Today’s Track: Ray Stevens – “Santa Claus Is Watching You”

December 12, 2020 — Leave a comment

He knows when you’re sleeping and he knows when you’re awake. It’s new post time!

Pictured: Cover Art for “Christmas Through A Different Window” (Released: 1997) (via MCA Nashville)

Festive tidings to you – I am Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s now time for me to get typing up all about today’s track on the daily music blog, because it is always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! “Santa Claus Is Watching You” is a quirky little Christmas track, which I found out all about when I was researching some alternative or obscure Christmas tracks to spotlight on the blog this year over the world wide web. Sadly, the name of Ray Stevens did not initially ring any Jingle Bells with me (See what I did there?), but it turns out that he’s really a very prolific Country and R&B singer-songwriter originally from the state of Georgia, over in the states. He’s also worked as a television presenter, music arranger and music producer too, and Stevens has also been inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame, the Georgia Music Hall Of Fame, the Christian Music Hall Of Fame and he’s even received Gold certification sales for some of his albums, so he may be just a little bit before my time, is all. After all, what do I know, eh? “Santa Claus Is Watching You” was a track which he originally wrote and performed as a one-off single released back in 1962, before he later re-released the track as a part of his “Christmas Through A Different Window” seasonal LP collection in 1977. You can still buy the record, but the single in it’s original form is a rarity now, and it’s worth a decent amount of money. I do not have that kind of money. Anyways, let’s laugh along to the music video below.

Ray Stevens has also been inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame and Museum, which happened just last year in 2019, and so he is still trucking along with his work. The track, specifically, has actually been doing the rounds for a long time now, and you can also get hold of it from his “The Best Of Ray Stevens” compilation album which he put out in 1967, where the track was even re-recorded, electronically, to simulate stereo. As a result of this, I sadly have no real idea of when the official music video, that you just saw above, was released. However, it’s still quite charming and memorable despite it’s dated production. The track, however, peaked at the #45 spot on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. I think that it’s still quite funny, too. The start plays out with a showering of Sleigh Bell melodies, as Stevens calls out: “Now baby-doll, sweetie-pie, sugar-plum, honey-bunch, angel-face” above a stop-and-start combination of Piano and Guitar work, before delivering the killer hook of “Be careful what you say and do/’Cause Santa Claus is watching you” on top of the jovial, care-free rhythms. It gets more romantic and unveiling later on, as Stevens attributes “You’d better kiss and hold me tight/And give me a good lovin’ night” and “When Christmas comes, you’ll be crying too” to the repeated vocal hook. A quirky bridge of doo-wop filler lines and a list of reindeer’s names who are not a part of Santa’s elite group of Sleigh pullers follow up on the verses, to add a quirky sense of fun to the lyricism. He later claims that Santa Claus is the head of the CIA, and the track ends with some form of Spoken Word freestyle about his paranoia of being watched by the White-bearded international celebrity. It makes for a fun and entertaining listen, although the cohesion and flow of the track gets a little uneven at times, as Stevens keeps dashing through different modes of his wordplay vocal delivery and his instrumental breaks during the track. I’m not sure how appealing this track would be to children either, but I think that’s a good thing, in this case, because it makes it feel different to your bog-standard festive Pop track primarily aimed at Children that Pop singers like Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber are known to have performed in recent years. Stevens also manages to deliver some good comedy throughout the single too, even if the flow loses it’s way a little bit during the middle. The Rockwell of yuletide tracks – which came an odd 20 years before, perhaps. Overall, it’s still pretty hilarious.

Pictured: Vinyl Copy of “Santa Claus Is Watching You” (1962) (Photo via Discogs.com/Mercury Records)

Thank you for checking out my latest blog post! Tomorrow marks a short-lived, but celebratory, new era for our weekly Scuzz Sundays series, because we’re going to be looking at some festive-themed emo-rock and pop-punk gems taken from the late-1990’s, up until the mid-2000’s, from tomorrow onwards. Tomorrow’s Emo throwback comes from a classic American Heavy Metal band who are often regarded as “Glam-Rock” for their prominent use of makeup and female costumes. 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: Yukon Blonde – “You Were Mine”

