On Your Mind

"Well, you know, you can’t make it without ever even trying... and something’s on your mind, isn’t it... tell the truth now, isn’t it..." It's always time for a very special voice, and sweet mother K.D. sure had one. Bobby Notkoff plays that exquisite violin.

Karen Dalton - Something On Your Mind

Drink Pet Milk

Two fine tracks by the always amazing Louvins, from a Pet Milk-sponsored Grand Ole Opry broadcast back in '59. "Blue you found me, blue you left me, and blue I will be from now on..." My point exactly.

Louvin Brothers - Curly Headed Baby

Louvin Brothers - Blue From Now On

Dragons & Owls

I am a brother to dragons and a companion to owls. Job said that, but I sure can relate. I'm southbound tomorrow, looking for some sunshine, but will write the odd post provided there's WiFi on the menu somewhere. As usual, you won't get a christmas ditty out of me, but I do wish you all a feliz navidad.

The Mighty Upsetter - Flames Of The Dragon

Jack Rose - Song For The Owl

Beasts Of Bourbon - Chase The Dragon

The Champs - Nite Owl

Have To Try

"Well, I can't afford to live, I guess I'll have to try, undertaker's got a union, and it costs too much to die..." Also known as Money's Getting Cheaper, this is a fine example of Jimmy Witherspoon's jazzy form of blues. And still relevant, too...

Jimmy Witherspoon - Times Gettin' Tougher Than Tough

Big Grin

And the reissue of the year, you may ask? Well, the majestic Smile Sessions - I went for the 2 disc version myself, as you have to draw the line somewhere - blew the competition right out of the water of course. Pure Wilson genius at work. Here's one of the many fun bonus tracks. "Sleep a lot, eat a lot, brush 'em like crazy..."

The Beach Boys - Smile Backing Vocals Montage

Golden Hiss

Yes, and here we go again... with the one and only For The Sake Of The Song end of year list. The jury has spoken: here are the magnificent seven of 2011.

1. Hiss Golden Messenger - Poor Moon

2. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake

3. Howe Gelb & A Band Of Gypsies - Alegrías

4. Tom Waits - Bad As Me

5. Bonnie Prince Billy - Wolfroy Goes To Town

6. Josh T. Pearson - Last Of The Country Gentlemen

7. Gillian Welch - The Harrow & The Harvest

Knock once, now knock twice. And stay gold, pony boys...

Hiss Golden Messenger - Call Him Daylight

Hiss Golden Messenger - Westering

Run Paint Run

Tomorrow night, I'll be spinning the tunes at the opening of a cool exhibition in exposition space Quarantaine in Amsterdam. Definitely a prole art threat, so do drop by if you happen to be in the area. "Someday, everything is gonna be different, when I paint my masterpiece..."

Bob Dylan & The Band - When I Paint My Masterpiece

The Fall - Prole Art Threat

Fever Tree - Man Who Paints The Pictures

Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band - Run Paint Run Run

Different For Sure

Been awhile since we featured my all-time fave cult - and I do mean cult - band around here, so let's go go go. This majestic barbed-velvet ballad comes from the recently re-released Cable Hogue soundtrack. Let's hear it for 裸のラリーズ! Play loud if you dare.

Les Rallizes Dénudés - But I Was Different

Not Allowed

Back in '71, the Stones took on Fred McDowell's You Gotta Move with their Sticky Fingers, a song I never had much time for. Don't know what Fred thought of course, but I'm sure both the royalties and the recognition must have made the last of the great Mississippi blues men extremely happy. Had I been in Keith's shoes though, I would have lobbied for a go at McDowell's Mama Don't Allow instead. A song that sounds like it was made for the Stones to cover in all their sleazy early-seventies glory. "Drop down baby, let your daddy see, you got somethin' really worryin' me..."

Mississippi Fred McDowell - Mama Don't Allow

Doug aka Jesse

Cool news for fans of that ole Hendrix sound: our pals at Drag City are about to release a collection of songs by obscure New Zealander Doug Jerebine. Dude travelled to swinging London in '69, changed his name to Jesse Harper, and recorded a groovy album in Jimi mode. After that, he went to India, joined the Hare Krishna movement, and was never heard of again.

