R&B

Today’s Track: Groove Armada – “Lover4Now”

October 1, 2020 — Leave a comment

The Electronic Dance duo back to prove the old ways are the best! It’s new post time!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Edge On The Horizon” (Available on October 2nd, 2020) (via BMG Rights)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke and, as usual, I’m back on the daily blogging round again today, because it’s still always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! This Friday, tomorrow even, sees the release of “Edge Of The Horizon”, the first new album from Groove Armada, the London-based 1990’s Electronic “Big Beat” duo of Tom Findlay and Andy Cato, to come from the classic duo in exactly ten years. “At The River”, “I See You Baby” and “Superstylin'” are just three of the ten UK Top 40-charting singles to come from the duo’s output over their established 30-year career. They have also released eight studio albums, four of which have charted within the Top 50 of the UK Albums Chart. Prolific as the duo’s decent chart success would suggest, the two producers have crossed over in genres and styles, since meeting in the mid-1990’s, where the duo began the project by setting up their own series of club nights in London (Remember those?) named “Captain Sensual at the Helm of the Groove Armada”, and it was inspired by 1970’s discotheque, which impressed local pioneer “Tummy Touch” to help them get their break, and kick-start their crossover appeal to the mainstream. “Edge Of The Horizon” was very much inspired by the classic 80’s Synth-Funk sounds which Cato and Findlay grew up listening to, and the current Covid-19 restrictions seemed like the right moment for this, as Cato said, in a press release, “During those studio days, the rest of the world shuts down. There’s an intensity, anyone looking in might say madness, that kicks in when we’re totally lost amongst the instruments, synths and records day and night.”, adding, “But that shared, unspoken feeling that comes when we both know we’ve got it right cuts through as clear as ever”. “Edge Of The Horizon” features collaborative tracks with Nick Littlemore (of Empire Of The Sun and Pnau band fame) and the Chicago House producer, Paris Brightledge. The lead single, “Lover4Now”, features guest vocals from Todd Edwards. Let’s listen to it below.

“Lover4Now” feels very much like Cato and Findlay’s ode to 80’s Italo disco, and it, of course, comes accompanied by that cutesy animated music video which sees Mio (the Dog) and Cosmos (the Cat) on their adorable search for love following an online dating session. The rhythms and 1970’s-driven lead vocals immediately call back to Rick James’ “Super Freak” from 1981 to me, as vocalist Tom Edwards delivers his lyrics playing on deceitful romance and alluring lust with a vintage, somewhat fearful, yet still with a playful and upbeat touch, with a mid-1970’s Funk croon. The whirling synthesizers beats in between the vocal sections, where Edwards recites, “Her words are like a song on the radio, Stuck in your head with nothing meaningful” seem bright and intelligent, with catchy pop hooks which feel like a love letter to the vintage style of pop and R&B that seem to have inspired the new track greatly. It has a very “old-fashioned” and “European” disco sound/feel to it, with a light-hearted element of production and subtle elements of early Garage and Detroit House creeping in from the visuals of Ibiza sunsets and cheeky, short-lived Summer romances. The up-tempo backing vocals and the stop-and-start nature of the keyboard synths in the bridge, as Edwards recites: “You need a little sympathy, you’ve had enough wasting your time”, over the top of a brisk ambience. Lines in the chorus feel more rhythmic, as Edwards sings the likes of “There you go looking for her again, and how many before you have there been?” and “She’ll only say what she thinks you wanna hear/You think that she will notice, but she won’t” to put across the ideas of the initial physical thrill of passionate romance, and the mental dangers to come from this. There is never really a “drop” here in terms of the synths raising their intensity up to another level, but the beat feels punchy enough and it’s kept at a relaxed pace to catch your ears nicely. Overall, it skews a bit more poppy than what I would normally choose to listen to, but I feel it’s still a cool record. It has a hugely “old” feel to it, yet I find it to be refreshing in today’s era of very auto-tuned hip-hop/pop-hybrids and business-driven releases aimed at the Teenage girl market. Overall, I really like this. Much better than expected.

