de-minimis

27 January 2013

schtummcast010

A friend recommended I give this podcast a listen and having done so it's only fair that I share it with you too. It's full of deep house loveliness with a really warm feeling to it.

the quantic soul orchestra - 'assassin'

How about this for a killer tune?

26 January 2013

21 January 2013

After a fun evening watching a God-awful Jean Claude Van Damme film, so bad it was brilliant, we were channel-hopping and came across a documentary of Elvis Presley's Ed Sullivan Show performance in 1956. Quite literally going from the ridiculous to the sublime so I feel inspired to add a song by the King himself. I adore Elvis, I really do and it doesn't get much better than this - a cover of the Rodgers and Hart classic 'Blue Moon'.

Thankyou. Thankyou very much.

petula clark - 'cut copy me'

I hesitate to call her a grand dame of the British music scene as it makes her sound like one of those theatrical luvvies but I mean the words not in that sense but with the deepest reverence. This was from a recent EP and shows that she still has the voice and still has an ear for fresh pop. She sounds very like St Etienne here but then again St Etienne sound like Petula Clark so probably best to avoid any comparisons. Ms Clark is the real deal. Do check out too the remix versions online and she has a new album in the pipeline. Can't wait.

lánre part two

Further to my last blog entry I had a lovely message from Lánre who has sent me a link to the official video of 'Má Gbàgbé' and it's only fair that I share it with you too. She is definitely a talent to watch and I hope she gets the success she deserves.

lánre - 'má gbàgbé'

Stoke born and Lagos raised; it's a fascinating combination but there's no doubting that it has produced an exceptionally talented female singer-songwriter who draws equally from both country's cultures.

20 January 2013

old school hip-hop heroes

Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick - 'La Di Da Di'

Eric B and Rakim - 'Paid In Full'

Schoolly D - 'Put Your Filas On'

Roxanne Shante - 'Roxanne's Revenge'

our broken garden - 'breathe'

Taken from a recent Mojo magazine CD. My favourite Danish band have more than done the Floyd classic justice with this re-imagining. It's got a bit more pace to it than the original giving it an urgency that changes the mood of the song to one of slight paranoia or panic. It works well.

jimmy cliff - 'vietnam'

How many Vietnam veterans does it take to change a light bulb? What's that, you don't know? No, that's right because you weren't there man.

19 January 2013

jorge benjor - 'mais que nada'

Why not?

jean wells - 'have a little mercy'

Old school northern soul never sounded better.

c & c music factory - 'make you sweat team bayside high trap the bass bootleg'

I know what you're thinking but honestly, this is pretty damn good. I suspect it will divide opinion quite sharply but it has a very fresh and funky feel to it and if, like me, you're a fan of Diplo and his brand of in-your-face-get-off-your-arse-and-dance then you'll know what I mean.

ed prosek - ''elena'

Isn't social media brilliant at times? Take this tune for instance. I discovered this Californian born, Brighton based musician via Twitter this week. I I'm annoyed I hadn't heard of him before because his brand of personal, powerful and uplifting music is right up my street and now I've discovered him I'm going to listen a lot more. I'd made a mental note to check out his music last night but having the attention span of an 8 year old with ADHD really doesn't help. Fortunately I remembered this morning after a long session of listening to Townes Van Zandt and the Felice Brothers and Prosek's songs complimented the soundtrack to this Saturday morning magnificently.

sparklehorse - 'shade and honey'

Sad songs say so much.

18 January 2013

unknown mortal orchestra - 'swim and sleep'

The website ourvinyl.com called this correctly by referencing the very 60s style drumming and classic guitar riffs. To me the vocals also have a retro feel to it also. Is that the ghost of the Manfred Mann band calling? I think this is a great song to sign off with. Thanks for putting up with my spamming tonight.

polly scattergood - 'disco damaged kid'

Here's a very welcome return from my favourite Essex girl, Ms Scattergood. She's playing Brighton next Wednesday at the Green Door Store and I'm hoping she really mixes it up regarding her set with a healthy mix of old and new. This song is very much new and I think shows that she's really starting to come into her own with her music. It starts somewhat portentously and true to the song title the disco kicks in and hey presto, it's a perfectly crafted anthem. I've said it before but a talent this good deserves a lot of success.

funkenpumpen - 'city bossa cha cha (special tremble vemix)'

Let's bring the blog back into a party vibe with this track from Dr Funkenpumpen - guaranteed to get your feet tapping and head nodding or your money back - and Funkenpumpen doesn't do refunds. I've played this possibly half a dozen times on loop and am yet to tire of it. It has that endless quality to it that I love. It reminds me of Marvin Gaye's 'Got To Give It Up' in that respect. This doctor is definitely in the house.

scott walker - 'epizootics!'

