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We begin St. Paddy's in Irish-American style on our funk & soul Thursday with Kelly Finnigan, then go into all the new biz in the funk punk soul rock realm for the full two hours, with Dan Lloyd taking the wheel in hour two on our final original episode of Season 6.
"The Drop with Danno" on GFN 광주영어방송 98.7FM in Gwangju & 93.7FM in Yeosu, Korea. An eclectic radio curation of all things musical spanning the spectrum every week. Broadcasting 8-10pm KST nightly.
Mar 17, 2022
The Drop with Danno
Kelly Finnigan – Trouble
Mas Donkey feat Funksmith – Leave Off The Filter
Lettuce – Gravy Train
The Poets of Rhythm – More Mess On My Thing
Monophonics – Warpaint
Gene Washington feat Ironsides – Next to You
Danielle Ponder – So Long
Robert Glasper feat Lalah Hathaway & Common – Everybody Wants to Rule the World
Lydia Persaud – Good For Us
Surprise Chef – Velodrome
Mica Millar – Girl
Shaka Loves You – In My Arms
I.
It is 20 hours past midnight on this oh-so Ireland type of rainy Thursday here on St. Patrick’s Day 2022 in Gwangju. It is our Sampled & AMPED Thursday night and we are ready to funk things up here in the first hour, and for those of you lost on the calendar or the big day reference, write this one down in Irish as March 17, 2022. This is Danno as always hands on the board, eyes on the meter in studio 2 GFN HQ right in the heart of downtown Gwangju at the base of Sajik Park, how do you do? As mentioned we are doing our Sampled funk & soul first hour thing starting in just a moment, with lots of new cuts just out and big announcements from Surprise Chef, Lettuce, and Monophonics being the highlights in our first 57. Naturally, Gwangju’s man on the drums here in Gwangju Dan Lloyd will take over hour 2 after that with our Amped rock feature, and lots of good new biz to go over then before we hit 10 bells and cease transmission. That being duly noted, we start tonight in the Irish American spirit with Kelly Finnigan since we already got Monophonics on the way and it is indeed St. Patrick’s Day, and we’ll talk further after our brother from another mother belts it out. THIS is The Drop.
Kelly Finnigan – Trouble
The Drop is back and we are officially disembarked for our Sampled funk & soul first hour tonight. Danno here in studio 2 GFN HQ and always ready to get into our weekly funk punk soul rock showcase with Dan Lloyd doing the honors in our 2nd half. Salutations to the lot of you whether tuning in now or later on with the podcast, you are the best.
That was Monophonics front man Kelly Finnigan with a standalone single from 2019 called Trouble. And really, with us doing the funk & soul thing for tonight here on St. Patrick’s Day, there was only one Irish name I could think of in the rubric.
And good timing as well, as the band just announced a new LP coming out May 13 via Colemine Records, and we’ll discuss the details on that when we play their new single to begin the end here in part 1 tonight.
If you haven’t checked out Kelly Finnigan’s solo debut record from 2019 called The Tales People Tell, we would certainly advise you to do that ASAP. Brilliant album, one of our top dogs for that year, any genre.
#9870, @gfnthedrop, pod.
So, let’s get into our first block of Sampled jams for this week, and we have a couple new joints to start with Mas Monkey and Lettuce doing the honors, and then something a touch older but not old old from The Poets of Rhythm. Regardless of time clocked we’ll talk about all of these after they rock, but for now THIS is The Drop on your Sampled funk & soul Thursday.
______
Back on The Drop as we have commenced things properly with the new stuff for this week on our Sampled funk & soul first hour foray. This is Danno keeping the levels just so, and Gwangju’s rock guru Dan Lloyd joins in for our AMPED feature after we hit the top of the clock again tonight. Now as to what we just launched into the atmosphere, let’s explain ourselves a bit...
Mas Donkey feat Funksmith – Leave Off The Filter (…the band here is a rather underground phenomenon at present being out of Lafayette, Louisiana, but I can’t find a lot more. However, his music has been licensed for quite a few big commercial enterprises, at least according to the Mas Monkey bio on Insta.)
Lettuce – Gravy Train (…the veteran future jazz-funk crew released this last week with a big announcement. Their 8th LP Unify will be out as of June 3rd, with this being the lead single to the record.)
The Poets of Rhythm – More Mess On My Thing (…to finish we went with something older from the 1990’s, this tune was released in 1994 on the band’s Practice What You Preach LP, and the band hailed from Germany I don’t think they’re still active.)
