Wednesday 3 June 2009

Josh Harty "A Long List Of Lies"


We’re cool with country. Less so the Nashville big hat brigade, but if it’s honest and gritty, and knows where it’s from as well as where it’s going, what’s to object to? Josh Harty’s a country singer-songwriter from Wisconsin, and A Long List Of Lies (or a short list of alliteration) is his latest; a solid collection of heartfelt paeans to love, loss and a lot of stuff in-between. There are some blues and folk influences buried not too deep under the surface, so maybe the country tag should read Americana. Whatever. If you head over to his MySpace page, have a listen to "Where Did I Go Wrong".


Wednesday 20 May 2009

Today's Playlist

Playing today:

Lal & Mike Waterson "Bright Phoebus"
Classic English folk gone weird.
Sir John Betjeman "Late Flowering Love"
Music / Poetry. Not like Jim Morrison.
Charles Lloyd "Dream Weaver Anthology"
Jazz flute from the West Coast.
23 Skidoo "Seven Songs"
Angular, arty post-punk + bonus cuts.
Professor Longhair "Rock ‘N’ Roll Gumbo"
‘70s Prof. Longhair at his electric best.

Thursday 14 May 2009

Stolen News: BUNNYS IN SPACE


** NASA Astronaut to Take All-Time Fave Album to the International Space Station **


Move over Star Trek . Echo & The Bunnymen’s 1984 album Ocean Rain will boldly go to the International Space Station on June 13th courtesy of astronaut Colonel Timothy L. Korpa.


Korpa, who has been a Bunnymen fanatic since his teens recently contacted the band via their website about his upcoming three-month mission on the ISS. Though Ocean Rain is Korpa’s favorite, he gave the choice to the band to pick which of their albums they would like him to take on his mission, saying that he would snap photos in space with the album and crew of the ISS and give the album back to the band as a souvenir when he returns to Earth. The Bunnymen ecstatically shipped out to Korpa an autographed copy of Ocean Rain right away.


"What an honour," said Echo & The Bunnymen’s Ian McCulloch. "Now it’s official. We are the coolest band in the universe. As a kid I dreamt of being an astronaut, and now in a way it feels like I’m fulfilling that dream. I cannot wait to hear from Tim what it is like to listen to ‘The Killing Moon’ in the actual glow of the moon."

Sunday 10 May 2009

I'm so vain, I probably think this blog is about me...

Culture Vulture was a collaboration between myself and four (sometimes five) other writers. We’d share the reviews, go to the gigs and take the photos. It was a lot of fun. We saw some great bands, heard some top records and met some interesting people. But now, it’s just me. So there’ll be less reviews, less gig reports and far fewer photos. Overall, content will lessen only slightly as instead of a relentless concentration of music related pieces, there’ll an opportunity to do something more personal. I’m not sure if it’ll be interesting to anyone outside of my immediate family and a close circle of friends; indeed, I’m not sure I want my immediate family and the fore mentioned close circle of friends to be reading some of the things that’ll be going up here. We’ll see. Also I’ve always been interested in fiction writing and I’d like to start putting a few things up here. I think the technical term is "vanity publishing". That’s me, a vanity publisher. Sounds just right.

Thursday 7 May 2009

Alan Curtis "More Than I Can Be"


Imagine my surprise! In fact, consider my utter astonishment when Alan Curtis’ CD found its way into my player and the first track, "Ten In Heaven" kicks of like an old ELO tune. Strangely worrying. Luckily things improve quickly - I don’t have time to fall of my chair - and earthier tones come to the fore. I think there’s an Elvis Costello record or two loitering in Curtis’ album racks, so, still stuck in the ‘70s, but generally, that’s no bad place to be. The ‘70s were ace; I loved ‘em, and so does Alan Curtis. His debut borrows plenty from the decade that birthed new wave, glam rock and the singer-songwriter. He helps himself to the bits he likes, files the rest away, and has turned out a collection of rockers, ballads and quality guitar pop. Of course, times were simpler back then, and More Than I Can Be is to be enjoyed on that level. Uncomplicated fun. Isn’t that the best sort?


Wednesday 6 May 2009

Our E-Mail Address:

cvdan (at) live (dot) co (dot) uk

Stolen News: OAPS FIGHT AT MELUA GIG

Two elderly women got into a fight at the launch party for Katie Melua's third album, 'Pictures', in LA on Monday night. Blood was apparently shed. I'll just run those things past you again: Katie Melua gig, two old ladies, fight, blood.

The singer's producer Mike Batt said via Twitter: "Another great Katie show at LA album launch. Two white-haired old ladies had a fight, no shit. One got 'glassed' by the other. Cut neck. Wooh".

Today's Playlist

Playing today:

The Don Ellis Orchestra "Electric Bath"
Strange big band blasts with sitar and bongos.

Be Bop Deluxe "Modern Music"
Like classic Roxy / Bowie, but not so good.
Don Cherry "Brown Rice"
Dr. John’s Gris Gris taken to an illogical conclusion.
Joe Gibbs "African Dub Vol. 3"
Mmmmm.... smoky.
Various "The All New Electric Muse"
Three discs of sublime folk-rock bollocks.

Tuesday 5 May 2009

Music Reviews

For those of you who didn’t know us before our transformation from black beaked scavenger to razor toothed bottom feeder, you’ll need to know the sort of thing we review and whether you should send us some music to pick at. Remember, we write about whatever we like, whatever mood we’re in. No promises. At the moment guitars feature prominently. And analogue synths. Alt. country outsiders, jangle pop - Byrds to now. Old rickety blues is cool, preferably performed by rickety old black gentlemen. If we’re sitting down, 70s folk rock and contemporary acid folk, 50s / 60s jazz, singer-songwriters with something to say, Texas roots and a smattering of Krautrock. If we’re standing up, classic punk 75-79 - UK and US - post punk up to the mid 80s, early 70s South American psych and Mexican garage bands. 70s / 80s electronica, if we’re robot dancing.


