Ruby - Waiting For Light

Ruby and John

Just listening to Ruby's latest, recorded at her home in Scotland and over some time I think with the title track released back in January/February 2013, and it is exactly as I remember her earlier work in the mid-90s: electronic pulses and static and other noises amongst strident to lush vocals, sometimes multi-tracked - she was one of the first artists in my listening experience to merge this electronica with singer/songwriter traditions. So my fond recollections have been reinforced by this similar offering, but made all the more acceptable and pleasing by her distinctive cover of John Martyn's Go Down Easy. I think John would have been delighted as well.

Mike Mattison - You Can't Fight Love

Soul Echo Two

Quite an array of soul sounds are reflected by this former singer with the Derek Trucks Band, from smooth to funk, and opener You Can't Fight Love has the feel of Al Green, though Mattison's vocal doesn't reach the sweet falsetto, or try to.  There are great guitar solos and horn backings to provide plenty of umph to this solid vocal performance, but the nod to a soulful past is what pleases most because it is presented so well.

Lee Fields - Emma Jean

Soul Echo One

Apparently Lee Fields has been performing since 1969 and perhaps the competition then for good male soul singers was rather daunting, but this latest release has him reasserting his soul credentials with comfortable if not dynamic presence. No one will fill the vacuum left by the passing of Bobby Womack, but Fields does have a similar growl/rasp in his voice [compared otherwise with James Brown] and this is therefore a timely presence in that sad absence, the echo of a distinctive vocal an apt tribute.

The Who - Quadrophenia - Live in London

Still Classic

Playing very loud in the background as I continue to mark, this recent live recording of the iconic rock opera is still classic in both performance and creation: Daltry is in fine and deeply fulsome vocal throughout - it is genuinely powerful - and Townsend is as distinctive as ever, especially on tracks like Who Are You and Pinball Wizard. The backing band and singers are exemplary. This is so much more than nostalgic, disc two providing all the 'hits' with wondrous thunder.

Bobby Womack - March 4, 1944 - June 27, 2014

Sky Fallen

The most fitting tribute I can give to this great artist is a reference to my review of his last album here which in itself is such a fine tribute to his talents.

Radio Moscow - Magical Dirt

Blowing Shit Away

Uploading exam marks on the computer is a tedious task, made worse when you've been hassled by some asshole from an organisation that couldn't create a party in a party factory, and an asshole who has no idea how hard I am working to make right the mess over which his/her organisation is presiding, but it is made all the more palatable by listening to some heavy rock provided by the latest from Iowa band Radio Moscow. You couldn't be as far from Moscow and all that metropolis implies, or anywhere else for that matter, than Iowa - Bill Bryson has that famous anecdote [only partially remembered as I write] about standing on a small box in Des Moines and seeing the whole of Iowa - but these guys deliver sustained hard pounding high quality make-any-chore-enjoyable rock that has helped immeasurably this morning. Hard to compete at a time when Rival Sons has delivered so powerfully, but this is a worthy companion to blowing the shit away.

Steve Cropper & Felix Cavaliere - Nudge It Up A Notch

Even Better, Generically Speaking

The previous posting provides the context for now, and this earlier pairing of a certainty certainly lays the foundation for the generically cool soul and funk that gets delivered via Cropper's slick licks and Cavaliere's smooth soul vocals, still groovin' after all these years, the ol' Rascal. What an upbeat evening these two records have provided.

Steve Cropper and Felix Cavaliere - Midnight Flyer

Physics

It is a simple Law of Musical Physics that if you combine two of the great Cs - that's Cooper and Cavaliere - you will get a great response. This is soulful, groovy, funky, laid-back and yes [picking up on a mildly over-critical allmusic review] generic in all those various departments. Strewth. Generic schemeric: give me more of this any day, and indeed I will be next listening to their 2008 Nudge It Up A Notch precursor to this 2010 cool-fest.

