Héritage Sur Scène

One band that I will sadly not see live in concert this year is Songhoy Blues.

Sometimes it's the timing, sometimes it's finances, sometimes it's other Clan K commitments, sometimes it's a combination of all three.

Songhoy Blues are playing in the bowels of the good ship Thekla in Bristol on Saturday night. Landing as it does in the middle of a week where I have a very special night out with some new old friends (I'll explain in a follow up post) and next week where, all being well and good, I'll get to not one but two gigs, another outing was just a stretch too far.

A shame as fourth album Héritage came out in January and it's a satisfying departure from the sound of their previous three.

Band member Garba Toure has previously said, "We can't stay in the traditional aesthetic of our grandparents; that was another time. Besides, we love electric guitars too much".

However, as the album title implies, this is Songhoy Blues' take on "the traditional aesthetic", electric swapped for acoustic. It's a more contemplative album, for sure, but the passion still burns.

I'll be sorry to miss Songhoy Blues, but you needn't do the same, as tickets are still available for Birmingham (Wednesday 4th), London (Friday 6th) and Bristol (Saturday 7th).

 

 

 

Long Time Coming

If you're a UK voter, there's only one place you have to be today*

And for the incumbents who have used and abused their privileged position for far too long: Don't forget to switch off the lights when you fuck off. 

 

And no looting. You've done enough already.

 

1) Fuck You. It's Over: Glasvegas (2008)

2) Electioneering: Radiohead (1997)

3) Fuck Off: Mindless Drug Hoover (1994)

4) Burn The Bastards (Album Version): The Justified Ancients Of Mu Mu (1988)

5) Fuck U (Album Version): Archive (2004)

6) The Election (Part 2): Andy Fairley (1992)

7) Voter: Songhoy Blues (2017)

8) Please Don't Fuck Up My World: Sparks (2020)

9) You've Got Nothing To Lose: Michael Kiwanuka (2014)

10) Hey Fuck You: Beastie Boys (2004)

11) Dance You Fuckers: Wall Of Voodoo (1986)

12) Nothing To Lose Except My Mind: Julian Cope (2005)

13) P.S. Fuck You: The Anchoress (2016) 

 

1986: Far Side Of Crazy EP: 11

1988: Shag Times: 4 

1992: System Vertigo: 6 

1994: Volume Eleven: 3

1997: OK Computer: 2 

2004: Noise: 5

2004: To The 5 Boroughs: 10

2005: Dark Orgasm: 12

2008: A Snowflake Fell (And It Felt Like A Kiss) EP: 1 

2014: You've Got Nothing To Lose EP: 9 

2016: Confessions Of A Romance Novelist: 13

2017: Résistance: 7

2020: A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip: 8

Long Time Coming (48:40) (KF) (Mega)

* unless you've already submitted a postal vote.

Give Our Ears A Rest

The title is a line from the Amadou & Mariam song Wily Kataso featuring in today's selection. Usually meant as a request to shut up (as in the context of the song), I'm instead claiming it as a celebratory balm for the next 75 minutes.

 

Sixteen songs designed to relax, uplift and take you beyond the day-to-day noise before bringing you gently back down to earth. Half a dozen are lifted from the ever-dependable Sahel Sounds label, others from Real World, Nation Records and Honest Jon's Records.

Some artists - Etran De L'Aïr, Mdou Moctar, Songhoy Blues, Transglobal Underground - are regulars here. Others - Ali Farka Touré, Oumou Sangaré, Amadou & Mariam - are surprisingly (to me, at least) making their first appearance on this blog. 

 

This selection is dedicated to beautiful soul and inspiration Sheila Chandra, who provides the closing song.

