Moving Day

Well, hopefully anyway - so long as the guy running the show gets his act together & comes up with some bloody keys I can lock the door with...

Today, or very soon then, I'll be moving lock, stock & not the barrel yet, to greenish pastures new which don't have a 'phone line, let alone internet access beyond a veeery slow & expensive mobile network dongle (£15 for 3GB - I ask ya! - and they're one of the cheaper ones)

Bunches of things to do & sort out, not directly related to moving - trying to sell a boat I own, work out how to get somewhere other than the trashy trailer park I'm shifting to, to live in, Daddy in the hospital running a sub-30 heart-rate (fixed later today with a pacemaker, fingers crossed).... It's all Go you Know - oh, and the legalities, forms & wrangles of divorce too - what fun & excitement all round. Truth be told though, between the "omg how many things?, How long?, How Much?"... and sadness/depression, there is excitement & hope peeking through; bursting through some days, in fact; and I do have a great deal to look forward to - Oh Yes indeed.

Fair do's - it's not at all sunny here today - but it was yesterday, and sorta feels it to me, regardless of the weather...

♫ Sunshine Of Your Love - Rotary Connection
Songs (1969)
buy

♫ Planning My Escape - Sleeping States
Old vs New EP (2008)
buy | myspace

♫ Cage Of Ribs - Da Bears
The World Famous Da Bears (2006)
buy | myspace

What with Sparks & a few more - these boys were & still are one of my favourite bands - so for now, it seems right to end with something old-timey & optimistic from 'em - marvellous eh, I love it to bits.
♫ Find Yourself A Rainbow - Slade
Old New Borrowed And Blue (1974)
buy

Despite very few recent posts, and a distinct lack of internet or a faintly portable computer for the moment - I'm not stopping this here blog - sincere thanks to those you who've commented & emailed, or even just kept coming & looking... I shall return, and soon.

Andy
xx

Reflections

Well, one or two of you may have noticed I've not been around here much lately - rather busy wrestling with the financial & other mechanics of where to live within somewhat altered means. I needed a pleasant evening walk to escape those thoughts, a few nights ago; and took a few photos, most of which were far too blurry to use... but the above came out ok, yes?. It wasn't actually as dark as it looks, and in some ways the image is nothing like what I saw or remember; of course the buildings & lights & reflections are real enough, but as with so much in life, for some photographs I have to learn that perfection isn't always necessary, or even worth thinking about - some things are what they are, you have to make the best of 'em, and boy, must I try to keep that in mind.

This first one's just beautiful, I think - lovely lyrics, sung in such a vulnerable-sounding way, a very moving shift to the minor key, and some really fine little touches in the mix, that just grab my heart through headphones - really one for sharing though - enjoy it eh. The whole album's a gem, if you ask me... reckon I like it more than last year's "Nothing Is Lost", which is dead good, but I dunno, the vocals seem recorded a bit differently, & simply don't tug at me in the same way.
♫ Please Don't Put Out The Lights - Things In Herds
I Can Dancing And Walking (2004)
myspace | website | buy

Pleasingly, the loose topic gives an excuse to include another of my absolute faves from fairly recent years - been listening to very little music of any sort in the last week or so... this was a most welcome return, and I find I'm listening to lyrics more intently than before - learning, see?
♫ The Cold, the Dark & the Silence - Sea Wolf
Leaves In The River (2007)
buy | myspace

I've got a lotta time for Lamb, and this track's pretty fine, although I do sorta long for it to get going a bit - less ambience, more rhythm I say.
♫ Darkness - Lamb
Between Darkness and Wonder (2003)
buy | myspace

I got literally just this one track by Hot Chip, and although lyrically,it maybe runs outta steam halfway through - I do like it, and the words are rather good & appropriate.
♫ Made In The Dark - Hot Chip
Made In The Dark (2008)
buy | myspace


Two versions of the same sixties song now - Sweet's cover is really rather good, even if a bit cheesy.
♫ Reflections - Diana Ross & the Supremes
originally released on 7"single (1967)
buy

♫ Reflections - Sweet
Funny How Sweet Co-Co Can Be (1971)
buy

Another old favourite, and another set of ace lyrics - '...whisk you away to where angels often tread, we'll paint this planet red, we'll stumble back to our hotel bed, and we'll make love to each other, til we're half-dead...'
♫ Perfect Lovesong - The Divine Comedy
Regeneration (2001)
buy | myspace

Wunderblock - another free EP from Astorbell

Swedish net-label Astor Bell have another free release available, and it's their best yet, in my opinion. Less umm, 'experimental' than the previous two, but in a way, rather more exploratory, winding it's way round minimal-ish changing, layered rhythms, quite dubby in places, which I like a lot.