Doug Jerebine (aka Jesse Harper) - Ashes And Matches

Dear New Friends

Just some recent songs I took a bit of a fancy to. Siskiyou travels to Bonnie Billy country, Haroula Rose does the folky duet thing very well, and High On Stress sure digs the Mats a lot. Widowspeak dreams back to the indie eighties, Wounded Lion plays barbwire pop with a delightful chorus ("LVXLCDM" anyone?), while Centro-matic fondly remembers the Mary Chain. Broaden that musical horizon why don't you, pop kids.

Siskiyou - Dear Old Friends

Haroula Rose - Free To Be Me

High On Stress - Figure Eights

Widowspeak - Gun Shy

Wounded Lion - Roman Values

Centro-matic - Only In My Double Mind

All The Time

"Four hundred or so people lived in Knockemstiff in 1957, nearly all of them connected by blood through one godforsaken calamity or another, be it lust or necessity or just plain ignorance..." If you like your Americana way raw, you'd better start reading Donald Ray Pollock's The Devil All The Time right away. Unputdownable's the word. True 666 soundtrack below.

Palace Brothers - Idle Hands Are The Devil's Playthings

Sam Collins - Devil In The Lion's Den

The Box Tops - I Must Be The Devil

Prince Arky & The Westerners - 10 Horned Devil

Tampa Red - Worried Devil Blues

Steve Earle - Angel Is The Devil

Money Talks

Crisis? What crisis? "Every night before I go to sleep, find a ticket, win the lottery, scoop the pearls up from the sea, cash them in and buy you all the things you need..." Presenting a valuable six pack for your listening pleasure. Original artwork - We Breathe Air And Escape - once more by Tinca.

Patti Smith - Free Money MP3

Growling Tiger - Money Is King MP3

Dan Penn - If Love Was Money MP3

Fang - The Money Will Roll Right In MP3

Jason & The Scorchers - If Money Talks MP3

Aretha Franklin - Money Won't Change You MP3

Had It All

"I can hear the wind blowing in my mind, just the way it used to sound through the Georgia pines..." Here's a moody Stones ballad from the Some Girls sessions, recently released on the deluxe version of that '78 album, which is well worth it for the extra disc of surprisingly good outtakes alone. We Had It All is an oft-covered country classic written by Troy Seals and Donnie Fritts, and originally recorded by ole Waylon for his '73 outlaw masterpiece Honky Tonk Heroes. A year later, Fritts had a go at it himself, on his swampy solo debut Prone To Lean. "You were there to answer when I called, you and me, lord knows, we had it all..."

The Rolling Stones - We Had It All

Waylon Jennings - We Had It All

Donnie Fritts - We Had It All

Just remembered that Dylan played this lament to lost love a couple of times as well during his '86 True Confessions Tour, backed by Petty's Heartbreakers and with soulful help from the Queens of Rhythm. So here goes.

Bob Dylan - We Had It All (live in East Rutherford '86)

Carrying A Torch

Now here are two impressive torch songs from the early seventies for ya. As far as I know, Maki Asakawa's back catalogue is currently out of print, resulting in steep prices on the second-hand market. So it would be very much appreciated if some cool reissue label took on the complete oeuvre of this fine jazz and blues singer (1942-2010) from the land of the rising sun pronto.

Maki Asakawa - Yo Ga Aketara

Maki Asakawa - Gin House Blues

Easy Does It

Feeling quite mellow today, so it seems apt to present an easygoing six pack for the weekend. Be cool, calm, and collected y'all. "Well I'm easy, hey, I'm simple like a fool ..." Word.