  • Pictured: Groove Armada (Andy Cato & Tom Findlay) in a press shoot (2020) (Photo via BMG Rights UK)

Thank you very much for reading my new post! As per usual, I will be back tomorrow for an in-depth listen to a recent single from another one of the week’s new album releases. I am very fond of this artist, so I have covered her work on the blog once or twice before. This comes from a contemporary Disco-Pop female artist who was once a member of Moloko, a duo with her partner Mark Brydon, who had a few mainstream chart hits in the 80’s with tracks like “Sing It Back” and “The Time Is Now”. 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: Gabriel Teodros (feat. Aisha Fukushima) – “If They Come For Me In The Morning”

September 23, 2020 — Leave a comment

It IS ‘in the morning’ where I am, so I hope they don’t come for me. It’s new post time!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “What We Leave Behind” (Released on June 24th, 2020) (via Self-Released)

Good Morning to you, my name is Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog, because, just like usual, it’s my day-to-day pleasure to get typing up about a different piece of music every day! Gabriel Teodros is a local musician to Seattle, Washington, who I’ve become familiar with due to his early morning radio programme on KEXP. Teodros was raised on Beacon Hill in the area, and he is never afraid to touch upon socially conscious themes and thoughtful local culture ideas, both musically and lyrically, as a part of his work. Curiously, Teodros has gone down as a local celebrity of the music scene in Seattle, and he’s often been credited for playing a catalyst role in the beaming popularity of dynamic, underground hip-hop acts from the Pacific Northwest, as a former member of the groups CopperWire and Abyssinian Creole, during the 2000’s. Most recently, he has released “What We Leave Behind”, a compilation of previously unreleased tracks, including the likes of “If They Come For Me In The Morning”, a hip-hop collaboration with Aisha Fukushima. This new release marks the 20th anniversary of his very first solo show, which took place at Rainier Valley Cultural Center. This LP also completes “a few new songs recorded specifically for this project”, according to the rapper himself. Let’s have a listen below.

“If They Come For Me In The Morning” was originally written and recorded in 2015 and it was inspired by Sandra Bland, letters between James Baldwin and Angela Davis, and the 400-plus year legacy of Black freedom fighters, according to KEXP’s reports. The track’s lyrics convey the deprived economic situation of the time, and the emotional difficulties that it has left Teodros faced with. He quickly recites: “If I mysteriously die, know that my spirit is fighting/If I die in custody, it was not a suicide/If they kill me for my soul/Know that my voice is alright/If they take me in the morning, they come for you by night” with an immediate impact, over the top of a soulful backing vocal that comes from activist Aisha Fukushima on the track. His vocals have an emotion of bitterness and acerbity, although I feel it can also be interpreted as an emotional plea for aid and support during the crisis. This sense of hatred also has a relaxed mid-tempo dynamic, which gets created by the Synth-led backing track, which tonally feels mellow and honeyed, as an early-00’s R&B-infliction creeps around, on the back-foot. The rest of the lyrics, especially towards the end of the track, form a glitched backdrop for the hard-hitting songwriting to come into play, with a slight Drum Machine beat that flickers on-and-off in the underlayer. The sound is very D.I.Y., but I feel the somewhat lack of polish enhances the edged honesty of it. I think the instrumentation gets a little tiresome, but his raw flow makes up to this. He was reportedly planning to celebrate his 20-year stint with a live show at the same venue, but the Covid-19 pandemic threw a wrench into the works, so it would be easy to dismiss “What We Leave Behind” as a bit of a ‘filler’ release, but I really don’t think that’s the case – That is down to the powerful expression and messages of this music.

  • Pictured: Gabriel Teodros in an official self-produced photoshoot for his website (in 2020) (via PR)

Thank you very much for reading my new post! As always, you can join me again tomorrow, where I’ll be taking an in-depth look at a classic track that was released in 2001, and became something of a hidden gem, as it reached #28 on the UK Singles Chart in 2001. It was a, somewhat polarizing due to it’s unusual Drum-and-Bass style, record that originally marked a divisive collaboration between the co-founder of RAM Records and one third of the label’s historic “RAM Trilogy”, and it was one of the first examples of music to be called “Clown-Step” by a section of it’s listeners. 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/

22nd Birthday Special Edition: Beck – “Hollywood Freaks”

September 2, 2020 — Leave a comment

It’s hard to think someone ever actually designed that…thing. It’s time for a new post!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Midnite Vultures” (Released on November 23rd, 1999) (via DGC Records/Bang Bang)

