Following on from the Dog I too think that the best thing about this website is the music. So no need for words (I am no good anyway) and no need for a list of tracks as I have no idea who most of them are, let’s just enjoy the music.

The Man and his music mix (201 mb) will be available to download for the next month (until midnight on 25th October 2011).

Cover art by Thomas Hawk.

A Special “Get Well Soon” Mix for one of my bestest virtual friends, Mr Cheezy – hope you’re on the mend my friend.

01. I Should Have Known – Foo Fighters
02. Fool For Your Loving – Whitesnake
03. Maintenance Hall, 4Am – Stars
04. Blues Boy – Brian Robertson
05. Papercut – Apollo Drive
06. I Am The Morning – Oceansize
07. Saor / Free / News From Nowhere – Afro Celt Sound System
08. Jesus is Just Alright – Alexis Korner
09. Let It Grow – Nektar
10. Positivenoise (Feat. A Guy Called Gerald) – System 7
11. Can’t Find My Way Home – Blind Faith
12. Zigota – Blackfield
13. As Times We Do Forget – Steve Winwood
14. Midnight Rider – Gregg Allman
15. Juicy Lucy – Joseph Dean-Osgood
16. My Angel Rocks Back And Forth – Four Tet

The I Should Have Known My Angel Rocks Back and Forth (106 mb) will be available here to download for the next fortnight (until midnight on 23 April 2011).

Cover image by cindy47452

OK – simple dimple, 12 songs that are really great but didn’t make September’s Music Mix.

Think how good that mix is going to be!!!

Track listing

[01] Ray LaMontagne – Repo Man [God Willin' & The Creek Don't Rise]

[02] John Mellencamp – Coming Down The Road [No Better Than This]

[03] The Average White Band – Pick up the Pieces [Average White Band]

[04] Montrose – Paper Money [The Very Best of Montrose]

[05] Heads Hands & Feet – Song for Suzie [Strangely Strange But Oddly Normal - An Island Records Anthology 1967/1972]

[06] Whiskeytown – Everything I Do [Friday Night Lights Original Television Soundtrack]

[07] Eugene Harrington – Summa [The Life of Eugene Harrington]

[08] The Coral – Butterfly House [Butterfly House]

[09] The R.G. Morrison – Songbird [Farewell, My Lovely]

[10] Sheryl Crow – Stop [100 Miles From Memphis]

[11] Four Tet – Love Cry [There Is Love In You]

[12] Ray Charles, B.B. King – Sinner’s Prayer [Genius Loves Company]

The Ripe But Not Ripe Enough Music Mix [an 86 mb zip file] will be available for one month from today – until midnight on 25 September 2010. As always, your thoughts and comments are welcome in the comment box below.

Cover image by Troy Stoi

January 2010 Music Mix Notes
Please remember to respect copyright law; if you like a song from the mix, there’s a very good chance you will also like the album – so do me and the artist a favour and buy the CD.

Thought I would try something a little new for this month – with two 3-in-a-rows to be found in the mix. I’m not getting all Lord of the Rings on you – simply added 3 songs from my album of the year and 3 songs all connected to one artist – in this case Dave Rawlings.

As always, I hope you receive the deepest joy and pleasure from the magical moments contained within – I know I did putting the mix together – either way, let me know. Oh, and if you like a song buy the album.

Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood – Them Changes
A great way to start the New Year, a new mix with an old Hendrix/Band of Gypsy’s song that’s over 40 years old. But time doesn’t stop this being a classic and Clapton and Winwood make it sound so fresh and alive – the rest of the album is just as good, overflowing with Blind Faith/Clapton/Winwood songs.

Rush – Earthshine
One of my favourite songs from their more recent albums – just love Lifeson’s guitar as the song simply powers along. Great version on their live Rio CD and DVD.
 
 
 
Deep Purple – Never Before
For all his faults, Ritchie Blackmore knew how to play a guitar and as this track highlights could play it funky as well. From their 1972 Machine Head album this song reminds me so much of my youth and the days and nights listening to songs from Purple/Zep et al. – deep joy.
 

