The Soundr Hour - Yachtify

Soundr-Crowders: an hour of AOR vintage funk and new smooth-cruising tunes - Diana Ross, Johnny Mathis and Loyal Carner are all aboard the yacht - with a rare Toto demo and an early doors cameo from Nik Kershaw. There's also news of an exciting Soundr team-up due coming soon Stream away below

Soundr DJ · The Soundr Hour: Yachtify - cruising through new yacht and vintage smooth grooves

The Soundr Hour - Spring Breaks

 

As the clocks go forward, Soundr steps into the new season with a fruity bouquet of blossoming breaks, blooming tunes and mellow beats -from trip hop to sunny lectro pop to breezy nu jazz..

 Dig in and bliss out...

Soundr DJ · the Soundr Hour: Spring Breaks -blossoming, blooming beats for spring

The Soundr Hour: Night Vibes

The second edition of the digital C-60 is up for download. Night Vibes, wherein we take a drive through the backwaters and byways of Lo Fi, Trip Pop, Lectro and Chill Hop - with Nu Jazz and Broken Beats along the way. Settle in and stream below - a couple of the sessions and vids mentioned are rendered 'neath the mix...

 

60 Minute Man: Jukebox Jimmy's postcard from Pellicci's.....

Artwork by Eleanor Crow  first found at the always excellent Spitalfields Life site

With the theme for our June edition of Radio Podrophenia being summer/holidays/seaside - Piley and I are having ourselves a staycation. As in, we're still banging about with the usual natter and chat this Thursday from 9, but are having a beano to Southend's newest radio station Shipful of Bombs, and asking our Podrophonic listening pals to choose the tracks and tunes.

Pitched into the playlist is a new to me treat, and hit in August 68 from Robert John - hand picked by Pellicci legend Jukebox Jimmy.



In fact, Jim has kindly recorded a 60 minute podcast pulling into play a stunning run of summer sounds from The Mamas and the papas to the Goffin and King songbook, and dropping in sixties soul and perfect seventies. pop

Fill your boots below. And then backtrack to the JBJ's exclusive musical overview here

Jukebox Jimmy - a Podrophonic Postcard from Pellicci's



And behold as Our Man in The North - John Medd, nips in for a nibble at London's most classic cafe..

For more recommend reading - try and earn yourself a spotter's badge. seeing who you can spy in this set of Pellicci portraits....

So, if you're free this Thursday at nine come and pipe yourselves aboard at Radio Podrophenia anchored up for one month only at Shipful of Bombs

Podrophenia: Will Patrons Kindly Refrain From...

Really, who was ever such a hardcore smoker that they couldn't take a trip to the local lido or swimming baths without having to spark up a sneaky gasper or two? It must have happened.

Out today - and keeping with the tradition of our annual Summer edition, the latest Podrophenia from Piley and myself is fitted around this old pool poster that was - with tracks based on bombs, petting, running, ducks etc.. As well as a natter-about on Speedos, 21st Century song titles and song titles for elderly folk

In for live tunes and chat we've Dave Woodcock, with a song freshly created and baked just the day before...

Dive in at the deep end hereabouts. Track lists and photos can be found over at the Podrophenia FB page

Podrophenia - Will Patrons Kindly

Do you ever feel like peeling off and running through the streets naked and free?

No me neither, but this lot do. I can't tell you much about The Streakers as I don't know much about The Streakers. Except ...

The A-side is an absolute glam-stamping anthem.

The Streakers - Turn Me Down



The B-side is a sunny day delight a'popping and a'fizzing with zip, zing and swing.

The Streakers - Wake Up To Sunshine



Now get your kecks on you filthy beasts

Lazy Sunday - Summer Soulstice

It’s been a while since the last Lazy Sunday charabanc, but with the Druidic doings afoot tomorrow, celebrating the onset of extended lazy days and short heated evenings, it seems timely to fire up a seasonal (and in places mystical) selection of summer numbers, hand-picked and slow-blended, ready to soundtrack any sunny, outdoor sipping and soothing.

