GIG REVIEW : MARTIN STEPHENSON & THE DAINTEES : WOODEND CLUB, GLASGOW : THURSDAY 17 DECEMBER 2009

No matter how cold, damp and miserable it is outside - and believe me it was bloody freezing in Glasgow last Thursday night - you can always rely on Martin Stephenson & The Daintees to raise the temperature, get your pulse racing and banish any winter blues you might be feeling. Especially in the confines of the wonderful and homely venue that is the Woodend Bowling & Tennis Club in the west end of the city, home to so many great gigs promoted by Alan Hendry under the banner of Sounds in the Suburbs.

OK....regular readers might think they have read it all before - past reviews have banged on about me getting a ticket to a venue that holds 50-60 people at a push and going along with Mrs Villain where we arrive early, get a great seat, buy a bottle of wine at a ridiculously cheap price, watch a great show and then spend ages talking to the singer and his band afterwards.

But this was different. For once I had no Mrs Villain with me - she was delayed in getting home from London thanks to the snow and ice - and Comrade Colin stepped in at the 11th hour for what was both his first gig at the Woodend and his first time catching Martin and the boys on stage. And believe me, having raved on and on and on at him about the magnificence of past gigs, I was a wee bit tentative about whether or not this latest night would live up to the hype I had given past gigs.

I should of course have know better. Martin Stephenson never lets any of his audiences down. But please don't think that this is down to any element of predictability about the night - far from it. The set did lean heavily on the debut LP Boat To Bolivia which is always a bonus, but that was because these were the songs that the audience were calling out for throughout the night and Martin wanted as best he can to play a set based almost entirely on requests.

It was a show that lasted just under two hours, but seemed to fly past in about 45 minutes. If there was anything disappointing about the night then it was only down to the fact that the promoter's young daughter Sally Hendry, who has been known in the past to join the band on percussion and backing vocals on one or two songs, wasn't around. But we did get some cameos from other members of the audience - with Charlie (an old Glasgow mate of Martin's) joining in one manic cover song on backing vocals in the style of Donald Duck - and another bloke (whose name I didn't catch) joined in on another blues cover with the most amazing harmonica playing it has ever been my privilege to hear in a live setting.

The main highlight of the night however, were the 8-minute rendition of Boat To Bolivia in which Martin made full use of a number of pedals to get different sounds from his acoustic guitar and the sound-desk gave him different echos and delays on his mike to allow a ragga-style vocal delivery and the blistering version of Left Us To Burn which reminded us that not only Paul Weller wrote great anti-Thatcher songs but also allowed Anthony Dunn to show what a great bass player he is.

Aside from the music, we were treated to a number of great tales and anecdotes, including one about Nile Marr (son of the great Johnny) at the warm-up prior to a gig when he was the support act to the Daintees (during this tale guitarist Gary Dunn strummed the chords to This Charming Man to the delight of the audience).

But don't take my word for it. Comrade Colin absolutely loved it, despite knowing next to none of the songs saying afterwards that he loved being in the presence of such a natural-born entertainer. I reckon he'll come along the next time Martin is in town....

Due to what some would call a diary clash (i.e. I was at my work's night out), I didn't get along to see the band play the following night at the larger Accies Club in Glasgow. I'm reliably informed however that if anything the Friday gig was even better, thanks in part to the band not taking to the stage immediately after a long and arduous drive to Glasgow in difficult conditions. Also, with the second venue not being in the immediate vicinity of houses, the band could play on a bit later than 11pm and it turned into a three-hour marathon, again based on requests - with a little bit of stand-up thrown in free of charge by the Glasgow comic Bruce Morton.

I'm sure Alan Hendry is already planning the return of Martin Stephenson in 2010, and I can assure him that I will again be at the front of the queue looking for a ticket. I know that there are a few other interesting and unusual gigs coming along soon under the Sounds in the Suburbs banner (with more in the pipeline) - click here and see for yourself - and you could do a lot worse than getting along and having a great time.

mp3 : Martin Stephenson & The Daintees - Boat To Bolivia
mp3 : Martin Stephenson & The Daintees - Left Us To Burn

Happy Listening.

2009....IN LISTS

Being a blog that is largely of the retro variety, I'm not all that fussed about publishing a rundown of what I reckon to have been the best songs/albums of the year/decade. Yes, I do admit to making a few suggestions last month of stuff that you might fancy putting on your own Xmas lists or perhaps ideas for gifts for others, but I didn't see it as a derivative list.

Part of the problem is that in the closing months of any given year I cutback on my purchases of new music so that Mrs Villain and a few others can have some options for gifts to leave under the tree for opening on 25th December, and so I'm never really able to be in a position to offer a true list of the best of any given year until about three months into the next.

However, for some reason or other, my views and opinions have been asked for by one or two other bloggers out there, and have contributed to polls that have been carried out, and if you will indulge me, I'm going to share them with you.

First up is the work carried out by Lloyd from the Peenko blog (one that will be among a whole bundle added to the list on the right-hand side when I do so maintenance work over the Festive period). Lloyd wrote to all the Scottish bloggers he could think of, and to tart from Loveshack, Baby who became an honorary Scot for the purposes, and asked us to list our Top 10 albums of the year. My own list was:-

1. Butcher Boy - React Or Die
2. Paul Haig - Relive
3. Cats On Fire - Our Temperance Movement
4. Malcolm Middleton - Waxing Gibbous
5. The Twilight Sad - Forget The Night Ahead
6. Lord Cut-Glass - Lord Cut Glass
7. Florence & The Machine - Lungs
8. The Horrors - Primary Colours
9. Luke Haines - 21st Century Man
10. Frightened Rabbit - Quietly Now

The outcome ended up being given the title of 'The Scottish Bloggers and Music Site Awards 2009'. Or the Scottish BAMS 2009 (bam being a word used in this part of the world to describer an idiot). And the Scottish BAMS 2009 turned out like this:-

1. The Phantom Band - Checkmate Savage
2. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion
3. De Rosa - Prevention
4. King Creosote - Flick the V's
5. Withered Hand - Good News
6. The Twilight Sad - Forget The Night Ahead
7. We Were Promised Jetpacks - These Four Walls
8. Beerjacket - Animosity
9. Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More
9. Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career
11. My Latest Novel - Deaths and Entrances
11. Malcolm Middleton - Waxing Gibbous
13. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - s/t
14. You Already Know - s/t
14. Broken Records - Until the Earth Begins to Part
16. The XX - s/t
17. The Antlers - Hospice
18. Sufjan Stevens - The BQE
18. And So I Watch You From Afar
20. Wilco - The Album

So, it appears I'm out of kilter with most of my fellow bloggers round these parts, with only two of my nominations making the final list. Hey ho.....

I was also asked by Tim over at Contrast Podcast to list my favourite 50 tracks of the year, and while I wont bother giving you the full list, my Top 20 was:-

1. Horoscope - Cats On Fire
2. A Better Ghost - Butcher Boy
3. When I'm Asleep - Butcher Boy
4. Red Travellin Socks - Malcolm Middleton
5. Oh Men! - Aidan Moffat & the Best Ofs
6. Round and Round - Paul Haig
7. Pissing On Bonfires/Kissing With Tongues - Meursault
8. Tears In Your Cup - Cats On Fire
9. The Man Who Took On Love (and Won) - The Low Miffs and Malcolm Ross
10. This Kiss Will Marry Us - Butcher Boy
11. The Furnace - Meursault
12. Big Blonde - Adian Moffat & the Best Ofs
13. Relive - Paul Haig
14. Lullaby - Editors
15. Carve A Pattern - Butcher Boy
16. Letters From A Voyage To Sweden - Cats On Fire
17. The Howling - The Phantom Band
18. Holy Fuck! - Lord Cut Glass
19. Heads Will Roll - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
20. I Became A Prostitute - The Twilight Sad

OK, my mistake was to include the Meursault tracks from the debut LP as it was released in late 2008, but given that I didnt get to hear it until 2009, I thought I'd offer them up in the list, so that was a waste of a few votes.

