Thursday 28 May 2009

[Take 5] : The Congos


I have the late dj John Peel to thank for introducing me to The Congos. In the early '80's Peel could be relied upon to play at least a couple of reggae tunes on every show. Some of the stuff was pretty obscure and a far cry from the poppy reggae that was played on the more chart orienated radio shows. I remember it well the night Peel played 'Children Crying' and especially how beautiful it sounded being played between the post-punk and indie tunes of the day. The 5 tracks below are all taken from the Blood_&_Fire reissue of the band's 1977 debut album Heart_of_the_Congos. Listen to the tracks below, buy the album and if you want more, The Congos are playing live at The_Ferry in Glasgow on Saturday 20th of June.
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1 Children Crying
2 Fisherman
3 Ark Of the Covenant
4 Congoman (12" Mix)
5 Solid Foundation (Disco Cork Mix)
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Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry - Reggae Greats


Brilliant reggae compilation from Lee 'Scratch Perry's legendary Black Ark studios.
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01 The Heptones - Party Time
02 Junior Murvin - Police & Thieves
03 Keith Rowe - Groovy Situation
04 Lee 'Scratch' Perry - Soul Fire
05 Max Romeo - War Ina Babylon
06 Jah Lion - Wisdom
07 George Faith - To Be A Lover
08 Lee 'Scratch' Perry - Roast Fish And Cornbread
09 Prince Jazzbo - Croaking Lizard
10 Lee 'Scratch' Perry - Dreadlocks In Moonlight
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Tuesday 26 May 2009

City Of God [Soundtrack]


Soundtrack to the 2002 film 'City_Of_God'.
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01 Antonio Pinto & Ed Côrtez - Meu Nome É Zé
02 Antonio Pinto & Ed Côrtez - Vida De Otario
03 Antonio Pinto & Ed Côrtez - Funk Da Virada
04 Antonio Pinto & Ed Côrtez - Estoria Da Boca
05 Hyldon - Na Rua, Na Chuva, Na Fazenda (Casinha De Sapé)
06 Antonio Pinto & Ed Côrtez - A Transa
07 Raul Seixas - Metamorfose Ambulante
08 Wilson Simonal - Nem Vem Que Não Tem
09 Cartola - Preciso Me Encontrar
10 Cartola - Alvorada
11 Antonio Pinto & Ed Côrtez - Convite Para Vida
12 Tim Maia - No Caminho Do Bem
13 Antonio Pinto & Ed Côrtez - Morte Zé Pequeno
14 Antonio Pinto & Ed Côrtez - Batucada (Remix)
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Various : Out Of Our Heads On Skelp


Compilation released in 2003 on the highly influential Glasgow label Chemikal Underground.
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01 Arab Strap - The First Big Weekend
02 Aereogramme - Yes
03 The Delgados - No Danger (Kids Choir) [edit]
04 Radar Bros - Shoveling Sons
05 Suckle - Saturn
06 Mogwai - Like Herod
07 Magoo - Pink Dust
08 Malcolm Middleton - The King Of Bring
09 Arab Strap - Who Named The Days?
10 Cha Cha Cohen - A=A
11 Aereogramme - A Meaningful Experience
12 Mogwai - Christmas Song
13 Radar Bros - Still Evil
14 The Delgados - Pull The Wires From The Wall
15 Aidan Moffat - Cunts [uncredited bonus track]
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Joy Division : Peel Session [1979]


This is the first of two sessions that Joy Division recorded for the John Peel show. Produced by Bob Sargeant on January 31st 1979 at Maida Vale studios, the session was first broadcast a fortnight later.
--------------
1 Exercise One
2 Insight
3 She's Lost Control
4 Transmission
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Animal Collective : Summertime Clothes [Dam-Funk Remix]


Remix of track taken from Animal Collective's current album Merriweather Post Pavilion.
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The Smiths : Your Full Of Smith [Bootleg]



Bootleg of The Smiths live at The Royal Court, Liverpool, 27th March 1985.

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Tracks:

--------

01- William, It Was Really Nothing

02- Nowhere fast

03- I Want The One I Can't Have

04- What She Said

05- Hand In Glove

06- How Soon Is Now?

