Lou Reed's "New Sensations" - Glam Rocker Gone New Wave

When you think of Lou Reed, I'm sure a lot of things spring to mind- First of all, a legendary musician and artist gone too soon, member of the Velvet Underground, drug-riddled glam rock icon, and all-around strange guy... But I doubt you picture the guy you see in the photos above. Because Lou's more "normal" look here comes from his often forgotten 1984 album, New Sensations. Other than the minor-hit single "I Love You, Suzanne", New Sensations was definitely not a chart topper back in its heyday, nor is it easily remembered by casual Lou fans today. But there is something so special and rare about New Sensations that makes it stand out from the rest of Lou Reed's lengthy (20 studio albums!) catalogue. 

New Sensations showcases some major changes and growth in Lou Reed's life, as he entered his 40's in 1982. By the end of the 70's, Lou had decided to swear off drugs, and by the time of this record, he was finally sustainably sober ("no drugs or alcohol", being the alleged rule for the whole band on the New Sensations tour). Lou was married to British designer Sylvia Morales in 1980, and overall seemed to be in love and...happy?? Yes, Lou Reed was happy. And there's photographs to prove it! Look at that smile- adorable!

What resulted from a happy, sober, and married Lou Reed was a more straight-forward rock album, with wonderful notes of new wave, but not as artistically utilized as you might have expected from someone as famed for his weirdness as Lou. The album's opener, "I Love You, Suzanne" sets the tone...and it sure is a dancey one! I can't help but think die-hard Lou fans' reaction when they first put this record on  must have been one of collective shock and awe. Many probably smashed it before side one was even over, saying something like, "This isn't the Lou I know!! It's too happy! Too normal! Uhg!" 

But they just don't know how to have fun! How can you tear a man down when he's so happy just having fun? Lou had been one of the kings of weird for so long, and I genuinely think he just needed some time to unwind and relax. And I think this album is absolutely perfect for anyone else trying to do that right now. If you want to see an even stranger sight still, check out Lou's uh...dance moves?? in the end of the "I Love You, Suzanne" music vdieo...it is truly something to behold. I have to be honest, I did laugh, but it wasn't in a mean way! It does my heart good to see a happy, dancing Lou (or stunt-double because...I find it hard to believe that's really him).

Lou Reed, playing with his red joystick (sorry I couldn't resist!)

Then there's the heavy-handed innuendo of "My Red Joystick". On first listen, it seems like Lou's simply telling his girl, "you can go, just please leave me my video games"...but he's definitely talking about something she couldn't take, seeing as it's attached to his body. *Ahem*, anyways! It's another example of Lou just having fun, in the same way that the Who were just having fun when they released their own innuendo hit, "Squeeze Box". And the video game concept made for a fantastic, minimalist album cover. 

But what I really want to talk about on this album, is the title track. "New Sensations" is not just my favorite song on the album, it's my favorite Lou Reed song. Yeah, that is high praise, considering it would have been easy for me to pick something off of Transformer or one of his other more revered works. But I can't, because this song is just a breath of fresh air. It is the ultimate "roll your windows down and cruise" jam. Though I know I use that phrase a lot to describe songs, this one deserves it the most, hands down. It is a cool, minimalist rock track, with a killer funk bass-line, that feels like Lou looking at his life up until that point, and saying "I need something new". There is a story told through the imagery that the lyrics create, where you can envision him (or yourself) on a motorcycle driving on a scenic highway, with nowhere to go, and nothing but time to kill. It always makes me feel good, even on hard days. Give it a listen and harness that good energy for yourself, below.

The next track, "Doin' the Things That We Want To" continues this energy, and definitely gives off the same vibe of just being yourself, doin' your thing, and not giving a damn what others think of you for it. Pretty much how Lou must have felt making this album. But, even after all this talk of "chill" vibes and happiness... there is still that classic "what the hell, Lou?" question we have to ask ourselves on a track like "Fly Into the Sun". The lyrics of which basically describe welcoming death, and the chance to launch himself into the sun... Somehow the music and choir-like female backing vocals still make it sound like a happy song though! Now there's the depressed Lou we all know and love (jokes). More like, there's more of the sarcastic, comedic Lou we love. 