So far, Tim has only released the chart positions between #34 and #50, with the next two week set to let us know which are top of the pops. Not many of that list are on it so far....in fact only Big Blonde has made it and that was at #45. And if you go in and listen, you'll hear me introducing the song within the podcast......

All these results make me feel as if I'm casting my votes for complete no-hopers...the sort of songs and albums that mean something to me but seemingly very few other people. I hope they don't make me look like some sort of muso-snob who plumps for the wilfully obscure....

mp3 : Dweeb - Chart Raider Space Invader
mp3 : The Rezillos - Top Of The Pops
mp3 : Sparks - The Number One Song In Heaven

Happy Listening

Late PS.......

One of the best gigs I went to in 2009 was one performed by Butcher Boy at the Glasgow Film Theatre on 14th June. It consisted of some specially composed music to accompany three silent black and white movies that were shot by Enricco Cocozza in the 1950s, followed by the band playing a short set of tracks from their two albums. It really was quite magical in so many ways.

Some of the music from the silent movies will now form the demos for the band going into the studio next summer to start work on album #3. One track, entitled Every Other Saturday, has been made available via YouTube along with some 1961 footage shot by the father of band guitarist Robert. I thought you might be interested in seeing it here.



Thanks to Basil Pieroni for the heads-up.......

CHRISTMAS #1 IN 2010?????

Just heard that the Cowell hit-making machine has been stopped, temporarily, in its tracks with the news that Rage Against The Machine is the Xmas #1.

If we're going to manage to do the same next year, we need to get behind one track. There will be some out there who ask that it be The Pogues, others will want Slade.....we might even get the Sex Pistols in an effort to give them the #1 they were denied in Jubilee Year in 1977.

I'd like to suggest what I reckon is THE best Christmas single ever......

Here's what the NME of 28 November 1987 had to say:-

From sample Wonderland to Get Down town, the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu power on. Here, the Kings of the Greengate Sampler have hired the talents of the London Community Gospel Choir, received permission to use Petula Clark's classic, and fireballed the two, along with their own rap, into one massive hell-hating holler of a song.

Whereas 'Whitney Joins The Jams' was a tale of simple sample fantasy, 'Down Town's' lyrics question the inadequacies and inconsistencies of society in the same demanding way 'All You Need Is Love' first fingered the confusion and hysteria surrounding AIDS.

Deep down in the mix amidst the sleigh bells, the church organ and the police sirens King Boy can be heard bouncing questions like rubber bricks off the walls of "Glory, what Glory? In a wine-bar world? In a tenement block? OK let's hear it" crows the Clydeside MC.

The Jams may not be the hippest, sanest or sweetest band to stalk the earth this year, but they're certainly the most imaginative.....firing a trail so shocking they couldn't have kept you more on your toes if they stuffed a hand grenade up your ass and sent you to tap dance in a pair of stilettos!

mp3 : The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu - Downtown (12 inch version)

I reckon that this should be the song we rally around next year to prevent the X Factor empire stealing the #1 spot.

JC IS UNWELL

mp3 : The June Brides - Sick, Tired & Drunk

TOUCHED BY THE HAND OF GOD

Well.....that could have been a headline you would have expected to read when this single was released in mid 1996.

It was a time when the mania and hype around Oasis was at its most ferocious with Wonderwall and Don't Look Back In Anger having dominated the singles charts like no others in many a long time. Beck had recorded a critically-acclaimed LP entitled Odelay, but the first single lifted from it, Where It's At, hadn't done all that well, peaking at #61 in the USA and #35 in the UK.

But Noel Gallagher was a big fan of Beck and he offered to play on and produce a remix of the follow-up single, Devils Haircut. Fair play to the record label, they resisted the temptation to make the most of things by keeping the original version as the single with Noels' remix, along with another remix by Mike Simpson of The Dust Brothers made available as extra tracks along with a previously unreleased Beck song.

The Oasis connection worked to some extent in the UK, with the single reaching #22 (which is the third highest single position Beck has achieved over here). But it made no difference at all in the USA with Devils Haircut bellyflopping its way to #94.

mp3 : Beck - Devils Haircut
mp3 : Beck - Devils Haircut (Remix by Noel Gallagher)
mp3 : Beck - Devils Haircut (Groovy Sunday Remix by Mike Simpson)
mp3 : Beck - Trouble All My Days

My own verdict? An excellent pop single on its own. But both remixes do manage to bring something extra along to the song - the extra guitar playing (by Noel Gallagher himself) makes it ideal for your indie discos, while Mike Simpson's work gives it a touch of soul.....

Happy Listening.

IT'S FRIDAY I'M IN LOVE....WITH GREAT SCOTTISH SINGLES (7)

I don't say thank you enough to those folk out there who quietly encourage me to keep the blog going on the days and indeed weeks when I cant be arsed and it all feels a bit of a chore. It doesn't happen all that often, but some days when work gets a bit too much, I just want to come home and flop on the couch and not head for the PC to check on e-mails and keep an eye on whether on not the bad men with the dmca notices are hunting for me.

But as I say, its small words of encouragement in e-mails and in the comments section that often make a difference, and on top of that I've a small number of friends (and my brother that lives in Florida) who are also regular readers and sometimes they will give me a quick call and say that a posting had been good and that the song had triggered off a few decent memories.

Today's long-lost and forgotten Scottish single is for one of my friends as he was a big fan of this Edinburgh* band back in the days when none of us knew anything about them.

The Valves formed in 1977 and in September of that year, they had the distinction of releasing the first ever record put out on the Zoom label which was run by local record store mogul Bruce Findlay, who would later find some fame and fortune as the man who discovered Simple Minds.

In December 1977 a second single was released on Zoom, but it took until July 1979 before their third 45 hits the shops. And it's that very single that I managed to track down a wee while back on ebay:-

mp3 : The Valves - It Don't Mean Nothing At All
mp3 : The Valves - Linda Vindaloo

OK, so its not what could really be called a great Scottish single. Very much of its time - and that time was 1977 some two years before it came out. But its the least I could for my good mate John Greer who has had a few ups and downs in 2009. Here's hoping 2010 is a lot luckier.....

And now, here is THE great Valves song - the b-side of their second single:-

mp3 : The Valves - Ain't No Surf In Portobello

Happy Listening.

* The Valves were actually from Portobello, which some folk argue is not actually part of Edinburgh at all. It is the coastal part of the city....it does have a beach....but it certainly doesn't have any surf.

ONE OF HIS BIGGEST HITS THIS WAS....

He'll the first to admit that he's never really been one for trying to set the singles chart alight, but Billy Bragg must look back over his career and wonder why so many great 45s flopped in the most spectacular of manners.

He went Top 20 very early on his career with the Between The Wars EP, and other than a charity double-sided single with Wet Wet Wet that went to #1 in 1988, only two more of his singles ever made the Top 40 during the 20th Century.

