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Today’s Track: Christafari (feat. Makamae Auwae) – “Angels We Have Heard On High”

December 19, 2020 — Leave a comment

Don’t ever forget that it all happened Once In Royal David’s City! Time for a new post!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Reggae Christmas” (Released on October 8th, 2013) (via Lion Of Zion Ent.)

Twas’ the weekend before Christmas! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to get writing up all about your daily track on the blog, because it is always my day-to-day pleasure to get virtually typing up about a different piece of music every day! “Angels We Have Heard On High” is a track that I’ve actually been really looking forward to sharing with you all week – but I thought I’d leave it until now because it feels closer to the week of Christmas, and I know that you always want to hear a good one on a Saturday, or, I at least hope so. It comes from Christafari, an 8-piece Christian Reggae-Dub super-group who were put together by Mark Mohr, an ordained Church minister who was born as a Rastafarian, before he became a Christian at the age of 17. Morh also fronts the band. “Angels We Have Heard On High” was originally released back in 2013, from their “Reggae Christmas” album released through Lion Of Zion Entertainment, but it was re-released a year later, along with a new music video. This is a Reggae take on the “Angels We Have Heard On High” French hyym, which tells the story of the birth of baby Jesus from The Gospel Of Luke. Let’s take a listen to it below.

My research indicates that Mark Mohr found an affinity for Reggae music, becoming a grower of Marijuana, in his teens, after a visit to Jamaica in 1986, but his life took a turn for the best, and, after enrolling in Biola University in 1993, he received his ordination in 1997. The video for “Angels We Have Heard On High” is a real Christmas Cracker (Sorry!) and it makes me laugh out loud with the cast of colourful characters who answer their front door to find Christafari and Makamae Auwae singing the carol to them, and I feel that the Thor guy really deserves a special mention, in this post, for his dance moves. As for the song itself, it’s highly joyous and cheerful, with a minimalist vocal production that reminds me of Pentatonix in it’s Acapella influences. A fun Marimba beat and a percussive Jamaican Steel Drum beat form the groovy rhythm, as Auwae sings: “Angels We Have Heard On High/Sweetly singing O’er the Plains/And the mountains in reply/Echoing their joyous strains” on top of a light auto-tune effect that makes her voice sound clear and on-point, but not too artificial and overproduced. A Dub beat is created by Mohr, who adds a rhythmic delivery to “Me say, we give him the glory” and he, in fact, almost creates a Hip-Hop melody. The rest of the group provide some well-spirited vocal harmonies in the background, throughout the song, which are quite subtle and inobtrusive, but the odd “Hey” and the longer notes of the chorus make it feel more ‘Christmassy’ and more seasonal. It’s the cheerful chants of “Gloria, In Excelsis Deo” that gives it an uplifting punch, while the instrumental beats sound very jovial and melodic throughout. The percussion is really crowd-pleasing stuff, and I think the track manages exceptionally well to remind you of the true meaning of Christmas and slightly distract you from the heavy consumerism of the Festival, while still retaining a fun, engaging, upbeat and positive vibe. It also feels very ‘Christmassy’, while providing a nice alternative to the generic tunes from Band Aid or Paul McCartney that you end up hearing ten times a year. If you ask me, this is an absolutely fantastic way to put the “Christ” back into Christmas!

  • Pictured: Mark Mohr, Avion Blackman-Mohr, Ziza Mohr, Nikita Carter, Renato Taimes, Markus Ritchie and Justin Nalimu in the official music video for “Broken Spears” (in 2019) (Photo via PR/YouTube.com)

Thank you for reading my latest blog post! As per usual, I’ll be back at it again tomorrow, for a Festive edition of our weekly Scuzz Sundays feature, where we take an in-depth listen to one of the ghosts of Pop-Punk or Emo-Rock’s past, released between the mid-1990’s and the late-2000’s. 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: Shonen Knife – “Space Christmas”

December 17, 2020 — Leave a comment

Peace on Earth, but Joy to the cosmic galaxy. It’s time for a new post!

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “A Shonen Knife Christmas Record For You” (Single/EP) (1991) (via Rockville)

Great tidings we bring – I am Jacob Braybrooke and I’m here to fulfill my daily duties to type up about today’s track on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! One again, I’m using my smartphone to write today’s post, so I offer my apologies if the format isn’t as neat as I usually like to make it, but I quite enjoyed using this device yesterday actually. Shonen Knife’s “Space Christmas” is the subject of your latest Festive track on the blog this year. Shonen Knife are a Garage-Punk trio from Osaka, Japan who, although changing their line-up’s through the years frequently, have been going for almost the past 40 years now. Heavily influenced by their love of The Ramones (They once performed as a tribute band to them, named The Osaka Ramones), the Japanese Alternative Rock trio are a fresh Avant-Rock take on the 60’s Bubblegum girl bands of old, rooted firmly in DIY Punk aesthetics and quirky, if simple, songwriting tactics. “Space Christmas” was originally released in 1992 as the lead single from the “A Shonen Knife Christmas For You” four-track EP, which was released via Rockville, but it has since been re-issued a bunch of times, most notably on “The Birds & The B-Sides”, a compilation of B-sides, cover versions, live releases, reworked tracks and just other rare material, released via Virgin Records in 1996. Let’s blast off with them to “Space Christmas” down below.