But, that’s why… I LOVE it! Good Morning to you, I am Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog, as per usual, because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to get typing up about a different piece of music every day! I’m 22 today, not that it really changes anybody’s lives or anything, so I thought it’d be cool to spotlight one of my all-time favourites, since this is similar to what I did last year, where I introduced you to the first track that I ever played on the radio. A consistent repeat of my streaming library is Beck’s “Midnite Vultures”, the seventh LP record that was released by the multi-BRIT and multi-Grammy winning producer, back in 1999. This is probably the biggest outlier in Beck’s shape-shifting discography, as it was the last album he produced before going into his more acoustic-driven, Folk sound that has since become popular with his fans. I present to you… An Experimental Funk album! The critical response was divisive, as it parodied and satirized the pastiche of late-70’s US R&B/Soul and 80’s Neo-Psychedelic Vegas aesthetics with Beck’s typically obscure hook-driven songwriting, the abrupt changes in instrumentation, and the sleek G-Funk influences it pays homage to. I can understand the common criticism that the novelty factor puffs out of steam and energy a little bit towards the end, but it’s still one of the most fun and engaging albums that you could ever possibly listen to and it was wholly different to 96’s “Odelay” and more tonally original than 98’s “Mutations”. Simply put, it stands out as a breath of fresh air in his discography, and the unique sound has never fully been revisited by Beck since. I prefer “Hollywood Freaks” to any of the other tracks you would find here – so give it a fair chance to grow on you below.

Had a few listens? Good. For me, “Hollywood Freaks” works perfectly as the White teen aged male’s pastiche to postmodern R&B, with a satirical jab to any R&B-based “booty call” track ever written, as Beck valiantly hangs out with: “The Hollywood freaks on the hollywood scene”, with distractedly low rate workings of sexual activity (“Hot milk, mmm tweak my nipple”) and a care-free mimicry of political correction, and elitism. Beck isn’t making fun of rap or even of people who shop at Old Navy, inherently doing so. Beck’s vocals sound upbeat and dynamic, twisting-and-turning between different textures and breaking stylistic conventions at each turn, before layering out a wailing rap background vocal of: “Jockin’ my mercedes/Probably have my baby/Shop at Old Navy/You wish you was an old lady”, following interludes of funk-laden breaks, as a Brass melody wraps itself around the hook: “Touch it real good if you want a peace/How do people know I’m that type of freak?”, before we go back to those fragmented, deep Synth rhythms and infectiously melodic rap verses. Explicit lyricism (“I wanna know what makes you scream/Be your twenty million dollar fantasy)” and mocking the upper-class (“My sales go triple/We drop lobotomy beats) makes for the icing on the cake, with nonsensical songwriting that shines with an affectionate grin. The entire vibe of the record is Prince goes doo-lally, and “Hollywood Freaks” asserts this, with it’s clever spoken-word delivery and a rebellious tinge of Punk melodicism that drives the humor forward. It ends with a child’s backing vocal, and a gentle stream of Synths that marks a key change, as we lean more heavily into dance-led territory. The erotic nature of the lyrics makes for a knowing nod to white postmodernists, with vocals and instrumentation that toys around with the R&B genre’s conventions of money, fame and power. Overall, I feel these themes still work brilliantly 20 years on, and it’s still difficult to find anything else that sounds entirely like this. Well – they do say that truly good music never ages!

  • Pictured: Beck Hansen in a promotional photoshoot for “Mellow Gold” (1994) (Photo via DGC/Bang Bang)

I have previously covered a brief selection of Beck’s other work on the blog. Last year, he released a new album, “Hyperspace”, and you can read up on my thoughts on the lead single “Uneventful Days” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/10/29/todays-track-beck-uneventful-days/ and the album track “See Through” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/11/28/todays-track-beck-see-through/. I have also previously looked at another classic track from his older discography, “Tropicalia”, which you can explore here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/08/20/todays-track-beck-tropicalia/

  • Pictured: Art Collage showing the many faces of Beck over the decades (2018) (Photo Credit: Sarita Schaffer)

Thank you for reading my new post! I’ll be back tomorrow with an in-depth look at an Irish Alternative Punk poet who is an emerging artist on the Chess Club Records indie label. She has often been likened to Mark E. Smith, Nick Cave and The Slits, and she has performed with John Cooper-Clarke and The Brian Jonestown Massacre at sold-out theater shows across the UK, as well as gaining traction from outlets like The Guardian, The Quietus and Stereogum. 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: Emma Jean Thackray (feat. Blu) – “Open (Remix)”

August 27, 2020 — Leave a comment

Listen up, here’s a story about a little guy that lives in a Blu world. It’s new post time…

  • Pictured: Emma Jean Thackray in a recent promotional interview feature (in 2020) (Photo Credit: Luis Muñoz)

Good Morning! I am 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 hope that you’re in the mood for a spot of Jazz today, because Emma Jean Thackray mixes up the Trumpet with the Drums. Thackray is a composer, producer, DJ, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist from Yorkshire who has set up Movementt, her own independent record label, to “move the body, move the mind and move the soul”. Associated with the iconic UK label Warp Records, Movementt is a showcase for emerging Jazz artists from the wide, exploratory Jazz scene in the UK, and across the pond to the states. Thackray has performed as part of the London Symphony Orchestra, and she has hosted her own radio show on Giles Peterson’s Worldwide FM, as well as gaining notoriety as part of the daytime playlist on BBC Radio 6Music, with a few tracks from her recent string of EP’s being featured on the nationwide station’s main curated list. It includes further success for her latest single, “Open (Remix)”, a remix of the earlier track of the same title from Thackray’s EP “Rain Dance”, featuring a guest collaboration spot from the Los Angeles-based rapper and singer, Blu. Let’s see what all the fuss is about with “Open (Remix)” below.

