Terrible Love Songs

Inappropriate Birthing Songs

noreply@blogger.com (chalky) — Sun, 12 May 2013 17:08:00 +0000

The time is drawing close (very close) for me to be giving birth to our twins. Apparently there is a CD player in the delivery room so naturally I would like to put together a birthing playlist. It's actually quite hard to decide on what I'd want to listen to since I've never given birth before. Maybe cheesy rock music? Maybe ambient electronic? Classical? Tom Jones?

I certainly don't think this song should be on there but it does make me smile - I can only imagine how much it could annoy the midwifes.
Popcorn

Can - 'Mighty Girl'

noreply@blogger.com (chalky) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 16:55:00 +0000

This is a truly epic piece of psychedelic/electronic/rock music by Can and a fitting song title for International Woman's Day. Their sound is still so fresh this could have been released yesterday.

Artist: Can
Song: 'Mighty Girl' (aka 'November') (Live)
Date: 1975

There's also a remix of this song by Lindstrom & Prince Thomas if you want to dance it up a bit. Whatever works for you, enjoy.

'Under Dubwood' - The Dubwood AllStars

noreply@blogger.com (chalky) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 18:20:00 +0000

Listening to Richard Burton reading Dylan Thomas' 'Under Milk Wood' always transports me back to Wales. Happy St. David's Day.

Artist: The Dubwood AllStars
Song: Under Dubwood

Hark! I Can Smell Spring!

noreply@blogger.com (chalky) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 18:09:00 +0000

Hark! Spring is fast approaching, some would say it's already here. I've been busy using the winter months to hibernate and grow two additional members of our family, we'll get to meet them in just over 3 months time. The internet tells me they are just beginning to hear, all be it muffled sounds. This is all very exciting for us.

In the meantime, here's some funky beep-beep-blop electronic music to start your weekend. Can't believe this is 10 years old, can't believe I'm 10 years older.

Artist: Four Tet
Song: As Serious As Your Life
Album: Rounds (2003)

[Image: Kokopelli]

The Boss

noreply@blogger.com (chalky) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 20:18:00 +0000

Oh Bruce...

*Update The house where Bruce Springsteen supposedly wrote 'Born to Run' '74/85 is up for sale. It could be yours for a cool $350,000! *Shakes penny jar* :(

The Knife's Upcoming Tour

noreply@blogger.com (chalky) — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 11:41:00 +0000

Did you get your tickets to see The Knife's upcoming tour? What? You didn't bother? OK, you might be missing out on one of the concerts of 2013 but I'll say no more in case the subject is still a little sore for you. Don't know who The Knife are? Don't care? Fair enough, their music isn't to everyone's taste. MrChalky likes to point out how weird my musical taste is whenever I put one of their albums on.

This is probably their most well known song - the actual singer is the lady sitting down at the very end. Can't wait to hear their new album.

2013

noreply@blogger.com (chalky) — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 16:44:00 +0000

It's quite an exciting year for new releases. There's Caitlin Rose, Low (yes!), Phosphorescent, The Knife, Devendra Banhart and probably loads more I forget right now. Yep, 2013, the year of the snake according to the Chinese and what will be our first full year in Oxford, which incidentally I'm delighted to say has a thriving music scene. I'm looking forward to lighter, warmer days and catching up with friends, old and new. Happy new year everyone!

Roy Orbison - 'Dream Baby' (awkward audience)

noreply@blogger.com (chalky) — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 14:49:00 +0000

Great song but have you ever seen a more awkward looking audience?

Roy Orbison - Dream Baby (Monument Concert 1965)

"Don't champagne or lemonade me"

noreply@blogger.com (chalky) — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 14:37:00 +0000

"IIIII'm a soft drinks ex-pert I know what's class"
"IIIII'm a soft drinks ex-pert I know what's hip"

I'm rather partial to the odd tipple of Canada dry. Following on from my obsession for non alcoholic drinks during the drunk season I found this incredibly long and slightly insane Canada Dry advert from the 60's. At least it's better than that terrible $7 million Chanel No.5 Brad Pitt one whose dullness is only slightly off set by some of the parody ads put together by members of the public, on a shoe string. Gees Brad, why'd ya do it?

Canada Dry 60's advert

Kennel No. 5 - Brad Pitt Chanel No. 5 Advert

Bonnie 'Prince' Billy : 'I Am Goodbye'

noreply@blogger.com (chalky) — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 19:00:00 +0000

It's Bonnie 'Prince' Billy time again! I was reminded of him today when I got an email from his record company letting me know his new 7" duet single with Dawn McCarthy is going to be arriving through my letter box sometime very soon. The Christmas themed single is comprised of two songs from the Everly Brothers' catalog, 'Christmas Eve Can Kill You' and 'Lovey Kravezit'. More Christmas songs to add to my collection!

