Today's Track: Yumi Zouma – "Cool For A Second"

April 9, 2020 — Leave a comment

Keeping it as cool as a cucumber – for more than a second – with your daily blog post!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Truth Or Consequences” (Released on 13th March, 2020) (via Polyvinyl Records Ltd.)

Top of the morning to you – I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m typing the words for my daily track on the blog – as it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write to you about a different track every day! As you can see in in the beautifal, pale art work above, “Truth Or Consequences” is an album released by Yumi Zouma, a 4-piece Alternative Dream-Pop band. Hailing from Christchurch in New Zealand, Yumi Zouma had a recent formation in 2014, with the band’s name being a basic amalgamation of the two friends that encouraged the group to start writing together, later signing to the Cascine label – of which the group released two of their albums with. Their new LP marks a shift to Polyvinyl Records, with “Cool For A Second” representing the band’s progression of their evolved sound, as the lead single. It had originally been scrapped, but guitarist Josh Burgess insisted for it to be included on the new record due to receiving a “spark of inspiration” about it. Let’s have a listen to the track below.

Calm and collected, Yumi Zouma’s “Cool For A Second” is a soft, pristine mix of mellow vocal layering and long-winding, echoed synth loops. This isn’t a synth-pop sound by it’s traditional standards, but the billowed electronic production work plays a big part in the mellow and refined evocation of the teen-oriented, ambient textures. Christie Simpson comments on her ideas of romantic disillusion in the track’s airy chorus: “Omissions never flare/they go out if you let them/Changing every year, I was cool for a second”, a gentle rhyme that’s delivered with a modern and upbeat electro-pop tinge. A few of the verses sound slightly angrier: “Four months and a day/What other sucker would wait?/For someone else to take advantage/When all you give is taken for granted”, with a more self-reflective vocal bridge to follow: “It was a bad hesitation, A little stumble in the back of your soul/Another hard time alone in yourself, It was a step too far to know”, before the stuttering keyboard riffs and the sharp, sparkling synth chords offer a dreamier look at the break-up, as well as a more optimistic emotional tonality. The sound is hugely 80’s – and unashamedly so, I feel – with clear nods to The Breakfast Club and other old-school, coming-of-age flicks being pictured in my head as the spacious drum beats and reserved melodies construct a very laidback rhythm. I feel the cheesy nature of the motivational sound is intended and although it’s not wholly original, with a clear comparison to Christine & The Queens or Saint Etienne that you could make, it’s effective in layering out a catchy and pleasant, if not groundbreaking, tempo. Overall, I feel the sonic direction is rich enough to complement the atmospheric lyricism concerning personal growth with a warm heart – although I get the sense it might be too coated in sugar for some.

Pictured: Christie Simpson (Lead Vocals/Sampling), Josh Burgess (Lead Guitar/Drum Machine Programming), Charlie Ryder (Bass Guitar/Keyboard/Synths) and Olivia Campion (Drums/Cowbell) (2020) (via official press shoot)

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: Yumi Zouma in a shoot for Albumism’s interview with Christie Simpson (2020) (Photo by Jack Sheppard)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as per usual, with an in-depth look at a heavy drum-and-bass track released in 2018 – maybe a bit of a drastic shift then – by a DJ from Croatia who has been trained to play the violin, keyboard and drums and took many early influences, such as The Beatles and Frank Sinatra with him, before exploding on the UK Garage scene and remixing SNBRN’s “Caifornia” with Chris Lake in 2015 to receive his first #2 spot on the BeatPort charts. 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: Chicano Batman – “Pink Elephant”

April 8, 2020 — 1 Comment

It’s time to address the “Pink Elephant” in the room! Read your daily blog post below!

