Vive Le Rock - Looking Sharpie....

For those about to read - we salute you: rock. rollers and rumblers - fill your bovver boots with the latest Vive Le Rock - an Aussie special, featuring a piece from you know who on the Australian/NZ only Yoof Cult - Sharpies...

Dig around the back pages you'll also find me giving a critical ear to  Johnny Thunders live L.A.M.F. A couple of reviews submitted, which didn't make the final edit due to space issues were - Beat Bespoke 6 and the Memphis Dawls - but nothing goes to waste, so dig in below


Le Beat Bespoké 6 
Detour Records 
7/10 
Turn on, tune in, freak out - Underground, overground rumbling free

The essence of Beat Bespoké volume 6 straddles the 67-72 era when mods became rockers, rockers turned hippy and hippies got heavy. The mood of these freshly-picked finds is one of frizzy hair, fuggy clubs, open air freak-outs and underground festivals. From the fuzzy stoner rock of Jerry Holmes ‘I’m The Man’ and Spontaneous Generation’s ‘Purple Purple’ to Chris Rayburn’s ‘One Way Ticket’ with its thumping drums and Are You Being Served strings, to the in-kraut sound of Marian Ruxell’s ‘It’s So Much The Better’ and the galloping garage of The Tears ‘Rat Race’ - BB6 gathers together a collection of heavy mod, garage nuggets and psych pop that wouldn’t sound out of place on the Dracula AD 72 soundtrack. A new addition to an already healthy back catalogue, and where the New Untouchables begin to give Psychic Circle's Instro Hipster series a run for their money





Memphis Dawls - Rooted to the Bone 
Madjack Records 
7/10 
Hello Dawlies – potent debut from the Jack White endorsed all-girl trio

For all of its broad country trimmings and western trappings, echoing from The Carter Family and Tammy Wynette to The Handsome Family and Doc Watson, scratch beneath the surface of the Memphis Dawls Sun Studio recorded album and I wouldn’t be surprised to find a broader book of influences subtly colouring the collection that makes up Rooted to the Bone. ‘Liar’ has the soulful horns and harmonies of Aretha in Alabama for her Muscle Shoals sessions ‘Skin Like a Cage’ could be an Allen Toussaint twist on Bacharach and David standard. While the American Gothic of ‘Shadows’ shuffles with a dark-hearted gumbo groove. And ‘Please Don't Leave Me’ takes a transatlantic hop to tap up Kate Bush, Bridget St John and The Beatles. An album of folk-soaked confessionals and galloping cowgirl anthems with a pop sensibility that saddles it somewhere between Gillian Welch and Aimee Mann

2014: Yesterday's tomorrow - today

Let's put the keys in the ignition - ZZ Top style, rev the engine, pump that pedal and head out on the wild and unknown highway of 2014 with a soundtrack on the stereo that's blazing and blasting a best of - errm, well 2012 *cue the furious squealing of brakes and burning rubber*

2012? - they chorused

Yes, somehow - I just plain forgot to post up my collection of fave finds from that year. But here it is, 23 tracks of  fresh-pressed tunes from vintage names (Hugh Cornwell, New York Dolls, Glen Matlock) Some international newbies (Hello Phones, François & the Atlas Mountains, Matsuki Ayumu) best of breed from that year (Eight Rounds Rapid, Thee Faction, Alfa 9, Fay Hallam) and as always rediscovered nuggets..

Scan the list below, then fill your booties, ipos and ears at the bottom. Salut!

Planet Mondo Annual 2012

Funk Friday - Live: covers, floor shakers and samples

Crate expectations

Remember backawhiles, before the music nattering masses migrated to Twitter. Facebook and whatnot - we used to get on some sort of a goodly foot by cueing up a few funky tunes of a Friday...

Well, if you're any stripe of drinker or dancer - wander your way to Southend's Railway Hotel tonight - where I'll be winging in a few fleet-footed frisky discs from 7 30 (ish). No bands - just you know who and a crateful of soul, funk, hammond, motown, northern, glam, garage and godknowswhatelse.

Playlist-free, (that's too prescriptive) - I'll be winging in sizzlers and scorchers to fit the mood of the room. Funky nuggets such as ...

Mo Horizons - Hit The Road Jack





If you're around or about tonight - why not pop in for bop

Radio One Year On

Three studios, fifty two weeks and fourty seven Podrophenia's later* - Piley and I cross the waymarker that is one year of Radio Podrophenia and our live Tuesday night natter-abouts.

