Jangle-Funk

Today’s Track: Jungle – “Keep Moving”

April 24, 2021 — Leave a comment

Um Bongo, Um Bongo, they made this one in the Congo in the Jungle. New post time!

  • Pictured: Josh Lloyd-Watson (Vocals/Guitar) & Tom McFarland (Keyboard/Synths) (2021) (Photo via PR)

Good Evening to you – I’m Jacob Braybrooke, I’ve just finished off my scripts for my Ambient Music documentary as a part of my MA coursework, and that means I’ve got to quickly jump on-board for your daily track on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! ‘Keep Moving’ is the new single from the London-based now-duo of Electronic Soul artists Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland, which has been getting support across the dial from the likes of BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 6 Music, NTS Radio, and now my humble abode of OMG Radio, over the course of the last handful of weeks. They have released two critically acclaimed albums, with their self-titled debut LP getting nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2014. Their third album, ‘Loving In Stereo’ is set for release on August 13th via Caiola Records, and it’s their first one to feature collaborations in the shape of US rapper Bas and the emerging Tamil-Swiss vocalist Priya Ragu. The music video was shot in one take and directed by Charlie Di Placido. Let’s check it out below.

The theme of ‘Loving In Stereo’ is new beginnings, a feeling emulated by the aim of the big dancefloor vibe of the lead single ‘Keep Moving’, which was premiered as Annie Mac’s ‘Hottest Record In The World’ one evening on BBC Radio 1 when it was first aired on the radio. Experimenting with a choir, Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland mix up an anthemic, festival heavy-hitting Neo-Soul sound with a very pop-oriented, Disco sound that feels nostalgic enough for a relative throwback to the days of old when we were allowed to pack out a beach resort in Malibu and sip cocktails. I think that it succeeds because it manages to feel relevant to our times socially, but these connections feel vague enough for the single to stand the test of time. The hooks are excessively melodic, and a light Gospel backing vocal complements the ongoing groove, which has a more boasting and strutful personality to it. Call backs to 70’s Bee-Gees are present here, but the detailed guitar licks and the toe-tapping Drum beats fulfill the needs of a modern listenership. The lyrics such as “Unless you understand it, Then find out what to do” and “Don’t think about it, I’ll be running with you” are catchy, and play on not looking back. It’s nothing too political or anything, but it encourages dancing and combines the Soul sound with some more intriguing explorations of Funk. It also has a big ‘Summer Anthem’ feel with it’s rich, percussive melodies and it’s upbeat Violin samples that bounce along to the beat. Overall – I quite like this, and I could see it going for some decent crossover appeal and potentially leaving a mark on the commercial charts. I enjoy that it sounds well-produced, but not overproduced. There’s a lot of polish to the production and the vocals, but it never goes overboard on the auto-tune effects or tries to throw too many elements at a wall to see what sticks. This feels like a very effective Comeback track. Groovy Baby!

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Loving In Stereo” (LP) (Available from August 13, 2021) (via Caiola, AWAL)

That’s all I have time for today – but I’ll be hoping to publish another entry to our ‘Scuzz Sundays’ feature tomorrow, so join me back here in roughly 24 hours time to revisit a staple from THAT PHASE – this time coming from a well-known Hard-Rock, Ska-Punk and Street Punk project who are still making music today, and have independantly sold over four million albums globally making them one of Punk’s most successful independant Metal crossover groups. 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: Dante Elephante – “Game Of Love”

March 15, 2021 — Leave a comment

Play what you want – but you better not go play Mind Games on me! New post time!

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Game Of Love” (Single) (Released on Feb 26th, 2021 (via Born Losers Records)

Good Afternoon to you! Jacob Braybrooke here, wishing you a happy Monday, as I report to the blog for my track of the day, since it is always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of new music every day! If you cast your mind back to just two months ago, you may recall our ‘New Album Release Friday’ feature on the blog, where we took an in-depth look at ‘Mid-Century Modern Romance’, the third studio album to be released by Dante Elephante (aka Ruben Zarate), on the Born Losers Records label at the very beginning of the new year. The album sees the singer-songwriter – who is based in the Highland Park area of Santa Barbara near Los Angeles in California – shed his previous Surf-Rock and Stoner-Pop sound for a more retro guise of Disco-Pop and Dance-Rock. Produced by Paul Cherry, the LP was a cheeky little sleeper hit of a release, with some groovy tunes that have really grown on me in the last two months. The sound is nicely inspired, while nostalgic at the same time, as an overall classic-sounding Pop package that doesn’t set the world alight, but refreshingly manages to transport you away from the grim reality of our current circumstances with a passionate stride. To follow up on album stand-outs like ‘Jeni’ and ‘Find Somebody To Love’, Zarate has just released a one-off single in the form of a cover version of Santana’s 60’s Soul Pop anthem, ‘Game Of Love’. If you find the sampling below to be enjoyable, Zarate also hosts his own eccentric podcast, ‘The Dante Elephante Podcast’, which you can check out each Thursday on commercial platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and wherever else that you get your podcasts. You can have a sing along to the on-screen lyrics for ‘Game Of Love’ below.

