Monthly Archives: December 2012

Christmas Posts 2012 #12

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arab-strap

Phil Spector’s A Christmas Gift To You album has become a staple at Christmastime, surviving even his incarceration. Coming out on the same day has the Kennedy assassination, the world was -understandably- more preoccupied by other events at the time. One of the best known tracks is Darlene Love’s ‘Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)’ which has been covered by numerous artists over the years.

Tonight’s version is from Arab Strap. Now, it’s not the most cheerful of songs anyway (there’s a lot of sadness around at this time of year, anyway), but Aidan Moffat’s vocal here could make the hardest of hearts melt.

Arab Strap -‘Xmas Baby Please Come Home.’ mp3

Christmas Posts 2012 #11

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abagail-grey

Abagail Grey is the name Inverness singer-songwriter Claire Campbell performs under.

Having released the Dark Stone EP earlier this year in the summer, she has just released the really rather lovely five track EP Snowflake Remember, which is really rather lovely…actually, scratch that, it’s absolutely beautiful.

As the press release explains here we find her ‘aligning double-edged moods, metaphors and images of cold and cosiness, brightness and dark, decline and renewal.’ It’s a bit obvious to compare her to Isobel Campbell’s solo work (or the work she did under the name The GEntle Waves) or Camera Obscura, but let’s just say, if you enjoy that, then you’ll love this.

There’s five tracks here -and every one of them is fantastic. Truly an EP rather than just a track bolstered by tracks you could have lived without.

****1/2

Stream it at her soundcloud or on bandcamp below:

BONUS:

This was her Christmas release last year:

…and no, there’s nothing wrong, I’ve just got something in my eye, ‘scuse me a second…

Christmas Posts 2012 #10

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matt-norris-and-the-moon

The most recent release on the 17 Seconds Records label which grew out of this blog was Matt Norris and the Moon’s This Kingdom EP (stream here ). This was a rather lovely version of ‘I Saw Three Ships’ which they recorded last year, and made available to download from their soundcloud. I posted this last year -but if you haven’t heard it before (or even if you have) check it out!

Christmas Posts 2012 #9

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wounded-knee

Argh.

Had today off work with the intention of spending it with Mrs. and son 17 Seconds to go shopping and exploring town at this time of year.

What I did NOT have in mind was feeling like death, and feeling lethargic. Bugger.

Ah well.

Today’s post comes from Wounded Knee, a free track that he gave away a few years ago entitled ‘Cold Enough For Snow.’ In his own words, he is a singer, experimental vocalist and occasional children’s entertainer based in Edinburgh who has been active since 2004. In the small world that is the Edinburgh music scene, I used to work with him in Fopp, alongside members of eagleowl, Woodpigeon, X-Vectors, Usurper and the Prats.

Wounded Knee -‘Cold Enough For Snow.’ mp3

You can hear more of Drew Wright’s work here. My favourite album his remains Shimmering New Vistas. His website is here and I am involved in putting on a gig featuring him and others in 2013. Watch this space…

Presenting…PoP Campaign

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pop-campaign

Think pop isn’t political? Meet PoP Campaign.

It can be sheer luck what submissions I’m able to get through on this blog. A few days back, my jaw dropped as I watched a video called ‘Maggie’s Farmers’ from PoP Campaign. They’re not letting this out to the public -yet-but I’m chomping at the bit to be able to share that with you.

PoP Campaign are Exclamation Mark and Anna Gram (possibly not what it says on their birth certificates, but we’ll let that pass). They met in Glasgow, spent time in Berlin and are now based in London. And amongst their influences they include Krautrock, Human League, Madonna and Acid House. I would be willing to bet that they enjoy Run Lola Run, Christiane F, Goodbye Lenin! and the work of Fritz Lang.

They released their debut album Kraut Popping earlier this year, and their new album is entitled Britain Isn’t Working. You can buy these on Amazon, iTunes and eMusic and stream on Spotify. This track is from the latter and is entitled ‘ASBOlutely Filthy.’

