A couple more for you - Erica Nockalls, violinist with The Wonderstuff and The Proclaimers has just issued her debut album, The Imminent Room - saw her last month and she was stunning. Here's a sample - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=675Px-SvotE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqpzKJ1p54I Laura Veirs - seeing her in November - check out the insane pedal steel solo on this one... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6P8mfvCGKyg ...and the astounding video on this one - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVITux76S0U So much good music around at the moment.
I meant to thank everyone for some classic suggestions, went with snarky puppy, laura kidd, Greg isakov and David sylvian. Tewks you seem to have an ear for the ladies, I can't recall any moment in history where british female singers have been so good, adele,Elle Goulding,Emile thingy and a whole host of others knock the Alan Whickers of anything that I have heard recently. I did catch Alison Moyet who has lost about 300 pounds and still bangs out love resurrection like a teenager, well worth a listen to her new album.
I remember me and Tewkes talking about Living Colour the last time this thread was around. Not much has changed for me since Funny thing - when waiting for Soccer AM a few months back and reading the paper I heard Cult of Personality start up and instantly threw my head up. It seems the WWF have adopted it as a theme, which was a tad disappointing. But good to know they are still getting royalties
I am compelled to offer you this selection from Kyla La Grange - just got the album "Ashes" and it's immaculate - in order, we have 'Been Better', then 'Heavy Stone' and a dance mix of the same track. Might sound American, but she's from Watford... Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gh7a-SgPHQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uk5LUVq_gaw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Htnt2ssAOo
And a couple more - I'm going to treat this thread as a sticky and add to it when I hear something that either flattens me, or I think some of you might like. The Retrospective Soundtrack Players - saw them on Sunday night - great fun. 'Catcher in the Rye' from the album of the same name - their first album 'Cool Hand Luke' and this one are collections of songs inspired by great novels. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzHJ1Hs1LBg John Murry - seeing him in a couple of weeks - grittier than an electric sander, this song 'Pretty Coloured Balloons' tell of his experience of waking up from a coma, the 'balloons' being the drip bags surrounding him. Not a bundle of laughs, to be sure but painfully brilliant - stick with it. From the album 'The Graceless Age'. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O8IKE3AWMg
I'm going to morph into a middle-aged woman for a moment and recommend a couple of Kirsty Maccoll songs 'Tread Lightly' - featuring a mini guitar solo from Johnny Marr http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy1Na4YRlEE - The only video I can find of it on Youtube. Listen to the original if you can. 'Innocence' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qZ2KFRaYtA Both from her 1989 album 'Kite'
One of my all-time favourite albums, Captain B - got it on vinyl... 'Your pornographic priestess left you for another guy' - wonderful line. Wish there was a live video of 'What Do Pretty Girls Do?', what a track that is.
Really getting Laura Viers reminds me of Janis Joplin in many ways. Thanks tewks! Getting back into the 1980's stuff recently early simple minds and echo and the bunnymen - superb If you want something classic chill out - kobresia substrata 2
Can anyone confirm that I'm not going crazy - during our centenary year, The Real Thing did perform at The Valley, didn't they? Have a £10 bet on this [video]the real thing you to me are everything[/video]
OK - just completed a wonderfully punishing round of concerts and have some more recommendations to make. Alex Cornish - This Is The Point. Saw him support Kathryn Williams at The Louisiana in Bristol - he finished with this song after a truly wonderful set, then went on to play violin and piano for Williams. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNvO1QreGg4 Alex Taylor - Wild at Heart. Saw him at The Boathouse in Tewkes - astounding guitarist and vocalist. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl5jekQ4tyY Anna Von Hausswolff - Mountains Crave. Redefining Gothic, AVH is an organist from Sweden - just seen her at The Cube Cinema where she played the pipe organ there. Combining elements of folk, Black Metal, classical and goodness knows what else, there's certainly no-one doing anything like this anywhere else. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LV-sG9UM5g4 Caitlin Rose - Shanghai Cigarettes. Yee-Hah, I do love that Country...played a snorting set at The Fleece in September. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpHYYUZqX1A The Cadbury Sisters - choose any or all of these tracks from their Bandcamp site - supported Caitlin Rose and sounded like a choir of descending angels - Animals was particularly good on the night. http://thecadburysisters.bandcamp.com/ Nadine Shah - To Be A Young Man. The next big thing? Quite possible on the showing she made at The Louisiana earlier this month - fabulous, rich voice and really strong material. She's just been invited to support Depeche Mode on their 15th Farewell Tour. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IBdeD1Bho4 And for good measure, here's Runaway... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHDn8pDR4Ak Enjoy! Tewkes
I'm going back to my roots. Going to see the cult, simple minds, ultravox and alison Moyet in the next few weeks. I saw Depeche Mode a few years ago on their 6th farewell tour - boring and passionless and for a band about to retire they played a surprising number of new hits. I also note that DM are playing the Isle of Wight next year. Their getting a bit like Ronnie O'Sullivan always saying they are going to pack it in- but love the attention, that is what happens when you come from essex. I heard Nadine Shah a few weeks ago and did not expect a Geordie there is a real bitterness to her, which I love.
Alison Moyet - now you're talking, typical...Alex Cornish will be supporting her on some dates. A guy at work just saw her and said the voice is as good as ever, and apparently she's lost an incredible amount of weight. Nadine Shah's got an accent right in the middle of Bobby Robson and Gazza, really broad. She was a right laugh on stage, drinking Shiraz from a white china cup - classy, or what? You're right, there is an edge and some of the music is really dark and pretty uncompromising. Spoke to her and the band afterwards, very friendly people having a great time. Here's a link to some of the shots I took at the gig - number 9 onwards. http://www.meetup.com/GIG-BUDDIES-Bristol/photos/17593422/287967782/#287968572
There's one thing this country does very right and that is produce some cracking female singers. Cheryl Cole aside we have some amazing singers who have a raw distinctive edge that the Americans and Europeans can never match. Tewkes, I so admire your ability to get out and find these bands. My days of gigging are well and truly over. Unless I can park close to a venue and get home before the 10 minute free view, I rarely venture out, but back in the day I saw some amazing gigs from pet shop boys to an 18 yr old Amy Winehouse.
I saw Depeche Mode on the Blasphemous Rumours tour back in the eighties, and have never been so bored at a concert. Never saw them again, and never bought another record, though 'Enjoy the Silence' tempted me. I was hardcore Ultravox/OMD, seeing them everytime they visited the capital. Funnily enough, I bought the OMD greatest hits CD a couple of years back. Amazing how badly off the boil they went when they saw the sort of fans Bros were attracting. The early stuff is still great in my opinión, but 'If You Leave' and 'La Femme Accident'? Sorry but no.
Absolutely love this programme - just wish that contractual restrictions mean that there's only ever going to be compilation DVDs and not a boxed set of actual programmes. There were a couple of sessions a few series' ago with John Martyn and Danny Thompson, completely wonderful. Their resident pedal steel/national steel/dobro player is fabulous and you get the impression that Aly Bain could play any tune you put in front of him with about 30 seconds practice. Sublime stuff.
Jerry Douglas plays the best slide guitar ever. There is a fascinating program on you-tube in 3 parts, of Aly Bain meeting Nicola Benedetti. They play a sublime improvised duet at the end.
