sound of the suburbs

So the last two tracks from the the lost second Adorable album 'Fake'. I have discovered that there is an adorable fan in Lyon, France and that there is another in Italy who covered 'Sunshine Smile' with his band. Apart from these two readers you have been very quite So maybe there are just three of that appreciate the band!

9 . 'Road Movie'

10. 'Have You Seen The Light'

I guess you have realised that it's that time of the year, and so tomorrow I will be on my way to the wonderful island of Corsica to join my two sons and their mother who are lucky enough to have spent the last 10 days there, I won't be back until August 13. Seeing as the part of the island that I go to is rather isolated, meaning no electricity and no land phone lines even the mobile is not reliable there, so the blog is on hold for a few weeks. One of the great things about going there, apart from the weather and the sea and the scenery is that I get to catch up with my reading, 'Rip It Up And Start Again' for example, and also with listening to music, I've just loaded my hard drive mp3 player with loads of goodies.

Now It wouldn't be fair of me to disappear and leave nothing for ears , would it? And I have a nice little treat for you, a previously unheard of live recording of Cat Power from her 1998 French tour when she stopped off at the Rockstore in Montpelllier. There are eleven songs and a little chat, the gig was taken direct from the soundboard and edited by my in house sound man Fabrice Leblanc, unfortunately the recording is incomplete. I must confess that despite having had my copy of this for eight years I have never been bothered to get the track listing together, so if anyone would care to leave it on the comments section that would be fine by me. Song 1, Song 2, Song 3, Song 4, Song 5, , Song 7, Song 8, Song 9, Track 10, Song 11, Song 12. These files will be taken down August 15, you have been warned there will be no second chances!

As is often the case there is a tale that accompanies this concert and above all explains Track 10. Regular readers will know by now that I spent a large part of the 90's as a local promoter in Montpelllier and as such have had the chance to meet many artists, don't worry I'm Not Going to bore you with a long list of names. The Cat Power concert in question was one of mine. As chance would have it the date was December 5 and so it was the day that followed my annual alcohol binge to celebrate me living through yet another year, I can't remember but I don't suppose that I was on top form that day. Pre-sales were good and so we were expecting a good turn out. I had been warned by Chan Marshal's French agent that she was unpredictable and so I didn't know what to expect. Things went as usual on the afternoon: get-in, setting up the backline, taking the band to the hotel, local press, soundcheck, visibly with no problems. It was after the soundcheck that I started talking to Chan and she came over as an intelligent and witty person who was not at all reserved as was her reputation. By the end of the afternoon we found ourselves at the venues bar with me standing her a couple of glasses of red wine before she disappeared. The start of her set went ok though I will admit that she did ramble on a bit which spoilt the pace of things, Fabrice has done a great editing job on this. Now as promoter my place was not front stage, though I did always try to catch at least the beginning and end of the shows. So it was that I was at an outside bar when someone came running from the hall to get me, Chan was thirsty! This can be heard on Track 10. This was why I found myself wading through the crowd to leave a glass of best French red wine at the feet on Chan Marshal on the stage of the Rockstore. I think that the touring was starting to get to her though I would not agree with her that she messed up. After her set she disappeared and I was never to see her again, much to the relief of my girlfriend who showed signs of jealously.

I hope you liked the story and the recording, and I hope you'll be back soon!

today's post concerns a little known (?) UK band from the nineties called Back To The Planet. The actual inspiration on my part comes from the stupid and dangerous situation in the middle east. The song in question starts of with some low key speed metal guitar before a hammond comes crashing in to be followed by a high pitched female voice singing the title lines. As the song develops we get a strong stomping beat with half rapped half sung vocals, this is topped off with some tasty oriental inspired licks and sublime reggae fills. All said and done it sounds very much a summer song, very uplifting. And the title 'Please Don't Fight' , I know it sound very naive and if only things were as simple as seen through the eyes of Back To The Planet, another example of their hippy naive ideals is the more dub influenced 'Starved By Ignorance'. Both songs are taken from the bands long deleted debut album from 1993 'Mind And Soul Collaborators'.

