Kraut-Rock

Today’s Track: Parquet Courts – ‘Walking At A Downtown Pace’

November 11, 2021 — Leave a comment
  • Pictured: Cover Art for ‘Sympathy For Life’ (Released on October 22, 2021) (via Rough Trade Records)

Good Morning to you! I’m Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for you to jive along to yet another daily track on the blog, because it’s always been my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! First of all, apologies for teasing this week’s ‘New Album Release Fridays’ pick at the bottom of the page yesterday a day early – where we’ll be looking at the exciting new album release from the multi-time ARIA Award winning indie female singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett – my brain thought it was Thursday. The fact is that we’ve got one more regular shout-out to go before then, and it’s a golden one coming from the NYC-based Post-Rock quartet Parquet Courts. I really enjoyed their previous album, 2018’s ‘Wide Awake’, and I’ve seen plenty of very positive reactions for their follow-up album – ‘Sympathy For Life’ – which was released late in October via Rough Trade Records – from fellow members of the BBC Radio 6 Music Listeners Group community on Facebook. It has also received positive reviews from Pitchfork, Paste and Pop Matters, also including a five-star review from NME and some lovely words from Professor Skye’s Record Reviews on YouTube, which is one of my favourite channels on the viral platform. Produced by The XX’s mainstay Rodaidh McDonald and musician John Parish, the Garage Rock 4-piece’s new album takes some influence from bands like Primal Scream and Talking Heads. The Grunge-inflicted group have been around for quite a long time, and ‘Sympathy For Life’ is actually their seventh main LP release overall. According to ringleader Austin Brown, “Wide Awake was a record you could put on at a party. Sympathy For Life is influenced by the party itself”, and the band recorded the main bulk of the tracks pre-pandemic in England before they flew back to New York just a couple of days before the official Lockdown periods began. They flirted with the idea of tweaking songs and adding new content for the album, but they decided to just keep working on the songs they had already developed and just delay the release. The lead single, ‘Walking At A Downtown Pace’, comes with an excellent music video put together by the street photographer David Arnold, who captures a diverse array of surrealist and frenetic scenes throughout the band’s city of New York as he captures choreographed chaos in a one-shot technique. On that note, let’s check it out below.

Talking more about their new album’s origins, Brown explains, “Most of the songs were created by taking long improvisations and moulding them through our own editing.”, adding, “The biggest asset we have as artists is the band. After ten years together, our greatest instrument is each other. The purest expression of Parquet Courts is when we are improvising”, in their new album’s description. This sense of improvisational genesis is easily detectable in the scattered guitar riffs and the unclean vocals of ‘Walking At A Downtown Pace’, where the band pin their initial jamming sessions into a delectable drum groove created by Max Savage, who manages to nod clearly towards Disco and Funk in his filtered style. Meanwhile, lyricist Andrew Savage places us on a curbside as we watch the world go by in the complimentary music video. His lyrics, with wry and witty sections like “I’ve found a reason to exist/Written on the tile of the platform wall/Begging not to go extinct to all those who saw”, plays upon a numb reflection of his own disassociation from society. Other lyrics, like “Combining sound from the corners that you use yourself to tune/Like a Piano, well-tuned and walking slowly”, slip his mood down. These sections provide an interesting contrast to the bombastic nature of the music that swirls around him, acting passively like irrepressible downtown traffic and crowded neighborhoods, that warp around the somber analysis from our lead man as the narrator. All in all, ‘Walking At A Downtown Pace’ plays to the strengths of the band in showing off their outstanding ability to deliver bleak observations in the form of catchy grooves that hint towards other, more light-hearted genres than their typical categorization as a Post-Punk or Garage-Rock outfit. The kind of tune that can make you want to nod your head in slight happiness or nod in agreement to the songwriting, it establishes the band in the same ilk of King Gizzard and Dry Cleaning in how they clearly love to just jam a ton of content in the studio together and give us their better takes as their audience. The final results clearly bring a smile to your face.

