One More Down

Mr David Viner - Bow Your Head

2009-08-28T18:09:00.000+01:00

There I was, all imagining that I'd already featured this titled chap on here before, but I was wrong. Still the best song on his latest album now has a video so if that isn't an excuse to rectify matters, I don't know what is. It includes zombies as well...

Soul on Sunday - The Exciters / Tell Him

2009-08-09T10:11:00.002+01:00

Bit of a story behind this - apparently Dusty Springfield heard this and was inspired to record in a "soul style". Don't know whether that's true, but it is a nice story. I've been listening to a lot of this band recently, having just got hold of this excellent composition, so expect more Excitement in the coming weeks...

Latitude Youtubery - Hjaltalin

2009-07-29T16:46:00.001+01:00

Clips are still appearing on Youtube, it would seem! Here's Hjaltalin doing something unpronounceable. They had to wait until Thom Yorke had finished on Sunday before they could come on and play the Uncut, but it was worth the wait!

Soul on Sunday - Mayer Hawthorne / Just Ain't Gonna Work Out

2009-07-26T10:30:00.000+01:00

...and we're back with SoS after a short break (sorry!).

Something new here from Stones Throw records, I know nothing about this except what my ears tell me - that it's very good. And that it reminds me a little of Smokey Robinson's early post-miracles output.

Album out in September, apparently.

Latitude Youtubery - Juliette Commagere

2009-07-24T18:47:00.001+01:00

Another new discovery, here is one of the early highlights from the first morning of Latitude, Juliette Commagere and her band doing Hearts.

Latitude Youtubery - Thomas Dybdahl

2009-07-24T18:43:00.002+01:00

One of the best things about festivals is wondering around on the off chance that you discover a new favourite band and this act fall into that category. Listen out for some absolutely superb lap steel (I think that's what the instrument is called) to the left of the screen... the old boy playing it was just the coolest. The song is called "stay home"

Latitude Youtubery - The Mummers

2009-07-21T18:09:00.001+01:00

The Mummers were on of the early highlights in the much improved Uncut arena on Friday. here they are doing a cover of Sleepyhead by Passion Pit. Unfortunately marred by a few sound problems...

Latitude Youtubery - The Vaselines

2009-07-21T14:57:00.001+01:00

The Vaselines are now best known for being one of Kurt Cobain's favourite bands... Here they are doing a song he covered, Molly's Lips:

Latitude Youtubery - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

2009-07-21T10:40:00.001+01:00

On top form with a short set played at mamximum intensity throughout, here's Mercy Seat

Latitude Youtubery - The Duckworth Lewis Method

2009-07-21T10:37:00.002+01:00

I'll be doing a full write up later in the week, but clips are starting to appear on Youtube, so to start with here is Jiggery Pokery. Altogether now: baboon, baboon, baboon, baboon, baboon, baboon, baboon.

Like a Hurricane

2009-06-30T17:09:00.003+01:00

I didn't watch too much of Glastonbury this weekend, I was busy (more of which anon). However I did catch a bit of Neil Young's headline slot via the BBC iplayer and it reminded me just how much I love his work. I've only seen him the once, at a fantastically wet Fleadh in Finsbury park, and it remains one of my all time favourite festival gigs.

Like a hurricane is one of his best songs, surviving being on a mediocre album (American Stars n Bars. Remember, though, even average Neil Young is way ahead of the competition), and going on to be a staple of his live set for many years. The couplets "You are like a Hurricane, there is calm in your eye" and "I want to love you but I get so blown away" always get me...

Here it is unplugged:

and fully electric.

Amazing

Soul on Sunday - Only Fools Run Away / James Carr

2009-06-21T17:03:00.002+01:00

More goldwax goodness, and this time it's the debut single from their biggest star, James Carr. It's some way from the country influenced soul that brought him acclaim, but still a great vocal performance.

Festival Forecast - First Aid Kit

2009-06-17T22:22:00.003+01:00

Set for the Sunrise Arena at this year's Latitude fest, (appearing on Sunday lunchtime, they'll no doubt be hoping they're not up against Thom Yorke!) First Aid Kit are building a reputation for nice, slightly twee songs in a similar vein to Slow Club.

If you miss them at Latitude, they'll be at End of the Road...

Soul on Sunday - Wonderful to be in Love / The Ovations

2009-06-14T17:59:00.002+01:00

I've just got my hands on this compilation of Goldwax singles, and it's really rather wonderful. Covering the early years of the label (and offshoots such as the Bingo and Bandstand labels) it includes some R&B, Blues and even country-tinged offerings, but as you'd expect it's the soul tracks that stand out the best. It includes two of the handful of tracks that O.V.Wright recorded for them, and James Carr's early work.

I've picked the second Goldwax single from the Ovations, It's wonderful to be in love. The first Goldwax single to make it's mark commercially, it reached the Billboard R&B top 30 in 1965.

Broken Records - Until The Earth Begins to Part

2009-06-03T19:02:00.003+01:00

A few things about Broken Records:

1) I went to see them at Hoxton Hall a couple of weeks ago. It was a very good evening all round really - the support act (Lail Arad came and performed in the bar as she had to get off to do another gig down the road. Did I say bar? It was more like somebodies dining room with beer (bottles of Spitfire!) being served from a hatch in the corner. The venue itself was a small, Victorian-era theatre with loads of wrought-ironwork. The gig was excellent, a band who could go on to great things if they want to.

