The Song Of Trees is the debut album from dark electronic folk band, Hem Netjer. It was written mostly remotely during the height of the lockdowns.
The album is a musical journey through the five elements; Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Void. With three singles already released, The Song Of Trees entices the listener to look within themselves, in hopes to find something from each stage of the elemental journey that can be used within their daily lives.
The journey starts off with Void, the nothingness, the empty state of being where one can relax and just be in an open state. Next we move to Salt And Tears, where the water consumes you, allowing the waves to wash away that which doesn't serve you.
The next stage is Eldur, where the fire will ignite the passion behind that which does serve you and rekindle a reminder of what you value within yourself. Freedom represents the air we breathe. This air reminds you to go with the flow and to let the journey take you to where it is needed. Next, with Connect we go deep into the earth to ground and root yourself, to keep you stable in a fluctuating world.
On the second last stage, we see all the elements coming together in "Elemental Cry", to help release your inner warrior within. Lastly, our final stage, Otherworld, reminds us to work alongside those that are no longer around or those that are not always known, to find the connection with ourselves.
The Song of Trees was on February 28 on all major digital platforms including Bandcamp.
'No Time To Cry' was The Sisters of Mercy's single No. 9, released in advance of their first studio album First And Last And Always and was released on 8 March 1985, 38 years ago!
While the previous advanced First Last And Always single ‘Walk Away’ managed to penetrate the UK single charts to the 45th position, ‘No Time To Cry’ got stuck at the 63rd place.
The appearance of Craig Adams on this release is questioned, especially on Blood Money and Bury Me Deep. Rumor has it that the bass lines were programmed on the Doktor, as Adams supposedly was reluctant to participate in their recording.
No Time To Cry (7" single MR335, 249118-7)
A. No Time To Cry 3'25"
B. Blood Money 3'12"
No Time To Cry (12" single MR 335T, 249117-0)
A. No Time To Cry 3'58"
B. Blood Money 3'12"
B. Bury Me Deep
Line-up:
• Craig Adams - Bass
• Gary Marx - Guitars
• Wayne Hussey - Guitars
• Andrew Eldritch - Vocals
• Doktor Avalanche - Drums
No Time To Cry (Lyrics)
It's just a feeling
I get sometimes
A feeling
Sometimes
And I get frightened
Just like you
I get frightened too
But it's...
No time for heartache
(no no no) No time to run and hide
(no no no) No time for breaking down
(no no no) No time to cry
Sometimes in the world as is you've
Got to shake the hand that feeds you
It's just like Adam says
It's not so hard to understand
It's just like always coming down on
Just like Jesus never came and
What did you expect to find
It's just like always here again it's...
No time for heartache
(no no no) No time to run and hide
(no no no) No time for breaking down
(no no no) No time to cry
Everything will be alright
Everything will turn out fine
Some nights I still can't sleep
And the voices pass with time
And I keep
No time for tears
No time to run and hide
No time to be afraid of fear
I keep no time to cry
No time for tears
No time to run and hide
No time to be afraid of fear
I keep no time to cry
No time for heartache
(no no no) No time to run and hide
(no no no) No time for breaking down
(no no no) No time to cry
Songwriters: Andrew Eldritch / Craig David Adams / Gary Marx / Wayne Hussey
© Universal Music Publishing Group
Sources: Sisterswiki.org / Wikipedia / Discogs
The Sisters Of Mercy - No Time To Cry (HQ) Sisters of Mercy - No time to Cry 1985 German TV - Formel 1 16/04/85
Today, exactly 29 years ago, American industrial band Nine Inch Nails released The Downward Spiral!
Today its exactly 29 years since American industrial band Nine Inch Nails released their second studio album The Downward Spiral (8th March 1994). In contrast to their first album Pretty Hate Machine, which was rather synth-pop/electro like, this album featured more distorted guitars and other heavy elements from the industrial music style.