  • Pictured: Andrew Savage (Co-Lead Vocals/Co-Lead Guitar), Austin Brown (Co-Lead Vocals/Co-Lead Guitar), Sean Yeaton (Bass Guitar/Backing Vocals) and Max Savage (Drums) (2018) (Photo via PR)

My introduction to the band and another song done in a similar style was ‘Wide Awake’, which has also been previously featured on the site. If you’ve had a blast ‘Walking At A Downtown Pace’ with them just now, why not give it a shot here?: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/09/18/todays-track-parquet-courts-wide-awake/

  • Pictured: Cover Art for ‘Wide Awake’ (LP) (Released on May 18th, 2018) (via Rough Trade Records)

That brings us to the end of the page for another day! Thank you for joining me on the blog today, and if you’ve already caught up with yesterday’s post or paid your full attention to today’s, let’s see if you can guess what I’ll be covering tomorrow *winks*.

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Today’s Track: Deep Tan – “Camelot”

July 5, 2021 — Leave a comment

Just another evening at the tanning salon for the knights of Camelot. New post time!

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Creeping Speedwells” (EP) (Released on June 4th, 2021) (via Practise Music)

Good Morning to you! It’s Jacob Braybrooke here – and I hope that you’re ready for another daily track on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Today’s track serves as an introduction to the site for Deep Tan, an all-female Post-Punk/New Wave-like trio from Hackney. The ladies have been kicking around on our capital’s underground scene for a few years now, showcasing their skills to London’s drag, ballroom and LGBT communities, and the band’s vocalist – Wafah Dufour – was the drummer for Cate Le Bon’s backing band. Likened to Foals, Warpaint and The XX in terms of their sound, Deep Tan have shared the stage with similarly successful post-modern DIY Post-Rock artists like Squid, Yard Act, Sinead O’Brien and Jessica Winter, have earned features in music publications like NME, Loud and Quiet, and So Young, and airplay from Apple Music’s Beats1 and Amazing Radio USA. ‘Camelot’, released alongside a music video directed by Chino Moya, was the lead single for the emerging group’s debut EP, ‘Creeping Speedwells’, which was released on June 4th via Practice Music. Give it a whirl below.

“Camelot is an unashamed tribute to ‘the sesh'”, Deep Tan explained, noting, “A group of people have just been evicted with only 48hrs notice, leading them to have one last rager in order to forget about the stress of not finding a new home with such short notice, coming in at less than two minutes, the frenetic energy of the track sets the scene for total obliteration”, in their press release. ‘Camelot’ is designed to be a short-and-sweet jolt of virtual insanity, then, and the post-apocalyptic scenes are visualized through the relentless force of the heavy guitar work and the unrestrained nature of the skittering Drums. Hooks like “Forget the 48 hours, Don’t let the panic grip” and “Pour it out, and drink another one” are cycled through in a playful Jangle-Funk nature, and verses like “Stacked against the kitchen wall/Cans of gold from Piwowarska/I’m hearing how you got kicked out/Of the drovers for starting a fight” have a more cyclical delivery. The tone is brooding and ghostly throughout, as the raw vocals conjure up memories of heavy nights out at a dingy rock bar, with a fast tempo which mimics the buzzing rush of attempting, and failing, to drown out the memories that bring anxiety and fear through heavy drinking parties. It sounds like the dark style of tunes that you may find the band playing in such an environment, where the illicit live shows of a gloomy club match the skeletal song structure. It contrasts the fairly soft, more spoken delivery of the vocals, before we spring out into a chorus of “It’s the second last night in Camelot” backed up by a punchy Bassline. The drums get gradually louder too, and, by the end, we’re left with a strangely catchy Fugazi-inspired tune with a playful set of key changes and an obvious likening to Squid. There’s also a hint of 80’s Blondie or 90’s Garbage in here, with angular guitar riffs and a deliciously semi-deadpan delivery where instrumentals jolt past the lyrics in bursts. All in all, it is an engagingly wry showing from the intriguing up-and-comers.

  • Pictured: Wafah Dufour (Lead Vocalist/Rhythm Guitar), Celeste Guiness (Lead Guitar/Backing Vocals) and Lucy (Drums/Percussion) (in 2019) (Photography by Melia Beaudoin/SoYoungMagazine.com)

Thank you for your continued readership to the blog, and please feel free to join me again tomorrow for some brand new music from a returning face on the site. It comes from one of the most exciting Alternative artists of the last few years, marking the comeback of one of Warp Records most exciting signees. They also collaborated with Kelsey Lu on an atmospheric one-off single last December.

