These are dark times we’re in, and we need sounds that mirror it. Gothic Americana band, ANCINE answers the call to provide the musical reflection. They do so with their new release, Death Hymns: Book Of Desolation.

Lyrically, Death Hymns is a collection of murder ballads, often with a supernatural twist. Mike Giallo aimed to mix folk Horror cinema with the seedier side of old time and rural America, with a paradoxical blend of Christian and occult motifs. Though the lyrics are works of fantasy, the themes and emotions that brought them forth are very much real; depression, isolation, alcohol abuse, and misanthropy.

Death Hymns is musically influenced by old delta blues legends Robert Johnson, Son House, and Leadbelly as well as goth/death rock bands such as Christian Death, Samhain, and Fields of the Nephilim.

Death Hymns is available on CD and on all major digital platforms including Spotify & Bandcamp.

open.spotify.com/artist/6pYAGFDKjmz2hjNdpKsV0v

Today 45 ago Siouxsie And The Banshees released ‘The Staircase (Mystery)’, it was the band's second single and was released as a stand-alone single on 23 March 1979 (Polydor Records). It also became the band’s second top 40 entry, peaking at number 24 on the UK Singles Chart.

B-side features a cover-version of the 1973 T. Rex song ‘20th Century Boy’.

The song was later added to the singles compilation album Once Upon a Time: The Singles. Also the remastered 2005 version of their debut album The Scream, contained this single as bonus material.

The acknowledged British music Melody Maker hailed the single upon its release and wrote: "The Banshees have been able to come up with a couple of slices of excellent music for their singles. 'The Staircase' hasn't anywhere near the commercial potential or immediacy of 'Hong Kong Garden', but nevertheless it's a great song. A sinister almost mesmerizing tune, dominated by Siouxsie's unorthodox vocals – it grows and matures with each play.

The Staircase (Mystery) (Tracklist)

A. The Staircase (Mystery) 3:06
B. 20th Century Boy 1:57

DISCOGS

Siouxsie and the Banshees (1979 line-up)

Siouxsie Sioux – vocals
Steven Severin – bass guitar
John McKay – guitar
Kenny Morris – drums

The Staircase (Mystery) (Lyrics)

Stare case lying face up
Stare cat on a mat
Looking down
Slide down the banister
Take the escalator
Slide down the banister
Or try the elevator
I was standing on the landing
Now I'm standing in the hall
Looking up
Won't someone assist me
Solve this mystery
Somebody assist me
Arrange the symmetry
Muffled footsteps on the carpet
Spiral steps start spinning
Around me
Which floor which ceiling
You're off balance
Which floor which ceiling
It's all upside down
Stare case lying face up
Stare cat on a mat
Looking down...

Songwriters: Sioux / John Gareth Mckay / Kenneth Ian Morris / Steven Severin

The voice of the late Scott Walker (born Noel Scott Engel; January 9, 1943 – March 22, 2019) is the sound of the sixties, everything that is free, soulful and beautifully constructed. When he sings the world stops turning and you are transported back to that decade. Visions of Mini Coopers, Mini Skirts, Piccadilly Circus and James Bond Films flood the senses.

Those of you unfamiliar with the sound of Scott Walker can try and imagine that it is the place in the road where Jim Morrison and Brian Wilson meet, think of the song 'God Only Knows' sung by The Doors instead of the Beach Boys, a perfect pop song sung with a dark intensity.
Indeed Walkers influence goes beyond that of a conventional artist, he has been cited as highly influential on songwriters such as-Leonard Cohen, David Bowie, Steve Wilson, Thom Yorke, Jarvis Cocker, Neil Hannon and Julian Cope to name just a few.

For a man who was expected to follow the same path as Andy Williams or Frank Sinatra, falling into the superficial mainstream pop of other such crooners, he diverged his creepy sense of orchestral arrangements and focused his career on creating new paths instead of following ones already laid out.
When it comes to deconstructing Walker you find he is one of those rarities in music whose main instrument is his voice, the focus of every track, capturing the intense mood perfectly. With lush strings, drums, horn sections and guitars are always present but harder to reach as the voice is the vehicle the song rides on, everything else is there to promote it.

His split from The Walker Brothers, a bold step as they were at the top of their game, may have been down to him feeling like he was not doing want he had envisioned. The simple pressures of coming up with songs for The Walker Brothers had stunted his own personal creativity ,at one time it is said they had a larger fan base than The Beatles. In September of 1967 ,a little under six months since the last Walker Brothers album,'Images', Scott released his first solo album simply titled 'Scott'.

A critical and commercial success,reaching as high as no number-three on the UK charts, still on the heels of the Walker Brothers success although it would be the following year before it would see a Stateside release under the title ‘The Loner'. The albums varied material has and can be split into three sections, broadway hits, Walkers own compositions and covers of the infamous Belgian singer-songwriter Jacques Brel and here we have the real triumph for Walker.
Brel, who only recorded songs in his own native language, where as Walker was able to acquire the English translation songs before anyone else.
On Walkers following two albums he included another six songs collectively by Brel, always citing him as one of the greatest songwriters on the planet.

