What Walter Wants...

In Wednesday's post on the music of Guatemala I observed that some of the countries on our ongoing tour of the Americas may no longer exist by the time we get to them if Mr Trump has his way.

In response to this Walter commented that "we should post music from Greenland while it still belongs to Denmark". He followed this up with a series of direct messages to me in which he stated that if I did not do so voluntarily all options are on the table including military intervention to take direct control of the blog. 

Some might say that having Walter in charge of the content here might be an improvement and I would not necessarily disagree. But I value my independence and world peace so here is some music from Greenland. It may be the start of a slippery slope but that is a risk I'm willing to take.

In chronological order: the grand old man of Greenland music Rasmus Lyberth with a track from his 2019 album "Inuunerup Oqarfigaanga"; some hip-hop from 1996 courtesy of Nuuk Posse and their classic album "Kaataq"; Nive & The Deer Children and their 2016 album "Feet First" on which Howe Gelb and John Parish have production credits; and bringing us bang up to date Varna GL whose latest album "Sila" was released just three weeks ago.

"Uanga Hai Hai" - Rasmus Lyberth

"Inupiluaqqat" - Nuuk Posse

"Tulugaq" - Nive & The Deer Children

"Sarsuanera" - Varna GL

For the avoidance of doubt I should make it clear that all that stuff about Walter's expansionist tendencies was obviously nonsense. In real life he's one of the nicest men you could hope to meet and not in the least bit orange.

On an unrelated matter I got my first gig of the year under my belt on Wednesday - four acts on the bill at the Shacklewell Arms raising funds for WarChild. Its not a night that will live long in the memory but they were all perfectly pleasant. 

For me the pick of the bunch was probably Alice Costelloe whose debut album "Move On With The Year" comes out on 6 February. Here she is with her brand new video. Mister F preferred Suki Emmanuelle so I've added the only video of hers I could find in the interests of balance.  

Ernie's El Dorado Pt 12 - Guatemala

After a short break we are back behind the wheel and making our way around continental America. I thought about bringing the Venezuelan leg forward in case it doesn't exist by the time we get to the letter V but in the end decided to stick with alphabetical order.

So this time out we are in Guatemala, which like many other countries in the region has suffered from US foreign policy and corporate greed. American interference throughout most of the 20th century contributed to a regular series of civil wars. Fortunately things have been relatively stable since a peace deal in 1996, with just old-fashioned corruption to worry about these days.

Guatemala is one of a number of countries for which I have struggled to find music online. While the Wikipedia entry for the music of Guatemala lists many names, a lot of them do not seem to be available though the usual channels. So I make no claims that what follows is representative, its just stuff I found and liked.

We will start with a couple of traditional(ish) acts. Jursino Cayetano is a Garifuna musician, a people of mixed African and Amerindian ancestry who have a minority presence in several countries in Central America. This track comes from the same compilation that we featured when we were back in Belize on the second leg of our journey.

The San Lucas Band were a shoo-in for the post when I read the blurb for their album "La Voz de las Cumbres": "The first reissue of cult 1974 recordings of a Mayan brass band playing funeral dirges and popular songs in its distinctive extended harmonic and rhythmic style". I have nothing to add.

Next we have a couple of bands featured on a series of six track EPs titled "Sonidos Perdidos de Guatemala 1969 - 1989". There are four volumes - the link is to the first one - and they are a sort of companion piece to the "Sonidos Perdidos de Centroamérica" compilation that we featured when we were in El Salvador (and will no doubt do so again). Like that album, they were released by Tujaal Sounds and are available on a name your own price basis.

Apple Pie were formed in 1967 by the classic line-up of Gentry Ordoñez, Rico Molina, Wicho Zelaya, and Tito Henkle. The track below was first released as a single in 1970. Of Mino I can find out nothing at all.

Probably the best known internationally of the artists being featured today is Gaby Moreno, who won a Grammy for the best Latin Pop album in 2024 and was named as one of the BBC's 100 Women of the Year the same year. This track from her 2012 album "Postales" is a cover of an old Cuban standard that has also been covered by the likes of Bing Crosby, Cliff Richard, Mari Wilson, Cake and Dennis Brown. I feel a Single Song Sunday coming on.

Sticking with the distaff side of the Guatemalan scene we next bring you Di WAV (Daniela Carpio to her Mum and Dad) and her distinctive brand of indie pop. The EP from which this track comes, "Masoquista", was the 18th most streamed Guatemalan record on Spotify in 2019, so you really have no excuse not to have heard of it before now.

Our penultimate act hail from the city of San Marcos in the west of the country. The Crystal Stones describe their music as a fusion of Rock-Pop, Noise Rock, Post Rock and Rock-Funk, or maybe just Rock for short. Today's track comes from their 2021 album "The Love Club".

We finish as always with the MAR slot, filled admirably on this occasion by La Dubvolution with a track from their 2011 album "3 Es Sonsuelto En Souldub". Its one of the better MAR entries of the series to date and is well worth a listen. 

