WOB'S WEDNESDAY WAFFLE #1

Band of Badgers Weekly....ish.

Due to the time constraints you hear (see?) me hark on about so much, I'm not able to publish the podcasts weekly or to complete everything I'd like to. Sponsors and job offers to do all this stuff on a more full time basis are still yet to come my way. I need to increase output. I need to be getting more out there. So, I'm aiming to do a little write up once each week, or more likely fortnightly at the very least. It will cover either new music I've come to throughout the week or over the weekend prior and any new stuff from other bands and artists already featured. Kind of a Band of Badgers Weekly Digest type thing. Unless it does become more a fortnightly thing in which case it will be a Band of Badgers Fortnightly Digest.

It is also so I can try to keep on top of it all. There is so much of it, that some bands I've contacted months ago now I still haven't managed to fit into a podcast. I will do of course but there is only so much room and I only have so much time. There it is again. A whine about time. Wow I even made a little rhyme. 'Shut up about sodding time!' I hear you all crying. Without much further ado. What the heck does that actually mean anyway? I know what it hints at but isn't it an odd turn of phrase? I may well have bought that one up before but there are giant holes in my memory thanks to being subjected to so much crap music when some of my office colleagues used to play radio 1 all day long.

Oh the trauma! I am still in therapy. It is touch and go whether I'll pull through yet but all this great new indie music is part of my treatment so I am getting there. I'm sure you don't need me to explain how I'd come home each night and the same infernal noise lingering inside my head would torture me all evening. Boom, boom, screech, scratch, bang, boom, boom, boom, boom, nonsense lyrics interlaced with more boom, boom, boom, screech, screech, screech, scream, boom!

How did I survive? Don't get me wrong here either. I'm not against certain types of trance or techno or the like (apart from Garage - my ears just will not permit any of it). I too have lived through clubbing days where I've danced from dusk til dawn (okay, more so my sorry excuse for dancing) on a hot summer's Gatecrasher night surrounded by an ocean of contemporaries who all feel as one being in tune with the music. Then comes the breakdown as everyone slows before the beat kicks off once more in a race to the end. In fact, in those younger days (which yes, still sat nicely alongside my growing fascination with the likes of Led Zeppelin, The Doors and Bob Dylan) I admit I rarely did do much of the dancing. Unless I was blotto as the saying goes. That does mean drunk, right? I do recall one night in the height of summer and actually at a Gatecrasher night in Birmingham, I danced like a crazy dancing fool. Apparently I danced quite well. That was always what stopped me you see. I was always too conscious of myself or what I looked like. Always believing I couldn't dance. But what is dancing exactly? Especially when people are all moving about to any kind of music. Isn't that all it is? Moving about to the music but making it appear to others that you have some kind of rhythm? Precisely. I didn't even drink that much on this particular night either. So what did my good friend at the time say of my new found dancing ability? Well, he was convinced I was on drugs. Typical. I honestly wasn't. I don't see the point in denying it if I had taken anything. I'm not ashamed. But I hadn't. I was rather annoyed at the time but looking back it makes me chuckle. I should have been in that movie, Human Traffic if my acting was that good. Then perhaps the badgers really would be playing banjos.

Oh dear. My penchant for digression seems to be seeping in. Don't worry. I won't be doing this too often. That said, this update can also be my area to vent or explain such things. Musical things for the most part and most certainly all things to do with music. That's the same thing isn't it? Oh dear, I best get on with it.

First off please do check out the single, Yr Not Alone from Cat Martino below. I was downloading the many albums and EPs I'd won from a competition run by Tom Morris (more on that in the next blogcast, but yes you read that correct, I won a competition, yey me) when Cat's bandcamp site with this link to the single popped up in the 'other artists you may be interested in' bit. Or something of the like. Seeing the name something in my mind made a loud chinging sound. It could have been a clink. Or even a ping. Anyway there was something that reminded me I'd come across the name before, if not the music. And sure enough Cat co-wrote Singing Sin City, with Robin Bennett of The Dreaming Spires. That's the opening track on Brothers in Brooklyn, the Spires' fantastic debut album which I really think should form part of your collection. It also featured on my walking to/from work soundtrack this evening, courtesy of my iPod shuffle. I believe another track Robin wrote called Cathie (Carry On) is loosely based on Cat too. Please don't quote me as such but I am almost pretty certain I read that. Anyway Yr Not Alone is a taster for a forthcoming full album which I have to admit now I've finally heard Cat, I am looking forward to hearing more. The single is just $1 so even less than £1 for anyone on this side of the pond (come on, I haven't said or typed that for some time now). Bargain! Go get!



