Newness Abounds

It is time for one of our occasional round-ups of new releases, and we are bringing them to you through the exciting new medium of video. As always, many thanks to the lovely people in Promoland for alerting me to these albums.

We have four acts for you today, only one of whom I was previously familiar with although all of them have released other records before these ones. More fool me for not cottoning on to the others sooner.

The one I know is Jack M. Senff whose 2019 album "Good To Know You" was a big hit in the Goggins household. His new album "Low Spirit" came out at the beginning of June and if anything is even better. There is a bit of a Josh Rouse vibe to Jack's music which can't be a bad thing. 

Both albums can be found on Jack's Bandcamp page, along with some other goodies. This mp3 is from "Good To Know You", the video is from "Low Spirit".

"Watershed" - Jack M. Senff

Next up is Lindsay Clark, someone who has been making folk-influenced records for well over a decade. Her new album "Carpe Noctem" comes out on 24 June and very good it is too. You can pre-order it from her Bandcamp page where you can also find four earlier albums which I will certainly be checking out.

Moving on. Ben Talmi's "Berkshires" album came out in May and is a song set inspired by his experiences growing up in Berkshire County. I assume that is the one in Massachusetts not the one in England as the tales are too entertaining to have happened in Slough. 

You can find "Berkshires" on Spotify and other streaming services and you can download it from the tax dodgers and possibly others. It is not on Ben's Bandcamp page but lots of other things are so listen to them before heading off to find "Berkshires". 

Rounding things off we have "Don't Wait For A Sign" by Jeanines which came out all the way back in April. Once again you can find this album and older material on their Bandcamp page. 

The person who wrote the blurb that came with the album claimed to hear traces of Fairport and Vashti Bunyan which I don't get at all. Its good old-fashioned homemade pop of the sort made by The Chefs and Dolly Mixture - and all the better for it. 

 

Cooking Up A Storm

On Wednesday night we went to see the mighty Elizabeth Cook play a solo set at The Lexington in Pentonville Road. She was utterly fantastic, so much so that I very nearly proposed to her on the spot (and would have done if I hadn't been forcibly restrained by Mr F). 

Ms Cook has a great voice, great songs, great stories and bucketloads of charisma. As Mr F says, if there was any justice in the world she would be playing much more prestigious venues than upstairs rooms in pubs. But the other night, for one night only, I was glad there is no justice in the world.

I have been a big fan of Ms Cook since her "Welder" album in 2010 but inexplicably she has never featured here before. We'll put that right now with one track from each of her last four albums: "Balls" (2007), "Welder", "Exodus of Venus" (2016) and "Aftermath" (2020). 

They are all great records, you should buy them all. And you should definitely go and see her if she is ever round your way.

"Sometimes It Takes Balls To Be A Woman" - Elizabeth Cook

"Mama's Funeral" - Elizabeth Cook

"Methadone Blues" - Elizabeth Cook

"Mary, The Submissing Years" - Elizabeth Cook

The support act was Wade Sapp, who was pretty cool too. His debut album enters the world in July and I'll be checking it out. Until then, here's his first single.

Mr Brown Gets Down

Too much tedious real life work on at the moment, so it is just a quick one today. Here is some top reggae from Mr Barry Brown, followed by other colourful Barrys and a colourful Baron.

"Far East" - Barry Brown

"It Rough My Brother" - Barry Brown

Progrolog

Today's post is especially for the prog fans among our readers (or George as he is better known). It also gives me an opportunity to show off about my celebrity connections.

Twin brothers Colin and Stewart Goldring formed Gnidrolog in 1969 (the name is an anagram of Goldring with an extra O), with Stewart on guitar and Colin on vocals and sax. They made a couple of albums then broke up in the early/mid 1970s. 

Fast forward to 1981 - enabling us to speed past the twins' time as Pork Dukes about which the least said the better - and Colin G enrolled as a mature student at the University of Essex.  I arrived at the same time and got to know Colin reasonably well. He had his funny little ways but was nice enough.  

Here are a couple of tracks from Gnidrolog's second album "Lady Lake" (1972), both written and sung by Colin.

"Ship" - Gnidrolog

"I Could Never Be A Soldier" - Gnidrolog

Other notable members of the 1981 Essex University intake included a woman who presented the occasional item on The Clothes Show in the early 1990s and an eccentric who became an respected Arctic explorer. Other notable members of Gnidrolog included Nigel Pegrum, the future drummer with Steeleye Span.

Sparrow Sings

Yesterday Sir Khayem of Dubhed treated us to a selection of Champion Doug Veitch tunes. One of them was a cover version of Mighty Sparrow's "Margarita", which prompted me to dig out the original.

Sparrow's version first appeared on his 1983 album "The Greatest". On the same album Sparrow, singing as The Queen, explains what actually happened when Michael Fagan evaded Buckingham Palace security and visited her bedroom the previous year. This being Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee weekend I felt it was appropriate to share it with you all.

"Margarita" - Mighty Sparrow

"Phillip My Dear" - Mighty Sparrow

Kuunatic Have Taken Over The Asylum

Earlier this week I went on a whim to see Kuunatic. I had never heard of them until the morning of the gig but was sufficiently intrigued by the blurb on the Cafe Oto website to tootle along. I'm very glad I did.

Kuunatic are an all-female Japanese trio, as you may be able to tell from the photo. I would struggle to describe their musical style. Maybe a Japanese Raincoats - but heavy oilskins not light macs - with a large slug of psychedelia.

Their debut album "Gate of Klüna" came out last year and is available on their Bandcamp page. The link below is to an earlier recording of the opening track. This version dates from 2019 and can be found on the "Pay What You Want Sampler #2" compilation issued by the Akuphone label (also on Bandcamp). The Ko Shin Moon track comes from the same compilation.

"Dewbow" - Kuunatic

"Le Pêcheur" - Ko Shin Moon

Tuareg Tipoff

I have mentioned a few times on here that every Bandcamp Friday the excellent Sahel Sounds label makes everything in its back catalogue available on a name your own price basis. Normally I mention it after the event so you may have forgotten by the time it next comes around, so this time I thought I would mention it in advance.

Everything is worth checking out but today I will direct you particularly to "Tumastin", the 2016 album by Amanar de Kidal, a desert blues band based in Kidal in Northern Mali. Their earlier album "Alghafiat" and the solo album by their main man Ahmed Al Kaedy are also worth nabbing while you are there.  

So that's this Friday sorted then.

"Dounia Tade" - Amanar de Kidal

"Agna" - Amanar de Kidal

Philosophical question: is a Tuareg Tipoff like a Teenage Warning?