You can stream more of their tunes over here at Soundcloud

Christmas Posts 2012 #8

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cbgb2

New York’s legendary CBGB’s. I visited once, in 2004, not to attend a gig, but just to pay homage. It was a bit of a dive, in the best possible way, but it oozed rock’n’roll even more than Glasgow’s Barrowlands. It’s pointless fantasising, but there’s a part of me that would have loved to have lived in 1970s New York. Granted, it would doubtless have been a pretty scary place at times, but the thought of the arts scene there -and most importantly, to me -PUNK -would have been worth experiencing.

Anyway, today’s posting involves two acts who were part of the 1970s New York Ounk scene that centered around the legendary CBGBs – Blondie and Patti Smith – both doing their very own, different takes on ‘We Free Kings.’ And yes, it’s a song that’s associated with Epiphany, January 6, but let’s not split hairs and enjoy some music. These versions date from the last decade, and whilst Blondie’s is more of a knees-up, Smith’s is a poetic reading.

Enjoy.

Blondie -‘We Free Kings.’ mp3

Patti Smith -‘We Free Kings.’ mp3

Christmas Posts 2012 #7

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for-folks-sake

It’s not just about re-posting old stuff on here at Christmas.

Gibson Bull and Carmen have recorded a version of ‘The Holly and the Ivy’ in an indie/Americana style. It’s part of For Folk’s Sake It’s Christmas 2012, which is the annual charity Christmas album that also features Admiral Fallow, The Willows, Ellen and the Escapades, Tom Williams and the Boat and other great up and coming UK folk acts.

There is also a rather ace video to go along with it:

You can stream the album below, may I recommend that you check out The Willows’ take on ‘We Free Kings.’ Utterly fantastic.

Proceeds when you buy the album (only £7!) go to the Evelina Children’s Hospital. Find out more

Christmas Posts 2012 #6

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poly-styrene-2010

Today’s Christmas offering was a fine and free track released by Poly Styrene, once of X-Ray Spex, a couple of years ago. An almost anti-seasonal track, if such a thing is possible. I wasn’t that into her final album Generation Indigo, sadly, but she was a legend and is sadly missed.

And if you think this track is bleak, bear in mind that, after all, some Christmas music is patently dark and antagonistic. That goes for the Hives and Cyndi Lauper’s ‘A Christmas Duel’. You also get the very sad carol ‘The Coventry Carol’ which remembers all the children slaughtered by King Herod. And if it’s all about good cheer, why do people love ghost stories around this time of year so much. Eh? Eh??

Enjoy!

Album Review: David Cronenberg’s Wife

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david-cronenbergs-wife

David Cronenberg’s Wife -‘Don’t Wait To Be Hunted To Hide.’ (Blang)

This is David Cronenberg’s Wife’s third album, and sees the London band continue with an interesting and perhaps more than a little skewed (screwed!) take on life. If you could point to another act’s lyrics as to where DCW are coming from then Nick Cave’s ‘Up Jumped The Devil’ (‘I was born on the day that my poor mother died/I was cut from her belly with a stanley knife/my daddy did a jig with the drunk midwife). If it was a TV programme, it might be like The League Of Gentlemen, but set in the home counties.

Musically, it’s coming from a place where surf guitar and punk meet dirty, twisted blues and country, with the exception of the third track ”Such A Sweet Boy’ which on the surface at least, is more reminiscent of twee-pop and is in waltz-time. The characters are somewhat twisted – the man in ‘For Laura Kingsman’ tries to defend his affair with a teenage girl on the grounds that he ‘wasn’t her first’. On ‘Lonelyman’ the imagery is violence of a personal yet almost detached manner: ‘I woke up with a cigarette burnt out in my mouth -that’s the feeling that you get when your conscience headed south.’

In Pink Floyd’s ‘Arnold Layne’ single, you’re inclined to agree that whilst he might be a bit of a perv, he’s not a nasty sort of person; here the characters are much more lurid -yet horrifyingly fascinating. Some may not find this possible to stomach, but once you tune in (if!) there’s a very black humour and -whisper it -intelligence -on display.

***1/2

Don’t Wait To Be Hunted To Hide is out on Blang on December 3.

Stream ‘Spiked’ here