This one's five tracks by Wunderblock, a trio of Russians who've created something very enjoyable for those who aren't necessarily fans of instrumental electronic music, but nonetheless long & satisfying enough for souls like me who certainly are, and revel in it. Give them a go, and if you don't care much for the results as a straight-up, careful listen - try it as kinda background or ambient ear-fodder & see if they don't float yer boat that way. It'd work as super-cool movie or the right kinda party music, space-age when space-age meant good... highly recommended, & equally fine as casual filler, or something detailed to get involved in through some big speakers or headphones.

Here's a couple to give you an idea - download the rest at Astor Bell.

Getting all filmic (again) - imagine a night-time city journey, lotsa fast cuts, and the odd lingering shot of someone, maybe on a train (for the rhythm, see?).
♫ Octopussy - Wunderblock

♫ Cleo - Wunderblock

both from Act! EP (2009)
a free download from Astorbell | Wunderblock on myspace

Doh!

Many, many thanks, love, & hugs to the thoughtful person who alerted me... but my filehost is misbehaving today - I've changed nothing, but the only files accessible after about lunchtime today, are those with a .php extension, which is pretty useless, of course.

Boring detail - if a file.s named xyz.php - it works fine, same file, renamed to xyz.html - access forbidden, and the error page isn't the standard one, meaning it ain't the one in my account, but a similar general one. Sooo, somethings obviously gone wrong or being blocked by the host, and their online & telephone help, are both umm, unavailable.

Curiously, if the files can be accessed via a sub-domain - eg not http://howmarvellous.com/music/index.html but http://music.howmarvellous.com/index.html, then things work just fine, but that doesn't help unless I manually edit every mp3 link..., so bah, bah & bloody bah! - hopefully I can fix it tomorrow eh?.

Hunting for a home

I really oughtta be on with finding somewhere to live, but a search of a different kind did cast these loosely related musical pearls before me, which seem well worth sharing - particularly Gaze & Marie Modiano, not that The Knife or Grantura are just filler, mind you. But yes indeed, if you haven't heard Marie Modiano's 'Outland', I'd certainly suggest giving it a whirl, although it seems rather hard to buy outside of France... coulda done with a different/more adventurous production in places, I'd dare to say, and my sometimes annoyingly picky ears, do get a bit irked at the occasional slightly bum note.

Goodness, I'm sounding like Noel Coward giving advice to Mrs Worthington - "It's a loud voice, and though it's not exactly flat...". Pay no attention then, just enjoy what you can. The Grantura track takes the best part of a minute to get moving, btw, so give it a chance, cuz it's rather good.

♫ A New Home - Gaze
Shake the Pounce (1999)
buy | myspace | last.fm

♫ Marble House - The Knife
Silent Shout (2006)
buy | myspace

♫ House Of Cards - Grantura
In Dreams and Other Stories (2008)
buy | myspace

♫ Searching For Pearl - Marie Modiano

♫ The Hunter - Marie Modiano
both from Outland (2008)
buy | myspace

♫ Hunter - Portsihead
Third (2008)
myspace | buy | website

Aside from the title connection, those last two sound dead-good one after the other, d'you agree?. Anyhow, back to the internet for apartments & such - does anywhere rented allow smoking?? - bah!.

It's Got Bells On

Here's a nice little number with bells on, and some decent flute, which I don't always care for very much, but it's welcome on this track, sure enough. Not a lot of information out there about the band, although it's probably safe to say that the album was fairly adventurous for its time, and may well have had first usage of the P-word in its title.

♫ On Off - Off On - The Deep

No bells (some pleasant tinkles tho'), but a better song I say, suitably subdued & sombre too; the bass sound is really nice, short sustain & flat-wound strings - I'm dead fond of that.

