The Chameleons - Second Skin

Sometimes it’s better to have got the second skin. That’s wish which is coming from the song by The Chameleons. A true wish.

"One cold damp evening
The world stood still
I watched as I held my breath
A silhouette I thought I knew
Came through
And someone spoke to me
Whispered in my ear
This fantasy's for you
Fantasies are "in" this year

My whole life passed before my eyes
I thought what they say is true
I shed my skin and my disguise
And cold, numb and naked
I emerged from my cocoon
And a half remembered tune
Played softly in my head

Then he turned smiling
And said
I realise a miracle is due
I dedicate this melody to you
But is this the stuff dreams are made of?
If this is the stuff dreams are made of
No wonder I feel like I'm floating on air
Everywhere
It feels like I'm everywhere

It's like you fail to make the connection
You know how vital it is
Or when something slips through your fingers
You know how precious it is
Well you reach the point where you know
It's only your second skin

Someone's banging on my door"

The Opposition - Five Minutes

Cold wave is so specific music genre that only the most creative and imaginative musicians, who can be categorized to it, achieved some kind of success in rock music world or even a cult status among the dedicated fans.  One of them was a London-based band The Opposition, active mainly throughout the 80’s and early 90’s. In these several years their music evaluated from a rough and  austere post-punk to the pure cold wave and even closing more sublime and sopfisticated sounds and climates. The main core of this band were Marcus Bell (bass, keyboards) and Mark Long (guitar, vocal), responsible for almost all material released by the band on their singles and albums. The brightest moments in their career were albums : „Promises” ( Virgin, 206 157 ) from 1984, „Empire Days” ( Virgin, 207 329 ) from 1985 and recorded in 1990 after some hiatus „Blue Alice Blue” ( Opposition Declic, 000-121 ) . I personally think that several songs placed on these albums had quite a big potential to enter charts in UK and continental Europe, especially I’d like to mention sigles like „My Room Is White” ( Charisma, 811 412-1 ), „Five Minutes” ( Charisma, OPPS312 ) and „Crawl To Me” ( Opposition Declic 012 -5 ), but unfortunaly it didn’t happened ( except Poland where „Five Minutes” went to numer 29 on hit chart of Polish Radio Program III ). Sadly Marcus Bell died in 2014 (R.I.P.).   

Vólkova - Trauma And Dreams

Today's a supplement to my last post. This time it's about a very promising music project from Argentina - Vólkova. The duo consisting of  Cesar Canali and Paula Lazzarino is based in Buenos Aires, the capitol town of Argentina and was formed in 2013. They are heavily influenced by cold wave and minimal electronic jn a truely positive and creating way. Their debut album "Confusion Is A Good Weapon" (Tacuara Records, Kompuphonik Musik, Collaps Records) was released in mid 2013 and has met good reception among fans and music critics. Last year the band released two more EPs : "Silent Howl" (Tacuara Records TR14, Kompuphonik Musik KPM011) and "Trauma And Dreams" (Cintas Triangulares CT-02). In addition to these recordings they successfully toured  native Argentina, Peru and some European countries as Latvia, Sweden, Belgium, Germany, Italy and France. More info about them on their facebook page : www.facebook.com/volkovamusik

Nico - All Saints Night From A Polish Motorway

This song was chosen for today's post because it's melancholic enough to suit the sad moods which were spreading around in last few days. It was taken from Nico's live album titled "Behind The Iron Curtain" (Dojo, DOJO LP27) recorded during her concerts in Prague, Budapest and Warsaw in autumn 1986. 

  

The Legendary Pink Dots - Belladonna

A cool song "Belladonna" taken from an album "The Maria Dimension" (Play It Again Sam Records BIAS 184) by The Legendary Pink Dots. It's appropriate moody tune for a long October evening. Some can say it's timeless. Maybe they are right.

Belladonna. Sea blue marshmallow eyes. 
Belladonna sees you - it's just a disguise. She sees nothing but grey. 
Belladonna. Ice cool, shaken not stirred. 
Belladonna. Whisper only the word and she would wash the day away... 
And as I faded through the years, she found an answer to the tears. 
It wasn't wise, but no, no humble mortal ever matched these eyes.
Belladonna - pretty name for a slave. 
Belladonna. Starburst - shouts from the grave "I'll remember our dawn."

Tanit - Lola

 

Tanit was a French new wave or cold wave group from Paris, active in years 1981 - 1985. Formed by Elsa Drezner (vocals) and Pascal Humbert (bass, ex-Sixteen Horsepower and next in Passion Fodder, Woven Hand and Lilium) than joined by Thierry Bertomeu (guitar, ex-Dazibao) and Pascal Normal (drums, ex-Orchestre Rouge). Although being one of the starlets of French cold wave movement, which was blooming in early 80s, they only managed to release one 12inch single "Can An Actor Bleed" (Ecran, 001, 1983) and one EP "To Alaska" (Divine, MAD 1016, 1984). Both these issues were collected by French label Infrastition on released in 2007 compilation, simply entitled "1981-1985" (Infrastition, FIN 020, 2007) which also includes seven bonus tracks, six from them are live recordings plus one is unreleased song "Sisters" from their early days which was re-recorded especially for this album. Complete tracklist : "Night Knight", "Can An Actor Bleed", "Soft Pictures", "Eyes Scream", "Lola", "Echo Und Der Spiegel", "Banshee", "Wawel Song", "Questions, Questions", "Can An Actor Bleed", "She's An Artist", "The Circle", "The Kill", "Stateless Prayer", "All That Is My Own", "Nada Why", "Sisters". Wort to notice is their cover version of song "Lola" originally by an English rock band The Kinks, recorded with Brian Eno. It can say that Tanit was heavily influenced by other cold wave giants like Joy Division or The Cure. In fact, they covered several Joy Divisions's songs, one of them "The Only Mistake" was released on another compilation issued by aforementioned French label Infrastition entitled "30 Years With(Out) Ian Curtis - Transmission 80 - 10" (Infrastition, FIN 056, 2010).