07- Still Ill

08- Meat Is Murder

09- Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now

10- Barbarism Begings At Home

11- Miserable Lie

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Sunday 24 May 2009

Kiss AMC - A Bit Of




Don't worry, you will never find any U2 music on here. Here's Uk rap/hip hop duo Kiss AMC with their 1989, u2 sampling 'A Bit Of ....' remixed by David Holmes.
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Kiss AMC - A Bit Of ... (Amazonian Mix) download
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Friday 22 May 2009

Mogwai : Zidane - A 21st Century Portrait



The football leagues in England may already know their winners but up here in Scotland it's do or die this weekend. It's all to play for in the relegation battle on Saturday but Sunday sees Glasgow's Old Firm rivals fighting it out to see who comes out on top. It may not be the best league in the world in terms of talent but for excitement it will be hard to beat this weekend. My love of music and football comes together brilliantly on this album from Glasgow band Mogwai. The album was recorded as the soundtrack to the documentary film 'Zidane, un portrait du 21e siècle' and was released on PIAS/Wall Of Sound in 1996.
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01 Black Spider
02 Terrific Speech 2
03 Wake Up And Go Berserk
04 Terrific Speech
05 7:25
06 Half Time
07 I Do Have Weapons
08 Time And A Half
09 It Would Have Happened Anyway
10 Black Spider 2
[Hidden Track]
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[Take 5] : Covers / Girl to Boy

5 female vocalists covering songs originally done by male vocalists.




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1 First_Aid_Kit are a Swedish duo consisting of young sisters Klara and Johanna Soderberg from Stockholm. This cover of a Fleet Foxes song is taken from the 2008 reissue of the duo's 'Drunken_Trees' EP on Wichita.



-



2 Bat_For_Lashes is the performing name of British songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Natasha Khan. Her cover is taken from The Cure tribute album Perfect_As_Cats.



-



3 Susanna_And_The_Magical_Orchestra are a Norwegian duo who released their 2nd album Melody_Mountain in 2006. The album comprises of ten cover versions of tracks by the likes of Bob Dylan, AC/DC, Prince, Depeche Mode and Kiss amongst others including this track by Joy Division.



-



4 St_Vincent is the performing name of American multi-instrumentalist Anne Clark, a former member of The Polyphonic Spree. This cover of a Jackson Browne song is taken from a 7 inch_single released on Beggars_Banquet in 2007.



-



5 Nouvelle_Vague are a French collective who specialise in lounge versions of punk, post-punk and new wave songs. This cover of a Dead Kennedys song is taken from their 2004 s/t album which also includes covers of songs by the likes of The Clash, The Specials, XTC and The Undertones. The album also includes versions of tracks 2 and 3 above.



---



Tracks:



1 First Aid Kit - Tiger Mountain Peasant Song



2 Bat For Lashes - A Forest



3 Susanna And The Magical Orchestra - Love Will Tear Us Apart



4 St Vincent - These Days



5 Nouvelle Vague - Too Drunk To Fuck



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---------------------



If you like what you hear please buy the above artists' music and/or check out the original versions.

Thursday 21 May 2009

Mull Historical Society : Animal Cannabus


Early single from Colin MacIntyre and co. Released in 2001 on Rough Trade records the single was taken from the band's debut album Loss.
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1 Animal Cannabus
2 Ugly Buildings Are Beautiful
3 Industrial Hangers
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The Justified Ancients Of Mu Mu : The History Of The JAMS aka The Timelords



Compilation of JAMs stuff released in America in 1988 on TVT Records. The album comprises of tracks taken from their infamous debut album 1987 (What The Fuck Is Going On?) as well as the follow up Who Killed The Jams. The set is completed by the inclusion of 3 singles as well as 2 tracks by their alter-ego The Timelords.
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1 All You Need Is Love
2 Don't Take Five (Take What You Want)
3 Whitney Joins The JAMs
4 Porpoise Song
5 Downtown
6 Candyman
7 Burn The Beat
8 Doctorin' The Tardis
9 Gary In The Tardis
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Please leave a comment if like what you hear or would like to hear some more JAMs stuff

Tuesday 19 May 2009

[Take 5] : Echo And The Bunnymen



Ech And The Bunnymen were formed in 1978 in Liverpool and along with the Teardrop Explodes and Wah! were the major players in the city's post-punk music scene. Here are 5 live tracks recorded at various stages of the band's career.