One of those was Sexuality, and the other was a different version of another song originally made available on Don't Try This At Home:-

mp3 : Billy Bragg - Accident Waiting To Happen (Redstar Version)

This reached #33 in early 1992, thanks in part to the record label going for the multi-format approach with a 7", 12" plus two CDs being released. You folk will have to make do with the three tracks that came with the 12":-

mp3 : Billy Bragg - Sulk
mp3 : Billy Bragg - The Warmest Room (live)
mp3 : Billy Bragg - Revolution

Yup, its a cover of a Beatles song, although at less than 2mins in length it's a bit of a trash-through than anything else. Sulk is a great 'lost' song of Billy Bragg - one that would have not been out of place at all on the LP. Not sure where exactly the live track is taken from - there's no information on the back of the sleeve or on the label, but its from the period when Billy first toured with a band - The Redstars. I know it was an extensive and ambitious tour, and the gig I was lucky enough to see at the Queen's Hall in Edinburgh was hugely enjoyable, although I recall thinking at the time that Billy seemed to often forgot that he had a band onstage with him as he delivered his ever-entertaining monologues for up to 5 minutes at a time that had the other musicians looking around for something to do in the meantime.

Here's a version I found browing around on youtube:-



Cant believe mind you that it was over 17 years ago. I reckon me and Billy have put on about the same amount of weight since then.......

A SONG I MEANT TO POST MONTHS AGO.....

The best part of a year ago was when I reviewed the book Bad Vibes : Britpop and My Part In Is Downfall by Luke Haines. The mp3s that accompanied the post covered all aspects of Luke's career with the exception of anything by the short-lived project that he called, with no concern for controversy, Baader Meinhof.

The reason for not the lack of such mp3s was simple - back in January I didn't have anything in the collection by Badder Meinhof. But that changed when I finally got my hands on a wonderful and diverse 3CD compilation rounding up Luke Haines' career. As the title of the posting indicates, this is something that I had meant to let you all hear a long while back:-

mp3 : Baader Meinhof - Baader Meinhof
mp3 : Baader Meinhof - Meet Me At The Airport

Its the sound of The Auteurs with added electronica and its bloody marvellous.

And he's still playing the songs nowadays as can be seen with this clip from October 2009:-



Happy Listening.

SOMETHING OF A LET-DOWN

I don't like using the blog to say negative things. That's why if I go to a gig that's a letdown I wont write about it, while if I buy a record that I dont like I tend to ignore it. Which is why I've never given a mention at all this year to Humbug, the lastest LP by Arctic Monkeys.

Maybe they've just set far too high a standard with their previous singles, b-sides and albums, but there was just not much about the 2009 release that got me excited. Yes, some of the lyrics are as brilliant and clever as ever, but its the disappointing lack of memorable tunes that let the current LP down. A bit too rock and not enough indie is probably the best way to sum it up.

Not enough things like these:-

mp3 : Arctic Monkeys - When The Sun Goes Down
mp3 : Arctic Monkeys - Temptation Greets You Like A Naughty Friend
mp3 : Arctic Monkeys - Who The Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys?

Mind you, I'm still looking forward to seeing what happens next.......

TVV : TUESDAY 1 DECEMBER 2009 - A CORRECTION

On Tuesday 1st December 2009, TVV published some words and mp3s associated with two tracks that appeared on the CD entitled The Indie Scene 1986.

Unfortunately, due to a production error, the song by the band Easterhouse was labeled wrongly. TVV offers an unreserved and fulsome apology to all its readers for this fuck-up.

mp3 : Easterhouse - Whistling In The Dark

And as an additional apology, here's the single that was mentioned but not featured:-

mp3 : Easterhouse - Come Out Fighting

However, TVV rejects the complaint made by one reader in respect of the posting from Thursday 10th December. Everyone at TVV knows it should be Robert Forster. The words used that day merely replicated those which appeared in the sleeve notes of the CD. And yes, his solo LP The Evangelist is an exceptional piece of work.

mp3 : Robert Forster - Let Your Light In, Babe

A couple of requests came in while I was sunning myself in St Lucia and since I'm in a good mood (which is likely to change when I return back to work later today):-

mp3 : Paul Quinn & The Nectarine No.9 - Tiger Tiger
mp3 : The Skids - Vanguard's Crusade
mp3 : The Skids - All The Young Dudes
mp3 : The Skids - Hymns From A Haunted Ballroom

Happy Listening.

THE CLASS OF '79 (Part 41)

This time 30 years ago, this single had been in the shops for about a week. It would eventually climb to #11 in the UK charts and give The Clash their biggest ever hit while they were a going concern (they did of course top the charts in 1990 with a re-release of Should I Stay Or Should I Go? after its use in a telly advert).

It contains one of the most instantly recognisable opening guitar riffs on any record ever released. And a brilliant bass line that kicks in very early on and drives the song relentlessly for the rest of its three and three-quarter minutes.

And of course it was the lead track from the double-album of the same name that was released exactly 30 years ago this very day.

I really can't say very much about London Calling, the single or the LP, that hasn't been said before by critics and fans the world over, time and time again. It remains a personal favourite to this very day, and is a record that hasn't dated and never will. Musically, it has just about everything across its 19 tracks, and lyrically it contains some of the best things that Joe Strummer and Mick Jones ever put to paper.

Oh and of course, the b-side to the single, a cover of a relatively little-known reggae tune written about a year or so earlier by Willi Williams, is also quite stunning:-

mp3 : The Clash - London Calling
mp3 : The Clash - Armagideon Time **

And with that, I'm going to bring the Class of '79 series to a halt.

I hope the series has stirred a few memories for those of you old enough to remember what it was like 30 years ago, and if you're a bit younger, I hope you've enjoyed some of the antiques that have appeared here over the past 12 months.

Come the new year, I'm going to start a new series on Sundays at TVV. Haven't made my mind up yet just what it will be mind you.....

** It was remiss of me not to originally mention that the song Armagideon Time also gives its name to one of the most varied and enjoyable blogs out there. Click here and see what the talented Bitter Andrew is talking about.....

TWO OR MORE OF THE SAME (vii)

This is the very occasional series that features different songs with a common title. And given that I've just arrived back in Glasgow from my holiday, then this seems to be rather appropriate:-

mp3 : The Beloved - Hello
mp3 : Oasis - Hello
mp3 : James - Hello

The song by The Beloved is the opening track on their very fine 1990 LP Happiness and is a blend of indie pop, electronica and acid house. Released as a single at the beginning of 1990, Hello got to #19 in the UK charts.

It was 1995 when the Oasis song Hello was unleashed on the world. As with The Beloved, it is the opening track on an album, the incredibly popular What's The Story (Morning Glory). 23 million copies are reckoned to the worldwide sales of this particular album, and given that it features a sample and therefore a co-writing credit for Gary Glitter, it's probably made him quite a few bob as well.

And finally from 1999, the James song Hello is lifted from the LP Millionaires. Unlike the other two, it wasn't the opening song on the LP, but tucked away as the seventh track out of twelve. Not surprising as its downbeat melody and sad lyric make it the far from ideal track with which start an LP off.....but its another fine example of the singing talent of Tim Booth.

Thanks for continuing to pop in while I was away. The Class of '79 returns tomorrow. I'll also do an additional post which deal sorts out that mistake I made at the start of the most recent series.

THE INDIE SCENE 1986 (Part 11)

And finally completing the series of tracks and words as found on the CD The Indie Scene 1986, a compilation released in 1992.

mp3 : That Petrol Emotion - It's A Good Thing (Demon D1042)

Ireland's That Petrol Emotion emerged from the remnants of The Undertones to produce well-crafted pop songs with a rock aggression that had been lacking until the mid-1980s. Signed by Demon they hit the European tour circuit and are caught here on a fiery blast of wit and wisdom.

mp3 : The Psylons - Run To The Stranger (Crystal CRYSTAL 10)

Portsmouth guitar outfit at the time with psychedelic twinges whose debut mini album was given its name by John Peel 'Psylons Is Golden'. After this indie hit more singles abounded moving into "frantic drumming, femmes bass and buzzshaw guitars" territory which to continue the reviewers quote made them like "joy-riders on PCP".

Happy Listening.