Pictured: Bardo Martinez (Lead Vocals/Keyboard/Rhythm Guitar), Carlos Arévalo (Lead Guitar), Eduardo Arenas (Bass Guitar/Backing Vocals) and Gabriel Villa (Drums/Percussion) (April 2020) (Official press shoot via ATO Records)

Good morning! I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog, as it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! “Pink Elephant” is a new single by Chicano Batman, a group which I have been introduced to recently due to their previous single, “Color My Life”, turning my brain on full alert! Both of these singles are taken from their upcoming fourth LP record, “Invisible People”, which is set for release on May 1st, via ATO Records. The band draw their music from a wide range of influences, with a psychedelic rock overtone, comedically mixed with Tropicalia, Electronic Rock, Dub and Jazz-Punk, roots which pave the way for the California four-piece’s distinct aesthetic. The band once appeared on a TV commercial for Johnnie Walker Scotch Whisky and they made their late-night TV debut on Conan in 2017. It’s safe to say they don’t take themselves very seriously! They have filmed a live session for “Pink Elephant” on their YouTube channel. Let’s have a listen to the track below…

It’s all about the groove and I think Nellie The Elephant would agree that it has vibrancy by the trunk loads! The percussive bass guitar riff is primarily the focal point of the sound on “Pink Elephant”, with a repetitive three-note structure, which aims to put your ears in a euphoric trance. Bardo Martinez sings about a dangerous lust for a party girl, over a refreshing blend of neo-soul and Latin rock, concluding that: “She’s the pink elephant in the room/A mercenary with perfume/Just like in the movies/She kills for fun”, a refrain that he ends with an airy: “Yeah…”, a recurring line throughout the track. It carries on with Gabriel Villa delivering a punchy, off-kilter drum technique and Eduardo Anera’s funk-drenched guitar riff, backed up by Carlos Arévalo’s constant lead guitar drill. The melodies pause for Martinez’s slow bridge: “Everyone is nervous/No one says a thing” and “That will make them vibe right/The way it should be/I don’t really give a f*** no more/I’m out the door”, led to a crashing synth breakdown, before Arévalo’s bass guitar groove leads us back into more peaceful territory. There’s a certain Mad Max-style aesthetic to the band’s sense of humor, which complement the rock-driven staccato style very nicely. I think the pre-shot, “live-lounge” video manages to accomplish more than a full-on music video would in getting their funny vibes across to new listeners because it’s all a show – with Arenas looking sad and contemplative to the silly, crass music being played around him. It becomes a densely layered soundscape of twisted psych-pop, Latino rock and trippy, lick-driven psychedelic funk over the course of the three minute duration. I love it! It’s full of personality, it sounds diverse and it’s easy to keep on listening again and again! If there’s one thing I could suggest to improve on – Bardo – please put a shirt on mate!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Invisible People” (Available from May 1st, 2020) (via ATO Records)

I have previously covered “Color My Life” by Chicano Batman on the blog – take a read here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/03/12/todays-track-chicano-batman-color-my-life/! Also, 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: Chicano Batman pictured in a still image from the “Color My Life” music video (2020) (via YouTube)

Thank you for reading my new post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as always, with an in-depth listen to a brand new single by an Alternative Pop group from New Zealand whose name is an amalgamation of the two friends that encouraged the group to start writing together! 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

WWE Wrestlemania 36 Weekend Special: The Mountain Goats – “The Legend Of Chavo Guerrero”

April 5, 2020 — 8 Comments

There’s just one more day left to go of the biggest Sports Entertainment Extravaganza of the PPV calendar year – but there’s always going to be time for your daily blog post!

Pictured: Vinyl Artwork for “Beat The Champ” (Released on April 7th, 2015 via Merge Records) (via Amoeba Music)

One night of WrestleMania 36 down and one more to go! Good afternoon to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke, coming off the back of my late-nighter to deliver my daily post on the blog, as it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! This is the last post in my trilogy of wrestling-themed posts to coincide with WWE’s no-crowd WrestleMania, which is the biggest wrestling PPV of the calendar year, but I feel like I’ve certainly saved one of – if not – the best for last! For me, the best pro wrestling-related track ever recorded is “The Legend Of Chavo Guerrero” by John Danielle’s American indie folk-rock outfit The Mountain Goats. The Mountain Goats are an incredible band formed in Claremont in 1991 who really deserve to be credited more highly than I think they are. It was released on “Beat The Champ”, the group’s fifteenth (!) studio album, in 2015 via the Merge Records label. The entire record is a concept album based around professional wrestling characters and referenced events in the sport’s history, although Danielle ignites it’s spark with a human touch and an instrumental tenuity that makes it about more personal stories than just predominantly about professional wrestling and I think it’s easy for anybody to enjoy the album regardless of their professional wrestling know-how. The track was one of the album’s biggest singles and it received praise from the song’s titular Mexican hero, Chavo Guerrero Sr, as well as his son Chavo Guerrero Jr, who notably wrestled for WWE at one time. Chavo Guerrero Sr. appears as himself in the track’s music video, which you can see in all it’s glory below.

