A post for St. Andrew’s Day

November 30 marks St. Andrew’s Day, the Patron Saint of Scotland.

This isn’t a particularly big day in Scotland, but then St. David’s Day and St. George’s Day aren’t either. Which probably seems out to the Americans reading this, when you consider how important both Thanksgiving and the 4th of July are.

There’s much I love about Scotland, my adopted homeland since 2001. I didn’t just move here because I loved Belle and Sebastian or because of Fopp and Avalanche, though these were factors in my coming. Since moving here, I’ve interviewed Emma Pollock, had tea at Stevie Jackson from Belle and Sebastian’s house, worked with members of the Prats, X-Vectors and Wounded Knee, to say nothing of seeing many acts. Oh, and started my own indie label, done my own club night, begun this blog…and qualified as a teacher. It’s a place where many of my dreams have come true.

It’s not just about the music. There’s great literature, great films and a whole thriving culture. I don;t think I could live anywhere else. Sure the winter’s are severe, but you can’t have everything.

My favourite scottish band remain The Delgados, who are just brilliant. They split up in 2005, but are just life affirming. My favourite Delgados song is ‘No Danger’ which is from the album The Great Eastern, my favourite scottish album (it was recorded in New York State. Then again, Transformer by Lou Reed reminds me of New York but was recorded in London. Go figure…)

And an mp3 from the album, ‘American Trilogy.’

The Delgados -‘American Trilogy.’ mp3

Oh go on! Here’s the video too…

And some other great, classic scottish tracks…

Motorcycle Boy -‘Big Rock Candy Mountain (Velocity Dance Mix).’ mp3

Aztec Camera -‘Oblivious.’ mp3

Primal Scream -‘Velocity Girl.’ mp3

Jesus and Mary Chain -‘Upside Down.’ mp3

Camera Obscura -‘Eighties Fan.’ mp3

Yes, I know most of them are over twenty years old, but hey…

More Peel, anybody?

Well, it has been a little while, so why not one of my Peel posts?

By the way, before I get stuck into this, can people please go and vote over at Teenage Kicks so Steve can work out everyone’s favourite Peel sessions. My list is likely to include The Cure, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, The Fall, Half Man Half Biscuit and the Breeders. Possibly…

First up, I know very little about this song, but its’ title sums it up quite well, I think:

Robert Lloyd and the New Four Seasons -‘Something Nice.’ mp3 (1988 Festive Fifty no.21)

Madness fell flat on their face trying to cover ‘The ”Sweetest Girl” ‘; they didn’t try this to the best of my knowledge:

Scritti Politti -‘Asylums In Jerusalem.’ mp3 (1982 Festive Fifty no.18)

From the same year, 1982, Aztec Camera’s only other Festive Fifty entry:

Aztec Camera -‘Pillar To Post.’ mp3 ((1982 Festive Fifty no.24)

Peel often felt frustrated that the Festive Fifty didn’t include stuff he’d been championing; I hope this pleased him, a rare Hip-Hop entry:

De La Soul -‘Eye Know.’ mp3 (1989 Festive Fifty no.34)

This was a classic case of a band that Peel had supported some time before finally breaking through, both to the ‘proper’ top 40 and the Festive Fifty:

The Farm -‘Groovy Train.’ mp3 (1990 Festive Fifty no.47)

These four tracks from the Wedding Present’s Watusi album, still unavailable in the UK it appears, all made the Festive Fifty in 1994.

Wedding Present -‘Spangle.’ mp3(1994 Festive Fifty no.39)

Wedding Present -‘So Long, Baby.’ mp3 (1994 Festive Fifty no.37)

Wedding Present -‘Click Click.’ mp3 (1994 Festive Fifty no.30)

Wedding Present -‘Swimming Pools Movie Stars.’ mp3 (1994 Festive Fifty no.15)

Finally, it wouldn’t be the Festive Fifty without an entry from The Fall. I spent ages trying to work out why I couldn’t track this down, then realised that the actual version was in with my LPs and that the CD version seemed to call it Bremen Nacht Alternative. Thank god for the USB turntable.

The Fall -‘Bremen Nacht.’ mp3 (1988 Festive Fifty no.16)

Now…can anyone help me complete the following tracks, please?

From 1982:

Serious Drinking -‘Love On The Terraces.’ (1982 Festive Fifty no.38) [Gratefully received thank you!]

From 1983:

Redskins -‘Lean On Me.’ (1983 Festive Fifty no.30) [Gratefull received, thank you!]
Tools You Can Trust -‘Waking and Shopping.’ (1983 Festive Fifty no.34) [Gratefully received thank you!]
S.P.K. -‘Metal Dance.’ (1983 Festive Fifty no.39) [Gratefully received thank you!]

