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What did Rock Radio play? An explanation.

2012-01-09T17:48:00.000Z

This post was supposed to give a bit more analysis of the old Rock Radio data but as I wrote it, I discovered a good bit of explanation was necessary first...

In my original post, I noted the number of tracks played, the number of artists that featured and how often the different artists were featured across the Breakfast and Drivetime shows over a period of seven days. (Although I missed one of the Breakfast shows, so I only have the data from 13 shows.) The next thing I wanted to do, but never got around to, was to look at the genres of music that featured.But, before I can look at genres, I need to make a couple of disclaimers.

First, I realised after collecting the data that not everything that is played on the radio features on the website. It seems that if the DJ played something that was not in the station's database of songs, it didn't feature on the "what was played" page. Sometimes the webpage claimed that the same song was played twice in a row and my guess is, that when a track was played that was not in the database, the system just reported the previous track had just been played again. It looks like Real XS does something similar - it has solved the repeated track reporting problem but there are still gaps when a DJ goes "off piste". For example, on the last Friday before Christmas, I submitted a trio of festive songs for Tom's Godfather of Rock feature (or Godfather-Christmas in this case). I asked for The Black Crowes - Back Door Santa; The Darkness - Christmas Time; and Black Stone Cherry - Santa Is Back; but as you can see from the screen dump, Back Door Santa is conspicuous by his absence!

So any analysis of what the station played will be incomplete because I am relying on what their website says they played rather than listening to the output and recording what they actually played.

From Wikipedia entry

The second disclaimer relates the the way I have decide on the genres of music played. Picking a genre is, inevitably going to be subjective, so I tried to assign a musical style in a way that was as fair and transparent as possible. But the main problem was that I had data on 361 different songs. I quickly decided that I had neither the time nor the inclination to go through 361 songs and assign a musical genre to each one! Since there were only 185 artists ("only 185" - ha!) I decided to assign a genre to each artist and then assume that each track of theirs that was played was an example of that genre. Clearly this is daft, for example I have classified Kiss as "Hard rock" (for reasons I'll explain in a moment) but had the misfortune to hear the abomination that is I Was Made For Loving You on Tom's show the other day, which couldn't be considered Hard rock by any stretch of the imagination! I hope though that reporting on genre by artist will give a reasonable view of what the station played since it is as good as I can manage in the time available.

The last piece of the puzzle therefore is how did I allocate genres to artists. The problem is, of course, that if you got five Rock fans in a room, you are likely to have seven different opinion on how to categorise any given artist. Also, some artists defy easy categorisation and over the course of their career, or even the course of one album, they can range across umpteen genres. I decided therefore to rely on the wisdom of crowds and turned to Wikipedia for help. Pretty much every artist listed in Wikipedia has a number of genres associated with that artist listed in a sidebox along with basic information such as when and where they were formed; years active; and past and present members. I decided to allocate the genre listed first in this sidebox as the genre for the artist. So, to take Rush as an example, I would probably have categorised Rush as "Progressive rock" but accept that they are a band that are difficult to pin down to one style. As you can see from the screen shot here though, the sidebar in Wikipedia, while listing "progressive" as one genre, puts "Hard rock" first in the list. In this instance, the list happens to be in alphabetical order but this is not always the case. I cannot find any information to explain the convention in the order of listing genres but have assumed that the first listed is the one that is considered by the Wikipedia community, to best categorise the artist and in general, on the face of it this seems to be a reasonable assumption to make. There are one or two exceptions I made to this method. If an artist does not have a Wikipedia entry (and the overwhelming majority do) I chose a genre based on information either from the artist's own website or (preferably) a site such as AllMusic. The other main exception was where the first stated musical genre in the artist's Wikipedia entry would have left them in a category of one. In those instances (again this applied to fewer than ten artists) I chose the next listed genre instead.

I hope this makes sense and that you don't disagree too violently with the approach I have adopted but let me know what you think. And now, after this long attempt to justify myself, I hope to actually post some new analysis of the old Rock Radio data in the very near future.

Free Download Friday #120: Free Prog!

2012-01-06T19:03:00.002Z

Four progtastic tracks from Pallas for free download.

Pallas, a photo by tim ellis on Flickr.

The free tracks are cunningly placed on a page called Free Downloads. The track at the bottom of the page is the radio edit of Monster. And it is a monster of a track - catchy chorus and great guitar solo about the four minute mark. Oh, and as well as the mp3, you get a pile of graphics and promo material.

Scroll back up to the top of the page, and you can download a "big band" remix of the same track - it does what it says on the tin and yes, it is as weird as it sounds.

Also on the page is a demo track called Atlantean and a cover of Black Moon (and ELP track from the album of the same name - not ELP's finest IMHO but Pallas do a good job with the cover).

So, a pile of graphics and about 20 minutes of prog for free. Happy New Year!

Rock Radio and Real XS

2012-01-03T11:37:00.000Z

Some time ago, I wrote a post about the Rock Radio Playlist. I always meant to go back to the data and do a bit more analysis but somehow I never got around to it. A lot has happened since April 2011, not least the transmogrification of Rock Radio into Real XS.

Moving at the speed of rock!,
a photo by DavidDMuir on Flickr.

Had Rock Radio continued on, the data was so old that it would not have been worth digging it up but, with the changes, it occurred to me that it might be a good idea to poke the data a bit more and then compare it with an analysis of data from the current Real XS output. So, over the next couple of posts, I'll look again at the old Rock Radio data and over the next couple of weeks I'll collect data from the Real XS breakfast and drive time shows to see how it compares.

First though, four observations I should have made at the time of the switchover:

I understand the station had to save money but cutting DJs may be a false economy. I don't tune into radio to hear uninterrupted music - I use my iPod for that. The DJs are the glue that keeps me stuck to a show; them and the community of listeners that grows around a show. For example, Billy Rankin used to regularly get hundreds of comments on his facebook page and I am still in contact with a number of people that I only know because of their contributions to his programme. You don't get that loyalty and community with an uninterrupted rock block!
Rock Radio had the Metal Hammer show and the Classic Rock Magazine show both of which have now gone. I don't know how much money the sponsorship of these shows brought in but I wouldn't have a problem with more sponsorship if it allowed the station to hang on to more DJs. (Poor Tom Russell seems to be given no time off. Are there no employment laws about exploiting national treasures?) Perhaps the Classic Rock Presents Prog magazine would have sponsored a show, or a Blues/Guitar magazine. Or, the station seemed to have a good relationship with Roadrunner Records - would a company like that not have been willing to sponsor a show? (I'm aware here that I may be trying to teach my rock radio management grandmother how to suck eggs but thought it was worth saying.)
I became increasingly uneasy about the Real XS trails that were supposed to reassure us. They kept telling me not to worry because they would be playing Kylie. It never occurred to me that they would not be playing Kylie! Why did they feel they had to keep telling me they wouldn't? In fact the more I thought about it, the more annoyed it made me because if Kylie ever produces an out and out belter of a rock track, I hope they would play it! For example, look at the people that collaborated with Slash on his recent album - would you have anticipated hearing someone from the Black Eyed Peas or Nicole Scherzinger on rock radio? Yet, the Slash tracks fit perfectly with a rock radio playlist. So, bitten from both ends: if they are a rock station it should go without saying that they wont play pop; but if a pop artists starts producing great rock songs, of course they should be played!
I've kept the one that annoyed me most to last. At the time of the changeover, the people in charge appeared to treat their listeners with contempt. (Thought long and hard about that, but I think "contempt" is not too strong a word.) This seems odd since up to that point, they were a station that knew how to connect with their listeners with (as mentioned already) the DJs facebook pages; a great website; and regular events such as the birthday bashes, curry-oke nights and secret sessions. Yet when the rumours about the changes started circling, the management kept a stony silence. Now, there may be commercial reasons why they could say nothing but when the news broke "officially" on another website there was still nothing from Rock Radio management. It was Father Ted who understood the listeners and broke the news a couple of days later - against (I suspect) the wishes of management. And it was Father Ted (of blessed memory) who caught the mood of the listeners and when he thought: Rock Radio's going down the tubes, so let's party! Meanwhile, Rock Radio management's response was too little and too late when they finally put a corporate-speak announcement on the website and tried to pretend that it was business and usual: "Nothing to see here, just move along and keep listening." Bah!

That was then, but where are we now with Real XS? A while down the line, it's fair to say that it is not exactly business as usual (the complete destruction of the evening schedule is particularly upsetting) but it is also fair to say that the popocalypse feared by some has not taken place either. There is a feeling abroad though that the playlist has changed somewhat. I hope the next few posts will shed some light on that...

Part 3 - Rock Advent Calendar

2011-12-24T19:52:00.000Z

And here's the final eight. Have a great Christmas!

Day	Artist	Video	Download
17	Steve Lukather	The Christmas Song	Amazon (CD) iTunes
18	Northern Light Orchestra	Away In A Manger / Come Let Us Adore Him	NLO Website
19	B. B. King	Please Come Home For Christmas	Amazon iTunes
20	The Ramones	Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)	Amazon iTunes
21	Joe Perry	Blue Christmas	Amazon (CD) iTunes
22	Keith Richards	Run, Run, Rudolf	Amazon iTunes
23	AC/DC	Mistress For Christmas	Amazon (CD) iTunes
24	The Darkness	Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End)	Amazon iTunes

Let me know what you think of the selection and feel free to offer alternatives.

You can see all of these and more on the online Rock Christmas Advent calendar.

Free Download Friday #119: Fourth Download in Advent

2011-12-24T09:56:00.000Z

A bit of a bonus this week. First the one I was going to do last week and then a couple of others I've come across, including the one I was going to do this week.

Sandi Thom @ O2 ABC2 Glasgow 7th May 2010,
a photo by Vhazza on Flickr

I suppose I must have been aware of Sandi Thom because, although I couldn't hum it to save myself, I at least recognised the title of her breakthrough single: I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair). It was, however, her album, Merchants And Thieves, that really caught my eye though because it features a collaboration with Joe Bonamassa.

When I heard that she was offering a free Christmas download, I was hopeful that it would be in the same Bluesy style as the track she did with Mr Bonamassa. Unfortunately, it's not,. But fortunately, it is still a good free Christmas download.

She has recorded a fairly gentle acoustic version of Merry Little Christmas which you can download when you enter an email address. (And unlike many of these offers, you don't have to wait to get an email and then follow a link back to get the download - the download button becomes active as soon as you enter your address.)

As I say, the track is fairly gentle and shows off her vocal ability. Personally, I would have liked the guitar to feature a bit more prominently in the mix but despite that reservation, I can see this track working really well as a late night listen. What do you think?

