Har Mar Superstar - Where We Began

Har Mar Superstar gets his yacht rock on with this fine slice of glossy 80s style pop perfection taken from forthcoming album Roseville. If this doesn't get to number one across planet earth I'll eat Duran Duran. 

George Harrison - This Song

At almost 51 years old I'm still hearing loads of 'new' old music for the first time and I guess I always will (as long as my ears carry on working). This simple but catchy little number popped up on Now 70s the other day and is, quite possibly, one of the best post Beatles numbers any of the band recorded in my humble opinion. I apologise in advance if it ends up going round and round and round in your head for the rest of the day/week/month. 

PS: The track was written after George was taken to court for copyright infringement by the owner of The Chiffons' back catalogue who alleged that his song My Sweet Lord borrowed from their hit He's So Fine. George lost and it cost him a bob or two...

Tear Gas - That's What's Real

One for fans of The Sensational Alex Harvey Band out there, Tear Gas were essentially SAHB without (and before) Alex. This is as fine a slice of early 70s rock as you're likely to hear this side of lockdown.  

 

Dodgy - Staying Out For The Summer

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in 1995 I went to my first proper festival, Glastonbury (and saw this very set by Dodgy), and ever since then I think I've done at least one a year...until the unrelenting misery that was 2020 of course. In the grand scheme of things not being able to go to a festival in the summer isn't the be all and end all of life and...oh screw it...yes it is...if you can't have a weekend or two in the mud necking a pint of red wine at 9am and talking bollocks to random strangers whilst having a piss in an overflowing trough what's the point in waking up eh? Perhaps somewhat optimistically we've already got three festivals booked for this summer and if I can possibly heave my knackered old corpse to another three then I damn well will do. Mine's a pint of scrumpy by the way...make that several pints of scrumpy...make that a barrel of scrumpy. 

Beach Boys - I Just Wasn't Made For These Times

 Anyone else feel like this right now? Just me? Oh, okay. 

X-Ray Spex - Oh Bondage Up Yours

Watched the Poly Styrene doc (I Am A Cliche) yesterday, well worth catching if you can. As a fan for the past 35 years or so I knew most of Poly's back story but didn't realise quite how fragile her mental health was for a while. Sadly she passed away back in 2011 aged just 53 but she did manage to reconcile with her daughter and record a new record before ascending to that great gig in the sky. If you only ever listen to one punk album Germ Free Adolescent's pretty much as good as it gets. 

Sweet - Alexander Graham Bell

There's something a little Sparks-ish about this early track by Sweet. I'd not heard it before digging out a 2CD hits collection (50p from a local charity shop) but it's surprising how many other tracks were familiar...mind you I was around when they were originally released. Yes, I'm that old. Here's another Sweet classic, you've gotta love Steve Priest's glamtastic look...

I'm Glad That We Broke Up - Du Blonde (featuring Ezra Furman)

Been meaning to post this up for a couple of weeks now, Du Blonde (aka Beth Jeans Houghton) and Ezra Furman's scuzzed up 2 minute anthem for break ups and make ups. 'Du' have a listen...

Left Out In The Cold - Sparks

 

After a sunny weekend it's bloody cold again today so here's the perfect little ditty from those first class Maels, Ron and Russell, who are now entering their 54th year in the music biz with no sign of giving up or losing that essential 'spark' (see what I did there?) that's made 'em one of the most fascinating bands in the history of the universe. Yes, the whole universe. Have you seen the footage from Mars? No sign of a single gig venue or record shop, what's that all about eh? 

This year sees the release of The Sparks Brothers movie too...cinema or living room? Hmmmm, I guess that depends on how many more variants of bloody corona bloody virus bloody well bloody spring up. 

Everyone's Hot (And I'm Not) - Lynks

Heard this new 'queercore' anthem on Tom Robinson's 6 Music show last night and it really tickled my fancy...as it were. I wonder if the lovely Lynks really is 'a librarian from Wigan'...?

If I Only Knew - Tom Jones

Heard this track last night for the first time in years, only Sir Tom could get away with rapping in his 50s eh? I can well imagine what his 'forest of the holy places' might be...ahem. 

