HALFLOVES – Single Review: “Just Wanna Sleep”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews15 Comments
Photo and cover art by Alisabeth Von Presley

Last September, I introduced my esteemed readers to the marvelous Iowa indie rock band Halfloves when I reviewed their single “Bass Drum”, a pleasing but bittersweet song touching on the painful remembrance of good times spent together in love and regret over past mistakes and what could have been. Now the talented Iowa City-based five-piece returns with “Just Wanna Sleep“, a delightfully infectious song about a decidedly darker subject, namely wanting to escape feelings of anxiety and depression. 

From what I can tell from a search through their Facebook account, Halfloves was formed around 2015 from what had formerly been the band The Olympics, of whom some of the current lineup were members, and consists of Jeff (lead vocals & guitar), Nate (guitar & bass), Trevor (keys), Lucas (bass & guitar), and Zach (drums). In addition to being talented musicians, the guys are incredibly funny and personable, with an endearing sense of playfulness, as evidenced by these wonderful photos by Alisabeth Von Presley. They appear to genuinely like each other and enjoy being in a band together, and I’ve grown quite fond of them as well.

“Just Wanna Sleep” was written by band keyboardist Trevor Polk as a sort of therapy to address what he described as “yet another bout of serious depression and exhausting burnout“. Recalling the sunshine-drenched joy he experienced while biking through the Iowa hills, listening to 60s rock & roll on his earbuds and singing along to Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly and Little Richard, he felt “inspired by the raucously joyful performances and raw simplicity in the production of that pioneering decade.”

When I asked the band about the unusual single artwork, consisting of Trevor in partial makeup and a sleeveless black dress, lying on a floor with a person’s high-heeled shoe (emblazoned with the band’s name) pressing on his face, Trevor graciously provided an honest soul-baring explanation for it all. His response is so eloquent I’ll just quote the entire thing:

“To be honest, the origin of image just sorta came to me, like a vision, without much intellectualization. That said, after the fact, I have connected the ideas of my unconscious represented in the symbols of this photo. The makeup & cross dressing refers to the lyric in the bridge: ‘why does life feel like a drag?’ It’s a double entendre. The obvious meaning being the literal interpretation — why does life feel difficult & unhappy right now? The second plays on the idea of ‘drag’ as the performance of exaggerated femininity. This idea is packed with connections to me. Firstly, it’s the idea of feeling the pressure to, in the midst of hopeless depression, put on a glammy, happy performance. ‘The show must go on.’ It’s the mask we wear in public to hide our sadness, for fear of bringing others down.

Secondly, it relates to the inner conflict that comes from being an artist with the dream of making a career out of my musical/creative expression, but having a full-time day job that seems to suck me into itself deeper & deeper the further I go in life. Being immersed in what I viewed as shallow, transactional corporate culture (I work in tech), despite longing for more depth in relationships & meaning that aligns with my deepest values, I felt thrusted into dressing up as something I’m not. Adjacent to that, but almost opposite in how the symbol of drag applies, it represents the insecurity I felt of carrying, as Jung calls it, my anima, my femininity, my Yin, in addition to my animus, my masculinity, my Yang. Tech corporate culture has a lot of confident bravado, and to be a man who cries & has big feelings felt scary & weak (though it’s not).

As for the heel, this also plays on two paradoxical ideas presented in the lyric ‘woke up with a boot on my face.’ The first is straightforward: being under the heel of the boot of ‘The Man.’ Simultaneously, the pressure I put on myself to realize my dream, plunging me into the mire of want, not accepting the reality I face with gratitude, knowing the obstacle is the path, is like the heel of the wild creative draggy performer on my head. Both opposite pressures manifesting in chronic migraines from a severe cognitive dissonance. Lastly, the cried-out makeup is emphasizing the depressive sadness.”

Like all their music, “Just Wanna Sleep” was produced by Brandon Darner, engineered by Micah Natera, and mastered by Doug Van Sloun at Focus Mastering. The song has a more garage rock vibe than many of their songs, and opens with a gentle little guitar riff that’s soon joined by Zach’s assertive tapping drumbeats. The music continues to build with the addition of a thumping bassline, grungy guitars and heavier drums, all of which quickly explode into a spine-tingling barrage of shredded guitars and crashing cymbals in the choruses. I don’t know whether Lucas or Nate is playing bass on this track, but it’s really outstanding. The song is terrific, and I love it more with each listen.

Jeff normally handles lead vocals on all Halfloves songs, but in this case, he felt Trevor should be the one to sing it. He does a fine job with his quirky and charming vocals that go from raspy to falsetto with ease. He almost sounds a bit like Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler in the choruses.

