#MWE February 2023
The awesome Twitter hashtag returns - & so does my Substack!
[Peter Gabriel voice] Hi there!
I returned to my beloved #MWE this past month, but I know that some of you don’t use the blue-bird platform, so here’s a compilation - now on Substack! (Hopefully this will help provide the kick I need to get back to Substacking regularly, too.)
This month’s notes: Theme Week (13-19) (which is always the second full week of the month) is devoted to non-binary artists. I scattered lots of others throughout the month, with the intent of half of the days being devoted to records by NB folx. The second Sunday of the month (this month, the 12th) is always an explicitly Christian record, the 25th is always Christmas, and I generally try to include a live document as well (the 26th). The 27th two-fer is of artists who opened for the first week of Willi Carlisle’s Spring 2023 tour - he’s a sensational queer folksinger, singing songs about queer lives/love, and you should definitely check him out, esp. his 2022 album Peculiar, Missouri.
re the “last year’s leftovers” section, I never finished the month of #MWE in 2022, but still had the Google Doc with everything in it, so I went ahead and finished up the planned-but-never-written/posted tweets this year. Last year was a Theme Month of all albums from 1982, ergo the “24+82” nomenclature.
Also, I’ve decided, like I did in 2020 (which was, what, 25 years ago?) to keep this going; we’ll see how long. I’ve got the next few months already laid out, with emphases on more recent/new music (2020s) and lots of country/adjacent stuff, as I’m in the midst of some pretty profound “there’s so much great non-commercial country, folk, bluegrass, Americana, et.al. being made” discovery. And especially especially queer country, because representation fucking matters.
Pick hits: country singer Adeem the Artist, spoken-word-er Kae Tempest, polymath Shamir, and the debut albums by Jeff Beck (!) and Heart. Must to avoid, sadly, because I’m rooting hard for them and am happy for their successes: Sam Smith.
John Lee Hooker and Canned Heat, Hooker ‘n Heat (1971): Chugga chugga chugga chugga. I prefer the material w/Heat to the solo Hooker, if only b/c it’s got more groove - & frankly, the Heat could boogie like nobody’s bizness. Classic blues w/ an early ‘70s rock twist.
Stacy Lattisaw & Johnny Gill, Perfect Combination (1984): Not just Stacy and Johnny, but Narada, & that’s the key. He produced the whole LP, cowrote 6/8, and this v def sounds like it. Mostly mid/uptempo R&B of its time. Its singers sound great of course.
Carole King, Thoroughbred (1976): Last Lou Adler-helmed LP was final top 10 (6!) of her phenomenal ‘70s run, w/ all the hallmarks you’d expect: piano-fwd, tasteful prod, beautiful vocals (& harmonies from some famous friends). Songs occ lesser but still strong overall.
Shamir, Heterosexuality (2022): WHOA. Some serious taking-back-my-power queer lyrical wizardry - “Cisgender” just about, genuinely, took my breath away on 1st listen - melded w/ both indie rock squall & electro-pop sonics. This is artistry on a crazy high level.
JD Samson & MEN, Labor (2013): A little electroclash, a little all-the-indie-dance-from-the-early-2010s, and a lot standing in place. Perfectly fine and perfectly unmemorable.
Earl Klugh/Bob James, Two of a Kind (1982): 2 of the fathers, & titans, of smooth jazz team up for a 2nd time on an album that spotlights them well (they self-produced). The worst thing you can say is that it’s tasteful. But I like tasteful, I like the way each plays, & I like this plenty.
Dead or Alive, Fan the Flame (Part 1) (1990): A great house-pop record, w/ both ‘80s hi-NRG and early ‘90s piano house vibes. Pete Burns, a true icon, sounds great, as does the pairing of his downbeat lyrics with the uptempo beats. Far better than I’d expected.
Rebbie Jackson, Centipede (1984): If you like ‘80s pop&b that kinda sounds like karaoke tracks w/ a singer who sounds like someone doing karaoke on a bunch of mediocre songs - plus MJ’s title track donation, and “I Feel for You” (really!) - have I got an LP for you.
