…I haven’t slept a wink. Well, it feels like it!

First of all, sincerest apologies to my friend Jared, who provided the setlist to the Richard Thompson post below, and I ddin’t credit him. Sorry.

Kinda braindead here, if fairly happy. Two tracks that fit the mood would be these two:

First of all, a Mogwai collaboration with Gruff Rhys from Super Furry Animals, singing in welsh. This is from Mogwai’s 2001 album Rock Action.

Mogwai -‘Dial:Revenge.’ mp3

Go here to buy Rock Action

And, because you can’t run the risk of living without hearing it: track four from Sigur Ros’ 2002 album () That’s right, bracket. or Untitled. Either way, a track for the end of the day.

Sigur Ros -‘Untitled #4.’mp3

Go here to buy ()

…I had been meaning to do a post about great albums to listen to whilst travelling for a while. Given the news yesterday, I figure I had better focus on music I like listening to on trains – as opposed to in the car, when I often have to figure other people’s tastes in there. Hey, it’s only polite.

A while ago, I went to Oban for a Stag weekend, which was huge fun. The thought of the long train journey (no car at time) didn’t appeal, particularly, but until it got dark, the scenery was fantastic. And I had music with me.

So great travel albums? Razorlight’s Up All Night. Sigur Ros’ Agaetis Byrjun (see a couple of posts below). Kraftwerk are a definite – but I would put Man Machine ahead of Autobahn (ooh! sacrilege!!) REM’s Murmur…but my favourite travel album would have to be Give Up by The Postal Service. It’s just fantastic. Ben Gibbard is a member of Death Cab For Cutie, who I like, but this is my favourite release of his that I have heard.

If you go to their website you can download three tracks, the same three you can download on the Subpop site. They do have a Myspace page as well. If ‘such Great Heights’ doesn’t make you want to dance around the room (though I appreciate this may be a bit, y’know, forward on a train, then shame on you!) Get there and get downloading!

Then go and buy the album.

This is take two of this post; I tried posting this last night, and then the internet connection in the flat started playing up…anyway. Hope you like the flowers.

The aim of this post was to post a few tracks to kick back with, that (with the exception, possibly, of TV On The Radio) you could dance to.

First up, Dizzee Rascal. I really liked the first Dizzee Rascal album, especially this track. There are all sorts of discussions about the merits of using the terms ‘grime’ or’UK Hip-Hop.’ Whatever. It justs grabs you.

Dizzee Rascal -‘Fix Up, Look Sharp.’ mp3 Buy Boy In Da Corner

I still have a wee thing for Karen O. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs seem part of the landscape now but they weren’t in 2002. I love the first album, and the second is a grower. But this has a certain sort of rawness. And there’s just something about the way she says the word ‘baby.’ Just like that. As if it’s in inverted commas. Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah!

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – ‘Bang.’ mp3 Buy The Yeah Yeah Yeahs EP

…and doesn’t this sorta make ya wanna do the hokey-cokey? (y’know, when you turn around and that’s what it’s all about.)

The Strokes -‘Last Nite.’ mp3 Buy Is This It

OK, musically I felt this fitted in with this post, even if dancing to it might be hard (mind you, have you seen how hard it is to dance to a lot of the stuff stuck in the ‘Dance’ section of record shops over the last twenty years? Just saying…)

TV On The Radio -‘Staring At The Sun.’ mp3 Buy Desperate Youth Bloodthirsty Babes

I know it might seem weird to some people posting the next track, but then, there are actually people who haven’t heard the Pixies. I used to run a guitar group at the school where I taught. A lot of Nirvana fans there, and Sir (yup, me) was old enough to remember Nirvana. Don’t know if they all understood it, but as us cynical teachers are fond of saying ‘ You can lead a horse to water…’

The Pixies -‘Debaser.’ mp3 Buy Debaser

As a sometime teacher of English as a Foreign Language, sometimes I have to go through the process of trying to explain a word or concept to someone who doesn’t speak English as their native tongue. However, if you had heard Sigur Ros, and knew someone who hadn’t; how would you go about it?

