Prices from £6 – small selection but interesting ones – Sandy Denny? Portishead? Chemical Brothers
https://www.recordstore.co.uk/recordstore/Record-Sale/
Musings on the byways of popular culture
Prices from £6 – small selection but interesting ones – Sandy Denny? Portishead? Chemical Brothers
https://www.recordstore.co.uk/recordstore/Record-Sale/
As noted elsewhere, eg @ahh_bisto, the new Neko Case is very very good.
Good tunes, strong production, variety but really engaging lyrics that have actually for once have you reading the inner bag. (Could do without all the cigarette imagery). It is a modern sound but not pandering to any particular trend. And so much better than her chum Laura Viers recent effort that I found largely twee and lightweight. She really is on a roll, her last one was also fab
Her career box set (8 Lps, D/L, other bits) is relatively good value on her website https://uk.kingsroadmerch.com/neko-case/view/?id=9213&cid=2210
Mrs.B has 2 tickets for Queen at the O2 on StubHub, below face value. Any takers, let me know.
I’m shamelessly jumping NiallB’s Gretchen Peters thing, mostly because I don’t wan to hijack an appreciation of Ms P.
As you may know Sharon is away for…a long time (LMK if you want a progress update. Across all her travels in her life, she only has to check off Tonopah, having just left Tehachapi). I’m usually upbea….Nah, that’s a lie.
Sometimes I like to indulge in beautiful songs that are wistful, beautiful, heartbreaking. In Niall’s post, I gave up ‘Woe’. I’m going to lead here with ‘Tender’. It’s a cover, but surpasses the original in every way.
What do you listen to when your heart aches a little? Is it John Martyn? Otr is someone I’ve never heard of?
Give me a melancholy Sunday playlist.
by niallb 2 Comments
Gossamer. The most delicate, fragile thing you could hold in your hands. This song is currently taking my heart out for a dance.
by SteveT 6 Comments
It is early June and I have just heard my favourite album of the year so far. Lump is a collaborative work between Laura Marling and Mike Lindsay of Tunng – a band I know by name but who I have not knowingly heard anything by. Apparently they met at a Neil Young gig and being admirers of each others work decided on this joint effort. Lindsay provides guitars, bass, loops, programming and all sorts of electronica. Laura wrote the songs and sings. The sound is absolutely delightful – Laura’s vocal range is breathtaking and quite different to her own work. How do I describe the songs on here? Firstly there only 6 and a short instrumental outtro but no song is superfluous to the overall album. There are some great loops that remind me of a slowed down Georgio Moroder for the 21st century particularly on standout track Hand Hold Hero which has a great layered vocal and some great electronica. At times Laura’s voice recalls Melanie de Biasio and make no mistake this is » Continue Reading.
Paddy McAloon, genius songwriter, 61 today.
Venue:
UEA, Norwich
Date: 06/06/2018
“Everyone here is so old!” stage whispers a woman to her queuemate outside the UEA. “How dare you?” I gently mock back, however she is not wrong. We are as far from the formation of Public Image tonight as they were from Hitler being named as Time Magazine’s Man of the Year, and the mohicans have all grown longer overnight. The impression that there is a well of middle-aged politeness to proceedings is little dissipated once inside by the gentleman perched on the steps down into the central auditorium’s well passing the hour until show time (nine o’clock sharp!) by reading a hefty hardback volume, and the number of extra chairs laid out around the venue. A pointless onstage DJ plays vintage ska records.
There is a saying that one should judge a person by their actions, not their looks, but as PiL take the stage there is an overwhelming temptation to assign the roles immediately. On drums and bass, imagine Kermode and Mayo having bulked up considerable in order to play the lead roles in a remake of The Krays. Stage right, one of Geoffrey Bayldon’s more outre characters is being workshopped, » Continue Reading.
Venue:
Old Trafford Sportball Stadium, Manchester
Date: 05/06/2018
I should preface by saying that unlike many of you I’m a very casual fan but I’ve really warmed to them of late – so for years my favourite album was ’40 Licks’ but now it’s ‘Beggars Banquet’ (you get the idea). When I found out they were playing a few miles up the road I baulked at paying the guts of £90 but I managed to grab some cheap ‘Lucky Dip’ tickets – basically a way for the Stones to ensure there aren’t empty seats and perhaps to entice fairweather fans like me to take a punt for the price you’d pay for a 3rd tier Indie band at the Academy. The deal is you don’t know where you’re sitting/standing till you pick your tickets up, so you lower your expectations about where you’ll be and indeed whether it’ll be any good -a reasonable gamble.
