17 Seconds Christmas Posts 2014 part 5

Posted on December 11, 2014 by Ed

I’ve long featured releases from my friend Matthew Young’s Song, By Toad label on this blog, and today’s Christmas posting comes from David Thomas Broughton and Juice. Taken from their album Sliding The Same Way comes the rather fine ‘Unshaven Boozer.’ You can stream AND download for free from the top of the page. You really should.

Song, By Toad managed to show that there were people who COULD turn a blog into a label, and as well as the David Thomas Broughton record, amongst their fine releases this year was the second Jonnie Common album Trapped In Amber, from which the fine ‘ODB’ made this year’s 17 Seconds Festive 50.

17 Seconds Christmas Posts 2014 part 4

Posted on December 10, 2014 by Ed

I’ve been giving coverage to Broken Records for almost as long as this blog has been going (starting with a review for an early support slot back in August 2007), and it has been absolutely great to see them back with their third album Weights and Pulleys this year. From that album ‘Toska’ made my annual Festive 50, which I published yesterday.

They’ve made a free Christmas single available to download ‘My Beer Drunk Soul Is Sadder Than All The Dead Christmas Trees In The World.’ You can download and stream it at the top of this page. It’s always great to have new additions to the Christmas mixtape…

17 Seconds Christmas Posts 2014 part 3

Posted on December 9, 2014 by Ed

‘The Power Of Love’ was a 1984 no.1 hit for Frankie Goes To Hollywood. Subsequently covered by other artists (including Feeder), the fabulous Courtesans – Sinead La Bella (vocals), Saffire Sanchez (guitar), Agnes D. Jones (bass) and Victoria Brown (drums) give a fantastic take on it. You can stream it at the top of the page – and buy it from January 5.

They are absolutely NOTHING to do with X-Factor contestant Eileen Daly, who tried to trademark the name, a courtcase the band won.

And because this is also fabulous, check out their version of The Velvet Underground’s ‘Venus In Furs.’

However The Courtesans are for life and not just for Christmas, so here are two more tracks that you should check out (and buy, obviously)

17 Seconds Christmas Posts 2014 part 1

Posted on December 6, 2014 by Ed

A few weeks ago, I did a mammoth post about the awesome Wedding Present re-issues that came out at the end of October. You can never write too much about the Wedding Present, so I start off this year’s annual Christmas posts with the final of the twelve 7″ singles that the band released in 1992 (artwork at the top of the page). Keeping in with the other eleven releases, side A was a Wedding Present original ‘No Christmas’ and the b-side was their take on another cover, in this case Elton John’s ‘Step Into Christmas.’

You can find both these tracks on the Hit Parade compilation.

In 2008, the Wedding Present released another Christmas-themed single entitled ‘Holly Jolly Hollywood’ featuring vocals from Simone White, and you can see the video below ( apparently some Weddoes fans didn’t like this – to hell with ’em!):

You can still download it on iTunes and other online sites.

Christmas Posts 2012 #18

Posted on December 21, 2012 by Ed

elastica

Was quite chuffed, as the 17 Seconds family ate tea this evening to the soundtrack of 6Music: Tom Ravenscroft (John Peel’s son, in case you are glacially slow on the uptake) started off his evening show with The Fall’s 1994 Peel session version of ‘Jingle Bell Rock.’ I remember taping that and ‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing’ off that show back in 1994 (when the idea of mp3s seemed awfy futuristic) of a Christmas show.

That same show, Elastica did a couple of session tracks, in which they reworked a couple of traditional Christmas songs into Elastica tunes -and here they are! Yes, I have posted them in the past -they still make me smile and jump around like a mad thing.

Elastica -‘I Wanna Be A King Of Orient-Aah (Peel session).’ mp3

Elastica -‘All For Gloria (Peel session.)’ mp3

Christmas Posts 2012 #17

Posted on December 18, 2012 by Ed

heartbreaks

I posted Arab Strap’s version of ‘Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) nine or ten days ago, now having been sent this as a free download (nice that some people still do this!), I thought that I would share the Heartbreaks’ version of the song with you. I heard this on 6Music over the weekend, and was rather pleased when it turned up in my inbox.

There’s not many bands that I’m aware of who come from Morecambe (or even the neighbouring Lancaster), but give this a spin, it’s a really rather fine version of the track.

The Heartbreaks, by the way, will release their new EP Hand On Heart in February.

If you like what you hear, check out more over at The Heartbreaks’ Soundcloud page.

Christmas Posts 2012 #16

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Ed

scott-longmuir

This Thursday (December 20), I am putting on a gig (as part of my day job, no less, working for Library Services) at Dalkeith Arts Centre. Headlining are The Last Battle and supporting are Carter Damm. Oh, and I am DJing.

The Last Battle are shortly to release their sophomore album, but they have, as ever, been writing and recording loads, and they have this very day released a new, free EP for Christmas, which I am delighted to present for you here.

<a href="http://thelastbattlemusic.bandcamp.com/album/the-last-xmas">The Last Xmas by The Last Battle</a>

Here’s the weird and wonderful video…

I’ve featured Carter Damm before, should you need reminding about their brilliance again, here is their track ‘Clowning.’

Buy tickets for the event here

Christmas Posts 2012 #15

Posted on December 14, 2012 by Ed

A few years back, I got a fair amount of abuse from regular readers for posting ‘A Spaceman Came Travelling’ by Chris de Burgh on the blog. Fair enough if I had posted ‘The Lady In Red’ but no, people were not amused.

This I have posted before, but I love it and I will share it again. It’s Riley Briggs and Aberfeldy covering the song at the Voodoo Rooms in Edinburgh, around 2008.

And if I still can’t find a stream of this, here’s a video of them covering ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’ as made famous by Shaklin’ Stevens, at the Liquid Rooms in 2010.

Still think this would be an awesome AA-single…

Christmas Posts 2012 #13

Posted on December 12, 2012 by Ed

the-cornshed-sisters

The Cornshed Sisters are Jennie, Cath, Liz and Marie (as to whether they are really Sisters, well, to the best of my knowledge, no-one in the Sisters of Mercy was related to each other). In the spirit of Christmas, they have made a AA-single entitled A Very Cornshed Christmas, which comprises ‘Have a Good Christmas Time’ / ‘It Smells a Lot Like Christmas’.

…and all you need to do is submit your email, which is seems pretty damn reasonable when you think about it.

They are signed to Memphis Industries, who have also given us Field Music, The Pipettes and The Go! Team, amongst many others.

Enjoy…

Christmas Posts 2012 #12

Posted on December 9, 2012 by Ed

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

17 SECONDS

…A MEASURE OF LIFE

Category Archives: Christmas