Those which touched me

 

Those of you who have read me for a while will know I listen to a great deal of music. My tastes are broad, from rock to jazz, hip hop to blues, R&B to classical, opera to indie, and many genres in between. And I enjoy music from all over the world.

I listen to a lot of new albums and these are my fifteen favourites from those released in 2021 that came to my attention. Each one, in its own way, excited, moved, touched, impressed and delighted me.

They are not in any particular order:

Sons of Kemet – Black to the Future

Wolf Alice – Blue Weekend

Little Simz – Sometimes I might be Introvert

Arooj Aftab – Vulture Prince

Lana Del Rey – Chemtrails over the Country Club

Nubya Garcia – Source + We Move

St. Vincent – Daddy’s Home

Swindle – The New World

The Killers – Pressure Machine

Mdou Moctar – Afrique Victime

Lana Del Rey – Blue Banisters

Nick Cave & Warren Ellis – Carnage

Arab Strap – As Days Get Dark

London Grammar – Californian Soil

Self Esteem – Prioritise Pleasure

 

If you ever get a chance to listen to any of them, I hope you enjoy.

.

.

© the author writing as Romantic Dominant/Faded Romantic

Photograph found on the web, source unknown. If yours, please advise and I will remove or give credit.

 

 

This Year’s Music

 

A strange year.

Thankfully there is always new music.

For those of you who are interested (and there will not be many) these have been my favourite ten new albums of 2020.

There are many I am sure I have forgotten, and most of you will disagree with these.

But anyway ….

(in no particular order)

 

Universal Want – Doves

Rough and Rowdy Ways – Bob Dylan

Song for Our Daughter – Laura Marling

Imploding the Mirage – The Killers

Beyond the Pale – Jarv is

Night Chancers – Baxter Dury

On Sunset – Paul Weller

American Head – Flaming Lips

Women in Music Part III – HAIM

Every Bad – Porridge Radio

 

© the author writing as Romantic Dominant

Art by Andrew Atroshenko

 

My Life is Going On – La Casa de Papel

 

It is an age since I have shared music.

But actually this time I am sharing it with a TV recommendation, which is unusual for me.

If you have not been watching La Casa de Papel (Money Heist) then you are missing what I believe is one of the best thriller series for ages. For me, it is one of the best I have seen in my life. It has absolutely everything. It is a compelling drama, exciting, intelligent, emotional, unpredictable, fun, sexy, anti-establishment and completely addictive. It is directed by the talented Alex Pina. I have just started on what I believe is the final series (Series Four). I dread reaching the end.

Do give it a go if it sounds like your kind of thing. Watch it from the first series – you can’t dive in later on. It is on Netflix. But please watch it in the original Spanish (lovely language) with subtitles, not overdubbed. There is nothing worse, or more stupid, than overdubbing.

Back to the music. It was composed by Manel Santisteban, and the words were written by Cecilia Krull. I don’t know if it is a great piece of music or not.

But I now find it as addictive as the series.

.

.

This blog post © the author writing as Romantic Dominant

Music and video from the Netflix series La Casa de Papel (Money Heist)

 

My Life Is Going On

If I’m stayin’ with you, if I’m choosing wrong
I don’t care at all
If I’m losing now, but I’m winning late
That’s all I want

I don’t care at all
I am lost
I don’t care at all
I am lost

Now we need some space, ’cause I feel for you
And I wanna change
Growing up alone, it seems so short
I can’t explain

Whatever happens in the future, trust in destiny
Don’t try to make anything else even when you feel

I don’t care at all
I am lost
I don’t care at all
Lost my time, my life, it’s going on

I will be so strong, looking for a new version of myself
‘Cause now all I want is to be a part of my new world
Whatever happens in the future, trust in destiny
Don’t try to make anything else even when you feel

I don’t care at all
I am lost
I don’t care at all
I am lost

Why not have it all?
I am lost
Lost my time, my life it’s going on

 

My idea of hell

 

I often fill my Sundays with music.

Usually a rich and eclectic mix of sounds from all over the world.

Different genres, different, times, different countries.

I long ago realised that I like music the way I like people.

Diverse in age, sex and sexuality, ethnicity, colour, language and culture.

I realised too that my idea of hell is a place entirely populated by straight white people.

Like me.

 

 

NB  Obviously the painting represents more my idea of heaven than one of hell.

