Jangle-Rock

Countdown To Christmas 2021: Marc Bolan & T-Rex – “Christmas Bop”

November 27, 2021 — Leave a comment
  • Pictured: Marc Bolan (from T-Rex) in a rare photoshoot (Date n/a) (Photo Credit: Roger Bamber)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, and now is the time for you to relax, sit down and slurp your warm Gingerbread Latte as we continue our ‘Countdown To Christmas’ with yet another daily track on the blog, seeing as it is always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! As a legendary Glam Rock band who were inducted into the Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall Of Fame last year, T-Rex were a group of 70’s Psych-Rock icons – led by the famous English guitarist and poet Marc Bolan – who barely need any introduction from me. However, their yuletide anthem – ‘Christmas Bop’ – is a very different story. Despite my greatest efforts in researching the track’s rich history for this here entry on the blog, it remains to be one of, if not, Bolan’s most elusive records and I couldn’t pinpoint the song’s exact origins to a clear place. A popular story goes that Bolan originally recorded it in 1975 and he planned to release it with ‘Metal Guru’ and ‘Telegram Sam’ as a triple single on Vinyl, but that first iteration of the record was never released or printed because it was withdrawn due to Bolan’s fears of plagiarism, since he was mindful that EMI had experienced prior problems with George Harrison’s ‘My Sweet Lord’ due to similarities with Ronnie Mack’s ‘He’s So Fine’, however two of the labels that would have been pressed for the release have circulated around and sold at auction in November, 2004 for £896.00 as an antique. Rate Your Music also have a ‘Marc’s Christmas Box’ release of the original triple single dated for 1996. There is also another variation of the single in existence because it features some awful alternative cover artwork, where Marc is playing his guitar on a stage. Furthermore, it was also re-released as the ‘T-Rexmas’ EP by Bolan Boogie via Bandcamp in 2011. Therefore, I am thankful that we have YouTube in modern times to find the audio through. Check out the rare record below.

Another interesting fact about ‘Christmas Bop’ is that a small snippet of the track, featuring the backing vocals from his real-life girlfriend Gloria Jones, briefly appeared on a commercial for the US shop Target in 2011. ‘Christmas Bop’ was also, apparently, also included on 1994’s ‘Messing With The Mystic’ compilation of unreleased singles, as well as T-Rex’s ‘The Best Of The Unchained Series’ similar compilation dated for 1997. Bolan and his associated Children Of The Revolution may not seem like the most likely champions to back a Baby Born doll, but when it comes to advertising something like a giant LEGO dinosaur, it’s as logical a choice as any. Switching back to the task at hand, ‘Christmas Bop’ is a fairly conventional festive pop/rock crossover by usual standards. However, it noticeably pulls in some of the Disco and Soul ideas that Bolan was picking up from his girlfriend Jones at the time. It doesn’t lean into the darker influences of T-Rex’s discography, and it reminds me of The Beatles ‘Twist & Shout’ in the way that Bolan attempts to invent a new dance move for casual listeners to associate the music with. “T-Rexmas” is an amusing lyric, while he also commands us to perform actions like “Get on your silk jeans/And your space shoes” and “Hey baby, lend me your ear/Christmas time is drawing near” to give the vocals their warm, upbeat and involving character. While it may sound like Bolan is aiming for primary school disco’s by my description, he luckily embeds some instrumentation that feels more eclectic than your bog-standard 70’s Christmas song into his assortment of sounds. Therefore, it still feels more like a T-Rex song in essence than a Pop song that Phil Spector would have likely been producing. The hazy, fragmented Synth riff that bounces above the choral backing vocals is a highlight of the song because it makes things feel a little wonky in the best way. It was also nice to hear some raw vocals and Surf-like guitar rhythms that reminded me a little bit of The Avalanches since Marc’s vocals sound like something that Australian duo would sample among their hundreds of unreleased recordings. Although a little forgettable, ‘Christmas Bop’ is still a good alternative to the annualized yawners from Elton John or Paul McCartney with its mix of rarity and nostalgia. Despite studio issues, it is a well-produced Psych-tinged effort.

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Messing With The Mystic” (LP) (Released In 1994) (via Edsel Records)

That’s enough of my ‘Bopping’ to Bolan for today! Thank you for continuing to support my content daily on the blog, and I’ll be back tomorrow with a post that has an air of sadness to it. That’s because it will be our last regular installment of ‘Scuzz Sundays’ until the beginning of January, as I have something special planned for December. To end the series on a high note, we’ll be looking at a well-known single by a mid-90’s Alt-Rock group whose frontwoman was vital to Black British music history.

