Friday 30 April 2010

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance



This Friday's track brings together one of the Belleville Three, the original innovators of Detroit Techno with 2 of the big names of Progressive House in the UK and responsible for the best dance album ever made in my opinion.

Inner City was a collaboration of Kevin Saunders, producer and Paris Grey. Their first single Big Fun was released in 1988 and reached number 8 in the UK, the follow up did even better reaching number 4 and in the end they had 12 top 40 hits in the UK.

Leftfield's duo of Paul Daley and Neal Barnes  were two of the most influential producers on the UK dance scene during the early 90's and as I said above responsible for an album, Leftism which just blew me away when it was released in 1995. They also produced some of the best remixes, for acts such as React II Rhthym, Stereo MC's and Inner City amongst others. The duo eventually split in 2002.

The track posted comes from a double 12" pack of remixes called Testament '93

Inner City -  Hallelujah (Leftfield Glory mix)

Wednesday 28 April 2010

M.I.A. returns

At other times you need something that just screams out AAAARRRRGH!

I was alerted to the fact that M.I.A. is back when Mulrine posted the quite disturbing video for new track Born Free at Pop Cultureddd.

The track is absolutely brilliant, can't wait for the album.

M.I.A. - Born Free

You can check the video out for yourself either at Pop Cultureddd or at http://www.miauk.com/

Tuesday 27 April 2010

The Time has Come



Sometimes all you need is a lazily strummed guitar and a lovely voice covering a track by an English Folk singer of the 70s.

Rose Melberg - The Time Has Come

Monday 26 April 2010

Milkshake Donor



Haven't really posted that many mash up's here but this is one that I love.

I wanted to post Kelis' Caught Out There yesterday,  just for the 'I hate you so much right now' refrain, for obvious reasons but realised that I hadn't ripped the single to iTunes and then couldn't find it. But searching for it reminded me that I had a rather good mash up using Milkshake and my second  favourite DJ Shadow track.

Organ Donor can be found on Josh Davis' groundbreaking first album Endtroducing. The track is rather slight, clocking in at under 2 minutes but after Influx it is in my opinion the best thing he has done. I must have played it hundreds of times but that organ still gets the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. I realise that this has been purlioned from elswhere but its  use is truly inspired and is just plain creepy.

The splicing together of Organ Donor and a rather suggestive, R&B track really shouldn't work but it does.

Dj Shadow vs Kelis - Milkshake Donor

*Can't find a scan of the record anywhere and can't be arsed to find the camera and do it myself, so you've got a picture of Kelis

Sunday 25 April 2010

Nothing To Say Really

I've been sitting, staring at the screen for the past hour hoping that inspiration would come, alas no.

I could rant on some more about frontmen taking the piss out of the people who keep them in beer and fags but that is yesterday's news.

Instead here is a track by the Redskins, the gist of which we should all heed.

The Redskins - Take No Heroes

Ain't that the truth Chris..

I've Been Duped and Sadly It Probably Won't Be The Last Time!



I fully expected this post to be about how great the Fall were last night and then I was going to tell you how wonderful the new album is and that you really should go out and buy it.

Unfortunately my view of the gruppe, I really mean Smith here is rather jaded after the brief performance I and the rest of the audience were privy to last night.

I have never really been fond of seeing The Fall in Edinburgh, I always think that there is more of a chance that Smith may not turn up or be completely drunk and unable to function due to the fact that he knows the city well having lived there for a time. So when I heard that they were playing Edinburgh my enthusiasm was somewhat lacking from the off and the fact that it would be the opening night of the tour only added to my pessimism. Then I found out that it would be in Studio 24, which I had been informed was a toilet owned by an ex member of the Exploited, possible the worst punk band in the world. It was not looking too inviting and to top it off, with the booking fee, it would be around 30 quid for a ticket which is fucking outrageous considering that on the previous tour both nights at the Renfrew Ferry cost £27. I decided that I would pass this time.

That was until I turned my work phone on last Monday morning to find a text from S saying that he had bought tickets and we would be going after all and his eldest brother, a Fall virgin would also be coming. So all week I have been looking forward to the gig.

