After revealing lead single Good Night On Earth followed
by shaky blues tuneSteam Engine souljackerr Everett
keeps on groovin’ and movin’ with another fresh cut called THE MAGIC
Band: EELS (Los Angeles) Who: Singer-songwriter Mark Oliver Everett‘s ensemble Active: 1991-1995 (solo), afterward
he continued as Eels / 13 studio albums so far
Album: BEAUTIFUL FREAK
The first album as Eels, but before, Everett
already produced 3 LPs under his own name
Released: 13 August 1996 – 25 years ago Score: #5 in the UK / #114 in the US
Q magazine wrote: “A complete musical vision,
a genre-spanning soundscape that reels you in with
its myriad hooks.”
Turn Up The Volume: To my ears Eels always balanced
between okay records and brilliant ones like this one.
Band: EELS (Los Angeles) Album: EARTH TO DORA – 13th LP Released: 30 October 2020
NME says: “Mark ‘E’ Everett’s 13th album under his melancholic indie moniker is a life-
worn collection that charts the rise and fall of a relationship, exuding fragile hope… Eels’
most complete and self-contained record, arguably the epitome of their ouvre and a record
that places E – in his own gruff, xylophone-toting way –alongside the great downtrodden romantics: Cohen; Rufus Wainwright; Stephin Merritt of Magnetic Fields; Nick Cave. Just the
sort of bullheaded optimism we need, in fact, to see us through the cold winter ahead.”
Full review here. Score: 4/5.
Turn Up The Volume: Pick your favorite bottle of wine. Dim the lights. Relax on
your couch and press play with the remote control. Let Eels entertain you with his
break-up reveries, mixed emotions meditations and melancholic nightdreams. You’ll
feel better afterward because, after all, it’s about other people’s misery. That’s what
the E crooner accomplishes over and over again.
Key singles: Who You Say You Are / Baby Let’s Make It Real
After sharing three new songs over the past weeks Mark Oliver Everett
confirms finally that EELS will have a new album out called EARTH TO DORA
on 30th October.
“These songs came about just before the pandemic hit and changed everything. I’m
hoping they can be, maybe, kind of soothing or something. To hear songs dealing with
things we are dreaming about getting back to. Or maybe people are dealing with some of
the topics right now as well. Just one song was done in the thick of the early pandemic days,
‘Are We Alright Again’ which is kind of a quarantine daydream I desperately needed to have.” said Everett in a statement about the new record.
MARK OLIVER EVERETT and his EELS vehicle turned up, out of the blue,
last month with a new single called Baby Let’s Make It Real (listen below).
The b-side of the fresh single is titled WHO YOU SAY YOU ARE and comes
out as a limited edition 7-inch. No surprises. Everett sings the blues… again.
“Here’s a way to forget your troubles for two minutes and 55 seconds. Listen to
this song and think about my problems instead. You’re welcome!” says the man.
1. ‘She Loved You’ by MARK LANEGAN remixed by IYEARA (US/UK)
A ritual voodoo-like disco dance. Pitchy synth beats for the twilight hours. On
21st August the full remix album of Mark Lanegan‘s 11th LP Somebody’s Knocking
by British electro duo Iyeara comes out, re-titled ‘Another Knock At The Door‘.
2.’Tulsa’ by ERIIS (Belgium)
This fresh passion-rock trio’s mantra is Chaos, Strife And Discord. Their sound is as monumental as the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris and this debut single is nothing
less than awesome. A terrific reflection on the Tulsa Race Riots that occurred in 1921.
. 3. ‘Prism’ by BULLY (Nashville, Tennessee)
Vehement and electrical power-pop slam with a “happy go lucky/fuck-it-all attitude”
and ardent vocals by Alicia Bognanno. Third album SUGAREGG arrives next week.
4. ‘The Greyhound’ by TRAAMS (Chicester, UK)
British post-punk trio back after four years to do what they do best. Taking the listener
on an ongoing riff-tastic trance trip with an instant mind-boggling impact. Impressive!
The first of a trio of new pieces coming our way over the next few months.
5. ‘Baby Let’s Make It Real’ by EELS (UK)
The beautiful freak is back with a vintage Eels humdinger. Reflective, wistful, strangely catchy and deadpan lines like “Baby, you’re a full meal, the way you make me feel/ It’s
kind of a big deal/ Baby, let’s make it real.” Welcome back Mark Oliver Everett.
The last time we heard from beautiful freak OLIVER EVERETT
and EELS was with the release of 2018 album The Deconstruction.
And now out of the blue comes the new single called ‘BABY LET’s MAKE IT REAL’
without any additional info. Nothing about a new album or more new stuff.
The new piece is as well sonically as lyrically vintage Eels. A reflective, wistful
and strangely catchy tune and great lines like “It’s a plea to turn an ongoing thing
into an actual romantic relationship with deadpan lines like “Baby, you’re a full meal,
the way you make me feel/ It’s kind of a big deal/ Baby, let’s make it real.”