The track was obviously written as a very personal expression of Danielle’s, and the video marks such an occasion with cameo appearances from indie wrestling stalwarts like Impact’s Joey Ryan, Rob Corddry, Ryan Nemeth and Sarah Walker, as to name a few. Danielle demands your attention with his CM Punk tribute, as well as his captivating songwriting talents, as he tells a tale of his childhood hero: “Born down in El Paso/Where the tumble-weeds grow/It’s the middleweight champ of All Mexico”, paired with a quick, sharp acoustic guitar riff and an organic kick drum section. He sings about the fact that he had a difficult family life and that he viewed Guerrero Sr. as a surrogate father figure when his father wasn’t by his side: “He was my hero back when I was a kid/You let me down but Chavo never once did” and, in a neat reprise, sings: “Red Shoes Dougan/Holding his arm high all out of breath/I hated all of Chavo’s enemies/I would pray nightly for their death/Descending like fire, on the people who deserved it most/Outside of Texas and on the West Coast”, before resuming the uplifting qualities of the singular guitar melody. There’s catchy references to Guerrero’s wrestling accolades: “Defender of the downtrodden/King Of The Hill/Tag Team champion with Al Madril” and personal memoirs of watching Guerrero in action: “I’m lying on the floor, I’m bathed in blue light/With the telecast in Spanish/I can understand some”, followed by: “And I need justice in my life/Here it comes”, a line which signifies Guerrero as a symbol of joy for a child who needed the escapism that professional wrestling offered to him. It’s a love letter to a childhood hero, but it’s also a catchy, singalong anthem simply about a child who received a spark in his life, but it just happens to be told through the lens of professional wrestling rather than specifically about it! Danielle has a real gift for his music, and in this – it really shines!

Pictured: John Darnielle (Lead Vocals/Acoustic Guitar/Piano), Peter Hughes (Bass Guitar/Backing Vocals), Matt Douglas (Flute/Saxophone/Clarinet/Cowbell/Backing Vocals) and Jon Wurster (Drums/Percussion) (2017) (via Bandcamp)

That’s the end of my WWE WrestleMania 36 Weekend Special! The event is streaming tonight, but a first batch of matches streamed last night as well – and you’ll have access to both nights by signing up to WWE Network! Catch up on “El Santo: The Silver Masked Avenger” by The Nick Atoms here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/04/03/wwe-wrestlemania-36-weekend-special-the-nick-atoms-el-santo-the-silver-masked-avenger/! and Bruce Springsteen’s “The Wrestler” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/04/04/wwe-wrestlemania-36-weekend-special-bruce-springsteen-the-wrestler/! If that’s not enough to satisfy your pro-wrestling needs, I’ve also covered Reverend & The Makers’ “The Wrestler” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/03/11/todays-track-reverend-and-the-makers-the-wrestler/ and Bowling For Soup’s new single, “Alexa Bliss”, here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/02/12/todays-track-bowling-for-soup-alexa-bliss/

Pictured: John Darnielle with his childhood hero, Chavo Guerrero Sr. (Still from “The Legend Of Chavo Guerrero” video)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be resuming normal service on the blog tomorrow… Or will I? To give you a clue on what track I’ll be covering, it’s by a Los Angeles-born producer who told Voyage LA that he’s been playing his guitar since the age of 11 and the track in question, his latest release, was produced by Sarah Tudzin of Illuminati Hotties! 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/

WWE WrestleMania 36 Weekend Special: The Nick Atoms – “El Santo: The Silver Masked Avenger”

April 3, 2020 — 8 Comments

It’s almost time for the Grandaddy Of Them All! As for now, it’s time for your new post!