We arrived early and were pleasantly surprised to find the venue not half as bad as we had expected. There was the usual, I hope he turns up feelings but after getting M a t-shirt from the lady from Action Records I felt reasonably confident that all would be well. Until I noticed the screens either side of the stage, which can only mean one thing at a Fall gig and that is that Safi Sniper  is in the house. Trying to explain what Safi does is pointless as you really have to witness it to fully understand how bad it is. He calls himself a video dj and he picks out bits of old rock film and time stretches the image and the sound but one image and a single beat or note and stretches it and loops it for what seems to be an eternity, it is truly fucking awful, however Smith insists on having him open for the Fall, probably due to the hostile reaction he receives from the crowd. So my mood changed knowing that we would have to endure this before the Gruppe took to the stage.

The support act, Gabriel's Wish were inoffensive enough a sort of mixture of the Fall, Killing Joke and Joy Division, the singer however was a complete cock what with is cringe inducing stage persona.

Then came Safi, a good 15 minutes of the twat.

Finally the Fall came on and they sounded brilliant from the off.  This line-up have gelled really well and have become a very tight garage band, Smith sauntered on stage two thirds of the way through the first song and all of my fears dissipated. The next couple of songs were great and then during Bury Smith started fiddling about with Pete Greenway's amp to such an extent that the whole of the song was done guitar less as he had turned it right down. At the end of Bury Smith left the stage which is not uncommon, he always goes back stage either for a fag or some speed or a drink or god knows what, however it was a bit early into the set which was a bit concerning. The band launched into an instrumental and followed it with I've Been Duped, which Elena sings anyway and during which MES usually returns to finish the song off. The song seemed to go on and on and on with no sign of Smith reappearing and S turned to me and said "that's it" to which I could only reply "looks like it". The band then left the stage.

There were a lot of stunned faces and quite a few who were now resigned to the fact that, that was it. The band did reappear about ten minutes later. Elena saying something about the steps up to the stage being very steep and that we would have to do without smith's presence which went down well. They then launched into a half hearted version of Mr Pharmacist, with fucking Safi on vocals and then left the stage rather sharpish.

And that was it, over! Smith had maybe been on stage all of 25 minutes the band 35.

I was fucking raging! but got even angrier on overhearing a group of guys saying "well that's the chance you take coming to see the Fall and that's why we love him".

No it fucking isn't. I go to see the band and expect to be entertained for about an hour, which isn't too much to ask when I'm parting with my hard earned fucking cash. I'm sick to death of people making excuses for Smith, whether it be his total disdain for the audience, who are keeping him in beer and fags, his late appearance or his tendency to sing from back stage and most of all his walk offs.

I am also sick of hearing about his work ethic, not very apparent last night Mark, or does he actually think that 20 odd minutes is acceptable? 

s. I wouldn't say that it is a return to form, as I don't think that they have made a bad album over the past decade but it is the first since Fall Heads Roll that is consistently good and has absolutely no filler.

Will I stop buying the recorded output of the gruppe? Of course not.

Will I go and see them live again? Most definitely.

And this is what makes me angry at myself, the fact that I know that I will go back and see them and  that I know that Smith banks on Fall fans having this attitude. I wouldn't do it for any other band and I don't quite understand why I have this attitude towards the Fall but I know that I am not alone.

Chet Baker - The Thrill Has Gone

Saturday 24 April 2010

Sunny



A quick post this morning as a busy day ahead. A trip into Glasgow and a wander down Byres Road. Then over to Edinburgh to catch the Fall, magic.

Marvin Gaye - Sunny

Friday 23 April 2010

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance Like it's 1986



When it comes down to it, for all I love northern soul and house music, the record which never fails to get me onto the dance floor and jigging about like an idiot is from a band of miserable gits from Manchester.

I have posted this track before here. But as it is my birthday and I reserve the right to repeat myself.


New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle

Wednesday 21 April 2010

Saturday Soulfest



In honour of Miss Ally's upcoming soulfest and to get those going in the mood the soul keeps coming.

If I didn't have an appointment with a certain Mr Smith in Edinburgh and I was in London on Saturday there would be no where else I would be than upstairs at Betsey Trotswood.