Summer Soulstice



You'll find the tracklist in the comm’s to avoid being blog-walloped.

Me at the ‘Henge in my favourite top of the time

Downtempo But Upbeat

Apologies for the slower tone of today's post - but we had some unexpected news a couple of weeks back which left us stunned and shaken (I won't expand at the moment if you don't mind). Since then, the swirling storm of push 'n' pull possibilities and slow-release of reality has begun to still to a steadier level of more positive prospects.

It's been a bumpy couple of weeks that have left us numb and unplugged from all the usual doings, although something that's kept the mood buoyant has been the soothing tunes of Trojan Records. Tunes like...

The Paragons & Rosalyn Sweat - Blackbird Singing



Lee "Scratch" Perry - Tell Me Something Good



I'm sure this just a rhythmic dip and the normal nonsense will be resumed soon.

Latin Quarter

As an antidote to the shoulder-slumping parade of puppets, poppets and gumps that is the Eurovision Song Contest, May is World Music Month on the PM blog. We start off on the road to Brazil with probably one of the finest tunes ever logged in my cyberspace scrapbook - Não Aguento Você

It may sound like a song reformed from Set Me Free and Sha-na-na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye - but bounces and breezes with the sort of tropical waft that the Brazilians do so well.
See also Menino

Trio Esperança - Não Aguento Você

Last of the Summer Finds

How's your blog-list doing? In the two years I've been maintaining my online allotment, (which I was convinced would run out of puff after a few months). I've really not blogged any of my most played faves (Small Faces, The Faces, Rod, Bowie, Bolan, Roxy, The Damned, XTC, John Martyn and countless comps). The trouble is - there's just too many many oldies, oddities, obscurities or tasty tit-bits of newness be logging.

Like - If This Ain't Love - a track that's been rattling about on my MP3 player for several months now, and a seasonally summery song that I'll squeeze in before the shadows get to long, the wasps get too giddy and grumpy (is it me or has there really been more of them this year?)

I only realised while pulling this post together, it's the same Nicole WillisCocktails posted about some while back

Nicole Willis and The Soul Investigators - If This Ain't Love

Funky Friday - The Adnams Family

Postcard by Juliet Blaxland

Following a week of local based bumbling: pubs, beaches and bikes - for the next week it's Southwold here we come (isn't that a Smiths album?)

If you've never visited, the highlights include: Suffolk's tea colured sea, the Adnams brewery, Aspall's Suffolk Cyder, the Southwold Picture Palace, the pier, crabbing in Walberswick, one of the UK's finest chippies rated Number One (here) just a nip away in Aldeburgh, - and Southwold's high street lighthouse. But like Mrs PM says - why the high street? Aren't lighthouses meant to be on a rocky outcrop, spit or somesuch - not plonked next to the pub and brewery surely?

If you've never visited why not take a taste test here - Southwold tour

PS We're not leaving until tomorrow - but I'm bored of usual holiday tunes (XTC, Beatles, Monty Python albums) having played them too many times - so any recommendations for must have holiday listens would be appreciated..

So, I'll leave you with Two summer soundalikes that were on my subs bench for the last Podrophenia..

Jack Costanzo - Peter Gunn Mambo




Dave 'Baby' Cortez - Watermelon Man



And a guest mix which should be appearing on The Right Side Of Funky sometime over the weekend

See you in week's time and I'll try to send a postcard..

Not sure about that manky mud-pier, nothing more scenic in the vaults then?

Funky Friday - Podrophenia 2 - Phew What A Scorcher

This chap has appeared in Podrophenia 1 and 2 - but who is he?

Summer's here and the time is right for podding in the streets..

I'm away for a couple of weeks, so I'll leave you with Podrophenia 2, a summertime special from Piley and myself (plus a few offstage heckles from his cat) which sees us navigating our musical charabanc through literal, lateral and loose interpretations of summer. By way of songs written around haystacks, hayfever, beach buggies, caravans and rain. Along with random gabble about buses, bacon, 'would patrons kindly refrain' pool signs and Piley's discovery of the Deliverance Olympics.

