We're only halfway through March and already there has been so much fantastic new music released since I last blogged. A couple of brilliant tracks from Janelle Monae's forthcoming album Dirty Computer, a rocking new album from Albert Hammond, Jr., new music from The Kills and a mind-blowing new album of previously unreleased recordings by Jimi Hendrix. But as much as I've been listening to new music, I've always got time to revisit the classics and uncover old gems that I've previously overlooked. Aside from the 1980's revival I've been enjoying this month, I also discovered Otis Junior and Dr. Dundiff's incredibly cool, smooth hip hop album from 2017,Hemispheres, which I can't get enough of and thoroughly recommend. Check it out if you're not already familiar. And now, without further ado, here's a sample of my March sounds for your listening pleasure....
As much as I love writing about music, I love making playlists. Finding just the right combination of songs that sound awesome together to convey a particular mood or message. And it's another great way to share the music I love with the world.
So, I'm trying something new: Roxy talks Music monthly playlists. Once a month I'll post a collection of songs that mean something to me. Whether it's new music I've been listening to lately, old favourites I listen to all the time, or something that is particularly significant to me this day for whatever reason.
So I hope you enjoy the very first Roxy talks Music playlist, specially designed for the month of February. Happy listening!
2018 11 songs Length: 34:39 Available to buy on vinyl or CD or digital download Dream Wife are a British punk rock trio based in London. Comprising of Rakel Mjöll on lead vocals, Alice Go on guitar and Bella Podpadec on bass, the band released their self titled debut album in January this year to critical acclaim. Its super fun, sugar-coated punk pop, with Mjöll’s accent (she’s an Icelandic native) giving it a fresh sound. Mjöll, Go and Podpadec met at art college and formed Dream Wife in 2014. The band is named after the 1953 romantic comedy starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr and romance is rife on the album; on songs like ‘Let’s Make Out,’ ‘Taste,’ and ‘Spend The Night.’ Although it’s a far more liberated brand of romance than the 1950’s version. The band count David Bowie and Madonna among their influences. I imagine this would be the kind of album Madonna may have made herself if she was a punk rocker in the 1980’s or 90’s. The album mixes honeyed pop melodies and harmonies with raw garage rock. Mjöll’s vocal range is interesting; shifting from sweet to powerful with so many inflections in between. ‘Let’s Make Out’ is a prime example. On ‘Act My Age’ Mjöll seems to be channeling Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Flashes of the 90’s rock band Elastica can also be heard throughout the album, in the mighty guitar riffs on ‘Fire’ and the catchy as hell, ‘Hey Heartbreaker.’ Dream Wife spruik a strong message of women’s autonomy. Songs like ‘Somebody’ (“I am not my body / I am somebody”), ‘Spend The Night’ (“Spend the night with me / I would like to know you better”) and ‘Let’s Make Out’ (“Or are you too shy? Or are we too shy?”) reject the notion of women’s sexual submissiveness; much like the Riot grrrl punk rock of the 90’s and bands like L7, Sleater Kinney and Bikini Kill. But Dream Wife are girly too, with the lush pop melodies of ‘Kids’ and ‘Love You Without Reason’ and herein lies their great appeal. Don’t get the wrong idea though, Dream Wife still have plenty of hardcore rage; ‘F.U.U’ attests to this. ‘Dream Wife’ is a brash and sparkling punk rock debut. It is party punk rock at its best and I can’t wait to hear more from this exciting new band.