September 17, 2020 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Jeff Innes (Lead Vocals/Writer), Brandon Scott (Lead Guitar/Backing Vocals), James Younger (Bass Guitar), Rebecca Gray (Keyboard/Synths) & Graham Jones (Drums) (2020) (Photo via Dine Alone)

Good Morning! My name is Jacob Braybrooke and, just like always, I’m writing 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! A Canadian 5-piece Indie Rock group from Kelowna, British Columbia who are now based in Vancouver, Yukon Blonde have been touring the globe for almost 15 years, and have played numerous live sets at highly established music festivals such as South by Southwest, along with breaking out from winning the Juno Award for Breakthrough Group Of The Year in 2013. “You Were Mine” is the latest single taken off their upcoming fifth studio album, “Vindicator”. which is the first album to be written, produced and recorded entirely by the band in their own studio. You can buy their new album from 13th November, via Dine Alone Records. It comes highly anticipated, and it’s title is a nod to how the band felt upon it’s post-production completion. On “You Were Mine”, the group’s front-man, Jeff Innes, told Kill Beat Music in a press statement: “James brought the initial idea to the table, and after several hours of jamming, eating Scooby-snacks and drinking Churchill martinis, it started to fall apart in the most perfect way imaginable,” he stated. “I feel like this song somehow epitomizes the spirit of a successful collaboration in our band. Words like ‘compromise’ had no place in that session; everyone sings leads at some point, everyone plays everything. It’s certainly among our favourites from the record.” Let’s see how it all came together on the single below.

A Synth-Punk band known for previously embracing more minimalist and keyboard-oriented rock groove music, “You Were Mine” also marks a stark departure in sound to the NYC-Punk sound of their previous album and that comes along with their new single also being the first entirely self-produced single to come from the Innes’ home studio… and kitchen. “You Were Mine” has a fairly minimalist opening, as Innes contemplates: “I keep pretending that you were mine, When I’m all alone” over the top of a moderate piano riff and a light, Synth-driven R&B hook. The second verse’s repeat of “I keep pretending that…” causes the danceable elements to shift dramatically to a more neo-psychedelic, Acid-Pop altered state. Innes’ spins a mellow Spoken Word rap, reciting: “Summer came in the blink of an eye/Nothing remains, but the sheltering sky/Cast under cancer” over a slowed, more Dream-Pop geared soundscape that keeps the R&B-inflictions audible, but the stuttering Drums provide more of a morphing ambience than before. A calm interlude persists at a breezy, if jaunty, fashion. Shortly after this, Innes’ drowns his vocals in a heavy Auto-Tune effect to halve the tempo, and bring the sense of wonky production to the forefront a little more aggressively than before, with a quickly revolving Piano section and a tonally fluctuating Groove line bring the track to a danceable and hopeful, although not necessarily fast-paced, close. It’s quite hard for me to figure out if I really like the new track or not, and that’s just because it feels very different to the style of output that Yukon Blonde have delivered in the past. That’s a very good thing, as it means we’re not getting a retread of what’s come before again. However, on the negative end, I’m not sure if it really does enough to stand out from the likes of (You saw it coming…) Tame Impala and MGMT. The atmosphere is very reminiscent of Tame Impala’s “Let It Happen”, and the pop-friendly hooks also highly remind me of Foster The People, a band who I often find to be overlooked. The concern is that, here at least, it feels a little bit un-even and it doesn’t quite mish-mash R&B and more LCD Soundsystem-influenced NYC-Punk fully cohesively, with a middle section that drags a little and the self-reflective lyricism not quite managing to touch me where it hurts. On the other hand, I am looking forward to seeing what the band do with their new direction and the creative freedom of the individual production methods. I have a feeling this track will probably grow on me over time. But, as for now, I’m sadly left a bit apprehensive.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Vindicator” (Available from November 13th, 2020) (via Dine Alone Records)

Thank you for reading this post! Tomorrow, I’m making the long travel back to my university in Staffordshire to restart actually having a life again, so the daily post will have to be pre-written in advance! We’re going to take an in-depth look at an easy classic from 1998 with a band name that reflects the opposite of what the quality of their music has proven to live up to be! The band formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 1993 and – unusually – they have managed to keep their original band line-up intact over the decades since. 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: 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/

Today’s Track: Martha Hill – “Grilled Cheese”

September 1, 2020 — Leave a comment

I hope you have the appetite for this hearty slice of Emmental. It’s time for a new post.

