The bad news is that if you missed tonight’s show, you missed what I think was the best all round selection of music I’ve played this year so far.
The good news is that BCB now has a listen again feature, so you can catch up any time! From our current BCB Listen Again feature you will need to select the ‘Specialist music’ category on the right. Then, all being well, you will be able to see my show, Eclectic Mainline, in the list and hey presto, as if by magic it’s 8pm on Wednesday all over again..!
As with last week, I playe a tune from the brilliant Modified Toy Orchestra album, Plastic Planet. Here’s a video of them performing the song I played tonight:
I played 2 (or 1-and-a-bit, depending on how you look at it) tunes from the new Evol 12″. And Evol’s record label, Alku have the most fantastic website URL: alkualkualkualkualkualkualkualkualkualku.org.
Modified Toy Orchestra produce the most amazing music as a result of instruments made by circuit bending. I’ll probably say more about them next week, when I shall also play a tune of theirs.
Sven Kacirek‘s new album, The Kenya Sessions, is a quite astonishing blend of field recordings made with musicians in Kenya, coulpled with his own added percussion. “Turkey Dance” is one of my favourite tunes of 2011 so far:
Benjamin Francis Leftwich – “Pictures” (“Pictures EP) (Dirty Hit)
The Walkmen – “Juveniles (Jacknife Lee Radio Mix)” (single) (Bella Union)
Austin Peralta – “The Underwater Mountain Odyssey” (LP – “Endless Planets”) (Brainfeeder)
EVOL – “Rave Slime” (12″ single, side A) (Alku)
Hannah Peel – “Don’t Kiss The Broken One” (LP – “The Broken Wave”) (Static Caravan)
Gregory Isaacs – “Cream Of The Crop” (2CD – “Night Nurse: The Best Of”) (Trojan)
EVOL – locked groove from side A of “Rave Slime” 12″ single (Alku)
Phosphorescent – “A Picture Of Torn Up Praise” (CDÂ – “Live/Ghost Lights”) (Dead Oceans)
Sven Kacirek – “Turkey Dance” (LP – “The Kenya Sessions”) (Pingipung)
Wye Oak – “The Alter” (single) (City Slang)
Modified Toy Orchestra – “Electric Rapture Because Of You” (LP – “Plastic Planet”) (Warm Circuit)
The Decemberists – “JUne Hymn” (LP – “The King Is Dead”) (Rough Trade)
I was sad to learn today that The White Stripes have split up. One of the best gigs I’ve ever been to was them at The Roadhouse in Manchester in, what I think was probably, the year 2000. That gig got me a mention on John Peel‘s show actually. Because I was at The White Stripes’ gig I missed the Sun House session John Peel was repeating that night. The following day I emailed John asking if there was any way of hearing the Sun House session again online. This was the days before BBC iPlayer, so there wasn’t any way I could hear it again, but this disappointment was greatly out-weighed by hearing John Peel talking to me personally live on air. It always felt like he was talking personally actually, which was one of the great endearing qualities the man had. Anyway, I digress. The White Stripes were an amazing band, on record and live. You don’t need me to tell you that though. They’ve split up, and this is sad.
Such terribly, terribly sad news today that Trisha Keenan of Broadcast has died after contracting swine flu and pneumonia. Â Laura was a big Broadcast fan too, so I know she will be upset by this as well. Â I didn’t actually see Broadcast live until the ATP Festival in 2010; in fact I have to admit I was somewhat late picking up on how talented they were, retrospectively getting their first 2 albums some years after they were first released. Â They were a special band to a lot of people, and I know Trisha will be dearly missed. I will say no more, and let songs, videos and photos do the speaking.
Here is my favourite Broadcast song, Man Is Not A Bird
Here is a photo I took of Broadcast at the ATP Festival in May 2010
A bit of acoustic hardcore, a bit of electronica, a bit of country and some twee pop – something for everyone I like to think, in tonight’s show. This is what I played:
Joan As Policewoman – “The Magic” (single) (Play It Again Sam)
Elephant – “Ants” (single) (Memphis Industries)
Seefeel – “Airless” (LP – “Seefeel”) (Warp)
Jonny – “Wich is Wich” (LP – “Jonny”) (Turnstile)
Bill Orcutt – “Sad News From Korea” (LP – “A New Way To Pay Old Debts”) (Editions Mego)
Austra – “Beat And The Pulse” (single) (Domino)
The Vaselines – “Mouth To Mouth” (single) (Sub Pop)
Autolux – “The Bouncing Wall” (single) (ATP Recordings)
Dead Meat – “Be Myself” (LP – “Early Recordings”) (Flingco Sound)
The Phoenix Foundation – “Buffalo” (single) (Memphis Industries)
Mark Fell – track 5 from “Part 1: The Occultation of 3C 273” (LP – “UL8”) (Editions Mego)
Caitlin Rose – “Own Side” (single) (Names)
Wanda Jackson – “Rip It Up” (LP – “The Party Ain’t Over”) (Third Man)
Andreya Triana – “Far Closer” (single) (Ninja Tune)
Anna Calvi – “No More Words” (LP – “Anna Calvi”) (Domino)
There’s nothing like a good pun. And that was nothing like a good pun. I couldn’t find a picture of an ear that didn’t make me feel a little ill, so I spared you that one as well as the pea.
