I looked out the window yesterday morning to see a fox and two fox cubs cavorting in our back garden.
This explains where the chewed tennis balls and dog toys have been coming from.
They were there for about ten minutes jumping about and having a rare old time.
I could have posted Fox (but they were on a couple of weeks ago) Allie Fox, Foreignfox, John Foxx or perhaps the Fleet Foxes.
Alternatively we could have had the Silver Fox Charlie Rich or the Swamp Fox Tony Joe White.
But no I have decided to go for three songs with fox (or foxy) in the title
The other day I was cleaning up my hard drive trying to create more space when I stumbled across an ICA on the Detroit Cobras written by Dirk
Fortunately as Dirk is such a brilliant writer it saves me the time and trouble of having to bother.
I've featured them a couple of times before and this time round I'm going for a couple of songs that do not appear on the ICA or on my previous posts namely Boss Lady from Life, Love and Leaving and Cha Cha Twist from Baby.
The second instalment in what has become my new accidental Sunday series and one which I think that I will call The Most Country of Country Song Titles (or some such thing)
You appear to know the drill as I had some great suggestions in last week's comments section.
This week's offering is My Wife Think's Your Dead by Junior Brown.
From his 1993 album Guit With It so called in recognition of his somewhat peculiar "guit-steel" double neck guitar.
Another series which potentially could run and run.
As many of you will know it is actually impossible to come across a dud CD by Ace Records the re-release specialists based in London.
Those of you not familiar with the label could do worse than seek out the compilation Silver Disc- 25 Years of Ace
A focus on R&B,Blues and Roots music there are 26 tracks - a track a year from 1950's Huckle Boogie by Pee Wee Crayton up to 1976's Loving Arms by Millie Jackson
It is pretty tough to choose just two to feature today but if you were to put a gun to my head I would go for 1964's Go Now by Bessie Banks and 1967's Chain of Fools by Aretha Franklin
From October 1979 (prime disco time) it was the first song by Kool and the Gang to chart peaking at number 9 in it's 12 week stint.
Kool is joined by Stephanie Mills from October the following year. Again Never Knew Love Like This Before was her first chart entry and the only one to reach the top 10 reaching number 4.
The first of her three husbands was Jeffrey Daniel from Shalamar and she also apparently had a brief relationship with some lad called Michael Jackson
More disco stompers next Friday
Apologies for the delay in attaching the songs- old age doesn't come itself
However, I am safe in the knowledge that these songs have been floating round your heads since this morning.
It's my birthday today.
Just to clarify that I am 57 as opposed to 75 and not yet a Knight of the Realm unlike Sir Michael Philip Jagger who also celebrates his birthday today.
Regrettably however even though much younger I have never been able to Move like Jagger.
A couple of songs off albums from when he was in his prime. Let it Bleed was released when I was 8 and Exile on Main Street from when I was 11.
They are still going strong but have never ever matched these dizzy heights.
We are off to Austin and Dunfermline today for this week's Little and Large installment. I suspect that it is not often that these two places feature in the same sentence.
L'l Cap'n Travis are (or I suspect were) an Austin band who I saw once and who have a rather good 2001 album Lonesome and Losin' on the SBN label.The inner cover shows them on stage with a goat. Other than that I know nothing.
Big Country however need no introduction although I believe it may well be the first time that they have graced these pages (sorry Brian!)
Formed following the demise of the Skids and fronted by the late great Stuart Adamson here is side 1 track 1 from their 1983 debut album The Crossing.
I have a vague memory of having seen them at Strathclyde Uni Union shortly after the formed. They only had about 4 or 5 songs which they played twice!
I came back from holidays to find Divine Providence by Deer Tick waiting for me.
I had ordered it from Discogs after having heard the track Main Street on an Uncut compilation and one which I featured a few weeks back.
I was a wee bit surprised to find that it was not necessarily atypical of the fayre on offer. Many of the other tracks are somewhat more rawer and rockier. They put me in mind of the likes of Marah and the DriveByTruckers.
From 2011 (on Partisan in the US and Loose in the UK) it is their 4th album and a clever play on words given that they come from Providence, Rhode Island..Described as louder and faster than previous releases with the band aiming to capturethe raw and spontaneous kerosene blaze (Rolling Stone review). I'll have some of that, thank you very much
Mrs CC and I had a great day out on Saturday.
