Musings on the byways of popular culture
A bunch of rugby-playing ex-squaddies singing? No, it isn’t the best Xmas record you’ll ever hear, but it is for a very good cause. My pal Andy is in there, somewhere.
https://woodenspoon.org.uk/2018/12/13/vets-rugby-squad-release-christmas-charity-single/
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Paddy McAloon was on Radio 4 this morning, discussing I Trawl The Megahertz.
It’s available to listen back, and includes a brief snippet of a new song. Remasters to come in September 2019.
I knew he had detached retinas, but didn’t know he also has meniere’s disease – my father-in-law has that (but has never been in Prefab Sprout).
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“The French Pogues” are releasing a 3CD+DVD anthology boxset, 2CD best of, and five vinyl reissues. Cheaper from Pledge than elsewhere and the box is availabel signed for, as these things go, a reasonable price.
Mano Negra were my favourite Franch band, but LNV came a very close second.
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25/11/2018
Musician, producer, author and Neil Young expert Sam Inglis reads from his 33 & 1/3 book on Harvest.
I play the recent Archive remaster of Harvest on 180g vinyl, on a £12,000 hi-fi borrowed from the lovely people at Criterion Audio.
Steph serves freshly-ground coffee, loose-leaf tea, locally-brewed ales and home-made cakes.
2:30-4:30pm at the Courtyard café, Papworth Everard, CB23 3UY
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Venue:
Portland Arms, Cambridge
Date: 21/11/2018
It was an early start, so I missed most of support act Bricolotheque’s set. Frankly no great loss, they sounded somewhere between Suicide and early Soft Cell. Most memorable fact: it was the loudest I’ve ever heard the venue’s PA.
Gemma and Maria were milling around in the audience, all smiles and hellos on their big night out from Norwich, happy to chat with and have photos taken with my teenage daughter.
A quick tuneup and Sink Ya Teeth hit the stage at 9pm. Lineup is Gemma (Fender Jaguar bass, BVs, Mac, occasional keys) and Maria (vocals, percussion, Roland drum pad, monophonic keyboard, occasional Vox ‘Droplet’ guitar). Backing tracks are played off the Mac, in the sequence of the album, so little room for wigging out. Musically, think a scaled-down LCD Soundsystem or ACR.
They’re having a whale of a time on stage and the audience are throwing shapes from the off. There’s one bloke down the front who must surely be chemically enhanced. After the first song, Gemma asks everyone to take a step forward and join in.
Glass, which on record has the ‘I Feel Love’ rhythm, is dedicated to » Continue Reading.
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I’m off to sunny Milton Keynes for two days, with an overnight stay, in a couple of weeks.
There’s a gig on the Stables and I’m staying near the Bowl, around the corner from Ikea.
Mrs F keeps muttering about tidying up my vinyl. What are the storage units called?
Is there anywhere else to go on a night out in MK?
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17/11/2018
“Berlin-based songwriter and singer performs tracks from his new album. Supporter Alexander Carson (Wooden Arms). Originally from Cambridge, Tom is now based in Berlin and his location and love of travel have shaped his song writing. The concert is part of Tom’s national and European tour to launch his new album ‘Yes, sleep well death’”
I find his music a bit proggy for my tastes, but the venue is beautiful with lovely acoustics, and I’m manning the desk so it’ll sound great.
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BBC4 at 9pm tonight (and 2:05am):
Primal Scream: the lost Memphis tapes
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Interesting article. “Sure, we have 38,000 fans”
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What does it sound like?:
From the press release: ” ‘Every Move You Make: The Studio Recordings’ is a six vinyl LP box set which brings together The Police’s entire recorded studio albums, as well as a 12-track sixth disc entitled ‘Flexible Strategies’ which contains exclusive bonus material of non-album recordings and B-sides.
Re-mastered and cut onto 180-gram heavyweight vinyl at Abbey Road Studios by Miles Showell, the world’s leading exponent of half-speed mastering, this limited-edition set celebrates the 40th anniversary of the multi-million selling band’s first album, ‘Outlandos d’Amour’. It also contains a special 24 page, 12”x12” photo book featuring rare and unseen images from the band’s personal archives housed in deluxe packaging of a hardcover box with lift-off lid.”
Now, much as I hate to be pedantic, the above statement isn’t quite true. The 12 tracks on the bonus LP are all previously-released B-sides. Both sides of debut single ‘Fall Out’ are missing, ‘Murder By Numbers’ is included but was a bonus track on CD and MC of the Synchronicity album so is well known, and two live B-sides from the last album’s singles are missing. They were all on 1993’s complete Message in a Box: The » Continue Reading.
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Getting rid of bad vibes, as claimed, or a cash injection?
The auction is on my birthday. I wonder if Mrs F fancies the Factory Records floating table?
