Misty Blue

I don't really have that much to say at the moment, you'll be glad to know, so I'll just post the music if that's okay with you.

One thing, I am surprised that this was released in 1975, it sounds to me more of a late 60s early 70s sound to me. But it is gorgeous.

Dorothy Moore - Misty Blue

Just Because

this is bloody brilliant.

It's kinda easy to take Billy Bragg for granted, he's always popping up somewhere with an opinion or two to espouse which is always interesting and sometimes wide of the mark, voting LibDem, doh! You sometimes forget how good he is at his main job..

This came on the personal stereo the other day and I was bowled over by how aggressive the guitar sounded and how clever he is with his lyrics.

Billy Bragg - Accident Waiting To Happen

It's Friday . . Let's Dance

Here is a nice piece of New York  drum n bass from DJ Ani.

I know very little about DJ Ani apart from that she hails from the big apple. The record was released on the Sm:)e Communications label in 1997. Sm:)e was an off shoot of Profile records and released some cracking tunes from Omni Trio, 2 Bad Mice etc and some shit by the likes of Blue Amazon.

I do like a bit of breakbeat.

Have a good weekend people.

dj ani - bio-magnetics

They're Talking About Me

A belter of a northern track for you today which was huge at the Wigan Casino in the mid 70s.

Johnny Bragg apparently recorded the track while doing time in prison in Nashville. Definitely a more constructive use of his time than sewing mailbags.

Johnny Bragg - They're Talking About Me.

Any Way That You Want Me

My first introduction to this song was probably the same as most people my age, through Spiritualized's first single. I realised that it was a cover as the writing credits were for a certain Chip Taylor but it was a good few years until I heard the Troggs version which to me was far inferior to the Spiritualized one. I was not prepared for the Evie Sands version recorded in 1969 when I first heard it in the late nineties which, frankly, pisses all over the other two .

I only knew Evie Sands for her version of Picture Me Gone but to be honest I always preferred the Madeline Bell version. But she definitely nailed this song,  I'm quite surprised that it took me so long to stick it up on here.

Evie Sands - Any Way That You Want Me.

Hollywood, Mon Amour

Swiss Adam earlier today posted Nouvelle Vague's version of The Guns Of Brixton. Which reminded me, if I needed reminding that while in Belfast the other week, I had a vinyl copy of Hollywood,  Mon Amour in my sweaty palms which I decided to put back, as at twelve quid I thought that it was rather steep. A rash move on my part which I'm bitterly regretting now.

Hollywood, Mon Amour is Marc Collin's (one half of Nouvelle Vague) revisionist takes on "classic" songs from 80s films such as Arthur, Top Gun, Rocky III, you get the idea. Surprisingly enough most of the tracks work really well and stripped down and out of context it is surprisingly easy to forget how pish some of these tracks and films were.

Here is my favourite.

Yael Naim - Flashdance . . . What A Feeling

Possibly My Favourite Cover Ever

One of my favourite songs covered by one of my favourite voices. A match made in heaven.

Lone Justice - Sweet Jane

Great Skies

I know that summer is over and if the forecasters are to be believed we in west central Scotland are getting battered by the tail end of hurricane Katia this Monday morning. So it may not be very apt to post a track from an ep entitled Summer Moments but I do think that it is a lovely chilled way to ease us into the working week.

I know naff all about Great Skies but by making music as lush as this they are improving my happines quota by quite a bit. This is lovely

Great Skies - Festival

Orange Sky

Here's is something nice and mellow for a Sunday. I have posted this before and have no apolgies for posting it again as it is a rather beautiful piece of music.

The first time I heard Orange Sky was nearly nine years ago when life was much simpler, no kids and a job that didn't involve shit loads of travelling. To beat the boredom of working in an office all day I found KEXP on the net and would spent most of the day listening to the station and picking up on songs and artists I had never heard of before. My favourite show was and still is, on the very few occasions I get to hear it,  Jon In The Morning but which starts at 2 pm over here. Until 6 music came along, no other station had a playlist nearly as diverse as KEXP and you would here thing like the Pixies and the Jesus In The Mary Chain at 8 am/2pm.

