Jan 10, 2020
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TheGlockKimBoekbinder
My heart was jumping for joy this week. Musicians who I love for a long time and for a not so long time released music. And I thought about if I should make something like a top 10 for this year but I find it impossible. I might do a assumption of music I liked a lot. We'll see. :) For now I want to write about 3 different releases: The Glock's "Corner", Kim Boekbinder "The Impossible Girl" and Screaming Maldini "Restless Heart And Silent Pioneers". It's like Christmas AND my Birthday at the same time. While writing this bit I realized that it's getting a bit too long so I will write about the awesome Screaming Maldini in the next blog :)
The first release was "Corner" or "Glock's Corner". It's been a while ago already since it was one the 6th Dec but the mail from UK to Berlin always takes a bit of time. I have been listening to bands where Glock was in for quite some time. It all started a few years ago with Mesh-29 which happens to be the first band where I was so keen to get their music that I ordered it online in their shop and since then always had a place on my mp3-players (etc.). And then The Mismatch came and were one of my most favorite bands last year-catchy, sunny, fun and Pop. And at the same time the Candle Thieves entered my life as well. This EP is part of "The Candle Thieves present..." series where CT releases songs that doesn't fit their 'normal' sound or on an album. Glock's Corner is fantastic. That simple. The first sneak-peak was available with the Animal compilation (Lots of good music on there + good cause = winner as always). The delightful and yet at some points not so delightful "Theme from Glock's Corner". The melody is poppy and light and colorful and fun but at some points the dark cloud crosses the bright blue sky. The song is a perfect preview for the whole EP.
We have the sad "Balloon #2" followed by "Cool in the 60's" which as the title already suggests sound like straight out of that time plus a fun song on the outside and rather thoughtful on the inside. Thats what many of his songs are like and what makes them outstanding.
The second release happened earlier this week and was "The Impossible Girl". Kim Boekbinder played one of the most intense shows I have seen in a while giving her everything (read here more about it). And I have also done an interview with her for FastForward which happened to be the last piece I wrote for them. I'll post it here during the next days I hope. :) Her album is out finally after being delayed for a bit because the cover art was a little late but more than worth the wait. Made by the amazing Travis Louis. It looks so beautiful. (Well worth a mention as well: Every song of her album on Bandcamp features a different cover created by a different artist.)
The music itself is so awesome as well - it stretches over quite a few music genres with a rock/pop note to all of them. It's about love, love lost, unrequited love, stalker and all this things. "And I want you to break my heart to save me" is what she sings in "Rainbows And Unicorns" and it would be a lie if I say I have never thought this in my life. Not every unrequited love ends in a happy end. It's a fine little pop song. The song is very catchy and made to be stuck in you head like most of the songs on this album. "More And More" is more a little electronic sound piece with lyrics about that one thing. And then there is this country piece "Sex, Drugs and Nuclear Science" which reminds me heavily on a square dance number but instead of telling how to dance, it tells you that brain and not looks matters (universal truth right there).
"The Organ Donor's March" is maybe a bit creepy if you imagine someone taking you heart in an operation (I know you shouldn't take every single word like it is and maybe read between the line but that just sounds so creepy). And the title says it already, it sounds a bit like a march. Followed by "Slip Away" which shows how beautiful Kim's voice is. Clear as water (or whiskey or vodka?) but she can also be very seductive ("Lick My Love Pump"). That is very remarkable when you see her live. I always have to remember her show at White Trash when I listen to that album.
My favorite two songs are "Big Easy" - about leaving New Orleans and so sad but it reflects the city and its sound so good - and "Anyone At All". "Anyone At All" is very fascinating when she plays it live. She builds it from the very beginning and then add sound on it. I'd like to call Kim the Princess of Loops. The song starts very slow and then gets faster and ends with you wanting to dance on a train platform while waiting for the delayed train. I would love to write about every single song but I think you should discover all of them on your own and there are 18 of them. I just picked some of my most favorite. She has also made a lot of videos to her many of her songs. Here is her newest video to the song "Stalker", directed by Jim Batt - it's creepy and amazing:
Thank you for reading. Hope you're well.
Dörte