Wednesday 28 August 2013

Wee rule

Loved this quote from Michael Vaughan re the England cricket team's latest faux pas (some of the players urinated on the wicket under cover of darkness as they drunkenly celebrated their Ashes series victory on Sunday evening):

"People will start judging them by what they do off the pitch instead of the way they play on it."

To be fair, people are judging them precisely by what they did on the pitch in this instance.

The Chefs - I'll Go Too (John Peel Session) mp3

Tuesday 27 August 2013

Song of the Day

The video* to my favourite Mega City Four song - as featured on The Chart Show!

*Well, some of it. The Chart Show bods got bored after a couple of minutes and cut to something else. But the person who uploaded it to You Tube ingeniously stuck the rest of the song on at the Chart Show cut-off point.

Wednesday 21 August 2013

Tuesday 20 August 2013

The Concept - Mr DJ

Hadn't thought of this song for years until reading this post from Rol about songs featuring weather forecasts. This immediately sprang to mind, along with Midnight Star's Headlines (from a similar vintage). Mr DJ made number 27 in the UK top 40 in late 1985 so just about confers one-hit wonder status on the Concept - whoever they were! Pretty cheesy, but it knocks Steve Wright in the Afternoon into a cocked hat any day of the week.

Sunday 18 August 2013

Monkeeing around

My top eight Monkees songs, in no particular order, that weren't UK top 40 hits:

1) The Girl I Left Behind Me

Gorgeous, heartfelt ballad from young Davy.

2) Listen To The Band

Being a huge teen sensation created, of course, by The Man, The Monkees had some of the best songwriters on the planet at their disposal - but they also had someone in their own ranks - Mike Nesmith - who could write a killer tune himself. Listen to the Band is one such number.

3) Gonna Buy Me A Dog

Essentially Mickey and Davy arsing about and ad-libbing over the prospect of purchasing a pooch, for two minutes. Pure, unmitigated fun.

4) Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)

Davy's got a dilemma; he loves two women and can't choose between them. This alternate version is made even better by Peter's voiceover man-style narration during the instrumental bits.

5) Shades of Gray

Lovely, existential ballad. One verse apiece from Peter and Davy. The only way this song could've been improved upon would be if the other two had chipped in with verses too. But it's fantastic enough as it is.

6) Someday Man

A double-A side with Listen to the Band. Two great songs, number 47 in the UK charts. Go figure. Sort of like a sanguine alternative to Shades of Gray. Co-written by Paul Williams of Bugsy Malone soundtrack fame.

7) Your Auntie Grizelda

Peter takes the lead on this hugely enjoyable bunkum. Nice clip too. The TV series may not have aged especially well but the music certainly has - and these clips are just the ticket. Make you want to re-watch the series as well; but, if you're over 12, don't do it!

8) Tapioca Tundra

Mike Nesmith's greatest composition? Works for me!

Saturday 17 August 2013

Public service announcement

Just in case you didn't know, and with apologies to readers outside the UK, Sky Sports 1 is free today on Freeview channel 11 (Pick TV). Highlights include Leeds v Sheffield Wednesday at lunchtime and Swansea v Man Utd at teatime.

They're only doing it to try and nobble BT Sport's big day (whose live coverage features the opening game of the Premier League season, Liverpool v Stoke at 12.45pm), but the important thing here is that, for the first time in twenty-odd years there's an actual live top-division English league game on national terrestrial television (even if it does feature Manchester bloody United).

Thursday 15 August 2013

Three of a Kind #115

It's been over two years since the last Three of a Kind post so one's long overdue I think. (I hadn't just forgotten about this series, honest! Much.) The common link between today's featured three is that they're all by female-fronted German bands from the nineteen eighties - Rainbirds, Propaganda and FSK (Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle) - and are all right up there among my favourite songs of that particular decade. Oh, and none of them reached the UK pop 40, natch. Some cracking promo videos here, too.

Wednesday 14 August 2013

Fantasy Football 2013/14

With the start of the English Premier League football season just days away there's never been a better time to get your squad picked for 2013/14 Fantasy Football. Our Group of Death league looks as if it's proving as popular as ever but we always welcome new members so if you've not signed up yet - join us! It's completely free.

The code to sign up to the Group of Death is: 329745-86055

See you there!

Tuesday 13 August 2013

Craig Ferguson on the deification of youth and imbecility

This is absolutely brilliant. Get it watched!

Monday 12 August 2013

Song of the Day

I love a good part-animated, part-live-action video, me. Of course it helps if it's accompanied by a properly great song; in which case the promo for Montreal alt folk singer songwriter Caracol's (real name: Carole Facal. See what she did there?) Shiver ticks all (or both) the right boxes. Check it oot!

If you like what you see and hear, there's more of the same at Caracol's YouTube channel. She's making an appearance in the UK at the end of this month too, playing at the Lodestar Festival in Cambridge, on August 30th.

Buy Shiver on Bandcamp

Tuesday 6 August 2013

Horseplay

If you've ever wanted to watch some live music with an audience comprised entirely of indifferent horses, here's your chance. Oh yes, that Frida Hyvönen's in a field of her own.