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Wednesday 31 October 2018

Crowns and Coronets # 4 - A Guest Contribution



More  earls and dukes this week with a guest contribution all the way from Stuttgart courtesy of my good friend Walter author of the great A Few Good Times in My Life blog.

Over to Walter:

You moved on your post to dukes and earls. Reading your words two artists came to my mind. The first one was Earl Klugh a jazz fusion guitarist that was very popular in the mid 80's by some of my friends that were active in this scene. It is definitely not my kind of music but I owned some albums by recommendation. One was his album Low Ride and I liked it because it's easy going sound that not disturbs but played on a high musical level.

In 1985 XTC discovered their fondness for psychedelic music. It seems like they had an overdose of the Rolling Stones in their Satanic Majesties Request-era. Songs filled with psychedelic organ sounds and the songs sound like the boys had real fun.

Thanks Walter,  as I mentioned in comments last week two artists I have nothing by and until today one (Earl Klugh) that I knew nothing of. The first jazz fusion artist to grace these pages!
Looking forward to hopefully catching up with you on your visit to Glasgow at the end of November.





Tuesday 30 October 2018

Everything You Thought Was Right Was Wrong Today



Amazingly there were no doublers in my recent holiday haul.
The nearest I came to this was with the purchase of Everything You Thought Was Right Was Wrong Today an album from 2000 on New West Records by the spendidly named Slobberbone which I purchased in Dunblane.

I knew I had two by them, including this one, and that at least one was a burn. So 50/50 or so I thought.
Turns out they were both burns so I was able to upgrade  this one.

An Americana band from the Texas college town of Denton who can make a splendid racket on occasions. and a band who possessed the world's tallest bass player in the shape of Brian Lane (nearest to the left on the above picture).
Stephen King has described Gimme Back My Dog as one of the top three rock'n'roll songs ever. I'm not sure that I would go that far but it is pretty tasty



Monday 29 October 2018

Monday's Long Song


I suspect that Drew , the instigator of this Monday Long Song thing, may well feature the Dream Syndicate at some stage.
Today I'm giving you their front  man Steve Wynn with a song from his 2001 double solo album Here Come the Miracles on the great German Americana label Blue Rose.
Recorded in Tuscon he is joined by Linda Pitmon on drums, Chris Brokaw on guitar and Chris Cacavas on keyboards.
In my opinion this album and the 2003 follow up Static Transmission by Steve Wynn and the Miracle 3 are must haves.
I saw the Miracle 3 live on a couple of occasions and they were incendiary.


Steve Wynn - Good and Bad

Sunday 28 October 2018

The Quiet Revolution


A Summer Folk Compendium for you today as we near the end of October!
Courtesy of Mojo magazine from October 2006 and in turn courtesy of a Nairn charity shop.I give you The Quiet Revolution.

Proper folk - none of your Mumford and Son/Noah and the Whale nonsense.
There are some classic folk acts on here as the tracklist testifies.
I've gone for two of the more recent artists on display.

James Yorkston from the Kingdom of Fife is no stranger to these pages. He was a member of the Fence Collective alongside the likes of the Beta Band and King Creosote.
The featured song Summer Song comes from his fourth album The Leopard from 2006 and as most of his records on the Domino label.

I think that Josephine Foster from Colorado is making her CCM debut. There are Eyes Above is taken from her album Hazel Eyes, I Will Lead You released in 2005 although it it sounds as though it is from much further back than that


James Yorkston - Summer Song

Josephine Foster - There Are Eyes Above

Saturday 27 October 2018

Memphis v Nashville


A new compare and contrast Saturday series for you this week.
There has long been a debate as to which of the two Tennessee cities Memphis and Nashville is the top American city for music. Not the world mind you - that would be Glasgow.

The next 10 weeks (11 if it is a draw) will scientifically bring this debate to it's ultimate conclusion.

Each week will pitch a song with Memphis in its title against a song with Nashville in the title and you, my friends, will pick the winner.
As you can imagine there will be a lot of Country of various hues but it will not be Country all the way to the exclusion of everything else.

Right let's get started. The first Memphis contender is the Colorblind James Experience with the great Considering a Move to Memphis.  They are up against the Lovin' Spoonful with Nashville Cats. 

A fairly easy one for me - CJE  all day long. Others. of course, may choose to differ.

