Entertainment For Lively Minds
Recommend one record you're enjoying at the moment...
Posted by Patrick Crowther on 24 May 2009 - 6:48pm.
Mine is Sir Victor Uwaifo Guitar-Boy Superstar 1970-76
It's released by the ever reliable Soundway Records and features hugely enjoyable groovesome guitar playing and sweet and soulful singing from 'one of the true enigmas of the Nigerian music scene'...
It's wonderful and really worth checking out.
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Here's the fantastic cover...
I've taken this recommendation on board
and my copy arrives tomorrow, for my weekend listening. Can I assume it comes with your personal money-back guarantee? ;-)
If you don't like it...
I will copy out my 'Bloody Stupid Musical Partnerships' thread using my very own blood, frame it and have it delivered to your door by a Marianne Faithful lookalike.
I'll let you know
Oh, and if it comes to it, the 1965 model please ...
bought it and thoroughly enjoyed it
perfect stuff for sitting in the garden with a cold bottle or two of beer.
Then we moved on to another summertime gem :
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bossa-N-Ramones/dp/B0026TL57U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8...
Yes, Bossa Nova versions of Ramones songs.
That Marianne Faithful lookalike
is all yours. Great recommendation - it soundtracked my Saturday and will be doing the same at a BBQ this afternoon. I particularly like the way that he seems to stumble across a new effects pedal every so often and gives it a flip just to see what it does. Joyous - the perfect antidote to manufactured pop.
"Asking For Flowers"
by Kathleen Edwards. It's been out for a few months now but I've only just caught up with it and keep playing it.
I agree...
....that's a great recommendation!
Album of the Year
for 2008 for me. I love it all.
My wife hates You Don't Have To Be Scared because of the lines about shooting the cat. Trying to argue about putting the lyric in context doesn't work. It seems whenever I play the album, she come in the room (a bit like how my Mum had the unerring ability to walk into the room at exactly the moment that a track with bad language started playing and she could tut and complain) during that song and so has an aversion to the whole album. Suggesting she should have a go at the rest of it holds no water.
Kathleen Edwards
My best record of 2008 too....
Checkout previous two albums of quality proper rootsy guitar pop/rock tunes.
Devon Sproule
The new album sounds like the summer.
Demon Sprout
I look forward to hearing the new Devon Sproule album.
The last one, "Keep your Silver Shined", especially the title track, was my soundtrack to last summer - great for listening to whilst lying in a hammock, if I had two trees from which to hang it.
It's just been put on Spotify. Previously, when you typed in Devon Sproule it asked "Did you mean demon sprout?"
Treat Yourself!
The new one is on Emusic - treat yourself for a month!
Self titled....
....album by Warren Zevon.
His first proper release, and features Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham(pre Fleetwood Mac)alongside Mick Fleetwood and John McVie amongst other well kent faces.. Jackson Browne produced this around 1975/6.
Mama Couldn't Be Persuaded, Poor Poor Pitiful Me, Frank and Jesse James and Carmelita are the stand out tracks for me but there's not a bad one on it.
This is Zevons view of the seedy side of L.A.
Great Recommendation
I've said it before and I'll say it again: possibly the greatest album made in the twentieth century.
And now a bit of a rarity in being a re-issue that's worth buying for the 'extras.'
A pedant writes
it's a cracking album but Stevie and Lindsay were already firmly ensconced in Fleetwood Mac.
Great shout out
for Zevon - but this is just one of his many exceptional albums. Worth checking out the whole damn lot...!!
Camera Obscura
"My Maudlin Career" - bittersweet pop. Great tunes.
I'm enjoying
Tight Knit by Vetiver. Seems to go well with the fine weather and a gin and tonic.
Boz Scaggs
'Silk Degrees'. Picked up a vinyl copy in Oxfam for £2, Friday lunchtime.
Getting up to turn it over every 20 minutes is the only exercise I've had all weekend.
