Category Archives: Eclectic Mainline

Matters relating to Albert Freeman’s Eclectic Mainline show.

Eclectic Mainline 5th January 2010 – a pea new ear!

snow-pea-01

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’ -  “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)

Eclectic Mainline 29th December 2010

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)

Eclectic Mainline 22nd December 2010

Well, having said last week I wouldn’t play (m)any festive tunes this year, I’ve crumbled.  This is partly thanks to Sally, who made a festive playlist on Spotify, that reminded me how good (some) festive tunes are.  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)

Christmas No.1: Captain Ska – Liar Liar

Today Nico wrote a good piece on this here blog about the campaign to get Cage Against The Machine to beat X-Factor to the Christmas no. 1 slot. Read on the Counterfire website about how buying this single will send a Xmas message to the Con-Dem government, and raise money for Crisis, Disability Alliance, FalseEconomy and Women’s Health Matters.

Eclectic Mainline 15th December 2010

After all these years of thinking Blue Monday included the line “Icon and shallow bay” I finally realised tonight, when listening to The Jolly Boys‘ version, what the actual line is – “I can and shall obey“!

Also on the topic of cover versions, I also think it’s worth including here Robert Wyatt‘s words in describing his cover of What A Wonderful World:
“Our ‘Wonderful World’ is not sarcastic, ironic or even just sentimental.  It’s Social Realism: not the WHOLE truth, but nevertheless The Truth.”

Usually by mid-December I would have stuck in the odd festive tune, and would be reviewing the past 12 months.  But this year, well, I’m just getting on with the business of playing new releases, such as these from tonight:

15th December 2010
Twin Sister – “All Around And Away We Go” (single) (Double Six)
The Heavy – “That Kind Of Man 1.1.” (“How You Like Me Now? EP”) (Counter)
Ensemble – “Imprints” (LP – “Excerpts”) (Fat Cat)
Tu Fawning – “I Know You Now” (single) (City Slang)
Gruff Rhys – “Shark Ridden Waters” (single) (Turnstile)
Ike & Tina Turner – “Get Back” (LP – “Ike & Tina Turner Sing Great Rock & Pop Classics”) (SPV Yellow)
Lol – “Squeeze Me” (single) (Nonplus+)
Frank Turner – “I Still Believe” (“Rock & Roll” EP) (Extra Mile)
Igor Boxx – “Fear Of A Red Planet” (LP – “Breslau”) (Ninja Tune)
Dirty Projectors – “As I Went Out One Morning” (single and LP – “No Intention + Bitte Orca (Expanded Edition)” (Domino)
Caitlin Rose – “Learning To Ride” (single and LP – “Own Side Now”) (Names)
Chief – “The Minute I Saw It” (single and LP – “Modern Rituals”) (Domino)
Dan Michaelson And The Coastguards – “All The Trying” (single)
The Jolly Boys featuring Albert Minott – “Blue Monday” (LP – “Great Expectations”)
Wyatt / Atzmon / Stephen – “What A Wonderful World” (single and LP – “……….For The Ghost Within”) (Domino)

Eclectic Mainline 1st and 8th December 2010

Due to being rather poorly last week, I didn’t get out in the snow.  I also, therefore, didn’t get to do my show live on Wednesday.  A pre-record that was in the bag just for such an occasion, was broadcast.  I listened from home, and rather enjoyed it actually, so I should stay in and listen to myself more often, rather than do my show…

Here’s what I listened to last Wednesday night:

Peter Broderick – “Games” (LP – “Home”) (Bella Union)
Battles – “Atlas” (LP – “Mirrored”) (Warp)
James Yorkston – “5 a.m.” (BCB session)
Teenage Fanclub – “It’s All In My Mind” (LP – “Manmade”) (Pema)
Slow Club – “When I Go” (BCB session)
The Knife – “Heartbeats (live)”
Camera Obscura – “French Navy” (LP – “My Maudlin Career”) (4AD)
Half Man Half Biscuit – “Irk The Purists” (LP – “Trouble Over Bridgewater”) (Probe Plus)
Frightened Rabbit – “Fast Blood” (BCB session)
The Low Lows – “Five Ways I Didn’t Die” (BCB session)
Brakes – “Consumer, Producer, A Chicken Or An Egg” (BCB session)
Boards Of Canada – “Roygbiv” (LP – “Music Has The Right To Children”) (Warp)
Neil McSweeney – “Remember To Smile” (BCB session)
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – “Emily Jean Stock” (LP – “Some Loud Thunder”) (Wichita)
Micah P. Hinson – “Beneath The Rose” (BCB session)
Fleet Foxes – “Your Protector” (LP – “Fleet Foxes”) (Bella Union)
Nina Nastasia – “Stormy Weather” (BCB session)
The Broken Family Band – “Give And Take” (BCB session)
Trashcan Sinatras – “Weightlifting” (LP – “Weightlifting”) (Spin Art Records)

Now, back to (almost) full health, I was back in BCB to do my show tonight, and was therefore unable to listen.  Which is a shame, because I think I would have enjoyed what I played, had I been able to tune in.  If you did so, below is a list of what you will have heard.  Did you enjoy it?

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Eclectic Mainline 24th November 2010

My dad, Peter Household

My dad, Peter Household

For the second time in this show’s history I had the pleasure of my dad’s company tonight, as his day in Bradford during his trip from Ireland co-incided with the day of my show.  Apart from discussing the night’s music, we discussed his “6-penny worth of porridge” as featured in yesterdays copy of The Independent and also the proposed crewed one-way mission to Mars as recently discussed on my dad’s blog.

My dad’s favourite tune in tonight’s show was that by The Phoenix Foundation.

Here’s the full list of tunes:
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Reading & Leeds Festival 2011- Pre Sale Tickets

Is it too early to be thinking about festivals in 2011? Well, I for one am proof that no it’s not, seeing as how I bought tickets for the ATP Festival Curated by Animal Collective several weeks ago.  And now comes news of a pre-sale for tickets to the 2011 Reading and Leeds Festivals.  Read on for info from the Festival Republic press release:

leeds_festival_2011

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Selection Box 147

Gah, the desperate will to catch up on my life seems to not be sufficient to actually bridge the gap into the present.  Indeed we’re still dealing with shows from August, rather terrifyingly.

So, as suggested last time we’ll have some quick blah about a featured track and then on with the playlist.

This week I have plumped for a bit of folk in the shape of Men-An-Tol’s Black Waterside which comes from the album Through The Quoit.  I can’t claim to be anything even remotely approaching a Men-An-Tol afficiando, but I certainly know how to snaffle a free record or two when offered, so when lovely Albert Freeman offered up some unknown delights from the Static Caravan label – home of the likes of Tunng – you could bet your bottoms that I did my best to ensure that the aforementioned wares would find a permanent home in my living room.

And they did – taking a brief outing back to BCB for an appearance on Selection Box 147.  Sadly, I cannot find a video online to link to the track, but you can listen to a lovely snippet here or alternatively just listen to the track along with the rest of the show in question…

Courtesy of this lovely Soundcloud player you can listen to this show again for a limited period (probably about the length of time it would take to turn a knee entirely to dust if you rubbed it non-stop with a carpet tile). Sadly due to copyright and such blah the show cannot be made available as a downloadable file. Continue reading →