Autumn interlude... part 3: Gazing through the fog to the other side

The third serving in this seasonal selection comes from Blitzen Trapper - 'Blitzen who?'they chorused...

Geographically the Blitzen call Portland, Oregon home. Musically the Trappers are parked midway between Wilco and Teenage Fanclub - pitching out albums of country, power pop and almost bubbleglam on the glitzier bits of the back catalogue..

But today's BT taster comes from 2008's Furr - a country-noir tale of grim business and murderous jailbirds


 
Blitzen Trapper - Black River Killer from Luke Norby on Vimeo.

 And from the latest album VII

 

Autumn interlude... part 2 : Whispering Trees

Should you be thinking of a'wandering through the woods this weekend, strolling around on a twig-snapping, bramble-edged ramble, or soothing your way around the mud 'n' mushroom, russet wonderland with a scenic drive through the leaf-littered countryside - remember the country code, a tin of travel sweets - and a copy of Plantman's Whispering trees.

Fifteen tracks of the finest Essexarcana, patch-working and weaving whispered drifts, lapping and lulling acoustic tunery, high grade harmonies and melt in your mind melodies that make for the perfect autumn almanac. 

Behold the Plantman magic by way of Away With the Sun, and see what the Guardian had to say about our green-fingered friends









As an alt.escape and if you fancy hibernating away with rations and a good read - let me recommend to you - Jeff Lemire's Sweet Tooth. A post apocalyptic tale of wasteland survivors and hybrid kids.. A cross between Bambi and Cormac McCarthy's The Road

Autumn Interlude... part 1: Martyn Guitars

A seasonal salute is due to Davy Ghost for twitter-shouting these volumes from the autumnal archives

Autumn Falls

Autumn Tales

I'm overdue for the mix the third, but when I get round to harvesting in the acoustic goodies and golden strummings... this will be on the list



And worra result this morning - thanks to twitter catching itself aflame in an Amazon price-fault frenzy.

Mega-bargain! John Martyn the Island Years: a 17 CD box of studio albums, live, rare and unreleased, which should retail at 150 English... Some silius sodus had priced the MP3 DL at £7.50 - for 300+ tracks.

Luckily I bought and bagged it before they wised up and pulled the page...

 

Radio Podrophenia: tonight Shipful of Bombs Blows Up

 

People of Podrophenia, tonight we bring you the October edition of Podrophenia, wherein we celebrate twenty years of Blow Up -  the club, the label and the bands. A club with it's roots in the Southend Scene  - starting at the Monkey House, Croc's. and The Periphery

Piley and I will be joined by Blow Up's Generalissimo Paul Tunkin for some, natter chatter and tunes covering the club's back catalogue, current releases and at some point, hope to reveal a world exclusive on a new tune...

Kick off's 8pm Southend Central Time at Ship Full of Bombs, swing by and join us - or park up at our all new chat room (holding up to 7000 chatterboxes) to chip in...

Spot the sample - what was Herbie's bassline borrowed for?

TMFTL - imaginary John Peel bands

There's a new Twitter account in town TMFTL - Found Peel Band Names. A scrapbook of spotted oddities and inspirations that sound like imaginary John Peel bands .

First up Fat Panda (found at 22 Words). Who, could possibly be a Moby Grape era outfit, or something from the Madchester scene...

If you've got, any TMFTL suggestions - posts  'em hereabouts

Readabout, Writeabout - and listenabout, live tonight in London

Following on from last week's record shop round-up, behold as Eight Rounds Rapid Writeabout spends a third week on Norman Records best seller chart - and goes on to Rough Trade's recommended listening list.

But don't just take the rubber stamped Rough Trade/Podrophenia seal of approval as indicator of what a slam-handed wall of sound of the single is. The collected web whispers and reviews are glowing,  and gathered together below - a recommended reading list of the Eight Rounders reviews.....

Eyeplug Magazine 'Not for years has complaint rock sounded this mean, this exciting, brimming over with anger. An absolutely perfect storm'

Sputnik Music 'The infectious energy is absorbing on every level' 

Gigslutz - 'Fantastically unique – an exciting cacophony of sound that should not pass you by'.

Eyeplug Magazine (so good they reviewed it twice) 'venomous slice of back to basics rock n roll, coupled with socially observant lyrics'

Ralph's Life 'coming at you full on with post-punk ferocity, just plain nasty!'