Paired with the above music video, which is dedicated to Gregg Alexander, Zarate has been promoting his music with a live appearance on the KCRW radio station, where you’ll find him talking about the records that take him back in his very own all-Vinyl playlist titled ‘Private Playlist’ which articulates his inspiration from his heroes, including rarities from Orange Juice and Eydie Gorme. The segment is up on his YouTube channel if that sounds interesting to you, where you can also find some live performances of tracks from the new album, alongside the above music video for bonus single ‘Game Of Love’. Speaking of that track, it demonstrates some maturing of his songwriting skills and some acting chops, with Zarate busting some moves to co-incide with the more upbeat, dance-oriented chorus sections. The verses are a little more pensive though, with soulful melodies and mid-tempo synth beats that continually emerge and retreat back in the more toned down sections. The drum beat grooves are rather nice, before sensual lines like “So, please tell me why you don’t come around here no more/Cause right now I’m dying outside the door of your loving store” creep in to the soundscape with a lightly drawing scope. The chorus is more hook-led, with rhymes like “It just takes a little bit of this, A little bit of that/It started with a kiss, Now we’re up to bat” and “A little bit of laughs, A little bit of pain, it’s all in the game of love” that feel forthright and ready for summer. The percussive elements are neatly packed into the sound, and Zarate increases the tempo of the original track just a little to give it a more funky, progressive update. Overall, it’s a really lovely little track because it demonstrates a clear talent that Zarate has in making pop music that sounds old-school and vintage with a top-notch sense of authenticity, and while the results are not really a groundbreaking record, it’s one that feels charming, with an affectionate Falsetto tool that takes me from a somewhat mundane setting, and it makes me feel like I’m beach-bound on a pleasantly hot day. It’s just good Pop music.

  • Pictured: Ruben Zarate (of Dante Elephante) in a ‘GoodTimes.SC’ promo shoot (2019) (via PR)

As aforementioned, this is the second time that Dante Elephante has pulled an appearance on the little blog. Although it’s grown on me more since then, you can also check out my guidance of album single ‘Las Vegas’ here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2021/01/08/new-album-release-friday-dante-elephante-las-vegas/

  • Pictured: Cover for “Mid-Century Modern Romance” (Released on Jan 8, 2021) (via Born Losers Records)

That’s all for now – Please feel free to check back here tomorrow, however, with an in-depth look at some more brand new music recommendations. Tomorrow’s track is almost guaranteed to send you straight to the bustling atmosphere of Asian aesthetics, with an in-depth look at the superb new track to come from a promising all-female indie rock band from Nagoya, Aichi who are signed to the Sub-Pop Records label. The band have recently collaborated with Gorillaz for a track on the ‘Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez’ compilation. 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/

New Album Release Friday: Nubiyan Twist (feat. Soweto Kinch & Nick Richards) – “Buckle Up”

March 12, 2021 — Leave a comment

You may stop to ask, how many people does it take to make one song. New post time!

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Freedom Fables” (Released on March 12th, 2021) (via Strut Records)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke and, you guessed it, it’s time for me to get typing up for your daily track on the blog, since it is always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Here we are again. New release day. This week’s offerings include a new solo LP from Cypress Hill’s DJ Muggs The Black Goat, a live album from North London’s Sorry and the return of German indie pop duo Haerts – who have had their music featured in numerous film & TV productions like ‘Carrie’, ’13 Reasons Why’ and ‘Love, Simon’. Tom Grennan is paving the way for the mainstream crowd, and Grouplove are back with a surprise new album. However, the record that’s earned the spotlight from me for this week comes from Nubiyan Twist. Born out of Leeds and currently based in London, they are a 10-piece Afro-Jazz collective comprised of a 4-piece Horn section, two vocalists and an electronics rhythms section. Orchestrated by guitarist/producer Tom Excell, the band have released their second album, ‘Freedom Fables’, today via Strut Records. The guest list includes CHERISE, KOG, Ria Moran and more – each of which “explores their own memoirs, a freedom of expression underpinning our belief that music is the ultimate narrative for unity” on the record. The group have seen rotational airplay from BBC Radio 6Music in recent weeks, among frequent performances on Jamie Cullum’s show on BBC Radio 2, with an appearance on ‘Later… With Jools Holland’ set to follow this month. So – let’s hit the gas pedal (Ya get it?…) on ‘Buckle Up’ below.