They come from Iceland, and can seriously be described as the most important act to come from there since Bjork and the Sugarcubes (yeah, I liked gus Gus too. BUT!) As for how they sound…NME once said shoegazing (‘dream pop’ in American English) but they only vaguely remind me of My Bloody Valentine, Ride, Lush et al. As for the ethereal, sonic cathedrals that were always used to describe those bands (overused terms in much the same way that ‘angular’ keeps being applied to The Futureheads, Franz Ferdinand and The Editors)…perhaps a bit ethereal. They sing in Icelandic and their own madeup language (I have to confess that I don’t speak either; but I am not blaming anyone else for this). It sounds lush, beautiful, like waking up on a summer morning (hey! If John Tavener can get away with writing ‘Flows like the tears of the mother of God’ as a music description then I, a humble blogger, am allowed to get away with that one).

Rather like with Low last week, much as it amazes me that there might possibly be people who haven’t heard Sigur Ros, just , courtesy of mp3s on Insound and their own website I present you four tracks from their essential 1999 album Agaetis Byrjun:

Sigur Ros – ‘Agaetis Byrjun.’ mp3
Sigur Ros -‘Fludufrelsarinn.’ mp3
Sigur Ros – ‘Staralfur.’ mp3
Sigur Ros -‘Olsen Olsen.’ mp3

Like what you heard? I thought you would! Go Buy Agaetis Byrjun

I had been going to post something different today, then I came home and found out that Arthur Lee has died. Hmm.

For those who haven’t come across Arthur Lee, he fronted a band called Love, formed in 1965. Their third album, Forever Changes, is deservedly recognised as one of the key sixties records now, even if it wasn’t quite seen as that at the time. The opening track, Alone Again Or, is quite possibly one of the most sublime pieces of music ever recorded, and has been covered, amongst others by The Damned (see 1986 LP ‘Anything’) and Calexico (2003 single). He was also a huge influence on Michael Head and Shack.

Do yourself a favour or three: first of all, if you haven’t done so already, go and buy Forever Changes (my third favourite album of the sixties, after The Beatles’ Revolver and The Rolling Stones’ Beggars Banquet).

Check Lee’s official site; his myspace page. The NME meanwhile have, bless their collective cotton socks, put together a special on him. Hopefully they’ll do a special issue on him like they did for Syd Barrett a couple of weeks ago.

Now go and play at least one his records loudly and pay the man the tribute he deserves.

A couple of days ago, I got a post inviting me to go and check out Letterbox records and I am very glad I did so. They have two bands signed to them currently, the Arrogants and the Amateurs. You need to hear these guys now! The Arrogants have six mp3s on their site and an album out and the Amateurs are recording and have one mp3 at the moment, but they are both worth hearing. The Arrogants’ Cool Shoes reminds me of the Shop Assistants. Both bands would fit in nicely on the Rough Trade Shops Indiepop 1 compilation that came out a couple of years ago (that’s meant as a compliment). Cool Shoes had me pogoing around my room like only the best indiepop can. Bookmark these, keep checking on them and go and buy the Arrogants CD
Go get them mp3s!:

Arrogants

Amateurs

The fact that it’s now August reminds me that it is now three years since I discovered Franz Ferdinand. It seems odd to say this now when they are so popular, but at the time, no-one knew who they were. I heard ‘Darts of Pleasure’ on nme.com and thought that was worth checking out. So I and girlfriend of the time went to see them at the Liquid Rooms in Edinburgh, where they were opening for Hot Hot Heat. I still like Hot Hot Heat, and i think Make Up The Breakdown is a great album, but frankly, Franz Ferdinand blew me away.