Next up is a Christmas song from Rob Halford - yes as in Judas Priest. On Halford's site you can buy a Christmas For Everyone from the site shop for the princely sum of $0.00. To me, it sounds a bit more Ramones-ish rather than Judas Priest-y but I like it. What do you think? If you like what you hear, check out his free music page where you can download a variety of non-Christmas tracks.

Finally, a couple of links that I've not had a chance to process properly so I offer them here without comment:

Yazz - Angels From The Realms Of Glory
The Hives and Cyndi Lauper - A Christmas Duel (Time limited download)

Hope you enjoy. And have a great Christmas and a happy New Year.

Part 2 - Rock Advent Calendar

2011-12-23T21:00:00.000Z

And here's the next eight:

Day	Artist	Video	Download
9	Manowar	Silent Night	YouTube only?
10	Joan Jett And The Blackhearts	Little Drummer Boy	Amazon iTunes
11	August Burns Red	O Come, O Come Emmanuel	Amazon iTunes
12	Seasick Steve	Xmas Prison Blues	Amazon iTunes
13	Radwan Hoteit (?)	Happy Xmas (War Is Over)	Amazon iTunes
14	The Black Crowes	Back Door Santa	Black Crowes
15	Jethro Tull	Ring Out Solstice Bells	Amazon iTunes
16	Alice Cooper et al	Santa Claws Is Coming To Town	Amazon iTunes

Let me know what you think of the selection and feel free to offer alternatives.

You can see all of these and more on the online Rock Christmas Advent calendar.

Part 1 - Rock Advent Calendar

2011-12-22T23:30:00.000Z

File this one in the "It seemed like a good idea at the time..." category.

I like Rock music and I like Christmas music but Rock radio stations seem reluctant to play Christmas music... perhaps because it is generally associated with a high cheese factor. We were discussing this issue on a Rock Radio facebook page and I said that you could easily fill a couple of hours of programme with Christmas music that would appeal to Rock fans. Unfortunately, Don Macbeth called my bluff and challenged me to post a different Rock Christmas song every day in advent.

So that's what I've been doing. I only made two provisos: one, I didn't want any grumpy comments about this or that not being Rock; and two, I was going to include some Blues.

I noticed, however, that my daily posts don't seem to show up on my facebook wall, so if you don't go the the right page, you wont have noticed the songs. Therefore, I created an online music video Rock Advent Calendar and I wrote this post. This will be the first of three posts, taking me up to Christmas Eve, when I will list the last eight of the videos.

Let me know what you think of the selection and feel free to offer alternatives.

Day	Artist	Video	Download
1	Slade	Merry Xmas Everybody	Amazon iTunes
2	Bruce Springsteen	Santa Claus Is Coming To Town	Amazon iTunes
3	The Greedies	A Merry Jingle	Amazon (Vinyl) iTunes
4	Twisted Sister	O Come All Ye Faithfull	Amazon iTunes
5	Joe Bonamassa	Santa Claus Is Back In Town	Try Joe's download from last year
6	Joe Satriani	Silent Night/Holy Night Jam	Amazon (CD) iTunes
7	Dio, Tony Iommi et. al	God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen	Amazon iTunes
8	Eric Clapton	Christmas Tears	Amazon iTunes

Free Download Friday #118: Third Download in Advent

2011-12-16T23:46:00.002Z

I had another post lined up and ready to go... then I saw this advertised on the Roadrunner Records site:

It's gone. :-(

~~They say it will only be there for one weekend, so go get it now!~~ If you haven't already downloaded it, you're too late but you can still listen to Santa Claus Is Back In Town on Soundcloud:

I've posted a link to the Joe Bonamassa version of this track before (Free Music Friday #82: Happy Christmas from Joe Bonamassa). This version is much more raw and raucous - dirty even! Excellent!

Free Download Friday #117: Second Download in Advent

2011-12-10T10:03:00.001Z

Given that I'm a teetotal Rock music fan, this is not my usual musical choice... But it's Christmas!

Under The Christmas Star from Stella Artois offers seven jazz flavoured Christmas songs. (Or possibly eight songs if you are still in the first so many hundred thousand downloads). Only restriction is you have to be over eighteen)

Check out the facebook page for more details.

As I said, not my usual taste but maybe I'm in a good mood because it's Christmas because I quite like this. And a whole album's worth of Christmas songs for free is not to be sneezed at.

Free Download Friday #116: First Download in Advent

2011-12-04T23:19:00.001Z

Late again. I am therefore posting the first Friday in Advent download on the second Sunday in Advent...

First up though is a bonus. I have posted a link to this track before (see Free Download Friday #40: Final Friday in Advent) but in case you missed it, Mr Bonamassa has made Merry Christmas Baby available again. Just go to the Christmas page on his site, enter your email address and Joe's your uncle!

Now a new download from a band (duo?) I've never heard of before but I'm really impressed with what they have done with an old classic:

Baby It's Cold Outside - really simple acoustic arrangement, two voices that work well together, and a performance that isn't cheesy and doesn't have a forced coquettishness. I really like it.

Not very Rock or Blues but very Christmas. What do you think? A good start to the Advent downloads?

Day 30 - 30 Day Movie Music Challenge

2011-11-30T21:48:00.001Z

A song from an "in concert" film featuring your favourite band

No surprise here surely... except, I assume this is a DVD extra on the Time Machine 2011: Live In Cleveland DVD

I would pay good money for a CD of Rash polka style music.

And, because they are my favourite band, and it's the last day of the Challenge, here's some fan footage from the tour:

Excellent concert and one of my favourite Rush tracks. Although Geddy is clearly struggling to sing as high as he used to and drops down after the first few lines. :-) {Bonus 2112 included for free with this clip!}

And finally, just because I can - Neil Peart's drum solo from the Time Machine Tour.

Enjoy!

Day 29 - 30 Day Movie Music Challenge

2011-11-29T23:39:00.001Z

Music not written for a film but that fits perfectly anyway

Shoot To Thrill by AC/DC fitted the Iron Man 2 film perfectly. This video isn't from the film, but it is so awesome, I couldn't resist showing it again:

(This video has featuired here before - see Rock and Roll!)

Day 28 - 30 Day Movie Music Challenge

2011-11-29T23:01:00.001Z

Music from a biopic about a musician

Walk The Line - Folsom Prison Blues. It takes a while for him to warm up... but he does a pretty good Johnny Cash impersonation:

Day 27 - 30 Day Movie Music Challenge

2011-11-28T23:59:00.001Z

Music from a film that's better than the film

Spoiled for choice here... Decided to stick with superheroes and go for this:

I'm still not sure why I was so disappointed with this film. Colin Farrell as Bullseye was OK and Michael Clarke Duncan was a good choice for Kingpin... and yet... Perhaps part of the reason is that I'm annoyed that the film makers thought it was a good idea for one of the bad guys to discover Daredevil's secret identity. What part of "secret" don't they get?

Day 26 - 30 Day Movie Music Challenge

2011-11-28T23:53:00.001Z

Music from an animated film

Because the album isn't psychedelic enough...

The foothills of the headlands. Far out man!

Day 25 -30 Day Movie Music Challenge

2011-11-28T00:14:00.001Z

Music from a documentary film about music

It Might Get Loud is a film I've written about before (see It Might Get Loud). This is my favourite bit:

It's just like he is the wee schoolboy, listening to it for the first time. Brilliant!

Day 24 -30 Day Movie Music Challenge

2011-11-27T23:55:00.001Z

Music from an operatic film (rock opera, operetta, whatever)

First heard this album that led to the film, on the Tommy Vance Friday Rock Show and I was completely gobsmacked! I used the same track in my response to day five of the 30 Day Song Challenge (see A song from your teens/childhood) and you can read my trip down memory lane there.

Here's a clip from the film this time:

The film isn't as good as the album... but it's still pretty stunning.

Free Download Friday #115 B: Oops! Within Temptation

2011-11-27T17:44:00.001Z

Oops! My memory is clearly going. It seems I featured exactly the same Voodoo Six track for download in January 2010! (See Free Download Friday #41: Voodoo Six.)

So here's an emergency backup download from Within Temptation courtesy of Roadrunner Records: Faster.

A bit of acoustic rock to make up for yeterday's repeat.

Free Download Friday #115: Voodoo Six

2011-11-27T00:16:00.001Z

I won tickets from ~~Rock Radio~~ Real Radio XS to see Voodoo Six in concert tonight. Unfortunately, the lead vocalist, Luke Purdie, has a a throat infection and the gig was cancelled. :-(

But every cloud has a sliver lining because it made me hunt down their website for more details... where I found they are offering a free download of Take The Blame from their latest album:

You know the drill. Give them an email address and they will give you a free download of a belter of a rock track.

Day 23 -30 Day Movie Music Challenge

2011-11-26T11:39:00.001Z

Music from a film where one or more of the actors have also had musical success

I've changed this challenge from how it was originally to try and make it more open but for me, it was always going to be Spinal Tap day:

Now, where did I leave my model of Stonehenge?

Oh, and here's the secret to Spinal Tap's success.

Day 21 - 30 Day Movie Music Challenge

2011-11-26T00:18:00.001Z

Music from a film where a real band plays a fictional band.

Easy choice today - Slade In Flame.

According to Mark Kermode this film is the "Citizen Kane of rock musicals" (see the Wikipedia entry).

Day 20 - 30 Day Movie Music Challenge

2011-11-25T07:22:00.001Z

Music from a concert movie of an artist you've never seen live

Probably just a bit too young but would have loved to see Led Zeppelin in their heyday. As a teenager however, I did see The Song Remains The Same in the cinema and was just gobsmacked at how good they were. Here's the trailer for the film:

I remember being particularly impressed with the multi exposure sword bit and Jimmy Page playing the guitar with a violin bow. This clip is more for the hardcore fan. The sound is a bit quiet on this clip so turn up the volume. Lots of noise and psychedelic hippie nonsense:

Own up. How many of you watched the second clip to the end?

Day 19- 30 Day Movie Music Challenge

2011-11-25T07:20:00.001Z

Music reworked for a film that you like better than the original

In retrospect, this is a bit similar to Day 7 but I'm going with it anyway. What about Roxanne from Moulin Rouge?

From Blue-eyed Reggae to gravel voiced monster of a track. (Although, I could do without Ewan McGregor joining in!)

{Sorry, well behind in posting these - too much to do and too little organisation. Will try to catch up over the next few days.}

Day 18 - 30 Day Movie Music Challenge

2011-11-19T21:10:00.001Z

Music by an artist that appears in a film as a character

I've featured this clip before (in Alex The Actor) but it seems appropriate for today's topic:

Apparetly, the film is called Suck and despite being a big Rush fan, I've never seen it... but from the look of the film's trailer, the above clip might be the best bit in it! So here's some of Alex doing what he does best:

Are rock stars universally duff actors? Can you come up with an example where musician does a good job of being someone other than himself or herself?