Heartless Bastards – The Mountain
I do like a song that plods along – and this song is such a great plodder. The band are new to me with this song from their third album also called ‘The Mountain’. The rest of the album is just as good – blues/rock led by Erika Wennerstrom, who does the plodding on the guitar.
 

AC/DC – Love Song
I know what you’re thinking – I thought the same, “This isn’t AC/DC”. Well it is and it’s actually a great song – very different but very good. Originally only released on the Australian version of ‘High Voltage’, ‘Love Song’ evolved from an unrecorded song called ‘Fell In Love’, also written by Malcolm Young and Dave Evans. This earlier version of the song had different lyrics; the finished lyrics as heard on the album were added by the late Bon Scott.

Neil Young – The Loner
On November 9-10, 1968, Young performed two shows at Canterbury House in Ann Arbor, Michigan. This song comes from these performances and shows Young at his acoustic best. It took me a while to enjoy the whole Neil Young thing but like a good whine its gets better as it matures.

Staff Benda Bilili – Sala Keba, Moto Moindo and Je t’aime
The first of my three-in-a-rows involves my album of the year – Très Très Fort by Staff Benda Bilili. I bought this CD while on holiday in the UK after reading a couple of reviews. Two things caught my attention in these reviews, first the fact that they were compared to the Buena Vista Social Club and secondly they sounded so different to anything else I has heard of before, almost like a bad Hollywood B movie. I simply had to buy.

As you can read in my Album of the Year post, the music is simply stunning, with these 3 songs only partially demonstrating the sheer joy and almost childlike genius contained in the album. It’s also interesting how well Sala Keba follows Neil Young – like it was meant to be.

Lee Fields & The Expressions – Ladies
….and this follows on nicely from Je t’aime and has such a good groove:
 
 

“You’re sugar. You’re spice and everything nice.
A man is incomplete without a lady in his life.
You can take a bad day and make it turn out right.
You can take a blind soul and make him see the light.
You can take a broken heart and make it new again.
Or you can break his heart and make him less than a man.
You can make a man feel like a king.”

Fabbo lyrics from a man who is a bona-fide, 100%, unadulterated, pure, gut-bucket soul singer – nothing more nothing less. And he does make some sweet Soul music.

Four Tet – And Then Patterns
From the album Everything Ecstatic comes a little bit of electronica for the month and what a good song to pick. Four Tet’s previous album (Rounds) is, I think, better, but this song stands out for me as just perfect, chill out music with a lovely melody and back beat – mmm nice.
 

El Perro Del Mar – Change of Heart
El Perro Del Mar has been nominated in 6 categories at the Swedish Grammy Award 2010 – Best album, Best composer, Best pop, Best producer, Best writer and MTV’s Best video. It’s a lovely dreamy, mellow song that just floats around your head after a few listens. El Perro Del Mar literally means The Dog from the Sea in Spanish and is a musical project that was founded in December 2003 in Gothenburg, Sweden by Sarah Assbring and follows on perfectly from Four Tet.

Gillian Welch – Revelator
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dave Rawlings Machine – Method Acting / Cortez The Killer
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bright Eyes – Four Winds
 
 
 
 
 
 
Are all part of my second ‘three-in-a-row’ with the link being Dave Rawlings. I first heard of Rawlings on Gillian Welch’s album Time (The Revelator) and was intrigued by the sound of his guitar. To achieve this sound he flat picks a small archtop guitar, a 1935 Epiphone Olympic. This guitar makes such a distinctive sound and has been his primary instrument since hitting the big time with Welch. The one he uses for recording and shows has a carved arched solid spruce wood top, a carved arched solid mahogany back and mahogany sides – must weigh a ton on stage!
Great lyrics on Revelator:

Darling remember from when you come to me
that I’m the pretender,
I’m not what I’m supposed to be
but who could know, lf I’m a traitor?
Times the revelator, revelator.

They caught the katy, and left me a mule to ride.
The fortune lady came along she walked beside,
but every word seemed to date her.
Times the revelator, the revelator.