The trio have been credited a lot for opening up the international Post-Punk scene to a lot of more diverse, Asian rock groups to find critical and commercial success in the music industry, hence adding some much-needed international spice to the blossoming genre at the time. “Space Christmas” was released in their prime, and it’s not hard to tell, with the gleeful enthusiasm of their personalities merging with the unrepelled guitar work as Yamano chants: “Merry, Merry Christmas” over the top of the frantic guitar strumming. The vocals have an innocent sound, as she happily sings: “I’m waiting for Santa Claus/He’s riding on a bison sleigh/I’m waiting for Christmas gifts/I want a space ship” above the cheerful sleigh bell melodies and the jovial Pop-Punk instrumentation. It has playfully bad English in it’s lyricism and an unbridled drumming signature within its arsenal, as an undeniably “Bubblegum” Pop sound beams through the amusing vocals to a Punk-in-it’s-prime guitar edge. Lines like “I want to go to Pluto/I want to go with you/I bring Space food/They are Marshmellow, and Ice Cream” really emphasize this sound, although I hate to use the term “Bubblegum” for this because it implies cheap and disposable. It’s going to put a smile on your face though and the intentionally unpolished production will definitely contribute to your enjoyment. It moves beyond ancient Indie Pop, while also providing a good alternative to the same old tracks from Wham, Mariah Carey and Chris Rea that you may be sick of hearing already this year. Sweet, melodic fun.

  • Pictured: Naoko Yamano (Lead Vocals/Lead Guitar), Ritsuko Taneda (Bass Guitar/Rhythm Guitar) and Emi Morimoto (Drums/Vocals) at the Shonen Knife 30th Anniversary show (2011) (via Wikipedia.com)

Thank you for reading my new blog post! As per usual, I’ll be back at it again tomorrow, but to save me from bombarding you with Christmas music all of the time, we’re going to listen to an older track from earlier in the year together. This next one comes from an American Hip-Hop duo based in Seattle who received over ten million views on YouTube for their viral single, “Come Correct”. 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: Keep Dancing Inc – “No Milkshakes In Hell”

December 2, 2020 — Leave a comment

Chocolate. Strawberry. Banana. Mint. Toffee – Take your pick! It is time for a new post!

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Embrace” (Album/LP) (Released on October 23rd, 2020) (via Sony Music)

I will have you know that my Milkshakes bring all of the boys to the yard! I’m Jacob Braybrooke – and it’s time for me to get writing up all about your daily track on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to type up about a different piece of music every day! Keep Dancing Inc are one of my latest discoveries – a new Synth-Punk trio from France. They have previously supported Blossoms on a tour through Europe. Their debut album – “Embrace” – was released on 23rd October through Un Plain Simple, a French imprint of the Sony Music label. The track grabbed me with it’s weirdly opaque subject matter, and I think it positions them to be an exciting act to follow in the indie Electronica scene. To bring the new album to life, the trio worked on the production process with Tom Carmichael, who has also produced records for the likes of HAIM, Fat White Family and Jamie Issac over the years – recording twelve tracks together between Paris and Margate in England. On that note, it’s time to pick your poison… or milkshake, of choice – Let’s slurp into “No Milkshakes In Hell” below.

“This song tells an absurd story”, the band explained in the press release, “It’s about a psychopath who has an addiction for Milkshake”, adding, “The idea was probably inspired by movies like ‘Profando Rosso’ by Dario Argento or John Carpenter’s ‘Halloween’, some movies Louis saw when he was writing the lyrics of this song”, and it’s the playful tone of the songwriting which sets us up for the New Wave-inspired production. There’s an unashamedly 80’s Synthpop vibe that wraps the instrumentation and the vocals together, as Louis chants: “I go from town to town, and I bring them down/’Til the frozen liquid hits my brain/and tries to drive me insane” with a cold and tough delivery, but the crescendo of the glitch beats and the sweeping, bouncing synths add a melodic punch to it. Quirky lines like “I stabbed a man with a straw last night” and “I’m a milkshake maniac, Beware of my shake attack” create a narrative that the vocals are almost recounting to us. An undercurrent of Synth-Punk, with some obvious comparisons being drawn to LCD Soundsystem here, keeps the character of the odd, Milkshake psychopath intact, with a definite Neo-Punk sound that evokes Horror Movie synths into the home stretch at the end, where the Drum Machine beats are layered more frantically. It never quite turns into a feel good and upbeat pop anthem though, as the vocals maintain their cerebral rhythms. The bassline teases a more thunderous drop too, but it never quite takes off, and so it retains the Post-Punk edge. It definitely quenches my thirst, which is a bit more than I can often say about Milkshakes in real life. I think it’s a lot of fun, and I think their real share of talent comes in when they create the character of the psychopath and they manage to make him seem quirky and engaging, but retain his bleak and calculated personality, due to the production of the lead vocals. Tres Bien!

