Jr. Walker & The All Stars - (I'm A) Road Runner

August 19th? Time to party.

Featuring two of my all-time favorite "whoa!"s, at 1:07 and at 2:08. Kudos also to the baritone saxophone (bass clarinet?) part and the bass drum sound. Written by Holland-Dozier-Holland.

New London Children's Choir - The Useful Plough

Credit where credit due to Wes Anderson, that track The Cuckoo is a sick crate-dig. So I had to pick up a copy of this CD, which I (mistakenly) believed to include the performance featured in the film. Anyroad, this track The Useful Plough is another standout from the same Benjamin Britten suite (Friday Afternoons) whence The Cuckoo is drawn.

Britten wrote Friday Afternoons for his schoolmaster brother, Robert, and the boys of Clive House preparatory school, Prestatyn. (Choir practice used to take place on Friday afternoons.) The text of The Useful Plough is anonymous, and Britten set it to music on May 14th, 1934, which was (appropriately) a Monday. He was 20 years old.

No courtier may

Compare with them who clothe in grey,

And follow the useful plough.

Mellow Candle - Silversong

I was never expecting that note at 0:46.

New Viva show (#132) in the archive. Thanks to all who offered suggestions for the 2003 project. For some reason on the playlist I erred on the side of technicolour trip-hop. Hope you like it.

P.S. This is the 5th anniversary Viva show!

The Incredible String Band - Air

Gentlemen, I'm beginning to feel something!

Tim Maia: Where Is My Other Half

Anyone else dig Existential Soul?

Lemon Jelly - Nice Weather For Ducks

A troll trawl through the UK charts of 2003 turned up this one, which I like partly because it's the 2K3 equivalent of a bubblegum novelty single. My all-MMIII playlist, such as it is, is due to air on Friday. If anyone has eleventh-hour suggestions to add to the mix, fire away...

new Viva show (#131) in the archive

Nick Nicely - Psychotropia

Yes, it's a blatant hommage to Tomorrow Never Knows, but since the part at 1:23 popped into my head the other day (unbidden), I reckon it must be worth sharing. More Nicely available here.