You can download below

Podrophenia 2

stream here (whoops the Divshare link is broken)



Or try via iTunes

One of these two lung-busters belts out a scorching version of 'Sunny' in the poddy.


Back soonish

Soundhogging

DJ, producer and the Bruce Lee of bootleg remixing Ben Soundhog has collected some of his most recent reworks and cross-pollinated pop-ups into a glowing collection Music From The Pig Fink.

Blossoming with summer thumpers Fink is a selection box of unlikely bed fellows buddying up and sharing the same personal song-space. A place where the Super Furry Animals, Dave Clarke and Cymande jam side by side

The Smokin' Message



And those rocking robots Daft Punk, and audiophile space-jazzers Steely Dan become conjoined, recoded and rewired to lively up your legs..

Daft Dan



Music From The Pig Fink is free and available for download here

Ben SH's sleevenotes on the tunes

Song Of A Baker

You may remember last week, how we noted the signature Alessi sound has a chime of the Chet about it, so for anyone who hasn't heard the muted toot of his trumpet or the lullaby-lilt of his politely stoned vocal tone here's your chance to check in with Chet Baker. The James Dean of the jazz-scene.

Chet Baker - The More I See You

There's an almost heavy-overload of Chet albums too choose from - but this, this or It Could Happen To You ..are all good hopping on points for Baker-beginners

You Are The Season

It may have only reached number eight in the UK charts, but, over thirty years on the polite-pop, soft-jazz-shuffle and Chet Baker vocal tone of Alessi's Oh Lori still sounds daisy fresh today. Mellow as a summer meadow, light as a seaside breeze and easy like Sunday morning, it's a swisheroony tune that bounces like a beachball on a bed of brushed acoustics, vibe solos and flutey toots

The cap sleeve revival starts here


Alessi - Oh Lori

The Alessi Brothers are still in service and big in The Netherlands apparently. Why not stop by their online shop where you can buy all-year accoutrements like T-shirts and scarves!?!

Here you go strummers and crooners, get your noggins round these mellow minor sevenths and suspended whatnots

Get Out Of The City And Into The Sunshine

Sing Belle and Sebastian. Sound advice on a day like today - wouldn'tja just love to down tools, bail out and bolt off for a leisurely stretch in some green and spacy acres, or perhaps pop to the coast for paddle and a scoop or two?


Belle and Sebastian - Legal Man



Photo's by Bleech and Chocolate Girl 64

Hello and Good Morning

Hurrah, back at last - after a week spent sampling several nuggets of 'Northerness'

Chips and Gravy (eaten by the Huddersfield canal, and in sight of a Victorian factory chimney - while drinking Dandelion and Burdock)
Yorkshire curd and Yorkshire pud' with sausages and onion gravy
(curd and pud not eaten not at the same time)
A canal boat trip into the Stanedge Tunnel
A bacon butty at Sid's Cafe
The Bronte Museum
Getting to the summit of West Nabb
A windy drive across a blindingly misty Saddlworth Moor
Real Bakewell pudding

Two tunes that turned out to be all-round family favourites, amongst the noshing, sipping and bumbling about were...

Sonic Executive Sessions - Hello



And

Sparks - Good Morning


PS - the ticklist for another Great North Run may include...

Trying a Spam Fritter
Having a portion of Pie and Peas
A revisit to the Riverhead Brewery Tap - with it's luscious beer brewed at the pub

See Monkeys

I've always had something of a sweet tooth. I'm not aware if a related condition of 'sweet ear' exists - but if it does, I've got it. The symptoms being bending and buckling at the knee over honey-coloured chords, Milky Bar harmonies and butterscotch pop - almost entirely the type of confection Evolved Monkey excel at.

Sketching comparisons and contextual references is almost a disservice to Evomons intimate but open air sound and breezy rhythms. Although if pushed - suggesting they've cross-pollinated the slow melting melodies of Macca, Brian Wilson, Andy Partridge, Ben Folds and Jellyfish (with a small echo of The Charlatans) layered them on a bed of trip-pop backbeats and the space-age acoustics of Air or Goldfrapp all of which waft on the gently swelling drift of Yacht Rock - wouldn't be unfair..

