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Saturday 31 March 2018

LNFG 2nd Birthday Bash

I'm off to Stereo tonight for the 2nd Birthday Bash of Last Night From Glasgow.
This time last year was my first introduction to the label and I have since received a number of records and been to a few gigs.
Appearing tonight are Stephen Solo, Sun Rose , L-Space and bis. Yes that's right bis! The best band ever to have come out of Thornliebank are making a comeback with a new album scheduled for release on LNFG.

They are the only one of the acts I've never seen before. Stephen Solo is quirky and funny.I was a wee bit disappointed when I previously saw Sun Rose although I quite like the album.
Similarly L-Space were a wee bit disappointing despite all the hype. However, the new single Suneaters is particularly good so I  have great hopes for tonight and I am looking forward to the release of the album.




bis - Kandy Pop

bis - This is Fake D.I.Y


Friday 30 March 2018

The Blues Collection - John Lee Hooker



Long suffering readers will remember me featuring artists from The Blues Collection over the years
This is a set of 93 CDs which where released together with an associated magazine between 1993 and 1997.
Initially I picked up between 30 and 35 of them in two job lots in my local charity shop.
Subsequent purchases took my total up to 44.
However I was beginning to come home with doublers or worse still not acquiring ones that I thought I had but didn't.
So I took a note of the numbers of the ones I didn't have and stuck it in my wallet.
Fast forward to Barnardos in Stranraer last week where I spotted the 1st CD in the collection Boogie Man by John Lee Hooker on the shelves.
A quick check told me that I didn't have it and the 45th out of the 93 was duly acquired.

John Lee Hooker - Crawlin' King Snake

John Lee Hooker - I'm in the Mood

Thursday 29 March 2018

Long Time Gone


This Thursday I will be mainly plodding away in an office in Wishaw.
Last Thursday after a couple of pints from the local brewery in the Steam Packet  in the Isle of Whithorn I spotted a seal in the harbour (on the rock in front of the white boat).

Back to matters more mundane and the day before and Stranraer charity shops in the rain. I always make a point of popping into the Dumfries and Galloway Mental Health shop but up until now I have come away empty handed after leaving a donation.
This time round I struck lucky picking up Long Time Gone an Uncut compilation from July 2008 featuring 15 All-American Music Classics.
Given the fact that I have albums by 9 of the 15 acts featured it is clearly right up my street.
As is my want I've decided to focus on two of the new to me acts.

Ravens & Chimes are an indie band from the Big Apple.The song featured is from their debut album 2007's Reichenbach Falls on the Better Looking Records label.
Dirtmusic are on the mighty Glitterhouse album so there may well be some of their stuff on the shelves already. They consist of Chris Eckman of Walkabouts  fame,Chris Brokah who has collaborate with the Lemonheads and an original Bad Seed in the shape of Hugo Race. This song is from their self titled 2007 debut album.

Ravens & Chimes - Eleventh Street

Dirtmusic - Morning Dew


Wednesday 28 March 2018

The Airborne Toxic Event


A rainy day meant a trip to Stranraer to take in the charity shops and other assorted delights.

In the Cat Protection League shop I stumbled across the 2008 debut album by Los Angeles band The Airborne Toxic League. Now I was not familiar with their music but the name rang a bell .I remembered vaguely that they had been featured by a blogger, possibly Drew? so I took a punt.

When I got home I confirmed that Drew has in fact sung their praised on a number of occasions.
I feel that you can tell that they are American. I can hear shades of Buffalo Tom in there and maybe a wee bit of the Wedding Present. They produce a splendid racket and it would be interesting to see them live although I would be worried about my ears.
Not sure that they are totally right up me street but well worth a couple of quid.

Talking of a couple of quid I had forgotten to bring a jumper. What is now affectionately  known as my Two Pound Tap was duly acquired!

The Airborne Toxic Event - Happiness is Overrated

The Airborne Toxic Event -The Winning Side



Tuesday 27 March 2018

Emma's Imagination


Following a few years travelling and then busking on the streets of Glasgow, Edinburgh born but Dumfries raised Emma  Gillespie entered (under the name Emma's Imagination) and won the 2010 Sky Must Be the Music programme pocketing £100,000 in the process.
Now I have never seen the programme but I imagine that the judges and the voting TV audience must have been impressed by her originality  which would have stood out against all the TV wanabees.