2017 13 songs Length: 51:16 Available to buy on CD or digital download Derrick Anderson has been around. Previously a member of 1990’s power pop band The Andersons!, Los- Angeles based Anderson is the current bassist for The Bangles and has toured and recorded with The Kinks’ Dave Davies, The Smithereens and Matthew Sweet, among others. It’s no surprise then that Anderson’s debut album, ‘A World of My Own’ is a power pop dream. Crunchy, guitar-driven songs with strong melodies, catchy hooks and happy harmonies. Anderson has a smooth voice too. The complete package puts this album up there with anything by Teenage Fanclub, Matthew Sweet or The Smithereens. The album starts strong with the opening track ‘Send Me Down a Sign.’ Energetic with an infectious hook, it could easily be a Teenage Fanclub song. ‘Phyllis & Sharon’ has the same kind of energy with powerful guitar riffs, and I’d challenge anybody to keep their foot still through the entirety of either song. ‘Happiness’ instantly made me think of Matthew Sweet, who it turns out plays guitar on the track. Sweet is not the only guest star on the album either, with The Smithereens featuring on the sweet sounding, dreamy ‘Waiting For You’ and also ‘Send Me Down a Sign’. Debbi and Vicki Peterson from The Bangles, and The Muffs’ Kim Shattuck backup Anderson on ‘When I Was Your Man’ with indie pop style jangly guitars, hand claps and backing vocals. The Bangles frontwoman, Susanna Hoffs joins the Peterson sisters for backup vocals on the lilting lullabies ‘Something New’ and ‘Spring.’ Anderson’s debut, although unashamedly power pop, is not limited to one sound. ‘You Don’t Have to Hurt No More’ is tinged with funk and ‘A Mother’s Love’ sounds like 1960’s bubblegum pop. Anderson really rocks out too; with pounding drums and driving guitars on ‘Checking Out’ and the stand out classic rock and roll track ‘Stop Messin’ About’, which is reminiscent of Little Richard. To top it all off, Anderson closes the album with a mind blowing, psychedelic blues rock version of the Beatles’ ‘Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)’. ‘A World of My Own’ showcases Anderson’s many talents as a songwriter and musician, not least of all his knack for blues, psychedelic and classic rock and roll. It’s also a quintessential power pop album. If power pop is your thing (and it’s definitely mine), you need ‘A World of My Own’ in your life.
2016 11 songs Length: 34:53 Available to buy on vinyl or CD or digital download I first heard Lady Wray’s second studio album Queen Alone a few weeks ago and could have sworn it was a Motown release, circa 1960s-70s. It’s a sweet, soul record with a classic vintage sound. Wray’s voice is powerful with an impressive range and a gospel sound, which is unsurprising given her church upbringing.Released by Brooklyn based Big Crown Records,Queen Alone is Wray’s first solo album since her 1998 release Make It Hot and is quite a departure from her debut, which was produced by Missy Elliott and Timbaland. Make It Hot is contemporary R&B, much closer to hip hop than the retro soul of her latest offering. The album’s opening track ‘It’s Been a Long Time’ sets the tone with a classic big horn, drum and guitar driven Motown sound. The call-and-response singing style and perfectly arranged backing vocals, also quintessentially Motown, is a big feature too, and perfectly executed on songs including the easy going ‘They Won't Hang Around,’ the cheerful ‘Smiling’ and ‘Guilty,’ which is arguably my favourite track on the album. Wray’s voice is smooth and strong, reminiscent of soul queen, Aretha Franklin. She has a range and a warmth that is delightful and heartfelt, while being versatile too. Her voice is perfectly suited to the big band sound; as evidenced by the passionately belted out ‘Bad Girl’, just as much as it is to the slower, sultrier, jazzier number ‘Make Me Over’. It has a sweetness to it, most notable on the retro pop ditty ‘In Love (Don’t Mess Things Up)’. But it's also commanding and sassy on the swamp pop tune ‘Underneath My Feet’. Queen Alone is a fantastic album that marks Lady Wray as a fantastic retro soul artist to watch. I can’t recommend this one enough!
Recently I caught Polish Club live at The Forum in Melbourne. They played an energetic set, chock full of their best songs and my personal favourites (which made me soooo happy). They also did a really fun cover of Lesley Gore's 1963 hit 'You Don't Own Me.' I was belting out the words at the top of my lungs, trying to anticipate all of Novak's inflections and having the time of my life. Afterwards I remember thinking that there's something uniquely satisfying about a great cover of a fantastic song. When you hear it, you're hearing that song you know and love so well again for the first time.Then if you're lucky, you get to fall in love with it all over again. There are so many amazing covers out there in the world. Here I share with you a small sample of my favourite covers of much loved songs.
