Still on the Internet, Still a Nobody
Those lovely people at Indies United Publishing House have had one of their interns make me a very stylish video trailer for The Wrong Stuff, my first and so far only novel, which is AVAILABLE HERE in paperback and eBook editions.
I think they did a fabulous job and I can’t praise them highly enough for all the support they’ve given me, see what you think…
We’re into the third week of the Isolation Radio show now and the Melodic Randomiser is still spouting a veritable plethora of variegated playlists to brighten your days, wherever you may be.
Today’s first digital platter on the virtual turntable is taken from a 2013 album by someone who has featured more than once on previous incarnations of the Melodic Randomiser; Gary Numan. This particular clattering slab of electronic goth bombast, from Splinter (Songs From A Broken Mind), is called “Here in the Black”
Following that cheery offering, we head back to my school days, when I was listening to Mr Numan’s early output, but I was also playing this next album to death, in fact I think I wore out two cassettes over the years.
1974’s In For The Kill is my favourite album by hugely influential but often overlooked Welsh heavy metal/prog rockers, Budgie and this epic track, “Zoom Club” is a fine example of their chunky riffing, slightly spacey sound.
It’ll be almost impossible not to let out a resounding “Yeah!” at the final powerchord, you wait.
Lastly we have a nice summery slice of 2014 funky nu-disco by DJ Andy Butler, aka Hercules and Love Affair and a song from The Feast of the Broken Heart (feat. Rouge Mary), here’s “The Key”
Now you don’t get that mix of tunes on your average early morning/breakfast/lunchtime/drive-time/evening/late night show*, do you?
So if you like the cut of the Isolation Radio show’s jib*, then join me again tomorrow and we’ll rummage through my musical memory banks once more.
Between now and then, think positive, look after your community and remember; You can lead a chav to the supermarket, but you can’t make him wash his hands.
STAY SAFE. THINK OF OTHERS.
Peace
X
*{delete where timezone renders applicable}
*{not entirely certain we have a jib, I’ll be honest}
Once more into the music library we venture, via another flight on the Melodic Randomiser, as it takes us by the ears and leads us astray for a while, courtesy of the Isolation Radio show.
A funky chunk of afro-centric hip-hop to start us off today, from the 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life of… album by Arrested Development, here’s “U”
From an African vibe to an African animal, but an Australian artist; next we have Tame Impala and a song from 2015’s Currents album, the chilled out psychedelia of “New Person, Same Old Mistakes”.
Which brings us to our last tune for the day, a slice of smooth English blues rock from 1979 and “Where do You Think You’re Going?” from Communique, the second album by mega-selling guitar musos, Dire Straits
And that is that, so from another gloriously sunny day in the garden, I wish you all well and hope you’re up for joining me again tomorrow for more musical malarkey.
Keep happy, stay safe and don’t let the bastards grind you down.
Peace
X
Welcome to the second week of my quarantine-friendly Wednesday Weirdness strand, which is deputising for the alternative dictionary while it’s on coronavirus lockdown in the Library of Contrivance.
Today I have some animation, some music and some homemade art for you, described in my allocated one line, like so:
A friend on Facebook, a fine chap called Tom Tomski, suggested we recreate album covers with stuff we had lying around and I also composed a new musical masterpiece, which I accompanied with a rather spiffing video.
{The first three are mine, then four from Tom and three from Fi J Sanderson. Thanks guys, for letting me share your creative genius)
So, did you get them all?
#1linerWeds
13 – Unlucky for some, but lucky for you, because you’ve come to the right place at the right time for another edition of the Isolation Radio show!
Yes, once more I’m coming to you live, in every timezone on the planet at the exact same time, and at every time on the planet at the exact same time, all at once, all at the exact time you read this.
And now.
And now.
And now, too.
Isn’t technology wonderful?
Anyway, the Melodic Randomiser is burbling gently away at my side, cooling fans working hard in the afternoon sunshine, so let’s see what pops out of its aural interface first…
Well what do you know, it’s one of the many Twin Peaks related tracks in my collection, the dreamy “Audrey’s Dance” by Angelo Badalamenti, from the Twin Peaks Season One Original Soundtrack album
You might not be able to get to the beach to enjoy the beautiful weather at the moment, but you can close your eyes and listen to the sunny sound of Beth Orton blowing away the grey skies with “How far” from her 1996 Trailer Park album.
And if that doesn’t float your musical boat, how about some Anglo/Spanish indie dance folktronica, with the always joyful and upbeat Crystal Fighters and a song from 2010’s wonderful Star of Love album, here’s “At Home”.
Go on, tell me that didn’t put a smile on your face and a spring in your step. But on the off chance that you’re still not satisfied, we’ll do it all again tomorrow, so don’t touch that dial.
In the meantime be good to each other and be grateful for what you have, because remember; When it comes to life, you can’t have everything. I mean, where would you put it?
Peace
X
Another thankfully hot and sunny day in the Melodic Randomiser garden studios, from whence a triple track treat of tremendously tempting tempos and rambunctiously writhing rhythms is coming to you, courtesy of the Isolation Radio show.
Getting the ball rolling is an apt tune (from an album with a…possibly inspirational title) by veteran, perma-angry punk rockers, Green Day.
So do a spot of channel hopping and come back here after you tune in to “Troubled Times”, from 2016’s Revolution Radio.
