With Just A Hint Of Mayhem

Music reviews, gig reviews, fun trivia and extra added random stuff!

Under The Covers With Mayhem – Chapter 8 September 29, 2024

Filed under: Under The Covers With Mayhem — justwilliam1959 @ 9:50 am
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It is time for Under The Covers With Mayhem Chapter 8. This is a cover of one of my favourite songs of all time, Peter Gabriel’s “Solsbury Hill” by Scala and the Kolacny Brothers from their new album ‘Besides’. The song remains inspirational even in this angelic choral style take on it.

Constant readers know that my ideal cover version has a different slant from the original rather than just a facsimile-style cover. So the generic boy bands are probably never likely to feature, but you never know, right? Feel free to recommend any songs that you think should be included in Under The Covers With Mayhem. I want to stay clear of the mainstream ideally, but off-the-wall covers by major artists might work too 🙂 Oh, and there will, of course, be an Under The Covers With Mayhem Playlist soon! Honestly 😉

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“Not Now Kids” – Dolores Forever September 28, 2024

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 11:06 pm
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The new Dolores Forever single, taken from their recent album ‘It’s Nothing’ oozes teenage angst and anger and is a powerful youth anthem. The track takes aim at patronising politicians. The band had this to say about the song, “This was the last song we wrote for the album, it’s a bit of a scathing look at the world and the people who are running it with impunity, the feeling of being told to shut up while watching your house burn. What can we say, we love an apocalyptic bop.” I too love an apocalyptic bop and this is a song that I would happily play while the world ended. I hope that doesn’t happen, but if it does you really should give this tune a try out!

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Play It Again Mayhem – “King In A One Horse Town” – Dan Auerbach

Filed under: Play It Again Mayhem — justwilliam1959 @ 10:41 pm
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This is the 29th song in the Play It Again Mayhem series. It is “King In A One Horse Town” by the mighty Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys. This was a solo single from 2017. This is the newest single in the playlist so far. It was a solo single that Auerbach issued in 2017, I did hear it then, but until I eventually caught up with the final Dexter series, ‘Dexter New Blood’ recently I had forgotten about it. It soundtracks an early episode showcasing the character Dexter Morgan’s life in the Canadian town of Iron Lake. I love the lyrics, the highlight for me is “I coulda made it but I messed around. I’m a loser with a rusted crown. Scared if I jump in the ocean I might drown.” It is nice to add a newer song to Play It Again Mayhem given that 19 of the 29 songs are from the 70s! What do you think of this song and the playlist?

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Mayhem’s Before They Were Famous – 5. Kevin Richardson (Backstreet Boys)

Filed under: Before They Were Famous — justwilliam1959 @ 10:13 pm
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Does that facial hair have its own designated mathematical term?

I have it on very good authority that before joining the Backstreet Boys, Kevin worked as a Ninja Turtle at Disneyworld in Florida. Backstreet’s back….. Cowabunga, alright! OK, I admit it, music snobbery kept me from saying this but “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” is an awesome tune and the video is rather good too!

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“Tiny War” – amilost

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 9:44 pm
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“Tiny War” is a huge new song from amilost. You know when you have those ridiculously stupid arguments with the one you love, perhaps your soulmate? Well, I think that is what this undeniably awesome slice of synth-driven pop-rock, with some ethereal and heavenly string parts, is all about. Ross Leslie of the duo says “It was written on the day Sigrid broke up with her boyfriend,” vocalist Sigrid added “Tiny War is about the end of a relationship. It’s about trying everything to make it work, including changing yourself so much that you almost don’t recognise who you are anymore. In the end, you realise that you have to let it go.” So not quite what I heard on the first pass, but it is a truly wonderful modern ballad.

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“I’ll Be Free” – The Velvet Hands

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 9:10 pm
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The Velvet Hands have unleashed the first taster for their upcoming 3rd album. The song is called “I’ll Be Free” and it is a full-on 21st-century punk onslaught that would make the Strokes jealous. It is hook heaven and riff rapture combined in a powerful punky rock anthem that grabs you tight and does not let you go. The NME said that the Velvet Hands are “full of bolshy spirit” and this track proves it!