.

.

© the author writing as Romantic Dominant

Not brand new, but always true, and the way I often spend my Sundays

Art by Larry Poncho Brown

 

Last year’s music

 

I have been meaning to do this for months – well, two months anyway.

As you will know, I listen to a great deal of music. So I have decided to bore you with a list of my most enjoyed albums of last year (2019).

They are in no particular order – although Lana’s is probably the one I have played to death and Kate Tempest’s most inspired me.

Lana Del Rey – Norman Fucking Rockwell

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Ghosteen

Karen O & Danger Mouse – Lux Prima

Kate Tempest – The book of traps and legends

Sharon Van Etten – Remind me tomorrow

Elbow – Giants of all sizes

Lewis Capaldi – Divinely uninspired to a hellish Extent

Billie Eilish – When we all fall asleep, where do we go?

Michael Kiwanuka – Kiwanuka

Hozier – Wasteland, Baby!

 

I have probably forgotten one or two, and there are a few that, on another day I might have included.

I expect there are hundreds you will think I should have listed.

Perhaps I will do this again next year – if I am still here.

.

.

@ the author writing as Romantic Dominant

Art by Rosemarie Barnes

 

 

 

Firesmoke

 

Sometimes you hear something which completely stops you in your tracks. I actually pulled over and stopped the car the first time I heard it.

This piece of music/poetry has haunted me for a few weeks. It is by Kate Tempest, one of the UK’s most breathtaking and genre breaking poets.

It is a gorgeously romantic and sensual piece.

It has touched me deeply.

I will say no more. I will simply leave you to listen.

(this has been another of my ‘songs I like but you might not know’ posts)

.

.

Poetry and music © Kate Tempest

This blog © the author writing as Romantic Dominant

My visionary is a vision
I watch her dancing by the window
And it rips my flesh to ribbons
And the whole world is just ripples
In the middle distance
I listen to her hips
I push my kisses to her lips
We move like we were born to move
The night is teeth and pistons
And there is something in this tenderness that makes me want to live
 
Firesmoke
 
Her mouth sets free this captive
Come close to me
Free me
Let me untangle the madness that knots you
I drop to my knees and crawl across you
I tell you I’ve got you
It’s firesmoke
 
So go on, give me three days of your body and mine
Time is a blind eye and I see your mind in my mind’s eye
You make me immortal
You take me to space
You are a planet
A place I’ve not known
Your body is home to rare gods
I kneel at their temple
I’m blown to bits, gentle, ferocious
We are open
Explosives have nothing compared to these sparks
So let’s fall apart
And then lie with me, breathing in the den of the dark
It’s firesmoke
Your mouth sets free this captive come close to me
Free me
Untangle the madness that knots me
You drop to your knees, you crawl across me
You lick your lips softly, it’s firesmoke
 
The fire rises between us
And makes us get on the wrong trains
Walk the wrong way
Make strangers smile greetings on Lewisham way
I bathe in this fire
It warms without burning
Compels without force
And it turns without turning the world
So please, you keep your purpose
Your poise and your journey
I’ll be by the fire
Thinking, nothing I’ve learned can prepare me
For everything else that needs learning
Is this how it feels to feel certain?
Coz for so many years my love’s been a burden
But now comes this fire to cleanse and restore us to fuel us and calm us and push us both forwards


Source: https://songtexte.co/en/kate-tempest-firesmoke-lyrics-e36b52

 

My idea of hell

 

I often fill my Sundays with music.

Usually a rich and eclectic mix of sounds from all over the world.

Different genres, different, times, different countries.

I long ago realised that I like music the way I like people.

Diverse in age, sex and sexuality, ethnicity, colour, language and culture.

I realised too that my idea of hell is a place entirely populated by straight white people.

Like me.

 

 

NB  Obviously the painting represents more my idea of heaven than one of hell.

.

.

© the author writing as Romantic Dominant

Art by Larry Poncho Brown

 

 

Musical

 

I love music

It has been a constant joy throughout my life.

And my tastes are eclectic

Dirty, raunchy rock.

Desperate, yearning, aching blues.

Bold and brassy soul.

Eloquent, erudite jazz,

Opulent, rich, passionate opera.

Clever, cool classical.

