With Just A Hint Of Mayhem

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

Under The Covers With Mayhem – Chapter 9 October 7, 2024

Filed under: Under The Covers With Mayhem — justwilliam1959 @ 9:38 pm
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Here comes Under The Covers With Mayhem Chapter 9. This is a metal take on the Backstreet Boys huge hit “Everybody (Backstreets Back)” by sublime Finnish metal band Blind Channel, they have slightly edited the title to “Everybody (Bloodbros Back)”. This is a fabulous and banging take on what I think I have to admit was already a great pop song. Now it has been transformed into an exceptional metal track. I dare you to try not to move when you listen to this, it is hugely infectious!

The band said this about the single “Over 10 years ago we were starting our career as a group of teenagers playing energetic metal while being dressed like 2010’s Justin Biebers. People started calling us a ‘boyband trying to play metal’. We chose to embrace what was originally meant as an insult. Now it’s time to turn this absolute boyband classic from our live shows to a full-on studio version with low-tuned guitars and modern nu-metal vibes. Instead of ‘original and sexual’ we are ’emotional and miserable“.

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 πŸ™‚ Oh, and there will, of course, be an Under The Covers With Mayhem Playlist soon! Honestly πŸ˜‰

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Absolute Bowie – The Crescent York, Friday 20th September 2024 October 6, 2024

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 8:50 pm
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Many of you are probably aware that I have never been a huge fan of tribute acts and I have only seen a handful over the years. Some that were very good and many that, let’s say politely, weren’t. As far as David Bowie tribute acts went I really wasn’t interested, but then I went to Fibbers in York in January 2017, a year after David Robert Jones’ death to see Absolute Bowie. Let me be completely honest, I really didn’t want to enjoy it, but I did. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I have now seen Absolute Bowie five times including this 2024 show at the wonderful Crescent in York. To paraphrase the words of the Dame himself I had drunk a lot (well a couple of glasses) of wine and I was feeling fine and ready for a night of Bowie nostalgia. I was lucky enough to see the real David Bowie 13 times. That is never going to happen again, so I am happy to accept a classy show from Absolute Bowie, fronted by probably the best Bowie tribute in the world, John O’Neill.

This tour consisted of two sets. The first was an early 70s Ziggy fest, second was a a great selection of mostly 80s hits. The costume changes in the first set were truly spectacular and included facsimiles of many of Ziggy’s weirdest and most extravagant costumes. All the classic Ziggy period tunes were there. Every one of them a highlight for me “All The Young Dudes” was the best moment of the first set. The Spiders costumes were spot on too, especially Mick Ronson a.k.a Andy Marr. But it wasn’t just Marr’s costume that was perfect, so was his emulation of Ronson’s greatest riffs. The singalong opportunities provided by the second set were incredible and I reckon everyone in the house was singing. “Fashion” and “Cracked Actor” really tested my vocal chords. Ending the show with “Heroes” is always a good sign too. I would urge any Bowie fans who feel negative towards tribute acts to get yourselves along to an Absolute Bowie night. (There are a lot of shows still to come on this tour). We know it’s not the real thing, but it is certainly the closest you are ever likely to come. A truly maximum rock β€˜n’ roll night and immense fun remembering the Dame in all his glory!

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“Law & Order” – Casii Stephan, Crys Matthews and Jay Burgess

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 7:58 pm
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Deep in my soul, I have always held a belief that most people are good and that most people are not racist, sexist, homophobic, and many other hate positions. Sadly it feels like those numbers are growing so it is refreshing and wonderful to hear the new single, “Law & Order”, from Tulsa-based singer-songwriter Casii Stephan featuring social justice warrior, proud black woman, and LGBTQ+ folk singer-songwriter Crys Matthews, and acclaimed producer and musician Jay Burgess. The song discusses racism and just how prevalent it is in the USA. The principle fits for other countries too, certainly mine, the UK. The song is a poignant acoustic and gorgeous piece of music that takes on racism. Lyrically it is heartfelt and clear in its message. Casii Stephan said this about the song, “In the South, politics takes on a different flavor. We say we’ve progressed and in many ways we have. At the same time, racial slurs shouted from cars and pickup trucks just because they can isn’t abnormal. And that’s not even getting into how our justice system is skewed, bent, and twisted. It seems we keep singing the same song in new ways over and over again. In the middle of 2021, I started writing this song. Then in 2023, I met Jay and Crys and asked them if they would write their perspective about their respective states. This is Law & Order. To those fighting to make our justice system more just and less racist, thank you.” It is up to all of us to ensure that good will prevail and we need to continue this fight until it does!

