Wednesday 30 September 2009

Book Choice : From The Mull To The Cape

From The Mull To The Cape [A Gentle Bike Ride On The Edge Of Wilderness]
by Richard Guise
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The tale of a middle aged Englishman's Highland bike ride from the Mull of Kintyre in the South to Cape Wrath in the North.
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Here's the video to Colin MacIntyre's (ex Mull Historical Society) Cape Wrath. Don't worry, I wouldn't inflict Mull of Kintyre on you :)
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Monday 21 September 2009

The Flamin' Groovies : Shake Some Action


Now a band that I know very little about. I've only heard a few tracks by The Flamin' Groovies but all have been superb. I really need to get some of their albums. Formed in San Francisco in 1965 the band released the album 'Shake Some Action' in 1976 and at the time played gigs with punk bands like The Ramones. You can find some of their songs including this one on punk/new wave compilations of the time even though it has a very 60's sound.
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The Flamin' Groovies - Shake Some Action download
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buy

Book Choice: If I Die In A Combat Zone [Tim O'Brien]


I had never heard of this book until last week when I saw it for sale in the local Poundland store which is quite surprising as it seems to be classed as a classic of it's time (it was first published in 1973) and is still highly regarded now. It is quite a personal account of one man's tour of duty in Vietnam. What you get in the book is as far removed from the gung-ho bravery depicted in so many Vietnam war movies. O'Brien tells us all about the fear and anxieties he felt even before he landed in the war zone. It is surprising that he even made it to the frontline at all as he is quite honest in telling us how he planned to escape the soldier's life by fleeing to Sweden. All in all a brilliant read that may not be to the taste of anyone who shares the Hollywood view of the war.
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Jimmy Cliff - Vietnam

Tuesday 15 September 2009

Arab Strap : The Shy Retirer E.P.


01 - The Shy Retirer (Radio Edit)
02 - Why Can't This Be Love
03 - The Good Part
04 - The New Saturday
05 - You Shook Me All Night Long
06 - The Shy Retirer (Remixed by Dirty Hospital)
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Keith Floyd

KEITH FLOYD
28 December 1943 – 14 September 2009
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TV Chef Keith Floyd died of a heart attack yesterday at the age of 65. In the days of young clean cut chefs appearing constantly on our television screens Floyd was a refreshing change. With a glass or bottle in some cases, of wine always close at hand Floyd would bark orders at his cameraman as he threw the ingredients almost without thought into a huge pan watched by groups of bemused locals. Whether it be in China, Italy or the South Coast of England the audience always looked on in disbelief as this drunk looking man managed to produce amazing dishes from the aparent chaos. Keith Floyd to me was and always will be the Punk Chef.
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Friday 11 September 2009

My Bloody Valentine : You Made Me Realise

5 track EP released on Creation in 1988.
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01 You Made Me Realise
02 Slow
03 Thorn
04 Cigarette In Your Bed
05 Drive It All Over Me
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download
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discogs - buy - read

Wednesday 9 September 2009

The Fall : Ed's Babe

Been listening to lots of The Fall today so here courtesy of Moody_Places is the 1992 single Ed's Babe.
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Tracks:
01 - Ed's Babe
02 - Pumpkin Head Xscapes
03 - The Knight The Devil And Death
04 - Free Ranger
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Thursday 3 September 2009

Mercury Rev - Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp [EP]

This single released in 1998 on V2 records is taken from one of my all time favourite albums Deserters_Songs. This version of the single is different from the one in my collection* and is actually better in my opinion. The second track is a cracking cover of a John Lennon song from his Imagine album -
1 Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp
2 I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier
3 Philadelphia
4 Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp [Chemical Brothers Remix]
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**DOWNLOAD**
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Official _ Discogs _ Wiki
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* While I try to only post stuff from my own collection on here sometimes it is quicker and easier to post stuff from another blog rather than ripping/uploading it myself. Whenever I do this I will always post a thanks and/or a link to that particular blog. So for more Mercury Rev and other great stuff please visit this great blog http://mapref41n93w.blogspot.com/
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The Frank & Walters : After All

