In a riveting analysis of the music industry and its cookie-cutter “popstar” lifestyle, Canadian artist OLENKA draws attention to the all-too-common lifestyle of “living it big” in her new single, “Sad Boy Popstar.”
“Sad Boy Popstar” is a fantastically produced single with all of the characteristics of a radio-ready hit — seemingly on key with OLENKA’s ambitions. Her understanding of songwriting and production results in an uncanny yet intoxicating combination of 808s, trap drum kits, and electric guitar. With enough atmospheric layering tucked into the overall mater, OLENKA leaves enough headroom to get lost in — symbolic of the gates opened as one climbs the socioeconomic ranks.
‘It’s easy to compare yourself to the greats but remember that you are not them; you have your own journey,” the London-born, Toronto-based artist shares. “Stay true to yourself while you grow. There’s nothing wrong with the grind — just don’t put your mental health on the line. Don’t let part of yourself die on the journey to the top.”
OLENKA’s take on the rise to stardom is one we have seen play out too many times, making “Sad Boy Popstar” such a harrowing tale to tell. The dilemma between “the grind” and reality is often skewed in the fog of success, and “Sad Boy Popstar” highlights this disparity savvily.
“Everyone wants to be a ‘Popstarʼ like Drake, ‘Starboyʼ like The Weeknd, or a ‘Rockstarʼ like Post Malone,” she muses. “You can absolutely do that, but just know the negative repercussions that come with fame and fortune.
“Chains and rings may look nice but that’s not all there is to music and being an artist.”
OLENKA’s take on stardom isn’t a new one, although it often gets brushed aside. “Sad Boy Popstar” reflects on the material desires that often-overcome individuals who find their situation taking a change for the better – especially financially. Couple a large influx of cash with a growing desire to continue living a “normal” life, things can get messy.
“Having a goal for fame and fortune can make you compromise your morals and boundaries,” she says. “The top can be lonely – gold chains and gold rings can’t buy you friends. Everyone wants to be famous, but they don’t know the darkness that lies within the light of fame. Will fame and a chain truly make you happy?”
Heavily influenced by radio hits, OLENKA has traveled down her own path in the genre, blending pop, soul, and R&B effortlessly. Being born into a bloodline ripe with music, OLENKA follows in her parents’ footsteps. Graduating from the Music Industry Arts program at Fanshawe College, she uses her knowledge of sound engineering to further advance her creative and production prowess.
Following her breakthrough release, “Poppin’” in 2019, OLENKA’s roster of released singles soars to include “Break Yours,” “Purple Rose,” and more.
When you can be mesmerized by an artist singing a song that is fifty-four seconds long and contains only layered vocals, handclaps, and percussion, you’ll get why Angelique Francis has a spellbinding gift, and who means business in under a minute with this, her new single “Take Command” — available now.
Take command, take command
Don’t rely on another man
An empowering chant lifting and fueling feminine strength, “Take Command” puts Angelique Francis’ dusky, self-assured lead vocal front and center with her own tight harmonies for the first half-minute before kick drum and handclaps propel this interlude to a speedy finish. While the chorus is a demonstrative reminder to take back personal worth, the verse describes the indiscretion that gives fire to that need.
Yes, I waited
I waited for you
Yeah, I waited
‘Til my lips turned blue
I waited
I waited in vain
Now all I got
Is suffering. Pain.
‘Nuff said. “Take Command” is a moment in time that needs no further explanation or expounding upon. Everyone can understand the pain of rejection instantly and Francis frames it in this song in an unadorned and undeniably hypnotic way.
The equally hypnotic and highly effective video for “Take Command”, available now via YouTube, features multiple versions of the Ottawa-based artist on a white background, dressed in a striking blue gown. The glamorous group sings the song while the camera snap-zooms and snap-pans to reveal particular Angeliques that start clapping, playing the drum, or singing certain key lyrics.
“Take Command” is an interlude that bridges between two longer tracks on Francis’ second album Long River, which was just released in March. Blues traditions are at the heart of all fourteen tracks on the album, but there are also intriguing genre bends towards Soul, Folk, Jazz, Gospel, and Rock along the way. Francis’ versatile, soulful, and evocative vocals anchor the trip, conjuring up reminiscences of Big Mama Thornton, Koko Taylor, Aretha, Bessie Smith, and more. The mix of genres and influences running through Long River — and the sense of everything and everyone is connected — anchors the key concept Francis wanted to convey with her new album.
