Music Spectrum

La Resistance’s Philosophy opens with a Radio 4-like punkified dance rock on “Shells.” It’s keyboard-laden, dreamy, pop-like, and urgent with just the right amount of drum fills for propulsion. “Understanding” conjures up a laid-back, post-punk of Wire, even as the song swirls about like it’s got Britpop in its claws as they sing about “faith, hope, and love.” “Isolation” hearkens back to the early 90’s electro-dance rock of the Dylans, although with crunchier drums and riffing guitars.

Interrupting things is the plaintive piano of “Pain” with its choral-like vocals and faux string keys to raise it up as a contemplation of God’s greatness in midst of pain.

Rising out of a guitar that recalls the Church’s space rock, “Forsaken” builds to punch the air with its drums even as while throwing out its arms like a brighter Muse. After the interlude “Launch,” “Loathing” lands with more electro-pop making you much happier than the title would suggest. Then let the funk, Go! Team-like marching band rhythms sweep you off your feet for “Knowing.”

Overall, then, Philosophy will provide a groove even as you sense the post-punk spirit jamming out spaced-out electro pop.

La Resistance
Superphonic Records

New Roman Times lays out New Wave/post-punk hooks On the Sleeve. It’s got that dancebeat of Radio 4. It’s got the brooding of the Psychedelic Furs. It’s music for arming yourself against the world’s attacks on you. It’s headphone music for introverts who need to have a soundtrack to propel them forward on their mission. It’s train music even if you’re commuting in an automobile. It’s atmospheric in a way you wouldn’t expect, so that you’re waving your arms around, dancing by yourself, listening to old things like the House of Love and the Railway Children. And it’s all worth every moment of being lost inside the wonderful parade of sound.

New Roman Times
New Granada Records

There’s a lot going on with Bryan Ferry releasing his Olympia this year. In some ways, it’s almost a Roxy Music album with Brian Eno, Phil Manzanera, and Andy Mackay showing up on various tracks. But then there’s also all of the other guests doing their part to make Olympia shine: Nile Rodgers, Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, Groove Armada, Scissor Sisters, Marcus Miller, Flea, ex Stone Roses Mani (Primal Scream) and Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead.

That said, what strikes me is how Ferry still creates an atmosphere—glam pop, synth grooves, and light dance vibes. It’s the whole aural scenery that his orchestrations paint that bring the listener deep beyond pop’s usual surface level. Sure, the lyrics are still mainly about raving, dancing, clubbing, and seeking out love in all (the wrong) places. But what is it about Ferry’s voice and music that makes that pursuit seem as deep as any spiritual course? What is it that makes his music draw you in like a romantic comedy’s preposterous situation makes you root for the couple?

Growing up only vaguely aware of Roxy Music, I realize now that my musical ear was partly shaped by artists who were stepsisters to the sound. Howard Jones explored that synth sound for love’s pop, but he kept it much bouncier. ABC had the glam and shine, but again, the sound doesn’t match Ferry’s brooding introspection. Then there was the pop gems of Simple Minds, stretching out and waiting, but ultimately still not in the same realm.

Olympia sparks and shines on tracks like “Alphaville” and “Shameless.” Marcus Miller and Mani really rock the bass on “BF Bass (Ode to Olympia).” For the most part, though, the album slides along as a soundtrack, setting you up for a sustained sense of that brooding groove, seeking out pleasure but always keenly aware that the answers will lie far beyond your grasp. Or perhaps your “rock ‘n’ roll desire” just cannot lead you to true fulfillment “in a shameless world.” Ferry’s music may rock to the thought, but you’re left pondering just where that night of clubbing left you.

Bryan Ferry
Astralwerks

I know she’s Belle of the Ball in the UK, but I’ve never been impressed with Kylie Minogue’s pop-diva creations. That’s not saying I cannot appreciate a pop-diva’s creations.

Rising with dance pop orchestrations, Danish star Oh Land (Nanna Øland Fabricius) appears this fall in the U.S. with an EP while a full-length is promised in early 2011. Oh Land wields music theatrically like Björk. Her single, “Sun of a Gun,” bubbles with an 80’s synth pop vibe played through two more decades of dance music development. Oh Land’s press photo has a Breakfast at Tiffany’s look, while her other single, “Perfection,” gives you a slow-but-determined pace for walking down Fifth Avenue.

While we await the U.S. releases, you can check out the music at Soundcloud or download “Sun of a Gun” in three versions.
Oh Land on Soundcloud
”Sun of a Gun” MP3
”Sun of a Gun (Yusek Remix)” MP3
”Sun of a Gun (Savage Skulls Remix)” MP3

Oh Land
Epic

In the hallway outside the dorm rooms, I would set up my CD player, turn up the volume, and play Delirious? to wake up the youth on a retreat. Specifically, I’d play the album Mezzanine with its gradually growing first tracks. Slowly, junior and senior high students would start emerging from their rooms, cranky from too little sleep, but trying to face another day of the youth pastor (me) sending them into the Bible. As people milled about between dorm rooms and bathrooms and the dining area, Delirious? sang praises to God on my CD player.

