2016 Albums by Rihanna, James, and Dream Theater (FJ 2016 SUNM 2)

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Sa Ugoy ng Musika
by aLfie vera mella

New Albums to Check Out This Year 
(part 2)

In the previous issue, you've seen previews of the new albums released this year by the legendary English artist David Bowie, the iconic Metal band Megadeth, and the pioneering Britpop group Suede. However, these are just the tip of the so-called sonic iceberg. If you're a music buff who does not discriminate on music--meaning, you are the type of a music enthusiast who appreciates any genre of music--then you should know that every year is a good year in music. Whatever kind of music you dig, there should be something for you in any given year. All you need are a pair of open ears and the guide of music journalists who are always on top of whatever's new in the music world. Don't just rely only on what commercial radio has been churning. Have a little bit more of initiative and resourcefulness. So now, let me recommend to you another batch of new albums released this year that are worth checking out.

Rihanna - Anti

By now, the one-word moniker Rihanna is already a household name. Well, why not? After all, the U.S.-based Barbadian singer has become one of the popular singers in the recent years who has achieved celebrity status. Thanks to her international Pop hits that include "Umbrella," "Disturbia," and "Birthday Cake," all of which have become regular radio staples. If you're regularly tuned in on the radio, then the R'n'B-flavored Hip-hop song "Work" must by now have become a worm to you ears. That song is actually a single off Rihanna's eighth studio album, entitled Anti. Released in January, Rihanna's latest offering is a powerhouse of dancey, upbeat, groovy, and sexy songs that will certainly adorn any dancefloor or dimly lit entertainment basement. Aside from "Work," other catchy songs from the album include the sinister-sounding "Kiss It Better," the midtempo bass-heavy "Same Ol' Mistakes," the big-hall ballad "Love on the Brain," and the provocative "Sex with Me."

James - Girl at the End of the World

For fans of Indie Pop music, the English band James is no longer unheard of; after all, James has been in the Alternative music circuit since 1982, now armed with 14 studio albums' worth of discography, not counting various non-album releases. James's list of classic hits include "What For," Ya Ho," "Stripmining," "Come Home," "Born of Frustration," and the commercial favorite "Say Something." Last March, the prolific band released its 14th work, entitled Girl at the End of the World. True to the band's trademark sonic style, the sound of the album is unmistakable--jangly and chiming guitars, rolling basslines, upbeat tempo, trumpet flourishes, and of course vocalist Tim Booth's distinct yelpy voice. Recommended songs are the guitar stomper "To My Surprise," the piano-led, Gospel-flavored "Nothing but Love," the eerie-sounding, carnivalesque "Dear John," the driving and engaging "Surfer's Song," and the album's ballad title track.

Dream Theater - Astonishing

Inarguably, Dream Theater is one of the most revered bands in the Progressive Metal arena. Every album that the American band releases is worth the wait--well-conceived, well-arranged, and well-produced. That should be unsurprising, considering the musical background and instrument proficiency of each of the band's members. Formed in 1985, Dream Theater released its 13th studio album in January. Entitled Astonishing, this latest oeuvre is a concept album divided into two acts comprised by 34 songs and instrumentals, musically expressed in varying sonic styles.

Final Note
In the next issue, join me again in this exciting trip to sonic suburbia. Expect the new releases by the English Synthpop duo Pet Shop Boys, the pioneering Britpop band Kula Shaker, and the Greek New Age composer Yanni.

2016 Albums by David Bowie, Megadeth, and Suede (FJ 2016 SUNM 1)

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Sa Ugoy ng Musika
by aLfie vera mella

New Albums to Check Out This Year (part 1)

It's only the first quarter of 2016 but the list of newly released albums to check out is already long. Here are just some of them.

David Bowie - Blackstar

"Look up here, I'm in heaven...."
I've got scars that can't be seen
I've got drama, can't be stolen
Everybody knows me now...."