Colorblind James Experience - Considering a Move to Memphis

Lovin' Spoonful - Nashville Cats

Friday 26 October 2018

F.F.S. by F.F.S.


I must admit that I was reasonably intrigued when F.F.S. was released in 2015 on the Domino label. Not that intrigued though that I was minded to spring for the album.
I was, however, intrigued enough to fork out a quid for it in a charity shop in Auchterarder.
For the uninitiated F.F.S. was a short lived collaboration between the bands Franz Ferdinand and Sparks hence the name.
The album it pretty much what you would expect from such a collaboration. It was critically well received upon release

I'm trying to think of other interesting and unusual collaborations.
Bowie & Bing and Nick Cave & Kylie are the first two that come to mind. Over to you.

F.F.S. - Police Encounters

F.F.S. - So Desu Ne

Thursday 25 October 2018

Juliet Oh Juliet


My final Broadford purchase was a 2001 album Burn the Black Suit by Juliet Turner and it was one that I bought in error as I was thinking Juliette Lewis the actor who produced some rocky number with her band the Licks.
This is more folky and singer songwritery from an artist from Northern Ireland but based in Dublin.
Her second album it went double platinum in Ireland and was voted one of the top 100 Irish albums of all time by HotPress magazine (no, me neither) readers in 2004. She was also championed by the legend that was Sir Terry Wogan.

However, it is not for me. Although she has a pleasant voice and I'm a fan of people singing in their own accents  I found it  a bit worthy and  a bit  of a slog to get through.
So one that's going back - not to Broadford but somewhere more local

I thought I had also nabbed Josh Rouse's Country Mouse City House but sadly there was no disc only the cover. The nice lady let me take the cover within which my burn of the album now resides.

Juliet Turner - Burn The Black Suit

Juliet Turner - Take the Money and Run

Wednesday 24 October 2018

Crowns & Coronets # 3


We are slumming it a bit this week as we go down the ranks from Crowns to Coronets with dukes and earls featuring today.

Ernie Goggins suggested a double header by featuring Duke of Earl. I was thinking along similar lines but when I reached for my Darts album I found it wasn't on it. Therefore I had to source it and it seemed to make more sense to opt for the early 60's original by Gene Chandler which I must admit I wasn't familiar with.

Another double header of sorts as I give you Steve Earle and the Dukes with a song from their 1987 album Exit O.

More dukes and earls next week.

Gene Chandler -Duke of Earl

Steve Earle & the Dukes - I Ain't Ever Satisfied

Tuesday 23 October 2018

Moyet


I picked up Singles by Alison Moyet in Mary's Meals charity shop in Dunblane as part of a four for a pound offer. Foolish not to at that price. Probably worth it just for the jewel cases alone.
Twenty singles for twenty five pence.
Alison Moyet was pretty prolific and indeed pretty successful in the early 80's achieving 10 top 10 UK singles - 4  Synth Pop songs as part of Yazoo with Vince Clark and 6 subsequent torch songs  as a solo artist.

The compilation features a couple of Yazoo numbers (but not Don't Go for some reason) so it seems only fair to feature one of each.
I saw Yazoo  doing Only You recently on a BBC4 Synth Pop programme recently and had forgotten how good it was.

Yazoo - Only You

Alison Moyet - All Cried Out

Monday 22 October 2018

Monday's Long Song


A bit late to the party but I thought I should join in with the fun.

Not for me a lengthy dance re-mix , hippity hop, prog rock or a slice of psychedelia. No,  you wont be surprised that I am offering up some Americana today.
I'm not quite sure as to the ground rules and what does and does not constitute a long song. I don't know whether 8 minutes 20 seconds qualifies as a long song but in my defense it is pretty long for a country number. Plus it is a belter.

I must confess to being somewhat lazy given that I have only gone as  far back as last Thursday when this song got a mention on my Warren Zevon post along with a video of the original
From his 2005 album Delirium Tremolos here is the grizzled but great Ray Wylie Hubbard with his cover of James McMurtry's grizzled but great Choctaw Bingo. presumably Mr McMurtry approved given that he features on guitar.