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Today’s Track: Sam Evian – ‘Never Know’

November 22, 2021 — Leave a comment
  • Pictured: Cover Art for ‘Time To Melt’ (LP) (Released on October 29, 2021) (via Fat Possum Records)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, and I hope to inject some energy into your Monday as we go for something that sounds a little retro, not forgetting that it’s always been my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! A New York-based songwriter, producer and guitarist, Sam Evian is a Broolyn-born indie rock and psychedelic pop recorder whose music is pitched as a soft blend between 60’s Jangle Pop, Americana and 70’s tinged Psychedelic soft rock that nods towards Sly & The Family Stone and T-Rex, as well as each of the classic Soul legends who have inspired him. Having previously released his material on Saddle Creek Records, his third studio album – ‘Time To Melt’ – has shifted him over to Fat Possum Records, and it has received a positive reception from publications like The Quietus, Uncut, Mojo and Glide Magazine, with further support from BBC Radio 6 Music DJ Huw Stephens and MPR’s The Current, since it was released a handful of weeks ago. The follow-up to 2018’s ‘You, Forever’ – which Digital Trends have included in their rankings of their best albums of that year – ‘Time To Melt’ is a backward-looking collection of fun tracks where his studio does the talking. It was recorded at his own studio, Flying Cloud Recordings, located in a Catskills Town in Upstate New York with his frequent collaborator and real-life partner, Hannah Cohen, during the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic last year. It also features remote production work from The War On Drugs’ producer Jon Natchez, as well as contributions from Chris Bear and Spencer Tweedy. Check out his final pre-release single off the LP, ‘Never Know’, below.

Sam Evian had this to say about ‘Never Know’ in his press release, “Never Know is kind of about escapism, dystopian realities and aliens. Sometimes it’s more fun to sit there and look out, you know?”, adding, “It’s a wild time to be alive, for better or worse. It used to be that we only had fiction and conspiracy to feed off our real-world fantasies. Now we have fighter pilots coming forward about strange, impossible experiences they’ve had in the sky”, to his notes. Exploring some distinctive subject matter on ‘Never Know’, Sam Evian seems to suggest that George Harrison was his favourite member of The Beatles with his slide guitar outro and his instrumentation which nods towards progressive Soul artists like Curtis Harding and Issac Hayes. Evian calls out to the skies for answers beyond our understanding with lyrics like “I look in the eyes of the one who loves me/Can we live in the afterglow?” and he touches on how he sees the world as a human with later lyrics like “Is there life in the great wide open?/I saw some in the sky today/But my eyes are always joking” above some twinkling keyboard riffs and slightly distorted bass riffs that echo the science vs. fiction themes of his songwriting. Therefore, he uses the idea of escaping our world to a path beyond our own by looking past the social constructs of our current reality and leaning into what could be as a hook being expressed through the swooning basslines that imply a sense of fantasy and reverie. Overall, Sam Evian manages to strike a good balance between serious and silly on his recent track, ‘Never Know’, as he combines honeyed vocals with nostalgic, 70’s-esque guitar riffs with some more ethereal elements of his Dream-Rock and Psychedelic-leaning sound. As a result, it never feels like too much of a bad pastiche or a caricature, but it takes solid influence from the vintage to fall on the softer side of pioneering 70’s Funk and Soul acts like Parliament.

  • Pictured: Sam Evian in promotional artwork for ‘Time To Melt’ (2021) (Photo Credit: Josh Goleman)

That’s all for now! Thank you for checking in with me on the blog today, and I’ll be back tomorrow for something that diverts our focus to the electronic and ambient realm of releases instead. The music comes from another artist who is based in New York. Formerly known as Ital, his brand new album has just been issued on Planet Mu.

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Way Back Wednesdays: Stereolab – ‘French Disko’

November 10, 2021 — Leave a comment
  • Pictured: Tim Gane (Lead Guitar/Keyboard), Lætitia Sadier (Lead Vocals/Percussion), Andy Ramsay (Drums), Joseph Watson (Synths) and Xavier Muñoz Guimera (Bass) (2021) (Photo by David Cowlard)

Good Afternoon to you! You are reading the words of Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to take you back to a much simpler time for another weekly entry of ‘Way Back Wednesdays’ on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! A cult favourite and influential band who were one of the first bands to be dubbed as “Post-Rock” in the 1990’s, Stereolab have seen a few line-up modifications in their share of time since they formed between London and France, but they currently tour and record music together as a 5-piece. Known for combining some elements of Kraut-Rock, Lounge Jazz and Motorik music together, and realizing some philosophical and sociopolitical themes of Surrealist and Situationist themes within their lyrics, Stereolab were a key figure for renewing interest in older analogue equipment during the Synth-oriented times of the 90’s. Also drawing from Brazillian and Funk influences in their sound, Stereolab have been regarded as one of the world’s most important bands and have once managed their own record label, Duophonic. Despite achieving relatively little commercial impact in their 90’s heyday, the band have reunited as recently as 2019 and they have hopped between the likes of Warp Records and Elektra Records when releasing their material. 1993’s ‘French Disko’ is one of their most recognizable singles, and it had originally appeared on their EP, ‘Jenny Ondoline’, before finding a second life on their 1995 compilation, ‘Refried Ectoplasm (Switched On, Vol. 2’. As someone who’s been to a handful of gigs before as a young adult in Cambridge and Stoke-On-Trent, I can say that I often see a die-hard in the crowd with a Stereolab shirt. Give them a spin below.

