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Scuzz Sundays: Hole – “Celebrity Skin”

July 5, 2020 — Leave a comment

With her new film career, Love spotted the “Hole” in the world of Fame for this record!

  • Pictured: Courtney Love (Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar), Eric Erlandson (Lead Guitar/Unclean Vocals), Melissa Auf De Maur (Bass Guitar/Co-Producer) and Samantha Maloney (Drums/Percussion) (in 2012) (Photo Credit: Luke Letourneau)

Good Morning, it’s time for another weekly edition of Scuzz Sundays! I’m Jacob Braybrooke and this is the time of the week where we take a look back at an emo-rock or pop-punk classic from between the late-1990’s to the mid-2000’s, to see if it can live up to modern standards! On the chopping block this week is Hole’s “Celebrity Skin”, which became a popular chart hit back in September 1998. The title track from the group’s third studio album, the Californian rock band being famously fronted by Courtney Love, is still Hole’s most commercially successful single to date, and it reached #1 on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart and it was placed at #126 of NME’s “150 Best Tracks Of The Past 15 Years” list in late 2011. The style of “Celebrity Skin” is a departure from Hole’s work on their previous two albums, “Pretty On The Inside” (1991) and “Live Through This” (1994), with less emphasis on the Punk and Noise-Grunge of the band’s early work and a higher emphasis on hiring Michael Beinhorn, a new producer, to create a definitive, desert rock-alike “Californian Rock” sound that was more viable for commercial success, particularly in the mainstream rock circuit. The album was very successful, gaining positive reviews and selling over 1.4bn copies in the US alone, as of 2013. Let’s take a listen back to the track “Celebrity Skin” below!

Using a bold range of literary influences including poets T.S. Eliot and Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s for songwriting purposes, as well as using a main guitar riff recorded by Billy Corgan, of The Smashing Pumpkins, at a live session, Love released the track in the middle of her uprising film career to convey the track’s lyrical themes of maintaining a public image in the eyes of the media, and the wider observations of an idealized Hollywood. Love opens: “Oh, make me over/I’m all I wanna be/A walking study, in demonology”, in a seamless harmony with the pop-oriented sequences of groove-metal riffs. It transpires to slightly heavier material in the chorus, as Love exclaims: “Hey, I’m so glad you could make it/Yeah, now you’ve really made it/Hey, so glad you could make it now” over the top of an explosive drum part, noisy guitar riffs and dissolved bass guitar hooks. The bridge explores idyllic fashion: “When I wake up in my make-up/It’s too early for that dress/Writed and faded in Hollywood” and the clean post-bridge mocks sexualised modelling: “You better watch out/Oh, what you wish for/It better be worth it/So much to die for” with a polished, fiery emo-punk touch. The track feels slickened by the obvious Smashing Pumpkins-esque guitar framework, and the wider contextual themes of pretty poison, dirty glam and reassured self-loathing feel effective under the very Vegas-like, Desert Rock-inflicted punk sheen. It feels a little overstuffed with backtalk, quotation and the well-documented messiness on the part of Hole’s key collaborators in some parts to work more naturally, but Love’s vocal performance is very strong and I don’t mind the cheesy feel of the angsty guitar riffs too much, as the style meshes with the album’s exploration of themes suitably. It’s a very radio-friendly track that I’m sure you recognize, but it at least has some thought-provoking themes soaked into there. Although I feel the instrumentation choices let it down a little, feeling stiff in places, the songwriting is stronger and it feels polished in the approach of it’s denser context.

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Celebrity Skin” (Album) (Released on September 8th, 1998) (via Geffen/DGC Records)

Thank you for reading this post! In regards to #BlackLivesMatter, we endorse the peaceful protests on One Track At A Time. Please go and check your local area for good charity causes that help those directly affected by racism and injustice. I’ll be back to business as usual tomorrow, with an in-depth look at an emerging post-punk dance Synths/Drums duo from the UK indie rock circuit who have been active since 2008, and they recently earned a spot on John Kennedy’s X-Posure weekend evening show playlist on Radio X. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Today’s Track: Arlo Parks – “Black Dog”

July 3, 2020 — Leave a comment

Labrador or Dalmation, this young Dog is coming back to bite! It’s time for a new post!