Named after a couple of tramps in their home of Cork in Ireland, the Frank and Walters were, along with the Sultans of Ping FC, part of the short-lived popularity of the Cork rock scene. This single was released in 1992 on Go! Discs.
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1 After All
2 Love Is In The Air
3 I'm A Believer
4 Funky Cold Medina

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DOWNLOAD
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Thanks to : Moody_Places

Tuesday 1 September 2009

Book Choice : Driving Big Davie [Colin Bateman]

Whenever I'm looking for an 'easy' read I often to turn to Colin Bateman. To say that his books are an easy read isn't a put down. Sometimes I just fancy reaing something that speeds along at great pace without making me think too much about it. I found this book in a local charity shop the other day, hardback, mint condition and only £1. Opening it up the very first page mentioned one of my favourite songwriters, Joe Strummer. Well that was me hooked and within a night and a bit yet another Bateman book was read.
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Thursday 27 August 2009

Wire : Peel Sessions



Tracks :

01 Practice Makes Perfect

02 I Am The Fly

03 Culture Vultures

04 106 Beats That

05 The Other Window

06 Mutual Friend

07 On Returning

08 Indirect Enquiries

09 Crazy about Love

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Tracks 1-4 : Recorded 18-01-78

Tracks 5-8 : Recorded 02-09-78

Track 9 : recorded 11-09-79
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Original post
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Book Choice : The Road To Nab End [William Woodruff]

A few weeks ago while out for a beer or two with some friends I got talking to someone at the bar, just the normal pub conversation which soon turned to music, films and books. My new aquaintance told me he had just finished a book called 'The Road To Nab End' and recommended I should read it. The town I live in doesn't have a decent book shop and I couldn't find a copy in the local library so it looked like I would have to order it online or wait until my next visit to Glasgow to purchase a copy. However a few days later while browsing in a local charity shop I found a hardback copy for £2. Result!
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The book itself is an autobiographical work telling the story of his impoverished upbringing in Lancashire during the Great Depression. The story itself tells us much about the social conditions of the time as families struggled to survive during some of the bleakest times ever. It really is a story of hardship but through this hardship there is always hope and above all love. There is a sense of family values that just don't exist anymore and although nobody could ever look back on those times with any great fondness there is a feeling that something special has been lost since those days. I found the book very illuminating and a fantastic piece of social commentary from that time.

Tuesday 25 August 2009

Redd Kross / Sonic Youth : Split Single


Both tracks on this Redd_Kross / Sonic_Youth split single were taken from The_Carpenters tribute album 'If_I_Was_A_Carpenter' which was released in 1994.
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1 Redd Kross - Yesterday Once More
2 Sonic Youth - Superstar
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download
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Monday 24 August 2009

Soulsavers : Death Bells [Mogwai Remix]

Here's a free download of the Mogwai remix of a track taken from the new Soulsavers album Broken. The album features Mark_Lanegan as the main vocalist while there are contributions from the likes of Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Jason Pierce, Mike Patton and Gibby Haynes.

Thursday 20 August 2009

Bauhaus : Bela Lugosi's Dead

I was never a massive fan of Bauhaus although I did buy a few of their records in the '80's. This was the band's first ever release and in my opinion was the best thing they ever recorded. Released in 1979 on Small Wonder records 'Bela Lugosi's Dead' is over 9 minutes long and captures the subject matter superbly.
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1 Bela Lugosi's Dead
2 Boys
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downoad
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read - buy
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J.F.A. : Blatant Localism EP

I bought this 7" single from a record stall in my local market around 1982. I know very little about the band or record except that J.F.A. are an American band and this single was released on Placebo records in 1981.
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1 Out Of School
2 J.F.A.
3 Do The Hannigan
4 Count
5 Beach Blanket Bong-Out
6 Cokes And Snickers
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download
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Wiki - Web
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Thanks to : Punkoteca

