Neon Coast

After yesterday's plethora of music you are just getting the one song today.
The reason ? After listening to Restless  you will want to buy it and the rest of the songs on Neon Coast by A.Wesley Chung for yourself  and you can at bandcamp.

It came out on Glasgow's LP Records in May 2018. I had intended to pick up a vinyl copy at the time but never got round to it. Regretting the error of my ways I liberated a digital download from my Bandcamp wishlist recently.

You could be forgiven for thinking California as opposed to Glasgow when listening to this and that is because Mr Chung is indeed from the Golden State but now rather sensibly resides in The Dear Green Place instead.

Here are some details of the album from For the Rabbits. Don't let the reference to My Morning Jacket put you off. Think Laurel Canyon instead.

He has also recorded as The Great Albatross which is next on my list for checking out


A.Wesley Chung - Restless

State of the Union - California

George writes (a wee bit):

Today it’s somewhere with a bit of a drought problem, and is prone to earthquakes. No, it’s not Portugal, it’s California.

Here’s a few songs that you might know, and if you don’t you can thank me after listening to them all for bringing them to your attention. So what you have this week is “The state of California, an ICA” to steal the idea from JC of vinylvillain fame.

Low - California

George Jones & Tammy Wynnette - Southern California

Frank Black & The Catholics - California bound

Phil Ochs - Tape from California

Arthus Big Boy Crudup - Mean ol' Frisco blues

Johnny Cash - San Quentin

Jackie DeShannon - Laurel Canyon

Neko Case - In California

PJ Harvey & John Parish - Leaving California

Dwight Yoakam - Streets of Bakersfield

The Magnetic Fields - Come back from San Francisco

Billy Bragg & Wilco - California stars

John Lee Hooker - Goin' to California

The Jayhawks - Nevada, California

And here’s the obvious song with some fine twangy guitar playing:

If you only play one of those make it the Phil Ochs’ track, it is majestic.

That’s it from me. Another state next week.

CC writes:
Short but sweet.
ICAs?
George is getting a bit gallus now that he is nearing the finishing line

Never one to shirk a challenge:

The Delgados - California Uber Alles

Guy Clark - L.A.. Freeway

Bobby Womack - California Dreamin'

Johnny Kaplan - California Heart

Dawes - Time Spent in Los Angeles

N.W.A. - Straight Out of Compton

The Blasters - Hollywood Bed

Steve Wynn - Southern California Line

The Raveonettes - Ode to L.A.

Steve Young - Going Back to California

Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance

The last month or so has seen the doubling of the number of Belle and Sebastian records on the shelves.
Firstly The Life Pursuit was purchased in St Andrews. It was fairly swiftly followed by the purchase of Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance in Blairgowrie.
From 2015 on Matador records it is their ninth studio album and the first in five years.
It has more of a dance feel than its predecessors wth the introduction of synthesisers and dance grooves.
I've chosen the two singles from the album.
The frst one The Party Line  reached number 56 in Japan but did not chart elsewhere.
The second Noboday's Empire was somewhat more successful in that it reached number 36 - in Mexico.

As I said when posting The Life Pursuit it is somewhat better that I thought it might be given that the bands profile had slipped somewhat albeit both albums made the top 10 of the UK album charts - TlP reaching number 8 with GIPWTD peaking aaone place below at 9.

Belle and Sebastian - The Party Line

Belle and Sebastian - Nobody's Empire

Starving Winter Report

I picked up Starving Weather Report the 2nd album by Detroit band Deadstring Brothers (2005: Bloodshot -US, Evangeline - UK) second hand in Missing.
It joins their epoymous 2013 debut album on the shelves. One I got (and got signed) when they put on a stonking show in the old Stereo bar in Glasgow's Kelvinhaugh Street.

It seems that they recorded a further three albums before calling it a day in 2013 with Bloodshot releasing a digital Best of in 2018

Here is some blurb from the Bloodshot website to save me wittering on.
The comparisons with the Stones from the Exile in Main Street era are there for all to see.
An American Primal Scream if you will.
No bad thing as I'm sure you'll agree.

Deadstring Brothers - Lights Go Out

Deadstring Brothers - Takin' Born Blues

The Fantastic Four

Levi Stubbs, Abdul "Duke" Fakir , Renaldo "Obie" Benson  and Lawrence Payton collectively known as the Four Tops were one of the great Motown Soul bands of the 60's

I was nearly ostracised by the blogging community for not owning anything by them for the longest while.
That was rectified with me purchasing a Best of on vinyl in Stanraer in the summer of 17.
In early October  this year it was joined by a CD version picked up in Granton-on-Spey.
Ok so all 12 tracks on the CD are on the vinyl album but you can never have too much of a good thing.
You could well say It's the Same Old Song but I Can't Help Myself.

Look out for the obligatory comment by Lynchie making us all jealous by regaling the time he was dancing in the aisles to the band.

The Four Tops - It's the Same Old Song

The Four Tops - I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)

More Saturday Sweet Treats

Our dear friend Walter has been featuring an excellent Back to the Days of Glam series recently.
Artist featured include Roxy Music, Suzi Quatro and Sweet.

Sweet also featured here back in the summer in a Saturday series along with Rachel Sweet and Matthew Sweet.
Well they are featuring again today  following the acquisition of a Best of (my first ever Sweet album) as part of a three for a pound deal in Missing Records.
It is pretty much  a 50/50 split between their glam hits and their soft heavy rock numbers (if that description makes sense. It does to me)
I've gone for a glam number and one which can be described as a little bit of both and one which I had completely forgotten about.


Sweet - Wig-Wam Bam

Sweet - Hell Raiser

The Thirteenth Month

Sorry George, I couldn't resist it. Plus Brian made me do it, or at the very least actively encourged me because let's face it after posting all the other songs on the Calendar Girl album on the first (or second) of the month over the last year the completist in me couldn't miss out this song penned by Arthur Hamilton the man who gave us Cry Me a River.

Plus it also allows me to feature Julie's many topical but risque costumes in their entirity.

And also when reading a post over at Rigid Digit's place I discovered that a band called The Kick once released a song called Julie London.

There. That's it finished now. Honest.

Julie London - The Thirteenth Month