Posts Tagged ‘Will Sergeant’

KELLEY STOLTZ – ” Ah ! (etc) “

Posted: December 19, 2020 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
Tags: , , , ,
0

AGIT057X.jpg

“I was guzzling wine at my favourite bar the entertainment that night was some local opera singers singing along with a big video screen showing a collage of various operatic moments with subtitles. One particular subtitle, ‘Ah!-(etc)’ made me laugh, I thought it was a perfect description of life – the joy of existence against the etcetera of it all, the struggle. With a heavy head of rose’ it seemed like ecstatic poetry! I scribbled it on a napkin and thought it might make a good title for something” And so the mystery behind the title of Kelley Stoltz new record is solved. Less of a mystery is the quality contained therein… after 12 self-titled releases and a several more under pseudonyms, Stoltz is the word for “one-man-band-home-recording-pop-songs of idiosyncratic character.” A quick follow up to his more power pop and pub rock LP only “Hard Feelings” offering in the summer, “Ah-(etc)” finds Stoltz returning to his sweet spot, writing songs that never were, but should have been in the 60’s and 80’s.

As with other LPs Stoltz makes virtually every noise on the album which was written and recorded in 2019 at his Electric Duck Studio in. San Francisco. A few friends popped in to play along… Stoltz former bandmate, Echo & the Bunnymen’s Will Sergeant adds electric guitar to “The Quiet Ones” a sort of Scott Walker lyrical take on strangers and neighbours. Karina Denike formerly of Dance Hall Crashers adds gorgeous vocals on the bossanova groover “Moon Shy”, where Sergeant pops up again in a spoken word role on the outro. Allyson Baker of SF’s Dirty Ghosts sings on “She Like Noise”, a song Stoltz wrote for her in celebration of her love of seeing live bands.

Both the records Kelley Stoltz released this year were great, but Ah! (Etc) has the edge over the pub rock-inspired Hard Feelings. This one has no high concept, just 12 unbelievable catchy songs performed in Stoltz’s sweet spot — somewhere between ’60s garage pop and ’80s new wave, though heavier on the latter this time around, with Echo & The Bunnymen’s Will Sergeant showing up to work his guitar magic on a few tracks. Album Title of the Year maybe.

“Never Change Enough” wears its Bunnymen influence on its sleeve, by way of Nick Lowe.

The album was mastered by Mikey Young in Australia, Tour dates scheduled for summer 2021.

KELLEY STOLZ – ” Ah (etc) “

Posted: November 20, 2020 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
Tags: , , , , , , ,
0

“I was guzzling wine at my favorite bar in San Francisco, the Rite Spot, and the entertainment that night was some local opera singers singing along with a big video screen showing a collage of various operatic moments with subtitles. One particular subtitle, ‘Ah! (etc)’ made me laugh, I thought it was a perfect description of life – the joy of existence against the etcetera of it all, the struggle. With a heavy head of rose’ it seemed like ecstatic poetry! I scribbled it on a napkin and thought it might make a good title for something” And so the mystery behind the title of Kelley Stoltz new record is solved. Less of a mystery is the quality contained therein… after 12 self-titled releases and a several more under pseudonyms, Stoltz is the word for “one-man-band-home-recording-pop-songs of idiosyncratic character.” A quick follow up to his more power pop and pub rock LP only “Hard Feelings” offering in the summer, “Ah!(etc)” finds Stoltz returning to his sweet spot, writing songs that never were, but should have been in the 60’s and 80’s.

http://

As with other LPs Stoltz makes virtually every noise on the album which was written and recorded in 2019 at his Electric Duck Studio in San Francisco. A few friends popped in to play along… Stoltz former bandmate, Echo & the Bunnymen’s Will Sergeant adds electric guitar to “The Quiet Ones” a sort of Scott Walker lyrical take on strangers and neighbours. Karina Denike formerly of Dance Hall Crashers adds gorgeous vocals on the bossanova groover “Moon Shy”, where Sergeant pops up again in a spoken word role on the outro. Allyson Baker of SF’s Dirty Ghosts sings on “She Likes Noise”, a song Stoltz wrote for her in celebration of her love of seeing live bands.

Released November 20th, 2020

ECHO and the BUNNYMEN – ” The Stars, The Oceans & the Moon “

Posted: November 27, 2017 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
Tags: , , , , ,
0

Liverpool’s post-punk legends Echo and The Bunnymen have announced their next record—their first since 2014’s Meteorites. The brand new album, The Stars, The Oceans & The Moon’ will be released in May of 2018 and will feature Bunnymen classics transformed and reinterpreted with co producer Andy Wright into “new songs with strings and things attached”

This is not too unusual given the Bunnymen’s liberal use of strings on classics such as “The Cutter”, “Silver”, and their the band’s use of a live string section during concerts of recent years. Lead by the Ian McCulloch and Will Sergeant, and co-produced by Andy Wright, there is no final track listing for The Stars, The Oceans & The Moon as yet, but we are promised that they will revisit “some of their greatest songs” and that we can expect a couple of brand new tracks. McCulloch’s take on this project is as follows: “I’m not doing this for anyone else. I’m doing it as it’s important to me to make the songs better. I have to do it.”