This is a double-first for me, not only is this my first Stones gig but in spite of being an avid (almost) weekly gig-goer it’s also my first Stadium show. I’m used to turning up just after the support and waltzing in to my » Continue Reading.
A few months ago, a chance meeting on a music discussion forum led to an actual meeting in London and the release of a Gordon Beck 3CD 1964-84 anthology and a single CD set of unreleased gold from Joy Marshall (d.1970) backed by the Gordon Beck Quartet (with John McLaughlin) from spring 1968: ‘When Sunny Gets Blues’ – out now with notes from Simon Spillet and and recommended. That in turn led me to explore a seam of McLaughlin research I had somehow missed: Gordon Beck’s recordings for the BBC in that brief period in which John was among his circle of collaborators.
It proved a very rich seam indeed: between March and May 1968, Gordon’s Quartet with John recorded around five hours of music for the corporation, backing singers Mark Murphy and Joy Marshall along with numerous instrumentals. Most of it drifted out on late-night radio 2 shows hosted by the likes of Terry Wogan…
‘Echoes From Then’, my second book on John, with a substantial series of discographies, sessionographies and concert listings (only four known with Gordon Beck), was already printed. I’m currently awaiting delivery of a second printing with a new 5,000-word Addendum detailing the Beck » Continue Reading.
The Arctic Monkeys debut album was a thing of genuine excitement. Once I got past the super-hype surrounding it, it was a pure blast of indie-rock excitement. Dour and grotty in it’s story-telling, yet full of energy. Favourite Worst Nightmare added to the story, and whilst it was (probably) a better album, couldn’t surpass the debut. Humbug came along, changed things about, had it’s moments, but just didn’t have “it”. Suck It And See has probably not been listened to since it was released (maybe I completely missed something?) And then came AM – the energy, urgency and interest was back.
I haven’t bought the new one (Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino) yet, but fear I may be buying just out of catalogue completion/loyalty. Not massively impressed with what I’ve heard so far (maybe it’s not for me?). So the question is: Am I missing something in Arcticmonkeyland, and should I get the new one?
I had no awareness whatsoever of the Monks Of Doom till today. Listening to the Underwater Sunshine podcast, this track off their 2006 covers album “What’s Left For Kicks” came up and I have been playing it repeatedly ever since. The Calvary Cross (link down thread), sounds like it’s being done by The Gin Blossoms with added technical ability. That’s a good thing for mine. OOAA.
Here’s a heresy – I think it’s better than the Richard & Linda Thompson original…
What very little I’ve heard so far is all over the map, so this may not be considered representative. The other one that caught my ear was a sort of proggy/country/zappa-esque thing. Then they do Oh Well very convincingly.
David Immergluck from Counting Crows, plus everyone else from his earlier stint with Camper Van Beethoven. Except David Lowery. Perhaps.
I went for a walk with my mother yesterday. She is 98 years and 11 months old but happily powers up modest hills and assorted terrain unaided by walking frame or stick. Anyway, we were walking along a bushy path next to the Yarra River and decided to enjoy a bit of sunshine and a rest on a bench seat. Shortly after, a boisterous young bull terrier bounded up followed soon after by his master. Just as he said now don’t you roll on that grass, the dog proceeded to do so. Ther grass was longish and sloped down towards the river. Next thing Mum and I saw was his arse in the air as the dog slid headfirst into the river. It was a sheer drop of some 3 or so feet so the dog couldn’t get back up. Instead, he was propped head just above water sort of underneath the edge.
What to do ?
Its the start of winter so stripping off was not an attractive option. So, after some discussion, the master lay on his belly while I hung on to his ankles to stop him from sliding in, all the while hoping that I » Continue Reading.
I went to the Radio 1 roadshow once in Exmouth. Liz Kershaw and Bruno Brookes as I recall. It was a pretty sparse crowd really with most toward the back of the crowd shouting “wanker!” at Mr Brookes for most of the hour or so I was there. It was all quite shit and I really shouldn’t have bothered.
This has nothing to do with that. This is about Tahiti 80.
This, for me, is the sound of summer in the U.S. I was living in Connecticut when I first heard about the band and this particular song has stayed with me. I think it was summer of 2003. Long hot weekend afternoons on the balcony of my condo watching baseball (Mets)and drinking G&T’s, bike rides. Bliss.
What are the more obscure songs that put you in mind of summer?