Pictured: El Santo with the Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship (no date) (via reprobatepress.com)

Vince McMahon doesn’t like it when you call it that! I’m Jacob Braybrooke and although it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different song on the blog each day, I thought that it would make a change to combine two of my greatest passions: Music and Professional Wrestling! WWE’s WrestleMania 36 PPV event, the biggest wrestling show of the year, is being held at WWE’s Performance Center in front of no fans over the weekend, so I’m going to mark the occasion by writing about wrestling-themed songs as a special treat! Now, when you think of professional wrestlers, the names that probably come into your head are John Cena, The Rock, Ric Flair, Triple H and so on, but probably the most famous wrestler of all-time is actually El Santo. El Santo lived between 1917 and 1984. In that time, he was basically the symbol of hope and justice, the face of Mexican popular culture, for five decades. He appeared in A TRUCKLOAD of fictional lucha movies, serialized comic books and other fictional narrative works. You’ll have most likely seen his youngest son, El Hijo De Santo, in Jack Black’s 2006 film “Nacho Libre” as Ramses. Allow The Nick Atoms, a niche cult cartoon-themed comedy rock band formed in 2000 in Minnesota to tell you more about him, with their rendition of El Santo’s cartoon series theme song: “El Santo: The Silver Masked Avenger”, released in 2005 via the “In The 25th Century” LP, below!

With just 526 views on YouTube, that’s very niche! Where to start? Well, it’s basically a parody band formed by three mysterious Robot characters who named themselves Dr. Ted Nelson, Coburn and Wyngarde! The composition of the track is simplistic, with just a kick drum and two acoustic guitars used to create a traditional Mexican, aristocratic indie rock melody. The vocals are low-pitched and of a very over-the-top, animated texture. Nelson sings about the fact that El Santos never took off his mask in respect of his mythology and to ‘keep the legend alive’, so to speak: “The man behind the mask is a mystery to all”, with “nothing can stop, that man El Santo” being the main vocal hook of the bridge, layered by a fast-paced acoustic guitar riff and a sharp, humdrum bass guitar riff. In the later stages, Nelson makes it clear that he’s singing the lyrics from the viewpoint of a child watching El Santo at a wrestling show, “Wearing a silver mask, driving a cool car and fighting monsters, could that be the life for me?”, “I wish I could be just like El Santo”, a shout which brings the return of the relentless acoustic guitar licks and the repetitous kick drum groove. To be honest, I think this has been, by far, the most difficult post that I’ve ever written on the blog due to the sheer legacy of El Santo and trying to condense that to as casual a level for you as I possibly can. I don’t think The Nick Atoms really manage to do the character justice because the audio quality is low and they’re obviously working with a low budget and minimal production values, but it’s such an enviable task that I don’t think anybody truly could manage to do it – and I feel they’re doing the best they can. The backing vocals add more depth to the sound and the guitar melodies are decently tuned. On the flip side, I could barely make out any of the lyrics on the first listen and so it’s taken me the whole morning to write this post, so I think it’s fair to question the level of artistic credibility. The sense of character is unique and fun, if disposable. This is “sweet”, but nothing much else. Long Live The Legend Of El Santo!

Pictured: Dr. Ted Nelson (Lead Vocals/Drums), Coburn (Lead Guitar) and Wyngarde (Bass Guitar) (2012) (via Facebook)

Thank you for reading this post! WrestleMania 36 is a two-night streaming event on Saturday 5th & Sunday 6th April, available to watch on the WWE Network (watch.wwe.com)! I have previously covered Bowling For Soup’s “Alexa Bliss” (https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/02/12/todays-track-bowling-for-soup-alexa-bliss/) and Reverend & The Makers’ “The Wrestler” (https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/03/11/todays-track-reverend-and-the-makers-the-wrestler/) on the blog as well, so feel free to peruse those links to satisfy your grappling-in-tights cravings even further! I’ll be back tomorrow for the second part of the WWE WrestleMania 36 Weekend Special trilogy series! 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: 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: Elín Ey – "Gone"