Looking for Atlantis
I put in on in the car and both my nippers (aged 6 & 4) loved it! On repeat play since
Happy nippers = happy parents. Thanks Uncle Paddy
Calexico - Carried to dust
just been listening to it on spotify...fab
M Ward Post-War
Better Times Will Come
Diana Jones.Best album I've heard in ages. Hejira. Constantly, since 1976.
Im taking this as a recommendation
of a newish record, so i'm going to suggest a listen to the debut album by Golden Silvers called 'true romance'. A rather summery psychedelic/funk record, nice mixture of catchy pop tunes interspersed with some slightly more challenging material. As a bonus available for less than £6
nothing much at the mo' but
a couple of weeks ago I played the remastered First and Last and Always by those pesky Sisters Of Mercy and it really grew wings, all over again.
It's great when an old fave bites ye on the bum!
Penguin Eggs
By Nic Jones. Got a folk thing going on at the moment. This is the proverbial canines' cahoonahs.
Brilliant choice!
Hadn't played it for ages, saw this post and dug it out again. It's truly brilliant! If you know anyone who says, "I don't like folk music" you should play them this. If they don't like it, shoot them and put them out of their misery.
Mr. Martyn Laughed First!
I've been listening to John Martyn's "One World" album an awful lot this past week. Fantastic record.
Oh yes...
indeed it is.
Sounds bad, is brilliant
Kris Delmhorst is an American singer-songwriter - part of the Boston folk scene.
Her Strange Conversation album is her taking some works of famous poets and setting them to music.
Sounds like a bad idea but isn't. Her voice is rich and deep and the music timeless.
At first it was just another album I downloaded from emusic. But slowly I realised this was really classy and perfect for playing when you can relax on a warm summer night.
Maybe I should try her
Bob Harris used to play her a lot, although I can't recall him playing anything by her recently.
I was always underwhelmed, despite Bob's enthusiasm. I'll see if she comes up on Spotify.
I'm listening a lot to......
the new Tori Amos album, nothing different, but it seems to have captivated me and I'm not usually that much of a fan.
Has to be...
'As They Should Sound' by Sieben.
Sieben is an alias for Matt Howden, an incredible violinist who builds up hypnotic neo-folk style songs, normally with just his voice, fiddle and loop pedal alone.
This new CD in particular is a good 'way in' because most of it is made up of relatively pared down arrangements of his favourite tracks - hence the title.
Cannot recommend this guy highly enough. Here's a YouTube clip, not the best quality in the world, but shows what he can do.
Good call re Sieben
extremely underrated musician, and producer. Personally i love the 'Ogham' album. For one reason or another have missed seeing Matt live, hope to remedy this one day soon.
Hello, Mint
Yes, it's well worth trying to see him live. You can't take your eyes off him - a mixture of just being captivated by his performance and at the same time trying to keep track of how he's building up each song's layers.
The 'Ogham' album is the one that got me hooked. Have you seen that he's made almost his entire back catalogue (including the ones deleted as physical CDs) available on iTunes. Find his more classical-style albums under his own name as well as the Sieben titles.
(And sorry if you already know about all of this or have all the albums. I get a bit evangelical about this bloke.)
No thanks for the update,
must admit not been paying much attention to Sieben/Matt for the last year or so. Was introduced to him via Sol Invictus. Picked up 'Sex and Wildflowers' and 'Line and the Hook' over the years, then kind of forgot about him, until i came across 'Ogham' in Rare n Racy.
Never fails to amaze me that this man is ignored in his home city whilst bands like Milburn, Little man Tate, Long Blondes and Reverend and the Makers etc are so feted. As is often the case, believe he is well respected, in the rest of Europe.
Not heard any of his work he does under his own name
I am (still) listening to loudon wainwright - recovery
his reworking of his back catalogue with Joe Henry
a master of
observation
accusation, and
self deprecation
if we're talking albums
then i have to run with the new Madness 'Liberty of Norton Folgate'. As m'learned friend, Mr Vulpes pointed out in his thread down below, it's awfully good.
