Autumn

 

The first song that came on my MP3 player at the gym yesterday was Autumn  by The Umbrellas. That's tomorrow's post sorted I thought as I plodded away on the bike.

It also coincided with the latest theme from John Medd's photo challenge posted yesterday.

As per usual there were some superb submissions capturing the turn of the seasons. Regrettably I didn't get my act together  in time.

I should probably clarify that the above image is from Google Images rather than my phone but I'm sure that comes as no surprise to you.

An Autumnal Quartet I think.

The Umbrellas - Autumn

The Kinks -Autumn Almanac

Francoise Hardy - Autumn Rendez-Vous

Paolo Nutini - Autumn

Blog Country 150 - North Macedonia

 

It's been a wee while since we went for a wander. Last up was Mali which was relatively easy. We have moved North West to the Balkans and North Macedonia, or the Republic of North Macedonia to be precise, which has proven to be considerably harder.

It was previously ruled by Bulgaria and Serbia and was part of Yugoslavia prior to its secession in 1991 and United Nations recognition in 1993. Scotland have played them 4 times at football, with 2 wins for Scotland, a win for North Macedonia and a draw. We are scheduled to play them away on 3rd October with the return leg at Hampden on 13th November.

To the music!  We start with Zarina Prasevda  a Macedonian singer, composer, and cultural educator dedicated to preserving and reimagining the musical traditions of the Balkans. Here she is with Blaze tebe fidan Velo.

Next up is Leb i Sol which translates as Bread and Salt They are a Macedonian and Yugoslav rock group founded in the 1970s.They split in 1995 with the inevitable reunion in 2008.Today's offering is Cuvam Noc Od Budnih

Kaliopi Bukle, known professionally as Kaliopi, is a Macedonian singer-songwriter. In her career, Kaliopi has progressed from singing lead vocal with her eponymous band in 1980s Yugoslavia to being an established vocalist and composer working in North Macedonia and across former Yugoslavia. She is 59.Her song today is Zasto.

Esma Redžepova-Teodosievska was a Macedonian Romani vocalist, songwriter and humanitarian. She was nicknamed "the Queen of the Gypsies" per her contribution to Romani culture and music. She started to sing while she was a teenager in the 1950s, and her career spans over five decades. Sadly she died in December 2016 aged 73.The selected song is Te Khelav But Mangav.

We conclude with Elena Risteka .Sometimes known as simply Elena, is a Macedonian singer. She represented Macedonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 in Athens with the song "Ninanajna", and finished in 12th place; this was the highest ever finish for the country until Risteska's record was beaten in 2019. It's the European song today!

The next Country will be a doddle as I have a good few songs from there

Zarina Prvasevda - Blaze Tebe Fidan Velo

Leb I Sol - Cuvam Noc Od Budnih

Kaliopi - Zasto

Esme Redzepova - Te Khelav But Mangav

Elena Risteka - Ninanajna

Shelby

 

Do you ever pull a record or a CD from the shelves, put it on and have absolutely no recollection of ever having heard it before?

I know I do. For example I randomly picked out Restless a 1995 album by Shelby Lynn to play on Sunday morning while reading the papers.

I hit the search button and found out that it had been purchased in the excellent charity shop in Broadford, Skye in 2018 and has previously featured here on the 21st of October on that year. I may well not have played it again until yesterday.

There is no point in repeating anything that I wrote before. All that remains is to select a couple of songs that have not featured here before. Two beginning with S the last time so two R's today. 

Stay tuned for the next posting in 2032.

Shelby Lynne - Restless

Shelby Lynn - Reach For The Rhythm

Del Boy

 

2026 Charity Shop Purchases #32 - Delbert McClinton - The Jealous Kind (LP)

During the week we visited a Cancer Research Superstore in the Glasgow Gorbals Retail Park.

i somewhat naively assumed that there would be a lot of CDs to choose from. There weren't, just a handful of utter dross. I was reminded of a comment from Alyson, who volunteers in a similar store, that anything half decent goes straight to E-Bay to be sold there. Not only is that an inconvenience but you also have to fork out for postage.

There was a selection of LPs which had significantly more records that the CD collection. I had a cursory flick through of what was also largely dross.

Then this album The Jealous Kind  by Delbert McClinton caught my eye and I bought it for a pound.

I was only vaguely aware of the name having a song called When Rita Leaves from some compilation or another.

The Jealous Kind is his 8th studio album released in 1980 on the Capitol label. And do you know what, it's pretty good!