Pictured: Martha Hill in an official publicity shoot to promote “Grilled Cheese” (Single) (2020) (via Martha Hill Music)

Good Morning, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I am typing up about your daily track on the blog, as always, because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Currently residing in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Martha Hill is an observational Alternative/Indie Rock singer-songwriter who left her rural home, in Scotland, at the age of 17 to busk the streets of Europe to make her own living. In the time since, Hill has released a string of EP’s independently, including 2019’s critically-acclaimed release, “Be Still”, which gained significant exposure from BBC Introducing. In the meantime, Hill has also supported the likes of Maximo Park and Mahalia on tour. Her current project is “Summer Up North”, an EP release, of which she is currently pledging for public backers to fund it’s production through a Kickstarter online campaign. The first single of which she’s shared from her new EP is “Grilled Cheese”, a track which, coincidentally, is named after what I had for lunch yesterday! The track’s been doing the rounds on BBC Radio 6Music’s A-list curated playlist, and it has also gained airplay from X-Posure, John Kennedy’s evening show, on Radio X. So, it really seems to be causing quite the fuss! Let’s jump on the bandwagon for it below.

The only difference is – my grilled cheese last night… was on a stick! Back to the task at hand now, as Hill delivers a melodically-driven, lo-fi Indie Punk track that feels witty and anecdotal, often playing on the observational nit-picks that Courtney Barnett is very popular for. Hill tells a story of a couple struggling to agree on the simple things, in this case being meal prep, as she croons: “My baby messed me around/Yeah, she don’t love me anymore/and I know that for sure” with a fiery, if not aggressive, vocal delivery and a soft, 3-note guitar chord sequence. The second verse contemplates whether raw onions should go in a grilled cheese toasted sandwich, before Hill leads into a chorus that raises the intensity of the guitar work, and teases a tense bass guitar solo, before settling down into the repeating acoustic guitar strums. It builds to a key change in the chorus, as she dramatically sings: “I drink your kerosene, But I don’t like it when your mean” over the top of a multi-strand, layered guitar chorus that carries her vocal hooks with a deep, rhythmic beat. We soon get to another key change, where Hill adds: “I wish that we could feel better” to the familiar pop hooks of “She put her hands in the air, Then the air turned sour” as a harsh, cluttering Drum pattern is introduced to the mix, and it gradually intensifies in pressure over the top of the witty, rampant lyrical devices and the contending, fragmented guitar intervals. It results in a sound that frequently gets more diverse as the track’s duration nears it’s end, and, as a result, it makes the production feel clean and polished. I think that a casual listener would find it quite easy to access and not too demanding to grasp the point of it, but it never feels massively too commercial. I also like how the title of the track refers to a comfort food, as it connotates a sense of nourishment in which things will get better for the couple in the narrative. Overall, I don’t think I’d go as far to say it’s the best track of the year or anything, since I don’t find the song does that much in the way of innovation for me personally, but this is certainly an impressive landmark in the young musician’s career and it sounds very engaging. If you ask me, I think onions would definitely ‘go’ in a grilled cheese toastie!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Summer Up North” (EP) (Set for release at TBA, 2020) (via Self-Released/Kickstarter.com)

Thank you very much for reading this post! As always, I’ll be back to do the same all over again tomorrow. I actually turn 22 tomorrow, not that it really means anything. Therefore, I’m going to be a bit selfish and subject you to me having a rave about one of my all-time favourites, from an iconic American singer-songwriter who is known for partaking many different “phases” of his long-served career! This famous musician has won Best International Male Solo Artist at the BRIT Awards three times between the years of 1997-2000, along with seven Grammy Awards, most recently taking a prize 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/

Today’s Track: Tame Impala – “Is It True?”