  • Pictured: Arlo Parks in a photoshoot to promote the release of the “Sophie” EP (2019) (Photo by Patrick Gunning)

Good Morning, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m here to write about your daily track on the blog because, as always, it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! Back in February, I was blown away by “Eugene”, a wonderful LGBT-friendly track, produced by South London singer-poet Arlo Parks, about seeing a romantic interest, who just so happens to be your best friend, start dating a twit. It’s been a while since we’ve heard from her since, but she released a new single, “Black Dog”, in May and it’s sadly only recently been brought up to my attention. Parks is best known for her EP “Sophie”, released in 2019, and her breakout ballad “Cola”, released in 2018. She worked with Loyle & Ryan Coyle-Larner on the video for “Eugene”, and she has been predicted to be a breakthrough artist this year courtesy of her spot on the BBC’s Sound Of 2020 and on the BRIT’s Critics Choice award polls. Parks is signed to Transgressive Awards and she is openly bisexual. On “Black Dog”, she composes an emotionally touching tale of helping her best friend handle depression and mental health issues. Let’s have a listen to “Black Dog” below.

Explaining the meaning behind “Black Dog” in a press statement, Parks says: “It’s supposed to make people who are struggling feel less isolated and start a conversation surrounding the prevalence of mental health issues in today’s world.”, and this sense of honesty and vulnerability is what shines through between the simple lyricism of the track. Opening with an acoustic guitar strum that feels gentle and soothing, Parks recites: “I’d lick the grief right off your lips/You do your eyes like Robert Smith” over the top of a lo-fi electronic beat that washes away the bleak tone of the minimalist guitar riff patterns. She later continues “Let’s go to the corner store and buy some fruit/I would do anything to get you out of your room”, displaying a painful and stripped-back delivery over the relaxing guitar melodies. The chorus is very simplistic, as she croons: “It’s so cruel, what your mind can do for no reason” to add a radiant harmony to the basic, ongoing acoustic melody. It references suicidal thoughts: “I’d take a jump off the fire escape/To make the Black Dog go away” and Parks addresses her friend directly: “At least I know that you are trying/But that’s what makes it terrifying” to convey the deeper meanings of an otherwise bare-bones, but raw, concept. The pacing plays off the simplicity of telling a story that feels clear-cut and universally empathetic, but it also feels brutally truthful and naturally sensitive. I don’t think I’d say that this is easy listening due to it’s tackling of heartbreaking themes like depression and mental health, and it’s precisely harsh depiction of how we handle these internal problems, but it’s very mellow and gentle, with a downbeat feeling that directs your attention on the words and less so on the instrumentation. It’s quite similar to “Eugene” musically, but it feels decidedly more raw, but hopeful, in it’s tone. Once again, I find myself very impressed by Parks. This story is full of heart and I really hope “Black Dog” gives her some decent radio airplay.

  • Pictured: Arlo Parks in a photoshoot for an interview with diymag.com (December 2019) (Photo Credit: Jenn Five)

As I mentioned during today’s post beforehand, I have previously covered Arlo Parks’ “Eugene” on the blog. You can rediscover this wonderful little track below: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/02/24/todays-track-arlo-parks-eugene/

  • Pictured: Official tour date poster for Arlo Parks’ “Super Sad Generation” European Tour (2020) (via Twitter)

Thank you for reading this post! In regards to #BlackLivesMatter, we endorse the peaceful protests on One Track At A Time. Please go and check your local area for good charity causes that help those directly affected by racism and injustice. As per usual, I’ll be back tomorrow in the build-up for Scuzz Sunday with an in-depth look at the new track by an iconic American indie rock band who recorded several landmark albums for the indie label Restless throughout the 1980’s and the 1990’s. The band made Q Magazine’s list of the “50 Bands To See Before You Die” poll in 2002. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Today’s Track: Man 2 Man (feat. George Parish) – “Male Stripper”

July 1, 2020 — 2 Comments

Novelty classic, or “Stripped” of it’s quality in the years since? It’s time for a new post!

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Man 2 Man: Hits & Rarities 1985-1990” (Released in 1995) (via Retro Disco Hi-NRG)

Good Morning to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing up about your daily track on the blog – just like always – because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! I’ve been looking at a lot of very serious, big new releases for the last week or so, and so I thought it would prove to be a nice palette cleanser to kick off the new month, of July 2020, with a look back at a novelty club classic that became a big hit in the golden age of 1980’s dance and disco music. “Male Stripper”, by Man 2 Man Meet George Parish, was originally released in late 1986, prior to it reaching #4 in the UK Singles Chart after a re-release in 1997. The project originally started as a New York Punk-Dance band called The Fast, it was part of the HI-NRG movement of uptempo and risky club music around the time, but two brothers who were part of the band – Miki Zone and Paul Zone – continued the act as a duo, teaming up with cult electro-pop producer George Parish to record “Male Stripper”, a song which gained big steam on the European club circuit, under the aliases of Man 2 Man. Sadly, Miki Zone became a victim of the AIDS Epidemic and died in 1986, shortly after it’s release. Since then, Paul continued as a solo producer under the name of Man To Man, and released a few tracks that had moderate success, but didn’t trouble the Top 40 singles charts very much. However, Paul Zone did even get to perform “Male Stripper” on Top Of The Pops with George Parish, so it’s not entirely awful. Let’s have a listen back to “Male Stripper” with the original music video below.

