2020 - Year in Music

There were five songs that really blew me away this year. I'm not going to do a Top 5 or any Top list, ranking them doesn't really mean anything as they all really hit me in that wonderfully incomparable way a song should.

Carla J. Easton's - 'Never Knew You' - a glorious POP tune and a great video, complete with fancy gowns and animal head masks. Carla's album Weirdo is my POP album of the year.

 

 

Steve Kilbey's 'Josephine' is gorgeous and I've loved hearing it ever since it debuted during his Monday evening Instagram sessions. Lovely lyrics, and the feeling is enormous. There's some great stuff on the 11 Women album. 

 

Sam Barton's 'We painted our faces and gave false names', wow, this blew me away the first time I heard it on the Flashback Records compilation, later released on Sam's Acid Apple Satin Walls album. It reminded me of that next level that music took me to as a teenager when you realize just how important all this is. A wonderful track that I listened to over and over many a time this year.

Illuminati Hotties' 'Freequent Letdown'. First off, best band name I've heard in years. And this tune is just so joyous and catchy. Top pop.

AC/DC's 'Through The Mists Of Time'. A great timeless rock song. This also blew me away the first time I heard the album. My childhood best friend messaged me reminding me that they were putting out a new one and he absolutely loves the whole record, saying how it was such a great thing to have happen this year of all years. While the rest of it just sounds like latter day AC/DC to me, 'Through The Mists Of Time' really stands out. I found myself putting it on a few days after I gave the album a listen, and then just kept coming back to it, until eventually it found its way on the stereo almost every time I had music playing. I love it. It's my favourite thing they've done with Brian Johnson since 'Thunderstruck', and ranks up there with my favourites of the second incarnation of the band. My affection for this tune had me listening to them a lot more, realizing that Powerage definitely ranks in my Top 5 Albums of All-Time, and I then watched all the documentaries available about them in less than a week.

La Roux's 'Automatic Driver' deserves an honourable mention as I've listened to this tune a ton and it's just the type of pop song I love.

Two tunes that definitely deserve a mention as I listened to them a ton and love them, despite them only being currently listenable on YouTube are Jordan Benik's, now going under the name Trading Queens.

And High On Stress' 'Work Release'. If you like The Replacements...

I discovered a bunch of great artists this year. High On Stress being a big one. As well as Anton Barbeau, Hedvig Mollestad, and Emma Tricca.

Mr. Barbeau has many a fine tune, usually in the English eccentric meets his California homeland style, but it was this one that he wrote for and dueted with Allyson Seconds on that has been on my stereo the most.

All of Hedvig Mollestad's records are worth checking out though it is her 2013 album with her trio, All Of Them Witches,  that I put on the most, always accompanied by a big 'YES!' at its awesomeness.

Hedvig Mollestad Trio · All Them Witches

I don't remember how I first heard Emma Tricca, but I'm so glad I did. This tune is pure loveliness.

As for older songs and artists I discovered this year, a French Instagram friend hipped me to the beauty of Nino Ferrer's 'Le Sud'.

Mat Colegate posted Judee Sill's 'The Kiss' on FB one night which lead me down an extraordinary rabbithole, with 'Jesus Was A Cross Maker' coming to the fore as my fave.

Ms. Sill reminds me a bit of Dory Previn, who I love and was listening to a lot especially at the beginning of the year when I was driving out to California. Her 'Going Home' I believe is my song for 2020, even though it was a year I wasn't really sure what I could consider 'home'.

I have another Album of the Year - A Love Supreme Electric. Henry Kaiser, John Hanrahan, Mike Watt, Wayne Peet, and Vinny Golia. I fell in love with this from its opening notes. It is what it says, an electric version of Coltrane's A Love Supreme and Meditations. The music is ENORMOUS and really takes you very far indeed.

It was my pleasure to talk to a lot of the artists mentioned above on the Etcetera ETC With Young Southpaw podcast - Henry Kaiser, Steve Kilbey, Anton Barbeau, Nick from High On Stress, Hedvig Mollestad, and Carla J. Easton. As well as a bunch of other great guests like Greg Proops from 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?', Mat Osman from Suede, Mark Monnone from The Lucksmiths, author John Higgs, and many others. You can listen to those here. 

Maybe I'll get around to posting about all the books I read and films I watched this year in another post. But it's worth noting that P. G. Wodehouse audiobooks and Letterkenny really kept me going this year. 

Happy New Year all!

Week in Music & Such Oct 19th - 25th

Anton Barbeau added me on Twitter this week and his bio reads ""File in the buried treasure bin alongside XTC, Robyn Hitchcock, Julian Cope and The Bevis Frond." - Stewart Lee, The Sunday Times". So of course I gave him a listen. And yeah, those comparisons are spot on! Really digging his new record 'Manbird'. And always nice to have a back catalogue to go through.

