Ooh La La

The Faces were pretty much the identikit rock'n'roll band.
The one which ticked all the stereotype  and cliche boxes of sex,drugs and rock'n'roll.
As much a gang as a band and the one that many a teenage boy would have given his eye teeth to be a member of.
Given the lifestyle it was hardly surprising that Rod,Ronnie L, Ronnie W , Kenny and Mac only lasted for three years and four albums from 1970 to 1973.
I've gone for two of the hits from their final album Ooh La La as they are among the ones I remember most as a youth
Pool Hall Richard would certainly have featured had it not featured before.

From the When Rod was Good era and for George and Walter who have sung their praises before

The Faces -Ooh La La

The Faces -Cindy Incidentally

Angels, Acrobats, Workshirts and Turpentine

For those of you wondering and worrying I am happy to report that there is still plenty of Americana on the shelves for the sharing of.
Today's numbers are from Stray Dogs the second (of ten to date) album by Rod Picott from 2002.
I saw him in Glasgow and my pal came away with this album and the 2004 follow up Girl From Arkansas. I settled for copies.

Some blue collar/small town America songs with shades of Steve Earle and in particular Bruce Springsteen in places
I know no more.

Rod Picott -Angels and Acrobats

Rod Picott - Workshirts and Turpentine

Brothers, Sisters ....

A new, if hardly original, series for you today.
Bands with Sister(s) or Brother(s) in their title.
We will start of with bands containing actual brothers or sisters and see where we go from there.

We kick off with the Webb Brothers who are the offspring of the great  songwriter and pianist Jimmy Webb.
When I saw them in Austin and subsequently purchased their 2000 album Maroon there were only the two of them: Christiaan on vocals, piano and keyboards and Justin on vocals and guitars.They have subsequently been joined over the years by younger brothers James and Cornelius.

The Webb Brothers - Summer People

Another band who at one stage contained four siblings are the disco legends Sister Sledge.
At their peak they consisted of Debi, Joni, Kim and Kathy Sledge.
Kathy left in 1989 returning occasionally thereafter and  Joni sadly died in 2017
Here is the LP version of their classic We Are Family - all 8 minutes of it!

Sister Sledge - We Are Family

During my extensive research for this post  I also discovered that there is in fact also a band out there called The Webb Sisters - featuring sisters Charley and Hattie from Kent

More next week

Boat to Bolivia

What better way to start the first whole week in September than with the first two tracks from Boat to Bolivia the glorious debut album by Martin Stephenson and the Daintees?
Released  in May 1986 on Kitchenware Records it is a stonewall classic and a must have.
My copy is a second hand one from Missing Records for 99p. Heaven knows how much Oxfam would be asking for a copy these days.
I have their first three albums but nothing since.
Although troubled by alcoholism over the years Martin is still going strong regularly  producing solo albums to critical acclaim.
A great ICA at JC's place from his biographer Rich Cundill is well worth checking out

He is one day younger than me.

Martin Stephenson & the Daintees - Crocodile Cryer

Martin Stephenson & the Daintees -Coleen

Shuggie, Shuggie, Shuggie

The recently completed long running Burnt Offerings series had me revisiting some artists and exploring some that I knew very little about in more detail.
One such artist was Shuggie Otis and I took in upon myself to acquire Inspiration Information the album on which Aht Uh Mi Hed appeared.
The one I plumped for was one of those 2 for 1 CDs the other being Wings of Love.
I'm sharing the title tracks with you.
It can get a bit jazzy and twiddly in places but that is easily overshadowed by some fantastic Psychedelic Soul.
Take it away Shuggie

Shuggie Otis - Inspiration Information

Shuggie Otis - Wings of Love

Hello Starling

I've featured Josh Ritter the man from Moscow (Idaho) a couple of times before but nothing from his third album from 2003 Hello Starling.
I have his second through to fourth albums from 2001 to 2006 but nothing since.

It is quite a polished performance. Nothing wrong with that I suppose but I prefer my music a wee bit rougher round the edges. That is why I have opted for the live version of Kathleen which features on a bonus four track EP of songs recorded in Dublin where he was massive around this time.
Indeed Hello Starling debuted at number 2 in the Irish charts.

Josh Ritter - Wings

Josh Ritter - Kathleen (Live)

I Speak Because I Can

I quite like Laura Marling. However, she is one of many an artist who's music  I like but have never quite got round to paying hard cash for. I would however hoover up anything I saw in a charity shop.
She first appeared as part of the nu folk movement (an awful term)  in the mid Naughties first hooking up with Noah and the Whale and then with posh boys Mumford and Sons.
Fortunately for her she had the talent to survive these associations and continues to deliver consistently good and challenging songs.
I Speak Because I Can is her second solo album from 2010 produced by Ethan Jones an a Mercury Music Prize nomination.
Then boyfriend Marcus Mumford appears on drums and backing vocals but we won't hold that against her.

Laura Marling - Rambling Man

Laura Marling -Hope in the Air