‘Buckle Up’ sees the London-based collective enlisting the help of saxophonist Soweto Kinch for a melodic solo, and a further call for help from vocalist Nick Richards, who sings about the mundanity of an unfulfilling life cycle. With Latin Jazz, Afrobeat and Trip-Hop callbacks, the single was an effective teaser for a record where “You can hear touches of broken beat, blunted hip hop, highlife, Latin, jazz and UK Soul running through the tracks” according to Tom Excell in a press statement for the album’s announcement. Although seeing a few Covid-related delays along the way, it’s here in the end. Predominantly, I feel that ‘Buckle Up’ references the sounds that the ensemble grew up becoming attached to, with a vintage tinge of Roy Hargrove-esque Brass melodies and undulating Organ polyrhythms blending with the more modern production allocated by the synth-inflected backing of the grooves and the bright horn lines which permeate the mostly Soulful qualities of the sound. The vocal section of “Sometimes I lean back in my chair, look up at the sky, Past these clouds and stars/To find new perspectives to loosen up my life” pads out the first half, while the second portion of the track goes for a more Hip Hop-inflicted beat. A speedy vocal delivery from Richards lowers the melodicism a tad, and the chorus allows the splashings of Trumpet melodies to shine with a more summery, energising mood, with vocal lines like “A journey to find a sense of peace and not desire” and “If I could catch a glimpse, Maybe this time find a door to the peace of my mind” feel much more self-reflective and self-developed. The Latin Jazz style feels at ease with the more melodic Hip-Hop influences though, with a little Dubplate and Reggae bursting through the Spoken Word outro. Overall, while the results are not a groundbreaking record, they are deeply satisfying and quite likeable. It feels relaxed, although not too restrained, and it feels nicely accessible – I’m glad that I could come along for the ride.

  • Pictured: Tom Excell (Lead Vocals/Producer), Nick Richards (Saxophone), Pilo Adami (Percussion), Oli Cadman (Keyboard), Denis Scully (Baritone Saxophone), Joe Henwood (Drum Machine), Finn Booth (Bass Guitar), Luke Wynter (Synths) and Jonny Enser (Horns/Woodwinds) (in 2021) (Photo via PR)

Thank you for reading my latest blog post! I’ll be rather busy making the trip back to my university term-time accommodation tomorrow, and so my entry tomorrow will probably be a little shorter and sweeter than usual. I can’t let the team down though, so I will be back with an in-depth look at the final track in my pre-Christmas backlog, at last. Tomorrow’s band emerged from a promising wave of early-2010’s British Hardcore Punk groups, with the line-up being a 5-piece super-group of musicians from bands like Arms Race, Vile Spirit and Gutter Knife. 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/

New Album Release Fridays: Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio – “Call Your Mom”

January 29, 2021 — Leave a comment

What do you get if you drop an Organ onto an army base? A flat major. New post time.

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “I Told You So” (LP) (Released on January 29. 2021) (via Colemine Records)

Just one more day to grind through. Good Morning, I’m Jacob Braybrooke, and I’m here to write up your daily post on the blog, because, as I say to you every day, it is always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Another weekend means that it’s time for a crop of new releases to drop, and the calendar is heating up as we leave the drought of January that we typically have at this time of year. In fact, this week is rather stacked. Many people have been looking forward to Arlo Parks’ debut album which arrives today. There’s also the 20th album release from Ani DiFranco, the formal debut album from the BBC’s Sound Of 2020 winner, Celeste – along with additions to the canons of Madlib and Four Tet, Weezer and more. However, I’m going to jive to a bit of Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio this week. Sometimes abbreviated to DLO3, this is a fantastic Jazz, Soul, Funk and Blues band who are native to Seattle, Washington and have found wider success after heavy airplay on the state’s KEXP community radio station. 2016’s “Close But No Cigar” was their debut LP, and it charted at #1 on the US Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. “I Told You So” is their long-awaited follow-up record, and it’s arrived today – via Colemine Records. Describing their own sound as “improvisation over organ grooves” and “soul music with a strong jazz influence”, the self-taught trio have been devising tightly flavored compositions since 2015. Let’s take a listen to “Call Your Mom” below.

I think it’s an understatement to say that Delvon Lamarr, Jimmy James and Dan Weiss play their instruments beautifally, and what also striked out to me when listening to “Call Your Mom” for the first time was the way they really connect their dots together as a group, a chemistry that Delvon Lamar points out: “While we were recording in the studio, the studio engineer, Jason Gray, asked me what was the name of the song? I said ‘I have no idea'”, and “Call Your Mom” was decided when Gray suggested it to them, but they didn’t know until months later that it’s a reference to a sticker in the back of a Jazz club they played in Alabama, and it’s a story that you simply couldn’t make up. A few others have also pointed out that “Call Your Mom” shares similarities with the sound of Booker T & The MG’s, as a confident and upbeat slice of instrumental funk just struts along a tight groove. A Horn section and an ascending bass guitar riff immediately enter the fray, while the drums are densely packed into the later stages of the track. The organ melodies quickly emerge and retreat from the picture, almost teasing a breaking of the continous groove, before we settle back into that polished mid-tempo production once again. It’s almost like the Organs and the Guitar are trading lines, but working with tandem in one another, instead of fighting for control – despite each tool having a respective solo in the mid-way point. Despite being very repetitous, I never found it tedious. The 60’s Motown feel is created by the energetic and soulful drumming signatures, and the turn-taking in the different instrumentation keeps things interesting. It leads to a neatly structured finish, where a feel of a “suited-and-booted” vibe puts across a vintage aesthetic. It also feels more improved than some of their earlier work, with the brief diversions from the groove and the confident atmosphere showing a more meticulous layout for the single – in comparison to some of their work prior for me. To conclude, this probably won’t fall under the wheelhouse of everybody because it’s sorted as a niche, but I think those who like their groovy and funky instrumental jazz will love it, and I think it deserves a chance from everybody. It’s played wonderfully, and evokes class from start to finish.