Inarguably, David Bowie was one of, if not the most, influential artists of all times, from his Space Oddity years in the 1970s on through the final decade of his life. His music and unique sense of fashion continue to cast a spell on countless old and new artists and musicians of different genres. Sadly, Bowie died on January 10, 2016, two days after his 69th birthday and after releasing his 25th studio album. Entitled Blackstar, this oeuvre is indeed the final masterstroke from Bowie, a perfect closer for a long, fruitful, and enduring career. Recommended songs include the lyrically prophetic "Lazarus," the Jazz-flavored "Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)," and the nostalgic "I Can't Give Everything Away," which harks to the sonic coolness of many of Bowie's '80s-released songs such as "China Girl," "Modern Love," and "This Is Not America."

Megadeth - Dystopia

"How much pain do you need to feel?
How much shame do you have to conceal?
There is no sunshine, just endless nights...."

In the arena of Metal music, Megadeth is certainly one of the pioneers and prolific musicmakers. In its 30-year existence, it has released 15 studio albums of uncompromising heavy music. Some of its classic hits include "Mary Jane," "Holy Wars...the Punishment Due," and "Symphony of Destruction." Megadeth's latest album, entitled Dystopia, is yet another highly charged powerhouse of a guitar album that sounds unmistakably Megadeth right on to the first track. In fact, Dystopia may be regarded as a sort of an updating of Megadeth's classic Thrash Metal sound, as represented by the employment of twin lead-guitar attack; crunchy guitar rhythm; and lots of tempo changes, symphonic shots, and sonic textures. Recommended songs include the galloping Thrash piece "Death from Within," the Classical-flavored "Poisonous Shadows," and the march-introed and tempo-changing "Bullet to the Brain."

Suede - Night Thoughts

"Pale are the snowflakes that fall for us
Pale are the peonies you grew, my love...."

This English band was one of the instigators and forerunners of the Britpop music scene in the 1990s. Along with fellow Britpoppers Pulp, Oasis, Blur, The Boo Radleys, and Elastica, Suede dominated not only the airwaves but also the charts during the genre's commercial heyday. The band's classic hits include "Animal Nitrate," "New Generation," and "Beautiful Ones." Now, Suede has just released its latest, seventh studio album; the band's second offering for the 2010s. Entitled Night Thoughts, it is the followup to 2013's Bloodsports. To anyone who is familiar with the sound of Suede and who has loved the band because of this, the new album will not disappoint. The grating, saccharine guitar parts of longtime guitarist Richard Oakes as well as the vocal swagger of Brett Anderson remain as ubiquitous as always. Recommended songs from Night Thoughts include the driving and sinister-sounding "Outsiders," the dark and haunting ballad "I Don't Know How to Reach You," the slow and eerie melodic sheen of "Pale Snow," and the upbeat and poppy "Like Kids."

Final Note
These are just three of the worthy releases for 2016. In the next issues, expect some more recommendations, which will include new albums by the US-based Barbadian Pop singer Rihanna, the English New Wave band James, the American Progressive Metal band Dream Theater, US-based Greek New Age artist Yanni, and the English Raga Britpop band Kula Shaker.

April 6, 2016
article for "Sa Ugoy ng Musika"
Filipino Journal, April 2016 issue #1

Classic New Wave Favorites (compilation series) volumes 1 to 6

compiled by eLf ideas

Volume 1
Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart (1980)
The Church - The Unguarded Moment (1981)
Care - Whatever Possessed You (1983)
China Crisis - Wishful Thinking (1983)
Seona Dancing - More to Lose (1983)
Tears for Fears - Mad World (1983)
Echo & the Bunnymen - The Killing Moon (1984)
General Public - Tenderness (1984)
Giorgio Moroder & Philip Oakey - Together in Electric Dreams (1984)
King - Love & Pride (1984)
The Adventures - Two Rivers (1984)
The Waterboys - The Whole of the Moon (1985)
The Bolshoi - A Way (1986)
The Chameleons U.K. - Tears (1986)
XTC - Dear God (1986)
Gene Loves Jezebel - The Motion of Love (1987)
Fine Young Cannibals - She Drives Me Crazy (1988)
Three o'Clock - On Paper (1988)

Sample link: (CNWF1)

