Benjamin Orr's "The Lace" - A Dreamy New Wave Masterpiece

Many who remember The Cars, know them as the kings of American New Wave rock in the late 1970's to late 80's. (Or at least they should remember them as that!) Though more straightforward rock 'n' roll than their other American New Wave counterparts (i.e. Talking Heads, B-52's), the Cars were from their inception, hard to define. Their 1978 debut baffled critics of the time, with reviews labeling the album anything from "punk" to "art rock" to straight up rock 'n' roll (now considered "classic rock"). And there are elements of all three present in their music! Their early use of synthesizers, and front-man Ric Ocasek's strange, and at times warbling, voice combined with extremely catchy lyrics and traditional guitar-driven rock made the Cars a powerful force in the New Wave of popular music permeating the culture of their time. But, immensely talented as he was, Ocasek is not the one whose lead vocals can be heard on the Cars' most well-known hits, along with many other classic Cars tracks. 

The Cars in 1980. From left to right: Benjamin Orr, Greg Hawkes, Ric Ocasek, David Robinson, and Elliot Easton.

Benjamin Orr, the Cars' bassist, sings lead on both "Just What I Needed" and "Drive"- The Cars' two biggest hits of their career, as well as many others (including half of the tracks on their self-titled debut). Unfortunately, he is not oft as remembered as Ocasek for his critical role in the Cars. Forgotten even more still, is his lone solo record, The Lace. Released in 1986, after the Cars split for the sole purpose of working on solo projects, The Lace is a much more synth-pop driven record than anything Orr recorded previously with the Cars. It is more in line with the sound and overall vibe of artists like John Waite or Corey Hart, with romantic, sensual lyrical themes and echoing, lush synths surrounding it. 

Benjamin Orr, 1986

Benjamin Orr, 1979

While Ocasek is more easily recognizable than Orr (perhaps for his 6'4" skinny, lanky physique and hollow face), Benjamin was definitely the dreamboat of the Cars. He (probably unintentionally) capitalizes on this throughout The Lace, winning over the heart of any vulnerable young listener (or uh, at least me...) with his gorgeous voice and face. This is especially true on the singular minor hit of the record, "Stay The Night", where Orr pleads with the listener / object of his desire not to go, and to "stay the night" with him- a classic theme of most 80's pop / rock music. You can listen to it below, at the end of this post. 

But there is more to The Lace than just sensual ballads! The album's opener "Too Hot To Stop" is a pulsing new wave rocker that will definitely make you want to drive well over the speed limit, in your 1986 Pontiac Firebird (or equivalent 80's dream ride) with the windows down and tunes blasting. Or there's the synthy, dreamy "Skyline" where Orr's harmonies with himself are at their peak. It evokes feelings of wandering through a brightly lit city in the middle of the night, probably drunk, and lost but at peace with it, taking comfort in the fact that this happens to everyone. 

Overall, The Lace is a rocker meets synth-pop fan's dream album. It has sat in the dark for too long, overlooked by most except die-hard Cars / Orr fans, when it deserves praise and airtime as much as any other well-known New Wave record. It has all the aesthetics that make an 80's male solo-artist seem mysterious and edgy yet dreamy (i.e. dim blue lighting, shadow of blinds over the face, etc.). And while it is a slight departure from the Cars usual sound before it (although on Door To Door in 1987 they would channel more of this energy), it still has that familiarity to it with Orr's signature vocals, that make it an easy first listen-through for any Cars lover. I invite any fans of the Cars who had not previously heard of The Lace to give it a listen! As well as any other new wave, synth-pop, or even classic rock fans who want a taste of something new. You can find the full album on Spotify, and you can watch a poor quality version of the music video for "Stay The Night" via YouTube, below! 

Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit - "The Nashville Sound" of the Revolution

When the band Cracker sang "what the world needs now is another folk singer, like I need a hole in my head" on their 1992 hit single "Teen Angst"... they never could have predicted just how wrong they were going to be proven. It would take 15 more years for that worthy, "world-changing" folk artist to emerge, when Jason Isbell released his first record in 2007. A songwriter of the next generation, today barely in his 40's, but with the soul of a weathered, veteran folk singer.

Along with his backing band of equally accomplished and worthy musicians, The 400 Unit, he released the extremely powerful and transformative record The Nashville Sound in 2017. And for anyone who has any preconceived notions of what folk / country music is and is immediately turned off- hold on a second. Because The Nashville Sound is unlike anything you've ever heard before. 

As I sit here, writing on this Juneteenth, 2020, I am saddened, angry, and disgusted with state of the world. By this I of course mean the ever-present issue of police brutality against people of color, coming to a head with the recent murder of George Floyd. However, at the same, time I am hopeful about the amount of progress I have seen in humanity since then, with many people across the globe coming together to fight against this great, long-running injustice, and calling for radical change. Part of this hope also comes from the amount of white people I have seen opening their eyes finally, and realizing the privileges they have just by being born white, as opposed to being of a minority. Jason Isbell was way ahead of them.