“Despite our differences, and the vast variations in our personal histories, we are all floating down this river together,” notes Francis. “We are all connected in this way. We have all shared the same beginning, and we will all share the same end.”
In addition to Francis’ upfront contributions as lead vocalist — handily displayed on “Take Command” — she plays upright bass, electric bass, harmonica, acoustic and electric guitar, organ, and keyboards on the album. Joining her are four of her family members: co-songwriter, producer, drummer, and vocalist Kiran Francis, saxophonist and vocalist Kharincia Francis, trombonist, and vocalist Kira Francis, and vocalist Kayla Francis. Rounding out the band are Dave Williamson on lead electric guitar and Ed Lister on trumpet.
Angelique Francis and her mostly-family band have become internationally known for electrifying performances while she holds court center stage with her double bass, stoking up her growing notoriety as an exciting and eclectic musical force to be reckoned with. The group has been featured at the Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea festival, Sighisoara Blues Festival (Romania), Massey Hall (Women’s Blues Revue), Montreal Jazz Festival, Mariposa Folk Fest, Ottawa Jazz Festival, Ottawa Blues Festival, Mont-Tremblant Blues Festival, Ottawa Folk Fest, and many more. Francis has shared the stage with and opened for a wide range of renowned artists — including Gary Clark Jr., Joe Bonamassa, Eric Gales, Keb’ Mo’, Jimmy Vivino, Beth Hart, Tom Cochrane, Burton Cummings, Sugar Ray, and the list continues to grow.
Francis’ impressive list of credits and growing caché in the Canadian music industry has led her to be invited to host the upcoming 2022 Maple Blues Awards to be held both live and virtually from Toronto’s Koerner Hall on Monday, June 20.
With this dynamic rising star at the helm, it’s going to be a night, and we can hopefully expect to be wowed by a rousing performance from this Canadian blues bright light and her band along the way. Industry insiders and her growing legion of international fans know she’s on the verge and her new single underlines it.
“Take Command”, from Angelique Francis’ Long River, is available now!
2022 Tour Dates:
July 21, 2022 Hugh’s Room Toronto ON
June 24, 2022 RCHA Club Kingston ON
June 30, 2022 Montreal Jazz Festival Montreal QC
June 20, 2022 Maple Blues Awards Toronto On
July 7, 2022 Bluesfest Ottawa ON
July 21, 2022 Hugh’s Room Toronto ON
July 23, 2022 Front Porch Southern Kitchen and Blues Joint Langton ON
July 24, 2022 Grandbend Beach Sunset Sounds Grand Bend ON
July 30, 2022 Canmore Folk Festival Canmore AB
July 31, 2022 Canmore Folk Festival Canmore AB
August 6, 2022 Donnacona Blues Festival Donncacona QC
August 1, 2022 Canmore Folk Festival Canmore AB
July 9, 2022 Lighthouse Blues Festival Kincardine ON
August 14, 2022 StoneCropAcres Winery and Vineyard Morrisburg ON
August 18, 2022 The Chef’s Table 2022 : National Arts Centre, on a floating stage on the Rideau Canal Ottawa ON
August 19, 2022 The Chef’s Table 2022 : National Arts Centre, on a floating stage on the Rideau Canal Ottawa ON
August 20, 2022 The Chef’s Table 2022 : National Arts Centre, on a floating stage on the Rideau Canal Ottawa ON
August 21, 2022 The Chef’s Table 2022 : National Arts Centre, on a floating stage on the Rideau Canal Ottawa ON
September 8, 2022 The Chef’s Table 2022 : National Arts Centre, on a floating stage on the Rideau Canal Ottawa ON
The Charlatans’ Tim Burgess invites you to the greatest listening party of all time.
In 2020 when the world was forced to hit pause on live in-person gigs, Tim Burgess found an ingenious way to bring people together by inviting artists and bands, from Paul McCartney and New Order to Michael Kiwanuka and Kylie, to host real-time album playbacks via Twitter.
Relive 100 of the most memorable listening parties here with stories from bands and fans, rarely seen backstage images, and unique insider info from those who created these iconic albums.
Jeff Beck found a kindred spirit in Johnny Depp when the two met in 2016. They bonded quickly over cars and guitars and spent most of their time together trying to make each other laugh. At the same time, Beck’s appreciation grew for Depp’s serious songwriting skills and his ear for music. That talent and their chemistry convinced Beck they should make an album together.
