Red Tin

It's a Mystery ...

2010-09-05T16:51:00.009+01:00

This is a mix I did for a competition over at the DJHistory forum - it didn't get anywhere with all those house bunnies and disco divas but I was quite pleased with it so I thought I'd share it here. It's loosely based on the "Watch Out For That Bat!" mix that's also on here, so some of the tracks are the same - and some aren't ...

2010-08-20T22:14:00.000+01:00

Sun Sea and Sand

2010-07-27T09:51:00.022+01:00

Hot on the heels of "Brasso" here's another mix. It's longer than usual - I'd have problems squeezing it on to a C90.
It would be a jolly seasonal selection of tunes apart from the fact that the sea bit involves a ship wreck or two.
I'll maybe post a track list later.

The image is a "mashup" by Beau Bo D'Or - John Hassall's Jolly Fisherman, from the famous poster advertising the joys of Skegness, joining the dancers of Jack Vettriano's The Singing Butler. Click on it to download the mix as an .mp3.

Brassed up

2010-07-10T16:21:00.008+01:00

Does what is says on the tin. A selection of tunes with brass bits in.
No. There's no Peter Skellern. It veers a bit close to Radio 2 territory as it is.

(click on the pic to download .mp3)

Rocky returns

2010-06-17T20:03:00.003+01:00

There's a new Roky Erickson album out - 14 years after his last. He's backed by Okkervil River and it's produced by their main man Will Sheff. And it's great!
The production incorporates "found-sound and archival recordings culled from Erickson's home videos and recordings made in the Rusk State Hospital for the Criminally Insane", where Erickson spent several years in the early 70s. These hissy snatches of birdsong and bits of conversation add a real atmosphere to the album.

Here's the title track on Youtube -

... and here's another track from the album for you to listen to -

Roky Erickson & Okkervil River - Goodbye Sweet Dreams

Erickson has been plagued by mental illness for decades - his life was chronicled in the excellent 2005 documentary You're Gonna Miss Me.

Mix Tape

2010-05-16T19:34:00.001+01:00

Holy Fuck ...

2010-05-08T10:59:00.001+01:00

... have a new album out called "Latin". Sounding great on the first couple of listens - possibly slightly less "full on" than their last album - it's still got the great driving rhythms and it still has the excitement generated by the feeling that the whole thing may fall to bits at any minute. But it has kind of floaty bits too.

This is the official vid of the track Latin America -

If you pre order 'Latin' from my favourite record store Rough Trade you will also receive a bonus cd called 'Ghost' with four extra tracks.

Jónsi – go

2010-04-01T14:46:00.015+01:00

Jónsi of Sigur Rós has a solo album out next week. It's called "Go" and you can read about it and order "special" and "limited" editions of it here .
I reckon if you like Sigur Rós you'll enjoy this.

You can pre-order it on vinyl from Amazon

Here's a track from the album to download -

Boy Lilikoi.mp3

Or you can stream a preview of the whole album from NPR Music

Watch Out For That Bat!

2010-03-19T22:17:00.006Z

A shortish "mix tape" for you (it'd very nearly fill both sides of a C60).

Thanks to Cosmic Jane for help and inspiration with this one.

I'll bung up a track list later if anyone asks for one.

Watch out for that bat!

Pantha du Prince ...

2010-03-13T11:36:00.003Z

... has a lovely new single out featuring Noah Lennox (aka Panda Bear out of off of Animal Collective) ...

And there's a Four Tet remix available for free download

The single is available as a 12" from Rough Trade and has remixes by Efdemin and Lawrence as well as Four Tet - I've ordered my copy even though I still don't have anything to play vinyl on ....

Caribou

2010-03-13T11:00:00.005Z

Caribou were one of those bands I stumbled across at a festival (Primavera) and was completely blown away. I just couldn't stop grinning. I saw them again at Greenman and they were just as as impressive. I've played their Andorra album to death.
So now I'm ridiculously excited I've got tickets to see them at the Deaf Institute in Manchester on April 19th - the day before their new album, Swim, is released in the UK.
I've just download Odessa, the first single off the album from here and have played it 3 times back to back - let's hope the rest of the album is as good.

I'm the man, the very fat man ...

