2026 Charity Shop Purchases #21 - Best Coast - The Only Place
In January 2020 I picked up Crazy For You the debut album by Best Coast in a charity shop on Great Western Rd prior to nipping into Wintergills for a pint before heading to Firhill (for Thrills) to see Dundee United play Partick Thistle
Since then I have been keeping an eye out for their stuff. This has led to me mistakenly picking up two albums by Dream Pop act Beach House.
Third time lucky in Debras in Shawlands when I came away with their second album The Only Place from 2012 on the MexicanSummer label.
The personnel on the album are songwriter, guitarist and vocalist Bethany Cosentino and guitarist and Bobb Bruno on drums, guitar and bass. Producer Jon Brion provides everything else.
Bethany's voice puts me in mind of Neko Case which is no bad thing as I'm sure you'll agree
They released two other albums California Nights (2015) and Always Tomorrow (2020) and are seemingly currently on hiatus.
It's our old friends Glitterhouse from Beverungen, Germany with Nevermind a 3xCD Compilation from 2004 celebrating the label's 30th birthday.
Here is the tracklist courtesy of Discogs listing all 51 tracks and artists. It can be picked up remarkably cheaply with a Median price of £3.96. Maybe this is because it is a little bit worthy and includes a number of pretty obscure artists. Come Fly With Us remains the Glitterhouse Compilation to have.
One track from each of the 3 CDs I think.
From disc 1 here is Carla Togerson, of Walkabouts fame, with the song Pelagic which is taken from her 2004 album Saint Stranger.
Representing disc 2 we have Rainer Ptacek a German -American guitarist and singer songwriter based in Tucson and more commonly known just as Rainer. Sadly he died in 1997 following a brain tumour. Love Buys Love is his selected song He is the only one of the chosen artists that I haven't seen perform.
Finally we have the opening track from Disc 3 (which is subtitled Classic tunes of Glitterhouse Records)Jon Dee Graham gives us Big Sweet Life
Regular / Long Suffering (delete where appropriate) readers will not be surprised to see Rose City Band appearing once more on the Shuffle. I've seen them twice and have four of their five albums with Garden Party being the odd one out. Sunlight Daze is taken from their latest album 2025's Sol y Sombra.
I'm much less familiar with the next two acts. I'm not a fan of Fleetwood Mac from their Rumours era and beyond.. Say You Love Me is taken from its 1975 predecessor Fleetwood Mac (aka The White Album).
We conclude with Dale McBride and Prissy Missy taken from Keb Darge & Little Eva's Legendary Wild Rockers album.
De Rosa are probably one of the more obscure bands to feature in this series.
Active from 2001 -2009 and then 2012 -2021 their membership consisted at various times of Martin John Henry, Chris Connick, James Woodside, Neil Woodside and Andrew Bush.
I have their 2006 album Mend, on the Chemikal Underground label, which according to my spreadsheet I picked up in Fort William. I thought it was from Muir of Ord but I might be confusing them with Rader Bros. The personnel on the album are Martin John Henry and the Woodside Brothers. It is the first of three studio albums they released.
I've become a bit of a fanboy of M. John Henry and have picked up a few of his albums including this years Early Songs of Late where he sings acoustic versions of the majority of songs from Mend and a few others. I had the pleasure of seeing him performing them live just over a year ago.
Here are some of original geographically based songs by the band.
2026 Charity Shop Purchases #20 - Echo &the Bunnymen - Evergreen/History of the Peel Sessions 1979-1997
I was in Debras, a charity furniture shop in Shawlands, with Mrs CC who was looking for a set of bedroom drawers, successfully as it happens. I had time for a very quick glance at the relatively low number of CD's on the shelves.
Evergreen the 1997 "comeback " album by Echo & the Bunnymen on the London label caught my eye. I made the schoolboy error of not checking the disc as I was too busy lugging the cabinet into the car.
When I got home I noticed that the Evergreen disc was missing. I was a bit annoyed but not that unduly bothered as I'm not really a huge fan and also have both Nothing Lasts For Ever and Don't Let It Get You Down as CD singles
The second disc a limited bonus disc called History of the Peel Sessions 1979-1997 was intact. I would have been more annoyed if that one was missing. Here fellow blogger (La) Luna does the leg work to save me the bother.
Good news, I’ve been invited back. This week, and I think the picture might have given it away, it’s Jesus Christ Superstar. And I have the film soundtrack, bought from Chalmers and Joy record shop at the top of Gellatly Street in Dundee, probably in 1977. And I still like the music. Unsurprisingly there were some objections to the stage and film versions, but it seems that a Pope quite liked it. And not some person called Pope but a genuine supreme pontiff Pope. And for those of you scoffing at the Pope’s, and mine’s taste in rock opera, you should know it was made by the same bloke who made In The Heat Of The Night.
