Here’s the list of songs played on the last episode of THE ART MOVEMENT – the weekly radio show about arts and culture, where all art forms and free thoughts are allowed, hosted by Matt Micucci. (To listen to the full show, scroll to the bottom of the page of CLICK HERE.)
SANTA ESMERALDA, Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood
GENEVIEVE ARTADI, Godzillaaaa
IMAGINE DRAGONS, Cool Out
KING KRULE, Easy Easy
JESSIE WARE, Ooh La La
PRINCE, 1999
THE SHIRELLES, Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?
LIAM GALLAGHER, Paper Crown
AMY WINEHOUSE, Love Is a Losing Game
LOUIS ARMSTRONG, Jeepers Creepers
Listen to the full show via the player below. You can also listen to it on Spotify, Podbean and IHeartRadio. Clips from the show are also uploaded on my YouTube channel.
Release Radar is a playlist of new music created by Spotify and based on your personal taste. I have widely ignored it in the past but in the interest of constantly discovering new music, I have decided to regularly start engaging with it. For this feature, I listen to the first five songs listed on the playlist and provide some feedback on each track.
Morrissey, “Love Is On Its Way Out”
Morrissey remains one of my favourite music artists despite everything. Yet, with his new album, I Am Not a Dog on a Chain, due to be released soon, I am fatigued by his dramatic rock sound of these past few years. I dream of a more mellow Morrissey, where he embraces a style more suited to intimacy and smaller venues. In fact, the most exciting part of his new single, “Love Is On Its Way Out,” is easily the arpeggio interlude that precedes the explosive finale. Not even the lyrics have anything new to say.
King Krule, “(Don’t Let the Dragon) Draag You”
I love this languid style of King Krule, making already a second appearance on my Release Radar features. King Krule was my favourite discovery of last year, when I fortuitously came across a performance of “Easy, Easy” at the David Letterman Show from years ago. Since then, I have been fascinated with his melting pot of styles. “(Don’t Let the Dragon) Draag You” presents a haunting sound, driven by slowly strummed guitars. The lyrics are wonderfully enigmatic and the video that accompanies it, which finds the singer/songwriter/producer burning at the stake, just as compelling.
Alicia Keys, “Time Machine” feat. Cedric Gervais
Time has been good to Alicia Keys, as her status by longevity seems to have made her somewhat of a spokesperson for the American recording industry – a fact proven by her hosting the GRAMMYs this year. The new singles from her upcoming album A.L.I.C.I.A. seem promising, though the sound seems to fall just short of mainstream. Perhaps this Cedric Gervais remix of “Time Machine” is an attempt to increase its exposure in the clubs and it has a greater sense of urgency. But I still find the groove and vibes of the slower original song better.
Rita Pavone, “Niente (Resilienza 74)”
As a young vocalist, Italian Rita Pavone’s tomboyish look made her seem quietly androgynous and rebellious. Yet, most of her well-known songs are ballads, and this considerably softened her image. At the age of 74, she now showcases more raw energy than arguably ever before on a new song, “Niente (Resilienza 74),” written by her son. It seems to be a late rebirth for her as a rocker and she certainly seems to have the voice to back up this claim. It will be interesting to see whether an entire LP of this type of music can be as successful and noteworthy.
Diplo, “Heartless” feat. Morgan Wallen and Julia Michaels
American DJ Diplo released last year a collaborative project with country star, Morgan Wallen. A year later, they release a remixed version of “Heartless,” which finds Wallen dueting with vocalist Julia Michaels. The modern country-pop vibes of the track are still there and the melody is quite catchy. Musically, the two versions would be quite similar but while I am not the biggest fan of her diction, Michaels brings a more engrossing theatricality to the song. Yep, I really like this song.
Release Radar is a playlist of new music created by Spotify and based on your personal taste. I have widely ignored it in the past but in the interest of constantly discovering new music, I have decided to regularly start engaging with it. For this feature, I listen to the first five songs listed on the playlist and provide some feedback on each track.
David Bowie, “Nuts”
“Nuts” is a semi-instrumental track recorded during the sessions for his 1997 LP Earthlings. At this time, David Bowie seemed convinced that jungle music was the sound of the future. He was wrong and jungle music is mostly associated with the mid-’90s club scene. But Earthlings is a lot of fun. As far as this particular tune is concerned, it’s a lot of beat and groove but nothing outstanding. Had it been included on the album, it would have been considered filler. But it is part of a six-track EP of previously unreleased tracks, Is It Any Wonder?, released via Parlophone. Which prompts the question: is it always worth releasing the unreleased posthumously, in the interest of an artist’s oeuvre?
Pixies, “Mal de Mer” (Demo)
Call me crazy but while I love the Pixies, I haven’t heard any new material from this band that impressed me since half of Trompe le Monde (1991). That is, until Beneath the Eyrie, which was released last year and marked a true return to form. This is the album that fills the gap. Now, new material has emerged from the recording sessions – three stripped-down demos that, at best, sound like they could have fit into Surfer Rosa (1988). I particularly like “Mal de Mer,” which is full of that sensible rage that has characterized the band over the years. Frank Black’s vocals have matured and he doesn’t have the range he used to but somehow, he is the first to have come to terms with this simple fact and these new songs are all the better for it.
Best Coast, “Different Light”
It’s possible that Best Coast would have been more popular in the ’90s. Then again, their music would perhaps have been relegated to the soundtrack of such shows as Dawson’s Creek – which would at least have possibly made them more money than they make. I like this track, don’t get me wrong. But I miss their lo-fi beginnings, when songs like “Make You Mine” made you really feel as if you had discovered something out of sheer luck. Now, they really do sound like just any other ’90s-rock band. Their lyrics say little that is of any originality. And while occasionally some of the melodies of the vocals can pleasently surprise – and at best recall those of the Cocteau Twins – one can get very frustrated with the repetitiveness and dullness of the music. Such is the case of their latest single, “Different Light.”
Patrick D., Alice, “Frei”
I don’t even know why Spotify thinks I would be interested in this song. It has those same three chords that have defined pop music for-like-ever. I don’t speak German but from the title, I presume they speak of something to do with being free. I could find very little about the artists… not that I bothered to do any in-depth research, given how little the song itself impressed me. Alice seems to be an Italian singer, and her frail, high-pitched voice really got on my nerves. Next!
King Krule, “Alone, Omen 3”
Clearly, King Krule is one of the more interesting indie artists to have come out in the past years. His music is a cool amalgamation of trippy rock, hip-hop beats and electronic experimentation, as well as other influences of styles and genres. This song comes from a new upcoming solo album called Man Alive!, and what I’ve heard from it seems promising so far. This particular tune, “Alone, Omen 3,” seems to be quite uncharacteristically uplifting, backed up by the simple message, “don’t forget you’re not alone.” But it does retain a sinister canvas that has been been a defining trait of most of his music.
In Arte Matt 