‘French Disko’ has been covered by the likes of Editors, The Raveonettes and Cineplexx since Stereolab’s original release in 1993. Another very interesting fact about the track is that in the UK, due to ‘French Disko’ becoming a surprise commercial success due to unexpected commercial radio airplay, the ‘Jenny Ondioline’ EP had stickers that read “Includes French Disko” on the cover art, and so the EP was being sold on the strength of ‘French Disko’ as an unnofficial single at one point. Stereolab also gained attention with the live performance on TV above, which was broadcast on a programme called ‘The Word’ that was designed to replace ‘The Tube’ in Britain. The track itself, ‘French Disko’, isn’t really the soulful and funky disco tune that you may expect when reading the title, and it instead places an emphasis on driving 60’s Motorik beats and absurdist lyrics that act as a call to arms for action against a dominant socio-political force. Refrains like “Well, I say there are things worth fighting for”, often recited by Lætitia Sadier, feel conversational and catchy, bolstered by a wry delivery that plays on the absurdity of the overall themes of the songwriting. There’s some elements of the Grunge era led by Nirvana in the 90’s with the distorted bass guitar riffs, and there’s some slower sections of the recording that point towards a more Acid Rock-oriented sound. The vocals have an air of 70’s Jangle Rock about them, mainly in their upbeat and quick-witted delivery. Other lyrics, such as “Though this world’s essentially an absurd place to be living in/It doesn’t call for a total withdrawal” and “Acts of rebellious solidarity/Can bring sense in this world”, that play on how we believe the things that we read in the news as humans, and how the media is typically motivated by a secret agenda. Overall, the concise lyrics are touching upon personal freedom and how there’s a path to a better future if you’re going to spend time calling out what clearly isn’t working. These themes still feel relevant today, in a world where we’ve been following instructions on how to navigate the Covid-19 pandemic as a mass society. While Stereolab are dealing with a rich assortment of some complex themes here, the sound of the track itself felt contemporary for it’s time and the formula of Sadier intonely droning above the harsh Synth climax and the noisy, collage-like guitar and drums melodies creates enough of a late-80’s New Wave element to balance a retro and modern style for its time to a point where it feels original and not outdated. The hook of “La Resistance” is a powerful and ominous one, and the track has an overall playful style to it that weaves together the band’s different influences of Kraut-Rock, Prog-Rock, Drone, Noise-Pop and Synth-Rock in a way that feels accessible yet stacked. Therefore, it’s that reason why I would suggest ‘French Disko’ as a good entry point into the rest of Stereolab’s discography if you are not familiar with their music. In conclusion, ‘French Disko’ is a very punchy cocktail of academic influences that still sounds unique today.

  • Pictured: Cover Art for ‘Jenny Ondioline’ (EP) (Released in 1993) (via Duophonic/Elektra Records)

That’s all for now – and, as I mentioned yesterday, ‘Way Back Wednesdays’ will be going on a short break until Wednesday 5th January, 2021, because it’s time to begin our ‘Countdown To Christmas 2021’ feature that we’ll be spreading throughout the days of the coming weeks because Santa’s on his way – whether we like it or not. With the goal of adding some Alternative festive options to your playlists, we’ll be mixing some of the latest seasonal releases with older tunes from some of our favourite on-brand names on the blog. Tomorrow is ‘New Album Release Fridays’ and we will be shifting our focus to the new LP from multi-time ARIA award winner Courtney Barnett.

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Today’s Track: Good Morning – “Country”

October 26, 2021 — Leave a comment
  • Pictured: Stefan Blair (Vocals/Guitar/Keyboard) & Liam Parsons (Guitar/Synths/Vocals) (2021) (via PR)

Good Afternoon to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, and I’m ironically greeting you with affection during the opposite time of the day that today’s group are named after for your daily track on the blog, but it is nonetheless always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! ‘Country’ comes to you from the Victoria-based indie rock duo of Stefan Blair and Liam Parsons, who share the production and writing duties between them for their Good Morning musical project. The two started out in 2013 when they decided to split the costs for a Foxtep tape machine with one another, and they gained some exposure when Hip-Hop mega star Tyler, The Creator praised one of their singles – ‘Warned You’ – with his social media followers, giving them a solid amount of exposure and fresh ears they previously had not experienced. We are now four albums in, and the pair have been touring together with James Macleod (Bass Guitar) and Joe Alexander (Drums/Percussion) as their backing band. The combo’s latest LP – ‘Barnyard’ – was given its release over the past weekend, and it was mixed by engineer Tom Schick (Bob Dylan, Mavis Staples) in Wilco’s older Chicago-based recording studio – The Loft. ‘Barnyard’ is also their first release since signing to the US label Polyvinyl Records in April, and the band are very excited for the new opportunities provided. This was echoed by Gareth Smith – Sub-Pop Publishing’s Vice President and General Manager, who said, “We love Good Morning and we couldn’t be more to stoked to be working with them”, in his own press statement. The cult Lo-Fi duo have also been promoting their latest release with their official music video for ‘Country’, the lead single of the release, which reflects on vocalist Liam Parsons’ younger desires and ambitions in his youth and how they panned out in his adulthood. The melancholic rock offering is set against the backdrop of 1st Ethan Scouts Hall, an important place for his childhood because he used to spend his leisure time as a Scout there. It also features some members of Skydeck and Cool Sounds, some of Good Morning’s fellow indie Melbourne scene bands, who help Parsons to reconnect with his younger wants. Give it a watch below.

