The Clarkston Americana Haul - Marah

2026 Charity Shop Purchases #6 - Marah - If You Didn't Laugh You'd Cry

From 2005 and on the Munich label in Europe and Yep Roc in the US  If You Didn't Laugh You'd Cry is 7th album by the band Marah.

It joins their second album Kids in Philly on the blue Americana shelves. Kids was an album I bought with some of my winnings from the Grand National sweepstake at work back in 2018

Like the Deadstring Brothers they can only loosely be defined as Americana, but where else would they go? Stephen King ( yes him!) describes them as probably the best band in America that nobody knows. He then slightly ruins it by calling then the American U2.

I don't see that myself. If I did it would be going straight back.

My instinct is that it is a keeper but that it will also be a grower. Feel free to quote me on that Mr King.

Probably worth 50p

Marah - The Dishwasher's Dream

Marah - Poor People

That takes my Americana total up to 666!

The Dream Syndicate at Glasgow Art School

 

Saturday night saw me at the Glasgow Art School to see The Dream Syndicate. It was my first gig of the year and my  first visit to the venue for about 40 years when I saw the likes of Carmel and the Bhundu Boys play.

It was a gig of two halves - the first half featuring songs from their recent albums since reforming  in 2012 and the second half primarily concentrating on songs from their second album 1984's Medicine Show

The band consisted of Steve Wynn (guitar and vocals), Jason Victor (guitar), Mark Walton (bass), Linda Pittman (drums) and Chris Cacavas (Keyboards)

When I saw them at the Hug and Pint back in 2023 Vicki Patterson of Bangles fame was replacing Jason. Whilst she did a sterling job it was great to see Jason back on stage.I think that he is probably the greatest guitarist that I've ever seen.

Whereas the first half was excellent they upped the anti somewhat  in the second half with, in particular, brilliant versions of The Medicine Show, John Coltrane Stereo Blues ( a particular favourite of Drew ) and Merrittville. Spine tingling stuff.

It was my first gig of the year and it will take something  really special for it  not  to be my top gig of the year.

For feedback from their recent gigs it Italy can I refer you to Mike from Manic Pop Thrills

To top off an excellent evening I only had to wait ten minutes for my bus.

The Dream Syndicate -The Medicine Show

The Dream Syndicate - John Coltrane Stereo Blues

The Dream Syndicate - Merrittville

i-Pod Playlist - Soul 2 Soul

 

No not the Club Classics from Soul II Soul I'm afraid but rather some old time Soul classics from the 93 songs on the Soul 2 Soul playlist on the I-Pod. Ones that will pass the sands of time more than the Club bangers .

Is it proof you are wanting?

Look no further than Bettye Swann who is happy to Tell It Like It Is.

Sam Cook weighs in with A Change is Gonna Come,.First released in 1964 it is synonymous with the American Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. It is rightly preserved in the Library of Congress having been deemed culturally,historically or asthetically significant. It easily ticks all three boxes.

Isaac Hayes' song Shaft is certainly significant culturally as it was the theme song for the 1971 blacksploitation crime action film of the same name with Richard Roundtree playing the lead role of John Shaft.

Finally Gladys Knight & the Pips have had enough of California and are leaving on The Midnight Train to Georgia

Glorious stuff.

It's the State of the Union next and by god it is in a right old state at the moment.

Bettye Swann - Tell It Like It Is

Sam Cooke - A Change is Gonna Come

Isaac Hayes - Shaft

Gladys Knight & the Pips - Midnight Train to Georgia

New Music From New West

 

New West is a record label formed in 2008. It originally had offices in Los Angeles and Austin but is now based out of  Nashville and Athens, Georgia.

It has a large repertoire  of artists the majority of which could be would probably fit the various descriptions of Americana.

This is certainly the case for the compilation New Music From New West released in 2005. I reckon that only Alice Cooper and Nic Armstrong & the Thieves would not easily fit under the umbrella with all the others squashed inside.

Plenty to choose from then. I've gone for Drive-By Truckers, Chuck Prophet and (Billy Joe) Shaver all three of whom I have seen live in Glasgow.

Sadly Billy Jo did not live forever. He passed away in October 2012 at the age of 81

Drive-By Truckers - Tornadoes

Chuck Prophet -Pin A Rose On Me

Shaver - Live Forever

Saturday Shuffle 131

 

We move swiftly on from last week's abberation with three acts who I am pretty confident would have very little time for the Orange Idiot.

Let's head back to 2002 and Golden Age of Radio the debut album from Josh Ritter and in particular track 2. Me and Jiggs is a song about small town America and as a bonus it name checks Townes Van Zandt.

We go from a track off a debut album to one off a second album all the way back to 1980. Here are The B-52's with the wonderful Private Idaho

We conclude with the most modern of the three from 2005. From 2005 and the album The Great Destroyer here are Low with the classic song California

Tune in next Saturday for some more random classic and not so classics.

Josh Ritter - Me And Jiggs

The B52's -Private Idaho

Low - California

The Clarkston Americana Haul - Deadstring Brothers

 

2026 Charity Shop Purchases #5 - Deadstring Brothers -  São Paulo

The second album in the haul is São Paulo the fourth album by the Deadstring Brothers from 2009 and on the mighty Bloodshot label.

It joins Deadstring Brothers (2003) and Starving Winter Report (2005) on the blue Americana shelves.

There may well be an argument that says it is not particularly Americana and those saying that may well be correct. But hey it is on Bloodshot  so it couldn't really go anywhere else.

If I had a section for Rolling Stones Impersonations it may well have found its way  there . Penny Black Music call it correct when they describe it as a fine mixture of  country rock, blues and straight ahead rock. It's hard to disagree with that.

The title and opening track I think together with Adalee.

Another 50p well spent.

Deadstring Brothers - Sao Paulo

Deadstring Brothers - Adalee

News of The World - 2

 

We follow last Week's News of the World with the Tory Housewives and the Blue Rinse Brigade favourite the Daily Express.

As you can see from the above they are not afraid to nail their colours to the mast. However, unlike last week's rag they don't really go for smut. John Cooper Clarke sums their stance neatly with his song (You Never See a Nipple in the ) Daily Express

It's also highly unlikely that you will ever see a nipple in the couthy Sunday Post published by DC Thompson in Dundee  which for some reason is very popular in Scotland. Maybe it is something to do with Our Wullie and The Broons. The accompanying song is Post to Wire by Richmond Fontaine.

For news in general this weeks offerings are Gillian Welch with Here Comes the News and Have You Heard the News Today by Cosmic Rough Riders

More news next week

John Cooper Clarke - (You Never See a Nipple in the ) Daily Express

Richmond Fontaine - Post to Wire

Gillian Welch - Here Comes The News

Cosmic Rough Riders - Have You Heard the News Today