Paul Schiernecker

Author: Paul

  • Music jar – week 19

    Week. Jar. Band.

    This week was the go of self-described Texan “boy band”, Brockhampton.

    What I Knew Before: Very little. The recommendation came from my Twitter friend Daisy (hi) who offered the band up when I was compiling my list in late 2019. I know they were due to play gigs in the UK and I’m now gutted that I’m not going to see them.
    What I Know Now: They released their first mix-tape in 2016 and then THREE albums in 2017. They’re led by Kevin Abstract (great name) who has also put out some compelling solo stuff. Reading up on them, it sounds like an amazing experience to be a part of a collective like Brockhampton. They all bring something different and clearly work together well.
    Favourite song(s): FACE, NO HALO, SUGAR.
    Favourite album: iridescence

  • Music Jar – week 18

    Every week, I listen to an artist that I’ve never taken the time with before. This week was the turn of Gloucestershire’s own FKA twigs.

    What I Knew Before: I was aware of FKA twigs (and yes, that’s lowercase on purpose) more for her amazing performance in Honey Boy and her relationship with Robert Pattinson, where from what I can tell, she helped make him a lot cooler. As a result of her performance in Honey Boy, I mistakenly assumed she was American.
    What I Know Now: twigs is a bit of a powerhouse. She’s one of those incredible people who seems capable of turning her hand to anything and to do it on her own terms. She put her own EP out on Bandcamp and then made videos for each of the tracks. She’s trained as a dancer. She can act.
    Her musical style is a combination of electronica, R&B and hip-hop. Her vocals reminded me slightly of Bat For Lashes, but that’s because my understanding of the genre is so limited.
    Favourite song(s): cellophane, mary magdalene, Hours.
    Favourite album: It’s a tough call between LP1 and MAGDALENE but I think the former takes it.

  • Music Jar – week 17

    Every week, I take a band or artist from the jar and listen to their back catalog in an attempt at widening my musical knowledge.
    This week was the turn of emo Jersey Boys, My Chemical Romance.

    What I Knew Before: I was very much aware of MCR prior to this project. At the height of their fame, I did what I could to avoid them, changing channels whenever the videos for Helena, I’m Not Okay (I Promise) or Ghost Of You came on Kerrang TV. I even saw them live, when they supported Muse at their Wembley gig in 2007. As memory serves me, I went with my then girlfriend and rolled my eyes through the entire set. I wasn’t an emo kid. I was put off of a number of bands by the people who were into them. I like to think that people’s tastes are a lot more rounded now but at the time I was an elitist indie kid who didn’t understand what it was that MCR were doing.
    What I Know Now: I missed out by being so short-sighted in my tastes. By lumping an entire genre of music together, I didn’t know one of the most important bands of the twenty-first century when they were right in front of my face.
    The things that MCR were doing are only now being rolled out on a wider scale. In their excellent documentary; Life On The Murder Scene, they call other bands and musicians out for abusing their positions of power to take advantage of young, female fans. The reason that rock music has grown tired and want to bring some of the fun and pantomime back to it. They celebrate their own soapbox by making powerful statements about isolation, addiction and mental health. I read that statement back and wonder what there isn’t to love about My Chemical Romance.
    The way Gerard Way approached songwriting and fronting a band remains unique. He thinks in comic book terms, his first love, and one that he has cemented through his incredible work creating The Umbrella Academy. He knew that he didn’t want to waste the opportunity that was his own life so pulled together a group of friends to form a band. His lyrics tell stories and his confident world-building is bombastic, crazed and colourful. You can feel his love and torture through his songs.
    This is combined with the wild thrashing of Frank Iero and Ray Toro, two of the best guitarists I’ve ever watched play. His kid brother, Mikey Way, plays bass and offers support in a way only a sibling can and their eventual drummer (they had previous), Bob Bryar, built something steady into their wild and wired world.
    What MCR did with each album is identify what they wanted and grow into it. They provided a voice and an outlet for a lot of disconnected kids. The value that they added is unfathomable.
    I have shared the name of my artist of the week on social media for seventeen weeks now. It speaks volumes that the biggest reaction to my announcement was for My Chemical Romance. I dedicate this week to the MCR-my and the Killjoys.
    Favourite song(s): Skylines and Turnstiles, Early Sunsets Over Monroeville, Helena, I’m Not Okay (I Promise), I Don’t Love You,  Mama, Teenagers and Blood.
    Favourite album: There’s no question about it, The Black Parade is not just their best album but one of the best concept albums I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to.

