Art College Disco circa 1983 - 1987

 I have been reminiscing recently about the old Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art disco, and even made myself a Spotify playlist in honour of  Dunc and the great times had there. I'm sure in addition to the list there was a liberal smattering of Public Enemy, James Brown, Rip Rig and Panic, The Higsons, The Pop Group, PIL and many others. I wasn't sure if I captured all the key tracks but Dunc recons "I pretty much nailed it". So lets party like its 1983 ...

1. The Clash - Brand New Cadilac
2. Shriekback - My Spine is the Bassline       
3. Fire Engines - Candyskin           
4. Associates - Club Country           
5. The Fall - Couldn't Get Ahead       
6. DAF - Der Mussolini           
7. George Kranz - Din Daa Daa           
8. New Order - Everythings Gone Green       
9. Orange Juice - Falling and Laughing       
10. The Meteors - Go Buddy Go           
11. The Smiths - Hand in Glove            
12. The Cramps - Human Fly           
13. Can - I Want More            
14. Bohannon - Lets Start the Dance       
15. Caberet Voltaire - Nag, Nag, Nag           
16. Jesus and Mary Chain - Never Understand       
17. Pigbag - Papas Got a Brand New Pigbag   
18. Associates - Party Fears Two           
19. The Birthday Party - Release The Bats       
20. The Fall - Rollin Dany           
21. New Order - Temptation           
22. Kurtis Blow - The Breaks            
23. The Smiths - This Charming Man       
24. The Loft - Up the Hill and Down the Slope   

EXR Radio Show - 31st October 2011

 Here is the set list from last night's show thrill-seekers!

1. Acoustic Ladyland - Sport Mode
2. The Mahavishnu Orchestra - Meeting of the Spirits
3. Flying Lotus - Clock Catcher
4. Arild Anderson - Straight
5. Beats and Pieces Big Band - Sisterhood
6. Archie Shepp - Blue for Brother George Jackson
7. Dave Stapleton Quintet - October Sky 
8. Gwilym Simcock - Plain Song
9. Les Chisnall - Improvisations on Chopin's Bercusi in Db Major
10. Matt Halsall - The Journey Home
11. The Animated Egg - Sock it my way
12. Nino Nardini - Frantique
13. The Pentangle - Bells
14. HAQ - Lament
15. Claire James Trio - Lines
16. Aquarium - Evensong
17. Phronesis - Eight Hours 
18. Stuart McCallum - Dr Doctor
19. Murcof - Memoria
20. The Impossible Gentlemen - Laugh Lines
21. Googie Rene Combo - Smokey Joes La La 
22. Buddy Rich - The Beat Goes On
23. Jean Jacques Perrey - EVA

Current Buns

This is what I am listening to at the moment, mainly thanks to my very generous familiy for all the birthday swag.

1.  Flying Lotus -  Cosmogramma
2. Teenage Fanclub - Shadows
3. Eels - Meet The Eels : Essential Eels Vol. 1 1996-2006
4. Phronesis - Alive
5. Aquarium - Aquarium
6. EST - Retrospective - The Very Best of E.S.T.
7. Andwella's Dream - Love and Poetry
8. Various Artists - The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of
9. Gwilym Simcock - Good Days at Schloss Elmau

Great Indie Guitarists

The music media always cites the influence of Johnny Marr, Bernard Butler, John Squire and Jonny Greenwood of indie guitar playing. Don’t get me wrong, I love the playing of all four dearly, and you can’t really underestimate the contribution and influence that their playing has exerted over the last two decades. This list (regular readers will know that I love them) catalogues some of the lesser known* indie guitarists that I admire, and gives a few examples of where their playing rises above the usual indie jangle. Its time these guys got the credit they deserve.

1.       Lester Square (The Monochrome Set) – Real name Tom Hardy. Check out the intro to Set classic Love Zombies to hear Square doing his best spooky carnival sounds or The Puerto Rican Fence Climber from Strange Boutique for a master class in indie axe versatility.

2.       Maurice Deebank (Felt) - Sunlight Bathed The Golden Glow and Evergreen Dazed shows Deebank practically writing every indie guitar cliché. Lots of lesser guitarists have made a mint emulating this sound.

3.       Steve Mason (Gene) - We Could Be Kings really showcases Mason's understated playing - nothing to complicated here however less is sometimes more. Beautiful, with a great solo at the end

4.       David Pajo (Slint, M, Papa M, Aerial M) - By rights Pajo shouldn't really be in this list as his contribution is fairly well recognised in indie guitar circles, but hey its my list. Pretty much invented the whole quiet/loud thing check out Breadcrumb Trail by the seminal Slint to get the idea. 

