Magic Alex DJ's

New Jamz on Thursday

2012-01-26T09:43:00.001Z

Found this floating around the interweb.

The sound of the 80's is so ingrained in the current music scene that this actually sounds modern. A bit like if Broadcast had signed to a major label after (the unutterably awesome) Tender Buttons and agreed to make a global conquering mega-hit (i.e still a bit wonky). I like it. Listen to the whole album here

This next one feels ready to tip over into the 'Alt-Mainstream'

Nice Neu! drumbeat? check, trippy phased out guitars? check, vocals that sound like a man but are actually a womans? AWLRITE . Bit like Arcade Fire in soft-focus, or Secret Machines with an approachability. Keep an eye out for the album in late March.

Finally, who said Rap was dead?

I've been a little wary of A$AP Rocky simply because the press have been SO all over him. But this track is pretty damned perfect.

A Cantonbury Tale

2012-01-23T11:45:00.000Z

Well, if this doesn't get your Monday morning sunny side up you got problems:

Remember seeing Wyatt on The Old Grey Whistle Test around '85 singing his (beautiful) version of 'Shipbuilding' and a bigger juxtaposition to the current vogue of mid-eighties artists (big hair, shoulder pads etc) a 14 year old lad couldn't wish to see. Sat in a wheelchair looking like a slightly bedraggled History teacher, he was intriguing to say the least. Remember going to my local library to find some Wyatt tunes, the nice man behind the counter pointed me towards Soft Machine WHO I COULD NOT GET MY HEAD AROUND. Thankfully, i did come across this AMAZEoid version of I'm A Believer' Cosmic kicks ahoy

From these humble beginnings i found a load of other artists from the same (Cantonbury) scene, including the wonderful Kevin Ayers.

If your not au fait with Mr Ayers and you enjoy, pastoral english psychedelia a la Syd Barrett, then many riches await you.

Finally Caravan are one of those bands that you might associate with prog-rock or long dull instrumental passages, and you might be right, but they also wrote and perfomed some of the best, off-beat pop songs of the early 70's
Example 1

Example 2: Why Has There Never Been A Best Of Caravan?

First Time This Year

2012-01-12T18:17:00.000Z

One of the artists i manage, Rose Elinor Dougall is whacking out a FREE ep today.

If you enjoy guitars that sound like roller-skating dinosaurs mating next to the demolition of a mausoleum, then be sure to check out opening track, 'The Night's' denouement...

<a href="http://roseelinordougall.bandcamp.com/album/the-distractions-ep">The Distractions Ep by Rose Elinor Dougall</a>

Also, if you should be interested in such things, i made the video for 'The Night' with my own fair hands (!) and my clever wife Josephine was responsible for the video of Velvets-chugging closing song, 'Hanging Around'. Her's is better as you'll see.... Bonus points for spotting where the clips in both come from...

A Past Gone Mad

2011-12-15T16:32:00.003Z

One of my most (over)used words on this blog, has to be underrated. But, dear reader, i felt it was time to share with you, the 5 most overrated musical artists EVER.

The Clash

The Clash or (Middle Class Fakes) The Clash as they shall be prefaced henceforth, how i hate thee? Let me count the ways. 1) they gave eclecticism a bad name. 2) The 1st album is a HORRIBLE listen. 3) Look at that picture above, Strummer looks like he's having a shit doesn't he? Well in fact someone's just given him a sneak preview of what his Mescaleros albums will sound like 20 years later. Yes Joe, that bad. 4) Sandinista!

Bruce Springsteen

The Boss?? The f**king Boss?? Rather than 'The Boss', Bruce is actually much more like the janitor at school who has a reputation amongst the staff (despite the fact that nobody has EVER spoken to him) for doing 'weird things' with hammers and crowbars and ropes in his garage. Bruce was famous in the 80's for his 4 hour concerts, a bit like The Deer Hunter was famed for it's 3 hour length. Scientists are still attempting to determine which was the dullest.

Eric Clapton

I've already mentioned my limitless disdain for 'God' here, but i'll take this opportunity to just mention his beard. Nuff said.

The Jam/Paul Weller

When i was a kid, Weller was 'it' as far as all my schools chums (male and female i'll add) were concerned. I thought that they were all deaf and blind as i cued up the Thompson Twins latest on my hi-fi. His solo work has managed to fuse pretentious and pointless in a way that few succeed, whilst The Jam are the most overrated band EVER. FACT. The Style Council were bearable, JUST, mostly because he stopped shouting for a bit and also cos he pretended he might be gay (by nibbling Mick Talbot's ear in a video), therefore freaking out a lot of my sexually confused male contemporaries whose rooms were filled with posters of him looking down at them doing whatever they did in their teenage beds.

Van Morrison

i once got dragged along to see Van at Glastonbury and once i got near the front it was damn impossible to get out (and either way, some indie-gods like The Family Cat or Cud or whoever it was on the other stage were probably near the end of their set). So there i stood, watching the legend Morrison mumble and moan his way through a set that was possibly an hour but felt like a slow dying eternity. Trumpets honked (although Van may have been clearing his throat) fiddles dragged and bassoons bled my soul dry and around me people were smiling (!) some were even dancing (!!) others mouthed the words (or grunts, difficult to tell) and my companion turned to me and said, 'he's a true living legend'. He wasn't though, he was a miserable old git who had one half decent album. You try listening to THIS all the way through, i fucking DARE YOU

The more observant amongst you may have noticed that i didn't include THE WORST band of all time well that's because, surely nobody 'rates' them?

Please do add your own in the comments...

Things We Said Today

2011-12-06T14:47:00.001Z

Hey pop kids,

It's that time of the year again when we ask the members of rock behemoth Magic Alex to put forward their records of the year. For those who still care about the band, i know we promised that we'd do something this year, a gig or a record or something, but our overpowering, inherent laziness quelled these good intentions once more. Maybe in 2012...

Anyway here's the gang with what got them cooking in the rock and roll kitchen this year...

Simon

Simon as per usual struggled to come up with many picks, some might say this is a result of his new found love of online bingo, either way, here are the records he did choose.

"Strange Mercy. St. Vincent.
With the exception of 1 song, St Vincent's newest album is a veritable cornucopia of sound. The first track is the runt of the litter but the rest is fresh, unique and innovative. She plays the guitar well and she is well fit. If she enjoys playing video games too she is the perfect woman. (*Note from Editor, Magic Alex the group all agree that Aniie aka St. Vincent is 'well fit' and if anybody could coax us out of our collective coma. She could with just a waive of her hand)

The English Riviera. Metronomy.
Quite good, a bit twee. Catchy, summery fare.

Working Towards The Fuhrer. Frazer King.
Not going to review it as my nephew is in them and people may think I'm biased. They are shit hot!

Greg:

Greg ignored my requests for his picks for aaages and then suddenly an emailed appeared with this weighty reflection..

"Sorry for the tardy response and yes I am dead.
I will however endeavour to construct a response from beyond the grave.....

I should preface this by pointing out that nowadays I tend to experience music as a child suffering from ADD would experience a fairground or a crack head would experience 'crack rocks'. It's a smorgasbord of highly charged musical epiphanies, sandwiched by long swathes of utter confusion.

I also increasingly score music from an array of audio pimps who recommend often individual tunes...in-fact several of my list originate from some of my oldest dealers namely Dean and JohnS... Sadly [I think]? I also seem to be listening to less albums and more slowly evolving compilations that hero a tune for a while before dumping it in favour of the next shiny new [or old] megahit.

Here's what I've had on my 8 track in 2011.

1 - Santa Fe - Beirut
Understated, simple [like Simon] and infinitely uplifting, featuring a sublime Stranglers esque arpeggiated organ melody at the end which arrives so late in the song and then disappears just as I want it to go on forever. I actually like this Beirut album too [called The Rip Tide] in particular a slow piano based tune called Goshen.

2 - Everything goes my way - Metronomy
Mentioned by Simon and suggested originally to me by Dean, but I fully agree, a really refreshing album and this is my favourite tune. Measured, sparse 80's style synth production all with a curious left field lilt all adding up to something

3 - Oh Pity - Cashier No 9
Again a push from JohnS.... not heard a peep for a while and then he drops this one on my cochlea. Also a really good album, full of Roses, BRMC, Charlatans like swagger. Produced by David Holmes which certainly gives it all a finely polished veneer.

4 - Keys - White Denim
A push from DeanT but a good hit....kept me up for weeks. Like George Martin steering Led Zep into a rodeo.

5 - Down with the Trumpets - Rizzle Kicks
Some local pride in Brighton achievers as not much musical Magic seems to translate from the gay riviera but this has a rawness and energy to it that I hear the kids love?

6 - Sometime Around Midnight - Airborne Toxic Event
This tune is actually a few years old I think, but I only discovered it this year and it reminds me of being dumped age 18 and I for one love to wallow in memories of teenage angst.

7 - Pause - Emily Barker
First heard it as the theme tune on a tv, but really like it's bleak but soulful ways...it has that haunting, timeless quality that John Mac manages to capture so beautifully on a hotel luggage stand.

8 - The Glorious land - PJ Harvey
My favourite one of hers since Stories from the city. Lots of accolades for this so doesn't need another from me.

9 - Codex - Radiohead
Never heard any of their stuff before??? So really pleased to have found this gem and can only hope that more people discover their 'oeuvre'. I reckon this band could be MAFFIS.

10- Sprawl 2 [mountains] - Arcade Fire
Super synths...again doing arpeggios, maybe that's what I'm into now? I did also like the whole album.

11 - Allo Darlin - My Heart is a drummer
A girl singing a good tune in a modern indie Vampire weekend type of way...not sure if it came out in 2010 but I don't own a calendar so wouldn't know.

12 - That Day - Villagers
I've no idea who the hell these people claim to be, but I like this song.

13 - Jon Sartain - Gun vs Knife
This is definitely not from this year but I only just discovered it and it reminds me of every day of my school life as I fought my way to 4 GCSE's.

14 - Take the right one - Bombay Bicycle Club
Sounds like the eighties indie. A lovely chorus melody again reminding me of lots I used to love.

Ended up with more than 10 but some are not from this year so you may want to cut cut CUT?"

John Mac

John bless him sent me this - here it is in its completely unedited form:

"Horse sorry very busy can you do your reviews of my shit.. And I can't remember album names sorry horse, its really brilliant your doin dis.

In no order particular
The feelies.new album,

Driver drive faster new album

Edwyn collins, losing sleep
Toots and the maytals new album
One direction 'take it like a man'

Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone on O2"

John subsequently sent me an email to correct the last entry

"Obviously not one fuckin direction but Sam Amidon, I see the sign, really beautiful horse"

However, we all know this was a Freudian Slip don't we? Plus, just to clarify, i'm not going to review John's 'shit', as somebody who lived with him for a lot of my 20's it would be too messy and downright stinky for a family blog.