There's leftfield music, there's the down right avant-garde and then there's music that is so far out there that it's out of sight. Who better to take you on that journey than a man who has been doing his own thing for 40 odd years and to hell with everything else. It is of course Scott Walker and this is the first track from his recently released album 'Bish Bosch'. It's nigh on impossible to put a label on this one particular song let alone the entire album. The song titles give a clue as to the exotic flavour but all I can do is urge you to listen to it - actively listen to it - as you would have to with say, Captain Beefheart or Psychic TV. It won't be all plain sailing but it is worth it.

thom yorke - 'hearing damage'

This Friday night blogging marathon continues, this time with a song that I haven't heard since it was released 4 years ago. Thom Yorke has deliberately sailed away from the mainstream with his solo projects as it has given him the space to experiment...and experiment he certainly has. It's not often been radio-friendly nor has he compromised his art for the sake of accessibility. This tune however, although heavy and brooding, is instantly likeable. It has the signature tune melancholia that English indie dance music does so well and perhaps that's why I feel it and why I get it.

the only record shop in mauritania

I've stumbled across a wonderful interview with Ahmede Valle, proprietor of the only record shop in Mauritania. He boasts an extremely eclectic stock that would put a few record shops in the UK to shame and its continued success proves that there is a healthy demand amongst his countrymen. I'm really quite in awe of the man who has made a business out of something that we both love. More power to his elbow, as long there is music in the world then there is hope.

cor de savina - 'requiem p'es sol'

It's rather trippy but I like it.

17 January 2013

dionne warwick - 'the look of love'

Quite possibly my favourite version of the Bacharach and David classic with Ms Warwick's golden voice providing the Rolls Royce finish to what is a masterpiece. They make it sound so easy.

16 January 2013

happy birthday sade

She's 54 today and still as stunning as when she burst onto the music scene in the 80s. Suffice to say, I'm a massive fan. I've played this before on my blog but it's worth another airing for a whole host of reasons. I'm still in love with Ms Adu.

15 January 2013

omd - 'decimal'

One of my favourite bands from my formative years have announced a new album, the aptly titled 'English Electric' to be released in April this year. OMD were hugely important to me as a child, it was through them and the likes of the Human League that I discovered Joy Division (who they supported back in the day) and Kraftwerk and really began to appreciate electronic music. I love how they flitted between experimental to unashamed pop so effortlessly. If they had been from another country rather than the UK they would have been cited much more often as a great influence but I think they suffered somewhat from the sheer numbers of great bands in the UK at the time that were pushing the boundaries of music far beyond what anyone could have imagined. They're back and I for one am eager to hear the whole album. Here's a sample of the first track to be released so far.

dntel - 'jitters'

From the 2012 album Aimlessness, this is a rather ethereal piece of electronica that helped me pass yet another long commute to work this morning. It's very much in a Robag Wruhme style and no surprise that he has remixed this and it's rather good too. This is the original in all it's glory.

11 January 2013

wave machines - 'i'll fit'

Here's the tune I promised you sent via a friend who certainly knows his onions, music-wise. The Wave Machines with some laid back loveliness.

lomovolokno - 'she'

A bit of a posting session tonight, I've got a corking tune that I'm going to post shortly but before I do this is an atmospheric bit of trip-hop for you.

factory floor - 'fall back'

It's Friday night and although I'm at home with my children having a quiet one, I still think of Friday nights as dance music night, it just seems to fit. This is what can probably best be described as minimal electro in that Ladytron/Miss Kittin and the Hacker kind of way and has a tempo that's best played at the business end of a DJ set, not anthemic but definitely one to keep clubbers on the dancefloor.

soko - 'first love never die'

It seemed that the Amanda Palmer selection yesterday was very portentous for here is a song that I discovered today that could at a distance sound like one of Ms Palmer's more inward-looking tracks. And the video is quite lovely too so I urge everyone to give this a listen.

10 January 2013

amanda palmer - 'no surprises'

I met a new friend tonight, we had a lovely conversation, I thought and the subject inevitably veered at some point in the direction of music. I mentioned this blog and asked them to pick a song and I promised to put it here. Their choice was most excellent too: Radiohead's 'No Surprises'. Rather than stick with the original I am going to opt for Amanda Palmer's version which features on her album of ukelele Radiohead covers. I have this album on vinyl and it's very dear to me, not least because it took over 2 years to arrive after I initially ordered it. I must have emailed Amanda and her record company and distributors at least 100 times in that period. No worries, it arrived and it was worth the wait. It also came with lots of extra goodies that I still have not touched. The tunes I must have played a thousand times though.