Up in the morning up and on the ride.
I drive in to corning and all the spindles whine
and every day is getting straighter.
Times the revelator the revelator

Leaving the valley and fucking out of sight
I’ll go back to cali where I can sleep out every night
and watch the waves and move the fader.
Queen of fakes and Imitators
Times the revelator.

The final track (Four Winds) is such a good track bouncing along like a Space Hopper on heat. Ranked #5 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007, it’s my favorite track on a very good album.

Teitur – Catherine the Waitress
Teitur (pronounced Tie-tor) is a singer-songwriter from the Faroe Islands. He has toured extensively throughout Europe and the United States since releasing his major label debut, Poetry & Aeroplanes. I first heard of Teitur on Corrine Bailey Rae’s first album when he co-wrote ‘Choux Pastry Heart’ – a lovely sparse ballad. This made me buy Poetry & Aeroplanes which is good but one of those albums which I sadly don’t play very often (I have this week though). His latest album The Singer has been described as “a delicate chrysalis that conceals darker matter” and “like aural marmite” which just about sums it up.

Catherine the waitress if you only knew where my mind is
“Is there anything you’d like?”
If I could only tell you!
You haven’t even noticed me, but, oh you are so good to me!

Catherine the waitress I don’t intend to seduce you.
I’m not a resident, I’m not a regular.
But if I lived here this would be my favourite bar!
Cross my heart and hope to die,
I’m not drunk, I’m not high!

The accident happened one year ago, according to the lines in my hand.
A requiem is playing behind my eyes,
but you don’t see it, Catherine, do you?

Catherine the waitress if you only knew where my mind is
“Is there anything you’d like?”
If I could only tell you.
You haven’t even noticed me, but, oh you are so good to me!”

Foo Fighters – Wheels
Sometimes you have to remind yourself that the Foo Fighters are one of the biggest rock bands on the planet. This is because — despite the fact that they’ve sold millions of albums, won Grammys, toured the world several times etc. — they are basically four normal guys. Half of them look like art teachers. The other half are drummers. None of them are really rock stars. This is probably why I like them so much.

This new song from their greatest hits collection is a grand example of a rock song even though it had received some bad press – I don’t really know why but it reminds me of a Neil Young song, not sure which one maybe it’s the style of song.

Eric Clapton – Sweet Home Chicago
One of only two music DVDs I own, the other being ‘Rush in Rio’, so a small but perfectly formed collection. Played the Clapton DVD the other day and had forgotten how good it is, with this song my favourite. I did buy an old Robert Johnson collection but it failed to get me moving like this remake – which I know is a shame.

Space Ritual – Otherworld
I think their mission statement from their website says it all really:

“After light years of travel through hyper-space, learning and experiencing the ancient rituals, the cosmic wheel, the hurricanes and solar winds from a far off nebulae, the great shifting of astronomical tides – the vermillion deserts and jeweled forests of other planes and planets, through electric madness and asteroid storms, black holes, exploding galaxies, supernovae, red dwarfs, influence of anti-matter, fantemattir, through solar flares, past the rabbit in the moon, back again on course now through the galaxies of love and light to beam down to your beloved Terra Earth Base 1.

Returning for a rare manifestation on the material plane at a stabilized energy vibration-point near you – after their long search for intelligent life throughout the cosmos (despite some problems with some Earth cultures) but performing the ritual of uniting the tribes – all beings at different levels of spiritual development communicate the groove, joining in the true spirit, aspiring to the flame. The bright white light, the one love, loving awareness, getting higher together, have fun, greet and meet, move seat and feet to the beat, with Space?Ritual on tour.”

I will add that it’s a great song from a bunch of old Hawkwind geezers

Keith Jarrett – God Bless the Child
Now this really is a gift to you and something that should chill you out after the mayhem of unwrapping presents and fighting for the stuffing.

Keith Jarrett with Gary Peacock on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums just oozes class and sophistication. This track is from their first Standards album (both are excellent) and it’s the album I always listen to when I need to relax, especially on a day like today as it puts all the madness of this world into perspective and leaves me feeling like my world ain’t a bad place to be.