Pet Shop Boys ‘Always On My Mind’ (1987)
'Always On My Mind,' was a country music song originally recorded by Gwen McCrae in 1972. It was also famously covered by Elvis Presley in 1972 and Willie Nelson in 1982, for which he won a Grammy award. Pet Shop Boys released their version in 1987 after first performing it on a television special commemorating the tenth anniversary of Presley's death. Oh, how I love Pet Shop Boys! The English synthpop duo of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe introduced me to dance music back in the 1980's and they will always hold a special place in my heart. Pet Shop Boys took a country music song and made it one of the biggest dance hits of the 1980's. It's a beautiful song and the Pet Shop Boys' version loses nothing in translation. It's also one of my favourite Pet Shop Boys songs.
David Bowie ‘Cactus’ (2002)
David Bowie recorded a version of The Pixies song, 'Cactus,' for his 2002 album Heathen. The song first appeared on The Pixies 1988 album Surfer Rosa. Bowie's cover is a faithful homage to the original, although heavier, with the main difference being in the distinctive voices of both Frank Black and Bowie. Also, on the original version, the band can be heard spelling out 'Pixies' in the break, while Bowie's version spells out D-A-V-I-D. I love this song, but personally I prefer Bowie's version as I find it more interesting musically. Appropriately, The Pixies performed the song at a Bowie tribute concert in 2016, as a Bowie cover. Perhaps they preferred Bowie's version as well.
Cyndi Lauper ‘When You Were Mine’ (1983)
'When You Were Mine,' was written and recorded by Prince and first released on his 1980 album Dirty Mind. Cyndi Lauper's version of the song appeared on her hugely successful 1983 debut album She's So Unusual. Both versions are perfect synthpop, but Lauper's omits Prince's signature funk in favour of a slower tempo and heavier keyboards. I love both versions of this song. Both Prince and Lauper bring their own distinct sound to the song, which work equally well.
Tori Amos ‘Enjoy The Silence’ (2001)
Tori Amos' stirring rendition of Depeche Mode's electro hit from their 1990 Violater album 'Enjoy The Silence' is achingly beautiful. It was difficult to pick just one of the songs from Amos' 2001 album of covers Strange Little Girls as there are so many gems, but 'Enjoy The Silence' is one of my favourite Depeche Mode songs. I was so moved by Amos' version, it ultimately won out. Depeche Mode succeeded in crafting a haunting electro ballad and Amos' stripped back piano version only serves to heighten the emotion of the original.
The White Stripes ‘Jolene’ (2000)
I freaking love The White Stripes version of Dolly Parton's 'Jolene.' Parton first released 'Jolene' in 1973 as a country pop song and it's probably one of the few country songs that I like. It's a flawless vehicle for Parton's honeyed voice. However, Jack White's pleading, wailing vocals and lamenting guitar, coupled with Meg White's mostly understated drumming errupting into a crashing chorus is absolute perfection.
2011 10 songs Length: 43:01 Available to buy on vinyl or CD, Apple Music or Spotify About a month ago, while at work, I got an email from my husband. ‘You should listen to this album,’ it said, ‘on your way home from work tonight. I think you’ll really like it.’ The email included a Google Play link to ‘Stone Rollin’.’ So I listened to it on my hour plus commute. Then I listened to it again. He was right; I did really like it (he knows me so well!) In fact, I liked it so much, I couldn’t get enough of it. I listened to it the next day and the day after that too. I played it all the next weekend. Since then, I’ve listened to ‘Stone Rollin’’ countless times and I own a copy on vinyl. ‘Stone Rollin’’ is the fourth studio album from American R&B singer, songwriter and producer, Raphael Saadiq. Saadiq began his illustrious career touring with Prince as a teenager before becoming the lead vocalist and bassist for the hugely successful 1980’s-90’s R&B group, Tony, Toni, Toné! After they split, he went on to form Lucy Pearl with Dawn Robinson (En Vogue) and Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest). Lucy Pearl only recorded one album. Saadiq has collaborated with many notable artists including Erykah Badu, The Roots, Whitney Houston, Lionel Richie, Ghostface Killah and The Isley Brothers. ‘Stone Rollin’’ builds on the traditional soul style of Saadiq’s previous album ‘The Way I See It,’ to create a melting pot of styles including funk, blues, R&B and old time rock and roll. Every track on this album is an absolute gem and Saadiq delivers each style with perfect execution. The opening track ‘Heart Attack’ is a rollicking, up-tempo earworm with a classic Motown sound and echoes of James Brown. ‘Radio’ gets the vintage R&B rock and roll vibe just right (think Chuck Berry), and the album's title track ‘Stone Rollin’,’ blends electric guitar and some sassy harmonica into a flawless Chicago blues number. Saadiq’s slower songs are just as good as his energetic ones, incorporating some beautiful and emotive orchestral arrangements. ‘Good Man’ is as gut wrenchingly soulful as they come, while ‘The Answer’ complements Saadiq’s impressive vocal range with a delicate composition of strings. The psychedelic soul tune, ‘Over You’ is my favourite track on the album. It’s a perfect hybrid of R&B, soul and rock and roll that transports me to my happy place every time I hear it. I could seriously listen to it on repeat ALL.DAY.LONG. Saadiq is a master. ‘Stone Rollin’’ is an overwhelmingly fantastic album with a polished, classic sound that everyone should listen to. In fact, I’m so enthusiastic about this album; I want to give it away! When I bought ‘Stone Rollin’’on vinyl, it came with a free CD copy. I’ll post the CD to the first person to comment below. What are you waiting for? Get to it!
Last week I bought the Eurythmics album ‘Be Yourself Tonight’ on vinyl, which kick started a weekend long Eurythmics-athon at my house. It’s been a delightful reminder of how Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart came together in a fusion of new wave synth pop and soul to become one of the most successful bands of the 1980’s.
I’ve always had a mega girlcrush on Annie Lennox. Growing up in the 80’s, Lennox always stood out from the multitude of bland, manufactured pop stresses. Her talent was unmatched, and with her androgynous image, she was way ahead of her time. To me, Lennox was a symbol of strength, class and empowerment. Songs like ‘Would I Lie To You’ and ‘Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves’ were early influences on my political beliefs.
Lennox and Stewart formed Eurythmics in 1980, after the break up of their previous band, The Tourists. Curiously, this coincided with their split as a couple. Eurythmics lasted ten years, breaking up in 1990. They reformed again briefly in the late 1990’s, releasing an album in 1999 and embarking on a world tour, with all proceeds from the tour being donated to Greenpeace and Amnesty International. They reunited once more in 2014 for a Beatles tribute concert. The relationship between Lennox and Stewart has been said to be intense and complicated, and both Stewart and Lennox have gone on to have lucrative solo careers. Lennox has collaborated with a number of notable musicians, which is another testament to her incredible talent and the respect she has earned as an artist. Eurythmics worked with music legends such as Aretha Franklin (Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves), Elvis Costello (Adrian) and Stevie Wonder (There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart)) on the 1985 album ‘Be Yourself Tonight.’ Lennox also performed ‘Under Pressure’ with David Bowie at the Freddie Mercury tribute concert in 1992 and released the single ‘Put A Little Love In Your Heart’ with Al Green in 1988.
Annie Lennox is one of the most inspirational artists around. She has retained her strength and class throughout her career, and continued her message of empowerment and inclusivity by using her position and wealth to fight against AIDS and support women’s rights. There’s really nobody else like her. I’m so happy to have reignited my love affair with Annie Lennox this weekend!
2017 11 songs Length: 43:26 Available to buy from the band's website I’m
a big fan of The Preatures. I love their first album, the 2014 hit ‘Blue Planet
Eyes,’ and listen to it regularly. It’s a feel good, pop rock album; a
guaranteed mood lifter. Needless to say, I was pretty excited about the release
of the band’s second album ‘Girlhood.’ The
Sydney four piece, fronted by Isabella ‘Izzi’ Manfredi on vocals and guitar, initially
achieved success with their breakthrough hit single ‘Is This How You Feel?’
