The Wolfhounds

Yesterday I listened to all the Wolfhounds albums in quick succession; a pleasingly abrasive (if cumulatively rather dour) experience. You can buy the Lost But Happy compilation (or download the albums, if you don't mind intangibles) here.

The Wolfhounds - Stars in the Tarmac
The Wolfhounds - Me
The Wolfhounds - Rent Act

Claudine Longet

A few years back, I found all Claudine's albums on CD in the bargain basement of Berwick Street Record and Tape Exchange. At the time, I know nothing about her, but I was taken by the cover designs, particularly the Princess-Leia-gone-awry cover of Colours. A little online digging convinced me that I should buy them. Inevitably, they'd all gone by the time I returned.

I've been making up for that oversight ever since. Last week, I finally acquired the CD of her 1970 A&M swansong, Run Wild Run Free. Here's three songs from that, including a novel hoedown-tinged arrangement of 'Everybody's Talkin''; this being Claudine, it's a whispery, dreamy kind of hoedown, of course.

Claudine Longet - Everybody's Talkin'
Claudine Longet - Love Can Never Die
Claudine Longet - Golden Slumbers

Mighty Mighty week! part three

No longer at this year's Christmas Twee, apparently, but it sounds as if they might be playing out next year...

Mighty Mighty - Little Wonder
Mighty Mighty - Lionheart
Mighty Mighty - When You Trusted Me

Mighty Mighty week! part two

Bubblegum from here.

Mighty Mighty - Throwaway
Mighty Mighty - Love So Strong
Mighty Mighty - Is There Anyone Out There?

The Would-Be-Goods

I've been reading The Towers of Trebizond. It made me think of The Would-Be-Goods: a terribly English protagonist in exotic climes. Jessica Griffin has done a fair bit of globe-trotting, lyrically (and in actuality, for all I know). Here's a song about an aspiring traveller, a bonus track from the first CD issue of The Camera Loves Me. And the tale of a different kind of fish out of water, from their new album, Eventyr. You can (and should) buy it here.

The Would-Be-Goods - Bayswater Blues
The Would-Be-Goods - Melusine

Mighty Mighty week! part one

Collectively, the frizziest hair in indiepop. The intro to 'Yours Truly' prefigures 'Babies' by Pulp, perhaps.

Mighty Mighty - Yours Truly
Mighty Mighty - Man or Boy
Mighty Mighty - Let's Call it Love

JoJo

It's Time for Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers came out in 1986. It would probably be among my favourite three or four records by Jonathan if I were nerdy enough to have such a list, which I am, sort of. It has some of the rowdiest guitar on a JR record since the Modern Lovers' debut. It also has the lovely 'Neon Sign', one of his 3rd album Velvets moments.

Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers - Let's Take a Trip
Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers - Neon Sign
Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers - Double Chocolate Malted

Ugly Things

Three Australian garage greats from the sadly out of print Ugly Things CD.

The Black Diamonds - I Want, Need, Love You
Machine Gun Kelly's Rejects - I'm Going Back
The Elois - By My Side