A formidable selection of music this week from New York, Hawaii, France, Italy and Australia. First, Lame Duck from Finland. OK so the viral cough is retreating a bit so hopefully back to normal soon. A few fairly appropriate song titles may help: Rolling with the punches, Pieces of me and Eucalyptus!

Rolling with the punches - Lame Duck (Finland)
Lame Duck was formed at the end of 2003 by the current members: Antti (guitar/vocals), Mika (bass) & Pete (drums). The band has released two EPs: Bad Hair Life (2004) & Chaos Theory (2006). So far Lame Duck has played a few dozen shows and their music can be heard on some skate/snowboarding films.
If the name is familiar, I played Lame Duck's track Chaos Theory after this intervention on Adam Curry's Daily Source Code last year.
www.thelameduck.net/
www.myspace.com/thelameduck

Pieces of Me - Eileen Meyer (Hawaii, USA)
Another artist I've played before.
Eileen Meyer is currently recording her 3rd Album. Her cutting-edge musical, mystical poetry has been licensed by Oprah's Oxygen Network as well as featured on the CBS Morning News. She has shared the stage with artists such as Dar Williams, Mick Fleetwood, and Producer/Guitarist Larry Mitchell.
Ten tracks recorded at Santa Fe so I'd say it was time for some new music for us to enjoy!
www.eileenmeyer.com/
http://myspace.com/eileenmeyer

Just listen to the vocals in …
J.E.T. Apostrophe A.I.M.E. - Both ( Metz, France)
Metz is right up in the top right of France near the borders with Belgium, Luxemburg and Germany.
Track from their 2004 album Simple Exercise - another album from last year is also available either on CD from the band's site or by download from Jamendo.
A six piece band featuring vocals from David and the quite stunning voice of Christine I'll leave the rest in French as it's pretty simple to get around!
Le groupe Both s'est formé en Mars 2004, il est composé de 6 membres :
2 chants leads (David et Christine)
un guitariste (Franck)
un bassiste (Fred)
un batteur (Yann)
un clavier (Clémentine)
www.both-world.com
www.myspace.com/bothmusic

Burning Man project out in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada this week. Of course it's unlikely that anyone who is there will hear this immediately but if you have been, and came across Ellie C-H and can get a word to her, I met up again with her mum Gillian in Suffolk at the weekend - and I rather got the sense that she's so proud of you for getting up and doing it!
Should be interesting with 89 Fahrenheit (30 plus centigrade) and only 11% humidity. They hardly need to set fire to the man at the end of the week do they!
Here it's in the mid-teens centigrade (mid-50s Fahrenheit) but you know, we're very patient and are still waiting for summer to settle into a pattern  of decent warm weather.
www.burningman.com/

Les sonneurs de reves - Kapadnoms (Rosny Sous Bois & Paris, France)
Just one track from their album Les Sonneurs de reves. It's an album of really quite varied styles,  I just got it from Jamendo and I'd say that it certainly warrants more than one listen. Although not particularly evident in that track, it does have quite a strong hip-hop influence in some tracks. They have no website but you too can, of course, get the album from the Jamendo site and leave a donation or at least a comment for them.
www.jamendo.com/en/artist/kapadnoms/

A Joni Mitchell album (I think it was Court and Spark) was playing in the house earlier when I went over and in common with this album it almost demands that one participate in some interesting clapping!
Diamond Caverns - Reflections (New York, USA)   PMN FIRST PLAY
This is the solo debut record by Clint Newsom. Clint was the singer/guitarist in the critically acclaimed band Rythm of Black Lines. On the Doghouse imprint label, Civil Defense League.
www.myspace.com/reflectionss (don't forget the extra "s" if keying the address!)

Miscuote  … mincanta - Il Maniscalco Maldestro (Volterra, Italy)
From their 2005 eponymous album. The story starts with one small citizen in the heart of Tuscany - the marionette Maldestra. The distinctive appearance of this thin blacksmith character with the long red nose is Maniscalco Maldestro …
Again this is quite a varied album with some great sounds and again it is available from Jamendo.
www.ilmaniscalcomaldestro.com
www.myspace.com/ilmaniscalcomaldestro

Winelight news:
5th September - The Winelight Club at The Wine Press
18th September - Foy Vance returns to The Nortich Arts Centre
21 September - Holly Lerski at The Wine Press

Eucalyptus - The Deadly Syndrome (New York, or Los Angeles, USA)
The LA Times said of The Deadly Syndrome: "... unbridled euphoria — and wry touches such as onstage cutouts of ghosts — helped the Deadly Syndrome go from zero to signed in a few short months. Well, that and explosive, unaffected songs right out of the Arcade Fire/Modest Mouse/Wolf Parade playbook."
They have a new album Ortolan out on September 11th and they are playing The Roxy on Sunset in LA on Thursday this week and The Echo, in Echo Park for the album release party on Saturday week (8th September)
www.thedeadlysyndrome.com/
www.myspace.com/thedeadlysyndrome

