The Tales of Me Versus Me

Saturday, 17 October 2009

Vera Hall

I felt Vera Hall deserved her own separate post here. I think her voice and her songs are absolutely mind-blowing.

Most people would probably recognise this as it was used in Moby's 'Natural Blues' track.

Moby's version:

Death Have Mercy:

I'm pretty well-known for not being the biggest fan of soul music. I don't know what it is exactly but soul and garage music are genres I just can't identify with. There is nothing there that I feel akin to...the voices, the music (ok so this sounds REALLY generic but you know, I'm being lazy), the subject matter is something alien and unrelatable to me.

However I am a big fan of folk music and I know that this is intrinsic in influencing so much music out there. I love Vera Hall's version of 'Another Man Done Gone', which is an old Alabama chain song.

Here are some other versions of it:

This version starts off quite good, I like the fact that it's got both male and female vocals however from around 1 minute onwards I find it quite hilarious. I love Johnny Cash, he's amazing. However I find some of his pronounciations and tone of his voice sound like Elvis singing this song and it just seems...well funny and wrong. I feel it doesn't have any of the passion and meaning of the original.

Probably the most famous version is by Odetta. For some reason I can't post the youtube version up here but here is Odetta singing 'Water Boy':

My favourite version still remains to be Vera's. Odetta's voice is more experimental and stronger however Vera's subdued and gentle voice really overwhelms me.

For a long time I wanted An Experiment to cover this song but for whatever reasons, we never did it. I've done a version here for Blue On Blue. You can download it for free if you wish. I have so many songs for Blue On Blue and I'm not weird about making tracks exclusive and paid for. It would be great to have people pay for your music so you could live off it but I think all of us new bands will never really be in that position due to the current climate.

Anyway, here you go:
Blue On Blue Another Man Done Gone

Harking back...

I used to run a label called Decasian Records which was set up at the end of 2006. I had 4 acts on my roster and I was so damn passionate about everything. Unfortunately quitting my job meant the funds dried up and then An Experiment started and I didn't even have time to phone my mum let alone run the label. I don't feel like the label is dead although I understand that a fundamental part of a label is releasing music and I haven't done that lately. For me, in my head, it is on indefinite hiatus but it definitely isn't dead...

Anyway, I used to do weekly podcasts (that no one used to listen to). I really enjoyed doing it...I think I may do it again....

I've done one here...of a couple of songs, old and new, that I really like and want to share. There's no speaking on here, just music. I need one of those things that make the end of a mic big to plug into my laptop. Or a big to small...I need to check. But until then, it'll just be music, music, music....

I'm calling it 'BoB's podcast'. I don't know anyone called Bob, it's meant to be the abbreviation of 'Blue On Blue'.

BoB's podcast #1:
UNKLE featuring Autolux: Persons and Machinery
Hanged Men Dance - Riot At The X-Ray Bar
Jon Jones and the Beatniks Movement - Rope
New Order - Ceremony
Blue On Blue - Bad Place To Be
Silver Abuse - Cuban Homo Farm
The Breeders featuring J Mascis - Do You Love Me Now Jnr
Vera Hall - Another Man Done Gone
Shocking Blue - Love Buzz
Chromatics - Running Up That Hill

I'm hoping the above may introduce some people to some great new bands like Jon Jones from Leeds and Hanged Men Dance from Florida who are now existing under a new guise called Eulogy Inn.

There are also a couple of artists from yesteryear that are really underrated - the amazing, inspiring folk singer Vera Hall and the great Silver Abuse who were an amazing punk/no wave band from Chicago, pictured below. I think the rest people may have already heard.

Anyway, hope someone somewhere enjoys this.....
x

BoB's Podcast #1

PS MAJOR SH*TS!!! I just listened back and for some reason The Breeders track is all sped up and they sound like chipmunks and it's over in like 35 seconds. Oops!!

Thursday, 15 October 2009

Little Victories

Ivan Smagghe's from Kill The DJ records playlist on Diesel:U:Music

Tracklisting:
Alain Kan – “Nadine, Jimmy et Moi”
the XX – “VCR Demo”
The XX – “VCR (It’s A Fine Line RX)”
Zinthesizer – “Green Onions”
Robert Hood – “Minus (Combo RX)”
Zeus -“Drive My car”
Adolphson/Falk – “Blinkar Blah”
A Place to Bury Strangers – “Ego Death”
Jeff and Jane Hudson – “Los Alamos”
Battant – “Highway Hopeful (kill the dj) (live track)”
Schneider With the Kick – “The Shout”
Battant – “Socket (live session)”
Battant – The Butcher (live session)
Blue on Blue – “Skull”
Shake – “Indagoo”
Krikor – “Crackboy (Plein Soleil RX)”
Tim Fairplay – “A Different land”
Battant – “Bruise (Live session)”
Marc Houle – “Lick Your Skin (A Fine Line RX)”
Drinking Electricity – “Shaking All Over”
Jarvis Cocker – “Angela (Pilooski RX)”
Peggy Lee – “Johnny Guitar”

It's quite daunting doing something by myself for the first time...It means a lot!