Elcka - Pleasure

Elcka - Pleasure

Elcka at first glance seem like another bloody Britpop haircut band, a slightly unluckier Menswear or something. In some respects they are, but they had a knack of knocking out a few unheard semi-classics in the short time they were around. Pleasure was supposed to be the comeback single in '99, but was never properly released. Thankfully plenty of promos did the rounds and we can glimpse of what might be been. Yob fop chant of EASY! EASY! EASY! should have thrown this into the upper regions of the charts and the lower regions of your pants. It's almost disco at times and is one of the great lost songs of the late 90's. Alas, the curse of the late 90's indie hand takes hold of one of the b-sides, as a very bad remix of the single threatens to give your ears a dose of audio VD.

Goodbye 2008, it's been a bloody fantastic year. In the new year I shall continue to promise things I never get around to actually putting up and try very hard not to just post obscure French synth pop all the time.

Have a good one!

xxx

Martin Dupont - Your Passion + Somewhat cacked handed Xmas present for all.

Martin Dupont - Your Passion

Cold wave, minimal wave (or even Dark Wave if you're feeling greek and goth), whatever you want to call it, what better way to celebrate the birth of the world's most famous fictional character than with a bunch of europeans being moody over some analogue synths. Lets go!

The first single from one of my very favorite French bands, Martin Dupont were one of the more interesting coldwave style outfits from that era. Hypnotic synths and sing-song vocals create a very eerie atmosphere and while it stands proud, later releases would far eclipse it. The b-side is probably even from earlier as it sounds quite different, driving bass line, synths take a back side and it tears along nicely. This single used to go for silly money on ebay but it's inclusion on a recent collection of the band's work has thankfully made it far easier to get a hold of. I remember finding this years ago on Soulseek and whooping with delight after a three day search, amazing just how far music sharing has come since then.


As a bonus, the below was meant to be today's offering but I lost the track listing and blurb I wrote for it. It's the only time you'll see the Vichy Goverment and Laibach on the same album anyways....

Covers - The fine art of sacrilege

EDIT (26/12/08): Found the blurb.....

1. Alan Vega - Everyone 1's A Winner - About fifty million times better than it has any right to be. I love this.

2. Black Box Recorder - Season In The Sun - Possibly even more depressing than the original.

3. The King of Luxembourg - Valleri - Reminds me of flouncing around Cambridge wearing scarves with undue jaunt.

4. Fatima Mansions - Shiny Happy People - Not so much a cover, more prolonged, brutal gang rape. 10/10.

5. Two Lone Swordsmen - Sex Beat - The original is one of those songs that should never be covered as it's perfect, and yet this really fucking works.

6. The Vietnam Veterans - The Days of Pearly Spencer - Breezy.

7. Cristina - Is That All There Is? - Peggy Lee covering, single deleting, legal nightmare goodness from Ze.

8. Paul Haig - Theme From the Persuaders - Very faithful, which is the correct course of action to take.

9. The Vichy Government - Heart Shaped Box - Portasound sacred cow slaughter. Very, very good it is too.

10. The Damned - Eloise - Not remotely uncommon but hugely made of big steaming piles of fresh awesome.

11. Laibach - Life Is Life - Well, where else are you going to find the Vichys and Laibach on the same album?

12. Edwyn Collins - Ding a Dong - From A Song For Eurotrash, which I really must put up one of these days.

13. Saint Etienne - I'm Too Sexy - I have this on 12" Single. Twelve inches of Richard Fairbrass' big shiny head on the cover. The sacrifices I make for you people, tsk, I dunno.

14. The Human League - Destination Venus (Live) - In tribute to Jo Callis, who was in league with the League at

Sonic Youth - The Fall Covers Peel Session

Sonic Youth - Fall Covers Peel Sessions

Look at that picture, that face just blends in with the bricks. Anyway, I never really had too much time for Sonic Youth, and the thought of Sonic Youth covering the Fall (who again, are alright but I always feel like I could be listening to something else) sounded like the biggest indie circle jerk that ever did rear it's head.....BUT...it's pretty good. So here it is, complete with a cracking cover of Psychomafia, which might have been the first Fall song I ever heard.

Bored of Peel Sessions now, so expect something completely different next time.

