LNFG 2nd Birthday Bash

I'm off to Stereo tonight for the 2nd Birthday Bash of Last Night From Glasgow.
This time last year was my first introduction to the label and I have since received a number of records and been to a few gigs.
Appearing tonight are Stephen Solo, Sun Rose , L-Space and bis. Yes that's right bis! The best band ever to have come out of Thornliebank are making a comeback with a new album scheduled for release on LNFG.

They are the only one of the acts I've never seen before. Stephen Solo is quirky and funny.I was a wee bit disappointed when I previously saw Sun Rose although I quite like the album.
Similarly L-Space were a wee bit disappointing despite all the hype. However, the new single Suneaters is particularly good so I  have great hopes for tonight and I am looking forward to the release of the album.




bis - Kandy Pop

bis - This is Fake D.I.Y

The Blues Collection - John Lee Hooker

Long suffering readers will remember me featuring artists from The Blues Collection over the years
This is a set of 93 CDs which where released together with an associated magazine between 1993 and 1997.
Initially I picked up between 30 and 35 of them in two job lots in my local charity shop.
Subsequent purchases took my total up to 44.
However I was beginning to come home with doublers or worse still not acquiring ones that I thought I had but didn't.
So I took a note of the numbers of the ones I didn't have and stuck it in my wallet.
Fast forward to Barnardos in Stranraer last week where I spotted the 1st CD in the collection Boogie Man by John Lee Hooker on the shelves.
A quick check told me that I didn't have it and the 45th out of the 93 was duly acquired.

John Lee Hooker - Crawlin' King Snake

John Lee Hooker - I'm in the Mood

Long Time Gone

This Thursday I will be mainly plodding away in an office in Wishaw.
Last Thursday after a couple of pints from the local brewery in the Steam Packet  in the Isle of Whithorn I spotted a seal in the harbour (on the rock in front of the white boat).

Back to matters more mundane and the day before and Stranraer charity shops in the rain. I always make a point of popping into the Dumfries and Galloway Mental Health shop but up until now I have come away empty handed after leaving a donation.
This time round I struck lucky picking up Long Time Gone an Uncut compilation from July 2008 featuring 15 All-American Music Classics.
Given the fact that I have albums by 9 of the 15 acts featured it is clearly right up my street.
As is my want I've decided to focus on two of the new to me acts.

Ravens & Chimes are an indie band from the Big Apple.The song featured is from their debut album 2007's Reichenbach Falls on the Better Looking Records label.
Dirtmusic are on the mighty Glitterhouse album so there may well be some of their stuff on the shelves already. They consist of Chris Eckman of Walkabouts  fame,Chris Brokah who has collaborate with the Lemonheads and an original Bad Seed in the shape of Hugo Race. This song is from their self titled 2007 debut album.

Ravens & Chimes - Eleventh Street

Dirtmusic - Morning Dew

The Airborne Toxic Event

A rainy day meant a trip to Stranraer to take in the charity shops and other assorted delights.

In the Cat Protection League shop I stumbled across the 2008 debut album by Los Angeles band The Airborne Toxic League. Now I was not familiar with their music but the name rang a bell .I remembered vaguely that they had been featured by a blogger, possibly Drew? so I took a punt.

When I got home I confirmed that Drew has in fact sung their praised on a number of occasions.
I feel that you can tell that they are American. I can hear shades of Buffalo Tom in there and maybe a wee bit of the Wedding Present. They produce a splendid racket and it would be interesting to see them live although I would be worried about my ears.
Not sure that they are totally right up me street but well worth a couple of quid.

Talking of a couple of quid I had forgotten to bring a jumper. What is now affectionately  known as my Two Pound Tap was duly acquired!

The Airborne Toxic Event - Happiness is Overrated

The Airborne Toxic Event -The Winning Side

Emma's Imagination

Following a few years travelling and then busking on the streets of Glasgow, Edinburgh born but Dumfries raised Emma  Gillespie entered (under the name Emma's Imagination) and won the 2010 Sky Must Be the Music programme pocketing £100,000 in the process.
Now I have never seen the programme but I imagine that the judges and the voting TV audience must have been impressed by her originality  which would have stood out against all the TV wanabees.

As you would imagine her win generated much publictiy and airplay in Scotland. Her 2011 album  Stand Still was duly acquired via the library and subsequently upgraded last week at the BRICC community charity shop in Ballantrae.
Seldom have I seen so may absolutely awful CDs and records stored in such a haphazard and random way.
However, I was determined not to come away empty handed

As you would imagine it was the usual 15 minutes of fame  and then nothing. She subsequently produced an indepedently released EP Underway in 2013 and an album Pier Siamese in 2016 under her own name.

Don't let the  Murdoch talent show connection and the fact that the album was released on Tory tax dodger Gary Barlow's Future Records label put you off. She is a true talent.

Emma's Imagination - Soul of Oceans

Emma's Imagination - Focus

Big Sensations

He's back!
I've returned refreshed from my period of R&R ready and raring to go.
A few new purchases to subject you to. Nothing startling but a fairly eclectic mixed bag which hopefully  therein you will all find something  to enjoy
I'm going to post them in a chronological order from when purchased which is as good a way as any.

First up is the only non-charity purchase. Big Sensations is the latest offer from Mojo magazine purchased in Girvan. As a rule I only buy Mojo or Uncut these days for holiday reading.They are a bit ahead of themselves as this CD is listed as from May 2018.
According to the blurb we have 15 Floor Fillers of Maximum R& B 45s from the Dawn of Mod.
That period in the early 60s when jazz influences were still strong but where American R&B was gradually establishing a foot hold.
I've gone for Juanita Nixon with her 1960 number Stop Knockin' on the King Record Label. Attributed as the B side to the A side of Let Me Be Free the original will set you back by about 85 quid according to Discogs.
Chicago based McKinley "Soul" Mitchell's 1962 single The Town I Live In on the One-Derful label is altogether more accessible and cheaper to obtain.

Juanita Nixon - Stop Knockin'

McKinley "Soul" Mitchell -The Town I Live In

Holidays

We are off on holiday so nothing to see here for a few days.
It gives me an opportunity to relax, recharge the batteries and hopefully pick up some new purchases to subject you to upon our return.
As the above map suggests we are not in fact off to Cambodia but rather to Portpatrick in Galloway in the South West of Scotland.
As far as I am aware I have no songs about Portpatrick or Galloway  and this was the first holiday related song which sprang to mind.

Dead Kennedys -Holiday in Cambodia