which came in at number 9 on Triple J’s Hottest 100 and saw them playing Glastonbury,
Coachella, Bonnaroo and the Jimmy Kimmel Live show. ‘Blue Planet Eyes’ was an
extension of ‘Is This How You Feel?’ chock full of catchy, rock and soul tunes
that you just HAVE to shake your hips to. ‘Girlhood’ however, is something
quite different. The
album’s opening and title track kicks off in the same vein as their debut album
and is catchy as hell; the stuff hit singles are made of. But the rest of the
album doesn’t follow suit. There are more layers on ‘Girlhood,’ which make for
a more mature offering this time around. Listening
to this album, I can’t help thinking of the Divinyls or the Pretenders. Particularly
on the tracks ‘Lip Balm’ and ‘Girlhood.’ There is definitely the sense that the
band is exploring a host of different influences here, more so than on their debut,
and not limited to musical influences either. The indigenous Darug language of
Sydney is featured on the track ‘Yanada,’ which is Darug for moon. Manfredi also
speaks some Italian on ‘Something New.’ Says Manfredi ‘I’m a first generation Australian, My dad came over here on a boat as an Italian immigrant. My mother is Scottish, Irish and English-Australian. I was born on Gadigal land. Understanding and respecting those histories is part of who I am. I’m trying to find some harmony in the contrasts.’ ‘Girlhood’
is full of ballads that showcase Manfredi’s sweet voice. ‘Your Fan’
is the most classic example. ‘The First Night’ is a slow burn, heavy on the
guitar with some crashing cymbals and gorgeous reverb. ‘Magick’ is a dreamy pop
rock ballad that creates an ethereal atmosphere. ‘Cherry Ripe’ pairs percussive
beats with a lovely slow, dreamy tempo. ‘Girlhood’
is also more of a rock album than its predecessor. That isn’t to say that
there aren’t plenty of pop gems though. ‘Mess It Up’ sports an 80’s tropicana vibe,
complete with synth, a funky bassline and a killer guitar lick. ‘Nite Machine’
feels like disco rock and ‘I Like You’ is perfectly pop. As
a follow up to ‘Blue Planet Eyes,’ the latest album from The Preatures, ‘Girlhood,’
doesn’t disappoint. If you’re expecting more of the same, don’t be. ‘Girlhood’
is not a sequel. It’s an exploration into new territory for the band, but a
natural evolution as opposed to a step away from the groovy pop rock of their
debut.
Anybody who knows me knows that I’m passionate about music. It colours every aspect of my life, informs who I am and influences many of my life philosophies. So it only stands to reason that when it comes to parenting, I look to music to help me with the hardest job I will probably ever have, and definitely the one I have the most anxiety about screwing up. I’m sure I’m not the only one who does it, but when it comes to teaching my daughter a life lesson, imparting guidance, expressing a directive or just making a point; both my husband and I have been known to look to Mick Jagger or Kenny Rogers to give us a hand. If you think that we shouldn’t be trusting something so important to Mick Jagger, you might be right, but it seems to be working so far. So here I share with you some of the most referenced songs in my household to help with parenting.
Moving Pictures’ ‘What About Me?’ (1982)
First recorded by Australian rock band, Moving Pictures for their album ‘Days of Innocence’, 'What About Me?' was the second highest selling single of 1982.It’s the perfect song for pointing out when your child is being selfish, and I’m sure it is regularly sung to children by their parents. I don’t seem to pull it out so much nowadays, but I did when my daughter was little, and it still remains a tried and true favourite. I usually belt this one out at the top of my lungs and throw in some wild gesticulations for an overly dramatic effect. My daughter used to hate it, which was a good indication that she got the message loud and clear.
The Rolling Stones’ ‘You Can't Always Get What You Want’ (1969)
A classic hit from the Rolling Stones’ 1969 album ‘Let It Bleed’, 'You Can't Always Get What You Want' has been named the 100th greatest song of all time by ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine.It’s also, hands down, the best ‘no’ song ever. It’s a staple in our house. We usually start out singing it and end up playing it really loud on the stereo, while joyously dancing around the house. It’s great, because it can turn a potentially excruciating conversation into a super fun dance party! Most of the time, it’ll only serve as a momentary distraction from your kid’s initial ask. But if you can lighten the mood while upholding that ‘no,’ then your chances of avoiding a tearful and/or screaming episode greatly increase.