  • Pictured: Delvon Lamarr (Keyboard/Piano/Organ/Bass Guitar), Jimmy James (Rhythm Guitar) and Dan Weiss (Drums/Percussion) (2018) (Photo Credit: Bebe Labree Bresch/KEXP.org)

Back in the worldwide lockdown in Spring – the group also found themselves busy. Check out the review for “Inner City Blues” from the Brighter Days Ahead series here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/08/14/todays-track-delvon-lamarr-organ-trio-inner-city-blues/

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Inner City Blues” (Single) (Released on May 22nd, 2020) (via Colemine Records)

That concludes my musical message for today! Scuzz Sundays is inside the oven for release in two days time, as per usual. Before then, take a look at the blog tomorrow – Where we’ll be taking a look at the highly popular new album to come from a Midlands Electronic Post-Punk duo who have released several albums to critical acclaim. The vocalist was influenced by his sub-cultural love of Wu Tang Clan, and he started out by recording music with Bent and Spiritualized as a session musician for local artists. 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: Baba Stiltz – “Running To Chad”

December 21, 2020 — Leave a comment

This is it – A chance to take! Nightlife scene, all the plans you’ve made. New post time!

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Running To Chad” (LP) (Released on September 25, 2020) (via Self-Released)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time again for me to get typing up about your daily track on the blog, because it has always been my day-to-day pleasure to get writing to you about a different piece of music every day! Although his name makes him sound like he’s a French mime artist, Baba Siltz is an upcoming, 27-year-old Experimental Electronic Dance musician from Stockholm, Sweden. He started making electronic dance music at the age of 15, releasing quirky and experimental Alternative Pop records under the mantra of the “Bethlehem Beard Corporation”. That was 10 years ago, however. Fast-Forward to 2020, where his artist biography on Spotify reads as simply “No one puts Baba in the corner”. That, and he has also released his latest solo album – titled “Running To Chad”. This follows Baba’s unconventional songwriting through the explorations of Surf-Rock, Soft-Funk and Psychedelic Rock, and it plays out mostly like a Swedish artists’ take on the beach-ready California rock sounds of the 1960’s and the 1970’s. The EP was released back in September, which he self-released. Let’s check out the title single of the record below.

The “Running To Chad” EP also features remixes of the titular single from DJ Python and Jesse, the first being a minimalist Techno cut that slowly builds to a warmer, more pulsing House track, and the second remix cut – from Jesse – is a deeper and more meditative, ambient take on Baba Stiltz’s track. As for the original itself, the track feels like a love letter to the classic, summer-geared Rock sounds of The Beach Boys and The Surfaris, as Baba whips up a lighthearted, melodic track where he comedically drops in one-liners like “San Diego dreams, California love” with a slightly cerebral and ethereal, low-pitched croon delivery. He plays the sense of quirky humor very cool, and he wears it’s heart on his sleeve while keeping a straight face through the entire length of the track – an almost 6-minute fusion of percussive drum beats, laidback bass guitar grooves and a soft Techno acid section gradually forming in the centre. The lyrics of “What you running from? Indigo dreams and a pocket full of ones” and “Took a trip, It’s an easy out/Bleach-stained hair on a Bus down south” are whimsical and darkly rhythmic, as we build to the killer hook of “It’s your favourite game, Now you’re on a roll/No return, gonna lose control”, with a distinct and flat dance-not-dance form of vocal pitch. Everything builds up to an interlude of fluttering Acid synths and percussive, Tango-esque backing beats. The instrumental has a very light-hearted and warm texture, and it feels excellent for the grim weather that we’re currently receiving here in England, as my friend pointed out to me on the phone today when we had a quick chat about this one. I think this is a track that may take longer for some people, most likely the more casual listenership, to truly connect with – in fact, I didn’t really get it at first, probably because I wasn’t really born in the Surf-Rock era that the track is borrowing from. However, it’s very worth the time and the effort, because this track feels really ‘cool’, in the way that it walks the line between a Dance tempo and a Cerebral vocal, and it is unlike anything else that I’ve been hearing recently. Now I can’t stop playing it – and it doesn’t get old!

  • Pictured: Baba Stiltz in a photoshoot for a Inverted Audio feature (2014) (Photo via inverted-audio.com)

Thank you for checking out my latest blog post! I’ve got more music tomorrow – a last-minute addition to our schedule on the blog for this week, with a track that came out in 2010, and I think that it’s now super relevant again given the recent news about the Christmas season, especially here in the UK. The track, never released as a single, comes from one of my “Jacob Classics” – a poetic Swedish singer-songwriter from Gothenburg who once wrote an anecdotal track about the famous movie actress, Kirsten Dunst. 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 Avalanches – “Music Makes Me High”

December 11, 2020 — Leave a comment

The light in my life is going out tonight without a flicker of regret. Time for a new post!