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New Album Release Friday: Squid – “Paddling”

May 7, 2021 — Leave a comment

The latest to have Inked a deal with Britain’s most experimental label. New post time!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Bright Green Field” (LP) (Released on May 7th, 2021) (via Warp Records)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for you to read your daily track on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! The never-ending cycle of ‘New Release Friday’ has arrived once again, with this week’s calendar being filled with the first posthumous release from the late MF Doom, who has collaborated with Czarface once more before his tragic passing early in the year. Student Radio indie darling Alfie Templeman and YouTuber Dodie also vie for attention, along with Copenhagen Punk progressors Iceage, and a new 1980’s Hard Rock-inspired fifteenth go-around from the notably inconsistent Weezer also hitting store shelves. Squid marks the first entry of the new summer Blockbuster season, however, a Brighton-bred Prog-Rock band with more undefinable genre qualities than you can shake a Vinyl at. Since releasing their debut EP on Dan Carey’s Speedy Wunderground and later signing to Warp Records, the home of groundbreaking UK experimenters like Aphex Twin and Boards Of Canada of top-tier status, Squid have generated a ton of buzz on the internet and with the music press. I personally haven’t been on that particular bandwagon because I often find it harder to connect with artists who have generated this level of acclaim, but I’ve heard the odd single here and there to decent impressions. I saw them in ‘On The Road’, a 2020 documentary about Independent Venue Week, where the lads proudly talked about beating a dustbin lid with an Asparagus. Their debut full-length album, ‘Bright Green Field’ arrives today, and it sees the band turn to Dan Carey for production work once again. Let’s watch them perform their latest sampler, ‘Paddling’, at SXSW below.

Producer Dan Carey has helped affiliated acts like Black Country New Road, Fontaines DC and Sinead O’Brien to succeed in recent times, and Squid’s ringleader, Ollie Judge, told Exclaim! in an interview that Bright Green Field’s tracks “Illustrate the places, events and architecture that exist within the album”. While earlier singles were quirky and driven by characters, tracks like ‘Paddling’ aim for a darker variation of moods, deepening the emotional depth of Squid’s pre-established sound. ‘Paddling’ is more concerned about the theme of Place, with the lyrics being about the reactions of feeling thrust into the adult world, as adolescent friends suddenly turn their focus to employability. A low-key opening gradually builds to a more instructive mood, as Judge recites lines like “Patient and in control/Dig holes like a mole” and “There are people inside, And they’re changing in shape and size” as he laments his companions never wanting to ‘just have fun’ anymore, built on a drum machine instrumental and accompanied by the call-and-response vocals and the well-executed key changes. Propulsive bass guitar beats and evolving bitterness in the vocals add new layers to the gradually evolving soundscape of confused moods. A suitable helping of “Don’t push me in” unfolds a less playful and more settled 00’s Post-Punk or Indie Guitar band sound, but the song’s structure remains wildly unconventional, as a 6-minute duration of building instrumentals and abstract tempo increases adds a more melodic thrust to the finale. It certainly isn’t a project with commercial accessibility near the top of the listed priorities, and the new album is said to have featured very experimental recording techniques like using a swinging microphone in a room of guitar amps. This all contributes well to the underlying mood of confusion, where it clearly feels like a ‘Lost Boy’ is behind the steering wheel. It refrains from feeling self-indulgent or too exhausting though, because the production clearly calls back to DIY roots in it’s very inception instead of seeming pretentious, and so Warp Records is a great fit for them because of it’s creative freedom and well-regarded academic status. Overall, releases like ‘Paddling’ are re-inforcing Squid as a memorable and distinctive act to follow. A breed of invention that can be rare to come across in this day and age.