Magic Mike will be pleased. You can have that for free, Channing Tatum. A single that sounds almost like the quintessential European disco club classic from the late-1980’s because it more or less was, “Male Stripper” aimed to draw a crowd to the dancefloor, and it succeeded. Beginning with the funny, recognizable Horn sounds, the Zone brothers take the lead with an upbeat synth groove which they interweave with a robotic backing vocal which repeats “I was a male stripper in a go-go bar”, before Paul Zone recites lines such as “Ripples on my chest/I never got an address” and “A modern day jock, A jock with an act” over looped, bouncy drum machine sequences and echoing Vibraphone melodies, with a neat Conga Drum solo added in the bridgefor the good measure. The chorus is absurd: “Strip for me, babe, Strip for you/Strip for you cause’ I want you to”, completed with dueling female backing vocals and the odd “OOh” or “Ahh” from Miki Zone. More gloriously moronic lines: “Built like a truck/I’d bump for a buck” and “Tips in my G-string/I made my living” add humor, layered over the consistently repeating drum machine hooks and synthesized instrumentation sounds. Whilst it’s clearly not designed to be an emotionally challenging display of fine art, it’s entertaining to listen to, and it stands out as a relic because nobody would really write a club track about a gay Male Stripper in this present era, because it’s seen as risky in the sense of modern cultural representation. Conclusively, it sounds like the quintessential 1980’s club track. It is, but it’s good fun.

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Male Stripper” (Single/UK Mix) (Released in late 1986) (via Recca Record)

Thank you for reading this post! In regards to #BlackLivesMatter, we endorse the peaceful protests on One Track At A Time. Please go and check your local area for good charity causes that help those directly affected by racism and injustice. I’ll be back tomorrow, continuing to kick off the month in style, with an in-depth look at a track from a Grammy-winning American singer-songwriter and producer from California who is a huge fan of the Dragonball Japanese Manga/Anime series, and he uses it as a big part of his brand. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Scuzz Sundays: P.O.D. – “Alive”

June 28, 2020 — 1 Comment

Pinch, Punch, it’s the last Scuzz Sunday of the month – and a kick for flying so quick!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for P.O.D.’s “Satellite” (Released on September 11th, 2001) (via Atlantic Records)

You know what time it is! Good Morning, Afternoon or Evening – I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing your new weekly edition of Scuzz Sundays on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! Scuzz Sundays is the day where we take a listen back at an emo-rock or pop-punk classic from the late-90’s up to the mid-00’s to see it holds up to this day, named in tribute to the defunct Scuzz music video TV channel. P.O.D. are a band of which I’m surprised I have not covered as part of the weekly feature yet, since the California Nu-Metal 4-piece were huge, critically and commercially, back in the day. Their name is an abbreviation for Payable By Death, and the group are of Christian faith. An interesting fact about P.O.D. is they composed the “619” theme song for the famous Mexican wrestler Rey Mysterio, and they performed the song live at Wrestlemania 22 before Mysterio’s world title match against Randy Orton. “Alive” is one of their most popular tracks taken from their second album “Satellite”, which was released in 2001. The album went on to sell seven million copies worldwide and it was the 26th best-selling album in the US in 2002 after a sustained marketing push, with the album eventually receiving a Triple Platinum certification late that year. The band have gone on to receive three Grammy award nominations and they’ve sold over 12 million records worldwide. Have a listen to the 2006 remaster of ‘Alive’ below.

Ignore the terrible cover artwork, and what you get is what you’ve heard – a nice little pop-driven nu-metal track revolving around the soaring feeling of finding Jesus. The track opens with a strong bass guitar hook, with Sandoval chiming: “Everyday is a new day/I’m thankful for every breath I take”, over the top of an energetic lead guitar riff that repeats over blaring drum notes. The chorus continues the upbeat mood and pop-punk-driven melodies, with Sandoval howling: “I feel so alive, for the very first time, and I think I can fly” over a hook-laden chorus of a heavy lead guitar riff and a symphonic bass guitar solo, mixed in with some more fairly heavy and quickly paced drumming parts, with some backing vocals from Daniels and Curiel to add a gospel-like touch. There is light synth work in the post-bridge, as Sandoval declares: “Now that I know you/Now that I see you, I can never turn my back away” to add variation to the chorus, while keeping the Christian lyric devices intact. I’ve actually found that I like the song more than I thought I would, as it captures a soaring feeling quite well with the high-tempo guitar melodies and the fairly heavy, but still pop-friendly, instrumentation and song structure, as a whole. The chorus gets a bit repetitive towards the end, with a very clear-cut meaning and not a whole load of replay value, along with a certain cheese-level, but I feel these religious themes amount up to a decent level of expression, and the band’s different parts feel cohesive. You can do a lot worse by mainstream standards and the harmonies sound solid. Amen to this one!

