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November
2021:
babysue comics,
abstractions, posters, Jesus comic, News and Views
November 2021 News and Views.
A collection of news snippets, blurbs and random thoughts.
Toronto, Canada's Babyshades have a cool single out called "Summerhearts." Excellent stuff, well executed. British duo The Lagoons have a great funky pop song out called "Madness." This one's instantly catchy and resilient. It will be included on the band's full-length album It's Madness, due out before the end of the year. After a five year absence, the folks in The Universal Thump are back with a single titled "Hard To Hope." A one sentence admission. Despite all the negativity out there, 2021 has been one of the best years ever. Looking forward to the new Steppenwolf comprehensive box set titled Magic Carpet Ride: The Dunhill / ABC Years 1967-1971. The set is being released on the ultra cool Esoteric label (I love just about everything released on this label). British labels are vastly superior to most labels in the United States these days. That's a fact. Two good celebrities. I am totally turned off by the spoiled brat mentality of most celebrities. But two ladies that I will always admire because of the way they played the game of life are Patty Duke and Doris Day. Both had tons of personality, talent and integrity. But most importantly, over time they did NOT allow themselves to become self-absorbed schmucks who were forever addicted to money and fame. Just finished spinning Distant Dream by Jeremy Morris (produced by Ken Stringfellow). Now I see what all the fuss is about. This is easily one of Jeremy's best albums. November 19, 2021 will see the release of a new eight (8) CD set from Robert Fripp entitled Music For Quiet Moments that will include a 58 page book. The packaging on this one looks really snappy, so it will probably sell out fast. If there's one music label in the United States that's releasing credible cool material that deserves to be heard these days, it is Miami, Florida's Think Like A Key. The label has just released three more ultra-cool albums that are all worthy of your time, money and attention: (1) Nektar - Sounds Like Swiss; (2) Bordello & Clark - Atlantic Crossing; (3) Novelty Island - How Are You Coping With This Century? New nothing. There's a new album out by some other artist on some label somewhere but I can't remember anything about it at the moment. It could be good or bad. Or it might not even exist at all. New Bans. First came the ban on breastfeeding, quickly followed by a total ban of children altogether in many metropolitan areas. This is the wave of the future. Holiday propaganda...SNORE. Gender neutral aisles required in toy departments. It's reassuring to know we haven't lost sight of what's really important in the world. Swedish band The Search will be releasing an ultimately entertaining album called Extras on February 22, 2022. It's chock full of groovy melodies and interesting musical arrangements. And the vocals really hit the target. Video dream. Had a peculiar video game dream. I was in some large building where all these very serious people were playing hundreds of intensely complicated video games all over the place. Turned off by it all (I hate complicated games), I eventually found an unoccupied room off to the side where there was only one machine...and the game was simple enough for a three year old. This was far more appealing, so I put in a quarter and started randomly pushing buttons and joysticks at hyperspeed. Before I knew it, I was racking up tens of thousands of points...and all I was doing was randomly smashing buttons like a maniac. Suddenly a huge flood of quarters started pouring out of the video game, like it was a slot machine or something. Quarters quickly covered the entire floor, piling up over a foot or two...money was EVERYWHERE. I figured they wouldn't let me keep the money because it wasn't really a slot machine and I wasn't in a gambling casino. But I figured, "Hey, who cares...this has been a major GAS!" All of a sudden the man in charge (whoever he was) walked into the room and quickly summed up the situation. He looked at me and said, "Hey man, you didn't do anything wrong...the money's yours." Then, before I could figure out how to cart out all those damn quarters...the dream abruptly ENDED. That one made me wake up feeling good. I love the song "Grassy Plains" by Ghostkeeper. Super smooth semi-psychedelic stuff that sounds like it could've been recorded in the 1970s, and the vocals are wonderful. Ghostkeeper is a band that doesn't sound like all the others. Rainbow Food. There are so many things in the world that are boring and uninteresting, but here's one thing that is not. To have your socks totally knocked off, check out how Korean Rainbow Food is made. The process is extremely tedious and time-consuming...but it's also exceedingly creative, colorful and ultimately fascinating. Talk about having a wild roller coaster ride with food. There's a really cool song out by Nick Vivid called "I Wanna Reign Again." This one is insanely catchy and upbeat. It's from his album No More Secrets that will be released November 12, 2021 by MegaPlatinum Records. Mr. Vivid is definitely an artist to keep your eyes on. It's always cause for celebration when there's new music by Starflyer 59. The band has just released In Search of Vanity on the Velvet Blue Music label. Housed in an ultra cool foldout cardboard sleeve, the album is yet another direct hit from one of the best underground bands in the United States. Doug Hoekstra released an album earlier this year entitled The Day Deserved, which is easily one of the best releases of 2021. He also authored a book entitled Ten Seconds In-Between, which is a cool collection of short stories. Hoekstra is a man with focus and creativity galore. I would recommend anything that springs forth from this brilliant man's mind. Leggings. I was really pleased to hear that men are no longer allowed to wear leggings anywhere under any conditions whatsoever. This is an encouraging trend. The band Royal Castles have a really cool song and video out entitled "Been Around." Featuring thick fuzzy guitars, an excellent melody and harmonies from heaven, this song absolutely hits the target. Check out the song and video...it features footage of the band playing underwater (!??!). Killer stuff all the way around.