The closing Brel penned track on 'Scott' called 'Amsterdam' was recorded and released by David Bowie during his Ziggy period,it is at this point you understand the full influence and impact of this fearless singer,as he both stirred the fearless musical adventures in so many others and gave them a focal point on which to model themselves on,Walker may not have been the biggest selling male solo artist of that decade but perhaps he was the most important.

[Kevin Burke]

Today, exactly 34 years ago, Nine Inch Nails released their second single Head Like a Hole (22 March 1990) and bared the NIN catalogue number Halo 3. taken from their debut album Pretty Hate Machine (Halo 2) which was already released in October 1989.

Trent Reznor wrote 'Head like A Hole' already two years before its actual release, after touring with Skinny Puppy in 1988. The song was recorded in 1989 and was co-produced by Adrian Sherwood, Flood, and Keith LeBlanc. Since Flood was pretty occupied with producing Depeche Mode's Violator album at that time, 'Head Like a Hole' became one of the last songs the band finished for their Pretty Hate Machine album.

A music video was shot for the "Clay" remix of this song and was directed by Eric Zimmerman which was later also featured on the Closure VHS video tape (1997). The video got heavy rotation on MTV and helped to fuel NIN's early success. The video was shot at the Exit nightclub (Chicago) and features band members Trent Reznor, Richard Patrick, and Chris Vrenna, as well as guest drummer Martin Atkins performing in a cage

Head Like A Hole became an instant (underground) hit and remains upon today still one of NIN’s main artifacts.

The song was covered by many artists since then, amongst those DEVO and Nu-Metal band Korn

Head Like A Hole - Lyrics

God money I'll do anything for you.
God money just tell me what you want me to
God money nail me up against the wall.
God money don't want everything he wants it all.
No you can't take it
No you can't take it
No you can't take that away from me
No you can't take it
No you can't take it
No you can't take that away from me

Head like a hole.
Black as your soul.
I'd rather die than give you control.
Head like a hole.
Black as your soul.
I'd rather die than give you control.

Bow down before the one you serve.
You're going to get what you deserve.
Bow down before the one you serve.
You're going to get what you deserve.

God money's not looking for the cure.
God money's not concerned with the sick among the pure.
God money let's go dancing on the backs of the bruised.
God money's not one to choose
No you can't take it
No you can't take it
No you can't take that away from me
No you can't take it
No you can't take it
No you can't take that away from me

Head like a hole.
Black as your soul.
I'd rather die than give you control.
Head like a hole.
Black as your soul.
I'd rather die than give you control.

Bow down before the one you serve.
You're going to get what you deserve.
Bow down before the one you serve.
You're going to get what you deserve.
Bow down before the one you serve
You're going to get what you deserve.
Bow down before the one you serve.
You're going to get what you deserve.

Head like a hole.
Black as your soul.
I'd rather die than give you control.
Head like a hole.
Black as your soul.
I'd rather die than give you control.
Head like a hole.
Black as your soul.
I'd rather die than give you control.
Head like a hole.
Black as your soul.
I'd rather die than give you control.

Bow down before the one you serve.
You're going to get what you deserve.
Bow down before the one you serve.
You're going to get what you deserve.
Bow down before the one you serve.
You're going to get what you deserve.
Bow down before the one you serve.
You're going to get what you deserve.

Songwriters: Trent Reznor

DISCOGS

On this day, 44 years ago John Foxx released the second 7” single taken from his debut and electronic music cult album Metamatic (released 18 January 1980). ‘No-One Driving’ (21 March 1980) was released in various versions, as a limited edition double 7" disc with three accompanying tracks, and as a single 7" singles a two track and three track version.

The single version is slightly different from the album version in sound mix and lyrics; the line "..someone's gone liquid in the sheets.." on the album version is replaced by "..someone's gone missing in the sheets..".

The single entered the UK Singles Chart at no. 32, remaining at the same position for a further week.

No-One Driving (Original 7” Releases)

7" single disc (two track version)

1. "No-One Driving"
2. "Glimmer"

7" single disc (three track version)

1. "No-One Driving"
2. "Glimmer"
3. "Mr. No"

7" double disc (gatefold sleeve)

1. "No-One Driving"
2. "Glimmer"
3. "This City"
4. "Mr. No"

7" German release (different sleeve artwork)

1. "No-One Driving"
2. "Metal Beat"

All three B-sides were released together for the first time on the 2001 CD re-issue of the Metamatic album.

DISCOGS

No-One Driving (Lyrics)

Seems like you were lit inside
I feel like fog beside the shine
Figure fades away
Someone takes my place
Meshing with the pictures on the pages

There's no-one driving
There's no-one driving
There's no-one driving
There's no-one

The family's back from long ago
The voices burnt, the voices gold
Vapour trails go by
Voices on the lines
Nothing to come back to can't we fade?

There's no-one driving
There's no-one driving
There's no-one driving
There's no-one

Someone's gone liquid in the sheets
A sudden smell of burning leaves
The old streets overgrown
Somewhere else to go
It's just another switchback can't we fade?

There's no-one driving
There's no-one driving
There's no-one driving