Friday 7 August 2009

Michael Shelley : Mellow Doubt

The last post I put up was the Cheeky Monkey collaboration between Scotland's own Francis MacDonald and New York based Michael Shelley. Before finding the album in my local Oxfam, Shelley was a complete unknown to me but after a trawl through his excellent website I found these recordings he made of the Teenage Fanclub song Mellow Doubt. Get the free mp3s here.
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I recently wrote about another CD I bought by a band called Moondials who included Stevie Jackson of Belle and Sebastian in the line up. Well it seems that Jackson also played bass guitar for Cheeky Monkey when they recorded a slot for the 'Beatroom' television show in Glasgow. It's a small world indeed. [see photo here]
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Wednesday 5 August 2009

Cheeky Monkey




Yet another charity shop find and yet again another Scottish band that I previously hadn't heard of. Cheeky Monkey were a transatlantic collaboration between Francis MacDonald (BMX Bandits, Eugenius, Teenage Fanclub) and New York based musician Michael Shelley.
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read about Cheeky_Monkey

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read about Michael_Shelley

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3 tracks from the album
1. Down
2. Robert Lloyd
3. You Don't Want Me Anymore

Friday 24 July 2009

Johnny Marr


Although I spend far too much time online when it comes to news I, unlike a lot of people still prefer to hold a newspaper in my hand and read the news with my morning cuppa. Not that I am loyal to one title or even buy a paper every single day but if I'm in a shop and a headline catches my eye I'll buy the paper regardless of whether it's a nasty tabloid or a highbrow broadsheet. When it comes to Sunday papers I quite often find myself buying a few papers which keep me in reading through to the next weekend. One such paper is the Observer. Not that I buy it every week but twice a month the paper comes with a magazine that is dedicated to my passions. Music is catered for on one of these weeks and on another week, which just happened to be last Sunday it was the turn of the 'Food Monthly' supplement. Also included every week is another magazine entitled not too imaginitively, The Observer Magazine. Last Sunday's regular 'My Body & Soul' article featured ex Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr. I would imagine if you stopped 100 people randomly in the street and asked what is the first thing that comes to mind when they think of The Smiths, the majority would say Morrissey which is a shame because for me Johnny Marr was every bit as equal in the band's music. Anyway here's the article as it appeared last Sunday.
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My body & soul
Johnny Marr, musician, 45
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What's your general attitude to health?
I'm pretty healthy. People think that I live a rock'n'roll lifestyle, but I've either missed doing all that stuff or I've done it and can't remember.
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Have you ever spent a night in hospital?
No, not a full one. I crashed a BMW into a wall when I was in the Smiths, even though I couldn't actually drive at the time. I did my back and neck in pretty badly but checked out after a few hours. I wore a neck brace - Morrissey was very envious.
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What exercise do you take?
I got into running in the early 90s. Now, wherever I am in the world, I just put on my hoodie and run for 20 miles.
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How do you relax?
By staying up too late watching nonsense on YouTube.
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How much do you drink?
I've had no interest in alcohol for the past 10 years. We had quite a dark time with the Smiths when there was a lot of drink. But we were recording The Queen Is Dead, and it turned out great, so I can't be too evangelical.
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What's your attitude to smoking?
I used to smoke 40 cigarettes a day. It took me about three attempts to stop - and it was tortuous, to say the least.
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And drugs?
I don't have any problem at all with psychedelics - they seem to unlock creativity. I really don't like being around people who are on cocaine, though. They just seem stupid.
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Do you worry about your weight?
Not at all. I became a vegan in 1985 when the Smiths were making the album Meat is Murder and I figured that it wasn't very cool eating meat.
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Is sex important to you?
Yes. Life would be easier for some people if it wasn't such a big deal. My wife and I have been together since we were kids, since 1979. We both feel pretty lucky. I'm not an idiot; I know when I'm on to a good thing.
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Are you happy?
I work on it. As a teenager I had a lot of things on a checklist that I feel blessed that I've achieved, such as: get to play with your heroes, be in a really important band, stay up for days ... But what's next? Either sit around listening to your old records, which doesn't interest me, or carry on travelling without a map. I have a compulsion to move forward. It's the only way to live.
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Wednesday 22 July 2009

