As the full-fledged rain and wind season creeps in (not so slowly), something previously written finds it way in too:
“Long afloat oh shipless oceans
I did all my best to smile
‘Til your singing eyes and fingers
Drew me loving to your isle”_
So begin the lyrics to one of the best Tim Buckley songs. And as in the legend of the sirens, the lure of the siren can be so beautiful and enticing and yet, at the same time, can have deadly consequences. For Buckley, it was both.
As was the case with his son Jeff, Tim Buckley had both an incredible songwriting talent and an even more incredible, multi-octave voice. But as was again, the case with his son, Tim met an unfortunate and untimely death in 1975 at the age of 28 years.
And like his son, who had a much smaller musical output, but still gained an extensive base that remains firm to this day, Tim Buckley has through time become a cult icon in his own right. Quite a few other artists have attempted to tackle his widely varying and genre-defying catalog. Again, that lure of the siren led the way, with John Grant and his then band The Czars being somewhere at the top.
Yet, with this rainy weather, Tim Buckley’s music always comes up as something to explore.
The Beatles - Now And Then
You’ve probably had a thousand chances to hear this one, and you should have. Forget the use of AI debate, it is brilliant no matter what. Hearing it one more time is essential and at the top of that.
Newmoon - Fading Phase
These Antwerp, Belgium shoegazers seem to have not only looked extensively at their guitar pedals but have devoted ample time to developing a good melody and other elements needed to come up with a good song.
PAPER TAPES - No Answer
Frenchman Cyril Angleys is obviously a fan of those often great and astutely chosen eighties teen film soundtracks, as he takes quite a few of them, and comes up with a three minutes or so digest of them here.
MF Tomlinson - A Cloud
Tomlinson created a buzz earlier this year with his second album “We Are Still Wild Horses,” so now he transfers that buzz to a remix/re-imagine EP of some of the best songs from that album, with this one being one of them.
Marc Valentine - Skeleton Key
British singer-songwriter Valentine seems to want the power pop light to shine on, as he should, doing that jangly, vocal harmony sound justice here, with that power part also weighing in.
Sarah May Chadwick - If I Have It In Me At All
Chadwick strengthens that New Zealand/Australia connection with a fragile ballad that is always at the point of breaking up, but never does, making it even better that way.
The Veldt - Angel Heart
Another team of shoegazers, this time from the other side of the Atlantic, who this time around put the vocals to the forefront, without the guitars oozing that shoegaze touch.
She-Nut - Condoleezza
This one came out for the Halloween season, and even its title might be a bit creepy for some politically informed listeners, let alone the lyrics to this hip-hop ditty.
Willi Carlisle - Critterland
While the instrumental part here might sound a bit cheery, the lyrics go that John Prine in a serious mode way, and this Newport Folk Festival favorite does that sound justice.
Jody and the Jerms - Divine
Is there such a thing as heavy pop? Well, it depends on what you have in mind with ‘heavy’ as a term, but if you have a psych side of heavy in mind that is exactly what this band adds as a flavor to their pop.
The Telescopes - What You Love
Talking about the modern psych noise pioneers, you don’t have to go much further than The Telescopes, who are up to their sixteenth album, with this one as an excellent introduction to it.
Light Beams - Friendly
This Washington DC are categorized as dance post-punk, but that is not what The Talking Heads were branded at their prime back in the first part of the eighties, where these gals and guys (rightfully) take their cues.
TIFFY - Lost In The Shuffle
TIFFY is one Tiffany Sammy, who is currently coming up with her debut album, which, judging by this single promises to be a good slice of modern pop.
Blood - Bone Dry
Philadelphia’s Blood picks up its indie rock pieces from quite a few places to come up with this intriguing angular guitar stuff that is able to show its personality.
Chatham County Line - Right On Time
This Americana trio has quite a strong instrumental line here, but it is those harmonious vocals throughout the song that make it such a strong one.
Enchanted Forest - Day song
If there is such a category as left-field dance music this duo would certainly fit quite easily with this one. And yes, you can dance to this one if you can contort your body easily.
David Holmes - Stop Apologising
Holmes has made quite a name for himself for doing intriguing film soundtracks, but here, with help from Raven Violet he seems to have picked his inspiration for the early to mid-sixties girl groups, a sound that seems to have stuck to his ears quite well.
Ruth Mascelli - III
There is quite a variation in ambient music these days, and this New Orleans artist tries and succeeds to straddle a few of them in this one. He seems to know his stuff.
King Dream - The Wild Card
Bay Area’s Jeremy Lyon and his crew seem to be hitting all the right nerves with this one, without showing too many of their influence cards along the way. It sticks to the ear so easily.
Liza Anne - Thank You For Your Time
What would qualify as modern art rock? With this one, Liza Anne shows exactly what would easily fit that bill.