Mid-Week Mix

Half way to the weekend and I don't know about you, but I need some motivation. I've put together a mix of some old and new indie/alternative rock tunes, which may do the trick. Enjoy.

This is my second attempt at home DJing using a great free program for Windows called Mixx. Definately the program to get if you are ever considering it. Easy to use and is a playground for your creativity. 

Mid-Week Mix by Mal Keenan on Mixcloud

The Good The Bad & The Ugly

Angel Eyes: Like a little music with your meal, Tuco?

Tuco: Music? Yeah, it's very good. It's very good for the digestion.

You can make your own minds up as to the category these few find themselves in ... some of the good the bad and well you know ... These few little nuggets of buried treasure are still available to buy in an Independent record shop so if you dig em go & buy them ... new bands ? new releases ? some been out a while ? .... who cares ? ..... one or two might be worth a shoot out over though have a listen ?

Little Indie Night Channel 26/1/14

A weekly Little Indie Night selection of cracking records in no order whatsoever.

Retro Review

Retro Review

Wandering down memory lane to bring you the latest retro news hot off the press!  

Record Mirror November 1978. 18p

HOT NEWS

Rampant Roddy

Superstar Rod Stewart announces 12 British Concerts in December and his long awaited album “Blondes have more fun“ is released.

Cash and Gayle Tour

Country music Stars Johnny Cash and Crystal Gayle will be touring Britain in the spring. For Johnny Cash it will be his first Tour in Four years! The three confirmed dates are Brighton Exhibition Centre, Wembley Conference Centre, and Birmingham Exhibition centre. Ticket prices are £7, £6 and £5

Pere Ubu Mystery Gig

Roll up for a mystery tour with a difference! Pay your money and get on the coach and you will be driven to a “secret location” to see Ohio new wavers Pere Ubu, picking up in London and for an all-inclusive price of £2, you will see a full set from Pere Ubu and Red Crayola.

SINGLES

Blondie - Hanging on the Telephone 

Blondie go from Strength to strength, Once the piece of meat looked at but never listened to, Debbie Harry has drilled her voice into a tool of elegance and dirty power, from one of the best pop albums in years Hanging on the telephone is the most inevitable hit this week

X RAY SPEX - GERM FREE ADOLESCENTS

Synthetic sister with the thought problem straightens out, she gets un-weirded, her product keeps in line; This is unheard of XRS. for instance it does not perform at the speed of sound the angle is SLOW DOWN, a modern ballad meets Baba o'Reilly. Synthesisers meet mechanik Shirly Bassey. Poly cracks and swallows and wades through. Sticky but not obbsessive. Perhaps not a hit. But an attempt at changes - at this career point its vital. 

IMAGES OF PUBLIC IMAGE

In a terraced house in Chelsea, wall full of posters, Floorfull of pretty good carpet. Telefull  of interference. Speakerfull of Public Image.

After the split with the Sex pistols John Lydon has moved on, Public Image as John Lydon states is a “collection of friends”

PIL have moved away from the sex pistols sound’ as Lydon spits out “there weren’t many songs the band wanted to do. They were such a bunch of Arseholes” “they wanted to do chug, chug, chug, chugchugchug”  adds wobble with a grin and a  giggle.  with songs like ‘Annalisa’ running at six minutes long ‘Theme’ and ‘religion’ Public Image Ltd by Public Image confirms  Lydon`s  ‘surprise’ expectations, Elegant writings from four levels – Voice, guitar, bass, drums surging to a coupling climax. A million miles away from the Pistols.  A million miles from anything.

Hot Chart News

Moving up from 7 to 3  Rat Trap - Boomtown Rats

Sandy by John Travolta moves up 1 to 2! 

And at Number 1 for 16 weeks with Summer Nights - John Travolta and Olivia Newton John.

and in the 

At 3, Germ free Adolescence - X - ray Spex

Coming in at 2 - Teenage Kicks - Undertones

And AT NUMBER 1 

Public Image - Public Image Limited

Finally Disco News!

