It’s been 5 years since Pete Shelley, lead singer and songwriter of trailblazing
protopunk UK band the Buzzcocks, passed away at 63 from a suspected heart attack. The love
from inspired musicians and fans alike poured out, noting his brutally honest songwriting genius
often condensed into catchy, repeatable, 3-minute songs that lamented of adolescent love,
frustrated sexuality, and desire. When you hear a Buzzcocks song from the album “Singles
Going Steady”, for example, you can’t help but notice how influential it was on modern music
today, with artists like Olivia Rodrigo rehashing its longing, emotional lyrics and guitar-driven
power pop sensibilities.

Buzzcocks at the Electric Circus, Manchester, 10th November 1976, (c) Linder Sterling

Take It magazine labels Shelley “the eternal loser in love”, complete with a high, whining voice to match (Kirsch 1978). “I was so tired of being upset/Always wanting something I never could get/Life’s an illusion, love is a dream/But I don’t know what it is/Everybody’s happy nowadays” croons Shelley over loud, driving guitar riffs, a driving baseline, and catchy, fast drum fills. The balance of musical chaos and order successfully reflects a young generation’s apprehension towards conforming, questioning the false sense of security provided by the rapid development of 1970’s Britain. “Everyone’s saying things to me/ But I know it’s ok, ok!” This questioning of reality carries into other songs such as “Why Can’t I
Touch It?”, a standout track complete with an unforgettable bassline and lyrics that bring you
into Shelley’s world. “Well, it seems so real/ I can see it/And it seems so real/I can feel it/And it
seems so real/I can taste it/And it seems so real/I can hear it/So why can’t I touch it?”

Although all his senses play a role, Shelley can’t seem to fully grasp, literally and figuratively, what’s right
there in front of him. Isn’t that how we all feel? In a world of simulacra and repetition, it’s easy
to get caught up in the illusion of modern life. Copies of copies of copies, all supposedly
representative of the real thing. Frozen meals replacing fresh foods, tv screens in lieu of real
experiences. These are the externalities of economic and technological development. Billie
Eilish’s album “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” takes a page from Shelley’s
playbook and expands this use of the hyperreal with her incredibly intimate vocals, soul bearing
lyrics, and immersive production (Nair 2020).

Shelley sublimated the growing pains of a whole generation into some of the catchiest, most memorable songs of the 70s, perhaps even the 20th century. Before Shelley, no one critiqued consumerism in such a catchy way, let alone in such short, sweet songs. He leaves behind a legacy much greater than himself- he bore his emotions onto pen

Pete Shelley performing with the Buzzcocks in Manchester, 1977, by KevinCummins.

References
Dass, K. (2018, December 9). Rip Pete Shelley: Punk, lover, homosapien. The Spinoff. Retrieved
October 25, 2022, from https://thespinoff.co.nz/pop-culture/09-12-2018/rip-pete-shelley-
punk-lover-homosapien

Kirsch, M. (1978). Ever Fallen In Love? TakeIt! Magazine, (B), 13.

Nair, N. (2020, June 22). Hyperreality in Billie Eilish’s ‘When We All Fall Asleep Where Do We
Go’. Medium. Retrieved November 28, 2022, from
https://medium.com/@nicarina98/hyperreality-in-billie-eilishs-when-we-all-fall-asleep-
where-do-we-go-fb65f20de476

Starkey, A. (2021, December 6). The groundbreaking influence of Buzzcocks’ Pete Shelley on
alternative music. Far Out Magazine. Retrieved October 25, 2022, from
https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-groundbreaking-influence-of-buzzcocks-pete-shelley-on-
alternative-music/

Artist: Queen

Album: Hot Space

Year: 1982

When most people think of their favorite Queen albums, they typically choose classics like News of the World, Night At the Opera, or Day at the Races. However, Hot Space, released in 1982, is often overlooked, despite having “Under Pressure.” It is just one of those albums that only have a few songs that people know while the others get lost in space (pun intended).