Words such as rock opera and musical usually strike fear into the heart of many of us, but sometimes there is no accounting for taste. Maybe the 14 or 15 year old me thought it a radical film, possibly an educational one (not having been inducted into any church as an infant), or maybe it is a simple case of liking the music. Anyway, one of the many fine songs is Everything's Alright:
But this is the one you really want. The grumpy Judas intervention is a bit derogatory to Ms Magdalene, and critical of the main man (the Judas is not the One Night In Bangkok bloke, he was Judas on the original concept album), but of course well worth a listen
Judas also sings the song that became the well-known 1970s football song “Charlie George, superstar, walks like a woman and he wears a bra”, namely Superstar
And here it is, a great video and splendid soul/gospel song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGcIvK7f77o
I’ve been watching several of the songs on You Tube, and there’s some memorable lines “you have set them all on fire, they think they’ve found the new messiah” sang Judas. Or “a trick or two with lepers and the whole town’s on its feet” (a pharisee, I think).
And that’s it. Jesus Christ Superstar, probably my favourite rock opera.
Thanks to Mr CC for posting, and thanks to you for reading.
After digging out Star Wars by BMX Bandits for a listen as part of my recent Bellshill post I had the urge to listen to another couple of albums by Scottish bands.
I found myself crossing the room to the M Section from were I selected the In Awe of Nothing by Edinburgh band Mt.Doubt. It was originally released by Scottish Fiction Records in 2016 . I have it on CD but also purchased the vinyl reissue (above) from 2021. A band I saw a couple of times who are sadly no more
The Muldoons are a Paisley band who first got together in the 90's but did not record an album until Last Night From Glasgow released Made For Each Other (2020) and We Saw the View (2024). Both are very much worth having but I opted for the latter on this occasion . A band who are not afraid to use a trumpet.
This one - number 70 in the Blues Collection series - is right up my street.
Covering songs recorded between 1929 and 1940 it offers a rare glimpse of first-generation Country music.
My first selection is the opening track Bell Clappin' Mama by Bill Carlisle recorded in Charlotte , North Carolina on 16th February 1937. He recorded for over 50 years dying on 17th March aged 93 in Nashville.
Next up is Jimmie Rodgers. Yes that Jimmie Rogers - The Singing Brakeman himself. From 31st January 1931 in San Antonio here is T.B. Blues
We conclude with another Jimmie, Jimmie Davis who went on to be the Governor of Louisiana. From Chicago on 5th August 1933 here he is with Easy Rider Blues.
The good or bad news, depending on your perspective is that there are still a few more from the Collection to go!
We start with a young whipper snapper making his debut in this series. From the compilation Red Hot Rockabilly- 50 Hard Hitting Rockabilly Classics I give you Elvis Presley with Good Rockin' Tonight.
Compared to Elvis, Nadine Shah is a Saturday regular. Wasps Nest from her 2020 album Kitchen Sink is her third contribution to this series.
For our final act we go back to 1965 with another debutante namely Unit Four Plus Two with Concrete and Clay taken from Jon Savage's 1965 The Year The Sixties Exploded
I'm pretty sure that somebody, somewhere has already done this and if so I apologise if I've stepped on anyone's toes.
For a small town in North Lanarkshire Bellshill (population approx 20,000) has constantly punched above it 's weight when it comes to churning out Indie bands
The first band to feature are the BMX Bandits a band who have been active since 1985. During that period they have gone through a large number of band members (some of whom will feature here later) with Duglas T Stewarthere being the core member and primary songwriter. He is a legendary figure on the Scottish independent music scene. You will see him at many a gig.
They were a band that I was aware of over the years but I didn't really know that much about them (if that makes sense).
It is primarily through my Blogging chums and the likes of Big Gold Dreams - A Story of Scottish Independent Music 1977- 1989 that I gradually became more familiar with them.
In 2021 Last Night From Glasgow re-released a copy of the band's 1991 album Star Wars and I saw them play at the Hug and Pint around then. It was the first, and as things stand the only piece of vinyl, I own by the band
They are quirky, a bit twee and well worth checking out.
Relatively speaking it was just a hop, skip and a jump from the last Blog Country Togo to today's Blog Country Mauritania - a mere 1864 KM
Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a country in the Maghreb region of West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to the north and northwest, Algeria to the northeast, Mali to the east and southeast, and Senegal to the southwest..It is the 11th-largest country in Africa and the 28th-largest in the world; 90% of its territory is in the Sahara desert.
As usual when it comes to Africa I am contractually obliged to refer you to Ernie's African Odyssey. I try not to step on his toes but on this occasion I may have grazed his little toe.
I very nearly started with Laura Beg who I have just discovered is actually from Mauritius as opposed to Mauritania. Clearly, you have to be careful while searching on Google
It looks as if Ahmedou Ahamed Lowla is definitely a Mauritanian. Indeed he is one of the country's biggest stars. Performing in lavish weddings of Nouakchott with a troupe of percussionists, Ahmed's signature style is dynamic and ambitious, shredding over the keys with flourishes (like playing with his elbows and head!).Here he is with Bembara
There are plenty of clips on line of Bakha Tokha but precious little information about him. I'm reasonably sure (but not quite 100%) that he is Mauritanian. especially when the song Bakha Gambia Kota references another African country!