On the new remix of her track, “Open”, Thackray commented: “I took a drums and Rhodes loop from a session with my band and layered the other instruments myself – using the studio as an instrument alongside live elements to get a perfectly balanced sound. The tune has a real wonk to it and it is in 6, so I needed a rapper with not only deep words but a sophisticated flow. Blu goes against the grain and makes it look easy.” to ebb the flows and the direction of the project. Conclusively, the sound feels really kinetic, and the contemporary Alternative Jazz production methods of each corner of the sound equates to a good quality of mellow, warm Hip-Hop and poetic, symphonic Psych-Jazz. Blu lays out a motivational rap ballad, adding “My mind is open/My time is open, Juice pours out as if the mind is open”, to a virtuous chorus of Brass synths and ephemeral stabs of Drum samples to shift up the tone, creating a Percussive groove which shifts in pitch and tempo to comfortably alter the course over the course of the track. The presence of Thackray is just as important, as she delivers a Soulful backing vocal on top of the Jazz-heavy, grounded sonic loops and she blasts out a whimsical solo with her Saxophone towards the end of the track. There’s a slow-moving, if constant, theme of evolution within the sound, such as with Thackray’s solo, as it changes up the Trumpet chords for a nimble Saxophone section, and I really like this. Blu’s lyrics are a little bit generic and don’t quite feel that highly unique to him for me personally, but he still does a fine job with the material he’s given and his 1990’s-style vocal sound still works for the track. The production feels ultimately more crucial, however, and this is the area in which the track stands out. Thackray’s instrumental qualities feel smoky and old-school, while pushing some exciting melodicism forward with contemporary beats. But, the question is – Has it moved your body, moved your mind, and moved your soul? For me, this certainly has.

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Open (Remix)” (feat. Blu) (Single/EP) (Released on June 30th, 2020) (via Movement)

Thank you very much for reading today’s blog post! As promised, I’ll be back at it tomorrow with a slightly more mainstream, but still fresh and very cool, track. The post will mark the long-awaited release of the third LP for the Surrey-born DJ duo. Their first studio album was nominated for Best Dance/Electronica Album at the Grammy Awards in 2014, and their second album was nominated again for the same award, at the Grammy’s in 2016. 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: Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio – “Inner City Blues”

August 14, 2020 — Leave a comment

What do you call a Wizard who Potters around the house a lot? Harry! New post time!

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

That has nothing to do with today’s track, by the way, I just wanted to make you roll your eyes! Anyhow, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing up your daily post on the blog since, as you’re aware of, it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! Also known as DLO3, Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio are a Jazz Fusion group based in Washington in the US, who formed in 2015, under a different original line-up. Their band name refers to how Delvon Lamarr, who is obviously at the helm of the trio, switched to playing the Organ at the age of 22 after playing the Drums and the Trumpet since an early age. Lamarr now works with Jimmy James (Guitar) and Dan Weiss (on Drums) to make up the trio. Commercially, they are probably best known for their debut album, “Close But No Cigar”, which reached the #1 spot of the US Contemporary Jazz Albums Chart when it was released in 2015. “Inner City Blues” marks a new era for the Colemine Records label, who have launched the “Brighter Days Ahead” initiative as a response to the COVID-era difficulties being faced by independent labels. As a result, they have been releasing a new single, from their artists, weekly on their Bandcamp page to coincide with Bandcamp’s waiving fees on the day, meaning that 100% of revenue from sales goes directly to the artists. This is a cover of Marvin Gaye’s 1971 track “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)” from his landmark LP, “What’s Going On”. Let’s give it a spin!