August 24, 2020 — Leave a comment

Can’t you see my eyes are open wide? Would I lie to you, baby? – It’s new post time…

Pictured: Tame Impala performing a live set on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival 2019 (Photo via BBC Music)

Good Morning! I am Jacob Braybrooke and I’m typing up about your daily track on the blog, because it is still always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! Even if you’re just a casual listener of music, I’m sure that you’re probably at least familiar with the name of Tame Impala by this point – an Australian Psychedelic Rock outfit predominantly steered by Kevin Parker as a solo producer, with touring band members to fill out the band’s line-up. He’s been making huge waves with 2012’s “Lonerism” and 2015’s “Currents”, and he’s been gaining mainstream attention with his latest release, “The Slow Rush”, which was released back in February, by Fiction Records in the UK, and other labels internationally. A new single, “Is It True?”, was released from the new album two weeks ago, alongside a technicolor-inflicted new music video which engulfs Parker in a retro visual format of a Synesthesia-like aesthetic, as he grooves to the track around tripped colour art, created to look like it was made from clippings of VHS Recordings and Amiga 2000 graphic engines. Parker has also kept busy during the self-quarantine period with a remixed version of the new album, “The Slow Rush In An Imaginary Place”. On his latest album release, Parker wanted to craft a variety of Pop soundscapes, and Parker opted to write and record the album himself in his studios in Melbourne and Los Angeles. Also exploring wide themes of growing maturity and coming-of-age, he told the media: “A “lot of the songs carry this idea of time passing, of seeing your life flash before your eyes, being able to see clearly your life from this point onwards.” “I’m being swept by this notion of time passing.”, later adding, “There’s something really intoxicating about it.” Let’s have a listen to the brand new single – “Is It True” – below.

“Is It True?” likely marks the final nail in the coffin as to how far the project of Tame Impala goes as a guitar-based psychedelia rock outfit, embracing a vivid Synthpop flair of production and unabashedly catchy, rhythmic hooks, but it never feels derivative or tired as far as a modern Prog-Pop record can go, as the synth compositions instead feel rich and thoughtful, as “Is It True” marks one of the strongest highlights of his latest album’s material. Parker contemplates taking a promising relationship further, reciting: “We started talkin’ bout devotion/The kind that goes on eternally/And I tell her I’m in love with her/But, how can I know that I’ll always be” in the opening verse, layering his vocals over a smooth instrumental of shimmering West African drum samples and lines of drifting keyboard riffs that flutter across the cut, with an easygoing strip of Horn sections to keep the groove rolling. During the bridge, Parker asks: “That’s a promise I can’t make and I won’t validate, Was I being immature, I don’t know, I don’t care” to an upbeat rhyme over a wistful, bubbling Synth bed instrumental. That’s before the heavy electronic snares hit you hard, and the track sounds very polished in glittering Disco rock. The same kind of Psych-Pop, with a slight R&B infliction, vibe carries on, until a major key change marks the beginning of a mellow and delicate little interlude. The Vegas-inspired bassline is still faintly audible, with the same Strobing effects, which feel gradually slower and more contemplative. Parker sidetracks with: “In my head, I said, we’ll see how it goes, until we know, what the future holds” as the high production values increasingly get detailed with a laidback Conga drum groove and a slow-paced, fizzing bed of Keyboard instrumentals and gentle Synth work. It could disappoint fans fond of Parker’s more guitar-driven material, but I think that it works as a great pop track, sounding danceable and dancefloor-friendly, while using a reflective style of lyricism that complements the awkward narrative. Exciting and sonically stimulating.

Pictured: Tame Impala (Kevin Parker) in the video for “Call My Phone Thinking I’m Doing Nothing Better” (2020)

As previously mentioned, Parker always finds ways to keep himself busy, so he has been collaborating with The Streets on “Call My Phone Thinking I’m Doing Nothing Better”, of which you can read my review of the track here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/05/08/todays-track-the-streets-feat-tame-impala-call-my-phone-thinking-im-doing-nothing-better/, and if you can’t get enough of the sounds and themes that Parker explores on The Slow Rush, you can check out my thoughts on “It Might Be Time” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/11/16/todays-track-tame-impala-it-might-be-time/ and “Lost In Yesterday” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/02/14/todays-track-tame-impala-lost-in-yesterday/

