Greetings from Fargo

 

This week's Americana compilation is not from Fargo, North Dakota but from Paris, France

Fargo is/was? an independent label founded by Michael Pampelune in 2000 with a focus on Americana artists.

You want evidence? Check out the tracklist from the Sampler Greetings from Fargo. Approximately half of the 19 artists can be found on the Blue Americana shelves.

I'm going for three of them namely Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter, the wonderful Paula Frazer (of Tarnation fame) and Hazy Malaze featuring the late great Neal Casal.

All three acts have featured here before and will almost certainly feature here again. Don't say you haven't been warned.

Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter - The Dreaming Dead

Paula Frazer - Like a Ghost

Hazy Malaze - Satisfy The Jones

Saturday Shuffle 122

 

The Saturday Shuffle returns from a well deserved holiday and what better way to start than with a classic courtesy of the late great Kirsty MacColl. I'm sure we've all met someone like the guy from the chip shop.

We go back in time by a couple of decades next to catch up with one of the great girl bands of the 60's. I give you Mary and Betty Weiss and Mary Ann and Marguerite Ganser known collectively as The Shangri -Las with the song Maybe.

Finally we head to Athens, Georgia to catch up with R.E.M. and Hyena a song from their 1986 album Lifes Rich Pageant.

More Rich Pageants next Saturday

Kirsty MacCall - There's a Guy Works Down the Chio Shop swears he's Elvis

The Shangri - Las - Maybe

R.E.M. - Hyena

Blog Country 128 - Palau

 

It's been a wee while since a Blog Country appeared here. That is not down to a lack of new countries but more time constraints and other commitments considering they take a little bit more time and research than your average post.

This one took a bit of time particularly because I was blissfully unaware that there was a country called Palau.

Apparantly it is an island republic in the Micronesia subregion of Oceania in the western Pacific Ocean consisting of approximately 340 islands. After WW1 the islands were made part of the Japanese-ruled South Seas Mandate by the League of Nations. After WW2 they became part of the US governed Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands with the islands gaining full sovreignty in 1994. Do keep up at the back!

Sourcing music proved a bit of a challenge. At times like this You Tube is your friend albeit any information about the songs and acts is pretty sparse. 

We'll take them in the order I have them in my folder. Klamiokel Berrous appears to be by Kimie Ueki. I can't find out anything about her appart from a brief reference on SoundCloud.

Luich Ngiraked is by an act called Kursii Inn but it could well be the other way around!

Next up is Milla with Iyebukel.

Then it gets even messier. The song Sa Laki Taura is, I think, a traditional song. I have narrowed the act singing it down to the Vinaki Brothers, the Wontok Brothers or the Black Wine Band.

We conclude with Wynona ( no, not that one!) and Delete Er Kau.

Hopefully it will be a little easier next time around as we head back to South America.

Kimie Ueki - Klamiokel Berrous

Kursii Inn - Luich Ngiraked

Milla - Iyebukel

Sa Laki Taura

Wynona - Delete Er Kau

Revival

 

2025 Charity Shop Purchases # 58  Gillian Welch - Revival

I'm playing catchup with some charity shop purchases from a few weeks back.

The car was in the garage getting a new timing belt (£ Ouch£) so I took a wander down to Victoria Road.A long browse in Oxfam was frustratingly unsuccessful until I  stumbled upon Revival the 1996 debut album by Gillain Welch on the Acony label or Proper in the UK.

She doesn't have the largest back catalogue and I have pretty much everything by her. However I have only ever had this one on a Burn so it was a total no brainer to upgrade.

Even although it is her debut you would never have guessed as she starts as she means to go on with her sparse paired back approach which is a feature of her music. It was released to almost universal acclaim and rightly so. 41 minutes and 39 seconds and not a second wasted.

I saw her and Dave Rawlings play once in a packed out Barrowlands and you could have heard a pin drop.

Gillian Welch - Orphan Girl

Gillian Welch - One More Dollar

Broken Chanter at The Glad Café

 

We got back from our holiday early enough on Saturday for me to get along to Broken Chanter at the Glad Café .

They were recording songs for a proposed live album and had played a matinee earlier in the day which I definitely would not have made. I had the great pleasure of catching up with the Blogmaster himself JC who was on the door for a long overdue chat.

The band consisted of David MacGregor on lead vocals and guitar and Charlotte Pinter on bass and backing vocals with Jill Lorean playing electric violin and backing vocals on a couple of songs . Jill also did a short and quirky opening set.

They played a variety of songs from the three albums to date Broken Chanter (2019), Catastrophe Hits (2021) and Chorus of Doubt (2024). There were also a couple of new ones from a new album  scheduled to be released in the spring.If they said the name I missed it. The plan then is to release the live album later on in 2026.

They record on Chemikal Underground  and their head honcho indie legend and local lass Emma Pollock was in attendance and even held the door open for me.

