September Sounds

I’ve listened to a lot of great stuff this month - a lot of older things mixed in with some awesome new stuff. Top of the pile is LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER’s organ arpeggios - it’s been on repeat.

• Arpeggios On A Church Organ With An Arturia Keystep Pro - LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER

  This is one of those little videos that hides so much genius. Sam wrote the song, sure, but he also founded the museum that the organ is located in… and painstakingly rebuilt the organ that it’s playing on. And this tune absolutely gives me goosebumps.

• Changed Shapes - Lauren Mayberry

  The band that Lauren is performing with sound really slick. The drummer especially has a distinctive style. “Shame” is a style all of its own, the contrasting sounds and orchestration are on point. “Sorry. Etc. is heavy - very Garbage-y synth and guitar. “Bird” sounds like a grower. “Under The Knife’ has some beautiful backing vocals - you can really see the guitar player’s passion. “Changed Shapes” is very cool (it has a summer dancefoor vibe). The cover of “Like A Prayer” is a lot of fun. It’s certainly an album that will get a lot of play!

• Teenage Dirtbag - Wheatus

  I am very sadly out of the loop - I neither realised that Wheatus were still a band, nor that they were in Scotland this month, nor that they are still out there absolutely killing it.

• The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton (Mountain Goats cover) - Nathaniel Rateliff

  Lovely version and the ending is perfection.

• Sisters Are Doin’ It For Themselves - Eurythmics and Aretha Franklin

  38 years old and just as powerful as when it came out.

• Girls on the TV - Laura Jean

  Nothing much to say about Girls on the TV - just a song that’s been getting stuck in my head.

• I Feel Love (Donna Summer cover) - Red Hot Chili Peppers

  Giorgio Morode wrote Donna Summer’s I Feel Love on a synth… so everything he did with delay in the original Flea absolutely destroys by playing every single note. Genius.

• Don’t Forget Me - Red Hot Chili Peppers

  YouTube did me a solid and played this straight after the Donna Summer cover, as if to remind me/the world that Flea isn’t the only awe-inspiring talent in the RHCPs… this whole song is solo and has always been one of my favourite tracks of theirs. Not sure how I’ve never heard this version!

• Modern Girl - Bleachers

  It amuses me that this song is so fun and so sax-heavy and in a few ways has parallels with Meat Loaf, and also shares the track name with a Meat Loaf song.

• Jeremiah - The Joy Hotel

  Absolute songwriting fire going on here! I love the dynamics and the layering of the organ under the vocal duet.

• Repeating - Cowboy Hunters

  Scottish punk duo, powerful sound. I love it when a band changes instruments… but swapping out the drummer isn’t all that common.

• Community Service - Bottle Rockets

  This song has a very 90s skate-punk vibe to it, and the harmonies are lush.

• Cold Water Swimming - Quiet Houses

  Mellow loveliness.

• Paper Wings - Rianne Downey

  Take me to a 1920’s speakeasy and I’d be hoping that this was the song coming from the stage.

• Last Word - Baroness

  The heavier end of what I’ve been listening to this month. Some really sludgy guitar tones mixed with strident vocals. (I’m also a fab of Beneath The Rose).