By Nilpferd
In keeping with the theme I've asked my daughter to pick half of the A-list. (If you think that makes me the "old" part of the mix I'll add that I got a seventy-something friend to give me his opinion on the blues pieces. So this week's list has been curated by an over 50-year spread of minds)
Orkestra Obsolete – Blue Monday (Severin)
This is a really cool idea. Honestly, I couldn't name half of the instruments they're using but I just love the whole aesthetic – the masks especially. And it sounds good as well.
Showhawk Duo – Insomnia (MussoliniHeadkick)
At first I thought this doesn't fit at all but actually, it fits the theme very well. Two guys playing something that sounds like it came out of a synthesizer and they're literally just using two (2) guitars. That alone is already amazing. I love it.
Angelique Kidjo – Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) (George Boyland/sonofwebcore)
Lots of Hendrix covers on offer, Kidjo's 1998 version of Voodoo Child nicely brackets the original by also taking it back to Benin and its Vodun roots, and I think her voice perfectly captures the thrill and energy of Hendrix.
GoGo Penguin – Kora (Live) (Discomonster)
This is another one I had to pick because I love the song … "traditional" instruments (piano, bass, and, well, just ignore the drums) that sound completely computer-generated. No joke, I showed this band to a friend of mine and she wouldn't believe me when I said they played their music live on actual instruments.
Richard Cheese – Gin And Juice (Shoegazer)
I have never heard the original song but I love this version because there's just this huge dissonance between the way it's presented and the lyrics. Also, YouTube recommended me a cover this guy did of Chop Suey and even though I know the original song on that one, I still liked his version. I love the whole idea of doing "old-timey" covers of songs that do not fit into that category whatsoever in general.
The Rolling Stones – Love in Vain (amylee)
On the advice of my Rolling Stones expert this was their premier blues cover, the band explicitly paying homage to its biggest influence. The slide guitar solo just edging Duane Allman's on Statesboro Blues.
Queen – Seaside Rendezvous (OliveButler)
I saw Queen and I couldn't resist. Actually, this is one of my favourite Queen songs, so I had literally no choice but to put it here. Sorry, I don't make the rules. Also, this song fits the theme very well!
Madness – Swan Lake (PopOff!)
Of the tracks which referenced or covered classical music this was the one that made the biggest impression, a great arrangement which combines the strong points of both the original composition and the adopted genre.
Anaïs Mitchell – Wedding Song (tincanman2010)
I recognised this because it features in a musical I know some songs of - "Hadestown". What I didn't know is that apparently, the artist made the songs as an album first, and only later they were used for the musical. Regardless, the premise is the story of Orpheus and Eurydice from Greek mythology, but to me the music has a "folk" sort of feel with some jazz mixed in at times as well and it sounds absolutely amazing. (I recommend "Way Down Hadestown" from the musical if you like this one. Or the whole musical in general. It's on Spotify.)
Richard Thompson – Sumer is Icumen In (nosuchzone)
Summer is already here but we'll gladly take the opportunity to welcome it back with one of the oldest songs in the English language.
St Germain (with Ernest Ranglin) - Montego Bay Spleen (Uncleben)
Ludovic Navarre invited Jamaican legend Ernest Ranglin onto this track from his 2000 release Tourist, setting up a smoky dub groove for the guitarist to lay down a timeless performance.
Portishead – Mysterons (ParaMhor)
Portishead's Dummy is now 25 years old and it just keeps getting better, its melting pot of 20th-century music from cabaret to trip-hop creating a timeless sound palette. The theremin on opener Mysterons also a canny selection, opening up echoes to a 1920s torch song aesthetic and the Weimar weirdness of Utley, Barrow and Gibbons' concept.
The Antiquity Onwards A-List Playlist:
Bygone Eras to Breaking New Trends B-List Playlist:
Ibrahim Ferrer & Omara Portuondo – Quizas Quizas Quizas (untergunther)
Wonderful empathy among these performers – two veterans and the younger Robert Fonseca on piano.
Nico – Evening of Light (Chris7572)
A scary pit opens up into the past...
Allman Brothers Band – Statesboro Blues (attwilightlarks)
Duane Allman's slide guitar the perfect fit for a reworking of a 1928 Blind Willie McTell title.
Dick Dale – Miserilou (TarquinSpodd)
Ottoman folk song reinvented for the surf-rock era.
Miles Davis – Solea (9hairs9knots)
My personal favourite track from Sketches of Spain. Miles seemed to find a kinship with the romantic idea of the Andalusian troubadour and it inspired him to some of his greatest playing.
The Ukelele Orchestra – Smells like Teen Spirit (Suzi)
When I first saw the title I was confused. Smells Like Teen Spirit on a ukulele sounds weird enough, but I think it was the fact I have never seen the words "ukulele" and "orchestra" strung together in the same sentence before. Anyway, this sounds surprisingly good. The whole idea is just so out there - getting together several ukuleles and playing a rock song - but honestly, I really like how it sounds and it does work. I commend the ukulele players' skill on being able to pull that off at all. And the fact that a "ukulele orchestra" even exists is just the best thing ever.
Herb Alpert - Puttin' on the Ritz (megadom)
Fun rework, great video.
Vintage Postmodern Jukebox feat. Haley Reinhart – Creep (mogdog)
Well worked indie cover.
Mulatu Astatke & His Ethiopian Quintet – I Faram Gami I Faram (Pejepeine)
The Ethiopian giant blends classic and modern African influences into his melting pot.
The Auteurs – Lenny Valentino (happyclapper)
Time-travelling with luscious guitar indie.
Run DMC – Mary, Mary (MussoliniHeadkick)
One of the few hip-hop suggestions displaying the genre's alchemic abilities.
Brian Eno – The Lion Sleeps Tonight (TarquinSpodd)
Makes me remember Lion King, which is always nice. The only thing that bothers me is that lions don't usually live in the jungle. (Except if they're outcasts and their life story plays out a lot like "Hamlet"… but I doubt there are many lions this applies to apart from Simba.)
Guru’s Wildcard Picks:
Jake Blount rediscovering forgotten Black Americana on Spider Tales.
Esperanza Spalding and Wayne Shorter in a charming duet.
Sun Ra, Ancient Aethiopia. Afro-futurism which reaches back to the beginnings of humanity, one of those tracks which is nearly impossible to date. Have a guess if you like.
These playlists were inspired by readers' song nominations from last week's topic: New meets old: songs where different-era elements combine. The next topic will launch on Thursday at 1pm UK time.
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