After breakfast and a quick read of the papers we jumped on a bus and headed to the West End.
Our destination was the Band Stand in Kelvingrove Park where Last Night from Glasgow and Friends were putting on a show Come Rain or Come Shine. (Rain threatened on occasions but thankfully never came to much and indeed helped to clear the air).
We got there in time to catch the end of the Yip Man set. Not really my cup of tea but they looked like they were enjoying themselves. Strangely they were all wearing woolly hats on a sultry summer's day.
Next up were Cloth the latest band to sign to LNFG. Electronic yet melodic. Their set was sadly cut short due to technical problems but they look to have true potential. Looking forward to seeing them again and to hearing the album.
Cloth were followed by Codist who are on the LP Records label. Their music was a wee bit on the heavy side for me but it was clear that they are excellent at what they do and they were pretty well received.
Next up was Carla J Easton who thankfully seem to be recovering from her recent bout of viral meningitis,
She had a full band with her and produced an impressive wall of sound showcasing some of the stuff which will feature on her forthcoming album on Olive Grove Records.
She had all the kids up dancing and some even made in onto to the stage as her very own Glam Cheerleaders
Carla's down there somewhere
The next act were Mt. Doubt who I was looking forward to seeing for the first time. I've seen Annie Booth a couple of times as a solo act but never the whole band. They were very good and some purchases were duly made.
They were Mrs CC's favourite act of the day.
After a few hours of sitting on the concrete seats we decided to call it a day.
We missed Medicine Men who I have seen before although Mrs CC won their album in the tombala.
We also missed Warren McIntyre & the Starry Skies. I picked up their album Ask the Animals which sounds good after an initial listen.
Thereafter we braved West End prices for a quick drink in Stavaigin prior to an excellent curry in the Shish Mahal and then the bus home.
Thanks to all those who took the time and trouble into putting the event on
Country music may not necessarily have a monopoly on the best songs but it certainly has a monopoly on the best song titles.
Off the top of my head - Dropkick Me Jesus Through the Goalposts of Life, My Son Calls Another Man Daddy, Rock Bottom Population 1 and She Took a Lot of Pills (and Died)
My particular favourite though is She's Acting Single (I'm Drinking Doubles) by 70's honky tonk singer Gary Stewart. Other suggestions welcomed
Gary was a bit of a method singer in that his lifestyle often mirrored the song titles particularly where the demon drink was involved.
He had a somewhat Country ending at the age of 59 dying from self inflicted gunshot wounds to the neck while mourning the death of his wife Mary Lou.
I picked up a Best Of in Oxfam just prior to my holidays.
As is my want I picked up a music magazine to read on holidays. These days it is the only time I bother with them.
This time round it was a Mojo compilation Dance The Blues - the R&B roots of David Bowie.
The blurb states that in the summer of 1982 Bowie went on his hols to the South Pacific armed with a selection ogf 50' s and 60's R&B records.This they argue formed the influence and the catalyst for Let's Dance.(that and bumping into a very drunk Nile Rodgers in a New York club)
Whatever - it gives an excuse for a 10 page cover story plus a disc of songs now in the public domain thus incurring no copyright charges.
On the whole it is a pretty decent collection as these three tracks hopefully demonstrate
New series, eh? Like Corporation buses. None for ages, then two come along at once.
This one's down to Mrs CC .I came away from BRICC in Ballantrae with nothing whereas Mrs CC came out armed with a bundle including two which will form the basis of this series over the next few weeks.
First up are a couple from Disco Fever -a unique compilation of original recordings produced exclusively for Marks & Spencer. Quality.
Talking of quality, disco music does not come any better than that sung or groaned by the Queen of Disco herself Ms Donna Summer. Funkytown takes me back to a drunken late teenage holiday by coach to Lloret de Mar
More songs for you to shake your thang to next Friday.
The other purchase from Newton Stewart was an Uncut compilation.
Looking at the track list I was fairly sure that I didn't have the December edition of UnconditionallyGuaranteed2000 and so it proved.
