OCTOBER GOOD STUFF

20 GOOD THINGS IN OCTOBER

Dedicated to the memory of Lou Reed

 New discoveries, gigs, songs / albums on heavy rotation and general rock n roll influenced greatness.

1. Drongos For Europe – Freedom video – brilliant video from the Brummie punkers
 

2. Good Vibrations – great film about Terri Hooley and his record a label, set amongst the late seventies Northern Irish punk scene, even bought a tear to the eye.
 

3. Filth – Very dark but funny as fuck film based on the Irwin Welsh novel
 

4. Beans On Toast – live at the Rainbow, Digbeth
 

5. The Mission – The Brightest Light.  This was a surprise - brilliant album from Wayne Hussey & the gang.
 

6. CBGB – Original Sound Track – Haven’t seen the film but the soundtrack is a blast.
 

7. INVSN – INVSN album.  Sounds like one of those great brooding 80’s albums but with a 2013 make over.  From the Refused front man.
 

8. Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip – Repent, Replenish, Repeat – new release from the electronic hip-hop duo, darker and heavier than previous releases but still great stuff. 
 

9. Tim Burgess – the first Ten punk singles he bought – great feature from Louder Than War on the first punk singles purchased by the young Charlatan.  Some great (and maybe surprising) choices in there – take a look here: http://louderthanwar.com/the-first-10-punk-singles-bought-by-tim-burgess-of-the-charlatans/ 
 

10. Bad Manners – Firstly because I’ve been listening to a lot of ska recently and only just got round to getting (30 odd years late) the first two Bad Manners albums, which are great.  Secondly for Buster Bloodvessel’s definition of what a skinhead is to him as featured in the 2003 German documentary Skinhead Attitude, ending with the passionate words ”… and most importantly, anti-racist.” 
 

11. Franz Nicolay – Did Your Broken Heart Make You Who Are You? Multi instrumentalist having played with The Hold steady, The World/Inferno Friendship Society, Star Fucking Hipsters.  From Do the Struggle album.
 

12. Shellac – Excellent Italian Greyhound.  Only just listened to this album, and it’s a corker.
 

13. Criminal Damage – Call Of Death.  Heads down no nonsense punk rock from Oregon.
 

14. Star Anna – Go To Hell .  Fuck this is good.  
 

15. Joan Jett – Unvarnished.  Still got it.
 

16. PiL.  Back on the road.  I didn’t get to see them so been dragging the albums out, and especially appreciating the under played Happy? / 9 / That What Is Not stuff. 
 

17. Rhoda with The Specials – The Boiler.  Still hard hitting but brilliant single.  With virtually no airplay it still reached number 35 in the charts.  Ironic that the BBC saw fit to effectively ban it due to it’s sensitive nature while turning a blind eye to the antics of some of it’s celebrities.
 

18. Southern Death Cult – Moya.  Dragged out of the archives to much excitement (for me anyway)

19. Crass – Penis Envy.
 

20. Dead Kennedys – Halloween- because it was

MY TOP TEN - SAM PARSONS

Okay, second in the occasional series of random Top 10's  This week it's little Sam. (That's my boy)

10. Kate Nash - Made Of Bricks

Feel good album all the way through, genius lyricist with a comedic value to her

 

9. Ramones - Ramones

First ever album I brought on vinyl. A great moment for my dad cause he knew in that moment, he'd succeeded in continuing the family's love for punk

8. Fall Out Boy - Infinity On High

I used to listen to this album religiously in my early years of high school, the quirky names, the catchy songs, not the perfect album, but definitely a great

7. Beans On Toast - Standing On A Chair



By purely getting through this album, you feel like you've achieved something great in life. It's like watching the Lord Of Rings trilogy consecutively, all your senses burn but it's worth it

6. The Feeling - Twelve Stops and Home

This is a bit different to the albums I usually listen too but everyone needs that feel-good album and this is mine

 

5. Leatherface - Stormy Petrol

This is more to do with the songs on this album contributing to an amazing gig experience.

