Wednesday 31 December 2014

Hogmanay



As I've mentioned a few times, I'm not really one for celebrating New Year. I struggle with all the fake bonhomie and people trying too hard to have a good time. But L rather likes it as she is a far more sociable human being than I am.

I would like to sincerely thank everybody who has stopped by here, skimmed over the pish spouted and downloaded the tracks, especially those who have taken the time to comment, all of which especially the ones that disagree with me are most welcome.

So all the best and I hope 2015 is as good a year as you wish it to be.

And raise a glass to "Sturdy Girl" wherever she may be.

I have struggled to find a pertinent song for today and so decided just to go with one of my "21 Best"

Rilo Kiley - With Arms Outstretched

Tuesday 30 December 2014

A True Love Just For You Love



I am not sure why this track doesn't get played much more than it does, as for me it's up there with the best that anybody on Motown ever produced. Come On And See Me was Tammi Terrell's second single for Berry Gordy's Detroit label released in 1966 and  inexplicably only reached the dizzy heights of number 80 in the Billboard chart and 25 in the US R&B Chart and I don't think that it was even released over here in the UK! It is a song that never fails to make me feel better.

Tammi Terrell - Come On And See Me

Wednesday 24 December 2014

Merry Christmas One And All When It Comes



It really is unseasonably mild up here in what should be the frozen north but with Max and Leo it is utterly impossible to forget that it is Christmas. I hope that you all get from Santa what you wished for and have a great day. Me, as has become the norm I will be following Delia's instructions to the letter with no deviations and hoping that everything turns out okay.

Eat, drink and be merry as some wise person once said.

The Housemartins - Caravan Of Love

Tuesday 23 December 2014

My Albums Of The Year




2014 was a pretty good year album wise for me. There were quite a few that I was eagerly anticipating the release of from old favourites like Roddy Frame and The Afghan Whigs to debuts from the likes of The Amazing Snakeheads. Most of those I have bought since the end of September/beginning of October haven't had a fair listen as since then turntable time has been chiefly hogged by two albums. In previous years the albums by Caribou,  Allo Darlin', Cold Specks and the Fat White Family would have made the top ten, however not this year. I suspect that if I had first heard of Coves earlier in the year, Soft Friday would be in there too as the more I listen to it the better it gets. My second favourite album of the year has been ruled out this list as it is a live album from a show recorded in April of 2013 but Nowhere Is Home by Dexys should be in everyone's collection as it is stunning. I am really envious of people like Davy H who saw this live as it must have been something quite, quite special. Another notable mention must go to the soundtrack of Under The Skin by Mica Levi which is quite disturbing and eerie and not the most comfortable of listens but still pretty rewarding.

10 - Jamie T - Carry On The Grudge


Jamie T returns after a five year break, a bit calmer with more actual singing than on the previous two albums but the old Jamie T returns on tracks like Rabbit Hole and Zombie. 

9- The Afghan Whigs - Do The Beast


Greg Dulli resurrected his original band for another foray into the sleazier side of life. At times Dulli pushes his voice to its limits which can't be doing his vocal chords any good but sounds great in the mix of rock and soul that this band always did so well.




8 - Comet Gain - Paperback Ghost


It has always saddened me that Comet Gain aren't better known. Possibly this is due to the fact that there sound changes so much, sometimes pretty punky and thrashy and at other times beautifully crafted indie pop full of melancholia. This album has quite a lush full sound to it with some lovely orchestration. I have heard it compared to Belle and Sebastian and to a certain extent I would agree but for me there is more consistency about this album than there is on most B&S records.

7- Nick Waterhouse - Holly


The second album from Nick Waterhouse proved the old adage "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" More retro Rhythm and Blues for late nights in small dark clubs. Also Waterhouse's performance at King Tut's was gig of the year for me just sorry that the place wasn't fuller.

6- Lucius - Wildewoman


I happened on Lucius by chance when checking through Youtube for The Afghan Whigs KEXP live session and am really glad that I did. The band's sound and the look of the two front women harks back to 60s Girl Groups. The album contains lots of lovely harmonies and a really nice guitar sound especially on Go Home. It does dip slightly around the end of side one but overall a very good debut.

5- Roddy Frame - Seven Dials


Possibly the release I have awaited with the most anticipation for a long time and which initially really disappointed me although that may have something to do with having extremely high expectations which I suspect would have been impossible to meet. It has grown on me hugely however I fear I will never learn to love Postcard it is just too horribly Fleetwood Mac middle of the road pap. Sorry Roddy.