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01 Crocodiles *

02 Over The Wall *

03 Zimbo **

04 Ocean Rain **

05 My Kingdom **

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* Live at Pavillion Gardens, Buxton, UK, 17/01/81

** Live at Manley Vale Hotel, Sydney, Australia 11/11/81

*** Live at A Crystal Day, Liverpool, UK, 12/05/84

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* buy

** buy

*** buy

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Various : Jockey Slut Jukebox


Jockey Slut was a UK based dance music/club culture magazine which was published between 1993 and 2004. Although this was a style of music which I was never deeply into the magazine did give away some interesting cover mounted cds. This 9 track compilation was given away with the Feb/March 1998 issue to celebrate the magazine's 5th birthday.
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Tracks:
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1. David Holmes - Mosh It
2. Propellerheads - Lethal Cut
3. Lionrock - Electro Under Pressure
4. Primal Scream - Stuka Seven
5. Two Lone Swordsmen - Slutloop
6. The Chemical Brothers - Life is Sweet (Daft Punk Remix)
7. Gabrielle - Forget About the World (Daft Punk Remix)
8. Underworld - Dirty
9. Howie B - Nordleed
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The KLF : Chill Out




Brilliant 'ambient' album released on KLF COMMUNICATIONS in 1990. The KLF were a duo of James Cauty and Bill Drummond who also released music under the names of The Justified Ancients Of Mu Mu (The Jams), Space, The K Foundation and The Timelords, under which name they had a UK #1 single with Doctorin' The Tardis. The history of the duo is too complicated to even scratch the surface of here but it is well worth investigating further. One word of warning though, anyone planning to start a KLF/Jams collection better have plenty of blank cheques. Some of the rarer stuff (and there is a lot) sells for unbelievable amounts of cash.
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NB. This album is a continuous mix. Please see cover above for tracklist.
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Saturday 16 May 2009

Wychwood Festival 2009 [Free CD Download]


Free with today's Independent newspaper is an 11 track download CD in conjunction with the Wychwood Festival which will be held this year on 29th-31st May at Cheltenham Racecourse.
The download is limited to 10,000 and can be found at ...
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Tracklist:
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01 Super Furry Animals - Inaugural Trams
02 The Wonderstuff - Tricks Of The Trade
03 The Men They Couldn't Hang - Aquamarine
04 Danny & The Champions Of The World - These Days
05 Oysterband - Here Comes The Flood
06 Kissmet - Indian Summer
07 The Mummers - Teardropsfall
08 Cara Dillon - Spencer The Rover
09 Dub Colossus - Habasha Dub
10 The Dhol Foundation - Dance with Me
11 Justin Adams & Juldeh Camara - Coming Back To You

Friday 8 May 2009

Skuobhie Dubh Orchestra : A New Cat




Another album courtesy of Fence Records this time it's the band Kenny Anderson formed before setting out on a solo career as King Creosote. Originally released on cassette in 1996 this is the cd reissue from 2006 which came with Volume 3, Issue 1 of Fencezine. The S.D.O. featured many many musicians from the Fence Collective in the line-up including K.T. Tunstall.


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Tracklist:


---------


01. Strangers To Disappointment


02 Works Every Time


03 Shiver


04 Mortgage


05 Shape Of A girlfriend


06 Sew Wet Dreams


07 Insomniac


08 Flying overnight


09 Lavender Moon


10 How's Your Tongue?


11 Monsieur Le Charmant


12 Real Shiver Stuff


13 Lady Luck


14 Pimp


15 Outback Self Abuse


16 Broomstick


17 Witch Hat


----------------


Link removed by request. Some copies of this album may still be avaliable through http://www.fencerecords.com
-------------------------------
Kenny: guitar, accordion, recorder, keyboards, vocals


Stu: drums, percussion, radio receiver


Pete: bass, handclaps


Een: banjo, guitar, mouth organ, double bass, vocals


Kate: vocals, witch noises


Steve: fiddle


John: Electric guitar, samples


Joe: dialogue
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English Bore : Anaesthesia Diary



I must admit to not knowing very much about this. In fact to be totally honest, I haven't even heard it all the way through yet. The thing is I've got a busy weekend ahead then I'm away until Friday so I won't be able to post until then so I'm trying to put enough stuff together for a few posts while I can. Anyway from what I can gather this mini album(?) by English Bore was part of the 'Picket Fence' series of cd-rs which were only made available to subscribers during 2007. One of the reasons for posting this without first hearing it is the fact that it is a Fence Records release which usually means some sort of quality control. I've yet to be left completely disappointed in any Fence release yet although some stuff is obviously better than others.

