Hey everyone, Joe here.
Happy to be hosting again! My past episodes have featured wildly different songs; my theme has been no theme. This week, I broke that mold and put together a cohesive, well-curated set of tracks. I wanted to really dig into a single genre, and explore all its different forms and influences...
Guess what didn't end up happening?
The first feature today is Izo FitzRoy, with "Blind Faith." Hailing from London, Izo has formed a small, dedicated fan base, gaining notoriety for her moving live performances and skill in piano. "Blind Faith" is off her most recent album How the Mighty Fall. True to Izo's form, the album draws on motifs and themes of blues and soul music, but is underpinned with strutting funk grooves and big-band instrumentation. The formula is familiar, but solid production and talented songwriting make the album a stand-out.
Electroswing pedants often scoff at Caravan Palace. I understand why... "pure" electroswing often presents as remixed swing songs, where Caravan Palace leans toward club/EDM featuring swing melodies and instrumentation. That being said, Caravan Palace has carved out their own sound in a genre that can be samey or kitschy. Having released a chart topping album, <|°_°|>, it's hard to say that Carvan Palace's methods don't work. "Supersonics" is off their most recent album Chronologic and is an absolute bop.
We're going way back to 1973 with this one. Dixie Chicken is the title track off Little Feat's third record, which is considered to be the landmark album for the band. Little Feat had their moments through the 70s, 80s and 90s, but never developed the same "classic" status that many of their contemporaries did. However, their songwriting and production style has cemented them as a "musician's band" in a manner similar to Steely Dan (though Little Feat's music is notably different). I grew up on this album, and whenever Dixie Chicken played we would all sing along to the refrain.
This song is an assault on sobriety. Swirling instrumental loops, dense production, wild vocal harmonies and absurd lyrics about exploding into a tree and climbing horse mouths to the moon or something... yeah. This song is an experience.
Of course, don’t forget to reply with what you liked, didn’t like, and what you’ve been listening to.
And, as always, this week’s tracks are added to the collectors for all weeks' tracks on Spotify and Apple Music.
Enjoy,
Joe