These New Records Are Quite Nice

Tactical Thinking: That's Right Move (Tactical Thinking Entertainment, 2009)
This slipped out late last year, but thanks to me not opening my post - sorry - I missed it. Anyhow, you know how some records are just so good that, within about three seconds you've decided that this is the only record you've ever really loved? Well, this is one of them. Or at least it is for me, but then, I'm easily led. It's a curse, tbh. So Tactical Thinking are from Manchester and East London and there's, like, loads of them. There's a lot of lines I like here, but the one that particularly appeals to me is, "What we represent is eccentric, mental imagery," because, hello, that's what makes up most of the track.
Much more Tactical Thinking gear here.


The Boy Who Trapped The Sun: In The Dark (Chess Club, 2010)
So, after a morning sent ploughing through a load of new CDs I have two I really like and a teetering pile of meh that I'll never even look at again. This is not a sustainable business model, is it? Still, never mind. So, TBWTTS is a chap called Colin MacLeod and he's from the Isle Of Lewis. Now, I know John Lewis, but that's probably nothing to do with it, eh? Anyhow, there's a lot more of this kind of thing here.

Hello Old Thing, Hello New Thing: 40

Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra: After You've Gone (His Master's Voice, 1939)
I've pulled this one from here, the soundtrack to Peter Bogdanovich's Paper Moon. There's something incredibly heartwarming about this sort of thing, despite it coming from a time when the world was tipping directly into war. There's probably a reason for all of this, my theory is that everyone was so busy wandering around in heavy grey flannel saying, "How do you do?" all the time that they never noticed all the awfulness snapping at their heels. Simpler times, no?


Elvis Perkins: Shampoo (XL, 2009)
He's an interesting fellow, EP. However, what's most interesting about him is that he writes songs that you actually want to listen to more than once. That's a rare skill - one to be remarked upon, I think. Anyway, in this case, he feels secure enough in that talent to wallop the thing itself on the B-Side of his new single. While we're talking about new releases, EP's new LP is a wee bit useful too. Good news all round then.

This New Record Is Literally Quite Good

Baskery: Harsh (Glitterhouse, 2009)
I don't know what it was that first attracted me to the Bondesson sisters, the Swedish triplets that make up Baskery, but the fact the one on the right looks like Becky from Coronation St doesn't hurt. Anyway, my goodness, whatever it was, I'm pleased to report they play nice music as well. Harsh is from their rather wonderful album Fall Among Thieves. They play stand-up bass and banjos and snare drums and they holler sweetly and they seem like perfectly lovely young ladies. I hope I never hear of anything that will rob me of this illusion.

This New Record Is Also Quite Good

Million Dan: Inner City Got Plenty Cases
I like to think of Million Dan as The Artist Previously Known As Mike J from his time with the brilliant Demon Boyz. Anyway, "Million" is now out there on his own making great records, that often feature incredibly odd samples. This one, however, is the sort of properly good hip hop record that people who don't like hip hop actually like. Though there is some swearing, which is hardly ever necessary, is it?

Hang On A Minute, This Is A Bit Good

Tony Christie: Danger Is A Woman In Love (Autonomy Music, 2008)
I have, officially, forgotten about Amarillo. Taken from Christie's truly, truly brilliant new, Richard Hawley produced album, Made In Sheffield, ... Woman In Love is top-drawer croonology founded on the mathematical thoery that Bond-theme drama plus crinkly-eyed wisdom multiplied by a great big aching heart can only ever produce good work. I should mention at this point that the album includes a version of Human League's Louise that is so good it's actually a bit terrifying.

This New Record Is Literally Quite Good

Damien Jurado: Everything Trying (Secretly Canadian, 2008)
Jurado is one of those chaps that's been banging away - sometimes like an outhouse door in the wind, yes - for some time. And, in doing so, every now and again he drops a belter. And this is that belter. Taken - wholesale - from his new album, Caught In The Trees, this is more than a little bit lovely. "I'm be sailing on your deep blue eyes," he croons, as cellos and pianos swell like a lover's heart. This is the stuff, Jurado - more of the same please.

New Music Tuesday

Micah P. Hinson: Throw The Stone (Full Time Hobby, 2008)
The sun is shining, the winter appears to have finally retreated, me and Scrap even enjoyed an ice-cream in the park yesterday. Put all those things together and you have what I consider to be the perfect conditions for some back-woods croakery, some guitar-stroking, some fiddle-plucking, some double-bass thumbing, perhaps even a few crispy banjo croutons. What a lovely day. What a lovely record.