Back to normal from tomorrow.

THE INDIE SCENE 1986 (Part 10)

Continuing the series of tracks and words as found on the CD The Indie Scene 1986, a compilation released in 1992.

mp3 : The Go Betweens- Lee Remick (Situation 2 SIT 44)

This eulogy to the actress was actually recorded in 1979 when The Go Betweens were but two, Grant McLennan and Robert Foster, and issued in their native Australia as their first single. Only issued in the UK in 1986 after signing with the Beggars Banquet empire.

mp3 : Rose Of Avalanche - Velveteen (Fire BLAZE 14)

Leeds' love of wired Goth music, long hair and serious attitudes continued with this nicely worked sub-rock groaner. Rose Of Avalanche quickly developed their cult following, progressed in Europe and secured their place in the goth hall of fame.

Happy Listening

THE INDIE SCENE 1986 (Part 9)

Continuing the series of tracks and words as found on the CD The Indie Scene 1986, a compilation released in 1992.

mp3 : Pop Will Eat Itself - Oh Grebo I Think I Love You (Chapter 22 CHAP 9)

While the world was beginning to jingle jangle in earnest, the Midlands' Pop Will Eat Itself launched themselves as aggressive heavy duty punk saviours. Playing it fast, flash and trashy they were quick to swap their roots for dance when the opportunity arose. 'Poppiecock EP' however, is as raw and rootsy as it gets.

mp3 : All About Eve - In The Clouds (Eden EDEN 2)

Emotional Goth-based minimalism in the true Kate Bush sense of the word, A;; About Eve were set to draw a shroud over many a bedsit session of outpouring hearts with this early 'In The Clouds' 45. Later signed to Phonogram they perfected their sound and charted.

Happy Listening

THE INDIE SCENE 1986 (Part 8)

Continuing the series of tracks and words as found on the CD The Indie Scene 1986, a compilation released in 1992.

mp3 : Close Lobsters - Going To Heaven To See If It Rains (Fire BLAZE 15)

Possessing a wicked vocal style and well-crafted lyrical edge, Close Lobsters are yet another indie legend who disappeared long before they had time to fulfill their promise.'Going To Heaven' tells just part of the story, if you ever get the chance to decipher any of their other drawled vocals, then grab it.

mp3 : The Mekons - Helo Cruel World (Sin SIN 4)

Another phase for the Leeds-originated band who emerged as punk heroes and embraced folk music after getting heavy-handed for a while. Whatever their guise, the secret of The Mekons was their numerous disparate bodies pulling together to make a complete sound. 'Cruel World' is a perfect example.

Happy Listening

THE INDIE SCENE 1986 (Part 7)

Continuing the series of tracks and words as found on the CD The Indie Scene 1986, a compilation released in 1992.

mp3 : The Flatmates - I Could Be In Heaven (Subway SUBWAY 6)

The Flatmates were altogether a wimpier variation of rock music. There were moments when the two-girl/two-boy axis strode out of their jangly following and threatened to turn the world around to their pop vision but 'Heaven' was never really capitalised on and the band eventually fell apart.

mp3 : The Chesterfields - Completely And Utterly (Subway SUBWAY 7)

The Chesterfields had little resumption of the big time, or even a grand plan. Writing throwaway pop songs in the Orange Juice mould, they were destined to be ignored by most but cherished for every limited edition 45.

Happy Listening

THE INDIE SCENE 1986 (Part 6)

Continuing the series of tracks and words as found on the CD The Indie Scene 1986, a compilation released in 1992.

mp3 : Erasure - Sometimes(Mute MUTE 51)

Blending pop into an electronic setting but still retaining the melody...it's easy to over-analyse Erasure. The truth of the matter is they write great pop songs.

mp3 : The Primitives - Really Stupid (Lazy LAZY 2)

Blonde power emerged in the C86 boom and The Primitives' Lazy label were snapped up by RCA. With more than its fair share of punk power and leather-clad posing, The Primitives rock lineage was destined for chart success but they could never live up to the excesses of their status.

Happy Listening

THE INDIE SCENE 1986 (Part 5)

Continuing the series of tracks and words as found on the CD The Indie Scene 1986, a compilation released in 1992.

mp3 : Mighty Mighty - Throwaway (Chapter 22 CHAP 10)

The poppy, bedsit side of the jangly generation was all about goofy looking guys being able to fall in love and have natural feelings - well, sort of. Mighty Mighty were the goofiest and even became groomed for pop success. Sadly, their looks never lived up to their songwriting skills.

mp3 : The Very Things - Motortown (One Little Indian DCL1)

From the nucleus of The Cravats, The Very THings resurrected Motown melodies and added a gruff, growling vocal. 'Motortown' was anthemic and should have given them a career of film noir influenced success. Sadly, and probably through the success of labelmates The Sugarcubes, they were overlooked.

Happy Listening

THE INDIE SCENE 1986 (Part 4)

Continuing the series of tracks and words as found on the CD The Indie Scene 1986, a compilation released in 1992.

mp3 : Goodbye Mr Mackenzie - The Rattler (Precious JEWEL 2)

Scots band Goodbye Mr Mackenzie included a former Exploited guitarist and the success if this indie 45 earnt them an EMI contract. The subsequent years saw a string of releases but it was only the numerous re-issues of this track that retained their commercial success.

mp3 : His Latest Flame - Somebody's Gonna Get Hurt (Go! Discs GOD 10)

Also from north of the border and later signed to the London label. His Latest Flame were an all-girl six-piece who fused harmonies and melodies with a Motown bent on this excellent single debut. They never quite managed to repeat the formula but this track makes up for their later output.

Happy Listening

THE INDIE SCENE 1986 (Part 3)

Continuing the series of tracks and words* as found on the CD The Indie Scene 1986, a compilation released in 1992.

mp3 : Billy Bragg - Levi Stubbs' Tears (Go! Discs GOD 12)

Billy Bragg's position as one of today's greater writers of telling lyrics was assured already. 'Levi Stubbs' ' merely confirmed that the simple folk sound and aggressively-penned lyrics shouldn't pass anyone by.

mp3 : Half Man Half Biscuit - Trumpton Riots (Probe Plus TRUM 17)

Madness also existed in 1986 and Tranmere's Half Man Half Biscuit had plenty of it. From and album and live show filled with TV references to Peel single success, Half Man were loved and trusted by cult fans and the rock hierarchy alike.

* As written is the sleeve notes. Don't blame my unreliable typing for the errors above. Oh and why didn't it simply say under Billy's entry.....a candidate for the most gorgeous and saddest love song of all time.

Happy Listening.

THE INDIE SCENE 1986 (Part 2)

Continuing the series of tracks and words as found on the CD The Indie Scene 1986, a compilation released in 1992.

mp3 : Pulp - Little Girl (Fire FIRE 5)

Sheffield's Jarvis Cocker and his cohorts have only recently re-emerged from a self-imposed sabbatical. Their roots go back to well-designed pop madness like this prime example from the mid-80s. Perversely on the wrong side of pop acceptance, 'Little Girl' sounds just as offbeat today.

mp3 : Blue Aeroplanes - Lover And Confidante (Fire FIRE 8)

Bristol's multi-talented and multi-personed Blue Aeroplanes were scooped from their own label onto Fire and more recently Ensign where major chart success rewarded their years of wordy prose, and multi-layered guitars.

Happy Listening.

THE INDIE SCENE 1986 (Part 1)

OK folks....you need to indulge me a fair bit over the next few postings.

