This was recently included on Q Magazine's tribute to U2's "Achtung Baby" and by god it's good!
I was a huge fan of his debut album 'O' and is follow up '9', but I particularly like how when he sings, every line sounds like he means it. So I wasn't to be disappointed when I first heard this, from the piano & guitar intro he (again) takes you away to a cold place that is so tender, so meaningful and melancholy - So wrap up warm, put a log on the fire, pour yourself a drink and "enjoy the pain!"
"..Smile like you mean it.."
I've got the Tuesday Blues because Saturday is so far away.....(more here!)
It's nearly November, which means it's practically baby jesus day - well that's what the shops are trying to make us think - I wish I could afford to take my wife shopping to New York - but I'll have to give her the next best thing - NY bands.....
Like my wife, this got me hooked in first 10 seconds! It's by Interpol and features on their "Antics" album and I think is 'New Yorks-indie-rock-post-punk-suit wearing-joy division sound-a-likes' at their very best.
"...suits you sir!"
With its repetitive guitar hook, off-beat riffs, guitar melodies and climatic verses it knocks me for six every time. If you haven't heard it - you must listen to it 3 times and its spell will capture you forever - I even used it to swoon a lovely lady and it certainly did the trick as she married me!
"You should be in my space, you should be in my life..."
Oh Hope, how happy I am just to know that you'll be around this winter to swoon me with your sultry tones. She has the ability to warm places I never knew existed, which is why I'm especially excited at the prospect of an impending Mazzy Star release, the first since 1996's 'Among My Swan'. It's everything you'd come to expect from Mazzy Star, low key, dreamy Country-fide melancholia. Perfect for those drives into work at 4am or cozying up to a semi clad reveller after a mad party, unfortunately I tend to find myself experiencing the former.
I've had a glimpse of the criminal underworld this week. After trying to collect a ticket for a concert from the Box Office and go across to the pub over the road from the venue, I was practically rugby tackled by the bouncer and accused of being a tout! I wish I could show him the video to this song(if you are a bit squeamish look away now), then he'd know what he should really be worried about, not little old me! I heard 'Lesson No.7' on X-Posure on Xfm and liked it straight away, finding it so full of emotion. I can hear so many influences in there but I can't quite put my finger on them, perhaps it's just front man Guy Connelly's style of splicing in samples with noises from random objects! I keep hearing that Clock Opera are the ones to watch and this song definitely confirms it to me.
SFW:-
Jeff Buckley - 'Dream Brother' (Azedia Remix)
Last week I was laying beach in the Maldives, with no cares in the world apart from listening to a holiday playlist, when this quite literally woke me from my afternoon slumber....
It was like being struck by lightning or "By the Power of Zeus!" because it made me do a double take....because 1. I hadn't a clue who it was by & 2. It got me excited that a great remix had been made of one of my favourite artists songs. Since being back in blighty, I haven't found out much about the chap but I've found his soundcloud page and have sent him a gushy email telling him of his great remix....sad I know! So when I find out more, you'll be the first to know!
This is taken from Tom's new album 'Mesabi'. It is ground that has been covered many times before ie. American Pie, but I feel I have a responsibility to us 'old farts brigade'(that includes me of course). This type of stuff may not be too popular with some of our younger 'guests'. But spare a moment, for your poor old dad, he might like this type of thing, go on, ask him, lets us know what he thinks! If he likes this, tell him about 'Wednesday Club' he will be well received .
'Mesabi Iron Range' is 'The Troubadour Kid's' (Dylan) home Country and when you listen to the song you will hear lots of little references to him and some of his popular songs. So it can't be all bad!
Tom's previous Album was the acclaimed 'Blood and Candle Smoke' a collection with none other than Calexico.
Every time I hear Ghostbusters I always get so excited! Being a child of the 80s means its one of my favourite films as well as favourite 80s songs. So in the spirit of Halloween, it joins my Saturday Night Jukebox!