And what a twelve month run we've had.... a gallery of guests pooling together members of The Damned (Roman Jugg) local musicians (Dave Woodcock, Darren Jones, Andy J Gallagher), writers (Syd Moore, Daryl Easlea) artists (Simon Monk), regulars (Fi Jacobs) and Podrophenia Board Members ( Pouchie, Phil Hubbs, Dan, Marmite, Jack Gestures, Gary Fowles). Even a live outing with Len Price 3 and a handful of magazine mentions.



A huge salute is due to our live listening chums (speaking and silent types), the take away downloaders, jingle-makers (Hubbs, Drakey, PH Send) and all the board commentators, contributors and regulars with special mentions going to Drakey, Hannah, JoDB, Lil, Dan, Phil Hubbard, Captain Kettle, Iceman Sam, Reado Jr, Martin, Maxwell, Marmite, E F Rice, Jack Gestures, Retroman, Mark Underwoood, Dog Faced Boy for propping up the bar from week to week.

So what spectacular spin and whistles have we got planned for tonight - well, ermmm, we're going for covers (again), the theme we blasted off with three years ago, and reheated for our first radio run-out last year. Expect to hear Ella getting heavy, splashes of Schlager, Indian psychedelic/hard rock  and behold the Golden Voice of Prague.


If you missed last week's Podophenia a fully loaded edition with a storming performance and live session from Dave Woodcock, the latest signing to Blow Up Records  - fill your boots here, or via iTunes..


*Should be our fifty second show, but due to the odd tech meltdown and holidays - tonight comes in as number fourty eight.

New York here we come. Back in 7 days....

Perhaps it sounds daft - but, I've been on an electrical nutty buzz for New York ever since seeing Roy Castle trumpeting a Record Breakers New York special - (around 74-ish) which, fanfared it's arrival by way of the Bernstein tune below. The scale, the scope and giddy-swirl of this sparkling zippy city, beamed mid-week(probably halfday closing too) into a compressed Essex maisonette, birthed a  nutty buzz that became compounded by Kojak's opening titles, the Batman TV series, endless re-reads of  Spider-Man/Marvel ..and of course Taxi Driver, Saturday Night Fever, Bowery-based punk and on and on and on.



A List/itinerary has been heavily prepared for our trip. It includes Top of the Rock (photo above), Empire State, Grand Central Station, SoHo, West Village, the Highline, Central Park, Brooklyn and, an infinite list of deli's, bagel bars and pizza places...

So, I'll see you in seven days or thereabouts and leave you with last Tuesday's Podrophenia, featuring a live acoustic session from special guest and former The Shopkeeper Appeared artist - Andy J Gallagher..

  Podrophenia J - with Andy J Gallagher

Funky Friday - The Salsa Davis Group

Aye Carumba amigos - how about this for a for two-fisted find - not uno, but dos Spencer Davies ditties given a hot tropical going over by way of this collection of samba stompers and shakers.


Feeling Alright - usually known to these ears via Lulu's lung-busting belter.


I'm a Man - of all the frisky refits, Wynder K Frog's take is the one I'll typically reach for first.

But for a pan-continental combo try these for sizzlers..

Feelin Alright - Mongo Santamaria



Spiteri - I'm A Man



And if you missed our Top Tunes of 2011 Radio Podrophenia - fill your boots below

Radio Podrophenia - New Year's Honours List

Funky Friday - Bongo a go-go

The picture Birds in the Park can be spotted here

Hurrah for Mrs M and her list of infinite invention. I am a fussy bugger to buy for when it comes to Christmas and birthdays - yet on every occasion she comes up with some kind of wonderful. 

The lumpy bundle I guessed may have been a crate of booze, was unwrapped and revealed to be - bongos hurrah! (again). And I've been tip-tapping away, lost in the crazy rhythms on an almost daily basis since. A couple of patterns getting cribbed and copied have been from these found videos...

Vid A

Vid B

Two tunes perfect for practicing along to were found on Christmas/birthday CDs

Vid A: Lee Dorsey's voodoo grooves are a snug fit for 

Lee Dorsey — Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further

Vid B: Habanera beat works a treat for

Victor Boa - Ruffles

Galloping DJs

A belly-busting buffet of foody tunes are on the menu for tonight's Radio Podrophenia. 

Breakfast, tomatoes (sliced), grapes - baking even are all on the shopping list of popular song. Although given some of the subjects that have been bouncing around the board over the last couple of weeks: Biffins Bridge, Pouch of Douglas and I won't even mention the G word (NSFW in *any* way) - you may be best to have your tea before listening, not after...