I also found out that Dean Garcia from Curve, who I loved, has a ton of solo stuff out, releasing a SPC ECO ("Space Echo") EP a month this year. His daughter, Rose, is on vocals. This song is lovely. 

 

I interviewed Amelia Fletcher & Rob Pursey for my ETC podcast about the new Heavenly compilation coming out in December and a couple of their new projects (they have so many) - Swansea Sound and The Drift. Although we didn't get a chance to talk about them, their post-Heavenly band Marine Research has been stuck in my head the most this week. The album 'Sounds From The Gulf Stream' is such a great pop record, in my Top 25 of All-Time. And the single is great as well, I love those b-sides. From the album it's been 'Venn Diagram' that's been stuck in my head all week.

And of course the 'Parallel Horizontal' single is just brilliant.

I finally finished watching the 1974 Zero Mostel & Gene Wilder Film, Rhinocerus. Based on the Ionesco play. I had started it in 2018 one night when I was too tired but had kept it marked to come back to. Enjoyed it, not too absurd but well done. Galt MacDermot's score is really good. I especially like the second half of the main theme, when it goes to the major key.

I've been reading Kim "Howard" Johnson's wonderful 'Monty Pynthon's Tunisian Holiday', the Python biographer's diaries from the film set of Life Of Brian. Very much enjoying it. I love Python. One of the turning points of my life was watching the sketch with "It's spelled 'Luxury Yacht' but it's pronounced 'ThroatWarblerMangrove'." 13 year old me just thought that was the greatest thing, a wonderful sense of imagination and silliness. I'm always really happy when Python comes back into my life and I've been watching the documentaries on Netflix that I haven't seen - The Meaning Of Live and The Meaning Of Monty Python. Also watched Eric Idle's What About Dick? Which is wonderfully anarchic. A play in the form of a radio play that had almost no rehearsal and was only performed 4 times. The cast is stellar, great energy, and Eddie Izzard is especially brilliant, very impressive. And I want Billy Connolly's awesome suit from it. 

I finished listening to Momus' autobiography, Niche: A Memoir In Pastiche. In which he 'channels' 217 dead artists to tell his life story. It was very well done. And I loved hearing favourites of mine like J.P. Donleavy talking about Marc Bolan's Tyrannosaurus Rex, or Witold Gombrowicz mentioning The Sex Pistols, The Beatles, and David Bowie. 

Moving on to my next audiobook, I just started Wodehouse's 'Galahad At Blandings'. Felt the need for some Wodehouse as he and 'Letterkenny' have really been the things keeping me laughing this year. 

Speaking of 'Wodehouse', 'Archer' Season 11 is a return to form. 

Also watched the Killing Joke documentary, 'The Death & Resurrection Show'. It was 2.5 hours long but when I was finished, I didn't see how it could possibly have been any shorter. Very interesting. Heavy on the occult stuff, but what a long career they've had. ConcertArchives.org reminds me that 26 years ago today, on October 26th 1994, I saw them for the first and only time, at Axis in Boston, MA, on the 'Pandemonium' tour. At one point Jaz said 'we've been millionaires on wine & cheese'. That stuck in my head for some reason.

Last night after a busy weekend getting the two podcasts together, I watched The Addams Family and Addams Family Values back to back. It was just the thing.

Week in Music & Such October 12-18th

This week mostly Middle Blue's 'Leany Lean' has been stuck in my head. Very catchy. I love groove-based yet melodic music like this. Digging their Love Chords album

I learned that Richard Butler of The Psychedelic Furs released a solo album in 2006 and what I've heard from it is lovely.  

Uncle Tupelo's 'Gun' was stuck in my head for a while. I was reminiscing about seeing them open up for Teenage Fanclub in March 1992 at Toad's Place in New Haven, CT. What a great show. This has always been my favourite Uncle Tupelo tune

I've heard the new Louis Philippe album coming out in December and it is gorgeous pop. 

Reading-wise, I grabbad Yann &Schwartz's 'Atom Agency' today and enjoyed it very much. Loved the artwork, evoking 1949 France in the style of the 60s masters. 

Finished watching 'The Bureau' on Friday night. Oh man is this show great. I binged all 5 seasons in like a month. And perhaps it was The Day Today sketch, thankfully put out of my mind around season three, that had me watch 'The Trip To Greece' last night. Also caught up with Archer season 11 and it's been really funny. After the first two episodes it got back up to classic period Archer

Week In Music October 5-11th

 

Week in Music & Such September 28th - October 4th

Honeyblood's 'The Third Degree' has been my song of the week. What a wonderful, jubilant, modern guitar take on a 60s-esque tune. LOVE it. 