Khalifa Ould Eide & Dimi Mint Abba provide Moorish Music From Mauritania here Try saying that after a couple of pints. They have turned up at Ernie's place but not as part of the Odyssey. Art's Plume is today's offering.
We conclude with DJ Dhaker who Google describe as a music maker .He is a self-taught producer and composer whose releases are popular throughout Mauritania with videos that have millions of views online some presumably referencing Desert Amapiano.
I am finding it increasingly harder to pick up CDs in Charity Shops. So much so that my raison d'etre is increasingly under threat.
For example I visited a handful of charity shops in Clarkston, Troon and Prestwick recently and came away with nothing. As I pointed out recently I went through 500 plus CDs in Kinder Handl in Battlefield and came away with two. Two!
I'm blaming streaming and Spotify. Those that remain on the shelves tend to be Robbie Williams, the Corrs and any number of X Factor finalists
And yet very occasionally I'm in the right place at the right time and come away with a great haul. Trips to Debras in Shawlands and Marie Curie in Newton Stewart spring to mind.
I'm trying to be more discerning due to space issues but it can be a bit soul destroying.
I think what I'm saying is that unless in the unlikely even that things improve there will be less and less posts of new charity purchases
I'm pretty sure that the Mojo CD Cash Covered could not accurately be described an Americana Compilation.
However I am pushing for 50 entries in this series ( this is 42) and there are a number of Americana artists contributing. as confirmed by the attached setlist
My blog, my rules
Michelle Shocked perhaps slightly pre-dated Americana but I think that I an justified in including her fantastic version of One Piece of Americana.
Were you to look up Americana in the dictionary the entry might simply read Steve Earle. Although Hardin Wouldn't Run was written by Johnny himself it is easy to imagine Steve writing this or something similar
Willard Grant Conspiracy never came across as a particularly happy band so I Still Miss Someone is probably appropriate.
Again it is fairly easy to associate Robbie Fulks with a song like Cry Cry Cry.
We may, or may not , return next week with number 43
I haven't been able to find out much information about our cover stars Bill Fadden & the Silvertone Flyers other than a search throws up the words - rockabilly, rock and roll, hillbilly and Western swing. A fine combination as I'm sure you'll agree. It seems they have been active since 1999. Here they are with Too Bad Baby
Edwyn Starr and his majestic song War surely need no introduction.
War! What is it Good For? Absolutely Nothing! Say it Again ...
Some of you will be familiar with Jesse Malin. After listening to Wendy I'm sure many more of you will be hitting the search button.
2026 Charity Shop Purchases #19 - The Beta Band - Hot Shots II
Not unusually I was pretty late to the party when it came to The Beta Band. While I was aware of the name it took Vic Galloway's book Songs In The Key Of Fife to give me the necessary kick up the pants.
Respected colleagues pointed me in the direction of 1998's The Three E.P.s which was duly purchased. This was followed by charity shop purchases of The Beta Band (not sure where) and Heroes to Zeros (Stirling)
Hot Shots II their second studio album from 2001 and my second purchase in Kinder Handl probably completes the set.
There's probably not much to say. If you like the Beta Band you will like this. If you don't you wont. Thankfully I'm in the first camp and you should be too.
Last night saw me at Cottiers Theatre in Hyndland to see Thrum.
It was originally scheduled for 13th March in the Glad Cafe but was subsequently rescheduled. This annoyed me at the time as the Glad Cafe is reasonably local but Hyndland is in Glasgow's West End and over an hour away on the bus.
It turns out that it was probably a good thing as they were very loud and the Glad Cafe has a low ceiling and Cottiers which is a lovely old church a much higher ceiling. It was loud but thankfully not Sugar at the Barrowlands loud or Ryan Adams at the QMU loud. No ringing ears to report.
Put on by Douglas McIntyre's FRETS the support act was Radhika a singer-songwriter who was accompanied by Douglas on guitar. Her set was pretty pleasant and well received.
Thrum's tour was to promote a new remastered version of their 1994 album Rifferama see here and Glasgow was a fitting finale.
For someone who is the height of nothing Monica Queen is a total force of nature. She led the line well, interacted with the audience and frequently jammed with Johnny Smillie on guitar. The band seemed to be having a blast and genuinely thrilled to be performing.
Any band who encore with Sheena Is a Punk Rocker are surely worthy of your time.
2026 Charity Shop Purchases #18 - James Yorkston & The Athletes -Tender To The Blues (CD Single)
I visited the Kinder Handl charity shop on Glasgow's Battlefield Road on Saturday afternoon. I went through all the 500 to 600 CDs on their shelves and came away with two!
One was Tender to the Blues a CD single by James Yorkston & the Athletes from 2002 on the Domino label.
A native of the East Neuk of Fife James Yorkston was part of the Fence Collective. I have a couple of his albums on the shelves and this is a welcome addition. More recently he has been writing fiction books and those I have read have been pretty good.
Stay tuned for CD 2 which also has Fence Collective connections