Day 17 - 30 Day Movie Music Challenge

2011-11-18T01:18:00.001Z

Music by an artist that appears in a movie as themselves

Does this challenge make sense? For example, I could have gone for Alice Cooper in Wayne's World, or Rush in I Love You Man - two films I have already featured here.

The one I've chosen for today is a slight cheat - Lemmy in the film Airheads. It is a slight cheat because he is credited in the titles as "Lemmy von Motörhead". However, it is close enough for this purpose and gives me the excuse to link to this track from the soundtrack:

The video quality is pretty poor but close your eyes and enjoy Lemmy doing what he does!

To be honest, I could do without the Ice-T bits... but you can't have everything.

Day 16 - 30 Day Movie Music Challenge

2011-11-18T01:01:00.001Z

Favourite music from a superhero movie

I like Nickelback but I find individual tracks to be a bit hit or miss. Perhaps it's the addition of Josey Scott, but for me, this theme from Spiderman, is a hit:

Is today a bit too geeky, or does everyone have a favourite superhero movie? :-)

Day 15 - 30 Day Movie Music Challenge

2011-11-15T22:29:00.001Z

Favourite Bond theme tune

I was tempted to go for a classic oldie - Thunderball by Tom Jones partly because I think this was the first Bond I saw in the cinema. I went as a young teenager with a couple of friends to see it in a double bill with Diamonds Are For Ever. I was stunned by the scope of the films. Vast armies, secret bases in volcanoes, villainous villains and literally going from the depths of the ocean to the vastness of space. These two films are to this day my favourite Bonds.

I decided thought, that this was a movie music challenge, so went with this as my favourite theme:

I really like Chris Cornell's voice and I think the slightly vulnerable tone to his voice you can hear works really well for this film.

So, what's your favourite Bond theme? Are you old Bond, new Bond... or a closet Sheena Easton fan?

Day 14 - 30 Day Movie Music Challenge

2011-11-15T00:11:00.001Z

Music from a film you went to see because of the soundtrack

I saw the trailer for Birdy and recognised at least three Peter Gabriel tracks and decided I had to see the film:

I knew nothing about the movie but I went to see it because of the soundtrack. It has been a while but, as far as I remember, there are a couple of scenes where Gabriel's music fits perfectly. Essentially the soundtrack is instrumental re-workings of existing Gabriel tracks and yet, it was like they were written for the film.

Day 13 - 30 Day Movie Music Challenge

2011-11-13T17:43:00.000Z

A song from a film that is a guilty pleasure

Another film from student days (a theme seems to be developing here). I was, of course, aware of Prince in the 80's but his stuff didn't seem to be my cup of tea. It was suggested though, that I should go and see Purple Rain and that I'd be impressed with his guitar skills. So I went... and I was. (Skip to about five minutes in if you just want the guitar solo.)

A guilty pleasure since I am not otherwise hugely interested in his music... or his image.

For another example of his guitar playing prowess, try this clip of a performance of While My Guitar Gently Weeps.

Day 12 - 30 Day Movie Music Challenge

2011-11-13T16:09:00.000Z

Music you like that is in a film that you have not seen

My favourite band is Rush (no surprise there) and I know there is a film where developing an appreciation of Rush is an important plot point. The film is I Love You Man and it is billed as a "bromance". It has to be said that the label "bromance" was enough to ensure that I would not see it!

Rush tracks feature a few times in the soundtrack and the band itself actually appear in the film:

Rush playing live are, as always, excellent, but that clip hasn't made me any more keen to see the film. In fact, I'd go as far as saying, it has positively put me off!

{Again, worried this might be too niche a category. Any one else able to identify films/music, or can anyone suggest how I could widen this category to make it more accessible?}

Day 11 - 30 Day Movie Music Challenge

2011-11-11T23:38:00.001Z

Music that shares its name with a film title but does not appear in the film

This one is trickier than I originally thought. I was going to go for Iron Man by Black Sabbath because I was fairly sure it didn't feature in the 2008 Iron Man film... but according to that pesky Wikipedia, an instrumental section is used at the start of the end titles. Curses, back to the drawing board.

Second choice then is High Fidelity - the film and the Elvis Costello track:

So here's a trailer for the film (with Jack Black stealing the show):

And here's the track:

Phew! I think this may be a fairly limited set of films. Can any one find any others or am I going to have to widen this out a bit?

{Update: Just changed Day 11's of the 30 Day Movie Music Challenge to (hopefully) make it easier. It now simply reads, "Music that shares its name with a film title." }

Day 10 - 30 Day Movie Music Challenge

2011-11-11T00:21:00.001Z

Theme music from your favourite film

Favourite film is Star Wars and the theme music is awesome!

Only problem I have with the above clip is that it stops just before the ginormous spaceship comes rumbling over your head!

{I did start this very late last night... well, technically, early this morning, but better late than never?}

Day 09 - 30 Day Movie Music Challenge

2011-11-09T21:30:00.000Z

Music from a film about music that isn't a musical

Didn't take me long to decide it was going to be something from School Of Rock. The problem was what track to choose? Decided to choose one written for the movie that they use in the competition at the end:

Just excellent. Jack Black doing what he does best (i.e. not being Gulliver) and (I believe) the children in the movie were really playing the instruments.

Other favourite sections from the movie include the children getting CDs to listen to for homework (the drummer, of course, gets Rush - 2112 to listen to) and the rock family tree on the blackboard with Jack's cool board pointer. I like the way there are various boxes with musical genres (Punk, Heavy Metal, etc.) on the board. Beside the boxes, bands' names are written. Down near the bottom, there's one branching out of Prog with a question mark in the box and beside it is written Zappa, Can and Captain Beefheart. :-)

Day 08 - 30 Day Movie Music Challenge

2011-11-09T00:04:00.000Z

Music from a musical

Struggling with this one as musicals aren't really my thing. I was however in a production of Oliver when I was still at school, so decided to go for Fagin thinking it out again.

I suppose I could have gone for something from the Blues Brothers again but didn't want to use the same film twice. Are there any other Blues or Rock based musicals that should have come to mind?

Day 07 - 30 Day Movie Music Challenge

2011-11-08T00:00:00.000Z

A cover version you heard from a film before you heard the original

I'm almost ashamed to own up to this one...Elton John, in huge platform boots, singing pinball wizard. What's extra sad is that I didn't even know it was a cover.

And to redress the balance:

Is your choice as embarrassing?

Day 06 - 30 Day Movie Music Challenge

2011-11-06T21:39:00.001Z

Music from an artist you like but that you didn't expect to hear in a film

Your watching a kids film, Small Soldiers in this case, and it suddenly gets a bit creepy with demented mutant Barbie dolls. Then, to my surprise, Led Zeppelin kicks in!

Fast forward to 4:23 and enjoy.

Have you ever been surprised by a piece of music in a film? For example, I would have gone for The Boys Are Back In Town - a song about drunkenness, fighting and sexism - used for Toy Story, but I think it was only used in the trailer.

Day 05 - 30 Day Movie Music Challenge

2011-11-05T21:20:00.001Z

Music from a film that introduced you to an artist

I suppose this could be an artist from a soundtrack or from a band that featured in a film. For me, it's from a film of a concert: Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense.

I can't remember if my friend had seen the band live, or if he'd just seen this film, but either way, he talked me into seeing the movie. I've a vague notion that it was a late night showing at the Grosvenor Cinema in Ashton Lane but I might be haivering. I loved the way that David Byrne started off on his own, in a more or less empty stage and then the rest of the band and the stage set built up around him.

A great concert movie and a great introduction to a band. Who did the movies introduce to you?

Oh... and why a big suit?

Free Download Friday #114: Manic Street Preachers

2011-11-05T00:53:00.000Z

I'm not sure what I make of the Manic Street Preachers. It seems that I like them in small doses, in that I quite enjoy individual tracks but find a whole album's worth a bit too much.

If you like them better than I do, or if you too like them in small doses, I can highly recommend a track currently available for free download from 7 Digital. The tune on offer is an acoustic track called This Is The Day - a cover of a song from The The.

Guitar, harmonica and vocals. Sparse and stark - it seems to suit the lyrics perfectly, but perhaps that's because I'm old and cynical and don't believe it when they sing, "This is the day your life will surely change. This is the day when things fall into place."

If you want to hear the plugged in version, check out the official video:

So what do you think? I think I prefer the unplugged version.

Day 04 - 30 Day Movie Music Challenge

2011-11-04T18:24:00.000Z

Music from a film that was used to promote an artist (could be film about an artist or just a soundtrack tie in)

I suspect, as with so many things, Elvis was the first to do this, so I could have gone for any of his films... or indeed Britain's answer to Elivis - Cliff. (Honest, I did consider Summer Holiday.)

In the end though, I went for The Beatles and Help!

Loved this film the first time I saw it and, although the style has dated somewhat, the music is as strong as ever. And how can anyone criticise Ringo after seeing his performance in this clip?

So what will you go for? I dare someone to choose Head from The Monkees!

Day 03 - 30 Day Movie Music Challenge

2011-11-03T23:02:00.005Z

Music from a documentary/mockumentary.

A band I love? Has to be Rush. A documentary? Has to be Beyond the Lighted Stage :-)

I blogged about this documentary in June last year and one of the things I really liked about it was seeing the old footage of the band in their very early days. In particular, there were some snipits from a concert they played in a school hall, just after the release of their first album, while John Rutsey was still the drummer. Someone has posted a whole song's worth of this concert from the DVD extras disk, so here is more than eight minutes worth of Working Man:

Two comments. One: interesting to see that John Rutsey introduced the song. Two: what were they wearing? I mean, what is that thing Alex has round is neck? And the glittery t-shrt was surely ill advised. (Although, I must own up to wearing a glittery Blue Oyster Cult t-shirt in the late seventies!) Geddy appears to be wearing a blouse that's knotted under his moobs and those sleeves that surely contravene umpteen health and safety regulations.

Hopefully some of you at least will have a favourite bit from a music documentary.

{Update: I've altered this challenge from how it was originally posted. Hopefully, it broadens things out and will make it easier for people to join in.}

Day 2 - 30 Day Movie Music Challenge

2011-11-02T22:20:00.001Z

Day 02 - Music from a film scene that makes you happy.

Saw this movie on TV recently, so this scene came to mind immediately:

The Blues Brothers - a bit sweary and even blasphemous in places - but so many great musical moments. For example, just before this scene, the Blues Brothers are walking towards Aretha's cafe and pass John Lee Hooker, sitting in the street, playing and singing - it's almost thrown away but it's pure genius.

