Under The Influence

It was a random encounter involving a Tescos, a forgotten wallet, and some great Bristol folk that brought this album into my life. Sometimes things all come up roses.

This is a marvellous nautical themed bit of work by Bristol's now disbanded Ivory Springer. I'm not sure how popular they were outside of Bristol but it's a travesty that they never made it, or maybe it's not. Maybe it's best that this little gem stays local and untainted.

The first track, Fifteen Minute Song, has the most wonderful swagger to it. Halfway through I just knew I was going to love the album. Syncopated drums and tight sporadic stabs of nose. Rock done right. Energy, attitude and intelligence. Wicked production too - these guys have definitely listened to Shellac in their time.

All you little Radio 1 wannabes help me out here - get yourself a copy of this album and start taking notes.

About ten years ago (I can hardly believe it's that far distant now) I fell in love with Ruby. There's something about Ruby's off-kilter timing that I really like. Salt Petter had lots of great party tracks on - no, not party - pre-party warm up tracks. She must have released another album after Salt Petter because Waterside is the only track I recognise out of this collection of reworkings.

Queen Of Denial (Chow Remix) is probably my pick of the bunch. It almost sounds like something Air would make - the way it just kind of drifts along with those lazy trumpets. Though there are a few stand out moments. Another listen required methinks.

All ukuleles, tubas and ridiculous covers, fun is definitely key with these guys. The whole album is like summer in a can.

I think half the tracks are original (certainly not songs I've heard before), which leaves a whole bunch of covers, yay! They've chosen to rework pop hits like Can't Get you Out of my Head and Crazy In Love in such a way that the songs themselves are very close to the originals. Luckily replacing the big synths with tubas gives them an entirely new flavour.

Picked up this one after hearing it featured on Woody Allen's Annie Hall. I found a couple of copies on EM. The Live Buddy Divito version is from a Harry James (radio DJ from back in the 1950s) live show. The recording is really old, and kind of broken - still got a great vibe though.

I have another one that's much more up to date (and over produced), with a big acapella chorus backing. It's nice enough I guess - just a bit cheesy. It's the antitheses of the Buddy version.

I'd like to track down another copy of this one day. Something a bit closer to the one in the movie. It's a lovely track.

Radio 3 naming you the years best world-music act (2006) is going to do wonders for your reputation. That probably goes a long way to explaining why the Barbican Centre was completely packed out for their performance last night. The enthusiasm shown by the crowd, however was completely driven by the band.

It was a hell of a performance and the crowd didn't hold back in displaying their appreciation. Most of the night the stage was dominated by 40 year old men with big brass horns - though flamenco dancers did slink past from time to time to provide the eye-candy.

The album is cool but it just doesn't match up to the live experience. Truthfully, there's no way it ever could - there are just a few times in my life where I've witnessed performances that even come close to matching this in energy. There's something incredible about hearing brass live. I love the way it sounds like it's tearing through the air - invokes the same satisfaction one derives from shredding paper. From what I saw last night everyone felt the same way about the gig I did.

I was lucky enough to get to enjoy the Sunday Afternoon At Dingwalls reunion last year. If I hadn't gone along to that gig I wouldn't have given this album a chance (due entirely to my own ignorance). Whenever I've seen Giles DJ in recent years I've always found it a bit... safe. Just a bunch tracks based around latin beats - see what I mean about ignorant?

The only reason I went along was that a mate of mine (Adrian) insisted that it would be great history lesson. How right he was.

The atmosphere was absolutely incredible. All the old regulars had dusted off their dancing shoes so they could slide around the dancefloor with their slick jazz moves. The music itself was fantastic. See, I had no idea that this event spawned the acid jazz movement - though it's all so obvious now. These were the people that resisted the draw of popular dance music, choosing instead to evolve jazz.

The album is a great little sampler of what the party was like. The songs are all fun and very danceable. If nothing else you get to enjoy a bit of that history lesson.

I write this sitting aboard the train that's taking me to see these two (along with Fanfare Ciocarlia) performing live for the first time. I generally have a policy of not listening to an artist before a gig but for some reason I'm breaking that rule now.

Silky smooth, it is. Velvety fiddle and accordion work. Apparently when playing live they use such trickery as funny hats with drumsticks attached to allow for more simultaneous instrument playing. The scales used in Klezmer are so refreshing after having listened to the same old scales used time and again in western music. This Albuquerque couple have still managed to invite a good dose of western influence into their sound and all the singing is in english making it accessible for layfolk like myself.

Just arrived back from the gig! Very nice indeed. It was Fanfare Ciocarlia that stole the show - though I'm still in love with A Hawk And A Hacksaw.

Everyone aspiring DJ should be forced to listen to The Nextmen. You get a hell of a history lesson free with every mix set. Not only that but you get great beats and some of the best party tunes around. They know how to scratching enhances the energy of the mix, instead of smothering it.

Personal Golf Instructions is broken into a series of lessons based around different aspects of golf; The Grip, The Stance, The Woods, The Irons, Chipping and Putting. The intro to each lesson is infused with cuts from a golf lesson vinyl they've dug up from somewhere.

Don't pass up an opportunity to see these two do their thing live. I've managed to see them 4-5 times now and I haven't been disappointed for a second.

OK, what the hell is this? I found it among an emusic folder I had lying around forgotten about. Haha, it sounds like one of those scenes from a romantic comedy. You know, the ones where the couple are wondering around town all sick with love. No sound other than the music - they keep pointing things out to each other.

The song itself is kind of familiar (possibly from romantic comedies). The only conclusion I can come to is that it's a famous song I was reading about and this was the copy I found on EM.

One of the albums I picked up in my hunt for random eastern block music a couple of months back. I think it's actually a guy who lives in Amsterdam now but the influence still shines through.

It's an interesting blend of sounds. Half of it is modern disco - lots and lots of those beow beow things they like to do so much. Fun, light housey beats (which makes sense given that House was basically squeezed out of disco in the first place). Flips it over and the other half is dub.

Many of the songs sway over towards the eastern side - hectic pumping accordion based numbers. Drunk n Space is a good example - though it drops away into a dub vibe halfway through which is pretty cool. The following song, Orbital Hora, is a dub track for that matter (though with more western eurpoean sounding accordion work).

Lots of different influences coming into play. I suspect the man may be well travelled.