Spotlight on an old folk ditty today, lovingly reinterpreted by Anaïs Mitchell & co. Green Rocky Road is an outtake from Bonny Light Horseman's selftitled debut, which still gets plenty of airplay at FTSOTS headquarters. Got it yet?
Bonny Light Horseman - Green Rocky Road
Just a quickie on a Monday with the totally whacky Marsha Gee. Quack quack...
Marsha Gee - The Peanut Duck
It's 1973, and Wallace Daniel Pennington from Vernon, Alabama, better known as Dan Penn, soulifies a John Fogerty classic. Nice try for sure, but hey, if you're nobody's fool you could have realised that the Creedence version just can't be beat.
Dan Penn - Lodi
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Lodi
Presenting six inspired covers to celebrate the bard's birthday. Eighty as we speak! Many happy returns, Bob.
Barbara Keith - All Along The Watchtower
Will Beeley - You Ain't Goin' Nowhere
Roger Tillison - Down In The Flood
Yo La Tengo - I Threw It All Away
Scott Hirsch - Ain't No More Cane
Nathan Salsburg & Joan Shelley - Dark Eyes
Dave's Picks #38? Sure-fire winner of course. The Dead could hardly do no wrong back in '73, and this inspired and fine-sounding registration of a gig in Uniondale, New York shows why. Hey now, just check that divine take on their delicious mini Western Jack Straw below to hear what I mean.
Grateful Dead - Jack Straw (live Uniondale '73)
The twelfth volume in the triptastic Brown Acid series has finally appeared, so lock up your womanfolk - always wanted to say that - and dig this new batch of overblown, ultra-obscure rockers from the early seventies if you dare.
Shane - Woman (Don't You Go)
Just drums and shimmering guitars, courtesy of Eric Hardiman (Burnt Hills) and Michael Kiefer (Twin Lakes). Together, they go exploring in a psychedelic postpunk stylee. If you've recently grooved to the Gunn-Truscinski Duo, to name but one example, First Encounters is probably right up your alley.
Spiral Wave Nomads - Radiant Drifter
This recent all-acoustic collection of live Townes tracks is worth it for a gorgeous rendition of his immortal Waitin' Round To Die alone. He can't remember for the life of him where the posse drags him back to though and flufs the Muskogee line, which is actually kinda funny. Here goes.
Townes Van Zandt - Waitin' Round To Die (live)
Is there a sadder song in his oeuvre? Since you ask, oh yes there is... And it's quite possibly the saddest song ever in my book, full stop. The story of Caroline, daughter of a miner. "Seemed to me that sunshine walked beside her..." Take it away, maestro.
Townes Van Zandt - Tecumseh Valley (live)
Hurrah, for I'm finally getting my first anti-Covid jab later today. Looks like them scientists can help you after all...
Yabby You - Plague On The Land
King Tubby - Dub Plague
Tommy McCook - Plague Of Horn
As a Feelies aficionado, this Scottish/Spanish collaboration between Andrew Taylor and Gonzalo Marco immediately caught my eye. And although that Feelies-influence is actually not all that obvious, you'd be daft not to give Songs From Another Life a listen if sparkling jangly powerpop à la early dB's is your thing.
The Boys With The Perpetual Nervousness - I Don't Mind
Fancy a dreamy, enticing Brazilian trip this fair Monday? Thought so.
My Magical Glowing Lens - Raio De Sol
Evil, blue, starry? You name it, we've got it, so here's another eye-opening six pack. Eye-catching artwork by the all-seeing Tinca. Her fine exhibition in Belgium is still going by the way: do pay a visit if you can. Now groove to the eye, my amigos da musica.
Clifford Jordan & John Gilmore - Evil Eye
Young John Watson - I Got Eyes
Lenny Drake - Love Eyes
Psychotic Turnbuckles - Groove To The Eye
Kendra Smith - Stars Are In Your Eyes
T.C. Matic - Middle Class And Blue Eyes
Craving some good ole country love? All you need is the Possum, singing his particular version of the blues. Here's a couple of current faves.
George Jones - She Once Lived Here
George Jones - She Loves Me (Right Out Of My Mind)
George Jones - She Needs Me
Were these slowcore kids inspired by reggae and dub or what? It's in the spaciness, or whatever you want to call it, of their sound. You can hear it in the drumming too, while a mouth harp even acts as a melodica of sorts. This is a track from their fine fine Placer Found debut (2000), re-released last year. Have a listen, while I'm off to hunt down a copy of follow-up Let Us Garlands Bring.
Early Day Miners - Prospect Refuge
Do yourselves a favour and head over to Save Your Face for an extensive look at the early live days ('82-'83) of the Dream Syndicate, expertly and lovingly compiled by Matthew Specktor. Wild guitar duels and unexpected covers a specialty, even when they don't know all the words and their souls are possessed by Jackson Browne. The stuff of legend.
The Dream Syndicate - Folsom Prison Blues (live '83)
The Dream Syndicate - Morning Dew (live '83)
You're probably familiar with Rain And Snow, for it was often covered by the good old Grateful Dead, retitled Cold Rain And Snow. But have you heard the version Garcia & co based it on? Here's that timeless beauty, as performed by Appelachian banjo player Obray Ramsey.
Obray Ramsey - Rain And Snow
It's a relatively small step from Denmark to Sweden, where psychedelic vibes run wild, too. Take Djinn: a collaboration between members of Goat and Hills, so quite the pedigree. No wonder their brand new Transmission record grooves and grooves. Only when they venture too deep in Ayler/Pharoah territory do they lose me, as that's frankly above their paygrade. But altogether, their exciting and remarkably organic-sounding mix of free jazz fusion, psychfolk, krautrock and everything in between made jaws drop around here. One for the end-of-year lists for sure.
Djinn - Creator Of Creation
And while we're on the subject of Hills, their hypnotic Frid album from 2015 remains in heavy rotation at FTSOTS headquarters. Much recommended if you like your psych way krauty, if you know what I mean.
Hills - Kollektiv
The Danish sunship explores the galaxy again. As expected, Wildfire's yet another heavy trip, but less jazzy this time, as if Quicksilver's Happy Trails replaced Sun Ra's Space Is The Place on their collective turntable. A step back? Maybe so, and Another Shape Of Psychedelic Music remains my favourite of theirs. Still plenty to enjoy here though.
Mythic Sunship - Redwood Grove
And let's stay with the Danes a while longer, by way of southern California: last year's collaboration between Jonas Munk (of Causa Sui fame) and Brian Ellis definitely deserves to be heard, too. A modern day Bitches Brew? That maybe too much praise, so let's just say that if innovative and heavy fusion is your thing, you gotta dig their San Diego Sessions.
Ellis/Munk Ensemble - Electric Saloon