4 - Aphex Twin - Syro


Out of the blue, or so it seemed came a new release from Richard D James. Unmistakeably Aphex Twin but not envelope pushing but still streaks ahead of most producers of electronic music. An album that we didn't know we were waiting for but now it's here it's one that was needed.

3- The Amazing Snakeheads - Amphetamine Ballads


The soundtrack to a night fuelled by Buckie, weed and speed. 

2- Kate Tempest - Everbody Down


Brought to my attention one Saturday afternoon when she performed a live session on Gilles Peterson's show on 6Music. I immediately went onto the Ninja Tunes website and bought the album. I suppose it is a concept album as it tells the story of the lives of three people trying to get by. The music by Dan Carey never overwhelms Tempest's words but compliments them. There have been comparisons to The Streets, A Grand Down Come For Free, however the narrative here is far more believable than Skinner's.

1- Slow Club - Complete Surrender


To say this album surprised me is like saying Usain Bolt is quite good at running . The more I listen to it the better it gets and it has been played a lot over the past couple of months. Strangely none of music papers or the websites have mentioned this album. It must only be me, Scott, George and CC that rate it but it is an album you need to own. Trust me on this.




Shit! I forgot about the Woodentops, Granular Tales.

Monday 22 December 2014

My Ultimate Christmas Song


This is the one.

Darlene Love - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

And here is a rather good cover by The Bang Girl Group Revue.

The Bang Girl Group Revue - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

Friday 19 December 2014

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance



Twas the Friday before Christmas and all of the pubs were filled with amateur drinkers. The type of people you only see out and about at this time of the year. You know the ones, with their stupid Santa hats, ordering ten drinks all one at a time after they have gone back and consulted the group they are with at least twice , the last of which is always a bloody pint of Guinness. The type that say thing like "cheer up it's Christmas" while waving bit's of mistletoe about leching at anybody in the vicinity.

Can you tell I used to hate working in the pub on the last Friday before Christmas, it was second only to Lanimer night which was like carnage Friday only tenfold.

I think a bit of spiritual house music is the order of the day. I am not ashamed to admit I cried when I heard this song the first time.

Have a good weekend people and if venturing out this evening, to paraphrase Sergeant Phil from Hill Street Blues, be careful out there.

South Street Player - (Who?) Keeps Changing Your Mind (The Night mix)

Thursday 18 December 2014

Wendy Rene 1947 - 2014



Wendy Rene - What Will Tomorrow Bring

It's Christmas And You're Boring Me




I have put it on record before that I don't have a lot of time for the cynical, sneering, ironic indie Christmas tune. I think either do it right or don't bother, produce something really good and that way the exploitative pap won't get a look in.

So why then you may say am I posting something called "It's Christmas And You're Boring Me"?

Well because it's by Slow Club and it illustrates the progression of the duo from the first album, the Christmas cd that this comes from came out in 2009 as did Yeah So, their debut. Also, yes I am  contradicting myself here, I actually quite like it.

Slow Club - It's Christmas And You're Boring Me.

Wednesday 17 December 2014

The First Of Just A Few, I Promise



This for me without doubt is the best festive song of recent times as it harks back, some would say rips off the sound and vibe of the greatest of all Christmas records, Spector's Christmas album. It also came on lovely green vinyl. And I have just about excised from my mind the fact that it was used on a advert for Dobies Garden Centers a few Christmases ago, I hope they got a decent wedge for that.

The Raveonettes - The Christmas Song

Tuesday 16 December 2014

California Stars



Billy Bragg and Wilco weren't a collaboration that I had ever considered prior to hearing the news that they had collaborated on an album of songs where they had put to music some of the thousand plus sets of lyrics that Woody Guthrie had completed but not put to music or published in his lifetime. When the first volume of the "Mermaid Avenue" was released in 1998 I didn't buy it straight off as at that time it didn't really appeal to me it wasn't until a couple of years later that one Sunday while wandering round Fopp I decided to take a punt on it as it was at a bargain price as part of the promotion for the second volume in what ended up being a trilogy of releases. Even then I still had a few reservations as I hadn't heard any of it but I was pleasantly surprised when I got home and put it on. One thing about the album though, is you do have to really listen as it's all in the lyrics, sure the music complements them but the clever, funny,  incredibly honest words are what this album and the other two volumes are all about and for that reason alone I don't listen to them as often as they warrant as you need to take time out sit down and just listen which is a luxury in short supply these days.