Woke up this morning with a boot on my face,
Can’t get myself up off of this comfy place,
Cause I’m going through a difficult time,
Don’t wanna talk to people or tell them I’m fine,
I’d rather pull the covers up over my face,
Sink into bed till the middle of the day,
I’m not feeling well, I’m feeling quite weak
How many times I gotta tell you (that) I just wanna..

Sleep, I just wanna sleep
Oh-oh-oh, just wanna sleep

Dreamin’ of a future where I don’t have to work,
Where I have all the time, and my face has a smirk,
Cause I stayed in my room till a quarter past noon,
And I did nothing, and that was cool

I just wanna sleep
Oh-oh-oh just wanna sleep
I-I-I just wanna sleep

Why does life feel like a drag?
Why can’t I get past the thoughts in my head?
I think I might lay down again and fall asleep

Woke up this morning with a boot on my face,
Can’t get myself up

I just wanna sleep
Oh-oh-oh just wanna sleep
I-I-I just wanna sleep
Ooh, I just wanna sleep

Why does life feel like a drag?
Why can’t I get past the thoughts in my head?
I think I might lay down again and fall asleep

The hilarious and touching video was shot and edited by Nate Cooper, and shows Trevor singing the song wearing a sleeveless black dress and runny makeup, interspersed with scenes of a high heel, worn by friend of the band Max Holtz, pressing on his face.

Halfloves Socials:  Facebook / Twitter (X) / Instagram / TikTok

Find their music on Bandcamp / Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud / YouTube

EML’s Favorite Songs – “San Franciscan Nights” by Eric Burdon and the Animals

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Favorite Songs13 Comments

Even as a nerdy kid growing up in the 1960s, I was a pretty big fan of English blues rock band The Animals, as well as their later psychedelic/progressive rock incarnation Eric Burdon and the Animals, which in addition to Burdon consisted of Vic Briggs, John Weider, Barry Jenkins, and Danny McCulloch. One of my favorite songs from their latter period is “San Franciscan Nights“. In those days, I lived in Santa Clara, a mid-sized city located approximately 45 miles south of San Francisco. And though I was only 13 when the song came out during the so-called “Summer of Love” in 1967, and still too young to really relate with the hippies who’d become a major cultural force in the city by then, the song still strongly resonated with me.

Furthermore, in addition to already being a huge music lover, by the age of 13 I’d also become a serious weather geek. I religiously watched the evening weather reports on TV and read every weather report in the newspaper, and learned about the complex and variable Bay Area microclimates, where during summer it was not uncommon for some inland locations to be as much as 30-35 degrees warmer than the coast, including San Francisco, which is known for its cool, frequently foggy weather. As Mark Twain once purportedly quipped (though he never actually said it), “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” My point is, it was rather intriguing and even romantic that Eric Burdon would sing the praises of a warm night in San Francisco, which almost never happen. But when they do, they’re really quite magical.

The band wrote “San Franciscan Nights” as a protest song against the Vietnam War, although the lyrics also speak to several elements of the Summer of Love, which was broadly defined as a major social phenomenon that took place in San Francisco during the summer of 1967, in which as many as 100,000 mostly young people, hippies (sometimes referred to as flower children), beatniks, and 60s counterculture figures converged in the city’s Haight-Ashbury district and Golden Gate Park. Essentially, the Summer of Love encompassed hippie culture, spiritual awakening, hallucinogenic drugs, anti-war sentiment, and free love, including a strong interest in Indian religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism.

The song opens with a brief musical parody of the Dragnet theme, accompanied by a spoken word dedication by Burdon “to the city and people of San Francisco, who may not know it but they are beautiful and so is their city“. He then urges European residents to “save up all your bread and fly Trans Love Airways to San Francisco, U.S.A.,” so that they’ll maybe “understand the song“, assuring them “It will be worth it, if not for the sake of this song, but for the sake of your own peace of mind“.

“San Franciscan Nights” then transitions into a lovely melodic song, featuring a mellow bass line, a gentle repetitive drum beat and intricate guitar chords, punctuated with what I’m guessing is a sweet mandolin in the choruses. I’ve always loved Burdon’s deep baritone vocals, which are often powerful and sometimes even menacing on many of their songs, but here they sound warm and comforting as he sings of happenings on a warm San Franciscan night, including hallucinogenic images of a strobe light’s beam creating dreams, walls and minds moving and angels singing, cultural icons like blue jeans and Harley Davidsons, and references to a cop’s face filled with hate on a street called “Love”, with an appeal to both young and old cops to just feel all right.