2) The album, Until the Earth Begins to Part is out this week. You should definitely go out and buy it. Here is the video for the title track:

3) They're off touring with another band I like The Sparrow and the Workshop. Go see them!

Joe Bataan - I Wish You Love (Parts 1 and 2)

2009-06-02T21:17:00.002+01:00

It's shaping up to be a hot and sticky summer, and what could be better than some Joe Bataan?

Soul on Sunday - Every Little Bit Hurts / Brenda Holloway

2009-05-31T13:45:00.002+01:00

Easily one of the most under-rated acts on Motown, Brenda Holloway's sound was closer to the southern soul sounds than many of her Tamla contemporaries. Perhaps as a consequence of the slightly different sound, she never felt a good fit with the label and retired to the life of a housewife in 1970. Back performing, this is her first and biggest hit from a concert in 2005.

Sound Dimension - Real Rock

2009-05-29T19:42:00.001+01:00

it's been a quiet week here at O M D... that's because it's sunny outside, duh! Here's something for the glorious weather.

Soul on Sunday - Where Did Our Love Go / The Supremes

2009-05-24T08:39:00.002+01:00

Some classic Motown this week with the single that broke the Supremes and gave us Diana Ross (for better or worse). At this point in their career, the Supremes were struggling to get noticed but when the Marvelettes passes on the chance to record this HDH song, the Supremes did it and it became their first number one. The story goes that the lead vocal was originally scored for Marvelettes' lead Gladys Horton so was lower than Ross was used to. Singing at this register gave her voice the warm tones that went on to dominate the Supremes and brought them a run of hits.

Suspicious Minds Day Part 5

2009-05-23T18:19:00.000+01:00

...and some Elvis. Can't be beaten.

Shove it up your nose indeed.

Suspicious Minds Day Part 4

2009-05-23T16:17:00.000+01:00

...from much missed (maybe) 80s popsters Fine Young Cannibals. Apparently Jimmy Sommerville sang backing vocals on this!

Suspicious Minds Day Part 3

2009-05-23T14:13:00.000+01:00

...and some country rock from Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter...

Suspicious Minds Day Part 2

2009-05-23T12:06:00.000+01:00

and here's a techno version from Miss Kittin and the Hacker... Will they be doing this at Get Loaded? I hope so...

Suspicious Minds Day Part 1

2009-05-23T10:04:00.002+01:00

It's a lovely sunny day, but I'm stuck in doing some DIY. So to cheer me up, here's a Suspicious Minds cover by Rocksteady legend, Winston Francis.

There may be more to follow ;o)

Soul on Sunday - The Thrill is Gone / Aretha Franklin

2009-05-17T21:48:00.002+01:00

Something a bit more blues-influenced from Aretha this week, with her version of a song made popular by BB King. I love this side of Aretha, slowed down and led by the piano (which she played on this).

Soul on Sunday - What Have You Done / Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens

2009-05-10T21:17:00.003+01:00

I was sure that I'd put this up before, but it would seem not and with the album about to be released now is as good a time as any. I've been listening to a lot of old gospel recently from the 1940s and 50s (watch out for some here!) and, despite being new, this slots in quite neatly alongside.

Festival Forecast - The Sparrow and the Workshop

2009-05-09T12:47:00.002+01:00

This is the debut single, out on Monday no less, from The Shadow and the Workshop, a band whose singer came third in the world female stone skimming championships. With this being a music, rather than a stone-skimming blog, we're going to focus on the single which sounds like a cross between the outlaw country of Merle Haggard with the gothic melodrama of Nick Cave. It's very good, it's out on monday (album to follow in June) and they're appearing at End of the Road. That's all you need to know.

Festival Forecast - Dear Reader

2009-05-09T09:30:00.002+01:00

Widely tipped South African band Dear Reader are down to play the Sunrise arena at Latitude this year. The orchestration reminds me a bit of Broken Records, whom they are rumoured to be supporting on Wednesday so will report back then. For now, here is the latest single Dearheart. The album is out soon, so this will be an interesting couple of weeks for them...

Festival Forecast - The Leisure Society

2009-05-04T14:51:00.003+01:00

Despite the music press' obsession with electro/pop bands at the moment, this lot seem to be building up a little bit of buzz. Like their music it's subtle and understated buzz, but with an album out and a load of festival dates and gigs planned over the summer they could well be receiving a lot more attention by the time they appear at End of the Road in September. The album sounds reminiscent of the kind of americana peddled by Vetiver and Midlake albeit with a distinctively English twist. Here is "A Short Weekend Begins With Longing" live in Brighton.

Festival Forecast - Jonathan Jeremiah

2009-05-03T20:06:00.005+01:00

It's been a busy week or two on the festivals front with plenty of announcements. That means it's time to start picking out a few acts, new and old, that can be seen at festivals I'll be attending this summer...

First up is Jonathan Jeremiah, a folkie singer songwriter from London. His myspace is light on details except that a) he has his debut album coming out on Island (no details as to when) and b) Bernard Butler guested on said album, as did Fred Wesley and the new JBs. I'm sure we'll all know more by the time he appears in the sunrise arena at Latitude, but until then we have this rather lovely song, "It doesn't bother me".