As you would imagine her win generated much publictiy and airplay in Scotland. Her 2011 album  Stand Still was duly acquired via the library and subsequently upgraded last week at the BRICC community charity shop in Ballantrae.
Seldom have I seen so may absolutely awful CDs and records stored in such a haphazard and random way.
However, I was determined not to come away empty handed

As you would imagine it was the usual 15 minutes of fame  and then nothing. She subsequently produced an indepedently released EP Underway in 2013 and an album Pier Siamese in 2016 under her own name.

Don't let the  Murdoch talent show connection and the fact that the album was released on Tory tax dodger Gary Barlow's Future Records label put you off. She is a true talent.

Emma's Imagination - Soul of Oceans

Emma's Imagination - Focus



Monday 26 March 2018

Big Sensations


He's back!
I've returned refreshed from my period of R&R ready and raring to go.
A few new purchases to subject you to. Nothing startling but a fairly eclectic mixed bag which hopefully  therein you will all find something  to enjoy
I'm going to post them in a chronological order from when purchased which is as good a way as any.

First up is the only non-charity purchase. Big Sensations is the latest offer from Mojo magazine purchased in Girvan. As a rule I only buy Mojo or Uncut these days for holiday reading.They are a bit ahead of themselves as this CD is listed as from May 2018.
According to the blurb we have 15 Floor Fillers of Maximum R& B 45s from the Dawn of Mod.
That period in the early 60s when jazz influences were still strong but where American R&B was gradually establishing a foot hold.
I've gone for Juanita Nixon with her 1960 number Stop Knockin' on the King Record Label. Attributed as the B side to the A side of Let Me Be Free the original will set you back by about 85 quid according to Discogs.
Chicago based McKinley "Soul" Mitchell's 1962 single The Town I Live In on the One-Derful label is altogether more accessible and cheaper to obtain.

Juanita Nixon - Stop Knockin'

McKinley "Soul" Mitchell -The Town I Live In

Wednesday 21 March 2018

Holidays



We are off on holiday so nothing to see here for a few days.
It gives me an opportunity to relax, recharge the batteries and hopefully pick up some new purchases to subject you to upon our return.
As the above map suggests we are not in fact off to Cambodia but rather to Portpatrick in Galloway in the South West of Scotland.
As far as I am aware I have no songs about Portpatrick or Galloway  and this was the first holiday related song which sprang to mind.

Dead Kennedys -Holiday in Cambodia

Tuesday 20 March 2018

The Boy Wonder in Dreamland


I'd picked up Grandaddy on Friday in my local charity shop and decided to pop in again on Saturday on the off chance. Good job too as I picked up Dreamland by Aztec Camera which was not on their shelves the day before.
Aztec Camera's 5th album from 1993 ten years after the release of their mighty debut album High Land Hard Rain.
It is not one that I was familiar with other than the track Spanish Horses which has features elsewhere on the blogosphere on a few occasions.
Produced by Robbie Frame and Ryuichi Sakamoto it was released to mixed reviews. For what it's worth I quite like it on the first listen.I'd be interested to hear what others think.


Aztec Camera - Birds

Aztec Camera -Spanish Horses.

Monday 19 March 2018

Sumday


I was pretty chuffed the other day to pick up Sumday the 2003 third album by Grandaddy for 50p in my local charity shop.
My introduction to Grandaddy was The Broken Down Comfort Collection a compilation of some of their early stuff.
It probably put me off them for a bit and it was not until about 18 months ago that I picked up The Sophtware Slump which was much more to my taste.
On the first listen Sumday, which is the follow up  to that one, sounds even better.
It looks like there are a further three for me to explore including last year's Last Place.

Late to the party but enjoying what I am hearing.Lovely cover too.

Grandaddy - El Caminos in the West

Grandaddy - Stray Dog and the Chocolate Shake

Sunday 18 March 2018

The Quay Sessions


On Wednesday night courtesy of my good friend Euan I got a ticket to be part of  the audience for the BBC
Radio Scotland Quay Sessions programme which was going out on Thursday evening . For UK readers
details here
Compared by Roddy Hart, adopting a lovable buffon role, there were live sets from two Scottish artists.