Madness - (Waiting For) The Ghost Train

After last night's 'lockdown' announcement I've had the words 'madness' and 'waiting' going round and round in my head, so what better track than this late period classic from Madness' first incarnation. Quite what will be left of the hospitality sector which is, let's face it, pretty much the only 'industry' we have left in this country now, come the end of June (at the earliest) is anyone's guess. 

The Kinks - When Work Is Over

Sounding a little like The Lemon Twigs on a bender (to my ears anyway) here's the perfect shot of 70s era Kinks. Of course few of us work in offices anymore and there's bugger all chance of hitting a bar this side of Easter but other than that the song's lyrics are pretty Friday friendly. Cheers! 

Tilly and the Wall - Rainbows in the Dark

In a bit of a Tilly and the Wall mood today. What a great - and unique - live band they were. How many other groups use tap dancing as percussion eh? Exactly. Bloody nice bunch of people too. 

Robert Lloyd - The Part Of The Anchor

 

Watched King Rocker, the Robert Lloyd and The Nightingales doc, yesterday and loved every second of it. Lloyd's a national treasure who's lived the kind of life it would be difficult to make up, from sleeping under cars at Bristol Street Motors to supporting The Clash, from becoming Peel faves through to directing pop videos and almost landing a sitcom deal and on to a few years in the wilderness as a postie, boozing away the afternoons and discovering a talent for making a bob (or Rob in this case) or two on the horses. I had no idea he'd come dangerously close to becoming a genuine pop star too but Lloyd was always destined for cultdom, hopefully this doc will add a few more loyal followers though. 

Chick Corea RIP

I'm ashamed to say that my knowledge of Chick's output's minimal but I've been doing a some catching up this morning and I've picked this little funky gem out. If it wasn't used on an episode of Starsky and Hutch or some other cool 70s cop show it darn well should've been. 

And here's another funky number with more of an 80s Miami Vice vibe. Niiiiiiice.

Klaus Nomi - The Cold Song

 Any excuse to post a bit of Klaus Nomi but bugger me it's COLD. -22.9 in Scotland last night apparently. 2021's going well so far innit eh? 

Cockeyed Shame - Fifth Avenue Band

Here's a little funky 70s rock from Fifth Avenue Band to warm yer cockles...or any other part of you that might be deep frozen by the arctic conditions blighting Blighty right now. 

The Bluetones - Marblehead Johnson

Dug out The Bluetones singles compilation album the other night and I was reminded (as if I needed reminding...mind you I'm cracking on a bit) of how good they were. Coincidentally after months of 'lockdowns' I'm starting to resemble the band in this video too. 

Steven Jesse Bernstein - No No Man (Part I and II)

Lordy this is coooooooooooooooooooooool. Dark (oh so dark) spoken word + classic jazz soundtrack = all kinds of awesome. Sadly Jesse never got to hear the finished version, having stabbed himself in the throat during a dinner with friends back in 1991. Apparently he opened for Nirvana and several other Sub Pop bands back in the day and once performed with a live rodent in his mouth. You don't get that on Britain's Got Talent do you eh? 

Steven SantaCruz RIP

Sad news to start the week with the passing of Pink Grease's guitarist Steven SantaCruz. I had the very great pleasure of seeing the band play a memorably sweaty gig at The Bar Academy back in the noughties and told anyone who'd listen that they were going to be massive. Sadly it wasn't to be but I reckon their tracks are absolutely ripe for rediscovery (or maybe just plain discovery for most people).

The Destroyers - Where Has The Money Gone

Five years ago yesterday Paul Murphy, the whirling dervish at the heart of The Destroyers (one of the best live acts in history), passed away. I had the huge pleasure of seeing Paul play live on many, many occasions and even spoke with the great man a few times and, given the sickening sums of money being thrown about right now (much of which is going to some very odd places/people indeed), this track's been going round and round in my head for a while. If you thought the 'credit crunch' was bad you wait until the Covid crunch hits...and yes, where has the money gone eh?  

Fontaines DC - A Hero's Death (Soulwax Remix)

I posted the original version of this track when it came out and this remix (courtesy of Soulwax) is just as postworthy. "Life ain't always empty"...wise words. 

If that's got you in a Soulwax mood here's their take on Beethoven...

