It’s not the first time a young woman has covered Neil Young’s “Old Man” (hello, Wilson-Phillips??) but I’d definitely say it’s the most beautiful. Becky’s giving this track away on her Souncloud page now:
Her debut album is now completed, thanks in part to a record-breaking Pledge campaign (target reached in less than 24 hours), and she’s doing rather well in the MTV Brand New Unsigned competition, so if you like this, give her a vote here.
I love that Saint Saviour never listened to Kate Bush until people kept telling her she sounded like Kate Bush. So she listened to loads of Kate Bush, and then covered her.
Musically I’d say she has more in common with Goldfrapp or Zola Jesus, but what do I know?
This is from the wonderful Suukei EP, out on October 3rd from the usual outlets, or get a lovely handmade one from her directly at www.saintsaviour.co.uk.
Two Tears is guitarist Kerry Davis (late of 90s-LA punk band Red Aunt) and whichever drummer she happens to have on tour with her at the moment. I first encountered her supporting Dan Sartain at a couple of shows over Easter this year, and have been meaning to post about her for ages.
This track was one of the standouts of a stellar shouty set, and is the b-side of the “Eat People” 7″ EP, which was released in the US in March. As far as I know, it’s pretty much only available on these shores digitally, unless you happen to buy one from Kerry at one of her shows. Or check your local independent record shop – it may not be there much longer!
As I’ve mentioned before, I have a DJ residency at Shake, Rattle and Bowl, at the All Star Lanes in Holborn, with my DJing, band and general girly partner in crime, DD. I’m not one of those “I am DJ. No! I am GOD!” types, but there are few things more annoying than people who stand next to the booth, drunkenly shouting a list of requests while you’re trying to cue up the next record. We do play actual vinyl records (and CDs) as opposed to running off a laptop, much to the surprise of one girl who asked to “see the playlist”. She looked mightily baffled when I pointed to my record bag and (politely and cheerfully) said, “That’s my playlist”.
Very rarely occasionally they ask for something appropriate, but more often than not it’s a request for stuff like Dolly Parton, the Grease soundtrack (um, it’s a 50s / 60s night, which means music recorded in those decades, not 80s movies inspired by those decades) or for something genre-appropriate, but completely wrong for the time of night – for example, the ultra-slow “Leader of the Pack” by the Shangri-Las at peak dancefloor time.
There’s almost always that one person who comes up every four songs to ask if you’re going to play their request next and even a fairly easygoing lady like me can get a tiny bit irritated by it. Except on Saturday, that person was Scott Asheton, otherwise known as drummer of The Stooges (*squeeeeee!*). Scott wandered up to the booth a few times, and among the tracks he asked for was The Clapping Song by Shirley Ellis. We’d already played it that night, but he said “So what? Play it again, it’s a great tune.” Well, okay then:
Smoke Fairies’ fabulous show at ULU on Friday has had me in a creepy folky deviltunes kind of mindset of late, hence a bumper post about newish discoveries – some folky, some freaked-out, all fabulous. Acoustic guitars don’t always have to equate “nerds in ugly sweaters singing about their feelings”, which can only be a good thing.
King Dude
First up, Seattle’s King Dude, possibly worth it on the name alone, and definitely pays off in the weirdness:
King Dude reminds me of the brilliant but incredibly slack Mississippi Witch, who hail from Bristol, and have been “working on” their (his?) second album since about 2008. This one’s from the first album. I adore it, so if you’re reading this, Oli, please get it together and give us album #2:
More freaky than folky is U.S. Girls, which is one of those bands that likes to confuse things by being just one person, the one in question being Californian Meghan Remy. This little gem, which kicks off more than a bit like a psyched-out Loco-Motion* (Little Eva’s, not Kylie Minogue’s, if you please), is coming our way in June on limited split 10″ vinyl via Fat Cat sister label Palmist Records.
Just got hit in the eye with a snowball thrown by one of the little shits from over the road. Day at the eye hospital or just risk it?about 16 hours ago