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “The Slow Rush” (Released on February 14th, 2020) (via Fiction Records in the UK)

Thank you very much for reading my daily blog post! As always promised, I will be back tomorrow for an in-depth look at a recent single, and a new LP announcement, from a popular Alternative Synthpop band from Baltimore, Maryland who went viral with a live performance of their 2014 crossover hit “Seasons (Waitin’ On You)” on the US talk show, The Late Show with David Letterman. 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: Willie J. Healey – “Fashun”

August 13, 2020 — Leave a comment

Let’s get to it, Strike a pose, there’s nothing to it – Vogue! It’s time for your new post…

Pictured: Willie J. Healey in a shot to promote the release of “Twin Heavy” (2020) (Photo Credit: Hollie Fernando)

Good Morning, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing up your daily post on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to get typing up about a different piece of music every day! A singer-songwriter from Oxfordshire, Willie J. Healey has established a new-found freedom and imagination as the result of his departure with major label, Sony. He told Ali Shutler of NME: “When I was dropped I remember thinking, ‘You idiots – I’m the next Paul McCartney”, as he follows up his meandering debut album from 2017, “People and Their Dogs”, with his second album “Twin Heavy”, a record that he’s crafted in 1970’s psychedelia decadence, which he released last Friday, now as an independent artist. He’s been working on the 12-track follow-up LP with Loren Humphries, a producer who has previously worked with the likes of Florence & The Machine, Tame Impala and The Last Shadow Puppets. “Fashun” is the lead single of the new album, a track that has been getting very popular as it’s been making the rounds on BBC Radio 1’s Indie Show With Jack Saunders, X-Posure with John Kennedy on Radio X, and an A-list spot on the daytime playlist selection on BBC Radio 6Music, along with a memorable appearance on an Instagram live-stream where Healey visited Piccadilly Records in Manchester, the UK’s largest independent record store. Listen to “Fashun” below. Warning: Keep your Volume down at the start.

I hope your headphones were not on full blast – That’s all I can say, before a delicate acoustic guitar strum diffuses the tension. Willie J. Healey’s “Fashun” feels lustful and flamboyant, as he dials up the theatrical aesthetics of promised fame and overhyped superstardom with a mocking, knowing wink, as he recites: “You’re gonna be a big star, honey/A real household name” with a satirical, knowing wink at his former label, and the negative experiences that he lived during his time as a puppet for executive big-wigs at a media institution. He pulls on 1990’s Brit-Pop influences for the verses, which feel quieter than the chorus, with gentle guitar work and a catchy drum beat, as the tongue-in-cheek lyricism shines through: “How’s your father been? Is his heart still pumping” in a Soft-Pop croon which calls back to Elvis Costello and Lonnie Donnegan. The bridges harken back to 70’s Glam-Rock, as Willie sings: “Oh, it’s not your fault/That you’re wild, you know” above a sparking keyboard riff that leads to a neat, reflective guitar solo. He later introduces 60’s Doo-Wop female backing vocals to the mix, swooning us away with: “The cream rises to the top, they tell me/I’m going to be best friends, with fame” above an authentic 80’s guitar rock sound, and a dreamy backing guitar riff that makes it feel almost like a parody of The Beatles. Overall, I think it’s brilliant, and even the bantering track name of “Fashun” shines through on a track that displays very likeable, expressive lyrical prowess alongside the satire and evocative aesthetics of 70’s, 80’s and 90’s Pop, with a quirky songwriting style that feels reminiscent of Pulp, and “Pure-Pop” moments of sharp, luminescent melodicism that makes me think of Supergrass. It heavily reminds me of Prefab Sprout’s “The King Of Rock N’ Roll” in a neat way, since that’s one of my favourite 1980’s tracks. If he plays his cards right – this may just make him a household name…

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Twin Heavy” (Released on August 7th, 2020) (via Yala! Records) (via Bandcamp.com)

Thank you very much for reading my daily blog post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as per usual, as we switch gears with an in-depth look at a recent track from an American 3-piece Jazz group who also dabble in Soul and Classical, best known for playing an organic instrument that you would find in a church. Their debut album went straight to #1 of the US Contemporary Jazz Albums Chart in 2018. 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: TTRRUUCES – “I’m Alive”

