Author Archive: dereksmusicblog
KING CREOSOTE-FROM SCOTLAND FROM LOVE.
KING CREOSOTE-FROM SCOTLAND FROM LOVE. At this time of the year, Scottish artists start to think of the Scottish Album Of The Year Award. It’s the most prestigious Scottish musical award. So the great and good of Scottish music wait with baited breath the announcement of the long-list of twenty. It’s then narrowed down to just ten albums. …
SOUL EMISSARIES-SUPERFUNK.
SOUL EMISSARIES-SUPERFUNK. Over the last ten years, I’ve watched as many record companies, especially small, independent labels, release a compilation that catches the record buying public’s imagination. For these record companies, they’ve hit the jackpot. Sometimes, they even hit the jackpot twice, when another compilation series proves popular. So, every year, as they’re working out …
DANIELE CIULINI-DOMESTIC EXILE (COLLECTED WORKS 82-86).
DANIELE CIULINI-DOMESTIC EXILE (COLLECTED WORKS 82-86). Nowadays, the word innovator is used far too often. However, in Daniele Ciullini’s case, it’s a fitting description of a groundbreaking musician. The music on his forthcoming compilation, Domestic Exile is proof of that. Domestic Exile is the first reissue to be released on the Ecstatic label on sixth …
THE ELECTRIC PEANUT BUTTER CO.-TRANS-ATLANTIC PSYCH CLASSICS VOLUME 1.
THE ELECTRIC PEANUT BUTTER CO.-TRANS-ATLANTIC PSYCH CLASSICS VOLUME 1. From the mid sixties, right through the early seventies was the golden age of psychedelic music. During that period, psychedelic music was King. Originally, folk rock and blues rock bands were influenced by psychedelia. Soon, psychedelia’s influence could be heard throughout music. Everything from folk, funk, …
FAIRPORT CONVENTION-MYTHS AND HEROES.
FAIRPORT CONVENTION-MYTHS AND HEROES. There aren’t many groups that enjoy the longevity that Fairport Convention have. They were formed in 1967, and are widely recognised as the founding fathers of English folk rock. Since then, Fairport Convention have influenced several generations of folk musicians. However, it’s not all been smooth sailing for Fairport Convention. The …
HENRY AND FLEETWOOD-ON THE FOREST FLOOR E.P.
HENRY AND FLEETWOOD-ON THE FOREST FLOOR E.P. Recently, I’ve noticed that there’s been a shortage of quality new music. At one point, it looked like the well had almost run dry. While the first couple of months of the year are always quiet, this year was worst than most. That’s apart from a few European …
BEATSPOKE-THE JOURNEY IS THE DESTINATION.
BEATSPOKE-THE JOURNEY IS THE DESTINATION. It’s been eleven years since Josh Fontan and Sarah Gessler formed Beatspoke in 2004. Since then, singer Sarah Gessler and beat maker and producer have released two albums as Beatspoke. Their debut album No Rush was released to critical acclaim in 2009. It caught the imagination of critics, and was …
DON RAY-GARDEN OF LOVE.
DON RAY-GARDEN OF LOVE. Although Don Ray played an important role in European disco music, working with Marc Cerrone and Alec Constandinos, Don only ever released one solo album, Garden of Love, released in 1978. Garden of Love was co-produced by Marc Cerrone, who released albums like Love In C Minor, Cerrone’s Paradise and Supernature. …
HIGHLIFE ON THE MOVE-SELECTED NIGERIAN AND GHANIAN RECORDINGS FROM LONDON AND LAGOS-1954-1966.
HIGHLIFE ON THE MOVE-SELECTED NIGERIAN AND GHANIAN RECORDINGS FROM LONDON AND LAGOS-1954-1966. The importance of Highlife in modern Nigerian and Ghanian culture can’t be understated. It was, after all, the first genre of modern popular music in both countries. As such, it’s important to recognise and celebrate, the importance of Highlife in Nigeria and Ghana. …
ERRORS-LEASE OF LIFE.
ERRORS-LEASE OF LIFE. Errors have come a long way since they were formed in Glasgow, in 2004, by Simon Ward, Greg Paterson and Stephen Livingstone. Back then, Errors’ makeshift studio was a bedroom. That was the Glasgow based musical alchemists laboratory. Through experimentation and innovation, Errors sound began to evolve. A years later, in 2005, …
SIMPLE MINDS-SPARKLE IN THE RAIN-DELUXE EDITION.
SIMPLE MINDS-SPARKLE IN THE RAIN-DELUXE EDITION. Success didn’t come easy for Simple Minds. It took five years and five albums before they found commercial success and critical acclaim across Europe with New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84). This was the start of the rise and rise of Simple Minds. It was also the start of Simple Minds …
BILL WELLS AND AIDAN MOFFAT-THE MOST IMPORTANT PLACE IN THE WORLD.
BILL WELLS AND AIDAN MOFFAT-THE MOST IMPORTANT PLACE IN THE WORLD. Four years after the last musical sojourn, Scotland’s musical odd couple of Bill Wells and Aidan Moffat return with their long awaited sophomore album The Most Important Place In The World. It’s the followup to Bill and Aidan’s 2011 debut album, Everything’s Getting Older. …
MICHAEL CHAMPMAN-SAVAGE AMUSEMENT.
MICHAEL CHAMPMAN-SAVAGE AMUSEMENT. Nowadays, artists can spent years recording an album. They announce that they’re about to start work on their next album. That’s the last anyone hears of the artist for years. They’re locked away in their home studio, with only a DAW and a handful of plug-ins for company. What follows is a …
ANNIE PHILIPPE-SENSATIONNEL! YE YE BONBONS 1965-1968.
ANNIE PHILIPPE-SENSATIONNEL! YE YE BONBONS 1965-1968. Growing up in Brittany, Annie Philippe always loved to sing and dance. Sometimes, she dreamt of making a living as a singer. That looked unlikely to happen. Annie’s parents were what she described as “simple people.” They didn’t have a musical background. Nor did didn’t realise their daughter was …
CHOCOLATE MILK-ACTION SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS.
CHOCOLATE MILK-ACTION SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS. During their career, Chocolate Milk recorded with both Allen Toussaint and Paul McCartney and released eight albums. Of these eight albums, their debut album Action Speaks Louder Than Words is probably the best known. Released in 1975, Action Speaks Louder Than Words is a mixture of funk and soul. …
ROY BROWN-PAY DAY JUMP-THE LATER SESSIONS.
ROY BROWN-PAY DAY JUMP-THE LATER SESSIONS. Roy Brown is remembered as one of the most influential R&B singers of the post war years. He made a commercial breakthrough in the summer of 1948, with Good Rockin’ Tonight. Released on DeLuxe, Good Rockin’ Tonight it reached number five in the US R&B charts, and was a …
WILLIE NILE-IF I WAS A RIVER.
WILLIE NILE-IF I WAS A RIVER. Having graduated from the University of Buffalo with a degree in philosophy in 1971, twenty-three year old Willie Nile dreamt of making a living as a troubadour. He was a classically trained pianist, who had been writing songs throughout his college years. Then during the summer, Willie Nile headed …
AXEL KRYGIER-HOMBRE DE PIEDRA.
AXEL KRYGIER-HOMBRE DE PIEDRA. Axel Krygier’s career began thirty years ago, back in 1985. Since then, the Buenos Aries’ born multi-instrumentalist has established a reputation as a musical maverick, who continually, has pushed musical boundaries to their limits, and sometimes, beyond. That’s apparent on Axel Krygier’s genre-melting fifth album, Hombre De Piedra, (Man Of Stone), …
dereksmusicblog
dereksmusicblog 