♫ When Rain Is Black - The Deep

both from The Psychedelic Moods Of The Deep (1966)
buy | (i)

Truth be told, I'm having the rottenest of mornings - four-odd hours in, and I can just begin to see some daylight again, after waking to some unwelcome young faces from getting on for forty years ago... marvellous it ain't, frankly, and much more besides them chiming(ha!) in for good measure... but these things pass, I guess, although that's rarely obvious at the time. Anyhow, inappropriately enough, I came across a smashing bit of punky power-pop, which I'm gonna include regardless.

♫ (Making) Teenage Faces - The Exploding Hearts
originally a 7" single (2002)
buy it on the Shattered compilation | wiki

Awoke with this in my head

Well, not quite awoke, but a combination of wishes, memories, & simple word-association, had it going round n round my mind; although in a thoroughly imaginary form, performed by a fairly rocky indie band - which meant it took some thinking to place who had really performed this song.

♫ Morning's A Peach (Come Back To Bed) - Anya Marina
Miss Halfway (2004)
buy | myspace

Couple of plays (then another half-dozen just cuz it's beautiful) and I think I get the connection with my fictitious heavy version - lose the lovely breathy voice (mmm!) & rock it up a bit, and see if you can't get it as one of the quieter songs by Oasis?. I reckon it might be the lil' guitar figures at the end (shades of Married With Children?), or maybe the chord progression & structure... but delightful though Anya's original is, I can't shift the false memory of Liam or Noel crooning a beefed-up take on it. I've heard it (ha!), and it's splendid - not as sparse as 'Married With..' more a quieter 'Don't Look Back In Anger'; give 'em a listen & maybe you'll hear it too?.
---
Morning’s a peach, night is a pitbull
Either way I get a bite
My car reports to work at eight
My heart is several hours late

I can’t keep up with the lovers on the street
I get my sunshine from the glow of my TV
I hear a waterfall is brimming in my eyes
You think I’m prettier, prettier when I cry
Oh me, oh my…
come on back to bed

Leave me alone, or get me some action
Either way somethin’ aint right

I can’t keep up with the singles on the scene
I get my kicks from a long-gone lonesome dream
I saw a waterfall was brimming in your eyes
You’re almost prettier, prettier when you lie…

Oh me, oh my… come on back to bed
La la la la la….

I say I’m prettier — and you’re prettier - when you’re mine
Oh me, oh my… come on back to bed
---

Aside from the Oasis connection, what a fine song eh? - love how the 'prettier when...' part changes each time, moving from sad, through reflective, to something more than hopeful (and pretty damn hot, too) - Cry, Lie, Mine. Heavens, what can be conveyed in a three-minute pop song.
----

Ok, another cuppa tea, then onwards & upwards - bunches of junk to get to the rubbish tip, a replacement tv to be located & purchased, much more besides - and 'all before bedtime', which is a quote from something long ago, can't remember what, now.

Ooh!

There's days when nothing rattles my ears nicely, it's all "meh... s'alright, but nowt special really". I poke listlessly around, trying this n that on for size, until something gives me an 'ooh!'. After that - everything sounds & feels a whole lot better anyway, so maybe I should make a mardy morning playlist, with which to jolt the glumness & overwhelminess away.

Anyhoo - here's what did it today, in glorious mono; great lyrics, some fine rhymes, and the 'ooh' does it for me every time, how apt.

♫ Fire Brigade - The Move
Move (1968)
buy



Cast your mind back ten years,to the girl who's next to me in school
If I put my hand upon her leg, she'd hit me with a rule
Though tomorrow won't be long. you're gonna have to play it cool
You'd be fascinated by her, she could set the place on fire

(chorus)--
Run and get the fire brigade. Get the fire brigade
See the buildings start to really burn - Ooh!
Get the fire brigade, get the fire brigade
If you jump you've got to wait your turn--

Friends all seem to laugh, I fear I'm apt to make a compromise
Try to reassure myself, my head must need some exercise
Half past ten in the morning, she just took me by surprise
True she set the place on fire, you'd be fascinated by her

chorus

The lights across the street throw a rainbow in her hair
I'd love you all to meet her, I'll be there, I'll be there

