Tag: Music

Bad for Good by Jim Steinman

Bad for Good by Jim Steinman is one of my all time favourite albums. Less is known about his only solo album than his collaborations with Meat Loaf.

It’s a crime that more people aren’t aware of this album. I absolutely adore every song on here and if I had to choose some desert island discs, this would be on there. Other artists, who have worked with Steinman, have been able to do versions of some of these songs. But for me nothing comes close to this grand, hugely personal collection.

Bad for Good by Jim Steinman

Bad for Good, the eponymous opening song, kicks the album off with pure fire. It encapsulates the things that Jim is so great at: intense, energetic musical passages; huge, expertly-woven orchestrations; lyrics that paint epic pictures of passion, power and love. His lyrics read like poetry and are delivered with great conviction and authority. The speed change half way in, with the verse that follows it, is one of my favourite moments on the whole album. The whole song plays like its own self-contained, nine-minute opera.

Jim Steinman’s pose for the Bad for Good back cover

‘Lost Boys and Golden Girls’ is a much calmer piece, which I think is needed after that opener. Meat Loaf’s Bat Out of Hell 2 album used another version of this song in 1993. However, Jim’s version feels much more personal and stripped back to me. I love both versions but something about Jim’s rendition just pips Meat Loaf’s to the post.

‘Love And Death And An American Guitar’ is another track that was reused on Bat Out of Hell 2. Again, as with the previous song, this version is a lot more stripped back – with nice synth fills used to dramatic effect. It’s actually a spoken word piece that acts as an intro to the song that follows, ‘Stark Raving Love’.

‘Stark Raving Love’ and ‘Out of the Frying Pan (And into the Fire)’ both keep the energy riding high. As does a later song called ‘Dance in my pants’, a fun duet with Karla DeVito in a similar vein to Meat Loaf’s song ‘Dead Ringer For Love’ (also written by steinman).

Big energy and wide diversity

Jim Steinman’s music has such energy and diversity to it and Bad For Good is the best possible showcase for those qualities. These songs never fit into a simple groove and just plod along. They are either melting your face off from fifteen different directions or are ripping your heart strings out with their gorgeous melodies and melancholic lyrics.

‘Surf’s up’ and ‘Left in the Dark’, two songs that slow the pace somewhat are such beautiful ballads. The latter is a heartbreaking, often angry ballad about a man aware of his lover’s infidelity. These lyrics taken from the song say so much more than I could by describing it to you:

But don’t tell me now, I don’t need any answers tonight
I just need some love so turn out the lights
And I’ll be left in the dark again

Left in the Dark, Jim Steinman (from Bad for Good – 1981)

The album closes with the huge-sounding orchestral instrumental, ‘The Storm’. This piece wouldn’t be out of place as an overture for a huge opera production. And it serves further show just how diverse this man’s music is. It’s moments like this that make me wish that Jim Steinman was a prolific film composer. His operatic and, quite frankly, epic visions for music would do cinema so must good.

A gem of an album

Bad for Good is a golden nugget of an album. It’s not very well known, even by many rock fans I’ve met, which is a shame. Whilst many may recognise his name from the front of Meat Loaf’s biggest albums, many more may not be aware of this solo album of his. I’m going to go on record and say that I believe this album is a cult classic – it demands to be listened to and appreciated by all.

Masseduction by St Vincent

Masseduction is the fifth album by alternative pop artist St Vincent – real name Annie Clark. It’s a showcase for her varied approaches to creating great music and never fails to deliver the goods.

I had no prior experience with any of St Vincent’s music before hearing Masseduction. Within the first couple of songs, certainly by the time I heard the eponymous track, I was hooked.

She displays a diverse range of styles that come through on this album, many of which echoed in my mind back to artists past and present.

I couldn’t help but get Alanis Morissette vibes from the album’s second song – the energetic ‘Pills’. ‘Pills’ is super catchy and could have settled in that groove for the whole song. But, in what I’ve now come to expect from her, she switches up the tempo and style two thirds in.