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English Bore is the ambient soundscape guitar drone and whatever project of john amino (amino people) with help from various others such as let our enemies beware and the fence collective. the project was born from a love of messing about with effects pedals and listening to my bloody valentine records too much (and not having a drummer). Fence_Records

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John Amino says [excerpts]: 'ambient guitar experimentalism, drone, soundscapes or whatever you want to call it' ... t'he project or band started from my love of those bits on those early 90's shoegaze songs where everyone stopped playing and just made noise. That bit in 'feed Me With Your Kiss' by My Bloody Valentine' ... 'or on Sonic Youth records when the delays on the guitar takes over the sound' ... 'it's Marmite music, you'll probably either love it or hate it'.

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Tracks:

01 Anaesthesia Diary [Part 1]

02 Anaesthesia Diary [Part 2]

03 Anaesthesia Diary [Part 3]


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[Take 5] : The Ramones



Some of my posts earlier mentioned 53rd & 3rd Records. The label was originally named after a song by American band The Ramones who have often been regarded as the very first punk band. I had intended to include 53rd & 3rd plus 4 tracks from throughout the band's career but in the end I couldn't resist just using 5 tracks from the band's self titled debut. That's not to say their other albums aren't good. They are and I will post some other stuff another time. Meanwhile enjoy these 5 tracks from one of the best rock bands ever.
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Tracks:

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01 Blitzkrieg Bop

02 I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend

03 53rd & 3rd

04 Havana Affair

05 I Don't Wanna Walk Around With You

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Trivia fact #1: The catalogue number of every record released on the 53rd & 3rd record label had the prefix AGARR, which stood for 'as good as (a) Ramones record' which every record released by the label (allegedly) aspired to be.

Trivia fact #2: The 5 Ramones songs above have all been covered by other artists, the first 4 by Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Rob Zombie, Metallica and Pete Yorn respectively. Track 5 fairs a lot better as it was covered by Sonic Youth.

[Take 5] : The Pastels




[Take 5] will be a series of 5 songs connected by artist, record label, theme etc etc. Basically it will just be a short post on whatever I feel like at the time with just the songs and a link. This gives me a chance to keep posting stuff even when I don't have much free time.


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Earlier I posted The Groovy Little Numbers - The 53rd & 3rd Singles compilation. The record label that gave this record it's name was partly run by Stephen Pastel of Glasgow band The Pastels. Here are 5 songs from that group.


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Tracks:


--------


01 Baby Honey


02 Truck, Train, Tractor


03 Crawl Babies


04 Yoga


05 Unfair Kind Of Fame


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The Groovy Little Numbers : The 53rd & 3rd Singles




It's been a long, long time since I listened to Bellshill band The Groovy Little Numbers and it would probably have been even longer if I hadn't realised while posting the Superstar singles that the singer of that band was previously a member of The Groovy Little Numbers. It's often said 'it's a small world' but never a truer word has been said regarding the Scottish music scene. If i had known when starting this blog what sort of line I was going to take I would have perhaps attempted a Scottish Music Tree. As it happens the mess that this blog is in right now would probably be nothing compared to what it would have been. So for now the chaos continues as I try and probably fail miserably, to link all these bands. So, back to The Groovy Little Numbers. Formed in Bellshill in the mid to late 1980's, the band released two 12" singles on 53rd & 3rd Records which was partly run by Stephen Pastel. Both the singles were later released on the compilation below on Avalanche Records.


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Tracks:


-------


01 You Make My Head Explode


02 Hey Hey


03 Windy


04 Happy Like Yesterday


05 Shoot Me Down


06 A Place So Hard To Find


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Read +++ Wiki +++

Superstar : Superstar



Superstar were a Scottish band which formed in 1992. The band were signed to Creation Records then finished up on Camp Fabulous. This single was taken from their 1998 album 'Palm Tree'. The band were led by Joe McAlinden who was formerly a member of The Groovy Little Numbers and BMX Bandits as well as working with Teenage Fanclub.

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Tracks:

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01 Superstar

02 Monstermind [Acoustic Rehearsal]

03 Everyday I Fall Apart [Acoustic Rehearsal]

04 Superstar [French Version]

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____

Read here


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It looks as if the Superstar back catalogue has been deleted but their albums are readily available on e-bay and Amazon at low prices.

Superstar : Every Day I Fall Apart


Another single taken from the 1998 album 'Palm Tree'. This one also released on Camp Fabulous is my favourite of the Superstar releases and shows just how great a songwriter Joe McAlinden is.


______________________________________________________


Tracks:


--------


01 Everday I Fall Apart


02 Every Second Hurts


03 Hum


04 Lazybones


_____


Download_Here!!!