I though he was a country singer but it seems his range varies. This album was recorded at the Muscle Shoals Sounds Studio here and features and is produced by the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section here. It gets a solid 4/5 from Discogs

I'm putting it down as a find!

Delbert McClinton - The Jealous Kind

Delbert McClinton -Shaky Ground

Saturday Shuffle 163

 

Welcome to Saturday Shuffle 163 on the day that Scotland play an away game in Slovenia which will be the debut game for new manager Sebastein Pocognoli. Strap Yourselves in.

Today's first track is All the Young Dudes a song written by David Bowie but sung by Mott the Hoople .Keiran Bowie (no relation) who plays his football for Italian team Sassuolo is in the squad.

The next track is Flying to Morning by Rosebud from a Cherry Red compilation I See You Live On Love Street -Music from Laurel Canyon 1967 -1975 (here) Love Street was the name of the former park of St Mirren who are from Paisley. They now less romantically play at the SMiSA stadium or The Marbil Coaches Stadium for sponsorship reasons. I've never been to the new ground.

The final song on today's shuffle is by The Zombies. There  is no link to the Scotland squad although Beechwood Park is also the home of Ayrshire Lowland League team Auchenleck Talbot

More shuffling and perhaps more Scottish Football nonsense next Saturday.

Mott the Hoople - All the Young Dudes

Rosebud - Flying to Morning

The Zombies - Beechwood Park

Johnny Burnette & the Rock'n'Roll Trio

 

On Monday I featured a charity shop purchase of ballads by Johnny Burnette.

I expressed my doubts about this one and whether it was likely to be a keeper.

I said that I would compare and contrast it later in the week with the twofer Rock'n'Roll Trio/ Tear It Up. (1956/57) of which I have a copy courtesy of my brother.

For me there is clearly no contest - this one is far superior and definitely a keeper. This view was supported by Ernie who wrote Everything changed when he dropped the trio and Swiss Adam. He definitely needed the Trio. Indeed Adam was so convinced that he wrote it twice!

No contest then and I think this justifies two posts from the same artist in the same week.

Johnny Burnette & the Rock' n' Roll Trio -Lonesome Train (on a Lonesome Track)

Johnny Burnette & the Rock' n' Roll Trio - The Train Kept a Rollin' n'Roll Trio

Johnny Burnette & the Rock 'n' Roll Trio - Tear It Up

Cowboy Junkies - The Trinity Sessions

 

Every three or four years whether I need to or not I find myself pulling out The Trinity Sessions by the Cowboy Junkies from 1993 from the shelves ( the blue Americana shelves since you ask) although I'm conscious that it is difficult to categorise.

I  sincerely hope that I didn't pay the £10.99 HMV sticker on the jewel case.

It is one of the great enigmas. Depending on how the mood takes you it is either one of the all time classics or just alright. This time round I find myself pretty much bang in the  middle.

I'm going for Blue Moon Revisited (Song for Elvis) and the  Hank Williams standard I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry this time round.

I'll pop back around 2029/2030 and we'll see how we are getting along.

Cowboy Junkies - Blue Moon Revisited (Song For Elvis)

Cowboy Junkies - I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry

Bill Callahan

 

We were watching TV the other night when a trailer popped up during the adverts.

I've no idea what was being trailed but the accompanying music was by Bill Callahan.

Who's he ? Asked Mrs CC. I told her who he is and said I would play some of his songs for her.

I'm not sure if she'll like them but I know I  will!

Bill Callahan - The Sing

Bill Callahan - Drover

Bill Callahan - Ry Cooder

Here's Johnny

 

2026 Charity Shop Purchases #31 -Johnny Burnette - Roses Are Red/Hits and Other Favourites

It was immediately obvious that this twofer by Johnny Burnette was not going to sit neatly with my other twofer by him Rock'n'Roll Trio/ Tear It Up. (1956/57)

Despite being presented by Rock'n'Roll it is ballads all the way  from Roses  Are Red (1963) and Hits & Other Favourites (1961)

It's a huge change of style and one that I am struggling a bit with. As things stand I'm not convinced as to whether it is a keeper of not. It's not that he doesn't have a good voice it's more that I think it is wasted.

I'm going to feature the Rock'n'Roll numbers later in the week for a compare and contrast. Spoiler alert there isn't much in the way of compare but plenty of contrast

Sadly at the age of 30 his unlit fishing boat was struck by a cabin cruiser on Clear Lake in California in April 1964 so will will never know how his music would have evolved.