Where is that I hear you ask?

Well that would be at 56 Farringdon Road and a bargain at under a quid to get in.

You may remember this track's use in a cat food advert (catfood! FFS) a few years ago, with music this good not even that fact can taint it.

Rubin - You've Been Away

Guilt



I haven't really got much to say about this track by The Long Blondes, a band I know virtually nothing about apart from the fact that they were from Sheffield and had to call it a day, tragically after their guitarist,  Dorian Cox had a stroke in June 2008.

Pantha Du Prince, known to his mother and friends as Hendrilk Weber provide the remix. Weber is a German producer and DJ who is associated with Hamburg's minimal techno label Dial Records. The album Black Noise which was released a couple of weeks ago is worth checking out.

I am not even sure where I got this remix but it has got that sort of mid week feel to it, if you know what I mean.

The Long Blondes - Guilt (Pantha Du Prince remix)

Monday 19 April 2010

I Was Definitely Made For These Times



Now I don't tend to be anything but incredibly grumpy of a Monday morning, as anyone unfortunate enough to have car shared with me in the past will atest to,  so the idea of posting a perky, happy piece of indie pop goes against the grain somewhat. On the other hand I have had quite a good weekend, even though I spent most of Sunday cleaning up the pit that M calls his room, with one eye on the telly as M was watching dvds of the Doctor and Rose battling with the Daleks.

I was first made aware of Hello Saferide about 4 years ago when the quiz was played on 6music, it was funny and quirky and the Swedish accent had me hooked and I went on the hunt for the ep Would You Let Me Play This Ep 10 Times A Day? When I eventually got my hands on it, it didn't disappoint and I therefore went out and bought the album which had been released the previous year which was to be honest more of the same but it really struck a chord.

The single I Was Definitely Made For These Times was released in 2007 and again I just loved it, with lyrics like " I can make the meanest daiquiri, I can quote all of high fidelity" to a faux northern soul beat what wasn't to like.

There has been a lot of great indiepop coming out of Sweden over the past decade what with the Labrador label, The Acid House Kings, Sambasadeur and The Radio Dept, to name but a few. The last time I was in Lund with work, I mentioned this fact  to a colleague and especially the fact the The Radio Dept were from the town. a fact which he and his co workers were totally oblivious of.

Hello Saferide - I Was Definitely Made For These Times

Sunday 18 April 2010

Record Shop Day 2010 Postscript



I have just been checking ebay and  I have to admit it has taken the shine off of my positive view of Record Shop Day 2010. There are a lot of fucking parasites out there. I'm not averse to somebody making a bob or two and it has been known for me to pay over the odds for some bit of vinyl that I believe that I can't live without but the widespread abuse that can be seen on ebay just sickens me.

There are probably thousands of real music lovers out there who were gutted yesterday when they couldn't get their hands on the one or two records which they queued up to get and then there are these cunts who have bought everything that they think may make them some money , went home and put a ludicrous buy now price of upwards of 100 quid on the records they have get their greasy, slimey hands on for no other reason than personal gain and absolutely no love of music. I would wish a fire on all of their houses although probably some innocent individual would probably get caught up in it. But I am a firm believer in what goes around comes around and one of these days in the righteous words of Chuck D, you're gonna get yours.

I was of a mind to actually put in mad bids on all the items I could find but thought better of it as it would only be me that would end up suffering but I did put best offers of the original prices in for all of the ones that I could find that gave this option, I know it's not much but it will be a pain in the arse for whoever is selling and I suggest that others do likewise here

Public Enemy - You're Gonna Get Yours

Saturday 17 April 2010

Record Shop Day 2010



I've just spent a rather pleasant day in the town with the family on the back of record shop day.

To think that I wasn't going to bother.

Up until last night I was still of the opinion that I would give it a miss, my reasoning being that I still frequent record shops as often as the wife and funds allow but the thought of missing out on an exclusive Fall single, which I would end up buying for at least twice the price on ebay, spurred me on and I had L and the boys up early.