Once again we’re at the end of my Music Mix – I hope you enjoy.

All the best, Laughing Dog

Don’t forget – if you like a song on the Mix, let me know, I’d love your feedback.

The Music Mix 06 [a 178mb zip file] will be available for one month from today – until midnight on 31 January 2010.

Please support the artists – if you like a track, buy the album!

Music for the Month ~ Music Mix 06 ~ January 2010

Cover image by TouTouke

November Music Mix Notes

Death Cab for Cutie – I Will Possess Your Heart
I just can’t resist a thumping good bass line – and this has a thumping good bass line in spades. Plus I love the way the song keeps its sparkle throughout its 8 minutes and 26 seconds – not a dull moment to be had and a great way to start the mix. The album “Narrow Stairs” is worth a look at too, in my opinion it’s their best yet – though my pups disagree.

Everclear – So Much For The Afterglow
Their 2000 album “Songs from an American Movie, Vol. 1: Learning How to… ” is a better album and introduced me to the band but this song just powers along at the speed of diarrhea with a riff to die for. I can’t dance but I can certainly move my butt to this.

Lucinda Williams – Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
This song reminds me so much of a holiday in France in 2001 when me and Mrs. Dog would sing along to this as we drove south – much to the dismay of my pups. But what a great song – you know I love Luci (Blue was included on Augusts mix) and I do love a song that rhymes ‘Eggs ‘n’ Bacon’ with ‘House in Macon’ – just superb.

Athlete – Love Come Rescue
Great album (see review), great band and this is a rather surprising song from them – a slow acoustic song – simple but good.
 
 
 
 
Gomez – Natural Reaction
Such a good band and make it as my ‘Artist of the Month” with 2 songs in my mix. This song has a great chorus – I’d forgotten how much I like a good chorus:
“I get so nervous
Waitin’ for a natural reaction and
I can’t stop thinkin’
You’ve exposed (?)
Leave me a nervous wreck
… a nervous wreck”
And the bridge near the end which almost turns into a Russian folk song? Good stuff.

Grand Drive – Love and the Truth
From their fourth album “The Lights in This Town Are Too Many to Count”, this song takes an age to develop but when it does it really does it in style with the bass and drums simply doing what bass and drums do best kicking it into life making this the Wilson brothers (Danny and Julian) best song.

Gruff Rhys – Candylion
From Gruff’s 2007 solo album, this song just begged me to be included into my mix – and who can resist a song with lyrics like “A penguin and carnation/A lemon and Dalmatian” – he is such a good songwriter.
 
 
 
Gomez – Make No Sound
Second track on the mix from Gomez and the title track from their Mercury winning debut album – great song, great album, great band – what else do you need to know?
 
 
 
 Irma Thomas – In the Middle of it All
Track number 9 and time to slow it down a little and who better to do that than the wonderful Irma Thomas. I’ve always loved a good voice, especially a female soul voice, and they don’t come much better than Irma’s. It has so much character and style that she could sing the yellow pages and have me in tears. This song is from ‘After the Rain’ which has come to mean so much to the people of her home town of New Orleans after hurricane Katrina hit them and as with all good soul and R&B, it takes a heartache to make the song good – this song is special.
 
Anita O’Day – Sweet Georgia Brown
Even I find this a strange choice to be included in my music mix – but you know that I do like different types of music and this is such a classic version of a classic song – perfect for singing in the shower. Here’s an extract from the bio on her website:
 

“Anita O’Day, was the last surviving member of the great jazz singers (whose ranks also include Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Sarah Vaughan). Born in Chicago, O’Day gained national attention as the girl singer with drummer Gene Krupa’s orchestra on the hit record “Let Me Off Uptown”. After two tenures with Krupa and one, in-between, with Stan Kenton and his Orchestra, O’Day became a solo star and, along with Fitzgerald and Vaughan, a founding fore-mother of modern jazz vocals.”

I especially love the intro with just drum and voice then the band kicks in and all hell breaks loose “Sweet Georgia Brown”.