So who were they? Formed in 1989, they met while unemployed and while they were squatting a disused unemployment benefit office. They made their own melting pot from the music that influenced them Ska, punk, rave ......... and quickly became a regular fixture at UK underground free festivals and clubs. Keeping true to their ideals they released their own cassette 'Warning To The Public' that managed to sell 5000 copies by word of mouth alone. It was around this period that I became aware of the band, while DJing for the 89.9 in Montpellier I was still a regular reader of NME, this was before I lost the faith or they the direction, I'm still not sure which came first. Always looking for new ideas NME published a UK campus chart for a few months, this was compiled by a promotions company specialising in students called Streets Ahead. I contacted them with a view to basing a regular program on their chart, one of the results of which was that for the next two years they sent me regular packages of the latest singles and albums. And so it was that I first heard Back To The Planet's debut 12" Revolution of Thought', and loved it. Despite their involvement in the squatters movement and the free festivals and the rave scene and being so outspoken against the Criminal Justice Act (ask your older brother or sister) the band were snapped up by the major Parallel, who released their album and a hand full of singles. Their live popularity was not to have a crossover effect on record sales and 'Please Don't Fight' and 'Daydream' were both flops and their label lost patience and dropped them. The band continued, well there are free festivals and squats everywhere, aren't there? The last I heard of them was a self released album called 'Messages After The Bleep' in 1995, which I've never heard, so if anyone does have a copy..........Since then everything seems quite maybe they are still going but I rather doubt it, a google search didn't come up with much and there does not appear to be a web site.

Wire are not my favorite band, though I must admit to being quite partial to their first two albums. Despite this they are a band that I respect for the simple reason that they have principles, or at least one that other artists would do well to heed to. And the principle is that they record when they have got something valid to say and when it interests them, this means that we have never had contract filler half hearted, half prepared albums from them, this is probably why they have only released only ten albums during a 30 year lifespan.

The band met up art school, which was a breeding ground for musicians in the UK, and got together under the name Wire in 1976. The following year saw them gigging in London, and it was at one of those gigs at the Roxy club, they were to feature on the Punk cash-in album 'Live At The Roxy,London WC2', that the contact was made with EMI for whom they went on to release three albums. Their 1977 debut 'Pink Flag' remains a classic to this day, 21 songs in just over 30 minutes; true to punks amphetamine ideals! A second album in spring of the following year, 'Chairs Missing' was the proof that they weren't in the same league as your average Punk band. The album used keyboards to give a more complex sound without losing the harsh minimalism of the debut. They almost had a hit single in 'Outdoor Miner' were in not for them being caught up in the scandal of EMI rigging the charts. Their last album for EMI was 1979's '154' considered my many to be their finest moment, this was the first occasion that they really profited from the possibilities of the recording studio. Their relationship with EMI was not to last and they found themselves without a deal, and played their final gig in February 1980. They were resurrected five years later and have been an on/off concern ever since. Three albums in the 80's, two in the 90's and only one so far this century, though there is still time for another or would this spoil the mathematical model?

I'm not sure that they were really Peel favorites, though they did record three sessions in their first life span and only one since since reforming. Today's song come from their first session in January 1978 and is called 'I Am The Fly', and so now maybe you can guess the inspiration behind this choice, what with the heat 38° yesterday and the day before and today and tomorrow and so the damn things, flies that is, are everywhere. This having been said I do actually like the song as it displays well how they were a highly inventive post punk band doing justice to their art school roots. The song has a great raw stripped to basics sound falling somewhere between the Cramps and early Pink Floyd, and that's not as bad as it sounds on paper!

A little round up of artists that that I have recently discovered that have new releases that are well worthy of your attention.

First up is James Hunter with his fourth album 'People Will Talk' out now on Rounder. Possible an artist destined to stay a critics choice with maybe success in the States, as he is probably about as unfashionable as it is possible to be. After devouring his grandmothers collection of 78's he has become suburban Essex's best blue eyed soul singer. Often compared to Van Morrison, Hunter had been taken under his wing having appeared on a couple of Van's late nineties albums. Morrison has even gone as far a describing him as having "one of the best voices and being one of the best kept secrets in British R'n'B and soul" heady stuff indeed check out this song 'People Gonna Talk' not the most original of songs but it makes me think of Sam Cooke and that can't be a bad thing. Listening to the song I find it hard to believe that it was recorded in Londons East End in the 21 century.