March 23, 2020 — Leave a comment

She may not be our mate Björk, but she’s also from Reykjavik! It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Elín Ey in Chinatown, NYC after her performance at Rockwood Music Hall (2015) (Photo Credit: Nicky Digital)

Good morning to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke – I’m writing about your daily track on the blog, as it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! This week’s first post is an introduction to Elín Ey, who is an Icelandic singer-songwriter who comes from the Icelandic capital city of Reykjavik. My uni housemate had “Gone” to Iceland last week and she discovered Elín Ey on her travels, so she’s requested for me to check her out and write about her on the blog. So, this post is dedicated to you, Chelsie! It’s actually been 11 years since she released “See You In Dreamland”, her last full-length album, in 2009, which she released via MySpace (Remember That?). Elín Ey was raised by parents who are established musicians in Iceland and she first picked up a guitar at a young age, before starting musical projects with her sisters and working with her brother as the producer of her latest solo EP, “Gone”, which she independently released earlier in the year. Let’s have a listen to the titlular track of her new EP below.

On “Gone”, Elín Ey layers her soothing voice over a minimalist piano section and a soulful blend of R&B and Electronic Neo-Soul. Lyrically, it seems to be a reflective conversation with a family member or a returning ex-lover, as Ey croons: “And if you have to leave/I hope it is a place where you believe” and “If you have to leave/I hope it is a place where you find peace”, without an aid from auto-tune or mathematical production – although a light, distant male backing vocal adds a heartfelt touch of warmth and inflections of pop-ballad to the otherwise minimalist style of production. Ey mixes a folk influence with a sensual, electronic synth line to create a Blues element which matches the fragile vulnerability of her voice with a delicate spoken word sensibility. Although the clean electronic production makes Ey sound very polished, it doesn’t sound overly commercial at any point and I think there’s a decent amount of artistic merit to make Ey sound credible enough to surpass my musical pretension without compromising her level of accessibility over her artistic expression. I’d like to hear Ey continue to experiment with different elements of music to develop her overall sound as an eclectic one and I think that “Gone” sounds a little bit more like a demo than a finished product, but the potential of the raw, Ballard-ish elements are ripe for exploration over the more electric influences and there’s certainly a nice amount of artistic expression here. To conclude, I think it’s good and I’m excited to hear how she expands the soulful elements of her sound in her future releases. I find the lack of auto-tuned nonsense or indie bollocks to be promising too!

Pictured: Elín Ey in an interview with Josie Gaitens for The Reykjavik Grapevine (2020) (Photo Credit: Art Bicnick)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, with an in-depth review of the latest single from an Australian Psychedelic Rock group who are currently signed to Sub-Pop Records – with a lead singer who once told an interviewer that he lives in a family of 56 cousins! 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: The Knife – “Is It Medicine?”

March 18, 2020 — Leave a comment

Here’s a cult favorite act who’s popularity never got the chop! It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Karin Dreijer (Lead Vocals/Keyboard) and Olof Dreijer (Splicing/Effects/Bass) (2006) (via NPR; press shoot)

“Cutting” their discography loose at just four solo albums over their career, The Knife are a Swedish Alternative Electronic pop duo who achieved huge breakthrough success with 2003’s “Deep Cuts”, spawning a big international following on their own independent label, Rabid Records. A certain aura of mystique is built around the careers of Karin Dreijer and Olof Dreijer, who certainly aren’t afraid to rush new music into production, along with their public appearances wearing Venetian masks at press events and their bold refusal to attend awards ceremonies. The Knife eventually disbanded after the release of “Shake The Habitual” in 2014, not counting a joint-production with Mt. Sims and Planningtorock. But their impact wasn’t beaten to the cut, neither like my awful Knife puns have been. One of the most curious tracks on 2003’s “Deep Cuts” is “Is It Medicine?”, which merges a rolling, synth-based electro-bassline with a power-led, 1970’s retro-pop sensibility. Let’s have a listen to it below!