    Spotify my favourite songs from this project.

  • Music Jar – week 16

    Like Groundhog Day, but every week, I take an artist’s name from a pickle jar and listen to their back catalogue. It’s better than facing the inevitability of the news.
    This week I had the exquisite pleasure of listening to British singer-songwriter, David Gray.

    What I Knew Before: I knew Babylon and therefore I knew White Ladder. I also knew “O” but this turned out to be by Damien Rice.
    What I Know Now: David Gray is from Sale, Cheshire. He has a lot of studio albums as well as a number of live performances available on his Spotify. I am fairly sure that if I ever got the opportunity to see him live then I would cry. I have no doubts that he will be an artist I continue to listen to and maybe I should have listened to certain people and got here sooner.
    Favourite song(s): This is difficult because there is so much material. The obvious ones are This Year’s Love, Babylon and Sail Away. I liked Shine and Birds Without Wings from A Century Ends and Faster, Sooner, Now from Sell, Sell, Sell. His cover of Buckets of Rain was lovely. Some of the tracks on Gold in a Brass Age reminds me of Bon Iver. I’m working on a theory that it was his reaction to 22, A Million.
    Favourite album: I’m going to do the obvious thing and not say White Ladder, and that’s because the way he sounds on A Thousand Miles Behind is raw and sublime.

    I’ve started a Spotify playlist where you can listen to my favourite songs across this project: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vjalT7B0EFZOv0k3610CX?si=pI1ivFnORwGXKYW8jbjqjA

  • Music Jar – week 15

    At the start of 2020, not realising what a hotbed of disease it was going to be, I started a fun project inspired by The Larson House. I took the names of 52 musicians or bands that I didn’t know enough about, and I put their names in a pickle jar. Each week, I take a name out and listen to them as much as possible for that week. This week was the go of Canadian soothsayer and prophet, Leonard Cohen.

    What I Knew Before: My knowledge of Leonard Cohen was very much missing. I knew he had a song about the Chelsea Hotel, but only because it had come up when I was obsessed with the Chelsea. I also knew that I would probably really dig him. He very much felt like a musician’s musician.
    What I Know Now: It’s probably for the best that I’ve only hit upon Leonard Cohen now that I have grown slightly into my tastes and don’t cling to every word they’ve written like a lost fanboy of anything I can possibly find. If I had found Cohen ten years ago then I would have been an insufferable fan. The fact remains that listening to him this week has not had the impact that it once would have done but I am grateful for the opportunity. I struggle to think of anyone else who has written about the human condition in the way that Cohen was able to capture. The way he talks about religion or death or sex (my Starter For Ten in a lot of conversations) is so beautifully eloquent that it makes me sad to know he was taken in The Great Cultural Wipeout of 2016.
    Favourite song(s): Hallelujah (even if I prefer the Jeff Buckley version and will not apologise), So Long Marianne, Happens To The Heart and You Want It Darker.
    Favourite album(s): Well, it’s all of an uncompromising standard but there’s something Waits-esque about the latter day Cohen that I cling to. Give me You Want It Darker and Thanks For The Dance any day.

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  • Music Jar – week 14

    At the start of the year, I put the names of 52 artists into a jar. Each week, I take one out and focus on that musician, singer or band. This week I had the absolute pleasure of listening to Memphis’s own, soul sen-goddamn-sation, Aretha Franklin!

