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Entries on Tuesday 3rd May 2005
I'm doing a show on mflive tonight. From 10 (unless the football goes to penalties) till 1 ish. First hour is a Velvet Underground special playing tracks by the band and the member's solo work. As well as a track from Lou & John's Pre VU band the Primitives. Plus various covers of the band's songs by Nirvana, Pavement, Galaxie 500, The Strokes and others. Then a few hours of the usual Punk, Funk, Soul, Folk, Garage, stuff to close. Click to listen Finishing up with some Krautrock!!! I'm not currently streaming. But this is what I'm currently listening to. Which I hope will give you some idea of what to expect next time - 
Entries on Tuesday 1st March 2005
I'm doing a show on MF Live! Tonight (and every Tuesday) between 11 and 1 (British time). Dial Up listeners Broadband Every Tuesday night I'll be playing the type of tunes that have been appearing here for the last few months. Here's tonight's Playlist (Also checkout the wonderful She's With the Band's show immediately preceding it for a round up of the local music scene). Entries on Wednesday 9th February 2005
Sorry there wasn't been much for a while, I'm on holiday in London, which is on the nearby Island of England. So you'll have to wait. But on the plus side I've bought lots of records, so there are treats to come. Although Thou continue to ellude me. Entries on Monday 24th January 2005
 Unable to contain my excitement at the prospect of a new Mercury Rev album for a few of their tunes to whet my appetite I was digging around the darkest recesses of my hard drive when I came across a surprise. It is Mercury Rev doing Galaxie 500's Tugboat. I don't know how it got there, I certainly don't recall hearing it before (although I do suspect Simon SVC may be responsible). It is corking, unfortunately I think it is from late-period so it doesn't have David Baker singing (remind me to tell you the tale of the time I interviewed him sometime). I have also included the British Sea Power version from the Rough Trade compilation Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before, mainly because Ean is the only person who regularly comments on my blog. Tracks British Sea Power - Tugboat Mercury Rev - Tugboat Links Visit : Galaxie 500, British Sea Power, and Mercury Rev. Buy : Galaxie 500, British Sea Power, and Mercury Rev. Entries on Sunday 23rd January 2005
 The danger when talking about ESG is to focus on the influence they have had, and I'm not sure how important that is - the music should stand up for itself irrespective of how many hip-hop producers have sampled the rhythms. (I mean the Pixies were a great band before Kurt Cobain co-opted their quiet chorus-loud verse song structure, and would have remained a great band even if Nirvana hadn't existed). Yet every article I can find on ESG focuses on a long list of sample credits which, I feel, doesn't give true credit to the remarkable sound they made. ESG were four sisters growing up in a New York project in the late 70's, whose Mum decided that the best way to keep them out of trouble was to buy them instruments. In time they formed a band and caused a bit of a stir in the nascent No Wave movement. After supporting A Certain Ratio the band came to the attention of Manchester's Factory Records and were dispatched to record a single with Martin Hannett.. This laid down the archetypal ESG rhythmn sound. This is sparse dance music; a minimalist punk-funk that for all the subsequent sample activity still sounds quite unlike anyone else. Since then the band have released an album a decide added the occasional daughter and continue to gig sporadically. The best of their 70's and 80's music has been combined on the Soul Jazz cd A South Bronx Story and is the ideal embarkation point to discover more. Tracks My Love For You You Make No Sense You're No Good Originally on the Martin Hannett produced debut e.p. - Come Away With Me. Bonus Track The Dirtbombs - My Love For You As a bonus here is the Detroit based garage rock band tackling an ESG song. (I expect the Dirtbombs may crop up here in there own right in due course). Links Visit: Stylus Magazine Review, ESG Biog (note this is a Word doc for download), Trouser Press Biog. Buy: A South Bronx Story Entries on Thursday 20th January 2005