Bought the Honeyblood discography on Bandcamp Friday.

Also bought Sam Barton's 'Acid Apple Satin Walls'. Great new record. Electronic, experimental elements. And 'We Painted Our Faces And Gave False Names' is a thing of beauty. One of my tracks of the year.

Also discovered Blue Boredom. Lovely female-voiced synthpop. They remind me of someone but I haven't figured out who yet. 

Interviewed John Andrew Fredrick again for the latest episode of Etcetera ETC With Young Southpaw. My first repeat guest. And always a pleasure to chat with the elegantly loquacious Mr. Fredrick. So I was listening to his new Black Watch album, Fromthing Somethat, of which this is my favourite song from it:

In other news, finished William Boyd's 'Armadillo'. I really enjoyed reading it, though I was convinced the end could have gone a couple of different ways and I wasn't so sure about this relationship with Flavia, with it coming from so little. 

Now I'm onto 'The End' by Fernanda Torres. Really enjoying this. Ostensibly about the lives of five male friends in Rio, but it's almost as equally the story of the women in their lives. Very fun, bawdy, but emotionally packing a punch as well.

Re-read Nabokov's 'The Vane Sisters' two nights ago and was once again deeply touched by its beauty and inventiveness. 

TV-wise, I continue to be enthralled with The Bureau. Devoured Season 2 in four days and now onto Season 3. 

Week In Music & Such September 21st-27th, 2020

Not too much to report. It's mostly been just a few things. The Replacements' 'Valentine' has been stuck in my head most of the week. AND THAT IS AN AWESOME THING. 

Last night, exhausted after a busy day of work, I just lay on my floor and listened to my favourite Replacements songs. It was exactly what I needed.

I had a really great conversation with Nick Leet from High On Stress for the latest Etcetera ETC With Young Southpaw on Thursday. An hour for the podcast then an additional hour after I stopped recording. We have very similar tastes in music. High On Stress are one of my big musical discoveries of this year. If you like The Replacements, I highly recommend checking them out. And Nick sent me this link of them doing a cover of 'Valentine'.  High On Stress' 'Work Release', first song on their new record, has also been stuck in my head quite a bit.

Picked up the new Wendy James album today. Looking forward to listening as soon as I'm done writing this. Title track is lovely

Read this interview with Tricky and realized he has a new record out, Fall To Pieces. Listened to his 20 20 EP from March. Dug them both and bought them. My favourite being this from the EP

Loving 'The Bureau', will finish Season One tonight. 

Been reading William Boyd's 'Armadillo'. Loved his Bond novel so when I was at the bookstore a couple weeks ago and saw this compared to Kingsley Amis & Evelyn Waugh I picked it up. I'm enjoying it. 

Week In Music & Such September 14th- 20th

The Divine Comedy's 'Absent Friends' was stuck in my head a lot earlier this week. The perfect song for these times

Heavenly's 'Modestic' has also been in my head quite a lot lately. What a great tune, especially the drive of the chorus

And Katie Dey's 'Darkness' keeps getting stuck in there too, like for weeks now

Had three, count 'em three, great musical discoveries this week!

High On Stress  - I saw the comparisons to The Replacements and early Soul Asylum and they are not wrong! Great songs. Bought the album today

Told Slant - lovely tunes, looking forward to hearing more

And Emma Tricca. Gorgeous voice, melodies, and arrangements. The last by Colorama's Carwyn Ellis, who I spoke with a few years back about Welsh music for The Quietus and met up with him in a pub in Cardiff to talk more music. Great guy. He was involved in Sarah Cracknell's last solo record too. Yesterday I spent a lot of time listening to Ms. Tricca and today I bought 'Relic' and 'St Peter'. 

I heard Emma on 'Lodge 49', which I've been loving. I was taken in by the Pynchon-esque name and was a bit hesitant after the first episode but I'm glad my friend Michelle convinced me to continue. My sort of thing, full of crazy quests. And they seem to play Broadcast an awful lot. I hope to finish the series this evening. 

Continuing on my Diana Rigg kick and luckily there's some more great stuff on YouTube.

'Theatre Of Blood' with Vincent Price

And one of her first TV roles, 'The Hot House', which is quite odd, though she's very good in it.

And my friend Rick tracked down her TV debut I believe, the 'A Very Desirable Plot' episode of 'The Sentimental Agent'. Aired on November 23, 1963, though I don't know when in relation to 'An Unearthly Child'. She's great in this also, of course.