Volume 2
Joy Division - New Dawn Fades (1979)
New Order - Dreams Never End (1981)
A Flock of Seagulls - I Ran (So Far Away) (1982)
Madness - Our House (1982)
Nena - 99 Luftballons (1984)
Alphaville -  Big in Japan (1984)
Romeo Void - A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing) (1984)
The Psychedelic Furs - The Ghost in You (1984)
Fra Lippo Lippi - The Distance between Us (1985)
White China - Smiles and Jokes (1985)
Depeche Mode - A Question of Lust (1986)
The Cutting Crew - (I Just) Died in Your Arms (1986)
Level 42 - Running in the Family (1987)
Red Flag - Russian Radio (1989)
The Cure - Fascination Street (1989)
The Lightning Seeds - Pure (1990)
The Sundays - Here's Where the Story Ends (1990)
XTC - The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead (1992)

Sample link (CNWF2)

Volume 3
Split Enz - Six Months in a Leaky Boat (1982)
Blue Zoo - Love Moves in Strange Ways (1983)
Care - Flaming Sword (1983)
Al Corley - Square Rooms (1984)
Dragon - Rain (1984)
Echo & the Bunnymen - Silver (1984)
Fiction Factory - (Feels Like) Heaven (1984)
Lloyd Cole & the Commotions - Rattlesnakes (1984)
New Order - Thieves like Us (1984)
The Lotus Eaters - The First Picture of You (1984)
The Sound - Total Recall (1985)
Simple Minds - Don't You (Forget about Me) (1985)
The Church - Already Yesterday (1985)
The March Violets - Deep (1985)
Translator - Gravity (1985)
Wire Train - God on Our Side (1985)
Fruits of Passion - Kiss Me Now (1986)
The Room - New Dreams for Old (1984)

Sample link: (CNWF3)

Volume 4
Duran Duran - The Reflex (1983)
Industry - State of the Nation (1983)
Tears for Fears - Pale Shelter (1983)
U2 - Sunday Bloody Sunday (1983)
Alphaville - Forever Young (1984)
Dear Enemy - Computer One (1984)
Sparks - Pretending to Be Drunk (1984)
The Blue Nile - Stay (1984)
Wire Train - Chamber of Hellos (1984)
Propaganda - Duel (1985)
Vitamin Z - Burning Flame (1985)
Depeche Mode - But Not Tonight (1986)
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - If You Leave (1986)
Belouis Some - Animal Magic (1987)
Men Without Hats - Pop Goes the World (1987)
When in Rome - The Promise (1988)
New Order - Regret (1993)
Echo & the Bunnymen - Lips like Sugar (1987)

Sample link: (CNWF4)

Volume 5
Cocteau Twins - Pandora (1984)
Depeche Mode - It Doesn't Matter (1984)
Nik Kershaw - So Quiet (1986)
The Alarm - Walk Forever by My Side (1985)
Cutting Crew - I've Been in Love Before (1986)
Howard Jones - No One Is to Blame (The Long Mix) (1986)
Spandau Ballet - Through the Barricades (1986)
The Chameleons U.K. - Tears (1986)
The Bible - Honey Be Good (1988)
Introvoys - Lullabye (1989)
Red Flag - Rain (1989)
Tears for Fears - Woman in Chains (1989)
Identity Crisis - Will I Ever Know? (1990)
Duran Duran - Someone Else Not Me (2000)
The Lotus Eaters - Can Your Kisses Fly? (2001)
Fra Lippo Lippi - Later (2002)
Half Moon Half Rain - More to Lose (2007)
a-ha - Foot of the Mountain (2009)

Sample link: (CNWF5)

Volume 6

Modern English - Someone's Calling (1982)

Big Country - In a Big Country (1983)

Red Rockers - China (1983)

Ultravox - Dancing with Tears in My Eyes (1984)

Everything but the Girl - When All's Well (1985)

Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians - Heaven (1985)

The Comsat Angels - You Move Me (1985)

Siouxsie & the Banshees - Cities in Dust (1986)

Ten Ten - When It Rains (1986)

The Light - Pride of Winning (1986)

Flesh for Lulu - Postcards from Paradise (1987)

Lloyd Cole & the Commotions - Jennifer She Said (1987)

1927 - That's When I Think of You (1988)

The Mighty Lemon Drops - Inside Out (1988)

The Pursuit of Happiness - Walking in the Woods (1988)

16 Tambourines - Bathed in the Afterglow (1989)

The Ocean Blue - Between Something and Nothing (1989)

The Railway Children - A Gentle Sound (1989)

Sample link: (CNWF6)

Ultimate New Wave Experience vol. 7: Solo Works

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Here's volume 7 of the compilation series Ultimate New Wave Experience. For this set, I chose songs released as solo efforts by members of relatively popular bands. Many of these artists have long gone solo, but some are still members of their respective bands but who have simply released albums under their own solo names.