Computer crash, thieving scum and The Good Button




Monday night, quietly doing some web browsing, catching up on various blogs when all of a sudden the screen went blank. I've been having some problems with my AC adapter which hasn't been charging my laptop battery at times so my first thought was something alomng those lines. Looking at the back of my machine my suspicions were confirmed, the adapter had somehow become disconnected and as my battery wasn't charged the machine had switched off. PHEW!!! I was dreading another computer crash. So I pushed the adapter back into the machine, pressed the power button and let out a sigh of relief as the screen came to life again. No worries, I'd soon be back on-line but I would need to get something done about the faulty adapter asap. So we're ready to go just need to click on the AOL icon and I can get back to my blogs. One problem though, where are the icons? I'm on the start up screen, my background image is showing, a picture of fish made out of leaves that my youngest made a few weeks ago, but still no icons. In fact nothing except scary looking green fish. So I restart the laptop, go through the same process and get the same result again. And again. And again. Now I'm starting to think that it's a bit worse than I first anticipated and I'll need to reinstall all my software and operating system just like the last time. Luckily I still had the software discs handy from the last time I had problems so I inserted the Dell disc and after a wee whizzing noise, nothing. At all. A slight flicker of the cursor and then nothing. So I tried the AOL disc. Exactly the same. Whizz, flicker, nothing. By this time I know something is seriously wrong and after trying a few more discs and getting the same results I did what I always do. Turn the machine off, make a cuppa and by the time I've finished my tea the laptop will somehow be back to life. Of course it wasn't so I tried a few other things and eventually I got the laptop to do a diagnostic test which revealed it was a hard drive problem. There was nothing else for it but to turn it off and wait until the morning and phone the Dell helpline. Tuesday morning I'm up bright and early and straight on the phone. After 3 attempts the woman on the other end finally puts me through to the help desk. 5 minutes later my debit card is £30 lighter just for the guy on the other end to even speak to me. 25 minutes later and after doing exactly the same test I had done the previous night, the engineer finally tells me that my hard drive is basically ... f*****d. Not in those words obviously but to the same effect. I was then informed that Dell could resolve the problem ... for £180. As I've said before, I really can't do without my laptop so I really had no choice but to pay up or else look at buying a new machine. Just as I was thinking of taking the latter course of action the engineer explained that the £180 included a new hard drive as well as an engineer coming out to install the hardware as well as all my software. It was sounding a bit more promising, then he told me he would send the engineer out the next day. So if the thought of being back in cyberland within 24 hours wasn't tempting enough he then hit me with an even better incentive. IF I was to take out a 3 year warranty there and then, it would cost me £140 and that still included getting the laptop repaired the next day. I thought I was hearing things and asked him to repeat the offer and sure enough, if I took out a 3 year warranty I would be charged £30 less than if someone just came out to fix the machine. Sothe debit card was hit for another £140. Anyway, true as their word the engineer arrived at 11.30 this morning, installed a new hard drive and my software and also replaced the AC adapter as well. So, I'm a bit out of pocket but glad to be back online so soon.





