Ding Dong! (Five Times)

Wishing each and everyone one of you a day full of love, good vibes and festive fun.

Today's fistful of treats should cater for those wishing for a merry and/or maudlin Christmas. Enjoy!

1) Christmas, It's Not A Biggie (Live @ KEXP): Say Sue Me (2019)

2) White Christmas (Live @ Live Lounge, BBC Radio 1) (Cover of Bing Crosby): London Grammar (2017)

3) Happy Xmas (War Is Over) (Live @ Live Lounge, BBC Radio 1) (Cover of John Lennon, Yoko Ono & Plastic Ono Band): Michael Kiwanuka (2024)

4) The Cherry Tree Carol (Live @ KEXP) (Cover of traditional song): Mark Lanegan (2014)

5) Christmas Wrapping (Live @ The Quay Sessions, BBC Scotland) (Cover of The Waitresses): Belle & Sebastian (2017)

  

 

 

Gotta Wonder How I Survived

Lowdown (Parts I & II) is the second single to promote Michael Kiwanuka's 4th album, Small Changes, out on 15th November.

 

By coincidence, I was listening to I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun by The New Rotary Connection beforehand and it was pretty much the perfect primer. 

 

Some of the YouTube comments for Lowdown also make much of the Pink Floyd influences, but as always Kiwanuka's skill is in taking all of the ingredients and cooking up something fresh and nourishing. Noel and Liam, take note.

The instrumental Part II soars into the stratosphere and the video, directed by duo Tom Andrew and Sam Davis aka BLACKWALL, is sublime in its simplicity, basically a boy on his bike in slomo, but oh so beautifully done. 

I completely missed preceding single Floating Parade last month, but it ploughs similar soil, ethereal backing vocals gliding over singing strings and, in both cases, an infectious bassline that propels the groove forwards. Again, the Phillip Youmans-directed video is a visual delight. 

Watching Michael Kiwanuka live is always a treat, albeit one for me that is currently limited to TV screens. This year's Glastonbury set was no exception as this performance of Rule The World from 2016 album Love & Hate demonstrates. And, as if things couldn't get any better, Michael is joined on stage by the wonderful Lianne La Havas. What a team up.

You can pre-order Small Changes from all of the usual friendly retailers.

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.

Black & White

Well, what else could I do...? The logical, some (me included) may say ridiculous conclusion of this week's accidental monochrome theme is of course a 'Black & White' Dubhed excursion.

The selection kicks off with Dollar, a duo who it has to be said I disliked intensely when they had hits in the 1980s and loathed anew when they popped up like a turd you can't flush away in last-chance-saloon reality TV show Reborn In The USA in 2003. In the spirit of Kevin Rowland's recent rework of classic Dexys Midnight Runners' album Too-Rye-Ay, I present Dollar 'as they should have sounded', surprisingly coming across like an Andy Bell outtake from The View From Halfway Down.

Asian Dub Foundation get things back on track, with Jazzanova and David Holmes putting a different spin on Calexico and Doves respectively. Martha & The Muffins appear in their short-lived M+M guise with a song so 1984, it repeatedly mentions the year throughout, instantly freezing the song in time. I love it. 

 

A special mention for David Devant & His Spirit Wife, who I always associate with the late 1990s and was therefore surprised to find have kept going into the 21st Century, releasing their fourth album in 2019. Luckily for them, their song Black And White appears on the only single I own by the band, 1997's Lie Detector EP.

Closing proceedings is a wonderful live take of Black Man In A White World by the astonishingly talented Michael Kiwanuka, stretching out the original album version to nearly twice the length. If you were there, I'd imagine you'd have been quite happy if the song had gone on for 15 to 20 minutes.

 

As a nod to the trio of songs from 1980 by The The, Siouxsie & The Banshees and Elvis Costello & The Attractions, today's cover picture is made up of screen shots from The Blues Brothers, which came out the same year. A superb film with a spectacular scene-stealing turn from the brilliant, beautiful and greatly missed Carrie Fisher.

Happy Friday, everyone!

 

1) Hand Held In Black & White ('As It Should Have Sounded' Version By Khayem): Dollar (1981)

2) Black White (Brendan Lynch Mix): Asian Dub Foundation (1998)

3) Black Heart (Jazzanova's White Soul Dub): Calexico (2004)

4) Black And White: The The (1980)

5) Eve White / Eve Black: Siouxsie & The Banshees (1980)

6) Black And White: David Devant & His Spirit Wife (1997)

7) Black And White Town (David Holmes Remix): Doves (2005)

8) Black & White World: Elvis Costello & The Attractions (1980)

9) Black Stations/White Stations (Extended Dance Mix): M+M (1984)

10) Black Man In A White World (Live @ The Royal Albert Hall, London): Michael Kiwanuka (2017)

Black & White (47:52)

From Cold Water To Fever

Thursday's mention of Danger Mouse's 2019 album with Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O is a good excuse to highlight his current, long awaited collaboration with The Roots' Black Thought. 

Cheat Codes came out in May, though I've only just come to it following a series of official videos, directed by UNCANNY aka George Muncey and Elliott Elder, popping up on YouTube in the last couple of weeks. 

 

The album is choc-full of guests, from Michael Kiwanuka, Kid Sister, Raekwon, A$AP Rocky, Run The Jewels and the late MF Doom (has it really been nearly two years since he passed?) but none outpace Black Thought's erudite and articulate lead.

I've been a fan of Danger Mouse's work since the inclusion of Ghetto Pop Life, his classic with Jemini, appeared on a Jockey Slut covered mounted CD back in 2003 and grabbed my attention. Cheat Codes is going to be another contender for my end of year lists.

 

 

Aquamarine (ft. Michael Kiwanuka)

The Darkest Part (ft. Raekwon & Kid Sister)

Belize (ft. MF Doom)

Strangers (ft. A$AP Rocky & Run The Jewels)