Ride has a new album out in a week. They’ve released a few songs already: this is the one I like the most, Lannoy Point. Sublime and powerful.
I’ve got more to say about this, but for now… Fuck! Wow! Thanks, Bo!
Welcome to the SDMB Music Appreciation Society, John; great to have you with us! I’d encourage you to read thru the thread, where you’ll find lots of great music and commentary. Please peruse the OP to better understand the format of the thread, too.
I was surprised that I couldn’t remember ever hearing of this band, despite the fact that their roots are 30 years old. The first thing that struck me about this song was the chimey, chorused guitar sound. It reminded me of Coliseum’s 2015 album Anxiety’s Kiss, which seemed like a paean to Wire Train, a band I loved back in the early '80s. That was about it for similarities tho, as Ride is significantly less aggressive than Coliseum. The breathy, almost whispered vocals fit well with the guitars, I thought, and the overall feel of the song was terrific: kind of laid-back but clearly in motion, a sort of masked urgency present particularly in the bass line (which was pretty awesome to listen to). The drums were nice too, in that they propelled rather than supported the song without a lot of flash. Some, but not a lot.
I don’t think I’d seek this out, but I wouldn’t have to institute the Bob Seeger Rule if I heard it somewhere, ya know what I’m sayin’?
I dunno what I think of this yet. I’m listening to it now for the 4th time now.
I think it starts off rough, with things not really syncing up. About 45 seconds in, tho, it does start to gel and the funky beat and roaring guitar, combined with the undeniable vocal talent, make this a really fun thing. But then it just goes on and on, including a couple of sections where things don’t seem to gel as well as they should. It ends strong, but the ending also take a long time to get to, ultimately reminding me of the kryptonite that bands like Black Crowes and Spin Doctors suffered from (did ya see that I did there? :p) .
I think this band, like those 2, is prolly best as a live act, where the ephemeral nature of music is subsumed by the totality of the experience, where one can truly be in the moment.
I would definitely not shy away from this band if someone presented the opportunity to hear more or see them live.
I’m so very glad that people have enjoyed DahkaBrahka; they’ve been a steady part of my aural diet for a couple of months now. If anyone ever hears of them touring the US, please send me a PM!
It’s Saturday; let’s have some fun and rock out a bit: Seventeen - Porno Getaway
I liked the Revivalists. The beginning was sorta okay, sounding safe and familiar. They rocked it up in the extended bridge while they pushed some boundaries and it really shined. It came back to the safe feeling at the end but overall a good tune. It also sounded older than it apparently is.
The Ride didn’t hit me that hard until a second or third listen, but I really liked it. I can’t find much to single out but I liked the little guitar voyage we went on during the chorus. It, too, sounded older than it apparently is.
The Seventeen song was certainly fun. It pales a bit in the shadow of your last post, though. I like that there’s plenty of power there and it’s not even mildly offensive. 
However, the most redeeming thing I would say is that it allowed YouTube to auto-play and introduce some BabeTheBlueOx. I’m mildly impressed.
I know I already said wow, but DakhaBrakha deserves a fuller comment. This performance has many of the things that I love about music. Firstly, there’s the simplification and doing so much with so little. Then there are the sounds. From the accordion, to their added screams and chants along with some (assumed) Ukrainian words, I love the *intertwinement *of the sounds here. And rhythm… just hitch your cart on the back and you can’t help but move. That song rocks. I shared this with a friend and he explained that it’s done in 4/4 time, like rock music. I did not know this.
The DakhaBrakha is a tough one to follow-up. I’m so glad that **Ambivalid **and **JohnDiFool **have done the heavy lifting. Thanks, guys.
I’ve just been introduced to library music. There are other labels for it, but -as one example- it’s music written/produced for substitution into other productions, e.g soundtracks. This one hits hard right out of the gate, so don’t start the tape rolling until you’re at-attention. You’ll probably want to fully experience the energetic, yet somewhat quiet, percussive lead-in to the piece’s first crescendo. Try not to flinch as it smacks you in the ear.
Janko Nilovic’s “Black on a White Ground” JANKO NILOVIC Black on a white ground - YouTube
I could get into that on a rainy Sunday afternoon, watching the pitter patter of rain drops on the pool in the back yard.
My offering is the Dead South, Bastard Son.
ETA: I like this group and song because the cello player strums it like a guitar.
I really liked Bastard Son. It was refreshing, I found myself swinging to the music as I listened. I also appreciated the lyrics. 
https://youtu.be/Qdhk2qXSduk This is VAST (visual audio sensory theatre) with “Lost”. Kind of a sadder, subdued song but it’s pretty too.