John Simm

John managed to send me this missive from the arse end of nowhere by the modern wonder of the internet

"Right.

I have to be absolutely honest and say that I'm listening to more Classical music than anything else these days, it's the gift that keeps on giving, it really is...
But I'll stick to the Rock 'n roll here coz there's PLENTY good shit.....

White Denim - 'D'.
I know its not a competition but if pushed i would have to say that this is my album of the year. (With apologies to Wilco.....) It's simply astounding, the musicianship is spectacularly good (that fkin drummer!!!???) and the Tunes, the different styles.... White album-esque. Played it all summer every single day. I said to Dean at the time, (for it was of course he who pointed this baby out,) that it was (and is and is and is...) 'Beatles good'.
I can give no higher accolade.

Wilco - 'The Whole Love'.
In my opinion they're the worlds finest band and have been for quite a few years. This is one of their best ever albums and would easily have been my album of the year if not for the freak that is 'D'. (see above)
Sublime songwriting. What a band and what an album.

The Horrors -'Skying'.
If you'd said to me 6 months ago I'd be into The Horrors I would have haughtily laughed in your face and pointed out that I am in fact 41 years old. How wrong I was. This is a great album, you can't help who or what you fall in love with and I fell hard for this. It reminds me of being 16. It sounds like The Psychedelic Furs, Bunnymen, Damned with a hint of Simple Minds on Ketamine.... All in a good way. I became obsessed with it, played it on the way back from the School run every day, and when I listen to it it makes me happy. So there.

Kate Bush -'50 words for Snow'.
She's a Magical white witch who lives in a cottage made of Gingerbread in an enchanted forest and makes music that isn't really music, it's actually the sound of a fantastical dream. (She even makes Elton cunting John sound ok.) She's Katy Bushy, she's unique and she can do whatever she damn well likes. Including writing incredibly beautiful "song's" about shagging a Snowman and drooling over a Yeti.

Cashier no9 -'To the death of fun'.
A late discovery, heard the single 'Oh Pity' on the Radio and took a chance on the album which paid off handsomely. Think Simon and Garfunkel fronting 'Sally Cinnamon' era Stone Roses....what's not to like?! It's their debut album, they're young and Irish and produced by David Holmes.
Ace.

Metromony- 'The English Riviera'.
A fresh burst of fresh synthy freshness. F.R.E.S.H. and C.L.E.A.N

TV on the Radio- 'Second song'.
The rest of the album I found a little harder to love than last years masterpiece, but I LOVE this song.

Radiohead- 'King of Limbs'
Can't argue with such quality.

Lykke Li- 'Wounded Rhymes'
Big beats, great tunes, sexy voice.

Lou Rawls- 'Live'
Released in the 60's but I listened to this a lot after Mr Maxton Beesley snr put me on to some great Jazz this summer. Buddy Rich I also loved, but this guy I'd never even heard of. He supported the Beatles in America, and he's got a fuck of a voice. One of the best Live albums I've ever heard.

Gruff Rhys- 'Hotel Shampoo'
This man, like Damon Albarn, is a genius and everything he does should be treated as such.

Bill Ryder-Jones- 'If....'
Beautiful, haunting, imaginary soundtrack from the ridiculously talented ex Coral guitarist.

Fleet Foxes- 'Helplessness blues'
Even better than the first one. Which is impossible but true.

Girls- 'Father, Son, Holy Ghost'
Indie heaven. Achingly cool.

My Morning Jacket- 'Circuital'
('Holding on to black metal' is one of the singles of the year.)

Bon Iver- 'Bon Iver'
Different from "For Emma..." but equally as effecting.

Anna Calvi- 'Anna Calvi'
Oh Anna....! Never has a sunburst telecaster sounded and looked so goddamn sexy.

PJ Harvey- 'Let England Shake'
Preposterously good. The album of her life. Believe the Hype.

X"

Dean

I've decided that this year i'm going to do my top albums, in order, for no other reason than to look back at it in years to come and laugh at myself. This is one of the few last pleasures i have remaining. To laugh at myself. So.... Drumroll....

At number 13)
Wild Beasts - Smother
Always happy to hear more from Leeds finest and if this album was a little more 'surface' than the previous too, it had lots of hidden depths too. the new millennium's answer to The Associates? Damn right.

12) Toro Y Moi - Underneath The Pine
Chillwave was my biggest disppointment of the year. In 2009 it was all new and exciting but all the follow up albums this year were pretty dull and definitely disappointing (stand up Neon Indian, Washed Up & yes YOU Panda Bear). However despite being part of that inital wave Toro Y Moi managed to gently sidestep that potential 2nd album banana skin by A) making a pretty ordinary 1st album & B) being genuinely weird, funky and interesting on their sophomore effort..

11) Peaking Lights - 936
This years slow burner, which i've been grooving to for most of the last 6 months. Dub-shoegaze? i dont know, but i do know that if every song was good as the one below we'd be talking an album of the year.

10) John Maus - We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves
Some pretty far out shit from Mr Maus. I like this record precisely because it makes me feel queasy. A record that defies easy categorisation, and how many can you say that about in 2011?

9) Iceage - New Brigade
Straight outta Denmark and making the guitar sound vital and disconcerting, Iceage made my teenage self feel isolated, angry and claustrophobic again. Cool!

8) Cornershop - Cornershop and the Double-O Groove Of
If i was writing this in the baking summer months rather than to a Mancunian backdrop of drizzle and interminable cold, it may well have been higher. As it is, you'll just have to imagine how great it sounds when you're holding a Mango Daiquiri.

7) Twin Sister - In Heaven
Aaah lovely Twin Sister... This record's quiet understatement is it's greatest strength, no sharp edges, no come down and no sign of tiring of it yet.

6) St. Vincent - Strange Mercy
I went to see St. Vincent in Manc last month and, literally i think she's pretty much the greatest musician around. This album lacks a couple of truly killer songs (like Marrow from album 2) to elevate it into the classic status but hasn't stopped me marvelling.

5) PJ Harvey - Let England Shake

Another record here suffering from over-familiarity. Peej has made her career best record and in a career like hers, hey, that's quite a statement!

4) Real Estate - Days
As i've opined previously, Days is like The Feelies covering the best of Felt and that is pretty much the greatest thing ever. MASSIVE Magic Alex copyists, we'll let them off for the track below which is astonishingly lovely

3) Metronomy - English Riviera
The Taylor family bought one CD this year and this was it. Stuck to the car stereo it's glacial-'tune-funk' made us wiggle to various destinations through the whole 12 months united. Even Betty's a big fan.

2) Unknown Mortal Orchestra - S/T
This album has been mysteriously absent from most end of the year lists which is mystifying, to me at least. Hey, i can hear Sly Stone, Pavement, The Beatles & Guided By Voices and that's just in the first song. Instinct tells me we may never hear another album by them as good as this one, but frankly, right now, who cares?

1) White Denim -D
Number 1 baby number 1. The drumming, the snakey, melodic twists and turns, the way it turns pop to prog to folk, expertly, in the blink of an eye. The greatest closing song (see Greg's choices) i've heard in a decade. White Denim's expertly constructed third album, came, saw and knocked the competition clean out of the arena.

So there you have it... a veritable phantasmagorical feast of massive vibes, for you to drool over this xmas. Listen to my Spotify tracks of the year for an easily assimilated Hors d'oeuvre This is 2011 bitches! or for the greedy amongst you get this in your gullet 2011 Albums to listen to...

see yaz soon x

New Jamz on Thursday

2011-12-01T10:04:00.001Z

It's getting cold and blustery up here at MA towers, so even more reason to stay in and dig deep....

I really don't know much about Run DMT apart from they're the kind of artist that i may have obsessed about a little as a teenager. A la mode 2011 stylee they release via casette, which is cool for me car-wise but pretty annoying Spotify-wise. Anyway, this is underground music that is entrancing and inviting and reminds me of as disparate artists as David Axelrod, Spacemen 3 and Ariel Pink . Check this un -

like it? download the whole goddam album here

Thee Oh See's sneakily released a new album which i knew nothing about until browsing the old Pitchfork. This particular track is by far and away the most one-dimensionally thrilling song i've heard all year (check the solos!). Come back to Manchester PLEEASE...

Anybody who's been with me since the beginning of this blog will know that Kwes.'s debut single was a big hit round these parts. Well he's just signed to Warp and here's his first new material in ages.

Kwes - Get Up (download MP3 at http://emailunlock.com/kwes/get-up ) by kwes

Apparently he has a rare condition called colour synaesthesia, which allows him to actually see sound as colours. Would perhaps suggest how he manges to make his music sound so confusing yet soothing. Looking froward to his debut album, which i think should sit quite nicely next to one of my favourite (shockingly progressive) albums of the 80's, i.e A.R Kane's 69

Sympathetic Anaesthetic

2011-11-26T22:48:00.001Z

I was having a beer with Graham (ex Bricolage) and now Post the other night and started talking about the Fire Engines. Now Graham is very fortunate in so much as he's currently playing guitar with (Engines main man) Davey Henderson's latest project Sexual Objects. After we'd downed a few, i started talking about my LOVE for the engines and opined that just maybe Davey Henderson is the most underrated Pop/Rock star EVER.

After all he did produce one of the greatest pop songs of the 80's

And, with the Fire Engines, made the most urgent, effervescent 'pop' music of the late 70's/early 80's. Sort of Beefheart's Magic Band on fizzy sweets. Example:

After the short lived brilliance of the Fire Engines, Henderson formed 'Win' with the aim (presumably) to be massively successful in the pop arena.

Difficult to tell in hindsight whether this was some kind of post-modern joke, but what is certain, is that they sold less than fuck all records.

After Win, lost - Henderson's next project was the utterly ace Nectarine No9. Disgustingly, there is barely ANY internet evidence of their existence. Can i please ask that you listen to their ace 'A Sea With Three Stars' LP? Maybe start with this one? Hey, in my humble opinion it's one of the finest album's of the 90's and sort of beat Beck to the Odelay post-modern punch.

Now Davey is doing the aforementioned Sexual Objects thing to an audience of less than deserved. AND STILL that prick Bono exists.

Made This Robot Cowboy Happy

2011-11-21T11:40:00.000Z

Those little gaps in Spotify's catalogue can be quite annoying. There are the obvious ones like The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Zep etc, but there are also some that most might not notice but i do, step forward the Drag City catalogue (Jim O'Rourke, Smog etc), Spacemen 3 and others. One of those annoying gaps was (the mighty) Beachwood Sparks, but (hallelujah!) not any more...

Part of a cosmic-rock, psyche-country, retro-scene that developed in Los Angeles in the late 90's (see also Lilys, Further), i first came across them in 2001 when Rough Trade asked me to look after press for their 2nd album, 'Once We Were Trees'. Liked initially, loved later and obsessed over eventually, It ended up being the album that i was most proud of working on as a press officer (and there were some pretty big contenders).

