TCB

"Pick it for me, James..." And mr. Burton, proud veteran of the Elvis band, takes care of business. Q.E.D.

Gram Parsons - Return Of The Grievous Angel

In The Gluepot

John Cale alone on a stage is always a joy to behold. The following tracks were recorded live in 1983 at a place called The Gluepot in Auckland, New Zealand. "Looking for a friend, looking everywhere, to go walk down the boulevard, boulevard of friends..."

John Cale - Leaving It Up To You

John Cale - Buffalo Ballet

John Cale - Chinese Envoy

On The Vine

Recent pickings aplenty in the For The Sake Of The Song headquarters, so let's not waste any precious time. First up: the Owsley Brothers, doing that dirty garage blues thingy very well. Rotten On The Vine is a teaser for their new album Cobalt, out in March. Can't wait, guys. On now to our Canadian pals from Woodpigeon. Love some of their tunes, while others strangely enough leave me cold somehow. This time I'm in luck, as the dreamy title track of their recent ep For Paolo definitely falls in the former category.

Owsley Brothers - Rotten On The Vine

Woodpigeon - For Paolo

That enticing Swedish girl duo called First Aid Kit is at it again as well, and I'm happy to say their brand new set of songs called The Lion's Roar is the first contender for our 2012 end of year list. The country-tinged Emmylou (that's a certain madame Harris of course) is plenty proof of that methinks. And finally, please welcome Anne-Marie Sanderson from the north - will rise again - of England. She plays a hypnotizing guitar and at least to these ears sounds quite a bit like Joanna Newsom on her folky single Endless Eyes. Keep a close watch.

First Aid Kit - Emmylou

Anne-Marie Sanderson - Endless Eyes

And sadly, we have to play you some of the old stuff as well, as a heartfelt tribute to two r&b giants who passed away recently at a ripe old age. Miss 'em.

Johnny Otis Orchestra - The Midnight Creeper (Part 1)

Etta James - Seven Day Fool

Top O' The Morning

"And I think I'll call it morning from now on... why should I survive on sadness and tell myself I got to be alone..." Presenting a six pack for early risers. Wakey wakey, people.

Gil Scott-Heron - I Think I Call It Morning

Rob Galbraith - Jezebel Of The Morning

Doug Sahm - Catch Me In The Morning

Lighty Singers Of Estill, SC - In The Morning When The Trumpet Sound

The Youngbloods - Four In The Morning

Blind Blake - Early Morning Blues

Megaton

King Tubby may have been the dub organiser supreme, but Lee Perry wasn't that far behind. So here's Scratch behind that rickety mixing desk of his in the legendary Black Ark studio, with a couple of inventive and - contrary to the album titles - rather laidback tracks from his two tough to find Megaton Dub volumes.

Lee Perry - Freedom Dub

Lee Perry - Megaton Dub

Lee Perry - Big Neck Dub

Lee Perry - Zion In Dub

Remember

"Romeo said to the graveyard keeper, something must be done..." A somewhat belated tribute to Doll By Doll foreman Jackie Leven, Scottish gypsy with a heart of gold, who left us to play that great gig in the sky last November. Touching obit here.

Doll By Doll - The Palace Of Love

Dutch Treats

Here's some more hot nederbiet for ya, with vocals in English this time, from a cool compilation I picked up recently called Dutch Beat Explosion. Do try on these rough but utterly charming mid-sixties treats with a strong Beatles influence from the land of windmills, clogs, and coffeeshops. My fave? The amazing Rodys from Groningen Rock City, who come on like a wild cross between the Kinks and Barrett-era Floyd. "Just fancy living between the people without ears..." My point exactly.

The Sandy Coast - Subject Of My Thoughts

Jay-Jays - Today I'm Gay

Penny Wise - Silver Girls

Rodys - Just Fancy

How High

"In this dirty town, there's nothing going for me..." Presenting a lunar ten pack for your listening pleasure. Just sit back and watch that ole devil come down.

Thin White Rope - Moonhead

Quicksilver Messenger Service - Maiden Of The Cancer Moon

Dead Moon - Dagger Moon

Jonathan Wilson - Valley Of The Silver Moon

Lucia Pamela - Walking On The Moon

Graham Parker & The Rumour - Watch The Moon Come Down

Don Byas - How High The Moon

Freedy Johnston - Down On The Moon #1

Leatherface - I Want The Moon

Sonny Rollins - Old Devil Moon

On A Fence

High time for some more recent stuff around here. Got Is Growing Faith a tad too late for my end of year list, but otherwise White Fence's second outing could have been a contender. Fingerlickin' lofi jangle that alternately took me back to Alex Chilton, Skip Spence, Syd Barrett, and a plethora of bands on New Zealand's famed Flying Nun label. Grow faith, y'all. And then there's Israel Nash Gripka, whose Barn Doors And Concrete Floors I haven't even fully digested yet. I do know that standout track Louisiana is one tough piece of steaming Stones swamprock though. And last but not least let's shine a light on Diagrams, the new project of Sam Genders, someone I've always greatly admired for his work with Tunng and The Accidental. And as Night All Night shows, he hasn't lost that golden freakfolk touch.

White Fence - Growing Faith

White Fence - When There Is No Crowd

Israel Nash Gripka - Louisiana

Diagrams - Night All Night

New Boogie

Here's to keeping the adventurous guitar spirit of John Fahey and Sandy Bull alive. And somehow, it even kind of boogies, too.

Chris Forsyth - New Pharmacist Boogie (For Jack)

Straight Life

"I wanna be straight, I wanna be straight, I'm sick and tired of taking drugs and staying up late..." Following up on a conversation with faithful reader Holly in the post below this one, here's a fun showdown between messrs. Richman and Dury. And as a chaser: a hot quartet of not so straight jazz cuts.

The Modern Lovers - I'm Straight

Ian Dury & The Blockheads - I Wanna Be Straight

Art Pepper - Straight Life

Thelonious Monk - Straight No Chaser

Hank Mobley - Straight No Filter

Cannonball Adderley Quintet - Straight Life

Purple Pants

Maybe you have to speak the language to really dig these wacky Nederbiet songs... all I know is that I find them totally irresistable. The Softs wear purple pants and grow their hair long, something daddy doesn't like at all, while N.V. Group 65 travels all the way to Morocco to buy that devil weed. Meanwhile, the Dukes go wild in a bar in Turkey, and The Mokum Beat Five (from my native city Amsterdam, a.k.a. Mokum) issues a stern warning against marriage. Wonder what my non-Dutch readers think.

Softs - Paarse Broek

N.V. Groep 65 - Tanger

Dukes - In Istanboel

Mokum Beat Five - Trouw Nooit

Passing By

"Baby, my love will follow you, as the years go passing by..." Which basically means I'm wishing you a very funky 2012, dear readers.

Albert King - As The Years Go Passing By

The Zombies - This Will Be Our Year

The Rumour - Frozen Years

Leo Kottke - The Driving Of The Year Nail

Patti Smith - My Blakean Year

Howlin' Wolf - How Many More Years