A good way to indulge in some 80s cheese on a larger scale is heading down to The Underworld across the road from Camden tube station. At their 'Pump Up the Volume' 80s night you could do the running man, moonwalk or shuffle your feet Rick Astley style to your hearts content, without anyone so much as batting a coral pink eyelid! Feeling at one with my people(and a lot of them seem to be European tourists strangely enough), I bumped into a charming German girl whilst my friends were at the bar. She mentioned she liked my t-shirt as she passed. I was sporting the 1989 Batman logo as I was trying to the dress the part without going through my mum and dad's current wardrobe. Thinking "why aren't the British so friendly!" I got talking to her. She asked whether I lived nearby and if I came here often. It wasn't until she said it would be great if I came to join her and her 2 friends nearby that I started to squirm. I apologised and said I was already with my friends and pointed to them at the bar, who waved. The German girl said it was a shame and gave my arm a squeeze, then left. Hey wait a minute... I've been hit on, by a girl....Cool! I felt my face go really hot when my friends arrived and said, "So, who's your girlfriend?!"
Listen...do you smell something?
The highlight song of that night for me was Ghostbusters. We bombed it to the centre of the dance floor and jumped around like fools. I've never had the opportunity to be part of a mass dance routine like the ones people took part in, in discos in the 70s, but we noticed there was a group doing the Ghostbusters "walk" from the video so we joined in. Soon the whole dance floor plus those on the bar mezzanine were doing it! Es war fantastisch!
Would anyone like to do a guest spot? Just email us with a few lines on a favourite song and why you like it...
Thankfully, our regular guest spot contributor Jon has taken a break from teaching his two young Padawans (daughters) the ways of the Jedi and written another great post:-
I remember hearing this track for the first time at the age of 14 on an afternoon show on Radio 1 (yes, really - I forget who the DJ was but the likes of Andy Kershaw were playing slightly more eclectic stuff than the standard Hit Factory fayre at the time). Over the following 5 minutes my assumptions and preconceptions of a genre that I had always mentally put in a big bin labelled "Uncool" melted away. Country music was suddenly no longer in my mind a bunch of bad songs with dodgy lyrics sung by people pretending to be cowboys dressed in crimes against fashion. This was hard-edged rockabilly country with unusually left-leaning politics, and put country music on the map for me, until Billy Ray Cyrus killed the vibe temporarily in the early 90s.
Damn you Billy Ray!!
Sure, I may not have been able to relate directly to the lyrics - I'd never grown dope, distilled moonshine or served in Vietnam. I was a slightly geeky middle-class UK suburban kid. But the simple, raw delivery spoke to me and painted a pretty vivid picture. Copperhead Road got more radio airplay than I ever thought possible and very nearly broke into the all-important Top 40, but stalled just outside. A mate of mine had the album which I duly borrowed and was on near continuous play for the next month or so - especially side 1 (ask your parents, kids) which was by far the more up-tempo side.
Much more recently at the start of 2011 Kate and I watched The Wire seasons 1 to 5 pretty much back to back on a nightly basis. Steve Earle had a cameo role in a very art imitating life way as a recovering drug addict musician. I barely recognised him from my late 80s memories - in fact it wasn't until his character's reappearance in later seasons that I realised it was him. His rendition of The Wire's opening track - Tom Waits' "Way Down In The Hole" in the final season was spot on though and made me dig out Copperhead Road again It's had regular outings ever since.
Knocking on a Stairway to Heaven's Door (I apologise for that one)
The more I look into 'Dylan Covers' the more hidden gems I find that I was unaware of. It's great being retired and having time on your hands to search and share these tunes. I still get that buzz of finding a great cover, in fact I still get that same buzz when I find any new tune that hits that magic spot. I was not aware of both these covers, how could I have missed 'One More Cup of Coffee', it's unacceptable. Anyway I have chastised myself.
The song comes from the Album 'Dreamland' released in 2002.
ROBERT PLANT - It's a Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
This is a great live version of 'Hard Rain' from Robert's tour with his Band of Joy at the Auditorium Theatre, Chicago on the 4th Sep 2011. There are several other takes on this available but I thought this was about the best.
Well I will finish now before I 'Ramble on' any further and before we have a complete 'Communication Breakdown', I will say 'A whole lotta of Love' to you all.
As a result of shift work I was probably doing something as spicy as ironing a shirt whilst listening to Pete Tong's Friday night Essential Selection. Everybody was getting ready to go out while I was getting ready to go to bed, wack! This tune came on and I was instantly hypnotised by it's brooding beat and bassline while this girl eloquently recounted her life as an exotic dancer. It's a fantastically atmospheric house track with seriously dark undertones, perfect! I loved it.
Pleasant Gehman....cheeky but pleasant!