Beans On Toast - Save The Music

Heard this on Tom Robinson's Now Playing show on 6Music last night and it certainly struck a chord. I might not get to as many gigs as I used to these days but not a year's passed by over the last 33 years or so that I haven't seen at least a few live shows...but this year...well...it's almost too depressing to contemplate another 12 gig/festival free months. And then? What will be left? 

The Associates - Waiting For The Loveboat

 In memory of Billy Mackenzie, who set sail from planet earth 24 years ago today. 

Johnny Jenkins - I Walk On Gilded Splinters

Sampled by Beck and Oasis here's Johnny Jenkins' fabulously bluesy take on Dr John's I Walk On Gilded Splinters. It's tough to top the original but this comes pretty damn close. 

Matt Philip Hale - Sentenced to My Sentences

New year new music from Matt Philip Hale, hurrah! This time it's a rather awesome glam pop stomper with some rather fine guitar riffage courtesy of a certain Ad Lee (good work fella...or lady...or both). Give it a spin or six, you know it makes sen(ten)ce.

Sailor - A Glass Of Champagne

It's Friday! And what better way to celebrate than a quick glass of champagne courtesy of Sailor eh? Touches of Roxy Music and Sparks here and there. Make mine a large one. Cheers! 

Add N to X - Plug Me In

Bought a new laptop over the weekend...my first new bit of tech kit for 11 years (yep, I do like to get my money's worth) and this track was going round my brain when I was getting it all set up. Hmmm, the lead singer sounds a little like Cortana too...spooky. 

David Bowie - Heroes (Live at Glastonbury 2000)

Five years ago yesterday the star man floated away forever. What on earth would he make of the state of the world these days eh? Still, at least we have our memories and one of my best is watching Bowie play arguably the greatest ever Glastonbury set waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in 2000... 

New Musik - This World Of Water

 

A little synth pop classic from 1980 to brighten up a cold, grey Wednesday (unless you're reading this in Australia in which case I bet it's bloomin' scorching). Pointless fact, when I was a student in Brighton back in the late 80s / early 90s I worked at a branch of 7-Eleven that was managed by a bloke who claimed he used to be in New Muzik...but not when they were famous (or as famous as they got...which sadly wasn't very famous). I really should write my memoirs, did I ever tell you about the time Joe Strummer ran past and nearly knocked me over at Glastonbury...? Gripping stuff eh? 

Happy New Year?!

Whatever you were up to over the festive break I do hope you had a good 'un. The traditional January blues (we've just de-Christmas-ed our house...that was fun) come with an extra side order of misery this year of course as we relentlessly plod towards another 'lockdown' turning the entire country into a Morrissey lyric. Given what happened in 2020 it would be utterly nuts to try to predict what this year holds in store but surely it can't be any worse...surely.

Merry Chris-mix 2020

As is traditional I've trawled the internet for a suitably funky Christmas mix and this year's offering's from Lou Dav. Lord knows what 2021 has in store for us all but let's not thing about that for a while eh? Whatever you're doing and wherever you're doing it (getting squiffy at home I'm guessing) have a very messy Christmas and a Happy New Year! 

Ana Gasteyer - Sugar and Booze

 

Heard this for the first time on 6Music last week and it's pretty much the perfect tune for our times...not only locked out of different parts of our own country but now the rest of the world too...it's going well this isn't it eh? What's next, an order banning us from getting out of bed? Hmmmm, I could work with that. 

Strangelove - Another Night In

If there was ever a time to re-release Strangelove's Another Night In it's now. I suspect we've all got a few more 'nights in' over the coming months too sadly. Oh well, great tune though! 

Captain Yaba - Yaba Funk

 

On an all too rare (this year at least) visit to the charity shops I picked up a copy of Captain Yaba's Yaba Funk Roots for a mere 50p (purely on the strength of the cover). It's a jazzy, funky gem too! Sadly the good Captain's no longer with us but the whole album's well worth a spin. 

System Of A Down goes Bardcore

 

Ever wanted to hear what System Of A Down's Toxicity would sound like in a medieval style? Yes...me too. This cover's got a bit of a festive vibe to it as well, makes a change from Shakin' Stevens. 

Yvonne Baker - You Didn't Say A Word

6 Music's been spinning this track a few times recently (possibly thanks to Mr Craig Charles championing it) and it's an absolute classic, part Northern Soul banger part James Bond theme tune. If you've not heard it yet (and hell, it's only been around since 1966) do your ears a favour and give it a spin. Talcum powder optional. 

