Another Kind of Blues

Your recommended reading for the month of May: two issues from both the blue and dayglo ends of the musical spectrum…

Vive Le Rock: fizzing and frothing with the best in punk, new wave and ska – has a spectacular multi-pager on 1979 and the development of power-pop, post punk, two tone and new wave. Dig about the back pages and you’ll find me reviewing two Nine Below Zero albums, two from Mickey Jupp - and scoring the Dr Who/Roger-Wilko album with a perfect ten…

The Blues Magazine: spotlights the 1964 American Folk, Blues And Gospel Caravan tour of the UK, catches up with Jack Bruce, Sharon Jones, Henry Gray, introduces Bob Log III - and has some Southend based ‘erbet reviewing the Dave Higgs Memorial gig at Canvey’s legendary Oysterfleet venue..




A second (and different) review had been filed with VLR - but didn't seem to make the final edit - but nothing goes to waste round these parts - so relive the night, above and below

Dave Higgs Memorial Show: The 45s/Eddie and The Hot Rods – the Oysterfleet, Canvey
February 27th 

Across the tracks and Benfleet Creek to the sub-sea level flatland of Canvey Island with its skyline of industrial angles and refinery flames to celebrate and remember Eddie and the Hot Rods guitar whizz-kid Dave Higgs – check out the Rod’s romper-stomper ‘Ignore Them’ to hear Dave’s full throttle fretting. It’s an all-star evening at the legendary Oysterfleet with attendees flying in from New York and Newcastle to pay tribute. First up and firing like a snipers rifle – Canvey’s adopted sons The 45s in an explosion of vintage riffs and sulphate tempo R ‘n’ B with the amp-battering clang and dynamics of the Small Faces or John’s Children, and endorsed with the Feelgoods seal of approval, when bassist Sparko joins the band for Roxette and She Does it Right.

The Hot Rods set is double A side affair. The current line-up thundering through heads-down Bam-a-Lama, with an unrelentingly energetic Barrie Masters coming across like a denim-clad David Johansen, But the second set is where the action goes postal –with most of the original Hot Rodders joined by special guests Tony Cranney, Russ Strutter, Lew Lewis, Steve Weston and Paul Gray, gathering together for crowd-rousing encores of Woolly Bully and Get Out of Denver

Both mags are available from all in the know newsagents

Retro-Phenia presents: Bif Bam Pow and the Len Price 3 at Southend's Railway Hotel tomorrow

Buckle up and behold seasiders and out-of-towners as the Retro Man Blog and Podrophenia have gathered together to bring you a three course menu of Thames-bred treats for your consumption this Saturday at Southend's most musical boozer - The Railway Hotel....

Starters: all the way from Memphis Canvey - Oil City rockers Bif Bam Pow, bring you the best in R 'n' B, boogaloo and estuary fed belters

Mains: imported from the Kent-side of the Thames Delta, Medway mods and power-poppers the Len Price 3, will be booming around the room with tunes from their minty new compendium Nobody Knows..

Desert (or cheese board): An aftershow in the bar with Podrophenia pals Piley and the other one, pinging in shakers and stompers until Chucking out-O-Clock...

It all starts at 8:30 Southend Central Time. But, best arrive early though - as we've got gig-goers (Miss Liz) coming all the way from Memphis Holland for this one...

Salut and see you there...

Spring Breaks

It's that time of year to follow the migration patterns of gnarly hippies and frazzled rockers through the ages  - and go green and escape to the country..

After a last minute spin to cobbled and cosy Medieval Rye last summer, we're itching for a revisit to sunny Stow on the Wold. Our 12th visit, has been booked, and we'll be rolling around the wolds for a while. Albums packed in the holiday hamper include newbies from  Sharon Jones, the Len Price 3 and Beck



But before we pack up and ping off - I'll be spinning in a few tunes at The Railway tonight, around Oil City Rollers - Bif Bam Pow booming out their Thames Delta R 'n B and Estuary boogie...

Expect this freshly pressed retro-groover from the House of Blow Up to make an appearance during the wing-ding..




While I'm away - I'll re-plant a spring mix from backawhiles..

April Flowers

Podrophenia: Dial E for Easy Listening. Dial P for Podcast

The latest Podrophenia podcast is now up for download. Wherein we bring you, not *one* - but TWO world exclusives from Eight Rounds Rapid - an album track and an SFOB session recording

Reveal how to get involved with the new Lee Brilleaux biog... Bring you up to speed with the Eye-bombing phenomenon, splain what's On The Buzzes - and tell all about why SFOB George (6 foot 6 and robustly bearded) was shopping for dresses.