And since re-reading John Higg's KLF book, I've been thinking about Dada a lot lately. Considering that like Dada, Young Southpaw is an appropriate reaction to a world gone mad. There's some documentaries on YouTube I've got lined up and watch Vic Reeves' one the other night

Week in Music and More September 7 - 13th

I interviewed John Higgs for the latest Etcetera ETC With Young Southpaw podcast this week. Great conversation. Recently read his 'Stranger Than We Can Imagine: An Alternative History Of The 20th Century' and loved it. Really looking forward to delving into 'Watling Street' and 'The Future Starts Here'. Recently there was a reissue of his book about the band TC Lethbridge, written before they'd ever played a gig. I really dig that opening ROCK riff:

Matthew Reed Baker tweeted about Can's 'Future Days' which had me throwing the album on, and this bootleg. And thinking how wonderful it must have been to have made this music.

Mostly stuck in my head this week is Carla Easton's fantastic POP song 'Never Knew You'. First time I heard this, I looked up to see if my computer hadn't suddenly started playing Taylor Swift. Infectious chorus. Great video too

Realized that although I had bought John Higg's KLF book when it came out in 2012, I had never finished it. I'd read about 80% of it back then but I decided to re-read the whole thing this week. Excellent stuff. Such an insane, fantastical, and inspiring story. Spent some time watching the old KLF videos too. 'Stand By The JAMS' stuck in my head too:

And their performance at The Brits in 1992. Oh man. So amazing that something like that would ever happen at a music industry event

Diana Rigg's passing really hit me hard. She was just so wonderful. Iconic as Emma Peel and Tracey Draco/Bond, and as herself, watching interviews with her, her spirit was just so...well, wonderful. She will be missed. I watched the one episode of her 1973 US sitcom 'Diana' on YouTube - if anyone has the others, I'd like to see them - and these fun and insightful tv interviews. 

I started reading Kathleen Tracy's biography of her too, which I had picked up at The Iliad bookshop in LA right before lockdown. 

With so much Avengers on my mind, Honor Blackman & Patrick Macnee's 'Let's Keep It Friendly' has been stuck in my head too. 

I had a dream last night that Martin Newell had a new song that used the same chords and feel as Hanoi Rocks' '11th Street Kidz' and it was as EXCELLENT as that sounds. It kind of morphed into 'Cheyenne' when I woke up and that was stuck in my head most of the early part of today.

Then L-Space posted about favourite songs not in English and I listed 7 right off the bat. There's tons, and I was very pleasantly reminded of this Nina Brodskaya song from the 1973 screwball Russian comedy 'Ivan Vasilievich: Back to the Future'. Such a fantastic pop song, full of spirit, longing, and drive.

Been way into Aquirax Uno again lately. His illustrations are full of wonder and very aesthetically pleasing to me

Read a very good article on Thomas Pynchon's 'Vineland' by Peter Coviello

And this great interview with writer/illustrator Matt Kindt, whose work I've been a fan of for years, especially recently with 'Ether'

Week In Music August 31st - September 6th

First up this week for getting stuck in my head, hitting home more and more as the years go by, is The Melting Ice Caps' 'Selfish Bachelor'. The original, fully orchestrated version which unfortunately isn't on the internet, but there is a live performance of something close to it from 2010

I interviewed Carla Easton for this week's Etcetera ETC With Young Southpaw episode. Her 'Weirdo' is currently my pop album of the year. It's fantastic; enormous energy, huge sound. My favourites switch all the time, which is one of the signs of a great album. 'Never Knew You' is amazing, great video too. On my first listen to the whole record, I looked up during the first verse to see if my device hadn't started playing Taylor Swift for some reason. 

Most stuck in my head this week has been Blast Off Country Style's 'Cutie Pie'. Which was the first song I heard when I turned on college radio when I got to college. Went straight down to Newbury Comics and bought the cd. Incredibly catchy and fun. 

Fightmilk have a new single out. Need I say more?

Bought that, the Illuminati Hotties album, and Honeyblood's 'Killer Bangs' single on this last Bandcamp Friday.

Downloaded all the texts from my friend Andy who passed away last week. 262 pages since November 2018 when I switched to iPhone. Looking forward to grabbing all my old phone's messages when I get back to them. When I was driving cross country in February, rushing to meet up with him in Phoenix for the day and a half he'd be there, I mentioned I had listened to 120 Lucksmiths songs one day in the car. He'd never heard them but I was sure he'd appreciate them. He asked me to send him their best song so I sent him 'There Is A Boy Who Never Goes Out'. He said it was 'pretty good' but then YouTube starting playing him The Beths and he got REALLY into them. Loved 'em. So I listened to their album again which is pretty great. I love the sound of their guitar lead lines.