After all of these years of listening to Delirious?, the Christian worship band out of the UK, and using Delirious? CDs and worship songs, I never got to see them play live. And I won’t. They’ve ended as a band with their Farewell Show: Live in London now available on CD/DVD/Blu Ray. As much as I would have enjoyed seeing them play, and I now can on the DVD, I’ve been a part-time Delirious? fan.

When in 1998 I first heard “Deeper” with its groove, I was really drawn to the sound—elements of IRE/UK Dance Rock atmosphere with some quintessential Britrock. Yet, the album, King of Fools, has its ups and downs. The energy of a song like “Deeper” isn’t sustained.

That would come to be the same problem I had with all Delirious? albums. The energy and vibe generated on some tracks would dissipate on what seem like obligatory worship ballad tracks. For instance, on Mezzamorphis, I can settle into a song like “Follow” and get a lot out of its balladry, but then comes “Bliss” with its huge distorted guitar line rocking out the place. When I hear that, I want to camp out with that kind of thing as long as possible.

I want to camp out with Delirious? shredding up the place, because they can write those kind of worship songs, too. Worship songs for rock ‘n’ rollers. Worship songs for doubters and strugglers. The other stuff, while having some nice elements, seems like it was destined to go straight to praise bands in churches. No, give me more of the rocking groove worship that takes a special band to pull off.

Which brings me to Farewell Show. It, too, has its ups and downs. The rocking tracks groove along like anything else, still as strong as the day they were first recorded. The praise tracks get the crowd singing, but I feel as if the energy vanishes in those moments. Perhaps it’s better to consider that Delirious? wasn’t an AOR (Album-oriented Rock ) band where whole albums are meant to be listened to from start to finish. The albums aren’t dedicated to that one rock ‘n’ roll sound throughout. That actually makes Farewell Show a good option, because the praise choruses are usually shorter before yielding to another rocking tune. Still, if you’re coming for the rock ‘n’ roll worship, you may find yourself cherry picking.

Delirious
Kingsway

We had stopped at a layby somewhere between London and Glasgow on a high school band tour. A group of us found every opportunity during this trip to scour music displays for cassettes we couldn’t get in the states. I remember being unimspressed by the selection at this particular layby, but that Tom came back thrilled by a New Order tape.

I wasn’t a New Order fan. For some reason—unknown to my sophmore (sophmoric) mind, my allegiance to the Smiths meant I couldn’t be a New Order fan. Don’t ask me why. The only reason I can think of now is the predominance of keyboards, but that doesn’t make much sense since I listened to other keyboard/drum machine bands. Besides I liked “Shellshock” on the Pretty in Pink soundtrack.

Then Johnny Marr teamed up with Bernard Sumner for Electronic. And I liked it.

Now years later my boys (6, 4, and 3 years old) dance to Electronic during playtime, and I’m trying to review Ceremony: A New Order Tribute.

Listening to Ceremony and these versions of New Order songs by this impressive, indie set of artists assembled by producer Sonshine Ward, I realize now that I should’ve been a fan of New Order all along. I was a school dance wallflower. New Order made dance music for the melacholic, introverted, depressed, heartbroken, romantic at the edge of crowd, taken up in the beat and heartstruck lyrics. This tribute delivers all of that again.

I don’t go to dances anymore, but I’m still a wallflower in many ways. Here’s another soundtrack as I dive into music to soothe me in between times of social interaction, caring for others, getting hurt in the process, and turning to introspection for solace.

Sunbears! sends out the urgent prayer of sorts on their version of “Thieves Like Us,” crying out over the growing electro-wash:
Now you live your life like a shadow
In the pouring rain
Oh, it’s called love

I’ve lived my life in the valleys
I’ve lived my life on the hills
I’ve lived my life on alcohol
I’ve lived my life on pills
But it’s called love

Jesus went away to be renewed in times of prayer. If they had been around, maybe New Order would’ve been His soundtrack. The melancholic Jesus saddened over the state of love in His Creation. The wallflower Jesus thrust into the center of controversy instead of just caring for those in the shadows. The heartbroken Jesus headed to the cross because “it’s called love.”

So I take copy of Ceremony in moments of stepping out for prayer and reflection on God’s Word, hearing His dancebeat for the melancholic….

Yes But No’s version of “Ceremony” sparkles with their youthful energy, maintains a haunting lilt through their airy voices, while it cooks along through the high hat rhythm. Yes But Not is Brianna and Skylar Ward (13 and 10 years old respectively), the daughter of producer, Sonshine Ward. However, the girls clearly didn’t just gain a place because of their mother. The song jumps out as one of my favorite tracks here.

Elsewhere on the 2-disc plus digital only bonus tracks are some other gems. Rabbit in the Moon’s take on “Blue Monday” remains faithful while having enough pop and fuzz to brighten up the day. Also, check out GD Luxxe on “60 Miles an Hour” and Jim Oakes’ singer/songwriter versions of “Love Vigilantes” and “Bizarre Love Triangle.”

Ceremony: A New Order Tribute
Sunbears!
Yes But No
GD Luxxe
Jim Oakes