Friday 30 September 2011

So Bloody Obvious



I know, still.

Image courtesy of Murdoch Press.

Manhattan Love Suicides - Indian Summer

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance



I apologise most profusely for this being a re-post. Haven't really got my shit together this week and the track that I intended posting today hasn't been ripped from the vinyl yet. So those of you who still have the vaguest interest in this series will just have to do with this piece recycled from February 2009.

Have a good weekend people.

Today we go back to 1993 and an acid trance stormer from the Rising High Collective.
Rising High Collective was one of the many monikers of sadly departed Casper Pound and the vocalist Plavka. He also ran a label called Rising High Records which was responsible for some ground breaking techno and early ambient works by MixMaster Morris and Air Liquide. But Pound's main love was techno and the faster the breakbeats the better.

Fever Called Love is quite soulful and the BPMs not too fast. The version here is the 1993 remix by Hardfloor a German duo who invariably turn the 303 up to eleven in order to get their distinctive squelchy sound.
Enjoy


Rising High Collective - Fever Called Love (Hardfloor mix)

Thursday 29 September 2011

New Scottish Music



It's been a bit of a hectic week work wise, so just a quick post.

Please check out this band here and buy their latest ep, as they are saving up for a plectrum shaped swimming pool I am lead to believe.

Tuesday 27 September 2011

Bring Him Back



Here is the second best thing that Emily Drinkard aka Sissie Houston ever did.

Bring Him Back was released on the Congress label in 1966 and is a belter of a soul track. If you've got a spare hundred odd quid you could be the proud owner of the 7".

And the best thing she ever did? Produce Whitney, of course.

Sissie Houston - Bring Him Back

Monday 26 September 2011

I'm From Further North Than You



Lets start the week off with the second single from what is probably my favourite Wedding Present album, it is certainly the one that I play all the way through the most.

Mr Gedge is second to none in producing rhyming couplets on the subject of love and loss.

The version posted is the 7" single version which was remixed by Klee  a band from Cologne whose singer Suzie Kerstgens can be heard duetting with Gedge on the track.

The Wedding Present - I'm From Further North Than You (Klee remix)

Sunday 25 September 2011

Locked Together



Something nice and soothing for a Sunday.

If you don't already know who King Creosote is you really need to get a grip and sort yourself out.

It is hard to pick a favourite KC album but, for me, I think the album K.C. Rules OK where this track comes from just edges it.

King Creosote - Locked Together

Saturday 24 September 2011

Tune of the Year? Very Probably



The credit for bringing today's tune lies squarely on the shoulders of one Nolan Micron. If you haven't visited Castles In Space you really are missing out as not only does Nolan give us blissed out gems like today's track and some very limited upfront releases which are nigh on impossible to get your hands on by the time they are posted but  also recently delved into the back catalogue of the Warp label to bring us some of the best of their early 12" singles in their entirety and much more besides.

Even though Lemon has been posted before I thought that some people might have missed it and I believe that everybody has a right to hear music as beautiful as this track is.

As I say, it was a couple of weeks ago that Nolan introduced me to this track which bowled me over and I went on the hunt for a physical copy which was secured quite easily but I'm not sure if it would be as easy now. It will have to be something really special to take the mantle of track of my year away from this, something akin to the second coming of Otis Redding.

I am only going to post one track from the ep, the Time and Space Machine third mix. If you like what you hear and I can assure you that the original is even better,  you can go across to Castles in Space where you can download the ep in full or better still head here , buy it and ensure that the Birmingham duo keep making music as sublime as this.

Also I would like to thank Free School for disassociating the vision of that git Toby Young in my mind from the term "free school", as whenever I hear it now I will immediately think of this track and have nice thoughts rather than psychopathic ones.

Free School - Lemon (The Time And Space Machine Third Mix)

Friday 23 September 2011

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance




I'm still on a bit of a drum n bass tip at the moment, so today for your delectation we have a bit of Mercury Music Prize winning Jungle from Roni Size and Reprazent.

Size and crew won the prestigious music award in 1997 for the rather bloated but none the less deserving New Forms. It is an album that I will admit I don't think that I have listened to the whole way through since 1997 but I do pull out the vinyl every now and then and play tracks from it. I think that it has dated rather well, I love the mix of programming and use of real instruments including the double bass.

Coming from Bristol, there have always been comparisons of Size and his partner in both music production and label running Krust and Massive Attack. However Reprazent have released even less albums than Massive Attack at two,  granted they were only in existence for 5 years  but still.

Here is a remix by Origin Unknown of one of the highlights of the album. Origin Unknown are themselves responsible for one of the best and most original drum n bass tracks ever, Valley of The Shadows.

Have a good weekend people.

Reprazent - Heroes (Origin Unknown remix)

Thursday 22 September 2011

It's Not Right But What Was The Alternative?