This is what I played tonight, a mixture of new and old tunes, as this is traditionally a quiet time for new releases:
School Of Seven Bells – “I L U” (single) (Full Time Hobby)
Wanda Jackson – “Thunder On The Mountain” (LP – “The Party Ain’t Over”) (Third Man)
Mogwai – “Mexican Grand Prix” (single) (Rock Action)
The Decemberists – “Down By The Water” (single) (Rough Trade)
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – “Heart In Your Heartbreak” (single) (Fortuna Pop!)
Girls – “Heartbreaker” (single)
Deerhoof – “I Did Crimes For You” (LP – “Deerhoof vs Evil”) (ATP)
Vision Of Trees – “No Flag” (single)
Low – “Taking Down The Tree” (LP – “Christmas”) (Tugboat)
Gruff Rhys – “Shark Ridden Waters” (single) (Turnstile)
PVT – “Window” (single and LP – “Church With No Magic”) (Warp)
Jonny – “Candyfloss” (single) (Turnstile)
Allo, Darlin’ -Â “My Heart Is A Drummer” (single) (Fortuna Pop!)
HEALTH – “USA Boys†(LP – “Disco 2) (City Slang)
The La’s – “Feelin'” (LP – “The La’s”) (Go! Discs)
The Go! Team – T.O.R.N.A.D.O. (single) (Memphis Industries)
While all around me my associates have been looking back on, and listening back to, 2010, I haven’t really had time yet toformulate an opinion on the year in music. So, instead I simply carried on playing recent and forthcoming releases tonight. These are they that I played tonight:
Jonny – “Candyfloss” (single) (Turnstile)
Zola Zesus – “Poor Animal” (single)
Floating Points Ensemble – “Post Suite” (single) (Ninja Tune)
The Pipettes – “Santa’s On His Way” (free download) (Fortuna Pop!)
The Wave Pictures – “Now You Are Pregnant” (Moshi Moshi)
Deerhoof – “Behold A Marvel In The Darkness” (LP – “Deerhoof vs Evil”) (ATP)
Micah P Hinson – “Watchers, Tell Us Of The Night” (single) (Full Time Hobby)
Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo – “Pause” (LP – “Almanac”) (Everyone Sang)
The Loves – “December Boy” (free download) (Fortuna Pop!)
Big Star – “September Gurls” (LP – “Radio City”) (UMC)
Neon Indian – “Terminally Chill” (single)
The Death Set – “Slap Slap Slap Pound Up Down Snap” (single) (Counter)
The Besnard Lakes – “And This Is What We Call Progress” (LP – “The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night”) (Jagjagwar)
Becoming Real – “Like Me” feat. Trim (single)
Well, having said last week I wouldn’t play (m)any festive tunes this year, I’ve crumbled. Â This is partly thanks to Sally, who made a festive playlist on Spotify, that reminded me how good (some) festive tunes are. Â So tonight, in between a few grand new releases, were dotted a few festive tunes as well:
Koudlam – “See You All” (single) (Luv Luv Luv)
Ensemble – “Things I Forget” (LP – “Excerpts”) (Fat Cat)
Slow Club – “Silent Night” (“Christmas, Thanks For Nothing” EP) (Moshi Moshi)
The Jolly Boys featuring Albert Minott – “Ring Of Fire” (LP – “Great Expectations”)
The Death Set – “Slap Slap Slap Pound Up Down Slap” (single) (Counter)
MY Latest Novel – “Outside It’s Christmas” (“Merry Christmas From Bella Union” EP) (Bella Union)
The Besnard Lakes – “Albatross” (LP – “The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night”) (Jagjagwar)
Villagers – “Becoming A Jackall” (single) (Domino)
Deerhoof – “Super Duper Rescue Heads!” (LP – “Deerhoof vs Evil”) (ATP)
Low “If You Were Born Today” (LP – “Christmas”) (Tugboat)
Ike & Tina Turner – “I Can’t Stop Loving You (live)” (LP – “Ike & Tina Turner Sing Great Rock & Pop Classics”) (SPV Yellow)
Mogwai – “Christmas Song” (“Mogwai EP” – CHEM036) (Chemical Underground)
Frightened Rabbit – “It’s Christmas So We’ll Stop” (single) (Fat Cat)
Floating Points Ensemble – “Almost In Profile” (single) (Ninja Tune)