Now we’re just about out of time here in quarter one tonight, but as mentioned Kelly Finnigan and Monophonics have just announced their new album this week coming out May 13 called Sage Motel, and that of course will drop via Colemine Records. After that we’ll keep it in the Colemine neighborhood with Gene Washington and Ironsides teaming up on a cut from 2014 called Next To You, an early release from the famed Ohio imprint. This is The Drop.
Monophonics – Warpaint
Gene Washington & Ironsides – Next To You
II
Into the 2nd quarter of tonight’s funked up game of audio mirrors, The Drop continues here with our usual more chilled vibe as we stretch it towards halftime. Dan Lloyd will be in for our AMPED rock seshwan after we do our Sampled funk & soul thing in progress presently, so do keep it locked. Just floated a couple of newer balloons there to begin things so let’s do the deets...
Danielle Ponder – So Long (…this cut is the latest from the on-the-rise NYC-based artist. The song is about resilience in the face of immense pressure. The song was produced by Gianluca Buccelatti, whose work with Arlo Parks and other artists has won him a Mercury Prize along with Grammy and Ivor Novello nominations.)
Robert Glasper feat Lalah Hathaway & Common – Everybody Wants to Rule the World (…the latest from the Houston maestro in Black Radio III is out and it’s just so nice we had to play it twice here on the air, although we might do it thrice. Do check Black Radio III in full, it’s a gem.)
#9870, @gfnthedrop, pod.
Back to the grind, let’s get in a trio of cuts for this next block. Up next we have new cuts on the buffet to taste test from Lydia Persaud, Surprise Chef, and Mica Millar. We’ll be sure to read out the label on each after we’re done sampling. This is The Drop on your funk & soul Thursday night.
___
Back on The Drop for the final verbal joust man vs mic here on our Sampled funk & soul Thursday foray. Dan Lloyd joins us shortly to go over the new rock for this week in our AMPED extravaganza from 9 to 10, but for now we gotta get nerdy and let you know a bit about what just happened…
Lydia Persaud – Good For Us (…for those unfamiliar and I certainly was not, this artist is based out of Toronto, and this is the lead single to her sophomore LP. The album is out April 29 and is called Moody31, out courtesy of next door records.)
Surprise Chef – Velodrome (…big moves right here with this one, as the instrumental outfit formerly of College of Knowledge Records has just moved to Big Crown Records, which was announced with this single. Nothing larger announced with their debut tune on the Brooklyn-based label, but stay tuned this feels like something.)
Mica Millar – Girl (…the latest gem from the Manchester-based singer songwriter was released last week on International Women’s Day and comes with some heavy hitters working on the tune. Brian Malouf of Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder fame amongst others, along with Geoff Pesche of Abbey Road Studios, who works with Adele and Ed Sheeran et al.)
Okay, so we are gonna up the tempo to finish this evening’s first half, as Glasgow-based duo Shaka Loves You is out with their latest banger called In My Arms, which just dropped last week via Bomb Strikes. THIS is The Drop and that’s a wrap on the first half.
Shaka Loves You – In My Arms
III & IV AMPED
Cave In – New Reality
Black Keys – Wild Child
The Chats – Struck By Lightning
Yungblud – The Funeral
Rammstein – Zeit
Anvil – Ghost Shadow
84 Tigers – Kingdom of One
Alexisonfire – Sweet Dreams of Otherness
Horsegirl – Anti-Glory
Mad honey – Odds
Charlie Hickey – Nervous At Night
Cave In – New Reality
Boston veterans Cave In have been through a number of different evolutions over the years, from trailblazing metalcore warriors to major-label alt-rock bellowers. In 2019, Cave In released their album Final Transmission; it was the last LP that they recorded with original bassist Caleb Scofield, who died in a car accident at the age of 39. Since that album’s release, Cave In frontman Stephen Brodsky has been busy with other things. He’s got the side projects Mutoid Man and Old Man Gloom, he regularly appears in Two Minutes To Late Night videos, and he was part of Converge’s 2021 album Bloodmoon: I. But Final Transmission won’t be the final Cave In album; they’ve got another one coming out this spring.
Cave In’s new LP is called Heavy Pendulum. It’ll be their first for Relapse Records and their first recorded with new bassist Nate Newton, also of Converge and Doomriders. Newton and Brodsky both play in Old Man Gloom together, and the new Cave In lineup recorded Heavy Pendulum with Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou producing.
“New Reality,” the first single and opening track from Heavy Pendulum, is a serious bottom-heavy ripper. The riffs churn violently, but the track also has big melodies and triumphant guitar-shredding. Nate Newton gets some great roaring in there. The song means business. In director Michael Gilday’s fun video for the track, the members of Cave In explore the equipment in Ballou’s studio and make an unexpected discovery.