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On Tuesday, while the laptop was out of order, I took my youngest daughter Lauryn into town. There were a few things we were getting for her and this was as good an opportunity as any. For the last couple of months she has been reading a bit more than usual which of course we try to encourage. She has not long turned 6 and at the moment her favourite books are the 'Horrid Henry' series. It's easy enough to go into the likes of WH Smith and buy the full series but we've taken a different approach, one that suits me, Lauryn and my wallet. Yes, father and daughter have been scouring the local charity shops where so far we have managed to find 10 books for her. I'm pretty sure the search is as much fun for her as the actual books are. To see her wee face light up when we find a book or two in among piles of other books is far more rewarding than buying her a pile of them from any bookshop. So first stop yesterday before getting the bus to Irvine was a couple of charity shops in Kilwinning. The first one is pretty disappointing to be honest. We got her a couple of books the first time we went in but it seems they are more interested in clothing and furniture than anything else. Also this is the only charity shop I've been in so far that doesn't have ANY cds. Straight across the road is another, much smaller charty shop and this is where the SCUM comes in. Again there were no books for her but while she was looking I had a look through the cds. There was nothing much of interest but it is very cheap and as it's so small I don't really like walking out without buying something. So with 7 cd albums, 2 singles and a book I approched the counter and paid my £3. Yes, all that for £3. Ok the cds weren't great but they were all in mint condition and as I had no laptop, the book would help pass a few hours when the kids went to bed. Anyway, while the lady behind the counter put my purchases into a bag I overheard one of the other assistants telling a customer how the shop had been burgled a few nights before and the culprits had stolen a full jewellery display (at least I think that's what was kept in the glass case) and the collecting tin from the counter. Now I hate thieves. I don't think I've ever stolen in my life, definitely not since my pre-teen years when I think I stole a 2p lolly just to show off to my mates but there are times when I find it hard to condemn someone down on their luck from stealing a pack of sandwiches from a supermarket or a crime of a similar nature. I know the likes of Tesco and Asda moan that there is no such thing as a victimless crime but it's hard to take sides with a multi-million pound business over a hungry homeless person. Anyway, that's a different thing altogether but surely no-one can side with the SCUM who would rob a charity shop. Here we have a shop smaller than the average terraced house where a handful of women give up their time to volunteer a few hours a week to maybe raise enough pounds to help a cancer sufferer make the best of their final days and some scumbag destroys all their great work for the sake of a few quid. It really does make me sick to think of it. On hearing the rest of the conversation it became apparent that the shop wasn't insured against this kind of thing either which makes it even worse. How must those ladies have felt when they turned up for work that morning and noticed that they had been burgled? The lady who was speaking to the customer just shrugged her shoulders and said 'we just have to get on with it'. I hope the police also just get on with it and catch the scum responsible. I also hope that if those responsible or any of their relatives ever catch the dreaded disease there is still a hospice for them to get help from. It certainly will be no thanks to the scum responsible if there is.


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Right, now that I've got that off my chest here's some music. From the charity shop mentioned I bought (one track from each at bottom). ...


Ash : Oh Yeah (single)


The Thrills : So Much For The City


Space : Spiders


Paul Simon : The Rhythm Of The Saints


The Bravery : S/T


Orson : Bright Idea


Toto Coelo : I Eat Cannibals


Kylie Minogue : Slow (single)


The Good Button : S/T


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Monday 20 July 2009

Shuffling Shiny Shoes [Scottish Alternatives 2000-2009]

Nice compilation of Scottish acts here courtesy of Box_Set_Go blog.
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01. Rox – The Aliens
02. In Dreams – Crash My Model Car
03. Quiet Little Voices – We Were Promised Jetpacks
04. Johnny Cash – Sons & Daughters
05. Susan’s In The Sky – Bubblegum Lemonade
06. Folding Stars – Biffy Clyro
07. Two Of Us – Sister Vanilla
08. Opposite Direction – Union Of Knives
09. Pink Sabbath – Dannanaackyord
10. The Pain Inside – Cosmic Rough Riders
11. Lucy, What Are You Trying To Say – Popup
12. You’re So Changing your Mind – The Starlets
13. Honey – El Pres!dente
14. Black Path - Aereogramme
15. Mondo 77 – Looper
16. The Last Song – BMX Bandits
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Visit Box_Set_Go for some cracking compilations.
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Sunday 19 July 2009

Ramones : Blitzkrieg Bop

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Debut single from American punk band the Ramones. Released in 1976 on Sire records.
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1 Blitzkrieg Bop
2 Havanna Affair

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Hey!_Ho!_Let's_Go!
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Thanks to Punk_Friction
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read!!!
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Teenage Fanclub : Everything Flows


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Released on Paperhouse records in 1990 this single was the debut from Bellshill band Teenage Fanclub.
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o1 Everything Flows
02 Primary Education
03 Speeder
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**DOWNLOAD**
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Official _ Wikipedia _ Discogs

Shop Assistants : Shopping Parade EP



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This 4 track EP was released as a 7" single in 1985 on the Subway Organization record label.
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1 All day Long
2 Switzerland
3 All That Ever Mattered
4 It's Up To You

