Music For The Blind – Session 33 - Rock'n'Roll Journalist

Thirty-third music presentation session for the blind and visually handicapped took place this time in two locations. Prague: 9th of November 2021 in the presentation room of Czech agency SONS (Czech Blind United) and Ostrava: 24th of November 2021 in Stará aréna Ostrava theatre. You can find the background of this project in an article about the first session here. The previous event in Ostrava had the biggest audience so far. Unfortunately, due to a stricter regulations within the pandemic, the numbers of guests decreased rapidly. Hopefully, the future events will get better.

Prague: Congratulations to Markéta Irglová, Emma Ruth Rundle and a third place shared between Sleepmakeswaves & Pink Floyd

Ostrava: Congratulations to Markéta Irglová and second place shared by Sleepmakeswaves & Tom Misch

Prague playlist:

Songs	Score
01 – Sleepmakeswaves – Something Like Avalanches (Live)	12
02 – Emma Ruth Rundle – Blooms of Oblivion	13
03 – Emmylou Harris – Make Believe (Live)	2
04 – Porcupine Tree – Harridan	6
05 – Markéta Irglová – Divine Timing	14
06 – Audience Choice #1 – Kabul Dreams – Sadae Man	6.5
07 – Bad Omens – Limits (Live)	3.5
08 – Valley of the Sun – Riding the Dunes	10
09 – Zorba že ja Buddha – Half a Hole	7.5
10 – Džej – Dve Godine Duge (Live)	5.5
11 – Audience Choice #2 – Pink Floyd – Ummagumma/Careful With That Axe, Eugene	12
12 – Bonus: Tom Misch – Missing You	5

It’s getting more and more challenging to find great and energetic rock songs for an intro song. On the last moment, I came across a video from an incredible Australian post rock band Sleepmakeswaves. I am huge fan of them since I saw them with 65daysofstatic in Prague in 2013. In the upcoming years I was really into post rock/metal and did this huge article packed with interviews with some of my most favorite bands next to Sleepmakeswaves (Russian Circles, God Is An Astronaut, If These Trees Could Talk, Long Distance Calling and Mono). I will very soon love to play to my audience an epic track To You They Are Birds, To Me They Are Voices in the Forest but it was now an ideal opportunity to play their compilation video from Something Like Avalanches track celebrating their ten years of DIY touring and appreciate a support from fans. Hope to see you soon!

A Touch Of Singularity – Post Roc/Metal Spotify wip playlist here

I am writing these thoughts about November events in the mid of January, as I simply didn’t manage to do it before. There are also a few interviews, which I have to re-write including one with Emma Ruth Rundle. I am actually glad I am writing these memories now, as Emma and her previous albums, especially On Dark Horses mean a world to me. I was just returning home from a very nice new years’ party with my friends, but I really needed a long walk alone. No question about it, I knew right away which album to go for. Emma’s On Dark Horses album is simply an incredible piece of art packed with melodies, moods, thoughts and lyrics which take me on a journey and approach all of thoughts/frustrations in a perfect way. Therefore she deserves to check her latest album Engine Of Hell with a lot of patience. It’s based purely on her vocal, piano and a guitar. There are mistakes, but Emma’s complete soul as well. It takes a multiple listens to appreciate its depth. Emma mentioned in our interview that even her co-players didn’t fully appreciate her latest release. Give it a try yourselves and start with Blooms of Oblivion.

Interview coming soon

During the session 31, when I spoke about Alexis Marshall’s latest album, I included a track from one of his idols – Scott Walker. His album IV turned out as also one of my favorites and I am desperately looking for a vinyl to buy. In the Emma’s case, she told me a few years ago in an interview, she is a massive fan of Emmylou Harris. I am not much of a fan of country, but songs as Making Believe are so beautiful, they cross genre “borders”. Also very interesting is the fact, this song is a part of a YouTube profile of one of the biggest music icons of Czechoslovakia – composer, keyboard player Jan Hammer who was a member of iconic jazz rock formation Mahavishnu Orchestra. Next to it, he wrote a soundtrack for Miami Vice series.

Steven Wilson is among the most favorite artists pf these events since the beginning, not only as there are many progressive rock fans in the audience. New release from Porcupine Tree is a great news for both Prague audience, as well as Ostrava’s, as Steven Wilson has arrived to the biggest Czech music festival Colours Of Ostrava both with Porcupine Tree, as well as with Blackfield. I couldn’t attend any of those, as I was always at Masters Of Rock festival, but at least a couple of those who have been there could share their stories. Regarding the new track Harridan, I saw a great comment online saying it combines both Tool, as well as legendary Czech band Stromboli. Looking forward for more.

For November’s episode of Český rozhlas Jazz series called “Jazz Profil”, I prepared a one hour program about American trumpet player and singer Jaimie Branch. During our interview, which is something I always try to do to enhance the program, Jaimie was talking about her memories on a cooperation with Czech singer Markéta Irglová. Markéta is one of the most respected artists from my country, currently living in Iceland. She is most known thanks to a movie Once from 2007, where she acted and received an Oscar for a soundtrack. These two ladies have cooperated on Markéta’s 2011 album Anar and Jaimie was complimenting mainly the fact she received a chance, while she was still much unknown.