I'm off on holiday for 11 nights....to somewhere far away where it is sunny and warm. And I don't intend to check in on-line all that often and see how the blog is doing in my absence. And I've decided to be really lazy while I'm away and do 11 posts of two songs each, all taken from a CD album called The Indie Scene 1986 that was released some six years later. Not only that, but I'm going to just repeat word for word what was said in the accompanying sleeve notes.

mp3 : The Weather Prophets - Almost Prayed (Creation CRE 29)

The first and best single from former Loft frontperson Peter Astor's Weather Prophets first arrived as a double-45 pack, filled with emotional harmonies and a killer hookline. The world expected the group to make major label history but their time was shortlived and superseded by a succession of fellow labelmates.

mp3 : Easterhouse - Come Out Fighting (Rough Trade RT 164)

Manchester's Easterhouse were acclaimed as The Clash to The Smiths' Pistols and certainly their songs were strong enough. Sadly, inter-band rifts saw their demise but not before this carefully-crafted pop song that exposed the inadequacies of the Northern Ireland situation.

Happy Listening.

TESTING, TESTING....3

Two previous postings featuring the man with possibly the biggest ego in pop music in my lifetime have escaped the notice of the dmca chaps. Will it be third time unlucky??

mp3 : Prince and The New Power Generation - Sexy MF
mp3 : Prince and The New Power Generation - Strollin'
mp3 : Prince and The New Power Generation - Daddy Pop

You wont be surprised to find that the record label had to provide radio stations the world over with a censored version of the song. It was a huge hit in the UK, reaching #4 in the charts in the summer of 1992, but less so in the USA where it stalled at #66 (I'm guessing that even with the censored version many stations didn't play the song for fear of an orchestrated backlash among local communities).

There's a funky groove thang going on in the TVV house today.

Happy Listening

THE CLASS OF '79 (Part 40)

The Jam released three cracking singles in 1979 - Strange Town, When You're Young and The Eton Rifles.

Personally, I thought the last of them was the weakest of the three, but it did give the band their first Top 10 single at the ninth attempt. Oh and every single afterwards (with the exception of the import-only That's Entertainment) would also go Top 10.

And it was the NME Single Of The Year for 1979.

mp3 : The Jam - The Eton Rifles
mp3 : The Jam - See-Saw

Paul Weller was only 21 years of age when he wrote this song, and contrary to popular belief, it isn't based on anything that happened to him.

It was inspired by newspaper story that concerning elements of a Right To Work march going through Slough in 1978 breaking off to attack pupils from Eton College who were jeering them. However, the marchers got a bit of a kicking for their troubles as the posh boys tuned out to be younger, fitter and more than capable of looking after themselves.

Much of the trouble was blamed on marchers from a far-left political party, with some first-hand reports claiming that they instigated the fight and then fled the scene when they realised they were going to get a hiding - thus Weller's scathing lines

" What a catalyst you turned out to be
Loaded the guns then you run off home for your tea
Left me standing like a guilty schoolboy."

Here's a clip from a BBC2 programme called 'Something Else' back in the days.




Oh and here's wee bonus of a demo version (although its actually a solo Weller recording):-

mp3 : The Jam - The Eton Rifles (demo version)

Happy Listening.

ANYONE ELSE A FAN?

That above is a picture of one of the many line-ups of The Monochrome Set.

It's easier to tell you their story with an adaptation from wikipedia:-

The original line-up consisted of Indian born lead singer and principal songwriter Bid (real name Ganesh Seshadri), Canadian guitarist Lester Square (real name Thomas W.B. Hardy), drummer John D. Haney, and bassist Charlie Harper. The band went through several bassists in the next few years, including Jeremy Harrington, and Andy Warren of the Ants, a childhood friend of Bid.

Experimental filmmaker Tony Potts began collaborating with the band in 1979, designing lighting and stage sets with film projections for their live appearances. The band's early persona was defined by the shadowy, uncertain stage images created by the films to such an extent he is often described as being the band's "fifth member."

They released several singles for the Rough Trade label before recording their debut album, "Strange Boutique", produced by Bob Sargeant, for Virgin Records' imprint DinDisc in 1980, as well as their follow-up effort, Love Zombies, produced by Alvin Clark and the band later that same year. John Haney left the band in 1981 and was replaced by Lexington Crane.

In 1982, the band switched labels to Cherry Red to release their third full-length album, Eligible Bachelors, produced by Tim Hart. Lester Square and Lexington Crane left soon afterwards, and were replaced by keyboardist Carrie Booth and drummer Nicholas Weslowski. This line-up recorded 1982 single Cast a Long Shadow, for Cherry Red before Booth was in turn replaced by new lead guitarist James 'Foz' Foster.

In 1983, Cherry Red released Volume, Contrast, Brilliance... sessions & singles vol. 1, a retrospective of the band's early Rough Trade singles, BBC and Capital Radio sessions, and other unreleased early sessions.

In 1985, with the same line-up as on Cast a Long Shadow, The Monochrome Set recorded the relatively mainstream album The Lost Weekend for major label Warner Bros. Records. The Lost Weekend failed commercially, and after a few singles, the band officially broke up, though they served as Jessica Griffin's backing band on the first album by the Would-Be-Goods, The Camera Loves Me.

In early 1990, Bid, Lester Square and Andy Warren reformed the band, with the addition of keyboardist Orson Presence and drummer Mike Slocombe (who was quickly replaced by Trevor Ready). The new band toured extensively—especially in Japan, where Bid had become a major star.

The band released several low-key albums for Cherry Red Records during the 1990s, and has been on hiatus since 1998, though Bid has since recorded a number of albums with his new band, Scarlet's Well. The song "He's Frank" appears on the popular tv series "Heroes" in the second season.

The band reunited on 8 October 2008 for a one-off performance at Cherry Red's 30th Anniversary party at Dingwalls, London. It also marked the 30th year of The Monochrome Set. Bid, Andy Warren and Lester Square were joined by Jennifer Denitto (drums) and Sian Dada (keyboards) of Scarlet's Well, and performed 13 songs.

Do you want to know something else about this largely-forgotten band? They were big favourites of both Johnny Marr and Morrissey....and musically and lyrically they were an influence on the Manchester magicians. All sound quite interesting doesn't it:-



And how about these as well:-

mp3 : The Monochrome Set - Jacob's Ladder
mp3 : The Monochrome Set - The Mating Game
mp3 : The Monochrome Set - He's Frank (Slight Return)

I think you'll also agree that Franz Ferdinand have been influenced by the last of the above tracks.

Happy Listening.

IT'S FRIDAY, I'M IN LOVE....WITH GREAT SCOTTISH SINGLES (6)

My very dear friend Jacques the Kipper cannot abide Simple Minds. They've always been one of those bands that get that sort of reaction from otherwise fair-minded folk. Even back in the days before they went massive and all stadium-rock wanky on us.

Me?? I loved them to bits back in the early 80s. I even forgave them some of the early pomp-rock because the video for Waterfront was shot on location in Glasgow and gave the city a real boost at a time when many had written us off as being in terminal decline. I didn't even mind the fact that they enjoyed massive success across the world in the mid-late 80s....local boys made good and all that. But I could never again take them seriously after the monstrosity of the 1989 #1 that was Belfast Child....

It was all so different just eight years previously:-

mp3 : Simple Minds - Love Song
mp3 : Simple Minds - The Earth That You Walk Upon

This was the band's sixth single, and the first to threaten the charts when it peaked at #47 in August 1981. I was just about to start university, and this songs and so many other great pieces of synthesiser-led music would form the backdrop to my first forays into the student union where I would spend far too much time over the next four years.

Happy Listening.

PS

I know this is a music blog, but I cant let today pass by without this clip from 15 years ago today:-

AND THE WINNER IS...

.......Keith from North Wales.

My thanks go to everyone who made the effort to enter - I got e-mails from all over the place, including Canada, USA, Australia and Germany.