I can see the appeal to that song, but it isn’t really my style. When I want subdued and sometimes sad, I go to modern “dad rock” like Wilco, War on Drugs, Beck, etc.
However, when I want to tap my foot, dance around and just feel good about life, I turn to Vulfpeck. They don’t have a lot of material out there, but it’s awesome (according to me). They are a funk’ish band - all music nerds that went to college together. A lot of instrumentals but some have vocals. They are also the band that exploited the Spotify royalty system and released an “album” with a bunch of short, silent songs. They asked fans to play it on repeat while they slept. They raised like $20K before Spotify clamped down.
Here’s an example of one of their instrumentals:
I have listened to Vulfpeck dozens of times. I dig what they’ve got going-on. I can’t put my finger on it, but I detect something just a little *off *with them. Perhaps it’s too predictable… I’m just not sure. I still like it, immensely.
I stumbled across these guys courtesy of our college radio station. WYXC was playing 2 hours of Bill Wither’s-inspired covers/samples/interpretations. With that said, I wasn’t sure why this was in the rotation. I researched to find that these fellahs were pioneers within the hip-hop genre in the 80s. I later discovered that Wither’s song “Kissin’ My Love” is sampled within this tune. This song is catchy, with slick grooves and fun rhymes. The Jungle Brothers, “Straight Out the Jungle”
I heard the same thing, and saw it: restraint. None of those guys gives the impression, either thru their posture, actions or playing, as being of the cut-loose-and-wail variety AT ALL. There is a distinct lack of swing.
Tons of talent, for sure. But no swang to that thang.
I like the song but not the rapping. There are a bunch excellent samples all used very effectively, and I really love the hiphop that we had during the Age of Sampling. But the rapping is pretty mediocre, IMO.
As always, I’m thrilled when I see this thread pop up again, and disappointed that I also let it rest for so long. So thanks, shunpiker, for the bump.
My pick is a long-time favorite. Hard to describe without lots of hyphens, so here goes: they are a psych-jazz-funk-ethno-library group. They manage that rare feat of making new music that sounds old that sounds like it sounded like new music back then. If that was hard to follow (or if it wasn’t, even), give a listen to The Heliocentrics - Made Of The Sun and see if you can pick up on what I’m putting’ down now.
I was really happy to have those Vulfpeck silent tracks, because I had a playlist of favorite albums and I used them as buffer space (I hated the idea of one album playing right into the next with no pause, especially if I started to get used to the order). So it was a bummer when they were withdrawn.
It’s not at all what I expected based on your description, but by the end I could see what you were getting at. Like they would be the house band at the East Coast, Greenwich Village version of Ken Kesey’s 1960s Acid Test parties. Right?
I find the music too…[what’s the opposite of “flowing” or “grooving”?] to imagine myself wanting to put this on at home, or even on the stereo if I were throwing a party. But if I were really rich and could throw a serious psychedelic party and have it pretty dark, with huge pillows on the floor, this is the band I’d definitely want to hire. That would be seriously fucking hip. 
And that word “hip”, plus the general image I got of late-era beatniks in Greenwich Village, inspires me to share this amusing little ditty next:
This was updated a couple years back for the Brooklyn scene by, I think, Ana Gastayer? Some SNL alum in any event.
That was fun! Nice little jazz trio backing her up, wicked lyrics poking fun (and holes) at what is"cool", and still musical! For some reason all I could picture in some ways was Anna Kendrick doing a modern take on this; I think she’d be able to pull it off. I’m glad to see The Dead South come up as they’re one of my favorites right now. Heliocentrics was exactly like you described it, Bo.
My contribution is Shaky Graves, someone I really hope I get to listen to more of in the next while as I think he’s got some real talent. Seems I’m on a bit of a musical roots kick right now. Late July
Wow, that was great stuff. The venue, the equipment, the song and the performance really combine to stand above a lot of the things I’ve heard lately. I really liked it!
Loved the Heliocentrics. I’ll mix that in with my Thievery Corporation playlists.
The Blossom Dearie was fun. Made me want to link to some other stuff from the period, but I’ll save that for next time.
I’m sharing this song because of its uniqueness. The songwriter keeps building on his theme and sometimes it seems he doesn’t know where he wants to go with it. But that just fits in, puzzle-like, to his subject matter. Overall it’s simple, but taken in its whole, i think it becomes something more. Oh, you gotta stick around for the ending and… Warning: the guitar tone is warm enough to melt nearby plastics.
