My radio show Amazing Songs & Other Delights # 79 – The of Roots and Happy Sounds edition airs Monday 19th, 3-4pm (gmt+1) on Yé Yé Radio: yeyeradio.com (or on the app).
There are 18 songs raging from roots based ones – Rodrigo Leão, Miguel Mouta, Tinariwen, Retimbrar – to gentle, happy pop – Brian Bilston and the Catenary Wires, Lightheaded, Robert Forster and others – along with some dancefloor shades, Alex Fernet, and a dash or rock-‘n’-roll, Victor Torpedo & The Pop Kids.
It’s my usual “at first glance, it doesn’t seem to make sense, but it does” mix. 🙂 It’s a happy, vibrant show, with a wide diversity of geographies and sounds. I hope you like it as much as I do.
Tracklist: 01: Rodrigo Leão – O Rapaz da Montanha 02: Alex Fernet – The Nightdrive 03: Brian Bilston and the Catenary Wires – Every Song On The Radio Reminds Me Of You 04: Jeanines – What’s Lost 05: City Mall – Sapphire 06: Laufey – Tough Luck 07: Lightheaded – Same Drop 08: Miguel Mouta – Café feat Lika 09: Tinariwen (+IO:I) – Sastanàqqàm 10: noiserv – 20 . 05 . A self-conversation is too loud for an empty room 11: Real Estate – Pink Sky 12: Retimbrar – Só Ouve o Brado da Terra (by José Afonso) 13: Robert Forster – Strawberries 14: Roland Decembre – Fais-moi tout oublie 15: Tamara Qaddoumi – River In The Darkness 16: The Bug Club – Appropriate Emotions 17: The Dirty Projectors – Through the Long and Lonely Night 18: Victor Torpedo & The Pop Kids – Friends
Monday 5th, instead of my Amazing Songs & Other Delights there will be a repetition of Set A Light – Lester Bangs Special, 3-4pm (gmt+1) on Yé Yé Radio: yeyeradio.com (or on the app).
Set A Light is a Rui Pimenta, aka my radio husband, ideato be conceive and taken to task by the two of us. For a million reasons called life, for now, there’s still only this Lester Bangs Special. I think this show deserves to be re-listened to, at least, a million times
People connected to music who are aware of Lester and his work, often say “We need a new Lester Bangs”, or “Lester Bangs would be necessary” and I think to myself “Yes, but proverbial but, I would like to see how it would play out.” Lester was larger than life, rulesless, didn’t give two flying figs. I agree music writing needs no one, but a few Lesters. I also think it may be a tumbling of the music world as we currently know it, a music world mostly forgotten that music writing isn’t always loveliness.
I created the radio programme as a soundtrack to accompanying dialogues from Cameron Crowne’s film Almost famous in which Bangs is which Lester Bangs is magnificently played by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Along with existing songs, I came up with typewriter noises, superimposed on This Are a Few Of My Favourite Things played by John Coltrane, a small piece of my favourite youtube found version of John Cage 4’33” before Black Sabbath’s Planet Caravan, turning both into a single song and more.
Lester Bangs wrote for Creem, Rolling Stone, The Village Voice and other publications. The show captures Lester uniqueness and rawness. You can read my original text for the programme here.
Tracklist: 01 – Almost Famous – Introducing Mr. Lester Bangs 02 – Lester Bangs – Let It Blurt 03 – Almost Famous – if you like Lou Lester Bangs to William Miller 04 – Lou Reed – Walk On The Wild Side 05 – Almost Famous – do you take drugs Lester Bangs to William Miller 06 – John Coltrane – This Are A Few of My Favourite Things & Typewriter 07 – Almost Famous -an assignment Lester Bangs to William Miller 08 – Silence (from John Cage’s 4’33) & Black Sabbath (Planet Caravan) 09 – Almost Famous – honest Lester Bangs to William Miller 10 – Teenage Jesus And The Jerks – I Woke Up Dreaming – (from the No New Work LP, 1978, compiled and produced by Brian Eno) 11 – Lester Bangs – About Music 12 – Roxy Music – Just Like You 13 – Birdland with Lester Bangs – Textbook Case 14 – Lester Bangs – on Beatles Nostalgia (1981) 15 – John Lennon – Gimme Some Truth 16 – Lester Bangs and The Delinquents – I Just Want to Be a Movie Star 17 – Almost Famous – women Lester Bangs to William Miller 18 – Blondie – Little Girl Lies (Live at El Mocambo, Toronto, August 3rd, 1978 – FM Radio Broadcast) 19 – Count Five – Psychotic Reaction 20 – The J. Geils Band – So Sharp 21 – Almost Famous – unmerciful Lester Bangs to William Miller 22 – MC5 – Borderline (live at Detroit’s Grande Ballroom) 23 – Almost Famous – starry eyes Lester Bangs to William Miller 24 – R.E.M. – It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) 25 – Scott B. Sympathy – Lester Bangs Stereo Ghost 26 – Almost Famous – the day it ceases to the dumb it’s the day it ceases to be real Lester Bangs to William Miller
My radio show Amazing Songs & Other Delights # 77 – The Spring is Here edition is now on mixcloud. Amazing Songs & Other Delights airs every other Monday, 3-4pm (gmt+1) on Yé Yé Radio: yeyeradio.com (or on the app).
