Siouxsie & The Banshees, Destroyer, & Abner Jay

The 1980's were a weird time. Mostly, I think, because I experienced them as a child no older than eight, and am now reliving them through much of the music I listen to as a young man. When my roommate put on "Red Light" to introduce me to Siouxsie & The Banshees' third album, Kaleidoscope, I was immediately transported to the early 80's, when synths, electronics, and the gothic movement were coming together for the first as a legitimate musical movement. And it was awesome. Its gothic, theatrical, dance-punk could easily be the soundtrack to a bizzarro 80's Twilight turned musical. I can hear Bowie, Roxy Music, other mid-late 70's post-punk influences. The band also influenced others, such as The Cure and Bjork, who followed a similarly nocturnal sound at various points during their careers. I personally think this album was way ahead of its time. Check out the two tracks I embedded, the second of which is a cover of "Dear Prudence," and did not come off Kaleidoscope.

Artist: Siouxsie & The Banshees
Album: Kaleidoscope
Year: 1980
Label: Polydor
Click here to listen








Tracklist:
Happy House
Tenant
Trophy
Hybrid
Clockface
Lunar Camel
Christine
Desert Kisses
Red Light
Paradise Place
Skin

Siouxsie and the Banshees - Happy House by iammilk


Siouxsie And The Banshees - Dear Prudence by Ernestime

I very recently spotlighted Dan Bejar as an under appreciated musical genius, so I won't spend too much time discussing this. Just know that Bejar's most recent addition under his Destroyer moniker is nothing short of genius, and will definitely be in the running for one of my top albums of the year come December. I think this review from Tiny Mix Tapes does a better job than I could ever do summing up this album's brilliance, but suffice it to say it showcases Bejar's ability to know exactly what's hot in the world of music (bring back the 80's!). Like all really great albums, Kaputt creates a world of its own, smoothed out and dreamy. Its incredibly detailed soundscape is sprinkled with flourishes of guitar and synth, and while you may feel at times that you've stepped into a Kenny G album, it's worth abandoning all notions of cheesy and authentic by simply allowing Bejar to show you how truly eclectic his musical vision can be. Enjoy.

Artist: Destroyer
Album: Kaputt
Year: 2011
Label: Merge
Click here to listen








Tracklist:
Chinatown
Blue Eyes
Savage Night At The Opera
Suicide Demo For Kara Walker
Poor In Love
Kaputt
Downtown
Song For America
Bay Of Pigs (Detail)

Destroyer - Poor In Love by Le parallèle

Destroyer - Chinatown by VancouverIsAwesome

This last album is best described by someone else because I know nothing about the man who made it! From Insound.com's website: "Long awaited follow up to the True Story of Abner Jay LP. Abner Jay was a man who had a grand sweeping vision of what folk music was. In his lifetime his expression of what folk music could be encompassed some serious stylistic variations. Sometimes he was a one-man-band-traveling troubadour playing an electric banjo, harmonica, and drums who tried to hoodwink audiences into believing that he was 150 years old and the standard bearer for authentic Americana. Sometimes he played in electric straight up R&B bands such as Koko Joe and the Jobhunters. Sometimes he claimed to be the "black Bob Dylan" strumming an acoustic guitar and singing socially conscious urban folk. On this LP we find Abner in all of these modes and more. (He also does a pop song about a submarine disaster and a beautiful gospel song). Culled from a mix of Abner's 45's and LPs spanning the period 1964-1973, including Abner's first long lost LP, which the cover image for this LP is taken from. Mississippi hopes that this release will help to further the current wave of understanding that Abner Jay is an important artist who deserves a wider audience than he ever received during his lifetime." I knew nothing about Abner Jay until I stumbled upon this collection of songs on a music blog I was reading, but I haven't been able to stop listening to it. Check out the songs I embedded below:

Artist: Abner Jay
Album: Folk Song Stylist
Year: 2010 (collected from Jay's discography)
Label: Mississippi Records
Click here to listen








Tracklist:
Depression
Lord Randal
I Wanna Job
St. James Infirmary
I'm Georgia Bound
Bring It With You When You Come
The Thresher
Cotton Fields
Starving To Death On My Government Claim
Shenandoah
99 Years In Jail
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

Abner Jay - Depression by m1xalis

99 Years In Jail by mulligrubs