The return of the "What are you listening to now?" thread

[JK]

Back in late 1972, at a charity organization whose premises I frequented, this Canadian girl played side two of a self-titled album by someone she knew personally. First released in 1971, David Wiffen is a curiously appealing album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIRX6vE8pPY

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Wiffen

[Unreconstructed Wilsonite]

Given that Jimi Hendrix passed away 50 years ago today, I figured it was a good time to re-listen to Electric Ladyland for the first time in years. Fantastic album

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibJ3VMt6yfU

I'm criminally unfamiliar with this album. A few tracks, of course, including this extraordinary single (with an extraordinary B-side):

https://vimeo.com/313662875

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_of_the_Midnight_Lamp

Oh yeah, I'd never given Burning Of The Midnight Lamp much of a look-in, but these days it's certainly a favourite of mine as far as Hendrix tracks go - and a fresh alternative to the classic but overplayed hits like Hey Joe, Purple Haze and All Along The Watchtower

I don't know whether you're from the USA, UW, but in the UK the first two you mention and "The Wind Cries Mary" were not on the debut album. The most glaring omission from the US edition is the stunning "Red House", the studio version of which I can't find anywhere online. So instead, here's the preposterous B-side of "Lamp", "The Stars That Play With Laughing Sam's Dice":

https://vimeo.com/313656728   

I believe in the US, Red House ended up being released on the Smash Hits compilation - ditto Laughing Sam's Dice, albeit on the UK edition. The former being a fantastic blues tune; the latter a curious, if fun oddity. For the record as well, I'm Australian haha

[JK]

While locking up this evening, I played the two opening tracks of The Joshua Tree in memory of my penpal of ten years' standing, who died last June. She loved Hallowe'en. It was she who opened my ears to the music of U2. It was then that I  thought I had found what was looking for. Now I don't know what to think. Bless you, my friend.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FsrPEUt2Dg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vye_tNZYL8

[JK]

Right now I'm working my way through Mike's Unleash the Love to give my opinion of it on another forum. So far it ranges from a tad simplistic to actually quite good!

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kBRGt57PLK9KLuP_Akrirk4k1-hyldTHY

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unleash_the_Love

[JK]

Ringing the changes here... next up is Animal Collective's blissed-out 2009 album Merriweather Post Pavilion:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwj0FpWHwrYL2EoDm-ywK4UTeGY0VEM2g

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merriweather_Post_Pavilion_(album)

[JK]

I read up the wiki on Supergrass after seeing them on BBC-TV's Later with Jools Holland on Friday and discovered they grew out of a band called The Jennifers, whose one and only single was released in 1992. It comprises four tracks...

"Just Got Back Today": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOrhF0HGqu0
"Rocks And Boulders": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6DLkmWdusQ
"Danny's Song": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH7tpoq5nKE
"Tomorrow's Rain": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzvSnfIt5ZA

Oddly, "RAB" is played twice in the second video...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supergrass#The_Jennifers_and_formation_(1990–1993)

[guitarfool2002]

Not sure if it's been mentioned yet, but Supergrass is a terrific rock and roll band with top songwriting. Their album "In It For The Money" (with a cover shot of them busking outside) is absolutely fantastic, a must-listen, and one of my favorites. The song "Late In The Day" is one of the best songs of the past 30 years in my opinion. The entire album is f***ing rock and roll done the right way. Great production, great songwriting, tight band performances, and fantastic loud guitars combined with acoustics recorded as well as those on "Rubber Soul". When I got into the studio production thing and we were working for clients, we used to put Supergrass on as one of the references on how to mix that kind of rock and roll properly.

It's funny how mentions of a band like Supergrass trigger memories from afar.

I remember buying "In It For The Money", which I believe was their second as Supergrass, and being pleasantly surprised it came with 2 discs for the price of one. They added an entire second disc full of B-sides and other assorted tracks and only charged for the price of a single album. That was cool.

They were on the MTV show 120 Minutes, I may still have that on VHS. The host, Matt, asked them about rumors they were in talks with Steven Spielberg or something to work up a show based around them, like The Monkees concept of a young rock band cavorting around a cool pad or something. They denied it outright lol. Obviously they were just rumors. The band did have some cool videos though.