We got to the King Street car park at quarter to eleven and there was already about sixty people waiting to get into Monorail. I jumped out the car leaving Lynn to park and get the boys organised and joined the queue. I struck up a conversation with a guy in front, who was suppossed to picking up his kilt for a wedding he was attending in a couple of hours, or so his wife thought. I have to admit that I began to get a sweat on when he said that he was also after the Fall single amongst other things and I started to wonder how many others in front of me were looking for the same thing.

When the doors eventually opened after what seemed like an age but was in fact at eleven on the dot. It still took forever to actually get to the racks. One of the sales assistants passed and I asked how many copies of the Fall single they had got and to my dismay he replied "only fifteen". I resigned myself to the fact that I had a snowball in hell's chance of getting one. The guy behind me said that he had been in Avalanche earlier and they had a couple of copies but that what he was looking for was sold before he got to the counter, the Factory Sampler 10" and the Beatles repress.

What to do? Leave the queue and bolt to Avalanche or stay put and hope that there were copies left? M said "stay here, I like it here" and the decision was made. When I eventually got to the counter, 11:45,  to my utter joy the guy in front passed me a copy of the single and I relaxed. It was now time to see what else I could get, so I also purchased a copy of the Mogwai/Fuck Buttons split 10" and another copy of You Trip Me Up by the Jesus And Mary Chain, why I don't know, I think that I just got caught up in the moment but alas no Harmonia 76 remixes, copies of that were long gone.

I am not sure how much good an event such as Record Shop Day does for independant record shops because to me the guys (and yes 98% were male) who were waiting patiently but with a lot of nervousness to
get into Monorail looked like the sort of people who frequent record shops on a weekly if not more frequent basis. I suppose any focus on these shops is good.

I don't know about any of the other shops taking part but Monorail certainly put a lot of effort into the day and should be applauded for it, what with having bands and dj sets throughout the day, cup cakes and muffins, quizes and activities for the kids. I just wish that I could have spent more time there, however I promised M while we were waiting that we would go to Forbidden Planet!

So tonight I'm home happy, objective achieved and possibly,  after talking to Steven in Monorail, something that I have been thinking of doing for ages and have discussed with a few others may now come off. As they say check here for details and all will be revealed in the fulness of time, hopefully.

Here is the b-side of the Fall single, just the thing for early Saturday evening.

The Fall - Cowboy Gregori

Kinky Groovy Afro



Today's track takes me back to 1997 and my honeymoon.

Up until about a week before we got married I wasn't aware that we were even going away. Everybody had decided to keep the fact from me on account of my very rational fear of flying. When I was eventually let in on the secret I was less than pleased,  as up until that point in my life I had managed to avoid flying extremely successfully.

After what turned out to be a rather eventful flight, sitting at the back with the cabin crew being plied with brandy and smoking like a lum, we touched down in Barcelona and got the bus into the city. We alighted at las ramblas and followed the instructions down the side streets to our hotel. As we were walking down the street we passed 3 record shops, to which L remarked "fucking wonderful".  About fifty yards after the last one was our hotel.

After getting settled we did what every tourist visiting Barcelona does,  we went for tapas on las ramblas which was great until a few hours later when L started complaining of a sore stomach which before morrning had turned into full blown food poisoning from most likely the calamari, as I didn't have any of that.

So what to do? Stuck in a hotel room in Barcelona with a new wife, spending most of her time talking on the big white telephone to god. Eventually L told me to go out.

I decided to check out the record shops when I had the chance. There was one which appealed to me in particular,  a dance music specialist shop which had a great selection of second hand dance and indie records. I could have spent an absolute fortune, but knew that when L recovered, if I had spent all of the holiday money there would be hell to pay. So I only bought half a dozen 12" singles, including Good Thing by The Woodentops and today's track Kinky Groovy Afro by Happy Mondays.

Before L did recover I managed to spend a small fortune on 2 tickets to see Barcelona vs Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League game at Camp Nou. This was to be L's first ever football match. Barcelona ended up getting gubbed 4 goals to nil, with Shevchenko scoring 3, one from the penalty spot. There was one strange coincidence, the referee that night was Scottish, Hugh Dallas, who had a particular dislike and bias against my team Airdrie.

