K says : "I decided to put together my own compilation of 200 of the very best female alternative anthems of the 1990s.
Before Beyonce, Taylor, and Rihanna were the resident heroines of the pop charts, the female artists we looked up to were fronting their own bands. The 90s alternative scene was more about groups than solo singers, and women lead some of the most kick-ass bands that were the soundtrack to the decade.
The Britpop era was a golden age for female musicians. Although Britpop and the “Cool Britannia” scene of the mid 90s were eventually characterised by the laddish swagger of Oasis, Blur and Loaded magazine, many of the scene’s figureheads featured women.
The likes of Elastica, Sleeper, Echobelly, Garbage, Kenickie, Saint Etienne, Catatonia, Republica, Dubstar and Lush were all fantastic female fronted bands who were just as successful as the other defining bands of the era. Justine Frischmann, Louise Wener, Sarah Cracknell, Shirley Manson and many more were all talented, intelligent gorgeous ladies making great music and creating a scene alongside Oasis, Blur, Suede and Pulp.
Prominent girl-fronted alternative and indie bands from the 90s UK scene include Elastica, Lush, Sleeper, Kenickie, and Echobelly, with the Britpop era also featuring the punk-infused sound of Skunk Anansie. These bands often blended indie rock, punk, and alternative styles.”Check it out. IT’S BRILLIANT!
Again some kind soul reminded me of this and posted a little clip of the guitar solo from Albert here (he’s a Brit tha knows) on that dread Flackennabokk but , . . . . what IS it with this clips? . . . . . "short little span of attention" . . . . . here’s the whole thing! The clip misses out on what a fine fine guitarist Ricky is . . . . .
Ricky Skaggs & Albert Lee. Country Boy From The American Music Shop
I always thought I was a bit older than the true UK Punk scene but Soo was a year younger is all!
Face of the scene and no mistake her obituary seems to describe someone on the edge of something yet always THERE! A muse and figurehead in all the photos!
Susan Lucas, better known as Soo Catwoman (1954 - September 30, 2025), was a member of London's early punk subculture. Lucas was active in the London punk scene between 1976 and 1978, where she became a muse of photographer Bob Gruen and befriended the members of the Sex Pistols.
Her distinctive, cat-influenced hairstyle is an iconic image within punk, and has led to her being featured in publications including the Guardian and News of the World. Her image has influenced other pop culture figures such as Keith Flint, and fashion designers including Junya Watanabe, Chanel, Obey and Mugler.
Sergio Leone turned down the opportunity to direct "The Godfather" (1972), in favor of working on another gangster story he had conceived earlier. He devoted ten years to this project, based on the novel The Hoods by former mobster Harry Grey, which focused on a quartet of New York City Jewish gangsters of the 1920s and 1930s who had been friends since childhood.
The four-hour finished film, "Once Upon a Time in America" (1984), featured Robert De Niro and James Woods. It was a meditation on another aspect of popular American mythology, the role of greed and violence and their uneasy coexistence with the meaning of ethnicity and friendship.
Leone was thrilled at meeting the "real" David "Noodles" Aaronson (played by De Niro), Harry Grey, and said he resembled Edward G. Robinson: "The grotesque realism of this elderly gangster who, at the end of his life, couldn't stop himself using a repertoire of cinematic citations, of gestures and words seen and heard thousands of times on the big screen, stimulated my curiosity and amused me. I was struck by the vanity of this attempt, and by the grandeur of its bankruptcy."
Leone was contracted to deliver a film that would run for two hours and forty-five minutes. His final cut was nearly four hours long. The American distributors reacted by excising an hour and twenty-five minutes from the running time (though Leone's intended cut was seen in its entirety in Europe).
"'Once Upon a Time in America' is my best film bar none, I swear, and I knew that it would be from the moment I got Harry Grey's book in my hand. I'm glad I made it, even though during the filming I was as tense as Dick Tracy's jaw. It always goes like that. Shooting a film is awful, but to have made a movie is delicious."