These changes, which happen in a few of her songs, are hugely effective and was really a gateway drug into St Vincent’s music for me.

Then once the title song ‘Masseduction’ dropped… I just lost my shit.

‘Masseduction’ is the album’s third song, and plays like a love letter to Prince. Everything from the song’s title; to the distortion-heavy guitar licks; and through the song’s funky beat. But in no way is it a cheap knock-off. On the contrary – since Prince, and other great heroes of music, have recently passed – we are in dire need of great idiosyncratic artists to stand up for good music. St Vincent is a part of that army.

The album continues through further belters, ‘Sugarboy’ and ‘Los Ageless’, that keep the energy up high without ever becoming tiresome. The music video for the latter enhances another aspect of St Vincent I find compelling – her visual style through the album’s artwork.

The artwork for this album seems to further support the sound she is going for. With its glossy, vibrant colours and sharp edges, but with cryptic imagery that conceals a deeper message beneath the shiny plastic.

The album closes its first half with the stripped back, and welcome, piano ballad ‘Happy Birthday, Johnny’. With the removal of nearly all instruments but for a piano along with her voice, we get up close and personal with her. This departure from the previously up tempo tracks serves to give an extra layer to her message. Here she is pealing back the shiny cover to expose the heart beneath. And the result with this song is a gorgeous ballad that tugs at those heart strings.

Just when I thought I’d heard her at her most energetic, along came ‘Fear the Future’ – a frantic piece backed by the craziest beats on the album. If I’m honest, the dance music style that is informing this song isn’t a style I would choose to listen to. And while it’s not nearly my favourite song on the album, Annie still makes it work within the context of this gorgeous, neon pick and mix of an album. (I have no idea what neon pick and mix means – I just thought it sounded cool in my head).

The album’s closing song, ‘Smoking Section’ is definitely my favourite on the whole album. It feels like one of the most personal of the collection too, with some real guts to it. The drum / low-synth fills that hit the song in two places, have such a deep guttural punch to them. These short riffs were reminiscent of something by The White Stripes to my ears. But just as soon as the one-two punches have landed, she switches the song up from melancholic to hopeful with the repeated lyric “It’s not the end”. Her voice fading into the ether as she does.

While never faltering from her own path, St Vincent manages to dip her toes into a good variety of styles for this album. I am completely mesmerised by every song and probably will be for some time to come. A lot of pop music is much of a muchness to me nowadays but people like St Vincent keep the flag flying for introspective, thought provoking music with hidden depths.

If you want to increase the overall quality of your music collection, then pick up Masseduction by St. Vincent now.

Tropic of Cancer by Roslyn Moore

Roslyn Moore is back with her second desert opera, Tropic of Cancer.

I was an immediate fan of Roslyn’s as soon as I first heard her stuff on Soundcloud over a year ago. So the announcement of this new album did get me excited.

Evolution of the desert opera.

Tropic of Cancer is the new album by Roslyn Moore, which builds upon the material from her previous album Hazy. Those older songs – some of which have a different sound to them, coupled with 9 new songs – make for a deeper and darker Roslyn Moore experience on this album.

I’ll first address the elephant in the room. Yes, all of her songs from Hazy are on this new album but what you have to remember is, is that these songs have been available for free on Soundcloud since their release. With this, I tend to think more that she is working out her sound and albums in the public space. Kind of like if a painter uploaded her pictures in stages as she was painting them. The same emotional and ideological core, but each iteration building on the last into a stronger end piece.

Some hand-picked favourites

There were a few songs that immediately stuck with me from Tropic of Cancer. These tended to be ones that sounded like she was experimenting with her sound.

Roslyn Moore

Starting with the ebbing and flowing of quiet percussion, The Great Escape/15 Rounds was refreshing to hear from Roslyn. The percussion starts and stops with her spoken lyrics continuing, giving it a 50/50 mix of accapella and accompaniment. It gives the song a really interesting sound that is unlike anything Roslyn has done before.

