Author Archive: dereksmusicblog
BLUESIN’ BY THE BAYOU-I’M NOT JIVIN’.
BLUESIN’ BY THE BAYOU-I’M NOT JIVIN’. It’s no exaggeration to describe Louisiana as a musical hotbed. For over a century, it has given the world blues, cajun, creole, Dixieland, swamp pop and zydeco. That’s not all. Many blues, country, jazz and rock artists were born and bred in Louisiana. Despite its enviable musical pedigree, for …
NICOLETTE LARSON-NICOLETTE/IN THE NICK OF TIME/RADIOLAND.
NICOLETTE LARSON-NICOLETTE/IN THE NICK OF TIME/RADIOLAND. Although Nicolette Larson was born in Helena, Montana in 1952, growing up, she led something of a nomadic existence. This couldn’t be helped. Her father worked for the US Treasury, and was often transferred to other towns and cities. By the time Nicolette graduated high school, the Larson family …
MAJA S.K. RATKJE-CREPUSCULAR HOUR.
MAJA S.K. RATKJE-CREPUSCULAR HOUR. By the time Maja S. K. Ratkje graduated from the Norwegian Academy of Music in 2000, the twenty-seven year old had already won one of the most prestigious awards in Norwegian music, an Edvardprisen. This came in 1999, when Waves 11b won an Edvardprisen in the contemporary music minor work category. …
MAINSTREAM MODERN SOUL 1969-1976.
MAINSTREAM MODERN SOUL 1969-1976. By 1970, Bob Shad was a veteran of the New York music scene. His career began in the forties, when he was a session musician. Bob made it his business to know everyone within the New York music scene. He knew everyone that mattered. Whether it was Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker or …
CAUSA SUI-RETURN TO SKY-VINYL EDITON.
CAUSA SUI-RETURN TO SKY-VINYL EDITON. Nowadays, not many groups manage to release eleven albums in eleven years. Instead, they spend two or three years ‘perfecting’ their future Magnus Opus. It’s changed days indeed. Back in the early seventies, bands were often contracted to release two album each year. Groups like Yes rose to the challenge, …
HERE TODAY!-THE SONGS OF BRIAN WILSON VINYL EDITION.
HERE TODAY!-THE SONGS OF BRIAN WILSON VINYL EDITION. One of Ace Records’ longest running and most successful compilation series is their Songwriters’ series. It looks back at the careers of some of the most successful songwriters in the history of modern music. This includes Bacharach and David, Goffin and King, Serge Gainsbourg, Dan Penn, Laura …
TUXEDOMOON-HALF-MUTE.
TUXEDOMOON-HALF-MUTE. Success came quickly for Tuxedomoon. They were formed in 1977, and released their debut single in 1978. A year later, Tuxedomoon’s sophomore single No Tears was hailed a post punk classic. Tuxedomoon were one of music’s rising stars. So it was no surprise that in 1980, Ralph’s Records signed Tuxedomoon and they released their …
THE TRONDHEIM JAZZ ORCHESTRA, KIM MYHR AND JENNY HVAL-IN THE END HIS VOICE WILL BE THE SOUND OF PAPER.
THE TRONDHEIM JAZZ ORCHESTRA, KIM MYHR AND JENNY HVAL-IN THE END HIS VOICE WILL BE THE SOUND OF PAPER. Back in 2012, Kim Myhr got the opportunity to collaborate with The Trondheim Jazz Orchestra again. This was an exciting opportunity for composer, guitarist and improviser Kim Myhr. He had already collaborated with The Trondheim Jazz …
ERIC GALE-BLUE HORIZON AND ISLAND BREEZE.
ERIC GALE-BLUE HORIZON AND ISLAND BREEZE. Eric Gale was born in Brooklyn, New York on September 20th 1938. By the time he was eleven, Eric had discovered music. Fittingly, it was guitarist Les Paul that piqued Eric’s interest in music. He heard Les Paul and his wife Mary Ford on the radio. They were on …
FIRE! ORCHESTRA-RITUAL.