  • Pictured: Sonny Sandoval (Leading Vocals), Traa Daniels (Bass Guitar/Unclean Vocals), Marcos Curiel (Lead Guitar/Programming/Occasional Backing Vocals) and Wuv Bernado (Drums/Rhythm Guitar) (in 2018) (via PR)

Thank you for reading this post! In regards to #BlackLivesMatter, we endorse the peaceful protests on One Track At A Time. Please go and check your local area for good charity causes that help those directly affected by racism and injustice. I’ll be back tomorrow for a second look at an English singer, songwriter and musician who has just released her second album “Kitchen Sink” on the Infectious Music label. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Scuzz Sunday: Reef – “Place Your Hands”

June 21, 2020 — Leave a comment

Happy Father’s Day to all of the good Dads around the world! It’s also Scuzz Sunday…

  • Pictured: Gary Stringer (Lead Vocals/Acoustic Guitar/Tambourine), Jesse Wood (Rhythm Guitar), Jack Bessant (Bass Guitar/Keyboard/Occasional Backing Vocals) and Dominic Greensmith (Drums/Percussion) (2014) (via P.R.)

Happy Father’s Day if you are a fella parent or guardian reading this! It’s still Scuzz Sunday, however, the time of the week where we look back at an emo-rock or pop-punk classic from between the late-90s to the mid-00s and we evaluate whether it holds up in the modern age, named in honour of the now-defunct Scuzz TV rock music video channel. I am Jacob Braybrooke and it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day. Worthy Farm is likely best associated with the Glastonbury music festival, but it’s also the birthplace of Reef, an English rock band who found mainstream success with hits like “Place Your Hands”, “Come Back Brighter” and “I’ve Got Something To Say” in the late 1990’s. Fronted by Gary Stringer, Reef made a name for themselves by supporting the likes of Feeder, Paul Weller and Soundgarden on tour, before getting their debut LP “Glow” to the #1 spot in the UK Albums Chart. Their best-known single is “Place Your Hands”, which got to #6 in the UK Singles Chart, becoming their most commercially successful single to-date and giving the album a boost. The track, written by Stringer, is an honest statement which explains the grief that he felt following the death of his grandfather, and the recovery in easing the pain. Let’s see the Director’s Cut for the “Place Your Hands” video below.

Good G-Reef! The music video was featured SO heavily on MTV and Scuzz that it’s impossible to forget about the weird zooming-in-singing thing that Stringer does, and how much it can disturb you. The irony is, the main hook is “Put Your Hands” and “Place Your Hands” is sparingly used in the lyrics. Stringer wails: “So Place Your Hands, on my hole, run your fingers through my Soul” over a Spin Doctors-inspired bass guitar riff that continues to get repeated throughout the entire song to create an immediate effect. A faster bridge: “You know you cannot hide/from what’s inside” ends in a soulful vibe with : “So I ask of you to help me through/I ask of you this thing to do”, while there is a Gospel feeling to the chorus: “Put your hands on/Put your hands on”, which permeated above the Pop-driven guitar groove and the two-note Drum structure. Stringer also leads a breakdown of piano notes and unintelligible vocals near the end. It sounds horrific – but it does manage to get an inkling of Gospel and Soul across, created by the Funky and Bluesy rhythm, although these elements sadly do not sound fleshed out enough to resonate much. The vocal performance has a slightly laddish glint, but a lot of the lead vocals sound absolutely indelible, filled with odd wails and a thick accent delivery which feels like an insipid cross between Irish, Welsh and Scottish, but settling on neither of those in particular. The songwriting is largely forgettable and completely generic – not capturing any of the pain or emotion that Stringer felt by the loss. It’s a fun novelty for a bit, but it’s insane with blandness otherwise. Obscenely crap, I don’t blame you if you want to smash your speakers in after hearing it, although the level of poor makes me feel uplifted. As chef Cherish Finden from Bake Off: The Professionals said this week – “it’s Cha-La-La”.