Boz Scaggs - I'm Easy

Green On Red - Easy Way Out

Ted Lucas - It's So Easy (When You Know What You're Doing)

Billy Joe Shaver - Ride Me Down Easy

Sonny Stitt - Easy Does It

Ron Davies - It Ain't Easy

Another Time, Another Place

This just in from the news desk: Leonard Cohen's new album, amusingly titled Old Ideas, is scheduled for a late January release. It's the Canadian veteran's first studio effort in eight long years. And here's a promising, solemn taster. "Show me the place for my head is bent and low, show me the place where you want your slave to go..."

Leonard Cohen - Show Me The Place

A Lady In The North

"She was courted by nine gentlemen, and a ploughboy-lad from Yarrow..." A truly great take on an ancient Scottish border ballad by the wonderful Shelagh McDonald, an early seventies folkie who was lost and found and lost again.

Shelagh McDonald - Dowie Dens Of Yarrow

Viva Tropicalismo

Slowly but surely the temperature's dropping, and me no like at all. So to warm the heart a wee bit, let's hear it for a few tropical, steaming choice cuts from late sixties and early seventies Brazil. Take courage everybody, and don't forget to shake those marácas of fire regularly.

Gal Costa - Mamãe, Coragem

O Bando - E Assim Falava Mefistófeles

Os Mutantes - A Minha Menina

Caetano Veloso - Alegria, Alegria

Gilberto Gil - Bat Macumba

Lula Côrtes - Marácas De Fogo

Two Earthquakes

Always on the lookout for that elusive holy ghost of music, we're tuning in to Jerez flamenco city tonight. Let's chase the spirit with Terremoto the father (1934-1981) and Terremoto the son (1969-2010) respectively, and see if the earth moves a bit.

Terremoto De Jerez - Ni Testigos Ni Abogados

Fernando Terremoto - Viento De Levante

Lolie Dresses Slowly

I know I plugged Howe Gelb's recent collaboration with a band of authentic gitano flamenco cats from Spain here before, but as I just can't get enough of Alegrías, here's one more lovely track. "Eso no te pega..." One for the slowly but surely approaching end-of-year lists for sure.

Howe Gelb & A Band Of Gypsies - The Ballad Of Lole Y Manuel

On My Side

Continuing our time theme for a bit, here are six mighty fine bands from the past you just may not have heard of yet - or am I underestimating you now? "But as sure as you're living, you know the time is now..." Wise words in troubled times.

Spur - Time Is Now

Fifty Foot Hose - If Not This Time

Chambers Brothers - Time Has Come Today

Wake Ooloo - Time To Go

Polvo - Time Isn't On My Side

Laughing Hyenas - Hard Time Blues

Legend Of Time

Flamenco with a sitar? Well, why not. Based on a poem by García Lorca, Nana Del Caballo Grande comes from Camaróns groundbreaking La Leyenda Del Tiempo ('79), the first ever flamenco-fusion album. As infamous as it was influential, and often called the Sgt. Pepper of the genre, its hasj-scented, electrified experiments caused hardcore aficionados to return it to the shops in droves. Since then, opinions have mellowed considerably.

El Camarón De La Isla - Nana Del Caballo Grande

Nashville To Nantes

Here's one of those rare pleasant surprises from the email inbox. Forest Mountain Hymnal is the project of Rebecca and Jonathan Moody, a couple of Nashville-ites currently residing in the French town of Nantes. Their Fitcher's Bird is a spooky but très jolie folksong in two distinct parts. "Where do you come from..."

Forest Mountain Hymnal - Fitcher's Bird

Take Me Home

"River, you keep flowing, like you know just where you're going..." Presenting a Sunday six pack about them always magical waterways. "But river, will you ever take me home..."

David Allan Coe - River

Meg Baird - River Song

Cell - Cross The River

Fear Itself - Underground River

Versus - River

Augustus Pablo - East Of The River Nile (original version)

Dark-Night Songs

"She warbled and keened at an extreme pitch of emotion unattainable by the young, and the verses of the songs went on and on toward a receding conclusion. They were dark-night songs. Knocked-up girls got stabbed or shot or hit in the head, and then buried in the cold ground or thrown into the black deep river. Pretty Polly. Little Omie Wise. Go down, go down, you Knoxville Girl. Sometimes reproduction did not even factor into the narrative. The man snuffed the girl out because he could not own her, a killing offense if the girl's opinions ran counter to his urges. In the ballads, love and murder and possession fit tight against one another as an outgrown wedding band on a swollen finger..."