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “We Will Always Love You” (Released on Dec 11th, 2020) (via Universal Music)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s now time for me to get typing up all about your daily track on the blog, because it is always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! It’s New Release Friday – and although there’s a new EP out today by Foster The People, which you should also check out – since you’re reading my words, we’re going to take a look at the third LP collection to come from The Avalanches, “We Will Always Love You”, who are one of my TOP tier favourite artists. The album is full of 25 sample-delia and plunderphonics tracks that explore cosmic themes, spirituality and what it means to be human. The narrative of the album was inspired by an idea that voices of lost records and lost artists are floating around in space to send out transmissions – with the concept also being inspired by the romantic tale of Ann Druyan, creative director of the Golden Voyager project, whose heartbeat was captured for the Golden Record on the day after Carl Sagan proposed to her, whose image is imposed on the cover artwork of the record after the sound waves were processed through a Spectogram, and turned into the image. Now comprised of Robbie Chater and Tony Di Biasi, the duo are most famous for 2000’s “Since I Left You”, a debut record that, no pressure to the two, really changed the way that we make music. “Wildflower” followed a lengthy 16 years later, and seemed to get a more mixed general reception, but I felt it was an excellent album in it’s own right. Let’s sample the track “Music Makes Me High” below.

At least it only took them four years this time… Along with some help, of course. Released today via Modular Recordings, the new long-player features a staggering guest line-up including MGMT, Johnny Marr, Kurt Vile, Tricky, Sampa The Great and more – alongside guests such as Neneh Cherry, Blood Orange, Rivers Cuomo and Sananda Maitreya (formerly Terrence Trent D’Arby) who have already appeared on the singles. It’s staggering to think how it was back in February that we heard our first tease of their new effort, but it’s now finally here. In an interview with NME, I can recall Robbie and Tony explaining how “Music Makes Me High”, their new promotional single of the time, was largely a throwback to the style of music which they grew up listening to. There are definitely prominent elements of Detroit House and Chicago Soul here, with a very vintage genre of sound which, you could argue, inhabits the qualities and values that Robbie and Tony are all about as artists – Scavengers of an endless record collection – that harken back to the roots of their sample-based production flair. Sampling hallucinogenic beats from Salty Miller’s track of the same title, and The Devoted Souls 80’s anthem “Keep On (Holding On)”, the vocals retain a lighthearted feel of a wild, drug-induced night out, while the short and snappy synth loops give the track an upbeat, funky feel. The short samples of cheering crowds remind me of the adventurous, earthly vibes of “Since I Left You”, and the brief Gospel backing vocals add some weight to the track’s cooling effects of it’s hook. While the track probably might not be for everybody’s cup of tea due to it’s lack of the sonic qualities found on their more hip-hop oriented work, I think the layout is very impressive, as the central sample pulls together with the push-and-pull production to form a clean, unified sound. The gift of The Avalanches’ work of repurposing old samples into a format that feels imaginative, and this track really emphasizes those abilities of the duo’s ever-present desire to uplift – and renew, in the face of adversity.

  • Pictured: The Avalanches (Robbie Chater & Tony Di Blasi) in a press shot for “Wildflower” (2016) (via PR)

It’s been a long singles run for the duo in the lead-up to today’s album release, and we’ve covered some of the bases already here on the blog. Check out my review for the first teaser, from way back in February – and the titular track – here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/02/21/todays-track-the-avalanches-feat-blood-orange-we-will-always-love-you/, followed by the second single, “Running Red Lights”, here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/03/20/todays-track-the-avalanches-feat-rivers-cuomo-pink-siifu-running-red-lights/, and finally, we also took a look at “Wherever You Go”, of which you can read up on my feelings on here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/07/23/todays-track-the-avalanches-feat-jamie-xx-neneh-cherry-clypso-wherever-you-go/

  • Pictured: Mural promoting “We Will Always Love You” in Melbourne, Australia (2020) (via Stereogum)

Thank you for putting up with my latest love letter to The Avalanches. Happy Listening! Wherever You Go, don’t miss out tomorrow’s post on the blog, which highlights some more alternative Festive music, this time being a comedic single that came in the 1960’s from a Country and R&B singer-songwriter who has been inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame and the Christian Music Hall Of Fame. 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: Djo – “Keep Your Head Up”

October 21, 2020 — Leave a comment

You may think this release is a bit weird, but I’ve seen Stranger Things. New post time!

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Keep Your Head Up” (Single) (Released: September 9, 2020) (via Self-Released)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and I’m here to fulfill my daily duties of writing up about your daily track on the blog, because it’s routinely always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! A track that prickled my ears a little on a recent episode of 6Music Recommends, curated by Lauren Laverne, is the funky jam “Keep Your Head Up”, and what prickled my ears even more was her introduction of the new track, as it was produced and recorded by Joe Keery, who is best known for playing the role of Steve Harrington in the Netflix flagship series, “Stranger Things”, which I also really like. He records his own music under the side-project of Djo, and it turns out that he even put out a debut album, “Twenty Two”, last year, which was a success, despite releasing with hardly any promotion or fanfare beforehand. If you’re anything like the cynic that is me, the whole endeavor probably sounds rather random to you. However, Keery has actually been pursuing music for a long time, and, he is a former touring member, and a current contributing musician, of the Chicago-based Psychedelic Surf-Rock group, Post Animal. He debuted “Keep Your Head Up”, his first music material since last year, in a conversation with Wayne Coyne, of The Flaming Lips, on Talkhouse’s Instagram, and Keery later promoted it as part of a Reddit AMA on the r/indieheads subreddit. It is expected that more music will follow up soon. Let’s have a listen to the track below.