1) Paisano: Nkumba System ft. Mamani Keita (2020)

2) Adounia: Etran De L'Aïr (2022)

3) Niger: Mali Music (Damon Albarn, Afel Bocoum, Toumani Diabaté & Friends) (2002)

4) Eliss Wan Anas Douban: Les Filles De Illighadad (2016)

5) Gomni (Live) (Cover of Ali Farka Touré & Ry Cooder): Songhoy Blues (2013)

6) Anar: Mdou Moctar (2013)

7) Wily Kataso (Radio Edit): Amadou & Mariam ft. Tunde Adebimpe & Kyp Malone (2012)

8) My Heart, My Life (Album Version): Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Michael Brook (1996)

9) Tromba Marina: Transglobal Underground (1994)

10) No Waiting: Les Frères Smith ft. Seun Kuti (2020)

11) Sukunyali: Oumou Sangaré (2009)

12) Jarabi: Wau Wau Collectif (2022)

13) Moribiyassa: Kaba Blon (2011)

14) Penda Yoro: Ali Farka Touré (2006)

15) Kayraba: Amadou Binta Konté & Tidiane Thiam (2014)

16) Om Namaha Shiva: Sheila Chandra (1992)

1992: Weaving My Ancestors' Voices: 16

1994: International Times: 9

1996: Night Song: 8

2002: Mali Music: 3

2006: Savane: 14

2009: Seya: 11 

2011: Music From Saharan Cellphones: 13

2012: Wily Kataso EP: 7

2013: Music From Saharan Cellphones: Volume 2: 6

2013: Songhoy Blues Live (bootleg): 5 

2014: Anar: 6

2016: Les Filles De Illighadad: 4

2017: Waande Kadde: 15

2020: Bailalo Duro: 1

2020: Mutation: 10

2022: Agadez: 2

2022: Mariage: 12

Give Our Ears A Rest (1:14:41) (KF) (Mega)

Slip Into Something More Comfortable...

June 2015 mix, re-posted on my Mixcloud page in 2020, which includes the Hannes Fischer remix of Summertime Sadness that I mentioned in Sunday's post. Starting with Christopher Guest as Spinal Tap's Nigel Tufnell and finishing with John Thaw as The Sweeney's Jack Regan, and slipping in a few of my amateur edits along the way. Simplesmente is a simple splice of two Tom Middleton mixes. I like the Edie Sedgwick/Nightmares On Wax mash-up and I think the Shift K3y/Lana Del Rey segue works well although in retrospect I maybe should have extended the intro of the latter. And, of course, any excuse to shoehorn in a Julian Cope song...

 

1) "This one goes to 11…”: Spinal Tap (1984)
2) Slip Into Something More Comfortable (Original Instrumental Version): Kinobe (2000)
3) Edie Sedgwick Bleu My Mind (Khayem Mash-Up): Nightmares On Wax ft. Edie Sedgwick, Andy Warhol & Merv Griffin (2015)
4) Irganda (Red Snapper Remix): Songhoy Blues (2015)
5) Once In A Lifetime (Luxxury Edit): Talking Heads (2015)
6) Simplesmente (Tom Middleton Balearic Cosmos Remix) (Khayem Re-Edit): Bebel Gilberto (2015)
7) “Let’s face it Roger, that dress is you”: Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder & Christopher Hewett (1967)
8) Get Lucky (Live Medley @ MTV Awards): Daft Punk ft. Pharrell Williams, Nile Rodgers & Stevie Wonder (2014)
9) Not Into It (Original Mix): Shift K3Y (2014)
10) Summertime Sadness (Hannes Fischer Radio Edit): Lana Del Rey (2013)
11) Au Pays Des Merveilles De Juliet (Psychemagik Tour De Force Remix): Yves Simon (2014)
12) I Left My Wallet In El Segundo (Independence Mix By Norman Cook): A Tribe Called Quest (1990)
13) Rhythm & Blues World Service: Alexis Korner (1967)
14) State Of Independence (Long Version By Quincy Jones): Donna Summer (1982)
15) The Forest (Richard Norris Remix): Black Rivers (2015)
16) Wonderwall (Liam Gallagher & The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra IDC Mix): Oasis (2014)
17) Let Me Down Gently (Prins Thomas Diskomiks): La Roux (2014)
18) Burning Disaster (Groove Armada Bedtime Story Mix): Language Lab (1999)
19) Sunspots (Album Version): Julian Cope (1984)
20) “Get your trousers on, you’re nicked”: John Thaw (1975)

 

Slip Into Something More Comfortable... (1:21:11)