Listening Post #54: Richard & Judy

I was a big fan of Glaswegian indie band The Supernaturals back in the late 90s. I even met them one time when I tagged along with my mate who went to interview them backstage at a Robbie Williams gig (they were the support act). They recently released a collection of rarities from back in the day, including this top tune about former Daytime TV stalwarts Madeley and Finnegan.

I'm sick and tired of feeling useless and moody

I'm sick and tired of watching Richard & Judy

Class.

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...