First up were 6 piece Edinburgh based guitar band Broken Records who after a break for parenthood are celebrating their 10th anniversary with an album What We Might Know scheduled for release at the end of March.
To steal a phrase from Drew I found them not unpleasant but just not very inspiring
It was the second time this year I had seen lead singer Jamie Sutherland as he had previously supported Siobhan Wilson with an acoustic set

Radio 2 Folk Musician of the Year Rachel Newton on the other hand was absolutely brilliant.
Flitting effortlessly between English and Gaelicand playing her harp beautifully she and her band put on a great show. A red sousaphone, which you can probably just about make out in the picture, even featured at some stage.
As if that was not enough a cover of Jolene was thrown into the mix as well!
Here 2016 album Here's My Heart Come Take It (sometimes mistakenly called Here's My Harp Come Take It!) is a high new entry on my must have list. Available along with a download of Jolene on her Bandcamp page.






Saturday 17 March 2018

You Can't Beat a Bit of Bully


Never mind Brexit or the spat with the Russians (whose bots are not yet boycotting me) it has been a sad week in the UK given that we have lost three cultural icons.

First there was a comedy genius in the shape of Ken Dodd dying at the ripe old age of 90.
Finally we all got a topical opportunity to wheel out the old joke.

"Ken Dodd died today"
"Did he?"
"No Doddie"
The old ones are the best.

Then we lost the  mathematical genius Stephen Hawking at the age of 76 .Rol posted a fine Top 10 tribute over at his place on Thursday.An intellectual giant, socialist and an inspiration for anyone with a disability.And Stephen Hawking was pretty impressive as well!

Finally we lost a comedy AND a mathematical genius in the shape of  former teacher Jim Bowen the brilliant host of the Bullseye  darts game show at the age of 80 or twenty, twenty, double tops if you prefer.

Sadly the above news is the opposite of one of his many great catchphrases - Great, Smashing, Super

Rest easy gentlemen

Say Zuzu - Bull's Theme

Darts -Daddy Cool/The Girl Can't Help It

Friday 16 March 2018

Derry on the Telly


I don't know if any of you saw the comedy series Derry Girls on Channel 4 recently.
Set in the 1990's and featuring a group of Catholic school girls (and an English boy  being taught in a girl's school for his own safety) navigating life in Derry during the Troubles. It's well worth a watch.

Tonight it is the turn of the Derry Boys as Feargal Sharkey, John and Damian O'Neill, Michael Bradley and Billy Doherty collectively know as The Undertones feature on the  regular Friday night BBC4 music slot.
Again it should be well worth a watch.


The Undertones - Here Comes the Summer

The Undertones - Get Over You

Thursday 15 March 2018

If You're Feeling Sinister


I thought that I had featured more of indie favourites Belle and Sebastian than I actually have.
I also thought that I had featured this album and the title track before (I have however featured The Stars of Track and Field in a themed post).
It seems that I was wrong there.
From 1996  (22 years ago for goodness sake) on the Jeepster label this was their second album and the one which shot them to fame.


Tweemendous stuff



Belle and Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister

Belle and Sebastian - Me and the Major

Wednesday 14 March 2018

Songs From Ohio







Yet another early album by yet another Americana artist who subsequently yet again completely slipped off my radar shortly thereafter.


Apologies if this music is not to your taste and for the lack of variety recently but I am short on time and on inspiration at the moment.
Today's offering is Rehearsals For Departure the second album  by Damien Jurado from 1999 on the Sub Pop label
There are another 15  of his out there should I or you get the urge.


He's actually from Seattle but Ohio had a nice ring to it.

Damien Jurado - Ohio

Damien Jurado -Letters & Drawings

Tuesday 13 March 2018

Shouting Words of Wisdom


If you only ever get round to purchasing one album called Let It Be you should make sure that it is the one from 1984 by The Replacements.
The third album from the band and one which has been critically acclaimed and which finds itself in many of the top lists which we know and love and one which influenced many a band.
It features the classic line up of Paul Westerberg (guitar and lead vocals), Bob Stinson (guitar), Tommy Stinson (bass) and Chris Mars (drums)
The photograph on the front cover is of the band sitting on the roof of the Stinson brothers mother's house.
The two racks featured open sides 1 and 2.
A must have.

The Replacements - I Will Dare

The Replacements - Unsatisfied


Monday 12 March 2018

No Never Alone


No Never Alone is the 2004 debut album by Canadian singer songwriter Justin Rutledge. According to the internet it was put out on Six Shooter Records although my copy appears to be from Shady Lane Records.
Credited to Justin Rutledge and the Junction Forty it received clinical acclaim in the UK with comparisons being made with Ryan Adams.
I saw him live around then and he then slipped off my radar.
He is still on the go with another six albums under his belt.

Having just given this one it's first listen in a while I feel that I should probably check out some more of his stuff.