  • Pictured: Louis (Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar/Synths), Joseph (Bass Guitar/Backing Vocals/Keyboard and Gaby (Drums/Percussion/Occasional Backing Vocals) (in 2020) (Photo via DIYMag.com)

Thank you for checking out my new blog post! As per usual, I’ll be back for more tomorrow – Join me for an in-depth look at one of my recent deep dives. The track comes from a small local artist from Minnesota over in the United States who self-produces an self-releases his own bedroom pop and lo-fi material. His other project is Sleeping Jesus, and the track was recently featured on The Current’s Song Of The Day podcast series. 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: Genesis Owusu – “Don’t Need You”

November 6, 2020 — 1 Comment

I wonder what this Canberra-born rapper has in his bandage of tricks! New post time!

  • Pictured: Genesis Owusu in a press shot for the Red Bull House Party (in 2020) (Photo via RedBull.com)
    Pictured: Genesis Owusu in a press shot for the Red Bull House Party (in 2020) (Photo via RedBull.com)

Wow, I can’t believe it’s Friday again already. I’m Jacob Braybrooke, and It’s time for me to write to you about today’s anthem on the blog, because it has always been my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! This weekend seems very light on new album releases, so we’re going to take an in-depth look at a track from earlier in the year that I probably wish I’d got around to actually typing words about here sooner. I give you “Don’t Need You” by Genesis Owusu. I’m the Head Of Music at OMG Radio at Staffordshire University, and this is a track that I discovered back in September through The Current’s Song Of The Day podcast. I rather liked it on first impressions, so I gave it a spot on the C-List. It’s been climbing the rankings of our daytime rotation list, and I’d finally moved it up to the A-List yesterday for the next week or so. This is a real grower for Genesis Owusu – who is an Ghanian-Australian producer, rapper and lyricist from Canberra who once performed as the opening act for 5 Seconds Of Summer for their sold-out charity benefit concert in Sydney last year. He is also the brother of fellow Canberran songwriter Citizen Kay. This was just a one-off single release. Warm your ears up for “Don’t Need You” below.

Owusu’s earlier track, “WUTD”, was once used for a Bose Noice Cancelling Headphones advertising campaign last year, and Owusu’s track “Sideways” received national airplay on the Triple J radio station over in the States last year, so it’s fair to say that Owusu is no stranger to a little bit of mainstream attention here and there, despite sticking to his guns as an Alternative R&B and Trip-Hop artist. “Don’t Need You” really struck me with it’s hybridity of Funk-Rock, Trip-Hop, R&B and Neo-Soul influences, which taps into melodies and harmonies that seem very eclectic and dynamic. The tone shifts around all over the place, but in a good way. Owusu opens with a somber mood, as he sings: “Once I left your crazy a**, I took a therapy session” over the top of a washing ambience created by the gentle keyboard keys. A burst of energy leads into an off-kilter Funk instrumental as Owusu raps: “Said, I can’t leave my bed today/You tied me on my chest again” in the first verse. The bridge raises the intensity of the groove-driven melodies with a fragmented strobe effect that weaves through Owusu’s lyrics as he recites: “Wait, could this be true? I don’t like you, I don’t like you” with a slightly Falsetto-led delivery. It reminds me a little bit of David Byrne from Talking Heads and Jim Morison of Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine, but not too closely to either of them individually. That’s a really good thing, because this also allows to Owusu to add some humor to the lyrics about self-empowerment and independence, with laugh-out-loud hooks like: “I said your a** is stinky, and you built like a mole/And I’ll boot your a** to London if you can’t take a stroll” that land on the surface of the wonky production details. There’s also a subtle touch of melancholy in places, as Owusu raps: “Same tricks/How’d you do me like that?” in a rhythmic interlude that evokes a more 00’s-leaning fusion of R&B and Chicago Soul. I think that what Owusu manages to do is rather exciting, and it feels original. The wonky delivery of the synths and the instrumental sections appeal to me as a lover of Alternative music, whilst the chorus feels hook-oriented and melodic enough for some decent crossover appeal for the more mainstream types of listeners. All around, it’s very solid indeed. This is interesting, eclectic and, above all, a lot of fun. Can’t you see he’s rich?

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for "Don't Need You" (Single) (Released on May 15, 2020) (via Ourness Pty Ltd.)
    Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Don’t Need You” (Single) (Released on May 15, 2020) (via Ourness Pty Ltd.)