I love John Lee Hooker but the Think! sequence, more than any other musical number in the film, makes me happy. Aretha Franklin giving it laldy in her baffies. Outstanding!

{The audio is a bit out of sync with the video in the clip above... which is a shame. The only other clip I can find is this one, which seems to have been made by pointing a camera at the screen while watching the film on the telly. Odd, but it might actually be better quality than the one I've embedded above - and it includes the set up to the musical number too. What do you think? Which one should be embedded?}

Over to you then. Pick a scene with music that makes you happy.

Thirty Day Movie Music Challenge - Day 1

2011-11-01T18:51:00.000Z

Back in April (grief, I didn't think it was that long ago) I had a go at a 30 Day Music Challenge from a facebook page. Since then, I've been inundated with requests to do something like it again. (Well, OK... two people asked me if I was going to do it again!) I didn't want to do a repeat, so I had a look to see what else was out there.

There are other music challenges but I thought there'd be too much overlap. There are film challenges which I thought would be interesting but this is a music blog.

Since I couldn't find an existing list I wanted to try, I thought I'd invent my own. So here is the first ever posting in the Thirty Day Movie Music Challenge. So without further ado, I give you:

Thirty Day Movie Music Challenge

Day 01 - Music that is integral to an iconic movie scene.

There were a number of possibilities I considered here. But in the end, there could be only one:

Wayne's World - Bohemian Rhapsody. Simply awesome. Is it possible to reach "that point" in Bohemian Rhapsody without headbanging? Not just an iconic moment, but one of the great opening title sequences.

I acknowledge that my thirty days might be a bit more idiosyncratic than other thirty day challenges and perhaps even a bit too tied to my own interests but I hope the categories are general enough that others feel able to join in.

What do you think? What iconic scene would you choose?

Free Download Friday #113: Free CD!

2011-10-22T00:00:00.002+01:00

What's going on? A Free Download Friday that's actually posted on a Friday!? And not so much a download as a down loads because, this week, it is not one or two tracks on offer but 14 tracks - an entire CD of Rock and Metal to download and enjoy.

Classic Rock SE - Slash,

a photo by ferencziz on Flickr.

Classic Rock magazine decided to make the cover mounted CD that was available on the international edition of the magazine available for download. Even better the download is not restricted to just the UK, nor do you have to buy the magazine to get it. See the Download Classic Rock CD For Free page for a full listing and a link to the download service.

I have to admit that I did not recognise any of the artists but from the fourteen tracks on offer, you'd have to be pretty grumpy not to find at least one track you enjoy. The one that I like best (so far at least) is There’s A Hole In The Heart Of The Blues by Micki Free. But what's your favourite?

Free Download Friday #112: Subdivisions

2011-10-16T23:59:00.001+01:00

Now this is a bit closer to normal free download service... albeit that it's very late for a feature called "Free Download FRIDAY". (Supercheap Sunday anyone?)

PS I Love You, a photo by

musicisentropy on Flickr.

I have made no secret of my love of Rush, so I was intrigued to hear of a Canadian indie band offering a free download of their cover of a Rush track. The band are called PS I Love You and the track they are covering is Subdivisions. (See the Rolling Stone site, MP3 Download: PS I Love You's Gritty Rush Cover 'Subdivisions' for details and the download link.)

PS I Love You are a duo of musicians who, like the Black Keys, are a guitar and drums only outfit, so they have a simmilar stripped down, raw style to the Black Keys. This makes the choice of Subdivisions for a cover all the more interesting. Subdivisions opens with Geddy playing the synth and is typical of that period of Rush where they were developing a slick, multi-layered approach to their music. In this cover, the synth part has been replaced by a rough and raucous guitar riff that really works (IMHO). In fact, if they had kept it as an instrumental cover, I think I would have loved it but then the vocal kick in... For me at least, Paul's vocals will take a bit of getting used to, so I only really like the track rather than an out and out love!

Now, before anyone else says it, I know that Geddy's vocal style is a stumbling block to many. His voice seems to be an acquired taste (although I never had any problem acquiring it!). I have no doubt therefore that there are people who have no problem the the PS I Love You vocals. However, I've listened to the cover version a few times now and the vocals are growing on me. I really like the feel of the track, and so have no hesitation in recommending it for download despite my reservations about the vocals. Oh, and it ends with a great bit of feedback!

What do you make of it though?

Just before I leave this band, I was amused by Paul's description of his gradual conversion to Rush in the Rolling Stone's article and Subdivision in particular with its, "epic synth intro". Subdivisions is a track I have used in the past to try and convert people to all things Rush. My recommendation is that people listen to it all the way through once, then go back and listen to it while concentrating on the bass line. Then again but concentrating on the drums. Then again, a fourth time, but trying to isolate the guitar part in their head before finally listening to it as a whole again. Each individual part is brilliant but the whole is even better. (And note, that I don't even touch on the "epic synth"!)

Finally then, a bit of the real thing. Rush have a live DVD: Rush Time Machine 2011: Live In Cleveland coming out in October and here is a trailer to whet your appetite:

Well, it's has my mouth watering!

Free Download Friday #111: Nick Lowe

2011-10-08T00:27:00.001+01:00

Another unusual one this week. In fact, I'm not sure what I make of it myself.

By the late seventies, I was listening more or less exclusively to Rock music. Of course I was aware of other forms of music, particularly punk, but such is the musical division in teenage tribes, I couldn't admit to liking, or even listening to other musical styles.

One of my friends though was into Nick Lowe, an artist that is difficult to pigeonhole. Wikipedia describes his style as Pub Rock and Power Pop, certainly different from the stuff I usually listened to, and yet I developed a soft spot for I Love The Sound Of Broken Glass:

Therefore, when I saw he had two tracks available for free download, to promote his new album, I thought I'd check it out.

One of the tracks is off his new album and is called House For Sale. It's a pleasant little song about lost love and the end of a relationship. (And, no, I'm not being sarcastic. Genuinely, it is a gentle, lyrical track.) It is not entirely my cup of tea but having listened to it a few times now, it's growing on me. Great lyrics... but still not sure.

The other track is an acoustic version of What's So Funny 'Bout Peace Love And Understanding? and that I do like!

So, not the usual fare but a wee blast from the past for me. Let me know what you make of it. If you like what you hear, check out his facebook page where you can listen to the whole album as an audio stream.

Free Download Friday #110: Gary Moore

2011-10-01T09:02:00.001+01:00

It's late and I'm tired but I think this one speaks for itself. A free video of Gary playing live.

A quote from the Free Gary Moore Video page on the Eagle Rock site explains:

Enter your email... to get your free download of "Oh Wild One" from "Live at Montreux 2010".

What do you think? A bit different to link to a video on Free Download Friday. Would you like to see more video downloads? Leave a comment to let me know, or click one of the feedback check boxes below.

Free Download Friday #109: Black Country Communion Live

2011-09-17T00:14:00.000+01:00

Another freebie from Black Country Communion (see previous posts) - this time from their forthcoming concert DVD (and album?): Live Over Europe.

To whet your appetite, here's a trailer:

According the the bumph on the pre-order page, the double DVD comes with a free download of a live track. Thankfully though, you don't have to wait for the DVD release because they are giving the track away on their website just now. Give them an email address, and they'll give you the link to download a live version of Song Of Yesterday.

And it is a belter of a track. From the opening solo by, through the outstanding solo about halfway through, to the ending that romps and then ends on a more gentle reprise, it would seem that Mr Bonamassa is on fine form and thoroughly enjoying himself.

Joe Bonamassa also takes the bulk of the vocal duties which is more than fine by me!

I can't remember why I couldn't see this band when they played Glasgow at the end of July but hearing this live track makes me absolutely determined not to miss them the next time they tour. (In fact, I've not managed to see Joe Bonamassa in concert either. Something else I really need to put right!)

So what do you think? Is Song Of Yesterday your cup of tea? And would you consider getting the DVD when it becomes available?

Free Download Friday #108: Tom Hollister Trio

2011-09-10T17:08:00.000+01:00

Missed last week (incompetence rather than lack of tracks) but back with a belter of a Blues track.

The Tom Hollister Trio is another band I first came a on a cover disk from Classic Rock magazine. Their website is impressive with a good selection of live video and audio files to check out, for example, here's a video from their YouTube channel taken from the Steelhouse Festival in Ebbw Vale, South Wales recorded on the 20th August 2011:

Their facebook page also has a load of good information and links. They had made an ep available for free download through facebook but unfortunately, you can no longer get it free. Have a listen to one of the tracks to see what you (and I) missed and if you like it, it only costs a pound to download the whole three track ep!

Tell Her Not To Go (Live at Knebworth) by TheTH3

But this post isn't called "Very Cheap Download Friday". So where's the freebie? Well you can't get the Knebworth ep free any more, but you can get a free track recorded at Sonisfere in 2010 because you can download Sweet Words from their Bandcamp site. And what a track it is. If you like it, you can listen to three tracks from Sonisfere with this widget:

<p>&amp;lt;a href="http://tomhollistertrio.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-sonisphere-2010"&amp;gt;Live at Sonisphere 2010 by Tom Hollister Trio&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;</p>

I make no secret of my admiration for trios. It seems to me, with only three in a band, there is no room for slackers. Everyone has to pull their weight... and with this band, it sounds like the guitarist is pulling hard enough for three people on his own. The frighteningly talented guitarist may be the first to grab the ear but the bassist/vocalist and drummer are far from shabby and they are the kind of band that rewards repeated listens.

As far as I'm concerned, with bands like this on the rise, the future of the Blues is not just safe but positively dangerous! (And that's a good thing, in case you are confused.)

So what do you think of TH3?

Freddy Mercury - Google Doodle

2011-09-05T09:06:00.002+01:00

The Google Doodles are usually fun and interesting but every so often they out do themselves. Today's falls into the "above and beyond" category: an animated video of Queen's Don't Stop Me Now to commemorate Freddy Mercury's birthday.

I suppose it will eventual turn up in the Doodle Archive, but here's a YouTube video in case you are unlucky enough to live in America (where it will not be shown until tomorrow):

Not interactive like the Les Paul Doodle but still great fun. Thank you Google.

Free Download Friday #107: The Answer

2011-08-19T23:53:00.003+01:00

Free Download Friday back after a long Summer break.

First off the blocks is a young Irish band called The Answer - a ridiculously young Irish band who play outstandingly good old school rock. I think I first became aware of this band when they featured on a cover CD of Classic Rock magazine and was impressed enough to track down Everyday Demons.