Katherine Priddy - Still Winter, Still Waiting

Beautiful new festive track from Katherine Priddy with an equally heart/hands/feet warming video. 

Marc Almond - Tears/Tiers Run Rings

As of I need an excuse to stick up Tears Tiers Run Rings eh? "The nation's in disorder..." you can say that again. Does Guinness count as a substantial meal? 

Matt Philip Hale - Lived Thru the End Times More than Twice with Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

Trust MPH to come up with a suitably bonkers (in the best possible sense of the word of course...and these times are pretty bloody bonkers) soundtrack for today's tier jerking announcements. Looks like it's time to stock up on that sugar, spice and everything nice again. 

Phil Ochs - The Crucifixion

 

It never ceases to amaze me how little known Phil Ochs is but it does give me a great excuse to keep posting up tracks from the great man. This one's a complete and utter epic too. 

The Blue Nile - Happiness

Have you found peace at last? Somehow I doubt it at the moment but in the meantime wrap your ears around The Blue Nile's Happiness and just pretend. 

Wizzard - Angel Fingers

I've caught this tune on TV a couple of times recently and it's really grown on me. Wizzard may be more well known for a certain festive ditty but I reckon this is every bit as good, especially as Roy and co seem to have thrown everything including the kitchen sink into it. Legend has it that the band spent more time in the studio recording this track than Paul McCartney spent recording the whole of Band On The Run. Genius. 

Darrow Fletcher - (Love Is) My Secret Weapon

Who knows why some artists make it and some don't or why some records never see the light of day when they're quite clearly gems. This cut from 1976 festered away for years before finally getting a release in 2012. If you're interested in finding out a little more about Darrow there's a great interview right here. 

Matt Philip Hale - Sanguine Rooster

Is there a better way to start the new week than a new vid from Mr Matt Philip Hale, now with added mother in law? No...I don't think there is. Enjoy! 

Eric Burdon & War - Spill The Wine

I'm more a wine drinker than spiller but this live version of War's Spill The Wine is beaujolais (see what I did there?) good isn't it eh? 

Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky (From Now On) - Lou Donaldson

If you've not seen it yet I can highly recommend the Blue Note doc that was on BBC 4 the other week. Damn that's one cool record label, set up and run by people who cared more about the music than the moolah (granted that's perhaps not the best way to run a business but where's the fun in being sensible eh?). 

Yard Act - Peanuts

 

How many 'pop' songs do you know about the peanut related murder of an imaginary husband eh? I'm guessing none so that's a good enough reason to stick up the latest from Yard Act which (to my ears anyway) is part The Fall, part Arab Strap, part Vic and Bob and part Kaiser Chiefs. Enjoy! 

Sure Is Sure - The Style Council

There's a new doc about The Style Council on Sky Arts tonight (I think) and it reminded me of the band's last album which was rejected by their record label for some inexplicable reason (I think it was too house-y or some such nonsense). Buffoons! 

Chanson - Don't Hold Back

Popped into the wonderful SPS Records in Teignmouth on Saturday and took a punt on an album by a band called Chanson for 50p and it contains this little disco funk gem! Awsome. Enjoy!

PS: SPS have just launched their new website too, here's a link. 

Solomon Bites The Worm - The Bluetones

 

One of my teeth broke completely in two this week...yes, I know, nice eh?...and when I was sitting in the dentist's chair having it whipped out I couldn't help thinking of this track for several reasons. Getting old and having bits of you fall off (or be removed) may suck but I guess it beats the alternative. And with that cheery thought ringing in your ears have as good a weekend as it's possible to have right now. 

Tim Cole RIP

Very sad news this morning with the passing of Tim Cole, one half of The Correspondents (the chap with the beard), aged just 35. Anyone lucky enough to have seen the band live will know what an awesome show they put on and, in a fairer world, they would have been so much bigger than they were. No cause of death has been announced yet but the suddenness of it all and Mr Bruce's tribute to a 'brilliant complicated man who never fully appreciated the extent of his talent' sadly makes you fear the worst. RIP Tim.  