But it reminded me of a time visiting friends in Florida years back, they decided to take me out for an evening of beer and baps. I was a little uneasy of the promise of visiting a gentleman's club as I had never been to one before, especially under duress and also unsure of the etiquette of seeing other women's bosoms whilst in a relationship (albeit in a legal environment). My so called friends knew this and were making it worse by building it all up "we're gonna get you a free dance by saying you're British and it's your birthday, that should get the girls to flock to your jock". By the time we arrived I was in a right state, it felt like I was jumping into shark infested waters. My idea of walking in with a swagger like a scene from the movie Swingers, to hide my embarrassment, fell flat on it's face when I was confronted with a waitress completely 'starkers'. Shocked at seeing the unexpected sight of a girl 'tackle out', I didn't know where to look. If I looked up I could still see her for the mirrors, left or right were no good either as they were showing porn on giant screens and down would be obvious that I'd be checking out her 'panty hamster'. Despite a free dance and the closest an arse has ever been to my face, I was really hating life!
I first became aware of Runrig when I was visiting my home town of Inverness and my sister had a spare ticket for a live show, her friend got so pissed, she collapsed backwards, creating a vacuum in the delighted dancing crowd, I loved it, I was hooked, it was just what I needed at the time. I was living abroad and a Scottish fix was always welcome. I know what your thinking and no a Scottish fix does not have to be deep fried mars bars washed down with a buckets of Buckfast.
I immediately bought all their back catalogue and this track came from the new release at the time 'The Big Wheel', they have a great sound and although there is always that Scottish feel, it is not over bearing. The singer Donnie Munro has such a unique voice, it is up there with my favourites.
Before you write the song off, its a going to war song, like 'Purple Heather'.
Donnie left Runrig to pursue a career in politics and my late sister answered the door one day only to be met by a smiling Donnie Munro doing his canvasing thing,
Always the winner
Well Donny, you can count on my vote. You will be 'amazed' how good a 'Best' of is.
Some songs have the uncanny knack of putting a smile on my grumpy chops, this is one of them. It features on This Desert Life and is supposedly written about the actress Monica Potter, of whom singer Adam Duritz became "inspired" when seeing in a Movie - probably means fancied.
I'll always have a soft spot for Counting Crows in my life, from my early 20's where I'd have drunken sing-a-longs to August and Everything After, to Rock Star stories of friends who met Adam, and seeing them live a number of times in the last decade - The best of which was seeing them in Bristol Academy, a fairly small venue, which allowed the audience to witness a flawless performance that brought a tear to the eye....
There's definitely something in their chips in Mali, as it seems to produce a never ending plethora of musical talent. Malian veteran, Boubacar Traoré is no different, incorporating a heady melange of the Mississippi Delta with music from his local region creating a distinct blend of the 'Mali Blues'. Lucky for me, I found this on a sampler and I just love the feel of it, the simple guitar and harmonica accompaniment...Just one of those gems you probably wouldn't normally come across.
This track really wants to make you move and in my case, despite good intentions, very badly. I first heard this in the film the Constant Gardener and I just had to get it. I love the syncopation of the rhythm with his voice and the harmonious female singers, it's a great sound so synonymous with African music. Ayub Ogada has recorded for Peter Gabriel's label, Real World and has also collaborated with the Afro Celts Soundsytem. Born in Mombasa, Kenya and he's a damn site better than the hotel lobby band that used to do a Casio keyboard cover of 'I Just Called to Say I Love You', when I went on holiday all those years ago. But who knows maybe that's where I saw him when he was cutting his teeth.
Four tracks that warmed our loins this week. Do you have any for us?
Shell Hunter:-
Gotye - 'Somebody I Used To Know (Ft. Kimbra)' (2011)
The cold is rolling in and I had to scrape the frost off my car for the first time this week. Driving into work at stupid o'clock in the morning in the pitch black has been made slightly more bearable by the few tracks that have stood out for me this week. My better half recommended I listen to this track and it wasn't his usual taste of "obscure American guitar bands", so I gave it a whirl. It has totally grown on me after a couple of listens and is perfect for those quiet, self contemplative drives along the M3 in what seems the middle of the night. Gotye sounds a bit like Peter Gabriel when he gets going and I like the way Kimbra's voice starts off sweet and nice but builds in anger. I'm glad I wasn't involved in this obviously hurtful breakup. Goyte has just released his third album, Making Mirrors and has 2 London dates in his tour next week, but are already sold out! Bummer!
