Morrissey - The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get 7"

So, I've never put a Morrissey track up before, so let's test the water and see if it stays up, or I get told off again. Morrissey, for those of you who recognise him as a bloated figure of fun off festival TV from around the world, used to be great. I guess that's a bit harsh. He's still coming up with good songs every now and then, but there's growing old gracefully and there's Morrissey live.

This single is one of the really great ones, and you probably know it already, as it's been repackaged and reissued numerous times. There are some good lines on this one. The b-side, which maybe you don't know so well, is a quiet one. It's a nice enough track, and if you like the man (as I do) you'll enjoy it.

As with many of my records, for some reason I never took the price label off. No idea why not, but I'm kind of fond of those labels now - brings back memories of little shops that disappeared long ago (and the Virgin Megastore on Oxford Street).

1. The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get
2. Used To Be A Sweet Boy

Here he is.

Palace Music - Palace Soundtrack free CD

Hello everyone, and happy new year to you all. As a special treat for the start of 2012, a departure from the usual 2-track vinyl goodness, and a dip into the freebies which I was lucky enough to get with various LPs. This is a film soundtrack for a film called The Broken Giant, which came out a couple of years after this was included with the LP of Arise Therefore in 1996. Apparently it was released as an EP later on, but I like to think this sounds a bit more special. Which of course it doesn't.

Sorry all the tracks are labelled as Will Oldham, which is what the thing that gives you CD track names called them. I only noticed after I'd uploaded it. I think they should be Palace Music. Although it's Will Oldham on his own. Well. And the EP's called Black/Rich Music, which it was called later. Well. And it has more tracks than a single. Well.

It's bloody great. Enough?

1. Organ: Watch With Me
2. Do What You Will Do
3. The Risen Lord
4. Organ: Allowance
5. Allowance
6. Black/Rich Tune
7. Organ: Black/Rich
8. Guitar: Do What You Will Do

Here it is.

Light - Turning/Presence 7"

Been a bit slack recently, as you might have noticed. Well, it's New Year's Eve, so I thought I'd wish you all a very happy 2012 with what can only be described as the ultimate party single.

I know nothing about this record, other than it was released on clear vinyl 7" by Wurlitzer Jukebox in 1995, and it sounds like Flying Saucer Attack. That alone is surely a good enough reason to check it out. It comes with a photocopied insert with a picture of a man with a big beard, and the word 'mono' written several times.

What more can I say. If any of that sounds interesting, and I hope it does, then see what you think. Happy new year, y'all.

1. Turning
2. Presence

Party!

Ash - Jesus Says 7"

Say what you like about Ash, but whatever stage of their career they've come up with some cracking singles. Their singles collection is a really good album, sadly unlike some of their actual albums...

This single is off 'Nu-Clear Sounds', from 1998, which I can only remember for this song. And the fact that the LP was on clear vinyl, which in itself is obviously a good thing, but I guess some of you purists will claim the music's important too. That said, I saw an advert for them playing this LP in order (plus other hits), so I guess it's only me that didn't really rate it.

Anyhew, the single's a good 'un, and you should take a listen if you can. The b-side is also surprisingly good, a little less straightforward/more metal than their songs usually are. It's a Charlotte Hatherley track, which she also sings, if you're interested in her pre-solo songs. All of which possibly means I should go back and check out the album again.

This is one super over-compressed recording. Who needs a dynamic range when you've got ROCK!

1. Jesus Says
2. Taken Out

Here they are.

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - 2Kindsa Love 7"

Look me in the eye and tell me you don't already love a Jon Spencer Blues Explosion 7" on bright pink vinyl. Good. So do I. I've tried to scan the 7" itself, but the colour doesn't do it justice at all - it's really quite horrible in real life.

Now, if you don't know this track then you've been missing out for 15 years or so; it's bloody great. Everything about it, shouting, crazy guitar sounds, great production... Love it.

It's off his Now I Got Worry album, which is up there with his very best. The b-side is a poorly-punctuated but nicely-nuts slice of blues/punk madness, with some killer keyboard (at least that's what I think it is).