  • Pictured: Ollie Judge (Lead Vocals/Drums), Louis Borlase (Lead Guitar/Bass Guitar), Arthur Leadbetter (Keyboard), Laurie Nankviel (Brass) & Anton Pearson (Backing Vocals) (2020) (Photo by Xenia Owens)

That’s all for now – Thank you for reading and reaching the end of my daily rambles. I’ve already got plans for tomorrow, as we take an in-depth look at the return of one of my low-key favourite young artists, who previously made the best single I’ve ever heard that is primarily about wearing wigs. This French-born Belgian-Carribean musician has toured with Neneh Cherry, and contributed vocals to the soundtrack of the 2016 film ‘Belgica’ that was scored by her close friend, Soulwax.  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: Viagra Boys – “Girls and Boys”

April 19, 2021 — Leave a comment

A billboard said Niagra Falls is the tallest waterfall – Falls advertising. New post time!

  • Pictured: Sebastian Murphy, Benjamin Valle, Oskar Carls, Henrik Hockert, Tor Sjoden and Elias Jungqvist (aka Viagra Boys) at The Great Escape in Brighton, Sussex (2019) (Photo via DIYMag.com)

Good Morning to you! Jacob Braybrooke here, and I’m kicking off the new week with another daily entry on the blog, as always, because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! ‘Girls & Boys’ is a Swedish cocktail of riotous Post-Punk and harsh Prog-Jazz from the ludicrously witty band Viagra Boys, who formed in Stockholm in 2015, as a collective of members originally from other local bands including Neu-Ronz, Les Big Byrd, Pig Eyes, Nine and Nitad from the local-ish music scene. They released their debut album, ‘Street Worms’ to decent reviews and cult success in 2018, with praise being directed towards the use of black comedy and satire within their lyrics. This long-player earned them IMPALA’s “Album Of The Year Award” in 2019. Fast forward to 2021, and the second full-length effort, ‘Welfare Jazz’, has arrived via their own label, YEAR0001. Lately, the band have also confirmed that a third album is on the way, telling us that it was largely self-produced and that it has already been recorded, according to the bassist Henrik ‘Benke’ Höckert. You can watch a live ‘Shrimp Session’ Viagra Boys recorded for the track, ‘Girls & Boys’, for free on their YouTube channel, but, for now, let’s take a listen to the studio version below.

‘Girls & Boys’ was co-produced by Matt Sweeney (Run The Jewels, Cat Power) and Justin & Jeremiah Raisen (Kim Gordon, Sky Ferreira), with additional work from past collaborators Pelle Gunnerfeldt & Daniel “Fagge” Fagerström (The Knife, The Hives), and you can also catch another track which sees Viagra Boys enlist the aid of Amy Taylor from Amyl & The Sniffers on their new record, entitled ‘In Spite Of Ourselves’, a cover version of the track of the same title by late-great John Prine released in 1999. ‘Girls & Boys’, however, is not a cover version of Blur’s classic, but a surreal and silly, Saxophone-smattered tour of outdated gender roles. It’s also ludicrously silly too, with a call-and-response format that sees a distorted voice sing “Drugs” and “Girls” as vocalist Sebastien Murphy pairs them up with one-liners like “The only way I can boogie down” and “They always wanna tie me down”. “Shrimps” is my favourite, and I believe this is an in-joke the band have with their fans, although I’m not familiar enough with the band to really say. I think the lack of context gives it a lick of abstract art themes, and makes these crazy hooks sound all the more random. The Brass instrumentation is abrasive and incendiary, as the clashing Post-Rock guitar riffs create a strange Disco beat of-sorts. The lyrics are all about partying at their most basic, with Murphy wailing about inability to socially connect, while the strength of the distorted guitar melodies and the overly aggressive qualities of the Jazz elements hint towards something that feels more psychotic and briefly unsettling. Whether this absurdist Noise-Punk disco roller is satirical or silliness is left quite ambiguous, but it certainly isn’t a particularly feel-good single by traditional means, despite the oddly danceable melodicism of the pace. Pure unadulterated mayhem. Chaotically sublime.

  • Pictured: Physical CD copy of ‘Welfare Jazz’ (LP) (Released on January 29th, 2021) (via YEAR001)

That’s all for now – I think we’re all going to need a little breather after that one. Join me again tomorrow, however, as we diversify things up with an in-depth look at a, perhaps less frantic, tune from a Trinidad-born composer and Steel Pan player who has been a founding member of Twentieth Century Steel Band, and has collaborated on projects with Blur and Morcheeba. His latest album has recently been released by Moshi Moshi Records. 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: Ndidi O – “Hands High”

January 4, 2021 — Leave a comment

Raise your Hands Up High in the air – Get ready for this anthem! Time for a new post!