Andrew Bird is an artist who I haven't really given the attention that he merits, which is odd as I've got a few tracks of his previously which I really like, but just haven't purchased - I'll be rectifying this ASAP! This song features on the OST for the movie "Norman" (looks a bit happy).
ooh, Andrew Bird has the horn.
Old Pa's Corner:-
June Tabor & Oysterband - 'Love will tear us Apart' (2011)
Thanks Flycasual for pointing me in the direction of this new album by June Tabor & Oysterband called 'Ragged Glory', not only is it an outstanding album and includes a 'Dylan Cover' (7 Curses) but the Rendition of 'Love will Tear us Apart' is nothing short of brilliant. It captures the desolation and desperation of Curtis's heartfelt lyrics. I have never really liked any of the many covers of this song, none seemed to be able to do it justice but this certainly does and I for one will be listening to it 'again' and 'again'.
Flycasual:-
Friends - 'His Girl' (2011)
Ooh that's a naughty bass line I thought when I first heard this track! A great Hip Hop feel to it too which also reminded me of those Punk/Funk bands like Tom Tom Club, ESG and Delta 5. But the clincher for me is the bell sound that reminds me of my newsagents where I used to live and going in, buying my Monster Munch (pickled onion), a Crunchie and a copy of Razzle. Anyway this is a top tune from the Brooklyn 5 piece about giving your boyfriend some space (go girl) and not a bad retro style video showing off some super 8 skills (which includes skateboard footage..ooh yeah!).
I was really looking forward to my favourite Geek dance group as the support act for the great LCD Soundsystem's last performance. If someone said to me "You'll look back at this evening and laugh" at the time it was happening, I know I'd return it with a face of thunder and probably a jab to their kidney.
This is the epic tale of the journey of the century and the biggest disappointment ever! The meticulous plan was for Flycasual and I to get to London, tube it to Finchley Station, walk the 15 minutes to check in at the Holiday Inn Express in Golders Green to dump our stuff, then make our way to meet London Scouser at Wood Green Tube Station. None of us had been to Alexandra Palace before and nothing prepared us for what was to come. Having completed what we thought was "the hard part" of the journey, we treated ourselves to a can each when we got to the hotel as we'd already been on the road for 2 hours. We thought we'd get the reception to order a taxi as we were running a bit late and according to google map it was a 7 minute cab ride as the crow flies. I should have known we were doomed when the cab rolled up and it was a Mercedes. Too late to opt out we got in and asked how much....£19?! We didn't have enough so called London Scouser to meet us with cash at Wood Green. The journey ended up taking the best part of 35 minutes because of severe roadworks and it was rush hour. London Scouser was a shivering angry mess when we arrived as it was a freezing November evening. He could have been waiting in a nice warm pub for us which was taunting him from across the road. While the three of us argued about whose fault it was, I thought, we're nearly there now, lets' just check out where to go on google map. I found the Alexandra Palace and we followed the little dot for about 20 minutes. It really didn't look right when we made another turning into what looked like a housing estate. I double checked the map with the postcode this time and it turned out Alexandra Palace was also the name of a council estate not far from the actual venue! Feeling rather foolish, we did a 180 and followed the steep incline towards the Ally-Pally.
Dressed appropriately for an evening of queuing
Finally the huge imposing building was in sight, so we joined the queue and took in the fantastic view of London at night from the top of the hill. The queue didn't seem to be moving much and we discovered it wrapped around the building on 3 sides! We were getting very close to the end of our tether and this was not helping. We should've been on our 3rd drink by now! Three quarters of an hour later and we still couldn't see the doors to the venue. Then I heard it, from the other side of the building's thick brick walls, One Life Stand, my favourite song from their new album was playing. Hot Chip had already began and I was nowhere near to getting in, cold, angry and sober! We had already discussed the possibility of blowing the gig off but the guilt of coming that far and not seeing it through was tough. Once in, we noticed there were enormous queues to get to the bar. The bar only accepted tokens which were only available to buy from another area and there were massive queues for them too! Absolutely mortified, there was no way we were going to enjoy the evening in the dark mood we were all in so we left. Couldn't even use the toilets on the way out as they were at the end of an extremely long queue!
Outside, we noticed there were several double decker buses which had been provided by the organisers to ferry people to and from the station. Why had we not been told! We gave our tickets to a couple of fans who thought they could buy tickets on the door so at least we made some body's night! We stomped into the first pub we saw and began to drown our sorrows. It was already 9 o'clock and we hadn't eaten so went to order a burger each. "Sorry we stop doing food at 9" replied bar staff and that was the catalyst to get absolutely blotto! We made our way back to the hotel and found a dingy little pub that decided to have a lock in! Every cloud and all that!