Quinn are from Glasgow, Scotland and I fell under their charm the first time I heard 'Slowmotion Smile' which is from their second album 'Luss'. Rumour has it that Kid Loco turned down an invitation to work with Madonna as he preferred collaborating with Quinn on this album. Quinn are comprised of Louise Quinn and Bal Cooke, and claim wide and varied unfluences such as Lou Reed, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, The Clash and also jazz singers such as Ella Fitzgerald. This song for me is not that far removed from Janis Joplin and Beth Orton two female artists that always gone down well with me.

Last up an other band releasing their second album, generally speaking a band that uses their name as the title of their second album could be suspected of lacking imagination. With Razorlight this is not the case as can be heard on 'In The Morning', a song that got me feeling all nostalgic, it manages very well to sound like the bastard son of the Clash and Franz Ferdinand. Recorded very simply in the studio with a minimum of technological aid, this approach has paid off, an album clocking in at 35 minutes with its ten songs, just like the good old days. Guitars sounding like guitars and being played at the same time as the rhythm section. Johnny Borrell has a very nice way with words and a pleasant voice and catchy melodies, so what more could one ask for? The only question I have is are they good live?

Yesterday I posted something from gods gift to Zippo salesmen, Serge Gainsbourg, while admitting that it is not his greatest song in my defense I can say that it was at least topical as is the subject of today's post, his daughter, Charlotte. First up happy birthday, this I know not because I'm a fan, I'm not, but because I heard it on the radio this morning, 35 today. The reason that she is in the news is that her second album '5.55' is due for a late August release. Her day time job always been acting, she has performed in over thirty films, her career mirrors that of her mother mother Jane Birkin who is a well established actress who dabbles in music from time to time, often with good results though it must be said that she has difficulty shaking off the ghost of the great Serge. Charlotte's first album, 'Charlotte For Ever', dates from when she was thirteen and was a collection of song written for her by her father. She also scored a shock hit with the father / daughter duet 'Lemon Incest' that was promoted with a video of Serge half naked on a bed with Charlotte. This was just one of a long list anti establishment shock tactics that were to add a bit of spice to the French media.

I don't know the motivation behind this first album for 22 years but I must say that she has managed to gather together an impressive list of collaborators. Recorded in Paris with Nigel Godrich producing, yes the same Nigel that was behind the controls for Radiohead. the music has been largely composed by the duo that are Air, Charlotte was assisted with the lyrics by heavy weights Neil Hannon and Jarvis Cocker. Something for you to listen to, that I found on a recent cover mounted CD, 'AF 607105' which is to be found on the album. Those of you wishing to hear more can do so on her myspace page where there are two other songs to be streamed. I must admit to not knowing if the album is to be released outside of France, Amazon UK are not listing it, still this should be no problem as two or three clicks and you can buy it from Amazon France or Fnac the list of French sites is endless.

The summer holidays are here, for the French it is the whole of the months of July and August, for the English they get 6 weeks from mid July onwards, I believe the other side of the pond it's earlier but maybe I'm wrong. Anyway whenever your holiday period falls, it is rightly a period that youngsters make good use of to travel. I can confirm that this was very much my case, when younger I profited and saw most of Europe both East and West, met some great people and had many relationships with members of the opposite sex, this more often than not being for very short periods of time. I consider myself to have been lucky to have lived this experience just before aids reared it's ugly head, and for me safe sex was more a case of being careful not to do your back in than a simple but possibly life saving reflex. How times have changed. We have gone through a period when everyone was aware and condoms were everywhere being almost a fashion accessory. I hear that we have become a little bit slack in terms of protection these last few years and that the disease is on the increase above all in heterosexual circles. Now as I know only too well the summer recess is a great times for meeting the opposite sex or the same sex, take your pick, the only problem is that, maybe it's the heat I don't, our guard has a tendancy to be down. So kids this summer use your brain and your dick and slip a rubber envelope over the end of it. You'll be doing youself and your partner(s) a big favor. Think of it this way, you are a team player and the team is the human race.

