Just been over to Aldeburgh on the coast for a traditional fish and
chips supper. Cold though, standing on the beach looking out at the
black sea with a few ships lights on the horizon. Had to be done
though to help acclimatise Jessie to the food and climate of
England now that she's back from Ibiza. She has the most amazing
tan though - something of a rarity in the UK this summer. A bit
dark for a picture at Aldeburgh so here"s one from the
English-Scottish borders taken last week.
Music this week from old-timers and new timers from New York and
New Zealand mixed up into a special serving with tracks from
Missouri, France and either Jamaica or Switzerland.
Atomic Heels - The Secret
Machines (New York, USA) - PMN
Brandon Curtis - Vocals, Bass, Keyboards
Josh Garza - Drums
Phil Karnats - Guitar
The band released their new album
Secret Machines yesterday, 14th
October.
www.thesecretmachines.com
www.myspace.com/secretmachines
Now I know - Lin McEwan
(Baltimore, USA) Ariel
Since arriving in New York, the Baltimore-native has been "gaining
notice for her uncommonly deep voice" and for her "soulfully sung
and well-written material"—a funky fusion of soul and pop… like
Tina Turner or Mavis Staples singing over Keane (The Baltimore Sun;
JustSoul).
Along with her talented group of regular players, who've backed
everyone from Jesse Malin to Gavin DeGraw, she's appeared at such
landmark establishments as CBGB's and the Bitter End, as well as
the Living Room, the Rockwood Music Hall, the Cutting Room, Crash
Mansion, and Arlene's Grocery. But she still considers Baltimore
home and takes her band back as often as possible.
Her success marks a big change for a girl who spent her youth being
told that she couldn't sing because her voice was too low. "My
voice was so strange for my age," she recalls, "that when I was in
the eighth grade, I had to play Santa Claus because the boys voices
hadn't changed yet, and I was the only one who could do a
convincing, 'Ho, ho, ho.""
www.linmcewan.com/
www.myspace.com/linmcewan
Sometimes Enough - The Black
Seeds (Wellington, New Zealand) IODA Promonet
The Black Seeds started turning heads around New Zealand following
the release of their debut album, 2001's
Keep On Pushing. The album received
widespread critical acclaim, including being named one of the top
50 albums of the year by
Rip It
Up Magazine, and eventually reached gold sales status.
Into The Dojo began to
take shape in May 2005, when band members Barnaby Weir (lead
vocals/guitar), Daniel Weetman (percussion/vocals), Mike 'Fabulous'
August (guitar), Bret McKenzie (keys), Jarney Murphy (drums), Tim
Jaray (bass) and Lee Prebble (sound engineer) once again converged
on The Surgery studio in Wellington. The next 12 months were spent
balancing constant touring duties and side projects with writing
and jamming new songs in the studio. The result of this year-long
creative process is 13 tracks of The Black Seeds' most mature and
accomplished music to date.
The Black Seeds
"Sometimes
Enough" (mp3)
from "Into the Dojo"
(LOOP)
Buy at Rhapsody
More On This Album
www.theblackseeds.co.nz
Green Bananas - Jimmie Bratcher
(Missouri, USA) - PMN
Jimmie explained how the track came about, "Green Bananas was a
moment in the studio. We were cutting the track and Brandon Draper
the drummer just went off on the march at the end. We just had to
go with it and build on it. I tell the story on the REV TV page of
my web site it is a really cool story about living life NOW and not
later.”
What "later” is that then?
www.jimmiebratcher.com
Six out of fifteen of the tracks on the first page of the PMN this
evening were "holiday” songs, including a versiobn of
Oh little town of Bethlehem. How many
more times do we really need to hear that. How utterly
depressing.
No we can't - Music for Cap
(France) - Jamendo
From the album
I miss me
on Jamendo.
Minimal information on the site and on their MySpace but you can
check out the album on Jamendo, then buy the full fidelity CD
direct from the band. There"s a link on their MySpace.
www.musicforcap.com
www.myspace.com/musicforcap
www.jamendo.com/en/album/5278
Having a party - Lee "Scratch”
Perry (Jamaica and Switzerland) IODA
Lee "Scratch" Perry (born Rainford Hugh Perry), on March 20, 1936,
in Kendal, Jamaica.
In the early 1970s, Perry was one of the producers whose mixing
board experiments resulted in the creation of dub. In 1973, Perry
built a studio in his back yard, The Black Ark, to have more
control over his productions and continued to produce notable
musicians such as Bob Marley & the Wailers, Junior Byles, The
Heptones, and Max Romeo. With his own studio at his disposal,
Perry's productions became more lavish, as the energetic producer
was able to spend as much time as he wanted on the music he
produced. It is important to note that virtually everything Perry
recorded in The Black Ark was done using rather basic recording
equipment; through sonic sleight-of-hand, Perry made it sound
completely unique. Perry remained behind the mixing desk for many
years, producing songs and albums that stand out as a high point in
reggae history. The track is taken from his new(ish) album
Scratch Came, Scratch Saw,
Scratch Conquered.
Lee "Scratch" Perry
"Having a
Party" (mp3)
from "Scratch Came, Scratch Saw, Scratch Conquered"
(Megawave)
Buy at Rhapsody
More On This Album

www.myspace.com/leescratchperry
Accidents - Luthea Salom
(Manhattan, NY) PMN
Again saving Luthea's music 'til last so you can dash off and buy
the album
Sunbeam Surrounded by
Winter from part Spanish and part Canadian singer/songwriter
Luthea Salom. More details in the shownotes for SnC 137.
Luthea will be touring in Germany soon - you lucky people. We
really must get her over to the UK.
www.lutheasalom.com/
www.myspace.com/lutheasalomsongs