Get all the answers, plus a playlist of fine and funky tunes - from within the The Podrophenia Easy Listening Collection below in any format you like

Stream


MP3

Itunes

Radio Podrophenia: The World of Easy Listening

Slip into your leisure slacks, dust down your satin smoking jacket - pour something long and clinky from the drinks cabinet, and let Podrophenia soothe you with two hours of tunes as we make our March return with an Easy Listening special...

It's a theme chosen by Alan McPhail. Expect a few new spins on some cheesier artists, and lesser known nuggets by lounge-core lovelies from Piley and self: safari suited singers getting on the good foot, country twangers going funky, divas doing disco - and a Northern Soul cover that out-stomps the original...

All this and a universally exclusive airing of an Eight Round Rapid track from the due-soon album. Slink your way to Ship Full of Bombs from 8 pm tonight or chip in with the chat hereabouts 

One on the sub's bench  Hugo Strasser's Schlager take on the Sabb's

Podrophenia's Top Ten Cover Versions....

Earlier in the week, Piley and I were very kindly asked by our local (and award winning) newspaper The Echo to pick a pocketful of covers for the Top Ten feature which gets a regular run-out in Wednesday's Scene supplement.

It's a tough call distilling down a fizzing list of possible plays to just five a piece. But we pulled it off and the final countdown is presented below. One to five are mine, six to ten - Piley's

If you fancy checking the reviews, relevant vids and lending your ears for a listen - beam yourself here... 

Vive Le Rocking

The minty new edition of that most Rock 'n' Roll of magazines is now on sale at all in-the-know newsagents and records shops..

Vive Le Rock ish seventeen brings you up to date with all the latest news from punk, rock and new wave heavy-hitters. The Stranglers, Adam Ant, and Marc Almond interviewed by Friend of the PM Blog - Barry Cain.. You can catch a second part of the Marc interview on Barry's always excellent Flexipop! blog here

As well as Sid vicious, the Stones and Wilko features  there's an update on what's a popping with our pals The Mutants mentioned last in the summer of '13

Contributions from me include reviews of newbies from Nightmare Boyzzz and The Peckham Cowboys re-issues by Daniel Ash and The Damned's Tikki Nightmare DVD/CD combo, a spitfire set with one of my cherished Damned tunes - at their most psych-poppily splendid..

Radio Podrophenia Podcast - The Letter S, with Glass Brides in session...

What a bundle of beauties and beats we bring you in that latest Podrophenia.

Tune-wise, you'll find tracks from The Stands, The Supremes and Sue Records.

Session-wise: we bring you four Glass Brides exclusives. Both sides of the due-soon single 'White Gold' B/W 'Seven (PartII)'. Also live acoustic refits of a Chaka Khan classic - and a stripped down version of 'Parasite' appearing on the Glass Brides EP Nature of the Beats



Natter-wise: expect some hash-tagging on lazy bands and songs, and Scottish Bowie songs.

All here in either iTunes or MP3 editions

Radio Podrophenia: live tonight - S is for sessions, ships and 'sclusives...

Calling all Southenders, out-of-towners and internet wireless types – tonight the February edition of Radio Podrophenia is brought to you by the Letter S from the Podrophonic alphabet.

Expect - shimmying, shaking, something from Sue Records by way of Guy Stevens – and a surprise appearance from Pellicci legend Jukebox Jimmy.

For our first live session of 2014, Southend’s Nu Trip-Hoppers - the Glass Brides, will be bringing their widescreen beats and cinematic soundtracking to the Shipful of Bombs studio. But behold – exclusive news as the Brides are revealing an exclusive freshly pressed tune (Seven Part II) never before aired *anywhere* in the entire known universe..

The official page for this Thursday night shindig – is here

Feel free to chip in and natter away with us via Chatwing

Rewire your dials from 8pm tonight and SFOB , for Glass Bombs on Shipful of Brides, or is it the other way round... Salut and see you hereabouts



Glass Brides on Soundcloud

Glass Brides FB page

60 Minute Man: Jukebox Jimmy's Guide to Motown

e

Photo by Colin O' Brien - from the always excellent Spitalfields Life

For the third installement of Jukebox Jimmy's Guide to music - we bring you a JBJ Motown special. Wherein Jim picks his favourite tracks, tunes and Tamla tales. All hand-ripped from his very own vinyl library

Ballads, belters and tear-jerkers (literally) are contained within the collection.

So let Jukebox Jim take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of London and Detroit for the next hour

Sixty Minute Man - JBJ guide to Motown



The previous Sixty Minute editions are below should you fancy backtracking

Summer Sounds

JBJ Guide to Music