Groovin' in Galicia

We had a request last week for some Spanish soul. I am happy to oblige. Here are a few choice cuts from the excellent compilation "Sensacional Soul Vol. 2", which is appropriately subtitled "32 Groovy Spanish Soul & Funk Stompers 1965-72".

We kick things off with Barcelona's own Los Gatos Negros reworking a John Fred & The Playboys number. Next up is Ritmo Pilé, about whom even the compilérs of the CD seem to know nothing at all. Then we ride off into the sunset with Henry C Martin (known to his Mum and Dad as Enrique Carlos Martinez Ibanez), the latter day Sancho Panza.

 "Hey Hey Bunny" - Los Gatos Negros

"Pilé Beat" - Ritmo Pilé

"Donkey" - Henry C Martin

It is but one short step from Spanish soul to Spanish Stroll.

First As Tragedy, Then As Farce

Admittedly the bar has been set pretty low, but I don't think anything has amused me as much this year as the Four Seasons Total Landscaping fiasco. The sight of a deranged Rudy Giuliani holding a press conference in a parking lot between a crematorium and an adult book store called Fantasy Island has perked me up considerably. Here is a small tribute to all involved.

"Philadelphia Lawyer" - Bonnie Owens

"Tell It To The Rain" - The Four Seasons

"Norman Bates" - Landscape

"Fanfare In The Garden (Centre)" - Essential Logic

Nothing For The Few

On Wednesday I headed down to my local second-hand record shop to feed my addiction before they and other so-called "non-essential" shops shut for a month. It was worth the trip. As well as snapping up a double CD compilation of Spanish soul from the 60s and 70s - coming this way soon no doubt - there were rich pickings in the "10 CDs for £5" box.

One of them was a Will Oldham collaboration of which I was previously unaware, perhaps unsurprisingly seeing as he seems to do about one a week. It is an EP called "All Most Heaven" released in 2000 and credited to Rian Murphy & Will Oldham. Rian Murphy is apparently a drummer and was a medium-sized cheese at Drag City records at the time. He must have had a bit of clout because he also managed to rope in the likes of Jim O'Rourke and Steve Albini as well.  

"Song Of Most" - Rian Murphy & Will Oldham

"Song Of All" - Rian Murphy & Will Oldham

The video has nothing to do with anything except it now appears next to these two in my iTunes. Here's some 1980s Serbian rock to see you into the weekend. 

Everything's Coming Up Roses

Here in  England we go back into lockdown tomorrow. Many of you are already there. At times like these we need someone to lift the spirits, someone who can sound chirpy when they are far from home or want to be left alone. I know just the woman - the great Calypso Rose.

Both today's tracks are from Rose's "Far From Home" album, which came out in 2016 when she was a mere stripling of  76. She's released a couple more records since and seems to be going from strength to strength. I was lucky enough to see her about 15 years ago on a double bill with the legendary Mighty Sparrow. She was, and still is, quite phenomenal.

"Far From Home" - Calypso Rose

"Leave Me Alone" - Calypso Rose (with Manu Chao)

Adventures In The Inbox

New month, new music. It is time for one of our occasional forays into the inbox to see what the nice people of the Internet have been sending me. This latest batch confirms that, while in most respects 2020 has been utterly crap, there is still a lot of good music being made.

First up for you is Sam Burton, whose debut album "I Can Go With You" came out last week on the reliably excellent Tompkins Square label. The blurb hails him as the New Tim (Hardin or Buckley, take your pick) which is fairly accurate, although he's a little bit twangier than either of them. Maybe Roy Orbison's (probably non-existent) folk-rock period would be a closer comparison.

"Stagnant Pool" - Sam Burton

From stagnation, to going to seed (who says I don't know how to keep a theme going?). "Love Gone To Seed" is the lead single from J.E. Sunde's "9 Songs About Love". The album itself isn't out until 20 November but you can preorder it now on Bandcamp. It is good stuff with a slight hint of Hiss Golden Messenger at times.

"Love Gone To Seed" - J.E. Sunde

Rounding things off, here is top pop tune from Kalbells, also available on Bandcamp. Apparently the song "celebrates the Earth and how she catches us in our most challenging moments... and tells us what she needs, often through the channels of our own insight and ingenuity". To be honest I'm not sure that comes through in the video, but there is a pirate in a canoe.

Boppin' In Bosaso

As we all know, there are times when nothing suits the mood except vintage Somali disco music. If this is one of those times for you, you're in luck. Here are a couple of hip-wiggling hits from the magnificently titled "Mogadisco: Dancing Mogadishu (1972-91)". 

"Mogadisco" was released last year on the always excellent Analog Africa label. Among many other triumphs, Analog Africa were responsible for drawing the world's attention to the band with the greatest name ever in the history of great band names. Click on the link and see if you can work out who I mean. Then buy their album. And "Mogadisco".

"Geesiyada Halgamayow" - Bakaka Band 

"Check Up Your Head" -   Mukhtar Ramadan Iidi

And then, when you've finished checking up your head, don't forget to check up on your baby.

The guitarist in that clip is one Jesse Ed Davis, whose version of Van Morrison's "Crazy Love" was featured in our recent "Single Song Sunday". By happy coincidence, Van is equally diligent when it comes to checking on things.

Two Sides Of The Story

I don't know about you, but I can't help thinking there may be some history between Denise and Geater.

"Why Does Is Feel So Right" - Denise LaSalle

"Why Does It Hurt So Bad" - Geater Davis