Keery was planning to embark on a solo tour as Djo throughout 2020, but the Covid-19 pandemic obviously hit, and here we are now. But, in his press release, he commented that his new single represents “a much-needed bolt of positivity in an otherwise dark time”, and he has been enlisting the aid of producer Adam Thein as a collaborator on his new music. “Keep Your Head Up” represents an output from Keery that goes back to 80’s Soul, with a hint of Prince stemming from the glossy production and the sensual elements of Glam-Pop, with lyrics that feel suggestive and provocative, as Keery pleads: “Got to love yourself/Go ahead, touch yourself” to bring a feel of irreverent humour into the fold. The beat gradually becomes heavier and more synth-oriented as the first verse rolls along to “Take that time alone, before your heart belongs to someone else”, before the chorus introduces some robotic backing vocals to the scene, and Keery throws in a George Clinton-inspired Funk sensibility for the chorus, with a joyous set of percussion and a vivid series of piano notes that mix with the jaunting electronics to craft a well-rounded percussion section. The breakdown at the end feels chaotic, with a glitzy set of Funk-laden instrumentals and a heavy use of synthesized vocal effects, before a brief and swinging Horn section enters the picture and the Saxophone solo gives the overly electronic vocals a rest. The production is a flashy and polished affair, while the overall sound is blending elements of 70’s Psych-Funk and 80’s Synth-Pop together with a current EDM undertone, similarly to his contempories like Jacob Collier. I feel there is perhaps a bit of an over-use of the auto-tune effects here, but that’s probably down to my personal preference because it also works well as a stylistic choice with the drowning synth sequences and the experimental layout of the sequencing, but there is a clear love for Nu-Jazz in here, and it feels sophisticated in it’s approach, so it turns out to be a pleasant surprise overall, although I think my heart is set on Natalia Dyer always being my favourite from Djo’s Netflix series – I think she is just wonderful!

  • Pictured: Djo (Joe Keery) visiting the AOL Build series studio in New York (2019) (via J.Kempin/Getty)

Thank you very much for reading my new post! As usual, please feel free to join me again tomorrow. I will be taking an in-depth listen to a recent single from a British Dream-Pop trio, who nobody seems to really know anything at all about, and they’ve been building up their following with a big sense of mystery, following their delightfully warm singles “Empty Beach” and “One Time Villain”. 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: Pan Amsterdam (feat. GUTS) – “Carrot Cake”

October 9, 2020 — Leave a comment

Let’s pray the whole dessert doesn’t have a soggy bottom. It’s time for your new post!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Carrot Cake” (Single) (Released on August 5th, 2020) (via Def Pressé)

Good Morning to you! I’m Jacob Braybrooke and, just like always, I’m here to write up about your daily track on the blog, since it is routinely my day-to-day pleasure to get typing about a different piece of music every day! Pan Amsterdam is a very tricky one to give many introductions about, and that’s because he is a producer and composer who thrives on being an enigma. He writes for his online biographies, “We really don’t know exactly where Pan Amsterdam comes from. He was found on the coast of Miami, Florida in a state of apparent amnesia”, later adding, “Pan Amsterdam must have been unconscious on the coast for 22hrs before he was discovered by none other than rock icon and ‘The Godfather of Punk’, Iggy Pop”, who has always been a very frequent collaborator for this musical mystery. His accent has a very Eastern American sound though, and he has nodded to his accent as a cross between Brooklyn, Jersey or Manhattan in a track on his debut album, “The Pocket Watch”, which was released in 2018. Since then, it’s been reported that Pan Amsterdam is supposedly the alias of a New York-based trumpeter and songwriter, Leron Thomas. Nevetheless, the usual two-year turnaround period has just come and gone, and “Pan Am” is back with the follow-up to his critically-acclaimed (If critically-dumbfounded, more like) debut record. “HA Chu” was released last Friday, on October 2nd, via the Def Pressé label. With high-profile new album releases from Róisín Murphy, Groove Armada and The National’s lead member Matt Berninger, and impressive lower-key releases from Working Men’s Club and Loraine James, it really has been one of the most busy weekends of new music releases, for me, in quite some time, and “Pan Am” looks to be no exception to the former rule, given his ascending popularity. Guest work on the album comes from Iggy Pop, Jimi Goodwin (Doves) and Jason Williams (Sleaford Mobs). Let’s have a tasty slice of “Carrot Cake”, featuring GUTS, down below.