Here's a widget that will let you hear and download the free track they have on offer:

This is another free track that is offered in exchange for your email address.

It is a belter. Cormac has a great rock voice - somewhere between a snarl and a scream and the rest of the band drive the track along at breakneck speed. I really like this track and if you like it too, I suggest you give Everyday Demons a try.

Let me know what you think in a comment, or at the least, click one of the reaction boxes at the bottom of the post.

Free Download Friday#106: I am not a number!

2011-07-15T22:22:00.003+01:00

After the "Not Keen" ratings last week, I thought I'd go back to more familiar, albeit somewhat quirky, territory.

As I've stated before, I like noisy guitar bands but while this band are noisy, there are no guitars to be heard... at least, none with six strings. Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling are a duo: one who sings and plays bass and one who plays drums. I find myself enjoying minimalist approaches and stripped back arrangements at the moment and you don't get much more stripped back than just bass and drums!

I promised you quirky and if a bass and drum duo and quirky enough, this pair named themselves after an episode from the cult TV series, The Prisoner and are planning to release seventeen tracks - one for each episode. You want more quirkiness? How about a video for a track that faithfully recreates the programme's opening sequence:

(If you are not familiar with The Prisoner, the band have helpfully provided a version of their video with a picture in picture of the original opening sequence.)

A couple of the tracks are available as free downloads, specifically Episode 12 - Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling and Episode 11 - It’s Your Funeral. other tracks can be accessed and purchased from the band's music page.

They remind me a bit of Miss The Occupier and I like what I've heard so far. Have a listen and tell me what you think... Or at least, click on one of the checkboxes below.

Be seeing you.

Feedback on Feedback

2011-07-14T23:46:00.002+01:00

I get a small but relatively steady number of visitors to this blog. I always intend to do more with it: to write more, to engage more, but poor time management and general disorganisation combine and lead to the infrequent posts and quiet blog you are currently reading.

thumbs up, a photo by .nate on Flickr.

A wee while ago, however, I noticed that you could add a reactions widget to Blogger blogs. This meant people could respond to a post simply by clicking in a box. I liked the idea. People might not want to take the time to leave a comment but offering a Facebook-style "Like" option seemed like a good idea. I hoped it would lower the participation bar sufficiently to encourage a bit more feedback on the Feedback blog. I always meant to write about this feature, draw it to people's attention but somehow never got around to it. (See opening paragraph!)

Essentially therefore, the reactions feature has remained ignored/overlooked/unused (delete as applicable). Last week, however, there was a flurry of activity in that there were two "Not keen" checks on the I Can't Think Of Any Jokes post. Curses! I like funny songs but I guess they are not to everyone's taste. I can't promise I'll never feature a funny song again but I will wait a good while before I risk it!

In the meantime, if you want to influence what appears here, or what songs feature in Free Music Friday, get clicking those check-boxes. It only takes seconds and I will pay attention... Honest.

Free Music Friday #105: I Can't Think Of Any Jokes

2011-07-08T23:57:00.007+01:00

Collect a punnett of terrible puns, write a catchy tune, add a chorus, and what do you get? You get this free download from Alfred Williams:

I can't think of any jokes by Blindingham
Sad nerd that I am, I had a go at transcribing the lyrics. I think I got most of it but was completely stumped by the second last joke; anyone want to offer a suggestion?

If you can't help with the missing lyric, perhaps you could suggest lyrics that could have been included but were inexplicably omitted. For example, he could have told the one about the skunk, but frankly it stinks.

{This is a partial cross-post from EdCompBlog, my education blog. If you are interested in seeing a video of this track, the Education blog is displaying it for your edification and enjoyment.}

{P.S. Thanks to the Mitch Benn Podcast for bringing this track to my attention.}

Free Music Friday #104: Ha Ha Tonka

2011-06-17T23:46:00.007+01:00

Ha Ha Tonka feature in free music Friday again - that makes four times. (I'll need to check if that's a record.)

Ha Ha Tonka, a photo by JasonBaldwin on Flickr.

A website I've never visited before, called The Ruckus (which has a couple of taglines, one of which is the magnificent "With great moustache comes great responsibility.") gives a free download of a track called Made Example Of. It also links to a site where you can choose how much you are willing to pay (including nothing) for a six track tour sampler (more about this in a moment).

First though, Made Example Of. If you have never heard Ha Ha Tonka before, this is a good introduction. It's lively, quirky and it tells a story. The repeated refrain is:

"If you don't change where you're going,
Your gonna end up right where you're heading."

Sounds like a warning from your parents but perhaps if parents sounded like Ha Ha Tonka, more teenagers would pay attention!

If you like the sound of of Ha Ha Tonka, you will probably enjoy the six track sampler that features two of their tracks. It is billed as the Death of a Decade Tour Sampler and it has tracks from Ha Ha Tonka, Hoots And Hellmouth and The Spring Standards. It looks like these bands were on tour with the other two (mostly) supporting Ha Ha Tonka. The Sampler gives you a flavour of what they sound like together and it sounds to me like they work well - it would have been a good tour to catch.

What I think is especially interesting though is the website that is hosting the sampler. It is called Bandcamp. It is interesting because they host albums for download but rather than having a fixed price per track, they let the customer decide how much they want to pay. It looks like the artist can set a minimum price, but in the case of the Ha Ha Tonka sampler, there is no minimum, so I guess you could take it for free if you wanted.

You can also embed the tracks on your own site if you want to spread the news, like this:

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://doadtoursampler.bandcamp.com/album/death-of-a-decade-tour-sampler"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Death of a Decade Tour Sampler by Death of a Decade Tour Sampler&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

It looks like an interesting business model which the site's front page is keen to show works and (they claim) works better than some other download models.

What do you think?

Free Music Friday #103: Queensrÿche

2011-06-12T13:18:00.003+01:00

I'd heard of the band Queensrÿrche before I heard music from the band Queensrÿrche. For reasons I cannot now explain, I thought of them as a metal band... possibly even as Hair Metal. Then I heard one of their albums and was surprised to hear a melodic and Progressive style of music. (In my defence, they do feature in Wikipedia's Heavy Metal Umlaut entry.)

Queensrÿche, a photo by SpoiltCat on Flickr.

If you want a flavour of what Queensrÿrche sound like, head for their facebook page, click the Like button on the special Dedicated To Chaos section and (in exchange for giving them access to your email address) you will be able to download Around The World.

The track is 5:12 long and starts with an orchestral style synth but before long, thumping piano chords and interesting drum rhythm kick in and give an indication of how the track will build and develop... and build it does!

I like it. I think it is interesting. What do you think?

{P.S. I know I'm late again but I'm not well. Man flu is a terrible affliction!}

Free Music Friday #102: Bigelf, Big Track

2011-06-04T23:54:00.003+01:00

I've already linked to Bigelf downloads a couple of times but today's link is to an 11 minutes and 21 seconds long monster of a track called Counting Sheep.

09.02.2010 bigelf, a photo by opethpainter on Flickr.

This is a very strange piece which at times sounds Pink Floyd-ish but mostly just sounds weird... but that's weird in a good way. It's a bit Sprog Prog and a bit Metal with some random fairground music thrown in for good measure.

What's especially nice is that there is no asking for emails or any of that nonsense, it's just, click here, download and (eventually, since it is a big track) enjoy.

Free Music Friday #101: Roadrunner Records

2011-05-28T23:52:00.004+01:00

Roadrunner Records continue to give away some great music. This week, not just one track but ten different tracks for download.

First up, a track from Kids In Glass Houses. Go to their new website, enter a username and email and they will give you a track from their soon to be released album for free. And here's the official teaser:

And if a free track wasn't enough, they are also giving away free Downlad Fesival Sampler album featuring the nine artists from the label that are appearing at the Download Festival this year. For this one, you have to go to the Roadrunner Records facebook page and "like" them. Simples!

Is there a record company that gives away more free stuff than Roadrunner? If there is, I haven't found it. As I've said before, it is mostly down to their generosity that I have discovered many of their artists and bought their albums as a result.

Free Music Friday #100: The Union

2011-05-21T09:52:00.003+01:00

I've featured the union before (see Free Download Friday #66: Back after a long holiday...) and every time I hear them I decide I want to hear more. The band features Luke Morley from Thunder and Pete Shoulder from Winterville and I believe they are supporting Whitesnake when they tour later this year.

They are currently offering two tracks for download on their website. The first, in exchange for your email address, gives you the chance to download their new single, which is also the title track from their forthcoming album: Siren Song. This is a belter of a track. It starts with a Blues soaked acoustic section for a verse or so before the rest of the band comes crashing in. There is real light in shade in this track with a grumbling bass line, a short but impressive guitar solo, Siren style backing vocals and a kitchen sink for good measure. (Well, I may have lied about the sink part.)

They did a live version at the Rock Radio Birthday bash. Not quite as impressive without the acoustic section at the start but still jolly good I hope you'll agree:

They are also offering an older track, Black Monday, which is more of a straightforward Blues/Rock offering.

You can almost smell the whisky from the saloon bar the track conjures up as you listen!

So what do you think? Do you want to hear more from the Union?

{P.S. The hundredth Free Music Friday download. I'm quite pleased to have kept it going this long!}

Free Music Friday #99: Black Country Communion

2011-05-13T22:01:00.004+01:00

Black Country Communion (featuring my favourite contemporary Blues guitarist - Joe Bonamassa) have a new album that is due out soon. To get you in the mood, the are currently giving away a free download of The Outsider.

PB300032 a photo by Joanie-21 on Flickr.

Mr Bonamassa does not disappoint with riff that hooks you in at the start and a great guitar solo that kicks in around the two minute mark. In fact, there is some nice interplay between Joe and the keyboard player, Derek Sherinian. It reminds me a bit of the duelling that used to take place between Jon Lord and Richie Blackmore in Deep Purple. It works well in this recording and I suspect they will have a lot of fun with it when playing live.

And talking of playing live, Planet Rock VIP Club has a link to a free download of two live tracks: Black Country and One Last Soul. (Two songs but packaged as a single mp3.) Those nice people at Blabbermouth alerted me to this freebie and give a good explanation of how you go about acquiring the tracks. The drumming here seems passionate and it sounds like Jason is enjoying himself.

Black Country Communion are coming to Glasgow on the 29th of July (along with the Michael Schenker Group). Very tempted to see if I can rustle up a fellow Bonamassa fan or two (or BCC fan, or MSG fan for that matter) and attend this gig.

Rush - From the first Album

2011-05-01T22:28:00.004+01:00

Going to see Rush when they hit Glasgow on 14th May. I enjoyed finding and posting videos for the 30 Day Challenge, so I thought I'd post some Rush videos on the run up to the concert.

