It seems to me (your Fresh Tracks host, David) that we have dilly-dallied enough over the musical corpse of 2021 and It’s time to start looking at what we can expect (musically) as we begin a new trip around the sun.
I have done a little research, consulted with some knowledgeable friends, and utilized the Fresh Tracks crystal ball to come up with a list of albums that will be released in 2022. Kendrick Lamar, Tears For Fears, The Cure, Death Cab For Cutie, Bjork, Rihanna, The Arctic Monkeys, The Weeknd, Michael Stipe, Beyonce, Rammstein, Megadeath, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jethro Tull, more Taylor Swift re-recordings, and Ozzy Osbourne to name a few. And the crystal ball is never wrong, though I was a bit concerned when it said that the Vikings would go to the super bowl this year.
Fortunately, I read a little further and it said, “if they buy tickets. But the list of possible new albums isn’t the only question we have.
For the past decade, people have speculated when, not if, a new band would suddenly appear and save rock n roll. It’s almost become something of a running joke. Where is the next Led Zeppelin? The next Who? Personally, I’d settle for the next Foghat.
My co-host, Larry, asks why haven’t we had any new super-star bands.
There are a lot of reasons some we’ve discussed before: a lack of venues; bands need the opportunity to play in front of an audience and a lot of clubs have closed over the years; it’s expensive putting a band on the road; and as you know if you are playing clubs you have three obligations: keep the people happy, keep them dancing and buying drinks. And there is a big difference between a setlist in a club and what you would play if you were opening for the Foo Fighters.
Now having said all that, let me throw a name out there: moan-eh-skin
Here is the skinny:
- they are an Italian band
- their name is Danish for moonlight
- their big hit is a cover of a song co-written by Bob Gaudio of the Four Seasons
- it was a hit for the Four Seasons in 1967
- the band won The Eurovision Song Contest for 2021 which may be a big deal in Europe; but the last winner to do any success over here was Celine Dion in 1988
Moan-eh-skin looks like they might have the talent to become a major rock band. Can they save rock n roll? Stay tuned.
But so far they have already won Best Rock act awards at the MTV Europe Music Awards and the American Music Awards. They’ve opened for the Stones in Las Vegas, done the Tonight Show, and played sold-out concerts in New York and LA. So the buzz is there.
Finally, we’re going to take what some might consider a detour.
I love classical symphonic music. Starting my morning with Mozart and a cup of good coffee is the perfect way to start the day. I am not a big fan of orchestras that try to update their repertoire by going pop. Most of the time it fails miserably; like a Las Vegas lounge singer doing a Rolling Stones medley. But The London Symphony Orchestra seems to have the foresight to choose their collaborations wisely. They have recorded with Neil Young, Elton John, The Who even Deep Purple.
There are 2 albums of music written for the orchestra by Frank Zappa. And there are 2 recent albums with the symphony that are amongst my favorites. The first we’ve already featured: Promises (Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders, and The London Symphony Orchestra). There is a song on my list of the best of 2021. There is also another album that you need to hear “Korolen” a 6 piece suite performed by the late kora virtuoso Toumani Diabate recorded in 2008 with the symphony. Why it has taken so long to reach our ears is a mystery but it was definitely worth the wait. We leave you with music from the opening movement of “Kororlen”