Midweek Crisis #3
Featured: The Cranes, Oliver Tree, Joey Negro/ Dave Lee, The Sunburst Band, Moodena, Free Flow Flava, The Kinks, Amanaz, Rick Cuevas & more
Hi there,
Iām back with a new dose of good vibes āØ.
Last week Iāve recharged my inner batteries at the seaside with my family. On the highway, we usually listen and sing our favorite songs. This time Vibing On The Road playlist was created as a side effect of this custom š. Let me know what music you love to drive by to and if Iām missing something here.
Iāve also soaked into Zamrock, Zambian music of the ā70s. It is a music genre, described as a mix of traditional African music with Jimi Hendrix-like acid rock, James Brown-like funk, soul, and blues. In 70s Zambia there was a law that radio stations had to play 95% of Zambia-origin music. Local artists were hugely inspired by the Western bands, so they adopted some foreign styles and abided by the law. Their music was imperfect, raw, loose, and recorded in different conditions than Deep Purple, Cream, or Black Sabbath albums. But those flaws are the essence of it, because of them it feels more honest and heartwarming. Over the years Zambia experienced a true rollercoaster - from joy with freshly gained independence, through the copper boom to economic crash and AIDS pandemic. All the mixed feelings, worries, pain, and joy is visible in their music. If youāre curious about what it sounds like, check out this playlist: Zamrock š¤
Enjoy Midweek Crisis #3 and happy listening!
Take care,
Stygi
Check outĀ my Spotify profileĀ for other playlists:
If youāre not yet a subscriber, feel free to join theĀ Midweek CrisisĀ club:
Something from the TV Series šŗ
The Cranes ā Joy
Powerful groove song straight from Uganda š. Afro-rock soul from the ā70s. It was a love song by Tony Senkebejje, the bandsā singer and guitarist. He wrote it for his wife Rachel, who ran away with him to Kenya. They fled there, scared for their lives after his bands' bass player Jessy Gitta Kasirivu got arrested and killed in their homeland. Jessyās girlfriend - Sarah Kyolaba was adored and courted by Idi Amin, Ugandas' despotic President of that time, well-known for his State Research Bureau (SRB) agents' violent acts. One night the president just decided to cut the musician out of the picture.
Iāve come across this song while watching a great Apple TV+ Series āLittle Americaā. It is based on true stories of Americasā immigrants that were published in āEpicā magazine in 2018. Every episode shows us the uneasy life of the main character - full of unjust and loneliness. On the other hand, there are a lot of heartwarming family moments and restoring faith in humanity ones. True tearjerker with great music and beautiful camera work š
Something Crazy š¢
Oliver Tree - Cash Machine
Boyish vocal and strong, sick beat with guitar thrum. It gives an early 00ās nostalgia feeling. Reminds me of punk-pop/punk-rock bands, like The Offspring, Sum 41, or Blink 182. Itās wild and catchy. The song is about a luxury lifestyle that does not necessarily equal happiness and a people's game of appearances. A freaky video clip shows a lot of eye-catchers like pink vehicles and explosions š„.
Oliver Tree is said to be an "alt-pop's merry prankster". Heās an eccentric artist that has made a whole unique persona to create his music. Loud, colorful, and impossible to overlook. Check out the āUgly is Beautifulā album to get to know him better.
Something Energetic āØ
Joey Negro/ Dave Lee The Sunburst Band, Moodena - Big Blow (Moodena Remix)
Summery, positive vibe from Moodena, who has over 20 years of experience in the music industry. He remixed the song by The Sunburst Band and famous DJ Joey Negro, who not that long ago changed his stage name to Dave Lee. He decided to do so after the Black Lives Matters protests. He admitted that itās inappropriate and outdated.
Something Surprising š
Free Flow Flava - Final Round
Calm and jazzy intro and āplot-twistā in Japanese style. A feast for the ears šš¶ Iāve found this track on YouTube in some meme compilation video and totally fell in love withĀ Free Flow Flava. All albums from this Russian beatmaker are dope. His hip-hoppy approach to Japanese folk is jaw-dropping and makes for a good soundtrack to any activity.
Something Old But Gold š
The Kinks - Lola
The band was formed in the 70s by two brothers -Ā RayĀ andĀ Dave Davies. The first one is also the bandsā lead singer, rhythm guitarist, and the main songwriter - it was him who wrote the iconic āLolaā over 50 years ago. Lyrics are about the fascination with a cross-dresser met in āSohoā nightclub in London. Back then it was a controversial, edgy song that was banned on some radios by the conservatives. Over the many years, people asked questions about Lolaās sex. An authorās commentary on that matter is simple: "It really doesn't matter what sex Lola is, I think she's alright". Some say that it was a pioneer record that caused one of the first cracks in the gender revolution, presenting transgender people in a positive way šĀ
Fun fact:Ā Weird Al YankovicĀ made aĀ Star WarsĀ parody of it with his song āYodaā.
Something to Reflect On š¤
Amanaz - Khala My Friend
The band's name Amanaz is theĀ acronymĀ of "Ask Me About Nice Artistes In Zambiaā. āKhala My Friendā is a highly addictive, melancholic ā70s Zamrock record. The lyrics are about the struggles of the Zambian people of that time. It was the end of British colonialism and freshly gained independence should bring them peace and freedom. Unfortunately, the president of this landlocked country hasnāt been able to protect it from poverty and isolation.
*For more tunes like this one, check out my new playlist: Zamrock š¤
Something for the Chill š¤
Rick Cuevas - The Birds
A dreamy indie rock song from 1984. It was on the first solo album called āSymbolismā of Californian musician,Ā Rick Cuevas. It was self-published because the record companies of that time decided that it is notĀ āLos AngelesāĀ enough, whatever they meant by that. Iām truly glad that he was a stubborn man and didnāt give up so we can listen to his music gem š
*See my š¤Vape State / Inhalation StationšØ playlist for more chill records.
Youāve reached the end. So kick off your shoes and enjoy the whole playlist:
xoxo,
Stygi
P.S. Let me know what youāve liked the most and if you have any suggestions whatsoever to this all, also donāt hesitate and tell me.