Yello - Waba Duba

 

Forty odd years into their uniquely odd career Yello are back with a new album and single (okay so this track came out back in June but I was all locked down and stuff), the latter giving more than a gentle nod to their greatest hits The Race and Oh Yeah...and why not eh? If I looked as cool as Dieter Meier at 75 I'd be a happy chappy...hell if I'm still able to feed myself at 75 I'd be a happy chappy. 

Happy birthday Vermin in Ermine

 

Apparently Marc Almond's debut solo album Vermin in Ermine hit the racks (ahhhh, those were the days) on this day in 1984. Good grief. If you've not heard it it's an extraordinary work and the opening track Shining Sinners is a ruddy great place to start. I've watched entire seasons of TV series with less of a plot than this song. 

Blue Monday - Orkestra Obsolete

 

Ever wondered what New Order's Blue Monday would sound like if it was played by a bunch of oddballs in a cellar in the 1930s? Yes...me too. 

Gorillaz - Strange Timez

I'm pretty sure we can agree that these are indeed strange times, there's something odd about Robert Smith leaving the se-cure-ity of his regular band for the cartoon dance pop world of Gorillaz too. It works though. It also reminds me a little of this complete and utter classic from Dan le Sac and Scroobius Pip. Enjoy! 

Time (Clock Of The Heart) - Culture Club

 

Okay, this is getting silly now...where's the last week gone eh? Ah well, at least the rapid passing of time reminded me of this classic from the mighty Culture Club. Enjoy. 

October Song by Amy Winehouse

October already eh? Good. The sooner 2020's over with the better. 2021 might not be much cop either but at least we'll hopefully be on the way to some kind of normality...surely?! Anyway, in celebration of the start of the new month here's a little Amy from when the poor soul could still stand up straight and belt out a tune. 

The Wonder Stuff - There There My Dear

The Wonder Stuff covering Dexys? What's not to love eh? 

Hard Times by Baby Huey

Funny this, I was only just reading about Baby Huey in a back issue of Mojo magazine (a physical copy too...not online) whilst lounging in the bath last night and lo and behold You Tube suggests a track for me this morning...is You Tube reading minds now? Spoooooooky. Anyway, I took this as a sign to stick up yet another sadly appropriate track for these 'hard times'. Still, at least it's the weekend eh? They can't take that away from us...yet. 

My Shit's Fucked Up by Warren Zevon

 

Blimey, can there be a more perfect record for 2020...and quite possibly 2021...and 2022 too. Yes, our shit's well and truly fucked up right now and old Warren nailed it before sadly falling to the big C in 2003 at just 56. Before dying he was asked what he'd learned from life and replied, "Enjoy every sandwich", substitute sandwich for pint of cider or glass of red and I reckon he was onto something. 

Supermarket Sweep by Billy Nomates

Having worked in the odd supermarket/convenience store (very odd actually...in both cases) I can kind of relate to this track. Oh the happy hours I spent behind the counter of 7-Eleven drinking my own body weight in hot chocolate. 

Suzannah's Still Alive - Cardiacs

 

Another classic Cardiacs track from the archives, why the hell weren't they up there with the likes of Blur and Pulp back in the day?  

O-O-H Child by The Five Stairsteps

 

Heard this track for the first time in years on Lauren Laverne's show and it seems pretty appropriate for these days. I can't imagine what it must be like to be a younger person right now, if it's not coronavirus it's the climate crisis, Brexit or any one of a million other worries to contend with. Okay, so we had the threat of a all out nuclear war and AIDS back in my day which weren't much fun either but at least this was before anti-social media which seems to make everything so, so, sooooo much worse. My best advice? Shut the curtains, turn off Twitter, Tik Tok, Arsebook, Instagram and listen to this track on repeat until everything's better again. 

Kool and the Gang - Open Sesame

In tribute to Kool and the Gang's Ronald Bell who died yesterday (having sired 10 kids...blimey) here's a lesser heard track from the band, mixing a little bit of Jungle Boogie-ness with some Funkadelic nuttiness. Ruddy ace. 

Try A Little Sunshine by The Factory

Obscure psych time and here's a gem from The Factory (not sure what kind of factory...pretty sure it didn't make pork pies though) dating all the way back to 1969 when I was barely a twinkle...