Kenny Rogers’ ‘The Gambler’ (1978)
Now, you might be thinking ‘hold on, isn’t 'The Gambler' a song about gambling?’ Well, yes it is, but not in my house. That’s the great thing about a good song; you can re-appropriate the meaning to fit your need. In my house, ‘you got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em...’ means recognise when you’re pushing something too far (like tickling, or roughhousing) and back off. Rogers’ 1978 hit, which he performed on ‘The Muppet Show’ in 1979is so catchy it hurts, and even though my daughter will insist it is ‘lame,’ I’ve caught her singing it to herself more than once or twice.
Weezer's ‘Pork And Beans’ (2008)
'Pork And Beans' is my absolute favourite parenting song. Mathew Cullen, who directed the video for the song (which features a bunch of YouTube celebrities and internet memes) says it’s about‘the idea of being yourself, of being happy with who you are.’That’s the cornerstone of my life philosophy and I want it to resonate with my daughter too. Our family motto is ‘weird and proud!’ so I guess that makes ‘Pork and Beans’ our theme song. It’s a song to play loud and often, to remind you to fly your freak flag high.
Science fiction has long been influential in popular music. Experiencing a ‘Golden Age’ in the 1940’s and 1950’s, science fiction appealed to society’s changing attitudes towards technology, space and the Earth’s place within it. Science fiction film was flourishing, and with the advent of television, it was making a name for itself within mainstream popular culture. It was only a matter of time before science fiction would begin to infiltrate mainstream popular music in the late 1950’s, coinciding with the beginning of the great space race. The 1940’s and 1950’s saw a sub-genre of pop music now referred to as ‘atomic platters’, which was influenced by the atomic bomb, concerns of an imminent World War Three, and flying saucers. ‘Atomic platters’ was kitschy and short lived, but undoubtedly influenced Sheb Wooley’s 1958 novelty hit ‘Purple People Eater,’ a cheesy tune about a one-eyed, one-horned, flying alien that eats purple people. Love and relationships was standard subject matter for popular music of the time, but ‘Purple People Eater’ is characteristic of the bug-eyed monster space-invader science-fiction crazeof 1950’s America. Things started to ramp up in the 1960’s when psychedelic rock was born. Influenced by psychedelic culture and mind altering drugs such as LSD, psychedelic rock incorporated electronic sound effects, feedback, wah wah and extreme reverb to produce some space age sounds. It was perfectly suited to subsume science fiction. Folk rock band,The Byrds, who were influential in originating psychedelic rock, released ‘Mr Spaceman’ in 1966 and ‘Space Odyssey’ in 1968, which speak of a clear yearning for contact with alien life. Pink Floyd’s ‘Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun’ released in 1968, uses space travel as a metaphor for an acid trip.
Bowie’s fascination with science fiction didn’t stop there though. Science fiction was a major influence on much of Bowie’s work. The hugely successful 1972 concept album ‘The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars’ centres around the theme of extraterrestrial life. 1974’s ‘Diamond Dogs,’ was heavily influenced by George Orwell’s science fiction classic, ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’. Major Tom also resurfaces in 1980 on ‘Ashes to Ashes’ and again in 1995 on ‘Hallo Spaceboy.’ Much has been written about Bowie’s work and it’s numerous connections to science fiction. As one of the most influential artists in rock history, I think it’s safe to say that David Bowie has played a huge part in making science fiction cool.
Although the term Afro-futurism was not conceived of until 1993, the Afro-futurist approach to music began with American jazz composer Sun Ra as early as the 1950’s. Sun Ra, a pioneer of Afro-futurism, was known for his experimental jazz style and persona as a peace loving alien from Saturn. Ra led the musical collective, ‘The Arkestra,’ from the mid-1950’s until his death in 1993. ‘The Arkestra’ would often perform dressed in futuristic costumes inspired by ancient Egyptian attire and the space age.