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“Time Is Out” – Saliva Birds

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 8:47 pm
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The Saliva Birds are a band that I have still not managed to see play live, but I hope to rectify that soon! In the meantime, they have just released a wonderful new single “Time Is Out”. There is a poignant tone and the tune is filled with heart-filled pathos. It has a great upbeat rocking feel and hooks aplenty, but the subject matter is not the happiest. But in spite of all that it steadfastly remains an uplifting tune. At times it made me think of early U2. Chris from the band described the song as “It’s a very personal track about coming to terms with a parent with dementia and mourning their loss even though they’re still with us.” This is something that, sadly, many of us might come to experience. Will this song fix all that, no it won’t, but it will be one small part of helping you stay positive. Music can be wonderfully helpful in helping people with dementia remember things and that can never be a bad thing! “Time Is Out” deserves to be listened to, do it now, that is an order!

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“ANIMAL” – bennytheghost and KiNG MALA

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 4:26 pm
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“ANIMAL” is the darkly gorgeous new single from a collaboration made in heaven, or maybe a warped heaven that borders very closely with hell. That team-up features the hugely talented and very “out there” bennytheghost working in perfect alignment with equally talented and gifted KiNG MALA. The song is dark, and funny and would work incredibly well on a horror film soundtrack. If there was any justice in this world this song would be a huge hit everywhere. bennytheghost has been bigged up by many tastemakers including Zane Lowe and Elton John. Lyrically the track tackles, to some degree, the state of the world and the plight of the young folks who will inherit it in all its broken shittyness. He says of the song “I take massive inspiration from JOJI who’s songs are also incredibly dramatic and heartbreaking, while his character is so goofy, aloof, mysterious and funny. A dichotomy that houses those two opposites is so compelling to me; that’s where I want to live.” Give this one a spin and it will become a major part of your listening in the next few months!

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‘So Close (yet so far)’ EP – White Roses

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 3:50 pm
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The White Roses, one of Yorkshire’s finest bands have just launched an EP, ‘So Close (yet so far)’, and on the first couple of spins, it feels like a proper grower! The EP opens with the title track, an instrumental, and it is either a brief part of an unfinished track or as I see it a kind of overture. It certainly segues nicely into the first vocal track “This Town”, a banging song that should fill the floor at every student disco in the coming months. Next up is “2:23” which has the makings of a power ballad and Ellie’s vocal here is emotional, yearning and, evokes the best of Stevie Nicks. There is some excellent guitar work from Jack on “If I Could” which is a classy slice of indie pop that drives along like a 21st-century Altered Images. I love the screaming and distorted guitar sound on the fade. Talking of fade the fifth track is called “Bound To Fade” and this one reminded me of some of late-80s pop rock sensation Shakespears Sister’s finest moments. This one was recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London. The band had this to say about that experience, “It was such a surreal experience creating our own music in the same
space as our literal heroes. Who would have thought that this little indie band from up north
would end up here? It was truly surreal.” The EP closes with a poppy, acoustic ballad called “Skeletons”, the perfect chill-out after a gorgeously infectious journey through some of the White Roses’ finest moments to date! They are probably not the finished article yet, but this band improves with every release and every gig. The future is bright white for the White Roses!

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“Mad Woman” – Lloren September 25, 2024

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 9:32 pm
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Lloren’s gorgeous new single “Mad Woman” evokes the dark side of Lana del Ray and Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game”. The darkly, enticing ballad washes over and into you with a sublime majesty. Lloren’s voice is emotional, yearning, ethereal, darkly angelic, and with a clarity like none of her contemporaries. Lyrically she seems to deal with the weird line between men and women which appears to let men get away with almost anything. I was haunted by this incredible tune on first listen and it seems to refuse to leave my head!

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