Then yesterday I woke up with a song stuck in my head and I was wondering how I was ever going to remember what it was. This dismayed me but I remembered I emailed a friend about it sometime in the past year and if it came down to it, I could go through all our old emails. Luckily it didn't come to that and I finally placed it as 'Come In You'll Get Pneumonia' by The Easybeats. It's basically one big great chorus

Today I woke up with Diane Coffee's 'Like A Child Does' stuck in my head and it has stayed

Week in Music August 24th - 30th

 I lost one of my best friends this week. It's rough. Very sad. I've written about what an amazing individual he was plenty elsewhere and I want to bang this post out quick so I don't skip a week as we're having one (of many) zoom memorials for him this evening. I will say this though. He knew what a music obsessive I was when we met, so he and another friend made a conscious effort to get me into Nick Cave so I would buy all the albums and they could hear them. Ever since I heard the news, 'New Morning' has been stuck in my head. Here's the live version. Andy would go on and on about what an amazing sounding record Live Seeds is, and he wasn't wrong

The night before this happened, I was in on one of Tim Burgess' #timslisteningparty for The Cleaners From Venus' Midnight Cleaners. Was great to be there with other Cleaners fans and listen to the whole record again. 'Corridor Of Dreams' is a wonderful, somewhat ethereal pop song. Beautiful and not-quite otherworldly, like those moments right before evening descends, 'between the dog and the wolf', as the French say. My favourite song on the album and one of my favourite Martin Newell songs.

I finally watched that Go-Go's documentary and it was excellent. 'We Got The Beat' also stuck in my head a lot. What a great anthem. 

Jane Wiedlin, what a popstar! Her persona is just fantastic, the way she's so bubbly and bouncy on stage and yet also totally means business. And her 'Rush Hour' is one of the best pop songs of all-time. It contains all the excitement and energy that is the very essence of pop music. 

Paul Simpson of The Wild Swans posted about him singing backing vocals on this new Candy Opera song. A pop band from Liverpool who I had not heard before but am enjoying what I am hearing, in a big guitar pop way.

Week In Music August 17th-23rd

Digging Carla J. Easton's new high energy tunes. I've been a fan since TeenCanteen, interviewed her for The Counterforce podcast in 2018 for her first solo album. New solo record out this week. Looking forward to it. The first couple days of this week no music was really stuck in my head. Then I heard 'Weirdo'

The tune features Honeyblood. A name I knew but hadn't really heard anything by. So I went and listened. 'Killer Bangs' is my favourite from what I've heard so far. Excellent chorus.

And Stina's solo My Light Shines On performance is great. What a voice

I follow Carla's brother Murray on Twitter . He posts a lot of good stuff and on Friday posted Andy Bell (Ride)'s new single and an interview with Andy on his blog. Digging the single. Catchy and sounds like it could've come out in the early 90s, which is good by me

I interviewed Steve Kilbey from The Church for my ETC podcast last week. Had a great conversation. He played a great new tune on his weekly Instagram show called 'Tantric Hammer'. 

Steve also covered a bit of 'Crimon & Clover' which got that stuck in my head. I've always liked the Joan Jett version.

Mostly stuck in my head this week was Taylor Swift's 'betty', which, along with 'mirrorball', is my favourite from the new album

And I'm re-watching Letterkenny. So good. Letterkenny and Wodehouse are really what have kept me going this year, still being able to laugh. Glen's "Christian post-alt-rock emo superband" at the talent show is fantastic

Week In Music August 10-16th

I watched that 2005 Piccadilly Jim film which caused me to start the Piccadilly Jim audiobook which in turn got David Devant & His Spirit Wife's 'Gentleman Jim' stuck in my head for much of the early part of the week. Wodehouse and Letterkenny have been the things getting me through this pandemic, I can't recommend them enough. And Jonathan Cecil's readings of Wodehouse's books are absolutely wonderful. The perfect proper British voice to portray such high comedy. 

Watched that Salad Days: A Decade of Punk in Washington, DC (1980-90) documentary. Very good. Took me back to my late teenage years. Had a discussion over on Facebook about everyone's favourite Fugazi record. Mine's Margin Walker, with Repeater a close second. There were some votes for The Argument which I'd never really given a proper listen to. So I did. It's very good and 'Nightshop' stood out. 

I've loved that Embrace record since I first heard it back in 1993. I remember people calling it emo, and being confused years later when something called 'emo' had blown up but didn't really sound like Embrace. Also confusing was that British band Embrace coming along later on. 