Since the early days, there have been many great musicians who have expanded Afro-futurism, such as hip hop pioneer and champion of social justice, Afrika Bambaataa, prolific R&B artist, Erykah Badu, psychedelic soul queen, Janelle Monáe, and funk/rock/jazz sensation, Esperanza Spalding.
Of course, science fiction has imbued the human psyche so completely that one doesn’t have to reach very far to hear it’s influence, and here I’ve only just scratched the surface. Not only in psychedelic rock or Afro-futurism; the influence of science fiction can now be heard everywhere. In the work of stadium rock band Queen (Flash Gordon and Highlander), alternative rock band, Radiohead (‘OK Computer’ with it’s numerous references to ‘The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy’), industrial music pioneer, Gary Numan (his 1979 concept album ‘Replicas,’ which is heavily influenced by the works of J.G. Ballard, William S. Burroughs, and Philip K. Dick), The Beastie Boys (Intergalactic), any number of Muse songs; the list goes on and on.
Much has been written about science fiction in music, and you can find lots of articles on the internet listing artists, songs and albums of all genres. So, if you always thought that science fiction wasn’t your thing, maybe now is the time to rethink that notion.
If you enjoy music that makes you feel good, a little bit sassy and like cutting a rug; then you’re probably a lover of soul. Soul is a wide ranging genre that includes everything from classic soul artists like Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding and Al Green; to Prince’s brand of funk-rock, synth-pop soul; to hybrids of psychedelic soul, disco soul and soul R&B.
The band formed in 2008 and have released two EPs and three albums, the most recent of which, ‘Freedom is Free,’ was released in March of this year. They have toured with Jack White, Alabama Shakes and The Claypool Lennon Delirium, and their fanbase is growing all the time.
Chicano Batman have a sound that says ‘let’s drink mojitos on this summer, Sunday afternoon.’ Rest assured, this is definitely a band to watch.
Charles Bradley
American singer, Charles Bradley, has a classic 1960’s/70’s soul/funk sound that has been likened to soul great, Otis Redding. Bradley is signed to Daptone Records, an independent funk and soul record label based in Brooklyn, New York, that is known for it’s revivalist approach to soul music.
Bradley released his debut album ‘No Time For Dreaming,’ in 2011 at 63 years of age to widespread acclaim. He followed up with ‘Victim of Love,’ in 2013 and ‘Changes,’ in 2016. He was also the subject of the documentary film ‘Soul of America.’ Directed by Poull Brien and debuting at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas in 2012, the film tells Bradley’s life story; from childhood, to his years on the streets, and his eventual success as a soul singer. Bradley’s songs have been frequently sampled by hip hop artists and featured on various TV series.
Bradley has a powerful voice that’s deep and rich, and is perfectly complimented by the vintage sounds of the superb soul/funk Menahan Street Band. If you like classic soul, then Charles Bradley’s your man.
Psychedelic soul queen, Janelle Monáe, is on the rise. Not only does she have three exceptional albums and an EP under her belt, she has earned a slew of Grammy nominations, and in 2016, had major roles in two Academy Award nominated films, one of which ‘Moonlight,’ won the Academy Award for best picture.
Monáe’s science fiction themed concept albums are centred around her alter-ego, the android, Cindi Mayweather. Her brand of psychedelic soul also incorporates, jazz, R&B, hip hop, funk and art rock. Monáe enlists an impressive cast of collaborators on her albums, including Prince, Erykah Badu, Solange Knowles, Miguel, Esperanza Spalding and Outkast’s Big Boi.
Janelle Monáe is one of the most brilliant, talented and refreshing artists making music at the moment. I absolutely love her! If you haven’t already, check her out.
Childish Gambino
Donald Glover is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer and musician. As a recording artist, Glover performs under the stage name, Childish Gambino. Glover has released three albums as Childish Gambino, ‘Camp’ in 2011, ‘Because the Internet’ in 2013 and ‘Awaken, My Love!’ in 2016. His first two albums are primarily hip hop, but ‘Awaken, My Love!’ is an exercise in psychedelic soul that’s as funky as anything by Parliament-Funkadelic. This album is soul gold.