Oh, and what did L think of her first football match? "It was alright but I don't think I want to go to another".

Happy Mondays - Kinky Groovy Afro

Friday 16 April 2010

Its Friday . . . Let's Dance



Alright, I think that we have flogged this horse enough.

Here are the last of the tracks which made me turn my back on the majority of conventionally, guitar, bass and drums bands for a good few years. I didn't really start to listen to much which wasn't based around a fat bass and a dance beat until after all the Britpop stuff had died what in my view at least was a none too quick death.

Here is an absolute classic from  Larry Heard, in his Mr Fingers guise. Can You Feel It was released on a 3 track 12" single on the legendary Trax label in 1986, the other 2 tracks being  Washing Machine and Beyond The Clouds. But it is Can You Feel It that does it for me and was played everywhere for a good few years.


Mr Fingers - Can You Feel It

Mr Fingers - Can You Feel It (Alternate mix)

Thursday 15 April 2010

What A Difference A Few Hours Makes



It's amazing how your view of organisations can change rapidly.

From about 5 pm yesterday until I eventually got in the door at 11:45 pm, I was cursing everybody involved with the orange airline and wishing a plague on all of their houses, for the delay from Luton and the knowledge that I had to be up in four and three quarter hours , yes four effing thirty in the night, in order to catch the only morning flight to Aldergrove.

When I stumbled out of bed at that ungodly hour I noticed that there was a mesage on the phone. When I checked it I didn't believe what I was reading, it said that due to volcanic activity in Iceland my flight had been cancelled. I thought some-one was on the wind up, so fired up the laptop to check my mail and lo and behold there was an email from Stelios' mob confirming the text. So with a grin I jumped back into bed to get a well deserved couple of bonus hours kip.

When I got up I got a call from a colleague who was now stuck in London but the thing was that she neither got a text nor an email telling her of the situation from the "world's favourite airline".

Throughout the day I have received a few calls from friends and colleagues all in the same boat, some flying with EasyJet, some with Fly Maybe and a couple with BMI Baby and what has become clear is that not only is Easyjet the only one who contacted their passengers (saving me from a 2 to 3 hour wasted round trip to the airport) but as far as I'm aware the only one offering a full refund as well.

Now here is something that you will not hear me say very often, Well done EasyJet! Oh and  I will try to refrain from calling you sleazyjet until my next 3 hour delay in Luton.

Jewel  - I'm Leaving On A Jet Plane

Monday 12 April 2010

Jets To Brazil



I've got a mental week ahead of me. Going down south for a couple of days and then it's over the water. So probably no more posts before either Thursday night, depending on what time I get in but more probably Friday when I think that we may have the last of the early house series as I'm sure that interest is waning by now.

Here is a track from a band I know absolutely nothing about apart from this song, which I first heard years ago on KEXP,  took the trouble to track down and download but never even attempted to seek out anything else by the band for some reason. The track has always reminded me vaguely of something else but I've never been able to put my finger on what it actually is.

Jets To Brazil - Conrad

Sunday 11 April 2010

Never Get Out Of The Boat



After the news yesterday from JC that AcidTed had been pulled I was absolutely raging, I know that Blogger have the right to delete whatever it likes but to do so without a word of warning seems to me to be above and beyond. To just lose 2 years work like that must be gutting and Ctel has my, sympathies isn't the right word but it will have to do for now.

To calm me down and chill me out I was looking for something quite mellow for a Sunday and something as a tribute to AcidTed, first I thought of posting a track or remix from  a certain remixer but that has been done to death recently. So you will have to settle for a track by a band containing members of the Sabres of Paradise and Red Snapper.

Never Get Out of The Boat was the first single by the Aloof and contains a vocal sample by Martin Sheen from Apocalypse Now. The usual mix  that is heard is the Gosh mix, which I think that I have posted in the past. The version posted according to the label is the Flying Mix and to tell you the truth, it's not a version that I've played that much over the years, however during the week I flipped it over and played it at volume and it is really good, I would say that it is as good as the original.