They came to Boston when I was playing in a band and crashing with a friend in Cambridge, near Harvard. That was when Rivers Cuomo had left Weezer to study at Harvard. Friend of a friend who hung out with Rivers and worked as a roadie for another "super" band, Superdrag (HIGHLY recommend them too, love their music), happened to be walking down Newbury Street and saw these guys randomly walking there too. No one recognized them, but he did: It was Supergrass. He went over to them and introduced himself, and among other things he took them to John Fluevog Shoes to check out some new hip kicks lol. They were one of the best shops to find a full line of Docs, as well as a selection of anything with creeper soles perfect for the music scenesters. We were surprised no one among the hip college set strolling down Newbury recognized a trio walking around who had been on MTV. And Fluevog's shoe store was on the same block of Newbury as Tower Records and Newbury Comics, in fact all were within like 10 storefronts of each other, and the kind of people who hung there in 1997-1998 should have recognized them!

Another friend saw them in concert. Said it was amazing, the guitar sound was intense and brilliant, and if I recall he said it was only one or two Fender Twins on stage, that's it. When you boil it down, that's all you need, really.

Of all the albums they have, all of them worth a listen, "In It For The Money" is still one of my top albums of all time. Those who haven't checked it out yet, give it a spin. I miss when music like Supergrass and Superdrag was in the air, and you could walk into a random store and hear that kind of music being played. I really miss those times.

[JK]

It's funny how mentions of a band like Supergrass trigger memories from afar.

Thanks for sharing, gf. Some very cool memories there.

As for Supergrass, I made the cardinal mistake of starting with In It for the Money instead of its predecessor and gave up after a few tracks. I'm now halfway through I Should Coco. One of the best debut albums I've ever heard.

Next up? In It for the Money.

[JK]

This is "Paper Planes", a great song by M.I.A. (in the DFA remix) that featured in the supercool film Slumdog Millionaire:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBZEhmDOHOw

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M.I.A._(rapper)

[RangeRoverA1]

Listened to buncha new to these ears artists/songs, via different youtube reaction channels, each given 0-5 scale:

Heart "Crazy On You" - 5/5. Didn't hear even band title b4. 1st song hear = straight banger. It's got many little cool musical things.
Heart "Barracuda" - 5/5.  2  5/5 songs in row.
Police "Message In Bottle" - 1/5. Backing track nice, vocals bad. Sting in video little looks like British actor Ewan Mc-what.
The Carpenters "Only Yesterday" - 5/5, didn't hear it b4, beautiful video/she in it, new fave Carpenters song.
Outkast "Ms. Jackson" - 4/5. Cute.
Chris Stapleton "Tennessee Whiskey" - 1/5. He sings like black. Song didn't impress nevertheless.
Nina Simone "Feeling Good", "Ain't Got No, I Got Life" - 2 times 5/5. Def. going to check her catalog.
Cher "If I Could Turn Back Time" - 0/5.
Madonna "Lucky Star" - 0/5.
Aerosmith "Crazy", "Dude Looks Like Lady" - 0/5, 0/5. Steven Tyler's voice didn't save these songs.
Flock Of Seagulls "I Ran" - 2/5. Such funny silly song.
Ricky Martin "Livin' La Vida Loca" - 0/5.
Earth Wind & Fire "September", EW&F "Boogie Wonderland" (ft. Emotions) - 2/5, 2/5. Brass band = cool.
3 Doors Down "Here Without You" - 0/5. Dulllllll.
Evanescence "My Immortal" - see 3 Doors Down.
Gotye "Smb. That I Used To Know" - 0/5. Ditto as previous 2 listed songs.
Prince "Purple Rain" - 0/5. People in youtube kept advising to see entire film clip to this song is in. Going by clip, it's really boring film.
Sinead O'Connor "Nothing Compares To You" - written by Prince they say, yet he gave this song to some Irish girl. Weird. Couldn't she sing it without adding little growls? It really grated to ears. Prince's cover with black lady been slightly better but still song is dull, thus 0/5.
Jackie Wilson "Lonely Teardrops" - I knew this song, absolutely know who is Jackie Wilson but I didn't see what he looks like, he can dance. He is great singer but since I ain't song's fan, it's 0/5. Sidenote: reading his wiki page, Jackie's got really sad bio. It kinda ruined mood reading it.
Doobie Brothers "Black Water" - 5/5.
Ozzy Osbourne "Crazy Train" - 3/5. Guitars = 😎. As is Ozzy's voice.
Talking Heads "Psycho Killer" - 5/5.
White Stripes "7 Nation Army" - 5/5. Familiar with band thru Top 10 fave film "Coffee&Cigarettes" by Jim cool Jarmusch. Meg & Jack sat down discussing Tesla. Didn't check duet's music till few days back. Jolly good song.

