Don't Go

Just got the sad news that the man with the fabulous guitar is no more. Paco De Lucía, virtuoso from Algeciras, doctor honoris causa at the University of Cádiz and at the Berklee College of Music, was only 66. His later work often proved a bit too fusion for me, but his early solo albums and of course his work with the late great Camarón de la Isla are the stuff of flamenco legend. Miss him.

Paco De Lucía - Gitanos Trianeros
El Camarón de la Isla - No Quisiera Que Te Fueras

Say Hello

Singing a song of long ago, from the somewhat forgotten Nilsson Sings Newman album. And in case you were wondering, yup, that's Randy himself behind the piano.

Harry Nilsson - Dayton, Ohio 1903

In The Garden

Caught the great cantaor Pansequito two weeks ago in Antwerp, and a great time was had by all. Shame his current guitarist isn't really up to par though - with a quicksilver virtuoso like Tomatito it would have been really tops. So here are the two maestros together back in the good old days, and por bulerías at that. The Alameda de Hércules in the song's title refers to an enchanted spot in Seville by the way: we're talking about the oldest public garden in Europe here.

Pansequito y Tomatito - La Alameda De Hércules

What A Woman

Earl Zebedee Hooker was a cousin of John Lee, and a fine slide player. Cool song titles a specialty.

Earl Hooker - Is You Ever Seen A One-Eyed Woman Cry

All-Mighty Africa

"I man an African, don't call I Jamaican..." On the island, most rasta's were - and probably still are for that matter - fascinated by Africa, the continent of their ancestors. Which means it's massive ten pack time here again, my brethren, in a roots & dub stylee. We're all African descendents after all...

The Sons Of Selassie - I Man An African
Hugh Mundell - Africa Must Be Free By 1983
Jack Ruby & The Disciples - African Birthright
The Black Notes - African Style
Alton Ellis - African Descendents
Prince Far I & The Arabs - Dub To Africa
Los Hombres - Africa
King Tubby - African Roots
Prince Francis - African Skank
Joe Gibbs & The Professionals - African Dub

C'era Una Volta

I'm far from a John Zorn connaisseur, but what the prolific New York avant-gardist does to Ennio Morricone's spaghetti tunage definitely turns me on. "He not only plays... he can shoot, too..."

John Zorn - Once Upon A Time In The West

Very Melancholic Kid

Take a bow, Mark Kozelek, sir. You've just released the first really great album of 2014. Intense, naked and bleak, but often very funny, too, Benji will keep us busy for quite a while. Taster: a wonderfully titled life story of sorts in twenty verses or so, complete with hypnotic Bron-Y-Aur Stomp-inspired picking. "I'll go to my grave with my melancholy, and my ghost will echo my sentiments for all eternity..."

Sun Kil Moon - I Watched The Film The Song Remains The Same

Live Righteously

"So I can see clearly..." Take it away, Jesus Dread.

Yabby You - Pick The Beam

Go To Town

"Confess all my sins like you want me to..." Hard to choose from so many quality options, but yesterday evening I finally decided that I'm Not Like Everybody Else just has to be my all-time fave Kinks song. That it was tucked away on a B-side defies all belief. What's your poison, people?

The Kinks - I'm Not Like Everybody Else

Good Bad

And definitely not evil. If you only buy one album this month, make it Bad Debt. It's the Hiss Golden Messenger disc that more or less got away, as the majority of the pressing was destroyed in a London warehouse fire during the 2011 riots there. Now resurrected with three bonus tracks, this is an acoustic, intimate, and quite emotional late-night-at-the-kitchen-table trip you just can't afford to miss out on.

Hiss Golden Messenger - Roll River Roll

Seen The Tail End

Hey, it's Monday once again... "But the fact is now cut clear, I'm fit and working, dear..."

Merle Haggard - A Working Man Can't Get Nowhere Today
Palace Music - Work Hard/Play Hard
The Fall - Fit And Working Again
Magazine - Model Worker
Chelsea - Right To Work
Queers - I Don't Wanna Work

Whip Them

Relatively unknown singer Raphael Green holds his own alright, but the good Doctor from Kingston clearly steals the show in this extended, high quality Scratch discomix. "Let the men who stand firm never be eaten by no worm..."

Raphael Green & Doctor Alimantado - Rasta Train