  • Pictured: Ndidi Onukwulu in a rare photoshoot (in 2014) (Photo via MontechristoMagazine.com)

New Year’s is all over. Nevertheless, my name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to get writing up about your daily track on the blog, and it’s back to the daily task for another year, since it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! January 4th is a tricky day to pick something for, and so we’re dipping into the archives instead with a track that I discovered, not long ago, through the KCRW “Today’s Top Tune” podcast of free daily music downloads. Here, we have “Hands High” – a 2018 single by the Canadian-born Desert Blues/Alternative Folk singer-songwriter Ndidi Onukwulu, who is currently basing the powerful voice of her’s around the British Columbia, at the moment. “Hands High” was the lead single from her sixth album, “These Days”, which she self-released in March of 2018. A two-time Juno Award nominee, Ndidi O co-produced the LP record with Mischa Chillik, a fellow Canadian multi-instrumentalist, who she also records music with as a Trip-Hop duo, under the name of BOGA. Without further ado, let’s listen to “Hands High” below.

“These Days” was an album which encompassed the genres of Neo-Soul, Blues, Americana, Desert Rock ‘N’ Roll and Electronic Jazz, and it saw Ndidi O explore the roots of her early Blues/Soul roots, a sound she harvested through open mic nights in the NYC scene, and the Blues and Folk scene of Toronto, throughout her years as a member of other side-projects before embarking on her solo career. According to Ndidi O, “Hands High is an ode to humanity”, and she elaborated on this by adding: “We live in such precarious, ugly times and this song was my response” to the press notes for the track. A style that feels reminiscent of The Kills and Gwen Stefani, Ndidi O repeats: “These Days” over the top of a thunderous, Power-Pop bass guitar riff. She extends her sense of vocal harmony for the bridge, as she croons: “So, take me up baby/Take me up, high/As high as I’m burning” to the sound of duelling backing vocals and a repeating three-chord guitar sequence. She goes for a big sweep in the main chorus, when Ndidi layers: “Hands High/Shake and Roll, and let’s all move together” above the huge, shimmering electric guitar work, adding a sense of power and heft to a set of lyrics dealing with ideologies of togetherness and unity, and connoting themes of shared experiences nurturing the soul. It never feels hugely political, but her striking vocals and her Blues influences goes a long way into the territory of a rally cry, and a call for action, with change being achievable through a shared vision. The lyrics are a little generic here, but I think that they manage to solve their purpose reasonably well. Much of this is garnered through the strength of Ndidi’s vocals, which function as a vehicle for the rhythm guitar lines and the Desert-Folk instrumentation to continue bouncing from. While there’s nothing outstandingly innovative in play, her voice provides a nice, shining beacon, to encourage fellowship.

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “These Days” (Released on March 16, 2018) (via Self-Released)

That’s all for today… Please come and join me again tomorrow, where we’ll be taking an in-depth look at some new music from a sample-delia duo based a little closer to home for me. The single comes from a Nottingham-based Chillout/Electronica music duo who are known for the quirky sense of humor baked into their sampling work, and have just released a brand new full-length album, which marks their first major release in the long time of 11 years. 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/

Boxing Day Special: ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic – “Christmas At Ground Zero”

December 26, 2020 — Leave a comment

Believe it or not – I will be in Tiers by the time that this is all over with. It’s Boxing Day!

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Greatest Hits Volume II” (Released on October 25, 1994) (via Scotti Brothers)