Tracklist: 01: The Learning Station – Spring Is Here 02: Bill Callahan – Spring 03: Elis Regina & Tom Jobim – Águas de Março 04: Everything But The Girl – I Don’t Want To Talk About It 05: Glazyhaze – Not Tonight 06: Henry Silence – Gamble 07: Jonathan Richman – Springtime in New York 08: M.Ward – Here Comes The Sun Again 09: Manic Street Preachers – Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head 10: Morcheeba – I Am The Spring 11: Now – In Pathécolor 12: Pale Blue Eyes – Travel Day 13: Rufus Wainwright – Rebel Prince 14: Saint Etienne – Spring 15: Stereolab – Pop Quiz 16: The Beach Boys – Be Still (2001 remastered) 17: The Gentle Spring – Sugartown 18: The Bunch – The Locomotion
It is World Radio Day and my Amazing Songs & Other Delights # 76 – The New, Found, Remembered edition can now be listened to on mixcloud.
The title is self-explanatory. This programme is a mix of new songs, songs I chanced upon from different songs, some new, some not, and songs I remembered. It’s also another case of one thing leads to another. As a whole the 19 songs from various decades, with emphasis on very recent ones. More about the show here.
Tracklist: 01 – Bryan Ferry and Amelia Barratt – Orchestra 02 – Alpine Subs – Rely On Me 03 – Attawalpa – Always The Girls 04 – Berkley – Gram Theft Parsons 05 – Born Folk – Seize the Day 06 – Crazy Horse – I Don’t Want to Talk About It 07 – Electric Man – New Wave 08 – Epic Soundtracks feat Robert Wyatt – Jellybabies 09 – Hamish Hawk – Juliet as Epithet 10 – Jude Alderson – Rent Boy 11 – Julian Shah-Tayler – Sufferation 12 – Julien Baker & Torres – Sylvia 13 – Little Barrie & Malcom Catto – Zero Sun 14 – Marlon Williams – Aua Atu Rā 15 – OMIRI – Pé com Pé 16 – The Durutti Column – Love No More 17 – The Gentle Spring – Looking Back At The World 18 – Tunng – Didn’t Know Why 19 – Vanarin – Memories
My Amazing Songs & Other Delights # 75 – The A New Season Begins edition airs Monday 27, 3-4pm (gmt) on Yé Yé Radio: yeyeradio.com (or on the app).
As the name says it’s the start of a new season of shows, as well as an edition filled with new music.
From the Discotheque with Rialto to the Highlands of Scotland with Butler, Blake and Grant, trough journeys and stops various, from different geographic locations.
Sixteen original songs and two excellent covers The Passions’ I’m In Love With a German Film Star by Andy Bell feat. Dot Allison and Michael Rother and José Afonso’s Canção da Paciência (Patience Song) by Um Corpo Estranho supply a musical adventure filled as much with pastoral tones – Sam Amidon, Edith Frost – as angular, or furious guitars – The Jesus Lizard, Bob Mould – and lots of groove too.