Soul on Sunday - Eyes on the Prize / Mavis Staples

2009-05-03T16:46:00.002+01:00

Here's a classic protest song, with a video to match, as done by Mavis Staples on her latest album, 2007's "We'll never turn back". The album was conceived as a collection of songs about the American civil rights movement, and is well worth looking out for. Mavis' voice has matured with time, taking on a rich, rounded tone since her days with the staple singers.

Soul on Sunday - Gonna Getcha Back / Eli "Paperboy" Reed and the True Loves

2009-04-26T18:25:00.002+01:00

Went to see Eli "Paperboy" Reed and the True Loves on Wednesday. If you're not aware of them then they are a soul/R&B band who remind me of a cross between early James Brown (think Live at the Apollo) and James Carr. If you really aren't aware then get yourself this album.

I saw them last at Latitude 2008, in the Music and Film tent at about 1 in the morning, and they were one of the highlights of the whole festival. Could they cut it when I was much brighter of eye and bushier of tail? Oh yes, very much so. An energetic performer, it's on the up-tempo songs that he really shines, notably on The Satisfier and set closer, Take My Love With You. He tries out a couple of new songs and also does a short solo set including some songs from his pre "and the true loves" past. There's also a cover of the Ace Of Spades from a recent EP which still doesn't seem to have been released over here.

Here's Gonna Getcha from Wednesday (picture poor, sound pretty good):

And here, as a special bonus, is Take My Love With You in Madrid last year:

Super Furry Animals - Inaugural Trams

2009-04-21T20:26:00.003+01:00

The new Super Furry Animals album, Dark Days / Light Years is something of a return to form in my opinion - I never really got on well with the psyched out likes of Hey! Venus. The fun is definitely back on the agenda, notably on this song which features a rap in German from one of Franz Ferdinand about public transport. Possibly.

Soul on Sunday - So In Love / Curtis Mayfield

2009-04-19T18:55:00.002+01:00

I've got some kind of weird ear infection thing going on so it feels like my head has been pumped full of cotton wool at the moment... despite that I know that this is amazing. Taken from the album "There's No Place Like America Today" which featured in a book called 1001 albums you must hear before you die...

The Greatest

2009-04-16T21:01:00.002+01:00

I went to see "17 again" tonight. I enjoyed it rather more than I probably should have, given that I am neither 15, nor a girl and thus entirely underwhelmed by Zac Efron. I did find it extremely funny however, particularly the geek humour. Anyway the climax of the film is soundtracked by one of my favourite songs of the last few years, The Greatest by Cat Power (from the album of the same name), so here she is, singing it on Jools.

Soul on Sunday - Someone Out There / The Flirtations

2009-04-12T21:08:00.002+01:00

If you've got three hours to spare this bank holiday Monday (and you're in the UK), get yourself over to the BBC website and listen to Mark Lamarr's show from Friday night. He had the Flirtations in for a session and it is well worth the listen.

Here they are doing their thing in 1969 on Spanish TV.

Soul on Sunday - Yes To The Lord / The Stovall Sisters

2009-04-05T09:27:00.003+01:00

Some heavily gospel-influenced soul for you this week, and I make no apologies for selecting from the same album as last week. This trio of sisters performed backing duties for a host of well known names, not to mention being the Ikettes for a brief period in 1970, but this is from their own album.

Get Loaded in the Park 2009

2009-04-02T18:48:00.003+01:00

In the end I just couldn't resist, the line-up looked just too tasty for words - I will be at Get Loaded in the Park 2009... Orbital are headlining (I've talked about them before!) which is very exciting.

The undercard is pretty amazing too.

Royksopp will be doing their live thing, supporting the pretty amazing new album, Junior. It's a lot more pop/dance than their breakthrough LP, Melody Am, and guaranteed to get me dancing. Here's the single, Happy Up Here.

They've only announced a couple of other live bands, they include Esser

and Marina and the Diamonds

It's going to be a busy summer!

Also playing live are Miss Kittin and the Hacker, who do electro/ravey type stuff. They've a new album out soon, however this is a bit older:

Soul on Sunday - Somethings Burning / The Marvellos

2009-03-29T14:58:00.003+01:00

Having featured one of the best known soul tracks last week, I feel duty bound to go for something a little more obscure this time so I present a song about which I know almost nothing. It was release in 1966 on Warner's soul subsidiary Loma and it features on a compilation called After Hours 2 which is well worth a fiver of anybody's money.

Mogwai Fear Satan

2009-03-28T22:14:00.001Z

Here's everyone's favourite Scottish post-rockers doing ..fear Satan live in France:

Mogwai - Mogwai Fear Satan from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

The First Latitude Blog of the Summer

2009-03-27T17:57:00.003Z

I'll once again be making my way up the A12 to Henham Park this year for my 4th latitude festival. The organisers have pulled out some pretty surprising choices for headliners, leaving the Indie crowd somewhat nonplussed.

On Friday, the Obelisk arena is headlined by the Pet Shop Boys who are due to release their latest album, Yes, soon. They're still doing pretty much what they've always done which is good synth pop. Not sure I would want a whole 90 minutes of it, but they will definitely put on a show. Here's the new single: Love etc.