One from each album I think

Johnny Burnette - Lonesome Waters

Johnny Burnette - Girl Of My Best Friend

Bellshill Bands suggested by JC

 

I had reached the total of 9 Bellshill bands and was keen to reach double figures.

I was devoid of ideas but fortunately JC stepped up to the plate with three more taking it to a dozen bands which sounds like a much neater way to finish. Thank you Jim!

He went into quite a lot of detail in the comments about the three bands in question. So much so that I think I will merely cut and paste his comments as they are far more informative than anything I could come up with

You mentioned Joe McAlinden a couple of times in previous posts. He is very much a Bellshill boy, and so you could feature his own band, Linden who released two albums back in 2012 and 2015 (the former being on AED Record, the label owned and run by Edwyn Collins).

I think you could also include Superstar - another band fronted by Joe and which included Jim McCulloch among their number. 1998 album 'Palm Tree' was reissued a while back by Past Night From Glasgow.

Primary 5 are another possibility. Founded by Paul Quinn (former drummer with TFC) and another in which Jim McCulloch was involved. They released albums in the 00's

What a great way to conclude this series. And no Sheena Easton Ernie - Sorry, not sorry!

Linden -Rest & Be Thankful

Superstar - Superstar

Primary 5 - Off Course

Saturday Shuffle 162

 

You will all be familiar with the song Drift Away. It was written by Mentor Williams and has been covered by a number of singers including most famously  our cover star and Saturday Shuffle debutant Dobie Gray.

Broken Chanter is up next up - Bandcamp catalogue available here From the 2021 album Catastrophe Hits  on LNFG/Olive Grove here's David with track 7 Extinction Event Souvenir T-Shirt

To finish we travel as far back as 1970 with Canned Heat and  Let's Work Together something that CCM always subscibes  to.

We shall hopefully reconvene next Saturday for more Shuffling.

Dobie Gray - Drift Away

Broken Chanter - Extinction Event Souvenir T-Shirt

Canned Heat - Let's Work Together

Goat's Head Soup

 

George recently very kindly sent me a copy of Goats Head Soup the eleventh studio album from The Rolling Stones originally released in 1973. I must admit that it was not one that I was familiar with. Indeed the only one of the ten tracks that I was recognised  was the hit single Angie.

It may be just me but I think that many folk may have thought that it failed to live up to the classic four albums which preceded it namely Beggars Banquet (1968), Let It Bleed (1969), Sticky Fingers (1971) and Exile on Main St (1972). Let's face it any album would struggle to follow these four.

I think I may have promoted the Fantastic Four to the Fabulous Five!

George also kindly included three bonus tracks from the 2020 Deluxe version which I may well feature at a later date.

The Rolling Stones - Dancing With Mr D

The Rolling Stones -Angie

The Rolling Stones - Winter

Funky Chickens

 My pal Euan and I had the "pleasure" of catching up with George , our Portuguese correspondent, for brunch in Glasgow yesterday on his way to see his mum in Dundee.

He seemed to spend most of the time talking about chickens, and him a vegan too.

We are meeting up again on Saturday for a curry prior to his flight home. Chicken may well be on the menu.

I don't think the Willie Henderson doing the Funky Chicken is the one who played  for Rangers and Scotland in the 60's.

T-Model Ford - Chicken Head Man

Lloyd Price - The Chicken and the Bop

Bobby Rush - Chickenheads

Willie Henderson & the Soul Explosions - Do The Funky Chicken pt. 1

Frank Chickens - We Are Ninja

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

What's Wrong With Right

 

Following my recent post on The Four Americana H's  which featured the eponymous debut album  by the Hacienda Brothers from 2005  George very kindly sent me What's Wrong With Right the follow uo album from 2006 

I wasn't aware that they had more than one album but it turns out they  have these two plus Music For Ranch & Town: Hacienda Brothers Live (2007), Arizona Motel (2008) and Western Soul  a compilation of demos, unreleased tracks, etc from 2019.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with What's Wrong With Right but for me unlike the debut  on occasions it veers  slightly more towards more mainstream country

Sadly Chris Gaffney, the lead singer died on early 2008 from liver cancer. I'm not sure whether I ever saw him or not on my couple of trips to Austin in the early 2000's for SXSW

Hacienda Brothers - Cry Like a Baby

Hacienda Brothers - Lifes Little Ups and Downs

A Right Load of Jessies

 

If someone from Glasgow calls you a Big Jessie it is not particularly complimentary. It tends to suggest that you are a bit of a wuss.

These insults cannot be levelled as the artists below.