Geek or Chic?
I read an average review of the concert to see what I'd missed but it was the reader's responses which had me hopping up and down in laughter! I couldn't have put it better myself! Check them out here.
Come on you music lovers! You know you want to share a favourite track and tell us why you love it! Contact us now to feature on our weekly Guest spot!
Voted number one by Pete Tong's radio show listeners in the Top Twenty dance songs of the last twenty years, Cafe Del Mar must be the soundtrack to so many chilled out memories! On this week's Guest spot, Jamie may seem like a man of little words but still waters run deep!
Each time I hear this song it reminds me of hot days in Cornwall at the Skydiving Centre when I was a Uni student. This was a great carefree time for me when I could just enjoy the fun of Skydiving and sharing a beer with a great group of friends. I loved the permanent chilled out pace of life in Cornwall and the chilled out nature of this song combined with the great dance rhythms just fitted life.
This track has been remixed hundreds of times so here is the official original mix from back in 1993 to make your own comparisons with!
(7) The Country Gentlemen’s sweet-as-honey bluegrass harmony rendition,
(8) Echo and the Bunnymen’s recent powerful Them re-tread,
(9) this one from 60s garage band, the Chocolate Watchband, which provides an imagining of what a Rolling Stones performance of a Van Morrison interpretation of a Bob Dylan masterpiece would sound like.
Thursday I'm in love...a chance to share some of my favourite tracks. Innit!
Nine Inch Nails - 'Only' (2005)
Trent Reznor is no doubt a talented musician with a real knack of creating industrial strength soundscapes. With many great songs under his belt, it's a difficult choice but 'Only' from his With Teeth album, is probably my favourite Nine Inch Nails track.
It's a fantastic tune with its beat, dirty bass guitar, piano and what sounds like a Gothic chant (for want of a better description) building up the tension nicely before Trent Reznor delivers his petulant tirade. More importantly it reminds me of a weekend at Sfw's, plenty of beer, music and sampling the fine welsh speciality of sweet and sour pork balls and chips. Sfw had also managed to acquire a copy of the Pro Tools (the recording and editing software alot of professional artists use) version of this song. It showed the numerous 'layers' to the track, the various instruments, sound effects used etc and when they came in and out of the song, as a result I felt I got to know it more intimately the further we stripped it down. Pretty fascinating stuff considering the Beatles only recorded on a four track, live and having to roll with it or redo it should anyone screw up.
Put your wand away...Potter!
It also gave us the opportunity to have a go at trying our hand at a little remixing for ourselves, relishing the thought of being able to dissect one of Mr Reznor's tracks! Alas easier said than done, as our handy work sounded more like a horrific version of an S Club 7 song (well Sfw's one anyway).
You get weekends you remember and you get weekends that fade away forever. 'I wanna be adored' reminds me of a weekend that will be imprinted in my memory banks forever and a fortnight.
Myself and Flycasual were in the U.K for the weekend, I can't remember why we there, but we were staying in the Ibis Hotel at Heathrow. The first thing we did was of course go to Hounslow Highstreet, to the record shop where we bought The Stone Roses' first album and Bummed by The Happy Mondays. At the time the Roses were the hottest ticket in town and we could not wait to hear the album after a string of superb singles. We had a small portable cassette player and when the album started we were disappointed as we thought there was something wrong with the tape, it was so silent and nothing much was happening. Then it started, what an introduction, one of the best of all time. 'I wanna be adored' - great stuff, the album was everything we expected and more.
Showing off their artistic qualities
We went out that night to the Red Lion pub on the London Road, as I remembered there was music usually playing. That night it was 'Napalm Death', but unfortunately we were not allowed in, Flycasual was too young and a little embarrassed as I remember.
There was another two memorable events that took place that weekend. We watched live in the hotel, Nelson Mandela being released from prison, also the startling news, Mike Tyson had been knocked out by Buster Douglas, the impossible had happened. What a weekend.
Ray Charles - Don't let the Sun catch you crying (1959)
As winter approaches, sometimes you need a song to warm you up, to be a musical companion as the nights draw in. This evokes the classic 'Rat Pack' tunes of the 50/60's and when men were men, suits were a must, and you'd probably have a drink of whiskey before, during and after work - a bit like Mad Men, but without the sunshine.
