Idlewild again - Hope Is Important singles

So you'd be justified in suggesting that a second showing for Idlewild is due to a lack of bands beginning with I, but this doesn't diminish the wonder of this band (well, up to 2003 in any case). "Hope Is Important" was such a great album and the singles really defined Idlewild for who they are. Slightly poppier than their early releases whilst maintaining a pure punk edge.

"A Film For The Future" carried on where "Captain" left off. But by now, Idlewild had enough of a following to bother the singles charts. Indeed, the first three singles skirted off the edge of the top 40. This single started a trilogy of songs called "Mince Showercap" that would appear on each of these three singles. Part 1 is an aggressive song with added recipe tips.

"Everyone Says You're So Fragile" is a better song. Still fast and punky but with real pop sensibilities. "Mince Showercap (Part 2)" is another weird track, but "Theory Of Achievement" is an excellent b-side that wouldn't be out of place on the album.

"I'm A Message" was up next, now with more formats to really go at a chart place. As a result - more precious b-sides! "Mince Showercap (Part 3)" isn't really worth the plastic and metal it's encoded on. But "This Is Worse" is probably my favourite Idlewild b-side of all. It sounds a little R.E.M.-y. Also two session tracks.

Finally is "When I Argue I See Shapes" - arguably the best Idlewild song of all and one of my favourite songs 'period', as our American counterparts would put it. Not only breaking the top 40 at last, but the top 20. The video accompanying the single featured a jumping salamander every time the backing vocals shout "Shapes!". It makes me jump in the air every time it happens.

Husker Du B-sides

It wasn't until Sugar released "Copper Blue" 20 years ago that I really got into Husker Du. Starting with 'middle period', relatively obtainable albums "New Day Rising" and "Flip Your Wig" and moving further back through "Zen Arcade", "Metal Circus" and Everything Falls Apart". I've never really managed to listen to "Land Speed Record" all the way through.

At that time, the two major label releases - "Candy Apple Grey" and "Warehouse: Songs and Stories" - were out of print, so I paid through the nose for vinyl copies in second hand shops in Birmingham. I fell in love with "Warehouse..." and it remains my favourite album by them.

It was in the same shop - Plastic Factory - that I first saw a copy of the "Ice Cold Ice" 7". Displayed high up on the wall. Out of reach in more ways than one - it was £25.

It was probably another 10 years or so before I bought any of the four singles from these two Warner Bros albums. Much scarcer than the constantly repressed SST singles "Eight Miles High" and "Makes No Sense At All".

They were still between £6-8 each but much less than that original find in PF all those years ago.

And was it worth it? Well, yes. Just to own them and the lovely artwork. Musically, each single comes with one unique b-side and a bunch of live versions of album tracks. Here I include the four exclusives:

On "Don't Want To Know If You Are Lonely", an 8 minute song called "All Work And No Play" - very much in keeping with the songs from "Candy Apple Grey".

On the "Sorry Somehow" 12" you got a track called "Fattie" which is an instrumental/noise thing.

"Could You Be The One" contains the only song to have been sung by the bass player Greg Norton, called "Everytime". Not bad at all.

Finally, my beloved "Ice Cold Ice" 7", which contains a song called "Gotta Lotta" - probably the pick of the bunch.

Getta Lotta

Grandaddy singles

Happy New Year!

A random collection of singles by Grandaddy here. There have been few bands that I've so quickly got into and then quickly grown tired of in my memory as Grandaddy. When "Summer Here Kids" came out it was a breath of fresh air.

I saw them at Reading. Bought the album. Sent off for the free EP. Got some of the early singles including "Laughing Stock". Bought "AM 180" when that came out.

And then... Meh.

They fell off my radar completely. I don't even remember buying "Signal To Snow Ratio". For that matter I don't even remember listening to it before. It's from 2001 apparently.

Just the b-sides here, a mixture of oddities including a cover of Pavement's "Here".

Faith No More - early singles

 So in 1989 I was well into "The Real Thing" by Faith No More and noticed in copy of "Introduce Yourself" in Bromsgrove's Our Price. For a while, I couldn't get over the disappointment of it not being Mike Patton on vocals. But gradually, I came to love this album just as much. Particularly the two songs that were singles - "We Care A Lot" and "Anne's Song".

Funnily enough, before I'd bought "Introduce Yourself" someone had told me that the original singer was black. I thought they meant Black - the late 80's solo singer (you know, the one that did that song "Wonderful Life", real name Colin). Actually they do sound quite similar.

It was quite a while before I found out that "Introduce Yourself" wasn't their debut album. But "We Care A Lot" is a bit pants apart from "As The Worm Turns" and "Arabian Disco".