Hot Hot Heat – ‘Bandages.’ mp3 from Make Up the Breakdown*

Franz Ferdinand -‘Darts of Pleasure’ mp3 from Franz Ferdinand

The next time I saw Franz Ferdinand was on holiday in York, where they headlined the tiny but wonderful Fibbers. I was on holiday at the time, and actually met the band walking down the street. I haven’t met them since, but they were warm and very welcoming, posed for photographs, signed autographs etc.. They had just come from London by train and were walking down the middle of York’s pedestrian precinct.
The gig that night was warm and sweaty, and as well as the comfortable feeling that we really were seeing the next big thing, was the two support acts, Dogs Die In Hot Cars, who’d just put out their debut single ‘I Love You ‘Cos I Have To’ and Sons and Daughters. At the time, the latter’s album was only available on import, even though they come from Falkirk (midway between Edinburgh and Glasgow. Alright, that’s a simplification but it will do). I have subsequently seen Franz Ferdinand another four times, though pleased as I am to see them do well, it’s kinda frustrating not to be able to get tickets for shows for a band who sell out big venues when I saw them playing venues where you really could see the whites of their eyes.

Dogs Die In Hot Cars – ‘I Love You ‘Cos I have To.’ mp3 from Please Describe Yourself

I have now seen Sons and Daughters a grand total of seven times (they tie with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club for the band I have seen the most). The band, made up of Adele Bethel (vocals and guitars), Scott Paterson (vocals, guitar), Ailidh Lennon (bass, mandolin) and David Gow (drums) are just…something else, both live and on record. The interchange between Adele and Scott – a couple in real life – is just something that has to be seen to be believed. Now that The Delgados have split they are without a doubt my favourite Scottish band. They could be filed under indie…or country, but somehow, they just transcend those sort of labels. No, really. They also have managed to effectively make two debut albums – their mini-lp ‘Love the cup’ and ‘The Repulsion Box.’ Considering how long it isn’t -twenty-five minutes and seven tracks – Love The Cup feels spectacularly complete, an album that can be stuck on repeated play. The Repulsion Box should have been a big smash, taking things onto the next level.However, the big release the day it came out – at least in the UK – was Coldplay’s X & Y. Ah well…

Love The Cup

“Sons and Daughters – ‘Dance Me In.’ mp3 from The Repulsion Box

*I know Hot Hot Heat are Canadian, but as I began to write this post, I knew I had to have this track here.

OK, first of all I promised more covers – and here you are (see this as a part two to yesterday’s post):

First up, DeVotchKa )and yes, those caps ARE meant to be there!) covering the Velvet Underground’s Venus In Furs. This is, for those who don’t know, originaly on the VU’s debut The Velvet Underground & Nico. Brian Eno once said that this album may only have sold a few thousand copies when it came out – but everyone who heard it went and formed a band. Whilst the cynics may point out that it is going ot be impossible to confirm this (Go away. Now!), I think their influence on David Bowie, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Primal Scream, the Jesus and Mary Chain…punk, goth, indie…hmm. I think my record collection would be way, way different. And much poorer.

DeVotchKa – ‘Venus In Furs.’ mp3

To buy DeVotchKa’s Curse Your Little Heart EP click here

To buy The Velvet Underground and Nico click here

Surfing the web, I also came across this cover of Mercury Rev doing David Bowie’s Jean Genie. This is from their own website; Bowie’s original should also be heard-and owned.

Mercury Rev – ‘Jean Genie.’ mp3

If you don’t own any Mercury Rev albums, I suggest you start by buying Deserter’s Songs.

Bowie’s version can be heard on Aladdin Sane, as well as many compilations, such as this

The Spells, a side project from Carrie Brownstein of the about to be very sorely missed Sleater-Kinney, and Mary Timony of Helium covered The Who’s I Can’t Explain in 1999. Mmm, I like this!

The Spells -‘I Can’t Explain.’ mp3

Go here to buy it

I know I have put a fair bit up on Canasta already but if you haven’t been to their website already, you really should. Here they cover Al Green’s Let’s Stay Together and Suzanne Vega’s Tom’s Diner.

Canasta -‘Let’s Stay Together (live).’ mp3

Canasta -‘Tom’s Diner.’ mp3

Go here to buy Canasta music.

Follow this to buy Al Green and this to buy Suzanne Vega.

Hope you like these. Enjoy the sunshine.