‘Barnyard’ follows up Blair & Parsons’ 2019 LP ‘Basketball Breakup’, and the duet have said that the record was made “in slightly simpler times” over a five day period. On the single ‘Country’, songwriter Parsons explains that its an attempt to reconnect with his younger self and some key ghosts from his past, adding, “I’m still not sure if I’m singing to old friends, an old lover or my old self. I think probably all three”, to the new album’s press release. A mellow and contemplative offering, ‘Country’ is a steady Country-inspired rock jam with some breezy Southern Rock and Blues Rock influences, and it features cutting lyrics like “The only thing about missing you/Is that I don’t miss you at all” that balances an introspective tapestry of both acoustic and electronic tones with something that feels more pensive. The Horn sections are whimsical and the vocal performance reminds me of Brit-Pop acts like Pulp and Manic Street Preachers from the 1980’s and 1990’s, with a mature sound that directly points backwards to lost youth and a return to personal roots for inspiration. Lyrics like “Some people just get stuck in their ways/Never thought it would be me like this” observe the attitudes of others as peers, while lyrics like “I think it’s a little bit different now/I got a boyfriend and I got a Psych” and “I know that one of them cares about me/And at least the other one tries” feel sharper and more straightforward, yet fairly laidback and easy-going in nature, while the key refrain runs throughout the track as a joyous ode to a personal reset through your own original surroundings and upbringing as an individual person. Overall, ‘Country’ was a nice single that focuses on the theme of nostalgic goals and influences in a direct and idiosyncratic way. While it’s not particularly catchy, the instrumentation is hazy and sharpens the knife when the lyrics hit and so it feels thoughtful and self-aware instead of massively accessible.

  • Pictured: Cover Art for ‘Barnyard’ (LP) (Available from October 22nd, 2021) (via Polyvinyl Records)

That brings us to the wrap up section of yet another daily track post! Thank you for your continued support, and I’m proud to write that I’ll be back tomorrow for another weekly installment of our ‘Way Back Wednesdays’ series already. This time, our tune comes from a Pensylvania-born singer, actress and entrepreneur who was referred to as “The Godmother Of Soul” during the late-1970’s. She has also crossed over into US popular culture by appearing in film and TV productions like ‘American Horror Story’ and ‘Dancing With The Stars’ and she’s earned a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.

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Today’s Track: Sea Girls – “Sick”

October 25, 2021 — Leave a comment
  • Pictured: Cover Art for ‘Homesick’ (LP) (Available from January 14th, 2022) (via Polydor Records)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke and I’m wishing a well-deserved rest during half term to any teachers and teaching assistants in the UK who may be reading this post – while also reminding you that it has always been my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Sea Girls are another one of those major label ‘Indie Rock’ bands like Blossoms and The Magic Gang that I have heard quite a great deal of critical praise and general information about, and so I have had some fun listening to their new single ‘Sick’ ever since I read about their upcoming second album ‘Homesick’ that is set to be released on January 14th in 2022 via Polydor Records. Known for their energetic live shows, Sea Girls are a London-based group that only began playing together six years ago and they seem to have achieved a rather decent amount of chart success in their time together, including mainstream exposure from radio stations like BBC Radio 1 and Radio X, giving them daytime airplay, and their debut LP, 2020’s ‘Open Up Your Head’, reached the #3 spot on the UK Singles Chart. ‘Homesick’ releases next year, and the aptly titled lead single ‘Sick’, according to their frontman Henry Camamile, is a more deeply personal record, saying, “I am sick of everything – from things I used to love through to the things that feel vacuous, like consuming and buying. All these emotions are piling up and it’s me just asking for a reset, a childish solution”, to the press. Vent out your concerns below.

‘Sick’ represented a turning point for the development of the upcoming new album for Henry Camamile, who had returned to the sights of his own childhood home in Lincolnshire to self-isolate during the Covid-caused national lockdown periods of 2020, and found himself having to re-address the good and bad events of his past, and he says, “It was a turning point in the writing for this album where the songs became about worrying for other people and how they were feeling. The pivot where I started writing clearly with a broader perspective. I literally feel myself growing up throughout this song”, in a press release. Starting off with some shifting Synth patterns and a rhythmic drum beat, Camamile simply lists off the things that he’s ‘Sick Of’, like his tendencies to get drunk and sober again, the news and how the wider media represents different topics and people, and the toxic relationships that he’s got going on in his life, and a few more witty quips about how The Beatles are over-played and how his friends are treated by their partners, and the long tirades build up to a catchy chorus where he wishes to find innocence as a child again and how his youth was a momentary bliss for him. There’s also some forgiveness for his parents towards the latter end of the track, and so the cycle of not accepting himself and others on surface value draws to a natural conclusion. The band support him with some vaguely Soulful backing vocals, and the instrumentation is mostly packed with some chugging guitar riffs with a little distortion, and very polished Synth effects that give the intentional repetition of the lyrics a little more variety in sound to work with. It is simple stuff, but it works, and I felt this was definitely above average for the ‘Indie’ era of Pop and Rock that we currently experience in spades. Firstly, the vocals come across quite naturally and there’s no use of auto-tune at all, and so there’s a nice serving of personality that comes across from Camamile’s delivery. On the one hand, it feels like a casual Rock tune about the ongoing pressures that build in our conscience with each day and the tampering of our own frustrations, but there’s also a sense that it is capturing the general morale of the times and connecting with the themes of Covid-19 in an accessible way. While the lyrics are quite repetitive, there’s enough variety in the Synths and the fragmented guitar riffs to keep things moving along without getting too restless. My criticism remains with these types of bands – also like The Lathums and The Kooks – in which this is really not an ‘Indie’ song because they are signed to a major label, and it is an issue in the general industry that irks me as opposed to a nitpick of the track itself though, mind. Finally, there is also a very conventional Pop song structure to the track which plays things a little safe for me. Other than that, I found myself enjoying ‘Sick’ more than I expected to when I read the press release. The lyrics and vocals are both polished without making the frontman sound robotic, and the track has a blunt force to it’s overall package that works well, creating a straightforward Rock track that orbits around some relatable commentary on our recent events nicely and with a personal quality that suits the skills of the band decently – yet some people are only happy when they are moaning!

