Beacon From Mars

I am not religious. Not even a little. So when I listen to gospel music, there is naturally a gap between me and the people singing. But to be irreligious is not necessarily to be without a spiritual side, and music has always been my connection to it. I don't pretend to have answers-- for all I know, the intangible effects of music could be 100% chemistry or the handiwork of an involved god-- but I do know that music has strange powers. It can lift you up, if not to Heaven, then at least out of a funk; it can access places and emotions that you don't get to in daily conversation, regardless of what the singer is actually saying. It can be hopeful without saying anything hopeful, sad without saying anything sad, joyful without saying a word.More tangibly, music can activate the parts of the brain that govern movement, and here's where it gets really easy to ignore my differences with other belief systems and just get into someone else's groove. This weeks Beacon From Mars selection is a collection of funk and soul-influenced gospel music recorded between 1970 and 1985. It's also funky enough immediately to grab any listener with a taste for rhythm-- even if you don't roll with the boy Jesus, there's a good chance you can enjoy the storytelling and feel the sheer passion these performers put into their music. Right in the last song, the Victory Travelers deliver a screaming, devotional blast called "I Know I've Been Changed" that hinges on a key couplet heard in numerous funky gospel tunes: "I dropped in the water, the water was cold/ Chilled my body but not my soul." It's a powerful image and says a lot about the singer's faith without sanctimony.The body/soul divide is less clear-cut on the Golden Echoes' "Packing a Grip". A grip is of course a handbag-- what is she putting in that bag that she'll need in Heaven? Whatever it is, it's funky. Ada Richards is somewhat sly on her wailing number, "I'm Drunk and Real High (In the Spirit of the Lord)"-- replace the word "judge" with "love" in the first verse and you'd have a pretty dirty song on your hands. Likewise, the Sensational Five Singing Sons deliver a social protest song clothed in religious vestments on "Coming on Strong, Staying Along", referring to their faith as "a new gun" in the city. The call to "rise up" in Andrew Wartts & the Gospel Storytellers' "Peter and John" also directly echoes the conscious soul of the 60s and 70s, albeit in a different context-- it could be that the band was subtly sending one message to the faithful and another to the ghetto. "Peter and John" is a unique and highly entertaining casting of a story from the Book of Acts into a boiling funk setting that veers between start-stop passages and slinky J.B.'s-inspired street funk with palm-muted guitar and a light touch on the snare drum.These groups came from all over the eastern half of the U.S., and the array of styles included here is practically a cross-section of American soul and funk in the 70s. There's a power to the simple sound of that many people all working toward the same end, giving it all they've got (and sometimes singing a bit sharp in all the excitement), and it's one more reason you don't have to believe what they believe to love the music they made. Music's place in our society is always changing, but it's still the most viscerally powerful medium of expression we've ever devised, and beyond its message, this is music that reaches into those remote places that spark emotional-- and physical-- responses.Enjoy – tracklist below.01 - Pastor T.L. Barrett & The Youth For Christ Choir - Like A Ship02 - Ada Richards - I'm Drunk And Real High (In The Spirit Of God)03 - Gospel Comforters - Yes God Is Real04 - Golden Echoes - Packing A Grip05 - Lucy 'Sister Soul' Rodgers - Pray A Little Longer06 - Gospel Soul Revivals - If Jesus Came Today07 - Brother Samuel Cheatham - Troubles Of The World08 - Victory Travelers - I Know I've Been Changed

Welcome to episode 4 of Beacon From Mars, your weekly trip through the soaring heights and murky depths of dream pop, space rock, psych rock, shoegaze and ambient electronic. Headphones defo required!This week, we have 30 mins of pure electronic bliss, really chilled out, low tempo excellence.Starting this week is the legendary Ryuichi Sakamoto with fullmoon Sakamoto was  a Japanese musician, composer and actor who we sadly lost Sakamoto last month but his place in music history and greatness had already been long cemented. Sakamoto began his career in the mid 1970s, working as a composer, arranger and producer with some of Japan's most popular rock, jazz and classical artists. He released his first solo album in 1978 