There's not many albums I can play several times on the bounce and still want to reach for the repeat button - but weighing in at a perfect 40 minutes of well balanced and buffed quality pop, Project Messy is a selection box that's almost impossible to resist revisiting for a second helping

Evolved Monkey - Naked Lady





Recommended Reading..

Evolved Monkey website

Evolved Monkey MySpace

Spring Has Sprung

A few months after we'd moved in together, Mrs PM and I bought a soft top 'Jeep' - not a real Jeep you understand - no, no a Romanian version - the Dacia Duster 'Roadster'. Sleek as breezeblock, and tough as a Tonka Toy. Spring and summer weekends were spent spinning around country lanes with the roof off, and pitching a tent somewhere rural. Although the Roadster could be hopelessly unreliable to the point of near fatality, and any sunny fun was always tempered by moments like: screaming down a hillside in the Brecon Beacons, a lead-foot on the brakes, the smell of steaming brake pads,and no slow down as a high altitude hairpin bend blurs towards you.

A handful of top-off tunes soundtracking our Duster days came from Corduroy's debut album Dad Man Cat, and if there's any track completely that captures the swing of spring it's.....

Corduroy - Skirt Alert



Or this from the first Frank album I picked up - Sinatra at the Sands. Arrangments by Quincy Jones, and backed by The Count Basie Orchestra.. it is for me, still the definitive Sinatra performance..

Frank Sinatra - You Make Me Feel So Young (live at the Sands)

Funky Friday - "Summer is heaven in `77" *

* 'Celebrate Summer' - Marc Bolan

Axe Victim says 1973 is the summer of summers. But for me, the top pop year will always be 1977. It's an overlooked classic - and the year sound and vision went Concorde shaped and Skylab sounding - Bowie released 'Low', 'Heroes' (and clonked out 'Lust For Life' and 'Idiot' as hobby projects), Giorgio and Donna gave us deep space disco, there's Space - 'Magic Fly', Meco - 'Star Wars' and JMJ 'Oxygene' - see what I mean? And then you've got Close Encounters, 'Calling Occupants', Bond's Lotus Esprit, Saturday Night Fever, Star Wars, Punk wars, the deaths of Marc Bolan and Elvis - you just don't get designs, dynamics and dramatics like that in many other years.

My personal obsessions during the summer of 77 were...

Sharks (I saw Jaws 5 times).
Skateboards (Fibreflex boards and Kryptonic wheels were the kiddies, Skudas were cool and affordable, but Surf Flyers? That's a no-no )
Starsky and Hutch.
Admiral football togs.(the Coventry kit being my fave)
Lord Anthony clobber (but never had a Parka)
Dayvilles Ice Cream Parlours(32 flavours)
Krazy Comic

And as I started to make the move from pick 'n' mix singles to adult size albums the record I wanted, really wanted - and got for Christmas was K-Tel's blistering 'Disco Fever'. You can enjoy the full track list here, and for MOR eye popping madness have peep at the cozy cardie coloured charts from 31 years ago - both of which are almost entirely untroubled by any punky doings.

Top 50 singles week ending 30/07/77

Top 60 albums week ending 30/07/77

So a few songs from the 1977 jukebox then...

RAH Band 'The Crunch' (as featured on 'Disco Fever')


There's a TOTP appearance too

Bond goes disco 'Bond 77' (from 'The Spy Who Loved Me')


Original trailer for 'The Spy Who Loved Me'

Elvis 'Way Down' ( Alt take with added piano at the coda)



If you fancy a few more sounds from the summer of 77 hop on over to...

Track Lister for Giorgio Moroder - 'From Here To Eternity' (single version)
Davey H for Donna Summer - 'I Feel Love' (12" version)

My selection for Book Of The year 1977 - Man Eating Sharks
Always wanted one of these G and S Fibreflex boards (and a trip to Skate City or the South Bank), but never managed to get either.