Been very impressed with the new album by Alllie X. Had never heard of her before, but the backstory is basically this: She a Canadian artist that had been releasing pop songs. She'd had a few minor hits, but was convinced into moving to the L.A. area as she was told she needed to be in the industry machine to be successful. Her last album in 2020 was a moderate hit, but she wasn't satisfied working that way. The pandemic and struggles with a health condition convinced her she should just do the music she wanted, instead of trying to fit in with the current trends.

It turns out what she wanted to do was music in an early eighties synthpop/postpunk style. I think she nailed it.

This ones a bit "You Spin Me Round" meets "Blue Monday", but the songwriting is good so I can get past that.

Edited by user 06 March 2024 02:05:24(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

It's not all upbeat. This is the one currently stuck in my head:

Ah welcome to the "Listening" thread Andy. Even when there's nothing new happening in NO-land, there's always something new happening in music-land. A small number of us have kinda sorta kept this thread going, but I'm always interested to know what else NO fans listen to besides NO - if anything. So don't be put off even if you don't get a huge reaction.


Straight into the 80s vibes with some Fairlight "orch" stabs at the start, and then yeah, it's definitely a bit Blue Monday/NO, especially that drum machine, but also the synth bass. Then there's the Hook-lite twangy guitar around 2 mins onwards, also from around 3:40 (and esp 3:55 onwards) some high pitched Barney-like guitar. And that big ending around 4:09 feels quite NO-ish as well. She seems to have a decent voice, though I wonder if the actual song may be a bit "Eurovision"...



So she kinda looks like a less pretty Karen O. And where Karen sang "Off With Your Head", Allie choses another part of the body. I wonder if this were sung by a man if there would be accusations of misogyny...
Anyway, my accusation is one of Yazoo-borrowing (or Yazz as they were known in the US). The cadence of the lyrics sounds directly lifted from Don't Go, and both songs even mention a doctor.
listen to the cadence of:

Then I called the doctor
Said Miss what can you do?
She told me she'd cut them off
I said sign me up for June

And then the cadence of:

Hey go get the doctor,
doctor came too late
Another night I feel alright
my love for you can't wait



I wonder if her lyrical use of "take the piss" is also a sort "British" reference. AFAIK, it's an expression that isn't used so much in North America, although I could be wrong.
There's something about the closing synth aprpeggio circa 3.04 that feels familiar too, although I can't quite place it.


Instrument choices aside, I can't actually name any 80s tracks that this sounds like. The song kinda reminds me of early Goldfrapp, I think.



0:11 The drum beat immediately made me think of A-ha's Take On Me. Then the groove/riff (both the synth and drum pattern) from about 0:43 onwards (and esp 0:56 onwards) feels like a direct lift from that Flashdance song, Maniac, but pitched up a notch (not actually a direct sample though). Listen below from about 0:12. And finally that closing synth bass sound (4:04 to 4:09) sounds like something that's on the tip of my tongue but I can't quite name.



I think if you're young enough not to remember the tracks that influence her, she might sound kinda retro-fresh. But I'm not sure that her song writing is going to convert me right now. A fun excercise in "what does that sound like?" though!

This one's reminiscent of a couple of things too:

Thanks for those, Andy. Never heard of Allie X but that one about tits was intriguing.


Been listening to Peter Gabriel's recent album i/o. Or have i mentioned it before? Some classic, songs for the ages stuff by Peter on it. It comes in 2 or even 3 versions, Dark Side, Bright Side and Dolby Atmos. Different variants of all songs but that's all too much for me, i've tended to stick to the Bright Side version.Took him 20+ years to make.Gabriel has often had that maybe naff "world music" sound to his music but his voice and lyrics regularly cut to the chase of the human condition.He has that voice and lyrics that inspire optimism, hope and empathy. Don't Give Up with Kate was just lovely.I kinda forget about Peter Gabriel but then i'll hear one of his songs and it just hits a spot .His voice is really effective.Think it was in Hooky's Substance book where he recounts bumping into Gabriel at Real World. Gabriel was changing a light bulb. Hooky i think found him a nice guy but Gabriel was changing the bulb wrong, according to Hooky. Wrong wattage or something. And of course Hooky is never wrong, right?

"It's time that wears the crown and time that rings the bell" Quite.

Edited by user 14 March 2024 13:23:21(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Lana. The Greatest. No, she really is THE Greatest.

High point for me on recent MGMT album. People In The Streets

I downloaded from Soulseek the full videos of Lana's recent headline slots at Coachella 2024.She played at both weekends and both live streamed on YouTube.I didn't catch either livestream at the time but obtained them a few days after of each.Anyway, if you're interested , PM me and i can share the two videos with you.Each show is around 2 hours or so

Edited by user 05 May 2024 06:28:15(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Spiritualized again tomorrow night, Brighton Dome. Will be third time for me. Always a euphoric, mad, cacophonous, beautiful noise. Love 'em.

Anyone catch the live set by Justice at Glastonbury last Sunday night ? Pretty good i thought (watched on TV). Had kind of lost track of them for years but i think they released a new album this year. My vague memories from quite some years ago now are of them doing one or two of those Mini Mixes for Annie Mac on Radio 1. Anyways, i became aware this week of this tour film A Cross The Universe from around 2008 ish. Mad film of their American tour around that era. Anyone ever watched this? Focuses more on the tour bus shenanigans, fights, a wedding (fake, i guess?! to a groupie), the partying and their production manager's obsession with handguns . LOTS of groupies. But it is a remarkable watch just for listening to the tour bus driver. He has the deepest American drawl you ever heard. Unreal. It's him talking right at the start of the film. Couldn't get over the way that guy talks. He talks at one point about his voice having one of, if not THE lowest register.Incredible.

Edited by user 04 July 2024 11:58:17(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

I've noticed became aware of a Car ad lately ( god knows what make and model i didn't pay that much attention) that bizarrely uses this tune and it's got quite into my head again. P -Machinery from the quite fabulous A Secret Wish album of 1985 by Propaganda

i caught Air in a marquee at Field Day festival back in [checks internet]...2016. Crumbs, it only feels like a couple of years ago.
It wasn't a "Moon Safari" gig per se, and it was in the middle of the afternoon, which maybe isn't the best time to see Air live.
They clashed with something else so I got yanked away to another stage before the end of their set. I kinda wanted to stay though...
You can see bright sunlight peeking through behind the stage at the start of this video:

---

Funnily enough I actually came here to post some brand new dream pop/ synth pop.
New for 2024, from an album due out 15th November, an artist from New Zealand who has passed me by up until now.
I think it takes a couple of minutes to get under your skin.

Fazerdaze - Cherry Pie