An upbeat, instrumental version of a vintage 70’s classic track, which can be a hit-or-miss prospect in the odd few cases, Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio put a new spin and a different perspective on Gaye’s original composition with a hefty splash of cool, involving Acid-Rock guitar lines and a Dub-based Funk style which reminds me of Khruangbin, amongst a casual and contemporary Jazz format that seems akin to GoGo Penguin. Driven by an airy Organ harmony, as per usual from the Seattle-born trio, the Jazz trio infuse elements of Soul and Swing that recreates the authenticity of a 1970’s New Orleans sound. Its embellished with short Brass sections and joyous, childlike keyboard chords to replace Gaye’s original lyricism of the bleak economic situation of the 70s and his informed lack of support from the government during the recession with deep bass guitar lines and increasingly layered Classical instrumentals to create a hopeful and optimistic mood with a vintage 70’s Jazz Fusion feel. Jimmy James turns the Funk up a notch on his guitar part, with consistently grooving, light-hearted guitar patterns. Meanwhile, Dan Weiss creates warm Drum beats that feel momentous, increasing the pace from Gaye’s recording, before it comes together with a mellow finish. Frankly, they all play perfectly well individually, but they all sync-up together very cohesively, and that springs the record to life. A head-nodder of a cover.

  • Pictured: Delvon Lamarr (Keyboard), Jimmy James (Guitar) and Dan Weiss (Drums) (2020) (via Promogogo.com)

Thank you very much for reading my daily blog post! Don’t forget that your weekly edition of Scuzz Sundays is coming up very soon, but in the meantime, please make sure that you visit the blog again tomorrow for an in-depth look at the brand new solo project from the frontman of one of the world’s most internationally popular Alternative Rock music groups, Sigur Ros. 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: Funkadelic – “Who Says A Funk Band Can’t Play Rock?”

July 30, 2020 — Leave a comment

By that logic, Who says a Music Writer can’t write about Steam trains? New Post Time!

  • Pictured: George Clinton and the numerous recurring members of Funkadelic in a press shot (1976) (via CBC Radio)

I don’t think I’d be fully qualified for the job… although I do love the oily and noisy old things. Good Morning, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing up 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! Today, we’re going back to the essential unity sound of the late-1970’s to cheer us up in these distressing times! “Who Says A Funk Band Can’t Play Rock?” is the B-Side to Funkadelic’s “One Nation Under A Groove”, an album which is regarded by many critics as the greatest funk album of all-time, and it always goes near the top of “Best Album” lists and polls for it’s related genres. Fronted by George Clinton, a true icon of the business, Funkadelic explored a heavier, more psychedelic sound compared to Clinton’s sister act, Parliament. Funkadelic was very significant in the development of Pop and Rock music, and it’s one of the most celebrated ethnic Black bands in the history of musical culture. On “One Nation Under A Groove”, the Funk collective used themes of unity and acceptance as a thorough-line to creating a “party album” that anybody could enjoy, regardless of sexuality, ethnicity or gender. As the title implies, “Who Says A Funk Band Can’t Play Rock?” blurs the lines between Funk, Jazz and Rock, underneath a slightly political undercurrent, and it pursues further influence of Soul. Let’s have a listen down below!

The 2015 vinyl reissue (above) provides crisper quality to an anthem that has always gone down as a classic. Many different members of the band take the lead for the different vocal sections throughout the track, layered below a guitar workout that evokes Heavy pop riffs and the P-Funk of the album’s title track “One Nation Under A Groove”. The vocalists sway to “Who says a Funk band can’t play Rock?” and “Who says a Jazz band can’t play Dance music?” over the top of R&B-inflicted guitar riffs which gradually add layers of new elements of Blues and Soft-Punk as the track’s duration goes on. The verses evoke a hip-hop beat as the vocals go: “We’ve been around for such a while/Be kinda hart not to have a style” and “When times get slower by the mile/We relax and wear a great big smile” as the simmering bass guitar riffs and the roaring kick drum sections create a crescendo and manipulate the ongoing groove as the textures gradually become rougher and smokier. The feedback effects and slightly distorted guitar lines in the later sections could be comparable to a “Funk version of Nirvana”, with a 1960’s Blues “Parade” that struts past the various elements of Funk, Rock, Art-Pop and a slight Grunge sensibility. Most notably, the track came out at a time where “Rock” was often identified as a traditionally “White” genre, while “Hip-Hop” and “Disco” may be dismissed as categorically “Black” music. Along with Jimi Hendrix, they changed the game and they re-wrote the rule book, because Clinton would not play that, instead drawing a live crowd with sounds of politically-driven, but positive and ambitious, Rock and Funk. To conclude, this may be quintessentially “not” the significant Black music sound of the 70’s… Which organically made it become so. That’s totally worth celebrating now more than ever…

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “One Nation Under A Groove” (Released in September 1978) (via Warner Bros. Records)

Previously, I have also covered the album’s main attraction, “One Nation Under A Groove”, as part of my daily post series on the blog. Please take a moment to spread the love and show your support by reading the older blog post here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/04/28/todays-track-funkadelic-one-nation-under-a-groove/