Strobe light’s beam, creates dreams
Walls move, minds do too
On a warm San Franciscan night

Old child, young child
Feel all right
On a warm San Franciscan night

Angels sing, leather wings
Jeans of blue, Harley Davidson’s too
On a warm San Franciscan night

Old angel, young angel
Feel all right
On a warm San Franciscan night

I wasn’t born there
Perhaps I’ll die there
There’s no place left to go
San Francisco

Cops face is filled with hate
Heavens above
He’s on a street called “Love”
When will they ever learn?
Old cop, young cop
Feel all right
On a warm San Franciscan night

The children are cool
They don’t raise fools
It’s an American dream
Includes Indians too

The song was included on their 1967 album Winds of Change, and was a sizable hit, reaching #1 in Canada, #7 in the UK and New Zealand, and #9 on the Billboard Hot 100.

And here’s a live performance of the song on an unidentified TV show, with Burdon’s live singing backed by what sounds like a pre-recorded instrumental track:

Top 30 Songs for June 16-22, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's29 Comments

The Decemberists are an American indie folk-rock band based in Portland, Oregon. Formed in 2000, they consist of founding members Colin Meloy (lead vocals, guitar), Chris Funk (guitar, multi-instrumentalist), Jenny Conlee (piano, keyboards, accordion, backing vocals) and Nate Query (bass), along with drummer John Moen, who joined the lineup in 2005. Their sound is a pleasing mix of alternative rock, folk, baroque pop, and orchestral pop, characterized by lush instrumentation and lovely arrangements and highlighted by Meloy’s beautiful warm vocals. Their interesting name was inspired by the Decembrist revolt, an 1825 insurrection in Imperial Russia, and band frontman Meloy has said that their name is also meant to invoke the “drama and melancholy” of the month of December.

They’ve released a substantial amount of music over the years, especially during their most active period from 2002-2011, including nine studio albums, two live albums, ten EPs and 26 singles. Their songs often touch on historical incidents and folklore, with the band sometimes staging whimsical reenactments of sea battles and other centuries-old events, typically of regional interest, or acting out songs with members of the crowd.(Wikipedia) After their very successful R.E.M.-influenced 6th album The King Is Dead, which reached #1 on the Billboard 200 Album chart and generated a Grammy-nominated song “Down by the Water”, The Decemberists went on a brief hiatus in 2012.

Since regrouping in 2014, they’ve released three albums, one of which, their 2018 album I’ll Be Your Girl, featured the fantastic song “Severed”, a bold electronic track highlighted by spacey synths and twangy Western-style guitars. The single went to #1 on the Billboard AAA chart, and also landed on my chart, ending up at #55 on my 100 Best Songs of 2018 list. Thanks to Covid, the band was essentially forced into another brief hiatus, as their tour had to be postponed, then cancelled. Thankfully, in 2023 they began recording what would become their ninth and latest album, the wonderful As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again, which dropped this past Friday, June 14th. The lead single from the album, “Burial Ground”, an upbeat, optimistic track about leaving your troubles behind, featuring added vocals by James Mercer, who’s also a member of the bands The Shins and Broken Bells, ascends to the top spot on my latest Top 30 chart. I love those twangy guitars and cool horns, not to mention the gorgeous harmonies.

After five consecutive weeks with three or more debuts, there are no new entries this week. I think 16 new songs in five weeks gives my chart a lot of youth and vigor! Three songs finally enter the top 10 after a long upward climb: “Fortnight” by Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone, “Loneliness” by the Pet Shop Boys, and “For Us All” by English singer-songwriter Asgard Raven. Green Day‘s “Dilemma” spends its 15th week in my top 10; the song has been at #1 for seven weeks on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart.

  1. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists (2)
  2. TOO SWEET – Hozier (1)
  3. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (4)
  4. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (3)
  5. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (5)
  6. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (10)
  7. DILEMMA – Green Day (7) 15th week in top 10
  8. FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (11)
  9. LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (12)
  10. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (13)
  11. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (14)
  12. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (6)
  13. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (8)
  14. MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (9)
  15. SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (17)
  16. BROKEN MAN – St. Vincent (15)
  17. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (19)
  18. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (20)
  19. ADRIFT – Voodoo Planet feat. Mikey J (21)
  20. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (22)
  21. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (28)
  22. THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (23)
  23. TOO MUCH – girl in red (24)
  24. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (25)
  25. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (26)
  26. CAPRICORN – Vampire Weekend (16)
  27. HIGHWAY QUEEN – Mt. Joy (27)
  28. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (29)
  29. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (30)
  30. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot (18)

GOOSEBERRY – Single Review: “Dying To Meet You”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews10 Comments

One of the finest acts to emerge from the crowded New York City music scene in recent years is Brooklyn-based trio Gooseberry. Originally formed as a four-piece in 2019, the band now consists of the very talented Asa Daniels (guitar, vocals), Evin Rossington (drums), and Will Hammond (bass). Together they blend indie rock, R&B and light jazz to create their own distinctive and sophisticated style of alternative rock. On the strength of their outstanding music catalog and high-energy live shows, the charismatic trio have built quite a following of loyal fans throughout greater New York region and beyond.