    What I Knew Before: It’s pretty hard not to at least be familiar with Aretha. The woman was (I’ve found out this week that she’s dead) a powerhouse performer with a legacy of songs that are a force to be reckoned with. I knew her best for her performance of Think in Blues Brothers and unfortunately from the version of Respect in Blues Brothers 2000.
    What I Know Now: There are a lot more Aretha songs that I knew and didn’t necessarily associate with her. Her version of Son of a Preacher Man is something else.
    I also watched Amazing Grace, the 2018 documentary show of her 1972 show at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles.

    Favourite song(s): All the big hitters I suppose; I Say A Little Prayer, Respect, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, Think, Preacher Man, Chain of Fools, You Send Me.
    Favourite album(s): Everything from The Electrifying Aretha Franklin through to Runnin’ Out of Fools is damn near perfect.

    This is unprecedented in the fourteen weeks I’ve been posting my music jar listens, but please, watch this. Everything about it is incredible. What a woman.

     

  • Music Jar – week 13

    Each week, inspired by The Larson House, I put 52 artists in a jar. Each week, I take one name out and dig down into their discography. This week was the turn of North Shields cutie-patootie, Sam Fender.

    What I Knew Before: I saw Sam Fender last summer at a BST gig in Hyde Park. He opened for Neil Young and Bob Dylan. I was impressed with what I heard but didn’t take the time to listen afterwards. It was for this reason that he made the cut for the Music Jar.
    What I Know Now: Sam Fender is also an actor, having appeared in the first episode of the British drama series Vera as well as in season one, episode six of Wolfblood in 2012. This is pretty impressive considering he is still so young. Sam Fender’s debut album, Hypersonic Missiles, released in September 2019, reached number one in the UK.
    I really enjoyed having the time to listen to Sam Fender. It helped to distract from everything else going on in the world. On a couple of occasions I’ve got out the house for a run and it has been a welcome accompaniment. I can imagine this becoming a regular listen for me.
    Favourite song(s): Hypersonic Missiles, Call Me Lover, White Privilege.
    Favourite album: Hypersonic Missiles (his only album to date).

  • Music Jar – week 12

    It’s been a strange week and I’ve not really taken the opportunity to really delve into the music on offer from this week’s artist. As my wonderful friend Elisa put it, Jessie Ware probably isn’t my bag anyway.

    What I Knew Before: Jessie is short for Jessica.
    What I Know Now: Jessie Ware has three albums.
    Favourite song(s): Spotify recommends Say You Love Me, Spotlight, Selfish Love and Alone. I’ll go with those.
    Favourite album: Glasshouse.

  • Music Jar – week 11

    I cannot pretend this is an original idea, but it is a very good one. I put 52 musical artists in a jar and each week I focus on one. This week was the turn of LA art-rock four-piece, Warpaint.

    What I Knew Before: Their debut album, The Fool, is absolutely blinding.
    What I Know Now: The band formed on Valentine’s Day 2004, which is the day that Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind takes place. They also do a fantastic cover of Ashes To Ashes.
    Favourite song(s): Undertow (obviously), Love Is To Die, So Good and Whiteout.
    Favourite album: The Fool remains blinding, but the self titled second album is even better. Boy howdy!

  • Music Jar – week 10

    Every week I take an artist’s name out of a pickle jar and learn as much as I can about them. This week was the turn of Chicago-based alternative rockers, Wilco.

    What I Knew Before: At my friend’s 30th birthday, I was in charge of the playlist. He requested Wilco. I played a lot of Wilko Johnson before he broached the subject with me.
    What I Know Now: Wilco have a commendable amount of music and a “golden era” in the eyes of their fans. They’ve been active for nearly thirty years and have had twelve members in that time. They received a lot of press following their fourth album, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, being rejected by their record label who didn’t feel it was commercially viable. They had to buy the masters of their own album back and make it available through their own website before finding another label, who were just under Warner anywhere, so the whole thing felt pretty fucked up.
    Favourite song(s): Jesus, Etc., Love Is Everywhere (Beware), Wilco (The Song), Chain of Broken Hearts.
    Favourite album: Mermaid Avenue Vol. II might take it. It sounds absolutely mental.