Hope you all enjoyed this one. I did try to come up with my own theme, but when the best I could do was “songs with lots of swearing in” (I am thirty eight), I decided just to bung down a load of tracks I like instead.
Nile Delta Disco – Transglobal Underground Make the drums come in strong!
Halftime – Nas From “Illmatic”, the best hip hop album ever, simple as that.
Conrad – Jets To Brazil I love the storytelling in this song, and the way you’re left to work out the details. Compassion isn’t a word often used in rock, but this song is drenched in it.
A More Perfect Union – Titus Andronicus Just listening to this makes me feel incredibly patriotic, and I’m not even American. The first track from “The Monitor”, which is my album of the year, no question. An heroically sloppy and epically deranged record which maps growing up in New Jersey and falling out with girls onto an American Civil War metaphor.
Charlie – The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing Victorian music hall punk rock and an account of the evolution debate. What’s not to like?
Peg – Steely Dan Lordy, I must be getting old. I’m listening to Steely Dan. And worse than that, Steely Dan – The Jazz Years. As any fule kno, this was sampled by De La Soul, but it’s surprising just how much of the bright breezy charm of Eye Know is present here
Hoja En Blanco – Amparo Sanchez She’s done a lot of singing with Calexico, but as far as I know this is her debut solo record. In my top ten of the year, easily.
Japan – Plastician Smashing piece of dubstep inspired by my favourite country. OH GOD I WANT TO GO BACK.
Take The Long Way – Po’Girl A Be Good Tanyas offshoot, this is the sort of thing I think of when Americans talk about “downhome”
Boy, You Need The Road – Joolz. You do.
Auditorium – Mos Def In which Slick Rick solves the problem of US – Iraqi relations and addresses the imbalances inherent in any interaction between an occupying power and those being occupied by the simple expedient of doing some rapping. Imagine the money and lives that could have been saved.
Alaoui – Orchestre National de Barbes. Displaced North Africans living in Paris, their live album (En Concert) is great fun. Don’t suppose they’re playing Bristol anytime soon, though.
American Wheeze – 16 Horsepower. If some bloke with a painting hadn’t got to it first, this would have perfectly fitted the American Gothic tag
Good Taste (live) – The Cramps Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Lux Interior. Rest In Peace.
Le Plus Beau – Zebda Left wing French rebel music. With accordions.
Handcuffed To A Fence in Mississippi – Jim White. We’ve all been there, haven’t we?
Omerta / The Vampire Lanois – The Afghan Whigs. One of my favourite tracks by one of my favourite bands. The way this dissolves from slinky and sleazy into a skronking free jazz wigout gets me every time
