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

Kris Kringle Song Sunday

I'm afraid its that time of the year again. Time to be subjected to our fourth annual seasonal Single Song Sunday.

This year I have chosen "Deck The Halls" for one reason and one reason only - the MRV from Jacob Miller and his pal Ray I. Mr Miller takes great delight is changing 'holly' to 'collie' (the weed not the dog) whenever the mood takes him. Clearly a man who was up for a bit of Pun Fun.

Before we get to the MRV we have Kate Rusby going full folkie followed by old timey, cajun, surf-rock, 60s cool jazz and 80s funk versions. And then there is something weird from Germany, just in case Walter feels a bit homesick while spending Christmas in Sri Lanka.

"Deck The Halls" - Kate Rusby

"Deck The Halls" - Blueside Balladeers

"Deck The Halls" - Jo-El Sonnier

"Deck The Halls" - Big Mick & The Curl

"Deck The Halls" - Bobby Timmons

"Deck The Halls" - Jay Diggs

"Deck The Halls" - Kostnice

"Deck The Halls (featuring Ray I)" - Jacob Miller

Giddy Prototype

We have had the awards ceremony for Pun Fun 2 and the latest leg of our tour of the Americas already this week, and there are a couple of chunky posts in the pipeline. So I'm keeping this brief and sweet, like a palate cleanser between courses.

While I was browsing on last Bandcamp Friday I stumbled across the work of Artem Bemba, a singer-songwriter from Ukraine. His has put out a lot of music but I was particularly taken by his 2019 album "Harvest" from which the track below (which roughly translates as "There Will Be A Garden In Us") is taken. This album and most others are available on a name your own price basis.

There are some obvious Neil Young influences (the clue is in the album title) but what it reminded me most of was my old favourites Nagisa Ni Te. According to my extensive records they have not appeared on these pages since 2021, which is far too long. I'm taking the opportunity to put that right with this track from their 2008 album "Yosuga".

"В нас буде сад" - Artem Bemba

"Seeing The Sea" - Nagisa Ni Te

P.S. Thank you to the random adjective/ noun generator for the title of the post. I was struggling on my own.