The album art of “Hot Space” is more colorful than their other covers. It features a contemporary feel with pictures of the four members of the band overlayed with colors that resemble a modern art painting. This contemporary feel also translates to subjects in songs, from cursing to breastfeeding.

“Staying Power” is the perfect start to the album. It is catchy and upbeat, making the listener want to stay for the rest of the album. For those who are fans of Broadway musicals, this song has a strikingly similar feel to “Land Of Lola” from Kinky Boots. “Back Chat” has a similar feel, though not as pronounced,

“Body Language” is one of the few songs on the album that ever became popular. It has a jazz feel and is provocative, more so than any other Queen song. It was a song that was ahead of its time, having come out in the early 80s. It is discretely sexy at a time when such things were not openly discussed.

Despite being overlooked, this album addresses issues that are still relevant. “Calling All Girls” just so happens to be this year’s theme for Mercury Phoenix Trust theme for this year. They are getting young people involved in raising awareness of HIV and AIDS, the disease that Freddie himself suffered from and ultimately died of.

Another powerful song that speaks volumes into contemporary times is “Life Is Real (Song for Lennon).” The line talks about Freddie breastfeeding himself. This topic is still so controversial, yet the song was released in an earlier era. The song also states that “Life is a bitch,” which is a huge deal where cursing in songs or any public art was not the norm.

Overall, this album is vastly underrated as it still pertains to relevant issues while having interludes of songs that are less serious. The contemporary issues within the songs are still as relevant and controversial today as they were when the album was released in 1982. This only proves that Queen’s music is timeless and that Freddie’s legacy will never die.

by Ashley Paskill

Artist: Hall & Oates

Year: 1973

Album: Abandoned Luncheonette

Every band has an album that launches them into fame and remains iconic through the years. For Philly-area natives Daryl Hall and John Oates, that album was 1973’s Abandoned Luncheonette, the duo’s second studio album. Though they both were involved with other musical projects in the past, they met through fate at Temple University. The rest is history.

I live about 15 or so minutes from where Oates grew up. We graduated from the same high school, and we both graduated from Temple with a degree in Journalism. I have been a fan of the duo all of my life, having grown up with their music and even seeing a workshop put on by Oates. I have seen Oates perform multiple times, both solo and with Hall.

Abandoned Luncheonette includes hits such as “Las Vegas Turnaround” and “Had I Known You Better Then.” This album also features “She’s Gone,” which Oates still plays at all of his shows, whether he is performing solo or with Hall. He says he has played it at every show since the song’s inception. To this day, that song remains one of the duo’s most famous songs.

Each of the album’s nine songs contains a song. “She’s Gone,” according to a story in Oates’ memoir, is about the time a girl stood him up. “Abandoned Luncheonette” talks about an actual luncheonette diner that existed in Pennsylvania, and the song talks about various characters seen there. The songs are also conversational as if the listener is having a conversation with the duo. Every song talks about a personal experience that occurred.

While Hall often takes the lead vocals in some of the duo’s most popular hits, it is nice to hear Oates featured on quite a few of the songs on this album. His voice is so underappreciated, though he is more known for his songwriting, which also shines on this album. It is fascinating to hear how each of their voices has matured over the years while keeping the same excellent quality.

This album proves that big dreams can come true, even for those who hail from small towns, and that even the most famous people have struggled with heartbreak and insecurities. Despite the fame, the duo always returns to their Philadelphia roots, which are highlighted in story and sound on Abandoned Luncheonette.

Artist: The Smashing Pumpkins

Album: The Aeroplane Flies High (Box Set)

Year: 1996

If memory serves correctly (which isn’t something that always happens), I mentioned in a much older article that 1996 was the year that belonged to The Smashing Pumpkins. They had released “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness” in October of 1995, and it would go on to spawn 5 singles, while the band would also dominate the MTV Video Music Awards, mostly thanks to the video for “Tonight, Tonight”.

Unfortunately, it was also the year that touring keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin would both overdose, resulting in the former’s death and the latter being fired from the band. Indeed, 1996, for the band, was probably a perfect example of celebrating the highest of highs and dealing with the lowest of lows.