Ludus - Breaking The Rules

Ludus - Breaking The Rules

Just a single tonight (culled from the rather fine LTM reissue of the damage) as I'm feeling under the weather. Ludus was Linder Stirling and Ian Devine (well, it was when this single came out). This was by far the most accessible thing they ever did, the subject matter is still gender roles, sexual politics, blah blah blah and oh god sweet jesus christ can I just get through a day withouth feeling like I'm going to be violently sick if I so much as try and eat anything more exciting than a piece of toast. Honestly, I feel like I'm being stabbed in the gut with a red hot poker. Prolonged alcohol abuse kids, don't do it. Your stomach lining will go long before your looks will....

Anyway, Devine would go on to work with Alison Statton and Linder would go on to fashion large wads of cash by sticking photos of mouths onto other photos. They a had brief reunion a few years ago, supporting Morrissey and Nancy Sinatra at the Royal Festival Hall. Where once upon a time I saw Sparks. And Robyn Hitchcock. And if it seems like I'm rambling tonight it's because the rapid clatter of finger to key is distracting me from the ill. Ow ow ow ow fucking ow.

More Peel Sessions

The Associates - Second Peel Session

The Associates were possibly the best band ever before Alan Rankine left, and this Peel session shows them at the height of their powers. You've got an early version of Waiting For The Love Boat which Billy would eventually take on post Rankine on Perhaps and best of all you've got A Severe Bout of Career Insecurity which is glorious and mental.




Add N to X - Third Peel Session

Add N to X were a lifeline during all that new acoustic bollocks that marred the end of the 90's. They can best be described as a giant electronic cock with a thousand legs crawling across linoleum to creep up on a old dear in her 70's. Or something. Sleazy, pornographic electronics that enabled me to say "hey, I don't just like old music, now fuck off" before running back to my Duran Duran records. This session is from when they were arguably most famous, I have chosen it as I don't have any of the other sessions and I can't even remember how the hell I got hold of this. Has a fun cover of I Wanna Be Your Dog and lots of Peel waffling before tracks.

Echo And The Bunnymen - Fourth Session

The last two sessions have been popular so here's another. Sounds like two early versions of songs from Porcupine (which *might* be my favorite by them) and a new song. Which might be an early version of something as well, I just haven't listening to Porcupine for years, which is silly really and something I may rectify while I pour myself a bath.

Oh, and I'm sick of McCulloch's face so here's drummer boy Pete, sadly departed from this world.



I've reuploaded Music of Quality and Distinction Volume 1 by the way, must have uploaded it without being logged in, hence the download limit.

El Christmas - World In Winter

El Christmas - World In Winter

I was going to post more Peel Sessions, and I've even uploaded them so I'll get to them sooner rather than later (Associates, Add N to X amongst others) but witnessing the dazzling spectacle of the Vessel covering I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day last night (there does seem to be rather a lot of Devant related happenings going on in the peripheries of my life at the moment) I do believe it's time for something a bit more festive. Hey, it's Christmas, the time of what you know and love being steamrolled out of the way for cack-handed feel good tripe with tinsel on top. Get over it.

What's the best Christmas album? Phil Spector's? Probably. But I've heard it too many times, so I present to you this offering from El Records. Well I say it's El, but it's one of the countless Cherry Red reissues and most of it isn't even vintage El, you've got stuff from other Alway related projects/labels as well. Despite this, it's not a bad collection of oddities, and Write Your Letter is rather sweet, in fact both the Louis Philippe tracks are probably the highlights.

I'm actually fairly pro Christmas this year, last year's was bearable as I hid myself away from everything and everyone but this year I even went out a bought a tree. It has presents under it and *everything* and I have the dubious boon of a nut roast to look forward to on the day itself (I'm not veggie, it's just the only person who can be arsed to cook beyond bunging something the oven is ).

Anyway, ho ho ho and all that. Move along now.

Kalevala - Pt 2

More Bad Wisdom

Right, here's the rest of the Kalevala stuff I've been promising to put up for yonks. It's not a huge amount, just mostly different versions of songs. Features a brilliant version of Sexy Roy Orbison by the Fuckers (and it was such a pity that their Diana tribute song, Another Dead Slag, never saw the light of day) that'll put hair on your chest and Gimpo talking about scoring crack from ropy looking prossies. Can't go wrong really, can you?

Got hold of a load of old Italo singles (Twelve inch version of Fly To Moscow by Modern Trouble = CHOON) so we might have a bit of that next. Also got the Klien & Mbo album which might well be good but I can't stop listening to the original version of Dirty Talk to tell.