Pinegrove with “Aphasia”. Pinegrove - "Aphasia" (Official Audio) - YouTube
Wow, that last song posted by **shunpiker **was pretty lame. I’m sure all of us would appreciate him digging a little deeper next time. 
Now here’s a cover song; well, more of a re-interpretation. Blood, Sweat & Tears took some wonderful, creative liberty with this one; And When I Die, written by Laura Nyro. I think BS&T really captured, and went-on to enhance, the spirit of the original. Not to mention that David Clayton-Thomas may be one of the best male vocalists. The way he sings this enhances the depth and soul of a most spiritual topic.
I totally disagree with shunpiker here. I liked Aphasia quite a bit! Laid back and I loved the guitar! I’m going to give Pinegrove a bit more of a listen when I have a bit of time. I’ve always liked this BS&T song and agree that David Clayton Thomas’ voice is perfect for the song. BTW, playing this song on a guitar solo with all the time changes in it is a bitch, at least for me. I gave up and just sing along now.
Changing gears a bit, OK a lot, I am equally amused by this song and the video. I don’t know why, but I can’t stop watching it…Speakeasy Three- When I Get Low, I Get High The Speakeasy Three - When I Get Low, I Get High (Official Music Video) - (ft. The Swing Ninjas) - YouTube
OK, double bill because I’m stuck on this one , too.
Waze & Odyssey vs R.Kelly- Bump and Grind 2014- Waze & Odyssey vs R. Kelly - Bump & Grind 2014 (Official Video) - YouTube
A well-written and well-executed piece, but not hook-y enough to bring me back for another listen. The production on this is top-notch, too.
No double bills.
I literally grew up listening to that BS&T record. Still sounds amazing to me. DCT’s voice is amazing.
I confess I was somewhat less than full of enthusiasm for the past couple of picks, so I was hoping others would tackle them. Also, I had nothing burning a hole in my pocket, so to speak, to share, so I was in no hurry to advance the thread.
I’ll offer a tune that was a big hit in another music thread that some of y’all might have missed, tho. Psychedelic rock from Australia, but don’t be afraid. Check out King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard - Rattlesnake from the awesomely-titled album Flying Microtonal Banana. And if you like it, their latest album is a free download available at their website (although some creative and/or entrepreneurial fans are also offering vinyl, CD and cassette versions, too).
Catchy minimalism! (I can tell this’ll earworm me for a while.) I’m not sure if see the justification for two drummers in this particular line-up, especially considering the sparseness of the sound. (Well, for this song, anyway - I have no idea what the rest of their stuff is like.) Usually I associate the dual-drummer thing with larger (often prog) line-ups that often have more layered/complex sounds going on.
Other than occasional phasing effects after the 5 minute mark, the only thing I found psychedelic about this was the background visuals (oh and a super quick close-up of a wah-pedal:p). The music, itself, I thought was more reminiscent of the stripped-down sound of Wire or early Talking Heads.
While listening/watching I couldn’t help but imagine if this tune could be attempted, more or less satisfactorily, by just a single guitarist and a drummer. Not a diss - just a curious observation.
Next up - Ok I’m pulling no punches, here: this is just straight-up hellish craziness, and once again might not conform to the tidy musical definitions and parameters by which probably all dopers here most likely adhere to.
No Less were a buncha crazy Redwood City (Cali.) loons with indigenous ancestry who belted out what I can only call psychotic grind. One of my favourite all time 7"s (even though it probably won’t end up being one of yours:p) that if you can tolerate long enough, you might even be rewarded with some Donovan or Fleetwood Mac samples!
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=no+less+boxed+in
On a genuinely shitty note - they broke up in '98 after their bassist took his life jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge.
Well, well, now… I’m not sure what to say about that one. I didn’t hear any Fleetwood Mac. I think I heard some Nat Cole, or something, though. I’ll admit that I started to get a little distracted at the half-way point, thinking of killing my grandma. That IS what that song was about, right? I’ll probably not tune in to that one again, but may you find peace and solace within.
That King Gizzard is great. The first pass or two I really didn’t get it, and almost thought it wasn’t serious. As I started to take it seriously, I really dug it. In one of the bits I viewed, he mentioned making custom guitar necks, so he can play those microtones easier. I’ve shared it with a couple of people, and we’ve appreciated dude’s approach to music. But… the second best part of that video is/are the comments. I usually avoid them, but these really shouldn’t be missed. I’ve been back there many times for a good chuckle.
Just a quick apology… the Aphasia song is different when you consider he’s not singing to some chick. I found his other work, meh, TBH.