Amanda has her critics - her often abrasive and confrontational nature, the spat with her record companies, paying of band members with hugs and kisses in lieu of money and that was after she raised funds for the latest album from donations. My own personal bete noire is her Twitter addiction. I used to follow her but it just became far too much. It seemed to merge and become white noise and that was something I really didn't (and couldn't) associate with Ms Palmer. For all her perceived faults - or perhaps because of them - she remains a great role model for female singer/songwriters, her songwriting is up there with the best and of course there's the voice and what a voice it is. I urge people to check out the demo she did of Creep whilst nursing a hangover in Germany. It's on the Radiohead covers album too and widely available on the net. She holds the long note at the end for what seems forever yet over far too soon. I'm really looking forward to seeing her again in concert in a few months time.

I also think she is very sexy. Am I allowed to say that? I hope she doesn't mind, it's meant with the best intentions. She's certainly not a conventional beauty but she has wonderfully striking features that seem enhanced when she shares with us her wit and intelligence. I'm rambling, let's get on with the song. I hope my new friend approves.

09 January 2013

syreeta - 'your kiss is sweet'

I haven't heard this song in a long, long time and still sounds as fresh and quirky as when I first heard it as a small child back in the 70s. I googled her name and sad to say, she died in 2004. It's a shame, for sure.

03 January 2013

jedi mind tricks - 'blood In blood out'

I do like when hip hop looks leftfield for its samples and hooks. This offering from Jedi Mind Tricks takes heavily from Edita Piekha's "Nash Sosed". It's not every day you hear some hard as hell Philly rappers sampling cheesy Russian 60s pop either!

31 December 2012

happy new year

And to celebrate here's an oldie but a goodie.

26 December 2012

grimes - 'genesis'

This is from a live performance at the Pitchfork Music Festival from earlier this year. This woman will be massive next year after such a critically acclaimed debut album. Mark my words.

erasure - 'blue savannah (der deutsche mix i)'

Count the number of Kraftwerk samples in this beautiful remix of the Erasure track! I lost count, but it's a fun way to spend a Boxing Day. I always maintained that Erasure never got the credit they deserved at times with their music and I believe this mix kind of makes that point so well. It stands the test of time rather well too, I think.

22 December 2012

the temptations show

I should really go to bed but I keep finding music to listen to. This is the main reason tonight. a 20 minute long Temptations TV special. Just check out that live medley.

st. germain - 'rose rouge'

I've said this before but when the French do music don't do mediocre music. It's either awful or subliminal, I don't think there's too much that falls into the halfway slot. With that in mind, it's not difficult to guess which category this house/jazz tune falls into. It's so good, I'm going to loop it for a while and enjoy the moment.

21 December 2012

hammersmith gorillas

This blog entry is an unusual one in as much as it's inspired by one particular photo that I really need to share it, it's so wonderful. I can't work out if it's really naff or really, really cool. I'm leaning towards the cool. Love it.

I don't know an awful lot about them and can't say I've heard their music before but after coming across that photo I've done a little bit of digging on the internet and discovered they were a proto-punk pub band from err....Hammersmith(!) with heavy influences from the Who and the Kinks and the wider mod culture, as can be seen in the fusion fashion of modernist tailoring and glam rock flares. Here they are with, from an initial bit of research, their biggest hit. It's a heavier, faster, more garage rock version of the Ray Davies song. I'm not sure why they didn't get picked up by the punk movement in the same way as Johnny and the Thunders. Perhaps it was the suedehead sideburns - punk always did prefer rockers to mods.

the o'jay's - 'backstabbers (tom moulton remix)'

Remix this classic? I don't know about you but my first thought is why? It's gilding the lily and no mistake but this isn't a dodgy dubstep affair but he's kept very true to the essence of the original, given it a polish here, a new set of wheels there and one hell of a waxing and this absolute monster of a remix. I texted a mate of mine who knows his stuff (far more than me) and he tells me that Tim Moulton invented the 12". What a claim to fame.

jimmy reed - 'christmas present blues'

As an antidote to those Christmas classics that have been done to death, here's a peach of a tune. What it makes it even cooler is the singer shares the same name as my Grandad, who was, still is and always will be the coolest man ever to have drawn breath.