Depp agreed and they started in 2019. Over the next three years, they recorded a mix of Depp originals along with a wide range of covers that touches on everything from Celtic and Motown, to the Beach Boys and Killing Joke. In 2020, during the pandemic, they previewed their collaboration with their well-timed cover of John Lennon’s “Isolation.”
The duo’s 13-track album, dubbed 18, will arrive on July 15. Beck explains the album title: “When Johnny and I started playing together, it really ignited our youthful spirit and creativity. We would joke about how we felt 18 again, so that just became the album title too.”
18 will be available on CD and digitally, with a 180-gram black vinyl version coming on September 30. The cover features an illustration of Beck and Depp as 18-year-olds that was drawn and designed by Beck’s wife Sandra.
Leading up to the release of 18, Beck has launched a European tour, with Depp as special guest, which will conclude on July 25 at L’Olympia in Paris.
For the last 12 years Depp has recorded and toured with the Hollywood Vampires, a band he started with Alice Cooper and Joe Perry. The supergroup has released two studio albums that include guest appearances by some of rocks biggest names: Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, and Joe Walsh. The list also includes Beck, who played guitar on “Welcome To Bushwackers,” a song on Rise, the Vampires’ second album, which came out in 2019.
Soon after, Depp asked Beck to play lead on a tune he’d written, the album’s first single “This Is A Song For Miss Hedy Lamarr,” an homage to the actress/inventor. Beck says it was the catalyst for the collaboration and is one of his favorite songs on the new album. “I was blown away by it,” he says. “That song is one of the reasons I asked him to make an album with me.” The track is available today digitally, along with an accompanying music video. Click here to view now.
Of Beck, Depp adds, “It’s an extraordinary honor to play and write music with Jeff, one of the true greats and someone I am now privileged enough to call my brother.”
In the studio, Beck says he and Depp challenged each other to leave their comfort zones with the songs they chose to cover. “I haven’t had another creative partner like him for ages,” Beck says. “He was a major force on this record. I just hope people will take him seriously as a musician because it’s a hard thing for some people to accept that Johnny Depp can sing rock and roll.”
Depp justifies Beck’s faith on the new album by showing off his incredible emotional range on songs like The Velvet Underground’s “Venus In Furs,” the Everly Brothers’ ballad “Let It Be Me” and Marvin Gaye’s soul classic “What’s Going On.” On the instrumentals, Beck demonstrates why he’s universally revered as a guitar god with stunning versions of Davy Spillane’s “Midnight Walker” and two songs from the Beach Boys’ masterpiece, Pet Sounds – “Caroline, No” and “Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder).”
JEFF BECK AND JOHNNY DEPP 18 Track Listing
1. “Midnight Walker” (Davy Spillane cover)
2. “Death And Resurrection Show” (Killing Joke cover)
3. “Time” (Dennis Wilson cover)
4. “Sad Motherfuckin’ Parade” (Johnny Depp original)
5. “Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)” (Beach Boys cover)
6. “This Is A Song For Miss Hedy Lamarr” (Johnny Depp original)
7. “Caroline, No” (Beach Boys cover)
8. “Ooo Baby Baby” (The Miracles cover)
9. “What’s Going On” (Marvin Gaye cover)
10. “Venus In Furs” (The Velvet Underground cover)
11. “Let It Be Me” (The Everly Brothers cover)
12. “Stars” (Janis Ian cover)
13. “Isolation” (John Lennon cover)*
*Available on digital and CD version only
Tour Dates
June 19 Helsinki Helsinki Blues Festival
June 20 Tampere Tamere-talo Oy
June 24 Oslo Sentrum Scene
June 25 Kristiansund Tahiti Festival
June 27 Stockholm Annexet
June 28 Copenhagen Amager Bio
June 29 Randers Værket
June 30 Randers Værket
July 2 Oslo Sentrum Scene
July 3 Bergen Bergenhus Fortress
July 14 Saint-Julien-en-Genevois Guitare en Scene 2022
July 15 Montreux Montreux Music & Convention Center
July 17 Perugia Arena Santa Giuliana
July 18 Gardone Riviera Il Vittoriale Degli Italiani
July 20 Pordenone Parco San Valentino
July 21 Cattolica Arena della Regina
July 23 Vitrolles Jardin Sonore Festival
July 24 Marciac Jazz in Marciac
July 25 Paris L’Olympia
*All dates subject to change
GRAMMY-winning global superstar Kelly Clarkson has released her blockbuster KELLYOKE EP – available now. Preceded by a mighty rendition of Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever” & including a standout cover of Whitney Houston’s “Queen Of The Night,” the 6-track collection features new studio recordings of some of Clarkson’s favorite covers performed on The Kelly Clarkson Show, ranging from modern hits to timeless classics.