On Saturday comes the most controversial selection, Grace Jones. Definitely a brave choice, it remains to see whether she can win over the doubters. Being something of a newcomer to her music, I've been listening to stuff on youtube etc, and this is definitely her best song:

The organisers are on somewhat safer ground with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds on Sunday. Definitely at a career high with Dig Lazarus Dig being well received wherever you look, they should provide a strong finish to the festival.

I'll Take You There - The Deltones

2009-03-26T19:36:00.003Z

Listening to this fantastic cover of the Staple Singers' classic, it's easy to hear how the Stax group "borrowed" the opening riff from the reggae sounds that were no doubt making their way into America at the time. It's a nice way to wrap up reggae week on One More Down... I'll probably do another one soon, had too much fun this week!

Java - Augustus Pablo

2009-03-26T18:15:00.000Z

The mid-70s saw the rise of dub and one the leading lights was Augustus Pablo. The music was slowed down and the bass was pushed to the foreground - with the melodica in his case!

Lively Up Yourself - Bob Marley

2009-03-26T08:10:00.000Z

This is probably the only Bob Marley album you really need... Bob marley live was a phenomenal live performer (helped by a kick-ass backing group) where his natural charisma was allowed free rein. Youtube has loads of live clips of him, I've picked this one from Sunsplash in Jamaica, 1979.

Mr Brown - Bob Marley

2009-03-25T20:05:00.000Z

You may have heard of this guy! His output on Island records was one of the leading factors in taking Reggae outside of the caribbean, but I love the stuff he recorded with Lee 'Scratch' Perry of which this is a great example.

I Don't Know How The Young Men Living - The Executor

2009-03-25T17:57:00.002Z

I wanted to include some calypso this week as I love it's laid back accompaniment and social comment in the lyrics. I have a great album of calypso called Calypsos From Trinidad: Politics, Intrigue and Violence in the 1930's which I highly recommend, this is from that. Calypso, as well as being popular at carnival, was used to tell the news stories of the time in a way that the often illiterate working classes would understand - look at the song titles on that album to see the evidence: "Govenor's Resignation", "Treasury Scandal", "Shop Closing Ordinance"!

Rudy, A Message To You - Dandy Livingstone

2009-03-25T16:47:00.000Z

You might recognise this - a song made famous by the Specials of course. This was made in the UK by Dandy Livingstone a singer who left Jamaica as a teenager in the late 50s. Trombone on this song is from the great Rico Rodriguez.

Are You There? - Dawn Penn

2009-03-25T06:51:00.000Z

There weren't all that many successful female vocalists in West Indian music in the 1960s, however Dawn Penn is probably one of the best known. She worked with some legends including Coxsone Dodd, Prince Buster and Bunny Lee. After becoming semi-retired in 1970, she returned to music in the late 1980s. Following a performance at a Studio One anniversary concert, she re-recorded You Don't Love Me (No No No) which became a global smash hit.

Sufferer - The Kingstonians

2009-03-24T23:13:00.000Z

Rocksteady was probably when the Windies started pushing the singers to the front of the songs. You can clearly hear the influence of the likes of Sam Cooke on this particular track as the sounds of black America in the late 1960s filtered into the mixing pot.

Take it Easy - Hopeton Lewis

2009-03-24T15:00:00.000Z

I'm probably not the best person to differentiate between the different stylings of West Indian that all get lumped together under the catch-all title of reggae, but I'm learning... The next couple of songs I'll be featuring are from the Rocksteady period that came after Ska and before the likes of Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff took Reggae to an audience outside of their homeland. Rocksteady covered a relatively short period of time in the second half of the 1960s, but produced some amazing music. This is generally reckoned to be one of the earliest songs in the style which was slower than Ska, but not as smooth as Reggae:

Skylarking - Horace Andy

2009-03-24T12:55:00.000Z

One of the most versatile vocalists in West Indian music, Horace Andy has produced a remarkably consistant back catalogue. This is perhaps his best known song, and as can be seen from the video he's still going strong.

54-46 Was My Number - Toots and the Maytals

2009-03-23T22:50:00.000Z

Some ska from one of my favourite bands. Saw them a couple of years ago at Lovebox, and they were the highlight of that particular festival with a remarkably energetic set. Believe me, it takes a lot to get me dancing!

Fisherman - The Congos

2009-03-23T12:42:00.000Z

This is reggae week on OneMoreDown, and to kick us off, here's some classic roots reggae, with production from the legend that is Lee 'Scratch' Perry. Had Perry not had a row with Island, this would have been distributed by the label and would be far better known than it is now. The album this is from, Heart of the Congos, was reissued by Mick Hucknall's Blood and Fire label, surely the best contribution he's made to music!

Soul on Sunday - Heard in Through The Grapevine / Marvin Gaye

2009-03-22T19:00:00.002Z

Probably my all time favourite song. Here is Marvin Gaye doing it in 1968:

The Mummers - March of the Dawn

2009-03-17T22:44:00.003Z

Another new band that are appearing at End of the Road this year, this is a pretty fabulous album. The obvious touchstone is Bjork, perhaps with more of a showtune mentality. Personally I find Bjork can be a little grating, and that I love this album is down in no small part to the excellent arrangements for every song

You can download this track free in exchange for your email address here and buy the album here!

Soul on Sunday - I'm Just a Prisoner / Candi Staton

2009-03-16T18:00:00.002Z

Yes, I know I'm a day late... Sorry, won't happen again etc.