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Motor City Madness: The Ultimate Funkadelic Westbound Compilation” (Released in 2006) (via Westbound Records)

Thank you very much for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow for an in-depth look at the brand new project from Natalie Rose Findlay, who is a UK-based indie singer-songwriter from Stockport who has famously supported the likes of The Courteeners, Brandon Flowers, Jake Bugg and Miles Kane on tour. 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: Funkadelic – “One Nation Under A Groove”

April 28, 2020 — 1 Comment

A message of unity that is always relevant in times like these! It’s time for a new post!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “One Nation Under A Groove” (Released in September 1978) (via Warner Bros. Records)

Good morning to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and, as always, I’m writing up your daily post on the blog about a specific track because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write to you about a different piece of music each day! I’m going old-school today with a classic from the Funk music love affair of the 1970’s! “One Nation Under A Groove” is an old-fashioned twirler from Funkadelic, a band with WAY too many members to really mention, but led and produced by George Clinton, a Funk musician born in North Carolina in 1941. Clinton was forever fascinated by Science Fiction and psychedelic fashion, which he draws upon for the heavier, genre-blurring sound of Funkadelic, compared to it’s sister act Parliament. Clinton was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 1997 and he’s considered to be one of the pioneering inventors of the Funk-Rock genre, along with the likes of Sly Stone and James Brown. One of the most notable Funkadelic releases was “One Nation Under A Groove”, the tenth album release of the project, released in 1978. It is considered one of the all-time best, appearing in the book of “100 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die” and ranking on similar lists by Vibe, Rolling Stone, NME and more. It’s forever remembered by it’s timeless messages of unity and together-ness! Let’s hear it below!

Less politically charged than some of Clinton’s other releases from Funkadelic or Parliament, but still containing important messages of social acceptance without boundaries (gender, race, sexuality), “One Nation Under A Groove” was a monumental record in getting the mainstream to understand Funk music and to appreciate black musicians in a less racially obtrusive way. It’s built, as the title implies, on a mid-tempo groove. Multiple vocalists take the mic and the band have fantastic chemistry, which connotes both the lyrical and musical messages of peace in unity. However, the tone is very positive and upbeat, rather than feeling threatening or intimidating. The drums feel very rhythmic, with some tubular bell smashes and hand claps for added percussion. The chorus is one to die for – with excellently repetitive guitar licks and the steady bass guitar chords adding more formulaic activity. The track is full of many different layers of instrumentation that, though almost indistinguishable as individual sections, flow together as a cohesive whole to form a symphonic and influential rock sound. It’s very guitar-driven, but the synthesized brass chords and the early R&B sensibilities keep the sound fresh and renewing, more than justifying it’s long eight-minute duration. Lively, eclectic and accessible. It’s impossible not to tap your feet or flail your arms around to this classic!

  • Pictured: George Clinton and the numerous recurring members of Funkadelic in a press shot (1976) (via CBC Radio)

Thank you for reading this post! Stay inside and wash your hands, but turn the volume up and keep on grooving! We’ll be continuing to embrace music from different cultures tomorrow with an in-depth look back at an 80’s IDM track from a Japanese composer who was one of the members of Yellow Magic Orchestra and has scored films like ‘Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence’, ‘The Last Emperor’ and ‘The Revenant’! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every daily new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today's Track: KAYTRANADA (feat. Charlotte Day Wilson) – "What You Need"

April 24, 2020 — Leave a comment

This Haitian DJ is hellbent on building “Celestial” grooves! It’s time for your new post!

  • Pictured: Press shot of KAYTRANADA (Louis Kelvin Celestin) backstage at the Sonar Barcelona Festival 2019 (July 2019)

Good morning to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing to you about your daily track on the blog, as it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to do so, virus or not! Since it’s a pretty barren week for new releases and, given our unfortunate time, they will all probably be for a while, I’m instead going to focus on writing about slightly older music that I discovered earlier on, but I never got around to writing to you about. KAYTRANADA (He spells out all of his name in block capital letters, so I’m going to as well!) is the pseudonym of Louis Kelvin Celestin, an Electronic Dance music producer from Haiti who started out as one half of a duo with Lou Phelps, The Celestians. In 2016, he rose to fame as a solo artist with “99.9%”, a record which explored a psychedelic and experimental rock sound. He followed it up with “Bubba” in December of last year, a more mellow-sounding electronic dance record, which featured collaborations with the likes of Pharrell Williams, Estelle, Tinashe and Kali Uchis, to name a few. Sadly, Forrest Gump’s “Bubba” wasn’t among them. “What You Need” is a single he recorded with Charlotte Day Wilson. Let’s have a listen to it below.

