“Dancing with Ghosts” by Pink Turns Blue – A Song Feature

      Three months ago, Rick Beato, a highly respected YouTube personality, presented his observation that most musicians write and/or preform their pinnacle work before the age of 30. Beato’s theory is that aging-related changes in the brain affect a musician’s ability to write and improvise music. If you are interested, his video is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxR6Zi1euvc&t=5s.
 
     Beato listed exceptions to his theory, with most of the exceptions being classical composers. For us, the German band Pink Turns Blue is an exception within the Rock/Post Punk genres. The band released seven albums from 1987 to 1993. The albums received critical acclaim. But their pinnacle work, “TAINTED” dropped in 2021. The standout song on that album is “There Must Be So Much More.” As a strong follow up album. “Black Swan” will be shared on February 28, 2025. “Dancing with Ghosts” is the latest of three single releases from the upcoming album.
 
          “Dancing with Ghosts” is a song about a troubled relationship. Specifically:
“’Dancing With Ghosts’ is a song about our difficulty of breaking out of an unhealthy bond.
Some last a lifetime – and are not good for us at all. They suck all our energy, never give, always take. And whatever we do, it’s never right and never good enough.
And since it’s often our best friend, mother, or sister, it feels like we owe them something, but every time we try to do something good for them, we just feel miserable and used.
There is no easy way out, because whatever we do, we lose.
These spirits will haunt us forever unless we challenge them and eventually manage to leave them behind.
We’re Dancing With Ghosts.”
 
     The members of Pink Turns Blue are Mic Jogwer (vocals, guitar), Luca Sammuri (bass), and Paul Richter (drums). In an explanation of the title of the upcoming album, they note, “Black Swan is a term used for an unexpected event that, in retrospect, is rationalized as if one could have prepared for it.”
 
     “Dancing with Ghosts” by Pink Turns Blue

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Pink.Turns.Blue.Official/
Website: https://pinkturnsblue.com/

Lyrics of “Dancing with Ghosts” by Pink Turns Blue

I’ve got to go now
You’re eating my soul
I’ve got to kill all love
Or I will fall
I need to bury you now
To stop the pain
Our love needs to end now
Or I’m going insane
 
Go dancing with ghosts now
Go dancing with ghosts now
 
Just leave me alone now
To live my life
Could strive for happiness
Because this would be right
Can fuck up without you
Don’t need you at all
Can grow with a challenge
But can’t solve yours
 
Go dancing with ghosts now
Go dancing with ghosts now
Go dancing with ghosts now
Go dancing with ghosts now
 
I’m trying to reach the light
Trying to get to the other side
I’m trying to pass the door
Because I know there’s so much more
And find my own keys to life
To reach the stairs of heaven alright
Been part of yours for too long
Now it’s time to live my own, my own
 
To live my own life
To live my own life
 
Go dancing with ghosts now
[Repeating]

"Voice Inside" by The Tumblers – A Song Feature

 

     “Voice Inside” is the third release from The Tumbler’s upcoming debut album “Tangerine.” The 14-track album is scheduled to drop on March 25, 2025. This third release is compositionally masterful, lyrically intelligent, and vocally compelling.
 
    The initial two verses of “Voice Inside” feature inward-looking lyrics paired with a steady guitar pattern that persists throughout, creating a reflective atmosphere. Between the two verses, two high-frequency guitar notes offer a sense of optimism. The high frequency interjections reappear during the second verse. The first two verses are:

I keep my worries to myself

I’m not the type to ask for help

Cause my Mama said be strong

And I try to go along

 

I stand up straighter when I can

Cause they say courage makes a man

And at times when I'm afraid

And the sky fills up with gray

And I… pretend that everything is right

 
     After a shortened version of the chorus, the third verse is delivered with a fundamentally different approach. For the first line of the verse, the lead vocals are followed by “distant” backing vocals that echo most of the first line. Then, with each successive line in the verse, the lead vocals increasingly overlap with the echoing, until the lead and backing vocals are in synch for the final line - “Pretend everything is right.” The approach is engaging.
 
       The song from The Tumblers then amps up the energy, until the first verse is repeated, but with the revealing final line, “And I’m always on my own in life.” The lead vocalist is Jack Crawford-Brown, who said of “Voice Inside:”
  “This one means a lot to me, and I hope it resonates with you too— Being strong doesn’t mean doing it all alone. It’s okay to lean on people, to ask for help, and to let love and community carry us when we’re struggling. Let’s keep reminding each other to reach out and not go through the hard stuff by ourselves.”
 
      The members of The Tumblers are Jack Crawford-Brown (lead vocals, guitar, mandolin), Emerson Sieverts (bass, vocals), Ian Anderson (lead guitar, banjo), and Will Frazier (drums). For numerous songs by The Tumblers, Camellia Hartman is the violinist. The band is based in New York.
 
     Interestingly, while talking about the recording process, Jack said:
  "One of the toughest and most beautiful things about recording in a barn is there are real sounds to deal with. Leaves from trees brushing up against the roof when the wind picked up. Birds singing all day. When it rained we would have to stop. There was one time when we were recording ‘Voice Inside’ and it started to drizzle. We took a little break and Ian picked up the banjo and Emerson and I were playing guitar. We all just started noodling together on the middle guitar breakdown in the song. It’s such a sweet, sincere part—full of hope. Evan, our engineer, started recording without us knowing and picked up about 5 minutes of it. You can hear the drops and wind coming down and we all just sort of sit there together, steeped in music. The week was filled with little moments like that."
 
