OMG (Oh, My Girl)

Another glaring hole in the shelves filled - this time in the Americana section.
I'd the occasional song by Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter on compilations but none of their albums. That has now changed.
2003's Reckless Burning and 2004's Oh, My Girl on the Barsuk Records in the States and the French label Fargo in Europe have been duly purchased.
A band pretty much at the other end of the spectrum from yesterday's featured artist Camera Obscura.

Sparse. Dark. Gothic. Brilliant.
The kind of music that once it is finished you feel the urge to go and lie down in a darkened room. But in a good way.
Oh, My Girl today.,Reckless Burning in due course (once you have recovered)

Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Heareafter - Oh, My Girl

Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter - The Dreaming Dead

Let's Get Out Of This Country

I got the Tracyanne and Danny album for my birthday.
It is excellent. Playing it highlighted a major gap in my record collection - a distinct lack of Traceyanne Campbell's band Camera Obscura. The only thing I have is a burn of their last album Desire Lines
Given that I also received the modern equivalent of a record voucher I decided to do something about it.

I was torn between Let's Get Out of This Country and My Maudlin Career so I did the sensible thing and got them both.
From 2006 and on the Spanish Elefant Records label LGOOTC is the older of the two.
You should all be familiar with Lloyd, I'm Ready to be Heartbroken. I posted it just over a year ago but it merits being posted again.
The title song was also a single and again is not too shabby.
MMC will feature in due course. Other birthday purchases will feature shortly.

Camera Obscura - Lloyd I'm Ready to be Heartbroken

Camera Obscura - Let's Get out of This Country

If I Can't I Trust You With a Quarter (How Can I Trust You With My Heart?)

This week's instalment of the accidental series The Most Country of Country Song Titles comes from Austin band  Zoe Muth and the High Rollers with a song from their 2011 album Starlight Hotel

Described by that bastion of musical critique The Telegraph (London version as opposed to Dundee version) as authentic country done afresh.

The title of the song makes it a worthy addition to this series . Plus, how could you ignore a song that states
When you said you’d never heard John Prine,
Well I knew right away you weren’t worth my time.
Something I'm sure that we would all sign up to.

If you can trust yourself with a dollar it 's yours from Bandcamp

Zoe Muth & the Lost High Rollers -If I Can't Trust You with a Quarter (How Can I Trust You With My Heart)

Zoe Muth & the Lost High Rollers - Let's Just Be Friends For Tonight

Birds Are Indie

Birthday Greetings came winging through the World Wise Web from our Portugal correspondent along with a download of Local Affairs the latest offering from Portuguese band Birds Are Indie.
George informs me that they are from Coimbra which appears to be a hotbed of independent music given that A Jigsaw and The Twist Connection who have also appeared here hail from there.
Coimbra apperently is a university town halfway between Lisbon and Porto which has a football team called Academica who are not very good.

It is somewhat basic and pretty simplistic music but is none the worse for that. Rather that is probably it's strength.
You are only getting one track given that it is a new album but if it tickles your fancy it is available on Bandcamp. Alternatively let George know when your birthday is and hope for the best.

Also available on Bandcamp is Half Empty a 1997 album by Brooklyn power popper Michael Shelley. Another one courtesy of George.

Birds Are Indie - Messing With Your Mind

Michael Shelley - Think With Your Heart

Disco Friday #3

This week we feature the second of Mrs CC's recent Ballantrae purchases which were the inspiration for this series.
Club Tropicana - Classic Hits from the Eighties is a 3 CD compilation featuring 60 songs.
They are not all Disco - I shall spare you the likes of Toto, Mr Mister and Men at Work.
There are however some classic disco grooves in the mix.

Inside Out from Odyssey reached number 3 in 1982 meaning it was their second biggest hit after their 1980 number 1 Use It Up and Wear it Out.
KC and the Sunshine Band on the other hand kindly provide us with their only number 1 1983's Wear It Out

Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, now Baby give it up

More floor fillers next Friday

Odyssey - Inside Out

KC and the Sunshine Band - Give It Up

Maria McKee x 4

There have been plenty of occasions round these parts when records have been bought twice and maybe even three times, but I am pretty confident in stating that Maria McKee's solo debut album is the only one ever bought on four occasions.
Let me explain.
I bought the  album a good number of years ago, in Echo on Byres Road I think.
Then a couple of years ago I bought the CD version as it has the magnificent but bonkers Drinkin' in My Sunday Dress on it which is not on the vinyl version.

Then I bought a copy in Oxfam in Victoria Road as a housewarming present for a pal who had just moved into a flat. Turns out he already had it.

Then as part of my birthday presents package Mrs CC gave me a copy she had picked up in Oxfam in Newton Mearns not knowing/forgetting that I already had it on vinyl!
It's the thought that counts!
Wonder if it is the same one - must check.*

A good enough excuse to feature a couple of tracks

Maria McKee - I've Forgotten What It Was In You (That Put the Need in Me)

Maria McKee - To Miss Someone


* I checked and it isn't the same one!

Little and Large #3

For this weeks's Little and Large read Tiny and Giant.

The Tiny is New Zealand singer Holly Fullbrook with her band Tiny Ruins. We saw them at Celtic Connections in 2015 along with Blue Rose Code.
I was a bit disappointed with the live set to be honest but this song Carriages which is  part of a free CD conpilation I picked up called New Zealand Country Focus is rather good. Somewhat reminiscent of This is the Kit - no bad thing.

The Large are Tuscon desert noir band Giant Sand with a number from their 2000 album Chore of Enchantment on the Loose label (on Thrill Jockey in the States).

More next Wednesday.

Tiny Ruins - Carriages

Giant Sand - Astonished (In Memphis)