Domino Records website

Here's some cheerful Bonnie 'Prince' Billy singing 'I Am Goodbye'.

New Caitlin Rose Song: 'No One To Call'

noreply@blogger.com (chalky) — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 18:08:00 +0000

Here's the lovely new song 'No One To Call' from Caitlin Rose's soon to be released second album, 'The Stand-In'. I'm enjoying the Kirsty MacCall vibe, never connected the two voices before. Somehow her voice sounds much fuller this time round and it's precisely this which is attracting me to the song. That's not to say I didn't enjoy hearing her on songs such as 'Learning to Ride' or 'For the Rabbits', I love both of those songs, there's just a slightly different resonance in her voice on this new song and it's making me super excited to hear the whole album (which I think is released in February). She sounds fantastic!

The Sad Passing of Terry Callier (24/05/45 – 28/10/12)

noreply@blogger.com (chalky) — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 11:55:00 +0000

Like many people of my age, I was first introduced to Terry Callier through his collaboration with Beth Orton back on her 1999 album Central Reservation. He also came highly recommended by a friend into dub and hip hop.

Terry Callier's voice was always the real draw for me. Soothing in its fullness, listening to his 1998 album Timepeace made me feel like I imagine a cat feels sitting in its favourite cardboard box, it never failed to transport me to a warm secure place.

His music is often referred to as jazz-folk. This has never really been a genre I've found myself dwelling on for too long, especially back in 1999 when dancing to electronic music in clubs with my friends generally got me distracted. Still, his songs were always reassuring to come back to, there was something earnest in his lyrics and voice which handed me my more quieter contemplative moments when they were most needed.

Thank you Terry Callier.

Here's one of my favourite songs from Timepeace called 'Lazarus Man'.

Terry Callier - 'Lazarus Man'

Gathering Festival Oxford

noreply@blogger.com (chalky) — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 12:56:00 +0000

I'll be at the sold out Gathering festival in Oxford this Saturday. Aside from a great line up, it would be rude not to, it's about a 5 minute walk from my house. Seriously Oxford, you're spoiling me!

If you have managed to bag a ticket there are so many great bands to look forward to.
Here are just a few:

Dan Croll - 'From Nowhere'

Clock Opera - 'Once And For All'

Lucy Rose - 'Middle of the Bed'

Spector - 'Never Fade Away'

Fossil Collective - 'On and On'

Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - 'I See A Darkness'

noreply@blogger.com (chalky) — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 14:31:00 +0000

It's definitely a Bonnie 'Prince' Billy sort of a day. Here's his version of 'I See A Darkness' from the Now Here's My Plan EP released this Summer. Thanks for posting a link to the video Gareth. Love the rhythm and his little dances. Great song.

Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - 'New Partner' (Coney Island)

noreply@blogger.com (chalky) — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 13:07:00 +0000

I don't know what he thinks he's wearing but this is a nice recording of 'New Partner' by Bonnie 'Prince' Billy.

Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - 'New Partner'

Kill Bill Vol 2. - 'Goodnight Moon'

noreply@blogger.com (chalky) — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 14:02:00 +0000

Kill Bill Vol. 2 is one on a long list of favourite movies of mine. I like how Shivaree's 'Goodnight Moon' works with the closing credits. The determined look on Uma Thurman's face as she drives off with her samurai sword by her side in that cool old car on her way to track down and kill the ruthless Bill. The contrast between the cut throat killer and the caring mother she discovers herself to be once she arrives at Bills. Only two more years to wait until Kill Bill Vol. 3.

Tindersticks - 'This Fire of Autumn'

noreply@blogger.com (chalky) — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 11:28:00 +0000

I really love 'This Fire of Autumn' by Tindersticks. It sounded fantastic at this years End of the Road festival, a festival whose slightly longer colder nights always signals the closeness of Autumn. We may not have been so lucky with a warm September but at least we have some good colours to look forward to in the coming weeks. Autumn has it's up side. I've already stopped eating lettuce. Now we just need this rain to stop. Incidentally, the name of the album this song is taken from is called 'The Something Rain'. How apt.

Tindersticks are on the City Slang label, you can find out more about their releases and pick up a free mp3 of their track 'Frozen' here.

Rodriguez - 'Cause'

noreply@blogger.com (chalky) — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 12:54:00 +0000

'Cause' by Rodriguez is a tremendously hard hitting song. Recorded in 1971, this was the last song he ever recorded. The opening lyrics "Cause I lost my job 2 weeks before Christmas" turned out to be an ill fated prophecy with Rodriguez being dropped by his label 2 weeks before the Christmas of 1971. If you know nothing about Rodriguez, please watch the film 'Searching for Sugarman' or look it up. It's an amazing story. This guy should have been as big as Dylan, in fact he was in South Africa and didn't even know it for ages. Such a voice.