"Fádiri" - Jursino Cayetano

"El Son De Los Altos" - The San Lucas Band

"Llamate Hombre" - Apple Pie

"Nuestros Cuerpos Vamos A Quemar Al Sol" - Mino

"Quizás, Quizás, Quizás" - Gaby Moreno

"Dominos" - Di WAV

"Metaphor" - The Crystal Stones

"Soledad Enferma" - La Dubvolution

Alela We Will Do Our Best

Last Friday's post included a video by Alela Diane on which quite of few of you commented favourably and expressed your intention to explore her back catalogue. I'm here to help with the exploration. We start with a track apiece from "To Be Still" (2009) and "Cusp" (2018) before going a bit off piste with the third selection. 

In 2013 the venerable Oi! merchants Hard Skin released an album called "On The Balls" and a companion  album "Why Do Birds Suddenly Appear" which had the same songs but with the lead vocals handled by assorted female guests. Some were not unexpected - Beki Bondage for example - others like Alela and Joanna Newsom definitely were. Anyway, its a jolly tune but perhaps not for those of you with delicate ears.

"The Alder Trees" - Alela Diane

"Ether & Wood" - Alela Diane

"Two Bob C**t" - Alela Diane & Hard Skin

New Beginnings

We're here to ease you very gently into 2026, although the Slow Motion Cowboys seem confused about the time of year. Possibly they move so slowly that it is still September in their world.

"New Beginning (Oh September)" - Slow Motion Cowboys

"New Beginnings (Russian River Rainbow)" - Larry Jon Wilson

They Also Served

My final post of the year and its my annual woefully inadequate tribute to just some of the far too many musicians we lost this year, particularly ones whose sad passing may not have attracted the attention that they deserved. 

We will start with Amadou Bagayoko of Amadou & Mariam and then keep going for far too long.

"La Réalité" - Amadou & Mariam

"Makereke" - Nicholas Zakaria & Khiama Boys

"Equatorial" - Lô Borges

"One Grain of Sand" - Wizz Jones

"Reynardine" - Archie Fisher

"Light Shine" - Jesse Colin Young

"Human" - Tommy Hunt

"A Game Called Life" - Bobby Whitlock

"Kıymayın Efendiler" - Edip Akabayram

"Gweld y Miwsig" - Geraint Jarman

"Natty Bongo" - Owen Gray

"Curley Locks" - Junior Byles 

I'll leave the final word to the late Tom Lehrer. Happy New Year!

Songs About Shepherds And Laundry

We're back! I hope you all enjoyed your Christmas break.

Like Little Baby Jesus and his parents I spent Christmas night in an inn. In my case it was a Days Inn at the back of a Welcome Break services on the side of a motorway.

Weary travellers were guided there by the lights of the Starbucks drive thru. But an even brighter light shone from the open air laundrette at the side of the car park, where shepherds washed their socks by night.

Here are some songs about shepherds and laundry.

"Shepherds Arise" - Oak

"3 Wise Shepherds" - Prince Jazzbo

"Launderette" - Vivien Goldman

"Laundromat Blues" - Albert King 

The Hits That Happened

It is that time of year when all music bloggers are contractually obliged to tell you about the music they have enjoyed listening to in the last 12 months. So let's get through it as quickly and painlessly as we can. 

But not before wishing a hearty and happy Christmas to all our readers who celebrate it. This will be the last post before the big day. Have fun and see you on the other side.

And now the interminable list.

Favourite albums of the year

Ten albums in alphabetical order by artist, with Bandcamp links where available. The usual caveat applies, i.e. at least half the list might be different if I did it again in a few days' time. 

"Tama" - Awa Guindo

"In Your Long Shadow" - Lillian King

"The Black Dog and the Wandering Boy" - James McMurtry

"Remembering Now" - Van Morrison

"Swimming" - Sam Moss

"Se Nam" - Nana Benz Du Togo

"Yenbett" - Noura Mint Seymali

 "From Newman Street" - Kassi Valazza

"England Screaming" - Wreckless Eric

"2" - Yalla Miku

Assorted sounds and visions

Some of my favourite tracks from 2025 that have not previously been featured here to show that the zeitgeist is infinite. A few are from the albums above, most are not.

"Doom Monger" - Gina Birch

"The Waulking Songs" - Eleanor Dunsdon & Gregor Black

"The Government Neglects Our Region" - Famo Mountain

"Canopy" - Flora Hibberd

"We Was Kings In The Jungle, Slaves In The Field" - Lonnie Holley

"Jesus & John Wayne" - Googly Eyes

"Pinocchio in Vegas" - James McMurtry

"Enough" - Sam Moss

"Benevolent Dictator" - Painting

"Reggae Poison" - Lee "Scratch" Perry, Peter Harris & Fritz Catlin 

"Fresh As A Sweet Sunday Morning" - Brigid Mae Power

"Hagala Geyeul" - Noura Mint Seymali

"Melodie Is A Wound" - Stereolab

"Once In A Lifetime" - W.I.T.C.H.

"Alemuye" - Yalla Miku