NEW MUSIC EAR

A NEW FEATURE ON NEW MUSIC EAR.  THE PLAYLISTS ON MY IPOD FEATURE LOTS OF VARIOUS ARTISTS SO I THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE MY PLAYLISTS WITH YOU.  HOPE YOU SEE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITES!
BLONDIE/DEBORAH HARRY

PLAYLIST PART 2

1980 saw the penultimate album (before the comeback) released, "Autoamerican".  Although containing the hit singles "The Tide Is High" and the groundbreaking "Rapture" I could only choose "Susie & Jeffrey" from the bonus tracks to accompany them here.  I found the album too experimental and not that memorable.  I could see why the next album would be the last.



Deborah Harry released her debut solo album, "KooKoo" in 1981, a year before the last Blondie album.  I only really liked "Backfired" with its funky style (thanks to Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic!) and cool video so only one song from this set appears on the playlist.


So the final album from Blondie appeared in 1982, "The Hunter". …

A NEW FEATURE ON NEW MUSIC EAR.  THE PLAYLISTS ON MY IPOD FEATURE LOTS OF VARIOUS ARTISTS SO I THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE MY PLAYLISTS WITH YOU.  HOPE YOU SEE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITES!
BLONDIE/DEBORAH HARRY

PLAYLIST PART 1

Blondie released "Blondie" in 1976 and were so far ahead of their time that it was full of great songs.  From the 11 tracks I chose 8 for this playlist.  The 3 singles are here, the Punk Pop of "Rip Her To Shreds" and "X Offender" as well as the delightful Motown-esque "In The Flesh".  I incuded the manic "In The Sun", the 60s inspired "Look Good In Blue" and "Little Girl Lies".  "Man Overboard", the 70s style track finds a spot as does the Country vibe of "Rifle Range".



I picked 6 tracks from the second album, "Plastic Letters" from 1977.  The Rock N' Roll style "Kidnapper" is here along with the other two classic Blondie hits, "Denis" and "(I…

Lolli Wren is a young singer-songwriter based in Kent, London, and released her 5 track debut E.P. in 2015 called "Let Go" under the name "Wren".  Not content with one string to her bow she is also a dance, drama and singing teacher and a vocal coach tutoring singers on vocal techniques, vocal strength and performance among other things.


I first discovered "Wren" a few years ago, since her debut E.P. she has been working on new tracks, making great cover version videos for YouTube, seemingly exploring a variety of hair colours and changing her name!Check out some of her cover versions online of James Bay's "Let It Go" and Jessie Ware's "Say You Love Me".


On listening to her E.P., she has a very unusual voice, think of Tori Amos with a powerful yet cutesy vocal range of Ariana Grande with a little rasp in her voice like Stevie Nicks.  Hard to imagine? then you need to hear this lady.  The debut tracks are quite something.


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A NEW FEATURE ON NEW MUSIC EAR.  THE PLAYLISTS ON MY IPOD FEATURE LOTS OF VARIOUS ARTISTS SO I THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE MY PLAYLISTS WITH YOU.  HOPE YOU SEE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITES!
BIG COUNTRY

PLAYLIST

The incredible groundbreaking debut album by Big Country released in 1983 gives my playlist 5 tracks, including the anthemic "Fields Of Fire" and "In A Big Country".  I also included the debut single, "Harvest Home" which epitomises the Big Country sound and paves the way for the sound ahead.  Also included are the gorgeous ballad "Chance" and fast tempo almost Punk style of "Inwards".


A year later came the second album, "Steeltown", such a great album I chose 7 tracks from the albums's 10 tracks.  The band's lyric writing was becoming more and more polished as was the musical quality.  Amazingly, only the single "East Of Eden" reached Top 20 in UK, possible because it is the closest sound to the previous album…

A NEW FEATURE ON NEW MUSIC EAR.  THE PLAYLISTS ON MY IPOD FEATURE LOTS OF VARIOUS ARTISTS SO I THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE MY PLAYLISTS WITH YOU.  HOPE YOU SEE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITES!
BILLY JOEL

PLAYLIST

From Billy's debut album, "Cold Spring Harbor" I only chose one song, the Folk-style foot tapper that is "Everybody Loves You Now".



1973 brought the second album and it was the one that got Billy Joel noticed.  4 of the 10 tracks have been picked for my playlist which obviously includes the brilliant and well loved title track from which fans dubbed Mr Joel throughout his career.  Also here are the uptempo Folk style of "Travelin' Man" and the soft ballad "You're My Home".  Completing this quartet is the anthemic Soul of "Stop In Nevada".



After the disappointing backward step of 1974's "Streetlife Serenade", Billy pulled the critics back in a little with "Turnstiles" in 1976.  I took two tracks from this…

It has been said for decades by the "older" generations that the music now is poor and it was "much better" in their day.  From the 50s to the 80s and maybe half the 90s it has to be said that the music was much, much better than today.


When you see all the producers making records, and the DJ's making "featuring" an artist who they found to make money with you have to despair when you listened to music in the decades I previously mentioned.  When Ed Sheeran and Beyonce (I used to like Beyonce before she let Jay-Z in and she has become a parody of Rihanna) can release five or six single songs that all make the top ten at the same time and clog up the charts it is a little insane.  Justin Bieber and others got famous from YouTube videos of themselves.  What happened in the days before the Internet and Pop talent shows when artists had to earn the right to get a hit?
You hear all the stories in history how the great bands and singers had to work hard, …