Listening Post #53: A Bang On My Bedroom Wall

Heard this tune on the Mickey Bradley show a week ago and I've become quietly obsessed with it ever since. A Canadian act, Morgan and Nelson Bankes, have crafted a real earworm... but the other thing that keeps me listening is the vocal, which reminds me of... someone else I like... but I can't quite put my finger on who. Give it a listen if you have the time... who does it remind you of?

Listening Post #52: Charlie Sheen Reaches Out To The Feds

Perhaps my biggest musical obsession over the past 12 months (beyond all the usual suspects) has been John Darnielle's Mountain Goats. I will continue to shout into the empty vacuum about their glory as long as I have breath in my body.

Anyway, they're back with a new album called Days, and it's obviously quite brilliant.

Here's the lead single, based on an occasion back in the 1990s when actor Charlie Sheen saw a Japanese Horror film which he believed was actually a snuff movie, so he reported it to the FBI.

It wasn't, but it makes for a good story... and a great tune.

Namesakes #206: Aardvark

Welcome back to the feature George used to call "Bands With The Same Name".

This week, a creature whose name will always be inextricably linked to ZZ Top (RIP Frank Beard)... the loveable Aardvark. Ain't they cute? Can any of the bands below live up to that level of cuteness? Let's find out...

AARDVARK #1

We begin today in either Wisconsin and Illinois. Nobody knows which. And nobody can tell me when either, but I'm guessing mid-late 60s...

Aardvark - Wish I Could Tell You

AARDVARK #2

Next up, a London-based prog band who arrived on the scene in 1968. Discogs tells us they "recorded just the one album for the Deram Nova label. Aardvark's style was eclectic and combined Canterbury (Egg, Caravan) stylisms along with more eccentric fare in the manner of Gracious, Gnidrolog or Jethro Tull."

(Rol makes a quick note of Gnidrolog for a future edition of Namesakes.)

I actually have this track on my in-car compilation at the moment.

Aardvark - Very Nice Of You To Call

AARDVARK #3

Possibly from either Nashville or Miami, also late 60s, these guys offer "some dischordant distorto-fuzz, and later features liberal doses of wah-wah." Enjoy.

Aardvark - Salty Dog

AARDVARK #4

A folky Scottish Aardvark, formed in 1970, though it doesn't look like their album was released till 2024.

Aardvark - Walking Out Into The Day

AARDVARK #5

Potential winner this week for me, this New Zealand Aardvark "wrote about the loss of houses due to the building of an urban motorway" in 1973...

Aardvark - Motorway Madness

HARDVARK #6

It was inevitable I'd find at least one Hardvark - surprised there weren't more. A rather loud indie band making Illinois in the early 90s.

Hardvark - Fawn

AARDVARK #7

David Edward Hedger was the man behind this "4am hypno-stomper" in 1992...

Aardvark - The Apostle (The Feeding Of The 5000)

AARDVARK' #8

Italian prog act from 2006 who differentiate themselves from other Aardvarks by sticking a completely unnecessary comma apostrophe on the end of their name. English teachers despair.

Aardvark - Palava Maailma

AARDVARK #9

And finally today, an Aussie metal band from 2023... although from looking at them, they could have come from 50 years earlier...

Aardvark - Tough Love

This post was originally much longer as it also included bands called The Aardvarks. However, due to popular demand complaints from Portugal, I have decided to split the post in two. So tune in next week for more Aardvarks (plural). 

Which Aardvark is AAwesome? 

Listening Post #51: This Is What You Want...

Before I start a week of Listening Posts, a slight diversion.

I tried to leave a comment on JC's blog yesterday, and was hit with the following error message...

"Nonce verification failed."

And now I'm worried....

Meanwhile...

Did anyone watch the recent BBC drama The Cage starring Sheridan Smith and Michael Socha? A pretty decent show, both funny and quite heart-wrenching in places. Always good to see former Brookside stars getting work again in the supporting cast too.

Best thing about the show was the soundtrack though - which had an explanation in the script beyond "here's a bunch of songs the writer / director loves". Socha's character had an extensive record collection that played a pretty important role in the narrative.

Mostly 80s indie and post-punk tunes from the likes of The Cure, New Order, The Fall, The The et al. But this one from PiL - which I'd never heard before - was the stand-out track for me...

Snapshots #465: Train Songs

This is Pat Monahan, lead singer of the band Train.

And here are some songs loosely connected with choo choos...

15. Chased a bandit with Dick Grayson's lad... and made cod in breadcrumbs for everyone.

Smokey chased the Bandit. With Robin's son. Performing miracles.

Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - The Tracks Of My Tears

14. They say that when AI takes all our jobs, we will become...

The Leisure Society - The Sleeper

13. Panic on the streets outside Hotel California.

Where The Eagles meet The Smiths...

Fred Eaglesmith - Freight Train 

Or you could have...

Fred Eaglesmith - I Like Trains

12. Found with Julia's Squash.

Julia Donaldson (of Gruffalo fame / fortune) also wrote a book called The Squash & The Squeeze...

Squeeze - Up The Junction

11. Another suitcase full of baby-teething biscuits in another hall.

Barbara Dickson sang Another Suitcase In Another Hall. I'm not sure whether her suitcase had a Rusk in.

Barbara Ruskin - Euston Station

10. Competition to find Messrs Cave and Lowe on a football pitch. 

Remember Spot The Ball? This is Spot the Nick!

The Spotnicks - The Rocket Man

Do I need to explain why there's a Rocket in here?

9. James went there from Eden, to find Frankie's Opus.

James Dean went East of Eden. Frankie Valli sang Opus 17

East 17 - Steam

8. Often mistaken for Dennis's dog.

Dennis The Menace has a dog called Gnasher. G-Nash?

Graham Nash - On The Line

7. After leaving Eastenders, Susan set up a shop for people who like to make things.

Susan Tully was in Eastenders (after being in Grange Hill, of course). I doubt Brian would get that clue, but I imagine he might recognise the picture.

Tullycraft - The Railway Prince Hotel

6. Lava everywhere.

Eruption - One Way Ticket

5. The paella truck spilt its load.

"Paella truck" was an anagram.

Petula Clark - Don't Sleep In The Subway

4. Former puppet, pawn and patsy.

He used to be a Stooge.

Iggy Pop - The Passenger

3. Boy from the Greta Garbo Home swallows his biro.

My Name Is Jack, lived in the Greta Garbo Home for Wayward Boys & Girls. Did he eat his pen too?

Jack Peñate - Torn On The Platform

2. The Archies meet Daryl Hannah. 

The Archies made Bubblegum pop. Daryll was in Splash.

Bubblegum Splash - 18:10 To Yeovil Junction

1. Sadly, she's never been to me.

Charlene sang I've never been to me. This lady used to be called Charlene.

Kylie Minogue - The Loco-Motion

Little Eva would have been too obvious.

Catch the train to more Snapshots at 8:30 sharp next Saturday morning...