Jesse Malin is a streetwise New Yorker and no one would suggest that the Queen of the Underground is a big Jessie.

Jesse Sykes with her band the Sweet Hereafter deliver their songs in a sparse, dark Gothic sort of a way so they can hold their own.

Jesse Winchester may sing in a gentle Country sort of a way but he is nobody's fool. He has his eye on a Yankee Lady. 

Jesse Ware is a Nu Soul star who shows Devotion to her art.

We may well be featuring our first Oscar winner in the shape of Jessie Buckley. She was certainly no Jessie when she played the part of Rose-Lynn Harlan in the film Wild Rose particularly when belting out Primal Scream's Country Girl.

No Wusses here.

Jesse Malin - Queen Of The Underground

Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter -The Dreaming Dead

Jesse Winchester - Yankee Lady

Jessie Ware - Devotion

Jessie Buckley - Country Girl

Bible Belt

 

 2026 Charity Shop Purchases #29 - Zeke Manyika - Bible Belt (12" Single)

It's a welcome return to CCM for former Orange Juice drummer and close personal friend of Ernie Goggins Mr Zeke Manyika

The 12 inch Single of Bible Belt  from 1988 on Parlaphone/Some Bizzare takes my total of his records to two albums and two 12 inch singles. Matt Johnson of The The fame appears as one of the producers on the title track Bible Belt which is also the opening track on side 2 of his 1989 album Mastercrime.

The other two tracks Huya Ne Keno and None So Blind seem to be exclusive to the single

Picked up from Oxfam in Troon for £1.99 it is a bit crackly in places but it cleaned up reasonably well.

Zeke Manyika - Bible Belt

Zeke Manyika - Huya Ne Kuno

Zeke Manyika - None So Blind

Rough Trade Shops Country 1

 

Well we've finally done it! 50 Americana Compilations every Sunday for the best part of a year. The well is now dry.

From Rough Trade in October 2003 this compilation features forty tracks over two CDs here

Yours for £ 5.17 on Discogs or 30.69 Euros on Amazon Both of the links give details of the tracks. The vast majority of the artists have previously graced this series.

As is now tradition I have selected three for your listening pleasure. I think that all three acts have had songs in this series before but not these ones.

Let's kick off with the Americana super group Golden Smog (who include members from the likes of Wilco, the Jayhawks and Big Star among others ) with Until You Came Along from their 1998 album Weird Tales.

Next Up are Freakwater with their fantastic cover of Dwight Yoakam's South of Cincinnati. I'm not sure if this is available elsewhere.

We conclude the series with the Gun Club  epic Ghost on the Highway. It may predate technically precede Americana but it is definitely a precursor.

In the same vein I've made a last minute decision to throw the Dream Syndicate's cover of Bob Dylan's epic Blind Willie McTell . Don't say I'm not good to you.

If you've enjoyed this series half as much as I have I've enjoyed it twice as much as you.

I haven't a scoobie as to what will come next.

Golden Smog - Until You Came Along

Freakwater - South of Cincinnati

The Gun Club - Ghost On the Highway

The Dream Syndicate - Blind Willie McTell

Saturday Shuffle 160

 

Welcome to Saturday Shuffle where we feature three debutants which is pretty impressive given that it is the 160th post in this series 

We start with Jackie Lee and the simply titled The Duck a 1966 soul song written by Fred Sledge Smith and Earl Nelson. It seems that Jackie Lee is actually Earl Nelson  and was moonlighting from the duet Bob & Earl. Not to be confused with the Jackie Lee who sang the theme tune to the TV series White Horses

Next up is Hamish Hawk who despite being from Edinburgh was the Mauritian Badminton Doubles Champion back in 1973.

We conclude with this week's cover star  the wonderful Ann Peebles When she can't stand the rain she may well resort to tearing your playhouse down. You have been warned

More ducks, badminton and playhouses next Saturday

Jackie Lee -The Duck

Hamish Hawk - The Mauritian Badminton Doubles Champion

Ann Peebles - I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down

Bellshill Bands - Soup Dragons

 

The Soup Dragons were one of the inspirations for this series . They would have featured here much earlier if they hadn't featured a few weeks before the series was launched.

Better late than never plus it is sometimes sensible to keep your powder dry and to save some of  the big hitters on the back burner. Was

That post was raving about their Past Night From Glasgow compilation Raw Products -Singles & Rarities.
I shared three songs from that album but panic not as there are plenty more tunes to choose from. 

They take the number of bands featured up to 8 with one more scheduled .I would love to get to 1o so any suggestions welcomed.