Rival Sons - Great Western Valkyrie

Unrivaled 

Rival Sons have no rivals in the retro rock hierarchy, occupying the summit with this fine latest release to ironically challenge even the excellence of their previous Head Down. To say it is the same again is a kind of tautology if we accept the 'retro' tag, and this band continues to do enough that is distinctive to actually test such labeling, but equally, the homages are still there, loudly: like third Secret which re-presents Led Zep - but really Robert Plant here - so gloriously, and also closer Destination On Course [and I don't mean the angelic choir with imaginary attendant stadium fag lighters lit] with the other tribute this time to Jimmy Page in its guitar experimentation.

What sets this apart and above just echo is a song like Good Things that champions carpe diem within the fortuity of the disaster that could befall us all, embraced in the simple symmetry of the line good things will happen/bad things will happen too, and a little darker in enjoy it right now because you never know when it's gonna end, Jay Buchanan singing the aphorism with such pretty emotion it almost sounds hopeful.

Whatever disaster lurks within the yin yang, this is a joyous celebration of rock to keep you thrilled until.

Centro-matic - Take Pride in Your Long Odds

Litotes Apology

This latest from Will Johnson-led Centro-matic gives Indie Rock a good name, my shuddering a little at any reference to Indie music as it tends to signal blandness to me. There is more of alt-country in this and their previous to my hearing [though yet again I find myself saying I have followed the band's career with some interest but cannot recall specific tracks in the aural archive] but that's title-hopping. Johnson's gravelly vocal provides some of the necessary rigour to sidestep the bland, and the songwriting is always clever enough to be better than ordinary. The opening instrumental Take Pride In Your Long Odds is a guitarscape of vibrated and electrified static caught inside a melodic calm, probably the most powerful track on the whole album. It sets a scene perhaps not totally fulfilled, but the rest tells meaningful stories. Fifth Anything Torn Out is a fine acoustic song wrapped in a synthesised whirling sound a la Terry Riley, the harmonies insinuating their americana roots.  Closer Through The Fog, Then Down - great title - has an echo of Neil Young, and is another sweet song. Excusing the litotes, not a bad listen at all.

Jack White - Lazaretto

Immediate Integrity

I've not been an avid follower of Jack White, though always respecting his talent, and obviously excited by those early White Stripes days, but this latest release is so much fun with its brash garage rock, country folk rock, and outright pop ditties like Alone In My Home, but it's instrumental High Ball Stepper,  getting plenty of radio airplay, that blows you away, literally at times with its explosions of fuzz. White manages to play it so simply and naturally, especially piano pieces, and the overall effect is immediacy and integrity. Would you call That Black Bat Licorice reggae hip hop al la Zappa? So much fun. Streaming here.

Relatively Speaking

With relatively little time left, I bought a new lamp to shine a light

on things. There have been other purchases: no great spectrum,

but at one end of the scale another iPad to make catching up

easier for both of us, and then at the other the convertible

which again today left all travellers lagging behind and perhaps

calling me an ass. Well, it was my ass they were watching disappear

at speed, and that’s another kind of illumination in this relative

scheme of buying and easing the chore of still being here as well as

having some kind of fun. Not sure how Einstein would theorise

this instinct and spontaneous workings: more things equal better

things, as long as you don’t equate too much in the correlation.

What surprises me is how long it takes to connect one improvement

with another, not yet convinced about the simplicity of acquiring,

nor quite resigned to how going so fast could be our expiration.

Boston Tea Party, Honiton - Tamsin Green collage of Sidmouth Beach

Coffee Art

Always a pleasure to have an excellent coffee as well as food at Boston Tea Party in Honiton, one of a number of family owned, independent cafes.

I remember the building well as a second-hand bookshop many, many years ago, and now as a cafe it has retained the charm of that mystery of rooms, though it is currently far more organised and modern!

Boston Tea Party regularly displays art from local artists and it was an extra pleasure recently to come across the work of Tamsin Green and her recycled collages, especially one of Sidmouth Beach. I am pleased to say I am now the proud owner of this vibrant and entertaining piece.