See what you think

And in other news, go on the Raith Rovers today, I hope that you gub Dundee United. It would be great to see a Scottish Cup final with Ross County and Raith Rovers. Being a supporter of a so called "provincial" team I know what it's like to get to the Scottish Cup final and the incredible feelings that that produces, Airdrie got to the final twice in the 90s. Not a whiff of the old firm in the final this year, magic.

The Aloof - Never Get Out Of The Boat (Flying mix)

Saturday 10 April 2010

Gits

AcidTed has been removed by Blogger, shit!

You Keep Calling Me By Her Name




There has been a distinct lack of soul on this blog over the last couple of weeks.

Here, to remedy this oversight, is a belter of a track for a Saturday. You Keep Calling Me By Her Name was originally released on an independent label called Starville and was piclked up by Chess and released as the b-side to I Don't Mind in 1967.

I know absolutely nothing else about Amanda Love.

Amanda Love - You Keep Calling Me By Her Name

Friday 9 April 2010

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance



How come when you're off the week flies by but when you are at work it crawls? Back in 1988, I couldn't wait for the weekend to come and get out and blow my pittance of a wage ( I had recently jacked in Uni and started an apprenticeship as a joiner) on a few new bits of vinyl, going clubbing and getting out of my head, good times.

Today's track is one of the best British made Acid House tracks of 1988, produced by T-Coy, whose members included Mike Pickering, Simon Topping (A Certain Ratio) and Ritchie Close, who were also responsible for another of the best early British house tracks, Carino . Both of these tracks were early releases on the soon to be huge deConstruction  label.

Annette - Dream 17

Thursday 8 April 2010

Malcolm McLaren 22/01/1946 - 08/04/2010



I was just getting tomorrow's post together when L shouted up the stairs that Malcolm McLaren had died.

A couple of weeks ago I did a post featuring the 12" mix of Something's Jumping In Your Shirt and I still can't believe that up until yesterday when I cut the link it had been downloaded more than twice as many times as the second most downloaded track which is something that I had not been expecting.

Here are 2 tracks which I think of when McLaren's name is mentioned.

Bow Wow Wow - C30, C60, C90 (which my mate's older brother had on cassette single)

and

Malcolm McLaren - Madame Butterfly (from an album that is actually better than I thought it would be)

Mclaren will probably be cutting a deal with auld Nick as I type.

Shirley's Temple



The Harrisons were the also rans from Sheffield in the mid noughties who shared the bill in the early days with the Arctic Monkeys. Go to their Myspace page for the full story of the rise and fall of the band.

They left behind them an output of 4 singles and an album, which was finally released after the band had split up.

The track posted is the b-side of the second single Blue Note and the intro bears a striking resemblance to Spanish Bombs.

The Harrisons - Shirley's Temple

Lazy post, I know !

Wednesday 7 April 2010

Von Sudenfed



Yesterday we had a track by god today the track features the person whom my wife thinks could possibly be auld Nick, himself.

It's been too long since the dulcet tones of MES have been heard round these parts.

Today's post comes from Smiths's 2007 collaboration with Andi Toma and Jan St Werner from techno producers,  Mouse on Mars under the alias of  Von Sudenfed. The three had initially collaborated on a single in 2004 and decided to make a full album. Tromatic Reflexxions was released on Domino records and duly failed to set the world on fire.

In December 2007, Smith issued a statement on the Unofficial Fall Website saying that 2 Von Sudenfed gigs had been cancelled due to Smith being sacked by the German duo. This should be taken with a pinch of salt but if true must have been a novel experience for Smith more used to dishing out sackings to band members.

The new Fall album, Our Future Your Clutter is out on the 26th April. I managed to get a snidey copy the other week and it is the most consistent album for me since 2005's  Fall Heads Roll, although it doesn't have anything as brilliant as Blindness it is well worth getting your hands on, even with probably the worst cover art of any Fall lp and that is saying something.

The gruppe start a UK tour on the 24th of April at Studio 24 in Edinburgh, although I think that somebody is taking the piss, with the tickets being priced at nearly 30 quid for that toilet, last time I got both nights at the Renfrew Ferry for less than that.

Von Sudenfed - Fledermaus Can't Get It.

