Fri 20 Mar – Tunng with Tinariwen

Great concept this, an attempt to meld the very English folktronica of Tuung and the electrified rebel songs of Tinariwen. I, for one, was unsure what to expect. I love the work of both of these bands separately and have seen Tunng live before on which occasion they were excellent.

Tonight (and throughout this tour) Tinariwen were a three-piece of guitar, bass and percussion (there can be as many as 8 members in the full line up). As the band(s) took the stage there was a palpable air of expectation from a…

One of my very favourite songs is Jeffrey Lewis's The History of Punk on the Lower East Side. From the early folk compiler Harry Smith through to New York Dolls he brilliantly runs through the story of the development of the music that eventually led to punk with little renditions of some of the standout tracks.

Here I've set out Jeff's words and included a download of as many of the songs or songs by the artists mentioned as I can - including, of course, a download of A History of Punk on the Lower East Side itself.…

At long last I have managed to get these live tracks sorted out and on my blog here. The ever wonderful Efterklang, perhaps the best live band around at the moment, put on another joyous show at the Ruby Lounge back in April. There are ten tracks recorded live available for download here.
(If anyone can help me with the names of the first two it would be much appreciated. I know I should know but hey it's only taken me almost 10 months to get this far!!)

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Tomorrow, Saturday 25th October 2008, is the fourth anniversary of the death of John Peel. Much has been said about Peel's contribution to music in the UK and there is little I feel I need to add. On a personal note though John Peel is by far the single greatest influence on my musical journey. As music is central to my very existence that makes him very, very important indeed. His influence undoubtedly lives on but nothing has, or could come, close to replacing him. I for one miss him very much.

I have posted a small selection of…

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One of the earliest releases on Mortarhate (MORT 2) the label founded by Conflict, this is a terrific EP by Hagar the Womb fuelled by anger but never despair. Sometimes it feels almost like an historic document of a time when people still felt thay had the power to change society through positive action and constructive revolt… and through music. But the songs do still resonate today with powerful critiques on celebrity culture and the empty pursuit of fame, the dangers of religious fundamentalism, personal freedom and our unceasing willingness to subjugate ourselves to a flawed system.

As…

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Approximately Infinite Universe (named after the 1973 Yoko Ono album) is billed as A Caravan Of Raw Sound Magic From Finland & The US and reached Manchester on Thursday 25th. Part of an eight date tour the concept is one of collaboration. Centred around the acts on Sami Sänpäkkilä's Fonal Records label these collaborations worked to perfection. Introduced by the films of Sami Sänpäkkilä' set to the music of Kemialliset Ystävät in the lovely setting of the Contact Theatre the evening promised much from the very start. Nor were we disappointed.

First up the combined enormity of Islaya,…

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It was a fantastic surprise to get an email from Geoff Watts once of The Different Eyes and Hibi Yaki who had come across my entry about the Tuzmadoner DIY post punk compilation 'Folk Music'. He very kindly provided additional info about the various bands on the LP and the scene happening in North London in the late 70's and early 80's. I think the most appropriate thing for me to do is to post Geoff's email in full (with a few comments and links added by me). Cheers Geoff:

'Simon Gilham and Royston were at school together in…

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The Tuzmadoner label put out just two releases (as far as I can tell) 1978’s Shish EP by Different I's and 1980’s Folk Music compilation. The latter a truly fascinating document of the post punk DIY ethic featuring two tracks each by Different I's, Infra-Red Ice Cubes, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Mark O'Brien.
I can find virtually no information about any of these except Different I’s and I must thank Hyped2Death.com's Messthetics pages for what I do know:
- Simon Gilham, Des McManus and Geoff Watts got together in late 1977 along with 'non musical'…

Some of the more interesting musical discoveries I have made over the past few weeks with downloads available at
www.tearsandmemory.co.uk/blog

Gabo Brown & Orchestre Poly-Rythmo- It's a Vanity
This is a track from an unlikely album of 70s fusion from Benin and Togo. African Scream Contest: Raw & Psychedelic Afro Sounds From Benin & Togo 70s was released in March on AnalogAfrica and on the strength of this track is well worth checking out.

Autistic Daughters - Hotel Exeter Dining Room
Taken from the second album Uneasy Flowers on the ever dependable Kranky label. Autistic Daughters are a New…

Mon 21 Apr – Boris + Growing @ Ruby Lounge Manchester
Growing are a band I had previously heard just a few tracks by and they had really passed me by. But even though I only caught the last ten minutes or so of their Monday night set I was immediately caught up in their psychedelic pulsing throb.

Growing's sound is expansive and filmic, at once chaotic and disciplined and a very satisfying live experience.

There's a taster of their work as a downloadable track here: www.tearsandmemory.co.uk/blog

Find out more @ http://www.growingsound.com/

From the very first chord of Boris's…