Sometimes a record just exists in a way that imitates perfection. The playing, the singing, the arrangements and perhaps, most importantly, the way it SOUNDS combine to produce something that could never be repeated (see also Big Star's 3rd, Parson's 'Grievous Angel', Exile On Main Street). And all this on an album that was terribly retro. Beautiful Sade cover alert.

I went back and discovered their first record which wasn't as mind-bendingly epic but has some pretty damned fine pop songs.

After the band split/dissolved in 2003 various members made their own records, can i please recommend listening to

Exhibit A: The Tyde: the only LA band (i know of) eulogising about Felt in the mid-00's

Exhibit B: Farmer Dave Scher: reggae meets psyche meets country meets pop meets something stronger than Silk Cut.

Farmer Dave Scher – You Pick Me Up

Exhibit C: All Night Radio: Another Scher project, this song just happened to be one of the best, undiscovered gems of the last 10 years

All Night Radio – Daylight Till Dawn

Magic Alex drummer John Mac did the sound for Beachwood Sparks and also looks after most of their solo things whenever they're in the UK, he tells me their currently back together and making another album. Fingers crossed.

The Return Of The MacDaddy

2011-11-16T11:11:00.000Z

This Friday sees the 2nd Hospital Radio night at the Chorlton Irish Club. I'm very pleased to say that my old DJ sparring partner (and Magic Alex tub thumper) John Mac will be joining me on the Decks.

This week i am mostly looking forward to playing this:

and this:

and this:

See you there?

It was 20 years ago today

2011-11-04T19:58:00.004Z

that i put this record on and SERIOUSLY thought that the vinyl was faulty. I took it back to my local Our Price and they gave me another one, took it home and thought, 'maybe my record player is fucked?'

When i bought the 'Soon' 12" it was a very big moment. Madchester was in its ascendancy but all the cool DJ's knew that THIS was the future*

*unfortunately it wasn't the future, it was, in fact, the end of music being a progressive force. Literally, a full stop to music being a progressive art form. It almost (did) INVENTED post-rock. An amazing amalgamation of rock, hip-hop, noise and melody,

And then Andrew Weatherall used the song to make my favourite dance song EVER.

I was already a fan of MBV before all of this, i'd watched them go from a knock-kneed indie-pop band to one of the most interesting bands around. They disembowelled rock to leave just the entrails. example*

A long time ago, an ex-girlfriend and i, decided, whilst interviewing potential house-share members, to cheekily throw in the question, "Do you think that Diana was a cunt?" The idea being that if they were offended, they probably weren't the kind of person that we'd want to live with. Equally, if i meet someone who's heard My Bloody Valentine, and doesn't agree they are in the top 5 bands EVER.

I don't want to be their friend.

New Jamz On Wednesday

2011-11-02T19:55:00.000Z

Hey, I like The Spectrals, they fall just on the right side of 'Indie' (i.e more like The Pale Fountains than say Beady Eye). The debut album is a bit like if The La's came back with a new album on Captured Tracks. Which is rather nice obvs. Checkitowt

Have i mentioned Real Estate before? Good, you've been paying attention then. The new album gets better each play and thirty plays in, that's pretty, pretty good. Here's the album closer which is, let's face it, PERFECT.

Been hearing this next one on the radio (read 6music) a lot. Always very pleasing to listen to, although, they look bloody dreadful and it sounds SO 90's i almost dismissed it. However John S has been texting me telling me that they are the psychedelic Everly Brothers and i should listen to the album, so i will, and so should you...

And finally, the girls in my house are very much digging this one. And the girls are never wrong... Like a young Kim Gordon fronting Tom Tom Club. Yeah? YEAHHH!

TONIGHT

2011-10-21T19:17:00.000+01:00

Well... i've been talking about it for long enough.. But finally i'm putting on a night here in Manchester.

As you can see it's not exclusively Northern Soul, but i'm expecting some northern soul-esque frugging.

Flares optional..

Hospital Radio - Time To Get Ill

Strange Brew

2011-10-14T14:57:00.001+01:00

Clapton is God? Really??
Cos to these ears he's made some of the worst music i've ever had the misfortune to hear. When i was younger, i used to read (respectable) journaists waxing lyrical about which Clapton period was the best, when i think it would have been handier to my formative mind, for them to be discussing which period stank less of shit.

Don't believe what the people say. In the late 60's The Velvet Underground, Love & The Stooges sold about 10 records between them and this idiot was prancing around London like he owned the place.

I was thinking of posting the videos below with the Clapton cover beneath them, but although it would demonstrate the palpable GULF between amazing music and horrible overwrought gibberish, it would be too painful for all concerned.

So, anyway, here are some amazing tunes

And he murdered them all. What a prick.

Taking Care Of Business

2011-10-12T11:20:00.002+01:00

So i dont go on (that) much on here about the bands i work with (or for) but it would seem rather remiss of me not to mention that:

The rather amazing Driver Drive Faster have a new single out this week

Listen to the whole (subtly brilliant) debut album here:
Driver Drive Faster – Open House

Also these young tykes from Southampton who i've started working with, Montage Populaire have had the decency to give away an Ep of recordings called, 'Nothing Serious', don't believe them, it is...

For fans of Super Furry Animals, Ariel Pink, Syd Barrett etc...Grab the freebie here, or watch a vid to whet your appetite here:

Blood On The Microphone.

2011-10-10T13:04:00.000+01:00

I watched an excellent documentary on Nilsson last night. And do you know what, it depressed the hell out of me.

Too much pain, too much sadness....

too much fucking perspective

Teenage Symphonies To God

2011-10-05T15:00:00.000+01:00

I forgot that this is some of the most beautiful music ever made (especially the first 22 seconds).

and it made me want to listen to this

and remember how they (sort of) invented chillwave

and how all the superlatives for Pet Sounds are pretty much spot on

maybe i'll invent an alarm clock that randomises a different Beach Boys song to wake up to. Tomorrow i'd like it to be this.

Unknown Pleasures

2011-09-28T09:36:00.000+01:00

There's an elite club, and in that club is a group of people who know that The Dovers, 'What Am I Going To Do', stands up there with all the great 60's standards. As hearbreaking as The Righteous Brothers, as symphonic as The Beach Boys, as jangle-tastic as The Byrds and as effortless as The Beatles. If you're a 60's freak and have never heard it, it's the best song ever.

While i'm at it, here are two other massively neglected (by commercial radio at least) 60's songs that get me hot and botherin...

featuring my fave guitar riff-

nerd alert - these guys pretty much invented garage-rock.

I Don't Like Mondays

2011-09-26T10:03:00.000+01:00

That is of course except when Wilco release a new album on 'em. Track 1 displays they haven't lost either their melodic chops or an affinity for the Kosmiche...

Wilco – The Whole Love

Also out today is the full length debut from Twin Sister. Just a shame it didn't include one of my favourite pop songs of the last few years (bloody great Tom Tom Club-esque vid too).

Twin Sister – In Heaven

Feel This

2011-09-23T16:31:00.001+01:00

Just been speaking to John S (by the wonder of email) and we agree, that NEVER have we heard a band rip off Magic Alex as much as these guys do. I am literally on the phone to our solicitor as i write this.

Only joking, bloody lovely this innit? Enjoy your weekend kids.

Cassette Culture

2011-09-21T14:36:00.000+01:00

So, for my last birthday my nearest and dearest clubbed together and got me a lovely VW Golf run-around. So happy was I with the gift,that it took me a while to realise, shit, it's only got a tape player. After cursing myself for throwing out ALL my tapes 5 or so years ago, i quickly sent a Facebook plea round for donations. My biggest donation ended up coming from myself, in so much as my mum still kept all the tapes i made for her in the mid 90's when i first moved to London.

Amidst a lot of really dull dross, which i apologise for inflicting on my mum (stand up Suede, Boo Radleys, Arnold - who? don't worry, you didn't miss anything), i was reminded of some lovely gems. Like...

I've decided that this is in the top ten folkpsychepop songs ever. And despite just making this spurious genre up, i think you'll agree.

When this blasted onto the car stereo, the sun came out, coincidence? not fucking likely.

Wilco - Outtasite by WBRNewMedia

I used to tell everyone (who'd listen) that Eric Matthews was going to be MASSIVE. He was the missing link between The Zombies and Nirvana, he was a baroque-pop master. Actually, i was talking nonsense, he had one great collaborative album (the sorely underheard Cardinal album with ace Aussie Richard Davies) and one great solo album, of which this was the best song.

I was seriously into Power-Pop back in the mid 90's (as my old mixtapes have ably demonstrated to me), thinking back, i spent about 2 years, constantly stoned listening to Raspberries albums, which, by the way, is not big OR clever. Anyways, i thought power-pop was heading for a big revival and these were the band to do it. It wasn't though, and they weren't.

Finally, Salako. I bloody loved Salako, funny & poignant lyrics, schizophrenic musicality & better than the Beta Band (yes, really) - here's a chance to 'get with the program'.

Salako – Reinventing Punctuation

California Girls

2011-09-12T09:44:00.001+01:00

I've posted about Girls before and here they are with album number 2. A quick playback reveals a depth and beauty that suggests this is another album of the year contender. It maybe a little 'classic rock' for some, but as the leaves fall outside my window this seems like an aural single malt to me. See for yourself with the opening number.

Full album via Spotify here: The Girls – Father, Son, Holy Ghost

Annie, I'm Not Your Daddy

2011-09-08T20:49:00.002+01:00

It astonishes me how many people I come in contact with who have never heard of Annie Clark aka St Vincent. So, if you haven't lets start with an awesome Beatles cover

And if you thought the 'fretwork' was pretty awesome, check this cover of a Big Black classic for one of the very few youtube clips where i REALLY wish i was 'at that gig'..

Of course, if she didn't write her own amazing material then none of this would really matter. So, here's my favourite pop song of the last 5 years (produced by the incredible John Congleton)

St Vincent have an album out in a few weeks (via the back on form 4AD) - do you think the time has come for Annie?

Summer's Almost Gone

2011-08-31T19:46:00.001+01:00

I've been on my holidays and come back to crimson and gold, i.e Autumn.

Bye then Summer, till next year.

Full Spotify playlist here:

AUTUMNAL SHIFT

Let The Sunshine In

2011-08-18T10:58:00.001+01:00

i'm such a sucker for this kind of blue eyed, knock-kneed, sunshine-pop

Wedding Day by Dent May

Racking my brain for where he's stolen the verse's main guitar riff. is it Steely Dan's 'Peg'? A Go! Team track? Answers on a postcard please.

The flip-side to this single is pretty lo-key ace-ness too. A crass description would be The Raspberries covering Spacemen 3, which is obviously a brilliant idea if chronologically impossible.

Fun by Dent May

the fault is, i can find no fault in you.

2011-08-15T20:28:00.000+01:00

i often think that if i went to Mars, this song would be number 1 for ever

extraterrestrial white funk. beyond this world and timeless, yes. close the curtains and turn this up very loud, then luxuriate in the icy beauty.