This Saturday at Edmontons Pickett lock sport centre there an all-day teenage soul festival, with lots of jolly attractions including Robbie Vincent, Greg Edwards, Roger Scott and Barry Lee Martin. There are Dance competitions and a soul walking Contest!

Nikki Peck is now so busy doubling at pentagon Centre Van Dammes and Scamps he needs a fill in, Jazz Funk Jock and hes also selling his £2000 roadshow! So give him a call on Medway 573040 kids!!!!

Also This week at the War Memorial, Runcorn  'Disco Tyme' Will be playing all the smash hits for your listening pleasure.

DISCO TYME

Video of the day: Noel Gallagher reviews Oasis videos

Recently released and currently trending on social media, ten hilarious minutes of Noel finding fault with almost every video Oasis ever released. Read on.

Had he not soared to success with Oasis, Noel Gallagher could have been a stand up. His use of words when in interviews and commentary like this one shown below are hilarious. This fantastic 10-minute compilation of the best bits of Oasis DVD commentaries below, as Noel proceeds to criticise basically every part of every music video/promo.

Some of the highlights are when he compares himself in one of the videos to looking like Columbo. He summarises . "I'd grown out of the video making experience quite quickly," "By the third one I was like, this is a load of b*****ks.. standing around all day doing the same old s**t 500 times,”.

When it comes to the Whatever video Noel can’t wait to note how drunk he was. “Look how pissed I am there,” he jokes. “I remember being Liam being furious that day, because I think it’s the one time I’ve been more drunk than he is.”

My favourite quote from his commentary is this gem:

“I f*****g hate videos. I hate everything about them. I hate the fact that they cost a fortune, I hate the fact that you’ve got to be there at eight in the morning, I hate the fact that you don’t leave until eight the next f*****g morning. I don’t like the fact that the people who are making ‘em think that they’re making f******g Apocalypse Now…”

Being a big Oasis fan, I loved their videos at the time but looking back, you can release to Noel's views on them.  Some videos are so "artsy fartsy" that it's laughable now. If you are ever going to want an insight and a fair representation as to the behind the scene story of brit pop and indie rock in the 90s, Noel G is the man.

Its fair to say this vids not safe for work so probably not best to watch in work. Check it out and thank me later.

The key to indie success

Sorry about the pun in the title... I couldn't resist....    

Recently, I was asked to join an indie band.  As music, especially indie, is a passion of mine I jumped at the chance. They needed a keyboardist to add a little extra to the songs whether it be covers or originals. Having little experience with keyboards and being more familiar with the guitar, I was a little weary to say the least, but was assured that the parts would be small and easy to do. I’ve got to admit, I love it. I’ve been fast at learning the parts and have put my own stamp on things.   As I’ve been self-teaching myself the basics and melodies, I’ve delved into indie music history to find songs to cover or learn from. I’ve noticed that a well timed piano solo or powerful organ throughout the song can improve the song. 

Here’s a few gems which I’ve found / rediscovered or are important to me which include piano / organ / synth. Enjoy.

 · You Overdid it Doll – The Courteeners 

The Courteeners broke onto the indie scene with a powerhouse of indie songs with rough sounding guitar riffs and voice to match. In recent, years however, Liam Fray and co have included piano in most of their songs, which has given The Courteeners an overall new cleaner, well polished sound, whilst keeping true to their roots. This song is one of my fave songs from their 2010 Falcon album.

    

 The Only One I know – The Charlatans 

One of my all time fave indie classics featuring a strong Hammond organ sound which accompanies the vocal harmony perfectly. The slightly haunting echo of the vocals, along with the organ create a great vibe to the song that set it aside from others at the time. This was their second single which gave them their first taste at the top ten section of the charts. Here’s a fact I’ve just found out: the song contains lines from The Byrds song “Everybody’s Been Burned”

   

 · Step on – Happy Mondays 

Another all time favourite of mine. Enough said there. The song speaks for itself.  Great piano intro with a great guitar riff all the way through.