Along with the announcement of the new album are some very special UK tour dates that culminating at London’s Royal Albert Hall on June 1st.

The record will be available in signed and unsigned CDs, Double LPs, Double Picture Discs, and cassettes.

ECHO and the BUNNYMEN – ” Crocodiles ” Classic Albums Released 18th July 1980

Posted: August 26, 2017 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
Tags: , , , ,
0

Crocodiles

Echo and the Bunnymen’s superb debut album, “Crocodiles”, had one foot in the past and one in the future; while listeners could detect the influence of ’60s psychedelia and bands like The Doors, the 1980 album was also steeped in the darkness and anguish for which goth and post-punk would soon be known. Its dozen songs were exceptionally strong, and featured the group’s first two singles (a rerecorded “Pictures On My Wall” and “Rescue”) and soon-to-be concert staple “Do It Clean” (which had been left off the original U.K. pressing in the mistaken belief that it contained expletives). Frontman Ian McCulloch was a trenchcoat-wearing Doors fan at heart, and their debut single was as gloomy as it gets. The original version of “The Pictures on My Wall” is also one of the few Bunnymen recordings to actually feature Echo (the drum machine), but the version on their 1980 debut Crocodiles (with drummer Pete DeFritas) might be better.

Recorded at Eden Studios in London and at Rockfield Studios , Monmouth “Crocodiles” was produced by Bill Drummond and Davis Balfe , while Ian Broudie had already produced the single “Rescue”. The music and the cover of the album both reflect imagery of darkness and sorrowfulness. Echo & the Bunnymen were formed in 1978 and originally consisted of Ian McCulloch (lead vocals), Will Sergeant (lead guitar), Les Patterson (bass) and a drum machine . They released their debut single, “The Pictures on My Wall” in May 1979 on the independent label Zoo Records . The band then signed with WEA subsidiary label Korova and were persuaded to employ a drummer Pete De Freitas subsequently joined the band

Ian McCulloch is in fine voice throughout, and Will Sergeant’s playing makes him a clear contender for most underrated guitarist of the 1980s.  NME named “Crocodiles” one of the decade’s 50 greatest albums, and we’re hard-pressed to disagree…

Echo & the Buunymen

ECHO and the BUNNYMEN – ” It’s All Live Now “

Posted: March 29, 2017 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
Tags: , , , , ,
0

One of the most acclaimed British rockers from the 1980’s, this legendary band formed in Liverpool in 1978 and were forefathers of the neo-psychedelic movement. Their line up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant, bass player Les Pattinson and drummer Pete de Freitas, eventually replacing the original drum machine. The band’s cult status eventually waned with mainstream success in 1983 after they scored a UK top 10 hit with “The Cutter” and attendant album “Porcupine” which hit second spot in the UK.  1984’s classic album “Ocean Rain” is considered a landmark post-punk release, featuring the lead single “Killing Moon.” The band split in 1988 but regrouped in 1997, releasing an album in 2014 . The band’s popularity never quite made the same impact in the US as it did in Europe so they are ripe for rediscovery for anyone interested in bands such as Suede, Radiohead, Arcade Fire, Blur, Interpol and Oasis.

Track Listing:

Side A

  1. She Cracked (Live April 1985)
  2. It’s All Over Now Baby Blue (Live April 1985)
  3. Soul Kitchen (Live April 1985)
  4. Action Woman (Live April 1985)
  5. Paint it Black (Live April 1985)

Side B

  1. Run, Run, Run (Live April 1985)
  2. Friction (Live April 1985)
  3. Crocodiles (Live April 1985)
  4. Heroin (Live July 1983)
  5. Do It Clean (Live July 1983)
  • Brand new collection of their legendary live material recorded in Sweden in 1985. Includes classic Rock N Roll covers of legendary tunes by the Doors, Rolling Stones, Velvet Underground, Television and more available on vinyl for the first time. Many of the tracks from Sweden were recorded live for Swedish National Radio at the Karen Club. Also included here is a legendary extended version of “Do It Clean” recorded live in concert at the Royal Albert Hall in 1983.
  • Each LP is individually numbered and strictly limited based on pre orders
  • 1LP, 180g, black vinyl pressed at Record Industry comes in a single sleeve aqueous-gloss, old school tip-on Stoughton sleeve with brand new artwork and hard stock insert with never before seen photos and liner notes by guitarist, Will Sergeant.