Here's the one that started it: an American DJ picked up on this song and started playing it. The interest this generated helped Rush secure a record deal... and the rest is history.

Great stuff! Interesting to see the original drummer and hear him introduce the song.

Free Music Friday #98: Miss The Occupier on Soundcloud

2011-04-30T11:14:00.005+01:00

I have posted about Miss the Occupier before giving links to a free download, some streamed music and a few videos. They were brought to my mind again the other day when my sister referred to them as part of her 30 Day Song Challenge. She said:

DAY 25 - A song from a band/artist you've just "discovered".
Thanks to David Muir (the singer's a friend of my sister-in-law), am loving this track...

She then linked to The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things which she discovered when I featured it in a Free Download post. It's nice to know wee brothers are occasionally useful!

Today's free download comes from the band's Soundcloud page where you can stream nine of their tracks and (currently at least) download one:

All Day by Miss The Occupier

All Day starts brilliantly with what sounds like Magnus just hitting his guitar to produce noise and feedback and it gets even better after that! First the bass riff kicks in, then the staccato guitar, drums, and Roz's vocals before revealing the catchy chorus in a burst of music that I imagine gets a live audience bouncing along. Great stuff!

So what do you think Sister Number 1? Up there with The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things?

Day 30 – Your favourite song of all time

2011-04-30T09:56:00.002+01:00

30 Day Song Challenge
Day 30 – Your favourite song of all time

This is too hard as my favourite changes on a regular basis depending on mood and circumstances. That it would be by Rush though was fairly certain!

I've already used a couple of classic Rush tracks in this challenge that otherwise might have been contenders, after all, if it is the one you play most on your iPod, it's likely to be one of your favourites!

Then, it hit me. Of course it's a Rush track but it has to be something off their latest album. I've gone for one of the instrumental tracks:

What I like most about Rush is that they are a progressive band and by that I mean that they are never content to rest on their laurels. They are always challenging themselves to explore new areas of music, to develop their already considerable musicianship, ...to use ever more complex time signatures! They challenge their fans. With every new release they say, "Come on. Keep up! This is where we're going this time." And let's be honest, they challenge their record company who probably just want some rock radio friendly product! There were complaints on their last tour that they played too much from their new album but I thought that was brilliant - they were not doing a nostalgia tour, they were promoting the new album, an album that they were proud of and that they enjoyed playing.

So my favourite track is not a trip down memory lane but something new. It is one from my favourite band, one that makes me think and one that reminds me why they are still my favourite!

Day 29 – Your favourite Love song

2011-04-29T09:58:00.001+01:00

30 Day Song Challenge
Day 29 – Your favourite Love song

This is the trickiest yet since, as my wife will tell you, I am not naturally the world's most romantic person. If I hadn't already used Joni Mitchell in Day 22 I would have probably gone for for something off of Blue. As I struggled to come up with something, I thought of a few tracks but none felt right. For example, some sounded a bit stalkerish (Every Breath You Take or I Don't Want To Miss A Thing). Others were about breaking up (Ain't Gonna Cry No More) and some were just weird (No More "I Love You's").

Then I thought of this track (if you are not familiar with it, listen right to the end; you'll thank me later!):

To be honest, I think that as a Split Enz track, this is just OK but the keyboard player decided to re-arrange some of their tracks for orchestra and worked with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. They released the resultant recordings under the name ENZSO, (See what they did there?) The album is interesting but this track is outstanding – real hairs on the back of your neck stuff. I especially like the section around the 4:10 mark where the music builds up until the orchestra cuts loose and the section at the end where, despite his firm resolution, he doesn't seem to be able to get past repeating, "I don't wanna to say..."

Day 28 – A song you would sing at a karaoke night

2011-04-28T07:04:00.002+01:00

30 Day Song Challenge
Day 28 – A song you would sing at a karaoke night

I've never been to a karaoke night but if I ever go, I think I'd sing something like this:

My thinking is it's best to go for one that's catchy, reasonably well known, and one that might get everyone joining in on the chorus!

Day 27 – A song no one would expect you to love

2011-04-27T07:12:00.002+01:00

30 Day Song Challenge
Day 27 – A song no one would expect you to love

I might have gone for Joni Mitchell had I not already gone for her in Day 22. Other contenders were Annie Lennox/The Eurythmics, Newton Faulkner and The Roches. In the end, I decided my least likely like was Michael Jackson, at least from Thriller era and before:

The outstanding video helps!

Day 26 – A song off of the last album you brought/track you downloaded

2011-04-26T06:45:00.003+01:00

30 Day Song Challenge
Day 26 – A song off of the last album you brought/track you downloaded

I've always liked David Coverdale's voice so I was saddened to hear he had problems on the last tour. There were suggestions that his voice was shot. Decided to risk getting the new album anyway. Only had time for a couple of listens, no favourite track yet, so here's the single:

Unless it's all studio trickery and ProTools, I'm pleased to hear that he is sounding pretty good.

Rock Radio Playlist

2011-04-25T21:29:00.000+01:00

I am a member of a couple of facebook groups where there has been discussion of the Rock Radio playlist. Some people seem very grumpy about what is and isn't being played. Me, I'm more relaxed.

The legend... and Tom Russell :-)
A photo by DavidDMuir on Flickr.

Obviously, I'd like them to play more Rush but it's a radio station, not my iPod: to a certain extent you have to take the rough with the smooth. As long as there is more that I like than there is that I dislike, I'm happy to stick with them. Certainly, there is no other radio station I can receive in the car that I'd rather listen to on a regular basis.

However, it got me thinking... so I decided to collect data about what tracks were played over a a few days and then do a wee bit analysis just to see what was being played. I'll present here some of the more obvious conclusions now but there's loads more I could look at, so I will probably return to this data again in future posts.

Data Collected

I decided to concentrate on the Breakfast Show and the Afternoon (drivetime) Show. I focussed on these shows because I guessed that they are the two most listened shows and that they probably best reflect the station's playlist. The tracks played on both shows are published on the website but unfortunately (unless I'm looking in the wrong place) they are not archived so you have to collect the data each day or you lose it! I was aiming to collect data from 14 April 2011 to 22 April 2011 - seven week days, 14 shows. Unfortunately, I missed the Breakfast Show data for 18 April, so I only have six days of Breakfast show data.

First Observations

Over the thirteen shows, 427 tracks were played altogether, that is an average of 32.8 tracks per show. They played tracks from 185 different artists and 361 different songs. Inevitably some songs will get more airplay at particular times, just as they do on my iPod, but 361 different songs over a seven day period is not bad.

The list of artists played more than three times is shown below:

Artist	Plays
Ac/dc	14
Aerosmith	11
Def Leppard	9
Bad Company	8
Foo Fighters	8
Free	8
Guns N Roses	8
Mr Big	8
Deep Purple	7
Kiss	7
Led Zeppelin	7
Pink Floyd	7
Rolling Stones	7
Michael Monroe	6
Thin Lizzy	6
Van Halen	6
Who	6
Foreigner	5
Queen	5
Ramones	5
Red Hot Chili Peppers	5
Saxon	5
Sixx A.M.	5
T Rex	5
Whitesnake	5
Doors	4
Eagles	4
Jimi Hendrix	4
Joe Elliot	4
Metallica	4
Rainbow	4
Rush	4
Steve Miller Band	4
Tom Petty	4

The full list can be found in a public Google Doc I've created called RockRadio Artists.

Mostly, it is no surprise who is at the top of the pile and the data confirmed my suspicion that, while it could be argued that some bands get more than their fair share, there is a fairly good spread. There are, however, a few oddities some of which can be explained but some I find more puzzling. For example, Joe Elliot was interviewed on both shows and the station was promoting the gig where he was supporting Paul Rogers so Def Leppard and Joe himself both feature strongly (as do Free and Bad Company presumably for the similar reasons) but I'm not sure why Mr Big had the same track played eight times!

So, at first glance, I'm encouraged. What do you think? There are a few more things I want to look at and report on but is there anything you'd like me to investigate? (I also have data on what songs were played.)

Day 25 – A song from a band/artist you’ve just ‘discovered’

2011-04-25T08:27:00.000+01:00

30 Day Song Challenge
Day 25 – A song from a band/artist you’ve just ‘discovered’

This one is slightly bizarre since the artist I have just "discovered" is hardly a spring chicken: it's Peter Green. I knew Peter Green was in Fleetwood Mac before Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. I also knew that in their early days, they were essentially a Blues band but I had no albums from that period. Other than Albatross, I was not consciously aware of anything he had played on.

Then, I saw a documentary about him on BBC Four and as a result went out and found two compilation albums with a selection of his material. The compilations I have contain latter day re-recordings of his early stuff, but here he is in his prime:

A recent discovery of a guitar legend. I want to hear more.

Day 24 – A song you play before a night out

2011-04-24T08:31:00.000+01:00

30 Day Song Challenge
Day 24 – A song you play before a night out

Depends on where I'm going but when I go to see Rush next month, I'll have Moving Pictures on permanent repeat.

What do you mean, "That's not the right version!"? I'm Geddy Muir and I'll play whatever version I like... OK. Fine!

Anybody else going to see the Rush in Glasgow next month?

Free Music Friday #97: Roadrunner Records Sampler

2011-04-23T23:37:00.003+01:00

I've posted about Roadrunner Records before but I don't think I've ever posted a link to a facebook page as a means to acquiring free music before.

Black Stone Cherry a photo by
LuLu Witch on Flickr.

If you go to a Roadrunner Records facebook page and "Like" them, you are taken to a page where, in exchange for your email address, you get to download an eight track sampler.

In the download you get tracks from DevilDriver, Revoker, Within Temptation, Cavalera Conspiracy, Times of Grace, Royal Republic, Underoath and the magnificent Black Stone Cherry. I am really impressed with the stuff the Roadrunner gives away. I assume they hope that once you have developed a taste for it by listening to the free stuff, you'll go and buy more from the artists you like. If that's what they hope... it works on me!

Day 23 – A song you play when you want to relax

2011-04-23T08:31:00.001+01:00

30 Day Song Challenge
Day 23 – A song you play when you want to relax

Sometimes I sits and thinks. But sometimes, I just sits...

I am struggling to think when I last had a chance to relax while listening to music! Unfortunately, listening to music now-a-days tends to happen while I am doing something else; driving; walking the dogs; marking essays; ...

It's difficult to say what I would listen to if I did have the chance to relax and listen to music. Probably I'd just go for something at the extra noisy that I can enjoy without having to think too much about it:

Too be fair, there are probably other Motörhead tracks I'd have to think even less about than this one, but it's one of my favourites.