I’ve got to comment a second time that that Shakey Graves is great. In subsequent youtube quests, I found him ok. Overall it was good, though not what I’d often be drawn to. But this piece… wow! It’s a familiar story, but he tells it like it’s never been told before. Then there’s the arrangement and composition; the timing keeps hooking me. It’s a well-written piece, and this particular performance really exemplifies all it offers. Thanks for sharing.
This next tune comes from (another) one of the best albums you don’t have in your collection. Even if one’s not into power pop, this work has great archival value; it’s arguably the finest example of the genre. The whole album is chock-full of tasty goodness, and I’m going to share the shortest track (~ 2 minutes) from the platter. It’s quirky, but it still hits hard. Tsar with Afraidio.
Lurvs me some power pop, but that wasn’t a song I would have picked from that album… it felt like a short “album cut” meant to break up the two mellower tracks that bookended it. I didn’t know Tsar before and if the song was played to me blind I would have guessed it was another very underrated band, The Wildhearts. I zipped through the whole album and I liked almost all of it.
Since we didn’t do a favorite-music-of-the-past-year thread this year, guess what y’all gotta put up with from me now? I’ll keep the power pop theme rolling with one of 2017’s best of the genre (according to not just me). This is the title track from White Reaper’s second album, “The World’s Best American Band”.
Power pop theme it is, never heard of them, but I love music and anything authentic…they strike me as a really fun garage band, lotta good new music out there, my 24 year old (middle son) send me links to bands he thinks I’d like and I’ve like most…
I was tempted to post a song from Thao and the Get Down Stay Down, a band I discovered on Austin City Limits and took my youngest son to see last year, she is phenomenal, great energy, great music, but I’m going to the wayback machine as I just scored tickets to one of my all-time favorite bands…they’ve brought the original line-up back for a reunion tour, and they just just rock…from the University of Miami, the Dixie Dregs…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHLkdQ-mrFw
Dixie Dregs totally fucking rock! Steve Morse is a fantastic player and a cool guy too. That performance is fantastic, made better by the fact that everyone looks like they’re having a good time on stage; I always like to see that.
Actually, there’s a thing about that. Eric Moore is the “2nd” drummer, and the band frequently pokes fun at his “place” in the band, but the truth is he does add quite a bit to the rhythm subtly and he’s deadly important for another reason: he does all the management and non-fun stuff that it takes to make a band a business.
I loved this, but I’m a big fan of grindcore in virtually all it’s forms, especially goregrind. This was just classic grind tho, and very well done. One of the best endings to a 7" I’ve heard in years. I’ve already added this to my search at Discogs; thanks.
I’m not a big power pop fan, but I really liked this. Not perfect but good enough to listen to more; thumbs up from me!
I liked the way this started out, but when the intro collapsed into the song, it lost me. A little too much melody and not enough variation for my taste. I loved the video all the way thru tho. 
Okay, I gotta thank betterlifethroughchemistry for steering the thread away from power pop.
I say that because my pick this time is not power pop, but this pick is gonna come with a small story and an extra link at the end of my post.
I watch a lot of TED talks. The other day I stumbled on one about record diggers (vinyl record collectors). The guy giving the talk, Alexis Charpentier, makes a lot of good points about the immense value that these crazy nerds bring to our society by unearthing and/or preserving old records.
He illustrated this with a specific tale about a guy in Montreal who one day found a record from 1979 that he had never heard of, on a label he had never hard of. This intrigued him, so he took it home, cleaned it up and put it on his turntable. He was instantly blown away. He did what diggers do and started researching the label and artist. The artist is a piano player from Haiti who had recorded the album in Quebec; that was a huge WTF that I could see making me want to know more too.
Anyway, he managed to track down a guy in Belgium who knew the artist personally and from there he found the artist. The artist asked the digger to help get the record (and a subsequent recording) re-released, and thru his contacts got a label called WahWah 45 interested and they re-issued both albums.
I’m leaving out a lot of detail, but the end result is that this artist was planning his retirement, having long ago left the music world behind, his self-released albums a failed project from his past. When they were re-released, they recieved critical acclaim and interest from the public, and he soon found himself playing concerts for the BBC, for audiences in France, Canada, the UK, Haiti, etc.
I was equally blown away (ordered a copy immediately; got it today) and hope that y’all enjoy Henri-Pierre Noël - Diskette.
So in a departure from our usual format, I offer a link to the TED talk: Alexis Charpentier: How record collectors find lost music and preserve our cultural heritage.
And I will also offer a link to Mr. Charpentier’s site, Music Is My Sanctuary, where we can all find hundreds of hours of interesting music and information.