Billy, i miss you. Miss yours and Alan's risk taking, your talent, and the fact that as a young teenager you took me out of my bedroom in Blackpool to a purple paradise.

Footsee

2011-08-14T14:25:00.000+01:00

after a little too much red wine last night, amid MUCH DANCING, decided that this is the most joyous thing ever.

Still have to start this northern soul night i've been threatening for 5 years - here's another killer. check the horn crescendo around 1.12... and tremble.

finally, was reminded by a friends post on Faceberk the other day about how when i was in third year juniors my teacher Mr Fretwell used to, shout at me "AHHHHHH Dean Taylor - there's a ghost in my house!"

Find the full frugging tracklisting here:
northern soul

New Jamz on Friday

2011-08-11T13:31:00.001+01:00

Looks like Dream-Pop just woke up...

I Break Horses - Winter Beats by Bella Union

although, i often find when a song is more focused like this one, i get bored more quickly In fact, think i might have even been getting bored before that one finished. Expect a big push for this lot and broadsheet features that nobody reads apart from the band, label and publicist.

I'm always loathe to post stuff from artists i work with (or for) on here business and pleasure and all, but this is really rather lovely.
I Too Was Untrue by Sun Green
check out his bands album too, which is one of those records that doesn't belong in the internet age (ie it rewards patience) Driver Drive Faster – Open House

Driver Drive Faster are from Manchester, as is this next artist. Liz Green is certainly one of, if not the most interesting artist to come out of the rainy city in a long while. Need evidence?

01 Displacement Song by Liz Green

These Weapons

2011-08-10T09:16:00.000+01:00

New Jamz On Monday

2011-08-08T13:12:00.002+01:00

Ok, so this is the best Hip-Hop album album i've heard in quite a while

not available on Spotify yet, but you could actually BUY it....

Anybody who's read my blog over the last few years would know that i got quite excited about the 'Chillwave' phenomenon a few years back, but to be honest most of the acts second albums have left me a little cold as opposed to the requisite 'chilled' (Panda Bear, Memory Tapes, Washed Out, i'm looking at you). However, the good news is that John Maus, credited by some (i dont fucking know who, Pitchfork maybe?) as the 'Godfather of Chillwave' (yes i am aware of how ridiculous this sounds), has produced a rather lovely little album.

i appreciate that his voice may not be to some people's taste, especially those who consider Adele 'soulful'.
Spotify link John Maus – We Must Become The Pitiless Censors Of Ourselves

Do you like Nu-Folk?... No, me neither, however, absolutely no idea who this man is, but he does that sort of cosmic Wicker Man vibe pretty well

if you like videos, or, if you have spotify, this is the song that keeps me running at the gym. (Yes, i have a very odd soundtrack for the gym, i often look around and wonder who else could possibly be listening to Bat Chain Puller By Captain Beefheart...)
Alexander Tucker – Matter

bye

Hungry Beat

2011-08-03T22:44:00.000+01:00

in the top 100 songs like, ever...

gasp at the awesomeness y'all

Still no word..

2011-07-20T14:02:00.000+01:00

on whether 'Women' have split up. Still no word either, on when i'm finally going to get sick of listening to them.

The Postman Always Rings Twice

2011-07-18T21:26:00.000+01:00

Vic Goddard is a legend.

Proof pt 1

He made, with Subway Sect one of my top ten singles of all time (with my favourite bass line in a pop song EVER)

Subway Sect are never mentioned in the 'greatest punk bands' lists that the boring press reel out from time to time, but they were. Proof pr 2

In the early 90's lead singer of Vic Goddard, made a comeback, where he sensibly decided that what the world needed was a Northern Soul/Proto-Punk revival. He was completely ignored.

Vic is currently a postman, whilst that prick Bono is still peddling that pseudo epic-say nothing shit to millions. Go Figure.

Life Without Buildings

2011-07-15T18:42:00.002+01:00

You can walk past a building for 5 years and never actually look up and take in its majesty. And sometimes you can hear a piece of music for what seems like forever before being in EXACTLY the right mood to turn around and utter, 'WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS'. So... here's a piece of music that has just connected with me in an utterly visceral way that makes me feel ALIVE.

And do you know what really gets me? As somebody who constantly searches for truth and beauty in the new, this was already part of my subconscious. I had to yield to IT. I'm still growing.

Wonder Woman

2011-07-15T12:52:00.000+01:00

I generally post this video on Facebook every two or three months to remind everyone i know, of its general amazingness. But if i post it here, it wont fall off a 'wall'. 'Marrow' by St Vincent is the most brutally beautiful pop song in ages. The video is rather something too. Check the fuck out of it NOW.

The Rum Brummers

2011-07-08T09:39:00.000+01:00

Like in my earlier post on Fleetwood Mac, ELO are another band who's heyday was the mid 70's and who's critical revival is reaching an apex just about now. But certainly more interesting, to me at least, is the myriad of offshoots and precursors to The 'O' who popped up in Britain's 2nd City around the end of the 60's.

I've been quietly in awe of Roy Wood for a few years now. This started when as a student in the early 90's i found a CD of the best of The Move on the floor at my local Woolworths. God had placed it there for me (!) or so i told myself as i slipped it into my coat pocket. The Move and specifically, Birmingham's premier renaissance man Roy Wood should, imho, be mentioned in the same breath as the recognised 60's godlike songwriters like Lennon/McCartney, Jagger/Richards & Ray Davies. Want proof?

C'mon, be honest, you've never heard of The Idle Race have you? And why should you, they've been airbrushed from history by the same (UK) magazines who think it's progressive to only put Bob Dylan, The Beatles and David Bowie on their covers. This obscure freak-beat band were the genesis of ELO (a young Jeff Lynne got his chops here) but should be revered in their own right. MORE PROOF? i have never been less than 100% happy when listening to this song:

psyche-pop majesty alert

and finally, here's the first ELO single i bought, from my local papershop (ex jukebox) for 59p back in 1980. Still sounds bloody cosmic to me.

New Gold Dream

2011-07-05T10:58:00.000+01:00

Proof that noisy pop made by teenagers can still be vital and exciting. New Brigade by iceage is the best guitar record i've heard in ages.

Factor 50 Day

2011-07-04T09:34:00.000+01:00

It's Monday morning, the sun is blistering... and

THIS

& THIS

= THIS fun little obscurity

Stained Glass Windows In the Sky

2011-07-02T17:08:00.002+01:00

Felt, oh Felt. Like if somebody commissioned Tom Verlaine to produce test card music in the mid 80's. Apart from them being 100,000 times more beautiful than that sounds.

10 albums and 10 singles in 10 years. Germaphobe Lawrence, the singer, used to make people who came round to his flat use the toilet at the local pub rather than his (number 1's too).

Just discovered a load of their albums are up on Spotify, so... i may be some time.

Summertime Blues

2011-07-01T10:06:00.003+01:00

Wilco have a new single up for perusal. For anybody unsure, this is good news.

In other good news. this is gorgeousness. Almost reaches the peachy heights of The Blue Nile. High praise.

Double Trouble

2011-06-27T17:41:00.000+01:00

wow, two post in a day, but had to.

how the F**k did this pass me by?

Monday Monday

2011-06-27T10:01:00.002+01:00

Ok, so it does sound remarkably like Beach House and no doubt in a few months 6music are going to be all over this band like a rash and I'll get sick through exposure, but right now, with the sun beating down on Alex towers, this is pretty hard to beat.

Electric Lucifer

2011-06-24T12:12:00.002+01:00

And you thought Kraftwerk invented electro/techno music whilst Brian Eno invented Ambient.

Shame on you (*me*)

Tone Soul Revolution

2011-06-23T10:43:00.000+01:00

i'm a fan of vocal melodies that mimic the guitar line, sort of a more cosmic double track. Anyways here's a pretty cool example from Unknown Mortal Orchestra. The album's a must for fans of the lo-fi psychedelia al a Elephant 6

Talking of Elephant 6 artists, Olivia Tremor Control - wheres't art though now? i remember their first album came on a double CD, claiming that if they were played at the same time would produce quadraphonic sound.

It didn't.

However this song was a fixture around the time ('96) and is a lot more fun than their more 'celebrated' label-mates

Actually, think i may now have more psychedelic revival records in my collection than ones from the original period. Think this is the first (revival) one i bought

Today

2011-06-17T10:40:00.000+01:00

I have a hangover for playing on www.turntable.fm too late and too drunkenly, however am finding this very soothing. Like if Broadcast had tried to write a song to get on Radio 1. (NB the video is NOT soothing)

RIP Trish Keenan, never forgotten

Did I Mention

2011-06-13T20:45:00.000+01:00

that this song features on the best album i've heard in bloody years?

Go buy.

Sparks Fly

2011-06-10T17:51:00.000+01:00

Beachwood Sparks are the best country-rock revivalist band ever. Fact. When i saw them live back in 2001 (i was their press officer in the UK) i had to wipe away a tear, worried that somebody might see and think i was a softie.

If you get a chance dig out any of their 3 highly underrated albums, 'Once We Were Trees' especially, is astonishing.

Kurt Ralske I Love U

2011-06-09T16:45:00.000+01:00

Kurt Ralske, Kurt Vonnegut... many of my most favourite people ever are/were called Kurt.

i must have listened to this song about 100,000 times and i aint sick of it yet babe.

younghusband

2011-06-06T20:52:00.001+01:00

just heard this on t'wireless, it's really lovely.

Nothing, Nothing by o-younghusband-o

c c c c c cc c check it.

New Jamz on Friday

2011-06-03T10:53:00.000+01:00

some more new stuff to mull over.

Hotel Mexico, confusingly enough are from Japan. So, listening to this I immediately found myself pining to listen to Cornelius, but stopped myself long enough to listen to this. And i'm glad i did. This new single sounds like Pinky & Perky jamming with Stereolab produced by Caribou. Lazy, journalistic references ahoy!

if you like this teaser and you're one of those crazy people who still like to 'own' music, grab it via GorillaVsBear here http://cdn03.cdn.gorillavsbear.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/01-Dear-Les-Friends.mp3

Guess what? I liked a new band so much i actually asked if i could work with them. Thankfully, they said yes.
Live they remind me of, variously Big Star, Peter Gabriel, Beechwood Sparks and Mercury Rev, although this song is a bit like if Buffalo Springfield had come back and discovered grunge.

Last weekend i had to go to London which meant for about the third time now i missed Thee Oh Sees perform in Manchester. By the time i do get to see them, i think my excitement for seeing them may lead to me being slightly let down. Or they could just rock me to the motherfucking ground.

There's a new album out (now?) soon, but in the meantime, this is always worth a watch.