In terms of a single song, a cursory glance over iTunes over the last few months shows that 'Magic' (track 1) from the eponymous album by Ladyhawke is figuring rather highly in terms of recent(ish) releases. It's one of the most atmospheric bits of electro-pop I've heard in an age; the last one was 'Freak Like Me' by the Sugababes.
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
All of you who've pining twenty years for a Shop Assistants reunion (you know who you are) need pine no longer. TPOBPAH hit the same sweet spot. It sounds easy, but if it is, why has no one else in two decades managed the trick?
Also, Iron & Wine's Around The Well. Yes, it's an outtakes/b-sides/odds'n'sods thing, but nothing on the two discs would sully any of the man's wonderful albums. Check out the version of New Order's Love Vigilantes.
Cannot stop playing the new Nick Lowe "best of"...
... "QUIET PLEASE".
Absolutely delightful.
[I'm awaiting delivery of the new Madness one, due to all the chatter about it.]
Live in London by Leonard Cohen
It seems that I can't get through the day without hearing at least one or two tracks. "1 or 2" frequently = "several".
British Sea Power - Man of Aran
Soundtrack to the 1934 movie chronicling rural life, hardship and joy on said islands. BSP have reworked some of their classic melodies and combined them with new material to produce something I know I will be listening to for years, maybe forever. Well done them.
Le Concert Impromptu, w Jean Michel Bossini, play Frank Zappa
...on Spotify. Unsuprisingly, there's no original FZ material on Spotify, but I love hearing Zappa tunes played by orchestras or, in this case, a wind ensemble. A reminder of what a great composer he was.
Potato Hole
Booker T with the Drive by Truckers as his back up. No vocals. And old Uncle Shakey on 2 tracks. Consummate, especially a terrific version of Yey Ya. It's had dodgy reviews. Ignore them.
(Some old would be The Snow Goose, newly aquired. Camels finest hour.)
I´ve decided to..
" Funkify Your Life " The Best of The Meters is on almost constant rotation in the car
I love that band so much...
Leo Nocentelli don't have no blood... he run on fonk power. Same goes for the others...
Thanks for that -
Its prompted me to set up a download account with Amazon MP3. Say Yaaaay - git doown.
Matraca Berg
I picked up her latest CD South Of Heaven the other night as I mentioned in the Wine Women and Wild Horses thread I started.
I think it is just great. At the moment you can only get it at gigs, but it should be on general release fairly soon. But it's another reason to get to see her, Suzy Bogguss and Gretchen Peters if they are playing in your area in the next few days.
There's one song, Racing The Angels, I'm having to ration myself on, otherwise I'm going to overplay to the point I get sick of it. It is simply gorgeous; a mixture of melancholia and hope. She did it live the other night too.
Buffy Sainte-Marie
This is a bit of a cheat as it's a 3 on 1 release but I just can't get enough of her at the moment (in anticipation of the July show at the QEH). The album? Buffy/Changing Woman/Sweet America, the first and third of which are woefully underrated.
The Jerry Ragavoy Story
"Time Is On My Side" great compilation featuring Garnett Mimms, Howard Tate. Lorraine Ellison, Irma Thomas amongst many others a fantastic selection that refuses to leave the Bingham turntables.
Can I cheat here and also recommend Tlahoun Cessesse "Ethiopiques # 17"? Any fans of emotive "feel" singing will love the man Ethiopeans dubbed "the voice". Heard it playing in my local Ethiopean eatery "the Queen of Sheeba,on Bloor Street Toronto" can't get enough of this insanely soulful singer.
Okkervil River
The Stand Ins is a great, great country pop album. Very summer.
Highly recommend it to anyone.
Yours Truly, The Commuter by Jason Lytle
Just as good and possibly even better than Grandaddy.