Jeff Beck, Truth (1968): His “solo” debut tells you everything: exquisite, fiery playing, not hot licks but something much more precise, while still v v soulful. & the way he led his eponymous group! You’ll barely recognize Rod here. What blues-rock should be. RIP. 9b. Blind Faith (1969): Even as a devout non-fan of Winwood and Clapton, I wanted to like this, & it has highlights (“Can’t Find My Way Home” is a classic for a reason), but overall their sole album engages too much in the same old hoary ‘60s Brit-rock clichés.
Gloria Groove, O Proceder (2017): Unfortunately, this Brazilian sounds just as I feared, like a drag queen (which they are) rapping on mid, mostly dancey tracks. This gives me hard RuPaul’s Drag Race vibes, and musically speaking, that’s never a positive.
Cidny Bullens, Desire Wire (1978): A v solid late ‘70s rock record with good roots: Bullens came up singing w/ the likes of Rod and Elton, and sounds like a pro here. His lead guitar & vocals are strong, as are many of these songs, esp opener “Survivor.”
11b. Tuxedomoon, Desire (1981): From the 15-min opener, I’m all “What IS this?” Incredibly avant-garde, turn-of-’80s art music, yet surprisingly cohesive, from synth throb to almost contemporary classical/jazz. Fascinating, albeit a bit too long & too clever-clever.
11c. Third Day, Wire (2004): A harder-rocking Hootie & the Blowfish - really. Mac Powell has a big, throaty voice, the kind of which was v in vogue in the ‘90s/’00s (I don’t wanna say it’s like Chad Kroeger, but…) (though it’s better), that matches this BIG material.Richard Smallwood Singers, Psalms (1984): Contempo-sounding (for ‘84) gospel ensemble music, all anchored by Smallwood: he wrote all songs, produced, co-mixed, plays keys, and sings leads on 3/9. It’s good, but doesn’t really stand out in its genre. Uptempos > ballads.
Kae Tempest, The Line Is A Curve (2022): I’ve liked poet/spoken-word artist Tempest whenever I’ve heard them, & this doesn’t disappoint. They get superb assist from long-time prod Dan Carey, who understands what kind of musical settings will most augment their words.
Janelle Monáe, Dirty Computer (2018): What a horny album. I don’t hear quite as much Prince in them as many do, but it’s definitely funky. “Screwed” (w/ rap from Zoë Kravitz!) is a standout; singles “Pynk” (w/ Grimes, ugh) and “Make Me Feel” are a bit rote. Fine for what it is.
Dua Saleh, Nūr EP (2019): Woozy rap-singing over kinda minimalist tracks, but their vocals are, frankly, *too* woozy. Saleh comes off mush-mouthed, and not in the charming BIG way but in a “these vocals weren’t well-recorded” way. I like the beat of “Kickflip,” though.
Demi Lovato, Holy Fvck (2022): Their pop-punk-slash-emo album is painfully derivative; Courtney Love should call her lawyers re “SKIN OF MY TEETH.” I appreciate that Lovato is releasing raw emotions here, but their ALL-CAPS, constantly screamy songs are… not good.
Mo’Ju, O.K. EP (2021): Lo-fi, smartly synthetic soul with lots of fascinating details (keyboard squiggles, use of reverb, acoustic instrumental touches) and thoughtful lyrics, sung by a singer who knows how to wring a lot of emotion and ache out of their voice.
Psychic TV, Alienist (2016): Not what I expected from their finalé, & kinda great. “Jump…” starts as a boogie (!), floats off, loops back, Genesis howling away. On the 11:51 space-rock dirge “Looking…” they sound like Burroughs. Then grungy rawk and electronics!
Semler, Preacher’s Kid EP (2021): Powerful folky EP about growing up in the church as a queer kid; I can certainly relate. (“Youth Group,” wow.) These songs, in demo form, have a beautiful, ghostly quality, spotlighting lyrics & vocals. Listen, understand, feel.
Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, The Message (1982): A great debut. Besides the classic title cut, there’s hot post-disco and electro undergirding pretty good raps, smart sample choices, even live horns! Subsequent versions incl the epochal “Wheels of Steel.”