(pre) Punk

2011-05-27T09:29:00.000+01:00

Did this song actually *invent* Punk? Not so sure that any song or artist did, but this is under heard and overly amazing

I'd rather Jack

2011-05-24T22:41:00.001+01:00

Seriously, every band i work with at the moment and every band that i get sent a press release by state Fleetwood Mac as an influence. Now don't get me wrong, i understand that enough time has passed by for the Mac to be appreciated for the fantastic run they had in the mid 70's, culminating in the majesty of 'Tusk', but why the need for every band to be thought of in the context of the Mac right now? For some I think it's purely and simply the hooks and melody's, for others, it's that amazing combination of virtuosity and dry production that sets a certain, brilliant aesthetic, whilst some love the 'guilty pleasure' aspect. Either way there are very few artists who deserve to be mentioned in the same breath.

here's one.

and another

and (one of) my fav Mac song(s)

well this is very pleasant

2011-05-24T10:47:00.002+01:00

i spent 20 years

2011-05-21T18:48:00.000+01:00

trying to write a song as effortlessly good as this one.

And

2011-05-19T00:03:00.000+01:00

seriously, this is one of the greatest things that exists ever.

Drunk

2011-05-18T23:36:00.002+01:00

and this is one of the greatest songs ever.

New Jamz on Tuesday

2011-05-17T14:53:00.001+01:00

These guys have definitely heard a few early Prince records

Haven't decided whether i hate it or not yet, but i watched to the end.

Definitely don't hate this next one though (NB not for those under 18 this video)

Lastly, this is about 1 zillion times better than Fleet Foxes - still not 100% i like it though, will see if it grows

2011-05-16T10:04:00.002+01:00

For some reason over the last week, I've been playing a lot of Jazz records. Thing is, even writing 'Jazz' down let alone saying it, makes me feel a little embarrassed. Too many memories of pretentious students with Charlie Parker posters on their walls, or having to listen to musicians noodle out and bore the tits off me.

Anyways, this is great and as good as anything Can were doing around the same time, which is high praise indeed.

Discovered this one via Jim O'Rourke's seminal 'Eureka' LP. Menacing, sexy and unsettling. So pretty ace really

This one is almost too beautiful

The Frog Chorus

2011-05-14T11:45:00.000+01:00

We all know by now that this ridiculous notion of McCartney being the solid melodicist and Lennon the wide-eyed innovator is a load of guff. But not many people know that Macca basically invented rave back in 1980 (ok, he didn't but i'm debunking myths here). Check this video for a blast of PM electro and if you so wish go to the download link to grab a Macca Balearic 12"

http://www.mediafire.com/?gh7iz2hszuoshvz

The new me

2011-05-13T22:51:00.001+01:00

I'm going to post more regularly and less verbosely. This is amazing.

Boredom

2011-04-20T13:35:00.002+01:00

I'm sorry, i got a bit bored of writing right now.

Please come and LISTEN instead

Magic Alex Dj's on Soundcloud

Promise, i'll write again soon.

It Was A Very Good Year

2010-11-15T13:45:00.007Z

So, firstly apologies for a meagre return of blogs this year. The simple fact is, i've been too bloody busy getting on with 'real life' to be bothering you all with heavy tuneage. However, I'm now going to make up for it with a bumper xmas blog (a bit like the NME Xmas special double bumper issue... i used to look forward to so much in the 80's/90's)

I figured it might be a nice idea to poll the members of tired old rock neverhasbeen's Magic Alex to see what records they enjoyed this year. It'd be too much to ask, i think, for them all to produce a coherent, stick to records that were released in 2010 only, list, but instead i widened the remit out slightly to allow for 'Tracks or Albums that were enjoyed this year'. The results went a little something like this.

Greg

I so seldom seem to listen to albums at the moment that I'll go for 10 of the key tunes I've been listening to over the last year.....

Cudderisback - kid cudi / vampire weekend [ottoman remix]
Excuses - Morning Benders
Moves - New Pornographers
let my shoes lead me forward - Jenny Wilson
Tightrope - Jannelle Monae

The house she lived in - The Veils
True no 9 blues - Golden Silvers
I want the world to stop - Belle and Sebastian
Shameless - Groove Armada
la vie moderne - Logo

*Greg wanted to include 5 Nik Kershaw tracks but when told he wasn't allowed, sulked for a bit and then decided to include none as a matter of principle.

Simon

Tame Impala album "InnerSpeaker"

Grace Jones track "Williams Blood"
Robert Forster "Let your light in, babe"
The Monkees "Circle sky"
David Hasslehoff "Jump in my car"

*Simon used to hate The Smiths and Morrissey perhaps more than any other artist ever, however, now after marrying the no1 Smiths fan in the world, names Morrissey's 'Ringleader of the Tormentors' in his top 15 albums of all time. Love eh?

John Mac

The soft pack eponymous
Farmer Dave Scher - Flash Forward To The Good Times,
The Feelies - Crazy Rhythms*
Rose Elinor Dougall - Without Why
Gregory Issacs - extra classic.

*note to readers - The Feelies, 'Crazy Rhythms' has been in John Mac's top records of the year for the last twenty years...he's nothing if not consistent.

John Simm

Midlake, "The courage of others"

Steve Mason, "Boys outside"

The Rolling Stones, "Exile on main St" (remastered)

Deerhunter, "Halycon Digest"
Gorrilaz, "Plastic beach"

Robert Plant, "Band of joy"

The Acorn, "No Ghost"

Gil Scott Heron, "I'm new here"

Grinderman , "Grinderman 2"

Teenage fanclub, "Shadows"

Philip Glass, "Glass box"

"Not much to say about most of them really, just that they're all (in my opinion) excellent in a myriad of wonderful and mysterious ways. For what it's worth I listened, i think, to "The courage of Other's" more than anything, closely followed by Steve Mason's "Boys outside".

The best of all though is, of course "Exile..." remastered. Given the same magical clean-up as the Beatles had last year, somehow they have improved on perfection... it feels like a film has been lifted off a lens and it's akin to hearing it for the first time. You can hear EVERTHING in all it's considerable glory.Also the bonus disc is full of tremendous outtakes and songs from the same session that didn't make the album. Every one really is a winner.It's the Rolling Stones' finest hour and as such it's easily the best thing i've heard this year.

athanky'verymuch."

* When i first played Surfa Rosa by The Pixies to John, he remarked to me that it 'sounded like a Burnley pub band' - I have now been taking the piss out of him about this for 22 years. NB John is a big Pixies fan.

Dean

(In no particular order..)

Twin Shadow - Forget

Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III)

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Before Today

Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest

Tame Impala - Innerspeaker

Sleigh Bells - Treats

I Am Kloot - Sky At Night

Rose Elinor Dougall - Without Why

Caribou - Swim

Working For A Nuclear Free City - Jojo Burger Tempest

So that's it, looking at it objectively I'd have to say that Simon has the best list of tunes to check out, just nicking it due to his inclusion of the 'Hoff'. Feel free to leave comments slagging us all of for our choices and please leave your lists too if you like.

See you all next year

Magic Alex
x

rockin pneumonia and the boogie woogie flu

2010-06-29T17:40:00.001+01:00

As i trudged down Bourbon Street in the stifling 95 degree heat, past the shop windows with the miniature Louis Armstrong figurines and the bars blasting out some kind of modernised Dixieland, my heart began to sink.

If anything New Orleans was starting to resemble nothing more than the town i grew up in back in the UK, Blackpool. The same tacky insistence on reminding us of 'What a party town we were in!" the same tired shop facades that had clearly seen better days and the same misguided attempt to make a cash cow out of a name.

When in 1995 me and my then girlfriend had booked a trip round the USA and were deciding where to go, New Orleans was at the top of the list of potential destinations, but ultimately it was the most disappointing. We were there for just over a week, but my abiding memories is fat tourists with 'I love New Orleans' T-shirts a huge swamp rat who lived in the fire place of our guest room (he used to come out at night when the light was off and make loud digesting noises) and a couple of Pool hustlers who i (stupidly) beat at pool and who according to a local we made friends with had spent the rest of the night looking for me with a gun. I started to kind of hate Jazz music.

But over the last few years I've been thinking more and more about New Orleans and how, unfortunately, I'd been completely unaware of an awe-inspiring strain of soul and funk that these days continuously blasts out of my speakers come most weekends. A bunch of musicians, singers and arrangers (including Allen Toussaint. The Meters, Eddie Bo, Betty Harris, Lee Dorsey and Irma Thomas) whose names are unfamiliar to most, but who, to soul and funk aficionados, represent some of the most enduring names in the genre.

Now I could fill another 20 paragraphs writing about how James Black’s drumming fills my soul like few other musicians, or how nobody makes me dance AND smile like Lee Dorsey does. I could also write about how this music actually does have connections with the old Dixie Land scene (A main feature of Jazz in New Orleans were the Jazz Funeral Marching bands. Solemn Brass bands accompanying a coffin would, on burial, be joined by a second line of drummers and dancers, which would turn the event into a celebration of the spirit cutting free from earth. This is where New Orleans Soul & Funk takes it origins). But I wont. Music this beautiful and true should be listened to, danced to, drank to.

I will mention that if you want to dip your toe into this fertile scene, the Soul Jazz compilations are an excellent place to start, also there’s a fantastic blog called Funky16Corners which has led me to some amazing discoveries from this (and many other) soul & funk scene(s).

Now for some tunes:

Lee Dorsey - Give It Up

Eddie Bo - Hook N Sling (Part 1)

The Meters - Just Kissed My Baby

Roger and the Gypsies - Pass the Hatchet (pts 1&2)

Betty Harris - Break In The Road

Aaron Neville - Hercules

Inell Young - The Next Ball Game

see ya!

Owed t'Alex

2010-03-31T16:43:00.001+01:00

"I like the blues..... but I like aqua marine just as much."

I got myself an addiction.

For the last month, i've played pretty much nothing but Captain Beefheart.

A cursory look at my last.fm page will confirm this. 359 plays in the last three months - and they're just the ones that have been 'scrobbled' (further investigation will uncover that I've played Del Shannon even more, but the truth of it is that i accidentally left Spotify playing his tracks over night after a little too much whiskey).

Now dont get me wrong, i bought Trout Mask Replica in my late teens and played it through maybe 3 times before deciding that it was a little too obtuse even for me. But what's happened i guess over the years is that listening to artists influenced by Beefheart has softened me up to him. The snake-y, yet jagged non-sequitur guitar motifs of the likes of Fire Engines, Pere Ubu and That Petrol Emotion that entranced me with their originalities were actually direct copies of the great man. See below:

However it wasn't 'Trout Mask Replica' that opened the door for me, but rather a relatively obscure album he made with the Magic Band (mk 1) in the mid 70's called Clear Spot.