I was never a big Ray Charles fan, but that was due more to ignorance and not having any of his albums than not liking him. That all changed when I heard this. The sweeping string arrangements, jazz-brush drumming, and exquisite piano playing takes you away to a time when music was real and couldn't be further away from the XFactor.....although even Simon Cowell would be gushing if Ray turned up and started playing this for him!
"...X-Factor? I got the xxx-factor.."
....I've got the Tuesday Blues because Saturday is so far away....
17 years and 6 albums later, The Bluetones have decided to call it a day. It's a sad moment for me as I have really been with them all that time. From their humble beginnings in Hounslow in 1996, when they released their UK number 1 debut album, which launched them into mega Brit pop fame, to their last ever Farewell gig at Shepherd's Bush Empire this September. It's almost like they slipped out the back door.
The Bluetones' songs hold so many memories for me growing up. I remember being given their first album 'Expecting to Fly' for my 14th birthday from my best friend who was supposed to be accompanying me and my parents to a weekend in Paris. At the last minute, she revealed that she didn't have a passport, so disappointed, I went alone. It was a great sunny weekend as it happened, and I won't forget going into HMV on Champs-Elysees and finding 'Slight Return' playing!
The Bluetones - In Loving Memory, 1995 - 2011
After their second album, I gradually grew out of them and into my grunge phase until I met my now husband who revealed he'd loved them from the start too. We began seeing them at least once a year when they were touring. It was at one of these very concerts at Shepherd's Bush, on December 12, 2003 that my husband proposed. In true rock and roll style he said "If they play Slight Return as their encore, I'll propose." "Yeah whatever," was my response. We'd seen them at least 5 times between us and they had avoided the song each time. Sure enough it was the last song of the night and he said the words(probably under duress too as it was obviously a surprise to him). I was delighted of course and the rest as they say is history. We played it at our wedding and I can't listen to it without getting a bit misty eyed.
However, Sleazy Bed Track has to be my favourite song because of its sparse, laid back, romantic guitar and snare combination.I feel the lyrics have managed to suitably capture the pain felt in a emotionally trapping relationship. Despite it being a sad and emotive song, it doesn't stop me wanting to hear it over and over. It was also great Sleazy Bed Track got the recognition it deserved by featuring on the Scott Pilgrim Vs The World soundtrack(great film)! Anyone else got any Bluetones memories? Share them with me in honour of their passing!
It's Sunday, it's time for the tracks of the week. Here are four tatties to dip into your gravy. Do you have any Yorkies for us?
Sfw:-
Radiohead - Give up the Ghost (2011)
This is for all the people who dismissed the King Of Limbs, I always said it would be a slow burner and Give up the Ghost is just (another) gem that when heard in isolation reminds you why Radiohead are one of the National Treasures...
Old Pa's Corner:- Mountain Goats - Beautiful Gas Mask (2011)
I just Can't stop playing the Mountain Goats's new album, 'All Eternal's Deck'. I keep getting a new favourite, first it was, 'Damn the Vampires' quickly followed by 'The Autopsy Garland' and at the moment 'Beautiful Gas Mask' is my 'rave'. Great voice and great lyrics, a bit of Alt-Country feel or even a bit of R.E.M. I asked my wife what track did she like of the three? she replied 'they are all depressing', the perfect answer for me! I just love them, give them a try. I hope they will 'bleat' for you too.
Pet Sounds
Flycasual:-
DRC Music - Hallo (feat Tout Puissant Mukalo and Nelly Liyeage) (2011)
Despite a 9 year gap since 2002's Mali Music, Damon Albarn continues his love affair with African music with an new project, in DRC Music (Democratic Republic of Congo). He visited with a collective of producers (notably long term collaborator Dan The Automator) with the ambitious premise to record the album in 7 days and all the proceeds to go to Oxfam's work in the country. During the week local Musicians would come and go recording sessions with Damon and his crew, who would then blend the traditional with the modern to create the album Kinshasa One Two. Hallo, for me is probably the stand out track, showing that despite the time frame, the gifted mr Albarn definitely has an ear for a tune. Talented musicians, good music, good cause, job done!
Shell Hunter:- Nick Waterhouse - Is That Clear (2011)
You know that new sound you're looking for? Well, listen to this!