Hikaru Utada, First Love (1999): One of J-pop’s biggest stars ever made their debut with a checking-all-the-boxes straight-down-the-middle album: some pure pop (incl. blah ballads), some house-pop, some watered-down R&B. Sums up as ultra generic teen-pop, v. Britney-esque.
Heart, Dreamboat Annie (1975): The best of ‘70s rock radio in a 40-min package. Some Zep-esque material, sure, but “Sing Child” is ~Aerosmith, and the acoustic-rooted likes of the title track and “I’ll Be Your Song” sound uniquely Heart. An impressive, deep start.
Sam Smith, Gloria (2023): I root hard for Smith, the most high-profile NB person in music, but I question their taste level. “Unholy”’s a meme in search of a song; they unfortunately love slushy ballads & self-help lyrics. At least “I’m Not Here…” embraces sluttiness.
Princess (1986): Stock Aitken Waterman do R&B, with a great singer fronting it all: everyone (mostly) wins! There’s a few boilerplate tracks, but “I’ll Keep on Loving You” & “Say I’m Your #1” are exactly the glories that my brain hoped for upon hearing “SAW R&B.”
Bobby Womack, Traditions (1999): For his 1st [Xmas tree emoji] LP, Womack went trad: 15/17 are covers, from “White” to “Wonderland” and “Rudolph.” Most successful are the songs where he can let a bit loose, incl. those by Hathaway and O’Jays; sentimentalism gets the best of him.
The Dukes of September, Live at Lincoln Center (2014): Fagen, McDonald, and Scaggs make quite a towering supergroup; this 2012 tour doc doesn’t disappoint. Hits from all 3, smart covers (“That Lady”! “Love TKO”!), incredible musicianship all over. “Pretzel Logic” RIPS.
Adeem the Artist, White Trash Revelry (2022): Tr. 4 (home of album’s title) is where I realized their songwriting, singing, & arr remind me more than anything of a queer Steve Earle. The storytelling in these songs is *chef’s kiss*, as is Adeem’s honkytonkin’ musical aesthetic.
27b. Cole Ritter and the Night Owls, Between the Hours of Dusk and Dawn EP (2022): A former Idol contestant goes it Western Swing & late-night country w/ stellar results. These cats can play both hot & cool, Ritter has a sly ‘50s Elvis vibe, lead & slide both kill, songs seduce.Zapp (1980): Co-prod by Bootsy, & obv there’s a strong P-Funk influence, but the Troutmans moved past that, damned near inventing electro-funk. Beyond “More Bounce,” the influence of compatriots Ohio Players (“Freedom”) is loud. The sound of funk moving into the '80s.
Last year’s leftovers:
24+82 Julio Iglesias, Momentos (1982): This all-Spanish-language international smash (3x platinum in Japan!) is smoooooth adult pop (it’s his métier, c’mon) that’s sung so beautifully it’s ridiculous. There’s nothing challenging here, but music doesn’t always have to be.
25+82 Merle Haggard, Goin’ Home for Christmas (1982): His 2nd holiday LP sounds mostly like you’d expect a [Xmas tree emoji] country record of this era to - it’s all a bit treacly, but Hag’s in v strong voice. Weirdly, all originals are new versions of tracks from his superior ‘73 [Xmas tree emoji] LP.
26+82 Sharon Redd, Redd Hott (1982): Mostly hot post-disco/boogie is the order of the day here, with Redd’s hot (sorry, not sorry) vocals atop percolating dancefloor tracks. The Prelude label had a distinct aural identity in the early ‘80s, and Redd was at its center.
27+82 Reba Rambo, Lady Live (1982): Whoa. The singular female superstar of CCM as it was still becoming, w/ a remarkable voice, her band & material not far behind. “He Gave Me Music” opens things as a statement of intent - both faith-wise and vocally - and this never slows.
[Make sure you read Tim’s article from 2021 for more context!]28+82 Kool & the Gang, As One (1982): Their last before a hard turn to straight-up pop (‘83’s In the Heart) continues to smooth out their funk/soul. Punchy horns persist. “Street Kids” swings (they had a knack), “Big Fun” yes, reggae-ish “Let’s Go Dancin’” no no no.