I've been going through the vinyl cupboard in recent weeks and found a couple of things Smiths/Morrissey related that I have two copies of, so there's likely to be another competition early in 2010.

A LOOK BACK AT OLD RADIOHEAD (Part 2)

I don't reckon I'm alone in the fact that first time I ever heard Paranoid Android was when Radiohead appeared on the late-night BBC music programme Later in May 1997. The person who posted this on YouTube said it was one of the greatest performances ever to grace the stage of that show. And they're not wrong:



It was something totally unexpected. Yes, the band had released a cracking LP in The Bends a couple of years previously that had brought them to the attention of the wider public and also got them positive reviews from the rock meeja. But this was something else entirely.....

The single had in fact been released a few days before the TV performance as was on heavy rotation on the evening shows on Radio 1. It was already being described as the Bohemian Rhapsody of the 90s. But to me that's just a lazy description based on the fact that the song has different and distinct sections at more than six minutes in length is not anything like your average single.

Paranoid Android is a strange, complex and twisted song that really shouldn't work, but somehow it does.

Maybe its the fact that we're all lulled into a false sense of security by the gorgeous opening with its acoustic guitars over Thom Yorke's high-pitched vocal. And for about three minutes we can sing along, tap our feet and move our head of work from side to side enjoying a song that is that is not all that indistinguishable from other admittedly top-quality indie pop/rock.

But then it gets all strange as Jonny Greenwood batters the shit out of his guitar and it suddenly comes not quite to a halt, but slows to a ballad pace and becomes almost like a hymn sung by a choir before Thom Yorke comes back in with a vocal that seems to challenge his God to take out his anger on him. Then just when you thought that would be it...there's about 45 seconds or so of a guitar solo and backing music that wouldn't have been out of place on a heavy metal album from 15 years or so earlier....certainly something that air guitarists would get awfully excited about.

As I said, it shouldn't work, but it does.

It reached #3 in the UK singles charts on its release and remains the biggest hit Radiohead have ever enjoyed. There were two CD singles available to buy, and the b-sides are well worth a listen as they show different sides to the band, but they wont be everyone's cup of tea. In fact some of you might find them downright irritating:-

mp3: Radiohead - Paranoid Android
mp3: Radiohead - Polyethylene (Parts 1 & 2)
mp3: Radiohead - Pearly
mp3: Radiohead - A Reminder
mp3: Radiohead - Melatonin

Happy Listening.

IDEAS FOR XMAS (16)

Today is the 25th November, exactly one month until the day that Santa pops down your chimney, so this is the last of the short series with a few suggestions for gifts to either put on your own lists or buy for someone else.

Today's suggestion features The Twilight Sad, a four-piece band formed in Kilsyth which is a small town some 12 miles north of Glasgow. This year saw the release of the second LP Forget The Night Ahead, the long-awaited follow-up to the very highly acclaimed 2007 debut Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters.

Ed from 17 Seconds was one of the first bloggers to review this album back at the beginning of October, and part of what he said was spot-on:-

Second albums are traditionally difficult things. And when your first album, almost always written before you’ve been signed, has been a kick up the backside to an industry that fifty years in, is still always in danger of getting smug and self-satisfied, that momentum needs to keep going. The problem is that bands frequently never get enough time to do their second album. It’s a good companion piece to their debut - and if I hadn’t heard their debut, I’d probably be blown away.

Well, it was spot-on at the time on my first listen to this record.

I do happen agree with Ed that Forget The Night Ahead isn't as good as the debut. But that would be an impossible task. On the first couple of listens you might not even think it comes close....but this is a record that just gets better and better with every listen. It's big, its noisy and in places it is catchy (not something I thought I'd ever say when talking about The Twilight Sad). Two or three weeks ago I would have said it was a good album. Now I think it is an exceptional album.

Invest not just your money in this album, but your time and energy to get to know it. Before long you will come to realise that it is a masterpiece....

mp3 : The Twilight Sad - That Birthday Present





Available to buy from their own record label right here.

Happy Listening. And Happy Xmas when it comes.

IDEAS FOR XMAS (15)

I normally move away quickly to the opposite corner of the record shop as fast as I can if someone points in the direction of a charity record, for almost without exception they are well-meaning but crap.

But not Dark Was The Night, a 2CD release from earlier this year on behalf of Red Hot, the long-established AIDS charity (I remember buying a compilation VHS tape for Red Hot back in 1990 that featured loads of covers of Cole Porter songs).

It has 31-tracks from some of the very best indie artists around, mainly from the USA. It was a project produced by Aaron Dessner and Bryce Dessner of The National with assistance from John Carlin the founder of Red Hot - some blogs and sites give the impression that the songs themselves were all produced by the trio but this is not the case.

Released on the 4AD label back in February, the record had, by late October, made almost £450,000 in profit for the charity. But if some of you who havent yet bought it do so as Xmas presents, then that figure can increase further.

Those featured on the record are Antony, Arcade Fire, Beirut, Andrew Bird, Blonde Redhead, Bon Iver, The Books, David Byrne, Cat Power, The Decemberists, Devastations, Dirty Projectors, Kevin Drew, Feist, Ben Gibbard, Jose Gonzalez, Grizzly Bear, Iron & Wine, Kronos Quartet, Stuart Murdoch, My Brightest Diamond, My Morning Jacket, The National, Conor Oberst, The New Pornographers, Riceboy Sleeps, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Dave Sitek, Spoon, Sufjan Stevens, Gillain Welch, Yeasayer, Yo La Tengo.

I'm not fond of all 31 tracks, but then again I dont think I own any album of that length that I can say every song is an absolute stunner. But at least three-quarters of these are among some of my favourite releases of 2009. This however, is the one I nominate as the absolute stand out:-

mp3 : Conor Oberst & Gillain Welch - Lua

Simply beautiful. A stunning cover of the 2004 single Conor had previously released under the Bright Eyes moniker.

Go buy Dark Is The Night. It should be available in your local indie record store. If you cant get a hold of there, try HMV.com

Thank You.

IDEAS FOR XMAS (14)

I've reviewed some books this past 12 months on TVV, and if you haven't got hold of them already, why not add these to your lists?

1. Bad Vibes : Britpop and My Part In Its Downfall - Luke Haines

In which the ex-frontman of The Auteurs recounts an insiders view of all that was wrong with UK pop music in the 1990s. Reviewed here on 21st January. Click here to buy.

2. The Song Of The Soul - Richard Cundill and Mark Bradley

An authorised biography of Martin Stephenson. As a fan of more than 25 years, I thought I knew a lot about one of the best singer-songwriters ever to come out of the north-east of England. I learned a lot.... Reviewed here on 17 June. Click here to buy

3. Falling & Laughing : The Restoration of Edwyn Collins - Grace Maxwell

A compelling read. An eye-opening and astonishing book. The title tells you all you need to know. Reviewed here on 28 July. Click here to buy

4. You're Entitled To An Opinion - David Nolan

A wonderful bio of the late Tony Wilson which I raved about only a few weeks ago. Reviewed here on 27 October. Click here to buy.

And one I thought I know I disnt review, but I did go on about its subject matter quite a bit in 2009:-

5. Mozipedia : The Encyclopdia of Morrissey and The Smiths - Simon Goddard

There's hardly a fact or stat missing from this 532 page opus. And very well-written to boot...but be warned, it will be impossible for any fan to agree 100% with the opinions expressed. Click here to buy.

And now some related songs:-

mp3 : The Auteurs - American Guitars
mp3 : Martin Stephenson & The Daintees - Endurance
mp3 : Orange Juice - Falling and Laughing (Postcard Records version)
mp3 : New Order - True Faith
mp3 : The Smiths - Unloveable

Happy Listening. Happy Reading.

