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

Top 30 Songs for May 26-June 1, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's9 Comments

I never tire of hearing the buoyant “Murder on the Dancefloor ”, by Australian duo Royel Otis, and it remains my favorite song for a third week. In fact, all the other top five songs – “Too Sweet” by Hozier, “Overcompensate” by twenty one pilots, “Dilemma” by Green Day, and “Don’t Forget Me” by Maggie Rogers – remain in place for a second week. Entering the top 10 are “Burial Ground” by The Decemberists and James Mercer, the biggest upward mover this week, leaping 14 spots to #9, and the melancholy and beautiful “Take It Or Leave It” by British alt-rock band Dead Slow Hoot, at #10.

For the third week in a row, three songs make their debut on my chart. I actually had seven songs I wanted to add but that would have required dropping seven off, which I just couldn’t do. So, I had to settle for just three, leaving some of the others to be added next week. The first debut, at #28, is “Wreckage” by Pearl Jam, a pleasing downtempo track that essentially replaces their hard-hitting previous single “Dark Matter”. Both tracks are from their latest album Dark Matter, which dropped April 19th. Entering at #29 is “End of Beginning”, a lovely and poignant song by American indie rock artist Djo, the musical moniker of Joseph David Keery. He’s also an actor who became well known for his roles in the TV series Stranger Things and Fargo. Bringing up the rear is the exceedingly infectious “The Break” by American alt-rock band Blame My Youth. Fronted by Sean Van Vleet, they formed in 2020 and released their debut EP Dance With My Demons in 2022. They’ve since followed with a number of singles, including “The Break”, which was released last December. Though they’re new to me, I’m really liking their music.

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

SHIMMER JOHNSON & 5ILAS – Single Review: “VICES”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews13 Comments

One of the more versatile and talented artists I’ve come across in my many years of writing about music is Shimmer Johnson, a singer-songwriter and musician from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Not only is she a gifted songwriter with a beautiful and resonant singing voice, she’s also a fine guitarist and pianist. She began her music career singing Country songs, but eventually branched out into adult contemporary pop, rock and even dance music, all of which she handles with ease. She’s recorded music both as a solo artist and in collaboration with other songwriters and producers, creating an impressive repertoire of outstanding songs. I’ve featured her numerous times on this blog over the past six years, and two of her songs, the terrific 2021 dance single “Starts With You” and “Essence”, a 2023 collaboration with Danish composer and producer Refeci, have reached #1 on my Weekly Top 30, the latter also ranking #7 on my 100 Best Songs of 2023 list.

5ilas, aka Shane Roberts, is a musician and producer based near San Francisco, with a diverse music portfolio ranging from rock to classical. In 2003, he met fellow musician John Preston while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, and the two became close friends who’ve been making music together ever since. Both have also worked with numerous charities and foundations for Veteran suicide awareness over the years. Shane’s wife was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in 2021, which inspired him and John to create a project called Godmagick to help bring increased awareness for cancer. As part of the project, they produced a compilation fundraiser album God Magick in early 2023, featuring songs by several artists. He also has 10 year old triplets, two boys and a girl, who he says are a constant inspiration for his music, which he records in his home studio. More recently, 5ilas has been collaborating with Shimmer Johnson on numerous songs, which culminated with the release of their six-track EP The Colors of Impossible this past February.

Their latest collaborative effort is the new single “Vices“, which drops today, May 24th. Shimmer wrote and sang the lyrics, while 5ilas wrote and recorded the music. As with most of their other collaborations, the track was created remotely, with Shimmer recording and producing her vocals in Canada, and 5ilas recording the music, as well as mixing and mastering the track, in California.

“Vices” is an uplifting piano ballad touching on the power of resilience, and not letting one’s problems get the best of you. Shimmer elaborates “Its about not losing yourself in whatever crisis you’re in. We all live through difficult times but you can’t lose yourself. You need to own your scars and move through them. I know sometimes it can be hard to get through stuff. But you can.“

The song opens with Shimmer questioning her faith in herself “Why am I so discouraged? Why do I feel down when I’m so far up? I work so hard, found the courage. But even then I don’t feel I am good enough“, accompanied by 5ilas’ somber piano keys. The music gradually expands with haunting synths and dramatic percussion, creating an arresting backdrop for Shimmer’s impassioned, heartfelt vocals as she laments “Can’t lose myself, I’ve lived through hell. Made some choices I’m not proud of. Know my vices. Learned to stand out. Can’t lose myself.” It’s a powerful and stunning song, and I think it’s their finest collaboration yet.

Shimmer’s Socials:  Facebook / X (Twitter) / Instagram / TikTok
Find her music on Bandcamp / Spotify / Soundcloud / Apple Music / YouTube / deezer

5ilas Social:  Instagram / X (Twitter) / TikTok

Find his music on Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud

WESTERN JAGUAR – Single Review: “Repossess”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews25 Comments

Hailing from the Fraser River Valley, east of the cosmopolitan city of Vancouver in beautiful British Columbia, Canada, is Western Jaguar, the music project of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jeffrey Trainor. Skillfully blending indie rock, dream pop and shoegaze, he writes songs exploring common themes of life, love, emotional well-being and loss, expressed through poetic, relatable lyrics which he delivers with pleasing low-key vocals. I’ve been following him for nearly six years, and have featured him and his music three times on this blog, most recently in July 2023 when I reviewed his beautiful album Oblivion. Two of his songs, “Disappear” (2019) and “Darling” (2023) have reached #1 on my Top 30 chart.

Trainor formed Western Jaguar in 2012, and since 2013 has released two EPs and four albums as both a solo artist and a band made up of an evolving lineup of musicians. His most recent album, released March 1st, was Ranges: 2013-2023, a sort of greatest hits album containing ten tracks Trainor describes as “a quintessential crash course of the first ten years of Western Jaguar.” Now he’s back with a terrific new single “Repossess“, which will be included on his forthcoming album Vacationland. For the recording of the track, he sang vocals and played guitars, bass, synths and percussion, and fellow musician Ted Kim played drums. Trainor produced and mixed the track, while Ryan Niklas handled mastering.

About “Repossess”, Trainor says it’s “about growing up and the struggles that go along with the pressures of being an adult. It reflects on losing the joys and carefree nature of adolescence, while also bemoaning the constant weight, and pressure adulthood provides. In the end, we all want someone to walk along side us in this life; someone to help “repossess” the joy we once had and lost.”

Musically, the song serves up the signature mellow shoegaze vibes we’ve come to love and expect from Western Jaguar. His intricate guitar work is lovely, with a colorful mix of shimmery strummed notes and edgier riffs layered over a gentle, pulsating bassline and accompanied by Kim’s spirited drums that nicely complement the other instruments without overpowering them. As always, Trainor’s earnest vocals exude a heartfelt vulnerability that’s quite endearing as he laments “Feeling like a jerk in a tropical shell. I can’t keep throwing back pill after pill. I’m swimming to a future, but drowning in my past. I just want to prove that I can make it last.”

Western Jaguar’s Socials:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / TikTok

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