Whole Of The Law

Prince Buster's goofiest, you ask? Just might be this little old gem... It's ska time, folks!

Prince Buster - It's Burke's Law

It Pours

An exquisite moodpiece from 1966. Save it for a rainy day, and visit the esteemed Aquarium Drunkard to see what mr. Walker (76 years of age as we speak) is up to now.

Peter Walker - Rainy Day Raga

Above Us Now

"On top of a column, above the sand, out in the desert sun..." The Fairports having a go at Neil's Cinnamon Girl in Fugazi's basement? Nope, it's only Arbouretum. Their driving Renouncer riffs on Saint Simeon Stylites, a cool and rather unusual subject for a rock song. Simeon traveled into the Syrian desert long ago to live on a small platform on top of a column for 36 years, attempting to become closer to god. "I drink the wind around me..."

Arbouretum - Renouncer

Not Of This Earth

In the mood for some more flamenco puro? That's muy bien, chicos. Genuine Spanish six pack for your listening pleasure coming up pronto. Got tickets to see Pansequito next February by the way, with Diego Amaya on guitar. ¡Vamonos!

Enrique Morente con Sabicas - No Soy De Esta Tierra
Pepe De Utrera - Carcelero Si Me Muero
El Chaquetón - Si Sientes Sonar Campanas
Terremoto De Jerez - En La Puerta Con Tu Madre
Pansequito - Ciudad Dos Veces Bendita
Manolo Sanlúcar - Maletilla

826 Skills

You Be My Heart? Why not. Because what we're talking about here is a benefit album for 826, a cool non profit organisation dedicated to fostering writing skills in under-resourced children. Big plus: you can't go wrong with a roster of indie greats including Mark Kozelek, Horse Feathers, Fruit Bats, and Bowerbirds... Out early December; you know what to do. And here are the Bats, sounding rather Dylanesque this time.

Fruit Bats - Christen My Ship (deleted by request of clueless people, sorry...)

Carry Her Home

"I like it slow and sweet..." Matthew E. White's recent five track mini album digs even deeper than his surprisingly good Big Inner debut. The bearded one arranges things like a horny Van Dyke Parks from Dixie here (check them lush strings, swoon as the female choir goes way out there), and croons like an only slightly paler version of Al Green. Yet another spacebomb, folks.

Matthew E. White - Eyes Like The Rest

In The Air

High time for the blues of Spain, with the spotlight on the late great guitar player Moraíto Chico, who shines por bulerías here. The one they call El Torta is equally passionate on vocals.

Moraíto - Musica En El Aire

I & I Soul

The first outing of the velvet-voiced mr. Moses was the wonderfully titled I Man A Grasshopper, recorded by Scratch at his famous Black Ark headquarters. Note the rocky guitar work, especially near the end: take a bow, Mikey Murray.

Pablo Moses - I Man A Grasshopper

Welcome To The Desert

"Living on Tucson time..." Giant Sand mastermind Howe Gelb's been at it again. The man who gave us the wonderful Alegrías with his band of authentic Córdoba gypsies two years ago, the man with the whispery voice like a hot desert wind, now poses as a Coincidentalist. On the ultra-relaxed opener Vortexas he shares vocal duties with the one and only Bonnie Prince Billy. Beauty!

Howe Gelb - Vortexas

Shjip Comes In

The Shjips may have moved away from their safe Golden Gate Bridge environs to the wilds of Portland in Oregon, but the song remains the same. Psychedelica the now way, and that's exactly how we like it. Their brand new Back To Land will end up on many end-of-year-lists for sure. Get on board, people.

Wooden Shjips - In The Roses

Steal Away My Mind

Been awhile since we featured the late great in these pages, so here goes. Live in a small band setting this time, with Danny 'Ruester' Rowland on guitar and Owen Cody on fiddle. As Townes had broken his arm, he couldn't play, just sing. Recorded back in '78 in Mariah's Coffeehouse, East Lansing, Michigan. Packet of Marlboro lights not included.

Townes Van Zandt - Buckskin Stallion Blues
Townes Van Zandt - White Freightliner Blues

Steady Shock

Ready for a razorsharp rocksteady instrumental? Good, 'cause here's Lyn Taitt, that gifted guitarist who more or less invented the style of rocksteady, the remarkably slower follow-up to ska. Incidentally, Taitt was born on the island of Trinidad, not Jamaica. His Rock A Shock was originally released on the legendary Joe Gibbs' Amalgamated label back in '67. Cool tune or what?

Lyn Taitt & The Jets - Rock A Shock

From Doom Town

Just in case there's no Wipers in your record collection, let me point you to the nicely priced box set pictured above. Contains the first 3 classic albums of Portland, Oregons post-punk pride - Is This Real?, Youth Of America, and Over The Edge - plus assorted bonus tracks, remastered and annotated by Wipers mastermind Greg Sage himself. Trademark bandana not included alas, but one can't have it all I guess. Sample a track from each album below, but don't take too long.

Wipers - D-7
Wipers - Taking Too Long
Wipers - Doom Town

Now You Go

Pastora Pavón, better known as La Niña De Los Peines, was one of the greatest female flamenco voices ever, so it's beyond me why I haven't featured her here before. But better late than never, vale?

Niña De Los Peines - Ahora Te Vas Y Me Dejas