I was sure that I'd featured Candi Staton on a previous Soul on Sunday, but when a song of hers came up on iTunes, I checked and found epic fail on that score. So to make amends here she is, doing the title song from her 1969 album.

She really emerged in the late 60s / early 70s as a superb southern soul vocalist, performing a range of material including covers of country classics like this version of Stand by Your Man:

Of course she may be best known for some of the work she did with the Source in the 80s and 90s, including this mega smash, You've Got the Love.

Ohbijou

2009-03-11T20:46:00.003Z

This is very nice. They're a Canadian band who have just signed to Bella Union over here and are starting to get heard. They're doing End of the Road in September, I'll be there for that!

The Otherside

The Woods

New Album From Broken Records

2009-03-09T22:13:00.003Z

Broken Records gave good gig last year on the two occasions I saw them, and now they've announced their new album which comes very much OMD-approved! The album, Until the Earth Begins to Part, is out in June and will be preceded by a single of the same name in May.

They've made a widgety thing available so here goes:

I do hope it works...

Soul on Sunday - Steam / Laura Vane and the Vipertones

2009-03-08T18:45:00.002Z

Something about as new as it's possible to get, this is the debut single from a new anglo/dutch soul act... and it was out last month (ish). It's weird how some of the best soul releases of the last couple of years have come from countries not normally associated with that kind of music (I'm thinking of the Soul Investigators from Finland and Lefties Soul Connection who are also from the Netherlands)... maybe there's something in the water in Northern Europe? Or maybe the world is just getting a little bit smaller. Anyways this is great, and I'll definitely be looking out for the album which, according to the website is due for release in May.

Not the East 17 song:

Free Music Round Up

2009-03-08T15:03:00.002Z

Feeling the (credit) crunch? Time for some free music...

It's SXSW time again, and continuing the annual tradition the SXSW website is making a load of MP3s from featured artists available for download. If you don't want to do them all individually, go here for some torrents.

Few artists have embraced the new business models for music offered by the internet better than Kristin Hersh. To prepare for the release of a new album by her band 50footwave she's making available a load of back catalogue to download here. It's some seriously good stuff, and don't forget to get the new 50gootwave album, and her solo and Throwing Muses stuff!

Insound have put together a free sampler with the guys from Noise Pop, featuring the likes of Les Savy Fav and Deerhunter.

And last but by no means least, my favourite of the recent Daytrotter sessions is by a band called Pontiak.

Soul on Sunday - Wish There Was Someone There / Irma Thomas

2009-03-01T19:46:00.002Z

It's always nice to discover new soul acts and this is one such case - before listening to Mark Lamarr's Friday night/Saturday morning show I had never really listened to Irma Thomas, but then I had a "where have they been all my life" moment and will definitely be checking out more of her stuff. Apparently she was a contemporary of Aretha Frnaklin et al but never really crossed over to mainstream success.

Anyway this will have to do for now, one of my favourite of the songs played on God's Jukebox:

Great Song Titles of 2009 Part one...

2009-02-26T19:00:00.002Z

They Live By Night - Ctrl+Alt+Del my heart

Apparently Ctrl + Alt + Del is what you do when your computer crashes. If you're stupid enough to run Windows. Who knew?

The Killers at the O2

2009-02-26T18:50:00.002Z

It's taken a bit of time for me to formulate this review of Monday's gig, partly because it's not easy for me to say whether or not I like the band. You see, for me, the Killers are really two bands - one anglophile electro pop, one full-on American rock. If I'm entirely honest, I like one of them more than I like the other. A lot more. When they push the guitars to the front (both guitarist and bassist were sporting full-on beards) then it all seemed a bit, well, limp. Brandon Flowers' vocals don't really have the power to rise above the riffage (not helped, it must be said, by an occasionally muddy sound mix at the O2) and it all seems a bit limp.

The best stuff is when Flowers is allowed to take them back to the 80s for some Depeche Mode aping synth pop. Even the less familiar songs from the new album (which I have to confess to not having heard) have a groove underpinning them good enough to get OMD's foot tapping and the singles, whilst lyrically ludicrous (Human? Danser? Who cares?) are pretty dancefloor friendly.

Pontiak: Daytrotter Session

2009-02-26T18:45:00.002Z

I may have previously mentioned how much I like Mogwai... The epic guitar riffage, drawn out tracks building to an electric crescendo etc. Today's Daytrotter session touches many of the same bases as Mogwai and other "post rock" types. Start with Maker and work from there is my advice.

Soul on Sunday - Maybe Just Maybe / Blue Magic

2009-02-22T07:16:00.002Z

Some Philly sounds this week with this chilled song from Blue Magic. They were one of a slew of bands that sprung up in Philadelphia in the early-to-mid 1970s, aping the sounds of Gamble and Huff; indeed Blue Magic were backed by the MFSB band. Like a lot of Philly bands, they struggled with the rise of disco and faded from view after 1976.

Sabres of Paradise

2009-02-19T18:56:00.001Z

This has been on my to-do list since I was at school... well Warp finally arrived on Emusic today so I snaffled it straight off.

This is my 100th post. Huzzah for OMD

At Least The Brits Got One Thing Right...