Now, back to the 5 singles I mentioned. It may be something that is forgotten these days, but back then, singles were actually released on CD. On top of that, import singles often featured b-sides not available on the singles released in the USA. For fans wanting all the songs, this was a costly, but necessary way, to get all those extra tracks.

Virgin Records took care of this problem, by releasing “The Aeroplane Flies High”. Released in November 1996, this box set contained all 5 singles released from “Mellon Collie…..”, along with all their respective b-sides, and an extra 5 cover songs added to the first disc. It was supposed to be limited to 200,000 copies, but demand for the set ended up being much higher than expected, resulting in more copies having to be produced.

Due to the limited run, as well as the fact it was almost entirely b-sides, and coming between 2 major studio albums, this release is often overlooked, despite being rather important.

“Mellon Collie….” had 28 songs, while a reported 40-50 had been worked on. With this box set rounding up every b-side, it ends up actually containing more music than its parent album. On top of that, it can be argued that some of these tracks should have been on the actual album itself (SP was one of those bands whose b-sides tended to be very strong). Indeed, fans often cite the tracks “Ugly” and “Set the Ray to Jerry” (both from the “1979” single) as two of the best songs the band has ever recorded.

Actually, the only track that drove people nuts was the “Pastichio Medley”, from the “Zero” single. This 23 minute track is comprised of nothing but riffs recorded between “Siamese Dream” and “Mellon Collie….”, and the main reason it drove people nuts was because we wanted the entire songs! (It wouldn’t be until the deluxe editions of “Mellon Collie….” and “Aeroplane” that we would get a lot of those tracks in full, and even then some remained unreleased).

When all is said and done, though, it’s what this box represents that is the most important aspect. Jimmy was gone. The direction and sound of the band would change rather drastically the following year. This would be the final new release to actually contain recordings featuring all 4 original members.

Basically, this was the release that drew a line in the sand, and unexpectedly would also see the end of an era. With hindsight being 20/20, it’s time people went back and listened to it.

Artist: The Beatles

Song Title: “Revolution (Take 20)”

Year: 1968, unreleased

I recently approached my editors with an idea of writing a Lost and Found article on a single song. An odd request, to be sure, but I was ultimately given permission, provided I could make it into a Lost and Found piece. Given the number of circumstances behind this, that actually was not difficult. Sure, most songs have stories behind them, but a full article? Yet here I am, doing it because outside of the more hardcore Beatles fans, this probably slipped by a lot of people. A history lesson on The Beatles is not needed here, that much is obvious, so let’s jump right into it, shall we?

50 years ago this year, The Beatles wrote and recorded their first double album, titled “The Beatles”, but more commonly known as the “White Album”. It was, for them, a reaction to the excess of the previous year’s releases; rather than a million overdubs, they decided to strip down the arrangements and rehearse tracks, with the idea that the rehearsals would then be treated as the basic tracks. They all also came with their own songs/ideas and were arguing more and more almost from the very beginning. Indeed, their problems, and eventual breakup, actually started with the recording of this double album. One of the songs that would end up being at the center of the problems? “Revolution”.

As some (or maybe even most) people know, there are 3 “Revolution” tracks. “Revolution No. 1”, which is a slower, more acoustic take, was used on the album. “Revolution No. 9”, which consisted of tape loops, backward effects, and random noises, was also placed on the album. Finally, “Revolution”, which was an upbeat, electric version of No. 1, was released as the b-side of “Hey Jude”, and is probably the best-known version of the three (despite being the final version recorded; more on that in a bit). Over the years, while there was some curiosity as to the usage of the numbers, it was never really explained. Indeed, #1 and #9 are so completely different from each other, that it was just chalked up to “Lennon being Lennon”. This view, though, would end up changing.