Also picked up on the PMN a couple of weeks ago:
Caccamawatoo - The Molting Vultures (Australia)
The Molting Vultures have supported Radio Birdman, Mach Pelican (three times) and Guitar Wolf and have released 2 albums: This won't hurt a BIT (2006) and GET A GRIP (2007 / Psycho Dog Records). Both have been number 1 on the 3D Radio Charts in Adelaide and have been played internationally. And now, it's being played via Podshow in San Francisco from Suffolk in the UK (right on the other side of the planet) and back round again to Mike Sefang in Adelaide who co-presents the excellent, Extraordinary Everyday Lives Show (http://extraordinary.thepodcastnetwork.com/) which I listen to back here in Suffolk.
This podcasting business really is different!
www.myspace.com/moltingvultures

I'm afrad the virus is still doing it's best to screw things up - still, at least it's affecting me rather than the computer and I should be fine (self-cured) in a another week or two.

Summer Rain - Steffen Coonan & Kate Power (Clonmel, Ireland)
Steffen ia a producer of all genres and always open for remixes and production of any artist. DJing 12 years and producing 4. Born in Clonmel in 1977.
www.steffencoonan.com/

Weather - probably the less said the better.

The Love I never had - Christabel (London, UK) FIRST PLAY
Christabel is a singer/songwriter from Brighton, via London. She has worked with many different bands, funk, soul, jazz, blues, dance and disco, both covers and original material. She is now in the process of writing and recording her first album.
www.myspace.com/christabelcossins

Dysplasia - Avec (Maryland, USA)
AVEC formed in 2003 and hail from Baltimore, MD. AVEC has consistently amazed show goers with their energetically emotive performances. The vocals duel between Shawna Potter's whisper to roar and Brooks Harlan"s honest tenor melodies. On Doghouse imprint label Civil Defense League.
The vocal quality sounded to me just a little like Bjork.
www.avecmusic.net/
www.myspace.com/avec

Kou Chou Ching  Black Heart Soft Center Mix - MoShang (Taiwan)
MoShang is a sound jeweller who blends downtempo electronica with Chinese instruments and sounds from the streets of Taiwan.
Get comfortable...
Discography:
Made in Taiwan (2004) [CD Baby, iTunes, etc.]
Chill Dynasty (2006) [chilldynasty.com]
http://moshang.net/

Track sample from Kimo Waiata of Bob Marley by Ruia & Ranea

The Cutting Mix - DJOC (Oregon, USA)
A band of One. Oregon Chad lives and breathes in Oregon, U.S. Highly reclusive, he doesn't even water his lawn. B good 2 us and we'll b good 2 u.
http://oregonchad.com/

Note in from Martin Baker about the Creole Harp that I mentioned last week. He's done a bit of a search and tells me that it is also known as Arpa Criolla and seems to originate as a South American instrument. (not French). A search of You Tube actually has someone playing the thing.

J.S. Bach - Prelude in E Major on harpsichord - Mario Ajero (Texas USA) Mario Ajero is Coordinator of Class Piano and Pedagogy at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX. He also hosts The Piano Podcast found on iTunes and
http://marioajero.blogspot.com

Rahe Rahe - Tarak (California, USA)
That's all I know - and half of that may be untrue!
Great sound though!

Sorry about the voice again.

A change of format this week following a conversation yesterday.

Il passo del caciurdo - Talco (Marghera, Italy)
The track is taken from their 2006 album Combat Circus on Kob Records. Both that and an earlier album Tutti Assolti are available for download from Jamendo.com where you can leave a message and the all important voluntary donation for your download.
One gig on their calendar for this month. 26 agosto 2007 Festa di Liberazione, Erbaria, Venezia
www.talcoska.it
www.myspace.com/talcopatchanka

Intro
Happy - Jimmie Bratcher (Missouri, USA)
www.jimmiebratcher.com

Apart from the cough, the rough throat, the car not running right, the puncture on my bicycle and the screwed up computer it's been good week so far (on average) because of a meet-up yesterday with Pete Cogle.

What I - Noush Skaugan (California, USA)
Three Time Los Angeles Music Awards nominee Noush Skaugen is rocking the Los Angeles music scene since 2005 with her solo performances and raising hell with her full-band performances. If you think her studio recordings are rocking, her live performances will make you feel like you're on fire!
www.noushskaugen.com/

Beer and excellent food was consumed and a good time had by all yesterday.
We met up in Southwold again where it was blowing a gale and throwing rain horizontally. It did dry up later, at which point the beach surface was migrating north in the southerly wind and at great speed, effectively sand-blasting anyone foolish enough to be down by the sea (yes, we were that foolish).
Less talking from me this week.
Great music from California, Canada, France, Norway Italy and Charsfield.