 

Overall, New Sensations is one hell of an album, and it should be seen as such. Yes, it is less artistic and out there than some of Lou's greater known, 70's efforts, but like I've said before, there's nothing wrong with just letting yourself be happy. And Lou Reed felt the same way. He was happy, but he did it with an attitude. Like, "Fuck you. I'm happy, and there's nothing you can do about it". Rest in Peace Lou. I have to say, even though it's been nearly seven years, I still miss you and your infinite wisdoms. But at least I'll always have this record to make me smile, and give me a chuckle.

Thank you all for reading, and happy Friday! Go out and do "the things that you want to"! Cheers! 

Clan of Xymox - Spider on the Wall Album Review

There has always been much superstition surrounding what it means to find a spider in your home. Our modern assumption might be that it is bad luck. However, in ancient Egyptian culture the spider was a symbol of wealth and good fortune, hence their immortalizing them in gold. When it comes to a Spider on the Wall, specifically, there are some who view it as a neutral sign- until the spider moves up or down. If the spider crawls up, it is a good sign; if the spider crawls down...it is a bad one.

This ominous depiction of a spider seems to be exactly what Clan of Xymox had in mind for their latest, 2020 release. In the midst of a global pandemic, racial injustice and human rights violations running rampant, and literal dystopia looming in the distance...it is safe to say this album is the best thing that has happened so far this year. And I'm going to give you a track-by-track breakdown of just how great, and relevant it is. 

Starting off this doomsday-or-not record, is the synth-pulsing track, "She". Bound to be a modern classic, this darkwave jam sounds like 80's Xymox, reimagined with inspiration taken from some of their 21st century, goth rock and darkwave contemporaries. The first single to be released from the album, the b-side features a remix from She Past Away, which fully showcases just how dancey "She" can be. I find it to be just as fantastic as the original. As for the lyrics, they seem to be relaying the thoughts of a distraught girl, who feels "so alone", among other depressing things. The music video, showing a young, masked girl dancing alone to the track in an abandoned building, pretty well sums up the feelings songwriter Ronny Moorings is singing of. If you haven't already, do yourself a favor and check out "She", below. 

Next up is the second track, and (coincidentally) second single released from the album, "Lovers". With a spoken-word intro. in French, to the first English lyrics being "I've seen you naked", this is clearly an intimate, romantic song. But there is also a darker, self-loathing message to the song, lying beneath the surface. "I'm selfish, and insecure. Hard to handle, how can you endure?", the person asks their partner. Essentially, "how do you put up with me?" but more poetically sung. And supposedly, the answer is "love". Their love is unlike anyone else's, and makes them different. Something we've all probably thought of our own relationships, at one point or another. Watching the music video, gives the song an entirely new layer of meaning, however. It seems to be a tragic, "star-crossed lovers" type of story with an even darker twist. It tells this story in a very cinematic, beautiful way, and I highly recommend you check out the video upon first listening to it.

The third track, "Into the Unknown" tells the far less romantic story of what it is like to break up with someone you've gotten so used to being with, and how scary it can be to be single again. But, at the same time, he seems glad to be getting out of the relationship, stating the person "doesn't know me at all", amongst other reasons for leaving them, and that it's probably for the best. As depressing as a song about a breakup can be, the beat is a thumping, highly danceable one that I would definitely request at my next local goth night. 

"All I Ever Know" was the third single released from the album, and appears as the fourth track on it. It is essentially Ronny's tribute to the love of his life, Mojca Zugna. It is gorgeous, heartfelt, and real, and makes my chest ache with longing, for a lifetime of love such as theirs. The music video is home video footage shot by Ronny himself, of Mojca throught the years they've spent together until now. Towards the end of the video they can be seen sharing a kiss, in a clearly more recent clip. Needless to say I audibly "awww!"ed multiple times while watching it. Sound-wise, it very much reminds me of the Cure's "The Walk", from the synth to the cadence and pace which Ronny sings in. Could just be me, though there are certainly other areas on the record where I can hear more of their potential influences. 

