The Danger of Alina Simone

Alina Simone - 'Make Your Own Danger'

Found a new method to discover new music!! .... The need for an updated prescription of one's vision. I saw an album cover that looked interesting. I thought it said Alina Simone, which I entered in a online search.. I listened to a few short samples and ordered two albums. The first to arrive at my front door was the record that I originally spotted ..... It was Nina Simone!! I've heard of Nina Simone but don't know her music. It was followed two or three days later by the Alina Simone record. 

Never mind that the two album covers appeared to be from greatly different time periods, 1959 and 2011, and are of vastly different styles. I was under the impression that I was acquiring two Alina Simones and instead received Nina and Alina!! Glad it all worked out!! Sometimes there's benefits and rewards in poor vision.

Make Your Own Danger Review

Maggie Rogers

Maggie Rogers - 'Notes From the Archive: Recordings 2011-2016'

I had never heard of her prior to two weeks ago. I read a few lines of a review, checked out a few seconds of song samples and ordered this. It was more than next day delivery but even next day would have been too long of a wait.

How could I have not have known? I can't know everything but there's no way these songs should have passed by me all these years without notice. 

Starts with an Indie Rock vibe but feels more Singer/Songwriter the deeper you get. Reminds of new discoveries made during late night listening sessions of Oregon Public Broadcasting radio. 

And I love the simplicity and the black of the cover art. All you really need is the basics.  

Highlights after two listens are, 'Wolves', 'Blood Ballet' and 'Does It Feel Slow?' which is a duet with Holden Jaffe (another new name for me), but every song feels incredibly must listen vital.

"I'm not waiting for the wolves to rip my heart out, I'm not waiting for the wolves."

Ghost of David

'Ghost of David' by Damien Jurado.

You just might see his photo next to an entry in your dictionary for Indie singer/songwriter. Early stripped down Neil Young meets Nick Drake and Elliott Smith. 

Not my first Damien Jurado experience. I have at least a half dozen of his albums. Was feeling extreme frustration at the ongoing non-delivery of his latest and discovered this gem while messaging amazon support. So great things do sometimes arise from displeasure. And I've been assured that the initial frustration will ease by this coming Friday .... "at the latest." I'll likely play this album three or four times before then.

From 2000 on Sub Pop records. Usually an indication of quality. Beautiful melodies are to be found within!! 

On the song 'Paxil' he shows that he can switch direction and rock as well as anyone. Surrounding it are more acoustic sounds. 'Walk With Me' reminds of Neil Young's, 'Love in Mind.'

The Clean

'Getaway' by The Clean.

A vinyl find!! Indie Rock.

A new band for me, discovered in the wake of my record store closing and the resulting increase in  research for new sounds. I just can't physically stumble onto new things like usual. Discovering that there is something exciting about finding new music on your doorstep.

Incredible cover art, which is also on display inside the gatefold and individual record sleeves. (It's a double LP with a bonus cd.) Eye catching cover art has become a huge purchasing factor for me these days.

The Folk Implosion

'Dare to be Surprised' by The Folk Implosion.

Not exactly folky.

Indie Rock minimalism. Basically two guys sounding as if they are playing great songs in their garage. Found three vinyl 45's recently in my record store resulting in ordering this album on compact disc. It arrived in my mailbox and went straight to the cd player!! And still waiting on the highly anticipated  arrival of another.

Buffalo Tom Again

'Quiet and Peace' by Buffalo Tom. From 2018.

Favorite song .... 'Freckles'. The album ends with a rockier cover version of the Simon & Garfunkel song, 'The Only Living Boy In New York.'

Great Indie Rock band and more great cover art!! One that I wish I had on vinyl.

The Bats

I've been viewing a ton of videos on YouTube of people showing off their vinyl record collections. It was there that I was introduced just a few days ago to The Bats ….

The album, 'Daddy's Highway' ….. Just received in the mail. On vinyl. I love the colors used in the cover art!! From 1987. The Bats were from New Zealand. This is their first full length album. I've seen it called Indie Rock and Power Pop. Just an enjoyable listen!!