Welcome back. You’re just in time to inch cautiously along a totally different branch of the American musical family tree, with a slow bluesy number from Texan beard enthusiasts, ZZ Top. We’re going all the way back to 1973 and their Tres Hombres album for “Have You Heard?”
After which we have to slide down a rope and swing perilously across to the opposite side of the tree altogether, for the syncopated, jazzy drum and bass electronica of Photek and the laid-back “Pyramid”, from his 2012 release, KU:PALM.
A nice selection to break the monotony of quarantine, I hope you’ll agree.
And if you don’t, well never fear, I’ll be back again tomorrow to enthuse about more auditory objects of desire and maybe you’ll find something to tickle your fancy there instead.
Whatever your musical tastes, wherever you are, whatever you’re doing; stay safe, be sensible, be kind to each other and, as the leather-faced, grumpy granddaddy of country rock wisely once said, “Keep on rocking in the free world”
Peace
X
Today the Melodic Randomiser spewed out a track from 1974 called 1984, one from 1984 about leaving home and one from 2012 (rather spoiling the pattern) about coming home.
The first cut is the deepest, so they say, and that might just be the case on today’s Isolation Radio show…
…given that the first cut is David Bowie‘s dystopian reimagining of George Orwell‘s “1984”, from the fantastic Diamond Dogs album.
Then we have the reliably bonkers Art of Noise and a track which samples The Andrews Sisters‘ WWII classic, “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy”, this is “The Army Now”.*
And we finish up today with a song from the original soundtrack album of one of the best TV dramas about music I think I’ve seen, Treme.
This sprawling series by The Wire creator, David Simon, follows life in the titular area of New Orleans which was so badly devastated by Hurricane Katrina. It brilliantly chronicles the neglect felt by inhabitants and how they felt let down by the Bush administration, mirrored by the deep love of jazz and it’s long traditions in the community. If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend it for your quarantine watch list.
So to play us out, here’s Steve Zahn‘s character, DJ DAVIS and the Brassy Knoll, with “The Road Home”
That concludes today’s festivities, but rest assured I shall return tomorrow for more electronic entertainment from the ether.
Peace
X
{*If you wish to hear my very own megamix tribute to The Art of Noise, combined with a bit of New Order, you can listen or download from HERE for free}
Ten days in and still going strong on the Isolation Radio show, brought to you by the unforeseeable audio delights of the Melodic Randomiser, beginning with a band named after a breed that’s currently getting rarer by the day…
… Men at Work; probably best known for their (legally contentious) worldwide 1982 hit, “Down Under”, although my music player has shuffled up another track from the same, still excellent Business as Usual album; “Underground”
Aussie new wave pop is followed closely by UK dance/rap, in the guise of Example, or Elliot John Gleave to his mum, with a song from The Evolution of Man, here’s “Snakeskin”
Then it’s back in the time machine, heading back to 1979 and the Life in a Day album by Simple Minds, from which we have this blast from the past, “Destiny”
That should give you at least one reason to groove around your living room, if not a whole trifecta of tunes to which you can trip the light fantastic and dance away those isolation blues.
See you tomorrow for more deliciously diverse diversions from reality. Until then, stay safe my hoopy froods and remember; Don’t Panic, you’ll be fine if you always know where your towel is.
Peace
X
Week two of the Isolation Radio show finds us firing up the Melodic Randomiser just in time for it to spit out a track from quirky pop veterans, Sparks‘ 2017 album, Hippopotamus.
Never a band who bowed to fashion or musical trends, the Mael brothers have continued to write arch, slightly camp, knowingly clever songs for half a century and show no signs of stopping yet. This is a fine example of their recent oeuvre, singing the praises of “Scandinavian Design”
Speaking of clever lyricists, the next shuffled artiste on the apocalypse jukebox is no exception.
Kate Tempest has crammed a lot into her 34 years on the planet; she’s an award winning spoken word performer, poet, musician, novelist and playwright and here’s something from her Mercury Prize nominated Let Them Eat Chaos album from 2016, “Lionmouth Door Knocker”
Closing today’s show is an artist you may not have heard of before, but may still have heard music by, because IAMX is the multimedia brainchild of ex-Sneaker Pimps founder, Chris Corner. This track from the 2016 Everything is Burning album is remixed by Gary Numan and is called “Happiness”
I hope you found something to tickle the audio receptors in amongst that lot, I’ll be back for another batch to accompany your Friday.
Until then, keep on keeping indoors and try to be nice to one another, we’re all we’ve got.
Peace
X
Looks like we’re all still here, so let’s fire up the Melodic Randomiser and see what today’s Isolation Radio show has to offer.
First up, an enormously talented musician, singer, actor and filmmaker, of Armenian descent, from Devon; (via America) Cosmo Jarvis, or Harrison Cosmo Krikoryan Jarvis to give him his full name, and a song from 2012’s Think Bigger album, “Train Downtown”.
Second on our seventh playlist is a track from the eponymous debut by androgynous indie rock stalwarts, Placebo, here is the characteristically angtsy “Come Home”.
And for number three, by complete coincidence, my makeshift jukebox has provided us with some more amusing musical narrative from Cosmo Jarvis, this time from the interestingly titled Humasyouhitch/Sonofabitch. So sit back and enjoy the romantic tale of Cosmo and Melanie, with “Mel’s Song”
I hope this small collection of spontaneous vibes goes some way to cheer your day, and I’ll see you again when I’m next back this way.
Peace
X
RETURN OF THE INTERNET NOBODY 