Interactive Poll 2021 0010: Duos of Contrast

And now for the second batch of songs.

"You Ain't Alone": She sounds quite a lot like Janis Joplin, but her voice seems a bit deeper. It's a similar sort of blues/soul/rock, but I think she is overdoing her vocal phrasings. She clearly has a good voice, but it's a style that Janis simply did better, and I also think she had better song material to work with. I like the sound of the band though. "My Mother is Not the White Dove" is more laid back. I like the very dry sound of the acoustic instruments (harp, strings, trumpet). The vocals are more down-to-earth. I'm not so keen on the whistle (flute?) which makes me think of new age. But overall I like it, and it appeals much more to me than the previous song.

"No Myth": Very 80's sounding recording, especially with the gated drums. Fine melody and vocals, I think I might have heard it before by the way. Not something I would normally listen to, but I do like it. "Hearts Ease" is an acoustic folk ballad. Contains harp, lute (?), flute, cello, and a viola? (I think it sounds too deep to be a violin). Or do they go all in with viola da gamba and things like that? I like it a lot.

"Prometheus": Acoustic bass guitar is not an instrument one encounters very often. Normally, that type of instrumental showing off does very little for me, but I of course acknowlege his technical skills. But I can't help notice that he tends to get a bit out of tempo, especially at the points where he is doing something difficult on the bass. "Nihil Strength": Very weird intro. Then enter a sort of industrial metal song for electronic instruments instead of the more traditional guitar, bass and drums. The music is clearly interesting, and many aspects fascinate me. I have some difficulties appreciating growl singing though, and consequently I like the instrumental parts best, espeically the one that comes after 2 minutes. I like this track much better than "Prometheus".

Thank you to Logan for the vote. Much appreciated. 'Alt rock' is just a term the music industry has invented to sell something as a bit exclusive. In my world it is just rock, and I don't think Kashmir would call themselves alternative anything. But what do I know...

Here are my comments on the last batch of songs.

"Kottos". I am familiar with some work by Iannis Xenakis, but I hadn't heard this piece before. It is actually quite humorous with it's many glissandi, off-key notes and so on, but also rather uncanny - the part after 3:00 reminded me of an alarm siren. There's a hint at the absurdism that for instance Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen was also known for. But there is also a lot of beauty and poetry in it. Strong contender. "Elevation" is more like some experimental electronic music, just played with acoustic instruments. Basically a sonic landscape painting. Like the previous piece it uses glissando notes. It is also very minimalistic. Another strong contender.

"Place Vendome". Melodic heavy metal. Fine track overall, but the singing style is not so much my taste. Musically I think I would have liked it better with a bit more variation, for instance some more breaks and silent passages. "Longing" is an acoustic ballad, it later becomes more bombastic, especially with the production. Again, not so much my taste, but I acknowledge its qualities.

"Everybody's Been Burned": I am familiar with some Byrds songs of course, but not this one. Very low-key track, and as such I'd say it's a bit unusual for its time. Interesting unrhythmic guitar solo. I like it a lot, and it should be a contender. "Tend My Garden": I only knew James Gang by name, so I had no idea what to expect. Early 70's sound. A bit middle of the road to my ears, but I like the organ, as well as the piano part from circa 3:00. The composition doesn't quite do it for me.

Got some - very pleasant - time this afternoon to listen to all the submissions and to comment on them, so here it goes:

Logan: Mica Levi - Lipstick to Void: I didn't like the film Under the Skin... That is, I quite liked the first 2/3 of it, but then it got ridiculous and grotesque for me (it is not the kind of cinema I prefer...). But this track is very intriguing; it creates a haunting athmosphere in its minimalism. Mono's Disney Town is indeed a nice contrast: they match quite well. This track comes as a kind of relief after the anguish. Nice listen!

Shadowyzard: You said "I'm again coming up with the first thing that came to my mind." Please, next time think twice  No seriously, for me the Eurovision Song Contest is more or less the rubbish bin of what Europe has to offer in music: lack of creativity, formulaic songs, but often an excellent execution of them (a showcase of singing talents where the music is just so-so). Every once in a while a song really stands out, but this is not the case with these two, imho. I find them uninspiring, unoriginal, but the performances are great.

nick_h_nz: Never heard of Asian Death Crustacean, but this comes as a good surprise. I listend to your bandcamp link, don't know which track you would want to put forward but I could't help listen to all of the Baikal album. Very good! I first stumbled upon Baikal V, and then I wanted to hear the rest of the album...! And I actually have the same remarks for Seaorm's Olkhon album; very pleasant discovery too! They're maybe not that much yin and yang to me, but they do team up quite well together. Thanks!

jamesbaldwin: Steve Wynn, yes, a great catchy song with Carolyn, and you're right: the arrangements are wonderfully effective. There is a similar compactness in the songwriting of Strange New World, but this one has the rough edges instead of the polished approach of the first song. Great playing and arrangements on both tracks. The contrast is clear, the quality too! It's more straight forward but I like these very much.