Thank you for reading my latest blog post! As always, I’ll be back tomorrow, for an in-depth look at some brand new music from a fresh Alternative Rock/Lo-Fi Punk band who come from Galway on the West Coast of Ireland, who performed a live session for Steve Lamacq’s Drivetime show on BBC Radio 6Music yesterday. 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: Public Enemy (feat. George Clinton) – “When The Grid Go Down…”

November 4, 2020 — Leave a comment

If you don’t like this one…You may be a rap fan’s Public Enemy #1! It’s new post time!

  • Pictured: Flavor Flav and Chuck D at a festival (2014) (Photo Credit: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)
    Pictured: Flavor Flav and Chuck D at a festival (2014) (Photo Credit: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)

Well…vhere we are again! Good Morning to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m typing up your daily post on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to get writing to you about a different piece of music every day! If you’ve not heard of Public Enemy, then you must have been living under a rock for the past few decades! They’ve been going ever since the late-1980’s, and they have been known for their very political, hard-edged styles of hip-hop experiments, with critic Stephen Thomas Erwleine of AllMusic naming them “the most influential and radical band of their time”. With the current US election, it’s intriguing to see them making a return to the public eye. It’s down to the current lineup of Chuck D and Flavor Flav – along with Bassist Davy DMX and a few more who were not part of the group’s original lineup, to put their unique spin on contemporary themes and socio-economic ideas. “What You Gonna Do When The Grid Goes Down” is their latest album, and it saw the classic act go old-school with the release dropping on Def Jam. It’s their fifteenth studio album, and their first under the “Public Enemy” name since 2017 (as they released “Loud Is Not Enough” as ‘Public Enemy Radio’ earlier in 2020). The new album features a star-studded guest list including DJ Premier, Run-DMC, Nas, Mark Jenkins and more. The album had a quick turnaround from it’s announcement and it’s release, and there seems to be a fairly mixed reception to Public Enemy’s latest, although it skews positive. The opening track is “When The Grid Go Down..”, which brings together the rap icons with the bona-fide Funk legend George Clinton. Let’s take a listen below.

With lyrics like “All around/Without the sound/Uncle Jam’s army” and “We are here/What you gonna do when the grid go down?” bursting through a distorting stock radio effect, “When The Grid Go Down” is a short and sweet introduction just shy of 2 minutes long that signals the return of the beloved Hip-Hop group as we lead into “GRID”, the first full-length track on the new album. The vocals play on themes of Public Enemy being “heroes” in a time of distress, further teasing ideas of mature rebellion and social activism to be consistently explored throughout the sound of the record. Some of these lyrics stick out to me, like “Socially Engineered Anarchy Induced Chaos” and “One against the other, Him against his brother” that are recited under a smoky, washing backing vocal from Clinton. These themes of standing up to authority as a group and repelling political degrades as a union feel rather reflective of the Funk music that Clinton used to make with Funkadelic and Parliament in the late-1970’s, with a light guitar brushing that sounds neo-psychedelic and punk-driven enough to bat a few eyelids, for me, anyways. The subtle hip-hop breakbeat comes into the fray at the midway mark, with a heavy melody being teased by the gradually increasing tempo and raising intensity on the harsh, abrasive drum beats that skitter along to the hip-hop instrumental beats at a speedy and prevalent pace. Although this is clearly more of a skit or interlude rather than a fully fleshed-out track, it manages to fulfill it’s role of establishing a few key themes for the album in a melodic and nicely thought-out way. Although the ideas of rebellion in unity are the ideas that Public Enemy have been playing around with for years, they are still relevant, if a little generic at this point. It’s a little bit dis-spiriting to see that most of the original line-up hasn’t come back for this outing, but Flavor Flav and Chuck D have done a good job in working with the resources they still have access to. Overall, I’d like to see the classic rap act bring a couple of fresher ideas to the table, but the hazy production of this teaser/intro is a solid affair that feels drawing and expansive. Although I know exactly what to expect from the record, it still makes me intrigued to see where it will go. The psychedelic vibes point towards a Gorillaz-esque colour of hip-hop experimentation. All in all, the concepts may feel tired, but this sounds like it’s going to be a good thing.

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for "What You Gonna Do When The Grid Goes Down?" (Album/LP) (Released on September 25th, 2020) (via Def Jam Recordings)
    Pictured: Cover Artwork for “What You Gonna Do When The Grid Goes Down?” (Album/LP) (Released on September 25th, 2020) (via Def Jam Recordings)

Thank you very much for reading my new post! Always one to celebrate an eclectic mix of playlist selections, I am going to be switching up styles again tomorrow – as we take a look at the recent solo project of a female producer and composer who is best known for being one-half of the influential indie rock duo The XX. 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: Charlotte Day-Wilson – “Summertime”

October 29, 2020 — Leave a comment

It seems that one person still needs to change their seasonal calendar. New post time!