Speaking of things she hasn’t done before – scaring the hell out of me is one of them. The last quarter of Hazy/Agents At The Ferris Wheel took a complete left turn into what I can only describe as a drug-induced, Industrial nightmare. I was nodding off to her calming vocals and this thing just hit me off guard.

It scared the absolute living shit out of me. Good job.

Probably my favourite on the album is a song called Coke&Weed. With its marching-band / jazzy / guitar-kissed infusion, this song has so many interesting parts to it that I keep going back for more. This song would sound so fucking awesome played live in the Road House on Twin Peaks.

In closing

You should think of Tropic of Cancer as more of a transformation from her previous album. All of the songs from her previous album, Hazy, are on here – but so too are 9 new songs. Not only that but some of her previous songs sound like they have been redone / remixed.

I love that Roslyn is still pushing her music forward, experimenting with new ideas, whilst still remaining true to her emotional centre. These songs are still soaked in a dark melancholy, only this time she’s coming at it from new angles and with new styles.

Her Tape 2 by Her

Her Tape #2 is a six-track E.P. released by ‘Her’ in April of 2017. This E.P. was one of those random finds that I now couldn’t imagine not having in my regular playlist. All of the songs on here are made up of an eclectic mix of instruments and singing styles, expertly woven together.

After a french-spoken introduction, ‘Blossom Roses’ begins with a soulful voice singing over a simple organ melody. The chilled out nature of this music just welcomed me into it like a huge wool blanket. Like the one my lady knitted for me at Christmas. The song soon flowers into what I can only describe as being influenced by Zero 7. ‘Blossom Roses’ was such a great escape from the monotony of my regular commute that I had to hear the whole E.P. before I started work that day.

The next song, ‘Queens’, mixes up the singing style from the previous and has an awesome little guitar riff throughout. Just with ‘Blossom Roses’, the song builds up brilliantly to its crescendo. ‘Queens’ gave me some vibes similar to the band Arcade Fire in parts.

‘Jeanie J’ helped the band’s knack for effective arrangement really sink in for me. Just like with the rest of the songs, none of the individual parts of ‘Jeanie J’ appear to be particularly complex, yet they come together to create a beautifully-arranged song.

If you find yourself with twenty minutes spare nad not sure what to do, check out Her Tape #2. After listening to it, it left me wanting another twenty minutes from them.

I would miss SoundCloud

I’ve just been reading about how a decision today could potentially lead to the end of SoundCloud. The company has just been saved by a couple of investors but still may be gone very soon. I’ve discovered some great artists through SoundCloud and will be somewhat saddened if / when it does indeed die. It … Continue reading “I would miss SoundCloud”

I’ve just been reading about how a decision today could potentially lead to the end of SoundCloud. The company has just been saved by a couple of investors but still may be gone very soon.

I’ve discovered some great artists through SoundCloud and will be somewhat saddened if / when it does indeed die.

It also makes me think whether or not I could create a similar service to take it’s place. I know there is Spotify and Google Play et al, but those just don’t seem to me to have the same heart as SoundCloud.

The music of Twin Peaks : The Return

Twin Peaks has always been a show of, amongst many other things, great music. Not only is its soundtrack one of the most instantly recognisable from any show, but Julie Cruise’s performances too were unforgettable. It’s been great to see that the music in Twin Peaks The Return has pushed the music even more front and centre.

Nearly every episode has featured pretty much a full performance from bands playing in The Roadhouse. And every one has been stunning – not least of all was last night’s performance by none of that Rebecca Del Rio. Fans of David Lynch may remember Rebecca from his film Mulholland Drive and her French performance of Roy Orbsion’s “crying”. 17 years on, and her voice is just as, if not more, powerful than ever.

Lynch really does have a gift for picking out unique and interesting bands for these shows. Another band I have got back into thanks to Twin Peaks is a dreampop group called “The Chromatics”. The music that these three make is made for the world of Twin Peaks.

The biggest band to have been featured thus far, as of part 10 at least, is Nine Inch Nails. Trent Reznor and band absolutely kill it and setup the show’s most bizarre and intense sequence to date perfectly.