Photo of Will, Evin and Asa by Alex SK Brown

Gooseberry has released a fair amount of music since 2020, including two EPs, Broken Dance (2022) and Validate Me (2023), as well as numerous singles. I love their music, and have previously featured them twice on this blog. Two of their songs, “Sleep” and “Orbit”, spent many weeks on my Top 30 chart, with the former ranking #29 on my 100 Best Songs of 2022 list and the latter, which has been streamed more than 300,000 times on Spotify, ranking #95 among my 100 Best Songs of 2023.

Their latest single, which dropped Friday, June 14th, is “Dying To Meet You“, which follows their provocative ripsnorter “Kikiyon”, a song “challenging the absurdity of debating trivial matters and calling for prioritizing unity over frivolous disputes, also exploring the deep personal connection to Jewish culture and the significance of owning one’s name, rejecting attempts to control their identity.” Both songs will be included on their forthcoming debut album All My Friends Are Cattle.

“Dying To Meet You” is both sonically stunning and savage, a dangerous combination that makes for a very exciting listen. Written by Asa Daniels, the track was produced and engineered by Colin Bryson, with drums engineered by Jimmy Meslin, mixed by Phil Joly and mastered by Jennica Best. The song opens rather tentatively, with Asa’s beautiful gentle vocals accompanied by his shimmery strummed guitar. The music quickly expands with an ominous drumbeat, which is soon joined by Will’s throbbing bassline, Evin’s assertive drums and Asa’s gnarly guitar notes, all of which transform the song into a glorious and grungy psychedelia-tinged tour de force. Asa’s normally soothing vocals grow more impassioned along with the music, rising to fearsome screams in the choruses, courtesy of a tiny handheld distortion mic their producer Colin brought into the studio for Asa to scream into, which he says was very cathartic. It’s cathartic for us listeners too, leaving us speechless and spent by song’s end. I love this song and I love this band!

About “Dying To Meet You”, Asa elaborates: “With the obvious disclaimers that 1) art is whatever you make of it, and 2) I don’t know what the fuck I’m talking about nearly 100% of the time, here’s my take on the song: It’s about death. Or maybe life? Certainly one of the two. Maybe both. Look, none of us knows much about what happens next, but some of us certainly feel a lot more confident in their answer than others and that never made much sense to me. I’ve always been fascinated by the human need to know about what happens after all this. In prior centuries, there were whole industries built around guaranteeing salvation (and to some extent, there still are)! That this song is mysterious and eerie is the point. It should feel like something beyond explanation is peering over your shoulder waiting for you to turn your head around because it is! I wanted the song to sonically convey the sense of unease we all feel when thinking a little too deeply about closing our eyes for good.”

When the curtain starts to open
And everyone is gone
You feel so damn cold
You burn like the sun 
Keep your head above the water
Keep your eyes beneath the gun 

You’ll never be so certain
I’m pretty sure I am
But who could ever bend
The will of a man?
Keep your eyes up to the heavens
Like you’d ever understand

You’re here for a lifetime 
Then you’re not 

I, I’m dying to meet you
I, I’m dying to meet you
Again, I am

So come out of the shadows
I know that’s where you live
Because it’s easier to steal life
Than it is to give 
Keep your eyes down to the heavens
Like you know just where it is

You’re here for a lifetime
Then you’re not

I, I’m dying to meet you
Well I, I’m dying to meet you
There

I am dying to meet you
Well I am dying
I am dying to meet you
Again

You’re here for a lifetime
Then you’re not

I, I’m dying to meet you
Yes I am
I, I’m dying to meet you
Again, again, again
I, I’m dying to meet you
Well you know I am
I, I’m dying to meet you


The single cover art was created by Charlie Chalkin, Asher Reed and band bassist Will Hammond, and the colorful and trippy animated video was created by Austin Koenigstein and Melissa Morrissey.

Gooseberry’s Socials:  Facebook / Instagram / TikTok

Find their music on Bandcamp / Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud / YouTube

EML’s Favorite Songs – “Never as Good as the First Time” by Sade

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Favorite Songs13 Comments

I was a big fan of English band Sade during their peak of popularity that lasted from 1984 through the early 90s. Named after their front woman and lead vocalist Sade Adu (born Helen Folasade Adu in Ibadan, Nigeria but raised in England from the age of four on), the band also included Paul Anthony Cooke, Stuart Mathewman, and Paul Spencer Denman, all of whom were from Hull, Yorkshire. Their beautiful music is a captivating blend of neo soul, R&B, quiet storm, smooth jazz and sophisti-pop, highlighted by Sade Adu’s velvety smooth sensual vocals. Between 1984 and 2011, they released six well-received and critically-acclaimed studio albums, one live album and two greatest hits compilations, all of which reached the top 10 on the Billboard 200 Album chart. Two of them – Promise in 1985 and Soldier of Love in 2010 – went all the way to #1.

