The Deep Dark Woods - Hang Me, Oh Hang Me

About three years ago a bloke I used to work with suggested that I check out a Canadian band called The Deep Dark Woods. I said that I would do but only did so very half heartedly by means of looking at a few scratchy live recordings of gigs on Youtube. I couldn’t tell much from them so I put listening to the band properly on the back burner, and there they stayed up until a few days ago. Now I wish that I'd checked them out properly when they were first suggested them to me. I downloaded the album Hang Me, Oh Hang Me and after only one listen it struck a chord with me and I’ve subsequently ordered their other two albums from Amazon.
With a name like The Deep Dark Woods they can only be an alt-country type band, and they are. There’s some country rock sounding stuff and some darker slower material. To me they sound like The Black Heart Procession covering a Drive-By Truckers song, or vice versa.

Download or preview The Deep Dark Woods - They Won't Last Long mp3 from here.

Searching For Wrong Eyed Jesus Soundtrack

If you haven’t see the documentary film Searching For Wrong Eyed Jesus then I strongly recommend that you track it down. The title is taken from an album from alt.country songwriter Jim White. The film stars White as he takes a road trip through the American bible belt. Along the way there's churches, prison's, scrap yards, coal mines, one street towns, dive bars and some stunning musical performances. Like David Eugene Edwards in the woods playing Wayfaring Stranger on a banjo. Johnny Dowd playing on a rusty car and in a barber shop. The Handsome Family playing on the porch of a house built on a swamp, banjo player Lee Sexton with spittoon by feet doing a rendition of Rye Whisky and Jim White playing in a near empty Diner.
Then there’s an excellent version of a song called The Last Kind Words by the female blues singer Geeshie Wiley that David Johanson and Larry Saltzan bash out in a motel room. I never realised what a great voice Johanson has until I heard him in the film.
If you can't get hold of the film then try to get hold of the soundtrack.

The Rapture Postponed Again

The old crank Harold Camping has given a new date for the end of the world. It’s going to be on October the 21st. He didn’t apologise to all the people who sold their houses and assets in preparation for the rapture. Why would they need to sell them anyway, what are hey going to do with them money? I have no sympathy for them at all.
Anyway, why did this bloke get so much publicity anyway? I can understand him maybe getting a little mention on Christian news outlets in the bible belt states but not on mainstream media over the world.
Wait, I guess that I’ve fallen for it just by mentioning it here. Ah shit.

The Stone Roses Best Album

When the long awaited Stone Roses second album The Second Coming finally came out in 1994 it got some mixed reviews. The general consensus then and now is that it failed to live up to the big expectations. But I really do prefer The Second Coming to the self titled first album. Recently I mentioned this to a mate of mine in the pub and he thought I was just trying to be a contrarian. He loves the first album and truly dislikes the second one. “It’s A John Squire wank fest,” he said. Well yes, it seems like that compared to the indie-dance Madchester sound of the previous one but the groves are still there. Like on one of The Stone Roses less celebrated song Daybreak. Yeah it’s got Squire riffing all over it but it also has a tight danceable groove that’s textbook Stone Roses, plus a brilliant outro that goes into double time overdrive. A truly underrated song.

Download or preview The Stone Roses - Daybreak from here

Obama And The Queen

Barack Obama is stepping into overdrive and going on the re-election campaign early. On the back of the killing of Bin Laden he briefly made a visit to Ireland, for it seems no other reason than to get the American-Irish vote. He went to the place where one of his ancestors lived and then drank a pint of Guinness (of course, its mandatory). The push for the American-Irish vote ticked alongside the African-American vote.
He’s now London with the Queen, who’s also hardly been out the news lately. BBC Royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell is clocking in some hours overtime. First the Royal Wedding, then the dull blanket news coverage on her state visit to Ireland where there was live coverage of her doing such interesting things as waving and laying down a reef. I know it‘s her fist visit there due to political tensions but did it really need to be taking up the whole of BBC Wold News for four days?
Why didn’t I watch something else? Well because I was on holiday in Italy and that was the only English channel in the hotel room. So I flicked between the news and various football matches on the Italian version of Sky Sports.
Now Obama is here in the UK. I wonder what he and the Queen are going to talk about? Most old lady’s her age talk about the weather, their next doctors appointment, the health of people they know but you don’t, and the price of a lamb chop.
I imagine out of these things the Queen can only talk about the weather.