4. Pete Bentham & The Dinnerladies - Hip Potater

This album has it's own genre; kitchen sink punk. It is catchy throughout and doesn't get the size of audience it deserves

3. Dan Le Sac Vs. Scroobius Pip - Angles



 

Everyone knows an album like this. Until you listen to it, no one can do it justice by trying to explain it to you

2. My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade

This album made me who I am today. An eleven year old in his room singing 'teenagers scare the living shit out of me' may seem unusual but it shaped my whole musical taste. Not one bad song on this album

1. The King Blues - Save The World Get The Girl

This band took the idea of punk rock and shaped it into their own style to make an album too perfect to be true. This album is the Pulp Fiction of music, it has something for everybody and everyone gets a catchphrase from it

 

DAN LE SAC V'S SCROOBIUS PIP - SNOB

Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip - Snob

Little Sammy was a kid on a council estate
His dad listened to the skids, the slits and the slates
So Sammy listened too, he loved the passion in it
He loved the feeling in his spine with every snare hit
One day his dad bought the Sunday rag
Came with a CD of Mozart and a TV mag
The TV was broke so he put the CD on and listened
And his eyes lit up and his smile, it glistened

He had never known that music could have so many layers
Different emotions placed upon different parts and players
Each week he waited for the next free CD
To put on his headphones and get lost completely

So he saved all his money, one goal in mind
To go down to a performance and see this live
It took eight long months to raise these funds
But the excitement was immense when that day did come

With his pockets full of coins he got the bus to the city
He watched the view become less shitty and gritty
Even though he was alone in this big dark place
Nothing could remove the smile from his face

When he arrived, everyone was in suits
Sammy stood there in tatty jeans and boots
He slammed his coins on the counter "one ticket please"
But the guy turned up his nose like he was gonna sneeze

He looked away and served the next couple suited and booted
But Sammy stood his ground and asked again less muted
They laughed and someone sneered "Get out of here pikey
Appreciation on your level seems less than likely"

Tears built up in little Sammy's eyes
It seemed his place in society he could not hide
His head dropped for a minute but then his head was held
He looked them in the eyes as he screamed and yelled

He said…

Stop being a snob with ya music
It's made to be heard man, anyone can use it
Ya get so damn precious sometimes
It's just rhythms and rhymes and melodies in time

There was this other kid, she lived on the outskirts of Leicester
Her friends called her Frankie, her parents Francesca
I gotta admit she was kind of ignorant
But the kind you expect of wealth and affluence
No offence! She just lived in a different world
With different priorities, a real status girl
Her musical taste were an NME playlist
And anything recommended by the rich and famous

Now one day she was buying tunes online
She'd just got into Beck five years out of time
When she went to download Midnight Vultures
She got confused and grabbed Midnight Marauders

The only hip hop she knew was when that boy Kanye
Got featured in her mag doing a track with Coldplay
But as she reached to turn it off Q-Tip started to speak
And in that split second somehow he connected deep

She sat up, 'til god knows what time
Hunting for more beats, breaks and rhymes
She could barely believe that music so far from her role
Could resonate and connect to the root of her soul

She woke late the next day and hit the record store
She'd found a lot of dope tracks but she wanted more
She walked in and went straight to the guy at the desk
She said, "I'm loving De La Soul and a Tribe Called Quest

I've heard good things about Rakim and KRS
So I'm looking for advice on what's the best of the best"
The guys looked at each other, raised an eyebrow and smiled
And they looked back at her like a little lost child

Then they laughed "little posh girl getting her ghetto on?
Go back to daddy little girl this ain't where you belong"
She felt demoralized and stupid and all alone
And then she screamed in their faces with a visceral tone

She said…

Stop being a snob with ya music
It's made to be heard man, anyone can use it
Ya get so damn precious sometimes
It's just rhythms and rhymes and melodies in time