Ronny Moorings with bandmate and wife, Mojca Zugna.

From there it moves back into a negative, despairing tone...and remains there for most of the rest of the album. "I Don't Like Myself" is a pretty straightforward self-loathing anthem, talking about the feelings most of us have when we get into that head-space of hating ourselves. "Each day is a struggle" pretty well sums up what that type of depression is like, and definitely hits home. Needless to say, Ronny and company aren't pulling any punches on this record.

The title track...oh my god those drums! Definitely reminds me of something off of the Cure's Pornography album, and the lyrics are just as depressing. I'd think Lol Tolhurst would be inclined to agree with me on that one. It definitely just makes me want to curl up into a ball on the floor of my room and self-isolate for a while (although that certainly hasn't been hard to do recently). The despair is palpable, and real, inciting utter hopelessness in whoever listens to it... I highly recommend you mentally prepare yourself, and then do so, below~

"When We Were Young" tells of the tragic tale every human knows, of what it's like to be young and think you have all the time in the world to do what you want...feeling immortal. And then you age, aches and pains and bills set in and the world seems less and less like yours. "We could walk on water, we could reach for the stars. Dance under the moonlight, we felt free and alive"... when we were young. But the realization of your own naivety sets in once it's already too late, and you're old and worn out by your wild life. It seems a cautionary tale to Ronny's younger listeners, and a calling of solidarity to his older ones.

Then we have yet another cautionary tale of what happens when society becomes too obsessed with their technology. "Black Mirror" is Ronny saying he's sick of everyone in the world being more involved with social media and posting their entire life, rather than living it. And holy cow does the chorus sound like the Sisters of Mercy's "Black Planet" almost exactly! Not a bad thing at all though, as they have definitely openly shared that the Sisters were an inspiration for them (and cover "Alice" on their Kindred Spirits album). It seems to me almost like a companion song to "When We Were Young", in that Ronny doesn't want the youth of today to waste their life staring at screens, instead of really living life. You can give it a listen for yourself below.

Rounding out the end of Spider on the Wall, we have "My New Lows", and "See You On The Other Side". The first of which is another self-hatred track, and about wondering just how low you can sink as a person. The second being a pretty straightforward acceptance of the inevitability of death, and how it comes for all of us, whether we like it or not. A pretty dismal way to end the record, it would seem. But Ronny says "do not stand at my grave and weep" and that he will "live on in your memory", which he seems quite comforted by. Dare I say, incredibly goth of him, to not be afraid of dying, because of the peace it brings, after the exhausting task that living can be. 

And thus ends Spider on the Wall. A record of its time, for sure. In parts dark and dismal, and in others heartwarming and loving. But always good! I think it is exactly what the world needs right now, whether they know it or not. I can say for sure this "spider" will be my companion in these depressing times, and help me through the rest of this hellscape that is 2020. You can listen to the newly released record on Spotify on YouTube now, or purchase yourself a copy through their Bandcamp. 

With Spider on the Wall, Xymox present us with a haunting question- will the spider continue crawling downward, towards more depressing events? Or can we hope for it to crawl up? Only the future knows. 

The Outfield - One-Hit Wonders Who Deserved Better

Official Music Video for "Your Love":

"Josie's on a vacation far away, 

come around and talk it over,

so many things that I wanna' say, 

you know I like my girls a little bit older. 

I just wanna' use your love tonight,

I don't wanna' lose your love tonight..." 

How many of you just "sang-read" those lyrics right there? If you did, then you're one of countless others who fondly (or maybe not so fondly) remember those signature opening lines of the song "Your Love" by "one-hit wonders", The Outfield. If you didn't, click play on the video above and I'm sure you will rememer too!

