New To Spark Radio:
The Claudettes: Kept Them In The Dark
Shungudzo: It’s a good day (to fight the system)
Luka Kloser: Stuck
The Marias: Hush
Hurry: It’s Dangerous
Cautious Lovers: Cosmic Guilt
Cold War Kids: What You Say
Sleater Kinney: Method
Hola pop pickers, I’m on the road again, and have been in Philadelphia this week to see my son and daughter graduate high school, and have been working out of one of the coolest radio stations anywhere WXPN, home of the NPR syndicated show “World Cafe” As I was beginning to write this week’s post, I asked my mate Bruce Warren who runs the place to hip me to a couple of suggestions for new tracks form Philly bands, you’ll find his picks from Hurry and Cosmic Guilt among this week’s adds.
SPOTLIGHT
The Claudettes: Kept Them In The Dark
Chicago’s The Claudettes have evolved through a number of incarnations since their inception in 2014. From French bubblegum yé-yé interpretations of original vocalist Yana on their first album and morphing into the sultry cabaret of current vocalist Berit Ulseth on their 2018 LP Dance Scandal at the Gymnasium, and their 2020 release “High Times In The Dark”. That album scored an LA Weekly album of the week.
“The band refers to their sound as “garage cabaret” and that fits beautifully. ’High Times in the Dark’ is The Claudettes’ fifth album, and it’s an absolute gem. The key is the punk-blues piano of Johnny Iguana blended with the gorgeous vocals of future breakout star Berit Ulseth. The band is composed of super talented musicians, but damn, Ulseth’s voice, her work here is captivating. There’s no filler here, enthralling. It’s a record that ends and you want to hit ‘play’ again. Don’t resist.”
“Kept Them In The Dark” which didn’t make that album got it’s own single release this spring. The band’s Johnny Iguana actually sent me the song just a few days ago with this note. “The track lays ’60s James Bond Theme guitars over menacing music that feels like a strong storm heard from a pitch-black basement. Behind the dark, heavy 7/4 groove of “Kept Them in the Dark” lies something even more sinister. This song is for the countless victims of rich-get-richer/poor-get-poorer economic policies which are banged into law by grinning demons with gavels. The lawmakers know there are victims. But still, they leave them in the dark.” Take a listen, and as the group ready themselves to finally tour last year’s album this fall, check and see if they’re coming to your neighborhood as they add shows.
