Oh, no! What have I done? It was a simple question from a listener, Carla W who asked, “What one album should be in everyone’s collection?” After ruminating on this for some while, I replied that I could come up with at least 10 albums that should be in everyone’s collection, finally, I settled on Television’s 1977 release, Marquee Moon. And that provoked a torrent of responses, so many of you were eager to correct me. Dan Grady said, “You are wrong, Mr. B! It’s the Ramones self-titled debut LP from 1976”. While Colin Clockface (sic) is adamant it has to be XTC’s White Music LP from 1978, and Judy Bliss argues that Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys is the essential album. Another listener, Bob999 insists the 1967 release, The Velvet Underground & Nico outclasses everything else. Bob999 adds if it weren’t for that album we wouldn’t have anywhere near as many great recordings since then. To confuse matters more, in a conversation with famed alternative musician, Chris Connelly I posed the same question, Chris responded so quickly, I wasn’t sure he had heard the question, correctly. “Captain Beefheart, Trout Mask Replica!” Chris almost barked adding, “If I had to go out and buy one record today, that’s the one!” Unsurprising I guess, that everyone has their choice for an essential album. Why don’t you share your essential album with me? Will any of the selections for LEM Vol 247 become essential in the future? We start with, I Think Of You by Morgan Wright from his LP, Class Tourist. Morgan is out of Melbourne, Australia, and according to the info I received his music is a celebration of the interaction of dance music and sentimentality. And he says, he makes sounds that are to embrace on the dance-floor or ruminate with in isolation. We stay in Melbourne to hear from Open Swimmer and the cut, Quiet Tide from the LP, The Bird Flies Toward You. This is the work of composer Ben Talbot-Dunn who mentions the songs are about the past and the warping of memory. Ben shares this info, “I recorded at various locations on Wadawurrung country, I acknowledge the Wadawurrung people of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land and waters where this album was made. I honor and pay my respects to Elders past, present, and emerging”. Next up, Different Worlds from a fellow called James M Carson who is based in Manchester, UK. Although I’m sure if you took a guess at his home address, you’d most likely reckon it’s in California somewhere. James has a smart knack for writing and making music that harkens back to another time and place. And, such a good job he does too as you’ll discover with the LP, It Starts With A Shaker… OneTwoThree are three bassists all women who all played in 70s and 80s Swiss punk scene. Klaudia Schifferle of Kleenex, later Liliput, Madeline Peer of Noknows and Sara Schär, the singer for the bands, TNT and Souldawn and also bassist for The Kick. From their fun self-titled album you’ll hear Sudden, followed by Bubbles. Omar S is out of the Motor City, the Detroit producer has created an infectious double-sided single with What’s Good For The Goose featuring Super Cool Wicked. We selected the Dub version and wish it went on for a least another ten minutes. Crucial. Over in the UK, you find The Diabolical Liberties AKA General Rubbish & Alex Patchwork AKA Rob Gallagher & Alex Stevenson. Now stay with me here, TDL have a new EP, Birds Of A Feather with Mostly Indoors being the hot single. But, they also have a Dub version of last year’s release, High Protection & The Sportswear Mystics. So, just to make things a little harder to fathom, you’ll hear Rudeboys In Outa Space segueing into, Rudeboys In Outta Dub from Dub Protection & The Sportswear Mystics. Trust me, you’ll wanna hear more. Over in Dublin, there are a bunch of lads who don’t hesitate to show their influences. And that’s a good thing. They are Klubber Lang who demonstrate with Sleep Well that we need to keep a watchful eye out for their next releases. If you happen to think their name, Klubber Lang sounds familiar, you are correct, it comes from James “Clubber” a fictional character created by Sylvester Stallone for the film Rocky111, released in 1982. Seriously, this is rock ’n’ roll and we like it! Staying in that vein, Grace Vonderkuhn from Wilmington, Delaware proves they are determined to keep the party going with Outside Girl from their excellent LP, Pleasure Pain. A large tip of the hat to Grace Koon on guitar & vocals, Dave McGrory on drums & vocals, and on bass it’s Brian Bartling. Rounding out the show is Armlock with Turf War from the LP, Trust. Hamish Mitchell and Simon Lam are Armlock, they say Trust began as voice memos passed back and forth between the two, with early demos being recorded when the pair lived together in Yarraville, Melbourne in 2019. The band handled every aspect of Trust themselves, including production, recording, mixing, and mastering. About Turf War they say, “It’s an ode to moving on without closure, the way things left unsaid often hit the hardest”. True.
Playlist
- Morgan Wright – I Think Of You
- Open Swimmer – Quiet Tide
- James M Carson – Different Worlds
- OneTwoThree – Sudden
- OneTwoThree – Bubble
- Omar S (feat. Super Cool Wicked) – What’s Good For The Goose Dub Mix
- The Diabolical Liberties – Mostly Indoors
- The Diabolical Liberties – Rudeboys In Outa Space
- The Diabolical Liberties – Rudeboys In Outta Dub
- Klubber Lang – Sleep Well
- Grace Vonderkuhn – Outside Girl
- Arlock – Turf War
Artwork by B. Brentford Skylar 1946 – 2019 “Gate and shadow” 36” x 38” 1981 Kodachrome print. Courtesy of Norman B’s collection
LEM Vol 247
Life Elsewhere 