Melodrama by Lorde

Melodrama by Lorde is an album I have been waiting for with baited breath, being one of my favourite artists over the past ten years.

I was a little worried by the sound of the album’s first single ‘Green Light’.  I liked the song well enough, however, it didn’t seem to me to have that idiosyncratic sound of Lorde’s. When compared, for example, with Tennis Court from her first album.

That was my initial thought. However, now I have come to listen to the entirety of Melodrama, every song on it is growing on me.

I loved how on this new album she seems to be bringing in a wider array of sounds and styles into her music. It feels somewhat lighter this time around, with the songs feeling much more unified across the album – feeling like a complete arrangement start to finish.

Even on first listening, some songs jumped straight up at me. ‘Writer in the Dark’ is as bare and as beautiful as they come. Her voice climbs higher than I had previously been used to hearing from her and it is glorious. She seemed to me to be channeling the essence of Kate Bush at times in this song.

I think with the huge popularity of ‘Pure Heroine’, her first album, it was always going to be a tough one to follow. There was a worry for me that she would end up pigeonholing herself into the niche that she created. She could have either given us more of the same – playing it safe and giving her fans what they loved, or tried out new things and expanded the boundaries of her sound even further. Her choosing the latter made me very happy and very relieved.

Melodrama has the hallmarks of an instant classic for me. She has taken her signature sound and style, and moved up a level; pushing her sound and our perception of what she is capable of.

You can buy Lorde’s new album on Amazon today.

Truth is a beautiful thing by London Grammar

London Grammar’s latest album, ‘Truth is a beautiful thing’ is an absolutely stunning journey of emotion and sweeping scores. I enjoyed their debut too, but this album has just completely got its hooks in me.

Hannah Reid’s voice is simply stunning as she powers through the songs, at times with an air of Florence Welch to her. That, along with the atmospheric music behind her, cause me to almost lose track of time when I’m listening. Sometimes it seems like so much time has passed when in fact only two or three songs have.

The song that hooked me definitely has to be ‘Hell to the liars’. Words can’t describe it’s beauty and the affect it continues to have on me as I keep replaying it. I’ll link a video below as well as a link to buy the album.

London Grammar have quickly become one of my favourite bands in recent days and have been added to my current list of obsessions.

Buy ‘Truth is a beautiful thing’.

3 E.P. by Scarlett Taylor

One of my favourite meloncholic artists, Scarlett Taylor, is back with her latest E.P. ‘3’.

All of her previous releases have been great. So my biggest fear with writing about this one was that I would end up repeating myself.

You see, if Scarlett had released similar songs to her previous album, ‘Churches’, although I’d have been perfectly content, I’d have nothing new to say. Luckily for me, she has tried new things with this E.P. which not only expands the variety in her music, but also gives me new ways of discussing it.

In ‘3’ she has gone down a darker path – even occasionally dipping into some more electronic styles. These new ideas of hers don’t create a completely new sound for her, instead they allow her to take her signature style and enrich it even further.

Anybody familiar with her music will know it’s not the most light-hearted of sounds, and with her experimentation on this E.P. she has given herself fresh ways of exploring the darkness.

Her experimentation has allowed her to bring fresh dimensions to her music, further imprinting herself into the very soundwaves she creates.

Interview with Du Blonde

Beth Jeans Houghton goes by the alias “Du Blonde” and is not only an awesome musician, but also works in photography; comic books and illustrations. I had the opportunity to ask her a bunch of questions about herself which she has kindly answered for us here.

She was super fast in answering these questions, however, I have taken a long time getting them published as this site has been going through reshuffles. So at last here it is – my interview with Du Blonde.

