april 2019 – good to hear

The First Album
Tuli Kupferberg, Ed Sanders & Ken Wasser
The Fugs were one of the first bands to play «Hippie music», and Tuli Kupferberg was their irreverent front man. The band formed in 1964  and dominated the scene of the sixties, also because of it’s fervent anti-Vietnam stance. Their musical style has been dubbed «avant-rock». Kupferberg had a long and acclaimed career as a poet; he was the composer, the singer-songwriter and guitarist of the band and a long-time collaborator of Alan Ginsberg. «A satirical rock band with a political slant, the Fugs have performed at various war protests – against the Vietnam War and since the 1980s at events around other U.S. involved wars. The band’s often frank and humorous lyrics about sex, drugs, and politics occasionally generated hostile reactions, most notably from the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the late 1960s.» (Wiki)
ESP, 1965


Four am
Bastille
Intelligent entertainment with a pop-folk touch from a band that formed in 2010 and has sold over nine million albums since. 4 am offers a glimpse of material from the forthcoming third album «Doom Days», which frontman Dan Smith describes as an «apocalyptic party record» that feels like it’s dealing with the fallout: we’re partying in Bastille’s post-Brexit nuclear bunker, while pensioners outside battle to death…» «Having laid down the blueprint for indie-pop that’s since become ubiquitous, it’s interesting to contrast older tracks like the Coldplay-maximalism of «Bad Blood» to the new, comparatively risk-taking clubbier Seeb collab «Grip», which Smith tonight describes as «out of our comfort zone»; its drop like an open manhole elicits sweaty frugging.»
Virgin, January 2019


Mama Pasfika
The Black Sistaz
Music from the other end of the world celebrating women and girls: «Stand up and rise up, women, we’ve got to stand tall – this is the message we want you to hear…» Unfortunately, I cannot find much information about the singers though many of them must be stars in Vanatu. Care Vanatu, who helped produce this video, has an emergency call on its website because cyclone Pam has devastated the island since the track was released. If you want to help: www.care.org
Care Vanatu, March 2019


Dido
«Reinvigorated and confident, Dido returns from a six-year absence with her sparkling fifth album, Still on My Mind. Following 2013’s neon-washed Girl Wo Got Away, this set features her liveliest, catchiest production since early era breakthroughs No Angel and Life for Rent, and soundtracks familiar themes of love, loss, desire, and — as the mother of a young son — family. Anchored by her yearning and ever-ethereal vocals, the LP delivers on the promising glimmers that were teased on its cool (but ultimately sedate) predecessor, successfully synthesising the spirit of her early hybrid sound with updated late-2010s sheen. Yet another collaboration with her brother Rollo, Still On My Mind, finds the English singer/songwriter in a mature, controlled space — an elegant but fresh collection of her familiar electro-folk with a hip-hop heartbeat. Strumming to life with the expansive beauty «Hurricanes»’ Still On My Mind offers moody’callbacks to the early 2000s with emotive highlights «Some Kind of Love»’ «Give You Up»,and the title track, which builds to a shiver-inducing beat drop.“ (Neil Z. Yeung for All Music)
WMG, March 2019


LSD
LSD 
The Supergroup LSD is made up of British musician Labrinth, Australian singer Sia und American music producer Diplo. They released a first single in 1918 (out of a total of four). All four did very well and, in March 2019, the band announced the release of their debut album. It has been delayed. Synthetic pop I call it. LSD in the main stream. Nice singing, nice art work, all great quality but too slick for me. Had to mention it because of, you know, Alice. This has little to do with her. (sgs)
SME, May 2019

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