Nick Nicely and David Devant.

Nick Nicely - Hilly Fields (1892)

Download it. Download it NOW. Have you done it? You can read my waffling as you wait for it to download. Off you go, shoo now.....
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Right, this is piece of dazzling otherworldly psychedelica that came from nowhere in 1981 and disappeared soon after. One of the finest singles ever recorded in my not at all humble opinion. One for watching a Saturday morning full of possibilities come up, or just one for coming up. Once upon a time many a myth was spun about this song, Kate Bush was supposed to be the female voice going "pimply little post boy", first ever scratching on a non hip-hop record....alas, with time came the internet. And as the internet knows all, such myths and magic were dispelled. And yet the song endures. I can't imagine how many times I've listened to it and it still sounds like I'm hearing it for the first time. Nothing less than a masterpiece.

Mr Nicely was actually almost on the first Some Bizarre sampler with his first single (DCT Dreams), but it was deemed to be too popular....Nick Nicely. Too popular. Another time, another world......

David Devant and his Spirit Wife - Cookie

The second (I think) single from Devant, and probably my favorite thing they did. My girlfriend supported them the other night at the 100 Club, I was, alas, at home because it was too cold and gigs and me don't get on. I have to stand up and moderate my drinking due to venue bars being stupidly expensive and only selling piss. Anyway, they went on past the wigs and back again (and past an ex-Monochrome Set guitarist and back again) and are still going strong to this day. I always forget Foz is in this band, I love the Lost Weekend. ....

I remembered to forget to remember but I forgot to remember to forget.

Well, thanks to the handy doohicky thingy that my hoster thingy has I can see it looks like we're pushing just under 300 downloads for this blog. I did think it was a bit much considering I thought it was only people I knew in real actual life that knew about this blog but hey, I forgot about Google. Hello there world. The Bad Wisdom stuff has been (and continues to be, I will put the rest up sooner or later) most popular, and not one single person downloaded the Younger Younger 28's, which pretty much just made me regain my faith in humanity.

Anyway, actually noticed a couple of comments the other day (from aaaages ago) so to address various points....

No, I don't do CD-R's of uploads. Don't have the time, sorry!

Requests? Yes, but bear in mind I've got a terrible memory and this blog is mainly something for me to do while I avoid doing something more useful. Like buying Monster Munch.

Sometimes I upload something for later posting and get distracted by something shiny so they lie there forgotten.....UNTIL NOW!

Dusty Springfield - Reputation

There's always time for a bit of Dusty, this is her 1990 comeback album featuring the rather swish Nothing Has Been Proved produced and co-written by the Pet Shop Boys, who produced half this album. Is it any good? Can't remember, although I'm sure I listened to it a few weeks ago, which probably isn't a good sign. But hey, Pet Shop Boys related joy and hey, its Dusty.





Repo Man - Soundtrack

Christ knows how I forgot to put this up, Iggy Pop, Black Flag, The Plugz...I love this film, I love these songs and I don't care what anyone says, Emilo Estevez is the fucking man. Maximum Overdrive FTW.


Could have sworn I had various Jarman soundtracks uploaded but they've flown the coop. Ah well.

Anyway, Monster Munch awaits. Tatty-bye.

Echo And The Bunnymen / The Teardrop Explodes Peel Sessions

Echo And The Bunnymen - Fifth Peel Session

I uploaded this yesterday so I might as well post it, more Ocean Rain era tracks. Killing Moon, Silver and Seven Seas. I think Ocean Rain is one of the first albums I ever bought and my little brother has still got my old battered vinyl copy I found in a charity shop when I was 13 or 14 or something.

As a bonus, if you cast your eyes to the left you get to see Ian McCulloch look like a teenage member of 80's era Neighbours. You can just see him getting a jolly good telling off from Helen can't you?


The Teardrop Explodes - Second Peel Session

Too much McCulloch. There must be balance. There must be Cope. The second Peel session from the Teardrops, cracking version of When I Dream on here. There is an amazing BBC Sessions album out that goes beyond Peel Sessions and has covers of Pete Wylie's Better Scream and a great version of Reward. I love Julian Cope, I saw him last year at ATP and it was the gig of the weekend. He even makes You Disappear From View sound good now....no, really...he's got a mellotron and *everything*.