Eddie Addenbury - Captain Jones

I can't fully follow the narrative on this nautical pop nugget (produced & arranged by Mike Batt), but this much is clear: the further down you go, the more phasing there is on the vocals. Another sunken treasure mined from this compilation.

The Slits: Love Und Romance

new Viva show (#105) in the archives

The Sir Douglas Band: Nitty Gritty

William Onyeabor - Love Is Blind

William sounding vaguely new wave to me on this one. I haven't heard anything about if/when any Onyeabor reissues will appear. Mr. Comb & Razor, any news?

The Cryan' Shames - The Sailing Ship

To me this sounds more like a '90s retro-psych outfit trying to write a psych tune than an actual '60s psych tune. (Indeed, the Brian Jonestown Massacre covered it.) Kudos to Jim Fairs for the Baby You're A Rich Man-style psychedelic bagpipes.

Official Cryan' Shames National Fan Club
P.O. Box 473
Oak Brook, Illinois

Lee Hazlewood: Dark In My Heart

"I asked a girl for lovin' and she walked in the phone booth,
That ain't cool - in the phone booth"

The Honeybus - For Where Have You Been

Draw an afghan blanket over your knees and curl up beside the fire with this Colin Hare-penned ditty, notable for its surprising (to me) chord changes, great lyrics, and velvety harmonies that might be influenced by the word "thyme" in "Scarborough Fair."

What's that? I hear my tea boiling on the kettle. Talk soon...

New Viva show (#104) in the archives. Designed for an imaginary pre-concert lot hang.

FROM THE ARK HIVES

Legend - Heather On The Hill

original air date: 3/10/09

This is a by-request archival repost, going out to Robert in Lawrence, Kansas. Is it me or does the tape warble a little at the beginning of this?

Courtesy of JB, who sent me a link to this Playmobil performance of Joy Division's "Transmission" as performed on BBC2's "Something Else".

When evil grooves happen to good people.

The Grease Band - New Morning

As I mentioned previously, there's a new mastermix in the works. It'll be a combination of highlights from the last six months and a fresh batch of "new" songs. But these things take time, and so to stem the creeping tide of moribundity I offer this amuse-bouche, featuring British journeyman legends Henry McCullough (Eire Apparent; Wings) on vocals and guitar and Alan Spenner (Wynder K. Frog; Roxy Music) on vocals and bass. Kind of like with this one, I'm not sure I ever really noticed the melody on this tune until I heard this version. A huge number of bonus points are bestowed for the Harrisonian arpeggios at 0:28.

Soon come, rastas. Soon come.

Is city life dragging you down? Get it together in the country tonight with a charming mix of sylvan obscurities, courtesy of Mr. Dave Lerner. The mix airs tonight at 6 PM on Viva Radio, and you can always hear it after the fact here.

The Rolling Stones: Neighbo[u]rs


I mean we all have them, right? me, you, Jimmy Stewart, Grace Kelly. Neighbors, that is.

New megamix in progress, new Viva show (#102) in the archive.

Todd Rundgren: Love of the Common Man

I've been burned in my prime

David Bowie: Rock'N'Roll Suicide

"Give me your hands, cause your WONDERFUL!"

Closing track on 'The Rise and Fall...' yet issued as a single in '74 with 'Quicksand' as the b-side.

Would have been fantastic to hear the album at Colleen Murphy's club.

Studio: West Side

If early New Order had Robert Smith guest on vocals.

James Burton: Fools Rush In

Don't they though?

greg condon

Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard: Who's that Knocking?

greg condon

John Lennon: Old Dirt Road

greg condon

The Grateful Dead: The Stranger

greg condon

Charles Mingus: Duke Ellington's Sound of Love

greg condon

Dennis Brown: Silhouettes

Modern Sound Corporation - Safari (pt. 2)

Produced by Barry Guard. Distributed K-Tel Sweden.

...and a very happy New Year to all the listeners, friends, and family out there! Let's toast to the surprises (musical and otherwise) that 2011 will bring...

Ann Steel - My Time

Too essential not to post. Music by Roberto Cacciapaglia, lyrics by Giada Di Villahermosa. Recorded in Milan.

Does the insistent pulse symbolize the mechanization of time in modern life?

Two tracks to help ring in your New Year.
Cheers!

David Ruffin: Anything That You Ask For

Ray Barretto: A Deeper Shade of Soul

Gimmicks - Bermuda Inn

They don't make 'em like this anymore; in fact, they never made them like this. Recorded in Stockholm and produced by Leif Carlqvist.

The Roches - Hammond Song

Big thanks to Greg for featuring this one on his female folk mix. Produced by Robert Fripp, with Frippertronics invading at the 2:11 mark.

You'd be OK if you'd just stay in school...

Juanita Rogers - A Love Letter Full Of Promises

Available on this. And I'm still looking for suggestions for an all-acapella playlist. It will be a hard row to hoe, but we're well on the way with some great suggestions here.

Johnny Paycheck: Friend, Lover, Wife

Inga Humpe - Do I Have To

Curved Air: Hide and Seek

This slice of life goes out to Mr. Beer N. Hockey. The title is definitely fitting to the music -- with all the corners and alleyways in this song you wonder if you are lost or actually going the right way, but no worries cause by the end you'll slam right smack into the person you were looking for. Album review here.

David Allan Coe: Funeral Parlor Blues

Cornershop Presents Bubbley Kaur - Topknot

I wanted to do a vinyl rip of this, but records ordered on November 22nd still haven't arrived from snowy England, so we're doing this amazon mp3-store-style. I rarely say no to a double-tracked vocal and the chorus on this prayerful jam is no exception.

Ultravox!: Sat'day Night in the City of the Dead

So, how many debut albums had Brian Eno & Steve Lillywhite as the production team?

Nick Holder - Summer Daze

Mystic Slot - No Way Back

File under: funking for fun. Zero complaints about whatever the effect is on that ride cymbal. Mystic slot taking you deep into the labyrinth on this one.

Crack The Sky - Rangers At Midnight

Leo Sayer: More Than I Can Say

Originally by The Crickets. I've always been partial to this version, which reminds me of childhood for some reason.

New Viva show (#100!) in the ark hive.

Family Fodder - Primeval Pony

Essential new material from a band once deemed the G.B.O.A.T. I'll leave this up for 24 hours, because I want people to hear it. The album is now available in stores.

The Beach Boys: Stoked

The Crickets: It's Too Late

Pastor T.L. Barrett And The Youth For Christ Choir - Like A Ship (Without A Sail)

Daddy likes the twin-tambourine attack (left and right channels).

Lead Vocal and Electric Piano, T.L. Barrett
Piano, Gary (Snake) Riley, 17 years old
Bass, Richard Evans
Drums, Charles Pittman
Rhythm Acc., Stanley Fox

Available on a great reissue from Light In The Attic.

Taxi - Campari Soda

Radiohead's got nothing on this baby!

Procol Harum - Grand Hotel

New York Dolls: Looking For A Kiss (Studio Demo)

Paul McCartney: Ram On
The Clean: In the Dreamlife U Need A Rubber Soul