-------


Read here and here


Discogs Superstar and Joe McAlinden


_____


Buy Superstar at e-bay or Amazon

Thursday 7 May 2009

The Wedding Present : Peel Session [1986]



This was the first of many sessions The_Wedding_Present recorded for the John Peel show. The session which was recorded and broadcast in 1986 includes the song 'Felicity' which was originally by Scottish band Orange_Juice.

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Tracks:

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01 Felicity

02 It's What You Want That Matters

03 You Should Always Keep In Touch With Your Friends

04 This Boy Can Wait

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All Wedding Present sessions for the John Peel show are compiled on this boxset.

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Lloyd Cole + The Commotions : BBC Radio Session [1984]



3 tracks from a session Lloyd Cole and the Commotions recorded for the Richard Skinner Show on Radio 1 in 1984. The tracks are available on this Live_At_The_BBC compilation.

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Tracks:

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01 Forest Fire

02 Speedboat

03 Rattlesnakes

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The Delgados : Peel Session [2002]

This group, named after Spanish cyclist Pedro Delgado, have played an important role in the Scottish music scene, launching several careers, including Bis and Arab Strap, through their label Chemikal Underground. As musicians they typified the lo-fi Scottish indie sound, particularly on their first album 'Domestiques', which prompted Peel to call them 'the best in Britain, whilst their 1998 single 'Pull The Wires From The Wall' went to the top of that year's Festive Fifty. They later moved into more orchestral rock, working with former Flaming Lips producer Dave Friddman for the albums 'The Great Eastern' and 'Hate'. Their most recent release was 2004's 'Universal Audio'. [BBC_6 Music]

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The_Delgados recorded numerous sessions for the John Peel show but this one was a bit different as the band decided they would do 4 cover versions this time. The band chose the first 3 and allowed John Peel himself to pick the 4th. After rejecting tracks by the likes of Led Zeppelin, Lovin' Spoonful, Kenny Rogers + Dolly Parton, Peter Gabriel and Betty Boo the band decided on songs by E.L.O, Cat Stevens and the biggest surprise, the Dead Kennedys while Peel chose a track by Jamaican group The Symbols.

________________________________________________________

The session was recorded at Maida Vale Studios on 15th September 2002 and was first broadcast a month later.

________________________________________________________

Tracks:

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01 Mr Blue Sky (original by Electric Light Orchestra)

02 California Uber Alles (original by Dead Kennedys)

03 Matthew and Son (original by Cat Stevens)

04 Last Rose Of Summer (original by The Symbols)
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Download_here!!!
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All the Delgados BBC sessions are available on this album.

White Riot : A Tribute To The Clash ... Vol.2 [Uncut Magazine]

This is Volume 2 of White Riot : A tribute To The Clash which was given away with the December 203 issue of Uncut magazine. 17 tracks of Clash covers and tributes from Billy Bragg to Nouvelle Vogue make this a must for every Clash fan.


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Tracks:


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01 Stiff Little Fingers : Strummerville


02 Jesse Malin : Death Or Glory


03 Billy Bragg + The Neurotics : Garageland


04 Sparks : We Are The Clash


05 Adam Masterson : Gates Of The West


06 Nouvelle Vogue : The Guns Of Brixton


07 The National : Clampdown


08 Cracker : White Riot


09 The Waco Brothers : I Fought The Law


10 The Hyperjax : Capital Radio


11 Janie Jones + The Lash : House Of The Ju Ju Queen


12 Tommy Stinson : Hateful


13 Pete Wylie : Stay Free


14 My Red Cell : Career Opportunities


15 The Bandits : The Guns Of Brixton


16 Joy Zipper : Hitsville UK


17 Joe Strummer + The Mescaleros : Long Shadow


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Download_here!!!


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Buy the original versions by The Clash or other stuff by the above artists here!!!


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White Riot : A Tribute To The Clash ... Vol.1 [Uncut Magazine]




Usually when I get a free cd with a magazine I have a listen or two at the most then it is put in a box in the attic along with the rest of them. Not this one though, or these two to be precise. The December 2003 issue of Uncut magazine came with 2 different compilations on the cover. Both were tributes to one of the greatest rock bands ever, The Clash. Nearly 30 different artists contributed their own takes on Clash songs showing just how far and wide the band's music has reached. From Edwyn Collins to Asian Dub Foundation and Jesse Malin to Joy Zipper there is bound to be something to suit everyone on here.