[JK]

Well, I'm working my way through all the albums by Supergrass. I Should Coco and In It for the Money are first-rate, the self-titled third album is just slightly less consistent but still full of good stuff (I must listen to it again some time) and now I'm some way into their so far excellent fourth, Life on Other Planets:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSwiiZF6c9CZjF9z9N8p6bQhvX74gk94F 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_on_Other_Planets

[RangeRoverA1]

Next jolly interesting reply. Comparing different reaction channels at youtube = fun. 👊✊ & & &, it's cool to hear new songs that didn't hear b4, just like these people. To add to list listed previously - songs, again, with 0-5 rankings:

U2 "Where Streets Have No Name" - 2/5. Btw, never got why Bono is hated, such good guy he is, he gives to charities & stuff. People like "he is blowhard". You people blowhards too, it's human nature to brag about this & that. Big deal. Everybody did & does it daily, right now as I type buncha people brag about whatever to friends or whoever. It it what it is, it's harmless too, it ain't sin hey.

Queen "Another One Bites The Dust" - cool bass, beat. 3/5. It's funny that everybody recognized it in reaction channels, right when the intro began "Hey this song is Queen song?! Wow. Guys, sorry, looks like I know this song, it's been in movies, commercials, many places". Yet...NOBODY recognized "Bohemian Rhapsody", they been indeed hearing it with fresh ears (since it's reaction channel purpose - to react to songs that you didn't hear b4). Weird, figured it's Queen's signature, mad-popular song. When I listened to it back in 2011, what seemed to be initial listen, when it played, it quickly went familiar. But I didn't hear AOBTD b4, didn't recognize any bit of it. Is it popular? Who knew.

Yazoo "Don't Go" - 1/5. 80s music is hideous & funny. She sings well = single good thing to tell about this specific song.

Erasure "Little Respect" - 0/5. Thumbs down but liked twins' reaction, little dance moves they did, too cute.

Etta James "At Last" - 3/5. Ain't favorite (due to fiddles' abundance). Etta's beautiful voice is given 5 points. It should be a cappella.

Stevie Nicks "Edge Of 17" - everybody likes Stevie Nicks, each channel that reacted towards songs she sings (with band & solo). They liked it too. Yet I didn't - song isn't dull, maybe little bit but music yells 80s, *that* I didn't like. Next thing, Stevie sings better, better songs, with band. 0/5.

Luke Combs "When It Rains It Pours" - fun lil country choon. 4/5. It's upbeat, cheery, plus good voice. NB: Clip = 0/5.

[NOLA BB Fan]

Next jolly interesting reply. Comparing different reaction channels at youtube = fun. 👊✊ & & &, it's cool to hear new songs that didn't hear b4, just like these people. To add to list listed previously - songs, again, with 0-5 rankings:

Queen "Another One Bites The Dust" - cool bass, beat. 3/5. It's funny that everybody recognized it in reaction channels, right when the intro began "Hey this song is Queen song?! Wow. Guys, sorry, looks like I know this song, it's been in movies, commercials, many places". Yet...NOBODY recognized "Bohemian Rhapsody", they been indeed hearing it with fresh ears (since it's reaction channel purpose - to react to songs that you didn't hear b4). Weird, figured it's Queen's signature, mad-popular song. When I listened to it back in 2011, what seemed to be initial listen, when it played, it quickly went familiar. But I didn't hear AOBTD b4, didn't recognize any bit of it. Is it popular? Who knew.