18 December 2012

unkle - 'eye for an eye backwards'

The Josh Homme remix of what is possibly my favourite Unkle track and the accompanying video are compelling. Sadly, the sentiments of the song will always be relevant.

james brown - 'dancing in heaven soulful christmas'

What a tune.

ólafur arnalds - 'day III: romance / day iv: allt varð hljótt'

Morning! Let's take this Tuesday nice and slowly. This video features tracks 3 and 4 from Arnalds 'Found Tapes EP' and is the CD on in my bedroom stereo right now.

08 December 2012

manic street preachers - 'australia'

They've never been my favourite band, too often spent posturing, too many songs turning into lectures and far too much taking themselves too seriously but their 'Everything Must Go' album is fantastic whichever way you measure it. This is, in my opinion, them at their best when they let go of the politics and just rock. The sentiment behind the song is about the band members trying to get as far away, mentally and physically, from their home in the Valleys and having to come to terms with the loss of their friend and band member, Richey Edwards.

cody chesnutt - 'till i meet thee (acoustic session)'

Still on a blues-y vibe here's Cody Chesnutt with some interesting choice of headware. I can't make out if he's rock climbing or going to war. Probably the former, he's a lover not a fighter.

lightnin' hopkins - 'lonesome graveyard'

After a morning spent listening to Dean Martin I'm dropping the mood slightly with this haunting Lightnin' Hopkins track.

06 December 2012

warpaint - 'beetles'

If only the Beatles had written a song entitled 'Warpaint' I would have had some wonderful symmetry. I recall reading a few years back that a band named an album after John Cougar Mellencamp after he had given his then new album a title shared by another band, so it does happen occasionally.

This is a great song and I do hope that the all-girl group are planning a new assault on the music industry after their wonderful debut a year or two back.

05 December 2012

dave brubeck 1920 - 2012

It seems to be a particularly bad year for music legends dying. I'm quite sad to hear that Dave Brubeck has passed away aged 91 (it would have been his 92nd birthday tomorrow). With his 1959 album 'Time Out' he completely changed the jazz landscape and gave us one of the great jazz standards - 'Take Five'. I'm going to take the first track from that album, the equally loved 'Blue Rondo A La Turk' as my tribute to him. So long and thanks for the music.

cat power - 'nothin' but time'

I must share this song with you, it popped up on my iPod on a long train journey home yesterday and was a real treat to listen to. It's one of those audience participation tunes at gigs and I suspect it features often at the end of her gigs. It has the bonus of Iggy Pop's dulcet tones too and more than a slight nod to Bowie's 'Heroes'. Others have compared the style to the Brian Jonestown Massacre and I can hear that too. Whatever the influence it's a damn good record so time for me to stop rabbiting on and let the music play.

crybaby - 'armies of darkness'

I've posted about Bristol warbler Danny Coughlan before. I think I described him as the lyrical genius of Morrissey or Hawley with the voice or Orbison. This is one of the stand-out albums of the year for me and is a source of constant pleasure.

kidkanevil - 'basho basho remixed remixed'

I picked this up randomly on Bandcamp recently. It's a remix album of Kidkanevil's Basho Basho and there's some pretty big names on the roster. Well worth a listen and proof, if ever any was needed that there are so many talented musicians out there.

hanne hukkelberg - 'a cheater's armoury'

From her 2006 album Rykestraße 68 album, this is Norwegian musical prodigy Hanne Hukkelberg. Her music lies somewhere between jazz, pop and folk and none better exemplified than with one of her biggest hits. The video is well worth a look too, it has an Emilie Simon feel to it that I like.

ken2 - 'el condor pasa dub'

When those crazy Japanese put their minds to creating great music, I don't think they can be beat. Here's Ken2 giving the Simon and Garfunkel standard a big heavy dub reggae makeover for a monster hit.

04 December 2012

eels - 'peach blossom'

Oh Lordy. Here's the brand new video to the Eels latest track 'Peach Blossom' the first track released from the new album scheduled for next year. Go 'E'!

03 December 2012

massive attack v burial - 'paradise circus'

I've played the 4 Walls collaboration before but this needs to be mentioned too and is dedicated to someone very special.

prodigy - 'smack my bitch up (major lazer remix)'

Take one dancefloor classic and give it to a top notch DJ to bring it bang up to date and here's the result. Hell yeah.

massive attack - 'black milk'

I remember the first time I heard this mesmerising song with Elizabeth Fraser's ethereal contribution. It still blows me away.

nick cave and the bad seeds - 'we no who u r'

This weekend has been incredibly painful after seeing Brighton lose 3-0 to our rivals Crystal Palace. I tell a lie, I saw it up to 2-0 and then left. This morning has been difficult for other reasons but I've been greatly cheered to see that Nick Cave has just released the first track on Youtube of his new album out in February/March. The song itself has a dreadful title "We No Who U R". I hate it when they do that. Weller did that too with the name of his last album too and I don't get it. It's like watching your dad dance. Not funny, not hip, not ironic.