Chat and banterwise Piley and I would like to know: extreme eating experiences, forgotten fast food chains and your grimmest eating out moments please

Prick up your ears and prepare for a double helping of 'hellos' from all at E. Pellici's (below) in English and Italian. We're live from 9 on Chance Radio tonight...

And if you fancy some extra seasoning,  last week's edition: Seasons is available for take away here..

Radio Podrophenia - Seasons

Seasons to be Cheerful, Part 23

A medley of seasonal sounds is on the menu for tonight's Radio Podrophenia - our 23rd editon

Including: two types of Fall {one song, one band} Summertime, Rain and David Alexandre Winter's Qu'est-Ce Que J'Ai Danse! Although for all the scouting about - I couldn't for the life of me find a springy-thing. Any suggestions - let me know. Also piping hot off the press is a live Damned track recorded at The Roundhouse during their 35th Anniversary gig last Saturday

Natter abouts may include real life shop names: Touching Cloth, Threads Atomic Dustbin. And body  parts that sound like place names (Biffin's Bridge, Pouch of Douglas) or vice versa..

And coming in to pitch some live acoustic tunes in our general direction is Canvey's own Darren Jones

We'll be parked up from 9pm hereabouts at Chance Radio. Should you fancy catching up on the last couple of back issues - grab both below

Podrophonic Alphabet - E

Keeping it Peel

The Fantastic 4s: four go mild in Dorset and four years of bloggery....

Pop Quiz: Which Beatles Aunt relocated here ?

After a week on the lounge-a-bout at home, we're down to Dorset for a few days, on the Purbeck peninsula above to be exact. Brownsea Island, Dancing ledge, Studland Bay are all on the to do list - but any holiday hints and tips (or pubs) are aways welcome..

While we're zipping around and about doing The Only Way is Wessex, this online musical allotment breaks the four year blog-barrier..so to celebrate I've laid on a couple of musical buffets..Summer Shakedown volumes 1 and 2..(3 and 4 are here and here).

So, I'll see you for more of the usual in a week and bit. Or thereabouts..

Summer Shakedown volume 1

Summer Shakedown volume 2

Tracklists for both are in the comms...

Funky Friday: A One off all-soul shakedown

Its been awhiles since we got on the good foot of a weekend. But as we're off to a summer shindig tomorrow night - a garden gathering of scoopy doings and fruity tunes which I've been asked to do the music for - it seems a fine time to fire up some Friday Funk for a one off.

In fact, it was one of these very same get-togethers that partially gave me the push to start sticking tunes into a cyberspace scrapbook, as a way of sharing several CDs worth of home-mixed music comps. Although as it turned out, only this 30 minute snippet has ever been blogged.

Anyhow - tomorrow's collections and compilations span almost 5 hours - give or take a track or two. CDs 1 and 2 tend towards the sunny sounds of Acid Jazz, Studio One, funky covers and world grooves. But set 3 is something strangely I've never pitched in with before - an all out soul-rollercoaster of vintage hits, new bits, covers, northern, Motown, garage, international and instrumental hip swishing funk.

The track-listing is in the comments to swerve a blog-whacking. So tomorrow think of us shaking a Saturday night leg, and perhaps I'll wing in the other 3 CDs during the summer season

Summer Shakedown Volume 3



You'll find a few of these scraps around and about on the blog if you're happy to dig a bit..

Guest Blogger: Cornershop's Tjinder Singh on Readers' Wives

If you orbit about in the Twitterverse - you may have spotted a few fevered tweets back awhiles when I first fell under the spell of Cornershop's new LP Cornershop & The Double O Groove Of. What a joy and a gem of a collection it is. So a super-scoopy do then to get happy shopper himself Tjinder parking up on my corner of cyberspace...revisiting Cornershop's earliest recording, in his own words..

David C became our drummer over time. He had his own French Film Blurred fanzine, and output for us was very prolific in those days - an album a week. Not only did he like it, he encouraged it, & over the passing of many bells ringing in last orders, he finally joined us. In fact, he decided to learn drums - furthering our confidence.

At the same time my brother had joined too, playing guitar, but I talk of David more here because like most drummers do, he introduced us to an ex-boyfriend of his sisters, Andy Green, now located in Hove. We liked what music Andy had done & after playing Brighton he hassled us to do a mix of 'England’s Dreaming', which we liked so we took him up on the offer to work with him.