In 1988, Mark Lewisohn, who is considered one of the leading authorities on The Beatles, released, “The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions”, which was a complete chronicle of every bit of music the band had put to tape during their time in Abbey Road Studios. Indeed, Mr. Lewisohn had access to the entire vault, and the book was presented in a diary format, along with interviews with various studio personnel, covering every session held; who played what, the work that was done that day, how the music, sounds, even overdubs, were recorded. It even chronicled the few unreleased tracks that were there, as well as alternate mixes and versions of songs.

In this book, it’s revealed that “Revolution #1” was the very first track recorded during the “White Album” sessions. All takes went to normal lengths, roughly 4-5 minutes…..that is, until take 18, which not only began immediately after the previous take (resulting in the engineer’s take announcement appearing on the recording) but ended up being over 10 minutes long! Yup. Over 10 minutes of jamming on the same chord sequence, with Lennon yelling “Alright” repeatedly, then just yelling and mumbling. Quite a sudden difference. Further overdubs would be added, including the sound of a radio station changing, Paul and George repeatedly singing, “Mama, Dada”, the band singing “Ahhhhh” in unison, along with horn overdubs, would bring the song up to take 20.

Now, at the time, Lennon was keen on putting this on the album and even wanted to release it as a single. For obvious reasons this wasn’t gonna happen; as it is, even the main body of the song was considered too slow for a single release. This is how we ended up with the single, “rock” version of “Revolution”. As for the 10+ minute album version, Lennon decided (or was persuaded, depending on the story), to chop the final 6 minutes off and fade out the main song, thus creating the version of “Revolution #1” we know on the album.

Not to let anything go to waste, he then took those last 6 minutes, which already contained various loops, and used it as the basis for “Revolution #9” by adding more tape loops with the help of both George Harrison and Yoko Ono. This would also make the album, albeit not without some fighting.

So we now know both “Revolution” #1 and #9 started from the same recording. It was considered one of the holy grails for fans, despite the overall dislike for #9. After all, just how would they actually sound together? A monitor mix, recorded from a studio playback but with Yoko rambling on top of it, leaked on bootlegs in the 90s, but was of poor quality to really listen to.

In 2009, The Beatles announced that they would be releasing brand new remasters of their catalog. This was a huge deal, as their albums were only ever released on CD once, in 1987. For years people were crying out for new remasters; while other artists re-released past albums, using the newest technologies to improve the sound of their albums (or, in some cases, make them worse), The Beatles albums just sort of languished. 2009 changed all of that. We got brand new remasters of all their albums, official releases of the mono versions, and even “The Beatles: Rock Band” video game. It was wonderful. Just a few months prior, though, we got the unexpected. The full, 10+ minute version of “Revolution (Take 20)” suddenly appeared on a bootleg and the internet. Not only that, it was in practically perfect quality, being a mono mix taken straight from tape.

It’s still a mystery as to who leaked it. It’s generally believed that only 2 copies of this mono mix existed; one in the vault of Abbey Road Studios, and a copy that Lennon himself took that day. Along with that, the timing of the leak was interesting, coming at a time when so much focus was on the band due to the impending remasters.

Finally, there was the reaction of those involved; the band, etc. Their reaction was…..nothing. Yup. None of the band, their estates…..nobody said a word about it, and in the research, I’ve done, to this day they still haven’t. The only reaction came from the record label, which was to have it removed from youtube. Too little, too late though. So, an excellent sounding copy of an unreleased version of a Beatles song leaks shortly before the brand new remasters are released, and they don’t have much of a reaction if any. Not only is the source unknown, but the options for such are limited. Could it have been done by them for extra publicity? Perhaps, but they’re not exactly a band that needs it.

Regardless, we finally got one of the holy grails. While it was reported by the press, it wasn’t quite as huge as you’d expect. Maybe it was because part of it involved “Revolution #9”, which a number of fans aren’t fond of due to being overly avant-garde. Maybe it was due to the label trying to stifle it as much as possible. Or maybe, just maybe, many people outside of the super hardcore fans didn’t know there was a story behind it or the importance behind the leak.