Sonic Youth Top 3

If you’re a big Sonic Youth fan -one that has every album, who has seen them numerous times, who may know the strange guitar tunings of their songs - and you ask them what their top three Sonic Youth albums are then I doubt that many would have Dirty up there. Why? Well because it’s the most successful one, when they were on a major label and a MTV staple.
Sonic Youth obsessive’s can be a contrarian lot and would be more likely to say they prefer the debut record Confusion Is Sex or Bad Moon Rising - which apart from the song Death Valley 69 is a plain awful mess.
Sure Dirty is a more commercial sounding that previous albums, but as short and poppy the lead off track 100% is, the intro is fifteen seconds of noise made by a drumstick sliding on the guitar strings which continues all the way through.
So for the record, my top three is:
1 Dirty
2 Daydream Nation
3 Sister

Great Cover #4, It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)

In 2002 Uncut Magazine had an edition with two different cover pictures of Bob Dylan. One had Vol 1 of a Bob Dylan cover songs CD and the other had Vol 2. I bought both of them, so Uncut got value from me that month.

The stand out track for me is a version of It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) recorded by Syracuse New York’s Anti-Folk pioneer Hamell On Trial. A hard song to take on but a song perfect one for Hamell as he spits out the lyrics and furiously strums his battered old Gibson acoustic guitar at breakneck speed. So much so that it ends in just under four minutes, where as the original is seven and a half minutes long. Also the themes of commercialism, consumerism with political overtones suits Hamell On Trial to a tee.

Bob Dylan’s songs have been covered so many times over the years. From the whimsical folk of Peter, Paul and Mary to the heavy rock of Guns N’ Roses but none sound anything quite like this acoustic attack of It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding).







Download an mp3 of Hamell On Trial - It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)from here.

Tom Waits, Not A Follower Of Fashion

The 80s were a period when two of my favourite recording solo artists went to shit. Bob Dylan began the decade with the second of his religious albums Saved and prolifically churned out rubbish until 1989 when he came back into some sort of form with a few good songs on Oh Mercy. Neil Young also had a few good songs on Freedom that was released in 1989 but the rest of the decade was awful.
So many other people lost it, I mean just look at David Bowie and Mick Jagger doing Dancing In The Street. Actually don’t, its painful.
But who out of the elder statesmen of rock didn’t loose it? I only have two Lou Reed albums from the decade but both The Blue Mask and New York are really good. Shame about that mullet though.
Tom Waits certainly never lost it in the 80s. He found a new sound and direction with the album Swordfishtrombones. Whereas others around him were following the fashion and going for the over produced synth big reverb snare drum sound, the percussion on Waits records sometimes sounded as if it was played on stuff found in a junkyard. Along with instruments that he could have picked up in a charity shop.
Tom waits has had the odd mediocre album but he's never had a bad period of albums, and they don’t sound dated. Maybe because he's never followed trends. In his music or his clothes.

Download or preview an mp3 of Tom Waits - Down, Down, Down from here.

Hobo Humpin' Slobo Babe

Nobody buys CD singles anymore, it all about downloads. Nobody cares who’s top of the singles charts anyway, that’s why Top Of The Pops isn’t on TV anymore. The CD single was confirmed dead the moment that Woolworths stopped selling them. Now Woolworths is dead.
Anyway, yesterday I but on a CD single from the Swedish band Whale. I hadn’t played in years and wasn’t expecting it to date well. But I was wrong.
The song Hobo Humpin' Slobo Babe came out in 1995 and was an ‘MTV hit’ as they used to say back then. That was when MTV was only one channel and actually played music videos. With its goofy but instantly catchy chorus it felt like it was always only going to be a one hit wonder (maybe that’s why I only have the single and not the album) and it was. A couple or so years later I learnt from a Swedish friend of mine that the band was always meant to be a bit of a joke as it was formed by a well known Swedish comedian called Henrik Schyffert.
I don’t think that makes Hobo Humpin' Slobo Babe a novelty comedy song though, as its so much better than that.