Sorry to be all musicianly and everything but the production and the playing on this record are simply in another world, everything is dry and in your face, there's no escape from any of it and that's before the Captain smears his personality over the whole thing. The bit of information that blew my mind (especially as somebody who was only a poxy vocalist who wrote just words and melodies) was that Captain Beefheart composed every single note of these architectures of sound (" I play the drums - I play the guitar - I play the piano. I want it exactly the way I want it - exactly. Any composer, I would think, would want it that way and I don’t deviate at all. Don’t you think that somebody like Stravinsky, for instance, don’t you think that it would annoy him if somebody bent a note the wrong way? Or used a purple bow on a violin, when you want a red bow, or a green bow").

This sort of control over songcraft (apparently he taught the band via piano, sometimes it took him days to convey a guitar line for a section of one song) whilst not only being rare led to some highly combustible scenes between him and the Magic Band. Leading to them leaving in the mid 70's and eventually being replaced by another shit hot ensemble.

The song that is on constant repeat at the moment for me is Tropical Hot Dog Night, where Beefheart (seemingly) has a bit of fun with his encroaching middle-age whilst simultaneously reacting to accusations of him dumbing down his avant-garde leanings for a more accessible sound. Some lines sound so much better when sang by the great man, but ("Tropical Hot Dog Night / I'm playing this song for all the girls to come and meet the monster tonight/ How would you like to be the lucky one to be the monster tonight? / Everything that is wrong at the same time is right / You get to be with me")

Right, I'm off to listen to more Beefheart. I might be some time...

For those with Spotify check this playlist out:
beefheart

That's The Story Of My Life

2010-02-25T11:25:00.003Z

So as mid-winter takes its final bow, here at MA towers there's a palpable sense of what's ahead.

Musically the last few months saw a personal battle come to a head, i.e how can you be so involved in music, both on the business and creative sides and yet not buy more than a few CD's or downloads a year. Now, admittedly, over my life i've bought more music on various formats than quite possibly the whole of South East Asia has in its whole existence, but still the nagging guilt remained.

So, thank god for Spotify. Now those of you outside Europe may bemoan its none-existence (but fear not, it's coming your way) but for me right now, i'm quite happy to pay the £9.99 a month premium subscription with the knowledge that i'm getting lots of great music wherever i want (even on my phone) and the artists are getting money too. It feels like the future.

Now right now, Spotify isn't perfect, there's no Beatles on it, or Pink Floyd for that matter, or the rather wonderful Real Estate.Real Estate have really struck a chord with me over the last month. I came across them via a last.fm recommendation and boy am i glad. Their debut album makes me think of The Stone Roses, but without all the bagg(y)age that came with them. It sounds like four people in a room playing music that they really feel, which means something in this day and age. The masters of playing music of timeless grace and feel, were of course, The Feelies (our drummer, Johnny Mac's favourite band ever) who you should probably check out right now here. Gotta love that guitar solo baby.

before checking out the wonderful Real Estate here:

One album that i have been playing over and over on Spotify is Del Shannon's little known baroque masterpiece 'Home & Away'. Now most people know Del Shannon from his few hits in the early 60's (Runaway, Hat's Off To Larry, etc), but what most people don't know is that Del continued to make relevant music right through until the 80's 'Home & Away' was recorded with Andrew Loog Oldham which should've added some commercial clout to what he was doing, but didn't, Loog did however add some rather beautiful baroque flourishes to some of Shannon's prettiest melodies. I first came across these recordings via Pilooski's reinterpretation of Gemini which you can check here:

or get a taster from 'Home & Away' an album which to my mind should be revered in the same way as the likes of The Zombie's Odyssey & Oracle or The Kinks 'Something Else' here

I was asked by my friend Danielle a few weeks back to put together a wedding play-list for her upcoming nuptials, with the brief that it should include lots of classics from the 80's and 90's and lots of Northern Soul. This was like a red rag to a bull. Spotify might have a few gaps in its catalogue but it's got a stellar selection of Northern Soul tunes. I know this because on a number of occasions, me and the wife on a Friday night when the kids are safely tucked up have built up a playlist, slipped the shoes off and had a good old frug. Amazing, uplifting spiritual tunes by the likes of R Dean Taylor (great name!) Archie Bell & The Drells and this monster from Dobie Gray

For those of you who have Spotify, check out this compilation which me and the missus really got a groove on to a few weeks back. For those of you who haven't, i'm about this close (puts finger and thumb together) to starting a Northern Soul night up here in Manchester.

Laters Taters.

353JVXFRT3UP

Reelin' In TheYear

2009-12-10T13:00:00.000Z

Back in 1990 when John S went down to London to make his fortune we used to write to each other about once a month. At the end of these letters we'd include our current top 20 songs and albums and in December we'd create our own end of year lists, commemorated with a C90.

The funniest thing was looking back at these tapes and wishing some revisionism could take place. ("look, there's no fucking way that i really meant that Moose were number 2", etc) The magazines end of years meant a lot to us, we'd get very angry with the mainstream press for the lack of inclusion for Julian Cope (and looking back, in hindsight, actually we were right...)

We dont make these Tapes (or cd's) anymore but maybe technology has made a way of making this relevant. John - it's your turn next....

Top 10 Tracks of 2009

10) 'Feel It All Around' - Washed Out : Those semi observant readers may have noticed this song was in my last blog and nothings happened in the interim to change my mind that this is 2009's ultimate blissed out 3 minutes.

9) 'Laura' - Girls When at the age of about 15 i was devouring music and developing lifelong obsessions with the likes of Television, Big Star and The Velvet Underground - i was forever looking for the next musical high. Occasionally an artist would crop up that despite a widespread reverence i just couldn't enjoy. Elvis Costello is a great example - back in the 80's every journalist worth his or her salt would bang on about EC with a zeal beyond my comprehension. Anyway, the Girls album this year was, to me, like a whitewashing of all the annoying nasal vocal tics and pseudo intellectualism that Costello possessed, leaving us with a great 'classic rock' album full of warm, heartfelt pop tunes like this one...

8) 'Bicycle' - Memory Tapes - Bicycle by Memory Tapes is a song thats been played a LOT this year, a song that's happy to to exist, perfectly in the background. A song that even Betty my two year old was moved to comment 'I like that one!'

7) 'All The Kings Men' - Wild Beasts. I bloody love The Wild Beasts - reminiscent of the spindly, inventive, giddy pop of the early 80's (The Associates, Wild Swans, Bunnymen). Swooning, hyper-romantic and otherworldly. Get involved via Spotify now.

6) 'Deadbeat Summer' - Neon Indian. A cursory glance at my last.fm page tells me that over the last 12 months this has been my most played song. A song that makes me feels queasy, want to dance and one that i know all the words too - says a track of the year from my album of the year.

5) 'Bluish' - Animal Collective. Now whether this song really is about cunnilingus or whether it's just a simple ode - i dont think there was a more romantic 3 minutes released this year. Animal Collective have been almost annoyingly brilliant now for about 5 years.

4) 'Stillness Is The Move' - The Dirty Projectors. Since Magic Alex DJ's went into hiatus. I often daydream of our (glorious) return. And i stockpile records in my head that will go straight to the turntable - this being one of them. R&B meets Luscious Jackson 2009 style. Nice.

3) 'Heart In Home' - Kwes. When i heard this in January '09 - it blew me away. Like nothing else around, it made me feel a bit like when i first heard the cocteau twins. I've waited all year for a follow up, but nothing. There's no video for this track either, so get your ears round it here http://open.spotify.com/track/56zPIzc9izdDX1nfKOASB7

2) 1901 - Phoenix. I've seen people recoil in horror when i've put this on the stereo in social situations. But that just makes me love it even more. to my mind, when i hear this song i'm back in 1985, great trainers, hazy sunshine and life bursting with possibilities

1) 'Start/Stop/Synchro' - Rose Elinor Dougall. Cheat! Fix!! Con!!! But quite simply, how could my track of the year NOT be this? Ok, for those who don't know for the last 18 months i've been helping RED, amongst other things, get an album together. But, fuck it, i've lived and breathed this song for almost all of that time and i still think it's a thing of wondrous beauty. It still stops me in my tracks when the chorus comes in (just like it did the first time i heard the demo). There'll be an album next year and a sort of closure for three people who worked very hard on this, until then this is still the air i breathe.

Top 10 Albums of 2009

10) True Romance - Golden Silvers

9) 'Wilco (The Album)' - Wilco

8) 'Life Of Leisure' -Washed Out

7) 'Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix' - Phoenix

6) 'Bitte Orca' - Dirty Projectors

5) Two Dancers - Wild Beasts

4) Seek Magic - Memory Tapes

3) Merriweather Post Pavilion - Animal Collective

2) 'Album' Girls

1) Psychic Chasms - Neon Indian

See you in the new year pop kids

xx

Isn't Anything

2009-10-22T15:35:00.000+01:00

Chillwave
Synth-Computer-Pop-Atmospheric-Wave
GazeWave
WaveWave
ShoeWave
Chillgaze
Pitchforkwavegaze
No-gaze
Blowgaze
GazeStep

Whatever the hell it's called, for the first time for bloody ages there's a recognisable genre of music seeping out that i feel a connection to. Or, do i feel an affintiy with this amorphous pop music precisely because it requires no connection?

This is music that blurs the edges of connection, that exists outside the rational and the physical, looking beyond the palpable, somwehere in memory, somewhere out of time.

and I've been here before.

Anybody who's ever spent time with me will no doubt have had to endure at some point listening to My Bloody Valentine at deafening volume. They will also have had to listen to A.R Kane's '69' with me wittering in their ear about how this group were the unhearalded fore bearers of ambient rock, oceanic rock, shoegaze and countless other genres that possibly don't exist. And members of Magic Alex certainly had to listen to cries of, "Can we have more distortion on this track and make it sound more like Spaceman 3 please".

Shoegaze, the coalition of bands circa 1989-1992 was one of those movements that sounded stupid almost as soon as it was invented. Named after the artists (MBV, Ride, Pale Saints, Moose, Chapterhouse etc) propensity for gazing down at their shoes during performance, it seemed to me as obvious a progression for popular music as abstract expressionism was for fine art, but, perhaps, wasn't the sort of music that your Dad wanted to listen on a long car journey together (Me: "No Dad, it's supposed to sound like the casette's broken", Dad: "Can we have Tina Turner back on now please"). By 1994 any band claiming to be influenced by shoegaze were laughed out of town.

But, this recent glut of bands who's musical aesthetics mirror those of my shoegazing heroes didn't come out of nowhere though. Over the last few years, a band who I was fortunate to sign to Memphis Industries, The Russian Futurists were, in my opinion a kind of trailblazer for introducing a post modern 'un' sheen to pop music. Taking a lo-fi approach to electronic pop and creating (maybe by accident or by design) a thick mist of noise which rendered the music a slightly woozy quality, like it almost wasn't there. A sound akin to when in the old days you'd tape a record before taping it again for a friend (and perhaps again and again) until the hisses and pops accumulated became synonymous with the music.

