Namesakes #95: The Mission

George is here to deliver us more religion... he's a man on a Mission!

I think there was, maybe still is, a pub in Glasgow called The Mission. I also think that CC and I went there after a few beers because the pub we had been in, The Allison Arms, refused to serve me. Something to do with me being half sprawled against the bar, barely awake. “We’ll go to The Mission, George, they’ll serve anyone”. And they did.

THE MISSION #1

So, the first Mission are the goth band formed by the departure of some Sisters of Mercy. And this Not The Sisters Of Mercy band have sold millions and millions and millions and millions of records (ie. 4 000 000). And, just as I did in my last posting here, I will be offering no opinions about the relative strengths and weaknesses of any of the tracks today. 

And the world will be poorer for it...

The Mission - Serpent's Kiss

I thought I was totally unfamiliar with any of that band’s songs, but I knew that one. Not that I have it.

I'm sure Wayne Hussey will be sending a signed copy to Portugal as we speak.

THE MISSION #2

From goth to something called “euro house” and to Spain for this Mission. Sometimes I listen to a song and think “I’ve heard that before” and I bet (but not in that illegal Tory way) that you’ve heard it too...

The Mission - Missing

Perfectly decent tune, that. 

THE MISSION #3

I am hoping that I can source some religious-themed Mission bands. I’ve been extremely disappointed in my inability to find any songs by any of the plethora of gospel-religious Seekers. And Praise Be, you’ve got a track from “Virgin, a Rock Opera”. I assume that title refers to the mother of Jesus. The intro to the song is somehow familiar, is it “Mrs Robinson”? And in the traditions of all fine rock operas, the song swerves manically through several tunes in the one track. This is majestic, enjoy!

The Mission - Virgin

That is definitely going on Downloads vol. 221. There’s a couple of copies on sale in France for less than €10.

THE MISSION #4

And now an “eclectic” crew , a rapping Mission, named after their “hood” in Boston. Boston USA not Boston, Lincolnshire. You’ll see a lot of that hand-arm movement thing that is obligatory in rap videos.

The Mission - Contagious

THE MISSION #5

And we’re still in the USA for some electronic hip-hop...

The Mission - Listen To The Mission

THE MISSION #6

A certain website describes this next crew as psychedelic rock, and I despised the first few moments of this but it really grew on me…

The Mission - Gailing Made It

THE MISSION #7

Another European Mission, from Italy. Well, I assume they’re from Italy as they are classified as “Italodance”.

The Mission - Dancing On Mars

THE MISSION #8

Thankfully there’ll be no UK grime Mission here. Not that I tried very hard. But I did for the band who Rock For The Lord, no less, with an album called “Face The World”, especially for the songs I’ve Got Jesus and Song For The Lost Sheep.

The Mission - Song For Lost Sheep

Another one for Downloads vol. 221. There’s a “mint” copy to be had for €29.99. I wonder if they are open to offers?

THE MISSION #9

On the other hand, you can get this for zero cêntimos (or whatever you local currency is), it’s another, and rather soporific,  Mission from Boston (Massachusetts).

The Mission - Dream Ingredients

That makes nine Missions for you to experience. No falling asleep and getting huckled out the bar whilst listening to them!

Thanks, as always, George. Mission accomplished, I'd say. But which Mission is God's true mission... and which Mission do you hope will self-destruct in ten seconds?

Snapshots #353: A Top Ten Rock Band Name Songs

This is Steve Perry, charismatic frontman of the band Journey. Don't stop believin', Steve!

Here are ten songs named after famous rock bands...

10. Natty fella caught perspiring after dark. 

Nathaniel is natty, but  he does sweat at night.

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats - Survivor

9. Keepers of the Hamster Wheels. 

Pet Shop Boys - Heart

8. Found in weird, uncanny places with lowbrow necrophiliacs. 

Found in weird uncanny places with lowbrow necrophiliacs. 