Despite their baseball oriented band name and debut album name, Play Deep, they are not an American band, but are in fact from London, England. What further makes listeners think they're American is because that is where they had their sole commercial success. The album did not chart in the U.K., but reached #9 in the U.S., with "Your Love" hitting #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in '85.

And although the three other singles from the album also managed to chart ("Say It Isn't So", "All The Love", and "Everytime You Cry")- All but "Your Love" faded into obscurity, and left the band known for only that song. Even at the time of its release, very few people would have known any other song off the album. So with this post, it is my goal to give the Outfield the praise they deserve, as I believe Play Deep is a damn perfect record, and have played the entire thing to death since I first heard it. Thus begins a new ongoing segment on my blog which I like to call "One-Hit Wonders Who Deserved Better"!

Album cover for The Outfield's debut record, Play Deep, released in 1985.

While the Outfield did release several albums after Play Deep, my goal for this post is really only to discuss that first album, because I do feel the later releases pale in comparison. Play Deep is a mix of so many different genres and vibes, the songs on it could find themselves on anything from an 80's rock, new wave, or pop playlist. There is definitely that classic 80's "stadium rock" vibe, with powerful vocals, catchy lyrics, and room-filling, melodic guitar and pounding drums throughout. But, there is also a (certainly more subtle) new wave sound, on tracks like the little-known  "61 Seconds". 

This hidden gem also happens to be my favorite on the record (along with "Say It Isn't So"), because it is one of the more mellow, and melancholic songs on Play Deep. And while the lyrics don't seem to make much sense, one could either blame it on poor songwriting, or on being deliberately artistic. I'm inclined to believe it's the latter. "61 Seconds" lyrics seems to be talking about just how quickly time seems to pass, and how easy it is to become late, or just become so lost you don't even know what time or day it is. To me it is saying that the "9 to 5 man" feels like his entire life is working, and has no identity outside of work. Pretty deep for a "pop" album! And something many of us can relate to. You can listen to it below.

And now for something entirely more poppy- "Say It Isn't So" should have been just as big of a hit as "Your Love"! It opens the album and sets the tone for what is to come. Although it's lyrics take on the opposite perspective of that in "Your Love", in that it is about hearing that your lover is cheating on you, and needing them to tell you it isn't true. It still has that booming, powerful delivery all around, vocally and instrumentally, that fills the room and beyond of wherever you're listening. It has just as anthemic a feel to it as other 80's classics, but fell short of most listeners attention spans, with "Your Love" hogging the spotlight. You can determine its pop-power for yourself, by listening and watching the official music video below~

For the record, this is not a "Your Love" hate post! I do enjoy the song, and think it deserves the airplay it has gotten. This is just to say that the rest of the songs on the album it comes from are just as good in their own ways, and deserved more attention back in the day, and now. So do your 80's-pop loving self a favor and check out all of what Play Deep has to offer. There are a slew of anthemic, stadium pop-rock tracks that are bound to make you want to turn the volume up, and roll the windows down. And at the same time, there are plenty of more low-key, thoughtful songs that will make you rethink your initial opinions on the depth that the Outfield can create. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more "One-Hit Wonders Who Deserved Better" in future posts!

Clan of Xymox Self-Titled Debut - 35 Years of Mesmerizing Darkwave

The first of this month marks the 35th anniversary of the release of one of darkwave's most definitive group's full-length self-titled debut, Clan of Xymox. For those unfamiliar with the term, "Darkwave" (or dark wave) is considered the melancholic, minor key counterpart to new wave, and an offshoot of goth rock, with an entirely more synth-driven sound. And Clan of Xymox absolutely pioneered that sound. 

With the release of their upcoming record Spider on the Wall scheduled for the 24th of July this year, I decided I would use this post to introduce those unfamiliar, to the beauty and darkness that is Xymox, so that when I review the new record (which I'm beyond excited for, by the way!!) I can hopefully bring in some new fans to enjoy it with! And if you're a longtime fan like myself, hopefully this post will get you as excited for the new record as I am!