First Aid Kit - 'Wolf'

noreply@blogger.com (chalky) — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:15:00 +0000

Before introducing this video for First Aid Kit's latest single, I must mention how amazing they sounded at The End of the Road festival earlier this month. Their cover of of Simon and Garfunkel's 'America' really was sublime. They also recorded a session for BBC 6 music's Mark Riley show around the same time and I highly recommend you listen, you can find it here.

The video for their new single called 'Wolf' was shot in the forest of Järvsö, Hälsingland in Sweden. The band has commented that the video is “about our destruction of the planet,” “But it’s also about finding the animal within you. Because we know that underneath that polished, civilized exterior there is definitely a wild creature longing to howl or roar.” I love the harmonies and the racing rhythm of the drums, also any band that gets the words "Shape Shifter" into a song are OK by me. Seriously though, they are obviously at a great creative point in their career and I believe that they still have a lot more to give. Amazing.

First Aid Kit UK tour dates:

Tue 20 Nov London Shepherds Bush Empire www.livenation.co.uk

Thu 22 Nov Manchester Ritz www.ticketline.co.uk

Sat 24 Nov Glasgow QMU www.gigsinscotland.com

Tue 27 Nov Bristol Academy www.gigsandtours.com

First Aid Kit links:

Official site: http://thisisfirstaidkit.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FirstAidKitBand

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/firstaidkitofficial

Ben Folds Five: 'Do It Anyway'

noreply@blogger.com (chalky) — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 09:27:00 +0000

This might be one of the rare occasions I allow puppets on my blog. Not being a fan of furry humanoid creatures, I think I enjoyed this new song called 'Do It Anyway' from Ben Folds Five more before I saw the official video featuring Fraggle Rock. It's the eyes. Anyway, I'm sure this will bring back lots of memories for many adults, and not even a puppet hater like me could watch without feeling a reassuring echo of childhood in my far too serious adult world. Am I really that different to the little girl who used to hide behind the sofa when the Fraggles came on TV? I guess not.

Dark Dark Dark - 'How It Went Down'

noreply@blogger.com (chalky) — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 12:03:00 +0000

You can currently hear the lovely title track to Dark Dark Dark's latest album 'How It Went Down' over on their website http://brightbrightbright.com/. I highly recommend a listen.

I have mentioned Dark Dark Dark on this website quite recently, they seem to one of those bands creeping into my psyche and making a nice little nest. Really looking forward to hearing the rest of this album on it's release at the beginning of October. In the meantime, if you haven't already heard their last album, 'Wild Go', you really should. Here's 'In Your Dreams' recorded for WNYC's Spinning On Air a while back. Such a lovely voice and a great sound. A little Beirut-y, a little Louisiana, a little French, a little Eastern European, a little awesome.

Live: Jeffrey Lewis and The Junkyard @ The Bullingdon, Oxford (23/08/12)

noreply@blogger.com (chalky) — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 10:22:00 +0000

Great show last night from the New York-sters. Jeffrey Lewis sporting a freshly shaven head after apparently watching Apocalypse Now. Also a nice opportunity to pick up a couple of issues of Jeff's comic Fuff sold to me by Jeff's lovely brother Jack. Along with their classics, they played a couple of Sebadoh covers because someone in the audience was wearing a Sebadoh t-shirt. I wonder what they would have done if I'd have been wearing my The Knife t-shirt? Missed opportunity! Really enjoyed Jeff reading Quoth the pigeon Bupkes, a yiddish flavored parody of Edgar Allen Poe's famous poem, The Raven.

Looking forward to seeing them again at End of the Road next weekend.

"50 shades of Rod..."

noreply@blogger.com (chalky) — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Oh Rod...

Artist: Rod Stewart

Dark Dark Dark - 'Daydreaming' & End of the Road 2012

noreply@blogger.com (chalky) — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 10:31:00 +0000

For Mr Chalky x

Dark Dark Dark will be playing at The End of the Road festival which begins at the end of this month and I believe is now running low on tickets - check here for more info. Loads of other great bands to check out as usual. I'm particularly looking forward to 'Patti-Poos' Smith, 'Peter-you-are-awesome' Broderick, Tindersticks, Savages, 'The lovely' Low Anthem and a whole host of others. How the organisers manage these great line ups is beyond me! You guys should have been in charge of the Olympics closing ceremony.

According to my records, this will be our fourth End of the Road pilgrimage. I'm hoping to make it down for the Thursday night for the first time but this will really test my festival toilet tolerance levels. Hey ho, all in the name of music. See you there?

Alt Post: Albert Einstein c 1950's

noreply@blogger.com (chalky) — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 10:32:00 +0000

Before I give this music blog too many non music posts and too much of a tumblr feel, here's a photo that made me smile.

I found it on the excellent Retronaut website. Highly recommend.