ListenUp
A tribute to the Eagles’ Glenn Frey, plus new music from Thomas Cohen, !!! and Fake Laugh in our musical round-up
Thomas Cohen: Bloom Forever
Five-piece rock band S.C.U.M called it quits in 2013 (after the release of just one album in 2011) so members could pursue solo projects. Lead singer Thomas Cohen had begun writing solo material—releasing the single “Honeymoon” along the way—and is now ready to offer the collection of songs to the world. It’s significant to note that during the writing process, the unthinkable occurred: his wife Peaches Geldof passed away at the too-young age of 25. The tragedy will inextricably be tied to this upcoming album, Bloom Forever, but even without that context, Cohen’s songs are sure to stir up feelings—he’s got a distinctive voice that sighs out tension, affection and tenderness in the title track, also “Bloom Forever.” It’s about the birth of his second son, the uniquely named Phaedra Bloom Forever.
!!!: Every Little Bit Counts
With the video for their latest track, “Every Little Bit Counts” off of 2015’s As If, dance-punk aficionados !!! (pronounced Chk Chk Chk) crash a morning news station’s live broadcast. It’s a comedic dance party involving a gorilla, short shorts and fake sunsets, all set to the excitable, bopping tune.
Fake Laugh: Mind Tricks
With what feels much like an escalating, uplifting melody, “Mind Tricks” by London’s Fake Laugh actually addresses a lack of fulfillment and touches of melancholy. It’s this contrast that lends the track a thoughtful edge amidst the gentle psychedelia swirling about. It’s poppy, persistent and all around very sweet.
Eagles: One of These Nights
No matter what comes to mind upon hearing the term “soft-rock,” there’s no denying the power of the Eagles. The wildly popular band lost founding member Glenn Frey today, who passed away at the age of 67. Guitarist Frey and drummer Don Henley founded the band along with Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner in LA circa 1971 and released some huge songs (like “Hotel California”) that we—collectively, seemingly inherently—know all the words to. Our pick to pay tribute is 1975’s “One of These Nights,” written by Frey and Henley, which includes all those Eagles trademarks and was (according to the liner notes in the band’s Very Best of record) Frey’s personal favorite: “We made a quantum leap with ‘One Of These Nights.’ It was a breakthrough song. It is my favorite Eagles record.”
ListenUp is a Cool Hunting series published every Sunday that rounds up the music we tweeted throughout the week, also found in Listen. Hear the year so far via Cool Hunting Spotify.