__________________________________________________


Tracks:


--------


01 Stiff Little Fingers : Strummerville


02 Songdog : Janie Jones


03 Hamell On Trial : White Rioy / Hitsville UK


04 Matthew Ryan : Somebody Got Murdered


05 Hawksley Workman : Bankrobber


06 Marc Carroll : London Calling


07 Josh Rouse : Straight To Hell


08 Kealer : Train In Vain


09 Mr David Viner : Should I Stay Or Should I Go?


10 Thea Gilmour : I'm Not Down


11 Jeff Klein : The Guns Of Brixton


12 The Caravans : Know Your Rights


13 Asan Dub Foundation + Zebda : Police On My Back


14 Terry Edwards + The Scapegoats : Version City


15 Edwyn Collins : 1977


16 The Fiery Furnaces : One More Time


17 Joe Strummer + The Mescaleros : Long Shadow


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_____________


If you like what you hear please support the artists by buying their music. Alternatively, buy the Clash originals. Or both!!!


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The Pop Alphabet : B [part 2]

is also for ...


Bishop Allen,The Boo Radleys, The Boy Hairdressers, Butcher Boy, Boards Of Canada, Bon Iver, The Beta Band, The Bees, Big Audio Dynamite, Band Of Horses, Belly, Beth Orton, Bright Eyes.


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Tracklist:
----------
01 Bishop Allen : The Lion and The Tea Cup buy
02 The Boo Radleys : Zoom buy
03 The Boy Hairdressers : Golden Shower buy
04 Butcher Boy : Keep Your Powder Dry buy
05 Bright Eyes : Another Travelin' Song buy
06 Bon Iver : Skinny Love buy
07 Boards Of Canada : Roygbiv buy
08 The Beta Band : She's The One buy
09 The Bees : Chicken Payback buy
10 Big Audio Dynamite : V.Thirteen buy
11 Band Of Horses : Ode To IRC buy
12 Belly : Feed The Tree buy
13 Beth Orton : Stolen Car buy
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_______________________________________________________
If buying music by any of the above artists please support them by checking their own websites first for availability or buy from your local independent record shop. The above links are for Amazon only. If you own or know of any independent record shops that would like a link on this blog please contact me.
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Track 2 is originally from the Barney (... and Me) single and will probably be found in 2nd hand shops only. Likewise track 3 which was also released as a single and may be found on '23rd and 3rd Records' compilations.

The Slits : Peel Session [1977]


The Slits were an all female punk band who recorded 3 sessions for the John Peel show between 1977 and 1981. This is the first of those sessions which was produced by Tony Wilson at Maida Vale Studios on 19th September 1977 and first broadcast eight days later. The session has been released on various formats through the years, sometimes as a complete package along with the other two sessions.
_____________
Tracks:
-
01 Love and Romance
02 Vindictive
03 New Town
04 Shoplifting
_
_
Line-up:
Ari Up : vocals
Tessa : bass, backing vocals
Viv Albertine : rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Palmolive : drums, backing vocals
________________________________

Wednesday 6 May 2009

The Fall : Peel Session [1985]

This was Manchester band The Fall's first of two sessions recorded for the John Peel show in 1985. Two of the tracks were also released as singles in 1985 and all four tracks made it into Peel's Festive 50 the same year.
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Tracks:
o1 Cruiser's Creek
02 Couldn't Get Ahead
03 Spoilt Victorian Child
04 Gut Of The Quantifier
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Download_here!!!
-
Produced by Mark Radcliffe at Maida Vale Studios on 14th May 1985. First broadcast on 3rd June 1985.
-
Band line-up:
Mark E. Smith : vocals
Karl Burns : drums, bass
Craig Scanlon : guitars, backing vocals
Steve Hanley : bass
Simon Rogers : guitar, keyboards
Brix Smith : guitar, vocals

The Pop Alphabet : B [part 1]