2009-02-19T06:52:00.000Z

North Mississippi Allstars

2009-02-18T18:56:00.001Z

Sometimes what you really need is some lowdown dirty blues:

Soul on Sunday - Is it Because I'm Black / Syl Johnson

2009-02-15T19:52:00.002Z

I dug out an old compilation of 70s soul and funk this week and it had this on it - perhaps the best known song from Syl Johnson. Recorded in 1969, it inspired Willie Mitchell to sign Johnson to Hi Records, where he provided a rawer counterpoint to Al Green's smooth stylings. Unfortunately at the time smooth sold, and Al Green got the success whereas Syl Johnson didn't and despite some well received albums he retired in 1982.

The Delgados - Pull the Wires from the Wall

2009-02-11T19:17:00.001Z

I miss this band... Still I believe a new solo album from Ms. Pollock could be out this year (rumour alert), but still wish they would reform and get the respect they deserve.

Soul on Sunday - Memory Lane / Minnie Ripperton

2009-02-08T07:30:00.003Z

There have been many sad stories featured on Soul on Sunday, and this one is up there with the saddest. Minnie Ripperton first hit public conciousness with the single "Lovin' You" which went to No.1 in America, and No.2 in the UK in 1974. Just 2 years later she underwent a mastectomy for breast cancer. The cancer had already spread to her lymphatic system and in 1979 it claimed her life.

She continued to perform right up until her death in July of that year. This video clip is taken from a month previously, by this stage the cancer had paralysed her right arm. She had featured as the American Cancer Society spokesman, featuring in adverts such as this one.

The way you held me:

Colin Macintyre - You're a Star

2009-02-02T18:26:00.002Z

And to end Catch up Monday here's something that's out today. Colin Macintyre was the driving force behind Mull Historical Society who never really got the success they deserved. Now he's recording under his own name and not getting the success he deserves. This song is from Irvine Welsh's mockumentary about darts "Good Arrows" which apparently was on ITV4 recently (I missed it).

Bessie Jones - Sometimes

2009-02-02T18:20:00.003Z

This is probably the best known of the call-and-respond type of music recorded by the Lomaxes in the fields of the deep south in the early 20th century. Best known because it was sampled by Moby on the song Honey from the Play album that was utterly ubiquitous a few years back. Around about that time this album was released with the selling point of featuring a number of tracks pilfered by Moby, alongside some Blues and Folk classics. It is well worth a listen and is probably the blues comp I return to most often.

Lowell Fulson - Reconsider Baby

2009-02-02T16:11:00.002Z

Another God's Jukebox tip this one, played last week (I think). Great Blues guitar and vocals. Reconsider baby was originally recorded on Chess back in the 50s. It was later covered by Elvis Presley of course. This performance is from LA in 1983.

Sin Fang Bous - Advent in Ives Garden

2009-02-02T14:39:00.002Z

The Icelandic answer to Architecture in Helsinki? Perhaps. The debut album is definitely one I am looking out for...

The Phantom Band - Throwing Bones

2009-02-02T13:50:00.002Z

This is brand new (out last week). I know very little about this lot, except that they are scottish and like all good scottish bands they've signed for Chemikal Underground. Wouldn't be in the least surprised to see them doing the festival circuit this summer... Fingers crossed anyway.

Throwing Bones is my personal favourite from the album... I particularly like the dom-dom-dom bit about three minutes in...

Dr John - Goodnight Irene

2009-02-02T12:35:00.002Z

Amongst the albums I've recently re-visited is this one by Dr John. For a long time for me it was all about the voice with Dr John, but recently I've really started to appreciate him as a piano player and musician. The album really shows off his versatility and is just about my favourite of his. I couldn't find the title track on Youtube, but here is the good doctor playing a classic song originally done by Leadbelly.

Joe Bataan - It's a Good Feeling (Riot)

2009-02-02T11:27:00.002Z

As mentioned I've been listening to God's Jukebox a lot this year, and Joe Bataan was the featured artist a couple of weeks ago. I know absolutely nothing about Latin music, but took the plunge and got this album from Emusic, from which "It's a Good Feeling (Riot)" is taken. It almost feels like 2 songs welded together, but the whole works really well and is pretty much guaranteed to get your foot tapping.

Welcome to catch up Monday!

2009-02-02T11:21:00.002Z

Apparently a little bit of snow in the South East means that what's left of British industry grinds to a halt (stop sniggering at the back Northern Europeans!). This means that, having been sent home, I have the time to bring OMD up to date with that which I have been listening to so far this year.

Perhaps the biggest change this year is that, following some nifty computery things, I am now listening to Mark Lamarr's God's Jukebox show every weekend, at a more civilised time than the small hours of Saturday morning. After a few years when I didn't really dig out many new-to-me older acts, I've been picking up on plenty so far in 2009. It also pushed me to dig out some albums that I've not listened to for some time... some of which I'll pick up today!

Soul on Sunday - Cold Game / Myron and E

2009-02-01T20:12:00.002Z

Something brand spanking new for you this week, this came out just before Christmas. It's on Timmion Records who put out that Nicole Willis album a couple of years ago. The Soul Investigators played on that album, and they feature here, providing the backing to Myron and E. The B side, I can't let you get away, is also excellent and I can totally recommend parting with £1.89 to buy the single on download.

Out there running around?

I May Need to Invest in a Whistle...