If you’ve read this, though, now you do. To think, this was 50 years ago this year, and it took 40 years to get to us. Now, if we can just have “Carnival of Light…..”

The only version on youtube was slowed down, I guess as a way to keep it up there (you know how people do that). However, here’s a link to a Beatles fan site that has the song posted at the correct speed: https://www.beatlesbible.com/2009/02/24/unreleased-revolution-1-mix/

Artist: Cheap Trick

Album: Cheap Trick

Year: 1977

Serial killers. Suicide. Pedophiles. Not the sort of topics you would relate to Cheap Trick, but sure enough, they’re all present on their debut album.

Cheap Trick is an example of a strange phenomenon I’ve seen happen on more than one occasion. Once in a while, a band comes along and doesn’t do well here at first (or sometimes ever)…but they become immediate successes in Japan. Artists such as Cheap Trick, Queen, and The Runaways, all experienced insane popularity in Japan before ever making a dent here.

In the case of Cheap Trick, their first 3 albums didn’t even crack the Top 40 here. “Surrender”, which is now considered one of their signature songs, only hit No. 62. The twist here is that it would be their live album, “Cheap Trick at Budokan”, recorded in Japan, that would end up launching them as stars around the world, including their own country (and it wasn’t even meant to be released here!).

It’s no secret that, live, the band was a much different beast than in the studio. In contrast to the polish that made the hits so smooth sounding, they were raw and aggressive. That’s where the debut comes in. Thanks, in part, to producer Jack Douglas (who had just recently worked on a string of classic Aerosmith albums), this first album managed to capture the raw, unpolished sound that the band was capable of. Along with that, it also was very dark lyrically.

“Daddy Should Have Stayed in High School” is a song about a pedophile. “Oh Candy” (released as a single, with no success) was written about a who committed suicide. Closing track (and this writer’s personal favorite) “The Ballad of TV Violence (I’m Not the Only Boy)” is about Richard Speck, who was a serial killer.

It’s not all darkness though, but even upbeat tracks like “He’s a Whore” (which, despite the title, is not just about sex) and opening track “ELO Kiddies” (which is open to interpretation, since even the band members have all given various explanations regarding what it’s about) have a sense of mischievousness that, while not quite lacking from future albums, definitely shines through much more here.

What we end up with is an album that was a much more accurate representation of the band’s sound. After the lack of success it had here (not even breaking the Top 200), they would go with a different producer. While it would eventually lead to success for the band, it would also result in them sounding much smoother and safer (a move even the band would bemoan in later years).

In the years since, despite career ups and downs, they’re still going strong, having been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and their first 4 albums are now regarded as classics.

The debut, though, stands out.

Artist: The Kinks

Album: The Kinks Present a Soap Opera

Year: 1975

Well….after a near 4 year hiatus, filled with varying life circumstances (and with the exception of my David Bowie tribute which apparently made some people cry), I’ve once again returned to the writing trenches. Special thanks to Michelle, Lauren, and Mandy for welcoming me back (again); this may be more occasional than regular this time around, but it will be much easier for me that way. On that note….

If you haven’t noticed from my past articles, I sometimes have this weird thing where I tend to like an album that is widely considered one of the worst releases in an artist’s discography. “The Kinks Present a Soap Opera” (from here on out referred to as just “Soap Opera”) is one of the best examples of this aspect.

At this point in their career, The Kinks were on a downswing, in the midst of what has been referred to as their “theatrical” phase, which began with the release of “Preservation Act 1” in 1973. At this point, they were past their golden era and also increased their lineup to include female backing vocalists and horn players. Along with this, Ray Davies started exerting even more control in the studio; “Soap Opera” is considered by many to be more of a Ray Davies solo album in all but name.

The roots of the album lie in the project “Starmaker”, which aired on Granada Television, and starred Davies in the titles role, with the rest of the band members serving as the backup and. It was decided to take the concept, and songs, into the studio, to create an entire album around it.