Tuesday 6 April 2010

At Last



 Let battle commence, at long last.


The Housemartins - Think For A Minute

Paul Haig Day and His Lordship's Birthday



Today at a lot of the blogs listed down the right hand side, you will find tracks by Paul Haig/Josef K, this is because for the second year running these bloggers have decided to recognise Paul Haig, who gave support to JC of the excellent Vinyl Villain blogspot when he was getting all of the bother from Blogger and those DMCA gits.

Not being a huge fan of Mr Haig's output I decided not to get involved. However I do think that it is my duty to make people aware of what's going on and that not all artists are complete tossers a la Fergal Sharkey.

I am not sure that when it comes down to it any artist has clout with the c--ts who are arbitrarily taking down posts.  When I got a similar take down notice,  I got a very appreciated email from the manager of the band (Doves) who was none the wiser than me as to why it had been taken down as he was unaware of anybody from the record company or indeed the band who had complained about my insignificant little post.

I had not intended to comment on the problems with Blogger and the faceless bean counters, however last night I found that a further 2 sites which I visited, albeit infrequently, Moody Places and Madchester Rave On have been shut down.

I think that it is only a matter of time before all of the music blogs which post any copyrighted material for which they don't own, no matter how old or unobtainable the tracks are will be closed down on Blogger. I have already taken steps. Just after North Country Bhoy made the move to Wordpress, I registered Across The Kitchen Table there, so if one day this blog disappears just go to wordpress or add this link to your favourites and you can keep up with my pish there.

Anyway, today is also special for another reason. You all thought that the saviour's birthday was the 25th December, however you and the rest of the world have been mistaken. The saviour was actually born on the 6th April  1963 and to mark this momentous occasion, Ctel, Swiss Adam and myself are posting something by the great man.

But here in lies the problem. Over the past couple of years, Ctel, STX, Moggieboy and to a lesser extent Swiss Adam and myself have posted most of the remixes and a lot of Sabres of Paradise, Two Lone Swordsmen and solo stuff. So what to post?

I decided that I would go for an album track from one of the Sabresonic albums. So I sat down and listened to them both yesterday and at the end of it still couldn't decide. But what I did realise is that both of these albums are truely wonderful and should be listened to more frequently by me than they are.

I could have posted one of the versions of Smokebelch II, sometimes I think that the original version gets overlooked due to the brilliance of David Holmes reworking. Or the wonderfully scary Clock Factory. But in the end I decided on a belter of a track from Sabresonic II.

If you don't own either of these albums you need to get over to Discogs and get yourself sorted right away. For the recent output of both the 2 Lone Swordsmen and Weatherall's solo stuff visit The Rotter's Golf club here.

I still have dreams about  a Weatherall/Fall collaboration.

Sabres Of Paradise - Inter-Lergen-Ten-Ko II

Monday 5 April 2010

The Crow



DJ Food started out as a project by Coldcut, where they would release food for DJs in the form of slabs of vinyl full of breaks and beats which DJs could use in their sets. They released a series of albums called Jazz Breaks, 5 volumes were released between 1990 and 1994. In volumes 4 & 5 Matt Black and Jonathan Moore were joined by DJ/Producer PC ( Patrick Carpenter), who with Strictly Kev and a few other guests took on the mantle of DJ Food.

Since the original series of breaks albums, there have been 3 further lps, and at least 5 DJ mix cds and a few singles.

Here is one of my favourite DJ Food tracks, the Crow, I have absolutely no idea if it was influenced by the comic and film with the same title, it is however a dark, brooding track which can be found on the Kaleidoscope album.

DJ Food - The Crow

Sunday 4 April 2010

Ssssshhhhh


I am feeling rather delicate today.

We were out at a old friend's 40th birthday do last night and are not the sharpest tacks in the box today.

All the best H, hope you are feeling as bad as I am.

