The Wake "Clouds Disco" 7" (FBN 94)

Yesterday's Record Store Day at Monorail Music was a blast.  As ever, I bought a load of Record Story Day exclusives that I undoubtedly would have bought on any other day of the year: The Liminanas 7", the Hinds/The Parrots split 7", the third archival Half Japanese box, the new Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings 7", Night School's Rose McDowall reissue 12" etc..  I also bought the NF Porter reissue "Keep On Keeping On" / "I Can Only Be Sure" despite its 12.99 asking price because a) the SONGS and b) I'm no Daddy Warbucks so affording the originals is the stuff of delusional daydreams for me.  The record I had been looking forward to picking up most, however, was The Wake's subtly shimmying "Clouds Disco" 7".  It was a highlight of the cd version of last year's "Testament" compilation but belongs on 7" vinyl.  Caesar's vocals are so gentle and great and those keyboards sway as organically as seaside grass.  It's a sweet reminder that The Wake's melodies, heart and uncluttered arrangements are always welcome.

Record Store Day 2013 playlist

(thanks to Katrina for taking such a flattering picture!)

Record Store Day 2013 at Monorail Music was immense! I bought some great music (the megalithic Half Japanese box set, the killer new Vic Godard and The Subway Sect 7" etc.), chatted with so many lovely folks (the place was heaving) and got to play some records to the throng with the lovely Jenny Rollo (from the fab All The Rage night).  Unfortunately, the first hour and a half of our slot was blighted with technical issues. Jenny bore the brunt of it but she and Dougie (the sound man) did a great job working through the issues - thanks, guys! - and Jenny's iPad sure came to the rescue.  Of what I played, Girl One and The Grease Guns was certainly the hit; I wrote three notes for curious folks.

The Seeds Mr Farmer (GNP Crescendo)
The Bang(le)s Getting Out Of Hand (Downkiddie)
Dangerloves Young Pretender (Static Shock)
Shoes Tomorrow Night (BOMP!)
Thomas and Richard Frost Where Did Yesterday Go? (Liberty)
Baby Lemonade The Secret Goldfish (Narodnik)
Don and The Goodtimes I Could Be So Good To You (Epic)
Alpaca Sports I Was Running (Duffelcoat)
Ringo Deathstarr Rip (Club AC30)
Pat Lewis No One To Love (Beecool)
The Squires Going All The Way (Crypt)
The Springfields Tranquil (Summershine)
The Yellow Balloon The Yellow Balloon (Canterbury)
Flowers When You Lie (Cloudberry)
Girl One and The Grease Guns Driving Without Headlights (Once Again) (Squirrel)
Mikki Farrow Set My Heart At Ease (Kent - Pied Piper series)
The Stems Tears Me In Two (Citadel)
The #1s I Wish I Was Lonely (Art For Blind)
The Nightblooms Crystal Eyes (Fierce)
The Hush Puppies Hey, Stop Messing Around (Playboy - grey area reissue?)
Kids On A Crime Spree Creep The Creeps (Slumberland)
Delphine La Fermeture Eclair (Feral Child - grey area reissue?)
Motions It's The Same Old Song (Havoc)
East Village Cubans In The Bluefield (Sub Aqua)
Television Personalities I Was A Mod Before You Was A Mod (Overground)
Blank Realm Hey, Little Child (Negative Guest List)
Veronica Falls Teenage (Bella Union)
Sandi Sheldon You're Going To Make Me Love You (Starburst reissue)
The Volcanos Storm Warning (Arctic)
Burning Hearts Night Animal (Shelflife)
The Wake Talk About The Past (Factory)
The Go-Gos Our Lips Are Sealed (IRS)
The Supremes Where Did Our Love Go (Stateside)

Alpaca Sports' recent-ish Duffelcoat 7" seemed to fit the mood of the afternoon with its light, summery feel:

Thanks again to Dep, Stephen, Russell, Mark and Tara from Monorail Music for making Record Store Day such a great occasion and for asking me to be part of their big day.