“Is It Medicine?” is a powerful dancefloor filler about handling the difficulty of social anxiety and claustrophobia. This rough-edged tone is created by an aggressive electro-pop strobe line, which effervescently interweaves with a brazen vocal hook, as Dreijer croons: “I don’t know/I don’t know what to say/Is it medicine or a social skill?” over a layered fusion of futuristic guitar samples and progressive keyboard riffs, aided by a call-and-response part of backing vocals from Dreijer. The duo make jabs at the 9-5 office work culture: “Another day has come to an end/Then you start to cry again” and discuss feelings of internal quarantine: “being sad is a full time work”, as a mid-tempo acid techno beat jousts with a conflicting, loud vocal shriek from Dreijer near the end of the track. The female vocals will almost certainly be of an acquired taste and it may be difficult for new listeners to access on a first listen, but “Is It Medicine?” has managed to stand the test of time fairly well, with a timeless pop sound that feels dated and ahead of it’s time in equal measure. It provides call-backs to the new-wave influences of New Order and Eurythmics, while also having a contemporary euro-pop sound that feels closer to the likes of Robyn and Bjork. A track that’s tucked away a little bit, “Is It Medicine?” still has it’s imperfect pop appeal.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Deep Cuts” (Released on 17th January, 2003) (via Rabid Records)

Thank you for reading this post! I hope that you enjoyed reading it! I’ll be back tomorrow, as per usual, with an in-depth look at a single released back in 2018 by a Canadian indie dream-pop band who have self-released all of their music and once performed at the Montreal Jazz Festival, along with live performances at the heavy-hitting Coachella and Lollapalooza festivals! 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: Dread Zeppelin – “Your Time Is Gonna Come”

March 13, 2020 — Leave a comment

Mentally drained, the time for bedtime has almost come… It’s time for your new post!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Un-Led-Ed” (Released on 24th July, 1990) (via I.R.S. music label)

It’s almost the weekend… The time is gonna come! Good evening to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! For a band which is essentially a novelty tribute band for a 70’s classic rock band, Dread Zeppelin are strangely prolific, having produced and recorded a whopping total of 15 albums between 1990 and 2011. Obviously, Dread Zeppelin are a Dub-plate take on the 1970’s British Heavy metal pioneers Led Zeppelin, having produced each of their tracks as covers of Led Zeppelin tracks, with a Reggae style. The band were formed in California in 1989, which led to an extensive touring schedule as a part of a long tenure with IRS Records – led by an Elvis Presley impersonator named Tortelvis on lead vocals. Dread Zeppelin have also been publically endorsed by Robert Plant, the lead vocalist of Led Zeppelin, who has stated that he prefers Dread Zeppelin’s 1990’s cover of “Your Time Is Gonna Come” to his own band’s original version. Compare for yourself with Dread Zeppelin’s cover below!

Dread Zeppelin’s cover version of “Your Time Is Gonna Come” by Led Zeppelin starts off as you might probably expect, with the recognizable opening lead guitar riffs of the track being replaced by the bouncy sounds of a Sitar, before a fizzled synth-line and a funk-laden groove settles into a constant affair of mid-tempo arrangement, before Tortelvis enters the fray: “Women lie/You’ll be cheated, you’ll be hurtin’/Messing around with every guy in town/Puttin’ me down for thinking of someone new”, with Tortelvis adding a vintage 70’s rock-and-roll edge to the duelling Rastafarian backing vocals. He later continues “Made up my mind to break you this time/Won’t be so fine, it’s my turn to cry/Do what you want, I won’t take your brunt/It’s fading away, I can’t feel you anymore” over an acoustic layer of Cuica riffs and Harpischord sections. The chorus sounds as triumphant as Zeppelin’s classic original, but with a lack of stadium rock sensibilites and a replaced sense of care-free fun, created by a thumping steel drum rhythm and a soft dose of licked bass guitar melodies. On paper, it sounds like a horrific idea which simply shouldn’t work, but it does. I’ve found there’s a dark corner of my mind that tells me I like this song and I can’t help but nod in approval to that. It’s humorous and quirky, with a cheerful quality of light-hearted Dub textures and the anthemic chanting vocals of the chorus have managed to translate to a more pop-driven style with effective results. The joke doesn’t quite ware itself out and the varied instrumentation keeps it melodic enough to hold your interest. The result is an entertaining novelty track which strikes the balance of accessibility and credibility. Your time, to have a boogie to this, has come!