  • Pictured: Charlotte Day-Wilson wrapping live video production at colorsxstudios (in 2020) (via PR)
    Pictured: Charlotte Day-Wilson wrapping live video production at colorsxstudios (in 2020) (via PR)

Good Morning to you, my name is Jacob Braybrooke and it’s now time for me to get typing up about your daily track post on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! A 26-year-old singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Toronto, Canada – Charlotte Day Wilson was inspired to start producing her own music when she picked up a piano at an early age, and began classical music training at an Arts university. Since then, a stint in the funk band The Wayo followed and then she began to explore the genres of Alternative R&B and Electronic Soul. She is also a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and she identifies as Queer. In recent years, she has collaborated with artists like Kaytranada, Daniel Caesar and River Tiber. However, she has most recently dropped the “Take Care Of You/Summertime” double single EP on the Stone Woman music label, a new short-form release where Wilson opts to put a unique spin on the R&B and Soul genres by offering up LGBT-based themes. Let’s take a listen to “Summertime” below.

Charlotte Day-Wilson said in her press release: “I wrote ‘Summertime’ at my cottage alone in the woods”, before she added, “I was just reflecting on some unrequited emotions that always seem to come back in the summer”, when explaining the meaning and context behind the track. The track has gained a spot on the rotary A-List on BBC Radio 6Music, and I sincerely think this is easily her most downtempo offering yet. The outset of the track establishes a tropical and windy, but noticeably melancholic and sorrowed tone, which reminds me of La Roux’s “Trouble In Paradise” album from back in 2014. The track is filled with Gospel stylings, as a chiming and undecipherable backing vocal sets the mood. Wilson croons: “So, you need a new friend/It hasn’t been a week yet” and “But you want the love/You want the girl/And after midnight/It’s time to say goodbye” over a pattern of Shoegaze-driven guitar chords and deep, atmospheric keyboard lines. The chorus is more hook-led, as Wilson sings: “Summertime/It’s always where you come alive, Breeze on, When it gets hot I can’t fall in love, no” over the top of a more funk-inspired rhythm of gently swooshing bass guitar melodies and Conga drum patterns. The vocals are a strong aspect of the track, as Wilson manages to convey a rather haunting mood with the dreamy harmonies that make it sound like she isn’t really addressing someone, but more recounting a distant, intense memory of unrequited love and the nostalgic emotions that come flooding back from this experience, pushing to the center of her thought process off the back of her mind. However, there is a vagueness to the vocals that make it feel more widely accessible, and the world-inspired instrumental sways to a structure that feels quite playful, and melodic enough for slight glimmers of more upbeat qualities to briefly walk through. I also find the cover art to be interesting, with a horizontally blurred black-and-white photo depicting an obscured kiss on the cheek between two women, although this is left as fuzzy and unclear. I think the track’s best asset is the fairly wide range of emotions and atmospheric qualities that Wilson manages to convey within her voice and production on the track, however. It makes for an emotive audio experience, and I’m intrigued to see where she goes next.

  • Pictured: Charlotte Day-Wilson in a recent press shoot for The Pit, London (in 2020) (Photo via Last.fm)
    Pictured: Charlotte Day-Wilson in a recent press shoot for The Pit, London (in 2020) (Photo via Last.fm)

Thank you very much for reading my latest post! There’s no big new album releases of note tomorrow, strangely, so we’re going to take an in-depth look at another track from Nadine Shah’s latest album that I’ve been meaning to spotlight on the blog for quite a while, so please join me again tomorrow for that. 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: Phoenix – “Identical”

October 24, 2020 — Leave a comment

Twinned together like Abingdon-on-Thames and Schongau, Germany. New post time!

  • Pictured: Thomas Mars (Lead Vocals), Deck “The Halls” D’Arcy (Bass Guitar, Keyboard), Laurent Brancowitz (Lead Guitar) and Christian Mazzalai (Rhythm Guitar/Percussion) (in 2019) (via press shot)

It’s the weekend! My name is Jacob Braybrooke and, as per usual, I’m here to get typing up your daily track on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music each day! Best known for the singles “1901”, “Lisztomania”, “Chloroform” and “If I Ever Feel Better”, Phoenix are an established Alternative/Indie Pop-Rock band from Versailles, France. They have six evolutionary albums under their name, and they are a band who I have followed for a large number of years, much like my post about The Mountain Goats yesterday. “Identical” is their new single release, and it marks their first new material since 2018’s one-off single “Monologue”, and it also follows their excellent Latino-leaning 2017 album record, “Ti Amo”. It was also dedicated by the band to the memory of the longtime collaborator Phillipe Zdar, who sadly passed away last year at the age of 50. The track is also the soundtrack for the brand new film “On The Rocks”, which stars Bill Murray, Rashida Jones and Marlon Wayans, and it was directed by Sofia Coppola, of whom the band’s frontman Thomas Mars is married to. The film was released earlier in the month in selected cinemas and on the Apple TV+ subscription streaming service. The online music video for the track features Roman Coppola-directed imagery spliced together by the movie producer, Masa Tsuyuki. Let’s take a listen to “Identical” below.

