Monthly Archives: October 2010

There’s a Ghost in the House

Today is the eve of All Saints’ Day or Halloween as it’s better known. It has its origins in the Celtic festival of Samhain, a time when the Celts believed that the boundaries between this world and the spirit world broke down. People dressed up in costumes and wore masks in order to fend off harmful spirits. These masked individuals received gifts from homeowners who wished to appease the gods so that the next harvest would be a good one. This pagan festival was one of many that would eventually be co-opted by the Christian hierarchy and later by commercial enterprises. It’s also the season when the horror genre is at its most popular at the cinema, the DVD rental store and on TV. I haven’t noticed a corresponding increase in the number of horror-themed entries in the music charts at this time of year, although one of two songs have been released about things that go bump in the night. Your Ghost was released a single from Kristin Hersh‘s debut solo album from 1994, Hips and Makers. The former Throwing Muse was joined by Michael Stipe on the track, which was covered last year by Greg Laswell. Walking With a Ghost was originally released on So Jealous (2004), the fourth album by identical twins, Tegan & Sara. The White Stripes covered the song and made it the title track of the EP that they released the following year. Karen Elson (pictured) is also a twin and is married to Jack White. The Ghost Who Walks is the lead single and title track from her 2010 album, which was produced by her husband. The title comes from a nickname she had at school “for being tall, pale and a little bit haunted“. At least she won’t have to dress up this Halloween!

Your Ghost (Kristin Hersh cover) – Greg Laswell

Walking With A Ghost (Tegan & Sara cover) – The White Stripes

The Ghost Who Walks – Karen Elson

Time of the Season

The clocks are going back all over Europe a few hours after midnight and this means that everybody should be looking forward to an extra hour in bed tonight. At the moment, the time of sunrise in my hometown is approaching 8.30am, but tomorrow that will be pushed back an hour until it evens out at about 8.45 during the latter half of December. In contrast, the sun will now be setting at nearly 5.00pm from tomorrow and will approach 4.30 during November and slightly earlier throughout most of December. The day that will see the least amount of sunshine will be, of course, December 21st when Limerick will see just over seven and a half hours of daylight. However, with the weather we get in this country, I wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t even get that much. This change won’t make any difference for me in the morning as I rarely get up before 10.00am, though I’m sure I’ll notice it in the evening. Here are three tunes to remind you all in Europe to remember to put your clocks back tonight

The Times They Are A-Changin’ (Bob Dylan cover) – The Byrds

Time Of The Season – The Zombies

Like Clockwork – The Boomtown Rats

Beautiful Noise

This week’s episode of Later with Jools Holland features a couple of lesser-known acts along with three pretty well-known singer-songwriters. Sir Paul McCartney will be promoting the re-release of Band on the Run, originally released in 1973 when he was with Wings. His version of I’m Partial to Your Abracadabra appears on the Brand New Boots & Panties tribute to Ian Dury. McCartney has written and recorded with Elvis Costello in the past and maybe they’ll collaborate again on this week’s show. Costello has just released his follow-up to Secret, Profane & Sugarcane. National Ransom was recorded in Nashville and Los Angeles with The Sugarcanes and was produced by T Bone Burnett. I must admit that I always fast forward the moment that Neil Diamond takes the stage during The Band’s Last Waltz concert. Nevertheless, he has written some great songs over the years and the best of these have been performed by other artists. I’m a Believer by The Monkees, Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon by Urge Overkill and Solitary Man by Johnny Cash are three of the better ones. Solitary Man was his first hit as a performer in 1966. Aloe Blacc is the stage name of Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III. Miss Fortune is taken from the American rapper’s Good Things album. The Black Keys are a duo from Akron, Ohio, and Brothers is the title of their current album. Their version of a song co-written by that McCartney fella and is taken from The Big Come Up. There are three episodes remaining in the current series of Later

I’m Partial to Your Abracadabra (Ian Dury cover) – Paul McCartney & the Blockheads