Aujourd'hui il pleut - JibHaine (Rennes, France)
From the 6 track EP Nomad Butterfly which features tracks composed between 2001 and 2003. We are asked to forgive the poor technical quality of this bedroom recording. I think the song comes right on through.
www.jibhaine.fr/

Suffolk music at the Three Horseshoes this week.

Left to stain - Paula Toledo (Vancouver, Canada)
It's a while since I've played Paula and there has been nothing new from her on the PMN for a while. One of my favourite artists, her voice haunts its way in and does lovely things with very thoughtful songs
www.paulatoledo.com/

Good things die - Nordgarden (Oslo, Norway)
I had an email from Terje Nordgarden a few weeks ago. He was trying to set up a UK solo tour. It seems he's succeeded and has dates in Coventry, Glossop, Liverpool, St. Leonards-on-Sea, London, Brighton, Birmingham, Oxford and Eastbourne before heading off to Poland.
I'll certainly try to get to one of the gigs. I'd advise you to do the same but be aware that this is a solo tour.
He has a great voice and I just love the combination of acoustic guitar and brass.
www.nordgarden.info
www.myspace.com/nordgarden

Marie Claire - Elfes (Montpellier, France)
Founded in 2002 the keyboard (Fabrice) and voice (Elsa) duo is very much in the tradition of French chanson, the track is from their Jamendo album Vénus en a marre.
http://elfes.tv

Linstru - Systylé (Grenoble, France)
From their debut 5 track maxi Lion d'en naitre. The nine-piece band certainly create an impressive sound to carry a very varied tune. In this pretty epic track, I love the switching between genres particularly the heavy guitar a minute or so in tempered by the horns.
www.systyle.org
You'll also find it on: www.jamendo.com

Still recovering from the weekend. Friday The Parlour Sessions first night, then the Rhythm Festival near Bedford. I was filming Terry Reid  (right) during the afternoon as well as his performance which closed the festival second stage on Saturday. It was am astoundingly powerful show and even featured his old friend Mick Taylor (ex Bluesbreakers and Rolling Stones guitarist) who joined him for three numbers.
Eventually left the venue at 1:15 for a two hour drive home.
Almost like being back on the road.

Intro
Happy - Jimmie Bratcher (Missouri, USA)
www.jimmiebratcher.com

Los Angeles - The CreamSicles (New York, USA)
Lush guitar chords are punctuated by syncopated bass lines and heart pounding drum grooves. The lyrics are about the freedom and loneliness of the road and the alienation of a stranger in a strange land.
The CreamSicles debut album The Perfect Girl was released in September 2006. Recorded at Monster Island Studios in New York City and engineered by Mike Caffrey. One week after it"s release Jonathan Clarke of Q104.3 (the #1 Rock station in NY) played it on the new music show Out of the Box and the band was featured in AM NY, the most circulated daily newspaper in NY. They played several festivals this summer including the Guinness Festival in Riverside Park, Manhattan.
Summer break then Sep 8 at Dumbo Block Party in Brooklyn and 11th at The Annex on Orchard Street, in the Lower East Side just four blocks from the excellently named Suffolk Street.
www.creamsicle-music.com

Tout bas - Delgarma (Lyon, France)
You nearly didn't get that track, I was switching my mind about which track to play every few minutes as I listened through Delgarma's album Que vive l'industrie which you can buy direct from their site as a CD or download from Jamendo and please leave a donation. They are currently preparing a second album and a bit of backing will doubtless help that process along.
http://delgarma.free.fr
www.jamendo.com/album/1099/

Good stuff -The Surefire Way (New York, USA)
The Surefire Way's blend of rock, pop, and a touch of Brazilian has been proving to be a winning combination for this NYC band. Their lyrics straddle provocative and thoughtful and the catchy guitar riffs, melodic bass lines and explosive percussion speak for themselves.
www.thesurefireway.com

World Citizen - The Conch (Melbourne, Australia)
entertaining, inspiring & organising to change the world!
The Conch aims to use our music to inspire struggles and the thousands of individual activists who everyday do something to improve the world. Our music comes from anger and from love and we use it to educate, agitate and help organise. Join the movement alongside The Conch.
There's lots you can do to be part of The Conch and the movements we participate in with our music, ideas and our activism.
http://theconch.org/

Subtil - Au Lit les Mômes (La Ferté St Aubin, France)
Swing song et musette folk dingue easy kitching, France
On the Jamendo label
www.jamendo.com/en/artist/au.lit.les.momes

The dub zone is at http://thedubzone.blogsome.com/

Heathen Rage - Corey Harris (Virginia, USA)   FIRST PLAY
Blues and roots virtuoso Corey Harris weaves together a diverse tapestry of musical, historical, cultural, socio-political and even spiritual elements on his Telarc debut, Zion Crossroads.
http://telarc.com/