(Thinking further about this, is it my definition of "relax" that needs reconsideration? I find the physical activity and release involved in pumping up the volume and brining out the air guitar usually makes me feel better. Is that relaxing?)

Day 22 – A song that reminds you of your wife

2011-04-22T09:49:00.002+01:00

30 Day Song Challenge
Day 22 – A song that reminds you of your wife

I first met when we were at university together where she was in the Arts Faculty and I was in Science studying Computing. I didn't realise that, at the time I was attempting to win her heart, a major stumbling block for her was that I was a scientist! She didn't see how she could love someone that didn't share her love of language and literature.

As I said, I din't realise this at the time but one day, when she was visiting our flat, I played her the Joni Mitchell album - Blue.

Apparently, as I explained to her why My Old Man was such a good song and why I especially liked the lyric: "The frying pan's too wide", she decided there might be hope for me after all: that the heart of an artist might be lurking beneath my cold scientific exterior. Not that she have me any hint of that at the time!

Day 21 – A song you can’t help but sing along to

2011-04-21T00:27:00.002+01:00

30 Day Song Challenge
Day 21 – A song you can’t help but sing along to

As a teenager I painstakingly copied the lyrics of Supper's Ready by Genesis off my pal's album. I can still sing most of the song. Here's Tony Banks talking about it:

And here's part 1 of the song:

Whenever I play it, I can't help but join in.

Mum to mud to mad to dad
Dad diddley office, Dad diddley office,

Ah, they don't write them like that any more!

Day 20 – A guilty pleasure song

2011-04-20T00:06:00.003+01:00

30 Day Song Challenge
Day 20 – A guilty pleasure song

Thanks to this video, my guilty pleasure is a Black Eyed Peas' song:

Does that make me a bad person?

Day 19 – A song you never get sick of hearing

2011-04-19T19:21:00.003+01:00

30 Day Song Challenge
Day 19 – A song you never get sick of hearing

I could list just about any Rush track here but instead I'm going for the third most played track on my iPod - Joe Bonamassa's version of Ballpeen Hammer:

I played this track to a colleague at work and she identified it as a cover of a Chris Whitley song. I'd never heard of him but decided to check him out because I liked the song so much.

Did I like him? well, I now have ten of his albums, so I guess that's a yes!

Day 18 – A song that makes you think of a family member

2011-04-18T06:49:00.003+01:00

30 Day Song Challenge
Day 18 – A song that makes you think of a family member

I associate my parent's taste in music with James Last and James Gallway - not exactly inspiring to a young Rock fan. But dad had a pile of old 78s that hinted at a more interesting musical past. In particular, he had a copy of Tiger Rag by Les Paul and Mary Ford:

I loved this track and I am ashamed to admit that I destroyed my dad's 78. For some reason (when I was still in primary school) I decided to see if you could listen to a record by running a needle (as in needle and thread rather than stylus) round and round the groves. Surprise, surprise, I didn't hear a thing but managed to wreck the disc while finding this out. Sorry dad!

But it does mean that I think of dad every time I hear Les Paul.

Day 17 – A song that reminds you of a holiday

2011-04-17T17:04:00.002+01:00

30 Day Song Challenge
Day 17 – A song that reminds you of a holiday

When I was a teenager, my mum and I went to stay with a cousin who was doing post-doctoral research at UCLA. Music was much cheaper there, so I wanted to buy an album as a memento. I wasn't convinced I'd get an LP home safely, so I bought Van Halen's début on cassette:

Lots of great tracks on this album but Ice Cream Man seemed appropriate for a holiday song.

Brings back happy memories of theme parks, McDonalds and learning to juggle!

Day 16 – Your favourite TV theme tune

2011-04-16T09:51:00.000+01:00

30 Day Song Challenge
Day 16 – Your favourite TV theme tune

I watched Top of The Pops for years before I knew where the theme tune came from:

And, in case you didn't recognise that version, here it is again:

Somewhat ironic given Led Zeppelin's no singles policy!

Free Music Friday #96: Ha Ha Tonka

2011-04-16T09:26:00.005+01:00

Both Ha Ha Tonka and the HearYa site have featured here before and now they are back for a third time.

Head over to the HearYa site for a review of the new album and a free download of a track called Usual Suspects. The review suggests that the band's sound has matured and improved. I really like the sound of this track. If it is an indication of the quality of the album, I guess I'll be adding a third Ha Ha Tonka album to my collection.

Ha Ha Tonka - Usual Suspects from BAMM.tv on Vimeo.

Looks like they would be fun to see live too.

Day 15 – A song off an album that has brilliant cover art

2011-04-15T08:49:00.004+01:00

30 Day Song Challenge
Day 15 – A song off an album that has brilliant cover art

Roger Dean and 70s Prog rock - a match made in heaven! Concept albums, gatefold sleeves, triple gatefold sleeves even. Brilliant! Probably my favourite cover art is from Fragile by Yes. The music on the album was a bit of a mixed bag but I love the cover art:

Here is a really interesting acoustic version (Jane: that is, an "unplugged" version!) of Roundabout from that album:

Two backup choices would be Genesis - Selling England By The Pound (where the cover art is the painting that inspired my favourite Genesis song) and Rush - 2112 (with the first appearance of the iconic red star logo).

Glad the topic was "album art" because CDs are too small! Give me a 70s Prog gatefold sleeve any day.

Day 14 – Your favourite acoustic cover/track

2011-04-14T08:21:00.003+01:00

30 Day Song Challenge
Day 14 - Your favourite acoustic cover/track

I'm going to follow my daughters lead and go for something off Peter Gabriel's Scratch My Back album:

I was tempted by his cover of The Book Of Love (which he talks about in this vodcast) because I really like the lyrics (especially the subtle shift in the 3rd verse) but in the end just went for Heroes because it was a track I knew well and already loved but I think he has done something really interesting with it.

Day 13 – The song that contains your favourite lyrics

2011-04-13T15:01:00.000+01:00

30 Day Song Challenge
Day 13 - The song that contains your favourite lyrics

Tricky. I'll probably change my mind tomorrow but today I'll go for this one which certainly has one of the all time greatest opening lines:

"The Mississippi Delta was shining like a National Guitar." Brilliant!

Some other favourites from this song include:

She comes back to tell me she's gone
As if I didn't know that
As if I didn't know my own bed
As if I'd never noticed
The way she brushed her hair from her forehead

And

And I see losing love
Is like a window in your heart
Everybody sees you're blown apart
Everybody feels the wind blow

Outstanding!

Day 12 – A song that makes you laugh/smile

2011-04-12T08:56:00.003+01:00

30 Day Song Challenge
Day 12 - A song that makes you laugh/smile

Slightly odd choice here perhaps...

I first heard this on a Bob Harris show. I turned on the radio just as the song started and I didn't know who it was by or what it was about but as the song progressed, I just found myself grinning at the repeated phrase: "Pink, pink, pink, pink, pink moon".

Now that I know a bit more about Nick Drake, and have listened more carefully to the lyrics, I think the subject matter is actually fairly dark. The meaning of the lyrics is not entirely clear, but I'd guess he is singing about death: "Pink Moon's gonna get ye all."

...And yet, it still makes me smile when I hear it. As I say, slightly odd choice.

Day 11 – A song that reminds you of your best mate

2011-04-11T11:08:00.003+01:00

30 Day Song Challenge
Day 11 - A song that reminds you of your best mate

Perhaps I should have kept yesterday's anecdote for today's post because, is it just me, or are the pals you had in your youth the best pals you ever have? No? Just lonely, boring old men like me that think that then?

So here is a song that reminds me of a recently retired colleague who goes to gigs with me. He is a huge Blues fan, and when he was given a boxed set of the Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues: A Musical Journey DVDs, he gave me the complete set of individual DVDs he'd bought himself. Now that's the action of a good mate.

More significantly, when I was looking for somebody to go to see Airbourne with, he agreed to come with me - even though it's not really his thing. So, because it reminds me of Tom, here is Running Wild:

Both of us suffered hearing problems for about a week afterwards but at least I was a fan and knew most of the tracks that had deafened us!

Day 10 – An awesome driving track

2011-04-10T09:41:00.003+01:00

30 Day Song Challenge
Day 10 - An awesome driving track

Another easy choice. Rush - Red Barchetta. A driving song about driving.

Actually, I was tempted to use Without You by Nilsson because it ties in with a memory from my teens. I went on holiday to the Lake District with two mates and my dog Ben in my ancient Mini (called Mildred). On the way home late at night, we were listening to the radio. (I couldn't afford a cassette player for the car and even the radio was housed in a contraption my dad had made from plywood with an aerial that hung onto the window.) As we were belting up the motorway (well, 50mph was about as good as Mildred could manage) Without You came on the radio. Quite spontaneously, when it got to the big chorus, all three of us joined in - singing it at the top of our lungs. By the time we got back to the chorus, we were encouraging Ben to join in by howling. Ah, happy days. (Maybe you had to be there.)

Day 09 – Favourite new release (has to be less than 2 months old)

2011-04-09T10:21:00.002+01:00

30 Day Song Challenge
Day 09 - Favourite new release (has to be less than 2 months old)

Technically, this is more than two months old but I only got it in February (I wrote about in Free Music Friday #90: Just Another Rider). So, I'm going to pretend it's two months old because it's a current favourite. (My 30 Day Challenge, my rules!)

Outstanding!

Probably my favourite track on the album is Devil Got My Woman but I wanted to post one of the official videos. On the official video front, as well as the one I've embedded above, you can also see Gregg talking about the album and see him play Floating Bridge and Just Another Rider.

Free Music Friday #95: Late again

2011-04-09T09:39:00.003+01:00

Free Download Friday is late again but that is oddly appropriate because today's free download is from a band that hasn't released anything for a couple of years. Well, perhaps they are not late but they are... anticipated!

The Arctic Monkeys are due to release a new album later this year and have released this track, Brick By Brick, to whet your appetite. As well as the free download, they have also put out this video:

Quite a different sound, eh? If I hadn't been told it was the Arctic Monkeys, I would never have guessed. Less Indie and more Rock. In particular the distinctive vocals seem to have been lost in favour of a more generic vocal sound, which I think is a shame. Apart from that though, I like the track. I like the drumming and I like the overall sound. It will be interesting to hear just how representative of the album it is.

Bonus Free Download

I think this one is time limited and it may already be past time otherwise I would have featured this song: Black Stone Cherry: Blame It On The Boom Boom. Give them your email and they will give you a great track from an outstandingly good band... if you hurry.

Day 08 – The song you play the most on your iPod

2011-04-08T08:22:00.002+01:00

30 Day Song Challenge
Day 08 – The song you play the most on your iPod

I'm not surprised to discover it is a Rush song: Closer To The Heart.

