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.

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."

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.

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?

www.myspace.com/alancurtis11

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.

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.

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