Canadee-I-O by Nic Jones

For a decade or so I'd have been at Moseley Folk festival by now, just tucking into that first pint of scrumpy and looking forward to three days of great music (and possibly another pint or two of scrumpy). Since relocating to the West Country I've not been back to MoFo but hopefully I'll make it back there one day. Of course no bugger's going to be able to make it this year are they eh? Anyway, enjoy a little Nic Jones by way of compensation. The good folk behind MoFolk are also doing the crowdfunding thing to help protects the festival's future, here the link. 

I Can't Give You Anything by The Stylistics

 

On top of being an absolute belter of a disco classic I just lurrrrrve the video for this track. Stick the band on the roof of an office block, turn on the tape player (8 track, naturally) and let 'em lip sync whilst making up their own dance moves. The dude in the hat's having a great time...not so sure about the others. 

Sweet Child O'Mine by Scary Pockets

In the mood for a funkified version of Sweet Child O'Mine you say? No problem, here you go. There are literally trillions of cover versions of hit songs on You Tube these days of varying quality but this one's pretty ace. Enjoy. 

Real Role Player - Matt Philip Hale

Sporting what's surely set to be the next big fashion brand and belting out another piano banger here's the latest massively marvellous missive from MPH. Play it loud, sing it to your neighbours, scribble the lyrics on the back of that bloke in front of you on the number 11 on the way to Kings Heath (one for the Bearwood posse there). 

Walk The Thin Line - Mick Fleetwood (ft George Harrison)

 

Several years before Paul Simon stirred the cultural melting pot and came up with Graceland Mick Fleetwood pitched up in Ghana to record an album featuring, amongst others, George Harrison on slide guitar. I had no idea this album existed until I picked up a copy from the always ace SPS Records in Teignmouth. It's a bit of a grower but if the track above don't float yer boat try this, featuring the late great Peter Green on guitar and vocals.  

Born This Way - Dusty Springfield

 

Twenty odd years before Gaga Dusty sang a song called Born This Way on her comeback Reputation album. Who knew eh? It's got a bit of a similar vibe too...coincidence? 

The Politicians featuring McKinley Jackson - Free Your Mind

How about a slice of prime 70's Detroit funk for a bloody awful wet and windy Wednesday? Play this loud and you'll feel at least 75% cooler. 

Yard Act - Fixer Upper

 

Heard this track this morning and it floated my boat, bonus points for using the words 'existential' and 'walk on gilded splinters'. I wonder how many lovely homes have been fixed up/wrecked by people like Graham and his ilk...

Gallows - In the Belly of a Shark (live)

Throwback Friday to the time I saw Gallows at the old Bar Academy in Brum on a Sunday night. Genuinely one of the best live acts I've ever seen...and I've been lucky enough to see one or two. 

Killer Klyve at the Barn Dance - Matt Philip Hale

Take some Jerry Lee, add a dash of Subterranean Homesick Blues and feed the whole thing through the twisted gut of Matt Philip Hale and you've got Killer Klyve at the Barn Dance, the kind of track Tarantino would give his left nut for...and possibly his right too...if he was remaking Pulp Fiction in the Black Country. "Lets get sweaty and move about UH HUH!" All killer, no filler. 

Insane In the Membrane - Cypress Hill

 

It's been one of those weeks...you know the sort...the kind of weeks when Insane In The Membrane keeps going round and round in your head. 

2Cellos - Thunderstruck

Been going through a bit of an AC/DC phase recently and came across this little gem of a cover by Croatian cello nutters 2Cellos, the kind of thing you discover wandering round a music festival with a pint of scrumpy in your hand...good grief I  miss festivals. Anyway, enjoy. 

Pozi - The Nightmare

Not been the best of weeks. Raging toothache over the weekend and a bit of a temperature which, in these times, set off the old alarm bells. Cue calls to the Doctor, a remote diagnosis of a possible abscess...nice eh, a Coronavirus test, and three days of self isolation until the all clear came through (fair play to the NHS...or whoever's doing this stuff, tests delivered on Tuesday, sent back and received by them on Wednesday and results by Thursday morning). Then all I had to do was find a dentist willing to see me, which thanks to the loveliest bloke in the world happened yesterday. Okay, so the whole thing was wrapped up in a week but I'm persistent, persuasive and other words beginning with 'p'...how do older people (and/or those without access to tech) cope these days? Gawd help us all if we end up with another lockdown in the winter too, that's almost too grim a thought to imagine. Oh well, at least we have a great tune courtesy of Pozi to soundtrack it all. Enjoy!   