“What You Need” is one of the more mid-tempo, house-ready selections from his second album, “Bubba”, but, at the same time, I think that it avoids a strict categorization. It’s a lot more radio-friendly than some of his other output, but Wilson’s guest spot on vocals and the glittering production work adds an element of soul to deem it alternative enough to not sound generic. Wilson recites: “I never wanted you to see this part of me/I wish you would have told the truth/Oh, than make us settle”, as she reminisces about a past relationship that went awry. The chorus hook goes: “Be in my arms/Slowing my beating heart/’Cause even when it’s wrong you’ll see/That it’s what you need” as a spacious synth twirls around the main chorus lyric. The elements of 00’s disco continue to develop with a slight variation of the first verse: “I never wanted you to see this part of me/Now all I can hope to do/Is tell you still” as a light keyboard riff enters the fray and the slight Funk groove adds a laidback and chilled-out emotion with a breathed quality. The end result is a groovy little number which would make a good warm-up for a longer club night of more hardcore dance tunes. It is a good spot of sun-soaked, roof-down-in-the-car, sultry house vibes.

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “BUBBA” (Released on 13th December, 2019) (via R.C.A. Records)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as per usual, with an in-depth look at a charity single which was produced during quarantine by the frontman of a well-known American alternative rock band who named themselves after a song performed by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah band in The Beatles’ 1967 musical film – “Magical Mystery Tour”! 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: Greentea Peng – “Ghost Town”

April 16, 2020 — Leave a comment

Do you remember the good old days before the Ghost Town? All the clubs have been closed down! Not the same song as The Specials’ classic – but it’s time for a new post!

  • Pictured: Greentea Peng (Aria Wells) in an early press photoshoot (September 2019) (Photo Credit: Emma Williams)

Given our current circumstances, “Ghost Town” sounds like it has an even bleaker meaning behind it now! Not to fear though, as I am Jacob Braybrooke and I’m here to put a smile on your face by writing about a different track each day on the blog, as it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! “Ghost Town” is the latest single from Aria Wells, a Neo-Soul and alternative R&B singer-songwriter from South-East London, who writes under the alias of Greentea Peng. Yep… There’s no deeper meaning to that name, it’s been simply made from her love of Green Tea and “peng” being a London slang word for “cool”. Honestly, I prefer Herbal! She’s known for her fashion style, which is very distinctive, as she’s covered in full-body art tattoos and lots of piercings. Adidas, a sportswear brand, spotted her distinct taste and they used her as one of the models for their promotional campaign last year. The brand were spotlighting emerging musical artists during this marketing campaign. “Ghost Town” is about the ongoing gentrification of council housing in London and her experiences of worsening inequality towards the working class. It’s a call for action, where she asserts that she isn’t going to let London become… a Ghost Town. Let’s listen to “Ghost Town” below! Make sure you stay tuned after the song ends to see the stories that inspired the track.

A poignant video which features Wells roaming around Aylesbury Estate, an area seen to be particularly affected at the detriment of the political and sociological powers that be is a fitting tribute to the folks who are victims of gentrification in London, as well as an immediate showcase of the issue that Wells is, lyrically, raising awareness through the form of “Ghost Town”. She matches a Baritone vocal delivery with a 2-Tone, Dubplate technique, which doesn’t feel aggressive, as it instead feels bright and radiant. Wells croons: “London bridge is falling down/All my mates walkin’ round with frowns”, as a gentle stream of Jazz instrumentation infiltrates the Soulful, smokey style of the sound. A light infusion of Trumpet chords become a major factor in play, which fuses with Wells’ lyrics of struggle and despair, to create an R&B soundscape which feels both organic and electronic at the same time. Wells comes close to rapping in some verses, as a polished Spoken Word delivery begins to command the presence of the vocal hooks. “Heavy on my mind/Every single day, trying to take the vibe of my city away” are melodic, deeply contextual lines which call for warning and alert, but the synthetic elements of the sonic, Dub-based instrumental feel calm and reassuring due to the laidback Ska elements and the mellow cries of “But you can’t take my city from me” releasing the tension from the slow pacing, low tempo and subtle Reggae groove. A bit too clever for the masses, I reckon – but I know that it’s a track which deserves to be heard! She is an exciting artist and I can’t wait to see more.