The usual curate's egg but here is a threesome for your listening pleasure
American singer songwriter John Hiatt takes his CCM bow with the title track off his 2000 album Crossing Muddy Watters which sadly is not about annoying the great Bluesman.
William Bell has appeared before but with a voice like that he is welcome round here anytime.
Let's face it if Department S can do a French version of one of their hit singles why can't The Teardrop Explodes or should that be Les Explosions en Forme de Larme? John Hiatt - Crossing Muddy Waters
I once had the honour of exchanging pleasantries with Sid and Eddie in a Chinese restaurant in Eastbourne.
I would love to say that that is where the inspiration for this new series came from but that would be a lie - a large lie as opposed to a little lie.
No, it was my recent Little Feat post which planted the seed. The idea is a song by an artist called little ( or something similar) followed by Large (likewise). I'm sure you get the picture.
It will run until I run out of material or more than likely enthusiasm.
To kick off it is only proper that we feature another Little Feat track.. For large I'm kicking off with Big Mama Thornton.
More little and large offerings next Wednesday
No joy for me in Stranraer or Ballantrae (although Mrs CC struck lucky). Fortunately a quick trip to Newton Stewart resulted in a couple of nibbles. I'm Waking Upto Us is my second Belle & Sebastian EP/Single charity shop find.
.From 2001 on their usual at that time Jeepster label it is a song that did not feature on any of their studio albums although all three tracks would later appear on the Push Barman to Open Old Wounds compilation containing the singles and EPs from the Jeepster period
The cover consists of band member Sarah Martin and a beagle.Produced my Mike Hurst as opposed to their usual producer Tony Doogan
He's back!
Precious few purchases on my trip but an idea for a series and also another one thanks to Mrs CC Robster I'm following up on your suggestion! Swede and Alyson I will give your suggestions due consideration. However Alyson I don't have you down as a quitter so I fully expect you to complete your American Odyssey in Song!
Here's one I purchased in Oxfam in Victoria Road, Glasgow prior to my travels for 99p .Jamie from the ever wonderful For Malcontents Only featured Fox a wee while ago.
At the time I commented that I could only remember S-S-S-Single Bed but a quick listen to their self titled 1975 debut album tells me that I do actually recall the other two singles that they charted with and here they are.
I was aware of the name Kathryn Williams but not the music.I had an inkling that she was a singer songwriter with a folkie slant.
Her second album Little Black Numbers from 2000 on Caw Records seemed a pretty good place to start particularly as it had been nominated for the Mercury Music Prize.
She has since released several more records either on her own or collaborations with other artists as well as with bands The Crayonettes and The Pond . She also hosts residential songwriting courses.
Nothing to see here for a few days as we are off on our travels.
Hopefully I will return with some new purchases and with my creative juices flowing.
I feel things have been pretty stale here recently.
I would welcome some suggestions for some new series. I have one idea but am open to others.
Before we disappear off on holiday for a few days, two CDs I took a chance on for 50p a pop at the weekend which look to be sound investments.
Until now the only thing I knew about Future Pilot A.K.A. was that he is a member of The Burns Unit.
I know know that he is Sushil K. Dade a former member of the Soup Dragons, BMX Bandits and Telstar Ponies.
He has released four albums as Future Pilot AKA fusing traditional Indian music and indie pop.
The one I got was 2011's Tiny Waves, Mighty Sea on Stephen Pastel's Geographic label.
It's a cracker.
He is joined by numerous pals from the Glasgow music scene all 4 Delgados and members of the Soup Dragons, BMX Bandits, Vaselines, Pastels and Teenage Fanclub and a good few others to boot.
I could be wrong but I think that I may have stumbled across an Americana compilation that I have not subjected you to before.
From June 2012 an Uncut compilation Americana 2012 - 15 brilliant new tracks of Cosmic American Music.
Around then I was having a hiatus as I was a bit burnt out with Americana so I am not overly familiar with all the artists featured. Dawes, Beachwood Sparks and FatherJohnMisty ring bells as does Dr John (not quite sure what he's doing on here though). Sharon Van Etten is another name that I am familiar with, more so than with her music. It's not unpleasant though.
The pick of the bunch for me are Deer Tick and I feel that I will be tracking down their album Divine Providence on the ever reliable Loose label sooner rather than later.