2009-01-30T19:23:00.002Z

I bought myself some gig tickets this week. It's OK, it fits perfectly with my target of not going to see lots of American indie bands strumming guitars in 2009 (dammit, that Shearwater gig is so tempting!). It also allows me to tick off one of my must see bands who have reformed. I say reformed - the band consists of 2 brothers in silly glasses (no, not the proclaimers!). Oh yes, I am going to see Orbital... at Brixton in September.

Let's remember why they are so amazing:

Belfast

Satan

Dr Who

Chime

Soul on Sunday - Don't Play That Song for Me / Aretha Franklin

2009-01-25T18:38:00.002Z

It's been a busy week for Aretha Franklin, what with singing at Obama's inauguration and all that, but here she is from her late 60s peak. I always like her piano playing on this song.

Hey baby you lie:

Antony and the Johnsons - Epilepsy is Dancing

2009-01-19T17:31:00.001Z

Antony and the Johnsons new album is released today and you should definitely go and buy it. This is my favourite song on first play - listen to the way his voice builds towards the finish. Spectacular.

Soul on Sunday - Pusherman / Curtis Mayfield

2009-01-18T18:48:00.003Z

Classic blaxploitation this week from Curtis Mayfield with a damning critique of drug culture (I'll heal your pain, I'll take your soul etc). Curtis Mayfield is just perfect for late night relaxation, lazing with a nice beer.

Super cool, super mean:

Soul on Sunday - You Got My Mind Messed Up / James Carr

2009-01-11T13:08:00.002Z

If push comes to shove, James Carr is pretty much my favourite soul singer. It is one of the great injustices of the music world that he is pretty much unheard of compared to his contemporaries. Perhaps if he had signed to a major label, he might of had the recognition he deserved, but we'll never know. This is the title track from his debut album on Goldwax, regarded as one of the greatest albums ever by it's fans.

I just can't keep it all to myself:

Ron Asheton RIP

2009-01-06T17:47:00.002Z

Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton has been reported dead. He created one of the all time great riffs for I Wanna Be Your Dog, and helped make the Stooges one of the great bands before Punk had even been invented.

I don't go to all that many full-on "Rock" gigs, but their meltdown performance will live long in my memory.

Pressure Drop

2009-01-05T20:44:00.003Z

Apparently it's a bit chilly outside? It's lovely and sunny at 1MD towers...

Soul on Sunday - In The Midnight Hour / Wilson Pickett

2009-01-04T18:49:00.002Z

For some reason I always think that Wilson Pickett fails to get the respect he is owed. Don't know why I think that, I just do. This is probably my favourite of his songs, and one of the best known. The video clip is from a show he did in Ghana and it is something of an understatement to say that the crowd is having fun!

There's no-one else around:

Operation Catch up 2008 - The Raveonettes

2008-12-31T10:58:00.002Z

I'm spending the time between Christmas and going back to work on the 5th catching up with some of the music I missed out on in 2008. Next up, the Raveonettes.

These guys have been around for some time now and had a spell on a major label before returning to an indy (Fierce Panda here in the UK!) for their latest album. For some reason I hadn't got round to listening to them before the new album, Lust Lust Lust, but they are very much on my to-do list for 2009. Listen to You Want the Candy below, and download Aly Walk with Me from their website. Then go and buy the album!

Operation Catch-up 2008 - The Sugars

2008-12-31T07:30:00.002Z

I'm spending the time between Christmas and going back to work on the 5th catching up with some of the music I missed out on in 2008. First up, the Sugars.

I think I saw these guys at Great Escape. I'm not sure as they didn't make much impression, but that was almost certainly down to the fact is was first thing in the morning on a bitterly cold sea front and I had a bit of a hangover. Still, to make amends I recently got hold of the album after Mark Lamarr played one of their songs in his best of the sessions God's jukebox on Saturday. The album is full of songs like this, rock n roll with a noughties twist. Definitely a band I'll be checking out again, I think, and this time I'll try and be more awake!

The Way to My Heart:

Bodies of Water - Water Here

2008-12-30T11:50:00.003Z

For some reason I have yet to talk about Bodies of Water here, but it's time to remedy that situation. Perhaps the reason that I was a bit reticent in blogging them up was that they're not an easy band to describe. Vocal harmonies, lyrics full of religious imagery, catchy pop hooks, it's all thrown into the melting pot and what comes out is frequently bewilderingly brilliant.

The debut album, Ears Will Pop and Eyes Will Blink, is probably the best place to start, although this years follow up, A Certain Feeling is also excellent. From that album, here is Water Here:

Bodies of Water~Water Here from LaundroMatinee on Vimeo.

Incidentally the footage is taken from a new (to me anyway) site, Laundromatinee which is well worth a browse.

2008 - 8 Great Albums

2008-12-29T21:54:00.003Z

And so I finally come to the albums of the year list. To be honest I'm not convinced this has been a particularly outstanding year for the long player. The top 3 are undeniably excellent albums, but after that the list includes 5 from a large morass of merely "very good" albums.

I've raved about Bon Iver at length on this blog, and it's no surprise to see For Emma... at number 1 - I'm still listening to it on a regular basis some time after getting it. The Dodos is another album to have held my attention, the inventive rhythms keep me coming back for more. DJ /rupture is one of only a handful of electronic albums that have made any impression on me in 2008, probably need to talk about it a bit more here.

1) Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
2) The Dodos - Visiter
3) DJ /Rupture - Uproot
4) Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Dig Lazarus Dig
5) The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
6) Lambchop - OH (ohio)
7) Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
8) Why? - Alopecia

Soul on Sunday - 2008

2008-12-28T16:52:00.007Z

For the last Soul on Sunday of the year, I'm going to take a look at 3 current acts making old-school soul.

100 Days 100 Nights / Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings
Originally released in 2007, this finally got a proper release this side of the pond in 2008. Much of the recent revival of the 60s Soul sound has come about, particularly in the UK, off the back of the career of pre-tabloid meltdown Amy Winehouse. The Dap Kings lot even went so far as to provide backing for much of the album Back to Black, as well as on tour in 2007. Their work with Sharon Jones is every bit as good as the Winehouse albums, as can be heard from this track. Incidentally the guy who filmed this used 2 vintage cameras bought on ebay for $50 apiece!

Hard Man to Please / Baby Charles
I only got this album last week, but I'm really liking it so it sneaks in. A bit more jazzy and funky than I normally go for, this is a promo for a new single off said album. Also worth checking out is the cover of I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor, listen to it at their website

Take My Love With You / Eli "Paperboy" Reed and the True Loves
This was always going to be one of my bands of the year, and their storming gig at Latitude was one of my highlights of the whole festival. One of the best songs off the album, if there was any justice they would be headline news instead of the likes of Duffy and other no-marks.

I'm looking forward to 2009 already! If you have any tips, leave them in the comments...

2008 - 8 Great Gigs

2008-12-26T18:52:00.004Z

2008 has been an amazing year for gigs round these parts and this was a hugely difficult list to put together. I had to leave out some superb sets that would have walked into my list in any other year. I couldn't put them in order, so here for better or worse are my gigs of the year (in alphabetical order):

Black Mountain - The Great Escape
Hard to believe they're not the loudest band on this list, Tyrant and Druganaut rocked my Great Escape
Bon Iver - St Giles' Church London
Jaw droppingly good stuff from the phenomenal Bon Iver. The closing song, from the centre of the church still gives me goosebumps when I see the youtube clip
British Sea Power - The Monaco, Canvey
A band at number 10 in the album charts, on top form in a pub 15 minutes drive from home. What more could you want? Shame they were mediocre at Latitude, but this was genuinely amazing, particularly when Wilko Johnson came out for the encore.
Eli "Paperboy" Reed and the True Loves - Latitude Festival
Until they invent a time machine, this is as close as it was possible to get to seeing James Brown at the Apollo in 1962. That good.
Grinderman - Latitude Festival
I still cannot believe some people foresook this to go and see Blondie. I pity them - Nick was truly a force of nature on the main stage.
I'm From Barcelona - Scala
Is it possible to see a more fun band? Confetti and singalong songs and fun by the bucketload.
Mogwai - Hammersmith Apollo
The loudest band on this list, possibly the loudest band I'll ever see. Batcat was brutal, a full-on assault on the eyes and the ears.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - The Brighton Centre
I make no apologies for including Nick Cave again, this is a man at the very top of his form as a songwriter and performer.

I could almost do a second 8 for this list, having missed out the likes of Mercury Rev, Okkervil River (twice), Fujiya and Miyagi and the Mae Shi to name but 4. 2009 will have to go some to beat 2008, here's hoping!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T15:49:00.001Z

From the greatest Christmas film ever:

Not really a Christmas song...

2008-12-22T22:21:00.002Z

...but like all the best Christmas songs it only got to number 2 in the yuletide countdown.

It is a cover version of a song performed by the less famous half of the Isley brothers, post 1984 schism. Watch the video here (Sony BMG won't allow embedding for reasons that can only be described as stupid).

The Housemartins version is interesting for a number of reasons, not least that it was done entirely acapella. Although it was number 2 at Christmas, it had reached number one the week before, and off the top of my head I can't think of any acapella songs to hit the top since then.

Soul on Sunday - Aretha Franklin / Silent Night

2008-12-21T20:24:00.002Z

I haven't featured the queen of soul in this thread yet, so here she is singing a perennial Christmas classic

All is clear:

The High Fidelity Question...

2008-12-19T19:13:00.002Z

Like, I suspect, pretty much every blog out there I've been thinking about my albums of the year list. It struck me how a goodly number of the albums likely to feature on it were full of wistful, slightly melancholy songs about disappointment. Which is something of a metaphor for my year really. So, to paraphrase Rob Gordon from Nick Hornby's book, "Am I wistful and slightly melancholy because I listen to these bands, or do I listen to them because I am wistful and slightly melancholy?".

The list should appear next week btw. I'm also going to do a list of gigs of the year...

Soul on Sunday - I Want to Come Home For Christmas / Al Green

2008-12-14T17:43:00.002Z

More Christmassy goodness for this week's Soul on Sunday, and this time it's the reverend Al Green's turn. A man who found it difficult to separate the spiritual from the secular in his own life, it's perhaps no surprise to find his Christmas efforts more religious than most.

O Night Divine:

Recommended:

Trust in God / White Christmas

Here Comes The Girls

2008-12-11T19:39:00.003Z

You might recognise this:

It's being used in some advertising campaign or other. Apparently the Sugababes have sampled it or something. The original is, of course, much superior. I didn't realise I owned it until recently... I must stop buying albums and only listening to them the once!

It's called "Here Comes the Girls" and it's by a guy called Ernie K Doe. Check out this album.