Trailer Class

Kacey Musgraves has just released a new album Pageant Material.
I figure that allows me to feature her previous album the great Same Trailer Different Park from way back in 2013 winner of a Grammy Award and an ACM Award for album of the year.
She appeared on an American singing competition  Nashville Star in 2007 finishing seventh.
However she is no manufactured pop star or CMTV bimbo.
She writes all her own songs and plays acoustic guitar,mandolin, harmonica and banjo
Her lyrics also challenge the traditional redneck conservative Nashville country industry.
In short a breath of fresh air.

Kacey Musgraves - Merry Go 'Round

Kacey Musgraves - Follow Your Arrow

The Big O Sings the Blues

We went to see the Robert Carlyle film The Legend of Barney Thomson last week.
A highly enjoyable black comedy (particularly if you come from Glasgow) based on the novel The Long Midnight of Barney Thomson by Robert Lindsay. His books are well worth checking out.Very funny indeed.
The soundtrack to the film features a version of Blue Bayou but regrettably not by Roy Orbison.

On the basis that you can't improve on perfection here is the man himself on a blues mission.
Pure class

Roy Orbison - Blue Bayou

Roy Orbison - Blue Angel

Baby Cobras

An enjoyable debate is how best to categorise The Detroit Cobras.
A popular search engine describes them as garage rock.
There is a touch of rockabilly there with Rachel Nagy's voice not dissimilar to Imelda May's.
Throw in a touch of soul and/or indie for good measure and you could keep the debate going for a long time.
Alternatively why not just listen to the music.
Two tracks from their third album Baby on Rough Trade from 2004.There is also a Bloodshot version from 2005 which also includes their excellent EP Seven Easy Pieces
A particular favourite of our good friend Dirk I believe.
They come from Detroit.

The Detroit Cobras -I Wanna Holler (But the Town's too Small

The Detroit Cobras - It's Raining

When Steve McQueen Met Faron Young at Four in the Morning

Can it really be 30 years ago that Kitchenware records released Steve McQueen the second album by Prefab Sprout?
Produced by Thomas Dolby it is perhaps Paddy McAloon's finest three quarters of an hour.
Although it didn't enjoy the same UK chart success as it's four successors it is certainly their most critically acclaimed record and is much loved by many of my esteemed colleagues on the right hand sidebar.
It reached number 4 on the NME's best albums list for 1985 and ever since has featured regularly on all time best of lists
Released in America as Two Wheel's Good as McQueen's estate took issue with the title.
On the other hand I'm sure that country crooner Faron Young was grateful to Paddy for introducing him to a whole new audience,

Prefab Sprout - Faron Young

Prefab Sprout - When Love Breaks Down

Sunday Music on Monday

This mini -series was originally going to replace Some Soul Sunday but I have decided to persevere meantime.
So some songs referencing Sunday on a Monday.
You will not be surprised to note that I'm starting with two slices of Americana
Tift Merritt from her 2002 album Bramble Rose advises us that Sunday is nobody's business.
Meanwhile chief Jayhawk the Professor of Music himself Gary Louris bemoans the fact that She Only Calls Me on Sundays from his 2008 solo album Vagabonds.

Not only is Box not wiping bandwidth used at the end of the the month it is also no longer telling you how much bandwidth you have left so  I have decided to give  Zippy Share a go.

Tift Merritt - Sunday

Gary Louris - She Only Calls Me on Sundays

Some Sunday Soul

You very nearly never got Some Sunday Soul this week as I am somewhat short in both material and inspiration.
I'll persevere for a wee while but a short break from this series may be in order.
Today's songs come from a somewhat unusual source a CD called Forever Mod which contains 48 tunes of smokin' jazz,sensual soul, stormin' ska and classic blues which apparetly influenced the Mod movement.

The sensual soul tracks include the likes of Irma Thomas, Bobby Bland,Arthur Alexander and Ester Phillips.
I have opted for a couple of crackers courtesy of Ike and Tina and Gladys Knight & the Pips.
I don't own any albums by Gladys& the Pips and would be grateful for some suggestions as I suspect that there may well be more chaff than wheat out there

More soul next Sunday (maybe!)

Ike and Tina Turner - A Fool in Love

Gladys Knight & the Pips - Every Beat of my Heart

Saturday Lucky Dip

This week's Saturday Lucky Dip is a slice of New York Punk from a Mojo compilation from November 2005 which hijacks the world's most famous logo with I  ♥ NY Punk!
It contains a good few songs which haven't stood the test of time and some live songs which probably sounded great if you were in the audience in the late 70's but which sound pretty ropey now
There are a couple that stand outs -  the previously featured Rip Her to Shreds by Blondie and the still to feature New York Dolls.
I wasn't aware that Mink DeVille were considered punk given that my only exposure to them up to now was Spanish Stroll.However it appears that they were one of the original house bands at CBGBs from 1975 to 1977 so a punk pedigree then. She's So Tough is rather good. I should check out more by them.
There is no disputing that Johnny Thunders & the Heartbreakers were punk. Here is their extremely faithful cover of the Ramones classic Chinese Rocks (just realised I've posted this one before but well worth another listen)

More random nonsense next Saturday

Mink DeVille - She's So Tough

Johnny Thunder & the Heartbreakers - Chinese Rocks