Just a random selection of tracks tonight. Taken from songs for obscure reasons I have uploaded to my webspace. Bright Eyes - Neely O'Hara Bright Eyes - Love You Don't Have to Love Don't know much about this lot - I don't even know if I like them. Other than that they are mainly Conor Obost who is from Lincoln, Nebraska and that they are the first band since the Beatles or Westlife, or P Diddy to have number one and two in the US singles charts, and that they are better than the charlatan currently defiling the UK's top spot. Their songs are accoustic and introspective and a little bit odd.  The Kinks - Phenomenal CatTaken from the classic Village Green Preservation Society album. the 5,6,7,8's - Woo Hoo  The one from the advert or the film or whatever. I still rather like it though. Links Visit Bright Eyes, The Kinks Preservation Society, and the 5, 6, 7, 8's Buy Bright Eyes, The Kinks, and The 5,6,7,8's Entries on Tuesday 18th January 2005
Tonight, I'm gonna take you on a journey into the darkside. It is not a journey for the faint hearted, there's angst, rebellion, teenage pregnancies, rape, motorcycle wrecks, heartbreak and the highest body count this side of a Nick Cave album. Because tonight I give you the weirdly dark world of the Shangri-las.  The Shangri-las were four streetwise New York girls. Although as, St.Etienne's Pete Wiggs has pointed out, there are only three present in most of the photographs. I expect at any given time one or other of the girls was off running with a bad crowd, having a child out of wedlock, or mourning the death of their latest squeeze. I like to think of them as the Ramones in bobby-sox. The girl's were produced and managed by Shadow Morton - a man who took Phil Spector's "teenage symphonies" and turned them the kind of melodrama usually more at home on the cineplex screen than the gramphone. So to the songs ... The Shangri-Las - Remember (Walking in the Sand) The group's debut hit. In a way the most straightforward song here. Girl gets dumped and relives all the good times she had enjoyed with her beau. It is Morton's arrangement that sets this apart - the hearbroken pauses, the melancholy "no, no, no's" and the earnest "remembers" leaves me believing she's gonna carry on walking into the surf. The Shangri-Las - I Can Never Go Home Anymore Here a "big sister" advises a potential runaway to stay at home, because "You Can Never Go Home Anymore". We learn that she has first hand experience of what she speaks. Natuarally there's a boy involved, and parental disapproval, but at night she wishes Mum was there to hush her to sleep. Only that can't happen - Mum died of a broken heart. This is an epic recording. There are so many elements to it - spoken monologues, lullabies, lush strings, dramatic strings, pathos, and anguished singing. The Shangri-Las - Past, Present, Future This is an odd track. The music is Beethoven Moonlight Sonata, and the spoken lyrics tell the tale of a girl who can never love again. She'll date you, dance with you, and can walk on the beach together - but don't ever touch her. The depth of the singer's emotional rendition, leave you wondering if the cause of her repuduation of romantic caresses is driven by something infinitely more traumatic than a broken heart. The Shangri-Las - The Leader of The Pack Their most famous song and their most cinematic. In under three minutes Grease meets The Wild One meets Rebel Without A Cause; while Girl meets Boy, Boy meets motorbike, motorbike meets wall. LINK History of Rock There's nothing on Amazon by the Shangri-las - I suggest you try your local service station, or newsagents. Entries on Wednesday 12th January 2005
I think we've heard a bit too much from noisy Americans with guitars on here lately, so I'll return to Mr Albini's recollections in due course. Tonight's theme is a rather mix 'n' match tribute to Rocksteady. Rocksteady was a short-lived period in Jamaican music which the excellect Trojan Rocksteady Box Set's sleevenotes places "from the emergence of the genre in 1966 until the development of reggae two years later". The first tune to reflect this new style was Alton Ellis and the title of his song became the name for the dance and the genre. Alton Ellis - Rocksteady  1966 was one of the hottest summers on record in Jamaica and dancefloor the frentic rhythms of ska had to give way to a slower style more conducive to the climate - The Rocksteady. So as the thermometer rose the tempo of the music abated. QUOTE( extract from the sleeve notes to the Ethiopians' 1967 lp : Engine 54 : Let's Ska & Rock Steady) The Rocksteady is probably the most relaxed Jamaican dance ever done. How to dance the rocksteady? It's easy!! Just relax the whole body & allow the pulsating rocksteady rhythms to seep into your system. Then under this spell you sway your limp arms and shoulders from side to side accompanied by a one-step foot