I've ruled out The Pastels, the Vaselines  and anything featuring Eugene Kelly on the grounds of geography as they appear to have originated from Glasgow. I would be delighted if anyone can tell me differently

I've checked musicians born in Bellshill Maternity and so far have come up with Sheena Easton and Sharleen Spiteri!

Soup Dragons - Just Mind Your Step Girl

Soup Dragons - Slow Things Down

Soup Dragons - Pleasantly Surprised

Soup Dragons - Hang - Ten

Leaving Traces

 

I found myself listening to the Neal Casal compilation Leaving Traces: Songs 1994- 2004 on the Fargo label here.

He was an artist I saw a few times and had music by either solo stuff or with Hazy Malaze and Lucinda Williams. Sadly he took his own life in 2019 and I wrote a piece here

He was a great musician and singer/songwriter who had written some powerful songs. There are, however, some references to his state of mind in songs such as Just Getting By  and Free Light of Day which can make it a hard listen in places

In 2020, the Neal Casal Music Foundation was founded to honour his memory. In addition to preserving his artistic legacy, the NCMF provides musical instruments and lessons to students in New Jersey and New York state schools an donations to mental health organizations that support musicians in need

A tribute album Highway Butterfly was released in 2021  with fellow musicians covering 41 of his songs over 3 CD  here .Physical copies have long since sold out but it should still be available digitally here

 A sadly missed talent

If you are struggling, and we all do at sometime, please remember that there is help out there. It's good to talk. Here are contact details for two organisations in Scotland. You should have something similar in your own local area.

Breathing Space

Samaritans

Neal Casal - Just Getting By

Neal Casal - Free Light Of Day

The Blues Collection - James Booker

 

We have reached the dizzy heights of number 79 in the Blues Collection with James Booker the New Orleans Keyboard King.

I'm not sure whether that title was bestowed upon him or self proclaimed. Perhaps the latter as he was also dubbed the Black Liberace or even The Bayou Maharajah. I think it's safe to say that he wasn't known for his modesty.

Booker died aged 43 on November 8, 1983, while seated in a wheelchair in the emergency room at New Orleans'Charity Hospital , waiting to receive medical attention. The cause of death, as cited in the Orleans Parish Coroner's Death Certificate, was renal failure related to chronic abuse of heroin and alcohol. Pretty much the compulsory ending of a Bluesman from that era.

The songs on the album are taken from concerts in Hamburg c 1977. When searching for images of the album I came across a recording  on You Tube of the whole album which you might enjoy. 112 out of the 3.3K viewers seem to.

For those of you who prefer something more tangible here are a couple of the tracks

James Brooker - Please Send Me Someone To Love

James Brooker - Ain't Nobody's Business

The Four Americana H's

 

I know that many of you will be familiar with John Medd's monthly photo challenge. If not you should make yourself familiar with it.

August's theme was simple the letter H which led to a wide and diverse collection of pictures.

I was sat on a chair in the Music Room looking for inspiration when I found myself staring at the Blue Americana shelves.

These four albums were side by side and it seemed like a good idea to take a collective photo of them and submit it to John.

In alphabetical order the first one up was the eponymous 2005 Hacienda Brothers album on the Proper label. If you google Hacienda at CCM you will get this as opposed to anything from Manchester! The two main participants were Dave Gonzales and the late great Chris Gaffney. I saw them play once up a close in Glasgow's Trongate.

Next alphabetically is Wayne Hancock with That's What Daddy Wants a 1998 album from Ark 21. He subsequently signed to Bloodshot and plays an Americana form of Western Swing. I saw him a lunchtime set at the long gone Virgin Megastore on Glasgow's Buchanan Street.

Greg Hawk & the Tremblers are the ones that I know the littleist about. Indeed it looks like they are making their debut on these pages. I'm not quite sure how they crossed my radar Fool's Paradise is an album from 2001 on the Yep Roc label They are the only one of the four acts that I haven't seen live.

Finally we have the eponymous 2003 album by the band Hazy Malaze on the Fargo label. They were a trio featuring the late Neal Casal on guitars, lead vocals and harmonica; Dan Fadel on drums,vocals, percussion and Jeff Hill on bass and vocals. I saw them put on an excellent show at King Tuts.

Which one(s) float your boat?

Hacienda Brothers - South Of Lonesome

Wayne Hancock - 87 Southbound

Greg Hawks & the Tremblers -Fool's Paradise

Hazy Malaze - Chicago Blondes