Black Keys – Wild Child
In May of 2021, the Black Keys released their country-blues covers album, Delta Kream. Now, hardly a year later, Patrick Carney and Dan Auerbach are coming back with their 11th studio album, Dropout Boogie, out in May (one day before the 20th anniversary of the band’s debut album, The Big Come Up). Along with the news is lead single and album opener “Wild Child,” which features Reigning Sound’s Greg Cartwright and Kings Of Leon’s Angelo Petraglia.
The Chats – Struck By Lightning
Ahead of their UK tour kicking off later this month, The Chats have returned with their first new song of 2022: Struck By Lightning.
Says singer/bassist Eamon Sandwith of the Aussie punks' new tune: "Struck By Lightning came about when we were having a jam. I was on the drums, and I just started playing this little pattern like, ‘Struck-by – LIGHT-NIN’!’ I thought, ‘Hmm, that could work,’ so I went home and wrote a song about getting struck by lightning, like how you would feel, and what would happen.
"People can't grow their hair back and shit. It’s weird – especially the whole no-eyebrows thing. That would be really scary! I'm really hoping that this doesn't happen to me, now I've written a song about it.”
Yungblud – The Funeral
Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne make a comedic cameo in the video for Yungblud’s new single, “The Funeral.”
The Christian Breslauer-directed clip sees Yungblud throwing a rager at his own funeral, which is shot as a lavish performance video. But how did the UK singer meet his demise? Spoiler alert: By Sharon and Ozzy’s reckless driving.
As for the anthemic song, Yungblud explained that it’s “about ego, death, rebirth, and f**king dancing on your grave” — as the video portrays quite literally.
“Inviting everyone to join you,” he said (via Metal Hammer), “but if you’re on your own and you’re the only one dancing — that’s fine too.”
Yungblud continued: “For this new music, I looked at myself in the mirror and said, ‘You ain’t gonna be around forever, how do you want to be remembered? And if you were hit by a car tomorrow and you could sing one more thing before you become worm food, would this song be it?’ Truly, the answer is yes. I would take this to my grave.”
As for Ozzy, we’re expecting the Prince of Darkness to release a new solo album in 2022. The star-studded follow-up to 2020’s Ordinary Man will feature guest spots from legendary guitarists Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Tony Iommi and Zakk Wylde. Post Malone producer Andrew Watt is again at the helm, with a backing band featuring Chad Smith, Taylor Hawkins and Robert Trujillo.
Rammstein – Zeit
Rammstein have announced their eighth studio album, Zeit, arriving April 29th. As a preview, the German industrial metal icons have revealed the video for the album’s title track.
The ambitious title track builds from lush, orchestral balladry to Rammstein’s typical brand of crushing industrial metal. It’s accompanied by a cinematic video directed by actor and musician Robert Gwisdek.
Rammstein spent two years recording the “unplanned” album, having entered the French recording studio La Fabrique early on in the pandemic. They were once again assisted by Berlin producer Olsen Involtini.
Anvil – Ghost Shadow
Canadian heavy metal progenitors Anvil are returning with their 19th studio album, Impact Is Imminent, on May 20th. The band has shared the video for lead single “Ghost Shadow” ahead of the release date.
Over 40 years into their career, Anvil continue to churn out spirited rippers like “Ghost Shadow.” Frontman Steve “Lips” Kudlow’s charismatic vocals and sharp riffs guide this one, with founding drummer Robb Reiner’s pounding syncing into a thrash-like groove with Christopher “Christ” Robertson’s bass work.
“‘Ghost Shadow’ is my sixth sense telling me I’m being watched!” Kudlow remarked via a press release. “Could be internet trolls or paranormal phenomenon! Either way the song is heavy as f**k!!”
Impact Is Imminent was produced by Martin “Mattes” Pfeiffer (U.D.O.) and Jörg Uken at Uken’s Soundlodge studios. Kudlow deems it Anvil’s most cohesive record, crediting a lengthy pre-recording process that allowed him to flesh out the songs.
“None of our previous albums blends music and lyrics into as tight a unit as Impact Is Imminent,” Kudlow said. “Everything comes together homogeneously. As a result, the new material sounds monolithic, right down to the very last details, both in terms of rhythm and harmonies. In the past, our studio sessions were sometimes like a little like jumping in at the deep end, with us having to improvise a lot and making decisions at short notice.”
