In 1992, INXS released their best album, Welcome To Wherever You Are. It contains the somewhat prescient song, Not Enough Time. When I hear this song in my head, it goes "Not enough time for all that I want to do" (although the actual lyrics are slightly different). Those lyrics pop into my head more and more frequently as the clock ticks ever onward... in a similar fashion to the way the lyrics to We Have All The Time In The World fill my mind whenever I'm in a rush to get somewhere and I find myself stuck behind a Louis.
I sometimes wonder if I like too much music. If I'd be better off if my tastes were more niche and not so varied. Because there really is NOT ENOUGH TIME to listen to everything I want to listen to. Every time I visit the tube of you, a new band pops up demanding my attention. On first listen, a lot of them sound intriguing... like this lot, who may well be of some interest to Martin...
Brigitte Calls Me Baby appear to be the latest in a long, long, long line of bands who want to sound like The Smiths. But how many of those ever made it big? Suede? Gene? (Not really.) The Killers? (As soon as they did, they stopped trying to sound like The Smiths.)
Lead singer Wes Leavins (with his enormous Morrissey quiff) claims to be more influenced by Sinatra, Orbison and Presley... ✔, ✔, ✔... but it's The Smiths I hear (and see) in the videos above and below... and that's why they're on the list.
Often, when I hear a song I like on another blog, I'll leave a comment saying "That's going on the list." Similarly, when I hear something interesting on the radio. Like this little beauty from Irish singer-songwriter Ultan Conlon...
I like the folky atmosphere on that, and the idea that if we don't keep the old songs alive (whether they be Raglan Road or Girls Just Wanna Have Fun), they'll fade from our collective consciousness. I used to enjoy listening to the late Desmond Carrington on Radio 2. He'd play a really diverse mix of music, some of it old and forgotten from the 30s, 40s or 50s, alongside more recent or well known choices. I heard things on his show I'd never heard before on the radio, and probably never will again.
As Ultan puts it...
Who's gonna play the old songs when all the old-timers are gone?
Here's an old song I've been playing a lot lately...
See? It's all too much, isn't it? Imagine if I just liked indie music, or rock, or old soul, or country and Americana... if I specialised in power pop or new wave or gentle, acoustic singer-songwritery stuff. Then I'd be able to focus. I'd be able to concentrate on one thing and enjoy it for what it is and not always be worrying about finding the next new thing... or the next old thing... in the hope it might hit me like a chaise longue or gradually unveil its beauty over a half dozen listens like the best of Jason Isbell.
But I don't just like one thing. I like all kinds of different things, and being able to switch genres and keep it fresh is essential in my listening. But then I also like digging back into the archives too. Except when do I have the time? I mentioned at the top of the page that Welcome To Wherever You Are is the best album INXS ever made. And yet I'm making that assessment safe in the knowledge that I haven't listened to it all the way through in 30 years. But The List keeps growing, and it's growing from all sides. New things, old things that are new to me, old things that I know but I haven't listened to in ages... and on and on and on...
Take that lot, for instance. Life are from Hull. Let's not hold that against them, because on the evidence of the track above... they're excellent. Bear in mind that they released that two years ago and this is the first time I've come across them, but they already appear to have released three albums. What if they're all as good as that song? I ought to drop everything else this instance and devote the next three weeks to familiarising myself with their back catalogue... but I haven't got the time because I also have to check out these guys...
L.A. Edwards come from... erm, Los Angeles... although the LA doesn't stand for what you think - it's lead singer Luke Andrew's initials. They supported Lucinda Williams last weekend and as soon as I heard them, I knew I wanted to hear more. So they've gone on The List.
There's so much music out there waiting to be discovered, it's a truly daunting prospect. Because what if I never hear that one song that changes my life forever? It's out there somewhere, I know it is. That's why I have The List...
Ha. I hear you, Rol - too much music, not enough time. My YouTube "Watch Later" list is chock-a-block with my version of "the list". As for that Brigitte Calls Me Baby track, you're right, it is of interest. I really hear the claimed Orbison influence in the verses but by the chorus he/they are in full SPM/Smithsonian mode. I'd add The Deers, The Holiday Crowd and Northern Portrait to your list of bands that want to sound like The Smiths too. Anyway, Brigitte... is now on my list, cheers.
Ha. I hear you, Rol - too much music, not enough time. My YouTube "Watch Later" list is chock-a-block with my version of "the list". As for that Brigitte Calls Me Baby track, you're right, it is of interest. I really hear the claimed Orbison influence in the verses but by the chorus he/they are in full SPM/Smithsonian mode. I'd add The Deers, The Holiday Crowd and Northern Portrait to your list of bands that want to sound like The Smiths too. Anyway, Brigitte... is now on my list, cheers.
ReplyDeleteHappy to help.
DeleteLA Edwards supported Lucinda in Glasgow last year.They didn't do much for me I'm afraid.It would be a boring world if we all liked the same stuff
ReplyDeleteWell, that saved you some space.
DeleteJust think how we "older bloggers" feel. The "not enough time for everything on our lists" problem is never far from my mind.
ReplyDeleteAlyson (see, I didn't even have time to add my handle there).
DeleteSurely you "old bloggers" feel as old as you feel? Age is just a number and all that... bullshit.
DeleteBig fan of “Friends Without Names”’by Life here. I really should give the LP a proper listen - Steve M
ReplyDelete