Nice and CD does it...

Still buying CDs by the sackful when I dare venture out to this strange new world that we find ourselves trying to live in and last week picked up The Allman Brothers Live At Fillmore East 1971 for 25p. Yes. 25p. That wasn't the biggest bargain of the day though, that accolade's reserved for the box set of Madonna's first 11 studio albums that cost a whopping £1...that's less than 10p per CD. The 18 year old me would have flipped his lid if you'd told him that one day he'd be buying CDs for less than the cost of a carrier bag but I guess that's progress for you.

Tarred and Feathered by Cardiacs

RIP to Tim Smith of Cardiacs who died today at just 59 after spending 12 years 'locked' in his own body following a heart attack and stroke, poor bugger. I've really not investigated the band as much as I should've done but judging by this piece of beautiful insanity (surely an influence of Modern Life Is Rubbish/Park Life era Blur and quite possibly Mistys Big Adventure too) I really must.
  

Thank Q for the music

I could ramble on for weeks about the sad decline of the physical music press (and the physical world in general...don't get me started) but suffice to say that without the likes of Smash Hits, NME, Melody Maker, Record Mirror, Q, Vox, Select, Mojo and Record Collector my life and musical education would have been a lot less rounded. Most of those names bit the dust ages ago but Q battled bravely on for 34 years only to fall yesterday. I stopped buying it and migrated to Mojo (free CD with every issue) quite some time ago after Q went with more of a list based formula but I must’ve been a loyal buyer and reader for 20 years or so. Goodness knows how many great bands and albums it turned me onto and how many hours I spent happily trawling through every issue (and back in the 80s and 90s some of them were epics)...  

Joy Division Oven Gloves by Half Man Half Biscuit

Friday banger courtesy of HMHB. I bet you can actually buy Joy Division oven gloves these days too...yep...here you go. Quite possibly not authorised by Barney and co though I'm guessing.

Dark Necessities by Red Hot Chili Peppers

Gave the Chili Peppers' most recent album (2016's The Getaway) a spin last night over a cheeky pint of Venton's Apple Vice. The single from it's racked up a mere 271 million plays on You Tube so there's no chance you'll have heard it eh?

Gotta Get Up - Harry Nilsson

Dug this out the other week and it seemed appropriate this morning when I was trying to heave my aching old bones out of bed at 6.27am. Gotta love a little Nilsson on a Monday...

Cud - Through The Roof

Spent a very happy hour or so on Wednesday night lying on the floor listening to a bit of Cud. Did they ever make a duff record? Nope, I don't think they did. And yet they hardly get a mention or any airplay these days. Hang your heads in shame DJs.

Take Back The Radio - Katy J Pearson

I've been meaning to post this track up for weeks now but weeks mean nothing in this strange semi locked down limbo land do they eh? I mean what month is it? April? June? March? Buggered if I know. Anyway this track's as close to pop perfection as you're likely to get with its upbeat catchy chorus, ear wormingly insistent synth line and trumpets...oh yes...trumpets. Why aren't there more trumpets (and brass instruments in general) in music these days? Come on pop kids, get blowing. Hmmm...that sounded better in my head. 

PS: Want to hear a little more from Katy J? Try this...

Melt Yourself Down - It Is What It Is

I was supposed to be spending my 50th birthday back in May with these dudes but the gig was postponed for...well...you know. It was rescheduled for October but that date's just been scrapped too and the gig's now due to take place in March. It sucks for me but it must suck 100% more for the band whose album, 100% YES, comes out today. Still, it is what it is (see what I did there?)...let's hope 2021 is 100% better than 2020 eh? 

Sunflower - Vampire Weekend

Heard this on 6Music this morning and was reminded how great the album (Father Of The Bride...bought for 50p from a charity shop about a month after it came out) is. Plus the weather's so relentlessly shitty, as per the usual British summer, and the crappy coronavirus is still with us that we could all do with a sunflower or two in our lives.

Best Times Ever - Lions Tigers and Bears

Lions Tigers and Bears · Maxi

In a change to posting tributes to the recently departed or tracks that were released on wax cylinders (ask your great, great grandparents) here’s a bostin’ brand new debut album from Lions Tigers and Bears, a bit of a Midlands super group (featuring as it does members of Supercaan, Flamingo Flame, Hey Pablo, The Bourgeois Four, Recall 34, Fillmore Gears, The Rebel Party Band...blimey). 