  • Pictured: Vinyl Copy of “Glow” (Released on 27th January 1997) (via Sony) (Available from http://www.Merchbar.com)

Thank you for reading this post! In regards to #BlackLivesMatter, we endorse the peaceful protests on One Track At A Time. Please go and check your local area for good charity causes that help those directly affected by racism and injustice. Everything be back to normal on the blog tomorrow ahead of the new week, and I’ll be looking at a recent track from a female R&B/Neo-Soul solo artist who became a viral hit in 2017 when the single “Antidote” from her compilation LP “A Collection Of Fleeting Moments and Daydreams” amassed over 6.6 million streams on Spotify! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Today’s Track: The Magic Gang – “Take Back The Track”

June 20, 2020 — 1 Comment

An abra cadabra and an ala kazam, look – it’s The Magic Gang! It’s time for a new post!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Death Of The Party” (Available from August 21st, 2020) (via Warner Group Records)

Is this Majestic Sorcery or is it just Infantile Trickery? I am Jacob Braybrooke and I’m conjuring up a spell with the writing of a new blog post to give you the answer to that question, as It is my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! The Magic Gang are a Pop/Rock four-piece bunch of lads from Brighton, comprised of frontman Jack Kaye, guitarist Kristian Smith, bassist Angus Taylor and drummer Peris Giles. The ‘gang’ have been slowly building up a fan following since they were formed in 2013. In March 2018, they released their self-titled debut album on Warner Bros. Records, which garnered mixed critical acclaim, but it reached the #12 spot on the UK Albums Chart. The group worked with Joylon Thomas (a producer for U2 and Daughter) on the record, which I actually rather enjoyed. I recognize it’s shortcomings since it does have a pretty commercial look and feel to it, but for me, the songwriting had a sense of carefree adolescence which set it apart from the hundreds of other guitar-driven bands of the “Indie Bollocks” category. Their next release is “Death Of The Party”, a sophomore LP effort that was originally supposed to release this month, but it has since moved to 21st August due to Covid-19 related delays. “Think” was the lead single released in March, a track which I was sadly very disappointed by, as I felt it was nothingless and badly written. Let’s hope the new one redeems it. Watch the band get hacked by fans in the video for “Take Back The Track”.

This time harnessing collective production work from Ben H. Allen (Gnarls Barkley, Deerhunter) for their second LP effort “Death Of The Party”, The Magic Gang are now trending to a more mature direction, while keeping an ounce of their upbeat, fun guitar-pop sound in the overall picture. The song begins with a mid-tempo bass guitar riff, mixed with a static drum pattern. Kaye paints a romantic picture on vocals: “Evening/At a bar on Northside/It’s where we were all last night” followed by “And just then/I heard something in transcend/I couldn’t stop myself from dancing/To a sound that went just like this”, with a slightly Smoky vocal delivery that captures the Disco vibe the band are aiming for and, in turn, creates a soft Guitar groove that feels inspired by Funk. The chorus: “Take Back The Track/I wanna hear it again”, is matched by a heavier intensity of drum chords, along with a crooning female backing vocals and repeated sequences of programmed hand-claps, before it settles into the funk-led pattern for the next verse, and this layout is repeated. Lyrically, it’s just about going out for a drink or two with your friends and having a good time. Compared to the catastrophic “Think” – I’m delighted to say that this is leagues ahead. It actually feels quite inspired, and the band have managed to ground it into Funk, Soul and Jazz influences. The verses are a bit better than the chorus, for me, as the chorus puts across a slightly too commercial feel with the child-like backing vocals and the overall songwriting is fertile ground, but the guitar hooks are rather melodic and catchy, and the vocal performance from Kaye is strong. I’d give it a 7/10, which marks a huge step-up from “Think”, that I’d give a 2/10. Although I think their label are holding them back in terms of artistic expression, Their first album was always a fun, if flawed, outing for me – but I quite liked that about it. If you’re looking for a dance around your bedroom or a decent little pop record that won’t challenge you much, but it’s great to unwind to, you could do a LOT worse – and that’s what this music is for. It’s “Indie Bollocks – as I call these types of not really “Indie” bands – but the song works.

  • Pictured: Jack Kaye (Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar), Kristian Smith (Lead Guitar/Backing Vocals), Angus Taylor (Bass Guitar/Percussion) and Paeris Giles (Drums) in a Surf’s Up! Photoshoot for DIYMag.com (2018) (Photo Credit: Jenn Five)

I have also covered the previous single, “Think”, from the new album “Death Of The Party”, previously on the blog – way back in March! Have a read of it below: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/03/04/todays-track-the-magic-gang-think/

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “The Magic Gang” (Deluxe) (Released on 16th March 2018) (via Warner Group Records)

Thank you for reading this post! In regards to #BlackLivesMatter, we endorse the peaceful protests on One Track At A Time. Please go and check your local area for good charity causes that help those directly affected by racism and injustice. Please make sure that you check back with the blog tomorrow for your new weekly Scuzz Sundays post, where we take a look back at an emo-punk or pop-punk classic from between the late-1990s and the mid-2000’s to reassess whether it holds up! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Today’s Track: Bentley Rhythm Ace – “Bentley’s Gonna Sort You Out!”