Pedro the Lion & Buffalo Tom

'Control' by Pedro the Lion, from 2018. On colored vinyl. If I had to guess, a yellow-ish/gold-ish combination of colors. A sticker on the back of the album calls it "opaque yellow."

Indie Rock

I didn't used to care much for colored vinyl, but I'm becoming a enthusiastic convert in my old age.

I don't know much about the band, being fairly new to their sound. The cover art certainly grabbed my attention initially.

Also listening to a 2019 Record Store Day (One of my favorite holidays) release of the 1989 self titled debut album by Buffalo Tom.

I always arrive late, mid-afternoon, to these annual Record Store Day events as I don't care for the hours standing in long lines and crowds once inside my record store when the doors open in the morning. So I was extremely fortunate to find a copy of this. Though I'm thinking that I may have asked the owner to hold a copy for me under the counter. If true, than an advantage and perk to holding longtime customer status.

On a transparent colored vinyl that could possibly give a case of vertigo if stared at for long periods. Looks as if it's spinning in opposite directions.

More Indie Rock!! Not that there's ever anything wrong with that.

Bonuses!!! .... Inside the gatefold sleeve is a 12" print of the cover art. Inside the gatefold itself are two or three dozen photos.

Songs: Ohia

Self titled album which is basically the late Jason Molina. He recorded under this name and Magnolia Electric Co. Possibly Indie Rock, Alternative Country, Singer Songwriter is my best effort at a description. Terrifically prolific songwriter who recorded in the late 1990's into the 2000's. There are times when you can detect a definite Neil Young influence.

If you're new to his music you'll find a treasure chest of music to discover

Intelligent lyrics and essential listening!!!

All Music Guide Review

Saturday Evening Radio Playlist

Saturday evening. Too wet and chilly to be running about outside. So a little Oregon Public Broadcasting music stream is in order. Always with some new and different sounds mixed with a few classics for these aging ears.

• Sallie Ford & the Sound Outside - God's Away On Business
• The Devil Makes Three - All Hail
• Daniel Norgren - Dandelion Time
• STRFKR - Open Your Eyes
• Dan Dan - Circuit
• David Bowie - The Stars (Are Out Tonight) *****
• Andy Shauf - Things I Do
• Jeff Tweedy - Family Ghost
• The Prids - Summer Cult *****
• Alvvays - In Undertow
• Lala Lala and WHY? - Siren 042
• Saintseneca - The Awefull Yawn
• Toro Y Moi - Girl Like You
• Tommy Alexander - Time and Time Again
• She-Devils - Hey Boy

I keep saying to myself: "Time to end this and move on to whatever's next in my evening …. But maybe just one more song." Because the alternative tonight was watching my list of Twitter followers go up and down.

• Bon Iver - Naeem
• Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Heavy Metal
• Dana Buoy - Bloom
• Corridor - Junior *****
• La Luz - Cicada

Another List

I love making lists. Any kind of list. But music is a particular favorite. The middle of the night feels like the perfect time to listen to music. When everything else around you has quieted down.

What am I listening to today? Same as I've been listening to all week. Late night radio.

• The Essex Green - Don't Leave It In Our Hands *****
• Fountains of Wayne - Valley Winter Song
• Wooden Shjips - Staring at the Sun
• Anna Burch - Asking 4 a Friend
• The National - Conversation 16
• The Morning Benders - All Day Day Light
• Sam Evian - IDGAF
• Joseph - Canyon …. "Joseph" is either a female or a band with a female lead vocalist.
• The Decemberists - Cutting Stone
• R.E.M. - Turn You Inside Out …. One that needs to be played loudly. One of my choices for desert island songs.
• Anna Burch - Quit the Curse
• Wild Ones - You're a Winner
• Nick Jaina - Walking Into a Burning House

Late Night Indie Radio Playlist

Late Sunday night, OPB Radio playlist. Remembering late evenings long ago, listening to 1960's radio, while everyone else slept. This could be a short playlist because these days, I just can't hang in there at odd hours like I could in the 60's. ....