All in all an excellent event topped off with Mrs CC picking me up as it was chucking it down.

Broken Chanter -Who's Asking

Broken Chanter - Extinction Event Souvenir T-Shirt

CCM is Thirteen

 

Charity Chic Music becomes a teenager today so prepare for it being more moody and stroppy than usual for the foreseeable future.What's new I hear you say.

There are a good few songs featuring the number thirteen which could have been included today but in reality there is only one glaringly obvious one which needs to feature.

Has there ever been a song which sums up teenage angst and awkwardness better than Big Star and Thirteen? A song you could play daily and never tire of.

I'm including a cover by Kathryn Williams which is very good but not in the same league as Big Star. How could it be?

I'm off to sulk in my room for the next 12 months

Big Star - Thirteen

Kathryn Williams - Thirteen

More Northern Soul

 

2025 Charity Shop Purchases # 57  Various - Northern Soul

He's back from holiday with a  small handful of Charity Shop CDs!

Before we get to them there is a slight backlog of others which require to be featured here first.

First up is the third and final Northern Soul compilation which I picked up as part of a four for a pound package in the Wigtown Community Shop.

As you can imagine  from the somewhat strange cover I was a bit unsure as to the title of the album. Fortunately Discogs once again come to the rescue. They advise that it is simply called Northern Soul and was released by the Planet Media label in 2001.

With "only" 20 tracks it is the baby of the bunch. As is my wont I have picked three of the twenty pretty much at random.

That's the Northern Soul seam emptied for now.

Barbara Pennington - Twenty Four Hours a Day

Edwin Starr -Breakin' Down The Walls of Heartache

Bettye Lavette - Let Me Down

Hotel Motel 12

 

We interupt our holiday to give you the 12th and final instalment in the Hotel Motel (but not Holiday Inn) series. This is because I couldn't face leaving it until we got back.

It was a bit of a struggle to get to the dozen but we have just about made it.

I've had to be pretty careful given the similarity of the titles of the two songs.

In the hotel corner we have Truckshop Honeymoon with Home is Not a Hotel from their album The Madness of Happiness which I took a punt on in a charity shop back in May 2021. Pretty obscure as I'm sure you will agree.

I would imagine that many of you will be more familiar with Forever Changes the classic 1967 album by Love. Track 2 from the album is A House is Not a Motel very similar but different to the song above.

Please note the No Vacancies signs

Normal service will resume shortly.

Truckstop Honeymoon - Home is Not a Hotel

Love - A House is Not a Motel

That Summer!

 

In a comments on a recent Saturday Shuffle post which featured She's So Modern by The Boomtown Rats our dear friend Brian made the following statement:

She’s So Modern is as good as the Rats ever got and one of the highlights from the best soundtrack ever assembled. Surely I don’t need to name it anymore.

Somewhat cryptic as I'm sure you'll agree but I for one completely got it . He was of course talking about That Summer! the greatest ever soundtrack from 1979 and from what was universally acknowledged as a crappy film.

You want proof? Just look at this tracklist which includes zero duds plus some of the greatest songs of all time

I used to have a copy (on cassette I think) but that has disappeared over the years and I have all the tracks digitally.

Coincidentally prior to Brian's comments I had been checking Discogs for vinyl copies. His comments were enough for me to pull the trigger and my vinyl copy has duly been delivered.

All, or at the very least the vast majority of the 16 tracks, have appeared here at some point and will likely do so again.

I make no apologies 

The Only Ones -Another Girl, Another Planet

Wreckless Eric - Whole Wide World

Elvis Costello -Watching The Detectives

Nothing to see here for a couple of weeks as we are off on a well deserved holiday to deepest, darkest  Galloway

Northern Soul Floorfillers

 

2025 Charity Shop Purchases # 56 - Various - Northern Soul Floorfillers

The third of the four for a pound purchases in the Wigtown Community Shop.

This double CD contains 50 Original Dancefloor Classics so I make it 0.5p per track.

Now that is value for money in anyone's book but when you see the tracklist I'm sure you will agree that it is an absolute steal.

Realistically any of the 50 tracks could appear here and the quality would not diminish. I'm going to feature three of the female singers as they are often under represented. Fortunately that does not apply to this compilation.

Let's start with Mitty Collier with Don't Let Her Take My Baby. Mitty was the first artist to appear on the Blog as far back as November 2012

In contrast Geraldine Hunt is making her debut appearance with I Let Myself Go. Haven't we all!

Let's conclude with the great Etta James who has graced these pages many times in a Soul, Blues or Jazz capacity.Today she gives us Street of Tears.

Wonderful stuff.

Mitty Collier - Don't Let Her Take My Baby

Geraldine Hunt - I Let Myself Go

Etta James - Street of Tears

Rough and Rowdy Ways

 

2025 Charity Shop Purchases # 55 - Bob Dylan - Rough and Rowdy Ways

Rough and Rowdy Ways the 39th studio album by Bob Dylan  was released in 2020 to much critical acclaim and was far superior to those immediately preceding it. 