If following this sensational taster, you are unable to wait for the new album then I kindly offer you the chance to check out her previous album, The Sea Closet (2009) below. This is available to buy. $8 for 10




While writing the majority of this post earlier this evening there was a bit of a summer rain shower. 'Summer?' I hear you gasp in shock. Yes we do have one in the UK. After a fashion, I guess. And yet we all still complain about how hot it is. How humid. How dry. That's just us Brits. It's like a third of us complain about pretty much everything all the time (always brings Everything All The Time, from The Dreaming Spires on to my mind radio - good times). Another third are so laid back they just take everything in their stride while the remaining third are a mix of both. There you go. Even some psychology of a nation in this post. I'm digressing again but please stick with me. There will be more music I promise. Anyway, I was typing away when I looked up out the front window to see a double rainbow. 'What's so exciting or wondrous about that?' You may well ask. To this I respond with the fact this double rainbow on 22/08/12 looks to be at roughly the exact same spatial coordinates as one I took a picture of on 18/08/2010. I'm not a conspiracy theorist, as fun as some of them can be when you really do start running with them. I don't believe it is due to some top secret government project testing the opening of interdimensional portals. Or creating doorways into a parallel universe. Or it being a time travel portal. As fun and interesting as all those things are I'm sure there is a regular scientific explanation.

That's it. Apologies the story didn't go anywhere else much. I too was hoping, nay I was actually preying I'd find a doorway into 1973, Madison Square Garden, New York. There I would be able to attend all three nights of Led Zeppelin's gig. To be honest I probably wouldn't return. I would be in so much awe I would lose all bodily and mental capacities. I would be stranded in 1973 and have to find my way back somehow. At least I wouldn't have to encounter the tosh that is trashy mindless, thoughtless pop these days. I try and steer as clear as possible but, you know, some seeps through here and there. Don't worry though, I do make sure I disinfect myself thoroughly when it does. I'll save my waffle about the return of The Crap Factor for the blogcast that will be up in a few days.



Ah. Watching this has bought forth a yearning to watch The Song Remains The Same again. It has been far too long. Years in fact which just isn't right. No wonder there are crazy interdimensional fluctuations occurring. You can guess what I'll be doing at some point over the coming bank holiday weekend. Yes as well as finishing off the mountain of writing I have to do. Including the Truck Festival review part II. I honestly haven't forgotten and can only use the excuse of time being a bitch. It may become a lame one but it is nevertheless very true. I also have to make sure I do the write ups I do, proper justice. If I don't then what's the point, right? Exactly. It will be very soon though I promise. As well as three more reviews plus the Bakewell Music Festival review. And another few albums after that. And more podcasts. I better stop listing here as it starts to make me dizzy. All good things. I am getting better organised.

Walk to Work Soundtrack Snapshot - being a peek at my iPod shuffle from this morning/evening.

Morning:

Fuel Up - Stornoway
Thou Art Loosed - Dry The River
Oxygen - Whitestar
Someone You'd Admire - Fleet Foxes
Mime To The Night - The Scholars
No Death - Or, the Whale
Immaculate - Shearwater
Clay & Ottie - Walsh & Pound
Ship - Andrew Page



Evening:

Silent Boulevard - Tom McRae
Glorious #1 - Remy Zero
If I Wanted Someone - Dawes
Look At The Stars (They're Really Out Tonight) - The Dreaming Spires
Get Over It - Guillemots
Walking to Hawaii - Tom McRae
Munich - Editors
Sleeper 1972 - Manchester Orchestra
Singing Sin City - The Dreaming Spires
White Blank Page - Mumford & Sons
Me, Myself & I - The Survival Code





Well I will leave it there for the moment or else this will turn into a Thursday post and not a Wednesday Waffle, meaning I'll have to come up with another name. Hope you enjoy what's here anyway and there'll be plenty more in due course.

Have a great weekend one and all and keep up to date as the podcast #7 will only be a few days away.

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COMING SOON: Band of Badgers Presents...

Please excuse me for not having uploaded a new post so far this week but I am currently working on putting together a podcast. This is taking up most of my free time at present as I'm getting the tracks together, requesting permissions from the bands and artists I'd like to involve as well as learning how to actually record the thing.

Saying I'm excited would be a big understatement. I just hope I can pull this off and do the music proud. Ah! So if I do a good job and get a good level of hits helping to promote some really fantastic music I think deserves more exposure I believe I will be ready to talk to Heather.

I will be able to sing aloud in full force (and in my very best Heather Small impression (which I don't think is that great but, you know, points for effort)), 'What have you done today, to make you feel proud?'

