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