but came to fame as a member of Japanese synth-rock outfit Yellow Magic Orchestra with co-founders Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi. He collaborated with David Sylvian on a number of singles and most of Sylvian's albums. He appeared in the 1983 Nagisa Oshima film Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence alongside British rock singer David Bowie; he also wrote the film's musical score. He won the Academy Award for his score to the 1987 Bernardo Bertolucci film The Last Emperor. He also wrote soundtracks for Pedro Almodovar's film High Heels, and Oliver Stone's Wild Palms. Sakamoto was married to Japanese pianist and singer Akiko Yano, collaborating with her on some of her recordings. He was also known as a critic of copyright law, saying it is antiquated in the information age. It may well be, but musically, Sakamoto was always ahead of his time and his music can never be described as antiquated. A sad loss indeed and this episode is dedicated to him.We then have Eurasia by TENGGER. TENGGER is a traveling musical family, made up of a Pan-Asian couple, itta and Marqido, who create their brand of psychedelic New-Age drone magic through the use of harmonium, voice, and toy instruments (played by itta) and analogue synths (played by Marqido). The duo originally started out with the moniker “10” but since the birth of their son RAAI (who joins them on tour and often on stage) in 2012, have called themselves TENGGER (meaning ‘unlimited expanse of sky’ in Mongolian) to mark the expansion of the family. It also means ‘huge sea’ in Hungarian. Travel, as spiritual experience in real environments, and the sound between the space and the audience have been central themes of their works. The family’s yearly pilgrimages inform every aspect of their art.Then we hear Nxnx with Blame The Sky. Nxnx are an electronic and experimental band from Los Angeles, and their music is really incredibly beautiful. Following that, we hear Mannequin Metric from the wonderful Cavern of Anti-Matter who are a Berlin-based trio who use treated instruments and experimental electronics as the foundations of their Krautrock-indebted sound. Before forming the group with synth player/general electronic manipulator Holger Zapf in the winter of 2012, multi-instrumentalist Tim Gane and drummer Joe Dilworth spent years together recording and performing in the critically lauded kosmische pop group Stereolab.Then we have Adrien75 with Hawaiian Ring Drum Hum. Adrien75 is an experimental electronic artist from Oregon and I believe the key feature of his music, and why I hope he continues to create for years to come, is how his songs morph and flow, never repeating a “chorus” – always moving forward, pushing ahead and I feel he can always make something more interesting than before.Following is Dead Bandit with their song Valentine. A really lovely recent discovery of mine, Dead Bandit produce and release what I would decibe as ducky mantras. Their debut album, From The Basement, r​eaches to the earth for the malleable grit of post-rock while making the most of the broader sonic outlooks afforded by kosmische and electronic effects processes. Dead Bandit are Chicagoan songwriter Ellis Swan and Canadian multi-instrumentalist James Schimpl. Swan has previously released solo works including the stunning, inward-looking album ​I’ll Be Around​, a lo-fi Southern gothic dragging the husk of country ballads through battered signal chains. In Dead Bandit, Swan and Schimpl’s artistic vision casts its gaze outwards on a vast expanse, where the distortion has space to stretch its legs and the drums pound out into open space. There’s a common tonality at work here, the duos guitars telling a thousand hard-bitten tales where Swan’s voice falls silent. It’s no surprise to learn Swan and Schimpl’s reference points include Neil Young’s Dead Man soundtrack, SF noise rockers Chrome and the imperial work of the late, great Mark Sandman of Morphine. This tune is inherently experimental in nature, but not at the expense of its warmth and instant appeal.Wrapping up this week is Lazy Salon with Canteens. Lazy Salon is Sean Byrne from New Jersey, the former multi-instrumentalist & vocalist for the psych-pop/folk duo The Twin Atlas and the drummer with numerous Philadelphia bands including Lenola, Mazarin, BC Camplight and Audible. Sean now records future primitive sounds, instrumentals, and free-form house. Another great sound.Many thanks for listening. Tracklist below.Tracklist:-01 Ryuichi Sakamoto – fullmoon (2017, Async, Commmons Records)02 TENGGER – Eurasia (2020, Nomad, Bandcamp)03 Nxnx – Blame The Sky (2019, Blame The Sky, Distrokid)04 Cavern of Anti-Matter – Mannequin Metric (2020, In Fabric, Duophonic Ultra High Frequency Disks)05 Adrien75 - Hawaiian Ring Drum Hum (2018, Is Still Alive, Adrien75(BMI))06 Dead Bandit – Valentine (2021, From The Basement,                Quindi Records)07 Lazy Salon – Canteens (2018, Boot Magna (Tracks), LZY_SLN)