I've missed that at work. Oh Sabina, hurry up and return from your travels down under as we are long overdue a Heather incident. 

I'm digressing aren't I? Apologies. Back to the podcast.

I am writing an article for the website Graduate Game on how to record a podcast so I thought why not jump right in and record my own. I won't deny that when I was younger I may have pretended I was a radio presenter. Playing tracks from my various cassettes at the time (only huge sums of money will get me to divulge what bands or artists this involved – it was the very early 90’s) and just rambling youthful nonsense I can't imagine it was much cop. But it was just for fun. I was a child. It was one of those things to do.

As you may have already got the impression I'm a big fan of music. My interests are quite varied even if I have particular soft spots (or shouldn't this be I have large spots? I have huge spots...regressing to the teenage years I think. Not a big pimple....ooh...pimple...what a word that is, pimple, pimples) for rock, alternative and indie. 

With the volume of new bands and artists I'm still being introduced to via Twitter in addition to coming across them via the other ways I'm used to, I thought it would be cool to use the medium of a podcast to play some of this music.

So, Band of Badgers Presents... will be my opportunity to play a set list of tracks from some of these artists and bands in the hope I can aid in the promotion and exposure for them (if nobody downloads it this will slap me in the face so seriously hard I will have permanent black eyes. This will not be a good look. There's no way I can afford to keep buying the make up to disguise permanent black eyes. Jeez, how do you ladies (note: non-sexist question here, I’m just generally curious) afford to keep yourselves in this stuff? Saying that, there are plenty of gay men, even plenty of straight men who spend a fortune on their cosmetics so I extend this query to all of you? Answers on a postcard please....but don't phone it's just for fun and unfortunately I don't have a premium rate phone line you can call to line my pockets. Perhaps I should enlist the help of ITV for that one? Unless it’s still a sore point? I really do go for it on these asides sometimes....STOP!).

Band of Badgers Presents...The Pilot episode will hopefully be up and available sometime next week. This is subject to a number of things not least the fact I've never done anything like this before. 

I'd like to take this opportunity (but I will do so again countless times) to thank the bands and artists who have already given permission for me to play their music and who have provided words of support and encouragement. I really hope I can do you [Heather Small voice please] proud!

One Cure for Man  

Whitestar 

Andrew Page 

Mutineers 

The Walla Recovery   

Under A Banner        

Howard James Kenny 

Luke Jackson  

Angel Kelly     

Gypsy Fire    

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Levelling the Land One More Time

So, I have actually made it to a third entry. I’d originally planned to write up this review (review is perhaps not the exact word to describe the rambling) of 2011 gigs as one entry but due to my incessant rambling it is only fair on your poor eyes and time constraints that I break it up somewhat. My own time constraints aside....Oh yes that's right.... Valerie (the banjo playing badger) has just reminded me that with my time machine I shouldn't have any kind of time constraints at all. Thank you Valerie. I can always trust him to stick his snout in. I don't recall asking for his opinion on the matter. I can hear the banjo now, which can mean only one thing - he has some song of wisdom to sing at me. Speaking of wisdom I’ve got to have one of my wisdom teeth out in a few weeks. What, may I ask, is the point in us still having these teeth when the majority of adults have to have them removed due to the issues they cause?

Valerie will disagree but I smell conspiracy at work here. All of these wisdom teeth being extracted. All that wisdom gathering together and plotting the downfall of humanity or some such....What's that?......I suppose you're right there. Valerie just said that humanity needs no help from inanimate teeth.....Nice tune.....I do so enjoy the sound of a banjo, a banjo being played by a badger even more so. It is, as you can imagine somewhat unique.

Where was I? Oh yes, wisdom teeth. They're gathering on mass somewhere out in the wilderness until their numbers are great enough for them to connect together forming as to like a huge figure tall and terrible. Imagine it!! A twenty foot tall monster made out of all the wisdom teeth removed over the last hundred years or so. Several (or more) of such wisdom teeth monsters all chattering towards you. They would have some pretty nasty looking teeth wouldn't they? And don’t even get me started on the five mile radius bubble of halitosis wafting out in all directions. Right, enough!! After that vivid dream where I was being chased by zombies last night without the aid of cheese or any zombie related media I don't think it’s wise to conjure up the image of an army of wisdom teeth monsters this close to bedtime.

The BBC missed out on that one during their brainstorming sessions for old 60's Doctor Who. Think of the money they'd have saved on the props/costumes they ended up using for their alien designs. All they would have required would have been some glue to stick all the teeth together. *Note to self....next time I'm in the early 60's stop by the BBC Doctor Who writing/production team and offer my services*

Anywho, let's get back to sanity (in theory) and crack on with the review before that apocalypse kicks off.