is for ...
Big Star, The Byrds, Bob Dylan, Buffalo Springfield, The Band, Bo Diddley, The Buzzcocks, Brian Wilson, Booker T + The MGs, Bim Sherman, Bob Marley + The Wailers.
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Part 2 of my Alphabet of Pop and it's letter B. In fact such was the range of bands to choose from I've decided to do this in 2 parts so the letter B will continue tomorrow. I've left out some bands that I will be posting about in the future and have included some stuff that I haven't heard for a while. I hope you enjoy at least some of the music you hear and support the artists by buying their music.
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Tracks:
-
01 Big Star - Thirteen
02 The Byrds - You Ain't Going Nowhere
03 Bob Dylan - I Want You
04 Buffalo Springfield - For What It's Worth
05 The Band - This Wheel's On Fire
06 Bo Diddley - Diddy Wah Diddy
07 Brian Eno - Third Uncle
08 Brian Wilson - Heroes + Villians
09 Booker T + The MGs - Green Onions
10 Bob Marley + The Wailers - Concrete Jungle [Peel Session]
11 Bim Sherman + Dub Syndicate - Over The Rainbow
12 The Buzzcocks - Something's Gone Wrong Again
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Download: Alphabet of Pop : B [part 1] HERE!!!_______________________________________________________
Big_Star were an American rock band formed in the early 1970's. They were a massive influence on many bands including Teenage Fanclub who named their 4th album after the song Thirteen as well as covering some of the band's songs. Other artists who have covered Big Star include Yo La Tengo, Elliott Smith, Wilco, Garbage and This Mortal Coil. The song Thirteen can be found on the 1972 album #1_Record. Another American band The_Byrds were also a major influence on some Scottish bands including Primal Scream and Orange Juice although this track comes from their later country_rock period when they were joined by Gram Parsons. The track featured here comes from their 1968 Sweetheart_of_the_Rodeo album. Bob_Dylan needs no introduction at all. I've never been a massive fan of his but I heard this song on the radio late one night at work and it stuck in my head so much that I bought the album Blonde_On_Blonde a few days later and it gets played on a regular basis since. Buffalo_Springfield was the band that launched the career of Neil Young. This track, their best known was released as a single in 1967 but was added to the re-issue of their self titled debut album. The_Band were formed in Canada in the late 60's and continued with various formations until 1999. They are probably best known for their songs in the movie Easy Rider although they also toured as Bob Dylan's backing band for a while. This song was taken from their 1968 debut album Music_From_Big_Pink. The song was covered by Siouxsie + The Banshees in 1987 and reached number 14 in the UK Singles Chart. It would be impossible to mention every musician who has been influenced by Bo_Diddley. The American r&b singer/guitarist/songwriter first came to my attention through mentions in interviews with The Jesus + Mary Chain but his influence goes way back to at least the early days of the Rolling Stones. This track first appeared on his 1958 self titled debut but has since featured on many compilations including The_Story_Of_.... Originally a member of Roxy Music, Brian_Eno left the band in 1973 to pursue a solo career which would eventually see him crowned the 'father of ambient music'. This track recorded before his forays into electronic ambient sounds is from the 1974 album Taking_Tiger_Mountain_(By-Strategy). The track was covered by Bauhaus and released on the b-side of their 1982 hit single Ziggy Stardust. Brian_Wilson was the leader and main songwriter of Californian band The Beach Boys. This track was originally part of the Smile project, an unreleased album by the band. Other versions of the track have been released by the band but this one is from the re-recorded version of Smile which was released in 2004 under Wilson's own name. Booker_T_+_The_MGs were an instrumental soul band who were most popular in the 60s and 70s although they are still going to this day. I only decided to include this track after seeing them doing a fabulous version of it on Later just last night. This track was originally from their first album also called Green Onions but can be more easily found on this compilation. The best known known reggae musician of all time is undoubtedly Bob_Marley. I'm sure no further introduction is required except to say the original version of this track taken from a John Peel Session can be found on the 1973 album Catch A Fire or on this compilation. I spent around 15 years searching for a track by reggae singer Bim_Sherman only to find out I had been looking for the wrong artist all along. It wasn't a waste of time though as I got introduced to the music of a man with a lovely voice. This track was taken from his 1992 album Reality which is currently unavailable. Best to look on e-bay or other 2nd hand stockists. One of my favourite bands of the punk era are The_Buzzcocks from Manchester. This track was originally released as a single in 1979 and can be found on this album.
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MC Buzz B : Words Escape Me