Craig Armstrong – ‘Wake Up In New York’ feat. Evan Dando
Atmospheric chill out music at its best – the album ‘As If To Nothing’ has a gorgeous quality to it with collaborations with Bono and The Edge, Mogwai, and David McAlmont but it’s this track that stands out for me and always makes me stop and listen.
 
 
Iggy Pop – Lust for Life
Couldn’t resist Amazon’s description of this song – “The relentless, driving drums and thunderous bass of the opening title track are the magic components that make it the best song Iggy Pop ever recorded without the Stooges” – says it all really. Another one for the shower!
 
 
Guru – Loungin’
Another bass line from Heaven but this time it’s a wee bit jazzy and soulful. I bought both the album that this song is from (Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1) and Vol. 2 when I didn’t really know what I was buying – I just loved the music. My Dad is a big jazz fan, and even he loves this song with the trumpet and reference to the old jazz greats – “loungin’ loungin’ – mellow out we’re loungin.”
 
Four Tet – She Moves Me
From the 2003 album ‘Rounds’ this is a fine example of electronic music (sic I hate that term) that treats the listener on to a wonderful acoustic guitar melody that makes the drum loop and synth come to life.
 
 
 
Dire Straits – Down to the Waterline
The guitar is a wonderful instrument and the sound of Mark Knopfler’s guitar on their 1978 debut demonstrates how it really should sound. Pure genius, pure British rock/blues at its best – this is their best album (though Communiqué is close) – forget their later albums, this cannot be beaten and is a true reflection of Knopfler’s talent – a great song.

So… we’re on track 16 – how’s it been so far? Me, I’m having a ball, next song please!
 
 
Feeder – Just the Way I’m Feeling
There are better songs on the album “Summer’s Gone” and the title track “Comfort in Sound” to name but two but it’s this song, I feel truly highlights how they were feeling at this time with the sad death of drummer Jon Lee, in January 2002 – the chorus says it all…

and i feel it’s going down
10 feet below the ground
i’m waiting for your healing hands
1 touch can bring me round
i feel we’re going down
10 feet below the ground
it’s just the way i’m feeling
yeh yeh it’s just the way im feeling

 
Dada – All I Am
When I lived in the UK, I would spend many enjoyable hours searching the CD dump-bins of my local Woolworths and W. H. Smiths looking for albums for 2 quid (sometimes less) that I would like. I often bought just because I recognized the producer or simply liked the artwork on the cover. Very often these purchases ended up in the bin – sometimes they ended up at the front of CD collection. This is one example – I can’t even remember where or when I bought it – and I’m not going to spoil your fun by doing a google search for information on the band ‘cos I know nothing about them either – just love the song.
 
The Golden Animals – Steady Roller
From their 2008 debut album “Free Your Mind and Win a Pony” that apparently they recorded somewhere in the Californian desert in temperatures in excess of 120 degrees! The album is OK, not great – this song is by far the highlight although ‘Queen Mary’ and ‘I Want You To Come’ are pleasant enough.
 
 
Cary Brothers – Ride
Love the muted guitar on this song and the dreamy vocals – plus it blends so well with the previous song by the Golden Animals. This is from the only EP of theirs I own, ‘Waiting for Your Letter’. Think I’m going to have buy some more of their stuff.
 
 
 
Eddi Reader – Jamie Come Try Me
Fabulous voice, fabulous song – the album gets a bit repetitive at the end but this song is a worthy addition to my mix and brings a lovely Celtic feel to proceedings.
 
 
 
Genesis – Undertow
From their ninth studio album ‘And Then There Were Three’ released in 1978 this must be one of my favourite Genesis tracks. I haven‘t got the original album on vinyl anymore (this is from their Platinum Collection) but I can remember being overawed by the sheer quality of the whole album. Great song to end my Music Mix for November – hope you enjoy.

Don’t forget – if you like a song on the Mix, let me know, I’d love your feedback.

The Music Mix 04 [a 122 mb zip file] will be available for one month from today – until 30 November 2009.

Please support the artists – if you like a track, buy the album!

Music for the Month ~ Music Mix 04 ~ November 2009