Catalogue is £12 from http://www.omegaauctions.co.uk/news-media/news/the-peter-hook-signature-collection
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I’m slightly in love with the new Steve Mason (him out of the Beta Band) single, Stars Around Your Heart, and its deliberately shonky video. For 4 minutes, I’m transported back to being 13 again, in a good way (without the spots and angst).
What’s got you smiling recently?
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The Snake Charmer EP is finally rereleased by Dutch label Music On CD, having been out of print for 25 years.
Possibly the best thing Jah Wobble ever did, definitely the best thing The Hedge ever did, aided by Can bassist Holger Czukay and produced by François Kevorkian.
Think ‘Remain In Light’ era Talking Heads and you’re not far off.
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Let the AW hive mind generate a playlist for the plant eaters on their big day.
David Bowie – Aubergine Genie Marillion – Kaley Blur – Girls & Soys
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“Neil Young confirms marriage to Daryl Hannah”
Congratulations to the happy couple, and all that, but I hope the scruffy old scrote changed his shirt first.
And that’s not a titfer fit for the occasion, either.
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Whatever next for smutty Radio 2?
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I watched this while I ironed school uniforms this afternoon. It’s hard to imagine any of us sitting on a sofa talking about our favourite records, isn’t it?
Anyhow, a couple of things struck me: Martyn Ware is very tanned. Does the sun shine a lot in Sheffield? It rained both times I went there. {Adopts Bertie Wooster voice} I’m beginning to wonder if that Sylvester fellow might be a homosexualist.
Mrs & Mrs Stephen Morris of The New Orders are on next week’s episode.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0bnb2lz/disco-and-beyond-with-ana-matronic-and-martyn-ware
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Nile’s done a bit of an Englebert on DID – half of his selections were his own creations.
Professional pride, or big-head?
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25/11/2018
My friends have taken over my local cafe. I’ve somehow persuaded Criterion Audio in Cambridge to lend me £10k worth of hi-fi. I’m going to put on vinyl playback afternoons on the last Sunday of each month.
First event is open-doors; Crosby, Stills & Nash on Oct 13th for National Album Day.
First closed-door event on Oct 28th; Sgt Pepper & Pet Sounds introduced by me.
Nov 28th: Neil Young’s Harvest introduced by Sam Inglis (author of the Harvest 33 & 1/3 book).
Other guest experts to follow. Anyone who doesn’t mind talking to 20-50 people for 5 minutes about the album of their choice can apply – local experts in, say, Jethro Tull please PM me.
Location is the Courtyard Cafe, Papworth Everard, Cambridge, CB23 3UY. 2:30pm to 4:30pm on the last Sunday of each month. Free entry.
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What are you doing to celebrate? I’m just off to souncheck for gig tonight.
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My mum is almost deaf, even with her aids in. Yesterday’s weekly update included the following nugget:
“Did I hear that Rolf Harris won the Mercury music prize?”
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28/09/2018
Model Village celebrate, in their own self-deprecating way, 10 years of folk-infused indie pop.
Support from The Pony Collaboration, playing their first gig in 5 years to support this year’s third album ‘Everything Was Ages Ago’; and groovy Roger McGuinn-enthusiasts Violet Woods.
Venue: The Blue Moon, 2 Norfolk St, Cambridge, CB1 2LF. Doors: 8-11pm Tickets: £5.
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Take a listen to Dom Martin’s live session (from 25 mins in). Being a middle-class white man from Cambridge, I don’t do much blues, but this is the stuff.
I expect @Colin-H to now tell us “everyone knows Dom…”.
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I like Anna Calvi, she’s a bit ‘lady Nick Cave’, virtuoso musician, Mercury nominated, all that stuff. She’s a bit like an English version of St. Vincent.
What irks me is… Anna’s new record is great, but the ‘angle’ all the interviews and reviews I’ve read have chosen to take is ‘Anna’s come out as gay’. It’s 2018, FFS. Does anybody really care?
Or am I just being a middle-class liberal ponce again?
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From the Public Tool Kit:
“How to celebrate: We welcome everyone to be a part of music history by celebrating the first ever National Album Day with us. You can do this by: – Attending album playbacks and live in-stores during the week commencing 7th October. Events will be happening in record stores and music venues across the UK. An event listing guide will be available on the NAD website. – Posting to your social media accounts about the Top 3 Albums that changed your life. Tagging @AlbumDayUK and using #NationalAlbumDay. Other ways to get involved on social media will be on the NAD website. – Tuning in to online listening parties, album playbacks, Q&A’s and more activities across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. – Dressing up as your favourite album on National Album Day – 13th October. Either going into work, attending an event or throwing your own album themed party.”
This doesn’t seem to be quite the same “separating music lovers from their cash” gravy train as Record Store Day.
I have the keys to the community cafe and a hi-fi system loaned by a local dealer, so I’ll be spinning vinyl in my little corner of South » Continue Reading.
