Just Cool It

 

The famous FTSOTS end of year list will be upon us shortly, but let's take a look at the reissues and archival albums first. In that respect, it was a very good year. With maximum artwork by our artist in residence Tinca, here are the ten strumming and thrumming trips of 2020. Superdeluxe with first place ribbons all of them, so roll your burdens away & turn it up some.

• Gillian Welch - Boots No. 2: The Lost Songs Vols 1-3
• Neil Young - Homegrown
• Brother Theotis Taylor - s/t
• v/a - The Last Shall Be First: The JCR Records Story, Volume One
• v/a - Spiritual Jazz Vol. 11: SteepleChase
• v/a - Thrum & Strum: The American Jangle Underground 1983-1987
• Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Just Coolin'
• Prince - Sign O' The Times Superdeluxe
• v/a - When Jah Shall Come
• Pylon - Pylon Box

Gillian Welch - First Place Ribbon
Brother Theotis Taylor - Burden Away

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

He Is Coming

Very welcome and out now on the mighty Drag City label: Pond Scum, a fine collection of stark and intimate performances by our bonnie lad Will Oldham, recorded way back when at a couple of John Peel's famous sessions. And guess what? He even pays homage to another Prince.

Bonnie Prince Billy - The Cross

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

Wild Weekend Vol. 35

It´s Wild Weekend #35, which means another delicious cocktail of cool tunes from all around the globe. Northern Ireland, Jamaica, Persia by way of the Motor City, Jerez de la Frontera... Just have another wild one. I know I will.

After the demise of Northern Ireland´s finest punkpoppers the Undertones, most of their personnel ended up in a fine band called That Petrol Emotion. One Steve Mack, an American who worked in a London pizza parlour at the time, was drafted as a singer. The triumphant Big Decision was arguably their finest hour. All together now: "You rather sail the ocean, than make a big decision..." Meanwhile on the Island, Pete Weston sees misery all around and urges his rasta brethren to move out of Babylon pronto. Revolution´s not the answer, leave that to those guys in faraway China... Find it on Every Mouth Must Be Fed, another fascinating compilation from the Pressure Sounds label.

That Petrol Emotion - Big Decision MP3
Pete Weston and the Flames - Revolution Is For The Chinaman MP3

Obscure protopunk anyone? Good. Don´t know much about the Up to be honest, just that they recorded this prime piece of Detroit rifferama way back in ´72. And in case you were wondering: Hassan I Sabbah was a Persian missionary who founded the mythical Hashshashin movement sometime in the 11th century. Next up: former Dream Syndicate leader Steve Wynn. Nice to see he´s still at it. Nearly thirty years after he came on the scene with that beauty called The Days Of Wine And Roses, the remarkably Screaming Trees-like Resolution proves he hasn´t lost his touch just yet. From a soon to be released album called Northern Agression.

The Up - Hassan I Sabbah MP3
Steve Wynn & The Miracle 3 - Resolution MP3

And now it´s time for some flamenco puro. Santiago Donday is a veteran vocalist from Cadiz who debuted very late in life when master guitarist Paco Cepero finally managed to drag him into a recording studio. Expect a truckload of duende here, amigos. And we´ve come to the end of another Wild Weekend with the finest Prince song I know: the playful Ballad Of Dorothy Parker. "I took another bubble bath, with my pants on..." Dishwater blonde waitresses sure brought out the best in the ´skinny motherfucka with the high voice´. Sounds like a real man to me...

Santiago Donday con Paco Cepero - Malagueña De El Mellizo MP3
Prince - The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker MP3