This is a first artist focus show and I’ve chosen none other than Jello Biafra to kick this off.8 songs from across his varied career to give you a sample of his work. Could have chosen any number of tunes, but the 8 I’ve gone for are listed below.Jello Biafra is the performing name of Eric Boucher, one of the founders and the lead singer of the punk band Dead Kennedys. He grew up in Boulder, Colorado and in 1977 went to California to attend college in Santa Cruz. After a short time he left school and got swept up in the punk music scene; in San Francisco he helped form Dead Kennedys in 1978 with East Bay Ray (guitar), Klaus Flouride (bass) and Ted (drums). The band's surprisingly accomplished musicianship helped make them one of the best-known American punk bands of the era, and Biafra's mix of political-prankster lyrics and stage theatrics, delivered in a high-pitched, nasal whine, made him a poster boy for the early punk movement. Songs that once stirred controversy are now considered classics: from "California Über Alles," a stab at then-governor Jerry Brown, to "Holiday in Cambodia," a sarcastic political rant that years later was wanted for a TV commercial for Dockers pants (Biafra turned down the offer and got sued by former bandmates for not promoting the band). The height of Dead Kennedys controversy came in 1986, when Biafra was arrested and charged with the distribution of "harmful matter," thanks to a poster enclosed in their album Frankenchrist (Penis Landscape, by Swiss painter H.R. Giger). After nearly two years the case was dismissed because of a hung jury, the band was dissolved and Jello Biafra had a new career as a free speech activist and spoken word performer. He also turned his attention to running his band's own record label, Alternative Tentacles, originally founded in 1979 but owned by Biafra since the mid-1980s. Still politically active, he ran in the New York state presidential primary in 2000 as the Green Party candidate.Thanks, hope you enjoy.Tracklist01 Jello Biafra - Rob Now Pay Later (Epic, 1996)02 Dead Kennedys - Holiday In Cambodia (Cherry Red, 1980)03 JB & The Guantanamo School Of Medicine - Panic Land (Alternative Tentacles, 2009)04 JB With D.O.A. - Wish I Was In El Salvador (Alternative Tentacles, 1989)05 JB With Mojo Nixon With The Toadliquors - Buy My Snake Oil (Alternative Tentacles, 1994)06 JB With NoMeansNo - The Sky Is Falling And I Want My Mommy (Alternative Tentacles, 1990)07 Tumour Circus - Hazing For Success (Alternative Tentacles, 1991)08 JB With The Melvins - Halo Of Flies (Alternative Tentacles, 2005)

Welcome to episode 2 of Beacon From Mars. This week, 30 mins non stop of another genre which I listen to daily, modern psych rock. It’s just an incredibly wonderful sound. Modern psychedelic rock is a genre with roots tracing back to the music and culture of the 1960s. Artists might differ in execution, but the songs aim to recreate the perception-altering effects of hallucinogenic drugs like LSD. Common motifs include experimentation, improvisation, and exaggerated sound and recording effects like feedback, long delay loops and reverb. Music has evolved since then, meaning modern psychedelic rock has become an umbrella term for artists who cross over into other rock subgenres like art rock, stoner rock, and alt-rock. Some of these bands might only incorporate elements of psychedelic rock into their music, rather than it being a consistent theme, so it could be misleading to define them as such.This week is 8 lesser known tunes (for some) which I really enjoy. I will defo have more shows with this sound and genre. So press play for an aural treat.Tracklist:-01 Sunflowers - Castle Spell (Only Lovers Records, 2018) - Sunflowers are a psych-punk/garage rock/surf duo from Porto, Portugal and this came from their 2nd album of the same name.02 Pretty Lightning - Willow Valley Blues (Fuzz Club Records, 2017) – Pretty Lightning are two friends from a small town in Germany and they have hit on an honestly impressive variation of Delta blues. When they summon a spooky drone, it’s been likened to the Amon Duul II hippy shake, but I hear something closer to Junior Kimbrough in its composure and hypnosis. They’ll hang on a single bobbling lick for a long time, and when it changes up, it’s both traditional and unexpected. This tune is from their 5th album, The Rhythm Of Ooze.03 