June 19, 2020 — Leave a comment

If you got a problem with me – Bentley’s Gonna Sort You Out! It’s time for a new post!

  • Pictured: Mike Stokes (Turntables/Keyboard/Producer) and Richard March (Bass/Engineering) performing a live set at a reunion show at the 02 Academy in Bournemouth (in December 2016) (Photo Credit: Charlie Raven Photography)

A 90’s dance classic to give you that Friday Feeling! Good Morning to you, my name is Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog, because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! Bentley Rhythm Ace are an Electronic Dance duo formed in 1996 in Birmingham, consisting of engineer Richard Marsh and producer Mike Stokes. This name is, believed to have been, a reference to the Rhythm Ace line-up of analogue drum machines, which were manufactured by Ace Tone and distributed by Bentley Pianos. The duo built up an underground following, signed to Skint Records and released their self-titled debut album in 1997. The album received widespread critical acclaim and it spawned a few mainstream hits, particularly “Bentley’s Gonna Sort You Out”, which reached #17 on the UK Singles Chart. The duo switched to Parlophone for a follow-up album “For Your Ears Only” in 2000, but it was nowhere near as successful. Stokes and March disbanded shortly after, but they reunited the act in 2016, starting off with a few low-key shows, before headlining their own shows and playing at a lot of festivals across the UK circuit. The duo played a big role in the “British Big Beat” movement of the 1990’s, which is an era where club music became very popular, pioneered by famous dance artists like The Chemical Brothers, The Prodigy, Basement Jaxx, Fat Boy Slim and Propellerheads. Let’s have a listen back to “Bentley’s Gonna Sort You Out” below!

A track which would bring back fond memories for fans of the 1990’s dance crossover mainstream era of “Big Beat”, “Bentley’s Gonna Sort You Out” is a showcase for the duo’s ability to re-purpose samples, to use instrumental splicing effects and digital sequencing pad FX technology to generate a new sound from an old record, although it does feel like a product of it’s time. It is a mostly ambient track, which March and Stokes revealed in an interview that it originally sprung up from a German album of Striptease Music by the Werner Muller Orchestra. The track begins with a glitched, spaced synth pad sequence created by a Roland JD-8000, a digital piece of old analogue synth software. The next section introduces a winding keyboard/synth riff which, quite literally, bloops along to the settled, mid-tempo groove established in the first third of the track. The final section consists of a light, psychedelic bass hook and a mild Strobe effect created by a Novation BassStation. The pacing is quite aired, with a female backing vocal which heavily breathes “I love you”, a sample which breaks up the three different parts of the track. It may come across as a bit too straight-forward for some, but there are some lovely and well-produced sampling effects in play. The duo seemed to be pulling in a lot of influences from the Sample-Delia and Plunderphonics genres. You will love this if you are a fan of The Avalanches.

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Bentley Rhythm Ace” (Album) (Released on 12th May, 1997) (via Skint Records)

Thank you for reading this post! In regards to #BlackLivesMatter, we endorse the peaceful protests on One Track At A Time. Please go and check your local area for good charity causes that help those directly affected by racism and injustice. I’ll be back tomorrow for an in-depth review of the new track from a Brighton 4-piece “Indie” pop/rock band who are signed to Warner Group Records, have cited Weezer as their major influence and worked with U2 and Daughter’s producer, Joylon Thomas, for their self-titled debut LP released 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: Jacob Collier – (feat. Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign) – “All I Need”

June 16, 2020 — Leave a comment

After hearing this anthem, All I Needed was to switch it off! It’s time for your new post!

  • Pictured: Jacob Collier performing “All I Need” for “Jimmy Kimmel Live” from home (in May 2020) (via Twitter)

One of the contenders for this year’s Sound Of The Summer! Good Morning, my name is Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog because – as I’m sure you’re well aware of – it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! For a multi-instrumentalist, producer and writer at just 25 years of age, Jacob Collier sure does seem like a very prolific musician, with four Grammy Award wins, in 2017 and 2020, attached to his name already. Collier rose up the ranks on YouTube with his cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing” in 2014, before releasing his debut album “In My Room” in 2016, a record which he produced entirely in his bedroom – obviously. There have been two volumes of his “Djesse” series of albums, so far covering a wide range of music genres such as Groove, Soul, Folk, A Capella, and a few more, using the music magic of reharmonization. “Djesse Vol. 3” had finished recording in May, and Collier plans to release it at some point during the summer. He says it’s more based around electronic and Space sounds, and he created the single “All I Need” by using samples of sounds from his bathroom. He’s enlisted the help of BRITs Critics Choice Award nominee Mahalia and US rapper Ty Dolla $ign (Fun Fact: He used to be dating the Fifth Harmony singer Lauren Jauregui) for the new single, which I first caught hold of in the third episode of the new series of “Later… With Jools Holland” on BBC 2 – See him perform “All I Need” on Jimmy Kimmel Live below.

