Roadblock Warning For SE22 Tonight

Just to let you all know, you should avoid the Landcroft Road / Crystal Palace Road area to tonight as it will be a Roadblock Scenario between the hours of about 7pm and, let's say, 11?

"Why?" you ask, your eyes shining with delight. Well, it's because Scrap's pal Harvey's dad and I have teamed up - as Fabio's Dad and Steve Grooverider - in order to take care of bidniz at the Heber School (Parent's) Disco tonight.

Now, I've done a fair amount of DJing in my time, but almost all of it has involved playing old folk records to people who were intent on drinking beer and talking. But tonight we are in charge of what my old pal Tim Westwood once described to me as "destroying dancefloors".

To that end I've lined up a big playlist on Spotify and have dug out a load of ancient 12"s from the basement. How could it go wrong with that level of preparation?

Do you have a request? Let me know below, or send me a message, like.

I'll let you know how it went tomorrow. Or tonight, if I manage to press play and tweet at the same time.

This New Record Is Quite Nice

You see how easily I can just slip back into the lingua franca of the old blogosphere? Honestly, this stuff just rolls from the fingertips. I guess it's a gift. It felt so good to be, if you will, back in the saddle yesterday that I figured, why not give it a go today too? The record industry is kind enough to push CDs through my door every day, it would be mean not to flag up the one in 264 that's actually any good, wouldn't it?

Postdata: In Chemicals (One Four Seven Records, 2010)
Postdata is brothers Paul and Michael Murphy (but mainly Paul, that's him over there). They're from Nova Scotia - yes, you're right, it does mean, "New Scotland" - and they're usually in a band called Wintersleep. But this is a rather more sparse affair that, over the course of the record (*smooths out press release on actually quite tidy desk*), deals with Paul's relationship with his family, particularly his grandparents (*throws press release in bin*). So now you know. If you listen to it and think, "Hang on. This is a bit like Bon Iver only it's about, y'know, Nanna Winnipeg rather than a girl called Emma!" then have a biscuit. Because it is.

The album is lovely, btw. It's out in February, but it doesn't appear to exist on the intersquizz yet. So have a look here every now and again. Or something.

And We're Back

Hello. We've been a bit quiet really, haven't we? Sorry about that, had a lot on. Wow, it feels really odd not having to think that I might be about to go over 140 characters. Anyway, so we've had the baby (Cassia, literally the most beautiful baby there ever was, obv), so let's restart this blog, eh? Silvana and I were talking about it this morning and we've both really missed it. And, whatsmore, there's so many good new (and old) records like...

Skuff & Inja: United Kingdom (In Records, 2010)
I just love this record, a tribute to the "Island of words" a place where you have to step up to the bar and buy rounds, where the waistlines are getting bigger, where our patron saint is the same as for Catalonia, Palestine and Ethiopia. They also have some interesting things to say about people wearing shorts and jackets and "tramps wrapped in packaging..." Some truly great lines here. More on the - very, very good - and forthcoming album here.

Malory: The Signs (AC30, 2010)
A little bit like Flying Saucer Attack and a little (OK, a lot) like the mighty, mighty Slowdive, Malory are from Dresden and I like them an enormous lot. Their new album, Pearl Diver is an absolute smasher. They played with epic45 recently and I missed them. I blame the baby :(


Tee And Cara: I Don't Think I Know Her (United Artists, 1968)
What an absolutely bloody lovely record. There is nothing - NOTHING! - I don't love about this song, written and performed by these New York teens. Or, at least, they were teens. They're ancient now. But then, aren't we all (compared to teenagers, that is)? Their one and only - and utterly brilliant - album is available again now thanks to the wonderful people at Rev-Ola. Praise, literally, be.


Tommy T: The Response (feat Gigi) (Easy Star Records, 2010)
Bass-player with Gogol Bordello, Tommy T's new album was recorded in his home country of Ethiopia (again with the Ethiopia). This is a beautiful track that is (*reads from sleevenotes*) all about someone who has traveled far to be with their love. And stuff. Album details here. Right, see you in six months!