Begin in the Begin

Welcome. Thank you for reading. Enjoy it all

Nov 20, 2024

Welcome. Thank you. And Why
Intro the writers
Join our Mighty music loving community
This week’s NEXT Playlist (Spotify)
2 albums reviewed by Erick

We're Hitting the Right Note with a Music Newsletter and Community site.

We're thrilled to announce the launch of our brand new music newsletter called Shaped By Sound!

Why? We love music, and we love sharing it with passionate people like you.

Whether you're a seasoned music aficionado or just starting to explore the world of sound, we believe there's something for everyone:

• Expand your musical horizons

• Discover new favorites (and old tunes too)

• Connect with fellow music lovers

We want to create a space where music lovers can:

• Dive deeper: We'll delve into the stories behind the music, explore hidden gems, and spotlight rising stars you won't want to miss.

• Connect with the community: Share your own musical discoveries, discuss your favorite artists, and be part of a vibrant music conversation.

• Get exclusive content (probably on Mighty - see below): We’re working on this: Enjoy interviews with musicians, special recommendations, and early access to exciting opportunities (think ticket pre-sales or live streams).

We can't wait to share the music journey with you!

Who are we?

Chris. Hi. That’s me. I host/curate a new music show on the radio called NEXT: A New Music Show. I make a Spotify playlist for it too. Every Week. I’ve been doing NEXT for over 962 weeks. If you want to do the math you may. It’s been years…over a decade of introducing people to great new music. And I’m willing to bet that I’m the only one writing this newsletter that can trace their music journey directly back to a grade school field trip that included a bus ride where I listened to Def Leppard’s Pyromania on repeat and wouldn’t give Mike Gilson his walkman back.

Erick. He plays instruments badly. He BUILDs instruments even worse. But he does not care. He keeps doing it. Lives in NY. Grew up in Lubbock, Texas, and has played guitar on the junior high and high school stages that Buddy Holly played on. He’s written and recorded music. Used to teach writing and literature and is a lover of all things music.

Dave: Based in the Chicagoland area, Dave is a true music aficionado. If you think you know music, Dave knows more. A former bar & event DJ, he came out of “retirement” a few years back and plays regular gigs again (specializing in 80’s/90’s and theme nights!), so swing by and say hello—he's always happy to take requests. His extensive knowledge and passion for music are truly impressive.

Meghan: is a proud working class, autistic, Appalachian writer, all around walking music encyclopedia hailing from Frostburg, Maryland. She’s a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park with her degree in civic journalism, and is also an alumnus of the university’s creative writing undergraduate residency program, the Jiménez-Porter Writers’ House and was a Rawlings Public Leadership Fellow. Along with being a dj at WMUC, she has contributed to several zines, publications and blogs. You’ll most likely find her attending local punk shows or something musically awesome in DC or Baltimore.

Pamela: Also based in New York, she's incredibly well-connected within the city's diverse music scene. Her network spans all genres, making her a go-to for artists and industry insiders alike. I envy her ability to effortlessly navigate different musical worlds and collaborate with such a wide range of talented musicians. Her music life seems like a dream come true.

Join our Mighty community

We are also starting a Mighty Networks page too. Where music makers and music appreciators gather together. Think of it as a cool/safe space to chat about music. Similar to Reddit or Slack or a message board. Without the jerks. Just cool music people talking about cool music.

Invite to Mighty Shaped by Sound community. You get a free week. $5 a month after. Think of it as a thank you or buying me a beer or coffee.

NEXT Week 966 (Apple Music link coming soon)

I would to hear what you thought of this week’s show. That’s also why we’re building a Mighty community. To share/comment and expand the info in this newsletter.

Review: Rainbow Girls "Haunting"; Lambrini Girls "Who Let the Dogs Out" by Erick

We have new releases from “girl” bands. Rainbow Girls dropped an album, Haunting, and Lambrini Girls released a pair songs from their upcoming debut album, Who Let the Dogs Out.

Let’s talk about Haunting first. I’ve been following Rainbow Girls ever since their cover of “Down Home Girl” went viral on YouTube

Whether they’re doing that acoustic folk thing or rocking out, as they do on this fabulous new album, this trio is surpassingly good at tight harmonies, and can make them buoyant or haunting (see what they did there?) like the ones on the barn-burning “Dead Ringer,”

Now, the folk isn’t gone. “Dead Ringer” has a folky melody and lyric: “I was walking down to my grave...” But the harmonies and that overdriven slide guitar are something else. Tell me, when you listen to it, whether the guitar doesn’t sound like the tortured ghosts of David Gilmour solos on Wish You Were Here.

The lyrics of these songs rattled around in my head long after the album was over, possibly because Rainbow Girls is so good at taking on the haunting motif from new angles in each song. Take the opening lines for “sms to the void”

, about that weird thing that happens to us when a person we love dies but their phone takes longer to go:

Hi, it’s me.

I’ve been calling you for weeks

But seeing you in my dreams.

You laugh and cry,

And I think you’re still alive,

That everything is fine.

When I wake, I wonder where

The time has gone without you here.

I send a text into the void.

I know it’s all for nought,

It’s just my stupid thoughts,

But I’ll see you in my dream.

Maybe the best songs on the album are about messy breakups and poisonous relationships, like the raggedy “a subtle f*** you,” or the exquisite “paying my tab”

With all the pain that Rainbow Girls' voices can’t get rid of, you’d think this album might be too dark or too angry, but it’s not. It’s a delight to listen to.

For anger—righteous anger—you need the other “girl” band, the Lambrini Girls. I’d never heard of them before this week but am now a confirmed fan. If you want punk rock in touch with its outraged roots but still doing something new, check out “Company Culture.” Its video is straight out of the early days of MTV

but its attitude is very much now. The last line of the chorus perfectly sums up the tone: “Don’t touch me!” It’s delivered like a spit in the face of that guy at work who just won’t stop. Don’t miss this live version and its remarkable, apocalyptic bass guitar (starts at 11:30)

The other song the Lambrini Girls released early (Who Let the Dogs Out won’t drop until January) is “Big Dick Energy,” and it invites more superlatives than I’m capable of providing

Man, I love this song. I love its power, arrangement, sense of humor—everything. Try not to smile and dance along when Phoebe Lunny yells “Stop telling me how much you lift!” If ever there was a concept from the manosphere that deserved ridicule, it’s in the title of the song.

I can't wait to hear the whole album.

A side note: When I was poking around on YouTube looking for a link for it, I discovered that many artists have made fun of the idea of Big Dick Energy. Coincidentally but perhaps unsurprisingly, it turns out Rainbow Girls helped out with the harmonies on a song by Anna Moss also called “Big Dick Energy”

and I think it’s really good, too, even though it’s been out for a year, which means you’ve probably already heard it. What can I say? It only found me under my rock today.