I did something last week which I moan about others doing all the time. I admit it, I am a hypocrite.

I downloaded the Jezabels album, Prisoner from one of those snidey sites. I am not proud of this fact and it did leave a horrible taste in my mouth but there are mitigating factors.

Firstly, when I went to see the band the other week I fully expected to be able to pick up a copy of the album as it was to be released the following week. I thought that they would have advanced copies for sale but when I asked the guy at the merchandise stall why weren't selling copies I was informed that it wouldn't be available in the UK until February next year, what the fuck is that all about?

Secondly,  I will buy the cd, vinyl would have been better but alas, not to be,  when it becomes available here. So it's not as if I really am taking something for nothing, is it?

But you have to wonder about the not making the album available for purchase at the same time globally or even a couple of weeks later in the UK, not five bloody months later. How many sales are they going to lose out on just from people doing the same as I have done and by next year having lost interest in the album not purchasing it when it is legally available?

What would you have done?

The album is very, very good by the way.

The Jezabels - Catch Me

Wednesday 21 September 2011

Livin' In Love



This track was a Wigan Casino anthem which was originally released on Buttercup Records in 1970 but due to the demand in northern cirlcles it finally got a UK release on Route Records. The record with a running time of 3 mins 59, is about a minute to one and a half minutes longer than most northern tunes.

Sheila Anthony was originally a member of the Royalettes who were recording from 1963 to 1967 for the labels Chancellor, MGM and Roulette.

I'm off to Budapest to see the inside of a conference and hotel room for a couple of days.

Shelia Anthony - Livin' In Love

Tuesday 20 September 2011

Paradise



It's been a week since Willie the postie popped  the "difficult" second album by the Slow Club through my letter box and it has only been dislodged from the stereo for 7 minute periods since by the new Four Tet 12" single Locked  which really is the business.

Back to the Slow Club, I really like the first album but can only take it in small doses as with sustained play it started to annoy me, the whole shambolic thing on repeated listens started to seem contrived, I know that this is not the case but that's the way I started to feel about it. The new album in comparison reveals further depths everytime I listen to it.

Where the debut  album was sugary and twee this one feels a lot darker and introspective but still with the great hooks and vocal interplay that made  Yeah So, so good in small doses on songs like Trophy Room and When I Go. The third song on Paradise, Never Look Back starts with the lines "Baby Brother in the next room trying to bring him back to life" has got to be the most downbeat lyric since "Girlfriend in a coma, I know, I know - it's serious" and with the hushed tones of the track, first of all you think, christ this is going to be bloody awful but somehow the song in neither depressing nor morbid and is actually quite lovely but I think that may be due to the fact that the tune reminds me of an old soul song which I can't quite put my finger on but maybe not.

It's not all dying relatives and songs of partners walking out the door, there are enough upbeat moments such as Where I'm Walking to keep you from despondency but that's not really true as even on the bleakest tracks there is a warmth and atmosphere that keeps the songs from becoming depressing, it may be something to do with Rebecca's voice but also there is something quite comforting in Charles' guitar playing as well.

When it comes to my end of year lists I think that this album will be somewhere near the top, as will Lights Out the debut by another boy/girl duo Big Deal which was released a fortnight ago.

I do regret not getting off my lazy arse and going to see Slow Club at the Wah Wah Hut on Sunday.

Slow Club - Beginners

Monday 19 September 2011

Good News, For Some Anyway



There has been quite a smattering of Fall things floating about recently, not least over at The Bagging Area, with two posts featuring the dulcet tones of Mr  Smith in two days.

The gruppe were playing as part of the Electric Frog festival last Sunday in Glasgow and I am ashamed to say that I decided that the 30 quid a ticket was too steep for the Fall, I know, I wasn't in my right mind when I came up with that one. Stiff who had also taken part in a ninety mile bike ride that day bothered to go and has stated in dispatches that they were on top form. So I missed out big style.

Now to the good news, Cherry Red announced last week that they would be releasing the 29th studio album, Ersatz G.B.  by Smith and Co on the 14th November which will be preceeded by an, as yet untitled single. Now that was good news, coupled with the gig at the Picture House in Edinburgh on the 3rd the beginning of November is looking not to bad to me.

Here's a track from the last album but one.

The Fall - Is This New

Sunday 18 September 2011

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

Saturday 17 September 2011

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

Friday 16 September 2011

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

Thursday 15 September 2011

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.

Wednesday 14 September 2011

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.

Tuesday 13 September 2011

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

Monday 12 September 2011

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

Sunday 11 September 2011

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

Saturday 10 September 2011

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

Friday 9 September 2011

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)

Wednesday 7 September 2011

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!

Tuesday 6 September 2011

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

Monday 5 September 2011

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

Sunday 4 September 2011

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)

Saturday 3 September 2011

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)

Friday 2 September 2011

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)