The basic plot involves the character Starmaker, who declares that he can make anybody a star, and decides to trade places with an average person named Norman, to see what it’s like to live as an average person. He works at Norman’s job, sleeps with his wife, and basically does regular things, though he starts to lose his grip on reality at the same time.

Now, this sounds like a decent plot for a rock opera, and it is. I grew up with fond memories of listening to this on 8 track, which, when I got older, exposed the first issue: the story can only be understood if the songs are listened to in order! It wasn’t until I was 21, and it got a CD reissue, that I heard the album as intended (which I assure you was quite a different running order), and it made more sense.

Thing is, the CD release exposed the second issue: there’s actual dialogue in between the tracks, but only in the lyric sheet and not recorded. Without the original vinyl release containing the lyric sheet, big chunks of the story that happens between the songs are missing. Why this dialogue wasn’t recorded is beyond me; it’s necessary in order to fully understand the story, especially during the second half. Seriously, if you can figure out the point of “Ducks on the Wall” without the link between that and the previous song, you’re amazing.

As for the music, it’s typical of The Kinks during the mid-70s; rock, music hall, blues. It’s not great, but it’s not as bad as the reputation may suggest, especially in these days of reality tv and people trying to switch jobs with others, etc. The overall charm is also the biggest frustration; the album feels incomplete and seems to end too quickly, and when you see the dialogue that’s written between the tracks, it feels like a lost opportunity. (The ending dialogue is also open to interpretation as to how the story actually goes, but that’s a whole other discussion…)

Would I recommend it? If you like albums with a sense of flair, a bit of silliness, and have enough curiosity to check out the lesser-known recordings of popular artists, absolutely. It would also help if theatrics are your thing. If you’re just looking for a great collection of songs from start to finish, though, look elsewhere…..

Then again, that wasn’t what Ray was going for with this album, so I guess you could say he at least partially succeeded in his goal….at least he can get credit for that.

Original Press Release from Norway:

The Cleaners from Venus – Living with Victoria Grey (1986)

1981 saw the release of the first proper Cleaners of Venus album from the multi-talented auteur, Martin Newell. Since then and even before, his career has continued unabated with success and failure factoring little into his determination to push out album after album of new material under his own name or one of the many projects he’s been a member of since the 70s. While perhaps more renowned in recent years as an accomplished poet in Essex, England, Newell’s output has continued well into the 21st century with his latest record released just last year.

Yet, without the assistance of Captured Tracks re-releasing much of his back-catalog in 2013, exposure to his more robust discography would have been limited. For a long time cassettes remained one, if not the only proper way to listen to a Cleaners album outside of a live performance.

Each of his albums as the sole constant member of this project has a devil-may-care ambiguity tied to the texture of their respective tracks. In keeping with this attitude, Newell carefully constructs a pop sound that has its roots in 60s psychedelics folded upon layers of more experimental instrumentation that at one time further stretched the limits of what pop was and what it could be. All of this is done by Newell with an intensely DIY ethos that rejected the standard of how music should be released.

If you had to place Newell in any particular category you could try and make a case that he belongs firmly in the realm of jangle pop, but it would be reductive to do so. Brushes with post-punk and new wave are frequent throughout his discography in the 80s and 90s. Yet with over 13 proper albums as The Cleaners from Venus alone, not everything is a guaranteed slam dunk with much of the Cleaners output from work from the mid to late 80s not receiving the same attention that had been given to his work earlier in the decade.

With Living With Victoria Grey that lack of attention may simply come down to the irreverent sampling bookending most of these compositions. Back to back, has the effect of undercutting the emotion pitched behind each track, making a proper listen jarring from transition to transition. As a whole, the album is much more purposefully madcap and doesn’t take itself too seriously when stacked against his earlier work.

Taking each track in piece by piece showcases the album as one of the most slavishly devoted to his influences from 60s pop standards. Tracks like “Stay On” and “What’s Going On (In Your Heart)” easily wring out this quality in droves. Others like “Mercury Girl” are more complexly detailed, recalling some of his more consistent efforts such as his standout Midnight Cleaners from 1982. Like the element itself, in this track Newell croons about a relationship that is ultimately toxic and amorphous. Destructive yet maudlin with the lyrics, the direction and distorted tone make this a bittersweet standout.