Record Store Day at Monorail Music (20/04/2013)

Only a week to go! I'm really looking forward to it as I've bought some wondrous stuff from Monorail Music (The Wake lp box, Fame Records singles box, 7"s by The Scientists, The Electric Eels etc.) and seen some great music in Mono (Edwyn Collins, The Membranes and more) on previous Record Store Days. This year's Monorail Music programme is startlingly good: Vic Godard and The Sexual Objects playing a set of Velvet Underground covers (gasp!), World Peace (Sinead from Palms' other group who come highly recommended!) and unique sonic traveller Ela Orleans:

In between the groups, records will be spun by Deena E. Jacobs (The Sophisticated Boom Boom and soon to be seen DJing in The Pastels' "Check My Heart" video), David Barbarossa (Huntleys & Palmers, Wild Combination etc.) and The Brogues (Not Unloved).  I hope Deena busts out her Thai (?) "Venus" soundalike!  One 45 that is 100% certain to find its way from my record box onto a turntable is this brand new effervescent pop smash from Slumberland Records's Kids On A Crime Spree:

I'll be proudly wearing my Slumberland SLR badge and clapping along like a loon while it's spinning.  If you're there, please feel free to join me!

There's a facebook page for RSD 2013 @ Monorail Music here

Update!

Jenny Rollo from the All The Rage team will be joining me on the decks.  She has top taste so this is great news!  Unfortunately, she was added a little too late to have her name added to this smashing poster:

21st April : Record Store Day @ Mono/Monorail

(Thanks to James Cadden for the use of the picture!)

Not long now till Record Store Day 2012 and the fine, fine folks behind Monorail Music have assembled quite a list of entertainment.  From their recent mailout:

We will be opening at 9am prompt for brisk business but we'll be promoting a friendly, family vibe with home baking, children's activities, an art show, and live music from


Edwyn Collins (pop genius and Liberty approved illustrator/designer)
Linden (feat. Joe McAlinden formerly of Superstar and Groovy Little Numbers etc.)
Dead Flamingos (like Linden signed to Edwyn Collins' AED Records)
Organs Of Love (on Optimo's label)
Snowgoose (feat. Jim McCulloch formerly of The Soup Dragons, Dave McGowan from Teenage Fanclub etc. - their debut lp is launched on Record Store Day)
Human Don't Be Angry (former Arab Strap chap Malcolm Middleton's new guise)

Djs will be:

Keith McIvor (Twitch),
Stuart Braithwaite (Mogwai),
Gerard Love (Lightships / Teenage Fanclub)
Adele Bethel (Sons & Daughters)
The Brogues (Not Unloved)

Come on down, it's going to be amazing!

Monorail Music
12 Kings Court
King Street
Glasgow G1 5RB

www.monorailmusic.com

It's gonna be grand!  Thanks to everyone at Monorail for giving me the chance to drop some carefully selected vinyl on their turntables.  I feel like I've been capped at international level :)  If I'm on early doors when people will be excitedly chatting about their lovely purchases, this is almost certain to get a spin as its giddiness perfectly embodies the excitement of buying a new record:

(There's a Facebook event for the day here)

Hangover Lounge e.p. #2

London's most considerate (to sore heads!) and considered (check their list of previous guest DJs and bands for proof!) weekly club, The Hangover Lounge, has prepared a Record Store Day exclusive e.p. for your delectation. By all accounts, many stops were pulled out to ensure that it was ready on time so it seems only right that those efforts should be rewarded with a purchase, so that is what I'll be doing this coming Saturday.  Last year's e.p. - the club's first - contained some sublime sounds (including this wondrous cut from the prodigiously pretty Amor de Dias) that, in keeping with the musical policy of the club, didn't trouble any fragile, hung-over heads.  #2 looks set to continue this tradition if this typically gorgeous track from Paul Kelly and Debsey Wykes's much missed Birdie is a truly representative sample:

Birdie - Message to the Sun by wiaiwya

Really, there are few more life enhancing sounds than Debsey Wykes ba-ba-ing are there?  As if that weren't treats enough, it also includes Her Pop Highness Pam Berry coming on like a one woman Andrews Sisters on her first ever completely solo recording, "Wonder People (I Do Wonder)".  Oh, and I think you'll chuckle when you see the artwork!

For more information on the e.p., pop those peepers here.