Wednesday 29 July 2009

Cracked Melodies


  1. Cave - Encino Men
  2. Crystal Method - High Roller
  3. Yeasayer - Wait For The Summer
  4. Fraternity Of Man - Wispy Paisley Sky
  5. The Junipers - Fly The Yellow Kite
  6. The Blow Pops - Spin Spin 45
  7. Irving - Lovely, Just Like Her
  8. The Veils - The Leavers Dance
  9. The Shortwave Set - Harmonia
  10. Special Pillow - Sixteen Worlds Away
  11. The Doleful Lions - The Luminous Sons Of The Manvantaric Dawn
  12. Reefus Moons - Strange Horses
  13. The Pillbugs - Girl On A Laser Beam
  14. Ivy - Corners Of Your Mind
  15. Flipron - Gravity Calling
  16. Capt Groovy & His Bubblegum Army - Capt Groovy
  17. The Time & Space Machine - Zeitghost
  18. The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Super Fucked
A second collaboration between myself & Cliff ( Frenchy ) see also Rock A Bye Babies.
We didn't set out to make a psychedelic mix once again, but inevitably it ended up that way. And I for one am glad.

And for a change, this mix doesn't try to fit as much music into 80 mins as possible. A choice was taken to finish with the fantastic BJM track. Making this just 1:02:36. No excuses then, for not listening to this in one sitting..

70s AM Radio Revival


  1. Marmaduke Duke - Rubber Lover
  2. Heavy Blinkers - Maplewood
  3. Orwell - Everywhere
  4. Phoenix - If I Ever Feel Better
  5. The Feeling - Never Be Lonely
  6. The High Llamas - Peppy
  7. The Simple Carnival - Really Really Weird
  8. Coconut Records - Minding My Own Business
  9. Young and Sexy - Herculean Bellboy
  10. Mover - We Got It Going On (Feat. Ruby Turner)
  11. Papas Fritas - Questions
  12. Calvin Harris - Ready For The Weekend
  13. Belle Who - Coke & Brandy
  14. Hopeful Monster - Daily Electric
  15. Tahiti 80 - Matter Of Time
  16. The Aluminum Group - The World Doesn't Spin On Us
  17. The Rosewood Thieves - She Don't Mind The Rain
  18. Broadfield Marchers - Amazing Wheels
  19. Rooney - When Did your Heart Go Missing
  20. The Flower Machine - Instant Cathedral
  21. Sweet Apple Pie - Between The Lines
  22. Ivy - Undertow
I've been meaning to make this mix for a while now. It finally come to fruit last week and finished late last night. The premise is simple - modern day bands making the kind of music that owes more than a little debt to the acts that dominated AM Radio in the 70s. Bands like Supertramp, Steely Dan, Doobie Brothers, The Eagles, America. Bands that aren't quite as hip as they should be. But my word could they make a great pop tune. Great harmonies, beautiful melodies, luscious strings. Yum!

Monday 20 July 2009

The Forgotten Art of the B Side Disc Two


  1. Them - Gloria [c/w Baby Please Don't Go 1965]
  2. Badfinger - Sweet Tuesday Morning [c/w Day After Day 1972]
  3. Sonny & Cher - It's Gonna Rain [c/w I Got You babe 1965]
  4. David Bowie - The Gospel According To Tony Day [c/w The Laughing Gnome 1967]
  5. Ian Dury & The Blockheads - There Ain't Half Been Some Clever Bastards [c/w Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick 1978]
  6. A-ha - Maybe Maybe [c/w Cry Wolf 1986]
  7. Prince - Erotic City [c/w Let's Go Grazy 1984]
  8. Saint Etienne - Filthy [c/w Only LOve Can Break Your Heart 1991]
  9. Ash - Gimme Some Truth [c/w Angel Interceptor 1995]
  10. R.E.M. - Crazy [c/w Driver 8 1985]
  11. Specials - Friday Night, Saturday Morning [c/w Ghost Town 1981]
  12. Tom Tom Club - On On On On [c/w Under The Boardwalk 1982]
  13. Blur - Theme From An Imaginary Film [c/w Parklife 1994]
  14. Aztec Camera - Jump [c/w All I Need Is Everything 1984]
  15. Echo & the Bunnymen - Angels and Devils [c/w Silver 1984]
  16. The Teardrop Explodes - Suffocate [c/w You Disappear From View 1983]
  17. XTC - The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul [c/w Dear God 1986]
  18. Supergrass - Melanie Davis [c/w Going Out 1996]
  19. Prefab Sprout - Diana [c/w When Love Breaks Down 1984]
  20. Elvis Costello - Girls Talk [c/w I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down 1980]
  21. Jane Birkin - Jane B [c/w Je T'aime... Moi Non Plus 1969]
  22. Patrick Macnee & Honor Blackman - Let's Keep It Friendly [c/w Kinky Boots 1963]
  23. Tracey Ullman - The B-Side [c/w They Don't Know 1983]