Stuffed yourself with all of the trimmings yet? Good Morning, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and it’s time for me to get writing up about your daily track on the blog, because it is always my day-to-day pleasure to write to you about a different piece of music every day! That means… Boxing day, since there is no rest for the weary-eyed. “Christmas At Ground Zero” is a rather bizzare and obscure Christmas-themed track from 1986. It was written and performed by the Comedy Rock singer “Weird Al” Yankovic – who was one of the original viral favourites. A track that is essentially about Nuclear Omnicide, the title of “Ground Zero” refers to the area where the Twin Towers stood, prior to the terrifying events of 9/11, once in New York City. Before this, however, it was a reference to the spot where a Nuclear Missle was targeted to hit, and since it was recorded in 1986, that’s what Yankovic is playing around with here. He wrote it in a parody style of a Phil Spector-produced Christmas track – so just think about The Ronnetes, Darlene Love and The Crystals – and you’re there. It’s pretty mind-bending to think about just how successful that Yankovic has been for a Comedy artist writing music about niche subject areas. He’s been going since 1976 and since that time, he’s managed to sell over 12 million albums, performed more than 1,000 live shows, and he’s also won 5 Grammy Awards, along with a further 11 award nominations. In more recent years – Yankovic has written two children’s books. Let’s stream the track below.

With his trusty Accordion at hand – Yankovic has managed to perform many viral hits in Comedy parodies for the likes of Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, Coolio, Madonna, The Backstreet Boys, The Rolling Stones, Nirvana and loads more, mostly within his signature Polka style. “Christmas At Ground Zero” is no different for hitting the consistent running gags and eliciting some belly laughs in the process. Juxtaposing uplifting Sleigh bells to shots of disastrous nuclear explosions from the music video, Yankovic sets up the scene with: “It’s Christmas at Ground Zero/There’s music in the air” over the top of typically melodic Saxophone samples, before he adds: “The sleigh bells are ringing/The carolers are singing/While the air-raid sirens blare” as the tone shifts. Festive Trumpet melodies contrast with Macabre scenarios as Yankovic happily sings daft lyrics like: “We can dodge debris while we trim the tree, Underneath the Mushroom cloud” and “Just seconds left to go, I’ll duck and cover with my Yuletide lover” above the saccharine, 50’s sounds of Jazz instrumentation that conveys a jolly yet psychotic beat, while a subtle pair of Air Raid sirens sound blare quietly in the background. It’s the bridge at the end that spells it out for us, as Yankovic sends us off with: “What a crazy fluke, we’re gonna get nuked” as the depressing reminder that it’s the Ground Zero settlement that we’re dealing with springs to mind once again. It feels very child-like and silly, yet it struck a chord with audiences. I think that’s because Yankovic manages to subvert the standard Christmas track in terms of the musicality and lyrics with the darker, but still comedic and quirky, undercurrents. It’s a fun alternative to your bog-standard Band Aid or your obvious Cliff Richard fare, albeit probably not one that is suitable for the whole family. How very festive indeed.

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Polka Party!” (Released on October 21, 1996) (via Scotti Brothers)

That’s it for Boxing Day! On another note – join me again tomorrow for a festive edition of our Scuzz Sundays feature – where we take a look back at one of the Pop-Punk or Emo-Rock ghosts of Christmas past to see if they can still deliver the goods to us in the present times… and this next one was a collaboration for the ages! 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: Sinead O’ Brien – “Taking On Time”

April 20, 2020 — 1 Comment

An Irish punk songstress who personifies “Poetry In Motion”! It’s time for a new post!

  • Sinead O’Brien: “I don’t think anyone should be afraid to use their words” (2019) (Photo Credit: Zac Mahrouche)

Good morning to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and, as always during this time of self-quarantine, I’m still writing about your daily track on the blog! Virus or not, it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write to you about a different piece of music each day! Having been writing limericks and publishing her fictional short stories in the esteemed London Review Of Books, Sinead O’Brien is an Irish poet and songwriter who fuses Nick Cave-esque spoken word delivery with melodic, electronic composition. O’Brien was born in Dublin, Ireland before she moved to London at an early age, taking up her first taught piano lessons at the age of six. O’Brien gets her inspiration from her fascination with being nosy… erm, I mean – people watching! She told So Young Magazine: “I started out by writing observational pieces, noting expressions, environment, the slightest changes in atmosphere and behavior of people. I am completely fascinated by these subtleties.” You and me both, Sinead! She also describes her work as a collaborative process with her touring band. A single that she describes as “genre-less” is “Taking On Time”, a single which she debuted on the “Speedy Wunderground – Year 4” compilation LP last year. Let’s give it a listen below!