Though my favorite song by Sade is their 1984 hit “Smooth Operator”, my second-favorite is their 1986 single “Never as Good as the First Time“. I remember loving it the first time I heard it (no pun intended), as so many things about it strongly appealed to me. First off, I love the arresting opening male vocal by Leroy Osbourne, accompanied by gorgeous orchestral strings. Then the song expands into a languid and sensual bass-driven groove that sounds like a mix of Latin and Caribbean, highlighted by marvelous edgy percussion and what sounds like a scratchy guitar, accompanied by marimba and saxophone. As always, Sade’s vocals are absolute perfection as she sings of the thrilling bliss of that first kiss with someone we’re hopelessly attracted to.

On the strength of this song as well as “The Sweetest Taboo”, which I also liked a lot, I bought a vinyl copy of Promise. But I was terribly disappointed to discover that the album version of “Never as Good as the First Time” sounded quite different from the song I’d been hearing on the radio. While the song still sounds good and Sade’s vocals are great, the album version seems more subdued and, most importantly, lacks the wonderful male vocal intro I loved so much. It also ran a full minute longer than the single version (which was not necessarily a problem). My guess is that the single version that got radio play was likely recorded after the album was completed. Oh well, at least I can now stream my preferred version to my heart’s content!

The single was much more successful in the U.S., where it reached #8 on the Billboard R&B Singles chart and #20 on the Hot 100, than in the UK, where it peaked at only #89. The music video for the single, shot in black and white, features Sade Adu riding a horse through the towns of El Rocío, Almonte, and Huelva in Andalusia, Spain. (Wikipedia)

Top 30 Songs for June 9-15, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's9 Comments

Irish singer-songwriter Hozier remains at #1 for a second week with his wonderful “Too Sweet”, while the equally wonderful “Burial Ground” by The Decemberists and James Mercer slides into second place. The relentlessly infectious “I’ve Got Loving For You” by Texas rock & roll band Bottlecap Mountain moves up five spots to #5, and Pearl Jam are the biggest upward movers again this week, as their pleasing introspective single “Wreckage” jumps eight spots to enter the top 10 at #10.

Four excellent songs enter my chart this week, beginning with “Highway Queen” by Los Angeles-based indie folk-rock band Mt. Joy, at #27. It’s their fourth song to appear on my chart. Next up, coming in at #28, is “High In Low Places”, the latest single by Beach Weather, who are very likely my favorite band right now. The gorgeous song has a sultry Western vibe and a hook that’s so damned catchy I keep humming it long after hearing it. It’s their fifth song to appear on my chart, three of which have reached #1, and I can already guarantee that “High In Low Places” will be their fourth. The third entry is the latest single “LUNCH” by Los Angeles-based superstar Billie Eilish. The delightful song is the lead single from her new album HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, which dropped May 17th. Coming in at #30 is the lovely “Like You Do” by Virginia-based singer-songwriter The Frontier, which I reviewed last month. I’ve been a long-time fan of his, and “Like You Do” is his seventh song to appear on my chart (four of which have reached #1).

  1. TOO SWEET – Hozier (1)
  2. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists and James Mercer (3)
  3. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (2)
  4. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (4)
  5. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (10)
  6. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (5)
  7. DILEMMA – Green Day (6)
  8. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (7)
  9. MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (8)
  10. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (18)
  11. FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (12)
  12. LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (14)
  13. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (15)
  14. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (16)
  15. BROKEN MAN – St. Vincent (13)
  16. CAPRICORN – Vampire Weekend (11)
  17. SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (17)
  18. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot (9)
  19. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (21)
  20. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (22)
  21. ADRIFT – Voodoo Planet feat. Mikey J (24)
  22. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (26)
  23. THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (27)
  24. TOO MUCH – girl in red (28)
  25. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (29)
  26. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (30)
  27. HIGHWAY QUEEN – Mt. Joy (N)
  28. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (N)
  29. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (N)
  30. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (N)

CONCERT REVIEW: JANET JACKSON – Together Again Tour

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews27 Comments

This past Tuesday night, June 4th, I had the pleasure of seeing the living legend that is Janet Jackson live in concert for the very first time. I’ve been a long-time fan of hers since early 1986, when I fell in love with her break out hit “What Have You Done For Me Lately”, but have never seen one of her shows until now. I saw her at Acrisure Arena, the same Coachella Valley venue where I saw the Eagles, Tears for Fears and Stevie Nicks last year. This show kicked off the second leg of her North American Together Again Tour, which includes 35 shows that will conclude July 30th in Phoenix. Named after Jackson’s 1997 hit “Together Again”, the tour is a sequel to her highly successful 2023 tour of the same name. She’ll be following with a run of shows in Europe later in the year.

