Joe Strimmer

 

We were driving through East Kilbride when I saw a man strimming a grass verge.

As is my wont I shouted out Joe Strimmer! Juvenile I know but there you go.

Obviously this post calls for a song from each of the three albums by Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros namely Rock Art and the X-Ray Style (1999), Global A Go-Go (2001) and Streetcore (2003) the latter one very kindly gifted to me by JC

A reminder that I still have some strimming to do before the weather takes a turn for the worse.

Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros - Yalla, Yalla

Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros - Bhindi Bhagee 

Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros - Redemption Song

Only Connect

 

Like Jez I am a fan of the BBC2 Quiz Show Only Connect hosted by Victoria Coren- Mitchell. After his post I now find myself looking at the show in a new light.!

It's pretty difficult and you end up feeling pretty chuffed if you guess a connection correctly. I'm not bad at the missing letters round but struggle to get any connections from the other three rounds.

I think what I'm saying is that I would not be an automatic choice in the Bloggers Team.

I reckon Rol, John, and of course Jez would make a fairly formidable team!

Roy Orbison - Only The Lonely

Yazoo - Only You

Stereo MCs - Connected

Elastica - Connection

More Painter Songs

 

I'm stuck for inspiration so more painter songs today with no focus on the colour this time.

Elmer Gantry, Norah Jones, Neil Young, Gordon Lightfoot and Belle & Sebastian have all got their brushes out.

Please feel free to point out where they've missed a bit

Elmer Gantry - The Painter

Norah Jones - Painter Song

Neil Young - The Painter

Gordon Lightfoot - Painter Passing Through

Belle & Sebastian - Lazy Line Painter Jane

Paint It White

 

In our part of the street most of the front gardens have small white painted walls.

The neighbour's all take pride in maintaining and painting them. They can get damp from the soil and need repaired from time to time.

I finally got round to painting ours on Friday. Hopefully I can get away with only one coat. And yes that is paint on some of the leaves on the hedge. Collateral damage.

Here are some paint related songs with only Karine Polwart opting for white.

Karine Polwart - Painted It White

Lucinda Williams - Paint It Black

Billy Bragg - Must I Paint You A Picture

The Band - When I Paint My Masterpiece

Half Man Half Biscuit - Paintball's Coming Home

Saturday Shuffle 161

 

We start this week's Shuffle with a some from an album which is quite possibly the greatest of all time.

Yes, as you can see from the picture we are talking about The Byrds and Sweetheart of the Rodeo

An empty bottle, a broken heart
And you're still on my mind

Let's face it you can't follow that. Nevertheless the Shuffle has come up with another two tunes with an Americana feel to them

Next up from Viva Amricana the CD which inspired my recent Americana Compilations series we have Kieran Kane and Table Top Dancer.

We conclude with the UK Americana act The Rockingbirds and Time Drives the Truck.

More shuffled tunes Americana or otherwise next Saturday

The Byrds - You're Still On My Mind

Kieran Kane - Table Top Dancer

The Rockingbirds - Time Drives The Truck

Bellshill Bands - Thrum

 

I'm pleased to say that I have come up with a 9th band for this series

Thrum are an indie rock band from Bellshill who were active from 1992- 1995 and then from 2011 to date..Monica Queen (vocals/guitar), Johnny Smillie (guitar) and Gary Johnston on Drums have been consistent members with Rory McGregor now on  bass

I had the pleasure of seeing them at Cottiers in July when they put on a stonking show promoting a new remastered version of their 1994 classic album Rifferama 

I have little more to add from that previous post other than I have chosen some different songs for this post.

I'm delighted to say that JC has come up with a couple of suggestions which will ensure that this series reaches double figures

Thrum - Purify

Thrum - Here I Am

Thrum - Won't Be Long

Brontës

 2026 Charity Shop Purchases #30 - Brontës - Brontës (LP) 

It was a bit of a surprise to see the eponymous album Brontës in the Oxfam shop in Clarkston as it was only released in April this year. Naturally I pounced given it seemed to be available for a reasonable price ( yes a reasonable price from Oxfam!).

They are part of the Last Night From Glasgow stable .They were founded in 2021 and released a  double A single First Hand Arrogance/Groove in 2022. The album has been a long time coming but it is worth the wait.

The Skinny feels that it  infuses nostalgia through lush harmonies and confident electric guitars.feel that it  whereas LNFG ask you to Imagine  The Tom Tom Club jamming with Chrissy Hynde. For my hyperbole I'll throw Tracyanne Campbell from Camera Obscura into the mix.

The line up (which I think may have already changed) is Amelia Haldane, Katie Forest, Erin Reidy and Eva Watt).

Given the fact that it is a really new album I'm only sharing one song today namely the opener Cognitive Dissonance which according to the Skinny hides darker emotions of jealousy under sunny pop-rock.

Brontes - Cognitive Dissonance