The new
New York Dolls album is my favourite album of the year so far. 'Years of Refusal' by Moz is a close second.
yeah
that Dolls record is pretty great, as was the last one
not sure about the new one yet
I loved the first comeback album, and they were brilliant both times in Glasgow : this one seems a bit "hope you like our new direction".
Maybe it's a grower
it is
first time I heard it, I was dissapointed after "One Day It Will..." but give it a chance, it's top notch. They appear to be making the records that The Stones should be doing.
They were the dogs bollocks on Later the other week ....
kick-ass rawk at its best.
Arctic Monkeys
Mistakingly decided I wouldn't like them, and came in by the back door (Last Shadow Puppets) but now have both AM LPs on constant rotation - genius!!
Henry Cow
The Road volumes 1 to 10
40th anniversary release of live material from 1968 to 1978 - astonishing stuff, it's been keeping me enthralled since I obtained it!
The National
'Boxer' - playing in my local independent record shoppe yesterday and even though underwhelmed when it first came out, was absolutely struck by it's American Echo & the Bunnymen greatness. The sound of summer...
SUNN O)) Monoliths and Dimensions
So heavy, it's like being sat on by one of H P Lovecraft's Elder Gods who then decides to sing to you. Dark, deep and a little bit terrifying!
Grant can i also suggest
that you try to give a listen to the new Current 93 album, 'Aleph...'. Its quite a heady trip, quite heavy but fairly accessible. As with all C93, Dave Tibet's voice can be the deal breaker, but well worth a listen to
The Jim Jones Revue
Wild, cool and cathartic rock 'n' roll - can't wait to see them live at the 100 Club in June.
Similar artists: Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Sonics, The Hives, Jon Spencer. Great to play loud at the end of a bad day at work.
As a breathless taster, here's "Princess and the Frog":
If you want more, here's "Rock 'n' Roll Psychosis": http://tinyurl.com/7xt3uj
And here's the album: http://tinyurl.com/phlc3m
For me it is a toss up
between the Dark was the Night compilation because among other things it introduced me to Andrew Bird and the Gretchen Peters/Tom Russell cd one to the heart, one to the head because of the stunning song Guadalupe.
The new Jarvis record...
"Further Complications" is pretty flipping great!
Jarvo Rocking Out
I beg to differ. It's a huge disappointment and I'm a big fan since 'His n' Her' days. in fact i'm going to see him shake his bony tailfeather at The Troxy in June. Dreading it.
Buddy And Julie Miller
Eponymous album from 2001, that I found going cheaply from Head Records (formerly Fopp) in Leamington.
It's got that 'High Lonesome' sound.
Is Head records worth visiting?
I am in Warwick next week and may take a detour if it is. It's always nice to find a new independent.
It's always nice to find a record shop. Period.
Is it the old Our Price, before Fopp came and went?
I think it is the old Fopp
in Leamington
Henry Priestman
Chronicles of Modern Life. Just seems to strike a chord at the moment. He's singing about getting older and he's also a bit pissed off with many of the features of modern life - the state of popular music, commerce and the idiots (his words)in charge, redundancy. I like it far more than I expected to.
Wondered what that was like
I recently bought The Christians debut album on CD for old times sake (and because my original cassette got chewed up).
I always really liked his vocals - might well give it a try
Pub Rock
Have re-discovered the joysa of Pub Rock through listening tot he compialtion 'Goodbye Nashville, Hello Camden Town'
Now listening (or re-listening) to loads of stuff like: Dr Feelgood, Nick Lowe, Brinsley Schwarz, Eddie & The Hot Rods, Ian Dury etc
Head Warwick
Head is definitley worth checking out, it used to be a Fopp but i think its been continued on a private basis !!!
Loads of cheap CD,s from new and old,,cheap books,,,,,and helpfull staff,,,,,
I have spent many hours and pounds there!!!!!