Perhaps nothing else sums up his tastes and predilections on Victoria Grey than a quote from a few years back when interviewed by Aug Stone of The Quietus in the tellingly titled “The Fall And Rise Of Martin Newell And The Cleaners From Venus.” “I’m very interested in anything that’s about 3 minutes long and slightly distorted with a good chorus,” Newell says. “That’s what I like. And I still am.”

photo by Alexander Thompson

When you think of times past, there are certain artists who just kind of broke the mold. Some may have left the music sooner than they should have, or just faded out of the limelight like a gust of hot air. However you may think of it, some of these bands just can’t be duplicated- almost a force to be reckoned with that will ever hold an organic version of original, weird, and authenticity. One of those bands is Blondie.

Albeit, I was in the an age of single digits when they topped the charts  (and surely they did before this as well). Yet, I have such fantastic memories of pool parties and big, feathered hairstyles that culminate with “The Tide is High” or “Heart of Glass”. They’re actually irreplaceable in my mind.

The idea of Debbie Harry and her exuding feminism/’80s punk glamour are still astounding and hard to find in a natural form this day in age.  Harry’s very presence was an art form of its own and the number of influences Blondie has had on bands since is probably countless. We all know time tends to recycle itself and so many bands strive to repeat the essence of the ’80s or ’90s. Truth is, it’ll just never be the same.

This is why it was exciting to hear Blondie with be co-headlining with Garbage for their Rage and Rapture Tour this summer. On August 2nd, they’ll be right here in Philadelphia at the beautiful Mann Center.

Blondie will also be releasing a new album, Pollinator, on May 5th. The latest single, “Fun”, is a perfect mix of the past disco, electronic dance grooves we grew up with, but blended with dashes of attitude and creativity. The album also features songwriting from Sia, Dev Hynes (Blood Orange), Charli XCX, Dave Sitek (TV On The Radio), Nick Valensi (The Strokes), Johnny Marr (The Smiths) and more.

With all that changes in our world’s day to day, it’s good to some bands stay true to what they know and that’s making some good music!

If you’re as big of a This is Us fan, you appreciate the little subtleties and intense emotional situations that occur throughout each episode. Another thing that stands out is the music. I feel the music is matched very well to various heart wrenching situations that go on throughout. One of those artists, perfectly picked for the soundtrack to this show, is Nick Drake and the song is “Northern Sky”.

Nick Drake was a folk artist who emerged in the late 1960s/early 1970s and, sadly, he died way too young at the age of 26. He suffered from depression and had a hard time performing at live shows, which at that time, was a big means to get music to an audience. As a result, record sales weren’t strong, however his releases have gained critical acclaim and increasing sales after his passing.

Pink Moon was Drake’s third and final album, released two years before his death. The lyrics in the album’s songs have often been attributed to Drake’s battle with depression. The songs are even shorter here than previous records, with 11 tracks totaling just around 28 minutes. I was actually not expecting to flip the record so quickly, but you can notice the shortness of grooved circles when you pull it out of the cover. Pink Moon‘s songs stir up a deep thought and a bit of self-reflection that is unexpectedly calming. A few of my favorites off the album are “Pink Moon”, “Place to Be” and “From the Morning”.

They’re quiet and serene. The melody matches his voice and when it’s over, it may haunt you for a little while. I suggest listening to it when you wake up and just pour your first cup of coffee on a sunny morning.

It’s hard to imagine what went on in his head and why he suffered so much. Who knows what makes anyone really fall into those dark places at times, but in the dark, sometimes there is inspiration and something beautiful can happen. You just have to be open to it. That’s kind of what I think Drake does with this album, he embraces whatever it may have been that he was feeling and reflected it into poetic songs.

What do you think of Drake? Does he bore you? Open up your mind a little? That’s the beauty of art, it’s all up to you to how it makes you feel.