And the music for today:

Frankie Goes To Hollywood 'Relax (New York mix)

Serge Gainsbourg 'Sea, Sex And Sun (version anglaise)

Really not much to say today just some links. Adorable's leader Piotr Fijalkowski has his own site where he expresses himself and also tell the Adorable story here.

And of course the songs for today:

7. 'Radio Days'

8. 'Go Easy On Her'

The Last two songs will be up next Wednesday, maybe in the meantime some of you would care to leave your thoughts using comments as believe me sometimes it gets rather lonely out there in blog-land.

It's hot, it's summer and mini skirts are everywhere you look as hormone levels are reaching overload, so what better way to celebrate the season than the release of the new Peaches album. This third LP from the vulgar Canadian sexual liberation warrior is brought to you courtesy of XL Recordings and has the topical title of 'Impeach My Bush' nice bit of word play there. It differs from its predecessors in so far as it would appear that she has firmly embraced rock 'n' roll, there are real drums and real guitars as in AC/DC, Big Balls anyone? The album's opener 'Fuck Or Kill' is a pure teen rebel yell that at 49 seconds long does not outstay its welcome. She raps and spits out the following chant "I'd rather fuck who I want/than do what I'm told to" over some of the best raw tribal drumming heard since Adam said good bye to the Ants. On her previous album 'Father something or the other' she had used a loop from Joan Jett's 'Bad Reputation', and so this time round she has invited the original leather clad Cherry Bomber to play the rock goddess herself, Joan lends her meaty guitar chords to 'You Love It' and yes girls , that we do. Needless to say I think it's a great album and well worth your time, money and ears.

If you are going to Reading or Leeds this year do try and catch her as she is busy rehearsing with a real live rock band, crowd surfing made in the USA! It of course goes without saying that our North American and Canadian friends will have ample chance to see Peaches live this summer, check out her web site for dates.

P.S. Her mother calls her Merrill Nisker and legend has it that a home she's a good girl and always sits with her legs crossed!

P.P.S. Sorry if the language offended any of you but as the old mantra goes Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll !

John Peel's had a long term love affair with reggae, I can remember many a next day where I would try and track down some 12" import that he had spun the previous night. His support for this musical idiom did not stop with Jamaican artists and he was only to happy to give a helping hand to UK talent, one of these bands was Southall's Misty In Roots who delivered 9 sessions between 1979 and 2002. Misty were highly active in the UK's sadly necessary Rock Against Racism movement and through this connection they met up with another local band who were beginning to mix punk and reggae and were to do so with much better results than other bands. Misty had started their own record label, People Unite, and were only to happy to release the debut single from their new friends the Ruts. Upon hearing the single Peel wasted no time and got the band in for a January 1979 session were they laid down 'Babylon's Burning' a classic slice of Uk punk with a monster riff that would be latter rerecorded for their first single for Virgin. They went on to record 4 sessions and for their 3rd they recorded this superior version of 'In a Rut' which was of course the song that graced their vinyl debut. Arguably the band were destined for great things but this was not to be as singer Malcolm Owen a long time heroin abuser who had cleaned up took a fatal overdose on July 11 1980. They left behind them a handful of top singles an impressive debut album "The Crack" and the record label cash in demos and out takes album "Grin And Bear It". the three remaining member regrouped under the name Ruts DC, the DC being an abbreviation of the Latin da capo, new beginning, but without Malcolm the spark had gone.

They are one of the few bands that I really do regret never having seen on stage as I'm sure that their reputation as one of the better of the second wave of UK punk was also borne out on stage.

For the last week the temperature has been on the rise here, we are looking at 37°/38° daytime with the night temperature staying above the 20° mark. Add to this the fact that I can't remember the last time I saw any real rain, so I guess you could say summer has arrived. 2003 saw the French government caught with their trousers down. The country suffered an extended heatwave through the summer holiday period and it has been estimated that 15,000 elderly people died of heat related causes. The French health minister was disposed of as he had the bad luck of being on holiday at the time and so was absent when decisions had to be taken. The Government were the target of public disrest over the subject, though arguably we could put the blame on the families that went on holiday leaving their elders to fend for themselves. The result was that the working population were punished when a day of national solidarity was introduced, the way it works is that a public holiday was suppressed and we work for free that day while our employer, who arguably benefits from the situation, pays the government the social security charges for the days work from his workforce. This is typically French in the way that it is complicated and does not achieve it's objective. The money raised does not appear to have changed awful lot. The Government also introduced a warning system for heatwaves, where I live we have been on level 3 out 4 for the last five days. What I think people tend to forget is that here in the south of France the summers are hot and this is normal, as is it normal that older people die in larger numbers when the temperature soars or dip, regrettable as it may be this is just mother nature regulating things, and it's always been like this.

