From Outer Space

The Salford Bard. Also known as the first poet of punk. Manc accent, sharp suit and a great Blonde On Blonde do.

John Cooper Clarke set some great poetry to music, with legendary Factory Records producer Martin Hannett supervising and the Invisible Girls providing musical backup. Check out Beasley Street or Evidently Chickentown for proof.

But here´s some of his earlier solo stuff. Strictly stand-up poetry, no musical accompaniment. Recorded live at the Electric Circus in Manchester, on October 2, 1977, at the height of punk. Cracks me up every time. "I´ve seen our democracy is under duress, but I never get a nipple in the Daily Express..." Ta!

John Cooper Clarke - (You Never See A Nipple In The) Daily Express MP3

John Cooper Clarke - I Married A Monster From Outer Space MP3

Da Bomb

Yo, homies... Here´s another summer tenpack comin´ at ya, straight from the boon dox this time. Which means it´s the For The Sake Of The Beats edition tonight, with a fine selection of HipHop tunes I think are da bomb. And as it just dawned on me that most of this stuff is really rather old, wouldn´t it be nice if any readers of this blog could recommend me some more recent HipHop in the same vein as the tracks below? Much obliged.

Gang Starr - Suckas Need Bodyguards MP3

Genius/GZA - Cold World MP3

Nas - N.Y. State Of Mind MP3

EPMD - Boon Dox MP3

Boogie Down Productions - My Philosophy MP3

Raekwon - Criminology MP3

Paris - Break The Grip Of Shame MP3

Jeru The Damaja - Brooklyn Took It MP3

Dr. Octagon - 3000 MP3

Common - Payback Is A Grandmother MP3

Super Krauts

Guten Tag, Leute... Continuing our summer tenpack series, For The Sake Of The Song goes all German on you this time. So put on your Lederhosen and enjoy a krautrock primer of sorts,

showcasing the various exciting directions - electronic pop, avant-garde rock, neo-classical, ambient avant la lettre and a mix of all these - this utterly surprising genre could take. Auf wiedersehen!

Faust - It´s A Rainy Day, Sunshine Girl MP3

Can - Splash MP3

Popol Vuh - Brüder Des Schattens MP3

Amon Düül II - Wolf City MP3

Neu - Super MP3

La Düsseldorf - Geld MP3

Guru Guru - Next Time See You At The Dalai Lhama MP3

Cluster - Caramel MP3

Harmonia - Watussi MP3

Kraftwerk - The Model MP3

Snuff

For the best spoof ever on early British punk, look no further than the impressively monikered Alberto Y Los Trios Paranoias, a comedy band from Manchester. Their Snuff Rock ep, released in the magical year of 1977 on the mighty Stiff Records, features some razorsharp parodies of the musical movement that shocked the nation at the time.

In Gobbing On Life - "living is a cliché, it´s all been done before..." - they do a nice take on Rotten and the Pistols, but it´s Kill, their hilarious take on the Damned, that steals the show. "I´m gonna cut me liver out and shove it in yer face..."

Alberto Y Los Trios Paranoias - Gobbing On Life

Alberto Y Los Trios Paranoias - Kill

Long Live Longnecks

I have to admit this tenpack formula is a rather lazy affair, but heck, it´s summer, right? Let´s milk it some more then. Today we´re going completely country, with a varied and soulful selection of originators, outlaws and outsiders of the genre. So take that rocking chair outside, pour yourself a tall cool one (may I suggest the Lone Star brand?) and "sing a little bit of these workin´ man blues..."

Merle Haggard - Workin´ Man Blues MP3

Louvin Brothers - Let Her Go, God Bless Her MP3

Steve Young - One Car Funeral Procession MP3

Tom T. Hall - I Hope It Rains At My Funeral MP3

Delmore Brothers - I´m Lonesome Without You MP3

Tony Joe White - High Sheriff Of Calhoun Parish MP3

Red Sovine - Phantom 309 MP3

Larry Jon Wilson - Let Me Sing My Song For You MP3

Jim Ford - Harlan Country MP3

Johnny Dowd - Ballad Of Frank And Jesse James MP3

With A Feeling

And in the evening, when the sun´s gone down and it´s cooled off a bit, I love to play me some of that old blues. There´s nothing better than sitting on your porch late at night, drink in hand and stars overhead, listening to the masters from the Delta or the windy city. So here´s another tenpack, filled to the brim with blues treasures I´ve been digging recently. First one who writes in to tell me which famous band stole That´s No Way To Get Along gets the For The Sake Of The Song Crossroads award...

Tampa Red - Love Me With A Feeling MP3

Blind Joe - Married Man Blues MP3

Robert Pete Williams - Lord, I´m Going Back Home Soon MP3

Buddy Boy Hawkins - Voice Throwing Blues MP3

Rev. A.W. Nix - Black Diamond Express To Hell - Part 1 MP3

Memphis Minnie - Ain´t No Use Trying To Tell On Me MP3

Johnny Shines - Ramblin´ MP3

Garfield Akers - Dough Roller Blues MP3

Robert Wilkins - That´s No Way To Get Along MP3

Tommy Johnson - Slidin´ Delta MP3

The Same Song?

My fave music of summer has always been roots reggae. And as it´s gotten kinda hot here over the last couple of weeks - joder, que calor! - I find myself skanking the time away more and more often. Here´s a tenpack selection of boss sounds from the Island I´ve been enjoying lately.

Abyssinians - Satta Massagana MP3

Wailing Souls - Bredda Gravalicious MP3

Ras Ibuna - Diverse Doctrine MP3

Augustus Pablo - Stop Them Jah MP3

Jacob Miller - Tenement Yard MP3

Burning Spear - Door Peeper MP3

Little Roy - Don´t Cross The Nation MP3

Israel Vibration - The Same Song MP3

Mighty Diamonds - Right Time MP3

Leo Graham - Black Candle MP3