California Stars is one of my favourite tracks from the first volume, a song according to Nora Guthrie, Woody's daughter who first approached both Bragg and Wilco asking them to look at her father's lyrics, is about Woody being homesick for California where he amongst thousands of others from his native Oklahoma moved to during the 30s.

Billy Bragg and Wilco - California Stars

Monday 15 December 2014

Wade In The Water



I've posted the Ramsey Lewis instrumental of Wade In The Water previously and I would have put money on that I had also posted Marlena Shaw's cracking version but apparently not.  I have five different versions of the song which isn't that many seeing the amount of people that have covered it over the years. Not sure there are many interpretations as forceful as that of the one laid down in 1968 by Big Mama Thornton. She really belts it out but then again should you expect anything else of the voice behind the definitive version of Hound Dog.

Big Mama Thornton - Wade In Water

Sunday 14 December 2014

Mellow Sunday



I first heard this track a long time ago now it seems as it was on the John Peel show, obviously around this time of the year. Just one of the hundreds of bands I first heard on his show that I have to be thankful for.

Okkervil River - Listening To Otis Reading At Home During Christmas

Saturday 13 December 2014

New Music Saturday Returns!



Rejoice, Rejoice! the much missed, by no one really series that shows that Drew's finger is on the pulse and down with the kids.

This week something a lovely track popped up in my inbox from Gemstone Heist, a transatlantic duo, one hailing from Kentucky the other from Liverpool who describe their music as "indie folk" and cite The Beatles, The Stone Roses and The Arctic Monkey's amongst their influences. I will let them off with the Beatles on account of the track being so lovely. I was swithering whether to post this in the mellow Sunday spot but decided to resurrect New Music Saturday instead.

More info on Gemstone Heist can be found here

Enjoy



Friday 12 December 2014

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance



Let's go back to 2001, I could have sworn it was longer ago than that but the record label tells me different. Like most people Groove Armada first came to my attention when I heard the gorgeous At The River, a track much diminished by it's ubiquity on things like Now That's What I Called Chilled, Down at The Cafe Del Mar type compilations. But I digress. Superstylin' was the first single from the duo's third album, Goodbye Country (Hello Nightclub).

I'm out with a couple of former work colleagues tonight and I'm hoping that it stays civilised and doesn't get messy. Tomorrow is the first home game in four weeks when we take on Dunfermline. It would be great to send that big greetin' face Jefferies back up the road with a more miserable puss than normal.

Have a good weekend people.

Groove Armada - Superstylin'

Thursday 11 December 2014

Winter Is Here



Not sure about weather bombs but winter has definitely arrived in earnest to the frozen land to the north. In other news I  have just witnessed the spectacle that was Leo's nativity, which was, well, interesting is the word I will use. He was a percussionist not sure he will be replacing Clem Burke as my favourite drummer any time soon but he did perform his task with gusto.

This seemed appropriate what with the snow and all.

Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal

Wednesday 10 December 2014

Your Silent Face



I have been down in Manchester since yesterday and hopefully last night I met up with SA for a few beers (post written on Sunday) so a bit of music from one of the best albums of the 80s  from the second best city in the UK seems appropriate.

Whenever I listen to Your Silent Face I think of snow on the ground, being 15 and unsuccessfully trying to find an overcoat in Oxfam to fit a rather skinny peely wally teenager. It also reminds me of a rather troubled pal of the time, Toby.

New Order - Your Silent Face

Tuesday 9 December 2014

It's Christmas So We'll Stop



I have always loved the choral version of this rather bleak Christmas offering from the Frabbits but I fear that from now on the tune will forever be associated with the passing of Baxter.

On Saturday we decided as a kind of diversionary tactic for the kids to go and get the Christmas tree, a couple of weeks too early for my liking but if it cheered the boys up so be it.  We went down the valley to one of the farms/garden centers and chose a rather fine 8 foot tree, don't ask me what kind as I don't have a clue.

On our return I was beginning to get into the festive spirit a bit and decided to dig out a few seasonal records out of the boxes stored in the cupboard, It's Christmas So We'll Stop being top of the list. I duly put it on and looked around for Leo as for the past couple of years he has enthusiastically if not tunefully joined in with this record. He wasn't in the dining room so I went looking only to find him sitting half way up the stairs sobbing uncontrollably. I went up and hugged him and between sobs he explained that he was really missing Baxter and Spike, his brother who we had to have put down a while ago now. I tried to explain that Baxter had been really ill and it was the best thing for him as now he was no longer in any pain, none of which was of any consolation. He eventually calmed down to the sounds of the Spector Christmas album followed by Springsteen's rendition of Santa Claus Is Coming To Town. Later on in the evening I put the Frightened Rabbit tune on again and the tears began to flow again. So I don't think that the choral version of the song will be getting much of an airing in this household this Christmas.