Since the premiere of The Kelly Clarkson Show in 2019, Kellyoke has become an institution in its own right with over 500 songs covered to date and counting. The fan-favorite segment sees Clarkson and her band, Y’all, turn audience requests and personal favorites into stunning performances that captivate viewers and the internet alike. A longtime staple of Clarkson’s live show, the series was helmed by her long-time music director Jason Halbert, who along with vocal director Jessi Collins expertly tailor the performances for what has been deemed “one of the best things to happen to daytime television” by Vulture and “wildly popular” by Billboard.
Kelly Clarkson is among the most popular artists of this era with total worldwide sales of more than 25 million albums and 40 million singles. The Texas-born singer-songwriter first came to fame in 2002 as the winner of the inaugural season of American Idol. Clarkson’s debut single, “A Moment Like This,” followed and quickly went to #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100, ultimately ranking as the year’s best-selling single in the U.S. Further, Clarkson is one of pop’s top singles artists, with 19 singles boasting multi-platinum, platinum and gold certifications around the world, including such global favorites as “Miss Independent” and “Because of You.” Clarkson has released nine studio albums (Thankful, Breakaway, My December, All I Ever Wanted, Stronger, Wrapped In Red, Piece By Piece, Meaning of Life, When Christmas Comes Around…), one greatest hits album, and two children’s books (New York Times Top 10 best seller River Rose and the Magical Lullaby and the follow up River Rose and the Magical Christmas). She is the recipient of an array of awards including three GRAMMY Awards, four American Music Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards, two Academy of Country Music Awards, two American Country Awards, one Country Music Association Award, and two Daytime Emmy Awards. She is also the first artist to top each of Billboard’s pop, adult contemporary, country and dance charts. Clarkson is currently filming season 3 of her own multi-Emmy Award-winning daytime talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, which has already been picked up for its 4th season.
KELLYOKE EP:
1. “Blue Bayou” (by Linda Ronstadt)
2. “Call Out My Name” (by The Weeknd)
3. “Happier Than Ever” (by Billie Eilish)
4. “Queen Of The Night” (by Whitney Houston)
5. “Trampoline” (by Shaed)
6. “Fake Plastic Trees” (by Radiohead)
Nothing hits harder and cuts deeper than midnight reflections on our life, wishing we could go back in time to warn ourselves of future heartache. It’s this encapsulating retelling so beautifully captured by Toronto R&B artist Simone Miller that makes her newest single, “Older” — available now — so breathtaking.
The song reveals a passionately vulnerable and spectacular reflection on the struggles of adolescence. Perched between the life changes and fast-paced decision-making that happens in high school and the reality of our decisions, “Older” feels like Miller’s plea for forgiveness to her younger self – a naïve and optimistic child with bright eyes and a green heart facing certainties that have hit in the blink of an eye when least expected.
“I began to write my emotions down as a therapeutic way to allow myself to accept the present moment, which led to the inspiration for ‘Older,’” Miller shares. “On my 15th birthday, I reflected on the year and the pressure to accomplish a lot. But, at the same time, I felt the weight of multiple lockdowns not allowing me to do what I needed to do – a standstill.”
Through this self-exploration, the now-16-year-old breakthrough artist turned her uncertainty and grief into a powerfully touching R&B masterpiece filled with heart-wrenching swells, heartstring-pulling lyrics, and a heart-warming message throughout.
With an expansive portfolio on the rise, Miller found a passion for music and the arts at a young age, performing and singing for whoever would listen. As she got older, she took every opportunity she could to act and sing, no matter the production. Her “right place, right time” mentality eventually led to her being cast for The Big Fun Crafty Show (Universal Kids) and Snapshots (CBC). This was only the beginning of a life in the spotlight for Simone Miller.