   

 · Mountains – Biffy Clyro   

Mountains is Biffys biggest hit to date, featuring some interesting piano playing at the beginning and a solo half way through. I like this song as its continuing proof the piano does go well side by side with heavy rock sounding guitars.  They incorporate pianos into many of their hits and always surprise me with their diversity.

    

 · Saturn 5 – Inspiral Carpets

This lively much loved indie classic  has a prominent fast organ sound all the way through together with really good harmonies which Inspiral Carpets excelled at doing in many of their songs.

   

 · AKA What a Life - Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds 

Noel’s most recent solo outing features this dancy number. The upbeat piano along with the drums makes it different from what you’d expect from Noel’s past stuff, which with being a big Oasis fan was a bit apprehensive about, but after listening to it proper, found it to be one of the best on the solo album.

   

 · Dreaming of you – The Coral

This well known hit from The Coral has a bright organ sound all the way through which goes well with the great guitar and vocals. Surprisingly, Skelly who wrote the song hates it, saying that it is the worst of all the songs he wrote admitting to stealing two chords from the Alton Towers ad. Still, its one of my favourites from The Coral.

    

 · Cash Machine – Hard Fi

Hard Fi strike a note with me because they mix synth with rock guitar and vocals very well. At the moment Hard Fi are a big inspiration because of their easy synth sound being easy to replicate in our songs and set me off in the right direction if I wanted to learn more.

 

Ones To Watch - Aeroplane Flies High.

You may have already heard of local heroes Aeroplane Flies High. You may have heard their mega single Blossom (released last year on London indie label Snaketown Records). You may have caught them live (they gig pretty much non-stop) or you may have just heard the buzz (or should that be fuzz?) surrounding them lately.

Formed in 2009 and hailing from the North West, they come from the school of making music that they want to listen to, and by listening to them you can clearly hear their influences; a noisy mixture of Melvins riffs, Nirvana melodies and Sonic Youth power.

Thankfully, they make music that plenty of other people want to listen to as well, including Metal Hammer who dubbed them "Heavy, witty and extremely awesome." They also have some of the coolest merch (I have a t-shirt of theirs) and artwork I've seen in a long time! If that doesn't convince you, have a look at the video for Blossom and turn it up!



"The name" says guitarist Roanne "comes from Jack (vocals & guitar) always wanting a band called 'Aeroplane Flies High', he's a Pumpkins fan but so are we so all is good!"

I recently caught up with Roanne to find out a bit more about what's going on with the band, who they're listening to and the story behind their strange video for the new single Growing.

Ste - So Roanne, how did the collaboration with Snaketown come about?
Roanne - We got with Snaketown from playing a gig for them in London back with our old drummer in 2011, from then we kept in touch and they mithered us to re-release Blossom with them and we're so made up we did!

Ste - I love the new video for Growing, although it did scare me a little bit! Tell me a bit about the idea behind it and when we can buy the track.
Roanne -  Haha isn't it obvious? GUITAR BIRTH! But originally it was just going with the most obvious Growing meaning- birth... The directors at v/h/yes were inspired by Garth Marenghi's Darkplace. Growing's official release date is 10th Feb and you can pre order on itunes now.

 

Ste - and like with Blossom, will there be any launch gigs?
Roanne - We have our two launch shows coming up, 12th Feb at Maguires Pizza Bar in Liverpool with Claustro and Cactus Knife. 13th Feb is our London launch at The Macbeth. (London launch details)

Ste - I've followed you guys pretty much since day one and I've always been intrigued with your passion for modified and unusual gear, what stuff are you playing at the minute and where do you get that fat low end from considering you don't play with a bassist?
Roanne - I use a '93 Japanese Fender competition Mustang with a Dimarzio Chopper in the bridge, I use fuzz and a tuner. We get the low end from playing in B and Jack uses an EHX micro pog.