  • Pictured: Greentea Peng (Aria Wells) in a recent cover shoot for Crack Magazine (2020) (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

It was quite a long time ago now – but I have also covered one of Greentea Peng’s earlier tracks, “Mr. Sun (Miss Da Sun)” on the blog, read all about it here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/11/12/todays-track-greentea-peng-mr-sun-miss-da-sun/

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Ghost Town” (Single/EP) (Released on 4th March 2020) (via Melody Maker)

Thank you for reading this post! I hope that you enjoyed it, I’ll be back tomorrow with an in-depth look at a viral track from a Canadian rapper who has been working with BBC Sound Of 2020 finalist Beabadoobee on a track which has received over 150 million plays on Spotify and it has been featured in over 3 million videos on the social media app TikTok. The track also reached #43 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US and #8 in the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart after a lengthy sample clearance delay! 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: Little Dragon – “Hold On”

April 11, 2020 — Leave a comment

Dragons would make good accountants… The economies of Scale! It’s new post time!

It’s just another Gothenburg morning for this Swedish electronic funk band, but it’s just another Saturday morning for me – Jacob Braybrooke – because I’m writing about your daily post on the blog! It’s my day-to-day pleasure to give you an in-depth look at a different track every day! Little Dragon were formed in 1996 when they attended music “jams” at an after-school club in high school, with frontwoman Yukimi Nagano meeting Fredrick Wallin and Erick Bodin, deciding on their name due to the “little tantrums” that Nagano would stress over during their sessions. She’s a perfectionist! So far, Little Dragon have six LP records under their belt, with “Nabuma Rubberband” from 2014, their fourth album, being considered their best, receiving a Best Dance/Electronic Album nomination at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards in 2015. The quartet are back with “Same Me, New Us”, pairing up with the Ninja Tune label this time for it’s release, which was on March 27th. The new album explores more soul and disco elements than the group have previously. Let’s listen to “Hold On” below…

It doesn’t quite veer into cosmic-themed territory, but “Hold On”, the leading single of the new album, is still a celestrial groover based on a disco-tinged rhythm. Lyrically, the track explores the qualities of having an evolving life that’s worth living. This is conveyed through a pulsating keyboard riff and a mid-tempo drum groove. Among a wealth of calm synthesizer framework, Nagano croons: “Hold on/Where you gone?/Where you going?” over a sleek melody of 70’s dancefloor pop. She continues: “Baby stay/time has changed us so in every way/Beyond our dreams and more/the stars are not aligned”, a vocal hook of reconciliation glazed in an R&B smoothness. She later adds: “Hold on, before you go/One thing that you should know/I never meant to hurt you so/I wish you happiness, joy and good fortune, boy”, before a short interlude paves the way for a luminous keyboard riff that sounds timeless yet contemporary, but looks to the Saturday Night Fever of the 70’s for an added punch of inspiration. The feet-on-the-floor soundscape is dance-able and relaxing, but it feels a bit sophisticated in extra measure. The key sound changes throughout the song and it’s diverse, which acts as a fun teaser for the core theme of shift in the album. The sound is very clean and polished and I think it would be a good fit for a daytime radio station because it feels accessible, but it isn’t too generic. Although the track delivers the key beats of the album to good effect, I feel the modern electro-pop sensibilities can feel a little bit half-baked or undercooked, with the track being a soulful blend in alternative pop, electronica and disco-funk, but never feeling entirely cohesive. It’s decent though, and I think that comparisons to The Knife shall be made.

  • Pictured: Yukimi Nagano (Lead Vocals/Percussion), Fredrick Wallin (Bass Guitar/Synths), Håkan Wirenstrand (Keyboard/Mixing) and Erik Bodin (Drums/Cowbell) (2020) (via Rolling Stone)

Don’t forget to catch up with my WWE WrestleMania 36 Weekend Special if you missed out – Friday’s post, “El Santo: The Silver Masked Avenger” by The Nick Atoms, is here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/04/03/wwe-wrestlemania-36-weekend-special-the-nick-atoms-el-santo-the-silver-masked-avenger/. Saturday’s post on Bruce Springsteen’s “The Wrestler”, is here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/04/04/wwe-wrestlemania-36-weekend-special-bruce-springsteen-the-wrestler/. The weekend’s final post on “The Legend Of Chavo Guerrero” by The Mountain Goats can be perused here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/04/05/wwe-wrestlemania-36-weekend-special-the-mountain-goats-the-legend-of-chavo-guerrero/!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “New Me, Same Us” (Released on 27th March, 2020) (via Ninja Tune Records)

Thank you very much for reading this post! I hope that you stay safe and that you enjoyed reading it, as well as discovering some cool music in the process! Don’t forget to check back with the blog tomorrow – Yes, it’s Easter Sunday – but it’s also going to be time for your first new Scuzz Sundays post in two whole weeks! We’re almost there! 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