Top of the Iggy Pops

Great to hear Iggy Pop's new one James Bond getting plenty of play on 6Music. It probably helps that Pop's one of their DJs but even so, it's a strangely wonderful track.

I picked up a copy of Pop's '82 album Zombie Birdhouse a while ago and noticed that it's recently been re-released. Here's one of the better tracks from it.



And finally here's a rare clip of Pop 'miming'...ahem...to Some Weird Sin back in 1978. Something tells me he wasn't taking the whole thing too seriously.

Black Midi - Ducter

Early Foals, a little PiL, a dash of Eartha Kitt...yep, Black Midi's Ducter's an odd one but it's one of the more interesting tracks that I've heard this year. The bit at the end ("We are the Knights who say ni" anyone?) sounds like the inside of my head too. Cool.

Beautiful 'Tres'

In the spirit of caring and sharing here are three (or Tres...which sounds a bit like Trays...which sounds a bit like Days...get it?) bands that were new to us that we discovered at Beautiful Days last weekend (blimey that seems like a ruddy long time ago now).

PS: I completely forgot (blame the cider) to mention The Breath in the 'review'. Beautiful stuff.

Beautiful Days Festival @ Escot Park August 16th - 18th 2019

After we had a fallow year in 2018 (not one single camping festival...shocking) it was nice to get back to one of the best, Beautiful Days, and despite the weather (Friday was a trifle 'moist') it lived up to its name once again. This was our third BD and there was the usual mix of new and old acts with a leaning towards the folkier side of things (okay I know Sleaford Mods, Skunk Anansie and NOFX ain't exactly folk but there were more fiddles per square mile at BD than many festivals). There were oodles (yes, that's officially how you measure bands) of highlights, Friday dished up the lovely Beans On Toast, up and coming indie rockers Cabbage, the awesome Queen Zee (glam pop-tastic) and a hits packed set from The Stranglers. It rained on and off for a mere 14 hours or so but it's summer time in Britain so what do you expect eh?

After scraping the mud out of various orifices and drying off our clothes on a fence on Saturday morning we hot footed it...well wet footed might be a better description...to catch Echo Town (any band with a didgeridoo will didgeri-do it for me) on the main stage at 11am, squelched over to see another highlight The Recks (gypsy jazz, rock, folk, general awesomeness...plus the lead singer has the best facial hair in music) in the big top tent.

Other Saturday highlights included Peter Hook and the Light cramming more Joy Division and New Order classics into an hour than you'd think possible (it was ruddy brill)...

....Tom Robinson reminding 6Music fans like me that he's just as great a musician as he is a DJ (War Baby, Glad to be Gay, 2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16 etc Motorway...and a bunch of other class tracks that I'll have to hunt down and buy) and the ultimate Marmite band Sleaford Mods (for the record I loved 'em...but then again I'm a jolly fucker).

Sunday morning and we managed to make it to The Membranes and Choir for 11am (the kids rise and shine show in the Theatre Tent at 8.30 helped raise us from our cider...oh so much cider...soaked state) and The Bar-steward Sons of Val Doonican (I've never seen the Big Top so rammed). The Blinders played a blinder of a set (thrashy indie rock with a bit of bluesy twist in places...think The Doors meets Arctic Monkeys) Ferocious Dog's celtic infused folk punk got us in the mood for a double helping of US punk punk in the form of Less Than Jake (more fun and energy than a Duracell bunny on speed) and NOFX (who rather brilliantly pissed off half the crowd in roughly 30 seconds...now that's proper punk). Of course we had to end the day and festival itself with The Levellers who put on a typically joyous and heartfelt show (a repeat of their 1994 Glasto set apparently), gawd bless 'em. I'm pretty sure that any money the band made by putting on Beautiful Days went on the set climaxing firework display but it was worth it. Flash, bang, wallop what a festival.

Black Uhuru - Great Train Robbery

Given the relentlessly piss poor 'summer' weather that we're enduring yet again here in the UK let's try to warm ourselves up with a little 80s reggae from Black Uhuru. Shut yer eyes, pop the heating on and imagine you're sat in a country where it stops bloody raining and the sun actually comes out once in a while.

PS: Picked up a promo copy of this very track from Teignmouth's Sound Preservation Society on Saturday too! Class.

Sacred Paws - Almost It

Well, it is Almost It...the weekend that is...and pity the poor souls (all 55,000 of 'em) who were looking forward to Boardmasters Festival. Anyway, hopefully this little beauty from Sacred Paws will cheer them up. Blending a little highlife with indiepop (shades of the much missed Rumble Strips in there too) it's pretty much irresistible. Enjoy!

Argent - God Gave Rock and Roll To You

I may have known this before...if I did I'd forgotten it though...but did you know that the Kiss classic God Gave Rock and Roll To You was a cover?! Yes...I know, that's a crazy, crazy fact eh? The dudes responsible for the original were Argent, who also gave us this little beauty too. God bless 'em.

Jelly Roll Morton - Jungle Blues

Ever practical I bought half a dozen 78s on Saturday including a 50s repress of this classic from Mr Jelly Roll Morton. Cool with a capital C.

Darryl Pandy - Animal Magnetism

Picked up a Chicago House Remix 12 inch of Darryl Pandy's Animal Magnetism last weekend and blow me down it's a classic. You'll probably know Pandy for his vocal on Farley Jackmaster Funk's seminal Love Can't Turn Around but this track's (in my humble opinion) every bit as good. 

Fancy a threesome...?

Here's a trio of tracks from Steve Lacy (shades of the Manics meets Steely Dan), Sampa the Great and Michael Kiwanuka/Tom Mich (Kool and the Gang-tastic) all of which are currently going down (steady now) well in Baron Towers.