Photo of Janet Jackson taken from her Facebook account

Over a storied career spanning more than 40 years, Jackson has released eleven albums, seven of which have reached number one, and 70 singles, ten of which have gone to number one, with another 16 reaching the top 10. She has sold over 180 million records and won a plethora of awards, including five Grammy Awards, eleven American Music Awards, ten MTV Video Music Awards, and eleven Billboard Music Awards.

Opening for her on this tour is American rapper, singer-songwriter and actor Nelly (born Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. in Austin, Texas, and raised in St. Louis, Missouri). Now 49, Nelly’s had quite a successful career in his own right, garnering three number one albums and four number one singles during the period of his greatest success between 2000 and 2005. He’s won numerous accolades throughout his career, including three Grammy Awards and nine Billboard Music Awards.

Nelly appeared on stage promptly at 8:00 pm, accompanied by DJ Trife, his half-brother City Spud and four female backup dancers. He wasted no time getting the crowd worked up with his engaging, high-energy stage presence, performing many of his biggest hits, including “Ride Wit Me”, “Country Grammar”, “E.I”, “Dilemma”, and “Hot In Herre”. Between songs, Nelly repeatedly expressed his love and appreciation for his fans, graciously thanking us for following and supporting him over the past 25 years. He closed his 40-minute, eight song set with a rousing performance of fan favorite “Hot In Herre”.

After a 20-minute break, four male dancers in stylish gray suits appeared on stage in front of a huge cylindrical curtain that slowly lifted, revealing Jackson on a raised platform wearing an oversized satin coat resembling a ball gown, as the audience roared with glee. Accompanied by her sexy dancers, she shed the coat and launched into a medley of eight songs starting with “Night” from her 2015 album Unbreakable, followed with a live debut of “2nite” from her 2008 album Discipline. She was backed by a live band who faithfully recreated the superb instrumentation of her many songs. My only complaint, and it’s a minor one, is that the loud, bass-heavy music occasionally overpowered her vocals.

At 58, Jackson looks and sounds as good as ever, effortlessly moving about the stage like someone half her age. The medley of her first set of songs, some of which I did not recognize, ran together in rapid succession until she finally slowed things down with her sultry 1993 hit “That’s the Way Love Goes”. She followed with an electrifying performance of one of my personal favorites “Love Will Never Do (Without You)”, from her massively successful 1989 album Rhythm Nation 1814.

The elaborate sets and creative lighting effects were outstanding, featuring a dramatic array of brightly-colored laser beams that shone across the arena throughout her show.

Halfway through her set, Jackson reappeared in a new costume (she wore a total of four different ones) and sat on a stool in the middle of the stage under a large purplish globe, whereupon she sang a medley of her softer ballads “Take Care”, “Let’s Wait Awhile”, “Again” and “Any Time, Any Place”. She then launched into a medley of some of her most upbeat songs, including “Make Me”, “All For You”, “Alright”, “Escapade” and “Miss You Much”. “Escapade”, from Rhythm Nation 1814, is my all-time favorite song by Jackson, and I’d hoped she would sing in its entirety, however, she truncated the song in the medley, which she followed with “Miss You Much”, another smash hit from the same album. Nevertheless, an enjoyable performance of both songs (notwithstanding a nearby woman loudly singing along).

She continued delivering hit after hit, ending her set with an electrifying performance of one of her signature songs “Rhythm Nation”. Sorry about the person’s hand holding a mobile phone suddenly dominating the video at the end!

At the end of that song’s performance, Jackson profusely thanked the crowd for coming to her show, and she and her dancers left the stage as the lights faded. The audience responded with uproarious cheers and applause, repeatedly shouting for an encore. Jackson and company complied, returning to perform her 2001 hit “Someone To Call My Lover” (which samples the guitar riff from America’s song “Ventura Highway”) and closing with “Together Again”. In all, she sang all or part of 41 songs in a performance lasting one hour and 45 minutes. My husband and I – as well as all other 11,000-plus fans – enjoyed every minute of it!

Tour setlist

  1. Night
  2. 2nite
  3. Slolove
  4. Rock With U
  5. Throb
  6. All Nite (Don’t Stop)
  7. No Sleeep
  8. Got ‘Til It’s Gone
  9. That’s the Way Love Goes
  10. Love Will Never Do (Without You)
  11. What Have You Done For Me Lately
  12. Nasty
  13. The Pleasure Principle
  14. You Want This
  15. When I Think Of You
  16. Diamonds (Herb Alpert cover)
  17. The Best Things in Life Are Free
  18. Control
  19. Son Of A Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)
  20. Take Care
  21. Let’s Wait Awhile
  22. Again
  23. Any Time, Any Place
  24. I Get Lonely
  25. With U
  26. The Body That Loves You
  27. Make Me
  28. All For You
  29. Alright
  30. Escapade
  31. Miss You Much
  32. Feedback
  33. So Excited
  34. Would You Mind
  35. State Of The World
  36. The Knowledge
  37. If
  38. Scream (Michael Jackson duet)
  39. Rhythm Nation
  40. Someone To Call My Lover
  41. Together Again

