Saturday, April 16, 2011

Wild Weekend Vol. 56




















Another Wild Weekend has started on the good foot, as I just bought me a ticket to see Patti Smith play an acoustic gig in an Amsterdam church in June. I'm cool, so on to the music posthaste. Edition #56 brings you brand new sounds by the Futurebirds and Yuck, and oldies to treasure courtesy of Son House and Vera Hall. Have a wild one.

Let's warm up with a track from one of the finest roots reggae albums known to man: In The Light ('77) by Horace Andy. What a voice. Even the nightingales and the skylarks are green with envy. If you don't own it already, be sure to buy the reissue on the Blood & Fire label, as that one throws in the equally sharp dub version as cooked up by King Jammy. Pioneering field recorder John Lomax, who recorded her for the Library Of Congress, once said that Vera Hall (1902-1964) had the loveliest voice he ever put on tape. Got your attention now? Then check out this short and very sweet rendition of I Been Drinkin'. "Going down to 5th Street and 29 Main, looking for that woman that sells cocaine..."

Horace Andy - Problems MP3
Vera Hall - I Been Drinkin' MP3

"Summer sun says get out more, I need you..." Or is that "Someone says..."? Prefer the former, so it's probably the latter. Doesn't matter really, as somewhere between Pavement and Nirvana, London four piece Yuck rules supreme. Recently released on what I thought was a blues label only: Fat Possum records. Check it out, pop kids, while we play some heavy heavy blues next. "I got a letter this mornin', I say how do you reckon it read? You know it said hurry, hurry, how come the gal you love is dead..." That's the legendary Son House, taking no prisoners just after his early sixties rediscovery. "So I grabbed up my suitcase and took off down the road, when I got there she was layin' on a coolin' board..." Still chilling after all these years.

Yuck - Get Away MP3
Son House - Death Letter MP3

More fresh sounds? Ok, make way for the Futurebirds from Athens, Georgia, who've just released a new ep on the Autumntone label. Laidback Crazy Horse vibes never go out of style I guess, and that's cool with me. Their understated Dirty D is a typical example of a song that grows on you. And to top off another Wild Weekend, here's a country duo from hell: Jello Biafra and Mojo Nixon. They don't care if it rains or freezes, as their plastic Jesus is firmly glued upon the dashboard of their car. Here they come now. Toot toot!

Futurebirds - Dirty D MP3
Jello Biafra & Mojo Nixon - Plastic Jesus MP3

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