July 31, 2020 — Leave a comment

A peaceful TTRRUUCE offering that you won’t intend to break! It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Natalie Rose Findley (Lead Vocals/Guitars) and Jules Apollinaire (Producer/Keyboard) (2020) (via PR)

Good Morning to you on this boiling hot day, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing up your daily track on the blog, as usual, since it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! An Indie Pop singer-songwriter based in Stockport (in the UK), Natalie Rose Findlay is a famous face who has supported the likes of The Courteeners, Brandon Flowers, Jake Bugg and Miles Kane on tour, as well as having three critically-acclaimed solo LP’s to her name. A funny fact about her is that she is a Vegetarian and she is fluent in French. Her new project is TTRRUUCES, a duo that includes her debut album’s co-producer, Jules Apollinaire. A bit like La Roux back in 2009. Their new single is “I’m Alive”, the lead single of their self-titled LP that was released on June 26th, of this year, by All Points. She’s looking to burst new life into her creative career with a rare example of a “Concept Album” – which means it’s a record that tells a story from start to finish. The record is a “Rock Opera” of 11 tracks which document “Sad Girl” (Sadie) and “Lost Boy” (Syd) on their quest for “TTRRUUCES” – a psychedelic, mind-altering drug. Let’s have a listen below.

Gaining notoriety for a spot on the popular FIFA 20 video game soundtrack, the mysterious synth-pop duo stitch together a fun, if inconsequential, load of sunshine-soaked Dream-Pop elements and cheerful, overjoyed Pop-Punk vocals to make for an entertaining ride. The pun is, of course, intended. The first half of the track sees the duo use Space-Pop keyboard effects and gauzy, upbeat guitar instrumentation to create a summer-filled atmosphere. Findlay raps: “On days like these, you don’t think twice/Get up with the sun, feel fresh, light a cigarette” to paint the scene of waking up and going on a road trip to somewhere warm and comforting. The chorus is more melodic, with a sing-a-long delivery that aims to put a string in your step, as Findley bursts out with: “I’m Alive, To see your face it always makes it worthwhile to survive”, layered below a warm Indie Rock sound and cheerful textures. The second half of the song reminds me of The Avalanches’ “Wildflower”, as it plays on themes of nostalgia and childhood, coming-of-age on a teen-hood holiday, with cut-up sampling effects that add layered backing vocals and a psychedelic, aired tone. There is a lovely Brass section towards the end of the track, which expands the instrumental style while retaining the track’s roots in Summer-ready indie guitar fun and meditative, beach-like emotions. For me, the second half of the track is a bit more interesting than the first, with humorous lyrics and a wider sonic palette. The first half feels a bit more commercial, with guitar riffs that are solid but unspectacular and a honeyed indie guitar quality that doesn’t quite mesh with the more experimental elements as evenly. It’s not bad by any stretch of the imagination though, and I really think it’s quite difficult not to like. The cut-up sample effects add to the experience greatly, and the brief teasing of a Jazz direction keeps it fresh. Overall, it’s not quite fully there for me yet due to a few generic pop nitpicks, but only by just a little. Mostly, I think it’s very sweet, with a melodic second verse that feels easy to nod your head along to, and it reminds me of one of my all-time favourites, but it feels unique enough to set itself apart from that, and it makes me interested to hear more – That’s always a plus!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “TTRRUUCES” (Self-Titled LP) (Released on June 26th, 2020) (via All Points Music)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, to kick off the new month with a bang as we take an in-depth look at a vintage 1980’s classic track from a particularly significant 1980’s trio who were essential to the development of the Dream-Pop and Shoegaze sub-genres of Alternative Pop and Indie Rock. The band were pioneers, and a very hot commodity for 4AD in the late-80’s and early-90’s, one of the most critically-acclaimed indie record labels to this very day. 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 Radio Dept. – “Could You Be The One?”

July 16, 2020 — Leave a comment

The latest in the sparsely transmitted frequencies of Lund’s Finest! It’s new post time!