Duncan Browne - Journey

7. Joining together to share the cost of your hopes and aspirations.

The Dream Syndicate - Boston

6. Pleasant and agreeable enough.

The Nice - America

5. Master of Ceremonies Alan Montgomery requires a personal servant. 

MC Al Mont gets a Butler.

McAlmont & Butler - Yes

4. Gretchen & Brenda.

Gretchen Peters & Brenda Lee...

Peters & Lee - Rainbow

3. Winners of the Nobel Prize for Music.

Alfred Nobel invented dynamite.

Big Audio Dynamite - Rush

2. Fielding's lad paints pictures with sound.

Henry Fielding wrote Tom Jones.

Art of Noise featuring Tom Jones - Kiss

1. Wallie's medicine is a tough mixture to swallow.

"Wallie's medicine" was an anagram...

Deniece Williams - Free

Journey back here next Saturday for more...

Saturday Snapshots #353

Stone me - is it that time again?

Here are ten performers from the world of popular music. Who are they and how might their songs be connected?

10. Natty fella caught perspiring after dark. 

9. Keepers of the Hamster Wheels. 

8. Found in weird, uncanny places with lowbrow necrophiliacs. 

7. Joining together to share the cost of your hopes and aspirations.

6. Pleasant and agreeable enough.

5. Master of Ceremonies Alan Montgomery requires a personal servant. 

4. Gretchen & Brenda.

3. Winners of the Nobel Prize for Music.

2. Fielding's lad paints pictures with sound.

1. Wallie's medicine is a tough mixture to swallow.

Roll on back here tomorrow morning for the answers...

Positive Songs For Negative Times #83: Words Fail Me

I despair.

I've never been anti-American. I grew up on American culture - Spider-Man and Springsteen, Motown and Moonlighting. For much of my youth, I felt more American than I did British. And considering the sorry state of the UK at the moment, I don't believe we're in any state to judge.

This isn't an anti-American post then. It's just an anti-American idiots post. Because the lunatics appear to be taking over the asylum once more, and given recent events, nothing's going to bar their way. "God" help us all.

Billy Bragg - The Buck Doesn't Stop Here No More

Grace Petrie - Make America Hate Again

LCD Soundsystem - North American Scum

Will Hoge - Gilded Walls

Morrissey - America Is Not The World

Loudon Wainwright III - I Had A Dream

Harry Chapin - I Miss America

Chuck Prophet - Get Off The Stage

UPDATE - no sooner had hit PUBLISH on this post, than Ben sent me a link to the story below...

Namesakes #94: Breathless

When Jean Luc Goddard wrote and directed À bout de souffle, one of the most influential movies of the 60s, starring Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg, did he have any idea how many earnest young men would end up stealing the film's British title for their band names? 

Of course he didn't, otherwise he'd have called his film Duran Duran instead. (In case you're wondering, there was only one band to ever use the name Duran Duran... although there is a band called Duran Duran Duran... but I'd stick with Simon Le Bon if I were you.)  

Bands called Breathless then... take a deep breath!

BREATHLESS #1

Cleveland, Ohio AOR band who enjoyed a few breaths of success in the late 70s and early 80s with chunky guitars and singalong choruses. Warms my heart, it surely does.

Breathless - Takin' It Back

BREATHLESS #2

Welsh rockabilly band led by two brothers of Cavan Grogan, Teddy Boy lead singer of Crazy Cavan and the Rhythm Rockers. These guys were active throughout the 80s, and they even did a song about one of my all-time favourite TV shows... 

Breathless - The Twilight Zone

BREATHLESS #3

Acclaimed dream-pop band (I think Khayem first brought them to my attention) who met while working at the Virgin Megastore in London and released their first recordings in 1984. Amazingly, they're still in the go, having released their 8th album just a couple of years back. Frontman Dominic Appleton also sang with This Mortal Coil.

Breathless - Always

BREATHLESS #4

German speed-metal band from 1985 who would later change their name to Glory Anthem.

Breathless - Caught In The Heat

BREATHLESS #5

More German metal, also from 1985. Must have been something in the air.