So here are some early singles - disappointing in terms of a lack of exclusive b-sides, but some good mixes. First up is "We Care A Lot" featuring the "Make Love Not War" mix and a radio edit of "Chinese Arithmetic"

Hold me near, as if you'll never let me go

A remix and dance mix of "Anne's Song"

Do whatever the hell you want to do

And the two exclusive b-sides of "From Out Of Nowhere", the single that turned me onto FNM.

One minute here and one minute there and then you wave goodbye
(Goodbye)

Oh, and Merry Christmas.

The Edmund Fitzgerald

So, yes, we all know that the Edmund Fitzgerald were the band before Foals - so enough about that. I was lucky enough to have Lina, Yannis and Jack play at Silver Rocket on many occasions. But the most memorable gig for me was when they played a Noisestar gig on the boat on the Thames. It was shortly after the release of SR50, a double CD of 50 bands that had played the first 50 Silver Rocket shows, on which EdFitz had a track "Two Broke Kids Bikes/These Wet Houston Driveways" (bloody Oxford bands and their ridiculously lengthy song titles). So here is everything I possess by the band. Two tracks from their Vacuous Pop split single with Youthmovie Soundtrack Strategies (sorry Ady), the aforementioned SR50 track, the song from their Noisestar session (sorry Rhys and Tony) and a bunch of other stuff I guess they must have given me as demos. Track listing:

1. Arg = (3-6j)(6-3j) not= pi/2
2. Cans of Rainwater
3. Rickett/Oh.. The Rustfucked Callat Drones
4. The Cosmonaut
5. De La Hoya
6. 26 Hillfield Ave.
7. Untitled 1
8. Horses
9. My Quiets Heart Sleight Of Hand
10. Untitled 2
11. Two Broke Kids Bikes/These Wet Houston Driveways

If there's any chance of this stuff being released properly at any time I will remove this link.

The Duke Spirit - early singles

I saw The Duke Spirit for the first time at one of those awful NME Award shows at the Brixton Academy. I think the other bands on the bill were The Bravery (yuck), The Rapture and someone else. And I've a feeling that it was the someone else that I'd gone there to see. Woop! Memorable gig. The Duke Spirit were on first and largely ignored. I remember watching from a distance and thinking they had something - but couldn't quite put my finger on what it was. And no, before you jump to conclusions, it wasn't Leila Moss. Now, you might think this is weird, but they actually reminded me of early Thousand Yard Stare. Not in sound or style particularly. It was a sort of laid-back English country vibe that only these two bands have ever produced. No? OK, just me then.

Indeed, it wasn't until the release of their single "Dark Is Light Enough" that I took real notice. And this time it was because of how much the song reminded me of "Black Steel" by Tricky. No? Just me again then.

But their first album and singles have a quality that they've not been able to reproduce on either of their subsequent albums in my opinion. I do like "Neptune" and "Bruiser", but these are more straight forward indie albums. "Cuts Across The Land" has something extra. An attitude. A presence. A vibe. Three things that you could never attribute to Thousand Yard Stare (what was I thinking?).

So here are five of their first six singles. I do own "Darling You're Mean To Me", but haven't ripped it at this current time. I've a feeling that both songs appeared on the album anyway. So first is the "Roll, Spirit, Roll" EP. Six tracks, of which only "Red Weather" made it onto the album.

Tequila - the puke spirit

And then four singles from the debut album, all with exclusive b-sides:

Cuts Across The Land

Dark Is Light Enough

Love Is An Unfamiliar Name

Lion Rip

Enjoy those, and pick up a copy of the Cuts Across The Land Souvenir edition, with a whole host of bonus tracks - demos, session tracks etc.

Chest - singles

OK, this one might be a little too obscure for most of you. But in 1995-6 Chest captured my heart like few other bands ever have. First, for me, was their second release "Angels". I must have heard it on the radio, possibly Mark Radcliffe, and bought the single immediately after. I went to the last Phoenix festival in 1996 having won tickets to go. I only remember two things about the festival - one, that after running out of money by Sunday morning, I found a tenner lying in the grass so that I could eat. The other was Chest, for me, the best band of the weekend.

There was something magical about the female harmonies, violin and upbeat melodies. Simon Williams must have also felt this as he released two further singles and an album on Fierce Panda before Chest disappeared soon after. A sad loss. A couple of years later, in Cambridge, I became acquainted with the very nice chap who did the artwork for them, Doug Holland (Hi Doug).

So here are the four singles they released, starting with the "Destiny Phones" 10" EP, lovingly ripped from my vinyl copy. All 4 songs are great but I particularly love "Jean Brodie" and "Listen". Listen.

Second is the aforementioned "Angels" single b/w "Panic Attack".

What have you done this time?

Next is the "Feels The Same" 7" backed with one of my favourite Chest song; "Better Now".

I don't know how that man hit that man so hard he died.

And finally, the "Aniseed" single b/w "Nosebleed".

I don't always want to be the one who jumps in first and gets it wrong.

If you can pick up a copy of their album "Mystery Superette", I suggest you do it.