While I love so many of Xymox's albums, since it was the first I ever heard from them, and its anniversary this month, I will mostly be talking about their 1985 self-titled debut. And what a debut it was! I can still remember the first time I ever heard the opening notes of the first track, "A Day", come droning through my speakers... It was a strange feeling that came over me... I wanted to cry and dance at the same time. The over 2 minute long instrumental opening got my feet tapping, and my mind mesmerized. When front-man and lead vocalist Ronny Moorings' voice comes in... I'm entranced. That trance carried through until the end of the record, and I was hooked ever since. 

However, I think it was "No Words" that first stole my heart. A somehow more upbeat synth sets the scene here...sounding cold yet pretty, like slow-falling snow. Ronny sings beautifully... If it were possible for a voice to "glow" I would say his does. His words are obscure and poetic, but I've always had my own vivid interpretation of what he's describing. I imagine, from the singer's perspective, going out at night and seeing someone from afar at a dance club, dancing with someone else. They stare back at you, smiling, seemingly interested... but neither one of you is brave enough to approach the other... so nothing ever comes of it. Something many of us shy, hopeless romantics can relate to, eh? To this day it is still one of my favorites from Xymox. You can listen to it for yourself below~ 

Moving through the rest of the record, there's the tragic "Stumble and Fall", and the more tragic still, "Cry in the Wind"... hearing the latter live for the first time was a pain like cold heat...like frostbite. But! On a more dancable note, the track they opened up with when I first saw them (after the instrumental "Days of Black", as that was the album they were touring for) was "Stranger". Now here's a doozy of a song... 8 minutes of darkwave madness, that slowly rises from a 2 minute minimalist, spooky intro, into a full-blown synth jam! It's one I love to request at goth nights to this day, and it never fails to get those gloomers dancing! There are only a few lyrics to it as well, and they are certainly cryptic, but that just adds to the "strangeness" of it. It is a track like no other on the album, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good, dark dance track. Check it out below, and prepare to dance!

Following "Stranger" in the track listing, is what has become my favorite Clan of Xymox track of all-time. "Equal Ways" is an often overlooked, lesser-known song from Xymox- but it shouldn't be. It may be in part because it is nestled between "Stranger" and another absolute bass-driven banger, "7th Time" (the lone track where Anka Wolbert sings lead). It starts off calm but chilling, slow synths waltzing through... and again Ronny's words are cryptic... It seems as though it is an existential crisis anthem, with the subject of the lyrics pondering his own existence and purpose. "Scarlet hour rises and falls, I won't ever stop wondering, I won't ever stop wandering"... Saying that even though we are not sure what we're doing here, we must keep wandering, and muddling through this life, because what other choice to we have? "We turn in equal ways, so let's live in equal days", unites us in despair, letting listeners know this is all of our burden to bear. Needless to say, I think it's incredibly powerful and compelling, and brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it still. I was fortunate enough to have the (awkward and embarrassing...) pleasure of telling Ronny it was my favorite Xymox song, when I met him for a few seconds after their show at Thalia Hall in Chicago, last year. I hope he appreciated it! Please check out "Equal Ways" below, if you think you're ready.

Rounding out the end of side two and marking the end of the album is the yearning, desperate cry to feel something in "No Human Can Drown". It is saying let's believe "no human can drown", just for a moment, and think about what it would be like if we could live without fear. It is like a part two to "Equal Ways" existentialism, but with a newfound drive to feel love, despite the burden of life... Or at least that's what I get out of it! You can of course come up with your own interpretations. 

And that's Clan of Xymox's debut album, in a strangely-shaped nutshell! If you liked what you heard and read so far, please check out the entire album start to finish, and then move on to the rest of their discography (a good follow-up is their second album Medusa)! And keep your eyes out for Xymox's new record Spider on the Wall, coming out in the next few weeks, and my eminent review of it! So excited to finally get to review a NEW album! Wow!! Thank you for reading, and as always, you can find the full album in high quality on Spotify!