That’s enough blogging for another day! Thank you for reading my latest post, and I’ll be back tomorrow for a deeper look at an Alternative Pop project from Melbourne, Victoria who have just released a new album – ‘Barnyard’ – over the past weekend. The duo have performed at South By Southwest and they began their musical journey together, in 2013, when the two members split up the cost of a Foxtex between them.

  • Pictured: Henry Camamile (Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar), Rory Young (Lead Guitar), Andrew Dawson (Bass Guitar) & Oli Khan (Drums/Vocals) at Latitude Festival (2021) (Photo Credit: Patrick Gunning)

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Way Back Wednesdays: The Runaways – “Black Leather”

October 13, 2021 — Leave a comment
  • Pictured: Cover Art for ‘And Now… The Runaways’ (LP) (Released in 1978) (via Cherry Red Records)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, and its time for me to drop a written ‘Cherry Bomb’ into your line of sight for ‘Way Back Wednesdays’, because it’s always been my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! It is a pity that an all-female Punk rock band are still a bit of a novelty in 2021. There are a couple – such as Dream Wife, Shonen Knife and Sleater-Kinney – but The Runaways were widely considered to be the first group of gals to really do it when they formed in 1976, and, despite only being around as a band for a few years together, became an international sensation in territories like Japan, where ‘Cherry Bomb’ was a particular smash hit. Their time came to an end with the release of ‘And Now… The Runaways’ in 1978, which was their first and only album without Vicki Blue as their bassist, who left the project. The record seemed to get a rather contentious response from their fans, as the LP went through a period of ‘developmental hell’ where they brought a producer, John Alcock, on board for the first time, who reportedly tried to phase Joan Jett out of proceedings a little and he recruited Laurie McAllister as a new bassist shortly after the record was released to the public. The record also has a few cover songs instead of original tracks, such as ‘Black Leather’, a track originally written and performed by The Sex Pistols in 1980. However, as time wore on, the record earned a cult following because it served as a great introduction to The Runaways for a new generation of fans and it also exhibited a harder, more diverse variety of sounds than we heard The Runaways explore before. Let’s spin the highlight ‘Black Leather’ below.

‘And Now.. The Runaways’ received a remastered release by fan favourite revivalists Cherry Red Records a few years ago, and most of the album’s bass parts were actually played by Lita Ford. For your information, a coming-of-age biopic movie about The Runaways – titled after the band – was released in 2010, which starred Kristen Stewart as Cherie Currie, who actually played the role to perfection. It was directed by Italian-Canadian filmmaker Floria Sigismondi in her feature-length debut, and it also starred the likes of Dakota Fanning and Michael Shannon, and it earned a worldwide gross of over $4.6 million. The 5-piece loved their black leather fashion, and their take on The Sex Pistols lesser-known 1980 original was a feisty ode to their rebellious philosophy. The guitar melodies come thick and fast, while lyrics like “Well, he’s all geared up, walking down the street/I can see the smile, dripping down his sleeve” and “It’s late at night, and I’m all alone/I can hear the boots getting hear her home” flirt with Slasher horror movie tropes and reveals some more maturity for The Runaways, who previously sang about leaving their parents behind or misbehaving at school quite regularly in earlier releases. It definitely sounds like they were running away from something or someone, however, and you can see what I’ve done there. The overall instrumentation is a fairly good combination of pre-established Grunge and of-the-time underground Punk sounds, with some more catchy Pop-oriented hooks and rhythmic sequences in the chorus, where lines like “He’s clawing at the door/I can’t take it anymore” stick out a little from the pack on paper. The vocals feel raw and nicely unpolished, while the rapid fire drums and guitar combo has a rough edge to it. The vocals also sound a little jagged and disjointed in the mix however, and I think it’s because they simply feel a little disorienting in how it flows with the rest of the mixture, as opposed to it being a bad vocal performance on its own. I don’t think ‘Black Leather’ is their strongest, however, but it makes a good pick for ‘Way Back Wednesdays’ because it feels underrated and less obvious or over-played than other options from their discography. The music had not changed as much as some older fans seemed to think at the time, but it simply sounds heavier and less polished. All in all – it was a decent and more adult-oriented evolution for the group despite its flaws.

  • Pictured: Joan Jett (Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar/Occasional Backing Vocals), Sandy West (Drums/Percussion), Micki Steele (Bass Guitar/Backing Vocals), Lita Ford (Lead Guitar/Acoustic Guitar/Backing Vocals) and Cherrie Curie (Tambourine/Snare Drum) in LA (1976) (Photo by Bob Gruen)

Thank you for checking out my latest post and thank you for your continued support for my work. I’ll be back with a new episode of my ‘The Subculture Sessions’ podcast that you can stream on Spotify, and I’ll have another new daily post on the blog as usual. I’ll be introducing you to one of my favourite recent discoveries, who I heard on a recent episode of ‘The New Music Fix’ hosted by John Ravenscroft. They are a new London-based electronic duo of multi-instrumentalists who have been in the studio with Skrillex and Park Hye Jin – and they’ve worked in A&R for Silver Bear Recordings.