Frightened Rabbit - It's Christmas So We'll Stop (Choral version)


Monday 8 December 2014

What More Do You Want



As is usual in this spot I know virtually nothing about this record but I do wish I had a copy which is not very likely as a mint copy will set you back north of three grand. A copy cracked from the edge to the centre sold for over a grand a couple of years ago!

It is quite a classy track in my opinion and not a bad way to start the working week.

Gene Toones - What More Do You Want

Sunday 7 December 2014

Mellow Sunday



Partly inspired by a post by SA at The Bagging Area earlier this week and partly by events on Friday.

Vangelis - Tears In The Rain

Saturday 6 December 2014

The Tracks Of My Year



2014 has been a rather good year for music in my opinion which is borne out by the lack of a balance in my bank account and the ever increasing vinyl offending L's eyes in the dining room. Probably the main benefactor from my largesse was Piccadilly Records who's service cannot be faulted and then to a lesser extent Monorail, which unfortunately I tended to visit when I went into the town on the scooter without a back pack big enough to carry vinyl without damaging the covers meaning that I was limited to 7" singles.

The list has taken a while to compile and is far more balanced between dance and indie/rock than it has been for the last couple of years. You will notice that one band have three entries in the top ten, overkill you may think but I really can't stop playing these tracks and I had to limit myself to three tracks from the album, if not I think that all bar one would have been in the chart.. The Burial record was technically from last year but it was released after I compiled my list and it is far too good to be forgotten about. I have not picked specific tracks from the Jon Hopkins Asleep Versions as I find it difficult to differentiate between the tracks and tend to think of it as a single piece of music. Also you need to hear the 21 minute version of This Is What She's Like, recorded live at the Duke Of York's Theatre it is nothing short of epic.

I didn't partake in Record Shop Day this year, as after checking out the list I didn't see anything that warranted getting up at the back of five but I have to admit that both Max and I did miss it, however both of us ended up all right as the following week we went into the town and I picked up most of  the stuff that I had been vaguely interested in and Max got to go to Forbidden Planet anyway.

There has been one worrying development this year, a few of my favourite tracks, three to be specific have had to be purchased as downloads as that is the only format on which they were released.  I am not wholly comfortable with this and nearly excluded them on that basis but all three were really too good not to be included. Oh, and one track was never released at all and I had to do something I vowed I would never do and rip it from Youtube but I really couldn't be arsed with having to be on a computer every time I wanted to hear it. I hope that these occurrences are just anomalies and not a portent of the future!

So below is my list for 2014, I hope you find something there that you have never heard before, investigate and buy.
  1. Lisa Stansfield - Carry On (Andy Lewis remix)
  2. Slow Club - Not Mine To Love
  3. Caribou - I Can't Do Without You (extended mix)
  4. Dexys - This Is What She's Like (Live Duke Of York's Theatre)
  5. Jon Hopkins - Asleep Versions
  6. Jamie xx - All Under One Roof Raving
  7. Slow Club - The Queen's Nose
  8. Jamie T - Zombie
  9. Amazing Snakeheads - Here It Comes Again
  10. Slow Club - Suffering You, Suffering Me
  11. Burial - Come Down To Us
  12. Alexia Coley - Drive Me Wild
  13. Stanley Odd - Son I Voted Yes
  14. Nick Waterhouse - This Is A Game
  15. Lucius - Go Home
  16. Lapsley - Station
  17. The Cairn String Quartet - Settling
  18. Kate Tempest - Circles
  19. LNTG - Love2Love
  20. Dawd - Saleh
  21. Luxembourg Signal - Distant Drive
  22. Pharrell Williams - Happy
  23. Roddy Frame - White Pony
  24. Lizzo - Faded
  25. Manic Street Preachers - Europa Geht Durch Mich (Erol Alkan's Mesmerise Eine rework)
  26. Dexy's - Tell Me When My Light Turns Green (Live Duke Of York's Theatre)
  27. Comet Gain - Sad Love and Other Short Stories
  28. Mari - Free (Ray Mang extended mix)
  29. Honeyblood - Killer Bangs
  30. Pional - It's All Over (Jon Talabot's Stripped Refix)
  31. Temples - Shelter Song (Justin Robertson's Deadstock 33s remix)
  32. Kendrick Lamar - I
  33. Pyramids w/Nadja - Into The Silent Waves (Slow To Speak edit)
  34. Dayglo Maradona - Rock Section (Weatherall mix)
  35. Jon Hopkins - Abandon Window (Moderat remix)
  36. Junior Fairplay - Sugar Puss
  37. Deadboy - Return
  38. Fold - Detroit Red
  39. Allo Darlin' - Bright Eyes
  40. The Popguns - Love Junky