Maya Angelou - April 4, 1928 - May 28, 2014

Mourning Grace

If today, I follow death
go down its trackless wastes,
salt my tongue on hardened tears
for my precious dear times waste
race
along that promised cave in a headlong
deadlong
haste,
Will you
have
the
grace
to mourn for
me?

Drive In Menu - Latest Listening

I've been busy finishing the English textbook I have been writing, and today I fly to Manchester to begin the GCSE examining period. I haven't therefore been posting as often as I'd like, and won't for the foreseeable future. So here's a summary of what I have been listening to in lieu of fuller details and celebrations:

Claudia Schmidt - New Whirled Order: proper singing
Damon Albarn - Everyday Robots: such a genuine talent
Dwight Yoakam - South Of Heaven, West Of Hell: film score so less commercial [not that this has ever been a problem for this fan]. Will refer later to an excellent covers album of his songs too.
Engelbert Humperdinck - Engelbert Calling: I know. But strangely enjoyable here and there. And he was a favourite of my Mother so that counts for loads
Habib Koité - Soô: quite beautiful at times
Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes - The Very Best Of: my goodness, I Miss You, pt 1 is utterly sublime. Listen to those plaintive wailings. Glorious
London Grammar - If You Wait Remixes: will always be interesting, but it's the vocal that soars
Michael Jackson - Xscape: snatches of the genius he was, often in the production love
Nils Petter Molvær - Swicht: trumpet and pedal steel, such a sweet combination
Sturgill Simpson - Metamodern Sounds in Country Music: sounds classic and is classy
The Delines – Colfax: must review the whole album, the storytelling is so empathetic to the everyday in Vlautin's Ray Carver style - though also so clearly his own - and the music empathises as much
VA - The Songs Of Dwight Yoakam - Will Sing For Food: great covers, and reminds us of Yoakam's talent too
Warren Zevron - My Ride's Here: have always loved this album and been listening to much of his work recently, this album of course recorded as he was dieing, and it's title redolent with his wonderful wit, and the songs upbeat as well as, understandably, reflecting in an honesty that hurts

The Renegades - Eagles Club, Medford, Oregon, April 2014

Twilight Clarity

One of the many highlights of my recent trip to the States was to visit twice the Eagles Club in Medford to see my sister dance and listen to the music of Jim Lane's The Renegades.

The Eagles Club [or Lodge I think] is a freemasonry institution - and, though not sure, if it is linked to the Fraternal Order of Eagles it has an altruistic history and sense of service, but I don't really know - and in addition to the generous measures of alcohol served which I definitely enjoyed, it is an oasis of ordinary folk enjoying the twilight of its windowless interior and, in many cases, their years.

Eagles Club, Medford

The two nights I attended were dance nights, so the evening ambiance may have been further engineered by the dimmed lights whereas other activities could well be brightly illuminated, and the dancing clientele was mixed though certainly thoroughly peopled by those long into retirement and the simple pleasures of continuing.

This post isn't about my sister - a relative spring-chicken in the context of that clientele -  though her dancing was outstanding and it was a joy for a brother to see. I performed some classic dad-dancing myself, and literally with my daughter on the second visit, but the swing, cha-chas, waltzes and all other recognised routines with professional adjectival descriptors were brilliantly performed by my sister and her partner as well as the other experienced movers.

The band on both nights I attended was The Renegades, led by Jim Lane on guitar and keyboards. Playing an eclectic set on both nights, the band was predominantly country rock though this ranged from covers of Santana to Roger Miller's King Of The Road, as well as on my second visit an enjoyable rendition of Old Crow Medicine Show's Wagon Wheel. I had the pleasure of speaking with Jim on a couple of occasions, and here is the epitome of the journeyman musician: someone who has played for pleasure and beer money for most of his life; the epitome of the accomplished professional who never made it 'big' but whose clear and broad love of music exudes its eclecticism, expertise and absolute work ethic in the context of this everyday dance life. I loved it. And Jim is one of the humblest, nicest guys I have ever had the pleasure to meet.