The good news is that the song is beautiful. It's a classic Bad Seeds piano ballad complete with female backing singers. It was the kind of song that became the staple diet of his albums from Boatman's Call to Nocturama. Of late he has taken his mid-life crisis seriously with rockier Bad Seeds albums and the Grinderman spin-offs and so the piano ballads have been binned but this is a wonderful song and perfect to ease the pain of my troubled soul.

27 November 2012

nosaj thing - 'eclipse/blue'

It's a trippy little number that sounds like it's a mash-up of Radiohead remixes (this is a good thing) and features a wonderfully minimalist video by Daito Manabe. It's also the first single from their album 'Home' released in early 2013. One to look out for, for sure.

rhoda dakar - 'landlord'

By all accounts Ms Dakar is one of the loveliest singers you could hope to meet. I'm glad because I've always had this idea that she's a cool cookie.

23 November 2012

the pipettes - 'pull shapes'

A great tune from 6 or 7 years ago by a Brighton band with more line-up changes than the Drifters. Why did they ever have to ruin a great concept with a career-change towards disco?

17 November 2012

beach house - 'wild'

Very nice although I think I need to watch the video again and then I might understand it.

jungle fire - 'comencemos (renegades of jazz remix)'

The Saturday night get-your-groove-on continues with something a bit more laid back, a bit more grown up, a bit more the type of tune you could take home and introduce to your parents. Don't worry though, it's still as funky as a 3 week old pair of Bootsy Collins' underpants. The vibe is jazzy with a strong Latin accent and a horn section that rocks.

dj rhiannon ft. clinton sparks - 'nasty bitch (trap remix)'

Two raunchy videos in one night? Fuck yeah! This is straight out of the Major Lazer school of dance tunes. It's a floorfiller, it's in your face and it's insanely catchy. Oh and it's NSFW....but you knew that already didn't you?

lovage - 'stroker ace'

Some would probably say that it's a bit early in the evening for some laid back vocals over a trip hop drumbeat but I've long been of the opinion that any time of the day is the right time for great music. And if you throw a sultry female with a sexy French accent then that would be lovely too.

Let me just add as a postscript that this comes from the album 'Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By'. Has there been a finer album title in the history of recorded sound?

para one ft. jaw - 'when the night'

What better on a Saturday night than a dirty, funky tribute to late night chat lines complete with mostly undressed ladies fellating gherkins and bananas. I think you'll like this song but, as you can probably guess, the video is definitely NSFW.

smith and mighty - 'bass is maternal'

And I'm adding this, just because.

barry adamson and nick cave - 'sweetest embrace'

After a bit of a drinking session with a good friend that I hadn't seen for a long time, we inevitably ended up watching Acid House. It's an acquired taste. This is part of the soundtrack, a dark tune for a very dark film.

14 November 2012

isaac hayes - 'hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic'

Taken from his 1969 super-smash 'Hot Buttered Soul' and produced by Stax co-owner, no mean musician himself Al Bell. Marvell Thomas (son of Rufus and brother of Carla) also had a major part in this. The song itself is longer than the title which takes some doing but the concept of the album was to explore some of the deeper reaches of soul music and there was a free-form feel to it making it feel almost a jazz piece.

13 November 2012

depeche mode - 'useless (kruder and dorfmeister remix)'

It's a classic, for sure.

08 November 2012

michael mayer - 'lamusetwa'

Every once in a while you hear a dance tune that makes your drop. This, the 2nd track from his new album 'Mantasy' is a case in point. Michael Mayer never ever disappoints.

xxyyxx - 'about you'

It doesn't get more languid than this. Great tune, mind just don't put it on at a happy hardcore gig.

07 November 2012

philip selway - 'a simple life'

He shocked a fair few people when he released this solo album a year or two back. Drummers really shouldn't be this good with a guitar and microphone. The radiohead drummer's album is a beautifully constructed collection and has got nowhere near the recognition it deserves in my opinion. This is the third track from 'Familial', I hope he doesn't leave it too long before another.

02 November 2012

soft cell - 'so (warm acid edit)'

If you ever get a chance, have a listen to some Soft Cell B-sides and you'll find that they were often as good as the other "proper" side of the record.