Justin Rutledge and the Junction Forty - Too Sober To Sleep

Justin Rutledge and the Junction Forty - 1855

Sunday 11 March 2018

A Sunday Single #10


There are many in the blogging fraternity, myself included , who will argue that Talking Heads best work was contained within their first four albums.
However it was after this when they enjoyed their greatest commercial success. Road to Nowhere from Little Creatures  their 6th studio album was their most successful single in the UK Released on 12th October 1985 it was their only UK Top Ten single peaking at number 6. It only reached 105 in the US charts
The b-side Televison Man is another song from Little Creatures. The single version jumps so here is the album version. Both come in at just over 6 minutes and are probably one and the same.

Talking Heads - Road to Nowhere

Talking Heads - Television Man

Saturday 10 March 2018

Sorry Johnny



First the good news - this is the last time that I will be subjecting you to this bloody GIF!
Now the bad news - Johnny was comprehensively beating by Neil Young with Pocahontas to give a final score of Cash 9 The Rest 10.
The first of the featured artists to lose following Bob Dylan's 10- 6 victory and Springsteen's 10- 8 win.

For the record Johnny beat The Eagles, Elvis Costello, Depeche Mode, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Tom Russell, Beck, Gordon Lightfoot and Sheryl Crow.

He lost to Kris Kristofferson, Tom Petty, Simon & Garfunkel, Bruce Springsteen, HankWilliams, Roberta Flack, Neil Diamond, Bob Marley & Joe Strummer, Steve Earle and Neil Young.

He drew with Nick Cave.

Had  I played this he would have won. The video has been seen over 100 million times on You Tube but is worth seeing again.


Johnny Cash - Hurt

Nine Inch Nails - Hurt





I'm having a break from this series but doubtless it will returm

Friday 9 March 2018

Some Soul with Your Coffee Sir?




Photo from Tripadviser


There I was in the Millbrae Hill Café in Glasgow's Battlefield area nursing a coffee and ruminating as to how a seemingly innocuous  flattish tyre managed to open up a Pandora's Box of car defects and an associated huge hole in my wallet.
Gradually through the gloom I became aware of the music playing gently in the background which was some rather good soul music.
When I went to pay the chap (I refuse to use the term barista) I complimented him on his choice of music and on featuring Sharon Jones. He advised that it was a Spotify Soul playlist and seemed impressed with my  powers of observation.


Now here's the thing. It is a couple of days later and I have absolutely no recollection as to what song it was!
I know that it was not one of these two from the Daptone Gold compilation but let's face it anything by the late, great Miss Jones is surely worth a few minutes of your time.


Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings - How Long Do I Have To Wait?

Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings -Make It Good To Me

Thursday 8 March 2018

Country Rides Again


It's funny how one song often leads to another.
When filing Josh Rouse away Caitlin Rose was in close proximity and I thought that I would give her album Own Side Now a spin.
The first song had me immediately thinking of the brilliant Jonathan Goes Country..From there I was off to the plains of Texas and some Tex Mex courtesy of Patricia Vonne.

Further coincidences - the three songs featured are the first tracks on their respective albums.
Not content with appearing on three songs featuring horses Caitlin Rose has previously appeared on three songs featuring rabbits.
I think I'll stop there.

Caitlin Rose -Learning to Ride

Jonathan Richman - Since She Started to Ride

Patricia Vonne - Joe's Gone Ridin'

Wednesday 7 March 2018

Sequential Saint Etienne


I stuck on Too Young to Die - the album featuring the early singles of Saint Etienne a week or so ago and thought I should share some of it with you.
On checking the back catalogue to ensure I was not duplicating any tracks I was quite surprised to notice that they have appeared on these pages once  a year since 2013.
Surprised given that I would not consider myself a huge fan, I only have two albums and a single of theirs plus I can't say that I play them all that often.

Time to maintain the sequence though.

Saint Etienne - Kiss And Make Up

Saint Etienne - People Get Real

Tuesday 6 March 2018

Ended Up A Stranger


The recent charity shop acquisition Ended Up a Stranger is the 4th of the 14th studio albums released by The Walkabouts to grace the shelves.
I think it may be a promo as there is a sticker advising that the release date will be 29th October 2001.
It lists some recommended tracks (the first featured here being one) and handily lists the songs which contain swearing (so you don't have to go looking for them).
It also gives a quote from Q Magazine  advising that since 1984 The Walkabouts have been making music with a graceful, epic sweep as big as the heavens.
I've just read that they finally hung up their boots in 2015.
They never did anything  that came remotely close to their album Satisfied Mind (the greatest covers album of all time) but this one, on the Glitterhouse label, is another enjoyable outing by Carla Torgerson, Chris Eckman and the gang.