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Saturday 18 July 2009

Moondials : Can You See? EP

I saw this EP in the local Oxfam shop last week but to be honest it didn't really grab my attention. I had never heard of the band and the cover didn't exactly grab me either (apart from the rather basic design, the previous owner seems to have spilled beer or some other kind of liquid over it). So as I got home and played the cds that I had purchased the Moondials EP wasn't amongst them. The name did however stick in my mind so I had a wee search on the internet and although information was a bit scarce I did find out that a. The EP was released on Electric_Honey records and b. The band features Stevie_Jackson (now a member of Belle_and_Sebastian) on guitar. So yesterday I took a run into town and after a bit of searching managed to find the EP again buried among the many James Last and Petula Clark albums. Can You See? EP
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01 Can You See?
02 Take Me away
03 The Only One
04 Faker
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Electric_Honey is of course the record label run by music business student's at Stow_College in Glasgow. The label is most famous for releasing the original version of Belle and Sebastian's debut album Tigermilk and has also released music by the likes of Biffy Clyro, Snow Patrol and Wake The President among others.
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Friday 17 July 2009

It's A Living Thing [Themes 2]

Second part in the 'Themes' series and this time it's 'animal' songs. Again there's a few tracks I'm familiar with but there's a bit more music that is new to me. Once again I've not played the selection yet so could be good, could be bad.


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01 Andrew Thomas - A Dream of a Spider


02 Antony & The Johnsons - One Dove


03 Dirty Projectors - Two Doves


04 Jason Lytle - Ghost Of My Old Dog


05 The Doors - Peace Frog


06 Gene Vincent - Cat Man


07 Broken Records - Wolves


08 Four Tet & Burial - Moth


09 Department Of Eagles - The Curious Butterfly Realizes He Is Beautiful


10 Shellac - Squirrel song


11 Cheveu - Like a Deer in the Headlights


12 The Wind Whistles - Bats In Flight


13 The Wave Pictures - Bumble Bee


14 James Yorkston - Tortoise Regrets Hare


15 Autopilot is for Lovers - Whale Belly


16 Black Golden Bull - Buffalo Waltz


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http://www.megaupload.com/?d=PTGXGN72



Local Natives

Local Natives are a 5 piece band from Silverlake, USA who have just been announced on the bill of the NME Radar Tour. The 4 band showcase which also features Marina & The Diamonds, Yes Giantess and headliners Golden Silvers will be visiting Glasgow's Oran Mor on the 1st of October.
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Local Natives are already gathering much praise in the media with the Guardian newspaper comparing their different elements favourably with Fleet Foxes (harmonies), Vampire Weekend (rhythm) and Arcade Fire (drama). The band who are Matt Frazier (drums), Ryan Hahn (guitars, vocals), Taylor Rice (vocals, guitar), Kelcey Ayer (vocals, keyboards) and Andy Hamm (bass) have so far only released one limited edition 7" single, slow Hands/Cards & Quarters which came out this week on Chess Club records. The band's debut album 'Gorilla Manor' will be released soon.
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Check out the band's homemade video for their version of Simon and Garfunkel's, 'Cecilia'.




Listen:

Airplanes

Stranger_Things

Cards_and_Quarters_[live]

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The NME Radar Tour which kicks off on 26th of September visits Oxford, Sheffield, Manchester, York, Glasgow, Newcastle, Stoke, Liverpool, Portsmouth, Bristol, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Norwich, London and Brighton.

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Check out NME for tour dates and ticket details.