The Forgotten Art of the B Side Disc One


  1. Donovan - Hey Gyp (Dig The Slowness) [c/w Turqouise 1965]
  2. The Clash - Pressure Drop [c/w English Civil War 1979]
  3. The Beatles - She's a Woman [c/w I Feel Fine 1964]
  4. The Beach Boys - Don't Worry Baby [c/w I Get Around 1964]
  5. Monkees - Take A Giant Step [c/w Last Train To Clarksville 1966]
  6. T. Rex - Life's A Gas [c/w Jeepster 1971]
  7. The Jam - Smithers-Jones [c/w When You're Yoing 1979]
  8. The Who - Instant Party [c/w A Legal Matter 1966]
  9. Marvin Gaye - At Last (I Found A Love) [c/w Chained 1968]
  10. Sly & the Family Stone - Everybody Is A Star [c/w Thank You Falletinme Be Mice Elf Again 1969]
  11. Pink Floyd - Scarecrow [c/w See Emily Play 1967]
  12. Manfred Mann - John Hardy [c/w Sha La La 1964]
  13. Led Zeppelin - Hey Hey What Can I Do [c/w Immigrant Song 1970]
  14. The Small Faces - Grow Your Own [c/w Sha La La Lee 1966]
  15. The Rolling Stones - Stupid Girl [c/w Paint It Black 1966]
  16. The Smiths - How Soon Is Now [c/w William It Was Really Nothing 1984]
  17. Joy Division - These Days [c/w Love Will Tear Us Apart 1980]
  18. The Fall - Blood Outta Stone [c/w White Lightning 1990]
  19. The The - Three Orange Kisses From Kazan [c/w Uncertain Smile 1983]
  20. Oasis - Half the World Away [c/w Whatever 1994]
  21. Tears for Fears - Ideas As Opiates [c/w Mad World 1982]
  22. New Order - 1963 [c/w True Faith 1987]
  23. Pet shop boys - Paninaro [c/w Suburbia 1986]
In the U.K charts this week only one song sold more than 500 physical copies - the Number One single 'Beat Again' by JLS. The week's number 16 song, Rabbit Heart by Florence & The Machine did very well on downloads, but physical copies? CD Singles and 7"s - 64 copies. Across the whole country.

As more and more people download music onto their computers and mobile phones it's become apparent. The physical single is dead.

The great tragedy here, of course, is the loss of the great art form - the B Side. Far from being an unwanted studio off-cut, sometimes the B Side was a vehicle for an artist to relax and experiment, free from the pressures of having to deliver a hit.

Some bands in particular took the B Side very seriously. Some of Oasis and Suede's finest songs can be found hidden away on their B Sides or their subsequent compilation albums. The Beatles and Smiths have a back-catalogue of flip sides that would put many bands greatest hits to shame.

All these acts are featured here, alongside many classic flipsides of yesteryear. 2 Cds 46 tracks. Every track a gem. Some of these eventually made it onto the artists full albums. Others appeared on odds and sods compilations. Some, only ever on the B-side, maybe that gone unplayed by many many owners of the single.

All have one thing in common though. They're all crackers. One day I'll compile a mix of exclusive B-sides. But for now...

Monday 13 July 2009

Everyone, Under The Sun


  1. Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra - Sammy's Theme
  2. I Monster - Lust For A Vampyr
  3. Asobi Seksu - I'm Happy But You Don`t Like Me
  4. Joy Electric - The Otherly Opus
  5. Orange Juice - Felicity
  6. Scarboro Aquarium Club - It's Valentine's Day
  7. The Turtles - Guide for the Married Man
  8. The Byrds - The Girl With No Name
  9. Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - I'm Looking Through You
  10. Let's Whisper - Hey Sunshine
  11. The Housemartins - Five Get Over Excited
  12. Showgirls - So Small
  13. Denna Johnson & Ricky Davis - Who Me Yeah You!
  14. Hipster Image - Make Her Mine
  15. & the Mysterians - Ten O'Clock
  16. The Marvelettes - The Boy From Crosstown
  17. Tommy James and the Shondells - Draggin' the Line
  18. Miriam Makeba - Pata Pata
  19. The Joe Jeffrey Group - My Pledge Of Love
  20. You Bet! - It's Love
  21. Nice Man - Rain, Rain, Rain
  22. Luna - La Poupée Qui Fait Non
  23. Kelley Stoltz - Memory Collector
  24. Hello Saferide - Anna
  25. The Lovekevins - Happy Happy
  26. Hola a todo el Mundo - Jenn Belives Everyone Has A
  27. Cookie Galore - I'm The One
  28. Ashley Park - Everyone, Under The Sun
  29. Josie & The Pussycats - It's Gotta Be Him
A mish mash of groovy pop sounds

Saturday 11 July 2009

Elixir Of Youth


  1. The Highwaters - Walk Faster Than You
  2. The Tyde - Improper
  3. Fruit Bats - My Unusual Friend
  4. Wilco - Bull Black Nova
  5. Ride - Taste
  6. The Checks - Hold My Head
  7. The Shins - Caring Is Creepy
  8. The Boo Radleys - Barney (...and Me)
  9. Pavement - Summer Babe
  10. Mew - Apocalypso
  11. The Make - Up-I Am Pentagon
  12. The National - Mistaken For Strangers
  13. The Pixies - Bam Thwok
  14. The Jesus And Mary Chain - Never Understand
  15. The Afghan Whigs - Debonair
  16. Buffalo Tom - Cupid Come
  17. The Hold Steady - Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night
  18. Fleeting Joys - You Are The Darkness
  19. Sonic Youth - The Sprawl
What's in my head this weekend..