Change In The Weather

How about some Bowie today? Ok, so enter the Thin White Duke, majestically live during his Station To Station tour. It's 1976, and that guitar tandem of Carlos Alomar and Stacy Haydon sure is hot.

David Bowie - Stay (live '76)

All Alone

Good ole Keef, known reggae enthusiast, shows his good taste by covering the Cool Ruler on his new Crosseyed Heart album. Even brought in a real flesh and blood horn section. The original remains unbeatable though.

Keith Richards - Love Overdue
Gregory Isaacs - Love Is Overdue

Champions Only

All together now: "Mama's baby boy is a bum..."

The Replacements - Beer For Breakfast

Shore Leave

Chris Forsyth took some time off from his Solar Motel Band chores last summer, teaming up with electronics wiz Koen Holtkamp on the Jersey shore. The instrumental result, called The Island, comes out medio October. If kosmische desert rock is your thing, and why not, you've been duly warned.

Chris Forsyth & Koen Holtkamp - Long Beach Idyll

Have Mercy

Original and cover. Written by Joe South, the bittersweet Down In The Boondocks was first recorded by Billie Joe Royal, who took it to the charts in '65. Nice one, but Ry Cooder's slower and grittier version from 1980, with Bobby King on lead vocals if my ears don't deceive me, may very well be the definitive interpretation.

Billie Joe Royal - Down In The Boondocks
Ry Cooder - Down In The Boondocks

Crazy Man

Out at the end of this month: a new album by the esteemed Michael Chapman. Good to see the veteran folkrocker, much-loved by fellow pickers, is still on the ball.

Michael Chapman - Jack

Roaring Engines

The Knitters were basically a sidetrip of X, with Blaster Dave Alvin in tow. Here they cover the Hag classic Silver Wings, making a surprisingly rootsy job of it. Just so you don't expect any cowpunk, y'all.

The Knitters - Silver Wings

Signs Were Sent

"That's how the light gets in..." A gem from the bootleg vaults, recorded in Zurich, Switzerland, back in '93. Keep smiling, folks.

Leonard Cohen - Anthem (live Zurich '93)

Drink Me If You Can

Vince Martin once formed a folk duo with the better known Fred Neil, but he could hold his own as well. Cue the album pictured above, recorded in '69 with the same guys who had just played on Dylan's Nashville Skyline album. Price track? The shimmering Jasmine: sweet sounds playing with my mind indeed.

Vince Martin - Jasmine

Think Of Your Future

Just got the sad news that legendary ska and reggae trombone player Emmanuel 'Rico' Rodriguez has passed away. The man from Wareika, who shone on the Specials' 2-toned version of A Message To You Rudy, was 80. Miss him.

Rico - This Day
The Specials - A Message To You Rudy

Jump Back

Jeffrey Lee and cohorts massacre a rock & roll classic in the studio of a Swiss radio station, back in '83. Raw power all the way.

The Gun Club - Heebie Jeebies

Double Sad

"A true song as real as my tears..." Lovely sentimental chestnut this, from the solid Shotgun Willie album. Bonus: a surprising one-off cover by his Bobness, recorded live in Mainz this summer.

Wilie Nelson - Sad Songs And Waltzes
Bob Dylan - Sad Songs And Waltzes (live Mainz '15)