Phoenix have also compiled the score for the new film, which tells the story of “Faced with sudden doubts about her marriage, a young New York mother (Jones) teams up with her larger-than-life playboy father (Murray) to tail her husband (Wayans) in this bittersweet comedy.”, according to the film’s press release. “Identical” opens it’s path to uplifting pop anthem with a more reserved, fractured stop-and-start synth beat as Mars layers: “I don’t just know you/I’ve grown like that too” and the drum section becomes more prevalent in the pre-bridge, where Mars layers: “In the same room, on the same night/I found you caught in the headlines” as the synth riffs gradually increase in their acidic qualities and the tempo steadily increases. Mars has begun to chronicle the band’s relationship with Phillipe Zdar, with lines like “Gazing ’round the corner of the university/Can’t call it out, but keep calling you out loud” and “I’m no prophet/I’m your friend/Take my advice, make your mistakes” sticking out lyrically, over the top of a propulsive keyboard sequence and a snappy, percussive rhythm guitar distortion which gives the chorus it’s slightly abrasive edge. The synth beats maintain a melodic flow, however, and never skitter too heavily towards a harsh and raw sound. The mood feels rhythmic and uplifting, instead, as well as lyrics that feel rather self-reflective, as Mars riffs on about getting to know the specific traits of a person and how to try and wash away their more negative characteristics. It results in an overall sound that feels less catchy and punchy than most of Phoenix’s older work, and it has a much more introspective tone to it instead. This also ensures that there is a decent balance of familiarity with the electronic direction we’re used to hearing from them, whilst also offering a different mood to represent something a little bit fresh, and I feel it works out pretty well. It’s perhaps going to be forgotten quite easily, but it sees the band delivering well on their noticeably more intelligent pop template.

  • Pictured: Official Movie poster for “On The Rocks” (Dir. Sofia Coppola) (in 2020) (via PR/Apple TV +)

I spotted some mince pies and stollen cakes in my trip to Aldi yesterday, so if you’re feeling in the mood for some early festive spirit today, you can still check out my post about Phoenix’s seasonal yule rock single, “Alone On Christmas Day”, here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/12/12/todays-track-phoenix-feat-bill-murray-alone-on-christmas-day/

  • Pictured: Phoenix in a still from the official music video for “Ti Amo” (2017) (Photo via YouTube.com)

Thank you for reading this post! Don’t forget to join me again tomorrow, where I’ll be delivering on a new entry in our weekly Scuzz Sundays series, where we dig out a relic from the Pop-Punk and Emo-Rock genres, from the late-1990’s until the mid-2000’s, to see if it can hold up in the present day! If 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: Candace – “Still Phase”

October 12, 2020 — Leave a comment

A “Witchgaze” trio from Portland who you’ll never see Coven. It’s time for a new post!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Ideal Corners” (Released on May 29th, 2020) (via Self-Released/Bandcamp)

Good Morning! My name is Jacob Braybrooke and, as per usual, it’s time for me to type up about your daily track on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! With their self-described “Witchgaze” sound, Candace are a Shoegaze and Dream-Folk band from Portland, Oregon. The line-up is made up of Mara Appel Des Lauriers, Sarah Nienebar and Sarah Rose, who share the vocals and guitar roles on their tracks, with Des Lauriers supplying the Drum parts too. They first met in Minneapolis, where the three ladies bonded over their love for guitars in their parents houses, before forming their band (Which was then-known as Is/Is) in 2009. They currently self-produce all of their music, and they self-release it all on their Bandcamp page. They seem to have quite the prolific discography if you take a moment to look at all of the music releases on their Bandcamp page, and “Ideal Corners” is the latest full-length album release, which they uploaded onto the page on May 19th, 2020. The release saw them collaborate on production with Larry Crane, and it was recorded at the Jackpot! Recording Studio almost a whole year ago. It also finds them experimenting with electronic Synth hardware, namely drum machines, to add an “otherworldy” feel to their guitar-led Shoegaze sound. “Still Phase” is the lead single from their recent album, and the trio commented, in a press release, that it “is about coming to terms with the senslesness of inaction, about learning over and over again that there is ‘no right time’, nothing is ever definite”. Let’s relax and take a listen to “Still Phase” below.