Pictured: Ed Zeppelin (Graphic Artist/Writer/Producer), Tortelvis (Lead Guitar), Jah Paul Jo (Lead Guitar), Carl Jah (Rhythmn Guitar/Backing Vocals), Put-Mon (Bass Guitar) and Charlie Haj (Drums/Percussion) (1989) (via WikiWand)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as per usual, with an in-depth look at the final track that I’m going to cover on the blog from “Our Pathetic Age”, the outstanding new double album from American EDM/Trip-Hop icon DJ Shadow, who claims to own a personal collection of over 60,000 records! 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: Chicano Batman – “Color My Life”

March 12, 2020 — 2 Comments

This Batman is nowhere near as bad as that awful DC’s Suicide Squad film and it’s a lot more reflective in quality of The Dark Knight instead! It’s time for a new blog post!

I wonder how Superman would respond to this DC-related tomfoolery! It’s Thursday afternoon and you’re reading the words of me, Jacob Braybrooke, as I’m typing my musing about your daily track on the blog because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to so so! Chicano Batman are a Psychedelic Rock band from California who certainly don’t take themselves very seriously at all! A fun fact: They once starred in a TV commercial for Johnnie Walker’s Scotch Whiskey in 2018! The 4-piece group, who my friend introduced me to during our weekly playlist meeting for our student radio station last week – formed in 2008 through bonding over their shared love for Brazilian music from the 1960’s, a Jazz-Punk root which blends with the styles of Tropicalia, Dub, Progressive Soul and Electronic Indie Rock to form the basis of their sound. The band are gearing up for the release of their fourth album, “Invisible People”, which comes out on May 1st via ATO Records. Let them Color your Life with their new single below!

“Color My Life” is painted by a quirky video with a sunny palm background which, for me, gives off shades of the 90’s Hip-Hop parody “Windowlicker” video created by Aphex Twin and Chris Cunningham which was released back in 1999! Lead vocalist Bardo Martinez skates around the shoals, in front of lots of slightly disturbing camera close-ups, crooning: “Are you a lucid dream?/That’s what it seems/I’m not really sure if it’s real”, above a chilled psychedelic groove created by a sublime Conga drum beat and a lush Kookaburra melody – sounding accidentally precursored by the melody of Men At Work’s Down Under – which paves the way for a Reggae sound, leading up to a distorting, tripped-out bass guitar riff, before Martinez continues: “Are you a lucid dream?/Or just a beam of light/Shining on me?”, as the melodies settle into a harmonic pace again, before Martinez stutters: “With the feels I’m on”, as the rhythm takes a more soulful, R&B-infused turn, before the glitched-out haze of electro-tropicalia echoes the sentiment of Martinez’ highly reverberated Falsetto once again: “You’ve got to color my life/You’ve got to fill in my thoughts”, as the constant breezy underlayer crashes to an abrupt halt. The band match idyllic scenes of the Pacific coast with their eccentric sense of humor, matched by the cinematography, costume design and shot layout. It’s a well-produced video, and I think the song’s really good as well! There’s a subtle Australian psychedelia influence, as the track doesn’t sound miles away from the likes of Tame Impala – with the volume turned up to eleven, but it sounds closer to the frenzied sequencing effects of Pond. There’s also call-backs to 80’s Latino pop and the care-free songwriting shares the vibes of early 70’s Ska music. Chicano Batman have an awful band name, and they play that to their advantage by having fun with their ideas and going hell-for-leather with it all, ending up with a varied sound which takes elements from different genres for inspiration, but it doesn’t sound too close to one or the other as to sound very much like another existing band or solo artist. It’s quite out-there, but that’s what makes it work. I’ve only heard this one single so far – but I’m looking forward to hearing more from them!