Download an mp3 of Whale - Hobo Humpin' Slobo Babe from here.

Scotland In The News

Yesterday was my day off and I woke in a bit of a blurred vision daze hangover, switched on the kettle then had a flick around the five TV channels that I have (yes, I am the only person that I know who still has analogue TV. I know you can pick up a digital box for about fifteen quid but I’ve just never picked one up when I’m out and about). I came across the turgid stench that is The Wright Show. I can usually only muster a minute of it and that was all I managed today. Mathew Wright wasn’t hosting it but it was still just as bad. Instead some Scottish woman was the host with guests Joe Mangle from Neighbours, some yokel dressed like Crocodile Dundee and a woman I don’t remember much about. The topic in question was ‘Should Scotland have independence?’ The guests were clearly out of their depth and after Joe Mangle mangled his clueless answer I switched it off. Next time that programme darkens my screen it won’t last a second.
Apparently two thirds of Scotland would like independence. They might say this now but when it all gets broken down and they realise the downfalls of independence nowhere near two thirds will vote for it in a referendum. For a start if Scottish people still think they’ll get free prescriptions and free higher education. Yeah right, forget it.
Scotland has also been in the news about the rise in sectarianism. Celtic and Rangers can’t play a game of football without a fight breaking out or the manager getting sent a parcel bomb or a fan running onto the pitch to clock him one. What’s wrong with these people?
I went out with an Irish mate of mine on St Patrick’s Day. He brought along a Northern Irish bloke who he works with. Within ten minutes of meeting him he let it be known that he was on the catholic side of Northern Ireland. As the evening wore on and more drinks were drunk he began to shout out anti-protestant songs. I said to him “What are you singing about? Catholic, Protestant its all the same, don’t get so uptight about something that doesn’t matter. It’s the same God.” I new that it would antagonise him, and it did.
Its just hating for the sake of hating. The Scottish Football Association will pussy foot around the issue because there is no other way. But really they want to say ‘Let history be history and grow up you idiots.’

Beastie Boys Pick Up Instruments

After two years on the shelf due to Adam Yauch (aka MCA) having cancer, the Beastie Boys Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 2 is now out. As long as listening to it I’m sure that many fans of theirs have been diving into their back catalogue again. I’ve certainly been doing so, and been paying special attention to 1992’s Check Your Head. It’s the album where Ad-Rock picked up a guitar, MCA strapped on a bass, Mike D took a seat behind the drum kit and Money Mark came in to play keyboard. They play raw funk grooves and hardcore punk rock which somehow fits in well alongside the hip hop tunes. Though they might be blagging it somewhat, the instrumental songs really stand up well, like Pow which features the only drum solo on any record ever that I look forward to.

Just Enough Jazz For Me Thanks

I think that most people who are into music have read a magazine with an 'essential must hear before you die' type album list, gone out and bought something on it and in hindsight wish they hadn’t. I’ve done it with Kind of Blue by Miles Davis and Blue Train by John Coltrane. Both of which I turned off half the way through and then gave another go a few days later and has never been played since. I tried to get into jazz and failed as I just found the squawking trumpet irritating and the songs indistinguishable from one another. Philistine you might say, but sorry both albums left me stone cold. Maybe one day I will try again but for now I will give jazz music a miss thanks.
I may not be into pure jazz but I do like a jazz feel to music. Like the instrumental music that the Memphis three piece The City Champs play. With the use of drums, guitar and an organ they pull out a soul, jazz and funk vibe. The song Drippy perfectly illustrates this and is one of the stand out tracks from their latest album The Set Up.

Download or preview an mp3 of The City Champs - Drippy from here.