2010-02-05T22:29:00.002Z

... that waters the workers beer.
I heard this on Desert Island Disks today and was reminded how much I like it.
It's the original dance music!

The Man that Waters the Workers' Beer.mp3

Spanish Orange and Almond cake

2010-01-19T10:06:00.001Z

I first saw the recipe for this delicious Spanish cake in a Claudia Roden book. I was reminded of it when I saw a variation in one of the Sunday papers. This recipe is based on the latter version but adapted so a bit more work is done by the food processor and there's one less bowl to wash up.

Ingredients

3 medium oranges
6 eggs, separated
225g caster sugar
200g ground almonds
A handful of flaked almonds

METHOD: Place the clean, whole and unpeeled oranges in a large pan of boiling water making sure they are covered and bring back to the boil. Simmer for 1½ hours adding more water when necessary. Drain the oranges and leave to cool (I've hastened the process by putting them outside in this freezing weather we've been having recently). When they're cool cut into quarters and discard any big pips or big bits of pith. Put them in a food processor and whiz the lot, including the peel.. Add the egg yolks and sugar to the oranges and give them another blitz until they are well mixed. Then put in the almonds and give it another quick mix. Beat the egg whites to soft peaks in a large bowl and then fold in the orange and almond mixture.
Pour into a 23cm (9in) cake tin (I've been using one of those silicon ones I got cheap in TK Maxx), scatter the flaked almonds over the top and bake for an hour at 180C/Gas 4, until firm to the touch (cover with a loose sheet of foil if it looks like it's starting to go too brown). Cool in the tin and dust with icing sugar to serve. It's great served as a pudding while it's still warm with a blob of plain yoghurt or fromage fraise. Or as a cake, when it's cold,. with a cup of strong black coffee.

end of year stuff ...

2009-12-29T15:49:00.025Z

... well I'm not going to contribute to the ubiquitous end of year lists, partly because they are ubiquitous but mostly because I can't be arsed.
And I actually don't really believe that you care what I think.
I can't resist reading them though. Mainly so I can shout "you must be joking - there is NO WAY that is the best album this year!", or "why the fuck haven't they included ...".
It's also a way for me to catch up on stuff I've missed. Although at least half of it I realise that the reason I've missed it is that it's just not very good.

Talking of catching up on stuff, for some reason I missed Marianne Faithfull's Easy Come Easy Go album last year. The stand out track on that is a duet with Nick Cave of a Decemberist's song - you can't go wrong with a combination like that can you?
Here's a recording of her doing it live (sadly with out Cave buts it's a great performance) -

Some good tracks I've missed this year and discovered on end of year lists include Hard Times by Patrick Wolf -

Patrick Wolf - Hard Times

Animal by Miike Snow (there's a nice dubby remix by Mark Ronson too) -

Miike Snow - Animal (Mark Ronson remix)

... and Day Light by Matt & Kim -

Matt & Kim - Daylight.mp3

Along with loads of list compilers Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion is one of the year's high lights - the new EP "Fall Be Kind" sounds pretty good too -

01 What Would I Want Sky - BBC session.mp3

Same goes for Fuck Button's Tarot Sport -

I'm surprised Mumford and Sons aren't in more lists - I love their album -

I'm equally surprised that the Bat For Lashes album features high up in a load of run-downs. It just didn't do it for me - but I'm going to give it another go to see if they're right and I'm wrong.

Another oft' listed album that I was also disappointed in was Bill Callahan's "Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle" - and I love Bill like a brother - but the production on this album, the drum sound in particular, I find really distracting.

Cue more surprise that We Gave It All Away... And Now We Are Taking It Back by Mungolian Jetset didn't appear outside dance oriented lists - it deserves a wider listening -

All that and I haven't mentioned Grizzly Bear or Fever Ray yet ...

... and a tip for 2010 - banjos are the new ukuleles ...

Birdmen, Tomatoes, Drums, Brass and Serpents

2009-12-31T17:51:00.002Z

A new mix for your delight - more or less a distillation of what I played last time I DJ'd.
I'll bung up a playlist later if anyone wants it.

Birdmen, tomatoes, brass, drums and serpents.mp3

McDonald & Giles

2009-12-15T17:12:00.012Z

I noticed Robots In Heat had included "Flight of the Ibis" by McDonald & Giles in one of their podcasts.

