"when you wake up baby / no need to call me / I've been gone for days...."
This morning, while thoroughly enjoying the mischievous jazz dipped blender "Selfish Mind" by Newcastle UK based Sarah Johnsone it shifted my listless mindset, oozing dark soul toward the day's sunshine even though it was cloudy and raining. Oh, such is the power of music. I opened this little essay saying this track is a blender and it is. It incorporated a lot of sonics, genres and I feel 60's French pop, blues and jazz iterations, progressive rock fusions all filtered through an undercurrent of proto punk styles. The free form sway, the darting stabs of sound have a sense of whimsy of nuttiness too.
For me, just because of my station in life, my artistic lens that have seen so many artists for so many years have me sensing that Sarah and her collaborators share artistic DNA with late 70 and early 80's free form new wave and punk artists, a rainbow spectrum of many styles. Swing Out Sister's pop jazz straddle comes to mind or add a sax and some of Johnsone's impressions might feel like Lounge Lizards territory or maybe Lydia Lunch's proto punk infrequent but potent stabs into jazz improvisation or maybe the Buzzcocks frenetic musical breaks if Rickie Lee Jones' deeply expressive vocal countenance sat in for a time and, besides, I love how "Selfish Mind" goes all Jerry Lewis in the end.
Sarah says, “‘Selfish Mind’ is about falling out of love, and lacking the sincerity to admit it. The flow of the full piece is concurrent with the passing of time. It starts in a tender, warm fashion, and ends in a messy explosion, like many relationships. ”
Awwwwwww, life can be fine can't it.
-Robb Donker Curtius
https://open.spotify.com/artist/61Pdwa3XRWLlx8g1uq9OyA
https://www.instagram.com/sarahjohnsone/
Rising North East artist Sarah Johnsone’s alluring vocals may conjure the likes of Amy Winehouse with its loaded provocation and spacey vibe, but the Newcastle-based artist’s punchy sound has more in common with music makers Wet Leg, Siouxie and the Banshees and The Black Keys thanks to a defiantly angular alt. rock edge. Debuting as a solo artist, and gaining serious plaudits for wistful single Tonight – from Spotify's prestigious New Music Friday UK playlist to being featured on the soundtrack to Frank Berry’s seething drama movie, Aisha – Johnsone’s trajectory saw her partner with a full band and enter full-blown anthemic indie rock territory on second release Don’t Wanna Be Your Girl and perform at prestigious venues including Sage Gateshead and Ronnie Scott’s. Support slots with Prima Queen, CIEL, Swim School and She Drew the Gun followed, not to mention festival appearances at Victorious, Twisterella and Stockton Calling, helping to solidify Sarah Johnsone's place as one of the region's most exciting new acts - an opinion shared by BBC Music Introducing in the North East who made her one of their tips for 2023. From timeless influences to modern inspirations and lyrics which are indicative of life for a young woman in the North East, the juxtaposition of soulful yet urgent sounds comes from an upbringing of eclectic listening habits which span jazz and soul to R&B and blues, merging with later influences which come from a distinctly punk aesthetic.
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM
https://open.spotify.com/artist/61Pdwa3XRWLlx8g1uq9OyA
https://www.instagram.com/sarahjohnsone/
Rising North East artist Sarah Johnsone’s alluring vocals may conjure the likes of Amy Winehouse with its loaded provocation and spacey vibe, but the Newcastle-based artist’s punchy sound has more in common with music makers Wet Leg, Siouxie and the Banshees and The Black Keys thanks to a defiantly angular alt. rock edge. Debuting as a solo artist, and gaining serious plaudits for wistful single Tonight – from Spotify's prestigious New Music Friday UK playlist to being featured on the soundtrack to Frank Berry’s seething drama movie, Aisha – Johnsone’s trajectory saw her partner with a full band and enter full-blown anthemic indie rock territory on second release Don’t Wanna Be Your Girl and perform at prestigious venues including Sage Gateshead and Ronnie Scott’s. Support slots with Prima Queen, CIEL, Swim School and She Drew the Gun followed, not to mention festival appearances at Victorious, Twisterella and Stockton Calling, helping to solidify Sarah Johnsone's place as one of the region's most exciting new acts - an opinion shared by BBC Music Introducing in the North East who made her one of their tips for 2023. From timeless influences to modern inspirations and lyrics which are indicative of life for a young woman in the North East, the juxtaposition of soulful yet urgent sounds comes from an upbringing of eclectic listening habits which span jazz and soul to R&B and blues, merging with later influences which come from a distinctly punk aesthetic.
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