Looking for ways to stay creative during Lockdown, Collier uses the soulful voice of Mahalia and the synth direction of Ty Dolla $ign to evolve his Jazz sound to a more contemporary R&B/Neo-Soul one. The opening line: “Hi!”, leads to small talk: “I love the way that I feel when you put your arms over me”, is based on a small Keyboard groove and a high-pitched vocal delivery, before Mahalia chips in: “‘Cause every time I think about it/I can’t stop thinking ’bout it”, with a line of admittance: “You are all I need”, leading to a bridge of synth-pop sounds that feel very aired and radiating, paired with a line of energetic key changes and backing vocals that chant along to the beat of the synth-led breakdown, before it settles into the opening keyboard riff again. If I’m being honest, there isn’t much I like about this track at all. I really liked the “Later… With Jools Holland” performance since it was more acoustic, but the studio and Jimmy Kimmel Live versions sound pretty terrible. A basic synth groove composes itself around a low-pitched delivery that sounds annoying. The ideas feel half-baked and the songwriting feels quite shallow, saying nothing other than “Hey, I like you” which isn’t very interesting in the first place. The chorus sounds generic and gets tedious by the end, and the Ty Dolla $ign section… just wow! It’s horrific! It’s just so needlessly drenched in cheesy auto-tune effects that it makes you cringe, leading to an all-together breakdown of stupidly high-modulated voices, floundering along with synths that don’t seem to have much direction. It’s a pity, as Collier clearly has a sense of humor, with a well-animated look, some of the transitions are neat too, but the track feels cynically headed for the mainstream and the Electronic direction does him no favors at all. Overall, I really hate to say it, but it’s soul-less. You’ll be hearing it in your local supermarket soon, and the label will be glad they’ve got a hit. I’m sure Collier is capable of more and I can’t wait to hear it. This one is just too overproduced.

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Djesse Vol. 3” (Set for release in Summer 2020) (via Hajanga Records/Geffen/Decca)

Thank you for reading this post! In regards to #BlackLivesMatter, we endorse the peaceful protests on One Track At A Time. Please go and check your local area for good charity causes that help those directly affected by racism and injustice. I assure you, I’ll be back to my positive self tomorrow. We’ll be looking at the brilliant new track “The City” from Jockstrap, who absolutely blew my socks off with their single “Acid” earlier this year. The duo are one of the latest signings to Warp Records, along with Squid. 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: Kirsty MacColl – “There’s A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He’s Elvis”

June 12, 2020 — Leave a comment

Did you know that Elvis is not dead? I heard him on the radio! It’s time for a new post!

  • Pictured: Kirsty MacColl in a photoshoot to promote “Desperate Character” (1981) (Photo Credit: Smooth Radio/Getty)

That guy better get spiking his hair and get a-rocking-and-a-rolling then! I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day, even on my Dad’s birthday! You would probably know Kirsty MacColl best from her collaboration with The Pogues on the 1987 Christmas hit “Fairytale Of New York”, but she also struck out on her own as a successful solo artist. MacColl was born on October 10th, 1959 and she grew up with her mother and brother Hamish in Croydon. Unfortunately, her life was cut short by a tragic accident while on holiday in 2000, where she was deep sea diving with her sons in the Chankanaab reef and a powerboat was speeding towards them. MacColl saw it coming, but the boat ran over her after she moved her 15-year-old son out of its way. MacColl was originally signed by Stiff Records, and she had a few hits in the 1980’s and 1990’s. This includes “They Don’t Know”, which was famously covered by Tracy Chapman in 1983. “There’s A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He’s Elvis” was released back in 1981. It was one of her highest-charting singles, and it reached #14 in the UK Singles Chart, where it stayed for nine weeks. It reached #9 in the Irish Singles Charts. An interesting fact about the track is that, in the promotional version for the US, the very British “Chip Shop” line is replaced by “Truck Stop”, but this was only handed out to the Radio DJ’s version and it wasn’t given a full CD release. Take a listen back to the track with a title far too long to write again below.