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Today’s Track: The Lathums – “I’ll Get By”

September 9, 2021 — Leave a comment
  • Pictured: Alex Moore (Lead Vocals/Songwriter), Scott Concepcion (Multi-Instrumentalist), Johnny Cunliffe (Bass Guitar/Backing Vocals) and Ryan Durrans (Drums) (2021) (Photo Credit: XSNoise.com)

Good Morning to you! You are reading the typeface of Jacob Braybrooke, and the time has finally come for me to get typing up for today’s 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! Led by multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Alex Moore, The Lathums are a 4-piece indie Pop/Rock band from Wigan who have supported Blossoms on tour in Europe, and they have been gaining a hefty share of steam in recent years of their very own, crowding out Wigan’s local market with their fans at a weekend signing. This band seem to be true local celebrities of their area because they helped to save Wigan’s football club by giving their fans a chance to win a one-off ‘Holy Grail’ vinyl with a competition that raised £4,000 for their home’s team. Gearing up to release their debut studio album, ‘How Beautiful Life Can Be’, on September 24th through the Universal-owned Island Records label, The Lathums have been gaining national radio airplay from Radio X, with the title track from the album being a former ‘Record Of The Week’ on the commercial station, and The Lathums have appeared on The Chris Moyles Breakfast Show for a performance and interview. They have also landed a C-list spot on BBC Radio 6 Music’s daytime playlist with ‘I’ll Get By’. Give it a spin below.

The Lathums enlisted the help of Baby Queen and Inhaler collaborator James Slater to direct the video for ‘I’ll Get By’, who explained in a press statement: “I wanted the video to be a celebration of the different passions and personalities in the area where the band are from. A journey through a magical North”, as he comments on the colorful cast of characters that appear in the video, which includes some Alpacas, a vaudeville wrestler and an Elvis impersonator, among others in the celebratory video for embracing cultural diversity. The smile-wide optimism of the visuals feel like a neat combination when paired to the joyful lyrics and earnest vocals from Moore, who happily croons cheerful lyrics like “The road is long, But I’ve got you and you’ve got me/We belong anywhere we roam” and “You are the one thing I believe/That will save me from the pain” to the sound of a chugging rhythm section that introduces some warm Desert Rock-esque guitar riffs and some Folk-oriented Drums to the mix as we harken back to the Jangle-Pop of the mid-60’s. It feels fit for a summery outdoors music festival, with a rhythmic refrain of “Maybe you’re the sculpture or you’re the statue / maybe you’re a king or maybe you’re my queen or maybe you are something in between” rounding us off with a clean, acoustic finale. The meaning of ‘Indie’ feels far from undisputed and well-defined in the modern day and age, as I’ve complained about on the blog in the past, and so, since The Lathums are signed to a major label, I personally would not consider them to truly be an Indie band. I can still see the label angling for a chart hit here, which doesn’t quite sit that well with me, due to the pop-influenced style and the high level of accessibility, however, I did still find this mix of soothing Magic Numbers-esque Sunshine Pop revival and 90’s Brit-Pop archetypes to make for a pleasant listen overall. There’s nothing that feels particularly memorable nor terrible here, but it’s a nicely crafted tune where the band don’t use any auto-tuning effects and simply rely on their natural likability and their clear influences to maintain your interest, and that part of the equation pays off well. The calm melodies and the sweet instrumentation says nothing of the unrest that clouds many young adult artists’ music, and makes for a refreshing change because it talks about finding peace through safety and conciliation instead, and that felt like a breath of fresh air. On the whole, this was a nice little Pop jangler that rolled along at an engaging speed and it did something different to some of their contemporary peers. A nice reminder to be kind to yourself made from the use of the band’s fairly mature musical direction.

  • Pictured: Cover Art for ‘How Beautiful Life Can Be’ (Available from Sept. 24th, 2021) (via Island Records)

That brings us to the end of the page for another day, and thank you, as always, for reaching the bottom of the post with me. It’s ‘New Album Release Fridays’ tomorrow, and we’ll be catching up with a fairly familiar face from the blog as they launch their debut full-length album on Ninja Tune. She is a South Korea-born and Melbourne-based DJ whose EP, ‘How Can I?’, appeared on my year-end best Albums list from 2020. The new record features guest spots from Take A Daytrip, Clams Casino and Nosaj Thing, and she’s gained further support from stations like SiriusXMU and KCRW.

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Today’s Track: Billie Marten – “Human Replacement”

August 30, 2021 — Leave a comment
  • Pictured: Billie Marten before a ‘Quench’ interview (2016) (Photo by CardiffStudentMedia.co.uk)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, and I’m here to bring a bit of Billie Marten into your Bank Holiday weekend, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! This artist in question is a British singer-songwriter from Ripon, North Yorkshire who described her own music as “a mix between acoustic and quite folky and a little indie” back in 2014. Despite only being a youngster at 22 years of age, Marten has already released two EP’s and three full-length LP’s. Her latest album, ‘Flora Fauna’, was released earlier in the summer – May 28th, to be precise – on Fiction Records, the same standalone label that festival headliners like The Cure, Kaiser Chiefs and The Maccabees have all been a part of. Marten got her big break through her viral popularity on sites like YouTube, despite only just finishing her GCSE’s, and she has since become more widely known for her BBC ‘Sound Of 2016’ nomination. Another fun fact about her is that she has a self-described “weird obsession” for Alpacas, and she has expressed a wish to keep one during some interviews. Her new album, ‘Flora Fauna’, is the follow-up to 2019’s ‘Fedding Seahorses By Hand’ and it was co-produced with Rich Cooper (Mystery Jets, Lucy Rose). Check out Joe Wheatley’s official video for ‘Human Replacement’ below.