shuffle going in any direction. Occasionally you may stand in one place and raise your shoulders to the beat. Forget partners, just relax and let your oily body sway in & out the catchy rocksteady beat The Ethiopians - Engine 54 The slower rhythms of Rocksteady allowed the musicians a freeer reign, with the electric bass taking greater prominence. I particularly like a lot of the instrumentals of this time which drew on film and tv themes for inspiration. Ike Bennett & The Crystallites - Illya Kuryakin In 1980 Rocksteady found itself in the British Top 20 thanks to 2-Tone Ska Revivial - The Bodysnatchers - Do The Rocksteady  The Bodysnatchers were an all-girl group signed to The Specials 2-tone label. Although they never really capitalised on the success of this their debut single. However, Rhoda, went on to sing for the Special AKA (most notably on the harrowing The Boiler), whilst other members enjoyed considerable success as the Belle Stars. Links Visit: The Bodysnatchers, Bodysnatchers' 2-Tone page, Alton Ellis, and The Ethiopians. Background: Ska to Rocksteady Recommended Reading : Bass Culture : When Reggae Was King (Lloyd Bradley) Entries on Monday 10th January 2005
Tonight I'm continuing Steve Albini's "Eyewitness Record Reviews" with - The Breeders - Pod l.p.  The Breeders were a vanity project (at least at this point) for the Pixies' Kim Deal, Tanya Donnelly from the Throwing Muses, Josephine Whiggs out of Perfect Disaster, and Slint's Britt Walford. Let Mr Albini take up the tale - QUOTE(Steve Albini) For reasons too subtle to describe accurately, I really enjoyed going to Scotland and working on this. The actual record is nothing special, of course, but I have a much deeper understanding of the twin phenomena of synchronous menses and breast swelling than I previously would have drreamed. The only chafingly unpleasant thing about the experience was an unbearable xxxx-head label gopher who loitered around the studio during those hours when he wasn't actually engaged in plugging the guitar player (the only function he truely served.) Josephine, the bass player, looks quite a bit like an emu, except that her hair is thinner. The studio owner has a pathological fear of raw eggs, and entertained us with stories about the ex-Bay City Roller he buys reef from. His wife, a voluptuous once-attractive singer, would occasionally strip down to her frillies at the bountiful dinner table. I ate haggis and enjoyed it. I pounded everybody through the album in about a week, but the label insisted we stay at the studio and dreamed up another three weeks of work for me to do. The drummer...finished one evening dancing in the arms of a Freemason transvestite named "Dora"... the drummer went to the Anglers' Club, and didn't return until well after closing time. Presented to the front door by two anglers, each holding an elbow (the little drummer's legs had failed hours earlier), Shannon was completely blackened with soot from the fire, except for bright blue rings drawn with pool table chalk around nose and chin. Anglers, I swear! ... Fee : $4,000. Ok The Breeders got better, briefly, when Kelley Deal joined and the band became Kim's full time commitment. But this one is pretty run of the mill, to be honest. In fact, so run-of-the-mill I haven't copied it from vinyl left. There was one track that stood out, though, and luckily I do have a digital copy of it - The Breeders - Happiness Is A Warm Gun Link Read : Trouser Press guide to the Breeders Visit : The Breeders' Unofficial Homepage There are downloads available from this site - but at the time of writing they had exceeded their monthly bandwidth (pah! amateurs) so try next month. Entries on Sunday 9th January 2005
While I was researching an earlier post I dug out my copy of The Penguin Book of Rock & Roll Writing. And I found myself diverted by a piece by Steve Albini(from Big Black, Rapeman and Shellac) about some of the records he has worked on as a producer. It is quite funny and I thought I'd provide excerts and the odd track from each. The Pixies - Surfer Rosa lp  QUOTE( Steve Albini) A patchwork pinch loaf from a band who at their top-dollar best are blandly entertaining college rock. Their willingness to be "guided" by their manager, their record company and their producers is unparralleled. Never have I seen four cows more anxious to be led around by their nose-rings. Except that I got to rewrite their songs with a razor blade, thought the drums sounded nice, and managed to get Nate-The-Impaler on the L.P. as a cameo, I remember nothing about this album, although I thought it was pretty good