Here is probably H's favourite song which, in an attempt to impress a girl, gave a loan of H's 7"copy about 23 years ago never to see it or the girl again. Sorry H

The Isley Brothers-This Old Heart Of Mine

Saturday 3 April 2010

Luscious Jackson


Luscious Jackson were an all female alternative rock band from Manhattan who were active from 1991 until 2000. The band are probably best known as the first signings to the Beastie Boys Grand Royal label, on which they released 3 albums, ten single and an ep during their existence. Or for being one of the bands on the GAP adverts in the late 90's.

Being on Grand Royal isn't the band's only connection with the Brooklyn rap trio. Their drummer, Kate Schellenbach was originally a member of the Beastie Boys in their first incarnation as a hardcore punk band but according to which story you read either left due to the change in direction of the band or was eased out by Rick Rubin as she didn't fit in with the image he wanted for the Beastie Boys, probably due to being the wrong sex for a start.

The track posted is from the second album, Fever In Fever Out, the only one I own, so can't enlighten you on how good the other 2 are. The album is good and Naked Eye, for me,  is the highlight of the whole thing.

The version here is the Propellerheads mix from the 12" single. The track was the band's biggest hit and also the only one to enter the Billboard charts in the States, so really, their only hit.

Luscious Jackson - Naked Eye (Propellerheads mix)

Friday 2 April 2010

Just Because




B-b M----y & The W-----s - Small Axe

* Last time I posted this gentleman and his band I got a take down notice, hence the dashes.

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance



Today it's time for my favourite acid track of them all, Acid Over by Tyree.

I pulled out the 12" single the other week and by the state of the vinyl, i must have played it on a few occasions as there are more crackles in the first minute than in huge bowl of Rice Crispies and it is actually quite painful to listen to. So I have posted a version, which is good but not quite as good as the one I had originally planned.

Acid Over was first released on Underground records in the States in 1987. My copy is on FFRR and was released over here in 1988. The track had a huge effect on the evolving acid house scene in the UK and became an anthem over here. It is rumoured that Tyree (Cooper) called the track Acid Over as a statement of intent as he was sick of all the acid tunes coming out of Chicago and this was to be that sound's death knell. Didn't quite work out like that, well not in the UK anyway.


Tyree - Acid Over (Tyree's mix)

Thursday 1 April 2010

Am I Really Such A Sadsack? Part Two



Back to Shrevie's rant in Diner.

When he starts to tell Beth that the records need to be filed in alphabetical order and according to genre, I have to whole heartedly agree but there are conditions in my sad little world.

Firstly, all of the vinyl albums, cds, 7" and cd singles are only alphabetised and filed by year, they are not split according to genre, well not any more,  any way.

The 12 inch singles are split into 2 catagories, there is the dance music, all post 1986, house, techno and the myriad of sub genres that exist and then there are all the rest. The all the rest section are as the albums and the cds. The dance twelves are where it gets tricky, they are all sorted like the rest but also some are grouped together by label and others according to producer. The Weatherall section taking up a bit of room.

When I first moved in with L, the first priority was to organise the music.The vinyl was easy, as it had all moved with me. The cds were where it got difficult, as far as I could see there was no methodology to the filing,  in fact, there didn't even seem to be a designated area to house the cds.

This had to be rectified,  But I also hit another snag,  there were certain cds that needed to be, how to put it,  quarantined. There was no way that Michael Bolton was snuggling up next to Eric Bogle or Curtis Stigers getting a whiff of credability by being next to SLF. There were about half a dozen of these offending discs which were quietly placed in a drawer in the hope that they would not be missed.

I felt quite proud when I was finished at my achievement.

A couple of weeks later L said to me "where are the Elvis cds?"

"Under P of course,  where else would they be "I answered.

"E, after all there is only one Elvis" came the witty retort.

I just shook my head and pointed to the cds.

L picked out the one she wanted and while placing the cd in the tray muttered something like I can't find a bloody thing since you decided to organise the cds. Which is a comment that I have heard more than once over the intervening years.

I don't understand the problem, music needs to filed in some sort of order, if not the next stop would be anarchy.  I will not even get started on the leaving records/discs out of their covers or I would bore the ones who've stuck it out this far to death.

So there you go, the case for the prosecution and it is hard to disagree with the sadsack tag.

Elvis Presley - Crawfish

Elvis Presley - Only The Strong Survive