Check out Neil's tache!

For the record, the number two song is Tom Sawyer also by Rush and number three is Ball Peen Hammer by Joe Bonamassa.

Day 07 – A song that reminds you of a season

2011-04-07T08:13:00.002+01:00

30 Day Song Challenge
Day 07 - A song that reminds you of a season

It's possibly a bit to early in the year but no Christmas Season is complete without a daily dose of Slade and Merry Xmas Everybody:

All together now, just like Noddy: "It's Christmas!".

Day 06 – A song by your favourite band/artist

2011-04-06T09:24:00.004+01:00

30 Day Song Challenge
Day 06 - A song by your favourite band/artist

Favourite band is easy but favourite track is tricky because there are so many to choose from. In the end, decided to go for the title track off the album which first introduced me to Rush: A Farewell To Kings:

What do you think of Geddy's kimono? Dandy or dork?

Day 05 – A song from your teens/childhood

2011-04-05T08:40:00.000+01:00

30 Day Song Challenge
Day 05 - A song from your teens/childhood

A song from my childhood should probably be Puppet On A String from Sandie Shaw. As a child I claimed I was in love with her. (As were, somewhat bizarrely, The Smiths!)

By my early teens though, I had been introduced to Rock music. It was at the time of the rise in home taping (which was going to kill music) and I used the family's music centre (anyone else remember those?) to tape stuff off the radio. In particular, I would come in from the BB on a Friday night and listen to the Friday Rock Show with Tommy Vance on Radio 1 until I had to go to bed - at which point, I'd put in a C120 and record the rest of the show.

One Friday, I came home to hear him playing all (or at least I think it was all) the tracks off a new double album from Pink Floyd. In between the tracks he was talking to someone from the band (Roger Waters I assume) about how the album had been put together. (Update:It was Roger Waters and I found a transcript.) I'd missed a few tracks but the cassette went in and I got most of the show taped. Goodness knows where that tape is now, or if it would still be playable but at the time it was hugely exciting. Not only could I listen to an amazing new album but I got a real insight into how it was created. For example, I remember my surprise as Roger described some of the last minute changes to the running order that they made. The order the tracks appear seem so right it was odd to think it had not always been that way.

Here then is Pink Floyd's hit single from The Wall and a song that takes me right back to my teenage years.

We don't need no education.

Day 04 – A song by the first band/artist you saw live

2011-04-04T09:20:00.003+01:00

30 Day Song Challenge
Day 04 - A song by the first band/artist you saw live

I have already written about my first ever concert: Concert Memories #01: Hawkwind, so let's cut to the chase and showcase the track that is still one of my favourite Hawkwind tracks:

I am a clone, I am not alone... Ah, they don't make them like that any more!

Day 03 – Your favourite album track

2011-04-03T09:19:00.004+01:00

30 Day Song Challenge
Day 03 - Your favourite album track

Hmmm! Tricky! Current favourite from an album I'm listening to a lot just now or all time stood the test of time favourite? I guess it has to be all time favourite... The other tricky bit is that favourite album track potentially overlaps with other song challenges, e.g. day 08 - The song you play the most on your mp3/itunes/whatever, day 19 – A song you never get sick of hearing, or day 30 – Your favourite song of all time. I want to try and feature 30 different songs, so I'm going to avoid candidates for days 8, 19 and 30.

I have decided therefore to go for an AC/DC track but even then I'm struggling to choose between the live version of Whole Lotta Rosie and Back In Black. Almost against my better judgement I'm going for this one:

In general, I think I would say that I preferred Bon Scott's vocals and since If You Want Blood was recorded at the Glasgow Apollo, it is possible that I was in the audience shouting "Angus!" at the appropriate points in the introduction. In the end though, it was the opening riff of Back In Black that swung it. As soon as it starts, the volume goes up and the air guitar is brought into action. Brilliant! I especially like the way the riff stutters into action and then seems to rewind:

dan, da-da-dan, da-da-dan, g'digga dig-ing
dan, da-da-dan, da-da-dan, g'dun g'dun g'dun g'dun

Day 02 – Your favourite single

2011-04-02T08:55:00.000+01:00

30 Day Song Challenge
Day 02 – Your favourite single

The first single I bought with my own money was My Coo Ca Choo by Alvin Stardust but not by any stretch of the imagination could this be described as a favourite!

My favourite single (i.e. proper vinyl disk that I still have stored in a box somewhere) is I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) by Genesis:

The more astute among you will realise that the Genesis single was released before the Alvin Stardust one, so I have to confess that I acquired a second hand copy of I Know What I Like in the late Seventies when I discovered the joys of Prog Rock!

(Despite the stumble with Alvin Stardust, have I recovered a bit from yesterday's Wombles confession?)

Free Music Friday #94: Just for fun

2011-04-01T21:21:00.007+01:00

For April Fools Day, it seemed appropriate to choose a humorous track for download. And a great source of comedy tracks is the Mitch Benn Music Podcast. (Note: Mitch does warn that the podcast "Features sweary lyrics".)

I always enjoy Mitch's contribution to the Now Show, and if you enjoy comedy music with a bit of parody and pastiche thrown in for good measure, I can highly recommend his album: Crimes Against Music. In his (almost) weekly podcast, he does feature his own work, but the focus is on stuff from other people. The great thing is, the podcast page links to all the featured artists, so often you will be able to download, or at least listen to streamed music, from the people you have enjoyed.

The artists I have chosen to link to is Neil Innes. Most of the people in the podcast are relative unknowns but I have enjoyed Neil's work for years. I first encountered him when I was a just a boy because the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band featured on a children's TV programme called Do Not Adjust Your Set. I had never seen anything like them before but I definitely responded to their anarchic brand of inspired lunacy. (Just realised, I must have been about six when this was on TV but I have vivid memories of the Bonzo's performances!)

But back to Neil because his website is brilliant. It is stuffed to the gunwales with examples of his work from pre-Bonzos to present day. There are lyrics, videos, pictures, guitar tabs and (most importantly for this post) downloads of his songs.

I'm linking here to the section where you can download two different versions of what was probably the Bonzo's biggest hit: I'm The Urban Spaceman (which was produced by Paul McCartney under the pseudonym Apollo C. Vermouth). The first version is preformed in a Dixieland Jazz style and is really interesting but the second download is a live version which is much closer to the recorded version. Helpfully, Neil has also provided a guitar tab for this song and even though I'll get a row from my guitar tutor for neglecting my scales, I spent a good chunk of today's practice playing along with Neil and the boys.

There is loads more to download and discover but unfortunately my favourite Innes song isn't available for download, so here's the video instead:

What Innes download would you recommend?

Day 01 – A song from the first album you ever brought

2011-04-01T07:29:00.003+01:00

30 Day Song Challenge
Day 01 – A song from the first album you ever brought

My daughter started this back in February and thought it might be interesting to try it but the nerd in me decided to wait for a 30 day long month just to keep things tidy. I am not the most consistent of posters, so thirty days in a row will be a real challenge! Note I decided to go for the same alternative challenge that Daughter Number 1 did.)

Here goes then with Day 1 - A song from the first album you ever brought

I suspect the first album I was given was a Top Of The Pops compilation of covers but as far as I remember, the first one I bought with my own money was Remember You're A Womble by the Wombles! (Oh the shame!)

Here then is something off that classic from the Seventies:

Hopefully this will become less embarrassing as the days go on!

Free Music Friday #93: Pearl Jam... probably

2011-03-18T23:14:00.006Z

I found this live Pearl Jam track through a Google search. The link took me straight to the download page but when I had a look about, I couldn't find a way into it from the Pearl Jam website.

Pearl Jam - 5.10.10 - Buffalo
a photo by Pearl Jam Official on Flickr.

The track is called Amongst The Waves and it is a belter. Go to the widget page, enter an email to join the mailing list and they'll send you a link to get the download. It is a live trtack and the band is sounding great. I especiall like the sound of Mr Vedder's voice. There's a Hammond organ providing a solid base and some understated, but nonetheless impressive, guitar solos that drive it along. And have I mentioned how good Eddie Vedder's voice sounds?

My problem is, I don't know why this widget doesn't appear to feature on their website, so I do not know how much longer it will be available. Is it left over from a previous promotion or is it a new freebie that has yet to feature?

To be on the safe side therefore, I thought I'd give you another free download just in case the Pearl Jam one disappears. So here is a live track from the Black Keys: I Got Mine. The Black Keys have featured in a Free Download Friday before (Free Music Friday #59: The Black Keys) where my description of them was "Two blokes with a guitar and a drum kit. An astonishing racket! ". Well that description fits this track - with knobs on! I think this is the first live track of theirs I've heard and it's clear that the audio assault I've enjoyed on their albums is not the result of studio overdubs and the reaction of the audience (which can be heard through pretty much the whole of the track) suggests that this is a band (well duo...) that can put on a show. Well worth hearing live I suspect.

While you are downloading The Black Keys, have a look round the Glide Magazine site where there are twenty-five pages of downloads available! If you can't find something you like there, you are clearly not trying! Let me know what your favourites are.

Oh yes!

2011-03-16T00:05:00.004Z

I think I'm a bit late picking this up but I for one welcome this news about a band that seems to divide opinion: As Promised!

What is it with squabbling rock siblings? Let's hope they don't kill each other before they finish the new album.

Still trying to learn guitar...

2011-03-15T22:37:00.004Z

...So I've started lessons. As mentioned in the passing (Who is your favourite guitarist) my first real tune was Johnny B. Goode. I thought I'd post videos of the songs I'm learning to play so I can get depressed about what I'm aiming for!

There are a fair number of versions of Mr Berry playing this on YouTube. Each one is different and every one is goode!

I think I have the basic chord sequence OK now. I'm working on making it sound more interesting by adding twiddly bits and I'm supposed to be working up to adding a lead solo bit (although that's still a couple of weeks away).

...But I still am nowhere near sounding like Chuck! Sigh! I'm away now to practice my duck walk.

Free Music Friday #92: Columbia Records Sampler

2011-03-11T23:46:00.003Z

Another interesting freebie from Amazon UK. (Sorry UK only I suspect - unless you know different!) Thirteen tracks, given away for free, on a Columbia Records Sampler album.

It is a bit of a mixed bag but hopefully you'll find something of interest. For me, it is worth downloading the whole thing for the tracks from the Foo Fighters and the Kings of Leon alone, not to mention an interesting offering from Glasvegas.

And while you are there, why not check out the current crop of tracks available for free download. The two that caught my ear are My People from Yusef (the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens) which has an understated feel to it and Sympathetic Type from Duff McKagan's Loaded which is wonderfully raucous.