Interview with Du Blonde

Please tell us about yourself in as many or as little words as you like.
I’m a musician and artist from Newcastle. I make records, comics, videos and sculptures.
Growing up, who were your heroes in music?
When I was a kid I was really into 60’s pop and soul, then I moved onto glam rock, psych and garage. But always the standards like Neil Young, Bowie, The Mamas & the Papas. I went through a big ‘Love’ phase, especially their records Forever Changes and Da Capo, and also Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart. But really if you could see what I listen to day to day it varies from ‘Poison’ by Alice Cooper to William Basinski’s ‘Disintegration Loops’.
Growing up, who were your heroes outside of music?
I had a mad crush on Michael Palin when I was 6. I think the people who inspired me were the ones who seemed to be relentlessly doing what they love, travelling and creating worlds to live inside of. If I could anthropomorphise a whole company i’d say Disney. Those movies helped shape my imagination when I was a kid. They were enthralling and they made me think. Before I could understand it I was trying to figure out how they made those illustrations move. Then there was the musical aspect. ‘The Lion King’ for example introduced me to Elton John and Hans Zimmer, whereas ‘Fantasia’ introduced me to Bach and Stravinsky.
What was the first album you remember buying?
Britney Spears’ ‘Oops!… I did it again’ was the first record I bought with my own money from an HMV in Calgary. I was 10 years old, wearing a strappy mini dress and foam platform sandals. There were children playing in the streets in huge outdoor paddling pools and I thought it was just the best.
Was there any defining moment in your life when you knew that you wanted to write, record and perform music?
I think I was getting the urge a long time before my head caught up and I realised it was something I wanted to do. I went through a phase of trying to sing opera around the house when I was a kid which was awful. I used to make a lot of costumes and I had dreams of creating things but it wasn’t until I was about 15 that I realised I wanted to, and could, write music if I put my mind to it.
Who is your biggest influence in how you approach what you do today?
My mother taught me a lot about standing up for myself. She was always supportive of me pursuing what made me happy while at the same time giving me an understanding of how hard you have to work if that’s what you choose to do. She gave me the ability to dream and approach those dreams practically.
What is the proudest moment of your career so far?
The proudest i’ve felt is sitting in the back of a van with a group of people I love, travelling along a road, knowing that somehow I was blessed with a life in which I can do just that. The freedom to do what you love on your own terms is infinitely more valuable than any cheque or accolade, and I hope I can continue to do that for the rest of my life.
What is your favourite book?
‘Jonathan Livingston Seagull’ by Richard Bach, and Richard Brautigan’s ‘In Watermelon Sugar’.
What is your favourite album?
  • Joni Mitchell – Ladies of the Canyon
  • Frank Zappa – Over-nite sensation
  • Bruce Springsteen – Nebraska
  • fIREHOSE – Ragin’, Full on
  • Big Star – #1 Record
What is your favourite film?
  • True Romance
  • Paris, Texas
  • Badlands
  • koyaanisqatsi
  • The Royal Tenenbaums
What is your favourite TV show?
I binge-watched Stranger Things in one night and ate so many cashews that I had to ration my water so I wouldn’t have to leave my room and I was prepared to pee in a bottle. But also, The Wonder Years, Gilmore Girls and The Simpsons.
Do you have a favourite film/tv/musical soundtrack?
Grease is fucking great. But in terms of soundtracks, ‘Man on wire’ turned me on to Michael Nyman. I thought American Hustle had a really great soundtrack.
Are there any new albums you are binge listening to at the moment?
Well it isn’t an album but right now i’m listening to the audio book of Bruce Springsteen’s autobiography which is great. I have a few playlists I alternate between which include things like the Rolling Stones, Aphrodite’s Child, Karen Dalton, Rush and Simon & Garfunkel. When I’m stressed I listen to Peals’ record ‘Walking Field’.
You’re walking somewhere and your mp3 player has only a little battery left; You’’e only got time for one more song. What song do you play?
Right now it’s ‘Visions of your reality’ by Ultimate Spinach.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Don’t start smoking. Trust your instincts more and don’t back down when they’re being put into question. Don’t worry about the boys that don’t worry about you.
If you could ask any person – living or passed – any question, who would it be and what would you ask them?
If I could go back in time I’d ask my Grandma to teach me how to knit the socks she made.
Do you have any upcoming projects you’d like to mention?
I’m working on a new record right now which i’m excited about, I made it out in Oakland with some really great people and i’m playing more guitar and producing which is really freeing. I’m also putting together issue 2 of my comic book ‘Butt Hurt’ which includes a lot of vomit and a guy who tried to woo me by comparing me to a game of Jenga.
Could you tell us a joke?
I can tell you about the time I ate a prize-winning square Hula Hoop worth £100,000 in the dining hall of my primary school in 1996.