But perhaps the artist that really spearheaded this current (chill)wave of artists is Noah Lennox aka Panda Bear, who's 2007 album Person Pitch raised the bar for nu-gaze (sorry, i'll stop in a minute). Sounding like a Brian Wilson crooning from beneath the waves, it perfectly married what is essentially avant-garde form with beautful blissed out pop music. A day spent without this album truly is a poorer one.

Anyway, here's a chance to get your lugholes around some choice tunes that have been popping up over the last months and that seem to exist within the same space.

    02 - Deadbeat Summer.mp3

Deadbeat Summer by Neon Indian is to my mind the kind of music that Daft Punk should have made post 'Discovery' - here Neon Indian take the analogue-y, squelchy dance beats and robotic melodies and turn them inside out, creating a dance song that sounds like you're on the waltzers spinning round, feeling sick but deliriously happy. Their album 'Psychic Chasms' is pretty much on repeat round my house these days.

    Memory Tapes - 02 - Bicycle.mp3

Bicycle by Memory Tapes veers more towards the New Order side of things (check the ripped off Barney guitar break half throught the track for proof of that!) - it reminds me of the Beloved remix album 'Blissed Out' a little too (a very underrated album that).

    04 - Feel It All Around.mp3

Feel It All Around by Washed Out to these ears sounds like a failed remix of 10cc's 'I'm Not In Love' by Jam & Lewis circa 1987 that got consigned to the dusty vaults and has only been discovered and reinterpreted now. Which obviously means that it sounds pretty great.

Finally, for those of you who never heard it here's the final track from Panda Bear's masterpiece, 'Ponytail'

    07 Ponytail.mp3

Next time i'll be writing about my favourite tunes and albums of the year, till then, stay dreamy...

Blonde on Blonde

2009-08-04T14:08:00.001+01:00

"One chord is fine. Two chords is pushing it. Three chords and you're into jazz." Lou Reed

Once when me and John S were sat in a hotel room with Ian McCulloch in the early hours, apropos of nothing, Mac suddenly declared that there were only three bands that mattered, The Bunnymen, The Velvet Underground and Magic Alex. Now if some random bloke in an internet forum had said that it would have made my day, but the fact that one of my teenage idols (a man who at the age of 14 had inspired me to coat my hair in orange juice so that it would get the correct amount of 'lift') was saying it, to my face was, shall we say, rather special...

The fact that he was wrong didn't matter, what was more important was that we'd reached a place musically that we'd been aiming for, a place that was identifiable.

Y'see when me and bass player Simon first put an advert in the (now defunct) Melody Maker for musicians wanted we listed our influences as The Beatles, Sly & The Family Stone, Roxy Music & Can. Which basically meant, look how ace our influences are, but gave potential members absolutely no idea as to what we wanted to sound like. This reflected itself in the first few years of Magic Alex's existence. We'd go from playing a cute pop song to a noisy dub monster to a slow jazzy ballad in the blink of an eye, thinking we were being eclectic when really we just sounded confused.

And then one day, we were listening to The Velvet Underground's 'What Goes On' and it all became clear. Less is more. Enough of trying to cram obscure suspended 7th chords into tracks, enough of me trying to prove how clever lyrically i could be. The results were immediate. We wrote our first good song 'Chica Chica' and with every song we wrote after we distilled what we wanted more and more until we became a (pretty) well oiled rock and roll band.

As you can see from the photographic evidence above, last weekend was a bit of a get together for us. In an attempted age-defying scam we toyed with the idea of doing a gig as Magic Alex Jr's and get our collective kids up on stage miming to our songs. We also looked into the possibility of blonde hair implants. Neither look as likely on this wet Tuesday afternoon.

One thing you should keep your eyes peeled for though is the London gig listings this coming Autumn.

Till next time

02 What Goes On By The Velvet Underground.m4a

07 Chica Chica by Magic Alex.mp3

111-echo_and_the_bunnymen-the_puppet.mp3

Live And Let Live

2009-06-25T11:31:00.000+01:00

When i used to work at Memphis Industries ploughing through the awful demo's I used to bemoan, why don't we get a demo from somebody as wildly inventive, as fully formed, as jaw-droppingly brilliant as Roxy Music circa their first album? Imagine how bloody brilliant it must of been the day Ivo Watts-Russell got The Pixies Come on Pilgrim demo's on his desk? But it dawned on me slowly but surely that band's that special don't come round every day, or in fact very often at all. Last night i went to see a band that might just be that special.

White Denim kicked my ass for an hour solid last night. This, i thought as the drummer stood up and casually played the greatest drumming i've ever seen, with one hand, must have been a bit like when Jimi Hendrix strode into London town in 1967 and casually blew Eric Clapton off his self-imposed perch. Don't get me wrong, there's no point rushing to the bands myspace expecting the finished article, but if the age of the bass player (he looked about 13) who sold me the t-shirt is anything to go by (yes, i bought a t-shirt at a gig, the first time for about 15 years) there's every chance that when they do become the 'article', they'll deserve to be mentioned among the greats. This song was one of the main ass-kicking perpetrators last night Mess Your Hair Up . If you get the chance GO AND FUCKING SEE THEM.

This morning me and the wife were discussing which bands we'd seen in the past that equalled the mind-blowing qualities of last night, for her Atari-Teenage Riot in the mid nineties was a contender, for me there were lots, but one we could agree on was My Bloody Valentine, last year at the Manchester Apollo.

Now back in 1992 there was a tour put together by The Jesus & Mary Chain called the 'Roller coaster' tour, it featured JAMC headlining plus MBV, Dinosaur Jr and the then, little known Blur. I remember quite distinctly not being able to afford the ticket because it was £17.50 which was beyond my student budget. Obviously in retrospect i should have mugged a granny, but instead i had to sit and listen to friends regaling me about how amazing the night was, especially My Bloody Valentine and especially the 20 minute 'noise' section at the end of You Made Me Realise.

As a result in my head, I'd always built up a mythical status for them as a live entity, especially as Kevin Shields seemed more likely to announce himself as my long-lost real father as he was was to produce a new record or play MBV material again. So, when i held the ticket for that show in my hand, I was, shall we say, just a little excited. And let me tell you I was not disappointed. From the moment they came on stage i was nearly wetting myself with excitement (or the fact that it was packed and the toilets were on the other side of the venue, but I digress...) Bathed in beautiful hues of electric blue and crimson red they proceeded to play almost every song in their catalogue. By the time the 'noise' section came we all thought we were prepared (earplugs had been given as we entered the venue), but nothing on earth can prepare you for that. Imagine standing underneath Concorde as it took off and you're maybe 3/4 of the way there. For 5 minutes, it's rock and roll, then it becomes annoying, then you go to a place where time, space & rational thought doesn't really exist (i remember remarking afterwards that it had been living proof that you can feel bored and exhilarated at the same time.) I'm not posting 'You Made Me Realise' here, but another song, a B-Side, Off Your Face' which has always been my favourite MBV song and which i was beside myself with untrammelled joy when they began 04 - My Bloody Valentine - Off Your Face.mp3

I've thought long and hard as to which other gig to mention here, maybe The Stone Roses at the Empress Ballroom in 1989 (me to my sister, "why is everybody smiling and grimacing at the same time?") or the Throwing Muses at Manchester University 1992 (I fainted, got stood on the face by a lady in stilettos, before getting back to find the car had been broken into and the windows smashed, driving home on the motorway with the wind rushing against my bleeding, bruised face) why not The Mock Turtles at the Blackpool Station in 1990 (at the end of the gig a part of the Turtles entourage informed me that the female keyboard player requested my presence at her hotel bar - i politely declined).

But no, the last gig worthy of mention is Love with Arthur Lee at the Garage Islington in 1996. Like most music-obsessed boys I'd discovered Forever Changes and had my mind altered forever, but the thought that Arthur could come to my local (at the time) venue and play the whole damned thing note perfect was beyond my expectations. Myself and John S went to this in the perfect mind-altered state and watched in awe as a real genius showed us mere mortals how it's done. Every song oozed class, but this one Love - 06 - She Comes In Colors.mp3 sticks in my mind as perfection...

Ok, some quick 'me' facts before i leave you.

My first gig - Kids From Fame at the Winter Gardens Blackpool 1982 ( i wore white leg-warmers fact fans) - i could've lied and said The Police but that was three weeks later. Don't remember much about it apart from Shorofsky, which went off like a mutherfucker.

Artist seen the most times - Black Lace - no shit, when i collected glasses during the summer of 1987 Black Lace were the house band they played three times a night (consummate professionals) which by my reckoning means i've seen their live show over 200 times.

And finally, my favourite gig of all time was The Pixies at Preston Guildhall in 1990 from which I'm still speechless.

See ya soon

Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before

2009-05-05T14:30:00.000+01:00

Did indie become alternative or did alternative become indie? Is Spotify going to kill iTunes? Were Duran Duran a better pop band than The Kaiser Chiefs (Does anybody care?) What kind of album would Buddy Holly have produced in the mid-sixties? Was the demise of Top Of The Pops a victim of digital tv or noughties pop? Why couldn't have Otis Redding missed that plane?

Why hasn't everybody heard of Benny Profane?

Seriously, if there's a better, more overlooked band, like ever, i'll eat my stetson hat. The first song i heard by Benny Profane (on the John Peel show, summer of '89 - see previous post), "Stitch That" blew my head off and i immediately checked out it's parent album, "Trapdoor Swing". What an amazing hybrid. Musically i could hear shades of The Fall, Johnny Cash, The Velvets, Frankie Laine, Frank Sinatra and loads of old cowboy tunes , whilst lyrically it was referencing or alluding to pretty heavyweight writers such as Pynchon, Pinter, Vonnegut and Heller, not just for a pose, but actually following their attempts of decomposition, or blurring of high and low culture into a three minute pop song. Pretty mind blowing stuff for a 17 year old. I naively thought that it was only a matter of time before they were massive, that's what happens when somebody writes music good as this right? But they split up one year after i discovered them (not however before i'd snaggled a support slot for my first band The Cherrydales
at their final gig at Blackpool Jenks...)disillusioned with a lack of success.

My favourite Profane tune is probably one called 'Here Comes The Floor' which is rich with dazzling imagery, but here's that first track i heard, "Stitch That", excuse the slightly leaden 80's production and dig those lyrics and delivery. stitchthat.mp3

"and now the sounds of the limitations of our existence from the maddening crowd"

The Squire Of Somerton. i could write a book about The Squire, or Toby Jenkins as he's known to his friends, of whom, happily, i'm one. Out of all the artists i've worked with over the years, nobody who's deserved such success has achieved so little. This is a man who, when on the top of his form (and excuse me if i gush), has the melodic range of Brian Wilson, the abilty to out 'tap' Joe Santriani and can make Elton John's piano paying sound like Les Dawson. Whether as a member of Fort Lauderdale, Zan Pan or solo, The Squire has been knocking out twisted, top notch, proto-psychedelia for the last decade with absolutely no due recognition. The last i heard Toby was writing a ballet based on Mikhail Bulgakov's Master & Margarita, which will no doubt be exasperating, exhilarating and completely ignored.