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‘Githerments In Groove’ – Gents & Ginger

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 6:49 pm
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York band Gents and Ginger have got a funk box and they know how to use it! Their recently released album, ‘Githerments In Groove’ showcases their steadfast talent for being as funky as hell. There are a few great instrumental workouts on the album. “Ricke” opens proceedings with an explosion of joy while “Abience For A Kebab Shop Pt II” oozes the style and ability of some of the great funk bands from the past to rock out. I think I prefer the songs here that feature vocals and the first of those to appear is “Turtle”, musically it has the feel of the classic Bowie band from the 1974 American tour. “4 Silly Balls”, what a great title that is, and “Style Control” power on like extended versions of one of the jazzed up interludes that Earth, Wind, and Fire included in their best 70s albums. There is a strong 80s synth-pop vibe in “Those Were The Days” and this gorgeous story song is one of the best on the album. On “Hardware Store” the band gives a very British take on George Clinton. This probably just about shades it as my favourite track on this fine collection.

Gents & Ginger join a club of great artists that have recorded a song about tea, this includes Kacy Musgraves, the Police, Nirvana, the Kinks, and Led Zeppelin to name just a few. The song, “Social Tea”, has some great Steely Dan and Boz Scaggs feeling in it. I was reminded of early Commodores tracks like “Machine Gun” while listening to “Bunk Bed” and “Hi-Vis Activator”. The album closes with the heartbreakingly beautiful “Don’t Delete The Playlist”. This is perfect as a late-night chill-out tune. It would fit perfectly on Angela Griffin’s Radio 2 show. The band explained the album title saying “Githerments is defined as a collection of unmatching things, much like the contents of the album, yet they are all somehow in groove with one another.” It would be hard not to agree with that statement! This is a great album, if I have one minor complaint it would be that at just under 32 minutes it is too short, but it really is a rewarding way to spend 32 minutes of your time!

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Play It Again Mayhem – “When The Wind Blows” – David Bowie October 5, 2024

Filed under: Play It Again Mayhem — justwilliam1959 @ 11:08 pm
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This is the 30th song in the Play It Again Mayhem series and finally the Dame appears. It is “When The Wind Blows” by David Bowie. This was released in 1986 as the theme tune for the film adaptation of Raymond Briggs’s incredible book ‘When The Wind Blows’. Originally Bowie was pencilled in to write the whole score, but he ran out of time and eventually only offered this gorgeous song he co-wrote with Turkish multi-instrumentalist Erdal KΔ±zΔ±lΓ§ay. What do you think of this song and the playlist?

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“Adamas” – Liz Davinci October 4, 2024

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 11:21 pm
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Liz Davinci’s elegantly resplendent new single “Adamas” is out now. It is a gorgeous and deep Baroque Pop piano ballad that draws on some Tori Amos influences and an undercurrent of Kate Bush. The piano coda at around 4 minutes 30 seconds has some sublime similarities to the piano sound on Kate Bush’s breakthrough hit “Wuthering Heights” from 1978. The lyrics are potentially dark and yet uplifting too. I particularly love the lines “She never gives in. Even if it means. She has to sin“

I believe the song is about being invincible or unconquerable as Adamas in Greek Mythology Adamas means unconquerable (Ancient Greek: αΌˆΞ΄Ξ¬ΞΌΞ±Ξ½Ο„Ξ±’). Adamas was a Phrygian participant during the Trojan War. He was the son of the Phrygian leader Asius, King Dymas’s son, and Phaenops’s brother. Adamas was killed by Meriones. It is a haunting tune that slowly infects you, making you want to hear it repeatedly.