Friday 5 December 2014

Sleep Easy Wee Man



For the first time since I was five years old I am without a feline friend. Earlier we had to get Baxter put to sleep, it would not have been fair on him as he would have basically starved to death over the next week or so as he could no longer chew anything due to the tumour under his tongue. It's weird,  about an hour ago I was in the kitchen and went to open the patio doors so he could get out tonight if he needed and then realised there was no need.

Dexys - Old

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance



Hardcore breakbeat wasn't everybody's cup of tea, I couldn't abide most of it but huge numbers of people up here were into it and it seemed they filled buses on a weekly basis traipsing around Scotland, a lot of the time it was venues in Ayrshire if I remember correctly to get off their nuts and dance manically to turbo charged tunes.

One Rave artist I did rather like was Acen, I loved the way that he used film score samples in his unfeasibly fast productions. I stumbled upon his music quite back accident when I saw the first of the Trip II The Moon trilogy of 12" singles in Dub II, I think, thought that the cover looked interesting , bought it, took it home, put it on the turntable and hated it! Something however drew me back to the record and over the next couple of days I found myself putting it on the turntable again and again. I wasn't supposed to like this kind of shit, it was music for the "nutters" , I liked the more cerebral end of dance music, or so I believed. I eventually liked the track enough that when I saw the second instalment I instantly bought it without any internal debate, I suspect I did check if anyone was looking  before I took it off the rack. There was no initial revulsion this time, I particularly loved the b-side,  Life And Times Of A Ruffneck.  So when the final chapter was released it was a no brainer. Curiously that is as far as I went with Acen, further records were released such as Window In The Sky but I purchased no more, my desire for mad breakbeat obviously sated.

This is not going to appeal to all but here is that initial Acen track.

Have a good weekend people. I fear that mine's will be a bit of a downer as Baxter, our remaining cat has had a squamous cell carcinoma under his tongue for a while now and I suspect that the vet will tell us that we should put him down when we take him up later on.

Acen - Trip II The Moon (part 1)

Thursday 4 December 2014

Living For The Weekend



Following on from yesterday's post today we have a cover of a Hard-Fi song that was missing from my original copy of the first album. I must admit when I had heard that the Sugababes had covered Living For The Weekend I was slightly bemused when Lynn told me she had heard it on the radio, I also took with a pinch of salt her verdict that it "was really quite good" until a few days later when it surfaced on Hype Machine. But, shock horror, it is quite good. I have no idea of which incarnation of the band were responsible for the cover but I doff my cap to them.

Sugababes - Living For The Weekend

Wednesday 3 December 2014

Stars of CCTV



I bought the first Hard-Fi album, Stars Of CCTV without hearing any of the music but on the back of a piece I read somewhere that mentioned the Clash and Run DMC amongst others. After consulting Discogs the other evening, it turns out that my cd is one of the ltd original run of 500, as it only contains 9 tracks and not the 11 on later pressings, so I'm not sure where the article on the band came from.  At the time I quite liked the cd but I could probably count on all fingers the amount of time I have listened to it since. Not sure why I never bought anything else by the band apart from that cd and the first four singles the last of which was not included on my cd. I'm not even sure if they are still a going concern.

 Anyway,  here's my favourite track from the album and the second single.

Hard-Fi - Hard To Beat

Tuesday 2 December 2014

Blog Sound 2015



At the beginning of November I received an invitation by email to participate in The Blog Sound 2015. I ignored it to begin with as I thought that it had been sent to me by mistake, as I didn't think that anybody would be remotely interested in my tips for next year. My past record hasn't been too successful I have been championing the Raveonettes since 2003 as I was sure that they were going to be huge! Didn't happen.

Anyway, when I received a further email telling me that I only had 7 days left to vote, I thought I better give it serious consideration and I will admit that I was a little flattered to have been genuinely invited to participate (if anybody knows that it was an error, please keep it to yourself and don't burst my bubble). So I gave it some thought and sent back my suggestions.