Superexciting this week I interviewed Steve Kilbey of The Church for my Etcetera ETC With Young Southpaw podcast. He's recorded a new album which he wrote in one week back in the spring. It's called 11 Women and is really good. 'Josephine', which you can hear the studio version of at the end of the podcast, is one of my songs of the year. It's one of those timeless tunes, it sounds so familiar but yet you can't quite place it, as someone said to him, "like it's always been there". We had an excellent conversation dealing mostly with the magic and mystery of songs. Video of the interview will be on YouTube soon. Here's a version of 'Josephine' from one of his Monday evening IG shows

I watched Autoluminescent, the Rowland S. Howard documentary the other night. Loved it. Gave me a whole new appreciation for the man and the artist. Reminded me that it seems every time I walked into the Rough Trade shop on Talbot Road in London since 1999, I'd see a copy of his Teenage Snuff Film cd. I miss walking in there and seeing that. And of course 'Shivers' has been stuck in my head since, I even recorded a version today that's now on FB and IG. Such a classic. It would take more time than I've got now to go into how that song has been with me throughout the years. I remember covering it at Jacques in Boston at an early rock stone show. Here's the Young Charlatans, the original version I believe. I was also psyched to find their demos are up for free download at Rowland's site. 

And 'Autoluminescent', what a tune!

Also, 'Shut Me Down' is gorgeous

Saw the awesome band name Illuminati Hotties and had to check them out. Digging the album. This tune is great, super catchy

Been digging this Suzi Analogue EP and saw on Twitter that today's her birthday so I listened again

Bought the Flashback Records compilation earlier this year and listening to Samuel Barton's 'We Painted Our Faces And Gave False Names' from it today I was blown away. It's SO. FREAKING. LOVELY. Ever since I was a teenager there's always been a place in my mind that music like this takes me to. A twilight rocky ledge over a misty sea that seems like the end of the world both in time and place. Joy Division's 'Atmosphere' would take me there, The Cure's 'Plainsong'. I love this

Week In Music August 3rd - 9th

Early this week was all about listening to Paul Simpson's Skyray albums, which I then bought on Bandcamp Friday. Lovely stuff. 

'Jet Stream Summer' stood out early, as it reminds me a little of Saint Etienne's early albums.

And then I really dug the Krautrock-ness of 'Oxygum' from Ice Rink Music. Paul's notes on making this lost album were interesting to read too

I watched the Brainiac documentary which was excellent. They really were a force to be reckoned with and it would have been so great to see/hear what they would have become. This has been stuck in my head a lot

Remembered how much I love this tune and have ever since Chris Razz gave me the yellow promo cassette at Secret Sounds in Fairfield, CT in 1993. I can still remember putting it on on the drive home in the family caravan and getting into it. It's been my favourite song of theirs ever since and Transmissions From The Satellite Heart has remained my favourite Flaming Lips record

Discovered Hayley Mary just in time to buy her EP on Bandcamp Friday.

Watched Jim Jarmusch's Gimme Danger Stooges documentary two nights ago and really dug it. Iggy had a lot of cool things to say. It was touching that he thought growing up in such small space in a trailer really gave him the opportunity to know his parents. Had me once again taken in with the magic of 'Search And Destroy'. I have never forgotten the feeling of being 16, coming home after buying 'Raw Power' on cassette, popping in the tape, and being blown away by what I heard. Those opening chords, one of the best examples of the power of going to the IV. And despite Iggy being great on this, and 'I'm a streetwalkin cheetah with a heart full of napalm' being one of the all-time best opening lines, an awesome statement of intent, this song is all about James Williamson's guitar. Those lead lines bursting out like fireballs from the ruckus. It's unstoppable. And the whole 'honey gotta help me please' section, every chord underneath is perfect, and even after almost 30 years of listening to this, they seem like a surprise, a 'how did they make it this good?' sense of wonder abounds.

Week In Music July 27th - August 2nd 2020

Week started off with Lonelady's 'Marble' stuck in my head, as I just saw on Twitter that she had some t-shirts left for sale, and me being in the market for cool new t-shirts - most of mine are years old - I snapped up a Nerve Up one. Looking forward to its arrival. 'Marble', what a tune. Especially that 'ha' section at 3:46





Also discovered on Twitter is Katie Dey, whose new record 'mydata', released on the same day as, I am liking even more than Taylor Swift's. Lovely melodic 'floating in space' synthpop




My friend Jon messaged me about Shabaka & The Ancestors cause Jon knows I dig exactly this sort of thing. A new album came out in March which I listened to as well, though I like the one from 2016 even better




The Church's version of The Triffids 'Wide Open Road' has consistently been in my head this year, and this week was no different. What a wonderful version of a stellar tune





Just listened to Sunshine's 'Sunshine' album again this evening while casting a BaZi chart. I've listened before and I dig it more and more. Discovered them through Letterkenny



My phone was acting up in the car the other day so I hit play on the cd player and The Indelicates' 'Savages' came on. One of my favourite songs of all-time. Gorgeous, and says so much about life, my favourite line being 'the tear on your cheek will fall ignored by the suckers to fake romance'. It's one of those tunes that when it comes on you have to ask yourself 'do I want to go thru the intense experience of listening to this right now? is that something I'm prepared to do?'