Not to be confused
with a handful of the old Zavvi shops which were reopened using the name Head. Basically just flogging all the remaining Zavvi stock that they couldn't return
The Soundcarriers - Harmonium
Great band from Nottingham:
http://www.myspace.com/thesoundcarriers
A Marvellous, striking and ambitious cross-breed of Free Design style harmonies, Motorik beats and fizzy Pop thrills. What with Stereolab taking an indefinite "hiatus" and Broadcast no doubt planning to spend the next 12 months on Tambourine overdubs for their next opus, this will do nicely.
reading Luke Haines book
led me to plug a couple of gaps in my collection - the last 2 Black Box Recorder albums - The Facts of Life and Passionoia - both are splendid.
Arthur Alexanda
Lonely Just Like Me been reissued..can,t stop listening to it.
Thanks to Word
I am currently in love with The Lost Album by Lewis Taylor. Check it out on Spotify. It is enormous, like Jimi Hendrix meets Blue Eyed Soul period Hall and Oates. I just cannot understand how I missed such a talent up until now. Time to order the shiny disc things from Amazon
Euros Childs-Cheer Gone
Sad songs.Beautifully played and sung.
July Skies "the softest kisses"
I have just used this on a photo montage of pics of my little girls its an absolutley beautifull tune, on occassioons when working long stints away from home watching my pics and hearing this song brings on a salty solution from the corners of my eyes....strange!
July Skies - Where the Days Go
Isn't it a great album? Been playing it a lot recently. Also picked up two of their other CD's - The English Cold and The Weather Clock, but I think Where the Days Go is their strongest effort. Also listening to Yoko's I'm a Witch. The Flaming Lips version of Cambridge 1969 is really rather fantastic.
Throw Me The Statue - Conquering Kids
Just heard this in Starbucks please have a listen to it, absolutley gorgous,,,,good old Shazam on the iPhone!!!!
Felice Bros - Yonder is the Clock
Bootiful.
Sorry must use spell checker!!!!!
OOOOPPS
I am mostly enjoying
Yeah Yeah Yeahs 'It's Blitz'. Some of the more lively songs make me want to jump around the room grinning, like I'm 13 - and sometimes I do, when no one's looking. You can't argue with that. I like it a lot.
James Blackshaw
His new one 'The Glass Bead Game' is pretty damn fine. Also check out 'Charlie darwin' by The Low anthem and 'Let's wrestle' by Let's wrestle - the true spirit of punk.
Wooden Shjips - Dos
and Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix are the best two newish things I've heard.
I can't stop listening to Deguello by ZZ Top as well. Especially 'Manic Mechanic'. That's right.
Little Jackie - The Stoop
Featured on a Word CD at some point which made me finally get round to buying.
Cracking mix of Motown, R&B and hip-hop and lead singer has great voice
Millie Jackson
Feelin' Bitchy
also Lewis Taylor "The Lost Album" hither & thither
Band of Horses
Cease to Begin.
Jessica Lea Mayfield - Blasphemy So Heartfelt
For all those miserable souls who are missing Mazzy Star/Hope Sandoval, this should do the trick.
Utterly gorgeous desparation, with tunes.
Can't see anything surpassing this as my favourite record of 2009.
Another vote for
Madness - Liberty of Norton Folgate
The new Dylan album is not getting a listen and the Ella Fitzgerald - Irving Berlin & Duke Ellington songbook is waiting patiently on the shelf.
Alternative brilliance from West Australia
Should be enormous worldwide.......the new album "Sound Awake" comes out in Oz on June 5th......the first single "Set Fire to the Hive" is doing massive things down under.
The band is KARNIVOOL
www.myspace.com/karnivool
Karnivool "Set Fire to the Hive"
Like a ponce, I'm recoommending one that's not out yet
but the new Tony Allen album 'Secret Agent' is a thing of wonder. I liked it on first few listens, but in this sunny weather it is revealed to be the Best Thing Ever. And he truly is the best drummer in popular music history.