Heartland

"Y el corazón de la tierra la sostiene, la sostiene..." As I like my flamenco as puro as can be, the fusion thing has never been my kinda thing. Too lightweight. I tend to make an exception for Pata Negra's Amador brothers though. These blues lovin' guys, who hail from the mean streets of the infamous Seville gypsy barrio they call Las Tres Mil, definitely have their hearts in the right place.

Pata Negra - Camarón

No More Must I Strive

Singer loses faith, puts god away. While we're waiting for a new Bill Callahan album, this stark beauty will do nicely.

Bill Callahan - Faith/Void

What You've Been To Me

Karen Dalton did write songs... she just never got to record them. In collaboration with guitarist Peter Walker, overseer of the late singer's estate, the impeccable Tompkins Square label has now tried to set the record straight, asking a bunch of current 'great women of song' to interpret her legacy. Which in most cases definitely works a treat. Here's exhibit A, sung by the lovely Isobell Campbell.

Isobell Campbell - Don't Make It Easy

Memory Serves You Well

Happy birthday, Bob. Sweet 74 today. In celebration, let's turn to a first ever live outing of an old chestnut, better known as performed by the Band. Please notify your next of kin.

Bob Dylan - This Wheel's On Fire (live Madison '96)

Temperature Rising

Have mercy on a cold and hungry Waylon, down and out in Dallas, Texas. Funky enough for ya? Thought so.

Waylon Jennings - Big D

Love Uprising

The latest addition to the mighty Pressure Sounds catalogue comes courtesy of Jimmy Riley, best known as a member of rocksteady vocal group the Uniques. His later solo stuff sure wasn't half bad either though, as the hard-hitting reggae of From The Ghetto shows. "Have to tell you all about it..."

Jimmy Riley - From The Ghetto
The Uniques - Out Of Love

Dig In

In love with them tunes from the old, weird America? Then do yourselves a favour and buy this book. It's filled to the brim with colorful collector types, the blues mafia, throatsinging cowboys, and mythical Black Pattis. From the obvious (digging at dusty fleamarkets) to the ridiculous (scuba diving for lost wax wonders), it's an inspiring and thoroughly fun read. Nostalgic pre-war 78 rpm soundtrack in six pack form below, featuring tracks prominently highlighted in the book.

King Solomon Hill - My Buddy Blind Papa Lemon
Blind Uncle Gaspard - Sur Le Borde De L'Eau
Willie Brown - Future Blues
Down Home Boys - Original Stack O'Lee Blues
Kid Bailey - Mississippi Bottom Blues
Arthur Miles - Lonely Cowboy Part 1

Burn Well

On the umpteenth Giant Sand album - Heartbreak Pass, out now - ole Howe Gelb just keeps on singing his personal desert blues. Nothing new under the sun then so, but its near-perfect laidbackness makes for an ideal soundtrack to a hopefully long hot summer still. Choice cut: the jazzy Gypsy Candle, a delicate duet with Lorna Kelly. "And the heart suffers its own beating just as well, as if it could be helped..."

Giant Sand - Gypsy Candle

Time 4 Love

"If their ain't no justice then there ain't no peace..." A pissed off Purple One, back in vintage form. Sign o' the times?

Prince - Baltimore

Dodgy Now

Some more Robyn? Well, why not indeed. After all, he's one of the few true living heirs tot the throne of Syd Barrett. And on top of that, he's often very funny, too. You can't go wrong with a song that starts with "Your mother is a journalist, your father is a creep, they make it in your bedroom when they think you're fast asleep..."

Robyn Hitchcock - Sounds Great When You're Dead

As I mentioned earlier, Hitchcock started his musical career in the legendary, always eccentric Soft Boys. You're nowhere without their A Can Of Bees and especially Underwater Moonlight albums, trust me. Here's a track from each.

The Soft Boys - Leppo And The Jooves
The Soft Boys - Underwater Moonlight

Murmur Of A Prayer

No matter if you're in London, in gay Paree, or anywhere else in the world really. An impressive Dylan interpretation always hits home. Here's one of the darkest in the canon, delicately performed by a former Soft Boy.

Robyn Hitchcock - Not Dark Yet

Rebel Music

Back with a bang, as they say. It's been way too long since we featured any raï around here, the uplifting rebel music of north Africa. So let's go all out and feature a couple of the coolest chebs today, belting out some hypnotic classics from the maghreb. And since we're talking secular stuff here, why not make it a good ole six pack...

Cheb Kader - Al Awama
Cheb Mami - H'Rabti
Cheb Khaled - Chebba
Cheb Zahouani  - Djatni El Magloua
Cheb Sahraoui - Deblet Gualbi
Cheb Zergui - Ana Dellali