What is The Blog Sound 2015, you are probably wondering. Here is the blurb:-

The Blog Sound of 2015 poll aims to showcase some of the best new emerging artists. However, unlike the ubiquitous BBC Sound of poll, the artists nominated aren’t picked just by industry experts. Instead they’re voted for by music bloggers, a small number of whom may work in the music industry, but the majority of which are just hardcore fans who write their blogs because of their genuine passion for music, normally with no financial incentive to do so.
This poll is not about picking acts who bloggers think will be famous. The bloggers involved are asked to vote for their favourite acts, irrespective of chances of commercial success.
How The Voting Worked
This year the Blog Sound Of 2015 poll canvassed 62 UK music blogs in November 2014, the most ever since its 2011 start. It asked each one to pick its 3 favourite emerging artists and rank them in order of preference. In total 148 artists received at least 1 vote, showing the diversity of bloggers' tastes. The acts scored 3, 2 and 1 points respectively.  The bloggers could choose any artist they wanted, providing the artist had not had a top 40 hit (including as a collaborator on a song) by the time voting started and that they weren’t related to or have any financial interest in any artist they selected. Where 2 artists tied on the same number of points, the artist with the most first place votes was ranked higher.
The 15 most popular acts that form the long list include artists that are on major labels as well as indie and unsigned ones, such as Brighton based indie band Fickle Friends, fuzzy sounding Glasgow punks Halfrican, goth ‘n’ soul singer Chloe Black, recent XL signing Lapsley and singer songwriter Sophie Jamieson, an artist who appears on the list for the second time running having also appeared the previous year. 
The act who gained the most amount of points in the poll will be announced on January 2nd 2015.
The Full Blog Sound of 2015 Longlist (In alphabetical order)
All We Are
Black Honey
Chloe Black
Coasts
Deers
Fickle Friends
Flyte
Halfrican
Honne
Lapsley
Prides
Shura
Soak
Sophie Jamieson
Tei Shi
I was quite surprised when one of my suggestions made the long list. Lapsley if you were wondering.
The Blogs That Participated In This Year's Poll:
17 Seconds, A New Band A Day, A Pocket Full Of Seeds, A World Of Music And Madness, Across The Kitchen Table, Alphabet Bands, Beat Surrender, Beat2aChord, Both Bars On, Brapscallions, Bratfaced LDN, Breaking More Waves, Brighton Music Blog, Daisy Digital, Dots And Dashes, Drunken Werewolf, Echoes and Dust, Electronic Rumors, Even The Stars, Everything Flows, Getintothis, God Is In The TV, Hearty Vibes, Hitsville UK, I Love Pie, Just Music That I Like, Kemptation, Like 1999, Lipstick Disco, Little Indie Blogs, Love Music : Love Life, Music Broke My Bones, Music Liberation, Music Like Dirt, My Day By Day Music, Never Enough Notes, Not Many Experts, Notes For A Road Sign, One Album A Week, Popped Music, Queen Beetch, Rave Child, Scientists Of Sound, Some Of It Is True, Song By Toad, Sounds Good To Me Too, Sound Of Now Music, Spectral Nights, Sweeping The Nation, The Blue Walrus, The Devil Has The Best Tuna, The Electricity Club, The Evening's Empire, The Mad Mackerel, The Metaphorical Boat, The Paper Penguins, This Must Be Pop, Thoughts On Music, Three Beams, Too Many Blogs, The VPME, What If I Had A Music Blog
Below you will find a soundcloud link to all of the listed artists

Monday 1 December 2014

Your Love's Gone Bad.



This is an absolute stormer of a track released in 1968 on the Bay Side label out of Baltimore and that's all I know about it.

Clay Hunt - Your Love's Gone Bad

Sunday 30 November 2014

Mellow Sunday



I'm probably feeling a little hungover this morning. Something soothing is the order of the day.

Lenka - Gravity Rides Everything


Saturday 29 November 2014

Things Ain't What They Used to Be



Ten years ago today I was partying hard along with fourteen others in a very large house in Dunoon. We were there for a few days to celebrate the first of our friend's fortieth birthdays. I don't think I was completely sober the whole time we were there and I was not the only one, a shit load of drunk was consumed. It was a good few days which culminated in an excellent dinner party when we all put on our posh togs, most of the guys in kilts, I think that I could still fit into mine then.