From there, her involvement in television grew as she took on more leading roles as Raign Westbrook in CBC Gem’s Digital Original mystery and adventure series, Detention Adventure, as well as Dorinda Clark in the Lifetime Movie The Clark Sisters — produced by the superbly talented Queen Latifah and Mary J. Blige. She has also been featured in Workin’ Moms, Pinkalicious, Run The Burbs, and more.
Miller’s dive into television entertainment may have been fate, as it ultimately led to her pursuing her passion for music. Once the producers of Detention Adventure caught wind of her natural silky-smooth singing voice, they presented her with the opportunity to sing on “Lioness,” a track featured on the eighth episode of Season 2, and four original songs on Season 3, which was just released in March 2022.
Miller has also been commissioned to write music for several up-and-coming international artists, in addition to her own original music, including “Dry Eyes” and “Older.”
Despite her recent explosion in the entertainment spotlight, Simone Miller hasn’t forgotten the importance of giving back. She supports organizations that are close to her heart, including the Jamaican Canadian Association, and is a huge social justice advocate. She has also participated in the Community Day Painting Project where she volunteers to paint churches, homes, community centers, and more.
There’s a repeated lyric throughout Canadian country rocker Marshall Potts’ new single “Let It All Go” that reflects a heart-over-head life philosophy… That lyric is ‘climb aboard my heart’ and it’s fitting because Potts takes us on a journey of heart-centered discovery — both in terms of self and in terms of the human condition.
A multi-layered mix of violin, banjo, and acoustic and electric guitar, “Let It All Go” – off Potts’ brand-new album The Storm, both available now – is a heady mix of country jangle and big, full-bodied pop production. Full of uplifting crescendos and fist-pumping choruses, it’s the kind of song that makes you want to roll down the windows and let the breeze blow through your hair. And once you get out of the car, you might even feel a catharsis.
“It’s about following your heart and not your head,” Potts reveals. “It’s about not staying where you are not welcome, and moving forward in search of a place that is welcoming. It’s about making difficult choices and having faith that, even when you love someone, you know if they don’t love you back that’s ok.”
“Let It All Go” is also a song about healing, and honoring your soul, all while showing care to others. “It’s about helping others to listen to their own heart and together finding that place we can call home,” Potts adds.
Marshall Potts is a singer/songwriter from Kamloops, BC, where he lives on 160 acres near what many, including the Dalai Lama, call the center of the universe. His crossover writing style has found acceptance in the Americana, country rock, and rock formats. Potts not only writes inspiring music and lyrics, but he also mixes in ringing, interwoven guitar lines, and buoyant arena-rock beats. Potts strives for powerful yet tender vocals that share both the experience of saving himself, as well as a message of universal positivity and optimism. His music is about moving beyond your past, taking back your power, embracing the moment, and living in the here and now.
The sophisticated sonic craftsmanship of award-winning Montreal music ensemble Coco Méliès is on full display with their hypnotic new single, “Remorse Will End,” and stirring new album, Nothing Goes To Waste — both available now.
A harmonically exhilarating journey filled with emotional reveries and harsh truths, core themes of death and rebirth in all their manifestations embellish the introspective framework of the 12-song LP with mesmerizing grace. The listener is guided on a path of self-discovery while simultaneously transported by the collective’s signature spellbinding orchestral arraignments; “Only by deciding to go deep within, embracing all the awe and humility that comes with this path, are we able to feel truly.”
““Remorse Will End” is the story of this pathway towards benevolence,” Coco Méliès says, adding that the song is “an ode to resilience on a frame of folk rhythms that awakens the wind and softens the shoulders.”
The deeply rooted subject matter of “Remorse Will End” is effortlessly complemented by careful attention to tonal detail to paint an audible portrait of self-recovery and resilience. These musical efforts are brilliantly executed by a group with immense talent and skill. Sensational guitar work seamlessly weaves itself alongside rustic percussive rhythms to produce a genuine warmth that exudes from beginning to end; layered vocals elevate “Remorse Will End” to become an enchanting feast for the senses that is sure to tug on the heartstrings.
Coco Méliès is mainly comprised of two singer/songwriters who met one fateful night in Montreal during an open mic event; multi-disciplined artists Francesca Como and David Méliès have been creatively inseparable since their inception in 2010.