2.) Next up was one of my ultimate favourites The Levellers on their tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of the album Levelling the Land. This was the first Levellers album I was introduced to (as it is for many lifelong fans I expect) in 1997 so it was a real treat to see the band perform it in its entirety for the first time. 

I make an effort to see this band at least once each year (four times in 2010, twice in 2011 and now if I can get my time machine working I plan to nip back to 1992 & 1994 for those early Glastonbury appearances of theirs where the Boatman became the Spaceman) so I think I've seen them play each song from the album over the years. Their legions of loyal fans all come together at each gig like one mass blob of drool that's formed from many lesser blobs. All end up jumping up and down as if we're in an 80's pogo stick competition in some playground in Hackney (It's true (or maybe it isn’t). This moshing is in rhythm to the joyous guitar, banjo, fiddle and vocal sounds, ingredients which combine to make one tasty meal for our ears.

Standing at the bar waiting for a pint of beer I hear a loud drumbeat thud above the din of chatter cutting through the thick heavy fog of anticipation and excitement. The beat thuds again gathering momentum as it picks up the haunting sound of the harmonica. Sirens and horns! It sounds like sirens and horns all from one blow which then latches on to the violin's lament. The fidgety crowd are off immediately. That first drumbeat is enough to engage them. The chatter ceases as they take their places amidst the collective of the blob. All are now one with the band on stage. Needless to say the beer is forgotten as I rush to merge with the collective. Resistance is futile. One will be and is assimilated. I merge and become one with the moshing blob just in time for the vocals to kick in.

This is an iconic album with a clear message that still resonates loudly twenty years on (perhaps even more so in this post post modern era with added double dip recession*). Many will argue the album made and defined the band. I wouldn't agree completely as their first offering A Weapon Called the Word had many similar themed songs. It is true Levelling the Land fermented the overall sound of the band and the phenomenal success of it propelled them into the stratosphere of the music world. That said, they've always been shunned by the popular music media, something that never phases them and for which we as fans are more grateful than not. It has meant we keep our bunch of Levellers as they always were - owing their successes to their hard work, their loyal fans and the more savoury kind of people in the music business.

There really is only One Way of Life and all our friends in all their jobs, it's all a bloody waste. The words conjure visions of the rat race the majority of us find ourselves in just to survive. Mind numbing jobs just to pay the bills and feed our faces. The Game of life continues to play out while the girl from Fifteen Years ago has packed and gone away. I stand here looking across mountains and the valleys deep where I would take my weary feet and if I really could choose the life I pleased then there's little doubt I’d be a Boatman. Now, if only I could afford that barge. Alas, I like most others am not a freeman as there's one too many, two too many holes are getting bigger in the garden wall. If I'm not careful they're going to get to me, to take my Liberty meaning I'm likely to end up so Far From Home with no means of return. 

Whenever I listen to the Levellers, whichever album it might be and wherever I happen to be at the time I do feel like I belong to some ancient race. Yes I like to walk in ancient places (most recently the ruins of Rome and Pompeii) cause these are things that I can understand. The song Sell Out should be used to introduce every party political broadcast during elections or broadcast alongside them as an alternative. 'Your policies have failed the test of time, cause you sold them down the river - o.' So very true.

Another Man's Cause brings a lump to my throat each time I hear it. The message is clear and not aimed at the service personnel but at those in power who make these terrible, seemingly endless and (in most cases) pointless (not including their thirst for oil and/or dominance) wars.

This is a band that has been with me through everything in my adult life. A band whose music I can always rely on to entice the smile back to my face when I'm feeling down so by the end of even one song I'll be itching to jump about like a loon. They continue to provide me with inspiration helping to nurture my creative side, something I am eternally grateful for.

As with ALL of their gigs I've attended over the years this was more like an evening in the company of friends. A sweaty beer filled evening, admittedly but one of complete enjoyment. At the end of each gig I always find myself saying, ‘Bring on the next…’ I’ve seen them in a number of places around the country yet never in my original hometown of Birmingham.

Who knows where I’ll see them next (probably at least at their own Beautiful Days festival) but with a new album due soon I’m looking forward to it.

*at the time of writing it has only been forecast the UK may be heading into that dreaded double dip recession so if it doesn't actually happen this asterisk thing means you can't sue me for incorrect information and all that bollocks. A double dip recession sounds a bit like a new rollercoaster to me (and not metaphorically so).

To follow: Tom Mcrae with String Quartet.