Reconnecting with The Sixties with a Little Bit O’ Soul
I love the 1960’s. The golden era if you will. Daily, I hear songs that I have not heard in 15 years and fall in love with them again. I will have to thank Sirius 60’s on 6 and Turntable.fm for their 60’s activation strategies. It is almost like these networks expedite a destiny that was just meant to happen.
Enter recent reconnection with a Mansfield, Ohio Garage Rock quintet, The Music Explosion: “A Little Bit O’ Soul.”
This killajam was written by legendary songwriters John Carter and Ken Lewis in 1967. Carter’s contributions include: Herman’s Hermits “Can’t You Hear My Heartbeat“(1965) and Peter & Gordon “Sunday for a Tea” (1967). Ken Lewis displayed his creative penmanship on cuts like Brenda Lee “Is It True?” (1964) and provided backing vocals for The Who’s first single “I Can’t Explain” (1964). Carter’s “Can’t You Hear My Heartbeat” matches “Little Bit O’ Soul” as his highest position at #2 on The Billboard Top 100. To near the top you need a message. Oh boy, do we have one.
This song sticks out to me because of the vibe it offers:
Now when your girl is gone and you’re broke in two
You need a little bit o’ soul to see you through
And when you raise the roof with your rock’n’roll
You’ll get a lot more kicks with a little bit o’ soul
Basically, these cats are saying that the perfect remedy for a break up is positive energy and blasting rock n’ roll. The positive energy that this message spews is something that we all need to embed in ourselves not only during times of relationship woes, but in the day-to-day grind.
Parking Ticket? Little Bit O’ Soul. Bad hangover? Little Bit O’Soul. Typo on an email to the Executive staff? Little Bit O’ Soul. Shampoo in your eyes? It’ll be cured with a Little Bit O’ Soul
What a memorandum and what a song. Carry it with you and enjoy life with a smile on your face.
The Ramones, Grunge era, and even current acts like Sonny & the Sunsets must pay gratitude for these gospel throwers. Thanks for the message Music Explosion. THANK YOU!
The Music Explosion – Little Bit O’ Soul
The Ramones – Sheena is a Punk Rocker
Nirvana – In Bloom
Sonny & The Sunsets – Too Young to Burn
Written by Brett McGrath
Album Review: Gardens & Villa via Secretly Canadian
Gardens & Villa, the self-titled debut LP out of Santa Barbara, CA, has remained a repeated listen since it first dropped July 5th. This dreamy, stoner take on post-punk California rock has proven a tough album to put down.
The disc opens with “Black Hills.” The sound is not dissimilar to their Secretly Canadian label mates Suuns. Though comparisons can be drawn, G & V’s sound is much more organic and accessible. Much of this is due to lead singer Chris Lynch’s soaring vocals.
“Cruise Ship,” the second song on the album brightens things up with a shinier keyboard line than “Black Hills” coupled with big handclaps. Gardens & Villa extend their hand insistent you join their trip:
This is how God made us to live
On California, the cruise ship
Bring your wife and your kids
California the cruise ship
The album hits its stride with “Orange Blossom.” Bouncy keyboards and flute float together above a wah pedal-driven bass line. This song is intoxicating and would work well in any DJ’s late night repertoire. With a track like this, it is hard to imagine how G & V escaped the California labels, landing instead in Bloomington.
G & V risk sending listeners into nap mode on “Chemtrails” heading directly toward sleepy, stoner territory. Bass drum, tambourine, bass, ambient piano riffs and a cello all dance quietly together as if the last song in some kind of opiate-laden high school dance. Heady stuff:
I don’t really want to go home
To places where they keep time
To places where we’d never find
Dandelions fly high
Through the marmalade sky
The last two lines serve as a Beatles reference. This proves apt as the track would feel at home amongst their LSD infused productions like Yellow Submarine. Not to worry, “Star Fire Power” picks the pace back up with a foot tapping, disco feel.
Gardens & Villa has the strange ability to sound similar thoughout without ever feeling redundant. The band hasn’t broken the mould musically, but the bottom line is this is REALLY good shit. Spare yourself the iTunes bonus track—a terrible, synth-heavy remix of “Orange Blossom.” The original does just fine, thank you.
Thought on Tracks 
Thoughts on the Tragedy: Sugarland Stage Collapse: Indiana State Fair
A few days have passed, and I have had time to digest the tragedy that took place at the Indiana State Fairgrounds over the weekend. For those residing beneath boulders, five people were killed and dozens injured when a stage collapsed just before the country duo Sugarland was scheduled to perform. Sudden gusts of 70-plus mph winds are the likely culprit, but an investigation as to whether the tragedy could have been avoided is under way.
Regardless of where the blame inevitably falls, what took place in Indianapolis on Saturday has already left an indelible mark upon a town that tends to forget just how small it is. I was across town when the stage toppled. The news came via radio on my drive toward MOKB Presents Lucy Woodward at White Rabbit Cabaret. There was still much confusion, and reports as to the seriousness of the incident remained muddled.
Thought on Tracks contributor Brett McGrath was at a party with college friends when his brother Kyle telephoned frantically. Kyle had purchased tickets for the pit at the Sugarland show, but had been forced to back out due to a wedding. Brett had passed the tickets along to a co-worker who purchased them for his parents. The brothers spent the bulk of their Saturday evening sending panicked e-mails and telephone calls before learning that the friend’s parents were safe and sound.
Such is life in Indy, where events are rarely isolated. In the days since the collapse, stories of those connected to the event have surfaced at every turn. Hoosiers are left picking up the pieces as nightmarish photographs and videos scroll across national news stations. The Fair has cancelled performances by Janet Jackson and Lady Antebellum scheduled for later in the week. Plans for an alternate venue for Train and Maroon 5 will be announced today.
Only once have I been able to stomach the video footage of the falling stage at the Fairgrounds. To put it simply, it hits too close to home. In the summer, a weekend rarely passes without my attendance at some sort of live music. The incident serves as a terrifying reminder of all that I take for granted as a spectator. We walk blindly into these events assuming that every stagehand and volunteer has performed to the best of their ability.
I sincerely hope, for all involved, that Saturday was no different. That the event staff took every conceivable precaution and the worst still happened. In all likelihood, we will never know with certainty. Life is unfair that way, leaving only questions when we so desperately seek answers. All we can do is learn from the experience and remember those that fell at the next show, wherever that may be.
Written by Rob Peoni