I picked up a vinyl copy at the time and found that the almost universal praise was indeed justified. Five years later I found myself in a charity shop where a CD copy was available for £1.25. Naturally I bought it as I considered it be an absolute no brainer.

Why do I need this album in two different formats? Maybe it is as Brian suggested when  I recently did the same with Searching For The Young Soul Rebels that we need help. I prefer to think that we Contain Multitudes and/or have Crossed the Rubicon.

Bob Dylan - I Contain Multitudes

Bob Dylan - Crossing the Rubicon

Bobby Bland - The Voice

 

2025 Charity Shop Purchases # 54 -  Bobby Bland - The Voice - Duke Recordings 1959-69

I've got most of the 26 tracks on this album on Bobby " Blue" Bland - The Absolutely Essential 3CD Collection but hey when has that ever stopped me before.

Justification? 

• It's Bobby Bland
• There are a few of the 25 songs that are not on the 3CD compilation
• It's on the Ace label
• It's a good companion piece to the burn of Bobby "Blue " Bland - The "3B" Blues Boy- The Blues Years 1952-59 which I would replace with the CD should I ever see it
• I need help

There you are then- total justification

Further proof? Just listen to the songs below. To the best of my knowledge none of them have appeared here before

Bobby Bland - Who Will The Next Fool Be

Bobby Bland - Two Steps From The Blues

Bobby Bland - Sometimes You Gotta Cry A Little

Hotel Motel 11

 

Welcome to the penultimate instalment of the Hotel, Motel (but no Holiday Inn) series

Rol seemed confident that I could easily surpass the dozen but I'm afraid his confidence is unfounded as it has proved pretty difficult to even get this far.

Anyway, less grumbling and more music I hear you say. Fair enough. In the hotel corner I give you Brothers on a Hotel Bed by the band Death Cab for Cutie from their 5th studio album 2005's Plans.

Wiki says that the song addresses possible languor in a long-time relationship whereas Genius goes further stating that this song is about a couple growing old together, as their bodies age, and they grow apart. Gibbard portrays the couple's relationship as a platonic (symbolic for a marriage or relationship) the passion has died. Make of that what you will

Fortunately, as you would expect,with Moonlight Motel, The Boss is much more straightforward on the final track of the 2019 return to form album Western Stars

One more to go

Death Cab For Cutie - Brothers on a Hotel Bed

Bruce Springsteen - Moonlight Motel

s (symbolic for a marriage or relationship), the part.  portrays the couple’s relationship as a platonic relationship between siblings. Though they share a bed (symbolic for a marriage or relationship), the passion has died.

Shoeshine Records Sampler

 

For this Sunday's Americana Compilation ( SAC?) we are heading back to Glasgow and the year 2001.

Shoeshine Records was a label led by Francis McDonald, the erstwhile drummer of Teenage Fanclub, who also released records under the name Spit & Polish.

Their stable was a combination of local bands and some American acts who often turned up in Glasgow for concerts put up by Tom Hamilton  under the Death and  Taxes moniker.

I've gone for three acts that I saw on more than one occasion at the time.

We start with local band Radio Sweethearts who were ofter the go to band to support American acts appearing at King Tuts and other venues. Their track on the sampler is Don't Make Me Wait from their New Memories (SHOECD005) album. Or more accurately as  New Memories Revisited as it was originally released by St Roch Records in 1996 which is the copy I have on the shelves.

Next up is Peel favourite Laura Cantrell  with Do You Ever Think of Me from her debut album Not The Tremblin' Kind (SPITCD001)

We conclude with the wonderful Paul Burch & the WPA Ballclub  with Blue Notes (SPITCD005).

Wonderful stuff and a real trip down memory lane for me.

Radio Sweethearts - Don't Make Me Wait

Laura Cantrell - Do You Ever Think Of Me

Paul Burch & the WPA Ballclub - Forever Yours

Saturday Shuffle 120

 

It seems that today's cover star Del Shannon had more hits than just Runaway. Who knew? Jon Savage clearly does as Del Boy singing Stranger in Town was included as part of the compilation 1965 The Year the Sixties Ignited.

Suzi Quatro would have been 15 then. We had to wait until the early 70's and Glam Rock for Suzi to ignite. Given songs like Can the Can it was clearly worth the wait

Which Side Are You On? first came to my attention as part of the Between the Wars EP from Billy Bragg in 1985. It was originally written by US activist Florence Reece in 1931. Give the rise of the Far Right and scumbags like Trump and  Reform it is arguably as relevant today than it ever was - perhaps more so.

We shall keep fighting the good fight next Saturday.

Del Shannon - Stranger in Town

Suzi Quatro - Can the Can

Billy Bragg - Which Side Are You On?