     "Voice Inside" by The Tumblers

Website: https://thetumblersmusic.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetumblersmusic/

Weightless” by Jimmy & The Veil ft. Andrew Wells – A Song Feature

 

     The music of Jimmy & The Veil can be fairly characterized as being intelligently introspective, instrumentally sophisticated, and intriguingly moody with an underlying darkness. “Weightless,” which delves into themes of regret and self-forgiveness, exemplifies this style.
 
     Jimmy & The Veil is the performance moniker of James Wright, an Indie Rocker based in coastal Virginia. In the song “Weightless,” Wright’s vocals are complemented by Andrew Wells of Dance Gavin Dance/Eidola. The track opens with soft, reflective instrumentation, leading into Wright’s impassioned delivery of the first verse. The energy intensifies when Wells’ powerful vocals burst in at the 55-second mark.
 
     The “clean” guitar supplies a layer of elegance to “Weightless.” The instrumentation is at its best during the final minute of the track. Following a false stop, the guitar enhances the passion of the vocals and then joins the kickdrum in an invigorating crescendo that leads to revisiting the chorus.
 
     While talking about “Weightless,” James Wright explained:
  “I think we all have regrets that we wrestle with—those lingering feelings that no amount of forgiveness can fully erase. To me, that defines the human condition. It’s proof of an innate sense of morality and goodwill.”
  “I was stoked to have Andrew work his magic on this track with me. He’s one of my heroes in the scene—a true artist and an incredibly hard worker.”
 
     Weightless” by Jimmy & The Veil ft. Andrew Wells (Dance Gavin Dance)

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“Stay for the Night” by Pink Turns Blue – A Song Feature

 

     Is there a band with current releases that are anywhere near as strong as their music from the 1980s (or sooner)? Our answer is a definitive “Yes!” – Pink Turns Blue. The Berlin-based band was formed in 1985 and released a debut LP (“If Two Worlds Kiss”) two years later. That LP received positive reviews; still, we point to the 2022 EP, “Tainted” as being their best work. Now, Pink Turns Blue is preparing to share the album “Black Swan,” with early indications that it will be yet another step forward.
 
     “Stay for the Night” is the second release from “Blue Swan,” which is scheduled to drop on February 28, 2025. Regarding the song, the band says:
  “While we are an alternative rock band, founded in the post-punk era of the 80s, many of our fans wear black or dress as goths. And we often play in clubs that play darkwave music or goth rock at the after show party. The key message of the song is about unequal love, with one person wanting to leave the relationship or the group or going home instead of staying in the club with their (black-clad) friends and the other person asking to stay to sort things out, to give the relationship or the evening another chance.
  "This is also a love song to the post-punk / goth rock community for being with all these years. Very often, we stay for the after-show party and immerse ourselves in the very open-minded and diverse dancing crowd. This is home. After the show, we can just close our eyes and float with the music and our friends... All we need is love. All we need is friends. Thank you so much for being with us.
    
     The members of Pink Turns Blue are Mic Jogwer (vocals, guitar), Luca Sammuri (bass), and Paul Richter (drums). In an explanation of the title of the upcoming album, they note, “Black Swan is a term used for an unexpected event that, in retrospect, is rationalized as if one could have prepared for it.”

     “Stay for the Night” by Pink Turns Blue

 

“Black Swan (But I Know There Is More to Life)” by Pink Turns Blue

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Pink.Turns.Blue.Official/
Website: https://pinkturnsblue.com/
 
Lyrics of “Stay for the Night” by Pink Turns Blue
After all we lived through today
Our hearts full of pain
You should stay for the night
 
A thousand feelings have been hurt
Ugly things have been said
Stay for the night
 
Don’t go without a goodbye
After such a fight
Stay for the night
 
We need to talk it over right now
Don’t leave me alone
Stay for the night
 
Stay for the night
 
After all those years and the things, we’ve been through
And only with you
We should really try hard
 
After leaving those times behind
And the things we’ve pulled through
We do deserve more
 
Stay for the night
[Repeating]

“Same Old Song” by The Lumineers – A Song Feature

 

     A few years ago, The Lumineers “downsized” to their original founders - Wesley Schultz (lead vocals, guitar) and Jeremiah Fraites (percussion, piano). The emphasis on percussion in “Same Old Song” reflects the change. The song is percussion-driven and vocals-steered. Piano and guitar play important roles, but drums and vocals rule.
 
     One quality that remains intact is the live feel of their recorded releases. “Same Old Song” is the first 2025 release of The Lumineers. They are scheduled to release the album “Automatic” on Valentines Day (February 14, 2025). “Same Old Song” will be one of the eleven tracks on the album.
 
     “Same Old Song” by The Lumineers

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLumineers
Website: https://www.thelumineers.com/

Lyrics of “Same Old Song” by The Lumineers
Hey, Mama, would you pay my rent?
Would you let me crash in your basement?
'Cause anyone of us could make it big or could end up dead on the pavement
And if i was to die
If the plane went down and you survived
 
You ever wondered what your parents meant
When they told you grandma's in heaven
'Cause I don't feel it like I did back then
In a black sedan of depression
And everyone's alright
I could not afford to see the light
 
I don't know what's wrong with me
I killed the mood so naturally
Thе guests begin to make mе feel alone
 
Same old song
We sing the same old song
We sing the same old, same sad song
 
In the braille where the top is black
Like a starving mouth for the answer
You said the boulevard was not that bad
And they jacked the van with the instruments
In the broad daylight
They popped the trunk and left the keys behind
The cops pretend to care
I'll never see my mom's guitar again
 
I don't know what's wrong with me
I killed the mood so naturally
The guests begin to make me feel alone
The party has been done for hours
I'm laying on bathroom tile spilling all my guts below the throne
 
Same old song
We sing the same old song
We sing the same old, same sad song
Same old song
We sing the same old song
We sing the same old, same sad song