Life Is What You Make It - Weezer

Slightly scuzzier version of the classic Talk Talk track that I heard for the first time on my recently acquired copy of Weezer's 'red album'...10p from a local charity shop. Yep, 10p. Good grief. 

Unloving Plum - Haircut 100

Well, it's only taken 40 years but at last Haircut 100 are back with a brand new track! Nice to hear some proper brass in a pop track again.  

Some Days I Drink My Coffee By The Grave Of William Blake - The The

More than 40 years into his career and a mere 26 since the last album Matt Johnson and The The are back to soundtrack England's seemingly inevitable decline. As you'd expect the anger's simmering away rather than being rammed down your throats, but that makes it all the more powerful. 

Nitty Gritty - Ricardo Ray

Classic slice of Nu Yourican funk that I came across on a compilation CD I picked up last weekend. If this doesn't put a wiggle in your walk nothing will...

T.V. Smith @ Exeter Corn Exchange - Saturday September 14th

Had the great pleasure of seeing punk legend T.V. Smith play a selection of tracks from The Adverts and his solo career at Exeter Record Fair last weekend. Picked up a copy of his brand new album, Handwriting, too. 

Highly recommended, especially the title track, a vision of the distinctly dystopian future that we seem to be rapidly stumbling towards...

Solar Powered - Ellie Finnerty

Love the new video and track from Ellie Finnerty and if you're anywhere near London TONIGHT you can catch her first ever show in the capital at The Sindercombe Social! It's FREE entry too, unlike her show at Wembley Stadium in 2027 when tickets will probably cost £300 a pop...

Moseley Folk Festival Friday August 30th – Sunday September 1st 2024

 

18 years since our first (and their first) Moseley Folk we’re back after a couple of years away (not even the number 11 goes as far as Devon, so popping to Mo Folk is a bit more of a mission these days than when we lived in Bearwood). No idea who these two lovely chaps either side of me were but they had fine taches.  

That special vibe (vibe…what is this…1990?) is still there and entering the site from bustling Moseley village still feels a little like stepping into Narnia. All three days contained enough gems to warrant the ticket price for the whole shebang but here’s my personal pick of the pops...oh dear:

Friday

The Black Country Cowboy film…with a live performance from the man himself, Mr Pete Boddis.

The Scratch – one of the rocking-est bands around right now dished up the latest anthem to going on the lash, Another Round, and, appropriately enough (given the resulting hangover), a powerfully funereal cover of The Pogues’ Sally MacLennane.

Flogging Molly – Another of Ireland’s finest – although apparently founded in Los Angeles (who knew eh?) – kept up the energy as the post work crew arrived bearing pints of ale and a burning desire to bounce the office out of their hair.

Beans On Toast – Love this dude. He just seems so genuine, nice and honest, freely admitting that he doesn’t have all the answers but making a strong case for a world that’s based on music festivals like Mo Folk. He gets my vote.

The Levellers – Despite going to The Lev’s own festival, Beautiful Days, every year I’m normally up at the Tiny Tea tent when they’re playing silently mulling over the dreadful prospect of packing up our tent at 7am on Monday morning. Oh the horror. So it was great to see their whole show up close and personal, including rousing romps through One Way and Beautiful Day. It was, too.

Saturday

Katherine Priddy – Ahhhh, KP, Mo Fo’s very homegrown folk f-henomenon. Always a joy to hear her play and not even swallowing a fly during the last number could stop her from delivering one of the most bewitching sets of the weekend. Full marks for George Boomsma (also pictured) for stepping in at the end to sings the last few verses. 

Vashti Bunyan in conversation with Lyle Bignon – Folk legend who made me want to pack up my bags and recreate her 18 month wander up to the Outer Hebrides, although she and I suspect that it wouldn’t be quite as idyllic as it was back in the 70s.

The Staves – Sisters still doing it for themselves, folk doesn’t get much poppier than this. That’s a great thing by the way. Despite the world outside Moseley Park turning to shit All Now still manages to make you feel optimistic.

Jon Muq – He’s from Uganda but now living in Austin, Texas…as he was very fond of telling us. The songs may be simple but some of the best ones are and Muq’s beaming smile sold the set to me.

CMAT – Quite possibly set of the weekend as Ciara (Mary-Alice Thompson…see what she did there?) literally threw herself into her performance with some top notch banter in between songs that blend such disparate influences as Country and Western and Kate Bush. Bonkers pop has its new princess. A Cyndi Lauper for the 21^st Century anyone?

Brian Lightning – Missed the start if this dude’s set but if I was still living in Brum I’d be there at every single show. A bit of Bowie, a bit of Jobriath, a bit of Scott Walker…it’s all a bit brilliant. One to watch.

Dexys – “Been down Bearwood…The Little Nibble?”. Sadly they missed out this bit at the start of This Is What She’s Like but they included pretty much everything else in a joyous hit (and should’ve been hits) packed set. Kev seemed pretty happy too and, at 71, that distinctive voice of his is still in fine fettle.

Sunday

George Boomsma – Last seen backing Katherine Priddy this was the first time we’d caught George solo and it was the perfect start to the final day of Mo Fo. By George’s own admission there’s a gentle melancholy to many of his songs but his vocal and odd bout of remarkably tuneful whistling casts a soft and reassuring light across every word.  

Niall Macnamee – Top notch between song banter from actor, singer/songwriter and all round great bloke. He wins the best song title of the weekend award too courtesy of the rousing Magpie With A Mullet.

Helen O’Hara in conversation with Lyle Bignon – Ah, so this is what she’s like. Dexy’s original fiddle maestro reveals some surprising myth busting facts about joining the band. Got to meet her and buy a copy of her autobiography afterwards too. Teen me would be beside himself.

Kate Rusby – Folk’s own Bubble from Ab Fab (and I mean that in the loveliest way…she really is a sweetie) Kate delivered one of the festival highlights with a crowd cheering romp through The Bangle’s Manic Monday.

Belle & Sebastian – Almost 30 years after falling in love with ‘em I finally got to see Belle and Sebastian live…and boy (with the arab strap) was it worth the wait. A much meatier proposition than in their earliest incarnations they dished up a masterclass in witty pop perfection and rocked the roof off the place. Yep, seriously. Stuart even pulled off a death defying mid set walk/wobble along the safety barrier and after 90 minutes they barely scratched the surface of a body of work that few bands get within sniffing distance of. A folking amazing end to the weekend.