On the track "White Man's World", Isbell is a white man acknowledging his privilege, and being ashamed of his history. He vehemently denounces racism, and sexism, and calls for white people, particularly white men, to do better. "There's no such thing as someone else's war. Your creature comforts aren't the only things worth fighting for", he sings, calling bullshit on the "all lives matter" people, who really only mean "my life matters, not yours". He is calling out those staying silent rather than taking a stand, just because they are not directly being oppressed. This is something you might not expect from your typical folk or country artist, but that is precisely why Jason Isbell is anything but typical. Listen for yourself below. 

Though this track seemed like the most relevant and important to discuss first and foremost, I'd also still like to say something about some other stand-out tracks on the album. "White Man's World" isn't the only time Isbell touches on something relevant yet difficult to articulate. There is also the relatable "Anxiety" where he poetically describes feelings many of us have become more aware of in the modern era, to the point where we may have even discovered we have a whole new disorder. He describes what it is like to feel like you should be completely happy, but no matter how hard you try there is always something in the back of your mind telling you to worry or panic. "Even with my lover sleeping close to me, I'm wide awake and I'm in pain" is a feeling anyone who suffers from anxiety can surely relate to. 

Or there's the absolutely tear-jerking "If We Were Vampires" where he covers the subjects of love and of our own mortality, and that no matter how much you love someone, one day death will take them from you. "If we were vampires and death was a joke, we'd go out on the sidewalk and smoke. And laugh at all the lovers and their plans, I wouldn't feel the need to hold your hand" makes us wonder what it would be like if we could have infinite time with the love of our life. But reminds us that because we can't, we need to make the most of every second we do have with that person and treasure everything about them.

Finally, Isbell includes some classic folk motifs in multiple songs on the album, including its closer, "Something To Love". There is the theme of the pastoral, and of "American country life", but it is not diluted by pretending there is nothing wrong with "country folk", as we've seen on previous tracks (i.e. "White Man's World). It is a simple message to his daughter, and to his listeners, that he hopes you find what makes you happy and "do it 'til you're gone". The idealized country life is best exemplified in the line, "I was born in a tiny southern town. I grew up with all my family around. We made music on the porch on Sunday nights, old men with old guitars smoking Winston Lights". It is simplistic yet happy imagery that makes us wish we could have shared in that sweet, musical upbringing... or it at least makes me wish that!

And these are just a few tracks off of the perfection that is The Nashville Sound. It is progressive- a record of its time. But it also has the sincerity and wisdom of aged, legendary folk records. Not to mention Isbell's wife, Amanda Shires, can play one mean fiddle! And she does so throughout the album, giving yet another dimension to Isbell's powerful poetry. I invite all of you to check it out from start to finish, and hear for yourself just how revolutionary his songwriting is.

Happy Juneteenth everyone, and remember- Jason Isbell says Black Lives Matter, and to check your privilege! And to find something to love...

Drab Majesty - Saviors for Dark 80's Lovers in the Modern Era

Drab Majesty live in Denver, CO, photo by Josef Bachmeier.

Picture yourself in the middle of some fog machine-covered dance floor in a club somewhere in the mid-1980's. You've maybe had a few, and are starting to burn out on the DJ's usual playlist, when this song comes pulsing through the speakers, and shocks your system back to life...

...Except...it's not the 1980's. It's 2017. But you might have been convinced, right?! That's the beauty of Drab Majesty. They are able to recreate a sound so unique to that moment in music history, it's almost hard to believe their first record, Careless, was released in 2015 and not 1985. But this is precisely what synth-pop, goth, and new wave music lovers like me NEED in the modern era.

My original plan for this post was to review Drab Majesty's newest record, Modern Mirror, but since I saw a good amount of those who had participated in the poll had never heard of them before, I figured I should give an overall introduction on the band first. But hey, why not both?

What you just listened to above was the first song I ever heard from Drab Majesty, ("Dot In The Sky") and what set my soul on fire again, with hope that my favorite type of music could still be created by new artists in the 21st Century. Their entire sophomore album, The Demonstration, blew me away like nothing else I'd heard before from a contemporary artist. It was new, but it felt so familiar, like the dark 80's groups I've held dear for so many years now. There are echos of Depeche Mode, The Chameleons, Clan Of Xymox... and many other darkwave veterans who surely paved the way for a group like this.

