Signs of Life

Britain has a new prime minister, and one of his first actions was cutting the business rates for grassroots venues and clubs. I find it remarkable because national politics rarely addresses live music at the grassroots level. That shows how integral rock and pop music is to the U.K. identity. Such an action would be hard to imagine in the U.S. or Germany.

Also interesting was the remark that the funding will come from reviewing tax reliefs “for businesses that do not make a positive contribution to local communities” — for example, vape shops. Even if you vape, you probably agree that streets lined with smoke shops don’t add much to a livable city.

Small venues are essential to a thriving music culture. That should be obvious, even if some argue that musicians should not bother playing live for a small audience and should instead go directly to TikTok to launch their careers.

But maybe that idea is outdated too, as it becomes increasingly difficult to verify the authenticity of music. If you see a band play live on stage, you know it is real.

Discovery of the Week

When the U.K. blog The Quietus posted an interview with British shoegaze pioneers Lush on Instagram, I was excited — but it turned out to be from their archives, recorded in 2015 when they released a reunion EP and a handful of shows.

Still, the interview offers a nice look back at their heyday in the late 80s to mid-90s. Unfortunately, this is old news now: you can read the entire story in Miki Berenyi’s excellent memoir, which reveals that the reunion did not last long, as the band soon broke apart again along fault lines.

In any case, their 2015/2016 EP “Blind Spot” (Apple Music | Spotify) is a nice reminder of one of the most underrated bands of the 90s.

Cover Song of the Week: They/Live - Self Control

This new version of “Self Control” sounds every bit as 80s as the original, yet with a more synth-heavy, dancefloor-ready production. They/Live’s vocals complement the song beautifully, bringing a lovely restraint and leaving behind much of the original’s drama. Laura Branigan’s 1984 super hit, surprisingly, featured rock guitars and hard-hitting four-on-the-floor drums¹.

For more information about the making of this cover and the production team, go here.

This Week in glamglare history

1 Year Ago: Tamar Berk - stay close by

This indie rock song by San Diego musician Tamar Berk is from her fifth and, so far, last album, ocd. Earlier this month, she recorded a video about the song, in which she reveals its story.

5 Years Ago: BNNY - August

This hazy track is inspired by the summer in BNNY’s hometown, Chicago. The band around Jessica Viscius celebrated their 10th birthday in May.

10 Years Ago: Flight Brigade - Hurricane Season

Flight Brigade has seven band members and a sound that drew comparisons to Arcade Fire. They announced a comeback in 2022, but had to cancel all shows. Someone is still paying for their website, so maybe one day…

Song Pick of the Day

Listen to all seven songs on YouTube, or follow our daily updated Song Pick playlists on YouTube, Apple Music, or Spotify.

• Poesie - Undress Me
• wilt - dent
• effe - Tears Always Burn
• Sijya - Turbine
• Lowly - Softy
• Jasmin Stone’s Project - Faceless
• Freyja Elsy - Another Life

We publish one Song Pick of the Day every day. You can subscribe to receive them by email.

A Walk to Union Square in Nine Photos

A walk to Union Square on a beautiful August afternoon, with plenty to see along the way. Browsing at Barnes & Noble, a drink at Time Out Market, a little greenery, and New York doing what New York does best: making the walk itself the destination.

1. The original is by the Italian musician Raf. Both versions were played on German radio in 1984 - the creatures of the night ran wild that year. ↩︎