Entitled Best Times Ever, perhaps ironically given the unending clusterfuck that is the world right now, it’s 10 tracks of the very finest scuzzed up indie grunge with hints of Interpol and The Strokes at their early New York City Cops baiting best. Pick of the bunch Maxi adds a little math rock to the mix whilst rollocking along like a greased up rollercoaster on a highway to PiL, quite possibly one of the tracks of the year.

You can buy, stream, download the whole shebang from a dizzying array of platforms. channels or whatever else you're supposed to call these things...I'm still trying to get over the miracle of CDs...

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/album/1od0cVjemOzfMXA1urlc08
Apple Music - https://music.apple.com/us/album/best-times-ever/1518115666
Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/lionstigersandbearsgrrr
Bandcamp - https://lionstigersbearsgrrr.bandcamp.com
Deezer - https://www.deezer.com/en/album/154191972
Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Times-Explicit-Lions…/…/ref=sr_1_2…

Dudley more from MPH

Another cracking guerrilla gig from MPH, this time in Dudley. Speaking of guerrillas here's MPH doing Great Ape Rock on a roundabout in my old stomping ground Bearwood too. With no Glastonbury this year it's great to see some live music on t'You Tube...who knows perhaps by 2021 the world will have caught up with Miles and he'll be u where he belongs on the Pyramid Stage.

Summer In The City (Disco Version) - Evolution

Wonders will never cease, we're actually getting a few days of nice weather...and when Glasto was due to start too...oh the irony. Time to dig out this classic disco version of Summer In The City which I'm pretty sure I have on yellow vinyl somewhere. Groooooovy baby.

Rupert Hine RIP

You might not know the name but if you were around in the 80s you'll know some of the songs he produced, in particular Howard Jones' run of classic albums including Human's Lib, The 12 inch Album and Dream Into Action. And let's face it, who doesn't feel like throwing off their 'mental chains' right now eh? Oooooh, oooooh, ooooh. 

Dame Vera Lynn RIP

That's not a bad innings eh? 103! And she never retired either. To be fair I'll never retire but that's down to the ever rising pension age rather than personal choice. Anyway, in tribute to Vera's passing here's a remix of her greatest hit that I like to think she'd approve of. 

In The Midnight Hour by Goodnight Lenin

Goodnight Lenin · In The Midnight Hour

Two years after going into hibernation (and despite at least one of the band now living on a different continent) Hearing Aid favourites Goodnight Lenin are back with a brand new track, In The Midnight Hour, the first from a forthcoming album intriguingly entitled 'Never Ending Album'. Building to a soul stirring wall of guitars that's practically guaranteed to send coronavirus packing it's the kind of tune you can imagine playing over the last scenes of a movie as the lead character walks into the sunset after being relentlessly kicked in the balls by life but overcoming all the odds and living to fight another day...and...cut...that's a wrap. Who says movie making's tricky eh?

XTC - The Mayor of Simpleton

As the world gets sillier and sillier by the second I've had The Mayor of Simpleton, from the criminally underrated XTC, going round and round in my head all day. Enjoy.

PS: If you want a little more of the lovely Andy Partridge here's a full 48 minutes of the man in full chatty flow.

Bah Bah Um Wah - Matt Philip Hale

And the songs keep coming from the one man tune fountain that is Matt Philip Hale. If you're in or around the Midlands keep your eyes and ears open and you might just catch a live performance somewhere in the bushes...up a tree...in the middle of a lake...Bah Bah Um Wah-ll worth looking out for. 

Icona Pop - I Love It

I was vaguely aware of this track before catching it on one of the many music channels I randomly trawl through and, coming from the 70s as well as being a bit of a 90s bitch, I was quite taken with it. Hell, it's Friday...you need a bit of dance pop perfection on a Friday. 

Diane Solo - N'Ziketio

I can't say I've heard many disco funk tracks sung in Godie and I suspect I'm not the only one but apparently this is just such a rarity. It's a bit of a gem too...makes me think of happy days frugging away at the Jazz World Stage in Glasto...ahhhh...festivals...remember them?