All the world - O Death (New York, USA)
Five guys, maybe three shirts between them. There's a banjo, a fiddle, a drum set littered with gas cans, chains, and broken cymbals. It's an anachronistic jug band party in a junkyard with sing-along hooks and weathered vocals from another time.
www.odeath.net

Music from The USA, The UK, New Zealand and Brazil this week with a sprinkling of really quite "interesting" tunes and a couple that you might not expect me to be playing.
Something from a couple of weeks ago. I visited airbrush artist Paul Karslake's studio and saw one of Brian May"s guitars which had been in for a paint job. Well, a magnificent air-brush paint job - a present from his wife. If you see him, don't mention it in case it"s a long planned surprise - the picture is here!
Notting Hill / changing face - change is often slow so we don't see it. Note from Martin Baker with a link to a fabulous collection of photographs of London in the 1960s taken by Terence Nunn. Thanks Martin. Take a look at the site and you can even buy a photo there.
www.photoboxgallery.com/tnunn

Intro
Happy - Jimmie Bratcher (Missouri, USA)
www.jimmiebratcher.com

Me being me - Tim Blane (Boston, USA)
Tim Blane is a Boston based singer/songwriter. His music has the melodic flow of mainstream pop, the harmonic nuance of jazz, and the lyrical honesty of country. Blane's sound brings to mind artists like Jason Mraz, Ryan Adams, Peter Gabriel and Lyle Lovett.
www.timblane.com/
www.myspace.com/timblane

London again this past week spending time with a good friend who's going through a rough time and meeting up with a "friend of the family" who I suddenly had precious little contact with for the past four years.

Walk on - Kellie Coffey  (California, USA)
Kellie entered the country music scene in 2001 with her top
10 single, "When You Lie Next To Me", which remained on the chart for over a year. Her album of the same name entered the country sales chart at #5. She followed that with the top #15 "At the End of the Day".
www.kelliecoffey.com/

One of those weeks where there's not a great deal on the PMN but there are a few really quite quirky tracks.
Although based in UK - very much a gypsy sound.

Dark eyes - Blue Jar (Belfast, UK)   FIRST PLAY
They have recently signed a 3 year management deal with W.O.A International for India, the Middle East and Asia, and are currently negotiating a licensing deal in the same territories. They will be on tour in India Jan 08.
www.bluejar.co.uk
www.myspace.com/bluejarbelfast

I saw Amy Rigby play a few months ago with Wreckless Eric. She did not disappoint! Great, direct, quirky New York flavoured songs sung with total commitment.

Knapsack - Amy Rigby (New York and SW France)
Amy Rigby has been compared to everyone from Elvis Costello to Carole King, but she "has no peer on the current pop scene," according to the Chicago Reader.
Born in Pittsburgh and a long-time resident of New York City, Amy was songwriter, singer and rhythm guitarist for cow punk pioneers Last Roundup and folk pop trio The Shams before her first solo album got the attention of critics and music fans.
www.amyrigby.com
www.myspace.com/amyrigby07
http://signaturesounds.com/onlinestore/category.cfm?Category=58

Congratulations to Pete Cogle on his 150th PC Podcast show which went up earlier today. I noticed that he didn't have the usual 10 seconds of Podshow placed adverts at the start of the show - really nice effect!

Talking of podcasters…
New Life with Moosefrog - Anji Bee (California, USA)
You may know Anji from her popular PodShow music podcast, The Chillcast with Anji Bee, or from her super-chill Podsafe band, Lovespirals. Her sultry voice has also graced numerous side projects, some of which are here for you to enjoy.
http://anjibee.com/

Waihi - Edwin Derricutt (New Zealand)
With his debut album 'Symmetry', Edwin captures listeners across a broad range of age and culture. Although born and bred in NZ, Edwin is well travelled, with a passion for both adventure and mission, which is evident in his song-writing having the ability to transport the listener to another place.
www.edwinderricutt.com/
www.myspace.com/edwinderricutt

Terry Reid secret (penultimate) gig of his current UK tour at The Winepress, Norwich  01603 622134 I let the cat out of bag on SnC075 last week. Oops.

Can also tell you that Terry is playing the Rhythm Festival in Bedford here in the UK this Saturday along with the likes of The Levellers, Hothouse Flowers, Prince Buster, Dr John, Steve Harley, The Blockheads and John Mayall.


Hoje eu sei - Alma Livre (Sao Paulo, Brazil)
From the excellent Jamendo label at: www.jamendo.com
www.bandalmalivre.com.br
www.myspace.com/almalivrereggaemusic

"French kitsch" and "country punk" to name but two new genres that will be strutting their stuff on Suffolk'n'Cool next week - join me then?