Brave new country

Hypnotic trance,

Inspired indie,

Vibrant African,

Gorgeous Arabic,

Magical South American,

Fiery, Spanish flamenco,

Tortured French torch,

Powerful Portuguese Fado,

Earthy English Folk,

I love all kinds of music

Most of all.

I love music that reminds me of you.

.

.

© the author writing as Romantic Dominant

First posted this time three years ago. I realise that I missed plenty of genres and origins first time round : Indian, Caribbean, Grime. Soul, and hundreds of variations and fusions. It would be easier to list what I don’t like.

Portrait of Lana del Rey – provenance unknown

 

Lux Prima

 

Anyone who has followed my ‘ songs I like but you might not know’ series of posts will be aware that I listen to a lot of new music.

I do like ‘old familiar stuff’. But there is so much incredible music from every corner of the globe that I have never heard before, new and old. I just want to keep unearthing it.

This is new. It is Lux Prima off the album of the same name. It is a collaboration between Karen O (wonderful lead vocalist with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and Danger Mouse (Brian Burton – an incredibly talented producer, musician and songwriter who has worked with Gorillaz, Black Keys, Norah Jones, Adele, Beck … actually the list is too long to bother with – he created Gnarls Barkley with Ceelo Green for example)

Anyway. This collaboration is one made in heaven. It is one of the most compelling albums I have heard this year. Yes, I know it is only March, but I listen to a lot of albums, and I think it is going to be a favourite at the end of the year. It simply has everything I adore.

This is the opening track. It is nine minutes long – but worth every second. Also listen to Woman, and Redeemer. Powerful, emotional and sexy. No. Listen to all of it. And give it a chance. It might not be the kind of music you usually listen to, but it is more than worthy of your undivided attention.

.

.

Lux Prima performed by Karen O and Danger Mouse

© this post the author writing as Romantic Dominant

Lux Prima

Faithful
Sunshine
Faithful
Sunshine

No eyes open
No eyes closed
No smoke on your breath
No eyes closed
No sun on the glass
No darkness
No eyes
Nobody but you

I’m nowhere
I’m no one
I’m nobody
There’s nobody, but you
I’m nowhere
I’m no one
I’m nobody
There’s nobody, but you

We’re gonna stay up and ride
We’re gonna stay up and ride
We’re gonna stay up and ride
We’re gonna stay up and ride

No eyes open
No eyes closed
It’s not what you said
No eyes closed
No drops in the glass
No one listening
No sound
Nobody but you

I’m nowhere
I’m no one
I’m nobody
There’s nobody, but you
I’m nowhere
I’m no one
I’m nobody
There’s nobody, but you

No one listening
No sound
Nobody, but you

.

.

Songwriters: Sam Cohen / Brian Burton / Karen Lee Orzolek

Lux Prima lyrics © BMG Rights Management

 

Sweet Disposition

 

Recently I have been sharing songs I like that are brand new. This one isn’t. But I heard it again in the car yesterday after a long time, and it won’t leave me alone.

I am sure many of you will already know it.

The band is The Temper Trap, an Australian group formed in 2005. The song is Sweet Disposition, which is by far their most successful track, and was released in 2008/9. I’m not sure what else I can say about it except that it is rather beautiful, musically and lyrically.

If you have never heard it before, play it a few times, and immerse yourself in its warmth.

.

.

 this blog post © the author writing as Romantic Dominant

Sweet Disposition © written by Abby Mandagi / Lorenzo Sillito, performed by The Temper Trap

 

Sweet Disposition

Sweet disposition
Never too soon
Oh, reckless abandon
Like no one’s watching you
A moment a love
A dream aloud
A kiss a cry
Our rights
Our wrongs
A moment, a love
A dream aloud
A moment, a love
A dream, aloud

.

So stay there
‘Cause I’ll be coming over
And while our blood’s still young
It’s so young, it runs
And won’t stop ’til it’s over
Won’t stop to surrender

.

Songs of desperation
I played them for you
A moment, a love
A dream aloud
A kiss, a cry
Our rights
Our wrongs
A moment, a love
A dream aloud
A moment, a love
A dream aloud

.

Stay there
‘Cause I’ll be coming over
And while our blood’s still young
It’s so young, it runs
And won’t stop ’til it’s over
Won’t stop to surrender

.

And won’t stop ’til it’s over
Won’t stop ’til it’s over
Won’t stop ’til it’s over
Won’t stop to surrender