Seventually

And here's that inevitable list again, mi amigos da musica. Presenting the toppermost of the poppermost of 2015: seven heavenly albums one shouldn't be without.

1. Phil Cook - Southland Mission
Phil Cook - Sitting On A Fence
2. Ryley Walker - Primrose Green
Ryley Walker - Love Can Be Cruel
3. Meg Baird - Don't Weigh Down The Light
Meg Baird - Mosquito Hawks
4. Giant Sand - Heartbreak Pass
Giant Sand - Heaventually
5. Calexico - Edge Of The Sun
Calexico - Tapping On The Line
6. Simon Joyner - Grass, Branch & Bone
Simon Joyner - In My Drinking Dream
7. Dave Rawlings Machine - Nashville Obsolete
Dave Rawlings Machine - The Last Pharaoh

Over The Edge

Patience, people... The famous For The Sake Of The Song end-of-year list will be revealed shortly, but let's start with the best of the oldies-but-goldies bunch released during 2015. Don't you dare miss 'em.
 

1. Bob Dylan - The Cutting Edge '65-'66 - The Bootleg Series Vol. 12

Bob Dylan - Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again (Take 13 Alternate)

2. Miles Davis - Miles Davis At Newport '55-'75 - The Bootleg Series Vol. 4

Miles Davis - Directions

3. various artists - Ork Records: New York, New York

Richard Lloyd - (I Thought) You Wanted To Know

4. various artists - Punk 45: Extermination Nights In The Sixth City - Cleveland, Ohio

Pressler-Morgan One Plus One - You're Gonna Watch Me

 
And talking about oldies but goldies, I just got the sad news that Lemmy has passed away. The Motörhead frontman was 70. Miss him.

Motörhead - Love Me Like A Reptile

Y Nada Más

Cuba calling. I've loved these guys ever since their Ry Cooder produced eponymous smash appeared out of nowhere back in '97, although it soon got a little tiring hearing it in every restaurant, bar or chiringuito you found yourself in. But that was then and this is now, and there's a new compilation called Lost And Found to be enjoyed. A bit of a ramshackle collection of live tracks, outtakes and rest material it may be, but listen closely and you'll unearthen some real gems for sure. Take the infectuous Tiene Sabor for instance, sung by the wonderful Omara Portuondo. Tastes good, huh?

Buena Vista Social Club - Tiene Sabor

Howling In

As it's officially winter as we speak, relatively high temperatures notwithstanding, here goes with a fitting song. I never had much time for Lindisfarne's particular take on folkrock to be honest, but this baby's quite pretty. "Or do you pull the bed-clothes higher, dream of summertime instead?"

Lindisfarne - Winter Song

Look Out Cleveland

The impeccable Punk 45 series on the Soul Jazz label brought us two new volumes this year, covering Akron and Cleveland. The former (Burn, Rubber City, Burn! Akron, Ohio Punk And The Decline Of The Mid-West 1975-80) is a decent collection featuring the Bizarros, Tin Huey and Devo amongst others, but doesn't surpass Stiff's ancient Akron Compilation. The Cleveland one (Extermination Nights In The Sixth City - Cleveland, Ohio: Punk And The Decline Of The Mid-West 1975-1982) is a dream come true though. Incredible how such a truckload of great bands thrived there in relative isolation. Pere Ubu, the Pagans, Electric Eels, and Mirrors all make an entrance, and nearly all those adventurous stabs at artrock still sound remarkably fresh today.

The Bizarros - I Bizarro
Jazz Destroyers - Love Meant To Die

Drift Away From You

Listening to their second effort For Use And Delight, you probably wouldn't have guessed that Promised Land Sound hail from the Music City, as that slick Nashville sound is nowhere in sight. This is modern country rock, quite mellow but with a raw edge here and there, and that's exactly how we like it. A real grower. Find it on the always wonderful Paradise Of Bachelors label.

Promised Land Sound - Otherworldly Pleasures

Marching Powder

As a known sucker for the exotic, I stumbled across this beauty in a record store last week and simply couldn't refuse. And indeed, my instinct followed the shining path, as there's some seriously weird shit going down on this album. Two fine examples below.

Black Sugar - Funky Man
El Opio - Una Bruja En El Cuzco

Make It Through

Yes, I do know it's December already. But I bet you'll agree that Art Pepper's majestic interpretation of Kurt Weill's September Song is one for all seasons.

Art Pepper - September Song

No Mean Feat

A shameless, but well-deserved plug for a band of a friend of mine. Quartet To Three hails from the fair city of Barcelona and its jazz nuevo inspires like a Sunday morning stroll down the Ramblas. Modern with a respectful nod to the classics, Ornette and co are never far away, but these guys don't shy away from bringing out a psychedelic wahwah guitar or a latin touch if they feel like it, either. Their cd debut, called Sin Pies, is out as we speak on the Whatabout Music imprint. ¡Vaya!

Quartet To Three - Uno Y Medio

Pay No Mind

The congregation will now rise and salute the Reverend Gary Davis, blues singer and picker supreme.

Reverend Gary Davis - Say No To The Devil

Missed Me, Too?

An indie rock opera about a day in the life of a cat? And told from a feline perspective, no less? Just my cup of tea, fellow cat lovers. Especially when Centro-matic foreman Will Johnson's side project, South San Gabriel, is involved. The Carlton Chronicles escaped my attention when it came out about ten years ago, but I'm glad this cat's finally in the bag now. Meow!

South San Gabriel - I Feel Too Young Too Die

Round The Corner

I'll be away from my desk for a week or so, but I'll leave you with this old fashioned ten pack. After all: "I'm just a soldier, fighting the sorrow..."

James Taylor - Soldiers
Neil Young - Soldier
Bob Dylan - Mary And The Soldier
Calvin Russell - Soldier
Palace Music - The Weaker Soldier
Arthur Alexander - Soldier Of Love
Bettye Lavette - Talking Old Soldiers
Jah Lloyd & King Tubby - Soldier Round The Corner
Spizz Energi - Soldier Soldier
Renzoku Shasatsuma - I Don't Want To be A Soldier