That's from Nightwoods, Charles Frazier's new novel, which I happen to be reading at the moment. Good to see that someone knows his classics well. Guy's a mean writer, too, so do snap it up. In the meantime, here's a little soundtrack.

Bill Cornett - Pretty Polly

G.B. Grayson - Ommie Wise

Louvin Brothers - Knoxville Girl

Same Old Same Old

It may be the same old rock alright, but I like it. Featuring one Jimmy Page on guitar. As the saying goes: hats off to Harper.

Roy Harper - The Same Old Rock

Two Monarchs

So what me worry? Both the remarkably accessable Bad As Me by mr. Waits and the remarkably tranquil Wolfroy Goes To Town by Will 'Bonnie' Oldham will keep me busy for a quite a while. Out now, so dig in. And if Bonnie Prince Billy's playing in your area (dates here), do check him out. We caught him in Barcelona's cosy Casino L’Aliança last Thursday and were completely blown away. A monarch who rules over all that he sings indeed.

Bonnie Prince Billy - New Whaling

Tom Waits - Satisfied

Viva El Capullo

Do yourselves a favour and take this overwhelming flamenco trip, recorded live in 2002 in the fair Catalan capital of Barcelona. Which is where I'm heading tomorrow for a couple of days incidentally. ¡Hasta pronto!

Capullo De Jerez - Bulerías

Hold Of Me

A fine live performance by Gillian Welch, with her trusted partner David Rawlings expertly picking along of course. "There are those who'll laugh and not believe, until you feel that touch upon your sleeve..." Spooky one, folks.

Gillian Welch - Devil Had A Hold Of Me (live St. Louis '99)

It's Where The Heart Is

"Shotguns freckle the road signs, wind burns 'cross the white line..." Presenting a domestic ten pack for your listening pleasure. Bring it on home, guys.

The Cruel Sea - This Is Not The Way Home

Bob Andy - I've Got To Go Back Home

Ted Hawkins - Bring It On Home, Daddy

Illinois Jacquet - Flying Home

The Spinners - I'm Coming Home

Delaney & Bonnie & Friends - Coming Home

Joe Higgs - Come On Home

Al Green - Call Me (Come Back Home)

Q'65 - Bring It On Home

Johnny Horton - I'm Coming Home

Not For Sale

From the bootleg vault: a trio of cool post-Mats Westerberg tracks, recorded live at West Hollywood's Troubadour club back in '96. A show that was recorded for a radio broadcast, hence the exceptional audio quality. Paul's performance ain't half bad, either.

Paul Westerberg - World Class Fad (live '96)

Paul Westerberg - Ain't Got Me (live '96)

Paul Westerberg - Love Untold (live '96)

Well Hello There

Dig the late Rainer Ptacek (you do remember him, don't you?) taking on a Willie Nelson classic with only a dobro for company. "My, it's been a long long time..."

Rainer - Funny How Time Slips Away

Big Rock

"She tells me she comes from my mother the mountain, her skin fits her tightly, and her lips do not lie..." Presenting a folkish and countryish six pack for musical climbers. Original big rock candy mountain artwork by the incomparable Joni.

Townes Van Zandt - Our Mother The Mountain

Sunforest - Magician In The Mountain

Harry McClintock - The Big Rock Candy Mountain

The Flatlanders - Keeper Of The Mountain

Linda Perhacs - Paper Mountain Man

Flatt & Scruggs - Foggy Mountain Breakdown

Out On The Mainline

Pretty? No. Raw? You bet. Intense? Definitely. And that's how I like Neil Young best of all. And while we're talking raw and intense: Neil's 1973 Tonight's The Night tour with the Santa Monica Flyers was just that. Bet you never heard this nearly 34 (!) minutes long live version, recorded in Chicago's Auditorium Theater. Uneasy listening guaranteed, as the source is a very lofi-sounding audience tape. But when you're on a tequila-fuelled trip like this one, who cares? Just sing that song in a shaky voice...

