Yes, you can make it as an artist/band, and then, what? You can continue on that same road, and still be successful, you can break it after you make it, or you can take a different road (a modified, or completely new one, with either of the two possibilities.
Jefferson Airplane became one of the archetypal psych rock bands, a symbol of the times within which they crested their music. At the same time, they became one of the symbols because all of their prime music retained its originality and vitality.
‘We Should Be Together,’ they sang at their prime, signaling the change that was to come, not only in their music but also in the name that signified that change.
Whether they should have gone the Starship way, and the music they created under that banner is a matter of taste, but the willingness to try something different (small or large, doesn’t matter) and try to adapt to different times should not be neglected, even though their more ‘antiquated’ method of flying is the timeless one.
Tape Runs Out - Paperback
Just a cursory listen to Tape Runs Out here, can indicate that they have picked up something good from the Airplane at their best, whether it was consciously or subconsciously. A good modern psych for modern times.
Dave Alvin & Jimmy Dale Gilmore - Borderland
Two stalwarts of all things roots and Americana, cross quite a number of borders here, with both Gilmore’s vocals and Alvin’s guitar licks being quite inimitable themselves.
Babygirl - Sore Eyes
Picking up sounds that came before you and making them your own is quite an art in itself. Toronto’s Kiki Frances and Cameron Bright put some beef behind the early nineties twee pop and make it current and fresh.
Eleni Drake - Strawberry Moon
Drake presents a showcase here on how to use your vocals in the best possible manner, yet for that she needs an excellent melody, which she certainly does here.
Setting Sun - Feelings Cure
Gary Levitt and his Setting Sun like a little moderation within their power pop sound, without really sacrificing that power or melody element so characteristic of the genre. One for the summer playlists.
Easy Star All-Stars - Moonage Daydream
Easy Star All-Stars project had so far some brilliant takes on iconic albums, and now they decided to tackle Bowie’s ‘Ziggy Stardust.’ As they did previously, they again do an excellent job of setting icons within the reggae idiom.
Bella White - Break My Heart
Americana seems to be one of the more vibrant genres these days, particularly when an artist, as Bella White does here, makes a good balance between the country base and other genres that are incorporated along the way.
Lael Neale - In Verona
Dream pop has become a vehicle for some serious themes, with Neale tackling divisions and hypocrisies in modern times subtly using the timeless Romeo and Juliet theme.
Louis VI - It’s OK
‘Old’ soul music is not a genre standing still, with artists like Louis VI constantly experimenting and shifting adding modern elements to it and making it as vibrant as it was in its prime.
Moreish Idols - Nocturnal Creatures
Moreish Idols prove here that being nocturnal doesn’t necessarily mean slow and quiet, picking up on the better part of the nineties that included prime bands of the era like Sonic Youth and Pavement.
GAZOOTA - Genesis
GAZOOTA surely love their Krautrock originators and those ‘outsiders’ like Brian Eno who further developed that sound during the seventies. Absolutely nothing wrong with that, as they try and present their (good) take on such music.
ALL HANDS_MAKE LIGHT - The Sons And Daughters of Poor Eternal
Montreal’s Constellation Records were, and still are, one of the key hubs for the development of post-rock, with All Hands_Make Light presenting their excellent take on the drone side of things, without coming up with a boring moment in nine and a half minutes here.
Shy Martin - Glued To The Floor
Sweden was always a source of great, modern pop, something Shy Martin proves here with this quiet, subdued ballad that has all the right touches it needs to make this song work.
Ashley Sherlock - Realise
Manchester’s Sherlock likes the louder side of things, without taking them over the top. Here, he inverts the equation on the Americana/rock combination, with the rock side taking the driver’s seat.
Tim Easton - Silver of Light
Nothing wrong with working within the singer-songwriter mode, as Scotland’s Easton measures carefully all the electric and acoustic elements he wants to combine here, to a very good effect, actually.
PWNT - From Me To You
Another relatively new band takes all the right cue from all things psychedelic and stick perfectly to what their moniker stands for - play what’s not there.
La Sécurité - Anyway
La Sécurité presents the other, post-new wave side of the Montreal sound, with some great touches and excellent vocals all around. From their upcoming debut album (June 2023).
Natalie Rose LeBrecht - Prana
LeBrecht likes the ambient side of dream pop, adding some spiritual jazz along the way here, creating that very late-night vibe exactly in the manner it should be done.
quickly, quickly - Satellite
Portland, Oregon’s Graham Jonson, aka quickly, quickly definitely prefers the jazzy side of things, akin to prime Sea & Cake, a hard thing to do within a pop/rock idiom, but something he manages to do quite admirably here.
Pickle Darling - Head Terrarium
Pickle Darling is one Lucas May from New Zealand, who like many other artists from that island likes the less orthodox-sounding things that still can include some great melodies and musical elements.