You got any songs like that?

Week In Music July 20-26th 2020

Busier week for listening this week. Starting off with hearing Nina Simone's wonderful 'Emergency Ward' album after seeing Alex from Fightmilk mention it on FB. Amazing cover of George Harrison's 'My Sweet Lord'. Wonderfully rev'd up and powerful




I heard New Order's 'Regret' on my weekly trip to the supermarket, what an excellent song.



I used to have a bootleg cassette of an Afghan Whigs show in Belgium from 1993 where they covered this pretty much right after it came out, was great. Would love to hear that again.


Then Orlando's 'Just For A Second' has been stuck in my head most of the week. A wonderful pop tune.





Once again got Melody Club's 'My Soft Return' stuck in my head too and gave the full 'Music Machine' album a spin. Some very good stuff on there. Great synthpop





And someone on my IG posted Nino Ferrer's 'Le Sud', a French classic which I'm glad I now know




And of course the Taylor Swift album came out Friday. mirrorball being my favourite. Quite dig the pop of betty too

Week In Music July 13-19th

Been a busy week, haven't had much time for new music. I've been mainly still digging into Hedvig Mollestad's catalogue. Excellent stuff. Killer rock grooves with an improvisational jazz feel. Reminiscent of 70's John McLaughlin. I had the pleasure of interviewing her for this week's Etcetera ETC With Young Southpaw episode.

Digging the new Go! Team song





And I heard this for the first time. Billy Corgan's early side project, Starchildren. Their one original song that was released. Love the guitar sound

Week In Music July 6 - 12th

Morricone. What can I say? A tremendous loss.

Wrote the most beautiful song I know, one of my favourites of all-time. Mina's 'Se Telefonando'. And he wrote it for a television show! So great he could just rattle stuff off like this for whatever. I love how the tune has no real tonal center, and of course the emotion behind it - what words cannot express - is why there is music in the first place.





And another gorgeous slice of pop is his 'Deep Down' from the Danger: Diabolik soundtrack. Sung by Christy, who I wish did more.




I discovered both of these one rainy night in 2005 when, having recently returned to my hometown in the States from my beloved London, I put on the Canto Morricone Vol. 1 - The 60's compilation that had just arrived in the post. I was driving back from picking up some takeout for my family from one of our favourite Italian restaurants when Mina came on track 3 and I was completely floored. I can still remember where I was as I realized just how amazing what was coming through my speakers was. The stoplight turning green, the hill to the golf course on my right, the factory to my left, the rain lightly drumming down on the windscreen.

My big discovery this week is Hedvig Mollestad. Liam from the Pynchon In Public podcast sent me that link and I started listening. And just kept going. Had her on for hours that first day. And have started buying the albums. One at a time in order to savour. She's a phenomenal guitarist and her work combines jazz, rock, and groove in a rather excellent way. I've been digging these:

Hedvig Mollestad Trio · All Them Witches

Loved the Eurovision movie and have been getting 'Jaja Ding Dong' stuck in my head a lot. I feel a certain affinity for the man who kept calling out for it.





Relistening to The In-Kraut Vol. 1 compilation, which has Marianne Mendt's fantastic 'Wie A Glock'n', I was also way into 'Molotow Cocktail Party'. This tune is wild. And packs the phrase 'cocktail party' in to the limits of how many times you can say it in a two-and-a-half minute pop song.




Had a great conversation with David Ryder Prangley about his new solo album for my Etcetera ETC With Young Southpaw podcast. We talked a lot about KISS and Van Halen of course, which had me revisit Paul's 1978 solo album. Some really good songs on there! Hadn't heard it in decades. Love the glam pop/rock of 'It's Alright' and 'Wouldn't You Like To Know Me'. Reminds me of the early glammy Mötley Crüe stuff that I wish they'd done more of.

Week In Music June 29 - July 5 2020

It's been a busy week, I've been working hard BaZi consulting. There was time however to hear some new and be captivated by some old sounds.

First up was the new Even As We Speak single, 'Unknown'. Mary's voice is lovely on this and it's such a dreamy pop song, redolent of summer evenings.



Next I finally had the chance to listen to the full album of Joanne Gabriel's Floating In Light. Wonderful soundscapes. I came across her music via one of Graham Duff's Mixtape shows.





I interviewed The Speedways for the Etcetera ETC With Young Southpaw podcast. Great tunes on the new record. Lead-off track, 'This Ain't A Radio Sound', is probably my favourite. Though 'Daydreaming' was stuck in my head for days after our chat.