• Midlake - Head Home
• Madness - That Close
• Goldfrapp - Anymore .... This sure isn't the music of my youth. But for tonight anyway, that's perfectly OK.
• The Ghost Ease - Gemini Rise
• Say Hi - Elouise .... A band that I have in my collection!! Though not this song. A different sound. Is it possible that there's two groups named Say Hi?
• BrakesBrakesBrakes - Hey Hey .... The 'British Invasion' band.
• Cloud Nothings - Internal World .... "I'm not the one who's always right."
• Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks - Baltimore .... The title of their album, Real Emotional Trash, cause for a chuckle.
• Frightened Rabbit - Good Arms vs. Bad Arms

Stuff Like That There

A new Yo La Tengo album. Always welcome sounds. Some cover versions, re-workings of past songs and a few new tunes.

Yo La Tengo can sound alternatingly hip, cool and modern Indie Rock and also as if they are from the 1960's. Or all-of-the-above at the same time.

They can take well known songs and if you failed to recognize the lyrics, you would never know that it was a cover version.

Formerly a trio, they've added a fourth member on this recording ..... an additional guitarist.

NPR Album Review

Massachusetts Daily Collegian Review

Record Store Day!!

Another "Record Store Day" today! My kind of holiday! Vinyl junkies, geeks and dorks galore in the record store. Wait a minute ..... I'm one of those geeks. Just not the insane variety that stands in a long line for several hours waiting for the doors to open. I mosey on in whenever I get around to it. And glad that I do. From the photos that I've seen it looks like it was a mob scene during the first hour. I probably missed out on some good stories but I'm way too old and lacking in perseverance for this standing-in-line stuff.

It's fascinating to me, the number of kids, teenagers and 20-somethings, that frequent record stores today. Sometimes I think they outnumber us geezers. How did they discover these black discs called records? I feel the urge occasionally to stop and tell them about the grand old days of record stores, the BCD era (before compact discs) when there was three or four in town. When one might go out of business but another would always pop up. When every decent sized town had a record store. When they would burn incense in the store. Long before the internet .... When every store would have the huge Schwann Catalog on the counter for reference. When the majority of the band and musician names on the records were known to me. When I was young!! I wonder if they would listen?

I did pick up a couple Record Store Day limited releases to do my part to observe and honor todays occasion .....

• Typhoon - Prosthetic Love (Piano Version) ..... 7-inch vinyl. A local band!
• The Animals - The Animals No. 2 ..... 10-inch vinyl. From 1965. Their second EP.

Also found .....

• Kai Winding & J.J. Johnson - The Great Kai and J.J. ..... Jazz from 1961. Both are trombonists. Bill Evans on piano. On Impulse Records, another of the great classic Jazz record labels.
• Clyde McCoy - The Uncollected 1938 .... Big Band Swing. From radio broadcasts. On Hindsight Records. Part of a series of enjoyable recordings of different big bands from the 1930's-50's. I've been taking home anything that I can find from this series. History to me. Something my parents may have listened to in their youth which makes it fascinating. With the live narration introducing each song, you almost feel like you are back in those days, in front of your radio.

New Music Discovery

Let it never be said that I am stuck exclusively on the music from my youth. Or that I refuse to give a chance to modern possibilities. I noticed this album listed on several Best Music of 2014 lists. It stood out as the common denominator between a group of serious music fans. Titled "Lost In The Dream" by The War On Drugs.

All Music Guide

After listening start to finish, it's likely my choice for album of the year.

Black Friday Release

At my local record store. A Record Store Day/Black Friday release ......

Originally from 1976. Supposedly helped open the door for "Indie" recordings. Has a cover of the Grass Roots song, "Let's Live For Today." 

A 10" Clear Vinyl Record. (Though I'm not enough of a audiophile to know why clear vinyl is significant.)