Neil Young - Tonight's The Night (live Chicago '73)

At A Pace

Bristol's Snails, as their name suggests, take it easy. Way easy. Try on this typically British, subtly arranged folkpop nugget and you'll probably agree it's rather hard to believe we're talking a debut single here. Out now on the Great Pop Supplement label.

Snails - She'd Like An Hour

It's A Sin

"Walkin' like a man, talkin' like an angel, proud like a peacock, swifter than an eagle..." Yonder comes sin alright. Presenting an original six pack. You're very welcome.

Bob Dylan - Yonder Comes Sin

Iggy Pop - Some Weird Sin

Racingpaperplanes - Kingdom Of Sin

Neil Young - Yonder Stands The Sinner

Gregory Isaacs - Sinner Man

Hank Mobley - My Sin

Bye Bert

Just received the sad news that Bert Jansch has passed away. The highly acclaimed Scottish guitarist was 67. His work, both with Pentangle and as a solo artist, was dazzling and original, influencing such famous names as Neil Young, Nick Drake, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and the Smiths. Johnny Marr, guitar player with the latter, once remarked that Jansch "completely reinvented guitar playing and set a standard that is still unequalled today. There are people playing guitar who don't even realize they've been influenced by him one step removed..." Amen to that.

Bert Jansch - Where Did My Life Go? MP3

Pentangle - When I Get Home MP3

The Smiths - Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now MP3

Soweto Clash

Let's chill out some to a surprising African reggae track by Nigerian afrofunk, highlife and reggae musician Sonny Okosun. Don't let the rather strange synth sounds at the start put you off, things will get irie soon... I'm busy reading Marcus Gray's Route 19 Revisited at the moment, an extensive and inspiring book on the Clash and the making of their magnum opus London Calling. Happens that Okosun's hit was a personal fave of messrs Strummer, Jones, Simonon and Headon at the time. So much so they even demoed a song that was clearly inspired by Fire In Soweto during their '79 Vanilla Sessions. Check!

Sonny Okosun - Fire In Soweto MP3

The Clash - Where You Gonna Go (Soweto) MP3

Angelology

"You can walk, you can talk just like me... you can look, tell me what you see..." Presenting an angelic six pack for your listening pleasure. Wings not included, sorry.

Massive Attack - Angel MP3

Talking Heads - Thanks For Sending Me An Angel MP3

Charley Pride - Kiss An Angel Good Mornin' MP3

Jim White - Book Of Angels MP3

Wardell Gray - A Sinner Kissed An Angel MP3

Bobbie Gentry - I Saw An Angel Die MP3

Back To The Lab

Guess it's about time for another red, green, and gold ten pack around here. Or, to quote the mighty Lee 'Scratch' Perry: "Every time the music reach a stop, instead of killing the music, we take the music back to the lab and perform a medical operation and bring the music back in a new generation..." Seen? Give praise, please: buy some featured albums if you like what you hear.

Junior Ross & The Spear - Judgement Time MP3

Devon Irons - When Jah Come MP3

Aleas Jube - Righteous Land MP3

Johnny Osbourne - Jah Promise MP3

Vivian Jackson & the Prophets - Walls Of Jerusalem MP3

The Twinkle Brothers - Give Rasta Praise MP3

Calvin Stuart - Babylon A Turn Dem Back MP3

The Gladiators - Chatty Chatty Mouth MP3

The Jolly Brothers - Babylon A Fight Rasta MP3

Freddie McGregor - Rasta Have Faith MP3

Times Have Changed And So Have We

Just got word that Johnnie Wright, one half of classic brother-in-law country duo Johnnie & Jack, died two days ago at 97 at his home in Madison, Tennessee. Wright, husband of country star Kitty Wells, lost his singing partner Jack Anglin, who was on his way to Patsy Cline's funeral, in a car accident in 1963. They had been on the Grand Ole Opry for fifteen years straight. "This world can't stand long, be ready don't wait too late..."

