(Note: this series was originally published elsewhere.)
Something in music: origin
One evening at a hot, trendy L.A. nightclub on a rare solo outing, yours truly found himself standing alone at the bar preparing to review the upcoming act. Before he had taken more than a few notes, however, he was bookended by a pair of vivacious vixens who insisted on engaging your rockin’ writer in cozy conversation. Strangely, the subject of “marriage” arose.
One of the young ladies noted that when a gal is about to get hitched, she needs “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.” Your provocative penman was immediately inspired. After all, those very same terms could be applied to music too: “Something old” or classic, “something new” or recently released, “something borrowed”, a cover, and “something blue”, a blues song or a song with “blue” in the title. The rest is history.
‘Something’ in Music 304
Something Old
Our “something old” in this edition is the classic cut “The House Is Rockin’” recorded by the American band Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble. This song was co-written by Doyle Bramhall and Stevie Ray Vaughan. It is the lead-in on the group’s fourth studio album, In Step, which dropped in 1989.
Something New
Our “something new” this time is the new music video “Time Is On The Way”. The song itself was written by Los Angeles, California-based Brazilian musician, and composer Amon Tobin. It originally appeared on his debut Figueroa music project The World As We Know It. According to a recent email, the release of this new video both heralds the album’s three-year anniversary and teases the release “of the second, as-yet-untitled [Figueroa] album which is planned for next year.” If you’re coming in late and wish to learn more about Tobin, his assorted aliases and all his releases, visit this website.
Something Borrowed
Our “something borrowed” this edition is the song "Time to Die" by the British electronic music duo Void. It first appeared on the 1982 split platter Faith/Void Split. This brash audio adaptation is by the rockin’ East Coast-based outfit Chesty Malone and the Slice 'em Ups. The track is off their driving disc Covered in Blood! Quarantine Covers which dropped 2020. (Be sure to check out a full review of their full-length vinyl re-release, Torture Rock, right here!)
Something Blue
Last but not least, our “something blue” this edition is the song “Giving Birth to the Blues” by the New York-based group the Val Kinzler Band. The track is off their debut disc title Nothing Sacred About Hatred which dropped in 2015. In an online communique, Kinzler discussed the inspiration behind the song. She said:
“I wrote this song after learning that Lady Gaga had canceled her Middle East concert due to terrorist threats. It blew my mind that people threatening in the name of their ‘God’ could impede artistic license on such a large scale.”
The track features Kinzler on vocals and 12-string Taylor guitar, Joseph Vasta on bass, David White on lead guitar, and Jon Ihle a.k.a. Ihle Factor on drums. If you’d like to see Kinzler and company play live, you’re in luck. The Val Kinzler Band will be performing on August 18th, 2023 at Stitch in New York City from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.
Did we mention your favorite “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue”? If not, let us know. Don’t forget to send us your bride photos too!
(Images courtesy of Rock n Roll Bride and/or original owners)