This is a great documentary on how life now exists in South Africa 20+ years after apartheid.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03w4bsv/reggie-yates-extreme-south-africa-1-the-white-slums
I had a copy of The Beach Boys “Live In London” which I obtained when my mother gave me a catalogue and said “Choose an LP”. It was paid for by cigarette coupons – my recollection is that my parents smoked John Player but it could well have been the one in the enclosed link
My sister got “Wombling Songs”. My mother got a very nasty cough and a 20 a day habit that took a stroke to get her to give up.
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/embassy-cigarettes-coupon-gift-522216314
“Finally, there are ginger emojis”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/technology-44366083/finally-there-are-ginger-emojis
It’ll be here soon.
Are we bothered? How will WE do? Do we care anymore? What’s going on with the Germans (“You wouldn’t bet against them, Gary.”) Will Brazillian’s Hip Priest manager repair the nightmares of the 7-1? Will Panama do an Iceland?
More importantly, has anyone seen a decent wall chart yet?
by TrypF 3 Comments
Venue:
Richmond Theatre, Richmond upon Thames
Date: 03/06/2018
If the phrases Yellow Car, The Travelling Lemon or Since You Ask Me For A Story bring a smile to your face, you may well be one of the thousands going to see John Finnemore and his regular gang on this early summer tour. If they don’t, you’re not in the minority. This isn’t Peter Kay, but a much niche in comedy – almost completely confined to Radio 4 until now, building an impressive back catalogue of humour since 2008 in John Finnemore’s Souvenir Programme (the sketch show) and Cabin Pressure (the almost legendary sitcom).
This production is a broad selection of mostly the former show – mainly due to the availability of Finnemore’s sketch team, and a thoroughly brilliant gang they are. Laury Lewin, Margaret Cabourn Smith, Simon Kane and the endearingly daffy Carrie Quinlan all play to their strengths, all playing stage personas within the acting and not many unfunny bones among any of them. To the faithful, it feels like a greatest hits set – Pooh’s Intervention, The Ice Cream Van Painter, The Short-Sleeved Shirts Team Talk – but there are new items, some reasonable audience participation, the » Continue Reading.
When I got home from work, Just A Minute was on the kitchen radio.
Mrs F: “Giles Brandreth is chairing Just A Minute. Is Humph poorly?”
Amazon are offering the first three of Edward St Aubyn’s Patrick Melrose novels in one volume on kindle for 98p.
Here
Venue:
Victoria Park, London
Date: 01/06/2018
With security more akin to the Hyderabad/Heathrow flightpath, I joined the steady throng marching past the bemused shopkeepers of Bethnal Green, an area just beginning to display a beard or 3 of hipster gentrification. It looked like the whole of this delightful park was devoted to the 10 day extravaganza, that had begun the w/e before with a 3 day event, then 4 days of free and then a final separate trio of days. I had signed up for saturday and sunday, topped by the National and by Nick Cave respectively. A little muzzy from a night on there lash with my son, where we had hit all 3 of the venues commended by Grace Dent in her Guardian resto review of the day later, I needed a little calm to start the day. So up first for me came This is the Kit, the excellent Kate Stables project for her quirky modern folk, offset by shimmering guitar in sharded chordwork, clattering yet taut drumming and the unusual pairing of tenor sax and bass clarinet, frankly the delight of the arrangements. Kate shifts twixt banjo and guitar, but, oddly, what works so well » Continue Reading.
Interesting mini-series that still seems to have left England with more questions than answers. Shame there wasn’t a third match to decide things though – and how ridiculous that there’s now no more test cricket until the beginning of August.
Venue:
Botanic Gardens Adelaide
Date: 08/03/2018
About to do a cull of apps on my phone and saw the excellent Womadelaide app so a quickish review before the icon goes poof.
I have written reviews of previous years which are available in the archive. Lovely location, close to city, rarely any rain etc. I don’t go every year preferring to review the lineup before committing. With the occasional exception, more on this later, Womadelaide restricts artists to 2 years only so it becomes a bitt of a challenge coming up with new headline acts without overstretching the “world music” label. But this year had enough of interest and a group of 6 booked an airb’n’b house 10 mins walk from the gate. Proved an excellent decision for comfort convenience and cost.
The drawcards for me were Anoushka Shankar , Pat Thomas from Ghana and Tinariwen.
Anoushka had a mix of traditional instruments plus a trap drum kit. I thought she was fantastic with her soundscapes though others who had seen her previously preferred her more traditional performance of a previous year.
Pat Thomas would be well into his seventies and was big when Ghanaian highlife was big in the » Continue Reading.