I Threw It All Away (Bob Dylan cover) – Elvis Costello

Solitary Man – Neil Diamond

Miss Fortune – Aloe Blacc

She Said, She Said (Beatles cover) – The Black Keys

Peeling in the Years

John Peel died on this day six years ago and Webbie over at Football & Music has decided to commemorate the great man by getting bloggers and users of social media to put up a track from a Peel session by one their favourite acts. You can read more about it and find out what other bloggers are up to over at Keeping It Peel. Peel started recording sessions in 1967 and these continued right up to his death in 2004. Unsurprisingly, The Fall recorded the most (24) with David Gedge matching that figure as part of The Wedding Present and also Cinerama. Some of the biggest acts from the British Isles such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Sex Pistols, The Clash, Radiohead and U2 never recorded a Peel session, while Lulu, The Shadows, Gerry & the Pacemakers and Terence Trent D’Arby actually did. Many Irish acts made the short trip across The Irish Sea to the BBC studios and today I present a session track from eight of these

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Back to the Drawing Board

Back on September 30th, I expressed my desire to go see the re-release of Back to the Future at my local picture palace. In fact, I was promised two free passes to see the film by its distributor in Ireland, Universal Pictures. I had hoped that the tickets would have arrived in time for the opening weekend’s screening, but I didn’t mind waiting a few days. When the tickets hadn’t arrived after a week I started to get worried and I began to give up all hope when the second week arrived and I was still ticketless. So, imagine my surprise when this letter popped through my letterbox last Friday

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Penthouse & Pavement

Joining the host on this week’s Later with Jools Holland will be Sheffield’s Heaven 17 (pictured, bottom right). They had most of their hits in the 80s and Temptation was the biggest of those. Crystal Fighters (bottom centre) are a contemporary pop band who make dance music with Basque instruments. At Home appears on their Star of Love debut album. New Jersey’s The Gaslight Anthem (bottom left) are heavily influenced by the music of Bruce Springsteen and American Slang is the title of their third album. Catherine and Allison are Alabama-born sisters whose surname provides the name of their duo. The Pierces (top left) are now based in New York and have released three albums. To the Grave is taken from their soon-to-be released Love You More EP. 100 Miles From Memphis is the new one from Sheryl Crow (top centre), who grew up 160 kilometres from Memphis in Missouri. Her cover of the track from the White Album is taken from the I Am Sam soundtrack. The Welsh singer Duffy (top right) had the biggest selling album of 2008 with her Rockferry debut. The follow-up will be called Endlessly and it appears next month. Cry to Me is her version of a song from Solomon Burke, who passed away last week. Later goes on on BBC 2 every Tuesday and Friday

Temptation – Heaven 17

At Home – Crystal Fighters *

Songs for Teenagers (Fake Problems cover) – The Gaslight Anthem

To the Grave – The Pierces

Mother Nature’s Son (Beatles cover) – Sheryl Crow

Cry To Me (Solomon Burke cover) – Duffy

* File removed by request

If You Could Read My Mind

There’s a show taking place at the University Concert Hall in Limerick tonight that I wouldn’t mind seeing but I can’t make it due to work commitments. Even if I was available, however, I’d prefer not to hand over my money to the performer in question. Joe Power hails from Liverpool and is, wait for it, a medium whose main claim to fame is that he can communicate with the dead. I must admit that I’d never heard of the guy until I read about his visit to Limerick in a local newspaper last week. Since then, I’ve read a few articles about him and also watched a rather interesting documentary that attempts to discover what makes him tick

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Time After Time

Five acts have been announced to appear on this week’s Later with Jools Holland. Imelda May makes her second appearance and will be playing tracks from her recently released Mayhem album. She gives the rockabilly treatment to Gloria Jones’ Tainted Love that is best known for Soft Cell’s hit version. Wake Up! is the title of the current album from John Legend, though it doesn’t include his version of the Arcade Fire song of the same name. Money Changes Everything was one of a number of hit singles from Cyndi Lauper‘s 1983 debut album, She’s So Unusual. Memphis Blues is her latest and it features her singing blues songs. Antony & the Johnsons are fronted by the British-born but New York-based Antony Hegarty and won the 2005 Mercury Prize for their I Am a Bird Now album. Their new album is called Swanlights and Antony’s Dylan cover appeared on the Dark Was the Night charity album. Hands is the title of that difficult second album from the duo known as The Ting Tings. Their version of Standing in the Way of Control was recorded for a BBC session. Later is broadcast on Tuesdays and Thursdays on BBC 2 television

Tainted Love (Gloria Jones cover) – Imelda May

Wake Up (Arcade Fire cover) – John Legend & the Roots

Money Changes Everything (Brains cover) – Cyndi Lauper

I Was Young When I Left Home (Bob Dylan cover) – Antony

Standing In The Way Of Control (Gossip cover) – The Ting Tings