New Music Revue – 7.1.18

Written by Jim S.

An occasional post wherein I crawl out of my cave, realize no new Beatles album is forthcoming and check out some new tunes. I tend to try to go outside my comfort zone, at least somewhat. There are six tunes here so if you don’t have time to listen to all of them all the way through, try to give each one a taste. 

First up, a tune from Fred Seul, a Copenhagen-based musician, and social activist. He informs us that his second single “Wolves,” discusses the growing fear of being in public. Despite the constant decreasing criminality, violence, and terror, people are more afraid than ever. He “encourages people to appreciate that they’re not born a hundred years ago.”

Good point. I like this tune. It’s catchy and has a great feel. The more I listen to it, the more I dig it. It feels ancient somehow but at the same time, modern. “I wish to draw the listener into my universe of optimistic melancholy, where sadness gets converted into joy. It’s relatable and it’s honest.”

The woman pictured at the top of the post is named Rory Block. If you’re not familiar with her, Rory is not some new artist trying to make her way in the world of blues. In fact, according to her website, she is a five-time Blues Award winner.

She tells us that, “one day in 1964 I heard an album called Really The Country Blues and from that moment on my life was dedicated to learning how to play blues. I spent untold hours and two years of my life with my ear glued to a speaker. I was determined to figure out each and every note and play the great songs with as much accuracy as I could muster, out of a deep reverence for the music.”

According to Wikipedia, “At age 15, she left home to seek out the remaining blues giants, such as Mississippi John Hurt, Reverend Gary Davis, and Son House, and hone her craft in the traditional manner of blues musicians; then she traveled to Berkeley, California, where she played in clubs and coffeehouses.”

This is a hot little number called “Gimme a PIgfoot and a Bottle of Beer” which goes at least as far back as Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday. Have mercy!

Spotify link

This one’s gonna surprise regular followers of this site, at least musically. It’s a country tune by a guy named Jesse Dayton. I heard this on Spotify and I couldn’t resist posting it. It’s called “Charlottesville” and while it doesn’t mention him by name, it effectively indicts our useless retard of a president who equated Nazis and those who oppose them. I like hearing a country guy stand up for what’s right and opposing bullshit.

Spotify link

Now, this next tune has got not only a nice groove but a reference to The French Connection. I can’t remember why but in the movie, Popeye Doyle kept asking some guy if he picked his toes in Poughkeepsie.

This is by an artist who goes by the unlikely name of Fannie Pacc and all I can find on him is that he is a “traveling loop pedal musician.” This song “Poughkeepsie” is from his album Froot Loops and I dig that chugging groove.

Spotify link

Next up, a singer/guitarist named Dewey Roberts. From his website, we are informed that he is a “versatile singer/songwriter and guitarist from Santa Ynez CA. He plays and writes a wide range of music in a wide range of styles.

From calm classical guitar instrumentals to belting vocals, Dewey has a strong love for classic rock music as well as all kinds of music. He began writing songs at an early age and released his first original album ‘Common Essence’ at the age of 21 after raising $7,000 to produce the project.”

Ah yes, there is hope for rock and roll yet if the young’uns are churning out belters like this. This is called “Mr. Gypsy Man.”

Spotify link

So I was driving home from a show one night and I heard this oddball tune on the radio. It’s called Nzuku and it’s by a guy named Alexis Georgopoulos who goes by the name ARP. I found it strangely compelling and hypnotic.

I can’t find much about the guy but this was on a website: ““Nzuku” is the second single from his forthcoming full-length ZEBRA, following its lead single “Fluorescences“. It’s unpredictable like jazz and entrancing like new age, expanding into layers of synth, piano, and guitar. New tones appear as quickly as they’re zapped.

21 thoughts on “New Music Revue – 7.1.18”

  1. Some interesting stuff there, Jim. Jesse Dayton appeals to me and he’s been a name that’s appeared on my radar a few times, but aside from a handful of bits and pieces, I haven’t really delved in. Just headed over to his site and see he’s giving away his last album for a shot on his mailing list, so I reckon I’ll get to his stuff sooner rather than later. Cheers!

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    1. Yeah, you wouldn’t totally get the cultural/political thing here. But country stars are notoriously flag-waving conservatives. So to have one of them bash Nazis (and by implication President Jerkface) is much more powerful than if it was some rock star.

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      1. I guess Jesse (from what I know of him without listening to his music, right enough) is the type that fits right in with Earle and Sturgill… and Cash, Willie, Kristofferson, and Waylon before them… proper outlaw shenanigans.

        Harder to find a ‘big hat country’ star that would say anything relevant…

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  2. Mixed bag Doc. Fanny Pacc has a bit of a Dire Straits vibe going on. I guess he liked the movie or just that line from it. I do like his sound. Thinking I should check out more of the lads tunes.

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      1. Yeah it was a good group of tunes. I’m familiar with Rory. Anyone who carries the blues torch is ok in my books. That Dewey opening had me thinking of tunes from the past. It has good energy. reminds me of someone or something. Good rocker. Not a new country guy at all but the Dayton cut has some good playing on it. Those guys can pick. The other two have a soundtrack feel and I can get into both those types of music. They catch my ear in a good way.

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        1. No ‘Laylas’ in there, eh: 🙂 I was thinking recently while listening to some new stuff that you never (or rarely) hear big breakout bands anymore. Beatles, U2. Zep. Everybody’s got a good song or two in ’em and that’s about it sometimes. That last tune, that soundtrack one, caught my ear on the radio as mentioned. I wasn’t sure what to do with it but I figured hell I’ll post it, see what happens. It’s good for me to shake up my own tree. I should go live out with the Indians and take peyote or something for year, come back a whole new ME.

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        2. I’m picking up some good new stuff from this blog thing. Plus that Spotify thing. It has steered me to some real good stuff. Keep posting these tunes. As far as who’s the big bands nowadays I couldn’t tell you. I would only hear them by accident.
          I have lots of good music to listen to but always good to add to it.

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  3. Good stuff, Jim. It reminds me yet another time that I should explore more new music myself instead of primarily listen to old stuff. But the reality is there is a lot of great 60s and 70s music I feel I’ve yet to discover, and there is only so much time I can set aside for music.

    Based on a first listen, I think I’m mostly drawn to the Dewey Roberts and Rory Block tunes – both artists I had not heard of before.

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    1. Dewey is a new guy deserving, I think, more exposure. Rory has been around for quite some time. I just mentioned something about Bruce on your site. Believe it or not, according to Wikipedia she’s 68! Same age as Bruce. Looks great, eh? Also from Jersey. Must be something in the water.

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    2. One other thing. My stepmother comes over to have dinner with us periodically. And she regularly goes into her rap about how music isn’t as good as it was in her day. (Sinatra, etc.) I agree with you about the music of those earlier eras. But I listen to new music so I don’t become that guy.

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  4. I’ll pass on the country songs but the others are nice. I particularly liked that ARP tune and I wouldn’t have heard it without this plug. Thanks, Jim.

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    1. I’m not a particularly big country fan myself but I like a good political statement and the country blues for sure. That ARP tune grabbed my attention and I had to look it up when I got home. As to tunes I would not have heard, boy that Danish water thing is quite the sound. I’d like to put it in some revue on my blog, credit to you of course. Fascinating.

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