Diary of a young man working in a gold mine in the Colombian jungle.

Listen on Spotify - YouTube

Art: …And Don’t The Kids Just Love It + The Miner by Noel Counihan.

The call center years: a soundtrack; or, how to survive the night shift as a customer service rep.

Listen on Spotify - YouTube

Art: John Falter.

Other than Nico’s studio albums, a couple of Patti Smith and Joni Mitchell records I can’t barely think of any women in my music collection. I think the main reason for this is that since I came from a vocal music background I used to pay too much attention to lyrics and it being a woman perspective, female vocalists didn’t really click for me.

So I guess one could say my music collection is mostly a sausage party, but I really want to remedy it though. So during this  year-long journey one of the albums chosen each month will feature a woman. 

This week I’ve been listening to this Marianne Faithfull album because she’s one of the few women already in my music collection. I think it’s safe to say that Faithfull developed her style with 1979’s Broken English, the quintessential heartbroken woman album.

Dangerous Acquaintances is the follow-up record. It retains the laid-back and easy-going flow, the guitars seem to have gone a bit catchier and even though Marianne’s voice still shows a broken woman in search of new beginnings as heard on “Sweetheart” and “Tenderness”, it’s lacking the gut-punching lyricism of the previous album. So while enjoyed this album I would suggest newcomers start with Broken English.

This record sounds so fresh that you wouldn’t believe the artist behind it is 80 years old. 

John Cale has forged a career out of innovative sounds, from inventing Indie Rock with The Velvet Underground in the 1960’s, to producing haunting records with Nico and helping shape Punk Rock with Patti Smiht’s Horses.

So it should come as no surprise that this album is a belter, but since the last album of his that I listened to was his collaboration with Lou Reed from back in the 90’s, and it’s a collection piano focused songs in tribute to Andy Warhol; it is quite the surprise for me.

Mercy, released only last week, in comparison is modern and grandiose. Cale brought in fresh blood to work with on this album, guests include Weyes Blood, Animal Collective, Laurel Halo among others, but the album feels Cale’s through and through.

As much as I hate to love RateYourMusic, they have come up with the Sonemic Challenge. It recommends you popular albums from genres you probably haven’t explored “to help you step out of your comfort zone.”

Here’s its first recommendation for me: the posthumously released and only official recording of Baby Huey and the Babysitters.

It’s said to have influenced the Hip-Hop and Rap greats, some of them have gone as far as calling it a fundamental piece in the development of their own ideas. And well, The Baby Huey History has been sampled by Biggie, ATCQ and The Roots.

This isn’t just Chicago Soul, it’s religious music. An album that’s bold as it’s aptly titled: The Living Legend. With as many drug references as gospel bits, all mashed together in a way that perhaps explains the end of Mr. James T. Ramey, aka Baby Huey, and yet another example of how thin is the line between the forbidden and the spiritual.

And I am probably focusing on less important ideas on the 9 minute Sam Cooke’s cover and roller-coaster of emotions that is “A Change is Going to Come” alone. The album addresses social and racial issues too and “the band knows a way.”

It’s quite clear after listening to this that Sonemic is right about me needing to get more into this “Soul” thing. Perhaps you can join me on this musical journey too.

When it comes to pop, I’m probably not your guy. So it makes sense for me to have avoided Blur, a band known for helping shape Britpop, but after consistently blasting “Girls & Boys” towards the end of last year it seemed only reasonable for me to explore their music.

As is often the case with bands with such ethos it’s hard to decide where to begin. “13” happens to be the album on which the band is trying to lean more towards experimenting with new sounds instead of sticking with the pop bangers they are known for. I thought this was the perfect entry point for me.

Well, there are plenty of pop beats here and I absolutely love them. The obvious suspects “Tender”, “Coffee & TV” and “No Distance Left to Run” will get regularly play from here on but it’s “Battle” that really stands out for me. It’s easy to get lost in its stunning feedback which contrasts beautifully with the suave vocals. It all feels kindly folded in a drone-y vibe that swings like far-away church bell rings. It’s really beautiful.

I am happy to have discovered this but kinda sad it took so long 😅

Had I heard “Crush” on the radio I could’ve sworn it was a new Low song. It’s actually the opening track on Jessica Bailiff’s Hour of the Trace, but it kinda is Low too, as Alan Sparhawk produced the record.

So I dive in looking for tender slowcore melodies clearly not expecting the ambitious shoegaze detours that at times recall the cacophonous bliss of My Bloody Valentine.

What a pleasant surprise to kick-start my music journey in 2023.

Closing a 2022 with great album releases and varied discoveries.

Some might be put off by the slow-tempo tunes and Zappa singing it down low, but the guitar riffs are wild and the bass lines as tight as you can get them. “The Torture Never Stops”, the title track and “Black Napkins” are the highlights.

It’s been documented how hard it is for artists to follow-up a masterpiece, but that wasn’t a problem for Natalie Mering. This record still lives in the movie-like world of Titanic Rising. Yes, it still delivers those hazy/silky tunes, it’s just no a novelty anymore. Nevertheless one of my favorite albums of the year. I’m curious on where Weyes Blood go from here.