Birthday’s | Roddy Frame

Happy birthday to Roddy Frame, born in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire on this day in 1964.

I was just sharing with the guys at Route who posted the above with a video of Aztec Camera (‘Obvious”of course) that I was only checking on Roddy’s web page yesterday as to whether he had posted anything and he has been given to say something, usually just a nod and a thanks for those acknowledging his birthday, but there has been nothing for a while [since 2023]! What I would give for a new solo album! Fine songwriter and underrated guitarist. We hope all is well and meanwhile . . . . . 

Roddy Frame - On The Avenue (live) - Later With Jools Holland - 02/12/1995

 . . . . . inspired by an Ivor Cutler song!

this if for the guys at

Route

check out his shop and go treat yourself to some solo work the live albums are especially good if you don’t have them

Roddy Frame

Sound of The Day :: Aztec Camera ‘Down The Dip'

Down The Dip by Aztec Camera

Thanks to Alice over at O My Soul who reminds me of my interest in Roddy Frame

I found him of course through Aztec Camera and here we begin to see the ‘progression’ towards his later solo work of which I am pretty sure I have everything and after buying things from his website including live albums I am pretty sure they come straight from Roddy himself and he deserves way more success as a solo artist than thus far he has seen. 

Some of his later songwriting is frankly staggering stuff I reckon

Roddy Frame - Somewhere In My Heart live at the songwriters circle night 2010

Recorded Live in London for the 'In The Round' or 'Songwriters Circle' series. 

Graham Gouldman of 10cc and Neil Finn of Crowded House also took part. 

TV MEWSIC!

Reflecting that I come across quite a lot of music via background or theme music for tv programmes caused me to think back . . . . . . The advertisement on the Beeb for their new series 'Close To The Enemy' which I haven't seen yet has a clip from the Icelandic band Kaleo and in researching it find it has been used all over the place on adverts and US tv programmes too. Overkill? How did they make the decision to sell it's performance across the globe. Does it work that it is used multiple time?
I discovered a lot of really fine fine music and ended up following some for ever. Emily Barker and her theme for the Wallender series with Ken Branagh had me ending up following her and buying albums and keeping up with everything she does. The really biggest event for me was finding Wilful Missing via 'Waterloo Road' (I know!?) now this is interesting as I don't know who was responsible for this but (for me and my taste) this was exptraordinary. I wouldn't have followed Waterloo Road much but found it on and suddenly sat up at the song used (Constitution Failed) and have followed them and bought all their stuff ever since. Waterloo Road used four Wilful Missing tracks and this of course made me check the programme out again despite not caring for it too much the music and soundtrack caused me to return. Their track ‘DIY’ was used in episode 2 of series 7, and both ‘Cry For The City’ and ‘Constitution Failed’ featured in episode 12 of the same series,  then their ‘Blue Poetry’ was included as the final song in episode 13. Someone on the production team was obviously a fan 



Kaleo - Way Down We Go
the version on the tele . . . used for the new crime thriller 'Close To The Enemy' but has been used a heck of a lot on 'Orange is The New Black' in the USA and adverts for hair products too. . . . . Google reports "Multiple television placements including Orange is the New Black, Blindspot, Suits, Vinyl, Grey's Anatomy, Empire, The Leftovers, Frequency, Frontier and more"
Lead singer has an astonishing voice blues growl for one so young and handsome, he sounds almost like some Southern Blues grower about 55 years old but it's a nice track I reckon




I think I found the work of Emily McGuire this way too though can't quite track her song 'Start Over Again' back yet but highly recommend checking her out too. She's on her fifth album . . . . . .


Another is the wonderful Stephen Fretwell who's song 'Run' was used as the theme for all the Gavin and Stacey comedy series so more people than just me must have searched him out (I hope) doesn't seem to have been THAT prolific but has done some wonderful stuff . . . . . . .



Click this link for the TV version from 'Close To The Enemy'
http://smarturl.it/KaleoAB



I can go back earlier too. Being a fan of the fantastic series 'The Sopranos' and everything about it, the cast especially and the writing but also the soundtrack and especially the theme, imagine my shock to discover the band behind the theme 'Woke Up This Morning' as a British band based and formed in Brixton London..... Alabama 3 for me have never quite matched up to the promise of this single but it ensured I did keep an eye on them ever since hearing the theme song over and over every week. Another of my early TV theme favourites was 'Early Doors' TV comedy which used the wonderful Roddy Frame song 'Small World' which I knew before but the principle still stands I reckon . . . . . hearing it every week made me sit up and smile and I ended up following Roddy even more and buying his albums including live performances from him direct



It works and this strikes me as a 21st Century device . . . . . gone are the days when we just watched Top of The Pops and found American bands like The Lovin' Spoonful or home spun acts like Dusty Springfield here we merely turn on the TV and find Icelandic bands taking over the airwaves