My abiding memory though is of a song that nearly ended in murder! Our mate Gav is a bit of a muso and brought his guitar with him. At this point he was going through a heavy Ryan Adams/alt country phase. No bad thing I hear you say. No it isn't but not all the time and certainly not the same tune belted out for the hundredth fucking time at full volume when all you want to do is sleep as you have been up drinking 'til around nine the morning, and just want to fall asleep preferably not to the refrain of "hey mama rock me" song by some out of tune drunks. At one point I was seriously contemplating getting up again, going down the stairs and ensuring that there would be no more sounds coming out of that guitar for the rest of the break. The only thing that stopped me was the fact that I was unable to get myself out of bed and eventually passed out to the strains of the cacophony coming from downstairs.

Oh, how times have changed, today we are off for an overnight, only the four of us, the old git, his better half , Lynn and I and I for one are looking forward to a good meal, some alcohol and bed at a reasonable hour.

Happy birthday Coke.

Below is the offending tune that I can now listen to with affection rather than anger, only just mind.

Old Crow Medicine Show - Wagon Wheel

Friday 28 November 2014

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance To A Repeat



Repost time.

I have had no time to think of anything for today, so instead here is a post from back in June 2009 when I was still quite new to this blogging lark.

Have a good weekend people.

What do you get when an ex scooter boy, dj decides to combine 2 of his passions, Progressive House and Northern Soul? Possibly the funkiest track of 1996 - My Mate Paul.

By the time Holmes released this track he was already responsible for a couple of the best progressive house tracks as part of The Disco Evangelists and Four Boy One Girl Action. He had also released his debut album and 4 singles.

Later he would go on to set the standard for Essential Mixes which in my opinion is yet to be bettered and also compose film soundtracks.

I would go on but I have a feeling that Holmes will show up on Acid Ted pretty soon and don't want to steal his thunder.

The only other thing I will mention is that he did a damn fine remix of The Sabres of Paradise's Smokebelch amongst many others.

David Holmes - My Mate Paul

Thursday 27 November 2014

This Is The Summer Of Malcontent



Can you tell that very little effort has been put into this weeks post yet? I like to think that with the quality of the music posted my words are made a bit redundant anyway. I still kid myself on that people do take the time to read the pish that's typed on these pages, so please don't burst my bubble with comments to the contrary!

Anyway,  I know of at least one person who will be less than thrilled by today's piece of music.  Free Range was the first single that "the mighty Fall" released in 1992 and what a single it is, it seems to be brimming with the threat of violence, or is that just me; but every time I listen to this single I have visions of scorched earth,  the siege of Sarajevo and other images of the Balkan conflicts. That same year the band released Code Selfish an album that not many Fall fans would count amongst the band's finest output. Perversely I quite like it, you can hear the influence of techno all over the album which was apparently very deliberate as Smith was rallying against the influence of a certain west-coast musical movement that was prevalent. When interviewed at the time of the album's release Smith let it be known what he thought of the grunge scene.

"Funny thing is all of those American bands, Pearl Jam and Nirvana, are dead into the Fall. Nirvana tried to get into our bus, Courtney, What's her name, the actress, tried it and we pushed her off. But they all come from this horrible place, Seattle, which is just like Moss Side on a bad night. And they're nothing more than glorified longhair guitar salesmen, y'know. Fucking idiots, playing pub rock. Aye, pub rock, that's what it is. If they were English, you wouldn't put up with it."

But we did just a couple of years later. MES' fabled precognition letting him down there.

The version posted is the superior, aren't they all, Peel session version,

The Fall - Free Range (Peel session)


Wednesday 26 November 2014

Batman



Shit . . . Luton again! And I'm here for a couple of days. I think that I would rather be in Gotham City any day even with all it's violence and strangeness.

A magic piece of  mid sixties garage rock from Seattle, the a -side of which was featured on the blog a while back.

Rocky & The Riddlers - Batman

Tuesday 25 November 2014

You're Gone, I'm Left



How about a rather demented piece of Rockabilly out of San Francisco and released on the Andrex label in 1958. I will not hear any jokes about the quality of this song and the use for which another product called Andrex  is used for in the UK. As with yesterday's track I know nothing about the singer but love the song and it's quite refreshing to think that there was a time when somebody with the name of Tyrone Schmidling could release a record under his real name, at least I hope it's his real name.

Tyrone Schmidling - You're Gone, I'm Left

Monday 24 November 2014

I Can't Stand It



I was sure that I had featured today's track in the past, so much so that when I dug out the single the other week I thought I would check how long ago it was to see if I could get away with posting it again. but on checking it appears that I haven't which is a travesty that I shall resolve this morning.