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Thursday 16 July 2009

The Parsonage Choir

The biggest surprise of this year's 'T in the Park' for me was the Parsonage Choir who opened the Main Stage on Sunday morning. I didn't even know they were performing at the main festival at all and it was more out of curiosity than anything else that I found myself in front of a rather wet and audience free stage. However after a couple of songs more and more like minded souls appeared beside me and the sun even made a brief appearance. For anyone who has never heard of The Parsonage (Choir) they are a 40 strong choir from Glasgow who perform clasic songs either accompanied only by an accoustic guitar or totally unaccompanied at all. It may not sound appealing and ok, it's not exactly rock n roll but I would recommend anyone to see them if you can. Starting off with Johnny Cash the choir then proceeded to entertain us with their versions of Elvis, Cash again, Neil Young and Joy Division songs (among others) before ending with 'White Rabbit' by Jefferson Airplane. So, not your standard choir then and they were the perfect early afternoon act for the festival. Go see them if you get the opportunity, you'll love them.
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Check out their version of 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' here
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Read choir member Paul English's funny review of 'T' here
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Wednesday 15 July 2009

T in the Park 2009

In no particular order, here's my top 5 bands from 'T in the Park 2009'.

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THE TWILIGHT SAD

BBC INTRODUCING ... STAGE [Sunday]
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I've loved just about everything I've heard from this Glasgow band but seeing them live is a different thing altogether. Only played for around half an hour but the band put more into that short set than most bands put into their full career. Absolutely awesome!!!

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See some of their 'T' set here


More Twilight Sad here


Official Website


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BROKEN RECORDS

BBC INTRODUCING ... STAGE [Saturday]
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Described by some as the UK's answer to Arcade Fire the Edinburgh band were another who didn't disappoint despite also being restricted to a short set. As with The Twilight Sad, I would recommend seeing Broken Records live to fully appreciate their amazing music.

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See some of their 'T' set here


More 'Broken Records' here


Official Website


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THE PHANTOM BAND

T BREAK STAGE [Friday]

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If the Yeah Yeah Yeahs hadn't been so bad on the NME stage I probably wouldn't even have went to see The Phantom Band but they were and I did and it was one of the highlights of my weekend. I hadn't heard much off them before catching their set and what I had heard didn't prepare me for this in any way. At times they seemed to be on the verge of falling apart but that just added to the experience. Described in the 'T' programme as like 'The Beta Band meeting Hot Chip at a party in Nick Cave's house'. Good attempt at describing the indescribable but still falling well short. Just get to one of their gigs and see for yourself.


More 'Phantom Band' here

Peenko

Official Website

http://www.phantomband.co.uk/

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CAMERA OBSCURA

RED BULL BEDROOM JAM FUTURES STAGE [Friday]

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Four albums down the line and the Glasgow band still never disappoint. This half hour set left everyone in the crowd desperate for more. Luckily the band will be playing at the Kilmarnock_Edition_Festival in August.

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More 'Camera Obscura' here

Peenko

Official Website

http://www.camera-obscura.net/

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MOGWAI

KING TUT'S WAH WAH TENT [Sunday]

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What better way to round off a great weekend than to be blown away by Scotland's finest? There shouldn't be anything to tell you about Mogwai that you don't already know but if you haven't seen them live before make sure you do. You will seriously be blown away, especially if like me you stand too close to the speakers.

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See some of their 'T' set here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/tinthepark/2009/artist/mogwai/

and

http://www.bbc.co.uk/tinthepark/2009/artist/mogwai/

More 'Mogwai' here

Peenko

Official Website

http://www.mogwai.co.uk/






Thursday 9 July 2009

We Are Family [Themes 1]



Something a wee bit different now. Trawling through the net today I downloaded a set of songs on a particular theme. Some are songs I already own, others I've never heard in my life before. It started off as 10 songs on each theme but soon expanded as I found more and more songs (and more themes). I haven't heard the outcome yet, I'm going to post it on here before I even listen to it myself. It could turn out amazing or it could be a disaster, probably the latter. Theme 1 is 'family'. Most of the songs on this one are well known to me (some other ones which I'll post later are a bit more obscure). So here we go 14 tracks to enjoy, or maybe not.

