30 Years and Counting

Longevity is not easy for bands. While making music is a lifelong passion, finding time to play together is easier when you are young. Sooner or later, most bands are more a collective of professionals behind one or two creative masterminds who release under a well-known name. For example, Radiohead has played together since 1985, but are they still a band? Some say they are, and some say they are not.

The story is apparent for the New York band Blonde Redhead: the three core members, Kazu Makino, Amedeo Pace, and Simone Pace, have played in the same formation since 1993 - if you discount two additional bass players during the first three years. This Friday, they release their tenth full-length studio album, Sit Down for Dinner, a fresh-sounding record suggesting they still have plenty of creative energy to spare.

The fact that they are family – Simone and Amedeo are twin brothers, and Kazu is married to Amedeo – makes this an even more significant accomplishment because taking an extended creative break from each other is not really ever an option.

I was first turned on to Blonde Redhead by their song In Particular, a regular staple on the “Alternative” channel of Musicmatch in 2002. In 2005, on a CD buying spree at Tower Records on the Upper West Side, I stumbled over their sixth album, Misery Is A Butterfly - a phenomenal, weird album I had on repeat on my iPod. In 2007, I spotted their latest album, 23, in a record/clothing/whatever store in Park Slope, Brooklyn, on the eve of a major storm.

That drama fits the record, which changed my perspective on music. The magic of Blonde Redhead lies in their unpredictability. While the vocal timbres of Kazu and Amedeo are instantly recognizable, you never know where exactly a song goes. “23,” the album’s stunning opening cut, is a soaring power pop song that transfers so much energy you may feel like lifting off. It became my favorite song then, and I would still put it under the five best songs ever.

Congratulations to Blonde Redhead for being excellent for 30 years and releasing their tenth album! Check out our playlist with our personal favorites below.

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Song Pick of the Day

Listen to/watch all seven songs on YouTube. Follow our daily updated playlists on YouTube and Spotify for the 50 latest Song Picks of the Day. Thank you for following us and sharing the excitement.

There are not many songs about friendship, so NYC singer, songwriter, and producer Glassio is spot on when he teams up with Beauty Queen for an upbeat, chill track. “A Friend Like You” is the first of many more collaborations Glassio is planning to release in the coming months.

Yodashe is a musician from Greece who lives and went to school in London. From there, she brings many ideas for her intricately produced tracks. The latest one, “Visualization,” is about the power of seeing yourself where you want to be. Follow along the path she laid out with shimmering layers of synths.

Kathryn Baar and Luc Laurent collaborate for all aspects of their music under the name SPELLES. Their new song, “Beginnings and Endings,” is a sweeping dream pop track off their upcoming debut full-length Diving Into the Arms of the Divine.

Gabi Demberg, aka Daffo, was raised in Pennsylvania but did not have much of a home growing up. Taking a cue from a classic children’s book series, “Poor Madeline” touches on that experience. Daffo says about the song: “I wrote it when I was 17, my parents sold my childhood home and I went off to boarding school. I ended up moving 6 times in the span of 9 months.”

Elke is a big fan of Chicago band The Hecks, and after somewhat of a gasp, she agrees with their turn from noisy post-punk to retro-tinged pop music. You will find their song, “Let’s Dream,” on their upcoming EP II ((Cowards.))

Lily Hain is a singer/songwriter who moved from North Carolina to NYC. With “Internalize,” she wants to put a kibosh on putting the well-being of others over her own. “It’s about the frustration of constantly doing the inner work on myself to grow and heal only to still allow others to walk over my boundaries and make me feel small,” she says and lets out a frustrated sigh at the end of the song.

London-based Swiss musician Cori Nora released a new single, “Fake Flowers.” The slow-burning, elegant track rides you through futuristic soundscapes. We hope for more of this tomorrow on her debut album, Flowers and Fences.

Also Happening

We have a rule at glamglare not to feature two songs by the same artist in our glamglarepick playlist. That means that “Lenny,” the fantastic new song by London singer/songwriter Atka, cannot be a Song Pick of the Day since we’re still featuring “Desiring Machines.” But you still should listen.

Nine Photos of Dublin by Day

We spent less than 24 hours in Dublin, Ireland, and our goal was to simply soak up the atmosphere of the city. When we air travel, we tend to choose Aer Lingus, and instead of spending three-plus hours at the airport, we added an overnight stay to our trip. Getting from the airport to the city center takes less than 30 minutes, and is a really nice ride. We stayed at the newly opened Hampton by Hilton Dublin City Center, sporting a retro-chic style, and we could not have enjoyed the experience more. We splurged on a room with a city view (with sunset!) and indulged in the fabulous, included breakfast buffet the next morning. Having been delayed in Hamburg for two hours, we really appreciated the delicious food at Chicobo with sightseeing, sunshine, and all. Newly refreshed, we went on a long walk up and down the river Liffey while traversing some of the many bridges until we reached the Samuel Becket Bridge, created by star architect Santiago Calatrava and representing a harp. Of course, we also quickly checked out the Temple Bar district and its famous Temple Bar (we didn’t go in, though,) which doesn’t need night’s fall to be truly busy.

Stay tuned for Dublin by night!