5.       John Perry (The Only Ones) - A great player more from a traditional rock background (the notion of indie didn't really exist back in 1978) check out the The Big Sleep and obviously Another Girl Another Planet.

6.       Paul Research (Scars) – Real name Paul Mackie, I bought a second hand copy of Horrorshow / Adult ery  in 1984 and it still sends shivers up my spine every time I hear it - they should have been massive.

*Hence no Vini Reilly, Kevin Shields, J. Mascis, Graham Coxon, Thurston Moore (add your favourite one that I have missed in here)

EXR Radio Show 16th May 2011

1. Kurt Rosenwinkel - The Next Step
2. Kenny Burrell - Chitlins con Carne
3. Charlie Christian - Solo Flight
4. Marcos Valle - Os Grlos
5. George Duke - Au-right
6. Wes Montgomery - Four on Six
7. John schofield - Chicken Dog
8. The Impossible Gentlemen - When You Hold Her
9. Robin Guthrie and Harold Budd - Gaze
10. Brian Eno - Signals
11. Floratone - Swamped
12. The Crusaders - That's How I feel
13. Jeff Beck - So we ended as Lovers
14. Mike Nock - Space Bugaloo
15. Amancio D'Silva - A Street in Bombay
16. Philip Bimstein - EatDrinkGambleSex
17. Miles Davis - Moja pt2
18. John Coltrane - Crescent

Favourite albums of 2010

Here is a roundup of the stuff that I have been listening to and enjoying this year. Even though this is presented as a numbered list it is not really a chart as such (although the GSH album is an absolute cracker). As ever not all this stuff is new but there you go.

1. Gil Scott Herron – I’m New here (2010) GSH’s first album in a very long time and what a belter it is. For those of you thinking about the jazz-soul of “The Bottle”, think again. The album is a mix of spoken word and sung material with instrumentation that owes more to the more sparse grooves on Massive Attack’s  later work or perhaps even Burial’s Hyperdub than past glories. 
2. Frank Zappa – Hot Rats (1969) Zappa albums have come and gone in my music collection over the years and have been loved (Apostrophe, Joe’s Garage, Sheik Yerbouti) and loathed (We’re only in it for the Money) in equal measure. This is mainly instrumental album released in 1969 somehow passed me –other than Peaches En Regalia which seems to find its way onto every Zappa comp. This is probably one of the most truly groundbreaking albums ever made, a real eye opener, it really doesn’t sound like much else except perhaps other Zappa records. 
3. The Duke and the King – Nothing Gold Can Stay (2009) Imagine a slightly funky/soulful take on Buffalo Springfield’s “For What it is Worth” and you will kind of get the idea.  Great harmonies and a very stripped down sound … nice 
4. Fourtet – There is Love in You (2010)
5. The Fall – Your Future Our Clutter (2010) What can I say another year, another Fall record.  Perhaps not quite up to the level of 2008’s Imperial wax Solvent but it come pretty close. As ever Smith’s lyrics are cryptic and acute once unpicked, as one commentator put it “an arrogant northern swine, who never fails to entertain” 
6.   Max Romeo and the Upsetters – War Ina Babylon (1976) 
7. Toots and the Maytals – Funky Kingston (1973) 
8. Dangermouse and Sparklehorse - Dark Night of the Soul (2010)
9.  Broken Bells - Broken Bells (2010) 
10. David Sylvian – Everything and Nothing (2000)

I have also been listening to the version of “You’ve Got To Have Freedom” from Pharaoh Saunders’ 2003 Live album with amazement just incredible playing by all involved including drum legend Idris Mohammed. This version is so powerful it tops the original 70’s cut by some margin how these guys can play with this level intensity in their late 60’s early 70’s is anyone’s guess – but I want some of it.

The Quiet Storm

Call me an old softie, but even I sometimes tire of the many pleasures afforded by Mastadon's prog-metal facemelter 'Bladecatcher', occasionally I want a heartfelt soul-fix not available listening to The Prats' "Disco Pope"  and need to recharge my batteries. I particularly like some of the Philly and Chicago vocal groups of the 70's.

1. The Delfonics – Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind this Time)
2. Stylistics - Betcha By Golly Wow
3. The Delfonics – La La Means I Love You
4. Teddy Pendergrass – Love T.K.O
5. The Chi-Lites – Oh Girl
6. Jerry Butler – Never Gonna Give You Up
7. The Dramatics – In The Rain
8. Bloodstone -  Who has the Last Laugh Now
9. Bobby Womack – If You Think You’re Lonely Now
10. The Originals – Baby I’m for Real