Someone posted this short 1970 documentary about Alice Coltrane. She was such a gigantic, powerful soul.





Which put this in my head. One of the most beautiful pieces of music I know. Exquisite.





My two favourite discoveries of this year, which have buoyed up my spirit immeasurably during lockdown, have been Letterkenny and Judee Sill. On revisiting, I discovered the two came together when the show used this cover of 'Jesus Was A Cross Maker' by Frida Hyvönen




And as I was talking to Mauro & Matt of The Speedways about Hanoi Rocks, a band we all deeply love, I've been listening to them a lot too. They told me they'd cover '11th Street Kidz' and 'Until I Get You' on acoustic guitars in their hotel room after gigs. I have loved '11th Street Kidz' since I first heard it Christmas Day 1989 when I got all four reissue albums under the tree. Such a killer tune. So catchy with the right combination of joy and sadness, evoking youthful dreams and expectations and how they had such meaning despite only being fleeting.

This is the 'All Those Wasted Years' version despite it showing the 'Two Steps From The Move' album cover





And 'Don't You Ever Leave Me' is the greatest rock ballad still lingering in obscurity

Week In Music June 21-28 2020

There have been a couple really good days this week, and the first one had The Pogues' Sunny Side Of The Street stuck in my head. Always dug this tune and its major key pentatonic melody, like a sped up Mary Chain guitar part





This week was kinda all about the work of Jordan Benik. He put up a new tune by his new project,  Too Much, and I love it. Been singing it constantly.





Which also put 'Mothering' by last old band, Sweaters, in my head a lot. Real smooth





Had a big Close Lobsters kick recently, Let's Make Some Plans is such a tune




Listened to their latest album, Post Neo Anti: Arte Povera in the Forest of Symbols. Great tunes on there, need to explore more. 

Week In Music: June 14-21 2020

I keep hearing so much great stuff, thought I'd revive this blog to share it. A weekly post of all the great artists and tunes I've discovered or revisited during the week

First up is Judee Sill. Wow! Her songs are so lovely. John Andrew Fredrick of The Black Watch posted 'The Kiss' the other night and I was hooked. Sent me down a rabbithole and I've now heard all her recordings and can recommend the entire catalogue. Boston bassist extraordinaire Eric Donohue hipped me to her BBC Recordings which are just her solo and they are wonderful.

 

I heard 'The Kiss' first and then shortly after, perhaps her most popular song, 'Jesus Was A Cross Maker' which I've probably listened to five times a day since.





John Andrew Fredrick has been posting some great stuff on his FB page lately. His own band, The Black Watch, is definitely worth checking out, and there's 19 albums to dive into. New one, Brilliant Failures, is really good, and I interviewed JAF in my guise as Young Southpaw for it earlier this spring. A really fun, interesting conversation. Here's my favourite The Black Watch song, 'Terrific', a shimmering indiepop gem:





But as I was saying, JAF has posted some great stuff lately, including Prince's 'Starfish And Coffee' which has been stuck in my head a lot and I'm greatly thankful for that. What a tune!





As is 'Baltimore', which I've been listening to a ton lately with everything going on:





It was jazz great Eric Dolphy's birthday yesterday. His bass clarinet version of 'God Bless The Child' is one of the my favourite pieces of music:





Balcony Festival 6 happened yesterday, an 'online music festival in aid of The Mental Health Foundation'. My favourite band David Devant & His Spirit Wife headlined and Lily from Fightmilk played four acoustic songs, including 'Over', I song I truly love. That was great. And every time I hear their new single it gets stuck in my head and I'm glad of it:




I've started rewatching all of Letterkenny again. What a fantastic show. It's hilarious and they really take the time to get the writing and the soundtrack right. Discovered White Reaper that way, and 'Last Fourth Of July' is my favourite song I've heard this year, it's in my head constantly. Like a perfect cross between later My Chemical Romance, The Ramones, & The Misfits.





And another great discovery is The Foots, three piece Australian band from the 90's, on Lost And Lonesome Records. Two Foots reissues now on Bandcamp and some really good tunes on them, including my fave 'Fickle':





Lost And Lonesome is Mark Monnone from The Lucksmith's long-standing record label. Back in February when I set out to drive from Connecticut to Los Angeles that first day in the car I listened to the entire Lucksmiths discography. It was great, they had so many excellent songs. I was really glad, and also sad, to be at their last London gig back in 2009. On that same drive I started listening to Dory Previn again, and I've kept thinking this year it would be a good idea to document the songs that are with me at certain times, hence reupping this blog, especially with Judee Sill reminding me of Dory Previn. Whose 'Going Home' soundtracked so much of the rest of that cross-country car ride: