Fast Trains - 'Measure by Measure'

Some years ago I found myself on a fast train travelling from Malmö to Stockholm, the snowy countryside beyond the carriage windows speeding past in grey and white blurs, a journey sound-tracked by the Walter Mitty ta-poketa poketa rhythm of the wheels on the tracks. Landmarks would briefly appear amidst the flurries, ghosts of buildings disturbing my reverie, that soon vanished into the pale distance. Yes, when seen from a fast train the world is a very different place.

I couldn't say if Portsmouth musician and engineer Tom Wells has a similarly romantic view of train travel, hopping a 444 from Havant to Fratton doesn't have quite the came cachet about it as a jaunt across the Swedish plains, but I do know that his new solo project takes the moniker from such high-speed rail, Fast Trains. 

Measure by Measure is the first offering by the Kassassin Street bassist's new outing, a rhythmic three-minutes-and-change of beats, bassy wobbles and delicate vocals that rolls along beautifully. It's a light and wonderfully catchy slice of loveliness, with lyrics that touch upon modern lift and how to survive it, a musical mantra that would sit nicely alongside the likes School of Language and Metronomy on a travelling playlist.

Apparently recorded in a small flat in Havant, with an extra pinch of Kassassin Street DNA thanks to bandmate Nathan Hill providing percussion, the song is currently available exclusively via YouTube (where it's paired with a moody, monochrome video created by Sam Brandon) but fingers crossed it'll be available for purchase via Bandcamp soon. Very nice, more please.

And Yet It Moves - 'Ketamine Ma'am'

RIP Dale Barclay

An Eighties Challenge, Day Two

Day two of the Eighties Challenge where, of course, I've been tasked to choose seven songs in seven days from that decade of excess. Songs to delight, or songs to confuse. Maybe both.

Thinking about it now, despite the tricks memory plays, Saturdays had a regular routine about them (or at least they did until I discovered alcohol); mornings spent festering in front of the telly, flicking between BBC and ITV, followed by a walk into Fareham to waste a not inconsiderable amount of time in Venus Records perusing the 12" singles piled up in their 99p sales rack. Sometimes this exercise would offer up gems, a promo white label perhaps or a new release that had been slipped in to make things interesting, but more often than not I'd end up punting my pounds on something peculiar. All too often I'd be tempted by odd vinyl from bands I'd not heard of, risking my money on the cover alone, and have to wait until I got home to discover if I'd bought a classic or a new novelty place mat.

Today's offering is one from the 99p sales rack, it's not really a gem but it's not something I'd sit my plate of fish and chips on either, that I must have had some reason to buy unheard. A song by a band some might remember but most won't know, to be honest I was amazed to find the audio clip on YouTube (more so that it's on Spotify too), English Evenings released a handful of singles before disappearing back from whence they came. Set your controls for 1985 and, for the next six and a bit minutes, enjoy the slightly overblown 12" remix of I Will Return...

Jesus Jones - 'International Bright Young Things'

So there I was, wilfing across the vast expanse of the internet as I'm usually wont to do of a lunchtime, when I stumbled across the news that 90's pop/rock combo Jesus Jones have reformed. And yes, I may have done a little happy dance.

Mike Edwards and chums are planning two 'thank you for your patience' gigs in November, one in London and the other in Birmingham, with plans afoot to tour the UK next year [crosses fingers for Portsmouth Guildhall].

OK, so the gigs aren't local but, well, any excuse to play this..

UPDATE: The two November gigs have been rescheduled to January 2012; HMV Institute in Birmingham on Friday 27th, then the O2 Academy in London the following evening, Saturday 28th.

Leonard Bernstein. Leonid Brezhnev, Lenny Bruce and Lester Bangs.

No sooner have R.E.M. decided to split up then news of a final Greatest Hits release lands. Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage will be released this November, a double CD that plunders the band's back catalogue for songs you probably already have plus three new songs recorded after Collapse Into Now was completed. For the most part I'm happy with the large chunk of the band's oeuvre I've already paid out for (call me old fashioned but that's how I am) so I can't see myself buying it.

Nevertheless it got me to thinking about what tracks I'd throw onto an R.E.M. compilation CD; what songs I'd include, what songs I'd leave off and why. Then I noticed that the chaps from Pet Sounds had already assembled a packed Spotify playlist over at Strong Island which is more deserving of a listen then something I'd conjure up.

But, whilst you're waiting for Spotify to load up, you could always give the following a listen; first up quite possibly my favourite R.E.M. song ever. It's just... well, you had to be there.

Next perhaps an obvious choice, but there's a (suitably dumb) reason why; once upon a time my local pub had, tucked away on its jukebox, the Greenpeace Rainbow Warriors CD. It was only CD in the damn thing with any R.E.M. on it at all, hence this got played an awful lot.

And finally.. I know, I could've picked something heavier/darker (i.e. anything from Monster) but this is a beautiful tune.

Mud Morganfield at The Cellars

Mud Morganfield, the eldest son of Blues legend Muddy Waters, returns to Portsmouth tomorrow night. Fresh from touring the globe Mud returns to The Cellars with his band The Dirty Aces (featuring guitarist Ronni Buysack-Boysen, Ian Jennings on Double Bass, Mike Hellier on drums and harmonica player West Weston) for a damn fine evening of Chicago Blues.

Tickets are available via the venue's website, priced £14 in advance, or £15 on the door. For a taste of what to expect check out the YouTube clip below:

Kent Duchaine brings the Blues to Pompey

Delta Blues guitarist Kent DuChaine will pay a rare visit to Portsmouth this week when his current tour rolls into town. The Minnesota native, who bizarrely found his way to the Blues via the liner notes on an Eric Clapton LP, will be ably supported by his classic 1934 National Steel guitar, Leadbessie, when he plays The Golden Eagle in Southsea this Friday, 2nd September.

Over the years Kent has backed up or supported such Blues greats as Boogie Woogie Red, Eddie Burns, Luther Tucker, Albert Collins and Howlin' Wolf; in 1989 he met legendary Bluesman Johnny Shines and, over the next three years, played over 200 shows together before Shines' death in 1992. Since then Kent has travelled the four corners, armed with Leadbessie, playing the music he loves to appreciative audiences around the globe.

Entry to this Friday's gig is FREE, for more information check the Golden Eagle's Facebook page.



UPDATE: Pub location information refreshed, legacy URL removed.

Scroobius Pip coming to The Wedge

It seems like it was only Saturday night that the sterling video for Introdiction was first thrust in front of me, my drunken eyes widening as the bearded wordsmith defoliated his face fuzz before setting about his televisual hovel. And that's probably because it was; shame on me for not watching it before. Moving swiftly on, today comes news that Scroobius Pip will be hitting The Wedgewood Rooms this November, on Thursday 10th to be precise. Tickets are £9, on sale now from the venue, with solo album Distraction Pieces released on September 19th (if you can't wait til then, you can always bid on his beard shavings). 

Björk - 'Crystalline'

Not that I ever need an excuse to play some Björk you understand but, as my Bestival ticket plopped onto the doormat earlier...

The Computers versus Southampton

In amongst the regular glut of spam and eggs that filled my email inbox today was a natty missive from indie/punk noise merchants The Computers. I was lucky enough to catch the four piece at The Wedgewood Rooms when they supported The Duke Spirit but, and maybe it was that last pint, for the life of me I can't remember signing their mailing list. Whatever, scrawl my name across the sheet of A4 I obviously did.

Getting to the point, the band have announced that they'll be joining The Subways on their Autumn tour, rocking up at Southampton University on Monday 3rd October. Before then however the band will be supporting Face To Face at The Joiners on Tuesday 30th August. Which is nice.
 

Here's a taster to whet your appetite...

Sirens soundtrack & Heartbreak

There I was, idly thumping the remote control buttons on a wasted Friday night, when I chanced upon Channel 4's new ambulance drama Sirens. The show is based on ex-ambulance EMT Brian Kellett's excellent blog and has the usual Channel 4 hallmarks of snappy editing (with things speeding up/slowing down at random), a sprinkling of sex & expletives and, of course, a cracking soundtrack.

Last night's episode featured a good chunk of the Warpaint album (no bad thing) plus tunes from Miike Snow, Local Natives and Magnetic Man amongst others. What caught my ear though was the unmistakable strains of Anglo-Argentine electro pop duo Heartbreak's Don't Lose My Time.

I first heard of Heartbreak when the NME Radar Tour stopped off at the Wedge in 2009, they were midway up the bill (with La Roux headlining) but were definitely my highlight of the evening. The twosome delivered a solid set of 80's influenced Italo-pop with an eye-popping amount of energy; so enamoured was I that I immediately bought their album from the merch desk. 

Unfortunately not much has been heard from the Heartbreak camp since, which is a shame, but a hunt through YouTube gleaned the following clips of the band in action:

 


Also tucked away on YouTube was this interview the band gave whilst they were on the NME Radar Tour:



As for Sirens, Brian Kellett has listed the tunes used in the first three episodes on his new blog (and he's knocked up a Spotify playlist for each too, which is nice).

So, farewell then Rilo Kiley...

The NME are reporting that American mellow indie types Rilo Kiley, following a long hiatus, have decided to call it a day. Bad news. Rilo Kiley were, like The Decemberists, one of the many fine bands I discovered thanks to the late and much lamented internet radio station WOXY.

A few years back the band nearly headlined the Wedge; a date was announced as part of a UK tour, a gig that I bought tickets for as soon as I found out about it. Sadly the show was cancelled shortly after (sad but true, I've still got the tickets).

So anyway, thanks RK for the good tunes, here's a few of them to be going along with...

Who's the cat that won't cop out...

RIP Isaac Hayes (1942-2008)

The Nature of Monkey...

Flushed with finding Godiego's live performance of Monkey Magic for the Gigwatcher, the genius of YouTube threw out this gem of a cover by 'idol' group Vanilla Mood:

 

Nice.

Pure Reason Revolution - Deus Ex Machina (live)

This interesting snippet of footage was filmed at the TS Wisla Hala in Krakow, Poland, during Reading prog-rockers Pure Reason Revolution's recent European jaunt supporting Porcupine Tree. This new tune, posted on YouTube with the band's consent, shows them going in a more 'industrial' direction.



To be honest, given the year the band has had, it's good to see them enjoying themselves (when I last saw them live they didn't have the best of evenings). This track is a good sign that the new album, which they're currently recording, is shaping up nicely. Excellent.

Tom Jones - I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor

Sir Tom of Jones, covering the Arctic Monkeys breakthrough tune, from the Concert for Diana at the weekend:



OK, so it might not be everyone's bag of chips (a couple of Monkeys' purists I know loathe it) but I like it. It's got soul, more than the comparatively bland Sugababes' take on the song that's for sure, and that's not a bad thing.

Electric Six - Gay Bar

The sight of four young whippersnappers, dressed in hot-pants and skimpy pink vests, decorated with stick-on Abe Lincoln beards and stovepipe hats, brought much amusement to the bar of The Wedgewood Rooms last night. Electric Six headlining had something to do with it (well, I'm hoping it did, if not there's something dodgy afoot).

Unfortunately, not having seen the promo for Gay Bar, the connection was lost on Jim; us drunkenly explaining why four (most likely) students were dressed in such a manner didn't really help matters either. It's always best, I find, to show rather than tell:



Just plain bonkers I tell you.

Anyway, the band's latest album, Switzerland, has been out awhile and, whilst it didn't exactly set the charts alight, is worth a listen. If you head over to Fluxblog you should just about be in time to download one track, Mr Woman, before it drops off the site's server. Nice.

Crowded House - Don't Stop Now

Co-written with Johnny Marr (!), Don't Stop Now is the first single lifted from the latest release from everyone's favourite antipodeans, Crowded House. Neil Finn, Nick Seymour and Mark Hart have been joined by ex-Beck drummer Matt Sherrod (who has the unenviable task of stepping into the late Paul Hester's shoes) and so far things are looking (and sounding) pretty good.

The new single is a slow burner of a song and, whilst not evident in this 'lifted from breakfast telly' clip, definitely provides rewards with repeated listens. Enjoy.



The single will be released digitally in the UK on 18th June with the physical release (on several different formats) scheduled for 25th June. The album, Time On Earth, is due to be released here on 2nd July 2007.

Moi Caprice - The Town And The City

My copy of Moi Caprice's latest album, The Art Of Kissing Properly, arrived the other day and has soon become one with my CD deck. It won't budge, it can't be moved, it just demands to be played over and over again.

Part of the reason for this is tracks like this one:



H'mm. They must be putting something in the water in Denmark.

Oh Laura - Release Me

If, like me, you've been captivated by the haunting tune which plays on the current SAAB advert, then you may be interested to know that the song is called Release Me and is by Swedish newcomers Oh Laura.


The song is available to purchase from iTunes (that's the direct link from the band's MySpace) though it's also available for free download from SAAB website (thanks to Swedesplease for that info).