NOTABLE NEW RELEASES. Chris Jagger - Mixing Up The Medicine (BMG) + also new book entitled Talking To Myself. Jeremy Morris - My Shining Star (Jam). Marco Mattei - Out of Control (7D Media). Daydream Three - The Lazy Revolution (Noja Recordings). The Brothers Steve - Dose (Big Stir). Hey!Tonal - Hey!Tonal (CmptrStdnts). Animal Souls - Wisdom of Crowds. Chrome - Scaropy (Cleopatra). Stash (with Ted Russell Kamp) - Walk the Walk. The Purrs - We Thought There'd Be More People Here. The Royal Hounds - A Whole Lot of Nothin'. Chillingsworth Surfingham - Chillingsworth (Atom Records). Bren Holmes - Everything You Never Wanted... Joe Cardamone - Quarentina (Sonic Ritual). Last Days of April - Even the Good Days are Bad (Tapete). Jon Anderson - Animation (Esoteric, reissue). Strawbs - Settlement (Esoteric). Raoul Vignal - Years in Marble. The Rubinoos - The DBS Tapes (Yep Roc). Thomas Comerford - Introverts. Nite Risk - Finale (Fellowshipwreck). Roof Beams - This Life Must Be Long. Ontologist - Cantor's Comb (Canzona). Strictly Elizabeth - Contemporary Construction (Data Water Records). The Transonics - Tides (Sonic Soiree Records). Motrik - Moon: The Cosmic Electrics of Motrik. Yellow Bulb - Data Reject (Stickfigure). Mr. Diagonal - North Pacific. Emily Frembgen - It's Me or the Dog. Electric Six - Streets of Gold (Cleopatra). Kris Gruen - Welcome Farewell (Tourbo Music). Zero Times Everything - Sound of Music. Anton Barbeau - On the Joys We Live For (Big Stir). Lannie Flowers - Home (Spyderpop). Mars Hall - Is Anybody Out There? Sam Barron - A Prayer For a Field Mouse. Ben Bostick - Grown Up Love. Mourning Noise - Mourning Noise (Cleopatra). Tyler & The Train Robbers - Non-Typical Find. Big Paul Ferguson - Virtual Control (Cleopatra). Arda & The Stolen Moon - Outsider in Perpetual Motion (Jarmin Read). Duet For Theremin and Lap Steel - Oumuamua (Stickfigure). Stephan Thelen - Fractal Guitar 2 (Moonjune). Mahogany Frog - In The Electric Universe (Moonjune). Rymo - Kinetic. John 3:16 - Omnia Mors Aequat. Wanderlust - All A View. Litvar - The Greatest Movie Of All Time (Mother West). Don Campau - The Best of Don Campau, Volume 3 (2009-2021). John Mayall - The Sun Is Shining Down (Forty Below). Android Trio - Other Worlds (Cuneiform Records). Black Swan Lane - Hide In View. Nick Frater - Earworms (Big Stir). Jon Arthur - From the Marrow. Sam Green and the Time Machine - Odds and Ends in the Key of Life. Captain Danger - Love Sweet Love. Gypsum - Gypsum (Sonic Ritual). Gold & Youth - Dream Baby (Paper Bag Records). The Green Theatre - Simpler Times (Kool Kat Music). Dfactor - I Don’t Chill EP. Aaron Sprinkle - Certainty EP (Pacifirecords). Legendary Shack Shakers - Cockadoodledeux (Alternative Tentacles). We Are Scientists - Huffy (Masterswan Records). Keith Kozel - Little White Pill. Emerald Rage - High King. Lizzie & The Makers - Dear Onda Wahl. The Generic Wannabes - Desperate For Your Attention (Returnable Spectacles Music). Limp and Tiny - The Best of Limp and Tiny. Empty Shelves - Who Needs All This Worthless Crap Anyway? (Elves and All Music).
[Please note that these two sections are by no means comprehensive. The Notable New Releases section does not list singles, only full-length and EP releases. I have limited time and can only digest and list a certain amount of stuff. If something you submitted is not here, it does not reflect in any way on your music or you personally.]