at the time... The album took about a week; maybe two all tolled. Fee $1,500. So to allow you to judge Albini's claim that the Pixies' were moulded by industry personnel here are two versions the song I'm Amazed. the standard Albini produced Surfer Rosa Version and the version from The Purple Tape - which is from the demos they recorded prior to signing with 4AD (the majority of which formed the basis of their debut Come on Pilgrim lp). The Pixies - I'm Amazed (Surfer Rosa version) The Pixies - I'm Amazed (Purple Tape version) QUOTE( Steve Albini) I later recorded a single track with them for a label-stroke compilation. The band were getting the Big High Building "pampered performer" treatment for a couple of years by then and were consequently bored and dour. It took a couple of hours after dinner one night. Fee: $4,000. About a year later, Bob Krasnow, the geeb at Elektra's Big High Building who fathered this dumb idea sent me a truely revolting nickel-and-gold Omega wrist-watch (the kind record producers wear), with tacky Biz inscription and tacky presentation case. As soon as somebody at the pool room offers me what it's worth, I'm gonna have a hell of a nice dinner. I think he is talking about The Pixies version of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band's Born In Chicago. From the Rubaiyat album that came out in 1990 to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Elektra Records. The Pixies - Born In Chicago Links Read : Steve Albini on The Trouble With Music Visit : I Love Pixies, Pixies Music site, Bailey's Walk, and Alec Eiffel Entries on Thursday 6th January 2005
 Ok, I suppose I have to declare an interest in tonight's featured artist. The band's cds have been released on my "record label" - Psychobabble Records Suspect Package - Joey Shallow From the band's current studio e.p. Destruction of the Classes. This is a storming incendiary performance from the boys. "Ho Ho Ho" Although, their influences are more the modern Californian Punks they've had the good sense to take the light hearted, fun elements from NoFX rather than the ernestness of some of their contempories, and coupled with the Manx accents there is more than a hint of the spirit of '77 about the band. (Although I'm afraid I've yet to convince them to cover SLF's Suspect Device - a song Sir Dick was born to sing). Suspect Package - Complicated Taken from their live debut lp. This is from the gig which got me back into going to see local bands. The energy, the seat of the pants fun, and the comittment reminded why I liked going to gigs in the first place. This is a cover of a song by the Canadian singer Avril Lavene, embarrassingly I hadn't heard the original before I heard the Package's version. Every time I hear Ms Lavene's effort now it sounds unfeasably slow. Buy:Suspect Package cds (Please the band have drunk the proceeds of all sales to date). Visit:Punk Yourself Up with Suspect Package website. See them live: Trafalgar Tsunami Benefit Entries on Sunday 2nd January 2005
Ok I finished the Peel Festive 50 page. The Festive Fifty, has always been a part of Christmas for me, and it is nice to see it continue. I thought Rob Da Bank did a good job hosting it. Anyway on my page there are loads of links to the various bands and such like. Plus links to various mp3's. Including these which I uploaded specially - Half Man Half Biscuit - Joy Division Oven Glove From the 16/11/2004 Peel Session. Jawbone - Hi-Di-Hi Listen With Sarah - Animal Hop Art Brut - Formed A Band The Magic Band - Bug Eyed Beans From Venus & Electricity (2004 Session Versions) Decoration - Joy Adamson (another session version) But there are plenty of links to songs by the likes of Bloc Party, Calvin Party, and Ballboy.
Sorry there haven't been many posts lately. I've been working on this - Festive 50 2004 page. It isn't finished yet, but in the meantime there are some tracks to download (The Magic Band, Art Brut, Decoration and Listen With Sarah) to be going on with, and links to many more. I will probably finish it tomorrow, so keep checking. Entries on Tuesday 28th December 2004
Sometime ago I started on a series of short stories inspired by songs I like. So I thought as an occasional series I could post them here alongside the songs which inspired them. I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You (by Declan) In retrospect I probably stayed too close to the song. Which is by Tom Waits there is also a great cover version by 10,000 Maniacs Links Read: Declan's Stories (site needs updating, sorry) Visit: Tom Waits, and 10,000 Maniacs. Buy: Tom Waits, and 10,000 Maniacs.