I'm sure that many of the albums where such songs came from have gone by unnoticed by many people, even by some fans themselves. After all, most of these songs and the albums themselves never really received radio airplay or much buzz in the media arena.

If one is truly in search of new music to discover, one has to look for them himself and not rely on the radio.

I chose the songs meticulously after listening to the whole albums repeatedly. I choose what I find the catchiest and most memorable songs in the albums, based on my personal taste.

I just want to share them with fellow music enthusiasts, in the hopes of inspiring and encouraging them to appreciate music beyond what is commercial and mainstream.

Dig.

A few notes:

* Richard Butler's "Broken Aeroplanes" has a vibe reminiscent of The Wild Swans' "Sea of Tranquility," from this band's second album, Spaceflower (1990).

* Gary Kemp's "Standing in Love" will be great to play before or after "Life in a Northern Town" by The Dream Academy.

* Magne Furuholmen's "The Longest Night" has been reworked by his band a-ha and included the result as the title track of their last album, 2009's Foot of the Mountain.
 

Remembering The Mo: The Progressive New Wave Band behind "Asia"

by aLfie vera mella
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The Dutch band The Mo is one of those groups that many music enthusiasts know only for that one great song--"Asia." Because I don't want to stay limited about my knowledge about this band, I researched about them and decided to look for copies of their albums and to buy them if available.

The song "Asia" has really become a favorite New Wave song of many music enthusiasts. But, who really was the group behind that song?

Formed in 1979, in Netherlands, by the brothers Clement and Huub de Lange, The Mo's activity was rather short-lived. After recruiting Heili Helder as singer and Harm Bieger as drummer, the four-piece The Mo released its self-titled, debut album in 1980, with singles "Nancy" and "Fred Astaire"--with the latter sounding to me now as Indie Pop in the league of The Cardigans. 

"Nancy" starts off with a dark-sounding drums-keyboard melody interplay and then continues with an upbeat tempo with elements of melodic progressiveness.

"Fred Astaire" is a funky, danceable song with the same progressive sensibilities.

The Mo initially disbanded in 1981, leaving drummer Bieger to pick up the pieces by recruiting new members to re-form the group. With him in the new version of The Mo were singer Linda Bloemhard, Ton van der Meer (synthesizer), Hans Nieuwint (synthesizer), Eddie Conard (percussion), and Willem Ennes (keyboards).

I could see how the music of The Mo could easily be described as Synthpop--they practically did not have a guitar nor a bass player. However, the arrangements of their songs, albeit synthesizer-oriented, have definitely elements of Progressive Rock / Progressive Pop music--sudden stops-starts, instrumental interplays, irregular drumbeats, and ear-catching time-signature changes.

"Cheese," from The Mo's second album, has that Bossa Nova feel, reminiscent of songs like "Lovefool" (1996) by the Swedish group The Cardigans. 

The revitalized The Mo was able to release two more albums--Ha! Ha! The Sound of Laughing (1982) and Stop Staring (1984). Unfortunately, the success of the single "Asia," culled from what became the group's final album, did not stop the band from ultimately dissolving, soon after the last album was released.

"Small Talk" is another song taken from The Mo's final album of 1984. The backing-vocal tracks were indicative of The Mo's Pop sensibilities.

The attractive introductory interlude of "Stop Staring," carried by the sound of the bellkit, makes it the song closest to the sonic style of "Asia." It also has a nice vocal-flute interplay in the mid-song instrumental interlude.

The introductory interlude of "ADSR"--which is on 7/8 time signature--for me further exhibits the Progressive Rock predilection of certain member/s of The Mo. The synthesizer melodies may remind a Progressive Rock enthusiast of the music of Emerson, Lake & Palmer. 