Rounding out the musical contributions that make “Remorse Will End” so powerful is Simon Bilodeau on drums and percussion; Charles Robert-Gaudette with additional bass, synth, and piano work; Julien Thibault on bass; Sara Jasmin and Julie Jasmin bring the strings; and horn player Bertrand Margelidon. This impressive roster of musicians is at the top of their game and more determined to create music that resonates across all boundaries.
Debuting their album The Walking Birds in 2011, Francesca Como and David Méliès have been gracing stages in North America and Europe from the beginning of their respective careers as artists. After finding some success on the road, their debut album “Lighthouse” was released in 2014 and subsequently nominated for “Best Folk Album” at GAMIQ 2015.
2017 saw the release of their second album, The Riddle, which led to the duo winning the award for “Vocal Group of the Year” at the Canadian Folk Music Awards. The latest album, Nothing Goes To Waste, was released on Big In The Garden simultaneously alongside other multi-disciplinary artists in a Montreal exhibition, complete with a live-streamed event.
The iconic Pixies forged an influential path for alt-rock during their first era, while their post 2004 reunion has seen them alchemize more sophisticated dark arts – a return which has them add another three UK Top 10 albums to the three they achieved on their first run. Now as fired up as ever before, Pixies will release their eighth studio album, Doggerel, on September 30. They launch the album alongside its lead single ‘There’s a Moon On’.
Doggerel is a mature yet visceral record of gruesome folk, ballroom pop and brutal rock, haunted by the ghosts of affairs and indulgences, driven wild by cosmic forces and envisioning digital afterlives where no God has provided one. And all the while, right there on the news, another distant storm approaches.
Guitarist Joey Santiago says, “This time around we have grown. We no longer have under two-minute songs. We have little breaks, more conventional arrangements but still our twists in there.”
Vocalist/guitarist Black Francis adds, “We’re trying to do things that are very big and bold and orchestrated. The punky stuff, I really like playing it but you just cannot artificially create that shit. There’s another way to do this, there’s other things we can do with this extra special energy that we’re encountering.”
That energy shimmers in the album’s new single ‘There’s A Moon On’, which fits into the space between prototype squalling Pixies guitars and heartland rock classicism. Thematically it plays somewhere between fact and legend, playing upon the adrenalizing effect of the lunar cycle on the human psyche, a phase during which the drunks in Francis’s brother’s bar become more aggressive.
A congregation between darkness and beauty consistently emerges throughout the record. There’s ‘Haunted House’, a spirited concoction of ‘50s-flavoured pop with ghosts both literal and metaphoric, as well as the brooding Morricone desert rock of ‘Vault of Heaven’, and a breezy folk-rock melody on ‘Pagan Man’. But Pixies still possesses a ferocious edge, one that feeds into the grinding intensity and surrealism of ‘Nomatterday’ and The Who-like power of ‘Dregs of the Wine’, which will surely be the first and last Pixies song to namecheck Van Halen.
It’s a record with an unusual genesis. Instead of building upon rough ideas in the studio, Black Francis turned up to sessions with 40 songs prepared. Sessions started late in 2021 with producer Tom Dalgety (Royal Blood, Ghost) working with Francis in Massachusetts, before they headed to LA to finish tracks with the rest of the band.
Their input would be vital. Santiago contributed his first two Pixies songwriting credits, with music for ‘Dregs of the Wine’ and lyrics for Doggerel. Meanwhile, drummer David Lovering and bassist Paz Lenchantin’s performances have the uninhibited energy of two musicians who both confess to feeling reinvigorated by the process.
In addition to digital / streaming formats, Doggerel will also be issued in a variety of physical configurations. There will be a range of gatefold colour vinyl options: the standard red vinyl, a yellow vinyl will be available exclusively from select independent stores, and an orange vinyl that is only available from the Pixies’ official store – which also offers an exclusive red cassette. The formats are completed by a deluxe CD. (Artwork for all formats is available HERE.)
If 2014’s Indie Cindy was conceived as a belated continuation of Bossanova (1990) and Trompe Le Monde (1991) and 2016’s Head Carrier revisited some of the murky melody and exotic gristle of Surfer Rosa (1988) and Doolittle (1989), both Beneath The Eyrie (2019) and Doggerel are expansive and unfettered albums that leave behind any sense of expectation. They are records evolved from, but not beholden to, Pixies’ past.
