'Superwise' is the first single off Ken Stringfellow's new album 'Danzig in The Moonlight' released on the 1st of October through Lojinx.
Many music fans will know Stringfellow from his days in The Posies, one of power pop's most successful bands. However he has also left his mark on music through his involvement in REM and Big Star. Hailing from the musical hotbed of Seattle, Stringfellow's music has always tread it's own path incorporating pop melodies, punk ethics and finely crafted song-writing.
'Danzig in The Moonlight' is no different. Whether it be the surreal musings of '110 Or 220 V' or the frenetic energy of 'You're The Gold', 'Danzig in The Moonlight' is one of the most impressive, opulent records of the year. Seamlessly shifting between genres, Stringfellow is just as comfortable playing the piano man on 'History Buffs' as he is the straight talker on 'Shittalkers'- a stand-out track from the record. This is an album that is unashamed in its quest for melodic mastery and it has to be said, veers pretty damn close to the mark.
'Superwise' which can be heard here is a organ inspired tune, it has elements of Stringfellow's oddball genius and indie rock flavour. Of the track Stringfellow writes:
Superwise was written on a day off in Italy on tour a couple of years ago. It was going to be on a compilation album, that never happened. Essentially I had to write a song that day, if I wanted to be a part of it. So, I sat down at a cheap home organ in the studio, clicked on the drum machine...started playing those chords that open the song. In fact, since the tape was rolling, the drum machine and organ chords, plus organ bass pedals, are a live performance, which happened once and only once, and conveniently that's the take. I preserved that performance for the album version, I just added new stuff over the top of it.
Lyrically, it's about transformation, transubstantiation, reincarnation. The interconnectedness of all things. And that Nirvana might be the point where you simply remove the last blocks that have cut you off from what you are vestigially connected to at all times--everything. In life, your ego, the I, conceives you as a unique item in a world of foreign objects. And therein lies the flaw in your perspective. Of course, I didn't want to write this as new age sounding things, so I try and work in a lot of scientific-sounding mumbo jumbo. You can say it's BS but in fact, I trust my subconscious very much. I let it write everything!
'Superwise' is sure to be crowd favourite as Stringfellow embarks on an extensive UK and European tour in support of the new record.
Catch Stringfellow on his UK and European tour dates:
01/10/12 // Nardis Jazz Club, Istanbul, TR
05/10/12 // Folkteatern, Goteborg, SE
06/10/12 // Debaser, Malmo, SE
07/10/12 // Debaser Slussen, Stockholm, SE
09/10/12 // Telakka, Tampere, FI
10/10/12 // Kerubi, Joensuu, FI
11/10/12 // Bar Loose, Helsinki, FI
12/10/12 // Dynamo, Turku, FI
14/10/12 // Revolver, Oslo, NO
16/10/12 // Alte Malzerei, Regensburg, DE
17/10/12 // Zur Glühlampe, Berlin, DE
18/10/12 // Hasenschaukel, Hamburg, DE
01/11/12 // Paradiso, Amsterdam, NL
02/11/12 // Rotown, Rotterdam, NL
03/11/12 // Mezz, Breda, NL
04/11/12 // Tivoli Spiegelbar, Utrecht, NL
06/11/12 // Botanique, Bruxelles, BE
07/11/12 // MOD Club, Hasselt, BE
08/11/12 // Beta, København S, DK
13/11/12 // Chelsea, Vienna, AT
14/11/12 // Die Scherbe, Graz, AT
15/11/12 // The Lexington, London, GB
16/11/12 // The Louisiana, Bristol, GB
18/11/12 // Nice n' Sleazy, Glasgow, GB
30/11/12 // De Oosterport, Groningen, NL
01/12/12 // De Oosterport, Groningen, NL
06/12/12 // El Patio de la Favorita, Gijon, ES
07/12/12 // Nuevo Teatro Circo, Cartagena, ES
08/12/12 // Isidoro Maiquez de Caja, Granada, ES
09/12/12 // Four Seasons, Castellon, ES
10/12/12 // Cafe Espa\u00f1a, Valladolid, ES
11/12/12 // BeCool, Barcelona, ES
12/12/12 // Teatro de la Estacion, Zaragoza, ES
13/12/12 // Sala Sirocco, Madrid, ES
14/12/12 // Cafe Pop Torgal, Ourense, ES
19/12/12 // Whelans, Dublin, IE