Marten’s new LP also includes the BBC Radio 1-playlisted singles ‘Garden Of Eden’ and ‘Creature Of Mine’ and she says of the recent release, “I wasn’t really treating myself very well. It was a bit of a disruptive time. All these songs are about getting myself out of that hole – they’re quite strong affirmations.”, adding, “The name ‘Flora Fauna’ is like a green bath for my eyes. If the album was a painting, it would look like Flora and Fauna – it encompasses every organism, every corner of the Earth, and a feeling of total abundance” to her press notes. ‘Human Replacement’ takes these ideas a step further with a soul-shattering assessment of a women’s right to be left alone when outside of the home late at night. She delivers wise-cracking lyrics like “Blood on the moon/Too young, too soon” and “You’re watching my back/I live for the nightmare” across the course of a less traditional Pop song structure. A decent amount of tension builds in the more subdued verses, as Marten muses on themes of female safety and religious faith amid some rather unnerving String flourishing and thumping Percussion sounds. Her vocal tones go for darker melodies when lyrics like “Kids in dark places/A sound for the ages” creep into the picture with a more whispered delivery that reminds me of Ela Minus’ moody flair. This Blues-inflicted assortment of intense moods and murky textures are matched by some more curious sets of instrumentation, where some sharpened guitar chords drive the melodic bassline forwards. Billie Marten’s tale of woeful street harassment is topped off by some jangling Piano chords and some screeching Violin melodies that continue to abandon a more typical Folk song template for a more alternative, hushed formula of richly augmented soundscapes. Overall, this is a powerful little anthem that properly showcases Marten as one to do things differently and benefits from that unique edge.

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘Flora Fauna’ (LP) (Released on May 28th, 2021) (via Fiction Records)

That brings us to the end of the page for another day! Thank you for reaching this point with me, and I’ll be back for more tomorrow, where we’ll be taking a trip to the small village of Frillesås on the western coast of Sweden for new music from a Jazz-influenced electronic music producer who is signed to City Slang Records. He has collaborated with Little Dragon and he is set to perform at the ESNS festival in Gronigen next January. A few weeks go, he was selected by Lauren Laverne as her ‘Spotlgiht Artist’ on an episode of ‘The New Music Fix’ on BBC Radio 6Music.

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Scuzz Sundays: The White Stripes – “Fell In Love With A Girl”

August 22, 2021 — Leave a comment
  • Pictured: Cover Art for ‘White Blood Cells’ (Released in 2011) (via Sympathy For The Record Industry)

Good Morning to you! I’m Jacob Braybrooke, and you have joined me for another weekly edition of ‘Scuzz Sundays’ where we remember the Pop-Punk hits of the past, all in memory of the now-defunct Scuzz TV channel. That’s all in-keeping with my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! The Detroit-born sibling duo of The White Stripes is a name that everybody knows – especially given the iconic opening riff of ‘Seven Nation Army’ that has really gone down in history as a memorable standout of 21st century popular culture. It is fairly surprising that, in that case, they have yet to make an appearance on the feature until now. The duo rose to prominence in the Garage Rock revival scene of the 00’s that also saw bands like The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s achieve success in the mainstream, and the group scooped up a win for ‘Best Alternative Music Album’ for each of their final three albums at the Grammy Awards. In 2015, they also ended up at #6 on Rolling Stone’s list of the greatest music duo’s of all time. They were also well-known for their black and white cosmopolitan aesthetic styles until they went on an indefinite hiatus from 2011 onwards, as well as their low-fidelity approach to their production process. ‘Fell In Love With A Girl’ was the lead single to be lifted from their third studio album, ‘White Blood Cells’, which was chosen as one of NME’s ‘Top 100 Albums Of All Time’ in 2003. The single itself almost reached the top 20 of the UK Singles Chart, and it was the group’s first single to reach the US Alternative Songs Chart. Revisit the tune below.