So then, pretty much the same as everyone else. E-mail for a post address.

Friday 1 May 2009

Sex Kitchen Love Cooks "Original Recipe"


That ol’ Midwest rock n roll. Remember the Other Kids, remember the Replacements, and now, Sex Kitchen Love Cooks. What a name - did they lose a bet? Original Recipe is their far from fully realised debut, but with enough potential on show to make up for any misgivings. Bruised pop songs and lo-groove rock n roll will always float my boat and SKLC serve up lashings of both. It’s an album chock full of tunes and bittersweet songs that demand a little sing-a-long action. The production is sadly non-existent, or so brilliantly subtle that it’s inaudible, and the cover art is (be polite, be polite)... naive. But don’t be fooled by all this primitivism, it just means they’ve concentrated their efforts in pre-production, getting the music right in the garage, before hitting a studio. Frankly, the best songs here, "Mr. Midnight" and "Small Town", and that’s just a couple of ‘em, more than make up for any trivial shortcomings concerning the packaging. Pretty ain’t everything.
www.myspace.com/sexkitchenlovecooks

Thursday 30 April 2009

Tim Butcher "Blood River: A Journey To Africa's Broken Heart"


Tim Butcher’s book has divided opinion since it was published in 2007. Richard and Judy loved it, or their researchers did, and made it one of their featured titles. That, in turn, took it to the top of the bestsellers list, but I’m not sure whether it was entirely warranted. Basically it’s two books in one. First off, it’s the story of Butcher’s journey along the Congo river, recreating Henry Stanley’s trip a hundred and thirty-odd years earlier. The differences are startling. Stanley took 999 days, travelled mainly by foot or dugout, and the death toll amongst his colleagues and porters was considerable. Butcher relied on hitching lists with the UN and various charities, didn’t move a click under his own auspices, and moaned constantly all the way. The man has no sense of humour at all, and any attempt at levity from whichever Samaritan has taken pity on him is, at best, met with confusion. There’s no getting away from the fact that it was still considerable achievement travelling through a huge area where the concept of law and order is long forgotten, armed militia are out to kill everything that moves and, as Joe Strummer so succinctly put it, ‘every white face is an invitation to robbery’. Still, no need to be such a fuckin’ grump about it. The book’s other aspect is a serious attempt at explaining the history of this huge African country. Some of his conclusions are puzzling, but it’s still a well informed piece with plenty of first hand insights into the ongoing tragedy which is The Congo. He’s in the Middle East now. I doubt he’ll find much to chuckle about there, either.

Wednesday 29 April 2009

James Blackshaw "Waking Into Sleep"

I heard James Blackshaw on Radio 4 a couple of days ago and I knew I had one of his CDs tucked away somewhere. Well, it took some digging out, but here it is. Released on the Kning Disk label in 2006, Waking Into Sleep was recorded in Gothenburg during May of that year and features 4 longish instrumental tracks. Blackshaw’s a master 12-string guitarist, very much in the style of John Fahey and his Takoma posse. Jack Rose would be the closest contemporary comparison; both display remarkable finger dexterity, and as Blackshaw explained in his interview, repetitive strain injuries are not uncommon. There are close to ten albums available by Blackshaw, and you can find great reviews online for all of them, but this is the only one I’ve heard and I like it very much. Fans of Fahey and the new weird folk music would do well to investigate.

www.myspace.com/jamesblackshaw

Sunday 19 April 2009

David Griffith "Saucepan Bach"


Stiff, in its prime, was the sort of label that could inspire whole movements. They’re certainly partly responsible in kicking off the UK independent scene, so it’s no small compliment to Aussie singer-songwriter David Griffith that Saucepan Bach would have fitted right in with the various old pub rockers and punk popsters that Stiff peddled in its heyday. Mr Griffith’s got it going on. "Walk This Way" is vintage pub fare, circa 1976. Best enjoyed with a pint of light n’ bitter and one of your big brother’s rolys. Things calm down later, and songs like "Beyond The Bliss" bring out Griffith’s inner Nick Lowe to good effect, and suggest a genuine depth to his words. I don’t know who’s buying this sort of stuff anymore, but someone ought to. They don’t know what they’re missing.

Tuesday 7 April 2009

Fahrenheit 451 / Brave New World

After nearly a dozen years, Culture Vulture is no more. We used to distribute our little magazine, free of charge, around the local record shops and venues and all was well. People liked our reviews, bought the records and went to see the bands. Everyone was happy, love flowed and the music played. Then they shut the record shops, and the people were sad. They started downloading their tunes, and buying their CDs online, which made them a little happier, but they missed seeing their friends on a Saturday afternoon, because the only recommendations they received now were from the computers at Amazon and iTunes (based on previous purchases...). Then they closed the venues down, and the people were even sadder. They couldn’t see their favourite bands play live on a Friday night, and they had to go to festivals instead, sleep in a tent, eat lots of chips and get smelly. They couldn’t pick up their copy of Culture Vulture either, so they began to think it was all right to start liking U2 again. So Culture Vulture is no more because there’s nowhere left to stock it. We took all the old copies into the yard, splashed petrol on it, and burnt it good. We’ve embraced the future. When the going got impossible, we started blogging. It’s a pitiful excuse for what went before, but this is all there is.