Party Fears Two - The Divine Comedy

Picked up another ridiculous stash of CDs on Monday and came across this pleasingly jaunty cover version of one of my favourite ever tracks. For contrast here's the original...absolute genius.

Cockwood Shanty Festival

Spent a very enjoyable afternoon at the Cockwood Shanty Festival on Saturday (this vid's not from the festival itself but this is one of the groups or 'crews' we saw). Not sure if this is the first one they've done but hopefully it'll be back next year. Coming from Birmingham I'm a bit new to the whole shanty thang. Who knew there were so many 'crews' around keeping this wonderful tradition alive a live o eh? 

Cello Song - Fontaines DC

Loving Fontaines DC's beefed up with still respectful cover of Nick Drake's Cello Song right now. It's taken from an album (The Endless Coloured Ways) of Drake covers that'll no doubt fan the flames of his legacy a little more. What a pity so few people paid any attention to him when he was alive eh? Just in case you've never heard the original wrap your ears around this...

I Need More Love - Robert Randolph and the Family Band

Bought a ridiculous number of CDs over the past few days including this little gem. It's a new one on me but it rocks and funks its ass off...not bad for 33p. CDs people...they're the future. 

We Were We Still Are - Future Utopia featuring Kae Tempest

Proof that I do listen to music made this century (LOL, as the kids used to say when they still had something to LOL about) comes in the form of this sublime track from Future Utopia featuring Kae Tempest. It got played quite a bit on 6Music last week but it seems to have dropped off the playlist already, so before I forget what the hell it was called here it is! 

As Good As New - ABBA

Picked up the 2001 reissue of ABBA's Voulez-Vous album on CD for £1 on Saturday and gave it a spin last night. We all know the hits but I reckon the opening track's every bit as good...just imagine what they could have come up with if they'd stayed together through the 80s, 90s, 00s, 10s...

If As Good As New's got you in the mood for some disco ABBA check out this live version of Summer Night City too. 

Revival Song - Gregory Porter

Added to our collection of Gregory Porter CDs this weekend by picking up a copy of All Rise and gave it a spin last night. Pukka Porter! If this is up your alley I can heartily recommend...well...everything he's done so far. Like this classic...

Steve Mackey RIP

Can it really be 30 years since I first got into Pulp? Yep, apparently so. I was lucky enough to catch some of their iconic early-ish gigs too (yes, I know they formed in 1864), including THAT 1995 Glastonbury headliner set when they were called up to replace Stone Roses. So it was particularly sad to learn that Pulp's bassist Steve Mackay had passed away at just 56 years old (three years or so older than I am now...jeez...that's a sobering thought). RIP dude. 

I only just discovered that he worked with another of my favourite bands from back in the day, The Long Blondes, too. 

RIP dude.

Cardiacs - Burn Your House Brown

Stumbled on this darn fine fan video for the Cardiacs' Burn Your House Brown track. Like many of those who comment on the Cardiacs' videos on You Tube I wish I'd been able to see 'em play live. Mad as several boxes of frogs on crack, but all the better for it.