I prophesy disaster: Two great bands that I don't listen to, actually. I very much like this track by Kula Shaker; it rocks and then gets into a more psychedelic stance. Wonderful. Both this one and RHCP's Sir Psycho Sexy are very 90s sounding, but the latter remains stylistically in the 90s (apart from the mellotron(-like) finale) where Kula Shaker pours a 70s flavour over their track. Maybe not very contrasting but an interesting pair (of which I prefer Kula Shaker).

The Anders: With Kashmir we continue a bit in 90s style indie-rock (although both tracks are of the noughties). The first track, The Cynic is the rocker, rather straight forward but quite captivating. It does indeed contrast with the tenderness of The Push, a beautiful song but which somehow keeps the signature of the band. Interesting match and great encounter with this band (don't remember having heard them before...).

Lewian: Ah ah ah... Here we go again   Can you explain why this fascinates us? I like the ping-pong nervousness of The Langham Research Centre (I actually never explored their work...) and it contrasts well with Eliane Radigue's prepare-for-a-moon-landing meditation of Adnos. Great choices!

TCat: Alabama Shakes deliver us a kind of back-to-basics blues rock song, and yes what a voice to deliver it. Soul and emotion -great! But Arcane's My Mother is not the White Dove steals the show here for me. What a beautiful song! Great arrangements and production (a nice profound bass sound...) and the singing is wonderful too. Very different from the first, but both transfer emotion in a powerful way. Arcane is for me the highlight, though.

Snicolette: Interesting match of singer-songwriters. Michael Penn, the more modern pop-rock one while Owain Phyfe goes back in time with a more troubadour-like style. I actually don't know if Penn's song did something here in Europe, but listening to it it should have been a hit. Catchy song, great arrangements and playing... what's not to like? I also love the troubadour style of Phyfe. Never heard of him, but this one makes us time travel. Beautiful.

mathman: Interesting match of solo artists! Wonderful playing by Dmitry Lisenko, impressive to watch and a really good song just coming out of a bass guitar. Author & Punisher is intriguing. I don't like the growling, but musically it is to me very interesting: a kind of minimalist industrial tinge that appeals to me. Intriguing but I'm not sure if I also really like it, but it is good enough to want to explore more of him, just to find out.

suitkees: Crap! They just don't know how to play a cello and in the other one they're just caressing it...

Cristi: Ah, Place Vendôme really sounds good. It's rather straight forward hard rock to my ears, but it works for me - great singing and playing, well written song. Although not surprising it is very solid and captivating. Nicely paired up with Helloween's ballad Longing: a beautifully orchestrated song. Don't know from when this one is, but to me it's up to Helloweens' best.

dr_wu23: Great choices! Love this song by The Byrds: beautiful melody and playing and very romantic. Haven't heard this one since a long time and it is maybe one of their songs that I like most. Never listened much to the James Gang, but I also love this song, a typical late 60s early 70s song - I mean typical of what I like from that period: just great rock with nice organ playing in it. Nice to hear again, because it's not necesarilly something I turn back to often, nowadays.

Now scratching my head to decide which ones to vote for...

Honorable mentions include "Strange New World", "Hearts Ease" and "Everybody's Been Burned".

In the end I think I am not that much of a fan of voting for duos, because in many cases I like one song much better than the other.

-Tcats-You Aint Alone  and Mother Is Not... I like the Alabama Shakes....many of the new alt blues rock bands who are fun to listen to ...Mother Was...... not something I would get hooked on but still very interesting

-snicolette-No Myth and Hearts Ease.....I used to have that Penn lp...liked it..don't recall where it went after all this time..

the Hearts Ease trad ballad was beautiful..I like those old folk things , early lute songs, and madrigal type things... etc...

Don't worry, I got the joke about ctrl alt delete :)

Quite a lot of the music I listen to is often categorized as alternative or indie, but it's just not words I use very often.

I do still have that Medicine Show LP!  We do have a lot of the same musical taste, I'm always intrigued to see what you bring forth.  Glad you enjoyed "Heart's Ease."  As mentioned above, Owain's work is easily found if you want to listen to more.  

1) No Myth & Hearts Ease : angelic music

2) Grateful When You're Dead / Jerry... & Sir Psycho Sexy: very good elaborate and rhythmic music

3) You Ain't Alone & My Mother is Not the White Dove: heartland music, great performances

Honorable mention:

4) The Cynic & The Push: until the end competing for the bronze medal

Special mentions:

* Special mention by the critics for the noise avant-garde: 

** Special mention by critics for contemporary cultured music:

*** Special mention by critics for music that explores the boundaries of instrumental technique:

****Special mention by critics for music relaxes and lulls you into a state of receptive emptiness:

But every pair of songs was good.