Their recent album explores “themes of nostalgia and hope, the unease of modern band life, expectations and inertia – all encapsulated into tightly written psychedelic dream pop songs” according to their partner label Little Cloud Records. It’s certainly noticeable that “Still Phase” has a significantly light and gentle sound, and there is really not much in the way of explosive variations in sound or memorable lyrical hooks here, necessarily. However, it’s melodic enough. The vocals are fairly easy to decipher, which is quite an unusual trait for a Shoegaze release, as Ninebar chimes: “Forget my name, go on, let this soar, we’re flying/Keep on trying” and “Now, I know you then” at a soft ease, over the top of an increasingly layered series of psych-laden textures, with fluffy and laborious guitar work easily blending with a set of gently melancholic backgrounds, and soft-centred drum beats which slowly build up to a distorted layer of heavy bass as we near the track’s conclusion. There is also a sense of strength that develops between these minor changes of tempo as well, and the thorough line is a droning, but calming, lead vocal that has a proverbial effect of just massaging your ears. Overall, it presents a textural backdrop of a gorgeous pool of soft psychedelic sounds for you to submerge yourself in, even if this pool could be a little deeper with further experimentation of a slightly more varied set of sounds. It’s still a beautiful and lovely sound though, and the DIY feel, that reminds me of Beach House and Mazzy Star, weirdly adds a little more engagement to it, with it’s simplicity.

  • Pictured: Mara Appel Des Lauriers (Drums/Producer), Sarah Nienabar (Lead Vocals/Bass Guitar) and Sarah Rose (Lead Guitar/Backing Vocals) (2016) (Photo by Jeni Wren Stotrup/The Portland Mercury)

Thank you very much for reading my new post! Make sure to check out the blog tomorrow, where we’ll be heading across to the Merge Records label to take an in-depth look at one of their latest releases. The single comes from an electronic Post-Punk producer from Washington, DC who has previously released her material on Danger Records, and “she favours smart, sharp, effortlessly cool compositions that worm their way into your conciousness without breaking a sweat”, according to NME’s Jordan Bassett. If you really 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/

Scuzz Sundays: Evanescence – “Going Under”

October 11, 2020 — Leave a comment

In 2020, I wonder if there’s any new life yet to be bought to this act. It’s Scuzz Sunday!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Fallen” (Released on 3rd March, 2003) (via Wind-Up/Epic Records)

You know what time of the week it is! Good Morning, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’ve arrived to type up about your daily track on the blog, as it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! This week’s installment of our Scuzz Sundays, our weekly look back at a late-90’s to mid-00’s classic of the Emo-Rock or Pop-Punk ilk, comes from one of the most commercially popular bands of the era, particularly in the territories of Europe, in the Amy Lee female-fronted Gothic Metal group, Evanescence. The band were formed in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1995 by Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. The band’s first major studio album, “Fallen”, followed a string of independent album releases. It was released in 2003, and it has sold over 17 million copies worldwide (That’s probably thanks to their killer record, “Bring Me To Life”, which is still one of their best-known singles), along with winning Evanescence two Grammy Awards, out of five nominations overall. Although the group have dealt with a few line-up changes and the odd hiatus or two, they are still currently active, and make a killing in territories like Finland and Sweden due to their European “Nu-Metal” style. “Going Under” was a single from “Fallen”, and it reached #8 in the UK Singles Chart. It also reached the top ten of the Billboard US Alternative Chart, and also the top ten of Brazil, Italy and New Zealand as well. Let’s take a listen to it below.

In an interview with MTV News, Amy Lee explained: “The lyrics are about coming out of a bad relationship, and when you’re at the end of the rope, when you’re at the point where you realize something has to change… It’s a very strong song”, and Lee matches these lyrics about “drowning” to the bad arms of a toxic partner with an undeniably hook-driven, Pop sensibility, despite the heavy guitar chords and the soft hip-hop inspired backing beats. Lee takes on a very self-reflective, first-person stance vocally, as she chants: “Drowning in you/I’m falling forever/I’ve got to break through/I’m going under” above an amplified layer of grinding bass guitar riffs and heavy sets of reverberated drum beats, and you’ll find harsh guitar licks in the verses, instead of any twinkling piano melodies. The lyrics play quite heavy on the intensity of love, and the consumption that falling in love can bring to your mental health, as Lee pleads “Blurring and stirring the truth and the lies/So I don’t know what’s real and what’s not” in the verse, before an interlude of echoed synth rhythms signal for a quick post-bridge, before we get a guitar solo which feels very celebratory and anthemic. It mostly feels like everything has been turned up to eleven in volume instrumentally, and for me, well… It actually works really damn well. Lee manages to push quite a well-layered vocal performance throughout the track, and at a time where her male co-horts would often get main production credits when she was doing a lot of the work herself is something worth praising. The anthemic feel of the lead vocals and the guitars together are pretty cheesy, and it gained comparisons to Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit at the time, but again, it manages to feel rather anthemic and enjoyable, instead of cliche or cringeworthy. It’s just Pop, but with heavy chords, and the hooks luckily have the impact needed to flesh it out adequately. To be honest with you, I may usually pick quite a Crap song to cover for the Scuzz Sundays feature because it’s just a bit of fun, so it’s a welcome change of pace to find something that has a bit of value here and I can see why “Going Under” was such a big hit. Good stuff.