Jim on far left. Photos of band by AF

As I typed this I have been listening to The Renegades' Lost Country Rock of the 70s cd, my two favourite tracks being opener Mustang Sally with backing horns, and Black Magic Woman as it is a great song but I also heard it played live twice. And it is hearing this band live in this club with these people simply having fun in this twilight of clarity that is now a cherished memory.

Ryley Walker - All Kinds of You

The Anxiety of Influence

As I recall, Harold Bloom's memorable book took deconstruction and other critical literary theories into rich realms of exploration, and his text was also influenced by its precursors, but whilst the 'anxiety' of its title was playful if also exact, I use it here to apply more to myself than in this case a 24 year old from Chicago who plays under the obvious influence of Bert Jansch and Pentangle.

I seem to so often reference preceding musical touchstones when writing about contemporary music and do wonder if this does a disservice to those current artists. I offset this by claiming such references to be a compliment, and I mean this completely, but I am expressing the anxiety here that it wouldn't be received as such.The fact Walker cites these influences provides balm in this particular case!

Listening now as I write to eighth track On The Rise, the echo of Jansch is thundering - and brilliantly so. Walker's guitar work is anchored firmly to the Davey Graham lineage taken up by Jansch and Renbourn, and the influence here is such a pleasing celebration of that history. There are instrumentals on this album to highlight the proficiency, but it is in the whole and Walker's vocal that also invokes Bert's which delights so much. The string work that prevails as accompaniment throughout this fine debut  [eg viola by Whitney Johnson on beautiful Blessings] gives it some singularity, but the overall impact is in the reflections of late 60s/early 70s British folk.

You can hear it streamed here as well as read Walker's track by track commentary, these observations laying engaging claim to their rooting in the here and now as well as America as the other dominating influence.

The Golden Grass - The Golden Grass

Golden But Green

Another retro-rock trio - 'powered' perhaps, but I think that's an overstatement - yet certainly dealing in golden-oldie rock revisitings and, to embrace the graminoid metaphor, as green as that rock grass has always been. On a first listen of the streamed album [you can find it here] I like the opening track Please Man best with its tinge of Steamroller, and second Stuck On A Mountain has some fine dual guitar work. By third One More Time the lyric 'easy rider woman' wears its generic inclinations a little overtly on its psychedelic sleeve, but you shouldn't be listening if you're expecting more than this sonically sartorial sixties show.

Joan As Police Woman - Paris, 21st March 2014

Unnecessary But Welcome Reminder

Not that I needed reminding, but this recording of Joan Wasser's performance in Paris one month before her gig in Exeter which I had to miss is ample evidence of the talent she is. A wonderful set - largely comprised of the whole of her recent album The Classic, but including tracks like my favourite The Ride - you can get it here if you like as a bootleg of the FIP radio broadcast. Excellent band.

2nd Avenue Records - Portland, Oregon

Vinyl Fix

Just returned from a trip to the States to visit with my family. First stop was Portland, Oregon, and after the breakfast fix at Mothers for biscuits and gravy - see below - I visited the excellent 2nd Avenue Records shop on the day before Record Store Day to get my vinyl fix. Great price on the small selection in the photo, and it was a shop in which I could have spent much more time.

Inside the store - photo by AF

Vinyl is increasingly hard to find at a good price here and abroad, people obviously discovering its value it would seem. What I mean is the record shops have raised prices, and charity shops don't seem to get loads in as in the past. I can't argue with people trying to get what vinyl can earn, but the pleasure of finding albums I don't have was always augmented by bargain prices.

More inside - what a treasure trove. AF

Down in Ashland and Medford I did visit the one Goodwill shop I always peruse when there, partly as pilgrimage - my Mother worked in one in Ashland and would occasionally grab an LP for me - and on that off-chance of discovering that bargain. It wasn't to be, though I got a copy of Boz Scaggs' My Time which I didn't have.