Johan Duncanson (Lead Vocals, Producer) and Martin Larsson (Keyboard/Synths) (2020) (via Brooklyn Vegan)

Here we go again! Good Morning, I am Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing up about your daily track on the blog, because, as per usual, it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every single day! I started off a two-part series yesterday, starting with the new single “You’re Lookin’ At My Guy” from The Radio Dept, a cult Dream-Pop/Shoegaze group from Lund, a small city in Sweden. The personal favourites released a new Double Single over the last weekend, and we are listening to “Could You Be The One?”, the B-side of the release, today. The band have decided that, instead of writing and producing a new full-length record, they will be scattering a range of sporadically released singles throughout the course of the year, with the intention to compile the singles onto an album-length compilation later in the year. If you’ve only jumped into the blog today, The Radio Dept. are the Swedish duo of Johan Duncanson and Martin Larrson (along with touring member Daniel Tjader), who got the name from a local gas-station-turned-radio-station-turned-repair-shop called “Radioavdelningen”, which translates to “The Radio Department”. The Dept. have never been a fixture in mainstream culture, but 2006’s “Pet Grief” and 2010’s “Clinging To A Scheme” were relative cult classics within the internet music community. I have a joke with my friend Harrison, where we call them “Lund’s Finest”. I’m certainly not sure what the competition surrounding that award is, but they’re massively underrated, and they added weight to the claim with “You’re Lookin’ At My Guy”, on yesterday’s post. Get ready for part two with “Could You Be The One?” below.

It was well-documented, on the blog yesterday, that the A-Side of the release “You’re Lookin’ At My Guy” was a changed-up cover of the Tri-Lites, a 1960’s girl vocal group’s original version, switching up the Jazzy doo-wops for hazy acoustic melodies, mixed up with a little synth distortion. The B-side “Could You Be The One”, however, is an original. Duncanson leads the track with a call-and-response lyric delivery, as he sings over the top of a radiant synth line and a glistening, breezy acoustic guitar riff: “You’ve been wishing away, Aching to be led astray, Anything to be the one who got away”, before a soft chorus incorporates a short and lush Horn section into the instrumentation of the ongoing, guitar-laden hooks. The lyrics are contemplative, but there is a sweet and progressive warmth that downplays the melancholy with a balance of joy and triumph. Duncanson adds “Could you be the one?/Could this be the day” to the vague and minimalist chorus, while the finale feels a touch more sad, but polished, as Duncanson builds up to a sweet, artistic outro of light acoustic guitar licks and subtle keyboard riffs with: “Could you be the one?, The one that gets to say, I took the chance, and got away”, using self-reflective and elegant themes of lust and unrequited romance. The “Turn To Camera One” refrain is intriguing, and it may connote a story of a film director trying to start a relationship with an actress or a producer on set, but that’s just my interpretation. Again, like with yesterday, it’s very subtle and it paints a pretty minimalist picture, but it feels more driven by character and narrative than “You’re Lookin’ At My Guy”. Another solid outing by ‘Lund’s Finest’!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “You’re Looking At My Guy” (Double Single) (Released on July 10th, 2020) (via Just So! Records)

Don’t forget to check out Part one of my two-day spread, with my review for “You’re Lookin’ At My Guy”, in case that you missed it, here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/07/15/todays-track-the-radio-dept-youre-looking-at-my-guy/. I’ve also covered a few other tracks previously, you can check out my review for the recent single “The Absence Of Birds” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/03/06/todays-track-the-radio-dept-the-absence-of-birds/, and you can peruse my review for their sleeper gem “Memory Loss”, which I can’t believe was released exactly a decade ago, here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/11/21/todays-track-the-radio-dept-memory-loss/

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “The Absence Of Birds” (Released in 2020) (via Just So! Records)

Thank you very much for reading this post! A new weekend means another batch of new album releases, so I’m going to be choosing a single from a brand new album to cover tomorrow’s blog post. It’ll be from the new project of an English musician and songwriter who was the frontman of 90’s group Pulp, and he famously jumped on-stage during Michael Jackson’s performance of “Earth Song” at the BRIT Awards in 1996! 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 Radio Dept. – “You’re Looking At My Guy”

July 15, 2020 — 1 Comment

AJ Styles. Idris Elba. Tom Hardy – those are all such guys! It’s time for a new blog post!