It reminded me how much I used to listen to and love the McDonald & Giles album back in my teens. It's one of a few albums from that era that I still have in my possession so I dug it out. I know that there's a real danger digging out old stuff and that, once you've got over the nostalgia and remembered you were probably stoned last time you listened to it, it turns out to be a bit rubbish. Specially true of prog-rock. Surpisingly this has stood the test of time really well. The drumming is out standing throughout, there's little in the way of prog self indulgence. Pete Sinfield's lyrics do get slightly hippy at times although at their best they are reminiscent of Ray Davis or Pink Floyd era Syd Barret. It's quite funky in places and I reckon Tomorrow People would make a good edit - if only I could get my head round how to do that stuff.
The Birdman Suite (taking up all of side 2 on the vinyl) is the real stand out for me - the Birdman Flies builds beautifully and still has the wow effect I remember from my youth.

Am I just a sad old hippy or am I right that this is an over looked minor masterpiece?

You can judge for yourself from this Youtube upload

Or you can come and hear me DJ at Nelson's Wine Bar in Hebden Bridge on Christmas Eve where I plan to open my set with The Birdman Flies!

Record player ....

2009-12-11T10:18:00.016Z

An old Bush valve record player from the late 50s or early 60s.

A couple of additions if you look closely.

.. open it up ...

Fuck Buttons

2009-10-26T16:59:00.015Z

Tarot Sport

The new album from Fuck Buttons had me dancing round the office this morning like a demented uncle at a wedding disco.

Having seen Fuck Buttons a couple of times performing stuff from their Street Horrrsing album and been completely captured by their "machine noise with a human edge", I've been looking forward to hearing this new album. I wasn't disappointed.
The Andy Weatherall production doesn't seem to have changed their sound too much - and I much preferred the original of the Street Horrrsing single "Sweet love for planet earth" to his remix anyway.

There are real tunes here and there and, unless I'm mistaken, the track Olympians is a re-working/tribute the Vangelis music for Chariots of Fire! But don't let that put you off - Fuck Buttons always have a load more grit than Vangelis's plinky plonky synth anthems.

You can get a taste for the album from this 7" edit of Surf Solar.

Fuck Buttons - Surf Solar (7_ Edit).mp3

Go and buy the album

Bally Ear Ache

2009-10-12T22:33:00.010+01:00

Here's a "mix tape" I've done - 'cept it's obviously not a tape it's a mp3 ...

It was recorded "live" from Traktor (1st time I've done that) - the only audience I had was a fat black cat and he didn't seem too impressed ... see what you think.

Bally Ear Ache.mp3

here's a track listing -

1 Velvet Belly - This Mortal Coil
2 I Need A Life (Four Tet Remix) - Born Ruffians
3 Solsbury Hill - Kyte
4 Cello Song - The Books
5 Alone Again Or - Love
6 Brother Sport - Animal Collective
7 Take a Heart - The Sorrows
8 I Just Can't Take It Anymore - The Lemonheads
9 Roll Bus Roll - Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard
10 Spinning Away - Brian Eno & John Cale
11 This - Brian Eno
12 Vitamin C - Can
13 Bell Bottom Trousers - Jack Hylton & His Orchestra
14 Bad Bernie - Load
15 She Don't Use Jelly (Lounge-A-Palooza) - Ben Folds Five
16 Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing - Stevie Wonder
17 Moon Song (The Gospel According To Mung 2012 Live At The Hacienda Version) - They Came From The Stars (I Saw Them)

Roast Chicken Risotto

2009-10-11T15:19:00.002+01:00

This is based on a Nigel Slater recipe and is my favorite way of using up left over roast chicken. A perfect Autumn Monday supper.

Arborio or Carnaroli Rice (I prefer the latter)
3 shallots finely chopped
Chicken Stock made from the picked roast chicken carcass, an onion, a carrot, a stick of celery and a bay leaf boiled together for 30 minutes to an hour.
Bits of roast chicken
Butter
Parmesan
Salt & Pepper
Wine or Vermouth
Flat Leaf Parsley

Strain the stock and keep warm.