1. 2Kindsa Love
2. Lets Smerf

Here

The Flaming Stars - Sweet Smell Of Success 7"

I used to love this band. Still do, in fact, but back then they were one of those ones that I seemed to be into, but no-one else was, which always adds a certain something. Partly I loved them for the music, partly for the sound (all analogue equipment and so on - same studio the White Stripes used a lot, I think), and partly for their habit of releasing limited 7"s with four tracks on them. Needless to say, the one I've chosen only has two tracks, but they're both awesome. It's listed as a double a-side, which always seemed a completely pointless idea to me, but there you go. Still, it kind of makes sense on a record like this.

The first a-side is a killer tune, and sounds lush when the guitar really kicks in. The second a-side, however, is one of my favourite of their tracks, and completely different to the first. Great stuff. And both under 2:30!

You should listen to these, it's only 5 minutes of your life. You'll like them. And I'm glad y'all liked Teenage Fanclub.

1. Sweet Smell Of Success
2. The Day The Earth Caught Fire

Here it's.

Teenage Fanclub - Grand Prix Bonus 7"

Just when you thought I'd run out of Teenage Fanclub... Because I was/am kind of obsessed with this band, I picked up this LP pretty much the day it came out, and was lucky enough to get hold of one with the bonus 7". Here, for your (hopefully) equally obsessive interest, it is.

Track 1 seems to be a recording of some vocals and a shaker, with the rest of the music in the background somewhere. There's some whistling too. And clapping. It's kind of nice. Track 3 is another version of the album track, with louder drums, I guess it's also a demo. Tracks 4 and 6 I had to do some digging about to find names (there's nothing listed on the record) - both instrumentals.

I hadn't listened to this 7" in years, and it's got a real intimate feel to it. Maybe that's just me. I like it, and hope you do too.

1. Discolite (demo)
2. Answerphone message (to Norman)
3. I Gotta Know (demo)
4. Coffee Morning
5. Norman's outgoing answerphone message
6. Untitled

Hear them roar.

The High Fidelity - Addicted To A T.V. 7"

Feeble amount of information about this 7", I'm afraid. All I know is that it came out in 1997, on Plastique Recordings. Side 1 is labelled 'analogue side', and 2 is 'digital side'. Beyond that I know nothing. Anything I told you would be what I could find by searching for them on the internet. What I do know is that this single's well worth an ear, and I hope you enjoy it. Any more information would be welcome. I like the cover.

I will attempt to resume normal service next month!

1. Addicted To A T.V.
2. Pelvic Rock

Here y'are.

Echo & The Bunnymen - Nothing Lasts Forever 7"

I know, I know. And I'm not here for the next two weeks, so there's going to be another huge gap. I'm so slack.

Anyway, to keep you going, here's a cracking tune from an early indie comeback (before Ned's got in on the act). The single is really, really good, and was quite big at the time. It was recorded before he lost the ability to sing. 'Hurricane' sounds like The Doors, and it's a good track. It does sound like a b-side, but it's well worth hearing.

Fair amount of surface noise all over this, for some reason, but I guess if that bothered you, you wouldn't be here.

The packaging is lovely, kind of gatefold, and with an inner sleeve. That and two b-sides... Well. You know what I like, and that's the kind of thing I like.

1. Nothing Lasts Forever
2. Hurricane
3. Jonny

Here you go.

Cable - Arthur Walker 7"

This single's off Cable's second proper LP, 'Sub-Lingual' (third if you're counting the first EP). At the time I really wasn't into it as an album, suffering pretty badly by comparison to 'When Animals Attack', which you should check out if you don't know it already. However, listening again the other day I enjoyed it more, I guess time changes your appreciation of these things. This single is really good, and there are certainly some other cracking songs on it. Give it a go.

Anyway, the main reason for putting this up is the b-side, which is one of my favourite Cable tracks. They had some great b-sides over the years, and someone very kindly sent me a link to a compliation of them a while back. 'Vertigo' was in the compilation, and I knew I recognised it, but it wasn't a very good recording, and I didn't know where it was from. It's from here. And here's a good version of it. It's ace.

1. Arthur Walker
2. Vertigo

Hey ya.