Dieman Noba Smoke Tafee - S E Rogie

Classic helping of palm wine music from S E Rogie courtesy of another 50p CD bargain last weekend. If this doesn't chill you the hell out then there's no hope. 

Ellie Finnerty @ The Gresham House Inn, Sunday 26th June 2022

Had the great pleasure of catching up with Ellie again during an all too brief return home between a season entertaining holiday makers in Dorset and a stint on a cruise ship pottering around the Med. As with the last time we caught her set Ellie picked classics from the last 7 decades or so and sprinkled in some gems of her own including Generation Jaded (a sorry tale of the perils of internet dating…don’t do it) and Screen (all about following an ex’s social media life and wondering about the life she could have had with ‘em…I reckon she’s better off cruising the Med myself).

It’s a really encouraging sign when your audience calls out for one of your originals - as they did with the aforementioned Screen - rather than a cover and it really doesn’t take a huge leap of imagination to see Ellie belting it out in front of a huge festival crowd. There are plenty of great singers out there but Ellie has a seemingly natural ability to really ‘sell’ a song, to make you believe in what she’s singing, and that’s something a lot rarer. Particularly impressive this afternoon was Ellie’s soulful cover of That’s Life and an emotional Hey Jude which got The Gresham enthusiastically “Na Na Na Na Na Na Naaaaa”-ing. Who needs Glasto eh? 

With the dark days of lockdowns hopefully behind us and at least side one of that self-penned debut album stuffed with catchy singalong hits in waiting who knows how far Ellie might go now…maybe
to…wait for it…in-Finnerty and beyond (sorry, can’t recent a pun…blame the pints of Devon Scrumpy).

The Vulture - Labi Siffre

Soulfully funky deep cut from the hugely underrated Labi Siffre. Not heard this track before picking up the 3 CD Labi Siffre Gold album for a whole 99p at the weekend. Ace innit? 

Train of Love in Motion - Heaven 17

To...er...'celebrate'...today's rail strike let's revisit Heaven 17's rarely heard Teddy Bear, Duke & Psycho album and this single from it which sadly failed to chart back in 1988. 

We Gets Up - Prince

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuunky deep cut from Prince's unfairly maligned 3 disc Emancipation album (picked up from a chazza for a mere 50p last week) to gets you up over 'hump day'. Play it loud muthahumpers. 

Up The Mountain - Regina Spector

Possibly inspired by 'there was an old woman who swallowed a fly' Regina Spector's back with a simmeringly seductive slice of superlative orchestral pop (try saying that with false teeth). And just because it's a Monday let's drop in the tune that made me a fan waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in 2006-ish. 

 

Dumb Head - The Dumbettes

You Tube suggested this track this morning and it turns out to be a Misty's Big Adventure side project that had somehow escaped my ears. I'm assuming the late, great Grandmaster Gareth had a hand in its production... 

The Bike Song - Mark Ronson and The Business International

So, how was your 'Platty Joobs'? We really should have more 4 day weekends, how about it Liz? I took part in the local annual vintage bike ride. with any luck I'll have recovered by the next one. 

Shake Your Pants - Cameo

I'm reliably informed that Her Majesty likes nothing better than getting down to Cameo's Shake Your Pants so this ones for you ma'am.