Breathless - Back From The Attack

BREATHLESS #6

Belgium metal band, also from 1985. By this point, I was wondering if it was the fall out from Chernobyl, but that didn't happen till '86.

Breathless - Nobody's Perfect

BREATHLESS #7

If you're the sort of person who gets turned on by record labels, you'll be thrilled to hear that these guys were on Blanco Y Negro in 1999. They were from Spain and their only release appears to be a track called Snow On The Sahara. I imagined something atmospheric, perhaps more dream pop. I didn't get it...

Breathless - Snow On The Sahara

BREATHLESS #8

Greek rockabilly band who arrived on the scene in 2008, but sound like they came from 50 years earlier...

Breathless - Hot Rod Kid

BREATHLESS #9

Female-fronted punk bank from Italy in 2011...

Breathless - That Magic Have To Come

BREATHLESS #10

And finally today, a Thai Goth-Metal band from 2012 led by Narusha Dithabenjakul who also created a comic strip called Bunny Man. 

Breathless - Masquerade of Puppets

Which ones take your breath away... and which ones leave you gagging for breath?

  

Saturday Snapshots #352: A Top Ten Posterior Songs

I almost ran this picture yesterday, but I figured it would be too much of a giveaway... so I featured the colossal arse that is Tom Hanks instead.

Here are ten songs we sit down on - or synonyms for posterior, if you prefer. 

10. Frankie's pall was rather dull and unfashionable. 

A dull and unfashionable person is a dowd. Frankie was pals with Johnny.

Johnny Dowd - Opus III: Caboose

9. Larry aches after playing Twister.

Untwist "Larry aches" and you get...

Ray Charles - Shake A Tailfeather

8. If I could be for only an hour, tiny.

"If I could be for only an hour," is a line from Jackie.

Little Jackie - 28 Butts

7. Inside Reece and Steve's peach.

Reece Shearsmith & Steve Pemberton made Inside Number 9. 

The Nectarine No. 9 - This Arsehole's Been Burned Too Many Times Before

6. In this world, we've got to find the time for things that come in bottles and lamps. See?

"In this world, we've got to find the time," is a line from The Life Of Riley.

Genies come in bottles and lamps. C?

Jeannie C. Riley - The Back Side Of Dallas

5. Policeman stuck in School of Grease.

Rydell High was the school in Grease.

Bobby Rydell - Honey Buns

4. Scary Christopher in Forest of Dean.

Christopher Lee was pretty scary. Hazell Dean was an 80s pop star, in a wood.

Lee Hazlewood - Poet, Fool Or Bum

3. Golden King, Silver Queen, Blue Prince.

Golden King, Silver Queen and Blue Prince are all types of holly.

The Hollies - I Can't Tell The Bottom From The Top

Good song, though I have a special fondness for the Kevin Rowland version.

2. Californian kestrels, ahoy!

I See Hawks In LA - Stop Driving Like An Asshole

1. The Colonel stops frying and lets daylight do its work.

KFC without the F, using sunshine instead...

KC & The Sunshine Band - Shake Your Booty

You 

Get off your arses next Saturday morning for more of the same...

Saturday Snapshots #352

Saturday Snapshots is like a box of chocolates - you just never know what you're going to get.

Having quoted my least favourite movie of all time, I must surely have reached a nadir? Please try to cheer me up by identifying the folk below and working out how their songs might be connected.

10. Frankie's pal was rather dull and unfashionable. 

9. Larry aches after playing Twister.

8. If I could be for only an hour, tiny.

7. Inside Reece and Steve's peach.

6. In this world, we've got to find the time for things that come in bottles and lamps. See?

5. Policeman stuck in School of Grease.

4. Scary Christopher in Forest of Dean.

3. Golden King, Silver Queen, Blue Prince.

2. Californian kestrels, ahoy!

1. The Colonel stops frying and lets daylight do its work.

Answers tomorrow morning... if any are needed.