It's not often you will find any rap/hip hop stuff on my blog but I really couldn't resist sharing this with you. Released on Polydor Records in 1991 MC Buzz B's debut album was one of my favourite albums of the time*. Unlike his U.S. compatriots Buzz B's raps weren't sexist, racist or motivated by violence or guns. Fans of the more chilled rap artists like De La Soul will love this. Buzz B was also a member of Justin Robertson's 'Lionrock'.
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* I only ever had this album and a couple of singles on cassette (originals though) but over the years the tape has disappeared somehow. When I started to replace my vinyl/tapes with cds this was one album I desperately searched for but to no avail. I've tried all the 2nd hand shops including e-bay but couldn't find it anywhere. Then last night I found it on this blog. To say I was delighted is an understatement but I was also slightly worried that after all these years it would sound dated. Apart from that, how many times have you clicked on a blog link only to find it has expired? But no the album downloaded very quickly. Result!!! but still I was worried. Now and again you find that zip/rar files don't extract properly. Once again everything went fine so it was now down to the music .... and was I disappointed? Not in the slightest. I'm listening to the album right now and it's like catching up with a long lost friend after nearly 20 years apart. So thanks to oldskoolukhiphop.blogspot.com for reuniting me with this brilliant album but my search will continue for a hard copy, sad person that I am. Even if you are not a fan of rap/hip hop please give this a listen. I think you might be surprised.
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MC BUZZ B : Words Escape Me [Polydor 1991]
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Tracks:
01 Jazz Track
02 Follow
03 Utopia
04 Inner Control
05 Don't Have The Time
06 Comfort
07 Window Sill
08 The Last Tree
09 The Sequal
10 Mr Smooth
11 Never Change
12 Carry Me
13 Good Morning
14 Bandit
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Tuesday 5 May 2009

The Wendys : Pulling My Fingers Off


The Wendys were another band who played at the 'Rock On The Watter' festival in the 90's. From Edinburgh they were only the 2nd Scottish band to sign for the legendary Factory Records. Unlike their label mates including New Order and Happy Mondays commercial success eluded the band which may have been something to do with the imminent demise of the record label.
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Tracks:
01 Pulling My Fingers Off
02 I Feel Slowly
03 More Than Enough [Instrumental]
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Thrum : So Glad


In the early to mid 90's my hometown of Irvine hosted a 2 day music festival called 'Rock On The Watter'. Sponsored by the local council the festival was part of the larger Harbour Festival which took place during the summer. Most of the music was provided by local Ayrshire bands with each day headlined by a signed Scottish band. One of these bands was Thrum, a country influenced rock band from Lanarkshire fronted by the amazing Monica Queen. Thrum released their one and only Rifferama on Fire Records in 1994. Here is one of the singles taken from that album.
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Tracks:
01 - So Glad
02 - Tell Me Why
03 - Give A little
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Thrum on MySpace

The Pop Alphabet : A

is for ...

Amateur Night In the Big Top, Appliance, Arab Strap, The Auteurs, Appendix Out.
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The Pop Alphabet is a trawl through my cd collection in alphabetical order (ok, I'm just showing off since I've finally managed to get the stacks of discs into some kind of order after years of neglect). Starting today with the letter 'A'.
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Amateur Night In The Big Top : Introducing the return of the legendary front man of Happy Mondays & Black Grape - Shaun Ryder - an original and icon of his age. He represented the voice and the attitude of a generation. [read_more]
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Appliance : Appliance are a three piece who have to date released 4 albums on Mute Records. Guitar/vocals and keys- James Brooks, bassist and keys -Michael Parker, Drum kit and keys -David Ireland. Their sound is a hybrid of: Television, The Velvet Underground, Spiritualised, and Neu. [read_more]
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Arab Strap : Arab Strap were a post-folk indie band from Scotland, signed for the majority of their albums to independent record label Chemikal Underground. The duo had a short lived flirtation with a major label at the peak of their critical acclaim (post-Philophobia) when they signed to Go!Beat records (a former independent label now owned by Universal). Vocalist Aidan Moffat and multi-instrumentalist Malcolm Middleton met in Falkirk, Scotland, bonded over their mutual love for Drag City recording artists such as Smog and Will Oldham, and began a collaboration in 1995. [read_more]
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The Auteurs : Unfairly dismissed as the egotrip of acclaimed songwriter Luke Haines, the Auteurs were one of the unsung bands of the mid-nineties movement. Releasing their first record, New Wave, in 1993, the Auteurs were compared to Suede, and the resurgent movement, and began to amass a reasonable cult following. [read_more]
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Appendix Out : Alasdair Roberts is a Scottish folk musician. He released a number of albums under the name Appendix Out, and following the 2001 album The Night is Advancing, under his own name. [read_more]
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Tracks:
01 Amateur Night In The Big Top - Northern Soul Brother (Shapeshifter)
02 Appliance - Bruises
03 Arab Strap - The Shy Retirer [Dirty Hospital Remix]
04 The Auteurs - Lenny Valentino
05 Appendix Out - Lassie Lie Near Me
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