Top 30 Songs for June 2-8, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's9 Comments

I just love Irish singer-songwriter Hozier, who’s had quite a resurgence over the past year or so with his critically acclaimed third studio album Unreal Unearth, which featured his two hit singles “Eat Your Young” and “Francesca”, his duet “Northern Attitude” with American singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, as well as his latest single “Too Sweet”. Released in late March a week after he dropped his fifth EP Unheard, the song has turned out to be his highest charting single both in the UK and on the Billboard Hot 100 where it reached #1 in April. Now it ascends to the top of my chart, becoming his fifth song to do so (including “Take Me to Church” in 2014, “Nina Cried Power”, featuring Mavis Staples, in 2018, “Eat Your Young” in 2023 and “Northern Attitude” earlier this year). The song’s lyrics are directed at a romantic partner with totally different lifestyle preferences – the singer enjoys staying up late and drinking alcohol and black coffee, in contrast with his partner who goes to bed early, eats healthy, etc. – in other words, she’s too sweet for him.

In other significant chart developments, the delightful “Burial Ground” by The Decemberists and James Mercer jumps six spots to #3, while “I’ve Got Loving For You” by Texas rock & roll band Bottlecap Mountain enters the top 10 at #10. Pearl Jam are the biggest upward movers this week with their latest single “Wreckage”, leaping 10 spots to #18.

And for the fourth consecutive week, there are three new debut songs, two of which are by Norwegian acts. Entering at #28 is the wonderfully infectious “Too Much” by Norwegian alternative indie pop artist girl in red, the music project of queer singer songwriter and producer Marie Ulven Ringheim, who’s been making music since the age of 16 (she’s now 25. “Too Much” was the lead single from her second album I’m Doing It Again Baby!, released in April. Next up is “Starburster” by Irish post-punk band Fontaines D.C., who’ve become one of my favorite bands over the past few years. I adore band frontman Grian Chatten’s sultry drone vocal style, and his rapping on this track is fantastic. “Starburster”, which I loved at first listen, is the lead single from their forthcoming fourth studio album Romance, due for release in August. Entering at #30 is the gorgeous darkwave gem “A Foretold Ecstasy” by Norwegian psych-noir/post-punk band Mayflower Madame. I featured the song last month in one of my Fresh New Tracks posts. 

  1. TOO SWEET – Hozier (2)
  2. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (1)
  3. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists & James Mercer (9)
  4. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (6)
  5. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (3)
  6. DILEMMA – Green Day (4)
  7. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (5)
  8. MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (8)
  9. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot (10)
  10. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (11)
  11. CAPRICORN – Vampire Weekend (7)
  12. FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (14)
  13. BROKEN MAN – St. Vincent (16)
  14. LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (18)
  15. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (19)
  16. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (20)
  17. SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (22)
  18. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (28)
  19. ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (12)
  20. TIME – MISSIO (13)
  21. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (24)
  22. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (25)
  23. GOOD TIMES GO – The Kid and I (17)
  24. ADRIFT – Voodoo Planet feat. Mikey J (27)
  25. WANTING AND WAITING – The Black Crowes (15)
  26. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (29)
  27. THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (30)
  28. TOO MUCH – girl in red (N)
  29. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (N)
  30. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (N)

HEAD NOISE – Album Review: “Twisted Histories”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews5 Comments

One of the more unusual and zany acts I’ve gotten to know through blogging about music is South Wales-based electro/art punk band Head Noise, who describe themselves as “purveyors of post-apocalyptic synthpop, spitting out angsty garbage about junk culture, broken technology and modern art!” Comprised of the insanely creative Mitchell Tennant (primitive keyboards & shouting), Wayne Bassett (guitar & synths), Jordan Brill (more guitar & synths), and Andrew Topper Walsh (drums & percussion), their delightfully quirky brand of oddball synth punk sounds like what you’d expect from the love child of Devo, The Vapors and Dr. Demento, with Weird Al Yankovic as creative advisor. On the strength of their music, as well as their wildly entertaining live shows, complete with colorful costumes and props, they’ve amassed quite a loyal following throughout Wales and Southwest England.