In his later years, Leone had a falling out of sorts with Clint Eastwood. When Leone directed "Once Upon a Time in America," he commented that Robert De Niro was a real actor, unlike Eastwood. This may have been in response to Eastwood declining to play the Irish police detective in the aforementioned film, according to one biography. However, the two made amends and reconciled before Leone's death in 1989. When Eastwood won the Oscar for "Unforgiven" (1992), Leone was one of the two directors whom Eastwood dedicated his award to (the other was Don Siegel) and the film contains the dedication "To Sergio & Don" before the end credits roll. (IMDb)
A favourite film and I consider the soundtrack [Ennio Morricone] the best in film ever!
My favourite soundtrack to a favourite film . . . Ennio and Sergio
Ry Cooder - PBS Soundstage, WTTW Studios, Chicago, IL, 11-16-1978
Paul says: Here's another episode of the "PBS Soundstage" TV show, from 1978. This one stars guitarist Ry Cooder.
Around the time of this concert, in June 1978, Cooder released the studio album "Jazz." (I don't know if the date in the title is the date of the concert or of the TV broadcast.) The sound of the album harkened back to early jazz, from about 1900 to 1930. A few of the songs are from that album: "Big Bad Bill Is Sweet William Now," "The Dream," In a Mist," " Davenport Blues," "Shine," and "Nobody," and basically the whole album has that early jazz sound.
The music here is unreleased. The sound quality is very good. There were a few problems though. One problem was that the cheering at the ends of some songs came to abrupt ends. So I did a little copying and pasting to allow for a few more seconds until the audience went silent. Also, there's some hiss. I got rid of most of that for the banter tracks, using noise reduction. But I have a rule against using noise reduction on actual songs, so I let the hiss be in those cases. It's not much hiss though.
This album is 41 minutes long.
01 Big Bad Bill Is Sweet William Now 02 The Dream [Instrumental] 03 talk 04 Jezebel 05 talk 06 Shine 07 Maria Elena [Instrumental] 08 In a Mist [Instrumental] 09 Flashes [Instrumental] 10 Davenport Blues [Instrumental] 11 Nobody 12 Comin' In on a Wing and a Prayer [Edit]
From an album that Ry has gone on record as wishing he could disown and clearly his least favourite of his own output (personally I love it and it introduced to many new sources from Joseph Spence, to several by family favourite in Bix Beiderbecke to classics like Big Bad Bill ( a personal favourite I collect versions of!) so a live recording is a real bonus as I am sure Ry wishes he had never released it. ‘Shine’ [Dabney & Mack] I grant you is a difficult listen and MAY be the sole reason he wishes it would disappear but culturally it is fairly innocuous and a history piece that can add to the debate rather than detract from it (but ole whitey prolly would say that!? ED) also, as performances go, anything that includes Maria Elena (another perennial favourite I cannot wait to give this a proper listen!)
Watch and then download . . . . . check out the version of Maria Elena if nothing else . . it has a different arrangement and added instruments than on Boomer’s Story. I hadn’t ever seen this of the Maestro and it is a treat and no mistake
the notes tell us:
In 1978 he released Jazz, a collection of songs that paid tribute to some of the genre’s earliest pioneers, including trumpeter Bix Beiderbecke (In A Mist, Flashes), while placing jazz in the wider context of popular music in the early 1900s (a take on actor and singer Bert Williams’ Nobody; Milton Ager and Jack Yellen’s Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now)). Recorded for broadcast on the long-running Chicago-based TV show Soundstage. ‘The Legendary Soundstage Broadcast 1978’ captures the guitarist backed with an 11-piece band (mandolin, horn section, vibraphone, piano bass and drums) and a gospel quartet, presenting his audience with a show that’s as much a history lesson as it was a chance to marvel at Cooder’s virtuosity.