Funny, hadn’t heard AOBTD in a good while but heard it yesterday.
That song, sales wise, is the most popular Queen song and was number one in the US for several weeks. Heard it all the time back in the day. A very catchy tune.
Believe it or not Bohemian Rhapsody never reached number one in the US. It was a smash hit however in the UK. I think it’s because of its length, over 5 minutes.
It’s the most famous of their songs. I remember a survey that made it the top UK pop song of all time. But I hardly ever hear it on the Pop US stations today. I do hear it on the Classic Rock channels that often play longer songs.
I give both of them 5/5.

[JK]

Not sure how I got to it but World Spirituality Classics 1: The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda is a real find. I already knew some things by Alice C -- a couple of early '70s albums for a start -- but this comes as quite a shock. I had no idea she'd founded a Vedantic centre and an ashram. This is music from a higher sphere: 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZN-Qk4Q9ORCMis_jSU11YfGfr1GMyoyW

https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/23135-world-spirituality-classics-1-the-ecstatic-music-of-alice-coltrane-turiyasangitananda/

[JK]

Not now, but two days ago while dusting bookshelves. Popol Vuh never disappoint:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05A-LRoAzUc

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit_of_Peace

[Occasional grilled cheese]

Lately it's been an even mix of old favorites and recent discoveries, with particular emphasis on revisiting old local bands I came up on.

Top 10 listens lately seems to be:

Hiromitsu Agatsuma - Eternal Songs
American Football - LP1
Arms of Orion - This Is It
The Beach Boys - Made In California (last 2 discs)
Culture CLub - Waking Up With The House On Fire
Le Volume Courbe - I Killed My Best Friend
Living In A Box - self-titled
Mundo Rojo & The Domino Theory - split
Nina Ryser (Palberta) - Paths of Color
Weezer - Green era b-sides

[JK]

On a classical kick right now with concertos for viola d'amore by Antonio Vivaldi:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnOKK7dn4io

http://violadamore.com/index.php/vivaldi-and-the-viola-d-amore.html

[JK]

"Peep" ~ The Ladykillers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O88Y3Hhy2zk

https://www.facebook.com/ladykillersofficialband

[JK]

After a serious exploration of music by Sun Araw (Cameron Stallone), I've been checking out a couple of guitar-driven albums by Peter Lawson. Damaged and Epic Dream were both released this year. Lawson plays and sings everything himself and even provides the art work.

https://peterlawson.bandcamp.com/music

[JK]

Com Truise (Seth Haley) has made several albums of his own but to my mind is best represented by his remixes. He is better appreciated in small doses and the remix format works well in that respect. His remix of Ana Lola Roman's "Klutch" dates from April 2011. Nice accompanying visuals too.     

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9Cp0Tlxmp4

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Com_Truise

[JK]

Now here's a lively tune from 1941 sung by The Jubalaires about a preacher and a bear:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mNP9f84Zk8

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jubalaires

[JK]

Lately I've been exploring so-called Sovietwave mixes, composed presumably of tracks from the closing years of the Soviet Union.* Somehow it strikes a chord with the situation in which we find ourselves today...

SR's comment sums up the sentiment felt throughout Truckfighter's wonderful mixes: "Nostalgic for a future that never came. One day comrades, one day"...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLxj6TbbtDk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjeY5b49chE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Al9Vsl7Z8BQ



* Not so. I should have read the wiki page first! The samples you hear may be from Soviet times but the genre itself began early this millennium and really took off in the 2010s.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovietwave

[JK]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbVfgvMd_XQ

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_Insanity

[JK]

I heard The Zutons' version of "Valerie" last night on Jools's programme (chosen by guest Neil Gallagher) and was blown away. Dave McCabe's opening lines about being out by himself and looking across the water remind me for all the world of Jay Gatsby looking out across the water to the distant green light at the house where Daisy lived:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRX3Wc-_sEI

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valerie_(Zutons_song)

[JK]

I keep coming back to this curiously compelling album by Throbbing Gristle:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4am4_N1xasg&list=OLAK5uy_lRUlpMRiVHaiR284WEgrxFqJFBjqT-mvA

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20_Jazz_Funk_Greats