As someone who grew up in the UK in the sixties I have a long and deep love of Motown, a music that during its golden era was full of life and festive, summer music I guess you could call it, there was of course the darker more politically aware side that rose its head as the decade drew to a close which also gave us some excellent tunes as in Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On' which sadly is as relevant today as it was 35 years ago. So I though why not a little bit of tamla today First up two tunes from Martha & the Vandellas their 1963 Holland Dozier Holland penned hit '(Love Is Like A) Heatwave', and from the following year a song that Mick Jagger and David Bowie managed massacrecre in the name of famine relief 'Dancing In The Streets' for which Marvin Gaye shared a writers credit. Another pair of songs from the Temptations this time, their 43 top ten hits spread over 25 years makes them one of the most successful groups of all time. Staying with a weather theme I have chosen 'I Wish It Would Rain' from 1967 and the following years Grammy winner 'Cloud Nine'. The four songs here today were remastered from the original single masters and as such are the versions that climbed the US and UK charts, and not the stereo remixed versions that appeared on many compilations.

A footnote to this post: I recently picked up a copy of the documentary 'Standing In The Shadows Of Motown' which is well worth you time it being the history and a tribute the musicians that formed Motown's multi-racial house band.

Songs 5 and 6 are up today, a little reminder each pair of songs will only be linked for one week. Some 12 years after the albums release the critics still rate the album the general consensus is that it is a good as their debut 'Against Perfection' but lacked the indie hit singles to give it a little push. Trouser press even go as far a saying it is a "more coherent, ambitious album that flows better than it's predecessor, it possesses twice the bite, more interesting guitar passages and an underlying obstinacy that fuels the immaculately built tunes" so I guess they liked it. It does make you wonder what they would have done next if they had stayed totether.

5. 'Lettergo'

6. 'Kangaroo Court' this song which was also available as a single, was in many ways the band describing their relationship with the press "I know I'm losing my appeal / because I was hung drawn and quartered before my trial / without the privilege of denial". Very much a case of those that play with fire...............

This mid nineties Scottish band released two albums with both great names and cover art work, and I'm pleased to say that after having dug out their two offerings recently that their music is standing the test of time. I had the pleasure of seeing them when they were touring their first album in November 1995. Whet really struck me was how they came over as one of the last real touring bands. By this period it was very rare to see a band on tour with their own PA system, bands tended to rely on local promoters or halls to provide what was necessary, but Baby Chaos had their own rig, nice big heavy tatty wooden boxes filled with all you needed to make a loud rock noise and break a roadies back. Upon chatting to the band I discovered that the reason they toured with their own PA was that it was build by friend and he had done a great job as they delivered an excellent set despite the audience not being too numerous.

A little bit of history Baby Chaos come from the beef raising area of the highlands known as Ayrshire, formed by Chris Gordon, when he realised he would not make the grade as an international footballer and Grant McFarlane the bands line up gelled in early 1993 and they started gigging on the notorious toilet circuit ie wherever you could get a gig. They were rewarded with a contract with East West in August of the same year and continued touring the following year they played 130 uk gigs and cemented a lasting relationship with Elastica. Inbetween their live appearances they recorded their debut album 'Safe Sex, Designer Drugs And The Death Of Rock And Roll' which was released in 1995, it was while touring this album that I saw them, they also made their first trip to the States supporting Elastica. They released a second album 'Love your Self Abuse' in 1996 and as with their debut, lack of record company interest did not help sales despite the glowing critics on both sides of the Atlantic. Health problems led to drummer Davy Greenwood quitting the band, the remaining three members regrouped with a new drummer under the name Deckard, and are still a going concern today.