Clan of Xymox, photographed in 1985.

Siouxsie and the Banshees "The Scream" - Raw Punk Reborn as Refined Post-Punk

Siouxsie Sioux at Sheffield Limit Club, 1978

What can be said about Siouxsie and the Banshees debut album, The Scream, that hasn't already been said? Maybe not much, but I'm here to give my take on it anyways! Particularly for those who may not have listened to it (or any other Banshees material) before, and who would find it most useful. But even if you already know and love the Scream, hopefully this might give you a new perspective on what makes the record so groundbreaking, and why it has such staying power in alternative music. 

Released in 1978, the Scream both astounded and terrified critics of the time. Today, almost all of them can agree it altered the course of alternative rock, namely post-punk and gothic rock, forever. It is certainly the most punk-sounding record the Banshees released, with shouting / "screaming" vocals, and abrasive guitar work. But it also has that signature, pronounced, post-punk bass line throughout, and gothic, sometimes morbid, lyrical themes. 

Siouxsie Sioux's roots in the late 70's British punk scene run deep, as she was very involved in the music and fashion of the time. She was one of the more well-known members of the Bromley Contingent- a group of punk followers of the Sex Pistols, who dressed eccentrically and helped establish what would later become "mainstream" punk fashion. This usually consisted of leather, lingerie, chains, safety pins, and lots of D.I.Y. made clothes, most of which are all still seen in punk fashion today. You can see some of this exemplified in the photo below (Warning: if female nipples offend you, scroll past).

Siouxsie Sioux dancing with fellow Bromley Contingent member, Debbie Juvenile, at a Sex Pistols gig in 1976.

But there is so much more to Siouxsie than her ever-evolving, iconic looks! After the first wave of British punk music was starting to die out by 1978, and the Sex Pistols broke up, so too did the Bromley Contingent. And those in the group who possessed any musical talent (i.e. Siouxsie, Billy Idol, etc.) decided to form bands. Thus the Banshees were born. And they came out the gate screeching like punk, but also with something completely original, later to be coined post-punk.

Their punk roots can be heard on tracks like "Carcass", which is allegedly about a butcher's assistant who couldn't get a girlfriend, so he falls in love with a slab of meat and cuts off his limbs to be more like what he loves. Pretty messed up, but also fascinating! Which is something the Banshees are best at. Or punk-rock influenced, but with more despairing, miserable goth lyrics is "Nicotine Stain", which describes the torture of nicotine withdrawal and craving "just one more" cigarette. You can check out "Carcass" below!

Then there's their cover of the Beatles' classic "Helter Skelter". It's title already alluding to chaos and disorder, the song was made infamous after cult leader Charles Manson, used it as his reason for hate crimes and murders, having declared it a song about a future "race war". Siouxsie and the Banshees recognize the song's dark history, and make that the focus of their cover version, giving it a slow, creepy beginning that eventually erupts loudly and terrifyingly. It is one of my favorite covers of all-time, as it gives a completely new feeling to an already beloved and classic song. Whether you like the Beatles or not, I think you should check this version out, as the Banshees make it completely their own. You can listen to it below.

Overall, the Scream is a masterpiece. It influenced so many other big names in post-punk, such as members of Joy Division, the Cure, Killing Joke, and more that came after. It was unlike anything else released at the time, but also carried forth the familiar feelings of punk, reborn with a darker sound. I could say something about every track on the album, but I don't want to spoil the surprise for anyone who hasn't heard it all the way through yet! I invite anyone who hasn't to go listen through the entirety of the Scream, (as well as later Banshees records, because they're all damn good). And if you already know it, but maybe haven't picked it up in a while, go give it another spin on your turntable! It is still as powerful as it was...42 years ago?? Wait, that can't be right...damn I guess it is. Anyways! You can find the Scream on Spotify, or similar platforms. So check out the madness for yourself! 

Siouxsie and the Banshees, 1978.