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01 Brian Eno - Third Uncle

02 Camper Van Beethoven - We Saw Jerry's Daughter

03 Pavement - Father to a Sister of Thought

04 White Rabbits - Navy Wives

05 Rilo Kiley - A Better Son-Daughter

06 The Smiths - Shakespeare's Sister

07 Black Grape - In the Name of the Father

08 James - Gold Mother

09 The Icicle Works - All The Daughters

10 Glasvegas - Daddy's Gone

11 Embrace - One Big Family

12 This Mortal Coil - You and Your Sister

14 Giant Drag - Oh Father (Madonna cover)

15 Half Man Half Biscuit - Look Dad No Tunes

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Tuesday 7 July 2009

Various : Killed By Crackle

Another purchase from my trip to Oxfam yesterday. This time it's a sampler from UK punk label Crackle! Records. Released in 2000, the compilation features bands from England, Scotland, USA, Australia and Japan amongst it's 29 tracks.

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Click on image below for tracklisting.


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DOWNLOAD

Crackle!_Records




Gifthorse : Childhood Gang Reunion EP



This EP comes courtesy of my local Oxfam shop. I had to go into town today to stock up on a few items for 'T in The Park' next weekend and while I was there I had a bit of time to take care of my new found charity shop obsession. First stop was Oxfam on the main street. Normally this would be my last port of call as it sits right at the bus stop for my homeward journey. I've spent many a time standing waiting for a bus and having a peek in the window, wondering what, if any treasures this small shop holds. A few weeks ago I had just missed a bus and decided to have a look inside. Ten minutes later I exited said shop with 6 albums in my bag and a wee voice in my head telling me I would be returning soon. In the shop today I found an even better selection of cds to choose from. Again there was nothing rare or anything that I've been desperately trying to track down but there was enough for me to approch the counter with 12 cds in my hand. Some were albums I had years ago but have since lost or sold down the record stall in the old market when money was a bit tight but I got a few others that I had never heard or even heard of before. The man behind the counter even came up to me at one stage and told me how their storage system worked. All the cds on the top shelf have been there for a while, whereas the bottom shelf is where they re-fill from. 'Just to save you from looking through them all every time you come in' he said. Well meaning advice which won't stop me from browsing through the top shelf everytime I enter the shop just in case I missed something the first time or even the first dozen times. I think the shop guy was a bit surprised when I handed over the dozen cds as after he had counted them he said '12 cds ... just call it a tenner'. Seeing as it was a charity shop I offered to pay the full price but he wasn't having it and even brought a small pile of cds from under the counter for me to look at. 'We've got these as well but they aren't by anyone really well known' he offered, which was music (no pun intended) to my ears. Sadly though there was nothing to get too excited about although I did add a 'We've Got A Fuzzbox And We're Gonna Use It' cd to my pile. And still the price stayed at £10. So needless to say, I'll be back for more very soon. As for the Gifthorse EP. Well I've never heard of the band in my life until now and there's not much info on the internet either. I did find out that there is/was a band on either side of the Atlantic with the same name. The one responsible for the 'Childhood Gang Reunion' are from this side of the ocean and basically that's it. I can't even find an image to use in this post but I will scan the cover as soon as. So basically that's it except have a listen and see what you think. Oh, and if anyone knows anything else about the band please let me know.
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CHILDHOOD GANG REUNION EP
01 A Night In The Arms Of A Stranger
02 Happy Daggers
03 Childhood Gang Reunion
04 London's Shelves
05 Death By Misadventure
06 Fear Of The Library
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DOWNLOAD
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My_Space
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'Take a pinch of Morrissey, a dash of Suede place in a bowl and mix with a teaspoon of Gene and you have Gifthorse. Happy Daggers and Childhood Gang Re-union (even the titles sound like Morrissey cast offs) are worth the entry fee alone.'
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T in The Park 2009 [2]

In all my years of attending 'T in The Park' it's usually a band/bands on the smaller stages that make the most impression on me. Sometimes it's bands I know of but on many occasions it's been a band who prior to seeing at the festival have been totally unknown to me. Because of this a trip to Fopp on the Monday morning before boarding the train for the final part of my homeward journey has become a major part of the 'T' experience for me. No doubt this year will be no different as I arrive home with a bag full of cds by bands who ipressed me over the weekend. At least, I hope so. Below are 3 Scottish bands from further down the bill that I will be going all out to see.
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BROKEN RECORDS

Broken Records EP here
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CAMERA OBSCURA

French Navy EP here


WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS

These Four Walls here
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