  • Pictured: Amy Lee (Lead Vocals/Keyboard), Troy McLawhorn (Lead Guitar), Jen Majura (Rhythm Guitar/Backing Vocals), Tim McCord (Bass Guitar) and Will Hunt (Drums) (2020) (Photo by Paul Brown)

Thank you for reading your new Scuzz Sundays post! As per usual, we’ll be back to our usual business again tomorrow, with yet another daily track. I’ll be kicking off the new week with an in-depth look at a recent-ish track that I sadly didn’t get around to covering nearer to it’s release. It comes from just a small band from Portland, Oregon in the United States who like to explore “dreamy landscapes” and “hazy memories” through the means of Shoegaze, Alternative Folk and Dream-Rock. Their latest work explores “the unease of modern band life” and “themes of nostalgia and hope” through the ethereal chimes of the band’s vocalist Sarah Nienabar in a packaged-up psychedelic production. 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: Jane In Palma – “One By One (Original Mix)”

October 8, 2020 — Leave a comment

This is basically Cuckoo from the titular BBC sitcom in music form. It’s new post time!

  • Pictured: Jane In Palma (a.k.a. Julian Smith) in the music video for “Safety Net” (2020) (via Vimeo.com)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke and it’s my duty to get writing up about your spotlighted daily track on the blog, because it’s still always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! With such a name as quirky as “Jane In Palma” (a parody of the popular Australian Psychedelic Rock artist Tame Impala), you’d be forgiven for thinking this is just a “p**s take” of that culture. No, this is an incredibly experimental project. “Jane In Palma” is the latest moniker of the California-native percussionist and composer Julian Smith, who has released his material under several different aliases, with Dan Froth being his most notable, and he’s previously been associated with WNCL Recordings, Phonica White and UNO! NYC (between the years of 2010 – 2016) under that pseudonym. “Saftey Net” is the second album of his “Jane In Palma” alias, and it’s the follow-up to 2016’s debut “Primitive Thoughts”, and it was released over the summer, on July 8, via Snake Free Roofing. He has gained support from BBC Radio 1, Rinse FM, NTS Radio and Ibiza Global Radio, of all places. For me, I heard of the artist through one of John Ravenscroft’s recent turns on 6Music Recommends, of which Smith was the featured ‘Spotlight Artist’ of the particular programme. In any case, Smith has been claiming for himself to be “based somewhere between the Balearics and the Basque country”, although I am not too sure if this is a part of the act or not, but I’ve given Smith the benefit of the doubt on that. A purely Instrumental track, let’s give ourselves a gander to “One By One” below.

For his first album of the “Jane In Palma” title, Smith’s “Primitive Thoughts” LP from 2016 saw him interpret the surroundings of two locations – empty caves on the isle of Mallorica – which he used as his recording locations. On his Bandcamp page, Smith explains how “Safety Net” is all about exploring the themes of offline living, and ignoring the presence of the media around us, and the record electronically touches upon elements of Garage-Rock, Post-Punk and Surf-Rock from a sonic standpoint. Although “One By One” is not very representative at all of the core sound of the record overall, personally, it is my favourite track on the record because of it’s simplicity. The rest of the record is an interesting mix of idiosyncratic 80’s hip-hop instrumentals and underground production methods, where “the facts don’t matter if the source is crooked”, according to Smith himself, but the sound that makes up the original mix of “One By One” is a more formulaic and gentle process. It mixes up an audibly soft funk rhythm of a plucky bass guitar riff with a delightfully upbeat Conga drum beat that catches on a melodious, repetitive groove that continually sits on the top of a slightly stuttered time signature. A few push-and-pulls of the pacing can be heard now and again, but it mainly stays at a punchy mid-tempo feel, with a springy interlude towards the end. There’s evidently nothing at all to talk about lyrically here because it’s an entirely instrumental effort, but the tones are cheerful and free-form, allowing the patterns of the repeated guitar-and-drum pattern to catch the attention of your ears. The sound pallete is not too busy, but there’s enough going on to make it feel relaxed and humble, if unashamedly formulaic, to keep you occupied and simply in a nice mood. Overall, it allows Smith to nurture his creativity mind-set, and explore sequenced sets of productions with the use of the experimental recording processes, without even the need to think about the commercial justifications to do so. A “pet project” down to a tee, I find the simplicity of “One By One” to be very appealing, with music which seems basic but groovy. Definitely worth keeping your tabs on this artist.

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Safety Net” (Album/LP) (Released on July 8th, 2020) (via Snake Free Roofing)

Thank you very much for reading the new post! Don’t forget that I’ll be back again tomorrow, for an in-depth look at another experimental enigma, who is more accustomed to the underground Hip-Hop Fusion realm. It comes off the back of an impressive debut album released two years ago, and the new record features guest collaborative work from Iggy Pop, Jimi Goodwin (of Doves) and Jason Williamson (of The Sleaford Mobs). 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/