Orchestra Arranged & conducted by Joseph Byrd
Quartet arranged by Bill Johnson
Musicians included
Art Barron, Phillip Bodner, Tom Collier, George Duvivier, Walter Kane David Lindley (mandolin on Comin’ In On Wing And A Prayer) , Phillip Namenworth, Harvey Pittel, Mark Stevens, Joe Wilder
Quartet : Jimmy Adams, Clifford Givens, Bill Johnson, Simon Pico Payne
as my favourite song Big Bad Bill fades in on the ROIO, (NB not on the video) so here’s the album version . . .any excuse!
when they found your body giant X’s on your eyes with your half of the ransom you bought some sweet, sweet, sweet sweet sunflowers and gave them to the night
again I think we have posted this one before and I still don’t care, this will have you chooglin’!
"From our recent play Mystic Lake Casino Hotel in Prior Lake, MN! π² You know it, you love it - LIVE From The #EnEspanol World Tour, it’s ‘DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY"
Zero G hat gesagt: This is the album that made Harry Belafonte's career. Up to this point, calypso had only been a part of Belafonte's focus in his recordings of folk music styles. But with this landmark album, calypso not only became tattooed to Belafonte permanently; it had a revolutionary effect on folk music in the 1950s and '60s.
The album consists of songs from Trinidad, mostly written by West Indian songwriter Irving Burgie (aka Lord Burgess). Burgie´s two most successful songs are included -- "Day O" and "Jamaica Farewell" (which were both hit singles for Belafonte) -- as are the evocative ballads "I Do Adore Her" and "Come Back Liza" and what could be the first feminist folk song, "Man Smart (Woman Smarter)."
"Calypso" became the first million-selling album by a single artist, spending an incredible 31 weeks at the top of the Billboard album charts, remaining on the charts for 99 weeks. It triggered a veritable tidal wave of imitators, parodists, and artists wishing to capitalize on its success. Years later, it remains a record of inestimable influence, inspiring many folksingers and groups to perform, most notably the Kingston Trio, which was named for the Jamaican capital. For a decade, just about every folksinger and folk group featured in their repertoire at least one song that was of West Indian origin or one that had a calypso beat. They all can be attributed to this one remarkable album. Despite the success of "Calypso", Belafonte refused to be typecast. Resisting the impulse to record an immediate follow-up album, Belafonte instead spaced his calypso albums apart, releasing them at five-year intervals in 1961, 1966, and 1971.
Nestled in the foothills of the Andes in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, the ancient site of Samaipata—commonly known as “El Fuerte"—is an awe-inspiring testament to the ingenuity of its pre-Columbian creators
THE B-52's were guests on the Dutch TV Show ToPPop, performing GIVE ME BACK MY MAN (Jun 14, 1980)
Driven by Keith Strickland’s frenetic drums, Ricky Wilson’s jagged guitar riffs, and Cindy Wilson’s impassioned lead vocal, this concert favorite exemplifies The B-52s' spirit often overlooked amidst their kitschy dance-pop reputation.
Cindy's raw vocal performance on "Give Me Back My Man" reveals surprising emotional depth behind the band's ironic exterior. Her expressive delivery grounds the absurdist lyrics in genuine feeling as she pleads:
"I'll give you fish
I'll give you candy
I'll give you everything I have in my hand
Give me, give back my man"
Rumored to be about a boyfriend eaten by a shark, Cindy later said her man may have been flushed by the Ty-D-Bol man. Beyond the cheeky subject matter, Cindy’s voice achingly conveys a sense of loss. She hasn’t sounded this genuinely mournful since. As one of the few early B-52s songs with a sole lead vocalist, "Give Me Back My Man" showcases Cindy Wilson’s talents in the group’s vocal trio with Fred Schneider and Kate Pierson. The women’s harmonies and traded lines made The B-52s’ sound so distinctive. But Cindy’s voice on this track demonstrates her ability to drive a song herself with power and pathos. Beyond Cindy’s affecting performance, "Give Me Back My Man" reveals The B-52s' ability to move past sheer novelty. Between the surf guitars and sci-fi motifs, they crafted songs with genuine feeling. Four decades later, 'Wild Planet' still enthralls listeners with its kinetic energy. But a track like “Give Me Back My Man” in particular shows The B-52s could be compelling as well as amusing
Well seeing as how we are back up and running proper (and thanks to my neighbours for allowing me to leapfrog their w-fi without whom etc etc) we need something fun and joyous to start the day . . . who better than the B52s!?