But, all of those 80's band comparisons are not to take away from Drab Majesty's pure uniqueness in the entire timeline of alternative music history. They have absolutely established their place in the modern music scene in a way that is completely their own. They are ethereal and alien; their personas shrouded in constant mystery. Though from Los Angeles, creative force behind the project, Deb Demure, sings in an apparent English accent (taking their cues from early Ministry, maybe?). Demure also presents himself in various, usually androgynous outfits, wigs, and makeup, constantly changing and developing the character he presents. He, along with creative partner, Mona D, clearly want to remain an enigma to those who listen to and follow them. And it is well achieved. That look combined with pulsing synths, driving guitars, and surrealistic lyrics given in a serious tone, create a perfect modern darkwave group, that could be from the past, future, outer space... or all of the above.

Their most recent record, Modern Mirror, released in 2019, takes this dynamic to the next level. Building off of the vibe of the Demonstration, but with a considerably more uplifting feel to it. The opening track opposes the dark, brooding, and almost overpowering feeling of previous opening "Dot In The Sky", with a cheerier, dancier beat, bleeding into the just as dancable first single preceding the album, "Ellipsis" (linked below). It's not all cheery synth-pop jams, however, as tracks like "Noise Of The Void" and "Long Division" remind us the beauty of darkness, once again. And somewhere in between those feelings lies my favorite song off the album, and maybe my favorite song they've released, "Oxytocin". It reflects feelings of hopelessness and wanting to die, being replaced by falling in love again- whether it be with someone else, yourself, or life, and realizing things do get better. Yeah...pretty damn deep.

I highly recommend Drab Majesty to anyone who has ever loved dark synth-pop music, young or old. Whether you're an original "New Waver" who was there in the 80's when it all began, or someone like me, who wishes they were there... this is the band you've been waiting for. I have been blessed enough to see them live twice so far, and plan on making it to every show they play for the rest of time. They're not to be missed. Below you can find a link to their official music video for the track "Ellipsis" off of Modern Mirror. But I highly suggest listening through the entire album, as well as all of the Demonstration... and hell, just go ahead and listen to Careless too, and anything else you can get your hands on by them, if you like what you've heard so far.

The Railway Children - Forgotten Indie Rock Gold

Cover art for The Railway Children's 1988 album "Recurrence"

So far there seems to be a pretty common theme developing on this blog- "underrated artists" and why I think we shouldn't have forgotten about them. But before I go changing my blog name to "underrated alternative"... it should be known that this is basically redundant. Most "alternative" music, classic and current, is underrated- hence why it's the alternative to what is popular in music. However, there are well-known and well-credited alternative rock bands old and new, and those that fall completely under the radar for most who don't go searching for it. The Railway Children is another band that absolutely falls under the latter category.

Now here's an old school indie band you can blow your hipster friends out of the water with, because who the hell remembers or knows who the Railway Children are? Well I'll tell you who did- my mom. I found a well-kept cassette of their 1988 album "Recurrence", among many other gems in her old collection, (many of which you can expect will also be talked about on this blog later) back when I was in high school, and I played that tape to death in my old boombox. Their delightful blend of indie rock and jangle pop soothed my soul, much like the feeling I had when I first discovered indie legends the Smiths. But when I did my usual thing of researching every band I get into, I could hardly find any information on them. Search results turned up just a few low-resolution, old photos of the group, and a pretty sparse Wikipedia Page. All anyone could really tell me is that they were a Manchester group, started in 1984, and that they "never achieved any mainstream success"...well no shit. That much seemed pretty clear. 

The Railway Children. Gary Newby pictured on the far left foreground. Photographer and year unknown

But despite that lack of information on the Railway Children, I still loved them, and enjoyed that they were a bit of a mystery. What you need to know about them is that their lead singer / songwriter Gary Newby is the main creative force behind the operation, and that his pretty face and charming voice could steal the heart of any young, misunderstood teenager. That, paired with their lush, jangling guitars, and Newby's heartfelt, poetic lyrics makes for one hell of an indie band. But for some reason they never could attain the same level of fandom (or even close) to that of their contemporaries, using the same formula (i.e. the Smiths, the Jesus and Mary Chain, Echo & the Bunnymen, etc.). But that very thing is precisely what makes an indie band great, right? You feel like they're your little secret, and you develop a bond with them because of it.

Well, I'm here to share that "secret" with all of you. Because everyone deserves to know how wonderful the Railway Children are. If you want to find out just how charming they are, you can find their entire discography on Spotify (with less than 100,000 plays on nearly every track) or you can find a majority of their songs on YouTube. Below is a link to one of my favorite songs by them, "A Pleasure" via YouTube, for your listening...pleasure. 

If a darker, moodier brand of indie rock / post-punk is your style, I recommend starting with the Recurrence album. If more upbeat, jangle-pop is your thing, you should start with a listen-through of their first record, Reunion Wilderness, which I find to be nearly as solid, start to finish, as Recurrence. After that, in 1990, they incorporated more keyboards and a slightly more electronic sound, but still with that jangling guitar ever-present. Whatever your take on indie rock is, the Railway Children definitely have something to offer.