Now I could see why, after listening to the other songs of The Mo other than "Asia," I easily got drawn to their music--I would suppose that one or a few more members of the band were enthusiasts of '60s Progressive Rock, particularly of Emerson, Lake & Palmer. This one, "Take Me for What I Am," had a short instrumental interlude that reminded me of ELP's "Fanfare for the Common Man" and "Karn Evil 9."

The short version of the instrumental "Fanfare for the Common Man" (1977) by the English Progressive Rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer; the instrumental interlude of The Mo's "Take Me for What I Am" sounded to have been influenced by this.

Here's part 2 (or the "Second Impression") of the instrumental "Karn Evil 9" by Emerson, Lake & Palmer

The introductory interlude of the song "Distant Early Warning" (1984) by the Canadian Progressive Rock band Rush sounds similar also to that of The Mo's "Take Me for What I Am" (1980). However, this time, The Mo's song predated that of that Rush's single. Considering Rush's admittance of having taken New Wave influences from some of the New Wave artists/bands of the late '70s to the early '80s, Rush might have been the one to be influenced by The Mo.

In 1993, a compilation of 24 songs by The Mo, including "Asia" and their other singles, entitled 'Remembering Mo,' was released. This would be a great addition to my record collection. Now is the time to look for a copy of this.

A nice song to end this tribute with is "Horse Race," a slow ballad that still carried the synthesizer-oriented progressively melodic music of The Mo.

Final Note
After having listened just now to as many songs by The Mo available on YouTube, I could now see why I got drawn immediately to the rest of the Dutch band's music. While many music reviewers and listeners have long described the band as Synthpop, I personally was able to glean a wealth of Progressive Rock influences in their music. The song arrangements and the synthesizer melodies reminded me of Progressive Rock bands such as Emerson, Lake and Palmer and Yes in particular. And because New Wave and Progressive Rock have long become my two most-favorite music genres, I came to love The Mo's music for that. I now really need to have copies of their albums!

The Ultimate New Wave Experience (vol. 5)

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Here's volume 5 of the compilation series of songs classifiable as New Wave that I started. 

01 The Boomtown Rats - Like Clockwork (1978)

02 The Cure - Grinding Halt (1979)

03 Split Enz - Give It a Whirl (1979)

04 The Glove - Like an Animal (1983)

05 The Armoury Show - A Sense of Freedom (1985)

06 Lulu Kiss Me Dead - The Ultimate Solution (1985)

07 Peter Coyle - Yours, the Spirit that Soared (1985)

08 Wire Train - Love, Love (1985)

09 Cactus World News - Years Later (1986)

10 Adrian Borland & the Citizens - Brittle Heaven (1992)

11 Rumblefish - What You Do to Me (1992)

12 Antarctica - Absence (1999)

13 Fine China - For All Centuries (2000)

14 Bad Lieutenant - Shine like the Sun (2009)

15 Elephant Stone - I Am Blind (2009)

16 Freebass - It's Not Too Late (2010)

17 Ocean Blue - Sad Night, Where Is Morning (2013)

18 The Primitives - Lose the Reason (2014)

Get it here!

If you enjoyed the set, then start checking out the discography of each of the bands featured in this compilation. Support the artists by listening to all their albums and songs.

New Wave music is not entirely rooted in Punk Rock

Contrary to a popular belief that was based on the claim of many music journalists, New Wave music is not entirely rooted in the American and English Punk Rock music that originated in the mid-'70s via bands like The Ramones and Sex Pistols. An immense number of what came to be regarded also as New Wave took their cue from the '60s Art Rock, Folk Rock, Baroque Pop, and Psychedelic Rock of bands/artists like Pink Floyd, Soft Boys, Love, David Bowie, The Byrds, The Beach Boys, and even The Beatles--at least in a musical perspective.

To think that the thousands of bands whose music has become classifiable as New Wave originated from only the small contingent of '70s Punk Rock bands apparently triggered by The Ramones in New York, USA, and Sex Pistols in London, England, in the early to mid-'70s is a ridiculously narrowminded perspective. 

Examples of bands whose respective music has also been considered part of the genre New Wave that are more musically related to the finesse of '60s Art Rock and Baroque Pop than to the abrasiveness of '70s Punk Rock:

China Crisis, Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians, The Pale Fountains, The Lotus Eaters, Care, This Final Frame, Spandau Ballet, The Lightning Seeds