84 Tigers – Kingdom of One
84 Tigers is a new band with some familiar faces from the Michigan punk/post-hardcore scene: Mike and Ben Reed of Small Brown Bike and Jono Diener of The Swellers. They formed in 2021 after Mike sent a batch of demos to Ben and Jono, and Jono had this to say about the band's formation: "The pandemic changed the way we all looked at music. For once it wasn't about the next tour, or the next show. We had to laser focus on the music, so that's exactly what we did. I've been a big fan of the Reed brothers' projects for years, so it's incredible to be a part of one. It's also odd — the immediate chemistry we had when it came to writing and playing together. It's not often you find people who have a built-in shared brain for that kind of stuff."
Their first single is "Kingdom of One," which was recorded by Marc Jacob Hudson (Against Me!, Taking Back Sunday, etc). "Throughout the pandemic, writing and demoing songs was a distracting and cathartic way to deal with how surreal the world had become," Mike said. "This song speaks to that."
"Kingdom of One" is a '90s-style post-hardcore/alt-rock fusion that brings to mind stuff like Quicksand and Jawbox, and if you're a fan of those bands, or 84 Tigers' members' other bands, you should definitely give this a listen.
Alexisonfire – Sweet Dreams of Otherness
Alexisonfire have announced Otherness — their first album in 13 years — out June 24th via Dine Alone Records. The Canadian post-hardcore outfit also shared the lead single “Sweet Dreams of Otherness.”
The band’s fifth album comes after it broke a near-decade hiatus with a string of comeback singles in 2019 and 2020. Falling in line with the groovy, heavier production of those songs, “Sweet Dreams of Otherness” touts surging chords and epic vocals as Alexisonfire embrace elements of desert psych rock.
“This song was largely [guitarist-vocalist] Dallas [Green’s] brain child,” remarked singer George Petit, “but over the course of writing this record, it became more of a mission statement for the band. It’s kind of about performance and embracing a new found confidence in a state of peculiarity.”
The band opted to keep Otherness a “family affair,” only working with close associates on the project. The songs were written at the Dine Alone Records clubhouse and recorded by Jill Zimmerman and Darren “Jeter” Magierowski at Jukasa Recording Studios. The album was mixed by Jonah Falco.
“The biggest difference is the space we are all in,” guitarist Wade MacNeil said. “We were all really thrilled to make a record, and it was such a respite from what was going on in the world. It felt like life could be beautiful. We were supportive of one another. Everyone was in such a good mood. It was such a treat to be able to do it again.”
Horsegirl – Anti-Glory
Young Chicago indie rock trio Horsegirl have announced their debut album, Versions of Modern Performance, which will be out June 3 via Matador. (Preorder the vinyl.) The band made the album with producer John Agnello at Electrical Audio studios. “It’s our debut bare-bones album in a Chicago institution with a producer who we feel like really respected what we were trying to do,” the band say.
The album includes last year's single "Billy," and they've just shared its opening cut, the taut, hazy "Anti-glory," that goes in for the kill in the chorus with some very angular guitars and shouts of "Dance!" It's terrific. “We wrote Anti-glory almost by accident, while messing around with an old song during rehearsal," say the band. "The song fell into place immediately, and looking back, we have no idea how we wrote it. As always, this song and album are for Chicago, our friends, our friend’s bands, everyone who can play the guitar, and everyone who can’t play the guitar.” They also say "It’s meant to be thrashed to, twisted to, and twirled to."
Mad honey – Odds
Oklahoma City shoegazers have just put out this two-song promo on Sunday Drive Records, with a video for "Odds." They cite Lush, My Bloody Valentine, DIIV, and Beach House as influences, and you can hear that coming through in these hazy, syrupy songs.
Charlie Hickey – Nervous At Night
Fast-rising indie pop star Charlie Hickey has announced his long-awaited debut album, Nervous at Night. The Pasadena-based musician will release the LP on May 20th via Phoebe Bridgers’ Saddest Factory Records, and as a preview, he’s shared the record’s dreamy title track today, along with an accompanying music video.
At just 21, Hickey knows he doesn’t quite have everything in life figured out yet. On Nervous at Night, he details the limbo stage between blissful adolescence and the looming fears of full-blown adulthood. With Bridgers assisting on the record alongside fellow musicians Marshall Vore, Harrison Whitford, Christian Lee Hutson, and Mason Stoops, Nervous at Night is a documentation of personal growth that’s wise beyond Hickey’s years.
Hickey shared his debut EP Count the Stairs, back in January 2021. It included the great single “Ten Feet Tall,” which featured Bridgers on backing vocals.