Notice that my eyes have been a misty place since Saturday
Brings a feeling we might need the fire engines anyway
Though tomorrow won't be long, we're gonna have to play it cool
You'd get fascinated by her, she could set the place on fire

chorus


I do like bell sounds in pop music, whasaat Beatles one? - ah yes 'Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey', same year too

The Honey Brothers

It's funny, much as I ignore the descriptions slapped on bands by PR types, if a word catches my eye, it does stick in mind, especially when the accompanying music seems to bear little relationship to what they wrote. A case in point - The Honey Brothers - who on this song, the title track from their new ep, you might think were a nicely quaint indie band, sounding here a bit like early Pulp, sweetened up a good deal - a very pleasant way to sound, I might add.

♫ Demonstration - The Honey Brothers
Demonstration EP (June 16)
myspace | website

D'you get any 'folk' from that - well punk?... even 'new wave folk'? - I sure don't, although the f-word is one I might well associate with the other tunes on the EP, and their previous releases. Ukulele &/or banjo & you're a country/folk band, right?. gee, I know these press guys have to say something, but really!.

Demonstration EP Track List:
1. Demonstration
2. Moonlight
3. Won't Last Long
4. Perfect Parent

Post Honeymoon

I must admit that I'm very short on words at the moment, too much else whizzing about y'see - but it'd be a shame to ignore the occasional new tune & band that does engender some enthusiasm... so here we go.

♫ Night Guard - Post Honeymoon
Post Honeymoon (June 9 on Two Thumbs Down)
myspace | website

Another two-piece band, from Chicago too - Rachel Shindelman & Nick Kraska. Duos are the new black, surely?.

Friday's song(s) - The Easybeats

A temporary reprieve for my days of the week songs thing, which I kinda lost the impetus for a few weeks ago - having run out of really decent tunes for some days. I just had a look, and far as I can see, I didn't get round to this one, which can't be right, cuz it's cracker - and so's the B-side... in fact it's a toss-up which one I like best.

The Easybeats had been absolutely heeuuge in their native Australia (well, they were from immigrant families, but hey) - and on the back of that, in 1966 their manager got a fairly astonishing five year recording deal for them, with United Artists. First stop on UA's plan for world domination was London, and a session at Abbey Road, where their original producer Ted Albert failed to satisfy the new record label, leading to his replacement by Shel Talmy for a date at IBC a few weeks later, which gave rise to four fine tracks - two of which were chosen for the next single: Friday On my Mind.


♫ Friday On My Mind - The Easybeats

♫ Made My Bed (Gonna Lie In It) - The Easybeats
original release - 7" single on United Artists (November 1966)
buy on compilation | biography


It's well worth a look at the biography link above, to read of how the band's image was stage-managed, including the hiding of wives/girlfriends from the public eye - this apparently led to the tragic death of Harry Vanda's wife, Pam. Shocking too, what little money they got, even after securing that precious contract with UA - the good ol' Music Business eh?.

Can't Sleep

I won't toy with the possible reasons, but sleep ain't come easy lately, and tonight it hasn't come at all; so I'm sitting here at *2:30 in the morning, wondering what the hell to do with myself. Gotta be some music of course, maybe a cup of tea? - a few smokes, this post & I'll have another crack at it... I know why I like a drop of wine now, absent hearts n all that.

These are what I need - very plainly, although it's likely a bit rousing given the circumstances; starts smoothly & calmly enough, then gets all lively about two and a half minutes in. S'funny how certain geographical locations crop up in groups when you trawl the world of music - The Shins are yetanother band from Portland, Oregon, which keeps jumping out lately. Anyhow, it's a bloody good song, and I see they've plenty of gigs going this merry month of May, so catch 'em if you can.

♫ Sleeping Lessons - The Shins
Wincing The Night Away (2007)
buy | myspace

♫ To Sleep the Sleep - T.D. Reisert
To Sleep the Sleep (2007)
free download from 80H records | website

♫ The Devil Never Sleeps - Iron and Wine
The Shepherd's Dog (2007)
buy | myspace

There's a staggering number of sleep-related songs I could knock out, but I should try again myself - good to know I won't be short of appropriateness if the same happens tomorrow; or heaven forbid, later tonight.

* make that 3.30, I'm a slow typer.