Listen to this track (on which The Squire plays everything), the various interweaving themes and melodies the way the words and music are there for an absolute reason, the sheer joy a musical journey can take you on if you allow it and then gasp at the guitar solo which Toby once described to me as a mere mortal reaching for the stars... Squire of Somerton - Transverberrations.mp3

I find as i get older, i dance less often, but enjoy it more and more. I think this could be partly because i've learned which music gets me going and there's nothing that gets me going more-so than Lee Dorsey's Yes We Can (Part 1). Now, if you hadn't guessed already the general theme for this post was to write about artists who i think have been unfairly neglected and as a result it was touch and go whether to include Lee, as here is a man who hit the charts both here and in the USA, but my point is... Why the hell is Yes We Can and Lee Dorsey himself for that matter not an absolute unmitigated, respected part of the Rock/Pop/Soul cannon in the same way that Otis, Sam Cooke or Issac Hayes are? Why did i have to wait until i was in my early thirties before i heard this monster?

Download this and keep it kids, keep it for those night when you push the sofa back and kick your shoes off... lee dorsey - 01 - yes we can part i.mp3

Be good now...

Ah! Melody

2009-04-03T13:15:00.001+01:00

As he walked into the HMV he remembered a not so distant past. Easily navigating the aisles he looked at the middle-aged (grand)mothers and bored suits and recalled his addiction.

Must have, must have, must have a CD. Not sure which, does it matter? Just need another CD. He asked himself when the last time was that he'd bought a CD from HMV and as the music in the shop changed from Kings Of Leon to Duffy he realised he couldn't remember.

I threw my CD's away.

Not all of them you understand (i'm not getting rid of my nuggets box-set just yet), but all the ones i dont play anymore and pretty much every CD single. Out they went (to the bin, or if they seemed in any way valuable to the charity shop) and as they did i felt no remorse.

But it wasn't that long ago that this action would have seemed absurd. During my teens and early 20's i spent ALL my money on music, some of which i'd heard, but most of which i'd read two or three reviews of and was willing to take a chance on. Friends, girlfriends and family couldn't enter a town-centre in my company without the inevitable need to visit the record-shop(s). When holidays were booked the first thing i thought was, 'i wonder what the record shops are like there'? Monday lunchtime i'd hurry to Our-Price (the singles were cheaper there) and decide which 2 or 3 new releases to buy. Rushing between WH Smiths to double check if there was a positive consensus in the music press for my potential purchase. On the way home on the bus or tube i'd read the label copy - the producer credits, sleeve notes, songwriting credits, filing away useless information. With the mountains of CD's piled up against my bedroom wall I honestly thought i was building a library for my future children.

"Wow dad, you've got The Propellerheads second and somewhat inferior single, 'Spybreak' AND Slowdive's first three Creation EP's... What riches you bestow upon us!"

And now, i look at my itunes and wonder where did that song come from? Did somebody send me that, was it a free download, was it from a blog or a rapidshare link, or drunkenly nabbed from limewire?

Did i buy it?

Well, here are three new(ish) songs that i have bought and that after listening to here, that i rather think you should buy too.

First of all Kwes. Really can't say i know too much about this man, but what i do know is that this is the best song i've heard in a bloody age. Sure there's echoes of The Specials, The Cure, (early) Scritti Politti and Christian Fennesz but this is mad, original, beautiful pop music that makes my head spin and my stomach lurch.

Kwes - Hearts In Home.mp3

Robert Wyatt & Bertrand Burgalat's 'This Summer Night' sort of slipped out last year, but thankfully the ever wonderful Marc Riley played it on his 6music show months later and i was smitten. I watched Robert Wyatt on that BBC4 Rough Trade documentary a few weeks back and wondered if he isn't perhaps the most underrated British musician sort of, ever?

bertrand_burgalat_this_summer_night.mp3

The last song was played to me a few weeks back by my best man John in a very compromised state. Now, John knows me well enough to know that in complete sobriety i could well have baulked at the overly twee, smooth pop classicsm that The Leisure Society display here, but with the bottle of whiskey drained and the early morning sun cascading through the window i was powerless to resist.

10-the_leisure_society-a_matter_of_time.mp3

Happy holidays kids...

Peel slowly and see...

2009-03-09T14:28:00.001Z

It's the summer of '89 and I'm lying in Darren McNeil's garden. College is over for the year and the holiday spreads out its expanse before us. It's hot, so hot that all the pretence of trying to do something with the day has dissipated. So there we lay, radio 1 blasting out from the kitchen and the sun creating dancing patterns on my eyelids when i heard the advert for that evening's John Peel show.

Now i knew who John Peel was. He was the Liverpool fan who always looked a bit older than the other DJ's on Top Of The Pops. He was also the guy who was supposed to have the really great radio show that the older kids listened to. So, i made a mental note to listen to it that night, which i did, but even better, i stuck a C90 in my system and taped the whole show too. As the nights progressed i started transferring the best tracks onto new C90's ad fin um until i had a bunch of C90's with, hand written on them, "The best of John Peel". I've still got about 20 of these.

The Family Cat, Spaceman 3, Pale Saints, Finitribe, Mudhoney, 808 State, Galaxie 500, A.R Kane, Sonic Youth, Lil Louis, Napalm Death, The Four Brothers. All these bands went from somebody i might have read about in Melody Maker and the NME to being the soundtrack of my life. And that was just the current artists he was playing, it was through John Peel that i heard mind and life changing tracks by the likes of Neil Young, Can, Kevin Ayers, Young Marble Giants, Captain Beefheart, Scritti Politti. The man was responsible more than any other in my life for breeding a wholehearted desire for musical eclecticism and the knowledge that no matter how much great music that i'd heard there was hundred's of LP's out there just waiting to blow my mind.

By the time John Peel died in 2004 i wasn't obsessively listening to his program anymore, he'd been shifted around so many times in the Radio 1 schedule that it was more a case of tuning into his show by mistake, but it was heartening to know that he was still there playing nosebleed techno before Ivor Cutler, going off into flights of fancy and putting records on at the wrong speed.

I got a phone call one night in 1997 from a friend, apparently he was playing a track from Magic Alex (Chica Chica). I ran to the radio but it was too late, if he had played it i'd never hear it, or hear his remark afterwards. This was the days before the internet (or certainly as we know it now) so there was no way i could 'listen again', but if he did play it i'd like to think that it wasn't the worst record he'd ever heard...

So here's three songs i heard that summer. Firstly i can distinctly remember that first show and one of the hightlights was this track from A.R Kane, Crack Up. Still gets a spin this one on the odd occasion, if the crowd seems in any way discerning.

13 Crack Up.mp3

Secondly, Can was probably the biggest discovery for me that summer and this song 'Dizzy Dizzy' was the first track i heard. Not my favourite, but every time i hear it i expect to hear John Peels voice at the end saying, "well that still sounds as good as ever"

Track No01.mp3

And lastly, it'd be quite obvious to post a Fall track here, but in all honesty i'd already got a fall album by that time in my life and anyway this Captain Beefheart track was the true soundtrack to those hot late nights.

05 - My Head Is My Only House Unless It Rains.mp3

Till next time folks...

Son's Of Pioneers

2009-02-24T22:29:00.000Z

So, after my first post, i got into a discussion with a dear friend of mine in regards to always trying to finding the musical source, or as he put it, "the original sauce." For example he wouldn't want to listen to Lonnie Donnegan when he could listen to Leadbelly instead.

And i understand. As an adolescent i was an obsessed with Japan and David Sylvian, but then i heard Roxy Music's 'Song For Europe' and felt a little silly for spending so much precious time on something that was quite frankly, pretty derivative.

A few years ago i got kind of preoccupied with working out who was the originator of certain styles of music, in fact there was a Magic Alex band joke that the Beatles invented everything (Helter Skelter - "This is where they invented heavy metal!" I Feel Fine "This is where they invented feedback!" Your Mother Should Know "This is where they invented musical post-modernism!"). But back further i went, pouring over Chuck Berry b-sides, Buddy Holly out-takes and doo-wop obscurities.

Now however, i'm feeling that, if it's good, it's good. i dont care if they were first or they were last. How does it make me feel? I know for example that whenever the opening bars of ELO's Mr Blue Sky begin i always feel about 150% happier than i did minutes earlier -and let's face it Lynne was no pioneer.

So, in the spirit of this here are three brilliant songs by wholly unoriginal artists.

First up, The Left Banke certainly weren't original, appropriating from The Beatles (you again!), Brill Building and The Byrds in equal measures. No matter, please do tell me if there's a more beautiful 3 minutes than Pretty Ballerina. Listen.

The Left Banke - Pretty Ballerina.mp3

Secondly, The Dovers, What Am I Gonna Do is, in my humble opinion the most underheard and therefore underrated pop single of all time. Like Phil Spector producing the Swinging Blue Jeans but 500 million times better than that sounds

dovers - b - what am i going to do.mp3

Lastly, the Perfect Disaster, what a band. Some would accuse Magic Alex of ripping off The Velvet Underground, but my god this band did it pretty much better than anybody else and B52 is as good as anything Lou and co put out.

07 B52.mp3

'Go, Bo Diddley. Go home"

Bye then...

Begin the begin

2009-02-16T13:21:00.001Z

An experiment. A need to share. Self promotion. Ego.

There are a few reasons why i've chosen to do this. Post music that i think people may enjoy hearing. In 1996 when myself and John Mac started DJ'ing under the name of our band Magic Alex the idea was to embrace rampant eclecticism and in doing so create a place where people could come and dance with no expectations. Of course now this kind of musical free-for-all is the norm, but back then the idea of playing the likes of Lonnie Donegan, Lil Louis, The Upsetters, Sabres Of Paradise and AC/DC, The Impressions and Tom Tom Club back to back just DID NOT HAPPEN.

Some hipsters used to sneer that we were no more than Wedding DJ's because with absolutely no sense of irony we'd happily spin Shaggy's Oh Carolina or John Paul Young's Love Is In The Air whilst some joy seekers were confused by our love of all that was being released on Morr Music or our absolute need to play Neu!'s Hallogallo EVERY time we played. But, by the time we got a residency at Hospital Radio in North London circa 2000 most had cottoned on that the idea was to have FUN.

Ok, so let's post some Mp3's and see if this thing works.

First up a bloody fantastic, silly little sci-fi number by The Alan Parsons Project which i used to groove to as a 14 year old when everybody else i knew was digging into either The Style Council, Duran Duran or Howard Jones.

1 I robot.mp3

Second up is a song to get any party started, Vicious Rap by Tanya "Sweet Tee" Winley

103-tanya_winley-vicious_rap-ftd.mp3

and finally, the greatest piece of recorded music i've ever heard, The Flamingo's I Only Have Eyes For You.

flamingos.mp3

See you next time