Booze Ban: Day 17

James Yuill: The Ghost (Chess Club, 2008)
I went to the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards last night. It was great (apart from Steve Harley, of which more another time, and probably somewhere else), but I did feel tempted by the champagne and wine on offer. I walked past a pub before entering the venue and saw a couple of people hoiking down pints of Guinness and, you know what, they did look good. But there's no way a drop will pass my lips for another fortnight. Oh no. Or, possibly, after. Wouldn't never drinking again be amazing? Anyway, until then, I will have a listen to this record that was constructed in a South Ealing bedroom. Yulli plays a guitar and sings - yes, another one - but he also has a keen ear for warm electronic niceness and the odd handclap. Plus, there's a cheering chorus. Good work, James

Hello Old Thing, Hello New Thing: 25

Archie "Stomp" Gordon: Ride Superman Ride (Savoy, 1956)
Recorded with The Hi-Lites (and Stomp's own orchestra) in New York in September 1956, Ride Superman Ride remains the sort of tune that makes your legs feel a little more energetic and your backbone more supple just by thinking about it. When Stomp howls "Hey Mr Superman, fly like a jet mobile" over a piano that's getting thumped into firewood as the tape runs, you forget that there's no such thing as a jet mobile and simply allow yourself to get caught up in the knocked-out-in-a-teabreak novelty of the whole thing. And Superman and Batman never did fight over a woman, whatever Stomp says. This one's for Scrap, who is convinced he's Superman, Batman or Spiderman (or Daphne Blake from Scooby Doo) depending on which way the wind's blowing.


Like A Fox: A Little (Pronoia Records, 2008)
Things I like about this record: it's not a singer-songwriter mopefest (and I love a singer-songwriter mopefest), there's no acoustic guitar on it (actually, there is, but it's well hidden), it includes the lyric, "Here's hoping that paper can't rust" - which is great, (if baffling), there's no one from Scandanavia involved and it's all carried by this incredibly perky keyboard line despite being, in essence, rather melancholic. That's right, it's the old PSB's, New Order trick and it gets me every time. What a tremendous record. Album's brilliant too...

This Record Is Quite Nice, Actually: 2

Young Galaxy: The Alchemy Between Us (Arts & Crafts, 2007)
Let's hear it for Nu-Gazing. I put the Young Galaxy album on this morning and immediately liked it. This is a good sign as I was beginning to think I would only ever like epic45 for the rest of my life. Anyway, YG have clearly been listening to some Slowdive and Pink Floyd records. This - while hardly groundbreaking - has meant they make the sort of music that makes you feel good about stuff. And we all need to feel good about stuff, right?

Enjoy.

New Music Tuesday

I opened my post and this was in it. Literally, hurray! King Creosote's last album was an absolute doozy. And this 4 Track sampler would appear to suggest that:

1. It was a rather decent warm up
2. Old KC has quite a lot - well, at least four - great new songs in him
3. There was a budget you could feel between your fingers
4. You've No Clue Do You is The Hit Single in waiting
5 Spysticks will be next year's Festival Anthem
6 Home In A Sentence ("Hold onto her / Stay focussed / Keep her in your sights / Don't stray out of her eyes") might sound impossibly romantic, but it's actually a right little bastid...
7 Nooks sounds the precisely the sort of piano and violin croon-a-long you'd like to enjoy in a convivial Anstruther pub.

A full copy of the album should be here tomorrow...

Literally hurray, again.

Sounds Like TuesdayMusic: New And Revisited

Jack Hylton & His Orchestra: By A Waterfall (originally Decca, 1933, this version Lightning Tree Records, 2007) As you can see from the picture, Jack Hylton had his finest moments - of which there were quite a few, some long time ago. However, what was good 75 years ago, sometimes remains good 75 years later. This is just such a tune - as covered by The Bonzo Dog Band in August, 1969. More of this tremendous sort of thing here.




At Swim Two Birds: Wine Destroys The Memory (Green UFOs, 2007)
I feel like I've encountered this lot before somewhere down the line. Anyway, this is a great, great song, a softly rumbling, hungover-to-hell lament much recommended to fans of Richard Hawley and, oddly, Red House Painters. It's not out for a while yet, so don't tell anyone... OK?






Example: You Can't Rap (The Beats, 2007) Example is this chap from Fulham. On this forthcoming Beats single he bemoans the fact that people think, well, he can't rap. Which is a shame as he clearly can. He can also wallop the chemicals, as can be seen - repeatedly - here.




Cyann & Ben: Sunny Morning (Ever, 2006) This is a brilliant track from last year. C&B are artisanal French hippies, basically and this sounds (a little) like an arts & craft Spiritualized. So, not much to complain about there, eh?

I'm really, really hoping it is a sunny morning tomorrow - not for any other reason than it would make me spring into work feeling glad to be alive. Also, I pointed out the pink clouds of a sunrise to The Scrap the other day and he seemed genuinely excited by the prospect. I think he'd like this too...

BONUS POST: Maximo Park: Our Velocity (video).
I'd like to post Books From Boxes from their fantastic new album. But I'd get punched :(

Enjoy!