The Walkabouts - Lazarus Heart

The Walkabouts - Cul-de-Sac

Monday 5 March 2018

Road to Hell


Back to work today after two snow days, an annual leave and the week end.
These songs seem somewhat appropriate.
Mrs CC came in with this album the other day the one which saw Chris Rea moving from a respected blues musician to an artist with an international profile.
Fair play to him in that he never let success go to his head and was quite happy doing what he felt like doing.
Sadly his health has deteriorated in the last couple of years and in December he was taken to hospital after collapsing on stage in Oxford.

I'm sure we all wish him a speedy recovery. One of the good guys and true to his Middlesborough roots.

Chris Rea - The Road to Hell (Part 1)

Chris Rea - The Road to Hell (Part 2)

Sunday 4 March 2018

A Sunday Single # 9


Apologies for the quality of the recording. I could have posted a less crackly version from the Best of CD but that  would rather defeat the point of this series.
Having said that I'm not sure how much gas is left in the tank but we will plod on for a wee while yet.

Victims was the single which came after Karma Chameleon apart from in the States where it was felt to be too depressing to release as a single.They opted for Miss Me Blind instead.
Apparently about the not then publicly known relationship between Boy George and the band's drummer Jon Moss.
It reached number 3 following its release on 28th November 1983 remaining in the charts for 10 weeks. Another one of Mrs CC's.

The b-side Colour By Numbers is the title of the album on which Victims appears but does not feature on the album.

Culture Club - Victims

Colour By Numbers

Saturday 3 March 2018

Covered By Cash - Pocahontas



It's the final countdown and would you believe it it has gone right down to the wire.

Accusations of subterfuge were flying around after Johnny was pitched against Sheryl Crow scoring a decisive victory with his interpretation of Redemption Day  making the score Cash 9 the Rest 9.
In my defense Sheryl was originally scheduled to be before Steve Earle which would have resulted in the same score but in a different order.

I was considering pitching Johnny against Soundgarden this week with their respective versions of Rusty Cage but I figured that would be too easy.
So he is up against Neil Young. I've decided not to go with Heart of Gold as I think Neil would win easily.
Instead I've gone for Pocahontas as I feel this will be a lot closer.
Mr Young may feature in a similar cover series further down the line.

Two excellent versions. I guess it boils down to whose voice you like best or which you dislike least.
I'm going for the Man in Black. However had I chosen the version from Unplugged as opposed to Rust Never Sleeps my decision may well have been different.
Your last chance to concur or disagree.
Next one the winner.

Johnny Cash - Pocohontas

Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Pocahontas

Friday 2 March 2018

Don't Talk To Me About Heroes


I was probably too old for Madchester and  was certainly too old when the dregs of the Happy Mondays got together as Black Grape in 1993.
I also always felt that necking copious amounts of pills whose provenance was unknown was an incredibly stupid thing to do.
It didn't stop me liking some of the music though.
It's Great When You're Straight ... Yeah unsurprisingly reached number 1 following it's release in 1995

The three singles still sound pretty good to me but I feel that the rest of the tracks are pretty weak and haven't aged too well.
An iconic cover featuring Carlos the Jackal. An album which regularly pops up in charity shops these days.

Black Grape - Reverend Black Grape

Black Grape - Kelly's Heroes

Thursday 1 March 2018

Artists I've Seen in Someone's Garden in Austin - Volume 2


The reason we were prowling the streets of Austin suburbia was not to see the Polyphonic Spree, pleasant though they were, but to catch a glimpse of Will Johnston.
He was the lead singer of Denton, Texas band Centromatic who we had first been alerted to by Adam Reichmann of the band Nadine while chatting to him in a pub in Helensburgh, as you do.

We had previously caught Centromatic at SXSW proper and they put on an excellent show. We subsequently got to see Will a couple of times in Glasgow when his other band South San Gabriel played at King Tuts and when he performed solo as the support act to The Great Lake Swimmers at the Admiral Bar.

Sheryl Crow used to be his babysitter.

These two tracks from one of his solo albums Vultures Await conclude this mini-series.

Will Johnson - Catherine Dupree

Will Johnson - Vultures Await