When it comes to early 60's Girl Bands the Shangri-Las were perhaps candidates to be Leaders of the Pack
Named after a restaurant in their native Queens district of New York they recorded and toured both as a foursome (sisters Mary and Betty Weis and twins Marge and Mary Ann Ganser) and as a trio when Betty dropped out after giving birth before subsequently re-joining the Group.
They were aged between 15 and 17 when they started out and quickly courted a streetwise tough girl image particularly after the success of Leader of the Pack.
Their songs were like articles from Jackie magazine set to music
Like many good pop bands they shone brightly but briefly with the best of their work having taken place between 1964 and 66
The NHS turns 70 today.
Free at the time of need from cradle to grave.
The jewel in the UK crown yet an institution the Government is attempting to systematically dismantle for ideological reasons.
A cause worth going to the barricades for. The great Gruff Rhys certainly thinks so.
See this article from the Gruniad
Available on i-tunes and apple music with profits going to NHS charities in Wales.
Grangemouth, on the banks of the River Forth, is probably best known for it's oil refinery. It is run by INEOS a company owned by multi-millionaire Jim Ratcliffe a man who hates unions but loves fracking.
Grangemouth is also where one of the most original bands to have come out of Scotland hails from. That would by Cocteau Twins
A band formed in 1979 who lasted until 1997.
They consisted of Robin Guthrie on guitars and drum machine, Liz Frazer on vocals and Will Heggie on bass who left and was replaced by multi instrumentalist Simon Raymonde.
Liz Fraser has a totally unique ethereal singing style and I would describe her as a shy Scottish cousin of Bjork and Kate Bush.
I've no idea what she is singing about most of the time but it always sounds quite wonderful.
Those of you who are now aware that Cocteau Twins is an anagram of Acoustic Newts no doubt set your alarm clocks early on a Saturday (or stay up late in the case of Brian) to participate in Rol's Saturday Snapshots which is one of the best things on the Internet and a true weekend highlight.
Last Thursday (28th June) saw the hottest temperature ever recorded in Scotland a whopping 33.2C
In Motherwell! Two miles from my office where I was dissolving into a sweaty heap. It was like stepping into a furnace when leaving the building.
By the end of the week I suspect that a hosepipe ban will be in place and beer may be rationed given the current C02 shortages.
It is set to continue well into next week when I will be on holiday. Result!
Good to know that there is no such thing as global warning. Eh, Donald?
I won't be the only one featuring this over the summer
When Chapel Hill, North Carolina band Trailer Bride split up in 2004 frontwoman Melissa Swingle went on to form The Moaners with drummer Laura King.
While they retained a part of the Southern Gothic sound that Trailer Bride were noted for they also moved towards the scuzzy garage rock sounds of another duo The White Stripes. Years later Honeyblood were another female singer/guitarist and drummer duo to go down a similar route.
Whereas Trailer Bride were on Bloodshot, the Moaners signed to Yep Rock where they released two albums 2005's Dark Snack (the only one I have and therefore the one featured today) and 2007's Blackwing Yalobusha. A third album Nocturnal followed in 2010 on the Holidays for Quince label prior to them calling it a day.
A few days ago over at Martin's place I joined in a discussion about the first CDs that folk had bought.
Mine were Rites of Passage by the Indigo Girls and Out of Time by R.E.M. bought in Boston around 1992. Probably not as good as the two Martin featured. I had a quick check and it seems that neither has featured here before.
As I mentioned I bought them before I had a CD player which my pals thought bizarre. My argument was and remains it is better to have some CDs you can play when you get a CD player rather that get a CD player and have nothing to play!
At the time in America CDs were sold in cardboard packaging about a foot long with the CD at the top and empty space below. Coincidentally R.E.M.were one of the bands to speak out against this needless waste.Although I agree with this I'm kind of glad I bought a couple in this format before it was quite rightly dropped.
July already. Where does the time go when you're having fun?
It is now the Scottish school holidays which means traditionally that it chucks it down with rain for a few weeks.
Not this year but.This spell of unseasonally hot weather shows no sign of abating.
All those folk flying out for a holiday in the sun are looking back jealously at the temperatures back home.
Me - it is so hot that I am being forced to shelter indoors watching the World Cup.
Feel free to feel sorry for me.