The album was recorded at Trent Reznor’s ‘Le Pig’ studio which was actually located in the house of where actress Sharon Tate was murdered by members of Charles Manson’s cult.
The album is a concept album describing the destruction of a man, from the beginning of his downward spiral to his suicide attempt.
Two official singles were taken from the album, March of the Pigs and Closer, later followed by the promotional singles Piggy and Hurt.
Hurt was covered by Johnny Cash in 2003 to commercial and critical acclaim. Reznor praised Cash's interpretation of the song for its sincerity and meaning, even stating the song didn't belong to himself anymore.
The Downward Spiral was a major commercial success, and established Nine Inch Nails as a reputable force in the alternative music scene since.
The Downward Spiral (Tracklist)
Mr. Self Destruct
Piggy
Heresy
March Of The Pigs
Closer
Ruiner
The Becoming
I Do Not Want This
Big Man With A Gun
A Warm Place
Eraser
Reptile
The Downward Spiral
Hurt
On this day, 35 years ago, Divine died at the age of 42 (19.10.1945 - 7.03.1988). Divine was an American actor, singer, and drag queen, born as Harris Glenn Milstead.
Closely associated with the independent filmmaker John Waters, Divine was a character actor, usually performing female roles in cinematic and theatrical productions and adopted a female drag persona for his music career. Milstead developed an early interest in drag while working as a women's hairdresser. By the mid-1960s he had embraced the city's countercultural scene and befriended Waters, who gave him the name "Divine" and the tagline "the most beautiful woman in the world, almost."
Divine joined Waters' acting troupe and adopted female roles for their experimental short films. Divine next starred in Waters' Pink Flamingos (1972), which became a cult classic and established Divine's fame within the American counterculture. Then Divine moved to theater, appearing in several avant-garde performances alongside San Francisco drag collective The Cockettes.
He starred in two more of Waters' films, Polyester (1981) and Hairspray (1988), the latter of which represented his breakthrough into mainstream cinema.
Meanwhile, in 1981, Divine embarked on a career in the disco industry by producing a number of Hi-NRG tracks, most of which were written by Bobby Orlando. He achieved international chart success with hits like ’Shoot Your Shot’ (1981), ‘You Think You're a Man’ (1984) and ‘Walk Like a Man’ (1985), all of which were performed in drag.
Having struggled with obesity throughout his life, he died from cardiomegaly, shortly after the release of Hairspray.
Described by People magazine as the "Drag Queen of the Century", Divine has remained a cult figure, particularly within the LGBT community, and has provided the inspiration for fictional characters, artworks and songs.
A worthwhile documentary film devoted to his life is I Am Divine (2013).
Today it’s exactly 38 years (7 March 1980) since English post-punk band Siouxsie and the Banshees released the 7” Happy House, the first single taken from their third studio album Kaleidoscope.
Happy House and the Kaleidoscope album marked a change in musical direction for Siouxsie and the Banshees due to the arrival of two new musicians: drummer Budgie, previously of the Slits, and guitarist John McGeoch, previously of Magazine.
When asked if "Happy House" was a cynical song, Siouxsie replied: "It is sarcastic. In a way, like television, all the media, it is like adverts, the perfect family whereas it is more common that husbands beat their wives. They are mental families really but the projection is everyone smiling, blond hair, sunshine, eating butter without being fat and everyone perfect.
The single became the band's second top 20 hit, peaking at number 17 in the UK Singles Chart
Happy House (Lyrics)
This is the happy house-we're happy here in the happy house oh it's such fun
We've come to play in the happy house
And waste a day in the happy house-it never rains
We've come to scream in the happy house We're in a dream in the happy house
We're all quite sane
This is the happy house-we're happy here There's room for you if you say "I do"
But don't say no or you'll have to go
We've done no wrong with our blinkers on It's safe and calm if you sing along
This is the happy house-we're happy here in the happy house.
To forget ourselves-and pretend all's well There is no hell.
Songwriters: Siouxsie Sioux / Steven Severin
