evening all,

as a break from the onerous task of deciding on a theme for September, I’ll do a breakdown of my last mix…no real unifying theme I’m afraid. You should have seen it round my house when I twigged that Rachel’s mix was chronological. It was like the scene in High Fidelity when John Cusack explains his new LP filing system to Todd Louiso, and Todd’s mouth just drops open as he breathes “no fuckin’ way!”. Anyway, on with the show

Chillout Tent – The Hold Steady – Sex, drugs and rock n roll , all in one song. Just say no, kids.

If Love Was Money – Dan Penn – Brilliant piece of blue eyed soul that I found on a compilation, paid a decent sum for the parent album on eBay and pretty much immediately realised this was far and away the best track  anyway

A Fine Romance – Ella Fitzgerald – ooh, look at me throwing in a bit of jazz early on to prove my credentials….could have picked almost any Ella, but I went for this one as at one stage it was going to bookend the mix with the Arctic Monkeys song of the same name. That idea got dropped, but the song stayed.

(This Is Not A) Love Song – Nouvelle Vague – 80s alternative classics done bossa nova style! Smart idea, but three albums in you can’t help but feel they’re milking it a bit. They do a great version of the Sisters’ “Marian” though

Sweet Avenue – Jets To Brazil – just for the line “this could someday be an anniversary”. Lovely song about the morning after that’s about hope and the future instead of shame and recrimination. I love this band a lot, and if the monthly theme is ever “depressed stroke victim checks into a motel to kill herself” they have a doozy of a song for it

Post To Wire – Richmond Fontaine – PTW is a term used in betting on horseraces. Willy Vlautin, the singer and lyricist, has also written a couple of highly recommended novels set in this milieu of gamblers, downmarket casinos and rundown motels. Plus it’s country music, which I am enjoying more and more as I slide downhill into forty. It’s like cancer – you get to a certain age and it’s just there, waiting.

Blackhawk – Emmylou Harris - see above

Love Knows No Borders – Howe Gelb – and again

No-one’s Gonna Love You – Band Of Horses – Scott likes this as well. Also see above re country / age. I would have hated this when I was nineteen. It was all Fields of the Nephilim round my way then.

Planetary Sit In – Julian Cope – he’s the ArchDrude, you can’t not love him.

Next Lifetime – Erykah Badu – yeah, I can do classy R&B as well. A regular hipster, I am

Lovesick – Gang Starr – and old school too! Never mind the quality, feel the width

Trippin’ On Your Love – The Staple Singers – despite not really being religious I always feel I should like gospel more than I do. I don’t know why, but The Staples are the exception. Wonderful uplifting stuff that I can really get into, despite not having the same invisible friend as them

The Look Of Love – Isaac Hayes – if you weren’t pregnant by the end of this I’m going to be disappointed. And I’m talking to the blokes here

White Love – One Dove – look, it’s got “love” in the title, which qualifies it, right? That, and it being a ten minute swoonathon that is just like great E back in the early 90s. So I’m told.

Keep Me In Your Heart – Warren Zevon – sad one, this. Written after a diagnosis of terminal cancer and featured on a posthumous album. Still, always end on a high note, that’s what I say.

cheers then, see you next month.

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