From 1988:

Overlord X -’14 Days In May.’ (1988 Festive Fifty no.28) [Gratefully received, thank you!]
Loop -‘Collision.’ (1988 Festive Fifty no. 41) [Gratefully received, thank you!]

From 1989:
Inspiral Carpets -‘So This Is How It Feels (Peel session version).’ mp3 (1989 Festive Fifty no.35)
Inspiral Carpets -”She Comes In The Fall (Peel session version).’ mp3 (1989 Festive Fifty no.50)

Thanks if anyone can help!

Edx

Peel Festive Fifty Favourites Volume ??

John Peel with Laura Cantrell, 2004

I’ve got to say, I’ve been very impressed with the amount of feedback I’ve been getting over the last few weeks since I started doing the Peel Festive Fifty posts. It’s great, and I just wish that when I posted about new music I got the same response (did no-one like the Vampire Weekend tracks?)

Anyway, here are another ten;

Gregory Isaacs -‘Nightnurse.’ mp3 (1982 Festive Fifty no.52)

Butthole Surfers -’22 Going On 23.’ mp3 (1987 Festive Fifty no.44)

Public Enemy -‘Night Of the Living Baseheads.’ mp3 (1988 Festive Fifty no.50)

Mighty Lemon Drops -‘Like An Angel.’ mp3 (1986 Festive Fifty no.34)

Helen Love -‘Does Your Heart Go Boom.’ mp3 (1997 Festive Fifty no.3)

White Town -‘Your Woman.’ mp3 (1996 Festive Fifty no.31)

Marine Research -‘Parallel Horizontal.’ mp3 (1999 Festive Fifty no.47)

Nina Nastasia -‘Ugly Face.’ mp3 (2002 Festive Fifty no.4)

Aztec Camera -‘Oblivious.’ mp3 (1983 Festive Fifty no.29)

Massive Attack -‘Teardrop.’ mp3 (1998 Festive Fifty no.21)

Hope you like them, and leave feedback!

Edx

Seven Songs Selected At Random

(Roddy Frame of Aztec Camera)

These seven songs have indeed been selected at random!

Enjoy. And as always, if you like what you hear GO AND SUPPORT THE ARTISTS INVOLVED!!

Aztec Camera -‘Jump (Van Halen cover).’ mp3

Talking Heads -‘Memories Can’t Wait.’ mp3

Pretty Girls make Graves -‘This Is Our Emergency.’ mp3

Danger Mouse and Gemini -‘Ghetto Pop Life.’ mp3

The Fall -‘Spoilt Victorian Child.’ mp3

Goldie -‘Inner City Life.’ mp3

Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy -‘Television, The Drug Of the Nation.’ mp3

Happy Listening, wherever you may be…

Sunday Night


Well, after several weeks of being off ill, and then the official school holidays i am back to school tomorrow. nervous? You betcha, but I’m trying not to think about it too much.

This isn’t going to be a long post, but I hope you’ll like what I have posted.

Aztec Camera -‘Somewhere In My Heart.’ mp3

OK so ‘Oblivious’ and the stuff from the first album are classics, but this is too. This was one of the first Aztec Camera tracks I ever heard, aged 11, and as such it holds a special place in my record collection, and my, er, heart. Available on Love and their Best of.

Idlewild -‘No Emotion.’ mp3

Am I the only person who has bought the new album? It’s really very good. Get your acts together people. It’s on the new album, Make Another World.

Mother and the addicts -‘What Were The Reasons.’ mp3

A new track from the forthcoming Mother and the Addicts album that they have put out on the net (buy older stuff here).

Mull Historical Society -‘Watching Xanadu.’ mp3

Aw. Colin and co. bring a smile to my face every time. Off their debut, Loss.

Sister Vanilla -‘K to be Lost.’ mp3

The brothers Reid (of the now reformed Jesus and Mary Chain) and little sister Linda unleash Little Pop Rock. World cheers.

Sonic Youth -‘Dirty Boots.’ mp3

I heard this just after Christmas 1990 at a friend’s house. I had to have the album Goo. That same night I also heard Jane’s Addiction’s Ritual De Lo Habitual. These things can change your life at fourteen (actually I still think they can at thirty; then again, I’d rather browse the vinyl racks in a record store than go to IKEA, so what do I know?)

Hope you like them. As always, if you like the music you hear, support the artists. These mp3s will be up for a week only.

Have a good week

xx