Ray Wylie Hubbard - Choctaw Bingo


Sunday 21 October 2018

Some Shelby Sunday Swing


Another Broadford purchase was Restless by Shelby Lynne on the Curb/Magnatone label.
From 1995 it was her 5th album and the last one before her 1999 breakthrough album I am Shelby Lynne which earned a Grammy for Best New Artist despite in being her 6th and the fact that it was released 10 years after her first album!

Restless is a little country and a little swing described by Thom Jurek from All Music as a slab of swinging for the charts commercial country.

She is a somewhat versatile singer is our Shelby given that  she also turned her hand to blue eyed soul with Just a Little Lovin' her Dusty Springfield tribute album

Shelby Lynne - Slow Me Down

Shelby Lynne -Swingtown

Saturday 20 October 2018

Blonde on Blonde Revisited


I picked up Blonde on Blonde Revisited in the Blythswood Care (a Christian charity prevalent in the Highlands) shop in Broadford on Skye.
Broadford is Skye's second largest settlement after Portree and boast a large Co-op whose car park possibly has the best view of any Co-op  car park.

Released by Mojo in July 2016 it is a track by track tribute commemorating the 50th anniversary of  the Bob Dylan original album. Yup that's right - half a century!.

It would have been good to have had this when I did my Dylan Covered series but realistically none of the covers come close to the originals. I suppose that you can't improve upon perfection.
These are two of the better ones in my humble opinion

Phosphorescent - I Want You

Marissa Nadler -Absolutely Sweet Marie

Friday 19 October 2018

Lights Back On


Seeing as how it is Friday are you in the mood for something a wee bit different?
Thought so. Well hows about a Scottish folk legend covering Beck and Rufus Thomas?

Rab Noakes is well known on the Scottish music scene.He has been performing as a singer/songwriter since 1970 and is now a producer and his Neon Productions  produce a number of programmes for BBC Radio Scotland.
He has been a member of Lindisfarne and Stealers Wheel briefly and before they hit the big time.

On this album , which I got for £1.50 in a Nairn Charity shop still sealed,  he is joined by Fraser Speirs on harmonica.
I wasn't sure at first, but having played it a couple of times I think it could be a grower.
There are a few of his own songs but Bob Dylan and Sam Cooke among others also get the treatment.

Rab Noakes (with Fraser Speirs) - Devil's Haircut

Rab Noakes (with Fraser Speirs) - Walking The Dog

Thursday 18 October 2018

A Junk Bond King Playing Seminole Bingo


I picked up Mutineer the 9th studio album by Warren Zevon in Portee on Skye. It is the 4th of his I have (5th if you include a Best of) and probably the weakest.
However the first track Seminole Bingo is excellent.The Seminole are a Native American tribe who like many others began to run small bingo games before moving on to casinos and in the case of The Seminole Tribe of Florida to purchasing the Hard Rock Cafe chain.
James McMurtry has a song in a similar vein called Choctaw Bingo and I have previously shared the Ray Wylie Hubbard cover version.

Back to Warren .The second song featured is I think quite good but the rest are pretty disappointing. There are some excellent titles though - The Indifference of Heaven, Poisonous Lookalike and my particular favourite Monkey Wash Donkey Rinse.

There was a subsequent return to form with My Ride's Here and The Wind

Warren Zevon - Seminole Bingo

Warren Zevon -Something Bad Happened to a Clown


Wednesday 17 October 2018

Crowns and Coronets #2


Queen's last week, kings this week.
Two new songs and an excuse to include yet another song from the excellent Sub Pop compilation which I featured last week.

Kyle Thomas  from Vermont in the US of A features as he records as King Tuff. Described as a garage rock and as a neo-psychedelia act this song is from his 2018 album The Other on Sub Pop.



If you were to look up neo- psychedelia in a dictionary  and if it was there (unlikely I grant you) the definition may well read King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard.From Melbourne, Australia they have been on the go since 2010 and have been extremely prolific with about a dozen records to their name.
This song Beginner's Luck is from their 2017 album Gumboot Soup and is also availalable on the ATO 2018 sampler available on Noisetrade which is where I got it from.



This series was not intended as a compare and contrast but it turned out that way last week and I enjoyed the interaction.
It's King Tuff for me this week.

King Tuff - Psycho Star

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard - Beginner's Luck

Tuesday 16 October 2018

Mrs LTL - Look Away Now!