 Tonight's tunes come from Dub Sex. They were a Manchester band from the late Eighties / early Nineties. So you now have a mental picture of them, don't you - baggy clothes, floppy hair, bouncy walk, attitude? Well get rid of it, because Dub Sex were nothing like that. Dub Sex were Chris Bridgett, Cathy Brooks, Roger Cadman, Mark Hoyle, and Tim Costigan. Although Karl Burns from the Fall was a member early on. Their sound recalls the Chameleons although the vocals are so all-encompassing you could get lost while the guitar leads the made through an incessent rhythm, pausing only to swoop and soar. They released one album, and a few singles which were collected on an lp called Splintered Faith. Split up, became a band called Dumb, and reformed briefly in 2001, from where the above photograph comes. Tracks Dub Sex - Swerve Peel Seesion from 26/2/1989. Dub Sex - Then & Now Dub Sex - Tripwire Links There aren't any. Although I did find a link to "Dub Sex In Your Area" if you are interested. And the band's subsequent incarnation as Dumb was no help either. I did however discover that there are people in this world who consider the following names to be DUMB - Bongwater Bonzo Dog Do Dah Band Throbbing Gristle The Ataris The Buzzcocks Guided By Voices Echo & the Bunnymen Umbrage (I've never heard of this band, but boy do I wish I was in a band called Umbrage, but I can't find them in Google either) Oh and natuarally, the Dumb Network is sponsored by Explore Freedom USA. Better stop now I'm in danger of drifting off topic. |
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Here are some other MP3 blogs that I like.
Spoilt Victorian Child Something I Learned Today The Of Mirror Eye Just For A Day Orbis Quintis Mystical Beast An Idiot's Guide to Dreaming Lost Bands of the New Wave Era Copy Right? Woodentop Big Rock Candy Mountain The Bubblegum Machine Throwaway Style Punk Vinyl Large Hearted Boy Music (for Robots) Last Sound of the Summer The Gramophone Said Mangos & Mandolins songsillonois Number 1 Songs In Heaven Deep Soul Junkie Funk You 20 Jazz Funk Greats Bumrocks Music Is A Virus Only the occasional mp3 but it's Bob Mould's blog. Grape Juice Plus Tuwa's Shanty Honey Where You Been? Silence Is A Rhythm Two Pop Group Jukebox Lickety Spit Revolution In The Head Pop Peth 7" of Joy Teaching The Indie Kids To Dance Again Keeping C86 Alive Stypod Aurgasm Turquoise Days 3hive Benn Loxo Du Tacco Poptones Scenesters Other Mp3 Sources
December 2004 Evenings & Weekends Top 20
1. The Vaselines - Jesus Doesn't Want Me As A Sunbeam
2. Echo & the Bunnymen - The Cutter 3. Meat Puppets - Lake of Fire 4. Meat Puppets - I'm A Mindless Idiot 5. Johnny Jenkins - I Walk On Guilded Splinters 6. The Wedding Present - Step Into Christmas 7. Saigon Show Band - Superstition 8. Funkgus - Memphis Soul Stew 9. Gang of Four - Damaged Goods 10. Ray Barritto - Pastime Paradise 11. Gang of Four - Ether 12. The Happy Dolls - Funky Stuff 13. The Gifted - Kerosene 14. Daniel Johnston & Jad Fair - Tomorrow Never Knows 15. Gang of Four - Return The Gift 16. Primal Scream - Velocity Girl 17. Daniel Johnston - Story of an Artist 18. The Dickies - Nights In White Satin 19. Mercury Rev - Blue Clouds 20. Daniel Johnston - Devil Town If you missed out on these tracks you've got until 8th January before I remove them. Disclaimer
These songs are for demonstration purposes.
If you like them buy the lp. If you are the artist or copyright holder contact me and I will gladly remove the track. The tracks will only stay on-line for a short time, then I'll remove the link. Current Favourites.
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May 3 2005, 05:55 PM