Baby Jesus - Over and Over Again (Yippee Ki Yay Records, 2017) – Baby Jesus are a garage rock quintet from Halmstad, Sweden and this tune is from their 2nd album, Took Our Sons Away.04 Teevee – Static (Unknown, 2016) – Teevee were a psych rock band from Austin, Texas. The band changed its name to Wurve in 2018, following the release of a self-titles EP and follow-up EP Bask.05 Magic Shoppe – Salventius (Self Released, 2016) – A psychedelic rock/shoegaze band from Boston, MA and this tune was from a self-released 10” EP called Interstellar Car Crash.06 Wooden Indian Burial Ground - Styrofoam Factory (EXAG' Records, 2016) - Wooden Indian Burial Ground are a 4 piece psych/garage outfit from Portland Oregon who take influence from grey skies, early sci-fi novels, fuzz pedals and homemade drone boxes. This song is from their 3rd album called How's Your Favorit Dreamer?07 Driftwood Pyre - Take Me To Your God (EXAG' Records, 2015) – An American indie garage/ psychedelic rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, this is from their self-titled only album.08 The Black Heart Death Cult - Setting Sun (Oak Island Records, 2019) - The Black Heart Death Cult are a drone-rock psych-rock band from Melbourne, Australia who provide droney psych mantras, sonic opiates & space glazed kaleido fuzz jams for the all too new dark age. This tune is from their self titled debut album.

So this is the first of a new weekly half hour show to give you an aural treat.To kick us off, 30 mins of wonderful, raw 60s garage, a genre which I just can’t get enough of. I’m sure I’ll revisit this genre again frequently.Here we have 13 epic tracks starting with The Litter with Action Woman. The Litter were a garage rock and psychedelic band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, formed 1966 and this was here debut single released on Scotty Records.Following this, we have the wonderful Sonics with He’s Waitin’, taken from their 1966 album Boom released on Etiquette Records. The Sonics were formed in 1963 in Tacoma, Washington.We then have The Outcasts from San Antonio, TX, USA with I’m In Pittsburgh (And It's Raining) released in 1966 on Askel Records.Flash & The Memphis Casuals are next with the B Side to their 1966 single called Uptight Tonight released on Block Records.Teddy & His Patches from San Jose follow with their amusingly titled tune, Suzy Creamcheese, released in 1967 on Chance Records.The Sparkles were a US garage group from Levelland, TX, and here we have their 1967 Hickory Records release, No Friend Of Mine.We then hear The Music Machine with Talk Talk, released in 1966 on Original Records. The Music Machine were from Los Angeles, CA.After are the fabulous Mouse and The Traps with their absolutely amazing Maid Of Sugar—Maid Of Spice, from 1966 on Fraternity Records. They were a garage & psychedelic rock band from Tyler, Texas, USA and were awesome.Liar Liar by The Castaways follows and everyone likely knows this one. Released in 1965 on Soma Records, the Castaways were a teenage rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Originally thrown together to play at a fraternity party, if you know about the Castaways, then I’d say it officially makes you a hipster! JWe the have The moving Sidewalks with 99th Floor from 1967 on Tantara Records. The Moving Sidewalks were an American four piece psychedelic blues rock band from the late 1960s, from Houston, Texas, United States. They released several singles and an album, before bassist Don Summers and keyboardist Tom Moore were drafted into the army, bringing the band to an end. Guitarist Billy Gibbons and drummer Dan Mitchell then formed band ZZ Top.Moving on, we have Denise Kaufman, recording as Denise & Company with their only single, Boy, What'll You Do Then?, released on Wee Records in 1966.Second last is The Chob with theior only single We’re Pretty Quick from 1967 on Lavette Records.The Chob were a garage band from Albuquerque, New Mexico.Finishing this week we have Lindy & the Lavells with their 1967 song, You Ain't Tuff, released on Space Records. The band's frantic and dance-friendly rock made them the kings of the Albuquerque, NM, teen scene, and their popularity extended across the state.Well that’s the tunes from this week’s half hour slot. I guess when you play songs from the 60s, when they come in around just over 2 mins long, there are more tunes than other genres, but that’s the idea of the show.If you have any suggestions of genres you wish to hear, and a song you think we should all know from that genre, please comment and I’ll try and add to a future show.Thanks for listening. Enjoy the tunes and see you for show number 2 next week.Barry