Ste - You've been going for a few years now and gigged about a fair bit, any particular gigs stick out in your head?
Roanne -  Hmmm the best gig we've played so far would be our Blossom launch with Snaketown in Camden last summer, it was very surreal, crowd surfing and an encore! We even got to see Neil's nip slip.

Ste - What other bands are exciting you lately?
Roanne - We love Cactus Knife from Chorley, Athiest Angel is such a catchy song! Claustro are super cool too and we also like Tigercub and Polterghost!

Ste - So apart from the launch gigs, what else have you got coming up?
Roanne - We have loads coming up but let's focus on our launch shows for now!

Ste - Cheers Roanne, anything else you'd like to add?
Roanne - Keep watching the Growing video haha!

So there you have it. A local band injecting a bit of excitement into the scene and who aren't afraid to play to strangers. Go and see them if you get the chance and be sure to click the links below to download their stuff.

Official Site
Growing pre-order link.
Bandcamp
Merch
Snaketown Records

Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner

Are you a rebellious youth who is being sentenced to a boys reformatory for robbing a bakery soon? ... Do you have a natural ability for long distance running, a trait acquired by running away from store security alot ? Maybe you managed to 'lift' a smartphone, one of those velcro smartphone arm holsters and some beats by dre ear buds on one of your 'store visits' ? ... Then the chances are the Police are going to take them all off you when they slam that heavy cell door behind you ..... just before they leave you in there alone for ages. If on the other hand you are a law abiding citizen, you need never be alone and especially whilst out on your jog .... we could be there with every single fawn like bounding stride of yours ... that is if you wanted us to be. From the very first step of your 6.4k iPhone app recorded run, to the very last stage where you are uploading said run data to Facebook ...... And who knows?, you might finish your run thinking what a complete load of fckin shit they posted there today on the Little Indie Night Blog ... Or .... you may finish your run thinking mmmm I didn't mind that one, in fact it was one of the best records Ive ever heard in my life. Who Knows? 'The stuff that comes out when you open a blog' ... still its much better than most blogs & thanks for all the kind words about it. Get involved ! ... Click the contribution button. Anyhow heres some music I shared somewhere on the web earlier today. See what yer think.

in no order whatsoever 

 

This New Damon Albarn Record

I read an article earlier today about that music streaming service 'Spotify'. They are going to start measuring your vital signs and then choose the music that you listen to according to your heart rate. Then a few minutes later I heard this, which got me wondering exactly what I'd be doing for this tune to spring up on a service like that. Heres a few things that crossed my mind.

1 - Nothing.  

2 - Jail.

3 - Lying on the fattest memory foam mattress ever made.

4 - Watching a Caerphilly Castle Ladies FC away match in the rain.

5 - Watching other people getting ready to go out when I'm staying in.

I'm still looking forward to the new album though. Not so much that Spotify service.

[Link to Article]   

The Week Survival Playlist

We all dread Mondays and look forwards to the weekend. We all find it tough through the working/studying week, especially the early mornings, crossing paths with the regular commuters on your way to normality. 

Here's some indie goodness mixed by myself to make the journey a bit more enjoyable including the Arctic Monkeys, Chvrches and even Ian Brown himself. Enjoy.

Week Survival Playlist by Mal Keenan on Mixcloud

My first home DJ effort and thought it would be a good first post from a beginner indie blogger. :) Any feedback would be appreciated.

For When You've Got The Blues

Blues, a music genre over a hundred years old, and in my opinion, the most influential music type of all time. Without blues there'd be no rock, no roll and most probably no soul (see what I did there?)

Anyway, an ever expanding musical form and the basis for most music since, and here are a few examples ranging from the old to the (relatively) new.