Critics have noted that “Pan Am” goes for a more darkly textured sound on the bulk of “HA Chu” in comparison to his more Jazz-infused predecessor, as he gets together with the collaborators that I have listed above, and a couple of surprising notables to record one of the strangest and most enigmatically endearing releases of the autumn season. “I’ll funk like rotten milk and pass the expiration date/I’ll make your granny’s cow lactate” are just a few little snippets of the quirky songwriting that “Pan Am” uses to his odd advantage throughout the course (the Dessert one) of “Carrot Cake”, as he mixes up an exceptionally abstract two-step Parisian drum groove with a hazy, laidback synth rhythm that, for me, goes back to the late 60’s era of “Pre’ Hip-Hop” in conceptual spades. GUTS adds the female backing vocal of “Come In Closer” to create a weirdly soothing backing vocal that adds textured layers of good sensual feelings to proceedings. The male vocals are seemingly unrelated to this, and the lyrics being drawn upon are mostly a mix of creative wordplay and dry humour, which combine with the whirling keyboard riffs and the funk rhymes to create the subtle early Hip-Hop sensibility which carries the comic relief along to a robustly paced effect. He throws obscure pop culture references on the cards, almost muttering: “Because I don’t fight/I eat chips, and I watch a lotta’ Kung-Flu flicks/Way Of The Dragon be my profile pic” at a steady pace to an intelligent wit. The production is rooted in G-Funk and Soft-Pop, and that’s before we get to the Trumpet instrumental outro, which feels smoky and old-school in it’s delivery. Lyrically, the substance is almost non-existent because they do not really make any actual sense, but they manage to subvert your expectations of a contemporary record, and “Pan Am” strings the words together to a quirky, rhythmic pattern which makes up for a cohesive flow, and they sound good together as a result. This really takes a bit of skill, but “Pan Am” makes it seem easy. Overall, it’s tricky for anybody to properly identify what’s going on here, but I like it – and I think that’s the main point. One of the most essential tunes for the present time.

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “HA Chu” (Album/LP) (Released on October 2nd, 2020) (via Def Pressé)

Thanks for checking out your daily blog post! I’ll be back tomorrow to kick off the weekend with an in-depth look at a track which was released earlier in the Spring by an artist who recently appeared on KEXP’s “Live At Home” series of virtual gigs. He has also performed at BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend festival, and he has earned praise from radio broadcasters including Annie Mac, Huw Stephens and Jack Saunders. None of his two songs are the same! 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: Jane In Palma – “One By One (Original Mix)”

October 8, 2020 — Leave a comment

This is basically Cuckoo from the titular BBC sitcom in music form. It’s new post time!

  • Pictured: Jane In Palma (a.k.a. Julian Smith) in the music video for “Safety Net” (2020) (via Vimeo.com)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke and it’s my duty to get writing up about your spotlighted daily track on the blog, because it’s still always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! With such a name as quirky as “Jane In Palma” (a parody of the popular Australian Psychedelic Rock artist Tame Impala), you’d be forgiven for thinking this is just a “p**s take” of that culture. No, this is an incredibly experimental project. “Jane In Palma” is the latest moniker of the California-native percussionist and composer Julian Smith, who has released his material under several different aliases, with Dan Froth being his most notable, and he’s previously been associated with WNCL Recordings, Phonica White and UNO! NYC (between the years of 2010 – 2016) under that pseudonym. “Saftey Net” is the second album of his “Jane In Palma” alias, and it’s the follow-up to 2016’s debut “Primitive Thoughts”, and it was released over the summer, on July 8, via Snake Free Roofing. He has gained support from BBC Radio 1, Rinse FM, NTS Radio and Ibiza Global Radio, of all places. For me, I heard of the artist through one of John Ravenscroft’s recent turns on 6Music Recommends, of which Smith was the featured ‘Spotlight Artist’ of the particular programme. In any case, Smith has been claiming for himself to be “based somewhere between the Balearics and the Basque country”, although I am not too sure if this is a part of the act or not, but I’ve given Smith the benefit of the doubt on that. A purely Instrumental track, let’s give ourselves a gander to “One By One” below.

For his first album of the “Jane In Palma” title, Smith’s “Primitive Thoughts” LP from 2016 saw him interpret the surroundings of two locations – empty caves on the isle of Mallorica – which he used as his recording locations. On his Bandcamp page, Smith explains how “Safety Net” is all about exploring the themes of offline living, and ignoring the presence of the media around us, and the record electronically touches upon elements of Garage-Rock, Post-Punk and Surf-Rock from a sonic standpoint. Although “One By One” is not very representative at all of the core sound of the record overall, personally, it is my favourite track on the record because of it’s simplicity. The rest of the record is an interesting mix of idiosyncratic 80’s hip-hop instrumentals and underground production methods, where “the facts don’t matter if the source is crooked”, according to Smith himself, but the sound that makes up the original mix of “One By One” is a more formulaic and gentle process. It mixes up an audibly soft funk rhythm of a plucky bass guitar riff with a delightfully upbeat Conga drum beat that catches on a melodious, repetitive groove that continually sits on the top of a slightly stuttered time signature. A few push-and-pulls of the pacing can be heard now and again, but it mainly stays at a punchy mid-tempo feel, with a springy interlude towards the end. There’s evidently nothing at all to talk about lyrically here because it’s an entirely instrumental effort, but the tones are cheerful and free-form, allowing the patterns of the repeated guitar-and-drum pattern to catch the attention of your ears. The sound pallete is not too busy, but there’s enough going on to make it feel relaxed and humble, if unashamedly formulaic, to keep you occupied and simply in a nice mood. Overall, it allows Smith to nurture his creativity mind-set, and explore sequenced sets of productions with the use of the experimental recording processes, without even the need to think about the commercial justifications to do so. A “pet project” down to a tee, I find the simplicity of “One By One” to be very appealing, with music which seems basic but groovy. Definitely worth keeping your tabs on this artist.