The black-and-white visual style of the video provides both a stark contrast and a subtle backdrop to the pure, vibrant and intriguing fusion of spoken word delivery and the experimental post-punk sensibilities of “Taking On Time”. The opening line, “This, that I am”, is taken from a philosophical idea coming from poet Martin Heidegger’s theory of “all the different ways of being”, as O’Brien remains calm and controlled through the rough pacing of the track. O’Brien matches a layered bass guitar riff with a ringing cowbell melody. She recites: “Possessed by ideas/I am no more than a thinker than a prisoner of dreams” and “Forever we’re standing inside frames/To transcend the world of things we see untruly from inside frames” over the top of an echoed vocal processor and a shimmering drum riff. O’Brien adds a symphonic burst of electric guitar chords as she repeats the choral hook: “This, that I am, Taking On Time” over the top of the repetitious guitar lines and the sonic synthesizer palette, topped off by a crashing drum beat. It has all been programmed very fluidly and O’Brien’s thick Irish accent adds a subtle quality of anger to her vocal performance, which is cerebral but also melodic as she interweaves her vocal hooks with the fragmented electronic synth lines and the constantly thumping rock instrumentation. These alternative punk sensibilities merge with the poetic, raw lyric delivery and the electric palette to create a stunning and intriguing sound which conveys the personality of O’Brien and her artistic influences quite easily. It’s in no way pompous, but it’s written with a touch of sophistication. It’s unique and creative!

  • Pictured: Sinead O’Brien in a press shoot to promote “A Thing You Call Joy” (2019) (Photo Credit: Zac Mahrouche)

Thank you very much for reading this post! I hope you enjoyed it! As usual, I’ll be back tomorrow with an in-depth look at a new track from a Japanese film score composer who has his roots set in Cinematic Indie-Folk and used to be the leader of Seattle rock band Grand Hallway! He’s been exploring a synth-based, dancefloor-ready sound on his latest album, which is uncharted waters for his career! 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: Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – "Cars In Space"

March 24, 2020 — 1 Comment

When it comes to writing a space-themed post, you have to planet! It’s new post time!

Pictured: Fran Keaney (Lead Vocals/Acoustic Guitar), Joe White (Lead Guitar), Tom Russo (Rhythm Guitar/Backing Vocals), Joe Russo (Bass Guitar/Percussion) and Marcel Tussie (Drums) (2020) (press shoot via DIYmag.com)

Good morning to you, I hope that you’re staying safe and healthy! My name is Jacob Braybrooke and I’m here to type up about your daily track on the blog, as it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! “Cars In Space” is the new track by Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, an Australian 5-piece Psychedelic Rock group who have enjoyed major breakthrough success with their debut LP, “Hope Downs”, released in 2018 through the Sub-Pop label. They previously had a lot of success with their EP’s “Talk Tight” and “The French Press” when they were signed to Ivy League Records. Last year, they released their “In The Capital” EP to another round of applause from both music journalists and listening fans alike. The band have been praised for their replay value, their punk-inspired approach to songwriting, their accessibility for casual audiences and their experimentation in the many rock genres of the 1970’s, such as Kraut-Rock, Math-Rock and No Wave. Following in the foot steps of commercially successful Australian rock bands like Tame Impala and Pond, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever have a lot of hype built up around them. Can the quintet do it justice? Let’s see below.

The Melbourne 5-piece with an incredibly long name respond to worldwide acclaim with the Julia Jacklin-directed video for “Cars In Space”, a sweeping country-inspired folk rock lullaby about “the swirling words and thoughts before a break-up”, according to lead vocalist Fran Keaney. Aided by in-tone backing vocal harmonies from Tom Russo, Keaney narrates a sun-dripped guitar riff and an uptempo drum rhythm that often feels reminiscent of The Magic Numbers and Supergrass, singing: “Could have been stumbling/On the ancient stone/Four feet, wandering/In the eve before we turn inside”, a choral refrain which repeats to the sound of propellant horn arrangements and intentionally makeshift, jangle-pop bursts of DIY-rock culture. Keaney continues to deliver short and simplistic vocal refrains: “You want it simple/How hard you make it” and “Buzzing overhead/Banging on and on and on”, as Keaney narrates an intense scene of romantic conflict over the top of an emotionally upbeat, reassuringly comforting guitar solo. At a long duration of nearly 6 minutes, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever almost justify the time and energy of the listener with a track that’s simply a bit of fun to make you feel good, as well as operating as a functional throwback to the 1980’s Australian Indie Pop era which housed acts like The Hard-On’s, New Christs and The Rockmelons. Now, I did write almost. I feel the track lacks a bit of boldness, as the tone of the track doesn’t drastically change during it’s long length and lyrically, I don’t feel it’s as engrossing as some of the band’s older work. That said, I still think it’s a welcome return from a well-liked group who have undeniably brilliant chemistry as a band! Let’s hope that a new album is in the works.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Cars In Space” (Single Release) (Released on 10th Feb 2020) (via Sub Pop Records)

