SOMETHING OLD
Carly Simon - Attitude Dancing
1975
Carly Simon - Attitude Dancing
1975
Such a fun one from Carly Simon, where she ventures into disco sounds – the very first from Elektra Records to do so. There is something so real and almost unfinished about Simon’s voice, always hitting her alto notes but occasionally sounding like she may miss them. Somewhat of a strain comes across, but it always works no matter if she’s singing something tragic like That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be or as energetic as Attitude Dancing.
Listen closely to hear the legendary Carole King on background vocals, which is particularly sweet during the line do the Locomotion in a new attitude, referring to the 1962 hit that King penned.
SOMETHING NEW
Jack Ladder - Undignified
October 10th, 2025
Jack Ladder - Undignified
October 10th, 2025
How do you know if you should listen to Jack Ladder? Well, the first time I ever heard him, I was certain it was fellow Australian Nick Cave. I might also draw comparisons to his contemporary Father John Misty, or Bob Dylan most specifically for a single from this new record called Sparrow which is heavily influenced by the Rolling Thunder Revue/Desire era; if that’s a helpful guide.
Undignified, the fifth track on Ladder’s new record Separation Rock, comes across to me somewhat of a scathing self-reflection... making the “self” all of us. The chorus sings we’re all so undignified, sandwiched between verses about being stuck in our minds, loving someone but not knowing why, being let down, etc.
Perhaps when I leave you say you wanted to die...but when I stay you can’t stand the sound are the lines that best represent that lack of dignity so many of us have felt, better known as uncertainty and perpetual dissatisfaction. They’re neuroses I’m very familiar with, and are represented so beautifully in this gloomy, passionate ballad.
Separation Rock seems to be flying under the radar a bit. Please go give it a listen.
SOMETHING BORROWED
D’Angelo - Feel Like Making Love (Roberta Flack)
D’Angelo - Feel Like Making Love (Roberta Flack)
Following Roberta Flack’s February passing, another R&B pioneer has left us. D’Angelo’s rendition of Flack’s Feel Like Making Love (written by her longtime collaborator Eugene McDaniels) strips the song down and and doubles the length.
The original, which is ornamented with lush instrumentation, is brought straight into the 21st Century with D’Angelo’s “quiet storm” romantic R&B radio format.
Both versions carry elements of sensuality in different ways: Flack’s softly sung, feminine take and D’Angelo’s funkier, bassier take. I absolutely love the horn section that visits around 4:07 accompanied by D’Angelo’s panting in the background and some truly funky Sly Stone-esque rhythms.
Lauryn Hill was going to be on this song as a duet, but the collaboration fell through. Quite the Roberta celebration that would have been, knowing Hill’s great deal of success with the Fugee’s version of Killing Me Softly!
Michael Eugene Archer
February 11, 1974 - October 14, 2025
Michael Eugene Archer
February 11, 1974 - October 14, 2025
SOMETHING... GHOSTLY
HALLOWEN-INSPIRED THEMES ALL OCTOBER
The Lemon Twigs - Ghost Run Free
2023
HALLOWEN-INSPIRED THEMES ALL OCTOBER
The Lemon Twigs - Ghost Run Free
2023
It’s hard to believe I saw The Lemon Twigs live a year ago this month. I went through an excessively obsessive Twigs phase just before, during, and after the concert last fall, though I’ve been a fan since 2017. Consequently, I now associate them heavily with autumn; with this song standing out in particular.
Ghost Run Free has inimitable energy, and the band has expressed regret for not choosing to release it as a single prior to the release of their 2023 record Everything Harmony. They realized later it was a no-brainer, because it is a truly lovable song.
The production on this one is so magnetic. The flanger/phaser effects remind me of Nazz’s 1968 Open My Eyes, which the brothers were almost undoubtedly inspired by (they're known Todd Rundgren fans and even collaborators). Those effects exist throughout the song but shine most prominently after the bridge around 2:06, which precedes a super energetic outro. I’m not even sure how to describe this one super subtle bass pause around 2:37, but it scratches the best itch in my ears.
Do not spend your ghostly October without listening to this song!