I love it when an artist revisits a genre of yesteryear and does it well, much like Marty Mcfly performing "Johnny B Goode" in Back to the Future. Nick Waterhouse is 25, based in San Francisco and obviously has a passion for 1950's R & B American music, even using vintage analogue equipment to give it that authentic retro crackle. Full of sax, clinkin' pianos and rocking guitars, it'll have you swinging your partner all over the place in an instant. If you like this, check out his 4 track EP released in August, which includes a great cover of Them's "I can only give you everything". If it's not for you, I guess you folks aren't ready for this yet, but you're parents are gonna love it!
Hey doll face, wanna get up to some back seat bingo?
The mild summer weather is holding on for dear life and while the sun has still got his hat on, I will continue to bask in the summer tunes. This was one of my top 3 songs of 2004 and I loved it so much I must have put it on 3 CD compilations that year! A mega music faux pa!
Lola's theme - Not a shifter!
As my husband and I love discovering/rediscovering music and sharing it with each other(what a good idea!), we create a new CD compilation every few months when we have a "glut" of tracks old and new. Usually consisting of 20 songs of our choice(no questions asked), we alternate tracks so we both benefit from the exposure of new music which we might not otherwise have heard, mixed in with our latest obsession! One of my all time favourite mixes was simply titled "Summer Break" in which I enforced the criteria of "up beat, summery songs to listen to when its hot!" This CD was made especially for a weekend break to Bournemouth which so happened to be during one of Britain's rare but extremely enjoyable heatwaves!
Bournemouth Beach, Summer 2004
Whenever I hear Lola's Theme, I am transported to that drive down to Bournemouth during which the CD had it's maiden play. There were smiles on our faces, our sunglasses were on, the flip flops were packed and the uplifting lyrics extended the promise of a glorious weekend! The trouble is, we weren't the only people with the idea of spending it with our toes in the warm sand....it seemed the whole of Britain was on the beach that day! The scene was straight out of a "Where's Wally?" (or Waldo for our American friends) book; kids digging giant holes and running around with melting ice creams, mums screaming at them to put sun block on, dads looking miserable because they wanted a beer in the nice shadey Wetherspoon's pub near by, and groups of insecure spotty teenagers wishing they had the confidence to display their new Primark bikini's or shorts. You really can't beat a sunny British summer's day!
The second of this weeks guest spots goes to 'er indoors, Sophie. A fabulous and moving song which reminds us of some pretty tough times. Made worse now, by the fact that what Roddy was singing about wasn't what we thought. An easy mistake to make, we've all done it...Still there are those Star Wars references! If any of you have misinterpreted any lyrics then let us know in the comments!!
The North Circular, Halloween and Roddy Frame
For a couple of exhausting years, I worked for Lidl, the discount retailer. As a District Manager, I clocked up thousands of miles a year, travelling across London and the South East, visiting stores and carrying out various duties at the regional head office, located on the industrial banks of the Thames in Kent.
Part of the role involved covert operations: following lorries delivering to stores at night (to ensure goods weren’t offloaded halfway) and testing the security of the warehouse by walking in, taking a case of (very cheap) whiskey and seeing if anyone stopped to challenge us. This was all endorsed by the Powers That Be and, although I did experience a slight frisson from this pseudo-foray into the criminal underworld, it largely involved spending cold and lonely hours in various dodgy locations in my trusty Passat, wishing I was tucked up bed at home.
And so I found myself after one such late visit, on the North Circular, near Barking I think. A grim stretch of road at the best of times but truly bleak at midnight on the 31st October after another 18 hour day.
I was listening to the radio and this song came on. I’d heard it before and loved it so much that I bought the album, Surf, which is still one of my favourites. It contains the line “floating in a car, past the gates of Must Destroy Dot Com”. I always thought this must be a US company as I had never heard of them before but imagine my surprise when, at the very point Roddy was singing the words, I glanced to my right and saw a large warehouse with these words emblazoned on the side! As it was, the song’s lyrics really summed up the loneliness I felt during that time and that night, which was coincidentally Halloween , they took on new significance – Spooky!! It gave me great comfort and I like to think that some friendly spirits were watching down on me, seeing me safely home without falling asleep at the wheel.
Before writing this post, I googled Must Destroy.com and can only find one reference to a document disposal business but no evidence it still exists. Then I thought I’d check the lyrics of the song. Turns out, Roddy and I were singing completely different words...Gutted.
Sorry love, you thought I wrote what?
Anyway, the album is brilliant – his lyrics are gorgeous, although I think my version of Small World is much better...