MacColl deserves a few bonus points, just for that title. “There’s A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He’s Elvis” sees her gallop confidently through Western, Country and Blues sensibilities, but it largely comes across as just a Novelty effort and not a lot more. MacColl croons about resisting flirty talk from a guy, who, as you’d guess, works down the chip shop and swears he’s Elvis, adding: “Just like you swore to me that you’d be true” and “But he’s a liar, and I’m not sure about you” to add a poetic effect to the chorus’ refrain. She also shows a pessimism and sarcastic tone in the guy’s teases, singing in the second verse: “News is you changed your pickup for a Seville” and “Cos’ you’re out there on the phone to some star in New York” before showing her attitude: “I can hear you laughing now/And I can’t help feeling that somehow/You don’t mean anything you say at all” before a guitar solo and a longer version of the chorus ends it. The acoustic instrumentation is simple throughout, with a three-note guitar groove in the verses, and an added line of piano notes in the chorus, with an upbeat lead guitar solo near the end. It sounds energetic enough to get a crowd jiggling around for a bit, but it rolls along for three minutes without doing anything very interesting, and it doesn’t innovate or experiment in any real ways. The novelty factor would provide a small burst of fun and the title is a great one for a Zoom quiz, but the music itself leaves room to be desired, and it seems forgettable overall. But, just who is the guy who works down the chip shop, if he’s not really Elvis?

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Desperate Character” (Original Album Release in July 1981) (via Polydor Records)

Thank you for reading this post! As a reminder, at One Track At A Time, we endorse the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Please go and check your local area for good charity causes that help those directly affected by racism and injustice. I’ll be back tomorrow with an in-depth look at a recent single from a female solo artist, who is the lead vocalist of the popular French-English indie punk band Savages, to mark the release of her new album! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Run The Jewels – “Yankee and The Brave (Ep. 4)”

June 9, 2020 — Leave a comment

Yankee Doodle dandy, a download of this will come in handy! It’s time for a new post!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “RTJ 4” (Released for free on June 3rd, 2020) (via Jewel Runners/RBC/BMG)

Another morning, Another new post! My name is Jacob Braybrooke and, as you know, I’m here to write about your daily track on the blog because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! Run The Jewels are the US Industrial Hip-Hop duo of rapper-producer Killer Mike and fellow hip-hop rapper El-P. Run The Jewels have been garnering a steady stream of popularity since the release of their debut mixtape “RTJ” in 2013, as a free digital download. “RTJ2” followed in 2014 and “RTJ3” saw it’s release in late 2016, both of which albums garnered huge critical acclaim, and they built up an online following for the duo. We’ve made it to “RTJ4” and, in the wake of the #BlakeLivesMatter movement that has become widespread international news, Run The Jewels have released the album early, two days before the intended release date, as well as offering the new album as a free digital download on their website. The option to pay for it is still available via third-party digital providers, with physical copies set for a release in September. They prompt fans to donate to the National Lawyers Guild Mass Defense Fund instead. It features collaborations with the likes of DJ Premier, Pharrell Williams, Mavis Staples, Josh Homme of Queens Of The Stone Age, 2 Chainz and fan favourite Zack de la Rocha, a frequent collaborator. Have a listen to “Yankee and The Brave (Ep. 4)” below.

A title that refers to a mock-up TV cop drama about two hustlers on the run after being framed and hunted by forceful police officers, “Yankee and The Brave (Ep. 4)” is the rap duo’s imaginative way of taking aim at systematic oppression, effectively predictive of the global events. The duo boast about their return throughout the track: “Back at it like a crack addict, Mr. Black Magic” and “Stack addict, I mack with the blackest fabric, I’m back” over a crashing sequence of bold drum machine effects and powerful electronic synths. A recurring whirlwind of sublime, menacing strobe effects break up the vocals. The lyrics are bold and expletive, with the duo not holding back at all in the use of their explicit language. It feels engaging and moving, with clever reworkings of their typical style of anger towards the political elite, such as “All of us targeted/All we doin’ is arguing/Part of them isn’t workin’ ’til every pockets been picked” and “Sold and harvested/I’m ready to mob on these f*****g Charlatans”, bitter lines that are melodically poetic, and they are heightened by the polished production style and the cinematic delivery of the dissonant electronic beats, an atmosphere that is intensified by the vocal samples in the opening intro and the bombastic outro, which is given a short synthetic fade to let the tensions dissipate a small touch. This is youthful and power-driven hip-hop that isn’t for the faint-hearted, but it feels cultured and affectionate, a sense created by the duo’s smart writing and careful attention to detail production-wise. They seem to be positioning themselves as the artists of the now and the potential icons of the protests. Since they’re both very good, I can’t argue with that. The album would be worth a tenner a pop, but since you can get this album for free, there is no reason not to support them!

  • Pictured: Run The Jewels (Killer Mike & El-P) posing for a photo portrait backstage at Fortress Fest in Fort Worth, Texas – 2017 (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

Thank you for reading this post! As a reminder, at One Track At A Time, we endorse the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Please check your local area for good charity causes that help those directly affected by racism and injustice. I’ll be back tomorrow with an in-depth look at a new track from a Jazz artist as a special request of blog reader David Lyons! Get in touch with me if you have any of your own requests for artists you’d like me to spotlight on the blog! 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/