Well there you go, give it a listen if you haven't heard some of the stuff before and you wanna hear something new why not give it a listen? You never know, you might even like it. Anyway, that's a very brief introduction into blues, a genre that changed music forever, and has had a huge impact on my tastes since the very first day I listened to any of these guys a fair few years ago.

What It Is Mama

 

Heres some few funky Kin'ston reco'ds fo' ya' t'pass de time we hope dat ya''l likes dem a'cuz we play some few every now and again ... in no o'da' whut so's ever.

Indie Night Channel 19/1/14

In no order whatsoever

SNUB TV.

Snub TV was an alternative music show that ran from 1989 to 1991 on BBC2, and it was the first truly indie show on primetime tv. I had my first exposure to the likes of The Stone Rose, Pixies, Throwing Muses, Kitchens of Distinction, My Bloody Valentine, Curve and loads more It was just the right time, when I'd just left school, and it truly shaped my musical future. I bought my first 12 inch single of the first Curve single, The Blindfold EP, because I saw them on Snub, and my first CD single, Drive That Fast by Kitchens of Distinction, because it was on Snub.

Unfortunately the Snub interview with Curve isn't around, but here's the video, along with a load of clips from the show, all gems, including some Mark E Smith wonderfulness, The KLF being completely honest and straight for a change in an interview from before 3AM Eternal was released, an incredibly young pre-Doolittle Pixies and more. There's loads more on YouTube as well, there are some gems out there.

Exquisite Corpse

. 

Back in 2003 ...... How up to speed are we? Two thousand and three ? ... I sooooo wish Id started a degree in applied linguistics back then because I'd have finished it by now with maybe a 3rd or something. As it happens though I don't know when world grammar day is .... ( big convo though I bet at a dictionary party where those ultra clever fun folk turn up in socks with pictures of penguins on the side and diss the res publica ) .... In 2003 Spike Jonze, Chris Cunningham, Michel Gondry & Palm Pictures got together and started the ' Directors Label '. Basically a series of DVD's that were put together beneath an 'umbrella title' to bum each others work up. They included music videos, shorts, commercials & a documentary or two. Each of the DVD's come with a 52 page book and a double sided poster featuring an "exquisite corpse". Exquisite Corpse ... oh how how my youngest enjoys doing them

Chris Cunningham

 

Keep This Bag Away From Children

Whats the worth of having shelves of records if If you never mention em ?

Soul Boys never shut up about theirs.

The best way to describe my record shelves would be 'untidy'. There are no homemade dividers that have been lovingly handcrafted or any carefully calligraphed & laminated A-Z's on my shelves, or in any of my record boxes for that matter. Good on you though if your shelves are organised like that. My records just fit where they fit and that's in any space thats available ... If I'm looking for a record then I have to go through the whole lot to find something usually. Quite often forget what I was looking for in the first place and instead eventually pick out something else. Thank fcuk that I had a few bags of tunes robbed a few years back. I don't reckon they were robbed per se,  instead it was more a case of leaving them somewhere and then that someone just kind of 'forgetting' to remind me about them. Who's the dick there then ? - I used to prefer buying the 12' version myself, they'd come ( for those who don't know ) with either an extra record somewhere on it, or some kind of alternative remix that'd been churned out by some nectar named DJ, a version that just wasn't available on any other format sometimes.  I felt daft carrying a 7' carrier bag too, far too small them ... they just looked pathetic, couldn't even fit my footy boots in them. 

Out This Week - East India Youth

'East India Youth', aka William Doyle has just released his album on Stolen Recordings ........ That'l do ............ & lets break for lunch ...... back about ..... saaay ........1:30 ........ that ok ? 

Wedding Party Tunes

So recently I had a conversation with a friend about the type of music DJ's choose to play at weddings. I admit most weddings that I have been to have featured the same records and I see how it can get a bit much if you go to a lot of weddings however, some of these songs are CLASSICS!! I actually feel a bit bad for DJ's who do loads of weddings, hearing these songs over and over must wreck them for him/her. Plus, ABBA Dancing Queen can be a bit annoying even if you only hear it once a year never mind once a month.

