B-Side of Life

 Magical and electrifying release by the duo Lightning Bolt. Originally a trio in the 90's, Lightning Bolt became a duo made up of Brian Chippendale on drums and vocals and Brian Gibson on bass. They have been throughout the years, an institution of noise rock fused with some elements of free jazz, punk, speed metal and who the hell knows what more that creates an authentic and unique kind of sound. Fantasy Empire slashes through all the way with simmering and frantic energy that is both enchanting as it is relentless. Sublime savage drumming meshed with vocal loops and manic riffing make up for the epic songs that lay within the 2xLP. Incredible. 

  Rockwell is the alias of Kennedy William Gordy the son of Motown records founder Berry Gordy. The artist changed his name and signed on to Motown records without his father's knowledge, all of it to avoid claims of nepotism. Even though, his persistence, his two studio albums, "Captured" (1985) and "Genie" (1986) were not hits and slipped under the radar. This single contains the most approximate thing to a hit single that Rockwell had, called "He's a cobra". Side A features the song "He's a cobra" with some harmonizations and melodies reminiscient of Michael Jackson who actually collaborated in Rockwell's first single "Somebody's watching me". "He's a cobra" has the typical 80's electronic funk vibe to it and Rockwell's vocals are harmonious enough. Side B features an instrumental version of the same song and "Change your ways" a more mellow kind of tune. All in all a pleasant singl...

 Energetic single by Zebra (not to be confused with the hard/heavy band with the same name) a french ensemble that played disco with very strong funk and soul leanings. Side A of the single belongs to C.I.A, a danceable song with female and male choir vocals which harmonize all through the beats of classic disco. Side B is Baby Dancer, a track suffused with some groovy beats and a pleasant female voice. All around solid classic disco. 

  Uprising is the final studio album by Bob Marley & The Wailers and is packed with well-crafted songs. There is an element of spirituality and positive vibes which will magically better your day if you are receptive and tuned for that. "Redemption song" is magic. 

  Classic album by Marianne Faithfull, released in 1979 after a long-term absence. It is the seventh studio album and is considered her most important record, with Marianne Faithfull herself calling it her "masterpiece". The album is much inspired new wave rock infused with punk and blues. 

  Released three years after the classic album "Songs in the key of life", this album serves as a soundtrack for a documentary directed by Walon Green. It's an enchanting album, with synth-based songs with amusing titles and also a beautiful acoustic ballad, "Send One Your Love", and other treasures.

  Bright and cheerful compilation of a couple of hits by The Monkees. The band started out in the 60's through an idea of two producers, Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider who wanted a music group for a tv show. It was a hit, and merchandising of the band started flooding the market making  The Monkees officially a brand. Despite being industry manufactured, The Monkees collaborated with several talented songwriters like Neil Diamond and Carole King. Enjoyable compilation iniatially released in Germany that I acquired cheap and that showcases most of The Monkee's hits. 

  Icehouse are an australian band formed in Sydney in 1977,iniatially known as Flowers. The band achieved mainstream success during the 80's playing a unique type of new wave infused with synth pop. This is the second studio album by the band, released in 1982, it started as a solo recording by Icehouse founder, Iva Davies. The result is a charming new wave, synth pop infused set of songs. 

  The Three Degrees is a female vocal group formed on 1963 in Philadelphia and one of the diffusers of philadelphia soul. This is their debut album released on 1973 and includes three singles, "Dirty ol' man", "year of decision" and "When will I see you again" which propelled them into stardom. 

  Very haunting and dreamlike album by japanese composer and synth player. Tomita was born in Japan on 1932 and is considered one of the pioneers of electronic music. This album features electronic interpretation and renditions of classical music pieces. This album received 4 grammy nominations and is an influential electronic work. 

  Beatnicks foi uma banda portuguesa criada em 1965 e que passou por várias fases tanto a nível de formação como de sonoridade. No início, a formação era composta por João Ribeiro e Manuel Paulo que efectuaram alguns concertos mas nunca chegaram a registar qualquer álbum. Seguidamente, em 1971 há a inclusão de mais elementos na banda como Ribeiro, Rui Pipas, Mário Ceia e José Diogo. A nova formação elegeu o inglês como língua oficial e uma sonoridade próxima do hard-rock. Mais tarde, a banda segue uma vertente mais rock progressiva, próxima de Genesis, Yes e outras bandas do género. É nesta fase também que ingressa no grupo Lena d'Água. Este single é gravado na fase anos 80 do grupo já sem Lena d'Água. O single composto por duas canções, não conquistou muita popularidade mas é reflexo de uma das viragens sonoras do grupo que demonstra a sua polivalência. Blue Jeans e Magia são cantadas e interpretadas em português e fazem parte, se bem que nas margens, do rock português dos ano...

 The Trammps were based out of Philadelphia and one of the first disco/funk/soul bands. "Soul searchin' time" is a very danceable song with harmonious vocals, ranging from bass vocals to baritone and its 6 minute long duration has several layers and progressions that make for an epic journey back to the 70's fever disco. "Love is a funky thing" is an instrumental song and way more mellow and it's almost near to impossible not being carried way by the vibe of the electric guitar. 

  Two songs single by The Friends of Distinction, a soul quartet formed in 1969 in Los Angeles. The popular soul ballad “Going in Circles” achieved popular acclaim and popularity after its release and rose high on the charts. “Let yourself go” is a bit groovier and funkier and displays all the vocal power of the ensemble. The song “Going in Circles” has been covered by Isaac Hayes among other bands and artists. They were active until 1975. 

 Very groovy and danceable hit Trouble-Maker by singer Roberta Kelly. The track was written and produced by Giorgio Moroder and Pete Belotte. It reached and gained enormous popularity when it was released in 1976. The second song is The Family, a more mellow disco sound with some catchy and funky bass lines and harmonious backup instrumentals. Roberta Kelly also did backup vocals for Thelma Houston and Donna Summer. 

 The Mirror was the only album of the band without vocalist and keyboardist Mike Harrison who left to pursue a solo career and was then replaced by Mike Patto. The album was released in 1974. It would be Spooky Tooth’s last album and it packs a sound reminiscent of 70’s Deep Purple or Uriah Heep.  A heavy mix of hard rock with strong prog rock leanings and with an uncanny pop sensibility, The Mirror appeals to the hard-rocker as well as the fans of more cerebral psych rock.