Don't Hide It

I still play Jason Molina's stuff quite regularly, which in turn never fails to reminds me what a talent we lost when his body couldn't take any more abuse at the age of 39. For those of you not in the know, do check out this well informed eulogy in the Chicago Reader. Anyway, here's an angry and intense one of his. "Now the world was empty on the day when they made it, but heaven needed someplace to throw all the shit..."

Magnolia Electric Co. - The Dark Don't Hide It
 

Worryin' Me

 


"Please stay away from my door..." Or: got another ghostly six pack for ya, my amigos da musica. File under holy music.

Lightnin' Hopkins - Black Ghost Blues
Albert Ayler Trio - Ghosts: First Variation
Doris Duke - Ghost Of Myself
Japan - Ghosts
Daniel Johnston - Casper The Friendly Ghost
Holopaw - Ghosties

You Have Everything

"You can say anything you want, and you can do anything you want... If you have ghosts, then you have everything..." Presenting a ghostly six pack. Take that ride.

R. Dean Taylor - There's A Ghost In My House
Roky Erickson - If You Have Ghosts
Songs: Ohia - I've Been Riding With The Ghost
Bloody Ol' Mule - Holy Ghost Power
The Swanks - Ghost Train
The Fall - There's A Ghost In My House

Feel So Bad

Just got the sad news that Prince has left us. The self-proclaimed skinny motherfucker with the high voice was only 57. He was a wizard and a true star. "And all good things, they say, never last..." Miss him.

Prince - Sometimes It Snows In April

Down To The Bone

Just surrender folks, you know you want to. "Doin' alright, doin' ok..."

Brinsley Schwarz - Surrender To The Rhythm

Ships Come In

A promising, adventurous debut from Tucson, Arizona. Which means you wouldn't be wrong to expect a healthy dose of desert rock along the lines of illustrous grand uncles Giant Sand and especially Calexico here, but Xixa's scope proves even broader. Wild cumbia rhythms, surf guitars, warped electronic injections... You name it, these guys have got it. They even brought in a member of Tinariwen's Tuareg gang to contribute to price track World Goes Away. "Many hands try to heal the pain..."

Xixa - World Goes Away

Decked Out All In Gold

Anthony Moore made a name for himself doing the artrock thing with Slapp Happy and Henry Cow. Later, when new wave ruled, he released the wonderfully obscure Flying Doesn't Help under the name of A. More. Album highlight Judy Get Down, firmly rooted in the Barrett and Ayers tradition, could even have been a surprise hit. It wasn't, of course.

A. More - Judy Get Down

All Around Me

Deeply immersed in the alcohol-fuelled antics of the Replacements at the moment, by way of a new biography by Bob Mehr. Up until now, Trouble Boys proves well-researched, well-written and just plain fun. That apt title comes from a Dave Edmunds cover the Mats played a lot in their formative stages by the way. Here it comes.

Dave Edmunds - Trouble Boys

And since I'm guessing you'd like to hear some Mats, too, do enjoy this cool outtake from Pleased To Meet Me.

The Replacements - Cool Water

Gypsy Blood

Make way for Juan Peña, better known in flamenco circles as El Lebrijano. His renowned '76 project Persecución, based on texts from Spanish poet Félix Grande about the history of gypsies on the Iberian peninsula, is really something else. ¡Toma!

El Lebrijano - Sangre, Sangre

Turn It All On Once More

Time to sing him back home I guess. Just got the sad news that country giant Merle Haggard died yesterday, on the day of his birth. He was 79. Along with Buck Owens, the Hag originated that golden Bakersfield sound, and later was an important part of the much-lauded outlaw movement. He was one of the true greats, and wrote a ton of great songs. Miss him.

Merle Haggard - Things Aren't Funny Anymore

Singin' This Song

"Harry Hippie lies asleep in the shade, life don't bug him 'cause he thinks he's got it made..." Some people say this soulful track from 1972 immortalises Bobby Womack's brother and former co-Valentino Harry, while others dispute this. Whatever the truth, here's the sad ending: Harry Womack would be stabbed to death by a jealous girlfriend two years later.

Bobby Womack - Harry Hippie

For Jah's Sake

And since we were talkin' Chi-Lites just now, here's a righteous, heavily rewritten Scratch version of their '71 masterpiece (For God's Sake) Give More Power To The People. "Justice to the white, justice to the black..." Crying children? Priceless of course.

Lee Perry - Justice To The People