THE CLASS OF '79 (Part 39)

There's just no way I could ever claim to have bought this back in 1979. I listened to John Peel occasionally, but not every night. And his was the only show that played any songs by Wire.

And although I became aware of them during my students days in the early 80s, I didn't rush out and but any of their albums. Indeed, I think the first thing I ever owned was a John Peel Sessions CD released in the early 90s (and it was courtesy of a birthday or Xmas present from my amigo Jacques The Kipper)

But in recent times, with the records of old being repackaged and reissued, I've got a hold of all three of the albums that were released in the 70s and now realise just how important and special they were.

The band also released six singles in the 70s, of which this was the nearest to a hit, reaching #51 in January 1979:-

mp3 : Wire - Outdoor Miner
mp3 : Wire - Practice Makes Perfect

The single was actually a re-recorded and extended version of a song that had appeared on 1978 LP Chairs Missing. And it is quite wonderful.

KIDS NOWADAYS...

......probably know this song better than many other flop singles from 1994.

While I can't vouch for this myself, I believe it is a playable track in Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero World Tour.

I believe they are some some sort of interactive electronic games. Whatever happened to the days when you picked up a tennis/badminton/squash racquet and did it yourself all in your own head?

mp3 : Dinosaur Jr - Feel The Pain
mp3 : Dinosaur Jr - Get Out Of This (no words just solo)
mp3 : Dinosaur Jr - Repulsion (acoustic live at CBGBs)

Love the sleeve on this single which is the work of someone called Angry Johnny. Also love the promo video:-



Happy Listening and viewing.

IT'S FRIDAY, I'M IN LOVE....WITH GREAT SCOTTISH SINGLES (5)

Here's what my encyclopedia says:-

Formed in Glasgow in 1991 as Dove by Applied Biochemisttry student/graduate Dorothy 'Dot' Allison, along with Ian Carmichael and former Altered Images man Jim McKinven. Initailly released on the local Soma imprint, the dreamy ambience of 'Fallen' was subsequently remixed and re-issued by the 'Boys Own' label, an operation partly run by DJ extraordinaire, Andrew Weatherall. The band's association with Weatherall helped create a buzz that peaked with the release of 'White Love' (recorded with the help of Jah Wobble and Primal Scream's Andrew Innes amongst others), another slice of shimmering, crescendoing ambient dance-pop that only just missed out on a Top 40 place in Summer '93.

The band's rock'n'roll credentials were assured by a headline grabbing jaunt down the Thames and with the hype machine still in overdrive much vaunted debut album, 'Morning White Dove' was finally released in September 1993. Not exactly the groundbreaking opus some fans had been led to expect, the album was nevertheless a pleasant enough melange of classic pop, dub reggae, ambience and rock dynamics, all wrapped up in Dot's Julee Crusie-esque vocals.

Very much a band of their era, One Dove split acrimoniously in 1996 during the recording of their second album.

At the age of 30, I felt I was too old for all that trippy dance nonsense, and so I ignored a lot of the stuff that was being writen about at the time. It was only at the end of 1993 when I picked up a compilation CD which brought together some of the 'NME Singles Of The Week' did I realsie the error of my ways. This is a true classic in every sense of the word:-

mp3 : One Dove - White Love (Radio Mix)
mp3 : One Dove - White Love (Lonesome Demo)
mp3 : One Dove - White Love (Weatherall's Guitar Paradise Mix)
mp3 : One Dove - White Love (Weatherall's Meet The Professionals Dub)

This reached #43 in the charts in July 1993. Deserved much better.

PS : Readers from days of old will be thinking they may have heard all this before. Well, you did, I wrote about this single back in August 2008....and said this at the time.

My good friend, and occasional TVV contributors, ctel, has been singularly unimpressed with some of the songs that have found their way here in recent times. But I'm hopeful that today's offering will be more to his liking as I think it is one that wouldn't look out of place on his amazingly informative and educational Acid Ted blog.

One Dove were a Scottish act founded in 1991, and comprised the vocal talents of Dot Allison, and the musical brains of Jim McKinven and Ian Carmichael (the former had been part of Altered Images in the early 80s).

They were around for no more than 3 years, during which time four singles and one LP were recorded. Their sound was a mixture of pop, dub, ambiance and rock. While I have a few things in the collection that I've downloaded as mp3s (oops....I'm not supposed to do that sort of thing am I?), I've only one CD single in the collection and it dates from 1993. Its a track that reminds me an awful lot of parts of Scremadelica by Primal Scream, but in a sense that's hardly a surprise given that Andrew Weatherall was heavily involved with the band at this point in time.

There's four mixes available on the CD, and all of them are well worth a listen.

The one common feature is Dot's wonderful dual-delivery which to me sound like the pop sound of Bananarama backed by a manic Kate Bush. The radio mix is the most accessible, coming in at just over four-and-a-half minutes, and it was remixed by Stephen Hague who worked with many a successful chart act in the 80s and 90s. But I particularly like the 10 minutes plus of the guitar paradise mix which shows just how close the relationship between rock and dance can be - when in the right hands.

IDEAS FOR XMAS (13)

I raved about this album a while back without actually posting any of the mp3s. Read here for a reminder.

But dont just take my word for it. Here's the review that the ever-articulate Matthew from Song, By Toad posted around about the same time:-

Having just complained about Dent May being overly arch and insincere I am about to praise an album which is rather arch and definitely very stylised, and I can imagine people feeling that to be a slightly false distinction. There is a cool veneer of old-school indie meets sixties beat combo, but if you’ve ever seen this band live you’ll know that there’s not the slightest distance between them, their music or their audience: they are fucking amazing.

This record has been gestating for some time now, as the Low Miffs rebuilt from something of a personnel shakeup a couple of years ago, started working with Malcolm Ross, and finally pulled together an album of new material after two excellent singles on Art Goes Pop. I confess I was somewhat guilty myself of taking my eye off what they were doing – the world thunders on at pace, and a year below the radar can see people move on pretty quickly, I guess. Then suddenly, this appeared.

I am not yet completely on board with all of the songs; Scarface isn’t really a favourite, but I really like almost everything else. The Man Who Took on Love and Won and Cressida are exuberant pop gems, where Kind of Keen and The Back of Midnight are laid back dive bar lotharios and Mankind is flamboyantly over-the-top, mixing Scott Walker with Franz Ferdinand* to produce a somewhat mental piece of cabaret art rock.

I am still coming to terms with the songs themselves, so for the moment the whole album hasn’t quite crystallised for me, and I am still hearing it as a collection of songs rather than as a single piece of work. It’s a collection of songs I really like though, so I reckon the rest will come with time.

*Sorry lads, I know you probably won’t like this, but it’s not far from the truth

So there you have it. A working-class bloke Glaswegian and a posh chap from Edinburgh in agreement. You really can't have more of a recommendation for an album than that.

mp3 : Malcolm Ross & The Low Miffs - Cressida





Available to buy from loads of places (including the record shop in the above clip which, incidentally is where I do most of my shopping). Try here if you need to buy online.

Happy Listening.

IDEAS FOR XMAS (12)

Those of you who tuned in every Friday over the best part of a year for the long-running series on Morrissey solo singles will be familiar with all 18 tracks on his latest album which was released just last month.

It is of course, another compilation - but this time featuring many of the b-sides ( released on the singles that have been lifted from You Are The Quarry, Ringleaders of The Tormentors, Greatest Hits and Years of Refusal. And collectively, they combine to make this as excellent and consistent a solo LP in the great man's career as there has been.

I'm not saying all 18 tracks are essential. but the vast majority of them, as I said time and time again during that series, are as good as if not better than tracks we have been able to get very familiar with thanks to them being on the LPs.