Me, my brother Avtar, David & his girlfriend Emma went to Hove near Brighton on a daytripper, well in my brother’s car actually. After a quick breakfast we got going. David & Emma went shopping & my brother took a deserved rest.

Well versed as I was in cassette tape technology, this was the first occasion I had used a sampler with a sequencer. At that time it was wonderment to see a track come together so quickly. The Akai sampler, an S950 has a certain crispness to its sound quality, not forgetting that vinyl has already gone through its many stages of recording & mastering - you are halfway there. Andy Green(away) put the selected audio into the sampler & quickly arranged it in the sequencer, & before we knew it a track was developing, & before I knew it I wanted to make music this way. The only live track inputs were feedback from an overloaded microphone, and my vocals. As the bass & drums had been put on, I started writing lyrics - it had got this far & I didn't want to leave without a finished track.

Andy was very good at explaining the processes, pulling in audio, trimming the start & end points, & triggering via sequencer, repeat half a dozen times, add feedback, add vocals, & then we mixed it on a TASCAM 424, all done at gas mark 7, heading back home by teatime with a very different 3rd single on an Agfa D30 cassette - I was the happiest Wog in the world. Oh I forgot the sitar was then put on after.

Written by Tjinder Singh p&c ampleplay'11



Getting back to the future - you can taste test, a track from The Double O Groove right below - or nip along to catch Cornershop LIVE tonight at the 02 Academy Islington.

A huge thank you is due to all at Cornershop HQ  for their help in putting this together..

Satisfaction from South Africa's first lady of soul

I had my first earful of Una Valli's Satisfaction while sifting around and about Spitalfields Market last year. Thumbing through the odds, ends and trendy titbits - the tail end of this tune boomed out like a funky foghorn calling me towards the record stall tiptoed and nose-first like Tom and Jerry reeled in by a steak on a clothes line....

It turned out to be just one nugg' from She's a Heartbreaker - UK floor fillers Volume 4. Luckily I managed to the grab the last CD on the stall. Since then Satisfaction has been on perma-repeat without losing any of it's first play potency and for my Krugerrands is an even bigger belter than last Friday's Barry St John tune

Una Valli - Satisfaction

Compiled by Friday's guest blogger Nick Saloman

Funky Friday - Hoeks van Holland

Have you ever gone Dutch and visited De Nederlandsh? Our first trip in '94 saw us rolling from the ferry (a Ceefax bargain) to theme of Eurotrash in our Renault 5 GTX for five days camping and nipping around and about Amsterdam, Edam and Volendam. Generally Holland was more micro-sized than expected with dinky, neat and tidy streets and suburbs. Clusters of flat-packed towns built from from Toytown blueprints. It may sound bizarre but Amsterdam aside, the lowlander lifestyle was so casually efficient, polite and polished that it felt like a nation populated, designed and governed by Toto fans.

A few weeks after our Dutch run I spotted a Toto live album - strangely, but not surprisingly, recorded at a gig in Holland. Perma-perms, soft rock and all-season sunglasses aren't on today's menu. Instead it’s a triple run of...

Bonnie St Claire (above) from her 69 soul-stomper era.

Brainbox (?)

A Shocking Blue tune that isn't Venus (Tom version here by the way)

Bonnie St Claire - I Surrender



Brainbox - Down Man



Shocking Blue - Hot Sand





Did you know George Baker and his total pop classic are as Dutch as Advocaat ? Smoke and pancake - the clues are all there..

D'yer Mak'er Shakers

Nah pop no style, a strictly roots - is the theme of today's Jamaican stop-off. A handful of roots tunes (as in 'roots of' rather than 'roots reggae') that have inspired, influenced or been recycled for bigger hits.

I could have posted Alton Ellis's original I'm Still in Love With You, but Marcia Aitken's cover with the extended toasting section (starting at 4 mins in) is just a whisker away from the riffing lifted by Althia and Donna.

Marcia Aitken - I'm Still In Love/Three Piece Suit



Lloyd Charmers was later rescripted by The Specials for....well you'll see

Lloyd Charmers - Birth Control



Lord Kitchener's frisky calypso tune was given a going over by Judge Dread - lyrics here if you fancy some Sing-a-Long-a Kitch

Lord Kitchener - Dr. Kitch

Funky Friday - Big Down Under

Amongst Australia's collection of evolutionary curiosities - black swans, the Duck-billed Platypus those extravagantly toxic spiders and snakes - came and went, within a single decade, another unique breed. Sharpies.