After hearing Orange Sky for the first time, I couldn't wait for the next day so I could play the show back and hear the song again and subsequently played the track to death. It was about 6 months later that I managed to source the 4 Songs ep that the track was from and I don't think that a fortnight has passed in the eight years since when I have not played this track.

Alexi Murdoch - Orange Sky

How Good Is This ?

  "Sunporch" By Walls by Kompakt

Ripperton

Last night this track came on the mp3 player on the way back from The Smurfs. I'm not sure if J or D, Max's pals were that impressed but I sure as hell was. I could vaguely recall hearing the track before but was at a loss as to who it was by or even what it was called but it was a brilliant piece of Tech House. So when I got home I flicked back through the tracks and found out it was an unreleased track by Ripperton or Raphael Ripperton as he is know to his mother, so I have absolutely no idea where I got it from.

All I know about the man is that he is a Swiss DJ and Producer, apart from this track, the only other stuff I have got by him are some belting remixes for Ellen Alien,  Thom Yorke and Silicon Soul, hence the name being familiar. I think that I will need to delve deeper into this man's work.

Ripperton - Siboney

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance

It's been another one of those weeks that's found me traipsing up and down this not so green and not so pleasant land and it doesn't look as if they travel will abate for some time to come yet. Still on the plus side I had a week sans air travel and I have decided that the only way to travel to our overcrowded capital city is to take the sleeper and to come back up the road First Class, how long I will be able to get away with this I'm not sure but it is still somewhat cheaper that flying to Heathrow or London City. Another thing that it has in its favour is that there are no surly security staff or even surlier BA Stewardesses to try and deal with.

Just get on with the music I hear the few of you who haven't already lost interest and gone over to The Bagging Area for your weekly dose of Rockabilly or for cocktails and dreams with Mr H.

Today's track comes from Italy and the duo Sultana and was originally released over there in 1993 but which came to my attention in remix form the following year when it was released on the Union City Recordings  label which had already brought us the delights of Metropolis, TC1991 and Mombasa.

This remix was an early attempt by John Digweed,  who along with his partner in crime would turn into two behemoths lording it over the dance music of the mid to late nineties and who would dictate the way that dance music progressed and as a result inflict the shite that trance was on the world. This remix is good though it does hint at what the future held.

Have a good weekend people

Me, I'm off to the pictures with four seven year olds to watch the bloody Smurfs. Life on the edge, eh?

Sultana - Te Amo (Digweed dub)

Phoebe's Song

While watching the Jezabels last night I was reminded of another band who I have resigned myself to never getting to see as they never seem to leave New York, The Caulfield Sisters.

Hardly the most prolific act in the world, a couple of tracks released on a couple of compilations a cd ep a split 7" single and a couple of download only eps in their seven year existence.

Here is a track from the excellent debut cd ep from 2004, Playing with Fire which was released on Joe Spadero's rather brilliant American Laundromat Records.

As for the Jezabels, on last night's performance they are destined for greater things if their is any justice in the music industry which we know there is not. So if you get the chance go and see them before they bugger off back to warmer climes down under. Also check here for a more comprehensive review and Colin assures me he got some great photies of the gig as well.

Kid Canaveral were not too shabby either, as I've said before, you owe it to yourself to own Shouting At Wildlife, get it here

The Caulfield Sisters - Phoebe's Song

Right, I'm off to get the Sleeper down to the big smoke!

The Jezabels

If I make it up the road in time from Manchester,  I will be at the Wah Wah Hut tonight to see the Jezabels on their first tour of the UK outside of London and I must admit I have been really looking forward to this gig since it was announced and posted is the reason why. I have never gotten sick of this track since the first time I heard it which must be nearly two years ago now.

The Jezabels - Disco Biscuit Love

One More Hurt

I can't think of a more uplifting way to ease into a new working week than to the dulcet tones of Candi Staton.

I picked this up in Belfast last week while digging about Head and I have to say that there is a lot of over priced vinyl in there at the moment, quite a few bargains as well, a load of Mr Scruff twelves at 2 quid a pop.