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Safety Net” (Album/LP) (Released on July 8th, 2020) (via Snake Free Roofing)

Thank you very much for reading the new post! Don’t forget that I’ll be back again tomorrow, for an in-depth look at another experimental enigma, who is more accustomed to the underground Hip-Hop Fusion realm. It comes off the back of an impressive debut album released two years ago, and the new record features guest collaborative work from Iggy Pop, Jimi Goodwin (of Doves) and Jason Williamson (of The Sleaford Mobs). 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: Maajo (feat. Ismalia Sané) – “Esukey”

September 12, 2020 — Leave a comment

The band representing “a rare tropical breeze from the cold north”. It’s new post time!

  • Pictured: Maajo (Jon Thureson, Juhani Lammi, Thomas Lammi, Jussi Laitinen, Janne Melanen and Mitja Virikko) in a publicity shoot to promote “Tropic Of Tulli” (in 2016) (via TheRansomNote.com)

Good Morning! My name is Jacob Braybrooke and, as always, I’m typing up about your daily track on the blog, since it’s routinely my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! This week’s theme has seemingly become a case of catching up with releases which I had missed during the chaos of the kick-started COVID-19 pandemic in the early Spring, such as Nicolas Jaar’s “Cenizas” and Porridge Radio’s “Every Bad” earlier in the week. Last, but by no means least, we have “Kuru Kuru”, the second album from Finnish World-Funk collective, Maajo. This is a lesser-known band, and I first caught wind of “Esukey” by a recent episode of KEXP’s Song Of The Day podcast. Although Maajo had formed in Finland, they have taken a large amount of influence for their chord progression and lyrical devices from traditional African music, while combining these passions with electronic sources. “Kuru Kuru” is the group’s second album to be released by the Queen Nanny record label and it was released in April. The band have previously released music on the Permanent Vacation label, and another branch of their portfolio includes a remixed soundtrack for the 1920’s silent film, “Lost World”, along with receiving remix treatments from Luke Vibert and Call Super themselves. “Esukey” features the Senegalsese lyricist Ismaila Sané, who started his career in the 1970’s as a percussionist, and as a solo dancer/choreographer of African ballet, before he relocated to Finland in the late-1990’s. Most notably, Sané won the “Citizen Of The Year” prize in 2003, which marked the first time an emigrant received the award knowingly. Let’s take a listen to their work on “Esukey” below. Make sure you stay tuned after the track ends to hear a translation from Sané on the lyrics which he sung.

I hope that you stayed until the end! Maajo describe themselves as “a rare tropical breeze from the cold north” in each of their press releases, and it’s a marketing tagline that seems rather unquestionable, to make for a refreshing change of pace. “Esukey” has a very far-reaching sound globally, with a wide range of African and Bollywood appeal, and further influences that come across as more Balearic and Funk-oriented. Elements of Birdsong and lyrics (translated, obviously) refer to enjoying the nature around us on the planet and connecting with wildlife across our borders. It’s difficult to recognise the electronic sequences within the track, as it instead places a much larger emphasis on a percussive, groove-driven sound. Unfortunately, I am unable to understand many of the lyrics and I’m mostly in exactly the same boat as you when it comes down to the vocal aspects, but the language of percussive instrumentals and nostalgic Afrobeat undertones thankfully skew far more universally. There is a gentle R&B-tinge established from the outset, with a mellow keyboard section giving off the introductions. Shortly after, we’re greeted to straightforwadly upbeat Senglanese lyrics from Sané, who connects these dots together with an involving voice and an optimistic mood. Kalimbas rattle along and Balafons riffs tick along to create a joyous, percussive groove that creates a lively bassline to communicate an organic and natural quality that can resonate with an English-speaking audience. It skips along with a quick pace, with reggae sensibilities due to the drum beats and a slightly-skewing electronic fusion created by the keyboard melodies, to add some more harmonization to the mix. The track is all over and done with rather quickly, and I think it would take a few listens for you to fully grasp the sonic concepts being explored. Yet, it never feels frantic and too chaotic for it’s own good, instead evoking a decent sense of warmth and joy, with calming vocal textures and punchy guitar melodies. Overall, it makes for something that feels easy and rewarding to listen to, despite the foreign lyrics themselves – with a fruity flavour.

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Kuru Kuru” (Album/LP) (Released on April 10th, 2020) (via Queen Nanny)

Thank you very much for reading this post! Don’t forget that, as usual, it will be time for a brand new weekly installment in our Scuzz Sundays series tomorrow, which, if you are new to the blog, is the time of the week where we take a look back at an Emo-Rock or a Pop-Punk relic which was released between the late-1990’s and the early-2000’s, to see if it can hold up to it’s qualities in the present day! 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/