Thank you for reading this post! I hope you enjoyed it – keep washing those hands! I’ll be back tomorrow with a look at a slightly older album-only track from one of my personal favourite British Alternative Hip-Hop artists who’s a self-professed “mother’s boy” and sung a song to her on-stage at last year’s Glastonbury Festival – as well as appearing on Channel 4’s Celebrity Gogglebox with her! 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: FVLCRVM -“Words”

March 16, 2020 — Leave a comment

The name’s like an LOL or YOLO – There’s my attempt to cheer you up! New post time!

  • Pictured: FVLCRVM in a press photoshoot to promote the release of “Loose” (2018) (Photo Credit: New Noise Magazine)

Fear thee not, We haven’t reached the age of meme-ified, internet text-based stage titling- FVLCRVM is actually a name taken from a “mad Russian jet fighter” according to this DJ! Good evening, I’m Jacob Braybrooke, writing about your daily track on the blog, as it’s still my day-to-day pleasure to do so! I couldn’t find the real name of FVLCRVM, but he’s a Slovakian electronic music producer who I discovered through listening to NTS Radio last week. He played a live set at this year’s Eurosonic Festival at Groningen in The Netherlands, being described as one of the “stand-out” artists from the festival by radio presenter Kevin Cole. He began his career by playing the funk guitar in his church band before he formed a math-rock band with some friends from church, before he broke into the international dance club scene with “Hi!” in May 2017, a viral hit on YouTube, which gained support from Mixmag and Resident Advisor and has amassed over 42k views at time of writing. “Words” was released in 2018, but a new EP is due to arrive later this year. Let’s have a listen to “Words” below.

I could have left “Words” to speak for itself – but that would be lazy of me! The most recognizable element of the track, for me, after my first listen, was the similarity in voice to Damon Albarn, of Blur and Gorillaz fame, although the tone is more dance-centric and the synth-based instrumentation has a fairly post-apocalyptic texture. However, there’s a melodic bassline that feels ‘pop’ enough to add a decent level of accessibility and a gentle theme of hope. It’s matched by FVLCRVM’s smoothly filtered vocals, where he calls for action environmentally, singing: “The bitter/the pleasant/the status/the class wars” over a layered EDM stab which bubbles under the surface. The chorus is a simply delivered, minimalist vocal line: “It’s all just words to me”, which is layered underneath a gentle breath of treble and a skittering, sci-fi-ish acid strobe. FVLCRVM continues: “The sandstorm/The beaches/The bottom line/The human kind”, a repetitious hook he signs off: “I wish I understood you better”, before the developing composition falls off-kilter and goes into a chaotic state of frenzy, playing off the regular theme of inconsistency, due to the sudden tempo shifts and glitching progressions during the track. A slight gospel influence adds depth behind the track, lyrically, as FVLCRVM continues to recite his vocals and convey an important ecological message. Overall, it’s a track which caught me off-guard with it’s hidden complexities underneath it’s pop-driven dance melody, leaving us with a fairly strong interweaving of artistic expression, with an accessibility. This one’s a good ‘un!

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as per usual – with an in-depth look at an album-only track from a British, London-based Indie Rock band who have returned from a six-year hiatus, after working on solo projects – and have dabbled in experimenting with genres like Folk, World, Electronica and Jazz Fusion in their career, as well as being the Sunday night headliners of this year’s BBC Radio 6Music Festival in Camden two weekends ago. 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/