Doggerel tracklist:
1. ‘Nomatterday’
2. ‘Vault of Heaven’
3. ‘Dregs of the Wine’
4. ‘Haunted House’
5. ‘Get Simulated’
6. ‘The Lord Has Come Back Today’
7. ‘Thunder & Lightning’
8. ‘There’s A Moon On’
9. ‘Pagan Man’
10. ‘Who’s More Sorry Now?’
11. ‘You’re Such A Sadducee’
12. ‘Doggerel’
Blue Note Re:imagined returns in 2022 with a new 16-track compilation featuring fresh takes on music from the illustrious Blue Note Records vaults recorded by a heavyweight line-up of the UK jazz, soul, and R&B scene’s most hotly-tipped rising stars. Arriving off the back of the widespread international success of the first volume, which topped jazz charts around the globe, Blue Note Re:imagined II once again infuses the spirit of the new UK jazz generation into the legendary label’s iconic catalog, balancing the genre’s tradition with its future and reflecting the melting pot of talent and diversity within the current scene.
The first track to be released is South London vocalist Ego Ella May’s reimagining of visionary drummer Chico Hamilton’s “The Morning Side Of Love,” which first appeared on Hamilton’s 1975 Blue Note album Peregrinations. Mirroring the understated, laid-back groove of the original while showcasing Ella May’s arresting vocals, the track is out today and available to listen to now.
“For more than eight decades the artists of Blue Note Records have continually pushed the envelope of contemporary music,” said Blue Note President Don Was. “Blue Note Re:imagined II once again honors that legacy by letting the UK’s most creative young artists reinvent the treasures of the Blue Note catalog through their own lens.”
Additional tracks on the album will include funk-pop duo Franc Moody’s version of Donald Byrd’s “Cristo Redentor,” fast-emerging vocalist Cherise’s take on Norah Jones’ “Sunrise,” Maya Delilah covering Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon,” which was recorded by Cassandra Wilson on her 1995 Blue Note album New Moon Daughter, Birmingham-born pianist Reuben James’ reimagining of Wayne Shorter’s ballad “Infant Eyes,” London tuba player and Sons of Kemet member Theon Cross with a version of Thelonious Monk’s composition “Epistrophy,” and 9-piece afro-jazz outfit Nubiyan Twist’s fresh spin on Donald Byrd’s “Through The Noise (Chant 2).”
Blue Note is celebrated almost as much for its visionary album art as for its legendary recordings. Designer for the Blue Note Re:imagined campaign Jay Vaz said “The Blue Note Re:imagined identity explores an abstract graphic notation score, aiming to represent the exciting energy and diverse range of artists that the new wave of jazz offers. The LP cover pays homage to a selection of legendary Reid Miles covers [in particular, Jackie McLean – It’s Time] that I felt perfectly executed the energy of this compilation.”
Blue Note Re:imagined II – Tracklisting
Yazz Ahmed “It” – From Chick Corea Is (1969)
Conor Albert “You Make Me Feel So Good”- From Bobbi Humphrey Fancy Dancer (1975)
Parthenope “Don’t Know Why” – From Norah Jones Come Away With Me (2002)
Swindle “Miss Kane” – From Donald Byrd Street Lady (1973)
Nubiyan Twist “Through The Noise (Chant No.2)” – From Donald Byrd A New Perspective (1963)
Ego Ella May “The Morning Side Of Love” – From Chico Hamilton Pereginations (1975)
Oscar Jerome & Oscar #Worldpeace “(Why You So) Green With Envy” – From Grant Green Green Street (1961)
Daniel Casimir ft. Ria Moran “Lost” – From Wayne Shorter The Soothsayer (1965)
Theon Cross “Epistrophy” – From Thelonious Monk Genius Of Modern Music, Vol. 1 (1948)
Maya Delilah “Harvest Moon” – From Cassandra Wilson New Moon Daughter (1995)
Kay Young “Feel Like Making Love” – From Marlena Shaw Who Is This Bitch, Anyway? (1974)
Venna & Marco Bernardis “Where Are We Going” – From Donald Byrd Black Byrd (1972)
Reuben James “Infant Eyes” – From Wayne Shorter Speak No Evil (1964)
Binker Golding “Fort Worth” – From Joe Lovano From The Soul (1991)
Cherise “Sunrise” – From Norah Jones Feels Like Home (2004)
Franc Moody “Cristo Redentor”– From Donald Byrd A New Perspective (1963)
