Thursday, December 29, 2011

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

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

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

Saturday, December 24, 2011

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

Thursday, December 22, 2011

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

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

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

Sunday, December 18, 2011

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

Thursday, December 15, 2011

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

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

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

Monday, December 12, 2011

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

Saturday, December 10, 2011

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

Thursday, December 8, 2011

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

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

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

Sunday, December 4, 2011

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

Thursday, December 1, 2011

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)