendo of chanting vocals and a melodic breakdown of frantic drum beats and precarious bass guitar lines. Havock collapses in fright and leads a choral, shouting bridge. This is finished off with some synthesized beat jitters. The track got a mixed critical reception when it was originally released, although it’s become a cult favourite since. I don’t really understand the reason for the former, as it’s a rare example of an over-the-top, 00’s goth-punk anthem that stands the test of time. Fun fact: the video is directed by Marc Webb, who went on to direct The Amazing Spider-Man films and 500 Days Of Summer. He also directed videos for Jimmy Eat World, Evanescence and Weezer around the same time!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “DecemberUnderground” (June 2006) (Interscope Records)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, with a holiday plan to whisk you away to sunny Jamaica (audibly, not literally, of course!), as we warm up our hearts on a cold January day with a look at a classic Jamaican Rocksteady track from 1967 from a small vocal choir led by Winston Riley, who briefly reformed in 1982 with a re-recorded version of one of their hit singles and a brand new album! 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/