Johnnie & Jack - This World Can't Stand Long MP3

Johnnie & Jack - For Old Times Sake MP3

A La Tripi-Tripi

"A la tripi-tripi caramba!" I've always had a weak spot for los legendarios de Los Angeles, but when they sing in Spanish they're really something else. Ok guys, we're rolling...

Los Lobos - El Canelo MP3

Los Lobos - La Guacamaya MP3

Los Lobos - Serenata Nortena MP3

All Saints

"Well... ya wanna catch a saint, then bait yer hook, let's take a walk..." Presenting a holy six pack for all you hip priests out there. Original artwork by the amazing Tinca.

The Breeders - Saints MP3

Me & Stupid - Dear Saint Rita Of Impossible Dreams MP3

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Saint Huck MP3

Lee 'Scratch' Perry - By Saint Peter MP3

The Grateful Dead - Saint Stephen MP3

Albert Ayler - Saints MP3

With Style And Grace

Gylan Kain was one of the original Last Poets. As he'd already split before these HipHop forerunners recorded their highly influential 1970 debut album, not a lot of people even know the guy. Shame, that. Just check out the cool 2nd Address, taped in the late nineties with a bunch of jazzy Amsterdam honkies under the moniker of Baby Kain, to hear why. It's not often a song namedrops John Coltrane, James Baldwin, James Brown, James Joyce, Nina Simone, Samuel Beckett, Muddy Waters, and Marc Chagall in what's more or less one breath after all.

Baby Kain - 2nd Address MP3

Soul In Orbit

Presenting a finger lickin' sixties soul ten pack. Not the big names, mind, but all-killer-no-filler just the same. Cause I felt like it, that's why. Bless your little sweet soul...

Joy Lovejoy - In Orbit MP3

Spencer Wiggins - Uptight Good Woman MP3

Big John Hamilton - How Much Can A Man Take MP3

Eddie Giles - Losing Boy MP3

Barbara Stephens - Wait A Minute MP3

Texas Ray - What's Come Over You MP3

Diamond Joe - Gossip Gossip MP3

Reuben Bell & The Casanovas - It's Not That Easy MP3

Bobby Freeman - I'll Never Fall In Love Again MP3

Al Johnson - Bless Your Little Sweet Soul MP3

Summer's Over

New tunage from these cool folks at Turned World, who previously brought us Village Of Spaces Corners and Uke Of Phillips. Caethua are Clare Hubbard and Andy Neubauer from Maine, who pep up their autumnal psychfolk with a droning bass clarinet. Nice touch.

Caethua - June MP3

Bluegrass Methuselah

"Now just before I end this song, I want to say to all,

No matters what we undertake, we all must have our fall..."

Banjoist Wade Mainer died last Monday at his home in Flint, Michigan, at 104. He was a true bluegrass pioneer.

Wade Mainer & Zeke Morris - Down In The Willow Garden MP3

Mainer's Mountaineers - The Fatal Wreck Of The Bus MP3

The Troubadour Kid

"The kid heard Howlin' Wolf every night on the radio, from those airwaves blasting all the way, Nogales, Mexico..." Wherein Tom Russell lovingly salutes Dylan, and the whole North Country with it. Complete with mariachi trumpets, this is the expressive title track of his new album. "Some things never change..."

Tom Russell - Mesabi MP3

Darkest Light

Presenting an illuminating ten pack. Let it shine over you.

Shirley Ann Lee - There's A Light MP3

Todd Rundgren - I Saw The Light MP3

Horace Andy - Love Is The Light MP3

Television - Guiding Light MP3

Common - The Light MP3

The Smiths - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out MP3

The Lafayette Afro Rock Band - Darkest Light MP3

Holopaw - Losing Light MP3

The Winkies - Put Out The Light MP3

Little Walter & His Jukes - Boom, Boom, Out Goes The Light MP3