Our good friend Brian over at Linear Tracking Lives! freely admits that he only plays Scritti Politti when Mrs LTL is away.
In previous conversations I have stated that there is no Scritti on the CCM shelves. This has changed after discovering a best of, Absolute, on the shelves of a Fort William charity shop. I will admit to thinking of both of you when I bought it!

I haven't got further than the first three or four tracks yet which include the two below which were their only top 10 entries in the UK charts - number 10 in 1984 and number 6 in 1985 respectively.

A band that epitonises the synth-pop genre. I shall restrict my comments at this stage to it is of it's time given that I have yet to listen to it in it's entirety.
Not quite sure which camp I'll end up in!

Scritti Politti - Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin)

Scritti Politti - The Word Girl (Flesh & Blood)

Monday 15 October 2018

Back to Me


I picked up Back to Me the 2005 second album by Canadian alternative country artist Kathleen  Edwards in Fort William. Earlier this year I picked up her fourth and as things stand last album Voyageur in Oban.
This leads me to conclude that they were handed in by the same person who lives somewhere in between these two Scottish north western towns. Who knows I may find her other two records there in due course.
They are obviously the places to look.

Pleasant, if not spectacular stuff. The first track featured was released as a single and the second appeared on the soundtrack of the film Elizabethtown.

She is currently on a sabbatical from music since 2014 with occasional rumblings of a re-appearance.

Kathleen Edwards - In State

Kathleen Edwards -Summerlong

Sunday 14 October 2018

Parallel Lines at 40


Parallel Lines by Blondie turned 40 while we were on holiday. Coincidentally it was one of the records we took with us along with the portable turntable.

An iconic album with an iconic cover from an iconic band. By 2008 it had sold over 20 million copies. You can add on a few more since then.

Therefore an album I suspect that everyone reading this is familiar with. At the very least you will be familiar with the 6 of the 12 tracks which were hit singles.
Here are two of those which were never released as singles. An album I would argue that has stood the tests of time and still sounds good today.

Blondie -Fade Away and Radiate

Blondie - 11:59

Saturday 13 October 2018

Now Here This!

Another compilation for you today with this one also being picked up in a Fort William charity shop.
I never knowingly bought the Word magazine but I have picked up a couple of the accompanying  Now Hear This! CD's over the years.
This one is number 68 from October 2008. They come in a clever envelope like cover. Clever, that is unless you are trying to get the CD out or back in the sleeve while driving.

As yesterday I'm ignoring the acts whom I am familiar with, good though they are, and featuring on a couple of new to me acts.
The splendidly named Acoustic Mountain Gospel Choir an acoustic Blues quartet from Calgary  make a splendid racket with a Son House number. This song is taken from their 2008 album Ten Thousand on Balling the Jack Records.

David Vanderville is somewhat more mellow. This is taken from his album Waiting For the Sunrise on the Secret Canadian label. He also played and recorded with the late great Jay Bennett of Wilco fame.

Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir - Empire State Express

David Vandervelde - I Will Be Fine

Friday 12 October 2018

SPF/ 30 - Sub Pop at 30


As is my want whilst on holiday I bought the latest issue of Uncut.
The front cover and main feature was all about the release of the David Bowie box set Loving the Alien (1993 -1998).It looks interesting enough but I can't see me forking out over £200 for it.

The free CD however is an absolute belter. SPF/30 is a compilation of mostly new songs celebrating 30 years of  Seattle's Sub Pop records. I wonder whether Sub Pop will feature on The Sound of Being OK's list of favourite record labels?

I'm only familiar with 4 or 5 of the 15 artists featured but every single song would be worthy of inclusion today. You should seek this one out.

I've gone for two of the new to me artists, Loma with Relay Runner and Yuno with No Going Back. I've left it to others to provide the background blurb.
It is great to see a fabulous label not resting on it's laurels and coming up with some great new and exciting artists. Here's to the next 30 years.

Loma - Relay Runner

Yuno - No Going Back


Thursday 11 October 2018

Words of Wisdom and Hope


I was pleasantly surprised to see Words of Wisdom and Hope by Teenage Fanclub & Jad Fair on the shelves of a Fort William charity shop.
From 2002 and on Stephen Pastel's Geographic label it sits between 2000's Howdy and 2005's Man-Made in the Fanclub discography..