They’ve released a fair amount of music since 2018, starting with their debut EP Microwave, quickly followed by a second EP Special Effects Improves the Defects. A year later, they dropped their first full-length Über​-​Fantastique, which they followed in 2021 with the EP Consequential Quasars! (which I reviewed) as well as a Christmas EP Gristled Toes & Whine, featuring such gems as “I Wanna Eat Yule Log” and “Brussel Spout Ketchup”. 2022 saw the release of their brilliant EP SCRAM (which I also reviewed), followed in 2023 with their mini-LP Metric Squid. Now they’re back with their second album Twisted Histories, a brilliant and often hilarious concept work “about obscenely warped moments from the past, as well as the terrifying dystopian future that awaits us, all mangled together into a time contorting mess!“

The album kicks off with “Primordial Soup“, which also just so happens to be the name of the band’s own signature artisinal hot sauce (which you can buy here). To a driving techno synth groove overlain with jagged riffs, thumping drums and spacey sci-fi flourishes, Tennant croons the not so savory lyrics about the origin of man: “Enamored by biological waste and mixed together into a soluble paste. A beak, and fins, and blood and pus, that is the general consensus. Primordial soup, makes me want to puke“, accompanied by a chorus of impish vocals.

“Sheer Buccaneer!” is a fun, synth-fueled nod to the seafaring pirates who explored and plundered their way around the world as they sailed the seven seas. And the delightful “Doin’ Science” continues on the theme first introduced 42 years ago by Thomas Dolby on his 1982 new wave classic “She Blinded Me With Science”. Head Noise name checks many of the groundbreaking pioneers in science and technology, including Einstein, Copernicus, Edison and Tesla. The wonderful video, filmed by Rosalys Anthony and Clint Thomas, directed by band member Wayne Bassett, and edited by Jordan Brill, features the guys at their zany best, making mischief in the laboratory.

The musical mayhem continues with “Tojo Head Slap“, a riotous punk romp about giving the former Japanese ruler his well-deserved comeuppance, followed by the Devo-esque “Joust! Joust! Joust!“, a frantic new wave ditty exploring the highs and lows of the medieval sport. I love the tribal drumbeats at the beginning, and what sounds like a toy piano played throughout the track. Tennant’s animated vocals sound rather diabolical as he sings “Let’s descend into the tournament for a good old round of horseplay“. And on “Mesopotamiamania“, with its wonderful bassline, he warns “In Mesopotamiamania they’ll cut off your hands. If you don’t play chess the right way, you’ll never really understand.”

One of the standouts on Twisted Histories is “L.H.O.O.Q.“, a celebration of French Dada artist Marcel Duchamp’s “ready-made” piece L.H.O.O.Q., which was a cheap postcard reproduction of Leonardo da Vinci’s early 16th-century painting Mona Lisa, onto which Duchamp drew a moustache and beard in pencil. The piece’s title is a gramogram, with the letters pronounced in French sounding like “Elle a chaud au cul”, which Duchamp loosely translated as “there is fire down below.” (Wikipedia) Musically, the song has a sophisticated and quite melodic synthpop vibe, highlighted by sparkling keyboards and an enchanting theremin.

Another favorite of mine is “Taft in the Bath“, a humorous take on the myth about American President Howard Taft becoming stuck in the White House bath tub. The myth was started when Ike Hoover, the White House’s chief usher during Taft’s presidency, mentioned it in his 1934 memoir. According to Snopes, historians have determined there’s no truth to the story, as Taft, who weighted more than 300 pounds during his presidency, had a custom-made tub installed. The lyrics are both clever and hilarious, delivered in Tennant’s signature quirky vocal style: “Without hesitancy through his presidency, William Howard Taft topped the scales eating possum and quails, in desperate need of a bath. / It’s a rumour. It’s not true. But porcelain when it meets the skin, is like a mega-molten superglue. Stuck in the tub. Another bathroom mishap.”

Head Noise continue their sonic rampage through history with the wonderful “Napoleon Blown-Apart!“, “Habsburg Gobstopper” and “History of the Future“, a lively new wave-fueled look at what the future holds, including flying cars, vacations on Mars and dinner on a microchip, none of which we’ll be able to afford. “Time Mash” closes the album on a glorious anthemic note, with the guys improbably juxtaposing people and things from vastly different time periods to clever effect: “Astronauts riding dinosaurs whizzing past the floating wreck of a mechanized Victorian town that screams of biotech. Henry VIII is shaking hands with a very stone-faced Ronald Reagan.”

One of the many striking aspects of both this album and the band itself is the fact that, not only are the guys incredibly imaginative, creative and funny, they’re also outstanding musicians. It’s also clear they had lots of fun recording this marvelous album, and I guarantee those of you with an appreciation for the wild and wacky will have a lot of fun listening to it! Head Noise will be launching Twisted Histories at a show in Cardiff on Thursday, May 30th. Details below:

The striking and colorful artwork for the album cover was created by MEATBELCH (aka Zach Williams).

Head Noise Social Media: Facebook / X / Instagram
Find their music on Bandcamp / Spotify / Apple Music / Amazon / YouTube