I know absolutely nothing about Brenda George apart from it appears she released three singles all on different labels between 1971 and 1972. I Can't Stand It was the flip side of the first of these sforty-fives, What You See Is What You Get released on Kent. It  is probably the best  of  the tracks I have heard and a finer slice of funk from that year will be hard to find, although I'm sure Darcy could put me right on that score.

Enjoy!

Brenda George - I Can't Stand It (I Can't Take No More)

Friday 21 November 2014

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance



One of the few things I like about this time of the year is the apples. Not any apples, no but shiny, red/green, soft, tart Macintosh Reds. One of the only fruits that still appear to be seasonal, well up here in Scotland we only get them from about October to end of December and only in Morrison's; when I was a kid they were exclusive to Safeway, I liked Safeway, there were always things in there you couldn't get anywhere else. I think that Mac Reds are unique in being the only food stuff that has not shrunk or altered in taste and texture since I was wee and therefore never disappoint.

"What the fuck have apples got to do with dance music?" I hear you ask. Well nothing really apart from the fact that Leo and I were extolling the virtues of these glorious apples at the football last Saturday, well it was more interesting than watching the pish that was going on on the park and the phrase "A juicy red apple is nice, but not every apple is red" popped into my head and has subsequently been lodged there ever since. So in order to expunge this, it was up to the cupboard to find one of my more incongruous purchases of 1992. Not being a great fan of breakbeat Rave I'm not quite sure why I bought this record and I also have no idea what I did with it, as I couldn't find it anywhere. So to the internet and there it was. I believe that it is my duty to share and therefore I present for your delectation the annoying earworm in all it's glory. No need to thank me.

You know what?  It's not as bad as I thought it was.

Have a good weekend people.

Skin Up - A Juicy Red Apple Is Nice (Sweet mix)

Thursday 20 November 2014

Jimmy Ruffin 1939 - 2014



Go easy Jimmy

Jimmy Ruffin - He Who Picks A Rose

Denmark's Best Export Apart From Lurpak



It has been a couple of years since the Raveonettes last showed up in Glasgow and it doesn't look like there is any chance of them returning this side of new year. Funnily enough I got the new album Pe'ahi a couple of months back but have only given it a casual listen, once so have no opinion on if it's any good or not but that doesn't matter as live the songs are always much better than they are on vinyl. Here's a track from their first proper album, Chain Gang Of Love,  which is probably still the one I listen to most.

The Raveonettes - Remember 

Wednesday 19 November 2014

Short But Sweet



If you look down the right hand side of the page under my blog list you will see "Derek's Daily 45" blog listed, which is an excellent source of Soul and R&B tunes. Although the blog is no longer daily, Derek still posts wee gems now and again.

Derek who is a dj and musician was the guitarist in the now sadly disbanded Bang Girl Group Revue. They did however release one rather good album and three singles. Although the group's sound is firmly rooted in the 60s Girl Group sound it does not sound dated at all and rattles on at some pace.  "You Better Watch Out" is one of my favourite tracks from the album.

The Bang Girl Group Review - You Better Watch Out

Tuesday 18 November 2014

Right Now



Today's song is probably best know by people my age in it's 1983 interpretation by Siouxsie and Budgie as the Creatures which reached number 14 in the UK charts. I am told that there is a version by the Pussycat Dolls but thankfully I have not heard that one.

The tune was written twenty one years prior to the Creatures version by Herbie Mann and was originally an instrumental with lyrics added later that same year by Carl Sigman and became a hit for Mel Torme. The version posted is from 1969 and was included in Salena Jones album The Moment of Truth. I'm not quite sure whether I prefer this to Siouxsie's version or not but it is a cracking song.

Salena Jones - Right Now

Monday 17 November 2014

Leaving Here



Here is a song that for years I only knew from the Motorhead version which I first heard on the On Parole album with a live version on the Golden Years ep. Back then I didn't check the credits on the record as I wasn't in the slightest bit interested and as a ten year old I didn't have a scooby who Holland-Dozier- Holland were anyway.  The Motorhead take isn't a million miles away from the original give or take the odd guitar solo and Lemmy's growl.

My favourite version of the song used to be the Jimmy Hanna one but over the past year or so I have been playing the original Eddie Holland cut on Motown from 1963 a lot more.

Eddie Holland - Leaving Here