American Patriotism Needs An Outlet

So was Osama bin Laden armed or not when they shot him? Who cares, what were they going to do? He was wanted dead or alive. But really only dead as the Americans wouldn’t want to take him to a trial and go through the whole process like they did with Saddam Hussein. To much bother. Bullet in the head, job done. They go home and Bin Laden is on his 9th virgin by the end of the day.
Then the news breaks and the whole western world celebrate. We all go out on the streets cheering and waving flags. No wait, that’s only in America. Maybe they saw the Royal wedding a couple of days before and were desperate to have some of that crowd gathering flag waving patriotism that was going on.
I saw a picture of one bloke dressed up as Captain America. It was all a bit strange. When arrests were made over associations to the London 7/7 bombings there weren’t British people going out to celebrate. Its just not necessary.
Maybe its because Americans are a patriotic bunch but don’t have an outlet for it. Their main sports don’t have national teams that play in tournaments. There’s no baseball, American football or basketball world cup. Maybe if Americans cared more about football and were better at it then they would stop dressing up as Captain America at every opportunity.
Or maybe they would be worse.

Moon Duo, Psychedelic Rock Down To Basics

At the moment I’m going through a psychedelic Krautrock phase, which means that I can’t get enough of Wooden Shjips and their main man Ripley Johnson’s other band Moon Duo. Usually when someone does a side project they make music that isn’t the sort of stuff that they would play in their day job band. But with Moon Duo there’s still the echo and delay effect vocals and guitar solos. Still the solid simple drumbeat, though with a drum machine. But instead of the repetitive baselines there’s a repetitive organ melody or a drone or both together.
Like The White Stripes early recordings both of Moon Duo’s albums Escape and Mazes sound as if they could have been knocked out over a weekend or two. That’s not a criticism, its part of their charm.



Download or preview Moon Duo - Motorcycle, I love you mp3 from here

Great Cover #3 Dark End of the Street

Yes I am one of those people who has gone through the whole of their iTunes music library and given a five star rating to the songs that I love. But I think that at the time I dished out the stars I must have been in a generous mood because on the My Top Rated play list there’s 2372 songs. So I’ve made another play list called The Best of the Top Rated Songs which I managed to whittle down to 967 songs. Still quite a few. If I played the whole play list from top to bottom it would take just over three days. I might have to make a Best of the Best of play list and this time be much more stricter with the cull. If in any doubt, its off the list.
There are some songs that will always make the cut without any thought at all. And some will be the same song by different artists. Such as Dark End of the Street.
It was written by Muscle Shoals songwriters Dan Penn and Chips Moman and originally recorded in 1967 by soul singer James Carr. It was the highlight of Carr’s career and he didn’t get close to that successes again, but one great moment of genius that leaves such a long lasting impression is better than none.
The Flying Burrito Brothers version that came out on their 1969 album The Gilded Palace of Sin is the only version that I’ve heard that rivals the original. Infact I think their countrified rock version with Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman’s vocals singing in tandem might well be just as good as the original.

DL The Flying Burrito Brothers: Dark End of the Street mp3 from here

My Morning Jacket, Undecided Song

In anticipation of the soon to be released new My Morning Jacket album Circuital I’ve been listening to their back catalogue a lot over the last week. Starting with their reverb drenched lo-fi barn recording debut The Tennessee Fire. Since then the bands sound has progressed a lot over the years to more full on rock, prog, R&B and funk. Their last album Evil Urges was an eclectic mix of everything. When I say eclectic I’m being kind as what I really mean is an unfocused mess. It has its moments, like Touch Me I’m Going to Scream, Pt. 2 which is up there with my favourite My Morning Jacket songs. But it also has my worst The Librarian which is an acoustic song about fancying a sexy librarian. Jim James has a great voice but has never been one to write great lyrics on a regular basis, and if he has then they've usually been disguised with reverb. The vocals on The Librarian is free from reverb so there's no hiding how bad the lyrics are. Then there is the track that most divides My Morning Jacket fans Highly Suspicious, with its one chord electronic 80s sounding funk, robot voiced chorus and lyrics about a peanut butter pudding surprise. I hated it at first, then saw them play it live and loved it. Yesterday I heard it for the first time in about a year and I'm still undecided if I like it or not.
What I am liking is the couple of songs that I’ve heard from the new album though.

Download My Morning Jacket - Highly Suspicious mp3 from here