FIRE! ORCHESTRA-RITUAL. For their fourth album Ritual, the Fire! Orchestra has undergone a change in lineup. This isn’t unusual. Many groups, including Pink Floyd, Genesis, The Rolling Stones and even The Beatles’ lineup changed. Usually, this happened when one member of the group left. However, what has happened to the Fire! Orchestra is very different. …
STIAN WESTERHUS-AMPUTATION.
STIAN WESTERHUS-AMPUTATION. Over the last few years, Stian Westerhus has established a reputation as one of Europe’s most accomplished and innovative abstract guitar players. This has been the result of a lifetime’s work. That is how long it has taken Stian to hone and tame his unique sound. This dedication has paid off, and nowadays, …
THE BLUE NILE-A WALK ACROSS THE ROOFTOPS.
THE BLUE NILE-A WALK ACROSS THE ROOFTOPS. To celebrate the fifth anniversary of this particular blog, I decided to revisit one of my favourite albums of all time, The Blue Nile’s debut album A Walk Across The Rooftops. This is an album I’ve treasured and loved for over three decades. It’s been like an old friend, and has been …
SKADEDYR-CULTUREN.
SKADEDYR-CULTUREN. Between the late sixties and the early eighties, a musical revolution took place in Germany. Groups like Amon Düül II, Ash Ra, Can, Cluster, Harmonia, Kraftwerk, Neu! and Popl Vuh released truly groundbreaking music. Sadly, much of that music was way ahead of its time, and passed the German record buying public by. It …
I HAVE A TRIBE-BENEATH A YELLOW MOON.
I HAVE A TRIBE-BENEATH A YELLOW MOON. Back in 2013, Patrick O’Laoghaire was a member of Slow Skies, the group he had formed with Karen Sheridan and Conal Herron in 2012. They released their debut E.P., Close in May 2013. Close was well received by critics, and a great future was forecast for the Dublin based …
MOGWAI-ATOMIC- VINYL EDITION.
MOGWAI-ATOMIC- VINYL EDITION. Glasgow-based post rock pioneers Mogwai, are no strangers to the world of soundtracks. They’ve previously released three soundtracks in the last ten years. The first was Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait in October 2006. Just a month later, Mogwai released the soundtrack to The Fountain in November 2006. After releasing two soundtracks …
WILLIAM FITZSIMMONS-CHARLEROI: PITTSBURGH VOLUME 2.
WILLIAM FITZSIMMONS-CHARLEROI: PITTSBURGH VOLUME 2. It was Mark Twain who wrote: “write about what you know.” Many aspiring writers have taken Mark Twain’s advice, and have gone on to enjoy long and successful careers. However, Mark Twain’s quote also applies to songwriters. This includes William Fitzsimmons who has drawn upon personal experience throughout his career. …
MACARTHUR-MACARTHUR.
MACARTHUR-MACARTHUR. Having completed a tour of duty with the United States Marine Corp, Ben MacArthur returned home to Sagina, Michigan in 1977. When Ben returned home, jobs were few and far between, and it looked as if a recession was about to hit the rustbelt. It was hardly the welcome home he had envisaged. The …
THE LADIES OF TOO SLOW TO DISCO.
THE LADIES OF TOO SLOW TO DISCO. Over the last few years, there’s been a resurgence in interest in the West Coast sound. It fell from grace in the late seventies. Before that, the West Coast sound had won over the hearts and minds of record buyers, and provided the soundtrack to much of the …
MICHAEL CHAMPMAN-SAVAGE AMUSEMENT-VINYL EDITION-RECORD STORE DAY 2016.
MICHAEL CHAMPMAN-SAVAGE AMUSEMENT-VINYL EDITION-RECORD STORE DAY 2016. Nowadays, artists can spent years recording an album. They announce that they’re about to start work on their next album. That’s the last anyone hears of the artist for years. They’re locked away in their home studio, with only a DAW and a handful of plug-ins for company. …
NUGGETS-HALLUCINATIONS: PSYCHEDELIC POP NUGGETS FROM THE WEA VAULTS.
NUGGETS-HALLUCINATIONS: PSYCHEDELIC POP NUGGETS FROM THE WEA VAULTS. For many record collectors, Record Store Day is regarded as one of the most important days in the record collecting year. There’s a sense of anticipation about the day from weeks in advance. This begins the moment the list of Record Store Day releases is published. Record …
dereksmusicblog
dereksmusicblog 