Thank you, Beth

A big thank you to Beth for taking the time out to answer these questions and giving us some insights into the lady behind the frickin’ awesome music.

Between hope and danger by Hante

Hante’s music is always a dark, dreamy escape that I am addicted to getting lost into. As soon as I learned of her new release, ‘Between Hope and Danger’, I immediately had to listen to it.

Hante’s music is always a dark, dreamy escape that I am addicted to getting lost into. As soon as I learned of her new release, ‘Between Hope and Danger’, I immediately had to listen to it. From the get go it contained everything I love about her music – mystery-entrenched soundscapes of unapologetic synth. That and her haunting, echo chamber style vocals.

The opening, “Le Point de Non-Retour”, was a dark choice with a Gothic choir accompaniment and a buzzsaw-style style. Characteristic of a relatively new style of music I’ve discovered called “Witch House”.

“Lies // Light” sounds like she’s experimenting with a typical Synthwave / Outrun style, but still in keeping with her own aesthetic. At times this song has sounds that remind me of old-skool Sega MegaDrive games. This is only going to be a good thing.

To my ears, she is at her darkest during the song “Eternite”. A sweeping, eerie synth is met by a devil’s organ and married by her wistful voice.

In the titular song, “Between hope and danger”, I might be mad, but I can hear references to both John Carpenter – who is par for the course in modern electronic music – and Angelo Badalamenti. For those who aren’t familiar with Angelo, he is the man responsible for many of David Lynch’s film scores. “Between hope and Danger” had echoes for me back to his main theme for Mulholland Drive.

All in all this album is a terrific addition to an already impressive body of work.

P.S. If you’d like to get to know the lady behind this great music, you can read my interview with Hante.

Welcome Back To Milk by Du Blonde

Welcome back to milk by Du Blonde is fierce, bold and packs a huge punch in its 36 minutes. Du Blonde, real name Beth Jeans Houghton takes us to many different places in this album. I’m excited to introduce you to it.

From the very opening crunching guitar riff of ‘Black Flag’, this album will wake you from any slumber. There’s no half-assed listening to her music with one earbud in. This album demands your full attention and I think you’ll be giving it.

‘Chips to go’ keeps the energy high with her occasional screaming and the super catchy guitar riff. As does the frantic assault on the senses from the later song ‘Mr Hyde’.

As well as her high-energy post-punk style music, Du Blonde also slows things down beautifully in one of my favourite songs, ‘Four in the morning’. With just her voice and piano, she sings with a softness, sitting in contrast to the album’s more aggressive songs. It also leads perfectly into what is perhaps the most experimental song on the album, “Mind is on my mind”

‘Mind is on my mind’ is a song of distinct parts, all unique yet working in the most perfect harmony together. It also makes an excellent example of Beth’s musical sensibilities. The best way I can describe this one is by quoting Beth herself:

I was interested at the time in writing songs with no repeating sections, but rather a succession of acts. A couple of months later, Sam and I took a trip out to the desert and came back to LA to make some music. I played him the track and he got in the booth and ad-libbed his lyrics over the instrumentation. He was done in like one or two takes. When I was back in London I’d become obsessed with these Middle Eastern and Greek guitar scales and I added the lead guitar in the outro as a contrast to Sam’s vocals.

‘Isn’t it wild’ is the perfect closing song for this album, after having being dropped into the blistering ‘Black Flag’ opening. Gorgeous strings, piano and voice being given a vintage echo. Listening to this gave me thoughts of floating gently back out of the album from whence I dropped.

Welcome back to milk has absolutely zero skippable songs, with each one holding an air of experimentation to it. Every one of these songs has been lovingly hand-crafted and come together to make an album that is truly greater than the sum of its parts.