Tracklist: 01 – Rialto – No One Leaves This Discotheque Alive 02 – Edwyn Collins – Knowledge 03 – Tom Gunn Nash – Grown 04 – Chioke – Life Could Be This Way 05 – Manic Street Preachers – People Ruin Paintings 06 – Sam Amidon – Golden Willow Tree 07 – Bob Mould – Here We Go Crazy 08 – Edith Frost – Hold On 09 – Andy Bell feat. Dot Allison and Michael Rother – I’m in Love… 10 – The Velveteers – Bound In Leather 11 – Hayden Thorpe – Doom Orchid 12 – The Twist Connection – Concentrate 13 – Um Corpo Estranho – Canção da Paciência 14 – Jesus Lizard – Westside 15 – Ray – Man On Fire 16 – Sehore – Vals 17 – Leatherette – Itchy 18 – Butler, Blake & Grant – Bring An End
Tracklist: 01 – The Beatles – While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Raquel) 02 – Dillard and Clark – Don’t Let Me Down (Bill) 03 – George Harrison – My Sweet Lord (Raquel) 04 – Junior Parker – Tomorrow Never Knows (2024 remastered version) (Bill) 05 – Bryan Ferry – Jealous Guy (Raquel) 06 – George Harrison – Try Some Buy Some (2024 mix) (Bill) 07 – Suede – A Day In The Life (MTV intro (Raquel) 08 – The Beatles – You Can’t Do That (Bill)l 09 – John Lennon – Gimme Some Truth (Bill) 10 – Paul McCartney – Waterfalls (Bill) 11 – George Harrison – Wah-Wah (2014 Remaster) (Raquel) 12 – The Beatles – Octopus Garden (Raquel)p 13 – The Carpenters – Ticket To Ride (Bill) 14 – The Beatles – Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (Raquel) 15 – The Beatles – Yellow Submarine (Raquel) 16 – Robert Wyatt – Love (Bill) 17 – Ringo Starr – It Don’t Come Easy (Bill) 18 – Lucinda Williams – While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Raquel)
This time I’ll go with a repeat. My Amazing Songs & Other Delights #32 – The Autumn Is Here edition airs Monday 4th, 3-4pm (gmt) on Yé Yé Radio: yeyeradio.com (or on the app).
As the name says it’s an Autumn edition. You can read about it here here.
Tracklist: 01 – Arkadia Jazz All-Stars – Don’t Get Around Much Anymore (feat. Buster Williams & Carl Allen ) (Duke Ellighton original) 02 – António Vale da Conceição – Love Is The Storm 03 – Billy Childish & The Singing Loins – Pocahontas Was Her Name 04 – Blache – Garbage Picker 05 – Charlie Megira – Fear and Joy 06 – Cream – World of Pain 07 – David Bowie – Breaking Glass 08 – Francie Moon – Everything Goes 09 – Heavenly – I Fell in Love Last Night 10 – Japan – Canton (Live from Hammersmith Odeon, 1983) 11 – Jessie Buckley & Bernard Butler – Footnotes On The Map (Live From The Green Note) 12 – Miguel Feraso Cabral – Indo Por Ali Longe 13 – Taylor Kingman – Heaven Ain’t Hiding 14 – The Shins – The Celibate Life 15 – Weyes Blood – It’s Not Just Me, It’s Everybody 16 – Wolf Manhattan – Five Years
My Amazing Songs & Other Delights #72 – The Ecosystem edition is now on mixcloud.
Of late, I’ve been coming upon the word ecosystem from different sources. Or happen upon lyrics, or otherwise that mention the concept that we’re all one, we’re connected, that we depend on each other.
That concept is part of Body Count’s Comfortably Numb version of Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb the song that opens this edition. Ice-T writes and says: “Listen… ’cause I’ve been on both sides of the gun As you stand before me we’re all here as one We gotta come together or our chances are none Maybe I’m just a dreamer, too many obstacles” (full lyrics here)
An ecosystem implies environment and those in it interacting, forging connections, relationships, one thing leading to another. That is how both Mondo and Yé Yé came to be. The longer text about My Amazing Songs & Other Delights #72 – The Ecosystem edition can be read here.
Tracklist: 01: Body Count – Comfortably Numb (feat. David Gilmour) 02: Raveloe – Passing Place 03: 12 Roads – Waiting For JB 04: Rowland S. Howard – Shut Me Down 05: Ned Swarbrick – Somebody, Something, Somewhere Else (live York City FC) 06: Mick Harvey – October Boy 07: Johnny Marr – New Town Velocity 08: The Birthday Party – The Friend Catcher 09: Saint Sappho – Grass is Gold 10: Oh Bobby (Bill Rivers and Simon Hayward) – Are You Still There 11: Sorry Monks – One Rule For Them 12: Paradise Lost – The Last Time 13: Harry Howard And The NDE – Sensitive To The Cold 14: Mark Robin White & Adam Lato – Rabbit Hole (Tranquility mix) 15: The Courettes – Shake! 16: A Resistência – Maré Alta
Amazing Songs & Other Delights #72 The Ecosystem edition airs Monday 21st, 3-4:30pm (gmt+1) on Yé Yé Radio: yeyeradio.com (or on the app).
Of late, I’ve been coming upon the word ecosystem from different sources. Or happen upon lyrics, or otherwise that mention the concept that we’re all one, we’re connected, that we depend on each other.