Basically my point is some of the songs played at weddings are brilliant and I want to share some of my favourites with you. Get yourself a brew and wack these on FULL VOLUME

Stand By Me - Ben E King

Young hearts Run Free - Candi Staton

The Way you look tonight - Frank Sinatra

Dolly Parton - 9 to 5

And my personal favourite........

Come on Eileen - Dexy's Midnight Runners

Sometimes the most over played songs are the best, after all they are over played for a reason

xxx

Things to look forward to in 2014 - Temples

It's not very often that I get excited about new music (most of my favourite bands are either dead or have split up) but I make an exception for Temples. I first heard Shelter Song around the middle of last year and it excited me with it's psychedelic influences along with that kasabian-esque drum beat.

They've released more music since then, toured with Suede and are about to unleash their debut LP 'Sun Structures' via Heavenly Recordings on the 10th Feb.

They're well worth a listen if you like Barrett-era Pink Floyd, lo-fi and dirty drums. If all this doesn't convince you, Johnny Marr is a fan!

Top Drinking Partners - #1 Vol 1

BECK

Fancy a pint ? .... Aye why not.

Popping out for a pint on my todd can be alright sometimes ... Now & then there's nothing better than grabbing my coat, closing the door behind me & nipping off around to the local ale house for some of that selfish, 'don't you dare fckin bother me time'.  I do like my own company, but not enough to want to sit in solitary confinement, alone on the sofa naked, watching shit TV and eating nowt but curly wurlys & crisps for ten years solid. The allure however, of a glowing pub fireplace .... a pint of my favourite ..... a decent article with no interruptions ....... See you in an hour !  Other times though we don't want that do we?  We need St. Tropez ....... A pocket load of cash, all our mates and ... erm Beck! .... I haven't got a clue what Becks next release is going to sound like and I'm pretty sure that he hasn't got a scoobies either. That's one of the things I kinda like about him. Im pretty sure that any geezer who pens tunes the likes of 'Asshole', 'Modern Guilt', 'Devils Haircut', & 'Loser', is gonna cut it when it comes to fitting in with my drinking partners. A dead funny boss conversationalist who gets the round in ? ... I don't know ? . Unpredictable madman who is going to get the party started properly ? ... I also don't know ? ... time won't tell.

Done With Today, On To Tomorrow

So... its only Wednesday. I swear the week goes much slower when I know I'm getting paid at end of it, ahh well, the worse the week then the better the weekend eh?


Which means I'm going to sit at home, chilling with some Soul and R&B tunes to listen to with a couple of cans and a bit of whiskey, honestly, I swear, it's medicinal.

Anyway the week's more than half done and that's something to celebrate, so why not chill out (or dance, take your pick) to some old tunes from yesteryear:

Sam & Dave - Soothe Me





Eddie Floyd - Knock On Wood

Booker T & The MGs - Green Onions

Let The Good Times Roll - Ray Charles

Aretha Franklin - Respect

Graft On

Woke Up, Fell out of bed, Dragged a comb across my head.

Off to do some graft ? .... You should be proud of yourself ! ... Keeping those well oiled cogs of industry turning and all that .... paying for another brick off the mortgage and yet another well earned tenner into that summer holiday jar ? Whatever it is you decide to spend the pay packet on ... Keep on stepping brothers and sisters, for it'l soon be Friday ! ..... In the mean time however here's a lunch break list of graft related tunes for you in no order whatsoever and we'l probably never ever play em.

The Clash - Career Opportunities 

John Lennon -Working Class Hero

Dolly Parton - 9-5

Mick Jagger - Lets Work

The Relacements - God Damn Job

Its not my place - The Ramones

7. Feb - Feel It Closing In ?

The photos a fake like but quality non the less . Looking forward to Peter Hook popping in at The Little Indie Night on 7. Feb ? 

Yep ! 

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