Back to the track, not a typical northern tune, more of a crossover thing but an absolute peach by anybody's standards. Recorded during Candi's now famous sessions at the Fame studios in 1970 and released on Kent  as a taster of the "Evidence:The Complete Fame Records Masters" which will be more than worth the price tag. This track is brilliant, I think that Candi Staton is one of the most underrated female soul singers and I believe that the reason for that may be the success of You've Got The Love in the early 90s , people either associate her with that or Young Hearts Run Free. If you don't already have it you should seek out the Candi Staton album released on Honest Jon's a few years back or the new collection mentioned above to hear Candi at her best. I defy anybody to listen to He called Me Baby without getting goose bumps.


Candi Staton - One More Hurt

What I Should Have Posted This Morning

Kris Kristofferson - Sunday Mornin' Coming Down

Please Stop!

The kitchen table and every other suface in the room is strewn with empty or half drunk bottles, cans and glasses.

A few weeks ago L decreed that we were going to have a small soiree, for no reason that I can ascertain. Maybe she was sick of the kids leaving a trail of devastation in their wake and thought that it would be a good idea to let some adults and I use the term loosely, in on the act.

Anyhoo, last night they came, drank, ate chili and A's wonderful Victoria sponge and left not really a trail of devastation but a heck of a lot of clearing up to do which I just don't feel up to at the moment as somebody is using a pneumatic drill on the inside of my skull, oh and the kids are due back from Gran's anytime now.

All I want to do is get back under the duvet with an ice cold bottle of Irn Bru.

Spiritualized -Cool Waves (Live in Iceland)

Far Nearer Foamo Refix

A  few weeks ago I was banging on about the Jamie xx track, Far Nearer being the song of the summer, well summer is just a distant memory up here in the north of Britain but something dropped into my inbox that added a little sunshine to a rather wet and grey Saturday morning.

Ctel, from Acid Ted sent me a link for a remix, or refix if you're down with the kids like me,  for the Jamie xx track mentioned above by Foamo. There is also a promo clip for a cracker of a track,  Ocean Drive which is  released on Monday, go here for the gen.

The refix isn't that radical  but does just enough to make the track more dance floor friendly making the track just that bit sunnier, if that was possible.

Jamie xx - Far Nearer (Foamo refix)

Cults /Luminary Youth

I went to see Cults on Wednesday night at Nice n Sleazy in Glasgow. I had high hopes for this gig and had been waiting a while for it to happen due to it being postponed from June.  I'm not going to do a gig review as when I'm at a gig I spend too much time straining to hear the bands over the ever constant fucking chatting that seems to take place these days to actually try to memorise set lists and the like.

To all you scenester fuck wits that go to gigs and chat fucking inanely at the top of your fucking Bearsden/Milngavie affected voices,  here's something to note the rest of us really don't give a fuck what you had for your dinner, or who you were seeing last night, we paid good money, granted in this case not that much to see and hear the bands not fucking you!

Anyway the band were good, not great and at a forty minute set even shorter than your average Fall gig when Smith is not in one of his can't be arsed moods. I'm not sure how far they can go with the limits in their sound, I think if they had went on any longer they may have become boring. Another factor which contributed to this only being an alright gig was the venue. Nice n Sleazy is not one of the best small venues in Glasgow, the view if you are to either side can be obscured by pillars and the sound isn't that great.

Stiff summed the gig up pretty succinctly on the way out " not a bad way to spend a mid week night, a band worth the 7 quid ticket price that didn't go on too long, But I've seen them now and don't have any urge to see them again soon".

Luminary Youth - Stay Outside (Cults remix)

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance

It's still Friday, barely, but better late than never. Quick post tonight as just back from Belfast.

When the sounds are as good as they are on this tune, who needs long winded words about things being timeless, classic ground breaking even. All of these words and a shit load more apply to Brian Dougan and Gary Cobain and the music they have and continue to produce under their various guises and Papua New Guinea is only one of the many high points in their career.

The track posted has Weatherall turn an absolute classic into a lost in space type epic journey.

Have a good weekend people.

The Future Sound Of London - Papua New Guinea (Andrew Weatherall mix)