That concept is part of Body Count’s Comfortably Numb version of Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb the song that opens this edition. Ice-T writes and says: “Listen… ’cause I’ve been on both sides of the gun As you stand before me we’re all here as one We gotta come together or our chances are none Maybe I’m just a dreamer, too many obstacles (full lyrics can be read here.).
An ecosystem implies environment and those in it interacting, forging connections, relationships, one thing leading to another. That is how both Mondo and Yé Yé came to be.
There are a few ecosystems on the programme. Birthday Party that lead to Rowland S. Howard and Mick Harvey. Mick Harvey song October Boy is about Pop Crimes – The Songs of Rowland S. Howard. Harry Howard is Rowland’s brother with whom Mick has played with. Interviewing Mick and Harry (and J.P. Shillo and Genevieve McGuckin) along a group of old friends – an ecosystem – lead to a number of Australian musician starting reaching out and sending their music.
When two weeks ago Bernard Butler was looking for opening acts for his current UK tour the Mild Ones, a Suede fan group, shared the request and so did I, adding I would be listening to Bernard’s choices and pick what I like from those. Raveloe (a Mild One Member herself), Ned Swarbrick, Saint Sappho and Sorry Monks (other Mild One) songs are my choices from Bernard’s selection of opening acts. Meanwhile, Ned and, Tammy Dyson, of Saint Sapho, just joined The Mild Ones. Proof that ecosystems are a real thing and work.
Mark Robin White and 12 roads other Mild Ones. I found them on the group and liked their music. Johnny Marr’s New Town Velocity is from a post by Liza Hadiz, another Mild One. I was mentioning how Johnny Marr solo albums have songs I may select to play, but don’t stay with me long time. Liza asked what I thought of Velocity Girl, her favourite solo Johnny Marr song. I replied it was nice and would one day play it on the show. Johnny Marr influenced Bernard Butler, both have played together.
Oh Bobby are Bill Rivers and Simon Hayward. Bill has been part of my ecosystem for a few year. We did a few song together for my third anniversary show. Bill and Simon created together.
The Courettes are released by Damaged Good, a record label Mondo has been close to for twenty five years. Resistência are a Portuguese supergroup. Although I know some of the musicians, or other musicians from their other bands, I don’t have such a direct connection, but Resistência are an ecosystem themselves.
Resistência means Resistance. Maré Alta (High Tide) is a 1972 song by Fausto Bordalo Dias, José Mário Branco and Sérgio Godinho, three Portugue protest singers, released when Portugal was still a dictatorship. The lyrics mention getting ready because an high tide is arriving and freedom is about to come.
Tracklist: 01: Body Count – Comfortably Numb (feat. David Gilmour) 02: Raveloe – Passing Place 03: 12 Roads – Waiting For JB 04: Rowland S. Howard – Shut Me Down 05: Ned Swarbrick – Somebody, Something, Somewhere Else (live York City FC) 06: Mick Harvey – October Boy 07: Johnny Marr – New Town Velocity 08: The Birthday Party – The Friend Catcher 09: Saint Sappho – Grass is Gold 10: Oh Bobby (Bill Rivers and Simon Hayward) – Are You Still There 11: Sorry Monks – One Rule For Them 12: Paradise Lost – The Last Time 13: Harry Howard And The NDE – Sensitive To The Cold 14: Mark Robin White & Adam Lato – Rabbit Hole (Tranquility mix) 15: The Courettes – Shake! 16: A Resistência – Maré Alta
My Amazing Songs & Other Delights #70 – The True Love edition can now be listened to at mixcloud.
The name of this editon comes from the opening and closing songs, True Love the new song by Jane’s Addiction, and True Love Will Find You In The End by Daniel Johnson. You can read more about Amazing Songs & Other Delights here.
Tracklist: 01: Jane’s Addiction – True Love 02: A 90s new man called Stan – Sushi feat. Adamski 03: Anthony Moore – Earthbound Misfit 04: Black Toska – Three Silver Nails 05: Cosmic Room 99 – E Corp 06: Fernando Triste – Escuro 07: Franz Ferdinand – Audacious 08: Good Sad Happy Bad – Shaded Tree 09: Jonas – Bato À Porta 10: Kingbird – There Were Things That Needed Forgiven 11: Laurie Anderson – Road to Mandalay 12: Primal Scream – Love Insurrection 13: Terry Gross – Sales Pitch 14: The Heavy Heavy – Feel 15: Tindersticks – Always a Stranger 16: Virgem Suta – Amor Ao Avesso 17: Daniel Johnston – True Love Will Find You In The End
Mondo Bizarre Magazine 