Pictured: Chicano Batman playing a live Tiny Desk Concert for NPR Music on YouTube (2017)

Thank you for reading this post! As always, I hope you enjoyed it! I’ll be back tomorrow to introduce you to another comedic act – a novelty tribute band who are led by an Elvis Presley impersonator and who were publically endorsed by Robert Plant, who claimed that he preferred their cover of his own band’s track to the original version released in 1969! 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: Róisín Murphy – “Murphy’s Law”

March 10, 2020 — Leave a comment

Just as it feels like Róisín Murphy’s at the top of her game, she decrees Murphy’s Law!

Pictured: Róisín Murphy perfoming a headline set at the BBC Radio 6Music Festival (2020) (Photo Credit: Sarah Jeynes)

Murphy’s Law has struck again! Good night, I’m Jacob Braybrooke – writing about your daily track on the blog, as it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! It certainly comes as a pleasure to report on a new Róisín Murphy track being released – a follow-up track to her 2019 club banger “Narcissus”, a club track which made it onto the radio! Murphy is best known for being one part of an Irish electronic dance duo with producer Mark Brydon called Moloko. They had mainstream chart hits around the world, with the likes of “Sing It Back” and “The Time Is Now”, being particularly successful commercially in the UK. She’s been authoritatively re-assuring her position as the new queen of disco with a recent comeback of-sorts, which led her to become one of the headline acts at this year’s BBC Radio 6Music Festival, which took place at The Roundhouse in Camden last weekend. Evolution was a recurring theme of her set, following frequent costume changes and altered versions of the key tracks in her discography, both from her time as one half of Moloko and as a solo artist. She also dedicated her live set to the late-great Andy Weatherhall, which was a very touching notion. With a song called “Murphy’s Law”, you already know it’s going to be a banger! There’s a 3-minute edit available on YouTube, but I’ve attached the full version below!

A twinkling keyboard riff sets us off, as Murphy provides the narrative framework for her vocal performance: “I feel my story’s still untold/But I’ll make my own happy ending” as a percussive layer of hand-clap effects take us through the refrain: “I think maybe I’ve outgrown this old town/I see you almost every day/And every time I turn around/Our love is stuck on replay”, a line which echoes the sentimental tone through a melodic, old-school pop rhythm. Murphy continues: “Ever since we broke up/I’ve been afraid to go out”, as Murphy matches a 70’s disco throwback style with more emphatic songwriting functions. An expertly polished synth line draws the chorus in: “It’s Murphy’s law/I’m gonna meet you tonight/Just one match could relight the flame”, a static bass guitar riff underlines the sonic direction, “And just when everything is going ‘alright/Murphy’s law is gonna strike again”, with the track gradually adding layers of wavering drum loops and interweaving guitar licks, as Murphy writes from the perspective of an ageing character visiting her old town to rekindle interest with an old flame: “All of my hard work keeps going down the drain”, while feeling unfulfilled and untapped. A mature dancefloor filler, Murphy anchors the end of the track with: “Keep on/Keep on/Keep on/Keep on…”, a sentiment which evokes the disco classics of “Saturday Night Fever” or Chic’s older work on classics like “Le Freak” in the late 1970’s. In comparison to Narcissus, Murphy’s Law detracts from the string-based arrangements and provides a larger variation of moods with it’s more gentle pacing. It manages to live up to the lofty expectations of the track’s title, with Murphy’s personality, as an artist, really managing to hold your attention throughout the long, 8-minute duration of the track. The lyricism is memorable and the style is nostalgic, albeit progressive. I think Murphy’s great – your Queen Of Disco!

Pictured: Róisín Murphy in a photoshoot for an interview with London In Stereo (2019) (Photo Credit: Nicola Nodland)

You can read my thoughts on “Narcissus” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/01/09/todays-track-roisin-murphy-narcissus/

Pictured: Róisín Murphy pictured with her co-producer and co-lyricist Mark Brydon in their Moloko days (date unknown) (Photo Credit: Alwaysontherun.net)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as always, with an in-depth look at a wrestling-themed track, released in 2012, by a British post punk band who were formed back in 2005, had a UK top 10 hit with “Heavyweight Champion Of The World” and were invited to support Oasis on their final tour – playing a blockbuster show at Wembley Stadium! 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