Some chosen phrases from different critics to describe the band:

The common thread in all of these quotes is their classic pop sensibility married with their energy, they were not the most original band in the world and I would agree that they owe a certain debt to Smashing Pumpkins but what they did they did well and it still gives me pleasure listing to them. Try 'Superpowered' from their debut album or the 'Kicking Things' from 'Love Your Self Abuse' both of which are still present in Deckard's live sets.

John Peel was well known for his support of left field acts does anyone remember the Notsensibles? Sometimes these acts would go onto greater things as was the case with the Fall and Wedding Present while at the same time staying honest to themselves and so remaining Peel bands. Another band that can be added to this list is the wry post punk outfit with a sense of humour from Birkenhead, Merseyside Half Man Half Biscuit. Formed in the early eighties more for something to do with their abundant free time than a calculated career move, in their own words the band was merely a way of getting through the day, in their early days they didn't even look for gigs to play! The band's bassist Neil Crossley had got himseld the job of caretaker at a local rehearsal studio, it was trough the contacts made here that they got to record that all important demo tape. True to the bands attitude they decided it would be a laugh to do the rounds of record companies with their tape. After numerous refusals the recording fell upon the ears of Liverpool label Probe's owner Geoff Davies who was keen to release an album. And so in 1985 'Back In The DHSS' saw the light of day. As luck would have it Davies had sent a test pressing to Peel who fell under their charm, hardly a surprise really with their savage mockery of minor British celebrities living the everyday tedium that is life on the dole. And so their very first session was arranged and 'Trumpton Riots' where the band use a UK childen's program as the setting for something altogether more mundane and sinister is from this November 1985 recording. They rapidly gained a fan base and their debut album was to be the biggest selling independent record of 1996. It appeared nothing could stop them as another single 'Dickie Davies Eyes' was poised to give them that all important crossover hit, they spit. Arguably this could have been predicted as they refused to play ball with the media, turning down prime time TV appearances because their football team had a home game even the offer of a helicopter to fly them to the match could not get them before the cameras. So it was that their reluctance to embrace a rock 'n' roll life style led to their 1986 return to ordinary life from where their inspiration had come.

They got back together again in 1990 and are still going to this very day, musically they may have become a little more sophisticated but without main songwriter Nigel Blackwell diluting his savage humour as displayed in his whimsical tales that illustrate his downbeat view of life. They are not going to become mega stars and this suits them just fine, an album every few years (still on Probe), some gigs from time to time, a loyal fan base and the freedom to to do as they please such as on their latest album 2005's 'Achtung Bono'.

A promise is a promise and so this has got to be quick. I have very little spare time this week add to this the fact that my two boys are on their summer holidays ( 2 months ), and that in theory the computer is for the family and so they are trying to make up for lost time, as they discover the delights of playing on line! So there is no real text today just the next two songs from this album.

3. Man In A Suitcase

4. Submarine

With a bit of luck something approaching normal service will be resumed next week.

To illustrate the importance of the Peel sessions we can use the example of Siouxsie and the Banshees. The band, as everyone knows, was formed by members of the so called Bromley Contingent, who were amongst the Sex Pistols first fans. Their very first gig was at London's 100 club in 1976 supporting their mentors, at this period Sid Vicious filled the drum seat. For reasons that I still fail to see the band had trouble finding a deal, while all around them lesser bands were being signed up. It was in many ways John Peel who came the the rescue as the band recorded their first two sessions for him in December 1977 and February 1978, these sessions were aired well before the band signed to Polydor, thus letting a wider public know what all the fuss was about. At this period I spent a lot of my free time in Camden Town, which was a place where you could easily pick up bootlegs and I was more than happy to part with my money in exchange for a cassette of these first two session. These very two sessions were to see an official release some twenty years later on the American Dutch East India Trading label, rather a shame they they couldn't have spent more effort on the album cover. These eight songs capture a band kicking against the odds while refining their songs to the dense sound that would become their 1978 classic debut album 'The Scream'. 'Metal Postcard' was recorded for the first session and would later appear on 'The Scream' and 'Hong Kong Garden' is from the second and was the song chosen as their debut single, originally not on the album.