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“Come On Outside” – ALT BLK ERA October 3, 2024

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 11:03 pm
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ALT BLK ERA are back with a new single, “Come On Outside”, from their forthcoming debut album ‘Rave Immortal’. Try and pigeon-hole this band at your peril they comfortably play fantastically well at multiple music genres. “Come On Outside” has a riotous, riff-laden grunge feel to carry its positive message. The chorus is alive and takes up residence in your brain almost immediately after the first listen. Chaya wrote the song for her sister Nyrobi and had this to say about it “For two years my sister was bed-ridden with a chronic illness that shot waves of pain throughout her body. The doctors couldn’t figure out what it was. I thought I was going to lose her. Thankfully, with lots of support, she is slowly getting better and she now has strong medication that helps her to manage the pain. This song is my message for Nyrobi, for you, and for anyone else who has faced physical or emotional challenges.” Based on this and other recent releases from this incredibly talented band I am going to take the bold step of saying that the debut album, due out early next year, will be a contender for album of the year 2025!

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Mayhem’s Most Popular Posts – September 2024 October 2, 2024

Filed under: Mayhem's Most Popular — justwilliam1959 @ 10:12 pm
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This is the third issue in our new series where we share the latest post with the most views for a given month and the archive post with the most views. This one covers September 2024. The biggest read post was my review of β€œBallad 2 (Skin Off My Back)” by HerOrangeCoat posted on 6th September. The most-read archive post is, once again β€œAnd I didn’t mean to hurt you, but I know that in the game of love, you reap what you sow” from 2011. It was a dig at the crap pumped out by X Factor and a big up for Rose Royce! It now sits at 914 total reviews. I do not know why there is so much traffic on that archived post!

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The Mayhem Charts – September 2024 October 1, 2024

Filed under: Mayhem Monthly Chart,Mayhem Top 20 Chart — justwilliam1959 @ 7:44 pm
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Here is the Mayhem chart for September 2024. Regular and constant readers know that the chart is based on my Spotify listening habits over the last month gathered by obscurify.com. Apparently, my tastes have risen slightly to 98% more obscure than the rest of the UK! The chart remains contemporary-ish (but if a classic artist releases something new they might feature in the chart). However, last month’s top three “Legacy” artists were Stevie Wonder, Kate Bush and David Bowie. Obscurify also suggests the most obscure artists I have listened to for September: Liz Davinci, Kindelan, and Birdlands. There is a top ten artists chart and a top 5 songs chart. There is the usual eclectic mix of artists, including two that were in the top ten last month; Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (falling from 3 to 10) and Delilah Bon (a huge rise from 9 to number 1)! Delilah has been in the artist charts now for ten consecutive months. Two artists appear in both lists for September Delilah Bon and Cassyette! The number one song is “Ballad 2 (Skin Off My Back)” by, the delightful, HerOrangeCoat. So without further ado here are those charts in full! Click on the Spotify link below to listen to the famous (or infamous) five!

Mayhem Artist Chart September 2024

1 Delilah Bon
2 Cassyette
3 Birdlands
4 The The
5 Nick Lowe
6 Sabrina Carpenter
7 The White Roses
8 Mik Artistik’s Ego Trip
9 The Courettes
10 Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Mayhem Song Chart September 2024

1 Ballad 2 (Skin Off My Back) – HerOrangeCoat
2 Mad Woman – Lloren
3 Villain – Delilah Bon
4 This World Fucking Sucks – Cassyette
5 Aggravate Me – Read The Room

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Wow That’s What I Call Mayhem – Volume 4 September 30, 2024

Filed under: Now That's What I Call Mayhem! — justwilliam1959 @ 8:31 pm
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With continued humble apologies to the creators of the iconic NOW series of compilations that began in 1983, I posted and compiled the first WOW That’s What I Call Mayhem collection back in March, with volumes 2 and 3 following just a few weeks ago. So are you ready for volume 4? I certainly hope so, because here it is! This includes the fourth 20 singles we reviewed in 2024 in another maniacal eclectic playlist for your listening pleasure! With more than 60 minutes of music, click the Spotify link below and lose yourself in the music!

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