Isabelle Aubret - Isabelle Aubret [Chansons D'auteurs]

Isabelle Aubret - Isabelle Aubret

This compilation dates back to about 1998 or so and compiles material from this French chanteuse/torch singer issued between 1961 and 1964. Serge Gainsbourg penned songs for her during this period, director Jacques Demy wanted her to play Genevieve in The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (up until she got into a car wreck in 1963 and spent almost two years recuperating, hence how Catherine Deneuve landed the lead role) and Jacques Brel gave her the lifetime rights to his composition "La Fanette"—included on this release. She made several appearances in the Eurovision contest, winning in 1962 with "La premier amour" (also included here) and appearing as a runner-up in 1961 and in 1970. Later on, she would be ignored in her home country for her radical left politics in the wake of the Movement of May 1968, but would return to fame in the 1980s. She still records music today.

The Gadgets - The Blue Album

The Gadgets - The Blue Album

The Gadgets are a wonderful band shrouded in a degree of mystery and are normally mentioned in conjunction with Matt Johnston of The The fame, but also included John Hyde and Colin Lloyd Tucker. A completely studio based band, despite being in existence in various forms from 1980 to 1989, they never played live. This is their third album and possibly their finest hour, everything is much more structured but no less imaginative for it. Features 'We Had No Way Of Knowing', which is nothing less than brilliant.

Orange Juice - Falling and Laughing

Orange Juice - Falling and Laughing

The first release by Orange Juice and indeed, the first release on Postcard records. The title track used to be a staple of any mixtape I used to make for myself (I didn't give up walkmen for a very, very long time and would probably still use one if I hadn't received a iPod one Xmas) when I would wander around Cambridge and try and make sense of numerous heartaches I'd inflicted on myself and indeed others. Wonderful, wonderful song.

B-sides are the instrumental Moscow and the almost instrumental Moscow Olympics. As a bonus, I've added the Flexidisc of Felicity (which was included with most copies of this single) which is a rather ropey live version but still rather charming.

Merry Christmas everyone, thanks for your comments and support over the year. Have a good one.

xxx

This Kind of Punishment - In the Same Room + 5 by Four

This Kind of Punishment - In the Same Room + 5 by Four

This third and final LP from the brotherly New Zealand duo of Peter and Graeme Jefferies (both formerly part of Nocturnal Projections) before they split and went solo mostly tends to eschew the piano-oriented strains of their earlier efforts, often harkening back to the more straightforward post-punk days of their old group—albeit with a slightly noisier and more lo-fi approach despite being recorded in a proper studio. They even work a few old NP songs like "Don't Go", "Words Fail Me", and—on the 5 by Four EP—"Out of My Hands". Fellow Kiwi luminaries like Shayne Carter (Straitjacket Fits, DoubleHappys) and Michael Morley (The Dead C.) assist them from time to time on 1987's In the Same Room; meanwhile on 1985's aforementioned 5 by Four, the group opts for a more experimental approach reminiscent of the more oddball numbers from Wire and Swell Maps, replete with a spoken-word track, an acoustic number and some minor freak-outs.

Cabaret Voltaire - Janice Long Session - 1986

Cabaret Voltaire - Janice Long Session - 1986

Enough Christmas gubbins I think, I've had Product Patrol stuck in my head the last couple of days so I thought I'd share this tonight instead. A session from August 1986 that has (I think) the only recorded version of 'You Like To Torment Me' which is a great lost Cabs song that deserves to be heard more.

Hey! Hey!, We've Got Heart and a cracking version of Sex Money Freaks make up the rest of the session. The band were perhaps past their high point but were really fucking going for it here. Well worth a listen.

Christmas - Songs to Save Your Sanity

Christmas - Songs to Save Your Sanity

It's Christmas. You know it's Christmas because you hear the same sodding songs every sodding year and you want to tear your sodding ears off and shove them up your sodding arse because you are sick to sodding death of Kirsty McColl calling Shane McGowan a faggot. So behold, here is a little compilation of Christmas songs that haven't been played to death.

Tracks are...

Associates - The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot
Blacksmoke - I'm Dreaming of a Black Christmas
Cocteau Twins - Frosty The Snowman
Demin - I Will Cry At Christmas
Half Man Half Biscuit - It's Clichéd to Be Cynical at Christmas
Kid Creole & The Coconuts - Christmas on Riverside Drive
Louis Philippe - The 13th Day Of Christmas
Melt Banana - ''White Christmas''
Mr Martini - Christmas In Capri
Paul Haig - Christiania
St Etienne - I Don't Intend To Spend Christmas Without You
X-Ray Pop - Fuzzy Christmas

I'm rather looking forward to Christmas this year, but that's more to do with the fact if I don't get a holiday soon I'm going to throw the entire contents of my office out the window into the Thames.

Cristina - Things Fall Apart

Cristina - Things Fall Apart

This is easily my favourite Christmas single, relentlessly grim, Christmas on skid row as the Queen of Ze Records faces bleak horror. Featuring such gems as: "I caught a cab back to my flat. And wept a bit. And fed the cat". Genius. Probably one of Cristina's finest moments.

We really are in the middle of Xmas meltdown at the moment, I'm hearing Live Aid, I'm hearing Phil Spector (hey, I LIKED the Xmas album once, but by the 46th listen it drags a bit) and I even heard Alvin and the Chipmunks. End times. But hey, ya can't beat 'em, join 'em, and I'll have a Xmas compliation up in a couple of days.....oh ho yes....

Various - If You Can't Please Yourself, You Can't Please Your Soul

Various - If You Can't Please Yourself, You Can't Please Your Soul

The second Some Bizarre compilation, released in 1985. A fantastic collection with nary a duff track to be found. Things kick off with Jim Foetus' jolly The Only Good Christian is a Dead Christian, we've got Cabaret Voltaire with Product Patrol, Coil with the Wheel, Marc Almond, The The (a rare b-side), Yello sounding strangely demonic and tons more. Far more varied than the first Some Bizarre compilation, this is essential and more importantly, *interesting* listening. Enjoy!

The Sound - Heyday

The Sound - Heyday

I haven't posted anything by the Sound yet I think, which is a woeful state of affairs. This is an early single and finds the Sound spitting out three minutes of fucking awesome. Adrian Borland always had this nervous energy about him and he just lets rip here. B-side (Brute Force) is somewhat more subdued but no less powerful for it. Classic single by a classic band. I don't think I've seen the words "underrated" and "criminally ignored" used as much with a band as they have with The Sound but it's with good reason. Why they weren't *huge* I'll never know....

Art - The Only Band In The World

Art - The Only Band In The World

Sometimes music journos doing records can work, and here's a fine example. A brilliantly vicious record, the A-side (Ugly People with Fancy Hairdos) mercilessly eviscerates hipsters everywhere. It worked then, and it only takes a glance in the direction of Hoxton to show it works now. It's like You'll Dance To Anything ramped up to the Nth degree. Laugh, feel depressed it's subjects are alive and well and then weep bitter, bitter tears. Sob.

I might be missing the last track on this, I can't remember if there's two b-sides or not. Bah.