Monday, 18 November 2024

Listening Post #15: Too Soon?


Our crazy neighbours had their Christmas lights on as of Saturday night... so if any of you noticed a dip in the national grid, that's why.

In other news, Sam Fender released the first single from his new album, due out in February, and it's looking to be a very enticing prospect...



Sunday, 17 November 2024

Snapshots #370: A Top Ten Songs About Lost Cities

This weekend, we explored ten legendary cities, lost to the sands of time. I'm surprised we didn't bump into Indiana Jones while we were there...


10. He made three dollars.

The composer of the soundtracks for Sergio Leone's Dollars trilogy, starring Clint Eastwood. He also ventured to this lost city in Colorado...

Enio Morricone - Mesa Verde

9. Rabbit, something you bear, Jodie Foster movie.

Peter the Rabbit, you bear the brunt, Jodie Foster was in Nell. 

Peter Bruntnell - Camelot In Smithereens

8. Misspelled Mongol.

It's not Genghis Kahn, it's...

Dschinghis Khan - Machu Piccu

Apologies if you'd have preferred this...

The Strokes - Machu Piccu

7. From Grace.

No one wants a Fall from grace...

The Fall - Theme From Sparta FC

6. Wheeler's band - Fall Guy - Madonna, Miley, Mariah (initially) - monstrous wife.

Tim Wheeler's band is Ash. The Fall Guy was Lee Majors (not that Ryan fool). Madonna et al. are MCs. Frankenstein's monstrous wife was The Bride.

Ashley McBryde - El Dorado

5. Yellow, Turquoise, Juniper.

Three song title colours from...

Donovan - Atlantis

4. Once indoors, an unbelievable mix-up occurs.

"Once indoors, an..." was an anagram...

Sinéad O'Connor - Troy

3. Revolutionary prison.

Bastille - Pompeii

2. Don't get stuck in them. 

The Ruts - Babylon's Burning

1. No Joel? That'll cause a stir.

"No Joel" was an anagram of ELO and ONJ. 

Olivia Newton John & ELO - Xanadu

Rediscover Snapshots next Saturday.


Saturday, 16 November 2024

Saturday Snapshots #370

Greetings, Snapshotters. Hope you're all Welles. We've got another Orson quiz for you this morning. 

Who are they and how are their songs connected? 


10. He made three dollars.

9. Rabbit, something you bear, Jodie Foster movie.

8. Misspelled Mongol.

7. From Grace.

6. Wheeler's band - Fall Guy - Madonna, Miley, Mariah (initially) - monstrous wife.

5. Yellow, Turquoise, Juniper.

4. Once indoors, an unbelievable mix-up occurs.

3. Revolutionary prison.

2. Don't get stuck in them. 

1. No Joel? That'll cause a stir.

Answers when you most expect them - tomorrow morning!


Tuesday, 12 November 2024

Namesakes #111: The Tartans


George is back, to plumb depths I can only dream of.

And he's chosen a band name that only a true Scot (even one who's living in Portugal) could tackle. Take it away, George...

I was thumbing through the Roots Reggae Library the other day (i.e. buggering about on the internet, waiting for Nuno to phone) when I came across a band with a rather peculiar name. It made me think of the land of my birth, of 1970s boy bands and a disastrous 1978 world cup campaign. Yes, it’s The Tartans. And what a ridiculous name for a band. 

Yet despite it being a quite idiotic name for a band, there’s a plethora of bands who thought it sounded good. They were wrong there, let me tell you that and tell you no more!

So it’s time to put your listening ears on for this collection of kilts...

THE TARTANS #1


First up, it’s the reggae / rocksteady Tartans...


THE TARTANS #2

Next up, and these people might be from California (it’s where the record label is based), but I have no idea where Camerford is - rather like the electricity network people here have no idea where our farm is but are still threatening to cut off our supply if they can’t change the meter, even though they admitted to not knowing where we are…….is that a Catch-22 situation?). And this is perfectly listenable:


THE TARTANS #3

Some easy listening Tartans now. I have no information about them at all, apart from the fact they have an idiotic band name.

Hold on, George, I found you some extra info...


Conclusive proof - "they are a 'good' band in that they sing well".


Commendably brief, that was.

Clearly George can't tell a "good" band, even when the evidence is right in front of him.

THE TARTANS #4

The next lot are allegedly funk soul (from 1966)...


On what planet is that funk-soul????

On the elevator-muzak planet?

THE TARTANS #5

I would like to say I’m saving the best ‘til last with this 1960s teen group...


But I can’t.

That was my favourite, if only because Buddy Baker is the alter ego of one of my favourite superheroes: Animal Man. 


Look, if I’ve suffered all the above tracks, I think you all should as well!

(I’m not really selling this piece to your readers, am I, Rol?)

Well, at least there were only five of them this week, George - not 35! Thanks for that.

Monday, 11 November 2024

Snapshots Spillover - More Elvis Cos-Covers

Here are some more songs sung by Elvis when he's not singing his own songs. Compare and contrast, if you've got nothing better to do today.

We'll start with one from my third (or possibly fourth, or possibly fifth) favourite Springsteen album...

Bruce Springsteen - Brilliant Disguise

Elvis Costello - Brilliant Disguise

Next up, a classic from Gram and co... even if Elvis chose to change the title.

Flying Burrito Brothers - Hot Burrito No. 1 

Elvis Costello - I'm Your Toy

Let's go way back now, to 1953, and one of the founders of rock n roll...

Big Joe Turner - Honey Hush

Elvis Costello - Honey Hush

Sadly, I couldn't find a photograph of Teacher's Edition, otherwise I would definitely have featured them in this week's quiz, for obvious reasons...

Teacher's Edition - I Wanna Be Loved

Elvis Costello - I Wanna Be Loved

Quite a fun video, I hadn't seen that before.

Here's something strange to make you scream...

Screamin' Jay Hawkins - Strange

Elvis Costello - Strange

And also from Kodak Variety, a singer who always makes me think of Somewhere Down The Crazy River...

Little Willie John - Leave My Kitten Alone

Elvis Costello - Leave My Kitten Alone

Meanwhile Elvis is obviously a big fan of Memphis Soul Man James Carr, having covered him twice...

James Carr - Pouring Water on a Drowning Man

Elvis Costello - Pouring Water on a Drowning Man

James Carr - The Dark End of the Street

Elvis Costello - The Dark End Of The Street

I like to pick a couple of obscure acts for Snapshots every week, just to stretch your braincells. But this Aussie band might have been pushing the obscurity factor a bit much, even for Ernie.

Jo Jo Zep & the Falcons - So Young

Elvis Costello - So Young

Far less obscure, in fact one that's been covered by everybody and his dog...

The Kinks - Days

Elvis Costello - Days

And I need no excuse to feature these guys, ever...

Louvin Brothers - Must You Throw Dirt in My Face

Elvis Costello - Must You Throw Dirt in My Face

I had a load more, but you're probably getting sick of them now, so let's finish today with the song that almost tipped Ernie off to this week's answer, and probably helped Parsley The Goat clinch it.





Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...