We’re all very familiar with The White Stripes already, but you may not know that several, rather bizzare, cover versions and remixes of ‘Fell In Love With A Girl’ have been issued since the original single reached #21 on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 singles chart in 2002. There was Joss Stone’s 2003 cover, redubbed ‘Fell In Love With A Boy’, that halted the frenetic guitar energy of Jack White down to a more understated pace. There was a parody lounge version of the track released by Richard Cheese in 2002, and Weird Al Yankovic included it for his ‘Angry White Boy Polka’ mash-up of parodies a year later. I have to say, I much prefer the original studio recording to any of those alternatives. Speaking of the original track, we’re treated to a tight sequence of arena rock music and DIY Post-Punk production packed into a concise two-minute duration. The lyrics discuss a distinction between love and lust, with quick shots like “Bobby says its fine, he don’t consider it cheating now” that have a false rhyming scheme, while the pretty catchy and lightly distorted lead guitar riffs match the uncomplicated and straightforward songwriting with some attention-grabbing, high-energy fare. Jack White injects some influence of Glam-Rock into his wailing vocal delivery and story-based lyrical progression, and drummer Meg White keeps up with his frenetic pace by bringing up some loud drum beats that complement White’s strung-out chorus nicely. These melodies soon begin to feel melodic and addictive, and the speed at which they bring all the goods to the table is certainly impressive. All of these slightly different elements, along with the animated LEGO-produced video that was directed by Michael Gondry that probably should be remembered better than it seems to be, all come together suitably for a 2-minute adrenaline shot of stadium rock that, at the time, broke the band into the consciousness of the charts in an admirable way. While I don’t think this is among their absolute best, it’s still sounding pretty original and contemporary enough today, and you wouldn’t have questioned its age if it came out yesterday. Guitar rock fans simply fell in love with it.

  • Pictured: Jack White (Lead Vocals/Guitars/Keyboards/Piano/Synths) and Meg White (Drums/Percussion/Occasional Backing Vocals) (in 2007) (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/WireImage)

That brings us to the end of the page for another 24 hour period, and thank you for getting this far with me today. I’ll be back at it again tomorrow to kick off a shortened week of business, as I will be going away for a few days this week, with fresh new music of a more niche variety. My first of three weekly picks comes from a Croatian dance music group who do things differently with their self-described ‘Organic House’ sound. The 5-piece group have released their debut album on Rika Muzika this summer, and their own Facebook page pitches the sound as “Jazz-infused Post-Rock meets Ambient Electronica meets Tech-House with a percussion twist”. Sounds good!

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Today’s Track: Yee Loi – “Be Like Johnny”

August 16, 2021 — Leave a comment
  • Pictured: Rose (Lead Guitar/Bassist) & Matilda (Drums/Percussion) (2021) (Photo via ThudMonkeyInc.)

Good Morning to you! You are reading the words of Jacob Braybrooke, and the time has come for me to deliver yet another daily upload on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! ‘Be Like Johnny’ comes to you from a little pair of punk rockers from Liverpool – 13-year-old guitarist Rose and 12-year-old vocalist Matilda – sisters who perform and release their own music together as Yee Loi. The two siblings are half-Cantonese, and so their band name simply means “two girls” when it is translated from Cantonese to English. The duo told Unrated Mag that “we decided to start our band as something for our family to do for fun” in 2020. Their latest release is debut LP, ‘No One Eats For Free’, which was self-released to sites like Bandcamp in April, but the Vinyl run actually sold out very quickly, and so the duo re-issued it on CD in June through Kids Union Records. A lot of their material has been cover versions of 60’s Punk anthems and 70’s Classic Rock rarities, but the lead single for their album was also their first original creation. ‘Be Like Johnny’ was written about the duo’s love for electric guitar pioneer Johnny Ramone, who they say “inspired us to achieve our musical goals”. Give it a spin below.

‘No One Eats For Free’ was written and recorded at home during the global pandemic last year, but the sibling rockers say that “It’s a special memory of getting through a difficult time” as they told Lazie Indie Magazine in an interview this year. They explained, “The songs are written about our experiences and our family. One of the songs is about our Gran who passed away recently. Every song has a meaning or a story. Sounds like it is a sad thing, but it certainly isn’t a sad song album!” to the online publication. ‘Be Like Johnny’ is an exuberantly joyful anthem, in fact, that was influenced by one of rock’s most celebrated figures, and this positive energy bursts through the catchy guitar riffs and the punchy lead vocals, with no auto-tune effects or anything apart from the two band members at all to keep the nostalgic charm in tact. Lyrics like “I’m sick and tired of this mess, I can’t push away all of the stress” and “You’re always pushing me around, but this time I’m gonna put you in the ground” are simple and easily accessible, but they convey a good level of personality and they evoke the crafty rhythms of The Ramones to strong effect. Lyrics like “Don’t wanna be just pretty, don’t wanna be just neat” are really family-friendly, but they still have a rebellious feel to them. The vocals are all topped off by a charming backing vocal, and “I’m not just some dumb chick, Hey i’m not some sidekick” is definitely a favourite of mine. The hook of “I don’t wanna be like you, I wanna be like Johnny” keeps the structure together, while the guitar melodies feel raw and lively. Their dynamic leads to a nice two-minute duration that feels tight, and keeps the light-hearted ideas from overstaying their welcome. Overall, this is very charming and, to their credit, it has become increasingly rare to come by this style of punk music in the modern day and age. I would probably be more willing to pay 65p for a single than buy a whole album of it, and that’s just because each of the songs will certainly be produced in a very similar style. However, this really brought a smile to my face and so it was really worth my while. The two have a naturally tidy chemistry together – they’re sisters after all – and the humor reminded me of an early Shonen Knife. We should all Be Like Johnny!

That’s all for now! Thank you for joining me, and please feel free to re-convene with me tomorrow for some brand new music! My next selection comes from a Nu-Disco producer and disability activist from Oxnard, California who has been on tour with MGMT and was seemingly scouted for his talent by The Avalanches, who included them on a single along with The Clash’s Mick Jones for their album ‘We Will Always Love You’, which was released last year. He was also the second guitarist for Sea Lions.

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