Pictured: Johan Duncanson and Martin Larsson in a press shoot for their Bandcamp.com page (2016) (via Just So!)

The voice that feels like home to me! Good Morning, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing 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! I’ve been very delighted over the last week to hear that The Radio Dept. are back to their sparse, scattered-about releases again, following their single “The Absence Of Birds” earlier in the year. An indie Dream-Pop/Shoegaze outfit from Lund, a small city in Sweden, I’ve been closely following the band since my college days of 2016, where I was introduced to them by my friend Harrison, and we have an in-joke by calling them: “Lund’s Finest”. They’ve never been a hugely promoted band, but they have a relative cult following, after 2006’s “Pet Grief” and 2010’s “Clinging To A Scheme” become cult classics on the internet. The band create music of a very articulate and whimsical style, drawing comparisons to The Postal Service. The band have cited My Bloody Valentine, The Cocteau Twins and Saint Etienne as a few of their influences. They got their name from a local gas-station-turned-radio-turned-repair shop called “Radioavdelningen”, a translation to “The Radio Department” in Swedish. Last Friday, The Dept. released a brand new single, “You’re Lookin’ At My Guy”, with the B-side “Could You Be The One?” to make it a Double Single release. The two tracks are very unlikely to get much, if any, exposure on the radio – so I thought that I’d cover both this week as a two-part series, with the former track today, and the latter track tomorrow. Without any further ado, let’s have a listen to “You’re Lookin’ At My Guy”, the title track, below.

Upon my research, it turns out that “You’re Lookin’ At My Guy” is actually a cover version of The Tri-Lites, a 1960’s girl group, track of the same title. It’s a move that might come somewhat unexpected to longtime fans of The Radio Dept, but it just reaffirms that Johan Duncanson and Martin Larrson have strong songwriting abilities, as they switch up Doo-Wop harmonies for gentle, if distorted, synthesizer loops and luscious, acoustic guitar melodies. Duncanson recites: “Little girl, just move on by/Don’t even try to catch his eye” and “Say girl, let me put you straight/You’re scheming on my steady date” to the beat of steady piano lines and distorted, low-quality synth patterns, over a poetic vocal delivery. The post-bridge is more melodic: “I don’t want to start no trouble/Little girl, you’d better move out/You’d better move, and on the double”, deposited over the top of a jangling guitar riff. A chorus rooted in the Shoegaze and Dream-Pop melodies that make The Radio Dept who they are, “Little girl, just step aside/Cause’ I’m gonna be his bride/This is where I draw the line” is slightly chant-led, and the vocals are layered above clashing drum rhythms that match the synth-led production. Duncanson continues to repeat the hook: “You’re looking at my guy”, over the top of a light string section composed by a swelling violin line. The sound is subtle and pretty, but in no way feels melancholic or dreary. It’s very nice to see (or hear, rather) The Radio Dept making more music that sounds creative and interesting, but light and warm, after a long hiatus. A new single from the duo feels like the equivalent of seeing a longtime friend after a lengthy absence. It’s rich and comforting. a wholesome outing. Although I have no idea of what their competition looks like, I feel there must be truth to the claim they are “Lund’s Finest”!

Pictured: Cover Art for “You’re Looking At My Guy” (Double Single) (Released on July 10th, 2020) (via Just So! Records)

As a dedicated follower of The Radio Dept, I have also previously covered a small portion of their previous work on the blog. You can see what I thought of “The Absence Of Birds” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/03/06/todays-track-the-radio-dept-the-absence-of-birds/, and you can revisit (or discover, for the first time!) their underrated, sleeper gem “Memory Loss” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/11/21/todays-track-the-radio-dept-memory-loss/

Pictured: Johan Duncanson and Martin Larsson with touring member Daniel Tjäder (Guitar/Synths) (Date Unknown)

Thank you very much for reading this post! Don’t forget to join me tomorrow for the second part of my two-part series on The Radio Dept’s new double single release, where I’ll be sharing my feelings on the B-side: “Could You Be The One?”, in due course. 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

One Track At A Time

Jangle-Pop