Sweat the shallots in some olive oil and when they start to turn transparent add a big knob of butter and continue frying for a few minutes.

Add the rice to the pan and fry, stirring continuously, for a minute or two until the grains start to look opaque round the edges.

Turn the heat up and add a glass of wine so it sizzles. Turn the heat back down, stir gently until wine is absorbed.

Add a ladle of stock and stir gently and continuously. As each ladle is absorbed, add another.

When the rice is looking nearly done, add the chicken to warm through.

When the rice is done (it takes between 30 and 45 minutes depending on the rice), turn off the heat, add a generous knob of butter, a big handful of parmesan, and a big handful of chopped parsley. Season.

Put a lid on it and leave for 5 minutes. Stir, check seasoning, serve with more parmesan on top.

Baked Cod with Harrissa on Potatoes and Tomatoes

2009-08-22T22:14:00.007+01:00

This recipe is my variation of one of Claudia Roden's in her book Arabesque. It's a great book I can highly recommend.

To serve 2
a big dollop of harrissa - Belazu rose harissa is my favorite
juice of half a lemon
2 thick pieces of cod fillet
about 300g of small potatoes such as charlottes, scrubbed and cut into 1cm slices
2 large tomatoes cut into quarters
half a red onion finely chopped
extra virgin olives oil

Mix the harissa, lemon juice and some olive oil in a bowl then add the cod pieces and make sure they are covered with the mixture. Leave in the fridge to marinade for a couple of hours turning for time to time.
Pre-heat the oven to about 200 C.
Put the potatoes on to boil.
Put a splash of olive oil in an oven proof dish and add the onions. Put the dish in the oven for five minutes or so. Remove from the oven and scatter the tomato quarters in the dish. When the potatoes are just starting to go soft drain them and leave to dry out for 5 minutes or so and then add them to the dish. Season and give the dish a good shake to mix in the onion, oil and tomatoes with the potato slices.
Put back in the oven. After about 30 minutes move the contents of the dish around a bit to ensure the potatoes get evenly browned and mix in the juices that will have come out of the tomatoes by now.
Cook for another 15 minutes and then put the marinated cod on top spreading any remaining marinade over the potato mixture.
Cook for about another 15 minutes until the cod is done.
Serve with a green salad.

Music and Food

2009-08-21T21:24:00.005+01:00

Mad as a box of frogs and always puts a smile on my face. The French Toast Man.

The Big Chill - how was it for you?

2009-08-11T13:44:00.004+01:00

Well, I had a great time. The weather helped - sunshine throughout. Not being able to take booze on sight coupled with an exorbitant 3.50 a pint for crap lager and bitter only available at one bar is still a massive downer for the Big Chill. It means you really have to smuggle booze in - which luckily isn't difficult if you use the right gate(s).
Musical highlights were Spiritualized, who I've seen half a dozen or so times now, but this was one of their best. Maybe the shorter set meant they compressed all the goodness into a zinging, full blast performance.
Noah and the Whale were a revelation - all trace of whimsy has been wiped away and they delivered a powerful set - the violin owing more to John Cale style viola than folksy fiddle and just when I thought they reminded me a bit of Neil Young the tune they were playing morphed into Rockin' in the Free World.
David Byrne delivered the goods even if the dancers reminded me a bit of Rolf Harris and the Young Generation at first.

Volcano Choir

2009-08-17T10:06:00.003+01:00

Volcano Choir is a collaboration between Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and a band called Collections of Colonies of Bees who I'd not heard of until now. They're all mates from Wisconsin apparently and the track they've pre-released as a download to trail the up coming album "Unmap" puts them in the Fleet Foxes/Grizzly Bear/Bon Iver compartment in my mind.
The song's called Island, IS and you can download it from the Jagjaguwar record label web site - although you may want to avoid reading the blurb on there - it's toe curlingly pretentious pseuds corner material.
Or listen to it here

I like it a lot and I'm looking forward to the album being released at the beginning of next month.

Magic Arm

2009-08-02T17:14:00.008+01:00

I'm enjoying the bleepy, lo-fi feel of Magic Arm's Bootsy Bootsy at the moment.

You can download a remix by Real Dolls for free here

or check out the original (which I prefer - it's more bleepy and lower-fi ...) on the the Magic Arm web site