“Robyn Hitchcock and Wilco's Patrick Sansone guest on this nifty collection of Dylan covers, including a quick-on-the-draw 'I Contain Multitudes'." -UNCUT MAGAZINE
“An Emma Swift performance can bring you to the edge of tears, because her voice is both heartbreaking and heartbroken all at once. It takes a lot of resilience to be so vulnerable. She brings this strength and beauty to her upcoming album “Blonde On The Tracks,” a collection of her interpretations of Bob Dylan songs.” - Gina Frary Bacon, WFMU New York
"Australian singer-songwriter Emma Swift has recorded an album of Dylan covers titled Blonde on the Tracks which is set for release in August. And the first track she opted to release was not a familiar classic but a stunningly warm, heartfelt version of “I Contain Multitudes.” She serves it up as a hypnotic, melodic hymn, very reminiscent in style of vintage Gillian Welch, resulting in something exceptionally beautiful." - Hope Silverman, Cover Me Songs
Robyn Hitchcock & Emma Swift "Love Is A Drag" 2016 - 7”/45rpm
“Everything you want, crashes like a car,” sing Robyn Hitchcock & Emma Swift on “Love Is A Drag,” the deliciously bittersweet celebration of ardor and adoration that marks their second 7 inch release as a duo and Hitchcock’s first new music in more than two years. The vinyl single/digital download – backed by the equally paradoxical “Life Is Change” – is available from Hitchcock and Swift’s own Tiny Ghost Records.
Some months back, I posted a poll asking which musical acts would you like to see more BBC albums from. That project has taken a back seat for me in recent weeks, because I keep finding interesting stuff that I want to post first. But I'm going to keep going back to that poll until I finish. It may take me years, since there are many hundreds of albums involved, but I'll get there. Here's another one from one of the top voter getters in the poll, the Incredible String Band. This one is a full BBC concert from 1971.
I've mentioned that I'm not that keen on the music of this band, and I'm posting these albums due to the poll results. But maybe they're growing on me a bit, because I liked this one more than the previous three volumes. Perhaps it's helped by the live concert vibe, and the explanations about the songs.
This concert has been officially released in part, but not in full. Most of it was released on "Across The Airwaves" as well as "BBC Radio One Live In Concert," but a few songs were missing, as well as some of the banter. I found a full version via bootleg. The sound quality is excellent.
The album is an hour long.
01 talk by John Peel 02 Bright Morning Stars 03 talk 04 Worlds They Rise and Fall 05 talk 06 Sunday Is My Wedding Day-Drops of Whiskey-Grumbling Old Men-Eyes like Leaves [Instrumental] 07 talk 08 Spirit Beautiful 09 talk (Incredible String Band) 10 Willow Pattern 11 talk 12 Cosmic Boy 13 talk 14 Turquoise Blue 15 talk 16 Whistle Tune [Instrumental] 17 talk 18 Darling Belle 19 talk by John Peel 20 Adam and Eve 21 talk 22 You've Been a Friend to Me
“You pay attention for me As strange as it seems I’d rather dissolve than have you ignore me”
Congratulations - MGMT
I guess I should have known that Alice at O My Soul would know who MGMT were after posting the clip earlier covering the 2007 MGMT track Time To Pretend - by Patience Hodgson and featuring the late Broderick Smith and as featured on the Rockwiz clip from Down Under angst ridden writing at it’s contemporary best I thought!