RW/FF review and Track of the Day: 'A tune that I genuinely can't get enough of, and a must-listen for indie and punk people'

Fruitbat Walton - Top Ten Track

Should you fancy a blast of Writeabout. tune into this weeks Punky! Radio - or download here


Friday night is music night: live tonight in Londinium - Eight Rounds Rapid at the Spice of Life, Soho

Eight Rounds Rapid 'Writeabout' - outselling singles by the Arctic Monkeys, The Strypes, Beady Eye and Biffy Clyro.

It's been just over a month since Eight Rounds Rapid Writeabout was launched, and the reviews and radio play for our first Podrophenia release keep on a'coming

Last week saw the single go Top Five on the 7" Bestsellers list at Norman Records, moving more copies than singles from  Beady Eye and Biffy Clyro that week.

And we're back on the list (Top Five again) this week, with 8RR outpacing The Strypes and the Arctic Monkeys (see above)

Repeat plays on local, national and international stations have had a radio cherry on the top with Steve Lamacq calling the single 'the angry, edgy sound of Essex...'

Should you fancy grabbing a copy before they're gone (remember it is a limited edition - and becoming more limited week by week).  Writeabout is available to order online, or via a visit at these notable emporiums...

Rough Trade - London

Norman Records - Leeds

Sister Ray - London

Borderline - Brighton

Adrian's - Wickford

Slipped Disc - Billericay

Fives Leigh Broadway

Pouch of Douglas - Westcliff (below)

Should you fancy a taste test of the Eight Rounds Sound try out new tune My Mate
 

Pirate Radio Podrophenia....

What was the tracklist for this outboard obscurity - all here

Just over a week ago Pouchy Paul, Kate Johnston and myself parked up at SFOB for the September edition of Radio Podrophenia..

Assembling a crew of tunes threading together secret bands, new music and funky covers ( Mae West doing John Lee Hooker!) fitted around the theme of ships, sailing and bombs.



Between these twelve tracks we had ourselves a run out on Fracking songs, 'made-up' nautical slang and bands you get confused.

Should you fancy the Listen Again experience fill your waders below..

Radio Podrophenia - Ships, Sailing and Bombs

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 Or via iTunes...

The Mutants are Coming: an MC5th, a Feelgood, a Blockhead, an Ant and a Rat - all on the same historic session

It's that photobomber again - 2nd from right

While I'm still in recovery from the broken shoulder - how about catching up on what's been sizzling away over the summer months - and backtracking to the evening of 27th June, when all of punk, pub and garage rock's historical planets came into alignment.for a due soon album The Rhythm and Punk Revue

At the nucleus of this cross-generational get-together was the re-teaming of Wayne Kramer and Wilko Johnson - a pairing reunited for the first time since sharing a bill together at The London Rock n Roll Show 1972. Where the Feelood's were backing Heinz - and a gig Wilko has repeatedly gone record as saying changed  his life. In fact, dig into the vid below for the King of Canvey in full flight - telling the tale himself.

Be warned - contains tales of mild peril and explosive effing and jeffing from the get-go...



This glittering gathering has come together under the banner of The Mutants working up new tunes written by Chris Constaninou and Paul Subsource and recorded with a roll-call of new wave, ska and punk legends. Dig about the latest issue of Vive Le Rock and in between a bulgiing edition covering the birth of New York Punk, Ian McCulloch interviewed - you'll find Chris giving the back story to these Mutant moments

Dig around the back pages and you'll find me reviewing Norman Watt-Roy's first solo album Faith and Grace - as well as Wilko's homecoming gig at Southend's Village Green festival...

Not him again - in the orange!

Here is the shipping forecast: Podrophenia drops anchor at Shipful of Bombs tonight..

From September onwards - your Podrophonic pals, Piley and the other one, will be moored up Southend's newest radio station and the lighthouse for all local and grockle talent.. Shipful of Bombs. Or SFOB to use its full title.

Our theme tonight - ships, sailing and bombs (it had to be). So pipe yourself aboard from 8 foir a haul of tunes, chat and natter

Questions we may be asking: which bands do you mix up/get confused about. 

Me?  It's Todd Rundgren/Nils Lofgren, Jim Jones Revue/Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Jackson Browne/James Taylor - almost any band beginning with a K

Can posh people do The Rock - who is the poshest pop personality? And give us your pirate, bomb and sailing related songs or band names...

We'll be live from 8pm Southend standard time - why not come and join us at SFOB