An Aussie-only sub-cult of the seventies, Sharpies were platform boot-boys mixing and matching mod, glam and skinhead styles creating a look that's a distant cousin to London's Jesse Hector. The movement first reared its feather cropped head in Melbourne, with new groups of Sharpie dressed men appearing in Perth and Sydney shortly after.

Lobby Loyde & The Coloured Balls became the mascot band of the Sharpie scene. Hammering out rough 'n' ready rockers built around stripped down riffing and bovver boy beats (not unlike Dr Feelgood's industrial rhythm and blues). The band's signature sound: close mic'd, hand-sanded attack is a template still replicated by ongoing generations of Australian and New Zealand guitar bands: Radio Birdman, Jet, The Datsuns, The D4 and The Powder Monkeys. Although for today's post I'm picking one of Lobby's poppier tunes from the album *gulps* 'Ball Power' .

The Sharpie sound is the thread connecting The Easybeats R 'n' B buzz and AC/DC's earliest stompers.

Lobby Loyde and the Coloured Balls - Love Me Girl



The Easybeats - Sorry



And while we're upside down how about some Kiwi pysch-pop

Human Instinct - Rich Man



The soundtrack to this clip is more typical of Lobby's mulleted mod-rock.


For more Sharpie history click on the pic ..



For a When Sharpie's Attack mix click here

Vunky Vendredi - French Lessons

It's a tricolore of treats for this week's Funky Friday, and almost a cyber-style student exchange, wherein Anglo-pop gets the Français translation treatment and a cult Kids TV star (from La Maison de Tu Tu) goes undubbed and au naturel .

You may not recognise the titles - but you'll know the tunes pop pickers..

Johnny Hallyday - Noir c'est noir



Eileen - Ces Bottes Sont Faites Pour Marcher



Marie Laforêt - D'Etre A Vous



Behold - Hector's actual speaking voice

A Day Trip to Wonderland

I couldn't let Sir Stevie's 60th birthday go unblogged, so in keeping with this month's theme of a worldwide eye (and ear) we have..

Stevie Wonder himself re-rendering one of his 60s hits in Italian!!

Solo Te, Solo Me, Solo Noi



An as yet unreleased and untitled rarity, which I believe, this vid (filmed in Brazil) captures the only recorded appearance of.



Finally, a two-way team up on The Real Thing. A Wonder tune performed by Sergio Mendes with Stevie on keys..

Sergio Mendes And The New Brazil 77 - The Real Thing

Musique de Bibliothèque

Un grand merci is due to Will from the wonderful World of Kane for pitching this sprightly slice of French library music onto my wavelength. Two minutes of high-kicking, fast-fizzing riffing, perfect for some sort of explosive show-opener coreographed for that lot atop the page - or someone who lives in a house like this..

Jack Arel and Pierre Dutour - Following You



Jack Arel is one of France's most prolific library composers, with pieces occasionally making UK TV screens soundtracking The Sweeney and The Prisoner. On the 27th of this month, a double CD set of Arel originals and remixes finally ships to these shores, having been released in France last year - you can test de goût a few and read his full history at the Jack Arel Myspace site



For more sons français, you really must get your mitts on Blow Up's Exclusive Blend Volume 3. A rue-rocking comp of hits, highlights and secoueur de jambe trawled from the vaults of France's Telemusic library, that includes this free-wheeling pépite from Bernard Estardy.

Bernard Estardy - Road Number 9

Funky Friday - International Grill

I'm afraid I can't stretch to the belt-busting treat of a Wimpy International Grill (you've got love 'em for still hanging on in there with the 'Wimpy Bender' haven't you), but can serve you up a platter of refried favourites and vintage hits spiced with an international twist

From Bolivia...
Grupo 606 - Rompe,cruza O Ayúdame (Break On Through)



From Singapore
Sakura and The Quests - Stupid Cupid



And two tunes suggested by Sour Crout from The Word blogs, via a thread offering the original French lanuage version of Denis (Sylvie), Elbow reworked by The Big Ghana Band and Benny translating Ca Plane Pour Moi into Bin Wieder Frei (although I've a spark of an idea for a future Benny blog-bit)

From Mexico
Los Matematicos - Me Atrapaste (You Really Got Me)



From the Czech Republic
Kubišová Marta - Cervánky (It's Not Unusual)



Another from The Word blogs,where David Rothon uncovered this nugget 'Czech it out'


Now then, Brown Derby desert anyone?