I was familiar with the  somewhat distinctive cover (drawings by Jad) but had no idea as to the music or indeed who Jad Fair is. A few clicks of the keyboard tells me he is from Michigan and along with his brother David is a founding member of lo-fi alternative rock group Half Japanese. He has also collaborated with the world and his wife including The Pastels. In all honesty I'm none the wiser.

The music is quite interesting though with the Fannies exploring their inner Velvet Underground backing Jad's Lou Reed.

Teenage Fanclub & Jad Fair - Near to You

Teenage Fanclub & Jad Fair - Love Will Conquer

Wednesday 10 October 2018

Crowns and Coronets


Back from holidays with an idea for a new series - Crowns and Coronets which is basically artists and/or songs featuring royalty (Crowns) and/or more minor aristocracy (Coronets).

Let's start with a double header and a double header.
The first doubleheader being the band Kingmaker with the song Queen Jane
The second double header involves Bob Dylan pitching in with another song featuring Queen Jane.

Something less contrived next Wednesday.

Kingmaker - Queen Jane

Bob Dylan - Queen Jane Approximately

Tuesday 9 October 2018

One Dove White Love


Regular readers will know that I am not a fan of dance music.
Therefore they may be surprised to see White Love by One Dove featuring here today.
Given that I am throwing in words like Weatherall, Boy's Own Productions and Sabres of Paradise you could be forgiven for thinking that you have stumbled over to Drew's or Swiss Adam's place

I quite like the single version of the song which I picked up in Portree on Skye. A Glasgow Electronic trio they feature the dulcet tones of Dot Alison who puts me in mind of Alison Goldfrapp on the ethereal album Seventh Tree.
To prove that I know nothing about dance music I have chosen one of the three 10 minute re-mixes at random to accompany the single. Cue howls of derision if I have missed out favoured version.

One Dove - White Love (radio mix)

One Dove -White Love (lonesome demo)

Monday 8 October 2018

New Wave Heroines


He's back!
Back from holidays with about 30 CDs  from charity shops across Scotland to subject you to over the next few weeks.
Some good, some average, some awful.
I may intersperse them with other things including a new series I thought up while en vacances.

But first something I bought from my local charity shop just before we went.
I had popped in to get a Kid Creole CD I had seen a few days before but for some reason never bought. Needless to say it was gone so I came away with New Wave Heroes.
A forty song compilation for a quid. I already had about 75 to 80% of the tracks but it was worth it to get a physical copy of the ones I didn't have.
I'm featuring the ladies today Ari Up,Viv Albertine and Tessa Pollit from The Slits and Fay Fife from The Rezillos

The Slits - Typical Girls

Revillos - Top of the Pops

Wednesday 3 October 2018

Little and Large #12 - Another Guest Post from SWC





Another guest post from SWC where he states that it is possibly the finest thing he has ever written...




I know what you are thinking - there is nowhere near enough cutting edge music on Charity Chic Music these days.  What you've all been crazing is some hip hop, yes you have, don't be coy.  In fact I'd go further to say you have all been craving UK  hip hop, some grime, a bit of dub step, drill and witchcore - I may have made the last one up just in case you'd stop reading.
I'd go further than that, I think what you'd really like to hear is some UK hip hop made by a female who as a child was so obsessed with Alice in Wonderland that she built one of her albums around the concept of that book.  Yup, thought so concept album rap.

Little Simz or to give her real name Simbiatu Abisola Abiola Ajikaw is from London and her second album 'A Stillness in Wonderland' is fairly extraordinary in that it is intelligent and reflective hip hop.  If you ask me, and you sort of are, Little Simz is the UK equivalent of Lauren Hill, without the tax evasion and casual racism obviously.

Whats that? you want more ok - Lets take a look at UK Grime superstar 'Bigz' then and his genre defining anthem 'Up Your Speed' which basically is grime road trip around the UK.  Where Bigz and his buddies (Bruza,Pyrelli, Skinnyman, Sway, and Triple Threat, like I had to tell you that) call out to the nations posses and tell them to 'Up Their Speed'.  Simple but strangely effective.



Thanks SWC
The first time (and maybe the only time!) that UK Grime has ever featured on CCM!
I feel that I'm now down with the kidz



Little Simz -No More Wonderland



Bigz -Up Your Speed