Extensive playlist on Jaimie’s works including a song Divine Timing here

Audience choice #1

As the first choice from an audience, in Prague one of my best friends Bořek chose a track Sadae Man from Kabul Dreams, as he is doing a Middle East studies. In Ostrava, my good friend Barbora came up with another well needed example of modern energetic rock. Enjoy Eleanor Rigby cover by Black Pumas.

Ostrava playlist:

Songs	Score
01 – Sleepmakeswaves – Something Like Avalanches (Live)	12.5
02 – Emma Ruth Rundle – Blooms of Oblivion	12
03 – Emmylou Harris – Make Believe (Live)	9.5
04 – Porcupine Tree – Harridan	2.5
05 – Markéta Irglová – Divine Timing	13.5
06 – Audience Choice #1 – Black Pumas – Eleanor Rigby (Official Live Session)	11
07 – Bad Omens – Limits (Live)	11.5
08 – Valley of the Sun – Riding the Dunes	8
09 – Zorba že ja Buddha – Half a Hole	10
10 – Džej – Dve Godine Duge (Live)	4.5
11 – Audience Choice #2 – Džej – Đurđevdan (Live)	2.5
12 – Bonus: Tom Misch – Missing You	12.5

Ostrava’s playlist included tips on upcoming music events but due to pandemic many were unfortunately cancelled.

After The Break

When I was thinking about a song to start the second half with, I came across some FB memories mentioning Bring Me The Horizon front cover interview and organizing a meeting with Asking Alexandria for a fan, who wins the Muzikus magazine competition, by providing us the coolest topic for a new episode of Music Psychology series. At that time, metal core was very popular. A couple of my colleagues from music magazines were really into it and were giving me tips what to see on music festivals we went together, especially Rock Im Park. This track from Bad Omens was one of the tips my ex-colleague shared and it still stays in my working-out playlist. Guys made a great live video and still staying interesting compared to many others losing drive. In some cases I am just too tired to get an update on their soap operas, including AA.

Same as in the case of Markéta Irglová, I was looking for some anniversaries within a next track as well. To be honest, on my iPhone notes, the list of future interesting anniversaries is getting really big. I love to share great older songs from artists, you have a big chance of seeing live. Unfortunately, there are plenty of an amazing songs from artists, Czech audience has a minimum chance to see. American stoner rock band Valley of the Sun is one of the bands, I loved listening on shuffle and I always loved their video for Riding the Dunes. Ten years from the release of an epic track, with hints of Chris Cornell in the vocals. Btw, if you are looking for a perfect morning kick-my-ass-to-get-going song, try their 2013 song Maya.

Late 2020 I joined the team of Český rozhlas Jazz radio, where I am doing my best to catch up with the legends of the genre and follow the young generation at the same time. Just recently, I was offered to check the second album of an alternative jazz project Zorba že ja Buddha. It’s a band including a big number of very talented young musicians lead by a Czech bass player Ondřej Hauser (Prago Union) and a Slovakian singer Ashley Sarah Abrman (The High Corporation). It’s fascinating how the modern jazz can sound. These guys can offer even a very melodic/even pop melody but extremely strong and honest, and mainly supported by a very busy jazz instrumental base.

Our interview in Czech here

For more than a year we are organizing with a team of Stop, Look & Listen multi-genre listening sessions from vinyls. My most favorite one was on Colombian music but we also had experts on soul, country or 90s Hip-Hop & R&B. I do an introduction and a video interview with a guest for our Patreon channel. For December event, guys invited me to prepare a presentation on music from Yugoslavia. I included some rock tracks, but majority was a local folk music. It’s very unique music, which you either love or hate. For me and many of my friends, it brings an incredible flow of emotions, excitement and thirst for wine or rakija. If I had to pick one song to show the passion and the beauty of music from wild Balkan, it would be Dve Godine Duge by Serbian-Macedonian Roma singer Džej Ramadanovski, whose work you might have heard in Emir Kusturica’s movie Black Cat White Cat. This is a live track from his most iconic live show – Na Tašmajdanu from 1991, I was listening as a kid on MC cassette.

35:37

Audience choice #2

As the second choice from an audience, in Prague one of the most stable guests and my good friend Antonín asked for a song from Pink Floyd’s Live in Pompeii – Ummagumma/Careful With That Axe, Eugene. I was extremely happy for that choice, as I love this live performance. In Ostrava, as the crowd was mainly consisting the appreciators of Balkan music and Goran Bregović, I played one more track from Džej, as part of his live playlist was a track called Đurđevdan. This song was later played by Goran Bregović as Ederlezi.

Bonus

The ultimate number one album of 2021 for me was an album by Tom Misch and Yussef Dayes called What Kinda Music. Tom Misch’s Quarantine Sessions EP was one of the pieces that helped me to keep my mind to some extend sane. Many beautiful pieces, including very powerful ending called Missing You.