Despite having all the songs in the collection, I bought Swords simply for the 8 live tracks taken from the concert performed in Warsaw in July 2009. And having loaded them on the PC, I now want to offer the album as a giveaway to one luck TVV reader.

That's the 2 CDs, the booklet with lyrics and Morrissey interview and still inside the cellophane protective cover when I bought it from the local indie record shop.

All you have to do is drop me an email, at the address over on the right hand side of the blog and saying you are entering the competition to win the album. I will then put all names (assuming there is more than one entry) into some sort of hat or cap and draw put one lucky person to who I will post the CD before I go off on holiday on 1st December. The closing date is a week today, 25th November. Good luck one and all.

In the meantime, here's what I think is one of the best of the 18 tracks as well as something from the live bonus disc:-

mp3 : Morrissey - My Life Is A Succession Of People Saying Goodbye
mp3 : Morrissey - Life Is A Pigsty (live)

Swords should be available from your local record store. If not, try here. Where you'll also see not everyone agrees with my view of the quality of this release.

IDEAS FOR XMAS (11)

There were great expectations about Lungs, the debut album by Florence & The Machine. Prior to its release, Florence Welch was being hailed as the next great female singer-songwriter - the person who had the artistic and critical credibility of Kate Bush, but who had the hooks and tunes to appeal to all ages, crucially the younger more pop-orientated lovers of music at whom so much is aimed nowadays.

Certainly, the two singles from 2008 - Kiss With A Fist and Dog Days Are Over - were hugely promising. Live appearances on TV which were plastered all over the likes of youtube showed an attractive young lady whose vocal and musical talents were plenty. By February 2009, before an album had got anywhere near the shops, there was a Critics Choice Award at the Brits as well as a place on the prestigious NME Awards Tour alongside Glasvegas, White Lies and Friendly Fires. But it wasn't until June 2009 that a third single was released, and more than a few of the previously fawning critics weren't impressed with Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up). Some knives were being sharpened.....

A month later and the release of debut LP Lungs seemed to provoke completely contrasting reactions - folk either adored it or thought it ridiculously over-hyped and nowhere near as good as they had been led to believe. But credit has to go to Ms Welch and her band for they took on some very high profile support gigs for the likes of Blur and Duran Duran, proving they were determined to have as big an impact as possible to as wide an audience as they could achieve. There were slots at all the big outdoor festivals in the UK and Ireland where the sheer effort put into the live performances helped win over quite a number of the sceptics.

Excellent cover versions of songs by Candi Staton and Beyonce (You've Got The Love and Halo) also helped things along, and while it is accurate to say that Florence & The Machine still have a lot of folk who don't like what they do, they have more fans than most of the new acts that have emerged in 2009.

Lungs did reach #2 in the UK charts, so it has sold a fair amount of copies. Personally, I wasn't entirely convinced about it on the first two or three listens - I think I was expecting just a bit too much. But gradually, I've fallen for the album, and its blend of indie, pop, blues and soul has done enough to convince me that Ms Welch can be around for a long tome to come. But then again, the pop world is littered with all sorts of acts, but particularly female singer/songwriters, whose subsequent albums haven't fared well and they've very quickly fallen from favour and become obscure within months. So there's a lot of pressure on the follow-up. I wish her well.

mp3 : Florence & The Machine - Kiss With A Fist
mp3 : Florence & The Machine - My Boy Builds Coffins





Happy Listening.

IDEAS FOR XMAS (10)

Up until now, I've been quite specific with my recommendations and ideas for Xmas gifts for yourself or passing on to others. Today I'm being a bit looser in that I want you to take a look at the on-line offers from Scotland's best and most creative record label, and make your own selections.

I'm referring of course to Chemikal Underground records, a label formed in 1995, in the first instance to issue Monica Webster, the debut record by The Delgados. Since then, the label has nurtured some of the most wonderful talents to have come out of Scotland - far too many to mention just now, but the names will appear as this posting unravels.

Earlier this year, as part of the job that I'm paid to do, I had the great fortune to meet up with Stewart Henderson, best known to most of you as the bass player for the afore mentioned The Delgados but whose main role is as MD of Chemikal Underground. It was a real honour to meet such a legend and inevitably we got talking about music, and in particular how a record label can keep its head above water in challenging economic circumstances and changing ways that music is consumed nowadays.

I was shocked to discover just how few records even the most famous and critically acclaimed acts on Chemikal Underground sold in a good year - and appalled to learn the numbers for acts scrambling for attention. But Stewart explained that by keeping overheads down at the label (eg there's no big executives with expense accounts nor any fat cat company HQ) as well as being innovative in finding ways to promote and sell the music, Chemikal Underground can plough on and find ways to bring great new music to Scotland and the rest of the world.

Well, I reckon that we can all do our bit to help, which is why I am asking you to click here and spend a bit of time looking at what you can buy and then send the bank and credit cards into action.

Not sure about things? Well, the great thing about the Chemikal shop is that, in most instances, you can listen to a track in its entirety before buying it. If you try a whole LP but only like some of it, then you have the option of just picking up just your favourites for 69p per song.

It's also great for putting loads of old stuff that otherwise has been very difficult to track down (including loads of the early Arab Strap singles and b-sides)here really is so much in there to enjoy, and something for everyone's tastes.

Here's a few samples:-

mp3 : Arab Strap - Love Detective
mp3 : The Delgados - Accused Of Stealing
mp3 : Trashcan Sinatras & Ali Smith - Half An Apple

Of the 2009 LPs that are available on Chemikal Underground, I thoroughly recommend the releases from Lord Cut Glass, The Phantom Band and Zoey Van Goey. Oh and Aidan Moffat & the Best Ofs who made what is surely the best pop promo of 2009.

Happy Listening. Happy Viewing. Now please get spending and play your part in ensuring a bright future for this fantastic record label.

THE CLASS OF '79 (Part 38)

Having become highly popular in the first half of 1979 with an album and singles originally released back in 1978, there was a huge amount of interest in the new material that was going to be released by The Police.

In September 1979 they unleashed a single which somehow straddled new wave and MOR rock and in doing so turned the band into a global product for mass consumption. In other words, this is the single that re-invented stadium rock just as those who had fought in the punk wars had thought they were going to win.

mp3 : The Police - Message In A Bottle
mp3 : The Police - Landlord

I'm not going to sit and here and say that this is a dreadful song. Far from it. Its got a great tune and a catchy chorus to kill for. And the drumming from Stewart Copeland, in particular the way he changes tempo all the way through it, is something to behold. Hell, even the bass playing of Sting is top-class stuff. As for Andy Summers on guitar.....well he's not a million miles away from playing the same notes as can be heard on Don't Fear The Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult which has long been regarded by rockists as a classic. Indeed, just last week I was surprised to be in a room full of Glasgow hipsters of all ages and discovering that I was very much in a minority with my distaste for Reaper....

So this was a single which tailor-made for sounding brilliant on the radio. And heavy rotation on Radio 1 as well as across the ever growing independent local stations in the UK meant it was a certainty to hit the #1 spot within a very short space of time.

The Police had shown that emerging from the new wave/indie pack was no barrier to mainstream success, and the 80s saw a procession of bands try and follow their way of developing a loyal following through constant gigging and regular record releases which would grow year after year after year, and before you knew it, the world had been conquered. Step forward U2, Simple Minds, R.E.M and Depeche Mode. Close but no cigar to Echo & The Bunnymen, Talking Heads and The Cure.

I bought this single on green vinyl when it was released - just as I owned other earlier singles by the band on different coloured vinyl as part of the marketing ploy from A&M Records. After the success of Message In A Bottle there would be no need for such gimmickry.....

Happy Listening